Chapter 8

Greta moved the box of hardware back to her case. "Probably a good idea. Yours will be easier."

Rio vaulted onto the table and spun around to lean back, still munching on his fruit. "Hard or soft?"

"Erect is better, but if that's a problem, I can make either work."

Rio chuckled. "Never a problem with a sex witch present. Give me a hand?" He grinned at Mari.

She stepped closer and slid a hand into his joggers. His cock swelled to life at once. "I think your reactions to me have very little to do with me being a sex witch." She squeezed fondly.

Rio inhaled a harsh breath and flexed into her grip. "It has everything to do with you, princesa." He finished his fruit as she fondled him, then held the bowl out for Mari. "We're all set here." He pulled down his joggers to release his cock, passing his hand over hers in the process.

Mari stroked him once more, slowly, and then took the bowl from him, turning to put it on a nearby retaining wall. She continued eating her breakfast, overcome with curiosity. "So how does this work?"

Greta wheeled her case closer to Rio. "First, I do an inspection of the area to make sure all the tissue is healthy and to confirm the placement. This is where I make marks if needed and also begin the numbing."

"Won't be necessary for me," Rio added.

"Masochist. I remember." Greta grinned. "Then I sterilize the area before inserting the piercing tool. The hardware goes in right after, and then I heal the wounds. Eliminates the need for wound care and means you can get right to having fun with your new mods."

"Sounds like a good time to me," Rio said, leaning back. "By all means."

Greta took him in hand and leaned closer. She spent some time examining and manipulating him while Rio watched her. Then she used a pen to mark the insertion point. After, she cleaned the area thoroughly with an alcohol pad. "You sure you don't want any numbing?"

"Positive," Rio said without taking his eyes off Greta. "Hey, those aren't really silver, are they?"

Greta looked shocked. "No, those are all platinum. Won't tarnish and won't interact negatively with shifter physiology."

"And magically conductive," Mari murmured. She wondered what having platinum anchored in her skin would mean for her power.

"Yeah, that too," Greta said. "Sex witches always use platinum in their piercings and their partners' for that reason."

"Why rubies though?" Mari asked.

Greta grinned. "Rubies are the sex witch spell gem. It should help focus and intensify your power."

"Oh, I didn't realize that." She thought of the necklace her father had forced her to wear. "Whose gem is sapphire?"

"Demons," Greta replied without asking why. She turned her attention back to Rio. "Ready?"

Rio nodded and drew in a deep breath.

Mari put down her bowl and then took his hand and held it. She wasn't sure if she could do anything to help, but he'd done so much to help her the last few days that she wanted to if she could.

Rio smiled at Mari, holding her gaze while Greta worked. He winced when the tool pierced his skin, clenching his hand around hers. She felt the pain distantly, as if it was being conducted to her through her fingertips where she touched him, but she also felt his arousal. Driven by the pain, the urge to squirm where he sat tickled inside him. Mari reached for that sensation and stroked it, encouraging it to blossom and overtake the pain.

Gasping, Rio pulled her closer, desperate to kiss her. She covered his mouth with hers, inhaling the sounds that poured from his open lips up into her. Mari drew his pain away, leaving only the desperate arousal she had kindled. She hadn't planned on doing anything like this, truly had no idea she could, but the instinct had kicked in when his pain had swelled and taken over.

"Saints, Mari," Rio groaned against her lips. "It's too fucking good." He made a plaintive noise in his throat and kissed her again.

"Woah, okay, turn down the sexy vibes a little," Greta said with laughter in her voice. "We don't want him to come until after I place the hardware and heal it."

Mari tried to dial it back but found she had to struggle against the sex witch part of her that had tasted his mingled pain and desire and only wanted more. After a few tense moments when she wasn't sure which part of her would prevail—the witch or the woman—she managed to pull back the magic so that it was only stroking him with a featherlight touch and keeping his pain in check.

Rio moaned, sagging back against the table. He nodded to Greta to indicate she should continue, his breathing ragged. "You haven't ever done that before."

Mari smoothed her thumb over his cheek before reaching to catch her fingers in his hair. She stared into his face. "I didn't know I could. I only wanted to take away the pain."

"Sex witches and life witches are two sides of the same coin. We both hook into the tissues and nerves of the body to do our things," Greta said as she worked the hardware through the piercing.

"You're saying that I can create pain too?" The idea made Mari shiver.

"Sure. You can create all kinds of sensations," Greta said. "You're probably predisposed to one direction more than the other. At least that's how most witches operate. I'm good at closing wounds, but I'm real shit at opening them." She shifted her grip and placed her thumb over one ending of the piercing, making Rio squirm.

Mari leaned closer and put her hand over Rio's chest, pressing him back into the table. He settled at once, exhaling a long sigh.

"Platinum is good for healing too," Greta said. "Conducts the magic into the wound and resists the tendency flesh has to anneal when healing." She nodded and backed away a step. "All done. Do you two want some privacy?"

Rio laughed. "That won't be necessary." He reached for his cock, smoothing his fingers up the shaft slowly until he reached the piercing and nudged it. Through the hand that Mari still held, she felt the peaking of his arousal that the light touch set off. "That's going to be distracting for a while."

Entranced, Mari watched his deft fingers play with the piercing. It looked hot as hell. "You need some help with that?"

"Mmm, tempting," Rio purred. "But I think I'm going to hang onto this for a while. Might need it later." He pulled up his joggers and winked.

Greta slid a pair of goggles with dark lenses over her eyes and moved on to the tattoos. Rio sat perfectly still while Greta worked, only squirming on the table a bit when she paused to give him a moment to relax between the cuffs. True to Greta's word, once the marking pen was wiped away and his skin was healed, there was no trace of the tattoo.

After a few moments, Greta returned with a small flashlight. She aimed the beam at Rio's wrists. The words "para siempre" glowed brightly where they were painted into his skin precisely in the elegant design.

With a muscular flex, he slid off the far side of the table and tapped the surface twice. "Your turn."

Mari gathered her courage and climbed up. She felt awkward in the skirt until she realized she was going to need to remove it anyway. Then she felt downright scandalous. Rio just grinned, eyeing first her ass and then the long length of thigh that showed through the entirely excessive slit that went nearly to her waist. Finally, he took pity on her and helped her adjust the table.

"Okay." Greta looked her over. "Let's go top down because the nipples are going to be the easiest."

"And the last one?" Mari asked.

"That one is going to be a true fucking adventure. Never done one for a sex witch." Greta laughed good-naturedly. "I might have to numb you ahead of time so you don't stroke us all out with the backlash."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I'll have a better idea once we do the first couple, but sex witches are interesting because a lot of your magic works in reaction." Greta gestured for Mari to remove her shirt. "Depending on how your magic works, you might lash out in response to pain."

Mari pulled off her camisole and handed it to Rio. Being topless in front of people she didn't know was still so new, and she felt her back trying to curl to hide herself, but she fought the urge. "How likely is that? I don't want to hurt you two."

Rio folded her camisole neatly and set it on the end of the table. "I don't think it's very likely. I've felt your magic a lot over the last few days. It's never hurt."

Greta shook her head. "Well, too much pleasure can be just as dangerous as too much pain."

Rio set a hand on the back of Mari's neck, and she felt herself relax from the edge of anxiety that had been creeping up. "You're not going to hurt us, princesa." Smiling, he leaned to kiss her temple.

Mari turned to look up at him. "Thank you. For everything. You've been so supportive through all of this. It's helped so much."

He kissed her ever so gently. "You're welcome."

When they were done, Greta moved closer. She touched Mari's shoulder first, obviously used to having to help people to feel more comfortable. "Just going to take a look and make some marks to make sure everything is nice and even when it goes in. Relax and try to sit straight."

Rio's fingers brushed over her shoulder. Greta had an exceedingly professional touch and set Mari instantly at ease. She closed her eyes and sat back, trusting them both to take care of her. Her breathing slowed, and a sense of peace settled over her. Drifting quietly, she had the sense that something unfathomable was waiting for her out in the darkness, but she had no idea what. A sense of peace settled around her.

What seemed a long time later, Rio's voice came softly an inch from her ear. "I know that look." She could hear the smile that curled Rio's lips, and it sent a shiver up her spine.

"Didn't know she was a sub," Greta offered conversationally as she marked the outside of her right nipple. The touch of the pen was distant, barely there.

Rio chuckled. "She's not."

"Then she does the best impression of one I've ever seen." Greta marked the inside. "She's way down. Look at her breathing."

Rio hummed to himself. "I'll have to talk to Cisco about it."

"She's so calm," Greta said as she marked the other nipple.

"Deep waters," Rio murmured.

"Okay, Mariana," Greta said. "We're going to do the right side first. I'm not going to numb the first one. We'll adjust after that if we need to. Going to put you flat."

The table moved under her, but it didn't startle or worry her. A moment later, she was lying flat.

Rio took her hand and held it gently. "If you need a little juice, I'm right here." His desire tugged at her like a siren song, pulling at her magic and tempting her.

There was a pinch that stroked something low in her belly in exactly the right way. She lifted her chin.

The pain, when it came, was sharp and undeniable and shot her right out of that perfect peaceful place where she'd sensed something lurking in the darkness, but scorching desire followed hot on its heels. Both sensations raced down along her body, zinging all the way, until they pulsed between her legs with a hard beat that she could swear actually rocked the earth beneath her. She gasped. Rio's hand tightened around hers.

"Whew," Greta said in a low voice. "She's like the best drugs."

Rio leaned down and kissed her. "That was perfect. She's just going to put the hardware in."

The pressure that followed almost undid Mari. It seemed to go on forever, and every nudge went straight to her core and left her panting in moments. By the time Greta finished both piercings and had healed up the wounds, Mari was sobbing, and not from the pain. Her arousal had twisted so hard around itself that it felt like someone had punched her in the gut repeatedly.

"Okay, she needs a break," Rio said. "Let me take the edge off."

"Yeah, of course," Greta responded. "Should I step out?"

"Please." Rio waited until Greta's footsteps retreated and then put a hand on her stomach.

Mari flinched at his touch. "It hurts," she whispered, tears still falling.

"I know, honey," Rio soothed, his mouth soft against hers. "I'm going to make it better." He slid his hand under her skirt and past her panties. His fingers slipped through her slick folds and zeroed in on her clit with a firm caress.

Mari cried out in desperation.

"Don't hold onto it," Rio said. "Just let it go."

At his gentle urging, she climaxed on the third stroke, her voice breaking with her sobs. Her magic only released a fraction, as if it had been wound so tight that it couldn't let go. She wailed in frustration.

"Easy," he said against her lips. "We'll get you down safe. Come here." He helped her to sit up and eased her to the edge of the table.

Mari lifted her chin, searching for his mouth. He gave in to her, leaning down to plant a searing kiss on her upturned lips. As he deepened the kiss, he slid his hands under her ass. She canted her hips eagerly, pleading with her entire body as she wrapped her legs around him. She gripped his shoulders to pull him closer, moaning into his mouth. He impaled her with a slow, incessant thrust. She broke the kiss with a wordless cry as she came again, pleasure sizzling up her spine as magic poured out every inch of her skin.

Rio jolted as she clenched around him, tightening his grip and pulling her closer until she was flush against him. His desire spiked, dark and wild. And she knew exactly why. When her orgasm had moved through her, it had sparked through her new piercings like wildfire. She imagined the one in his cock had felt similarly.

Mari clung to him with her face pressed into his shoulder as he started to move. He lowered his head and growled into the side of her neck, the low vibrations against her skin making her shiver. The feline spirit within him took over, and the predator knew exactly what she needed in that desperate, forbidden moment. His claws sharpened and dug into her ass, not quite breaking the skin, in order to hold her still for his deep, feral fucking.

Mari came again, her back arching, the magic scintillating along every nerve from her core outward in waves that only grew stronger as they went on. His teeth scored her collarbone, his breath hot as it fanned over her skin.

She leaned back, bracing her hands on the table and lifting her hips, offering the animal inside him even more—everything, if he would take it. Raising his head to stare down at her as he fucked her, his eyes glowed golden, almost molten with heat. He grinned, his sharp fangs long and dangerous. She held his fierce gaze, knowing the challenge she offered him by doing so. The beast responded with a low and harsh laugh that was nearly a purr.

One clawed hand moved to wrap around her throat. His grip was so exceedingly aware of the delicateness of her skin, even as unrestrained as he was in this moment. His other arm wrapped around her waist to anchor her hips, holding her exposed to him and supported at the same time. All the while, his powerful thrusts never paused; his relentless surging drove her higher, wrapping her in his consuming desire.

Rio growled when she called out his name as she came again. Her body shuddered with the intensity of her release, her magic finally boiling over. He groaned as the pleasure washed over him, leaning to bite her shoulder as she bucked under him, his sharp teeth slicing her skin. The burning heat of his sudden desperation seared her to the deepest corners of her soul.

He roared as his climax overtook him, his whole body locking around and over and inside her. Her voice broke as she cried out wordlessly, overcome by his pleasure as it tore through her. The power rushed out of her and spiraled out into the wards.

As her breathing returned to normal, Rio's hold on her gradually eased. He pulled back a bit to examine her shoulder. "You okay?"

"Yeah, it doesn't hurt."

He shook his head slowly and started to back away. "I shouldn't have done that."

She stopped him and waited until he met her eyes. "If you hadn't, I don't think I could have let it all go." She smiled, showing him the truth of her words and that she wasn't afraid. "I think, on a primal level, the cat knew that."

"Really?" The hope and relief on his face melted her heart.

"Yes." She showed him her neck, where he hadn't left a single mark with his claws. "You've never given me anything but exactly what I needed."