20. Ivy

20

IVY

Bram's words are chilling. I take him completely seriously as he pants that he isn't going to let me go. But that is not an option, and not just because The Syndicate will have my head if I don't check in, and his for delaying me. Somehow, I have to find a way to get out of this. I close my eyes and remember my new ability. Could it help?

As Bram slams his cock into me, hurting my back against the tree, I drift off, focusing on the forest around me. That's how I did it last time, by focusing on the nature all around me. I'm fully immersed in it now, so surely I can do this. I need to be able to get the poison ivy to come out so I can escape his clutches and get out of here.

I close my eyes, trying to focus on the forest around me despite Bram's relentless pounding. I reach out with my mind, feeling for that connection to nature I tapped into before. At first, there's nothing but the sensation of Bram fucking me raw against the tree. But then I feel it - a faint stirring, like tendrils of energy reaching back to me.

Bram slams into me and grunts loudly, spurting his load into my battered pussy, and I know I have seconds to make this work.

The forest is alive around us, teeming with energy. I latch onto the stirring, drawing it towards me. Slowly, I feel my arms turn to vines, loose and weak.

Bram is too lost in his own pleasure to notice. So, I focus on getting them to strengthen. They snap into some semblance of power, and in the next second, they are bursting through the tendrils of dark fae magick that are holding me in place.

I open my eyes and move my body to ease the stiffness from the cold and the battering I've been given, which makes Bram aware of his surroundings again.

He frowns when I drop my leg and lash out with my viney arms.

They wrap around him, pulling him away from me.

"What the fuck?" he snarls, trying to swat them away. But more keep coming, faster now. My human-form arms are non-existent now. Just green tentacles with ivy leaves blowing in the breeze as I move rapidly.

Bram is now entangled in a mass of poison ivy vines. His skin is already starting to blister and swell where they touch him .

"Sorry, darling," I purr, extricating myself from his grasp. "Looks like nature's on my side."

Bram roars in fury, dark magick crackling around him as he tries to fight off the plants. His healing kicks in, but he can't heal completely when I've still got a hold on him. The next task I have is how to get away from him if I have to let him go.

I back away from Bram as he struggles against the poison ivy vines.

"You fucking bitch!" he snarls, eyes blazing with fury.

Still keeping him restrained, I visualise the vines remaining around him while I get my human arms back. Is that even possible?

Only one way to find out.

I prepare myself to run for my life in the middle of the forest, naked, fucked to breaking point and alone. But it's this or face much worse odds, and I don't mean at the hands of Bram.

Willing this to work, to my amazement, it does - my arms slowly transform back while the poison ivy continues to restrain him. He is unable to throw his magick at me, it seems, while the ivy is doing damage to him.

Holy shit, this is big.

"How the fuck are you doing this?" Bram growls, still struggling against the vines.

I back away slowly, keeping my concentration on maintaining the plant prison around him. "A girl's got to have some secrets, Bram. "

His eyes narrow dangerously. "This isn't over, Poison. I will find you."

"Good luck with that," I say with a smile.

Without wasting another second, I turn and sprint through the forest, ignoring the sting of branches whipping against my naked skin. I hear Bram roar in fury behind me, followed by the ground shaking under my feet, throwing me off-kilter. Fuck. He's breaking free.

I push myself harder, running blindly through the trees. My lungs burn, and my legs ache, but fear keeps me going. I have no idea where I am or how to get back to civilisation. All I know is I need to put as much distance between myself and Bram as possible.

I finally break through the treeline onto a deserted road. I pause, gasping for breath as I try to get my bearings. Taking the few precious seconds to shift back to Ivy, not that it will stop Bram from knowing it's me, being naked, forest bedraggled and all, I scan the area quickly. Launching forward as I recognise where I am, I'm not that far from Vex's place. I hate that, but I need him. If Bram gets his hands on me, I'm dead meat. Vex is my only option unless I want to risk running around campus to my own house and bursting in naked with Josh there.

"Fuck," I mutter and lunge forward and up the steps to Vex's front door. I hammer on it. "Vex! Open up!"

Seconds later, it swings open to show the warlock frowning at me. Then his eyebrow goes up as he takes in my naked status.

"Help," I wheeze, pushing past him. "Bram… Syndicate… check in."

Vex slams the door closed and leans against it, effectively blocking me in. "Are you asking for my help again, little shifter?"

"I just need to use your connection on the dark web, and I'll be on my way, but maybe a t-shirt, if you have one." I can't show fear to Vex about being here like this. It will only draw him further in. Dismissive, and like it's not a big deal to be running around in the middle of the night with no clothes on, is the way to go.

He takes in my flushed face and strips off the black shirt he still has on from the club. "Here," he says, throwing it at me. "You can't contact the bosses like that."

Surprised, I catch it and hastily put it on, my fingers shaking as I do up the buttons. "Thanks," I mutter and follow him down the hall to his office, where he taps into the keyboard, and a screen flashes up on the monitor that connects to the dark web. I hover anxiously behind him, glancing at the door every few seconds.

"Relax," Vex drawls. "This place is warded. No one's getting in here unless I let them."

I snort. "Forgive me if I don't find that entirely reassuring. I got in, didn't I? "

He shoots me an amused look over his shoulder. "You always have an open invitation."

"Oh, fuck off," I retort.

Vex chuckles. "You're connected. Make it quick."

I sit and type in: Completed. Poison off duty.

I wait as there is an unnaturally lengthy pause, then: Good.

Gulping back my relief, I stand up. "I should go."

"Is it safe?" Vex asks, looking too concerned for my liking.

"Bram doesn't know who I am. He'll be looking for Poison."

"What happened out there?"

I shrug. "Nothing I can't handle."

"Except you came battering down my door looking for my help."

"Because I was naked and needing to check in," I grit out.

He narrows his eyes as he searches mine. "You sure that's all it is?"

"Why do you even care?" I shove my hand into my hair in frustration.

"If anything happens to you, Vera will have my head."

"Ah, okay," I say, it all making sense now. "So, this is about you, not me."

"Both of us. The people we work for are… not nice, little shifter."

"You don't fucking say. "

He chuckles and shakes his head. "You don't even know the half of it."

"Well, thanks for the shirt and the use of your computer. I need to get home and get showered."

"Hmm."

I brush past him as I head for the front door.

"Be careful out there, Ivy. Those guys you seem to be entangled with are trouble."

"This whole life is trouble."

"Not like them. They are a complication you don't need."

No kidding.

"Yeah, I know. I'll see you around." I open the front door and peer out. Not seeing any rabid dark fae hotties roaming around, I take my chances and bolt down the pavement towards home, not happy about how this night went. Not at all.