Chapter Nine ~Serenity~

My hands trembled as I reached my master's chambers, the quaking was becoming unbearable. This was nothing new, over the last week I had found a strange tremble in my hands every time I tried to suppress the pull of my disobedient voice. Something that had been happening more and more frequent, along with the thirsty feeling. A need for blood I had never had before. In the past the only reason I drank blood was for the sweet release it brought me, the thrilling taste that made me feel free. Now my fangs burned for it. I couldn't retract them under my gums anymore, they were permanent, a fixture causing my lips to bulge slightly with the appearance of a full mouth.

I drew my hand back from the knob I had rested it on. I can't do this.

I couldn't face my master with this weakness showing. Crossing my arms over my chest I held myself tight, the sweat creating rivers down the sides of my face. This problem had been minor over the last week, just withdrawals from my feast, but ever since I left that boy... Cret. I couldn't get control of myself.

Something about his words brought a defensiveness out of me, a need to take his life but I couldn't harm him. Not because it had been Master's wishes but because the thought of him dying made me feel ill. These emotions, this conflict was exhausting.

I clenched my eyes shut and doubled over to contain myself. Master had been calling me for nearly an hour now. The anger in his voice stuck in my mind, the longer I delayed the more brutal his reprimand would be.

“This is not me... This is not me,” I repeated over and over to assure these strange conflicting feelings were just a weakness. Some lingering thing that I had been exposed to.

This is not me.

I was strong, well trained, brutal, murderous, and trivial things like mortal affections didn't affect me. I am beyond them. With that declaration the ache in my gut stopped and I stood tall wiping the sweat from my face. Even though the shake in my hands still persisted, and my fangs refused to retract I puffed out my chest in confidence. I couldn't show this to Master, he couldn't see or know. He wouldn't break me.

Opening the door with my new false facade I braced for an attack. Vondorian loved to surprise me, lash out and stifle his rage with violence, especially when I made him wait. I was ready for it, even thrilled at seeing him angered by my blatant disregard for his orders.

I entered his chambers lit by a countless number of candles, each one dripping streams of wax onto the wood polished floor of the refined room. His balcony was open for a change, and the curtains pulled back allowing the fading rays of light to enter. Tinted orange colors filtered in from the rain clouds that had lingered all this time over the city. The storm that once welcomed us had yet to leave, it paused from time to time only presenting the looming threat of rain with large dark clouds.

The breeze swept in through the window and for once it didn't bring the scent of death, just the smell of fresh lake air. Something I had not smelled since we arrived. A subtle breeze moved across the room to the curtained bed that was still made, ruffling the silk sheets before dancing off to the desk where my master sat.

He had been busying himself lately with maps I had never seen before. I was able to get a glance once or twice when I was allowed to enter his chambers. I could make out vague references to different cities in different provinces of the mortal plane, but they all had strange lines on them. Intersections highlighted in different colors and marked with strange symbols I had never seen before.

“You called for me?” I asked against the silence. I closed the door behind me.

He sat leafing through pages and scribbling notes. His lack of attention or interest hit me deep. I used to long for these moments when he was busy and left me to my own will. Free of his advances and attention, and now that I didn't have his twisted affections it made me want it all the more.

His altered behavior. This game of cold icy distance was worse than all the emotional repercussions of what he was doing to Tentusa. I could handle those mortals and all their silly needs. I could handle the guilt, but being ignored by him was too much. It left me empty, like a part of me had slipped away and the world seemed so lonely in that moment.

“Master,” I spoke again taking another few steps toward him. “Was there something you needed?”

I felt like an unsure child as I approached him. I just wanted him to look at me, to give me that delighted look when I did something right. I wanted his approval and admiration like I used to.

You don't need it, that rational voice of mine assured but I didn't want to hear her.

Again he didn't pause in what he was doing so I approached from behind. He always wanted me, desired me. I knew that was real no matter how angry he was. I could feel his rage seeping through our bond. Master could try and hide from me all he wanted but with our link I would always be able to feel him, and he me.

Coming up behind him I glided my hands onto his shoulders kneading them, trying to ease the tension that had built there in the last few days. Massaging gently as I leaned down to his ear to whisper, “Vondorian forgive me.”

That did make him stop writing and flipping. I never used his name. No one did. He was a lord, a master of his craft and no one regarded him as anything else but those of higher rank. It was a bold move but I got what I wanted. He stopped paying attention to those meaningless papers and was now drawn to me.

I snaked one hand along his neck and onto his bare chest between the folds of his slightly open shirt, teasing the flesh against the sharpness of my pointed nail. The feeling of those muscles under my touch made me groan remembering all those times he pushed up against my body. The feeling of firm unforgiving strength entrapping me in every way caused a moan to flee my lips.

“I wanted to ready myself for you, properly, Master,” I purred out his title leaning close to his ear and nipping my burning fangs at the side of his neck. I wanted a rise out of him, some acknowledgement that he still desired me.

His iron grip clasped onto my wrist as I explored his chest and stilled my movement, “I don't want to hear your excuses,” he growled pulling my hand from under his shirt. “When I call, you come. Am I understood?”

His tone wasn't happy or pleased, cold or distant, but the truth would be in his eyes. He couldn't hide his desire in those eyes and I wanted to see it. My wrist still in his grasp I walked around to face him, untangling my arm from around his shoulder and it was there. Dancing in those frosted blue eyes, the need he couldn't keep from me. Pride swelled in my stomach at those sparks of lust deep within him. Despite this cold demeanor he was still attracted to me.

Sliding onto his lap I purred my reply with a playful roll of my tongue, “Yes Master.”

Using my other hand I traced a path down the front of his neck and onto that bare chest, the pale complexion of his mortal disguise vanished to his natural deep tan making my mouth water. I had him now.

“Is there anything else I can do for you?” My tone deep and suggestive as I pressed against the bulge in his pants which had formed beneath me, smirking at how it pulsed under my seduction, and the way his breath moaned past his lips at my advances.

Still that stern cold look remained on his face, but his subtle reactions were giving him away, my creature was no longer growling in demand for the Cret's destruction. Instead it was urging me forward, rolling in the feeling of complete sexual power over the man I called Master. I had never noticed how weak I could make him, nor the power I could hold over him. I loved it.

I flooded my mind with all those memories, every time he made advances toward me. Every time he brought me to the edge of breaking under his command, the mix of pleasured torment that brought my arousal to its peak and pressed out my mortal protests. His growling voice broke through my replay of our hotter interactions as he squeezed my wrist even more.

I looked at his face that seemed drawn into a serious dark expression, but his eyes showed a primal need to devour me like my thoughts had suggested. He was reading my mind, which made me grin as I let my imagination run wild with the things my creature wanted to do to him.

His nails pierced the skin at my wrist filling the room already heavy with our arousal with the intoxicating scent of blood. I let out a moan at the pain which warmed over into pleasure. His free hand reached behind me to the desk and drew a cup into view. “I want you to drink this,” he ordered.

“What is it?”

As the words left my lips his other hand left my bleeding wrist and gripped at the back of my neck causing me to comply. The painful feeling and dominance made me gasp in sexual awaking, wanting more. Wanting to be tortured with all his sensually twisted promises.

“Don't question me,” he growled sending another shudder through my body. “Just drink.”

Taking the cup into my hand I did as he commanded, bringing it to my lips, his grip at my neck eased and worked into my hair. Warm sweet liquid filled my mouth as I drank from the cup he gave me. Master's hand that once held the cup drew my bleeding wrist to his lips and I felt his tongue lap at my flesh. Closing his mouth around the wound he drank from me as I drank what was offered.

Vondorian's fangs sank into my wrist with a thrilling sensation that sent me into complete submission. I would give him anything he wanted so long as he kept me here in this ecstasy. Finishing the last of the drink I discarded the cup and moaned at Master's needy attention. The hand in my hair traced down the curvature of my back forcing me into him. My chest met with his hungry lips that had abandoned my wrist and found new flesh to suckle between my breasts.

Finally he sees me.

In one fluid motion we were standing, Vondorian's arms supporting my small figure as he closed the distance to the bed. Silk sheets greeted my back as I grasped into his shoulder, delighting in the feel of their rippling power. His hungry assault between my breasts traveled up to my neck, I opened my eyes to look at him longing to see the expression of uncontrollable lust on his face. Instead I was met with a spinning room.

Suddenly the feeling of heat wasn't just from our desire driven bodies, it was more and my body was boiling from the inside. Sweat started to form on my brow like it had before and my fangs ached for blood like I had never felt in the past. I tried to lift my head but the images of the room only moved more, and I had to close my eyes to keep from being overwhelmed.

“Rest my dear,” I felt Vondorian's breath against my lips. “I just gave you a little something to ensure you wouldn't be a problem.”

I wanted to protest but his lips pressed against mine, my words lost in a needy kiss as he devoured me in my weakening state. When the kiss broke all I could feel was heavy ragged breath crashing into my lips. He took a deep breath as his hand traveled along the outline of my breast in my thick cotton shirt.

“You have no idea how long I have waited to have you like this, but I must see to our guest first. Rest my Goddess. This serum will lead you into the most restful sleep.”

Why is he doing this? Why is he trying to keep me from Cret?

Betrayal stung in my chest as my thoughts flashed to Cret. I reached for Vondorian in an attempt to stop him but he was already gone. The spin of the room increased as I lay helpless with only the confusion of emotions and the day’s events to comfort me.