Chapter 21: Innocent Until Guilty

SERAPHINA

My legs trembled under the intensity of another climax, one I wasn’t sure I’d reach. Aleksandr expertly teased my clit with his tongue and a vibrator.

My legs had been bound to a surprisingly intricate bed that Aleksandr conveniently had in his room. It was a concept I struggled to comprehend, given that Jack had always kept this aspect of our relationship separate from our bedroom, where we slept and made love.

It made me question if this was Aleksandr’s norm. Jack had slipped from my thoughts until now.

Aleksandr’s gaze pierced my soul as he looked up at me, wiping his chin with his bare arm. His arm was adorned with a striking tattoo of a blade piercing a pomegranate and skull. The hilt and floral details made it seem alive each time I caught sight of it.

It was one of his many tattoos, but to me, it stood out the most. My focus was shattered when he took my chin, leaning in to kiss me and recapture my attention.

His tongue danced with mine in a slow, lingering kiss, without touching the rest of my body. He left the taste of our intimacy in my mouth as he pulled away, signaling that we were done. For now.

“You need to listen better if you want to cum,” he said.

“You kept making me,” I grumbled.

Aleksandr raised an eyebrow, assessing me as if deciding if and how I might need to be disciplined this time. I blushed, realizing he had indeed been the one coaxing sounds from me. Sounds I couldn’t control.

“Are you fucking with me right now?” he asked.

His reaction was immediate. He yanked my hair back by the braid he had tied earlier. I couldn’t suppress a giggle, despite the tears welling in my eyes from the sharp pain. The discomfort only heightened the anticipation of what was to come with Aleksandr’s bedroom prowess.

“You filthy little brat. How much more can you seriously take?” he growled.

“If you’re tired, we can stop,” I teased.

His hand trailed down my throat, tightening around it, silencing me. He barely allowed me to breathe, my head spinning. The sensation sent a thrill from my toes to my core.

He had taken me so many times, I was throbbing. The thought of him inside me again, even as I felt the remnants of his release on my thighs, would have made me desperate for any other man. But Aleksandr seemed more than eager to rise to the challenge.

“Shut the fuck up,” he growled, his arousal evident between my legs. His tip teased my tender folds.

“Fine, if your goal is to try and outpace me. Let’s…enhance things, again.”

I knew what he had in mind as his hand left my throat, and he began to trail kisses down it. His arousal throbbed against my entrance as he adjusted his hand and hips, and I arched mine upward, pleading for his touch.

Lost in the pleasure he provided, my hips craved him even as my throat was exposed, and I met him in every way. The word please was on the tip of my tongue, ready to beg.

As he finally entered me, I felt a sharp sting just above my breast. His fangs sank into my soft skin, and a wave of pleasure washed over me, triggering my climax. This time, there was no end, even as Aleksandr moved at his own slow, steady pace.

He lifted his head, running his tongue over his teeth a few times before licking his lips. He seemed to savor every last drop, even as he continued to thrust slowly into me, watching my face in ecstasy.

A satisfied smirk spread across his face as he continued to take me, relishing as my slick walls clenched and pulsed around him. I could barely keep my eyes open as my body shook, and I continued to climax—teetering on the edge of something more as he adjusted his angle, taking me deeper, harder.

I tried to breathe, tried not to cry out or scream. It was impossible to stay silent as soft whimpers slipped from my throat, earning a growl of approval from him even as he reprimanded me by lifting a leg.

The chains on his bed automatically hoisted it up and locked it at a right angle before he slapped my thigh, eliciting another high-pitched yelp before he adjusted his angle again. He hit a spot so deep, I saw stars as the room began to blur. All I could feel was him.

“Shut up or I’ll stop,” he panted desperately. A threat neither of us wanted to follow through on, but one that would prolong our pleasure.

Doing the only thing I could, I buried my face in my shoulder where my hands were bound above me. Desperate to climax once more, I yearned to feel the culmination of our shared pleasure so that nothing became painful from overuse. I bit softly into my flesh to muffle my cries as the room faded away.

I was transported to another realm as he continued to thrust into me. Our eyes met and connected just as mine widened once more.

“That’s it, cum for me again. Fucking cum. I’m filling you. I’m—”

He let out a guttural sound as I felt my body convulse for the third time. A wave of relief washed over me. The unique magic of our union was so breathtaking, it was like staring into the night sky before crashing back down.

I felt as if I could feel the chill of the entire Alaskan landscape before it all faded away once more. Back to reality as I felt his warmth begin to fill me. Both of us gasped in unison as pleasure consumed us.

Our bodies clung to each other as mine convulsed and trembled around his pulsing length. His release trickled out after the series of encounters we had already shared.

Aleksandr was brushing hair from my eyes as the sound of my heavy breathing filled my ears and everything stilled. He helped me by lifting my head from my shoulder to allow me to breathe.

He looked me over, even as he was still inside me and his release trickled down my backside. A small grin played on his lips.

“Are you doing alright down there?” he asked.

“Mmm,” was all I could manage. My eyes fluttered closed, my leg still suspended in the air.

“Let’s chat, and don’t you dare drift off, or we’ll have to start from scratch,” he said, pulling away from me.

I winced at the discomfort between my legs and the cramping in my stomach from the overuse of my muscles. Aleksandr adjusted the chains around me, providing a slight relief.

My left leg fell onto the bed, the chains now loose enough to allow me some movement. I opened one eye lazily, adjusting my limbs, and wondered if this would end once I answered him.

Vampires had a knack for making people vanish, even those with wealth. Maybe I was just Aleksandr’s dinner for the night and I was too naive to realize it.

I felt like a fool for just showing up. Aleksandr was an enigma, and his next move without Jack was unpredictable.

“What do you want to talk about?”

“First off, apologize for accusing me of murdering your husband. Again.” He crossed his arms, kneeling just inches away from me.

“I d—” Aleksandr raised an eyebrow, causing me to back down and look away. I didn’t want to be punished with a slap, a paddle, or a pinch instead of an orgasm. Most likely, a paddle.

“I’m sorry. You didn’t kill him.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t kill him too,” Aleksandr echoed, his tone completely different. “Now, I don’t plan on killing you, but we both know I’m not against causing pain. Interestingly, I can make my bite hurt. A lot. I’d rather not do that, though. So, I expect your cooperation.”

I shot him a sour look, wiping the sleep-induced tears from my eyes before yawning out my response. “What do you want?”

Aleksandr rolled his eyes, making a small tsk sound. “Let’s start with your origins. Don’t feed me that crap about the slave trade. Jack wouldn’t pick up a worthless whore no matter how tasty your pussy is.”

My face slowly shifted from shock to a sly grin. Aleksandr seemed to be the type who wanted to know things. If he didn’t know them, he’d pay a hefty price to find out.

If he didn’t know where I came from, that meant the only lead he had was a well-crafted fake; a dead end even after months.

“You have no clue?”

“Other than you appearing out of nowhere?” he responded flatly, tilting his chin. “Speak.”

I started to giggle, unable to contain myself. His reaction was swift and harsh as he adjusted the chains with a flick of a button. He gently moved my joints into the correct position as I was slowly pulled upward.

The new position was painful due to my weakened legs, leaving me half hanging. He adjusted my legs for comfort.

“Your frankness is starting to annoy me,” he muttered, all playfulness gone from his face.

“Well, I can’t help it when you’re so uninformed, yet so accurate,” I teased, trying to hide the pain in my voice as it began to show on my face. The position was uncomfortable after everything we had done.

“Out of nowhere is pretty close.”

“So you admit you’re not human?”

Now it was my turn to look confused, and a bit angry. “No, I’m definitely human.”

“Then why does your blood taste so different from a normal human? It doesn’t even taste as bad as a witch is supposed to taste, and I know that flavor well.”

I curled my lip, giving him a disgusted look, trying to adjust my shaky legs to relieve my arms. “Is this supposed to be foreplay for vampires? It’s not sexy being told you taste weird, and don’t say I taste like your personal—”

“We’re not discussing vampire clichés, we’re discussing your origins. Out of nowhere could mean you’re a lab rat, something I know Jack was involved with. You can’t be human.”

~Is still involved with,~ I thought, but didn’t correct him. I knew that the purge I had ordered on the lab facilities Jack controlled meant the purge of spies who believed our science projects had been shut down.

The splicing of supernatural creatures was among some of the covert experiments Jack had run. Something too important to discontinue once I saw the research with my own eyes.

Even Aleksandr had limitations when it came to information, which was good news.

“Feel free to examine under a microscope. My doctor has many times. I’m human. A human pulled through a mirror with magic.”

“As human as human.”

“A mirror? You expect me to believe—”

“The truth? No. I expect you to let me go home so I can shower and eat. This was fun, but I’m getting hungry now.” I waved my hands, as if we were having a normal conversation. Not one where I was bound and naked.

He ignored my protest. Tugging on my hair, he ran a thumb down my chest and over my breasts. He took his time over my nipples, savoring my skin for several heartbeats, his eyes finally meeting mine.

“How long have you been tied to the coven?”

“Since my handfasting with Jack, but it’s nothing glamorous. How long have you been in Alaska?” I asked, still feeling bold as the tingling sensation began to grow once more as he touched my skin.

Something about his touch set me on fire.

“Nothing glamorous, meaning you’re not in the inner circle. Funny how covens preach about family togetherness and yet how easily one can be isolated in them,” he replied, ignoring my question, his eyes scanning my lips.

“What do you know about Jack’s orb?”

“What do ~you~ know?”

The smack was immediate and sharp on my breasts before he yanked on my hair again; the sensation pulling on my arms as I threw my head back in ecstasy. Two fingers already slid inside my pussy to work his magic, thumb easily finding my clit as I began to grind my hips.

His mouth latched on for another bite that left my nerves on fire; I panted even at the tiniest bite as his fingers left me abruptly. He released the chains, letting me fall backward into the bed.

I was left needy and unsatisfied, but too weak to fight back. I could feel the exhaustion seeping into my bones as I tried to lift my head. Alek, however, seemed to be buzzing with energy.

He had just released my restraints and was now looking down at me, a mischievous grin playing on his lips.

“Don’t even try. I already know the answer—you know next to nothing.”

His smile was wicked, causing a blush to creep up my cheeks. My breath was still ragged as I looked up at him, wondering if he would let me reach climax, or if this was where our game would end.

I was already sore, but I found myself questioning whether I wanted it to stop.

“I’ve heard about the orb. It’s said to be powerful and can bring prosperity to its owner.”

“But power always comes with a price. I intend to find out what that price is, and then I’ll get the orb.”

“You’re not going to try to get it first?” I asked, my voice filled with disbelief. I was surprised he wasn’t already on the hunt.

Alek let out a chuckle, his thumb tracing my lips. “You’re bold. But remember, a foolish man rushes for his prize, while a wise man hunts it. Do you understand, darling?”

I swallowed hard, my mind teeming with thoughts of him and me. I was grappling with the nature of our connection. Was this even a relationship?

Or was I just another conquest to him?

He didn’t wait for an answer. His fingers were already exploring me again, sliding back inside me. A deep, guttural moan escaped his lips as he felt my warmth tighten around him.

“So fucking sweet, but you’re missing something. Let’s fix that, one last time.”