Erotica Harem

Setting: Palladin’s car and Daniella’s home.

Characters: I think the reader learns more about Palladin in this chapter. He really seems like an ally now, I think that’s good to know. Of course, I guess that could change…

It seems like Daniella and Aiden are into bondage, which I wouldn’t have expected. Not that its out of character or anything.

Referencing: I don’t think I have any comments here.

Plot: Palladin agrees to watch out for Aiden and Spencer while Daniella is away. From Palladin’s POV, the reader learns more about the Nine and that Daniella may be the key to defeating them.
Daniella and Aiden continue to argue, which ends up with both becoming turned on.
Aiden and Daniella have the same bondage dream. I don’t know if that’s from a previous book, or it’s a new thing. I would assume it’s important somehow to the story.

Grammar: If I noticed something, it’s in the line by line.

Just my Opinion: This was a nice emotionally charged chapter. The end really had a hold of me. I’m sorry I don’t have many comments in the line by line this time around. I really enjoyed this chapter.

Sephina

Line by line:

“Will you do this for me?”

“I understand your concern, Daniella,” Palladin replied. Surprised by her call, he felt a little relieved as well. He hadn't been able to read her at all when they'd met earlier. In fact, he wondered if she would destroy him on the spot. He took a great risk going to see her, but he thought meeting in the light of day might alleviate any misgivings she would have about him. She's so strong, he mused. Only Sanehet has ever displayed that kind of strength. He turned his attention back to their conversation. “I’ll postpone my flight back to Spain.” He paused. “How did Aiden take this?” He’d sensed great hostility in that one.

“I will expect you at dusk,” she said.

Hmm, a bit protective of her mate. He knew there was something more she wanted to say, and he waited.

“My father trusted you.” she said at last, her voice cold and deadly. “But if you think to deceive me, your death will be slow, and I promise, extremely painful. You will wish the Nuasair Nine found you instead.”

The next thing he heard was the blaring buzz of a dead telephone line.

Palladin slipped the cell phone back into the pocket of his overcoat, drawing down his brows into a frown. Her reluctance at asking him for help was quite readable. He knew how difficult a task it was to trust someone they'd abhorred for centuries, and asking for assistance of any kind just wasn’t part of who she was--or him, for that matter. She’d lived an arcane life for seven centuries, one of the eldest and strongest of her kind. And I am no different.

He’d hoped Sanehet had enough time to warn her that he would be arriving, but when she'd opened the door to her flat, it was obvious he had not. I should have met up with them at Stronick Castle. His laden sigh sounded loud in the silence of the car. So many years ago, The First made his decision to leave this civilization, and there was no negating such intrinsic magic once a spell like that is forged. Sanehet could not ignore succumbing to the safety of the dark earth where he chose to remain for the rest of his days. The urgency to rise was indeed great, wasn't it my friend? If for just a short time. He promised the Egyptian he would do whatever was necessary to aid his daughter, and he never reneged on a promise, especially something this monumental. So many lives depended on it. He leaned forward and slid open the window that separated him from the driver. It almost seems to me, Palladin has had this charge for years. As he been aiding her for awhile without her knowing or is he just to aid her with the Nine? Just curious.

The burly man craned his neck back. “Yes, Mr. Sandalio?”

“Return to the hotel. There’s been a change of plans.”

The driver nodded and swerved into another lane.

Palladin shut the window, and settled himself back into the leather seat. “She is nothing like her father,” he mused aloud. Sanahet's brief visit is what set him on this course of action. It wasn't that he didn't believe the Egyptian, but he found it difficult to accept that someone would remember who and what the Nuasair Nine were, and have the audacity to resurrect such an accursed group. They were nothing more than forgotten lore, a myth, except to the elders of the vilkacis and vampiric races, but so few of them still lived. Many could not adapt to the ever-changing world. It wasn’t until he found Blanca’s den did the magnitude of the Egyptian’s dire warning set in. He was on his way to share the ominous omen with Blanca, a female vilkacis, and a trusted friend, but instead he followed the scent of congealed blood that hung thick in the air that night. Not so long ago. He took a deep breath, haunted by the images still. When he discovered several alpha-male carcasses strewn across his wooded path, cold dread filled him. Who they were, he never found out. The deep russet of Blanca’s coat stopped him in his tracks. He had to assume she’d been in heat, for this would explain the males he'd found. Or had it been a trap? He’d asked himself this question a hundred times. He had no doubt now that the Nuasair Nine walked this century again.

He shuddered, and gripped his coat tighter around him. Glancing out the limousine window, horrid flashes filled his mind, nauseating him further. No one could be that vicious except the Nine. Their tales of torture and destruction preceded them, and although history books just touched upon their existence, he possessed the only writings that told their true tale. Written by Sanehet himself.

He recalled the chunks of charred flesh they left in their wake. He found the rest of Blanca splattered on the walls of a cave along with several wolfen pelts. She'd been tortured and bled out, no doubt to reveal where others of their kin resided. He’d retched up his dinner at the sight. Even now, the bitter taste of bile burned in his throat. What he found of Blanca, he buried in an unmarked grave. The others he piled on a pyre and burned. He returned home that night and prepared for the journey to Scotland. Only then did he discover several more dens, no less mutilated and destroyed.

He shook the hideous visages from his mind. They use ultraviolet light on vamps and composite silver against us. What do they have in store for Daniella and her kith? We must end this madness! Palladin closed his eyes again. Your father seems to think you are the key to our salvation, Daniella. I pray he’s not wrong. Or our existence will be no more.
***


Aiden heard the muted undertones of Daniella’s voice coming from downstairs, but he refused to eavesdrop. He’d heard enough already. A fucking werewolf! What is she thinking? He growled, trying to rein in the anger that flowed over him in consuming waves. He’d never felt this helpless before. Being a cop, he always held the power, the control. Now a vampire, and one of The First, he thought he’d be stronger, and better able to help both human and non. Kon and his goddamn band of merry bloodsuckers proved me wrong. He grimaced and removed his clothes. Slumping over the sink, he stared at his reflection. His skin, although not as pale or translucent as Daniella’s, still held some human qualities. Anger glinted in his eyes. “Completely, fucking, one hundred percent useless!” Before he could stop himself, he made a fist and smashed the mirror, forgetting just how strong he was. He stared at the blood trickling from several small punctures across his knuckles. The tiniest ones healed before his eyes. Pulling out several tiny shards from the deeper lacerations, his tongue licked away the crimson liquid. He shivered at the piquant taste.

“Aiden!”

The bathroom door flew open and Daniella rushed in. She stopped, staring at the pieces of mirror littering the bathroom floor. Blood began to seep beneath her bare feet. Her eyes roved over his naked body and a sudden thrill ran through him, but he ignored it, concentrating on his anger instead.

“Are you all right?” she asked in a breathless rush of words.

“You’ve cut yourself,” he mumbled, staring down at her feet and grabbing for a towel.

“And so have you.”

She pursed her lips into that familiar white line he recognized so well, and shrugged. “Mine are self inflicted. Here, give me your feet.” His ire faded somewhat.

“I believe you should shut off the water.”

He turned. “Dammit!” He’d forgotten the tub was still filling. Uttering a few choice swear words under his breath, he wrenched at the faucets and stopped the flow.

With a wave of her hand, the pieces of glass magically swept themselves across the linoleum to the far wall. “I gave the maid service time off, remember?”

A small smile threatened to crease her lips, but he was in no mood for it. “Give me your feet.”

Without a word, she turned and strolled back into the bedroom, leaving bloody footprints in her wake. He moved to follow, but stopped at the threshold of the door, studying her as she sat on the edge of the bed.

“I’ve spoken to Palladin. He’ll be here at dusk tomorrow. My goal is to return well before sunrise.” She spoke low, almost as if the words were difficult to say.

Aiden’s anger flared again. He stormed into the room and stopped in front of her. “Have you thought this through, Daniella? I mean, really thought this through?” The grinding of his teeth echoed in his ears.

She leapt to her feet, frustration gleaming in her eyes. “What do you propose I do? Leave you and Spencer alone, at anyone’s mercy? Give the Nine an opportunity to break through my wards like Palladin did and destroy you? If Damien and…and Kon could shield their presence from me, I have to assume the Nine may know how to achieve this as well. I will not endanger you or Spencer.”

She shoved him back. He stumbled, stunned to silence by the physical force.

“In this day and age, Aiden, we don’t stand a chance against them,” she spat out. “And I mean them. Humans and the Nine. I stayed in my little antique auction world, choosing to ignore what was going on around me. I did that to survive, Aiden. I know what they’re capable of. Ultraviolet light, synthesized silver, laser swords, to name a few. Have they devised a serum that can destroy us…the blood of a First? Kon created one that slowed our feeding cycle, prolonging the thirst at will.” She stopped and flung back her hair, and he knew she was trying to compose herself. “I cannot ignore it any longer. Believe me when I say that I’ve thought of nothing else since…since…” She moved past him, attempting to leave the bedroom.

His hand snaked out and he gripped her arm. She stared down at his white knuckled hold, and shook herself free before storming to the door that led out into the hall. Aiden sensed a ruthless darkness roiling inside her, readying to lash out, but he needed to get this off his chest. He turned, fighting the fury swelling in him. “I was the one held prisoner, Daniella. Tortured by Kon, Teanna and Kiernan, injected with hell knows what. Not you!”

She turned back to him, her lithe frame rigid and stern. “And don’t you think I live with that guilt every day? To know how close I came to losing you?” She trailed off, shaking her head. “The rules are constantly changing, Aiden, and creatures such as I…us, must learn to change with them. I’ve done so for centuries. It's how I survived. And this is survival, plain and simple. If we do nothing, we will live in hiding, forever checking over our shoulders. I, for one, refuse to allow that to happen. I know how that feels, Aiden, living in the shadows, feeding like a monster. They will not subjugate me!” Green fire danced her eyes. “Can't you just trust me? Palladin is just as concerned and frightened as we are. That’s what I sensed from him.” She stuck out her chin in haughty defense. “And I know you did too, but you’re too stubborn to admit it. I don’t need protecting!”

Stunned, all he could do was gawk.

“We are night creatures, bound by dark magic that compels us to feed off human blood, and the vilkacis, human flesh. That is our nourishment and we cannot survive without it. To our fodder, we are atrocities, and they would no sooner annihilate us as the Nuasair Nine would. We are never safe!”

Aiden couldn’t believe his ears. This wasn't what he meant. Hell, we're arguing over two different topics. “What part of this are you not understanding?" he lashed out. "Palladin could very well be one of them. The—Nine—are—werewolves, Daniella, and you just invited one of them over to fucking vamp-sit! Your problem is that you think you’re invincible. You’re making decisions that affect not only you, but—”

Her back stiffened even more. “I’ve already apologized for that, Aiden.” Spots of pink blossomed on her snowy cheeks, and the outline around her irises turned deep carmine.

He knew he’d struck a nerve, but he wasn’t stopping now. “You’re trying to save the world, but you’re forgetting about the people around you.”

She moved like a gust of wind, crossing the room until she had his bare back pressed hard against the far wall. “I’ve been known not to play well with others, but the game has changed. I—have—no—other—options. My father destroyed the original Nine. I believe there’s hope that I can do so too. We either join the melee or we risk--.”

He grabbed her arms and swung her around with her face pressed against the wall. His chest pushed into her and that deep desire he always felt when he held her riddled through him. He locked her arms behind her back as if to handcuff her. When the thought crossed his mind, his cock stirred. Lucid visions of her blindfolded, tied to a rack, and completely at his mercy flashed through his head. Shit! The dream. That’s interesting…It took all of his will to refocus. He leaned closer to her ear. “Do you want to know what it’s like?” he asked. “To feel helpless, unable to fight back? Have you ever experienced such weakness, Daniella? How about being one of Kirkland’s finest police officer’s turned into a fucking pet for the demented enjoyment of a vampire? I’d rather die than experience that again.”

The next thing he knew, he flew across the room, the edge of the dresser slamming into the center of his spine. Perfume bottles fell to the floor, spilling out their fragrant fluids. He growled and went for her, his blood raging for release. Their bodies impacted in midair, and they fell in a tangled heap onto the center of the bed. Using his weight and size, he twisted his body and pinned her beneath him. He gripped her wrists, forcing her arms above her head. The fiery red of her eyes stared back, cold and menacing.

“Get off me,” she said, enunciating each word through her teeth.

She squirmed beneath him, sending shivers that shot down to the base of his balls. “Have you stopped and thought about the danger to you?” he whispered, inhaling her exotic scent. "The Nine will be hunting tomorrow night, as they've done every night. Maybe just for you, waiting to set a trap.” He stopped and leaned closer until their lips almost met. “You’re so worried about Spencer and I that you haven’t given a second thought about how we feel about it. You made the decision on our behalf. Sure, a relationship is something you’re new at. Okay. I get it.” He felt her relax, and he loosened his grip, but he refused to release her just yet. “I haven’t been too successful in that department either, but there’s not just you to consider here anymore. When you make decisions—” He stopped and licked his lips, trying to focus on what he was saying and not the supple swell of her breasts pressing against his bare chest. The sanguine haze that had clouded her irises disappeared. He took a handful of her hair and brought it up to his nose, rubbing the silkiness between his fingers, his anger fading to nothing more than a distant memory. His body thrummed with desire. Tied spread-eagle to that rack, doing whatever I want to her body. Her voice startled him from his thoughts.

“Our first argument,” she murmured.

He lost himself in her eyes, her scent and the fullness of her mouth.

“I do know what it’s like to feel helpless, Aiden." She paused and chewed on her bottom lip. "I had this dream...a delightfully, decadent dream." Her brows furrowed. "I was—I felt human for the first time in my life. I never dreamed until I met you. You were in it, just the two of us. My eyes were covered, and I was tied to this contraption--”

My dream! It’s not possible. He cocked an eyebrow. “Tied up, spread-eagle and--” His cock thickened at the thought. “Blindfolded?” He always had a thing for blindfolds.

She drew back, looking as confused as he felt. “On a metal rack about five feet by six with silk ivory ties threaded through holes at the top and bottom?” Her brows drew down further.

“Holy shit!” he whispered. “I came up behind you, running a—”

“Finger down my spine." She stared back, shocked. "How can this be?”

“You came…all over me.” Just the memory was enough to set his body afire. Sharing a dream was one a bizarre thing, but a dream like that?

“You were fated to me, Aiden.” She smiled and kissed him, her velvety lips caressing his mouth. Their tongues met in an erotic dance, each fighting to overpower the other. When she tried to lower her arms, he held her firm. She pushed up, and rocked her hips back and forth against his cock, driving him mad with lust. As he envisioned her tied to the rack, he fumbled with the snap on her skirt, but it refused to budge. He slipped his fingers under the waistband and tore the thick material off her body like paper. She moaned in his mouth, pushing up with more urgency.

He leaned back on his knees and released her wrists. A whimper sounded, but he couldn’t tell if it came from her or him. “Where are those shackles?” he whispered, licking his lips in anticipation. He knew one touch from her would make him cream right then and there. He wanted to be in control, to be the one making decisions, to feel like the old Aiden again.

She leaned up on her elbows, a mischievous glint glowing in her eyes. “I’ll be right back.” Fine, end the chapter there…. Sigh…

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