It seemed like an infinity, as she lay there, unable to stop the bliss she was feeling, unable to breath to fill her lungs with sweet oxygen. In the middle of all that pleasure, she felt a sharp pang and felt his lips on the inside of her thigh.
His cheeks were deep hollows as he suckled at her flesh, his tongue a fiery brand against her skin. With one last whimper of pleasure, her eyes closed and she slept, feeling the heat of his palm against her eyes as he covered them.
Lucien felt the joy of her orgasm in the adrenaline filled blood he took from her. It was sweet and he knew he would have to be careful not to take too much. Pulling in one last mouthful of her blood, he licked at the wound, watching the tiny punctures close and begin to heal.
The taste of her was even better than he’d thought, her purity and innocence giving her a flavor that was almost overwhelming to him. He rose in the bed, pulling the coverlet over the two of them after he’d stripped off the rest of his clothes. Pulling her against his hard body, he closed his eyes, letting his breathing slow to match hers.
Bright colors swirled behind his eyes and he forced himself to concentrate upon them, finally making sense of the picture he saw. She was there, his Kendra, standing at a sink with a scrub brush in her hand, working at cleaning out bedpans in the cold rush of water that came from the well.
“My love, what is this that you do?” he asked, coming up behind her. He took the scrub brush from her hand, tossing it into the sink and pulling her away. “You do not ever have to work like this again.”
“But … my stepmother…” she began.
“Is of no consequences anymore.” He held her close, letting his forehead rest against her hair. “You’re mine now, Kendra. The only one you have to obey is me.”
“I don’t understand,” she whispered, her hands fisting in the fabric of his shirt. “How can I be yours?”
“Tell me, how do you feel inside?” he asked instead of answering her question. He nodded his head encouragingly when she looked up at him.
For a moment, Kendra closed her eyes, blocking out the sight of his perfect face surrounded by silky soft inky black curls. She held her breath, her senses telling her everything he wanted her to know. “I feel like I’m yours,” she finally finished, staring up at him with startled eyes. “But how is this possible?”
“I’ve marked you as mine,” he whispered. “You belong to no one but me.” His hand moved down, pulling up her skirt and parting the slender columns of her thighs. His fingers traced the four little punctures. “These mean you belong to me, Kendra. You don’t have to scrub or cook or care for anyone but me ever again.
“Truly?” she gasped as his fingers slipped a bit higher, finding her wet and ready for him.
“Truly,” he stated. “If you need me, think my name and I’ll be there. No one may touch you without my knowing. No one will hurt you or force you to do anything you do not wish to do.” His voice dropped, his tone still melodic but deeper, sending a shiver up her spine. “You’re mine.”
“I’m yours,” she repeated. A sudden noise had her head twisting as she looked around for the cause of the sound. Daniel opened the cottage’s door, his red face growing even redder when he saw Kendra in Lucian’s arms.
“Who are you and what are you doing with my slutty sister?” he growled.
Kendra flinched, wanting to hide but Lucian’s fingers moved calmly over her face lifting her chin so he could see her eyes.
“Who do you belong to?” he whispered. “Tell me.”
“You,” Kendra keened, moving closer to his cold form. “I belong to you.”
“Then you never have to fear him again.” Lucian barely seemed to move and Daniel flew across the postage stamp sized room, causing a cloud of ash to rise from the tiny fireplace. He rose, wiping the clumps of burned wood and ash from his eyes. They were red rimmed now and beady. With a roar of rage, he thundered toward Lucian once more.
Lucian easily moved Kendra out of the way, grabbing Daniel’s outstretched arm, his fist like a marble battering ram in the bigger man’s stomach. Daniel fell backwards, his arms pinwheeling as he tried to catch his balance and breath at the same time. He hit hard, the metal grate in the fireplace jumping and spilling more of the old logs it held.
“Stay down,” Lucian growled, unable to stop his fangs from growing. He hissed at Kendra’s stepbrother, watching as the idiot ignored his words and rose again. “Kendra,” he said, watching as she turned her face toward him. “Keep him down or I’ll kill him.”
Kendra stared at him for a moment, unsure of what he was asking. “What…”
“This is your dream, sweetheart. Keep him down. I don’t want to kill him, even in your dream.” Lucian watched as a slow understanding came over her. She glanced at Daniel and he sank down onto the hearth, all fight gone.
“This is my dream?” she asked Lucian.
“Yes honey, you can do whatever you want.” He watched as she smiled and then went to the fireplace, lifting the heavy skillet that would sit on the top of the grate to cook on. Lifting it into her small hands, she turned, calling Daniel’s name.