Part 8 (2/2)

CHAPTER FIVE.

When a low, rough voice spoke over her head a few minutes later, she forced her eyes to open. Staring up, she could see Declan and Eli facing off over her supine body. Their voices came in low tones, Declan's a throbbing growl, Eli's a raspy, almost hissing kind of purr that incited both fear and pa.s.sion.

She felt almost full, and she wondered why, until she caught the faint hint of blood in her mouth. Somebody had fed her. The aftereffects of climax still shuddered through her, and she'd be sure to discuss s.e.x play in front of others once she had Declan alone, but first she had to figure it out if she had enjoyed it, or if it was verboten.

But her head...it didn't feel right.

She could almost feel something tugging at her, but every second she ignored it, the tugging grew weaker and weaker. A slimy, curdling sensation in her belly still lingered, as well, and for some reason, the man who had bitten her came to mind.

”What happened?”

They ignored her. Rising to her feet, she took a deep breath and shouted, ”What happened?”

Hard, glinting green eyes landed on her, only to soften.

Declan moved closer to her and brushed her cheek.

”You're all right,” he whispered. Something that resembled fear started to fade from his eyes and he pulled her against him. ”Christ Jesus, thank you. You're all right.”

”I don't know if I am or not,” she said slowly, looking up at him. His hands smoothed down her arms and she flushed a little as he pulled his s.h.i.+rt off and b.u.t.toned her into it before stroking down her hair. ”What happened?”

”Your sire tried to summon you,” Eli said, falling back and retreating to his chair. He dropped onto it, lounging like some giant feline creature, and studied her with those opaque gold eyes. ”I believe if you had been in fighting form, you would have ignored it easily.

But Declan is right-you haven't fully fed. Until you do, you will remain weakened. And next time, if you are alone, he may succeed.

”You already possess a rather frightening strength of will,” he mused. ”Seeing you at your full strength may be a rather frightening image.”

”If he summoned me, why am I still here? And why do I have blood all over me?” She could feel it drying on her face, in her nose.

”A Master can kill his creatures, the weaker ones easily, for disobeying him. He has a hold on you. It can be broken, but until it is, if he so desires, he can simply crush your brain and heart and wipe any traces of life from you,” Eli said quietly. ”You have the strength of will to keep him from you, but not the strength to protect yourself. Yet.”

”He tried to kill me?”

”Yes.”

Tori was pretty d.a.m.n glad Declan's arms were firmly wrapped around her. She turned in his embrace, keeping his body aligned with her back so she could meet Eli's eyes without straining her neck. ”How did you feeding me stop it?”

”All you needed was a little strength. Well, actually a lot. You were resisting his call, but you couldn't fight him. At full strength, you will fight him off easily.” Eli lifted his eyes to the ceiling, studying the painted swirls absently while his hand cupped his crotch. Tori's eyes widened at the motion, and at the erection that still throbbed there.

”You already have a bond with Declan. I fed you to give you strength, and Declan called you, grounded you, and you were able to throw your sire's grip off. Of course, I hadn't realized exactly what method Declan would choose to call you,” Eli murmured, his voice becoming a low, silken purr. ”You're a rather tasty little bundle, Tori McAdams.”

She felt the warning growl rumbling up through Declan's chest before it pa.s.sed his lips. And she was all too aware of the hot sensation low in her belly. ”You watched.”

”And tasted,” Eli replied with a seductive curl of his lips. ”If Declan wasn't one of only a few I call friend, I just might be tempted to keep you for myself. And he could go f.u.c.k himself.”

”And I have no say?” she asked, narrowing her eyes.

She felt the hot wash of color flood her cheeks and her heart rate kicked up a bit in anger. Apparently Eli sensed it as well, because his eyes dropped to study the pulse in her throat. ”As weak as you are? Not much of one,” Eli responded slowly, still studying her pulse while he started to stroke his c.o.c.k as it strained and pressed against his linen trousers. ”He never completed his dominance over you, this vampire who changed you. I suspect he didn't think you would survive the change. So many don't, especially if they are left alone to fend for themselves. Since he didn't expect you to survive it, he felt no need to establish himself as Master.

”It's easy to master a newly turned vamp,” Eli finished, his odd gold eyes still fixated on her neck. Absently, almost as if he wasn't that interested in his own arousal, he opened his pants and took his c.o.c.k in hand.

”So lost, so hungry. So malleable. It takes so little to establish the tiny psychic link it takes to be the Master.”

Tori couldn't believe she was watching a man m.a.s.t.u.r.b.a.t.e in front of her. She dragged her eyes away, but not before her mind caught a good long look at his c.o.c.k, and committed it to memory; long, pale, with a fat pink head, his furry sac cupped in his other hand.

She turned around and faced Declan. ”Such interesting friends you have,” she said, her voice shaking. She was humiliated to realize it wasn't just embarra.s.sment, but arousal.

Declan's hands rubbed up and down her arms and she was startled to see that his nails had started to elongate, that his soft green eyes were glowing hard and bright.

”He is being quite the a.s.s tonight, love,” he said, his voice rough and tight. ”I think he's a bit upset that you'd not be pleased to stay with him. Most women are drawn to him, they can't help it. Enough, Eli. I came here because we need help. You can jack off later.”

Eli's head had fallen back and his eyes were closed.

Tori could see his reflection in the dark pane of gla.s.s just over Declan's shoulder. Her sharpened hearing caught a ragged sound of breathing coming from Eli- the first time she had actually noticed he breathed.

”What if I said I wouldn't help unless I got to f.u.c.k her?”

Declan s.h.i.+fted. Tori jerked in startled surprise as he fell to the floor, writhing, his clothes splitting open and falling to shreds around his enlarging form. It was quicker this time, rougher, less controlled. Tori could feel and taste the violence that was pumping from him.

She took a shaky breath, staring at the golden pelt in front of her as his clawed hands came up when he rose, and started to gently nudge her aside.

”Declan.”

He didn't respond, a snarl falling from his lips as he forced the words out through his gaping mouth.

”Elijah-”

”Declan!” she bellowed it out, and to her amazement, gla.s.s cracked and the house near trembled. His fanged snout whipped in her direction and he stared down at her. Eli laughed and she turned to glare at him. ”If and when I ever decide to f.u.c.k you, it will be my choice. Yes or no, it is my choice, and it won't be as payment.”

”So certain? I may end up owning you,” Eli pouted, his fist swallowing the head of his c.o.c.k in short rapid strokes.

The wolf beside her tensed.

”Don't, Declan,” she said quietly, reaching out and cautiously laying a hand on his muscled, fur covered arm. The fur was silken there, soft, and it curled around her fingers. ”Don't. He's pus.h.i.+ng your b.u.t.tons, Declan.

Something tells me it's a perverse pleasure of his.”

”You've no idea how perverse my pleasures run,” Eli said from behind her, his voice laced with laughter.

And then he sighed. ”I believe I've taken the game too far. Nina!”

Tori heard faint footsteps from far away but she never took her attention from Declan. She moved closer, until she could slide her arms under his, pressing her cheek against the wall of his chest. He was taller in this form, wider and more thickly built. And oddly, Tori felt safer than she had ever felt in her life.

She nuzzled his chest with her cheek, feeling the soft, silky fur. With a turn of her neck, she pressed a kiss to a flat nipple visible through the thinner fur that covered his chest and belly and groin. ”We came here for a reason, didn't we?” she asked softly. ”We've already been distracted once.”

<script>