“That’s not your ear? Oh, my mistake.” But he didn’t stop. Jag moved her wet hair aside, showering her neck with kisses and nibbles. She practically melted in his grip, weak to him in every way—exactly how he wanted it. “I could stop, if you’d prefer?”
Her hands found their way to his neck. “Don’t you dare.”
So he didn’t. Not like he wanted to stop anyways. He tugged her to him, moving her from beside him to his lap, her legs straddling him. She grinded against him in a way that suggested to Jag some things must remain constant between races. Some things were universal. His lips moved from her neck to her collarbone, licking it, nipping it, needing to hear her full range of sounds.
Jag only pulled away for a moment as he gazed down at her chest, finally sitting above the water. Perfect and round and hairless with two hardened nipples. Yes, some things did stay the same, no matter how different they were.
They were immaculate. Better than he could’ve imagined. Those would be his next targets.
He leaned his head down, trailing a line of kisses from her collarbone to between her breasts. He went to the left, his left, mouth roaming across the smooth skin, stopping only when he found the small darkened bit.
“Oh, Jag,” Faith murmured, running her hands through the longer fur on his head. She did not pull him away. She wouldn’t. It was clear she enjoyed this as much if not more than he.
She made him so hungry, so wanting. Jag wanted all of her, again and again, and even then it wouldn’t be enough. Even then he’d still want more. To taste her, to have her, to hear her moans of pleasure. Oh, yes. Jag was more than smitten, wasn’t he?
After giving her nipple plenty of attention with his tongue, he went to the other to do the same. She tensed in his grip, but he held her tight against him, not about to let her go. He did not want this moment to end, though he knew it would.
Suddenly Faith tugged him off her, and when he was about to ask why, she covered his mouth with hers. Her tongue found his, and Jag wondered if this was how Humans kissed. It was a lot better than the other kind. Her hands roamed his body, touching his shoulders, his chest, heading down into the water.
Faith touched him, gripped him, her mouth never once leaving his. A guttural moan escaped him as she stroked him, his body coursing with waves of pleasure. Did Humans do this too? He couldn’t even think straight, even after Faith pulled her lips off his. “Now I want you to say my name,” she whispered seductively.
At this rate, Jag would—very soon.
Up and down, over and over, it was both too much and not enough. He didn’t want her to stop, ever. Jag wanted her to keep going, keep touching him with her small, hairless hands. She knew how to hold him just right, how to grip him without any instruction at all. He thought he had her? No, she had him. She had every part of him.
After he whispered a low “Faith,” she gave him a dazzling smile before kissing him. She was hungry enough to take what she wanted and Jag would willingly give her everything. In this moment there was no one else. Just a Malus and a Human and a whole lot of steaming desire.
Until…it wasn’t just them, and a third presence walked by, stopping when he saw what was going on. Jag could handle it if it had been Light or Camden, but that other Human? Finn? Just seeing his smug face made Jag tense up for all the wrong reasons.
“Well, well, well,” Finn spoke, and Faith froze as she withdrew from Jag’s mouth to throw a glare over her shoulder. Her grip on Jag below the water did not loosen, however. “Looks like boy toy was right on the mark.”
Jag thought about saying that he was all man and no boy, but Faith spoke first, “Finn. Unless you’re going to join us, get out,” she hissed venomously. With her other hand, she gave him her middle finger, some kind of Middleworld salute? “Take a picture, it lasts longer.”
“Like I would ever want a picture of that,” Finn spoke, spitting out the last word before continuing his walk.
“What an asshole,” Faith muttered. “Can’t believe I ever liked him.” Just as Jag was about to inquire what exactly that meant, she resumed her stroking with a smile. She arched her back, and while she touched him, his mouth returned to her breasts.
As they explored each other, Finn was the last thing on Jag’s mind.
Chapter Thirteen
The Second was not Finn Cunningham’s joy. In fact, he rather hated it. He hated the field trip he had to take in his fifth year as an Academy student, hated that he spent a week learning how to mold and shape metal—blacksmiths were so fifteenth century Earth—and now he hated that he was stuck in it.
Finn had heard about what happened with the Director and her daughter in Central Park. He’d volunteered to go with his squad when the President summoned them for the team. He thought it would be an easy trip, retrieve the rule-breaking Faith and drag her back to Earth, all the while scolding her for how stupid she was. An illegal portal in the middle of Central Park? What was she thinking?
Clearly, she wasn’t thinking at all.
Finn could understand wanting to go back because she had some delusional hope of saving the missing students, but to go back because of some stupid prophecy? To say that she had to go back, otherwise…otherwise what? If she hadn’t come back, did the King everyone was worried about even matter?
He did not like the situation at all.
It was made even worse by Faith herself. How could she act so nonchalant about the whole thing? How could she shrug everything off like that? How could she act so happy when she was just as stuck in the Second as he was? Didn’t she want to return to Earth? She had friends and family. The Second was not her home.
Faith was…aggravating. He’d always thought she was another pretty face, a girl of no consequence, until she fucked up so bad that he had to go to ER during school hours because she decided to blow up a robot dog in his face.
It was a dog. Not a cat, a dog.
After that day, he had paid special attention to never look at her, never give her any hope that he felt anything other than annoyance towards her. To this day, he was still mad about that dog and his eyebrows. They took way too long to grow back, and homecoming was two weeks after. Taking all the pictures his parents wanted while dressed up in a suit with penciled-in eyebrows was mortifying. Completely mortifying.
Finn thought he’d seen the last of her when he finally got out of the high school and went full-on Academy. With his graduation, he was sure the stupid girl was one hundred percent behind him. If only that were true. He got an apprenticeship with the best pair of I.D. hunters and found her stalking their target. There was nothing worse in the President’s eyes than an unsanctioned hunt, which was why he immediately told Tullie about it. Just because she was the Director’s daughter didn’t mean she should get away with it.
Tullie had told him at the time that Faith would be reprimanded. He believed her. But when he looked into it, all Finn found was that she had a different assignment during her field trip. How was that punishment? And, evidently, it all led to this shit anyway.
So yeah, he may have volunteered to come here with the intention of rubbing it in her face. Finn thought he’d have a few laughs at her expense. Did that make him a jerk? Maybe. He didn’t care.
Imagine his fucking surprise when little miss do-no-wrong was able to convince Tullie that she had to stay here, and Tullie allowed it. She had a history of not following the rules and regs and she allowed it. Why? How? Finn was ready to ask such questions of Tullie until she stepped outside the meeting room to talk with him. In other words, force him to stay here too, to keep an eye on her, to make sure she didn’t do anything stupid.
Stupid was that girl’s middle name, he was sure.
Just because she was pretty and had a kickass body didn’t make any of this okay.
Finn resented her for it, and he also resented her for the camaraderie she somehow inspired in her three boyfriends. How had she even been here long enough to inspire such loyalty? It was ridiculous and stupid, and he hate
d it. He hated it even if she did make him laugh sometimes. A few laughs would not change his opinion about her.
She was probably faking it to him anyway. Faith wasn’t really being nice to him. She was only trying to smooth things over so she could get back to her boy toys. That’s what he decided as he wandered around the grounds and castle after the grey Elf asked if he could speak with her. When he spoke, Finn saw the sharp teeth, and he knew that while he might’ve been an Elf in the past, he was something more now. Ulen. Dangerous, vindictive, with a penchant for blood—that was what his textbook said about them, back in his seventh year at the Academy. An optional class, one that few upperclassmen took. He was thankful for the class now, for it would come in handy since he was stuck here until further notice.
Finn really hoped that the I.D. paid for his apartment while he was away. Once he returned to Earth, he didn’t want to move back in with his parents. Too old for that shit, and he needed his privacy when it came to women.
As he wandered the castle, trying to find the room that Faith was in, he knew what he had to talk to her about. The plan and its specifics, mostly. He was not a fan of winging anything. He liked order, procedure, and paperwork. Finn might be on the boring side, but at least he was prepared when things went wrong. They would not wing this entire thing with the hope that some miracle would happen.
No. Faith’s plan of getting the bones had to be better than just get the bones.
As Finn started to wonder if he’d made a wrong turn somewhere, he heard a faint sound. It sounded like someone spoke Faith’s name. Finn went towards it, intent on finding her and demanding they make a better plan, when he heard other sounds. Like water moving and moaning.
Finn’s feet stopped right before an opening. It certainly sounded like whoever was in there was going at it. In such a public place, too. How disgusting. Finn was a private guy; his escapades, when he had them, were always behind closed doors.
Still…he was a man, and he was curious. Surely no one was doing anything they wouldn’t want others to see, right? With that thought in his head, Finn advanced to the opening, turning to see something he never thought he’d see.
Faith’s back, her hair wet, clinging to her skin. Her hands in the water, though her arms were moving. Jag’s eyes closed, his mouth firmly attached to hers. It was revolting, seeing her with him, as if he weren’t only a few rungs above the animals at the zoo.
Finn couldn’t take it anymore, so he broke the sounds of moaning and water splashing as he said, “Well, well, well. Looks like boy toy was right on the mark.” His words caused her to look at him sharply and send him a glare. She did not even attempt to unentangle herself from the Malus.
“Finn. Unless you’re going to join us, get out.” Her voice dripped pure anger, and it was clear that she did not mean it as an invitation. As if he would ever consider something so disgusting. Not even with her. Not even—Finn noticed—with that rack. Faith noticed where his eyes were, and she flipped him off. “Take a picture, it lasts longer.”
Realizing who he was ogling, Finn muttered, “Like I would ever want a picture of that.” A picture of her wet, naked body? Well, he wouldn’t exactly deny that. But her with the Malus? Hell no. There was nothing more disgusting than that. Getting one last eyeful of her, he left, though he didn’t make it far before he heard her speak in the room.
“What an asshole,” she said, “can’t believe I ever liked him.”
Finn paused just outside the room, out of their sight. Surely she didn’t mean that. Surely it was just something she said in the heat of the moment. She meant like as a classmate, not like as in like like? Fuck. Finn felt like he was back in high school, thinking stupid thoughts like those.
She never liked him like that, did she? She was a few years younger than him, so truthfully Finn never paid much attention to her. He’d always chased after older women, more experienced women, women who could hold their own on the streets and in bed, even while in high school. If Faith had liked him, then why the hell did she blow up a robot dog in his face? Right before his senior homecoming too, where he was nominated to be on the court. Thankfully (or possibly because of it), Finn hadn’t won homecoming king. Thank God he didn’t have to deal with all those pictures, too.
Faith couldn’t mean like as in have a crush on. No. That wasn’t possible. He wasn’t that blind to girls, especially back then, even if they were younger than him. He smiled and flirted like the rest. Surely he would’ve known if the girl who practically burned his face off liked him like that. Surely.
The longer he stood there, the more uncertain he became. He leaned his back on the wall, tilting his head up, staring at the white ceiling.
She did have an extremely nice body, even with the tattoos. He loved tattoos, actually. Everyone who worked for the I.D. got some sooner or later. Victi always made the jobs easier. And they were pretty badass, too.
As Finn stared at the ceiling, trying and failing not to think about it, he wondered things. Things he probably shouldn’t. What if it were him in there, instead of the Malus? What did the rest of her look like? If he came to her, would she shoot him down, or did a part of her still kind of like him?
A part of him stirred. He was getting a little hard just thinking about it.
Fuck.
This wouldn’t do. Not at all.
More moans came from the room as the inhabitants carried on with what they were doing before his interruption. For a while, perhaps too long, Finn stood there, listening. He was a very private person, yes, but if others didn’t care about their privacy, why should he? He did leave the room; it wasn’t like he was watching.
Finn let out a soft sigh as he closed his eyes. He would hear them finish, probably. He’d be long gone before either of them saw him in the hall.
Chapter Fourteen
Faith only made five wrong turns before finding her room, where Cam and Light waited. Jag was behind her, clothed as much as he was before, though a little more wet than he started. For a moment, a quick moment, she felt a little guilty about what she did in the bath, but then, just as fast, the moment passed. They all agreed to this, right? There was nothing to feel guilty over. And besides, it wasn’t like she had sex with Jag so soon. A lot of kissing and a lot of touching, yes.
Emphasis on the touching.
She thought maybe it would help get her mind off her weird, confusing feelings for the Dread King, and she thought wrong. If anything, it only made Faith think about him more, how he would feel, what sounds he would make…
Ugh. Faith hated herself for it.
And Finn—that stupid man. Waltzing in on them while they were busy with other things…a teeny part of her was embarrassed that he saw that, but an even larger part of her couldn’t believe he had the balls to interrupt them. Who was he to judge her? He was nothing, an I.D. boot-licker that she used to have a thing for. And whatever thing that was, it was long gone.
Now she wanted to punch him in his smug, righteous face.
A scant amount of light shone through the windows on the far wall. Night would be here soon enough, which only meant that morning would follow, and their journey would begin. Faith wandered to the bed, plopping herself down. “Does anyone have any tips for long journeys on foot?”
“Tips?” Jag echoed, glancing to Light.
“Mostly, it involves walking,” Light said, leaning on his bow. He sounded normal, like he wasn’t obsessing over the fact that both Faith and Jag were wet. If he was, he was good at hiding his jealousy. Faith hoped he wasn’t too jealous. If he would’ve stayed…
Moving beside him, Jag crossed his arms. “And a bit of sleeping, here and there.”
“And don’t forget eating,” Cam said. “You need to eat on a regular basis.”
Faith turned to stare at each of them. “I know all of that. That’s not what I mean.”
“Then what do you mean?” Jag asked, cocking an eyebrow, as if had any right to cock anything else after their session in the bath. He was
probably jumping for joy inside, after what she did.
She, herself, felt tired.
“I mean,” she explained, “how do you walk for hours and hours? Do you talk during it? Do you go silently? Does everyone stop when someone has to pee?” Faith had about two dozen more questions in her head, but she didn’t want to throw them all out there at once. If they asked her to, she would.
It wasn’t like she was a complete stranger to long journeys, but the trek back from the ruins hadn’t been nearly as long as this one would be. It would take them longer to get there than it would for Elven scouts. Faith was not a hiker; she’d probably slow the journey and make it double if not triple as long.
“You are worrying far too much,” Light told her seriously. “It will be fine. You will be fine.” Easy for the hunter to say, the Elf who frolicked through the woods on a daily basis tracking his game. He was used to walking a lot.
Earth had cars, subways, buses and planes—and feet, when the other things were too busy or too expensive. But still. Walking for days on end was a lot different than cutting through pedestrians and traffic for a few blocks.
“What if I get tired?” she asked.
“If you get tired,” Jag answered, “I’ll carry you.”
“I could carry you as well,” Cam added, quickly looking away when she met his cloudy eyes.
It was Light’s turn to mutter, “We can take turns.”
She smiled. One way or another, they’d reach Springstone. “I know the general area it’s in, but my memories aren’t that clear.” Faith propped herself on her elbows. “Do you think the Court will give us a map?”
“A map to their special secret hideaway where they keep all their most precious of things? Doubtful.” Jag laughed, running a clawed hand through the fur on his head. He could be extremely careful with those claws, Faith knew, for during all their touching, she hadn’t gotten scratched once.
“I could steal a map,” Cam offered quietly, shrugging. “If they have one.”
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