When she came to, she had been bound very thoroughly to a chair, and she squinted as she tried to figure out what was happening.
"Why do I keep ending up unconscious?" she asked of no one in particular.
"Because you keep getting knocked unconscious," Alaric said and she jerked, looking around at him.
He was watching her carefully with a grim smile on his face.
"I have a proposition for you, princess," he said slowly as he leant forward in the chair.
"What would that be?" she asked warily.
"You have to understand my situation here. I have this being who is death given form, and I have no way of controlling it, or keeping my people safe."
Her eyes narrowed at him. Yes, she understood but she didn't like where this was going.
"Now this creature could easily wipe out my entire city, could kill us all and is highly intelligent. This creature has rational thought and emotions. This creature just killed one of the most powerful beings to exist in either world. This creature is impossible to kill." He stood and began to pace, his hands behind his back. "Twice now this creature has saved my life, and then needed to be stopped from killing me. This creature is controlled to a lesser degree by a lich whose loyalties are not entirely to this kingdom. This creature is free to do what she desires. Do you see how difficult this is?" he said grimly and she nodded. "Now, I could either let this creature go and do what she wants, or I could cage it and put it safely in a little box until it is needed, but then she would be resentful. So what else can I do about this creature?" He paused, watching to see if she would give him an answer. She refused to speak. "Well, the other option is to control her through some other means. The lich is out of the question, but then there are friends who she would die for. Friends who she forced another to protect when things might be dangerous. Who gave up a priceless gift in the way of a Fae owing her, in order to keep those people safe." He turned to her to find her glaring at him. "I think you know where this is going, Etani. Either you give me a way to control you, or I will have all three of the vampires executed and put you in a box for safe keeping,"
The silence stretched between them and she watched him, her fingers tight on the chair.
"What form of control are we talking?" she asked warily and he smiled.
"I want your name," he breathed.
"No," she said flatly and his eyes narrowed. "That is absolute control Alaric, and I will not give it to you. You see, you are a megalomaniac and as you said, I am death. You having complete control over death would be disastrous."
He gritted his teeth and turned away from her.
"However, a deal might be struck," she said finally, angry at the situation.
He turned back to her, smiling.
"I will agree to do whatever it is you ask of me, without it conflicting with my current deals, you cannot attempt to stop us from seeing each other or my morals are wronged. Yes Alaric, I have morals. I will also not be coerced," she growled at his snort. "In return you will never harm any of those I consider dear to me, nor will you order them, or even insinuate that they should be harmed, in writing, through speech, or through any other means. Ever," she wondered if he caught the loophole, and she kept her face irritable to hide the glee.
"Whatever I ask?" he insisted
She narrowed her eyes and then nodded, wondering what he was planning. He thought over the deal and then smiled.
"Very well, you have a deal, princess," he said and extended his hand.
She took it and he sucked in his breath at the zing of energy as the deal was struck. She grinned and his eyes grew wary at her pleasure.
"What if I were to ask that you join me in my bed now?" he asked slyly and she snorted.
"That would be coercion, Alaric. I am married,"
He nodded and untied her. Immediately standing and tugging her night dress into place but as she made to move, her world pitched and she fell forward. Alaric caught her and frowned.
"I need Versalis," she whispered and he scooped her up into his arms, stomping from the room and taking her outside.
The sun was high and she was shocked to see both Kai and Jaia sitting out in the sunlight.
They looked up at the approach and he set her down. Staggering forward, her world spun and Versalis was quickest to reach her.
His only warning was a low growl before she had grabbed a fistful of his hair and forced his head to the side, her bite ferocious and cruel.
He jerked back, but she refused to let go.
There was no sexual tension or need between them, only her desperate hunger that struck her the instant she laid eyes on him.
His arms slid around her and she clung to him, her eyes lifting to see the twins, their worry and she gave a feral snarl, half dragging the vampire back with her. Her vision had gone a deep crimson as she fed.
She drained him almost fully before she let him go and he dropped to the ground.
Panting heavily, his blood dripped down her chin.
She backed away from him and gave the twins access to him, but he was already sitting up and looking confused.
Alaric hadn't left, watching the encounter and her as she sank down onto her knees, her thoughts racing.
She felt so much energy inside her she felt like she was going to explode.
Curling in on herself, she rested her forehead against the ground and tried to breathe through it, her insides feeling heavy and straining.
She had never experienced the sensation before, but she had also never devoured a Queen of Faerie and then a vampire king.
She heaved but managed to keep it all down, not wanting to waste any of it.
Jaia moved to her and he pulled her up into his lap, his eyes going wide at something on her face.
"Too much," she breathed and she drew him down to her, her fingers pulling at his shirt and pressing him down on her throat. Why had she fed on Versalis if she was already full? She didn't know and she whimpered as Jaia's teeth slid smoothly through her flesh.
Electricity shot through her from him and he groaned, drinking deeply of the energy that radiated from her.
His grip was painfully tight and yet she wanted him to squeeze her tighter, her body pains seeming to ease slightly as he crushed her to him.
Her fingers slid inside his shirt and his breath sucked in as she found bare skin, touching first gently and then firmly as she slid her arms around his ribs, desperate to feel his skin against hers. She had never touched him in that way before and he trembled against her.
She smiled as he reacted to her touch, so cold against his warmth and he drank, needing to fill himself.
Her fingers found his back and traced slowly up his spine, each bump something to explore.
His teeth slid free of her throat and his head turned, his mouth finding hers in a hard kiss.
The taste of her own blood on his lips made her shiver and they had forgotten everything but their own feelings.
Her nails teased his skin, a threat and a flirt all in one. He clutched her jaw, stroking gently as one hand crept around the back of her neck.
Something moved and they broke apart, confused and not sure where they were.
Alaric was staring at her with an enormous, malicious grin on his face and she knew instantly that they had made a mistake. She had let their secret out and he was going to use that against her.