Discovering Aether

by Emily James Taylor

  “I have to sit down.” My words come out softly as I try to get a grasp on Casey’s words. Kevin walks forward, parts the crowd and leads us to some chairs along the back wall. Nolan sits down beside me, and while he tries to comfort me, I look around the room at the people my father ran away from.

  As I sit here and try to absorb all this information, a tall, Mediterranean looking man approaches us with a group of women. Nolan straightens in his chair.

  “Hello, Father,” Nolan says through clenched teeth. The man steps forward and my body suddenly goes tense. His power feels overwhelming.

  “Well Nolan, are you going to introduce us to our daughter in law? Parker has been talking non stop about her for a week.” I see Nolan’s hands grip the wooden chair handles, his knuckles are starting to turn white. Why would Parker have told them when Nolan asked him not to?

  “Parker has a big mouth. I was wanting to surprise you but I guess the cat’s out of the bag.” Nolan stops talking and stands in front of me, protectively.

  “Is something the matter, Nolan? Whether we found out tonight or earlier is of no consequence. I want to meet our future. After all, everyone will be ecstatic to hear that a new Aether has joined us tonight,” Thomas states.

  Nolan reaches back for my hand and pulls me from my seat and towards him. He wraps a protective arm around me and begins making introductions. The women around Thomas step forward. I get bad vibes from all of them except for a woman named Dawn. I’m pretty sure she’s Nolan’s birth mother, especially with the warmth in Nolan’s voice as he introduced her. While Vicki, Jackie and Tamara give me their hands to shake, Dawn steps forward and embraces me with a hug. While I smelled snow from Hadley earlier, Dawn smells like fresh mowed grass and sunflowers. Tamara has to be a Water elemental because I can’t hear her power buzzing, she pulls a man forward who has a light cocoa brown skin.

  “Hi, I’m Nolan’s brother, Zachary,” the young man states.

  He must be Tamara and Thomas’s son. His skin is lighter than her beautiful ebony shade. Tamara looks at him with a deep adoration that makes me smile.

  Thomas comes back and stands with her while the others gather behind him. “So, should we continue to call you Adaline Jacobs or would you prefer Adaline Jones?” he asks.

  Before I can step forward and tell him to fuck off, Nolan pulls us away and calls over our shoulders to him, “We’re going to go dance, I’m sure we can continue this later, Pops.” I’m glad Nolan said something before I had the chance to open my mouth. I don’t want to embarrass them and I’m feeling overwhelmed with all this new information.

  Nolan leads us to the middle of the dance floor. He places one of my hands on his waist and the other on his shoulder and does the same with his on me. I’m too busy trying to calm myself after that intense interaction to ask him the steps, so I try to sway to the music as he twirls me around the floor.

  “He gives me the creeps, Nolan. I don’t think he actually said anything bad but all his words sounded like he was trying to rile you up,” I tell him, trying to relax myself. A shiver went up my spine when Thomas spoke, the goosebumps on my arms still haven’t receded from the encounter.

  Nolan chuckles deeply. “I was surprised he took that approach, I thought he would try to persuade you to stay here. His hatred for your father must have thrown him off his game. He always used to talk about Tobias Jones, they have been searching for him since I was younger. Your father has been around for a long time, he was on the council when Osiris was in charge but he wasn’t first seat. He actually tried to talk the Osiris leader, Jerome Travis, out of fighting with us. All of Horus was surprised when Tobias followed them. My father stepped up after that happened, told everyone the great Tobias Jones was a coward who couldn’t stand up to Jerome and that he would.” Nolan sighs, gathering his words. His hands at my waist are warm and comforting.

  “Tobias was supposed to be the last of his line and when he went missing, my father was thrilled. You see, your line carries a gene that makes Aethers pop up more; every generation has had a person who could manipulate it. My father’s family has only had it happen three times. I didn’t think even with Tobias missing, that you could be related to him, I just thought it was fluke. I mean, he left his four partners with Osiris when he disappeared, no one ever said he took a child with him. Everyone believed you died in childbirth. He disappeared right after, they assumed he was grieving and that he would return when he was ready. It’s a rare occurrence for any of our children to die in childbirth but it’s still possible. So nobody questioned it. He must have took you away for a reason, and hid your existence. I just don’t know why.” He sounds incredulous as he talks, he seems to be having as hard a time as me believing this.

  “You mean my mother is a part of Osiris and has no clue I exist?” I ask in astonishment. I always thought my mother abandoned me but I guess my father was the reason I never knew her. Why did he leave and take me with him and not her or the others? Nolan kisses me on my forehead and then rests his hand on my cheek. I lean my head into it, trying to pull as much comfort as I can from him. My mind whirls with thoughts of ‘what if’ and my heart is torn at how to feel about all of these new revelations. I hope my guys can help me figure all this out. I feel so overwhelmed.

  “I bet your mother will know about you once word gets out. I’m sorry I don’t remember her name, maybe Kevin does.” Nolan pulls me to him and embraces me, taking a deep breath. “I need to get out of here. We’re going to have to regroup, with Parker talking to my father, we can’t go back to the safe house with them. Do you mind going back up to the suite with me?”

  “Yes, please get me out of here.” I answer, not in the mood to stay down here any longer either.

  I follow him into the room. Leaning my hand on a wall, I pull heels off, thankful to be out of those god awful things. Nolan plops down in one of the chairs facing the windows. I would like to think that it would have been better for us to have stayed at the safe house in Philadelphia but we needed to be here. I never would have found out who my father truly was and that he could still be out there somewhere, as well as my mother. If we had stayed, we never would have known that Parker was untrustworthy either.

  Closing the distance between us, I climb into his lap, and place my hands on either side of his face. He grabs my left hand and pulls it to his mouth, kissing it tenderly.

  “I’m so sorry about tonight, Adaline. I know you wanted to find the other connections. I’m sure when Kevin comes back up, he’ll let us know what he thinks we should do. He’s probably not happy we left him alone down there.” Oh, I hope Kevin’s at least enjoying himself. Though honestly, I’m okay with not meeting my other partners right now, I’m still getting use to the two I have now.

  “I just can’t go back down there. Parker betrayed us. I knew my father would be a difficulty, but I knew it, I knew this party was about you. All these people who have no nuclei…” He sighs, looking up at the ceiling and speaks to it. “I’m sure they were invited because he was hoping for you to complete your quint tonight. I called it. I told Kevin earlier when the invites were sent out that someone was talking, but he wanted me to put that thought out of my mind. He wants to believe the best in everyone.” Nolan clenches his fists so tightly his knuckles turn white. He sighs again, this one more frustrated than earlier, and searches my eyes. I search his in return.

  “Nolan, what are we going to do? Where are we going to go?” He kisses me on the lips, it’s earnest and quick, but in that kiss, I can tell he has a plan, or at least the start of one.

  “We can go anywhere you want, Kevin and I have enough resources,” he tells me as he pulls away from my mouth. In this moment, I know where I want to go. Coney Island.

  He’s my Coney Island. I think I will be fine wherever we end up, as long as the man who smells like the ocean is right there beside me. I gaze into his soulful brown eyes that are staring right back at me. He and Kevin have shown me over these past few weeks that I can be open
and vulnerable and not have it used against me, that I can trust them. Parker just showed me that I still need to be cautious with who I let into my life.

  Could I live without this guy underneath me? Honestly, yes I could, but in this moment, I know that I will never have to. Just seeing how much he’s invested in us, enough so that no one else but Kevin and I matter to him, I know he’s the right person to keep in my life. I lean in to him, place my lips on his and move my hands down his chest. His response is instant. He parts my lips with his tongue, and I can taste the mint from his toothpaste. It kind of makes me glad that we had no time for food and drinks. I tangle my tongue with his and start to pull off his shirt with my shaking hands.

  As our faces pull apart his shirt comes off, and he starts to unzip the back of my dress slowly, but I need it off quicker. I lift both of my hands over my head so he can pull it off without me having to get off his lap. When I’m left with nothing but my matching black strapless bra and thong, he puts his hands on each of my butt cheeks and lifts me with him as he stands.

  Our mouths collide again as he walks us over to the bed and drops us down, where I end up laying on my back with his body hovering over me. I unzip his pants and pull his boxers down with them.

  As my hands start to explore his pecs and abs, I trail kisses down his neck to his collarbone. He slides his hand under my back, and I arch just like I did for Kevin. Nolan unclasps it and takes my bra and sends it flying. He pulls my head back towards his and kisses me senseless. Nolan’s hands slide down my sides, sending ripples of pleasure through me. He grips my thong and pulls it off of me with an urgency that I feel. His hardness presses against my folds and it’s sinfully sweet. We grind against each other, shifting, sighing and moving to the rhythm of our souls. I feel empty. The sensation from the friction, oh his cock makes me so wet. Bumping my hips, I push him onto his back and straddle his hips. I try to position him at my entrance but he grips my hips, his fingers digging into my flesh. Nolan flips us again, his hand cupping my face.

  “Are you sure about this? I don’t have any protection,” he asks, concern written on his face. He’s always protecting me, even from ourselves.

  “I didn’t think about that. I’m not on birth control, I’ve never had a reason to be... Can you check Kevin’s things?” I ask shyly, hoping I don’t sound too eager. I might be, but I want to appear controlled.

  Smirking, he pushes from the bed and walks across the room to the closet where the guys put their bags earlier. While he rummages through the bags, the sounds of zippers sliding open and closed, I try to figure out a sexy way to lay on the bed. I lean on my left side and bend my arm to rest on my elbow so I can support my head with my palm, and I bend my legs to the side but spread them enough so he can still get a peek of my waiting, ready, wet lips. He heads back over, a devilishly handsome smile on his lips and holds up a condom.

  “Looks like it’s our lucky day. You sure you still want do this?” he asks, his face full of hope, but his voice is riddled with indecision.

  “Come over here and fuck me.” I demand, winking at him seductively. That’s all the incentive he needs, he climbs onto the bed and over to me. I can’t help but stare at his dick, hard and ready for me. It looks a little shorter than Kevin’s maybe by an inch, but it’s definitely wider. The smoldering looks he keeps giving me sends more heat to my already dripping lips. He hovers over me, and I pull him closer, I already miss his kisses. His arm slides between us as he places the condom on his dick. He pushes my ass up to move me closer to the headboard. Nolan grabs my legs and wraps them around his head, leaving me to grip his shoulders while he readies himself at my entrance. Nolan runs his cock along my clit, I close my eyes and moan his name.

  He leans back, staring into my eyes… my soul. “I love you,” he whispers as he thrusts his hips forward. My world shatters as he settles his dick all the way inside me, his weight pushes my legs down onto me.

  “Ah,” I squawk in surprise. It hurts a little, I wasn’t expecting to take him all at once. But it’s more from shock than pain. I feel so stretched and tantalizingly full. He runs his fingers through my hair, trying to comfort me. I think he’s waiting for me to give him an indication that I’m okay.

  I kiss his throat. “I’m good,” I moan as I kiss my way to his ear. “Ride me,” I demand on a breathy whisper, needing more from him.

  Nolan pulls out slowly, sending my nerve endings tingling. He pushes his hips into mine and, oh god, it feels amazing. While I’m relieved that he’s being considerate of my first time, I want him to go faster. No, I need him to go faster.

  Running my nails down his chest, I tilt my hips, giving him more access to me. My hands find his back and move to his luscious ass. My fingers dig in tightly, pushing his hips into mine. He answers my unspoken pleas and thrusts deeper inside me, picking up the pace. His hand finds my clit and he pinches it.

  “Oh god, Nolan.” I’m so close, so very close. He switches to his thumb and rubs in small circles. His hips never stop thrusting, moving faster, sending me closer to my release. Nolan pounds into me as his finger flicks my clit. His pace stutters, I feel his dick swell and pulse.

  Nolan thrusts, grinding into me and I soar. Pleasure, mind blowing sensations wash over me, pushing me over the edge. I scream through my orgasm just as Nolan finds his own release.

  “Fuck,” he moans, collapsing into me. He rolls off of me. Nolan kisses my forehead and starts to get up. I grab his hand, stopping him. He looks back at me quizzically.

  “I love you too, Nolan,” I tell him. He turns back to me and descends quickly, kissing me with force but softens when he feels me kissing him back. My arms wrap around his shoulders but he pulls back.

  “I’m going to get a washcloth to clean you up. Just relax.” I throw my head back on my pillow. I probably look like a fool with all my grinning, but I can’t help it. That was a great way to lose my virginity. I’m probably going to hate myself in the morning when I’m sore but it was totally worth it. The night is finally looking up.

  Earlier this week, I thought that Kevin would be the one I would first have sex with, especially after knowing how active Nolan has been over the years and seeing that blond come out of his room at out first meeting. But Nolan changed my mind this week. He was the perfect one to lose my virginity to because I think he needed it more. He needed to know that I see who he truly is, not the guy who used sex and alcohol to fill his time before me, but as the guy who not only loves me but Kevin as well.

  When I found out I would have four partners, I didn’t believe it would work with someone as inexperienced as me, who didn’t grow up around this type of lifestyle. Thanks to Nolan and Kevin, I feel like two more guys will be a walk in the park.

  Nolan comes back and cleans me up. He settles into the bed, pulls me towards him, and slides the blankets over us. Shifting to my side, I position my body so my butt is up against his crotch and my knees are bent with his. I can’t believe I’ve become someone who likes to cuddle. My eyelids becoming heavy, I think a nap sounds good while we wait on Kevin to come up here. I search for Nolan’s hand with mine and intertwine our fingers, and close my eyes.

  “Nolan, Adaline you need to wake up,” I feel myself being shaken and I rub my eyes, sitting up. “Get some clothes on, we have to get out of here,” Kevin instructs us.

  How long did we sleep, is it already morning? Looking at the clock on the nightstand, it’s three minutes to two, still the middle of the night. I look up at Kevin who looks disheveled and confused.

  “Kevin, what the hell is going on?” It looks like Nolan’s awake.

  “I tried to get a feel from Naomi while I was down there, she had no idea about any of this. Neither did Lincoln, it was Cooper and Parker. I confronted them in the hall just outside of the ballroom. They told me that Thomas promised them that he would get them transferred here. I may have taken a few swings at them.” Kevin says pausing, he looks sheepishly away and continues, “I went to leave but stopped when I
heard your father talking in one of the meeting rooms. Thomas had some guards with him. He told them that if we tried to leave in the morning that they were to stop us, that Adaline was important and his son was putting false thoughts in her head. I tried to appear casual coming up the stairs but then I noticed the extra guards stationed around. I don’t know if I hid the surprise on my face well enough. We need to get out of here... now, while the dance is still going on,” he finishes in a huff, worry written on his face.

  Nolan shoots out of the bed and starts pulling clothes out of our bags. He throws some jeans, a white shirt, tennis shoes and my navy jacket at me. As I start pulling my clothes on, Nolan pulls on pants and shoes quickly, and throws a hoodie on, not even bothering to grab a shirt. In a rush, he begins rummaging through everything, along with Kevin. Chucking stuff into my bag. They leave the rest of suitcases in the closet. Nolan tosses my bag at me to catch. I guess they only want the essentials.

  “Let’s go,” Nolan states, the agitation clear on his face. “I know a back way out through the maid quarters. Come on.”

  Nolan opens the door to the hall slowly and peeks outside. Kevin puts a hand at my back, urging me to follow. Nolan takes a left, instead of a right towards the main stairway. At the end of the hallway is a door that reads ‘House Staff Only’. Nolan opens it and looks around before he walks through, I glance back at Kevin who nods for me to continue forward.