He would be alright now. The witches would take care of him. And in the meantime, I’m going to stew in my fury.
Leaning back, I closed my eyes, trying to pay attention to the chatter around me. None of this was fair. More than a handful of people in this room have been physically hurt within the last year by people with absolutely no conscience. People who thought they were better than everyone else. That they could murder others and it was a heroic act.
Not for the first time, I wondered what Silence’s end goal was. They’ve always acted as a cloak organization. Whoever was running it was hidden. The public didn’t know. And I’d wager a bet that those who joined and worked for them didn’t know either.
Then there was the idea that people were working for them at all. Ady told us that those who took her from ORKA were certainly in complete control of themselves. One had even appeared to show regret and second thoughts about handing her over. Not until they were walking into the Silence facility and it was too late, but still. Those were coherent thoughts. Not minds controlled like the aerial monsters the Aves found.
Feeling frustrated and restless, I pushed myself up and headed for Raiden’s room. As soon as I entered the privacy of his suite, I began stripping clothes until I stood within the large shower and the cold water fell over me.
Wishing I knew how to meditate, I closed my eyes and turned my face into the water as it heated, trying to imagine the stress, worry, fear, and anger wash down the drain with the water. But the longer I stood there imagining it, the more ridiculous I felt.
Nothing about this was fair. More than anything, I had a growing urge to uncover the identity of the person/s in charge of Silence and deal them a blow that they’d feel for a long fucking time. I’m not prone to violence or killing innocent people, but maybe that’s what it would take to make them stop. Kill one of their loved ones, just so they’d see how it feels.
Maybe the supernatural world was heading into an all-out war. And maybe that’s what’s necessary to take down Silence.
Hands on my face made me open my eyes. Nephele gave me a soft smile and an even softer kiss. “Okay, love?” he asked.
My shoulders sagged. I was shit at lying and pretending so I shook my head. “I’m furious.” Although the words and the anger backing them were hot, my voice shook with tears.
Nephele sighed, pulling me into his arms.
“Is Tem okay?” I asked.
“He’ll be fine when the witches are done stewing him in a makeshift cauldron.”
I knew he was teasing, trying to make me smile, but I couldn’t find the strength to muster a laugh. A smile touched my lips but I could tell it wasn’t anywhere near genuine.
Neph’s arms wrapped tighter around me, curling his fingers into my hair and holding me close, hot water trailing over us. “We’ll be okay,” he murmured, pressing a soft kiss to the side of my head. “We’re going to take the time to recuperate in peace and when we’re feeling level-headed, we'll revisit the incidents of the day.”
“And discuss retaliation?” I asked.
He didn’t answer as he moved his hand from my hair and grabbed a bar of soap. Yes, Raiden was old-school and kept bar soap in his shower. However, it was handmade by our friendly witches themselves.
His hands moved over my back, down my ass, and the parts of my arms that he could reach since I wasn’t going to let him go. He used the bar soap to wash my hair and then set it back on the ledge and wrapped me back up in his strong arms.
I closed my eyes, thinking that maybe I could imagine everything falling away now that I was being held by one of my husbands. Was meditation easier or harder with someone else present? I thought that maybe if I concentrated on his heartbeat and his breaths that maybe I’d be able to let it all go.
Emptying my mind was like fighting against a hurricane. But I forced my thoughts back on the rhythmic, living pulse that was Nephele. On his hands running down my back, grazing over my skin with the water from the showerhead. The hard planes of his body pressed flush to mine so even the drips of water couldn’t quite make it between us.
His half hard dick against my thigh. It was all par for the course. When pressed against one of the people you love most, it’s like your body can’t help but turn on a little. Even when it was the most inappropriate of times.
Tem was hurt. Badly. My mind should focus on that alone. Not thinking about dropping to my knees.
Neph’s lips pressed against my jaw, and he sighed. “Need a release, honey?”
I shook my head, biting my lip to keep the words in. It was a lie, and we both knew it. His dick grew against my leg and I kept my eyes closed tightly to try to rein in my own arousal.
He chuckled. “I do. Want to help me relieve some stress?”
The whimper that left my mouth was pathetic. He drew me back and kissed me, his tongue taking over my mouth right away. And then he was guiding me down to my knees, where I braced myself on his thighs. I looked up through the spray of water as he dragged the head of his cock along my lips.
“Open.”
I did, and he wasted no time meeting the back of my throat.
“That’s it. Keep your eyes on me.” His voice had already turned rough and husky. I groaned, nodding. Watching his face. His mouth open. His eyes dark, pupils wide.
He pulled out until he rested on my bottom lip. I flicked my tongue, tracing it along the slit and making his breath catch. Then he pushed in, a long slow motion until he reached the back of my mouth. “Ready?” he asked.
