by Erin R Flynn
He was quiet several moments. “I never thought you would admit that, especially not to me.”
“I don’t know how to fight the monster from my past who did damage to me and knows it.”
He chuckled deeply. “So you called a bigger monster who will act the monster you cannot?”
I didn’t know how to answer that and I didn’t want to on the phone. “I need—I don’t know. I know I need help and you were who I thought to call. Will you help me?”
“Yes, I will be there as soon as I can and I expect that to be rewarded as well,” he agreed after a few moments. “And rewarded well, Seraphine.”
“I understand,” I whispered, already talking to myself as he hung up.
“It’s the right decision,” Dain comforted. “I know it is. My gut says so.”
I nodded, comforted by that as his gut was pretty spot on and right then, mine could not be trusted.
9
The next morning after I finished showering, Councilman Enzo Dubois was standing in my bedroom. I couldn’t even hide my shock. The flight from Paris—where I thought he lived—was at least eight hours. I swallowed loudly, wondering what it would cost me for him to pull that kind of move when he was a busy man.
He smiled at me as he stood. “I thought it best to take this chance before you came up with an alternative or other help.” He waited until I nodded. “For the down payment on the favor of asking me come to you and sneak in, there is something very specific I’ve longed for.”
I slowly nodded, not having to guess what he wanted.
But it wasn’t that.
“Disrobe, embrace the monster you called, and in front of your husband, tell him what he already probably knows and why you fear me so,” Enzo instructed, his deep green eyes looking almost black in the shadows and as they danced with excitement.
I glanced at Dain and he gave me a soft smile, letting me know it was true and he knew the answer. I let out a slow breath and took off the towel, closing the distance to Enzo and hugging him before leaning back to meet his gaze.
“I’m not just scared of the monster you are, but I’m terrified I could become you one day. One more trauma, abduction, threat, or any of the other crazy and I’m scared I will start on the path to being the monster I thought to always fight.”
He smiled at me, winning what he wanted, the acknowledgment we weren’t as different as I wanted and life had pushed him to become a monster, not he was just born one. “So you are the ‘before’ and I am the ‘after’?”
“No, nothing is ever so simple,” I admitted, shaking my head. “And I’ve gone over lines but… My first thought was to enthrall the guy, do what I hate I can do and let out that dark side of me to just cheat.”
“And why didn’t you?” he asked as his fingers danced along my naked back. “Why call me?”
“Because it was a knee-jerk, desperate reaction, but I don’t think it’s the best play. It would seem an obvious play and that might be a trap.” I shivered as his other hand danced along my side. “I think you’ve got the knowledge, patience, darkness, and something else to deal with what I need help with.”
“Oh? What something else?” he teased, his eyes dancing like a man who caught someone in the trap he set.
I smiled at him, knowing it was a trap. “You told me that if I ever needed to make something go away, you were the person to call. You knew I wouldn’t just ever want a hitman or killer. You have some sort of gift to change memories, right? Not through drinking, but like Vlad could make people feel at ease and tell secrets, you have some power to change minds or alter memories.”
“Yes, I do,” he confirmed. “Whose mind do you want me to alter?” He chuckled when I winced at the wording. “Yes, that’s what it is. That’s the darkness you ask for.”
“Thank him for coming so fast first,” Dain muttered.
And put him in a better mood. I nodded, knowing sex would most definitely be on the agenda when I made the call. We’d already had it—sort of—and that was fine. He was really sexy and there was a spark… He was just an asshole who didn’t respect women so it was hard to want him.
“I think it would take more than oral sex or a romp in your bed to be a proper thank you,” he teased, smirking when I immediately got angry. “There’s that fire I love. You’ve been scared since the moment I arrived and I prefer I’m the only monster you fear.”
I nodded I heard him, almost grateful he snapped me out of it. “I think a lot of people would give way more than showing up quickly to play with me.”
“Yes, but you called me.”
“Because you were a sure bet, not the only play I had,” I clarified.
He slid his hand into my hair and fisted it, licking his lips as he eyed me over. “You called me and said you were willing to pay well for my coming and help.”
I leaned in so our lips were touching. “And I will. I will pay excessively for the favor and help. Don’t demean my value to get your payment. That won’t help you and will make me never call you again.”
He ran his tongue along my lower lip. “You’re right and I apologize. You are not the normal weak-minded idiot I’m used to dealing with.” He squeezed my ass and kept teasing my lips until I shivered. “No, you are a gem to be treasured. I would have rushed here for just the chance to surprise you and enjoy this moment.”
“I can do much better than that,” I promised, giving him a soft kiss.
“Play the game, my love,” Dain suggested, chuckling when I moaned.
And then I moaned again, loving the idea.
“What game?” Enzo asked, glancing between us.
“You want her to give you something submissive and submissive she will be, but in her way. She has to ask for everything she wants, which is hard for her, but you can only have her submissively for what she wants, not your desires like a normal interaction.”
Enzo’s eyes flashed shock. “You really want this.”
“It was so fun,” I moaned. “It was play though. It was swirled up and Noah and I had so much fun flipping and playing.”
He smiled evilly. “Apollo hasn’t played it?”
I shook my head. “No, he’s not patient enough to play that way.”
“Fine, play with me,” he growled, desire coming off of him in a thick perfume.
“Please kiss me,” I whispered. “Please.”
He did, kissing me breathless, his tongue and lips demanding.
“Please let me undress you,” I muttered, turned on and wanting the fun. My wolf liked the flipping back and forth, in charge but yet teasing even if it was begging. My siren loved it because while I acted submissively and begged, I was very, very much the boss and would tie him up in knots as I had Noah.
He nodded and I slid off his jacket before his tie.
“Please let me kiss your skin as I undress you?” I asked, shivering when he nodded, heat overflowing in his eyes. When he was naked I was about vibrating with need. “Please, please put your fingers in me.” He didn’t immediately and I let out a whimper. “Please. Please tease me. Please.”
He let out a deep breath, still trying to control himself and this, but my begging was pushing him to break. He shoved two fingers in me.
“May I touch you?” I asked, adding the begging until he answered. I moved my arms around his neck and kept his gaze. “Please give me more.” I kept asking as his nostrils flared, begging for each time he moved his fingers or teased me. “Please let me finish. Oh fuck, please let me finish. I need it. Please finish me.”
“Enzo. I want my name on your lips.”
“Enzo, please, please finish me,” I begged, digging my short nails in his hair. “Please kiss me and finish me.”
He did and I did and it was a fucking good one. I shivered against him as he swallowed my cries. When we were done he simply stared at me, waiting for me to beg for what I wanted next.
Shit, he was a monster but he was a monster that was really fun to play this game with.
&nb
sp; “Please lick your fingers and taste me,” I panted, wanting to see that. He did it and I moaned, deeply just moaned. “Please let me suck you?” He raised an eyebrow at that, letting me know he knew I was doing it because he wanted it, not because I really wanted to. I nodded. Fine, but it was still part of the game. I might not want to give him head, but I wanted him desperate and dying for me.
And that led to the path of giving him head.
So I did.
When I finished, I smirked up at him, knowing he was dying to demand what I do next… And that was part of the game. I stood and went to the bed, kneeling on it away from him. I spread my knees wide as I lay down and extended my hands up over my head, presenting myself to him in a very submissive way which he seriously liked.
“Please thrust in me,” I panted, knowing I was wet and ready. “Please, give me one hard thrust with as much as you want to give me.”
“Just one?” he murmured, moving behind me and trailing his fingers over my ass and then lower. “You understand if I put my penis in you I will expect to finish in you.”
“Yes, I’ll beg for that too.”
I almost broke his calmness with that as he cleared his throat. Yeah, I really liked playing this game with him.
Really liked it.
I did as I said. I begged for every thrust, every ounce of pleasure, and begged for more. I begged to finish, begged him to finish, and just all of it.
“I want more,” he growled when we were done.
I turned my head enough to kiss him. “I win.”
“Yes, you do, now let me fuck you.”
“You can have me again but how I want. That’s the game.” I chuckled when he seemed like he might object. “I promise you will enjoy it.”
“You win, fine,” he conceded.
I moved us so he was sitting up against my headboard and lowered myself on him, kissing him deeply and feeding until he moaned. He enjoyed every second of me taking charge and riding him, putting his hands on me, and all I allowed even if he would never admit it. He was a man of tight control, always holding the leash on the monster in him, and in charge of those around him.
Or so he told himself.
I grabbed the wrought iron headboard and moved faster, bouncing as much as I pulled and pushed myself, riding him with all I had while using my body to make him have the best sex of his life from the images I got off of him. I came twice before he did and then again as he finished.
When we were done, I was totally wiped, snuggling against him as I gasped for air. “Thanks for coming, Enzo.” A chuckle slipped out. “Fuck, thanks for coming and giving me that when I was spiraling.”
“Thank you for giving me what I didn’t know I wanted,” he admitted, his eyes warning me to leave it be and that was all I would get.
But I didn’t. “None of us are perfect or have all the answers, but you acknowledging that makes me want to let you have me again.” I nodded when his eyes flashed shock. “Women like being appreciated and respected like that.” Pain flared in my heart and I looked away.
“Someone wounded you deeply and recently,” he muttered, his fingers combing out my hair. “Who?”
“Brian.” I nodded when I scented his shock. “Yeah, no relationship is perfect, huh? And you thought he tamed me or whatever, right?”
“I don’t think you could ever be tamed and still be you,” he admitted. “You can be broken but that would ruin you. You are close though and the fear is back. Who do you fear more than me, Seraphine?”
“Your family is coming,” Dain warned and I realized that was part of why he had stayed.
“Will you stay hidden?” I checked with Enzo, kissing him when he nodded. Good, I didn’t want to admit what I was up to. I cleaned up in a flash and threw on lounge clothes, not able to feel Enzo at all, which was sort of terrifying on its own.
Dain let them in and instantly understanding filled Eva’s eyes. Her gaze cut towards my bedroom and I gave a slight nod.
“Good,” she said before anyone else could fill me in. “We’re taking Giannis back with us and will make certain things clear, but I’m glad you have a plan.”
Alena and Zeno looked a bit confused but nodded after they took in the situation.
Alena gave me a fierce hug. “You call and we will come right back. I agree with this plan to get people out of the line of fire while you handle what you need to.”
“Huh?” I asked, missing a few steps.
“You came up with a brilliant plan after several drinks last night,” Dain chuckled. “Carter and I jumped on it.”
“Huh?” I repeated.
“Oh dear, our daughter’s a lush,” Alena teased me. “They can catch you up on your idea but we must leave now before the next storm hits. Be good and make sure to take your pound from Brian or resentment will build.” She shook her head when I opened my mouth. “You are Alpha and you’re more powerful. He didn’t understand the layers because he didn’t ask. He will in the future.”
I nodded. Fair enough.
“What plan?” I asked Dain when they were gone, swallowing a yelp when Enzo joined us but I couldn’t sense him.
“You wanted to send some of the easiest targets to Greece,” he explained as he started pulling out everything to make smoothies. “The college kids have exams this week but then they’re off a month. Brutus can go with the boys and finish their studies there while they work on more of their video ideas and they have winter break.”
I sighed. “Good drunk plan me. That focuses on his possible options.” I glanced at Enzo, who was watching this curiously. “One part of this is straightforward.” I caught him up on Brian almost dying and now a wolf and the bad part of Theon being the one to infect him.
“You want to make that go away, Giannis Barlos lose this drive to acknowledge Brian as his bloodline, and thus, his family to wield like a pawn to mate into the family,” Enzo caught on. “And take you over as I even know enough that the man does not respect women or recognize them as able leaders.” He bit back a smile when I gave him a look like he was one to talk.
“Yes, so…” I blew out a harsh breath as I sipped my coffee. “Any chance you can make him cluck like a chicken?”
He raised an amused eyebrow at me. “You think it’s like hypnosis?”
I shrugged. “It’s sort of like that when I enthrall people, right? I was thinking your gift is like that but permanent.”
“Sort of.” Understanding filled his eyes. “You want it to be if and when he smells Brian, he smells Christos’s bloodline.”
“Yes, I want the problem to go away and never, never come back. Just one of them to seriously leave us alone for fucking good,” I admitted, at wits’ end. I thanked Dain when he set a smoothie in front of me. “So crap eating time over?”
His lips twitched. “I ordered food as well as we have a guest. As long as you eat something good first.”
“Yes, dear,” I chuckled.
“Fill me in on this new enemy,” Enzo told me after he accepted his own smoothie. Something was in his gaze as he glanced between Dain and me and I wasn’t sure I liked it.
I wasn’t sure I had any more room for other trouble or issues so it just had to wait its turn.
Dain gave me a shocked look as I told them more than I had admitted to seeing from Murray before. “You don’t just want him to handle Murray but the director.”
“Maybe,” I whispered. “I don’t know how much of it was Murray’s interpretation or just what he was putting together, but it scared me, Dain. The director is more than not a fan of supes and it’s not just him. Fine, there are senators and people in charge who hate us, but if he gets control of the FBI with that hate, from inside and outside to that level, all we’ve built and more could come tumbling down.
“And Murray is fine with that. He’s fine if it tumbles around the director too as long as he comes out on top. How he sees himself doing that is not good and especially not good for me as his memories of what happened in training have
been twisted with his own ego.” I shook my head. “I won’t deny the damage he did to me, but I saw myself broken from his memory, sobbing in the corner.”
They both snorted. Yeah, no way I would break in front of an enemy. Hell, back then I wasn’t sure I knew how to break I was still so closed off and messed up. I’d learned a lot from the Navy but they’d also tied me in some knots with their sexism and everyone giving me conflicting orders, guidelines, or demands.
I had wanted one path, one set of rules, not just whichever commanding officer was in front of me that day, and the FBI was that path. I’d had hurdles with Murray during training and other hurdles since but it had been a good path that helped make me the woman I was, led me to what I had… And I didn’t want to give up on that yet.
“I don’t want to quit but I don’t know how to fight back on this one,” I finally admitted, relief filling Dain’s eyes that I hadn’t been pushed to quitting yet.
Not yet at least.
“Giannis Barlos is an easy deal to make and there is something I want in payment,” Enzo said after several moments of all of us lost in our thoughts and drinking our smoothies. “You would need to warn your grandmother as she sensed me even when I was cloaking, which was interesting to learn.”
I had a feeling he was fishing on that as he smiled when I flinched. Damn. I was so frazzled I wasn’t keeping my game face. “What is it you want?”
“To be part of your reconciliation with your husband. It still hasn’t happened yet after the delay, yes?” he asked, his eyes dancing with mischief.
It hit me like a smack upside the head. “You were the one on the phone, not Apollo?”
“You truly did not tell her,” he chuckled, shooting Dain an impressed look.
“That was part of the deal,” Dain replied easily. “I was disowned because of family politics and disobeying a despot of a family head, not dishonoring my lineage, species, or myself.”
He dipped his head. “I understand. When those who should lead by example fall out of line, to go against their wishes is sometimes the most honorable thing to do.”
