Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

KAEL

A s she attempted to shift her position again. I clamped a hand around her wrist with an iron-like grip. "Don't move," I commanded, the growl rumbling deep within my throat betraying a primal urgency that brooked no argument.

The notion that a vampire could sire offspring with a human had never been more than a myth to me, but now, with my cock and seed buried deep in her, the possibility clawed at my mind with insistence. If there was truth in it… if I could indeed continue my lineage with her in a way that was unheard of for a vampire… I needed to know immediately. My mind raced with the resolve that if this chance existed, I would take her, again and again, until there was no doubt left of her carrying my progeny.

"Tell me everything," I demanded, my voice a low snarl as I leaned over her. I'd rolled her almost all the way onto her stomach and pushed one of her knees up until she was pinned to the bed and my cock had unrestrained access to her cunt. I held her there, pinned with both my body weight and my strength.

Her eyes were wide with fear and intrigue as she looked at me from over her shoulder, meeting mine as she audibly swallowed. "Based on what has happened, I think it was Lucien who had me followed, not you." Her voice held a tremor, but the certainty behind her words didn't waver.

The sound that escaped me then was deeper, more guttural… A warning from the darkest corner of my being. "I had no knowledge of your existence before you trespassed into my club," I admitted through gritted teeth. The taste of anger soured my mouth as she dared to utter his name. No more. She would say no one else's name but mine.

She shifted slightly, a brave yet foolish test of my restraint. "That's what I thought," she said, her tone laced with a mix of sarcasm and relief. "Your reaction when I appeared... You seemed more confused and annoyed than pleased by my arrival."

"Keep talking," I ordered. "I already suspected Lucien was the one who gave you the tip that led you to my club that night."

"If you think about it, what is the one reason he would lead me to you just long enough for you to scent me, become obsessed, then try to steal me away. There has to be something he wants about me that he wants to steal from you. You're both blood slavers, so there's not much I could offer. If it was just about blood, he would have just taken me on any of the nights I was out and investigating."

I remained silent as I attempted to come to the same conclusion she seemed to have already reached, but it remained elusive.

"Are you telling me there's nothing in vampire lore or history that lends itself to vampire reproduction?"

"There are old legends, nothing more." Right? They couldn't be more than hopeful rumors… could they?

The weight of her words settled around us, a heavy shroud that neither of us could easily cast aside.

"Or," she hesitated, then pressed on with renewed fervor, "my blood type is linked to humans who can... procreate with vampires."

I snatched my cell phone from the nightstand, my fingers flew across the screen of my phone. A silent message sent to a trusted confidant who dabbled in the esoteric knowledge of our species. Maeve. Even though she was a witch, she was proficient in the lore of most supernatural and paranormal creatures.

The response came swift, chilling in its brevity: 'Possible, but nearly impossible. The only time vampires can procreate is with humans with an extremely rare blood mutation. One so rare, none have been found in over a millennium.

"Think about it. If my blood is such a commodity," she murmured, unfazed by the gravity of the situation or my reaction, "I can see a vampire turning on their sire for it… which means I'm the perfect bait for you to capture him. We'd be giving him what he wants, what he was planning to take, anyway. I don't think he would be able to resist, even if he knew it was a trap."

Her voice trailed off, swallowed by the thickening tension. Minutes stretched out like hours, and I remained motionless, a statue carved from indecision.

"You've been obsessive about keeping your cock inside of me ever since you came. The behavior is boarding on a breeding obsession."

A cold stillness took hold of me. There was a war of indecision inside of me as I considered the possibility. She tried to move, to see me better, but I refused to give in when she pushed against me.

"Are you... okay?" The question came soft, tentative, as if she feared the very act of speaking might provoke a tempest.

My voice shattered the silence, low and lethal, a growl that vibrated through my chest. "If you're right about your blood, then we find another way to ensnare Lucien. You won't go near him."

"I can't believe you don't see the opportunity we have." She dared to argue, her words like sparks against my darkening mood. "I can't believe we're arguing like this."

My control snapped, and primal rage surged within me. I flipped her the rest of the way onto her stomach, pressing her into the plushness of the bed, spreading her legs further with mine as I pulled out and reentered her without warning or gentleness.

"Never speak of risking yourself again," I barked, each word punctuated by a hard thrust that forced muffled cries from her lips.

Gripping strands of her hair, I yanked her head back, exposing the vulnerable line of her throat. I would make a declaration of possession, one she would never forget. I was relentless, driven by a possessiveness that bordered on madness. She was mine to claim, mine to protect, mine in a way no other had ever been.

"Mine," I hissed into her ear, my hands branding her skin. "You're my property, my fucking mate."

Her body responded to my every demand, her voice rising in a symphony of pleasure and surrender. With each expletive that tumbled from my lips, she shuddered beneath me, her own cries matching the intensity of my claims.

"Only I will breed you," I declared, slamming into her with enough force that the bed trembled suspiciously. Her screams echoed in the room.

Everything she was, everything she'd become since that fateful night she stumbled into my world… It all crystallized at this moment. She would carry my mark, my seed, my lineage. And as her body yielded to my onslaught, there was no doubt left. She was irrevocably, undeniably mine.

"Please," she begged, each plea punctuated by the rhythm I set, "I need you to breed me."

The words spilling from her lips were a litany of desire, encouraging me to take her harder. The ferocity of my thrusts intensified as the bed creaked beneath us.

"I've never met anyone like you. Someone who wanted me, who ever gave a shit whether I lived or died."

Her admission, raw and vulnerable, struck a chord within me. She confessed that no one had ever shielded her from the dangers of this dark world, no one but me. A snarl tore from my throat as I vowed through gritted teeth, "You will never lack for anything again."

My hand slid under her, circling her clit with an intensity that mirrored my own hunger for dominance. "Come for me," I demanded. "Take all of me inside you. I'm going to fill your womb until there's no doubt you're carrying my child."

She arched beneath me, a scream tearing from her throat as her body convulsed in orgasm. The warmth of her release drenched the sheets. Her inner muscles clamped down on me, and I urged her on. "That's it, squeeze me tight. Milk me for every drop I can give you."

A primeval roar escaped me as I spilled into her, the pulsing of my release unrelenting as I claimed every inch of her. My teeth found the tender skin of her back and shoulder, marking her as mine with nips that would fade but never truly disappear.

"My beautiful little mouse." With each touch, I praised her, my voice gentle now.

As her body went limp beneath me, I carefully maneuvered her, turning her to drape over my chest. For the first time since I'd first entered her, I pulled my cock fully from her. There was a tenderness to my actions as I gathered my seed as it ran out of her, ensuring not a drop was wasted.

Diligently, I pushed every bit of my releases back into her. She looked up at me, holding my gaze as I gripped my cock and entered her again. Under no circumstances would I let my seed escape her again. Not after the earlier revelation.

"You can't stay inside of me forever." The words barely left her lips, but I only tightened my hold.

"You're not going anywhere," I rumbled against the crown of her head, my voice a low growl resonating through the room. "Don't even mention it."

"Shower," she insisted weakly. "I'm a mess."

"A beautiful mess. You smell like mine."

Ivy grunted. "I feel sticky."

"Compromise or nothing."

"How do we compromise on this? I can't stand or walk with you buried in me."

With the ease of centuries-old vampire strength, I lifted her, cradling her against my chest. She was too exhausted to even wrap her legs around my hips. When she tried, her walls spasmed around my cock, keeping me firmly rooted where I belonged. She squirmed slightly in my arms, and I relished the sensation. Ignoring her feeble attempts at freedom, I situated the shower then strode into the cascading warmth of the shower.

"Kael, I need to—" she started again, the words dying on her lips as water enveloped us both.

"Relax," I commanded, silencing further protest. My hands roamed over her, gentle despite the hold on her that kept her pressed to me. I bathed her skin with the meticulous care of an artist attending to their masterpiece, feeling her slowly yield to the soothing touch.

"Can't keep this up forever," she murmured, the flush of embarrassment coloring her cheeks as the water ran in rivulets down her body.

A chuckle rumbled deep within my chest. "Oh, little mouse, you underestimate my stamina… and your own responsiveness."

Ivy's blush deepened, a delightful shade that I intended to inspire many more times. Her eyes flitted open, lucidity returning as she spoke her mind. "I didn't exactly agree to... getting pregnant."

"Consent?" I scoffed lightly. "You threw caution to the wind the moment you stepped into my world. Besides, you weren't on birth control. I didn't hear you protesting either." I teased her, shifting just enough to remind her that I was still nestled deep inside of her. "In fact, I remember you begging, practically demanding, that I breed you."

The water ceased its cascade with a flick of my wrist on the handle. I enveloped her in the plush towel with a tenderness that belied my reputation. She perched on the counter, the cool marble beneath held her up. Neither of us trusted her legs to hold her weight. Besides, I was still nestled deep in her cunt in this position while I cared for her. My fingers worked a comb through her hair, detangling it with methodical care as she watched me.

"Let's make a deal," she ventured, the tremor in her voice betraying her feigned confidence. "I'll stay. No attempts to flee. But only if you include me in your plan against Lucien."

Silence stretched between us, punctuated only by the sound of the comb gliding through her hair. She wasn't in any position to negotiate terms, yet there was something about her audacity that amused me.

Finally, I spoke. "You're not exactly in a position to be making demands," I pointed out, my tone even but laced with authority.

Without waiting for her rebuttal, I lifted her and carried her back to the sanctuary of the bed. Her body melted into mine as I cradled her against my chest while leaning against the abused headboard. Her heartbeat slowly evened out as she dozed. I sent a quick text to the house staff with an order.

A mechanical chime announced the arrival of her meal. Whether or not she was pregnant after my attempts, she still needed a meal to maintain her strength. I reached into the recess that revealed the pneumatic delivery system and extracted the sealed container. I'd had the system installed for various reasons, but having human food delivered hadn't been one of my considerations.

"Here," I said, offering her a tender morsel. "Eat." There was a warmth in the act of feeding her. Thankfully she was too tired to argue. Instead, she gave into my need to care and provide for her. As she nibbled from my hand, I revisited her proposal. "I've considered your offer. I will compromise. You will wait until you are with child, or for a week's time. Whichever comes first. Then I will let you participate with limitations."

Her touch was light as it traced the contours of my chest. "Alright," she acquiesced, her voice softer now. It was settled then. We had a temporary accord and I had a week to ensure she was pregnant with my child.