clearly answering her thought. “And that’s where I want you to kneel right now—on the bench with your legs spread and with your back to the frame.”
“What…what if I don’t want to?” Alli asked through numb lips.
“I could make you, of course.” His mirrored eyes flashed. “But it would be better if you would recognize and admit your own desires and allow me to strap you to the Stinging Frame willingly.”
“The…the Stinging Frame?” Alli asked.
Kane nodded.
“This is where you will begin every day—until you learn to hold still without being restrained for your daily Stinging.”
“But what do you mean when you say ‘Stinging?’” she asked. Then, suddenly, the most frightening part of her dreams rushed back to her. The part where Kane opened his mouth and his tongue grew long and sharp like a needle or…
“A Stinger,” he finished her thought out loud for her. “Yes, it is a trait of my kind of Kindred to want to inject our concubines with lust-honey—the same way a Blood Kindred injects his mate with his essence.”
“But…but what if I don’t want to be injected?” Alli exclaimed. She had never liked needles.
“You may not like it at first,” Kane replied. “But in time, you will come to crave it.” He looked at her, his mirrored eyes half-lidded with lust as his voice dropped to a seductive growl. “You’ll crawl into my lap and offer me your breasts, begging for my Stinging kisses, baby.”
“You’re going to sting me there?” Alli looked down at her silky nightshirt. Her nipples were hard with fear and the tight little points were clearly visible under the thin material.
Kane raised an eyebrow.
“Among other places. Come on now, Allisandra—kneel for me.”
“And let you cuff me up and stab me all over with your needle tongue? I don’t think so!”
She broke and ran, dodging around the crazy bondage equipment, trying to get away—to get anywhere—but here.
Rushing down the deserted hallway, she threw a desperate glance over her shoulder…and saw that he wasn’t even chasing her.
“What the hell?” Alli muttered, coming to a halt. Where was Kane? Was he far back behind her, giving her a head start so he could hunt her down? Was that his sick, sadistic little game?
“This is no game, Allisandra.”
The deep, gravelly voice came from behind her.
Gasping, Alli whirled around to see Kane standing there at the end of the corridor. He had gotten around her when she wasn’t looking—but how?
“This is my fortress. Don’t you think I know every possible way in and out of it?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. “Allisandra, I am going to Sting you—taking my Sting is part of being my concubine. You must accept that.”
“What if I don’t want to?” she asked, backing away from him.
He frowned.
“Then I suppose I’ll have to do this the hard way.”
Alli started to run again but he was suddenly right in front of her, blocking her way. God, how could he move so fast?
“I can do a lot of things, baby,” Kane told her. Then he was swinging her up into his arms and throwing her over one broad shoulder.
“Hey! Let me go—let me go!” Alli exclaimed, beating on his muscular back with her fists.
She might as well have been hitting a brick wall. Kane didn’t even flinch from her blows. He simply carried her back to the black metal X and put her down with her knees on the padded bench.
Alli struggled to no avail—before she knew it, both her hands were above her head and manacled to the arms of the black metal X. This had the effect of thrusting her breasts up and out under the thin nightshirt she wore.
“And now for your legs,” Kane rumbled. Leaning down, he manacled her ankles as well, making certain her thighs were spread wide apart as she knelt on the padded bench.
“Please!” Alli tugged on the black leather manacles with their thick silver buckles. “I know you said you can read all my fantasies but I’ve never fantasized about being stuck with needles!”
“My Stinger is not a fucking needle,” Kane growled. “Now be still while I do what needs to be done. But first, this is in my way.”
Abruptly, he leaned down and grabbed the neck of her nightshirt. As easily as though he was tearing tissue paper, he ripped the silky material right down the middle, so that the tattered shreds of the night shirt hung on either side of Alli’s now-mostly naked body.
Alli gasped and tensed, automatically trying to cover herself. But of