Imprisoned Read online

  Of course when you dressed like that back home you weren’t planning on getting into bed with a huge, muscular man, whispered a little voice in her head.

  Shut up, Ari told it. I’m getting into bed to die. It doesn’t matter that he’s big and warm and muscular—I’m going to ask him to kill me. So it really doesn’t matter how I’m dressed, now does it?

  “You know, your modesty is commendable but you don’t always have to change in the fresher,” Lathe remarked when she finally came out, her neatly folded jumpsuit in her arms. “I won’t watch you change if you promise not to watch me.”

  Don’t know if you can make that promise, Ari, whispered the teasing little voice in her head. Ari did her best to ignore it.

  “Oh, I…we’re very modest on Phobos,” she said weakly. Looking down at herself she motioned to her bare legs. “Won’t I be cold? Didn’t you say they drop the temperature every night for the lashers?”

  “They do.” He nodded. “But you’ll be in the bunk with me, remember? And I put out enough heat for both of us—as a Blood Kindred, I have a self-regulating body temperature.”

  “Oh, right… Okay, then. Do…” She cleared her throat. “Do you mind if I take the outside of the bunk this time? I’m claustrophobic and when I woke up this morning I felt kind of…trapped.”

  “Oh of course—I’m sorry.” Lathe looked remorseful. “I didn’t think about that last night when I brought you to bed. I just wanted to get you warm.”

  “That’s very kind of you.” Ari took another hesitant step towards the bed. “So should we—” Just then the lights flickered in warning and then the entire cell went dark except for the soft, barely-there glow in the corner. There was a shushing sound through the overhead vents and suddenly a gust of freezing air swept through the room.

  “Oh my G-goddess that’s c-cold!” Ari exclaimed through chattering teeth.

  “Time for bed.” Lathe’s deep voice rumbled in the darkness. She could hear a rustling sound as he got under the thin blanket. “Come on, little one. Another long day tomorrow.”

  Not for me, Ari thought.

  Feeling a strange mixture of desire, fear, and fatalism, she climbed into the clear space beside his big body.

  I can’t believe I’m doing this on purpose of my own free will when I was so scared of him earlier, she thought as she snuggled under the cover. But now that she had decided to die, she no longer feared his fangs. In fact, she needed to get the big Kindred to use them on her soon, before she lost her nerve.

  Lathe was already lying on his side, turned considerately away from her so that his back was to her. Ari supposed he was doing his best not to crowd her and also trying to be comfortable sleeping with what he thought was another male in his bed by putting a little space between them.

  Although he didn’t seem to have trouble getting close when he held you out in the Rec Yard, whispered a voice in her head.

  Ari pushed it away and reached up hesitantly to tap Lathe on his broad, bare shoulder.

  “Yes, little one?” His deep voice seemed to shake the entire bed as he turned his head in her direction.

  “Lathe…” She took a deep breath. “Lathe, I still want you to bite me.”

  “You do, do you?”

  He turned over completely so that he was lying on his other side and facing her. In the semi-gloom of the one lonely glow he seemed to loom over her and for a moment Ari felt her heart quail. Then she took a deep breath and told herself to be brave.

  This is the only way out other than being horribly raped to death so I’m taking it, she reminded herself. She made her voice firm when she answered.

  “Yes—I do.”

  She expected him to protest as he had in the Rec Yard but to her surprise he rumbled, “All right then.”

  “What…just like that?” Ari blurted.

  “Yes, just like that. If you want my fangs in you, who am I to say no?” His voice was a soft, sensual growl that seemed to do strange things to her insides. But Ari tried to ignore the butterflies taking off in her stomach and hold firm to her purpose.

  “All right.” She thrust out an arm. “Do it.”

  “Not like that.” He lowered her arm gently, his large, warm hand lingering on her elbow and sending a shiver through her. “For it to be quick and effective, I need to bite closer to an artery.”

  Ari felt her breath catch in her throat but she forced herself to ignore the way her heart was pounding. If this was how it had to be, then she could deal with it, she thought.

  “All right,” she said, and her voice only wavered a little bit. “Then where?”

  “Your throat would be best.” Lathe’s voice was deceptively mild. “My essence would travel through your carotid artery straight to your heart.”

  “And…” Ari swallowed hard. “And it’ll be…faster that way? Maybe…maybe less painful?” Her voice felt squeezed and tight in her throat but she forced the words out anyway.

  “Unfortunately, I can’t make it pleasurable for you,” Lathe murmured. “I told you, I can only do that for a female. But yes, it will be faster this way. And hopefully less painful.”

  “All right, then do it.” Ari sat up in bed and tilted her head to one side. “Go ahead—I want you to,” she added defiantly.

  “Not like that, little one.” Lathe urged her back down and she found herself suddenly cradled in one of his large, muscular arms. “Here,” he murmured, getting her into position. “Like this.”

  Ari found herself held against him with her head pillowed on his muscular bicep and her back to his front. The new position made her feel completely surrounded by the big Kindred…his breath…his warmth…his big body cupping and cradling hers…

  Ought to feel claustrophobic, she thought, but somehow she didn’t, even though she could feel the hard wall of his chest radiating heat against her entire back.

  “What…what now?” she asked, wishing her voice wouldn’t come out sounding so breathless.

  “Now, this…” Lathe leaned over her, his breath warm against the left side of her throat, which was exposed for him. It tickled and Ari had to bite back a nervous giggle.

  You’re about to die, she reminded herself, there’s nothing funny about this. But her nerves were suddenly so on edge it was all she could do to hold still in the big Kindred’s arms.

  “Hey, it’s all right, little one,” he murmured, one big, warm hand running lightly over her shivering arm and side. “Just try to relax, okay?”

  “T-trying,” Ari stammered.

  “Good. Now I need to prepare the place I’m going to bite,” he told her. Without any further warning, Ari felt his warm, wet tongue caressing the side of her neck from her collar bone all the way up to the sensitive place right behind her ear.

  “Oh…” she moaned, unable to help herself. The side of her neck had always been an especially sensitive place for her. During her second sexual encounter—the one she’d enjoyed the most of the two she’d had—her lover had spent a long time licking and kissing the side of her throat. Ari had enjoyed that part much more than the actual sex, which had been a big letdown, to be honest.

  “Oh…” she sighed again as the big Kindred’s hot, wet tongue continued to caress her vulnerable flesh. For some reason her nipples felt like hard little points at the tips of her breasts and her pussy was throbbing between her thighs—which was hardly the proper response to what was about to happen. But she couldn’t seem to help it.

  “All right, little one?” Lathe murmured softly, his breath hot against her ear. “Think you’re ready?”

  “Y…yes,” Ari somehow managed to get out. God, why was her heart pounding so hard? Was it because she was about to die? But that didn’t seem like the reason why her whole body felt flushed and she could scarcely get a deep enough breath. It felt like…something else. Something Ari couldn’t name, even to herself.

  “Gently now. I’ll try not to hurt you.” Lathe’s deep voice was soothing and seductive at the same time. His right a