“More, Oliver…” The soft, tormented whisper nearly broke him.
Somehow, he managed to hold back. He pushed two fingers deep inside her, thrusting roughly as he flicked her clit with his tongue. The tiny nub pulsed as her body drew up tight. A beautiful cry escaped her as she came, her tight sheath clutching his fingers like a vice.
The moment the orgasm swept through her, she relaxed.
Completely drained by his body’s own needs, it took tremendous effort to adjust her clothing, covering her once more. When Oliver got to his feet, he peered down at her beautiful face. In that moment, he realized he’d never wanted anyone or anything as much as he wanted her.
“Don’t go,” she whispered, her eyes beseeching.
“I assure you, I don’t want to.” He swallowed hard, resigned himself to what was necessary. “But I have to.”
Knowing he was seconds from doing something they would both regret, he stumbled toward the door to the house, out of the sauna, past the pool. Once inside, the cool air chilled him, but he welcomed the sensation as he raced down the hallway, took the stairs to the second floor at a rapid clip. He managed to make it to his room, slamming the door behind him and leaning against the solid wood.
Within seconds, he had his cock in his fist, jerking roughly, attempting to ease the ache. Closing his eyes, Oliver saw Bijou vividly. Only this was a fantasy, one where she was spread out before him in all her naked glory. Her dark hair draped over his pillow as he climbed over her. The instant his fantasy self plunged into the warmth of her, he came in a violent rush. Oliver slammed into the door behind him, fell to the floor, every ounce of his energy drained from the efforts it had taken to resist her.
As he closed his eyes and dragged air into his exhausted lungs, an image appeared in his mind. Just an extension of his fantasy, only in this one, he was sinking his nonexistent fangs into her flesh.
What. The. Fuck?
Chapter Forty-Two
“Thanksgiving with angels,” Orianna said, grinning from ear to ear.
Eclipse’s own smile formed as a direct result of hers. “You know, this is the first Thanksgiving we’ve ever celebrated.”
It had been ten days since he’d brought her back to the mansion, ten days since he’d nearly killed the female he adored beyond reason. And here she sat, smiling up at him as though none of that had ever happened.
Sure, a lot had happened in the past week, including the ass-reaming he’d received when he’d moved Elizabeth into the mansion, settling her into one of the spare guest rooms on the second floor. To be honest, at the time, he’d been more worried about Orianna than the fact he was bringing a human into the mansion. Since he’d had nowhere else to safely put his amsouelot’s mother, the mansion was the only option. Having witnessed Orianna’s pure happiness at seeing her mother there, Eclipse would do it again in a heartbeat. Consequences be damned.
Her eyebrows lowered. “Seriously? Why is that?”
“We don’t follow human traditions,” he admitted.
“Really?” Her gaze swung to the heurosp currently strolling in with dishes piled high with food. “They’re human, aren’t they?”
“Technically, yes.”
“What does that mean? Technically?”
“Their biological makeup is human. They were born human, but … well, to put it simply, they’re immortal.”
“Wow. How is that even possible?”
Eclipse shrugged. “One of Michael’s doings.”
Though he didn’t know the logistics required to make a mortal immortal, Eclipse understood Michael’s reasoning. It was in the interest of safety. Last thing they could afford were humans traipsing through the mansion, turning over every fifty or sixty years once they’d reached their maximum lifespan. This way, they would forever remain in service to angels, and no one was the wiser.
“So why this year?” Orianna asked.
“Couple of reasons.” Eclipse glanced over at Obsidian and his ereswa. “Penelope requested it.”
He didn’t tell Orianna that Penelope had asked because she knew this was going to be the last holiday she would have with Winnie. Though she’d been threatening for some time now, the time had finally come for Winnie to leave the mansion and go back to her human world in California. This was one last celebration before Cimmerian pulled the whole wool-over-the-eyes with her memories and sent her back out into the world.
“Penelope was human. Makes sense she’d want to celebrate those traditions.” Orianna smiled, sliding her hand over his forearm. “I’m glad I’m here with you.”
Eclipse leaned over, met her lips with his own. “Me, too.”
“I wish my mother would’ve wanted to join us.”
Dropping his gaze to his glass, Eclipse nodded. They had invited Elizabeth down for the meal, but she’d kindly declined the offer. Ever since her arrival, she’d remained in her private quarters, the heurosp seeing to her every need. Though she seemed somewhat content to be living closer to Orianna, it wasn’t all roses and sunshine for her. They’d had to intervene a couple of times to calm her nerves because being in a new place had set her off. He figured the drugs weren’t helping, but getting her settled in required they not change too much else. They’d yet to reveal the fact Amber was dead, and since that was Elizabeth’s main concern, it was likely Orianna’s mother thought they were interfering with her daughter’s mission. But until Orianna decided to tell her, Eclipse knew it wasn’t his place to intervene.
The sound of sterling silver clanking against crystal drew everyone’s attention to Obsidian, the various conversations dying down around them.
“My ereswa has asked that I say a few words.” Obsidian glanced from one face to another. “While I wish all the amsouelots were here with us now, there is still a lot for us to be thankful for. It’s been a difficult year for us, and I don’t expect that to settle in the near future, but I do hold out hope that we will all soon be together as we’re meant to be.”
A soft rumble of agreement came from the peanut gallery.
“As long as we continue to have each other’s backs, there’s no doubt in my mind, this family will continue to expand and grow, exactly as it was meant to be since inception.”
Eclipse nodded when Obsidian looked his way.
“Today, we shall celebrate all we’re thankful for in the tradition of the humans. And tomorrow, we’ll resume our quest to protect those same souls from the evils they don’t see.”
“Hear, hear!” someone shouted.
Glasses clinked together in cheers, but Eclipse’s attention shifted to Orianna. He smiled at the female who had completed him in ways he’d never expected. Reaching for her, he cupped the back of her head and pulled her in for a kiss.
In the ancient language of angels, Eclipse said, “Forever my heart is yours, sweet love of mine.”
Orianna’s eyes glittered. “What does that mean?”
“Rough translation?” He pressed his lips to hers once more. “I will love you forever, sezari.”
“Ditto.”
“Let’s eat!” someone shouted, which ignited a chant of the same.
Eclipse grinned. He found it interesting how much emphasis the humans put on this meal for which they gathered together once during the year in an effort to give thanks for all they had. It was a holiday to be celebrated for them, but for Eclipse and his family, this was a daily ritual, something that Obsidian had held up for centuries, ensuring they never drifted too far apart from one another.
For them, it was just … normal.
“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” Cimmerian asked.
Orianna wasn’t sure who his question was really directed at. Reidar or Penelope. Perhaps both.
After they’d finished the Thanksgiving feast, a.k.a. the morning meal, everyone had remained in the dining room, swapping stories and jokes, laughing and drinking. All while Winnie had sat beside Penelope, completely oblivious as to what was coming. By the time everyone made their way to their
private quarters to sleep off the alcohol they’d imbibed and the food they’d put away, there was a sense of contentment throughout the mansion.
Now that night had fallen once more and everyone had come down to see Winnie off, there was a sorrow that had choked out all the cheerfulness.
Truth was, Orianna had been surprised to see Winnie at the Thanksgiving feast. During her time in the mansion, Orianna had seen her least of all, and those times she had been in her company hadn’t exactly been pleasant. According to Penelope, Winnie had long ago decided she wanted to go home, and the only reason she remained was because Reidar continued to stall. Despite the fact everyone had attempted to make Winnie feel at home, the woman had refused their kindness, latching on to her unhappiness and clutching it like a lifeline. It had gotten to the point everyone had begun to avoid Winnie the same as she had them.
So, it seemed a good thing that they’d decided it was time for Winnie to go home.
Turned out, going back to the human world after living amongst angels wasn’t an easy thing. Not for anyone, apparently.
The only reason Orianna had been filled in was because she’d questioned Eclipse. It wasn’t too difficult to pick up on the fact they were holding something back in their attempt to enjoy their last remaining moments with the woman. Orianna almost wished she’d stayed in bed with Eclipse, not volunteered to be a shoulder for Penelope.
Then again, Orianna wouldn’t have turned her back on her newest friend.
“Can I say goodbye?” Penelope asked, her attention on Cimmerian.
“Of course. Just know that you’ll have those memories, not her.”
Penelope nodded, then headed up the stairs to the sunroom, where Winnie was currently standing, staring out at the pitch-black of the dhira the warriors maintained over the mansion.
“So, how’s this work?” Reidar asked.
“When you give me the go-ahead, I’ll filter out all her memories of Penelope and insert a stand-in. Winnie will know she and her best friend parted ways years ago on good terms. Everything else will remain as is for her. These past few months won’t exist in her mind, and she’ll believe she quit her job in order to find something better.”
Wow. That didn’t sound pleasant at all.
“How does she get back to California?”
Orianna hoped it wasn’t by means of teleporting. Having experienced that one for herself … yeah, that was a big hell no, thank you very much.
“Alden and Naos have agreed to accompany her. They’ll need to leave as soon as possible.”
Reidar nodded, as though that was reasonable, but Orianna could see the discomfort on his face. This wasn’t easy for him by any means. From her understanding, Reidar had believed Winnie was his soul mate when they’d met, hence the reason he’d brought her back to the mansion. The months that followed had brought to light the error in his thinking, and now he had to deal with the aftermath.
“She’ll be fine,” Cimmerian assured him. “Just know you can have no contact with her going forward.”
“Understood.”
Feeling as though she was intruding on the angel’s private moment, Orianna opted to wander away from the group. She stood at the base of the stairs to the sunroom, staring up at the two women currently talking softly. For a moment, she tried to imagine a life where part of her memories had been wiped away. Though she wouldn’t know she was missing something, Orianna wondered if there would still be a void.
Probably, she figured. After all, that was how she felt about Amber. Her sister had been gone for so long it was difficult to remember the good times they’d shared back before their world had been disrupted. First her mother’s attack, her father sending them away. Those years they’d spent feeling alone and adrift. For a time, they’d leaned on one another, but even that hadn’t lasted long enough. In an effort to heal those wounds, they’d drifted apart until there was nothing left. The only thing she had left was her mother, but even that felt tenuous at the moment.
A warm body moved up behind her, strong hands settling on her shoulders. She leaned into the familiar warmth and sent up another silent thank-you for Eclipse. She had no idea how their worlds had collided, but now that they had, she couldn’t imagine herself anywhere else.
For the first time in years, her mother wasn’t the only thing she had left. She had Eclipse. He alone had filled that void, given her hope when she’d had none. She knew he loved her because she could feel it, but he was holding something back. She’d detected it recently. A disconnect, as though he wasn’t ready to move things to the next level, whatever that might be.
She got the feeling it had to do with that vision. The one where she’d been dead, his enormous body hovering over her. When she’d asked him what it meant, Eclipse had avoided answering, which told her he knew but didn’t want to say. The only thing that kept the fear at bay was the fact she knew that moment wasn’t the end, it was the beginning.
Of what, she wasn’t entirely sure, but she had her suspicions.
Chapter Forty-Three
While Kaj was enjoying turkey and dressing with his daughter and the angels, Mirakel and the crew were busy making necessary improvements to the Lair.
Kaj had taken a few pointers from Angel Central, and they’d been busy getting the steel shutters fitted over all the windows. Installing the metal tracks and the steel sheeting on both the inside and outside had been the easy part, Mirakel had learned. It was getting everything tied into the automated system Blāz was creating that proved to be the more difficult part. The male promised the Lair would be as automated as Angel Central by the time he was finished, maybe more so.
Needless to say, until they could eliminate all the bugs, they were forced to sleep down below.
Not that Mirakel minded. For the past eighteen months, he’d been on the move, most of the time taking up space in abandoned structures—be it houses or commercial buildings—so having a soft place to rest his head was quite nice. It wouldn’t have mattered if he was belowground or in a cardboard box. As long as the sun wouldn’t get him, he was content. His position within the Zenith had never involved living the high life of the noblemen and women he was in service to. He didn’t expect it to be any different now, although Kaj didn’t seem to understand that.
The biggest difference, though, was the food. Evidently, the angels’ servants had gotten wind that they’d moved in and had insisted on ensuring they were fed. At first, a casserole appeared in the kitchen, the next day another, along with place settings. Day after, more dishes, more food, some linens. Since … well, Mirakel was fairly certain a couple of the caretakers had moved in permanently.
But it wasn’t the food Mirakel was worried about. That had been taken care of, but now it was the blood requirements that were becoming more of a necessity than a nuisance. While he had ventured out of the Lair once since they’d arrived with Kaj, he’d been holding off as long as possible. Now he feared he’d waited too long, which meant getting to the next town over was going to require something more than his own body for transportation. Without access to any vehicles, he was pretty much screwed unless Kaj came through for him as he’d said he would. Something about a Fae providing for them. He wasn’t sure. His brain was a bit foggy at the moment.
As he stared at the stone ceiling, letting his arms rest at his sides, Mirakel tried to sleep, but it wasn’t happening. Despite the brain mush from the lack of feeding, there was a restlessness beneath his skin. Had been the case since he’d left the Seattle camp in search of Kaj. He’d lived on that unease for months, using it to fuel him in his search for the Alpha. Now that he’d found Kaj, seemed his body hadn’t quite gotten the message.
Would probably help if they could get back to a regular fighting routine. They needed to shore up their ranks and get back to training on a regular basis. As they were now, Mirakel wouldn’t be surprised if a group of impietans took them all out in one fell swoop. A year ago he would’ve laughed at the thought. Now … well, he had to wonder.
A soft knock had him looking over at the wooden door that sealed off the small concrete room.
“Yes?”
The door opened a fraction of an inch. “Might I come in, sire?”
Mirakel forced his legs over the side of the bed and sat up, the softly spoken words surprising him. “Of course.”
When she stepped into the room, Mirakel wasn’t exactly sure who she was or why she was there. The female was slight of stature and pale of skin, her red-blond hair pinned high up on her head, revealing a delicate neck and a body covered by a long dress made of silk. She was otherworldly. Part of him expected to see a halo perched upon her head, casting a heavenly glow around her.
There was no such light, but she was beautiful, nonetheless.
“Kaj asked that I come see you,” she said, offering a smile as she stepped into the room, closing the door behind her.
“Whatever for?” he asked, unable to grasp why she could possibly be there.
The female’s head dipped low. “I’m to be of service, sire.”
“Service?”
“In any manner you might need.”
Okay, what the fuck?
“Who are you?” he asked, figuring he’d get right to the point.
“My name’s Briony. I’m Fae.”
Ah. Okay. Now it was making a bit more sense.
“So you came to feed me,” he muttered.
“I am here to take care of any needs you might have, sire.”
Frowning, Mirakel met her gaze. “I’m not sure I understand.”
“If there’s something you might need of a sexual nature, I am here to please.”
To please? What the fuck kind of brothel were those angels running over there? Mirakel got the gist of needing a blood source, but sex … seriously?
“How about we stick to the blood for now,” he said, pushing to his feet.
No sooner had he gotten vertical than the female stepped forward, the silky fabric covering her sliding off her shoulders and pooling on the floor at her feet.
Salvation in Darkness (Misplaced Halos Book 2) Page 40