Chapter Ninety-Four

Havermouth, Present Time

“There is no need to answer now,” Talen continued. “It is not something that should be rushed. I had not intended to raise it with you so soon,” he touched her collar, adjusting it on her throat. “This is enough for me for the time being.”

“It means that I am yours?” She reached up to touch it.

“To others, it means that you are under my protection,” he made a slight gesture with his head that was not quite a nod. “To me, it means that you have chosen to… allow me to spend time with you,” his lips curled in a half smile. “With the goal of persuading you to accept me as your mate.”

She felt a fission cross her skin, and she blushed, squirming a little under the look in his eyes. “I’ve never been courted before,” she admitted shyly. “But it sounds nice, and I like that you want to court me.”

He hummed in his throat and stroked his hand over her skull, drawing her to him and wrapping his arms around her, resting his cheek of the crown of her head as he embraced her. “We are in agreement then," he said, his voice slightly hoarse. "As to what the collar means?"

She put her arms around his waist and hugged him back. “Yes.”

“Hmm, good,” he pressed a kiss into her hair. “Let us have a glass of wine to celebrate our agreement and look at whatever you have on Zeus.”

“Sounds good,” she eased back and smiled up at him. “So, the vitamins and food aren’t to fatten me up to be your blood slave?” She asked, as they walked hand in hand to the kitchen.

“The vitamins and food were because I had a look in the refrigerator,” he chuckled. “Anyone who, after a week of living here, had a fridge that bare, wasn’t eating a balanced diet. I have other resources for sustenance,” he added. “Zeus has a safe house established just outside of town.”

“A safe house,” she watched as he refilled their wine glasses and set the folder before him as he took the seat next to her.

He opened the folder as he stroked his other hand down her calf, lifting her foot onto his knee, and massaging his thumb into the pressure points as he raised his eyebrows at the contents of the folder. She fought the urge to moan in bliss.

“Unusual activity, indeed,” he murmured. “I believe your father found exactly what he thought he had found. A criminal organization using Zeus Forest Works to hide their illegal logging of hardwood trees in the area. To do that,” he pulled a wry face. “They will have contacts high up in the management of Zeus. May I take this?” He patted the folder. “I will need to look through it in detail and consult with the nest about how to manage it.”

“Sure,” she shrugged. “It’s no good to me. Apparently, my father was going to give it to some reporter, but I think that’s probably just going to piss off the wrong people.”

“I will take care of it,” he replied, and there was a grimness in his voice that left no doubt that she had seen only the softer side of her vampire daddy. She leaned back in the chair and fanned her hand over her chest. He looked up from the papers, his eyebrows raising with a smile. “You have that look in your eyes again, little demon,” he observed.

“Entirely your fault,” she told him. “Stop being sexy, and I’ll stop wanting to lick every inch of your skin.”

He laughed. “Drink your wine first.”

“So, safe house,” she took a sip of her wine. He closed the folder and turned to face her. “Is that where you go during the day?”

“No,” he chuckled. “I usually go to work.” He patted his thigh and she rose and slid onto his knee, resting her feet on the chair she had vacated. “In the modern world of sunscreen, hats and sunglasses,” his hand rested on her thigh, the fingers on the sensitive inside, teasingly close. “Whilst like most vampires, I am photosensitive, it is nothing more than a discomfort. Though I do prefer to work nights if the job allows for it.”

“You sleep next to me at night.”

“I have pulled a few day shifts, and it screws with my internal clock,” he tapped his fingers on her thigh. “So, yes, I sleep if you fall asleep.”

“And you drink at the safe house.”

“Vampires have learned to adapt and embrace technology and modernity,” he was amused by the question. “We run private blood banks amongst other businesses, so there is a plentiful supply of food. But fresh is better,” he nuzzled under her chin. “So, yes, I drink at the safe house.”

“What is that like?” She wondered, fascinated. She spread her legs slightly in encouragement of the teasing fingers. “Do you know the person you drink from in advance if they’re at a safe house and not one of your own blood slaves? How many blood slaves do you have?”

“I have four blood slaves,” he replied, his breath caressing the skin of her throat. “Though I prefer not to call the arrangement that. They are employees. I pay them a wage to be available for me when I call upon them, whether that is in their chosen home location, or to travel with me. I have an employee at the safe house. He is currently binge watching a corny vampire TV series, drinking beer, and eating pizza on the couch there.”

“He?” She remembered the way the chemistry had changed between Talen and Heath, and smirked. “Play for both sides, hmm, daddy?”

“At times, I have,” he dragged his teeth over her skin in the lightest of trails. “And I no doubt will again. But Tyler is more of a friend than a lover.”

“I’ve been inside your head when you drink,” she pressed slightly against his teeth, feeling the sharp prick of them. “And that is not something you share with a friend.”

“Hmm,” he withdrew his teeth. “You are assuming that feeling is one I have with everyone that I drink from.”

She turned her head towards him, surprised, and more than a little pleased by the half-admission. “It isn’t?”

“Supernatural beings all have our unique ways of identifying a mate,” he replied. “Werewolves identify a mate through scent and sex. Witches find their twin flame through magic. Incubi and succubi locate a mate through dreams. And a vampire knows a potential mate when their blood releases an endorphin hit similar to an orgasm.”

“An orgasm augmentation, how lovely,” she widened her legs. “I could have an orgasm augmentation if you’d… ah,” she groaned it out as he ceased teasing and complied, stroking over her clit. “Oh, yes.”

“My little demon,” he murmured.

She turned on his lap and climbed over him, releasing his cock from his jeans. She then lifted to take him into her as she threaded her fingers through the golden fall of his hair. “Yes, daddy?” She grinned. “You called my name.”

“Hmph,” he laughed through his nose and tugged her hips towards him until she was impaled upon his cock. “Someone is impatient.”

“Someone was teasing me,” she kissed him. “Don’t play coy. Your hand wasn’t casually on my thigh.”

“Wasn’t it?” He lifted an eyebrow, but his eyes laughed at her. “Are you going to scold me, or ride me, Morgana?”

“I’m female,” she lifted along the long length of him before driving herself down, causing him to grunt in surprise at the force. She flicked her hair back over her shoulder and grinned. “I can do both.”