Page 108 of Claimed By Blood

His lopsided grin makes him look a little younger than he should. “It does. Trust me. I have two degrees in psychology, princess. I’m fully aware of the reasons for my preferences. In fact, I doubt anyone has done quite as much thinking about it as I have. All you have to know is that I’ll never do anything to you without your consent.”

“Care to be more specific?” I waver. “Because drowning and scat is a no go…”

He snorts. “Here I was worried you’d run from the room.”

“The Marquis de Sade was a failed experiment of Cain and Callie’s,” I inform him. “OneIwas sent to clean up. I doubt there’s much that you can shock me with after seeing what Donatien created at Lacoste.” I brush my hands over my towel, using the sensation to ground myself. “Besides, I’m old. I’ve seen a lot and tried just as much. I’d rather know, in exact terms, what it is you want of me. That way I can make a well-informed choice, and there won’t be any misunderstandings later.”

Vane waits for a second, pinning me with those soulful, hazel eyes of his until I start to squirm and reach for the bag of clothes just for something to do.

“Why don’t you describe to me what you want in your lovers?” he suggests at last.

I laugh. “Haven’t you figured it out yet? I like different things on different days. There are times when I want Finn’s softness and love, and there will be times when I want Draven’s savagery or Gideon’s dominance. Even times when…” I trail off, not wanting to bring up Silas’s dirty talk to his brother, or think too much into how much I miss Frost’s talented tongue. “My point is, I’m glad I have you all, because I don’t think one man could ever hope to fulfil all those different wants.” It would be too much to ask of any one person, and unfair.

I couldn’t ask Finn to tie me up when I know it would make him uncomfortable. Nor could I ask Draven to give me the soft, emotional sex I know my omega excels at. It’s not anyone’s duty to change their sexual preferences to suit someone else.

Vane twists the loop in his ear one last time before releasing it.

He’s quiet for so long that I think he’s not going to tell me about whatever shameful secrets he’s holding back on.

“I want to punish you,” he admits. “For that stunt you pulled, going off on your own in the middle of a battle…” His eyes darken. “I know I have no right to ask this of you, given how much you’ve survived already, but if you let me, I’ll use your body until you weep from pleasure and swear that you won’t do anything like it again as long as I let you come.”

My breath hitches, and I blink in disbelief. I’m not… getting turned on by this?

But Vane isn’t finished. “Then I’ll tie you down, strap a vibrator to your clit and leave you for hours, until you can’t physically come anymore, just to make sure the lesson has sunk in.”

My pelvic floor clenches, and I become acutely aware of the moisture slowly creeping down my inner thighs. Apparently, Vane’s brand of sexual sadism is something my body didn’t know it craved. I swallow and lick my lips, trying to combat the dryness that’s taken over my mouth.

It’s no use. Every drop of moisture in my body seems to have been dispatched between my legs to try to extinguish the ache that’s steadily growing there. And given the way his nostrils flare and his eyebrows arch in surprise, he knows it too.

“Safe words?” I ask, my fangs sinking into my lower lip.

“Mine is Mango,” he admits. “Yours.”

I hadn’t thought about him having one, but I suppose it makes sense. For all that Vane likes to cause pain, there are lines that can be crossed that might make even him feel uncomfortable. He should have a way to stop things if that happens.

“Silver,” I whisper.

The thrall bond takes another inch.

He takes another deep breath through his nose, and I wonder if he’s noticed it. Should I bring it up?

“If you want me,” he says, cutting off my train of thought. “Then I’m going to need you to say it. I won’t have any miscommunications between us. Something doesn’t work, you safe word. You have second thoughts afterwards, you come and talk to me. Understood?”

His stare pins me in place, and the seriousness in his tone makes me shiver.

I nod, but he doesn’t relent until I open my mouth and reply, “I understand.”

“And it won’t stop when you leave the bedroom like it does with Gid,” he pushes. “I have no interest in taking your decisions away from you, or making you bow to my every whim, but I do have rules. If you put yourself in unnecessary danger, or disparage yourself in any way, I’ll have one of the others restrain you, then I’ll spank you until you get the point. If we’re out in public, I’ll drag you just out of sight and fuck you raw, and leave you hanging with my cum dripping down your thighs as a reminder.”

My breathing is so shallow that I’m getting dizzy. I’m interested in what he’s saying, despite everything in my sensible brain telling me to say no. Aside from Gideon, I’ve never really given up control to a lover completely before. And Vane has always felt… safe. No matter what he says about wanting my pain, I don’t think he genuinely wants to hurt me.

And with an immortal body, anything that goes wrong won’t be permanent. If something did go wrong, I’d trust him to fix it.

With that realisation, something snaps between us. The thrall bond crackles, binding us closer, and this time Iknowhe can feel it too because he frowns at me.

“Did our bond just—?”

I nod. “It’s getting stronger. Does that bother you?”

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