Page 5 of Plug and Claim

With a shocked gasp, she became aware of a firm hardness pressing against the top of her thigh. Nausea crept through her at the realisation that the vampire was erect. He enjoyed doing this to her, and it was repulsive.

“You know…you are not what I expected,” he murmured, his touch trailing along her jawline back to her cheek.

Kira swallowed.

Neither are you.

She’d expected a rough brute…not this elegantly dressed gentleman who balanced cruelty and manners with ease. She didn’t know what to make of him.

He was beautiful in the same way a dream was beautiful before it transformed into a nightmare—ominous and clouded with darkness.

“Not what I expected at all,” he repeated, still caressing her face. “But soon, you will obey, just like the rest of them. You will sit and stay…and drink from a water bowl. You will even fetch.”

Without warning, he released her and walked away, leaving her standing by the wall, gagged and trembling.

“Go to your room and pack,” he said idly. “You have five minutes. Oh, and Kira…” He turned back, his icy gaze chilling her to the bone. “Do not remove that collar.”

Kira’s eyes were blurry with tears as she disappeared into her bedroom and slammed the door. Her hands went immediately to the collar, trying desperately to undo the buckles, but the leather was taut and her fingers were clammy and slipped off the intricate straps.

This is all wrong.

The collar was a violation she was not prepared for, and for a wolf shifter, it was the ultimate act of humiliation. It robbed her of her humanity, symbolising that to him, she was little more than a dog.

There were many terrible things a vampire could do to a wolf. Mary and Byron had only hinted at them, telling her as much as she needed to know without going into explicit detail, but Kira had heard enough rumours from the villagers to guess. Even so, she’d hoped to avoid this, the inhumane punishment of being collared.

Kira caught sight of her reflection in the mirror and choked back a sob. The woman staring back at her was on the brink of defeat. It was so different to how she saw herself that she hastily wiped her eyes. She would not give the vampire the satisfaction of seeing her crumble.

Mary and Byron had tried to warn her that vampires were cruel. Well, this one had gotten under her skin within seconds, and she feared he’d left a permanent mark on her psyche.

She’d been ready to fight, ready to resist capture. But nothing could have prepared her for him, nor the collar he strapped around her throat.

This was no ordinary vampire. He was a monster.

Chapter 3

Predator and Prey

Kira

The gag was large and uncomfortable inside Kira’s mouth. It made her breathing harsh and ragged as she tried to calm the panic seeping through her.

The vampire had said five minutes, but she’d been here at least ten by now. To her relief, he hadn’t barged into her room. Still, it was not wise to keep him waiting. If this contraption was his first preference for reprimand, she did not want to find out what the more severe punishments were.

As the precious minutes passed, her heart rate calmed, and she was able to think clearly once more.

This is fine.

I’m fine.

Objectively speaking, nothing significant had happened. The vampire hadn’t hurt her, and the fact that he was an insufferable jerk was not in the least bit surprising. If anything, the plan was going perfectly: she’d acted like prey, and he’d taken the bait not knowing she was a predator lying in wait. Resisting the urge to shift into her true form, however…now, that was the hard part.

Tearing apart the vampire was not conducive to that plan; she had to get to Volmasque Academy. To avoid suspicion, she had to appear unwilling. Which meant letting this arrogant, conceited—admittedly handsome—asshole drag her to the school. That was the plan.

And yet, she felt utterly helpless. Try as she might, Kira couldn’t overcome the effect the collar had on her. The collar’s physical constriction around her neck was suffocating, but the gag was even more encroaching, invading her subconscious until all she could think of was the vampire and the power he held over her.

You will sit and stay…and drink from a water bowl. You will even fetch.

Kira wiped away an angry tear. He was wrong. She was not his pet. She was his death, and she would come for him soon.