Corruption of the Rose Read online

  He lightly tapped the end closer at different points, dragging it slowly toward her center before withdrawing it and repeating the process over again. With each pass, he watched as her muscles reacted, every muscle tense in anticipation of the next soft touch. He felt her magic swell naturally with the scent of her desire, the current of her energy running responsively, but she choked it under iron control. With the dampening effect of the collar, her access to her magic was weak and ineffectual.

  However…

  Taking the flogger tighter in his hand, he brought it down in a sharp snap at the top of her thighs, striking them both at the same time. The unexpected sting obliterated her control as she shouted out in surprise, her power rushing forth. She managed to choke it off at the end, but not before a small amount of the energy released around them. He felt it sweep over him like a mist before it settled. The blockage on her spirit was like a shadow surrounding her, built up over a lifetime. Even the rise of her sexual energy and subsequent desire was strangled by it.

  An excited growl rose in his chest. He would enjoy breaking her control, breaking every illusion and binding that society had placed on her. All that would bind her in the workroom would be ropes and straps when he felt the desire to use them. They were doubly appropriate in her current state. He didn’t see the female escaping her leashes and harnesses any time soon.

  Saris stepped closer, his growl still vibrating through him, nostrils expanding as he breathed in her rich scent. He knew she was likewise affected by his pheromones from the way her arousal expanded around the impurities frozen within her.

  He needed closer contact. To feel her flesh directly beneath his claws and hands.

  Dropping the flogger, he leaned in and wrapped his hands around her thighs, allowing his claws to bite into the soft flesh. The smallest whimper escaped from her and grew louder as he slowly raked his claws up and over her ass. Freeing one hand, he curled his fingers around the lower straps of her harness and held her in place as his other hand slapped one cheek soundly. Rose’s whimper changed to a yelp as she strained to escape him, her red flesh jumping.

  Saris dropped his nose so that the tip brushed the soft center of her, already flushed and puffy from the strap that rubbed her with every movement. His tongue slipped up the length, lapping at the drops of her essence that gathered like the sweetest of liquor on her folds. With a rough growl, he pulled the strap to the side, giving him access to her desire-slick sex.

  Rose moaned, the breathy sounds ragged as though constricted. The muscles in her thighs worked ineffectually. There was no way she could hurry him or redirect his ministrations. He held all the control as he licked and teased the area, scraping his claws in varying pressures on the outside and inside of her thigh. Some made her wiggle while others drew a raw, gasping cry from her. Still, he mercilessly teased her with his tongue as her energy mounted, traveling higher through her. His own need roared, but he ignored it. It wasn’t the right time yet. His own pheromones were doing their job, however, driving her need higher even as he feasted on her.

  “Come on and give it to me already,” she snarled, her ass cheeks jiggling very slightly as she attempted to move against him.

  He held her still effortlessly. There was no question as to what she wanted. His cock jumped in his sheath, but he restrained himself to better direct the control of his focus.

  Instead of giving her what she wanted, he smiled against her cunt and continued to drag his tongue only to retreat the moment he felt her climax near. He sat back to admire the way her body strained against the bonds, skin shining with sweat and arousal slickening her thighs. She was beautiful, like a wild thing caught in his net. Eagerly, he returned to his feast, lapping up her sweetness.

  She drew in shallow pants with every touch of his tongue, and each breath inhaled more of his pheromones, making her thrash more with need. She shouted profanities at him as she attempted to twist in her bindings. In response, Saris swatted her hard, reprimanding her for the wiggling, but he did not let up.

  He kept her on the edge of an orgasm, refusing to allow her release—and he enjoyed watching her control slowly unravel. The first time, she merely choked out a rough moan with her blind demand. As he continued to dance with her at the edge of her release, pulling away over and over again, she began to answer with a wail of desperation that was music to his ears. Finally, even those silenced into a continuous whining moan. She had given up on begging and finally dangled limply, at his full control.

  As he pulled away again, her cry ceased and her muscles quivered, belly visibly contracting with need.

  “Please,” she whispered throatily as she dangled helplessly in his grip. “Please, I can’t…”

  Finally.

  He buried his face between her thighs enthusiastically, nose brushing her clit that peeked out along the side of the strap as he turned his head at an angle to get better access. The workroom filled with her loud cries as he ruthlessly drove her to new heights. He felt the rush of impending climax, and with his sharp teeth, he nipped her clit. It was not hard enough to break skin or damage the sensitive pearl of flesh, but her energy shot out of water like a storm-born wave rolling toward the shore as her scream of completion filled the air.

  Saris drew back, allowing her to dangle there in front of him. His cock was fully extruded and bobbed painfully beneath his hip wrap. He knew that she was still reacting to his pheromones despite being entirely spent. She shivered there in front of him, a fresh trickle of arousal slipping out from the swollen folds.

  With a grunt, he manipulated the chain, lowering her to the altar until she was splayed in front of him. He removed the strap between her thighs, his claw dancing over her as he fully bared her cunt. Her hips pushed upward, a thin, needy sound escaping her. Saris didn’t need any further invitation.

  He ripped his hip wrap aside, notching his thick purple cock at her opening. Surrendering to his need, he thrust forward, a snarl escaping him as her tight, wet sex clutched around him. Gripping the straps around her hips with both hands, he retreated and drove into her, his hips slamming against her ass, and he unleashed and welcomed his own rising desire.

  Leaning over her, he rutted deep, breaths coming in ragged pants in rhythm with Rose’s cries and moans. Her channel fluttered around him at regular intervals as small tremors of pleasure zipped through her, bringing ripples of pressure on his cock.

  She was so beautiful beneath him. She was like a foam-born goddess risen from the sea and made into flesh just for him. His cock plunged into her, filling her, his pace increasing as his energy roared through him. The snap of his release was like an earthquake taking the tsunami of her climax with him as they cried out, her shout mingling with his deep bellow, as their energy carried them into bliss.

  Saris wasn’t certain how long it took him to come to himself, but by the time he did, his cock was no longer knotted and already slipping from her body. He ran his tongue along her shoulder blade before getting back to his feet.

  Rose still lay there on the altar, half-dazed as he unhooked the chains and removed the straps one by one, leaving them where they fell around her until all that was left was her collar and the leash strapped to it. Taking her leash by hand, he stepped back, the slight tug encouraging her to her feet.

  Groggily, she stood, swaying on her feet for but a moment before she followed him. He led her back into the outer room and chained her once more at the side of the bed, where he left her to attend to whatever necessary business she required as he returned to the inner workroom and cleaned the straps and altar before returning everything to the chest.

  Carrying the chest back out to the outer room, he returned it to where it sat by the hearth and regarded Rose through a slitted gaze. Rose slumped slightly, but she looked up at him with confusion. It was to be expected.

  Saris inclined his head.

  “I have things to attend to now, but I will return with your midday meal. Rest and reflect,” he murmured.

  He
wanted to give her some gentle words as he would have when he was a mortal man, but they did not rise to his lips. As much as he wanted to, he could not interrupt what was set in motion. Saris was not even certain that he truly had anything soft left within him. It had not been something he sought within himself for a long time.

  Rose frowned but nodded reluctantly. He took one last lingering look at his sex-reddened mage before turning away and closing the door behind him as he left.

  Chapter 11

  Rose was hungry and bored by the time Saris returned. She had slept until her stomach roused her, and then spent the rest of her time wandering around the workroom as far as her chain could reach. Thankfully, it was an exceptional length, so she was able to entertain herself with the tools and books on the nearest table.

  She was still perched on a stool beside the table, squinting in the low light from the hearth at the faded handwriting on the pages, when he entered the room, the heavy creak of the door announcing his presence.

  He stood there just inside the workroom, the firelight on his gray fur making him look almost like a specter stepping from the dark places of the unknown. The vague outline of his body was barely visible, with flashes of silver over his chest, arms, and rigid muscles making their way down to the edge of his loincloth. His face, however, was obscured except for the outline of his muzzle and the bright glowing yellow eyes that watched her like two hot coals. It was several minutes before she even noticed that he held another tray in his hands.

  Carefully, she marked her place with the ribbon attached to the spine of the volume and set the book on the table beside her. That action seemed to break whatever fascination had kept Saris in place because he stalked over, his gait fluid and silent on his inhuman legs. He didn’t speak, but set her tray on an empty space in front of her. Bread sat beside a bowl filled with a stew consisting of what appeared to be flecks of bacon and potatoes, except the smell was a bit sweeter than expected, and the usual cup of water.

  Saris watched her expectantly, and she knew what he wanted. What he was waiting for. He was waiting for her to submit and ask for the meat that she knew had been prepared—the scent of the roasted meat lingering on him.

  All she had to do was ask for it.

  Her tongue felt thick in her mouth as her pride protested and demanded that she make do with what she had been given. She wanted to throw it at him and refuse to eat anything from his hand if he was going to actively try to break her will, but she was realistic enough to know she couldn’t afford to go without food. Magic took a lot of energy and would require a lot more when working through the collar. The lupo would demand much, and she feared for her survival.

  Still, she didn’t need to give him the satisfaction of asking for better food like a spoiled child. She would eat the soup and bread and the chunk of coarse cheese tucked between the two dishes without complaint. It would fill her belly better than what little she had managed when she first escaped from the conservatory.

  Picking up the bread, Rose looked him in the eye and began to eat, scooping up mouthfuls of soup between bites of bread and cheese. To her embarrassment, she promptly fell on the food, consuming every bite of it ravenously. Lifting the bowl up, she swiped her finger repeatedly inside of it, picking up every drop of soup until it was licked clean.

  Saris watched her the entire time, his expression giving nothing away. Not even an ear twitched at her. She wondered what he was thinking as those yellow eyes burned through her, but he didn’t satisfy her curiosity. Instead, he picked up her tray and left just as silently as he came.

  Rose stared at the door in surprise. She hadn’t expected him to just leave. She frowned at the door for a long moment before picking up her book and returning to her reading.

  She didn’t have long to enjoy it.

  The door slammed open several moments later and Saris returned, his fur bristling and his hands empty. She knew from experience that he didn’t need anything to bring her both pain and pleasure. He did that effortlessly with those things which his transformed nature gifted him. His hand closed around the far end of the chain nearest to the bed, and he tugged on it sharply, yanking her off the stool. Rose managed to get her feet beneath her before her ass hit the floor, but as her fury raged through her, she fought every step of the way until he drew her up against his chest, bending her back in a submissive position over his arm.

  Rose tried to bring her leg up with the intent of jabbing it into his belly or a softer region, but Saris didn’t allow any space between their bodies, and so her knee prodded his hip uselessly as he held her. Without warning, Saris dropped his mouth, his fangs sinking into the soft, vulnerable flesh of her throat.

  She squealed, fighting against him, her heart pounding. It didn’t hurt other than a slight pinch from the pressure, and his fangs did not draw blood, but she was held in a way that enforced his dominance and demanded her submission. She snarled as she attempted to move but it just increased the pressure and discomfort until she had no choice but to yield.

  At her submission, Saris’s touch changed. Whereas at first there was nothing sexual in the way he held her, at the moment of her weakening his pheromones swamped her senses and his magic stirred in a brush against hers. She recognized the feel of his power now. Rich earth magic touching and twining with her water, creating movement and vibrations within her.

  He released her neck, and then one of his hands came up to grip the back of it. She could feel the column of her throat almost entirely encased in the palm of his hand as his fangs skidded down her body, pausing every so often to nip at her skin. Slowly, reluctantly, he pulled away even as she shook with longing. She could have cursed him for that alone if he hadn’t looked so pained himself.

  “This is not what I returned for,” he muttered.

  Saris pulled away from her, his hand trailing down the length of her chain until he was able to unclip it from the collar. With one smooth movement, he replaced the chain with the familiar black leather leash and stepped away from her, tugging her behind him as he headed toward the door.

  “Where are we going?” she asked, a flare of panic filling her. Was he going to throw her out in the forest after all due to her stubbornness?

  He directed an irritated look in her direction but didn’t slow his pace.

  “There is a unicorn that has been injured in the forest. I’ve been informed that the lupi are keeping the predators away but that the unicorn will not allow any of the males to approach it. Therefore, you are needed.”

  She gaped after him.

  “You can’t be serious. I am as far from a virgin as it gets. No unicorn is going to come anywhere near me.”

  His yellow eyes turned to her with a mocking humor.

  “You know everything, do you, about unicorns?”

  The words were so uncomfortably like that of her old Master that Rose stiffened and glared at him.

  “What else should I presume to know? That is what we are taught. Unicorns are beings of the highest order, and only children and the purest of maidens and youths can hope to approach them. I am none of those things.”

  “Unicorns are no such thing,” he grunted as he pulled her down the hall after him. “They are creatures that bring life and vitality to a forest. Their magic guards life, but they are also deadly in that fashion. An injured or angry unicorn can do considerable damage to anyone who attempts to come near it. I didn’t want to bring you out of the castle just yet, but since I have little choice in this matter, you are getting a brief excursion.”

  Panting for breath as she hustled after him to prevent being dragged, Rose glared at his back. “I don’t understand. They are keepers of divine love and wisdom…”

  Saris outright laughed at her. “They are certainly sentient and powerful, and I have no doubt that they are wise, but do not attach such lofty ideals to them. They are also snobbish creatures with a penchant for finding trouble with every monster in the woods that considers eating them to gain their power. They are
usually able to get away from the monsters that dwell on this mountain without aid, but things have been getting worse.”

  The last was muttered so low that Rose had to strain to hear it, a chill of apprehension running up her back. The mountains were already a nightmare—how was it getting worse? She wanted to ask him, but had an idea that he wouldn’t appreciate the question at that moment.

  “Do not let your stubborn pride get the best of you,” he growled as they neared the door. “Do exactly as I say out there and nothing more. Do you understand?”

  She swallowed nervously and nodded as he pulled open the heavy door. No sooner than it opened were they stepping out, the door closing behind them with a loud slam.

  Saris looked around, his gray fur rising as his nostrils flared. She was so absorbed in watching him that she was almost tugged off her feet when he started walking again, cutting through the dense growth of the forest. The branches tugged at the long tunic she wore, snagging her with every step. Rose muttered to herself but followed close behind the lupo. She was increasingly aware of the things flitting through the shadows as they moved deeper into the forest and slowed as she looked around.

  “Saris… We are not alone…”

  “Of course not,” he growled. “These are the Urgal Mountains, populated by more beings than any one of your great cities. Do not concern yourself about the vulpi. They are minor creatures that dwell between worlds, harmless to lupi, although they would pick a human clean if there were enough of them and they felt it to their advantage. They are scavengers, attracted to the nature of this place. Just stay close.”

  Despite his clipped words of “assurance,” Rose glanced worriedly at the sleek, foxlike creatures with their six eyes and twining serpent tails as they scurried around. Unlike her previous alarming encounter with the lone creature, there were far more rushing around her than she was comfortable with, especially given Saris’s cold words.