44
BEATEN BUT UNbrOKEN
IVY
F lashes of orange warnings and rivers of blood trail through my mind, drowning my consciousness in an ocean of death from which there’s no escape. I’ve sunk beneath its surface and now I’m plunging to its depth, pulled further into the darkness and away from the fading light of life.
There’s no hope, no reprieve.
Nothing left to do but accept what cannot change.
And this cannot alter. It can only be endured.
Pain rips through my chest and down my spine as my nerves scream out in pain. They fire off their flares of irritation, shrieking as I experience another bout of agonizing heat threatening to burn me to a crisp. I’m dying piece by piece, little by little, turning into the dead but living creature I’ll become .
My skin is drenched and I’m no longer sure if it’s sweat or blood. It’s wept both and I’m in too much pain to care. This death is an agony I never thought I’d endure, and although it’s coming to an end, it isn’t finished yet.
Henry lifts me out of bed and carries me to the shower, washing me down as I cling to him. He’s careful, soft, and loving. Attentive as he cleans my body and washes away whatever dirt is tainting it, peppering kisses over every single inch of me.
“When does this end?”
He sighs and drops his mouth onto my shoulder. His teeth pierce my skin and I moan quietly as he sucks, taking a little blood and letting his venom ease the pain. We’ve done this dance a couple of times, and I relax, settling into a familiar rhythm as a different warmth washes over me.
“Soon, lea. You’ve almost fully turned. It’d be faster if you took more blood.”
“I hate it.”
Henry looks at me without pity, silently shouting that I need to accept this part of my life now. I stare back, suggesting he do the same about his position. The one he never wanted but is rapidly adjusting to, learning to appreciate the perks of sitting on the throne.
“What will you do about Emmanuel?”
“Nothing. Your friend took care of it.” Henry’s ice-blue eyes meet mine, and I don’t miss the lust swirling through them. “Damon’s made sure Emmanuel’s influence on the priesthood is waning and I’m certain he’ll take over. As he was supposed to before he left to serve your father.”
I smile as he turns the shower off and wraps me in a towel, watching as I comb and dry my hair. I stare at the reflection in the mirror, barely recognizing the girl staring back at me. She’s tired. Weary. Her eyes are sunken and they’ve lost their brightness. Her cheeks have hollowed and the lines of her body are sharper now she’s lost her curves.
She’s the girl who emerged from the dungeons. Beaten, but not quite broken. Somehow still living. Clinging to some version of life she’ll endure for however many centuries it is, waiting for it to turn into more than an eked-out existence. When she’ll get to walk in the sun again and see its colors light the sky as it falls and rises.
“You’re still beautiful,” Henry says, catching my eye in the reflection. “Even though you’re half-starving yourself.”
I smile faintly and turn around. I’ve barely eaten in days and Henry’s about ready to insist on feeding me. The cravings are becoming as bad as the torture of turning, and my mouth waters at the thought of sinking my teeth into something and draining it dry.
It’s barbaric. Disgusting.
It’s fucking glorious and I need my fucking fix.
“Please eat, lea. For me. For my sake.”
I shake my head, and Henry loses patience. His arms wrap around my waist and he hauls me into our sitting room, ignoring my flailing arms and kicking legs. He sits and pulls me over his lap, delivering a single hard smack across my ass and its snap stops all the sounds of protest.
“On your knees, lea.”
His hands guide me to my knees and I sit in front of him, slowly moving into position. Henry waits, determined to make me perform this ritual—our ritual—properly.
He needs it. I need it. We need it.
Henry smiles and gets up, leaving me alone for the first time in weeks. I close my eyes and let the darkness wash over me, finding peace in the still, quiet place coming to mind. I’m doing nothing more than resting, sitting motionless as the world spins around me. It turns on my axis, orbiting my center and I do nothing, letting my thoughts stop as I wait, needing nothing more than Henry’s return.
He knows it. I know it.
And I need the peace.
“Good girl.”
He sits and my head drops onto his knees, resting on him as he strokes it, and my soul settles further. Henry’s as much my calm as I am his, and we spiral around each other, finding safety in each other. I need his controlled hardness, and he needs my strong softness. We match and balance like a harmony in counterpoint, always playing with and against ourselves. He’s the rhythm to my melody and his beats dictate my notes, setting me free to play on the base he carries beneath me.
“Open for me, lea.”
My head lifts and he smiles, his eyes alight with the desire. It’s always there, never faltering, always growing and I adore him for it. I love his fierceness as well as his gentleness, his heat and his cool. The harsh, soft edges he shows me and only me, the intimacy we share in the bond connecting us.
My fangs elongate and the prick feels unnatural. The sensation is still new and it tingles, making me uncomfortable. Henry arches his eyebrow, lifting his hand away from the glass and letting the smell of blood catch my attention. He brings the glass close to my head and I stare at it, practically drooling over the viscous liquid it contains, despite the protest my head screams my heart ought to make.
“I don’t like asking twice, lea.”
My teeth grind and Henry catches my unease.
“This was freely given, Ivy. As is everything else you’ll have unless you decide otherwise. ”
My lips part, and he sighs, bringing the glass to my mouth. The coolness catches my mouth as the chill of a grave ripples through me. A bitter cold wraps around me as the night breeze surrounding me until the taste of iron and copper strikes heat like an anvil hammering metal into shape. There’s a rush of life as my body warms and my instincts take over, demanding I drink as bliss captures me and refuses to let me go. There’s fullness and contentment, ecstasy and the quenching of thirst, and fulfillment of a need I’m certain will return.
Henry pulls the glass back, dipping his fingers in the liquid and bringing them to my mouth.
“Open, pet.”
My mouth falls open and he slides his fingers in, moaning quietly as I suck them, keen to devour the meal he’s offering me. My tongue flicks across his fingertips and my clit throbs as his moans deepen, entering a familiar game we enjoy playing.
I suck as he pulls his fingers out, dipping them back into the blood and painting my lips with it. I wait patiently, attentively, obediently. His eyes burn and he slips his fingers back into my mouth, teasing my fangs as he plays inside my mouth.
My arousal’s soaring and Henry’s matches mine. His erection is fucking visible and I want to play with his cock. My cheeks hollow and I suck frantically, begging in every way I can for him to give me the pleasure of taking it down my throat.
“Are you asking Master to feed you his cock?”
We both know the fucking answer and I nod furiously.
Henry smirks and his free hand moves to his waist, unbuttoning his jeans slowly. He won’t make me wait too long and the tease is driving me wild, the anticipation building an excitement I’m struggling to contain.
“There you are, lea. So fucking beautiful. So fucking perfect,” Henry says, stroking my hair as he pulls his cock out. It’s still intimidating and I open my mouth, sticking my tongue out as I ask him to hurry. “You please me and I please you, pet. Stop caring about anything other than this. About anything other than what is yours and yours alone.”
He brings the tip of his cock to my lips and my tongue plays on the underside, circling a spot I know feels good. He groans and slides it into my mouth, thrusting it straight down my throat and giving me little time to adjust. Henry tips his head back as his fingers curl through my hair and his hips move, tipping at a rate that’s hard to fucking match.
There’s nothing gentle about him and Henry takes exactly what he needs from me, fucking my mouth as he pleases. I relax and enjoy the fullness as his cock takes my throat, savoring the taste as precum spills onto my tongue.
My clit pulses and I shift my weight, grabbing his thighs to stop my hands from playing with myself.
“Fuck, we’re needy,” he groans.
My eyes meet his as he tips my head back, holding his cock absolutely still. The torment makes my clit burn hotter and Henry’s eyes light as he stares down at me, captivated as his dick jerks and I grin.
“Do I need to fuck you, lea?”
I moan a response and his grin widens.
“Are you desperate for your Master’s attention?”
I try to nod and his fingers tighten around my hair.
“I can fucking smell you from here. Your pussy’s dripping all over the fucking place, isn’t it, Ivy?”
My eyes blink rapidly as he holds me so firmly I can’t move. Henry slides his cock out and then thrusts it back into my mouth, making me gag as he catches my throat.
“Such a fucking needy pet,” he groans, feigning irritation as he takes his pleasure.
His breathing quickens in time with his movements as his rhythm loses meaning and he surrenders to the ecstasy washing through him. Henry’s grip loosens as I move with him, hollowing my cheeks until his cock swell and his groans merge into each other. He comes in my mouth, spilling come down my throat and I swallow, enjoying the taste of him as it slides down my throat.
“Good girl.”
Henry beams and pulls his cock out of my mouth, sweeping up a trickle of come spilling from my lips. His glazed-over eyes stare down at me as he offers me his thumb and I lick it clean, savoring the salty taste of darkness his climax contains.
“On the bed, lea.”
I crawl to the bed and Henry watches every fucking move I make, tensing as he practically loses his fucking mind. He’s asked for this before, but I’ve never done this of my own accord and his breathing turns ragged as I pull myself onto the bed, positioning myself so my legs are spread wide open.
“Fuck me, Ivy.”
I giggle. “You once said that was the point.”
Henry stares as his fingers slide over my clit. I’m drenched and he follows every movement he makes, held rapt by the sight of his hand playing in my wetness. He slides inside me and I moan, arching my back as my pussy tightens around him and pleasure shoots through my core.
“Who owns you, lea?”
I moan as his fingers curl forward, finding the fucking perfect spot and sending me to heaven.
“You do, Master.”
Henry smiles and pulls his fingers out, licking every last drop of my arousal off them. His eyes stay locked on me as he walks around the bed, opening a drawer from the bedside cabinet and pulling something out before gracefully getting onto the bed and sliding between my thighs.
“We’re going to do something new,” Henry says, devotion flooding through his ice blue irises as his gaze meets mine. “You’re going to relax and let me take care of you.” His fingers slide over me and I buck. “You’re going to let Master play with you.”
Henry’s fingers slide past my pussy and I tense.
“Don’t do that, pet,” Henry says, softening his expression. “There’s nothing to be afraid of. I’m going to be gentle.” The tip of his finger finds my ass and I jump. “Ivy, we’re going to do this.”
That shouldn’t be hot but fuck me, my clit shudders.
Henry’s finger circles my ass and the pressure increases. It’s not painful and I breathe, nervous and uncertain, as Henry’s other hand strokes my stomach.
“You’re so fucking beautiful, Ivy,” he sighs, dragging his thumb down my center. “Eyes on me while I play with you, lea.”
He circles my clit, and the warmth of my arousal builds as my hips roll. The pleasure builds as Henry takes his time, letting me relax and making sure my anxiety soothes away. He’s still playing with my ass, still teasing its entrance, and it doesn’t feel so strange anymore. It’s sensitive but not unpleasant and the heat from my clit spreads backward, making the sensation more enjoyable.
“There we go,” Henry says, squeezing some liquid from a bottle. “Master’s going to play with his fucking perfect pet.”
My pussy clenches as his finger slips inside my ass. There’s no pain and Henry sighs and drops his head onto my stomach, planting kisses over me, unable to stop himself. His mouth moves down and my back arches as his tongue finds my clit, and it sends a burst of pleasure through me when he flicks it. He slides his finger in and out, and my body relaxes more, allowing itself to enjoy Henry playing in my ass.
His mouth sucks and bites and his tongue pulses over me, sending more and more arousal through me. My core heats as it tightens and my excitement builds until I’m so close to climax and it’s agony to wait. Henry laughs against my clit and I moan shamelessly, pleading with him to let me come.
“You’re going to come for me, Ivy.” His voice is a command and I’m desperate to obey. “Disobedient pets get punished.”
My orgasm tears through me as his finger curls forward and the pleasure is intense. It’s hot and furious, a fire that’s almost more than I can handle and I pant, clawing at myself as the heat burns my skin and sets my body alight.
“So fucking beautiful.”
Henry pushes something into my ass and it barely resists. I’m dazed and happy, completely content, and the warmth washing through me is as much mine as Henry’s. I’m indisputably in love with him and our emotions flow between us, uninhibited and complete. This is intimacy and its consequences; it’s unbridled vulnerability and its openness is a risk I’ll always take with him. One he’ll always take it with me.
This is what we are and the balance we find in each other as our feelings combine and rise together, soaring like birds on the currents as they fly toward the heavens.
“I’m going to fuck your pussy, pet,” Henry says, running his cock over my entrance. “Then I’m going to fuck your ass.”
I groan and my eyes snap to him as he slams into me. I gasp, caught by pleasure and pain and everything in between. Henry’s cock is perfect and his hips collide with mine, obliterating the distance between us. I’m so damn full it’s impossible to remember being empty and he moves fast.
His rhythm is relentless and his cock slides down my front wall, finding all the places I want it to. I moan and writhe, arching my back as pleasure washes over me and my pussy tightens, asking for more. Henry quickens his pace, dropping his head onto my chest as he mouths my breasts. He bites my nipple and I scream as the jolt of pain runs straight to my clit and brings me close to another orgasm.
Every movement is heightened and Henry pants, enjoying this as much as I am. His stomach tightens and every muscle strains, his perfect body catching the dimmed light as he moves with a supernatural grace. He’s exquisite and my body dances to his tune, responding to him as he brings it to life again.
“Fuck, you’re perfect, Ivy.”
“It’s so fucking good,” I moan.
“Don’t fucking come,” he growls. “We’re coming together, Ivy.”
I nod and my fingers cling to the sheets, clinging onto anything sane to hold back the dam threatening to break. My breathing’s erratic, my muscles tremble and my legs shake, barely able to withstand the force of Henry as his cock plunges into me and every fucking movement heightens my arousal.
His groans deepen and his cock twitches as he raises his head. Our eyes and souls connect as I release my control and our orgasms break hard and deep and unconcealed. His pupils dilate as my heart leaps and I lose myself in him, unable to tell where he ends and I begin.
It’s irrelevant. It’s immaterial.
We’re going to weather this and any other storm we’ll ever face. He’s an outburst of violence as devastating as a hurricane, and he’ll consume me, but he’ll never destroy me. He’s the beacon calling me home and the lighthouse saving me in the tempest threatening to wreck me on the rocks. We’ve broken and shattered as we found each other, and now we’re remade in each other’s image. Henry’s mine and I am his, and nothing will destroy us.
He stills and withdraws, letting me calm before he plays with me again. I’m warm and sleeping, moaning quietly as heat rises between my legs.
“Ready, lea?”
I shake my head.
“You’re ready, Ivy.”
His erection digs into me as he moves and I rouse from my daze, aware he’s going to fuck my ass. I tense and he tsks, running a palm down my body as he pushes me down onto the mattress.
“Relax for me.”
Henry pulls the toy out of my ass and slides his fingers in, moving them until the tension in my body eases. He grinds his cock into me and I moan quietly as he presses its tip against my ass. Henry’s slow, careful and completely focused, taking his time and noting every movement of every muscle. He’s rapt, watching as his cock slides further forward and I moan, caught by a stitch of pain.
“Gods, you’re perfect.”
He presses into me as his thumb pushes onto my clit, and the pleasure eases the pain. Henry pours more lube onto his cock as he eases forward, straining as he controls every move he makes.
I exhale and there’s a give as the tightness ebbs away and the fear of pain evaporates, leaving only a fullness behind. There’s a pull and a tension, something stretching and an unfamiliar weight. It’s comfortable. Pleasant. It’s surprising.
Henry smiles back at me and moves, gently. Like the first time he fucked me. This is a whole new first and he’s determined to make sure I enjoy it, playing with my clit and letting my pleasure build again.
“You’re so fucking hot.” Henry lets his pace quicken as I nod. “You should see yourself, Ivy. You’re exhausted and flushed and taking my cock in your ass. It’s fucking hot.”
I hum a response, unable to speak.
“We’re doing this more often.”
I nod as pleasure spreads through my pussy, sending a contraction through my pelvis. I reach for Henry, running my hand down his stomach as he moves, enjoying the touch of his muscles as he moves them for me. With me. His fingers lace between mine and I sigh, letting the pleasure build until I’m on the verge of another climax.
I teeter on the edge, afraid of the fall. Henry slams his wrist onto my clit and I collapse, shattering underneath him as I descend into oblivion. I’m broken and my body screams as it bears the brunt of another climax, flushing until I’m burning up and my breathing doesn’t cool me.
“Perfect.”
Henry stills and kisses the space between my breasts, gently pulling out. I pant, floating on the tides of my arousal as my consciousness comes and goes. Stars light my vision as Henry plants more soft kisses, telling me I’m more perfect than words can describe.
“You didn’t…”
“This was about you, Ivy.” He smiles as he lies down next to me. “Not everything is about me, and this was perfect.”
I laugh and his eyebrow arches. Even now, we’re still playing. Still testing and teasing each other. It’s a game I don’t want to end and Henry won’t let it. I won’t either, entirely devoted to the man I used to despise. We fought and lost, argued and healed, struggled and overcame together.
This isn’t what I wanted or what I’d imagined my life would be, but it’s impossible to believe it’s wrong. It’s irrevocably right. I’m damn sure, and even though Henry is harsh and cold and vicious, he’s the boundary I need. I rise because of him; I meet his challenge and he’s the fire that keeps me burning through the starkest winter’s night. He’s what I need and love, and there’s not a single thing I’d change about him.
I draw my fingers over Henry’s chest as I roll onto my side.
“Tell me something,” I whisper.
He smiles and it’s carefree. He’s content and at peace. My simple question is all he needs and he’s never been happier than in this moment. In all our moments.
“I’ll tell you anything you want to know, lea.” Henry’s fingers play with my collar, tracing its rubies and diamonds, its curls and lines. “What do you want to know?”
“How old are you?”
“Old enough to know time can be a gift or a curse. I’ve lived more lifetimes than I can count, each missing the reason to keep existing. I didn’t know I was waiting for you, and I’m never letting you go, Ivy. You’re all my sunrises and my sunsets, the stars that light my heaven and the darkness that makes them dazzle. I’ll walk through your nights and brighten your days, as you’ll dance through my evenings and make my mornings rise. We were made for each other and I adore you. I worship you. I love you more than I thought was possible, and you have given me more than I’ve known in all the lifetimes I’ve lived without you.”
I rest my head on his chest. “You didn’t answer my question.”
Henry laughs and its vibration rumbles through me. “No, and truly, I’ve stopped counting. How about I tell you something else instead?”
I grin, letting my mind wander through the disarray of the memories he gifted me when he turned me. It’s a jumbled mess, but every day I make a little more progress with sorting through the chaos. Henry’s telling me his story, helping me make sense of the history he’s gifted me and we’re growing closer as my confusion slowly—agonizingly slowly—abates.
He waits until I nod. “Let me tell you about how I stole that ruby from Burma's last king.”
My lips part and Henry’s laugh turns into a riot, and my heart almost skips a beat. I’m delighted my mate’s as happy as I am and our laughter reverberates around us, filling us with unbridled and unsurpassed joy as we rest easy, certain we’ve found our home.