Slayers: The Aurora Part 5

Chapter 11.

Liza paused near the connecting door an hour later. She couldn't decide if she was supposed to meet Lucian in his room or if he'd meant her room. He had said his bed, but she was sure he had meant her room. She had showered then read some of her book. She wasn't sure now what to do, so she hovered unsure in the doorway. The dinner should be wrapping up in a short time. She was a little worried about the way Lucian had been acting. He had seemed out of it and it worried her. She was not sure what to think.

Standing near the door, she lingered. Maybe she should just wait until he came up and see what he wanted. She was not sure what the h.e.l.l had happened in the study an hour ago. It set b.u.t.terflies off in her stomach, he had seemed possessive. After the last week of him ignoring her at every turn, it had been shocking to have him so focused on her. When Toby had come to her door banging she had been a little angry. Angry over her plight, but she had known that she asked to be Lucian's blood slave. So she had made her bed and she would have to lie in it. It was the only way for her dilemma to be solved.

She answered the door in her robe, demanding to know what the hurry was. Toby had grabbed her by the arm and begun pulling her down the hall. His only words had been clipped and he demanded that she needed to speak to Lucian right away. She had tried to argue with him, but he had not allowed her to protest. He had just dragged her down the stairs. She had not expected to be grabbed the instant she entered the room. Nor had she imagined in a million years he would act like a mad man. Perhaps he had waited too long to feed or something.

She heard the door to Lucian's room open. She waited a beat then lifted her hand to knock on the connecting door, only it flew open.

"Why are you not in my bed?" Lucian rumbled, reaching out to grab her. His hands landed on her arms, and he pulled her to him, jerking around with her in his arms. He crowded her into his room.

"I didn't know if you meant your room, or mine." She breathed, a little disturbed by his recent behavior.

"Mine, now get undressed and into my bed, now."

"I think not." She said, glaring at him.

"Do not push me tonight, Liza. You will not like my reaction. I am not human, and you could be harmed." Lucian barked, still using his body to move her further into the room. She pushed against his chest.

"d.a.m.n it, Lucian. You have ignored me for a week, and then you almost attacked me in the study. What the h.e.l.l is wrong with you?" She demanded, her breath coming in hard, short pants.

"Liza, now is not the time for your defiance." He reached out grabbing her around the waist, lifting her. Ignoring her hands, which smacked against his chest.

"Stop, you're acting like a bully, and I am not impressed."

"Too bad." He dropped her on the giant bed, which was along one wall in the corner of the room decorated with warm, rich browns with gold accents. She wasn't sure what the h.e.l.l was going on with him, but she couldn't say she was sorry that she was here. She had wanted this for so long it almost seemed like a dream. She sat up on the bed, pus.h.i.+ng her hair away from her face with frustration. She should protest his rough treatment, but she didn't really want to. Looking up at him, she glared.

"Do not look at me like that, kitten." He began pulling his dinner coat off, then his s.h.i.+rt. He was getting naked? Now?

"Kitten?" She asked, he had never called her anything other than her name.

He was naked from the waist up now, and she stared at his ma.s.sive chest. It was tan from the time he had spent in the training yards, and she wanted to lick him from the slight dusting of hair on his navel to his brown nipples. She was getting distracted, she realized. She was supposed to be mad, but the sight of that chest shut her brain down. Liza s.h.i.+fted on the bed, wanting to crawl towards him and touch every inch of exposed skin she could get her hands on.

"Kitten," He said again with a satisfied smirk. "My kitten." Then he pounced. He grabbed her taking her down on her back with his heavy bulk above her.

"Lucian..." She began, but that was all he allowed before his mouth crushed hers, and his tongue thrust inside her mouth. He let out a growling groan, and devoured her lips, his hands sliding to the neckline of her nightgown. There was a loud ripping sound and Liza realized that for the second time that night Lucian had just ripped her nightgown from her body. It made her burn with need. She moaned, giving in. She wanted this too badly to fight him right now.

Lucian still felt like his head would explode if he didn't get inside Liza. He had sat down in that dining room unable to entertain his guests because all he could think about was touching her. She lay beneath him, and he needed to feel her skin against his own. Ripping her offending nightgown off her, he devoured her mouth while his hands cupped her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. He moaned with the pleasure he felt at that simple contact with her.

He had taken thousands of women in his long lifetime, but the feeling of Liza beneath him was unlike anything he had ever felt. He wanted to sink into her. His mouth moved down her neck sucking and licking a path to the perfect globes of perfection he held in his hands. Hearing the mewling moans of pleasure she let out, he wanted to crow in triumph. Lucian had never been an inattentive lover, but with Liza he wanted to be the best, the only man she ever thought of giving her pleasure.

He knew that he should pull back and allow her to go back to her chamber, but he would not. He could not wait a single moment longer to be inside her. His lips closed around the tip of her breast, his hand cupping the other as he flicked her other nipple. Sucking hard on the peak in his mouth. She moved arching into him, and he hardened even more. His d.i.c.k was already throbbing in antic.i.p.ation.

Liza moaned as his mouth closed over the peak of her breast. She was almost mindless with pleasure. His tongue circled the tip of her, his hands clutched her hip and her other breast. The s.e.xy growling sound made her tremble with the need for him to thrust inside her. The o.r.g.a.s.ms downstairs had been amazing, but she craved the intimacy of his body inside hers. She wanted to feel the full force of his erection, which pressed into her thigh as his mouth moved from one breast to the other, inside her.

His moved off her. She almost cried out in protest thinking he was going to reject her again. Only he was already moving back over her, and his mouth was covering the breast he had been sucking a moment ago, making her cry out. His teeth suddenly sank into her breast, making her moan as the feelings of owners.h.i.+p and l.u.s.t filled her from the connection it created. She arched into him realizing that he was naked and his hardened member was pressed against her leg.

Her mind was almost numb with pleasure. She reached out her hands sliding over his hard chest. Her fingers rubbed his hardened nipples, her hands moving to his shoulders to cling. Moaning, she kissed his jaw then slid to his neck. She felt his need spike, he growled. Then he was pulling back from her breast and his hard thickness was being pressed against her wet cavern. She felt the blunt tip seeking entrance, and arching into him she felt his hands find her hips and he was guiding himself into her. She mewled in pleasure when he thrust into her.

Lucian was almost maddened from the need to feel her wrapped around his d.i.c.k. His hands found her hips, and he was thrusting into her. He grunted in pleasure as her wet sheath clenched around his intruding member. He set a hard rhythm, almost mindlessly seeking pleasure inside her wet heat. He wanted to taste her again, feel them both climax together, but he knew that he needed to slow down. He had already fed from her earlier. Knowing that his pa.s.sion and need of a connection was becoming dangerous for her, he refused to taste her again.

His hands guided her body in the rough rhythm he set. The pleasure even without the bite was so strong it frighten him. He had never wanted to own a woman. He felt that it was a repulsive habit his kind had, owning slaves. Only he wanted to own Liza, but not in the master slave sense. In the owners.h.i.+p of a woman sense. He groaned, his head spinning with the decadence her body provided him.

He felt her begin to come around him, her teeth sinking into his shoulder and he lost the tight control he had on his need to taste her again. He bit into her shoulder feeling the flood of her climax spurn his. He heard her cry out his name filling him with satisfaction. His name should be the only one she ever cried out in climax, he thought possessively. He roared his own pleasure as he came in a flood of satisfaction so strong he nearly pa.s.sed out.

He groaned, rolling to the side. Hearing her quiet panting beside him.

"Wow. That was amazing." She managed after several moments making him laugh. He lifted up looking down at her next to him on the bed.

"Wow, huh." He asked, making her giggle.

"You shouldn't say that it sounds funny. Your speech is too old world and that just sounds too modern." She laughed up at him, her hand cupping his cheek.

"Hummm...too old am I?" He asked, leaning forward taking her lips with his own. His tongue tangled with hers for several moments. She was breathless by the time he pulled back.

"Maybe, not that old." She panted, looking at him with heavy lidded eyes filled with desire.

"Definitely not. Get some rest. I need to rest. For some reason this last week I have been unable to sleep." He gave her a pointed look.

"That's not my fault, Lucian. You are the one who was avoiding this, not me. I was willing from the moment I walk into the house two weeks ago. Eager, even." She said looking at him with narrowed eyes.

"Indeed. Go to sleep, Kitten." He whispered, pulling her leg over his, settling her with her head resting on his chest.

"Shouldn't I go back to my room?" She asked, a little surprised that he was not forcing her from his bed now that the deed was done so to speak.

"Sleep." He growled, clenching his teeth.

"Fine, but you still need to tell me why you have become so demanding all the sudden. Tonight, you frightened me a little in the study."

"It was going without blood for too long. Go to sleep." He demanded.

Liza didn't believe him for a second, something else was going on. She didn't argue though. She wanted to be here, so she would just lay here and enjoy it, she thought, feeling his fingers combing through her hair. That was nice was her last thought before drifting into sleep.

Chapter 12.

Dominick watched Lucian laugh at something Liza had just said from his position beside the meadow that the two lovers were eating a picnic in. He had tried to discourage his king from this romantic idea. It wasn't that he didn't realize after watching them together for the last three weeks that they made each other happy. He also had a suspicion that Lucian was already bonded with her. He knew how their people viewed a vampire who had bonded with another. They were considered flawed for mating.

Mating with a vampire who was once a human would be worse. He knew that it wasn't true that a mate weakened a vampire. He had watched from a young age the ways that bond strengthened a vampire. Mates could uses each other's strength during battle, and they were able to predict their partner's moves. Most vampires thought it weakened a vampire, but it didn't. He knew that something was still off with Liza, though. He just couldn't figure out what it was, and it was making him nervous that she really was going to betray them. Although, looking at the couple, he could not imagine her betraying his king.

She seemed to be holding some part of herself just out of reach and to him that was worrisome. There was some part of her he just couldn't see. He also couldn't find her at odd times and that was what might be lending to this constant worry poking at the back of his mind. He wanted to believe that she wasn't working with the vampire or demon that wanted Lucian dead, but he couldn't be sure. He looked over to check the perimeter again, seeing Lucas standing with his head tilted towards the woods. Suddenly all h.e.l.l broke loose. His men were shouting, and Lucian was moving, trying to cover Liza, who screamed.

Liza screamed at the red blossoming on Lucian's chest. He tackled her back to the blanket, holding her down.

"Stay down..." His voice was cut off by a pinging sound, and she realized that someone was shooting at them. Lucian was also pa.s.sing out. Regular bullets would not have taken Lucian down so easily, she realized that they had to contain mercury. It was the only thing that would stop a vampires wound from healing, and if left inside the body it would poison him. She almost screamed again when he pa.s.sed out, and his heavy weight almost crushed her.

"Lucian." She cried out again, fearfully. Blood was pouring over her hand, which covered the wound on his chest. She had to stop the blood, there was too much of it she realized. He would never make it back to the manor. She would have to do something. She knew that mercury prevented him from healing and if she didn't get the bullet out. He would die from the blood loss. Unable accept that she knew she had to do something. She thought about feeding him, but there was no sense in trying to feed him until the mercury was out. She jerked his s.h.i.+rt aside, ripping it in her haste. Uncaring, she thrust her hands towards his gaping wound, her fingers diving inside his chest where the bullet had hit. Her panic was making her sloppy, she thought, her hands were shaking as she pressed her fingers into the wound.

She could hear shouting and men were moving around, no one realized that he was bleeding out as they worried about finding their attacker. Unable to get into the wound in this position beneath him she shoved him off her, rolling him over. She needed to get that bullet out, and she didn't care if she got shot doing it. She had to save him. When she rose to her knees she jerked on his shoulder flipping his heavy weight over onto his back. He lay there without moving, the poison was working to shut down his natural healing ability.

Again she thrust her fingers into the wound seeking the bullet. She was too distracted to listen to the hard voices screaming for her to get down. Dominick was yelling at her, but she ignored them all trying desperately to find the bullet inside the slippery wound. She found it finally, only she couldn't grasp it. She wanted to scream, every second this took was another second he was bleeding out. She pulled it out slightly, only to lose her grip. She let out a frustrated growl, and grabbed the d.a.m.ned thing again. Still ignoring the shouts from Dominick to get down. This time she finally managed to pull the bullet from the wound, crowing in triumph. She felt a hard hand land on her shoulder and a harsh voice asked.

"What the h.e.l.l are you doing? Don't make me kill you. He would never forgive me." Dominick growled, angrily.

"Wait, I need a knife." She demanded, earning a roar of anger from the man.

"I am not going to allow you to kill him, no knife."

"Do you want him to die?" She demanded, then tired of waiting on him she dove towards his ankle s.n.a.t.c.hing the knife from his boot that she knew he carried. She sliced her wrist open and thrust it against Lucian's open mouth before he could stop her.

"d.a.m.n it, Liza. You can't feed him here." He growled, trying to pull her away from Lucian.

Tears streaming down her face, Liza looked at him. "Then he will die. The bullets had mercury in them, Dominick."

"d.a.m.n, why didn't you tell me? We need to move. The king's been poisoned." He yelled out to the men surrounding them.

"Not anymore, I got the bullet out. It shouldn't take long for it to work out of his system." She told him lying across Lucian's chest. She was feeling tired. s.h.i.+t, she was losing too much blood. Between his feeding almost every night and the size of the cut she was losing blood too fast. But she could feel Lucian feeding and knew from the pain that wracked her that he was healing. She could feel his pain decreasing slowly. She rested her head on him not caring what happened as long as he lived. Besides she was unlikely to die, he would never allow it.

Lucian tasted Liza in his mouth. He groaned in pleasure, everything hurt. Then memory came flooding back to him. He had been shot, and from the way he felt the bullets must have been laced with mercury. He reached for Liza feeling her fading, she was pa.s.sing out. Then he realized why, he was taking her blood. He licked her wound, only the taste of her still poured into his mouth. Why had that not closed his bite? Then he was sitting up, holding her as she slid down into his lap. She was almost limp, she was so weak. He roared.

"Liza." Then he moved her wrist to get a look at the wound, and roared louder his eyes so red they glowed. Her wrist had been sliced open with a knife. Whoever had done that would be dying today. Right now though he needed to get the wound closed.

"Lucian..." she whispered weakly. "I'll be fine....it will heal." Then she was pa.s.sing out. He roared her name again, receiving no response.

"Lucian, we need to get out of this meadow! She'll be fine. Get her to the car." Dominick told him. Lucian did not even look at his second in command. He needed to get her wound closed then he would get her to the car.

He bit his hand holding it over the wound in her wrist willing it to close. Then he saw to his relief that it was closing. He almost sagged to the blanket before he told Dominick.

Let's go." He tried to stumble to his feet with Liza in his arms, but tipped sideways and would have fallen were it not for Dominick. He caught them pulling Liza from him. He rumbled out a warning, but Dominick just began walking to the car with Liza. If he was not about to fall on his face he would have killed the b.a.s.t.a.r.d. No one was allowed to touch her. Following them to the car, oblivious to his men who made themselves into a living s.h.i.+eld, he climbed into the back gathering her into his arms when Dominick handed her inside to him.

He felt for her pulse. He found that it was stronger than he would have thought with the amount of blood she had lost, filling him with relief. They would give her blood when they got to the manor, and she would live. His eyes met his seconds. He looked coldly at him for several moments. Could he really kill his best friend if he was the one who had sliced her wrist to feed him? The answer came to him instantly, yes he would kill him. If Liza died he would torture him for hours before he let him die screaming.

"Who cut her to feed me?" He asked in a deadly voice.

Dominick, who had been looking around trying to take in every angle an attack could possibly come from, turned to him. He met his eyes.

"Liza." He told him looking him in the eye to letting him know that he was not lying. It shocked him. Liza had cut her own wrist to save him? Why? Only he already knew. He had known for years, she loved him. He pulled her closer, his lips brus.h.i.+ng her head. He did not know what to do with a woman who would give up her life for his. He kissed her again. It did not matter, she would not die, and any who threatened her would die.

When they finally made it to the manor after several worry filled minutes he was striding into the manor carrying Liza. In the car he could hear the steady beat of her pulse, which considering how much blood she had lost trying to save him was odd. She should have been in much worse shape. His blood was helping her to heal, but if they did not get more blood into her soon she might not continue to do well. Toby came rus.h.i.+ng into the hallway with the blood Dominick had called ahead to order.

"I have the transfusion set up in the infirmary. There are three donors with her blood type." Toby told him when he entered behind Dominick carrying Liza. He nodded following Toby. When they entered the room he had modified into a make s.h.i.+ft hospital when he had moved in for both his men and the humans who lived here, he set her on the exam table. Gram, the doctor he had hired to care for his people, began starting an IV. She was still pale, but her pulse was still steady.

"How much did she lose?" Gram asked.

"Three pints at least. He told him, knowing that it had to be over two for her to pa.s.s out, and his feedings over the last few weeks had not helped. He was d.a.m.ned lucky he had been able to close her wound with his blood. Otherwise she may not have made it to the doctor. Gram nodded, hanging a bag of blood. He pressed the needle into her arm starting the IV.

Lucian caught the growl that tried to grasp him by the throat. He knew that giving her blood was necessary but that did not mean he had to like it. He wanted to rip the bag away, and give her his own blood instead. He knew that was a very bad idea. He had lost a lot of blood, and it would turn her. Lucian did not think she was ready for that yet, and he would not force it on her. At least not now, when she was older though. If she had not agreed, he may have to force her hand. He had decided these past few weeks that he was not letting her go. Now that he had her he was keeping her, forever.

Chapter 13.

The Aurora watched Mina and Jayne sparing in the clearing beside the river. She had arrived a short time ago for their weekly check in to find the two women already fighting. Smiling, she watched Mina whirl with her sword raised taking Jayne by surprise. Yeah, her slayers were d.a.m.ned good, she thought.

"You girls going to be long?" She asked, laughing when Jayne smacked Mina on the a.s.s with the sword as she stumbled.

"No, I just wanted a bit of practice. She's always bragging about beating me last year at the slayer games." Jayne whined. Both women were panting as they turned to look at their queen.

"Ha, if you weren't so slow I would let you win, but you take forever to process things." Mina told her laughing.

"Children, please," The Aurora joked, putting her hand to her head for effect. "Why can't you just get along?" This earned her a scowl from the two women.

"Ha, you're just as bad. If I could count the number of times you bickered with Kara." Mina grumbled smiling, but seeing the queen's grimace, she wished she could take it back. d.a.m.n that b.a.s.t.a.r.d for taking their friend, she thought, feeling an ache of loss at the mention of Kara.

"We were sort of like children weren't we." The Aurora smiled sadly. Yeah, she was an idiot. She shouldn't have mentioned Kara. Jayne gave her a sour look, and she knew that she was thinking the same thing.

"How is the rabble?" The Aurora asked looking at her and Jayne.

"Only Jacob was hurt during a hunt, and everyone is hunting in pairs like you demanded." Jayne informed their queen.

"How goes your plan?" Mina asked.

"It is more difficult than I imagined. I am managing though." Their queen vaguely replied.

"Why is it more difficult?" Jayne asked, looking surprised.

"It just is." She replied. Jayne shared a look with Mina as they sat down beside the bank next to the Aurora.

"Is it that you're having to be nice to d.i.c.k heads?" Mina asked.