Chapter 35 Zypher
Three of the seven rooms on the list, from the records room, were completely empty.
Two others housed one demon when they were meant to house two.
Neither demon recalled having an assigned roommate, so I couldn’t be certain the empty beds weren’t simply unassigned rather than meant for students who’d gone missing.
The remaining rooms showed signs of being lived in.
I’d questioned the demons in the rooms beside them and been told their residents had found mates within Daemonium House and were likely spending the night with them.
I returned to Bechora’s dorm at nearly four am.
She and Gabriel were sleeping soundly in her bed, curled tightly together, though she had a hand outstretched to the side I normally claimed as if reaching for me in her sleep.
Guilt sat in my gut, heavy as a boulder, as I changed into just a pair of sweats and climbed into the bed beside her.
Even with her shifting to press against me, the guilt made sleep difficult to find.
I stirred awake, a short while later, to sunlight slicing through the curtains of Bechora’s bedroom.
My body was heavy with the remnants of a fitful sleep.
Gabriel was gone—his side of the bed, empty—probably off to gather breakfast. Bechora lay nestled against me, her lithe form warm and soft, her breath a steady rhythm against my chest. Her hand, still outstretched from the night before, now rested possessively on my hip, fingers tracing lazy circles over my skin as if she’d been waiting for me to wake up.
I dipped my chin to study her face just as her emerald eyes cracked open.
A soft smile curled her lips as her eyes heated.
“Zypher,” she whispered, voice husky from sleep, shifting to push me onto my back and straddle my waist in one fluid motion.
Her nightshirt rode up, exposing the smooth curve of her thighs and the heat of her pressing down on my growing hardness.
She braced her hands against my chest before leaning down to crash her lips against mine.
My hands flew to her hips, and I realized she was bare from the waist down, causing my length to grow impossibly harder.
No words passed between us, none were needed.
Her kiss was fire, her tongue invading my mouth with a hunger that matched the one building within me.
I gripped her hips tighter, guiding her to grind along my cock, my own hips pressing upward as if it would let me feel her through the fabric of my sweats.
She broke the kiss just long enough to yank her shirt over her head, her full breasts spilling free, nipples peaked and begging for my touch.
I surged up, capturing one in my mouth, sucking hard as my hands roamed her back, pulling her closer. She moaned, grinding faster, her wetness soaking through the fabric of my pants.
“Fuck, Dilectus!” I growled against her skin, the barrier of my sweats maddening.
She rocked harder, her moans turning desperate as I moved to take her other nipple in my mouth. Her hands threaded in my hair, pulling my mouth from her with a wet pop. I let her go, my hands reaching to shove my sweats down in a frenzy, freeing my throbbing cock to slap against her slick folds.
She didn’t hesitate, lifting just enough to position me at her entrance, then slamming down with a cry that shot straight to my balls.
Her tight heat swallowed me whole, clenching rhythmically, breasts bouncing with every thrust. I gripped her ass, guiding her deeper, faster, our bodies slick with sweat and need.
“Yes, harder,” she demanded, palms slapping against my chest before her nails bit into my skin.
I obliged, bucking up to meet her, the bed creaking under us. I lost myself utterly in her, my guilt momentarily forgotten. Her walls fluttered around me, pulling me deeper with every grind. Her pace was relentless as she chased her release, but I met her thrust for thrust.
“Zypher,” she gasped, head thrown back, emerald eyes half-lidded in ecstasy. “Don’t stop.”
I couldn’t if I tried. Her body was my undoing.
Every clench and moan erasing the world beyond her.
I sat up abruptly, wrapping one arm around her waist to hold her flush against me.
The new angle let me hit that spot inside her that made her shatter.
My name tore from her lips like a prayer, her pussy spasming wildly around my cock.
I thrust up once… twice more, burying myself to the hilt as I came hard, pulsing hot ropes deep inside her.
Filling her until it leaked out around us.
She collapsed against my chest, trembling, our hearts pounding in sync.
I held her there, lost in the aftershocks.
We lingered like that for what felt like hours, though it was only minutes, her body limp and sated against mine as I traced lazy patterns down her back.
The sunlight shifted, warming the room, and the sound of voices filtered in from the common area of her dorm. Bechora lifted her head, lips brushing my jaw in a soft kiss.
“We should join them,” she murmured.
Reluctantly, I nodded, helping her slide off me.
She made quick work of finding a towel to clean the evidence of our lovemaking from between her thighs, and some deep, feral part of me balked.
I shook my head to clear it and stood from the bed, removing my sweats in favor of a fresh pair.
When we were both dressed, she laced her fingers through mine, and we padded into the living area together.
Gabriel, Archer, Miles, and Shadrie were already settled around the coffee table, eating.
“Morning, lovebirds,” Archer teased.
Bechora rolled her eyes, but her lips tipped up into a smile.
I led her to the couch, helping her settle onto it before moving to the island counter that separated the kitchenette from the living room of her dorm.
I made quick work of loading down two plates with the food Gabriel and, likely, Archer had brought over from the dining hall and then sat down beside Bechora.
She took one of the plates from me, digging in right away.
“So… Any update on those dorms?” Miles asked, not lifting his gaze from his breakfast.
I blew out a breath. “Three empty, two singles who swear they never had roommates. The remaining are reported as mated, but I haven’t confirmed yet.”
“We can confirm when we get there,” Bechora offered, dropping a hand to my thigh and squeezing before returning her attention to her meal.
“I’m not sure it’s wise for you to visit Daemonium House yet, Dilectus,” I replied, hesitantly. “Unless I’m mistaken, you’ve not been able to stop copying abilities at will.”
Her lips turned down in a frown, but Archer spoke before she could. “So, we just don’t let the males touch her.”
“If only it were that simple,” I sighed. “They will expect the opportunity to confirm whether they belong to her Vinculum or not.”
“Sure, but don’t demons generally only have three to four males per female in their packs?” Archer asked. The amount of knowledge the shifter had about my kind never failed to surprise me. “With me and Gabriel, she can easily say her pack is complete. They’d accept that, wouldn’t they?”
“Wait,” Bechora added. “Doesn’t your mom only have the two? I guess, technically, three with the one you told me rejected the bond.”
My brows furrowed as I considered Archer’s suggestion and Bechora’s words. “That could work,” I said slowly. “With Archer and Gabriel present alongside me, it may be enough for them not to question it.”
“We could always ask the other two just to be safe,” Archer offered. “Five might be pushing it, though.”
“Absolutely not!” Bechora said,
“The demons would recognize that the bond isn’t completed,” I said at the same time. “Thrackborne would be a better option.”
“No,” Bechora replied. “He can’t risk anyone finding out we’re bonded, without either him losing his position or me getting kicked out of the Academy. Gabriel and Archer are plenty. If the demons don’t like that,” she shrugged one shoulder. “Too bad.”
A slow breath left my lungs as I inclined my head. It wasn’t the perfect plan, but it was something . “Very well,” I said, the decision settling into place.
The rest of our meal passed quickly after that, conversation shifting to more mundane topics.
I forced myself to eat, though my focus remained split.
Half on the conversation and my meal, half on thoughts of everything that could go wrong once we stepped foot inside Daemonium House.
My mind was still working through potential issues by the time we’d showered, dressed and regrouped back in her dorm.
Shadrie and Miles stayed behind, wanting to study the information Bechora had found in the Dean’s office further.
Gabriel and I fell into step beside Bechora naturally, the moment we stepped out of Magus House, while Archer positioned himself directly behind her.
I tried to cover everything I thought she may need to know as we made our way across campus, though I was sure I’d forgotten something, as we drew to a stop in front of the doors to Daemonium House, even if I couldn’t place what.
“Shoulder’s back, head high, walk with purpose,” Bechora muttered to herself, before glancing at me. “Any last advice?”
“Aside from what I’ve already told you, Dilectus, allow Gabriel and me to clear a path to your seat. It’s expected of us. Before you sit, I’ll announce you as my bonded Dilectus, and then you can state that our Vinculum is complete, but you are open to hearing any other concerns.”
“Got it,” she nodded.
“Just be yourself. They’re gonna love you,” Archer added, followed by a soft ‘oof’ as Gabriel elbowed him in the gut.