Vampire Enslavement (Lords of Bondage) (12 page)

“In that case, you’ll have no choice but to accept that poor lady’s services.” Shane scrunched up his face, looking like he had a bad case of indigestion. “Don’t feel bad about it. They’re Snotti’s ladies. All of them are bitches of the highest order. Use the lady roughly so the rest of them are scandalized. Diermont will lift the ban then.”

“That may be taking things too far, my man.” Surely he wouldn’t be forced to bed one of those unappetizing females.

“Just think of the greater good.” Shane pushed his heavy mop of hair out of his eyes. “Human lives will be saved with the removal of the ban.”

“Saved only to be condemned to slavery, for the lot of them.” Modez couldn’t forget the pleasure slave who had serviced him so spectacularly well at the villa. “Although many are already slaves. They may prefer a different master.” He would keep his slave in a life of luxury, like a cosseted housepet.

“Continue your efforts.” Shane’s pine colored eyes glowed with orange sparks whenever he felt passionate about something, and he clearly did so now. “You are the closest one to Diermont. If anyone can influence the prince, it would be you.”

“The task is more difficult with the presence of the ladies. Persuading Diermont is one thing, but the ladies of society will not allow the scenario you have in mind.”

“You mean my wish to restore this Roman villa to its former glory, naked slaves and all?” Shane asked with a laugh. “Hell, no. I heard that Snotti has begun another anti-human campaign. This time she is using APS. No, those ladies have to go.”

Modez couldn’t agree more. He wanted a human to warm his bed. One he could enthrall and keep under his control. One who wouldn’t leave him for another.

“Keep pressuring Snotti some more. If her ladies fear they will be made to serve as whores, they will beg to return to the palace where they belong. They’ll realize they have no place in a warzone.” Shane wiped a bead of sweat from his brow. “It is a place for fucking and fighting, not this society bullshit. Even the mating tests are more of a chore than a pleasure.”

Apparently Shane wasn’t too thrilled with the female chosen for him. “Who is the lucky lady?”

“Lady Selma. But from what I hear, she’s not pleased. She wanted Lord Ross.”

Most of the ladies were afraid to be with Shane due to his large size. His massive body sported an equally massive cock, which was enough to make most hybrid ladies reluctant to lay with him. “I get why you’re not feeling it. I’m not bothering with the tests this time.”

“Yeah, those are massive wastes of time and no substitute for what we really want. The spoils of battle will not be denied because of some ridiculous ban.”

Modez thought it would be nice to have a female to come home to, preferably a human, after a day spent in battle. Hybrid females made poor bed servants since they were incapable of feeling desire for their non-bonded partners. “The princess will thwart our efforts to lift the ban. She and her ladies need to leave.”

“It would be a tragedy if something were to happen to our princess,” Shane said with a tone full of sarcasm. “To hell with Snotti. Most of us want to see that ban lifted. Visant Brannon, the druid, is assisting us. Seamus McLeod is in on this too.”

“Seamus.” It was out of character for the Lord of Red Isles to conspire against the prince. “How did you manage that?”

“He’s hot for a human slave. He wants one badly.”

“What makes you say that?”

“He’s been panting after Cassia ever since Diermont ordered Cabrian to parade her around the villa naked.” Shane licked his lips. “I cannot say I blame him. The former overseer is a prime piece of fluff. Cabrian worked her good and tattooed her up. I saw his face afterward. He looked like he’d taken a happy pill or something.”

Seamus wanted some of that pleasure. Modez had observed him panting over Kiera as well. “Diermont’s getting all of us riled up. Can’t he see what he’s doing?”

“He enjoys making us want something so he can take pleasure in denying us. It’s getting to Seamus and even he’s getting tired of the bullshit.”

Modez wished he fought under another’s command. Then things would be completely different. “Perhaps it is time to have a talk with the king about his son.”

“Not yet. Diermont’s his golden child. He can do nothing wrong. I’d rather choose the backdoor. A light bit of scheming can get us what we all want without involving the king.”

“So we continue to manipulate Diermont like a bunch of bitches? Is this what we’ve come to?”

“I guess so.” Shane wiped his overly long hair out of his face. “Diermont is your friend. You could try talking to him. Explain how his edicts are affecting us, hurting us.”

Modez laughed. “He is a prince and he doesn’t take my council. I have tried to reason with him, you know. Right now he thinks I’ve got a sex addiction because my cock is too demanding. But he still refuses to allow the use of human slaves, even for his favorite lord.”

“After what I’ve been through, I deserve the opportunity to make some Roman bitch pay for milking me in that barn. Diermont had all of the milkmaids killed. When I was in that barn, I fantasized about what I would do to them once I was free. Now they are dead and I’ve been robbed of vengeance. Only Cassia remains, but she’s untouchable.”

“Leave Cassia to Cabrian.” If anyone messed with that human, the overlord would go ballistic. “We will eventually track down the remaining barns and you’ll find some milkmaids there. Not the same ones who handled you, but they’ll feel just as good once they’re collared and bound.”

Modez knew Shane was having a difficult time dealing with the way he had been treated during his captivity. The thought of being milked in a barn by some pretty milkmaids didn’t sound that terrible to Modez, but according to Shane, they had not been gentle or kind when they had touched the hybrids.

Modez left Shane to patrol the perimeter. Occasionally a visitor to the villa had to be dealt with, but other than that, there wasn’t much to do. It appeared the Romans did not yet know that the villa belonging to Lucine Maximus had been taken by the enemy. Either that, or they didn’t care. Patrolling the area wasn’t very exciting or challenging, but it was preferable to joining the others on the hunt. He couldn’t stomach witnessing another slaughter like the one that had happened here. Diermont’s policy was to kill all humans. Females were not spared because they were the
future breeders of the enemy
. Time after time, he had tried to persuade the prince to be more merciful, but Diermont’s beliefs were too fixed. Modez had never struck a killing blow to a female, but he had done little to stop the others from doing so. He couldn’t countermand Diermont’s orders, especially since the prince had the full support of the king. The only thing he could do was look the other way while a few of the humans fled to safety in the chaos.

Modez knew that many of his fellow warriors were reluctant to put females to the sword. If the ban was lifted, they would be allowed to take captives. They wouldn’t all be killed. There would be no guarantee they would be treated well, but at least some would have a chance at life. A lucky few would even find themselves in a better situation than the one they endured prior to captivity.

He had doubts that he could manipulate Diermont well enough to convince him to lift the ban, but he was willing to give it a try. Whining about the lack of bed servants could work if he was persistent with the nagging. Unfortunately, it was likely going to saddle him with a bedmate he didn’t want. None of Snotti’s ladies were the least bit appealing, neither for a mate or a mistress. They were shallow creatures who would sell their souls if they thought it would elevate their status. He hated the way they looked at him, like he was a trophy they could win. Kiera was the only one who didn’t look at him that way, but that was because she despised him. The others coveted his bite because being his mate would guarantee inclusion to all social events of the Season. Since they couldn’t be with the king, they wanted to be with someone who was close to the king. They wanted his rooms at the palace more than they wanted him. None were like Elsa, his favorite bed servant at the palace and the only one he had cared to visit for the past year. The dronusfly swarms could not have come at a worse time. He could not open a portal to the palace, which meant he couldn’t see Elsa.

His walk had cleared his mind and relaxed him. The ladies had APS but he was on a mission of his own, which was ridding the villa of interfering females.

Snotti and her ladies were camped out by one of the gardens. It wasn’t wise for them to be outdoors, but apparently Diermont had given permission for them to engage in some bird watching. At least they were close to the safety of the villa, but he didn’t trust them not to venture past the safe zone. He almost wished one of them would break the rules so he would have a reason to send them home. His eyes lingered on Kiera even though he tried to focus on the princess. The lady was a distraction, creeping into his thoughts and invading his dreams.

Modez approached the ladies so he could play the blue-balled-in-danger-of-dying-male. He was ready to do pretty much anything to drive those annoying ladies away from the villa. His clothing was damp from an earlier swim in a nearby lake. He knew the ladies would find his dress, or lack of, offensive. At court, a male would never approach a lady without his formal tunic embroidered with the symbols of his hereditary house, linen trousers, and outer cloak fastened with an elaborate brooch. But they were not at court. He bowed his head in front of Snotti to give her the proper respect, even though he felt nothing but abhorrence for her. The princess was fond of him and it felt awkward that he couldn’t reciprocate her feelings. “Ladies. Which one will service me tonight? My balls are so heavy with seed that I can hardly move.” He hunched over and winced as if in pain, and when he walked forward, his movements were awkward with a laborious pace. “I fear I may fall in battle now that I lack my usual speed and dexterity.” He shook his head, spraying droplets of water into the air. “My concentration is shot to hell because all I can think about is how to rid myself of my engorged appendage.” He gestured to his sodden breeches and pumped his hips in a deliberately lewd manner. “I need relief from this affliction.”

Snotti laughed in a nervous fashion. “Lord Halloran, you should have agreed to partake in the mating tests. Lady Prudencia was most willing to accommodate you.”

“I want the fucking without the mating. I don’t want to chance one of my bites taking hold and trapping myself to one of these females.”

“What you need is a whore,” Snotti said with disapproval in her voice. “You cannot use my ladies for such. Your request is insulting. To myself and my ladies.”

“Forgive me. My brain fails to function when I’m sexually preoccupied.” His smile was cunning and sly. “I’m not the only one with this affliction. Many of my brethren have been voicing similar complaints.”

Snotti’s eyes were full of suspicion. “If you are that desperate for a female, join the mating tests. The odds are in your favor that you’ll remain a free man when it is over. You’ll get intercourse from the deal.”

“I’ve tried that, done that. Never again.” He gestured toward his midsection. The thin, dampened linen clung to his body and outlined every detail of his fully engorged shaft. Imagining what he could do to the irritating mongrel should he assert his power over her had given him the most amazing cockstand. “Witness my miserable state. The unrelenting hardness. When a man goes into battle, he only needs one sword. The one strapped to his back. A pole between the legs only gets in his way.”

The other ladies looked at him with jaws gaping, their expressions aghast. Except for Kiera, who rolled her eyes and muttered some comments that were less than complimentary. “This is a serious matter,” he said while spearing Kiera a look of annoyance. “If something isn’t done, I may stop acting like a gentleman. I may grab the first wench I see and have my way with her.”

“Please do something,” Prudencia said to Snotti with anxiety lacing her features. “I’m promised to the Lord of Turloch. If another touches me, my test will be cancelled.”

Snotti sniffed. “Restrain yourself, Lord Halloran.”

“I am losing that battle. And so are many of my friends. Your ladies are not safe. Perhaps it is time for the fair gender to depart this barbarian city.”

“No, my lord.” Snotti shook her head and nearly dislodged her jeweled crown. “Our duties have barely begun. I have a mission and it involves APS.”

He bowed his head and tried to assume a mournful expression. “Then please beg the prince to lift the ban on human relations. A few human slaves would solve this problem and protect the virtue of our ladies.”

Snotti crossed her pole thin legs in a prim manner. “No, that is an impossibility.”

Modez hadn’t really thought she’d cave. He hoped to convince the princess to leave, however. Their APS agenda was in opposition to his own. He sauntered over to one of the females and grabbed her arm. “What about this one? Can I take her? Use her for about twenty minutes?”

The lady he had grabbed at random shrieked and tried to pull away from him.

Modez jerked her toward him and forced her body to collide with his. “Are you greased up with that jelly? You know you won’t be ready for me without it.”

He was surprised when the lady started bawling. He guessed she wasn’t used to crude speech and behavior.

Snotti stood from her seat and glared at him. “Release Lady Selma at once. She’s not for you. She is promised to another and will never deign to be your whore.”

“I apologize. I’m in such pain from carrying this load around that I’ve become confused.” He gestured to his midsection. A quick glance made him hesitate. Damn, the white linen of his breeches became nearly transparent when wet and he was giving the ladies quite a show. It was more than he had intended. “I was thinking with my cock. I saw a female and my cock jumped to the obvious conclusion. That she was available for a quick poke.” He released her and Selma scrambled over to the sofa as if the hounds of hell were chasing her. The other ladies clustered around her like mother hens, hugging the woman and glaring at him. That was the reaction he had hoped for. This was war, not a damn debutant’s ball where males had to behave within a narrow margin of decorum.