by Regine Abel
“But wouldn’t you fear losing yourself, your identity, to that other being?” Jade persisted.
“Once again, it depends. In the case of Jadzia, while welcoming Dax did alter part of her personality, it didn’t erase who she was. She always knew that would happen and embraced it. I can see the appeal of sharing the mind and experience of a being far older and wiser than me,” I said, gently brushing her hair from her face then caressed her cheek with my thumb. “I wouldn’t object to hosting a being who is fundamentally good and wise, who could make me a more enlightened version of myself, while still being me and able to pursue my own aspirations.”
Jade looked troubled as she reflected on my words, then chewed her bottom lip, hesitating to ask her next question. I bit the insides of my cheeks to keep from smiling.
“What about relationships?” she asked, after a beat. “Wouldn’t it bother you to have this other male entity inside you while you’re being intimate with your woman?”
There it was, at last.
“As long as it was my body touching her, that I kept control of my thoughts, my emotions, and of my actions towards her, and that she knew without a doubt that it was me making love to her, then no, I wouldn’t care.” My hand caressing her cheek slipped down to her breast, pausing long enough for my thumb to flick her nipple, then trailing down to her stomach where it settled. “And if our roles were reversed, I’d feel the same way. As long as it was your hands on me and that you remained a conscious and willing participant to everything I did to you, without influence from that other being, I wouldn’t care.”
Jade’s eyes flicked between mine, searching. I withstood her scrutiny without flinching.
“But if you were hosting such a being, and I was aware of it, wouldn’t it be like I’m cheating?”
I chuckled and kissed her lips. “No, because we’d be one. He’d be an intrinsic part of me that I deliberately welcomed. You couldn’t love him without loving me.” My hand rose back to her breast which I kneaded slowly. “Me loving this perky breast of yours and giving it attention right now doesn’t make me love your other breast any less, or any other parts of you.”
It wasn’t quite an appropriate comparison, but she got the gist, if only by the not so subtle way my gaze roamed over her.
She shivered, a different type of tension building inside of her. I loved how I could still easily read her emotions and, in this instant, her desires. Sliding my hand back down, I lifted the hem of her oversized shirt, going straight for gold. To my shock—and a pleasant one at that—Jade had gone commando, as I often did.
“Good girl,” I whispered against her lips, as my fingers explored her folds, already getting wet for me.
Her lips parted with a sharp breath intake, her green eyes smoldering.
“I’m not giving you another excuse to tear my undies,” she said, arching into me.
“Oh, my darling, I’m only just warming up,” I said, grazing her jawline with my teeth, my fingers dipping inside of her. “I’ll buy you a trunk full of frilly undies just so that I can tear them right off of that scrumptious body of yours before I take you.”
Jade shuddered again, her breathing accelerated as her hips moved in tandem with my tormenting hand.
“I need more,” she moaned as I sucked on her earlobe. “I need you inside me. Take me, Kazan. Fuck me, hard.”
Blood rushed to my groin and the primal need I always felt in her presence, but kept in check, came raging to the fore. Reluctantly pulling away from her, I grabbed a condom from my pocket and discarded my pants. She lay sprawled before me, legs spread, her oversized shirt bunched up above her breasts. The sight of her red, painted nails rubbing her clit, while her other hand reached for me to come to her, almost undid me.
I fumbled with the packet, fighting the urge to just throw myself on her and fuck her to oblivion.
“Kazan, now!” she pleaded. “It’s okay. I’ve got an implant.”
If you only knew how much I want to.
But it wasn’t okay. Not unless she acknowledged my true nature and understood the consequences.
Focusing on the task at hand, I finally got the condom on. Leaning down, I slipped my arms under Jade’s legs, but instead of lying on top of her, I lifted her up in my arms. She squealed in surprise and clasped her hands behind my neck to steady herself. Thanks to the ridiculously strong body she had bestowed upon me, and the otherworldly strength inherited from my ethereal form, Jade weighed nothing in my arms. Impaling her onto my stiff cock, I devoured her lips while pushing myself deeper and deeper into my woman.
Once fully sheathed, I rocked slowly back and forth, giving her a chance to adjust to my girth while reveling in the tight warmth of her squeezing me from all sides. For the woes and challenges this human vessel gave me, its sensitive response to intimate moments with my mate would never cease to enchant me.
I gradually increased the speed of my thrusts, spurred on by the encouragements of my woman, asking me to take her deeper, harder. Complying, I plowed into her with unbridled fury, the slapping sound of our flesh meeting and of her strangled cries playing as the sweetest music to my ears. Nine long years I’d ached to make her mine, to have her see me, want me, and touch me. I wanted to tear off that condom and fill her with both my mortal seed and ethereal essence, binding me to her in the Mortal Plane.
Her eyes widened as my ethereal aura expanded. What I wouldn’t give to wrap her within it, to be all at once around and inside her. Jade’s legs trembled, her eyes glazing over, and her nails digging into my shoulders as she rode the edge of her impending climax. Bending her backward, I pumped into her with a slight change to my angle until I pummeled her sweet spot with each stroke.
Jade unraveled, nearly toppling backwards. I pulled her back up against me, pressing her to my chest without slowing down my movements in and out of her. She felt so damn good. Liquid fire raged in my nether region and down my legs. The spasms of her inner walls clamping down on me in her throes of ecstasy demanded for me to come, but I wasn’t ready yet. I still wanted her too much.
Putting her down on the couch, still buried balls deep inside her, I lifted one of her legs over my shoulder, not giving her time to fully come down from her high. I almost tore off her shirt, but with my own climax imminent, I slipped a hand between us and rubbed her clit as I thrust into her at a punishing pace.
“Again, my Jade,” I said through gritted teeth. “Come for me again.”
Jade’s entire body shook as she slowly crested again. Then she threw her head back, her body seizing, her mouth open in a silent O. A lightning bolt struck at the base of my spine which felt like it might snap from the violence of my orgasm. I shredded my vocal chords screaming the name of my mate as my seed shot out into the condom.
Soon… Soon there would be no more barriers between us.
I continued to slowly pump in and out of my woman as our hearts and breaths settled. Covering her face with soft kisses, we held each other close, savoring the post-coital intimacy.
Lifting my head, I locked my gaze with hers. “I am yours, Jade. Don’t you ever doubt that it’s me, your Kazan, making love to you. Your body and all of your pleasure are mine. And soon, I hope, so will your heart be.”
* * *
I hadn’t expected to spend two nights at Jade’s house, or for her to spend last night with me in my own flat. In spite of all our frolicking and spending quality time together, rediscovering one another, we’d still managed to make the sketches for the final piece, and I even got some painting done at the loft.
Things were falling into place much better than I had hoped. Although she’d convinced herself I was carrying some kind of mystical entity within me, Jade would come to terms with having a not-fully-human partner. In six more days, the Mist would rise, and then all would be clear. But I still needed to finish the collection. As much as I hated parting from Jade, her day job would give me the time I needed to get everything ready. I still needed to introduce her to Monica, my ag
ent, who was hard at work setting up the exhibit and breathing down my neck, giving me hell for my usual secrecy.
The exhibit would take place exactly five days after the Mist. Monica would only see the actual pieces on Tuesday, three days prior to the event. In spite of her annoyance, she proved to be a good sport, performing marketing miracles with what little material I had consented to share with her. She naturally knew about Jade and was eager to meet her. I told her she would after the Mist. Monica didn’t need me to go into further details to know I was hoping she’d help alleviate whatever lingering fears Jade might have about my nature.
Stopping at a red light while driving Jade to work, I turned my head to look at my mate and once more thanked whatever powers that had finally allowed me to beat the improbable odds of being with the woman I’d been created for.
As the light turned green and I resumed driving, something in my rearview mirror drew my attention. I couldn’t quite figure out what had bothered me at first before a truck, turning at an intersection, revealed the black car that I had noticed a few times too many. Blinding rage surged within me, but I forced my expression to remain neutral so as not to alert Jade. Taking her hand, I lifted it to my lips and kissed her palm. She gave me a tender smile.
“Call me when you’re ready for me to come pick you up,” I said as we pulled into the parking lot of her studio. “I’ll get you a key to my flat on my way home.” Eyes wide, lips parted, Jade stared at me in shock. Leaning forward, I cupped her cheek in one palm and caressed her bottom lip with my thumb. “I’d love it if you stayed the night again.”
Jade’s eyes smoldered, and she leaned into my hand. “I don’t have anything to wear tomorrow,” she argued, weakly.
“We can stop by your place to grab a few clothes when I pick you up tonight.”
“A few clothes?” she asked.
I smiled, making it clear that my words did indeed mean what they implied.
“Okay,” she whispered.
I leaned in and kissed her, deeply, hiding none of the feelings she inspired in me. “See you soon, my darling.”
“See ya,” Jade said, with an oddly shy smile before getting out of the car.
I watched her walk towards the large, high tech building with tall glass windows, her short skirt swaying around her beautiful legs. Only once Jade had entered the building did I turn the car around and allow my seething rage to show. The black car had stopped along the sidewalk, parking three cars from the parking lot’s entrance. Although it tried to remain inconspicuous, they couldn’t escape my notice now that I’d become aware of them.
I knew who they were but couldn’t help wondering what they wanted and why the fuck they would stalk my mate. Driving off the highway to the city outskirts, I pulled into the parking lot of an old, abandoned factory. Parking dead in the center, I got out of the car and stood with my hands clasped behind my back, waiting. The black car slowed down as it approached the building, the driver appearing to hesitate before agreeing to put an end to this charade and turning into the parking lot. The car stopped ten meters from me, two men stepping out of the vehicle.
I immediately recognized the younger of the two men; the same one who’d worn the flat cap at the mall. My hackles raised at the malevolent energy thrumming around him. He had a dark soul. The emotions and desires he broadcast, although unclear to me, had a slimy feel to them. In direct contrast, the driver, a male in his late forties, early fifties, exuded an aura of calm, strength, and honorability that, if not for his companion’s toxic presence, would have put me at peace. About six-foot-four, physically fit, dark brown hair with a sprinkle of grey and a clean-shaven square jaw, he epitomized the perfect secret agent, or in this case, Man in Black.
“Greetings, Mistwalker,” the older male said, removing his sunglasses, revealing deep blue eyes framed by unexpected smile wrinkles. “I am Agent Thomson, and this is my partner, Agent Wilkins,” he added, gesturing towards the younger man.
Wilkins sneered, the contempt—no, more like disgust—on his face unmistakable. Repressing my anger and the violent sentiments he stirred within me, I focused my attention on Agent Thomson.
“Kazan Dale,” I said as introduction. “But then, I’m sure you already knew that.”
“Of course, we do, demon,” Wilkins spat out.
“Wilkins,” Agent Thomson said, the warning unmistakable despite his calm tone.
Wilkins sniffed but kept quiet.
“Why are you stalking me? More importantly, why are you stalking my mate?”
Wilkins snorted then cast his eyes down and clenched his jaw under the hard stare from his senior partner.
“We are trying to understand why you linger here.”
Thomson’s brutal honesty pleased me. I’d feared he would beat around the bush and play the mental games the authorities seemed to enjoy all too often when dealing with suspects.
“You incarnated in this form two days after the last Mist,” Thomson said, gesturing at my human vessel, “and made contact with your woman the day after. That’s almost a month ago now. Your kind usually takes their chosen back to the Mist Plane within the 72 hours. But not you. What are your intentions?”
I crossed my arms over my chest and lifted my chin in defiance.
“Why is that any of your concern? I have done no wrong.”
“No wrong, my ass!” Agent Wilkins interjected. “There are two human men in a vegetative state who would strongly argue with that statement, if they could, demon.”
“I am no demon,” I said dismissively. “What makes you think I have anything to do with those men’s condition?”
“We have cameras pretty much everywhere in the city since the Mist,” Thomson said, matter-of-fact. “We acknowledge the first attack as self-defense, but you coming back to drain them when they were already down doesn’t qualify as such.”
I shrugged. “They’d drained me. I needed to replenish my reserves so as not to be forced back to the Mist.”
“Where you belong,” Wilkins said.
We both ignored him.
“Be that as it may,” Thomson said in a reasonable tone, “you can’t go around draining humans whenever you run low.”
“Nor have I,” I said, growing tired of this discussion. “I only care about one thing; my Jade. If you’ve been stalking us as much as I now believe you have, then you’ll know we have broken no laws and stirred no trouble. We just want to be left alone and lead a normal life.”
“Then take her to your world,” Thomson said, his tone halfway between commanding and pleading.
“Jade will not want to leave her sister,” I said, running my hand through my hair. “I would love nothing more than to just take her to my realm, but her happiness comes before anything else. If she wishes to spend her human lifespan in the Mortal Plane, I will adapt to this world to be by her side. And when the time of her passing comes, I will take her across the Veil and into the Mist.”
Agent Thomson slowly nodded his head, a glint akin to respect in his eyes. “You love her.”
It wasn’t a question.
“With everything that I am,” I said.
Wilkins snorted and rolled his eyes.
“Get back in the car, Wilkins,” Thomson said, his voice icy.
“What?” Wilkins asked, outraged.
“Get in the fucking car,” Thomson snapped.
I repressed a smile and the urge to shove my fist down the obnoxious jerk’s throat. With a huff and a venomous glare in my direction, Agent Wilkins turned on his heels and got back into the car, slamming the door with a bit too much force.
“Forgive him,” Thomson said. “He’s a rookie and an ex-cop who recently joined the squad. His baby sister ‘died’ six years ago in one of those Mist Pacts. He refuses to admit she went of her own free will, that she chose a ‘demon’ over her family.”
“Is that how you see us?” I asked. “Demons?”
“Some of you definitely are,” Agent Thomson said without aggression or
blame in his voice. “And when they are set loose in the population, they wreak serious havoc and bring tragedy to many innocent humans.”
I didn’t doubt his words. Some of the Mistwalkers were born of nightmares, driven by the single-minded need to hurt and feed off the terror of their victims, leaving dried up husks behind.
“For that idiot and me,” he said gesturing with his head at Wilkins inside the car, “it is our job to send those monsters across the Veil and clean up their mess to avoid creating panic among the citizens. Ignorance is bliss.”
I nodded slowly. “I am not one of them. You know that I follow your human laws, pay my taxes, and stir no unrest among your people.”
“I believe you, which is why we’re talking to begin with instead of fighting,” he said with a slight smirk. “Note that if you choose to remain in our world, your fake IDs will only take you so far. Anyone who scratches the surface a bit deeper will realize you came into this world, a full grown adult, nine years ago.”
I snorted and shook my head. “A situation you could remedy on my behalf, should you choose to,” I said with a sliver of sarcasm.
“If I chose to,” he confirmed, matter-of-fact.
“Your conditions?” I asked, hooking my thumbs in the back pockets of my pants.
“Keep your nose clean. Keep your woman happy. And above all, no more draining humans.” Agent Thomson cast a distracted glance at Agent Wilkins, shifting with visible impatience inside the car. “Don’t be a problem for me, and I won’t be one for you either.”
“Easy enough,” I said, keeping my face neutral to hide the extent of my relief. “But you stay away from my woman,” I continued with a sterner tone. “Jade is not a threat to anyone. You and your people will not stalk, harass or intimidate her in any way, shape or form. Any of you have an issue, you come to me. She is to be left alone, or we will have a problem.”
