Twilight's Possession - Burning Hunger Part 4

He grimaced as he adjusted the front of his pants. No one had warned him about the secondary effects of the blood-bind, the overwhelming erotic hunger. Insatiable and relentless. He could barely think of anything else. Marek. Brea. He wanted them both. Now.

If only he'd known.

What an ironic and annoying twist. The focus of his hatred was now the object of overwhelming desire. For the first time in his life he longed for a man. And not just any man. His enemy. He could do nothing to ease the desperate craving but surrender to it.

He had a new appreciation for Marek's earlier struggles. He'd fed so urgently, he'd nearly killed the woman. And then he'd nearly taken her s.e.xually before she was ready.

No doubt about it-Marek had been powerless to stop himself.

Dayne was about to lose control himself. His erection strained against the confines of his clothes, testing the seams of his athletic boxers and cotton pants. His c.o.c.k burned. His b.a.l.l.s felt like heavy, hard boulders. He needed relief, however he could get it.

He unzipped his pants, shoved his hands down his shorts and made another adjustment. His c.o.c.k throbbed hot and hard in his hand. Could he ease the burn himself?

He tried. Slow strokes, fast, gentle and hard. Nothing reduced the agonizing need. He needed a tight a.s.s. Marek's hard body. Unfortunately, he'd left. To see that b.a.s.t.a.r.d brother of his.

Hmmm. Earlier, as Dayne had fed from Brea, he'd sensed a latent need in her. A suppressed longing. He briefly thought of stripping nude and paying her an impromptu visit but quickly dismissed the thought. Without the benefit of his venom coursing through her veins, making her soft and willing and compliant, she'd resist.

How glorious it would be to introduce Brea to her true nature. To liberate her from the invisible shackles holding her captive to her fears. The vision of her lying on the bed-arms and legs bound, her face flushed, her hair a golden-brown tangled halo around her head-flashed in his mind. He grimaced as another surge of l.u.s.t ripped through his body.

f.u.c.k it. Marek had received his relief. Dayne had denied himself. He couldn't wait any longer. Didn't matter how she fought. He would have her. He would seduce her. And he would make certain she'd be ready and willing the next time he needed her.

He found her in the bedroom, drowning in a pair of his sweatpants and t-s.h.i.+rt. She looked small and vulnerable, with the exception of the determined glare in her eyes.

Hunger pulsed through him, spiking in painful bursts, the intensity aggravated by the overwhelming impulse to hunt, subdue and conquer racing through his system. His muscles were tight knots. His heart pounding an erratic rhythm. His senses focused and intensifying.

She rushed past him toward the door. But he slammed it closed and locked it seconds before she reached it. He had to admit his speed put him at a distinct advantage. He didn't feel guilty for it.

Although she seemed nonplussed, the fire in her eyes didn't dim. A stubborn temptress, she narrowed them at him in challenge. "I need to go home. Now."

He knew words were useless. He had no interest in arguing with the woman. Body language was much more effective. He intentionally crowded her, forcing her to back away from the door.

"This isn't going to work," she bl.u.s.tered as she shuffled backward. "You aren't going to rape me again."

"I have no reason to rape you." He continued to drive her back toward the bed, like a shepherd guiding a lost lamb.

"Good. Then you'll do the right thing and let me go home." Her backside struck the bed and she flinched.

He stepped forward until the tip of her nose brushed the center of his chest. Her sweet scent, masked somewhat by the cloying scents of soap and shampoo, teased his nostrils. He inhaled, drawing it deeper.

"h.e.l.loooo! I'm talking to you." Her lips pursed, she waved a dainty hand in his face.

He resisted the urge to chuckle, knowing it would make it that much harder to break down her barriers. But she was so strong and sa.s.sy. Adorable. s.e.xy. Hot. The perfect package. Marek had chosen well, no doubt better than he would have. "I heard what you said but I figured you didn't want to hear my answer."

"Yeah, well, doesn't matter. Because I'm not going to fall for your nonsense again. I have a job to do, and I'm going to do it. I have to do it."

"Or?"

"Or I'll have no job. Not that I expect you to care."

It was unfortunate to hear this. It didn't make him feel particularly guilty for what he was about to do, but then again, he'd never been the kind to let something like remorse get in the way of important matters. Nor people.

No sc.r.a.p of a woman was going to stop him, that was for sure.

He'd make it worth her while in one way, even if it meant she'd be out of a job by the time he was ready to let her go. She'd get another job. He had no idea what was involved in finding a job but already he could see she was an intelligent, capable young woman. How difficult could it be?

She lifted her chin a fraction higher and narrowed her eyes a little more. "Like I said, I don't expect you to care about my problems. I just expect you to let me go."

"It's not that I don't care," he a.s.sured, reaching for her hand.

She knocked it away. "Don't f.u.c.king touch me." Her bottom lip quivered as she narrowed her watery gaze at him.

"I'm not going to hurt you. I only wish to give you pleasure."

"Then let me go." Her unsteady voice, a low, breathy husk, raked his frayed nerves. "Please. You want to give me pleasure? That would give me heaps of pleasure."

He reached for her hand again. This time she flinched when his fingers twined between hers but she didn't s.n.a.t.c.h it away. "Did Marek give you the clue he promised?"

"Yes." A deep inhalation pushed her b.r.e.a.s.t.s out, the fullness pressing against the white cotton t-s.h.i.+rt she wore. For the briefest of moments as he stared down, he could make out the delicate pattern of her lace bra underneath. She heaved a sigh, sweet-scented and s.e.xy, and licked her lips before answering. "But it makes no sense."

"Is that so?" he asked, his gaze fixed on her ruby lips, plump and tempting. Did she know what she did to him? How much he wanted her right now?

"Yes. So couldn't you at least give me something useful to go on?" After pulling her hand from his, she flattened both palms on his chest and pushed gently. "And back off, would you? Both you guys are way too pushy and it's p.i.s.sing me off. Haven't you two heard of a girl's personal s.p.a.ce bubble? Or are you from Europe? I hear European people aren't as aware of those kinds of things as Americans are."

"Europe? Could be." He didn't budge. He liked the effect his nearness was having on her. Whether she would admit it or not, he knew she was getting aroused. The proof was everywhere. In the air around them. In her eyes. In the slight waver of her voice. And the way her fingertips moved over his chest.

She blinked. "You're not moving."

"No."

She stood mute for a moment, her gaze down around his bellyb.u.t.ton region, or maybe lower. "I'll move then." She started s.h.i.+mmying sideways, wiggling out from the cozy spot he'd backed her into.

He stopped her progress by gripping her hips. Feral hunger racked him, tightening his chest, his throat. "No."

"Oh no. Not again." A blaze flashed in her eyes. She hissed, "Dammit, let me go."

His fingertips digging into the soft swell of her hips, he tipped his head and lowered it to claim the kiss she was offering with those luscious pursed lips.

She struggled for no more than a second before relinquis.h.i.+ng with a quiver. His tongue traced the seam of her mouth and she parted them, inviting him to taste, take, plunder.

His body trembled, the need building so quickly he fought to maintain even the slightest trace of the humanity that remained within him. He could easily succ.u.mb to the temptation to become the hunter, the beast.

His tongue stroked hers while his hands pulled her flush to him. She softened, molding her curves against his hard angles, and whimpered.

When he broke the kiss, her eyes were gla.s.sy, her eyelids droopy, her cheeks rosy.

"I...I..." she stammered. "Not again. Please. Don't rape me. I just want to go home."

"No one has raped you. No one is going to rape you. This way." He gently pushed her back. She resisted, kicking, pounding her little fists against his chest. Her fingers closed around his wrists as he forced her onto her back.

"No," she murmured while scooting away from him. "Don't. Please. Why don't you find Marek? You're gay, bi, whatever. You can take it either way. Just let me go."

"I'm sorry, I can't." He crawled over her on his hands and knees. His mouth watered at the sight of the slender column of her neck. Couldn't he take a small taste? Just a little? What he'd had earlier was no more than a tease. How could he wait even a single hour?

"Oh G.o.d." When she reached the opposite edge of the bed, something flashed in her eyes. "Why can't I think? What kind of drugs are you giving me?"

"We haven't drugged you." He had her trapped now, beneath him. He straightened, dropping his lower body on top of hers and pinning her down with his weight.

"You have to be." Her lips rounded into a delicate O.

"No, no drugs. We would poison ourselves if we did something that foolish." Bending his elbows, he lowered his upper body until his chest hovered within a fraction of an inch from her b.r.e.a.s.t.s and his mouth almost touched hers. "It's the blood-bind. You can't resist and neither can I."

"Blood-bind?" she whispered. "I don't understand."

"No need to understand. Just accept it. That's all we can do." He kissed her again, the intimate dance of their tongues unleas.h.i.+ng the pent-up desire coursing through his body. His hips rocked back and forth, rubbing the length of his erection against her legs. His hands twisted, freeing his wrists from her grip. While his tongue stroked and thrust her into willful surrender, his hands caught hers and forced them out to the sides.

He could feel her relinquis.h.i.+ng control, her resistance fading away. Her quivering submission stoked the blaze raging within him. She moaned into their joined mouths.

He broke the kiss, but only long enough to free himself from the confines of his clothes. To his surprise and pleasure, she sat up and eagerly grappled for the garments as he struggled to shed them, clawing, pulling, ripping. The sound of tearing fabric, punctuated by Brea's gasps, filled the room.

Next it was her turn. But he forced himself to undress her slowly, kissing every inch of skin as it was exposed to him. Stomach, b.r.e.a.s.t.s, neck, face, then he forced her onto her back and worked his way down, hips, legs, knees, feet.

She lurched and shrieked when he forced her legs apart, hooked his finger inside the crotch of her sodden panties and pulled, tearing the dainty garment away. "Oh G.o.d," she murmured over and over. Head rocking from side to side, full lips parted, eyes closed.

"Yes, that's it." He slid a finger into her slick depths, bending it at the knuckle to increase her torment. Meanwhile, his mouth ravaged her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, taut nipples, pink and perfect and delightfully sensitive. She arched her back, thrusting them higher in the air.

What a beautiful sight. He'd never seen anything as glorious. Her slick folds were swollen, wet with her fragrant juices, ready for him. Her body was trembling and tight, ready for the release he wasn't prepared to give her yet. He reclaimed his hand from between her legs and sat back, just drinking in the vision before him for a moment, relis.h.i.+ng the moment as if it would be his last.

Her eyelashes fluttered as she lifted her eyelids. She made a sweet mewling sound and replaced his hand with her own. Her slender index finger traced slow circles over her c.l.i.t.

d.a.m.n.

He nearly shoved her hand away and buried himself inside her.

No, he wanted this to be for her pleasure. He would get what he needed soon enough. He had to give her what she needed first.

He would help her overcome the uncertainties he'd sensed earlier. It might bring them closer, not just strengthen their physical bond but the emotional one as well. He ached to not only possess her but to know her, to be a part of her.

"That's it, baby," he encouraged. He lifted her knees and pushed them back, until her p.u.s.s.y was wide open to his feasting eyes. "d.a.m.n, you're perfect."

"I want you inside me," she pleaded. Her other hand smoothed down her flat stomach, over her trimmed mound to join the other one. She pushed two fingers inside, s.h.i.+vering as she pulled them out.

He ached to lick away the juices coating her delicate fingers, to feast on her sodden p.u.s.s.y until she'd come a dozen times.

But first, he knew what he needed to do. "Trust me."

A deep red flush crept up over her chest to her face. Her legs were trembling, her hips rocking back and forth. She was about to come. She was lost in her pleasure.

He pulled her hands away and forced them back out to her sides. "No. There's not a more beautiful sight than you like this, Brea. Touching yourself for me. But it's too soon."

"I'm dying."

"Trust me."

She snapped her knees together and steadied her swimmy gaze on his face. "You've got to be kidding me."

"No. I don't want this to be like any other time." He eased her knees apart again. Her leg muscles tightened, resisting his efforts to position her. "Like it's been with any other man." His own words surprised him. Not because he was attracted to Brea and wanted to have s.e.x with her. But because he'd allowed himself to become so hardened by the hatred he'd carried for so many years, he was shocked by how much he cared for Brea. How he wanted to reach her, touch her heart.

"But-"

"I can give you more pleasure than you've ever dreamed of. But only if you're brave enough to let go. Fully. Do you have the courage to do that?"

Her eyes widened. Her face went pale. He braced himself for the answer he feared she would give him, instead of the answer he wished for. The one that would set her free from whatever fears were shackling her. He didn't know what they were, but he could sense them.

Chapter Four.

"Our plan is working, Your Highness. However, I haven't been able to locate the Sacred Triad yet." Marek knelt before his king, bending until his forehead rested on the polished stone floor.

"Rise, Marek," his brother said irritably. "You know I can't stand it when you kneel before me like some peasant. You're blood, for the G.o.ddess' sake."

That was true. But respect and humility was the king's due, and it was Marek's obligation-not to mention pleasure-as his younger sibling, to show the man respect who'd raised him from infancy. Not to mention grat.i.tude. Since taking their father's place, His Sovereign had given Marek a great deal over the many years. As he had all his loyal followers.

Which was why the Rebellion made so little sense.

If there was anything Marek had learned, being the second in line to a royal dynasty, it was that politics was rarely about justice, who deserved to serve.

No, more often it was about greed. Deceit. Selfishness.

He'd never admit it but he'd gladly surrender his life for his brother. After all, Kaden had saved his life on more than one occasion.

Besides, he wanted Kaden to stay in power. He would rather face an eternity of suffering than reign as king. But if fate saw to put him in power someday, he would lead his people as his brother had-justly, and with heart.

"If I don't show my respect for you, how can you expect the rest of your people to?" he reminded Kaden, "especially with the Rebellion-"

"Fine. You've done enough groveling at my feet." His brother patted the empty throne beside him, the one that would soon be inhabited by the new queen. Although Kaden had yet to marry, he had chosen a bride. His chosen, Lena, would spend the next moon's cycle preparing for her nuptials as most women did-by emptying her betrothed's pockets. "Come, sit and tell me about your first blood-bind."

Marek slumped into the queen's throne. "It's nothing like I imagined."

His brother's expression soured almost imperceptibly. "How so?"

"No one told me about the hunger."