Chapter 33 Aerin
AERIN
The sexual tension is going to drive Aerin into madness; she is certain of it. Yesterday, she barely made it out of their conversation alive with the way Emrys and Malice eye fucked her while she was trying to have a serious and open discussion with them.
Now, a day later, they aren’t faring any better.
Emrys has a pair of boxing gloves, Malice has the mitts.
He’s greatly enjoying the way he keeps catching Emrys by surprise, knocking the Wolf upside the head, arms, shoulders, or stomach as they spar.
Malice barks orders at him while Emrys grits his teeth and takes it.
Aerin tries her best to ignore them, but after her final round of sprints she collapses onto a bench, leaning against the wall. As she drinks water and wipes sweat from her body, she can’t stop herself from watching them.
Both shirtless, Emrys is strained, his muscles trembling.
Each cut seems even more defined, chiseled from marble as he throws punches.
Aerin can practically see each individual muscle in his back as sweat runs down his spine.
Malice, on the other hand, is thick with corded muscle, broad where Emrys is narrow, tan where Emrys is pale.
His muscles seem to move in tandem as he swings, hitting Emrys on the side of his head again.
Aerin is sure the Wolf’s ears are ringing from the hit, but Emrys doesn’t stutter a step, throwing more punches that Malice easily blocks.
Watching them spar, drenched in sweat, breathing heavily… Aerin can feel her heartbeat between her legs. They look perfect together, so opposite that they fit seamlessly.
Aerin has yet to have either of them. Despite this her panties dampen as she considers all the ways the two of them could work together to take her apart.
She knows how Emrys used to have sex, eager and uninhibited.
She knows Malice will be different, wholly in control of himself and her. Both possessive and powerful.
Crossing her legs to ease some of the ache Aerin lifts her eyes back to the males. She is surprised to see the sparring paused, both men staring at her.
“Anything to share with the group, Princess?” Malice mocks, ticking an eyebrow up at her.
Aerin smirks. “Just thinking about how I get to see my favorite Jaguar tonight.”
Malice clenches his fists, his nostrils flaring. Emrys looks confused, not understanding the reference that gets under the Dragon-Fae’s skin so easily.
“He knows exactly how to use his claws,” Aerin adds with a grin, tapping her bottom lip with her finger. Malice grinds his teeth while Emrys watches her lips.
The door on the far side of the gym pushes open, loud laughter snapping them out of their banter.
Aerin collects her things before the blonde-haired Fae makes it inside.
Malice snatches the gloves off Emrys and tosses them into the dirty bin.
Emrys catches the hint and pulls his shirt on over his sweaty torso.
Just inside the doors, Bruin freezes, his eyes running over the three of them. His interest piques on Emrys before settling on Aerin. Malice walks past him, jerking the door open. Emrys leaves first. As Aerin passes her brother, he grabs her arm.
“Come on, Rin, you can’t stay mad at me forever,” Bruin pleads.
When Aerin looks in his golden eyes, identical to hers, she’s a kid again. She’s upset with him. He’s easily forgiven. She takes his hand again. They race down the halls. He protects her from their father. He’s her whole world.
Malice rumbles low. Meanwhile, Emrys’s apprehension surges through their shared magic. Aerin blocks them both out, having enough trouble dealing with her own emotions.
“You’ve always known it was me or him,” Aerin whispers. Bruin drops her arm.
“You don’t understand, Aerin, and you won’t even let me explain,” he tries.
Aerin misses him, desperately, violently. But her feelings don’t change anything.
“I’m not interested in your excuses.”
Emrys holds out a hand, and Aerin takes it, following him outside. Malice lets the door shut behind them, Bruin firmly on the other side.
By Thursday Aerin has somehow managed to avoid alone time with both of her bonded-mates.
Each day they go to the gym before sneaking into Echelon.
Vyx came through with a swipe card allowing them access to the usually restricted archive.
Aerin doesn’t ask questions like where it came from, who it previously belonged to, or how Vyx got her hands on it.
All that matters is that it works. And because Echelon is inside the VCU library, Father is none-the-wiser.
Malice goes with Aerin to Echelon each day, shifting through texts for anything that explains her abnormal Wolf magic or the blood-bond while Emrys stays behind at the apartment, finding it harder to maintain his Fae form for such long periods of time.
In the evenings, Aerin busies herself at nightclubs or openings or other outings Quinn comes up with.
She keeps her face in the press, and article after article is pumped out, just like they planned.
Her night at Tower 77 has been the most eventful so far.
Watching Malice grind his teeth and practically turn green with jealousy while she talks to Marcus is the highlight of her week.
But, no matter how jealous he acts or how tempting Aerin tries to be, Malice doesn’t cross any lines.
Aerin sure as hell isn’t crossing them. She refuses to be rejected by him again.
So far, the blood-bond seems stable and that’s what she needs to prioritize, not the desire that seems to grow more desperate every day.
Even if she’s cum to the memory of him twice this week.
Now, as they approach the tube station, Malice’s gaze seers her skin as she tosses her hair over her shoulder for the photographers.
A few tabloids caught wind that Aerin Tolvare was seen with her personal guard, towing suitcases towards the tube station.
The photographers are held back by a partition as Malice reaches around Aerin to hand the guards a stack of identification cards.
Vyx studies her nails, Quinn types ferociously on her phone.
Emrys stands stock still next to Aerin, who is hanging off his arm, her head leaning against him in an obvious embrace.
The tabloids picked up the story of Aerin and her new toy.
They’ve been pictured together every night this week, though no one has been able to name Emrys.
Now Aerin keeps up the show, running her hand up and down his arm, while he holds back fear that his identification won’t pass inspection.
They went over it a thousand times, explored every contingency if they somehow don’t pass this checkpoint.
But Aerin has the best counterfeit in Novhelm at her disposal, and if it doesn’t pass inspection, the Shifter will have a hell of a lot to answer to.
Quinn makes a displeased sound as the officer flips to the next card, looking up to Emrys as he does.
“These Zeneith clubs are acting like the actual Princess of Valtara won’t be passing through their doors in a matter of hours.
” She stamps a foot and huffs, furiously typing on her phone again.
The officer eyes her. Vyx snaps her bubble gum.
Malice shakes out his wings. The guard gives him a wary look.
Aerin looks over her shoulder at the Viper. “Just send the list of requests to the Prince; his staff will take care of it.”
“Gods, I can’t wait to sink my teeth into some beefy ice Fae tonight,” Vyx announces, holding out her hands to look at her pristine, deadly sharp nails.
The guard eyes her again, switching to a new card.
“What?” she snaps at him. “Can you get on with this already? It isn’t like you don’t know who we are,” she hisses. He flips to the next card.
“Just doing my job, miss,” he says, glancing down and then back over to Malice. It must be his card. Though there is no misidentifying him, wings and all.
“Yes, and my father could make one call and ensure you no longer have this job. I’m tired of waiting. Open the gate.” Vyx’s eyes flip from her normal piercing green to harrowing yellow with a narrow slit for a pupil, a clear show of her impatience.
The gate buzzes open, and Vyx pushes her way through. Aerin and Emrys shuffle through behind her followed by Quinn. Malice takes the cards back, grumbling an apology and follows behind the group, carting their bags.
“Princess!” A Rabbit Shifter in an official tube uniform scurries up to them. “I was only just made aware of your travel plans, apologies, apologies.” He makes a gesture for the other workers to shoo away the photographers on the other side.
“Oh, they were no bother,” Aerin purrs, slipping herself under Emrys’s arm. The Wolf is still stiff despite making it through the gate.
“The bother was waiting around,” Vyx retorts, snapping her sharp teeth at the Rabbit who jumps.
“Apologies,” he says again. “Please, let us take your bags.” More Rabbits appear, taking the suitcases from Malice. “I’ll show you to your cart.”
They follow the Rabbit to the nearest cart, where two well-dressed Cougars are being informed that their cart has been commandeered for a Royal. The male growls but the female hits his arm, nodding towards Aerin.
“Sorry about this. You understand, right?” Aerin calls to them.
The Cougars, clearly only visiting Valtara, are speechless.
“It’s not always so bad, being the Princess,” Malice murmurs into Aerin’s ear. A shiver runs down her spine. She glances back to meet his ice blue eyes. He began this campaign when she announced her plan to overthrow her father and give up her title.
“I’m well aware of the things I’ll be giving up.” Aerin shrugs him off, keeping hold of Emrys while they step into the cart. They take seats in the spacious room. The chairs are plush, standard snack trays present on each table. Emrys sits next to Aerin, his honey brown eyes glancing around warily.
“Bring three bottles of sparkling wine. Then, do not disturb us for the remainder of the ride. Do you understand?” Vyx says to the still tense Rabbit Shifter from the doorway.
“Yes, right away.” The Rabbit scurries off, and the doors slide shut. Vyx collapses into a chair on the opposite side of the aisle from Aerin, next to Quinn.
The group knows her extra attitude is a front; the more she snarls at the staff now, the less likely they are to intrude.
All part of the plan. Even though Aerin can tell it makes Emrys uncomfortable, she can’t bring herself to feel bad for the behavior.
They have to do whatever is necessary to keep him safe.
“Better get those cameras off before we leave.” Vyx nods to the corners of the cart where four cameras are pointed at them.
Malice stands from his seat, disabling each camera by unplugging them and turning their lenses towards the corner, just to be certain.
A few minutes later the Rabbit Shifter is back, followed by another staff member carting in the wine and more decadent snacks. The staff member parks the cart and scurries away, clearly already warned about Vyx’s thinly veiled threats.
The Rabbit Shifter clears his throat, glancing up to the corner and seeing the dispatched camera.
“It appears the surveillance in the cart has been interfered with.” His gaze catches on Quinn, who flicks a bag of Pixie Dust she just pulled from her bra. “For your own safety—”
“I said we are not to be disturbed!” Vyx snaps, wrapping her fist around the male’s lapel. He trembles under her grip as her eyes flash to narrow slits again. “There are some things that don’t need to be on camera.” The words slur as her forked tongue flicks out, half of her face covered in scales.
“Come now, V, let the poor guy go,” Aerin says.
As she approaches the squabble, Vyx reluctantly drops him.
Aerin presses a few large bills in his hand.
“We want some privacy; You understand, right?” Aerin tilts her head at him, a half-smile painted onto her face.
The Rabbit looks back and forth between Aerin and Vyx.
“I’ll let the conductor know all is well. You won’t be disturbed.” He glances back to Quinn, now preparing lines of Pixie Dust, then over to Malice lounging back in his chair and looking every bit the mercenary he is.
The Rabbit can’t get out fast enough. The doors shut and lock behind him. Aerin adds her own band of magic to the external and internal door before dropping back into her seat between Malice and Emrys.
“Phase one, complete,” Aerin jokes. She’s met with quiet glances from the group. Quinn takes a line and Vyx puts her headphones on. Emrys shakes his head, shifting from his Fae form into a Wolf once again, settling at Aerin’s side.
It is going to be a long weekend.