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A yelp falls from your lips as you fumble for the book, half attempting to slam it closed and half trying to save your place. Sylus caught the book, his long index finger slotting between the pages you managed to mark with your own, as he scooped you into his lap. 

With a skim of the page, his eyebrows jump in surprise, chest rumbling against your spine. "He has two?"

Even as your skin heats, you cross your arms over your chest, raising your chin high. "It's perfectly normal in monster romance. Ties in with the whole fated mates, breeding kink thing really well."

Sylus hums, his palm sliding around your waist to settle on the pouch of your stomach. "Fascinating. You seem rather knowledgeable on monsters and breeding, kitten. Why don't you educate me?"

He places the book back into your hands, opening to where you'd left off. With a light tap of the page, he kisses your bare shoulder where his robe that you wore had slipped down as his crimson eyes flicked to you in challenge. Your eyebrow mirrors his before you bring the mass-printed paperback to your face and read the scene aloud.

"Kalaxar held her to his front as he soared the the sky, the two of them connected at the center in a flight of bliss. His queen. His mate…" a moan creeps from your throat when long, sinful fingers creep between the opening of the robe at your thighs to pet the slickness between.

"Keep going, my Queen. My mate," he whispers, fingers sinking deep as you struggle to find your place.

Caleb

“Hey, that’s mine!” 

The book’s pages slip between your fingers as you try to cling to them but your reflexes are nothing compared to Caleb’s dexterous ones.

“Whatcha readin', pipsqueak?”

“It’s just a book so give it back.” 

With an irritated huff, you follow him around the couch when he doesn't return it, just barely keeping up with his long strides. When he reaches a dead end, Caleb holds the book high; a mischievous grin playing on his face as you jump in an attempt to snatch it back.

"Oh it's that bad, huh?" he teases. Tilting the his head back, he opens the pages, keeping the it just out of your reach while he reads a couple paragraphs.

"'This is so wrong," she pants, her knees snapping tightly around his head to prevent him from going any further, though she was desperate for it. 'This can't keep happening.' Seth's gaze snaps to her as his tongue flicks out, just enough within reach for it to part her folds. He groans as the smell and taste of her floods his senses, pressing his painfully hard cock into her flower print comforter. 'Your mouth says no but this pretty pussy is dripping for her big brother. Just be quiet and no one will ever know.'" Caleb chuckles as your face heats up. "You're quite the little pervert."

With a closed fist, you hit him in the balls— not hard enough to do any damage but just enough to have him grunting in surprise and dropping the book right back into your possession.

"Jerk. Serves you right."

Before you can storm up the stairs to stash the book back in your nightstand, Caleb's hand circles your wrist, pulling you back in.

"Not so fast," he says lowly, heat lighting up the amethyst of his eyes. It doesn't take much for him to pry your fingers apart as he places your hand at the front of his jeans. Filling your palm with the size of him, he grinds against it, catching his bottom lip between his teeth. "You don't need that book when you have the real thing right here, pretty girl. If you wanted your big brother to fuck you, all you had to do was ask. But after that little stunt, you should kiss this better first."

Zayne

Laying on your side in the bed draped with dark blues and grays, you curled into Zayne, getting lost in your book while he reads through patient reports on his tablet. Warmth fans the top of your head as he kisses it.

"I'm sorry for bringing work to bed but I'm just about finished. Thank you for being patient for me, angel. How is your book?"

"Really good." You pause, biting your lip to keep the smile from giving you away as you casually mention, "The love interest just took her over his knee."

"Did she deserve it?" he asks without looking up from his report.

You pout when it doesn't get the reaction you'd been hoping for.

"I suppose that would depend on who you ask. He would say it's justified but I disagree. Listen to this. 'You have quite the mouth on you, Celeste, and a bad habit of testing my authority in front of the board.'" You begin to read the passage aloud. "'Fuck you! I'm perfectly capable of conducting myself in a professional manner. Not everything is about your ego, you narcissist!' she hisses. His palm cracks across her bare bottom, causing Celeste to squirm in his lap in protest. His palm smooths over it to soothe the sting. 'Mind your manners.'"

You gesture to the book. "See what I mean? God forbid a woman has thoughts and opinions. My argument for her mercy is so much better."

"This should be good. Let's hear it then. What is your argument?" Zayne counters.

"Because she's a perfect angel who does nothing wrong ever so she deserves endless orgasms instead of barbaric beatings."

Zayne chuckles at that, taking his time to place his tablet and glasses on the nightstand, lining them with precision before turning to you.

"Is that so? I don't think an argument like that would stand in the Court of Brats."

"I disagree," you grin, happy to finally have his full attention. "I have a very persuasive way with my mouth."

You bat your lashes over your shoulder as he pulls you across his lap. His palm smooths up the leg of your sleep shorts, gently wedging the material between your cheeks so he can explore the expanse of your pretty ass like the offering it is.

"Of that, we both agree," he murmurs. "Perhaps you should have been a lawyer with that silver tongue of yours." The warmth of his hand disappears to be replaced with a sharp crack that echos through the room as wetness gathers at your center. Your head drops to the sheet with a moan while his palm soothes the skin. "If you can make it to twenty without crying, I'll give you an opportunity to plead your case."

“This is just the welcome home I needed,” he groans.

His fingertips dig into the flesh of your hips, pulling you back on his length with obscene wet slaps echoing off of the walls. Your body was already sore from the way he tossed you around like a rag doll, placing you in various positions and seeming unable to get enough. Heavy, firm balls slap against your puffy abused clit, teasing at an orgasm he had denied you over and over again until you felt on the verge of madness.

“Caleb, please!” you whine, voice pitched high and eyes full of tears.

A deep chuckle vibrates against your back as he pins you further with his chest.

It was borderline cruel the way he made you beg for release. You never understood why he insisted on drawing it out and tormenting the both of you, especially considering that more times than not you were on a time crunch to finish before Gran could catch the two of you. It was like he wanted to get caught, always pushing the limit further and further, seeing how close you could get to the sun without incinerating.

“You know just what I like to hear.” His warm breath is like silk against your eardrum. “I want something else from you, though.”

You don’t hesitate to answer, unable to bear the thought of waiting any longer.

“Anything.”

Caleb’s hand grips your jaw, pulling your gaze back to meet his until your neck aches from the strain. Danger flashes in his amethyst eyes.

“You have no sense of self-preservation, dear sister. You don’t even know what you’re asking for. But it’s too late to take it back.”

He bites your ear painfully as he continues to pump into you, teeth clamping hard while his tongue flicks at jewelry in your lobe. You cry out in a heady combination of pain and please, tightening around his erection.

“Shit, you feel so good,” he moans your name. His heavy cock falls out, leaving you dripping and clenching around nothing as a pitiful plea escapes your lips. “Stop being a whiny brat. You’ll get what you want. Take the condom off.”

That snaps you out of your tormented, blissed out haze, shocking you to your core.

“What do you mean, take it off—”

As you push up on one arm to turn around and face him, you collapse onto your chest once more as Caleb pushes you down and pins your arm behind your back. His hand encircles yours in deceptive softness as he guides your fingers to the tip of his hard cock to pinch the latex.

“What I mean… is take it off, pip,” he repeats.

“B-but we don’t… not without…” you grapple for understanding as responsibility pushes through your lust-filled brain.

“Yeah, well I wanna feel you. All of you. Without anything between us.”

You hesitate, knowing it would be an incredibly irresponsible thing to do. You just got into the academy and were top of your class. Before long you would be assigned to a squad at the Association, something you’ve dreamed of doing since you saw Hunters fighting off Wanderers on the broadcast as a little girl.

Caleb must sense your hesitation. Soft lips press to your cheek, a trail of soothing kisses pecking lovingly against the skin. The hand not currently wrapped around your own dips between your thighs as he starts to swirl your swollen clit. Still sensitive from the constant edging, your mind swims as your forehead falls to the cushion to stop the room from spinning. His touch is light, gentle even as your brother’s calming voice soothes you like a balm.

“I know this is new for us and you’re nervous, but it hurts that you don’t trust me to take care of you.”

“It’s not—”

“You have the implant—”

“How do you know tha—” you ask, but he cuts you off again.

“And I’ll pull out. I promise.” A soft sigh falls from his lips as he starts to pump against your hand that was still gripping him. “Just need to feel you.”

You never knew how to tell him no when he gets like this, all soft and sweet even if it never lasted.

“I-I—you promise?”

“Cross my heart and hope to die.”

“…okay,” you give in, body going pliant in his hold.

Pinching the latex, you start to tug. Caleb pulls back to give you space to work the condom down his length with a snap!

“There’s my sweet girl,” he praises.

Releasing your arm, he grabs himself to swipe the sticky bare head through your soaked folds with a hiss. Up and down over and over again as it keeps bumping your clit in a maddening tease. Just when you think he’s never going to put you out of your misery, he slides in with a single deep, hard thrust that takes the air from your lungs.

“Caleb!” you cry out just as he lets out a loud quivering groan.

Hand pressing against his abdomen you attempt to make him ease up. But just like before when you tried to stop him, he traps your arm against your lower back while his long cock bruises your cervix. His hips regain the brutal pace it had before the condom came off, the skin-to-skin contact making his glide through your walls much easier. Despite your pleas for him to slow down, you gush around the intrusion.

“I know you like it soft and sweet, pip-squeak, but you also like when I just take what’s mine. Don’t you?”

His hand cracks across your ass, leaving behind a sting that has you grinding your teeth. Head shaking in denial, Caleb lands another smack across the sensitive flesh followed by another and another.

“Don’t lie to me. I can feel your cunt squeezing the life out of me every time I do.”

“No—”

Crack!

“Want to try that again?”

“Caleb!”

Crack!

“Just tell me the truth and I’ll let you come.”

Like a carrot dangling in front of a horse, you give, desperate for the release. Your muffled response gets lost in the cushion. Fingers thread through the base of your neck, pulling at your roots until your face is unobstructed.

“Say it again,” he demands, panting harshly into your ear.

He was just about as far gone as you at this point.

“I like it,” you mewl, not having the strength to deny it any longer.

Your body was starting to grow heavy and you didn’t have much left to give.

“Like what? Use your big girl words.”

You loved hated when he did this. He was a total sadist sometimes. Face heating to an unbearable degree, you rush out a response.

“I like it when you take what’s yours.”

“You love it when I take what’s mine,” he corrects.

“I love it when you take what’s yours,” you repeat between high pitched moans.

You would give him anything he wanted right now if he would just give you what you needed. Your dignity was long gone, that ship having sailed years ago when it came to him.

“Now tell me you want my cum.”

“Caleb,” you hyperventilate, on the verge of tears again at his constant teasing.

“Shhh, it’s okay sweet girl. Almost there, I promise. Tell me what you want.”

“I want your cum.”

“Whose cum?”

“My brother’s…” you murmur, knowing exactly what the pervert wants to hear.

Caleb always did want what he wasn’t supposed to have, you above all.

“Yeah? You want your big brother’s cum? Well, who am I to deny a pretty girl her request.”

Fingers pinch your clit, the mere touch enough at this point to make you go blind with pleasure. Your abdomen tightens and your ears ring almost painfully as you’re overcome with your release. You barely even notice when Caleb pulls out with a growl and wetness coats both holes between your legs. The moment seems to go on forever until he finally releases you, allowing you to collapse face-first into the couch with your heart pounding against your ribcage.

Grabbing his still stiff cock, Caleb swipes it through the mess he made of your ass and pussy, gathering the sticky release together on the tip.

So out of it, you don’t even realize what he’s doing until it’s too late.

Caleb slides back into your abused, tender hole with slow intentional deep strokes.

“Caleb!” you scold, so depleted of energy that your protest comes out as a pathetic mumble.

“I kept my promise, babygirl. I pulled out. Do you think Gran would be mad if we made her a grandma again?”

“You’re a jerk,” your swat lands against his naked hip with a smack as he laughs at your expense.

He had always seemed a little haunted to you; like there were things he wasn’t saying or couldn’t say and that hadn’t changed, but the depth of it now seems insurmountable. What was it they said about gazing into the abyss? Well now, often times when Caleb looked at you, you felt the abyss gazing back. Like your caring brother was gone and the cold officer he had become was steering the wheel. You couldn’t decipher where Caleb began and the Colonel ended.

While in Skyhaven, you hadn’t received any of messages and had connectivity issues with the wifi. Initially, you had reasonably blamed the shoddy signal on the fact that you were in a city in the sky and that the near-constant storms were to blame, but after uncovering some suspicious information about Caleb’s new life, you were no longer convinced it was a mere accident. Which left you to believe either the Fleet had more of an influence on Skyhaven than anyone suspected, despite what their public policies claimed, or Caleb himself had intentionally isolated you. Both were concerning and likely had some truth to them, but the former was more painful to think about.

Your phone had been buzzing nearly non-stop since coming back to the city, updating with message after message. Messages from Xavier about hot pot and confusion about your sudden approved vacation days that you never mentioned taking; Rafayel feigning danger, saying he needed his bodyguard to come and check on him asap; Zayne concerned that he hadn’t heard a word from you after Mia’s unfortunate death and insisting you check in with him as soon as you are able.

They had been relatively easy to appease for now. You informed them all you had just returned home and would make sure to see them in the coming days— you just needed one day to sort through your thoughts and feelings about the Caleb situation. Besides, what were you supposed to say? I didn’t actually go on vacation because I went on a solo undercover mission for the Association connected to the explosion of my grandmother’s house just to find my long-dead brother/sort of ex-boyfriend is actually alive and well, and is now one of the top ranking leaders of the Farspace Fleet who may be involved in some unethical practices because I had one conversation with a little boy whom they had been searching for and he seemed to have a complete personality change in the two days after his sister’s death?

It wasn’t exactly something that could be explained in a text message.

Needless to say, your men were worried about you, but Sylus most of all. Though his messages where a lot more direct in their efforts to get to the bottom of your disappearance. They started off playful enough in their probing, but the longer you were gone, the more insistent they became.  

Mr. Crow: Mephisto reported that you packed a bag. A big one. Where are we going? 

Mr. Crow: Now he says you boarded a shuttle. Why would you do that when you have a helicopter in the N109 at your disposal?

Mr. Crow: Your return date is a week from now. Did you go on vacation without me, kitten? You never mentioned a work trip.

Mr. Crow: I know you’re a busy big time hunter but it’s unlike you to ignore my messages like this, sweetie.

Mr. Crow: Mephisto lost you. The twins can’t find you either.

Mr. Crow: Where are you?

Mr. Crow: You disappeared on me and I’m worried. This isn’t like you.

Mr. Crow: I’m very unhappy with you right now.

Mr. Crow: You can’t hide forever, kitten…

You knew without a shadow of a doubt that Sylus saw the moment you returned to the city because your mechanical bird companion was tailing you again. You hadn’t intentionally slipped his detail or left Sylus hanging during your leave. It was no secret that the Onichynus leader kept watch of you and it had actually become a welcome security over the months since you began seeing one another.

It should have struck you as odd that Sylus didn’t hunt you down during your two week stay in Skyhaven but the truth was you had been hit with near constant surprises in the floating city that you had no time to think about anything but what was happening in that moment. But now that you were away and had space to think, you were left to wonder why Sylus never came for you. Why you were able to be imprisoned on a military fleet ship against your will and your mighty crime boss didn’t track you down and bust you out.

Your phone buzzes again, shaking you from your thoughts.

Mr. Crow: Look who’s back in town.

Kitten: Will you meet me somewhere?

Mr. Crow: Turn around.

You lower your phone, eyebrows drawn together as you turn against the flow of pedestrian traffic. Your eyes flit through the decorated streets, colorful ribbons and lanterns decorating the way in preparation for the New Year. The crowd parts, making way for a hulking man in a leather jacket walking steadily toward you with danger flashing in his crimson eyes, his mouth set into a hard line. It never ceased to amaze you how Sylus was able to blend in with a crowd when he stood out to you so much. He towered over everyone and had a dangerous aura to him, yet no one batted an eye in his direction.

You gulp nervously, knowing he wouldn’t let you get away without an explanation. One you still weren’t even sure how to say. Anxiousness has your feet moving quickly as you duck into an alleyway to wait for him. You couldn’t do this with an audience. Though it’s still light out, the strings of decorations above has the alley appearing more dark than usual, allowing you to slink into the shadows and away from prying eyes. It doesn’t take Sylus long to catch up, his own shadow eating up whatever light remains as he draws closer until he’s towering above and caging you against the stone wall.

“Sylus—”

“Would you look at that? I caught myself a stray.”

His fingers curl under your chin, not-too-gently angling your face toward his. That simmering anger in his eyes softens at the sight of you, disappearing completely to be replaced with concern. He reads you entirely too well, even if he doesn’t know the cause.

“What’s wrong, sweetie?”

You let out a vulnerable sigh, lip wedging between your teeth to combat the sting in your eyes as the relief of this secret you’ve been holding onto is lifted off of your shoulders the slightest bit. You didn’t realize just how much you had been carrying since Caleb’s return, but if a single soft look and concerned question from one of your boyfriends was enough to make you feel like crumbling, it must be a lot.

You still hardly believed it yourself that Caleb was alive and well after all this time. Had seen him with your own eyes and yet you still felt the loss of grief from his death and the sting of betrayal at his return. A confusing whorl of emotion builds up inside your chest because along with the relief that he was alive, you felt an overwhelming sense of resentment toward him.

For so long, Caleb was the only one you saw, blinded by the tunnel vision of his affection. Then he went and died before you could navigate the complex secret relationship the two of you shared only to return from the death of a literal explosion to metaphorically blow up your life just when you had started learning how to live without him. Just when you had begun to find comfort and care with Sylus and the other men in your life. They had become your new foundation in the rubble of Caleb’s place and now he was returning from the dead to level it once again. The rebuilding process had been overbearing and painful and lonely and you didn’t know how much more you had in you to start over again.

As much as you loved Caleb, he never played well with others when it came to you. Sylus thought Zayne’s jealousy and reluctance to share your time had been a hurdle but your childhood friend was nothing compared to your brother’s jealous streak. In the handful of times you were shared between Caleb and Zayne in your youth, it was always at Caleb’s command. Nothing happened without his approval. What he said went and neither you nor Zayne ever dared cross that line to try to further explore your attraction to one another. Not until after the explosion, anyway.

A gentle thumb on your jaw brings your attention back to the present, sympathetic ruby eyes grounding you.

“Does it have to do with how much time you spent in Skyhaven recently?”

Surprise and panic flicker across your face at Sylus’s question.

So he did know where you had gone, after all.

“Please, sweetie. After all this time and you’re still surprised that I keep tabs on you?  Mephisto may well be glued to your side. And that’s not even taking the twins into consideration or counting the various tracking devices planted on you and in you.”

“Sylus!”

“What?” he feigns innocence.

“Mephisto following me is one thing but you can’t bug me! I’m an agent of the law. Not to mention, where the hell did you get plant devices that can evade government detection? And more importantly, how did you get one inside of me without me knowing?”

Sylus’s proud grin widens as a thick leather-covered arm wraps around you like a vine. He pulls you into a slow dance in the alley, no musical accompaniment or reason for it other than he wanted to and he missed you.

It soothed some of the warring emotions within you, making your irritation with his stalking tendencies dissipate. Truth be told, you were grateful that he cared so much about your safety. You know Sylus now and know that his only intentions are your safety and success. Though you wouldn’t ask it of him, he would burn the whole world down if you requested him to, for the mere purpose of pleasing you. You couldn’t same the same about Caleb, who only ever kept you in the dark about his intentions.

“You should know by now that nothing is out of my budget or reach, kitten,” he purrs.

His playful demeanor slips a fraction. To anyone else it would have been undetectable but having spent so much intimate time with the Onychinus leader, you have learned to read him nearly as well as he reads you.

“What is it?” you ask, cupping his jaw.

Sylus nuzzles into your palm, a heavy sigh puffing through his nostrils, reminding you of a mighty beast that had been tamed.

“Nothing is out of my reach,” he repeats, “except whenever you disappeared into Skyhaven. Mephisto managed to follow your shuttle all the way to the city gates but the moment he tried to cross the threshold he began to short out. He had no choice but to turn back. Once you crossed over, I also lost signal of every tracking device on your person, including this one,” his finger lightly trace a spot between your shoulder blades. So that’s where it is. “I lost the ability to track you. To keep you safe. That’s never happened before and naturally was a cause for concern.” He hesitates for a moment as if afraid to ask but does anyway. “Where did you go during your ‘vacation’?”

“I don’t know where to start,” you admit as the tightness in your chest starts to constrict to a painful degree. The cardiac event monitor on your watch begins to beep erratically, indicating a dangerous rise in your pulse oxygen levels.

“Shhh, it’s okay,” Sylus pulls you close to his chest, resting your head and hand against the steady rhythm of his own heartbeat.

He talks you through the attack, his calming voice like a balm to your ringing ears. After several long moments, you feel like you can breathe again and your watch finally goes quiet.

“Yes, I’m with her right now and she seems to be coming out of it,” Sylus’s voice drifts clearly to your ears once more. His voice tightens irritably at whatever the person on the other end says. “I wouldn’t put her in that kind of danger. I called you as soon as her symptoms began, didn’t I?”

He pauses again to listen to whatever was being said, giving you a reassuring smile though he still looks annoyed.

“I can drop her off at your office tomorrow morning. Or if you’re truly concerned and thinks she needs immediate medical attention, you’re welcome to meet me in the N109 Zone in an hour.”

Pause.

“That’s what I thought. I’ll continue to monitor her and if anything changes, you’ll be the first to know. Have a nice day, doctor.”

Sylus hangs up the phone and tucks the device back into his pocket. Hearing his side of the conversation, you have an idea of who he had been talking to.

“Dr. Zayne wants you to report to his office first thing in the morning. He said he won’t clear you to return to work until you do.”

This news comes as no surprise. Since an event was triggered, you would have to answer to Zayne about the cause, yet another conversation you weren’t ready to have. But he deserves to know Caleb is back. You just didn’t know how to tell him most of all. At least Sylus, Xavier, and Raf were a degree removed from the situation. Zayne would be almost as affected by the news as you, considering that Caleb was his best friend and the odd nature of the relationship the three of you previously shared.

“You could start from the beginning, sweetie,” Sylus murmurs against your hair, lips brushing your head in a loving kiss as he reminds you of what caused your heart rate to spike in the first place.

“I can’t,” your voice croaks. “Not now. Not here. It’s… too much.”

“Okay,” he relents. “But I’m taking you home with me regardless. After spending two weeks worrying about your safety and unable to reach you, I need you with me tonight. Then after a good meal and a lavender bath soak, if you feel like telling me what’s going on, I’ll be all ears.”

The sting returns to your eyes and you grip the back of his leather coat like an anchor. You were so grateful for your dragon and the way he kept you safe, even from yourself. That when you were spiraling down a vortex he would always catch you.

“I love you, Sylus,” you whisper, throat tight with emotion.

“I love you too, kitten.”

“Don’t thank me just yet. I haven’t even assessed the situation.”

Moving to the side, you allow him to cross the threshold before closing and locking the door behind him. You eye the bag of groceries in his hand, but say nothing as he helps himself into your apartment, following the scent of seafood.

He makes his way to the open kitchen area, placing the bag on the counter island on his way to the stove. A flood of guilt rushes through you when he removes his long winter coat to reveal the white suit he often wore to the hospital, rolling up the sleeves of the crisp button-up shirt as he peers into the pot. He probably just left his shift and had been at the supermarket when you called him to help you save your own dinner. He must be starving at this hour.

“Gloves?” he asks.

You sheepishly hand over the rubber gloves you had dug out of the drawer. He expertly handles the crabs, prodding you with a few comments meant to lightheartedly poke fun at your fear of the little crustaceans in an attempt to make you smile. It worked. Many people mistook Zayne for cold, perhaps even a little mean at times, but he was quite funny when you got to know him. Surprisingly sarcastic, but his humor often got lost in the dryness unless you knew to listen for it.

“Why don’t you unpack the grocery bag? We’ll combine my dinner with yours,” he suggests while slipping your apron over his head.

After tying off the back, he looks up to find you watching him, smiling at the frilly lace edges and cute floral print pulled tight over his lean, toned form. An amused smile of his own pulls at the corners of his mouth though he tries to keep a stern face as he crosses his arms over his chest.

“Do you find something amusing, Miss?”

“Not at all, Zaynie. You are just absolutely adorable.”

Perking up on your toes, you aim to pinch his cheeks as you tease him with his childhood nickname, but he quickly evades your attack, circling your wrist in his large hand.

“If you don’t stop playing around, the crab will be done well before the rest of the food and get cold. Now behave so I can feed you.”

“I don’t feel right having you cook for me when I was the one who interrupted your meal in the first place,” you frown.

“The crabs have already been caught. Does it actually matter who cooks?”

He’s got a point there. Plus, it would be nice to get a break from all of the cooking anxiety Xavier gave you on a near daily basis.

“Alright, alright,” you give, making your way toward the bag on the counter.

You can’t help the grimace as you unpack the tomatoes and leafy greens.

“What is it now?” Zayne asks, raising an eyebrow.

“Nothing. It’s just… a lot of vegetables.”

“Mhmm, and whose fault is that? I believe you were the one who decided we should splurge on dinner Monday and Wednesday this week. We surpassed our cheat meal quota half way through the week and doubled it.”

You gape at the accusation. That is before you remember a key detail that he was leaving out.

“Well whose idea was it to get those fancy deserts after? And to go to the ice cream cart during your lunch break on Tuesday?”

His lips twitch.

“Well, if we were already cheating, we may as well do it right. But now we need to be responsible. At least until next week.”

“Fair,” you concede. You nose wrinkles as you glance back down at the pile of produce. “But tomatoes?”

“What’s wrong with tomatoes?” he frowns.

“What’s wrong with carrots?” you counter.

“Touche. No tomatoes for you tonight then but you need to eat the spinach. I’ll add in some scrambled eggs as an incentive.”

“Deal!”

Zayne moves around your kitchen, pulling open drawers and cabinets in search of utensils. It’s obvious he’s frustrated with the way you have everything organized if his casual rearranging of your dishes is any indicator. Saddling up behind him, you wrap your arms around Zayne from behind as he continues to quietly rearrange your drawers. Laying your cheek against his back, you flatten your palms on his stomach, pulling him close. He inhales deeply when your nails begin to lightly scratch against the front of the apron.

“Can I do anything to help?”

“You can actually,” he says, turning around to face you.

He guides you backwards until your lower back bumps into the corner part of the counter, his lips teasing against yours. Just as your arms circle his neck to deepen the kiss, nails finding his scalp, he moans softly. Lifting you onto the counter, he holds your wrists captive in your lap as his tongue briefly finds yours, leaving you dizzy and forgetting all about the meal. All too soon, he steps away, putting distance between the two of you with a light shake of his head.

“You can sit right there and watch the timer for the crabs. Don’t cause any trouble. And don’t steal any food before it’s ready. Behave, angel.”

Still slightly flustered from the kiss, you give him a mock salute to which he playfully rolls his eyes. When he resumes prepping the food, you not-so-subtly snatch a piece of the chopped fruit in the bowl between the two of you, popping a piece into your mouth with a satisfied hum. Zayne’s eyes narrow at you over the top of his glasses but he doesn't scold you. Despite his preferred little nickname, you both knew angel wasn’t exactly your style.

“You know, since I was summoned here to do all this work, perhaps you should be thinking about how to compensate me for my time.”

“I have a few ideas.”

Hopping down from the counter, you slide to your knees between his legs and the cabinet. You make quick work of his belt, leaving it to hang open as you tuck the frilly apron into one of the belt loops and tackle the button. That’s as far as you get before his hand is around your wrist again to stop you. A confused frown falls on your face as your eyes dart between his and the obvious tent in his white slacks.

“What’s wrong?”

He seems torn, the dip between his dark brows concerned.

“This is not like before. We are not like before when… when Caleb made our connection feel like a transaction. When I said to think of a way to compensate me I did not mean you had to trade in sexual favors for the meal. It was a poor choice of words on my part.” Zayne’s palm engulfs your cheek. “You don’t have to get on your knees for me ever again, angel.”

Hearing Caleb’s name spoken out loud for the first time since your post-explosion mental breakdown is difficult, reminding you of the hollow piece missing in your chest. But having Zayne, as well as the other three men in your life, remind you you still have so much love to give and receive. You can’t let your brother continue to stand in the way of what you have with Zayne. He came between the two of you for so long during his life, you couldn’t allow it to continue in his death. Your hand covers Zayne’s own as you nuzzle into his touch. This was still very new territory for both of you, being able to openly express your fondness for one another.

“Despite how it may have appeared, Caleb never made me do anything that I didn’t already want to do, Zayne.”

Your gaze bores into his forest green eyes as you boldly suck his thumb into your mouth. Zayne sucks in a gush of air as your warm tongue swirls the digit that has been responsible for saving so many lives, yours included.

“I’m right where I want to be,” you assure as you return to unzipping his slacks.

“This isn’t the kind of good behavior I was expecting,” he murmurs though he doesn’t stop you from wrapping your delicate warm hand around his length and pulling him from his sensible white briefs.

“I never agreed to behave, Zayne. You’re the one who started calling me an angel. Doesn’t mean that I am.”

The flushed head of his cock comes into view, already swollen and pink with his body’s approval. Puckering your mouth, you kiss the tip, his sticky residue glossing your lips. His palm instinctively cradles the back of your head though he doesn’t press any further, allowing you to take the lead for now.

“You’re quite right about that,” he rasps. “Perhaps you are actually a succubus in disguise.”

You hum in agreement as your mouth closes around him, tongue flicking against the leaking slit. His head falls back on a sigh when your tongue swirls leisurely around the head, tracing the divot beneath. Disappointment falls to the pit of your stomach when the timer begins to shrill, knowing Zayne would halt your fun just when you were getting started on showing him your appreciation.

He surprises you by leaning over to switch off the burner. Widening his stance to give you more space between his legs, he cages you against the counter. His thumb caresses lovingly down the column of your neck, sliding around to the front to stroke the vocal chords. You don’t stop him when he takes control, slowly sliding into your mouth, the heavy weight of him on your tongue as the tip presses against the back. It might have made you gag when you were younger, but Caleb had long-since trained the reflex out of you before the accident.

“That’s it, darling,” Zayne moans. “Open that pretty throat for me.”

Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed this little update to my Love and Deepspace au, and that the cut off was not too abrupt. I am trying to explore with my writing and not make smut my only focus (though it will still be a prominent feature). For this particular update, I thought the most important part was pushing through some of the awkwardness between these two characters and making sure MC!Reader and Zayne were able to have an honest discussion about what their relationship may look like going forward in a post-Caleb kind of dynamic. I realize that without my prequel WIPS showcasing the dynamic between Caleb/Reader/Zayne, it may be a little confusing to understand how Caleb came between Reader and Zayne in their youth, and I fully intend to finish and post those one day. But as many of my readers of this series knows, I am not posting in chronological order. I write the chapters that inspire me and slot them into my timeline. You can find the correct reading order at the link above labeled Chapter List or through my OpaLADS Love and Deepspace AU series on AO3.

“So how do you know our beautiful, single friend?”

Subtle, Tara.

Though Sylus’s response is more of a surprise than her question.

“I’m her boyfriend.”

You don’t even have time to hide your look of shock, gaping like a fish as everyone turns to you for answers. Tara looks downright betrayed by the news.

Get in line, girl.

“You didn’t tell us you had a boyfriend! Especially one that’s so… tall,” she observes.

“Well,” Sylus purrs, wrapping an arm around your shoulder as he pulls you to his side. Knowing you can’t push him away with your entire group of friends here without blowing his— and your— cover. “It’s new. In fact, I’m still trying to convince her to go on a third date with me but I think this one enjoys the thrill of being chased. Lucky for her, I’m more than happy to oblige.”

“You’re here now! Why don’t you join us, Skye? We reserved a room for karaoke.”

That makes you find your voice again.

“Oh, I’m sure he’s busy, right Skye? It’s such short notice and you mentioned having to work tonight.”

You give Sylus a tight smile that silently conveys Go with it or I’ll arrest you but he doesn’t seem to get the message as his toothy grin sharpens.

“I just finished up, actually so I’m all yours, kitten.”

“Kitten,” Tara squeals, practically melting on the spot. “You both are too cute. It’s settled then!”

As the group passes by to head for the reserved room, your friend leans in to whisper in your ear about how you owe her a girl’s night and tea. You shoot her a placating smile. Once the group is long out of earshot, you spin around to shove Sylus away, though his sturdy frame doesn’t budge an inch. That only serves to irritate you further.

“What do you think you’re doing?” you hiss.

“What do you mean, sweetie? I think that went rather well. Your friends like me,” he gloats.

Scoffing, you cross your arms to contain the burning irritation building in your chest.

“That’s because they don’t know who you really are. I should just arrest you now and save myself the trouble of this charade blowing up in my face.”

Sylus surprises you by resting his arm above your head to cage you against the wall, sucking the breath from your lungs as the two of you are left alone to linger in the resort hall. It’s actually insane how his bicep alone is practically the size of your head, and so is the way your body reacts to it, heart fluttering at the man’s massive frame.

“Then do it.”

“Wh-what?”

Though you try to maintain a semblance of control, your voice shakes. You want nothing more than to slap the cocky grin off his face but the psycho would probably interpret that as flirting.

“Every time we bump into one another, you threaten to arrest me. Fine, I surrender,” he offers his wrists. “What are you waiting for, kitten? This would be huge for your career.”

Your molars grind as you consider the various outcomes, trying to decipher if he’s being serious. Why would the most wanted criminal on two planets suddenly decide to give up his freedom so easily? Nothing Sylus did or said ever made sense. Every moment spent with the him made a swirl of dichotomous feelings bubble up inside you.

Upon first meeting one another, he kidnapped you for three days, even if you had gotten yourself into that situation intentionally. In that time he tried to force a resonance with you, tried to have your protocore illegally altered, and convinced you to shoot him. Only once you realized what you had done and a confusing flood of tears fell, did Sylus’s still form come to.

Surprisingly gently fingers swiped at your damp cheeks.

“Save your tears for the day you actually kill me,” he rasped.

A relief you had never known sunk your shoulders as you nuzzled into his hand, unsure why you had such a reaction to the perceived death of a stranger— a criminal whom you should have been relieved was gone. But it was only when you realized he was still alive that you felt like you could breath again.

Ever since, the dynamic between the two of you had been playful pursuit on his part and defiant resistance on yours, even as your body and soul begged you to give in. You simply could not get entangled with the leader of Onychinus that way.

So why was it so hard to do your job and accept the gift he was offering?

When you make no move to reach for your cuffs, Sylus chuckles, crowding you once more. His warm breath hits your ear, making your spine shiver.

“Well in that case, we should catch up to your friends. They’re waiting for us, sweetie.”

“His singing voice is… interesting,” Tara laughs politely. “It’s not what I would have expected after hearing him speak.”

She was being far too kind. Sylus’s singing was atrocious. His pitch was terrible, every note shaky at best as he tries to stay in tune with the music, completely butchering a beloved pop song for the entire bar. You would never be able to hear it the same way again after this performance, but the attempt was admirable. Even being easily the worst singer in the room, Sylus still kept getting up there with the confidence of a performer who had been doing this for decades.

The pity claps he received from the team after every song did nothing to humble his massive ego as he sauntered back to your table with a smoldering smirk. He returned to his seat to your left, draping his arm across the back of your chair and pulling you closer to tuck you under his arm like it’s where you belonged. He gulps what remains of the glass of whiskey he had been nursing, clearly thirsty after his third performance of the night

“Who’s next?” he asks.

“We actually need to get going. This is the last night of our retreat and most of us have a flight to catch in the morning. We’re leaving for a group mission that will have us out of town for another week,” your co-worker groans.

“Ahh, were you planning to tell me you would be out of town for so long, sweetie? Or were you just planning to leave me broken-hearted in the dark again?”

Sylus’s words are playful, but when he looks down at you, darkness shadows his eyes. Only an ominous twinkle of ruby red gleams from his right eye making him look like the danger you expect from someone like him.

Many of your co-workers at this retreat were partnered up together, but you were one of the few UNICORNS members who would not be joining the group for this mission. You might have been recommended had you been partnered up with a normal ranking member in your unit like the rest of your peers, but somehow you found yourself partnered with a special task hunter who was more often than not assigned to classified missions. You had been half-joking when you told the alumni you wanted to partner up with him, but the next day Captain Jenna announced teams and sure enough, you were paired with the most experienced hunter at the association.

Xavier was yet another mystery you often found yourself trying to solve.

He seemed perfectly normal for the most part, if not a little lazy when he wasn’t hunting Wanderers, but there were things about him that didn’t add up. So many vague answers about his time in the Association— how long he’s been employed there, how he had access to so much classified information, his knowledge about Wanderers and protocores that even Captain Jenna and the higher ups didn’t have.

There were just too many questions surrounding him, but you didn’t have enough evidence to outright accuse him of anything.

“Oh, she’s not,” Tara pipes in as she finishes her own drink and gathers her purse. “She and Xavier are usually on call for private missions that take precedence over group missions. So she’ll be heading back to Linkon.”

“Xavier? She hasn’t told me about him yet.”

“Oh he’s her association partner. Weirdly enough they live in the same apartment building too, but it’s close to work so I suppose it’s not that weird. One floor apart is such a coincidence though. He’s cute too. I’ve tried to convince her to set me up with him, but she always says he doesn’t date. To be honest, until we met you tonight, I thought maybe something was going on between the two of them. It’s like they’re always huddled up in their own little world.”

“Is that so?” Sylus raises an eyebrow at you.

Your face heats as you whip around to face your mouthy friend.

“I think you’ve had a few too many tonight, Tara.”

Right on cue, Tara hiccups and giggles.

“I think you may be right about that.”

She turns to bat her eyelashes at Nero, who you’re surprised agreed to come at all tonight, but he had the biggest heart-eyes for Tara so perhaps it wasn’t very surprising. After all, she was the one to convince him to join. Even with all of her talk about wanting to be set up with Xavier, you knew she had the biggest crush on Nero and was just frustrated with trying to pull him out of his shell.

“Nero, would you mind lending me an arm? I may need help walking back to my door.”

It’s almost endearing the way he fumbles with his words, then agrees to escort her back to the room you shared with her. When they stand to leave, Tara shoots you a wink that shows she knows exactly what she’s doing. You give her a quick wave and see off the rest of your team.

“Nice to meet you, Skye!”

Before you know it, you realize you and Sylus are the only ones who remain.

Your fingers tap the side of your leg, unsure where this leaves you. With Tara luring Nero back to your room, you wanted to stay as far away from there as possible for at least the next few hours, but that didn’t leave you with many options. It looked like you would be drinking alone and doing some solo karaoke for the foreseeable future.

A soft touch caresses the side of your forehead as Sylus toys with a piece of your hair.

“What’s going on in that head of yours, kitten?”

“Just thinking how I’m still hours away from being able to go to bed since Tara dragged Nero upstairs. We’re sharing a room,” you elaborate.

“Hmm, pity,” he says, pinching your chin between his thumb and finger as his lips tease over yours. “If only you knew someone with a private suite where you could hunker down for a few hours.”

Biting down on your bottom lip in thought, you make a mental list of all the reasons this would be a very bad idea. You could always blame it on the alcohol though, not that you had enough to reasonably justify what was sure to regret tomorrow but it was enough to lie to yourself about the fact that you wanted to go with him.

“I don’t know…”

“Just one drink, kitten,” he purrs, the intoxicating scent of top-shelf whiskey and his expensive musky cologne making you light-headed.

“M-maybe just one drink.”

Sylus gives you no time to back out of the invitation, leading you to the elevator where he has to insert a special key card to access the top floor. Your mouth gapes open as the doors slide open and you’re greeted with a foyer, open-concept kitchen, and lounge area with a hallway leading to various closed doors. Sylus tugs you inside by the hand then sends the elevator back down, leaving you truly alone with him. Now that there was no escape, he leaves you to look around with wide eyes as he starts the kettle.

“This is not what I imagined when you mentioned a private suite. This is a freaking penthouse, Sylus.”

He reaches for the dark wood-stained cabinets, broad back expanding beneath the tight black button-up he was wearing. You were shocked it didn’t rip at the seams with the movement. He pulls out ingredients for tea, not the something stronger you had been expecting.

“As the owner, I’m entitled to certain privileges.”

“The owner?” you squeak. “You own this resort?”

With a shrug as he tops off the cups with steaming water, sliding one across the counter toward you with a clink.

“It’s just a small business I happen to own. Drink up, sweetie. I want you sober.”

Your nerves get the better of you, so you grab the cup for something to do with your hands. Blowing on the cup, you sip down the beverage, warmth settling the twisting in your gut as you swallow it down.

While your nerves had been tangling up inside your body, Sylus leaned casually against the cabinet on the other side of the island, watching you so calmly like he could do it for days without getting bored as he finished his own tea. After a while, you couldn’t take the silence anymore, putting your empty cup down and running a nervous hand over your hair.

“Now what?”

Sylus takes his time gathering and rinsing your empty cups then drying his hands before rounding the kitchen island to lean against it. Stuffing his hands into his pockets, he takes his sweet time tracing the dips and curves of your body with his eyes. The leisurely appraisal has your abdomen clenching in anticipation, making warmth bubble under your skin.

“Now,” he rumbles, voice low and steady— commanding without raising in volume. “Now you’re going to slide down your panties and lay on the couch for me like a good little kitten so I can pet you the way you deserve.” His teasing smile ticks at at the corner. "You can even scratch if you’d like and pretend you don't want it."

Your thighs begin to tremble as you press them together, cursing yourself for deciding to wear a dress tonight as the skin glides together, sticky with your essence. The whole night you were able to pretend that Sylus had no effect on you, but now your traitorous body was making it difficult to deny.

Heels lightly scrape against rug as you slowly back away, putting some distance between the two of you so you can gather the resolve to thank him for the tea and walk out of this penthouse to return to the semi-professional relationship you had with the Onychinus leader. Once this door was opened, it would be very hard to close again.

“Back up allll you want. I’ll close the distance soon enough,” he sings as his wide steps bring him closer.

The backs of your knees collide with the dark leather couch cushion, leaving you nowhere else to go as Sylus makes good on his promise. His large palms settle on your hips, drawing you so slowly and carefully to him like a predator luring it’s prey into a false sense of safety. Your hands instinctively grasp for his bulging, muscular arms, reminding you yet again just how large he is. Taking one of your hands in his own, he drapes yours into his palm as he brushes light kisses across the knuckles.

“Are you going to be a good sweet girl and hand them over willingly? Or do you want me to take them for you?”

You shake your head, words stuck in your throat as a fresh gush dampens your thighs. It’s been so long since you’ve had someone take control like this. When Caleb died, so did your ability to submit. Not that there were many opportunities to do so.

You were stuck in a weird limbo with Zayne where it felt like neither of you were willing to penetrate the bubble of attraction you had for one another. Like you had to remain in the friend zone out of respect for your late brother. With Xavier, the two of you were more likely to paw at one another’s clothing and tumble into bed together than play games like this. And as for Rafayel, things with him were new enough that you were still figuring out what you like with him, though more times than not he allowed you to take the lead.

Sylus, however, gave a command and waited for you response. Waited for your submission. Whether you gave it willingly or wanted him to force it from you, like he just knew it was what you needed. You fight the urge to be combative and do as he asks, to be good for him. But you weren’t entirely sure you wanted to be good. You wanted to fight. You missed the feeling of having choices made for you, of being held down and forced to take whatever was given. For your own good or his own pleasure, you didn’t care.

“Take them,” you finally whisper, words barely audible over the soft jazz drifting from the record player.

“Where are your manners, sweetie? In polite society, we ask for what we want.”

You lick your lips, fighting the urge to quip back with a smart reply. You needed him to touch you more than you needed your pride right now. “Sylus, will you please take my panties and anything else you want from me tonight?”

“Smart girl,” he whispers with a beastly smile. “You’re such a good girl telling me exactly what you want. I will take everything I want from you because I know it’s what you need. It certainly won’t be just for tonight though because I do in fact want everything, kitten.”

One of his large arms wraps around you as his nose finds the juncture between shoulder and neck, pausing for a moment to take a deep breath and filling his lungs with your aroma. Your knees tremble, knocking together. It likely would have had you collapsing if not for the iron grip around your waist. His teeth scrape the juncture near your collarbone like he wanted to sink them in, but with great effort trailed his lips up your neck instead, tongue flicking out to taste your skin. You feel yourself sinking into his sturdy hold, lightheaded and too warm to support yourself.

Finally, Sylus’s lips find yours in a dizzying kiss. One you had been longing for since your brief stay in the N109 Zone after your “kidnapping”. The material of his shirt bunches in your fist as you deepen the kiss, your tongue swiping across the seam of his surprisingly soft lips. The moment your tongues touch, you sigh into his mouth with a mewl, savoring the taste of whiskey and tea on his tongue. 

In a move too quick for you to react, your back hits the expensive couch cushion as Sylus devours your mouth. One knee sinks between the two of yours, sliding further up until a thick, hard thigh hits your core. The pressure of Sylus’s thigh has you gasping into his mouth only to be swallowed up by his invasive kisses.

Before you know it, you’re spiraling under his touch and grinding out an unexpected orgasm on his thigh. It makes your ears ring, muffling even the sound of ripping fabric as your center is bared to the cool air while this beast of a man tosses the shreds of your panties onto the coffee table.

“You tore my—”

“Shhh, keep being good for me, sweetie.”

Sylus makes his way down your body until his knees hit the rug and he wedges his broad shoulders between your legs. Your knees are practically pressed to your chest with the way he has you spread out before him. The tip of his nose passes lightly through your slit as he deeply inhales the scent of you, savoring you like a finely aged wine before flicking his tongue out for just a taste. It was enough to make you feel insane and touch starved. Even with one orgasm under your belt, it didn’t help relieve any of the need for him to touch you for real.

“Sylus,” you whine, wiggling your hips in an attempt to sway him to stop teasing you. Your fingers intertwine with his as you try to pull him closer to where you need him most. 

“You’re a desperate, impatient little thing, aren’t you, kitten?” he chuckles against your slick core.

He continues lapping at you leisurely with just the tip of his tongue, apparently not feeling the same sense of urgency you were. Enough stimulation for you to know he’s there and to keep you on edge, but not enough to soothe the madness building within you.

“If you’re not going to stop teasing me and just freaking do it I’ll call someone who will.”

The threat is out of your mouth before you can stop it, your frustration tumbling out with it. In all fairness, you tried to be good for him but you have never been the type to just roll over and take it. It wasn’t in your nature.

A heavy sigh blows hotly against your center, making you squirm more though you wonder if you pushed too far. However when your eyes crack open and look at the man between your thighs, you’re met with a monstrous grin and a heated gaze. That eye of his, the one with the aether core, lightens and sparkles like a ruby in the dark.

“Oh, kitten. I am going to have so much fun teaching you some manners.”

Sylus’s back straightens as he rises to his knees and his mouth gets further away from where it had been, pulling another whine from your lips.

You had been bluffing… mostly.

If you had been in Linkon you wouldn’t have hesitated to knock on Xavier’s door in the middle of the night to scratch the itch Sylus was taking his sweet time to tend to, but truth be told you didn’t want to be anywhere else tonight but right here. You just wanted Sylus to finally give you what you had been craving from him. The sooner you fucked the Onychinus leader out of your system and could get back to hating him, the better.

You move to rise up and follow him but find yourself pinned in this position as if you were tied down. It felt like your arms were strapped to the leather couch and your calves tied to your thighs by invisible ropes. No matter how much you struggle, you can’t budge. The swirling red and black mist prove as much and you look back up at the man with big wet eyes, trying to plead to his developing soft side for you.

“I’m sorry, Sylus. I didn’t mean it. I-I just, you feel so good and I couldn’t take the teasing anymore. Please. I’m sorry.”

“Sorry already, kitten? Your lesson hasn’t even begun yet.”

His large, warm palms slide down the undersides of your exposed thighs, wrenching them apart wider and wider, your restraints tightening with them until you were left spread open and exposed. Your face gets unbearably hot with mortification when you feel your vulva parts from the position he put you in and a stream of warm liquid trails out. Sylus scoops it up with his finger just to lean over and gloss your lips with your own juices.

His lips graze over yours, barely touching as he whispers against them.

“Don’t worry, sweetie. I’ll take care of you. You’ll get the release you’re so desperate for. There’s no need to call in reinforcements from that partner of yours.”

His words are almost enough to have your jaw dropping in surprise but it’s quickly overtaken by a dizzying kiss as he licks the flavor from your lips. It leaves you lightheaded and wondering just what you got yourself into as his attention returns to your now dripping center. Those long, talented fingers swipe through your folds in search of your throbbing clit.

“I want you to keep count, kitten.”

“Keep count?” you moan in confusion just as his finger begins to work around the bundle of nerves.

You had already been so close to your next peak with the constant teasing from the night leading up to now that it took no time at all of feeling his bare skin on yours to send you careening over the edge.

At the tail end of the orgasm, a cry rips from your lips as he smacks your exposed clit with the pads of his fingers.

“That’s two,” he says, now lightly pinching your clit between his thumb and forefinger.

Meanwhile, his free hand works at freeing your breasts. They spill over the top of your dress but the position he has you locked in keeps them pressed tightly together.

At the same time he pinches one of your nipples, his middle finger slides inside you. Finding no resistance he adds another, stretching you out from the inside in search of that sweet spot within while his thumb continues to tease circles around your bud.

You barely have time to think as he pushes you toward another release, riding on the coat tails of the others. The bite to your breast is what throws you over this time, the mingling of the pain and overwhelming pleasure complimenting one another. With his fingers still inside, Sylus lands another smack to your clit with his other hand.

“Do I need to remind you to count?”

In the moment it takes your mind to catch up to his request, he lands another two smacks to your pussy.

“Three! That’s three,” you scream.

“That’s a good girl,” he purrs, kneeling between your legs.

Freeing his thumb, his mouth takes over the assault on your clit, sending you to the edge over and over again, each one followed by a smack to your clit until you’re begging him to stop.

“Sylus, please! F-five. Sylus! Sylus!”

The fiend that he is, keeps going, pulling more orgasms from you until you lose count.

You don’t even know how long he has been at this, but you think he would go all night if he could and that he merely decided to take pity on you when the tears began in earnest.

“Shhhh, I know, kitten,” he murmurs against your lips, licking the tears from your damp cheek. “You’re such a good girl. I know you’re tired but I think you have one more for me. I need to feel it for myself.”

You shake your head in denial but the feeling of his tip swiping through your soaked, glistening folds to press against your quivering center has you stalling your protests. In all this time, he still hadn’t even given you his cock yet and exhausted as you were, you didn’t go through all of his torment tonight to not have the one thing you wanted all along.

A raspy sigh spills from your lips as he slowly slides in with a pleasurable groan of his own. Your walls envelop him like it was exactly where he was meant to be. You find that your legs are no longer held by invisible chains, cramps shooting through them from being pinned in such a position for so long, but the moment they wrap around his waist you breath a sigh of relief as it allows him to sink in further.

Though you hadn’t seen it for yourself, you could tell how well endowed Sylus was. What would normally be a tight fit any other day was barely a blip in your mind, as entrapped as you were with the overstimulating pleasure/pain he had been drawing from you.

“I’ve waited centuries to have you like this again,” he murmurs, linking his fingers with yours above your head.

Just as you gain the mental clarity to ask what he means, Sylus pulls his hips back to slam them against yours, making you completely forget the odd sweet nothings he whispered in your ear. Setting a pace that has you both panting and breathing one another in, he pounds into you as if trying to bury himself into your very soul. Your linked fingers tighten against one another as you hold on for the ride, your nails digging into the backs of his hands as his mouth finds yours. The kiss so gentle compared to the brutal way his body was claiming yours.

“One more for me, my heart. Please,” he pleads against your lips with a trembling voice, so uncharacteristic of his usual smug confidence yet so endearing.

You don’t even have the ability to deny him, nodding your head along to his request as you take his mouth for yourself this time, swiping your tongue across the crease to seek his out. One of his hands remains interlinked with yours as the other winds around your back, pulling you flush to him in a way that has his mound grinding against you.

Having been brought to the edge so many times this evening already, you were so sensitive to his touch, the rough brush of his pubic hair stimulating your abused clit until you tighten and gush around his length. Losing all sense of sight, sound, and touch, you cry out for your dragon, the words completely escaping you unbidden.

“That’s it. Give into it. To us. Find your way back to me, my soul,” he babbles, hips stuttering as he finds his own release within you.

You awake to complete darkness and the feeling of a large, extremely warm nude body wrapped tightly around you. A flood of memories from the night before come rushing in and you silently curse yourself into oblivion for staying the night with Sylus instead of making your way back to your own room like you had intended. It wasn’t entirely your fault though seeing as he pulled orgasm after orgasm from you until your body was limp and useless. You couldn’t have even walked to the restroom by yourself, let alone find your room on a completely different floor.

Which begs the question of how you ended up in his bed when the last thing you remembered was losing consciousness on his couch. Sylus must have carried you to his bed afterward and then entangled himself with you to prevent you from escaping.

A quick glance at the digital clock on the nightstand indicates it’s still fairly early but late enough for the sun to be out. Your team would be gathering for breakfast in the lobby by now which would give you just enough time to get to your room undetected and showered before Tara returned to pack up and check out. If only you could figure out how to get out from underneath this behemoth of a man without waking him up.

It turns out to be easier than expected because he was sleeping like the dead. Unlike during your three days in the N109 Zone when he sent you on a scavenger hunt for the brooch and could be awoken with barely a nudge, Sylus doesn’t budge when you carefully squirm out from underneath his arm and swap yourself with a pillow. He hugs the red silk tighter with an unintelligible murmur and a sigh before his body relaxes and his breathing evens back out.

With a slow exhale of relief, you make quick work of gathering your clothes. Unfortunately all that survived were your dress and boots, which had been scattered about the living room around the couch. It looked like a beast flew through and trashed the place. Slipping into your boots, you grimace at the sight of your shredded panties hanging over the edge of the coffee table, pouting a bit on the inside because you really liked those pair.

There wasn’t time to dwell though. The state of Sylus’s apartment wasn’t your concern— escaping it before he awoke was.

Thankfully there were no hiccups between taking the elevator down to your floor and getting into your room. As expected, Tara was nowhere to be seen and you sent a silent thanks to the sky for small miracles. Your friend was entirely too perceptive and would no doubt have questions you weren’t ready to answer.

It didn’t feel great, but you hoped to be packed up and gone before she returned. It was still a bit too early but you didn’t mind waiting around at the airport for your flight. Your co-workers would be at a completely different terminal since they were heading straight for their next mission’s destination so there would be no chance of running into any of them there. 

Just as you complete your post-shower routine and slip into a bathrobe to finish drying, you hear a knock at the door. With a silent groan, you berate yourself for not putting the Do Not Disturb sign on the knob so that housekeeping would skip your room for the time being, but you weren’t exactly at your best right now. Thoughts of the previous night with the dangerous criminal that you should be arresting instead of sleeping with plague your mind.

Hair still wet, you unlock the door and swing it open.

“I’m sorry, but we’re not ready to be serviced ye—”

You look up to be met with glittering crimson eyes and an all-too-familiar tilted smirk.

“And yet here I am, ready to serve,” Sylus hums as his hungry graze trails over your robe and he stalks toward you like a predator.

The robe covered you well enough but his perusal of your body made you feel totally nude all over again. Your feet subconsciously carry you toward the first bed until the backs of your knees hit the mattress. It knocks you back into reality, reminding you that what happened last night was a one time thing. It had to be.

Despite the heat burning beneath your skin, you clear your throat and cross your arms under your chest in what you hoped was authoritative.

“Did you need something? My flight is in a few hours so I’m on a bit of a time crunch this morning.”

His eyes narrowed on you as if he knew you were lying about the urgency of your departure, but he doesn’t call you out on it. Instead he nods his head and holds up a shopping bag with a designer logo on the front. You eye the bag suspiciously, your gaze darting between it and him in question.

“To replace the pair I… confiscated,” he clarifies.

Accepting the bag with hesitation, you peek in to find not just one but several pairs of panties that probably cost most than your entire apartment.

“I-I can’t accept this,” you stammer, pushing the bag against his chest, urging him to take it back. “This is worth far more than the pair I lost and too much of a gesture for what last night was.”

That’s when you notice the swirling red mist cuffing the two of you together at the wrist.

This Evol linkage had the worst freaking timing!

Of course Sylus doesn’t take back the shopping bag or seem to care about the proverbial cuffs holding you hostage to one another. Instead, he wraps an arm around your waist and pulls you flush against his body until the bag is wedged tightly between you.

“And what exactly was last night, sweetie?” he purrs.

It was hard to think when he was this close with his all-seeing eyes and too-intoxicating cologne. This was exactly what had gotten you into this mess in the first place.

“I-it—”

Tara’s voice sounds through the door at the exact moment the handle jiggles as she tells whoever she’s with that she’ll only be a minute. My eyes widen in panic but Sylus is quick on his feet as he drags us into the closet and pulls the door shut behind us. The sound of two sets of footsteps enter the room.

“She’s still not back yet?” I hear our co-worker Simone ask.

“I think our friend may have gotten swept up in that fruit vendor’s charm,” Tara giggles. “Good for her though. She’s always so focused on work that she doesn’t ever go on dates. She deserves a night of debauchery with one of the hottest men I think I’ve ever seen.”

Sylus looks down as me with that smug smirk still in place as he brings a finger to his lips, urging my silence as if I would say anything to give us away.

This was a total nightmare scenario.

“Do you see my coat anywhere?”

“Check the closest,” Simone suggests.

Sensing my panic, Sylus pulls me closer to muffle my increasingly heavy breathing against his casual white sweater. The flimsy closet doors begin to rattle as someone tugs on it from the other side but it doesn’t budge. A quick glance shows Sylus holding it closed with a single hand.

Your grip tightens at his waist, clenching the fabric of his shirt anxiously between your fingers. Sylus leans down, reminding you of the tight quarters you found yourselves in and filling your head with his scent. His voice is hot on your ear, barely audible over the rushing sound from within.

“All this just to keep me a dirty little secret? I’m hurt, kitten.”

“That’s weird. I think it’s jammed,” Tara says, giving up on the door.

“Oh wait, is this it? Your phone started vibrating underneath it.”

Tara’s voice moves further away.

“That’s not my phone. Oh! She must have come back while we were at breakfast, the sneaky minx. Maybe she finally went down to get a bite and forgot to take it with her. Come on! I want time to question her before we have to leave and she’s more likely to let something slip before coffee.”

Your head whips toward the door at the news that my phone was ringing. Just about everyone who would call me where on this trip. Xavier and Rafayel were no doubt still asleep at this time of day and things were still awkward with Zayne so he only called when medically necessary. So that left you wondering who it could possibly be or if perhaps it was an emergency. Before you can sprint out of the closet to check— Tara and Simone long gone by now— you're tugged backward against the hard body trapped in here with you.

Right, the linkage.

“Don’t worry, it was an unknown number,” Sylus assures, holding up his phone to show an active call to Kitten with a photo of you that was certainly not taken with your knowledge. His head tilts back wistfully as he looks down at the screen, studying the image. “I’m not in the mood to reveal our relationship right now.”

Hanging up the call, he tucks the phone into his pocket.

Okay, you really needed to set some boundaries with him before this got out of hand.

“There is no relationship. We hooked up one time, Sylus.”

You yelp in surprise as he spins you around so that now you're the one leaning against the wall as he pins you there.

Tilting his head to the side, his gaze finds the gap at the top of your robe, entranced. As if unable to help himself, he leans in to drag his nose between your breasts to inhale your freshly showered scent and presses a kiss to the giant bruise left behind on the mound from him the night before. Just like last night, his teeth trail upward, finding their way to the juncture at your neck just above the collarbone, scraping over the skin as they sink in. It’s not enough to draw blood, but plenty to have you panting for more and to leave another mark. At the same time, his sneaky fingers find their way under the robe to pet between your legs.

“You know what I think, sweetie?” he whispers in your ear as he starts to work you up.

Unable to find the words while his magic fingers caress you, you shake your head in response.

Sylus leisurely parts you with his middle finger to begin swirling my clit in the same maddening way he did before, making all rational thoughts leave your mind as your body concedes to his pleasure. Your eyes roll back as you chase the edge he’s pushing you toward.

“I think you like me a lot more than you’ll admit to yourself. In fact,” he murmurs, pressing a kiss to your neck while the pressure of his finger on you increases, making your heart patter in my chest. “I think you more than like me.”

Just as you're right there, he withdraws his fingers to put space between you. It’s only when the devil brings his wet fingers to his lips and sucks them into his mouth to taste you that you realize the linkage has broken.

“Call me when you’re ready to be a good pet and ask for me to finish what we started here. My contact info will be in your phone.”

With that, Sylus leaves you stunned and throbbing in the closet to catch your breath and trying to figure out what the hell just happened. By the time you pull yourself together and walk out into the room, he’s long gone and the bag of panties is sitting prettily on the edge of your bed next to your phone. The screen lights up, drawing your attention and making you scoff at the text preview on the home screen.

Daddy: Don’t forget to call, kitten. Until then, behave.