A/N: Happy Saturday! Thank you for all the reviews. They totally perk up my day and get me anxious to write more. Sorry this took more than 2 weeks. I was working on multiple chapters amidst getting sick and trying to do some editing and continuity checking on this piece plus serious overtime at work. This chapter is an extra five pages to compensate. I hope you feel it's worth the wait.

To those who have been reviewing:

BritishPixie- So pleased you're enjoying this. I hope it lives up to the anticipation. So glad you gave me the idea in the first place.

Phantom's Ange- glad you're enjoying the teasing. It'll go on for awhile, but the next couple chapters should have at least some sense of fulfilled teasing.

Soaring hawk- I'm thrilled you like the pairing. It's always fun playing with new characters in a series you love. Also, sorry again for the delay. I wanted to get things just right. It is nice to know you're still reading and enjoying though. I never mind an encouraging kick in the ass, for example: you're killing me with the wait, please post more!

Jokerisdabest- I promise to give notice here or on my profile if I'm taking a hiatus that's more than a two weeks. Sometimes it takes awhile to write, revise and do a continuity check in less than 2-3 weeks depending on how insane the rest of my life is.

maggie56- I won't say anything about the plot, you'll just have to keep reading , but thank you so much for all your thoughtful compliments. I use fanfic to help me refine specific skills depending on where I'm at with the rest of my writing (among other things) and it's great to know the skills I'm working on are indeed sharpening.

BTW for any cannon movie fans: Michael can't eat food because he's a hybrid, but full Lycans in the movie adapted books can. I spend a lot of time researching this sort of thing for my personal writing, but while this series is based on a combination of the books based on the movies and the movies themselves. I am probably going to add in things from the RPG the movies are based on and my own artistic inspirations. Stay with me, I'll try to making breaking the rules worthwhile. (I haven't had any complaints, yet, but I like to anticipate and address concerns) Also the words in brackets [ ] are the music tracks I listened to while writing if anyone is interested.

Chapter 4: Satisfying Hungers

[Beautiful Disaster, Blood & Chocolate Score, Strictly Physical]

At Sabas's announcement that Sabine was coming down the hall to check in on them, Aleeria jumped back as if she'd been electrocuted. Turning suddenly from Sabas, she took deep, steadying breaths; calming herself and putting her hair back up into a knot. Then she turned back to Sabas, carefully schooling her thoughts toward a critical analysis of her progress thus far. Aleeria was fairly pleased with what she observed. Aleeria couldn't see one speck of dirt anywhere on his body that she'd attended to thus far. Sabas's leather vest was drying nicely near the fire. She decided to get to cleaning his bracers until Sabine arrived. It would allow her to focus her mind on something other than what she and Sabas had been doing moments before.

Aleeria was midway through brushed mud off the first bracer, when a thought occurred to her and she hissed to Sabas, "If she speaks to you, remember to reply only in hushed tones."

Sabas nodded to let her know he heard her and the resumed trying to calm himself. He knew Sabine was likely to assume any signs of heightened arousal on his part were mainly due to the length of time since he'd been around a non-vampire female, but he saw no reason to take chances that might get Aleeria into trouble or get himself turned into a rug.

Sabine smiled to herself slightly when she heard Aleeria's instructions to Sabas. Aleeria must have sensed she was near. Over the years, Aleeria had developed an uncanny awareness of when her Mistress was near. Sabine found it to be a most helpful trait and it had seemed to help Aleeria keep her distance from other vampires over the years, and thus, aiding her survival. Sabine wondered if Aleeria realized yet that Sabas was the Lycan who saved her, but more importantly, Sabine wondered how Aleeria and Sabas were getting along. She entered the room, and saw Sabas stripped and cleaned from the waist up while Aleeria stood at attention beside a table where she was cleaning something.

"Aleera," Sabine greeted. "I was about to go to sleep and wanted to check in on you first. I see you are making good progress." She spoke as through Sabas were a piece of furniture Aleeria was restoring. "I also brought you some soap to use with the water once you get all the dirt off. It will help with the smell."

Aleeria bowed slightly. "Thank you Mistress it was most kind of you."

Sabine waved the comment off. "It is as much for my benefit as his. Please use it to go over his upper half again before you continue to the bottom. I also brought some tools to give him a good shave and trim up his hair. Cleaning his teeth wouldn't be remiss either." Sabine finished wrinkling her nose slightly while laying a basket down on the table near where Aleeria stood.

Aleeria nodded and looked at Sabas's face appraisingly. "How would you like him groomed, My Lady?"

Sabas barely restrained himself from rolling his eyes. He felt like a pet dog being prepared for show.

Sabine noted small lines of concern around Aleeria's eyes that indicated she had definite opinions about what hair she would or would not like trimmed from his head. Sabine smiled magnanimously. "I leave it to your good judgment. Just make sure the result is tidy, but there's not need to give him cropped hair or shave all the hair from him face unless it particularly bothers you or he wishes it."

Aleeria and Sabas both raised their eye brows. It was the first time she'd spoken about Sabas as if his thoughts mattered at all.

Sabine chuckled. "I am not completely oblivious to your opinions Lycan," She replied to the unspoken question. "They will be counted when there are circumstances such as this where the decision matters little to me. Aleeria, is there anything more that you require to finish your task?"

Aleeria considered her next task, to bathe Sabas's lower half, it sent pleasant tingles through her skin. She tried to focus on the practical half of that task and noted that his boots and the lower bit of his pant legs were in the manacles around his ankles. "Mistress, would you allow me to unshackle his ankles to remove his boots? I can wriggle the pants out I'm sure, but the boots will be most difficult to remove otherwise."

Sabine offered her a warm nod, appreciating her handmaiden's unfailing attention to detail with any task set before her. She could tell that Sabas was enjoying Aleeria's attention to detail as well, whether Aleeria was aware of the extent or not. Of course, soon enough Aleeria would doubtless be fully aware of her effect upon the Lycan. Sabine nearly chuckled at the thought. Ah, to be young once more, she mused inwardly. Aloud, she focused her words on Aleeria. "You are quite right Aleeria. Here," She handed Aleeria the key. "Unlock them now and remove his boots and pull his pants clear and then re-shackle him." Sabine was no fool; Sabas would not try to escape if Aleeria were doing this thing. He would never attack her, Sabine was certain of that much.

Aleeria took the key from Sabine's hand, hoping that Sabas was smart enough to realize that this was a test and he needed to pass. She unlocked his right ankle, running her fingers along his ankle as if checking for damage, enjoying getting to feel yet one more piece of him. His pants were tucked into his knee high boots. Aleeria undid the buckles along the side of his boot and gently eased it off, running her hand over his leather-clad calf afterwards to relieve any stiffness, her mind mutinously replaying his words from earlier about needing to relieve his stiffness. She hid the smile carefully in her thoughts.

Aleeria looked up the length of his pants; they were buckled along the sides, which she noted with some relief. She would not have to remove his pants as well while the manacles were off, which meant she wouldn't have to do so in front of Sabine. Removing Sabas's pants was a task Aleeria was highly anticipating and she did not want to share the moment. She also was concerned that Sabine might sense how tempted she was by Sabas and was not at all sure what would happen if her interest were revealed. Sabine might decide it was too great a temptation and have someone else finish cleaning Sabas. So, Aleeria pulled his pant leg clear and re-shackled his right ankle, barely resisting the urge to give him an apologetic glance, then repeated her actions with his left. Aleeria doubted if either Sabas or her Mistress had any idea how much putting chains back onto him hurt her in heart and spirit. When she was done, she stood and stepped away, waiting for the approving nod of her Mistress.

Sabine nodded, "There, you should have not more difficulties cleaning him now. I'll get myself to bed and leave you to your work."

Sabine left the room, the key, still in Aleeria's pocket. For a handful of heartbeats, Aleeria considered keeping it, but she knew her Mistress well. She followed her Mistress out the door, closing it behind her. "My Lady, the key, you forgot it." She held the key out in front of her.

Sabine smiled briefly in catlike satisfaction, hiding it as she turned to let Aleeria place the key in her hand. "Thank you little one. I must be more tired than I thought to have almost forgotten it. Have the guard at the end of the hall let me know when you are done and I'll come back to inspect your finished work."

Aleeria went back into the interrogation room, leaning against the back of the door as she closed it. "Well, that went better than I thought it might." Aleeria sighed. "I'm glad you heard her. That could have been very awkward."

"Indeed, very awkward," Sabas agreed, his expression suddenly roguish once more.

"I'm sorry about before. I didn't mean to speak of you in front of her as if you were a pet, I just-"

"You were just trying to be what she expects," Sabas interrupted. "No apologies needed. You've made it quite clear that you don't see me as a pet, which is much appreciated incidentally."

Aleeria turned to look over the tools Sabine left behind. "I think we'll start with that hair cut and shave before I rewash everything else."

"I see, so you want to tease me with anticipation at having you back up on that bench?" His eyes twinkled mischievously.

Aleeria blushed, grinning. "That is not my intention, but not an unwelcome benefit. I was thinking it made more sense to wash you second to get the rest of the trimmed hairs cleaned away." She pulled a step stool to his side and began to re-wet and lather his hair, enjoying the feel of it once more. Sabas sighed as she scrubbed away enjoying the feel of her hands massaging his scalp. When his hair was clean and damp, Aleeria began took a scissors and comb from the basket and began to comb out Sabas's hair, trimming away the end bits of his hair that had become rougher and more prone to snarls.

She stood back to admire the result. He really did look handsome with his long, dark hair falling around his face. "That looks cleaner. Do you want it shorter?" She asked a little reluctantly.

Sabas chuckled. "Not particularly. It sounds as though you don't either."

Aleeria smiled sheepishly, "No, not particularly," she echoed. "I'm quite fond of it long. But if you'd prefer I cut off more, I will," She added hastily.

"I'm pleased you like it so much." He smiled at her in a way that made her insides melt.

"What do you want me to do for your shave?"

"I haven't seen my reflection in decades. Why don't you clean it up and tell me whether you think it would look better that way or entirely shaven off?" Sabas offered.

Aleeria smiled. "Very sound reasoning." She put away the scissors and took out a rather sharp looking straight razor and a bottle of olive oil. She smoothed some of the oil over his left cheek in the places she wished to remove the hairs that seemed to be less part of the whole and more scruffy, noting that while he made a small sound of enjoying her touch, he stayed quite still, rather than moving closer to her touch as he had before. Aleeria moved the razor into view. "Hold still, I'll be very careful."

"I trust you, but if you do nick me I will heal quite quickly," he reassured her, nodding.

Aleeria offered a weak smile and began to carefully shave the areas she'd coated, cleaning the blade thoroughly after each pass. When she'd finished removing the hair that seemed out of place, she washed his face and stepped back to admire her work. He looked quite handsome now. He was attractive to her before, but with his appearance tidied, he seemed to have an almost regal look about him. She stepped closer again, running the pads of her fingers over his cheek to make sure she'd given him a smooth shave. She was checking along the right side of his face and found her gaze resting on his lips instead of his cheek.

Aleeria could feel Sabas watching her, his entire attention focused on this moment, his body tensed. She looked into his bold grey blue eyes and felt lost. She could feel herself start to lean in and snapped her eyes shut, taking several reluctant steps back. She turned away, not wanting to see his face yet and leaned her hands flat on the table, taking deep, steadying breaths.

Sabas didn't say anything. He didn't want to spook her but he'd be lying if he said he wasn't sorely disappointed she's stopped herself, resisted the compelling gravity of the moment.

"I'm sorry," She whispered, knowing he could still hear her, and unable to find her voice. "It's not that I don't want to or haven't thought about it."

"What is it then?" He asked softly, gently.

"I'm afraid that if I kiss you, I won't be able to stop." She replied shakily. "I'm supposed to be 'wholly untouched,' remember?" She turned now, coming closer, so he could see that she felt conflicted about this. It was important he know.

"I thought we'd already ruined that," Sabas teased, trying to lighten the moment.

Aleeria rewarded his efforts with a saucy grin. "Hardly, it is my duty to bathe you. I couldn't help it if I had to lean against your hand to clean your arm. I'm quite short compared to you, you know."

"I see; well the matter of your height has its advantages. I'd be happy to show you once I'm free of these chains. I don't suppose you have a key for these?" He shook his arms in emphasis.

"No, but even if I did, it would be most dangerous for both of us for me to use it. My Mistress is no fool she would guess why you were not in your bonds."

"And why would that be?" His voice smoothly dropping lower, more suggestive.

"You know why," Aleeria replied, blushing and gazing at him through her lashes flirtatiously. "She pretended to forget it you know."

"What do you mean?"

"When I followed her into the hall, it was to give her the key. She was testing me, I could tell. She likes to do things like that, just so you know. She likes to test the loyalty of others in subtle ways. She wanted to see if I would give her the key back once I realized she'd left without it."

"Answer me this: was it easy to give up the key?" His voice had a testing, caustic edge to it.

"No, but it was the better decision nevertheless. You won't be chained up forever and it would have been foolish of me to risk it for a temporary inconvenience." Aleeria replied resolutely.

She looked at the heavy iron and silver collar her wore more inquisitively, suddenly wondering how it would be when she wore one, when she was the one in bondage. "Do you think you could you shift and destroy the collar before it killed you?"

Sabas half smiled at her wryly, surprised at the sudden change in topic. "I don't know, but I'm not very interested in trying. I might despise wearing it, but I'd only get to mess up once attempting to remove it. Besides the penalty for removing our collar ourselves is death if we survive the attempt. Even with our healing abilities, if one splinter of silver remained from the spikes, it would poison us."

Aleeria nodded, resigned, feeling old fears rise up in her chest to choke her. "I can see why you'd be reluctant to experiment."

Sabas eyed Aleeria suspiciously. "Why do you ask?"

"You said before that vampires have a tendency to underestimate Lycans. I was curious to know if Lycans are not as under their control as they think." Aleeria answered honestly.

"Spying for your Mistress?" He spat. It came out harsher than he'd meant it to, but he couldn't help but wonder for a few heartbeats if he was the one being beguiled.

Aleeria winced as though he'd slapped her. "No. I just wanted a better feel for what my world will be like; what my limitations will be. I'll be in one of those collars one day, don't forget, and bound just as you are." She replied softly.

Sabas cursed and tried to inch closer to her in what he hoped was a reassuring manner. Here he was trying to prove to her that he was the decent person she seemed to think he was, and he'd accused her of being a spy. He deserved to be whipped. How long had it been since someone not of his kind had treated him with the respect due to an equal? Perhaps it had been longer than he could recall. "I'm sorry. That was very rude of me. I'm afraid my social skills are severely out of practice."

Aleeria shrugged, not making eye contact. "It's fine. It's a fair question. I will be asked questions about today and I will answer them, but I wouldn't say anything incriminating. I know better than that. It's not a question of loyalties," She pressed on. "I just don't think you have any sentiments towards vampires in general that are unusual for someone who's been a slave to one lot or another all their lives. If I thought you were dangerous, I wouldn't be telling you even this much."

"Aleeria, please look at me." Sabas pleaded, needing to ease the hurt he'd put in her eyes and tone, the hurt that had slowed her heart to a plodding thump, thump. He could feel something in her had receded like a snail that senses danger and withdraws its sensitive feelers back into the shell, no longer wishing to be curious about the outside world, no longer feeling it's safe to be so.

Aleeria slowly looked up, meeting his piercing blue gray eyes that seemed to peer directly into her heart.

"I'm very sorry. I had no reason to say such things." Sabas's voice was low and coaxing.

"Yes you did," Aleeria argued quietly, ashamed of whom she served and what she must represent to her Lycan. "Look at how they treated you for saving me. They immediately assumed that you were trying to assault me and whipped you raw before my Mistress could stop them. Why would you think that I, who has served them all my life, would be any different?"

Sabas cast about for some way to tell her why he trusted her without explaining it as an instinctual thing and the classic phrase: 'I just know,' which felt like a cop out. "Because you have treated me with more dignity and concern in these last few hours than anyone has ever shown me since I've been turned," he confessed. And because I can literally hear the way your heart beats for me, he thought.

"Like I said," Aleeria pressed. "If anyone deserves my respect, you do. I owe you at least that much. I was just thinking the collar would feel less unbearable if I thought it might be possible to get it off without the key. You know, if I needed to protect someone and I needed my Lycan form to do so. I just don't want to be helpless again, watching William's kind destroying my life all over again. If they got in and I couldn't shape shift to protect the people who matter . . ."

"Shush," Sabas soothed. "Trust our Lycan friends at the front gate. They won't leave us unprotected. Besides, Lycans can't change at will until you're about a century old. Unless William's kind were foolish enough to attack under a full moon, you would still be unable to change."

"That only makes it worse. You would be able to change then, to protect us, to protect me, but because of that damn collar you'd have to watch, helpless."

"I won't let anything happen to you." Sabas growled fiercely.

"You might not be able to prevent it." Aleeria reasoned. "We need more allies in this castle. I hope Sabine's gambit helps the others to see that we can trust the Lycans, that they could be allies, not slaves. You have a real chance here to help them see that, just don't lose sight of why that's important."

Sabas felt his blood stirring at her words. She spoke the way Lucian could sometimes to compel others to rally. He also felt a stabbing of fear. She wasn't wrong. They could all be in great danger as things stood now if the wild Lycans ever mounted a full assault on the castle. "You're right," he agreed. "That's one of the reasons I want to do well with this posting. I hope you'll help me, us, all of us that are given this chance to do our best, so in time perhaps we can raise the status of all Lycans."

"I will," Aleeria promised. "I'll help you learn how do serve well, so they see you as something better than a beast of burden." So they see you more as I do, she thought.

Sabas smiled gently. "Just as long as you don't get into trouble for helping us."

"I won't," She assured him quickly. "Sabine will expect me, as a more experienced servant of her house, to help train you in those matters I am able to."

Sabas chuckled. "Perhaps then she will have you show me how to bathe myself one of these days."

Aleeria flashed him a cheeky grin, "Perhaps, although I would miss having you at my mercy to do the task myself."

Sabas felt his heart lighten, that they seemed to be getting back on an even keel. "I do so enjoy being at your mercy," he continued, his voice low and seductive. "Perhaps you can bathe me for special occasions then, when I need to be especially pristine."

"Perhaps. Although there is one advantage to teaching you how to bathe yourself." Aleeria pointed out, looking at him under the veil of her eye lashes.

"Oh yes?" Sabas asked, intrigued.

"In that scenario, we would both be unchained and we would both be wet." She replied, her voice low, almost suggestive.

He grinned at her roguishly, thinking to his own private amusement that between what he could scent of her and his damp hair, they were both arguably wet already. "Yes, that would be a great advantage," Sabas agreed. "I might need multiple lessons or refresher courses from time to time; you know how forgetful and slow we Lycans are."

"Well as I said, anything I can do to help educate you on being more civilized." Aleeria teased back. "Besides, it's only fair since you are helping me to become more proficient at torture that I help you become-."

"House trained?" he suggested, laughing.

"Hmm. Well if my Mistress truly sees you as a pet, perhaps if you are very well-behaved, I can convince her to let you sleep at the foot of my bed to keep me warm." She grinned cheekily at him again.

"It would be my great honor to sleep at your feet." Sabas replied, his tone suggesting he wasn't entirely joking. "I imagine I could show you all sorts of delightful things about your sensitive feet." He eyed her feet now, raising an eye brow.

Aleeria thought she might spontaneously combust if the conversation went much further. "I'm halfway done with you now," She began, changing the subject before it digressed further. "I'm starting to get hungry, are you?"

"Ravenous." Sabas rumbled, eyeing her keenly.

"So, what do Lycans eat?" Aleeria continued, trying not to let his stare hypnotize her. "Should I have them bring you blood, raw meat, what?"

Sabas hesitated, "I can eat either of those options, but I'd prefer not to in front of you."

"Please, I serve vampires. I've seen them feed. It doesn't upset me. Besides, I know what happens to most of my kind," Aleeria replied in a tone she meant to be reassuring.

"Your kind?" Sabas repeated, confused.

"Human, especially female," Aleeria clarified. "We don't live must past puberty here. We're usually raped, drained, and fed to the Lycans before we reach adulthood. I'm one of the only exceptions to that fate. I'm young and innocent in a number of ways, but I'm not a fool," Aleeria replied, trying to keep her voice level. She'd seen it happen once or twice, but always, Sabine had been by her elbow, keeping her safe.

"You shouldn't know that," Sabas repaid, his voice filled with shame and embarrassment.

"I know what I need to," Aleeria replied obstinately. "Sabine made sure of that, showing me what would happen if I wasn't careful, so I understood why I needed to follow her instructions for where I could go and when and with whom. If my Mistress weren't so protective, you could've eaten me by now like the others, and never known the difference."

"I fully intend to devour you, but not the way you're talking about," Sabas replied, his expression was roguish, but there was a tone in his voice that let her know her words disturbed him deeply. To think that he could have aided in her death and disposal as if she were no more than garbage to be processed made him sick at heart.

"I'm going to be one of you soon," Aleeria continued. "I might eat better than most Lycans because of whom I serve, but I'll hunger for blood and flesh, just like you. I'm not going to be disgusted. They'll get me just about anything I request, so I'll ask again: What are you hungry for?"

"We can eat human food too, just not all the time," Sabas replied, a little defensively. "I haven't had a decent steak since I was human."

"Then I'll request two, bloody." Aleeria replied, grinning.

"And what will you eat?" He asked his voice serious and teasing all at once.

Aleeria laughed a little. "I didn't realize one steak would not be enough. I'll request three then and bread or potatoes if they have it. Will that be enough for you?"

"It sounds wonderful. Thank you." He replied.

Aleeria stepped closer, cupping the left side of his face in her hand and running her thumb along his jaw ridge. "You don't need to be ashamed with me. I don't see you the way most of the vampires do. I'll be right back. I'm going to see to our food and then I'll be back to soap you up."

Sabas leaned into her hand. "I'll look forward to your return then."

Aleeria went over moved down the whole hallway carefully. She knew this hallway should be safe, but Sabine had taught her to be ever vigilant to stay alive. Aleeria reached the end of the hallway without incident. There at the end of the hallway, standing guard was Lucian. Aleeria could almost have sworn she felt a vampire nearby and the sound of footsteps disappearing down a nearby passage when she approached Lucian, but he seemed so calm, so nonchalant, that she was certain she must have been mistaken. In her experience, Lycans were never calm when a Vampire was near.

"Hello, Lucian," Aleeria greeted. "Does Sabine have you watching over me again?"

Sabine periodically had Lucian watch the entrance to the tower Aleeria frequented during the day when she watched the Lycans. It was only during times when Lucian wasn't needed for black smithing work or Sabine could find no one else she trusted. The more Aleeria considered the measures Sabine used to keep her safe, the more strange it seemed to Aleeria. Why would a vampire take so much time and effort to protect a human no matter how well she served? It was a question she'd need to ponder further in the future.

"So it would seem," He replied, smiling in that sad, ironic way she was so familiar with. "What can I do for you, little human?"

"I'd like to request dinner for the kitchens."

Lucian nodded. "Your Mistress said you would be by about that. Give me your order and I'll walk you back to the room before I go to the kitchens."

Aleeria looked at him, puzzled.

"Sabine told me to lock you in while I'm away from my post." Lucian explained gently taking her arm and beginning to walk Aleeria back down the hallway, "For your own protection. I have to say, I am curious as to what you are doing all day in an interrogation room by yourself. Learning the art of torture are you?"

Aleeria looked up and caught, Lucian's teasing smile and giggled. "Well, I suppose that depends on your perspective. My prisoner assures me that it is torture, though he doesn't seem to mind too much."

Lucian raised his eye brows. "And just whom are you torturing and how, little human?"

"Mistress asked me to bathe Sabas before he enters service to our house as a daylight guardian," Aleeria explained, trying to sound casual about it.

Lucian's mouth quirked into a smile hearing her heart speed up as she said Saba's name, "I see. I can see why Sabas might term that torture. It's not every day that one such as us is bathed by such a lovely creature as you."

Aleeria blushed, Lucian was often complimenting her, but Aleeria thought of it as a private joke between them, like his way of calling her little human, which always sounded like little sister to her.

Lucian caught her expression and chuckled. "So Sabas is to be one of the testing subjects for your Mistress's pet project."

Aleeria looked at him sharply. "How do you know about that?"

"You'd be surprised how well informed I am, little human. Besides, I am the first of this new class of Lycans for all intents and purposes, though I will be hunting with the Death Dealers instead of guarding by day. I suppose that was part of your Mistress's reason for wanting a guard for your house during the daylight. If I am increasing my duties, I will not have much time to watch you anymore."

"I suppose not. Then it would seem she intends for Sabas to keep an eye on me during the day and likely during my monthly retreats as well." Aleeria concluded. Since she reached puberty, Sabine had wisely sent Aleeria into seclusion in her tower during her times of moon blood as her scent was far too tempting for her to be around any of the vampires then. Lucian would often keep an eye on the door to the tower during those times as Lycans could resist the scent better since their diet consisted of more than blood. Lucian was particularly proficient with his control as he was a born Lycan, his nature a part of him since conception. Young Lycans had more trouble controlling their bloodlust as it was new to their genetic makeup and they were still integrating the change.

Aleeria suddenly realized that Lucian was speaking to her and she'd not heard a word of it as she was still transfixed by the idea of Sabas as her protector. She shook her head, trying to focus. "I'm sorry Lucian. What was that?"

Lucian chuckled. "Nothing of importance. I'll let you get back to your prisoner." Lucian led her back into the room and locked it behind her. "I'll return with your food shortly," Lucian promised and headed swiftly back down the hallway.

Aleeria turned away from the door and moved towards the soap and her wash basin. "Lucian is getting our food. While we wait, I may as well rewash your top half so we can work our way down after lunch." She tried not to let her breath catch at the thought.

"That sounds promising," Sabas replied his tone rough and low, his groin tightening in anticipation.

Aleeria started with his back, washing his skin with the soap and water, cleaning away all the bits of hair clean from his trim away and making him smell more like the soap. She missed his own scent a little, but found she could smell it coming through once he was dry and mingling with the sandalwood scent. She moved quickly washing him; feeling hyper self- conscious knowing that their food would arrive shortly and that they had a limited amount of time alone until then. Aleeria was far too aware of the brevity of that waiting time and the memory of the shock when her Mistress had interrupted them before to touch Sabas more than was necessary, though she wanted to desperately.

Her eyes kept seeking his out, trying to tell Sabas without words that she wasn't ashamed, only cautious. It was most difficult when she washed his arms and chest. She so wanted to let him touch her again and to touch him again, but it was too risky. Now that Aleeria had enjoyed a taste of how things could be between them, she didn't want to do anything that would ruin their chances for her to be able to choose him. They could enjoy so much more then and without needing to fear being caught or her being damaged by his strength. She'd be like him then.

Aleeria was doing well at resisting him until only his arms remained. She moved the bench so she could reach them as she had before, but this time, much to Sabas's confusion, she kept herself off to the side, completely out of reach and began washing his arm and the edge of his shoulder. Aleeria didn't know what to say or if she should tell him that she was concerned about getting caught. The whole situation made the room thick with tensions of needs unmet and words unspoken.

It was Sabas who broke first. The feel of her hands gliding over him as she rewashed his body was intoxicating. He was surprised that she seemed to move efficiently, not lingering as she had before. He could scent her arousal keenly enough, yet she did not seek to please either of them. He thought at first, that she was hurrying through the rest to get back to stroking his chest, but she cleaned it as swiftly, though thoroughly as the rest. Then he thought that perhaps she was simply teasing him again, but when she positioned herself to wash his arms so he could not touch her, he knew something was amiss. "Aleeria, please let me touch you again while you do that," he asked softly, wondering if he or Lucian had done or said something to make her cautious.

Aleeria glanced, concerned towards the door.

"I will hear when Lucian returns," he assured her, noting the path of her eyes. "Besides, he is my friend. He would not betray us. Come, let me please you again. You have been so attentive to me, your touch so pleasurable. I only wish to return the favor, if you wish it."

Aleeria looked at him sharply, desperate for him to understand. "Of course I wish it. How can you think otherwise? I simply don't want to endanger us." She heard herself, the way she said us, the way he said us, as if there were already something established between them and they were only acknowledging it at last. Wasn't that the truth of it though? It was for her certainly. Something in the way he said those words made her feel the weight of the years of watching and wanting and now finally after all that time, she could touch him and he could touch her, at least a little for now.

"I promise we'll be fine," Sabas continued, starting to guess at her internal war. "The whole castle is asleep and no Lycan would come down here to the interrogation rooms willingly. Please sweet Aleeria come closer, I won't bite. Yet."

Aleeria laughed at that, even as a quiet thrill coursed through her. Yet. Maybe he felt it too then. "You know, some might call this beguiling, my prisoner."

Sabas smiled triumphantly, feeling he was winning the battle. "Perhaps fair captor, but you are free to ignore me if my request holds no interest for you or if you feel you cannot trust my keen senses to keep us safe."

He said the two words that melted whatever fraying reservations remained with Aleeria: "us" and "trust." Of course she trusted him. She'd always trusted him. She stepped carefully along the bench, ducking under his arm and positioning herself within his reach. She smiled at him shyly and then released her hair, letting it hide them behind a flowing dark chestnut privacy curtain.

Sabas watched her, his face full of eagerness, but also a gentle awe. He still marveled that she seemed to want him to touch her.

Aleeria shifted her position, and pressed her breast in to his palm, moaning involuntarily at the contact and biting her lower lip. Then, she took his hand in her fingers and pressed him closer still.

Sabas sighed, closing his eyes contentedly. "If I weren't chained up right now, I'd make your first touches much more memorable."

Aleeria smiled, pleasure at both his words and touch singing through her veins, burning her skin pleasantly. "I think you're doing just fine. Besides, if you were not chained, you would not be allowed to touch me."

"Is that your wish or hers?" He asked, his voice taking on that testing edge again, his hand stilled.

"Please don't think my fear is an indication of my want." She boldly moved his thumb with hers so it brushed over her nipple, hardened beyond anything it had been before. "See? I merely want you to be allowed to do this when you are free as well, and I don't want to have my mate selected for me. T'would be torture." Torture, to be bound to anyone but you, she thought desperately.

"I want that to, to touch you without these chains in the way." Sabas confessed. "Or your clothes for that matter," he added, grinning wickedly.

Aleeria blushed, and Sabas could feel the rush of heat under his hand even through the linen of her dress. "I still say that you've just been without a woman for too long."

"The more time I spend with you the more I start to think I've never really enjoyed one properly before." Sabas replied starting to stroke her through her dress as he had before. Aleeria hissed in a breath, making a soft keening sound.

"I suppose I won't be too hopeless then when it comes time to be a wife." Aleeria's tone was joking, but he could still hear real concern behind it too.

Sabas paused his exploration of her breast. "Aleeria, look at me." Her eyes opened slowly at his request, looking almost sleepy. "Aleeria, the way you touched me before we were so rudely interrupted was beyond wonderful. Don't you know how you affect me? As I said before, you are far from hopeless. In fact, you seem to be rather intuitive in fact as to what would please me."

Aleeria smiled broadly with feminine pride. "I'm pleasing my own curiosity as much as anything else," she confessed. "I hardly know what I'm doing."

"Then perhaps it is simply more pleasurable because you are enjoying what you are doing so much," he offered with sly smile.

"Perhaps," She replied, wiping his arm down with clean water. "Do you enjoy what you are doing to me now?"

Sabas grinned wolfishly. "Oh very much indeed," he assured her, beginning to stroke her again. "You are so soft and so responsive."

Aleeria clutched at his arm again as she felt the pleasure begin to build again and with it a burning, a need for him to touch her other places as well. When she felt her legs begin to wobble dangerously, she stepped down, much to both their disappointment. When she recovered, Aleeria moved to his right arm, lathering it first off to his side and then soaping and rinsing off his hand before moving back within his reach. She rinsed off his arm as he started to stimulate her left breast as he had her right, stroking the edges with his long, deft fingers, running his thumb over her impossibly hard nipple, making her start to cry out. Aleeria felt her mind awash in pleasure. Periodically, Sabas would gently squeeze her soft curve in his hand, his thumb, brushing more firmly over the tip. Aleeria could feel a rush of wetness between her thighs, a building , tingling heat, and a desperate desire for him to touch her there, if only there was a stool high enough or any sort of reason for her to be on it other than for him to touch her there. Some way for him to stroke her there without getting them both whipped raw though she was starting to wonder if it might be worth it. The sort of pleasure Sabas could bring her might be worth bleeding for.

Sabas moaned with her, she felt so good and warm, and supple beneath his fingers. He wanted to have her move the bench so he could press her to his mouth, to lick at her skin and hear her cry out to him.

Naturally, this was the moment that the sound of footsteps returning to their cell came to his ears. Groaning, Sabas lifted his hand away, just slightly. "Aleeria, I am sorry, but Lucian is returning."

She groaned softly, "Not again."

***What can I say? I love a long seduction and I'm having so much fun drawing things out . . . Please read & review. It's keeping the ideas flowing and keeping me from losing my mind while working like 60 hours a week. Let me know if you enjoyed the extra long chapter.***