Page 104 of Of Spindles and Nightfall
“Ah, fresh meat. This one has worn out her welcome.” Zarathos grabbed Aryana by the throat and drew her to the table, pressing her against it, forcing a kiss on her. While he held her, his grip tightened, squeezing once. Their code for no. She gripped his wrist as if to pull him off and felt her squeeze twice in return.
Yes.
“Don’t,” he murmured against her lips. It was more a plea not to ruin everything they were working toward.
He pulled back with a laugh. Casting a purposeful, leering glance at the poor humans.
Aryana twisted, jerking Zarathos’s less than firm grip off of her and shoved him to the side, rolling across the table, sending a pitcher of crimson flying. He stumbled as she lunged forward, placing herself between the humans and the demons. Somehow, despite her chained wrists, she’d managed to get his sword in her hands.
And yet, he wasn't surprised.
She brandished the sword toward the demons. “Keep away.” She glanced at the human females behind her. “Stay behind me. I’ll get you out of here.”
Zarathos ground his teeth.
Play the part. Play it perfectly. And the vampress will inevitably find a way to ruin it.
“Who says we want to leave?” one female in the group asked.
Aryana blinked. Looking at the human like she’d never seen her before. “But you don’t know what they are going to do to you. Take your blood. Maybe torture… do whatever they please to you.”
“We understand what we signed up for,” the female countered, and several others nodded in agreement.
Aryana stumbled, eyeing them, lowering her sword. “But I smell your fear.”
“Yes. We are afraid, but we are also excited.”
“And exceedingly well paid,” added another.
“Now, if you will excuse us, we have a job to do.”
And the humans shifted right past Aryana and her blade into the arms of the awaiting demons. One walked up to Zarathos, but he shook his head, and another quickly claimed her.
He had someone else he needed to figure out what to do with. He made his way around the table to where she stood, sword in hand. “Aryana.”
She gazed at him, completely lost, and his heart twisted. What she had done was utterly foolish and downright dangerous, but it was also soherthat he almost blamed himself for not seeing this coming.
The sight of Zarathos seemed to snap her out of wherever her mind had gone. Her eyes widened with terror. Genuine fear this time. He tensed at the scent of it. She let the sword slide from her fingers and she fell to her knees.
“Forgive me, master.”
He looked down at her, trying to appear stern and unforgiving. “You and I will go to our chamber for another session…”
“No, master, please, I beg you.”
He gripped her chains and dragged her toward the door.
“What if we did it right here?” The voice of Xaphoron caused Zarathos to pause, his hand on the latch. So close.
“What do you mean?” Zarathos asked.
“She disrespected all of us. If you are as tired of her as you say, then perhaps you wouldn’t mind sharing.” A cruel smile spread over Xaphoron’s face. He’d pushed his human aside and stared at Zarathos in challenge.
Fire burned in Zarathos’s chest, and he wanted to launch himself at Xaphoron and rip out his throat, but he had to remain unfazed. For Aryana. “I’ve fucked her so many times her thighs are still coated in my cum. You want my dirty seconds?”
“Maybe not that. But perhaps a little taste of her?” His grin grew wicked. “From all of us, of course.”
Hunger sparked in the other demons’ eyes. “Yes, just a taste. We hear vampire blood is quite delicious,” the champion from Kingdom Spiritu Malignos said.
