The Mark of the Vampire Queen (Vampire Queen #2) - Page 17

T he courtyard where the evening's entertainments were being held was in the center of the castle. The area was cobblestoned and embedded with elaborate fountains that sparkled with lights under a sky filled with stars. Tall maypoles with fluttering, colorful ribbons marked out areas for groupings of lords and ladies and the various entertainments. Jugglers moved in and out of these bound- aries, handling flame torches whose arcing paths and rush of sound gave the night a mystical flavor. Servants of both genders in various harem wear performed graceful, sinuous belly dances and acrobatic feats for their intently watching vampire audience. Musicians and bards played flutes and steel drums in different corners. There were even carnival tricks Jacob recognized, like the eating of fire. On the outskirts of these areas were small tents for the jewelers and craftsmen his Mistress had mentioned. He saw the blacksmith in one corner doing a busy trade with his branding irons. It reminded him of a cross between the Faire they'd attended and a medical convention with pharma- ceutical vendors waiting patiently on the outskirts. He found his Mistress easily enough. In the center of the court- yard the largest marked-out area was for the Council. Divans for the members and his lady had been provided, as well as cushions for those they invited to join them around the most dramatic of the en- tertainment displays.

The snug silver wraparound dress she wore had a fan train in the back, the point of which drew attention to the top point of her but- tocks. The back of the dress was low enough to drive a man to dis- traction wondering if he'd get a glimpse of that provocative dip at the tailbone. Her hair was done as he'd dressed it, though they'd agreed on a twist over her shoulder that complemented the onyx stone necklace she wore and matching onyx and diamond earrings. The way she reclined on her hip, the dress hugged her body and cre- ated a pleasing,curvy terrain from her shoulder to her slender ankles, one of which was adorned with a thin diamond anklet. She wore silver ankle-strap sandals. With one hand lying loosely on her hip, she could have been Cleopatra. More than one man was eyeing her appreciatively, even though there was of course no shortage of beau- tiful women. She simply stood out. He looked at her and saw the vampire queen, a warrioress. A cruel tyrant, a gentle nurse. A girl. A cold, haughty bitch, a generous and loving woman. A woman who loved fiercely. She'd stayed by a husband who'd been lost to violent madness. She'd shielded Thomas with her own life and risked all the power she was now trying to protect, all for the benefit of others. Nothing ever just for herself. Except perhaps for the one time she'd reached out a hand into the fiery desert sun to draw a knight back into her embrace. He shifted his attention to the central entertainment. Twelve fe- male servants, all naked and kneeling in a circle. To enhance the impression of a flower in the best Isadora Duncan tradition, they were curled forward, their elbows and arms stretched out, foreheads pressed to the stones. Since they all had long hair in various colors, the hair was fanned out in a perfect shape, trimmed to form scallop- ing around the outer edge of the circle. Real flower petals in different hues were scattered over their backs. In the center of the circle formed by their bodies stood twelve black men of extremely dark complexion, also naked. They had their heads bowed and arms around each other's shoulders so the overall effect was of a white-petaled flower with a brown center, like a daisy scattered with color from those strewn petals.

He'd found Debra at last. She was one of the prostrate women. He recognized the others as equally midlevel-ranked servants. It was too much to hope the purpose of the artistic arrangement was just for aesthetic enjoyment. Noting that the servants of the Council members who had ar- rived were kneeling at the feet of their respective Masters and Mis- tresses, he eased into the circle of divans and did the same at the feet of his Mistress. His palm itched to run along the silk-clad line of her hip and feel her bottom through the thin material. His lady had an exceptional ass. While he was all too aware after his conversation with Devlin what wasn't advisable, he wanted to give her some kind of tactile awareness of his presence. You think I don't feel your heat the moment you come into a room, Sir Vagabond? In answer, he did ease his hand onto her foot. He braced his thumb on the thin heel, his fingers lightly curled over her ankle. Sitting there as regal as the queen she was, so beautiful most men would never dream that they'd have a right to touch her, he couldn't help but think of her sleep-rumpled in his arms, soft and yielding, her fangs in his throat, her slim hand resting on his chest. As beauti- ful as she was now, he thought she was perhaps even more beautiful like that. You are stroking my ego. The ego of an old, old woman. He stifled a smile, maintaining the solemn mien expected, though he wondered if the others were conducting similarly entertaining di- alogues with their Masters or Mistresses. You are ancient, my lady. As a goddess is ancient. You are why the word timeless exists. Charmer. Stop preying on me with your distracting thoughts and behave. He turned his attention to observation. Lyssa had one invited guest. Sitting on the cushions next to her divan was Lady Daniela. Devlin had arrived, though he stood at attention to her at the outside of the circle. Daniela was leaned forward, the ladies head-to-head, sharing murmured confidences. Because he picked up a rare easiness in his lady's manner toward Devlin's Mistress, the way most women might treat a friend, Jacob studied the woman with interest.

Daniela was gold to Lyssa's raven. Her hair was like the spun gold of fairy tales, dressed in beads and ribbons. She wore a Roman- type garb, soft white silk, the fabric defined by a crisscrossing of silken cord with tassels of gemstones made to complement the beaten gold collar around her throat and pendants at her lobes. Her eyes were deep blue, enhancing the soft beauty of her face. There was a good-naturedness there that seemed unusually revealing for a vam- pire. He knew enough not to underestimate any vampire, however. Even one who looked as if she should have a flock of bluebirds chat- tering over her head. He suspected each vampire tailored his or her strengths to enhance their allure. For Lyssa, it was her dark mystery. For Lady Danny, it was disarming goodness. Looking at the blond vampire, Jacob suspected she could con- vince a man that he'd found a treasure to take to his bed as well as home to meet his parents. Whom she could easily drink for lunch. Lord Uthe had arrived, filling the last empty divan. When he gave a slight bow to Lyssa, she nodded in return. Jacob had ex- changed many correspondences with Uthe's servant over the past couple of months, so Jacob knew Lyssa rightly recognized him as the strongest force for stability on the Council. Lord Belizar rose, drawing the attention of the gathered circle and those beyond it. The courtyard began to quiet down. The indi- vidual entertainers withdrew to the outskirts, making the dual ring of servants, the "flower, " the center of attention. "Now that all Council members, servants and their guests are here, we have a special entertainment planned. " His gaze flickered over Jacob. "Many of you witnessed the fine display of weaponry this afternoon. Lady Lyssa's new servant is indeed a credit to her, a wor- thy opponent. As such, we are going to pay him a special honor. He will be the main focus of our event this evening. " Oh, holy Christ on buttered toast. At Belizar's gesture, the black men moved forward and knelt, one man behind each woman.

A motor engaged, eliciting a murmur from the assembled, because the men had been concealing a sculp- ture anchored on the mirrored center of a dais that now rose to form a new center within the flower arrangement. The sculpture was a smooth, stylized version of a reclined nude male body, with all the dips necessary to drape a woman over it in a variety of provocative poses. The nude body also had an erect, angled phallus. "Lady Lyssa's servant is commanded to choose any petal among this flower of slaves and bring her onto the dais to ser vice him to climax with her mouth. " Belizar did not even deign to look toward Jacob as he delivered the edict. "As Lyssa's servant is ser viced, the lower tier of men will stoke their lust in the succulent fruit kneeling before them. When they prepare to climax, they will do so simultaneously. An impres- sive display, if they manage it. " He bowed in Lyssa's direction. "As with all of our games, my lady, I offer you a wild card you may utilize at any point. To give your ser- vant an inspired and prolonged performance, we now offer him an aphrodisiac, in case he has the common human fear of performing in public. " Laughter swept the crowd. Jacob glanced toward Lyssa, but her expression was neutral, her mind silent, telling him she expected him to do what was being asked of him. Christ. A masked servant was allowed inside the circle of divans. She stepped to Jacob's side with a deep curtsy of deference to Lyssa. It was not an easy maneuver since she was having to keep her back ramrod straight. Around her throat was a silken garrote attached to a silver cup. The cup floated on top of a bowl of crimson fluid held in her cleav- age by way of a rigid parallel harness that squeezed the generous breasts and distended the nipples. Jacob noticed that when he lifted the cup, he would have to either bring her close enough to press her breasts and the rest of her against him, or the garrote would choke her. "The restraint is designed by our own Lady Marquet from the Canadian provinces, " Belizar explained. "It is available for order through her servant if you like it.

There are those who of course choose to make our water girl stand her ground while they drink, testing her fortitude and trust as they cut off her air. Others prefer to bring her very close and allow her hands to wander as they will. " The masked slave had brown eyes and carefully trimmed nails. A birthmark on her right breast. A gasp swept through the crowd as Jacob drew the knife he carried beneath the back waistband of his slacks. The torchlight flashed off the blade as he sliced through the garrote strap. With anger, he noted the deep marks on her throat caused by those who'd done as Belizar described. Feel her pussy, Jacob. Lyssa's voice echoed in his head. Obey me. Reach between her legs and feel her. Reluctantly, he did. The girl watched him with heavy-lidded eyes that suggested prolonged exposure to inhaling the libation beneath her nose might be as effective as drinking it. She was soaked. At his faintest touch she shuddered, parting her lips. "Your servant is still young enough to be affected by puritanical qualms, Lady Lyssa. " While Belizar's voice suggested he was simply amused by Jacob's reaction, the hard look in his eyes when Jacob turned his attention to him did not. "But there is a pleasure in that as well, " Lady Helga, another Council member, pointed out. "It's intriguing to watch them learn and lose such inhibitions. " Jacob decided that all that was missing was a set of bars dividing the humans from the vampires. And one of those gumball machines which, for a quarter, would provide a small handful of food to feed the zoo animals, or in this case, the zoo humans. With vicious satisfaction, Jacob tipped the bowl, watched the red fluid rush down the girl's stomach, over her shaved mons and down her thighs to her bare feet. Turning away, he bowed deeply to Lyssa. "I need no such aid, " he said. "Just the pleasure of my lady's attention and command will keep me hard more than long enough. " At the appreciative reaction from his audience, Belizar's jaw tightened. But he inclined his head. "Very well. Choose the woman you desire, Irishman. "

He'd been a showman most of his adult life. He'd learned enough about vampires to know what they appreciated, though it was a dan- gerous line to walk. Jacob raised a brow and pivoted more fully toward Lyssa, giving her a deliberate look. A smatter of amusement and applause passed through the group. "Every man's choice, " Lord Uthe called out. "But not an option, servant. Choose from the flower. " Others from outside the canopy had gathered to watch the enter- tainment, reminding him of his time in the circus, though the per- formances offered had been nothing like this. Jacob suspected Carnal was out there, but he didn't look for him. He really didn't want to know if the bastard would be watching this. My lady, would you choose? She shook her head and surprised him by speaking. "I want to see your choice. " Quelling an uneasy feeling at the lightness of her response, the faint smile on her lips that seemed stiff to him, he began a slow walk around the outer perimeter of the "petals. " As he considered each one, he kept in mind the entertainment of his audience. He paused, considered, moved on, increasing tension and speculation. There were some bets being placed. All the women were beautiful. Their raised haunches had been oiled to a high polish, same as the bodies of the dark-skinned men behind them who had set their fingers against the white flesh of the hips, preparing to drive deep. Either these men were specifically se- lected for their equipment or the stereotype about black men was exponentially true. It was not going to be an easy entry for most of the women. Even worse, Belizar was now explaining that the men would be fucking the asses of the women displayed before them. Because of that, each woman selected was a virgin to anal sex, which would add a dose of pain and some anticipatory fear to the mix. Part of him abhorred it. Part of him was grudgingly fascinated. He himself had been repeatedly aroused by all the games vampires devised to plumb the depths of human sensuality. He couldn't deny the mores of a lifetime had been challenged considerably in his lady's service.

Seanna had stated it as much less than a day ago. "It makes you hot, doesn't it?" What he was being commanded to do was an empty, purely phys- ical performance of his cock. It couldn't compare with the deep ful- fillment, the perfect solitude of being deep inside his lady while next to the fire blazing in her bedroom or lying in her bed together. But even as he thought it, he knew he couldn't rationalize this moment to the purely physical. Being commanded to perform for his lady's plea- sure did have an emotional component to it. It roused a primal fury and lust in him he was incapable of explaining. With her eyes on him, he could get erect, could perform almost any sexual act required of him in public. Lord knew she'd tested him enough to know that. The most recent memory of it was less than two weeks ago. She'd been at home, for it was daylight, but it was getting near twilight. He'd taken Bran with him on errands and had given him a break in a public park. They'd been running. Stripping off his T-shirt to play tug-of-war with the garment, Jacob had tussled with the dog. When he finally stopped, collapsing onto the grass in a shady group of trees on the edge of the mowed green, he'd felt her wake, reaching out with a mental touch to confirm awareness of his whereabouts. There'd been a pair of women nearby, having a picnic. He hadn't really noticed them until Lyssa saw them through his eyes. She reg- istered what he had been oblivious to, their surreptitious, apprecia- tive glances. His Mistress had commanded him to lie back on the grass. He'd been covered by distance and the shadow of the tree's canopy so that no one else could see him but them. She'd com- manded him to open his jeans, under which he wore nothing, lie there with one hand behind his head and stroke himself with the other as if he thought no one was watching. Despite his discomfort, his lady had made it a command, her purring voice spurring him on, telling him how wet he was making those avidly watching women who were pretending not to notice so he wouldn't stop. In the end, they were openly staring, and he was staring back, watching all the subtle, lovely signs of arousal. Peaked nipples, hands absently pressing to their throats, touching their own lips. The shift of their bodies, the tightening of thighs.

When he told his lady later he'd expected them to run screaming for the cops about a man exposing himself in the park, Lyssa had merely smiled. "Timing and presentation are everything to a woman, Sir Vagabond. And to vampires. " So now as he strolled with apparent casualness along the diame- ter of the circle, he let his fingertips graze the bare backs of his pet- als, his touch whispering along their napes, catching the actual petals scattered there. They were on a slightly raised platform as well to put them at a better angle for being fucked by the waiting black men, so they were right at the level of his hand. Round and round the merry-go-round, slowly. Blond hair, silky brown, deep black. He paused once more by a redhead, then kept going. Now as he walked, he unbuttoned his shirt, pulled it loose. Stripped off his belt as he removed his trousers and shoes, letting the strap swing from his hand. As he shrugged off the shirt, he held on to it, along with the belt. When he reached Debra, he was naked. Bending, he took her hands. With his heightened third-mark senses, he knew she was cold, though mainly from nerves. So he brought her to her feet be- fore him and threaded her arms through the sleeves. He looped the belt around her wrists, knotted it so he could place his hand on the joining point to walk through the space she'd just vacated and use the offered shoulder of the man behind her to step onto the dais. By the time they'd done that, another woman took her place as a petal to close the circle again. The shirt came down to Debra's bare thighs, the open front mak- ing a delectable display of the crescents of her breasts, her shaved and oiled mons. He heard some murmuring, sensed the vampires' surprise at his choice to restrain her hands, play Dominant to her. It was all for show. You intended to choose her all along. Yes. He answered his lady, picked up on something dark in her thoughts, but couldn't investigate it further as Belizar's voice cut through the silent conversation. "I'm certain Lord Brian will appreciate your interest in increas- ing his servant's experience, since he has so little time to do so. " Get on with it, you old bastard, Jacob thought.

So eager, are we? He glanced toward Lyssa when he heard his lady's acid thought, but she was not looking at him. She was studying Debra intently, somewhat like a cat examining a quivering mouse. She seemed par- ticularly absorbed in the way his shirt hem grazed her thighs. Debra wasn't cut out for this, and no matter what Seanna said, no amount of training was going to do it. His precognitive ability told him she was one step away from a full-scale panic attack. She would shame her Master, and that terrified her even more. Her hands were shaking under his. Maybe this was part and parcel of learning to be a servant in the vampire world, but he wasn't sure if he could have done any of it from the beginning if his lady's mind wasn't inside his own, helping him get through it . . . She is not going to be harmed, Jacob. She's just learning to over- come her inhibitions to serve the pleasure of her Master. What about you, in that park, doing what you thought you couldn't do? You got hard and came solely because of my voice in your mind. Goaded by those women's eyes on your cock, the way they stayed glued to the way your hand was rubbing yourself. Exactly. I could do that because you were there. It makes a differ- ence. And Debra was a woman. Where the hell was Lord Brian to help steady her? Protect her. She has a different type of Master. One I'm sure that makes her ap- preciate you all the more. My lady? Tend to your task and stop whining. You're irritating me. Frowning, he nevertheless had to do as she bid, for Belizar chose to add another element to the mix. "Over the course of a century or two, Lady Lyssa has taught us all manner of ways to get along with one another, how to mend fences. " Belizar flashed Lyssa a smile that made Jacob want to roll his eyes. "There is some animosity between our two servants as a result of their conflict, Lady Lyssa. To get them to shake hands and be in accord again, Malachi will join your servant on the dais. While the lovely Debra takes your servant in her mouth, Malachi will take the other end.

As it is obvious she needs some tutelage to understand total surrender, he will apply his sizeable cock to her far too tightly clenched ass. A virgin hole because our esteemed Lord Brian wishes only to fondle the sphincter of his microscope. " More laughter from the Council members. From what Jacob had seen of Brian, he suspected the man would have stood up well to the razzing, perhaps even expected it. Debra, however, was another mat- ter. Her shaking was growing by leaps and bounds. Jacob managed to keep his reaction passive even as he suppressed the desire to snarl. When Lord Belizar gestured, Malachi moved from his side. The platform started to rise again, taking them up several more feet to increase the sense of being on a stage before the entire courtyard gathering. What little color remained in Debra's cheeks drained out. Her eyes, fastened with intent desperation on Jacob's chest, were getting glassy. He tightened his hold on her. "Don't you dare faint, " he ordered gruffly. As Malachi came toward the dais, her head began to turn to- ward him. Jacob took a firmer grip on her bound hands, placing the other hand behind her neck to bring her up against the warmth of his body. Roughly he covered her mouth, demanding the kiss. He put all the seductive charm he had into it, coaxing her lips apart, moving his tongue inside, his fingers playing over the pulse on her wrists. He knew she was a true submissive, because most of the fe- male servants were. So he used that knowledge, administering ro- mantic, tiny caresses of her nape with his fingers, overwhelming her with the sweep of his tongue in her mouth, nibbling on her lips with his teeth. His thumb passed over the place on her throat he suspected was Brian's preferred area because of the faint depres- sions there. Pressing her body against him, he gave her his heat, let her hear his heartbeat. "Easy, " he murmured onto her lips. "Obey me as you obey your Master and it will be all right. I'll take care of you. " Her eyes sought his, no longer reflecting the self-possession of the scholar but the fear of the woman, grasping at his reassurance. "Lie down, " he said with quiet authority, guiding her so she was on her stomach, lying on the body of the sculpture. Reaching between her thighs, he dragged his fingers through her pussy lips to find her wet despite herself.

She rocked against his hand, a soft gasp coming from her. He guided her onto the sculpted erect cock, easing her down onto it as she gave a moan. It stirred the crowd, for Jacob felt the collective energy rising with her arousal. When fully seated on it, her hips were tilted up. The sculpture's knee was bent, splitting the seam of her legs so they had to be braced on either side, positioning her for a perfect anal penetration and allowing her no way to resist the invasion. The statue had a raised hand. Into its palm, he guided her chin so she could take his cock in her mouth at a straight angle. Her breasts hung down, just the tips of her nipples grazing the face of the sculpture, stimulating her further. The scent from her cunt was getting stronger, even as ner vous tears started to trickle down her face. Reluctantly, it reminded him of Seanna's words. She could be tearful and aroused at once, the situ- ation stoking her need to be dominated. She'd allowed Jacob to step into the surrogate role, obviously realizing she needed something to anchor her so she didn't embarrass Brian. As Malachi was given a hand onto the dais, Jacob spoke in a mut- ter. "You hurt her, and I swear I will shove that spear up your ass. " Malachi's teeth bared in answer. Jacob noted his nose was almost healed, revealing how long he'd been a third-mark servant. The Mediterranean man's hands immediately went to Debra's buttocks, opening her up and using his thumbs to prod at his destination. He leaned down, putting his lips to her spine as she quivered. To distract her, Jacob caught his hand in her hair, easing his length between her parted lips. She suckled him instantly, almost too roughly as Malachi apparently probed with his fingers and earned a jerk of response. He sent Jacob an unrepentant grin when Jacob flinched. Amusement swept through the watching vampires. "An oral bit, if you please, " Belizar called out. "No. She doesn't–" Jacob's protest was overwhelmed by the supporting calls of the crowd. One of the black men was handed the metal contraption. He gestured Jacob back and Jacob reluctantly complied, forced to watch as the large dark fingers put it around Debra's head, easily quelling her attempts to pull back.

The circular metal ring was inserted past the upper and lower bridge of her teeth and buckled to her head so her mouth was kept open wide, allowing a man to slide himself in and out as rapidly and deeply as he wished. Malachi raised the fingers of his other hand, which he'd swept over her cunt lips, taking them away glistening. "Her tears may be protesting, but her pussy's not, " he observed loudly. "New slaves are the sweetest. So afraid of their own responses, so overwhelmed by them. Feed her your cock, Jacob. Let's make her scream together. I want to feel her ripple around me, even as she gags on your big dick. " Jacob registered the shuddering of her body, the quick jerks of her hips. While he abhorred the man's attitude about it, Debra was powerfully stimulated. By the time she leaves here, she'll have been brought to climax so many times, she'll start internalizing the intense pleasure of being a submissive. Now he hoped Seanna was right, be- cause he couldn't deny his own response to the situation. He was hard as granite. He slid his cock back in, felt her lips strain to close over him around the bit. The ease of going unencumbered past her teeth was too tempting. He slid along the wet flat edge of her tongue where it rubbed against the underside of his cock with perfect friction in its restrained state. He knew the moment Malachi began to enter even without look- ing, for Debra tensed. "Tight little dry ass, " Belizar's servant said silkily. His voice dropped down low, ensuring his words, like the sudden malevolence in his eyes, were only registered by Jacob. "I'm going to ram you hard, tear that virgin hole so you never forget my cock, never forget that a woman was made to submit. Think you're so smart . . . Well you're not so smart about this, are you?" Damn the niceties, Jacob was going to tie the man's dick in a knot, after he broke his fucking neck. Debra's voice vibrated against his cock, a sound of pain and fear. He wasn't going to stand by and see a woman brutally raped. No matter his conflicting feelings about the games of Domination and submission and the wavering lines they painted between consent and force, he knew where the line was at this moment.

Clear and dark in the sand. "A pause to the game, please. " Lyssa spoke abruptly, halting Mal- achi's forward progress and Jacob's murderous intentions. "Lord Be- lizar, I believe you offered me a wild card on this little game of yours. " "I did, Lady Lyssa. What would you suggest to enhance our plea- sure?" "A fourth participant. Of my choosing. " When Belizar inclined his head, Lyssa crooked her finger to someone outside the Council circle, nodding as a silent question was apparently asked and answered. She made the gesture more imperi- ous. The murmuring intensified as Devlin stepped to her side. "Strip and join Jacob on the dais, " she ordered. "He'll tell you what he wishes you to do. Then you all may proceed with Lord Beli- zar's desire. " Devlin stepped back a respectful distance from Lady Lyssa's di- van and bowed. When he stripped off his clothing, he revealed his impressive organ, reminding Jacob of how monstrous the thing was. At the smatter of applause, Devlin grinned, turned in a dramatic circle to display himself. "They grow 'em big Down Under. When I crack a fat, the ladies run screaming. " He winced in the middle of a wink. "Ah, my lady doesn't appreciate my demonstrative nature. She says if I know what's good for me I'll get my arse up on that plat- form. " Lyssa had given Jacob a tool to use, no pun intended. He had no idea what she wanted him to do with it, or if she just had that per- verse vampire curiosity to see how he would use it to change the game. Her mind was closed to him. And when she shut down, he was all too aware that usually meant he was in some kind of trouble. Without any clues to solve that, he focused on the issue at hand. Keeping his cock firmly seated in Debra's mouth, he grimly reflected it was serving as a pacifier of sorts. She was trying to suckle and lick at it as best she could with the bit, such that he had to grit his teeth to focus.

Moving his hand over her hair in a part-tender, part-rough caress, he reminded her he was still in charge, her well-being as firmly in his hands as her body was. Malachi began to step back, his irritated look conveying his dis- pleasure at being replaced and made to perform some lesser role, but Jacob shook his head. "Stay where you are. But don't move yet. You're going to fuck her. " God knew he wasn't going to break Debra into anal sex on Devlin's cock. Jacob met the man's dark eyes. Like a pet who'd been too long with the same Master, Malachi had adopted his lord Belizar's con- temptuous stare. Jacob took private, vicious satisfaction in watching it vanish from his face with his next words. "After you're inside of her, Devlin is going to ram that cock of his up your ass. Then you can fuck Debra to climax. You do anything I even think crosses the line, causes her any pain, I'll tell Devlin to dish you out three times the same until your ass bleeds so thick everyone here could dine on it. " He'd never demanded one man fuck another, but he wasn't al- lowed to put Malachi's head through the wall. Perhaps he was not so different from Malachi. The longer he spent in the company of vampires, the more he found himself adapt- ing to the different mores and violent rules of their world. When un