Beast

Chapter Five

“Son of a bitch,” Dante cursed as the computer reported on the “medicine” the demon had given to the gnomes. “It’s colloidal silver and a freaking aphrodisiac.”

The gnome paled, his ruddy cheeks turning stark white in a second. “I did not know that was in the solution. I was just told that it would keep her weak. She was very frightening, even in a weakened state. If I had allowed her to achieve her full strength, I feared she would kill us all. I was only following instructions. I certainly didn’t know it contained silver.”

Beck stood over the gnome. His massive frame seemed to be a weapon of intimidation. The gnome practically cowered as Beck spoke. “If Dante had fed from her, he could have died. Vampires are allergic to silver.”

Dante looked down at the readout from his tablet again. He forced himself to take a deep breath. If he had followed his instincts, he would have taken Kaja that way. The instinct to feed from her immediately had been almost overwhelming. In the past, he had always considered it an intimate act he wasn’t interested in. He’d never taken a female that way, never sunk his fangs into a living creature and fed. He realized his father fed from his mother, and that Susan fed from Colin, but he didn’t find it intriguing. It was brutal and primal, and made him squeamish. It had, until he’d placed his fangs on the back of Kaja’s neck. She glowed, and he knew she would taste sweet. She belonged to him. Her blood belonged to him.

Dante shook off that dark thought. He wasn’t some Neanderthal seeking out the blood of those around him, keeping virtual harems of females to feed him. He was modern. He got his nutrition from meal pills.

“I am sorry, Your Highness,” the gnome was saying. His head was down in supplication. “The demon told me it would keep her quiet. Given the fact that she was terrifying on the drug, I did not want to see her without it. I thought it best to keep giving it to her as I was instructed. The Planeswalker warned she could escape if I did not make sure to keep it in her system.”

Dante glanced at Kaja. She was curled up on the bed the gnomes had brought in for them. It was the equivalent of a very nice pallet. If he’d been thinking, he would have brought his own equipment. Then Kaja could have a proper bed to cry on.

“I need to change,” she whimpered over and over again.

He sat beside and ran a hand through her clean hair. Someone had really done a number on her. “No, you don’t, sweetheart. You’re fine the way you are.”

“Please let me change,” she begged. Her clear blue eyes were narrowed in pain.

“Don’t you feed my consort that shit again,” Dante said, turning back to the gnome because he just couldn’t stand to see her in pain. He felt utterly useless. If he’d been at home, he would have doctors to care for her. Here, there was nothing. She shook and seemed to be running a fever.

The gnome looked to Beck. “Sire, this is not a good plan.”

Dante stood and showed his full fangs to the little Fae. He enjoyed the gnome’s wide eyes. “Kaja is not married to Beckett. He has no authority over her. I own her, and you will follow my instructions. If I discover you have drugged my consort in any fashion, I’ll drain you. Do you understand me?”

He might not feed from living creatures, but he would make an exception in the gnome’s case if the little bugger didn’t follow instructions.

The gnome quaked and averted his eyes. Dante noticed the gnome’s wife, Cara, enter. She went to the bed and covered Kaja’s forehead with a cool rag. “Yes, sir. We will leave the care of your consort to you, Mr. Dellacourt.”

Dante was satisfied with the gentle way Cara was treating Kaja. But he wasn’t about to treat her husband in the same fashion. There was more than just the silver in Kaja’s system. “Now, explain to me why you fed my consort an aphrodisiac.”

The gnome swallowed several times.

“Answer him,” Beck ordered.

“I wanted the sale to go through,” Rhys replied.

“Bastard,” Cara spat even as she rubbed her small hands across Kaja’s back. Dante was very grateful to the female gnome. It was obvious to him that Cara had been kind to his consort. Kaja wouldn’t allow Rhys near her, but she clung to Cara’s hand.

“How could you?” Cara asked. She seemed to wait for Rhys to explain. When he didn’t, she took over, turning her head to lock eyes with Dante. “If you bedded down with the consort tonight, you wouldn’t be able to revoke the sale in the morning. You have a night to decide, but if penetration occurs, the sale and marriage are final by Fae laws.”

“Get out,” Dante snarled. He longed to wrap a hand around that gnome’s throat and squeeze.

The Fae still looked to his king. Beck stared down at him. “I would go if I were you. We will discuss your methods in the morning, Rhys. You have contracts with the demon clan, but you are still my subject. You are still bound by my laws. Cara, can you take care of the woman?”

The blonde gnome nodded as her husband retreated. “I will aid the vampire. The silver should be out of her system by morning. She was to be given the elixir every morning and every evening. The demon said it would keep the change from happening.”

Dante exchanged a glance with his cousin. He was certain they were both thinking the same thing. They had dealt with a creature that had two faces not six months before. “Is she a hag?”

Cara shot him a dirty look. “Of course not. Have you ever heard of a hag who could serve as a consort?”

“No,” Dante replied. “But then consorts don’t change forms. How do I know this isn’t a trick of Torin’s?”

Torin was dead set on killing Beck and Cian. He’d sent a hag to do the job last time. He might think to try it again. The thought of Kaja being one of Torin’s goons unsettled him.

“I gave her a purgative when she came here,” Cara said. “I give it to all the females to make sure they are free of any spells or hexes. There was not a hint of magic on her.” She looked thoughtfully at the woman in her charge. “I would say she is a shape-shifter of some sort, but she isn’t Fae. The demon said she came from a far-off plane. The females there must be consorts as well.”

Dante accepted that explanation, but worried all the same. He really didn’t know what Kaja was. “So the silver will be gone by morning. What about the aphrodisiac?”

Cara’s mouth turned down. “It will only be in effect for a few hours, but it will be very painful for her. It is a strong mix, if I am correct. She needs to have physical relations, or she will feel like she is burning inside. My husband was trying to make sure she didn’t resist you.” Cara walked over to Dante. “If you are intending to revoke the sale, it would be best if you would allow me to find her a male.”

“I will take care of my consort,” Dante barked. Did he need to tattoo it on his forehead or something? Dante was getting damn tired of having to remind everyone of his rights.

Cara craned her neck to look up at him. “I understand, Mr. Dellacourt. Do you require anything?”

“I think I have the proper equipment.”

“Come along, Cara,” Beck said with a slight smile. “You can stand guard outside. If my cousin needs anything, he will let you know. Dante, I happen to know the drawers in the back are filled with…helpful items. Many a wedding night has occurred here. I will make sure she isn’t given the drugs again. She’s my cousin now, too.”

Dante nodded, happy with Beck’s acceptance. He wondered what Cian had said to turn the warrior king around. The flap to the tent slapped shut, and Dante was left alone with his wife.

He knelt down, placing a hand on her naked back. The towel had been thrown back, and she writhed on the bed. He saw her pain. He also saw her body. His fangs lengthened, and he cursed himself for being a selfish bastard. This was not the way he wanted his first time with Kaja to go.

“Kaja,” he said carefully through his fangs. “I need to take care of you.”

She shook her head. “It hurts.”

She covered her pussy with her hand, showing him where her pain was greatest.

It struck him suddenly that there was an easy solution. Why wasn’t she masturbating? Dante shoved his hand under hers and cupped her pussy. Her eyes flew open.

“No,” she said helplessly. She seemed to know she couldn’t fight him so she played to his sympathy. In this case, he didn’t have any. “No mating.”

He kept his eyes and voice soft as his hand rubbed against the flesh of her pussy. She was soaking wet. He let his hand dip into the crevice and felt his dick get hard as a rock. It was going to be a long night. He couldn’t take her. She hadn’t given him permission. The drug didn’t change that. He would take care of her, but he would be going without. He refused to be one more person who took from Kaja and gave nothing back.

She tried to push his hand away, her legs rubbing restlessly. “No. Leave me alone.”

Dante had to wonder. She was obviously in extreme pain. She wasn’t a virgin by her own admission. Why was she fighting him? Why wasn’t she trying to take care of herself? He tried to remember her words from before. “Kaja, you will mind me. Be still. Tell me something, sweetheart, when the Second held you down for the mating, did he pleasure you?”

Her eyes were feverish, the pupils large. “Women receive children from the mating. Men receive pleasure. Everyone knows this.”

Dante felt a slow smile spread across his face. That door he’d slammed closed with his idiotic admission had just swung open again. He let his thumb drift up. He felt her plump clitoris and sighed. She had all the parts for an orgasm. She just needed someone who knew what he was doing. Dante knew he wasn’t the greatest businessman in the world. He wasn’t CEO material like his sister. He couldn’t recall amazing amounts of data like Cian or wield a sword like Beck. There was one thing he was confident in, though.

“Sweetheart,” he cajoled softly as he circled that little nubbin of flesh he intended to get very acquainted with. “Those men were idiots. They were boys with little dicks who didn’t know how to please a woman. I assure you, I’ll take care of you.”

He grinned and forced her legs apart. The night was looking up.

Kaja felt like she was on fire. She hadn’t felt this way before. Her insides were burning. Poison. Someone, that mean gnome, had poisoned her. She groaned, and her legs drew up. She tried to slap away Dante’s hands, but he did something, and it felt so good, she moaned. He was slipping his fingers into that secret part of her.

“No,” she whispered. “Don’t.”

He didn’t want her, not really. He might wish to slip his male parts into her, but he would walk away. She wasn’t sure why he was playing with her. Why would he wish to put his fingers inside her woman’s place?

“Stop it, Kaja,” he said in a deep voice.

She looked up and saw his magnificent fangs on heart-stopping display. They were long and so white it made Kaja sigh. He was beautiful. She loved his lean body. It was so different from the bulky bodies of the pack males, but no less strong. The First’s body was elegant. He wouldn’t overwhelm her with his weight. His eyes were the green of the forest. She enjoyed looking at him. At Dante. She knew she would not enjoy the physical process of mating, but he did not seem like a man who would walk away when he was done. He had allowed her to be close to him. Perhaps the mating would not be so bad if he wrapped his arms around her afterward.

She had been overjoyed at the thought of mating with such a creature. Then he’d told her of his plan, and she’d known. She was in the same situation she’d been in with the pack. He didn’t want a family with her. He just wanted his pleasure. He wasn’t any different. She didn’t belong here, either. This place was filled with pain.

She tried to move away from him. He was caressing her in a way that made her uncomfortable. It was too intimate. He shouldn’t do such things.

“Why not, sweetheart?” Dante asked, and she realized she’d said what she was thinking. He was merciless. One hand was on her stomach holding her down while the other did strange things to her. She squirmed, trying to unseat his probing fingers. “Don’t you like it?”

She didn’t. It was disturbing. His hand covered that part of her that was aching. She needed to cool it down, but he blanketed her instead. She didn’t like the way he rubbed her. And then she did. He rubbed the pad of his thumb firmly across her core, and Kaja cried out. A heat poured from her center. She moaned as he continued.

He was smiling down at her, looking ridiculously pleased with himself. “See, you liked that, didn’t you? You are just ridiculously wet. You would feel so good. Your little pussy is tight as a fucking vise. This Second of yours, he was a pansy ass, you know that, right?”

She didn’t understand half of what he was saying. Her body twitched from his magic. “What is this feeling?” She panted as she asked the question. Her body felt pleasantly soft. His motions slowed and became languid.

“It’s called an orgasm,” he replied in that slow, silky way of his. She loved his voice when it got thick like honey. Most of the time he spoke so quickly that she lost track. She liked it when his tone got deep and husky. “You should have one every time a man touches you. If you don’t, punch him in the face.”

“I do that before he holds me down for the mating,” Kaja answered seriously. She had been pleased that she’d managed to break Sven’s nose before he thrust himself into her. It had taken two of his friends to hold her down.

Dante’s green eyes were wide before he filled the room with his laughter. “Well, I’ll count myself lucky then. Are you feeling better?”

He released her. Kaja missed the feel of his hands on her body. What was wrong with her? She forced herself to sit up.

“Yes,” she said quietly. The weakness was there, but the terrible burning between her legs was gone. She felt a fresh rush of arousal as Dante drew his fingers into his mouth. His tongue came out, and he licked his fingers clean. That was her essence on his fingers. It was dirty. She couldn’t take her eyes off the sight.

He leaned forward. She could see her moisture on his lips. “What do you expect, darling? You taste good.”

She bit her lip, chewing nervously. “Do you taste good?”

The question was out before she could recall it. She had seen the fluid men left behind when they reached their pleasure.

“It’s called cum,” Dante said. “I have no idea. I don’t swing that way, though I’ve heard it’s pleasant. I like women, despite what the tabloids will tell you. Lay back.”

She did as he told her, aware that she was submitting. She knew she shouldn’t. It was an act of respect that he hadn’t earned beyond being able to hold her down, but she did it anyway. She found she didn’t want to break the contact they had. His hands felt so good on her skin. Sometimes it felt like she’d gone her whole lifetime without the sweetness of another soul brushing against her body. She sighed, all the while knowing in the morning she would leave. She wouldn’t wait to speak with Dante’s Second. Her senses told her there were forests nearby. She could lose herself there, but this night she would revel in the feel of his hands on her. She would pretend their mating was real.

“I get the feeling your experiences with sex kind of sucked, sweetheart,” Dante was murmuring. She liked the way his eyes roamed her body. There was approval in them. “I think I need to teach you so you can forget all the bad stuff. What you call mating, my people call sex or fucking or making love.”

“Making love.” She tried the words out on her tongue. Dante’s hand cupped her breast. She felt herself swell in his palm. He stroked his hand around her flesh, his fingers lingering on her nipples.

“See, you’re a sensual thing,” he commended her. “Sex isn’t just about penetration. It should involve all of the senses.” He straddled her. His knees surrounded her hips, and she liked the way he filled the space. He leaned over and ran his nose along her neck, breathing in her scent. She shivered deliciously everywhere he touched her. “You smell awfully good now, Kaja.”

She let his scent waft over her. He smelled so good, clean and masculine. She allowed her hands to drift up and touch his red-gold hair. It felt odd. Parts were slightly stiff, but she did not sense he was dirty.

“It’s called mousse. This hair doesn’t look this good on its own,” Dante explained with a smile. “You’re going to have to deal with my hygiene ritual, darling. We’ll make an appointment with a stylist when we get home. You’ll like spas.”

She wasn’t sure what a spa was, but she liked the way his face felt buried in her neck. She felt his fangs graze her skin. Was he going to bite her? She shivered at the prospect and wasn’t sure if she wanted it or not. She decided to distract him. “Is your pack nice?”

She wondered why his father did not wish for him to mate with one of the females of his pack.

Dante pulled his face from her neck. “Darling, I don’t have a pack. I have a family.” He looked at a loss for a moment. “You have no idea what I am, do you? Have you ever heard of a vampire?”

She shook her head.

He rolled off her and propped his head on his fist, lying on his side. His shirt was off, but he’d covered his lower body before calling in the wee ones. He kept his free hand on her stomach as though he didn’t want to break the contact, either. “Well, I’m different from you. I don’t eat meat.”

“How do you survive?” Only prey animals ate no meat. Animals that lived off fruits and grasses were prey. She couldn’t imagine Dante was prey.

“I live off blood,” Dante explained. He grinned and showed off his fangs. They were so much longer than hers or any of the pack males. She reached her hand out. He allowed her to touch them. When she pulled back, he continued. “My home plane is very advanced. It’s probably going to be a shock and seem like magic to you, but you’ll adapt. You’ll like it. My people used to drink the blood of animals to survive. I’m a little different than most vampires. I’m what’s called a royal. My fangs are specialized. I can feed from other vampires or species without ripping them apart. Most vampires can’t do that. They kill anything they feed from. I can take my nutrition from either animals, other vampires, or consorts, like you. I haven’t actually tried another sentient being, but I’m certainly thinking about it now.” He moved his hand up to her throat. He looked at it with great longing, his thumb moving across it like he was tracing a line. “You see, you’re what my people call a consort. Your blood is rich, and for someone like me, it can do some awesome things.

“You wish to eat me?” Kaja began to scramble off the bed. She wasn’t sure of what he meant.

Dante was on her in an instant. He flipped her over and held her down with his weight. He put his fangs against her neck until she calmed. “I wish to feed from you, Kaja. It is an intimacy between husband and wife. In return, I’ll open a vein and let you taste me. You’ll heal faster and stay young longer with my blood in you. I won’t hurt you.”

“I am afraid,” Kaja answered honestly. “Your fangs are long. It will hurt.”

“No, it won’t. I would never harm you. Vampires take their consorts seriously. Trust me, from the way Colin moans, you’ll love it. Once we’re home, I’m going to force my parents to move my rooms. I hate listening to my sister have sex. It’s gross.” He moved his hands along her back. She could feel that hard male part of him against her rear. He still wore his pants and made no move to divest himself of them, so she calmed. “Besides, I want you to be able to scream without any worry. I think we’re going to fit together nicely. I would taste you tonight, if it wouldn’t almost certainly cause my horrible death. I hope when I go I don’t explode the way some do. It’s nasty. Unless someone murders me, of course, and then I hope I cover the fucker.”

That horrible burning was back. It started as a little itch and quickly grew, tormenting her center. What had Dante called it? He’d called it her pussy. Her pussy ached. She felt the hated tears start.

“Kaja?” Dante flipped her over. “It’s starting again? Don’t worry.” He slid down her body, spreading her legs as he went. “I’ll take care of it. I can do this all night, you know.”

“What are you doing?” She was a little panicked when she felt his breath above the dark curls of her pussy. “You should not.”

She looked down, and Dante was a little savage in the dim light of the tent. Full night had fallen. The only illumination was candles and a strange device that held fire. Dante’s eyes seemed to glow in the darkness. He growled low in his throat and sounded nothing like the slick man he was before.

“Don’t tell me what I can’t do, Kaja. You are mine. Lay still or I’ll put you on your belly again. I can top you, Kaja. Don’t doubt it.” He stared at her for a moment. Kaja believed him. She stilled. He slid his fingers through her pussy, causing her to let her head fall back. How did he do that? She had never felt such sweet pleasure. The men of the pack had lied about mating and female pleasure. She wondered what else they had lied about.

“Feel better?”

Kaja moaned her answer. He parted her and slid his fingers in. Kaja couldn’t help the tremor that raced through her. She wanted more. She wanted more than his fingers.

“We’re going to wax you here, love,” he chuckled. “I like a bare pussy. It makes this easier, but I’ll suffer through tonight.”

“Oh,” Kaja exclaimed as she felt something lovely slide across her supersensitive skin. She looked down and saw Dante licking her, his tongue coming out of that sensual mouth of his. Her body began to shake. The burn was turning into something very sweet.

“See, you like this,” Dante whispered. She felt his words sizzling across her flesh. She could see her cream on his face. He lapped it up like it was the sweetest nectar. She watched as his tongue came out and swiped across her in a way that made her eyes blur. “This little jewel is called your clitoris. Your clit is a very sweet piece of flesh, love. You can touch it yourself, but it’s better if I do it for you. That way you can lay back and enjoy.”

This time when he placed his tongue on her clitoris, he also worked a finger into her pussy. Kaja felt her hips move of their own accord, seeking a harder rhythm. She was closing in on something. She wasn’t sure what, but she needed to find out where he was trying to take her. She felt so close. Close to pleasure. Close to him.

“Yes, baby,” he encouraged her. She noticed he was trying to watch her face. “Fuck my fingers. Show me what you need.”

She pushed against him as he adjusted his pace. He added another finger, stretching her. She felt him thrusting harder into her while his tongue was planted firmly against her clitoris. She was close, oh so close, to that lovely place. Kaja let her feet find Dante’s shoulders, using his body to anchor hers. She gave over to the instincts riding her body. She fucked his fingers and his tongue. She liked that word. She liked fuck. Fucking felt like heaven, and she wondered what it would feel like to have him thrust his man part into her. She thought she would like this better because she could see him. When the mating happened, he would be behind her. She wanted to see his face.

Kaja pumped against his fingers. When her body felt like it would split in two, she let herself fall over the edge. What had he called it? Orgasm. Orgasm felt like a sweet wave across body. It was better than anything.

Her body went soft, and she couldn’t help the giggle she felt. She never laughed, but now she understood the impulse. Laughter bubbled over, and she couldn’t stop it. She was happy. Happy.

Dante laughed against her skin, his every touch a little aftershock. When he finally moved up her body, he looked lighter and happier than she could remember seeing him.

“Do I please you, Kaja?”

It would be simple to hurt him as he’d hurt her. She had what she needed. He didn’t want her, but he asked for her acceptance. It would be simple to deny it.

“Yes,” she said dreamily. Her arms drifted up and around his neck. He didn’t want her for more than a night or two, but she would take them. She would take the night and hold it close to her heart. When the lonely days came again, she would dream of his green eyes and strong arms. She would pretend she was still his. “Yes, you please me, Dante.”

“I am glad, consort,” he said with a grin. He had the sweetest little dimples in his cheeks when he really smiled. Kaja traced them with her hand. Dante leaned down and pressed his mouth over hers. Kaja gasped in surprise. “I suppose the Second wasn’t great at kissing, either.”

“What is kissing?”

His smile was pure decadence now. “Let me show you, wife.”

He leaned over again. Kaja could taste herself on him. He thrust his tongue inside her mouth, and it rubbed against hers. Kaja sighed. Whatever this kissing thing was, she liked it very much. Dante’s arms went around her. She was covered by him. His skin touched hers. His scent filled her senses. His tongue mated with hers. So close to him. It was almost as though they were one person, and she was no longer alone.

After a long moment, he came up for air. He pressed his lips against her once more and then got up.

“Wait here, just a minute,” he commanded.

He jumped up. Kaja could see his man part was fully extended. It tented his pants admirably. Kaja wondered if he would thrust it into her now. She would allow it because he had brought her such pleasure, but she dreaded it. Dante crossed to the chest Cara had pointed out before. He came back with a smile on his face and what appeared to be an egg in his hand. Were they going to have a meal?

“Vampire tech,” he said. He seemed very excited. She wondered what he intended to do with the egg since he did not eat in the normal way. Then he turned it, and it began to vibrate. “We’re going to have so much fun, Kaj.”

Kaja lay back and closed her eyes. She trusted him and was ready for this fun he spoke of. When he placed the egg on her, she was sure she’d found Valhalla.