Chapter Eighteen

When Remark came around the corner, Drin was halfway through a sundae so big it made Vaken’s eyes go wide.

He stared at her portion and blinked. “A woman of large appetites.”

She started giggling and then laughed so hard that she got the hiccups. There was some jostling, and she ended up on the outside of the table facing Remark. She glared at Ekron and stood up, smoothing her skirt as far down as it would go.

She hiccupped and looked at him. “Yeah, I am really a pig when it comes to eating. Revolting really. I don’t know why anyone puts up with it.”

Vikor sighed. “She’s quoting her mother. There is a certain tone you learn to watch out for.”

Remark looked down at her. “You changed your dress.”

“My other dress had a hole and blood all over it.”

Arcady sat up, and Kritz was focused on listening.

Remark put his hand on her arm, and he stroked her. That had been his thing when they were together. He had been very into the texture of her skin. He had just kissed her and stroked her limbs; that was their dating history.

He smiled at her. “I have two messages from your companion Vikor. They were an invitation that I was unable to answer.”

She slowly turned and stared at Vikor. “Really? What was he inviting you to?”

“Well, since you are still not tethered to the BDC, I thought inviting all of your patrons into the consortium would be fair and get you additional protection. We have already learned you aren’t bulletproof.”

Remark kept touching her, and she realized he was pulling her in against his armoured suit. She ended up pressed against him, and he shuddered in a weird kind of relief. She recognized that desperation. It was the same one that Techor had.

She wrapped her arms around his waist, and he groaned and lowered his head to press it against hers.

The aching loneliness in that small touch pulled at her heart. She sent Remark a pulse of energy, and he tightened his grip on her.

She released her hug and slid her hands up his chest. “I have to finish my ice cream.”

He chuckled and lifted his head. “I understand.”

“No, I don’t think you do, but that’s okay.”

Shisha spoke. “Remark, she’s a metabolic active. She has to keep up her calorie count, or she can’t use her activity.”

He looked to Shisha. “Huh, little miss. You were at the shooting this morning.”

Drin looked up at him. “She was Vaka’s girlfriend. That is his son.”

Remark was tense, but he let her go. She slipped into her seat and got to work on her ice cream again. By the time Remark had ceased pleasantries with Shisha, she had downed about a litre of cream.

Everyone else had finished their dessert, and Drin felt reasonably sated. She still wanted more, but it was enough for now. She got up and tried to ease past Remark, but she thudded into a warm and familiar body. Klauz’s arms came around her. “Where are you going, precious?”

“Um, for a walk?”

He laughed. “Trying to escape?”

“No, just trying to remember what it’s like to walk. You guys tend to carry me around.”

“But you are so cute and portable.”

“I am really not.”

He bent and kissed her neck. “Yes, you are.”

She wriggled slowly against him.

Remark was watching, and there was a hungry expression in his eyes. Drin froze.

Arcady grinned. “So, this is a side of you I haven’t seen, Drin.”

Klauz muttered at his sister-in-law, “Don’t tease her. This is new to her, and we have all assembled on her at once. She has not had time to acquire her collection as you did.”

Arcady winced. “Point taken, sorry, Drin.”

Klauz had his hand around her throat, and his lips traced her neck.

Kritz was watching his brother, and he was smiling. “It is good to see you relaxed, Klauz, from any angle.”

With his hand holding around her neck, she felt a trickle of heat leaving her, and Remark stared at her.

Her blush was intense. Vikor was laughing at her, and Vaken asked, “What?”

She leaned into Klauz. “I think I should get out of here before I create another health code violation.”

Ekron got up and wrapped her in his arms, prying her away from Klauz. “I think I can take it from here. She needs a bit of a nap.”

Klauz let her go and chuckled. “I can wait... for a while. Your nephew is very bright. I can see why you risked everything to keep him safe.”

Remark frowned. “Risked?”

Ekron chuckled. “Do you know where I live?”

“Viper Crescent?”

“Right. We will be there for the rest of the day. You can come by and ask questions there.”

Vikor smiled. “I don’t have to check in at the club until eight. Just a long, boring day stretching ahead of me.”

Techor chuckled. “I have the day off. I am willing to spend it chatting.”

Remark nodded. “Can you call ahead to your staff? I am heading there now.”

Ekron laughed. “You don’t want lunch?”

Remark looked at Drin. “No, I have found what I want. Now I have to find a way to get it.”

Drin leaned back against Ekron, and Arcady had to pry her away for a hug. Kritz ruffled her hair as he passed by. “Let me know if you need anything.”

“Can you make me bulletproof? I don’t think that the aggression from humans is going to stop soon.”

Kritz’s eyes gleamed. “I think so, but without altering your own chemistry, it will be tricky. I love a challenge.”

Arcady murmured, “I will see if Zera will authorize the research on her own dime. Otherwise, we will get you a quote.”

Klauz shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. I have got this. I never want to get that call again.”

Arcady blinked. “What call?”

Remark turned to her. “She was shot today. Twice.”

Ekron murmured, “Three times, but I caught the last one.”

Arcady’s eyes went wide. “What?”

“It was less fun than it sounds. There was a lot going on, but Ekron’s fans are no joke.” She stroked the male in the discussion.

“I am going to have to make a public statement and tell them that you are off-limits. One more attack on you, and I retire.”

She patted his chest and said, “Thanks for that.”

The table full of people gathered, and they left Klauz’s private table, which was anything but private. They walked through the restaurant with murmurs and a few obvious photos. Drin was under the curve of Ekron’s arm, and it was sending a definite message.

She started checking the tabloids on the way back to his house and sighed. “I can’t believe you offered to play mini-golf with him, Vaken.”

“I am his uncle. I am going to do a lot of fun things with him, and if he is generous and invites you, you can come, too.” Vikor grinned. “He wasn’t even fazed by my appearance. Do I have you to thank for that?”

She wrinkled her nose. “A little. When he was eighteen months old, I asked Shisha if I could show pictures of the family to him and tell him that they were hurt in the soul by his daddy’s death, so they needed time. I told him they might even need until high school. He began to understand over time when a friend’s grandmother passed away. He observed grief, which helped him understand how adults felt when a loved one passed.”

Ekron nodded. “And he saw you with your own parents’ death.”

“That was... different. They died, I went through the motions of burial, but my brother missed them more than I ever would.”

Vikor stroked her cheek. “They were not kind to you.”

“They were just cold. That is why I hung out at your place. I was considered Vaka’s pet, but I was fed, and people spoke to my face. I owe Niseth a few grand for her grocery bill for those years.”

She got a ping on her com, and she looked at it. “Huh. We have made the tabloids.”

The image of their group had been taken as they left the restaurant. Fortunately, Vaken wasn’t visible, and Shisha was behind Techor. Arcady and Kritz were definitely visible in the picture.

She was curled against Ekron and walking out between him and Klauz. Then Techor and behind him, Arcady and Kritz.

“Nice composition. No sign of Shisha and Vaken.”

Ekron and Vikor looked at it. “Nice picture,” Ekron said.

Vikor nodded. “If you accept Remark as a fifth suitor, we can have a portrait done. One of my cousins is a painter.”

Ekron grinned. “Planning the first family photo?”

Vikor nodded. “I am. Some may come and go, though I find that unlikely, but the moment it starts is a precious thing.”

“Wait. I have to accept Remark?”

Ekron snorted. “I am not letting him between my thighs.”

She buried her face against Ekron’s chest, and he stroked her hair. “Most women would be excited that they were considered so desirable.”

“If I were most women, I would be lined up and screaming in excitement if you looked my way. I just want to punch you most of the time.”

Vikor laughed, and Ekron soothed her. “It’s because I am adorable, as are you. We make a good couple.”

She laughed. “A couple is literally the last thing possible. Is there even a term for six people in a set?”

Vikor chuckled, “Six?”

“Oh. Shit. No. It was just a question.” She held up her hands.

Vikor grabbed her wrists. “And I just got the notification that your bands are ready.” He leaned forward and whispered in her ear, “Mine is the big one.”

“Perv.”

He chuckled.

“Hey. Wait. Five bands. You were planning on Remark the whole time.”

He licked the point of her ear, and she twisted violently as she bit her lip to stop the moan. “Of course. We couldn’t leave any of your patrons out. That would be rude, and you are always the most polite little pet.”

The driver pulled into Ekron’s driveway, and the gates opened and closed behind them. She noticed that Remark was waiting for them. “Oh, right. He can fly.”

Ekron and Vikor got out and then helped her out. Her body was still throbbing because Vikor played with the tip of her ear.

Remark stood in her path, and the others let her go with him staring at her. She twisted her fingers. “Um, hi.”

He smiled slightly, his burnt orange hair and green eyes reminding her of her favourite season. “Hello. Aside from the shooting, did you have a nice day?”

“Yeah. It was interesting.”

“It was surprising to see you again. I didn’t recognize you at first. But, I now remember seeing moments of your appearance like this that faded. How are you staying?”

She smiled. “Despite me busting their balls, they make me happy. This is what happy energy does. If I am insulted or insecure or upset, the other face snaps into position.”

“What are all the comments about you being hungry?”

“Well, when you were my patron, you were familiar with me sending out a wave of energy, right?”

“I was.”

“Well, each wave like that is equivalent to about three thousand calories. If I don’t replace it, I will drop in weight. If I do it too many times, the result is appalling.”

“Why do they grin when they talk about your hunger?”

She went red. “Oh, that. Um, there is an alternative to consuming food to stop the hunger. I still need to eat, but it is a normal person’s appetite.”

He reached out and ran his fingers down her cheek. He smiled. “What is the alternative?”

“It’s super embarrassing.”

“Just tell me.”

“Fine. My body absorbs semen and uses it as a power source. My guess is that it will render my body relatively sterile as the male contribution just disappears. So, the only way I am having kids is via incubator or surrogate.”

He blinked. “That is a lot of information in one statement.”

She sighed. “Better to just get it over with.”

He smiled. “So, right now, you can’t get pregnant?”

“No, I have four years left on my implant.”

He looked to the left and right. “Anywhere we can test that theory?”

She rocked on one heel and twisted her fingers together. “I don’t even know if you like me. Why would you want to be with someone you don’t know?”

He rushed forward and gathered her up, kissing her. His mind touched hers, and images of her beginning on Vaka’s first day with the team flicked through her mind. There was a bright scent that went with it. To his senses, she was a bright green apple.

She kicked her legs idly as she touched her tongue with his. The gallery of moments of her helping Vaka, training with him, running, obstacle courses, and even pilot training. They did it all together. It helped him keep focused. She had no idea that they were being watched, but Vaka’s gaze to Remark’s was direct and hostile from time to time.

Then her time in the mask with the BDC. He liked her legs. He really liked her legs and the texture of her skin. His dates were just her being petted over and over again with her clothing sliding around on her thighs. He liked the rush of energy but was confused by the lack of additional contact.

The images of her today took on a different note. Now it was raspberry and lemon. Remark’s first look at her had been a hit to the groin. When he got a good look at her rainbow eyes and pointy ears, the air had gone out of him, but heat had burned in him. She was familiar, but he didn’t know why.

Her kissing Klauz was what had finally dumped an accelerant on his self-control.

The images poured in and sorted themselves in seconds. The eidetic memory was one of his skills in addition to flying and healing. He remembered every time he had ever seen her, even the phase where Drin wasn’t shaving her legs. He saw it all and wanted it all.

She pulled back from him, and her lips were tingling. “Um. Oh. I remembered you looking, but I thought I was doing something wrong.”

He sighed. “Sorry. I have resting bastard face. I couldn’t express my interest in you because of Vaka’s protective responses. I am surprised to see you here with his brother.”

“I knew that Vikor was mine as soon as I was able to figure out such things.” She smiled. “He knew it, too, but he was in a worse social situation than I was. I would get a lecture; he would get arrested.”

“But, now you are both nice and safe.”

“Nice is not the right term.” She smiled and idly kicked her feet.

“You are larger than I remember.”

She rubbed her forehead. “It’s a glamour effect. An analyst guessed it is a ploy to draw in protectors as I am otherwise pretty much useless. I am five foot eleven.”

He frowned. “You are not useless. You inspire me. I am better and stronger with keener reflexes because of you.”

“And the effect wears off in about two weeks or less to keep you coming back, like an addiction.”

“No, like a non-addictive interest. It feels good to be with you, just like having sex would be. It is something to look forward to but won’t throw us into a psychotic rage.”

Drin looked at his earnest expression. She gave him a big smack on the lips. “Thank you. That is the nicest thing I have heard all day.”

He snorted. “Well, as your telepath just showed up, I believe we are all here.”

Techor got out of his car and grinned at them. “Your sister thinks highly of you but is a little jealous. Ekron is quite the draw.”

“Yeah. So I am guessing. I feel like the ugly dude who somehow managed to score the hot chick.”

Remark was holding her with one hand while stroking up and down her spine. When he reached her neck, she whimpered. He paused and turned her in his arms. “One of them bit you.”

Techor chuckled. “It’s a handy mark. Lick her ears. Those are adorable, and the reaction is intriguing.” He walked into the house.

Drin’s gaze shot up to Remark’s. “No. Absolutely not. Leave the ears alone.”

He chuckled. “But they are cute, and now, I feel like I am missing out.”

His fingers rubbed softly at the mark, and she shivered and gripped his arms. Her head rolled loosely, and she hooked a leg around his thigh for support. He shifted his grip and pulled her higher, anchoring her with one arm while gingerly touching her inner thigh. When his fingers slipped, he laughed. “Ah, that is what the mark is for. I am guessing the response with the ears is similar.”

“Sure. Let’s go with that. I think we should go inside.”

He chuckled. “Where you have backup?”

“Oh, they would hold me down if I asked them to. Or if you asked them to. They are very agreeable as long as I am naked.”

He slowly slid her down his body until she was standing. “I thought that they would be a little more jealous.”

“They might be if my orgasm didn’t give them all a wave of inspiration, but it does, so no big deal.” She backed away from him and headed into the house.

He was right behind her.

Stella came up to her with a tea set. “They are out on the patio. Ekron said if you wanted to use one of the guestrooms, you were welcome to. There will be tea and cocktails outside by the pool.”

“Only if he tells me where he hid my underwear.”

Stella was forty-five if she was a day, and she laughed. “Your relationship is your own business. I will just keep track of the snacks and laundry that have been placed in the proper receptacle. I am not going to help you cheat at hide-and-seek.”

“Fine. Tell Ekron we are destroying his bed.” She looked back at Remark, and he grinned.

She grabbed the wrist of the agent and hauled him through the house until she got to Ekron’s room. She pushed the door open and pulled him in, closing it behind them.

Once they were inside, she got shy. “Sorry about that. I just... I am able to act like I know what I am doing, but I don’t really. I don’t even know how to get into your suit.”

He chuckled. “You do, and you have. You just have to do it with your eyes closed.”

She looked at him and nodded. “Slightly less embarrassing that way.” She walked to him, touched his arm and closed her eyes.

She remembered how to do things by touch, found the neck closure, and opened his suit, pushing it off his shoulders and peeling it down his arms.

She returned her fingers to his chest and memorized the feel of each muscle group as she trailed them down to his navel before she opened the lower closure and pried it open.

She touched his erection and paused.

“Probably best you don’t look, Drin.” His voice was amused.

“I have heard that before.” It was all she got out before he took over. Her dress slipped off, and he placed her on the bed, tracing each part of her with happy sounds. She was squirming and desperate when he moved over her, and she whined as he slid into her until the ridges rubbed every internal inch of her in a fascinating way.

Drin held onto him as he rocked into her until she gasped in surprise. He groaned, and she felt the heat spilling into her a moment later. She kept herself curled against him until he shifted off and to the side.

He rubbed his fingers against her and examined them. “You weren’t kidding.”

She shook her head. “No. Not kidding.”

He wrapped his arms around her, and she sighed. She curled against him and fell asleep with his fingers trailing over her.