by D. R. Rosier
It was the twenty second sword stroke that kept going and impaled the bastard in the chest. I stopped singing, and looked around at all the horrified humans, half of them with their cell phones out taking video.
I sighed, so much for subtle.
“Hannah.”
She turned her head, and then raised an eyebrow.
“Four to three.”
She snickered.
I dug into my pocket and pulled out my phone to call the cops, and to call Scott. I also put my weapons away.
We were back in the office by two, and both doing paperwork on the takedown. I’d also gone back into the apartment building before we left the area, to take pictures of those summoning circles, and Tony was doing some research. Those beetles had really freaked me out. Maybe I’d never have to face them again, but I wanted to know the rules.
They’d been summoned without sacrifice, is it because Jace had a deal with them already, or were they simply summoned without controls? I couldn’t figure out why anyone would willingly work with those creatures, but then not everyone could hear their horrifically discordant songs, how very wrong they were. Demons were a mockery of life, even down to their songs of life. Perhaps I, and other sirens more than anyone else, truly understood how a whole race, demons, could be pure evil. It was in their discordant nature, down to their very core.
In all though, it’d been a good day, and a fast takedown. I just wished I could have been there when Carol heard we’d gotten the bastard. Petty, I know, but I could be like that sometimes.
There was no doubt she knew, the press was back to singing our praises again, once they got over the shock of our very public violence, and they’d found out we’d taken out the serial killer.
I finished up the report of our takedown, and then made sure it was saved to the database. Scott would be notified, and he’d approve the payment. I leaned back in my chair and blew out a breath. I was showered and clean, but the usual after fight horniness still wasn’t there. I had a feeling that chitinous and putrid scent would be stuck in my nose for days, even if it was just in my head.
It had to be bad, if it even killed a siren’s libido.
The office was quiet as I got up and went to the breakroom. Lisa was still working on her report, and Tony was doing who knows what in his office. Research, spell work, or office stuff, I just knew his song was in his office. Cerise and Jeris were still out, although they’d probably be finishing up their afternoon ward enchantment soon.
I filled up my travel mug with coffee, and liberally added milk and sugar. It was probably absurd to drink coffee, I never slept, and I was never tired, not with the energy Lisa gave me during sex. But… I’d been a coffee addict for a long time, and it was habit. I liked coffee besides.
It also felt good to be in the office, which was strange for me. Not that the fight had spooked me that badly, I still enjoyed the challenge of it. It was just… the office was a safe place, and my magic lingered and stretched out, filling it up to the ward lines. I could feel everything in the place I called home, with the exception of the magic free bubble around Tony, so he wouldn’t feel my magic. It was oddly relaxing, now that I was away from my desk and reports anyway. Was that my dragon instincts, a home lair or something?
Lisa and I had built a good business, and home. There was a certain satisfaction in that.
I sipped my coffee, and I tried to enjoy the moment. I also really hoped I’d be over the fight by tonight, not wanting to hear Lisa scream my name in ecstatic pleasure after a fight was just… unnatural.
Chapter Five
“Good morning, what do we have?”
We were all in the conference room. Tony seemed a little nervous this morning, and I took a sip of my coffee and tried not to think too hard on why that might be. I thought way too much nowadays. The icky feeling from the fight had eventually passed yesterday, and after last night with Lisa I was ready for a new day. Lisa also had a cup of coffee, as did Tony. Neither Cerise nor Jeris drank the stuff.
Tony said, “Jeris should be happy, no ward job today. There was a breakout in the early hours of the morning from a prisoner transport bus in route between the prison and the court house. Two of the inmates escaped, both are still undergoing trial. Eugene Williams, a mage, and Ted Carver, a wolf shifter. We’ve been tasked to bring them back in to finish their trials. If you don’t object, Cerise and Jeris can go after the mage.”
Lisa waved a hand, “That’s fine.”
Tony nodded, “The files are available on the system.”
Lisa quipped, “Fast meeting, anything else going on we should know about?”
Tony, Cerise, and Jeris all exchanged nervous and curious glances.
I frowned, “What’s going on?”
Jeris cleared his throat, “Normally, I wouldn’t even mention it, but I don’t think it’s about me. I was approached yesterday after our ward job.”
Cerise interjected, “We were approached.”
Jeris nodded, “We were both offered higher salaries, and an unusually large signing bonus, if we went to work for Carol Martin. I found that very strange, considering I’d already burned that bridge down.”
Fuck. I felt a surge of rage go through my body that was completely out of proportion to what I should feel in a situation like that. I was literally seeing red, and I wanted to raze that bitch’s life to ashes. It took me a moment to get a grip on the shockingly powerful emotions and realize it was my dragon side. I saw Tony, Jeris, and Cerise as mine. That realization brought me up short, and it short-circuited my anger as I felt guilt and confusion.
They didn’t belong to me.
Well, wasn’t that wonderful, not. My siren side wanted to enslave men and make them my sex slaves, and my dragon side wanted to outright own people. It was… disturbing, but I knew better, I didn’t own anyone.
Jeris continued after a moment, “As I’ve already told you, I burnt that bridge long ago.”
Cerise laughed, “Blew up the fucking bridge you mean, if I remember right. Carol doesn’t like me either. Like he said, normally we’d have just blown it off, it’s personal business after all, but we both think it isn’t about us at all. Carol Martin is coming after you. My guess is she wants to see you closed down.”
Tony cleared his throat, “They made me an offer as well, and similarly, my only interview with them several months ago went very badly. They wouldn’t hire me because I won’t work in the field. I hung up on them after telling them what I thought of them, but I hadn’t planned on mentioning it until we were in private, until now I mean.”
Lisa asked, “So, none of you plan on taking it?”
Jeris laughed, “Hell no. I enjoy coming into work, you two are great to work for, and while wards every day are getting old I enjoy the… atmosphere of our workplace. That bitch couldn’t pay me enough to come work for her again.”
Cerise nodded in agreement, and so did Tony.
Tony said, “I agree with Cerise, she wants to shut down the competition.”
Lisa and I exchanged glances. For most new security companies hiring a whole new staff, and then going through getting them approved with the government would severely damage the bottom line. For us, it wouldn’t have been nearly as effective, not with Lisa’s almost endless cash reserves. Still, I was pissed, and I had no idea what to do about it. She hadn’t actually done anything illegal, it was just… shitty.
It wasn’t against the law to be a bitch. I also reminded myself it was against the law to murder the skank.
I nodded, “Alright, thank you for your loyalty. Keep an eye out for anything shady, I doubt this was more than her first move. It wouldn’t have been enough to put us out of business, so it was probably just meant to put us off balance. Even you all telling her no, has an effect on our team if we let it.”
Lisa said, “Agreed. Our doors are always open. We’ll also return that loyalty, so if Carol somehow causes problems for any of you please let us know. For now, let’s get to work. We’v
e got a spell caster and mutt to track down.”
The meeting broke up then, Cerise and Jeris left the room already chatting about Eugene. Tony stood up, and still looked a little nervous as he walked out, which worried me a bit. Not only did I not want to lose him as an office manager and our internal mage for wards and enchantments, it would make seducing him harder.
Sometimes I had a one-track mind.
“You alright?”
Tony turned, and nodded with a faint smile, “Fine. Just… I really like this job, and Carol Martin has a lot of contacts and knows all the tricks.”
I nodded, “Don’t worry so much, Hannah’s a bitch too, and a lot older and more experienced than Carol. Any progress on the research I requested?”
Tony looked over at Lisa, who was smirking at me, then looked back to me.
“I have a few things, I should have a lot more by tonight.”
Lisa said, “You should join us for dinner tonight then, unless you have plans?”
I felt a tingle between my legs, was Lisa moving to the seduction part of the plan? We hadn’t really talked about it recently. It did seem that we were growing our friendship with Tony the last two months, and that things had been going well. That’s why his nervousness a minute ago had been bothering me so much, I’d thought we were in a more comfortable place than that.
He shook his head, “No plans, where did you have in mind?”
Lisa smiled, “How about our apartment?”
He looked surprised for a moment, and I heard his heartrate spike.
“That works, should I bring anything?”
Lisa shook her head, “I’ll cook.”
He nodded, and said, “I’ll see you then,” and then ducked out.
I looked at Lisa and raised an eyebrow.
She winked at me, which told me all I needed to know.
I was shocked at the butterflies in my stomach, but not so much at my tingling body…
We drove out of the city, Lisa of course was driving as usual. I only got to drive if I was paired with Jeris or Cerise, which was fine with me. It was only a half hour after the meeting had ended, and we’d gone over the case file. The breakout was deliberate, not an accident, and it was accomplished with magic. Because of that, we found it likely that the breakout was specifically for Eugene, and Ted had just taken advantage of an opportunity. No one had been breaking him out, not on purpose anyway.
Ted Carver was up on drug charges. He wasn’t an alpha, nor was he on the weak end of the spectrum. His pack had a large parcel of land outside of the city itself, several hundred acres, as well as a large enough ranch house to house the pack. According to the file the pack was twelve strong. Reading between the lines of the case, the whole pack was involved in the drug trade, but Ted had been tasked with taking the fall to keep the others free and clear. Of course, there was no proof of that.
That would imply he wouldn’t have gone home to the pack. That would just endanger the pack and put them under greater scrutiny, and perhaps get them arrested for harboring a fugitive. Except, his mate Sandra was also in the pack, so we thought it was reasonable to check anyway. Wolves mated for life, and Sandra had already given Ted a few conjugal visits during the trial. If the guy planned on running, maybe he’d try to take Sandra with him. It was a bit confusing though, because if he was really covering for his pack and for his mate, then why did he run in the first place? Pack loyalty was absolute, in most cases, and an alpha wouldn’t hesitate to sacrifice one to safeguard the whole. Nor would one of the pack hesitate at protecting his or her own by taking a fall.
“I feel like we’re missing a piece of the puzzle.”
Lisa glanced over, and then looked back at the road.
“Several pieces I’d imagine, this pack is dirty.”
I nodded, “I’m just saying, it doesn’t fit that he’d run, not with what we know.”
Lisa said, “We’ll figure it out, or we won’t. I don’t necessarily care, as long as we catch him we’ve done our job, and get paid.”
I tilted my head, “That works for me too, but the unknown can bite us in the ass.”
Lisa grinned, “That’s the fun part.”
I smirked, “So, what’s the plan for tonight?”
Lisa tilted her head, and asked in faux innocence, “What do you mean, Ari?”
I rolled my eyes, and changed the subject, “You know I almost lost it, when I found out Carol was trying to steal our people.”
Lisa nodded, “I scented it, Cerise probably did too. Bad dragon.”
I giggled.
Lisa said, “I don’t know, let’s play tonight by ear. We’ll both know if it’s time to close the deal or not. I’m pretty sure it’s going to happen though, if not tonight some other night, soon.”
“Really?”
My heart was pounding like a virgin girl before her first date. What the hell was wrong with me? Did I like him that much? It was hard to sort it all out. My dragon saw him as mine, my siren wanted to fuck his brains out, and my human upbringing made me want to fall for him. I’d barely been getting a hold on my true non-bitchy siren nature once Lisa had started to feed me correctly as far as sexual energy, and now my dragon instincts were thrown in and made it all… confusing.
I wanted him to be ours, and happy with the impossible. What man would be happy with coming in third in a threesome? I wanted to own him, both as a siren and dragon. And… there was that kinky and submissive side, that wanted to be taken and ravished, and that made me desire to be on my knees for him. I wanted to please him. Wanted was too tame a word, I achingly desired it, longed for it.
I’d lost count of the amount of times I’d fantasized about asking him what his fantasies about me where while he was jerking off, and then acting them out. Shockingly, the more submissive the position he put me in, in my fantasy I mean, the more turned on I got.
Lisa was mine, but I wanted her to take control, and order me to pleasure him. What the fuck was wrong with me, and what was I becoming? I wasn’t a slut, not really, not for everyone. But… for the people in my life that I cared about, I was turning into a wanton submissive. It was all… confusing, and contrary. Like my instincts were pulling me in two directions.
It was ridiculous, I was a siren, and very experienced, but it also felt like I was in the midst of a sexual awakening, in my twenties. That… was absurd, but also true. Like… my awakening and growing dragon side was affecting and changing my libido, and my desires. A literal second sexual awakening.
Even then, in that moment in the car, I knew Lisa could scent my arousal and desire, which both embarrassed and thrilled me at the same time. I felt… naughty, sexy, and confused. I wasn’t sure about a lot of things. I wanted to give in to all of my desires.
Lisa replied, “Yes. You’ve smelled his scent. But you haven’t seen the looks of longing he gives you though, when he thinks we aren’t paying attention.”
That was true enough, but it still bothered me that I wanted the impossible. Maybe I just needed to accept that friends with benefits was the best I could get, and that it would always be transient. At most, the men in my life that joined Lisa and I could only be around for a short time. A year or two at most, before they would want more, and things fell apart. Lisa would always come first, and I would for her, which was a thing.
It wasn’t lost on me that it was hypocritical either. Any man satisfied with such an arrangement indefinitely would be too shallow to both me and Lisa. I wanted more than just cock, I wanted a close friendship, yet not an equal romantic entanglement to what Lisa and I had. It was driven by the shallow siren drive and need to have cock in my life. The only part that wasn’t shallow from my end, was I wanted a deep caring friendship with that person, and one that was returned in equal intensity. The problem of course was that kind of thing wasn’t static, that was a mid-step in a relationship, either it went forward or backward from there, so it would always be doomed.
Still, that didn’t stop me from wanting to find that,
a close friend with benefits that wouldn’t get all confused with the sex part.
That, more than any of my other confused inclinations, was what I needed to come to peace with, and just enjoy my life with Lisa. As for the rest of it, none of it really bothered me all that much, I just needed to work it out in my head. The idea of being Lisa’s sex toy for instance, or submissive to her when we were with a man, didn’t really bother me. On the contrary, it made me hot just thinking about it. I just needed to work it out in my head, and only time and experience would do that.
Of course, it was more than just my sex life, it was other things too. Like the frustration of not being able to be a dragon, fly above my city, or use magic outside the office. I was long used to the frustration of having to self-teach myself magic, and I thought I was doing pretty good there. On the other hand, I was sure I was missing simple things I just hadn’t thought of, both as a siren and dragon.
Wait, back up. My city? My mind backed up to that simple claim in my head. It was a simple, but profound thought. My inner dragon had claimed Corpus Christie as hers.
I liked the sound of that, but it wasn’t something I could ever do, publically claim it as mine I mean.
I’d figure it out, and I also thought I’d be mostly happy with who I was. But… there’d always be things that bothered me. Hiding from other dragons, and the transient nature of my relationships with men in my life were the biggest on that list. I didn’t really have a choice on either though. Dragons would kill me, and I couldn’t live without dick, nor could I make it a level relationship. Which… was just how it was.
Even if those two things bothered me on some level, I needed to learn to be at peace with it, and to enjoy life. At least, as much as I could.
