“I’ll give you what you need, young one. You will not thank me for it when you get through this, but it is necessary, or you will go mad.” The fact that I had selfish reasons, that I wanted to see him come undone because of my touch, wasn’t something that bothered me at all. I placed one palm flat on his lower abdomen and held him still as he thrust his pelvis up. With my free hand, I pushed a nail out enough to slice down the front of his too-large trousers, careful not to damage his skin as he writhed against my touch. His cock sprang free, and I growled as his scent deepened and desire ripped through me. Damn, I’d not experienced anything like this level of want for so long… I frowned. If ever.
I’d get him through this, I had to, but my end goal was too important to fuck up with emotions. Such distractions could be disastrous. I tore my gaze from his beautiful cock, and looked into his eyes. His pupils took on a deep red glow that stole my breath. Vampire looked fucking amazing on him. Taking a deep breath to steady my now racing heart, I curled my hand firmly around his hard length. Suppressing my reaction at the sensation of his steely flesh in my hand and the rush of power as he let out a deep, masculine groan, almost choked me.
Fuck. In. Hell. I was ancient, and yet this fledgling, who was only months old, was sending my mind into a tailspin. Ridiculous!
Hardening my heart to the sight of his glorious, writhing body, I snarled and took charge, pushing down harder on his stomach. “Keep still.” Compulsion laced my command. As his Maker, I had the ability necessary to control him, and he would obey because he was bound to me. I was also ancient, and, over time, had honed my power. Using compulsion was as easy as breathing, and none could fight it. At least, I hadn’t met anyone,supernatural or human, who could. That wasn’t arrogance, it was a fact, one I kept carefully hidden from everyone. No one knew how old I really was, not even the vampire king. He knew what I’d told him when he was a boy and nothing more.
“Please. Fuck. I need to …” The fledgling’s eyes were wild, his mouth dry and cracked.
“I know what you need.”
Irritated beyond measure, that after all these years this hybrid was fighting my control, I pumped his dick hard, punishing him for it. His hips rolled, his body thrashing. He gripped my arm with both of his hands, his canines, still the thickness of his wolf side, elongating. I wondered if they would change over time…
I pulled away from his writhing body and crossed my arms over my chest.
His eyes widened, his face furious. “No. No. You. Have to. Keep. Going.”
I raised a brow, keeping my expression stern while my mind whirled. This clearly wasn’t going to work as it usually did, and that knowledge, the challenge he presented, only fired me up more. Heat and lust tightened my lower belly, my balls aching, my cock throbbing. He glared at me even as his body begged for my attention.
A smirk teased the corner of my mouth. It had been a long time since I’d felt this level of lust, and his defiance only made it worse. Perhaps it was because he was a powerful alpha in his own right—enough so that now his blood was mixed with mine, my thrall had failed. He was an enigma, a challenge that I needed to dominate. It was my nature. I didn’t like feeling out of control. No matter where I went, I was always the most powerful in the room. Controlling Shane was imperative to the future of everyone, especially the Original Vampires. He had no idea, but the stability of every society on this planet depended on it.Though in truth, this whole situation was new ground, even for me. I’d never known a supernatural being to survive bloodlust before. Then again, I’d never given them my blood.
“I don’t have to do anything. You will do as I say, or you will die.”
Shane held my gaze, then squeezed his eyes tightly closed. A shuddering breath left his body before he slowly opened them. Keeping his gaze on my chin, he nodded once.
Raging desire hit my blood, lust clouding my mind, and all I wanted was to make this powerful male submit to my touch. He’d learn his place. Which was under my control—or under me. My fangs punched down, and my nails grew. Shit, my self-control was fraying. My nostrils flared, and I drew a breath of the unique scent that filled the air around Shane. The darker side of my nature roared forward.
Take. Fuck. Feed…
Shit.
My hands curled into fists, my razor-sharp nails scoring my skin and causing enough pain to ground me. My jaw clenched, and I hissed a long breath. I was in control here, not this fledgling hybrid. He was a Made for fuck’s sake. Yet I needed to get him through this. And not for the accord with Connor. The long-ago promise I’d made was nothing but an echo, but it was still there. To keep it, I needed to find a way to manipulate him. For now, that was with lust.
Taking another breath, I glared down. He seemed lucid, but I knew it was transient. Soon, he would be too unpredictable and wild to reason with. Without the aid of compulsion, it was possible he’d be too damned strong for even me to fix his lust and his need for blood at the same time. It was time to cement our hierarchy and ensure he understood he was not at the top of the pack any more. I looked pointedly at his erection, which bobbed and strained across his tight abs.
“Are you sure you want this? I am going to feed you, and it’s going to fire up your body like nothing you’ve felt before. That pain and pleasure you experienced earlier will be nothing in comparison. You are going to want to feed and fuck for hours. I’ll need to touch you, or you will go insane. Do you want me to touch you, fledgling?”
“I want. To live.”
My gut clenched. He wanted to live. He hadn’t said he wanted my touch. I snarled. Technically, I didn’t have to assuage his lust. If it was left unfulfilled, it would make the bloodlust last longer, and it would likely drive him mad, not to mention increase his pain, but not all sires wanted to fuck their Mades.
I resisted the need to rub my chest where it ached; instead, I rolled my shoulders, trying to convince myself I didn’t give a fuck whether he wanted my touch. Yet, it still hurt, and that scared me more than the desire burning me from the inside out. Shane was dangerous, and not just because he was my enemy. I considered leaving him to survive this, or not, alone, until I looked at his face. I saw it then. The courage and determination it took for this alpha wolf to give me power. Gods, that on top of the way he fired up my body, had me making a snap decision, one that I would likely regret when he discovered what a true bastard I was, but I’d get him through this no matter what the future held.
“Hands on the headboard.” My voice was firm but not completely cold. Even I couldn’t hide the huskiness of my words.
His eyes widened at the tie I pulled from around my neck. Emotions warred on his face. He’d been restrained when I found him. But this situation was his choice. I couldn’t do this while he was thrashing; it would go on too long and be too damned awkward and tiring holding him down with my body. Besides, I already wanted to fuck him. Being in a situation where I’d be in more contact with his skin was not a good idea. I remainedutterly still, not sure why I held my breath as I waited to see if he would give in to my command.
“You’re strong, Shane. If you thrash, I will have to hurt you to keep you still. This is for your safety.”
His throat bobbed, his jaw tensing, but slowly, he lifted his hands to grip the metal headboard. My heart slammed against my chest wall, my dick throbbing painfully. I secured his wrists. He closed his eyes, squeezing them tightly shut while his lips pressed together so hard they turned white. His whole body was a mass of tense, slick muscle. He was stunning, restrained and desperate. Yet, the only way this would work was to feed him and play with his body when he needed it. Usually, my compulsion would have immobilised him, leaving me free to have some fun, but he’d already defied it. That was a problem for another day. “Open your eyes.”
Nothing. It was as if he was trying to block out what was happening, and that pissed me off more than being forced to tie him down. He wasn’t really submitting. He was doing what he needed to do to survive. Like he had when they’d blood raped him.
“Shane!” I barked.
He opened his eyes. My gut twisted at the confusion and shame in his eyes.
“Fuck!” I ran my hand through my hair, pulling black strands from my braid and sending them flying around my shoulders. Why did his compliance and consent even bother me? I didn’t give a shit when it came to anyone else. I started to undo the tie.
