by I. T. Lucas
As the tip of his shaft nudged at her entrance, she debated whether to remind him to sheath himself in a condom or to pretend that she’d forgotten as well and just let it happen.
“I almost forgot.” He leaned over the side of the bed and lifted his slacks. “We need this.”
He pulled a condom packet out of his pocket, tore it open with his teeth, or rather fangs, and pulled the rubber on.
The whole maneuver had lasted only a couple of seconds, and then he was at her entrance again, pushing into her and kissing her at the same time.
Cassandra was so wet from her climax that he didn’t need to go slow, but he did anyway, inching into her until he seated himself fully.
They both groaned.
Lifting his head, Onegus withdrew and then surged in, all the time watching her face with an intensity that made her feel like she was precious to him.
She wrapped her arms around his muscled back, her long legs around his powerful hips, and lifted to take him even deeper.
And still, that wasn’t enough.
She wanted him wild and unrestrained, but despite all her bluster, she wasn’t comfortable asking for what she wanted.
He’d said that he could read her needs, smell them, couldn’t he tell that she needed him fast and hard?
Onegus smiled, his fangs gleaming white in the darkened room. “Tell me what you want, Cassy.”
So, that was the game he was playing.
She could play as well. “Can’t you guess?”
He pulled almost all the way out and then slammed back, propelling their bodies toward the headboard.
Stilling again, he looked into her eyes. “Is that what you want?”
“Yes. Don’t stop.”
He pulled out again, going to the very edge, and then slammed back in. Gripping her hips, he started pounding into her with abandon, and all she could do was to hiss, “Yes, yes!”
That kind of pounding would leave marks, and Cassandra knew she would be sore and bruised in the morning, but she didn’t care.
This was Onegus unleashed, and he was magnificent. She wanted to take all he had, to give herself to him completely like she’d never given herself to any man before.
For tonight, he could be her master, and she relished the submission, so rare for her that she doubted she could do it again.
When his pounding became even stronger and faster, and his shaft swelled impossibly larger inside her, she knew it was time for what she’d been waiting for and turned her head, offering him her neck.
Except, he didn’t bite her right away. Even though he was seconds away from climaxing, he licked the spot, preparing it for his bite, and when it came, the slight pain was just enough to hurtle her over the edge.
Cassandra climaxed, her sheath tightening around Onegus’s impossibly thick shaft, and as the venom entered her system, she climaxed again, and again, until she must have passed out.
Soaring on a cloud of euphoria, she let herself drift away into the magical lands the venom had opened up for her.
72
Onegus
After Cassandra had drifted off to wonderland, Onegus had lain awake for a long time.
Last night had been a turning point in their relationship, but he wasn’t satisfied with where it was. He hadn’t told her that he loved her yet, and she hadn’t said the words to him either.
Did he love her?
Did he even know what love was?
Onegus was an old immortal, and the only real love of his life was his work. While others had pined for mates, lamented about their loneliness and the never-ending revolving door of lovers, he’d been happy with his life. The tight control he had over himself meant that he didn’t have to spend much of his time and energy hunting for sex partners, and when he did, it was mostly enjoyable and quite satisfying.
He hadn’t been looking for an emotional connection.
Perhaps Cassandra had been right when she’d accused him of being a player at heart.
The thing was, she’d changed all that, and he had no problem envisioning life with her as his partner. She had her own career, was her own woman, and she wouldn’t put unreasonable demands on his time.
They could make it work.
But that wasn’t what Cassandra was after. She wanted his heart, his soul, and he wasn’t sure he had it in him to surrender them to her.
Even if he and Cassandra bonded, love was not really part of the equation. Contrary to what most clan members believed, the bond wasn’t some mythical thing ordained by the Fates. It was a biological reaction, hormones, or pheromones, or some other chemical process that created that insufferable need for mates to be together.
Love was different. Love came from the soul, and he wasn’t sure that he was wired for love. Falling in like, or rather in lust, was the best he could hope for, and for him, that was enough.
It wouldn’t be for Cassandra, though, and she wasn’t the type of woman who would compromise on anything less than everything.
She’d told him that she could easily fall in love with him and had asked if he would break her heart.
He’d promised Cassandra that her heart was safe with him.
He would never betray her, and if she transitioned and became his mate, he would stay with her forever. But he couldn’t promise her love without it being at least partially a lie.
To make her happy, though, he would have to do it. Onegus hated liars, didn’t want to be one, but the alternative was to let her go, and he couldn’t do that either. If she didn’t turn, he would be forced to, but if she transitioned, he wanted to keep her.
Perhaps love would come later. Or maybe it was already there, but he didn’t recognize it.
Turning to look at Cassandra’s beautiful face, Onegus knew that he would love waking up next to her each morning, love talking to her over breakfast, and then love meeting her again in the evening after their workday was done. The other kind of love would come later.
He pressed a soft kiss to her cheek and then got out of bed.
It was five o’clock in the morning, and the Guardians would be switching shifts in an hour. He had to go up to the apartment, change into his day clothes, and get breakfast for him and Cassandra.
After he washed up and got dressed, Onegus stopped by the bed and spent a long moment looking at Cassandra’s beautiful face. Her expression was one of bliss, and he loved that he’d put it there.
He should leave her a note in case she woke up before he returned.
Taking a napkin from the minibar, he wrote her a short message and put it on the pillow next to her where she couldn’t miss it.
As Onegus opened the door with his phone, the mechanical whizzing sound didn’t wake Cassandra or even make her stir.
Taking one last look at her before stepping out, he smiled. He would be back before she woke up.
Cassandra was probably going to sleep until noon, but in case she didn’t, he left the door open, just enough for her to squeeze through, but not enough for someone walking by to see her sleeping in the nude.
After all, she wasn’t a prisoner, and if he closed her in, she might panic.
Heading toward the elevator, he dialed Bhathian’s number. Onegus had left him in charge of the night shift, not expecting any trouble, and hopefully, there had been none.
“Good morning, Chief,” the Guardian answered.
“Good morning. Anything to report?” Onegus entered the elevator.
“Nope. All the guests made it safely to their beds last night, although some later than others. Several of our buddies from Scotland stayed with us in the lobby to chat. They left less than an hour ago.”
“No news, good news.”
“You got it, Chief.”
When he reached the apartment, Onegus entered it as quietly as he could, trying not to wake the Guardians sleeping there. Six of them were crammed into the two-bedroom apartment, but it was a temporary situation, and no one was complaining.
After a quick shower and
a change of clothes, he walked into the kitchen and started making breakfast, which inevitably woke nearly everyone up, but it was fine. Their shift was starting at six o’clock, and it was time for them to get ready.
73
Cassandra
Cassandra was cold, which was what had woken her up. Onegus was gone, and with him his warmth.
He’d left her a note written on a napkin, saying that he went to check on things and would be back with breakfast.
Shifting to her back, Cassandra pulled the blanket up to her chin and tucked it around her. She was still bone-tired, and if not for the jumble of thoughts swirling in her head, she would have gone back to sleep. But too much was going on for her to let it go.
Onegus was an immortal, and he suspected that her mother was as well. Not only that, but her dormant immortal genes could also be activated as soon as she consented.
Seemed like a no-brainer, especially since Onegus downplayed the risks, saying that his clan hadn’t lost a transitioning Dormant yet. They even had their own clinic and an experienced doctor to supervise the transition.
So why was she still hesitating?
Not enough information, that’s why.
It all seemed too good to be true, and there must be a downside. Like the mysterious enemies that necessitated all that cloak-and-dagger secrecy and security around the wedding. How dangerous were they? And what beef did they have with Onegus’s clan?
Would she have to disappear and live in hiding?
If Geraldine was immortal as Onegus suspected, then she’d done a very good job hiding in plain sight. There was no reason for them to go into hiding.
And then there was the process itself.
Onegus had said that her inducer needed to be her chosen mate, and he’d asked her if he was the guy for her. He hadn’t asked her if she loved him, hadn’t told her that he loved her, and yet he expected her to marry him? Or mate him?
What if after she transitioned, they came to the conclusion that it wasn’t working out? What would her options be?
Cassandra needed answers before she could give Onegus her consent. She’d promised him an answer by morning, but she would have to ask for an extension until she had all the facts and could make an informed decision.
As the door started moving, she pushed up on the pillows and tugged the blanket with her.
What if it wasn’t Onegus?
Other people were staying down there. She’d met Eleanor, one of Onegus’s security team members. There were probably more of them on this level.
He walked in, wearing a fresh outfit and holding a large tray in his hands. “Good morning, beautiful. I didn’t expect you to be up.” He put the tray down on the coffee table. “I thought that I would have to wake you up.”
“I was cold. This place is freezing.”
“I’m sorry.” He pulled out his phone. “I’ll turn the heat up.”
She eyed the tray from the bed. “I don’t have a change of clothes, and I don’t want to eat breakfast in my evening gown.”
Without a moment’s hesitation, he pulled his dress shirt over his head and handed it to her.
“Thanks.” Her eyes roamed over his muscled chest. “That’s a nice view to have over breakfast.” She pulled the shirt on and swung her legs over the side of the bed.
“Same here.” His eyes blazed with an inner light. “It looks much better on you than it does on me.”
“Give me a moment to freshen up.” She ducked into the bathroom.
After using the facilities, she washed her hands, and then opened the first vanity drawer to see if there was anything she could use to clean up her smeared makeup.
She found a pack of makeup removal towelettes, a new toothbrush still in its store wrapping, a tube of toothpaste, and even a selection of lotions. Whoever equipped the little suite was definitely a woman, and she had Cassandra’s thanks for thinking of all the essentials.
When she was done and walked over to the couch, Onegus pulled her onto his lap. “I need one kiss before I let you eat.”
“Just one?” She cupped his freshly shaved cheek.
“For now.” He took her lips in a gentle kiss, his hands roving over her back, her exposed outer thighs, and up her ribs, brushing the sides of her breasts.
Breakfast forgotten, she kissed him back, expecting to find sharp fangs, but even though he was very obviously aroused, Onegus kept them from elongating.
“Did I dream about you having fangs?”
He smiled, showing her a row of perfect pearly whites with canines that were just a little on the pointy side. “Unlike many immortal males, I have excellent control over my fangs and the glow in my eyes.” Lifting her off his lap, he set her down next to him. “Coffee?”
“Yes, please.”
He poured them both a cup from the thermos and then added cream and sugar to hers. “Just as you like it.” He handed her the cup.
She took a sip. “Perfect.”
“Yes, you are.”
74
Onegus
Onegus bided his time, waiting for the right moment to ask Cassandra for her consent again, and to explain why she couldn’t leave without him either thralling away the memory of everything he’d told her or forcing her silence with compulsion.
She was a smart lady, so she’d probably figured that out already, but she seemed in no hurry to finish her breakfast and have the talk she knew was coming.
When there was nothing more she could nibble on, and the coffee thermos was empty, she leaned back, crossed her arms over her chest, and cast him a wry smile. “Okay, let’s hear it.”
“That should be my line. Do I have your consent or not?”
“Not yet. I need to get to know you better, I need to learn much more about what I’m getting myself into, and I have to find out whether my mother is immortal.”
It was a sensible approach.
Onegus couldn’t fault Cassandra for being careful and not jumping headfirst into the deep before finding out precisely what was in the water.
Still, he couldn’t help the pang of disappointment. “I understand.” He sighed. “I’ll have to either erase the memory of everything I’ve told you or compel you to keep it a secret.”
She frowned. “Making me forget doesn’t make sense. How am I going to think it through if I don’t know what I’m supposed to do? And why bother getting my consent if I won’t remember it?”
“I thought that I would get your consent in writing, then suppress your memories, and when you started transitioning, I would show you the written agreement so you wouldn’t get mad. The other option was for you to come with me to the cabin, and we would have stayed there until you started to transition. That’s why I suggested it. Not because I didn’t want to be seen with you, but because I needed to take you somewhere secluded where you couldn’t tell anyone what you’ve learned.”
She smiled sheepishly. “I’m sorry for accusing you of being a player. I had no way of knowing.”
He nodded. “Apology accepted.”
“What if I don’t transition?”
That was the hard part to admit, but there was no way around it. “It pains me to say it, but immortals and humans can’t have long-term relationships, Cassy. It’s just too complicated. First of all, because of the need for secrecy, and secondly, because it’s just too painful.”
“I get it.” She looked away, and he suspected that it was to hide tears. “I don’t like it, but I get it. Still, even if I don’t transition, and we have to go our separate ways, I don’t want to forget any of it. I’d take compulsion over memory wipe any day.”
“If you don’t transition, forgetting the entire thing will be easier for you. You could go on with your life without being aware that the promise of immortality was dangled in front of you and then taken away. It could mess you up.” He shook his head. “But why are we even considering the possibility? I know in my gut that you are a Dormant. You have an incredible paranormal ability that’s very rare. In
fact, I know only one other immortal who has a similar power.”
“Let me guess. Sylvia?”
“You guessed right. How did you know?”
Cassandra shrugged. “She made comments about my inability to control my energy. It wasn’t hard to figure out that she knew what I was dealing with.”
“Sylvia can’t blow things up, but she can make electronics malfunction.”
“Can she teach me how to control my energy better? It’s a major pain,” Cassandra admitted. “When I feel it rising, I panic, which makes it worse, and I have to find a receptacle. I can hold on for a little bit, but eventually I need to release it or it becomes uncontrollable.”
“Sylvia can teach you how to channel it, but I don’t think she can teach you how to discharge it.” Smirking, he took her hand, lifted it to his lips, and kissed her wrist. “That’s my job.”
She chuckled. “With sex?”
“You are much calmer after orgasming a couple of times.”
“True.” She cast him a suggestive smile. “But that also means that you can’t tease me for long. Then the energy builds up, and I become dangerous.”
He nodded. “Duly noted. Also, don’t forget about your mother. If she is an immortal, then there is no question that you are a Dormant.”
“Speaking of my mother.” She leaned to lift her purse off the table. “I need to text her. With all the excitement, I forgot to let her know that I’m spending the night with you.” She pulled her phone out and typed up a short message. “Do you want to see the text before I send it?”
“Why would I?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” she mocked. “Maybe I texted her your secrets.”
“Who’s going to believe Geraldine? It would be just another fantastic story she added to her repertoire. Besides, I trust you.”