by Coralee June
I was in shock that I’d successfully switched the elementals of their powers. I’d blacked out and nearly died in the process, but...I’d done it. I was one step closer to being able to fulfill the promise I made to Gritt.
After pulling the smoke to wrap around my body again, I reached for a glass of water on the nightstand. My fingers wrapped around the cool glass, slipping on the condensation before I greedily brought it to my lips. The moment the cool water touched my throat, I hummed in appreciation.
The door to my cabin suddenly sprung open without warning, and in walked Hyde. “Hello, Devicka,” he said with a grin before spinning around to take a look at the cabin. “Good, the corpses finished fixing it up again after the bobcat clawed it all up,” he said with a satisfied nod before running his hands along the walls and new curtains. I’m pretty sure the fabric was made from school uniforms since it was the same plaid design as my skirts, but hey, it was better than the tattered mess the bobcat had left me with.
I shook my head in annoyance while continuing to take large gulps of the water, feeling so dehydrated, I wasn’t sure one full glass would be enough. Hyde observed me while biting his lip before producing a small notepad and pen from his pocket.
“Needs water after extraneous Void usage,” his voice mumbled. I glared at him, frowning when I realized he was writing about me. His eyes were mischievous as he clicked the top of his pen and pocketed it.
“Are you studying me?” I asked with narrowed eyes before setting the cool glass down and wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. I quickly picked up my amulet and slipped it over my head, making my power taper out.
“I’m keeping note of the things I know so that the others can know what I know, and if they know something, I make sure that I get to know it too. It’s all to help you, you know?”
“I have no idea what you just said, Hyde,” I said before cradling my head in my hands. I heard the popping of his pen and snapped my head back up to stare at him as he scribbled.
“Is delirious after Void usage. Does not comprehend normal speech patterns. Proceed with caution.”
“I’m not delirious!” I yelled, making him sigh and tilt his head to the side while scribbling more notes. “If you’re writing that I’m cranky, I’m going to rip up your notebook,” I seethed. Hyde simply shrugged and clicked the top of his pen, pocketing it again.
He observed me for a moment before speaking. “I know you want to figure out your Void, so I’m here to help. We’re both used to doing things on our own; I figured we could be alone together.”
His words caught me off guard, and I found myself swallowing a strange emotion climbing up my throat. I should have told him to leave, but I found that I didn’t want to. So instead, I changed the subject.
“Thank you for fixing up the cabin. Again.” Cheddar scurried up my leg and settled on my lap. “Why’d you do it in the first place?” Hyde was quirky and unusual, but surprisingly kind. He went out of his way to turn the feral cabin into a home, even when I barely knew him.
He walked around the room for a moment before stopping at my bed. Sitting down, he twisted to face me, a wry smile planted on his face. “Homes are curious things, don’t you think? I spent most of my life without one.”
My heart panged for him in that moment. “You were homeless?” I asked, feeling brash for wording it that way.
“I had a case of too many houses not enough homes. I grew up in the foster system. Some of the places I stayed were much like this feral cabin. Ironic the zombie king has dead parents.”
I reached out and grabbed his hand as Cheddar climbed up my comforter to settle in Hyde’s lap instead. “I’m sorry,” I whispered, not really knowing what else to say. Even though my mother wanted nothing to do with me, Coxcomb’s was still a nice enough place.
“Sorrys are just things uncomfortable people say when they have nothing else to say, don’t you think? I’m sorry for what you’ve been through. I’m sorry we rushed a bond none of us were ready for. I’m sorry this is new and scary. But I’m not sorry for knowing you, Devi, nor am I sorry for being bonded to you—whatever that means.”
I opened my mouth and closed it again, not really sure what to say. My insecurities were scratching at my surface. “You’re really not sorry? You’re really okay with being bonded to me—to the Void?”
Hyde patted my leg while answering my question with a smile. “I’ve always been different. Not really social, not really normal. I’ve always been in my own head, doing my own thing. Marching to my own beat, even if the beat was off.” He did an awkward little dance move to emphasize his point. “I never really cared enough about anyone living until you came along.” He stood up and held his hand out to me. Grabbing it, I let him pull me up. “I’m excited to be bonded to you. I want to help you. I want to figure this out with you.”
“I’ve been figuring things out on my own for so long, I’m afraid I wouldn’t know what to do with one mate, let alone four,” I replied honestly.
“Well, when in doubt, we can always fuck. The five of us seem to have perfected that,” he said cheekily before stroking my cheek.
I tilted my head back and laughed. “You’re odd, Hyde Marr.”
“The best people are.” Hyde then pulled away and started dancing again, moving his feet around the room as he gathered my boots and a sweater on the floor. “Now come on. I have a dangerous surprise for you, but I think it might help. We’ll be breaking about four hundred rules, so we can fuel your little inner risk vixen, too.”
How did he know about that? I must have had a questioning look on my face, because he quickly added, “The forest animals are a gossipy bunch, and your motorcycle is badass. Mind if we take Betty? We have a little bit of a trip ahead of us.”
I grabbed my leather jacket and put it on before tucking Cheddar safely in bed. I was morbidly attached to the rodent. “Where are we going?” I asked as we left the cabin and headed toward Betty, who looked like she’d just gotten a bath. I wondered what dead forest animal washed her last night.
“It’s more fun when you don’t know the destination,” Hyde said before rubbing his sleeve along the chrome of my bike.
“How can I drive if I don’t know where I’m going?” I countered. Talking with Hyde was like one gigantic riddle that I couldn’t quite solve.
“I was hoping I could drive. Motorcycles are exhilarating creatures, don’t you think? Like dragons.” My eyebrows shot up. There was no way in hell I was letting him drive my bike.
“Nope,” I replied before crossing my arms over my chest, inadvertently pushing my breasts up. Hyde’s silver eyes traveled the curves of my cleavage before fluttering up to meet my gaze. I felt a flash of arousal travel down my spine.
“I never got to see your mate mark. Did the shifter find it on you?” he asked, flipping the script.
“No.”
“Care for me to check you over? For research purposes, of course.”
“Uh…”
I lifted my hands, searching for the vine-like mate mark that the guys had. I’d completely forgotten about it. I squealed in shock when I saw something on my pinky finger, only to realize it was just a bit of dirt.
“Hmm. It must be hiding. Let’s see,” Hyde said, walking behind me.
I leaned over to look at my bare legs, but I couldn’t see anything there, either. Just as I was about to go inside so I could inspect myself in a mirror, I felt Hyde lift the back of my shirt, cool air hitting my skin. I straightened and spun around, tugging my shirt back down. “What are you doing?”
Hyde blinked his silver eyes at me. “I’m checking for you. Unless you have eyes on the back of your head as well?”
“Of course not,” I snapped.
“Then what’s the problem?”
I opened my mouth only to shut it again. I sighed. “Fine. But no funny business. I don’t want to do anything until we figure out how this works. I don’t want to hurt you.”
“I detest funny business,” Hyd
e cracked, lightening my somber statement.
I laughed and shook my head at him. “Mm-hmm.”
Turning around again, I gave him my back, and Hyde wasted no time lifting my shirt. I felt it go higher and higher, and then his warm finger was tracing along the edge of my hip, up my waist, then dragging along the edge of my bra strap. My breath hitched, and I bit my lip as heat gathered deep in my belly. I felt Hyde step closer to me, his body radiating warmth.
When his fingers dipped into the waistband of my uniform skirt, my mouth went completely dry, and my Void started pulsing, as well as every other damn vein in my body. “Hyde, I said no funny business,” I said breathlessly.
“Believe me, Devicka. I’m taking this very seriously.”
Tugging at my waist, he spun me around to face him and dragged his fingers along my stomach, making goosebumps pebble along my skin. “Find anything?” I asked. My voice sounded foreign and heady.
“Nope,” Hyde replied with a pop on the last syllable before dropping to his knees before me. Oh fuck.
Using both hands he guided my skirt up, staring at my thighs and everything between. I was thudding with arousal and hunger, could practically feel the necromancer bringing me to life with every teasing touch.
“Ah, there it is,” he said, looking right at my core. I clenched my legs together, seeking friction while feeling embarrassed, but he didn’t let me pull away. Wrapping his large hands around my right thigh, he leaned up and licked a spot right at my panty line, and I nearly toppled over at the sensation.
“I think I need to inspect more, hmm?” he rasped.
I could feel the Void practically dancing within me, aching to reach out and feed. Wet heat painted my thighs as his fingers pulled my thong to the side. He leaned in close to breathe me in, and I nearly collapsed.
“Hyde, we shouldn’t,” I whispered, but my words held no punch. That was the problem. I wanted this. Hell, I craved this. Our connection was strong and inevitable, no matter how much it frightened me.
He leaned in closer to kiss me there. It was a soft, gentle caress of his lips that had my legs parting, begging for more. “We aren’t on a time crunch. I think I should do a more thorough search,” he whispered before standing up. My shaky legs were then swept up from beneath me in the span of seconds, and Hyde carried me back inside the cabin.
“Hyde,” I half-heartedly pleaded, knowing that it was no use. We were always meant to collide. All of us.
Using his foot, he kicked the door open, knocking it off its hinges with the force of his kick.
“Remind me to tell the bears to fix that,” he muttered as he carried me to my bed and laid me down.
We both stripped out of our clothes in record time, the frantic need to be closer driving our movements. Once I was left in nothing but my amulet, we stared at each other. Hyde’s rippled abs were flexed as he heaved in hungry breaths. He looked at the slope of my breasts, the way my pale hair fell along my shoulders. He stared at the apex between my thighs before dragging his eyes back up to the amulet.
“Take it off,” he ordered, his voice lacking his usual playfulness.
“I-I can’t,” I whispered.
Hyde stalked closer and grabbed my hair, wrapping it around his wrist before tugging. “Take it off, Devicka,” he whispered into my ear, his words a clipped caress as he tugged.
“I’m scared,” I whined. That was the core of it, wasn’t it? Render once told me that there was no one that feared the Void as much as me, and he was right. I feared what it could do, I feared what it had already done.
“I’m not. You won’t hurt me. Take it off, and I’ll reward you,” he replied with a smile. “There are perks to my power not many know about.”
That had me curious. I battled with myself for a moment, staring at his heady eyes before finally giving in. Reaching up, I unclasped my amulet and let it fall, releasing a stream of smoke the moment it left my skin. I cringed for a moment at the deadly spike in my power. It rushed at Hyde, claiming his skin like a long-lost lover, but he was right. It didn’t hurt him. I watched his eyes roll back, his head tipping up as I fed.
“Gods, you have no idea how good that feels,” he moaned. I sipped from him, not letting the full force of my hunger out. I watched him for a moment, content to just stare at his parted lips and blissed out expression.
“You promised to show me the perks of your power,” I reminded him as I settled my thighs open a little wider.
Hyde turned his gaze back on me, his eyes hooded with hunger and want. I licked my lips. “That I did,” he replied before falling to his knees and crawling closer to me. “You know how I bring things to life? Well, I can bring the living to new heights, too. I can bring every sense,” he paused, blowing his red mist at my core. At first I couldn’t feel it, but then my core went wild with sensitivity. “Every nerve,” he said between breaths. I was pulsing, ready for his touch, but his magic brought it to an entirely new level. “Every fucking touch to life,” he finished before moving his index finger up my slit, dragging it across me. I wasn’t expecting to be so wired, so turned on. Just a brush of his fingers had an orgasm tearing through me. I moaned as he smiled at me. Oh gods, he made me sensitive as fuck.
He pulled himself up on the bed and hovered over me. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I pulled him to me, greedy for more. “I need you inside me right now,” I breathed out before searing my lips to his. And oh, even the plush skin at my mouth could feel everything. It was like tingling electrodes were hooked up to my body, pumping fresh blood to every nerve ending I had. His tongue probed mine, and I felt it in my breasts. His hand grabbed my rib cage, and I felt it down my legs.
And when he slid inside of me? My entire body went haywire. Just a tiny movement caused another orgasm to ripple through me. He thrusted back and forth, digging his fingers into my skin as he grunted. Wave after blissful wave kept me riding him. It was like I never came down from the first high because it was just one continuous cycle of budding pleasure barreling through me.
“I can’t take anymore,” I whimpered as yet another brush of our bodies caused me to jump off a peak that felt never-ending. I was too sensitive, too responsive to every touch.
Hyde smiled down at me, obviously enjoying the show of my writhing body as I clenched and unclenched. It wasn’t until his thrusts turned hard and punishing that I thought I’d lose it.
“So close,” he rasped as my body coiled and spasmed, his heated words like strokes against my lips.
I felt like I was going to black out. I’d never come for this long, this much, this fucking intensely. My entire body felt like an instrument Hyde played. When he finally came, little aftershocks, the only thing my body could give, rang between us as his entire body tensed, and he called out my name with his release.
It wasn’t until our breathing had calmed down that I spoke, almost afraid that the rumbling would cause another wave of pleasure to float over me. “Hyde. What the hell…”
He smirked while pulling out of me, my attuned body crying out at the loss of contact as he rolled over beside me. “Necro perk,” he said while folding his hands behind his head, a satisfied smirk on his face.
“Some fucking perk,” I gasped before pulling my thighs together, crying out at a splash of pleasure at the friction. “Uh, when will this wear off? ‘Cause I don’t want to have orgasms every time I move,” I joked, though now my mind was flashing with ideas.
“A few more minutes, give or take,” Hyde replied before grazing his finger over my thighs. “Found your mate mark, by the way.” He poked a sensitive spot on my skin, right above where my panty line would be—if I were wearing any clothes.
I looked down as he pulled away and, sure enough, there was the mark, a circle made of vines right on my inner thigh. It was small, but definitely new. “Fuck, so it’s official then, isn’t it?” I asked while running my index finger along the ornate markings. Although, it didn’t feel as scary as it did before. I almost felt content to see the e
vidence of a bond I hadn’t been sure about.
“It means you’re bonded,” Hyde replied in simplistic awe before sitting up on the mattress to look at me. He grabbed my chin and peered into my eyes while licking his lips. “And I’m going to take you somewhere that can hopefully help explain your powers and…our cravings.”
Driving with Hyde behind me made me just as crazy as I’d been when it had been the temperamental vampire on the back of my bike. Every time I leaned into a turn, Hyde leaned with me, his strong thighs clenching around me. Thank gods the orgasms had stopped. I think I was pretty close to suffering from O-face overload or passing out from too much pleasure.
He gave me directions as I went, tapping me on my left thigh when he wanted me to turn left, and on my right thigh for turning right. Every time he gave me another tap, it sent flutters into my stomach, like my body was waiting for his magic to come back out. I was getting greedier and greedier when it came to these paragons.
By the time Hyde had me pulling off the highway and onto a side street, I was a mess. I hoped he’d been telling the truth about bringing me somewhere that would help give me answers, because I felt like I was losing my grip. I was constantly being pulled in different directions.
When Hyde signalled for me to slow down, I pulled Betty to a stop in front of a quintessential cemetery. There were wrought iron gates, stone fences, grass, and old oak trees throwing everything into shade.
I lifted myself off the bike and pulled off my helmet, then hung it on the handlebar. “Really? The necromancer takes me to a cemetery?”