Chapter 5
Hot steam from the shower clung to the air, the only sound was the cascade of water splashing against skin and tile. Slumped beneath the scalding spray, Rain had hoped the heat would cleanse him of guilt, but the stains on his soul felt permanent.
He had curled in on himself, forehead pressed to the dark tile that adorned the walk-in shower of his en-suite, letting the water offer what comfort it could.
There is a magic to running water, Elder Isarion had once preached.
It helps to cleanse and release energy. He had prescribed long showers or a good soak in the tub as part of Rain’s “come down” regimen.
Whether it worked remained uncertain, but following routine at least gave Rain direction.
He stared blindly ahead, expression dazed and distant, as the horrific events of the night replayed relentlessly.
His mind was trapped in a torrent of torment, the weight of those final moments pressing heavily on his chest. He had spent hours sitting here, wrapped in sorrow, entombed in grief and self-loathing, and still the running water offered little relief.
A tiny, twisted part of him found bitter solace in the suffering.
He welcomed the punishment—felt he deserved far worse.
To feel the deaths of the lives he stole; to relive every excruciating detail…
it felt like poetic justice. He accepted his karma.
It should have been him who died. One sorrow-filled life in place of hundreds of innocents.
But he realised he wasn’t worthy of such mercy.
He deserved the soul-destroying descent into madness.
He imagined the souls of the dead rejoicing as they witnessed his defeat, as they watched his heart implode.
He hoped they felt avenged by his excruciating existence.
As morbid as it was, those thoughts kept him going.
A presence appeared beside him, followed by a shift in water pressure before the shower shut off completely. The action reluctantly pulled Rain back into the present. He wasn’t fazed by the intrusion, but curiosity tugged at him—who would dare disrupt his misery?
Twisting his gaze toward the intruder, a familiar figure came into view.
One who would normally elicit irritation, but today he felt nothing.
Through the thick cloud of steam, Ivy crouched beside him, reaching out a delicate hand, her eyes full of soft understanding.
Her fingers traced over his bare chest, gently cupping his neck as her thumb grazed his Adam’s apple, tilting his jaw toward her so his gaze met her beautiful siren eyes.
“Come with me, baby. Let me take care of you” Ivy cooed melodically, her gaze uncharacteristically sympathetic.
Too numb to decline, he dipped his chin and did as she asked, unfurling himself from the floor and stepping out of the shower in full naked glory.
Ivy grabbed a towel from the cabinet and began to pat him dry, working gently as she admired the view, paying extra attention to her favourite parts of him.
He stood forlorn, zoning out as she dried him, barely registering when the towel eventually draped across his broad shoulders.
Undeterred, Ivy entwined herself around him, her hands roaming over his torso, fingers digging into flesh as she nuzzled into his neck.
Her lips brushed softly against his jugular as she slowly released her power into the contours of his back.
Tendrils of arousal tugged at him, pulling his attention toward her.
It was subtle and inviting; she was being gentle with him—conscious of what he needed: distraction, escapism, something to fill the void carved into his chest.
Rain’s muscles relaxed as arousal coursed through his veins, a long, breathy sigh escaping his lips as Ivy amped up her power, guided by his body language.
His focus diverted to all things Ivy. He curled into her, hands smoothing over her curves as he nuzzled into her deep espresso curls.
He breathed her in, inhaling the familiar floral scent of her hair, the allure pulling him further into her grasp.
His lips mapped from her temple to her mouth—soft, hungry kisses that begged for more.
Before the kiss could deepen, Ivy pulled back her power. The loss severed the moment. Rain winced as the effects faded; she had pulled him from his numbness, and now the returning pain felt excruciatingly raw. He needed it gone. He needed her to take it away again.
She traced a finger along his jawline, stopping at his chin, her hazel eyes warm with understanding as she read the torment in his own.
“This is unlike me, my love, but I will not take advantage of you right now. If you do not want this, then I will understand. I only wish to help you.” Her voice carried a hint of compassion; a stark, unsettling contrast to the Ivy he knew.
Still, her gentleness eased the sharpness inside him and kept his usual resistance at bay.
“Please,” he begged. “Make me feel––something…anything else. Just, make it stop.” His voice was hoarse, unfiltered, laced with vulnerability as he pleaded for the escape only, she could give. He would do anything to avoid confronting the darkness threatening to consume him.
“Oh, my darling… say no more.” She whispered it against his lips, the fingertip at his chin sparking with passion—a tease of what was to come.
Taking his hand, she guided him into the bedroom, leaving his towel in their wake.
By the time they reached the bed, his cock had sprung to life, teased into fullness as waves of her power pulsed rhythmically through their intertwined grasp.
Ivy grinned mischievously at the sight of him, standing to attention for her like an obedient soldier.
Curling her palm around his thick length, she released her power more intently, each delicious stroke dragging Rain deeper and deeper into Ivy’s realm of passion. A heated groan vibrated through his throat as intoxicating desire coursed through his veins.
His eyes darkened with undiluted lust.
He pulled Ivy against him, capturing her in a needy, breath-stealing kiss.
She arched into him, pressing the supple curves of her chest to his hard body.
His hands slid from her hips upward, worshipping every delectable line of her figure.
A low hum of appreciation vibrating through him as he cupped handfuls of her deliciously ample breasts, her nipples peaking beneath his touch.
The fragile fabric of her dress felt like an insult—an unnecessary barrier between them.
Gods she felt so good.
Rain wanted more, needed more. A heady moan spilled into his mouth as his fingers pinched the sensitive bud through the sheer fabric, her response stoking the hunger clawing at him.
The moan alone was enough to drag him deeper into her grip, but when her power intensified—mirroring her own rising need—it shoved him into a frenzy.
With a sudden, almost feral urgency, his fingers curled into the cups of her dress and tore the offending barrier away.
The fabric gave way in a single rip; forgotten the moment it hit the floor.
Rain’s mouth trailed from her lips down to her breasts, claiming a nipple with a groan of gratitude.
Ivy gasped, head tipping back as she arched into him, her hands tangling in his hair to keep him exactly where she wanted him.
Obeying her silent command, he sucked hungrily as she writhed in his arms.
A steady stream of her power coursed through him, consuming his thoughts, making him want—no, need the taste of her.
He lifted her by the ass, and her legs instinctively wrapped around him.
With a sharp tug of his hair, she dragged him back into a fierce, claiming kiss.
She clung to him tightly as he carried them to the centre of the bed, loosening her grip only when he lowered them onto the sheets.
Rain ground his iron-hard cock over her lace covered pussy, releasing a moan from them both. His hungry lips nipped, licked and sucked at her skin, devouring every part of her they encountered. She buckled when his teeth grazed over her sensitive nipples.
Her fingers combed through his hair as she whimpered, “More,” the plea laced with urgency and desire.
While his tongue swirled eagerly around her nipple, she wriggled out of her sage coloured lace underwear.
With a rough tug of his hair, she guided him down her body, wordlessly directing him.
He obeyed, gaze blazing as he lowered himself between her thighs.
His lips pressed softly to the warm skin at the apex, his breath catching at the sight of her glistening with need.
Rain groaned as her taste met his tongue, a rush of sweetness flooding his senses.
His whole body tightened, his arousal throbbing with painful insistence.
Mine his thoughts affirmed, this pussy is mine.
Ivy’s sweet sounds of pleasure filled the air, each one sending a fresh bolt of heat through him.
Her thighs trembled around his shoulders as he worked her with focused devotion, her body responding to every deliberate stroke of his tongue.
She buckled beneath the attention he gave her clit, arching helplessly as he found the rhythm that unravelled her.
He slid two fingers deep into her drenched arousal drawing another sweet moan from her as she clenched her thighs.
She ground against his face, a firm grip on his hair as tightness coiled at her core. Rain thrust his fingers faster matching her pace. His tongue firmly brushing over her clit. Ivy called out his name as her inner walls clenched around his curling fingers
Rain’s cock twitched eagerly, liquid beading at the tip.