“Ahh, I was wondering if you’d bring it up before if I did,” He scoffed, chuckling. “So the thing about joining a virces tribe is you have to swear your allegiance to the tribe leader by always wearing a visible sign of your loyalty. The most common way for a tribe leader to be shown respect is by wearing their blood around your neck for as long as you’re aligned to the tribe.”
Inside the jewel wasblood? Likerealblood? Staring at the jewel with new eyes, I took in the cyan liquid that was inside. When I’d first seen it, I hadn’t known it was filled with anything, but when Qwill moved enough, you could tell that it did have just a little room to move around in there even though it was practically filled to the brim of the octagonal space the jewel housed. Qwill caught my stare, and gave me a smile as he rubbed the jewel with his free hand.
“That’s the tribe leader’sbloodin there?”
He nodded emphatically. “Yep. Roldan’s blood is in the twenty necklaces that make up the tribe.”
“Why his blood?”
“Blood is a sacred thing for virces.” Qwill nodded. “Actually, we don’t refer to it as blood in our native language. We call ittenegris, which translates to dark water. Virces blood is poisonous. Well, not entirely. Some Orbs can handle it in varying levels, but I’ve been told it’s lethal to humans and animals.”
My eyes widened, looking at the jewel once more. Knowing that inside there was virces blood that could kill me was a littleunsettling to say the least. But in a weird, fucked up way, it was also kind of…exciting.
How the fuck had I become this sex and danger depraved human? And why did I like the new me so much?
“And you always have to wear it?”
“It’s a sign of undying loyalty.” Qwill acquitted with another head shake. “I’d be dishonoring the tribe leader if I ever took it off, even while being away from the tribe. Blood is sacred to virces. That’s actually why sangamar and virces tend to be friendly with one another. Both understand the importance of blood between them.”
“Except sangamar consume blood and you can use yours as a weapon?” I made sure to smile so Qwill knew I wasn’t chastising him. But I wanted to goad him just a little. “You probably should have told me you had poison for blood,” I laughed. “What if we got so rough during sex that I made you bleed?”
“Oh, I’m not that easily broken, baby.” Qwill growled with a sudden wave of arousal. “But I’d be interested in seeing you try.”
“No thanks, I enjoy living.” I chuckled back. “I might take it easier on you. And maybe we should start using condoms, just to be safe.” I wasn’t worried about Qwill somehow bleeding from his dick and into me during sex. I knew Orbs were a lot tougher than humans were. But I had a feeling he’d play along with the idea of depriving him the skin on skin thrill.
“Ugh, come on, baby, don’t be like that.” Qwill whined, leaning over and kissing up and down my jaw and neck. “You’ll still let me tap that ass raw, won’t you?”
I rolled my eyes at him, fulfilling my played part to its completion. “I suppose as long as you’re careful.”
“I can be plenty careful, while also being rough around the edges, just the way you like it.”
Before I could guffaw at his wordy antics, he enveloped me in kisses down my neck and chest, making me fall into a playful laughter as the kiss cascade commenced. Wrapping my armsaround Qwill, I pulled him closer into me, wishing he didn’t have to go to work so we could stay naked in my bed just a little bit longer. I settled for savoring the weight of his body on top of me as we kissed deeply, enjoying the warmth that reignited throughout my body as Qwill claimed me as his.
Chapter 18
“What about this one?”
Turning to meet Bas, I watched as he held up a lime green mesh top belonging to the store we were currently browsing. I scrunched up my face at him wordlessly. He sighed, but a smile lingered on his lips.
A few days lazily slipped by since Qwill and I had last fucked and I’d learned even more about him. We’d both been busy with work and hadn’t had a spare moment where our schedules aligned. And I’d promised Bas that he’d get my next day off, so here we were.
We’d been going up and down the shopping district a few blocks from the apartment, and he’d yet to lock on to my style. Considering he had three bags for just himself compared to my one, he clearly was a connoisseur forhisstyle. I’d learned during the double date dinner that Bas had really gotten into fashion since he’d moved out. Kroven had joked that it was just Bas’ current hyperfixation, but Bas protested that it was a real interest, and he said he’d prove it by buying more clothes to prove Kroven wrong.
Clearly he was well on his way to proving his point.
“Not really for me.” I finally told him with a smirk. “But you go for it.”
He huffed as I went to a rack of assorted black graphic tees, putting the lime green mesh top he’d picked and placing it back in its spot and joined me as I perused through the various band t-shirts and licensed graphic shirts that typically interested me.
“So how are things going with Qwill?”
“Great.” I smiled wide when I looked away from the rack. “We’ve both been busy with work lately, but we’ve been getting to know each other more and it’s going well so far.”
His fingers trailed along the fabric of a black shawl on the rack I was busying myself with. “And…what do you think is in store for you and Qwill?”
It was a fair question. I’d been wondering the same thing myself. We were in this in-between stage where we were clearly dating but we weren’t quite official. I wanted to be. I’d kind of been hoping that Qwill would ask me, but there was nothing getting in the way of me asking him except for the fear that he’d reject me. Which was stupid. It was obvious to me how much Qwill enjoyed spending time with me. I just needed to skirt pass the paranoia.
“I think we’re headed toward a conversation about making things official,” I admitted. “I love spending time with him and…I don’t know.” I paused, tilting away from the clothing rack to stare at my best friend. “Things are just so easy with Qwill. We get along so well. I had no idea it could be so…” I struggled to find the right word.
