Taken by a Vampire (Vampire Queen) - By Joey W. Hill Page 0,166

and chains in a neat pile on another bunk. Then she knelt, pulling out the box beneath it, because she’d of course familiarized herself with her surroundings, so they wouldn’t have to tell her where anything was.

It held things that could be used for play or punishment, depending on Evan’s mood. No question on which mood held sway right now, so she showed her courage as she laid out a switch, hot stick and scalpel, the items that could deliver the most pain in close quarters. No, not courage. Her shaking had stopped, such that now he didn’t even detect a tremor in her hands. Seeing the dead resignation in her eyes, Niall realized no physical agony would surpass that inflicted by Evan’s words.

She removed four steel manacles. After putting them on her ankles and wrists, she moved to the back bunk and knelt on the thin mattress pad. The manacles had been fitted with clips that could be attached to holes bored into the metal frame. Christ, that brought back some over-the-top memories, when Evan had been of a mind to stop for an hour between destinations and slake his Dominant tendencies with Niall’s body.

She used the heel of each hand to press the wrist clips into the ones at the head of the bed. Sliding onto her stomach, she turned her face to the wall, but spread her legs, waiting for him to do the same to her ankles. Niall’s ankles could reach the holes at the foot, but her legs weren’t that long. They’d have to be fastened on the sides, spreading her so her feet would hang over the sides, making her look more helpless and small.

Aye, the vampire was in a murderous rage, and not just because her foolish bravery could give even an immortal Master heart failure. She’d done it to protect Tyler and the rest, but she’d also done it to keep Evan and Niall safe. Evan had let him hear that much and, as such, Niall understood some of their Master’s anger—better than Alanna in this instance. Thinking about it now, Niall also realized why his comment about Daegan had incensed Evan further.

Regardless, he refused to let her keep on like this. He squatted by the bed. “Look at me, lass.”

She didn’t obey. “It doesn’t matter, Niall. Master is right. Leave me like this until Daegan kills Stephen. It’s the only function I have. I won’t take the blockers anymore, so gag me when the nightmares start.”

“I’ll give ye the injections.”

“He will find me quicker without them,” she responded tonelessly.

Putting his hand on her bare back, he found she was cold. He let his fingers glide over her buttock, but he could have been touching a statue. Over their short time together, she’d begun to tailor her responses to them, as well as explore the heated realm of her own pleasure. Now it was as if she wasn’t inhabiting her body.

“Alanna, stop this.” When she didn’t move, he tightened his fingers on her hip. “Damn it, look at me.”

“Please just leave me alone, Niall. I’m tired.”

“He was angry, Alanna. It was more than the fact that you didn’t obey him; you didn’t trust him to handle the situation.”

“Tyler and Brendan are your friends. I had to stop the vampire from coming onto their property.”

“By offering your blood, your body. Things that belong to your Master, that are only his to give.”

“I knew Evan would want to protect his human friends. That was a sacrifice I could make. It doesn’t matter. It’s all a lie, really. None of it matters.”

“Yes, it does, damn it.” Fuck Evan’s temper, as well as her lifeless compliance. Unlatching the manacles from the bedframe, he turned her onto her back, one hand gripping her forearm. She resisted, stiff, but when he forced the issue, the wall she’d put up between them crumbled. She swung at him with the other arm, but he pulled her to her feet, almost getting his ear taken off by one of the steel cuffs as she struggled, spitting at him like an angry cat. Catching her wrists, he put her back down on the bed, this time on her back, himself on top of her. She nearly emasculated him with her knee.

“That’s enough,” he snarled, giving her a good shake. As she stared up at him, panting, he realized that, in their struggles, she’d raked up the kilt, so that his cock was pressed against her bare mound. Given how close they’d come