Who Enthralls the Enthrallers
CHAPTER 2
Patience still shivered as she drove away from the downtown lights, along the long-abandoned road that once connected human cities before they’d all become insular fortresses.
She drove until the road ended in a pile of burnt asphalt and debris. Beyond it lay the UV-minefield. The humans defended their cities with all the paranoia of prey terrified of being sung enticingly out of their beds to their doom.
But Patience had learned to avoid their traps. Her slumbering thrall in her arms, she skipped and dashed several miles across the field, to the hills that sheltered her and Regulus’s home. She reached the two-storied cottage right before dawn and made her way straight to the basement. A plump blonde skipped out to meet her, sparkling blue eyes vacantly joyful.
“Mistress,” she sang. “Welcome home. The Master is in the cellar, and he’s eager to hear of your trip.”
Patience smiled. Since he’d successfully achieved mind-mirroring, Regulus spent hours in the wine cellar testing other thralls, to see if he could get it to work again with a different vessel.
She put down the sleeping woman on the nearest chair and ordered the blonde to settle her in an upstairs bedroom, then she made her way to the cellar. As she opened the massive oak door, the smell of home—cold stone, fresh blood, and the old must of wine that still clung to the walls—made her smile.
Regulus stood at the far end, leaning over a large, slanted wooden table. He wore tight dark pants and no shirt, and Patience paused a moment to admire his sculpted body. Arousal hardened her nipples; even the simple sight of him sparked heat in her body.
He moved, and she saw the naked woman strapped with silk bonds to the table. The six-candle chandelier above them reflected off her glistening body. Her head was tipped up, mouth wet and opened in a slack ‘o’ as she stared eagerly into Regulus’s eyes.
Patience grinned. “My. How medieval.”
Unbidden, her mind wondered if Regulus had done this to her, once. She retained no memories from her days as his thrall, before he’d turned her. Most likely he’d used similar tricks on her—vampires were creatures of habit.
She found the image of herself bound to the upright table titillating, and jumped eagerly into his arms as he turned to greet her.
Regulus caught her, laughing. “Beloved. Your hunt’s kept you away too long...” He trailed off, sniffing her hair. “Formaldehyde. You ran into the crone again. I told you we’re to avoid her.”
“I know. But I needed her help. My thrall...presented challenges. No, don’t scowl so—I’ll tell you everything later. But tell me of this new one.” She craned her neck to see the enthralled woman, who still stared raptly after Regulus, gasping needfully. “Poor thing. She wants you so badly, and you’re ignoring her. How cruel, beloved.”
Regulus pulled her back against him. “Don’t think you can distract me, minx. I don’t want you to visit the mortuary crone again. She’s dangerous.”
“I know. But she’s been nothing but kind and generous each time our paths happened to cross.”
“So now you’re seeking her out on purpose? What did she say? Did you tell her of the ritual?”
Patience huffed. “Of course I told her. Mind-mirroring is a victory, not something to hide. And as I said, I sought her out for help. It’s all resolved now.” She laced her arms around his neck. “Why don’t you show me how you’ve missed me?”
“Oh, I will.” Regulus pressed a large hand to her back, pulling her closer; his other hand gripped her chin to direct her face to his. “You won’t visit the old crone again.”
A strange frisson ran through her. She frowned. “Regulus—”
His eyes flared red, and his fingers pressed the base of her spine. “You won’t visit her. Forget about whatever you want from her. You don’t want to see her.”
“Don’t want...?”
“Don’t want to see her. You won’t ever seek her out again.”
“Won’t...” The frisson returned, and Patience shook her head. “Are you trying to bespell my mind? You forget I’m not one of your humans.”
Regulus narrowed his eyes; then, suddenly, he smiled.
“No. You’re my wonderful, eternal beloved. Come.” He pulled her away from the light, into a shadowy corner, pressing her into a cold wall. “I love your mind, my beautiful one. Like your body. Exquisite. Hot. Responsive...”
His eyes burned even brighter in the dark, his ember-like gaze capturing hers. His large hands pressed on her torso, fingers dancing deftly over her ribs and chest, kneading, squeezing, owning all they touched. Need bloomed inside Patience like blood roses in summer, red and rich and overwhelming.
“You’re wearing too many clothes,” growled Regulus, hands tugging at her black shirt. Patience purred longingly as he gripped one breast through the dense fabric.
“Why do you cover yourself from me, beloved?” He squeezed her breast, his other hand slipping up to her neck, fingers dancing along her collarbone. “Why won’t you let me in?”
“I will... I do...” She whimpered and arched against him. “Please—I need—”
“Quiet.” His fingers pressed her pulse point, turning muscles liquid under his touch. Patience’s head lolled bonelessly to rest against his knuckles.
“You hide from me.” He raked the same hand down to her abdomen, fingers slipping beneath her belt. “You deny me.”
“No,” she moaned. “Never. Anything you want—anything—please—” She screamed again as he thrust his hand under the waist of her pants, brushing her wet cleft.
“You hold back from me,” he rasped. “You disobey me.” His fingers brushed her nub, and his other hand came to cover her mouth as she cried out. “Silence. I’ll have no words from you but obedience.”
What...?
His fingers caught her nub again, driving anything but screaming pleasure from her mind.
“Look into my eyes.”
His ember gaze filled her mind, and the need in her body exploded—
“Bare yourself for me.”
—and Patience’s hands tore at her clothes, frantically ripping the offensive fabric from her burning skin—
“Bare yourself.” His hand came out of her pants, slick fingers teasing her naked breast. “All of you,” he rasped, and Patience groaned helplessly against the hand on her mouth—
“Bare yourself!”
—and she clawed mindlessly at her pants, thrashing to get them off—
“Leave nothing hidden from me.”
She tore the last remnants of fabric and jumped on him, bare legs circling his waist. He hoisted her up, burning gaze still trapping hers as his hands gripped her naked ass—
“Bare your body for me.” He swung her away from her wall, onto the floor. “Bare your mind for me.”
What...?
His hands pushed down on her shoulders, immobilizing her.
“You’ll do as I say.” His weight covered her, enveloped her. “You’ll think as I say.”
A sliver of unease cut through her aroused haze—“Mm...?”
—and his fingers found her soaking folds, shooting lightning-hot fire from her cunt straight to her brain—
“You’re mine !” he snarled, as the inferno of pleasure peaked into screaming orgasm—
—and his fangs bit into her jugular.
Patience’s mind shattered in incandescent bliss.
Her unease melted. Her awareness melted. All she knew was red, hot, whining need—all she was was his—his beloved—his lover—his—
“— thrall . Say it. Your mind is mine.”
Patience made a small, mindless coo as his cock pushed into her.
“Say it,” he ordered, his voice filling her head, her body, her world. He gripped the sides of her head as he thrust in deeper, his eyes burning into hers—
—and...
...everything...
...slowed...
Patience rode the gentler waves of a second orgasm into sweet, thick surrender.
“My mind is yours,” she repeated obediently.
“You’ll think as I say and do I say.” His words rubbed liquid pleasure into what was left of her thoughts.
“I’ll think as you say and do as you say,” she mumbled, staring dreamily into his eyes.
“Your body is mine. Your thoughts are mine. Your will is mine.”
“My body is yours.” Her tongue was heavy in her mouth. “My thoughts...yours. My will...”
“Your will is mine.”
A dreamy, beautiful red fog blurred her sight. Her thoughts slowed to a crawl. “My will... is yours.”
“Look at me.”
Her gaze dragged back to his, unfocused and hazy.
“Obey me.”
Patience juiced. She wanted nothing but to obey him. A needy yowl broke from her slack, parted lips.
“You won’t tell anyone else about the mind-mirroring ritual.”
“...won’t tell anyone,” she breathed.
“You won’t leave the house without my permission.”
“I won’t leave without permission...”
“You will never visit the crone again,” said Regulus.
“I won’t...” Patience frowned. Something stirred inside her. “I...”
“You will never visit the crone again,” he repeated. His large hand caressed her cheek, and he smiled at her. “My beloved. Say the words. You will never visit the crone again.”
“I will never visit...” Something pressed on Patience’s mind, tying up her thoughts. “Never...”
Regulus’s fingers pressed her temples. “You will never visit the crone again,” he snapped, and Patience’s mind opened gently under his onslaught.
Yet in a small part of it, a different voice spoke to her, quietly. Tell him what he wants to hear. You needn’t abide by it.
Patience blinked hazily. “...will never visit the crone again,” she whispered, and she smiled back as Regulus flashed his teeth.
“Beautiful girl,” he crooned, and he caressed her breast, flicking the nipple again.
Patience’s eyes rolled into her head.
But a small part of her mind remained awake even as the rest surrendered to slumber. And in that small part of her mind, she groaned and thought mostly, Damn it.