The Ing's Consort

Kalen stood from his chair, introducing the lanky human escort and her shorter companion. "This is Mia. She'll accompany you during the daytime while her partner, Elsie, will take the evening shifts. Tomorrow, I'll introduce you to the rest of their company." His mood had not improved since returning home to the mansion. Kalen had instead become even more defensive and aloof, though she shouldn't have been surprised.

Both Marianne and her mother had been frantic upon her return. Marianne had gotten word from Kalen shortly after their departure from Eamon's mansion and had made Caitlin a wide spread of food to curb her low blood sugar. Even the doctor ate with her, eyeing her pointedly every time she hesitated to take a bite.

Now, they were in the basement level with the two new escorts. Assassins, is how he described them. But not just any assassins. They were contracted hunters that knew how to take down a vampire, but the little one also just happened to

be

one of their kind. "You're not to go anywhere outside the mansion without one of them present. Do you understand, Caitlin?"

She averted her gaze, irritated at his chill tone. "Yes."

"Good. I'll leave you three to get acquainted."

As he adjourned from the master suite, Caitlin glanced between the two women, shooting them an apologetic grimace before chasing after Kalen. "Wait." She caught him in the hall. "Please, Kalen, don't run off again."

When she grabbed his sleeve, he turned abruptly, his face a mask of indifference. "What is it?"

Caitlin looked into his eyes, seeing nothing warm in them. "We, um, haven't talked since it happened. I know you're trying to protect me, but I need to know what's wrong?"

"You know what's wrong." His jaw twitched, revealing a little of what was behind that impassivity.

"Amandine," she whispered.

Kalen pursed his lips at the sound of his mother's name. "Among other things." He caressed her cheek, his deep hazel eyes flickering with worry. "I should have told you before, that-"

"I'm exchangeable?" She shook her head, cupping his hand. "Your father really is sick, isn't he? And now he has your mother. He would have taken me from you, if it weren't for her."

A shadow crossed Kalen's eyes, but his other hand stroked the slight swell of her belly. "I would never have let him. You know that."

"

How

would I know that? You don't talk to me, anymore." She closed her eyes, secretly enjoying his touch. Caitlin traced her hands up his chest, feeling his lean yet muscular figure before lacing her arms around his neck.

Her belly was pressed to his narrow stomach as he lowered his head, brushing their foreheads together. "I'm proceeding with my plans to take the throne."

Caitlin blinked once, twice, then glanced up at his serene face. "When?"

"Within the week." His eyes opened, and she saw the slightest trace of darkness seeping into the whites. "My contact will send word within the hour of the council's departure, then I will take what is mine. Eamon will never see it coming, not now that he's distracted with my mother."

She did not like the sound of that. With the usurping, there was a chance Kalen could be killed, then nothing would stop the King from taking what he pleased, including her. "You have to kill him, Kalen. Before he hurts anyone else, before he hurts your mother."

Kalen's look was pained as he circled his arms around her waist. "He already has, which is why I'm advancing my plans. My father has reigned far too long and he's losing his sanity by the day. The other Kings will hear of this when the council members return to their homelands and they may very well take drastic actions to end his reign. I

must

make the first move."

Caitlin stood on her tip toes so she could reach his lips, remembering when they were moist from a dead man's blood. But when she kissed him, it was only sweetness she tasted.

His hand tightened around her neck as he accepted the kiss, slow and careful. Her tongue lashed his in irritation, attempting to rouse his passions. She saw his gaze troubled and his eyes unseeing. Caitlin took her burning lips back and rubbed her nose against his, trying to rouse a reaction from him. "Kalen, where are you? I need you here."

Kalen's eyes refocused on her, then a smile touched the lines of his eyes, but only slightly. "I'm sorry, you're right. I

have

been distracted, but-" He sighed and stroked down her back with both hands. "I can't take my mind off of what will happen next. We're so close, I can feel it. And yet... I don't know that I am ready to be King."

Caitlin scoffed, then realized he was earnest in his concern, the signature traces of his countenance wrinkled in doubt. She thumbed his adorable cleft, setting her gaze on his soft lips. "You had nearly three

hundred

years to prepare for this. And you would make a good King, I'm certain."

"I can hardly restrain myself with you, Caitlin. Who is to say I'd be any more merciful to my subjects?" He caught her by the shoulders, breaking their embrace. "You should get acquainted with your new escorts."

She grabbed him by the collar, balling her fists tight so he couldn't get away. "Don't change the subject, Kalen. Sometimes, yes, you can be very difficult to get on with, I'll admit. But I know who you are. The fact that you're even concerned that you might make a

bad

King is evidence enough that you would be better than your father. I doubt he has such reservations. We all saw what he did to that girl..."

Kalen chuckled mirthlessly, not attempting to escape her grip. Instead, he stroked her arms gently. "'Difficult' may be an understatement. I nearly killed you after taking that prisoner. If my darker nature had had but a moment longer, I-"

Caitlin occupied her mouth with his, refusing to allow his self-loathing to overwhelm him again. She wanted him to know, in her own way, that there was nothing in heaven or on earth that would change her mind about him. She'd seen him kill and, after everything that had passed between them, knew his humanity was intact. It was evident in everything he did for her and every safeguard he erected. Even now, he was trying to sell her on the idea of 'escorts' again, in case his father decided he wasn't finished with her sentencing. Though it had only been a handful of months, she

knew

where her loyalties lie. She broke the kiss only after he softened to her touch. "Take me to bed, my King," she whispered in his ear, kissing his cheek.

"Is that an order, my Queen?"

She smiled against his warm skin. "It is."

Kalen's hands caught her thighs and hoisted her against him. With a whoosh of air and a creeping nausea, they were in her room on the second floor. He set her gently on the bed so she could recover from her churning stomach, leaning over her with the support of his long arms. "Was it too fast?" he asked, rubbing her back gently.

Caitlin, on hands and knees, swallowed back the nausea and glanced up at him; the sickness faded as she looked up into his hungry hazel eyes. The skin on her arms flared with goosebumps as she rolled to her back beneath him, as eager as he looked. She grabbed his shirt and started unbuttoning it frantically.

He stayed her hands, then unclasped all the buttons, leaving his shirt to waft his overwhelming scent in her face. Caitlin slipped her arms into the shirt and felt the taut muscles of his back, arching into him.

Kalen's hand worked over her own clothes, stripping them off her in a few quick motions. Soon enough, she was naked and entirely exposed beneath him. His searching hands found her neck and, with a firm grip, his thumb caught her jaw in a vise, kissed her on the chin. Kalen's voice rumbled deep in his throat as he spoke. "You're mine, Caitlin. Mine and mine alone."

Elation coursed through her as he used his thumb to lever her head towards the headboard. His mouth closed around the soft spot beneath her jaw and her toes curled all on their own. He left a warm kiss there, then moved to the edge of her jaw, tracing it to her earlobe. She felt his hot breath in her ear as he nibbled on the soft flesh, making her squirm with impatience.

She took in a ragged breath, drawing her hands up his back as he sampled her. His legs caught hers and pinned them, so she was splayed open beneath him. Kalen's hard cock pressed against her womanhood, still imprisoned by his pants. She blindly reached for his buttons when his other hand caught hers, and pinned it to the level of her head. "You're not in charge tonight, Caitlin."

At his words, a small whine escaped her throat. She loved this side of him, the one that craved her wholly. And she knew, deep down, that his 'darker nature' was present on some level. She could feel the darkness condensing around them, which sent another chill rippling through her body.

He let her arm go only long enough to unseal his pants, then his grip was back, squeezing her slender wrist tightly. When he released her jaw, she caught his eye and saw they had already gone black. "I missed you," she said, using her free hand to caress the rough skin of his cheek.

Kalen's smile widened, and she noticed the glint of his canines. "Be careful what you wish for, my wildcat. You might just get it."

She traced her thumb over his cheekbone. "I trust you."

He gripped one of her breasts in his free hand and flicked her pearling nipple, his sharp mouth threatening to descend on it. "You shouldn't."

Caitlin arched her chest forward, so her breasts were close to his hungry mouth, wondering what it'd be like for him to taste her during sex. He might lose control and get lost in his bloodlust, but she remembered that ascetic pleasure that had come with it the first time, though she had been too frightened to appreciate it. "You stopped before, didn't you?"

All at once, his cock drove home inside of her, a quick and violent action. She choked on a gasp as he glared down at her with pitch dark eyes. "Are you testing me, Caitlin?" With the second thrust, she let out an unfettered shout of pleasure and pain, throwing her head back against the pillows. But he grabbed her hair and forced their gazes together as he thrust at third time. "Don't lie to me."

With her free hand, she gripped the comforter, unable to meet his black eyes as he drove home again, her body stretching her painfully with his girth. "No! I only-" She hissed in a breath as their pelvises met once again.

Kalen's unforgiving gaze skewered her. "'Only', what?"

Her legs were already caught beneath him, and with his body pinning her to the spot, she couldn't stop the ride long enough to think. So, the next thing out of her mouth was her true, unredacted thoughts. "I

want

you to bite me, Kalen!"

He grabbed her hair again, pressing his nose to the cleft of her neck and inhaling. His next words were a growl. "You'd risk everything for this?"

Caitlin shook her head as best she could with her hair caught in his grasp. "I-" She hissed in a breath with his next thrust. "I... trust you," she said again, her exhale ragged.

His mouth descended on her breast and she felt the graze of his teeth against her nipple. Kalen squeezed the other tightly as he thrust into her again, stealing her breath away. His jaw opened wide as he took in more of her soft flesh into his mouth, and she felt the teeth growing. Fear and anticipation mingled inside her, then she froze, her eyes widened.

Kalen's teeth sank in, the skin breaking with a dull snap and she felt the draw of his mouth, pulling her essence into himself. She chased her free hand through his hair as his grip on her tightened and his dick twinged inside of her.

Despite the impending danger and the pain that reduced to a dull roar, she cherished his desire to consume her. With the prisoner, it had been a quick and violent end. But with him hunkered over her, entering her more intimately than anyone else ever would, it was devastatingly sublime. He had not bitten her on the neck, otherwise she might have bled out in seconds. Kalen seemed to have carefully chosen this spot, though he might later try to convince her he had little control.

His black eyes flared open as he bit harder, making her cry out in delicious pain. Throughout, Kalen's thrusting never released her body, but the pace increased until she could hardly hold on to sanity. Caitlin's eyes rolled back in her head and she went limp, letting him ravish her body.

Kalen's teeth suddenly disappeared, and a bruising pain set in around her nipple. But he didn't wait long, rolling her over to her side, cupping her body with his as he entered again. His legs wrapped around her so she was still trapped, and she felt the trace of his wet mouth on the back of her shoulder. Without asking, his teeth sank in again, making her gasp.

He clasped his hand tight over her mouth as he pulled in her life's blood, that agonizing spark dulling to a delicious ache inside of her. She shouted his name, not wanting this to end but knowing, on some level, that she did not have much left to give. "Kalen!" she gave a muffled cry. "Stop!"

With his mouth still clamped over her shoulder, and his teeth still deep inside her, he stopped sucking. His hand snuck around and caught her bruised breast, squeezing tightly. Slowly, gradually, he removed his fangs from her flesh, kissing the wound with a bloody mouth. "You've no

idea

how badly I've wanted this." His teeth grazed over the untouched skin of her neck. "Why should I stop? I finally have you right where I want you."

She took in a shuddering breath, unable to look at him to see if he'd actually lost control. But if he had, he wouldn't be speaking to her... right? "You need me alive," she whispered, surprising herself by shedding a tear onto the sheets. "... for your son."

He left another kiss against her neck and thrust into her hard. "Do I?"

"Y-yes." Her spine bent back to receive him, and his next thrust left her breathless. The kisses on her back trailed to her left shoulder, where he hadn't bitten. She let out a little whine from a throat, apprehensive of those teeth she'd so craved as they nicked her flesh again. "Please stop, Kalen."

With a swift motion, he hoisted her ass up in the air, curling his hips into her again and making her cry out. Her belly was between her knees, while her chest was pinned to the bed by his unyielding hand. He shoved into her, harder than he had before, forcing her back to bend towards the mattress. With a hand on her back, and another on the base of her spine, he rammed into her with great speed, making her scream into the sheets.

Soon, he'd grown so furious in his passions, he drilled into her until she ran out of breath. As she inhaled in anticipation of another agonizing round, he let out his own groan of satisfaction, and she felt him explode inside of her, filling her up.

Still pinned, she breathed hard as he slowly slid out, his hand never leaving her back. Caitlin closed her eyes, reveling in the rigorous boning, as well as the ache left from his teeth. Had they done it? Had he maintained his control throughout? It seemed to be the case, with the exception that he kept her in place on the bed. She wondered that he might be holding her for the fear of his own reaction, more than anything. Caitlin craned her neck to look at him, unsure what she'd find.

Kalen hadn't seemed to move once he'd withdrawn from her womanhood. His eyes were still dark and his mouth red from her blood. But he didn't stare her down, instead, he held her in place, taking one slow breath after the next.

"Kalen? You can let go of me, now." She used her free hand to stroke his clothed knee, but the gesture didn't sway him.

He blinked, then seemed to register where he was. But his eyes didn't lighten to their usual hue. Keeping his hand on her back, he hunkered over her menacingly, his eyes boring into her as he growled, "You shouldn't play with fire, Caitlin. You know better."

She was too winded from their passion to scrounge up an answer. If he did anything to hurt her, she knew he'd never forgive himself. And Caitlin had put him in this predicament at her own stupid whim. She watched his face, seeing something dangerous break over the impassivity.

Slowly, so slowly she could feel time pass, she raised a hand to his face, hesitating just before the tips of her fingers touched his roughened skin. "I

trust

you," she whispered, hoping he might actually hear her this time. When her hand made contact, she saw a flash of him pulling away, disgust marring his fair features. Then the weight of him was gone.

He stood at the end of the bed, holding his cotton shirt as if he didn't know what to do with such an object. For a long moment, he stood frozen, that disgust still lingered on his face. "I'm- sorry, Caitlin," he finally said. "I didn't know that I could... stop myself, once I started."

Caitlin's body relaxed, still sore from his teeth and his cock. But her body throbbed in that same, delicious agony that she'd felt during sex, and realized she didn't resent him for almost losing control. He

hadn't

, and that's what mattered. She checked the wound on her breast, and felt over her shoulder for the leaking wound, coming back with blood on her fingertips. "But you stopped yourself," she said simply, glancing up at him with a guilty expression that bordered on triumph. "Now, you have no excuse."

Kalen glanced down at her, his eyes still blackened by the bloodlust. "Don't tempt me."

The look he gave her made her swallow involuntarily. She sat up and suddenly became lightheaded, clutching the bed for support as the world spun against her will. "How much did you..." Caitlin couldn't finish that thought as her head swam dangerously, forcing her under a wave of darkness. She broke through the surface of the crashing tow long enough to see his eyes flare their normal hue, then the blackness consumed her.

*

"What did you

do

to her?" She heard the doctor's voice first, pushing through the seeping darkness. Silence followed, then she felt the press of a hand to her head. It disappeared suddenly, making her flinch. "Thank god the courier is already on his way. I have to give her at least three more bags just to make up for the blood loss. Her cell count is dismal, Kalen. You can't-"

"I understand." Kalen's voice cut through the space, making Caitlin's eyes flutter open. She saw them at the end of her bed, the mousy doctor glaring up at the prince. His energies were already seeping into the space around him. "I hired you for a reason, Althea, and that is for your discretion. Treat your patient, doctor." He waved a hand to Caitlin without looking in her direction.

"And I've done my best. But she will not

make

it through the pregnancy if you insist on using her as your own personal blood bag. Caitlin and the child will die unless you cease and desist immediately." The doctor didn't back down, making Caitlin realize for the first time what a force this woman was. Despite her humanity and her deceptively lean stature, she was disputing a prince of

vampires

, for God's sake. And on her behalf, no less. "I don't care if she begged you to do it. You make the final decisions, Kalen, and I worry that you are going the way of your father. I saw the bruises."

The stood in utter silence, staring each other down. Neither seemed aware that she'd already woken up and was watching their tiff. Her head spun, but it was not so bad as to drag her under again. She cleared her throat and attempted to sit up.

They both quickly turned to stare at her. Althea's face was filled with worry. Kalen's, on the other hand, looked impassive as always, but with a trace of disappointment in his features.