Declan arched a blond brow at Eli and reminded him, "I am familiar with the vampire, Eli. You made certain of that, remember?"

"Then you should know I am right," Eli replied, his voice aggravated. He shoved a hand through his hair and said quietly, "You are in love with her; I see it. But you will never be happy as anything other than her equal. She will be a Master, Declan. And the vampire Master cannot help but try to control everything around him. Can you tell me, old friend, that you would be happy under her control, for all your long years?"

Declan sighed, pressing his thumb and forefinger to his eye sockets, trying to relieve the headache that was building. "I've no wish to dominate Tori. I do love her, and she will not be happy under anybody's control, no more than you or I would be."

"For pity's sake, Declan, I'm not suggesting you bring out the whips and handcuffs. But do not tell me you are s.e.xually pa.s.sive, or submissive. Do not tell me you haven't taken control while you're f.u.c.king her. I will not believe it, I know you too well."

Declan's lids drooped and his mouth curled in an unconscious smile as he recalled the previous day. No whips or handcuffs, certainly. Not that the handcuffs didn't hold some appeal.

"There's a difference between dominating her for this, and dominating her. You aren't trying to control her, Declan. I doubt you could. Even her sire is having difficulty with that."

"Will her sire try for her tonight?" "I imagine so," Eli said broodingly. "All the more reason for you to climb in that bed and take her. Your bond with her is proving to be as strong as the bond between sire and offspring. I would suggest you take advantage of that. She wakes."

Eli whirled, his open s.h.i.+rt and hair swirling around him as he left the room in swift silence. Declan remained seated a few moments longer, and then he shot to his feet, following Eli. He found him a floor down, with Nina caught up in his arms, intent on freeing the tiny redhead from her dress and shoving her hair a side.

"A minu te, Eli?" he asked as the vampire started to slide her skirt up.

"f.u.c.k, Declan, can you go away?" Eli muttered, glaring at him as he stroked the silky strands of hair from Nina's neck. "I haven't even had breakfast."

Leaning against the wall, Declan said, "Is breakfast the only thing you want right now?" He slid his eyes up the stairs, following the scent and sound of Tori.

Eli's eyes narrowed and he straightened. Smoothing Nina's dress into place, he lifted her chin and kissed her softly before whispering in her ear. Nina left, not quite pouting, but very unhappy.

"What did you have in mind?" Eli asked, c.o.c.king his head and staring at Declan with narrowed eyes.

They parted a few minutes later and Declan returned to the room. Watching Tori's still and silent face he settled back to wait, his mind running in circles.

If her sire tried to call, Tori had to be protected. Take advantage of it, Eli had suggested.

Aye, he'd take advantage, all right. Of her, of Eli, of every weapon he had in his a.r.s.enal, so long as it kept Tori safe.

CHAPTER SEVEN.

Some five minutes later, Tori's eyes started to move behind her eyelids. Her face grew more animated and her heart rate picked up. Several moments later she started to breathe steadily and finally her lids lifted and she stared at Declan, wide awake and alert.

"How do you feel?" he asked, slumping lower in his chair and staring at her reddened face. Only a few blisters remained and Declan imagined those would fade after she fed.

Pressing one finger to her flushed cheek she winced and answered, "Sore. And silly. I never even paid attention to the sun."

"You're lucky you didn't kill yourself, Torrance. You can tolerate sunlight, yes, but that it was uncomfortable after a few moments tells me that you can not walk in it as you once did. At least not yet."

"I figured that out." She sat up, the sheets pooling in her lap. Declan's eyes landed on her full b.r.e.a.s.t.s and rosy pink nipples and his mouth started to water, his jaws aching. "I needed to think."

"And...?" he asked with only half a mind. The other half had fixated on her naked torso, and with some reluctant curiosity, on the conversation with Eli.

"They deserved it," she said, lifting one smooth, pale shoulder. "Some people deserve death, you told me. I understand that, and they did deserve it."

A soft knock sounded at the door and Declan's eyes closed as he whispered a silent prayer of thanks.

"Come in," Tori called, drawing her knees to her chest and arranging the sheets to cover her body.

"We've brought some food," Nina said softly, wheeling in a cart. "We will be leaving shortly and didn't want you to go hungry. The Master said we should ask if you, ah, wanted food or...ah, hmm." Her voice trailed off while she stared at Tori, obviously trying to understand this additional peculiarity, a vampire who could eat.

"If you wanted food or me," a soft baritone said from the doorway.

Declan's lids lifted minutely and he studied the tall man in the doorway. Well, man might not be accurate.

A wolf. "Watch yourself, pup," he said quietly, not straightening from his slouch as he watched the man cross the threshold.

"I only seek to please the lady, Inherent," this new s.h.i.+fter responded, instantly dropping his eyes.

Inherent. A respectful, proper t.i.tle, a polite way of letting Declan know that the new wolf was aware of their differences, and that he was the weaker.

"Her pleasure is my concern," Declan said. "But if she is hungry, then by all means."

Tori's eyes were wide, and Declan could see the slight bulge behind her upper lip as her fangs started to emerge. The wolf, a muscled brunette with the strong, sculpted physique of a weightlifter, asked quietly, "May I, lady?"

Tori's eyes flitted to Declan and he shrugged. "You're hungry, you may as well."

The s.h.i.+fter didn't so much as wait for her to open her mouth but crossed the floor and dropped to his knees beside the bed, facing away. His face was just a few feet from Declan's but the man kept his eyes averted.

"What's your name, pup?" Declan asked.

"Jonathan," he responded as Tori s.h.i.+fted behind him, drawing the sheet and wrapping it around her before sliding to the edge of the bed. With him kneeling, she was right at his shoulder level. Licking her lips, she trailed her fingers over his neck.

Jonathan shuddered, his eyes-a soft warm brown-were glowing gold and his c.o.c.k was pressing firmly against his low-slung jeans. Tori flushed and Declan knew just when she had caught scent of the wolf's arousal and he smiled when her own scent started to flare. Feeding was nearly a s.e.xual thing for many vampires, and Tori wasn't going to be much different on that.

He was half aware of Nina setting up the food on the table-he smelled bacon, eggs, steak, potatoes-and though his belly growled insistently, he ignored it. He didn't bother telling the girl not to mess with it, because he'd need to eat later.

Tori threw her hair over her shoulder with one hand, the other gripping Jonathan's arm and curling her fingers into his bicep. Declan watched as she struck, Jonathan flinched just slightly before his eyes closed in pleasure, his heart pounding heavily in his chest.

Declan could smell the blood in the air, mingled with the scent of hot, hungry bodies. Nina stood just behind him, panting slightly, her body becoming damp and ready as she watched. If it hadn't been Tori sitting there feeding, he might have been tempted to pull the little redhead onto his lap and ease both their aches.

"Enough, Tori," Declan said a few moments later when she showed no signs of pulling away.

Her eyes rolled up and met his over Jonathan's body and he saw a slight pout forming there. Lifting a brow, he reminded, "He's still able to bleed to death, Tori, werewolf or not."

"I wouldn't mind..." Jonathan whispered, sulking when Tori pulled away, a tiny bit of blood on her lips. She daintily licked away the few drops that beaded from the puncture wounds before settling back with a pleased sigh.

Jonathan's hands flexed and Declan was reminded the full moon was only a few days away. Power strummed through the werewolf's body, augmented by l.u.s.t.

"She's done with you, pup," Declan warned when Jonathan half turned to stare at Tori. "If you've a need, go f.u.c.k Nina. Eli wouldn't care and she's needing it anyway."

"But do not dare to touch my lady," he said, slowly sliding up in his chair and rising to his feet in a lazy, controlled movement, his eyes glowing hot and green as he stared at the werewolf.

"I meant no disrespect, Inherent," Jonathan murmured, rising to his feet and backing away quickly, his eyes downcast.

"Get out, pup, now," Declan said with a snarl. Then he turned and dismissed them both. Before either of them had even cleared the door, Declan had Tori's arms in his hands and he was lifting her to her feet, stripping the sheet away and staring at her naked body with possessive eyes. Her face was glowing with life and vitality, her eyes warm and electric blue, gleaming in the dimness of the room. Her b.r.e.a.s.t.s rose full and round, topped with nipples that hardened as he watched, darkening and drawing tight. Trailing his eyes down her length, he took one nipple between finger and thumb, pinching lightly, as he continued to admire. Her long torso curved in slightly before flaring into a pair of full, rounded hips, her cleft covered by a tiny patch of dark curls.

"Now that your hunger is eased, let's take care of mine," he said roughly, freeing his c.o.c.k from his jeans with one hand while the other wrapped itself in Tori's hair. "I want you to take my c.o.c.k in your mouth again, and down your throat. Later, I'm going to put it in that tight, hot little a.s.s of yours."

She fell to her knees under his urging hand, staring up at him with wide, somewhat apprehensive eyes. Then she focused on the throbbing shaft in front of her, ruddy and pulsing with every beat of his heart.

Leaning forward she took in the flared head, letting it slide across her tongue and down her throat, relaxing her throat muscles and taking more of his length inside her.

Her nipples felt hard and pinched and she absently reached up to stroke them, staring up into Declan's eyes over the length of his body. His harsh voice cut her off, "No. When you get touched tonight, I'll be doing the touching." She paused in the act of taking his length back down her throat, pulling off slowly, the corners of her mouth lifting in a tiny smile as she stared up at him.

One brow lifted and a slight smirk settled on her face as she slid her hand down her torso and plunged two fingers into her wet pa.s.sage. Her lids fluttered before she opened them wide, staring up at Declan, his large c.o.c.k throbbing just in front of her mouth, while she started to slide her fingers in and out.

Declan dropped to his heels in front of her, staring at her soberly, never once glancing at her busy little hand.

"I suppose, in the name of fairness, I should tell you one more time. Stop it. The only thing you can touch tonight is me."

With her free hand, she reached up and caught his nape, trying to pull his mouth within range as her breathing picked up. He acquiesced, for a brief moment, plunging his tongue deep into her mouth, withdrawing to nibble on her lip before he s.n.a.t.c.hed her up and tossed her on the four-poster bed.

Tori laughed and resumed masturbating, her fingers stroking her throbbing c.l.i.t before delving back inside.

She felt powerful and greedy, wanted to control everything in her and around her. Even him. She opened her eyes, searching him out, following the rustling noises beyond the bed. When Declan appeared back at the bedside, she stared up at him tauntingly, circling her fingers around her c.l.i.t rapidly as o.r.g.a.s.m rushed closer. It was fun, much more fun, to give herself an o.r.g.a.s.m while somebody else watched and wanted.

She was still panting, her heart rate slowing to normal, when Declan flipped her onto her belly, grabbed her hands, and snapped them into the handcuffs. "Hey!"

she yelped, glaring over her shoulder at him. He smiled angelically and shrugged before lifting her back up and depositing her on her knees.

"I did try to warn you, darlin' girl," he said, spearing his hands through her hair and guiding her resistant mouth back to his c.o.c.k. "And by the way, those are reinforced cuffs, sweet. Made special, at my request, by a friend. Seeing as how I never know when I'll run into a non-human on the job."

The flexing of her shoulders stopped as she realized- new strength or not- those cuffs weren't breaking.

Glaring up at him, a sulk turning her mouth down, she said, "Take 'em off, Declan." She resisted the pull of his hand, even though that lovely c.o.c.k bobbed and pulsed in front of her, beckoning her.

"You'll have to earn it now," he told her with a shrug.

Wrapping one hand around his shaft, he started to stroke, watching her with heavy-lidded eyes. His tanned fist swallowed the head of his shaft, once, twice, and he hummed under his breath and then sighed dramatically. "I'd rather it be your mouth. Hot and softer than silk." He pumped again and used his other hand to cup his sac as he watched her with hot, gleaming eyes.

She leaned forward, intent on nipping him, but he caught her head with his free hand, wrapping his hand in her hair and holding her still. "Take it in your mouth, but be nice about it," he warned. "Otherwise, I'll paddle your a.s.s."

"You're being a jacka.s.s," she muttered but the heat in her belly was spreading and overriding her indignation. She caught his long, thick length in her mouth, flexing against the cuffs on her wrists before she started to slide her head up and down. His hands caught in her hair and he ordered in a low rasp, "Deeper, all the way back." He started to thrust in, through her mouth, down her throat. "All of it."

His voice was breathy and rough and his hands holding her felt like iron. But Tori relaxed her throat as much as she could, taking his length in, inch after inch, until her airway was blocked. She suckled and caressed his steely, silken flesh, relis.h.i.+ng the hot salty taste of him, the life that flowed just under his smooth skin.

With his hands buried in her hair, he guided her, switching from short shallow thrusts, to deep hard ones that bruised her throat. He cupped his b.a.l.l.s with one hand, grunting with pleasure as Tori slowed her pace, swirling her tongue across the head of his c.o.c.k before sliding down his length again, her mouth stretched tight around his width as his long shaft pushed down her throat.

She stared up at him through the veil of her lashes, his long powerful torso gleaming with a fine coat of sweat as he pumped his hips, moving his c.o.c.k in and out of her mouth, his eyes closed, his face a mask of agonized pleasure. The muscles in his belly contracted and a rough groan rumbled out of his throat, his c.o.c.k jerking roughly in the tight embrace of her mouth.

Tori shuddered when he started to come in thick, heavy pulses-his climax long and drawn out. Eyes watering, lungs burning, she swallowed the s.e.m.e.n down and pulled back, lifting her damp eyes to stare up at him.

Licking her lips, she whispered, "G.o.d, that was good."

"I'll say," a familiar voice said from by the door.

She whirled and fell, ever so gracefully, onto her naked a.s.s, staring at Eli.

"Get out," she hissed from her side, drawing her knees up to cover her body, unaware that doing so exposed her wet, plump folds to Eli's greedy gaze.

Eli shrugged, staring at Declan. "Did that feel as good as it looked?" he asked conversationally as he started to shed his clothes.

"Better," Declan replied over Tori's sputtering curses.

He wrapped her in his arms and caught her muttered, "Son of b.i.t.c.h-" in his mouth, driving his tongue down her throat as he walked her backward until she fell onto the bed, her hands pinned beneath her.

He s.h.i.+fted, pinning her down with his weight across her torso before kissing his way to murmur in her ear, "I can smell it, how hot you're getting, how much you want this. Do you think I didn't notice it earlier?

He's already watched, and you both enjoyed it. Let's enjoy a little more." Tori shrieked when she felt Eli's hands spreading her thighs, but it fell to a weak, tortured moan when he opened her cleft with one swipe of his tongue before he sought out her c.l.i.t and caught it between his teeth. One hand held her rump while the fingers of the other hand started to spear her depths.

Declan's mouth closed over her nipple when she started to gasp. Behind him, Eli suckled on her c.l.i.t in tandem with Declan's movement on her breast, his fingers stroking her skillfully before starting to slide downward. When his thumb pressed against her a.n.u.s, Tori bucked and whimpered.

"Been here, Declan?" Eli asked, lifting his head, his mouth and chin gleaming with her cream as he watched his thumb penetrate the tight ring of muscle.

Declan's only answer was a faint grunt as he worked his way back up to kiss Tori's open mouth. His c.o.c.k was hard and aching and he was ready to bury it in her dripping v.a.g.i.n.a, in her tight a.s.s, but he continued to play and pluck her nipples, glancing downward when Eli went back to lapping at her exposed folds.

Declan whispered against her hair, "You're so d.a.m.n tasty. I may have to pry him away; maybe I should have kept your cream all to myself."

"Fat chance," Eli muttered, lifting her hips more with his free hand, spreading more of her lubrication to ease the tight fit of his thumb in her bottom.

"Can I have her a.s.s first? G.o.d, she's tight. I don't know if I've ever sodomized a hole that d.a.m.ned tight before."

"Mine," Declan growled, shooting Eli a narrowed glance.

Tori erupted with a cry when Eli drove his tongue deep inside her folds just as he slipped his thumb all the way inside her a.s.s.

She gasped, shuddered and whimpered, hardly aware Declan had rolled her to her side and removed the cuffs. Her body was lifted, s.h.i.+fted, and she was straddling a man's lap while her body and mind tried to reunite once more. When her lids lifted, she was staring into Eli's angelic looking face, his c.o.c.k probing at her entrance. It was bizarre, staring into that face that she had only just seen the first time a day ago, and feeling his c.o.c.k, fatter than Declan's, though not quite as long, work inside her.

She quivered when she felt Declan come up behind her, spreading lubricant on her a.n.u.s, coating his fingers with it and sliding them inside. Then the flared head started to b.u.mp against her hole and she froze. Eli's hand slid between them and he started to circle her c.l.i.t lazily as he took her mouth. Their fangs had emerged and Tori felt him nip her lip and suckle at the beaded drop of blood before he pushed his tongue inside her mouth.

In her head. She could feel him inside her head, whispering and crooning to her just as Declan was doing in her ear. Relax, Tori. Declan would never do anything to cause you true pain, he promised, his mind voice a silken purring echo of his normal voice.

As he slid his tongue between her fangs, to tangle with hers, Declan's hands went to her bottom and pulled her cheeks apart, easing his slow penetration a bit. "We need this," he murmured against her ear. "All of us.

Take it inside you, Tori. You've done so before."

Her head fell back as Eli released her mouth to nuzzle her neck. She cried out in shock when she felt his fangs break her skin and slide home. Declan's c.o.c.k slid in to his b.a.l.l.s at the same time and she convulsed, straining between them, and screaming at the mind shattering pleasure. Her c.l.i.t was caught between thumb and forefinger, pinched and plucked at before somebody started to circle it with fast steady strokes. Her o.r.g.a.s.m ripped through her like a volcano, hot molten lava pouring from her womb as she fell back to rest against Declan's body, her muscles clenching and clutching at the invading c.o.c.ks. She was stretched too tight, penetrated far too deeply, hanging just between pleasure and pain while they thrust inside in tandem.

Eli's body was shuddering and he fed at her throat like a man starved, while Declan and he plunged their c.o.c.ks inside her body in unison. He wrenched his mouth away with a tortured moan, his eyes glowing hot and wild as he caught her mouth, smearing her own blood on her lips as he sought more of her taste. A hand buried in her hair moments later, pulling her from the kiss and guiding her mouth to Eli's neck.