The Mary Sue Virus: Beyond Death
Feb. 18th, 2018 07:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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marysuevirusTitle: The Mary Sue Virus: Beyond Death
Chapter Forty Nine: Pleasure and Pain
Fandom: Anita Blake universe
Rating: 18 and up
Warnings: graphic sex and violence, language, anything else i can toss in.
Disclaimer: the recognizable characters and places contained herein are the property of LKH. i'm merely borrowing for the sake of entertainment. no money is being made from this venture. the Sues are the sole property of their originators, Ginevra, Dazzledfirestar, Nanaea, SilverFoxChan and ladydeathfaerie. the concept and title of The Mary Sue Virus are used with permission from Dazzledfirestar.
Author's Notes: this one is... maybe a bit on the graphic side. its literally nothing but sex. and torture. so proceed with caution. and maybe some towels or something. just sayin'
The Mary Sue Virus: Beyond Death - Index Link
Aedan looked shell shocked when Asher finally drew back. She blinked up at him, chest heaving, hands curled into the material of his dress shirt. "I think you surprised her, Asher," Janika said, voice warm and husky. She kicked her jeans off and climbed from the couch, then tugged her shirt up over her head. It fell to the floor, forgotten, as she closed the distance between them. He bestowed his own kiss upon her lips when she joined them, a sweet vow made without words, then pulled back so that they both could look at Aedan.
She was staring at the two of them as if she'd never seen them before, eyes wide and glassy. Janika was sure that was a combination of the evening's trauma, alcohol, Asher's kiss, and whatever had happened with Jean Claude. Because something had happened with Jean Claude. London had reported seeing her tear out of the Circus like all the hounds of Hell had been on her heels and that was usually her normal response to the Master of the City. Whatever had transpired between them after their meeting had obviously been unpleasant for her.
Of course Asher had told her about the meeting he'd been part of earlier, how the lycanthrope killers had tried to grab Isis and Micah had saved her at his own expense. It was terrible, because she'd seen firsthand what the lycanthrope killers were capable of. The idea that Micah was being subjected to that kind of torture was almost incomprehensible. She knew without having to ask that the plan was to get him back as soon as possible. How that would happen was beyond her because no one seemed to be able to actually find the pair of them.
"I think you are right, mon ange," he replied, voice quiet and thoughtful. Janika glanced at him to find that he was studying Aedan intently, as if he could read things written into her skin that no one else could. Perhaps he could.
"I should go. I should be looking for Micah. I should be doing something. I should..." Aedan stammered, then came to a halt.
"You should rest yourself," Asher replied, reaching out to put one hand on her arm even though she hadn't actually moved. "Physically and mentally. It will do none of us any good if you reach your breaking point, Aedan."
"Asher's right, hon," Janika told her. Exhaustion lurked in the backs of her gaze, lingered just under her eyes in the dark smudges that ringed them. If Janika had to guess, she'd been teetering on the edge for a long, long time. And then there was the fact that she'd been drinking. Letting her go hunting for Micah while she was still drunk was a sure way to see Aedan injured. Janika shared a look with Asher, one that asked him if he'd meant the kiss the way she thought he had. He gave a slight incline of his head to let her know that he had. "You need to rest. And there just happens to be a bed here to rest upon."
She reached out and took hold of Aedan's hand, tugging her toward the bed she'd just mentioned. Aedan hesitated, feet planted against to floor. But Janika pulled on her arm, staggering Aedan into motion so that she followed Janika to their destination. Janika didn't need to look to see that Asher brought up the rear, though she suspected he'd purposely left a gap between Aedan and himself. No doubt to help the woman relax. She could feel the other woman's tension where their hands met. Give her a few minutes and Janika was sure she could do something about that.
They stopped beside the bed, Aedan still appearing lost and confused about everything. Janika took the lead and reached for the lapels of the coat the other woman was wearing. Aedan let her push the coat from her shoulders. The garment was passed off to Asher before Janika reached for the straps of the shoulder holster Aedan wore. That move jolted the other woman from her shock, her hands coming up to gently push Janika's away. The holster came off in the blink of an eye, handed over to Asher without a word. Aedan then let Janika remove her clothing, one piece at a time.
Aedan's t-shirt went first, dropped to the floor with the same lack of care as Janika had used with her own shirt. Janika lifted a hand to trail her fingers down the length of Aedan's arm. She could feel muscle hidden beneath smooth, silken skin. There was also a quiver there. She wasn't sure if it was in anticipation or if it was brought on by fear or cold. But it was there, undetectable unless one had their hand on her when that quiver took her.
When Aedan didn't brush her hand off, Janika grew bolder. She returned her fingers to Aedan's shoulder, then let her hand slide down over her collar bone, tracing the edge of Aedan's bra strap, until her fingers brushed over the curve of her breast. Aedan's breath hitched in her throat. A flick of Janika's fingers saw the nipple hidden behind the plain black material pucker up into a tight peak. Janika shifted her hand around until she could cup the weight of Aedan's breast in it, fingers curled loosely around the sides. Aedan breathed out a sigh and let her eyes fall closed.
Janika leaned in, pressed a quick kiss to Aedan's lips, before shifting her focus to the bared skin of Aedan's collar bone. Janika trailed a line of kisses there, traced the edge of the bone with the tip of her tongue. Let her hands explore Aedan's breasts as she nipped and sucked at the woman's flesh. Aedan sighed again, louder this time, and Janika felt the tension begin to leak out of the other woman. Her hands found Janika's shoulders, stroked them lightly before shifting up into her hair.
Aedan's touches were tentative, as if she still wasn't sure that she was allowed. Janika made sure she knew each and every caress was welcomed. She took her mouth away from Aedan's skin in order to press a hungry kiss to the woman's lips. Aedan responded almost immediately, mouth opening to Janika's so that they could take turns exploring with their tongues. Janika let her hands stroke down the length of Aedan's spine, fingers grazing the swell of her ass cheeks before bringing them around so that she could grasp Aedan's waist.
The buttons on her jeans gave easily under Janika's adept fingers. Aedan let her skim the denim down the length of her legs until it was pooled on the floor around her ankles. Then she kicked the garment off, leaned down to remove her shoes and socks. That left her standing before Janika in only her bra and panties. "God, you're beautiful," Janika breathed softly, her eyes slowly moving up and down the length of Aedan's body.
Her skin was pale and soft as silk. Her breasts were full and heavy in the cups of her bra, her hips flared under the straps of her panties. Janika let her hands explore the newly exposed expanse of Aedan's flesh, fingers teasing their way over hills and across valleys that saw shudders slipping up the other woman's spine. Aedan's breath caught in her throat over and over again, only to come back in a gasping rush as he lungs demanded more air. By the time Janika pulled back, Aedan's eyelids were half closed and her mouth hung open, lips parted ever so slightly as she panted for breath. There was a becoming flush of color in her cheeks. Janika smiled.
Then she reached for the remainder of Aedan's clothes, tugging her out of her underwear to reveal the rest of the other woman's flesh...
~*~*~*~*~
"Where is she?" he demanded, for what had to be the hundredth time in the past five minutes. The man's face was twisted in rage, eyes burning with a fervent light that Micah recognized as madness mixed with fanaticism. He still had no idea who this she the man kept asking about was. He thought the man had thrown a name out, but it wasn't one he recognized.
Micah stared at him, lips pressed together to prove he wasn't about to say anything. Even if he knew who the man was looking for, there was no way in hell he was going to turn her over to someone so obviously deranged. He kept his gaze focused on the man, though he could see the man's sister out of the corner of his eye. He'd glanced at her once, earlier, to make sure she was okay. It had earned her a fist to the side of the head from her brother. Micah had taken the blade of the man's scalpel to the side. Even now, hours later, the wound still throbbed and burned.
"You will answer me, abomination. You can't keep her from me. You can't keep the truth from an agent of our Lord," the man retorted. He pinned Micah with a stare, eyes hard and intense, trying to see into Micah's soul. Micah stared back, let just a bit of his beast stare at the man through his eyes. He was seriously tempted to tell the man to eat shit.
Silence held between the two of them. The man frowned at Micah, then turned to look at his tray of implements. The scalpel was still coated with Micah's blood, the color gone rusty when it dried on the blade. After several moments of staring, the man turned back to look at his captive. The smile that spread his lips was almost feral. Micah watched as the man reached out and took hold of one of Micah's fingers. He knew what was coming, mentally steeled himself against the coming pain, and waited. He wasn't disappointed.
The man jerked on the finger he held, pulling it up and back until it cracked loudly. Pain shot up Micah's arm, only slightly dulled by the constant stream of drugs being pumped into his system. Micah clenched his jaw, determined to keep any sounds of pain from his captor. There was no way he was going to feed the man's need to feel in control by crying out in pain. Let the fucker wonder why he couldn't get a rise out of Micah.
"Tell me what I want to know!" the man ordered.
Micah offered him a smile that said without words that the man should go fuck himself on a rusty pipe.
Another finger gave way to the man's temper, pain radiating up Micah's arm. Micah held back the grimace and the sound of pain, instead channeling every last bit of pain and emotion he was feeling into the wall he was building around himself. The only thing he could do was cut himself off from the pain, keep himself separate from the torture being heaped upon his body so that he could survive until Aedan showed up to rescue him. And he was sure it would be Aedan. He couldn't say why, but instinct told him she'd be the first person through the door. It wouldn't be pretty for anyone involved when she got there.
Tell me where she is! Tell me now!" the man snarled. Micah glared at him, conveying his boredom in the topic of discussion. The man took hold of a third finger and pulled. It snapped so loudly that the girl across the room jumped in surprise and fear. Then she was sidling closer, apprehension visible in every line of her body.
"Don't kill him, brother. Not yet. He can't give her to us if he dies," the girl whispered softly, one hand reaching out to pet the man's thigh nervously.
"Get off me, you pathetic bitch! And don't tell me what to do. If you'd done your job properly, we'd have achieved our objective by now!" he snarled, one hand catching her across the face with a loud, resounding, nasty backhanded hit. The girl hit the floor and lay there. One hand came up to press against the abused cheek. A soft whimper rolled up her throat.
"What kind of man beats up on his sister?" Micah asked, making sure his voice suggested he knew the answer to his own question. He also made sure that the look he shot the man's way told him that he wasn't even looking at a man.
"Tell me where she is. Give me her location and I'll grant you a quick, painless death. Better yet, call her and beg her to come save you. Bring her to me and I'll kill you first," the man said, changing his strategy and doing his best to seem less threatening.
Micah shook his head. "You're really insane if you think I'm going to give anyone to you."
The man's fist flew up and caught Micah across the cheek, snapping his head to the side. When Micah faced him again, his eyes had gone flat. His lips had gone even flatter. "Give her to me. She's an abomination that needs to be cleansed. Only when she's been purified will she be able to find heaven. And only I can offer her that salvation. Tell me where she is. Give her to me. I'll end your pain and suffering."
"I'll tell you again like I told you before. I don't know who the fuck you're talking about. And even if I did, I would never give her over to someone like you. No woman deserves the thoughts I see lingering in the backs of your eyes. Go fuck yourself."
The man snarled out a curse, voice loud in the small area. He turned to the tray and picked up a meat tenderizer. Micah stared at the small hammer for a moment. Then the man swung it and there was a sickening crunch as the bones in his hand shattered under the force of the blow.
Please, Aedan. Someone. Anyone. he thought, biting down on the urge to cry out in pain. Please find me soon. Find me and kill this son of a bitch.
~*~*~*~*~
Aedan's back was pressed against his chest, her head resting on his shoulder. Janika had her lips wrapped around one of Aedan's nipples, her fingers buried deep inside Aedan's body. One of his hands cupped Aedan's other breast, thumb stroking its nipple in a slow, almost absent manner. His other hand alternated between caressing Janika's body and teasing Aedan's clit. It had taken very little to convince her that she was welcome with the two of them. And while the tension had run out of her long ago, he could still sense the sadness that had welled up inside of her. It was that sadness, along with the fact that Aedan had gotten drunk, that had seen Janika asking him to join them.
And he knew exactly why Aedan was in her present state.
He'd watched, silently, as Aedan had tried to settle into her new life and her new role here in St. Louis. Of course he'd been angry with her presence when she'd first arrived. To be honest, he was still sometimes angry. Why had Anita had to die? Why had Aedan not been the one to die that night? Those questions chased themselves around his head at odd moments. He always felt terrible after the fact. He knew that this hadn't been Aedan's choice. He knew that Anita had done what she always did. She'd gone out and protected people. And he knew it hadn't been Aedan's choice to find herself in love with the Master of the City.
All of that had happened, though, and it was taking a toll on her. Both physically and mentally. When each one of the murders she'd seen was added to that toll... Well, Asher was surprised she hadn't folded yet. There was a silent kind of strength to her that very few people had. Anita had carried that strength, and he had to wonder if Aedan had gotten it from her or if she'd always had it and Anita's strength had merely combined with her own. By rights, it should have been the violence that had affected her most. He'd seen pictures of a few of the crime scenes. He knew what she'd seen. And yet, it was her emotions and emotional attachments that were making her life hell.
More specifically, it was Jean Claude's actions that left her so upset. Micah being taken by murderers she was trying to hunt down didn't help. Especially considering Micah was so important to her best friend. He knew there was something there, something Aedan kept to herself, that played into that particular relationship. Something had happened that she was holding back. She hadn't been quite the same since the attack on Minette at Jean Claude's party.
He might have let it go, might have considered that matter, whatever it was, resolved and done away with. But tonight had proved that consideration blatantly false. Aedan had seemed fine during the meeting, when she'd drawn information from Isis about the attack. And she'd seemed fine when he'd left the room. After that... Minette should not have been the one who ended up in Jean Claude's arms tonight.
Janika released her hold on Aedan's nipple in order to close the short distance between them and take Aedan's lips in a heated kiss that saw Aedan squirming against him. Her hands lifted, stroked Janika's body from cheeks to hips and back. A sigh rolled up her throat, muffled by the press of their mouths against one another. Then Janika broke away in order to bury her face in Aedan's throat. He watched as she spent a few moments there, mouth and tongue and teeth leaving their marks upon her flesh, before drifting down toward Aedan's breast again. Asher took the opportunity to reach up and turn Aedan's face his way. She stared into his eyes a moment before her lids fluttered shut. He pressed his own kiss against her lips, his tongue sliding into her mouth to tease her while Janika's mouth blazed a trail over Aedan's skin.
He swallowed her soft gasp down when Janika's mouth found the juncture between Aedan's thighs. Sure hands shifted the woman's legs further apart, hooking them over Asher's thighs to give her better access to Aedan's body. He brought his knees up, effectively widening Aedan's legs for Janika. Her mouth took up residence on Aedan's clit while her fingers continued to stroke in and out of the woman's body. Aedan's back arched against his chest, her sounds of pleasure muffled by the press of his lips to hers.
Asher's hands sought out Aedan's breasts. He covered them with his palms, squeezed and kneaded gently before shifting his fingers to her nipples. Each twist and tweak and tug saw her squirming against both of them. He would break off before it became too much, allowing his palms to once more manipulate the soft fullness of her flesh.
And then Janika's fingers delved deep, setting off minor tremors along Aedan's muscles. Asher felt her climax approaching and broke the kiss. Her gasps and groans and mewling sounds filled the air while he trailed kisses down her throat to the line of her shoulder. Janika dragged her tongue over Aedan's clit, pressing the small bundle of nerves hard. Aedan's cry of completion was loud, echoing off the stone walls with frightening intensity.
When she sagged back against him, Asher was there to hold her close and whisper sweet words into her ear.
~*~*~*~*~
His hands were on fire, his fingers a mangled mess of broken bones and torn joints. Each time he tried to move them, pain shot up his arms to his brain. While it wasn't the worst pain he'd ever endured, it was bad enough that he'd passed out, only to waken because the collar or whatever it was at his throat had started choking him. The girl had come to his aid, drawing her brother's attention and ire her way. He'd been treated to another round of the man fucking her hard before they'd left him alone for a few brief moments.
His body wanted to heal the damage, but the silver in the cuffs at his wrists and ankles made it hard for his lycanthropy to do its job. The pain from the cuffs had become a constant burn that lingered at the back of his brain and made thought difficult. Not that he had to do much thinking. His kidnapper kept asking the same questions over and over again. And he didn't have an answer to give, because he didn't know who the man was looking for. During their last session, the man had mentioned the same name more than once. Not that he could recall it at the moment. But he was pretty sure this woman wasn't anyone he knew.
A soft sound drew him from his jumbled thoughts to find that the girl was standing before him. She clutched a glass of water in one hand, her gaze darting furtively to the doorway every few seconds. "We don't have much time," she whispered and offered him the drink. He managed to grasp the straw with his lips and drank as much of the water as he could manage. "You're stronger than anyone he's done this to before."
There was something in her voice that suggested she'd been on the receiving end of her brother's less savory methods. That left him wondering what she'd done to deserve such treatment. Maybe, if he could make his brain work, he could get her to help him. "Help me," he whispered, voice barely a croak. "Set me free."
Her eyes went wide and they darted a glance at the door again. "I can't. If he catches me..." There was real fear in her eyes and in her voice. "I'll do anything else I can do to help keep you alive until your friends come to rescue you. But I can't let you go."
"I can protect you," he assured her.
"No one can protect me. I'm damned," she said softly, regret lacing her voice. Then she hurried to the other side of the room, taking the glass of water with her. He took it to mean that her brother was coming, meaning the torture was going to pick up again. He drew in a deep breath, working at centering himself. Something told him he was going to need it.
His kidnapper came into the room, face set in a look that suggested he was ready to start the torture up again. He stared straight at the asshole, daring him to do his worst. He wasn't going to give anything up. Didn't matter if he didn't know it or not. He wasn't about to give this man the satisfaction of thinking he'd broken him.
The man spared a look for his sister, then glanced back toward him. "Ready to talk yet?"
"I haven't got anything to tell you." He made sure there was defiance in his voice.
"The others always thought they could outlast me. None of them survived what I did to them. You won't be any different."
"You don't know anything about shape shifters," he replied quietly.
"I know your name is Micah Callahan. I know you're the head of the coalition here in St. Louis. I know you've been pushing for rights for freaks like you. I know you and your kind are a danger to the normal, God fearing community. I know you and freaks like you are a plague upon the world that must be eradicated," the man sneered.
"Like I said. You don't know anything about shape shifters," he repeated. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the girl's head lift to look at him. Even from across the room, he could see the surprise and disbelief in her eyes. And the hope.
"Let's see about that, shall we?" the man asked, then moved to his table of implements. Micah watched as he looked everything over before reaching for a hammer. He hefted the hammer, testing its weight in his hand. He then opened a drawer and removed a box. The top came away to reveal nails coated in shining silver. "Let's see what happens when I pound a few of these through your toes."
Micah glared at him, lips pressed together to signify that he wasn't going to give the man the satisfaction.
The tip of the nail touched his big toe, bringing burning pain with it as the silver reacted to his lycanthropy. Micah's gaze found the sister's, held it as her brother pounded the nail through his toe. Fiery flames of pain rushed out and up from his toe, eating his foot before climbing up his calf and thigh. He forced himself to remain stoic, to keep the pain from his eyes. Did what he could to keep his body loose. He was going to keep his captor from having the satisfaction of seeing his pain for as long as he was capable. And he wanted her to know that he could absolutely protect her from her brother.
"Tell me where she is!" the man barked.
"Get fucked."
His defiance earned him two more nails, each one driven through his toes in rapid succession. When the question came again, Micah had to fight to keep the pain out of his words. And he repeated himself, with a touch more intensity, so that the man understood that he would never break him.
The man's temper ran away with him. It was obvious he couldn't understand how anyone could withstand his methods of torture for any length of time. It made him wonder if the man honestly didn't understand what an alpha was. Or if he even knew. Maybe, if Micah got lucky, he could teach the sick bastard just what it meant to be an alpha before he had to shift to heal the damage to his body. Maybe he'd do it after he had to shift.
Another nail slammed through one of his toes.
And maybe it would be fun to see what his friends would do to the sick piece of shit. He let that image fill his mind, let it pull him away from the pain and the close quarters and the stench of fear on the air. It was nice to have dreams.
~*~*~*~*~
There was such an intense look of bliss on Aedan's face. It was easy to see. Her eyes were closed, mouth parted just the slightest bit as she panted for air. A hint of a blush was painted across her cheeks and drops of sweat dotted her forehead. Some of the shorter hairs right at the hairline had already been dampened by the perspiration. She had one hand curled into the bedding beneath her, the other resting on one breast, fingers teasing at her nipple softly. Asher had elected to sit to the side and simply watch them, his hands occasionally tweaking or stroking at some bit of their flesh. He seemed to be following Janika's lead in the encounter, and she could feel through their link that he was enjoying himself. He was filled with pleasure and arousal. Beneath that, she thought she sensed a thick pool of satisfaction, but she had to be imagining things.
"Oh. Fuck." Aedan's voice was breathless, head tossed back against the bedding. The move showed off the length of her neck, stretched it out as if in silent offering to the man at their side. A quick glance at Asher showed her that he was staring at Aedan's throat with a heavily lidded gaze, One of his hands reached out to cup Janika's breast, thumb gliding across her aching nipple. She sighed and shifted her hips just a little harder, drawing a gasp up Aedan's throat.
"Liked that, did you?" she asked, a wicked grin curling her lips. Aedan's eyes popped open, the color in them a deep, deep blue, and found her face.
"Fuck yes," the woman replied, her hands reaching up so that she could tease Janika's breasts. "Do that again."
Janika drew her hips back, held them for just a moment, then slid forward. The dildo pressed into Aedan with little resistance and only stopped when Janika's crotch was pressed against hers. Aedan's hips jerked, back arching ever so slightly so that she got that extra bit of penetration. She moaned loudly and wrapped her legs around Janika's waist. "You like a little bit of pain with your pleasure," Janika whispered.
"Stop talking," Aedan ordered. "Just fuck me. Hard."
"Someone's got a dirty mouth," Janika smirked, shooting her glance toward Asher.
"It is so refreshing when a woman knows what she wants and voices it plainly," he said by way of agreement. She leaned toward him just a bit, enough that he closed the distance and pressed a heated kiss to her lips. When he broke from her, leaving her panting and eager for more, she watched as he offered the same to Aedan. She went up on her elbows so that he didn't have to bend all the way down, making a tempting picture of her breasts in the process.
Asher's hair cascaded down over her chest, leaving her flesh covered in a fine shawl of gold. Her nipples poked through the strands, rosy and plump, begging to be sucked. When Asher lifted his head, Janika watched as his hair glided across her skin. A series of fine tremors slid up and down her spine. Before she could drop back onto the mattress, he bent his head to one nipple and drew it between his lips. She shuddered this time, moaned loudly, then jerked the slightest bit, telling Janika that he'd nipped the tender flesh of Aedan's breast. Nipple still caught between his lips, he tilted his head until he could look Janika in the eye. The silent suggestion there was plain to see.
She drew her hips back again, pressed the dildo back into Aedan's body. Fucked her hard. Aedan's arms came out from under her and the other woman would have flopped back down onto her back if he hadn't slipped his arms around her and held her up.
There was something far too erotic about seeing his golden head bent over Aedan's pale flesh. For a short span of time, Janika had wondered if she'd feel a touch of jealousy when Asher finally touched the other woman, when he kissed her and gave her pleasure. The question had been answered, fully quashed, when a rush of desire like she'd never known before had filled her. She was secure in her relationship with Asher. And Aedan fit with them as if she'd always been meant to be a part of them, as if she was an extension of them. They'd fallen together with little effort, fit together seamlessly.
Asher nipped Aedan's other breast, making the woman jump and quiver. The action drove the dildo deep and drew a sharp gasp up Aedan's throat. "Jesus fucking shit. Just like that, Janika. Please. I need more."
Aedan's hands had found purchase on Asher's shoulders. Janika couldn't see her face, but she could hear the deepening desire in the other woman's voice. Somehow, position be damned, she matched her hips to Janika's meeting each and every thrust. And each thrust saw Janika's own pleasure heightened.
"Will you come if I do?" Janika whispered, voice low and sultry and hungry. "Will you scream out my name and convulse around my cock if I fuck you harder? Beg me for more. Beg prettily. Beg for it, Aedan."
There was an inarticulate sound of frustration from the other side of Asher's body. And then Aedan found the strength to lift her head so that Janika could see her eyes. "Please, Janika. I need you to fuck me hard. I need you to make me come. I need you. Please. I'm begging. I need you. Please please please."
"Such pretty begging," Janika smiled. Asher lifted his head and looked at her, then gently settled Aedan on the mattress. He leaned in to offer Janika another blistering kiss, then sat back on the bed and waited. Janika stared down at Aedan a moment, then shook her head and reached for the woman's legs. "You know what? This will never do. I want you to turn over. And get up on your hands and knees."
Aedan muttered a string of curses, but she unlocked her legs and let them drop to the bedding. Janika drew back, pulling the dildo from the other woman's body, and smiled wickedly at the noise of disappointment she made. Then Aedan rolled, presenting Janika with her back and the curves of her ass. Aedan made a show of getting up onto her hands and knees, making sure to position her knees about shoulder width apart. Janika grinned before swinging one arm back and bringing it down against one of Aedan's ass cheeks. The woman jumped, giving a soft yelp to let Janika know she felt the same tingle under the skin of her butt cheek that Janika felt in her hand. She swatted the other side with the same force, then delivered a sharp blow between Aedan's thighs.
"Fuck!" Aedan yelped, body spasming with the contact.
"If you insist," Janika drawled. She curled her hands around Aedan's hips and pulled her back until the woman's pussy was almost touching the head of her strap on. Then Janika took hold of the toy and guided the head between Aedan's swollen lips. When the tip was lodged there, she once more took hold of Aedan's hips and pulled the woman onto her cock while she shoved her hips forward.
Aedan's wail of pained pleasure was music to Janika's ears.
She set a punishing pace, fucking hard with short thrusts that had Aedan's face buried in the pillow in short order. That didn't stop her from rocking her hips back into Janika each time she shoved her cock deep. And when it became obvious that Aedan was close to orgasm, Janika slowed down and started over again. She really did want to hear Aedan scream out her name. She wanted to put her own mark on the woman. She wanted Aedan to look at her for weeks after their encounter and blush with remembered pleasure.
"Goddamn it, Janika! Stop teasing me and make me come," Aedan snarled, voice muffled by the pillow. Janika chuckled and draped herself over Aedan's back. Doing so drove the dildo deeper. Aedan grunted and tried to wriggle back onto the toy, prompting Janika to pull her hips back.
"That isn't begging, Aedan. Beg me to give it to you. Beg me to make you come. Beg me."
"Fuck you. Stop being a bitch and fuck me," Aedan commanded.
"I'm sorry. I didn't hear what you said," Janika replied and pulled back further. The head of the toy was all that remained inside of Aedan's body and the woman whimpered at the loss. Janika held where she was, hands flat against Aedan's ass to keep her from rocking back, and waited.
"Please, Janika. Please finish me off. Fuck me hard and make me come. Please," Aedan finally got out, voice soft. There was a desperate quality to it. Janika smiled and leaned down, pressing the cock deep, so she could drop a kiss on Aedan's cheek.
"That's a good girl. Just make sure you scream out my name when you come," Janika said. She straightened up, put her hands on Aedan's hips for stability, and adjusted where her knees were in order to ensure her thrusts came with maximum force. She was poised on the edge of her first thrust when Asher's fingers found their way between her legs. They found her clit without trouble and gave the little bundle a soft flick with one nail. She hissed out a breath and wondered if she'd be able to last long enough to give Aedan the orgasm she was begging for.
The woman under her jumped just then, hissed her own breath, letting Janika know that Asher had found Aedan's clit. Maybe they'd get to come together.
Janika pushed her cock into Aedan with a long, sure, slow stroke. Aedan shivered under her, back arching ever so slightly. Asher flicked his fingers across their clits in unison, drawing gasps up their throats. Jesus Christ, this whole evening was going to kill her.
She tried to put Asher's caresses aside and focus her attention on Aedan. Her hands curled tighter into Aedan's hips, held her in place as she thrust in and pulled out. Her pace increased with the frequency and strength of Aedan's moans and groans, with the liquid heat that was rushing along each and every one of her nerves that came from Asher's fingers at her clit.
Aedan came first, voice breaking on a scream from which Janika was barely able to pull her own name. And then it didn't matter anymore because her own orgasm broke and she cried out her pleasure.
When she found her way out from under the waves of pleasure, it was to find that she had collapsed against Aedan, who had collapsed against the bed. The strap on was still buried deep, Aedan was shaking ever so slightly, panting hard for breath, and Janika decided she was going to fuck Aedan again.
And maybe even again after that.
~*~*~*~*~
Sweat stood out on his brow, rolled thickly down his spine. Tremors he couldn't control slid up and down his body in waves, a response to the nails pinning his toes to the block of wood beneath his feet. Between the constant flow of drugs and the silver burning under his skin, he'd lost track of time. He knew he was alone, but he didn't know how long ago his captors had left him. He didn't know for sure when they'd come back. Visions of escape and retribution chased one another around in his head.
Micah tried to still his body. He knew he couldn't still his mind. Too many thoughts and dreams and bloody images crowded it, wouldn't let him do so. Most of those things involved Aedan finding him and his captors being torn to shreds. Maybe not the girl so much, but definitely her brother. The son of a bitch was sick and sadistic, the kind of killer he knew Anita had gone up against more times than she'd cared to count. He'd seen firsthand what dealing with this kind of crazy had done to her. That knowledge left Micah worried about Aedan having to deal with them.
She was still young, still really untried when it came to things like this. Crime sprees like the one these two had been on left a mark on a person. He had no doubt that Aedan struggled with what she saw. What happened if what these two did here broke her in ways no one could repair?
He knew that she would spearhead his rescue. And it was looking more and more as if he'd need to be rescued. Every minute spent in his captors' tender care saw him growing weaker and weaker. If he could get away from the silver, he could heal himself. But there was nothing he could do to convince the girl to help him. She refused to believe that he could help protect her, so frightened of what her brother would do to her if she set Micah free that she wouldn't even entertain the idea of letting him go.
He had to hope, when Aedan and the other came for him, that they'd see what the girl's brother had done to him. That they'd spare her and try to get her help. If he was capable, he'd put in a good word for her. Of course he'd considered that she was playing the good cop to his bad cop in the routine, but her fear was too real for her to be acting. You couldn't act like you were afraid of something and smell the way she did. She'd practically bathed in fear. Regardless, he was going to keep attempting to appeal to her. Maybe, just maybe, she could convince her to get a message to the others for him. Let him go. Something. Anything that would get him away from this hell.
His brain fogged over for a bit. He didn't know how long. One moment, he'd been thinking about escape. The next, he was opening his eyes to find the girl was watching him. She hadn't been in the room before, which left him wondering how long he'd been out. For the moment, the fear was gone. There was curiosity clinging to her. And the unmistakable aura of a wolf. Her power danced lightly against his skin, reminding him that she was as much a member of the preternatural crowd as Micah was.
"Why don't you fight back?" he asked her quietly. She was certainly physically stronger than her brother. She could put him down with little effort on her part. Why hadn't she?
She stared at him as if she didn't understand his question. Then she blinked and the look in her eyes changed. He could see a touch of lucidity there, but it was nearly hidden behind the madness. "Because he'll kill me if I do."
"You're stronger than he is. You're a wolf."
Her eyes went wide with that and he watched as she checked to ensure her brother wasn't in the room with them. "Shhh. Don't. He doesn't like to be reminded of my sins. He's trying to save me. Trying to rid me of the evil that lives within me."
Micah blinked at that. "He can't cure you. Lycanthropy doesn't go away. Once you have it, you have it for life. You don't need to let him use and abuse you the way he does. I swear I can help you. Just untie me and I'll take you to people who can help you see that there's nothing wrong with you."
"He doesn't abuse me," she said, tone petulant. "He loves me."
"What he does to you is wrong. What he's doing to me is wrong. This person he's trying to find, this woman... What do you think he's going to do to her when he finds her?"
The girl stared at him, obviously trying to figure out the lie in his words. "He's going to bring her back into the light. Back into the fold. He's going to save her from her sins."
"And what happens if he decides he wants to rid her of her sins the same way he's trying to get information from me? What happens if he decides he loves her best and puts you aside in favor of her? Where does that leave you?"
"He wouldn't do that. He loves me. He told me so," the girl replied. She tried to make sure he knew she believed what she was saying. But he heard the doubt in her words. He shook his head.
"Brothers should do to sisters what he does to you," Micah told her softly. "I can help you. I know very powerful people. People who can protect you. But you have to help me. Please. I have someone I care about very much who has to be going mad with worry and grief right now. Can you imagine what that feels like? Haven't you ever had something taken from you without your consent?"
The look on her face said she had. The way her hands trembled said she had. And the way she touched her stomach, very briefly, said she'd lost something so amazing and important to her. It explained some of her actions, the way she behaved. He softened his voice, softened his words so that she was the only one who could possibly hear them. "I know other women like you who lost children because of the changes their bodies went through. And I know women who found ways to carry a child to term. They can teach you those ways. Just please, please... Get me out of here. And I swear to the heavens that I will protect you. I will help you."
Hope flittered across her face. So very briefly that he almost missed it. That bit of emotion saw him pressing on.
"Your brother is right. My name is Micah. I am the head of the coalition here in St. Louis. And I'm in a position to help you. You just have to trust me. And help get me out of here."
She was silent for a long, long while. Long enough that he thought she had slipped away from him. Somewhere in the distance, they heard the banging of a door as it slammed shut. The girl jumped and started toward the door. But she stopped before she stepped through and turned back to look at him. "I'll think about it. I'll try."
She turned to leave. Stopped again. She didn't face him this time. "My name is Grace." Then she was out the door before he could even register her words. And a minute later, her brother stepped into the room to take her place.
~*~*~*~*~
Aedan was stretched out over Janika, their mouths feasting hungrily upon one another's. This time, it was Aedan who wore the strap on, her hips shifting in a very slow, very particular way that suggested she'd done this a time or two before and she knew exactly how to fuck her partner and drive them wild. Janika had her legs wrapped around Aedan's waist, her hands buried in the length of the other woman's hair. Even before she'd made her first thrust, Aedan had invited Asher to join them. He'd elected to remain on the sidelines, interested in seeing how this part of the evening played out.
It was playing out very well. He'd enjoyed how everything before this had brought them to this point. And, technically, it wasn't the evening any longer. It was close to dawn, the weight of the sun's rising pressing at the back of his mind. They wouldn't be able to play much longer because he would have to seek the safety of the lower levels in order to sleep. Aedan needed to sleep, much as she was loathe to admit it. She'd made herself responsible for Micah's kidnapping and that meant she was going to do everything it took to get him back. Even if it killed her to do so. He didn't want to put an end to their fun. He enjoyed the pleasure that had come to rest on Janika's face, loved watching the two of them explore each other's bodies. He almost felt like there was something between them, some deep bond he couldn't find, that drove their actions. But he had to be imagining that because he knew that Janika and Aedan hadn't known one another until after Anita's death.
"You've done this before," Janika's breathless statement drew him away from that thought. Aedan had lifted her head, likely to catch her breath. In doing so, she'd shifted the position of her legs, bent them at the knee and brought them up so that they pressed against Janika on either side of her body. He knew from experience that it would change the angle of penetration, deepen it.
Aedan's hips shifted, pulled back and pressed forward. A shudder ran along Janika's spine and her eyes closed briefly as she gasped out a breath. "Maybe a time or two," Aedan smirked. Then she leaned down, spine arching, and wrapped her lips around one of Janika's nipples. When she lifted her head, there was a red spot around the glistening nipple, letting Asher know that Janika had bit it. "You taste like fresh cream," she whispered before bending down to take the other nipple into her mouth.
Janika sighed softly, arching her back just enough to offer more of her breast up to Aedan. The other woman sucked Janika's nipple deeper, her hands gliding down Janika's sides with feather light touches that sent shivers skittering under Janika's skin. They looked so lovely together. He really didn't want to break that up. But they had to move things along.
"I hate to intrude, but you two are enough to drive any man wild," Asher said as he slid closer. Aedan lifted her head to look at him. He could see the exhaustion at the back of her eyes, just waiting. She needed sleep. She needed rest. If she was to be of any use to Micah, she had to sleep. He knew a way to help her with that. He looked to Janika and offered her a smile I will make this up to you, mon ange. Dawn approaches and Aedan needs rest. I can give it to her.
"Do what you have to, Asher. I understand." Janika returned his smile, then reached out to cup Aedan's face. When the other woman turned back to her, she raised up and pressed a kiss to Aedan's lips. "Much as I'd love to spend the whole day doing this, dawn is coming and Asher wants his turn."
It took Aedan a moment to fully process what Janika had said to her. When she did, she turned eyes gone wide with confusion and surprise his way. He gave a nod and smiled at her, holding a hand out to her. Aedan glanced back to Janika with a question burning in her eyes. Janika smiled and nodded her head. "Its okay. We can continue this another time. Besides, you're too damned good at that for your own good and I'm tired. I need a break. And you need to get laid."
"I thought that's what we were doing," Aedan replied. The smile she wore when she said it told him she was teasing Janika.
"It was. And we'll be doing it again. Later. Go climb on top of him and ride him until you explode. I want to see what you look like when someone who isn't me gives you an orgasm," she said and nudged Aedan back. Aedan shook her head, then delivered one last kiss to Janika's lips and pulled away.
Asher helped her out of the harness for the strap on. The toy made a gentle thud as it landed on the floor, already forgotten as he pulled her into his lap. Aedan let her hands wander, fingers on one hand tracing the thick scars on the right side of his body with the same sense of curiosity as the fingers that trailed over the unscarred flesh. Her touch was gentle, but firm, as she explored his body. He gave her a few moments to touch to her heart's desire before he took hold of her hips and lifted her up far enough to position her over his erect cock. She reached down and took hold of his shaft with one hand, centering it so that all he had to do was lower her onto him. His cock slid inside easily. Aedan settled on top of him, eyes rolling up before they closed as a shudder rolled through her.
Her body was eager for him, muscles clenching around him as he slid deep into her wet warmth. "Fuck!" she hissed. Her hands lifted to settle on his shoulders, fingers rubbing against the length of his hair. Fingers curled around her hips, he urged her into motion. Aedan rose up and slid down, body starting with a slow, steady rhythm. Her eyes slid closed as she rode him, a soft sigh escaping her before he pressed his lips against hers.
She fell into her rhythm so easily, fell into the feel of his body against hers as if it was something she experienced all the time. Perhaps there was some memory of Anita's that allowed it. He had no clue how that particular magic worked. What he did know was the feel of her power wrapping around him, the way her body had wrapped around him. What he cared about was the way that power called to him the same way the blood that pounded in her veins called to him. And when her head tipped back on her shoulders, offering him the line of her throat, he accepted it for the invitation it was.
She shuddered when he pressed a kiss to her throat. When a fang grazed her skin, she nearly bucked against him, pressing her hips down over him so that his cock slid into her as far as it could. He took it as a sign that she was more than ready for him to well and truly fuck her. So he gripped her hips tight and started his own rhythm, pounded his hips up against hers in order to start her on the climb to her release.
It didn't take long. The earlier play with Janika had left her hovering on the edge and a few hard, deep strokes saw her body tensing around him as he fucked her. Aedan clung to him, panted into the silence of the room. It was going to be so easy to send her screaming over the edge. Almost too easy. He sped his pace, one hand remaining on her hip to keep her moving in time with him. He lifted the other hand, fingers curling around her chin in order to convince her to lift her face.
He caught her stare with his own, held it and pressed at her with his power. Her rhythm faltered. It saw him returning his hand to her hip in order to keep her moving. There was no reason to keep hold of her chin. He already held her with his gaze. So it was easy for him to roll her mind under the waves of his power. Doing so triggered her orgasm. As her muscles tightened down around him, he sank his fangs into her throat and drew her blood into his mouth.
Aedan called out his name, body tense in his hold as she came around him. As she came undone and he drank deeply of her. His own orgasm roared through him, fueled by the magic and the death in her blood and the feel of her mind against his own.
He didn't let her go until Janika's hand touched his arm and drew his attention her way. She smiled at him, rising up to press a kiss to his bloody lips. "Enough, Asher. Enough."
~*~*~*~*~
Micah spit the blood from his mouth as he watched his captor stare at his favorite torture implements. The man had broken his nose and knocked a couple of teeth loose. It also felt like maybe a rib or two was cracked. He was surprised that the man had gone with bare fists this time. There were faint bruises here and there, small and light and filled with the promise to grow bigger and darker before the night was out. If not for the silver, they'd be gone already. Micah thought maybe there was something in the drugs, too. But he didn't know, couldn't be sure.
Didn't care. He just knew he needed to get away before his captor succeeded in killing him.
After several long moments of silent contemplation, the man pulled a drawer open on his torture table. It was the same drawer the nails had been stashed in. This time, though, he removed a thin wooden box that looked like it was harmless enough. Micah had no illusions as to anything in the room being harmless. So he wasn't surprised when the case opened to reveal a line of shining silver needles. The man pulled one from the case and held it up so Micah could see it. "Just how much silver can you handle before it poisons you?"
Micah stared, said nothing. Just waited. He didn't have to wait for long.
"Tell me what it is I want to know, or we'll find out exactly how much silver it takes to poison your already blighted blood."
"I don't have anything to tell you," Micah replied softly. The man stared at him a moment, then stepped closer and held the needle at eye level. As if offering Micah one last chance. Micah considered spitting blood on his captor, but decided against it. He was above it.
"Last chance. Tell me or I'll bury this in the muscle of your thigh. I'm more than willing to see how long it takes to work its purifying magic on your damned soul," the man told him.
"Go fuck yourself." Those three words had quickly become a mantra over the course of the torture sessions. Micah put as much vehemence into them as he could. It was the only real answer he was going to give the sadistic fuck.
"Stubborn to the very core, I see," his captor said, almost absently. The free hand came out to take hold of Micah's thigh, squeezing the muscle up between his fingers. The tip of the needle rested against his skin for a second or two, then the thin piece of metal pierced his skin, burning as it was pushed into the thick muscle of his thigh. Pain flashed across his brain, fire kindling just under the skin briefly before burning its way through his quadriceps. The man made sure that the entire needle was buried under Micah's skin. "Tell me."
"Go to hell," Micah retorted.
His answer earned him another needle. This time in the opposite thigh. Each needle brought more fire to his muscles until they quivered with pain. He knew the location of each and every needle. One in each thigh. One in each calf. One in each of his upper and lower arms. His chest. His belly. He strongly suspected that the only reason there were none in his back was because the man got off on seeing his pain.
A final needle came from the box, which the man set aside. He showed it to Micah, as he had all the others. This one was longer than the rest. Thicker. "One last chance, freak. Tell me where she is and I'll end this pain."
"Get fucked," Micah replied. He didn't like this his voice was hoarse, but it couldn't be helped. He wasn't about to give anyone over to this sick ass. Didn't matter if he knew who that person was or not.
"I see," the man said, then stepped closer. "I'd like to say this will hurt me more than it'll hurt you, but that would be a lie. And I was taught that its very bad to lie."
The man's hand was clinical when it took hold of his shaft. He pulled the length down until the skin was pulled taut. The burn of the needle hit him hard, followed by the pain as the long piece of metal was pushed into the soft, yielding flesh of his penis. It took everything he had to hold back the bellow of pain that came with the violation, leaving him sweating and shaking in his bonds. The man stepped back and looked at him, then gave half a grin. "Tell me and I'll remove it."
"Why don't you suck my dick?" Micah asked, voice low and rough. This time, he did spit blood on the man.
"I can see you need time to think on it," the man replied. "Its getting close to dawn. I'm tired. I imagine you're tired, as well. Let's sleep on it and start fresh later. Maybe a few hours like this will change your mind."
Micah watched the man turn toward the door. He stopped before stepping through, turning to look at Micah. "Don't let my sister's act fool you. She pretends to be a saint. But she's little more than a weak whore. She'll never help you."
The lights went out, the door closed, and Micah was left alone in the dark with his pain.
~*~*~*~*~
Asher was just stepping from Aedan's room when Jean Claude finally reached her door. Minette had clung to him for some time after they'd finished with their intimacy and he'd only just gotten away. He was surprised to find his temoin coming from his human servant's chambers. He was even more surprised by the dark look on Asher's face and his refusal to step away from the door. "Leave her be," Asher ordered.
Jean Claude stared a moment. He couldn't remember the last time Asher had given him orders. "Leave her be?"
"Yes. You have done enough damage this night. She needs rest." There was no give in Asher's voice.
"What damage have I done?"
Asher considered him a moment, then leaned back against the door. His arms were crossed over his chest in what appeared to be a negligent pose. He was anything but relaxed. It took him some time to speak. "Janika happened to run into Aedan tonight inside the Circus. She had been drinking."
That was never a good sign. He knew from experience that Aedan only drank when she was extremely upset.
"She had also been crying."
Jean Claude did not like where this was going.
"It did not take a mind reader to know that your human servant was upset because she knew you had taken her best friend to... " Asher stopped and stared, then shook his head. "Why should I sugar coat it? Aedan was upset because she knew you had fucked her best friend."
"I fail to see how any of this matters."
Asher muttered a few choice words in French, then motioned to the door behind him. "It matters to her because she has fallen in love with you. Perhaps you are too busy or blind to see it, but everyone else knows."
There was a weird pain where his heart was located. He should not be surprised by such news. He had long suspected Aedan bore feelings for him. It was different to have someone confirm his suspicions for him, though.
"If you do not want her, Jean Claude, say the word. Janika and I will happily accept her into our bed," Asher told him, a touch of pride and gloating in his words. "She seemed more than content there earlier. And she is a very passionate woman."
He was glad of his years as a vampire because it made it possible for him to keep his surprise at Asher's words hidden away. He honestly wasn't sure what he wanted. Wasn't he still mourning the loss of Anita? Weren't they all, in one fashion or another? He shouldn't be surprised that Aedan would seek solace where she could, with whomever she could. If any of Anita's emotions and memories had been passed on, Aedan would feel love for Asher. It would make sense that she'd allow him to take her into his bed. And yet... Something about knowing his second had bedded his human servant before he'd had opportunity to do so didn't sit well with him. Hell, he hadn't even figured out what deeper emotions he had for the girl. If any.
"Whether I want her in my bed or not is irrelevant. I have come to speak to her. There are questions that should be answers. I would like to know why she is behaving as she is." Jean Claude took a step forward. Asher didn't move.
"Your questions will have to wait for another time. Aedan is unable to answer them at the moment. I made sure of it." There was no mistaking what Asher was telling him. He'd used his powers and rolled Aedan's mind. It left Jean Claude wondering, for a moment or two, if he had any chance with Aedan after that. "How she has managed to function this long without collapsing is a miracle. Let her rest. After she finds Micah is a perfect time to ask about her behavior."
"You care about her so much?" Jean Claude questioned. He knew well how Asher felt about Aedan. He'd made no bones about his belief that Aedan should have been the one on the road instead of Anita. This sudden concern about Aedan's health and well-being was unforeseen.
"Apparently more than you do," Asher replied evenly. Had his words been a blade, they would have pierced Jean Claude's heart. After a moment, the other man sighed and shook his head. "Of course I care about her. I am hardly the heartless bastard everyone believes me to be. Aedan is young and confused and she is struggling to be the person she believes everyone wants her to be. She is on a path of self-destruction. She needs someone to help her shoulder the burden. You seem uninterested in the task. If not you, then who? I am hardly as beautiful as you, Jean Claude, but she does not see the scars. I could do worse than to have two women who willingly touch me."
"She sees your beauty, mon chardonneret. Just as I do." Jean Claude's voice was soft and gentle, a caress to remind Asher that he would always love him.
"Let her sleep, Jean Claude. Give her time to come to terms with her feelings," Asher said, this time in a much more compassionate tone. Jean Claude gave a hint of a smile. "I suspect, when things settle and she better knows her mind, she will be more than willing to answer your questions."
Asher was no doubt right. Jean Claude had no idea if Aedan had had time to settle in. It seemed the murders had started up almost as soon as she'd gotten to St. Louis and they hadn't really stopped since. "Thank you for looking out for her. I shudder to think what would have happened if you had not been there for her."
"It was my pleasure." His voice said it really had. "She is a beautiful young woman, full of passion and fire. She is also full of sadness and need. And secrets. In that moment, she needed someone who understood. But she will need someone who plans on being there for her permanently the next time something terrible happens. Do not fail her, Jean Claude."
"I will do my best," Jean Claude replied, inclining his head to acknowledge Asher's words. "Any other advice, mon ami?"
"Yes. Try not to fuck any more of her friends."
Chapter Forty Nine: Pleasure and Pain
Fandom: Anita Blake universe
Rating: 18 and up
Warnings: graphic sex and violence, language, anything else i can toss in.
Disclaimer: the recognizable characters and places contained herein are the property of LKH. i'm merely borrowing for the sake of entertainment. no money is being made from this venture. the Sues are the sole property of their originators, Ginevra, Dazzledfirestar, Nanaea, SilverFoxChan and ladydeathfaerie. the concept and title of The Mary Sue Virus are used with permission from Dazzledfirestar.
Author's Notes: this one is... maybe a bit on the graphic side. its literally nothing but sex. and torture. so proceed with caution. and maybe some towels or something. just sayin'
The Mary Sue Virus: Beyond Death - Index Link
Aedan looked shell shocked when Asher finally drew back. She blinked up at him, chest heaving, hands curled into the material of his dress shirt. "I think you surprised her, Asher," Janika said, voice warm and husky. She kicked her jeans off and climbed from the couch, then tugged her shirt up over her head. It fell to the floor, forgotten, as she closed the distance between them. He bestowed his own kiss upon her lips when she joined them, a sweet vow made without words, then pulled back so that they both could look at Aedan.
She was staring at the two of them as if she'd never seen them before, eyes wide and glassy. Janika was sure that was a combination of the evening's trauma, alcohol, Asher's kiss, and whatever had happened with Jean Claude. Because something had happened with Jean Claude. London had reported seeing her tear out of the Circus like all the hounds of Hell had been on her heels and that was usually her normal response to the Master of the City. Whatever had transpired between them after their meeting had obviously been unpleasant for her.
Of course Asher had told her about the meeting he'd been part of earlier, how the lycanthrope killers had tried to grab Isis and Micah had saved her at his own expense. It was terrible, because she'd seen firsthand what the lycanthrope killers were capable of. The idea that Micah was being subjected to that kind of torture was almost incomprehensible. She knew without having to ask that the plan was to get him back as soon as possible. How that would happen was beyond her because no one seemed to be able to actually find the pair of them.
"I think you are right, mon ange," he replied, voice quiet and thoughtful. Janika glanced at him to find that he was studying Aedan intently, as if he could read things written into her skin that no one else could. Perhaps he could.
"I should go. I should be looking for Micah. I should be doing something. I should..." Aedan stammered, then came to a halt.
"You should rest yourself," Asher replied, reaching out to put one hand on her arm even though she hadn't actually moved. "Physically and mentally. It will do none of us any good if you reach your breaking point, Aedan."
"Asher's right, hon," Janika told her. Exhaustion lurked in the backs of her gaze, lingered just under her eyes in the dark smudges that ringed them. If Janika had to guess, she'd been teetering on the edge for a long, long time. And then there was the fact that she'd been drinking. Letting her go hunting for Micah while she was still drunk was a sure way to see Aedan injured. Janika shared a look with Asher, one that asked him if he'd meant the kiss the way she thought he had. He gave a slight incline of his head to let her know that he had. "You need to rest. And there just happens to be a bed here to rest upon."
She reached out and took hold of Aedan's hand, tugging her toward the bed she'd just mentioned. Aedan hesitated, feet planted against to floor. But Janika pulled on her arm, staggering Aedan into motion so that she followed Janika to their destination. Janika didn't need to look to see that Asher brought up the rear, though she suspected he'd purposely left a gap between Aedan and himself. No doubt to help the woman relax. She could feel the other woman's tension where their hands met. Give her a few minutes and Janika was sure she could do something about that.
They stopped beside the bed, Aedan still appearing lost and confused about everything. Janika took the lead and reached for the lapels of the coat the other woman was wearing. Aedan let her push the coat from her shoulders. The garment was passed off to Asher before Janika reached for the straps of the shoulder holster Aedan wore. That move jolted the other woman from her shock, her hands coming up to gently push Janika's away. The holster came off in the blink of an eye, handed over to Asher without a word. Aedan then let Janika remove her clothing, one piece at a time.
Aedan's t-shirt went first, dropped to the floor with the same lack of care as Janika had used with her own shirt. Janika lifted a hand to trail her fingers down the length of Aedan's arm. She could feel muscle hidden beneath smooth, silken skin. There was also a quiver there. She wasn't sure if it was in anticipation or if it was brought on by fear or cold. But it was there, undetectable unless one had their hand on her when that quiver took her.
When Aedan didn't brush her hand off, Janika grew bolder. She returned her fingers to Aedan's shoulder, then let her hand slide down over her collar bone, tracing the edge of Aedan's bra strap, until her fingers brushed over the curve of her breast. Aedan's breath hitched in her throat. A flick of Janika's fingers saw the nipple hidden behind the plain black material pucker up into a tight peak. Janika shifted her hand around until she could cup the weight of Aedan's breast in it, fingers curled loosely around the sides. Aedan breathed out a sigh and let her eyes fall closed.
Janika leaned in, pressed a quick kiss to Aedan's lips, before shifting her focus to the bared skin of Aedan's collar bone. Janika trailed a line of kisses there, traced the edge of the bone with the tip of her tongue. Let her hands explore Aedan's breasts as she nipped and sucked at the woman's flesh. Aedan sighed again, louder this time, and Janika felt the tension begin to leak out of the other woman. Her hands found Janika's shoulders, stroked them lightly before shifting up into her hair.
Aedan's touches were tentative, as if she still wasn't sure that she was allowed. Janika made sure she knew each and every caress was welcomed. She took her mouth away from Aedan's skin in order to press a hungry kiss to the woman's lips. Aedan responded almost immediately, mouth opening to Janika's so that they could take turns exploring with their tongues. Janika let her hands stroke down the length of Aedan's spine, fingers grazing the swell of her ass cheeks before bringing them around so that she could grasp Aedan's waist.
The buttons on her jeans gave easily under Janika's adept fingers. Aedan let her skim the denim down the length of her legs until it was pooled on the floor around her ankles. Then she kicked the garment off, leaned down to remove her shoes and socks. That left her standing before Janika in only her bra and panties. "God, you're beautiful," Janika breathed softly, her eyes slowly moving up and down the length of Aedan's body.
Her skin was pale and soft as silk. Her breasts were full and heavy in the cups of her bra, her hips flared under the straps of her panties. Janika let her hands explore the newly exposed expanse of Aedan's flesh, fingers teasing their way over hills and across valleys that saw shudders slipping up the other woman's spine. Aedan's breath caught in her throat over and over again, only to come back in a gasping rush as he lungs demanded more air. By the time Janika pulled back, Aedan's eyelids were half closed and her mouth hung open, lips parted ever so slightly as she panted for breath. There was a becoming flush of color in her cheeks. Janika smiled.
Then she reached for the remainder of Aedan's clothes, tugging her out of her underwear to reveal the rest of the other woman's flesh...
~*~*~*~*~
"Where is she?" he demanded, for what had to be the hundredth time in the past five minutes. The man's face was twisted in rage, eyes burning with a fervent light that Micah recognized as madness mixed with fanaticism. He still had no idea who this she the man kept asking about was. He thought the man had thrown a name out, but it wasn't one he recognized.
Micah stared at him, lips pressed together to prove he wasn't about to say anything. Even if he knew who the man was looking for, there was no way in hell he was going to turn her over to someone so obviously deranged. He kept his gaze focused on the man, though he could see the man's sister out of the corner of his eye. He'd glanced at her once, earlier, to make sure she was okay. It had earned her a fist to the side of the head from her brother. Micah had taken the blade of the man's scalpel to the side. Even now, hours later, the wound still throbbed and burned.
"You will answer me, abomination. You can't keep her from me. You can't keep the truth from an agent of our Lord," the man retorted. He pinned Micah with a stare, eyes hard and intense, trying to see into Micah's soul. Micah stared back, let just a bit of his beast stare at the man through his eyes. He was seriously tempted to tell the man to eat shit.
Silence held between the two of them. The man frowned at Micah, then turned to look at his tray of implements. The scalpel was still coated with Micah's blood, the color gone rusty when it dried on the blade. After several moments of staring, the man turned back to look at his captive. The smile that spread his lips was almost feral. Micah watched as the man reached out and took hold of one of Micah's fingers. He knew what was coming, mentally steeled himself against the coming pain, and waited. He wasn't disappointed.
The man jerked on the finger he held, pulling it up and back until it cracked loudly. Pain shot up Micah's arm, only slightly dulled by the constant stream of drugs being pumped into his system. Micah clenched his jaw, determined to keep any sounds of pain from his captor. There was no way he was going to feed the man's need to feel in control by crying out in pain. Let the fucker wonder why he couldn't get a rise out of Micah.
"Tell me what I want to know!" the man ordered.
Micah offered him a smile that said without words that the man should go fuck himself on a rusty pipe.
Another finger gave way to the man's temper, pain radiating up Micah's arm. Micah held back the grimace and the sound of pain, instead channeling every last bit of pain and emotion he was feeling into the wall he was building around himself. The only thing he could do was cut himself off from the pain, keep himself separate from the torture being heaped upon his body so that he could survive until Aedan showed up to rescue him. And he was sure it would be Aedan. He couldn't say why, but instinct told him she'd be the first person through the door. It wouldn't be pretty for anyone involved when she got there.
Tell me where she is! Tell me now!" the man snarled. Micah glared at him, conveying his boredom in the topic of discussion. The man took hold of a third finger and pulled. It snapped so loudly that the girl across the room jumped in surprise and fear. Then she was sidling closer, apprehension visible in every line of her body.
"Don't kill him, brother. Not yet. He can't give her to us if he dies," the girl whispered softly, one hand reaching out to pet the man's thigh nervously.
"Get off me, you pathetic bitch! And don't tell me what to do. If you'd done your job properly, we'd have achieved our objective by now!" he snarled, one hand catching her across the face with a loud, resounding, nasty backhanded hit. The girl hit the floor and lay there. One hand came up to press against the abused cheek. A soft whimper rolled up her throat.
"What kind of man beats up on his sister?" Micah asked, making sure his voice suggested he knew the answer to his own question. He also made sure that the look he shot the man's way told him that he wasn't even looking at a man.
"Tell me where she is. Give me her location and I'll grant you a quick, painless death. Better yet, call her and beg her to come save you. Bring her to me and I'll kill you first," the man said, changing his strategy and doing his best to seem less threatening.
Micah shook his head. "You're really insane if you think I'm going to give anyone to you."
The man's fist flew up and caught Micah across the cheek, snapping his head to the side. When Micah faced him again, his eyes had gone flat. His lips had gone even flatter. "Give her to me. She's an abomination that needs to be cleansed. Only when she's been purified will she be able to find heaven. And only I can offer her that salvation. Tell me where she is. Give her to me. I'll end your pain and suffering."
"I'll tell you again like I told you before. I don't know who the fuck you're talking about. And even if I did, I would never give her over to someone like you. No woman deserves the thoughts I see lingering in the backs of your eyes. Go fuck yourself."
The man snarled out a curse, voice loud in the small area. He turned to the tray and picked up a meat tenderizer. Micah stared at the small hammer for a moment. Then the man swung it and there was a sickening crunch as the bones in his hand shattered under the force of the blow.
Please, Aedan. Someone. Anyone. he thought, biting down on the urge to cry out in pain. Please find me soon. Find me and kill this son of a bitch.
~*~*~*~*~
Aedan's back was pressed against his chest, her head resting on his shoulder. Janika had her lips wrapped around one of Aedan's nipples, her fingers buried deep inside Aedan's body. One of his hands cupped Aedan's other breast, thumb stroking its nipple in a slow, almost absent manner. His other hand alternated between caressing Janika's body and teasing Aedan's clit. It had taken very little to convince her that she was welcome with the two of them. And while the tension had run out of her long ago, he could still sense the sadness that had welled up inside of her. It was that sadness, along with the fact that Aedan had gotten drunk, that had seen Janika asking him to join them.
And he knew exactly why Aedan was in her present state.
He'd watched, silently, as Aedan had tried to settle into her new life and her new role here in St. Louis. Of course he'd been angry with her presence when she'd first arrived. To be honest, he was still sometimes angry. Why had Anita had to die? Why had Aedan not been the one to die that night? Those questions chased themselves around his head at odd moments. He always felt terrible after the fact. He knew that this hadn't been Aedan's choice. He knew that Anita had done what she always did. She'd gone out and protected people. And he knew it hadn't been Aedan's choice to find herself in love with the Master of the City.
All of that had happened, though, and it was taking a toll on her. Both physically and mentally. When each one of the murders she'd seen was added to that toll... Well, Asher was surprised she hadn't folded yet. There was a silent kind of strength to her that very few people had. Anita had carried that strength, and he had to wonder if Aedan had gotten it from her or if she'd always had it and Anita's strength had merely combined with her own. By rights, it should have been the violence that had affected her most. He'd seen pictures of a few of the crime scenes. He knew what she'd seen. And yet, it was her emotions and emotional attachments that were making her life hell.
More specifically, it was Jean Claude's actions that left her so upset. Micah being taken by murderers she was trying to hunt down didn't help. Especially considering Micah was so important to her best friend. He knew there was something there, something Aedan kept to herself, that played into that particular relationship. Something had happened that she was holding back. She hadn't been quite the same since the attack on Minette at Jean Claude's party.
He might have let it go, might have considered that matter, whatever it was, resolved and done away with. But tonight had proved that consideration blatantly false. Aedan had seemed fine during the meeting, when she'd drawn information from Isis about the attack. And she'd seemed fine when he'd left the room. After that... Minette should not have been the one who ended up in Jean Claude's arms tonight.
Janika released her hold on Aedan's nipple in order to close the short distance between them and take Aedan's lips in a heated kiss that saw Aedan squirming against him. Her hands lifted, stroked Janika's body from cheeks to hips and back. A sigh rolled up her throat, muffled by the press of their mouths against one another. Then Janika broke away in order to bury her face in Aedan's throat. He watched as she spent a few moments there, mouth and tongue and teeth leaving their marks upon her flesh, before drifting down toward Aedan's breast again. Asher took the opportunity to reach up and turn Aedan's face his way. She stared into his eyes a moment before her lids fluttered shut. He pressed his own kiss against her lips, his tongue sliding into her mouth to tease her while Janika's mouth blazed a trail over Aedan's skin.
He swallowed her soft gasp down when Janika's mouth found the juncture between Aedan's thighs. Sure hands shifted the woman's legs further apart, hooking them over Asher's thighs to give her better access to Aedan's body. He brought his knees up, effectively widening Aedan's legs for Janika. Her mouth took up residence on Aedan's clit while her fingers continued to stroke in and out of the woman's body. Aedan's back arched against his chest, her sounds of pleasure muffled by the press of his lips to hers.
Asher's hands sought out Aedan's breasts. He covered them with his palms, squeezed and kneaded gently before shifting his fingers to her nipples. Each twist and tweak and tug saw her squirming against both of them. He would break off before it became too much, allowing his palms to once more manipulate the soft fullness of her flesh.
And then Janika's fingers delved deep, setting off minor tremors along Aedan's muscles. Asher felt her climax approaching and broke the kiss. Her gasps and groans and mewling sounds filled the air while he trailed kisses down her throat to the line of her shoulder. Janika dragged her tongue over Aedan's clit, pressing the small bundle of nerves hard. Aedan's cry of completion was loud, echoing off the stone walls with frightening intensity.
When she sagged back against him, Asher was there to hold her close and whisper sweet words into her ear.
~*~*~*~*~
His hands were on fire, his fingers a mangled mess of broken bones and torn joints. Each time he tried to move them, pain shot up his arms to his brain. While it wasn't the worst pain he'd ever endured, it was bad enough that he'd passed out, only to waken because the collar or whatever it was at his throat had started choking him. The girl had come to his aid, drawing her brother's attention and ire her way. He'd been treated to another round of the man fucking her hard before they'd left him alone for a few brief moments.
His body wanted to heal the damage, but the silver in the cuffs at his wrists and ankles made it hard for his lycanthropy to do its job. The pain from the cuffs had become a constant burn that lingered at the back of his brain and made thought difficult. Not that he had to do much thinking. His kidnapper kept asking the same questions over and over again. And he didn't have an answer to give, because he didn't know who the man was looking for. During their last session, the man had mentioned the same name more than once. Not that he could recall it at the moment. But he was pretty sure this woman wasn't anyone he knew.
A soft sound drew him from his jumbled thoughts to find that the girl was standing before him. She clutched a glass of water in one hand, her gaze darting furtively to the doorway every few seconds. "We don't have much time," she whispered and offered him the drink. He managed to grasp the straw with his lips and drank as much of the water as he could manage. "You're stronger than anyone he's done this to before."
There was something in her voice that suggested she'd been on the receiving end of her brother's less savory methods. That left him wondering what she'd done to deserve such treatment. Maybe, if he could make his brain work, he could get her to help him. "Help me," he whispered, voice barely a croak. "Set me free."
Her eyes went wide and they darted a glance at the door again. "I can't. If he catches me..." There was real fear in her eyes and in her voice. "I'll do anything else I can do to help keep you alive until your friends come to rescue you. But I can't let you go."
"I can protect you," he assured her.
"No one can protect me. I'm damned," she said softly, regret lacing her voice. Then she hurried to the other side of the room, taking the glass of water with her. He took it to mean that her brother was coming, meaning the torture was going to pick up again. He drew in a deep breath, working at centering himself. Something told him he was going to need it.
His kidnapper came into the room, face set in a look that suggested he was ready to start the torture up again. He stared straight at the asshole, daring him to do his worst. He wasn't going to give anything up. Didn't matter if he didn't know it or not. He wasn't about to give this man the satisfaction of thinking he'd broken him.
The man spared a look for his sister, then glanced back toward him. "Ready to talk yet?"
"I haven't got anything to tell you." He made sure there was defiance in his voice.
"The others always thought they could outlast me. None of them survived what I did to them. You won't be any different."
"You don't know anything about shape shifters," he replied quietly.
"I know your name is Micah Callahan. I know you're the head of the coalition here in St. Louis. I know you've been pushing for rights for freaks like you. I know you and your kind are a danger to the normal, God fearing community. I know you and freaks like you are a plague upon the world that must be eradicated," the man sneered.
"Like I said. You don't know anything about shape shifters," he repeated. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the girl's head lift to look at him. Even from across the room, he could see the surprise and disbelief in her eyes. And the hope.
"Let's see about that, shall we?" the man asked, then moved to his table of implements. Micah watched as he looked everything over before reaching for a hammer. He hefted the hammer, testing its weight in his hand. He then opened a drawer and removed a box. The top came away to reveal nails coated in shining silver. "Let's see what happens when I pound a few of these through your toes."
Micah glared at him, lips pressed together to signify that he wasn't going to give the man the satisfaction.
The tip of the nail touched his big toe, bringing burning pain with it as the silver reacted to his lycanthropy. Micah's gaze found the sister's, held it as her brother pounded the nail through his toe. Fiery flames of pain rushed out and up from his toe, eating his foot before climbing up his calf and thigh. He forced himself to remain stoic, to keep the pain from his eyes. Did what he could to keep his body loose. He was going to keep his captor from having the satisfaction of seeing his pain for as long as he was capable. And he wanted her to know that he could absolutely protect her from her brother.
"Tell me where she is!" the man barked.
"Get fucked."
His defiance earned him two more nails, each one driven through his toes in rapid succession. When the question came again, Micah had to fight to keep the pain out of his words. And he repeated himself, with a touch more intensity, so that the man understood that he would never break him.
The man's temper ran away with him. It was obvious he couldn't understand how anyone could withstand his methods of torture for any length of time. It made him wonder if the man honestly didn't understand what an alpha was. Or if he even knew. Maybe, if Micah got lucky, he could teach the sick bastard just what it meant to be an alpha before he had to shift to heal the damage to his body. Maybe he'd do it after he had to shift.
Another nail slammed through one of his toes.
And maybe it would be fun to see what his friends would do to the sick piece of shit. He let that image fill his mind, let it pull him away from the pain and the close quarters and the stench of fear on the air. It was nice to have dreams.
~*~*~*~*~
There was such an intense look of bliss on Aedan's face. It was easy to see. Her eyes were closed, mouth parted just the slightest bit as she panted for air. A hint of a blush was painted across her cheeks and drops of sweat dotted her forehead. Some of the shorter hairs right at the hairline had already been dampened by the perspiration. She had one hand curled into the bedding beneath her, the other resting on one breast, fingers teasing at her nipple softly. Asher had elected to sit to the side and simply watch them, his hands occasionally tweaking or stroking at some bit of their flesh. He seemed to be following Janika's lead in the encounter, and she could feel through their link that he was enjoying himself. He was filled with pleasure and arousal. Beneath that, she thought she sensed a thick pool of satisfaction, but she had to be imagining things.
"Oh. Fuck." Aedan's voice was breathless, head tossed back against the bedding. The move showed off the length of her neck, stretched it out as if in silent offering to the man at their side. A quick glance at Asher showed her that he was staring at Aedan's throat with a heavily lidded gaze, One of his hands reached out to cup Janika's breast, thumb gliding across her aching nipple. She sighed and shifted her hips just a little harder, drawing a gasp up Aedan's throat.
"Liked that, did you?" she asked, a wicked grin curling her lips. Aedan's eyes popped open, the color in them a deep, deep blue, and found her face.
"Fuck yes," the woman replied, her hands reaching up so that she could tease Janika's breasts. "Do that again."
Janika drew her hips back, held them for just a moment, then slid forward. The dildo pressed into Aedan with little resistance and only stopped when Janika's crotch was pressed against hers. Aedan's hips jerked, back arching ever so slightly so that she got that extra bit of penetration. She moaned loudly and wrapped her legs around Janika's waist. "You like a little bit of pain with your pleasure," Janika whispered.
"Stop talking," Aedan ordered. "Just fuck me. Hard."
"Someone's got a dirty mouth," Janika smirked, shooting her glance toward Asher.
"It is so refreshing when a woman knows what she wants and voices it plainly," he said by way of agreement. She leaned toward him just a bit, enough that he closed the distance and pressed a heated kiss to her lips. When he broke from her, leaving her panting and eager for more, she watched as he offered the same to Aedan. She went up on her elbows so that he didn't have to bend all the way down, making a tempting picture of her breasts in the process.
Asher's hair cascaded down over her chest, leaving her flesh covered in a fine shawl of gold. Her nipples poked through the strands, rosy and plump, begging to be sucked. When Asher lifted his head, Janika watched as his hair glided across her skin. A series of fine tremors slid up and down her spine. Before she could drop back onto the mattress, he bent his head to one nipple and drew it between his lips. She shuddered this time, moaned loudly, then jerked the slightest bit, telling Janika that he'd nipped the tender flesh of Aedan's breast. Nipple still caught between his lips, he tilted his head until he could look Janika in the eye. The silent suggestion there was plain to see.
She drew her hips back again, pressed the dildo back into Aedan's body. Fucked her hard. Aedan's arms came out from under her and the other woman would have flopped back down onto her back if he hadn't slipped his arms around her and held her up.
There was something far too erotic about seeing his golden head bent over Aedan's pale flesh. For a short span of time, Janika had wondered if she'd feel a touch of jealousy when Asher finally touched the other woman, when he kissed her and gave her pleasure. The question had been answered, fully quashed, when a rush of desire like she'd never known before had filled her. She was secure in her relationship with Asher. And Aedan fit with them as if she'd always been meant to be a part of them, as if she was an extension of them. They'd fallen together with little effort, fit together seamlessly.
Asher nipped Aedan's other breast, making the woman jump and quiver. The action drove the dildo deep and drew a sharp gasp up Aedan's throat. "Jesus fucking shit. Just like that, Janika. Please. I need more."
Aedan's hands had found purchase on Asher's shoulders. Janika couldn't see her face, but she could hear the deepening desire in the other woman's voice. Somehow, position be damned, she matched her hips to Janika's meeting each and every thrust. And each thrust saw Janika's own pleasure heightened.
"Will you come if I do?" Janika whispered, voice low and sultry and hungry. "Will you scream out my name and convulse around my cock if I fuck you harder? Beg me for more. Beg prettily. Beg for it, Aedan."
There was an inarticulate sound of frustration from the other side of Asher's body. And then Aedan found the strength to lift her head so that Janika could see her eyes. "Please, Janika. I need you to fuck me hard. I need you to make me come. I need you. Please. I'm begging. I need you. Please please please."
"Such pretty begging," Janika smiled. Asher lifted his head and looked at her, then gently settled Aedan on the mattress. He leaned in to offer Janika another blistering kiss, then sat back on the bed and waited. Janika stared down at Aedan a moment, then shook her head and reached for the woman's legs. "You know what? This will never do. I want you to turn over. And get up on your hands and knees."
Aedan muttered a string of curses, but she unlocked her legs and let them drop to the bedding. Janika drew back, pulling the dildo from the other woman's body, and smiled wickedly at the noise of disappointment she made. Then Aedan rolled, presenting Janika with her back and the curves of her ass. Aedan made a show of getting up onto her hands and knees, making sure to position her knees about shoulder width apart. Janika grinned before swinging one arm back and bringing it down against one of Aedan's ass cheeks. The woman jumped, giving a soft yelp to let Janika know she felt the same tingle under the skin of her butt cheek that Janika felt in her hand. She swatted the other side with the same force, then delivered a sharp blow between Aedan's thighs.
"Fuck!" Aedan yelped, body spasming with the contact.
"If you insist," Janika drawled. She curled her hands around Aedan's hips and pulled her back until the woman's pussy was almost touching the head of her strap on. Then Janika took hold of the toy and guided the head between Aedan's swollen lips. When the tip was lodged there, she once more took hold of Aedan's hips and pulled the woman onto her cock while she shoved her hips forward.
Aedan's wail of pained pleasure was music to Janika's ears.
She set a punishing pace, fucking hard with short thrusts that had Aedan's face buried in the pillow in short order. That didn't stop her from rocking her hips back into Janika each time she shoved her cock deep. And when it became obvious that Aedan was close to orgasm, Janika slowed down and started over again. She really did want to hear Aedan scream out her name. She wanted to put her own mark on the woman. She wanted Aedan to look at her for weeks after their encounter and blush with remembered pleasure.
"Goddamn it, Janika! Stop teasing me and make me come," Aedan snarled, voice muffled by the pillow. Janika chuckled and draped herself over Aedan's back. Doing so drove the dildo deeper. Aedan grunted and tried to wriggle back onto the toy, prompting Janika to pull her hips back.
"That isn't begging, Aedan. Beg me to give it to you. Beg me to make you come. Beg me."
"Fuck you. Stop being a bitch and fuck me," Aedan commanded.
"I'm sorry. I didn't hear what you said," Janika replied and pulled back further. The head of the toy was all that remained inside of Aedan's body and the woman whimpered at the loss. Janika held where she was, hands flat against Aedan's ass to keep her from rocking back, and waited.
"Please, Janika. Please finish me off. Fuck me hard and make me come. Please," Aedan finally got out, voice soft. There was a desperate quality to it. Janika smiled and leaned down, pressing the cock deep, so she could drop a kiss on Aedan's cheek.
"That's a good girl. Just make sure you scream out my name when you come," Janika said. She straightened up, put her hands on Aedan's hips for stability, and adjusted where her knees were in order to ensure her thrusts came with maximum force. She was poised on the edge of her first thrust when Asher's fingers found their way between her legs. They found her clit without trouble and gave the little bundle a soft flick with one nail. She hissed out a breath and wondered if she'd be able to last long enough to give Aedan the orgasm she was begging for.
The woman under her jumped just then, hissed her own breath, letting Janika know that Asher had found Aedan's clit. Maybe they'd get to come together.
Janika pushed her cock into Aedan with a long, sure, slow stroke. Aedan shivered under her, back arching ever so slightly. Asher flicked his fingers across their clits in unison, drawing gasps up their throats. Jesus Christ, this whole evening was going to kill her.
She tried to put Asher's caresses aside and focus her attention on Aedan. Her hands curled tighter into Aedan's hips, held her in place as she thrust in and pulled out. Her pace increased with the frequency and strength of Aedan's moans and groans, with the liquid heat that was rushing along each and every one of her nerves that came from Asher's fingers at her clit.
Aedan came first, voice breaking on a scream from which Janika was barely able to pull her own name. And then it didn't matter anymore because her own orgasm broke and she cried out her pleasure.
When she found her way out from under the waves of pleasure, it was to find that she had collapsed against Aedan, who had collapsed against the bed. The strap on was still buried deep, Aedan was shaking ever so slightly, panting hard for breath, and Janika decided she was going to fuck Aedan again.
And maybe even again after that.
~*~*~*~*~
Sweat stood out on his brow, rolled thickly down his spine. Tremors he couldn't control slid up and down his body in waves, a response to the nails pinning his toes to the block of wood beneath his feet. Between the constant flow of drugs and the silver burning under his skin, he'd lost track of time. He knew he was alone, but he didn't know how long ago his captors had left him. He didn't know for sure when they'd come back. Visions of escape and retribution chased one another around in his head.
Micah tried to still his body. He knew he couldn't still his mind. Too many thoughts and dreams and bloody images crowded it, wouldn't let him do so. Most of those things involved Aedan finding him and his captors being torn to shreds. Maybe not the girl so much, but definitely her brother. The son of a bitch was sick and sadistic, the kind of killer he knew Anita had gone up against more times than she'd cared to count. He'd seen firsthand what dealing with this kind of crazy had done to her. That knowledge left Micah worried about Aedan having to deal with them.
She was still young, still really untried when it came to things like this. Crime sprees like the one these two had been on left a mark on a person. He had no doubt that Aedan struggled with what she saw. What happened if what these two did here broke her in ways no one could repair?
He knew that she would spearhead his rescue. And it was looking more and more as if he'd need to be rescued. Every minute spent in his captors' tender care saw him growing weaker and weaker. If he could get away from the silver, he could heal himself. But there was nothing he could do to convince the girl to help him. She refused to believe that he could help protect her, so frightened of what her brother would do to her if she set Micah free that she wouldn't even entertain the idea of letting him go.
He had to hope, when Aedan and the other came for him, that they'd see what the girl's brother had done to him. That they'd spare her and try to get her help. If he was capable, he'd put in a good word for her. Of course he'd considered that she was playing the good cop to his bad cop in the routine, but her fear was too real for her to be acting. You couldn't act like you were afraid of something and smell the way she did. She'd practically bathed in fear. Regardless, he was going to keep attempting to appeal to her. Maybe, just maybe, she could convince her to get a message to the others for him. Let him go. Something. Anything that would get him away from this hell.
His brain fogged over for a bit. He didn't know how long. One moment, he'd been thinking about escape. The next, he was opening his eyes to find the girl was watching him. She hadn't been in the room before, which left him wondering how long he'd been out. For the moment, the fear was gone. There was curiosity clinging to her. And the unmistakable aura of a wolf. Her power danced lightly against his skin, reminding him that she was as much a member of the preternatural crowd as Micah was.
"Why don't you fight back?" he asked her quietly. She was certainly physically stronger than her brother. She could put him down with little effort on her part. Why hadn't she?
She stared at him as if she didn't understand his question. Then she blinked and the look in her eyes changed. He could see a touch of lucidity there, but it was nearly hidden behind the madness. "Because he'll kill me if I do."
"You're stronger than he is. You're a wolf."
Her eyes went wide with that and he watched as she checked to ensure her brother wasn't in the room with them. "Shhh. Don't. He doesn't like to be reminded of my sins. He's trying to save me. Trying to rid me of the evil that lives within me."
Micah blinked at that. "He can't cure you. Lycanthropy doesn't go away. Once you have it, you have it for life. You don't need to let him use and abuse you the way he does. I swear I can help you. Just untie me and I'll take you to people who can help you see that there's nothing wrong with you."
"He doesn't abuse me," she said, tone petulant. "He loves me."
"What he does to you is wrong. What he's doing to me is wrong. This person he's trying to find, this woman... What do you think he's going to do to her when he finds her?"
The girl stared at him, obviously trying to figure out the lie in his words. "He's going to bring her back into the light. Back into the fold. He's going to save her from her sins."
"And what happens if he decides he wants to rid her of her sins the same way he's trying to get information from me? What happens if he decides he loves her best and puts you aside in favor of her? Where does that leave you?"
"He wouldn't do that. He loves me. He told me so," the girl replied. She tried to make sure he knew she believed what she was saying. But he heard the doubt in her words. He shook his head.
"Brothers should do to sisters what he does to you," Micah told her softly. "I can help you. I know very powerful people. People who can protect you. But you have to help me. Please. I have someone I care about very much who has to be going mad with worry and grief right now. Can you imagine what that feels like? Haven't you ever had something taken from you without your consent?"
The look on her face said she had. The way her hands trembled said she had. And the way she touched her stomach, very briefly, said she'd lost something so amazing and important to her. It explained some of her actions, the way she behaved. He softened his voice, softened his words so that she was the only one who could possibly hear them. "I know other women like you who lost children because of the changes their bodies went through. And I know women who found ways to carry a child to term. They can teach you those ways. Just please, please... Get me out of here. And I swear to the heavens that I will protect you. I will help you."
Hope flittered across her face. So very briefly that he almost missed it. That bit of emotion saw him pressing on.
"Your brother is right. My name is Micah. I am the head of the coalition here in St. Louis. And I'm in a position to help you. You just have to trust me. And help get me out of here."
She was silent for a long, long while. Long enough that he thought she had slipped away from him. Somewhere in the distance, they heard the banging of a door as it slammed shut. The girl jumped and started toward the door. But she stopped before she stepped through and turned back to look at him. "I'll think about it. I'll try."
She turned to leave. Stopped again. She didn't face him this time. "My name is Grace." Then she was out the door before he could even register her words. And a minute later, her brother stepped into the room to take her place.
~*~*~*~*~
Aedan was stretched out over Janika, their mouths feasting hungrily upon one another's. This time, it was Aedan who wore the strap on, her hips shifting in a very slow, very particular way that suggested she'd done this a time or two before and she knew exactly how to fuck her partner and drive them wild. Janika had her legs wrapped around Aedan's waist, her hands buried in the length of the other woman's hair. Even before she'd made her first thrust, Aedan had invited Asher to join them. He'd elected to remain on the sidelines, interested in seeing how this part of the evening played out.
It was playing out very well. He'd enjoyed how everything before this had brought them to this point. And, technically, it wasn't the evening any longer. It was close to dawn, the weight of the sun's rising pressing at the back of his mind. They wouldn't be able to play much longer because he would have to seek the safety of the lower levels in order to sleep. Aedan needed to sleep, much as she was loathe to admit it. She'd made herself responsible for Micah's kidnapping and that meant she was going to do everything it took to get him back. Even if it killed her to do so. He didn't want to put an end to their fun. He enjoyed the pleasure that had come to rest on Janika's face, loved watching the two of them explore each other's bodies. He almost felt like there was something between them, some deep bond he couldn't find, that drove their actions. But he had to be imagining that because he knew that Janika and Aedan hadn't known one another until after Anita's death.
"You've done this before," Janika's breathless statement drew him away from that thought. Aedan had lifted her head, likely to catch her breath. In doing so, she'd shifted the position of her legs, bent them at the knee and brought them up so that they pressed against Janika on either side of her body. He knew from experience that it would change the angle of penetration, deepen it.
Aedan's hips shifted, pulled back and pressed forward. A shudder ran along Janika's spine and her eyes closed briefly as she gasped out a breath. "Maybe a time or two," Aedan smirked. Then she leaned down, spine arching, and wrapped her lips around one of Janika's nipples. When she lifted her head, there was a red spot around the glistening nipple, letting Asher know that Janika had bit it. "You taste like fresh cream," she whispered before bending down to take the other nipple into her mouth.
Janika sighed softly, arching her back just enough to offer more of her breast up to Aedan. The other woman sucked Janika's nipple deeper, her hands gliding down Janika's sides with feather light touches that sent shivers skittering under Janika's skin. They looked so lovely together. He really didn't want to break that up. But they had to move things along.
"I hate to intrude, but you two are enough to drive any man wild," Asher said as he slid closer. Aedan lifted her head to look at him. He could see the exhaustion at the back of her eyes, just waiting. She needed sleep. She needed rest. If she was to be of any use to Micah, she had to sleep. He knew a way to help her with that. He looked to Janika and offered her a smile I will make this up to you, mon ange. Dawn approaches and Aedan needs rest. I can give it to her.
"Do what you have to, Asher. I understand." Janika returned his smile, then reached out to cup Aedan's face. When the other woman turned back to her, she raised up and pressed a kiss to Aedan's lips. "Much as I'd love to spend the whole day doing this, dawn is coming and Asher wants his turn."
It took Aedan a moment to fully process what Janika had said to her. When she did, she turned eyes gone wide with confusion and surprise his way. He gave a nod and smiled at her, holding a hand out to her. Aedan glanced back to Janika with a question burning in her eyes. Janika smiled and nodded her head. "Its okay. We can continue this another time. Besides, you're too damned good at that for your own good and I'm tired. I need a break. And you need to get laid."
"I thought that's what we were doing," Aedan replied. The smile she wore when she said it told him she was teasing Janika.
"It was. And we'll be doing it again. Later. Go climb on top of him and ride him until you explode. I want to see what you look like when someone who isn't me gives you an orgasm," she said and nudged Aedan back. Aedan shook her head, then delivered one last kiss to Janika's lips and pulled away.
Asher helped her out of the harness for the strap on. The toy made a gentle thud as it landed on the floor, already forgotten as he pulled her into his lap. Aedan let her hands wander, fingers on one hand tracing the thick scars on the right side of his body with the same sense of curiosity as the fingers that trailed over the unscarred flesh. Her touch was gentle, but firm, as she explored his body. He gave her a few moments to touch to her heart's desire before he took hold of her hips and lifted her up far enough to position her over his erect cock. She reached down and took hold of his shaft with one hand, centering it so that all he had to do was lower her onto him. His cock slid inside easily. Aedan settled on top of him, eyes rolling up before they closed as a shudder rolled through her.
Her body was eager for him, muscles clenching around him as he slid deep into her wet warmth. "Fuck!" she hissed. Her hands lifted to settle on his shoulders, fingers rubbing against the length of his hair. Fingers curled around her hips, he urged her into motion. Aedan rose up and slid down, body starting with a slow, steady rhythm. Her eyes slid closed as she rode him, a soft sigh escaping her before he pressed his lips against hers.
She fell into her rhythm so easily, fell into the feel of his body against hers as if it was something she experienced all the time. Perhaps there was some memory of Anita's that allowed it. He had no clue how that particular magic worked. What he did know was the feel of her power wrapping around him, the way her body had wrapped around him. What he cared about was the way that power called to him the same way the blood that pounded in her veins called to him. And when her head tipped back on her shoulders, offering him the line of her throat, he accepted it for the invitation it was.
She shuddered when he pressed a kiss to her throat. When a fang grazed her skin, she nearly bucked against him, pressing her hips down over him so that his cock slid into her as far as it could. He took it as a sign that she was more than ready for him to well and truly fuck her. So he gripped her hips tight and started his own rhythm, pounded his hips up against hers in order to start her on the climb to her release.
It didn't take long. The earlier play with Janika had left her hovering on the edge and a few hard, deep strokes saw her body tensing around him as he fucked her. Aedan clung to him, panted into the silence of the room. It was going to be so easy to send her screaming over the edge. Almost too easy. He sped his pace, one hand remaining on her hip to keep her moving in time with him. He lifted the other hand, fingers curling around her chin in order to convince her to lift her face.
He caught her stare with his own, held it and pressed at her with his power. Her rhythm faltered. It saw him returning his hand to her hip in order to keep her moving. There was no reason to keep hold of her chin. He already held her with his gaze. So it was easy for him to roll her mind under the waves of his power. Doing so triggered her orgasm. As her muscles tightened down around him, he sank his fangs into her throat and drew her blood into his mouth.
Aedan called out his name, body tense in his hold as she came around him. As she came undone and he drank deeply of her. His own orgasm roared through him, fueled by the magic and the death in her blood and the feel of her mind against his own.
He didn't let her go until Janika's hand touched his arm and drew his attention her way. She smiled at him, rising up to press a kiss to his bloody lips. "Enough, Asher. Enough."
~*~*~*~*~
Micah spit the blood from his mouth as he watched his captor stare at his favorite torture implements. The man had broken his nose and knocked a couple of teeth loose. It also felt like maybe a rib or two was cracked. He was surprised that the man had gone with bare fists this time. There were faint bruises here and there, small and light and filled with the promise to grow bigger and darker before the night was out. If not for the silver, they'd be gone already. Micah thought maybe there was something in the drugs, too. But he didn't know, couldn't be sure.
Didn't care. He just knew he needed to get away before his captor succeeded in killing him.
After several long moments of silent contemplation, the man pulled a drawer open on his torture table. It was the same drawer the nails had been stashed in. This time, though, he removed a thin wooden box that looked like it was harmless enough. Micah had no illusions as to anything in the room being harmless. So he wasn't surprised when the case opened to reveal a line of shining silver needles. The man pulled one from the case and held it up so Micah could see it. "Just how much silver can you handle before it poisons you?"
Micah stared, said nothing. Just waited. He didn't have to wait for long.
"Tell me what it is I want to know, or we'll find out exactly how much silver it takes to poison your already blighted blood."
"I don't have anything to tell you," Micah replied softly. The man stared at him a moment, then stepped closer and held the needle at eye level. As if offering Micah one last chance. Micah considered spitting blood on his captor, but decided against it. He was above it.
"Last chance. Tell me or I'll bury this in the muscle of your thigh. I'm more than willing to see how long it takes to work its purifying magic on your damned soul," the man told him.
"Go fuck yourself." Those three words had quickly become a mantra over the course of the torture sessions. Micah put as much vehemence into them as he could. It was the only real answer he was going to give the sadistic fuck.
"Stubborn to the very core, I see," his captor said, almost absently. The free hand came out to take hold of Micah's thigh, squeezing the muscle up between his fingers. The tip of the needle rested against his skin for a second or two, then the thin piece of metal pierced his skin, burning as it was pushed into the thick muscle of his thigh. Pain flashed across his brain, fire kindling just under the skin briefly before burning its way through his quadriceps. The man made sure that the entire needle was buried under Micah's skin. "Tell me."
"Go to hell," Micah retorted.
His answer earned him another needle. This time in the opposite thigh. Each needle brought more fire to his muscles until they quivered with pain. He knew the location of each and every needle. One in each thigh. One in each calf. One in each of his upper and lower arms. His chest. His belly. He strongly suspected that the only reason there were none in his back was because the man got off on seeing his pain.
A final needle came from the box, which the man set aside. He showed it to Micah, as he had all the others. This one was longer than the rest. Thicker. "One last chance, freak. Tell me where she is and I'll end this pain."
"Get fucked," Micah replied. He didn't like this his voice was hoarse, but it couldn't be helped. He wasn't about to give anyone over to this sick ass. Didn't matter if he knew who that person was or not.
"I see," the man said, then stepped closer. "I'd like to say this will hurt me more than it'll hurt you, but that would be a lie. And I was taught that its very bad to lie."
The man's hand was clinical when it took hold of his shaft. He pulled the length down until the skin was pulled taut. The burn of the needle hit him hard, followed by the pain as the long piece of metal was pushed into the soft, yielding flesh of his penis. It took everything he had to hold back the bellow of pain that came with the violation, leaving him sweating and shaking in his bonds. The man stepped back and looked at him, then gave half a grin. "Tell me and I'll remove it."
"Why don't you suck my dick?" Micah asked, voice low and rough. This time, he did spit blood on the man.
"I can see you need time to think on it," the man replied. "Its getting close to dawn. I'm tired. I imagine you're tired, as well. Let's sleep on it and start fresh later. Maybe a few hours like this will change your mind."
Micah watched the man turn toward the door. He stopped before stepping through, turning to look at Micah. "Don't let my sister's act fool you. She pretends to be a saint. But she's little more than a weak whore. She'll never help you."
The lights went out, the door closed, and Micah was left alone in the dark with his pain.
~*~*~*~*~
Asher was just stepping from Aedan's room when Jean Claude finally reached her door. Minette had clung to him for some time after they'd finished with their intimacy and he'd only just gotten away. He was surprised to find his temoin coming from his human servant's chambers. He was even more surprised by the dark look on Asher's face and his refusal to step away from the door. "Leave her be," Asher ordered.
Jean Claude stared a moment. He couldn't remember the last time Asher had given him orders. "Leave her be?"
"Yes. You have done enough damage this night. She needs rest." There was no give in Asher's voice.
"What damage have I done?"
Asher considered him a moment, then leaned back against the door. His arms were crossed over his chest in what appeared to be a negligent pose. He was anything but relaxed. It took him some time to speak. "Janika happened to run into Aedan tonight inside the Circus. She had been drinking."
That was never a good sign. He knew from experience that Aedan only drank when she was extremely upset.
"She had also been crying."
Jean Claude did not like where this was going.
"It did not take a mind reader to know that your human servant was upset because she knew you had taken her best friend to... " Asher stopped and stared, then shook his head. "Why should I sugar coat it? Aedan was upset because she knew you had fucked her best friend."
"I fail to see how any of this matters."
Asher muttered a few choice words in French, then motioned to the door behind him. "It matters to her because she has fallen in love with you. Perhaps you are too busy or blind to see it, but everyone else knows."
There was a weird pain where his heart was located. He should not be surprised by such news. He had long suspected Aedan bore feelings for him. It was different to have someone confirm his suspicions for him, though.
"If you do not want her, Jean Claude, say the word. Janika and I will happily accept her into our bed," Asher told him, a touch of pride and gloating in his words. "She seemed more than content there earlier. And she is a very passionate woman."
He was glad of his years as a vampire because it made it possible for him to keep his surprise at Asher's words hidden away. He honestly wasn't sure what he wanted. Wasn't he still mourning the loss of Anita? Weren't they all, in one fashion or another? He shouldn't be surprised that Aedan would seek solace where she could, with whomever she could. If any of Anita's emotions and memories had been passed on, Aedan would feel love for Asher. It would make sense that she'd allow him to take her into his bed. And yet... Something about knowing his second had bedded his human servant before he'd had opportunity to do so didn't sit well with him. Hell, he hadn't even figured out what deeper emotions he had for the girl. If any.
"Whether I want her in my bed or not is irrelevant. I have come to speak to her. There are questions that should be answers. I would like to know why she is behaving as she is." Jean Claude took a step forward. Asher didn't move.
"Your questions will have to wait for another time. Aedan is unable to answer them at the moment. I made sure of it." There was no mistaking what Asher was telling him. He'd used his powers and rolled Aedan's mind. It left Jean Claude wondering, for a moment or two, if he had any chance with Aedan after that. "How she has managed to function this long without collapsing is a miracle. Let her rest. After she finds Micah is a perfect time to ask about her behavior."
"You care about her so much?" Jean Claude questioned. He knew well how Asher felt about Aedan. He'd made no bones about his belief that Aedan should have been the one on the road instead of Anita. This sudden concern about Aedan's health and well-being was unforeseen.
"Apparently more than you do," Asher replied evenly. Had his words been a blade, they would have pierced Jean Claude's heart. After a moment, the other man sighed and shook his head. "Of course I care about her. I am hardly the heartless bastard everyone believes me to be. Aedan is young and confused and she is struggling to be the person she believes everyone wants her to be. She is on a path of self-destruction. She needs someone to help her shoulder the burden. You seem uninterested in the task. If not you, then who? I am hardly as beautiful as you, Jean Claude, but she does not see the scars. I could do worse than to have two women who willingly touch me."
"She sees your beauty, mon chardonneret. Just as I do." Jean Claude's voice was soft and gentle, a caress to remind Asher that he would always love him.
"Let her sleep, Jean Claude. Give her time to come to terms with her feelings," Asher said, this time in a much more compassionate tone. Jean Claude gave a hint of a smile. "I suspect, when things settle and she better knows her mind, she will be more than willing to answer your questions."
Asher was no doubt right. Jean Claude had no idea if Aedan had had time to settle in. It seemed the murders had started up almost as soon as she'd gotten to St. Louis and they hadn't really stopped since. "Thank you for looking out for her. I shudder to think what would have happened if you had not been there for her."
"It was my pleasure." His voice said it really had. "She is a beautiful young woman, full of passion and fire. She is also full of sadness and need. And secrets. In that moment, she needed someone who understood. But she will need someone who plans on being there for her permanently the next time something terrible happens. Do not fail her, Jean Claude."
"I will do my best," Jean Claude replied, inclining his head to acknowledge Asher's words. "Any other advice, mon ami?"
"Yes. Try not to fuck any more of her friends."
