"That's Leto," Carrick nodded, pleased to see that his new boy was excited by the dogs. "Luna is the white, and Elsa is the one wearing an expression of permanent confusion. She's not the brightest, in fact she's an embarrassment to her Roman warhound ancestors, but I'm fond of her all the same." Elsa cocked her head and panted obliviously.
Carrick picked up a book he'd absently left lying around and returned it to its proper place on the shelves. "Acheron is my guard dog," he stated. "And he's not for petting, if you want to keep all your extremities. You'll know him when you see him. I trained him myself." He fixed the slave with his pale, sharp eyes. "I recommend you stay indoors when he's prowling." He held Mike's gaze to ensure he understood.
The vampire glanced around the room. "I've been collecting the printed word for centuries. They're perhaps the only companion or lover that lasts for centuries at a time." He gave a tiny faint smile that was gone as soon as it appeared. "But you'll have ample time to explore here in daylight hours, should you wish to. He stepped across to Mike and drew him to his feet.
"For now, there are only two more rooms I want you to see. Your bedroom, and mine. And believe me, boy, you won't be leaving there for hours."
Another flight of stairs up, and the atmosphere of the house changed markedly. The lights grew dimmer, the draperies at the windows heavier. there was a faint smell of incense drifting through the air. on this floor were Carrick's private rooms, along with the lodgings of his most favoured slaves.
The room Carrick showed Mike into was decorated in a rustic pale sage green, with soft furnishings of simple, unbleached Irish linen and wooden furniture. The room was unassuming, but the bed was soft and inviting, and a comfortable sofa in the corner with a reading lamp and a selection of erotic literature piled on a side table provided a welcome. A bathroom and dressing area completed the suite.
"This will be yours," Carrick said. "It's only a few doors away from my rooms, so you'll be able to come to me quickly, whenever I desire you. Night or day."