by Coralee June
Our entire group went quiet after that. We stood there for what felt like hours while staring at Mia’s moving chest. Each breath gave us comfort that she was okay. In a lot of ways, she represented the empire. Despite fighting for her life, she was still here. She was still breathing. There was hope that she would get better, as would the empire.
“We will leave by transport in the morning,” Cyler finally added before stomping off outside towards a makeshift bedroom he had prepared for the evening in the back of the abandoned building we had set up as the command center.
Turning around, I gave Patrick an appreciative smile. He pulled his hand back and nodded once, already knowing what I had planned to do. Cyler Black was a strong man, and I knew that he was more than capable of motivating the masses. But right now, I sensed that he needed someone to have faith in him, too. After briefly looking around the room at my other men, I followed after Cyler, determined to soothe the pain he hid from the world.
There was a door covering the room Cyler made for us. I smiled at the thoughtful pallet on the floor, cushioned with extra blankets, a detail he probably explicitly made for me. He knew my back had been bothering me from sleeping on the ground and in the transport for the last two weeks. “Cy?” I called out to him. He was sitting on a chair in the corner of the room, a single beam of light shining down on him, casting shadows along the angles of his strong face.
“Babe,” he called back. His voice was strained with emotion, and it made my heart sink a bit deeper into my chest. “How’d I know you’d follow me in here?” he asked with a smile before patting his knee. I sauntered over to him and sat on his lap. The moment our skin connected, he shifted my legs and cradled me to his chest. It wasn’t the most comfortable position, but I reveled in being held close.
“I see the way you carry the empire on your shoulders. You told Tallis all the things you’re trying to convince yourself of,” I whispered before placing a gentle kiss on his neck that made him shiver in response. I breathed in his cinnamon scent before speaking again. “I’ve been so focused on myself I didn’t even really have time to consider how Dormas would affect you. I’m sorry.”
Cyler dipped his face and placed a tender kiss on my lips that lingered only a breath. When he pulled away, Cyler stared intensely into my eyes before speaking again. “Seeing you think about yourself is sexy, Babe. I wasn’t really in a place to talk about my feelings. For all my talk of telling you not to rush head first into action, I’m doing the same damn thing. I saw these people here, saw their conditions, and dived in. Like it could possibly make up for the fact that I abandoned my father’s legacy.” His eyes dipped like he couldn’t bear to look me in the eye at that confession.
“You didn’t abandon them, Cy,” I promised, keeping my voice steady as I got up to reposition my body. Straddling his hips, I sunk down before cupping his cheeks in my hands, forcing him to stare back at me. “You did the best you could, given the circumstances. You’re going to save the damn empire, Cyler Black. You’re gonna lead the masses. We just have to get settled and deal with the cure first.”
Cyler leaned forward and kissed me again, pressing his lips to mine with such passion that I almost couldn’t feel the soft tears trailing down his cheeks. It broke me to feel his pain. So I did the only thing I knew to do, I kissed him so hard that he wouldn’t feel anything but my body and my love. Moaning into his mouth, I shifted my hips forward, preening when I felt his hard erection straining against his pants. Trailing my fingers down his shirt, I gripped the bottom of the tattered cotton fabric and inched it up, breaking our kiss only to remove the material that kept us separated.
He deepened the kiss once my lips fastened themselves back to his, licking my bottom lip as if asking if he could taste me. It was sweet and sensual but demanding, too. Parting my lips, he then sucked on my mouth, gnawing at my plump flesh like it was a tasty treat. “Babe, you’re the best thing to ever happen to me,” he said in a breathless tone before grabbing the collar of Huxley’s shirt I was still wearing, and ripping it down the center. I smiled.
“Huxley’s going to be pissed that you ruined his shirt,” I said while reaching behind me to unclasp my bra. Cyler kept his hands on my hips to steady me while I gazed into his dark eyes, which were no longer full of sadness.
“Huxley can fuck off,” Cyler growled in response, his words taking on a possessive tone that made me hum in appreciation. I wanted our group dynamic to work—more than anything—but there was something to be said for being uncontrollably desired.
The moment my breasts were free, Cyler’s hands flew to grab them, pinching my nipples as he dove in for another kiss. I could feel myself getting hot with each stroke of his tongue and move of his fingers. “Cyler,” I pleaded while grinding against him for relief. It wasn’t enough. I needed more.
Without having to ask, Cyler stood up. I wrapped my thighs around his waist, determined to keep contact with his body. I didn’t want an inch to separate us for even a second. He carried me to the pallet on the floor then laid us both down. The moment my back hit the mattress, I arched my hips, wordlessly begging him to take my trousers off.
“You’re so beautiful, Babe,” he said, his voice reverent as he eased my pants off my trembling legs with precision. I felt his rough fingers scrape along my thighs, lingering just outside my pussy before slinking them down further. Once my pants were gone, he tore my panties from my body with one fell swoop, baring me entirely to him as I lie on the pallet.
“Mine, for now. Tell me you’re just mine for a minute, Babe. I need to feel like I own your body and heart for a little while,” he pleaded while kissing a trail up my legs all the way to my stomach. Looking up at me, he paused before licking my breast.
“I’m yours, Cyler Black. I’m completely yours,” I said in a whisper, and he rewarded me with a flick of his tongue and careful kneading of my breasts. I wrapped my legs around his hips, guiding him closer to my entrance as he seared another kiss to my lips. He tasted like crisp mint.
I loved this man. I loved the way our bodies seemed to fit perfectly. I loved how instinctually we acted, like kissing him was as natural as breathing. Darting my tongue out, I devoured Cyler Black with everything I had, arching up once more to encourage him to fill me up.
While holding himself up with one hand, he led his index finger down to my core and ran a line up my slit, smiling against my lips in satisfaction when he felt how wet I was.
“You’re so ready for me,” he whispered in awe before guiding the head of his cock against me then pressing inside, moving with such control and steadiness I almost clawed him to death for more. It felt like exquisite torture, waiting for him to pump into me with the intensity I craved. “Fuck, you’re so damn tight, Babe,” he said with a moan as if it felt so good that it hurt.
I jolted up before begging him to move faster. “Harder, Cy,” I coaxed before biting my lip. He leaned down to kiss my lips while keeping the rest of his body impossibly still inside of me. It wasn’t enough. I needed more. Harder. Faster.
“More, Cy,” I pleaded again while writhing beneath him.
“Ask me again,” he ordered between kisses, grinning against my pout like this teasing torture was the best thing to ever happen to him.
I wrapped my hands around his back and clawed at his skin, showing him how much more I wanted to feel him—to show him how much I craved the wild sides of him. “More,” I hissed. The hiss he let out tasted decadent, and he flexed as I scraped a sharp nail down his spine. I never thought I’d ever be so brazen in the bedroom, given my limited experience, but that was the thing about Cyler Black. From the day he met me back at Stonewell Manor, he changed me. Molded me into a version of myself that didn’t hide behind shy smiles and polite societal norms.
Cyler Black didn’t just give me my wings. He gave me claws, too.
I didn’t have to beg again. Cyler thrust in a way that felt equally harsh and perfect. My teeth were rattling from the force of it. I took every da
mn drop of his guilt and grief, drank it up like it was the only thing that could make us whole again. I met each of his movements while crying out, not caring if the entire damn city could hear me.
We went like that for so long that I didn’t know where my body ended and his began. We moved like two people hanging on for dear life, knowing that at any moment, our grip could slip; at any moment, we could be like the rest of the empire and die.
But tonight? We were alive. Very, very, alive.
Chapter Twelve
“Surprised you’re up early,” Jules said while rolling her eyes. I adjusted the tight, black trousers I was wearing while looking at her. I was sore, each step reminding me of the night I shared with Cyler. I chewed on my swollen lip while cocking my eyebrow.
“What does that mean?” I asked. We were loading up the transport just outside Lythe entrance with what little supplies we could pull together. Mia wasn’t stable, but both she and Jules insisted that we continue on our quest for Payne.
“Girl, I’m half traumatized, half disgusted, and a pinch curious about the animal sounds coming from your room with Cyler last night,” Jules said with a shiver before tossing a box of rations in the transport. She placed her hands on her hips and looked me up and down with a smirk. I felt my cheeks heat and wanted nothing more than to hide. Jules and I had an unlikely relationship, and I used the term “relationship” loosely. It was more of a truce.
But regardless the name for whatever it was we were, it didn’t mean I was comfortable talking about the incredible sex I had with her brother the night before. “Um, sorry,” I offered with a grimace. I wasn’t really sorry.
I felt hands on my hips from behind and lips on the back of my neck. “I like you wearing your hair up like this,” a warm voice whispered over my skin. The straightening serum Jules put in my hair back at Madam B’s brothel had officially worn off, and I wasn’t willing to fight with my curls. They had come back with a vengeance. I turned around to face Maverick, who was eyeing me with appreciation. “Gives me better access to the sensitive skin on your neck,” he practically growled.
I was almost lost in the moment, the ominous travel ahead of us nearly forgotten as I lifted up on my toes to kiss Maverick, but a shrill shriek stopped us. “Disgusting! For the love of Dormas, please stop!” Jules yelled while throwing her hands up. With a light chuckle, Maverick winked at me before brushing his thumb along my neck, where I knew there was a mark from where Cyler nipped at my skin the night before.
“Mia’s asking for you,” he whispered. “The others have already said goodbye. We’ll meet you at the transport in fifteen.”
Walking back to the makeshift command center, I used the three minutes of solitude to study myself. Everything felt like a whirlwind. Every second since killing Cavil was filled with extreme highs and lows. When I opened the door to the building, I was surprised to see people already up and moving for the day.
People pushed past me as they cleaned the room and organized supplies with Tallis giving off commands towards the back wall. I took a moment to admire the fierce leader in his element. He seemed once again at ease, leading with that wise, charismatic way I was drawn to when we met.
Our eyes met for a moment, and I watched his expression twist into something that looked somewhere between amusement and peace. He didn’t cross the short distance to say goodbye to me. The state of the empire meant that goodbyes had a permanence about them that was too depressing to meet head-on. We never had the sort of relationship that meant tear-filled goodbyes. So instead, he nodded once then continued picking up where Cyler left off, building what little of the community he could into something that I hoped would one day survive.
“Agrio,” Mia said with a grin as I made my way over to her. “We’ve got to stop saying goodbye like this.” I grinned at her. “The last time we said goodbye, I was in a wheelchair. Now I’m on bed rest eating baked beans like it was a gourmet meal.”
Once closer to her, I knelt down and placed my hand over hers. “Next time I see you, you’ll be chasing everyone around and keeping people on their toes. The end of the world hasn’t been very kind to you. But you’re a fighter, huh?”
Mia took another bite of beans and choked them down, gnawing on the metal spoon like it was made of cake. I would kill for some cake right about now. “That’s me. Strong as an ox. Cunning as a fox. And when I’m not dying of starvation and stab wounds, I’m pretty lethal, you know.”
I smiled and squeezed her hand before pulling away. “Keep an eye on Jules, will you? She can be a bit reckless. Tallis has been a good influence on her, but sometimes I wonder if she’s lost herself to all this...violence.” I looked up just as two men started practicing throwing knives. Tallis was teaching them about the proper angle.
“Nah, you’re wrong,” Mia began while eyeing the men with speculation. She twitched when one of them threw the sharp blade at the wall. I wondered if she was itching to get up and teach them how it was really done. My friend could throw circles around even the best. “Jules found herself in the violence. Tallis balances her. He kills when he has to but prefers peace. She forces him to let go of his guilt; he reins her in. They won’t need me.” She looked up at the concrete ceiling of the room like it held all the secrets of the empire. I patiently watched, knowing that my time to say goodbye would soon come to an end.
“Can you do me a favor?” Mia asked in a soft voice, and for the first time since knowing her, I heard a vulnerability in her tone that made me pause.
“Of course,” I replied.
She let out a huff of air like the words pained her to say. “That Chief? Aarav. If you see him, can you tell him...I’m sorry? He’ll know what that means.” She wiped moisture from her eyes and caught me staring at her with pity. “The asshole is probably dead by now. But just in case…”
“If I see him, I’ll tell him,” I promised before standing. “See you soon, Mia.”
She smiled. “Promises, promises.”
When I got back outside, all my men were standing outside the transport. Patrick was leaning against the hood of it, arms crossed as he watched me approach. Huxley was standing by Jules, giving her some last minute instructions, probably something bossy along the lines of “don’t be stupid.”
Cyler and Maverick stopped talking to stare at me as Kemper checked over the solar panels on the roof of the transport. They looked determined and stunning. I swallowed, trying to wet my parched throat at the sight of them.
Jacob’s mindspeak blurted out a sweet sentiment that caught me off guard but warmed me all the same. “I love her. I really fucking love her.”
Everyone stopped, and I walked up to him, feeling weighed down by the tasks ahead of us, but also excited to feel purposeful and ready to meet the end of the empire with a fist. Once in front of Jacob, I cupped his cheek and leaned in close. “I love you too,” I whispered before lightly kissing his lips and pulling away.
“You all ready?” I asked, gauging each of their reactions, waiting for one of them to say it was too dangerous, or that I should stay behind where it was safe. Luckily, none of them did. We’d come a long way now. We were finally an equal unit.
“Let’s save Payne,” Patrick said with a steel voice.
“Let’s save the world,” Maverick added.
Yeah, let’s save the world.
Chapter Thirteen
We’d spent a lot of time in the transport over the last few weeks, so we were used to cramming into the bench seats, but by the second day of travel, I was started to get irritable. It was uncomfortable but better than walking. I sat between Jacob and Kemper and kept staring across from me at Cyler. I had my legs draped over Kemper’s lap, and he was rubbing little circles on my knee with his thumb. “How are we on fuel?” Kemper asked Cyler. We’d packed light so we could store fuel pods on the roof. Kemper rigged them to run on solar power so we didn’t have to stop for gas since most power stations were abandoned and empty.
“We’re doing good. Might h
ave to stop soon and switch fuel cells.”
“I love you in dresses, but damn, Ash, these trousers are clinging to your thighs, and I think you should wear them more often,” Jacob’s mindspeak blurted out flirtatiously. Since we’d been confined to the transport, his mindspeak would occasionally go off with quips like that, most of them talking about how damn beautiful I was.
“God, I want you so bad,” he said again.
At first, the guys didn’t bother asking him to take out his mindspeak. The device was a part of our new normal, and over the last couple weeks, we’d gotten used to his blatant honesty and lack of control. It was refreshing and, most of the time, made us laugh. Not to mention, it was a welcome distraction from the leveled towns and roaming Walkers outside the transport. “I love you like a brother, but can you please, for the love of Dormas, take your mindspeak out?” Cyler begged while rubbing his temples. I flashed Cyler a cheeky grin.
“Why? Is it hard to hear me talk about Ash? The entire city of Lythe had to hear her moans a couple nights ago. Pretty sure Huxley almost killed anyone with ears,” Jacob said before ripping out his mindspeak and giving me an apologetic smile. I could feel the blush creeping up my chest and cheeks as I looked around the transport, taking in everyone’s heated expressions.
“Sorry,” I mumbled, though I wasn’t feeling very sorry at all. My night with Cyler Black was incredible. Our bodies worked in beautiful ways. It was everything I’d ever imagined. Cyler was attentive but wild and passionate. He took care of me while pushing me to my limits. My body flushed at the thought of it, and I had to swallow back the lust.