Pillows rained down. I caught one mid-air, tucking it beneath Seri’s lolling head. Her fingers twitched against my chest, seeking even in dreams. I kissed the worry lines from her brow and drifted off to the sound of her slowing heartbeat and hushed arguing over antibacterial wipes and pH balances.
#
Casimir
“Simmy?”
The whispered word sliced through the darkness, severing the chains of sleep. Instinctually, my hand shot out, groping for the gun on my bedside table, while my other arm reached for Seri. My eyes flew open, the world snapping into focus. Moonlight carved a silver sliver through the curtains, illuminating our bedroom and the tangled mess of limbs in the bed.
Seri was tucked between Zane and Koa, her wide gray eyes glistening with unshed tears, her face a painting of anguish.
“Simmy, it hurts,” she whimpered.
Adrenaline spiked like a blade between my ribs. I vaulted upright, sheets pooling at my waist, and cursed myself for not tending to her sooner. Koa had her virginity mere hours ago, and Zane? Well, Zane was Zane, taking her like a wild animal.
Then we’d left her dripping between Ko and Z, sweat and semen cooling on her skin.
Stupid. Reckless.
“Damnation!”
“What?” Ko stirred, raven hair tangled across his face.
I ignored him, disentangling Seri’s legs from Zane’s careless sprawl. Her nightie had vanished hours ago, leaving her bare except for the marks we’d painted on her. She hissed when my arm slid beneath her knees, and I quickly scooped her up to cradle her against my bare chest.
“Shh, I’ve got you, my love. Let’s get you cleaned up,” I murmured, already planning a warm shower followed by a soothing soak in the tub. Her heartbeat fluttered against my chest, rapid as a cornered hare’s, and guilt flooded me. “Should’ve cared for you properly after—”
Her fingers pressed my lips.
“It hurts, but not from pain. I ache for you, Simmy.”
Every muscle locked. My boxers strained as she shifted, her thigh brushing what I’d been ignoring.
“Your body’s recovering,” I said through gritted teeth. Pulse points throbbed at my neck, wrists, and groin. “The siphoning weakened you, and Zane wasn’t gentle.”
She cupped my jaw.
“But I need—”
“The bond’s clouding your judgement.” My grip tightened on her hip.Don’t think about how soft her skin is. Don’t picture her writhing under you.“When I say you’re not ready, you’re not—”
Her mouth sealed over mine. Sweet. Slow. A torturous glide of tongue that unraveled every shred of discipline. Logic disintegrated.
Check if she’s swollen. Ensure she’s not hurt. Make sure there’s no tearing.
Bleeding night, the thought of examining her so intimately both terrified and aroused me.
Then her nails scraped my scalp, and my hips jerked, pressing the rigid line of my erection against her thigh.
A chuckle rumbled behind me.
“Told you he’d crack,” Zane drawled.
Seri pulled back, lips glistening.
“Please, Simmy.”
Control. Strategy. Compartmentalize.
