11 | Dante
Midway through another video call with the vampire elders and I’m about ready to throw myself in the sea.
Sod the fact the nearest body of water is over four hundred miles away. I’ll hire a car and drive myself there just to hurl myself in, rather than listen to them twitter on.
Victor Blackthorn is in another tropical shirt and, for some unknowable reason, he’s wearing sunglasses indoors. They’re huge aviators that make him look vaguely bug-like. And there’s no rational explanation for why he’s chosen to wear them, either. I think it must be a fashion statement.
Edgar Nocturne is, once again, making something in his kitchen, so I currently have a view of his backside and not much else. And Malachai Eldric, who seemed—loosely speaking—to be the most reasonable of the three of them the last time I met them; well, he’s hungover as hell. Quite a feat as a vampire. I didn’t even know we could get drunk enough to still be feeling it the next day.
Theseare the cavalry I’ve turned to after our fellow vampires set monsters loose in the city.
These three. The most powerful vampires in Arcanum.
They must have a collective age of over a millennium and yet they seem no more equipped to deal with the situation than a handful of schoolchildren.
“You wanted proof of what they had planned. Was last night sufficient evidence for you?” I try to keep my tone respectful, but I’m fairly certain I’m failing on that front.
It’s barely a courtesy. I find my respect for the three of them slipping—and it wasn’t all that great after our last meeting.
“Could you speak at a lower volume, please?” Malachai says in barely more than a whisper, cradling his temples.
“Hair of the dog that bit you, old man,” Victor replies, tinkling a spoon against his teacup obnoxiously and seeming to relish how Malachai flinches.
“I have their location,” I tell them. “Where they’ve holed themselves up.”
“Ah,” Victor says, fiddling with his cuffs and avoiding looking at me.
“Well,” Edgar adds, sipping his tea with a noisy slurp.
“It’s a mansion in Arcanum Heights,” I tell them.
“Arcanum Heights?”
“Oh. Oh no. That’s not good at all.” Victor tugs at his shirt collar. “I’m not sure you should have told us that.”
“We, uh, we have a meeting with three members of the Archarcan council in an hour,” Malachai adds. “Perhaps it’s something we can raise during the meeting.”
Wow, three of the Archarcan council. They really are taking the entire situation seriously.
“And what are you going to tell them?” I ask. “How are you planning to deal with the Ba—the rogue vampires?”
“We’re taking the entire situation very seriously,” Victor says, pulling down his sunglasses to reveal tired, bloodshot eyes.
Pretty sure that’s evidence both he and Malachai tied one on last night. I wonder if that was before or after the chaos of the Solstice Ball. Which begs the question—
“Were the three of you in attendance at the Ball? Did you witness the events yourselves?”
“We may have made an appearance,” Victor says.
“Unfortunately, I could not attend,” Edgar adds.
Of course, he doesn’t leave the house. I wonder if Malachai was caught by Simpson’s powers too, or if they headed off to raid the bar before it got to that part of the evening.
“Simpson or one of his entourage were able to compel hundreds of people to freeze in their own bodies. If they can do that. What else might they be able to do?”
Edgar stutters a response, then gives up.
“Over fifty bodies were found by the docks. Fifty people drained and killed to give them enough power to make last night happen. What do you think their next move will be if they step things up a notch?”
“I’m sure it won”t come to that.”
“Perhaps we ought to set up a meeting,” Victor says.
“I thought you were meeting the Archarcans after this?”
He shifts awkwardly and I cotton on pretty quickly to what he meant.
It’s not the council he’s talking about meeting with, it’s the Bad Vamps.
Any hope I had of this being a worthwhile venture crumbles into dust. Once again, I’ve just wasted my time in appealing to them.
How have I made the same mistake a second time? I remember this same feeling of static frustration and from the last time I met with these fools.
I’m an idiot. I don’t know what I was thinking.
... or, I know. I just don’t want to admit it to myself. I wanted to roll into The Spire and tell Silver I had a solution. A ready-made army backing us.
Something, anything, to reassure her the events of last night won’t reoccur.
Instead, I end the call feeling impotent. Just in time to hear a knock at my door.
I don’t get many visitors and quickly check my phone to see who is on the other side. My chest grows taut at the sight of Silver, shifting from foot to foot, looking so gorgeous my breath catches in my throat. I let out a strangled grunt and jump to my feet, embarrassingly eager to see her again.
I’m kicking myself all over again about not having better news to share with her.
“No breaking and entering today?” I ask as the door swings open.
She chuckles softly, stepping past me like she owns the place. She might not realize it yet, but Silver owns a lot of me.
“I’m still not so good on the lock-picking,” she says, striding ahead of me into the living room. My eyes catch on the gentle sway of her hips as she moves.
“That’s more Ro’s style than mine,” she adds.
My stomach swoops and I take a step closer, scanning her face for any hint of upset. There’s nothing obvious, but I get the impression Silver’s used to pushing her emotions down. “How is he?”
“Fine. He’s good.” She smiles widely, and my chest expands to its usual size. Thank fuck for that.
“He’s much better. Luna says he should be as good as new in a couple of days, which is good because he’s doing a shit job of staying in bed. I’d have to tie him to the bed and even then he might like it too much to get any rest in.” The words tumble out of her mouth and take a second to sink into my brain. Once they do, blood thuds in my ears as it simultaneously rushes to my cock as I take her meaning.
“He, er, likes that sort of thing, does he? I can see that. The wild ones often need taming.”
Her answering grin is more than a little devilish. “I’m not too sure yet,” she replies, like this is the most regular conversation in the world.
“He likes his hair pulling. I know that much. But I don’t always like being in charge.” She shrugs, a small grin spreading over her face.
My pants are now uncomfortably tight as my cock batters against his restraints. How long has it been since my dick showed the slightest interest in anyone? Years, I’d guess.
And yet here it is, practically busting out of my pants with the eager need to get closer to Silver.
My breath stutters again, and I wonder if I’ve got something physically wrong with me. Although, as a vampire, I don’t get sick.
Lovesick.
I internally snort at my ridiculousness. Although if she keeps talking about her preferences in the bedroom and my mind continues conjuring ideas of how I might satisfy my unmet needs, I’ll have a fresh problem shortly.
My cock weeping for her, for one.
“I have two favors to ask,” she says, looking serious suddenly. “And I know I only come here when I need something from you. But I’m hoping the second favor will make up for the first.”
I’m intrigued and taken aback, but I answer honestly. “You could ask me for anything and I’d give it to you.”
So much for staying cool and collected. I practically tear my barely beating heart out of my chest and lay it at her feet. She licks her lips, looking up at me with wide eyes that are filled with uncertainty.
“My, er, my magic is not working right. I think they slipped me something last night to null the effects. Probably so I’d have to go back to them for the antidote.”
I breathe deeply, taking in her scent and all the various subtle notes of it. Beneath the sheer power of her delectable blood and her natural mixed spicy yet sweet scent, there’s something chalky and acrid.
“I can sense it,” I tell her. Then take a small step backwards. It occurs to me too late that it’s not polite to go around sniffing people without permission.
She leans closer, not letting me get far. “I was hoping you could fix me.”
My beast and I spring to attention. The vampire inside me desperately wants what it hopes she’s offering.
“Y-you want to—” Suck my blood. Swallow me down. Drain me, angel. Do whatever you need.
I must be dreaming. It’s my most recent fantasy come to life.
“You want to drink my blood again?” My voice is a rasp, like sandpaper to my vocal chords. She nods slowly.
“But this time, I want it to be a mutual thing.”
My brain explodes.
She wants... me to drink... her to sink—
“You want us both to... taste each other?”
We’ve kissed a grand total of twice and the first time, we were both a mess.
“Are you... sure? You don’t have to offer anything, you know, you can take my blood—” Take my heart. My tattered and tainted soul. “—and I need nothing in return.”
“That might be, but I want you to. Like you said last night, I feel connected to you. And last time you got me so damn turned on, it’d be torture if we couldn’t both do something about it. Together.” Her voice is breathy and huskier than normal.
“You want me to feed you and then fuck you, Silver? Is that what you’re saying?” My voice is barely more than a growl as my cock jumps in my pants and my vampire is practically salivating. This is an absolute dream come true for the both of them.
But one of us needs to keep our heads.
Silver nods and I tilt her chin up so that her eyes are intent on mine. “You might feel certain right now, but if you want to stop, tell me. No matter what’s happening, we stop.”
“Pineapple.” She grins at my baffled expression. “That’s my safe word.”
I nod, swallowing hard before I press myself up against her.
“Are you sure you’re ready for this?”
“I want to feel your teeth sinking into me and then I want to take every part of you, Dante.” She pulls her hair to one side, baring the delicate skin of her throat.
I’ve got her in my arms and on the sofa before she can blink.
“Let’s get your magic back, shall we?” I murmur.
“Please, Dante.”
I press a gentle kiss to her soft cheek, her jaw, her wrist. “Ready for a taste, angel?”
“Y-yep. Will you.... Will you do the same to me?” Her features are so open at the moment, she’s trusting me totally to take care of her.
And that’s exactly what I’m going to do. My fangs distend and I catch my tongue with them. I use them to cut the skin on my wrist and feed it to her.
She latches on without hesitation, swallowing great gulps and drinking me down. I can’t hold off for another second, leaning in and sinking my fangs into her soft throat.
The taste of her is like nothing else. It fills my mouth, and it’s like an instant injection of pure adrenaline and dopamine.
Fuck. I’ve never felt so close to another person as I do right now, with us sharing our life force with one another.
Power floods through me and I feel like I could leap ten feet in the air, punch through a wall, save an entire village of kittens from a fire.
I pull back, careful not to take too much from Silver.
“You taste so good,” she whispers.
She then smiles up at me as she strips off her shirt, revealing two perfect globes pushed up by the sexiest lacy bra I’ve ever laid my eyes on. She then yanks off her boots and her pants, peeling off her underwear until she’s entirely naked.
Bared, just for me. She looks up at me with unveiled lust in her eyes and I can smell the thick scent of her arousal; it’s delicious, mouth-watering.
“Are you gonna even things up a bit?” she asks with a coy little smile.
A slow smile breaks out across my face. If Silver thinks she’s going to be the one running this show, she’s mistaken. I might keep to myself, and enjoy keeping my cards close to my chest. But that doesn’t mean that I won’t be the one controlling her pleasure while she’s in my bed.
Which reminds me...
I scoop her into my arms and have the both of us into my bedroom in seconds. Placing her down carefully, like she’s precious cargo, I take a step back. I then unbutton my shirt to my waist. I’m not sure why I’m wearing it at all. It’s not like I’m going to get any work done today. But I thought it might help the council take me seriously. Perhaps if I’d dressed like a clown, I might have caught their attention for longer.
I peel off my shirt and Silver licks her lips as I unveil my forearms.
“Fuck, you have the sexiest arms,” she mutters.
“And you look like an angel brought down to earth.” I lean in close, pressing my face against her neck and breathing deep. Her scent fills my senses, fuels me with need and lust, and spurs my vampiric side into action. My mouth waters even more.
“Are you ready to be debauched, angel? It might mean heaven won’t accept you back.” The line might be cheesy as hell. I don’t know since it’s been a long time since I’ve had a woman in my bed like this. Silver shivers and spreads her legs wider.
“You want me to taste this sweet little slit?”
As soon as Silver nods, her eyes wide and fixed on mine, I pounce. I’m above her, trailing my lips over her jaw and pressing my lips to hers barely a moment later. She moans into the kiss, opening her mouth and wrapping her legs around me until her soaked pussy is pressed up against the material of the front of my pants. I can’t help thrusting my tongue into her mouth and she sucks on it with a helpless moan.
It also means I then have the sheer voyeuristic delight of watching Silver writhing under me. I can smell she’s even more turned on than before, and my pants are soaked through with her arousal. I pull away with a feral grin at the little whimper she makes when I take my arm away from her.
“I don’t think I’ve had my fill of tasting you yet, Silver,” I tell her as I crawl down the length of her body until I bury my face in her perfect pussy.
The scent of her is overwhelming to my senses. I have to fight the vampire down to prevent him from nicking her skin down here as well. I press my mouth against her soaked pussy, opening wide and licking with flat strokes of my tongue until it’s coated with her sweet honey.
Fuck. My cock is weeping inside my pants, twitching and angry as it fights to be let loose. I lap at every inch of skin that’s dripping with arousal, then kiss and lick my way up to Silver’s clit. Pressing my tongue against the little hardened bud, I flatten my tongue again and with circular motions, tongue her until she’s twitching and screaming my name.
Another gush of sweetness hits my tongue, and I have to fight not to start all over again.
Pulling back just slightly, I murmur against her flesh, “You did so good, angel. You came so sweetly on my tongue, but I need to get inside you.”
“Ye-es. Need you now, Dante. Need you to fuck me hard.”
I grin at her, rearranging us by picking her up by the knees and pulling her closer until she’s on her back with her legs in the air and I’m cradled in the heat between her thighs. I don’t remove my clothes, instead I simply unzip my pants and pull out my cock. It’s red, angry-looking and dripping pre-cum already.
Silver tips her head forward, watching as I sink into her with dilated pupils.
If I thought that sinking my teeth into Silver’s neck was paradise, this is something else entirely. Transcendent. My dick’s enveloped in her slick heat and I can feel my balls tingling already.
“It’s been a long, long time for me, Silver. I’m afraid I’m not going to last long.”
“You feel so good, Dante. I need you to move, though. Need to feel you so deep inside me I don’t know where I end and you begin.”
I pull back and then slam into her again, filling her completely. Circling her clit with one hand, I lean over and pull her leg higher until her ankle is resting on my shoulder and I drive into her hard, able to get crazy deep with every thrust.
I can’t speak. Can barely focus on anything beyond the feeling of having her wrapped around me.
“F-uuck, that feels good. Dante, you’re so deep inside me.”
Fuck. Silver’s mastered the art of saying the perfect thing to make me come in thirty seconds flat. I pull back, checking her expression as I confirm this is what she wants.
“Please, Dante. Fuck me harder.”
So much for me being in control. I can’t say no to her pleading eyes. Not when it’s everything I’ve ever wanted. This acceptance of every part of me.
I lean in once again, kissing her fiercely as I piston my hips and fuck her hard and deep.
Somehow, I keep my fingers circling her clit and she wraps her leg around me, pulling me impossibly closer. I’m so deep inside her and she’s deep inside me. It’s that connection between the two of us, the unexplainable thing that meant I didn’t kick her out of my office that first day. That stopped me from sending her away time and time again.
Our eyes meet, and she moans helplessly.
“Oh fuck, Dante. Dante, I’m gonna come my fucking brains out.”
I can feel the moment she pulses around me, growing impossibly tighter and pleasure courses through me. My balls tighten and I come harder than I can ever remember in all the years I’ve been on this earth. Black spots dance in front of my eyes, but I blink them away, mesmerized by the sight of Silver with her head thrown back, her mouth open in a silent scream as her eyes lock onto mine.
There’s a moment, just before I pull my cock from inside Silver’s tight pussy. She smiles up at me; her face flushed and my chest feels fit to burst with feeling. I press a kiss to her forehead, her lips, her cheek before resting my forehead against hers.
I’ve never felt so content, so whole, in all of my life.