Blood of the Highland Moon

Chapter 13: The Inner Beast

Eallair's P.O.V.

Anger had filled the most of my day and now I was determined to confront Catriona. I was a bleeding king after all, what I said went! It was not like I was asking her to do something she didn’t want to do. Every time I touched her she practically begged for more. If she were to say no I would stop, but she never did.

I stormed through the castle following her scent. When I followed her scent deep into the castle where few people were this time of day I smiled to myself. She would never suspect me coming after her. I was going to show her just what the hell we were doing.

She was gazing out a window, arms crossed, hip slung out and her shoulder leaned against the wall. I was upon her in seconds, grabbing her by the shoulders and spinning her around so that her back was to the wall and her body trapped by mine. The resistance in her body only lasted a few seconds before she recognized me. Then she glared at me.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” She demanded.

“Whatever the hell I want.” I growled as pushed my hips into hers. “And right now, that is you.” She gasped and I took advantage of her moment of surprise to lock my lips over hers. I slipped my hand between our bodies and cupped her woman’s part, rubbing circles with the heel of my hand. My fingers dug into her dress and I rubbed at her c**t as my other hand locked on the back of her skull.

She moaned into my mouth and her hand fisted into my shirt. Taking that as an invitation, I began yanking up her skirts and slipped a finger inside her slick core. She was hot and so bloody ready for me. I freed my throbbing c**k, grabbed each of her thighs under the cheeks of her bottom and thrust deep inside her. She cried out with pleasure and her fingers dug into my shoulders. With a hunger I couldn’t deny I thrust in and out of her body, holding tight to the cheeks of her ass and keeping her pinned tightly to the wall. Her fangs sank into my neck and she drew short swallows of my blood between whimpers of pleasure. With a roar of my own I sank my teeth into her neck and drove deep inside her, pulsing with release.

I stood there, holding her off the floor with her back still pressed to the wall, gasping for breath. Her face was buried in the crook of my neck as she too struggled to catch her breath. Slowly, her legs slipped free of my hold and her feet settled on the floor. I didn’t step away from her however. Breathing heavily she glared up at me.

“What the bloody hell was that?” She demanded as she fixed her skirts.

“That was me doing exactly what both of us wanted. Don’t deny it, you were wet and ready for me the instant I touched you.”

“You had no right to do that to me! What if someone had walked down this hall? They could have seen us!” She insisted, her face flushed.

“Not very many people come to this part of the castle and we were making enough noise that no one would have rounded the corner.” I crossed my arms over my chest and glared down at her.

“You think that makes it any better? You think I want anyone to know that we have done this?” She gestured between the two of us.

“Och, lass, they know. Everyone here aside from you and my mother are werewolves, they can smell me all over you and you all over me. They can smell what we just did the instant we enter a room. And before you go and try to wash it off realize that it will be too late, the maids will know what that smell is and they will talk and soon enough the entire castle will know if Alex has not already told them.”

Shock filled her face and was soon replaced with anger. “Bloody dogs! The lot of you are naught but a frustration!”

“Is that what I am to you?” I asked with amusement. “A frustration? I was hoping I was a pleasure. Shall I try again?”

“No! I don’t want you bloody touching me!” She tried to shove past me but I wouldn’t let her away from the wall. “Eallair, you bloody mutt b*****d, get out of my way.”

“Not until you tell me if I was a pleasure to you.” I purred, knowing it would irritate her more.

“You bloody know you were now leave me alone!” She hissed.

I was shocked for a instant then let a broad smile spread my lips. “Do you wish to know if you were a pleasure to me?”

“I don’t care if I was a pleasure to you.” She said stiffly and crossed her arms.

“You are a pleasure I can’t get enough of, lass.”

“Too bad, because you are done getting your pleasure from me.” She said defiantly.

I leaned forward and breathed my retort against her ear. “You’ll not be saying that tonight when I have you in my bed again, when I am your pleasure beneath my blankets.”

I hadn’t expected what happened an instant later, when her lithe body launched into mine, knocking me across the narrow hall and into the other wall. Her fingers locked around my throat in a firm grip. “What makes you think I will be in your bed again tonight?” She hissed.

In the blink of an eye I was the one pinning her to the wall again, her fingers laced with mine and pinned to the wall on either side of her head. “Because I’ll not have you sleeping anywhere else.” In the next instant I was away from her and leaning against the other wall.

“The bloody hell with that! I’ll be sleeping in my bed, far way from you!”

“I am the king and you are in my castle. You will sleep in my chamber with me.”

“I’ll not be sleeping with you!”

I shrugged. “Then we will find something to do in the long night that is far more fun than sleeping.”

She threw up her hands. “You are bloody impossible, you know that? You think that because you keep reminding me you are the king that I will simply do as you wish. I’ll not be ordered around by you, Eallair.”

Thunder clapped before I could respond and rain began pounding against the window. I turned and looked at Catriona who was staring at the window with what could only be called a hungry look on her face.

“Can I go outside?” She asked abruptly.

“It’s storming!” I shot back in shock.

“Yes, and there is not any sun to weaken me. The ran won’t hurt me in any way.”

“I’ll nay have you catching a cold from being out in it, lass.”

“I don’t get sick. I never have. I’ve spent many days in the rain. Once my father found out that I was slipping out on the ramparts of the castle when it was storming and nay getting sick he began letting me go out when it was storming. Vampires don’t get sick.”

I eyed her skeptically before making my decision. “If I let you go out into the rain, you will not go more than a few feet from the castle, and you will not argue when I lead you to my chamber tonight.”

“I’m not spending the night in your chamber.” She hissed.

“You did last night, and I’ll not give you something without getting something in return. I ask that you stay in my chambers, not that you do anything, just stay in them.”

She eyed me wearily, glanced at the window and the storm raging. “Fine.” She said stubbornly.

I smiled and held out my hand. “Then let us go out into the storm lass.” She rolled her eyes but took my hand anyway and we made our way through the castle and outside.

Watching from the alcove of the great doors, I enjoyed the smile on Catriona’s face as she spun a happy circle in the rain. I would have to let her go outside at night more. She was so starved for this that when she got it she was radiant and playful. It was a side of her I hadn’t seen. Smiling to myself, I’d decided to take advantage of her good mood, and dashed out into the rain. I locked my arms around her, lifted her off the ground, and spun her in a circle.

“What are you doing!” She shrieked with alarm.

“I am having fun lass!” I let her slide down my body, kissed her soundly, then stepped away. “Let’s see how fast you are, shall we?” I glanced at the tree closest to us then looked back at her. “Let’s race to that tree and back.” I said excitedly.

Her face lit up with a dark smile that had my blood pounding in my ears. “If you think you can keep up, wolf.” Was all she said before bolting off toward the tree. I raced after her, catching her just feet from the bottom. I wrapped my arm around her waist to spin her around. Our footing on the slippery grass gave way and we tumbled to the ground together.

She’d landed on top of me laughing. It was a sound so musical it warmed my gut. I growled and rolled away. She wasn’t the only one who could have fun. I crouched only a few feet from her and gave her a dark smile of my own. “Come Catriona, let’s see if you can pin me.” I taunted.

She smiled and got into a battle-ready crouch herself. “I’ll pin you, the question is, will you play fair?”

“Lass, I never play fair.” I said with another smile, one that promised my body pressed to hers. She launched herself at me. I easily avoided her forward attack only to have her latch onto my back. I shook her off with too much ease. Was she toying with me?

She laughed again and stood up off the ground. “Am I the only one who is to try pinning the other?”

I smiled. “Is that a challenge lass?”

She sauntered toward me, laughter in her slivery moon eyes. “Would I ever challenge you, wolf?” She practically purred as she began to circle me, getting closer and closer. I couldn’t keep myself from looking at the way her gown clung to her body, outlining her long legs and slender body.

“Yes, I think you would.” I said through a throat that was getting tight with lust. Damn if the woman wasn’t beautiful when she moved!

She laughed again, her fingertips grazing my shoulders. “Come now wolf, you can trust me.” Her voice was laced heavily in a seductive tone and her eyes glinted mischief as she circled around to the front of me. “Then again, maybe you shouldn’t.” She said as she struck out with her leg, knocking mine from beneath me. She was on top of me in seconds, her fangs inches from my throat. “I got you.” She purred in my ear.

I laughed and flipped over, pinning her beneath me. “You didn’t pin me lass, you just knocked me down.” I leaned in next to her ear as I held both her hands to the ground. “This is pinning you.”

Her tongue flicked out and lazily licked up my throat. If I hadn’t been throbbing to be inside her before, I was now. “Let me have my hands, Eallair.” She purred beneath me and lifted her hips.

A growl rumbled through me. She was too intoxicating! Her scent told me she was as aroused as I was. Bloody hell! Was this what it took to get her to start things between us? I released my hold on her hands and grazed my fingertips down the underneath side of her arms. The next thing I knew she was on top of me, pinning me beneath her. Her small hands locked around my wrists.

She smiled down at me. “You should know better than to trust a vampire, Eallair.” She purred. “I’ve pinned you, this time you’ll not get up so easily.”

I didn’t want to get up. Having her on top of me, looking down at me with dripping raven’s hair, lust and laughter mixed in her eyes, I wanted nothing more than to rip our clothes off and let her try to dominate me.

Suddenly a shrill cry erupted into the air. “She’s attacking the King! The vampire is attacking the King!”

Both our heads whipped around to see a maid running in through the doors sounding the alarm. “Bloody hell.” I cursed and let my head fall back against the wet ground.

Catriona let go of my wrists and stood. I looked up at her to find her hand extended. When she took in my questioning look she shrugged. “We were but testing each others weaknesses.”

A wave of men rushed out into the rain as I took the hand she offered. When I had gained my feet and she would have stepped away from me I yanked her into my body and locked my lips over hers. I could hear the mixture of responses from my men; curses, laughter, and snorts. I laughed against her lips when I heard one of them say, “Bloody dim witted lass.”

Catriona shoved abruptly against my chest, knocking me back a few steps and glared at me. Then she turned on her heel, head held high, and stomped off through the men, anger filling her steps. I laughed and followed behind her. When I passed the shocked looking maid I paused and shook my head, laughed again, and continued walking.