The Price
“Let’s begin, shall we?” Mal’s pale eyebrow arched. He couldn’t fucking wait.
“Okay.” Toni’s face flushed, and staring at the fragile human, Mal’s cock thickened.
he had delicious creamy skin, and the pulsing jugular vein at her neck was screaming for his fangs. He’d have been happy to take what he wanted without her say-so, but he was on board with the idea of carnality. Toni wouldn’t be the only one getting ‘two for the price of one’.
“Will you…” Her brow furrowed as she stumbled over her words. “Feed before we…?”
“No.” Ezra slid his arm around the fur still encasing her body. “We won’t weaken you so much that you can’t enjoy us.”
Mal sighed. Ezra was always such a romantic. Mal couldn’t have cared less if the woman was drained to within an inch of her life before he fucked her. He’d been around long enough to know how to keep a human alive. As for her pleasure, he’d ensure Toni would get what was coming to her.
“Let’s go to the bedroom.” Mal wasn’t usually one for orthodoxy, but the thought was practical. The room he shared with Ezra had more space.
“She’ll be cold there.” Ezra’s mournful tone might have been amusing had it not contradicted him.
“It has a fireplace.” Mal met his big brown eyes. “Use it.”
Ezra flinched at Mal’s unspoken chiding, though he doubted the gesture was noticed by their new guest. Toni, like all humans, seemed to be mainly concerned with her own needs. It was one of the few traits the species exhibited that he could respect.
“Go,” Mal ordered, keen to remind his submissive of the hierarchy they’d established. Ezra knelt for him. It was what they both enjoyed. “I’ll bring her through.”
Ezra’s grip on the girl tightened. “I…”
He knew what his hesitation would earn him, yet still, he dallied.
“Problem, lover?” Mal’s tone was deeper. “Something you want to share with the group?”
“No.” Ezra’s response was imploring.
Don’t trust me with her?
Mal sent the thought straight to Ezra’s head, his fluttering eyelids demonstrating the moment he registered the words. The pair had been able to communicate telepathically for decades, but spending so much time alone together meant the skill was rarely required. The intrusion of the little blonde, though, was going to make it a useful skill.
It’s not that. Ezra blinked at him as she squirmed in his arms. I don’t want you to hurt her.
Sir. Mal’s eyes narrowed. If Ezra was going to try and make demands on him, he knew better than to not use the proper address. They’d been together long enough.
Ezra knew the rules.
I don’t want you to hurt her, Sir . Ezra looked into his eyes that time.
That was more like it.
I won’t, Mal insisted. Now, go!
“Get the bedroom warmed up.” Mal’s voice was bright as he moved toward Toni. “Leave this one with me.”
“Yes.” Sir.
Ezra sent the final word to Mal’s mind only, although watching him stalk away, Mal wasn’t sure why. If the three of them were going to fuck, then the woman would learn the rules herself soon enough.
“And then there were two.” Mal smirked as she gripped the fur tighter around her body. “You really should eat.”
“Not this again.”
“Yes, this . You heard Ezra. He’s worried about you.” Mal didn’t appreciate her tone. “Do yourself a favor and eat one of the cookies.”
She scowled at his order.
“And remember,” Mal pressed. “You’d do better to stay in my good books, little human.”
Her brow furrowed at his description, but wisely, she didn’t respond.
“ Now would be a good time.” He gestured to the packet he’d brought from the kitchen.
“Fine!” she huffed, crouching to collect the packet and ripping the corner open. “These are so old they’ll probably kill me.”
“I’m a lot older,” he assured her. “And far more likely to hurt you, so be a good girl and do as you’re told.”
Looking every inch the petulant child, she bit down on the corner of the cookie.
“Better,” he praised, gesturing to the couch. “We need to talk. Sit down, please.”
“What about?” She eyed him warily as she moved to comply. Perching on the edge of the sofa, her heart rate accelerated further as he sat beside her.
He signaled around him. “This deal we’ve struck.”
She forced her mouthful down. “Okay.”
Her voice was strained with the fear that was flooding her senses. That was the problem with being human. The poor things were so easily swayed by their feelings. Since turning, however, Mal had learnt to control practically all of them. Only two still held any power over him—the yearning for blood, which could be managed, and the lust that burned for dominating Ezra.
“Before you jump into our bed, you should know the dynamic here.” He watched the fur ride up her thigh as she yanked it tighter. Mal wasn’t sure why she was so intent on covering herself. He’d already seen her naked and would certainly be insisting she remove the fur once they reached the bedroom.
“You told me you’re lovers already.” Noticing his lingering gaze, she pressed her thighs together and took another bite of the cookie.
Toni might have found his beau an appealing thought, but apparently, the idea of bedding him was less enticing. That was a non-option, though. If she wanted Ezra, she got him too. All of him.
“We’re more than lovers.” Mal’s attention returned to her face. “He’s my submissive.”
Her brows knitted as she swallowed the dry crumbs. “Your what?”
“My submissive.” He slowed the syllables down. “It means I make the rules, and he follows them.”
“Oh.”
He watched the color drain from her face, wondering which delicious parts of her body the blood would fill.
“You mean, he’s your p-prisoner?” Her voice trembled with concern.
“A willing prisoner. We both relish the game.”
“Wh-why are you telling me this?” She edged away from him as she crammed another piece of dry cookie into her mouth.
“Because I just invited you into our bed.” Seizing her initiative, he inched closer in her direction. “And if you want to play, then that means you’ll be my submissive as well.”
“I don’t defer to anyone.” Her response was immediate, and he noticed the way, despite her obvious trepidation, her back straightened. “Just ask my colleagues.”
Bless .
It had been a long time since Mal had interacted with a human, and he’d forgotten how entertaining they could be. While he admired her faux strength, it would all prove to be futile in the face of his and Ezra’s power.
“It’s the natural order of things.” Mal had never much believed in science until the change had taken him, but since then, he’d had a lot of time to read, research, and comprehend the writings of those in Toni’s profession. He understood how nature worked. “Apex predators feed on those creatures below them in the food chain.” He wanted to laugh at her disgusted expression as she finished the cookie. “As a scientist, you understand that.”
“I’m no one’s prey!” she hissed, glancing around as though an escape route would open up at her command.
No chance, little human. You’re ours.
“Oh, dear.” The captivating thrum of her heartbeat was becoming hypnotic. It had been such a long time since he’d had conscious, live prey. Ezra had taken to bringing them back to the bunker comatose for the last few decades. “Then it seems we have a problem, little human.”
“What problem?” Ezra appeared in the doorway, his abrupt presence making Mal wonder how long he’d been loitering there. Mal hadn’t heard his thoughts, but he also hadn’t heard him moving outside the room.
“Toni doesn’t want me to dominate her.” Mal’s focus flitted to Ezra.
“No, I do not!” She curled herself into a ball at the far end of the sofa, her body language contrary to the bold words spilling from her lips. “Not you and not anyone.”
Mal watched her for a moment, half-amused and half-awed at her temerity. She wasn’t dissolving into floods of pitiful tears and pleading for her life. Her earlier panic seemed to have shifted into fury.
Please be gentle with her, Sir! Ezra implored from the doorway. She doesn’t know what she’s saying. She doesn’t understand.
Mal peered up at him as the smirk he could no longer contain painted his face. It didn’t matter what Ezra said. They would have more fun playing Mal’s way.
“Then you leave us with no choice, little human.” Mal would have his fill either way. “If we can’t fuck you, we’ll just have to drain you.”