I know this has taken a LONG time...but I hope you enjoy the result. psyche b
26. Circle of Trust
Kelly lay mostly on top of Victor. His hands were drifting over her body, sometimes tracing designs with the tips of his claws, sometimes simply exploring her curves with his fingertips.
They'd tried going back to bed after Jimmy had come and collected their unexpected visitor, but the scent of Kelly's fear from her earlier nightmare was still too thick in the bedroom for Victor to sleep. Kelly couldn't get comfortable anyway. He'd stripped the blankets off the bed and made a spot on the living room floor for the two of them. After they'd settled, a comfortable silence grew between them and stayed.
Kelly watched as light crept in slowly, despite the fact that the curtains were all closed. It was gray and ephemeral at first, but it grew brighter in puddles under the windows. Kelly shifted to avoid an errant beam of sunlight. His arm tightened around her for a moment.
"You sleep?" His voice was a soft rumble.
"No." Her own voice was as soft as his.
"Still upset?" His fingers moved through her hair.
"No. Just not sleepy."
He shifted so that he could look at her. A little grin quirked the corner of his mouth. "Son of a bitch, the ape was right."
She smiled a little. "You thought he wasn't?"
"Thought he lied."
There was nothing she could say. If she were honest with herself, she didn't fully trust anyone she'd met at the school, not yet anyway. She brushed her lips over his shoulder lightly, because she could reach it without moving more than her head. "Hungry?"
"Eh." His lips found hers, toying between tender teasing and the sharpness of a fang tip.
Kelly sighed and pressed closer. She was beginning to get lost in it when the sound of a phone shattered the moment. She could feel tension race through his body.
"I'll-"
He growled and dug his claws into her bottom. The meaning was clear. Kelly stayed put and watched him get up.
"This better be goddamn good." He leaned against the kitchen door frame, his eyes were still on her. For a long moment he was silent.
"Oh for fuck's sake Jimmy, you know I didn't lay a hand on that kid and I ain't gonna go and defend myself to an old man."
He went silent, listening to whatever was being said on the other end of the line, his jaw was tense, his arms were crossed. One clawed finger tapped his bicep. Kelly reached for his shirt and put it on again. He drew his eyebrows together and looked at her. Kelly pointed toward the bathroom. He nodded. She wasn't sure if it was understanding or permission. Either way, it didn't much matter. She got up and trotted down the hall.
Kelly could hear him talking through the bathroom door, but she couldn't make out what he was saying. The tone of disdain in his voice was clear though. If he wanted her to know more, he would tell her when she got back out there. She washed up before going back out again.
He ended the call and tossed the phone back onto the counter. "The old man wants to talk about that kid who was here this morning."
She looked at him curiously. "What's there to talk about?"
"Hell if I know. Figured if you wanted to, we'd go. If not, we won't."
Kelly shrugged with one shoulder and tried not to shiver in the chilly house. "I'd like to see Cassie. I've been texting with her a little, but I haven't seen her since that first day."
"So we'll go." He grasped her arm. "C'mon, I'm freezing my fucking balls off."
She smiled a little. "Maybe you shouldn't walk around naked."
He grinned down at her. "Oh yeah? You're my mate, it's up to you to warm me up."
She looked down at him, half-way hard already. In spite of herself, a blush colored her cheeks. "I guess I could knit something. Maybe a modified sock."
His eyebrows shot up and then they drew together. A growl rumbled from his chest, his hand tightened around her arm. "Knit something?" He gave her a shove toward the sofa. She stumbled, but managed to keep her footing. A rush of nervousness chased down Kelly's spine. Her eyes flickered to his face. His eyes were filled with danger, but a little smile teased the corners of his lips for just a moment. Heat pooled in her lower belly.
"Think you need a lesson, little girl." He pushed her again, harder this time.
Kelly stumbled into the sofa this time. "Victor-"
"Still tryin' to tell me what to do?" He gripped her arm again and turned her, forcing her to kneel on the seat.
She looked over her shoulder. "No, I just-"
"You what? You figured I'd gone soft and you could get away with anything?" He grasped her collar and pulled the shirt from her back, his claws trailing burning lines from her left shoulder to her right hip. If she'd tried to hold onto it, he'd have twisted her arm from its socket.
She couldn't bite back a sharp whimper. Tears came to her eyes. "That's not what I meant." The needy heat grew. Kelly didn't try to understand it, she shifted her knees apart.
A clawed hand dug into her hair, twisting hard enough to bring a sharp cry to her lips. Her back arched downward, her fingers dug into the back of the sofa. He was behind her, over her, pressing against her entrance. Her fingers dug into the couch cushions until her knuckles went white. The dangerous growl still vibrated through his chest, but his thumb stroked over the back of her neck gently.
It was a fleeting gesture. One that she could easily have thought of as accidental, had she been less familiar with all of his subtleties. The animal was at the surface, but the man was holding it mostly in check. She relaxed under him, even though his hand took up a bruising grip on her shoulder. The way he entered her bordered on brutal, but it filled a hungry need in her. Kelly tilted her hips and fell into the cascade of physical and emotional sensations.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Creed glanced down at the frail. Little tremors chased through her body. She pressed closer against him, as if warding off a chill.
He'd moved them both back down to the floor when her body had threatened collapse under him. He knew why she was weak. She'd cum at least twice, maybe three times. He couldn't really tell, he'd been too engrossed in fucking her, in letting her pleasure and submission fuel the feral climax that set his senses on fire.
If he lived another five hundred years he'd never understand her. Sure, she reminded him of the human side of his nature and allowed him to revel in it, but she didn't flinch from the animal. How she knew whether he wanted fight and force, or teasing gentleness was beyond him. When it came right down to it, he didn't give a shit about the mechanism. It was enough that when he reached for her, she reached back.
His fingertips traced over the long highway of scratches he'd left over her back. In most places he'd managed to keep from cutting her too deeply. Even though he felt only raised trails and narrow scabs, she still flinched from time to time, pressing closer to him. The scent of fresh blood was still lingering in the air too. When he got to her shoulder blade, she whimpered and flinched away.
"Lemme see." His voice was a soft growl next to her ear.
She moved reluctantly onto her stomach. Blood welled up in the four side-by-side cuts. He moved his tongue over them carefully. She whimpered and he felt tension move through her body. He held her still.
"Victor-"
"I know, you'll heal. Just shut up and hold still." He stroked the outside of her hip.
She caught his hand and gave a soft laugh. "I was going to say that you're laying on my arm."
He pinched the back of her thigh and swept his tongue over the wounds slowly. "What the fuck are you doing with your arm in my way anyway?"
She looked over her shoulder, a smile playing over her lips. "Guess I wasn't thinking."
