Chapter 7
After we’d found some poorly-fitting clothes to wear—since Orion had disintegrated what we’d been wearing—he all but dragged me to Kaito’s office spitting curses the whole time.
“I could get away from you if I wanted, you know,” I reminded him as he manhandled me up the stairs to Kaito’s office.
When Orion and I sealed our Virtue bond, warmth settled into my chest where that cold core used to be, refilling my well with strength.
Kaito would be fascinated by it, and I wanted to talk to him anyway, so it wasn’t like Orion was taking me somewhere I didn’t want to go.
Never mind the fact that we’d gotten here in record time.
I passed a window to see the golden streak where Orion had sped us all the way from the arena to the counselor sector on the Academy’s outskirts in a matter of seconds.
Students stopped to marvel as they cast wary glances at the counselor building.
Yeah, this was going to start all kinds of fun rumors.
All of which would no doubt get back to Hendrik and he’d be asking me for my pound of flesh soon. I gripped the Blood Stone still around my neck, not sure if I’d gathered enough, much less if I really wanted to give him power that came from suffering and drew demonspawn out of Hell.
It also upset me that I’d hurt Logan—bad, and while I had been seduced by the Demigod, Logan had slowly suffered and fueled the stone.
He had a Virtue bond with me that had not been fully established and the Demigod had literally cock-blocked him.
Logan probably didn’t even know what the Virtue bond meant, nor how I couldn’t have denied Orion in that moment even if I had wanted to, but all he’d seen was me rejecting him in favor of Orion’s promises of pleasure.
“I feel like such an ass,” I said as Orion shoved me in front of Kaito’s door.
“As you should,” he agreed, although for the wrong reasons.
I rolled my eyes as I rapped on the door. “Kaito! I have a pissed off Demigod who wants to speak with you.”
The door opened immediately, making my heart flutter as I endured Kaito’s scrutiny.
He always got my gears working in spite of how satisfied Orion had made me feel.
Kaito was beautiful in an entirely different way.
He ran his fingers through his hair, messing up that silver streak as he grinned at me.
“Konnichiwa, Lily. I see that you’ve added a new member to our group. ”
Yeah, speaking Japanese was a new thing he’d started with me and it made me want to jump his bones.
Although it bugged me how much it pleased him that I’d just had my brains fucked out by Orion.
I didn’t think he got off on it, rather he wanted me to accept all my Virtue bonds so that the prophecy would come to fruition and he could witness a champion of Calamity at work for himself.
Orion wanted to play games.
Kaito wanted to treat me like a research project.
Dante was missing.
Logan thought I hated him.
Hendrik wanted to own me—or destroy me. I still hadn’t worked out which.
Fucking Virtues.
I jabbed a finger in Kaito’s chest, sending him back a step. “Don’t look so happy about it. The Virtue bond isn’t meant to be an experiment for one of your papers.”
Kaito threw up his hands. “Of course.”
Orion growled and stormed into the room, slamming the door behind him that sent a thud through the whole building.
He always had a divine sort of glow to him that speckled across his body through his freckles, making him look like a living constellation, but a deep red blossomed to life in his otherwise golden eyes.
I knew that I had put that fragment there.
A piece of me was inside of a god.
And it glowed with the red of blood, of mortality… of Hell.
“Why do I sense you in my head?” Orion demanded of Kaito as he closed in on my mentor. “Who are you?”
The counselor straightened as his tattoo shimmered with power.
He wasn’t intimidated by the Demigod, which had me even more curious as to what kind of supernatural my first bond-mate really was.
“I’m one of Lily’s Virtues, as are you,” Kaito said.
He motioned to three chairs he’d set out, as if he’d been expecting us.
“Would you care to have a seat? I can tell you anything you wish to know.”
I internally groaned, not looking forward to a mile-long conversation involving the Third Echo of Calamity, my Virtues, or how we all played into the grand scheme of things to save the world—or worlds, in my case.
I just wanted to bond with Orion. Why did that have to come with so much baggage?
Orion scoffed. “Don’t worry. I’m not staying for long.” He gripped Kaito’s arm and his hand began to glow. “Whatever magic she’s cast over you, I’m going to break it.”
It must have hurt, given the white-knuckled grip the Demigod had on Kaito, but the counselor didn’t move and defiantly stared up at Orion as a golden wash of magic swept over him. After a moment Orion’s eyes grew wide and he released a dangerous growl. “Why isn’t it working?”
“I already told you. I’m one of Lily’s Virtues, the very same bond that’s making you so protective over her right now. You can’t harm me because being a Virtue ties us together.”
Orion’s grip tightened, making Kaito flinch. “I don’t care. I’ve decided that if I’m stuck with her, she’s mine and no one else can have her. What’s it going to take to break the bond she has with you?” He tilted his head. “Do I have to kill you?”
“Orion,” I warned, shoving between them. Orion refused to let go, which only wedged me between his perfect chest and Kaito’s warm body. A plethora of unseemly images filtered into my mind as my mentor slipped a hand around my waist, pulling me close to him.
“Mmm,” he murmured as he buried his nose into my neck. “You smell like sex and sunlight.”
“That’s me you smell, you idiot,” Orion shot back.
Kaito shrugged.
I rolled my eyes. “Both of you just stop it, okay?” I fisted the thin shirt Orion had put on, ignoring the part of me that wanted to rip it off again. “Orion. I asked you if you were okay with this and you said yes.”
Orion’s eyes widened and he shoved in closer, gripping my hips as he pinned me against Kaito. My mentor didn’t budge and my insides did a cute little flip of excitement. “You didn’t say other men would be involved.”
That made me laugh. “Wait a second. The Demigod of sex, the guy who has orgies and fucks around on the regular is lecturing me about being with multiple partners? Grow the fuck up, Orion.”
He growled, digging his fingers into my skin as his breath puffed hot against me in warning. Even though he’d just climaxed inside of me, he hardened, his body responding to mine. “Those girls never meant anything to me. You do.”
I shrugged. “And you mean something to me too, Orion.” I reached behind me and ran my fingers through Kaito’s hair as he moved to kiss my neck.
I didn’t feel it was wise to provoke the Demigod, but he deserved it after what he’d put me through.
Plus, if he was going to be one of my Virtues, he had to come to terms with this.
He couldn’t be a fucking hypocrite. “Just as Kaito owns a piece of me, so do you. Are you incapable of sharing?” It fucking amazed me that men expected women to share, but when the shoe was on the other foot it was a foreign concept.
Orion narrowed his eyes and shoved off of me as he scowled. “You’re a liar and a bitch.” He stormed out, leaving me with my jaw hanging open.
“Just give him time,” Kaito said as he released me.
I appreciated that my mentor could sense I didn’t want to be touched right now.
My heart twisted with guilt. “Are all Virtue bonds like this?” I croaked, stumbling to a chair and sinking into the seat.
I pulled my knees up to my chin and sighed.
“Am I being unreasonable?” Maybe I had lied to Orion.
And I had hurt Logan. And I wanted them both anyway. Maybe that made me a bitch.
“I thought you wanted to make him pay?” Kaito asked, pulling up a chair as he rested his elbows on his knees. He plastered on a concerned expression, one that was better suited for a mentor-student relationship.
I sighed. “I did, but now I feel bad, and I meant it when I said that he means something to me.” I buried my face in my hands. “Maybe I’m not cut out for this revenge shit.”
He chuckled. “You’re tossing him into a world where he’s not in control.
It’s going to be hard for him.” He pulled one of my hands away so that I could see his face.
“He cares for you, Lily. He will even come to terms with sharing you, but it’s a new concept for him.
I can sense his feelings through the Virtue bond, and he’s not with you just because it’s predestined.
It’s possible for bondmates to reject one another and he has no intention of doing that.
He just needs some space to adjust to the idea that he’s entering into a relationship where he’s not in control. ”
I perked up at that. Orion had instantly felt Kaito the moment our bond was sealed. “Is he jealous?” I asked.
Kaito smirked. “Do you really have to ask?”
I crossed my arms and pouted. “I mean, I guess I could understand. Seeing Orion with other girls drove me mad.” In fact, I believed that my jealousy was what had initially triggered our Virtue bond.
Was jealousy something that I had with all my Virtues? I flickered my gaze to Kaito as I tried to picture him with someone else.
My blood boiled.
Kaito chuckled. “Stop trying to picture me with another woman. It’ll never happen.
” He leaned in, breaking our flimsy decorum as he pressed a tender kiss on my lips, making me melt.
“I only have eyes for you, Koneko-chan.” He smiled, knowing I loved it when he used his secret pet name for me.
He still wouldn’t tell me what it meant, though.
I leaned into him, relishing the way he tasted. “I’m not a hypocrite, am I?” I asked between tender kisses. My core warmed as Kaito stoked the fires of my desire with his lips.
“You’re meant to love fiercely,” Kaito said, easing me off of my chair and onto his lap without stopping his careful attention on my mouth.
His hands explored my body through the loose jersey I’d found in the locker room.
He cupped my breasts and squeezed, making me bite my lip.
He sucked, taking my lip into his mouth.
I forced myself to lean away from him as much as I could in my precarious position.
“I’m serious, Kaito. I don’t want to trap anyone in a relationship they’re not okay with.
” Even if Orion deserved the ironic punishment.
“I mean look what happened to Dante. Even a hint of a relationship with me and he jumps realms and is never seen again.”
He beamed. “Is that what has you all upset? Well, I was going to wait to tell you, but Dante’s back.”
I straightened. “What?” Hurt washed through me. If Dante was back, why hadn’t he sought me out?
Reading my frustrations, Kaito hurried to add, “He’s wrapped up in business in the West Wing. It would be suspicious if he came to you before tending to his duties there after a difficult mission.”
“You mean he’s in the Monster Arena?” I shuddered to think of what kind of mission Dante had been on, or what kind of monster he’d brought back with him.
Kaito’s hooded gaze raked over me. Clearly my mentor was having a hard time continuing this conversation. “He’ll find you when he’s ready, I promise.” He leaned in and nuzzled me again. “You really do smell like sunshine and sex. I think I could get used to it.”
I sighed. “Stop getting distracted.”
He peppered kisses along my throat. “Trust me, Koneko-chan. Both Dante and Orion will come around. The Virtue bond is not a relationship to be rushed. The feelings are powerful and real, but they can be overwhelming and Orion will need time to process it. It’s even more difficult for someone like him because he probably never expected to find his soulmate.
” He slipped his fingers up my jersey, grinning when he found me bare.
“I, on the other hand, knew that I belonged to you the moment you first touched me.”
I wiggled as he began a slow, torturous exploration of my folds, intentionally not stimulating my swollen clit. “You’re insufferable, you know that?” I asked breathlessly.
He licked my bottom lip, then pinched my clit, making me yelp.
“I could tell you that you’ve done nothing wrong, but it wouldn’t matter.
I know you want punishment.” He slipped two fingers inside of me as he swept his thumb over my swollen nub, making me groan.
“So I’ll give you the punishment you crave. ”
I moved to slip my hand between us to take his growing cock, but he trapped my wrist with his free hand and proceeded with his slow torment.
“I know you want me inside of you, but that is your punishment.” He thrust into me with his fingers and intensified his strokes, making me buck, but his grip around me was surprisingly strong. I tried to buck again, but he overpowered me.
What was Kaito, seriously?
“You’re going to come for me,” he whispered in my ear as he worked my insides and my clit until I bit down on a cry. “You better not make a sound,” he warned, “or we’ll both be caught.”
When the climax came, he crashed his mouth down onto mine and drank in my screams.
Fuck. My Virtues were going to be the end of me.