The Ties that Bind (The Forever series, Book Five) (31 page)

“Sorry,” he mumbles.

“I was evil. Plain and simple. I felt nothing except hatred
and contempt. After Lance took me he effectively got rid of all those feelings.
He got rid of everything. I felt nothing but pain, physical pain. When CK
rescued me I had been starved of human blood for twelve years. I drained the
human that was put in front of me and killed him. It made me ill, both in that
I wasn’t used to human blood, only Vampire blood, and that I had killed him. I
went another fifteen years not drinking from humans. When I came back I was so
weak, CK force-fed me human blood to try and regain my strength.”

“He force-fed you?” he asks in disbelief.

“It isn’t as bad as it sounds. Stop interrupting,” I
admonish him gently. “After awhile I was used to it again. Needed it to thrive.
I was getting stronger the more I continued to drink. I didn’t ever want to be
weak again. It was a hundred years or so before I killed someone again. An
accidental draining. But it didn’t feel wrong. I was strong and in control and
happy. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t kill every time I fed but every now again
the urge took over.” I pause and wander over to get myself a drink, bringing
one back for Cole as well.

“I know you won’t understand this but it was considered
acceptable back then to hunt and kill. We are predators. That hasn’t changed.
We have just made a conscious choice to change, adapt. Blend in. When Devon
woke, he was hungry, really hungry, and he wanted to kill. I encouraged him
because I wanted to show him what he was. He was quite pious about the whole
thing before I turned him,” I say, remembering his disapproval. “I wanted to
see him, I wanted him to experience the Hunt and kill. I wanted to teach him
everything and he needed to know it was a choice. I didn’t want to stop him
from being who he wanted to be. As soon as the cravings wore off, so did the
rampaging. We killed, a lot, over the next few hundred years but never as part
of a spree. So yes, a murderous rampage is wrong but it wasn’t even close to
what I did.”

He is looking at me intently. “Why have you never wanted me
to do that, experience the Hunt and kill?” he asks and I actually spit out the
wine I had in my mouth in shock.

“I didn’t want that for you. It’s different now, it isn’t acceptable.
We are all different now and you…” I take his face in my hands as I climb onto
his lap. “You, my wonderful husband. It’s not who you are.”

“Maybe it is,” he says defiantly. “How do you know? I told
you last week that I get that urge.”

“Do you want to go and hunt a person down and kill them by
draining them dry?” I ask him.

“Maybe,” he says petulantly. “But the same consideration
would be nice. You are not being an equal-opportunities sire,” he smiles softly
at me.

“Oh, am I not? Bad me,” I say wickedly. “I should be
punished.”

“Yes, I think you should,” he murmurs before he kisses me,
pushing his hands up my thighs to my backside. “I am going to enjoy this,” he
says with a devilish grin as he whisks me off his lap, bending me over the bed.
I know what is coming and brace myself for it as he gives me resounding slap to
my rear that actually hurts like a bitch. Didn’t hold back much there did you?
I yelp in surprise as he does it again and again. He rubs his hand gently over
the spot and then drops to his knees to kiss me there.

“You are bold for a charge,” I say, standing upright and
facing him. “You get away with that because you are my husband.”

He stands as well. “Is that right?” he says, looking down at
me from his six feet. “What else can I get away with?”

“More than most,” I say as I pull his mouth to mine.

We spend the rest of the night testing the limits of what I
will accept from him. He is pleasantly surprised with how much leeway I still
give him. He tells me he thought I might go all sire on him again now that I am
asserting my powerful self. I assure him that I won’t before I fall into a
fitful sleep.

I see the pool room at CK’s house. I see me and Sebastian
on the side of the pool kissing. He pulls away and whispers something to me. I
strain to hear what he is saying to me but I don’t hear anything. Nothing at
all. Just a deafening silence. The scene in front of me switches and I see CK
and Sebastian sitting on the edge of the pool, dangling their feet in the
water. They are talking.

“Did you fuck her?” CK asks conversationally.

“No, not this time.”

CK nods and looks relieved. “It’s working. She had
a…moment.”

“Of course it’s working,” Sebastian says confidently.

“I wasn’t so sure after Las Vegas. That’s why I wanted
you to convince her to Shift to Xerxei.”

“I didn’t try very hard in Vegas. She was adamant that
she wouldn’t.”

“I am glad in a way. I don’t want her to lose herself to
the Demon,” he says, worried.

“I can do this without her Shifting. But it takes up a
lot of energy using that much power, she is strong.”

“Yes, she is,” CK says with pride. “It wore off though
quite quickly.” He frowns.

“I think that was because of that incredible Dragon Shift
she did. It will have counteracted the spell I put over her.”

“Well, we have to ensure she doesn’t do that again,” CK
says determinedly. “I am not having all your hard work undone on a whim.”

“Can’t say that I am for that either,” Sebastian
complains, “Considering I am the one doing all the work.”

“Yes, I am sure it must be very unpleasant for you being
given a fuck and feed from such a beautiful woman,” CK says sarcastically.

Sebastian laughs. “I said we didn’t fuck. You can’t catch
me in a lie if I am telling the truth.”

“Humph. I am sure next time you will rectify that.”

“Only if she wants to. I am still bothered by what you
said earlier.” He frowns and lies back, rubbing his hand over his face.

“It never stopped you before,” CK says unpleasantly.

“She’s different,” he says quietly.

CK turns to him slowly, his face hardening to granite as
he does so, “Are you falling in love with her?”

Sebastian sits upright. “Christ, no,” he says quickly,
too quickly.

“Sebastian,” he warns.

“I am not falling in love with her,” Sebastian insists.
“But she is special, captivating. Queen thing notwithstanding. It doesn’t
surprise me that you kept her away from everyone.”

“If I could have gotten away with locking her up I would
have.”

“Hm, a gilded cage, for a rare creature. She would
probably kill you now if you ever tried that.”

“I know. Why do you think I haven’t? It’s all I want, to
take her away from all of this.” Now it is CK’s turn to lie back, huffing in
frustration.

“Can I ask you something?” Sebastian says.

CK peers up at him. “What?” he asks warily.

“Why did you wait until she sired and was married? In
fact, the better question is, why didn’t you just tie the knot a thousand years
ago?”

“Because, as she loves to point out, I am a stubborn,
fucking fool,” he sighs. “I was going to ask her. In 1112. But she left me
before I got the chance to.”

Sebastian looks astounded at that piece of information.
“Why did she leave?”

“A misunderstanding.”

“What kind?”

“The Eloise kind,” he says grimly.

“Oh. I see.”

“No, you don’t see. I never had a thing with her. Why
does everyone think that I did?” he asks, exasperated.

Sebastian shrugs, “Just her sister then.”

“Don’t remind me. And we are getting off topic.”

“You don’t like to remember the times with Vivienne?” he
asks slyly. “I thought you were quite enjoying yourself earlier.”

“Don’t push it. I did that for you. I don’t want to be
that anymore. I don’t want to do it. I don’t want to be with anyone else.
Especially like that,” CK says with such force Sebastian blinks at him.

“You feel that strongly about it?”

“Yes. If I let myself give in to that side of me then I
am not worthy of her love.”

“That’s a bit harsh. And a lot of pressure on yourself. I
am sure she would understand.”

“She wouldn’t. Not after what Lance did to her.”

“Ah yes. The sibling from hell who ruined it for the rest
of us. Wish I had been there when you killed him.”

CK looks at him in surprise, “I didn’t kill him. She
did.”

“What? I thought you did.”

“No. I was going to but he said something and it set her
misguided protective charge side into motion.”

“What did he say?”

“Doesn’t matter. When will you see her again?” Abrupt
change of subject.

He shrugs, “When the time is right.”

“That is not helpful ‘Bastian.”

“Well it isn’t exactly easy with everyone around her all
the time. Trying to get her alone is like trying to shove a square peg into a
round hole.”

“I know. We will be on the road soon. Maybe it will be
easier.”

“Doubtful. Especially with Xane around. He is powerful
and knows how to manipulate her.”

“Yes he is, out of all of them I find him the most
problematic,” CK says. “What do you mean he knows how to manipulate her? What
do you know?”

“Nothing concrete but he does have a way with her. With
this whole Demons-come-from-Dragons thing, he plays on it.”

“Yes. He most definitely did that earlier.”

I awake abruptly. Was I dreaming? I must have been. A really
vivid dream. They were talking about me, about…what about me? I can’t remember.
My head is pounding and I glance at the clock: 4 AM. Shit. I forgot all about
Jess.

I climb out of bed and pull on my robe. I go to her room
first. She is in there, sleeping. Alone. I leave her to it and quietly close
the door and push open Devon’s door. He too is sleeping. Alone. I crawl onto
the bed with him and he stirs. I put my head on the pillow next to him and
watch him sleep. I feel like I need comfort for some reason and I want it from
him. His beautiful blue eyes pop open as he senses me. “Hi,” he says.

“Hi.”

“What’s up?”

“I just wanted to be near you.”

He pulls back the covers and says, “Get in.” I Shift to
Elizabeth and do as requested and snuggle up to him. He sighs in bliss, “I have
wanted you in my bed for so long.”

“I’m here now,” I say to him.

He glances at the clock. “Not for very long.”

“Long enough,” I say. “Dev. We need to talk. About what I
told you after Jess.”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” he says shortly.

“Why not? I think we need to.”

“No. No talking,” he says as he moves over me and kisses me,
undoing my robe with his hands. He drops his mouth lower and lower down my jaw,
down my neck until he reaches my nipples and licks me roughly. I arch my back
and forget all about what I wanted to talk about. He plants little kisses all
the way down my ribs and stomach and I am happy to be attended to by him. He
reaches my aching wet spot and inserts his tongue into me. “Oh god,” I cry out
forgetting that I am breaking all sorts of rules here. “Oh Dev, I want you.”

“Not yet,” he murmurs as he adds his fingers to his tongue
and I come suddenly and forcefully.

“Fuck, Dev, please baby. I need you inside me,” I all but
beg him. He can’t resist me and crawls up over me. He kisses me and I lick his
lips as he moans. He pushes himself inside me and I gasp into his mouth. He
pulls my legs up around his waist so he is now deeper inside me. “Come for me,
Lizzie,” he whispers desperately. “I need to feel you.” It doesn’t take me long
to comply until I am throbbing around him. I roll us over, needing some control
over him. “Yes, baby. Ride me,” he says, pulling roughly on my hips. I pull him
up by his shoulders and wrap my legs around him. Chest to chest, I am as close
to him as I can get now and he is reveling in my nearness. I drop my fangs and
he tilts his head. I sink slowly, slowly to him building up the anticipation as
I graze him gently before biting down hard. He cries out, “Fuck, Liz,” as I suckle
slowly on him. I continue to move over him slowly, not wanting to rush this
now, not wanting this intimacy to end. He pulls my wrist up and starts to feed
from me, the rush of desire is intense as we feed from each other at the same
time and as expected we come together in perfect sync. I retract my fangs,
licking up the blood from the slow bite and he shivers. He keeps my head down
as he bites down on my neck and feeds deeply. Pulling back, he sighs. I kiss
him, tasting my own blood. Still not ready to call it quits on this encounter,
I start to move again over him. It takes him all of a second to be ready for me
again and this time flips us back over and he slowly makes love to me. I can
feel our bond and I cling to him, remembering the last time we were together
when I was Xerxei, and I felt nothing. I think he is remembering to as he grips
me back just as tightly. “I love you,” he murmurs as he pulses in and out of
me, bringing me to the edge and pulling me back repeatedly until I want to grab
him and fuck him until I get my release. But I don’t. We both need this and it
is worth the wait as when I do come it is a multiple orgasm that rips through
me twice before he lets himself go.

Breathing heavily, he collapses next to me on the bed. “Now
that is more like it,” he says gruffly and I chuckle.

“Oh yes indeed.” I push my dark hair out of my face and lean
on his chest, my head on my hands. “Now, can we talk?”