Heirot

Tenele's words echoed in his mind, and Atul's body rubbed against the smoothness of his back harder. The vampire's thoughts spun. He wanted it. God, how he wanted both of them right now. But he was a little terrified of how badly he wanted it. What did that mean? Just thinking about it was...

He didn't realize he was rising toward the edge until his loins began to tighten fiercely, building up too fast to stop. "No," he gasped, realizing his decision too late to actually make it. His climax was wrapping him like excruciatingly tight satin, pulling him deeper and deeper. He thrust hard into his lover, wanting her to scream, wanting to hear her voice call to him.

Tenele was caught of guard. Pleasure seared through her, driving her mad. She couldn't think to prod him anymore about it. Her mind blanked, and all she felt was fire. She clawed at the covers, moaning, withering, screaming. There surely wouldn't be any question as to what was happening in the room. "Merciful gods... Vlad!"

Her enraptured, almost scolding tone brought an ecstatic smirk to his lips before his face twisted in the ecstasy of his climax. He felt a masculine arm wrap over his mouth to stifle his moan of passion, and Vlad bit into him indiscriminately, sending the feeling like a physical blow through Atul's mind. It was Atul who ended up clenching his own teeth in Vlad's shoulder to keep from crying out as climax washed over both of them.

Tenele's muscles clenched as she felt her husband's climax after her own, and then Atul's mind burst in to share. She curled inward, draping her arms over them, her legs tightening about them. The look of Atul covering Vlad's mouth was intoxicating. The blood from Atul's hand dripped off the corner of Vlad's mouth and onto her heaving chest.

Tenele drew her arm back, pressing her fingers to her lips as the realization of how loud she'd momentarily been rushed over her. Soft embarrassment flooded through their link. No one had offered to cover her mouth... She gave a content sigh, nontheless, trailing kisses across Vlad's shoulder and Atul's arm. "Bastards," she cursed them with a deliriously pleased smile.

Vlad took a long time to release Atul's arm or lighten his deadlocked grip around his wife. being sandwiched between should have been too much intrusion and made him want to pull away, but it felt good to feel Atul's weight as he held himself up just enough for Tenele to breathe. Gods help him, the hot fluid spread over his back felt good as well. He was too sexual a person to be intimate with someone without an attraction being there. He'd known before he'd even proposed anything that the three of them might be compatible, but he hadn't meant to jump into this.

For goodness sake, he was almost disappointed when he couldn't ask for what he'd never in a million years expected to want. Assuming Atul would even consider such a thing. No, it was for the best that he'd hesitated. This three-way bond was something special. Bringing up something like that might ruin their friend's tenuous comfort with their arrangement. And who knew if Tenele could really be comfortable with it, he told himself. His gut knew the answer and could still sense Tenele's mind longing for it in the back of their connection, but he didn't admit it to himself.

He slowly withdrew his bite from Atul's hand, licking the powerful, spiced blood to help protect the wound. Atul left his hand there and allowed the vampire to clean it. Vlad hadn't been gentle. It was quite the love bite.

Tenele nuzzled her husband lovingly while he cleaned Atul's wound. Her own neck still held the dried blood from where his fangs had taken her, and a bruise from where they'd taken her last night. Her legs slowly unlocked from around them, one foot stroking back and forth along Atul's legs. It had been intense, but no where near as overwhelming as the first time. Possibly because Atul had joined them last minute for the end of the ride, instead of the full length.

"Are you two going to disappear like last time?" she asked quietly, tilting her face into the silk sheets and closing her eyes with a content sigh. The last time they'd made love she'd woken up in bed with Knight. Then, again, no magic words were spoken this time.

*No,* two male minds responded to hers.

Though if we fall asleep like this, you may very well wish we had," Atul smirked from the top of the dog pile.

"Please don't crush me," she whispered to them, smiling. "Off! Off! Before you do fall a sleep and I can't role you away!"

The men kind of did what she asked, though not exactly. Atul lifted himself just enough to let Vlad out, and they each drew to the side of her, leaving her packed like a sardine between them. Legs and arms held her down like a warm net. Vlad nuzzled her chin upward and ran his tongue along her love-bitten neck the way another lover might have stroked her hair after lovemaking.

Tenele sighed, perfectly content between the two of them. It was probably too early for sleep, but she felt exhaustion pull at her after that. Vlad had an unique way of wearing her out by himself, more so when accompanied by another. She kissed Atul's cheek, next to his lips. She didn't kiss his lips, however. Since the incident with Verin she'd promised herself she'd never kiss another man accept Vlad.

She rested back against them, closed her eyes.

* * *

Sharing a room with Atul for the better part of a week was nice in as many aspects as it was exhausting. But, there was a closeness growing between the three of them that was recognisable. She wasn't sure what the crewmen on the boat were picking up about their prolonged stay in his cabin, but she knew that they probably weren't entirely innocent to the matter either.

Tenele sat on the upper deck, cross-legged and watching the ocean. The warm wind kissed her skin. She wore a pretty blue dress that was made of many layers of thin fabric, a summer dress that was popular among Ighten's women. The heat in the air made her thankful to be gone from Ighten's harsh winter.

"Tenele," Talon called, coming to stand alongside her.

"There you are!" Tenele replied, hopping up to her feet. The vampire flinched, fists knotting at his sides. "Something wrong?" Tenele asked softly, reaching out for her brother.

"No," he breathed, avoiding the touch of her warm hand. "At least... Can we talk privately?"

"If there is something wrong Vlad should-"

"No," Talon muttered, shaking his head. "I want to talk to you."

Tenele glanced around, frowning. "Okay... Where do you want to talk?"

"This way," Talon whispered, taking her arm by the wrist and leading her down the steps below deck.

Vlad spent most of the days lying on the forward deck, where there was less activity and less crew, and watching the sky. Ships were boring, but he was beginning to run out of ways to torture the crew, so he was resigned to wait for shore. His mind always seemed to wander back to what he'd almost done during their lovemaking with Atul. He wanted to be dismissive of it, but that didn't work when thinking about it brought a sweep of embarrassment and curiosity through him every time. He shrugged it off and enjoyed the blue-on-blue landscape as far as the eyes could see.

Talon led Tenele down to the lowest level of the ship and into the storage room where he closed the door behind him. It was dim, lit buy several portholes, but well enough to see by without lighting lanterns.

"Okay," Tenele muttered, folding her arms. "Now that you've led us to the bowls of the ship, what is it?"

"I have a problem," he muttered, pacing back and forth.

"That's apparent, but what's your problem?"

"I slept with a woman three nights ago," he muttered.

"A woman? How? I haven't see another woman on this ship." Tenele's brow furrowed.

"That's the problem," Talon growled. "She wasn't a normal woman, Tenele. She was... I can't explain it. She gave me something to drink."

Tenele shook her head holding up her hand and taking a step forward. "Let me get this straight. A random mysterious woman shows up in your room and you sleep with her? You don't know where she comes from, who she works for, and you sleep with her?"

Talon's brow furrowed and his eyes flashed red. "I don't ask why you're fucking Atul, so don't ask what I do with my personal time," he seethed.

Tenele's head cocked back, like he'd slapped her.

Talon shook his head. "I'm sorry... I didn't... I shouldn't have said that. I don't know what's wrong with me. Ever since I drank that... I haven't felt myself. It was like drinking fire. Power. I've never had anything like it. I don't feel myself."

Tenele shook her head. "I think we should get Vlad."

"No," Talon muttered. "I don't want him disappointed in me. I'm so thirsty Tenele."

"You have a supply, drink that," Tenele breathed.

"I have."

"All of it?"

"Yes," Talon muttered.

"When?!"

"Three nights ago, after I drank what she gave me. I was so thirsty. I could hear all the heart beats on the ship. I wanted to eat everyone. I wanted to fight. I don't know what that was." Talon shook his head. "She said she was a cook on the ship. I believed her until I went looking for her the next morning. No one knew who she was. She doesn't exist. I think it was blood Tenele. I think what she gave me to drink was blood. I think..."

"You have gone three days without blood?" Tenele muttered. "You need blood, Talon."

"I know," Talon muttered. "That's why I wanted to speak to you..."

Tenele swallowed. "You want my blood?"

"Please. Just to get me through until we reach land and this... whatever this is wears off." Talon's red eyes sought hers.

Tenele frowned at him, stepping closer. "Talon," she muttered, shaking her head. "Vlad doesn't like it when other vampires bite me. I don't... I don't think he'd like it if I gave you my blood."

"I'm not most vampires," Talon urged, eyes glowing. "I'm his sire."

Tenele shifted nervously. "I don't like this. It doesn't feel right. Something about this whole thing feels wrong. From the woman you, eh, met, all the way to you asking this. Let's get Vlad."

"Tenele," Talon breathed. "Tenele, please."

Tenele swallowed, and lifted her wrist up to her brother. "Promise you'll stop."

Talon nodded, taking her wrist gently in his hand. "Thank you." He bit down, not as gently as Vlad would. She flinched, and his eyes flared. He drank.

After a minute Tenele felt a rush of heat. "Talon, I think that's enough."

He didn't let go.

"Talon!" She pulled on her wrist, and when he didn't let up she slapped him across the face. It startled him, and he drew back. There was a look in his eyes then, a feral, animal look that she didn't recognise in Talon. He barred his teeth. Tenele did the one thing she knew better to do with a vampire. She turned to run for the door.

Talon was faster. He grabbed her and lifted her up off her feet, throwing her down on the floor hard enough that her body felt like it splintered apart. He fell down on her, and mouth gaping and heading for her neck. Tenele flung her arm up to block and his teeth sank down messy and hard enough to crack bone. She screamed, another bad move to make with a vampire. His eyes closed with pleasure, his body pressed in.

This was not her brother.

This was not Talon.

"Talon stop!" Tenele screamed, batting at him with her hands. He drew away, grabbing the front of her dress and tearing it open. "TALON!" His teeth sank down over the soft skin on her chest, like he was trying to bite her heart.

There was a sinister look in his eyes when he sat up, a look Tenele didn't recognise in Talon. This was definitely NOT her brother. "Talon, let me go. Talon, please, just let go. I'll move slow, you move-"

Talon's hands fisted in her dress and he began pushing the layers of it up her hips. "TALON! Just stop! Think for a moment. I'm Tenele. I'm your sister." His claws raked across her thighs as he fought with the fabric, cutting the skin open and spilling blood on his hands.

Tenele struggled to hold them at bay, full out panic consuming her now and she did all the wrong things. She struggled, bucked, screamed. When he wouldn't listen to her, wouldn't see her for what she was... his sister. She planted her fist as hard as she could into his jaw. His head slowly turned to look back at her, eyes narrowing dangerously.

"Talon, listen to me. I'm Tenele-" His bloody hand wrapped around her throat. She couldn't breathe, and it was so tight she feared her head would explode from the pressure. She tried to call to him, but she couldn't force air out to form words.

And then, like someone through cold water over him he came to his senses. He looked down at the bloody hand wrapped around her throat. To her legs and the position he was in between them. Horror replaced the malice in his features. He released his grip on her neck and jumped to his feet, backing away.

"Tenele..." Talon hissed. "God's, Tenele!!"

Tenele smiled as best she could, trying to keep him calm by pretending it wasn't so bad. She pushed her dress down and crawled backwards to the door. "Its okay... It's alright. I'm going to get Vlad. Vlad can help you. It's okay Talon. You didn't mean to. Its my fault. I struggled. Its okay." She kept trying to say calming words, even as her nerves began to splinter apart. She opened the door to the storage room.

"Tenele, I... I'm sorry. Oh, Gods... I'm so sorry." He couldn't take the eyes off the blood on his hands.

"Its okay," Tenele told him, closing the door. She locked the bolts, and collapsed on the floor unable to force her legs to carry her further than that.

Vlad was about to change positions on the hardwood deck when a rush of power nearly dropped him flat. The energy in him felt so familiar that for a second, he thought maybe it was his own. Then he realized why it was so familiar.

Tenele.

What the hell?

He jerked to his feet, resisting the rush of pleasure and power that went through him. Where was Tenele?

Eyes darkening, he opened up his inner barriers and sent out a probing through to the demon he'd sired. Talon's soul was like a black spark, far beneath him in the ship. It took only a minute or so to pinpoint him, and then the vampire was gone.

He appeared directly in front of Talon and swung at him. The punch blew him across the room, and would have done worse if it hadn't been a risk to the vessel they were floating in. Before the young vampire could even move, Vlad's knee crushed down into his chest. "Where is she?" he growled, blood roaring in his ears.

Talon's bloody hand shook as he pointed to the door. "She went out the door. Vlad, I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. I.... I tried to... God's, Vlad. What's wrong with me? I nearly killed her."

Vlad's expression held only anger as he rose from Talon's chest. "Do not move," he threw all his power into the command, pinning Talon's muscles in place stiff enough to hurt.

He turned and stormed out the door, planning to chase a trail of blood. He froze as he noticed Tenele sitting directly outside. She was bleeding badly. "Tenele," he said, kneeling beside her and supporting her weight. "It's alright. You're fine," he cooed, ripping a long claw through the front of her dress to get a better look at her injuries without moving her. "I have you," he murmured soothingly as he placed a hand over the wound in her neck, the one that had done the most damage because it was right by her artery. "We're going to move now. Are you ready?" he asked. He didn't think a teleport would be easy for her in her condition, but carrying her up several flights of stairs didn't seem gentle either.