Chapter 21

Kayla

An entire day and had night passed since I sat beside Adryan for dinner and let him tell me the craziest shit I’d ever heard. I stayed in my designated room, not trusting myself around him, and more than a little freaked out by the revelations he’d told me.

I was living in a fantasy world apparently.

Adryan had come by once and surprisingly gave me a cell phone. But only after he made sure to tell me the phone was untraceable, reminding me I didn’t know where we were at, and then ended that spiel with how he was the “most powerful fucking vampire,” so calling the police was laughable.

But I wasn’t stupid, and I did want to be safe. And that was here with Adryan. So after I’d taken the phone and promptly asked him to leave, then added a little cold shoulder his way so I could try to grasp all of this, he left me alone.

The only other people who had come by were those who clearly worked for Adryan, their white and black designated staff attire giving them away.

And then there was Bear, my silent companion, who would sit at the end of the bed and huff out exasperated breaths every once in a while as he tracked me with his knowing, dark eyes.

I didn’t realize how much I’d come to enjoy the massive dog’s presence, but I found myself reaching out and scratching behind his ear, or stroking my hand over his boxy head every time I passed him.

And they hadn’t taken “no” for an answer, clearly didn’t give two shits about my personal space. A young woman had come by to clean up the room, make the bed, and drop off clothing and personal items.

As in my clothing and personal items. Someone had gone to my home and raided my closet and dresser, brought my shampoo and condition over, hell, even my toothbrush and razor.

And then an older woman had come by three times with a tray of food. So although I wanted to be alone and stayed in the room to mope and stew and just, hell, think—which I felt like, given my situation, a little temper tantrum was understandable—there always seemed to be someone stopping by with something.

I wanted to hate Adryan, but it was becoming really hard when he was making sure I was taken care of, when he was bringing me my personal items to clearly make me feel more at home.

So I’d used that cell and called the only person who would give a shit where I was if I came up missing. Sasha. After fabricating a story about needing to get away, assuring her that I was fine, just bogged down with “life stuff,” and feeling like she didn’t believe me but also didn’t press, I was now leaving the confines of the bedroom and exploring.

Because the truth was staying in that bedroom all day trying to come to terms with everything had helped, but then again, it also hadn’t. Because when your only company is your own thoughts, you tend to keep going around and around in circles.

But I guess I had come to terms, because what were my other options?

For the last twenty minutes, I’d stayed on the upper level, being nosy as hell but disappointed that a lot of the doors were locked. Other than bedrooms, bathrooms, and an office that looked like it hadn’t ever been used, the upper level didn’t offer much of a reprieve from my thoughts.

I found myself walking down the circling staircase, my hand sliding seamlessly on the polished banister. The warm, glittering lights from the chandelier hanging in the center of the foyer cast the prettiest glow across the grand area. If I could push away all the crazy shit, I could really appreciate the architecture of this place.

I was a quarter of the way down the stairs when I heard the muted sound of heavy footsteps coming closer. I slowed before coming to a stop when a large man came out from the side hallway, the area where I knew Adryan’s study was.

He headed straight for the doors, his big body moving as if he had purpose. He was large but not as massive or broad as Adryan. I had a feeling my vampire was a breed all his own.

My vampire?

His head was down, and even from his side profile, I could see he was wearing a scowl. It was clear he was lost in thought, not noticing anything around him but whatever was currently on his mind.

He lifted his hand and ran it over a jagged-looking scar that dissected his throat. God, it looked like somebody had tried to cut his head off.

And as if I said those words out loud, shouted them at him from this grand staircase, his steps faltered before he stopped completely. He snapped his head in my direction, his gaze clashing with mine.

He wore a scowl, but for just a second surprise filtered across his face. It quickly vanished when a deeper scowl took up residence.

He was brazen enough to look me up and down, and I wanted to cover myself despite being fully clothed.

For long seconds he said nothing, just watched me, and it was the most unnerving thing—and heck, wasn’t that saying something, given who I was mated to?

I had to assume this man was a vampire. He just had that supernatural air to him, the kind I felt from Adryan, yet it wasn’t as overpowering, wasn’t as dominating as my mate’s.

I swallowed down the ball of nerves that was now thoroughly lodged in the center of my throat. After a prolonged second, he finally turned and headed down one of the side hallways and out of sight.

And all I did was stand there, staring at the front doors, seeing his dark form move away until I could no longer make it out.

After breathing out a pent-up lungful of air, I made my way down the stairs until I reached the bottom landing. I looked to my right, to the hallway that would lead me to Adryan’s study… that would lead me to the man—male—I ached to see and touch and just breathe in.

Instead I took a left and walked in the opposite direction. I checked out the dining room again, then made my way into the kitchen. I let my fingers trail over the smoothed grain, along the polished wood cabinets.

I stood in front of the large picture window, and although I couldn’t see anything through the heavy shutters covering the glass, it didn’t matter, because it wasn’t the scenery I was focused on. It was everything else.

I was lost in thought when I felt something nudge me. I looked down and saw Bear, and I actually found myself smiling and reaching down before I even knew what I was doing. I stroked his head and moved my fingers behind his ears, giving him a little scratch and hearing his tail wag and thump against the tiled floor. How strange that I’d become used to and comfortable with this gentle giant, and that’s what he was turning out to be.

The sound of the shutters moving out of the way as night descended had me lifting my head and staring out at the property that was revealed. Although the sun had set, there was still a leftover faded glow in the sky.

Time was melding together. I thought I’d been here a couple of days, two, maybe three at the most, but to be honest, I didn’t know. Day and night were one and the same, my time spent with Adryan making everything seem a little less real and a whole lot hazy.

I stood, looking out the window for several more moments before I turned and started exploring again, Bear staying close to my side. I checked out a few other rooms and ended up at the very back of the house, where I found an indoor pool. I pulled a heavy glass door open. Bear sat down and looked up at me, silently telling me his big, furry ass wasn’t going into that humidity pit. I laughed softly and stepped inside, letting the door close behind me.

The air was hot and wet, the scent of chlorine and chemicals filling the wall-to-wall glass enclosure. I tipped my head back and stared at the ceiling, able to see the stars starting to glitter in the sky. I found it weird as hell that a vampire had a swimming pool that was completely exposed to sunlight.

There were some lounge chairs on either side of the pool, a sauna, steam room, and another door to a visible shower. There were double doors that opened up to the stone patio outside, the garden lights showcasing the perfectly manicured landscaping.

I left the pool, Bear following once again when I came to the end of another hallway. Bear gave a huff before trotting off, and I watched him disappear down the hall and out of sight.

I guess he’s done with the tour.

I focused on the door once more and reached out to curl my hand around the curved metal handle. I wouldn’t have been surprised if it was locked, which many of the rooms I’d come across in my exploration seemed to be.

But the handle turned, and I pushed the door open, stepping inside and immediately getting washed in a hazy, artificial blue glow that came from the numerous video monitors completely taking up one wall in front of me.

There was a long table pushed up against the wall right below the monitors, a few computers sitting on top of it, other bits and pieces of technology scattered across the countertop.

This was obviously some kind of security room, but it wasn’t for this house or this property; that much was evident. What was being monitored and displayed was the inside of Sinner.

And as I continued watching, letting my gaze move along each screen, I started noticing the scenes changing. Only the top row of the monitors showed the interior of Sinner, and my eyes widened as I took in what else was being displayed.

I moved closer until I stood a foot from the table, no doubt taking on a deer-caught-in-headlights look as I stared at the screens. It appeared to be another nightclub, with tables situated around a darkly lit room, plush couches pushed to the shadowy corners, a stage with a silver pole in the center, yet there were no dancers. And then there was a bar off to the side, the lights gently glowing behind the countertop not bright enough to pierce much of the inky darkness.

The camera panned around the room, and I saw metal tables in various spots, leather restraints in the corners of some. There was a long table dressed in a dark cloth, knives of various shapes and sizes sitting atop it.

I didn’t know what I was witnessing at first. Was it a BDSM club? There were no whips or chains, no bondage being displayed in the sense that people were getting off with dominance and submission. But for some reason that’s the vibe I was getting.

Most of the women were barely dressed, with strips of what looked like leather covering their nipples and intricately woven around their ass and between their thighs. Some carried trays with drinks; others were perched atop the laps of suit-clad men. The women who weren’t scantily clothed were dressed dripping in wealth and jewels.

And it was then I noticed all their attention was focused on one central area.

But then the camera, as if knowing I watched, shifted to a different scene. My thinking that this club wasn’t into the whole BDSM vibe went right out the window with what I was seeing.

A woman completely naked was tied down on a table, leather straps keeping her hands above her head and her legs spread wide at each bottom corner. My heart suddenly took up residence at the base of my throat and right between my thighs when a man stepped forward, a knife in his hand catching the light and glinting. He stared down at the woman.

Are they…? Is he going to…?

I leaned in, bracing my hands on the table, trying to get a better look. Holy shit. He is.

I took a deep, steadying breath in and watched as the man in his three-piece suit stepped closer to the woman, letting his head move back and forth as his gaze took in her completely bared body. I knew she was breathing hard by the rapid rise and fall of her chest, her adoring, awestruck focus trained on the man right beside her.

Theman brought up the blade, and I held my breath, leaning in another inch, the light catching the tip of the knife once more. He trailed the edge of it along the woman’s side, and she arched her back. She closed her eyes and tipped her head back, her mouth opening, the tiny tips of her fangs coming into view. The ecstasy was clear on her face.

And when I saw the line of blood form on her pale flesh, a gasp of shock and that darker desire uncoiled within me and spilled from my parted lips. I found my hand gently wrapped around my throat, not realizing I’d done the act. The rational part of me expected her to scream, unsure if what I was watching was some kind of snuff film where she was about to die.

But she wasn’t trying to stop this. She wasn’t thrashing around. In fact, it was very clear she was in ecstasy.

And the longer I watched, the more my heart started to race, the more my body heated. I felt like I was watching something very wrong and very illegal, and maybe it was. Maybe that’s why it was so exciting? Or maybe this was what was tapping into those dark desires I’d always felt, the ones that made me feel ashamed and guilty when I should’ve felt anything but. When I should have embraced them.

I knew the exact moment Adryan arrived in the room. I felt his presence, could have told you he was right in the doorway, his focus on me. Then I heard the slight shift of clothing as he moved, the soft sound of his footsteps coming closer.

And even though he now stood beside me, I kept my focus on the monitors, unable to look away, because I found the scenes playing out… captivating.

“What kind of freaky stuff are you into?” I whispered, but there was no heat or judgment in my tone despite the words that now hung between us.

“The same kind of freaky stuff my mate gets wet for.”

I licked my lips, refusing to look at him. “I should have known you’re a voyeur.” I didn’t know why the room was so hot, why it was hard to breathe, or why I couldn’t tear my focus from the scene, watching as he cut the woman again.

I imagined if there was volume, she’d be moaning… because she looks almost ready to come.

“And you getting off on the blood play really makes sense, especially now.” I felt dizzy, overheated, and discombobulated. As if saying that out loud triggered me, my inner thigh ached, reminding me what kind of blood and bite play I’d let him do to me… and got off on.

“I should have known you’re a voyeur, princess.” I hadn’t realized Adryan moved behind me until I felt his warm breath right by my ear, causing me to shiver. The heavy weight of his hands settled on my shoulders, and I took a stuttering breath in, not speaking or moving.

The man made a shallow nick at the base of her throat, and I watched in awe as his eyes flashed red.

“That’s his mate,” Adryan all but purred. “They frequent that particular club, like to put on a show for others, because they get off on it.”

My eyes wanted to close at that heady, heavy sound of his voice by my ear.

“I could never do that, though.” He slid his hands down my arms, one palm curling around my waist, the other flattening against my heaving belly.

For long seconds we didn’t speak, just our combined breathing filling the otherwise silent room. His palm was a heavy presence on my stomach, a pressure on my body that I could feel spearing right between my thighs.

And when the man on the screen leaned forward—the flash of his fangs coming into view—and dragged his tongue along the cut he’d made on her neck, I couldn’t stop the moan that came from me.

Why was that such a turn-on? It wasn’t that I found the couple on the screen appealing. It was the act itself that got my pussy wet.

Him cutting her, licking the wound, languidly drinking her blood… the same way Adryan had done to me.

“Do you know why I could never take you to one of my bloodletting clubs?”

I knew, but I wanted him to say it. I didn’t know if he actually expected me to answer, but I couldn’t form a coherent word right then if my life depended on it.

And when I felt the brush of his lips against my ear, a fang gently scraping along the shell, I did close my eyes then. My lids were far too heavy to keep open, the energy moving through me so intense that I had zero control over my own body.

“I’m so fucking jealous when it comes to you that if another man, human or otherwise, even looked in your direction, I’d kill him.” His words were so matter-of-fact. “I’d kill them and enjoy it. I’d tear their still beating heart out and give it to you as an offering.”

Holy shit, can I orgasm from dirty talk alone?

And then he started moving his hand down my belly, slipping it under the waistband of my pants, and kept going until his big palm was cupping me right between my thighs.

I let my head fully rest back on his chest, my neck bared, my lips parted. He held me up, my body his to do with as he pleased, as if he were a maestro and I was his orchestra.

He slipped two fingers on either side of my clit, squeezing that bundle of nerves gently until I gasped and moaned. I was so close to going over the edge just from that alone. But all too quickly, he was sliding those fingers down, right between my pussy lips, my labia framing those thick digits.

Adryan used my wetness to slide up and down, to tease me as he circled my entrance before moving his fingers back up to my clit. And when he pinched that little bundle between his thumb and forefinger, I bit my lip hard enough I tasted blood, felt the sting of pain as I split my flesh.

A startled sound left me when suddenly the hand that had been holding my waist gripped my chin, tilting my head to the side. My eyes flared open as I looked up at him, the position arching my neck.

He leaned down and dragged his tongue across my bottom lip, licking up that bead of blood that no doubt formed along the small wound.

“If you asked me to destroy the world,” he said against my mouth, “I’d do it ten times over just to prove how loyal and devoted I am to you.” He smoothed his thumb along my jawline and dragged his tongue over my bottom lip again. “No one and nothing holds power over me.” He was breathing harder. “Except you.”

He kept stroking me so slowly, ensuring I didn’t get off, keeping me on that precipice.

“You’re so good and sweet. You’re an angel, and I’m a coldhearted, depraved devil. You’re too good for me, but I’m too fucking selfish to let you go. Because you’re mine.”

My mouth parted more, and he plunged his tongue deep inside, thrusting it in and out at an agonizingly slow, thorough pace that lit me up.

He broke away far too soon, and I panted, my eyes still closed, my lips feeling swollen.

“Things are going to happen, princess, things that are going to pull me away from you for a short time.”

I opened my eyes and blinked my vision back into focus, staring into his blue eyes. It was hard to think rationally, to understand what he was saying. His tone was so easygoing, like he didn’t have his hand shoved down my pants right now, like he wasn’t seconds away from making me come.

“W-What kinds of things?” My voice was threadbare as I tried to concentrate on what he said. I knew it was important, although I couldn’t explain how or why I knew that. But if he was making a point to tell me, then I should probably pay attention.

“Things that are dangerous, things I don’t want you anywhere near.” He kept touching me, slow and easy, a torturous pleasure that also pissed me off because I wanted to come. “And as much as I’d rather cut my own balls off than leave you…” he groaned. “Fuck, I’d do that just to keep you by my side. I have to do this, or an all-out war will happen.”

I assumed this was supernatural, Otherworld stuff, but I wasn’t in the right mind frame to even comprehend any of this. And I had a feeling that’s why he figured now was the right time to tell me. Damn him for the distraction.

Or maybe I should thank him for wanting to further protect me, to want to keep me sheltered from even more crazy stuff.

But goddamn him and his skilled fingers, and the way he touched me like he knew exactly how to bring me right to the edge.

“So smooth, kitty.” The double entendre of his words had my toes curling. “How grateful are you that you waxed this cunt?” He ran the pad of his index finger over my pussy hole, gently pressed it inside, but retreated far too soon.

I moaned in disappointment, and he chuckled low.

“Oh God. So glad,” I shamelessly admitted just as he added pressure to my clit.

I’d never been more thankful for waxing. It had nothing to do with sex and everything to do with liking the smooth feeling. But all that was changing with the former.

It was very sexual now.

To be able to feel his big, thick fingers, the slight calluses that made him seem even more masculine lining the digits, had my pussy so soaked I knew if not for my pants, I’d be dripping onto the floor.

I was so sensitive that if he just rubbed my clit a few times, I’d explode for him, just become a puddled mess of want and need. Already my pussy was drenched, my inner thighs obscenely soaked. But I wasn’t embarrassed by my body’s reaction. I wanted more. I wanted to become unhinged.

I wanted him to fuck me.

“How many women have you done this to? Brought to your home, touched like this?” I had no idea why the words spilled from me at that exact moment and hated that I cared how he answered.

He didn’t speak for long seconds, just continued to stroke me, bringing me higher and higher to the precipice of going over the edge and then skating away, leaving me a quivering mess so he had me falling back to reality just to repeat the process over again.

I was sweating and panting, feeling like I ran a marathon when I’d just been standing here letting him expertly play my body. But at the forefront of my consciousness, I dreaded his answer. Jealousy waged war inside me at the very thought of caring about how many women he touched, pleasured. But I wanted his honesty more, even if it made me sick.

“It’s only been you, Kayla.” Before I could respond to that, he slowly pushed a finger into my body, my inner muscles instantly clenched around it. “It’ll only ever be you.”

I reached behind and grabbed onto his shirt to steady myself as he slowly started pumping his finger in and out of my pussy. I was making these embarrassing sounds of pleasure, but I couldn’t find it in myself to stop, already too far gone in my need.

It was hard to believe a man who looked like Adryan, who was so powerful and used to getting what he wanted, wouldn’t have ever touched another woman, implying that he was a… a virgin? But I supposed that was the least unbelievable thing out of this whole situation.

“That’s right, kitty,” he said low and right by my ear, still finger fucking me. “I’ve never even looked at another female with lust or need, let alone touched one. For one hundred and twenty years, I’ve been waiting for you.”

He added a second finger, really stretching me now, my pussy feeling so full that it was painful. And so good. A mewling noise left me when he pressed the heel of his hand to my clit and added pressure.

Oh yes. Oh yes, yes, yesyesyes.

I was soaring high, closer now to going over the edge than I’d been since we started this. I’d die if he stopped, and when I felt myself nearing the peak, I rose on my toes, started working myself on his hand, fucking myself, using him to get off.

He was growling wildly behind me, his hard cock like this massive steel rod digging against the center of my back. With my head still turned to the side, I wanted his kiss desperately, begging him silently for it. But he didn’t give that to me. No, instead his mouth was latched onto the side of my neck, and he sucked and sucked and sucked.

I came so hard my back bowed, my nipples tightened painfully, and I cried out long and loud, not caring who heard, because I couldn’t have stopped myself from making the sound anyway. He wrapped his heavy arm around my torso like a thick band, right under my breasts, holding me up as I came.

“That’s my girl. You like that, baby?”

A strangled sound left me as my orgasm peaked all over again.

“You’re doing so good fucking yourself on my fingers, being a good girl and getting off for me.”

His words were so filthy, that praise dirtier than if he just said obscene things. I let the long seconds pass as I rode out my orgasm, not feeling the least bit embarrassed or self-conscious when I felt my arousal dripping out of my pussy and coating his hand.

And all the while—as he let me stay on that high—he kept sucking at my neck, never breaking the skin but no doubt leaving a dark hickey from the force.

I was just coming down when suddenly the world spun out from underneath my feet. I was turned, Adryan using his impressive strength and mass to carry my weight over to the other side of the room and press my back to the wall. He leaned his body against mine, his cock all but throbbing and hard on my belly.

I knew my eyes were still hooded from my post-orgasmic pleasure, knew he could have taken my virginity right here and now and I wouldn’t have denied him a thing.

A grin slowly spread across his mouth, a low, deep sound leaving him. He slid his hand up the center of my torso, right between my breasts, and collared my throat with that heavy palm of his.

He leaned in to barely rest his lips against mine. But he didn’t kiss me, didn’t even speak for long seconds as he held my stare with his, his breathing so hard and fast his nostrils were flaring from the force.

“No more waiting,” he rumbled low. “Tonight, you’re mine.”