Chapter 19
CHAPTER 19
LORELEI
T he walk to the party is uneventful, with other monsters joining us as we head over. Everyone is dressed in formalwear, and while I do receive sidelong looks, I can’t say that I can blame them.
I’m a five foot human with a nine foot tall monster, that alone will make others talk.
Filing into the building together, I gaze around to find that there are both humans and monsters attending this party. Staying close to Phenex, I see that the building is decorated well, and that there’s pretty lighting, food, as well as waiters walking around with champagne flutes.
“The alcohol is at least always top tier at these things,” Phenex murmurs as we walk.
“I’ve never had any alcoholic drinks before,” I say, shrugging. At his glance, I smirk. “I’m not twenty-one, Phenex, and I can make drinks without tasting them.”
“I know that, I’m just surprised,” he teases me.
“Phenex, good. You’re here,” President Christa says, acting as if she’s been looking for us for ages. “I need to borrow you.”
She doesn’t even acknowledge me as she taps on his arm for him to follow her.
“I can’t leave my date, President Christa,” Phenex reminds her drolly.
While she’s dainty for a monster, she still towers over me. Looking down her nose at me, she purses her lips.
“I forgot you were bringing your newest plaything,” she mutters.
My mate whispers through the bond, sounding annoyed. “ I don’t get her. Is she jealous? She was fine when I discussed this before.”
Taking a slow breath to keep myself from scrunching my face in annoyance, I reply, “ I fully expect you to play with me later. Your mate demands orgasms after this.”
Phenex covers up his surprise by clearing his throat as he squeezes my hand gently.
“Lorelei, give me a few minutes to help President Christa, will you?” he asks. “I’ll make it up to you.”
“Are you that demanding?” she asks me.
“I don’t have to be anything more than myself,” I explain cryptically. “Phenex knows what I need.”
My mate simply smirks as he juts his chin at the president of the university, which she takes as her cue to get moving. Sighing as I watch them disappear into the crowd, I glance around for a single friendly face.
“Are you officially public now?” Professor… fuck, Bast says. It is going to take me a while before I can call him that regularly in my head.
It’s still a bit of a mind fuck for me to wrap my brain around the fact that he’s my last scent match.
Turning to face him, I lift my brow at him. Bast’s jaw drops as he takes me in, and I nod. “Yes, we are, Professor Dalca,” I say. “Do you have an opinion about it that I can ignore?”
“Fuck, you’re such a brat. I feel like all I do is walk around with a fucking hard-on,” he grumbles under his breath as I huff out a laugh. “I don’t particularly care, but some of the faculty have been talking about it.”
“Phenex said he spoke to you, so I expect that you understand the reasons why we are public,” I state. “Whether or not you wish to remain in the dark about this is up to you.”
“It’s not that easy,” he hisses, his tail tapping at the ground in front of me. “You’re not supposed to fucking exist, Lorelei.”
“And yet… I do,” I mutter. “If you don’t get yourself figured out, you’ll be the reason I die. I hope you’re this high and mighty on your high horse then too.”
Lifting my dress, I turn and walk toward the restrooms that I saw when I walked in. I need to catch my breath. All I can smell is his chicory scent, and he’s no longer hiding from me. It just makes me sad, because I refuse to guilt someone into being with me.
It’s not right and I’m disgusted with myself. He doesn’t know me, yet he enjoys tormenting me, kissing me when he has no intention of pursuing anything real. I’m an omega with a mate who seems to hate her.
It would be just my luck. My other mates are wonderful, even if Phenex was a dick to me at first and Alecto tried to kill me. No one’s perfect.
A tear escapes my eyes, and I pinch my lips together in anger. I’m supposed to be having fun, and yet here I am, fucking crying.
“Lorelei,” Bast growls, grabbing my hand just as I reach out to push open the bathroom door.
“Leave me alone,” I whisper. Tugging me until I turn, he gazes down at me.
“What is this?” he asks, smoothing away the leak I currently have happening.
“I haven’t the faintest idea,” I sigh. “I need to go deal with it.”
“With the crying?” he asks. “God, the way you talk, it’s just a minor inconvenience.”
“Isn’t it?” I ask in return. “I’m just a silly girl. I’ll work on that.”
“You make me fucking crazy,” he grunts, looking over his shoulder. “Walk with me.”
“Phenex will lose it if he can’t find me,” I remind him.
“Can’t he do that little mind meld thing to speak to you?” he asks, chuckling when I just blink at him. “I could tell he said something to you before he walked off with President Christa. The poor male nearly choked at your response, yet neither of you moved your lips to speak.”
“Was it that noticeable?” I ask, wincing as he takes my hand as he begins to walk toward the courtyard beyond the hallway.
“Only to me because I was paying close attention,” he reassures me, pushing open the door into the fresh air. “Now, why are you upset?”
“Seriously?” I ask. “I have this thing about not using emotional blackmail to get guys to care about me.”
“I don’t understand,” he says. “I’m a theater and music professor, Lorelei. Emotional blackmail may be the only kind that works on me.”
“You’re impossible,” I sigh, my heels clicking on the pavers.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you wear heels before,” he says.
“I can wear them, it’s just not often that I have a reason to,” I say.
“Look, I want to believe this thing that Phenex told me about, but you’re not supposed to exist,” Bast says.
“I don’t know you, which means that whatever Phenex told you is what he trusts you’ll keep to yourself,” I say.
Fuck, I sound like a broken record.
“Fair,” he mutters. “Why are you at this university of all places?”
“I was led here. Four schools, four semesters,” I explain. “Toward the end of each semester, I would have all of this pain and need to apply somewhere else. It wouldn’t disappear until I did. I know that doesn’t make much sense…”
“I’ve been obsessed with your scent since you moved in, Lorelei,” he says with a snort. “I didn’t know what you looked like or anything else. It makes sense to me. If all of this is true, the question remains as to how safe you are here.”
“I’m not safe anywhere,” I say, rolling my eyes. “My entire life has kind of been a bit of luck and intense work to hide who and what I am. Hiding from the world entirely isn’t any kind of life, though.”
“So you wear descenter and just hope for the best?” he asks.
“Why did you ask it like that?”
“Because it feels like you’re asking for trouble,” he admits. “There are times where I notice that your scent is really strong, and others where I’m certain I’m the only one who can tell.”
“Three pairs of panties and your presence wrecking them will do that to a girl,” I mutter.
Bast barks out a laugh, his body trembling with his laughter. “Well, that’s quite the compliment,” he says. “I enjoy teasing you. If it puts you in danger, I obviously can’t continue doing it during rehearsals.”
“Obviously not,” I say, pulling away my hand from him.
This is for the best.
“Why does it seem like you’re trying to pull away from me?” he asks, eyes narrowing.
“We don’t have any kind of relationship or interaction with each other where you’re not inappropriately flirting with me,” I state. “Therefore, we have nothing, Professor Dalca.”
Lifting my dress as I flip my hair over my shoulder, I walk away from him.
“You really need to stop calling me Professor Dalca,” he groans. “Every time you do, it makes me want to bind your wrists with my tail, rip off your panties, and fuck you.”
“Sounds like a good time, for another girl. I’m not interested,” I lie over my shoulder, my heels continue to click as I keep moving away from him.
I have no idea where I’m going, I just know that if I keep verbally sparring with him that I’m going to embarrass myself in some way. I don’t want to end up riding his dick if he doesn’t deserve me.
“Lorelei!” he calls out, his hooves following me as I disappear behind the building and through a vine covered gate. The asshole has two different types of walks: silent as a ninja, and a gang of elephants.
My lips purse as I lean against a stone wall, listening for him as he moves past me. My body is filled with anxiety, and my chest hurts as he leaves me behind in his search. I don’t want to be a doormat, nor do I want to be his plaything.
I may joke about things like that with Phenex, but the monster treats me like I’m his everything. I’m not there with Bast, and if things don’t change soon, there may not be much point in trying.
Ugh, I hate feeling fatalistic.
A hand over my mouth makes me inhale sharply to scream, but it doesn’t travel as the hand tightens on my lips and jaw to the point of pain. An arm yanks me tightly and I’m vaguely aware of the teal tint to the monster’s skin.
“Hello, little whore,” Adares rasps. His nails are fucked, long and torn. It appears as if it’s due to scratching at things that aren’t there. I only know that because Samael told me about Adares’ unfortunate “psychotic break”. “You must have some really good pussy for so many monsters to be chasing you.”
Kicking back at his shin, I fight against him, and use something that he’s not expecting.
“ Phenex!” I scream through the bond.
“My brains are scrambled,” Adares growls. “My parents got me out, though. They said that a little revenge is good for the soul. Did you know that they’re revenge demons? I’m a petty fucker, and also pretty obsessive. You smell good, and I need a taste.”
Claws rip my dress as I struggle, and tears slide down my cheeks as I chant in my head. They’re prayers, begging, screams directed at Phenex down our bond. I’m panicking, hands are touching me that shouldn’t, and I’m losing my fucking mind as I struggle not to disassociate.
“Shh, I’ll make sure it’s good for you,” Adares whispers. I can feel his erection against my back, his pants pulled down his thighs.
My hands reach up to try to scratch at his body, but he’s able to keep his face away from me easily as he laughs. My dress and coat are in tatters, my breasts hanging out, and Adares presses my body against the cold stone, using his foot to kick my feet apart.
“ Where the fuck are you! Lorelei!” Phenex screams through the bond.
I can’t concentrate enough to respond, and I feel really fucking stupid as I sob against Adares’ hand. My hands pushing against the stone, my nails digging into his hand, trying everything to get away from him.
“This is the last thing you’ll ever do,” Phenex growls, the sound of a neck breaking loud before Adares’ body is thrown away from me.
Gasping, I twist around to look at him, but overbalance on my heels and collapse onto my ass. Adares’ unseeing eyes stare back at me as I heave in gasping sobs, his cock still engorged and bobbing beside me.
“Don’t look there,” Phenex barks, his alpha command clear as he yanks my attention to him. “I learned today that I have a LoJack on your location if I focus hard enough.”
His words are said conversationally despite the fire in his eyes as he lifts me onto my feet. My legs are shaking so hard that my ankles keep twisting in my heels. Picking me up, he shrugs off his coat to wrap my body in it. My teeth chatter as I cry, and Phenex pulls his phone out of his pocket as he holds me tightly.
“All I could hear was you screaming in my mind,” he whispers, his lips against the shell of my ear. “What happened? Why did you leave the building?”
“There she is… Holy fuck,” Bast mutters, hurrying behind the wall next to us. “She was talking to me, and we had an argument. Adares is supposed to be locked away still.”
“He…he said his parents had him released,” I gasp. I’m trying to calm myself down, but I can’t. “They told him to take his revenge.”
“Fucking revenge demons,” Phenex grunts. “Samael just made the bastard crazy and petty. This is why I said that Lorelei needed to be protected.”
“I shouldn’t have walked away,” I say, shaking my head.
Phenex types something out on his phone before shoving it back into his pocket, blowing out a breath.
“I should have told President Christa to take a short walk off a cliff,” he sighs. His chest vibrates with a deep purr as he hugs me to his body. “I need to get rid of the body, Baby Girl. Samael should be here soon to take you home.”
Bast stares at the ground at the scraps of my torn coat and dress in a daze, and shakes his head.
“I still think it’s a mistake for you to be here at this school,” he mutters.
“Without us, she dies anyway,” Phenex says. “Falling asleep for a hundred years, Lorelei, is a death sentence. I’m not exaggerating anything.”
I didn’t say a word, but I guess my thoughts are still very loud.
“I know,” I whisper. “I don’t feel good.”
The last thing I see is Samael appear in front of us, his brow furrowed with worry, just before I pass out.
SAMAEL
“Lorelei,” I breathe, looking around. Seeing Adares, I take a step closer and kick his head with a snarl. The strength of my leg removes his stupid head from his neck, making a mess as it flies into a corner of the garden back here.
“Goddamnit, Samael,” Phenex groans. “I was trying to keep this bloodless so I could clean this up easier. The fucker was already dead.”
“I’ll call in a favor,” I grunt. Pulling out my phone, I call up a mafia boss who owes me a few favors. His clean up crew uses magic to get the job done.
“ Samael, it’s been a long time,” Kyle Oliver says. “ How can I help?”
“I may have kicked a man’s head off his shoulders,” I reply. “His dick is still hanging out and he tried to use it on my girl without her consent.”
“ Well fuck. I can see your location. I’ll send my crew out. It sounds like the education gig isn’t what it used to be,” Kyle says. “ And Samael? This one is on the house. Don’t use your favors on this.”
“Thanks,” I say with a sigh. “I appreciate it. There will be a nine foot monster with black hair waiting for you.”
Hanging up, I glance up to find Phenex and Bast gazing at me appearing gobsmacked.
“We all make connections over the long years,” I say with a shrug. “Kyle will send his cleaners over. It’ll all look good as new. Hand her over.”
“You still manage to scare the shit out of me, and I’m your best friend,” Phenex mutters, stepping forward to place Lorelei in my arms.
“I’m bonding her to me tonight,” I warn him, gazing down at her.
“After all of this—” Phenex blows out a breath as he stops himself. “Fine. I only found her because we’re bonded. She couldn’t tell me where she was, and she was just screaming in my mind. It was fucking terrifying.”
“Fuck,” Bast mutters. “This shit isn’t supposed to be real.”
“In the world we live in, you’re having a hard time believing that Lorelei is who she says she is?” I ask, glancing at him in derision.
He shudders as I throw desolation at him, a true taste of what it would feel like to see her die.
“Get with the program, or I will find a way to ensure you’re no longer needed,” I growl. “Obsession isn’t the same as what I feel for her. I understand you can’t fathom that, so I’m going to leave you with this feeling for a full twenty-four hours. Consider it a gift.”
“Aw, fuck. Wait, Samael!”
I ignore Phenex as I mist away with my girl to my apartment. I need to take care of Lorelei, and clean her up. There are leaves in her hair from the ivy on the stone wall, dirt on her skin, and tears streaking her face. I have some of her toiletries in my bathroom that I bought for emergencies.
I didn’t think this would ever happen, though.
Arriving right in my bedroom, I stride into the bathroom with her in my arms and begin filling the tub. I’m worried because she’s barely moved while I’ve held her. Her head lolls in the crook of my elbow, her lips parted. Lorelei’s chest rises and falls, her eyes shifting rapidly underneath her eyelids.
I know this is all normal, but my blood pressure is still on the rise.
“Fuck this,” I mutter, shutting off the water in the tub. I’ll pull the plug later, but I need to exist underneath her skin. I need to know when there’s something wrong outside of my usual Lorelei radar.
Because tonight, it failed. I didn’t feel anything to tell me that she was in danger, and that’s unacceptable. There wasn’t a goddamned twinge to alert me that my girl was in trouble.
Swallowing hard, I grumble to myself while purring for Lorelei. It doesn’t matter what I’m feeling, she doesn’t need to feel the tension and bitterness in my body.
All she needs is whatever comfort I can give her.
Toeing off my shoes, I pull off Lorelei’s heels and toss them into my bedroom. Opening the shower door, I turn on the water there instead because it’ll be easier to clean her up, and also will allow any blood to wash away when I claim her. I’m done waiting. Holding her as I strip off my clothes, I then toss away Phenex’s coat that’s been keeping her warm before walking under the rainfall of the shower.
Lorelei’s muscles begin to relax as I continue to purr as I wash her hair, body, and ensure that the dirt and fear is removed from her skin. I’m unsure if I want her awake enough when I bite her. It’s easier if done during sex, but I don’t expect her to be up to that.
“Lorelei,” I whisper in her ear.
“Hmmm,” she whispers sleepily. She yawns before snuggling closer to my body, warm and safe.
“It’s entirely rude to scare a fear demon, Baby Girl,” I murmur, gazing down at her. “You’re mine, right?”
“Yes,” she breathes.
Fuck it. She loves me, and I will follow her into any hell that exists on her behalf. I can’t wait anymore. It doesn’t have to be a full bite to bond us. My fangs at full extension could tear her throat out anyway.
There’s a place on her shoulder that’s beckoning for my attention. It’s a space that’s easy to hide or show off if she wishes. God, I hope she wants to tell the world that she’s mine.
In a way, it’s more acceptable to have my bite on display as she’s my food source. Fear demons are possessive, monogamous, and love fiercely. No one will blink an eye at it, but all will know she’s mine.
I’m so mesmerized by the area, my lips are touching her shoulder before I know it. She’s so relaxed, she’s lightly snoring in my arms. Smirking at my perfect girl, I gently kiss the skin before opening my mouth to fit her shoulder inside of it. All she needs is for me to break the skin, I don’t need to hurt her at all.
I’m reassuring myself of something that she may be angry with me about later. There are places around her lips and stomach where she’s bruised because of that son of a bitch. I have the ability to heal myself, I want to see if this will extend to her once we’re bonded.
Slowly pressing my teeth down until I can taste her blood I release her shoulder, watching as the puncture wounds clear as the shower washes it away. I feel the burgeoning bond growing between us, which will continue to strengthen over the course of our lives together.
All the while, Lorelei slumbers in my arms. She looks so peaceful, but I want to do everything in my power to make sure she doesn’t stay asleep forever.
We need her too much.
LORELEI
Inhaling sharply, I find myself yawning as I slowly open my eyes. I’m in my nest, with my curtains closed to block out the world. The scents of three of my scent matches are surrounding me, their warm bodies touching my skin.
My fingers sink into Alecto’s platinum blonde hair, his head laying on my stomach. I’m wearing pajamas, and one of the straps is itching my shoulder. Not wanting to address it, I ignore the sting that I also feel, lifting my head to look at Samael. His violet gaze is on me, almost appearing troubled.
I can understand why, since I remember everything that happened yesterday.
“I must look pretty awful for you to be staring at me like that,” I whisper, not wanting to wake up the others. I can feel Phenex’s breath along my back, my hips turned to the side to allow Alecto to snuggle against my body.
Samael has his hand propped up on his fist, slightly separated from me by Alecto’s body. His lips twitch as he shakes his head.
“You look gorgeous,” he murmurs. “How do you feel?”
“Sore,” I admit. “I can’t believe that his parents basically let him loose on me.”
“They’ll be dead in the next few hours,” he says casually. “I need to pay them a visit today.”
“Is that necessary?” I ask, raising my brow. Speaking about the death sentences my scent match has planned out wasn’t a conversation I thought I would have this morning.
They’re always surprising me.
“They’re revenge demons,” he says. “They’ll plot out ways to kill us all otherwise.”
“Then, I guess it is,” I say, shrugging. The movement moves my shoulder, making me hiss.
“Ah, you’re going to be sore for a little while there. Take a look. Please don’t be mad,” he says softly.
Staring at him for a moment because that sounds ominous, I take a small breath so as not to wake Alecto, and look at my shoulder. There’s what appears to be a healing bite mark on the skin, and I shiver as Samael’s lips move to the shell of my ear.
I’m not afraid of him, which is funny due to his being a fear demon. Right now, I’m more curious about how this bite is healing so quickly.
“Usually, I can tell when you’re in trouble,” he whispers. “Yesterday, I had no idea, and I decided while I was looking down at your sleeping body in my arms that I needed to change that. You’re mine in every way that matters, it felt right to make that permanent.”
“Why does it look like an older bite?” I ask. “I mean, it’s bruising, but the teeth marks are already scabbing over.”
“I think you’re sharing my ability to heal faster,” Samael explains. “I’m hoping that’ll extend to other things as well.”
My mortality.
“Yes, an extension of your natural life span would be more than I could ever dream, but there are other things too,” he says. “You’ve been so tired recently, I’m hoping our bond will help give you a boost in energy to be able to finish out this semester. You’re taking such a heavy course load along with work and performing.”
Nodding, I gaze at the bite mark some more. I’m not mad. He and I have talked about it, and he kept saying that he’d give me his bite bond soon.
“What changed?” I asked. “Was it just the attack?”
“I realized there would never be a perfect moment,” he says. “You’ve more than given your consent to me, though I was hoping you’d be awake when I bit you.”
Huffing out a small laugh, I nod before looking back at him.
“Sometimes, the perfect moment is the one you make,” I say to him.
“You noticed the new bite mark on your shoulder,” Phenex says sleepily, kissing my neck. “Samael has been quietly agonizing about it all night. I think it gives the perfect amount of ‘fuck off’ vibes to the world. I wish I'd have thought of it instead of biting your hip.”
“Well I’m very partial to that bite mark,” I tease him.
“Good morning, pretty girl,” Alecto mumbles against my skin. “You scared the shit out of all of us.”
“I know,” I say, instead of telling him that I didn’t do anything. I chose to walk away from Bast. “I’m sorry.”
“You didn’t do anything except refuse to be in an asshole’s presence,” Phenex says. “Speaking of which, he should be feeling the full weight of his actions right about now.”
A familiar banging on the apartment door makes me wince.
‘“Why is he here?” I ask.
“He’s living in a world where you’re dead,” Samael says, kissing my nose before getting out of bed.
“Never piss off a fear demon is the lesson of the day, kids,” Alecto mutters, sitting up and crawling up my body to thoroughly kiss me. “Good morning, Lorelei. We may as well see about putting the bastard out of his misery.”
“It hasn’t been twenty-four hours,” Phenex grunts. “I don’t even know if he’ll realize he’s seeing Lorelei.”
Great, I’m a ghost.