Sharing a Room

Echo paid for a room and Salazar followed her swaying behind up the stairs and through a wooden door, which she promptly locked behind them. The room looked comfortable, with soft fur on the ground and a large bed in the centre of the room. Flickering light emanated from a few candles placed around the room, keeping it dark but not impossible to see.

While his eyes still adjusted, he suddenly felt Echo pressing her cold softness against his back. Her arms reached around and wandered over his pecs, lightly scratching them with her nails, “I know you are strong in some way…”, she softly whispered into his ear, “I want to know what you can do. I shared my plan and placed trust in you, I think you should reciprocate.”. She gently bit his ear after the last word, then her hands clamped around his wrists. Her physical strength easily surpassed his, so she twisted his arms behind his back and pushed him onto the bed, swiftly following after him and pinning him down.

Salazar had managed to roll over before she got a hold on his wrists. Now she was straddling his chest and pinned both of his wrists above his head with just one arm. She bent forward and licked along his neck, “I guess I’ll have to **** you to reveal your secrets.”.

This was a valuable lesson for Salazar, ‘Don’t go into a room with a vampire!’. He knew his pact with Urien had physically strengthened him, but Echo was tossing him around and dominating him without even struggling. *Fine.*, he thought and summoned a rope from behind her. It wrapped around her waist, and yanked her off him, forcing a surprised yelp form the confident vampire’s lips.

Salazar sat up on the edge of the bed and looked at Echo, who was standing a few feet from him, tugging at the rope. She looked at him with a smirk, “Gotcha. But I must say I am a little disappointed. The rope is tough, but I could tear it, I think. I hope that isn’t all you can do.”. She finished her statement with a mighty struggle against the rope with both arms, tearing it and freeing her waist. The torn ends retreated into tiny portals, leaving the two alone in the dimly lit room. ”See?”, she was brimming with smugness, “All you could really do is slow me down. Maybe you are pawn material after all…”.

Echo jumped towards him again, a mistake that a bunch of women had made before… She was stopped mid-jump before reaching him, their faces being less than a foot apart. Salazar smiled and booped her nose, “Gotcha.”. He ordered the roped to wrap around her tightly, folding her arms and legs, forming a rope harness around her chest, waist and between her legs. Within ten seconds the vampire was wrapped into a bundle, squirming and still suspended in the air by rope. “Shit, how did you do that?”, she sounded genuinely surprised. “Preparation, Echo. It is not just important when planning a takeover, it is vital even during battle.”, he explained. “Whatever.”, she pouted, “I’ll be free of this in no time!”. “Feel free to escape at any time, I’ll go to bed.”, Salazar removed his robes and laid down on the bed, exposing his lean upper body to Echo.

She struggled mightily for about half an hour, staying quiet after Salazar mockingly reminded her people might come to investigate if she made too much noise. Salazar meanwhile made himself comfortable under the sheets, taking deep breaths and for the first time in a while looking forward to a peaceful sleep.

He was about to drift away when he heard Echo’s voice.

“Salazar.”, she quietly said.

“Yes?”, he didn’t open his eyes.

“You’re not a pawn.”, she said.

“I know.”, he replied.

There was a pause for a couple of seconds before Echo continued. She swallowed her pride and asked, “Can you free me?”.

“What was that?”, Salazar did his best to hide his growing satisfaction.

“Can you free me… please?”, it seemed to be physically challenging for her to beg like this, but the prospect of spending the night restrained as she was appeared to be enough to sway her.

“I thought you could free yourself.”, he enjoyed every second of this.

“… I… I can’t.”, Echo admitted defeat.

“Fine. Can’t start our partnership off on the wrong foot.”, Salazar relented and the ropes holding her slowly unwound, setting her down on the floor before completely freeing her of her bonds. “… thanks.”, she mumbled. Then he heard her shuffle around and her weight on the bed. She snuggled against his bare back, wrapping her arms around him. She was quite obviously naked now. “What are you doing?”, Salazar asked. “Sharing the bed.”, she said innocently. “You’re cold.”, he complained. “Doesn’t bother me.”, she happily responded.

Salazar knew he had gotten lucky in catching her like that. She was only unable to tear the ropes because she had been restrained so thoroughly. Now that she knew about his powers and was this close to him, he was as much at her mercy as she was at his just a minute ago. He rolled his eyes and did his best to ignore the cold against his back. Finally, he drifted into a long awaited slumber.