Page 43 of Cruel Vampire King

His eyes sparkled as he kissed my jaw, easing a second finger in with the first. “That’s the whole point, Elara.”

One of my fingers traced the injury where I’d stabbed him. So now I was worried about hurting him? Regret spiked through me, followed by a wave of pleasure that wiped it from my mind. I did as he said, pulling him tighter, crushing him to me. He curled his fingers inward and upward, igniting something inside of me that I hadn’t known. My whole body trembled as I arched myself, rocking my hips in time with hishand as he pumped it in and out of me. It was too much and not enough all at once.

His thumb swept over my clit again and again. A shock went through me, shuddering to my core. All my muscles tensed up, and I held my breath as the tightness inside became too strong to bear.

“That’s it,” Luken urged, his dark voice warm against my skin. “Sing for me, Elara. Scream my praises to the sky.”

He made it sound like I was worshiping him. And then, suddenly, I was. I did as he said, screamed as everything inside of me exploded. The orgasm was almost a violent thing. I clawed at Luken, needing him closer, needing him inside of me even as the shockwaves rocked me. His fingers slid out with a pop, and for a wild moment, I wondered if that was it.

Could he tell? Could he feel that nothing had ever been inside of me like that before?

His eyes were dark as my vision finally refocused.

“I want to taste you,” he breathed.

My blood.

If he could do this to me with just his presence and his fingers, how much better would it be when he was drinking from me? It was an orgasmic experience, something that evolved in vampires to keep their prey coming back again and again, willingly. In some of the less reputable areas of the kingdom, vampires who had been exiled for court or who had never been high enough status to be in it in the first place would sell their fangs just for that.

My father used to say,“Anyone who would pay a vampire just for the vampire to get what he wants is a fool.”

Luken’s lips touched my neck, and I reacted with pure instinct.

“No.”

The king paused. Our bodies were so close. His cock was hard against my thigh. I could feel his pulse beat inside of it. It would be so easily for me to sling my leg over his hip and let him have everything he wanted… But then I was paying him for the privilege of giving him everything. My blood, my body, was the only bargaining chip I had. I couldn’t waste it.

He pulled back, leaning on his elbow as he stared down at me. His hand, slick not with the hot springs but with me, rested lightly on my hip. Disappointment clouded his eyes as he panted heavily. My heart thundered, my grip still tight on him. Despite my words, I wanted him to convince me. To touch me again and bring me back to that safe place.

The fire hadn’t cooled inside of me at all. If anything, it was stronger.

With his clean hand, Luken twisted one strand of my hair in his fingers. “No,” he repeated.

I shivered and reminded myself why I had to say no. I closed my eyes, breathing in his heady scent, and then remembered the smoke the day the inn burned down. The fire of desire was replaced in my mind by the fire the elves had tossed my body on. My lips parted and it took all of my strength to tear myself from what I wanted, what my body needed.

“No,” I repeated.

Luken pulled away from me.

Another shiver ran through my body as I lay there, exposed, ready for the taking. I listened hard to the sound of his breathing, wondering if he was considering his options. Myeyelids parted on their own to find him with one knee drawn up, his elbow resting in it. The dissatisfaction that glowered from his amber eyes as he stared at me kept me pinned to the spot.

I ached between my legs. He’d only had two fingers inside of me and I still ached. Was I still a virgin after that? He’d been inside of me. It wasn’t his cock, but he’d put himself inside of me. He’d brought me to orgasm. Touched me places nobody else had. Was I still innocent?

Clearing my throat, I carefully pushed myself into a sitting position. “I’ll let you drink from me if you take Thessa out of the Trials and forgive her crimes.”

“Is that why you let me touch you?” His voice was flat. “So you could try this again?”

“No. I let you touch me because I wanted you to touch me,” I said, shaking my head. Maybe I could have lied, but I thought the truth would serve me better. “I want you to save me. But I can’t let that stop me from remembering everything else I want. So you can’t have my blood until I know Thessa is safe.”

Luken snorted. “The Gods have declared the laws for the Trials. I can’t go against them. Not…”

He trailed off.

My head fell back to the ground. Though desire still lingered like fireworks, ready to be set off with just a touch from him, I shoved it aside. “Then let me go. Take me back to my team.”

He surged to his feet, so suddenly I flinched. His cock was still hard as he glared down at me. “Nobody has ever resisted me before. But if you wish to be so stubborn, then fine. I won’t touch you again until you’re begging me to do it.”

I wasn’t sure if it was a threat or a promise.

---