Chapter 23
twenty-three
RAE
I was still trying to come up with an idea when the Goodbye Loneliness party came around. I expected it to be stupid, but between swimming, jumping on a trampoline like crazed teenagers, cooking, and playing card games, it was actually pretty fun.
Late into the second day, we were all stretching on the turf in Liv and Niall's backyard in preparation for a short sprinting race. There were mini cupcakes on the line that I didn't particularly want, but I wasn't about to forfeit.
The guys were joking about the "fight" between Merrily and Grayson in which he used his shadows to make it look like she could take him down.
An idea struck me like a blow to the face.
I glanced at Kat, and she lifted an eyebrow at me.
"Play along," I mouthed.
Her forehead creased.
Apparently, I was bad at mouthing things.
I leaned over and whispered the same thing.
Liv and Merrily eyed us both. Liv, with suspicion. Merrily, with a little humor.
"Hey Kat," I said, trying to sound casual and failing completely, "Do you think you could take your mate down in a fight?"
She grinned. "I've never really thought about it." Just liked I hoped she would, she called out, "Callum, could I beat you in a fight?"
"Depends on if I wanted you to win."
"I don't know, I think Sable could take you down."
"I would never risk pissing off your wolf, Kitten," he called back.
"She would be disappointed if you didn't try." Kat looked at Liv. "What about you?"
Liv was already shaking her head with a grin. "I've wrestled Niall too many times to wonder how that would go. He's too big, and I'm more built for cardio."
He winked at her. "It's cute when you try, Livvy."
She stuck her tongue out at him.
"We already know Mer can beat Darke in a fight," Kat mused.
Grayson grinned too.
"Right," Merrily said playfully, looking at me. "Rae, do you think you could beat your mate in a fight?"
Darius snorted. "No. She's tiny."
"I don't know, Dare. Demons grow up learning how to fight," Merrily warned.
"Rae's parents were overprotective," Dare said.
"Overprotective demons usually train their kids more than the chill ones," Grayson said.
Darius looked at me. "Do you know how to fight?"
"Do you?" I asked.
"Of course not. I have magic."
"So do I." I gestured to his body, where my shadows were currently dancing.
Dare looked at Grayson. "Does she know how to fight?"
"There's an easy way to find out," Grayson said.
"Please tell me we're about to watch them fight," Liv muttered to Kat.
Kat lifted her crossed fingers.
"You want to fight me, Shadow?" Dare asked, sounding a little amused. "We both know I won't hurt you."
"You should be worrying about yourself if you're going to fight the Wraith, man," Niall muttered.
Dare's head snapped toward Niall. "She can fight?"
"She's killed a couple hundred assholes in the city, and most demons know how to fight. Why wouldn't she?"
Liv cleared her throat. "I speak for all of us when we say we'd like to see Rae fight Darius." She paused. "Or Grayson. Actually, yeah. I want to see her fight Grayson. That would be way more fun to watch."
Darius stood up. "Nah. I'll fight her."
"If you can pin me, I'll take you to work with me every single time," I said, rising to my feet.
Dare's eyes flashed. "Promise?"
"I vow it."
"No shadows," he said. "My magic is useless here, so we need to keep the playing field even."
"No shadows," I agreed. "I'll even let you keep mine."
He lifted his hands in warning. "You're not allowed to be pissy when I win."
"You're not allowed to be pissy when I win," I countered, finally rising to my feet.
Everyone made space on the turf.
Darius tugged his t-shirt over his head, exposing that gorgeous chest. His bargain marks were starting to look bigger, now that he'd released so damn many of the bargains.
Liv whooped. "Now we've got a real fight. Think Rae's going to strip too?"
"We can only hope," Kat teased.
Callum grumbled at her, but when I glanced his way, he was fighting a smile.
Darius was right. Callum wanted her to have friends.
I was wearing a pair of loose shorts, a cropped t-shirt, and a sports bra, so I tossed my shirt on top of Dare's and flashed him a smile that probably looked more like a challenge.
"You just had to one-up me, huh, Shadow?" His voice was playful.
He still thought he could take me.
"Couldn't resist, baby." I flipped his nickname back on him, and he laughed, loudly. "If I win, I get to keep working alone," I added, just to make sure he was really going to give it his all.
Taking him down when he wasn't trying definitely wouldn't make my point. I needed him to know he was doing his best.
He narrowed his eyes at me.
I brushed my mind against his and added, "I'll give you a blowjob for every bruise you give me. Don't hold back."
"I'll give you an orgasm for every bruise I give you."
I lifted a shoulder.
I'd tried to warn him.
Grayson caught my eye and lifted a brow.
He wanted to know what was happening here.
"Darius thinks I only became an assassin because I could transport through the shadows," I explained aloud.
Grayson snorted. "Seriously?"
“Yup.” I stepped in front of Darius, bouncing a little on my bare feet as I tested the turf.
Dare knew enough to widen his stance and put his arms out.
It was too bad I was going to crush his dreams.
Oh well.
"Alright," Grayson called out. "Go."
Dare immediately stepped toward me, and I went for the leg he didn't step with. He grunted when I kicked it out from under him, spinning behind him and taking him to the grass easily.
I had one of his arms pinned behind him, and the other beneath him, as I made a quick chopping motion against the back of his neck.
"Sorry, Scorch. You're dead."
Darius turned his head, staring at me over his shoulder like he he'd never seen me before.
"You know how to fight," he said.
"I do."
"Could you take Grayson?"
"Physically, no way in hell. With my shadows, it could go either way."
Darius glanced at Grayson.
He nodded. "If Rae wanted the vampire throne or a seat on the Cabinet, she'd have it."
"I don't want it." I stood up, offering Darius a hand. He gave me a dirty look and didn't take it, rising to his feet anyway. "Don't be a sore loser."
"I'm not a sore loser. I was just… unprepared. Give me another chance." He held his arms out. "Please?"
I rolled my eyes. "I already won the game. Why would I bargain with my freedom now?"
"You need to sweeten the deal," Liv put in. "Offer to buy her pizza every time she kills someone when you go with her, if you beat her."
"Chinese food would be way more effective," Kat offered.
I gave her a look that called her a traitor.
She grinned back.
The grin was contagious. I had to bite back one of my own.
"What do you say, Shadow? Free food every time I go to work with you, if I win?"
"Sure. If you win."
"Find your center and don't let her move you," Grayson instructed. "You're a hell of a lot bigger than her, and that's your only advantage. The moment you lose your balance, she has you."
I flashed him a glare.
"Even the best assassins disappear sometimes. Backup isn't a bad idea,” he said.
"Exactly." Darius flung a hand toward Grayson. "Thank you."
"I'm not on your side. You thought I'd send a twenty-year-old who didn't know how to fight to kill my enemies."
"Okay. Fair." Dare stretched his neck and shoulders before getting down into position a little more securely.
Fucking Grayson.
He announced the start of the fight again, and I went in significantly more cautiously. Dare played defense, so it took me some time, but I did manage to take him down again and hit him with my nonexistent knife.
"Dead," I repeated.
"Offer her new shoes for another round," Merrily suggested. "Combat boots. Expensive ones. She won't spend the money, even though she has it."
The look I shot her was murderous.
But when Darius offered, I reluctantly agreed.
I did want more combat boots.
Knowing that everyone else still thought having backup was a good idea did cost me just a little confidence.
Grayson gave him a few more instructions before the next round.
I flipped him off before he started the fight.
Darius lasted a little longer that time. I had to work for it, but I did still win.
"You're going to have to pull out the big guns," Liv warned. "Offer her a vibrator. A really good one."
"Ouch," Darius grumbled.
"I don't need a vibrator. I have a fae king," I said, matter-of-factly.
Oohs went through our small but very invested audience.
"Truffles," Kat called out. "She loves truffles."
He bargained with a stack of truffle boxes for another attempt at the fight, and I gave in.
Maybe it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to have my mate waiting in the car while I was working. Not driving across the city alone would be a real perk on its own.
Five fights (and bargains) later, Dare finally pinned me. He didn't need to pretend to stab me, because he was gigantic enough to really hold me down.
We were also both sweaty, panting, and coated in whatever dirt had previously been on the fake grass.
"Do you yield?" Dare demanded, grinning like a madman.
"No," I growled.
"She yields," Grayson called back.
"Fuck you," I grumbled.
"Fuck me. You said you wouldn't be a sore loser," Dare tossed back.
"I beat you seven times, and you have at least a hundred and fifty pounds on me," I pointed out.
"There's no need to rub it in my face, Shadow. We all know you're more of a badass than I am."
"So you can admit that I wasn't only successful because I could transport?"
"Yes. Your badassness has nothing to do with your magic."
“Fine, I yield.”
Everyone whooped as Darius climbed to his feet, hauling me up with him. They all got ready for their race while Dare carried me all the way back to our room.
As soon as the door was shut behind us, he had me pinned to it.
"That was so fucking hot," he rumbled.
"You say that about everything I do," I breathed, but I had felt his erection multiple times while we were fighting.
"It's still true." He kissed me roughly. "We need to be better at talking about this shit. I'll work on it."
"Me too."
"Good. Now, I'm going to fuck you against this door."
"How are you going to do that without everyone else in this house hearing? Especially the werewolf and shapeshifter?"
"Is that a challenge?"
I smiled. "Sure."
Darius burned our clothes away with his magic in the blink of an eye and hauled me to the bathroom connected to our room. My legs wrapped around his waist, and he dragged me onto his cock as he walked.
He stopped to turn the shower on before setting me on the countertop and fucking me roughly, dragging my mouth back to his throat every time a sound of pleasure escaped me.
I drank his blood until I was bloated.
He fucked me until his cum was leaking down my thighs, and my legs were trembling from the pleasure.
Sometimes, I thought I might love having a mate.
Or maybe I just loved having Darius.
At that point, I wasn't sure why I was even trying to convince myself of anything else.
But we still had one problem to solve.
Dare kept saying that he didn't care if I was all-in.
And I needed to prove otherwise.
I had a plan for that, though. A really fucking terrible one, but I hoped it would be effective.