Beyond Blood

Sexual Content Warning

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Chapter 16: Beyond Blood

Frozen in the middle of Taran’s dark bedroom, my mind whirred over the possibilities of what he might do when he came up. Would he spank me again? I squirmed at the memory of the last time he had. I hoped he would, but that hope settled uncomfortably in my gut, new and unfamiliar. It hadn’t hurt too bad, though I’d seen vampire strength first hand and knew he was holding back.

How far would he push me the longer this went on? Would he hurt me? Really hurt me? Did he want to? Did I want him to?

The spot between my legs began to throb even as fear flickered to life in my belly. My fingers brushed over the now smooth spot of skin that had once been torn open. Deep down, did a part of Taran crave to do the same as the vampire who’d attacked me? He sometimes looked at me as though he wished to.

I supposed that’s where our mutual trust came to be important. I had to trust he would stop at my safe word, and I guessed he had to trust I would use it when I needed to.

Fear of death, if I was honest with myself, wasn’t what caused me to hesitate. It was the seed of doubt Gwydion had planted in my mind. Because now I was terrified that the warmth in my chest whenever I felt Taran’s gaze on me, the pride I felt when he praised me, was more than just the heat of lust. . .

I rubbed my face so hard I was sure I’d smeared my makeup. My fingers trembled the more my mind went round and round, so I took a deep breath, pushed everything to one side and forced myself to focus on what Taran had asked me to do. Somehow I knew he’d know I’d tarried, and I definitely wasn’t brave enough to find out what he’d do if he came in and I wasn’t exactly where and how he wanted me.

“You’re already in trouble,” I muttered to myself.

In position, that was all he’d said. Without a request to strip or change my choker to the collar that rested on my pillow. So maybe it was best to do only that. But that in itself was a challenge. To slide to my knees and wait like a slave? Why did it excite me so much?

I still had to fight against my pride to slide to my knees and wait, much like a pet awaiting its master. A master who might toss the mouse away once he was done using it.

I nearly groaned as my thoughts circled back to that. Deep down though, I think I was resigned to the knowledge I’d one day end up back under my parents’ roof and married to the son of one of their friends. So I would live to the fullest in this world while I could, and I wouldn’t leave until Taran had shown me what was behind the red door even if it caused me to run away for good. He’d probably enjoy that.

Minutes dragged on unending in dim silence, the lamp on the bedside table the only source of light. I repositioned myself a few times to stave off numb legs and aching knees, my shoulders growing stiff as I kept my neck bent and eyes on the rug. I thought I would grow bored. Or go insane left to my own thoughts. But despite the discomfort, my palms hot against my lap, the wetness between my legs and the tingling as my nipples hardened against my top kept the anticipation thrumming through my veins.

It had to have been nearing fifteen minutes and instead of becoming annoyed - and believe me I was that too - more than anything I wanted to slide my fingers between my legs and rub the bundle of nerves aching to be touched until I found relief.

A flicker of something like exasperation washed over me as quickly as it disappeared again.

I frowned. I was getting better at telling what was my emotions and what was coming from Wren. Could he sense my frustration? Could he feel the echo of my arousal?