Escape (Vampire King Book 1) (10 page)

“I want to believe you,
but the mental connection will guarantee you won’t say anything,” he said. “I
could make sure you don’t utter the words with a simple command.”

“Is that all you would
do?” My heartbeats lessoned to a steady pace.

He rolled over to his
back and blew out a long breath. “I won’t lie. The connection gives me a lot of
power over you. I could read your thoughts and speak to you wherever I am, even
several miles away.”

I gulped down a little
bit of fear. “I’ll be in Zumaya, far away from the king. I won’t be able to
tell him. I don’t think this connection is necessary.”

“I do.” He sat up with
me. “I’ll just need to bite you and keep my fangs inside of your vein. Then
I’ll inject my hormones into you and build the link.”

“If you haven’t done
this before, then how do you know how to do it?”

“Remember Ian from the
sewers?”

I nodded.

“He claims to be The
Quiet King’s brother and a king himself. He’s told me many things about being a
vampire prince.” Samuel sighed. “I’m not sure if I can trust him or not, but
sometimes it seems like I can sense his truths from his lies as if princes and
kings can’t deceive each other.”

I thought about what he
said and considered the alternatives. I couldn’t run away. He would catch me in
seconds.

“The king didn’t need
to bite me in order to link with me,” I said. “He just entered my head. I don’t
think you need to bite me.”

“I’m still a prince. I
don’t have his powers yet. My fangs need to be inside of you.” He paused for a
few seconds and muttered, “I want them inside of you.”

I looked into his eyes.
Fear and desire mingled within me. My blood swayed like he was casting a spell
on me. Silence hung in the air for a minute.

“I’ve wanted to taste
you since you disrobed in the alley.” His nostrils flared as he breathed in my
scent. “I drank that vial of your blood, thinking it would be enough. It
wasn’t. I don’t think it’s just the blood that I want to savor.”

“I’m not interested in
anything else.” I scooted back.
I can’t
be interested in anything else.
“If you need to mentally tie us together,
then fine, but that’s it.”

“Okay.”

He’s
agreeing too quickly.
I bit my bottom lip.

“And…please be gentle
with your fangs. I’ve never been bitten. I’m untouched.”

Samuel’s fangs
lengthened beyond his top lip. “Well, you’ll be touched tonight.”

“Meaning?” I continued
to keep my body stiff, not showing the fear that bounced around in my gut. “I
don’t like the way you said that.”

“I’m just joking a
little. I promise I’ll only bite you.” His lips formed into a wicked smile. He
lifted his hand and tossed my hair over my shoulder. With warm fingertips, he
caressed my neck. The heat left his fingers and swam within me.

I shuddered and removed
his hands. “Just a bite. Not a massage.”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t
just quickly pierce beautiful women with my fangs. I like to take my time.”

“You’re not courting
me.” I scowled at him. “Just bite me and get it over with. And will one bite be
enough? I won’t be breeding with you.”

“I don’t want
children.” Laughter burst from his lips. “I have no plans to conquer land or
dethrone my father.”

“So you are The Quiet
King’s son?” I raised my eyebrows. “It’s why Ian called you nephew? How did you
survive?”

“We’ll be bonded so it
doesn’t matter anymore if you know.” His hand returned to my shoulder and
tugged the top of my gown down a little. “Princess Octavia is my twin sister.
Queen Regina is my mother. Leeta, the old woman you met tonight, served my
mother as her maid. When Octavia and I were born, my mother ordered Leeta to
take me away.”

Shock filled me. I
covered my mouth with my hand. “Your mother couldn’t stand to see you die.”

“No, but not for
sentimental reasons.” He glided his fingers across the outline of my neck. His
touch sent shivers down my spine. “She wanted to be the mother of the prince
who conquered The Quiet King. She’s been plotting every day of my life. My poor
sister just wants to be free to make her own decisions. Regardless, my mother
and Octavia want me to breed and build an army.”

I dropped my hand in my
lap as he scooted closer to me. “That’s why you didn’t trust me, because Octavia
brought me to you?”

“It’s also why I
stopped helping dominas. Somehow they always lead a domina my way whether I know
it or not. They always hope I will be overcome with lust and finally breed with
a domina.” He tugged the gown down farther until the moons’ light shone on the
top of my right breast. “But no domina has made me react this way, but you.”

I let my eyes follow
the movement of his moist tongue inch-by-inch as it traveled over his lip. His
fangs stretched out longer. My flesh quivered at the thought of them inside me.
I’d heard a vampire’s bite provided great pleasure. All of a sudden, I yearned
to experience them.

It
wouldn’t be wrong. Right? Just one bite and then I won’t let him touch me again.

“Are you ready for me?”
He extended his hand and reached for my chin. His thumb went to my lips and
traced their thickness.

“Only a bite,” I
whispered as his warm, soft thumb crept near the opening of my lips, begging me
to suck on it.
And oh, Ambi, I want to
suck on it, but I can’t.
I tilted my head back to escape his hand.

“Are you sure that’s
it?” he asked. “I could give you more. I yearn to give you more.”

“I have a husband in
Zumaya.” I averted my eyes.

“You never answered me
earlier. Did he continue to write you?”

I closed my eyes. Dread
dropped to the pit of my stomach. “I’m sure he had a reason to stop sending his
letters.”

“Maybe,” he said
through clenched teeth. “Then we mustn’t disrespect your husband.”

“No,” I murmured. “We
must not.”

Samuel narrowed his eyes
at me as he pulled off his shirt. Even in dimly lit shadows I could make out
his bulging muscles. My fingers craved to touch them. My tongue ached to lick
those rugged layers.
Think about Ethan.
But
my husband’s face didn’t come to me. And even worse, I found myself latching on
to Samuel’s assertions that Ethan didn’t care, just so I had an excuse to fall
into a guiltless pleasure.
Don’t Brie.
I
curled my fingers into tight little fists.

“Lay down, please.” Samuel’s
voice stroked my ears like a man seducing his lover after they’d suffered a
long absence.

Oh,
Ambi. I can’t calm myself down.

“You don’t need to take
off your shirt to bite me.” My words came out shaky.

“But I do if I want to
feel the softness of your skin against mine.”

I bit my lip. “I change
my mind. Figure out another alternative.”

“No.”

We targeted each other’s
eyes for several seconds.

“So you’ll just take
the bite from me against my will?” I crossed my arms around my chest.

“No.” He looked away.
“But I promise it will just be a bite to form the connection, nothing more.”

Clearing my throat, I
eased down onto my back. My hands shook. I placed them on my sides. As soon as
my head hit the pillow, he blurred to me. Those supple lips joined my throat in
seconds, but he didn’t pierce me with his fangs. Instead, he kissed and sucked
on the area, nibbling the curve of my neck and licking each spot. My nipples
hardened. I arched my back toward him, moaning as a lusty fire formed between
my thighs. I could barely catch my breath and when I did breathe, his sweet
scent shook my senses.

I
have to stop.

“I want to feast on
more than your blood right now.” His voice trembled against me.

“I can’t,” I mumbled in
between panting and pushed him away. “I’m married.”

“To who? Your husband
or the king?” He pressed his lips to mine. A fevered craving burst through my
body and twisted inside my chest. My loins swelled and throbbed. If he had
placed his fingers anywhere near them, I would’ve given him anything he wanted.
Ambi, help me. One kiss and I’m writhing
in need.

“Your arousal is like
the sweetest perfume I’ve ever smelled,” he murmured. “I can sense it all
around me—tingling against my skin, thickening your blood, and shoving me off
the edge of insanity.”

I twisted away from him.
“Okay. This is too much. We have to stop. Besides, I only gave you permission
to bite me.”

“I need no permission,
my domina.” His lips brushed against my hair. He left a trail of kisses down my
neck and dove between my breasts. I smacked the back of his head. He looked up
at me with glowing gold eyes.

My voice came out
shaky. “If you’re going to bond with me through the blood, then drink it. No
kissing or sucking.”

“Any other rules?” A
smirk plastered across his face. He closed his eyes. His hands went to my
waist, fingering the thin material of my gown.

“No massaging me and
definitely no sex.”

He leaned down and
lowered his mouth back to my neck. His lips opened. His teeth stabbed my flesh,
pushing through to my veins. Besides a tiny sting, no pain hit me, just pure unaltered
pleasure enveloped every cell in my body. Delightful sensations rippled through
me. Never had I experienced something so raw and blissful. No one had ever made
me feel that way.

“Please don’t stop.” I
moaned. Need rocked within me. He sucked hard. My blood heated and soared to
him. Glints of shimmering red flickered, popped around us, and danced on my
skin. I flinched and panicked.

Relax,
Brie,
Samuel whispered in my mind.
It’s the blood magic moving through our essence and binding us
together.
His voice hummed inside me like a slowly strummed guitar, so
different from his actual voice, or even the king’s mental voice. I rubbed my
thighs together as my desire for him exploded into a great hunger. I was dizzy
with it. I could think of nothing else but getting his tongue, fingers, and
cock inside of me.
Hot. I feel so hot.
I
wanted him to touch me, just a little more.
Just
one bite, I’d told him. How stupid he must’ve thought I was, knowing that one
bite was all it took to capture me into desire.
Now I understood the poor
human women who sat on the corner addicted to the feel of fangs inside them,
begging for just one more bite.

It’s
almost over,
he mentally said.

“And what if I want you
to do more?” I asked, barely recognizing my voice.

I
won’t. You’re drunk from my bite.
He ran his hand through
my hair. His fingers traveled from my roots to their ends, then returned to my
scalp, taking a new path through my tresses.
I could fall in love with you and have no regrets
. His voice
triggered more desire. It coursed through my veins. My nipples blazed with longing
for his tongue. My sensitive folds throbbed. My clitoris ached.

“Touch me.” The words
fled my lips. His fangs retracted, leaving my neck.
 
I peered at him with hooded eyes and slurred,
“Make love to me.”

“I want you so bad.
You’ll never understand how much.” His gold eyes brightened, illuminating the
area around him. He licked his lips. “But that’s the bite talking right now,
not you. I won’t make love to you until you’re in your right mind.”

He moved away from me.
I lazily rose to a sitting position, swaying a little. My actions seemed
delayed by a few seconds. I waved my hand in front of me. A line of rainbow colors
trailed along my fingers. A foggy confusion jammed my thought process as I
shook my head. I gazed down at him. Two images of Samuel greeted me instead of
one. I shook my head until only one Samuel lay in front of me.

“I forgot you would get
disoriented. This is your first time being bitten by a vampire. You should
probably lie back down.” He rearranged himself so he was farther away from me.
“I’d help you lay down myself, but I’m not to be trusted right now. I’m close
to taking you anyway and dealing with the consequences later.”

“Take me.” I blinked
through the haze and lifted up my hands to take off my gown. My fingers fumbled
with the cloth.

“Don’t. Move your
hands.”

I raised the gown up
over my hips. “Bite me some more.”

Samuel’s growl boomed
through the room. The window’s glass vibrated. Giggling, I pulled the gown up
over my head, showing him I wore no bra, just black panties. Samuel paused and
remained unmoving, like a statue.

“Are you afraid of me?”
I teased and threw the gown at his chest. His eyes concentrated on my pink
erect nipples.
I love that look in his
eyes. No one has ever looked at me that way.
I brushed my hands over my
breasts and shivered.

His fangs erupted from
his gums. “Put your gown back on.”