sunrise. And too often his sleep did not bring rest. Like now.
Enrique was with him, but his servant had stood, silent and unobtrusive, as Mason used his bare fists until blood smeared his knuckles and the wood. Vampires were naturally dominant, demanding the submission and obedience of their human staff and servants. But what he saw in the depths of Jessica’s mind, revealed by Amara’s skilled touch, was sadistic cruelty.
When at last Mason paused, he kept his eyes on the post, his fists clenched. “What did you find out from the Council clerk?”
“The vampire world thinks she’s still at large. No one even has a hint of where she might be. But once she is found, the Council expects her delivered to them immediately for justice.”
“Justice.” His jaw clenched, and this time when he hit the solid oak post, it splintered, a sharp crack before it toppled.
He’d seen the stirrings in her mind when Amara touched her, so when another panic attack loomed, he’d told Amara to suggest something unexpected, but nonthreatening. The sensuous touch of another woman. Though normally he would have enjoyed being on the mental sidelines, he had to pull out, close that link, because he was afraid his rage would spill out and frighten Jess.
There was no such thing as a civilized vampire. He scoffed at the Council members who pretended otherwise. However, there was a difference between the wild animal who accepted his natural savagery and one whose savagery twisted and became something evil.
Such evil had infiltrated Farida’s family, for it was the only comprehensible explanation for their ability to take a beautiful, brave woman, one of their own blood, and stake her out in the desert sun, torment her and then let her broil there. She’d died in agony.
“My lord.” He wondered if Enrique realized he’d just saved the support beam to the room with the quiet prodding. “Should I send word to the Council?”
“No.” Mason uncurled his bloody fingers. Having been buried beneath a few tons of rock before, he didn’t care to repeat the experience. “Not yet. First, we help her recover her mind. Then I will deal with the Council. But no one is ever hurting that girl again.”
014
Raithe had taught her there were no absolutes. His will was everything, and he could bring things out in her she didn’t even know were there. There were no definitions. She didn’t prefer only men or women, or apple versus chocolate pie. Everything could become a pleasure or a torment, depending on the moment, the need, the desire.
That lesson had been so well learned she couldn’t deny it. The twitchy need in her, the borderline panic about those restraints and her current situation, made it hard to breathe. But here was a distraction, a channel for the panicked energy.
She lifted her chin and straightened in the tub, awkwardly. “I want to kiss you,” she said hoarsely.
“Then your command is my deepest wish, child.” Amara settled her lips on Jess’s, light, affectionate. But the platonic sensuality was fleeting, for Amara’s clever mouth teased Jess’s open to find her tongue, stroke and stimulate it so desire bloomed in her chest, warring with the panic constricting her chest. Jess made a strangled sound as Amara’s fingers curled around the back of her neck, keeping Jess safely upright in the tub.
Closing her eyes, she let herself be taken over by it, with the tini est tinge of despairing hope that it would not be followed by pain or horror. This did seem different. The garden was a transparent shadow, a ghostlike memory, but if she tried, she could imagine it in full, vibrant bloom around them. So many lush tropical flowers, the chatter of monkeys, birds with strange piercing cries. The shadow over her closed lids was a man’s shadow, a man’s hand cradling her face, tilting her head back to capture her lips. He pushed her back to the ground, demanding she surrender everything, give him herself, be his in all ways,
Enrique was with him, but his servant had stood, silent and unobtrusive, as Mason used his bare fists until blood smeared his knuckles and the wood. Vampires were naturally dominant, demanding the submission and obedience of their human staff and servants. But what he saw in the depths of Jessica’s mind, revealed by Amara’s skilled touch, was sadistic cruelty.
When at last Mason paused, he kept his eyes on the post, his fists clenched. “What did you find out from the Council clerk?”
“The vampire world thinks she’s still at large. No one even has a hint of where she might be. But once she is found, the Council expects her delivered to them immediately for justice.”
“Justice.” His jaw clenched, and this time when he hit the solid oak post, it splintered, a sharp crack before it toppled.
He’d seen the stirrings in her mind when Amara touched her, so when another panic attack loomed, he’d told Amara to suggest something unexpected, but nonthreatening. The sensuous touch of another woman. Though normally he would have enjoyed being on the mental sidelines, he had to pull out, close that link, because he was afraid his rage would spill out and frighten Jess.
There was no such thing as a civilized vampire. He scoffed at the Council members who pretended otherwise. However, there was a difference between the wild animal who accepted his natural savagery and one whose savagery twisted and became something evil.
Such evil had infiltrated Farida’s family, for it was the only comprehensible explanation for their ability to take a beautiful, brave woman, one of their own blood, and stake her out in the desert sun, torment her and then let her broil there. She’d died in agony.
“My lord.” He wondered if Enrique realized he’d just saved the support beam to the room with the quiet prodding. “Should I send word to the Council?”
“No.” Mason uncurled his bloody fingers. Having been buried beneath a few tons of rock before, he didn’t care to repeat the experience. “Not yet. First, we help her recover her mind. Then I will deal with the Council. But no one is ever hurting that girl again.”
014
Raithe had taught her there were no absolutes. His will was everything, and he could bring things out in her she didn’t even know were there. There were no definitions. She didn’t prefer only men or women, or apple versus chocolate pie. Everything could become a pleasure or a torment, depending on the moment, the need, the desire.
That lesson had been so well learned she couldn’t deny it. The twitchy need in her, the borderline panic about those restraints and her current situation, made it hard to breathe. But here was a distraction, a channel for the panicked energy.
She lifted her chin and straightened in the tub, awkwardly. “I want to kiss you,” she said hoarsely.
“Then your command is my deepest wish, child.” Amara settled her lips on Jess’s, light, affectionate. But the platonic sensuality was fleeting, for Amara’s clever mouth teased Jess’s open to find her tongue, stroke and stimulate it so desire bloomed in her chest, warring with the panic constricting her chest. Jess made a strangled sound as Amara’s fingers curled around the back of her neck, keeping Jess safely upright in the tub.
Closing her eyes, she let herself be taken over by it, with the tini est tinge of despairing hope that it would not be followed by pain or horror. This did seem different. The garden was a transparent shadow, a ghostlike memory, but if she tried, she could imagine it in full, vibrant bloom around them. So many lush tropical flowers, the chatter of monkeys, birds with strange piercing cries. The shadow over her closed lids was a man’s shadow, a man’s hand cradling her face, tilting her head back to capture her lips. He pushed her back to the ground, demanding she surrender everything, give him herself, be his in all ways,
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