Part 11 (1/2)
Declan arched a blond brow at Eli and reminded him, ”I am familiar with the vampire, Eli. You made certain of that, remember?”
”Then you should know I am right,” Eli replied, his voice aggravated. He shoved a hand through his hair and said quietly, ”You are in love with her; I see it. But you will never be happy as anything other than her equal. She will be a Master, Declan. And the vampire Master cannot help but try to control everything around him. Can you tell me, old friend, that you would be happy under her control, for all your long years?”
Declan sighed, pressing his thumb and forefinger to his eye sockets, trying to relieve the headache that was building. ”I've no wish to dominate Tori. I do love her, and she will not be happy under anybody's control, no more than you or I would be.”
”For pity's sake, Declan, I'm not suggesting you bring out the whips and handcuffs. But do not tell me you are s.e.xually pa.s.sive, or submissive. Do not tell me you haven't taken control while you're f.u.c.king her. I will not believe it, I know you too well.”
Declan's lids drooped and his mouth curled in an unconscious smile as he recalled the previous day. No whips or handcuffs, certainly. Not that the handcuffs didn't hold some appeal.
”There's a difference between dominating her for this, and dominating her. You aren't trying to control her, Declan. I doubt you could. Even her sire is having difficulty with that.”
”Will her sire try for her tonight?” ”I imagine so,” Eli said broodingly. ”All the more reason for you to climb in that bed and take her. Your bond with her is proving to be as strong as the bond between sire and offspring. I would suggest you take advantage of that. She wakes.”
Eli whirled, his open s.h.i.+rt and hair swirling around him as he left the room in swift silence. Declan remained seated a few moments longer, and then he shot to his feet, following Eli. He found him a floor down, with Nina caught up in his arms, intent on freeing the tiny redhead from her dress and shoving her hair a side.
”A minu te, Eli?” he asked as the vampire started to slide her skirt up.
”f.u.c.k, Declan, can you go away?” Eli muttered, glaring at him as he stroked the silky strands of hair from Nina's neck. ”I haven't even had breakfast.”
Leaning against the wall, Declan said, ”Is breakfast the only thing you want right now?” He slid his eyes up the stairs, following the scent and sound of Tori.
Eli's eyes narrowed and he straightened. Smoothing Nina's dress into place, he lifted her chin and kissed her softly before whispering in her ear. Nina left, not quite pouting, but very unhappy.
”What did you have in mind?” Eli asked, c.o.c.king his head and staring at Declan with narrowed eyes.
They parted a few minutes later and Declan returned to the room. Watching Tori's still and silent face he settled back to wait, his mind running in circles.
If her sire tried to call, Tori had to be protected. Take advantage of it, Eli had suggested.
Aye, he'd take advantage, all right. Of her, of Eli, of every weapon he had in his a.r.s.enal, so long as it kept Tori safe.
CHAPTER SEVEN.
Some five minutes later, Tori's eyes started to move behind her eyelids. Her face grew more animated and her heart rate picked up. Several moments later she started to breathe steadily and finally her lids lifted and she stared at Declan, wide awake and alert.
”How do you feel?” he asked, slumping lower in his chair and staring at her reddened face. Only a few blisters remained and Declan imagined those would fade after she fed.
Pressing one finger to her flushed cheek she winced and answered, ”Sore. And silly. I never even paid attention to the sun.”
”You're lucky you didn't kill yourself, Torrance. You can tolerate sunlight, yes, but that it was uncomfortable after a few moments tells me that you can not walk in it as you once did. At least not yet.”
”I figured that out.” She sat up, the sheets pooling in her lap. Declan's eyes landed on her full b.r.e.a.s.t.s and rosy pink nipples and his mouth started to water, his jaws aching. ”I needed to think.”
”And...?” he asked with only half a mind. The other half had fixated on her naked torso, and with some reluctant curiosity, on the conversation with Eli.
”They deserved it,” she said, lifting one smooth, pale shoulder. ”Some people deserve death, you told me. I understand that, and they did deserve it.”
A soft knock sounded at the door and Declan's eyes closed as he whispered a silent prayer of thanks.
”Come in,” Tori called, drawing her knees to her chest and arranging the sheets to cover her body.
”We've brought some food,” Nina said softly, wheeling in a cart. ”We will be leaving shortly and didn't want you to go hungry. The Master said we should ask if you, ah, wanted food or...ah, hmm.” Her voice trailed off while she stared at Tori, obviously trying to understand this additional peculiarity, a vampire who could eat.
”If you wanted food or me,” a soft baritone said from the doorway.
Declan's lids lifted minutely and he studied the tall man in the doorway. Well, man might not be accurate.
A wolf. ”Watch yourself, pup,” he said quietly, not straightening from his slouch as he watched the man cross the threshold.
”I only seek to please the lady, Inherent,” this new s.h.i.+fter responded, instantly dropping his eyes.
Inherent. A respectful, proper t.i.tle, a polite way of letting Declan know that the new wolf was aware of their differences, and that he was the weaker.
”Her pleasure is my concern,” Declan said. ”But if she is hungry, then by all means.”
Tori's eyes were wide, and Declan could see the slight bulge behind her upper lip as her fangs started to emerge. The wolf, a muscled brunette with the strong, sculpted physique of a weightlifter, asked quietly, ”May I, lady?”
Tori's eyes flitted to Declan and he shrugged. ”You're hungry, you may as well.”
The s.h.i.+fter didn't so much as wait for her to open her mouth but crossed the floor and dropped to his knees beside the bed, facing away. His face was just a few feet from Declan's but the man kept his eyes averted.
”What's your name, pup?” Declan asked.
”Jonathan,” he responded as Tori s.h.i.+fted behind him, drawing the sheet and wrapping it around her before sliding to the edge of the bed. With him kneeling, she was right at his shoulder level. Licking her lips, she trailed her fingers over his neck.
Jonathan shuddered, his eyes-a soft warm brown-were glowing gold and his c.o.c.k was pressing firmly against his low-slung jeans. Tori flushed and Declan knew just when she had caught scent of the wolf's arousal and he smiled when her own scent started to flare. Feeding was nearly a s.e.xual thing for many vampires, and Tori wasn't going to be much different on that.
He was half aware of Nina setting up the food on the table-he smelled bacon, eggs, steak, potatoes-and though his belly growled insistently, he ignored it. He didn't bother telling the girl not to mess with it, because he'd need to eat later.
Tori threw her hair over her shoulder with one hand, the other gripping Jonathan's arm and curling her fingers into his bicep. Declan watched as she struck, Jonathan flinched just slightly before his eyes closed in pleasure, his heart pounding heavily in his chest.
Declan could smell the blood in the air, mingled with the scent of hot, hungry bodies. Nina stood just behind him, panting slightly, her body becoming damp and ready as she watched. If it hadn't been Tori sitting there feeding, he might have been tempted to pull the little redhead onto his lap and ease both their aches.
”Enough, Tori,” Declan said a few moments later when she showed no signs of pulling away.
Her eyes rolled up and met his over Jonathan's body and he saw a slight pout forming there. Lifting a brow, he reminded, ”He's still able to bleed to death, Tori, werewolf or not.”
”I wouldn't mind...” Jonathan whispered, sulking when Tori pulled away, a tiny bit of blood on her lips. She daintily licked away the few drops that beaded from the puncture wounds before settling back with a pleased sigh.
Jonathan's hands flexed and Declan was reminded the full moon was only a few days away. Power strummed through the werewolf's body, augmented by l.u.s.t.
”She's done with you, pup,” Declan warned when Jonathan half turned to stare at Tori. ”If you've a need, go f.u.c.k Nina. Eli wouldn't care and she's needing it anyway.”
”But do not dare to touch my lady,” he said, slowly sliding up in his chair and rising to his feet in a lazy, controlled movement, his eyes glowing hot and green as he stared at the werewolf.
”I meant no disrespect, Inherent,” Jonathan murmured, rising to his feet and backing away quickly, his eyes downcast.