Octavian's Undoing (Sons of Judgment)

by Airicka Phoenix

  “I won’t hurt you,” he panted into her swollen lips. “I need you to believe that.”

  She nodded, her ragged breath drummed through the room. “I do.”

  His mouth went to her neck, to where the little pulse should have been beating in time to her heart rate. “You smell like sin,” he told her, nibbling on the curve of her jaw. “And addiction.” He growled deep in his throat. “God, I’m addicted to you.”

  “Don’t pull away this time,” she whispered against his mouth, her hands going to the elastic band of his sweats.

  It was on the tip of his tongue to laugh. Nothing short of a nuclear explosion was getting him off her now. She was wiggled herself beneath him, trapping him between her knees and he forgot everything else.

  Leaving the warmth of her arms for only a moment, he drew back just long enough to shed his clothes. He went to her next, bunching her nightgown and liberating her of the material. He feasted on her with his eyes, with his hands, with his mouth. He left no inch of her undiscovered by him. He built and shattered her until her incoherent begging echoed through the room, through his soul and only then did he gather her wet, trembling body into his arms and sink home into the velvety sheath of her body.

  Mingled sounds of pleasure rang like an age old melody through the night. Greedy hands and desperate lips sank claim over every expanse of bared skin. Names were whispered as fingers raked over sweat kissed skin. The night flickered and danced, panting over the entwined couple lost in the sea of their own existence. Nothing else existed but shimmering light in the distance beckoning them to shore. Euphoric bliss wove over tensed bodies as earth shattered around them in their release.

  Long after the sweat had gelled on their skin, they lay entwined in a slack tangle of arms and legs, of slow kisses and soft sighs. Riley smiled up at him and he swore he could conjure the whole world at that moment.

  “I love you,” he murmured, meaning it from the bottom of his very heart and soul.

  Her smile widened as she swiped damp curls off his brow. “Good. It wouldn’t feel right if I was the only one.”

  He nipped at her finger playfully, making her squeak. “Brat.”

  Grinning, he dragged them both onto their sides and fumbled for the sheets tangled by their feet. He covered her, cocooning her in the material and his arms. She burrowed into him, a kitten seeking heat and in that moment he swore that he would find a way to protect her, even if he had to sell his soul to the devil himself to make it happen.

  It was nearly dawn when Octavian was awakened from a deep sleep by a pair of soft, moist lips roaming his chest. He was super, painfully alert when said lips paved a determined path down the center of his abdomen to places that hurt like nobody’s business in excitement for the attention it was being shown under small hands.

  “Are you awake, Octavian?” a soft, seductive voice whispered in the dark.

  Oh yeah, he was awake. “Uh huh,” he breathed, nearly panting. “What are you doing?”

  “Waking you up,” the voice purred just before she did things he swore someone who looked so innocent shouldn’t know a damn thing about. Hell, he knew first hand of said innocence. Yet she’d captured him in some weird limbo between absolute torture and heart stopping pleasure. And it never even crossed his mind at the time to worry about the fangs.

  Where in the world… did it even matter? He was sure he’d implode if she stopped now to answer his so very unimportant question. No way. He wasn’t saying a word.

  This went on for several minutes; sometimes moving with the slowest pace imaginable until he was certain he’d go mad if she didn’t hurry. Other times, she worked him so hard, he was certain he’d embarrass himself if she didn’t stop. But just when he was ready to cry out in frustration, the witch pulled away.

  His whimper was met with a giggle as she moved lithely up his body and showed him just what an amazing teacher he was. Her hiss of pleasure nearly killed him as her head fell back, her hair a crimson waterfall spilling down her back. Her body arched as he filled her, a goddess rising from the tides.

  “Touch me,” she whispered in a voice made for this moment.

  “Show me,” he said, setting his hands on her hips. “My hands are at your service.”

  She did and he made good on his promise. He took everything she offered with both hands. He dosed her body in gasoline and let her light the match and go up in flames. And God did she burn beautifully.

  It took most of his control not to flip her onto her back and set them both ablaze over and over again. It took all his strength to let her take control, let her set the pace, let her drive them both insane as she discovered her bodies’ wants.

  When she shuddered with his name a sob on her lips, he was there to catch her collapsed body. Only then did he grant himself release with her tiny whimpers piloting him.

  Sated, sleepy and grinning like an idiot, he pulled the sheets back around them for a second time that night, tucked her into his arms, and without a word, they drifted back to sleep.

  Chapter 50

  She was gone. He knew it even before he opened his eyes, before he sent his hand out across the great expanse of cold sheets. He groaned as his fingers curled into emptiness. His eyes opened, and blinked as he surveyed the room. Everything looked the same, which momentarily made him question his sanity. There was no way his imagination was creative enough to conjure his night with her. He was certain it had happened. Hadn’t it?

  Sitting up, he raked one hand through his hair as he used the other to throw back the sheets. Nope. Not a dream. So where was his blushing bride? Wasn’t there a rule that they were supposed to stay in bed all day on their honeymoon?

  Still upset about waking up alone, he stumbled into the bathroom for a shower, a quick shave and fresh clothes. By the time he jogged downstairs, he felt more awake and less grumpy.

  Gorje inclined his head as Octavian passed. Octavian gave him a wave and padded into the dining area. One sweep of the room. No Riley. But Reggie and Gideon were there, playing cards, or more like, Gideon cheating at cards and Reggie falling for it.

  “Hello dear brother,” Gideon said, tossing down a four of clubs. “Didn’t think we’d be seeing your face today. Misplace something?” he asked when Octavian did another survey of the room.

  “Where’s Riley?”

  “Ah, you’re lovely wife is outback with Magnus. He’s teaching her to hunt.”

  Octavian frowned. “Why didn’t they wait for me?”

  Gideon and Reggie exchanged smirking glances. “Something about you being tired.” Gideon rolled his tongue over his teeth. “Was she too much for you?”

  Octavian flipped him the bird and left the room with his brother’s riotous laughter following him back into the kitchen.

  “Boss?” Gorje’s gruff baritone interrupted his progress into the back.

  Octavian stopped and glanced at the Raver, then at the cleaver fisted in his meaty grasp and raised an eyebrow. “Did I do something special to offend you today?”

  Gorje blinked, glanced down at the knife, set it aside. “We’re out of dead man’s tongue.”

  He frowned. “We haven’t been open in two weeks, how are we out of anything?”

  The look the other man gave him could only be construed as dry disbelief. “Your momma sent the rest home with me for the misses. She thought they might expire on the account that she wasn’t sure when you’d reopen.”

  Octavian nodded. “I’ll let Magnus know when he gets back.”

  Gorje glanced in the direction of the back. “He went off with that human girl.”

  “Riley,” Octavian offered.

  “Bad idea, boss.” He put up his hands before Octavian could respond. “I don’t judge, but humans are bad news all around. Trouble.” He turned back to the stove, shaking his head.

  It was probably not what Gorje meant when he said trouble, but Octavian’s mind instantly went to his previous night with Riley and a grin that would have gotten his mouth washed ou
t with soap when he was younger spread over his face. Yeah, she was totally trouble. The really good kind.

  He was still standing there smirking idiotically to himself when the back door opened and Magnus walked in. He held the door open for Riley to pass through. One look into her face and Octavian knew something was wrong. There was a slump in her shoulders and the corners of her mouth were drawn into little lines. What more, she was covered in filth. Twigs, leaves and clumps of dirt clung to her clothes, and knotted in her hair. There were scratches on her cheek and her hands were bleeding.

  “Riley?”

  Her head came up and if possible her shoulders slumped even further until they were nearly at her knees. “I’m a horrible Vampire.” One stumbling step forward, she collided into his chest, face first where she stayed. “I quit.”

  Magnus, who looked as clean and put together as ever, shrugged, smacked him on the back and started for the diner, saying over his shoulder, “Good luck, dude. There’s no helping her.”

  Bemused, he took her lightly by the arms and nudged her back a step. “What happened?”

  She looked so crushed that it wrenched his heart. “I couldn’t kill anything. I caught a rabbit and…”

  “It reminded her of Bambi.” Magnus had returned and stood leaning against the counter biting into a red apple.

  Octavian frowned. “Wasn’t Bambi a deer?”

  “Thumper!” Magnus and Riley said simultaneously.

  Who? He figured it was safer not to ask. “It was your first day. You can’t be expected to do it in one day.”

  “Oh, no, no,” Magnus said. He pointed a finger at Riley. “Tell him the rest.”

  Octavian turned back to Riley, who winced.

  “I caught a squirrel.” She dropped her gaze. “It reminded me of Arthur.”

  He looked at Magnus. “Who?”

  “Sword in the Stone!” Riley said. “When he turns…” At his blank stare, she sighed. “Never mind. I can’t kill things. I’m not a killer. I’ve decided to just…” She waved her arms. “I dunno, shrivel up and whatever.”

  Suppressing his twitching lips, Octavian patted her on both shoulders. “Okay, here’s the plan. One, no more movies with cute, talking animals for you. Two, we’re going to keep at it until you do it. Three, no shriveling up allowed.” He looked her over. “So why are you so… dirty?”

  Magnus burst out laughing, almost choking on a chunk of apple he’d been chewing.

  Riley sent him a harsh glare before answering, “I may have fallen a few times.”

  “A few?” Magnus pounded a fist against his chest, clearing his pipes. “You should have seen her. She was like a kid trying to catch frogs. She kept lunging after things and missing.”

  “Hey, I caught the rabbit like that!” she reminded him.

  “Yeah, because the stupid thing ran into a fucking tree.” He wiped a tear away. “It was the most insane thing I’ve ever seen.”

  “Okay, lay off,” Octavian muttered, being a wise man and containing his own grin. “She did pretty good for her first time, I think.”

  Magnus snorted, pushing off the counter. “You better say that if you ever want to get laid again.”

  He was gone before Octavian could throw something at him. He turned his focus on Riley instead. He rubbed her arms.

  “You’ll get it. Magnus was probably not the person you should have taken with you though.”

  She pouted. “That’s what Gideon said, but… Magnus is the only one here who doesn’t treat me with kiddie gloves and… I really do want to learn.”

  He leaned in and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “I understand. But I’m here if you need me and I promise to keep the kiddie gloves at home.”

  She grinned and returned the kiss but to his chin. “Thanks.” She drew back. “I’m going to take a shower.”

  He watched her walk away and only when she was out of sight did he snicker, shaking his head. He walked into the dining area to find all three of his brothers around the table, but only Reggie and Gideon playing. Magnus was content sitting there taunting Reggie for every loss. Octavian took the free chair.

  “Want in?” Gideon asked, dealing.

  Octavian shook his head, reaching over instead to steal a chip out of the bowl in the middle of the table. “Nope. Don’t trust you.”

  Gideon gasped. “I am offended.” But the smirk on his face told a whole other story.

  Reggie picked up his cards, fanned them out and sulked. “I swear there are no aces in this deck.”

  “’Course there isn’t,” Magnus said, flicking a chip at him. “They’re all up Gideon’s sleeves.”

  Kicking his twin, Gideon held up his hands. “No sleeve, bitches.”

  Magnus snorted. “Like that’d stop you.”

  Gideon ignored him. “How’d training go?”

  “I haven’t laughed so hard since… well, ever,” Magnus answered. “The girl can’t catch shit and when she does, she gets all, aww, look at it, Magnus! I can’t kill it… it’s too cute.”

  “Give her a break,” Reggie murmured distractedly, brows furrowed as he adjusted his hand. “She wasn’t born a hunter.”

  “She’s human. That’s exactly what they were born being.”

  “This isn’t the cowboy and Indians era,” Gideon said. “No one has to hunt for their meal anymore.” He dropped a card onto the table. “Now they just walk to the store.”

  “I miss those days,” Reggie said, looking up. “There was so much… world, back then. I mean, Earth seemed like an endless place.”

  “I miss the sixties,” Gideon said. “That was an era full of really fun, happy people. It was all about the love man.”

  Reggie and Octavian laughed. Magnus snorted.

  “I miss the Victorian era,” Octavian said. “It was all about manners and chivalry, even for the humans.”

  “And pretty little virgins behind their fans,” Gideon added. “I hear ya.”

  Octavian rolled his eyes. “You were more into the defiling of every demonness within poking distance.”

  “And poke.” He tossed down a card with flourish. “I did… sometimes more than once.” He grinned and wiggled his eyebrows.

  Magnus turned to Octavian. “And what were you into, dear brother, because I recall very vividly quite a few weeping she-demons over the loss of their hearts.”

  “And virginities,” Reggie added, smirking.

  Octavian shot his brothers droll glowers. “Those days are over.”

  “Those days were over hundred and seventy-six years ago,” Gideon said. “Now the only place you can find a virgin is on eBay.”

  “They still sell those there?” Magnus said, wrinkling his nose.

  Gideon shook his head. “She-Demon Mail Order. They post all those she-demons they swear are still virgins, but you can’t trust those.”

  Magnus curled his lip. “Disgusting.”

  “Hey, she-demons are amazing in bed.” Gideon glanced sideways at his brother. “You know you’re awfully picky for a guy without very many options. It’s either a she-demons, fey, strigoi—”

  “Shifters,” Reggie chimed.

  Gideon nodded in agreement. “Shifters, wares.” He shrugged. “Okay so you have a few options, but what’s with you and demons?”

  “I got my reasons,” Magnus said with a shrug. “I’d rather have my member dipped in battery acid than go near one of them.”

  Everyone at the table grimaced at the visual.

  “Thanks for the visual,” Gideon muttered, shifting in his seat. “Totally needed that.”

  Magnus said nothing.

  “So where’s Riley?” Reggie asked, setting a card down over Gideon’s.

  “Shower,” Octavia murmured, popping another chip into his mouth.

  All three brothers stopped and turned to him.