The Aching Darkness_A Dark Fantasy Anthology

by Parker Sinclair

  Where will I go, then? Back to the private sector, where the lines blur between good and evil? I vetted Gage’s outfit for years before seeking an audience with her three years ago. It took some convincing, but she had already been on the supernatural trail before she even graduated from high school. A believer in angels, devils, and anything and everything that goes bump in the night, she was taunted for it all the way through the FBI academy. That is, until she met like-minded people who approached her during family pictures at her graduation.

  When Gage and I first spoke at length in her office, she showed me one of the pictures, with the two suits behind her, their faces blurred, though those at the same distance were clear as day. Other angels? Dark, like me? Possibly, but whatever or whoever they were, they pointed her in the right direction, and because of that, I found her easily. I’d love to believe we are in charge of our destiny; yet, with the pull towards Gage so clearly defined—this life can feel like more a well-laid plan. Though, I believe in free will, so I made the choice to follow that trail when I could have just as easily passed it to continue my search. Instead, we are an elite team that most people have no idea is in existence, let alone the monsters we fight. Operation Quietus. We are dealers in death, in an unending fight for peace and prosperity.

  Gage would listen to me. She’ll have to. I don’t think she’ll want to lose Josh, let alone our division or me. What I need to suck up and do is speak to Josh alone. After that, we’ll have to go to Gage together, not to mention I need to see how he’s reacting to the contact with my blood.

  Rising, I toss my food onto my table and put a lid on it to keep the bugs and other critters out. The desert has a way of allowing anything and everything a method to get into our camp quarters. One of the perks of being, well, me, is that I get my own shower. Looking into the mirror, I see a bright flicker and glimmer within my red hair, the touch of the good in me contrasting with the deep pools of my eyes.

  My robe drops to the ground in slow motion, each fold gliding down on top of the next like red, velvety lotion pouring from a bottle. Turning my attention to the mirror, I look over the person staring back at me in the glass. Dark Angels are strong, even without a show of bulk, but I’m far from lithe. My muscles are a result of bonding with the troops in the gym, and my early morning runs and hikes before the blazing sun sends even the most evolved of desert dwellers racing for shade. I turn from my reflection, not wanting to see the bandage, my biggest mistake so far. Here, that is.

  Before jumping into the water, I crank up my music. Swaying in the sun-heated desert water, my body reacts on autopilot as ‘Black’ pours out of Eddie Vedder through my speakers. Even those of us that can’t and won’t ever love mustn’t be able to ignore the passion spilling from the man’s lips.

  Soaping up my body, my hands travel all over. They provide the only touch I’ve ever had, at least that I can remember. It’s hard to know much of one’s history when all of a sudden, I just came to be, in this form—this ageless form. My hand travels over my breasts, cleaning myself softly when a face flashes into my awareness, and I freeze. This is a first; soon, his entire body is envisioned behind my eyes, and my hands become his, roving over my hips, caressing my arms.

  What is happening? This is the kind of longing and daydreaming humans experience, not Angels, Dark or otherwise. As soon as I start to talk some sense into my own malfunctioning brain, the imagery becomes more real, and his hands move down lower, rubbing gently between my legs, forcing my lips to part in a breathy moan. My body reacts, and I fall against the wall, instantly hitting the hot water button. Frigid air assaults my skin, and the mirage of Josh disappears. A literal cold shower snaps me out of this silly, weak delusion. I shake my head, giving myself a little smack on the cheek before grabbing my towel to dry off, and scold myself all the way to my dresser.

  There’s hardly an occasion when I haven’t had to put on my second skin body armor, but this time, I am genuinely annoyed as my fingers place the mechanism on the back of my neck, hit the button, and watch as a digital net of sorts covers my entire body. Another tap on the button, it melds to me, instantly invisible, but I know it’s there all the same. While I slip into my panties and yank a tank top over my head.

  “What in the hell was that, Ilese?” I snarl out loud, berating myself while tucking my hair behind my ears as I stare into the mirror. “Some human teenager’s wet dream. Ridiculous. I don’t have desires of the flesh like the mortals; not now, not ever. This must all be some crazy side effect over what happened with Josh, stress maybe.”

  I laugh at the word. Dark Angels don’t get stressed! I either fix or eliminate a problem. Stress. My laughter becomes a tad maniacal when I glance at the area on my arm where my injury used to be clear as day. I heal at an amazingly rapid rate compared to a human; so, all that remains is redness in the shape of the wound.

  “He didn’t do something to me, did he? His blood didn’t get into my wound and give me some human weakness, did it? Son of a bitch, he’s getting a talking to, and now!” Before I can slip into pants, I’m startled by a knock at my door. I stomp my feet, frustrated by the little jump, my body’s foolish reaction to the simple sound. “Get it together, Ilese. You have one job, and one mission in life, and it does not involve any of the bullshit that’s happened in the last five minutes.”

  Another knock sounds. “I…am…coming!” Whoever is out there is going to get a serious piece of my mind. Sliding on loose pants, I grab the knob tightly, throwing the dull gray metal door open.

  “What!?!”

  A ripped body in a tight tank top stands before me, and I swallow hard knowing the exact face to match it smiling at me on top.

  “I had a feeling you needed to see me, but I can come back if this is a bad time.” Green eyes travel my body, a tantalizing heat seeming to follow their path.

  Did my cheeks just warm? I am going to beat the hell out of him if he has anything to do with this mind jacking that’s going on. Grabbing his shirt, I yank him inside and close the door firmly behind the two of us.

  “What are you doing here? I was just on my way to see you.”

  Wearing a smirk on his face and running a hand through his black hair, he stares at me, and it’s taking all of my willpower to not knock him on his ass.

  “What is so funny, Josh? I don’t think anything that’s happened in the last twenty-four hours requires a single smile from you, or anyone. Well, least of all you.”

  His smile changes into the mask of calmness I have grown accustomed to seeing.

  “You’re right, Ilese. I don’t know how to explain it. It’s like you called to me in my mind, so I came.”

  The final word from his lips causes my stomach to quiver. I am losing my mind, or control over my body, or both. His pupils widen at my response, and I swear I saw him take a sharp inhale. My feet spin me around. I can hardly bear to look at him for one more moment.

  “What is happening to me?” I whisper, shaking my head and walking to the other side of my room. Distance, I just need some distance from him to get this out.

  “Did you say something?”

  Another quick turn, this time on my heel, and I’m staring at him where he’s now sitting atop my bed. Ignoring the anger flaring to life in my head, I instead choose to look away again. “We need to speak to Gage, together. She needs to know what has happened. She’ll understand; she always has before.” My palms are sweating now. I need to get him out of here, away from me, far away, until I can get a hold of myself. I look to the bathroom. Maybe another cold shower will help. I will just excuse myself for a second, that’s all I need.

  “And what if she doesn’t? What then? I’ll become an experiment, and what of you? Deemed a liability, is my guess. This is something she won’t be able to ignore, or understand. Plus, I’m fine. I feel better than ever, actually. No harm, no foul.” A lopsided, relaxed smile spreads across his face as his leans back on his forearms, causing his muscular arms to flex, making himself at home
in my fucking room.

  Dragging my eyes away from his form, fingers curling, and temperature rising, I seethe at his flippant response with my eyes still locked on my escape behind my bathroom door. I can’t just drop this conversation. What if he tries to leave and won’t come with me? No, I have him here now, so I need to get a grip. Turning around slowly, I gaze in his general direction but feign looking at something else, avoiding his eyes and his muscular body. For god’s sake, Ilese. Get It Together! Taking a deep breath, I respond as best I can.

  “And what do you think will happen when someone catches wind of how great you’re feeling after getting a dose of my blood? What if you slip up?” Even though my legs try to stay put, I can’t help but propel forward. He’s not agreeing with my decision, and it’s pissing me off. Being angry is helping cool down those other feelings. I’ll get him to see reason one way or another.

  Crossing the distance between us, my muscles flex in anticipation. Josh rises, his eyes wary, and I can hear his heart pounding; yet, it isn’t from fear—he’s excited. Barefoot, I’m even shorter than usual against his towering physique, but it doesn’t stop me from giving him a shove followed by a snarling noise. I’ve faced countless Hollow Walkers, S1s and S2s, plus their bitchy moms. This halfling has to be begging for a beat down.

  “Are you taking this seriously?” One more push, and he falls back onto my bed, his foot hooks between my legs and takes me down as well. Quickly bracing myself, I hover over him, still annoyed as hell; yet, somehow, his green eyes begin to dampen my ire and reel me in. His hand finds my head, and a gentle push brings me closer to his lips.

  “What are you doing?”

  Josh has to know that neither of us will feel a thing with this suit, but instead of pushing my lips to his, his fingers find the release button on my suit. In a blink, it crackles and falls away.

  “Josh.”

  But his name is smothered away by the passionate kiss he creates once he pulls me towards him. I have no idea what I’m doing, but I know I’m not trying to stop. Allowing his lips to press, pull, and tease against mine, while his fingers play amongst my hair; my actual hair, unprotected. His other hand glides along my back, stroking down my arm, and stopping at my hip. His fingers dig in, and I find myself pressing against the hardness pulsing against me in just the right spot.

  Moaning into his mouth, I hear him begging. “Oh, Ilese, I’ve imagined this moment over and over again. Please don’t stop.” And I don’t stop. I allow him to remove my tank, giving him access to ravage my breasts with his hands, lips, and teeth. Something inside me unravels, and emotions I’ve never experienced before flood through me.

  Josh was almost lost today, almost killed by that bitch Queen and her slimy, grotesque babies. I may heal fast, but he could be dead in an instant compared to what I can handle. Tears threaten to creep from my eyes, causing me to smother my face in his neck. What is this? Do I care for this man—this half Dark Angel? Feeling passion for anything other than the work I am here to do, the people and lives I am meant to save fighting evil, is unimaginable. But here I am, allowing this to continue—enjoying it, even. How have I denied myself such a pleasure before? With all I’ve done, I deserve this moment of blissful lust and happiness.

  Lifting my head, I once again look into his eyes, lift a brow, and then tug his shirt up and over his head as he assists me by partially rising. As he holds himself up, his abs flex, and I long to allow my fingers to rove across them, and his equally impressive chest. His body is mind-blowing, tan from the desert sun, muscles rippling, stomach quivering a bit while his eyes move from mine to my hands. These hands, the ones that touch mainly to kill and maim when necessary. Even in sparring, they are enclosed, but now, they dive onto his body, rushing his heat into their tips while a tingly madness spreads throughout my being. My lips follow, kissing while teeth nibble across every inch of his skin.

  Josh groans, shuddering underneath me when my tongue flicks under the finger-lifted waistband of his peeking boxer shorts. I command my fingers to follow a trail of dark hair from his belly button down, stopping and sliding his boxers to the right. My other hand mirrors the action to the left. I want these off, and now.

  Leaping off the bed, I work to remove his pants, staring wide-eyed at the bulge his boxers are barely holding in place. Titling my head, I watch it throb and weave, even more so as I reach for him. I should stop now, but what if we never get this chance again? Once Gage knows all that has happened, we may never see each other.

  Ignoring any wary worries, I remove the last restraining piece of clothing from his body. Flames lick my cheeks as I stare at his manhood, erect and hard. Yes, I’ve seen one before, in pictures, and this is an all sexes compound, so it’s happened, but not like this. Not in a way that makes my stomach clench and my thighs squeeze together from the sensation of warm, tingling wetness. Horrified at my coy response, my eyes dart around the room, stopping when his lock with mine, and I see the animalistic hunger and desire boring into me.

  “Ilese.” Josh sits up, reaching out to me when I take a step back. “Let me see you, touch you. I can wait, for now.” Taking his hand, he pulls me to him, kissing my stomach. Strong fingers caress my backside and slide between my legs. I’m certain he can feel the wetness of my sex, even through my pants, but I refuse to care. He doesn’t seem to mind either. On the contrary, he growls as he circles around my spot over and over again. My quivering legs bring my hands to grip his shoulders while sounds I’ve never made before spill from my lips. I try to shed the rest of my clothing, but his grasp stops me.

  “Please, allow me.”

  Damn it, just those three words cause my teeth to bite down on my lips before they’re allowed to create another sound. Josh’s movements are slow, hooking his fingers in the waistband of my pants, and slipping one side down a bit, and then the other; his progress is so painstakingly slow and sensually torturous. I’m used to things quick and dirty in our line of work, so this is new… and I like it.

  As my pants fall away, I breathe a sigh of relief that quickly turns into a gasp for air as if the floor is ripped away beneath my feet. No, it’s still there, I think, but the intense wave of pleasure he’s ignited within momentarily relieves me of the weight of gravity, as if I’m floating. Soft, wet lips and an eager tongue consume my flesh, making it incredibly difficult to maintain my balance. A strong hand clutches my ass, ceasing my teetering while Josh continues to bring me to the brink of an overwhelmingly intense orgasm.

  Managing to open my eyes, I allow my fingers to play in his hair, grabbing it forcibly more than once. Foreign noises unleash from deep inside my chest, more of a low cat roar than a scream. I’ve orgasmed on my own before, but this is nothing like those times, not even close. Josh continues to ravage me even more, knowing I’ve cum, and wanting to take all of me in before he stands, sliding up my body and pulling me close to him in a kiss. The arousal from before has grown even more when he moves against me. I think it’s time to take the lead now that he’s had the upper hand for a while, not that I’m complaining, but I’m ready to be the Captain he knows in a whole new way. Kissing him deeper, my hands roam over him insistently before I push him down upon the bed. The carnal look on his face is enough to make me quiver as I climb on top of him, licking along his stomach while my fingers follow along his sides.

  A deep inhale answers my breast pressing along his belly and chest, as I cat curl along him before whispering into his ear, “I want all of you inside of me.”

  Strong, demanding fingers dig into my hips and lift me until I hover over his massive erection. Positioning myself above him, I see him reach down to move towards my sex. My nails go into sensual attack mode; pleasurably kneading into his chest while my head flings back as he enters me slowly. As if his tongue hadn’t been desirable enough, the width and length of his cock inside of me is bringing me to close to a full on hedonistic overload. Slowly, I rock my hips into him, slipping him deeper inside of me with each pulse. While one desirou
s hand holds tight to my hip, adding increased thrust to my rocking motions, his other moves hungrily from breast to breast, teasing the tips of my nipples with his fingers.

  The barrage of pleasure overloads my senses, as my body seems to become engulfed in a riotous fire. Looking into his eyes, I see the band of blue flash once again; yet, instead of scaring me like it did before, it intensifies my pent-up, carnal needs. My body’s response is to circle my hips wildly while I clench around him over and over again. The buildup unleashes a quiet roar from Josh’s lips, and in a quick motion he has me up, legs wrapped around him, and driving me up against a wall.

  Diving into me over and over again, his voice begins to say my name like a mantra. “Ilese, Ilese, Ilese.”

  How can the sound of my own name become the sexiest thing I’ve heard all of my life? I’ve never allowed myself this type of connection, and if this is what the first time feels like, I can only imagine what’s in store. Sensual sweat drips down my back like a flame-licked ice cube, allowing me to slide along the wall with ease as he drives into me over and over again. Though he pants along my neck, I demand to taste him again.

  “Kiss me. Oh, please, kiss me, Josh.”

  Though we ravage each other, the moment becomes tender for a fleeting second. Holding me with only one arm, he moves his free hand to my face, caressing my enflamed cheek. A kiss follows, soft at first; yet, when I arch against him, deepening our connection, I turn this tender kiss into an insatiable assault on my lips. The intensity begins to match the thrust of his strong legs and hips as he lifts and pulls, lifts and pulls, bouncing me as if I’m light as a feather. I can’t hold back much longer. His cock hardens and grows even harder inside of me, and I start to whisper in near tongues.

  “Oh god, I can’t…Josh. Oh fuck it feels so good, don’t stop, please.”