Cake (14 page)

I had fully relaxed beneath Claudius by now, and he let my wrist go. I gritted my teeth and bit back a groan as it flopped limply to the floor.

“
There are half-bloods. You can tell them because the pupil of their eye turns blood red only. They are considered on the low end of the scale, but they are born of the Red Vampire. In the past there were vampires who hunted those half-bloods down to purify the species, which is absurd. We would have faded into myth long ago if we did not continually get new breeding stock.”

I tried to prise myself out from his hold, but Claudius still wouldn’t release me.

“
Next are Pinks, then Scarlets, and then the highest red flame—Crimson. I am a deep Crimson, and Marcus is a pale Crimson, almost on the border of being a deep Scarlet. If the current theory regarding the watering down of the bite is true, you should be a Scarlet Flame.”

The shower turned off, and a blast of warm, moist air hit me as the shower door was opened. I didn’t see Marcus emerge as I was still facing the far corner of the room with Claudius continuing to lie upon my head.

“
But I heard you say something about blue and violet eyes for me,” I said, before I heard my skull crack. I’d shifted, and Claudius had responded by leaning heavier on my neck. I just stopped moving.

“
Good, another interesting effect I should write down. Most newborns cannot control any of their vampiric power or their fangs, and definitely most cannot recall any memory of their First Flame or any conversations around them. However, your Flame appears to be a Prussian Blue. It flared a flash of violet at the peak of your orgasm.”

“
But you said everything was shades of red!”

Claudius shifted his weight again.

Get off…please, get off my neck.

I heard him address Marcus. “We will need his cuffs.”

I heard the wet slap, slap of bare feet on the tiled floor as Marcus headed back to the playroom.

“
Now, my little fledgling, this brings us up to you. You surprised us. You, Sex, are a genetically hidden highbred—not a half blood or a bite, as the modern fledglings call it. Once, there were fifteen Houses within the Vampire Nation, consisting of thirteen Red Flame Houses, and two Blue Flame. One of those two was the Royal House. The Blue Blood, or Blue Flame Vampires, were stronger, faster and possessed gifts that were denied to the other Houses. Because of these special gifts, the Blue Flames were able to rule the Vampire Nation with an iron fist. The Blues believed that the vampire should live apart from humans and not interact with them at all, but there were a lot of Reds who did not agree with this policy.”

I continued to lie still, even though I wanted nothing more than to get up from off the floor. Claudius kept talking.

“
During the beginning of the Inquisition, every Blue Flame was systematically hunted and killed, being named a witch—No Reds, just the Blues, which is why I find it so amazing that one Blue Flame has been hiding as human for generations, and not just a simple Blue, but one of the Royals--a Blue line. When I was first made, we had an Emperor. I met him once, and saw that his Vampiric Eye was violet. Only
his
House had that trait. You share that trait; therefore you are a Royal Blue Flame.”

So what the fuck did all this mean? I’m a bastard’s offspring from some Emperor’s cousin? That didn’t really tell me why my skin was staring to burn again as Marcus came near.

What is it? Does it go away? When does it go? Why does it happen?

I heard the dreaded jingle jangle of the leather bondage cuffs and steel links as Marcus stood beside us. I had a feeling that pleading with Claudius to let me up would just lead to more pain, so I kept silent.

“
Hands behind your head, Sex.”

Both of them buckled those damn leather cuffs onto me.

“
I think we are going to need a minimum of four links. No, I will do it. Your touch just sets him off, and we have to get him secured to the bed first. It is starting already. Back away now Marcus, just the scent of your essence is ready to ignite him.”

I found myself up righted and frog-marched to the bed, giving Claudius no problems as he locked my cuffs to the center of the headboard. I was familiar with every hitching post on this gigantic bed after having been attached to them one way or another, night after night, during my forced stay. I lay there passively now, naked and wincing from the pain in the side of my neck, which ached from the pressure Claudius had applied to it.

He reached out and cupped my bruised face, easily forcing my head to the side and looking at the mess he’d made. His arctic blue eyes flicked up to meet mine.

“
Before this night continues, Sex, I will tell you what to expect. When vampires feed, we take blood. But what you might not know is that we take life as well—we call it ‘essence’. Depending on the individual’s natural life expectancy, you might get a heady feeling, almost intoxicating even, when you kill them. This means that they had a long life ahead of them, and you have drunk it to the dregs. If you are young and inexperienced, something like this is an overload to your system—which is what you are suffering now. And this feeling will get worse, before it gets better.”

I heard myself groaning, but it sounded more like a needy whine.

“
It is natural for a fledgling to Flame almost immediately after feeding, and maybe two to three times later in the evening or even into the next day, if the essence is strong. Your body will keep the essence it requires to survive, the rest you have to get rid of. There are many ways to do that, but the most common, and enjoyable, is to do it through sex.”

Claudius began to remove his clothes. My mouth went completely dry as I stared at him. He folded up his shirt and set it on a chair, and then he reached for his pants. He wasn’t going to…no, he wasn’t going to take them off, was he?

“
Severe internal damage can occur if the excess essence is not released. Marcus and I will help you release that, with or without your permission. We do this to save your life, Sex.”

“
I have already got his permission,” Marcus piped up, standing at the side of the bed, toweling his damp hair. He turned and tossed the wet towel back into the bathroom.

Damn, how the hell did I get here, chained to a bed, my hands locked over my head, with one gorgeous naked man standing on one side and another stunning one, half undressed, on the other?

“
We will help you until you cannot pick up the Flame any longer. You should be safe then, and you can rest. You will have earned it,” Marcus said, as he moved in and sat on the edge of the bed.

The mattress dipped and tilted me towards him, and I ended up propped against his side. His apple-orchard essence filled my head and sinus cavities, and I felt my skin ignite again, that crystal vision dropping back down into place. I pulled on my bonds, twisting my head towards his body, and inhaled deeply, allowing his apple scent to envelop me. I tossed back my head and laughed. “Enough of the history lesson…Fuck me.”

Marcus leaned towards me, running his fingers along my flesh. My skin was so sensitive that everywhere he touched set me ablaze. It felt like my skin was burning off. I lay back, angling my body so my bound hands were directly above my head. This proved to be an excruciating position, and so I pressed my back into the mattress and began to wriggle about, trying to find some comfort and release.

“
I know that this is not you, Sex. You are reluctant, unless hyper-aroused,” Marcus said as he laid a hand on the middle of my chest. As he did so, I felt myself burst into hundreds of tiny flames. More than anything, I wanted this vampire in me, claiming me.

Gimme, or I’ll take it.

I felt my fangs come down slowly. “Fuck me, Marcus,” I said huskily, lifting my legs to my chest, presenting everything I had to offer. “Make me cry. I know you like it when I cry.”

Claudius quickly continued with the removal of his clothes, and I turned my gaze over to him. His body was beautiful, if somewhat small. He had a swimmer’s build, whereas Marcus was a tank. I parted my lips and flicked my tongue out at my big, brown-haired vampire.

“
Do not let him bite you, Marcus. I am not at all sure that I could get him to stop drinking if he does get a hold on you.”

I disregarded Claudius. I only had eyes for Marcus. “Come and fuck me, my Pretty. I want you in me. Fuck me. Now!”

And he did. It was hard, and fast, and rough. He kept the stimulation up at my nipples and stroked his way to my cock, jacking me until I exploded. Then he grabbed my hips and rode me hard to his own finishing line. It felt like a fresh, wet-blanketed layer had been thrown over my body, cooling my hyper-heated flesh, even if it were only for a mere instant.

Marcus withdrew from my portal, and I relished the fact that the sex hadn’t hurt too much this time. But it wasn’t enough. It wasn’t nearly enough. I twisted on the bed. My skin was still on fire.

“
More.” My voice was like a child’s, demanding. “MORE!”

A different cock slid into me, and I closed my eyes as I arched my back and shoulders off the bed. “Claudius…fuck me.”

I didn’t care if he was watching me or not, I turned my head to track Marcus in the room. “Pretty…where are you going?”

Claudius caught my chin and pulled my face back up to him. “Pay attention here. I am trying to help you.”

I snapped my fangs at him. “You’re fucking me good. But you suck better, though.”

Claudius stopped pumping into my body and gave me a dirty look, before pulling out of my portal completely. Whatever calming effect had occurred during our rut was for nothing, because it felt like I just burst into Flame again.

“
On your knees, you vampire slut,” Claudius ordered, holding onto me and helping me turn over. “I will show you the good, hard fucking that you are in such desperate need of.”

He re-entered without ceremony and started thrusting hard. I closed my eyes and opened my mouth and just grunted with each thrust he made. He pulled back on my hips, stretching out my torso and extending my arms away from the ring on the bed. It felt as if my skin were being stretched paper-thin. He kept up his cadence but leaned low over my back, raking dual trails down my spine with his fangs. I buried my face into the mattress and screamed with sheer pleasure when his fingernails pinched at my nipples and twisted hard. I humped back into him, clenching my teeth and groaning to the gods or whoever else was listening. I was pure sex.

“
Who is fucking you?”

“
You are.”

“
What is my name?

“
Claudius.”

“
What am I doing?”

“
You’re fucking me.”

“
Who is?”

“
Claudius. Claudius is fucking me good. Claudius is fucking me hard. Harder, Claudius, harder!”

Laughter broke out as Marcus joined us on the bed. “You sound like a Grade one primer, Sex.”

“
Not helping, Marcus,” Claudius returned. “Take him in hand, please.”

Claudius put his arms around my stomach and lifted me, hanging me suspended from my cuffs and his cock while Marcus maneuvred onto his back and slid beneath me. As soon as Marcus swallowed my dripping hardness, there was a subtle shift to an even clearer vision, which I didn’t really get a chance to appreciate because I exploded in his mouth with an unnaturally loud cry. I tightened up on Claudius’s cock, and he too let out a cry that mingled with mine as he rammed into me hard until he left his own deposit up my ass.

I flopped down onto the bed, and Claudius landed on top of me, leaving Marcus squirming to get out from the bottom of the pile.

“
You are on my hair,” he complained, his mouth muffled against my stomach. Wearily, I shifted, and he pulled the strands free until he could sit up beside us. Some of my un-swallowed cum was staining his cheek and the corner of his lip, and I watched stupidly, unable to do anything, as he licked it from his face. I was lucky to be breathing, as Claudius still pinned me beneath him to the mattress. Thankfully, he shifted, and I groaned and closed my eyes as his spent member popped out of my portal.