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Parents |
Valas Dhaunae
Shar'ryn Silinrul
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Siblings |
Kor'inth Dhaunae
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Children |
Aran Datari
Aella Datari
Megaera Datari
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Areq had stood in the empty room, staring blankly out over the club,
and more than a few times his near black, emerald eyes settled on
Erinya Dhaunae. Foul language usually accompanied every time his eyes
rested on her, and eventually, he left the glass wall that separated
the Nexxus from open space over the club, gathered up several bottles
of various drink and found the mythical showers that were indeed there.
The entire bathroom was walled with mirrors...
"Interesting..." he mumbled...the fun house effect was making him dizzy, worse than he was.
"Oh gods...I'm going to be sick..." His eyes snapped shut, blocking the multiple images of himself.
Hot water...lots of hot water... He thought as he stripped the
remainder of his clothes off, flipped on the taps and stood under the
scalding spray of water. Blood washed away, ran to the drain and
spiralled away. He refused to heal his nose properly, stubborn as he
was, but the bleeding had mercifully quit. He did look like he'd been
in a boxing match, minus the gloves, but what the hell...it wasn't like
he really wanted to impress anyone. A sudden pressure elsewhere
reminded him he DID actually...and apparently was an idiot for it.
"Okay, so cold shower maybe?" Areq's blonde head lifted as both palms
pressed the wall under the showerhead, dark eyes flickered open, "Or
maybe not...what the hell do I know anymore?"
The door shut behind Erin with a distinct click, the sound somehow
conveying the depth of her lousy mood far better than any slam would
have done. Rich brown eyes were sparkling with a wild mixture of
emotions as she stalked across the floor, ignoring the view through the
glass wall. It hadn't even occurred to her that the time of the Irdan
Elan might be approaching. She had had so many other things on her mind
and she had been so irritated anyway that her increasing
unpredictability had somehow slipped her attention. What she wanted was
a little time to herself, a brief oasis of peace and quiet in which to
think.
What she got was something completely different.
A frown formed between her dark brows at the sound of running water.
Who the hell was up here? The barmaid had gone back down to the bar.
Surely everyone else had too. She swore abruptly as she pushed open the
door to the bathroom. Hell! It couldn't have been anyone worse, she
thought.
"Damn, you're still here."
Areq was still standing, palms to the wall, back to the door and
several unopened bottles of liquor nearby. Through the steam he saw a
muted reflection of black hair and alabaster skin as his head slowly
lifted.
"Aye...here...not out there..."
Hands clean of the blood that had earlier covered his fingers shoved a
mop of dripping hair back from his eyes as he looked over his shoulder.
"Apparently I forgot to hang the Do Not Disturb sign, my apologies."
The Silver Captain reached down and picked through the bottles and
found one labelled in a language even he didn't know. The lid was
unscrewed and tossed out of the shower and into the cloud of steam, the
bottle turned up and a good portion downed before he put his thumb over
the opening to keep water out.
"I'll be out in a minute. There's room for two in here, by the way. Not
that I'd think you'd care but, hey. Thought I'd let you know. Care for
a drink?"
Erin couldn't quite stop her gaze from travelling downwards as Areq bent over for the bottle. Damn, get a hold of yourself. This is hardly the first time you've seen a naked male before
she told herself in as firm as voice as she could manage. Closing her
eyes for a brief instant, she swallowed hard. Hell! Perhaps Araxmarr
was right and her moods were due to her cycle. It would be one
explanation for her apparent insanity anyway.
"A drink is a very good idea" the Black heard herself say, grabbing
hold of any subject in an attempt to distract her wandering thoughts
and ignoring how much of the whiskey she had managed to down out of the
bottle swiped from the bar earlier. The near terminal hangover she
normally suffered had to be preferable to this.
Areq damn near choked, he'd had the bottle turned up, guzzling and
waiting to hear the door slam...or click...or whatever...behind Erinya,
and instead heard her take him up on his offer.
Clear alcohol sprayed and spluttered into the running hot water as he
gasped for air, then eyed Erinya through the steam, "Wrong
pipe...that's all..." He wheezed and went back to searching through
bottles.
"I don't know what this is, but it looks like it might be sour apple
flavoured...or maybe spearmint, just from the colour of it. I can't
really tell from the label...Y'know at some point, after you've had
enough to drink, letters and number all run together."
Areq held the full bottle out to Erin and waited on her to take it.
"You do realise," He muttered and eyed her corset, trousers and boots, "if you come in here to get it, you'll get wet?"
A dark brow rose. "Am I supposed to be afraid of a little water?" she
asked in a vaguely challenging tone. The spray hit her as soon as she
stepped forward, steam swirling around her legs in a heated mist. Small
droplets of water clung to her ebony hair, running down her skin and
over the surface of the corset as she held out her hand, slim fingers
closing around the bottle.
As Erin stepped into the shower with him, Areq's liquor hazed eyes realised something.
"Damn..." He released the bottle, "Who kicked your ass? It wasn't that big ass biker chick was it?"
The Silver's eyes sparked uncontrollably, her hand had brushed his, it
took so little from her to set something afire in him, and add to it
the scent of wet leather, blood and...Erinya...
He was hoping the steam would help hide his body’s reaction...as it was, the situation looked hopeless.
"I think there's some soap in here...hold on..."
The rest of the bottle was drained, set to the side and Areq turned
slightly away under the pretence of hunting soap and other
sundries...which were right next to Erin's shoulder...not in the
direction he was looking.
"No, it wasn't the big ass bike chick. An'Thaya took a dislike to the
fact I was smacking our darling Emperor's head against the floor" the
Black replied sardonically. She tilted her head back, closing her eyes.
Warm water ran down over her face, washing away some of the blood that
caked the abrasions she picked up in the earlier brawl. Ignoring the
stinging sensation that pricked her nerve endings as the hot steam got
into the cuts, Erin took a swig from the bottle. "The soap's here" she
commented, catching sight of it out of the corner of her eye. Reaching
out, she picked up the cake of soap and tossed it towards the Silver.
A flicker of movement caught his eye in the mirror...what a dilemma...a
split second to decide if he wanted to turn and be busted or brained
with soap...
Instinct overrode embarrassment easily and Areq half turned and snapped
back in an arc that allowed the soap to fly by and hit the mirrored
wall across from him.
"Oookay...so, I guess it was there..."
Areq gave Erinya a somewhat crooked grin, "Do you always shower in your clothes?"
"Wait...don't answer...before you bust me in the mouth for that
and...this," Areq made a helpless gesture with his hand, "I need
another bottle...or two. Would you mind handing me something for the
selection? Anything?"
Whatever retort she might have made died in her throat. Much to her
horror she felt a blush creeping into her cheeks. "Hell" she muttered,
bending over to pick up one of the bottles that littered the floor. At
least it was a brief distraction from what appeared to be a sudden
mutual burst of embarrassment.
Straightening, Erin held the bottle out a little blindly. "No," she
said as calmly as she could manage, "I don't usually shower in my
clothing, but then I wasn't actually intending to take a shower. It was
one of those spur of the moment impulses."
Shrugging, she turned away and let the clothing melt away. For a second
scales rippled across her skin, and then they were gone. It wasn't as
if the Guard didn't all share the baths in the Barracks, she told
herself firmly. "Could you pass the soap? I might as well get the blood
out of my hair whilst I'm here."
Areq watched the metamorphosis of Erinya with perhaps a little too much
interest as he reached for the offered bottle and instead caught her
wrist and pulled her further under the jets of water.
Carpe diem was all he could think for a moment as he stepped
behind her and left the bottle in her hand, dangerous, yes, but
considering his earlier beating, he was getting used to them tonight.
"Just...hang on. I'm not trying to be fresh."
He reached in the direction she'd been standing and caught at a bottle,
this time one of shampoo...lavender he suspected, and began working the
fragrant lather through her ebony locks.
The water washed away black-red beneath his touch and cuts began mending, seemingly on their own.
"So, you bashed his face on the floor? I guess I missed that..."
Strong fingers ran down her neck, rubbing the tense muscles there, then
to her shoulder blades and worked the knots where her wings would be.
His thumb circled over the mark they both wore, though hers was pure
black, not of black and silver like his. He paused and leaned slightly
forward,
"What?"
"He annoyed me" the Black muttered, "although it wasn't as if I broke the glass flo..."
Erin froze, her breath catching in her throat as sheer surprise held
her immobile. She wasn't someone who people generally touched in a
casual fashion. It was a demeanour she had carefully cultivated, armour
against the world. For a long second she couldn't have strung a thought
together if her life depended upon it.
Then a soft, involuntary sigh escaped her as his fingers massaged her
shoulders and her eyes closed as a shudder that was pure pleasure ran
down her spine.
"Nothing... I didn't say anything..." she managed breathlessly.
"It wasn't something you said," Areq muttered quietly and lifted his
head slowly to look in the mirror opposite of them and felt a flush of
energy rush through him as he looked into her eyes.
"it was more...body language," The Silver's head angled slightly to the
side, which brought his nose dangerously close to her hair. A deep
breath later, he managed to free his tongue.
"Lavender suits you, Erinya. Its not too sweet, not cloying." Areq
paused and swallowed, then lowered his head to bite gently at the crook
of her shoulder and collar bone.
"No, I can't say that I've ever been sweet" Erin murmured, her breath
catching in her throat as their eyes met in the misty surface of the
mirror. She could feel Areq behind her, so warm and almost close enough
to touch, and the Black could barely resist the urge to just lean back
against him. His scent teased at her senses; the clean, warm smell of
the shower, and yet beneath it the scent that was indefinably him.
Completely unique. A scent that reminded her of cool, deep lakes and
shadowy forests, rich green foliage and silvery waters.
A faint tremor ran through her as the emotions that scent evoked
clashed within. A sense of recognition fought against the instinctive
fear of a wild creature that felt a trap closing around it. Desire
crashed headlong into the stubborn will that drove so many of her
actions. The shiver became a faint, involuntary gasp as the Silver's
teeth met her skin. Dark lashes lowered to shield her rich brown eyes
as Erin's head fell back, exposing the line of her throat.
She was going to kill him one day, he knew this. Either by surprising
the hell out of him, or by talon or blade, but one thing was certain,
Erinya Dhaunae was his death...and an irresistible one at that.
Areq's lashes lifted partially, his eyes watching her face in the
fogged mirror. When she gasped faintly, he ended the bite in a languid,
sucking kiss. Strong fingers resumed the back rub as he sought the
places he himself knew grew tense and tight from flight, swordplay and
battle. Those same fingers lightly traced the patterns of a dozen
scars, silvery lines on her alabaster skin. Erinya's body was a roadmap
of battles, a story on flesh, and it was story he wanted to know, but
didn't have a clue how to ask.
One thing did come to mind in reply to her sweetness...or lack there
of, "Ah..." He continued to stroke his fingers over her skin and knead
the line of powerful muscles down either side of her spine, "Maybe not
sweet, but beautiful all the same...in a deadly way."
"If I am so deadly aren't you taking a bit of a risk?"
Her voice was a husky whisper. Dark lashes lifted in an almost languid
fashion, Erin's brown eyes watching his reflection through them. Tense
muscles slowly relaxed beneath his fingers, knots she wasn't even aware
of possessing slowly being eased away.
"Yooouuu...never did accuse me of being very smart," Areq laughed
quietly and rested both palms at the junctures of her thighs and
hipbones. He made certain his own hips remained a safe distance from
her, lest she decide he was indeed getting fresh, but the effort to do
so was growing painful...though not nearly as painful as what he
expected her to do to him any moment...or did he?
His blonde head lifted as his eyes left her back and shoulders to meet her eyes in the mirror once again.
"Maybe I find you too wonderful to leave alone? Maybe I'm just can't
get over the way you smell, the way you move. Some risks are worth the
taking, or you spend the rest of your life regretting you never tried."
"And yet there are other risks that just aren't worth it" the Black replied softly. "How do you tell the difference?"
She was all too conscious of the warmth of his hands on her skin. Part
of her hated that fact, hated the fact that he could get through her
defences so easily. No one else could wind her up as fast as this man
could. He somehow managed to provoke all the strong emotions she had
kept banked beneath ice for so many centuries. And yet... there was
another part that wished what he was saying was true, wished it and yet
knew it could not be.
"I am not wonderful. I am a cold bitch, it's what I do best. Remember?"
A note of self-mockery entered her voice, her gaze dropping away from
his. Almost impatiently, she moved away, shrugging his hands off her
body. Some risks were far too dangerous even for her. She would risk
her life without a thought, but her heart and soul were out of bounds.
Near-black eyes watched her face, watched the water streaming over her
pale skin in shimmering ribbons and rivulets. He made no move to hold
her, to force her to accept his touch. Instead, as she moved away, he
stood where he was for a moment.
"How do you know which risks are worth the taking? You know the answer
to that, as well as I do." His rich tenor was soft, quiet and mixed
with the sound of the hot water hitting their skin.
He took a step closer, yet made no move to touch her, "You know it
here," He took another step and splayed his fingers across his own
scarred skin, right across his abdomen, "You know it here..." His
fingers curled into a fist and tapped the muscles just over his heart,
"You know which risks are the ones you'll regret not chancing, if
you're honest with yourself."
One more step had him close enough to feel the heat of her skin, to
feel the spray of the water as it splattered of her body, he leaned
close enough that his cheek almost touched hers, close enough his nose
would graze her ear if she so much as flinched.
"You know, as well as I do. You feel it too, I know you do," his voice
had dropped to a whisper for a moment, then he straightened, "but suit
yourself. Don't risk it. I never expected you to."
Fury ignited in Erin's deep brown eyes at his words, her chin coming up
in an unconscious gesture of defiance as she glared at Areq. "You never
expected?" she bit out. A finger jabbed him hard in the centre of the
chest. "Who the hell are you to expect anything from me? You know
nothing about me. Nothing. Where do you get off thinking you can judge
people?" Each angry sentence was punctuated with another hard jab as
she advanced on him like one of the furies for which she was named.
Areq held his ground, standing where he was. Not one step back was
taken, instead he let her come to him...even if it did mean she was
infuriated. The last jab into his chest was made and the fingers of his
left hand closed around her wrist. The strength there was far less than
his right hand, even now when more than a year separated the bale-fire
attack. Unintentionally, he was allowing Erinya access to one of his
own carefully guarded secrets.
"I'm not judging you, Erinya. Not now, not after knowing what I do, and
I do know you, enough to know I want to know more, but that's your
decision. It always has been, as it is now."
Areq released her and took a step back. Idly, he wondered if she knew she had soapsuds on her chin...
Suspicion darkened her gaze, the Black all but tapping one foot as she
crossed her arms beneath her chest in an unconscious gesture and
regarded the Silver. With the care of the deeply cynical and untrusting
she considered his words, trying to find some sort of trick or trap...
and failing.
"Why?" she asked bluntly after a long pause.
Areq wasn't going to look. I'm not gonna look, I'm not gonna look...
became his mantra as he refused to let his eyes flick from her face to
her breasts, which from what he could tell in his peripheral vision,
were now on full display.
"I can't..." He cleared his throat, "I can't tell you why. I can't
explain it anymore than," His eyes started to wander lower, and he make
a deliberate effort to NOT let them wander, "I could bullshit you, make
up some half-way plausible load of romantic crap that most females want
to hear, but don't even believe themselves. Or I can be honest, and
just admit I don't know."
"What I do know is that one glimpse past your walls wasn't enough. I
thought it would be, I thought I could live with that, and I can, if I
have to. But I don't want to."
Oh gods...the suds had just dripped off her chin and were slowly sliding down her chest...
"I don't believe in romance. It's nothing more than lying under another
name" Erin said bluntly, "and sometimes it feels as if I've spent all
my life being lied to in one form or another. Or lying myself."
A dark brow rose slightly as she realised his attention was starting to
wander. "Having problems?" the dark-haired woman enquired dryly. For
some reason that struck her as funny and a rare grin curved her lips,
laughter bubbling up within her.
Still smiling, the dark-haired woman closed the gap between them, one
hand reaching up to curve around his jaw, forcing him to meet her eyes.
The amusement faded away, a more serious light shining in the deep
brown pools.
"I can promise nothing" she said quietly with brutal honesty. "You
speak of seeing behind the walls, and yet I don't even know if that is
possible. It is so long since I have let them drop intentionally.
Centuries. Can you imagine then, what a terrifying thing that can be to
contemplate for me?" Almost absently her thumb brushed across his
cheek.
He'd made her smile...a genuine smile, not the cold smirk he was so
used to. He'd made her laugh...a rich sound that sounded like music to
him; it was so rare, what else could it sound like?
Despite his own carefully cultivated shields, a smile came to his mouth
as well and true humour lit his eyes. Gods, how long had it been since
he'd laughed at something so innocent simply because it really was
funny? How long had it been since he'd laughed at himself, rather than
being the jackass he knew himself to be?
He couldn't remember.
"Well...ah..." He cleared his throat and desperately tried to not look
any lower than her actual chest, "you...you've got.... Erinya? About
those risks that may not be worth taking? I think this may be one of
them...but I'm not sure."
Areq swallowed with some difficulty. He was highly tempted to casually
attempt to brush the suds off her...chest...and his fingers were
twitching to do so. Two thoughts held him back, and neither was fear of
getting his nose broken again. One was that a. wild and wonderful
things took time to allow much casual touching, and he really felt he'd
exceeded his limit today, and b. he was afraid if he touched her any
more than he had, he'd become even further intoxicated by her, and gods
knew he was already drunk enough...both from the taste of her still on
his tongue and the liquor.
The decision, though, was made for him. She closed the distance between them, she
touched him this time. At the feel of her hand against his cheek, so
warm...seemingly warmer than the touch of another Silver, blonde lashes
lowered slightly as his eyelids partially hooded his eyes as he met her
gaze.
"I do understand...and at the same time, I don't." His voice had taken
on a husky quality, "I only have a few years experience, you have
centuries. And I do believe we can see through walls, it just takes a
crack in the mortar."
The amusement in his eyes was rapidly being replaced by something else
entirely; once again, she was close enough that her scent, now mixed
with the clean smell of lavender, swamped his senses and the heat
radiating off her body was tightening the snare that must have gone
around his throat the first time they'd met. Like some large feline,
Areq pressed his face to her fingers with a soft exhalation that
sounded suspiciously like a throaty sigh and let his eyes close for a
mere second. When they opened again and returned her gaze, they were
even darker than before and a soft glow was starting near the pupil and
spreading through his green irises.
"I don't ask that you make a promise to me." He nuzzled into her palm
then bit her gently on the fleshy part of her thumb as he closed his
own fingers around her wrist.
"But if you're going to run, you'd best do it now," Areq's
speech held the same husky quality his spoken words did and he stepped
closer; no longer was there room between them and bare flesh touched
flesh from chest to thigh. Luminous black-emerald eyes lifted to look
directly into hers and any effort at concealing the heat within them
was gone, "before I lose the ability to let you leave."
Sparks ignited within her as he nuzzled at her palm, his teeth nipping
at her skin, a fire that burst into full and sudden life as the last
gap between their bodies was closed. Heat raced through her veins with
a swiftness that made her catch her breath. The sudden inhalation
seemed to bring no oxygen, only the warm scent of his body that wound
its way deep into her senses and made her head spin.
"And if I don't want to run?" Erin's words were low and soft,
with a smoky quality reminiscent of the finest whiskey. Rich brown eyes
seemed lit with some inner fire, making them appear almost the same
garnet-red shade of her draconic form. The heat in Areq's dark-emerald
gaze drew from her a matching hunger that made a faint shudder run down
her spine, dark lashes drifting shut for an instant.
Slim fingers slid slowly up his chest, watched beneath ebony lashes
until they curved around his neck and buried themselves in sun-bleached
hair. Rising up on tiptoe, she pressed her lips to his.
The words wound around the last of Areq's will and sobriety and gently
tore his control to shreds. Dark emerald eyes all but rolled back at
the feel of her touch curving around every muscle in a slow slide to
his neck, then into his hair. His facial expressions reflected clearly
the pleasure her touch brought to him and he pressed into her touch
against his scalp. The final unravelling of his need for caution came
with the touch of her lips pressed to his and his hands went to her
wrists, traced a lazy pattern down her arms. Callused fingers brushed
the velvety soft swell of her breasts, the sensitive nipple, then
travelled lower across her ribs, then curved around her hips.
"Then stay..."
The words were little more than a harsh whisper along the paths of
speech as he leaned into her and one hand swept up the line of her
spine to seize a handful of ebony hair as he all but forced the kiss to
deepen. His touch was almost rough as he pushed her back against one
steam covered wall and slammed both palms on either side of her head
and tore his mouth away from hers. Eyes an eerie shade of dark, living
emerald flickered open as he looked into her face.
"Stay with me..." He muttered and pressed his painfully hard body
against the line where thigh met pelvic bone and a muffled groan
vibrated against her skin as he lowered his head to her shoulder.
Nipping bites mingled with teasing, tasting suction followed the line
of her collarbone, her jaw, then lower lip.
A low moan left Erin's lips as Areq's hands roved over her skin.
Everywhere he touched seemed to leave sparks in his wake. Slim fingers
dug slightly into his shoulders as she raised one foot and trailed it
slowly up the back of his leg. The dark-haired woman couldn't seem to
think straight, the scent and taste of the Silver scrambling her
thoughts.
"Yes."
The word was a breathless whisper. At this moment the Black could no
more have walked away than she could have stopped her heart from
beating.
How many times had he wanted this moment with her, alone, since the
first time he'd set eyes on her? If he were honest with himself then he
had to admit he'd both loved her and hated her as deeply as his kind
could, which was with every fibre of his body and soul, from that very
moment.
The hate had just been easier to admit, easier to hide behind. As for the other?
He wasn't sure he could ever tell her...for so many reasons.
The reverberation of his own soft groan echoed Erin's throaty sounds
and his fingers threaded back into her hair and angled her head back,
exposing her throat. A languid, slow sucking bite that left her pale
skin crimson, then trailed lower to the rise of her breasts later, the
sudden desire to leave her writhing and trembling with pleasure
overtook him. His mouth lingered on one breast with the same teasing
kiss, then trailed down her ribs, the feminine flat of her abdomen,
then still lower. His fingers had released her hair and one hand curved
around her thigh, the same one that had wrapped around him when her
foot had slipped along the back of his own leg.
As he dropped to his knees in the warm spray of the shower, Areq eased
her shapely leg over his shoulder and kissed and bit at the soft skin
of her inner-thigh, then the juncture of pelvic bone and inner-thigh,
then peered up the length of her body as he parted her thighs a little
further then slid his fingers along the delicate folds of her body.
Fine tremors ran through Erin's body as Areq's mouth moved over her
skin, dark eyes closing as her head fell back against the tiled wall.
The Black was barely aware of the soft, involuntary sounds that fell
from her lips as hot, liquid pleasure coiled tightly within her. It had
been so long since anyone had touched her this way, since she had
wanted anyone to touch her in this way, but she had wanted him right
from the beginning. He had driven her crazy in so many ways, sometimes
she had come close to killing him, and yet part of her was always
conscious of his presence. Like electric sparks running across her
nerve endings, she could tell the moment he walked into a room... and
she had hated him for that awareness.
A low growl rumbled in her throat as the Silver's teeth bit into her
thigh. Dark lashes lifted slowly to reveal eyes that glowed as hot as
any ember. "Tease" she accused in a soft, husky voice, shuddering
slightly at the sensation of his fingers upon her delicate flesh. Her
nails made slight crescents in his shoulders as she dug in slightly,
unable to resist arching into the touch.
A fleeting, crooked grin passed across Areq's features as his own eyes,
whirling with an inner light that had nothing to do with rage, met
Erin's. She'd called him many things in the past few years, in fact, at
one point, he wondered if she'd have to take up another language just
to have something new to call him, but 'tease' was entirely new.
Tease... The smile flickered and died, only to be replaced by
another expression entirely...and he wasn't sure how long he could live
up to the name.
Gods...the sound of her voice, thick with emotion and want made
him want to pull her down with him, to cover her in the same biting,
sucking kisses and touch her everywhere. Molten, black-emerald eyes
alternated with hazing and glowing of the Storm in his body and soul as
she shuddered in his hands. He wanted to be buried in her, to feel her
come undone around him, he wanted to feel her body grow slick because
of him.
The whisper of her name resonated against her flesh in a groaning sigh
as Areq pressed his forehead to her abdomen for a mere second as his
own body pulsed in reaction to her shudder, then leaned into the arch
of her body, parted her thighs a little further and brought his
tasting, sucking kisses to bear at the apex of flesh that was so
wonderfully Erinya Dhaunae.
"Areq..."
Erin's cry held a note almost of surprise as sensation rocketed through
her, and surprise was certainly a component of the volatile brew of
emotions within her. The desire, that she could understand. For all
that she might convince herself she hated the object of that desire she
could analyse the emotion and put in its place. But this was not... had
never been... simple lust, and some of the things this man could make
her feel confused and frightened the Black when she allowed herself to
think about them.
Now was not that time. Indeed thought was a distant memory. The warmth
of his breath on her skin, the feel of his hands and mouth on her flesh
made her body tremble and her knees grow weak. Slim fingers convulsed,
tightening against his shoulders as if trying to anchor herself to
reality. Her spine arched in a taut curve, dark lashes shielded her
gaze as her dark-haired head fell back once more, the Silver's touch a
sweet torture that threatened to send her sliding to the floor.
Areq's fingers curved almost reverently along the sculpted lines of
Erinya's thighs and buttocks and felt something within himself twist at
the sound of her gasping his name...even if it did seem
somewhat...startled....
He'd make sure he asked her why the surprise later...for now, he wanted
to fulfil his long held desire to push her off a ledge...only this
time, with a far more desirable result.
Callused fingers tightened at her hips, holding her against him and
preventing her from slipping away just yet and pulled her even closer.
The taste of her was more intoxicating than the scent of her, something
that threatened to leave his senses far more clouded than his earlier
liquor consumption had...and if it meant completely losing his senses
to make her fall apart where he held her, then he was perfectly willing
to let himself drown in her.
The scream sounded almost as if it had been torn from deep within as
Erin let go of the last threads of her much-prized self-control. Slim
fingers had buried themselves deep in sun-bleached hair, although
whether she had been intending to push him away or pull him closer even
she would have not been able to say. Release crashed through the
dark-haired woman in a wave that drove all breath from her body and
took away all sense of time or place. All that she knew was the
strength in the fingers that held her and the warmth of his breath on
her skin.
Gentle kisses and passes of his tongue continued until the shaking that
wracked Erin's slender form began to slow and at last, he slipped her
thigh off his shoulder and let her knees start to buckle. Strong hands
released her as he pressed his skull into her fingers and looked up the
length of her body, so pale and beautiful...seemingly carved of cold
marble, yet so full of magnificent fire and fury...
She was the most beautiful creature he'd ever seen, even caked in soot,
mired with blood and grit as she had been the first time they'd met,
most especially now, dripping with warm water and soaked both from the
shower and his attentions.
Her name was a tender whisper through his mind that filtered over the
rhythmic, pulsing music below them and sifted beneath the sounds of
splattering water as he drew her to him, kissing and nipping at her
skin as he let her slip into his embrace.
Erin's arms wound around Areq's neck, her fingers sliding into his hair
once more to urge his head up so that their lips could meet in a long,
slow kiss. A soft murmur escaped the dark-haired woman as she let her
mouth trail over his cheek and down the line of his throat, pressing a
kiss to the pulse that beat at the base. The taste of his warm skin was
intoxicating as slowly her fingers glided down over his torso,
exploring. A low growl rumbled in her throat. The feel of him pressed
against her stoked fires that were not yet sated. The fingers that slid
ever lower pressed just a little harder, nails digging ever so slightly
into his abdomen. To chance intimacy with a Black was to risk gaining
more than a few scars along the way. Garnet eyes gleamed as Erin fought
back the urge to draw blood and to bite.
A bone deep growling groan and an almost unconscious jolt of his hips
against her accompanied the feel of Erin's nails raking across his
skin. Thousands of years of his kind trying to control their lust,
their inborn need for passionate violence was coming unravelled in this
one particular Silver. Blacks were always viewed savages by the lighter
race, unable to control the basest carnal emotions...and Areq felt
those same undeniable urges boiling in his own blood.
His own hand covered hers and pressed her nails roughly into his skin
and shuddered at the feel of her against him as the electric sensations
raged through his flesh and his mouth found hers. A sharp intake of
breath later had his own fingers sliding down her back, trailing across
her ribs and hip then dipping lower and between her thighs and slipping
within her.
Another low groan against her mouth later, he slid his tongue along
hers, teasing and toying with her. His body arced into her touch
against his abdomen and he finally managed to tear his mouth from hers
with a gasp. His face angled up into the streaming water...exposing his
throat with a hard swallow of need...
The need to trust her, the need to feel her teeth against his skin...the need to be buried in her.
A husky moan escaped Erin's lips as her hips rocked against the fingers
that teased her heated core. Nails dug in harder, leaving bloody
crescents in his flesh as the dark-haired woman shuddered with need.
His name was a breathless plea as desire scorched through her veins,
burning away all sense and reason, igniting fires in the garnet eyes
that glowed as they watched Areq beneath hooded lids. The Silver's
reaction to her touch only served to heighten the tension within and
slim fingers shook ever so slightly as they slid lower, circling the
hard length of his arousal and then stroking upwards towards the
sensitive tip.
As she teased him, the Black bent her head. Her breath was warm against
the skin of his throat. She could almost taste the heat of the blood
that raced so frantically through his body and her tongue licked slowly
along his skin, tasting the water that clung to him. The scent of warm,
clean flesh filled her senses, and yet beneath it was something
different. A smell that was indefinably Areq, one that she would know
anywhere. With a soft growl she sank her teeth into the base of his
throat.
All Areq could manage was a choked gasp until her teeth cut through his
skin, until the blood flowed between them. A hoarse, rasping cry that
was a perfect balance of ecstasy and exquisite agony began deep in his
chest and filled the shower. Shaking fingers withdrew from within her
as he pushed into her palm and groaned again, this time the sound was
far more guttural, far less half-elven. Round pupils bled into narrow
slits as his eyes rolled open and focused for a wild moment on one of
the shower jets as the last of whatever control he had remaining
shredded.
His touch shifted from tender and sweet teasing strokes to rough,
animalistic passion as his hands swept up her body, closed around her
waist and pulled her to the floor and returned her biting kiss as his
fingers closed around her wrists and stretched them out over head even
as he pushed her thighs apart with his knees. The salty, metallic tang
of her blood covered his tongue as he bit down on the artery and drove
himself deep within her...and felt his head reel at the sensations of
her sheathing his body.
Her cry echoed off the tiles as she lifted her hips to meet the thrust,
urging him deeper. The metallic scent of blood rose in the air,
bringing a growl to Erin's throat as she arched into his teeth. The
dark-haired woman hovered on the fine line between pleasure and pain,
and yet she could only beg for more. Beneath the Silver's fingers
obsidian scales rippled out across her wrists and then just as quickly
disappeared again as the Black's hold on her human form started to
fray.
Areq's fingers tightened around Erin's wrists, the rippling sensation
of her skin flickering from skin to scale and back again was echoed by
his own form. Silver feathered across his shoulders, swept down his
back and across the tops of his thighs in a matter of seconds and
vanished again beneath scarred and freckled half-elven skin. Almost
reverently, Areq eased his jaws back from her throat and stroked his
tongue across the wound that had broken the skin but not the throbbing
artery beneath.
He remained buried within her, motionless as long as he could stand.
Water dripped off his shoulders and ran down his face in warm rivulets
as his eyes, molten, glowing emerald one moment, hazed the next, lifted
to her face. A hard swallow later, Areq pulled his body back,
agonisingly slow and a bone-deep, rumbling growl welled up in his chest
at the feel of the intoxicating friction between them. His own control
had frayed several long moments ago, and was unravelling even further
as he released her wrists and instead dug his fingers deep in her hair,
then slid deep within her once more and finally let go of his remaining
shreds of self-control.
Her name was a choked groan of pleasure as his hips rocked against her
time and time again and each thrust grew more violent than the last.
Soft sounds of pleasure spilled from Erin's lips as her spine arched up
into him, her legs winding around Areq's hips as hers lifted to meet
his thrusts. Her head rocked back into the cradle of his hands, dark
eyes closing. The increasing violence of the Silver's movements only
incited the savage passion that lurked in the depths of her soul. Nails
dug into his shoulders and raked down his back as she writhed beneath
him, the scent of iron-rich blood feeding into the part of her that
wanted to bite and tear, to leave her mark upon his flesh.
The delicate balance of pleasure and pain forced a shuddering cry from
Areq. His own blood ran down his back and made his skin slick beneath
her nails. Seconds passed where he lost sense of where he was, his
awareness narrowed only to Erin's body beneath his, the heat of her
surrounding him, the feel of her hair gripped in his fingers and the
feel of her nails carving into his flesh.
White teeth bit into her throat as she lay her head back in his palms
and his tongue stroked across her skin as he sucked at the pulsing vein
beneath her pale flesh.
"Erinya..." her name was guttural, hoarse whisper in her mind, a
fleeting sound that ended in a low groan as the heavy pressure that had
slowly been building within him threatened to overwhelm him.
"Areq..."
His name was a choked scream as her body convulsed around him, the
sensation of his teeth at her throat pushing the dark-haired woman over
the edge. Slim fingers tightened, digging nails even harder into the
fair-haired man's back, as release crashed through her in an
unstoppable wave that tore away any semblance of control and civility
to leave only instinct and the passionate savagery of her race.
Areq's own hoarse cry filtered out around the bitten flesh, resonated
along her skin as he drove into her and felt his jaws spasm at her
throat, cutting through the delicate skin there and causing the sharp,
salty metallic flavour of her blood to coat his tongue. His body
shuddered, the feel of her around him, pulsing, warm and slick was too
much when combined with the friction between them.
The pressure within him snapped as he thrust into her one more time and
felt the surge of release rush through him. Pleasure and pain mingled
in an intoxicating blend as his hip angled into her while his back
arched beneath her ripping nails and still groaning her name, Areq
Datari tore his mouth from her throat and sought her lips with his own.
The Silver's name left her on a sobbing breath as Erin buried
bloodstained fingertips in his damp hair and kissed him hard.
Aftershocks rippled through her slim form making her shudder beneath
him. The Black could taste her own blood on his tongue, could feel the
warmth of it as it ran down her throat and an oddly guttural growl
reverberated within her.
Her chest heaving as she gasped raggedly for breath, the dark-haired
woman's lips ran down over Areq's jaw and down his neck. She licked
delicately at the wound at the base of his throat where her teeth had
sank into his flesh, tasting the iron-rich blood that welled up and
stained his skin. Ever so slowly, almost languidly, she released her
grip on his hair and let her hands slide down his spine.
Carefully, Areq let his full weight rest on Erinya and shuddered again
as her hands trailed down his torn back and her mouth found the bite
marks all over again. He lay there only a moment, his head lowered to
her shoulder, his breathing still harsh, before he pulled them both to
their sides and tucked her head beneath his chin.
He had no way to explain to her how she made him feel, neither was he
certain he should try to express it in words, but perhaps the need to
rise to every single harsh remark and end up in a knock down, drag out
brawl was merely a way for him to receive a touch from her, even if it
was out of outrage. Somehow, he grew stronger with every touch from
her, even if now, he was happily muzzy from the warm water, the liquor,
and more intoxicating than that, the scent and feel of her body
stretched out, first beneath, now beside him.
"You're..." Areq nuzzled her hair, dripping wet from the still running
shower, and breathed her scent in. Lazily, he kissed her again as
fingers fanned out across and below her jaw, then lifted his head, "the
most beautiful, frightening creature I have ever known Erinya
Dhaunae...and there is only one like you in all of creation."
Dark lashes, wet from the shower, drifted partially shut at the lazy
caresses, the Black stretching slightly like a contented feline. For
the first time in a long time she felt oddly relaxed, almost peaceful.
Perhaps a little fuzzy from the alcohol, but the hangover had yet to
kick in, and instead she felt warm and a little lethargic.
Elegant lips kicked up into a wry smile at one corner. "I'm not sure
the world is ready for more than one" she said softly. Brown eyes met
green and her words dried up in her throat, anything she might have
said forgotten, driven from her mind by the swirling emotions in his
gaze. They drew her, and yet also frightened her. Too deep... too
fast... a voice screamed out a warning in the back of her mind and,
unconsciously, Erin tensed slightly.
Deliberately she forced herself to relax. "I am just me. The one and
only. Last of my House, last of the line." She gave a low, odd laugh.
Areq's own body tensed in response to her moment of...awkwardness? He'd
wondered for a second if she was going to stab him; years of learned
reflexes couldn't be undone in a matter of one instant of intimacy. A
quiet breath of relief seeped out of him and he found himself chuckling
softly...at himself.
"Aren't we the pair?" He asked quietly as he rolled his eyes up at the
streaming water, then reluctantly moved to sit up. The Silver offered
her a hand as he disentangled himself from Erinya and stood, "You, the
last of your House and me, the playboy of my House...and now, I have no
House," he added as an afterthought. It was amazing how fast his life
had changed in just the hours after his arrival at the Keep.
Nothing was as he'd ever imagined it would in his life, he'd gone from
a life of relative ease, of learning battle skills for sport and show,
not genuine practice, from chasing women and laughing...and feeling at
peace, to falling into an abyss of darkness.
And in that abyss, was one single light....
"Erinya Dhaunae...you're going to kill me when we sober up...aren't you?"
Taking his hand, Erin let him help her to her feet. Part of her
objected to being moved, to the loss of that moment of warmth and
comfort. Another part of wouldn't be able to get out of there fast
enough. With the loss of warmth came the chill of realisation. What the
hell had she been thinking?
Of course, she hadn't been.
Thinking that was.
"I don't know" she said honestly, "you asked for no promises,
remember." Dragging a hand through her short, dark hair, she stifled a
faint groan. "Flame and Chaos, what a mess. I can't decide if that was
incredibly stupid... or just really stupid."
"Well, if you want me to say REALLY stupid, give me a few hours and ask
me again...Until then, why don't we go from just stupid, to really,
damn, OH MY GODS stupid?" Areq refused to let her hand go and tugged
her to him, "And no..." He was mentally kicking himself for moving so
fast and not laying there longer, "No promises. But, I do think I saw
food behind the bar, and a fold out couch...we could make use of both
and a blanket and decide how stupid this just was...or could get."
Slim fingers braced themselves against Areq's chest as he pulled her to
him. Erin was silent for a second, dark eyes lifting meet his as she
studied his expression. "Well..." The thought was tempting, very
tempting if she was honest. Of course, standing this close to the
Silver seemed to do something odd to her mental processes so it was
possible the idea was really very, very bad and she just hadn't
realised it yet. She paused again. "How stupid do you want this to
get?"
"The way I see it," His fingers covered hers over his chest, "we can
get as stupid as we want, and you and I are the only ones that will
even know it." Areq leaned down slightly and inhaled near her ear, then
nipped at her neck with teasing hesitance, "and, if we're back to
publicly hating each other once we're sober, then why not give
ourselves damn good reason to be really pissed off?" He leaned up and
released her, walked slowly over to the remaining bottles, gathered
them up and stepped out of the shower, "Besides," he paused and looked
back at her, "You didn't promise me anything, BUT...you did say you'd
stay with me...you just didn't specify how long."
A towel sailed into the shower and draped across her wet head, and Areq vanished into the main room.
Erin pulled the towel from her head and then, surprisingly, laughed.
Her dark eyes were still dancing slightly as she walked over to the
door and leaned against the frame, the towel held loosely in one hand.
"For that I should probably kill you" she said dryly.
Straightening, she prowled over to Areq in a movement that was pure
feline grace, sleek and predatorial. "Didn't anyone ever tell you that
it's incredibly bad manners to demand specifics of a lady, especially
of things said.. in the heat of the moment as it were." A slightly
wicked smile played around her lips.
"Considering I can only die once," Areq's voice was muffled beneath his
own towel, the bottles were set up on the bar, his hands were busy
drying his hair with the towel, then the rest of him, "if I were you,
I'd save it until you really...really...mean it..." The Silver wrapped
the towel around his hips and grinned at Erinya, a smile laced with
wicked humour and something else as his eyes slid down her form with
lingering heat.
"And when, did you, start wishing to be called a Lady?"
"Ah... but I might really, really mean it on several occasions" the
Black observed in a thoughtful tone, "although they do say that there
are magi that can resurrect the dead. So I could kill you, bring you
back to life and then kill you again. Wouldn't that be fun?"
She leaned back against the bar, watching him as he wrapped the towel
around himself. "You're quite correct, however. A lady I most assuredly
am not."
"Then why?" Areq kissed her gently on the mouth before stepping behind the bar, "Are you complaining, Erinya."
The Captain fished beneath the counter, found the small cooler with a freezer compartment, pulled out a box.
"Frozen Pizza. And no oven. I can tell Callan forgot Silvers can't use
fire." He muttered, then, "Really?" His thoughts bounced back to
Erinya, "You seriously mean it most the time? Good."
Areq vanished beneath the counter again, "Ham or...ham...pizza?" Dark
emerald eyes peered over the counter at Erin, "I am hoping you can warm
these up you know."
"When we're talking about killing you of course I mean it. I never joke
about things like that" Erin replied. Placing both hands on the bar,
she leaned forward and peered into the cooler. "Ham pizza I think
somehow." A hint of wickedness appeared in her dark eyes and she added
in an exaggerated drawl, "and I can warm up anything you like,
sweetheart."
"Ham it is then. And you know? I'm...I'm flattered, Erinya, really,
that you take killing me so seriously," a crooked grin tugged at the
corners of Areq's mouth as he set the second box on the bar, stood,
then set a wine bottle on the counter.
"Wine and pizza...not as good as wine and that stuff Callan calls
Italian and not as good as beer with pizza, but I think we can make
do." Areq slid both pizzas out of the boxes, walked out of the firing
line, wine bottle in hand, and stepped behind Erinya. He stood close
enough his towel was grazing her bare backside, his skin barely
touching hers, "So, let's see how warm you can get things."
A small, distinctly wicked smile curved the dark-haired woman's lips.
"How warm would you like things to be?" she purred. Straightening, she
leaned back against Areq. The hand that 'accidentally' came to rest
against his leg seemed to grow hotter even as she spoke, a fingernail
traced up the inside of his thigh, flirting with the edge of the towel.
"Of course, there's warm... and then there's warm..." A husky laugh
left her lips as she pointed with the other hand. A small ball of fire
sped towards the pizza boxes.
"I think you'll find," Areq's fingers slid around her waist and slipped
down the elegant lines of her abdomen then grazed the sensitive flesh
at the low juncture of thigh and pelvic bone, "That some Silvers are
very heat tolerant."
The pizza seemed to explode in a wave of shimmering heat, as did
other...things. "Now, that..." Dark emerald eyes flicked from where
they'd been studying the angle of her neck, the pulse at her throat, to
the cooking pizza, "That is warm...I'll admit." Electric tingles flowed
from his fingertips, teasingly warm and one hand slid up her body once
more while the other pulled her hips against him. His palm and
fingertips traced the lines of her ribs, caressed one breast and teased
at the nipple, then slid around her jaws, tilting her head back.
His teeth grazed at the edge of her ear, his breath tickled her skin, "Show me warmer."
Dark lashes fluttered slightly, a soft sigh escaping the Black. His
hands on her body felt all too good. "Haven't you heard the expression
'be careful what you wish for'?" Erin murmured. Slim fingers trailed up
higher, tracing the line of his hip through the towel before she
reached the top of the scrap of fabric. Almost painfully slowly the
dark-haired woman began to slide her fingers beneath, loosening the
material until it slid free.
"But if it's warm you want..." Her warm fingertips slid down between their bodies.
Thunder seemed to pound in Areq's veins at the feel of her touch and
liquid energy, hot and searingly cold at the same time, coursed through
him.
"I've never claimed to be careful, Erinya," Areq's blonde head lowered
and rested on her shoulder as his hips angled into her touch and the
feel of her body, so very warm and alive leaned into him. Arms, strong
from his recent years spent in the Keep and scarred from countless
battles, both in war and with Erinya and other Black Guard, wrapped
tight around her, almost as if he were trying to soak up all the heat
of her he could in this one moment.
"That's true" Erin murmured, dark lashes resting against alabaster
cheeks as her eyes finally closed. Slim fingers, callused from
centuries of warfare and weapons training, slid around to the back of
Areq's thigh, holding him against her. Her free hand rose up to cradle
the back of his head as it rested against her shoulder. His arms felt
so very good around her, strong and warm, and just for a moment the
teasing fell away.
How long had it been since anyone had held her? Just simply held her,
for whatever reason? The Black wasn't sure that she could even
remember. It had probably been somewhere back in her childhood it was
so long ago. The walls she had put up may have kept her safe, but in
keeping everyone else at bay she had also shut herself off from even
the most casual gesture of comfort and support.
Ebony hair mixed with sun-bleached blonde as she tilted her head to
rest against his, fingertips slowly sifting through fair locks to run
along the nape of his neck.
In silence, Areq simply stood there, his forehead on her shoulder, her
fingers tangled in his hair and his arms around her. In those moments
he felt a change come over Erinya, the cautious relaxing of something
wild and untameable finding some little bit of security and trust in
the touch of one, exclusive person.
And the moment was the most precious thing Areq had ever experienced,
more than their passionate joining in the shower, even more than the
moment in the Pit when so much of her history had been laid bare to
him. A gentle sigh had his breath teasing the pale curve where her neck
joined her collarbone, only one of the places Areq found so elegant and
irresistible on her. His head lifted slowly, only to angle a little
closer to her as he tenderly nuzzled the sensitive skin just beneath
her ear.
The soft sigh that escaped the dark-haired woman's lips was little more
than a whisper of sound. Her head tilted slightly, allowing him easier
access to the vulnerable spot as a delicate shiver ran down her spine.
The hand that rested in Areq's sun-bleached hair slid down slowly as
his head moved, trailing over his shoulder and down his arm. Finally it
paused, covering his hand where it rested about her middle.
A soft rumbling sound resonated off Erinya's smooth skin, gods,
everytime she touched him of her own free will, it was as if a noose
tightened, an erotic, pleasurable noose tailored to fit perfectly
around his neck.
She had him ensnared, mesmerised and hopelessly in love with her...and he didn't dare say it.
With great deliberation, Areq slowly turned her around and threaded his
fingers through hers. Dark emerald eyes hazed with emotions that ranged
from pure lust to absolute tenderness wandered down the angles of her
face and settled at her lips, still slightly swollen and fused with the
flush of colour only deep kisses could leave them with.
While the pizzas cooked behind him, Areq lowered his head and nipped
her on the lower lip, then took a step closer, not to press against
her, but to push her back, and a few steps later, he felt her knees
bump the sofa against the nearest wall.
Automatically her knees folded as they hit the sofa. Her hands, bracing
themselves against Areq, started to bring him down with her as she
fell. She blinked up at him, and then a burst of soft surprised
laughter escaped her, and she wound her arms around his neck.
Delicately her lips settled on his.
"I like that sound," Areq's own murmuring voice was laced with soft
laughter as her lips pressed to his and he returned her kiss. It was
genuine joy, even if he WAS drunk, not the laughter that came from
sarcasm or being an ass around people.
Just pure, simple laughter.
"I honestly don't think I've ever heard you laugh...until tonight."
Areq lowered his body onto hers and one thigh slid between her own and slowly ground against her, "But then, there's a lot of sounds tonight I don't think either of us have made in a long, long time."
"I don't have a reason to laugh very often these days, or want to do so" Erin replied. Her words became a soft moan as he ground himself against her. "Or anything else you might be talking about for that matter. Gods..." The dark-haired woman let her hands slide down his chest. "Not in a long, long time."
"Then I want to be the one to make you laugh," Areq lifted his
head and hazed green eyes watched her face. "I want to be the one to
make you cry out, I want to be the one to give you a reason for a lot
of things..." He stopped there, afraid he'd say far more than either of
them were willing to admit. Daylight would bring the hideous
hangover...and gods only knew what reaction, but for now....
Areq lowered his head and his blonde hair brushed across her forehead,
down her cheek and tangled with her ebony locks where they were spread
across the cushion.
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