Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

KAEL

E nough dalliance. It wasn't seemly of me to play with my prey. "It's time to get to work if you ever want to see the light of day."

I motioned toward the vast wall screen that flickered to life with an array of documents, images, and correspondence—all tributaries leading back to Lucien, the one who'd betrayed me.

With a careless flick of my wrist, I summoned the data into focus, the web of information sprawling across the display like the intricate veins of a leaf. Dropping into a lounge chair, I draped one leg over its arm with deceptive ease. There was no comfort in it; my body was a coiled spring, every fiber straining towards the elusive prey that flitted just beyond my grasp. I watched Ivy as she approached the torrent of information, the set of her shoulders determined, her instincts honed from years of sifting for truths among lies.

She dove headfirst into the task, her fingers dancing across the interface with a journalist's precision and attention to detail. Every new page she flipped through, it was as if she peeled back another layer of the mystery that surrounded Lucien.

"This isn't going to work for me." Ivy stood with hands on hips as she glared at me.

I didn't bother to respond, just raised an eyebrow at her.

"I need to feel it. You need to print it all out."

With a quick text message off to John, I focused my attention on Ivy. "It will be delivered as soon as it's ready, but until then, use the screens."

Ivy sighed, but went back to sliding documents over the screens.

Focus, I silently chided to myself, dragging my gaze back to the screen instead of lingering on the curve of her neck as she leaned forward in concentration. The hunt was afoot, and I could not—would not—let anything jeopardize the chase. Not when I was this close. Not when Lucien's shadow loomed over everything I sought to protect and control.

For him to betray me, then further humiliate me by working in my territory, it was not something I could ignore anymore. It jeopardized everything I owned and all the vampires in my line if my power and reputation was tarnished.

Ivy received the papers and files she requested. Giving up on the screens, she refocused by sorting papers in stacks all over the floor and any other surface that she could reach. I spent more time watching her sift through data with a fervor that was unexpected than actually assisting. The screens flickered with images and texts, casting a pale glow on her face as she worked with it and the paper copies. My guidance came sparingly, a nudge here, a clarification there. I hadn't anticipated this level of competence; it demanded a certain acknowledgement, even from someone as jaded as myself. Hours passed as she worked.

"Any progress?" My voice cut through the silence like a blade.

Ivy sat back and put her hands on her hips as she sighed. "Yes, but I have to go bathroom first." She disappeared through a door that led to an attached bathroom that was just as fortified as the room.

A chime sounded from the wall and I pressed my hand against the hidden sensor there. A door slid open and a meal for Ivy appeared. I moved it to the small table in the corner, setting it up for her.

When she came out of the bathroom, her gaze went right to the food. "Let me guess, only one because vampires don't eat."

"Unnecessary, though possible. I prefer blood for sustenance."

Ivy eyed me as she warred with her thoughts. Whatever she wanted to say stayed on her tongue because she only replied with, "thank you." Then she went to the table and began to eat.

"Lucien's been busy," she murmured, her voice imbued with a mix of awe and disgust. "He's playing chess while everyone else is stuck playing checkers."

At her words, an involuntary smile tugged at the corner of my mouth. It was true; the rogue vampire's activities were insidious, threading through the underbelly of our society, all while masquerading as my own handiwork. He'd learned my methods then turned them against me.

"Indeed," I replied, allowing a rare fragment of warmth to seep into my tone. "Your insight serves you well."

"I'm still working out the details." Ivy finished eating in silence, then returned to the stacks of information. "I feel cooped up in here. There's no windows."

I changed the view on the wall screens to show the view out of a highrise building downtown. She watched the movement of the lights for a few minutes before she returned to her investigation.

The distraction was becoming unbearable. Each time she bit her lip in focus or her pulse quickened with excitement over a new discovery, I felt a surge of something perilous. Blood was power, blood was temptation, and hers was an enigma wrapped in a riddle—a rarity that I knew all too well could spell addiction for my kind.

Ivy was right. I was as much of a monster as she thought I was. Human trafficking of blood slaves was an unsavory but rather profitable business. Which meant I knew exactly how much profit she would fetch if I sold her. It was part of the reason she'd distracted me the first time I'd seen her.

The scent of her blood was enough to distract any vampire. While all human blood sufficed for sustenance, she was like a perfectly aged wine. Full bodied flavor and rare to come by. Vampires fought wars over humans like her.

"Do I have any chance at freedom… You know, after this is over?"

"Take care," I cautioned, the words escaping like a low growl. "Being close to me has marked you. You're in their sights now."

"Whose sights?" she asked, glancing up with a mixture of fear and defiance.

"Every vampire who craves the exceptional. Your blood... it's not just blood." I rose from my seat, pacing to maintain control. "It's a siren's call."

"Then why keep me here? Why stay here when it's tempting you?" Her eyes searched mine, seeking answers I wasn't sure I wanted to give.

"Because, despite every rule of survival screaming against it," I confessed, the truth clawing its way out, "I can't let you go."

Ivy shook her head as she slammed down the folder she was looking at. "You're distracting me. I can't focus with you here watching me like I'm a bunny you're waiting to eat."

The moment the words left her lips, demanding space, I couldn't help but admire her defiance. It was a quality that stirred something predatory within me. The discipline it took not to grin at her audacity was monumental.

"Fine," I said, my voice low and controlled, "I'll give you room to work." Yet as I stepped closer instead of away, the corners of my mouth betrayed my intent with a faint smirk.

Her scent hit me, the unmistakable hint of arousal mingled with determination. It was intoxicating, a heady brew that called to every dark instinct I possessed. She held my gaze, a warning flaring in those deep blue eyes.

"Stop," she breathed out, her tone fierce despite the tremor that betrayed her. Contrasting her words, she jumped to her feet like she was on the verge of fleeing. "I mean it, or I'm done here."

It was an empty threat, and we both knew it. Her curiosity, her need to uncover the truth… It anchored her to this place, to this task. And to me.

Ignoring her plea, I closed the distance between us in one stride. My hands found the display of the window beside her head, caging her in. Her pulse fluttered like a bird trapped between my fingers, the heat of her body radiating against the much cooler temperature of mine.

"Your focus is admirable," I murmured, allowing my fingers to trace the curve of her lips, watching as they parted on a soft whimper.

"Kael," she whispered, a plea and a reprimand all at once.

"Shh, little mouse," I chided softly before pressing my thumb against her lips. "Imagine how you'd feel, choking and gagging..."

She drew in a sharp breath, teeth grazing lightly over my skin. A beast roared to life within my chest at the sensation. My thumb slipped between her lips, and her tongue tentatively met it. The sight of her, the feel of her mouth warm and wet around me, had my mind spiraling down into forbidden fantasies. Her lips tightened as she obediently sucked on my thumb.

"Such a dirty girl," I growled, unable to contain the primal satisfaction that surged through me. "Eager for things you shouldn't want."

"I shouldn't," she agreed, her voice a sinful whisper, "but I do."

Desire twisted tighter inside me as I watched her suckle my thumb. It was a promise, a preview of what could be. With a deliberate slowness, I switched to two fingers, marveling at how readily she welcomed them.

"Good girl," I praised, voice laden with dark amusement. I withdrew my fingers from the warmth of her mouth, trailing them down until I cupped her magnificent breasts. Irritation coursed through me at the barrier of her clothing. I ripped her shirt open, buttons flying everywhere, then pushed her bra down until her breast was in my hand. Fuck, they felt wonderful. Beautiful areolas I couldn't wait to suck on. Not yet, but soon I would sink my fangs into her flesh. I needed to taste her. All of her.

My fingers resumed their path over her skin until I found her dripping cunt. A hiss escaped me as I discovered the dampness there, confirmation of the effect I had on her. Her wetness covered my fingers as I slid through the slickness.

"Already soaking for me," I breathed into her ear, a possessive thrill lancing through me. "You're unraveling under my touch."

And in that moment, the line between hunter and protector blurred dangerously, the rules of our dangerous game forgotten in the wake of desire.

My fingers traced the slick heat between her thighs, delighting in the shiver that coursed through her body. She clutched at me, nails biting into my shirt, twisting into my hair. I felt every desperate heartbeat of hers pulsating against my skin. One finger slid inside, then a second as I began to fingerfuck her. My thumb found her clit, teasing it in time to my thrusts.

"Look at you," I murmured, each word a velvet caress, "so eager, so desperate for my touch." Her eyelids fluttered, acknowledgment in her quick breaths.

"Say it," I commanded, the words sharp as a whip's crack. "I want to hear you admit it."

"More..." she gasped out, voice strained with need. "Please, I need more."

Satisfaction unfurled within me as I obliged, fingers delving deeper, exploring her until I understood every touch and movement that made her moan and her legs tremble. Making quick work of her pants and underwear, I spread her legs with mine. It wasn't enough, I draped one of her legs around my waist, the motion both possessive and revealing, exposing her fully to me.

Her eyes closed, lashes casting delicate shadows on flushed cheeks. I wasn't having any of that. My hand left her hair to grip her chin, tilting her head back, forcing those eyes open to meet mine. The connection was electric, a silent dialogue of raw desire and desperation.

"Keep them on me," I growled, my gaze holding hers captive. "I want you to see the one who brings you to the edge, who makes you feel this good. Now be a good girl and ask me—ask if you can come."

"Kael," she pleaded, the use of my name both intoxicating, "please... May I come?"

"Now. Come on my fingers."

The words were barely out before the coil inside her snapped, her climax hitting her like a storm surge.

"Beautiful," I murmured as the waves of her release broke over her. My fingers continued fucking into her, adding a third and never abating as her pussy squeezed them. My thumb circled her swollen nub, coaxing cry after cry from her lips.

"That wasn't enough. Again Ivy, come on my fingers," I demanded, voice laced with a dark promise. Her body tensed, a scream tearing through the room as the orgasm shattered her composure. But I wasn't finished. "You're going to squirt for me, Ivy," I whispered against her ear, my breath hot. "I won't stop until you do."

"No," she gasped out. "I can't... it'll be a mess."

"That's what I want." I dismissed her concerns with a growl, my grip tightening in her hair. "I want to make a mess of you until the only thing you can think about is how I destroyed you when you so much as think of me."

She squirmed, desperation etched across her face, but my hold was unyielding. Leaning down, my fangs pierced the soft skin of her breast. Vampire venom surged into her bloodstream, heightening every sensation.

Her scream was piercing, the floodgates breaking as her entire being convulsed under the spell of the venom and my touch. Warmth spread over my hand as she surrendered. I fucked her harder, her quirt spraying all over me as she continued to spasm and scream until she'd drenched our clothes and my fingers.

"Mine," I growled, my tongue tracing the twin marks where my fangs had claimed her flesh. She shuddered at the touch. I straightened, as my other hand stilled. I tightened my grip on her chin as I snarled, "say it."

Ivy gasped in heaving breaths as she tried to think clearly. "Wha?"

I caught her gaze as I stopped holding back the monstrous obsession that continued to grow inside of me. "You're mine. Fucking say it, Ivy."

Ivy moaned and let out a deep sigh, like she felt the declaration all the way to her soul. "I'm..."

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