by Eve Newton
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY-ONE
We spend the rest of the night testing the limits of what I will accept from him. He is pleasantly surprised with how much leeway I still give him. He tells me he thought I might go all sire on him again now that I am asserting my powerful self. I assure him that I won’t before I fall into a fitful sleep.
I see the pool room at CK’s house. I see me and Sebastian on the side of the pool kissing. He pulls away and whispers something to me. I strain to hear what he is saying to me, but I don’t hear anything. Nothing at all. Just a deafening silence. The scene in front of me switches and I see CK and Sebastian sitting on the edge of the pool, dangling their feet in the water. They are talking.
“Did you fuck her?” CK asks conversationally.
“No, not this time.”
CK nods and looks relieved. “It’s working. She had a…moment.”
“Of course, it’s working,” Sebastian says confidently.
“I wasn’t so sure after Las Vegas. That’s why I wanted you to convince her to Shift to Xerxei.”
“I didn’t try very hard in Vegas. She was adamant that she wouldn’t.”
“I am glad in a way. I don’t want her to lose herself to the Demon,” he says, worried.
“I can do this without her Shifting. But it takes up a lot of energy using that much power, she is strong.”
“Yes, she is,” CK says with pride. “It wore off though quite quickly.” He frowns.
“I think that was because of that incredible Dragon Shift she did. It will have counteracted the spell I put over her.”
“We have to ensure she doesn’t do that again,” CK says determinedly. “I am not having all your hard work undone on a whim.”
“Can’t say that I am for that either,” Sebastian complains, “Considering I am the one doing all the work.”
“Yes, I am sure it must be very unpleasant for you being given a fuck and feed from such a beautiful woman,” CK says sarcastically.
Sebastian laughs. “I said we didn’t fuck. You can’t catch me in a lie if I am telling the truth.”
“Humph. I am sure next time you will rectify that.”
“Only if she wants to. I am still bothered by what you said earlier.” He frowns and lies back, rubbing his hand over his face.
“It never stopped you before,” CK says unpleasantly.
“She’s different,” he says quietly.
CK turns to him slowly, his face hardening to granite as he does so. “Are you falling in love with her?”
Sebastian sits upright. “Christ, no,” he says quickly, too quickly.
“Sebastian,” he warns.
“I am not falling in love with her,” Sebastian insists. “But she is special, captivating. Queen thing notwithstanding. It doesn’t surprise me that you kept her away from everyone. From me.”
“If I could have gotten away with locking her up, I would have.”
“Hm, a gilded cage, for a rare creature. She would probably kill you now if you ever tried that.”
“I know. Why do you think I haven’t? It’s all I want, to take her away from all of this.” Now it is CK’s turn to lie back, huffing in frustration.
“Can I ask you something?” Sebastian says.
CK peers up at him. “What?” he asks warily.
“Why did you wait until she sired and was married? In fact, the better question is, why didn’t you just tie the knot a thousand years ago?”
“Because, as she loves to point out, I am a stubborn, fucking fool,” he sighs. “I was going to ask her. In 1112. But she left me before I got the chance to.”
Sebastian looks astounded at that piece of information. “Why did she leave?”
“A misunderstanding.”
“What kind?”
“The Eloise kind,” he says grimly.
“Ah. I see.”
“No, you don’t see. I never had a thing with her. Why does everyone think that I did?” he asks, exasperated.
Sebastian shrugs. “Just her sister then.”
“Don’t remind me. And we are getting off topic.”
“You don’t like to remember the times with Vivienne?” he asks slyly. “I thought you were quite enjoying yourself earlier.”
“Don’t push it. I did that for you. I don’t want to be that anymore. I don’t want to do it. I don’t want to be with anyone else. Especially like that,” CK says with such force Sebastian blinks at him.
“You feel that strongly about it?”
“Yes. If I let myself give in to that side of me then I am not worthy of her love.”
“That’s a bit harsh. And a lot of pressure on yourself. I am sure she would understand.”
“She wouldn’t. Not after what Lance did to her.”
“Ah yes. The sibling from Hell who ruined it for the rest of us. Wish I had been there when you killed him.”
CK looks at him in surprise. “I didn’t kill him. She did.”
“What? I thought you did.”
“No. I was going to, but he said something, and it set her misguided protective charge side into motion.”
“What did he say?”
“Doesn’t matter. When will you see her again?” Abrupt change of subject.
“When the time is right.”
“That is not helpful ‘Bastian.”
“It isn’t exactly easy with everyone around her all the time. Trying to get her alone is like trying to shove a square peg into a round hole.”
“I know. We will be on the road soon. Maybe it will be easier.”
“Doubtful. Especially with Xane around. He is powerful and knows how to manipulate her.”
“Yes, he is, out of all of them, the one I find most problematic,” CK says. “What do you mean he knows how to manipulate her? What do you know?”
“Nothing concrete but he does have a way with her. With this whole Demons-come-from-Dragons thing, he plays on it.”
“Yes. He most definitely did that earlier. Anyway, we need to talk about the other thing.”
Sebastian sighs. “That one is not to my liking. It looks crazy suspicious. I know she saw me talking to him in Vegas. If the girl hadn’t gone after Nico, she would’ve asked about it. Lucky for me, she seems to have forgotten.”
“You will have to get him on his own and convince him the girl is what he wants. The sooner his attentions are diverted away from Aefre, the better.”
“I am pissed that she woke up bond-less,” Sebastian snarls. “I mean, what the fuck, man.”
“Indeed, a fucking lot of trouble for nothing. This is why you need to fix it. Soon.” CK gives him a hard glare.
“Fine,” Sebastian grouses. “But you are going to owe me, big time.”
“I have given you enough,” CK replies blandly.
I awake abruptly. Was I dreaming? I must have been. A really vivid dream. They were talking about me, about…what about me? I can’t remember. My head is pounding, and I glance at the clock: 4 AM. Shit. I forgot all about Jess.
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY-TWO
I climb out of bed and pull on my robe. I go to her room first. She is in there, sleeping. Alone. I leave her to it, quietly closing the door and push open Devon’s door. He is also sleeping. Alone. I crawl onto the bed with him and he stirs. I put my head on the pillow next to him and watch him sleep. I feel like I need comfort for some reason, and I want it from him. His beautiful blue eyes pop open as he senses me.
“Hi,” he says.
“Hi.”
“What’s up?”
“I just wanted to be near you.”
He pulls back the covers and says, “Get in.” I Shift to Elizabeth and do as requested, snuggling up to him. He sighs in bliss. “I have wanted you in my bed for so long.”
“I’m here now,” I say to him.
He glances at the clock. “Not for very long.”
“Long enough,” I say. “Dev. We need to talk. About what I told you after Jess.”
“I don’t
want to talk about it,” he says shortly.
“Why not? I think we need to.”
“No. No talking,” he says as he moves over me and kisses me, undoing my robe. He drops his mouth lower and lower down my jaw, down my neck until he reaches my nipples and licks me roughly. I arch my back and forget all about what I wanted to talk about. He plants little kisses all the way down my ribs and stomach and I’m happy to be attended to by him. He reaches my aching wet hole and inserts his tongue into me.
“Oh, gods,” I cry out. “Oh, Dev, I want you.”
“Not yet,” he murmurs as he adds his fingers to his tongue, and I come suddenly and forcefully.
“Fuck, Dev, please, baby. I need you inside me,” I beg him. He can’t resist me and crawls up over me. He kisses me and I lick his lips as he moans. He pushes himself inside me and I gasp into his mouth. He pulls my legs up around his waist, so that he is now deeper inside me.
“Come for me, Lizzie,” he whispers desperately. “I need to feel you.” It doesn’t take me long to comply, until I’m throbbing around him. I roll us over, needing some control over him. “Yes, baby. Ride me,” he says, pulling roughly on my hips. I pull him up by his shoulders and wrap my legs around him. Chest to chest, I am as close to him as I can get now. He is reveling in my nearness. I drop my fangs and he tilts his head. I sink slowly, slowly to him building up the anticipation as I graze him gently before biting down hard.
“Fuck, Liz,” he cries out as I suckle slowly on him.
I continue to move over him slowly, not wanting to rush this now, not wanting this intimacy to end. He pulls my wrist up and starts to feed from me, the rush of desire is intense as we feed from each other at the same time and as expected we come together in perfect sync. I retract my fangs, licking up the blood from the slow bite and he shivers. He keeps my head down as he bites down on my neck and feeds deeply. Pulling back, he sighs. I kiss him, tasting my own blood. Still not ready to call it quits on this encounter, I start to move again over him. It takes him all of a second to be ready for me again and this time flips us back over and he slowly makes love to me. I can feel our bond and I cling to him, remembering the last time we were together when I was Xerxei, and I felt nothing. I think he is remembering to as he grips me back just as tightly.
“I love you,” he murmurs as he pulses in and out of me, bringing me to the edge and pulling me back repeatedly until I want to grab him and fuck him until I get my release. But I don’t. We both need this, and it is worth the wait, as when I do come, it is a multiple orgasm that rips through me twice before he lets himself go.
Breathing heavily, he collapses next to me on the bed. “Now that is more like it,” he says gruffly, and I chuckle.
“Oh, yes indeed.” I push my dark hair out of my face and lean on his chest, my head on my hands. “Now, can we talk?”
“No,” he says. “I know you told me that to make me feel better but honestly while it did for a bit, the more I thought about it, it really doesn’t.”
“Devon, I…”
“No, Lizzie. Don’t.” He rubs his face with his hand. “I’m such an idiot. I didn’t think it was what you wanted.”
“I always wanted it. It was our plan. I asked you to ask me again after you woke up. When you didn’t, I assumed it was because you didn’t want to.”
“I really don’t want to talk about this,” he says, and I sigh. He’s doing it again, just brushing it under the carpet.
“Fine. If and when you ever want to, know that I will discuss it with you. Like adults,” I huff, and he chuckles at me.
“You sound more like your sire, every day.”
“I don’t know whether to take that as a compliment or not,” I joke.
“I’m not sure if I mean it as one or not,” he jokes back.
We lie in silence for a few minutes and then both turn to the door as we hear it open. I know it isn’t Cole as I would have sensed him, so it comes as no surprise that it is Jess. She must have heard us at some point being in the room next door.
“Devon?” she asks, desperate for him to explain why he is in bed with me. “Who is this?” she asks boldly as he just glares at her. I realize that she won’t recognize me as Elizabeth, so I grab my long hair and pull it over my shoulder to show her my ever present – even in my Shifts – Dragon tattoo. Her eyes go wide as she realizes who I am.
“This is Elizabeth,” Devon says. “My sire. My real sire,” he adds, and she looks like she might cry again.
I glance quickly at the clock: 5:45 AM. “I’m going to use your shower. Leave you to talk,” I say. He grabs me before I climb out of bed and kisses me.
“Don’t think this lets you off the hook for a make-up session on Friday,” he murmurs.
I reply, “I wouldn’t dream of it.” I climb off the bed, naked, much to Jess’s embarrassment and I Shift back to Liv. “Cade will be along shortly to escort you back to the room. Be quick in here.” She just stares back at me as I stalk past her to Devon’s bathroom and close the door. I turn the taps on and step in the shower and decide to eavesdrop, you know, just while I’m in here.
“She… she looks like me,” Jess says, her voice cracking.
“No,” Devon growls. “You look like her. Don’t ever forget that.”
Oh, Devon. I sigh, but I know he is annoyed that our time together has ended. I would have preferred a bit longer myself.
“Look, Cade is going to be here any second. Just go with him and think about what I said yesterday. I will come and see you later. Just remember to drink.” And with that he dismisses her, leaving her to her own devices. This isn’t going to end well. I get out of the shower and dry off, changing quickly into sweats and a vest, pinning my hair up. I exit the bathroom and shake my head at Devon. “You should go with her.”
“Not today. Too much to do before we leave tonight. Remember, I had shitloads to do yesterday. If she is in the room, she will be fine.”
I wouldn’t say that, exactly. All it will do is contain her while she goes on a rage-fueled shitfit. Oh, well. I suppose I will have to go check on her later. I have shitloads to do myself today. I decide to start with Dawn. I kiss Devon goodbye and go off in search of her. Cole will find me when he wakes, so I’m not unduly worried about going to him first.
The door to her bedroom is slightly ajar. I knock and push it open. “Dawn?” I call out. “Oh, shit!” I put my hand up over my eyes, “Sorry, sorry. The door was open. Please carry on.” I back out of the room, closing the door with a loud bang as I try to forget what I just saw. Seems her infatuation with my husband hasn’t stopped her from pursuing Scott. I clear my throat and suppress the smile that is tugging at my lips and go off to find Cole now that Dawn is being seen to. I push open the door to our bedroom and come to a halt. Cole is straddling Jess in the middle of our bedroom floor, his hand at her throat. “Try that again and I will try my hand at this whole ripping people’s heads off thing,” he growls at her.
“Cole, sweetie? What are you doing?” I ask in bewilderment.
“She climbed in bed with me and tried to fuck me,” he says.
I almost laugh. Tit for tat. Stupid girl. I step closer and put my hand on his back. “Let her go, baby.” He releases her and she glares at him, then me.
“Isn’t that what we do around here? Share?” she snarls, bold now in the face of her murderous rage.
“Need some help?” Cade queries from the doorway.
“Please,” I say as I drag her roughly to her feet. “Try that again and I will make good on my husband’s threat,” I say to her quietly. “Go now with Cade. I will come and discuss this behavior with you later.” I throw her to Cade, who then takes over.
“How much longer is she going to be like this? I didn’t sign on to be a babysitter,” he complains.
“I know, I’m sorry but you are good with the whole magick thing. A few more weeks unless Devon decides to sort his act out,” I say, annoyed at her, not Devon. “I’m going to have to pull out the big gun
s here. He isn’t listening to me, so CK will just have to have words with him.”
“Hm, that would get me in line,” Cade says with a loud laugh. “I will see you later.” I wave him off and turn to Cole, who is looking more amused than anything else. “I can only assume that was in revenge of witnessing you and Devon going at it?” he says with an eye roll.
“Kind of,” I admit. “But all she saw was us talking and then I went off in search of Dawn and found her…” I smile at the memory.
“Found her what?”
“In bed with Scott!” I say.
He looks scandalized. “Scott? And Dawn?”
I nod. “I’m glad that he finally noticed she was interested. I might have had to have words. For an Empath, he can be pretty clueless,” I snort in amusement.
“You knew she was interested?”
“You didn’t? She couldn’t keep her eyes off him yesterday. Well, until she saw you, of course.”
“Me?” he asks, confused.
“Oh, Cole. Really? You didn’t know she has a thing for you?”
He shakes his head. “No, don’t be ridiculous. She doesn’t have a thing for me.”
“Baby,” I say, taking his hand and sitting on the bed with him. “Every woman on the planet that can see, has a thing for you.”
“Doubtful. But only I care about you,” he says, pulling me onto his lap.
“Oh, I definitely have a thing for you,” I say with a slow smile, running my hands up his chest to the back of his neck. I pull him to me, but we are interrupted by a knock on the door.
“Go away,” Cole yells.
“Liv,” Lincoln says through the door. “You really need to come downstairs.”
“Why?” I ask, irritated.
“Just come down,” Lincoln says pushing the door open regardless of not being bid. “Trouble is brewing.”
“What kind of trouble?” I climb off Cole.
“You are going to have to pick a side to beat down, either your sire or your Demon friend.”
“Oh, for fuck's sake,” I grouse as I follow Lincoln out of the room with Cole, who hastily pulls on some sweats, hot on my heels.
