Chapter 23
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
I’M CLOSE TO TAPPING OUT
Desire lures me from a deep sleep. My panties are already damp, and I float in dreamy yearning as I trail my fingers over them. I barely touch myself down there, and the sensation gathers, feeding the slow-spreading need.
A hand cups mine, helping me find pleasure.
And that’s when my arousal dries up.
I twist around and find the owner of the hand lying behind me. “Arlan! What the fuck? Get your hands off me. Actually, get your whole body off me. You’re disgusting,” I shout while I throw my arms and legs about, trying to dislodge him, but he’s like a damn barnacle I can’t shake off.
Panic explodes as I feel his resistance, and I act instinctively, punching him in the face. His arms fall away, and I get the space I need to escape him, crawling over my bed, ready to run out of this damn house.
Except I collapse in a heap when I go to stand up, as the empty floor isn’t there anymore; it’s now a body.
“Hmm, what’s this?”
“Put the lights on, Arlan!” I screech as I fight grabby hands for the second time in the space of a handful of seconds.
“Settle down, Nom.” Cane’s voice barks from across the darkened room, and a part of me calms in an instant, while the other part bristles at his command.
“Settle down? You’re delusional. Arlan was feeling me up, and now I’m being held prisoner by a stranger. You lot…”
“Careful, Maya, your prejudice is shining through,” Arlan warns.
From the opposite side of my room, I can hear movement over the pounding of my heart. Fear is making my senses come alive. Hands wrap around my waist, and whoever is pressing into me from behind is strong.
“Arlan said you tasted good. I’ve never quite believed what he says. I like to figure things out myself.”
Whoever he is, his voice is deep and gravelly. It feeds the fear racing through my veins in ways that are hard to describe; I go from scared to terrified. I put it down to my primal senses doing their job to keep me alive.
I scramble to escape again, and the chuckle it draws as I fight to free myself makes all the hair on the back of my neck stand up. His hold shifts and becomes something different; not hurtful, but unyielding just the same.
Someone finally turns the light on, and after I blink away the sudden burst of brightness, I look down and lose sight of everything from my chest down.
I’m covered in darkness. The smoke-like wisps coil and move as if they’re alive and a part of him.
I might be a newbie in this world, but there are only a few beings that have this kind of ability.
“Demon,” I whisper.
He’s not the only one to hear. Arlan is smirking when he purposely moves into sight, and Cane growls under his breath. I look around, knowing that Emrys will be close, since his purple strands of energy are slithering around the room.
My breathing hitches as I struggle to fight through an assault of desperation so intense it threatens to pull me under.
All my senses are screaming at the obvious danger that surrounds me; my ears hurt as they ring, my eyes see everything, my smell confirms my fear.
These four are at the very top of the pyramid of power at Thales and maybe even in the whole world.
I can’t manage to breathe past short, frantic pants, barely any air passes my lips and even less gets into my lungs.
“Let her go, Bael,” Cane demands. “She’s going to faint.”
I fight against the demon’s phantom hold. My hand falls through the blackness, getting swallowed up until I find an arm, then I dig my nails in until he’s hissing against my ear.
“You fight so good for a Nom.”
“Please, let me go. You’re scaring me.”
“You make that sound like it’s something I should be ashamed of.”
I feel something flicker against my throat, and the whimper I make is a genuine reaction—laden with fear.
“Does it hurt you?”
“Your touch? No, it repulses me.”
He laughs again, and it’s deep and throaty, like his voice box has been scratched from the inside.
“I wasn’t talking about me. I was wondering if your throat is sore from Arlan’s feeding.”
At the mention of Arlan’s name, my body remembers how I escaped the vampire before. Without thought, and surprising both of us, I slam my fist into the demon’s face.
He chuckles as he leans in closer, completely ignoring the fact that I punched him. “I’m only letting that unnecessary violence go unanswered because Cane needs you conscious for his interrogation. But a word, little Nom—anything else I want from you, I can take whether you’re willing or not.”
His arms, and whatever else he’s using to keep me prisoner, let go. Arlan is still in front of me, so I shove him aside with a ferocity I never knew existed. “Don’t you ever take anything from me again, you piece of shit.”
The smirk on his face only grows bigger, making his fangs poke through.
“You’re a Nom. Nothing you own or have is yours.
If I want to drain you dry, I will. If Bael wants anything from you, he’ll take it.
And if Cane wants to interrogate you until your mind snaps, no one will stop him.
In our world, you’re here to be used however we choose. ”
“That’s not true,” I insist, though my voice breaks with emotion. I push past Arlan and crawl away. I’m not sure I have the strength to stand as what he said is too shocking to comprehend.
I don’t stop moving until my back is against the wall. Movement in the window registers, and before any of them can stop me, I let Bugby in.
He’s radiating a rage that mimics mine. I do nothing but watch as he shows this group of idiots exactly how wrong they are.
For a raven, he’s really mastered the art of the takedown, and he flies at them with his talons out, aiming for wherever he can reach.
He squawks so loudly; they cover their ears.
And for a moment, while my new pet is defending me, and their focus is on him, I get the chance to sure up my sanity.
I’ll need to work through the shock and horror of what happened, and Arlan’s awful words, but I refuse to give them any more of me, including my tears. I lock everything away, promising myself I’ll deal with it later.
Bugby returns to sit with me on the floor. I draw my knees up and hug my arms around them, which gives him a place to roost. He faces me and tips his head, and I swear I see in his golden-colored eyes a world of camaraderie where my pain is his, and our future isn’t controlled by others.
The other four are talking among themselves, and I tune out what they’re saying while I assess the situation.
God knows why everyone is in my room. It’s only when I flick through my foggy recollection of what happened yesterday—before Arlan reminded me not to trust anyone here—that I remember they use this room as their ‘safe room’.
It seems odd that they need such a space, considering all the gossip surrounding them being at the very top of the food chain, but it’s on point for Cane being an Alpha.
I look over at the demon, who is apparently part of their group, and I guess I see the reason they need a place like this.
His jet-black hair is swept back off his face, and it highlights both his extraordinary looks and how pale he is.
His coloring isn’t from staying out of the sun; it comes from dealing with pain so vicious it consumes you.
He looks like I did in the months following the car crash.
I don’t pretend I wasn’t watching him when his eyes move away from Cane.
Since I’m already shocked to the core, I don’t visibly react in the slightest when I see only swirling pools of darkness where his eyes should be.
Something in my chest twinges, aches almost, but I shove that in the too hard basket, along with everything else I need to unpack when I’m alone.
He stares at me like he’s expecting me to scream or something, so I keep watching him.
But I definitely react when his eyes change.
I can’t help but gape in wonder as the black melts away, leaving behind the most luxurious deep brown eyes ever.
Of course, he ruins the wonder of the moment with a scowl that deepens the longer we stare at each other.
It’s pretty clear he’s one of those others with a disparaging view of Noms. The negative energy rolling off him is sharp and cutting, stealing the beauty and reminding me of my crappy situation.
“Professor Cane, I think it’s painfully obvious that I shouldn’t be here.”
My sudden interruption means the other three stop their chatter and turn toward me.
A mix of expressions stare back, but I don’t let them sway my confidence; if anything, I use it to bolster myself as I look into Cane’s eyes.
Like, really look into his eyes. The effort to hold his gaze is immense.
Almost as big as the fight I have inside.
Being in the sights of a shifter is scary, but intentionally putting yourself in the path of an Alpha adds another level to our interaction. It feels like a truck is slamming into my defenses, trying to wrench me into submission, but I’m well and truly past that point.
“You all might truly believe you are the dominant beings here, perhaps you are, but it’s irrelevant in a lot of ways.
I don’t feel safe, Professor Cane. I’m sure in the endless rules and regulations Thales has regarding Noms, there’s nowhere for me to turn, so I’m appealing to you, as the Alpha.
The issue is consent. Or is that exclusively a human concept? ”
I can literally feel the moment he absorbs my words, and the room shrinks.
Yet my fear is warranted. They might not agree with what I’m saying, but at the same time, given the apparent bond they share where they’d protect each other without thought, I’m banking on them having personal experience with the concept of consent.
Cane doesn’t relent his position of control, staring at me with the same force as before. But I see him accept what I’m saying too, begrudgingly of course, because apparently you can’t call out assholes for being assholes.
“Don’t get cocky, Maya, thinking you’re in any position to negotiate. You are a Nom, and as Arlan rightfully pointed out, your designation defines your role in our society.”
I roll my eyes. “How strange, while you are telling me that, others at Thales are saying I shouldn’t let it define me. Talk about mixed messages. I wonder if they’re the issue, or if it’s you and your friends.”
“That’s enough,” he growls in warning.
I bite my lip, hiding the smile that threatens. And yeah, it’s a triumphant, gloating smile, and well-deserved. “Of course, Professor.”
I stand up, refusing to be looked down upon, and take a seat at my desk. It keeps us all on a similar level, although the demon stays sprawled out on the makeshift bed.
“Let’s get the interrogation done so I can get some rest without all the noise.” He speaks with his eyes shut, leaning his head against the wall. He looks ruined, and his voice doesn’t hide how tired he is.
Bugby squawks like a foghorn and doesn’t stop until Bael opens his eyes. They stare each other down, and there’s definitely no love lost between them.
Arlan laughs. “Reminds you too much of home?”
“Something like that.”
Emrys’ purple energy pulses. “Is the bird one of yours?”
“I asked B the same thing.” Arlan laughs.
Emrys shrugs. “And clearly I missed Bael’s answer when you did. But I’m going out on a limb… see what I did there.” He grins quickly before continuing. “I’m thinking not because, as a rule, you generally don’t let your relatives live this long.”
“Not one of mine. To be honest, I can’t get a read on him to know who he belongs to.”
“He doesn’t belong to anyone,” I insist.
“No, Nom,” Arlan answers as he swivels his head unnaturally fast to face me, “that’s where you’re wrong. Everything in our world belongs to someone.”
“I claim him as mine, then. In the same breath, I want it known he’s free to do whatever he pleases. His life is his, and his alone.”
Emrys throws his hand up. “Every time you open your mouth, I ask myself the same question—how the fuck are you still alive?”
“Okay, that’s enough,” Cane barks, adding a lot more dominance this time.
I guess I’m past the point of giving a shit, and I can’t help but laugh under my breath that they got told off by the big bad.
Cane includes me in his glare, but perhaps because I’m over him and the drama, I see past the surge of dominance and get a little lost in the vivid color of his eyes. He immediately notices my lack of submission and grabs a chair, dragging it noisily until it’s right in front of me.
He doesn’t sit, he leans into my space, his dominance as obvious as his frustration. “If you ever throw shade at me for being an Alpha again, I will not be held accountable for my actions.”
“Wrong,” I whisper, invading his space like he did mine. “That’s who you are, whether you like what I say or not. I also want to point out that I blame the stress of being locked in this room for my verbal and emotional outbursts. Please let me go.”
He ignores my request, clearing his throat, as if what he’s about to say is actually going to pain him. “I would like”—he pauses briefly before continuing—“your permission to do a test to confirm your designation.”
“Why?”
“You had a vision yesterday.”
I mean, I know I did. I’m still feeling wiped out because of it. “Apparently Noms having visions is par for the course.”
“True, but that ability is not listed on your student records.”
“Okay, put it on file, then everything is resolved.”
“The vision you had was extremely detailed. And what you told Arlan regarding the Legion, no one else knows about.”
I don’t have a response to that, so I shrug because he’s waiting for some kind of explanation.
“Do I have your permission, then?”
“For the test?”
He nods.
“Yes. I don’t get why you’re asking me now, though, since none of you have asked me for permission for anything previously.” The barb hits, the green of his eyes getting lost in the shimmer of gold. I wasn’t being intentionally nasty, simply pointing out the truth, but of course his wolf notices.
“She’s a Nom, Cane. I tasted her myself, and let me say, she’s nothing amazing,” Arlan says unapologetically.
I clench my jaw, refusing to let out all the things I want to yell at them both.
“I trust you, Arlan, but I still need to satisfy my own curiosity.” Cane gets up and walks out of the room.
I feel stupid when I realize the door was unlocked. For some reason, I presumed we were locked in here like it was a safe room, or rather a dungeon. It’s a good lesson to always check things out for myself.