Death Bringer

Chapter Eight

“Ella, can I speak to you, please?”

She looked up to see Feehan at her elbow. “What’s up?”

He nodded in the direction of the door. “Out here?”

She rose from her seat beside Ms. Phelps’s bed, nodded at Vadim and headed out into the hallway. It was now dark outside, and the SBLE team had secured the private room where Ms. Phelps lay. She was still in a magical trance and had betrayed no trace of awareness of what had been done to her.

The smell of coffee lured Ella farther down the hallway to the nurse’s station, where Jose obligingly handed her a cup.

“Thanks.” She smiled at him. “I needed that.”

“You’re welcome. Where’s lover boy?”

“Who?”

“You know, tall, dark and dangerous, who looks as if he wants to devour me whole every time I talk to you.”

“Oh, him.” Ella shrugged, then sipped at her coffee. “He’s standing guard.”

Jose leaned against the desk. “What’s going on with Ms. Phelps?”

“She seems to have had some kind of fit.”

“What kind of ‘fit’?”

“They’re not sure. That’s why she’s being kept in isolation.”

“I saw her this morning at the staff meeting, and she looked fine.” Jose shook his head. “Whatever happened, it sure seemed to come out of nowhere.”

“I know.”

“Ella?”

She turned back to Feehan, who was waiting patiently behind her.

“Sorry, boss. Emergency caffeine refueling.” She nodded at Jose. “Thanks for the coffee.”

Feehan walked her over to a seating area by the elevators and sat down beside her.

“I wanted to ask you something in private.” He looked around and then settled his gaze back on her. “I talked to a couple of the staff on this floor earlier, and they told me the strangest thing.”

“What?”

“That the last person they saw going into Ms. Phelps’s office was Vadim.”

“So?”

“Could it have been him?”

“Boss, you were with us most of the day. We only parted when we went down to the ER with Brad’s parents. I was there the whole time with Morosov. He certainly didn’t sneak away and do this to Ms. Phelps.”

“Are you quite certain?”

“Sure I am. Do you think he bespelled me? He needed to be one hundred percent present in the ER to do the magic required to convince the Dailey family that Brad’s face looked the same as it ever had.”

Feehan scratched his thinning hair. “It does sound a little farfetched, doesn’t it?”

“Look, whoever this Adam dude is, he wants Vadim to take the blame for his actions. This is the second time he’s pretended to be him.”

“But why? Liz thinks—”

Ella sat up straighter. “What’s Liz got to do with it? Is all this coming from her?”

“She’s seeing a lot of connections between Vadim and Adam in her Fae-Web. Serious connections.”

“So? He said they shared some of the same bloodlines. Doesn’t that account for it?” Feehan studied her carefully and she felt herself blushing. “What?”

“She also insists that you and Vadim are, um, closer than you admit to being.” He held up his hand. “I have to say I found that part a bit difficult to swallow, until I noticed how vigorously you’ve been defending him over the past couple of days.”

“Do you think he’s controlling me with his magic?”

“God forbid, just that you might be—” Feehan was beet-red now and struggling to meet her gaze,”—physically intimate, and as you are close to your twenty-seventh birthday, you might not be reacting in an emotionally secure way.”

“You think I’m like a sex-crazed teen who will do anything to protect her man?”

“Um, yes.”

“Wow.” She stared at Feehan for a long moment. “Well, that was ballsy.”

“I know, I can’t believe I said it. But Ella, I’m your boss. I don’t want this team imploding during an important investigation.”

He’d impressed her. Who’d have thought it? Now she had to decide how to respond. There was only one answer.

“I suppose I should tell you something important.”

“What’s that?”

“Morosov is my Otherworld-approved mate.”

“What?”

“I have the paperwork somewhere, if you want to check it out. I’m not infatuated with him, I’m mated to him. That means my empath gifts are working just fine, and I’m in no danger of going nuts next week. It also means I can connect with Morosov’s mind, and he isn’t the killer.”

Feehan kept gawping at her.

She waved her hand in front of his face. “Boss? Are you okay? I’m telling you this in the strictest confidence, because I don’t want you imagining all this other stuff is a problem. You know me, I wouldn’t lie to you and compromise a case.”

She supposed at this point she should vouch for Vadim’s integrity too, but she didn’t want to inhibit him. He definitely was hiding stuff. Hopefully she’d said enough to keep Feehan happy at least for a while.

He reached for her hand and awkwardly patted it. “Well, I’m very pleased for you—I think. Vadim is...”

“Well equipped to deal with me. I think that’s what you’re trying to say, isn’t it?”

His smile was wary. “Something like that.”

“Seriously, boss, Morosov and I want to solve this case. If I thought he was the murderer, I sure as hell would tell you.”

“Then what do you think is going on?”

“I think this Adam guy is trying to draw attention away from himself and onto Vadim to confuse us. And it’s working. But at least this time we’re better prepared for when Adam comes back.”

“He’ll be back?”

“You have to assume he’ll want to complete his task and force Ms. Phelps to kill herself.”

“Hopefully we’ll be able to stop that this time.”

“Ms. Walsh, what the fuck are you doing?”

She slammed down her shields. “I’m sure we will. Shall we go back now?”

Feehan left her at the door to Ms. Phelps’s room, and she braced herself for what lay within. Vadim was leaning back against the wall, arms crossed. His expression wasn’t encouraging and his eyes were narrowed to icy blue chips. The temperature in the room dropped below freezing, and a couple of black feathers swirled in the air.

Oh, crap.

“Ms. Walsh.”

“Morosov.” She gestured at the bed. “No change here, then?”

“No.”

She sighed. “For God’s sake, stop sulking. I had to tell Feehan something. Between him and Liz, you were starting to figure as a shoo-in for the killer.”

“So you told him we were mated?”

“It was better than telling him about your connections with Adam and the Otherworld sect, wasn’t it? I had to choose the lesser of two evils.”

“Our mating is an ‘evil’ now?”

“Don’t split hairs, you know what I mean.” She glared at him. “I thought you’d be pleased. You’re the one who’s always complaining that I don’t take it seriously or want to tell anyone.”

“You didn’t share the news because you were happy about it. You shared it to get yourself out of an awkward confrontation.”

She shot to her feet and advanced toward him, batting a few feathers out of her way. “I shared it to get you out of an awkward situation, you dumbass.”

He stared down at her and she shook her head and turned away. “You’re such an idiot sometimes, Morosov.”

“Ella.”

He reached for her, but she shook him off and marched right out of the room. She should have agreed with everything Feehan suggested and let Vadim sort it out from his Otherworld prison cell. She halted in the hallway. Where the hell was she going? She’d agreed to share the night shift with him.

She started walking again. He’d be fine while she got herself something nice and sugary to eat at the cafeteria. When she calmed down, she’d go back, and maybe, if he had any sense, he’d be the one to leave for a while...

The door to the janitor’s office to her right opened and she instinctively went for her weapon.

“It’s all right, Ella, it’s only me.” Rossa’s head appeared around the door and he beckoned to her. “Come in here!”

She glanced around and then followed him into the small, crowded space, which smelled of disinfectant, damp rags and skin-stripping chemicals.

“What do you want?”

He blinked at her. “I got the impression you wanted to talk to me.”

“From where?”

“You used my name.”

“So?”

His smile was blinding. “You’re family now, and I heard you. Now, what did you want?”

Ella studied his beautiful face. Up close he was even more stunning. His eyes were honeyed silver and his mouth begged to be kissed. She wanted to stroke the pure white feathers that covered parts of his skin. Mentally, she gave herself a slap. Number one, she knew better than to be taken in by Fae glamour. Number two, Vadim would probably kill them both if she laid a single finger on his relative. But Rossa was here with her, all nice and tight and up close in the janitor’s closet, so she might as well make use of him.

“Do you know anything about an ancient Otherworld sect that competes to collect things?”

Rossa shifted his stance and his wings rustled, almost dislodging some of the bottles on the shelves. “What sort of things?”

“I think you know. They tend to collect groups of three.”

His face paled. “I...don’t know anything about that.”

“If Morosov knows of them, I’m sure you do too. My question is, why are they collecting stuff in my world, and what does it have to do with my partner?”

“I have no idea.”

She stared into his eyes for as long as she could. “If you’re lying to me, all I have to do is take a peek in your mind and I’ll know.”

He flinched away. “Don’t touch me, Soul Sucker.”

“Then tell me what’s going on. Does this have something to do with Morosov’s family wanting him back in Otherworld?”

“Not all of them want him back.”

“But those that do.”

“It’s highly likely his family are involved somewhere, but the sect plays by its own rules and doesn’t listen to anyone.”

“So the two things could be totally separate.” Ella sighed. “You’re not much help, are you?”

“I’m too afraid of your mate to be much help.” He studied her face. “It’s a shame he got to you first. I should imagine you are very creative in bed for a human.”

“Well I certainly like sex.”

Rossa grinned. “Cygnet is a lucky male, then. When he is executed, perhaps you will allow me to console you.”

“Why do you assume he’ll be executed?”

“Because one way or another they’ll force him back to Otherworld to answer for his crimes.” His smile faded. “And he won’t be allowed to escape his fate a second time.”

“Are you suggesting he’s already a tried and convicted man?”

“Didn’t he mention that? Crimes against the Royal blood, especially when it’s your own line, are definitely frowned upon.” He looked back at the door. “I have to go.”

“Don’t tell me Morosov’s spotted you?”

“No, it’s something worse than that. You’re the one who sucks out emotions. Can’t you feel it?” He shivered and all his feathers stood up on end.

“Just tell me one more thing. Do you know this Adam who is stealing human faces?”

“Is that what he’s calling himself now?” Rossa started to disappear. “Whoever he is, I’m not staying around to see him.”

“He’s here? Rossa, wait!”

But it was too late, the Fae had already gone, leaving her in the closet alone.

“Dammit!”

After the door shut behind Ella, Vadim cursed as quietly as he could. Why was she so contrary? And why had she told Feehan about their being mated? He took a long, slow breath and contemplated the still figure on the bed. Ms. Phelps couldn’t be left alone, so he couldn’t even chase Ella down. Tentatively, he touched his mate’s mind, but her shields held firm. He could get through them, but he didn’t want to force the issue.

Especially when he’d made a complete ass of himself...

She’d told Feehan they were mated to protect him?

There was no other explanation, and he’d gone and made her feel bad about it. All this recent contact with the immorality of Otherworld was making him as paranoid as his parents. He wasn’t used to dealing with someone who literally said what she thought and acted accordingly, whether he liked it or not. No wonder the whole of Otherworld was scared of her...

He leaned his head back and banged it on the wall. When he opened his eyes, Ms. Phelps was sitting bolt upright and staring at something at the end of the bed—something that shimmered and bent the air into different shapes.

Vadim held up his hand, and a shield instantly surrounded Ms. Phelps.

“A little help here, partner?” Politeness forgotten, he shoved the message into Ella’s mind.

Coldness pushed at his magic, trying to find a way in, and he strengthened the barrier. As he advanced toward the bed, the shape materialized into the distinct form of a man.

“You can’t beat me in this realm, Adam, or whatever you are calling yourself these days.”

Laughter rang in a discordant note that made Vadim want to cover his ears. “You’re wrong, little cygnet. I’ve grown up.”

“You’re dead.”

“Am I?”

“I killed you. Nothing I kill survives, so who are you really, behind that mask?”

“I’m coming in.”

Ella, just outside the door. “Do it slowly.”

He couldn’t afford to look at her. His power was already being tested too much.

“What do you want, Adam?”

“My trophy.”

“You can’t have her.”

“You can’t stop me.”

“Obviously, I can. Ella, do you see him?”

“Barely. What do you want me to do?”

“Can you access his thoughts?”

The bright image wavered. “Stand back, Soul Sucker. This is not yet your battle.”

“Sure it is. You’re in my world and you’re killing my people.” She took another step forward. “I’ve got a vague sense of him. He doesn’t like you at all, does he, Morosov?”

“That’s because I executed him. Can you find out who he really is?”

“If you want.” She stretched out her hand toward the distortion.

“If she tries to touch me, cygnet, I’ll—”

Ella staggered and almost went down. In that instant of confusion, Adam simply disappeared, leaving Vadim cursing in Russian, Fae and every other language he could remember.

“What the hell was that?” Ella gasped.

“Adam.”

“God, when he touched me, it hurt!”

“I know. I felt it.”

He helped her to sit in the only chair and knelt in front of her. “I apologize. I didn’t realize he would affect you like that.”

“It’s okay. I’m fine now. I shouldn’t have attempted to touch him.” She cupped his cheek. “But Morosov, what the hell? He does look like you.”

“In this form, yes. That’s why I wanted you to find out what lay beneath.”

“Do you think he’s after you as well as his trophies?”

“I have to assume so. Someone wants me involved in this case whether I want it or not. Why else would they use an image I’m familiar with?”

“An image of yourself.”

“Close enough.” He sighed and moved his head until his mouth brushed her fingers. “I wish I could say that was the end of this, but I’m sure he’ll be back.”

“Next time I won’t try and touch him.” She shivered. “I can still access his mind, though.”

He stood up. “I should be able to do that by myself, now I’ve gained your skill set.”

“It takes a while to get used to the idea, doesn’t it? It’s a bit like your power for me.” She frowned. “We haven’t had a lot of time to share our skills, though.”

“Not really.”

It was hard to believe he’d only known her for a few short weeks. He couldn’t imagine his life without her now, and Adam had just touched her.

“Are you feeling okay?”

“Yes. I’m fine now, why?” Her expression changed. “Hell, he didn’t take my face, did he?”

“No. He probably didn’t have time.”

Her hand flew to her cheek. “How can I keep him out?”

“He won’t be able to overpower you as long as our minds are linked together.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“Absolutely.” He checked that the shield around Ms. Phelps was stable again and then went across and took Ella’s hand in his. “You smell like Fae.”

“Like Adam, you mean?”

He inhaled slowly. “No, Rossa. Was he here?”

“He might have popped in.”

He raised her chin so that she had to look into his eyes. “You didn’t tell him anything, did you?”

“Like what? He already knows the important bits.”

“Don’t trust him, Ella. Everything you say will be reported to Otherworld.” She blinked and he forced himself to keep calm. “He might look like an angel, but he’s as devious as the devil.”

“I know that. What are we going to do about Ms. Phelps?”

“We’ll just have to stay here and keep her safe.”

“And stop Adam getting to her.”

“Exactly.” He kissed the top of her head and released her. “He won’t be back for a while. Why don’t you go down to the cafeteria and get us both some coffee?”

Ella woke with a start and fumbled for her weapon.

“What’s up?”

Beside her, Vadim was staring intently at the space around Ms. Phelps. It was dark in the room, and the unnatural play of light around the bed was startlingly obvious. Ms. Phelps was sitting upright, her mouth open as if she were silently screaming.

“Something’s wrong.”

“Duh.”

“My magic’s being attacked.”

She could feel it now inside her, the insidious sense of being drained and squeezed dry.

“Then do something! You’re supposed to be strong!”

“Too many forces are combining against me, all the power of the sect, I—”

Vadim crashed to the floor, his head in his hands, and Ella fought to reach him through the demons howling in her own mind. The room shuddered like the quiet center of a tornado. Why weren’t the SBLE guards coming in to help? Ella tried to shout, but the sound was whipped away.

“Hold on!”

The shield around Ms. Phelps was thinning like the ripped silk of a defective parachute. Ella reached the bed and marshaled all her power to try and mend it, but nothing worked. Even as she watched, the Fae shielding spell was drawn inexorably toward Ms. Phelps’s open mouth. Did she know she was inhaling death? Did she understand what was happening to her?

“No!” Vadim staggered to his feet, power shooting from his outstretched hand. “Leave her!”

Everything seemed to be suspended, and time moved so slowly that she could see the battle for supremacy being fought frame by frame. Even as Vadim’s power roared through the room, it was already too late. The shield was gone, swallowed down by Ms. Phelps, who collapsed back onto her pillows.

As quickly as the storm had arisen, it subsided, leaving Vadim and her on the floor. The door flew open and one of the security guards nearly trampled her as he rushed in. She noticed for the first time that the drapes were ripped, the blinds askew and both the chairs were upside down.

“What the hell happened?”

She pointed at the motionless figure on the bed. “That happened. Dammit!” She crawled over to Vadim. “Are you all right?”

He snarled something obscene in Fae and shook off her hand. Without another word, he turned on his heel and pushed his way through the security personnel and medical staff now arriving at the door. She didn’t bother to chase after him. She could find him anywhere, and someone needed to be here to tell Feehan the bad news.

As if he’d heard her thoughts, her boss appeared at the doorway, a cup of coffee in his hand.

“Ella, are you all right? I was just coming to check on you. I saw Vadim heading down the stairs. Was he looking for me?”

“He needs some space at the moment, boss. He’s angry with himself for not being able to protect Ms. Phelps.”

Feehan glanced over at the bed, where one of the medics shook his head. “Dammit. She’s dead?”

“Yeah, and on our watch. We were literally right here.” She stood up and shook her head, trying to ease the dizziness. “We tried everything to keep them out. Even Vadim’s power wasn’t strong enough.”

“Them?”

“I meant Adam. Dude, that’s one powerful male. It was like watching a horror flick. The guy literally took the shield Vadim had placed around Ms. Phelps and used it to suffocate the life out of her. She breathed it in and inhaled her own death...”

“We’ve got security cameras set up in here. We can review the footage back at the office.” Feehan patted her shoulder. “Why don’t you see if you can find Vadim and make sure you both come in to work tomorrow by nine.”

She met his gaze. “I’m sorry, boss. We really fucked up.”

“We’ll go over it tomorrow with the rest of the team and work out what we can do next.” He turned her toward the door. “I’ll take care of things here. You get some sleep.”

He seemed remarkably calm, but then he hadn’t been the one directly responsible for the security of the patient. What a mess they’d made of everything. She found her backpack under one of the chairs, then picked it up. Her shoulder and knee hurt from hitting the floor too hard, but that was the least of her problems.

She checked her cell. There were no messages, only the realization that it was four o’clock in the morning and she had to find Vadim. Her skull felt as if someone had tried to take it apart with a pair of rib spreaders and no anesthetic. It was hard to sense anything through her pain.

Vadim.

He was hurting too. But where was he? Back in his hotel? She focused in harder. No. Then where?

She felt him staring at the sea. He was definitely on the other side of the bay. But how was she supposed to get there at this time in the morning?

Duh.

She found a quiet spot near the elevators and made sure her backpack was secure. Closing her eyes, she focused on her mate and willed herself to get to him. The slither of sand and pebbles against her knees and the smell of the sea crashed over her. She tried to right herself and ended up on all fours, with both hands buried in the scummy wet beach.

When she looked up, Vadim was sitting to her right on a large rock. There was no way he could’ve missed her ungainly arrival, but he betrayed no interest in her presence. That was good, right? She brushed the sand off her jeans and stumbled and slithered across to him. Luckily, the rock was large enough to accommodate them both, so she sat down.

It was a beautiful spot. Above them rose the steep cliffs of Belvedere. To the right was the picturesque nighttime sparkle of Sausalito and to the left the orange pillars of the Golden Gate Bridge and the city beyond. She drew in a slow breath. She usually forgot to appreciate what an amazing place she lived in. She risked a glance at Vadim’s profile. He looked remote and almost too pretty to be real.

“I’m not surprised you’re mad at me.” He didn’t react, so she carried on. “I should’ve been quicker to respond.”

“I’m the one who failed, and you damn well know it.”

“Morosov, I was there. I felt the power being used against you, against us. There was no way in hell that anyone could’ve withstood that.”

“You don’t understand. I’m not supposed to be vulnerable, I’m—”

“You did your best, right?”

He said nothing, his mouth a hard line as he returned his attention to the spectacular view.

“You told me that sometimes Otherworld power is diminished in this world.”

“That’s correct.”

“Then isn’t that what happened to you? You’re still incredibly powerful. That’s why they still had to send everything they had against you?”

“I should’ve known what they planned to do. I should’ve realized that Adam was testing the extent of my abilities when he first turned up.”

“Hindsight’s a wonderful thing, isn’t it?” She poked him in the arm. “Let it go, Morosov.”

“They killed her with my magic. That makes me responsible for her death.” He shuddered and Ella poked him again.

“Don’t be such a wuss. So they turned your own weapon on you. It happens. You still aren’t to blame. What I don’t understand is why they thought it necessary to demonstrate such power to achieve one death.”

He sighed. “Because they’re fucking crazy?” He stared out over the sea. “If I was in Otherworld, I could destroy them all.”

“But if you go back there, you’ll be executed.”

He looked down at her. “Who told you that?”

“Rossa.”

His mouth quirked at the corner. “That makes sense.”

“Are you intending to sit here all night?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Let’s go home instead. There’s food there, or at least I think there is.”

“I don’t have a home.”

This time she punched him much harder. “Oh, for God’s sake, lighten up, Morosov. Let’s go.”

She grabbed his hand, and the next minute they were in her kitchen, the lights were on and Vadim was delving into the fridge.

“You lied. There’s nothing here to eat.”

“Try the freezer.”

He complied and she looked over his shoulder as he surveyed her collection of saturated fatty goodness with an air of horror.

“Come on, partner, let yourself go for once. A Hot Pocket won’t kill you.”

“How about I make us an omelet?”

“If you can make it quickly, go for it. I’m starving.”

He took off his coat and jacket and loosened his tie. “Make some toast.”

By the time they’d finished eating, it was almost five in the morning, and the sunlight was beginning to filter through the gray, foggy skies.

Vadim stretched and rubbed his eyes. “I left my car at the hospital. We’ll need to get the ferry in the morning.”

“Or use magic.”

He almost smiled for the first time. “You like that mode of transport, then?”

“It’s pretty cool.” She waited until he set the dishwasher running and then took his hand. “We have to be at work by nine. If we use the ferry, we’ll get much less sleep.” She led him toward her bedroom. “We need our sleep.”

He already looked exhausted. Had the struggle with the Otherworld sect drained him so completely? Or was it more a case of hurt pride? Ella pushed on his chest until he sat on the edge of the bed. She slowly unbuttoned his shirt and then knelt to unbuckle his belt. His hand covered hers.

“You don’t need to do that. I can just...”

She bent her head and kissed the bulge of his cock. “I like doing it. Shut up.”

He sighed as she slowly unbuttoned his pants and drew down the zipper. Underneath, he wore tight blue cotton boxers that now strained to contain his growing erection.

“Nice.” Ella dropped a kiss on the crown of his wet cock, which had already escaped the waistband of his boxers. “Now, be quiet and let me concentrate.”

She helped him ease out of his pants, socks and shoes and then returned her attention to his cock, sliding her hand inside his boxers at the back to stroke and cup his awesome ass. His hips jerked forward.

“Ella...”

There was a note of uncertainty in his voice that she’d never heard before. She kissed his shaft through soft cotton that did nothing to hide the length and girth of him, nibbled at the dampening fabric until his hand clenched in her hair, demanding more, trying to direct her mouth to more needy places.

“Patience is a virtue, Morosov.”

His answer was a low growl in Fae that made her nipples ache and her lady parts ready for action. But this wasn’t about her. It was about giving him something she’d never attempted to give a man before...

Love, caring, support? She didn’t want to name it. That screamed of some sort of permanency or security or need on her part. She just wanted him to feel better.

That was it. Sex made everything better.

She slid her thumbs down the sides of his boxers and pulled them off. A birthmark in the shape of a black crescent nestled in the lickworthy crevice where his hip met his groin, and she kissed it. With a happy sigh, she studied his cock.

“Lie back on the bed, Morosov.” The hand in her hair tightened. “I mean, Vadim.”

He lay back and she knelt between his thighs and studied the perfection of his abs, chest and beautiful face.

“I like it when you do what you’re told.” She bent and licked his cock.

“I noticed.”

His eyelids were lowered, his voice a soft rumble of lust and need that made her want to start at his feet and kiss every luscious inch of him. She magicked off all her clothes except her bra and panties, which didn’t match, but who the hell cared? The way Vadim was looking at her, for once, he certainly didn’t.

“Let me touch you.”

She shook her head. “No, this is all about you. Put your hands behind your head and behave yourself.”

“If you insist.”

The darkness was disappearing from his eyes and he was visibly relaxing—apart from the important parts that stayed impressively erect. She shook out her hair and then bent over his cock and sucked the first inch into her mouth. His groan encouraged her and she took more. He rolled his hips and she sucked on him hard, one hand cupping his balls as she worked her mouth and teeth along the length of his shaft.

His thoughts flooded hers, his desire for her a living thing that knew no boundaries and needed no words. She could tell when he was near a climax and ease off, or push him even closer... She teased and tantalized him until he was pleading with her, begging her to let him come.

With some reluctance, she released his cock and straddled him, the cotton of her panties rubbing against the base of his shaft. As he watched, she slowly removed her bra and cupped her breasts, teasing her already tight nipples to needy buds.

“Ella, let me, I—”

She smiled at him and rubbed herself and her swollen clit against his cock, the fabric of her panties wet from both his need and her own.

“Please.”

His stark request echoed through her head, and she disposed of her panties. Watching him the whole time, she slowly lowered herself over his cock, her groan joining his as his thick length pressed inward. She started to move on him. He helped her, thrusting upward into each down stroke, so in tune with her that every sensation was doubled and trebled and...

She climaxed and he followed her, bringing her hard down on him as he pumped upward. She nestled her cheek into the angle between his head and neck and sighed.

“That was awesome.”

Tomorrow was soon enough to analyze why she’d felt compelled to tend to Vadim’s complex needs in such a way. Tomorrow was also soon enough to deal with the horrors of Adam and the Otherworld sect.