Beware, p.6
Beware, page 6
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Molly sat at her desk, deep in the books she had scattered around about the centivalk. She wanted to know as much as she could about it, though she had zero desire to ask Malek. She wasn’t even sure what he had told Benjamin was truth or not. She wouldn’t put it past him to lie to anyone in the house to get her to pay attention to him, which she had been gladly avoiding since the day he had stepped foot into the house.
Sighing, Molly rubbed her temples. Perhaps Faye was right. They did need to tackle figuring out why he was actually there before too much longer passed. She heard him coming up the stairs before he got anywhere near the door. With a breath, Molly undid one button on her blouse to give him a bit better show. It was time to make some progress and to stop avoiding. She certainly wouldn’t be as forthcoming as Faye had been, but she could manage just as well, if not better. Perhaps they could turn it into a game.
Molly made sure her nose was pressed into a book when he opened her office door and came into the room without so much as an invitation. She huffed a breath, still needing to keep up her air of annoyance before she’d allow him to sweet talk her. Malek sat in one of the chairs on the opposite side of her desk, and when she did finally look up at him, he had a smirk on his lips.
“Not finding much, are you?”
“Nothing.” Molly slammed the book shut even though she had found some interesting stories about centivalks in her archives. She wasn’t about to share that with him.
“You could ask, you know.”
“Ask what?” Leaning back into her chair, Molly made sure all her assets were best on display and she couldn’t help the pleasure that soared through her chest when he glanced at her breasts before moving his gaze back up to her eyes. They had been matched at one point. They’d had sex, several dozen hundred times, in fact. But two centuries had passed since then, since she’d realized the folly and stupidity of the folds and how they’d eventually come to their own death. Leaving her fold had not been an easy decision, especially given the fact she’d needed Malek’s permission to do it. She’d only managed to convince him of it by telling him she would one day return. It seemed he hadn’t given up on that promise or come to collect her.
“What I know.” He looked pleased as piss with himself.
Two centuries was a long time to go between seeing each other, but she was still able to read him easily enough. He was hiding something, something big, and she was pissed with herself for still not being able to figure out what it was. He wanted to be matched to her, yes, but that wasn’t the only reason he had taken up residence in her house.
“And what do you know?”
He smirked. “Why would I share that wealth of knowledge with you, my love? You give me nothing in return.”
Tension coiled in Molly’s belly. She hated when people tried to manipulate her, but with this man in particular, it was far worse than anything. “What would you like?”
“What are you willing to give?”
Molly realized all too late they had both been speaking in questions since he’d pretty much entered the room. She had to put a stop to it.
Standing and coming around her desk, Molly slid into the chair opposite Malek and crossed her legs, making sure there was plenty of skin showing. For a moment she wondered if she was more like Faye than she had originally thought, but she shoved it to the side. “Then tell me, sweet Malek. What do you know of the centivalk?”
“I supposed your shifter boy has spoken to you already.”
“He has.”
Malek’s lips thinned.
“There are no secrets in this house that I am not aware of.”
Malek brushed a hand through his perfectly slicked hair before he stared her down. “I will give you information on the centivalk, Molly, but I do want something from you in return.”
“And what is that? You’ve been here four months now and not once have you asked for something.”
“I suppose you’re right.” He stared her up and down, intentionally this time. A shiver ran through Molly’s body, and her nipples hardened against her will. “I want you to reconsider your stepping away from our match.”
Molly’s lips parted. She hadn’t ever expected him to be so forward. He was nearly a hundred-fifty years older than her, but she had twice his power, not that he knew that. He had waited a century to be matched, and she had been it, only to walk away when she was a mere twenty years old.
“I will consider returning to the match in the future.”
He narrowed his gaze at her. “I’ll take that, I suppose.”
“Malek,” Molly stared, not quite sure if she wanted to ask her next question. “Is the match the only reason you’re here?”
“What other reason would there be?”
And that was the question, wasn’t it? She hadn’t been able to put her finger on it, but his lack of answering pretty much told her there was at least one other reason Malek was there. She could only hope it wouldn’t cause too much damage to her facility and network in the long-run or to the Tainted and creatures she housed. Molly had been running her own life for so long, she wasn’t sure she could manage if he had any serious plans for her.
“Relax, Molly.” He leaned forward and slid a hand onto her knee. “I’m not here to seduce you.”
“But aren’t you?”
He blushed, his cheeks lighting with fire as he pulled away as if her skin had burned him. “I suppose in some ways I am.”
“Right.” She eyed him carefully, dragging out the moment. “So tell me about the centivalk.”
He grinned as he went on to explain all Benjamin had already told her and less than she had already discovered and read. It was any wonder that he would underestimate her abilities in research and her ability for knowledge. Two centuries was a long time, and she was no longer the young eager woman she had been when they’d first met. Perhaps it was time Malek got to learn who she really was and why she had walked away from the life she was supposed to live.
Chapter Seven
Molly had run through the house on one of her many rounds. She’d been up all night checking on the creatures and Tainted in her care. She often didn’t sleep for days on end, part of the curse of living nearly forever. As much as she wanted to sleep sometimes to block out the world, she couldn’t. Faye suffered from the same, it was part of what had drawn them together, she was sure of it—outside of the obvious, that there was no way to get around their attraction to each other since it was built into their bodies. She scoffed at the thought. It felt weird and odd to think of it like that.
In that way, Faye and Malek would be just as attracted to each other. However, Molly was fairly certain that if it were to come down to Faye choosing one over the other, Molly would win. Climbing the stairs back to her office, she turned to start inputing the data she had discovered on the centivalk into their network system. She’d meant to do it earlier that day, but Malek had distracted her along her ploy to try and figure out why he truly was there.
She was about to focus in on the work when there was a knock at her office door. The only one who ever dared knock was Amachon. Looking up, she smiled at him. He looked worn and weary. She forgot oftentimes just how old he was. They had met when he was a young doctor just trying to make his way in her fair part of the city nearly thirty years before, and they had worked together since. Eventually he had come to live with her at the house and became her own private doctor as she had sponsored more of his clinics that catered to Tainted.
“What can I do for you, old friend?”
He sat on the couch, which was odd for him. Normally he would stand in front of her to make his requests or tell her what was going on that she needed to know about. Molly checked the watch on her left wrist, noting it was well after midnight and far closer to dawn. He should have been asleep hours ago.
“What’s wrong?”
His gaze shot up at her when she said that. Molly wasn’t one to beat around the bush if she could avoid it, and with Amachon, she knew she didn’t have to. His lips parted before they closed again. Molly shoved the papers in front of her farther onto the desk and stood up, walking to grab a snifter of whiskey from her cabinet in the far corner and bring it back for him.
He drank it quickly. “I’ve lost six patients this week.”
“Six!” Alarm rang through her chest. “What on earth for?”
He grunted. “New drug on the streets. It’s laced with something.”
“With what?”
He shook his head. “Don’t know.”
Molly pressed her lips together as she leaned into the back of the couch with her shoulder, making sure to keep her body turned toward him. She didn’t want him to think he didn’t have her full support. Her heart raced. The last time they had lost this many people had been when the two of them had met, but then it hadn’t been Tainted who were dying, it was humans. She’d put a stop to it, and they’d had thirty years of relative peace.
“Do you have any?”
Once agin, he shook his head. “No.”
“We need to get some. Test it.”
“I know.” Amachon rubbed his hands over his face after setting the drink down onto the table on the side of the couch. “I know, but not tonight.”
She rubbed his arm carefully. Amachon usually wasn’t one for physical touch, but Molly couldn’t resist her own urges and feelings to give him what she thought he might need. In all the years she had known him, he largely kept to himself. He had no mates, no friends aside from who she brought into the house. He’d grown very fond of Benjamin and had taken him in under his wing, but he was far more a father figure than a friend.
Molly’s mind spun a mile a minute. She had heard the rumors but hadn’t shared it with anyone. This was confirmation of what she already knew, and Molly realized, she should have gotten to work on the problem a lot faster. If six of his patients were dead this week, that would me at least twice that many were dead in total, if not more.
“Amachon, I don’t think we can wait until morning.”
“I haven’t the energy.”
“Then you rest. I’ll work.” Molly went to stand up, but Amachon put a hand on her wrist and tugged her back down.
“No.”
“What?”
“You also need rest.”
Molly drew in a sharp breath. “I don’t need rest like you do.”
He shook his head at her. “You need it more.”
With narrowed eyes, Molly found herself nodding before she shook her head as a reflex. “We can’t wait on this. This drug is killing people, whether intentionally or not.”
“Yes, and until we find someone who has some we can test, we have no answers.”
Molly wanted to groan because he was right, and they both knew it, but she wanted answers then and there. Malek was one problem to have, but this was a much bigger and more pressing problem to resolve.
“All right. In the morning, we’ll discuss it at staff meeting.”
“Good.” Amachon pushed up from his seat and stepped toward the door, more like a stagger than a step, and Molly realized just how tired he must be for that to happen. She remained silent as he left her office, shutting the door behind him.
She had no idea how long she sat there before Faye opened the door and stepped inside. “You alone?”
“Yes?” Molly answered, echoing Faye’s question.
“Good.” Faye shut but didn’t lock the door behind her.
Before Molly could say anything else, Faye pushed her back into the couch as she slid onto her lap to straddle her. Faye’s mouth was on hers, a hand on Molly’s throat, and fingers sliding down to Molly’s blouse that she’d forgotten to button up from her visit with Malek.
Faye had the amazing ability to take her from zero to this within two seconds flat. She’d always been able to do that—which again, was either part of their biological connection from two very interdependent species or it was something else. Molly still couldn’t quite tell, but she was pretty sure Faye had chosen not to think about it so she could move on with the fun bits of their relationship.
Faye sliced a long and sharp nail between the rest of the buttons on Molly’s blouse, effectively opening it for her own pleasure. Faye’s hand was on her breast in no time, pushing aside Molly’s bra so she could fumble with her nipple, making circles on it before nipping at Molly’s lower lip hard enough to draw a slight amount of blood.
“Touch me, Molly,” Faye ordered.
Molly moved into action, having forgotten herself in her thoughts once again. She didn’t work Faye up at all. Instead, she pulled apart the button on her jeans and shoved her hand down Faye’s pants. They’d had quickies. They’d made love for hours. They’d done everything every which way they possibly could think of and more. Tonight was not for hours and drawing it out. Tonight was for a quick hard fuck to relieve the tension.
Shoving her fingers in hard, Molly smirked at Faye’s grunt of approval. She worked her magic into the equation, wanting to feel the deep connection she knew it could provide and have Faye’s own body restore her power even more than rest could ever accomplish. Molly set a rhythm she knew Faye would love, that would get her off in no time. Between two fingers inside her and her thumb at her clit, Molly moved her arm up and down as fast as she could.
Faye cried out her release, pressing her forehead into Molly’s shoulder and closing her eyes. There was no bloodletting this time, no shared exchange of gifts. Faye gave entirely for Molly’s benefit. Molly pressed kisses into Faye’s neck, reveling the warmth and saltiness of her skin. Eventually Faye moved and scraped human teeth down Molly’s neck and biting into her shoulder to mark her without breaking skin.
Keening, Molly shifted on the couch. Her own body betrayed how much she would love to have Faye between her legs, but it wouldn’t be necessary. She could live without it so long as her magic was replenished. That would be enough of a give from Faye that night.
Faye’s lips against her ears surprised her. Her words were so quiet Molly almost didn’t catch them. “We have an audience. Would you like to continue or stop?”
Molly’s heart rapped hard against her ribcage as she turned to look toward the door Faye had just come from. Sure enough, Malek stood with his shoulder pressed against the doorframe, watching everything. The choice was hers. It was just going to have to be one she made and quickly because Faye was not a patient person.
Lifting her chin as Faye nibbled across her neck to the other side, Molly kept her gaze locked on Malek, who stared back at her as if this was the most normal thing in the world. Anger surged in her chest, her magic pulling at her as it begged her to release the connection between her and Faye, but she didn’t want to. She wanted it to mean something, not just for them but for Malek.
“Take my energy,” Molly breathed out, fumbling her fingers against Faye’s sides as she tried to find more skin.
“What?”
“You heard me. Fuck me, then take my energy.”
“Molly, you know what too much will—”
“Do it, Faye.” As commanding as Faye had been before, Molly pushed at Faye’s hips until she slid to the floor. “Use your mouth.”
It was perfect. Molly could watch Malek and see whatever he was doing while Faye would be utterly distracted with her task. Faye pushed Molly’s skirt up with her help and then gripped Molly’s head, pulling her down for a bruising kiss. When she backed away, Faye had a glint in her eyes.
“Playing at jealousy?” she whispered so only Molly would here. “Two can play at that, or rather three.”
From that moment on, Molly knew everything Faye was doing was purely for show. Both of them could use it to their advantage in their manipulations of Malek. Molly was slick and wet, and unlike normal, Faye eased into it. Her tongue traced lines up and down, then circles before she slowly inserted one finger, pumping a few dozen times before adding a second.
Molly threw her head back against the couch as Faye tugged her hips down to have better access. Never once did Molly move her gaze from Malek, who stood cool as ice against the door frame leading into her office. She tensed as Faye brought her higher and higher, and she knew she wasn’t going to last much longer.
Digging her fingers into Faye’s shoulder-length blonde hair, she tugged hard. Faye pulled back with her mouth, replacing the motion her tongue had been doing with her finger until she dipped her head again and pressed her lips and mouth to the crease between Molly’s thigh and hip. The pierce of her flesh was a surge of pleasure.
Molly gasped. Her back arched. Her fingers tightened impossibly in Faye’s hair, but she wasn’t going to let go. She wanted Malek to see and hear and feel everything she was. She was tempted to send him all she felt, but she didn’t want to have the connection go both ways, which he would no doubt make it. Her power pulsed through her veins and her body as Faye urged more pleasure from her. She was in ecstasy.
Faye’s rough tongue was such a contrast to the smooth burning feeling taking over her entire body. She convulsed as her orgasm ripped through her. Faye held her down as best as she could, but Molly couldn’t help moving. Malek’s tongue peeked out between his lips, wetting them, and Molly knew she had him.
As soon as Faye was done and moving away, Malek’s cold voice shocked her. “The centivalk needs to feed.”
“What?” Molly breathed heavily.
“If he doesn’t eat, he’ll die.”
“Benjamin fed him.”
“He didn’t eat it. He needs something live.”
She wanted to curse. “And what do you have in mind?”
“A creature or two. He needs enough until he’ll hibernate.”
Shifting to push her skirt back down her legs and button up her shirt, Molly brushed her fingers through her long locks and put it back in place. “Which one?”
“Your choice.”
