Page 97 of Plug and Claim

Kira was on her knees. Her face was covered in cum, and she squinted through the sticky fluid at the vampire towering over her. He was silhouetted against the grey morning light of the window, and there was something impressive about the way he put away his cock and refastened his trousers, as if this was a business transaction that had concluded.

She reached up to wipe her face, but Nathaniel’s brisk voice made her jump.

“Leave it.”

Her jaw clenched, a retort on the tip of her tongue, but before she could snap at him, he added, “You look beautiful like that.”

A silence passed between them. It wasn’t tense, but it wasn’t comfortable either. It was as if they’d crossed an invisible threshold together, and their relationship had changed. He kept calling her pet, as if she were an animal and he was her master, and in those dark euphoric moments where she lost herself to secret cravings she hadn’t known she had, she believed that it was true.

Her mind was still groggy, but it was clearer than before when she’d sat astride Nathaniel. She loathed the power he held over her, but she also couldn’t help but hold onto the morsels of praise and compliments he’d given her.

He was unlike any man—vampire, shifter, or human—that she’d ever met. She’d interacted with human males close to her age in her village, but Nathaniel was of a different calibre. When he said she was beautiful, she could tell it meant something more to him, that he was fascinated by her.

At least I amuse him.

She could also tell that he’d meant it when he’d threatened to take her from behind. How much longer before he acted on that threat? He’d implied it wouldn’t be soon, but she was too sore to feel relieved. Not only was her clit throbbing, but after gagging her mouth and collaring her, he’d used the plug to fuck her asshole raw. Now she was aching everywhere.

On top of all that, he’d had the nerve to shove the plug back in, and he still hadn’t removed it.

Sadistic fuck.

She was ready for their bargain to be over. And yet, a part of her was resigned to see this through. Nathaniel had a bizarre talent for making her feel good about herself, and degrading her, and it seemed the two were not mutually exclusive. It frightened her that he was teaching her things she hadn’t known about herself.

Had those dark, disturbing fantasies always been a part of her? If so, maybe it would have been better if she’d never discovered them at all. Because now that the deed was done, what had been the point? She’d humped him like a bitch in heat, and now she was a tired, sticky mess. How on earth would she be able to face herself after the weekend?

Monday felt like an eternity away. She was already tired and it wasn’t even nine o’clock yet. At least Nathaniel had removed the gag.

“You may stand,” he said, offering her his hand.

She knocked it away, rising unsteadily. The window brightened as the sun came out, the light reflecting off the windowsill and blinding her for a brief moment. Suddenly, she registered its significance.

“You have a window,” she said, dumbstruck.

“Indeed.”

She walked over to it. Nathaniel made no move to stop her, and she stared out at the country lane lined with birch trees and thick woods in the distance.

“But…we’re underground. How…?”

“It’s not really a window. It shows another place. Magic,” he added, as if that wasn’t obvious.

“Right.” She stared at the birch trees for a moment longer, watching the orange leaves flutter in the breeze. “There seems to be a lot of magic at Volmasque.” She tried to keep her tone light-hearted as she ventured a risky question. “I don’t suppose you know any witches?”

The atmosphere shifted.

He was standing close behind her, his gaze pressing on her back. “Officially, I must inform you that there are no witches left in existence.”

Blah blah blah.

“And unofficially?”

“Unofficially, I cannot comment.”

She gave him a funny look. Was he implying what she thought he was implying?

His face was blank, revealing nothing. Was he teasing her, or hinting at a secret? She truly hoped it was the latter, but he didn’t say anything more on the subject.

Kira sighed and turned away from the window. “You’re no fun.”