Savage Chains: Scarred (Men in Chains #1.6)(8)
Author: Caris Roane

Her fantasy costume didn’t cover much, and every breeze caused another round of goose bumps to rise on her bare ass. Oddly, the thigh-high stockings helped her to feel more covered up than she really was.

The turquoise stilettos had really bothered her until Reyes suggested she send some of the power she siphoned to her strained arches and bent toes.

She thought the idea brilliant, and after a couple of tries she finally succeeded in sending relief to her aching feet. Though not all the pain had disappeared, enough did so that she could walk without nearly as much agony.

She didn’t understand how his power worked or how she was able to siphon it. Vampires possessed extraordinary advantages over their human counterparts, which made her wonder why, with so much power, his civilization hadn’t conquered hers.

When she asked Reyes quietly he explained that while his kind lived very long lives, sometimes even millennia, they had poor reproduction rates. Their numbers ran in the low millions, compared to the billions of humans who populated the planet.

“Beyond that, we’re not a highly centralized society. We still haven’t figured out how to manage our psychopaths.”

She glanced at the villas up and down the opposite bank. Each was very different yet had an ancient Italian feel. Knowing she and Reyes would raise questions if they continued in conversation, she maintained her submissive, head-lowered posture and switched to telepathy. I can’t believe all this is hidden from our world.

Reyes kept his posture rigid, his feet apart, a very dominant position. He wrapped the leash once around his wrist but didn’t make eye contact with her. We have many Ancestral vampires who can create intricate disguises.

Ancestrals? Here was something new. She found it difficult to converse without wanting to look at him.

The most powerful in our world rise to Ancestral status, which is essentially the name given to that power.

Are you an Ancestral?

I have the genetic markers, but I haven’t embraced that level of power. Not sure I’m going to, but I have the rest of my life to make that choice.

She turned and held his gaze. Why are you holding back?

He scowled, though at first she didn’t know why. Angelica, remember your posture. Now.

She lowered her eyes quickly to support his cover. Sorry. Forgot for a moment.

He gripped the back of her neck. We’re being watched. Pretend that I’m hurting you.

She bent her knees and groaned.

When he released her neck she slumped her shoulders. How’s this?

Better. One of the men on the Board of Governors was watching us. He’s smiling now and nodding his approval.

Bastard.

Yes, he is.

Reyes turned toward the right and aloud said, “Another boat is coming. You may approach the rail to observe.”

Angelica did as she was told but kept her head slightly bowed. “Thank you, master.”

The fifteen-foot boat moved slowly and had an amazing array of purple lights that rose to a pinnacle, which in turn lit up like a fireworks rocket exploding. There was even an accompanying sound effect. But built up over the pilot’s station was a platform on which a slave couple, both manacled, maneuvered through several sexual positions, as though performing an orchestrated dance. Maybe they were.

Once more Angelica averted her gaze. She hated seeing them like this, but at least it reminded her why she and Reyes were here.

I can feel your distress. Why don’t we to move to the next party?

Yes, please.

He gathered up the slack in the leash and tugged as he drew her across the deck, heading toward the public walkway. The riverside path had been smoothed out of the natural surrounding rock, twelve feet in width.

Many offered their congratulations once more at both his acceptance into the organization as well as his winning bid.

A large portion of the slaves were completely naked, not even accorded the fantasy costume like the one she had on. At least the faux-leopard bustier and thong covered her up a little.

A female slaver walked by with a well-endowed male slave who had his hand on his upright cock, supporting himself as he moved. His eyes had a low-lidded, glazed appearance. Angelica looked away, trying to figure this one out. Was he enjoying himself or doing something else entirely?

I can feel the question vibrating through my chain, Angelica. And the answer is yes, he must remain in an aroused state or he’ll be punished.

Oh, God. She understood a little about the male anatomy. How is he able to do that?

There are a lot of tricks.

Of course Reyes would know: he’d been a male enslaved to a sadistic female. But this slave was from her world.

Reyes continued, Given that he’s human, he’s probably pumped full of a drug meant to treat erectile dysfunction.

She didn’t repress the heavy sigh that followed.

###

Reyes despised that Angelica had to walk slightly behind him. Her position also stressed him out, since he couldn’t control what happened in his wake. If one of these partygoers, many of whom were drunk, decided to cop a feel Reyes was pretty sure he’d come unglued.

Let me know if anyone touches you. I won’t stand for it. He moved his gaze from side to side, watching everyone who passed.

Is that why my chain is vibrating like a Harley right now?

If any of these cretins put his hands on you …

Okay, ease down. I can see your neck muscles flex. That’s not good for any man, and probably not a vampire, either.

He cleared his throat. You’re going to make me laugh.

You need to laugh more.

Maybe so, but right now I’m seeing another of the Board of Governors, a man by the name of Fitch, and I’ll want to meet him. He’s a few yards away, very tall. Wears his hair flowing around his shoulders. He has one of his slaves with him. The blond woman was na**d and stared dull-eyed toward the ground in front of her.

Oh, my God, Reyes, she has cuts in perfect thin lines down her abdomen. He must have used the cat’s claw.

Looks like it, but there’s nothing we can do.

She’ll die.

Not right away. He’s known to take his time.

Fitch approached. “Reyes. It is Reyes, right?”

Reyes once more picked up the slack on Angelica’s leash and drew her close to his side. He extended his hand, and Fitch shook it. “How do you do, Master Fitch? I understand you’re on the Starlin board.”

“I am and your name keeps coming up at the meetings, has for some time. Keep up the good work and you might be asked to join us.”

Reyes strove to check his emotions, but excitement coursed through him. He had one goal here, to get on the board, but he was prepared for his efforts to take years. Would it be possible to speed up his plans? “I’d like that. Starlin has set the bar in every sense.”