Page 56 of Cruel Vampire King

I melted against him, pulling him closer again. I traced down to his ass and cupped it in my hands, enjoying the softness and firmness of his body. He watched me watching him as I moved one hand to comb through his long hair, the other going to his cock. I wrapped my hand around it, my fingertips barely touching, and a shiver moved through me.

“Is something wrong?” he asked as I bit my lip.

“I… I’m worried that you won’t fit. And then you’ll be upset,” I confessed, blushing. I knew he would. He had to, right? That’s what my body was designed for, to be the perfect fit for his. At least, that’s what I felt like it should be.

But I knew all too well that reality wasn’t the same as ’should be.’

“Don’t be worried,” he told me. “I’m not going to be upset.”

“So you’re worried it won’t fit, too?” I asked, giggling.

He kissed me. “There are plenty of other ways to have pleasure if it doesn’t. But I do need to do more to prepare you.”

Amazingly, disappointment rushed through me. I wanted him inside of me now. I wanted to feel that connection, that closeness.

However, the disappointment and impatience was short-lived when his hand found me. He teased and stretched and worked me with his fingers, bringing me to orgasm several more times. I was helpless beneath his touch; everything was too much and not enough. And I loved it. I begged him for more. Every time he brought me to climax, it just deepened the sensations. I neededmore. I stroked his cock when I could, amazed that he could stay hard for so long. His self-discipline was better than mine. He must have been going crazy with desire, but he held back, wanting to make sure I was ready enough.

Finally, both of our bodies coated in sweat, he lay over me and pressed against my entrance. He met my eyes and kissed me tenderly as he started to enter me. I braced myself, my hands on my shoulders.

There was no pain until he was fully inside of me. At first, it was only pressure and pleasure. Then, as he started to move, pain pierced through me. I winced, gasping, but the pain only enhanced my arousal. Luken gasped, too, but didn’t change his rhythm. Our eyes were locked together as he moved inside of me. The intensity I’d felt to this point paled in comparison as we moved together. I matched him, rocking my body in time with his.

We could have been like that for minutes or hours. The world disappeared and all that existed was him and me, linkedtogether. My orgasm hit me suddenly, making my back arch and a gasp escape my throat. Luken tenderly kissed my throat and released himself as well. His movement grew jerky, the pistoning of his hips losing their rhythm. A new heat flared inside of me, and I held him closer, tighter, until I knew we’d both be bruised from it.

It was only then that I became aware that the pain was still there. Only, it wasn’t inside of me as I expected. It sat on my skin, a faint burning on my belly and chest. I ignored it as long as I could, but when Luken shifted backward, I glanced down.

And gasped.

A spiderweb full of swirls and whorls had crept over my skin. Intricate patterns covered my torso, from my hips all the way up my chest to my collarbone. They were a faint amber-gold pattern, but when Luken traced the pattern with his finger, they turned to a solid black. The same pattern was mirrored on his stomach and chest. I touched the tattoo that had appeared on him, and it shifted to black as well.

“What is this?” I asked, confused.

“It’s proof of our connection.” Luken eased out of me, and I winced. I was more raw than I’d realized. He kissed me lightly as he shifted his weight to lay next to me. His fingers continued to trace the patterns, a satisfied look on his face.

“You’re special to me, Elara. I don’t think you realize how special,” he said musingly. “I’ve met hundred of people in my lifetime. And I’ve never felt this way about anyone before.”

Warmth started to spread through me. Luken’s hands cupped my face. His gaze grew intense as he gripped me tightly.

“Never forget this. It will be true whatever happens,” he breathed.

A shiver broke through the perfect fairytale that had been building in my mind. “What’s going to happen?”

“Plenty before this is over,” he answered, his tone grim.

I swallowed hard, not liking the look in his eye. All of a sudden, I realized that this wasn’t the ending of a story. It wasn’t the moment when everything else would just fall together and allow me to sink into his arms, safe and warm forever. A creeping unease stole over me. It was just the beginning.

I didn’t want to dwell there, but the question came out before I could stop it. “You said that you couldn’t save Thessa. So why did you?”

“You found a workaround,” he answered. “So I could after you made your request.”

“I thought… I thought you were the one that implemented the Blood Trials,” I said hesitantly.

A humorless grin stretched his lips. “I did. But it wasn’t by my choice. The Gods told me what to do. They said they would send famine and plague on the kingdom if I didn't. A few dozen sacrifices every year for the safety of the rest of the kingdom was worth it. So I set it up, let people think I was using the gods as an excuse to have my bloodsport.”

“The Gods… speak to you? Personally?” I asked, going still.

He smiled back. “Sometimes, yes. I’ve been working to loosen their power and their hold on our world for many hundreds of years. Always keeping to the shadows so they wouldn’t know. But now?” He pressed his lips to my palm. “Now, everything is about to change.”

Chapter 22

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