by Tamara White
Dev stirs from behind me, and Nik sits up from where he was laying behind Talon, gazing down at me with a look of concern. "What's going on?" he asks, blinking rapidly as he tries to shake away the last remnants of sleep.
I sigh and turn to stare up at the ceiling, unable to meet their concerned eyes. "I'm just thinking about my brother. Wondering if he's going to come back for me when he finds out I'm alive."
At first, my concerns are met only with silence, but then Nik breaks it with an ominous chuckle. "I really hope he does come back. Then he'll find out just what happens when someone messes with my soul-tie."
Talon sits up and leans over me, obstructing my view of the ceiling so I have no choice but to look at him. "He won't hurt you again. We won't let him."
I nod because I know he means it, but that's part of what I'm afraid of. What if next time, Brendan really does just want to talk? Will they attack first, and ask questions later?
Dev groans and crawls out of bed. "Damn, Em, we need to come up with some kind of sleep schedule. It’s too cramped with all of us sharing the same bed every night."
He walks around and stops at the end of the bed, stretching out his cramped muscles. I take a moment to admire his toned body, taking in the other scars that decorate his chest. I make a mental note to ask about them when we have some alone time.
Dev catches me watching him and grins wickedly. "Besides, if we were in my bed, maybe other things could have happened.” He smirks, waggling his eyebrows playfully.
Talon throws a pillow at him, which he dodges with a laugh. Then Dev makes his way to the bathroom, boldly calling over his shoulder, "I'm going to take a shower, Em. Would you care to join me?"
I let out a small laugh, my heart lifting, which I’m sure was his goal all along. He always seems to know just what to do to lighten my mood. "Sorry, Dev. You’re on your own this time."
He sighs dramatically and slumps his shoulders in mock defeat. "Okay, but don't say I didn't offer." He turns to Nik with a grin, his feigned sadness disappearing in an instant. "Nik, be a dear and make us some coffee, would you?"
Nik grumbles from Talon's other side and gets up from the bed. "Fine, I'll get the coffee ready. Dev, go take your shower. It'll be ready when you get out."
Dev gives a nod before closing the bathroom door, and Nik turns to us with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "Don't worry, I'll make sure no one interrupts." With that parting comment, he leaves, closing the bedroom door behind him, which makes me painfully aware that for the first time in a while, Talon and I are completely alone.
I avoid meeting his eyes, unsure if he feels the same burning desire I do. He lifts my chin and the moment our gazes meet, I suck in a breath. Talon's green eyes are blazing with desire. He doesn't give me a chance to speak, quickly claiming my lips in a frenzied kiss.
I respond eagerly, running my hands over his naked chest as he moves to hover over me, his hard length rubbing against me. I moan and arch my hips up to meet his encouragingly. He takes that as all the approval he needs and trails his lips down my collarbone.
I slip my hand down between us to grip him tightly through his boxers, drawing a moan from him as he peppers me with kisses.
I've wanted him since the moment I first laid eyes on him. When I couldn't have him, it drove my beast crazy. But now he’s here, within my reach, and he wants me just as much as I do him. I can feel it.
I slide my hand over his boxers, undoing the buttons so I can free his cock. I run my hands over his shaft, making him growl against my chest. I can't help the smirk that crosses my face as he pulls away and looks down at me with such hunger in his gaze. "You like that, do you?" I purr, my own eyes hooded with lust.
I push him back so I can peel off the shirt I'm wearing and throw it across the room. His gaze locks on my left breast, clearly focusing on my faster than normal heartbeat. My whole body tingles with his appraisal, and I pull his head closer, offering what I know he’s desperate for.
He clasps onto my nipple without hesitation, and I feel his fangs scrape against my breast as he teases me, bringing me closer to the edge of my climax.
He bites down at the same time a blaring noise rings throughout the room. I ignore the sound, too absorbed in the feel of Talon drinking from me. He slides his hands down over my ribs to move to my panties, sliding them off. After removing them, he throws them carelessly across the room. Then I hear Dev’s voice shouting from behind the bathroom door, breaking the haze of lust we'd descended into.
"Is someone going to get that?"
Talon groans and presses his head to my stomach before rolling to the side. I grab the communicator, which is the source of the annoying noise, and press the little green button to answer.
"Hello?"
Britt's voice echoes through the communicator, and also from the outer room. "Bitch! Whatever the hell you're doing, hurry the fuck up. Nik won't let me in!"
As if to back up her point, I start to hear banging on the wall next to the bedroom door.
I laugh and let my head sink back into the pillow. I've got to give her an award for the most awful timing ever.
I sigh, knowing she won't leave, and that I should just get up. "Alright, give me a minute to get changed, and then I'll be out." I press the red button on the communicator and glance over at Talon with a sheepish grin. “Sorry, I forgot I was supposed to be meeting Britt. Do you mind taking a rain check?"
He smiles and pulls me close, offering me a chaste kiss. "We will finish this sooner or later, Emerald. You can count on that.” His eyes darken, and I roll away, standing from the bed without caring that I am giving him a complete view of my naked body. If I stayed in that bed with him, I know I won't be leaving to talk to Britt anytime soon.
His eyes focus on the little trickles of blood that runs from the marks he left on my breast. He closes his eyes with a groan. "Go have fun with your friend." Then his eyes snap open, and he looks at me with concern. "Just please be careful. The coven knows of your existence, but some may not be too happy to have you here. The last thing we want is for you to get hurt."
I smile reassuringly before making my way over to my bags to pull out some clothes. "I'll be fine. I'll be with Britt. She has wicked magic and knows that you guys would hunt her down if anything happened to me."
He sighs, and I get dressed without looking at him, knowing if I turn back he's going to use those sinfully gorgeous eyes to lure me into staying, when I really could use a break.
I look down at my jeans and pale pink tee before running my fingers through my hair. Dev's still in the shower, so I go over and open the door, offering a quick goodbye. "Dev, I'm going out with Britt for a while. I'll see you when I get back, okay?"
"Sure thing, Em. I'll see you soon. Stay safe."
I smile and close the door behind me. I look over to see Talon is slowly getting dressed, and while I want to stay and watch, I know Britt will be growing more impatient by the minute.
Sure enough, when I open the bedroom door and take a step into the other room, it’s to find Britt and Nik locked in an intense stare down. He looks ready to throw her out of the room, and she looks equally as likely to force him out, or cast a spell on him more likely.
"Okay, you two. Enough," I chide.
Britt relaxes the moment she sees me. "Oh, thank God. I thought you were gonna be hours."
I shake my head at her impatience and walk over to Nik, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Sorry I took so long. You okay?"
He purses his lips. "Yeah I can handle Britt any day, but I think we need to get some kind of magical lock for our quarters. She keeps walking in as if she owns the place," he says, huffing in annoyance.
I chuckle at the way Britt stamps her foot at that like a scolded child, and give him a lingering kiss. He pushes me away with a growl. "If you don't go now, I may not let you leave at all."
"Fine, I'm going."
Britt walks over to the door, waiting for me. I begin to make my way towards her, but before
I'm out of reach, Nik grabs my hand and pulls me back around. I see a hint of concern shining in his eyes. "You have your communicator?"
At my nod, he gives a relieved sigh. "Good. Use it if you get separated from Britt for any reason. We'd rather you not be alone right now."
"Okay, I promise."
"Oh, and Em?"
"Yeah?"
He smirks. "Have fun."
Before I have a chance to respond, Britt grabs hold of my hand and drags me from the room.
"Well, that was rude!" I exclaim, turning on her as we walk down the hall towards the elevator doors.
She scoffs, "Oh, I was the rude one? You two were flirting so much that I was about to be sick all over your floor."
"'Oh, and Em? Have fun,'" she mocks in a deeper voice than I would have thought possible.
I can't help but laugh. "Okay yes, there was some flirting, but what do you expect? I haven't exactly had much alone time with them. I keep getting interrupted." I narrow my eyes pointedly at her.
She stays silent, but the shit-eating grin on her face says it all." I think I'm going to invest in that magical lock after all, you little witch. I didn't even get to have my morning coffee because of you."
She rolls her eyes. “Where we're going, there will be plenty of coffee." The elevator doors open, and she pulls me in after her, before pressing the button for the ground-level garage. "Uh, Britt? Are we leaving the coven?"
She grins gleefully. "Yep! We deserve a little pampering, so I thought we'd go to this special place I know of. We can get mani-pedis, and the place next door makes the best coffee you could ever dream of."
I smile at the longing in her voice when she says the last part. We've both got it bad when it comes to coffee.
A thought occurs to me. Britt generally has pretty lavish tastes, and I didn't plan for a day out. "And just how exactly are we paying for this extravagant day out? I don't know about you, but I am bitch-ass broke."
Well, that's not entirely true. I still have cash that my dad gave me stashed away in my bag, but I didn't think to bring it because I assumed we would be staying within the coven.
She gives me a cheshire grin and reaches into her back pocket, pulling out a wad of bills. "Courtesy of your Prince," she gloats, waving them near her face like a fan.
I nod absently as we exit the elevator and walk towards the garage, but then what she said sinks in.
"Prince? Who's a Prince?" I ask, my shrill voice echoing in the empty halls.
Her grins grows. "Oh, Nikoli hasn't told you yet?"
At my blank look, she continues. "Your vampire is practically royalty, even though he never likes to acknowledge it. Even without being royalty, he has enough cash to buy himself a noble title if he was so inclined. He suspected I was taking you to the surface, so he gave me plenty of cash to pay for our trip. He wants you to let off some much needed steam with your bestie." She winks, rubbing her hands together in anticipation.
I shove her arm playfully. "Sure. He gave you a wad of cash just for me," I respond sarcastically.
I doubt he'd give her a bunch of cash just for us to have a day out. If he did, then we're going to be having words later. I can pay my own way and while its a sweet thing for him to offer, he didn’t. He just bypassed me in the equation, giving my friend money like I’m some kind of burden.
"He did, I swear. I'm supposed to buy clothes later, and this is going to cover that as well. He didn't want me using my own money, spouting some gibberish about how soul-ties provide for their partner. I really don't know, but I won't look a gift horse in the mouth. Though, I'm pretty sure he wanted us to go lingerie shopping, too. Maybe that's why he gave me so much," she muses.
I roll my eyes at her.
“Whatever. Let’s just go and have some fun. I'll have a chat with Nikoli later about the money."
I glance around in confusion, expecting a car to be waiting for us, but there isn’t one. Why else would we have come to this level, though?
Britt laughs at my obvious confusion and reaches into her jacket pocket, pulling out a set of familiar keys. Keys that have my heart racing in excitement. "Are those what I think they are?"
A wicked smirk appears on her face. "Hell yeah, they are! I swiped them when you were out last night." She winks, throwing them to me.
I catch them one handed, and I grin happily. Oh, this is going to be a fun day out, indeed.
I race through the garage, not stopping until I get to her.
"Hey, baby. Did you miss me?” I coo, stroking the navy blue hood before unlocking the car for Britt.
I walk around my baby, making sure no one has scratched or dented her, and let out a sigh of relief when I see her unharmed.
I take my seat behind the wheel and breathe in the comforting smell, recognizing the lingering scent of the guys but also that of myself as well.
Britt is already in the passenger seat, and her giddiness is contagious. "I put a spell on the car, Emerald. Anyone who sees you going over the speed limit will forget within seconds. The only ones the spell won't affect are other supes."
"Excellent. Let's get out of here then," I say with a wicked grin.
I start the car, and the purr of the engine gives me chills. I smile broadly as I speed out of the garage and onto the road. Britt is happily bouncing in her seat, unable to contain her excitement, and I would do the same if I wasn't getting ready to push my baby to the limits. I slam my foot on the gas, enjoying the power of the engine vibrating through me as I speed off down the road.
The sun is still out, and I'm driving my baby in the city with my best friend. I don’t think I’ve ever felt freer.
Nine – Coffee Date
Emerald
We drive the streets aimlessly for a while before Britt gives me any directions. She knows how much peace driving gives me and lets me do my own thing for a bit, for which I’m grateful for. She’s such an amazing friend.
"Turn here," Britt instructs after a bit. I take the corner sharply with a delighted laugh. Britt chuckles as I speed down the street.
"Okay, Em, slow down now. We’re almost there."
I ease up on the gas pedal and bring my speed down to a more reasonable level. Britt directs me down a small side street that houses a few boutiques and a small parking lot. I park the car at the back of the lot, and we climb out with massive smiles on our faces.
Britt comes around to my side and leads me down a deserted alleyway lined with a few shops. "I've missed your driving, Mer. The guys are such wusses when I’m in the car. They think going fast is too dangerous and all that crap. I think they're just afraid of me hurting myself, even though they know I'm invincible. I mean, do they not get that we all have to die at the same time to really stay dead? It’s like grow a pair."
Wow! Doesn't sound like things are going too well for Britt if she's got pent-up frustration over something as small as going fast in my car.
"I think it’s different because I’m a pro at driving. When I get behind the wheel I know I have complete control over the car. Whereas when you’re in the driver’s seat, all your husbands see is a lunatic behind the wheel. They want you safe and you driving like I do probably terrifies them. My advice, work them up to it. Find a deserted street or neighborhood where you can prove to them you are in complete control.”
She sighs, wrapping an arm around my shoulder as she leads us down the street. "God, I missed you. Just hearing you say all that out loud comforts me, but if they say something like that, I get all angry. Why? Ugh!"
I chuckle. "Because when your friend tells you something, it’s completely rational. When your partner does, we think they’re just being arrogant idiots."
"True! Oh well, I guess you and I will just have to take the car out for a spin more often. I trust you implicitly behind the wheel, although maybe we should bring Kellan on a drive one day. He hates fast cars," she says with a laugh, and I can't help the giggle that slips free. She likes playing tricks on people as much as I do. I wonder if
Nik would like to come with us too. I'm sure if he knew I was planning to trick one of the others, he'd be up for it.
She continues plotting as we walk. "Or Blaine. He likes to think he's a fast driver, but I swear he's slower than Aunt Macy."
I throw my head back, laughing at the sudden image I have of Blaine going pale as I speed around the corner, all while Britt’s laughing her ass off.
"Oh, God! I can just imagine it. It would be the same if I took Talon out. He'd be a mixture of scared shitless and pissed beyond belief at how reckless I was being."
We both erupt into giggles at the image of Talon, terrified, but still lecturing me at the same time. Though, I imagine if we did take Talon out, he'd never let me drive again.
When we finally regain our composure, Britt leads me into a cute little coffee shop.
"This place is amazing! They use real cream in their coffee rather than plain old milk. You're gonna love it!"
I inhale the rich aroma, not even bothered that it’s overwhelming my senses. The fragrance is mouth-watering.
We walk up the counter and place our orders before choosing a spot to sit. We manage to find two comfy seats tucked in the back of the shop, happily sinking into them while we wait for our orders.
I study the place, with its soft brown walls and brightly colored furniture. Even the mugs are done in cheery colors, so they stand out in the room.
After a few minutes, our coffees are placed in front of us, and Britt thanks the server before he leaves. She takes a sip and winces as it burns her tongue, but then she grins over at me. "I love this stuff. Even if it burns me every time, it’s just too good to wait for it to cool."
I shake my head and take a sip of my hazelnut latte, sighing happily. She wasn't wrong. This has to be one of the most amazing coffees I've ever had.
"Wow, that's so good. I will definitely be coming back here, that's for sure."
"Right!" She puts her cup down a little more forcefully than I think she intended, causing it to rattle on the plate. "I stumbled by this place around the same time I first met the guys. I was having some trouble dealing, and this was the first coffee shop I found. Now I come here at least once a month to get my fix."