Chapter Twenty-Two
“Where did you get this?” Drin grunted.
“My therapist brought it over.” Techor chuckled as he slid oiled hands over her back.
“What day is it?”
“Monday afternoon. The incident took up most of yesterday.”
“Don’t you have judgy stuff to do today?” She grunted as he ran his thumbs down her spine.
“Nope. Off for a family day. Vikor is talking with the peacekeepers, and Ekron had to go talk to his mother. Klauz is in the kitchen, and Stella is housecleaning.”
“Where’s Remark?”
A familiar voice said, “Oh, I am just enjoying watching the massage. I am off duty until you are safe.”
She turned her head and grunted as Techor found another knot. Remark leaned toward her and offered her what looked like lemonade. She took a sip and rolled it around her mouth. “Those lemons are all fermented.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, they are. I am your food taster if Klauz isn’t around. We also got a scanner from Kritz to make sure that there is no Kiamut in the house anymore. The police seized the first batch.”
She buried her face in the padded table and groaned as Techor worked on her butt. She carried a lot of tension in her glutes, and Techor was persistent. He worked her over until she was limp and slippery.
He carried her to the outdoor shower and washed off the oil before returning her to the bed and rubbing lotion into her skin.
Having a hired killer after her should have been stressful, but she had never been more relaxed.
After she was all soft, she was wrapped in a sheet, and Remark held her on his lap while Techor went for a swim. She watched him under the water and fought the urge to join him. A quick consultation with Kritz let her know that she should probably take a day off from frolicking, but she really wanted to go into the water after Techor.
“So, are you adapting to having a price on your head?”
She breathed Remark in. “It’s no worse than having you guys hunting me or being shot by Ekron’s superfan.” She huffed. “It has been an eventful few days.”
He chuckled and kissed her softly, stroking his hand down her legs. She dozed under the soft caress.
A familiar voice chuckled. “Just can’t keep your hands off her, huh? Come here, Drinella and give me a proper greeting.”
She smiled and got off Remark’s lap. She took the dozen steps to Ekron and wrapped her arms around him. That was when she pulled all the energy out of his body, and he dropped to the ground, screaming.
She looked around and saw a plant. She fed the energy into the plant.
The assassin was writhing on the ground, and Remark had cuffed him. Techor was encroaching on his mind, and she walked back to one of the deck chairs and stretched out. Techor looked at her. “His mind is fractured. What did you do?”
“I removed the energy that makes him an active. He’s turning human, and since he was a shapeshifter, it hurts like hell to go back without the energy to ease the transition.” She bit her lip. “Where is Vikor? I think I am going to need a lawyer.”
Remark frowned. “He’s on his way. Why will you need a lawyer?”
“Because I am not supposed to do that. I don’t think anyone is supposed to do that.”
A heavy thud from next to the pool made her look over. Yasit was there with his gargoyle-like body straightening. He moved gracefully and stalked over to Remark. “This is your assassin?”
“Yeah.”
“He’s mostly human.” Yasit hauled him up and looked at him.
“My mate drained the activation energy from him. If he regains his activation, it is going to take some time before he can use it again, but we have internal video to show that a shapeshifter was in here.”
Yasit looked over at her. “You drained his energy?”
She nodded. “I put it in that potted plant.”
“How did you know he wasn’t Ekron?”
“He felt wrong, and some other things.”
Yasit nodded. “Interesting. I will take him to active holding. It will be fun to see what happens to a human in there. You look very calm.”
“I am resting. I have had a rough few days. What I need to know is if I have more visitors to expect?”
“Under mental examination, there was only one assassin hired. A shapeshifter was given information that only someone close to you would know.”
“And they picked Ekron because he is the most public face and therefore the easiest to copy,” she muttered and started shaking.
Remark came over to her and held her. Techor called Kritz, and she continued to shake.
Klauz brought a covered tray in, set it on the table, sat on the lounger, and patted his thighs. “Bring her here.”
Remark brought her to him, and from the moment that Klauz settled her against his bare skin, it set her off. She squirmed around on him until his loose trousers were open, and she had his erection in her hand. He was inside her, and she moved on him with a hot frenzy until she screamed.
He groaned and smoothed his hands over her bare back as heat spilled and pulsed into her. She smiled and wrapped her hands around his neck. “Thanks, I needed that.”
“I know. When you start shaking, you need us before food. Even my food.”
She chuckled and paused. “Wait, am I naked and around you with a stranger in the space?”
Klauz chuckled. “You are. Most of you is covered by me if that makes you feel better.” His hands gripped her ass and rocked her against him. She pressed her hands against his chest and rolled her head as her body felt loose and warm.
The second climb was slower, and Klauz had her put her hands behind her head so he could lean forward and tease her breasts with his mouth. When she came, the ripple of power was back to how she normally felt, and when Klauz came, the shakes disappeared.
She was draped over Klauz, and Remark was standing with a grin and his arms crossed while Yasit stared, and the assassin had regained a bit more colour. “Oh, dear. I gave him some of my energy. He might regain activation faster than we thought. Also, apologies for the show.”
Yasit swallowed. “No apologies necessary. It was lovely. So, do you know where to find my bluebird?”
She had an image of Mayel working out and lifting literal tons of weight to keep her body burning through the power to stabilize herself. “Interesting. Well, she is an escort for the BDC, so I would start there.”
“I am registered with them. I have not seen a description of her in the escort roster.”
“You are looking for the wrong thing. Look for a heavy hitter. She spends most of her time at a gym, burning calories to keep her body stable. If management lets you select those options, you will see a bunch of different escorts. Look for the ones who like picnics in the park.”
Yasit nodded. “I will do that. And now, I will take out the trash.” He pinned the man to him, bent his knees and shot upward, widening his wings. He flapped away with strong strokes, and then, she noticed that his tail was helping him steer. Oh boy. Mayel is going to have to deal with that.
Klauz stroked her back. “How did you know he was a shifter?”
“He called me Drinella, his energy was all wrong, and he was surprised that I was cuddling with Remark. That was not Ekron.”
She was plucked off Klauz, and Remark laughed at her squawk. “Time to get back to cuddling with me.”
He got comfortable in a chair and draped her over him. He just ran his hands over her skin over and over. It was his favourite part of her, and his slow stroking eased her into a light doze.
When she woke, Vikor was crouched next to her, and it was definitely him. She went into his arms easily, and he held her close. “They have the assassin.”
“Yes, and you made him mostly human. Well done. Can you do that to any active?”
“If I feel threatened, probably, but it’s new.” She kissed his neck. “I think it is possible because I am sated. I don’t need to consume the energy, so I can manipulate it. It was just shining on his skin, so I peeled it off. He will recover, but it will take months.”
“I am glad you were safe. Ekron is here. He is worried that his appearance will upset you.”
“That isn’t the case.”
Vikor whistled sharply. Ekron came in from the kitchen with a garment bag over his arm. She grinned. “Final proof that he wasn’t you. You went to your mother’s and didn’t bring back a garment bag. That made me instantly suspicious.” She tried to get away from Vikor, but he held her steady.
He stood with her pressed to his chest, and Ekron came over and gave her a sweet, toe-curling kiss. “I like bringing you pretty things.”
She chuckled. “I have noticed, so if you ever do have to come to me emptyhanded, bring a coffee mug or something; that way, I won’t have to bust you back to human.”
“Yes, pet.” He rubbed his nose against hers. “So, do you want to try on your party dress for the awards?”
“Right now, the result would be distinctly Vikor-shaped.”
Vikor snorted. “I don’t want to put you down.”
“Klauz made some kind of food, so you could alleviate your anxiety by holding me while I investigate the nummy stuff. I might need a towel or a sheet or something. Techor gave me a seriously good rubdown, so I might be a little slippery and definitely softer.”
He stroked her shoulder. “You are extremely soft.”
Techor grinned. “I do good work. She’s fun to work on.” He glanced at the folded massage table. “Now that I know how much fun it is, I will have to get one of those and put it in my room.”
Klauz snorted. “Like fuck it goes in your room. I could hear her from the kitchen. That was music I like to cook to.”
She looked at him and narrowed her eyes. “You seemed so nice and polite when I first met you. Now you are a ravenous perv.”
He cackled. “When Kritz started dating Arcady, it was sweet. He needed her, and she wanted him, so it all worked out. They courted and got together. I worked my way through the BDC until I met a sweet little thing who made my mind race and my blood heat but never to the point of having her. Then, I saw you through Kritz’s eyes at work, and I saw how you behaved with Vikor, and I knew that you were my muse. When Vikor called me, I already knew all I needed to. The possibility of a mate on my own has always been difficult. However, by joining this link and sharing you left all possibilities open. I could act on my own impulses, embrace yours, and finally have a woman of my own, even if it was part-time. They are with you when I can’t be, and I can satisfy myself in the ways I need to.”
He chuckled. “I also enjoy satisfying your hungers.”
Vikor stroked her softly. “And you have been much more stable since he has been tending to you.”
“I know. The high-calorie meals are really nice.” She grabbed Vikor’s arm and pulled it across her breasts, using it as clothing. She put his other arm across her hips. “Now, point me at the food.”
He snorted and rotated her. She lifted the lid and got a fingerful of pate before Vikor hauled her back. She stuck her finger in her mouth, and her toes clenched happily. It was a variety platter of all her favourite things, and she wanted to jump in face first.
He pulled up a chair, and she could reach the platter. She looked at Klauz, and he nodded, so she dove in.
The canapés, snacks, piped treats, and small things on itty-bitty pita disappeared rapidly. Klauz asked her opinion of a few items, and she gave it and kept eating.
When she was done, she sat back and picked a few pieces, reaching up to feed them to Vikor. He made faces at a few pieces. She giggled. “They are what I need, not you. The iron in the pate is helpful.”
Klauz frowned. “You need iron?”
“Well, I have a pretty violent cycle. This has all happened between fury and the crimson tide.” She shrugged. “The implant helps, but it kind of numbs things. If we ever want to have kids, I should have my eggs removed and frozen while I can.”
Vikor murmured in her ear, “Will that be rough on you?”
“A little, but it is only one cycle, and then, I will have a store of eggs that can slowly be added to one of your contributions, and Vaken can have a cousin.”
Klauz chuckled. “Using an incubator, you could have more than one child at a time.”
Her eyes got wide. “No. I want at least six months with each baby before the next shows up. You guys can draw lots for which one is next because my work will be done. I was good with Vaken when he was a baby, so I think I can maybe manage two at the same time.”
Ekron grinned. “My sister has a nanny service that she uses.”
She bit her lip. “I am just worried about you all trying to have babies at the same time. It seems like something you would do.”
Klauz smiled. “Beating Kritz to a baby is tempting.”
“Well, he will know what you are up to. Z-Tech is the company that makes the gestation tanks.”
Klauz chuckled. “I might just go through Zera.”
“It may involve less gloating or demands to be a godfather.” She smiled.
“Doesn’t matter. He has been watching our conversation and is delighted at the thought of a family member he can carry around. He says Arcady wants to babysit.”
She snorted. “It isn’t that simple. I have to get an implant removed, and then comes the crazy. I think more chocolate than you can manage. They have to give booster injections to increase the egg output, but if this works, they only have to do it once.”
Vikor murmured, “You have looked into it?”
“Uhhh. Sort of. Vaka did. He wanted to have kids with me, so he did all the research.”
“But did you want to have kids with him?”
“Did he see this face a lot?” She shrugged. “No, I didn’t, but he wanted it very badly. Then, he started dating Shisha, and they had Vaken.”
He held her tight. “He gave up just like that?”
“Well, yes and no.”
“Explain that.”
“Don’t ever look at Vaken’s genetic makeup.”
He froze. “You... what are you saying?”
“Shisha can’t have kids. Well, her ovaries can’t. Even if my brother wanted my funds, a genetic child takes priority.”
Vikor turned her to face him. “Vaken is yours?”
“Genetically. I donated the eggs. Some of them are still in storage. Hey, we could use those. They are from seven years ago but are still usable, I think.”
He stroked her cheek. “Eggs from a twenty-one-year-old you? That sounds sensible. How many did they get?”
“Twenty-three viable eggs. They used two to get Vaken,” she mentioned.
He rubbed her belly. “Did it hurt?”
“I had needles jabbed through internal organs. So yes, it fucking hurt.”
Vikor whispered in her ear, “Was Vaka there?”
“Yeah, but he had to keep behind my head, no checking out the zone. Shisha was there as well.” She smiled. “They held my hands. It kept me from punching the doctor.”
Ekron asked, “Does Varun know?”
“No, but I saw him take a swab when he met Vaken, so he might know by now.”
Vikor sighed. “Of course, he would. We will deal with that when it raises its head. So, my nephew will be my stepson.”
“No, because Shisha is his mother. I gave them a single cell, and they built a whole person out of it. Well, Shisha did. You all know the difficulty that actives have carrying to term.”
Vikor cocked his head. “Would she carry for you? I mean, since it is doubtful that you can.”
“First, we haven’t even looked into that. I have no idea if I can or can’t carry, but if I can, it is going to involve some intervention.”
Ekron chuckled. “Vikor wants to anchor you to us as quickly as possible. I can’t say he’s wrong. The thought of a little girl with your eyes graduating from high school gets me all weepy.”
“High school? Wow. Your brain works fast.”
Klauz laughed. “I am waiting to see what happens when they go active. They will certainly have quite a choice for advisers in this grouping.”
“Wait. They? How many they?” She started looking around at her guys.
Vikor chuckled. “If we are using the incubators, I wouldn’t mind two.”
Everybody else nodded.
“That is ten fucking kids!”
She looked around. “Even this place doesn’t have room for ten kids, plus a guestroom for Shisha and one for Vaken.”
Ekron laughed. “That is why some nice folks have become contractors.”
She frowned. “That is still a lot of kids.”
Ekron snorted. “Salat and Khytten have five, all under two years old. They hired nannies.”
She paused. “Oh. Right. You would have to with five. And that is how they are in town.”
She shivered. “I’m cold.”
Ekron chuckled. “That’s my cue.”
Vikor surrendered her, and Ekron led her through the house by the hand, right past Stella, who nodded and wasn’t fazed by the nudity.
Ekron opened his closet and went inside, humming and putting clothing over his arm. “Here we go.”
She looked at him. “What’s that?”
“It’s a slip. It keeps the fabric from getting stuck to the skin and keeps it sliding loose.”
“Huh.” She got dressed and pulled the slip down, smoothing it over her hips before pulling on the dress he had picked. Deep in her mind, she was planning a sprint to get some jeans. She knew already that all of the guys enjoyed skirts for the accessibility, but when she played with Vaken, she wanted to be able to run, jump, and climb. Sneakers would be good, too.
“Ekron, where did all of my stuff end up?”
“Storage unit. Why?”
“I miss jeans.”
Ekron laughed. “You are going to have to sneak them past Vikor. We discussed your fashion options while you were at Z-Tech. He likes you in skirts.”
“I know, but I like playing and roughhousing with Vaken. I can’t do that in a skirt.”
He smiled. “We can get you a go bag that you can change into in the car. You don’t wear jeans to work, do you?”
“No. I mean, I wouldn’t wear this.” She swished her hips, and the fabric wrapped and twisted before the skirt hung straight again.
He urged her to sit and put on the strappy sandals.
When she was properly shod again, he lifted her up to kiss him. She draped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his.
His tongue teased hers, and she ran her fingers through his hair as she whimpered and started to rock against him. She pulled her head away and gasped. “When did I become fixated on sex?”
“When we offered it to you whenever you wanted.” He nuzzled her ear. “Fortunately for us, you wanted it a lot.”
“So, do I put out a signal or something?”
He chuckled. “You start making direct eye contact, there is a flush to your cheeks, and you lick your lower lip repeatedly. Your ears even wiggle a little, and you hold your own hands.”
She blinked. “All that?”
“That is if you are with us all and can’t decide, so we decide for you.”
She sighed and bit her lower lip. “Truthfully. Is it weird that you guys have to book the private time?”
“I think it’s reasonable. We all have different events and schedules. All of us had the BDC in our budgets, so continuing is not a problem.”
Drin wrinkled her nose. “It feels weird.”
He grinned. “Really?” He shifted his grip on her, and there was a ping from her com. She looked at it and blinked. “You want a fifteen-minute date?” She checked the time. “Right now?”
He grinned and walked to the bed, dropping her to the coverlet. “Yes.”
“But, I just got dressed.”
“I like undressing you. So, are you accepting the booking?” He was peeling his shirt off and unbuckling his belt.
She activated the acceptance and read the requirements. She just needed to be fully clothed. “So, is that your default preference?”
He was glowing and golden. “Yeah, it is. I like the look of your legs with the heels and the edge of your skirt riding just high enough that I want to dip and take a look.” He crawled on top of her. “In that outfit, you are a walking peep show.”
Drin stared. “But you picked it!”
“Yeah, and I deserve a reward.”
He ducked his head and disappeared under her skirt. She covered her eyes and moaned as he brushed past every layer of clothing until he got what he wanted. The pulse of energy escaped quickly and thudded through the house.
After that, Ekron moved over her and joined her in pleasure.
* * * *
Techor chuckled. “When are your parents coming, Vikor?”
He grinned. “They will be here in ten minutes. Do you think they will be done?”
Remark shrugged. “I wouldn’t be, but then, I am a little fixated.”
Klauz laughed. “Join the club... oh wait... you did.”
They all laughed.
Another wave of energy swept through them, and Techor grinned. “That’s gonna happen one more time before they are back.”
They all waited, and when the surge of inspiration struck them, they laughed again.
Techor saw their mate and a smug Ekron return to them a few minutes later. Drin was a little ruffled but still adorably sexy. He had always thought a succubus would exude sex, and she did, but it was more that she inspired them to endlessly seduce her. It was a fun game, and he knew she had no control over the effect she had on them. They just had to make it easy for her by constantly falling into her trap. He had smiled more in the last week than in the previous six years.