VAMPIRE TEMPTATION

I’m Not Leaving You

***

Klaus

I’m saved from answering by the ringing of my phone. I avoid Ruby’s gaze as I answer Elena.

I stare hard at the table, but I can still catch glimpses of Ruby’s expression of outrage.

Klaus, we have a problem. How soon can you get home?”

I’m kind of in the middle of something.”

One of my spies in a rival coven has gotten wind of an attack. They’ve heard that I’ve mated, and they want to strike now before alliances between our two covens are solidified.”

Shit! I’ll be home in ten minutes.”

Ruby is staring at me, a mixture of hurt and alarm on her face. “An attack?”

It’s not unusual for there to be bumps in the road with new alliances.

The longer two covens are united by a mating, the more united they will become.

Any rivals would do well to attack the alliance near the beginning.”

“What do we do?”

I pull some cash out of my wallet and drop it on the table, offering Ruby my arm.

We pull all the humans out of the office for a start.

“I lead her away, glancing to the shadowy corners of the shop, but there are no hostile vampires lurking there.

No. The others, sure, but I’m not leaving you, Klaus.”

“This is not a good time to decide to take a stand, Ruby. You and the other humans will all be safer working from home until this is done.”

What if one of you gets injured? Who’s going to feed you?”

She has me there. Covens that don’t care about human life are happy to keep their human employees on even during dangerous times like these.

We’ll manage.

Of course, you will, because I’m not going anywhere.”Ruby-”

Klaus, stop. I’m staying, and that is final.”

“I’m your boss! If I say you work from home, then that’s what you’re going to do.”

This isn’t a work decision, and you know it.

It’s a personal decision, and personally, we are equals, even if you are my boss in the business world.”

Again, she has me there.

I’ve got to get home. Elena and I need to plan. We can discuss this over the phone tomorrow-”

We can discuss it tomorrow in the office.

Goodnight, Klaus.”

Ruby brushes a light kiss over my lips and hurries away. I’m left gnashing my teeth but unable to run after her and convince her otherwise, as I have to get to Elena.

Elena. Another complication.

I had thought that Elena was simply evil, but the longer she’s a part of my coven, I’m starting to doubt that. She was raised to believe as she does, but as time goes by, she seems to be learning otherwise.

I even heard her apologizing to Nate the other day for the way she treated him.

I don’t think anything will stop me from loving Ruby -I’m way too far gone on her – but I can’t seem to help these feelings that are cropping up around Elena.

I don’t love her, but I’m certainly starting to care for her too.

Can you be in love with more than one person at the same time? I hope I never have to find out.

Elena is pacing impatiently when I get home.

“Klaus! Finally. Come, I’ve got everything planned out.”

I follow Elena to the dining room, where she has papers spread out all over the table.

I’m glad to see that her battle plans are absent of any human names.

She’s already assumed I would want to send them home or perhaps wanted that herself.

Ruby doesn’t want to stay at home.”

Elena raises her eyebrows. “Does she know the danger?”

“Yes. She wants to be there for a supply of blood if anyone is injured and needs to be fed.”

Elena’s eyebrows go even further up her forehead. “She’s braver than I’d expected for a human. Good, then. We can use her help.”

I can’t hold back a snarl. “You think I should risk her life just so that it’s a bit safer for us?

Do you forget how fragile humans are compared to vampires?”

“No, I think she’s an adult who can make her own decisions.

That the decision helps us is a factor, but it’s not the reason.

You are the one who taught me that humans should

be respected, Klaus, not controlled.”

Fuck. Is that really what I’m doing?

I guess it is. But all I want is to keep her safe…

“Fine,” I snap. “But she’s the only one.”

I still need to keep the truth of our relationship from Elena. I may be coming to like her, but that doesn’t mean I’m yet sure if I can trust her.

“We should have an extra ritual tomorrow.

Make sure we’re all at full strength.”

It’s a good idea.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

I nod as I pull up a chair and start to look through Elena’s plans.

***

Klaus

Ruby is lying naked in the circle when I come in.

She hasn’t sought out one on one contact with me today after our argument yesterday, sending me short and to the point emails on work matters when communicating with me

has been absolutely necessary.

Her eyes are on me from the moment I step into the ritual room. I see no resentment there, only love and trust. My heart swells as I go over to her.

As usual, I forego the normal ritual protocols when I’m with Ruby.

I kiss her slowly, letting my cock press against her thigh, but not chasing any further friction yet.

Her scent thickens as her pussy starts to get wet. I long for a taste of that wetness even more than I long for her blood, and I see no reason to deny myself.

She spreads her legs wide for me as I shuffle downward.

I thrust my tongue into her pussy, making a noise of satisfaction deep in my throat. I start fucking her pussy with my tongue, spurred on by the noises she is making.

It’s a good thing that vampires can’t read her mind anymore, because, with the way she’s trembling, I doubt that controlling her thoughts is on her mind.

I tilt my head so that I can push my tongue in deeper, which causes Ruby to lose the last of her self-control.

She wraps her legs around my head and starts thrusting desperately forward, riding my tongue.

I can barely breathe with the way she is pressed up against me, but I can’t bring myself to pull away.

Instead, I add a finger to her clit, which makes Ruby arch up and cry out loudly enough that other couples are pausing their ritual to look at us.

I have to remind myself that I can’t make her come yet; I still need to feed on her, and I can’t do so from this position.

I regretfully untangle her legs from my head. Her strength is no match for mine, and Ruby whines as I leave her pussy empty.

It doesn’t stay empty for long. My cock feels like a bar of iron. I gather some of Ruby’s pussy slick and use it to wet my cock, stroking up and down a few times, groaning

with awakened desire.

“Now, Klaus, I need you now.”

We’re on the same page, there.

I push slowly into her, loving the view as Ruby squirms. She is slowly impaled on my cock. Once I’m fully sheathed within her, I can’t bring myself to move slowly.

Her blood and pussy both smell divine, and there’s only one of those I haven’t yet tasted today.

I fuck her so hard that I start to push her toward the edge of the circle, and I’m forced to check myself. I grit my teeth as I slam my cock into Ruby’s hot, wet pussy.

She’s close too; it’s easy for me to tell, knowing her as well as I do, even though I can’t read her mind anymore.

Ruby reaches behind my neck, pulls my head down to her neck, and bites down on my shoulder as she comes.

Her teeth are blunt and don’t break the skin, but it’s so sexy that the action has me coming too.

I’m so caught up in my pleasure that I almost forget to feed, but the hunger finally makes itself known.

My teeth sink through her soft skin, and I suck up to her delicious blood like a man dying of thirst.

Once I’ve had my fill, I almost lie down next to her but manage to catch myself. Cuddling would definitely be a tip-off.

I glance around automatically for Elena, who is busy with Amelia.

Neither of them is paying attention to Ruby or me.

I’m just helping Ruby stand up when an alarm goes off so loudly everyone winces.

My instinct is to clap my hands over my ears, but I can’t.

That’s not an ordinary alarm.

That’s the alarm that goes off when another coven of vampires enters the building.

A hostile coven.

The attack has begun.