Concentrating, I start to dislodge the device like I have done previously so many times. It starts to lift, moving higher up the channel that Bion created. As it moves, Bion also moves his fingers up so that the device never once touches his fingers. When it is close to the top, he extracts his fingers completely, and I lift it out, moving it to my right quickly but carefully. Just before I drop it into the container, a red light appears at the tip.
“Fuck, drop it,” Celmund roars, but I hurry my movements and let it slip into the slush. Things happen so fast that I don’t know what is happening. I feel strong arms grabbing me from behind and pulling me onto the ground while someone lies on top of me, and then I hear an explosion that makes my ears ring.
A weight is pushing me down onto the ground, and I am finding it difficult to breathe, but just as fast as I was dragged onto the ground, the weight is also lifted from on top of me. I turn my head and realise that it was Draco who pulled me down, but Celmund is also on his knees next to me. It seems both shielded me from the explosion.
I feel a tug on my arm, and only then do I realise that Celmund is talking to me, but I can’t hear him over the ringing in my ears. I look around and see that Wulf and Bion are on the other side of the bed, with Nova also on the ground. The pink sludge that was in the bowl is dripping all over the place, and the metal container is bent drastically.
There is another tug, and I see that Celmund is looking worried. I concentrate on his lips as he talks, and I think he’s asking if I’m okay. “I’m fine.” I say and see him frown. “My ears are ringing. Can’t hear you,” I confess. I see him look away and say something, and then he’s pulling me into his arms and holding me tight against his chest. Now that we are done and the adrenaline is slipping away, I can feel myself start to shake and tears filling my eyes.
Celmund strokes my hair with one hand and holds me tight against him with the other. His lips are kissing the top of my head, making me feel cherished and loved. After a few minutes, he steps back and kisses the tears away that are still coursing down my cheeks. I see Bion standing next to us. He signals for me to turn my head slightly. As I do what he asks, he examines my ear and then walks around and examines the other. He says something to Celmund, and I realise that I heard the timber of his voice.
Looking up, Celmund signals to me that everything is okay with my hearing and takes me back into his arms. His warmth calms me. I once again look at my surroundings and notice that Draco’s T-shirt and jeans are burnt in patches. He’s kneeling next to the container with Wulf, and they are discussing something. Bion is once again bending over Nova on the bed, stitching up the incision that he made.
At least Nova came out of it unscathed and the explosion didn’t hurt us in any way. Looking around, I see that the explosion mostly destroyed the table where the container was and a piece of the bed. Mostly it’s the pink sludge and pieces of the wood from the table that are scattered around. I feel Celmund tense, and I lift my head to his to see him staring at the door. Turning my head, I see Ceric storming through the door.
Celmund lets go and places himself before me so suddenly that I have to place my hands on his back to keep myself upright. Leaning slightly to my right, I see Ceric storm towards Nova. The metal sheeting is on the floor, so I can now see her body. Bion must have finished stitching the incision, because her shirt is covering her completely. Ceric places his arm under her neck and the other under her knees and lifts her against his chest. Bion says something, but I can see that Ceric isn’t paying attention, as his concentration is solely on his woman.
His anguish is so raw that it brings more tears to my eyes. I can only image the strain that this couple has been under because of everything that has been going on. Not only them but the other couples too. I have seen Aria with her baby and how she looks sad sometimes when she looks at him. It is heart-wrenching to see the pain this madman has installed in everyone because of vengeance.
Ceric turns and makes his way out of the room. As he walks out, I see some of the others now standing in the doorway, looking around. Tor, Brandr, and Bjarni step inside just as Celmund takes my hand and guides me out. As we step out, I see some of the other men from the club hurriedly making their way to the room.
We make our way to our room. When we’re there, Celmund takes me in his arms again, holding me close to his chest. I can feel his tense muscles around me as he kisses my forehead. Lifting my head, I look into his eyes before I kiss his lips. He doesn’t need any more encouragement as he kisses me until I can’t think straight any longer. I feel his hands under my ass as he picks me up and carries me through the room and into the bathroom.
He lets me down and steps back as he turns on the shower. Only then do I realize that we are both covered with that pink slush and dirt from being on the floor. Pulling the T-shirt over my head, I throw it on the counter before I continue undressing, noticing that Celmund is doing the same.
He steps into the shower and holds out his hand to me. After I step inside, he starts to rinse my hair with a soothing gentleness. My hands lift to his chest as he continues his ministrations. I stroke the smoothness of his chest. Moving my finger over the tattoo there, I see his nipples pebbling in response to my touch, and I smile, knowing that my touch is affecting him as much as his is doing to me.
Closing my eyes, I let the water rinse the soap from my hair. He places soap in his hand and starts by washing down my neck and chest until he’s pulling gently at my nipples, making me groan in pleasure. After torturing me for a few minutes, his hands continue their downward path until he’s stroking me between my legs. My knees start to buckle, but he places his strong arm around my waist and holds me up as he penetrates me with his finger.
“Celmund,” I groan as I feel my body start to convulse in pleasure as ripples run down my spine. When I finally catch my breath, my head is resting on his chest and the water is running down my back. Opening my eyes, I see his erect cock straining proudly below me. Moving my hand, I stroke a finger up the outside of his thigh until I reach my destination. Taking him in my hand, I start to stroke and then slowly lower myself until I’m before him on my knees.
When I place my lips around him, I feel his leg muscles tense where I’m holding him. Opening my eyes through the water, I squint up to see his head thrown back in pleasure. I continue to pleasure him with my hand and mouth until I hear him roar his release, only then realising that my hearing is returning.
CELMUND 15
The day after extracting the device from Nova, we had to hurriedly extract the others, as we didn’t know if it would be noticed that one of the devices exploded. Ceric and Nova stayed in their room the whole day, which helped so that no one could see them. We tried to reinforce the container so that if the device had to blow again, it wouldn’t distort like the previous one.
Brielle was the second one to get the device extracted. The strain was visible on Bion’s face as he talked to her before putting her to sleep. I’m sure the strain on my face wasn’t much better; the thought of that device exploding again like the previous one had me in a panic. If Draco hadn’t acted so fast, Talia would have been hurt.
The good thing is that the procedure ran smoothly and the device didn’t explode. After it was placed in the container, we knew it would be fine, because the temperature and texture is the same as the body. Scarlett was the next one to be induced, Cassius insisted on being present for the removal of hers.
It was a close call with hers, as the device was wedged between her ribs and Talia found it difficult to get it loose. The problem was that because of the movements, the device triggered before it was completely out, and Talia had to hurry and pull it out. Because of the suddenness of the extraction, Talia didn’t have time to move the device over to the container. Bion pulled Scarlett to his protection, and Draco and I jumped at Talia, making her drop the device.
Unfortunately, because of it dropping onto the bed, the explosion splintered the bed and debris scattered everywhere. At f
irst, I thought that once again we were lucky, until I smelt the blood. Looking over at Talia, I didn’t see anything wrong until Draco moved off her lower body and I could see the blood pooling on the ground.
To say that I lost it would be too mild. I’m still sporting a swollen eye from the left hook that Draco gave me to calm me down. I still tense and my stomach twists when I think of how I saw her on the ground with the blood beneath her. There was a splinter jutting from her leg that at the time, I didn’t see. Bion also had his work cut out for him, because Cassius was all over Scarlett, making sure she was fine after the explosion.
Caelius and Burkhart were the first to enter after the explosion, and they held me down while Draco tore away Talia’s jeans leg and looked at the wound. Seeing another man’s hands on my woman when she was wounded is the worst feeling. I have always been calm in situations, but seeing her like that made me lose my shit.
Thankfully, the splinter didn’t touch bone, and she’s not looking as pale from her ordeal. We couldn’t extract Aria’s, because the explosion affected my equipment, and Talia was in no condition to continue. Therefore, today, we’re going to do hers.
“What are you thinking about so intensely?” Talia asks as she folds her arms around my waist from behind and lays her head on my back.
“That I wish this was all over. I don’t want you to do this today.” Talia lifts her head and steps around me. Standing before me, she lifts her hand and smooths my frown away.
“Are you still at it? I’m fine.”
Lowering my head, I kiss her lips tenderly before looking at her again. “No, you’re not. We have been mated for too short a time. You will still take a long time to heal. If that splinter had penetrated one of your organs, you would have died.” The thought of that happening makes me want to take her away and to hell with the consequences.
“Don’t be so drastic,” she murmurs with a slight smile. “It was just a shallow cut.”
“No, it wasn’t. You forget I saw it,” I grumble. “Promise me if anything happens like yesterday, you will throw yourself on the ground even before Draco can get to you.”
“Is Draco going to be there again today? Isn’t he still healing his back?” With the blast yesterday, Draco’s back was burnt. The skin was blistered and bleeding. I only saw it when Bion insisted on looking at it. “I don’t even know how he managed to help me with all the pain he must have been in.”
“He will be there, and his back will be healed today,” I state, and see her eyebrows raise in question.
“I know you guys think that you’re indestructible, but there is no way that his back is healed already,” she says as she shakes her head.
“Draco bends fire, sweetheart. That damage you saw would have been gone within hours. Not only that, but he’s the oldest out of all of us. His blood is stronger, so the healing is faster.”
“He doesn’t look much older than you,” she states, making me laugh. At her curious look, I laugh harder, knowing that she has no idea why I’m laughing.
“How old do you think I am, Talia?” I ask.
“You look about twenty-seven or eight. Am I right?”
“Sweetheart, when I told you we would be together for eternity, I meant it, unless one of us gets killed, which I will fucking not let happen,” I promise.
“How old are you?”
“I’m one of the youngest of the brothers here. I’m four hundred and twenty-two years old.”
She gasps when I reveal my age. “How old is Draco?”
“He’s eight hundred and twenty something. Not sure exactly.”
At that, she throws back her head and laughs. “Very funny. You think I’m going to believe you?” she teases as she slaps my side gently. “Come along, jokester. Let’s go do this before you decide to tell me some other tall tale.” Taking my hand, she starts to pull me towards the door.
“Sweetheart, I’m not joking,” I insist, trying to convince her, but she simply nods and continues to walk. Well, if she doesn’t believe what I’m saying, I will have to prove it to her. When we walk into the room, I see that Bjarni and Burkhart have put everything back to normal once again. Aria is already in the room, lying on the bed. I can see that Bion has induced her, as her eyes are struggling to keep open as she holds on to Brandr’s hand.
“Love you,” she murmurs before she closes her eyes and is out. Brandr leans down and kisses her forehead, staying like that for a while. Burkhart approaches him and clasps his shoulder in comfort. I can see the struggle Brandr is having in stepping away when he finally straightens.
“Come, Brother, let’s step back so that they can get rid of that fucking explosive,” Burkhart persuades. When they’re both on the other side of the room against the wall, I guide Talia towards where my equipment is standing. We move slowly, as she’s limping because of her leg but insists on not being carried.
Looking down, I see that the equipment is the same. “It was banged up, but everything was still working,” Draco states as he walks into the room.
“Are you okay?” Talia asks as she faces him. I see his surprised look before he smiles at her.
“As good as new,” he says as he approaches.
“It’s not possible. I was a bit out of it yesterday after the explosion, but I saw your back, and even if you heal quicker than others, there is no way you can’t be in pain,” Talia insists.
“It’s a little stiff, but nothing to worry about,” he states. “How about you? How’s your leg? Do I need to punch your man again?”
“As you say, it’s as good as new.” With those words from her, Draco looks up at me and nods. “Draco, if you don’t mind me asking, how old are you?”
Even though I’m stressing about what we’re about to do again, her question makes me smile. It looks like I won’t have to prove anything to her, because Draco’s answer will do that all by itself.
I see Draco’s eyebrow lift at her question. “Eight hundred and twenty-five,” he grunts as he moves to stand where he has been in the last couple days.
“He got you to say that, didn’t he?” she says as she shakes her head at him and moves towards where Bion is now preparing Aria. “I will find out the truth.”
Draco looks at me and raises his brows in question. I shrug in answer. I will have to prove it to her, after all. Of all the things she’s witnessed, I never thought the age factor would be the one she didn’t believe.
“Are you ready?” Bion asks as he picks up the scalpel. I sense Brandr’s anger before I even see him move. The good thing is that Burkhart was ready for it. Before he can reach Bion, Burkhart has him on the floor. I hear him apologise before he knocks him out. I notice that Bion didn’t even look back as he leans down and proceeds to make the incision where Talia will extract the device.
He places his fingers in the cut and feels around like he has done with the others. “Fuck,” he grunts. Looking up, he stares at Draco.
“What?” Draco and I ask at the same time.
“I don’t know what they placed in her, but it feels different,” he mutters as he continues to probe.
“Different how?” Talia asks as she leans over to try to see.
“It’s slightly bigger for one, and wider. What do you think?” Bion asks as he looks at Draco.
“She was there the longest with them. They could have rigged something up. When you scanned her to check the location of the device, did you see anything else?” Draco asks.
“Fuck no,” Bion states. I see the blood start to part from the wound and know that he’s parting the blood down to the device so that he can see it better. “Don’t know. Can’t see it properly.”
“Proceed,” Draco states.
“Fuck,” Burkhart says from where he’s kneeling over Brandr. “Hope you’re fucking right.”
“One way or another, it’s going to go off. Better we try our luck than them realising that we have extracted the devices and detonate it. Especially if it’s some time when they are together,” Draco
states. “Bion, do it.”
“Fuck,” Bion grunts. “Talia, start.”
This has made me even more apprehensive, knowing that it could go off at any moment. Not only that but it might be different, and the explosion could be stronger. I see Bion’s fingers are nearly all out. The wavelength is right. Looking over at Talia, I notice that she’s pale. I’m going to kill Leif with my bare hands if this is him. The pain that he’s put everyone through because of a grudge that he has is unbelievable. If anything happens to Talia because of his crazy ass, I will skin him alive.
I see Bion’s hand is finally out, and then the device is in the air. I can see that it’s definitely wider than the others, and longer. Talia moves it through the air, and I notice how her hands are shaking. I want to comfort her and assure her that everything will be fine, but I will be lying, because if there are Keres, there will never be peace.
Talia is lowering the device into the container, when Aria starts to convulse. What the fuck is happening now?
“Bion?” Draco asks, but Bion doesn’t answer, as he is already trying to calm Aria to stabilize her. Suddenly, the door to the room opens, and Gabriela rushes in with Bjarni right behind her.
“There’s another one,” she says. “Bion, there is another one. You have to take both out, or one will go off if it’s too far from the other.”
“Motherfucker, where?” he grunts, already probing around Aria’s ribs.
“On her neck.”
Instantly, Bion’s fingers flash up to Aria’s neck, and he starts to feel around until he finally stops just behind her left ear. “Talia,” he grunts.
“I’m ready.”
He cuts behind her ear, and before he can place his fingers inside, I see the device slipping out and moving through the air to the container.
“It’s fucking activated,” Bion roars as he pulls Aria into his arms and starts to turn. Draco moves in a flash towards Talia, but before he can protect her, she’s already throwing herself onto the floor but continues to move the explosive towards the container. I duck, throwing myself towards my woman as the first explosion goes off. A second later, there is another one, stronger and fiercer than the first.
CELMUND: Elemental's MC (book 7) Page 11