Taken: The Vampire's Concubine: Part Five Page 2

  His hands reached out for her, his voice gentling. The flames from the fireplace illuminated his handsome face. Zander looked tired. “I haven't been able to get you out of my mind since the night I met you,” he added, his voice low. “Don't you get it, Keely?”

  She inhaled deeply to speak, but her words were stopped at the insistent knock on the door. Immediately her eyes widened, her body filled with a mixture of hope and fear. Her thoughts were chaotic and confused, as she contemplated the identity of her caller. Zander watched her, his own expression resolved. “Dammit,” he muttered harshly. “I wanted to have you mated before the guard arrived. Don't say a word,” Zander warned her, as he turned away. “I'll do what I can.”

  Keely watched him approach the door, her breath escaping her lips in short, harsh pants. Was Kosmas waiting on the other side? Quickly she dismissed the thought. Kosmas would have never done something so mundane as knock. It was more likely he would have broken down the door, had he wished to speak with her and found it locked.

  But danger waited on the other side, even if were only a guard. Kosmas would kill Zander if he found out he was in her room, of that Keely had no doubt. Without realizing it, Keely took a few steps forward, as if she could somehow stop what was yet to come.

  Zander opened the door, his broad shoulders filling the open space. She stepped to the side, peeking through the opening between his body and the wood. Thankfully the large male on the other side wasn't Kosmas. Nearly sagging in relief, she listened silently.

  The guard's eyes were wide as he looked Zander up and down in disbelief. “You're back?” he all but squeaked out, shifting from one foot to the other. “I had no idea.”

  “Damn right,” Zander barked out, stepping back into his role easily. “What the hell are you doing here?”

  “K-Kosmas sent me,” he stuttered out, attempting to look past Zander and into the room. Zander pulled the door a bit closer to his body, blocking out the guard's view. “He wants me to make sure the concubine remains in her quarters. I'm to stay here in the hallway. Nobody is allowed in... or out.”

  “You're relieved of your duties,” Zander informed him. “Return back to the ballroom. I'll handle the concubine.”

  “B-but,” the confused guard attempted to say.

  “Return to the ballroom,” Zander roared, in a voice that made even Keely jump. “I'm still the highest ranking member of this guard, aren't I? Your orders have changed, and I don't like being questioned. Do it again, and you'll find yourself demoted. I guarantee that.”

  “I'm on my way,” the guard replied, leaving immediately. Zander watched him go before slamming the door shut and locking it again. Turning back to Keely, his eyes caught hers with a determined expression on his face.

  “I just bought us some time, but it won't be much,” he said grimly, slowly walking toward her. “If I'm to protect you, we have to do this now.” Zander stopped right in front of her, his hands cupping her breasts. “Do you accept me as your mate, Keely?”

  Chapter 2

  Kosmas knocked on Nora's door, an eyebrow raised in bemusement at the proximity of her quarters to his own. Eve had done everything but strip Nora naked and tie her to his bed. And he wouldn't put even that past her, not as determined as she was.

  Two guards waited quietly behind him, but they wouldn't be permitted to enter. They were only there to guard the hallway, their roles often unneeded, at least in his opinion. Kosmas was only too capable of taking care of himself.

  The door opened to reveal a maid. She gave him a coy smile as she slipped past him, leaving the door partially opened behind her. Kosmas ignored her as he stepped into the candlelit room, his eyes immediately searching for Nora. And there on the chaise lounge he found her, quickly closing the door behind him as he took in her attire.

  Nora reclined against the arm on her side, every inch of her curvaceous body revealed in the sheer lingerie she wore. Her dark hair contrasted boldly with the red material, her breasts high and perk in the satiny material that cupped them. And Kosmas couldn't help but notice the inviting curve of her nether lips through her gauzy thong panties. A man would have to be blind not to.

  But it was hard to remember the days that he'd lusted after her delectable body. Time had muted the memories of his desire for her, and the need to have her in his bed. It was difficult for him to believe that had his life taken another road, he would have spent hundreds of years with her as his mate. It just felt wrong. Forcing his eyes back to her face, he pushed his fanciful musings to the side.

  “I see you have settled in well,” he said in a formal voice, unmoved by her long legs and seductive curves. “And now that you have, I feel it imperative that we speak of the events that have led you back to Golden Harbor.”

  Nora didn't attempt to sit up. One slender hand slid down the smooth curve of her leg, but Kosmas ignored it, choosing instead to take a seat in one of the chairs across from her. He'd bedded countless women over the years, all of them of his own choosing. He simply wasn't interested. Her seductive wiles were lost on him, in fact, Kosmas was a little put off by her persistence. A dominant male by nature, he enjoyed the thrill of the chase. With Nora there was none. Having her body thrown at him left him disgusted.

  But still, it was impossible for him to dismiss the sacrifice she'd made for him. His honor wouldn't allow it. She'd given up everything for him, living a life that nobody deserved, all while he enjoyed his own life comfortably. How could he ever repay a debt like that? For a man like him, a man used to being in control of his own destiny, he hated the fact that he was beholden to someone else, especially when the only way to repay the debt required the rest of his existence.

  “What would you like to know?” she finally asked him, her soft, innocent voice completely at odds with her sensual pose.

  “How about we start at the beginning?” Kosmas suggested, his voice slow and steady despite his impatience to leave the room. “How is it that you were even traded?”

  Her hand stilled, her eyelids lowering as she shielded her eyes from his. “Late that night, I sought out your mother,” she finally replied, in a halting voice that revealed her hesitation to speak of past events. “Eve insisted that I remain with her. I think it was because we were soon to be mated, and she was concerned that the Seiyadians would use me as leverage, although we were safe behind the walls here at Golden Harbor. We talked for quite awhile, and then she brought me a cup of blood.”

  Nora stopped to shrug. “I fell asleep and awoke in Diabolos. There's really not much more to tell.”

  Kosmas shot her a droll look. “You fell asleep?” he asked in disbelief. “Are you usually that heavy of a sleeper, that you would sleep through an entire journey?”

  For a brief moment, Nora's eyes met his before quickly looking away, but not before he'd seen the flash of irritation in their dark depths. “Well, I didn't think I'd need to mention the fact that clearly I was drugged.”

  Kosmas sighed heavily, rolling his eyes toward the high ceiling as he fought to be patient. “Do you know how my mother made contact with the Seiyadians to even procure a trade?”

  Nora shook her head. “I have no idea.”

  He stared at her, his eyebrows lifted high as he waited for her to add something, anything, to the statement she'd just made. It wasn't to be. Getting information from Nora was like pulling fangs. “Fine.” Kosmas stopped to gentle his tone before asking, “I know it's not easy, but can you tell me about your time at Diabolos?”

  To his surprise, she raced across the room to slide onto his lap, her arms intertwining around his neck. “Oh, Kosmas,” she groaned out, her lips just an inch from his skin. “Don't ask me to talk about it, I can't bear it. Can't it be suffice to say that I suffered? Only my memories of you have gotten me through the years. Don't you remember how much you wanted me? We're meant to be together, which is why you've never mated. It is our destiny to be reunited.”

  Despite his need for Keely, he was a red-blooded vampire in the prim
e of his life, and his body responded to the warm, curvaceous body pressed against his. Nora smiled triumphantly at the feel of his rock-hard shaft underneath her, pressing her face against his throat to inhale the scent of his blood. “I've waited hundreds of years to drink of you, Kosmas,” she told him throatily, her hands locked on his shoulders as she maneuvered herself directly over him, with her thighs spread over his rigid flesh. “Mate me, Kosmas.”

  The heat from her core scorched him, even through the material that separated them. He could smell her arousal, her musk thick in the air. Despite his erection, he was unmoved. And when her slender fingers slid between them to caress his length, he stopped her.

  “I'm to be mated, Nora,” he told her, in a gentle but firm tone of voice. She froze for a brief moment, but she didn't lift her head away from his corded neck. “I'm glad that you're alive, but what we had is over. I feel a great deal of gratitude toward you, but my attraction for you has waned. No matter what the future holds for either one of us, it won't be this.”

  Nora ignored his words. She kissed the side of his neck repeatedly, each press of her lips lasting just a tad bit longer than the previous one. When he felt the brush of her fangs, Kosmas moved to disentangle her from his body. He couldn't risk her taking his blood. It was an honor reserved strictly for his mate. For Keely.

  “Are you referring to the concubine?” she spat out, her hands dropping to her sides as he brought them both to their feet. “You'd choose a mortal slut over me, a female vampire that is strong enough to stand at your side and rule over Golden Harbor?”

  Kosmas narrowed his eyes at her, taking in the tone of her voice and the harshness of her features. It was completely at odds with the calm, gentle female she'd always portrayed herself to be. The feeling of unease that had started with her appearance increased, prickling along the back of his neck in warning.

  Nora suddenly smiled, her face softening into a placating expression. She grabbed his hands before tilting her chin in an inviting manner. “I know my reappearance was shocking. Naturally you've moved on with your life, and it would be unfair of me to expect you to drop everything just because I'm back. So I'm willing to let you keep your concubine,” she informed him in a bold, shocking move.

  Her hand lifted to trail invitingly down his chest. “We can still mate, and I'll turn a blind eye toward your extracurricular activities,” Nora stopped to lick her plump lips as she shot him a coy glance. “Besides, there's more than enough of you to keep several women well-satisfied... as long as I'm always first in line.”

  The temptation to accept her offer was terribly overwhelming, made more so by the fact that it would solve all of his problems. Taking advantage of his stunned silence, Nora used the opportunity to release his lifeless hand and grab his rigid shaft, expertly caressing him through the material. Kissing the exposed flesh underneath his unbuttoned shirt, she raked a fang against his skin, sending lust spiraling throughout his body. It had to stop. Kosmas gripped her by the throat with one hand, his fingers digging into her pale flesh with enough pressure to bruise her as he pulled her face away. Nora gasped as her eyes flashed up to his in pleasure.

  One thumb teased the small slit on his bulbous head, the other hand quickly revealing his meaty cock, but Kosmas remained silent. Unmoving. Nora was persistent, her determination to have him unyielding. He was intrigued by the game she was playing. She wanted something and badly... something that went far beyond him. Fucking him was only a bonus, but it wasn't the real prize she sought.

  Kosmas wasn't about to be caught in her endgame. He wasn't some young vampire enjoying his first bedding. If Nora thought she could blind him to her true purposes with sensual pleasures, she was wrong. Slowly he released her throat, his hand dropping down to his side as he watched her with narrowed eyes, waiting to see what she'd do next.

  Nora slid to her knees in front of him, her full, pouty lips immediately seeking out his shaft to press a slow, lingering kiss against his vein. “I'm going to suckle this big, brawny cock,” she informed him, her voice husky with lust. “And then I'm going to drink deeply of your blood and your seed,” she added in a whisper, her pupils dilating in her blood thirst. “Inside of my mouth, you'll feel pleasure unlike anything you've ever experienced before.”

  One slender hand wrapped around his length, the other ripping off her sheer panties. It was an erotic sight, made even more so by her words. Immediately, Nora began to pleasure herself, her lips widening to engulf him.

  With one hard shove, Kosmas separated her from him. Nora stared at him in disbelief, holding herself up on her hands with her knees spread wide. Her slit was plump and red with arousal, her thick, creamy juices visually confirming her desire. Doing up his pants, Kosmas turned away from her to head toward the door. Once upon a time, he'd believed he'd find paradise in between her silken thighs, but now he knew the truth. There was nothing there he wanted.

  “No,” Nora screamed, quickly coming to her feet. “This isn't how it's supposed to end. You asked me to mate you, or have you forgotten? After all I did for you, you owe me this.”

  Kosmas stopped at the doorway, turning to look at her again. With her disheveled hair, frantic eyes, and the cruel twist of her face, she was nothing like the Nora he'd once known... or desired. “That was many lifetimes ago,” he snarled, repulsed by her attempts to force him to mate her. “I'm sorry for your circumstances, but I have to wonder why you've returned now? Oh, I know that my mother retrieved you, but I'm amazed at how simple it was for her to do so. And that makes me question how much of your time at Diabolos was really spent in captivity? I'd wager not long.”

  He opened the door, ignoring her gasp of outrage. “Clearly you haven't answered all of my questions, but you managed to answer the one most important to me. Anything we had is over, though I doubt there was ever anything truly meaningful between us to start with. My offer to mate you originated from a desire within myself for commitment, not from any deep and abiding feelings for you. It took hundreds of years for me to truly understand the difference, but I finally have. I'm not cruel enough to cast you from the palace tonight, but I do expect you to be gone by tomorrow. Your presence here is unneeded... and unwanted.”

  Slamming the door shut behind him he ignored the crash against the wall, originating from where his head had once been only seconds before. With his lips compressed into a thin line, he glared at the guard in front of him. “I want her escorted out of the palace in the morning. She's not to return unless I personally invite her, which will be never. Have I made myself clear?”

  The other vampire nodded, his expression wiped clean of any emotion. “Yes. I'll make sure the other guards are aware of her ban, too.”

  “Very good,” Kosmas replied dismissively, his thoughts already on Keely. He'd handled the events of the night badly, but he was confident she'd overlook it. After all, what choice did she really have? But he couldn't ignore the unfamiliar twinge of apprehension he felt. What if he'd pushed her too far?

  A male vampire rushed up to them, an expression of worry creasing his face. Kosmas recognized him as the guard he'd sent to protect Keely. His body tensed, an invisible vise squeezing around his heart. “Why are you here?” he bit out, anxiety making his voice harsh. “Weren't you ordered to remain at Keely's door?”

  The other man bowed before quickly responding, “The concubine -,” he stopped to correct himself when Kosmas growled, “your mate has already been assigned a guard.”

  “Then what's the problem?” Kosmas muttered, setting off down the hallway as the other man raced to keep up with him. “Return back to the ballroom.” He shook his head in exasperation. Did he have to do everything around there?

  The guard cleared his throat. “Pardon me, Kosmas,” he continued, somewhat reluctantly. Kosmas drew to a stop, waiting for him to continue. “It's not a matter of whether or not she's guarded, but rather it's a matter of who is guarding her.”

  “What do you mean?” Kosmas asked, his voice little more than
a growl. His guard gaped at him. “Dammit, spit it out.”

  “Z-Zander,” he replied nervously. “When I went to check on her, Zander answered the door. I mean, I didn't even know he was back, but he told me he would guard your mate. Something about it just didn't seem right...”

  He stopped talking as Kosmas roared in rage. Grabbing the hapless guard by the front of his shirt, Kosmas lifted him off the ground to ram him into the wall. Plaster fell to the ground all around them, unheeded. “How long has he been in there with her?” Kosmas demanded, his words almost incoherent from his rage.

  “A... while,” the other man reluctantly admitted, hanging his head from his perch against the wall. He made no attempt to fight against Kosmas' hold. It would have been suicide, and they both knew it. “I returned back to the ballroom before coming here. After all, it's Zander, the highest-ranking member of the guard. Why wouldn't I have followed his orders?”

  Kosmas barely registered his words. Was he already too late? He didn't have to be a mind reader to recognize Zander's intentions. In fact, there wasn't a male vampire alive that wouldn't have tried to do the same thing, given the circumstances. And it wouldn't matter whether or not Keely actually desired it. Zander was more than powerful enough to force a mating on her, and once done there wouldn't be anyway to undo it.