“How is she?” I ask, keeping my voice low.
“A bit of a wreck,” he says quietly, “but hopefully sleep will help.”
I lean against the doorframe, arms crossed. “I just hope this doesn’t cause a spiral.”
“I mean, at least she talked it out with me a little. That seems like progress.” Compared to defacing a cabin and running away? Sure the fuck does. He gives me a look–half tired, half steady. “I’d like to think I know how to handle her better now.”
I glance past him to her sleeping form. Hunter stands, stretches, rolls his shoulders. “Where have you been?”
I push off the frame, step closer. “DNA on the hair tie came back male. No female trace at all.”
Hunter’s eyes narrow. “That changes things.”
“Yeah, it makes no sense that there’s not a single trace of female DNA on the tie unless–”
“It didn’t belong to a girl at all,” he finishes.
“Exactly. They're going to do some more testing, but we may finally have something we can work with.” I yawn, dragging a hand over my face. “I think I’m headed to bed. You coming?”
“I may head back to the library.”
“Fucking nerd,” I mutter, shaking my head.
“Night,” he says, clapping my shoulder once as he passes and clicks his tongue for Ares to follow. The dog hops down, sniffing my feet as he passes, and follows his owner down the hall.
I strip down, shucking off my shirt, jeans, and boxers, letting everything hit the floor. The room is warm from the fire that’s been banked low in the hearth. I slide under the covers behind Ari. Her body is warm and lax, soft curves fitting against me. She stirs at the first press of my chest to her back, a small sound slipping out of her throat.
“Hey, Doll Baby,” I murmur, kissing the side of her neck, open-mouthed and grazing her with my teeth just enough to wake her properly.
“Damon,” she exhales, turning into me like it’s instinct. Her arms loop around my neck. Eyes still heavy with sleep and tears, but the way she presses closer–hips rocking once, seeking–tells me she’s awake enough for what I want.
I roll her under me in one smooth motion, pinning her wrists above her head with one hand. She gasps and arches up into me. The sweatshirt she’s wearing is too big, one of ours, sleeves swallowing her hands. I don’t bother being gentle. I yank the zipper down, exposing those perfect tits, and pull her arms out of the sleeves, then toss it somewhere in the dark.
“I heard you crying earlier,” I tell her, kissing the dried salt tracks off her cheeks. “And I’m gonna remind you what you can take,” I sayagainst her throat, voice rough. “Gonna make sure you know you’re enough.”
She nods–fast and eager–legs parting for me, hands ghosting over my chest, teasing the piercings in my nipples.
The sensation runs through my limbs, nerves setting on fire, and I drag her leggings down her thighs, panties with them, leaving her bare and flushed in the low light. The garnets on her nipples catch the fire glow–tiny red sparks, glinting just like the one in her clit. I lean down, catch one between my teeth, and tug hard enough to make her cry out. Her back bows. Fingers dig into my shoulders.
“God… Damon–”
I switch to the other, sucking deep, rolling the ring with my tongue until she’s whimpering, hips grinding up against nothing. My hand slides between her thighs–hot, slick, and already dripping. I push two fingers inside her without warning, curling them, stroking that spot that makes her thighs shake.
“You’re so fucking wet for me,” I growl. “Always ready. Always wanting it, aren’t you?”
“Always,” she moans, high and broken, hips rocking into my hand.
I pull my fingers free, slick and shining, and smear them across her lips. She opens immediately, sucking them clean, tongue swirling around my knuckles. “That’s it, wicked sister, lick my fingers clean.”
She breaks away, surging upward, kissing me hard, her tongue warm and teeth tugging on the ring in my lips. “Jesus,” I mutter, pushing her flat on her back.
I shift up her body, straddle her chest, my pierced cock heavy and leaking against her sternum. “Hold them together for me.”
I’ve been jealous ever since Hunter fucked her tits the night of the solstice, dying to get my cock between them. She cups her breasts, pressing them tight around me. The garnets press into the underside of my shaft–cool metal against hot skin. I thrust slowly at first, savoring the soft, warm channel she’s made. Then harder. Faster. The head bumps the leather collar on every upstroke. She may belong tothe King, but right now she’s mine. She opens her mouth, tongue flicking out to taste me when I get close enough.
“Fuck… look at you,” I rasp. “Taking it so good.”
She whimpers around the head when I let her suck it for a second, her lips closing over the piercings threaded down my cock before pulling back and sliding me between her tits again.
