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The door opened, beyond it the restaurant was pitch black. Fear caused my heartbeat to speed up further. I thought my heart would actually fall out of my mouth and onto the plate before me. A tall woman, with pale white skin and large blue eyes, strode into the room. Her hair was Titian red and pulled into an elegant chignon and she wore diamonds around her wrists and throat. About her shoulders was a mink stole and wrapped around her curvaceous form was a black dress which accentuated her wide hips and small waist. Her presence commanded the room. There was no doubt in my mind that this was Elizabeta.

“Oh, Aleksi.” She sighed in a sweet little voice. “What am I supposed to do with you?” She snapped her fingers and the door closed. “Look at you all pink and blood glutted, someone thought to warm some pretty mortal girl’s bed tonight.” She let out a soft sigh and grabbed Aleksi’s bun and pulled his head back to look at her. “And we both know, that because your arrogance knows no fucking bounds it’s the wrong girl’s bed.”

“I…I…
H-he… he told me they were done.” I stammered out, they both looked at me and I could literally feel their gazes. Elizabeta looked at the red ribbon on the table and arched her brow.

“Aleksi lied, he has a nasty habit of doing that to get what he wants. He is perpetually a sullen brat. And now—like it does about every fifty years like clockwork—his arrogance is going to cost him. I could make you marry the girl, Aleksi. I didn’t, what did I say? Until Gregory goes back to his territory. Gregory wanted to get together tonight. He called
his, however many times over granddaughter and she told him you told her it was over.” She yanked his head back stretching his neck impossibly long against the back of his chair.

“He’s leaving tomorrow.” Aleksi growled.

“You might be my favorite Progeny, Aleksi. But you really fucked up here.” She pushed the chair over and Aleksi tumbled to the ground with it. “I made you
what you are, Aleksi. I helped you find yourself and this is how you repay me. They want your blood. Any other territory you’d be strung up already.”

“You’ll keep Autumn safe?” He inquired as he stood, those cerulean eyes burned as he glared at her.

“We’ll see what Gregory thinks I should do. You fail to remember, I’m not in the best of situations right now. Council thinks I’m too soft, so I’m going to have to sway them from that. Unfortunately, it looks like you’ll be the demonstration, and you know more than most what I’m capable of.” She glanced a
t me and huffed. “Calm the girl.” She snapped. “She’s coming with us.”

“No.” Aleksi barked, narrowing his eyes at her. She slapped him, hard enough to split his lip, and scrape his cheek with one of those glittering rings.

“Calm her. Reassure her that I’ll try my best not to kill you
. Though fuck knows why I don’t.” She grumbled turning her back on Aleksi, who walked over to me.

He pulled the shrug from the back of my chair and tied it around my shoulders. His touch was soft and gentle. When he was finished, he smoothed the dark faux fur and pressed his forehead to mine. His skin was so warm.

“I’m sorry.” He whispered as he rubbed his nose against mine. “You just… I had to see you. Elizabeta will make sure you’re safe. And no matter what you see, I’ll be fine.” His touch seemed to calm my shaking and my fear.
He’s going to get you killed.

“I…I’ll take your word for it.” I muttered in return.

“Though I don’t need to say it, do what Elizabeta says. I mean it, she knows how much you mean to me.”
How can you mean so much to him, you’ve been on two dates? Oh right, he’s been STALKING you!

“Aleksi is right, Autumn. I’ll do my best to make sure both of you come out as unscathed as possible.” Elizabeta walked up beside us and held out that long red ribbon. “If he sees your color on her, he’ll have to treat her with respect.” She wiggled the ribbon and Aleksi snatched it out of the air. He wrapped the ribbon around my wrists, binding my hands in front of me. The satin was amazingly soft, and every brush of his fingers coaxed a hushed moan from my lips. “If there’s time when we reach Crimson Hill you should collar her. It makes your intentions for the girl clearer. This is not just some mortal you’re fucking. No, this is who you’ve chosen to be your servant.” I swallowed at
Elizabeta’s words.
Servant?
Aleksi’s words curled through me and I let out a little-shuddered gasp. Aleksi turned his attention on Elizabeta, even the back of his head with that now disheveled bun looked angry. “Oh, she didn’t know? I guess the cat’s out of the bag.” She took the wine glass of blood off of the table and sipped it. With one hand, she grabbed the back of Aleksi’s collar and yanked, both the jacket and the shirt tore away like they were made of tissue paper.

Even as terrified as I was I couldn’t get enough of Aleksi’s bare chest. His lithe torso looked like it was carved out of alabaster, his nipples only a faint blush of pink. It dawned on me then that in life he was probably relatively pale to begin with. Every motion caused some muscle to flex under that translucent skin. I couldn’t help but to muse that for someone who was Russian he was astoundingly glabrous. I placed my hand against his chest and it was his turn to gasp and stare at me as though I had done something interesting.

“Now, we put on a show.” Elizabeta sighed as she walked over to the door and opened it. “Take him.” She ordered to the darkness in the hall. A handful of vampires all dressed in black filed in. Aleksi moved back from me and knelt down with his hands on his thighs. Even I with my massive vocabulary couldn’t think of a way to describe the pure rage on his face. He was swarmed with vampires and his wrists shackled with what looked to be silver cuffs. His jaw tightened, he was in pain. My stomach dropped to the floor as they grabbed him by that bun, pulled him off of the floor and shoved him out of the room. Someone touched my hair and I jumped and looked up. Elizabeta was there, smiling down at me with those ruby red lips.

“Come along, beautiful girl.” She purred as she helped me stand.

We walked behind the gaggle of vampires shoving Aleksi forward. Waiting outside of the restaurant was a black stretch limousine. The black-clad vampires pushed Aleksi in the back of the limo and piled into waiting SUVs. This left Elizabeta to lead me into the limo, she was almost motherly, making sure I didn’t hit my head or trip. She sat on Aleksi’s lap and buckled me in beside him, before moving to the back of the L-shaped couch inside of the massive Mercedes. Once seated Elizabeta took out her phone and hit a few buttons. Ringing was heard over the speaker.

“Mistress?” An eager female v
oice inquired through the limo’s audio system.

“Yes, Lyra dear, it’s me. Don’t believe every big bad thing they tell you about Aleksi. We’re on our way to Crimson Hill. Fetch the collar, lead and corset from Aleksi’s servant quarters.”

“Yes, Mistress.”

“And Lyra, keep this to yourself, wouldn’t want our illustrious guests to find out our plans.”

“No, Mistress.”

“Good girl. I will see you shortly.” The speakers beeped and Elizabeta beamed at us. I suddenly found myself uncomfortable. Was that what Aleksi wanted from me? They didn’t exchange pleasantries, it was like she didn’t care how the girl was doing.
You’re food to them. Did you ask that steak how it was feeling?
As if sensing my unease Aleksi leaned against me and kissed my cheek.

“Shhh.” He soothed. “Put your head on my shoulder.” I didn’t obey him. Instead, I cocked my head to the side.

“Is… that what you w-want from me?” I furrowed my brows.

“What do you mean?” He didn’t seem angry that I disobeyed, he seemed genuinely curious.

“Lyra. I
s that what you want from me?” My voice was small and oh so quiet. Clearly Elizabeta heard me because she giggled as though it was the funniest thing she had ever heard. Aleksi also smiled at me, but he reached over and laced his fingers with mine.

“Not all of the time, no. Only when we’re in the public areas of Crimson Hill. And perhaps if you prove exceptionally irksome. Now, come. Place your head on my shoulder it’ll be a bit of a drive.” I obliged him
then though I was too short to place my head directly on his shoulder and instead rested it on his chest.

“That and contrary to what you’ll hear whispered, Aleksi has too much of a heart to be as cold as I am. Lyra is a
thrall, not a servant. I will let our lovely Aleksi explain that to you later.” Elizabeta smirked and fear twisted through me.

“Shh.” Aleksi soothed again, nuzzling against me. It was hard to explain but touching him calmed me.

We raced… somewhere. I couldn’t see out of the windows of the limousine, but I could tell we were driving fast. Elizabeta was busy being very corporate mogul like—she spent the entire time on her cell phone talking about a merger. Aleksi held fast to my hand the entire time, stroking my fingers and taking long slow breaths. His hands were clammy, and his bare chest glistened with sweat. I slid my fingers to trace over those shining silver manacles. They were ice cold like they had been sitting in the light dusting of snow outside. I shifted the silver and Aleksi hissed—that pure shiny metal had left his skin red and raised under it. He kissed the top of my head and the limo came to a stop.

The door was opened and surprisingly tan hands with pale powder blue polish held out a bright red shopping bag. The bag was the same color red as the ribbon that bound my hands, and Aleksi’s tie had been… and my ballet shoes.
Did you finally catch on? That color is like a brand that marks you as his.
The realization made me shiver.

“Don’t ta
ke too long now, you crazy kids.” Elizabeta snickered out with a wink, setting the bag on the seat beside me. She then slid out of the limo and closed the door leaving Aleksi and me alone.

“Strip.” The clipped word from his lips made my body tight.

“M-my hands.” I stammered.

“K
neel, and raise them to my lips.” He purred shifting on the leather seat so his legs were spread. My heartbeat sped up as I slid to the soft plush carpet. He purred softly as I moved between his thighs and raised my hands to his mouth. “See, Autumn, you are naturally inclined.” He assessed before seizing the tab of the ribbon between his teeth and tugging it free. The soft satin cascaded down my arms and my breath caught in my throat. “Now the stole. Kneel between my legs on the seat.”

I climbed up on the seat and pressed the black bow towards him, and incidentally my breasts as well. I was shaking as he tugged that other ribbon free with his teeth. The stole tumbled off of my shoulders under its own weight. He placed feather light kisses across the tops of my breasts. My hips grew a mind of their own and thrust towards him, coaxing a dark snicker from his lips.

“The dress, by its hem
.” He purred, with searing cerulean eyes. I shivered and pressed my thighs together again. It took a moment for me to steal the courage, but I grabbed the thin stretchy hem and pulled the dress over my head. He purred again as the black fabric fell to the floor. My hands went to cover myself and his eyes keened in displeasure. “The bra.” He snapped before he leaned forward, kissing and nibbling across my chest—just under the band of the bra. It took me six tries and I still couldn’t unfasten the clasps with my hands.

“I…I.” I shuddered out, shaking my head. His lips fell away from me and he leaned back once more in the seat. He brought those pale hands up to caress along the white lace. His thumbs traced over the underwire and his eyes kept glancing up to mine.

“I’ll get you a new one.” He breathed as he shredded the bra with a flick of his wrists.
Holy fuck.
I shrugged out of the bra as he teased my nipples with his tongue and fingers. I was expecting him to suck them, but no- he tongued them. His deft pink tongue glided over the dusky flesh as his finger traced the other until the both became hard puckered points. “I would almost kill her for taking this night from me.” He whispered huskily as he surveyed my body with hot ardor. He pursed his lips and sighed softly. “The panties.” I swallowed at his order. I could feel how damp they were without looking. I could feel that warm slick wetness coating my sex, as my pulse throbbed at that needy apex of my body. My cheeks flushed as I slipped my fingers into the elastic and slid them over my bottom and to my knees. “Right leg first.” His dark whisper sent a small tremor through my body and his self-satisfied smirk sweetened.

Once my panties had joined the rest of my clothes on the floor, I tried to cover myself again. The cool of the limo felt exceptionally chilly over my damp bare sex. Suddenly I found myself acutely aware of a use for pubic hair and somewhat dismayed that I shaved. I couldn’t hide my arousal from him. I couldn’t help but to glance between his legs, to see if I were affecting him the same way he affected me. That dark fabric was risen and bulged, I couldn’t contain my own little smirk.

“The
bag.” He panted, his eyes darting to it. I jumped at his voice and scrambled for it. “Start with the corset.”

Inside of the bag was a bright red leather collar with what seemed a large O-ring. The small metal piece that attached the O-ring to the leather had a large bright ruby set in it. There was a corset that was that exact shade of, what I had heard Leslie and Kendra call Fuck-Me Red. At the very bottom of the bag was a pair of stretchy boy short panties that same color.

I slid back to the floor with a flick of Aleksi’s eyes and wrapped the corset around my torso.

“Turn around and lean forward.” I swallowed and did as ordered. I felt his hands on the laces, and then his foot in the middle of my back. He yanked on the lace and I gasped as I suddenly found it hard to breath.

“I can’t breathe.” I panted out as I felt him tie the laces.

“It’s supposed to be tight, Autumn. You wouldn’t be able to speak if you couldn’t breathe. Take a few breaths, you’ll get used to it.” His foot moved and I turned around and traced my fingers over the soft satin. “
You were meant to wear my color.” He purred with intense eyes as I fished out the panties and pulled them on. While I was sliding the boy shorts on he had snatched the collar out of the bag and was stroking the leather. His gaze made me swallow, I had never had anyone look at me with that much lust before. “Turn around again, and hold up your hair.”