Page 14 of Blood Day (Blood Alliance #7)

Cedric

“That was glorious,” I whispered against her mouth. “Fucking beautiful.”

It’d taken a bit of coaxing, mostly because her programming had kicked in midway through her first climax, but the end result was worth the effort.

Her blue-green irises sparkled with residual effects of pleasure, her expression one of wonder and confusion and a hint of fear.

The whole experience proved her sexual training to be lacking, probably because her courses focused more on male pleasure than female enjoyment.

I would fix that.

But she wasn’t ready for more right now, something her body confirmed as my thumb brushed her clit. She trembled almost violently in response, her lip disappearing between her teeth as she fought whatever sound threatened to escape.

I slid my hand out from her pants and reached for her chin, using my drenched thumb to tug her lip from her teeth. “Don’t hide from me,” I told her, my tone lacking in reprimand.

Because I understood her reactions.

She was doing what the university had taught her to do.

However, I wanted her to be real. Whatever that meant. If that was even possible. Maybe it was a fantasy in my mind—the concept of her being true to herself in my presence.

It was certainly a dangerous yearning, one that would inevitably lead to her death.

But at least she would have lived a little before her petals wilted into nothing.

“When we’re alone, you can tell me how you feel,” I informed her softly. “Be honest, like you were about wanting more training.” It’d been so refreshing to see her fight back in her own way, to test the limits of my kindness.

That courage deserved to be rewarded.

It deserved to be cherished and adored and praised.

Not squelched and denied.

I traced her bottom lip with her arousal, allowing the dampness to paint her skin, then I dipped my thumb into her mouth for her to taste. Her pupils dilated, her nostrils flaring. “Do you like that, darling? Do you like the way your pleasure tastes?”

She swallowed, her head dipping a little in confirmation.

“Hmm,” I hummed, removing my thumb and leaning in to press my mouth to hers.

My tongue licked the residual flavor from her lip before dipping inside to engage her in a sensual kiss underlined in lust. She tentatively returned the embrace, telling me she had never really been kissed before today.

I doubted she’d even properly orgasmed, either .

So inexperienced.

Yet perfect in every way.

My delicate, sweet little flower.

I touched my forehead to hers, breathing her in for a long moment, then I dipped one of my fingers into her mouth. “Suck.”

She obeyed, her tongue swirling around the tip before taking me deeper.

It was the perfect display of what she would do if this were my cock.

And it made me hard as a fucking rock.

I gave her my other finger, watching as she licked both clean. Then I kissed her, eager to taste more of her arousal. It was an intoxicating blend that set my blood on fire for her.

But the tremble in her shoulders told me she couldn’t take much more today.

I wanted her fully aroused and eager to comply, not just acting on duty alone.

Which had been her reaction today. She’d only indulged me because she didn’t feel she had a choice. And I supposed she didn’t. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t eventually choose me.

I hadn’t actually intended on doing any of this to her today. It’d just been a natural response to her heightened state of senses. Her eyes told me she didn’t regret it. The flush on her cheeks told me she’d enjoyed it, too.

I wanted to maintain that enjoyment, not belittle it by pushing her too far.

So instead of demanding that she return the favor, I cupped her cheek and rested my forehead against hers.

“I think it’s time for a bath.” A novelty I doubted she’d ever experienced at the university.

I didn’t know much about the grooming habits at the school but suspected the showers were communal and supervised by hungry lycans.

“A bath?” she repeated, her alluring irises studying mine.

I smiled. “Yes.” It seemed like a suitable way to thank her for her bravery. She might not have interpreted it as such, but she would learn eventually.

Something I could expedite if I kept her here for the remainder of her schooling.

I already had to keep her here for a few days to hide her miraculous recovery, and also to help her ride out the aftereffects of my blood.

“Stay here,” I told her.

Not that she had anywhere else to go.

Then I rolled off the bed and ventured into the bathroom to begin pouring a bath. The tub was an indulgence I hadn’t really spent much time in, preferring instead to shower quickly.

But it seemed appropriate for Lily.

It would take a while to fill due to the massive size, which was a good thing because I needed a few supplies that weren’t in my room.

I left my quarters and ventured into the hallway and searched a few other guest rooms. All of them were equipped with accommodations similar to my own—a large bedroom framed by a walk-out balcony, an adjacent seating area, and two en-suite bathrooms that rivaled the size of most bedrooms.

I finally found what I needed in the fifth set of rooms that I checked.

The supplies appeared to be relatively new, suggesting they’d been added recently by one of the staff.

There probably hadn’t been enough for all the rooms, or maybe they were keeping the extras in storage for future requests from visitors .

I could technically have called one of the staff to the room to do all this for me, but I preferred to handle my own affairs.

Which was why I rarely interacted with the small group of human servants living on this property. I left the management of their activities to their vampire warden, Adrienne.

She hated her job.

She hated her life.

Mostly because she was no better than a servant here.

She’d not been happy with me moving in, but she’d quickly realized I didn’t require much. I barely ate, my age requiring little sustenance to survive.

However, I’d ordered blood products for both of us to keep her from eating the staff—something she’d been doing while maintaining this vacant palace for the last century or so.

I imagined it was quite stressful to be in charge of such a space, not knowing when someone might pop in for a visit.

It meant she had to keep it meticulously clean and ready, regardless of how many resources that wasted.

And she had a minimal budget to arrange it all.

Hence the reason I’d sponsored the food.

They were all blood slaves whose souls were practically broken from their lives of servitude.

Not my favorite flavor. But I had Adrienne turn them into staff over the last few years, thus allowing me to take their blood donations in intervals rather than all at once.

It ensured they stayed alive, gave me an endless supply of sustenance, and allowed for more help around the palace.

Positives all around.

I had never understood the point of overindulgence and wasting life, something I’d made very clear to Adrienne when I’d purchased the food stock .

And she’d taken my word as law.

I’d otherwise left her alone, a reaction she seemed grateful for, as she returned the favor in kind.

However, I might need to ask for some additional products to be delivered soon. Like more bath salt.

Assuming I intended to keep Lily here.

It was an idea I pondered on my way back to my room, where I found Lily lying stiff as a board on the bed.

“I said to stay, not to freeze,” I told her conversationally on my way to the bathroom. “Why don’t you follow me and check out the bath?”

That would give her something to focus on since she seemed to need an order for everything.

Would it be like that if I kept her here? Would she need me to guide her every move? Because that would grow tiresome.

I enjoyed being in charge, especially in the bedroom. But there was a limit to that control.

Perhaps I should keep her here and teach her how to live.

It’d be selfish on my part, knowing what her life would become after Blood Day. However, it might just make her final months here worth all the inevitable pain.

I could help give her positive memories to take to her grave.

Would that make it better or worse for her? I wasn’t quite sure.

She entered the bath area behind me, but I caught her reflection in the windows framing the tub area. Her eyes widened as she took in the creamy stone floor and tiled walk-in shower. Then she admired the jeweled accents decorating the countertops and walls.

It certainly added an air of opulence to the room .

Every bathroom and bedroom had a collection of jewels, just in different colors.

The gemstones adorning my quarters were all rubies.

“A lot of the materials in the palace used to belong to wealthy humans,” I told her.

“I think they were going for a desert palace vibe from the days when sultans ruled this land, but they added some global opulence to it as well. However, the white stonework is all true to the region, keeping everything cool in the warmer months.”

There was also a healthy bit of air-conditioning to keep everything cool, even in the open-aired courtyard in the middle of the property.

“They use solar energy to keep everything self-sustainable,” I added, shrugging. “So it’s like an ancient palace with upgraded technology.”

And honestly not all that expensive to maintain as a result.

Just a lot of rooms to keep clean and ready for potential visitors.

“It’s actually quite beautiful,” I admitted as I switched off the water. It seemed to be high enough. “Maybe I’ll give you a tour after our bath.”

She might enjoy seeing some of the historical statues and the palm trees. The university grounds were barren, while the courtyards here flourished with life, thanks to the underground watering system.

Her gaze met mine as I faced her, then quickly dropped to the ground.