“It is just the head that will hurt, love,” Vergel murmured. “Once we get past the crown, it will be all pleasure.” He gradually pushed the rest of the way in.
She moaned as the men started to thrust into her slowly…so very, very slowly, both attuned to the other’s pace. Her fingers curled into the carpet on either side of Finn’s head as they all moved together. It was though they’d fused into the same being.
Vergel brushed his lips across the nape of her neck, then dropped his mouth to her bare shoulder and laid a kiss. “Are you all right?”
She shivered with pleasure. The gentle, mind-blowing simultaneous movement of the two men she loved nearly blew her mind. She nodded, bereft of words.
“So sweet,” groaned Finn. “You are perfection, Pearl.”
She was about to burst if she got any more annoyed. Perhaps literally. Pearl was still learning what it meant to be a lycan mate, so bursting from irritation could be a valid issue. What was supposed to be a training session with Vergel had evolved into a threesome... and not the good sort. "Try again," Vergel urged from his position on the mat, feet apart, arms crossed, chestnut hair falling freely around his shoulders, like a handsome, impenetrable behemoth. Pearl would have appreciated the sight he made more were she not exasperated by trying to force her power to obey the seemingly simple command she gave it. After ignoring or repressing the power that had been churning inside, memory resurfaced gradually, her magic, like a storm for the duration of her life, was difficult for her to gather, control, and concentrate it into a regulated beam of Light as Vergel desired. She'd discovered in the previous few weeks that someone had set a barrier on the well of power within her, se
But Vergel hadn’t stopped there.Mixed in among her old tools and equipment was top-of-the-line machinery she’d only dreamed of, knowing it would take years of work to afford a single piece.A couple of days before, she’d expressed her frustration about not being able to finish, or even start, most of the orders piling up, because the equipment she needed was still at her house.Finn assured her she didn't need to work, that he had more than enough money to cover any costs and then some, but she wanted to work, loved it. Besides, she was used to taking care of herself, and not pulling her weight just wasn't her style.He hadn’t said anything else, so when she discovered what he’d done for her, she&rs
Even Finn touched her, though his were smaller grazes. He’d brush against her as he walked by or stroke his fingers over hers when he handed her something. The worst—and best—was when he played with the ends of her hair. Pearl hated the constant caresses almost as much as she loved them. She’d already been touch-starved when she hadn’t known, not truly, what she was missing. Now that she did, now that she knew how it felt to have people who cared about her? Now that she’d experienced what it was like to turn around or walk down the hall and talk to another person? Now that she was addicted to their touch, their company? To them? It was going to break her when they finally decided they’d had enough of the trouble-magnet charity case and kicked her out, Lost Heir of powerful alchemist or not. For the hundredth time that morning, the memory of the day in the gym, of Vergel’s grey eyes staring up at her, filled her mind. She could still feel his tongue between her thighs, bringing her
Half-expecting Finn to end his attack when she got involved, she held steady, meeting each powerful press of power with one of her own.He wouldn’t hurt her, of that she was confident. She had no intention of harming him either. This was a training exercise. A demonstration. A damn test.Finn had a point to prove.But if he wouldn’t stop, she was prepared to make him.“End this,” Pearl warned, just as her feet left the ground, her body Levitating a few inches in the air.“I already told you, Princess. You’ll have to make me.”Shadows danced from her fingertips, twinning down the bolts of Light like vines. At first, the two facets of herself mixed like oil and water. Then, finally, the dark, inky ether consumed the Light. Spreading to Finn’s magic, the Shadows eclipsed his power—the moon blocking the sun—until there was nothing left.Threat demolished, her power rebounded back into her, snapping with a forcefulness that made her stumble as she crashed back to the mat, just barely keepi
Mortal realm Pearl Jane stalled on the sidewalk outside the Good Book Shop with her hand on the latch and her stomach in knots. She knew this was a mortal realm the moment she went to the portal. But somehow, there was something missing again. Another memory lapsed, or she was in a different state of consciousness. The wide-eyed reflection that stared back from the tinted window wasn’t anyone she recognized. Yes, the stranger had a wavy red-shot ponytail the same as hers, and she was wearing the ratty jeans and beat-up leather jacket Pearl had pulled out of her closet that morning because there was no reason for her to dress like a cop these days. And yeah, those were her deep blue eyes at the back of the dark hollows that had taken up permanent residence. But if that was her, what the hell was she doing? Normally, she wouldn’t go anywhere near the kitschy magic, witchcraft, and whatnot shops that lined the Salem waterfront unless someone called 9-1-1…but then again, normal circums
She was moving for the door when he said, "Wait. I had a question for you: "Aren't you that cop?She lowered her head, grabbed the box, and made a hasty exit from the store.When two of her neighbors pretended they didn't notice her, the short distance to her flat on the fringes of the "cool" neighborhood where the old houses were still being repaired seemed to take an eternity. Though guilt gnawed at her, Pearl reminded herself, as the shrink had advised her, that they weren't acting that way because they believed she was responsible for her partner's murder during a botched heist at a liquor shop. Like the majority of her friends and family, they just ran out of things to say because Benz had been dead for months and she was still acting as if her closest friend had passed away.Except that he had. And it was her fault. Not because she’d done anything wrong, but because she hadn’t done anything. She'd gone cold. simply stood there as a drug addict on his third strike started firing.
"There are a few things we could try," the doctor said finally. "The first thing I would recommend is getting rid of the book."The memory wavered and disintegrated, but the heartache remained, along with Pearl’s dull surprise at remembering how it had happened. Not because the major had tried to pretend otherwise, but because the months of therapy that followed had trained her not to think about the book, magic, or monsters.Or, really, even her mother.The police shrink had wanted to talk about her mother’s death, of course, but Pearl had just shrugged and said, "It was a long time ago." And it would have stayed that way if she hadn’t found the book. Or rather, if it hadn’t found her.Thunder rumbled, closer now, though the sun still shone. Unbidden, her eyes went to the picture of the woodsman standing in the doorway, staring up out of the page at her and making her yearn. "Repressed memories," she said softly. "That’s what this is all about, isn’t it?"What kind of book is this, a
Instead, Finn headed for the small log cabin he’d built near the standing stones, zipping his jacket and shoving his hands in his pockets as he hiked along the two-mile path. The blood moon lit the night with the eerie blue-white light that was almost as bright as day, though monochromatic. By the time his cabin came into view, the air already carried a chorus of excited yips and deeper, spine-shivering howls.His cabin, little more than a single long room with a central chimney and big hearth, was laughably rustic as far as the pack members were concerned. He had used human-style insulated windows, though, and had a lycan-tech generator for power. He had left the lights off tonight, though, and the moonlight that bathed the cabin lit it blue-white, making it seem like it was…Oh, shit. Glowing. Finn’s pulse kicked, because he knew from past experience that it wasn’t the cabin doing the glowing. There was a vortex forming in the standing stones!Finn took off at a run. As he came arou
Henry approached the captives, who were dangling from a tree. He leaned in close to take in June, Ryan, and then Janet's features. In his murmur, he said something along the lines of "This woman is unusual; she smells like a lycan but also human. It has an odd scent that reminds me of Her Majesty Queen Janet herself. When June and Ryan heard the massive lycans, they looked to each other and toward Janet, who was smirking at them, as if to say, "I told you so." Henry continued, as he went to Janet's side and licked the blood from his forehead and raised his brows. "You are an oddity, little one. And you are not from around here, either. Who are you?" Henry and his band of mercenaries might have been the same ones that June's own people were on the lookout for. It was a long-running blood controversy that began some years ago. Nonetheless, June had been on the verge of passing out when he felt that all the blood flowing to his head from the wound made him conscious of the fact that he
Suddenly, they were knocked senseless by three lycans as they were transported to their secret lair when someone appeared out of nowhere and attacked them, rendering them unconscious. Janet's nose was dripping with blood, and a trickle of it dripped out. It did not drip down her chin, but rather up into her eyes and over her forehead, due to the fact that she, along with her partner Ryan and June, were hanging upside-down in the air. After being taken and strung up, they will be skinned alive and eaten by a gang of feral lycans who have come to take advantage of their situation. Earlier, however, the three had been attacked when they were seen traveling down a trail near the cliff, and their belongings, including their backpack and weapons, had been taken from them. And now Ryan and June were arguing with their backs to the wall. "I told you we shouldn't stop," June snarled at him. "But you dickhead, you weren't even forced to walk in front of us, but for your own bloody sense of im
"We need to check to see if my friend is still in the building.""Why?""Wait a minute, and you'll see."Before they knew it, they were being waved at by someone who said, "Thank goodness, your little train is still running." June uttered the words and walked over to the man, who appeared to be an elderly retired soldier."Nice to see you, young man, and I've received your secret message on my radio, and right now we must move quickly. After ten minutes, the train would depart from the station. I already had a secret compartment set aside for you three, but please don't leave your cabin at any time, okay? I've managed to bring on a dozen lycans. Actually, you're dealing with tourists, so keep your mouth shut and never, ever open your cabin door, okay? Unless, of course, it's me knocking on the door.""Of course, Joe, and thank you for your assistance." June wrapped her arms aroun
Suddenly, June shook his hands, as though he were attempting to dislodge himself from the spell of Ryan's lips. "It was a dirty trick," says June."Oh yeah? According to the person who made me drunk and then attacked me to prove a point. What is it about you that requires everything to be a test? Is it June? Remember when you chose the army over me?" Ryan said with a sigh, "We are done with that nonsense.""Come on, sweetie. Play fair now. Tests enable you to push yourself to new limits, mate," June moved in so quickly that he was standing by the couch one moment and standing right in front of Ryan the next. His punch was deflected by June, who moved more slowly than usual, and Ryan managed to avoid his punch back."It's a bitter past, Ryan! And I already apologized a hundred fucking times, did I?""I don't care! You still hurt me." Ryan added with a bit of a smile on his lips. He knew it drove June
June added, "I think this is going to be good." He murmured to himself as he sat in a nearby chair and rummaged through his backpack."This is the possible trail that we have to follow to reach the peak." "We needed a compass and a certain map to reach the cavern.""What cavern?" Janet asked.June gestured to his own graph and mumbled something under his breath, "There is a cavern at the peak of the mountain, and if I'm not mistaken, then there is a possible entry on the west side." So maybe whatever you've been looking at was inside the cave, right?"Worth a try." Ryan smiles, knowing full well that there was an adventure waiting for them.After two bottles of June's grandmother's wine, Janet was unable to keep her mouth shut. When she told them everything, they laughed at the foolishness of her tale and didn't believe her at first, but after an hour of hearing about the Scroll of Fate, the message behind Ethan's research paper, and her time traveling with Finn, Vergel, and Ethan, th
"No, not at this time." "I believe the trail has been buried beneath the sleet." She sighed as she took up a position beside him."Fuck it. I'm done with it. Does that mean we're stuck here? "I'm not sure whether I should be angry with you or grateful," he said as he turned away from her and back into the chimney fire."What the hell are you talking about?""While you were outside, I needed to go to the bathroom." "I happened to stumble into some sort of attic." Ryan went on to say that, as he stared into the flames, he felt something stab him in the back of the head. There was a ray of hope. Then he went on, "...and then I found this," he mumbled as he handed her a small brown military bag that looked like it had been abandoned."Can you tell me what this is?" "What am I supposed to do with this?" Janet inquired as she purposefully opened the back and began to untangle what was inside."That, Janet, you know. That notebook, of course. Take a look at it right now." He muttered somethi
Human Realm. Present Time With two warm sleeping bags of her own, Janet warmed up beside Ryan. They were lying close enough to the chimney's fire that Ryan could feel the warmth of it lapping at his face as their wet clothing dried on the brick quarters hanging near the vent as Janet added wood to rekindle it. When the storm had passed, Janet had buried the family in the snow a few yards away from the cabin, just in case. By the next day, however, the storm was still raging outside, with the entire bracket of the house trembling under the force of the storm's powerful wind. After his encounter with the father's dead body, which was lying in the living room the day before, Janet's eyes were opened. She couldn't help but wonder. She didn't mean to touch his forehead, but she was not expecting those memories to come crashing down on her like hurricanes. It was both terrifying and exhilarating at the same time. Janet had no idea she possessed the ability to read the memories of someo
He nodded.She stroked his shaft with the curled tip of her hand, rubbing back and forth on his glans. "To bring you down before we even started," she snarled, her tongue slithering across his ear, causing him to moan. "Of course, I'd go further... I'd keep going until I thought you couldn't take it anymore, but I'm a kind woman. After all, I asked to have your soul... but let me have fun!"She giggled again before attacking the other side of his neck, causing Darwin to whimper again as his fangs elongated. He wanted to taste her. She pumped him carefully, tightening her grip and almost wringing his rod out. Her leafy scales moved on his naked skin and garments, wrenching and untwisting as she shifted her coils, all over again as he moaned.His body bucked, turning involuntarily against her shackling grip. He feared this would enrage her, but it didn't. It had the opposite impact: it was terrifying and erotic.She liked it. Her veins shifted to enable his reflexive twists to gain some
Darwin murmured. He was getting eager, clenching his thighs together automatically. Alicia hissed sensuously, her rich fragrance only marginally less sensual. "I can smell your blood boiling, I can smell your aroused soul, little vampire, just like what I smelled from the little sorcerer earlier—wanting it, wanting me." "I... I don't..." he began, unsure of what he was saying. He couldn't quite get what she was saying, but her voice was fascinating and alluring. He was in a trance; he understood, but he couldn't get himself away from her. "But don't you wish to enjoy the pleasure no dark creature can provide? What do you have to lose to get a taste of heaven and a replica of the manuscript? If you only accept, you will discover new passions." She slithered closer, her head brushing his hips, her eyes peering up into his. Her body loop softly nudged his back, her head rising in an arc again. Her movements were slow and deliberate, a lovely performance that soothed the senses. Nothi