Book 3|23. Madeline

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Chapter dedicated to morriswifeyy. You are super awesome for reading and voting!

Chapter 113 – Madeline – Raine's POV

"My Queen?" Talon murmured, interrupting my silent musings.

I spun to face him.

"We should go." His eyes were tight, worry and concern evident in the lines of his brow.

He was right, of course. Undoubtedly, Marku had plans for me...sooner rather than later, unfortunately. I cringed. I needed to check on Tobias and my pet, before my day of crazy began. I stepped past Talon, and strode out the door, making my way down the long hallway toward Tobias' temporary abode.

There was silence behind me, not even a single footfall could be heard, but I knew Talon was close. He had taken to strategically positioning his body around mine, something like the Moon in relationship to the Earth. A constant orbit of protection. I wasn't sure if he even recognized he was doing it.

Upon reaching the room, Talon slid ahead to open the door. He waited while I walked through, and closed it behind us, the knob engaging with a subtle click. The room was similar in size and décor to Talon's. A massive stone fireplace commanded the eye of all who dared entrance. It was surrounded by a royal court of sleek yet warm contemporary furniture, the most remarkable of which, was a noble bisque couch crafted in rich leather with precision tufted back and arms. The entire piece floated off the ground in a curved stainless steel frame, and made a respectable attempt to compete for attention, in the hearth dominant room.

Seraphine was curled at the bottom of her cage, staring aimlessly at the wall. Just as I expected.

It was Tobias who shocked me.

He sat reclined on the grand couch, with a scantily clad female nestled in his lap. One of his arms was locked around her waist to keep her in place, while the other wrapped around her back, his fingers tangled in her hair, holding her head at the angle he preferred – and his fangs deep in her neck.

It wasn't so much the sight of him feeding that startled me, but the fragrant scent that accompanied it – her unmistakable arousal, musky and sweet, filled the room. It was so strong, Talon's nostrils flared by my side. Seraphine snapped to life upon hearing Talon, her head whipping around to stare at him intently.

Tobias' gaze met mine and he jumped to his feet, taking the small human with him. She squealed at his unexpected maneuver, and dug the fingers of her right hand into his arm, while her left hand fisted the front of his shirt tightly, trying to maintain some semblance of balance, as he held her in mid-air with one arm.  "I apologize, My Lady, I did not expect you for another thirty minutes!"

I had recovered from my initial shock and assured him quickly, "No, it's fine, please sit. I just wasn't expecting it. Of course, you need to eat."

Tobias sank back down onto the couch, pulling her with him. She panted softly. I wasn't sure if her struggle to breathe was related more to the shock of his sudden movement or the fact that she was again intimately close to his private parts.  If he shared her desire, feeling his hard cock under her butt certainly wouldn't help slow her arousal.

He averted his eyes and explained, "I cannot feed without affecting her in such a manner. But I swear I have not touched her!" His gaze found mine again, wide and transparent, allowing me to see the truth of his claim.

I didn't doubt his words. Just one look at her was proof he hadn't given her any relief. Even with me in the room and their previous shuffle, she couldn't help squirming in his lap, no doubt rubbing herself against his erection.

I understood now. He and I shared the same gift, the ability to bring pleasure during a bite. But he sounded as if he had no control in the matter, that he was unable to stop it if he chose.

A light sheen of sweat coated her brow, and eyes darted back and forth to different points on the floor.  The tips of her knuckles were white as she clenched her hands even tighter.

She reminded me of the day I met Talon, the torment I had seen in his eyes as he battled against his desires with no satisfaction in sight. Her struggle was not comparable to the agonizing level his had been, but it was real, and my heart went out to her.

I stepped forward, my movement slow and cautious, in an attempt not to startle her further, and slid around the low mirrored coffee table, seeing her nervous expression in its reflection. When I reached the couch, I sat gently, surprised by how supple and comfortable the soft leather was.

Following proper protocol, she kept her eyes down, but instinctually scooted away, trying to shrink into his body, when she saw me in her peripheral vision. I lifted her chin with my fingers. I needed to see her expression, to make sure she answered truthfully. "You may look at me."

Even though I had used the lightest of touches and softest of tones, she still jumped, her eyes snapping wildly to mine, before she caught herself and forced her body to remain still.

"Shh..." I cooed, and wrapped my finger around a stray lock of her hair that had fallen into her eyes, tucking it behind her ear. "What is your name?"

"Mad...Madeline," her voice quivered. "I mean Maddie, My Lady...my friends call me Maddie" And then hearing her own words, her eyes widened and she gasped, "I didn't mean...I wasn't trying to imply...That you should call me Maddie!"

I smiled. I liked her tenacity. "It's fine, Maddie, I understood what you meant."

Her eyes grew even wider at my use of her nickname and gentle manner.  Her shoulders relaxed a little and her death grip on him loosened.

"Maddie...I can sense how aroused you are, so I am going to give you an option...but only if you want it.  Tobias can be fierce, but he is also gentle and I trust him. Would you like him to ease the ache you feel inside?"

Her features turned to shock and her face flushed three shades of beautiful pink, but the scent of her arousal flared stronger, and she shifted in his lap again. He cleared his throat, biting back a groan. Yep, he was definitely hard.

I kept Madeline locked in my gaze. "It is completely your choice, and you may leave now if you prefer. Also, you are not required to touch him back. This would be just for you."

She bit her lip, and stole a glance up through her lashes at him. His mouth curled into a sexy smirk and his eyes sparkled playfully, as he looked down at her.  She inhaled sharply, the scent of her desire even stronger. I was certain I knew her answer, but I waited, giving her as much time as she needed to reply.

Still, her response was a little unexpected, her voice low and thick with desire. "But what if I...want to touch him?"

Tobias' smirk went from sexy to full-out wicked. His eyes no longer playful. Now they were fully dilated and swirling with calculation. His answer was obvious.

I worked to contain my chuckle, and murmured, "I will let the two of you discuss the specifics."  

Before Tobias could respond, my gaze fell to Maddie's hand, the one she had clenched around his exposed forearm, and my smile faded. I worked to keep my tone level. "Maddie, move your hand please."

Instantly, she released him, her fingers trembling in the air, revealing more of his ruined skin. The scars were unmistakable. Someone had slashed through his flesh repeatedly...in all directions...hundreds of times.

But how was it possible?  He was a vampire with immediate healing ability. Had this happened to him in his human form...or had he been so abused as a vampire that his body simply couldn't heal all of the way?

He stiffened at my careful scrutiny, knowing what caused it.

The pale, raised lines continued under his sleeve, and it took my breath away to think what I might find if I asked him to remove his shirt. My surprise was abruptly cut short, replaced by all-consuming fury. I could taste it hot and thick on my tongue. 

Someone would pay.

With their life.

I demanded quietly, not bothering to control the lethal edge to my voice, "Who did this to you?"

But I wasn't even remotely prepared for his answer.

He held my gaze, unflinching and I knew he spoke the truth when he answered, "I did."

Madeline gasped.

For a moment, I was speechless. And then even more shocked to find Maddie wasn't afraid of him. I assumed any human would run away from a vampire who engaged in self-mutilation, but she didn't. Instead, she pressed herself closer, trying to comfort him in the only way she could.

I pulled myself together. Obviously, we needed to talk, but this was not the time or the place. I reached for his cheek softly, hoping that maybe her touch would erase even a little of the damage done, and spoke softly, "Why don't you make use of the privacy afforded in the bedroom? I need to speak with Seraphine anyway." 

"Thank you, My Lady," he answered roughly, as he stood with her cradled against his chest and left the room.

.


11/7/18 A/N: For those that completely miss understand Raine's reasoning here, let me spell it out. The most important thing to remember is STORY CONTEXT. This is NOT our world so if you are trying to use logic based on our society's expectations/laws, it doesn't work. You need to remember the rules of this world. Pets have zero choice about anything. They are used like a commodity for the sole purpose of comfort and pleasure of their owners. They are punished severely even when they've done nothing wrong.

Unfortunately, Tobias cannot stop his gift of causing pleasure when he feeds and he hates it because it leads to this exact situation. But did you notice how quick he was to assure Raine he hadn't taken anything further with the pet? He purposefully did NOT touch the pet sexually. Why? Because he knew Raine would have been angry at him because arousal does NOT equal consent.

When Raine sees Madeline in a state of sexual frustration, it immediately brings her back to the day she met Talon and how he suffered because of it. Raine is not in a position to change the laws on pets, and certainly not in Marku's kingdom. This is not the time nor the place for Raine to advocate freedom for the pet so she addresses the exact situation at hand instead—the pet's sexual frustration. That's it. Don't make it any more complicated than that. So, Raine decides to give the pet the only thing she can in that moment—a choice.

Madeleine's mind hasn't been altered into sexually wanting Tobias. That's not the way this gift of pleasure works. What she is experiencing is simply physical. And Raine understands this may be better than anyone. Don't forget Raine's history with Marku at the hotel. Raine was ridiculously aroused, but if she'd been given the choice, she would have left.

From some reader responses, it sounds like people ASSUME the pet does NOT want release, and therefore the expectation is for Raine to simply send her on her way when Tobias is finished. However, Raine is not that narrow minded. Raine doesn't presume to know what the pet wants. The possibility DOES exist that Madeleine wanted release but Raine understands Madeleine would never have requested release on her own because pets are simply not allowed. And she makes it clear to Madeleine that her choice is not contingent on Madeleine giving Tobias pleasure in return. It's just something she can have or not if she wants it. Madeleine gets to decide. Raine is trying to give Madeleine the only power she can in that moment. Pets do not naturally have this understanding. Just the opposite. They would never speak up with their needs or desires, ever, so Raine must encourage Madeleine that it is okay to decide something for herself that the rest of the world gets to decide on a normal basis.

Raine speaks softly and with overt comfort NOT because she WANTS the pet to get off, but because she is trying to engage the pet's trust in order to convince the pet that the pet WON'T be punished even after being told it was okay to choose. That HAPPENS in their world so Raine must react and address the situation accordingly.

Hope that helps explain.

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