His fingers dipped down to where the liquid came from, where his dick would go, according to Cosmo and Wikipedia. I tensed when one of the slim digits slipped inside me and because I felt so full, and from what I’d seen online after some research earlier today, was a little surprised since I knew penises were a lot bigger than fingers.
He drew up the liquid to the top of my sex and began rubbing a part of my body that was called a clit. It felt good. So good. In fact, it felt more than that. It made me tense up and relax at the same time, which was beyond confusing, but I didn’t particularly care. I just wanted to ride out what he was making me feel.
I began to rock my hips again, began to help him touch me once more, and within seconds, the aforementioned chocolate cake was in reach. No one was trying to take it away from me now. If anything, Nestor was bringing it closer and closer, so close I could dive headfirst into it.
As what I now knew was called an orgasm approached, I embraced it. Pleasure sparked along my nerve endings, sending with it the feeling of pain, as the bliss I felt actually began to hurt me. My muscles cramped as they clenched down, and the light display that took place as the nerves in my eyes reacted was a show worthy of a movie.
I didn’t stop moving, wanting to eke out every ounce of pleasure from the moment. I felt like I was on fire, but also like I’d been doused in water. As though the flames that had burned so hotly, had been in great need of being quenched. I felt relaxed and on edge, delighted and desperate for more.
More contrasts, more delicious things to ponder.
A grunt escaped Nestor, and he pulled both his fingers and his face away from me. I almost cried out at his loss, but before I could, the fingers that had touched me, were in his mouth. He sucked on them, licked them clean, and with my cheeks burning in embarrassment, I looked down to escape the fire in his eyes, and saw his other hand was on his briefs. Before I could do more than blink, his fingers pulled out his penis and I stared down at it. It was much thicker than the one finger he’d slid inside me, and it was longer too.
I didn’t have much of a chance to process more than that before his hand cupped himself and he began to move it up and down. Fast. So fast I almost couldn’t process what I was seeing.
In what felt like less than half a minute, his head fell back and his dick seemed to explode. He sounded like he was in pain, and the muscles in his throat were corded with strain, as ropes of white liquid escaped the tip and splattered against my belly.
Staring down at the mess he’d made, I gaped at it then him, and reached down to touch it. It was thick and sticky. The texture odd against my fingers.
He’d tasted me. The liquid my body had released. Was it strange that I wanted to taste him?
Nestor fell back against the sheets now that his climax was over, and though his eyes appeared shut, I knew he was watching me. How I knew I wasn’t sure. Not when, to anyone else, he might have appeared fast asleep, but I knew. And I wasn’t sure what to do.
The urge to taste him burned in me. I curled my toes and made fists with my fingers as I tried to escape how badly I wanted the flavor of him in my mouth.
Finally, I gave in.
Reaching up, I sucked my fingers between my lips and frowned at the salty taste of him. It was far more bitter than I’d anticipated, but something deep inside me rumbled in delight at his flavor.
It was like one of my souls needed it, which was beyond bizarre.
Caelum was making me impulsive, though. I’d learned to respond to what the souls needed rather than just ignoring them. Of course, that was what had kept me safe all my life, but I was enjoying the freedom, and between Nestor and I, was there any harm in tasting him?
I reached down, rubbed my fingers in the mess he’d made, then pressed the tips to my lips once more. Deep inside, the soul that needed it sighed with delight, and Nestor released a hiss that had me staring at him as I licked the digits clean.
I did this twice more, only stopping when the soul was satisfied. By that point, Nestor’s eyes were alight once more.
“What made you do that?” he rasped, and his tone made me shiver.
“You tasted me, and I wanted to taste you back.”
He hummed under his breath as he studied me, then, he asked, “Remember what Dre taught you?” Before I could tense, he shook his head. “About communing with the souls? Figuring out which one is in charge?”
I blinked at him. “Yes.”
“Think about that now. Do as he taught you.”
“Why?” I half-whined, even as I closed my eyes and began to obey.
“Please, for me,” he said, and though I didn’t want to because the last time I had, I’d made a bear pop out of nowhere, I retreated inside myself.
Dre had called it a soul house, and that was what it was.
Considering how large it was, it made me wonder if I’d purposely ignored it all my life. I didn’t recall touching upon it before Caelum, and yet it bewildered me how I hadn’t.
Now, when I closed my eyes, it was there, and I had to force it aside to concentrate on something else.
It was like finding it once had brought it out, and it was refusing to hide again.
Like before, the seven souls each had their own space with the eighth one hovering over them.
It wasn’t like I had a pocket inside me that was loaded up with miniature versions of the creatures. They were colors I intrinsically understood.
Vampires were navy blue. I knew that because they were cold and rational. Logical.
Hell Hounds, unsurprisingly, were a bright red that pulsed in time with my heart.
Loreleis were red too, but they were pinker. Almost fuchsia or magenta, I guessed. It was a passionate color. One that made me think of what I’d just done with Nestor. The Hell Hound was blood, whereas the Lorelei was desire.
The Sin Eater was black, unrelieved black, and where it touched the other souls on two sides, the darkness bled into them.
The Were was a rich brown, like the soil. Deep with life and abundant.
The gouille was green. So dark that it was almost black until the yellow of the Succubus touched upon it.
All seven had their unique shade, but around them all, like they were being embraced, was purple. It was royal and regal, bright like the shining of tanzanite under the sunlight.
Now that I studied them, I realized that though the purple seemed to glow the brightest, the yellow from the Succubus came next. Unlike the last time I’d looked when the Were had pulsed with life.
Surprised, I opened my eyes and looked down at Nestor. “How did you know?”
He cocked a brow at me. “That your Succubus was in charge?” His lips twitched as he flickered his gaze down to my belly. “When you did that. That’s something she would do.”
“Why?”
Nestor shrugged. “That’s what they do. They like sex.”
“I wanted to try it without her prompting me.” My nose crinkled. “When I went back for more… that was her.” I wasn’t sure why it was important he knew that, just that it was.
His eyes softened as he reached up, his hand coming up to cup my chin. “I know.”
I wasn’t sure if he did, but there wasn’t much I could do about that. I’d tried, at least.
“Eve?” he whispered into the quiet that fell between us, one that was broken only with the sounds of our breathing.
“Yes?”
“Would you let us help you again? What happened with Dre… it was an aberration, I’m sure. But you need our help, you need to be trained with someone who understands your souls. Let Stefan help you tomorrow. Please?”
I didn’t want to, fretted over the prospect of ‘breaking’ one of the others too, but I could hear the deep concern in his voice—a concern that was for me and me alone. How could that not affect me?
I released a shuddery breath. “If I must.”
“You must,” he agreed, but his tone didn’t make me want to smack him so that was something. “The strong
er you are, Eve, the stronger we are as a Pack. You see that, don’t you?”
I blinked because, goodness, he was right.
I’d been stupid avoiding the classes, thinking crazy things about trying to leave Caelum without them for their own safety, and instead, I’d just been wasting time. Sure, I’d been petrified. What happened to Dre was something that should have been impossible, after all. But the time for procrastinating was done, and two days without classes were two days wasted.
“Come here,” he said after a moment when I didn’t reply, neither to agree nor disagree with his words, and he tugged me down so I lay atop him.
“I’m too heavy,” I argued, but he snorted.
“You’re perfect.”
“Not for your wounds.” His throat was healed, but the beating that had happened after he’d been taken down had caused injuries that were nowhere near recovered.
“If you think this isn’t making me feel better than any drugs, you’re crazy,” he grumbled, and he did sound sleepier.
Was that good? Or bad?
His mouth brushed my temple. “Sleep, Eve.”
My eyes fluttered to a close as I got myself comfortable. I moved a little, settling just off him to the side, and cocking my leg over his hips. He let me rest my arm on his belly and hummed when I pressed my face into the crook of his neck.
“Better?” he asked.
“Much.”
Another kiss to my temple. “Thank you for that, Eve.”
I bit my bottom lip, but it didn’t stop me from smiling, and I rubbed my nose against his neck in silent response. I couldn’t think of a better way to begin my birthday.
Suddenly, all I needed was to sleep. My thoughts weren’t important. Memories or what-ifs weren’t either.
Just me, and him, together in this bed.
That was all that mattered, and it was perfect.
6
Eren
“I didn’t forget.”
Her eyes widened at the box I’d just presented to her.
Behind me, Stefan and Nestor mouthed, “Suck up,” but I just smirked at them while Eve’s attention was on my offering.
“What is it?”
A laugh escaped me. “Open it and find out.”
She peeked up at me, flashing those honey eyes my way. Every time she stared deeply into mine, I longed for her to claim me. To do what she’d done with Nestor and Dre, with the others too.
I wanted to ask her what was taking so long, wanted to know if I wasn’t good enough… but then the warmth in her eyes would reassure me. She’d cling to me like she had last night after class, touch me as though she couldn’t not touch me somewhere, and I’d breathe a little easier.
Though she nibbled her bottom lip, I watched as she untucked the ribbon that was haphazardly piled on top of the box. No amount of YouTube tutorials made the bow look pretty, but fuck, I’d tried. Her tongue peeped out from between her teeth as she meticulously pulled it apart, then began to unwrap the paper covering it. I wasn’t sure why I was surprised. I’d imagined she’d tear into it, rip it to pieces, but she didn’t.
She was careful.
I watched with a smile on my face, one that probably made me look sappy, but I didn’t give a damn. She made me feel so much sometimes that it was like it was spilling all over me, and for so long, I’d forced myself not to feel for fear of what happened when I did.
The Lorelei in me never responded well to my emotions, but more than that, my sleeping patterns grew even more tumultuous. Ever since she’d come to Caelum, I couldn’t say I’d been sleeping better, but the Lorelei was more in control, that was for sure.
“Open it already,” Dre grumbled, and I shot him a glare.
The bastard totally didn’t deserve Eve, and he’d done nothing but give her even more crap ever since she’d claimed him.
It wasn’t fair, but very little in this life was.
Scowling harder at him, I growled, “Let her open her gift without you bitching at her.” Dre flipped me the bird, but I crooned, “Walk to the corner and stay there.”
The words held the lilt of my Lorelei who wasn’t in charge today but was hovering over things like he’d started doing ever since I’d hit nineteen. It was like he was the manager of my souls now.
In response, Dre lumbered to his feet then headed over to the corner and stood there dumbly.
“Face the wall,” I instructed, the words a singsong that had him obeying, and Stefan and Nestor began snickering.
When I looked at Eve, she gaped at Dre then at me. “Why didn’t you do that before?”
It was my turn to snicker as well. “Because I don’t like to manipulate people. But it’s your birthday. Consider it gift number two.”
She grinned at me then darted her gaze back down to the box. When she opened it, her grin faded, and her bottom lip trembled. When she looked at me next, I saw the tears in her eyes and felt my heart clutch at the sight of them.
I wasn’t sure if she liked it, and I was pretty sure she didn’t have a clue what it was.
“It’s beautiful,” she whispered, then quickly followed that up with, “What is it?”
Smiling at her, I dropped beside her on Nestor’s sofa. “It was my mother’s.” I didn’t want her to know that it had been on her body when she died because it might disturb her, but it was the only thing of hers I had, and I figured if anyone needed a talisman, it was my Eve. “It’s called the Hand of Hamsa.”
“The Hand of Hamsa?” she repeated. “What does it do?”
“It wards off evil. It’s a talisman too. For protection.”
Her lips twitched. “With seven of you hovering over me, I think I’m safe on the protection front.” Then her smile blossomed for real and she requested, “Put it on me, please?”
She twisted in her seat and reached behind her shoulder to scoop up her hair from the back of her neck. As I placed the delicate gold chain around her throat and fastened it, I inhaled her scent and reveled in our closeness. I longed to press a kiss to the back of her neck but wasn’t sure how she’d respond.
Things had changed since we’d learned she was djinn. The revelation had made her open up to us, because, I knew, she had finally realized no matter how crazy she was, no matter what she could do, we weren’t going anywhere. For our loyalty, for our steadfastness, we were rewarded. She’d ceased avoiding us, had begun being affectionate again, but even that had a limit—I was well aware how traditional she was. Shit, she made my ultraconservative sister look modern.
“You should have reminded us,” Stefan grumbled, and I sensed his irritation with me, but this was on him. Not me.
I hadn’t done this to make them look bad. Genuinely. But they should have remembered without my reminding them. How fucking hard was it to set an alarm on their phone?
Ignoring them, I rubbed the gold with my fingers—using it as an excuse to touch the back of her delicate neck and loving the sudden surge of gooseflesh at my touch—and said, “There. It’s fastened. Are you ready for your second day of classes?”
“It figures that’s why they’ve taken her off private tutoring,” Nestor stated. “Her turning eighteen as well as whatever’s going down with Merry and Damon were the prompt.”
Stefan nodded. “Another reason it would have been useful if you kept us in the loop, Eren,” he groused. “Then we wouldn’t have worried something funky was going on with the faculty.”
I shrugged, ignoring him. Petty? Perhaps. But mostly I was just transfixed by the sight of the pendant nestling amid the slight protrusions of Eve’s collarbones.
“It looks beautiful, Eve,” I told her, my voice a soft rasp, and it wasn’t a lie. The bright twenty-two karat gold against her alabaster skin made me wish I had the right to press my hand to her throat so I could further study the contrasts between us, with me so dark and her so pale.
I licked my lips and whispered, “Happy birthday, habibati.”
Though she tilted her head to the side in question, I fel
t sure she knew the word was for the pair of us alone. She smiled and replied, “Thank you, Eren.”
“I have another gift for you,” I teased.
“What is it?” Her grin was infectious and made me smile right back at her.
“A cake. One my mother used to make for me. After you’ve finished your classes, we can go to the kitchens and finish it up together.”
Her eyes widened. “Really?”
“Why the fuck does she sound excited about that?” I heard Stefan mumble at Nestor.
“Because she obviously likes cooking, dumbass,” Nestor retorted with a huff, making my lips twitch with satisfaction.
I knew her well, better than the others, and though that was petty, it didn’t matter. Not really. We were Pack, and whatever I did strengthened our bonds and that was all that counted.
A few hours later, while I watched her struggle in the gym, Dre hustled over to my side. “Jerk. You could have let me out of there sooner.”
I smirked. “You were being an ass.” A few hours of corner time usually did most brats good, and if there was a walking, talking dictionary definition of the word ‘brat,’ it was Dre.
He grunted. “You get Nestor’s message?”
“Yeah. I’m glad she’s agreed to start up classes with us again. Stefan’s turn tonight.”
“Let’s be thankful he can’t shift into anything,” was his snarky retort, and though his tone made me want to smack him, I had to admit I was relieved too. But though Dre’s disdain was evident, I felt his tension grow as, attention averted for the moment, he watched Eve’s training with kids that were four years younger than her. He even hissed when one of the girls managed an uppercut that connected with Eve’s chin.
“Why isn’t she defending herself?”
“Because it’s ridiculous to put her with children younger than her and expect her not to hold back.”
I didn’t stiffen at the sound of Samuel’s voice, but I turned back to look at him. He wore a scowl too, and as was the way with Dre and me, we both looked on with unease as Eve had her ass handed to her.
Eight Souls: The Caelum Academy Trilogy: Part TWO Page 16