"You are happy, aren't you, my darling?" she'd asked Macie only the week before with a pointed look over her shoulder where Kaylom was patiently waiting for her. "I mean, you seem happy. Radiant in fact. Even your father noticed, so you know…" She'd rolled her eyes and grinned, and Macie had pulled her into a tight hug.
"Yes, Mum, I am."
"That's all I needed to know, darling."
Yes, life was good and about to become a hell of a lot nicer. Gunthrin had finally shown up with Ava for her counseling session, and his time was up. Macie alerted Kaylom through their mind connection, who in turn would bring the Athuron guards with him to cart Gunthrin back to Athuron and his certain and immediate execution.
Macie didn't feel an ounce of remorse at that. The bastard was well known to the Athuron guards. Already wanted for crimes in their realm, he'd sought refuge in the human sphere years ago, and Ava's family wasn't the only one who'd suffered.
"Go on, sweetie. I'll have a word with your friend in private."
Ava paled, and Gunthrin actually snorted.
"Stupid ass human bitch can't do anything to me. Run along, little Ava, there's a good girl, and think about how much fun it would be to slit the throat of that fat receptionist. She'd bleed as nicely as your brother did."
Macie balled her hands into fists behind her back and kept her professional smile in place for Ava's benefit. The youngster whispered no, no, no, you're not real in such a heart-wrenching way that Macie contemplated taking a knife and slitting the Athuron's throat herself.
That would not be wise, munchkin. Just get Ava out of there, and we'll be right in.
Yes, Sir.
Good girl!
Hearing Kaylom's velvet tones in her head calmed Macie, and ignoring the other Athuron's continued taunts, she reached out to Ava to find the little girl had covered her ears and her face was wet with tears.
"I promise you this will end today, Ava. Go and see Judith, and your social worker and you can go home. I'll see you next week, my lovely."
From far, far away, she heard a dejected “K”, and then the door to her office opened and shut, and Judith's cheery voice could be heard.
Macie took a deep breath, curled her hand into a tight fist, and whirling around, hit the sneering Athuron straight in the jaw with a bone jarring crunch. Pain flared up from her knuckles into her arms, but the satisfaction of seeing the shock in the bastard's eyes made it so worth it.
"You fucking human cunt." Gunthrin spat out blood, and Macie swung her other arm only to hit solid muscle as Kaylom materialized next to her, and pulled her out of the way. Athuron guards surrounded Gunthrin, and his cockiness vanished until he looked frightened out of his wits.
"You will not speak to the mate of one of our elders in such a manner. Apologize this instant, or I'll slice off your ear and make you eat it right now."
Arich's personal guard looked utterly furious, and Kaylom didn't look much better. One arm firmly around her waist he held her so tight, Macie was half expecting her ribs to end up bruised. In direct contrast the grasp he had on her injured hand was as gentle as a butterfly's touch, and he dropped a kiss on her rapidly swelling knuckles.
"When will you learn to not put yourself in danger and follow orders, little one? You're supposed to call us in, not wreak havoc on the swine yourself."
"I'm sorry, Sir, I had to. For Ava, you know."
She whispered the words, even as Gunthrin's howls echoed through her skull. As promised he was missing an ear, and a shiver went through her at the brutality she was witnessing.
"Take him away. Justice will be done this day, but not here." Kaylom barked the order, and in the blink of an eye the little party of Athuron raiders disappeared into thin air, and they were alone in her office.
A knock on the door startled Macie.
"Are you all right in there? Ava was your last client for today, so I'll lock up on the way out, shall I?" Judith called through the closed door.
"Yes, please, Judith. I'll be out soon. Just finishing off some paperwork in here. Have a nice weekend."
"You, too, boss. See you on Monday."
Kaylom pulled her closer, and Macie gasped as the hard ridge of his cock pressed into her belly.
"You're incorrigible you know. How can you be turned on after all this?" she asked.
With an audible click Kaylom's fangs ran out, and Macie went limp with need when he ran his incisors along her neck.
"We're alone, that's all the reason I need. Besides, my sweet. You need to heal, and there is no faster way to achieve this than sex."
He bit down, and any and all objections fled Macie's befuddled brain, as he pulled her dress up and thrust home in one fluid move that lifted her off her toes. Files went flying, and heat coursed through her veins. Her knuckles burnt and healed, and her heart soared at his whispered words in her mind.
Mine, forever.
The End
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