by Erin R Flynn
“Agreed,” she noted, typing on her tablet. “Post notice that we’re sorry for the inconvenience, and if it’s an emergency, one can be contacted.”
“Yes, good. Every other day for each store then,” I agreed. Right, it wasn’t like they couldn’t pop right back.
I ate my weight in food, Hunt doing the same, before heading over to our stars and thanking them for their help. I asked them what else they’d ever gotten in gift bags they’d liked best and got a whole list of ideas.
Even better, one showed me what had been unveiled at a new tech gadget convention. He pulled up some article of what was found and explained the ones everyone was hoping to get at first. I nodded along with as I kept drinking my glitter milkshake, which was apparently a thing.
“Got it,” I said, popping away after I disconnected Hunt’s collar from me. Not good to take a cop with you when you were going to do a bit of B&E. I checked out what I needed to at several places and then came back, using my power to replicate what I’d seen.
“None of those are on the market yet,” someone muttered, giving me a look.
I shrugged. “I didn’t steal them. I made them with my own power.” I glanced at Helen. “Tell whoever is on pickups that they are to bring one of each with them and ask which they would like.”
She frowned. “You can’t give an elder cool stuff and say to choose. You know their choice will be all four.”
Damnit, she was right. I sighed. “Fine, leave them in the lobby, and we can bring the big TV back with them.” It was a hundred and forty-six inches, after all. When Samsung called it a “wall” TV, they weren’t kidding. Two others were from Lenovo, their new laptop and some smart display assistant thing, which was maybe the new Siri? Helen was trying to get me to have some sort of Echo thing, but really, I had a feeling it would just annoy me.
I could teleport to wherever I wanted. Why did I need some sort of video chat?
“Would you all like these?” I asked our guests, knowing the answers. I smiled and thanked them for their help as I made more appear. Hunt was trying to hide a smile as he brought me more food and ate while I made over forty wall TVs and more appear with my magic.
Just to be a bitch, I waved over the designer and looked at what she was thinking for my wardrobe for the event. I picked one and met Hunt’s eyes as I changed my clothes into a two piece blue gown with super low hanging skirt that had a train and a very high slit. The top covered next to nothing and tied around the back and my neck, the sparkly, sheer fabric keeping my breasts in place.
“Wow, Soraya,” he breathed, bringing me my next milkshake. “You look amazing.”
I nodded, getting it was approved. I used my power to put that in my closet at the same time I switched to a black number that was a wrap dress on the bottom and practically nothing on top, with a built in bra that pushed my breasts up as an offering.
“Good, add the blue edging,” the designer said, knowing the plan was to have accents that matched what Brax and Hunt would be wearing.
I nodded, doing what she said, getting approval before switching to a white dress that had “laces” up the leg along the top of my ass, and then my whole back was that along with around my breasts. She suggested making part of the laces weave the blue, and I nodded, glad when everyone seemed to approve.
Last was another black number with a longer skirt, skin tight and sheer in certain light, but there was just one strip on the front and back that connected the ultra low rise skirt and tiny halter top with full, flowing sleeves. She showed me a different dress that had an intricate bead pattern, and I nodded, adding the same along the edges of the dress, moving one way and another to check and make sure it worked.
And make Hunt hard it seemed.
Once the designer had it all, I switched back to my original clothes and kept eating as I stared at Hunt like I was debating if I wanted to fuck him while making more and more stuff appear for gifts. When it was done, I said goodnight to everyone and brought Hunt with me to one of his fantasies, appearing naked for him.
“Why?” he asked, glancing around the Colosseum where he’d had thoughts of screwing me center ring at.
“Because as much as I fuck with you and punish you for what you did, I will treat you like an actual pet and whore for this tribunal to keep up appearances and play the game. I’ve never done it before with someone wearing my collar and the full thing. Consider this my showing you I don’t think you under me or a piece of shit like I’ll act.”
“Do I get whatever I want tonight?” he asked quietly as he knelt on the ground with me.
I snorted when he had a flash of biting me for mating. “No, not anything, you crazy fuck. We’re not mating.”
“It was just a thought,” he defended. “I was thinking this is more romantic than I ever even pictured my mating.”
“This isn’t romance,” I argued, frowning when he gave me a look like I was being silly.
Was it? No, it was a gift and an inch before I was a jerk to him.
Right?
To my utter shock and disbelief, we didn’t have sex though. He kissed every inch of my naked body and did delicious things to me but never even took off his clothes.
“Why?” I panted when he got all the ramping energy out of me.
“I think you know why,” he murmured, brushing his lips over mine. “We can come back here if I can ever make love to you, but until then, I can show you how I feel by loving on your perfect body and treating you as I should.”
“There is something wrong in your head,” I whispered, staring up into his gorgeous blue eyes and not hiding my shock.
“Probably, but being around you, seeing the help you give, and settling my past a bit more every day is like a fog lifting I didn’t know was there.” He pushed my breasts together and licked my nipples. “And if that’s being fucked in the head and my brain melted by how amazing you are, then I don’t ever want the cure.”
I went to argue, but I saw the determination in his eyes. I’d seen it there before, but I knew what he didn’t and that would fade. The awe and fun of being at my side would wear off, and all that would be left was feeling inadequate next to me and the trouble I brought. After a moment, I mentally shrugged. Might as well take the attention and pampering while I could get it because he would want out just like any others I gave a chance to.
My answer was to make some of my favorite toys appear, smirking at his shocked look. “You said you wanted to pamper me, so get to work. Tire me out and put me to bed, Remy.”
“Gladly,” he growled, reaching for the first toy.
I swallowed more shock when I saw he’d never done this with a woman before and it was his biggest fantasy. He’d longed for someone who liked to play and explore, wanting to try everything with the woman he was with.
Well, he was with the right woman for that because there wasn’t much I wouldn’t try or didn’t like at least now and again.
But he was more excited to use toys on me than if I’d offered him a blow job.
I let out a moan when I saw in his head he wanted to push me to my ultimate limit, making something I’d never used before appear and trying not to be scared it might tear me up. One, I’d heal, two, a wolf could tell if it hurt too much.
It didn’t. It wasn’t something I’d want to play with often, but it was fun to try.
“Tell me you’ve never let another man do that to you,” he breathed when my orgasm ebbed. “Tell me you trusted me enough to let me use that monster on you.”
I flinched, realizing I’d let him knock down a brick in the wall I had up to protect myself instead of something selfish. Shit. How could he keep getting me to do that?
Instead of answering, I moved to straddle the monster, riding it for him while he looked ready to explode in his pants he liked it so much. When I finished again, I moved off of it and onto his lap.
“Let me know when you want me to make your dick that big and screw me with it,” I teased, smirking when he moaned. �
��Are you going to go to bed hard, Remy?”
“No. Bring us to your apartment.”
I did, curling up into bed, tired and a bit sore. I watched as he undid his pants and jerked off for me, not having to do much to set himself off.
“Even that’s amazing when you’re involved,” he panted, staring at me with that look again.
I flinched and turned away, closing my eyes. I didn’t want to see looks of love or his aura with it. That would fade and change. It was better to pretend it was never there. I sent him to his apartment and made it so he couldn’t teleport to me and crawl into bed like he had other times. I wanted to be alone.
It was smarter to be alone.
3
Tuesday was exactly like Monday with all the prep and crazy running around. There was tons of magic used, and I was ready for a nap, but instead at three a group of us ‘ported over to Tokyo to meet up with the “tuna king” I’d saved since it was five in the morning there and the daily tuna auction would begin soon in an hour. Then there was Alpha Makoto and his wolf who owned a restaurant and was helping us cater the tribunal.
We greeted each other—having our translation spells on the whole group—and introduced our parties, as he had a few going to bid for his own needs along with what he was helping us with. I nodded along with what was being said until he told us we wanted too much.
I shook my head and interrupted. “You are thinking human portions. No humans. Shifters eat three or four times as much, vamps too. I eat even more than that.”
“There aren’t a lot of extras at events with supes,” Helen agreed. “And we have more to feed than the guests. Workers need to eat, coven back home will eat it.” She shrugged. “We can freeze it, right? I mean, it’s not like we can’t have it later too.”
He told us we could and then looked back at the amount of guests and menu, wincing. “You’re not buying enough then. You will need extra otoro, yes? You want expensive stuff to shine and impress?” He nodded when we all confirmed it. “You need more otoro then and not a lot on each fish.”
“Bloody hell, can’t we just buy all the damn fish and freeze what we don’t need?” I checked, glancing at Helen who looked like she agreed.
He smiled, looking like he was trying not to laugh. “Each fish is price of expensive car.”
It was my turn to not laugh. “Yes, darling, we’re aware. The really good ones are upwards of sixty grand US dollars, right?” I waited until he smiled, nodding to Tommy who had the large secured case with money. “We figured we’d need at least twelve, but we’re ready to buy twenty along with a whole list of other everything. We already ate most of what we bought last time working on dishes and what will be made.”
“Your guy can cut up the fish, right?” Helen asked Makoto.
He winced. “Not twenty or even a dozen. He doesn’t have the setup for that. He gets one and splits it with a few other shops.”
Debates broke out, and I sighed, holding up my hand to stop them. “We don’t need it all cut up immediately. We’re starting lunch tomorrow our time, which is twenty hours from now. More than that until sushi dinner and more from there. We’re doing sushi burritos another lunch and poke bowls.” I looked at the tuna king. “Should we break this up? Get two fish today and extra otoro?”
“Yes,” he immediately answered before talking with a few of his people and checking his own orders. It turned out he didn’t have a lot waiting for otoro, so we could buy some he had ready along with from the fish he was buying that day.
We made our way to the auction since we were getting in with the regulars instead of just the tourists and they wanted to inspect the fish. As we walked, he made sure he was next to me.
“We can cut up that many and easily, even portion better to help your chefs and servers,” he told me.
“I’ll pay double your normal costs because I understand we’re not knowledgeable like the restaurants and people you normally work with,” I told him. “Plus, there is a tight timeline.”
“Thank you. That is generous. We would rather have some of your wares,” he replied, dipping his head to me. “I recognized your name, but my wife and daughters knew more and have longed for certain products. Plus, you have cleaning service? My daughter is having a difficult pregnancy and cannot keep up with much, and her husband’s family are not nice people. We are peasants to them. She endures it for him, but it worries us as parents.”
I nodded and made my phone appear, calling Keegan. “Darling, sorry to bother you, but we could use you here to help a mommy about to have another munchkin, and her father is helping us.”
“Whatever you need, boss,” he promised and disconnected the call, appearing in front of us instead. “Who am I speaking with, and what do they need?”
We ended up switching that around, giving Keegan’s information to him so he could have his daughter call when she was ready… And after he explained so he didn’t scare the crap out of the woman.
After the inspections were done, the auction started, and I sighed, not getting what was going on and all the hand signals that seemed to be some sort of code. And there were a few auctions at once, and we were buying from different ones. I got a few amused looks that I was impatient.
“They don’t take long,” the human promised.
I shook my head. “The last auction I was at wasn’t for fish but people. Enchanters.” I shrugged when he gave me a shocked look. “I was busting it up, but I’m over a thousand years old. I’ve seen a lot of this but not for fish.” I winced and glanced at Hunt. “Okay, I was technically wrong about never having stolen anything. I’ve stolen a lot, but it was disgusting that people were ever considered property.”
His lips twitched. “Did you help slaves escape?”
“Yes, and not just in the US,” I muttered. “The world has a long history of subjugating people.”
Everyone let the conversation drop, and while the bidding happened, Helen and I discussed what else we needed to get, deciding to get certain things today still even if there was a chance to get it fresher the afternoon before we needed it. Clearly there was a plethora of seafood, but not every stall was equal.
Plus, they could not have it right when we needed it.
Plus, we were going to be incredibly distracted, and there wasn’t a chance in hell I could just slip away the moment court was done for the day.
Once that was done and Tommy paid for all the fish—not just ours since we were getting more of this and that—we hurried to finish around the market with the help of the locals who got us in. Helen promised she’d have Jerome get with them on what they wanted in way of payment. After that, several of our chefs joined us and more introductions were made so they knew who to give over the pricey cuts and preparations to.
I thanked everyone, popped away to handle several things, and then came back when the outside market with all the food stalls opened. Then we formed an in-depth plan on food with Makoto and his people who were helping. Eight in the morning there was six our time and right for cocktails and appetizers before dinner at seven, so it was the perfect time to send as much as we could to the kitchen to help.
Then there was a lot more magic used to make sure everything was ready. Lots of sex followed that, but next came dinner with Helen, Jerome, Keegan, and Tommy. It was our ritual before something like this but actually Keegan’s first. He looked freaked out, which was why we did this. We all had some tea to help us sleep and a nice glass of wine.
Lots could and would probably go wrong, but right then rest was what we needed most to be on our game.
I was in bed before ten, snuggled down to sleep when I felt a hard, warm body crawl in with me. I realized I’d not changed Hunt’s collar so he couldn’t come to me and it was him. I wanted rest more than I wanted to start anything with him, especially when I caught his thoughts that he’d done it so I wasn’t alone but also for his own nerves and worries.
Yeah, there was a lot at stake, and fine, the dog could sleep in the bed w
ith me. I was out moments later anyways.
I woke with Hunt wrapped around me and was immediately grumpy when I took a moment to enjoy it. That wasn’t what we were, and he wasn’t the man in my life.
I headed to the shower, and just as I was about to wash my hair, the door opened and he joined me. I couldn’t decipher what the look he gave me meant, but there was something to it. He’d been by my side constantly for almost a week now, and starting today Brax would be my date for everything. That was the only thing I could think of because his touch was different, primal, claiming almost.
He found every one of my favorite spots before taking me deeply, his gaze never leaving mine, and we finished together. And that was it. No twenty rounds or overwhelming orgasms. No, this was something different.
Something I didn’t have time to decipher, so I let it be and went back to my shower, needing the calm of it before the circus started. Using my magic to shower was faster and more efficient, but there was something for doing it the old fashioned way and letting the water soothe you that way too.
I finished and dressed in a sexy off-the-shoulder and short sweater dress along with thigh high boots and my hair down. I kept the makeup neutral and every day. I was about to check my tablet for any changes when something hit me. Cursing under my breath, I popped over to the nest, knowing what I’d forgotten… Bringing Hunt with me.
“Soraya, cut it out,” he growled, dripping wet and covering his groin. It was almost too funny since I’d brought him to Victor’s study where there was a meeting going on with a few of the nest.
“That was an accident,” I swore, trying not to laugh.
I failed. Miserably.
I sent him back to the shower and sighed, shaking my head before looking at an amused Victor. “I gave Tanesha an emergency charm that should there be some problem, she can get all the lionesses and the coven’s children out and to somewhere safe.”