Part 9 (1/2)

His hands closed over her arms, the claws stroking the inner part of her arm, the outer curve of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, while a rumbling sigh ruffled her hair. ”Do not push, Eli,” he growled over her head, his glowing eyes pinning the vampire who had risen and finally covered his ma.s.sive erection.

Roughly, Eli laughed. ”I'm aware, Declan, of just how much she is yours. Too f.u.c.king bad,” he sighed just as the door swung open. ”Will you be needing clothes, Declan?”

Tori glanced down, remembering with some surprise, that Declan's were in pieces and his pelt was the only thing he wore. He simply growled, ”No,” while he wrapped one arm around Tori, stroking her head with a hand nearly the size of a dinner plate.

He was still too angry, Tori realized. She decided, rather quickly, she wasn't too upset by the idea of him being so possessive. Or that he was still in this rather alien form. Interesting didn't quite begin to describe it, she figured. She wondered what it would be like to have him like this, that silken furred body between her thighs, his larger body nearly dwarfing her.

”Very well. Nina, go out to the yard and find me a volunteer. Tori needs to feed a little before we go out,”

Eli said.

”Feed?” Tori repeated, incredulous.

”Out?” Declan demanded.

”You need to feed fully,” Eli said quietly, turning away from the girl who was already darting out the door. He paced closer and when he stopped Tori could have reached out and touched him. ”In your youth, it is hard to feed fully without killing. We will take the edge, so to speak, off here. And then find someone deserving of what we can bring.”

”You want me to kill somebody?”

”I want you strong enough to resist your sire, the next time he summons you. And I want to see what will come of you,” Eli said, catching one fat curl in his hand and rubbing it with his thumb. Then he raised his eyes, dark and golden, to Declan's. ”I want to f.u.c.k her, as well. I cannot deny that, nor would you believe it.”

”But whether or not that happens, I will do all that I can to help you protect yours, my brother,” Eli said solemnly to the wolf.

”Excuse me, can we get back to me killing? I don't want to kill.”

”Wait until you see who I intend for you to kill before you make that choice,”

Eli advised. ”I've had plans for him for several weeks now, but I held off, for some reason. He never made the mistake I warned him against, so I've been more lenient than I should have been.”

”I don't want to kill-”Tori's words were m.u.f.fled when two clawed fingers covered her mouth. A shudder raced down her spine when Declan lowered his mouth to her ear and whispered roughly, ”Wait until you see, Tori. Then, decide.” ”A good suggestion.” Eli turned as the door opened again, and revealed not one man, but two. ”Why am I not surprised?” he mused as they entered, staring at Tori. ”Not one snack, but two.”

Something inside Tori, something that was still far too human, revolted at the thought of treating a man as a snack. And while neither smelled as appetizing as Declan-and she doubted their blood would leave her belly filling like it was full of liquid gold like Eli's blood had done-the scent of them, the pounding of their hearts drew her.

”She's not fed on her own,” Eli drawled, flopping bonelessly into his chair. ”Who will break her fast?”

The dark haired man with the Polynesian eyes and soft mouth reached her first, baring his throat by yanking his s.h.i.+rt open and tossing his dreadlocks aside. ”I would be honored,” he whispered, his eyes raking over her pale face with an odd sort of yearning.

”I'd advise you not to expect more than feeding, James.

The wolf guarding her back will tear out your throat before she has a chance to feed. And cold blood is revolting,” Eli said.

The heat that had sizzled in his eyes faded and he simply nodded, baring his throat to her, and Tori had the oddest image, of young, strong males, all lined up and baring their necks, while she went around sniffing them like vintage wines. She stifled the giggle, which was part hysteria, as she stepped closer. Casting Declan a nervous look, she trailed a hesitant hand down the throbbing vein in the man's arched neck.

Then her hand fell away.

”I can't,” she whispered weakly. Near tears, she turned her head away and said louder, ”I can't.”

Declan wrapped his arms tighter and forced her closer to the man who still stood, patiently waiting, with his neck arched. Underneath his golden skin, the vein pulsed and throbbed and beckoned, and Tori was half mad with hunger.

”I can't.”

”Then you will die,” a voice said softly.

Lifting her eyes, she stared into Eli's, so close to hers.

He had gotten out of his chair and approached them while she was being squeamish. ”He's a human being, a person. I can't treat him like food.”

”He is offering,” he said urgently. ”It isn't wicked, or evil. It's just necessary. He is offering, and that is a fine gift. And I warn you, if you do not feed, completely, and fully, and soon, your sire will summon you, and you will surrender. Either that, or he will kill you. And I fear that death would be a sweet release compared to what he would do.”

”Feed, Torrance McAdams.”

That low, ancient, wise voice was starting to whisper in her head again. Tori whimpered against it, against the compelling urge to bite through the lovely golden skin, and feed. She fought against the urge, the hunger. ”Only a fool refuses a gift offered freely. Take what is being given.”

”The hunger can drive a vampire insane,” Declan whispered. His hands- smooth and human-came around her and his voice was his own-soft, low, crooning music in her ear that sounded of Ireland, that made her think of green valleys and staggering rock walls and tumbled circles of stone. He had s.h.i.+fted back to his human form and his naked heat was pressed against her. ”It will drive you mad, unless your sire manages to bring you to him first. If it drives you mad, you will fall upon the first person you see like a ravening beast, be it man, woman or child, and you will feed until that fire in your belly is extinguished.

”Will you risk that?” he asked against her ear, holding her tightly when she started to struggle.

She had to get away from that lovely source of blood.

She had to.

”Do you hear, girl?” Declan snarled, whirling her around to face him.

”It will drive you insane and you will go feral, dying slowly inside from the guilt, while you prey night after night after night on innocents, killing them. Will you control this? Or let it control you?”

His face was livid and his eyes were full of rage and helplessness. ”Ferals die quickly, Torrance. We cannot allow them to roam the streets. Will you be one of those we have to hunt? Do you know what that will do to me?”

The firelight lit his face, half in shadow, the other half painted a soft gold, his eyes stark and desperate, his hands digging into her arms tightly. He shook her slightly and she broke. Jerking away form him, she grabbed James and dove for his neck.

Instinct took over and her fangs burst from their sheaths and she struck, like a snake on a rabbit, latching on to the man's neck, her fangs sliding through the golden, warm skin while her mouth latched on, suckling and swallowing. Distantly, she was aware of a hand on her head, of the low, humming moan that vibrated through James' chest and up his throat. She was distantly aware of the erection that was pressed against her belly, distantly aware that the man who fed her was finding pleasure in this.

She was itching.

Deep inside.

And aching. Her hand fell back and she grabbed Declan's hips while she swallowed more, feeling the hot blood fill her belly, feeling the glorious burst of strength. With a jerk, she pulled Declan forward until his hips cupped her bottom and she could pump her a.s.s against him. Her nipples burned and her b.r.e.a.s.t.s ached. Her womb felt empty.

She wanted to f.u.c.k.

Badly. Badly enough to do it right in front of everybody while she fed. Declan's scent flooded her mind and she whimpered with need as a picture filled her mind's eye, her feeding like this, while he shuttled his c.o.c.k in and out of her bottom, while she rode the c.o.c.k t hat was pressed against her belly.

”...enough... ”

”...let go...”