Shades of Darkness

by Nora Ash

  “I bet Lightning was unhappy,” he breathed.

  I grimaced, thinking back to Lightning’s flip-out in the mayor’s office when he’d discovered The Shade’s mark on my nape. “Yeah. He was pretty angry. But then he decided to claim me fully. Because he’d already put a preliminary mark on me, he was able to go through The Shade’s mark. And now I belong to both of them.”

  “That’s… you’re very lucky,” he said, and to my surprise, envy flickered in his brown eyes.

  I wasn’t sure I would use the term lucky to describe my current predicament, but I nodded nonetheless. Presumably, most humans who got marked by a supe would feel honored, given how the general public viewed them.

  “They don’t even have any other humans, do they?” my dining companion asked. “No one’s ever mentioned anything, and we hear most of what goes on in the supe world here.”

  It was nice to get my suspicions about the level of intel available in Mirome’s human quarters confirmed. I shook my head and took a few sips from the wineglass next to my mostly empty plate. “No, it’s just me.”

  “The sex must be amazing.”

  I coughed, taken by surprise by his brazen statement enough to choke on my wine.

  “I share Mirome with almost twenty other claimed humans, and he’s still almost too much for me to handle. Of course, it was different when I was a young man—but still. Being the only human to take on two supes’ needs… you must go through an awful lot of lube.”

  Blood heated my cheeks, undoubtedly coloring them as red as two shiny tomatoes. Maybe it was the norm for claimed humans to freely talk about private stuff like this. I cleared my throat and determinately avoided his curious gaze. “Ah, yeah… Um, so anyway… how long have you been with Mirome?”

  “Twenty years.” He smiled, pride reflecting in his eyes. “I was his third.”

  “Where’re the two first?” The question just slipped out, and judging from the frown on the servant’s lips, it wasn’t appreciated. He still answered me, though, seemingly not willing to lose his newest source of gossip despite my accidental rudeness.

  “They got replaced. As did the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth… you get the picture. He likes me the best, hence why I’m still here.”

  “You must be very important to him,” I agreed, hoping my attempt at placating him wasn’t too obvious. He was my best shot at trying to pump whatever information I could out of this so far pretty disastrous visit. “I can only hope my supes will treasure me as much in a few years.”

  Even though I told myself I was just playing into this guy’s supe-obsession, it still hurt to force the last part out. I didn’t exactly want to be anyone’s treasured pet, hoping that my services were appreciated enough to not get dumped like yesterday’s trash, nor did I feel all that warm and fuzzy about my connection to either man. The thought of them both with some woman’s legs wrapped around their hips made me want to gag, and anger fueled by hurt burned like acid in my veins.

  The servant sniffed, still eying me with a measure of hesitance. And pride. “Yes, I am. He trusts me and treats me almost like an equal.”

  I nodded, not bothering to ask why, if he was treated almost as Mirome’s equal, he was hanging out in the basement with the rest of us unworthy humans. This man had built his entire life around the superhuman who’d claimed him in his youth. Pointing out how, even though he may well be the favorite, he was still nothing more than a toy or a pet to his beloved master, would be cruel. I looked at his proud face with the fine lines he had tried to cover with makeup, and felt pity. Had he even had a choice, back when he was first claimed? Had he had an inkling that he wouldn’t be in charge of his own life ever again?

  A cold tremor made its way down my spine. Was this the future that was in store for me, too? I couldn’t deny that I felt myself drawn to both the two mysterious and dangerous men who had come into my life to claim possession over me, however much the rational side of me protested. How long would it be before my unhealthy crush developed into something a lot darker—something that would suck me in and never let me go again?

  And if I ever found that answer… would it even matter? Was I doomed from the moment I laid eyes on Lightning in that coffee shop?

  “He always leaves me in charge of the household when we have important guests,” my table buddy continued, drawing me out of my morose thoughts with a self-important sniff. “I certainly don’t know of any other marked humans who would have been allowed to speak in their supe’s presence during a visit from the mayor.”

  Ten

  “Wait, the mayor visited Mirome?” I just about managed not to gape at the man in front of me, in a last ditch-effort not to tip him off that he’d just handed out more than a bit of juicy gossip. My surprised gasp seemed to have done the trick, though, because the servant clamped up like an oyster, giving me a suspicious stare.

  “I am not at liberty to discuss my master’s guest list,” he said, managing to get more than a whiff of snootiness in there, despite the fact that he’d volunteered information about said guest list mere moments ago. “And if I may offer you some advice—if you are caught asking intrusive questions like this, your supes are going to get rid of you sooner rather than later.”

  This time, my mouth did drop open, though more from the nerve of him rather than surprise.

  Luckily for both of us, the door to the kitchen opened just then, revealing Lightning’s bulky mass. Behind him, I could just catch a glimpse of The Shade’s midnight-black suit.

  “Kathryn, we’re ready.”

  Despite the revelation that the mayor had visited The Shade’s and Lightning’s trusted friend’s house, the comment still reminded me of being picked up from daycare—which reignited my previous, gloomy thoughts about the girls they’d been offered and my future with the two.

  I gave Lightning a sullen look, but got up from the table nonetheless. Arguing with them now, or trying to bring up “The Talk,” while we were still at Mirome’s house would not be a smart choice. Even if I did have an irrational—and nearly insurmountable—desire to slap both of them. Hard.

  Lightning’s gloved hand closed around mine when I reached the door, encompassing it fully. He pulled me close to him the moment we were out in the dark hallway, letting me feel all his torso’s strong muscles through the suit fabric, he was holding me that tight.

  Another large hand closed around my shoulder, and I didn’t have to look behind me to know that it belonged to The Shade. It was odd, really—though jealousy was still tearing at me like a rabid dog, something about they way they touched me seemed so possessive, like maybe they had been as unhappy about our short separation as I was.

  Mirome was nowhere to be seen, and I assumed he had said his goodbyes to the two supes already and—clearly—didn’t see the need to see me off. I was just a human, after all.

  I frowned as I looked back at my dinner companion. I hadn’t asked his name, and he hadn’t offered it. As our eyes met, I knew it was because neither of us found it important. He was Mirome’s servant, the third human he had ever claimed. And that was all he was.

  I couldn’t help the wave of sadness for him as Lightning and The Shade led me through the hallway and out into the deserted alley that hid the entrance to their old teacher’s house, but there was nothing I could do to help him. And he would never let me, even if there was. He felt blessed for his lot in life, and as I felt myself press against my two escorts without conscious thought to my actions, I knew why. Once you had let one of their kind into your heart, you were lost forever. And I had opened myself up to two.

  “So what did he tell you? Or are you not allowed to discuss that with a mere mortal slave?” The moment my stomach stopped heaving after the teleport back, I wrenched my shoulder and arm out of both supes’ grip and crossed the room to lean against my couch, arms folded.

  Lightning didn’t quite manage to hide his eye roll at my standoffish demeanor, but instead of coming with some sort of smart remark�
��as per his usual style—he only sighed.

  “You’re not a slave, kitten,” The Shade said, his tone calm and rational, as if explaining himself to an unreasonable child mid-tantrum. “Have either of us made you do something you didn’t want to?”

  I considered mentioning the first time he had sex with me in the alley, but as much as I wished I could deny it, I’d wanted him. Wholeheartedly.

  “I didn’t exactly want to be claimed like a commodity by two shady superhumans with rampant hormones and serious personality issues,” I snapped instead.

  This time, Lightning didn’t bother to try and hide his eyeroll. “You’re welcome for saving your ass—repeatedly. Now, are you going to tell us what has you so goddamn bitchy all of a sudden, or are we just going to have to guess?”

  I fought back an embarrassed blush at his comment. Yeah, I was probably being pretty bitchy right now, but I couldn’t suppress the feelings of betrayal and burning jealousy when the two men that had my emotions all messed up and confused had left me behind to go sleep with someone else. But I didn’t want to admit to that. I didn’t want to admit that I had feelings for either man, that could lead to jealousy.

  “I’m not bitchy—I’m just really annoyed at being left in the basement like a disobedient dog. This is my life too, and I don’t appreciate being kept out of the loop. So tell me—what did this old teacher of yours have to say?”

  The two supes glanced at each other, and I frowned at the uncomfortable look that passed between them. Something had obviously happened during their meeting with Mirome. “What?”

  “Nothing all that useful,” Lightning said, giving one last lingering look to his enemy before finally catching my gaze with his glowing blue eyes. “At least, not what we were hoping for. He more than hinted that Bright’s reach extends so far and deep that we won’t be able to beat him.”

  I frowned. “I thought you said Mirome would be able to help for sure?”

  “Yes. That he’s under the impression that there’s no way to beat Bright is… concerning,” The Shade said. “He is old, and sly. If he believes Bright so strong he’s unbeatable, then we need to give serious consideration to just leaving the city. Go somewhere where you will be safe.”

  Wait, what? “Whoa, hold on!” I stared from The Shade to Lightning, refusing to believe what I’d just heard. “You can’t be serious—you are actually thinking about letting him win?”

  The Shade grimaced. “It’s not ideal.”

  “You’re damn right it’s not!” I was still so shocked that they would even consider leaving St. Anthony behind that I didn’t even pause to consider that I was the reason. “What about all the innocent people who’re going to get caught up in this? Who knows how many humans will end up dead because of this? Not to mention, I don’t think trusting the word of a man who’s inviting the mayor over for dinner is such a wise idea.”

  There was a moment’s pause as both men stared at me.

  “What did you say?”

  I arched an eyebrow at them, feeling just a tiny bit smug for having uncovered something that they seemingly hadn’t known about. “I take it Mirome didn’t share that little tidbit up at the adult’s table? I talked to one of his claimed humans—his favorite. He said the mayor had been by. I know you’ve got history with the guy, but maybe he isn’t as trustworthy as you thought, if he’s hanging out with the mayor. We know Wilkins is involved with Bright somehow, so who knows how Mirome fits into it all.” I finally stopped talking when I realized the sudden tension in the air. It made the hairs on my arms stand on end, as if an electric current was brushing against my skin. “What?”

  “Taking servant gossip for the absolute truth isn’t wise, Kathryn.” The Shade’s lips were pinched into a narrow line, and I was pretty sure he was scowling behind the mask. “Our relationship with Mirome goes back a very long time. He was our teacher, back in the day. He’s not one for siding with scum like Bright, and he would never work against us on something this serious.”

  “I get that, but you can’t just ignore a lead like this. Why would a superhuman like your teacher invite the mayor over? I’m telling you, something’s going on, and we should look into it—or at the very least not be ready to drop everything and flee the city just because your friend says so, when he might be involved—”

  “Either that servant lied, or there is a reasonable explanation,” Lightning interrupted. “Mirome was more than a teacher. He was our mentor for years, Kathryn. We know him better than you do some gossipy servant. I know you want to help solve what’s going on with Bright and the mayor, but you have to trust us that we know best what goes on in the supe community. And what doesn’t.”

  It was too much. I felt my arms starting to tremble, as if they were somehow detached from my body. Angrily, I clenched my fists until my nails bit into my palms. “Oh, really? So I guess what you’re saying is that you really do agree with him, as well? That us humans belong in the basement and aren’t worthy of your superior intellect? That I have no clue how to find out any valuable information, even though I was the one who uncovered the connection between the mayor and Bright’s weapon? If you’re so goddamn blinded by your worship of this one man, I guess I’ll just go sit down and be quiet, while you two fuck his mind controlled sex slaves and find out absolutely nothing of value!”

  As soon as the last part slipped past my lips, I wished I could have taken it back. I didn’t want to expose the nagging jealousy seething in my gut to them, because I didn’t want them to know how vulnerable I truly was. Being marked by two superhumans was bad enough—letting them know that I… felt something for them? That had disaster written all over it.

  “Is that what this is all about?” Though Lightning’s voice was carefully neutral, I couldn’t help but notice the satisfied glint in his eyes. “You’re angry with him for offering us other women?”

  The heat in my face spoke of a most impressive blush. Irritated, I folded my arms across my chest. “I don’t care who or what you fuck. I just don’t like hanging around waiting for y’all to be done. ‘This’ is about getting to the bottom of the mess you two dragged me into.”

  “You don’t care one teeny, tiny bit?” The Shade didn’t bother hiding the teasing tone from his voice. “Because you looked like you cared an awful lot when Mirome suggested we enjoy his girls.”

  I’m not sure what was strongest—the hurt, or the anger welling up like a tsunami from deep within. Bad enough that they’d done it, but mocking me with it?

  “Fuck you, both of you!” I hissed and turned around, prepared to storm out of the apartment though I had no clue where I could possibly go that wouldn’t end up with me captured again. My pulse pounded in my temples, and I knew that if I didn’t get out of there, the lump in my throat would come up as big, ugly sobs of hurt and humiliation.

  Two large hands, one on each of my arms, stopped me before I’d taken more than a step.

  “There’s no need to get in a huff. You are the only woman I’m interested in fucking, Kittykat.”

  “Likewise,” The Shade purred. “And all this talk about fucking is starting to get to me. It’s been days since I’ve felt your soft body clench around me.”

  I swallowed thickly at the sudden change in conversation and tension in the room. Where it had been unpleasant and prickly before, the air was now thick with insinuation—and undoubtedly their blasted pheromones. I closed my eyes to steel myself and blink back the few tears that had managed to escape.

  The hand on my right arm slipped down to my waist and up under my shirt, stroking across my soft flesh.

  “Want me to show you just how special you are, baby?” Lightning’s voice had taken on a seductive purr to rival The Shade’s. His fingertips dances across my stomach, teasing my skin into goosebumps. “How there’s no one but you? Would that make you feel better?”

  The traitorous tingle down my spine rooted itself between my thighs. I blushed again, ashamed of my body’s easy response. No wonder I had no co
ntrol of the situation when I couldn’t even stop myself from pining like a lovesick cat in heat just from a few sweet words and heated touches. Frustrated, I shook off their hands and stepped away. “I don’t need to be made to ‘feel better.’ I need to be respected like a person with a mind of their own, and you both seem incapable of that.”

  Hands grasped my waist none too gently and pulled me back with a sudden jerk, flattening my back against Lightning’s strong torso.

  “Oh, I’ll respect you every step of the way. But you need this, and so do I.” His voice was hoarse and spoke to that tingling sensation low down in my abdomen as his breath brushed against my ear. When he bit the back of my neck, I couldn’t hold back a groan, nor the instant trickle of moisture from deep inside. “Why would I want another woman when all I can think about is you? You really believe I would have come for you, with him, if anyone else could satisfy the craving I have?”

  I wish I could have said that I stepped away from his grasp again, but as much as what was left of my cognitive function wanted me to, the heat from him seemed to melt my muscles and turn my body into complacent pudding. The words he spoke, the way his hands felt against my skin as they traveled up underneath my top to cup my breasts over the cotton bra… My brain fogged over, allowing my weak body to press back against the hero, melting into his embrace. He was right. After everything I’d been through, I needed this—needed the reassurance of his desire and the release from the tumultuous emotions of fear, anger and jealousy that seemed to have taken up permanent residence in my body these past few days.