Bargaining with Pleasure
“Nothing.” I looked away, unwilling to share something so painful, so personal. That tin life had been mine–the one pure thing in my disastrous relationship with Dorian. I couldn’t bear to have Kaius treat it as merely an inconvenience to his plans.
He gripped my chin, forcing my gaze back to his. “Again, Elowen, you disobey me.”
I closed my eyes briefly, summoning my courage. “It’s nothing serious… I had a miscarriage two weeks ago, but I am fine now.”
His hand froze on my face. “And you didn’t think you should have told me this earlier?”
Anger flared hot in my chest. “Why would I tell you? It is my personal life, not at all your business.”
His grip tightened slightly. “You do not seem to understand, Elowen; you are my business.” His eyes darkened as they swept over my body.
His declaration left me speechless. I turned my face away, avoiding his penetrating gaze.
“What was the cause of this miscarriage?” he asked without preamble, his voice low in the darkness.
I blinked, disoriented by the abrupt question.
“I cannot tell you that,” I whispered.
His expression hardened. “I will find out either way.”
“Well, good luck with that.” The words slipped out before I could stop them, a small act of defiance in a situation where I had little control.
Instead of anger, a slow smile spread across his face. “Then maybe a little fun.”
My breath caught in my throat.
His hand moved to rest on my hip, the heat of his palm searing against my skin. I tensed,
watching as his eyes traveled down my body with obvious hunger.
I hated myself for it, but I was captivated by the way he looked.
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Bargaining with Pleasure
My cheeks burned under his scrutiny, and I hated myself for it. This man had all but purchased me, had humiliated me, had made it clear I was nothing but a contractual obligation to him–yet my body responded to his proximity like a compass finding north
“What are you doing?” I asked as he reached toward the bedside table, retrieving something I couldn’t quite see.
He didn’t answer. In one fluid motion, he moved over me, straddling my body without touching me, his knees on either side of my hips. I went still, unable to move under his intense stare.
“What are you doing?” I repeated, my voice rising with panic as he took my wrists in one large hand.
With his other hand, he revealed what he’d taken from the bedside table–a black silk tie Before I could process what was happening, he began binding my wrists together.
“Stay still,” he commanded as I instinctively struggled.
With practiced efficiency, he secured my bound wrists to the ornate headboard, leaving me helpless beneath him. My heart hammered against my ribs, panic rising in my throat.
“Now kiss me,” he ordered, his face hovering inches from mine.
I turned my head away, the position impossibly vulnerable. “I can’t…”
Is this fun for both of us or just for him? I wondered desperately, testing the bindings tha held me captive. They were secure but not painful–small comfort in my current situation
Without warning, Kaius captured my chin between his fingers, turning my face back to his. The kiss, when it came, wasn’t the brutal claiming I’d expected. Instead, his lips moved against mine with expert precision, coaxing rather than demanding.
Despite myself, a small sound escaped me–not quite a moan, but close enough to make my cheeks burn with shame. I’d been kissed before, of course, by Dorian–but never like this. Never with this focused intensity, as if the kiss itself was the goal rather than a step toward something else.
My inexperience must have been obvious. I wondered if he found it pathetic, this response to something so basic. Yet I couldn’t stop the heat that spread through me,
Bargaining with Pleasure
couldn’t control the way my body arched slightly toward his.
What is wrong with me? Who gets turned on by a dangerous stranger who’s essentially holding them captive?
Apparently, I did. And I hated myself for it.
His hand moved to cup my breast, thumb
hardened. The sensation sent a jolt of pleasures across the peak that had already
intense I gasped against his mouth.
“That’s it, Elowen, he murmured, his lips moving to my neck, teeth grazing the sensitive skin beneath my ear.
My breathing grew labored as his explorations continued, his touch expert and deliberate. Every nerve ending seemed to come alive under his ministrations, my body responding in ways I never had with Dorian.
“If it helps,” he whispered against my heated skin, “I am glad you accepted the proposal.”
His hand drifted lower, slipping beneath my thighs. He parted my vulva with two fingers, finding me already wet despite myself. His fingers slid inside easily, drawing more moisture as he stroked me from within.
I should have protested, should have maintained at least the pretense of resistance, but the words died in my throat as his fingers explored wantonly inside my cunt.
My hips bucked involuntarily, seeking more of the exquisite sensation. My body responded with pleasure while my mind screamed no. I couldn’t control my reaction even though I hated myself for it.
Just as the tension inside me built toward some inevitable peak, his movements stopped. I opened eyes I hadn’t realized I’d closed to find him watching me with dark satisfaction.
“No,” I gasped, the word more plea than protest.
“I’ll not allow you to cum–that comes with a price,” he said, his voice a dangerous purr.
I writhed beneath him, desperate for the release he’d denied me. “Anything.” The word escaped before I could think, my body betraying me completely.
His smile was triumphant. “Do you promise to tell me what caused the miscarriage,
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Elowen?”
Reality crashed back like a bucket of ice water. “That’s not fair,” I whispered, struggling to regain some control over my treacherous body.
“I never said I was playing fair. I bargain with what I have.”
“So you bargain with this?” I asked, my voice shaking with equal parts arousal and anger.
He shrugged, unapologetic. “This is what I know how to do.”
The fleeting authenticity in his voice caught me by surprise. I wondered what experiences had shaped this man, taught him to wield sexuality as a weapon for extracting information.
But the thought vanished as his fingers resumed their skillful torture, bringing me back to the edge before retreating again.
“Fuck it. Okay,” I capitulated, beyond caring about anything but the desperate need consuming me.
The smile that spread across his face was pure victory. His movements became more focused, more intense, driving me relentlessly toward a precipice I both feared and craved.
Pleasure overwhelmed me, stealing my breath and leaving me unable to think. My body strained against the restraints as I gave in to the release I’d been resisting.
I could feel my wetness increasing, slicking his fingers as they moved faster, harder. My breath came in short, sharp gasps. I was on the edge, clinging to his hand as my body started to shake. Then, it all exploded. My muscles clenched violently, my inner walls milking his fingers as wave after wave of orgasm pulsed through me.
The Alpha’s Borrowed Luna
Unexpected Mercy
I lay beside Kaius, my wrists still bound with silk, the aftershocks of unwanted pleasure slowly fading from my body. Despite what my body had just felt, my complete vulnerability with exposed skin and restrained limbs left only emptiness.
“Could you untie me now?” I asked, my voice sounding smaller than intended.
Kaius turned to look at me, his expression unreadable in the dim light. “No.”
“What?” I stared at him, certain I’d misheard.
“No.” The word was simple, final.
I tugged at my restraints, frustration building. “I heard you. But why not?”
He smiled slowly as his eyes moved over every inch of my body. “I think I like you naked and tied to the bed. It’s a turn–on.”
Heat rose to my cheeks–partly embarrassment, partly something else I refused to admit. How could my body betray me so completely with this man? Minutes ago, I’d shattered beneath his touch, moaning loudly while he got exactly what he wanted from
- me.
He leaned closer, his breath warm against my neck. “You are a very strange being, Elowen Thorne. A moment ago, I could swear you enjoyed it all, but now you seem afraid and desperate to be free. Why?”
Before I could respond, his lips brushed the sensitive spot where my neck met my against my skin. Cold terror shot through me, overriding every other sensation.
“Stop!” I jerked away as much as my restraints would allow. “Don’t!”
Kaius pulled back, his expression curious. “What’s wrong?”
“You won’t mark me.” The words came out firm despite my racing heart.
shoulder. I froze as I felt the graze of fangs
Understanding dawned in his eyes. “You were afraid I was going to mark you here and now?”
I nodded, unable to speak past the lump in my throat. Marking was permanent–a lifelong bond that could never be broken. I’d‘ already suffered the consequences of one mate bond gone wrong; I couldn’t bear another, especially not with a man like Kaius.
“No, I wasn’t about to do that,” he said, his tone surprisingly gentle.
Relief flooded through me, but it was short–lived.
“But you will do it, if not now then some other time?” I pressed, needing to understand the full extent of my captivity.
He studied me for a long moment. “If it comes to that, yes.”
The casual admission sent ice through my veins. “And if I don’t allow it?”
“Whatever has to be done to convince the pack members and everyone that you are my mate will be done.” His voice carried no malice, just the calm certainty of a man accustomed to having his way.
I realized with a sinking feeling that marking hadn’t been included in our contract–probably deliberately. Another loophole, another way to ensure I remained completely under his control.
“Now back to our little conversation,” he said, his fingers tracing idle patterns on my bare shoulder. “What was the reason for the
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Unexpected Mercy
miscarriage?
The abrupt return to this painful topic caught me off guard. I’d already told him what happened, but not why. Perhaps I could avoid further humiliation by offering a partial truth.
“I lost the child because I was weak,” I said, unable to meet his eyes. My system couldn’t hold it in.”
Kaius’s expression hardened. “Again, you lied to me.”
“I do not lie to you,” I insisted, defensive. “I am a weak wolf, an omega. It’s not exactly
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surprise that I couldn’t hold it in.”
His eyes bored into mine, as if he could extract the truth by will alone. “I heard something. Dorian found a mate, but she was an embarrassment to him. He wouldn’t let anyone know the truth, so he named another his mate.”
My blood ran cold. How could he know this?
“At this time,” he continued, “his true mate was pregnant with ‘his‘ child, but his ‘recklessness‘ had caused a miscarriage.” His voice was deceptively casual, but his eyes missed nothing of my reaction. Now tell me, how true is this, Elowen Thorne?”
“You knew?” The words escaped as barely more than a whisper. My most painful secret, my deepest shame–laid bare as if it were common knowledge.
“Of course,” he replied, his tone matter–of–fact. “There is only a little I don’t know.”
Humiliation burned through me, followed quickly by anger. “Then why did you ask? Did you plan to humiliate me some more? Remind me of a past. I would so love to bury?”
“I wanted to hear it from you.” There was no apology in his voice, but something in his expression had changed–something I couldn’t quite define.
“What difference does it make?” I demanded.
et
“A lot. It makes a whole lot of difference.” His eyes searched mine. “But I did not intend to humiliate you.”
Confusion mingled with my anger. If not to humiliate me, then why? What possible interest could my tragic history have for a man
like Kaius?
“No one knows about this,” I said, shaking my head. “How did you know? Was this all planned out?”
“I have my sources.” He reached for something on the bedside table. And from what I know, you are no longer mated to him.”
The glint of metal in his hand made me stiffen. A knife. Fear clutched at my throat as he brought the blade closer.
“And I guess you also know this via your ‘sources‘?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
To my surprise, he shook his head. “No. It was a simple guess. He would never have let you go if you were still mated to him.”
The knife moved toward my wrists, and I couldn’t suppress a flinch.
“Untie me,” I demanded, hoping to mask my fear with
Kaius ignored my tone, calmly using the knife to slice through the silk ties. As my wrists came free, I realized he’d never intended to harm me with the blade.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t-” I began, but he cut me off.
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Unexpected Mercy
“Why did you allow the bastard to treat you the way he did? The question caught me off guard, both in its content and the intensity with which he asked it.
I rubbed my wrists, considering how to answer. “You see, unlike you, we have limited options. He was going to give me a life I could only ever dream of.”
Kaius’s expression was unreadable. “Well, how did that work out for you?”
The bitter irony of his question stung. “Obviously not well,” I admitted quietly.
He rose from the bed, moving to retrieve a shirt from a nearby chair Cover yourself if you wish. There are clothes in the wardrobe.”
He’s stopping? After bringing me to the edge like that, he’s actually letting me go? I stared at him, trying to make sense of this unexpected mercy.
He turned away, moving to stare out the window at the night sky. His broad shoulders were tense beneath his shirt. “I won’t take you tonight.”
“Don’t mistake this for kindness,” he said without turning. “When I fuck you, Elawen, I want your full attention. Not divided by pain or grief.
Still stunned by his unexpected restraint, I wrapped the silk sheet around my body and stood on shaky legs. The wardrobe, when I opened it, contained women’s clothing in my size–items far more expensive than anything I’d ever owned. I selected a simple nightgown, aware of Kaius’s eyes on me as I retreated to the bathroom to dress.
I returned to the bed, keeping to the edge, as far from him as possible while still remaining on the mattress.
