by Laura Hawks
He played with her, shifted her from one position to another as if she weighed nothing. She did not mind. She was lost to the proclivity of his being inside. Her core was as hot as a furnace, gripping and throbbing around his thick, hard driving member that rocked her body across the cool pillow and sheets crumpled under her. Her nipples pressed against the mattress, rubbing with the movements that added to her torturous pleasure. The sheets still held his scent from his lying there and she breathed it in. Her juices and his seed mingled and slipped down her thighs from their last orgasm, sticky and warm. She thrust her hips up towards him, her head low and her shoulders back. She let him have his way with her and enjoyed every moment of it.
Her body’s reaction was like a drug that invaded his body and caused a delicious delirium in his mind. She was about to discover demon lovemaking at its best and he hoped she could keep up.
He touched her and she soared in flaming heat. He thrust into her and she melted like butter, he pinched her hard aching nipples and canals of lava flowed faster through her veins. She was lost. She thought once she gave into him, her heat, her lust would be sated but she was so wrong. He played her body so expertly that she did not want it to end and wondered how long a semi-weak demon could keep this pace up. She prayed he would manage for a while yet, because she really could keep going.
He added a digit to her engorged nub. His hand covered in her sweet juices. Her ass slammed against his thighs as he rammed into her body, their breathing becoming labored. Deeper and faster, Mel sought oblivion within her channel.
She shut her eyes to just feel the gratification he was wringing from her warm, sweaty figure, his hands and fingers elicited simultaneous feelings throughout various areas of her form. Leaning back against him, she let herself go, cried out, clenching her muscles. Her body throbbed around his, her hand pressed against his rubbing her core, her head on his shoulder as she leaned back against him as she shuddered through her orgasm.
He felt her body tightened around his shaft as he threw his head back and roared his own release, the sound echoed around the chamber. He kept pumping until she wrung every last drop from his convulsing cock. When at last his body stopped quaking, he fell on the mattress, pulling her with him as his arms folded around her. Their breathing labored, he spooned her back and placed soft kisses on her shoulder. “You were incredible”
She curled up with her back to his front, his arm about her waist, trying to force air into her lungs. She smiled and looked back over her shoulder at him. “Not too bad yourself. How are you feeling? Are you okay?” She could not help but add to her words, despite her genuine concern for his well-being. He had pushed himself pretty hard especially after the ordeal of the last couple of days. “I didn’t wear you out or hurt you too badly I hope.”
Mel’s body screamed at him as his adrenaline tempered with the completion of their activities. He should have waited before taking her but he could not deny what he wanted any longer. “I’ll live.” Snuggling against her, he tried to keep his breathing steady so as to not betray the pain that wracked his body. “I just need to recuperate for a little while.”
Clarissa tilted her head slightly. “You’re hurting. I can hear it.” She shifted towards him as part of her felt awful for doing what they did. It was not because she wanted him as badly as he seemed to want her but because she knew he was unwell to begin with. Maybe she should have kept her mouth shut and let him walk out that door for him to recuperate but she never was one to keep her thoughts to herself and most times found words past her lips before she was even aware of it.
Maybe it was her fault for constantly pushing him but she did not want him to feel guilty for having seen who he really was, having beheld the demon inside of him, or having seen a part of him she truly doubted many, if any at all, had confronted. She was tired of the way he made her feel small and inferior sometimes. She was tired of the conflicting emotions from him. One minute he seemed to care, the next he was as cold as ice. But then, she was no better. One moment she detested him and the next she wanted this, his arms wrapped around her, holding her tight. “Can I get you anything? Try and give you some more of my healing energy?”
He cringed inwardly as he realized she could sense his pain. He replied sleepily, “I just need to sleep, with you in my arms. Can we do that?”
She settled back against him. “Yes, we can do that.”
Chapter Ten
Waking up slowly, Azamel took a moment to adjust to his surroundings. The fire still crackled in the hearth, creating pleasant warmth to dispel the chill that was always present in this realm. Clarissa was still fast asleep next him, her limbs entwined in the sheets.
He turned on his back to stare at the intricately carved ceiling. Mel’s thoughts whirled as the events of the past week rushed through his mind. Last night was a mistake. He realized he could not afford to attach himself to anyone, let alone a young wolf emotionally scarred almost more than he was. With a deep sigh, he ran a hand over his face. They both had an enormous responsibility that they carried on their shoulders. The stone was too valuable to fall into the hands of the Xon or any demon. The world was fucked up enough as it is without having some demon with an inferiority complex taking over and fucking it up even more.
There were things that humans could never know about, should not know about as it would alter their very existence. She was the key to defeat Xon and Mel vowed to protect her. The feelings she stirred deep inside of him were a complication that he should not explore, could not analyze. Azamel’s very existence was a threat to her and her kind. The beings Mel controlled and policed threatened every one of her kin along with everyone else who roamed the earth. He knew if his enemies found out about his care for her, she would be hunted to extinction and he could not allow that to happen. With a weary sigh, he got up, left a single pink rose and a note on the pillow. It read: “Rest well, love, I have a few things to take care of. I will meet you in the training room at noon. M.”
Mel stared at her sleeping form for but a moment longer before flashing to his own chambers to clean up. His muscles were still stiff as a result of the demon clawing him from the inside, the scars faded but still visible on his flesh. Last night’s antics also left him a bit tender as he had not been fully healed to begin with.
Feeling much improved, he dressed and materialized in the human realm. His informants should have some information by now. Xon could not hide forever. He would need to feed and the lure of the other half of the stone would force him to make a move soon. Mel would be waiting.
*****
Clarissa was surprised to have slept at all, much less so late. She slowly opened her eyes to find the bed empty save for a rose and a note. Languidly reaching over, she rubbed her eyes to read it. Her internal clock told her she had a half hour before meeting him. Sighing, she rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling a few moments more. Last night was a huge mistake. She knew it. She thought if she did it with him she would have it out of her system. Him out of her system. However, all that occurred was she became more addicted to him.
Staring at the ceiling, remembering, she almost felt him still touching her, his skin against hers, felt him fill her and throb inside of her. Her body responded to those thoughts, those memories alone, already heating up again. Growling at herself and her body’s betrayal, she crawled out of bed and took a mildly cold shower to wake up as well as cool her form down. Stepping out of the shower, she dressed in a pair of yoga pants that fell at her hips and a halter mid-rift stretch top that hugged her curves and left her stomach bare. Pulling her hair back in a ponytail, she headed to the training room. He was not there yet, so she began stretching to loosen up her muscles as she waited, her mind wondering what Xon was doing in her absence.
Mel watched her as she sauntered into the exercise arena his shade form not visible as he leaned against the wall. The piece of scrap she wore would mess with any man’s senses. She moved like a dancer, controlled and fluid. His body became h
ard just watching her and he had to breathe slowly, focused to get his reactions under control. She turned to face the opposite wall from him and he materialized, clearly visible in the mirrors in front of her. Her eyes widened slightly as she saw him but she stayed silent
Mel walked up behind her until their bodies almost touched, his eyes keeping hers captive in the mirror.
“Don’t stop.”
As she began to execute her exercises, he coordinated his movements with hers. They stretched and twisted in perfect harmony, his eyes never left hers.
She peered at him in the reflective glass, mirroring her movements with ease. She stretched and bent and pulled and lengthened, loosened up her muscles. When he had no bar, she used his arm to balance herself as she raised first one leg and then alternated the other above her head. She had attended dance school as a youth and had won several dance competitions. She enjoyed the gracefulness choreography provided. She added Tai Chi and created her own brand of stretching movements that he fluidly kept up with. When they were warmed up, she turned to face him, looking up into those icy blue eyes of his she saw none of the warmth or passion that she observed last night which lasted into the wee hours of the morning. “I am ready if you are.”
As he stood next to her, facing the mirror, he replied, “Your emotions are your worst enemy. We fight to keep fit and our reflexes sharp but that would only give you a physical chance of survival against the demon. We need to make sure he stays out of your head. I have learned a few techniques over the centuries on how to achieve inner peace and balance.” He frowned at her look. “Don’t mock this, Clarissa. It has saved my life on many an occasion. Follow my lead.” He spread his legs wider and put the weight on his thighs. His naked upper body glistened in the pale light. Keeping his lower body still, Mel moved his arms in a wide arc in front of his face, the movements slow and controlled. “Breathing is the key. It will control your heart rate and is the core of your calm center. It will keep your emotions stable and your strength up.”
Clarissa copied his motions. She added her own dexterously delicate sway to mirror him. Her control and breathing flawless in keeping her heart rate normal as she employed her martial arts instructions for a calm center. It still amazed her that she lost control of the demon because of Mel not her own past. She had buried the latter so deep down, she never thought it a concern. His coldness and mocking had set her teeth on edge and she lost focus of her thoughts, of her goal. She would never, ever let him know that he was the catalyst that almost killed her.
That he was the one who occupied her mind which infuriated her so much, she paid no attention to her surroundings until it was too late. Instead, she tried to not breathe in his scent, nor notice how his body gleamed and shimmered in the light with the sheen of sweat on his chest. She didn’t think of how she would rather be licking his body than doing exercises. Then again, that was the point. To focus, to concentrate, to not be thinking of him and the way he felt around her, inside of her. Swallowing, she concentrated on his cold eyes and his movements. She reminded herself that she could do this and it would be over soon enough where she can go back to her hum-drum, monotonously boring and solitary existence.
Azamel kept his eyes focused on his own fluidity. He saw her clearly from the corner of his eye but he refused to acknowledge the tempting picture she made. Centuries of discipline taught him well. His eyes showed no emotion, his face completely composed and devoid of any expression. Her turbulent emanations reached out to him and he realized they would have a long road ahead. She affected him as strongly as he sensed her reaction to him. He had eons in which to master his constraint. Sadly, he had maybe a fortnight for her to learn at least enough to keep her alive.
After an hour of intense focus training, he turned to her and flashed a wooden staff into both their hands. “Rule, we spar only. I attack, you defend. You attack, I defend. First one that hits flesh wins and training is over for today.”
Although her mental state was slightly turbulent, one would never know by looking at her. She was stoic, composed and ready for action. She tested the weight of the staff to get used to it, twirled it around her hands and examined the balance.
“I understand.”
She backed up a step as she took her stance. She watched him. Her eyes gauged his movements as to how he might come at her. He paced her, neither attacking nor defending but assessed her motions just as she did. Taking a step forward, she swung the staff to clank woodenly against his. Backing up quickly, she circled a bit more. He moved in swinging his staff and she blocked it. He spun and she blocked it again just as he pivoted with a secondary swing which she jumped over while simultaneously swinging her staff. He ducked and it missed him. They continued to thrust and parry holding each other off well.
He was impressed by her fighting skills. He had always believed that the discipline and physical wellness awarded by hard training would assist in focusing the mind. Her memories weighed her down and affected every action she made as well as every decision. She was no match for any demon physically but a fit body would help clear her thoughts and concentrate on the skills she did have. Mel decided to increase the onslaught. He could sense her becoming tired but her fighting spirit will not allow her to back down. With a smirk the executioner twisted the staff in his hands, twirled it so fast that is almost resembled a fan. He stopped the motion and kept the staff balanced horizontally between his hands. At her slightly startled look, he pounced faster than she could blink as he swept the back of her legs and pinned her to the floor, the tip of the staff a hair’s breadth from her throat.
She dematerialized quickly, only to reappear behind him. She hit him in the ribs with the staff then immediately back swung to his shoulder with the other end on the other side of his body. Dropping to a squat position, she swept his feet out from under him and he quickly found himself in the same position he had her just moments before. A light sheen of sweat shimmered on her skin. He was good but she could hold her own. Holding the staff over his throat like he had done to her, she looked into his eyes. Their icy cold piercing blue was nothing like she saw just hours before and her mind flashed to him over her, his eyes dark with passion and lust. She gave her head an almost immovable shake and waited, prepared for his next move.
He grabbed the staff and used her weight as leverage as he sent her flying over his head before Mel flipped to his feet. He turned back towards her, pulled her up to stand. “Very good, Clarissa. Your reflexes have improved and your focus is better. All this practice will give you an opportunity to succeed against the demon but your main weakness is still in here.” Mel poked at her chest right over the spot where her heart was located. “That is your vulnerability, which is where he will hurt you. The next step in our training will be very painful for you but crucial in order to prevail. I will meet you in the main hall after you have freshened up. I want to take a quick shower and will meet you there in thirty minutes. Well done.” He gave her a slight bow.” I am very satisfied with your progress.”
Clarissa took his hand and let him assist her to rise. Wiping her brow, she became nervous at his poking her chest and more so at his words. As he left, she put the staff in a corner and headed back to her own room to quickly shower and meet him on time in the main hall, not at all looking forward to seeing those winged gargoyle skeletons flanking the fireplace yet again. They creeped her out but then she was sure that was why he had them there, to unhinge any guests he had.
Not giving it another thought, she stripped and entered the shower, letting the hot water glide over her silken skin. The heat from the hot water helped to loosen up her sore, tired muscles. She was fine up until that last throw he did over his head with her landing in a heap. It knocked out her breath and made some of her muscles achy. After letting the pelting water massage her tired, weary bones, she stepped out and dried off. With a towel wrapped about her slightly damp body, she started looking through her bag for her hip huggers and halter top, when her vision clouded and she be
came dizzy. She crumpled slightly, landing on the bed but was unaware as she was lost to the scene that intruded on her.. She sensed the stone in Xon’s hands. He was trying to use it, call forth its powers and it pulled at her since she was the caretaker of the stone.
The picture unfolded in front of her. Xon stood in front of a sight she had become used to seeing the past few months since she entered a city that bustled with smells, sounds and people who took her in, willing to protect her and add her to those they considered to be under their protection. She saw smoke coming out of the building as people evacuated and she tried to reach them to help save them. She could not move. The demon turned and looked at her. His deep rumbling voice pierced through her skull. “Give me the other half of the stone or I will see this building and all in it burned to the ground and into the fiery pits of hell.” He came towards her and slashed at her with claws that were sharp and jagged. She felt pain slice through her and she screamed. How was this real? She was in the nether realm with Azamel not on the surface with Xon. Was this a dream? A vision? An alternate sense of reality? Or a combination thereof? Regardless all she knew was that she heard the demon, saw him, felt his claws though she knew she was in the room assigned to her in Mel’s abode.
*****
The vision left her and her sight cleared. She was once again in her assigned quarters, lying awkwardly on the bed. Shaking her head slightly to clear it of the revelation, she moved to stand and get dressed knowing she only had a couple of minutes before Mel expected to see her in the main hall. Finding it difficult to move, she looked down and saw the front of the towel turning red with her blood. Somehow, the demon’s warning was real and the power of the partial stone he had allowed him to physically claw her. She was losing blood and she realized she was not going to make her appointment with Azamel as she collapsed back onto the bed in a sprawled out fashion.