Beloved

Again I want to thank Love2ReadInOR for editing this for me. Thanks so much. Hope everyone enjoys reading Chapter 2. Don't forget to comment!

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As his hand stroked over her back, Raife tried to distract his mind. All he could think of was the softness of her skin. Even through the smell of the dungeon, he had detected a scent that was distinctly hers, and his body was craving it. To distract himself he began asking questions of the girl.

"Did he tell you anything at all about what you have become?"

"He only told me I am now a vampire. I have discovered on my own the ability to heal quickly, and I feel there is something different in my mind I just can't figure out."

He filled her in on the basics as he finished cleaning her back and began leading her away from the castle to his home.

"You can move very fast now. And yes, your mind has changed. You have the ability to read the thoughts of humans, as well as block the mental abilities of some other vampires. Not all of them, of course, there are much stronger vampires out there."

"You said I can move fast. How fast?" she whispered, remembering the blurring ride before awakening in Thomas' dungeon.

"Want to race?" Raife looked over at her and in the light of the moon she saw the grin on his face.

Jasmine's heart leapt in her chest at the sight of his crooked smile. She really needed to get away from him. She could feel the attraction but couldn't help doubting herself. She shouldn't be feeling this way. It hadn't even been a full day since she had been rescued from torture and almost rape. She also felt the real possibility of rejection. Who wanted damaged goods? Certainly this gorgeous man had a woman of his own at home.

"Maybe later. I have no idea where we are going," she said as she turned her eyes from his face. Already she was trying to figure out how to get away from this man who made her breath quicken and her heart race. Not to mention the delicious feelings happening between her thighs.

"Will you let me carry you? We really do need to find cover before sunrise. My home is not very far if we run." He couldn't help but allow his mind to wander to earlier as he had carried her from the castle. The feel of her warm softness against him had made his cock twitch in his trousers.

"I suppose we should get inside. Okay, just don't drop me." She attempted the joke and was rewarded with a small chuckle that had her stomach tightening. Her stomach tightened further as he closed the distance between them and lifted her against his hard chest.

Then they were off. She knew they were moving quickly but the forest wasn't blurring by like the last time. She could see everything moving by them and was fascinated at the details.

Still, it took no time for Raife to reach a small stone building nestled between two low hills. The building was a smaller version of a castle. Stone turrets rose at the corners, but only about half as high as the castle she had just left. She saw a few small windows and large wooden double doors at the entrance.

Two human servants pushed open the doors as they approached then closed them as soon as Raife and Jasmine were inside. Jasmine was immediately very thirsty and very afraid. The servants she had fed from in the dungeon were usually young and seemed to her more like slaves than help. She unknowingly began to shake with fear and thirst.

Raife felt her discomfort and thought he knew the source. His servants were all volunteers. They stayed in the upper levels of his home, cleaned the place and watched over him during the day, as well as volunteered their blood to feed him when it was impossible for him to hunt. He returned the favor and loyalty by giving them a decent life. He paid them generously and made sure they were watched over as best he could.

He also knew that the people in Thomas' castle were slaves. He would search out humans and drag them home to be fed from and used for his own misguided pleasures.

Raife began explaining to Jasmine that his servants were more or less his friends and that they would gladly allow her to feed from them until she was well enough to hunt. Still she seemed wary and asked where she could sleep.

He led her down a short flight of stairs until she could tell that they were underground. They went down a hallway and he stopped outside a door.

"This will be your room for as long as you wish to stay here. There are a few clothes in the wardrobe. My room is right down the hall on the left. You must be hungry. Allow me to question my servants and see about getting you a meal. I will also have a bath drawn for you if you like," he said as he looked into her face. Her eyes were beautiful even though he could see tears in them.

"Thank you, a bath would be nice. I don't think I'm that hungry though," she said as she turned from him before the tears could fall. He knew she was going to have to get used to feeding from humans as it had been forced on her so quickly; she had not been informed and allowed to ease into it.

"I'll send someone." Then he was gone. He found the appropriate people and then retired to his room. He needed sleep. It had taken several days to locate the castle of the rogue. It really hadn't been that close to his own home, but it had been magically hidden from almost everyone. No one had known that he had a newly turned vampire in his dungeon either.

As Raife shed his clothes and slipped into bed, his mind wandered back to the woman. Her skin was so soft under his touch, her scent lingered in his nose and thoughts of holding her in his arms had his cock throbbing. He also remembered how she had been found. Naked and bound to that contraption with Thomas poised to take her. There was no way Raife would push anything on her; she was still too fragile. He also swore he would be the one to help her heal and recover emotionally from what that evil bastard had done to her. His eyes slid closed and he hoped for a deep sleep.

Jasmine wandered around the room, glancing in the wardrobe at the small selection of women's clothing and then over to the large brass tub in the corner. She thought back on the horrors of the last several days and nights. She really could use a bath; the warm water would help her to try to relax. Hopefully, she would be able to begin the strenuous work of forgetting Thomas and everything he had done to her.

The sound of the door opening behind her had her turning to see a very pretty woman with long brown hair leading four strong looking men into the room. Jasmine shrank into the wall at the scent of all the warm human blood in the room. The men carried large pails of steaming water and emptied them into the tub.

"Lady, my name is Alice. Your bath will be ready shortly and if you would like to feed, Seamus has kindly volunteered," the woman said. She waved her hand indicating a handsome young man with bright red hair and freckles covering most of his face. He turned and smiled warmly at the mention of his name.

"Our lord has informed us that you are new to this life; if you would like I can try to help you through this. There are ways to make the feeding pleasurable for him," Alice said in her soft voice as the men continued to fetch pails until the tub was full of steaming water.

"I suppose that could work," Jasmine responded still a bit scared.

"All you need do is look into the boy's eyes and concentrate on a pleasant feeling. He will become entranced and when you are finished feeding he will only remember the pleasantness. Lord Raife and I have had many discussions about the nature and abilities of vampires," Alice finished answering Jasmine's unvoiced question.

Seamus stepped closer to the women in the room awaiting a decision. He seemed eager and willing to allow Jasmine to feed from him.

Still a bit nervous, Jasmine looked into the young man's bright green eyes and attempted to think of a pleasant sensation. The closest she could come was remembering her time at her father's home. The quiet walks through the woods, sunlight shining down between the branches. These were the best feelings of her short life. Alice tapped her arm and she looked again at the man before her. He was standing stock still with a goofy lopsided grin on his face. Apparently she had succeeded in the trance. Now if she could do as well with actually feeding.

She stepped closer to him and immediately the scent of his blood was stronger in her nose. So as to get this over quickly, she leaned into his neck and very gently bit into the flesh there. The taste of his blood washed over her tongue, flooded her mouth and down her throat. She was suddenly ravenous and began to gulp down the life-giving liquid.

After a few moments, Jasmine realized she wasn't quite as thirsty. She stopped drinking and pulled slowly from his neck.

"Now lick the wounds to close them and help them to heal," Alice said softly from behind her. Jasmine followed her instructions and swiped her tongue over the two small pinpricks, and stepped away. Seamus shook his head and looked a little drowsy but none the worse for wear.

"Thank you, Seamus," Jasmine said to the man as he walked smiling from the room. Alice showed Jasmine the scented soaps and some soft, fluffy towels then followed him out. Jasmine gladly disrobed and stepped into the steaming water. She knew she needed to relax but hadn't realized how much until she felt her eyelids drooping. Try as she might she just couldn't keep them open. Soon she was dreaming deeply, slumped in the warmth of the bath.

Raife couldn't believe his eyes. Only moments after he had closed his eyes, he had heard the door to his room open. He had looked up and his jaw had dropped. Standing before him, perfectly naked, was Jasmine. Her hair was wet as it hung down to her hips, and drops of water still sparkled in the candle light against her skin. The soft light also reflected the tiny specks of red in her emerald green eyes.

He watched intently as she crossed the room and crawled onto his bed. In all his wildest thoughts involving this wonderful woman, this was not anything he had imagined happening on her first night in his home. Yes, he wanted her and this was oh so perfect but he had assumed she was too traumatized to even be thinking of sex at this point. Yet, here she was crawling seductively up his bed, brushing lightly against his body as she moved. His cock throbbed with each whispered touch.

It seemed like forever before she was by his side, looking him in the eye as her hand moved over his bare chest. Her fingertips teased a nipple as her lips found his. Their tongues moved together in a dance as old as time. As soon as her lips touched his, all rational thought was out the window. A low growl came from deep in his chest, and with a quick twist she was beneath him.

Ever so slowly, he kissed a path from her lips down the slim column of her neck, pausing to nip at the spot where neck and shoulder met. Then he wrapped his lips around a perfect pink nipple. Each taste of her flesh had him aching to enter her. It took all he had to hold back. He felt her arch and gasp against him as he nibbled on the taut peak between his lips.

He wanted to please her, to make her reach that level of pure pleasure where mind leaves body behind to soar on the clouds, if for only a few moments. He had heard from the others about mates, though he never thought to find one for himself, especially not this wonderful woman with her tragic past. Yet, again, here she was.

Smelling her arousal, Raife moved lower, wanted to taste the very center of her. His tongue snaked between her slippery folds, lapped at the juices he found there. Finding that little bundle of nerves with his teeth had her hips bucking up against his mouth, and her crying out.

Moving one arm across her stomach he held her down as his other hand held her open to him. She almost came off the bed despite his strength when he thrust his tongue deep inside her velvety heat. Soon she was writhing beneath him, calling out his name as her body released her sweet nectar into his mouth.

Raife moved back up her body, maneuvering his hips between her thighs, her lips met his in a searing kiss. His achingly hard cock pressed against her slick opening had her moaning into his mouth.

"Are you sure?" he asked quietly against her lips.

"Yes. Make love to me Raife." Then he was pushing into her. Inch by inch, he pressed into her, wondering at the different noises she made, and the way her voice seemed to get higher and louder the more he pushed. He let out a primal growl as he felt his hips meet hers, and then he was thrusting. Slowly at first, then as her body responded so beautifully, arching up to meet his pace, faster and harder.

"More....Please, Raife, more!" she cried out, raking her fingers across his back and shoulders. He thrust deep into her as he wrapped his arms around her slender figure. Pulling her head to one side, he sank his fangs into her neck. As the blood flowed into his mouth, he felt her soft muscles clenching around him as she tumbled over the edge, crying out his name.

The combination of her blood in his mouth, her climaxing around his cock and her sweet voice crying out his name into the darkness, caused him to tumble right along with her. His seed pulsed deep into the beautiful woman in his arms. He growled against the flesh of her neck as he licked the wounds closed and lay her gently on the pillow next to him.

Jasmine's eyes flew open and she jerked upright, splashing water across the floor in the process. She knew she was just dreaming, but it was the most wonderful dream of her entire life. Yet somehow, it was also the most terrifying because she felt there was no way it would ever become reality. She wanted him. Badly. Again she thought, I've got to get away from him. Before I hurt myself more than I'm already hurt.