Laughing at Danger

by Zenina Masters

  Lima put her fork down. “Apparently, I am outnumbered here.”

  “How so?”

  “My beast is on your side.” Lima grumped.

  “So, explain this. Is there actually a second mind within you?”

  “Yes. The soul of the beast allows us to become the beast completely. It has its own knowledge of how to move, how to fight and how to eat. The human mind blends with it in the form that I use most.”

  “The one that you used when I saw you at first.”

  “Yeah. That one. Why were they torturing you?”

  He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. She saw another pale line on his wrist as he moved. She got irritated for not being able to kill more of his tormentors all over again.

  “At first, they wanted to know what I knew, and after they didn’t get anything from me, they started going after me for fun.”

  Her beast growled. When Lyros blinked in surprise, Lima realised that the sound had escaped. She wrinkled her nose but shrugged away her self-consciousness. “I stand by it.”

  He laughed. “I feel the same. It was not part of my life that I will dwell on with fondness, but I am definitely enjoying the way my time there concluded.”

  He leaned forward and placed his hand, palm up, on the table.

  Lima leaned forward and placed her hand in his. “I am wishing that I could have torn more of them apart.”

  He blinked rapidly and laughed. “Of course you do. I am very glad that you took me to safety.”

  His fingers closed around hers, and the crackling of their energies ran through her arm and woke her libido. It was a little humbling that this one touch of an elf could have such an effect, but she had touched other fey in her life, and this was not a normal response.

  “You have an odd expression on your face.”

  She smiled slightly. “I am thinking that folks can go an entire lifetime without ever meeting the person they are meant for. How is it that we got lucky in this particular way?”

  He cupped her hand in both of his and turned it so he could rub her palm with his thumbs. “There was blood, there was pain, but there was luck. I think we have paid for this in a lot of ways. Sometimes, you get what you pay for.”

  It was such a human saying that she grinned. “We don’t know about that yet. I don’t know if you are strong enough for a full go-round.”

  “I think that after the balance ceremony, I will be up for quite a bit. Today, be gentle.”

  Her beast laughed, loud and long. Lima’s cheeks were on fire at Lyros’s surprise, and she focused on him and not the heads turning their way in the café.

  “Well, I can understand why you use that laugh sparingly.” He winked.

  She chuckled. “Thanks for that.”

  “It is what you are. Hiding it does no good.”

  “Really? What if your position requires that I go somewhere with you and that sound comes out?”

  He squeezed her hand. “First, I would be honoured to have you accompany me anywhere, at any time. Second, if you did laugh, it would be exceptional as there is rarely anything entertaining at those long dinners.”

  She couldn’t stop her grin.

  “Of course, you would have to listen to protocol lectures and get vetted by the security forces. We will have to design a backstory for you once we know what effect the balance ceremony has on our physiologies.”

  “You are very sure that I am going to go through with it.”

  He shrugged. “You don’t have much choice. Either take me, the match your body and beast are telling you is the right choice, or wait for a man that will never show up because you rejected that man who would love you your entire life.”

  It was surreal to be having this conversation in the middle of the bustling café, but no one gave them a second look.

  Lima looked at him and sighed. From the moment she first saw him, bloody and chained to the wall, she had known that he was more than a rescue. It seemed that it was time to prove the theory.

  She got to her feet, and he rose with her. The server came by, and he quickly swiped his charm over the payment pad.

  “I suppose it is time to see how gentle I can be.”

  He snapped to attention as if she had stung him. His eyes weren’t stung; they glowed with anticipation. “I look forward to judging your efforts.”

  She stepped around the table, and he slid his arm around her waist once again. Together, they walked out of the café and down the street to the Open Heart. She was about to embark on the most serious sex of her lifetime.

  Chapter Seven

  Lyros nudged her into his room instead of hers. When they entered, she could see why. His space was bigger and the light was brighter through the balcony doors.

  Lima kicked off her shoes, setting them neatly together next to the bed before peeling off her socks and standing to face him.

  Lyros was removing his shirt with smooth movements, and he paused. “Is there something wrong?”

  Lima bit her lip and reached out to touch the long, pink marks on his body. Her mind superimposed the blood and cuts over them, and she leaned in to press her lips to his chest, tracing the lines of the wounds.

  Lyros shuddered violently. “How do you know?”

  “I can see them. I can sense injury and weakness. It goes with the weird laugh.” She murmured the words against his skin as he dropped the shirt to the floor.

  She traced the wounds one by one, lifting his hand to her and tracing the gouges of the metal cuffs with her tongue.

  He cupped her cheek as she licked the marks left in the flesh as a memory of injury. He chuckled. “You have a tongue like a cat.”

  She smiled. “Despite obvious characteristics, my kind are closer to cats than dogs.”

  She moved around him and gasped at the marks on his back. She treated him to the slow worship of her mouth while she ran her hands around his torso and caressed his cobblestone abdomen.

  Smirking, she drew back for a moment and whisked off her shirt before shucking off her bra. The press of her breasts against his back caused him to arch, and she resumed her careful attention to his injuries.

  “You have short hair for a fey.”

  He swallowed noisily before he spoke in a husky tone. “It helps me to mix with the humans. I am still fey, but I am not obvious. I leave that to the royals.”

  “You have the mark of the royal knights on your wrist.”

  “You are exceptionally well-informed.”

  She bit gently at his shoulder blade. “An education is rarely a waste.”

  She analyzed his musculature. “You do have the grace and height that the rest of your species has, even the ladies are a little on the tall side.”

  “I have the build of the people of the mountains. We are leaner than some of the other races of fey.”

  He was speaking fairly well considering that her hands were roving low on his belly and dipping beneath the edge of his jeans.

  She slid her breasts back and forth against his back, leaning up to place a final kiss on his neck. “Now, from what I remember, you have additional marks that were inflicted below your remaining clothing.”

  The tension of his muscles was amusing, and the speed with which he stripped off the denim was hilarious. She let go of him as he bent to get his legs free of the fabric, and she shucked out of her own jeans and panties in turn.

  He turned to face her, and she focused on the marks across his hip and down his thigh. She knelt and brushed her lips across the marks that had so recently been open wounds.

  She felt a drop on her shoulder, and she raised her left hand to trail her fingers over the column of his erection.

  His thigh shuddered in front of her. “How long are you going to tease me?”

  She laughed. “I was merely honouring your bravery.”

  “Honour me in bed. I don’t know how much more of this I can take.”

  Her hyena cackled loudly, and she rose to her feet, tugging him back toward his bed. />
  She turned him until his legs were against the bed, and then, she pushed him backward. He sat.

  Lima crawled into his lap and straddled him. His cock was nudging at her folds, and she rocked against him.

  Her kneeling astride him brought her head close to even with his. She kissed him, and he threaded his hands through her hair, holding her tight as his tongue ravaged her. It was an expression of his frustration with his recovery, and it filled her with anticipation for the future.

  She dug her fingers into his shoulders and moved her hips against him, sliding until his cock lodged in her opening, and then, she eased onto him with care.

  He froze in place; his focus was on their joining as she shifted until he was completely inside. She could feel his tension as she slowly began to move.

  The sparks between them increased in pitch, and everywhere they touched, she felt the energy course through her nerves.

  She rode him slowly, and he ran his hands over her back, breasts, belly and stroked her clit with a hand wedged between them.

  Her breathing came faster, and she nipped at his lips. Short kisses that became more violent as her orgasm crept up on her.

  He rubbed at her clit with hard circles, and the distance between her and release shortened dramatically. She broke free of the kisses and arched her back as she shuddered and her teeth lengthened during the waves of fire that consumed her.

  Lyros groaned and clutched at her hips, holding her on him while his cock bucked inside her.

  He was locked to her for an endless moment, and then, he fell backward, taking her with him.

  She sprawled across his chest and breathed deeply. The scent of sex and magic filled the air around them, but her beast was content. It was what she had been waiting for.

  The slow stroking of her back brought her out of her stupor a while later. The sun on her spine told her that they had been lying together for two hours.

  She leaned up, and their skin parted reluctantly. “You rang?”

  He laughed. “I just thought that we might want to take some time to change for dinner.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “I don’t have much to change into.”

  “I am sure whatever you choose will be stunning.”

  Lima chuckled. “I think I might have to head down to the general store to make a selection.”

  He scowled. “You don’t need to pick up anything unless you wish to. We can go out in jeans and t-shirts.”

  She sat up and his cock shifted loose. “Oh, no. I have a chance to play dress up in something flattering, and I shall. How are you feeling? Do you need a nap?”

  Lyros tried to look offended, and then, he gave up. “Probably. Do you mind?”

  “Nope. Make reservations for seven. I will be ready.”

  She rolled carefully to one side and sat up, working her way to the edge of the bed. She got up and grabbed her shirt, slithering into it and grabbing everything else.

  He blinked and sat up. “Is that all you are wearing to run around in the halls?”

  She winked. “Yup. Good thing they put me next door. See you at seven.”

  She left him sprawled and naked in the bed, ignoring the cum slithering down the inside of her leg. It would be a short walk to her rooms, and then, she could shower and change.

  Lima darted into the hallway and walked the dozen steps to her door. The charm unlocked it, and moments later, she was in the shower and smiling under the warm spray.

  She had managed a first coupling, and neither of them were scarred for life. She considered it highly successful, but she hoped the Lyros would get stronger soon. She preferred to have her lovers taking the reins. It was the one part of her life where being in charge held less appeal than being the focus of attention.

  She finished her shower and wrapped herself in a towel as she went through her bag. The results were what she thought. She had a day dress but nothing else. She was going to need to shop.

  She got a set of her standard uniform of jeans and a tee out and pulled it on so that she could go shopping. If she was going to hang out with a diplomat, she was going to have to look the part.

  She did love a challenge.

  Andy was a selling fiend. Lima walked into the Open Heart with five shopping bags, and she was sure that there was a poleaxed expression on her face.

  Teebie came in and nodded. “Andy was on duty.”

  Bemused, Lima nodded. “He certainly was. I have never shopped that much in my life.”

  “Well, you have an hour to get ready. Do you need a hand?”

  Lima straightened her shoulders and faced the stairs. “Nope. I am good. Thank you.”

  She headed up the steps, and when she got outside her room, she swiped her charm, and it opened the door. She picked her bags up and hauled them inside.

  Her body wanted another shower, but her conscious mind started ticking down the minutes. Dress, shoes, makeup and hair. It should only take ten minutes, but she wasn’t having that kind of luck tonight. She would take the full hour to get ready.

  When it was five to seven, she stood in front of the mirror with her hair up, a ruby-red gown hugged her curves and the polished black Mary Jane stilettos peeped out from beneath the fabric.

  Lima was wearing her grandmother’s jet earrings and necklace. It had ticked her mother off that they had been bequeathed to Lima, but it was a legal will.

  She triple checked that her skirt wasn’t tucked into her panties, and then, she headed down to the lobby.

  Teebie and Andor were speaking with another couple. The male was a gorgeous blonde, and the brunette at his side was stunning and kept her hand protectively over her belly.

  Teebie looked up, and her brows rose as Lima came down the stairs. “Lima, you look lovely.”

  When she gained the steady floor beneath her heels, Lima smiled. “That is what I was going for.”

  She curtsied gracefully toward the woman with the long black hair. “Lady.”

  The woman smiled and inclined her head. “I am Dira; this is my husband, Mak.”

  “Pleased to meet you. I am Lima.”

  Dira extended her hand, and Lima took it with a comfortable grip. Mak did the same, and Lima made her grip a bit more brisk.

  “You look like you are bound for an evening out.”

  She nodded. “That is the plan. We didn’t agree on where to meet, so I am hoping he figures it out.”

  Dira whispered, “Is he shifter or fey?”

  “Fey.”

  “Well, there goes the idea that he can scent track you. Is he tall, dark and handsome?” Dira smirked.

  “Usually.”

  “Then, he is on his way down the stairs.”

  Lima turned casually, and her breath left her lungs with a whoosh. “He certainly is.”

  Lyros was wearing a tuxedo that obviously had been tailored for him. He looked like he had stepped from the pages of a men’s magazine.

  Mak moved around her and handed Lyros a card. “If you ever want to do any modelling work, call me.”

  Dira stepped forward and hauled her mate back by his hair. “Later, Mak. I am sure they have better things to do than talk about your family business.”

  Lima heard the light nagging, but her eyes were fixed on Lyros. It was fair enough, he was staring at her.

  He tucked the card into his breast pocket, and he stepped toward her, bowing low. “Lima, you are breathtaking.”

  She blushed. “Thank you. You have taken my sentiment.”

  He straightened and offered her his arm. “If you would do me the honour?”

  Lima curled her hand around the curve of his elbow, and she nodded to Teebie and the others. It was her first date with her elf, and she already felt like a princess, simply because she had found her prince.

  They walked out into the evening air, and she felt as if she was walking on a cloud. She found herself wishing for a thunderstorm to keep the feeling as long as she could.

  Chapter Eight

  Lyros se
t his spoon down after he finished his dessert. “Do you think that the shifters will ever come out to the humans?”

  She paused over her fruit tart. “They might if the mages do.”

  “Why are the two things linked?”

  “The mages use parts of the shifters for their spells. If we don’t declare when they do, we are opening seasons on shifters. Humans will be enthralled by the magic, never thinking of where the supplies come from. If we declare before the mages, they have the chance to use human paranoia on us.”

  “The humans were very understanding when the fey emerged.”

  “There are not a lot of you, and you are all lovely and powerful. That must have gotten you the respect from the get go. Shifters only have the form of animals, and as you are no doubt aware, they don’t have a high opinion of animals. We are beasts when we shift. Even the bladed collars are an acknowledgement of that.”

  He scowled. “There must be a way to make the transition.”

  Lima raised her brows. “There is, and we are part of it. The fey might be gaining families out of this, but the shifters are coming into the public eye. Though they are being passed off as fey, their children will be out in the human world and shifting is inevitable. It will be explained as a form of fey magic and generally become known to the public. In human eyes, shifters will become a form of fey, and once that is out, we can go out as we are. Make ourselves known.”

  “This is the plan? I wonder if the king had any idea.”

  “I don’t know if it is the formal plan, but I have read enough on social engineering to acknowledge that it will be the inevitable consequence of the crossbreeding. Less than two decades from now, the shifters will be out and the mages will be moments behind. Magic will be exposed in all of its forms.”

  “My mind is reeling. I hadn’t thought of that. When our children are teens, they will come into their power, or at least the power of shifters. The new forms will have to be explained.” He scowled as if he was working it out.

  “You have some time, I am sure.” She cocked her head and asked with a smirk, “How many children were you thinking of?”