Her Beating Hart Page 13

  I collapse into the tub, and I hug my legs to myself, letting out a good cry. I need to get this out of my system. I need to let out my fears, so I can pull myself together again and be strong.

  When I feel hands slide around my middle, I look up and see Caspian. I throw myself in his arms, letting him hold me. He comforts me, telling me everything is going to be okay.

  I just hope he’s right.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Ivory

  After my breakdown, I do my makeup and hair. When I put the dress on, I look at myself in the mirror and instead of appreciating the beauty of it, I feel like it’s chains pulling me down.

  The guys are dressed smartly in tuxes. When a limo pulls up, I keep my head held high, not wanting fear to take over me.

  I need to be strong.

  All the guys keep reassuring me and each other that it will be fine. I know they are trying to make me feel better, but I think they want to feel the words also.

  We drive for almost two hours, and then we drive up a long road that leads to a grand castle that looks really old. The limo drives to the front doors. Once we stop, our door opens, and a man helps us out.

  I look up; the castle looks like something from a horror movie. Normally, if I was put in this situation, I would avoid it. I would think to hell with it and leave, but I know I have no choice.

  Walking up the steps, I lift my dress. When I get to the giant wooden doors, they automatically open. Two men dressed in white uniforms bow, and I walk in, looking around the foyer, taking in the high ceilings, the chandeliers.

  Slate takes my hand, placing it on his arm and he guides us through the castle to the huge ballroom area. Chandeliers hang everywhere, round white tables sit around a dance floor, where I see people dance like from another time.

  When my eyes look at the other end of the room, I see what looks to be five thrones. Rick is sitting right in the middle. As if he senses me looking at him, he looks at me, his eyes connecting with mine, and he gives me an evil smile.

  Slate takes me to the bar, and we all order a drink. I order a large glass of white wine. I press my hand to my erratic heart. I turn, and I see people looking at me. They are looking at me like I’m dinner.

  “They can hear your heart,” Rush whispers in my ear. “Try and stay calm.”

  Yeah, easier said than done.

  They can’t touch me, they can’t touch me; I chant over and over in my head.

  We grab a table, taking a seat, and I watch people. When a man looks at me, his eyes are red. They look so scary. I know I have seen the guy’s black eyes dozens of times, but seeing just red fills me with dread.

  “He’s a demon, a soul collector to be exact,” Slate says to me.

  Demons.

  “I have only seen vampires, and now a fae, but that’s it. These people look so scary.” I look over at a table of women, but they don’t look that scary though.

  “Witches,” Zeke says. “Most people in this room aren’t very nice people; that’s why they come to these parties so they can all be bad together.”

  Well, I’m definitely not going to make any friends with these people.

  “When do you think Rick will…” I don’t have a chance to finish my question when all the guys disappear, and I sit there alone.

  Like they just vanished.

  I look around the room, and I see them all at the other end where Rick is. I stand up, walking quickly past people. I see women looking at me, licking their lips, men making smoke appear in their palms. This feels like a haunted house, and these are all ghouls and monsters.

  I get to the guys, and they pull me in, holding me. “He used one of his pet’s powers to get us here,” Slate tells me. “Because your gift won’t allow magic used on you, you weren’t moved.”

  “At least we know a human with a gift doesn’t work on you either.” Rick pats a young boy with messy red hair. He is on his hands and knees, looking at the ground. He’s human, and he’s being treated like a dog. “He is one of my possessions. His gift is to give me anything I desire, well, apart from you, of course.” He stands and walks around me, appraising me. “You are very beautiful. I will make sure that I keep you in pretty things, call it out of kindness.” He winks at me.

  “We told you she is ours.” Rush pulls me away from him.

  “We shall see. Miralda,” he shouts. I turn to see the crowd opening up, letting a woman who looks to be in her eighties with gray hair tied up in a high bun walk through. She walks so slowly.

  “Remember, you will be fine.” Caspian entwines his fingers with mine.

  “Miralda, please tell me if this girl is claimed.” Rick sits back at his throne and Miralda walks over in front of me, looking into my eyes. I say the words over and over in my head that I’m claimed, that I’m theirs.

  “I am so sorry dearie,” she says in a voice that reminds me of my grandmother when she was alive. I feel tears prickle my eyes at how she said sorry.

  “Miralda!” Rick shouts.

  “She isn’t claimed.” The woman looks at the ground.

  I feel hands on me, pulling me back. I see two men trying to drag me away. They must be human. I look at the guys, and they are in the air; it looks like someone is choking them.

  “Slate,” I cry out.

  “Well, isn’t this nice? I guess she is going to be mine. Don’t worry; I will try and keep her alive, if she passes the majority of the course.” Rick laughs, coming to me. “It’s been a long time since I had such a pretty gift. I wonder if you know how to please a man also. I’m sure you do as you had all four of them bowing down to you,” he says close to my face but he doesn’t touch me.

  “I won’t let you touch me,” I spit at him.

  “We shall see; I always find a way around things.” He winks at me. “Let’s go.”

  The men start pulling me. I kick and scream, but they don’t budge. I cry out to the guys. This could be the last time I ever see them.

  What will happen to them?

  Will they stay safe?

  Will they have to move on, knowing I’ve been taken and trapped if not killed?

  “Let go of me,” I scream. I look at all the people mingling around; some are laughing, and some are sipping their drinks, like they are watching a show.

  “Stop struggling; don’t make this hard for yourself.” Rick shakes his head.

  “Ivory,” Rush cries out. I see blood tears falling down his cheeks as well as Caspian’s.

  “I will always be yours,” I call out to them. I remember Zeke saying that if their hearts beat, they would be mine. I give them mine. “You have my heart,” I whisper, my own tears falling.

  It’s then when I feel something shoot right through me. I am pulled from the men’s grasp and float up; the guys have been released from whatever power that held them. I feel this air, this wind inside, zipping through my entire body.

  “What’s happening?” I barely say.

  “We are connecting.” Caspian smiles. I feel this energy shoot out of me, and I watch this light flow inside Caspian to Rush to Slate then to Zeke, and then we are slowly back on the ground.

  “It happened; you gave us your heart and opened to us fully.” Slate runs to me, twirling me around. I cry so hard from happiness.

  I am safe.

  I am theirs fully, and they are mine.

  We are connected.

  “She is now claimed,” Miralda says.

  “How can this be? I have never seen anyone be claimed like that,” Rick yells. “She was mine.”

  “I was never yours. Hurt them or me again, it will be you that will have to deal with the consequences.” I give him my best pissed off look. “Let’s go, this party is rather dull.”

  “After you.” Zeke bows for me, and I start walking.

  “This isn’t over,” Rick shouts.

  “If you follow your own rules, you know it is,” I say, knowing he heard me.

  Once we get outside, the guys surround me, hugging me. �
�That was crazy; you guys felt it, right? That just wasn’t a normal claim; fuck, we were flying.” Rush has his hands in his hair, smiling.

  “I guess claiming a human with a gift is different.” Slate is shaking his head, looking behind him.

  “I hate that word claiming; can we call it connecting? We are now connected.” I beam.

  “Agreed,” Zeke says, kissing me hard. “Let’s get back to the bus and back on tour. Let’s hope all this drama is over with.”

  “Here, here. I am done with drama. Besides, I’m looking forwad to see how the music video turned out.” I smile, getting into the limo.

  Two weeks have gone by since the whole Rick thing, and I put that in the back of my mind. The music video goes live today. I have seen it and how they mixed the scenes up; it came out amazingly, and I will admit, I don’t look half bad.

  There has been no drama, no incidents, nothing.

  I enjoy traveling all over the States, but the thing I have enjoyed the most is my sex life. I don’t have sex with each of them every day—don’t think my vagina could handle that—but when times are right, when we get close, that’s when we make love.

  I haven’t had any threesomes or foursomes. The timing hasn’t been right. yet. Plus, I’m a little scared; I am afraid it will hurt. I want them all at once; I know they wouldn’t mind it, but what else am I supposed to do, let them inside me one at a time?

  Emz hasn’t been much help; she keeps pushing me to do it, so I can fill her in on all the juicy details.

  When I told her what happened with Rick, she wanted to fly out and see me, but I told her I was fine. When I said I was officially claimed, I have never heard so much shrieking in my life.

  The guys have been booked to go to a strip club to help promote it; I told them I didn’t mind going. I know they are mine, and I trust them. There is no harm in looking, as long as there is no touching.

  I have decided on a short black dress with black suede knee-high boots. When I enter the strip club, the lightning is a soft red and orange. There is a long T shaped stage on the far end with a pole in the middle and two poles on the each side of the stage.

  The bar is on the opposite side. There are booths near the walls and circlular black tables and chairs in the middle of the room. I see a few doors on the right side of the building, and I am sure they are for private dances.

  A hostess sees us and guides us to a roped off area. We have a booth and a couple of tables and one table has a pole on it. I take a seat in the booth, and I look at the waitress, walking around in lingerie, smiling at men.

  I look at the stage, and I see a dancer on a pole, her flexible legs doing the splits while she’s upside down, her hands holding her up. My mouth almost hangs open at watching her.

  I bet she gets a lot of tips.

  A waitress wearing a black lace corset and panties comes over; she winks at me when she sees me checking out her outfit. “I am Mazy, and I will be looking after you tonight. If you need anything, there is a red button on the wall; press that and I will be right over. Champagne on ice is on its way; would you like anything else?”

  “Can we get four bottles of beer, four blood, and a mojito,” Slate says quickly, clearing this throat.

  “You can order blood without feeling shy about it,” I whisper to him. I look back at the waitress; she is looking at me, and my mouth goes dry.

  “Would you like anything else?” she says the words so slowly.

  “I umm, I think… I’m good, thank you.” She smiles at me and leaves.

  “I think that girl has a crush on our girl.” Rush smiles seductively. “Now, that’s hot.”

  “Of course, you think that; she was doing her job,” I say defensively.

  “She kept looking at you. I bet she doesn’t even try anything with us and focuses solely on you, petal.” He winks at me.

  “You want a girl to join us?” I ask him. Well, I’m asking all of them; maybe I’m not enough for all of them, after all.

  There are four of them and only one of me. They are sharing me between them, so I guess I could share them.

  But I don’t want to.

  “Hell no,” Rush says a little too loudly. “I only want to fuck you, but I wouldn’t mind watching you get with a girl, seeing a girl between your legs, your lips on hers.”

  I feel a little better knowing he only wants me, but could I really let a girl go down on me and touch me there?

  “You would share me with another person?”

  “To her yes, to anyone else, fuck no. I am only saying her because she is ignoring us, which means she prefers pussy over cock.”

  “You really have a way with words.” I shake my head.

  “Life is too short to pussyfoot around things. I am living forever, and I still think life is too short.” He stops and looks at me sadly before putting that smile back on his face. “Just think about it.” He blows me a kiss.

  “Your drinks.” I jump, turning to see the waitress. I look at her shiny brown hair and very dark green eyes. She is really pretty.

  “Thank you.” I watch as she places the drinks on the table, and then she brings over this stand that has a bucket of ice. She opens the bottle of Champagne, pours a glass, and hands it to me. She deliberately touches my fingers when I take it from her. “Thank you,” I say again.

  “Give her this.” Zeke passes money to my hand under the table.

  “Do you need anything else?” she asks me. I shake my head. “Well, if you need me...” She starts to walk off, and I quickly stand up, walking over to her.

  “Sorry, this is umm for you.” I hand her the money, but she doesn’t take it.

  “You need to put it on my belt.” She points to the garter belt attached to her panties. I pull her garter a little, placing the money there, making sure it doesn’t fall out. “Thank you,” she breathes.

  “You’re welcome.” She looks into my eyes before I look away first and I go sit back down. “I don’t feel right.” I feel like this itch is scratching at my skin.

  “Yeah, we were just told this place has a cloak over it; it makes human desires rise. So if you’re craving sex, this place will make you climb the walls.” Zeke shakes his head. “But it doesn’t work on us.”

  “So I’m feeling like this because of this cloak? I thought I was immune?”

  “You are unless you allow it remember? I think because how that girl was looking at you and what Rush said, you have let your body feel the pull.” Great, it’s like the air is ecstasy or something.

  “I blame you.” I hit Rush.

  He looks at me in fake shock. “Not my fault you want some girl on girl action. I didn’t know this place was cloaked.” He smiles mischievously. “I want to see something.” He stands up, pulls me up, and kisses me hard.

  He pulls my hair, nipping my lip before I open my mouth, letting his tongue dance with mine. I feel his hand glide down my back until it reaches my ass. He squeezes before gliding it around, lifting one of my legs and wrapping it around his waist so I can feel his erection. I gasp into his mouth, pushing my body into him, my clit aching.

  He pulls back, his eyes dark. “How you feel?”

  My body feels needy, I feel hot, and I want a release so bad I could scream. “Why did you do that?” I breathe.

  “I wanted to see how you would feel. I wish I was feeling how you are right now.” He kisses me one more time before taking his seat.

  “You suck.” I wrap my hands around my arms, rubbing it up and down, but dammit even that is turning me on.

  “What have I said about that word,” he warns me. “I will lift that dress and taste you right here on that table if you’re not careful.” I have to look away; I am tempted to say yes, do it.

  “I’m going to the bathroom.” I leave the roped off area, and I see the bathroom sign and head that way. I don’t need to use it; I just wanted to get my bearings. I wash my hand and look in the mirror.

  I am in control.

  I’m not turned on.r />
  I don’t need sex.

  Fuck, I know I’m lying.

  I need a good fuck right now.

  I pace the bathroom for a few minutes before I head back out. I just have to let this craving past. If I don’t think about it, it will go.

  I am headed back when I feel a hand pulling me into a secluded room. Mazy. I can see her chest rising just like mine. She walks slowly toward me and I take a step back.

  “We can’t do this; I am with those guys.” I say the words, but I wait to see what she will do.

  She smiles at me. “They said we can do this.” She stands in front of me, her body close to mine, her fingers gliding down my arms, taking hold of my hands. “Have you ever been with a woman?” I shake my head. “I will go easy on you,” she breathes against my mouth before kissing me.

  I kiss her back, my hands at her waist. She pins me against the wall, her hands move to the hem of my dress, lifting it a little, exposing my panties. When I feel her fingers glide over my damp, covered pussy, I jump.

  I can’t do this.

  The guys enter my head, and even though my body is screaming for her to continue, my mind and soul are telling me this is wrong.

  “I’m sorry, but I can’t.” I pull my dress back in place, and I run out of the room, running toward the exit until I’m outside, letting the fresh air hit me, feeling the cloak fade.

  I still feel turned on, but that’s because my pussy was nearly played with; that girl was really pretty, and her lips were so soft, but I couldn’t be with her.

  I felt like I was cheating.

  My body is for the guys and them alone.

  “Are you okay? Did she hurt you?” Slate comes out, jogging over to me.

  “I’m fine. I just couldn’t do it. My body is yours Slate, yours and the guys. I wanted to do it. Fuck, a part of me still does, but I couldn’t.”

  He takes hold of my hands, swaying them side to side. “You are too cute, but okay, if you’re sure. Do you want to go back to the bus?”