While You Were Creeping

by Poppy Rhys

  “Fuck,” he grunted between clenched teeth as we both looked down, watching his rounded head slowly disappear inside me. “So wet...”

  Our eyes locked.

  “You want all of it?” He asked in such a filthy, gritty tone that had my pussy clenching and my head bobbing. I suddenly wanted to beg him to fuck me.

  “I want all of it,” I whispered, wetting my lips, and demanding every blissful inch he had to give.

  I didn’t dare look away when his claws pressed into my skin while he held my hips and pulled me down, filling me, stretching me, until his vibrating appendage grazed my clit.

  “Kye!”

  My eyes rolled heavenward, and I swiveled my hips against him. Everything was too much and not enough at the same time.

  He raised my hips, pushing me away from his built-in vibrator and earning a snarl from me.

  His smirk was strained, and I could tell he was torturing us both. “More?”

  “Are you going to fuck me or tease me?”

  “What a filthy mouth...” he growled, his dashed pupils growing as he pulled me back down, too rough, satisfying us both.

  My head dropped back on my shoulders, the ends of my hair tickling my lower back as instinct took over. My hands gripped Kye’s wrists as he held on and I chased after our pleasure.

  Grinding on Kye was pure fucking bliss. When I didn’t think I could take anymore pulsing, I’d raise up to the tip and ride the first few inches of his cock.

  The chest-deep rumbles, the prick of his claws on my skin, and his comments about my ‘beautiful tits’—right before he leaned up to nip and suck at them—had both of us moaning.

  His hands were everywhere on my skin, grazing, lightly scratching, and roughly groping.

  When his rough palm smacked my ass, I rode faster, harder, rotating my hips and grinding until the vibrations pitched me over the edge.

  “Kye, I—I... I’m—oh fuck!”

  He popped my ass again before grabbing me around my waist and pulling me down while he repeatedly surged into me. The bone-deep groans from Kye as he released jet after jet inside me—it did me in.

  I gripped his chest fur, holding on, tightening, relaxing, bursting, and melting with daze-induced euphoria until I sprawled over him, limp and panting.

  It was the quickest, most satisfying lay of my life and I wanted to stretch out like a satiated kitten in the sun. I’d even let Kye rub me behind the ears and tell me what a good girl I was.

  A lazy smile tugged at my lips.

  “Holly?” Kye said in between shallow breaths.

  “Hmm?”

  “I just want you to know...” More much needed breaths, my head rising and falling with his chest each time he inhaled and exhaled. “I plan to fuck you many, many, many more times.”

  A tired laugh was all I could muster but what I really wanted to shout was:

  Yes, please!

  SEVENTEEN

  HOLLY

  “What day is it?” I cracked an eyelid open when Kye pushed back the curtains in my bedroom. Snowflake clusters the size of golf balls gently fell outside, causing me to slink farther under the warm blankets.

  Kye hadn’t been exaggerating. He’d fucked me many, many, many more times. On various surfaces. In multiple positions. In every room of my apartment except storage. Yes, even the shower.

  He moved around the bed, wearing only boxers with mistletoe print. I grinned to myself at the irony.

  He had something in those boxers I enjoyed kissing.

  “Wednesday.”

  I abruptly sat up and snatched my comm off the nightstand. “What? Really?”

  “Really.”

  I know we’d been playing naked tango for a while—our food, sleep, and shower breaks kind of blurred together at this point—but I hadn’t realized we’d lost a whole day and then some.

  Obviously, we both had some pent-up frustration that sorely needed to be worked out.

  Kye sat on the side of the bed and pushed a glass of juice into my hands before chugging his down. “Thanks,” I mumbled and took a sip.

  ****

  KYE

  “Welcome.”

  If I could take a picture of Holly right now—hair wild and uncombed, eyes slightly puffy with lack of sleep, and kiss-swollen lips an alluring dark pink—I would.

  Since I didn’t have a comm, I took a mental image instead.

  The thought was cheesy as fuck, but oh well. My time was running short. Only a couple weeks before the crystal would do its thing, pull me back in and put me in stasis.

  No dreaming. No thoughts. No nothing.

  If I committed this, her, to memory, I’d at least have that when I woke next. Whenever, and wherever, that may be.

  The thought of possibly never seeing Holly again wouldn’t have bothered me just a short time ago. Now?

  Now it made the juice I just finished sour in my stomach.

  Guess, deep down, I believed her about not being a berchta. And if she weren’t a berchta, the crystal wouldn’t remain in her possession for long.

  Holly was human. Just plain old human.

  Nothing made sense. I couldn’t wrap my head around the missing pieces.

  “What were you saying about talking to an elf the other day?”

  “Oh. Right.” She set her juice on the nightstand and tugged on a nearby night-shirt.

  I groaned, hating the fact she wasn’t naked any longer.

  “It’s not terrible news, but it’s not good news either.”

  “Story of my life.”

  A small smile drew her tempting mouth to the side before she frowned and tucked a curl behind her ear.

  I was cracked. A day or so of having sex with Holly and I was thinking flowery shit and already wanting to dive under the covers and lose more time with her.

  Lose more time.

  There’s a lot of shit I’d do to get more of it. Time. Time awake, that is.

  Time free.

  “Hit me with it.” I rolled my shoulders. “I’m ready.”

  Holly’s eyes darted to mine. Her long, dark lashes could knock the sense out of me with a simple flutter if I weren’t careful.

  “I called Elvshkin Inc, which is apparently where the elves work. That grouchy elf I mentioned?”

  I nodded, remembering.

  “He said something really odd.”

  Dammit, the way she nervously chewed on her lip made me want to forget there was bad news. “What?”

  “He said there was no record of anyone giving me a gift that day. Which is crazy right? Because Nankino—the elf at school—walked right up to me, called me by my name, and insisted on giving me a gift. The cube, it was just wrapped at the time. Trust me, I tried to turn her down, but she wouldn’t take no for an answer.” Her brow creased, the skin on her nose wrinkling. “Said she couldn’t return without an empty bag.”

  “Hmm...”

  I’d never known an elvshkin to be pushy. Annoyingly cheerful and always giggling, yes. Pushy, no. Especially about gift giving.

  “There’s more,” she sighed.

  “Guessing this is the not-so-good news?”

  Holly twisted her fingers in her lap, the comforter pillowing underneath them. Her burn had healed, thanks to the wonders of nanobot salve.

  “Bingo. The guy said Nan’s not due back at headquarters until New Years and there’s no way to guarantee she’ll get my message.”

  New Years.

  I hated New Years.

  When everyone was ringing in a new beginning, mine was ending. Just as Auld Lang Syne would start up, I’d lose time. The crystal would take me back, my conscience would fade to nothing, and then I’d wake a year later only to start all over again.

  I scrubbed my horns, frustrated.

  “I’m sorry,” she said, resting her hand on my knee.

  I believed her. Damn me, but I did.

  “We’ll figure it out,” she reassured, sitting on her knees, and leaning in to place her hands on my shoulders. “I pr
omised to help, and I’ll do everything I can.”

  As strange as it was, her touch was comforting. To be honest, I hadn’t even realized I’d gotten my hopes up.

  Being free of the crystal was a distant, impossible idea in my head. Like a lush mirage in the desert to a thirsty man.

  I didn’t tell Holly that though. The sincerity on her face stopped me from saying a word about it.

  The fact she put effort into trying said more to me than whether she’d be successful or not.

  “I mean,” she half-smiled, “you’ve got a lot of things to do, places to be, and people to catch up with, right? We gotta get you freed so you can do all that.”

  Holly did it again.

  Did that thing where she said something, but her eyes and body said the complete opposite.

  Right now, her eyes didn’t match her smile. Her voice was encouraging, excited even, but those pine-colored orbs...

  They said something else.

  Something that tugged at my chest in an uncomfortable way because for hundreds of years I’d been unable to accomplish what she pleaded without words.

  Stay.

  EIGHTEEN

  KYE

  “Think you’ve got enough?” Holly smirked and eyeballed my plate that was stacked with the little finger foods from the impressive spread.

  “These plates are stupidly tiny,” I grumbled.

  Holly laughed, the sound infectious enough to warm me. Her smile—that rare, blinding smile—lit up her face as she perused the buffet.

  This was the third event we’d been to in as many days. Holly’d explained it was part of her Evergreen Queen contract to attend a certain number of events per December.

  I was fine with it.

  Minus the fact she had to wear clothes. Minus the fact we had to leave her apartment. Minus the fact there were so many other things I wanted to do with Holly that involved my cock and her delicious body—things we couldn’t do in public without being fined or legally charged.

  Alright, so I wasn’t fine with it at all.

  Goddammit, I wanted to leave this party already.

  “What’re you thinking that’s got you growling?”

  Had I been growling?

  “Nothing that doesn’t involve depraved acts and your amazing tits.”

  Her mouth fell open, her eyes grew wide, and she did a quick scan to make sure no one had been close enough to hear what I just said.

  Did I care if they were?

  Hell no.

  I was sure other men would be thinking it too if they had fucking eyeballs...

  And now I wanted to tear out their eyeballs.

  “I can’t take you anywhere!” she whisper-hissed, but I saw the way she nibbled the inside of her cheek to keep from grinning.

  “It’s true. Maybe next time I should stay home. You could stay with me. We’ll christen the armchair. Haven’t done that yet.”

  Her breath hitched, but she tried to hide it by grabbing a flute of champagne off the tray of a passing waiter and taking a healthy gulp.

  My eyes drifted down her body, which was a mistake.

  Seeing Holly in that tight, gold, shimmery dress that only reached mid-thigh was torturous. I loved it, but I wanted to shred it with my claws.

  The way her hair was pulled up in an elegant bun only drew my attention to her smooth neck and the slope of her exposed shoulders that I wanted to kiss and nip.

  Fuck, she was temptation wrapped in glitter.

  “Come on,” she said, setting down her plate, but not before grabbing a piece of fruit and dipping it in whipped cream. “Let’s join the auction before you pop a boner.”

  She winked and bit into the strawberry.

  Ahh, gods. I was doomed.

  ****

  HOLLY

  Was I having fun teasing Kye? You bet your ass I was.

  I saw the way he shivered when I gazed up at him, fluttered my lashes, and gently sucked whipped cream off my thumb.

  I’m sure I’d pay for that later, which didn’t help. The thought of Kye handling me however he wanted made this dress suddenly too tight.

  Was there enough oxygen in the room? The air felt thin.

  “One thousand credits!” someone shouted, starting a bidding war.

  I’d stick around for another half hour, just to fulfill the requirements of my contract, but then I’d make a stealthy exit.

  To say I felt a little selfish was an understatement. The annual Family for Foundlings charity auction was one of my favorites. It was a good cause. All proceeds would go to younglings who’d lost parents to illness or accident.

  I’d considered myself fortunate to have never experienced that loss. While no amount of money could replace a parent, the credits earned here would at least help take care of the foundlings.

  My comm buzzed in my small handbag.

  I frowned. I thought I’d turned it off.

  “Sorry,” I whispered to the others around me who’d heard it and shot me disapproving glares.

  I reached into my bag and went to turn it off as the text scrolling across the screen caught my eye. A series of characters and off-planet coords I didn’t recognize.

  I didn’t know anyone who didn’t live on Dor Nye full time—

  Shit!

  The elves!

  I shot up out of my chair, interrupting the auction, but I couldn’t let this call slip by!

  “Excuse me, sorry, excuse me,” I apologized as I attempted to exit my row, accidentally stepping on toes, and nearly falling into laps. I could hear Kye’s hooves shuffling against the shiny floor as he made excuses too, following.

  I rushed from the room into the lobby as fast as my heels would take me without faceplanting.

  “Hello?” I finally said, answering the call. “Hello?”

  “Ms. Zax? Ms. Zax can... hear... Hello?”

  “Hello? You’re breaking up!”

  I moved frantically around the lobby, trying to get a better signal before bursting through the buildings front doors, dipping around guests that came and went.

  “Hello?”

  Dammit, I could only hear static!

  “It’s Nan. Hello? I... reception... Got message. I don’t...”

  “Nan?”

  The line went quiet.

  I pulled it away from my ear only to see the screen blink and the connection sever.

  Immediately, I tried to call back only to get an automated ‘this line is for outgoing calls only.’

  “No, no, no, no!” I chanted, trying again only to get the same message.

  “FUCK!” I shouted, startling guests around me. “Sorry. I’m sorry.”

  Kye caught up, shuffling down the few steps. “Holly? Everything okay?”

  No. No it wasn’t okay! Yet I couldn’t form the words to say it because I was so damn upset.

  I didn’t know where Nan was or if she’d be able to call again or when. What if this had been our only chance? What if a signal error ruined the possibility of setting Kye free?

  I felt so overwhelmed I couldn’t even look at Kye.

  ‘What if’ haunted me all the way home.

  ****

  Gretta: Where’d you go, Mouse? Your mother’s looking for you.

  Me: Went home. Not feeling well.

  Gretta: Is that code for bumping uglies?

  I rolled my eyes, even if I smiled. Oh, Aunt Gretta, you wicked bird. I quickly texted back and set my comm down before resting my head on Kye’s shoulder.

  An old comedy vid played as we hung out on the couch in pajamas. Kye tried to cheer me up with that and popcorn, which was comical itself. He was trying to cheer me up even though it was his freedom on the line.

  Yet, when I looked at him, he didn’t even seem worried. Humor danced in his eyes before he laughed at some guy on the screen and took another handful of popcorn.

  Skully jumped up and sat on Kye’s other side. Even let Kye rub his scruff.

  When had that happened? Skully disliked almost everyone
—even Kye at first—but now he cuddled up like they were best buds.

  What were we going to do once Kye was gone and it was just us again?

  I needed a change of thought, but I also wanted some explanations of how this all happened to Kye in the first place.

  That dreaded question I’d avoided for so long.

  I tapped the remote and muted the vid.

  Kye’s attention diverted to me. “What’s up?”

  “I haven’t asked because... well it’s none of my business I guess, but I’d be fibbing if I said I wasn’t afraid of how you might answer.”

  My mouth watered and I swallowed hard.

  “Let me guess,” he sighed, “you want to know why I’m imprisoned?”

  “Yes.”

  No.

  Yes.

  Ugh.

  I wanted to know, I didn’t want to know... My poor nerves.

  “Surprised it took you this long to ask.”

  I shrugged. “Maybe I didn’t want to know the answer. Maybe I still don’t.”

  “Worried you’ll hate me afterward?”

  That... Maybe that. But, as I chewed on the inside corner of my lip, thinking on his words, I...

  I don’t think I could hate you.

  Did I say that? No.

  I was a chicken shit. It worried me. It worried me that, even if he’d committed some horrible crime, at this point... I didn’t think I could hate him. Even if I should.

  As cracked as it sounded, he could be a destroyer of worlds and I was afraid I’d still... like him.

  Obviously, I had a lot of issues.

  Again, I just shrugged. Noncommittal. Hold my cards close. Wait for the story and then decide.

  ****

  KYE

  This had been coming. Shit, I’d anticipated it. She’d outlasted my prediction. Thought she would’ve asked sooner.

  Couldn’t blame her for wanting to know, even if dredging up the past vanquished my appetite. I set the popcorn on the coffee table and shook my head, unsure of where to start.

  “Did you murder someone?” Holly blurted, like she couldn’t hold it back any longer. She even tensed up.

  “It’s not that simple.”

  Her brows knit and she sat up, turning toward me. “Isn’t it? A person either commits murder or they don’t. It’s a yes or no answer.”