Chapter 6 Zill
ZILL
Breaking News! No sign of Empress. The pop star hasn't made an appearance in over a week. Here's our speculations on what she's up to.
It's been almost a week of staying in Reese's apartment, and as much as I want to say things have gotten easier, they've also gotten much more difficult.
She's fun and charming, and it's easy to want to be around her.
The problem with that is it's becoming increasingly difficult to remind myself that she's a client, not a friend, let alone a lover.
Not that I have any experience with lovers.
To my utter horror, I had to message Kolos for advice on not pursuing a bond since he's the only one I know who has one that rejected him.
To say he wasn't eager to help me is an understatement.
Once I told him I was in a similar predicament, just my human had no idea I was interested in her at all, he was more forthcoming.
However, his help consisted of telling me to take myself in hand. Frequently.
As much as I hate to admit it, that advice has come in handy quite a bit. I want to remain professional around Reese, even if my body doesn't always comply with those wants, such as right now.
I'm locked away in the bathroom with the excuse of showering before we begin our day.
I resigned myself to the idea of being aroused by Reese even if I don't want to be after ignoring Kolos's advice for a couple of days.
By the time I thought I was going to explode if I shifted against the bedsheets a little too forcefully, I took his advice and have been doing it every morning during my showers.
My shadows have no qualms about thinking about the human we want to bond with.
They already see her as an inevitability, so why would they feel any remorse over making me imagine what she'd look like bare and flushed underneath me with my shadows wrapped tight around her, holding her in place as I slid between her legs, the sounds of pleasure she would make.
I groan, my forehead resting against my forearm where it's pressed to the tiles.
The warm water from the shower is flowing down the muscles of my back as they tense in anticipation of what's to come.
Thankfully, besides pelting me with thoughts of Reese, my shadows remain wrapped around my legs, not joining me in the self-pleasure I have to indulge in.
A soft knock on the bathroom door has me squeezing myself a bit tighter.
"No rush, but Marr went down to get the transport.
" Reese's voice coming through has the unfortunate effect of having me release all over the tiled wall and bottom of the tub.
I clench my teeth, eyes screwed tight as I attempt to keep myself from making any noise to let the woman know what I'm doing in here.
"Zill?" Reese calls my name through the door, and just like every time she says it, my cock gives a little jerk.
"Yeah," I respond, my voice a bit gruff and winded. "I'll be done in a second."
"Okay, sorry for interrupting," Reese says.
I want to tell her she has nothing to apologize for, considering I'm the one taking longer than I should in her shower, but I leave it as it is. She's probably already back in the living room anyway, and I need to clean up my mess before getting out of the shower.
Thankfully, Reese has a detachable shower head, and I use it to spray down what I can.
I'm not proud of what I've been reduced to, but this is far better than walking around funny all day because I'm attempting to hide how stiff I am.
No, this is for the best, so Reese doesn't find out just how unprofessional I'd like this whole arrangement to be.
Once the wall and tub are free of the evidence of my self-pleasure, I wash myself quickly.
My hair will just have to be put up while it's still wet, but that's what I get for not prioritizing what needs to get done first. By the time I step out of the shower, my shadows are already back to reminding me what the plan is for today, and my cock is more than eager to rally.
I brush a hand down my face, inhaling deeply.
Today is going to test my sanity; I can already feel it.
"Kissing?" Reese asks, looking down at the notebook she has opened to where she's written down what's happening today.
I don't blame her. Mauve has stuffed our day full, and it's all with the sole purpose of "soft launching" this relationship.
I guess that's what it's called on Earth when one is seen out and about with another they might be dating.
The "hard launch" will be next week when Reese speaks to an interviewer for the first time since the break-in.
Reese and I could've been caught together this week while I was staying in her apartment if we had left, but she was content to spend her time inside. The only time we left her apartment was to visit the gym on one of the lower floors.
"At least on the beach," Mauve says from the front seat. What's really helped my shadows and my cock from misbehaving so far today has been the surprise that my mother was joining us on these excursions. Nothing puts quite the damper on one's newfound sexual interest like their mother being nearby.
"Tongue?" Reese asks, and I give her a bewildered look, one that has her cheeks flushing.
It's not hard to make her blush, but then again, it's not hard to make me do it either.
Between the two of us, we're just nonstop looking as though this whole thing is scandalous.
Reese leans over to whisper to me so Mauve doesn't overhear. "Are you still comfortable with this?"
"I am," I tell her, hoping the stain of pink in my cheeks doesn't betray my words too much.
"Whatever you do, just make it believable," Mauve says from the front seat, her nails clacking against the screen of her comm as she scrolls over something. "It wouldn't do for the two of you to be awkward about the whole thing because then people might think we're making it up."
"Well, we are," Reese says with a little roll of her eyes.
"You're in her head," Mauve says, turning to look back at me. "Just do whatever she's comfortable with, and if you hear thoughts from whatever leeches are around taking pictures that make it seem as though they aren't believing it, make it more believable."
"He's not in my head," Reese says with absolutely no idea how much weight those words hold for anyone who knows anything about Sombran bonds.
Marr's brows shoot up his forehead at learning that, and I give him a little shrug of my shoulders when our eyes meet in the rearview mirror. My mother, gods bless her, doesn't miss a beat, though I already know I'm going to be getting a mental talking to from my father on her behalf soon.
"Ah, I see," Mauve says, her lips pressing tight for a moment, lines appearing there though I'd never tell her that.
"Well, in that case, Zill will follow your lead.
" She says my name as she glares at me, the only hint I get that she is upset with me.
It's her fault for hoisting me upon Reese without any sort of introduction beforehand.
She's known the woman for a decade and told us all about her as Empress.
Never once has she told us her name or even shown us any sort of image of her that might've clued anyone in on the fact that she's my soulbond.
So really, all of this is pretty much Mauve's fault.
There's an incessant knocking against the barrier wrapped around my mind, and based on the way my mother hasn't gone back to looking at her comm, I have a good guess as to who it is.
I lower my defenses for him, already knowing what he has to say, but knowing neither he nor my mother will be satisfied until they've said their piece.
What's this your mother's telling me about you finding your soulbond?
My father doesn't waste time with pleasantries, which is fine by me.
We're nearing the location of the first place we're meant to be seen as a couple, and I'd prefer not to have my father in my head while I'm also meant to be protecting Reese while also attempting to make it look like we're together.
As always, Mauve has made plans without consulting anyone, and now she's unhappy with the outcome.
I respond, knowing full well Mauve is listening in on this.
She scoffs dryly before turning her attention to Reese, the two of them continuing their conversation about plans while I deal with my father.
I don't think she's unhappy. My father's chuckle vibrates in my head. If she had known you would've bonded with Reese, she would've introduced you much sooner. She loves that girl.
I cut a glance to where Mauve is now looking at her comm as she and Reese go over more ideas. Reese is scribbling something down, her brown eyes flicking up to meet my gaze for a moment before she startles at being caught and returns to writing.
Even if that's the case, my priority is keeping Reese safe. I tell my father.
He's quiet for a long moment, probably conversing with my mother. Are you certain that keeping this from her is a wise idea?
Mom hasn't said anything either, so I think we're both aware of how skittish Reese is right now. Her protection is more important than me telling her she's the other half of my soul.
Just remember that every lie you tell now will be a reason for her to distrust you when you finally open up to her. My father's tone is more a warning than anything else.
I wonder if I'm doing the right thing. It's not even that I'm lying to her, but giving her the time to come to know me, to grow fond of me, without the weight of knowing that she is it for me.
That's a lot of pressure to put on someone, especially someone not from the same species or even a species that has fated mates or bonded pairs.