by I. T. Lucas
For better or worse, the clan was now his family—independent of his decision regarding chancing the transition or not. They’d accepted him as is—the first human ever to be admitted into their tight, secret community.
He wondered if things would’ve been different if he hadn’t brought all that he had to the table. If he were just an average Joe, with an average job, would they’ve entrusted him with their secrets?
Probably not.
The truth was that the clan needed him. Not that it was a bad thing necessarily, being needed was just as important as being accepted, maybe even more. Especially for a proud son-of-a-gun like him.
Which made him think of Dalhu.
The dude had done the impossible. His acceptance by the clan, however, had come at an unimaginable price. Andrew could not think of a single male that could’ve taken the torment Dalhu had gone through—not with the dignity and unparalleled willpower the guy had displayed.
One thing was for sure, if Andrew ever needed someone to fight by his side, Dalhu would be his first choice. Not that there was a chance the guy would be allowed to fight anytime soon. For all intents and purposes, Dalhu was still under house arrest—during his probation period as Kian had called it. True, he was no longer confined to the dungeon, and was sharing Amanda’s spacious penthouse, but he wasn’t allowed to leave.
The guy must be going crazy.
For a warrior to be cooped up in an apartment without the ability to release some steam must’ve been hard. And it didn’t matter that he was living in the lap of luxury with the love of his life.
Maybe Andrew should go spend some time with the dude, invite him for a sparring contest down in the gym.
Right.
Who was he kidding? As if he could offer any kind of a challenge to the powerful immortal. Even among the Guardians, Andrew suspected that only Anandur, or perhaps Yamanu, stood a chance against the ex-Doomer.
Amanda had gotten herself one hell of a protector.
Damn, it still stung.
Losing to the other guy hadn’t been good for Andrew’s ego. But he had to concede that despite his initial opinion of the guy, Dalhu had turned out to be the better man for Amanda.
God knew that with the kind of trouble the woman courted, Dalhu was probably the only male on earth capable of keeping her safe.
Chapter 4: Syssi
“Come here.” Kian swiveled his chair and spread his knees in invitation.
It had been like this since the first day she had joined him in the office. The moment Shai would leave, Kian would turn his chair around and invite her for a kiss that would often end in nookie.
As it turned out, she was more of an impediment than help.
The only thing she’d managed to achieve so far, apart from keeping her hubby happy, was to reorganize one small section of the filing cabinet. One at a time, she replaced the old, worn files with new ones and created an electronic version, including making detailed spreadsheets and scanning the supporting documents. Since Kian and Shai were such old farts, they were still doing things the old fashioned way—meaning like before the Industrial Revolution—her help was invaluable. Problem was, Kian and she were too busy necking to accomplish much.
“I’m waiting…” he growled.
Syssi rolled her eyes and punched one last number into the spreadsheet before obeying his command.
“Yes, sir.” She pushed out of her chair and got in between his spread thighs.
“That’s what I like to hear.” He closed his arms around her, pulling her in and kissing her, hungrily, as if they hadn’t kissed just five minutes ago.
“You know, I was supposed to be helping you, but I don’t think you’re getting any work done.” She moved to sit on one muscular thigh.
His hand snaked under her shirt, and he thumbed her nipple over her bra. “Yes, I love coming to work now, I didn’t before.”
He had a point there. Well, not really, but who could think straight with arousal short circuiting cognition?
“I don’t want to be responsible for your conglomerate’s demise…Oh, God…” she breathed as he snapped her bra open and tugged on the other nipple.
“Nonsense, you’re providing an invaluable service.” He pushed her shirt up and licked the engorged peak before closing his lips around it and sucking it in.
“Fuck…” she exclaimed.
Oh no… they had a rule about her using that kind of language. Because it wasn’t part of her usual vocabulary, it had become an invitation to a game that she preferred to play in the privacy of their bedroom and not in the office where anyone could walk in at any moment. And besides, the freaking place had glass doors, so anyone passing by could see what was going on inside. Never mind that she was already half naked. But for some reason, it wasn’t as embarrassing as what was coming next.
As Kian lifted his head up from her breast, he had the wickedest smile on his handsome as sin face. “My sweet, naughty girl just earned herself a spanking.”
“Not here,” she whispered, feeling herself blush. But this wasn’t the only heat that was spreading all over her body…
“Yes, here.” In a heartbeat, she found herself face down over his other knee with her jeans yanked down and her butt exposed.
“Someone might come in,” she hissed, struggling to get up without much success. Even with her new strength, the arm holding her pinned to his body was as unyielding as an iron band.
“Don’t worry, no one is coming, and I’ll hear if anyone is out in the corridor.” With a loud crack, the first slap landed on her exposed behind.
As if he can hear anything over that…
But as the second and third fell in quick succession, she stopped thinking and stopped struggling and just gave in to the sensation. By the time Kian had delivered the tenth and last, she was so close to climax she was contemplating using another f-bomb to have him start over. There was no need, though. Thirty seconds later, as Kian penetrated her soaking sheath with two fingers and then added a thumb over her most sensitive part, she came all over his hand. And his jeans.
He lifted her limp, spent body and cradled her in his lap. “I love you so much.” He kissed her lips.
“I’m going to sue my boss for sexual harassment,” she croaked.
“Oh, yeah? And who is that wicked boss? You can’t sue yourself, you know.”
“So now I’m the boss?”
“Of course, you are.”
“Didn’t feel like it a moment ago when you were spanking me.”
“Just fulfilling my matrimonial duties as promised.”
She shifted up and kissed his lips. “I love you too. But seriously, now I need to go up and change underwear. Again. And you must be really uncomfortable.” She wiggled her butt over his shaft.
“No problem. I’ll accompany you upstairs, and we’ll continue where we left off.”
“For the second time today. This can’t go on, Kian. We are like a couple of horny teenagers who can’t keep their hands off each other.”
“What’s wrong with that? I think it’s great.”
“Because you have important work to do, you big lug. And frankly, although playing nookie with you is super fun, I’m wasting my time here. Anyone with basic computer skills could be doing my job.”
“Don’t you dare quit on me. For the first time that I can remember, I’m looking forward to my workday.”
“What workday? You are not doing any work. Admit it, even when Shai is here, all you do is think about the next time he leaves so you can have your hands on me.”
Kian ran his fingers through his chin-length hair, brushing it back. “I can’t help it. Having you near me all day long is a temptation I can’t resist. I’m just a simple man with simple needs. In fact, just one, you.”
He was so sweet. “I love you, and I feel the same. But we are both adults with adult responsibilities. My time would be better spent helping Amanda find more Dormants. And you could actually accomplish something during the hours
you spend here.”
“I don’t want to.” He crossed his arms over his chest, pouting like a toddler.
She caressed his cheek. “I know, my love. How about this, you bring in another assistant, someone young who will modernize your ancient record keeping and help you finish your work in less time. I’ll work with Amanda but only until four in the afternoon. That way we’ll still have plenty of time to spend with each other.”
“What about the other stuff I need to do, besides office work? Like showing my face at meetings and classes, and visiting with people in my official capacity.”
“I’ll come with you to those.”
“Okay, you won. But I don’t like it.”
“I know, neither do I. But it’s for the best. Besides, it’s not like it’s carved in stone. If it doesn’t work, we can reevaluate and make changes. Now let me go so I can pull my pants up. I’ve been sitting here bare-assed for far too long.”
Kian helped her up and tugged her jeans back into place.
“Yikes, I hate wearing wet panties.”
His smile was conceited. “Let’s go. You can take them off in our private elevator. We have some unfinished business to take care of.”
Chapter 5: Amanda
“So, what do you think?” Amanda crossed her arms over her chest.
“This bedroom is definitely better than the one facing the side of the building.” Ingrid pushed the second layer of drapery aside. “If we position the easel next to the window, our resident artist will have plenty of natural light to draw by. We can knock out the dividing wall between this and the adjoining room, to give him more space.”
Dalhu was in need of a studio, or rather Amanda was.
Her living room was a mess. With all kinds of drawings, completed and in various stages of progress, propped against the walls and couches and the coffee table. Soon, Dalhu would be spilling his mess into the dining room. Not to mention that there had been charcoal smears on her designer throw pillows before Onidu had rushed to hide the evidence, somehow managing to remove the stains and returning her beautiful pillows to their previous pristine condition.
It seemed that her emotionless butler had taken a liking to Dalhu.
Figures, even a biomechanical creation and an ex-Doomer were doing the male bonding thing.
But the mess and the charcoal dust weren’t the worst of it. A number of her clansmen were waiting in line for Dalhu to draw their portraits, and some requested a full body nude. Well, just one. Anandur.
At first, she’d thought he was joking, but he’d kept nagging about it, and today he came over, thankfully posing only half naked. She could deal with him shirtless, but she drew the line there. Anandur’s junk on full display wasn’t something she wanted to see, which would be hard to avoid with Anandur posing for Dalhu in the middle of her living room.
Our living room…
Damn, after almost two centuries of living practically alone, it was one hell of an adjustment to live with someone other than Onidu. Having to be considerate, accommodating…
To keep the façade going twenty-four-seven.
It was such an ingrained habit that she just couldn’t drop it no matter how hard she tried.
She kept telling herself that it wasn’t needed, that Dalhu loved her unconditionally, and that he didn’t expect her to act upbeat and smile all of the time. But it was no use. Wherever she had an audience, even if only of one, Amanda felt compelled to put on a performance.
She sighed. Small steps, one little thing at a time.
“What else do we need here?”
“Shouldn’t you ask Dalhu what he wants?”
“Nah, he wouldn’t know, it’s not as if he had ever set foot into an art studio. And anyway, I want it to be a surprise.”
“I was wondering where he was. What have you done with him?”
“I had Anandur take him down to the gym for a workout. After all, we can’t have all those amazing muscles atrophy, can we?” She winked at Ingrid.
“Certainly not. The guy is such an eye candy…”
“Watch it.” Amanda pointed her finger at the covetous designer. “He is mine. Eyes and hands off.”
Ingrid laughed. “Yes, ma’am. But you need to hurry up and find more male Dormants for us because there is talk among the girls of going down to the catacombs and reviving us some Doomers.”
“You are joking, right?”
“Give it a little time and the joking will turn into doing. I’m not kidding, some of us are green with envy.”
“Listen, Ingrid, tell your horny friends to forget about it. Dalhu is the one and probably only exception to what we know is a typical Doomer. Should I remind you what we are dealing with? Brainwashed murderers who thrive on death and suffering. Minions of evil who will target a preschool and laugh with glee when children are blown up. That’s what Doomers are. Tell them.”
Damn, her outburst had gotten her so worked up that she needed a drink to calm down. “I’m going to make myself a margarita, do you want one too? Or are you in the mood for something stronger?”
“A margarita is fine.” Ingrid followed her to the living room. “I’ll send a couple of guys to clear that bedroom. Just tell me when is a good time.”
Amanda mixed the two drinks and handed Ingrid hers. “Tomorrow, same time. I convinced Anandur that he needs to take Dalhu to the gym every day. My guy will go crazy if he stays cooped up here.”
“Good deal. I’m going to do a little Internet search to see what he needs. Do you want me to run it by you? Or are you okay with me just going ahead and ordering whatever I see fit?”
“I don’t want to waste time, just pick the most expensive stuff. You can’t go wrong with that.”
“Sweet, I like an open-ended budget.” Ingrid took her drink for a walkabout to check out Dalhu’s various creations. She stopped in front of the large canvas Dalhu was currently working on as a wedding present for Syssi and Kian. “Oh, wow. This is gorgeous. I didn’t know Syssi posed for him in her wedding dress.”
Amanda snorted. “Right, as if Kian would have been okay with her posing for a Doomer. Heck, the Doomer thing is secondary. He wouldn’t want any male looking at her for a prolonged period of time let alone drawing her. Dalhu is using one of the wedding photos. His next one will be of them together at the altar with Annani presiding over the ceremony. Here, let me show you.”
Amanda walked over to the media cabinet and pulled out a small wedding album, one of the hundreds that had been sent to every guest at the wedding. She flipped to the right page and showed it to Ingrid.
Ingrid sighed and put a hand over her chest. “They are so in love. Just look at how they gaze at each other as if nothing else exists. I want that.”
“I’m working on it.” Not really. For some reason, Amanda was reluctant to go back to the paranormal research without Syssi, the traitor who had abandoned her to go work for Kian. And anyway, Amanda was so behind on her formal research that she’d decided it was more important to catch up on that and not stress herself out by trying to do too much at once.
And as to working overtime? Forget it. She wasn’t about to stay longer than was absolutely necessary when there was a hunk of a man waiting for her at home.
Priorities, priorities. Amanda first, the rest of the world second.
“What are you going to do with Syssi and Kian’s portraits?”
“They are a present from Dalhu to Kian. A thank you for not making too much of a fuss over us moving up here. We were expecting a war when Kian came back from his honeymoon, but, apparently, the vacation had done him good, and he was in an uncharacteristically agreeable mood. Or perhaps it was all the sex. But in any case, all we got was a frown. And a cuff. William engineered a special contraption for Dalhu.”
“I’m almost afraid to ask. Is it some kind of detonation device that is triggered if Dalhu tries to leave the building?”
Ingrid was such a weirdo.
“No, silly, you read too many suspense novels. T
here are no explosives in the cuff, but there is a transmitter that interferes with cellular signal. Dalhu can only use a landline, and as you know, all of them go through security.”
Ingrid looked disappointed. “Oh.”
“Of course, Dalhu couldn’t care less. It’s not like he has anyone he wants to call.”
Well, it wasn’t entirely true. He called her at work, about every thirty minutes—to tell her how much he loved her.
Chapter 6: Andrew
After work, Andrew headed to the keep—but picking Bhathian up to go see his daughter would have to wait. Kian had called for a meeting to discuss what to do about Alex.
Fuck this goddamned traffic.
He was supposed to be there at quarter to six, but with the offices occupying most of the real estate in the less than six square mile area spewing out their employees at this time of day, downtown Los Angeles was one big fucking parking lot.
For some reason, it brought to mind an image of a flooded giant anthill evacuating tens of thousands of its little workers. Except, in this case, each ant was driving away in its own car.
Damn, why the hell had Kian picked the worst neighborhood, as far as traffic jams that is, for his fucking keep?
And it wasn’t as if there were great views or anything else for that matter to recommend the place.
Just a concrete jungle, and a small one at that.
He could never understand the rich idiots who spent millions of dollars to live in a crappy Manhattan apartment with windows overlooking the next high rise building. Andrew’s home had cost just a couple of hundred when he’d bought it, had a large yard, and the windows were not looking into his neighbors’ homes.
As he finally made it down into the building’s parking structure, he wished there was a valet he could leave the car with, but, of course, there was no such thing. Andrew cursed as he drove in circles down to the clan’s private level. When he got all the way down, the bloody garage door blocking the entrance took forever to open as he waited for the sensor to communicate with the sticker on his windshield. The only good news was that once it finally did, he found plenty of spots available.