Pallo just stopped, mid story. He looked like a lost child.

"Pallo, what happened after I disappeared?" I was on the edge of my seat. I had removed myself from his story and viewed it more as having happened to someone else.

He looked up at me. His brown eyes seemed to be losing some of there l.u.s.ter. "I went looking for you."

"And then what?"

"I believe this is where your memories of events come into play."

I thought about being pregnant with his baby, but in Caleb's bed. I had believed that he was dead and gone, but he wasn't. He turned into a creature of the night. He was becoming a vampire.

Pallo kissed my forehead. "I am tired now. I must rest." I knew a blow-off when I heard one. He looked drained.

"When was the last time you had any...." I didn't know the right word to use.

He answered me without waiting for me to figure out the politically correct way. "No, I have not fed recently."

I wasn't sure what to say. I didn't know if I should offer myself to him or not. I wasn't sure what would happen then. I changed the subject.

"Why is my hair damp, and where are my clothes?"

He smiled. "Are you worried?"

"No," I said, smiling back. "Just curious."

"I bathed you," he said, and looked to be preparing for me to strike.

I surprised us both by just asking him "Why?"

"You are not angry with me?" he asked.

He rubbed his thumb over my forehead and then down towards my temple. When Pallo's hand came near my mouth I turned my head quickly and sucked on his thumb. I ran my tongue between his fingers. He shifted closer to me, our bodies pressed firmly against each other. I hadn't known he wore pants until then. I had a.s.sumed that he was naked, too. I stopped putting his fingers in my mouth and looked at him.

"No, I'm not mad. I'm sure you had a good reason," I said, my voice low and breathy.

I leaned into him and kissed his lips. He kissed me back. I could feel my body tightening with the antic.i.p.ation of being touched by him. I put my hands on the sides of his face and slid my wrist near his mouth.

"Do it," I said.

He pulled back from me, looking shocked. "I will not do what you ask."

"I've already given you my blood willingly once, its okay. Go ahead."

"Gwyneth, you do not understand what you are asking of me. I will not feed off of you."

"But Pallo, you've already done it. You need it. Here." I pushed my wrist up to him.

He shook his head. "If I remember correctly, you pushed it down my throat while I was unconscious." He sat up. "You almost killed yourself to give me life. I will not have that."

"But it helped you. You healed quickly, didn't you?"

He nodded. "Being a sidhe makes your blood powerful. It takes only a small amount to sustain me. You had given me more than I needed. When my body took your blood in, it changed in me, allowing me use of your magic, thus allowing me to save your life in return."

I smiled at him. I hadn't heard the word sidhe used in place of faerie for a very long time. The new term was Si, but I liked the sound of sidhe better. "So, let me get this straight. You won't take my blood unless you can give me something of equal value in return?"

Pallo looked very serious when he answered me. "Yes, that is correct."

I sat up next to him on the bed. "I know. We could make a trade," I said, touching his smooth back.

"What would you have us trade?"

I pulled myself onto my knees letting the covers fall from my body. I leaned into his ear and whispered. "I give you what you need to survive, and you give me what I need."

I blew on his ear gently. "What do you need to survive?" He slid his arm around me.

"You," I said. I traveled up his spine with my finger.

"Don't give yourself over to me out of pity," he said. He let his hand hover near my breast. I pulled it to me, rubbing his fingers on my nipples.

His body twisted quickly and his hands slid down my torso. I put my wrist up to him. He took it and placed his lips on it. I braced myself for pain but felt nothing but the sweetest of kisses being placed upon it. He kissed his way down to my elbow and started back up towards my neck.

"Pallo," I scolded him, short of breath. I wanted him to stop teasing me. I wanted to feel his body pressed to mine.

"Gwyneth, still as impatient as ever."

He lifted my arm, kissing the back of it, moving down, tasting my body with his flickering tongue. We were still on our knees, facing each other. I pushed my hand down, trying to feel for the tiny hairs that stuck out from the top of his dark blue silk pajama bottoms. He caught hold of my wrist. He pressed his weight against mine causing my body to lean back. His cold chest was a sharp contrast to my hot b.r.e.a.s.t.s. I was still on my knees before him. Now, as he bent me back, my body tightened with need for him. He gripped the back of me with his arm. My head touched the bed. I exposed my neck to him. He bent his head down and kissed my breast. My nipples hardened as he tasted my soft skin. His tongue traced long circles around my breast. Something sharp nicked me.

I gasped.

Pallo pulled his mouth from me quickly. His gaze met mine, then fell down to the two tiny fang marks near my nipple. He looked shocked with himself. He obviously never meant to harm me. I glanced down lazily--dreamily. Blood seeped slowly from the tiny bite marks. I reached my hand up and pulled his loose brown curls back to above my breast. Blood trickled down from them, running down my stomach slowly. Something primitive pa.s.sed through his eyes, and I watched him fight with himself to maintain control. I slid my hands down the sides of his face, pulling him to me.

"Pallo," I let his name fall from my lips with almost no sound at all.

He moved his mouth over my navel where the blood from my breast had pooled. He sucked gently on it. I pulled his hair up so I could watch his face. His eyes rolled back into his head as he swallowed the sweet liquid from my body. His mouth traced the b.l.o.o.d.y route up to my breast. His lips were growing warmer on my body now. When he reached the bite mark on my breast, he gave it a gentle kiss. It stopped bleeding.

Tiny moans were coming from me. I was turned on beyond belief and had to have him now. "Pallo, please..."

He pulled my body back up to him. The top of my head fit snugly under his chin as he held me in his arms. I felt so safe with him. He let his love for me beating through his body like an accelerated pulse. Mine sped to match his. I ran my hands down his stomach. It warmed to my touch. I let my fingers play in the tiny curls that started on his low abdomen. He let out a small gasp. I pushed my hand down further, past his waistband. He wore no underwear. He was silky smooth, thick and ready for me. I brought my other hand down and pulled at the navy blue pajama bottoms. They came down quickly, easily. I worked them down to his knees and touched one lightly to get him to lift it. He did and I pushed the bottoms off of him. I could feel him hard this close to my face. I took in the sight of him. He was everything I had ever dreamed a man could be and more. He was stunning.

I put my lips to the base of him. The rest of him lay against the side of my face, coming to a rest on my neck behind my ear. I traced his member with my lips and took him in my mouth. He was too long for me to fit in all the way. I moved my hand up to circle around him as I slid my head up and down slowly.

Pallo grabbed handfuls of my hair. He tightened in my mouth, I prepared for him to end. He didn't. His head arched back and he pressed gently against the back of my head. I increased my pace. He pulled my head back from his body. I licked my lips and looked up at him. The look on his face was just short of ecstasy.

He looked down at me and spoke softly. "I am good, but not that good. I am afraid that you can still bring me with the slightest of touches. I have shared the company of many women since you left, but you are still the only one who excites my body so."

I really didn't want to hear him talking about doing other woman right at this moment, but fair is fair. I had been with Caleb only a week before. I was in no position to start throwing stones. My gla.s.s house was around cracked.

Pallo was still hard and velvety smooth in my hand. He hadn't come yet, and I knew he waited to be in me. I moved my hands up his chest and stopped over his heart. I pushed him backwards onto the bed. He still had hold of my hair, so I fell with him, on him. My legs wrapped around his waist. He was pressed under my body. I lay down on him gently and felt him, still hard, against my abdomen. I kissed his neck, tasting him, loving him. He had grown so warm. He felt human to me now.

I raised my face over his. I looked for approval to continue. The tip of him pressed against me, waiting to enter. I took that as a yes, and slid down onto him. He filled me up. I let out a tiny scream, and clutched the arms that he moved up around me. I eased myself down further. I could feel him high and deep inside me. I slid my hips up and down slowly. He whispered something to me, but I didn't hear what it was. He was so large that I felt as though I would break. But, if I did break, I wanted it to be with him in me. I put my hands on his chest and sat up on him. My eyes widened as he went deeper into me. I didn't know how much more my body could take, but I was willing to give it a try.

I looked into his face. His beautifully dark, crisp brown eyes were taking me in as he reached down to put his finger near the point of entry. That one touch brought my body. My legs tightened and a rush of power swept over me. I cried out as I pushed it outwards. I had tried my best to control it. I hoped it worked. I felt Pallo start to tighten below me. He was still trying to maintain control of himself. I rode him so hard and fast now that my breathing grew irregular. My power flowed through me freely. He felt it, too. He looked up at me and seized hold of me, flipping me over.

I found myself lying on my back. He was inside me and I felt the effects of him bringing me. He slid himself almost out of me. I grabbed at his b.u.t.t, pulling him back into me. His upper body tightened as he held himself up on his arms. I looked down and saw him slipping back into me slowly. The sight of him going into me was too much. I started making tiny noises, combinations between moans and grunts. He pushed into me slowly and pulled out. I clutched at his body and tried to pull him to me. He was stronger than I ever hoped to be, so he didn't budge. I looked up into his loving face. He looked like he held back. He was afraid he would hurt me. I remembered the bruises on Sandra's thighs. He was used to hurting women and he didn't want to do that to me.

I pulled my body up and whispered between moans, "Harder."

He let his body fall down onto mine, pushing himself into me hard. I grabbed at the backs of his arms and felt myself biting down on his shoulder. His thrusts came faster now, each one felt like he drove my body into the bed. I screamed out, power flowed over my body again. I myself tightened around him--contracting him, milking his every thrust.

Pallo's head flew back as he arched his back. His hips slammed against me. Warmth spilled from him and into me. I shuddered. "Gwyneth..." he said, breathlessly.

I closed my eyes. They felt different now, they felt warm and odd.

Something dark appeared behind Pallo. His head was still arched back as he finished releasing himself in me. Something snarled and I dug my fingers into his arm. He looked at me. My eyes were wide with horror. I knew that sound, I had heard it before--h.e.l.lhounds.

"What a show, what a show!" Talia's voice echoed off of the high ceiling.

Pallo froze, still pressed inside of me.

"Oh, please do continue. I have not seen such a display of raw s.e.x in quite some time." She said. Her voice made my skin crawl.

Pallo didn't move from me as he spoke to her. "How did you get in here?"

Wicked, high pitched laughter filled the room. "You should pick your bed mates more carefully if you want to stay locked away in a mystical portal."

I could hear that Talia moved closer to us. Growls came at us from the foot of the bed. "Really Pallo, if you are going to f.u.c.k little Si girls, you should at least make sure they can control themselves when they come. She opened the door wide for us." Talia's voice came nearer.

I looked up at Pallo's face. I didn't realize that was what I had been doing. I didn't know what to do with all of the power I felt, so I had released it blindly. Pallo leaned down to me and kissed my mouth long and hard. He pulled himself out of me and turned to face Talia.

"Oh, Pallo, please do not stop on account of us," she said, standing at the foot of the bed. She was dressed in a pair of red leather shorts that left nothing to the imagination, and a tiny red spaghetti strap leather bra. The red of her outfit was identical to the color of her hair. She looked like a homicidal stripper.

I noticed that she was surrounded by a pack of h.e.l.lhounds. They covered the room. I lost track of counting at around twenty. I figured that it didn't really matter after that. We were screwed.

Pallo moved off of the bed and stood. Several of the hounds growled at him and came closer. He didn't flinch. He bent down slowly, and reached under the side of the bed. A large brown h.e.l.lhound crouched low to the floor, ready to strike.

"Talia, could you tell your children to back down? I would like to cover myself," Pallo said bringing something back up with him when he stood.

"But you are such a work of art Pallo, why must you cover yourself?" she held a black whip in her hand.

Great--crazy, h.o.r.n.y, and armed.

One of the h.e.l.lhounds sniffed at the other side of the bed. It put its face near the side of my leg. It made strange noises. I thought it would push its face right into my crotch. I felt so naked, so exposed. I was afraid that one of them would attack me if I moved.

My eyes went to Pallo who stood next to the bed. He tossed something silky and black onto my thigh, and then began to step into his pants. I slowly reached down to retrieve it. I picked it up and saw that it was a long black nightgown. This was not anything that I owned, but at this point I didn't care whose it was, I just wanted to cover up. I lifted it over my head slowly. I could feel the red, glowing eyes of the h.e.l.lhounds watching my every move. I put my arms through the tiny straps and pulled it over my b.r.e.a.s.t.s. I had to pull my hair out of the back of it so I could move more freely. I moved towards Pallo.

"I am disappointed, but I will get over it," Talia said. She walked around the edge of the large bed. She wore long, red leather boots with four-inch spiked heels. I had to admire a woman who could walk steady on those, even if she was a little off in the head.

Pallo didn't move. He stood tall in front of me, looking at her. "What do you want?"

Talia raised her finger in the air, and wagged it back and forth. "Shame on you, Pallo. You know what I want. She killed one of my pets. I want revenge."

I thought back to Jacob's body lying on the floor spread wide open from the touch of my hand. I cringed. One of the h.e.l.lhounds rubbed close to Talia's leg. Its front paws looked burned. I knew that was Jonathon, staring at me with eyes of fire. I could feel his rage. He wanted me dead for killing his brother. I swallowed hard, knowing that he'd get his wish soon enough.

"So, what do have in store for us?" Pallo asked. "Killing us here would not be exciting enough for you."

Talia smiled wide, exposing her fangs. "You know me well." She bent down and rubbed the top of Jonathon's head. "Soon," she said to him, "soon."

My body tightened. She looked at Pallo and spoke again. "Come, follow me."

Pallo reached back and took my hand. He was still warm to the touch. He didn't feel like a monster, and right now, that is exactly what we needed him to be.

Talia's 'pets' ran out the door in front of her. Pallo pulled on my hand and followed her out.

"Pallo, no," I tried to make him stay in the room.

He turned and looked at me. His eyes were full of sadness. "Call Giovanni," he said to me softly.

I looked at him, horrified. "Giovanni?"

As soon as the name fell from my mouth, the hairs on the back of my neck rose. Something blew past my back. I turned and saw nothing. Pallo held on to my hand tightly and pulled me out the door. We headed down the staircase, pa.s.sing the picture of the two of us near the river. I looked at how happy we looked together. I wanted to have that moment back.

Talia stood near the front door. "Come," she said to us.

I braced myself for a fall as we stepped out the door.

Chapter 19.

We didn't fall into any dungeon. We stepped into an entirely white bedroom with a large platform bed sitting in the center of it. I knew this room. I had spent many nights here. It was Ken's.

"I thought this would be fitting. This is the first place you and I met," Talia said, tossing her long red hair to one side, looking at me.

My mind raced. I never thought Ken would turn on me. I never pictured him making deals with the enemy. He had made it his mission in life to bring evil-doers to justice. This was not like him. Something was wrong.

"What did you do with Ken?" I asked her. Pallo gripped my hand so tightly that the blood stopped flowing through it.

Talia took a step towards me. She smiled and brought her whip to the side of her face, rubbing it to her. "What concern is he to you? You have Pallo, and you yourself even told me this Ken loves only himself. Besides, my pets tell me that you have a blonde man as well, or should I say had."

Pallo squeezed my hand. I knew that was his way of begging me not to say anything, but I had to know.

"You b.i.t.c.h! I knew you had something to do with that." I shook. I thought about Caleb, then my thoughts went to Ken, and losing him too. "Oh, my G.o.d, he's dead!" My knees weakened.

Talia let out a laugh that chilled me to the bone. "No, he's not dead yet. Soon he will be begging for me to kill him. I am surprised that he has held out this long. He is tough, for a human."