Trained in Blood [Lords of the Expanse 2] (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 7

  “No mere Regency Council,” he reminded her softly, his words a low murmur as they strode through the halls of the Alliance Chambers as though they owned them. “This is the Alliance, the final say of everything within our space,” he pointed out quietly. Placing a hand at the small of her back Titan felt the small tremor there as he guided her toward the towering doors of the main Chambers. Over thirty feet in height and each ten wide, the doors depicted the height of the Vampire’s cruelty, a reminder of the past as blood wound through the streets and the non-Vampire people had cowered from their beasts.

  Chapter Nine

  The doors opened smoothly as though they did not weigh in at several hundred kilos each, the wonders of true ingenuity. Pressing his hand to her spine he encouraged her forward to face the fifteen, seven non-Vampire’s and seven Vampires with a High Lord in the spot of mediating. Bowing low to the group Titan straightened. “My Lords, may I present to you my Lady wife and mother to my child, Violet Macy.”

  Violet saw the shock in their eyes but bowed her head respectfully. “Thank you for allowing me to come before you,” she said softly, well she hoped softly.

  “So it is true?” one of the non-vampires asked. “You are pregnant with the High Lord’s child?”

  Vi laid a hand over her still-flat belly and nodded. “Yes, this is true.”

  “Yet before you escaped the world you were on, you didn’t know the Lord?”

  “No, that is correct.”

  Violet knew from Titan the man was going to see what he could get from them. She also knew that his questions would likely cause commotion, and that was the reason for them. They were going to be looking at her, watching her and waiting for her to rise to their bait. How far they would go, she and Titan didn’t know. “So the training you received as a consort worked in your favor?”

  Violet saw red but didn’t rise to the bait. “That is a question you will need to address to my husband.”

  Titan was proud of her. Their questioning was purposefully designed to push her to the edge and make her trip herself up. Looking to the Lords before him he lifted a brow. “I know nothing of her training, but if it was a favor I am grateful it was I that received it.” He said no more and waited to see what else they might throw at her, knowing that this could all be very ugly very fast if they chose.

  “And you are a killer,” the man continued without pause to her. “You are a killer, designed to kill our Warlords. We wed you to Lord Titan because we felt that if any could break or kill you for the treason, it would be him.”

  “And yet here I am, pregnant with his child,” she said with a proud tilt to her chin. She was about to say something else when she screamed with pain and dropped to her knees suddenly. “Blood.” She whispered, “This hall will run with blood.” There was blood dripping from her nose from the internal assault she was facing where Titan could not reach her. “There is a faction.” She gasped and clenched at his hands on her shoulders. “Inside the Regency. Plague, death, blood. The cure needs to be protected,” was what she said before she passed out.

  Catching her as she went down Titan cursed darkly as he cradled her to him and looked to his men. They encircled them both quickly keeping the Lords of the Alliance at bay as they all stepped forward. Stroking back her hair gently Titan shook his head and lifted her in his arms as he stood. “I am sorry, my Lords, but she needs to be turned before the babe causes more pain.” Or her visions do harm to her or their child. “You will have to leave off with the interrogation until she has awoken.” And with no more he turned with his men as one and the lot of them swept from the rooms to his shuttle once more. For this he’d be taking her to his home in the country, as far from the Alliance as he could get.

  Violet moved slightly in his arms and turned into him with a whispered sigh of sadness. “So many will die, Titan. There is dissention inside of the Regency and they will try to topple the Alliance. I’m afraid.”

  Cradling her close he looked to his men. “No one speaks of anything she says. This is privileged information and I will slit the throat of any man that lets it out.” One by one they all nodded to him bowing their heads in a pledge to him and her. Looking back to Violet he stroked her cheek. “Do not fear, little flower,” he murmured, making a play on her name. “I will help you ensure that our world survives and that we never have to worry again.”

  “Thank you, Titan,” she whispered and rubbed her cheek to his neck. “I’m sorry I dropped like I did. I didn’t want to, but I couldn’t help it. The pain was too much, too strong. It was as if the darkness was flaying me alive.” She sighed and shook her head. “The cure, to your people’s plague.” She pulled back to look at him. “It’s not what you think,” she whispered but paused and said nothing more.

  “It matters not what it is, Violet. We will ensure that no one destroys the only hope we have to remain alive,” he said softly against her cheek before he lightly kissed her skin. “We will not lie down and let anyone take from us the lives we all have, we will fight and we will win.” Looking up at a word from the pilot he nodded. “We are almost to our country home, wife. Will you be all right for a little longer.” He didn’t have enough blood on the property and without it he wouldn’t be able to feed her enough for the change she would need to go through and soon from the pallor of her cheeks.

  “I will be fine.” She leaned her head to his shoulder and sighed. “You don’t have to change me right away and you know that, Titan. Why did you tell them that?” She looked up at him and smiled. “Not that I’m complaining because I will gladly let you change me as soon as we can.” Touching his cheek lightly she grinned. “God I love you, Titan.”

  “Because you are acting erratic which means the child is already pulling blood from your body,” he told her softly. “You will need blood, lots of blood. Specifically my blood as you cannot have bagged. If we do not begin the change soon, the draw from the babe could hurt you even more. But if you wish to wait we can wait, Violet. It is your choice after all.”

  “As soon as we can, Titan. I want to be like you as soon as possible so that our child doesn’t suffer at all.” She sighed and shook her head. “I’m not acting erratically, Titan. This happens when I get a vision. It’s not to be confused with erratic behavior. It simply is what it is.”

  “As you say, my Lady,” he said, moving so he could see her face and smiled ever so slightly. “I will trust in you about your gift as I have no knowledge but for what has been passed down through time. You will need to tell me these things as I fully admit that I am clueless.” As the shuttle settled to the ground he lifted her into his arms once more. “Here we are, home at last,” he murmured, happier than he could express.

  She let her eyes travel over the grasses of their home and sighed. “I’m glad.” She looked around at the faces of the men and smiled before leaning in and close to Titan’s ear. “Double our guard? I have just a really, really bad feeling that the war won’t wait for us to come to it.”

  “Well, unfortunately for the war, it will have to just wait as I plan on being with my Lady wife for the next week and just enjoying her and helping her to adjust to her new life.” Stopping he turned to show her the house he’d built many, many years ago. “Welcome home, Violet,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

  She looked over the house and felt her heart begin to pound. “It’s…” It was spectacular. There were windows from floor to ceiling in several of the rooms, blooms of all colors exploded in the countryside and made her smile. “I have dreamed of this house since I was a child,” she whispered in awe. “There are fifteen bedrooms in the main home. There are three barracks out back.” She said with a smile, “Or am I wrong?”

  Shaking his head at her talent, her gift, he sighed. “You are not wrong, my Lady. You are indeed quite correct about those facts,” he told her as he carried her for the door as one of his men moved ahead to open it for them. Nodding to him as he stepped inside he stopped in the foyer. “I would give you the
tour but you appear more prepared for a nap.”

  “Sleep does sound good.” She sighed and leaned her head to his shoulder. “Later I want that tour. When I wake as your Vampire wife, I demand a tour.” She nuzzled her lips against his neck and sighed. “I love you, Titan. Thank you for taking care of me.”

  Nodding he headed for the stairs as his men began to secure the property. Moments later he had her in their large suite. “Do you want me to change you now, Violet, or would you rather rest first?” he asked her quietly as he let her take her own feet once more so she could undress herself with his assistance.

  “Shower first and then change me, Titan.” She was tired yes, but she wanted to change now. From what she understood she would sleep for three days after so she could wait to sleep until after the change. “The sooner that you change me, Titan, the better for us all around.”

  “All right,” he said softly, reaching around her to undo the ties holding her dress onto her body, pulling them loose. “You have the choice of water or sonic,” he added, as the material fell to her feet. Scooping her up once more he carried her into the bathing chamber.

  “Sonic to help ease the aches and pains of the day.” She smiled softly at him and nodded. “Later, however, later I would like to take a very nice and hot shower or bath with you. For now, however, come and have a sonic shower with me?” Knowing full well they couldn’t go without touching, without making love. “I need you, Titan. I need to forget the images in my mind.” She needed something else to replace the sight of the Alliance Tribunal Hall running red with their blood.

  Letting her go after a moment more, he stepped back and undressed quickly before rejoining her. For the sonic shower one didn’t need to get undressed, but for what plans she had this would definitely save time. He picked her up gently carrying her through the large room to the equally impressive bathing chamber and into the stall. After programming the computer he let her feet down to the floor once more and then just held her for a time.

  Her arms around his shoulders, she nuzzled against his chest with a sigh. “I hate this feeling of hunger, this need.” And that was just what it was. She felt hungry, needy. “Which is another reason we need to change me as soon as possible so that our child never has to suffer from not having what he needs.”

  “I know,” he said quietly, rubbing his chin to her hair. “When we are done here I will start your change and from there it will be with you, Violet. I won’t lie, it won’t be comfortable at least until you can sleep. Once you are in the sleep you won’t know anything until you wake approximately three days from now. You’ll wake hungry and it will likely be pretty harsh. Just remember, I’m on your side,” Titan added in a light tone she had a feeling was forced.

  She laughed and shook her head. “Right, I will try to remember that, Titan.” A thought moved through her mind. “Don’t let me hurt you, Titan. I really was trained to kill. I know that I haven’t acted like it but I am very, very deadly. Don’t let me hurt you.”

  “I won’t, wife. I promise,” he said softly against her hair before dropping a kiss to her hair. Leaning back slightly he moved a hand to cup her cheek. “I love you, Violet, we will get through this together and, when we come out the other side, we will be all the stronger for it.”

  “I love you, too, Titan.” She leaned into his cheek and sighed. “We will come out of this beautifully. We will come out the other side and we will be all the stronger for it.” She repeated his words back to him. “This feels good.” To be in his arms, to feel the heat of the sonic waves relaxing her muscles. “I think that your Alliance Council will soon be knocking down our front door demanding answers.”

  “They will find it a challenge to get onto my property and well they know it,” he told her quietly. “No one comes here unless they are invited or call first,” he added, stroking her hair back and kissing her nose lightly. “Are you feeling any better?”

  “Yes, very much so.” She smiled up at him and nodded. “I feel very…” She ran her hand down his back and cupped the perfectly muscular ass. “I feel very, very good but you feel even better than good.”

  He jumped slightly at her bold touch and eyed her. “When you wake, you need to tell me everything you learned while on that planet, Violet. Not for any reason except for my damned peace of mind,” he muttered as he mirrored her and cupped her ass pulling her against him and rubbing slightly to tease them both.

  “I will show you everything I learned if you want me to,” she said with a smile. “For now though I really would like for you to make love to me. I need you, Titan, before we do the change, take me one last time before I spend forever at your side as a Vampire?”

  “Not the last time,” he told her with a faint smile. “I fully intend to make love to you for all the years to come, Violet, as often as you will allow me to,” he teased softly. Lifting her up he kissed her. “Wrap your legs around me, wife.” Titan breathed out as the head of his cock lightly rubbed against her pussy.

  Her legs closed around him, the muscles in her body all happily complying to her wills. “It is the last time, Titan.” She leaned in and licked the side of his neck before nuzzling him lightly with the flats of her teeth. “The last time with me as a human.”

  Shivering at her touch he hugged her to him as he lowered her over him. “Trust me in this, Violet, if you like what we do now, you will be ecstatic when we do this after your change.” He breathed out, fighting his instincts. He would not hurt her. He would love her gently as she deserved and give her something happy to take with her into the sleep of his people.

  “Well I’m glad that I will because I already love what we do.” Her face nuzzled against his shoulder again, he noted. The deep-rooted instincts driving her to try to get to what her body needed, what their child’s body needed, but couldn’t yet get for herself. “More, Titan, please,” she begged softly as she moved with him.

  Nuzzling at her throat Titan kissed her pulse as it leapt before he slowly dragged his tongue over the thin and soft flesh. Moving within her body he nipped at her. “I will always give you everything I can, Violet,” he murmured softly.

  “And you have all of me,” she retorted even as her body clenched on his. “There.” He had adjusted his angle or how deeply he was moving in and out of her body and had hit her in just the right place which was making her clutch frantically at his shoulders, scraping the flesh roughly.

  Growling softly he slid his teeth into her throat and drank slowly, carefully, knowing he needed to take quite a bit from her but not too much. Thrusting into her he closed his eyes as her blood slid over his tongue and he fought to keep from savaging her.

  Her hands moved to his shoulder and neck, digging in before moving into his hair. “Titan.” She was so close. The bite and then the movements of his body in hers were enough to send her reeling. When he started to pump harder, faster, she was lost. She choked out his name in a broken scream as she came hard enough to make her body clench down on him and hold him tightly inside of herself.

  Bucking against her he shuddered as he came, his seed filling her tight body. His arms clutched her to him he slowly pulled his teeth from her throat. His tongue slid over her skin lightly before he pressed his forehead to her shoulder. “Gods I can’t wait until we can do this after.” He breathed.

  It took her several minutes before the slow smile and then she asked, “And why’s that, my Lord?” The title was more of a caress with how she said it than anything, “Why can’t you wait? Will there be something inside of me that will flip on to make me more sexually desirable to you?”

  There was a loaded question and the male in him lifted his head cautiously to look at her. “I believe I may just not answer that and let you figure it out after the fact. It will likely save me from stuffing my foot into my mouth and getting into things too deep to get back out again.”

  She laughed and shook her head. “Well then I can’t wait to find out what makes Vampire sex so much more, Titan.” She touched h
is cheek lightly. “Maybe then you won’t take me as if you will break me.” She smiled. “You won’t you know, break me that is. You won’t break me. I can promise you that.”

  “I just don’t want to harm you, Violet,” he said softly, leaning into her light touch. “You are and always will be more fragile than I am and your health, happiness, and well-being are my concerns to see to. If I do not care for you then I am not the man to be at your side, wife,” he told her honestly. “Only a fool hurts that which has brought him light of the sort he’s never before seen.”

  She blushed and smiled. “You are the sweetest man alive, Titan,” she whispered. “I love you, baby.” She hugged him tightly. “You would never hurt me. I know that you would never hurt me.”

  He was glad that one of them was so sure of that detail, he thought as he stroked his fingers over her back lightly. Kissing her gently as the shower finished he kept her with him as he walked out and to the bed chamber to lay them both down on the bed, only there pulling from her to lie at her side. Laying a hand over her belly he lightly stroked her skin. “Are you ready?” he asked softly knowing that the next few moments were going to be hard and more than a bit stressful.

  Violet nodded and laid her hand over his on her belly. “Yes, for our child I’m ready, Titan. For our life together I’m ready.” She leaned in and nibbled at his lips lightly. “For me I’m ready and for you I’m ready. The three of us, we need this, Titan. Our child because he needs his father’s blood, you because you need to know you won’t hurt me, and me”—she pressed her forehead to his—“because I need the happiness only you and being as you are will bring me.”

  Chapter Ten

  Kissing her back he nodded. “All right,” he breathed out softly. “I need to take a lot of your blood and then you will need to drink back all that and more to initiate the turn. Because you haven’t had any of my blood yet it will be a little more than normal for the child’s sake. Then you will be ill and feel pain that I can’t prevent.” Gods he wished he could though for her. “After that I will give you some more blood after I feed and then you will slip into the sleep of the Vampire. Three days from now you will wake up as one of my people and need more blood,” he told her, needing her to know what was coming.