Page 9 of Plug and Claim

He leant back comfortably against the seat.

There was plenty of time. When they arrived at Volmasque, she would be on her knees looking up at him. He would make sure of it.

Chapter 5

Carriage Ride with an Asshole

Kira

The luxurious cabin was more spacious than any carriage she’d been in, but its appeal was diminished by the vampire’s presence, and it was infinitely small given that she had to share it with someone as manipulative as him.

The vampire whose name she still didn’t know. He hadn’t bothered to introduce himself, and she hadn’t asked what his name was when she’d had the chance. She’d gone ahead and assigned him one anyway.

Dick.

Despite the tension in the carriage, she stole fleeting glimpses of the interior when she thought the vampire wasn’t looking. Lavish, sheer drapes adorned the windows, the polished mahogany seats were gilded with gold, and the cushions were soft and finely upholstered. The vampire looked like he belonged in this setting, regal and elegant, and her gaze had strayed a little too long on his long arms and legs when he first climbed into the carriage.

A secret part of her had felt a jolt of attraction, but it had since been erased by his smug smile and the intensity of his gaze.

Behind the vampire, the back wall of the carriage was nearly all clear glass, and it provided a stunning view of the starry sky above the dark countryside. It was too bad he was here with her—the carriage ride might have been a pleasant one otherwise.

The only source of light inside the cabin was the soft orange and purple glow of wall sconces, which bore no candles. Instead, the tiny glass bulbs glowed of their own accord. The only other place she’d seen magic before was at an antique shop in Nordokk that had acquired a table lamp that lit up the room with a bright white light. In contrast, the sconces in the carriage were clearly designed more for ambience, and it made the vampire’s features a little harder to distinguish in the darkness.

Good.

It was bad enough he’d been staring at her unblinkingly for hours on end.

Because that’s what it had felt like. Hours. Which didn’t make sense. Volmasque Academy was in the middle of the Capital, and the city was only an hour and a half away by coach, potentially less with the swift pace of the horses.

A small coffee table held refreshments, but even if she hadn’t been gagged, she was anything but hungry, and neither she nor the vampire had touched the food or wine.

“Kneel, or don’t kneel,” he had said, placing his hands behind his head. “But if you do not, I’m afraid the gag remains.”

And so, the collar remained. His cocksuredness rubbed her the wrong way, and he was dreaming if he thought she would ever kneel for him.

She only had to put up with the gag and collar until they arrived at the academy—surely he would remove it then? There couldn’t be much longer left in the journey. She just had to endure a little longer. It was getting difficult to ignore the growing ache in her jaw muscles.

Kira tried to distract herself with memories of happier times, but her thoughts kept drifting back to how the vampire had held her against the wall in the cottage. Physically, wolves were usually stronger than vampires, but he had the advantage of being male—something that had been all too clear when she felt the press of his hard cock. She supposed she was lucky he hadn’t forced himself on her, but it was too early to count her blessings—she had no idea what he had in store for her.

That was the problem with vampires. It wasn’t just that they were parasites living off other living creatures. They liked to play with their food. And that was what he was doing now, playing with her, messing with her mind, trying to convince her that kneeling before him was in her own best self-interest.

He can get fucked.

Another long minute passed, and her frustration grew. The physical discomfort of the gag had long surpassed her emotional qualms. The foreign object invaded her mouth, and she tried to find a semblance of comfort by adjusting the position of her lips and tongue around it, but the suffocating grip of the collar made movement impossible.

What do I value more? My dignity? Or breathing?

The sensation grew worse with each passing minute, and her resolve, which had burnt brightly earlier, was faltering. She tried to adjust the position of her jaws again, but it was no use, and the movement of her head caused her dribbling saliva to land slick across her hands.

The vampire tilted his head expectantly. He had not uttered another word, and his silence made one thing absolutely clear: there would be no concessions, and no exceptions. His command had been simple, and he expected her to obey.

Kneel, and I will remove your gag.

Those had been his words.

She hoped he couldn’t read her mind, or else he would have witnessed her intense desire to transform into a wolf and attack him. In her fantasy, she mauled him as the dark silhouette of Wintermaw Keep burnt with flames, along with the vampires inside it.

They would all burn—starting with him for daring to assault her in her own home. Intentional or otherwise, his arousal had disturbed her.