Chapter 12

12

Jericho

Body coated in a thin sheen of sweat, I lay breathing hard in bed, every muscle soft and spent. The woman had done a number on me that time, had turned me into a raging kettle of pent-up tension, and though the pinnacle of ecstasy seemed unbearably out of reach, the aftermath had been unlike anything I could recall experiencing.

If only she wasn’t confined to my dreams.

Each time I awoke from her pleasuring, I could recall little more than inky, black locks of hair, and colorful, stardust eyes. Every other feature faded with the dream, leaving her a complete mystery to me.

The dreams happened about once a month, and I lived for the fantasy.

Never much of a sleeper, I preferred the long hours of night over day, but she always made the deviation worth it. Always left me wanting so much more than the emptiness of my room and the lingering rush of blood to my groin. Whoever the girl was, she’d unwittingly set the standard for all my conquests, and I’d found my attraction to other females waning in recent months, as my obsession grew with each dream encounter.

The knock at the door was an unwelcomed distraction, and I groaned as the cluster of females waiting outside my bedroom moaned and begged to come in. They would smell the need on me, no doubt, and primal instincts drove them to sate it. Instincts that I’d happily obliged up until recently. I couldn’t have cared less right then.

Unfortunately, they’d be moaning at my door all night. “Leave me!” I barked, rolling over in my oversized bed.

“Please, Master, let us come in!” One of the voices carried an air of desperation that did nothing for me.

Months ago, I’d have taken all of them into my bed and fucked them until I collapsed.?Sex was as much a demonic need as water for a human, and I didn’t particularly like that my desires had become tethered to the imaginary woman from my dreams. However, I’d be fooling myself if I thought I could find satisfaction in anyone other than her. Women had always been a source of physical gratification and release. Nothing more.

But this one, with her beautiful speckled eyes and breathy moans, was something entirely different. A kindred flame. The calm and steady needle of a compass on a stormy sea. Unfortunately, she’d triggered my rur’axze and an excruciating need to fuck her, in particular, which meant I wouldn’t be falling back to sleep any time soon.

Grumbling, I rolled out of bed, not bothering to hide the painful erection that would only get worse as the night wore on. I snatched up the robe laid out on the velvet chaise beside the tall, opened window. Not even the cool breeze blowing in from outside could snuff the fire still burning inside of me. My appetite seemed to be relentless, but I refused to indulge.

I swung open the door to find all the young, female, housekeeping and kitchen staff standing outside of my bedroom, all clad in deliciously sheer nightgowns that showed off aroused nipples. Every man’s dream laid out before me like an all-night buffet.

Except, I wasn’t hungry. Not for them.

“Go back to your rooms,” I said, much calmer than before.

“Master, you’re in need. Let us gratify it. Please.” The brunette, Evie, had always been my favorite in nighttime romps--always willing to carry out some of the darker pleasures that plagued me. She could fuck all night, if I wanted her.

I didn’t.

“I’ll ask you only once more to return to your rooms. Otherwise, every one of you will find yourselves sleeping without a roof over your head.”

Brows pinched with hurt, the brunette stared back at me as if I’d slapped her across the face. “You’re turning us away?”

It wasn’t for a lack of beauty on her part that I chose to send her away. The girl was stunning in that regard. Beauty didn’t stir me, though. It didn’t stoke the fire already burning low in my gut. I’d lived long enough to know beauty was fleeting. It faded like a dying vine in the winter frost. No, I had longed for much more than beauty and the occasional romp. I longed for her--the fair-skinned girl with raven hair and multi-colored eyes. The enigmatic soul that haunted my dreams.

Fresh out of patience, I ignored Evie’s question and stepped through the small crowd, their feminine scents only goading the need cutting through me like a hot blade.

An arm reached out for mine, and when I turned toward the brunette who’d grabbed me, she promptly let go, perhaps seeing the threat in my eyes. “Forgive me, Sire, but you’ve not taken us in for quite some time. We ache for your touch.”

“Then, find another means. I’ve not denied you the freedom to seek out someone else.”

As I turned back to my intended path, she lurched toward me again. “I don’t want another. I want you.”

I twisted to face her fully, my patience growing thinner by the minute. “This arrangement was never binding, nor permanent. I’ve made that quite clear.”

Head lowered, she nodded. “You have. I was never under any false impression. I just …. I’m sorry. I’ve grown quite fond of you.”

“I suggest you turn your affections elsewhere, for they are lost on me. Now if you’ll excuse me.” With those parting words, I kept on toward my study, my body still tense and brimming with unsated hunger.

Once inside my office, I closed the door, rubbing a hand down my face as I made a beeline for the liquor. Hades in winter, I couldn’t afford the distraction. Not then.

There was unfinished business and old vendettas that plagued my mind, and the imaginary female winding through my head like a poisonous vapor would muddle my thoughts. I grabbed a small, stemmed glass, and an absinthe spoon, which I placed across the mouth of the glass. After setting a sugar cube on the spoon, I poured the absinthe over top, into the glass, then lit the cube aflame. Once bubbling had dissolved, I swirled the louche with the spoon, not bothering with the ice-cold water with which most diluted the spirits.

The ancient, leather chair creaked as I lounged back and sipped the drink. Warm liquor settled the untamed flame still burning inside of me.

My obsession over the mystery female had grown to a concerning level, but there was something about her I couldn’t quite put my finger on. I knew her body like a painting on which I’d have doted every day. Every curve. Every inch of her skin. Even then, I could see, smell, and touch her so vividly, as if she lay across my desk in that moment. Yet, her identity remained a blur. An image out of focus. No matter how much I reminded myself in dreams to concentrate and remember, I found myself lost in the pleasure of her, too occupied to recall the features that eluded me.

Should I have ever stumbled upon the creature, she would’ve been lucky to leave my bed.

A quiet knock on the door left me inwardly groaning. “What!” I growled, annoyed all over again.

“My apologies for disturbing you, Master Van Croix.”

At the sound of the head housekeeper, Anya’s voice, I sank back into my chair with relief. “Come in.”

The older woman wouldn’t be so affected by the need that had my body pumping out pheromones like a rutting stag, thankfully, which made her a much more welcomed visitor.

“I won’t keep you, Sir. I just noticed the light on.”

“It’s fine. What is it?”

“It’s, um. Well, it’s the dogs. I’ve not … been able to locate their caretaker. Again. He’s the third to go missing.”

“You had maintenance search the grounds.”

“Yes. All Garic found was a bone in Fenrir’s mouth. We’re all praying it’s the carcass of an animal, at this point.” Hands clasped, she sighed. “They’re a bit out of control.”

“And what is the purpose of your report?”

“I …. Well, I’m at a loss. It seems we’ve run out of options.”

“So, find a prisoner on death row.”

“Forgive me, Master, but you can’t … you can’t just assign a prisoner with the expectation that the dogs might eventually … consume them. As much as I appreciate one less criminal in this place, I don’t think it’s wise to equate human meat with dog kibble or we’ll be serving up prisoners every other day.”

“I believe in innocent until proven guilty,” I dismissed, giving little care for the demise of a few useless rapists.

“Those animals are far from innocent, that much I know. The fact is …. Well they need discipline and a strong hand.”

“Get to the point, Anya.”

“I think they might do well with a bit of direction from you. I understand your affections toward them, I do. But perhaps you might …”

“What?”

“No bother, Master. I’ll seek out a prisoner. Maybe we’ll get lucky, and they won’t think of him as dinner.”

“Good. Keep me advised.”

“Master … is everything okay? You seem somewhat tense this evening.”

“Fine.”

“Of course. Forgive my intrusion. I’m certain you have a lot on your plate at the moment.”

“I do.”

“Yes.” With a nod, she turned toward the door, but to my utter disappointment, she paused and twisted back around. “But, um … I couldn’t help but notice … you sent all those women away. Again.”

“I did.”

“It’s only my nurturing instincts that leave me questioning if you’re all right.”

Inwardly groaning, I sank further in my chair and sipped my drink. “I told you. I’m fine.”

“Very well. I, um … also noticed you’ve been sleeping quite a bit more than usual?”

“If your inquiries serve a purpose, I suggest you get to it quickly.”

“You seem irritated most at night. And the younger women … they can sense it, as well. It is a woman who consumes you, is it not?”

“I’m no longer interested in nightly trysts with housekeeping and scullery maids.”

Fingers still clasped together, Anya lowered her gaze and shook her head. “And I’m certainly not suggesting you continue with such trysts. The wiles of women can lead a man to madness, after all. We are deviant creatures in that respect. But self-denial follows the same wicked path as obsession--a road that invariably leads to … more violent pleasures.” The way her lips curved with a slight smile left me frowning. “Anyway, I’ll visit the village tomorrow, as you asked, and see if I can find a candidate to care for the dogs.”

“Good. Preferably one who’s good with canines.”

“Of course. Though, that doesn’t seem to make much difference where they’re concerned.”