She’d taken him to the edge. Made him cry, made him come, made him hers for a little while.
This was what it wassupposedto be about: two people with opposite needs coming together. Not about hurting someone just to make them hurt.
Lucien was an ass, but a mistake can be turned into a positive if you learn something from it, and never again would she allow someone to hurt her unless there was respect in the mix somewhere. Preferably love, or at least affection, but respect wasn’t negotiable.
She could enjoy some kinds of pain, this wasn’t about denying herself pleasure, but about respecting herself enough not to let someone hurt her for merely money or power.
Being paid for sex could sometimes be demoralizing, but even then, there was a certain amount of hotness to it. Most of the time, she enjoyed it even with the assholes.
But the thing is, between Chase and Felix, she was well beyond fulfilled. A partner and a submissive. She’d always known this was the magical formula, and now she had it. It didn’t even matter she had to submit to Chase a little, or that he could fuck her however he wanted during the feeding portions, because they were equals overall. Also, when they fucked while he wasn’t feeding from her, she could tell him what she wanted and he’d nearly always do it. He also didn’t mind her climbing on top, though they rarely finished that way.
A month after she’d arrived, before she’d gotten around to someone showing up twice on her schedule, the rules said she could list three people she didn’t want to feed anymore, and things had gotten better after that. She could change her three people at any time, but she hadn’t. No one, so far, had out-assholed her top three.
She was smart enough to realize the list was designed to make the vampires not be total assholes, and to make sure their food didn’t hate their time with them. It wasn’t about worry for the flocks’ feelings so much as making sure they stayed, making sure they didn’t hate being food — that themoney and the orgasms would be enough to keep them around.
But then she reconsidered. Abbott had cared for his flock as people, back in Chattanooga. She wasn’t feeling it now because he avoided her, but the others felt it. And even without contact with Zander, she had Spence taking care of her. Fawn, too, but mostly Spence.
Kendra had drunk from her once. She’d kept it completely non-sexual with both of them fully clothed, coming in from behind her to drink from her neck.
Just the once, though she figured when Spence drained her blood into a thermal blood bag every-other-week, it probably went to Zander and Kendra. Probably someone else, because Spence took enough for three people, and always at the Atrium, so she couldchangeafter giving so much.
When Felix was halfway through his salad, she told him, “Chemical play seems to work for you.”
He nodded. “Regretfully, I have to agree.”
She smiled, and leaned with a stretch to kiss his cheek. “I’ll give you some time to work through it before we talk about the future, but I’m thinking a slightly stronger solution for lube when I fuck your ass on occasion, and possibly a weaker solution for butt plugs while I hurt you in other ways.”
He smirked. “You weren’t a fan of the condom.”
“No,” she agreed. “We might try a weaker solution on your dick, something I won’t mind feeling in my pussy, but not anytime soon.”
“Did it help?” he asked.
She nodded. “It did. Thank you for volunteering. I’m reminded this is about shared pleasures. It isn’t supposed to be about hurting people who don’t want to be hurt. Who can’t eroticize it.”
“So, it was like a challenge?” he asked. “How much could you hurt me and still make me want? Keep me aroused enough not to safeword?”
“Yes. Sometimes, I wish Spence wasn’t so open about being a masochist. Part of me wants to tie him down and make him beg for release, and I can’t explain why. He was never like an uncle to me, but he was an older teen when I was young. A grown-up in my eyes even though I knew he wasn’t a full adult yet.”
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure that’s never going to happen. I know Zander shares him with the other vampires sometimes, but to my knowledge, he’s never shared him with the flock — and since you seem to be on the Master’s list of people to avoid…”
She blew out a breath. “Yeah, I know, but I have a soft spot for Spence, and he just keeps making me like him even more.”
Chapter 11
Emmy woke early on Saturday, excited about the boat trip to see glaciers and wildlife, but also looking forward to a relaxing day with friends.
Breakfast was raucous, with Spence once again acting as omelet chef. Bacon and sausage were under domes, as were fried potatoes, gravy, and biscuits. Spence made omelets to order, and everyone ate their fill while cutting up with each other.
While she waited for her omelet, Emmy dumped some of Spence’s from-scratch batter into the waffle iron and made herself a golden square of crisp perfection to drizzle with tons of butter and a little honey.
Felix had slept like a baby, and when her alarm had awakened them, he’d gone under the sheets to give her three orgasms with his mouth, then fucked her through two before she’d finally given him permission to orgasm.
Hares weren’t bunnies, but they were close enough relatives to fuck with the same relentless enthusiasm.
And yes, Emmy had spent enough time in Faerie to fuck her share of rabbit shifters, so she had a good comparison.
It wasn’t terribly cold out, sixty-three and sunny, but Spence had warned it would be cooler on the water, so she wore a thermal tee with a hoodie over it, lined cargo pants, warm socks, and waterproof boots with a good sole.
