She could feel Freya’s jaw tighten, the daggers pressing against Lily’s bone, causing her to suck in another sharp breath from the pain. This was definitely something that would require significant medical treatment for a normal person, like getting stabbed by rows of knives deep into her muscle.
And then unexpectedly the pressure vanished, and Freya pulled back.
Lily’s eyes popped open as her friend walked away, feeling confused. “What’s wrong?” she asked seriously. “I was still okay. It hurt really bad, but I could handle a little more.”
Freya didn’t respond, seeming to ignore her as she messed with their bags.
Lily finally sat up and looked down at the damage, only to see that there was none. She still had a little bit of blood on her shoulder, but the wounds only took a few seconds to close up. And the internal damage felt like it was almost healed as well. The sensation was actually pretty surreal, though now Lily’s uneasiness was transitioning to sincere hunger.
She definitely need to eat soon.
Freya abruptly walked back to the bed and sat down again, reaching her hand out.
Lily gave her another confused look, only to focus on the small purple object in her thin fingers.
A tiny waterproof remote.
She gasped, seeing that Freya was clutching something else behind her back. She then looked up at her friend’s vulnerable crimson gaze, the two of them staring at each other for a long few seconds, before Lily finally reached out with trembling fingers to accept the offered device.
The moment her hand touched Freya’s, the exchange of the tiny remote happening slowly, Lily realized nothing was going to be the same again.
There was no going back from this.
❖ ❖ ❖
Sam Archer
April 13, 2735 – Current Day – Late Evening
Blinking a few times, I realized I’d zoned out a little when thinking about Lily, losing track of time slightly as I stared at the ceiling. And then I realized I was so aroused that I was nearly in pain from the restriction caused by my jeans.
Damn, it felt like someone had me in a vice grip, and not in a good way. Plus, Heidi and Lexi both had a leg over mine, both of them pressed way too tight against the sides of my body.
Which meant, I really needed to get out of this bed.
However, my first attempt was a miserable failure, because even though the two hot women I had on either side were asleep, my movement caused them both to stir just enough to cling to me. Thus, I finally ended up using my astral limbs to try to restrict them a little, possibly making them think I was hugging them, and then I carefully extricated myself from between them.
It was only then that I realized something else bizarre.
My claustrophobia hadn’t been triggered.
Was it because I was super aroused? Because even while something like having Freya sit on my face didn’t bother me, nor the sexy time we had in my car, the rare few times I’d been pressed between Freya and Lily were situations where my claustrophobia began flaring up.
Really, it was when I felt restricted on most sides of my body, rather than just feeling restricted partially. So in the case of Freya sitting on my face and controlling my arms, I could still freely move my legs. But what I’d just climbed out of was something else altogether.
Strange.
Taking a deep breath, I readjusted my pants and then began making my way downstairs, knowing I’d probably have to make a trip to the bathroom, because this bad boy wasn’t going away on its own anytime soon. However, the moment I got to the last step, I froze solid, staring straight ahead with my second-sight.
There was a black car outside, and in that car was a hot goth chick lying down in the back seat.
Shit!
Winter never left?!
Why? Was she on stakeout duty?!
What in the hell was going on?!
Completely confused, I tried talking to her, my tone becoming more polite when I recalled again that she had the capacity to hear my every thought. I was still having a pants issue, but it’s not like I could just go take care of it with her around. Not to mention, I was sure I’d be presentable very soon, because there was nothing like unexpected company to sober you up.
However, she didn’t respond at all, appearing to be sound asleep.
Dammit, there was no way I was going to let her sleep in the car. Was it possible she just didn’t have a place to stay tonight? I wasn’t sure.
Normally, I might be hesitant to let someone I barely knew inside the house, even though I’d be awake all night and this person was associated with someone I felt like I could trust, because I had two kids to worry about. However, with it only being Lexi and Heidi here, I didn’t have the same hesitation.
Quite the opposite.
I was not going to let her sleep in the car.
Marching for the door, I opened it up and stepped outside to walk over. She continued to appear asleep, so I paused for a moment, before tapping on the windshield.
Her ear flinched.
Like, she had normal looking ears, but it totally just flinched like a cat.
I knocked again, harder this time.
Still no response.
Finally, I reached inside with an astral limb to give her leg a small tug, but the moment I began wrapping around her ankle, her eyes popped open and she glared at me.
My heart skipped a beat in my chest.
Her sclera was pitch black, and her usually pale green irises were vivid white. No, they were glowing , like the moon.
“Don’t touch me,” she snapped, her voice muffled through the window.
It took me a second to recover. I honestly wasn’t sure how I was feeling right now, but her glowing white gaze was just so intense and alarming, that all I could do was stare. Did this always happen at night? But her eyes looked normal before, when we were driving home.
Did it have anything to do with the moon rising? Except it was almost a new moon, barely the tiniest sliver of it present in the sky, so I wasn’t sure that could be it. Or did it even matter?
Or maybe because there was no light out, not even from the headlights?
“I said, let go ,” she hissed again.
I finally did as she asked, clearing my throat and trying to focus on why I’d come out here.
Oh yeah, that’s right.
“Why are you still here?” I demanded.
Her white eyes narrowed, the black pupils enlarging slightly. She didn’t respond.
I finally crossed my arms, just staring her down.
“Fine,” she snapped. “I’m here as a lookout. Shouldn’t that be obvious?”
“Okay, fine,” I replied. “Then come inside and sleep on the couch.”
“No.”
“You said you trust me, right? You should know I’m not going to touch or–”
“You just did,” she snapped.
I rolled my eyes. “Just come inside and stop being stubborn.”
“No.”
“How long are you going to be doing this?” I asked seriously. “Only tonight?”
She just glared at me.
I held her gaze, knowing what her lack of response meant. At least she wasn’t lying to me.
I appreciated that.
“Fine,” she snapped, abruptly sitting up and scooting toward the door. She opened it up so fast that I was sure she was trying to hit me, but I managed to get out of the way just barely in time. She then slammed it shut and stomped past me, not appearing to have any bags or anything else with her, and marched right into the house.
Damn, seriously?
I followed after her, just in time to see her plop down on the FRIL couch. She barely even hesitated, as if she knew exactly where it would be. But then again, with access to my thoughts, that was probably sincerely the case.
Sighing, I closed the door behind me and took a deep breath.
“Do you want a blanket or p–”
“No,” she snapped.
&n
bsp; “Dammit, at least take your shoes off,” I snapped back.
She immediately pressed her toes against one heel, followed by the other, knocking her short military-style boots onto the floor. Seriously, was she just pissed about something? Because now I was skeptical that she was really older than she looked.
Sighing heavily, I glanced into the kitchen, seeing that Freya had truly left in a hurry. The enchiladas I made earlier were still sitting on the counter, completely untouched, minus the couple on plates. I then noticed Lily’s phone as well, lying on the table, deciding I should go ahead and take out her personal microchip and make sure mine was still working.
After all, most of the phone was basically just a monitor nowadays. And with mine being broken, I’d just go ahead, take hers, and buy her a brand new one.
Pulling out my damaged device, I first examined the hole in it, only to recall that my clothes were full of holes too, with just a hint of blood around the edges. Dammit, I probably looked like an idiot. I’d just sat around talking to Jackie, followed by seeing Winter, and here I was practically wearing rags.
Taking out Lily’s chip and inserting my own, I was relieved to see my home screen load. Currently, it displayed a winter picture that Lexi took for us just after I asked Freya to marry me when we went sledding. I was holding onto her, while Lily was holding up Freya’s hand and doing an exaggerated look of shock and surprise.
It was adorable.
And I missed them both. I didn’t like not having them home.
Unlocking my phone, I called Freya. It had gotten kind of late, but I’d honestly be a little surprised if they were asleep already.
It rang four times before she picked up, almost going to voicemail.
“Hey Sam,” she said, sounding a little winded. “What’s up? Everything okay?”
“Yeah, I just wanted to check up on you. Did you make it alright?”
“Yep,” she replied, taking a deep breath. “What about you? Are you home? What about Heidi and Lexi?”
I grimaced, wanting to be honest with her. “Yeah, they’re asleep upstairs, both in Heidi’s bed. Although, I did sort of lay down with them for a little while, just until they fell asleep.”
There was a pause. “That’s fine. I’m sure they’re pretty traumatized from what happened. And what about you? Are you doing alright?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. I was just worried about all of you.”
“Well, we’re doing okay. And we’ll leave early tomorrow morning to come back home. Did you find the address?”
I glanced around the room only to notice Winter on the couch again. Shit, they should know about that too.
“No, not yet. I’ll look here in a minute, but–”
She cut me off. “Sam, I need to tell you something. I was going to wait to tell you in person, but Lily looks a little depressed, so I’ll just tell you now. She and I did some stuff together.”
I blinked a few times, wondering if I heard her correctly. Or rather, wondering if I understood her meaning correctly. “Like, you mean–”
“Yeah, like nothing super over the top. But we’ve sort of come to an arrangement that mostly involves the vibrator. I know you’ve said in the past you were fine if anything ever happened, but I wanted to ask while I have you on the phone. Because if you’re not okay with it then I need to know, since we’re not done yet.”
Holy shit!
When I didn’t respond right away, she continued. “We’ll stop if that’s what you want,” she clarified. “Really. I’m not going to do something you’re not okay with.”
“Umm, no, you’re fine. I mean, you should know my opinion. But are you sure Lily is okay with this?”
“Yeah, she is. But I’ve got to go Sam. I’m sort of on a timer.”
“Of course. Just please be careful.”
“I will. I love you.”
“Love you too,” I replied, just before she hung up.
Damn.
Knowing Lily, I strongly doubted they were doing anything too crazy, just like Freya said, but now my mind was running wild. The arousal I had going on before was finally gone, but it was beginning to return as the idea really started to sink in.
At least, it was…
Until I recalled, again , that Winter was in the living room.
Dammit!
And I forgot to tell Freya too, because she cut me off. Oh well. I didn’t want to tell her now, since it might ruin the mood or something.
Putting a halt to my thoughts, thankful that my body hadn’t fully reacted yet, I went over to the enchiladas, grabbed one of the plates and stuck it in the microwave. I then began preparations to store the rest in the fridge, only to stop.
“Hey, are you hungry?” I wondered.
“I’m fine,” I barely heard her say.
“When was the last time you ate? Did you have dinner?” I asked.
“Doesn’t matter.”
“Did you have dinner?” I repeated.
When she didn’t answer, for some reason it started making me upset. Like, I thought back to first meeting her earlier in the week, and how she’d been friendly and open for a short period of time, only for all that to disappear when her aunt told her to be serious.
I also recalled Liz saying, ‘What’s gotten into you?’ as if her behavior wasn’t normal.
And all of that, contrasted with right now, just made me pissed for some reason.
I finally marched into the living room and glared at her back, silently expecting a response.
“Fine!” she snapped. “No, I haven’t eaten dinner.”
“Then get up, go into the kitchen, and get something to eat,” I snapped back. “I’m not hurting for money, so if you’re hungry then eat. Or are you also going to just hold your piss and refuse to use the bathroom, too, while you’re here?”
She abruptly glared at me over her shoulder, her eyes still glowing white, twin moons set in a pitch-black sky, before abruptly sitting up…
And then heading for the half-bathroom underneath the stairs.
Shit, are you kidding me right now? Did she seriously have to pee?
“Shut up!” I heard her call down the hall at me.
I just rolled my eyes and went back to the kitchen, putting two enchiladas on a plate for her and heating them up. I had no idea if she would want to eat it, and was perfectly fine with her picking something else, but was preparing it in case she didn’t care.
She was back barely a minute later, her eyes pale-green again in the kitchen light, sitting down at the table while I delivered a plate to her, along with a fork.
She just stared at it like it offended her, and I began wondering if she had a special diet or something. However, the moment I sat down with my plate, she picked up her fork and began eating.
Weird.
Was she waiting on me?
I took a few bites before speaking up again. “Okay look. If I ask you a personal question and you don’t want to share, then that’s fine. But if I’m asking about something else, whether it be job-related or about your personal needs, like eating, sleeping, or using the bathroom , then I need you to be honest with me.” I paused. “Although, if you have to pee, then just go pee.”
She looked up at me again. “Hard to pee when I know someone could be watching me.”
My eyes widened in surprise. “Oh. That makes sense. Sorry.”
She shrugged. “I suppose I’m not one to talk. Since I don’t exactly give you much privacy either.”
I shrugged as well. “I’m sure you’ve heard worse.”
She nodded, sticking another forkful of enchilada in her mouth. I noticed that the interior was dark red like I’d expect to see on a normal person, which again made me wonder about her lips, especially where the black stopped.
Unexpectedly, she put down her fork, swallowed what she had in her mouth, and then turned her head toward me while pulling down her bottom lip, revealing that it transitioned pretty deep inside, the black color sort of becoming like freckl
es dissolving into the dark red interior. Her gums were mostly pink though, just a few black freckles spotted throughout.
“Happy now?” she asked, picking up her fork again.
“You really didn’t have to show me. But yeah.”
She rolled her pale green eyes. “If it’ll get your mind off it, then it was worth it.”
I scoffed. “So what does that mean?” I asked sarcastically. “That you’ll show me the rest of you too, fur and all, just because I’m thinking about it?”
She glared at me, her pale green eyes narrow. “Not like I could stop you.”
I just shook my head and resumed eating.
Honestly, I was a little curious, but I wasn’t going to be disrespectful by looking when she clearly didn’t want me too. She’d already told me before that she’d punch me in the face if I did, and while I wasn’t at all afraid of getting hit by her, even if she was stronger than she looked, I also wasn’t going to ignore her wishes.
As we finished up almost at the same time, I stood to put my plate in the sink. “Are you full now? Or did you want more?” I asked, doubting she did.
However, she didn’t respond again.
I looked back at her, raising my eyebrows.
“Fine. I’m still hungry.”
I went back to the table, let her take her last bite, and then grabbed her plate to add two more enchiladas to heat up. Once she was eating again, I sat back down and stared at the wall. We were both silent for a long handful of minutes while she ate, before I finally asked her what was on my mind.
She should have known anyway, but either she wasn’t paying attention to my thoughts, or she’d gotten in the habit of not answering questions people hadn’t asked out loud.
“So why exactly are you here?” I wondered, finally looking at her.
She waited until she swallowed to answer. “I told you.”
“Is that the only reason? To keep an eye out?”
She hesitated. “I’m also keeping everyone stable.”
My eyes widened in surprise at that. “Stable?” I repeated. “What do you mean?”
She took another bite of food, and this time I didn’t become irritated by it, because I felt like she was going to answer. And sure enough, after she swallowed, she did.
The Powerful Pride of an Immortal (Immortal Supers Book 4) Page 18
