Standing at the entrance to the big, ornate room Skyler set her long hair over one shoulder and took a deep breath. Her body's craving for nourishment and power had again reached a point impossible to ignore. She couldn't escape her need. It was time.
The offerings stood in a row of showing platforms in the huge, ornate space. Human males, in a variety of sizes, shapes and ethnicities. They were dazed but aware. Waiting. Their masculine scent, combined with the scent of fear, a ready cocktail in the air.
Mistress Penelope greeted Skyler at the doors with a practiced bow. "My lady. It's lovely to see you again. I hope your trip was pleasant and the accommodations are to your liking?"
"Thank you Penelope. Yes, everything is lovely, as always..."
"We have a great selection waiting for you, my lady. I'm sure you will find something this time. Would you like to sit down and see the list?"
Ignoring the offered tablet and the mistress' annoying chatter Skyler walked into the room and started studying the offerings. By all accounts, she should be looking forward to this. After all, pleasure and satisfaction awaited her in the near future. Yet, even with that knowledge, she just could never bring herself to enjoy this step, the process of choosing a mate... It was tempting to just send her keeper to pick for her. All the offered were carefully selected, so personal tastes and desires apart, there was really no wrong choice. But that seemed somehow wrong, so here she found herself again.
Maybe I will just point one of them at random and see what the faiths send me, or maybe I wont choose one at all again...
The idea of skipping the whole thing was always appealing once she got to this point.
Skyler was trying to access if her hunger would hold yet another month, for the next shipment of mortals, when her eyes landed on him.
Oh...
The aura of power surrounding this male was like a physical force. His jaw was clenched tight, his hands fisted so hard inside their force manacles, she could see every thick, strong vain radiating from them.
Mmmm... Ok, promising.
His whole body was a taut display of rebellion. There were tattoos covering most of his right arm and some on his back too. His chest was marked by a long scar on the right side, running all the way from his shoulder to the waistband of his trousers. Strangely, he was wearing jeans, not the usual garment the offerings wore for the presentation.
While the men around him were all eyeing Skyler, just about drooling as they stared at her, their desire obvious, despite their fear and confusion. Her angry-boy was staring right through them all, his chin slightly tilted up in defiance, his scowl showing a quirk of arrogance that brought a smile to her lips.
Not wanting to show him her intentions just yet, Skyler took her time studying the man right in front of her. He was a very nice specimen. The poachers knew what the princesses liked and always delivered. Humanity seemed to have an endless supply of strong, handsome men to offer! This one was a delicious blond. His blue eyes so clear, they reminded her of the icy slopes of her home. The wild, uncontrolled emotions warring on his face were too bare thought. His heartbeat a fast fluttering in his neck. Inhaling deeply, Skyler savored the scent in the air around him. Mmm he would probably be tasty, once all the fear ran out of his system... But no.
Stepping away from blondie, Skyler smiled at the whimper of sorrow that left his lips.
Aw, he would have been willing and eager from the get go...
Maybe she should tell Stella about him. Her twin sister had a thing for blonds, and it was probably past time also for her to take a mate again.
"Leave this one on call for Stella, please." she told Penelope quietly, while walking purposefully past the next two displays to get to her Mr. Gloom.
Skyler stood in front of him and took his whole figure in.
Dear Goddess, how delicious!
His hair was dark brown, full of copper highlights, and it curled softly, all the way to his shoulders, while a patrician nose and powerful brows called attention to his deep set eyes. Skyler couldn't quite see the color of them, as he kept his stare stubbornly down once she approached. But she would guess probably blue or green, to go with that flaming hair. His face was chiseled perfection, sensuous lips offsetting the hard line of his jaw in almost exaggerated contradiction.
There was stubble on his face. What humans would call a three day shadow. That was also unusual... Tradition dictated a practice of grooming the offerings carefully. A stubble was unheard off!
"Why isn't his face clean?" She asked the mistress quietly, her eyes still on bad-boy.
The slightest hint of a smile played on his lips and his eyes met hers, in a challenge so open, Skyler felt moisture seep into her thighs. She pressed them together slightly, trying to alleviate the pulsing need, and saw his nostrils flare, the pulse on his neck, that had been a steady beat up to now, fluttered a bit. His frown grew even deeper and he broke eye contact immediately.
Ah... Bad boy likes the look of me, maybe even my scent...
Skyler made no effort to hide her smile this time.
The absolute blackness of his eyes had been a shock to her. They were so dark and mysterious, making him look even more dangerous.
"Err... This one has been a bit of a challenge, my lady... He just arrived today. We were in two minds to even offer him here, in view of his... err... unruly behavior... the poacher almost sent him back. But he is virile and of remarkable genetic makeup... So I thought maybe Lady Agatha would be interested. She should be here any moment..."
Oh... Lady Agatha was a princess from the north lands, she was notorious for her practices. According to the gossip, she enjoyed watching men fight. So she would choose two or three offerings, tease them delirious with desire and then have them battle for the chance to feed her. Mating the winner. Quite barbaric really... But northern princesses like Lady Agatha didn't have much to do. Boredom inspires mischief and cruelty.
Sorry Agatha... I may have to deprive you of this particular pleasure...
"What is your name?" She asked the man directly. He met her eyes again and said nothing.
The mistress made to speak, but Skyler stopped her with a gesture.
"Human. Will you tell me your name, please?"
His eyes flared and his deep, growly voice resonated through the room, even though he spoke quietly and bitingly.
"What does it matter? I have been told you are going to choose a new one for me, if I am so lucky, and that I am supposed to accept it and love it."
He was right, the princesses usually renamed their chosen with a standard name. Stella called all her previous boys 'Trent', only the good heavens knew why... But Skyler had let her mates keep their name. She wanted to encourage them to keep their identities for the time they spent together, not to turn them into sex toys.
She gave him a smile "Well... I will call you Mr. Gloom if I have to... But, if you tell me your name, I might reconsider..."
His look was full of contempt, he held her gaze for a long moment before saying "My name is Duncan. Duncan MacArthur."
"Hello Duncan MacArthur... I am Skyler, Ice Princess of the South." she so very rarely referred to herself by her full title, but he gave his full name, it was only polite for her to do the same.
"I am sorry, Skyler..." Mr. Gloom said from between clenched teeth, "It seems I will be unable to offer you my hand in greeting at this time..."
"It's My Lady to you mortal! Show some respect!" Mistress Penelope scolded the man, ridiculously.
Skyler waved the mistress quiet and smiled at him. "Yes... that. I apologize for the restraints..."
His raised eyebrow look was a little less hostile as she continued "They are necessary for now. Just a precaution, until we have a chance to explain the situation to you..."
His eyes flashed down, not before she could detect the first hint of confusion showing on them. He hadn't been expecting an apology it seems.
Skyler stepped up into his showing case, putting herself mere inches away from him. His height was somewhere around six foot five or six. Taller than her by a few inches.
Mistress Penelope exclaimed "My lady! That is not advisable!"
Skyler ignored her and took in a deep breath of the air surrounding him. Duncan's scent invaded her senses fully, spiking her need even higher. Running one long fingernail down the center of his chest, Skyler watched his face as she took in another deep, delicious lungful of him. Her touch reached his midriff and she splayed her hand flat over his taut abdomen. His erection was suddenly clearly visible, even through the thick material of his pants. His breathing hitched and he pressed his lips together, to stifle a moan that she knew was not the product of fear.
Skyler's fangs elongated slightly, a shiver running through her body in anticipation. She was careful to hide them from him for now though. No need to scare the boy before he understood what was going to happen.
"I would like to take you home with me..." she said softly.
"Doesn't seem like I have much of a choice in the matter." he bit out. There was anger in his voice, but his eyes traveled down her cleavage and his abdominal muscles rippled under her touch, as she leaned closer for a sniff of his neck.
"True... But I would rather you agreed to come."
His eyebrows raised again and he met her eyes.
Still speaking softly, Skyler explained "If no one claims you, Duncan, you will be sent back to the place where you were taken from. Maybe missing a day or two, a little confused, but just as you were found. You can go on with your life, as if all of this never happened. You will only vaguely remember it as something of a bad dream... that's what will happen to most of these men." Skyler slowly walked around him on the showing case, running fingernails lightly over his skin, wiling him to want to stay "but... If you stay, if you agree, I will take you home with me." she stopped in front of him and looked inside the black depths of his eyes again "You have my word I won't do anything you don't want me to..." after a pause, she shrugged her shoulders slightly and continued "Of course, there is always the chance that, if I don't take you, someone else might..."
Skyler could see his mind working. Weighting in his options. Calculation, curiosity and lust warring with confusion, anger and rebellion. There was no fear though, that made her want him more.
