Taken by a Vampire (Vampire Queen) - By Joey W. Hill Page 0,59

like. If our Master approves.”

Niall’s brow lifted. He was a servant, so why would she offer such a thing? She didn’t know, so she bent her head again.

“That would please me,” Evan said neutrally. “You may serve us both, Alanna.”

It eased the band in her stomach. She wasn’t useless.

When he tugged her hair, brought her head up, she met that cool stare again. “Alanna, you and I are going to make a pact. It’s a devil’s bargain, because I’m fairly certain you’re going to break this rule often, and Niall and I are going to reap the pleasure of you doing so.”

Bargain? Pact?

“You won’t think of yourself as useless, unclean, traitorous, or deprecate yourself in any way. Not while you’re with me. You understand?”

“How can I be what you desire, sir, if I have no standards to strive for?”

“You follow my lead. Be who you are, Alanna, and I’ll let you know if I require anything different. The real question is, do you know who you are?”

His hand on her face had gentled, at odds with the spear of pain that came with the question. Fortunately, he didn’t require her to answer. “You break this rule,” he continued, “you won’t like the punishment I mete out. It will be severe, because I intend for you to remember it. Do you understand?”

“Yes sir.”

“Good. Now go tend to Niall. You’re trying to get me hard again, and it’s far past dawn. Time for me to go below.” He rose, picking up his clothes. As Alanna turned to watch him go, she was aware of Niall’s attention on her. The vampire turned at the door, gave his servant a significant look, then shifted it to Alanna. “During the day, when I sleep, you obey and serve Niall as you would serve me.”

Her fingers tightened on the cloth, not sure she entirely understood. “Master, do you mean . . . ?”

“Whatever he orders or desires, you obey as you obey my will.”

She swallowed. “Yes sir.”

7

AFTER he left, she went to the bathroom sink, washed out the basin and retrieved a new cloth. Niall was still sitting on the edge of the bed, watching her in a way that made her skin warm.

He was an extension of her Master. It wasn’t difficult to think of him that way, not when she was this stirred up. She already dropped her gaze when he spoke to her in certain ways, and the way he’d held her, spanked her . . . My servant has more than a touch of the sexual Dominant . . .

But had Evan meant . . . anything?

She thought of how it had felt, lying on her back beneath them, feeling Niall’s muscles flexing beneath the dragon tattoos as he serviced Evan, the jut of his unsatisfied cock between his thighs. The way that cock had felt, penetrating her hard and deep. Her fingers trembled anew as she knelt between his legs and closed her hand over it as she had Evan’s. While she washed the organ, he was still staring at her, and it was a little discomfiting. He was getting even harder. Should she offer, since Evan had said . . . whatever?

No. If she was to treat him like Evan, it was his place to tell her what he wanted. Otherwise it would be too easy to confuse her own wants with his, and she was already far too lost in that regard.

Finishing the cleaning, she patted him dry with a towel. When she was done, Niall rose, taking the basin from her to walk it into the bathroom, dump it.

“Go to bed,” he said shortly, nodding to his bed. “I’ll be back.”

Niall secured the bar over the front door, then went to the cellar. When Evan had left them with that unexpected directive, she’d missed Niall’s what-the-bloody-hell look, which he supposed was a good thing. It was also a good thing she didn’t have third-marked senses to overhear the upcoming conversation, though of course if he yelled, she’d hear him well enough. Her and the deer on the next mountaintop.

Evan was sitting on his cot, doing something to one of his cameras, something he’d probably mess up and Niall would need to fix. The male was an outstanding photographer, but he had as much mechanical aptitude as a wizard with a wand. He’d drawn on those cotton drawstring pants he often wore to sleep. As he sat on the edge of the cot now, one leg crooked under him,