craving inside of her, and she opened herself to it. It was a part of her, a set of new magical limbs and senses, and she could do remarkable things with them. Her loss of vampire abilities had left her reeling, but she’d been propel ed up close and personal into this new galaxy, so much power at her fingertips.
Though she got tired of moving so carefully, when she’d turned the invading vampires into a new arbor for Mason’s garden, she’d contacted Keldwyn. While she obviously had a great deal of raw power ready to call, her use of it at this point was far more intuitive than learned. She understood power enough not to be irresponsible about it. But this moment wasn’t about being responsible.
Perhaps she was a child who’d not yet mastered running, but she could careen out of control and it would still be thrilling, her blood surging with youthful invincibility. It had been a very long time since she’d felt that way, and having Jacob here with her only spurred it.
She hadn’t been surprised that Jacob had taken it upon himself to join the conversation with Keldwyn when he did, to provide a physical show of support before Keldwyn’s imperiousness. Even so, she decided it might be time to remind him who held the reins on their relationship. For her own pleasure as much as for the lesson.
He’d halted on the opposite side of the trellis.
Now, his gaze locking with hers, he stepped to the right to follow her in a circle around it, a far-more-adult version of ring-around-the-rosy. A bench was built inside of the trellis. In his mind, she saw them both naked on it, her straddling him, holding either side of the trellis as if restrained, yet using it as a bracing point to shove herself down on him. It underscored the point that they were bound together, locked into one purpose, one soul. She answered that challenge with one of her own, no less intense.
With his precognitive ability, Jacob sensed the change before it happened, but her magical reach was greater than his speed. He sprang back, but the roots snaked out from the trellis, cinching around his biceps. They slammed him against the right side of the frame, flush against the crossed oak pieces.
Capturing his wrists, they drew his arms up, tightening in swift loops and knots so that he was arched against the wood, making his body an offering to her. Another speared out to loop around his throat, holding it fast. Others wrapped around his legs, all the way up his thighs. The surface of the strong roots was rough enough to cut through the thin denim of his jeans in several places, biting into his flesh, tempting her to taste.
She was still enough of a vampire to savor Jacob’s blood. But a servant savored a vampire’s blood as well, and she was both, wasn’t she? When she’d turned him and lost her vampire powers, she’d been pregnant and nearly defenseless for a short time period. Jacob had redefined being a servant then. He was there to protect and care for her, no matter if that meant he had to reverse their roles.
He’d marked her as a full servant. Though that meant he could delve deeply into her mind, whether she will ed it or no, he didn’t do that unless she invited him to do so, as she had during her conversation with Keldwyn.
Well, amend that. He didn’t do it except when he thought her well-being was more important than her orders. Her presumptuous, delectable servant.
“With all those fine muscles, you might be strong enough to tear loose,” she purred. Moving closer, she savored the danger in his vibrant blue eyes. “But Mason does love this trellis, and we’ve already done quite a bit of damage to his property.” Trailing her fingers down his sternum, she registered the rapid beat of his heart. “Can you submit to me, as you did when I was your vampire Mistress?”
“You’ve never stopped being my Mistress, my lady.” His mouth was taut with a perilous desire that made her tremble low in her belly . “Even when I found you