by K. A Knight
His lips come down on mine as I groan and wrap my legs around his waist. I don’t try to look around, not that I wanted to. My eyes close as I lose myself in him and the silence around us.
“Fuck, I’ve missed you, Princess.”
“You saw me this morning,” I whisper against his lips as I nip them.
“Too long,” he growls, dragging his hands up my legs to my hips then under my shirt. “And you weren’t naked.”
“I’m not now,” I tease, tipping my head back as his lips glide down my chin to my neck, licking and nipping, as his hands burrow under my bra and cup my breasts. Hard. I groan as his fingers tweak and twist my nipples as he licks along my neck.
“You will be soon, and my cock will be buried inside you as you scream for me loud enough for everyone to hear, even from here,” he whispers against my skin, the promise sinking in until I shiver. My pussy clamps, and my clit throbs for his attention. He turns, holding me up, and I quickly look around. Each wall has a sunken glass enclosure—all empty of course—although most of the glass is gone. In the middle is a large, flat sign with all the animals on it, and there’s a door at the back too. That’s all I see before I’m laid out on the sign with my legs dangling off the edge before he forces himself between them.
He lowers his head and cups my hips before dragging his fingers up my sides. His lips brush up and across my stomach before meeting my bra. I shiver below him, my eyes rolling down to meet his as he smirks and darts his tongue out to lick a long, teasing line across my skin just under my bra.
“Stop teasing,” I demand, and he chuckles in response before bringing his hands down to unbuckle my trousers. As he straightens, he steps back and pulls them off. He carefully undoes my boots and tugs my jeans the rest of the way off, and then he folds them on the floor. Sitting up, I grab the bottom of my shirt, but he reaches out and helps me, working my shirt off and over my head before I unhook my bra. I let it fall down my arms as he groans, staring at my breasts and body like it’s the first time he has ever seen me. Hunger and love sparkle in his eyes as he gently leans down and places a protective kiss above my heart.
A promise.
That alone makes my pussy clench. I lie back, watching as his lips drift down again, kissing across my chest and between my breasts. With a knowing smirk, he kisses each nipple before moving farther down, kissing my belly and then lower still, kissing my pussy.
“Archel,” I whine like a brat.
He meets my gaze, his eyes icy and determined. “Oh no, Princess, I won’t rush this. I have all the time in the world to devour every inch of your body and have you screaming for me and coming so many times, you can’t even walk, never mind talk.”
I suck in a breath at that, my heart pounding as I swallow and lick my lips, unsure what to say, but before I can come back with a witty retort, his lips slide down my pussy again with fluttering, teasing kisses. The pressure is not enough to relieve my ache, but it makes me crazy with lust.
I arch my chest into the air and drape my legs over his shoulders before reaching above me to grab the edge of the sign. I let him have his way with me. He’s right—this isn’t a quick fuck. No, Archel is showing me that he loves me all over again, reminding me that I’m his and he is mine.
This isn’t fucking for the sake of finding release, this is love, this is forever, and we have all the time in the world.
Parting my lips, he cuts off all my rambling thoughts as his tongue darts out and tastes me. Humming, he savours my flavour before he goes lower, burying his head between my thighs. He slides his tongue along my cleft, back and forth, licking up my cream before flicking my clit. My eyes close as my head falls back, and I lift my hips to grind into his mouth as the pleasure winding through me grows, stealing every thought other than how good his talented mouth feels.
“Archel,” I whisper, his name like a prayer on my lips. The world is silent around us, empty apart from us and this desire burning between us.
He murmurs against my intimate flesh before sucking my clit into his mouth, making me jerk and cry out. His fingers trail up my thigh before pressing against my hole, and then I grind down, trying to get them inside of me, and he finally relents. Slowly, he thrusts two into my channel, curling them up and stroking as he sucks. My eyes cross behind my eyelids, my breaths coming out hard and ragged. Releasing my clit, he licks the pulsing bud as he pulls his fingers out and then adds a third, spearing them into me.
He fucks me with quick, hard thrusts as his tongue curls around my clit, driving me wild as I lift my hips to match his rhythm. His fingers feel good, so fucking good, but his dick would feel better. He’s giving me this for now, though, and when he finally touches my clit again, I come like a bomb going off. Screams leave my lips as the pleasure, which was slowly growing, suddenly bursts through me. My vision goes completely black, like fireworks going off behind my eyes, my thighs jerking and pussy clamping down. He licks and fucks me through it, even as my pussy flutters and clenches. He doesn’t stop until I reach down and push his head away, and then he laughs. As he straightens, I can see his cream-covered face. With a cocky smirk, he wipes his lips with two fingers and then sucks them into his mouth as I watch, still panting.
“Fucking perfect,” he praises, and I can’t deal. I reach for him, and he stops playing.
His wet fingers grip my thighs firmly and pull me farther down as he frees his cock and presses it against my pussy. He drags it back and forth, covering it in my release as I groan. I clutch my breasts, tweaking my nipples and sending arcs of pleasure straight to my aching core.
“Hold on, Princess, wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself.” He winks, and as I open my mouth to reply, he slams into me. I scream and shudder as he forces his length through my fluttering channel until he’s balls deep. I wrap my legs around his waist as he leans down, covering my body with his, and encircles my nipple with his lips and sucks. His hips never lose their pace, pulling out and pushing back in. His firm, rapid thrusts hinder my body from coming down from the last orgasm. He’s intent on making me come again without a breather between them.
I’m down for that.
Releasing my breasts, I tunnel my hands into his hair and drag his head closer. His teeth press into my skin, making me moan as I clench around his cock. Scraping my nails down his scalp, I feel him pummel into me harder, so with a grin of my own, I scratch them down his neck and back.
“Harder,” he mumbles as he pulls back from my nipple. “Cut it to ribbons, scar me. Let them all see, Princess.”
Fuck. Me.
The thought almost makes me come again, so I do it. I rake my nails down his back, all the way to his ass before cupping his flexing cheeks and urging him on. He slams into me harder and harder, grinding into my clit after each one. The solid pressure steals my screams until I’m writhing beneath him. Releasing his ass, I drag my nails up, pressing so hard, I feel his skin bleed under my touch. He yells, and his hips stutter, then with a snarl, he straightens, grabs my hips, and lifts me. He turns us and slams me into the closest exhibit. The blow steals my breath as I stare into his twisted, snarling, feral face.
Gripping his shoulders, I claw my nails in and hold on as I use the leverage to ride his huge dick. The pain and pleasure from our joining mixes until I’m melting and just as wild as he is.
He slams me back against the exhibit wall again. I blindly search with my lips until ours connect. We eat each other hungrily, our bodies slapping together from the force of our fucking. He holds me effortlessly, helping me ride his dick.
Each thrust brings me closer to another spiralling orgasm. Over and over, he fucks me, and I feel his blood under my nails as I cut his skin. It only urges him on, and he fucks me so hard, I know it will hurt later, but I love every painful inch.
Ripping his mouth away, he bites my chin and neck. “Princess,” he growls. The sound makes me whimper as I drop my head back to the wall. “I fucking love you.”
“Love you,” I reply, but it ends in a
cry as he slams into me and twists his hips, hitting that spot that sends me over the edge with a scream.
“Love you,” he snarls, fighting my tight body, fighting my pussy to keep going. “Love you,” he snarls again, slamming into me. The force shatters the remaining glass behind me. One orgasm tumbles into the next, and I’m almost lifeless against him as it flows through me. “Love you!” he howls as he stills, filling me with his release and sealing his declaration with a kiss.
A promise of forever.
My days are filled with meetings and short day runs with my teams to check their control and how they work together. It’s a lot of fun, and we settle into a routine. My men come with me sometimes, and sometimes they stay behind to help around The Ring, and we sleep in each other’s arms every night, falling more and more in love.
But I ache. I dream of a bench on a cliff and a man who sits on it.
I never knew I was missing a father figure in my life, nor that Abel would come to mean so much to me. Maybe it’s the link to my mother, or maybe it’s because I feel safe when I’m there. I feel like young Piper, with no worries or responsibilities, and new Piper, the leader of The Damned.
It is undeniable, I miss it.
I know my men see that. I couldn’t explain why I feel this way if I tried, but they don’t ask because they know. Up there on that cliff, I found a piece of my soul. I found my mother, my father, and my heritage. It’s where Jago and I found ourselves again, and it will always hold a special place in my heart.
Leaning against the edge of The Ring, I watch Worth as she spars with her man Maxen. Jago and Clay are teaching self-defence moves to some of the women Clarissa brought in, and I smile when Jago barks at a woman, only to hesitate when she jerks back. He softens instantly and reassures her, something I like to think I taught him. He never did that before. He had the softness, the kindness in him, but he never knew how to show it.
“We are going on a run, a local job for your doctor. You want in?” Sascha asks as she leans in next to me, observing the training too. She wears some round black sunglasses, which she pulls down as she watches Worth knock her man to his ass, making us both laugh. I face her, looking her over. She looks fucking badass in her shorts and crop top, and she knows it.
“Sure, when are you leaving?”
“Now. I’ll meet you at the gate.” She winks as she pushes her glasses back up and strolls away. Some of the guards rush out of her path and watch her go with a wary but hungry look. Good luck to any man or woman who tries to capture that one.
With one last glance at my men, I push away and grab one of Worth’s twins as he passes—I think it’s Jax. “Hey, will you let my men and Worth know I’ve gone on a run please? I’ll be back later today.”
“Sure.” He nods, and with a grateful smile, I jog back to our rooms to get my stuff. Once I’ve changed into some longer trousers and reloaded and checked my crossbow, knives, and katana, I grab my goggles and bandana and sling a pack over my shoulder before I hurry to the infirmary wing Evan established. I want to check if he needs anything in particular and say goodbye before I go. I know Archel is with Dray on the road, placing some traps and wires, so I don’t worry about him. Evan will tell him when I’ll be back, if he doesn’t already know, the stalker.
His bay is empty for once, and he’s staring at something as I step behind him and cover his eyes.
“Guess who?” I chirp. He jolts, jumping away and spinning as I blink.
“Hi, erm, hi,” he rushes out, his wide eyes darting around.
“Evvie, you okay?” I ask when he still doesn’t look at me.
“Sure, fine, you?” he squeaks out.
“If you were pulling your wood, you don’t have to hide it,” I tease, and he blinks. “Taming the serpent? Stroking the stick?” I carry on when he doesn’t speak. Sighing, I move closer. “Just maybe not in here, since it’s not very hygienic.” I wink, and when he still doesn’t speak, I frown. “Okay, well, I’m going on a run and just wanted to check in. I’ll be back later—”
“Okay, sounds good, be safe.” He kisses me before turning away.
“Evan, what’s going on?” I snap.
“Nothing,” he mutters, hunching before he sighs. He peers at me over his shoulder. “Sorry, just stressed about an, erm, diagnosis.” He’s lying, but Evan is stubborn, so I leave him to it, knowing he will tell me when he’s ready.
“Okay, well, I love you. I’ll see you later,” I call and turn away, my heart sinking a little.
“Pip, wait.” He grabs me, spins me, and kisses me. “I love you so much. I’m sorry, be safe, and I’ll see you later,” he promises.
Happier, I smile and skip from the room, rushing through The Ring to see Sascha and some of her men waiting at the gate on their bikes with mine parked next to them.
“There you are, come on, trouble!” she hollers.
Securing my pack to my bike, I swing my leg over and don my goggles before revving the engine. “Yeah, yeah. Keep up, won’t you?” I taunt as I spin, spraying sand at them as I race away from The Ring. I hear them laugh and then gun it. Eventually, Sascha catches up to me, and I slow down so she can lead—after all, it’s her run. I’m just here to help and watch. Plus, I don’t know where the fuck we are going.
“What the fuck does this even say?” Sascha groans and thrusts the list at me. I stand in the shadows, channelling my assassin as I watch them move around the doctor’s surgery. Half of it is buried in sand, and we had to enter through a window on what used to be the second floor, but we got lucky, most of it was still intact because the rooms were locked.
There will be enough equipment to set up a new center for Evan, and we found a lot of what he was still looking for. Sascha and I are in a treatment room off a long hallway. The lights don’t work, so we have our torches on, and the wooden door is splintered from where we kicked it in. There’s an old, dirty curtain pulled halfway across a leather bed, with a desk in one corner and two chairs opposite it. There are even some drawings and medical posters on the walls. I take the list, and Sascha grumbles as she opens cupboards and throws everything in her bag. I hear the others doing the same, the boom of doors being forced open echoing around. It’s a good job we brought a big crew, but I think they will still need to come back to get some of it. As long as we can get as many items on Evvie’s list as possible, we will be good, but as I peer down at it, I see why she is so frustrated.
His writing is like chicken scratch, but luckily, I have years of sneaking glimpses of his notes to cheat off of him, so I understand it. “It says stethoscope,” I tell her, and then rattle off the rest. A whistle comes from down the hallway, and I peek out to see a torch sweeping back and forth.
“Yo, look at this!” someone calls.
“Stay here,” I command Sascha. “Finish up, I’ll see what’s wrong.” I hand the list back and leave the room. I move carefully over the broken door debris as I step into the hallway, my torch piercing the dark, but it’s still creepy down here for sure. The man moves out of my way as I peer into what seems to be another waiting room, shining my torch around to see what’s piqued his interest.
The ceiling is falling down in places, the old white tiles left to decay. The carpet is a godawful dirty blue, and to the left is a curved desk with a room behind it. Beyond that are some old wooden doors with glass in them—the entrance, no doubt—but they are blacked out from the sand and newspapers which have been taped to them.
I keep scanning, the beam of my torch only illuminating so much. I spot some turned over chairs, empty sofas, and coffee tables, and then I turn back to him. “What?” I ask in confusion.
He grabs his light, one that’s bigger and brighter than mine, and he shines it to the right, an area I didn’t bother to check.
What I see shouldn’t surprise me, but it makes me sigh in sadness. Skeletons are huddled together in the corner. Clearly, they have been here since the beginning. I’m betting this is where they hid to ride it out. Maybe they even
worked here. They are wrapped around each other—two big ones with a little kid in the middle. I can’t help but sigh again and turn away. “Leave them, at least they are together here and undisturbed.”
“Got it,” he replies.
As I walk away, passing rooms being pillaged and emptied, I can’t help but feel like this place is a ghost town, untouched since the end. How many places are like this? Filled with the bodies of the lost, forgotten, or just the plain damned?
Is this my duty to bear? To find them all as I try to make the world a better place? To learn their stories, to remember their ending, and to make sure they are never disturbed or lost in what this world once was? If so, I will endure it, my heart heavy with their losses, but I won’t let them be lost like so much of the world has been. Not every story has a happy ending. Some have the endings you never expected, like the girl and her parents. They lost her, but at least they got to say goodbye.
I never thought I would find my parents again. I thought I would wander The Wastes, always wondering how they really died. Yet I did. It wasn’t in the way I wanted, but at least I have the truth, and sometimes, a painful truth is better than a pretty lie. Life will test you, it will make you wonder if you are truly strong enough to shoulder everything it throws at you, but glimpses of happiness make it worthwhile. All that you suffer pales when you think of all the good days. After all, how could you see the rainbow in the sun without the rain?
Life is like that, a rainbow—fleeting, beautiful, and oh so fucking unpredictable.
I wouldn’t have my life any other way. Although there are bodies, pain, and unknowns thrown in, at least I’m truly living, truly free. One day, this world will be a better place, and the stories I have will be all that is left from before, so I memorise them as I wander through this empty apparition of what once was.