Chapter Nine

The sky is a giant cloud of fire.

Smoke billows down to earth, but it”s colorful. Purples and blues and pinks surround us while we laugh, and dance and sing.

Harmony.

Where are you, Abdiel?

A voice calls from somewhere, but I can’t find it. All I see is colorful smoke and plants sprouting from the earth faster than I can blink.

What do you want to know, my servant?

Darian?

It”s him, I know it is, but I don”t see him anywhere. I can hear him, though.

Suddenly, the ground beneath my feet caves in and I”m falling. I scramble to grab onto dirt and roots as I tumble, but it”s no use.

I”m falling falling falling while angels sing from above, blowing white trumpets.

This could be all for you, Abdiel.

Servant of God.

I scream as I fall into the abyss, the darkness below taking on the shape of two eyes.

The eyes of a serpent.

”Fuck!” I gasp, shooting up in bed, my heart hammering out of my chest.

Sweat lines my brow, and I wipe it away with the back of my hand as I choke for air, sucking in breaths. That was crazy...

What the hell was that dream?

My breathing finally evens out, and I rub my eyes. I shouldn”t be surprised that I dreamt of them again, even in such a strange capacity. After the way Head Priest was looking at me at dinner tonight...

Staring at me in a way he never has before. The look in his crystal eyes...

It was as if he could hear what I was thinking.

I know that doesn”t make sense, but I can”t stop considering it. The way he and Drake were together, their connection while they were fucking. The way they gazed at each other, reading one another without speaking a word.

That was how Head Priest looked at me tonight. Like he knew my secrets. There was no barrier of my mind left. He was inside it.

I”m not sure how something like that would be possible, but the thought keeps coming back to me... Whatever the Serpent shot into his veins, it could hold the answers to my many questions.

At this point, my name might as well be Abdiel Curiosity, because I”ve never been so keen in my life. I”ve never been so nosy. My parents taught me it was rude. And especially when it comes to Head Priest, we were always taught not to ask about him.

He does what he does because he can. He”s the Head Priest. It”s an entitlement that comes with his seat.

But over the years, watching him from the sidelines, quietly observing him, I”ve developed quite the craving for more. Watching his solitude the other night solidified it.

I need answers. I need to see The Alchemist.

Interestingly enough, the next day, Lorn shows up at my trailer as I”m finishing breakfast.

Standing in the doorway, I offer to have him inside, but he declines.

“Not a social call, bud.” He scrapes a palm over his shaved head. ”I was sent to fetch you.”

”To fetch me?” I lift a brow.

He grins, but shrugs. ”Yea. You”re needed in the lab.”

Gulp. ”What...?”

His voice goes quiet as he says, ”He asked for you.”

All my nerves are suddenly bunched up, the anxiety immediate. ”He did...”

Lorn nods, then motions to his ATV, parked right by my trailer. ”Let”s go. He doesn”t like to wait.”

My mouth is just hanging open, and I probably look like an idiot, but there”s nothing I can say or do right now. I”m speechless.

Drake sent for me?? Why? Is it just because I stopped by the Field?

This is incredibly worrisome, but I can”t deny the mild excitement rushing through me as I step into my boots by the door and follow Lorn to his vehicle.

Hopping on the back of the ATV behind him, I wrap my arms loosely around his waist as he starts it up and pulls away. The trails for ATV and cart travel are off to the side, apart from the paths for foot traffic, so people don”t get hurt. It”s a one-way on the right side of housing, and the other way on the left.

We”re traveling on the right side now, past the housing trailers, then the farmland. Lorn is whipping pretty fast, wind hitting my face every time I peer around him to check where we”re going. Once we get to the entrance of the Field, he slows down but doesn”t stop, saluting the other two guards on duty at the front as he pulls onto a trail.

We drive slowly up a path that cuts through the Field of Influence. It”s a remarkable sight. I”ve never actually been in here before, though I”ve seen it from afar. It”s only just been planted for the season, so all you see are little baby seedlings sprouting up. But still, it goes on forever. It looks like miles of them, although I”m not sure how much there actually is.

This is the part of The Principality not everyone knows about. I”m not even entirely sure what the purpose of the Field is, and why it’s so heavily guarded, protected by the Tribe at all costs.

But I know what these plants are. And what they do…

We reach the end of the Field, then cut farther into the woods. We”re traveling up the mountain now, approaching the lab. I can see it up in the distance, along with at least five visible soldiers, AK47”s and M16”s in hand.

I swallow my nerves as we pull up to the lab and Lorn parks. I hop off at his side, all eyes on me while we walk to the large metal door.

Lorn knocks on it hard, turning to me. ”Well, this is where I leave you. I”ll bring you back when you”re done, just have someone radio me.”

I nod as the door opens, and this dude from the Tribe named Jasper greets me. He brings me inside, walking me down a corridor. I can”t help but peek over my shoulder at the door as it slams shut, hoping I haven”t made some terrible mistake by coming here. Sure, these people are my family, but there’s still an air of danger brushing through me at the unknown.

The inside of this building is unlike any other on the Expanse. It”s a lab, so everything is clean, metal and stark white walls. Industrial doors with plexiglass windows, though I can”t stop to observe inside. We”re walking the hallway at a steady pace, and when we reach some double doors at the end, I see more people. They”re in lab coats.

Chemists.

It”s so interesting to me. I mean, I know these people, but I don”t really know them. The chemists have separate housing too, just like us Domestics do, so they can be closer to the Field and the lab. Honestly, they don”t join the rest of us too often, which I”ve always felt a little strange about. It’s like they have their own little clique.

But that”s their prerogative, I suppose.

At the double doors, Jasper pushes them open, then stands to the side, motioning for me to go first. I give him a look like I don”t know where I”m going, but he just nods for me to walk, so I do.

My eyes widen as we enter a giant lab, full of metal machines and beakers and chemists bustling around. There aren”t that many of them, but at least ten people in this room right now. It”s huge.

I glance at Jasper again, and his eyes flick forward. ”That door there.”

I”m so nervous my hands are practically dripping with sweat as I walk across the platform toward a lone door with a sign on it that says Do Not Enter.

I’m trying not to focus much on what the chemists are doing, but they certainly seem busy. None of them are even paying attention to me. They”re just rushing around, picking up gallons of chemicals, dumping things into machines, swirling stuff in beakers, weighing things on scales. There”s a lot happening in here, and it”s crazy overwhelming.

I get to the door and notice, below the big red sign, a smaller nameplate that reads The Alchemist.

Gulping over a throat dry and scratchy like sand, I shift to Jasper one last time. He”s already back at the double doors, leaving. So I take a deep breath.

And I knock.

Hearing nothing for a second, I stand there, shifting my weight back and forth, contemplating what the hell I’m even doing here until finally the door opens.

And I’m met with snake eyes.

I don’t see The Alchemist often. Really no one does, but still, he’s around. I’ve known of him since I was a child, and yet we’ve never spoken actual words to one another. And every time I see his eyes, I’m always initially taken aback. Not because they’re creepy, although some would say they are.

I honestly think they’re sort of breathtaking. I’m certainly without breath right now…

“Abdiel Harmony.” Drake’s head cocks to the side, something smirk-adjacent on his lips, though I wouldn’t categorize it as any type of smile I’ve ever seen. It’s much more inquisitive, and even more alarming. He opens the door farther and steps to the side, motioning with his hand. “Please, do come in.”

Watching him as he watches me, closely, I attempt to shake off my uncertainty and meander inside his office, if that’s what this is, as he closes the door behind us. The room looks less like that of a lab, and more like a fancy therapist’s office. He has a beautiful green leather couch up against the wall, two large wall-length bookcases filled with what look to be medical journals and chemistry books. I can’t help but wander over to the shelves to check them out.

There are many science books, but he also has some fiction, some poetry, and even graphic novels. Quite the vast variety, which is appealing to me. I love to read. Always have.

“You like to read…” His voice slinks at my back, and I turn over my shoulder. It sounds like it was supposed to be a question, but it’s not. And it’s clear from his face that he already knows the answer.

Gaping at him for a moment, I’ve completely forgotten where I am and what he just asked me, because I have the distinct feeling that he’s in my head right now. I’m not sure how or why I know, but after what happened with Darian last night, and then my dream…

I blink at him. You can hear me, can’t you?

He slants his head again, blinking slowly at me, like a curious animal. Or like a snake, studying the mouse who just stepped into its office.

Finding my voice, I croak, “Yes. I like to read.”

Our gazes remain locked, and I can feel the silence between us, like a fog. There’s a conversation happening without words, and I’ve never been so intrigued by anything in my life.

Drake saunters to the couch, his movements graceful as he takes a seat and pats the cushion next to him. Getting close seems like the opposite of a good idea, but I can’t help being drawn to his magnetic force, pulling me in without a choice. I drift over to the couch and sit down, keeping enough distance between us, though he shifts to face me and his knee brushes mine. I almost flinch, trying hard not to make it visible.

He’s just watching me, and it’s so peculiar, I have to look away out of sheer insecurity.

My eyes roll over the rest of the room, taking in its comforts and decor. The desk and chairs, all handcrafted by our carpenters. A table of various plants and flowers. Art hanging on the walls, paintings and sketches. I recognize the style of a couple.

“Did Emithel do those?” My chin tilts to a collection of three small oil paintings depicting different trees before turning to face Drake once more.

He nods, barely a movement at all, still just watching me. I don’t know what he wants, or why he brought me here, but it couldn’t possibly just be so he could stare at me in silence like this. And I’m at a disadvantage because being this close to him is reminding me of what I saw in the lounge the other night…

His body, long and slender yet defined with slopes of muscle; strength in a different form. His scattered tattoos, sort of like my own, little pictures here and there, telling an individual story that comes together in flesh. Jet black hair, hanging in his eyes while he filled our Head Priest, pushed and pulled between his legs, animalistic grunts fleeing his pink lips…

“I guess you heard I was interested in classes…” I jump in with words before I accidentally blurt out something perverse.

I need him to stop staring at me like that. And I’d like to know why I’m here.

He says nothing, just keeps giving me this look with his snake eyes, glaring as if he’s part angry, part fascinated.

“I’ve been thinking lately about what I want to do,” I keep talking, blathering to fill the silence, “And I thought maybe something in the sciences. It might be worth looking into—”

“Cut the act, Abdiel,” he interrupts me, tone sharp, yet still somehow smooth, like a blade. “We both know why you’re here. Is there something you want to say to me?”

I gawk at him with wide eyes. I don’t know what to say, or if I could even make words right now.

Does he know…?

“Yes, I know what you were just thinking, Abdiel Harmony,” he seethes, abruptly grabbing me by the shirt and hauling me up to his face, until I can feel his breath over my lips. I’m startled fast, my heart jackhammering in my chest. “Now, I’ll ask you again… What do you have to say for yourself?”

My lips shiver through the words, “Okay, yes. I saw you. I saw you and… your brother. Head Priest.” I’m shaking so hard he can probably feel it, and I desperately want to look away from those penetrating eyes, but I can’t. I’m stuck. “I’m sorry. It was wrong.”

“Yes, it fucking was,” he growls.

“It was. I shouldn’t have done it,” I breathe unsteadily through my nerves. Not the time, I know, but my dick is as solid as stone right now.

“Then why did you?” He leans over me more, and I try to back up until we’re almost horizontal on the couch.

“I…” I can’t answer. I don’t know how to. And I don’t know what to do with my hands.

My arms are just lying limp at my sides, so I place both of my palms on his chest. I’m not sure why… Maybe to keep him back. Or maybe to touch him. I have no clue.

Either way, he doesn’t like it, and he releases my shirt, grabbing my wrists in his hands, pinning them down at my sides while he leans in closer, visibly clenching his jaw.

“I was curious.” My voice trembles with the rest of my body. “I was desperate to find out what Head Priest does in that room. The solitude… I had to know.”

He glares at me, fire burning in his eyes, swirls of deep brown and amber, like molasses and honey. Then he sucks in a breath, eyelids drooping in a slow blink as his right hand circles my left wrist, thumb pressing hard into my pulse point.

“So you watched everything, did you, young servant?” He hovers over me, holding me down in such a way that I’m not even sure is against my will.

I mean, I know it should be. But having him on top of me like this, this much older, admittedly a bit terrifying man… It’s turning me on like crazy.

“Yes,” I gulp on a raspy breath as his hips press forward into mine, just a bit. Just enough for me to whimper a little. I can’t help it. It just came out. “Yes, I watched.”

“And you liked it…” he whispers, gripping my wrist hard enough that I might have bruises. My cock thumps in my pants.

“Yes, I really liked it,” I gasp, and he hums.

“You touched yourself afterward, didn’t you?” He lurches in, eyes locked on mine.

I hesitate, and his eyes narrow. “Yes. I did.”

Heat spreads up my neck onto my cheeks at admitting something like that to him. I don’t even know him. This is the first real interaction we’ve ever had, and he’s on top of me, cracking open my head like an egg to let the yoke of my thoughts run out.

“Don’t be embarrassed, young servant,” he croons. “I like to watch sometimes, too.”

“How do you keep doing that?” I grunt up at him, wanting to lift my hips to grind my erection on him a little.

I know it’s ridiculous. That’s the last thing I should be thinking, but I can’t stop…

And now he’s grinning at me, a wicked curve of his lips as his pupils dilate.

“You can hear my thoughts.” I blink at him in fascination.

He pauses for a moment, before grinding his hips into me, giving me that friction I was just pleading for in my mind. “I can.”

“How is that possible?” I ask on a moan. “Does it have something to do with what you injected into Head Priest?”

“You’ll have to be specific, kid.” He moves his lips down to my ear. “I injected him with two things that night.” He extends his tongue to my earlobe, and I shiver so hard, it’s like I’m convulsing.

God, this is hot. Why am I letting him do this?? I don’t even know him…

He’s just such a sexual being. His voice, his look, the dangerous charm and all of his erotic qualities. They make him irresistible. He’s seduction personified.

“The drugs…” I murmur. “What are they?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” he sing-songs, teasing me with his voice and his tongue in my ear.

I’m vibrating. I’m so keyed up right now, the slightest brush might set me off.

“I would. Please,” I beg, and he pulls back to look down at me, tilting his head in that way I’m beginning to realize he does often, when he’s studying you. “I want to try it.”

The little smirk disappears from his face as he stares at me. He lets go of my wrists, and it isn’t until he does that I realize how tightly he was holding them. I’m getting blood back into my hands, like a scant rush.

“You don’t know what you’re even asking, do you?” He lifts a brow.

“Then show me.” I lean up on my elbows. “I want to try what makes him… feel like that.”

“I make him feel like that,” he growls, barely audibly. I gape up at him, bemused, and he closes his eyes, taking a breath. When he reopens them, he’s back to examining me. “You want to experience Empyrean, Abdiel Harmony?”

A small voice of worry in the back of my mind warns me against it… everything I’m considering. But my curiosity snuffs it out as I nod. “Yes. Please.”

The smirk tugs at the curve of his lips once more and his hand slides up my torso, fingers grazing my throat. “You’ll be fun to play with, little mouse.”

My heart leaps behind my ribs as he hops off me and slithers over to his desk. I sit up, nervous energy rippling through my limbs as I watch him open a drawer and take out a vial, the same one he had for Head Priest the other day. Then he removes a plastic package and opens it, revealing a fresh syringe.

I swallow hard. I’ve never had an injection before. I don’t mind needles, since I get tattooed, and acupuncture on occasion. But being injected with an unknown substance is a totally different thing.

Drake trots back over and sits down next to me, crowding me on the couch so that our legs are touching. “Don’t be scared, little mouse,” he whispers in my ear. “I won’t hurt you.”

He sticks the needle inside the vial and sucks up all the clear liquid.

“What’s in that stuff? Is it safe?”

“I made it.” He grins at me. “So, yes. It’s definitely safe.” I show him a nervous look and he hums, “Trust me. I wouldn’t give it to the most important person in my life if it weren’t.” Darian. “Yes. Darian,” he speaks my thought and my head spins. “Now, lift up your sleeve and wrap your left hand around your right bicep, just above the elbow. Like this.”

He shows me by cuffing my arm with his hand, and I can’t ignore the sparks I feel at his touch. My eyes slowly lift to his, and he licks his lip. My breathing shallows.

“Stop giving me those eyes, little mouse, or I’ll have to eat you,” he rumbles by my face.

Nothing has ever sounded as good as that. He chuckles. Stop listening to me.

“It’s harder than you think.” He smirks. “You’ll see in a second. Behave, and do as I say.”

Wrapping my hand around my bicep above my elbow, I squeeze and look up at him for some confirmation that I’m doing it right.

“Tighter,” he instructs, pressing on the pump of the syringe until some liquid shoots out. “Let me see those pretty veins.”

Shivering at his words, I do as he says, squeezing even harder, watching the veins in my forearm pop more than they usually do. He inspects them, then taps one with his fingers before inching the needle to my skin.

“Breathe, little mouse,” he says over my lips, and I’m so focused on his mouth I don’t even notice that he’s stuck the thing into me.

At the pinch, I glance down at my arm, watching blood mix with the fluid before he pumps it inside my vein.

Once the syringe is empty, he removes it and whispers, “Let go, Abdiel.”

As I release my arm, the air around me shimmers and thumps instantly. My head darts around as I watch it… The air.

I can see the air, moving like waves, colors snapping all around my body.

“Fuck…” I breathe, and I hear a small chuckle from Drake, but I can’t even focus on that. Molecules are sprouting from the oxygen, taking shape in front of my eyes. I reach up to touch one, popping it like a bubble with my finger. Then I do the next one, and the next, huffing a laugh in awe. “Are you seeing this?”

“Pretty cool, huh?” It isn’t until he speaks that I realize he’s touching me. His hand is on my thigh and his face is inching closer to my neck. Now you’re mine, too.

I just heard him say that, even though his lips weren’t moving. I heard it in his brusque, bold voice.

My head pivots to look at him. The colors everywhere are so bright, a rainbow splashing across my vision. But his skin is pale white, such a contrast to the black of his hair.

His lips are almost red like blood, and they’re right at my neck, as if he’s drinking it from me. My cock is standing firm between my legs, trying to break free from my pants while every object in the room dances around us.

What is this? I think, and he looks up at me.

Welcome to Empyrean, little mouse.

Empyrean. That’s what this is. I feel it all around me.

I feel the light and the dark. I feel each breath as it leaves my body. And I see everything.

I see who I am. I see my part, here on this planet. I’ve just come to this realization, and it’s so beautiful I could cry.

Drake’s hand touches my chest, and I look at him. Can you feel it?

Yes, I tell him, grabbing at his jaw. I love it.

Unwittingly, I pull his mouth to mine, but he hesitates. I can feel his resistance, and I hear something, something I don’t think he wanted me to hear. He’s unsure.

I stammer for a moment, twitching away. “Oh… I’m sorry. You and Darian… I shouldn’t have…”

“No. It’s not that,” he rumbles, his eyes etched in seriousness. I’m trying to hear his thoughts, but it’s suddenly all fuzzy. Like static. “You don’t know what you’re doing, Abdiel Harmony. I’m not what you think…”

“What does that mean?” I ask, eyes flicking to the books as they open up on the shelves, pages flipping and flipping.

This is just Empyrean. Do you understand?

I gawk at him, blinking.

It won’t be anything more.

I think I understand what he’s saying, but it’s hard to focus on his words when I can hear so much; feel so much.

It’s so strange, all of this. I have this bizarre urge to cling to him, and I have no idea why. Again, I don’t know him. But in this moment, I feel like I do.

Your first instinct is right, little mouse. You don’t know me.

I scoot closer to him, running my hand up his chest. But I want to.

His lips twist. So eager. He walks his fingers along my thigh. Are you a virgin, Abdiel?

I swallow hard, desperately trying to hold back my thoughts, though it’s no use. His grin goes wide, and he reaches for the zipper on my jeans.

“W-what are you doing?” I stutter out loud, forgetting myself as little zaps of colored lightning dance around where he’s unbuttoning and unzipping my pants.

Let’s play. I know you want to.

My breaths become unsteady again as he tugs my jeans down just a bit, enough that my erection is visible through my boxer briefs. What am I doing? What’s going on?

Don’t overthink it, his mind whispers in between rampant thoughts that bring heat to my face.

I can hear him thinking of things he wants to do to me, and it’s overwhelming. But also hot as fuck. I can barely contain my movements as I go for his pants.

I want to kiss you, I think as I unzip his, reaching my eager fingers inside enough to brush his cock. It’s hard, and big. So much bigger up close.

I can’t be anyone’s first kiss, little mouse. You understand, don’t you?

I really don’t, but I choose to ignore the rejection bubbling inside me and settle on how turned on I am. I’ve never fooled around with anyone before, and here I am, with a grown ass man I barely know, touching and thinking of ways I can make him feel good.

You’re so innocent. He presses a hand on my chest, pushing me backward on the couch and crawling over me. I shouldn’t be corrupting you like this.

I want to be corrupted, I plead, yanking at his shirt to take it off him. He lets me, reluctantly, though he gives me a look.

Only this much. He removes my shirt and tugs my jeans down farther so that the full shape of my erection is visible. Then he does the same with his own pants. I can’t stop staring at the outline of his dick through his boxers. It looks massive.

And apparently, he’s thinking similar things about mine. I can hear him.

Look at your strapping young body… He runs a large hand over my erection, and I groan. I’ve never been touched by anyone but myself. It’s amazing. You’re so big, Abdiel. I bet you taste sweet, like honey.

I whimper, shaky fingers reaching out to touch him. I want… I want…

You don’t know what you want yet, do you? He chuckles, pressing his hips forward. This is all so new for you, isn’t it?

I nod, sinking my teeth into my lower lip as I gaze up at him with hooded eyes, color waves crashing all around us.

Your lips look so soft. One day you’ll learn how to suck, little mouse. I whine out a raspy noise, and his hand comes up to my throat. But not yet.

I want to. I can, I swear. You can teach me… please.

He growls and leans over me, rippling his hips into me as he drags his clothed erection over mine. Teach you to what?

My head is fluffy, everything hot enough that I’m sticking to the couch. I reach around to hold his back as I whimper, “To suck your dick.”

We both groan at my words, at my complete and utter lack of sexual experience, which seems to be a major turn-on for this man who I believe is almost forty. I’m in a frenzy over how aroused I am. This guy is gorgeous; seriously hot as fuck. He’s older, and he wants me. I almost can’t believe it.

A small frisson of guilt slips in through the back of my mind, and for some odd reason, I see Darian.

I see his face; I see him that night in the lounge as I watched through the window. I see him in my dreams…

Why do I feel like I’m betraying him right now? It doesn’t make any sense.

But when my eyes come up to Drake, he’s giving me a similar look. Severely unsure.

But he keeps moving his hips, keeps pushing his cock into mine, rubbing them together, slow yet firmly enough that the friction closes my eyes, a purr escaping my lips.

This feels so… good.

“Abdiel Harmony,” he whispers my name, hands running all over my chest, thumbs circling my nipples, sending a zap to my balls. “You’re a temptation I don’t need…”

I’m sorry, I think without thinking, and he pinches me. I gasp, reopening my eyes. He just pinched my nipple. It hurt, but it felt more good than bad.

“Don’t apologize to me, little mouse,” he grunts, rutting into me over and over. “Ever.”

I groan, unable to think as I look down to watch. The heads of both of our dicks are popping out of our boxers, and Drake pauses, yanking the fabric down farther; mine, then his, until our cocks are fully exposed. About the same length, though he’s a bit paler than me, and my dick has shimmery liquid coming from the tip.

He grazes my erection with his, and I moan, biting my lip to keep quiet.

Fuck yes… I hear from his deep, rumbling mind as we move together. Then he grabs both of our dicks in his hand and jerks them, together.

God, that’s amazing. Oh yes, more. More more more.

“Greedy little thing, aren’t you?” He rasps, breathless like pure sex in my ears.

His hand is moving frantically, fist just barely able to close around our girth. It feels insane, my cock moving against his. Being jerked by a hand that isn’t mine. The feel of his balls brushing on my own is winding me up like a rubber band.

Moving my hips with him, I writhe beneath his weight as he straddles my legs, holding himself up with one hand on my chest, while the other strokes our cocks furiously. I’m bending, about to snap.

You gonna come for me, baby? He aims his snake eyes on me, and they hold my gaze, the fire I saw in them before now burning visibly, a wild inferno.

“Yes…” I pant, pushing up and up and up. “I’m gonna…”

“Be a good servant and come when you’re called.”

A cry fleas my lips as I let go, the most intense orgasm I’ve ever felt washing over me. My dick aches out pulses of cum, all over his hand and my abs.

My breathing is erratic, and all the colors are blooming into flowers around the room. We’re in a garden.

Good boy, baby. You’re making me come like the sweet thing you are.

I watch hungrily as his dick erupts right after mine, cum jetting from the head of his big cock, squirting up to my chest. When he’s done, he drags the tip up and down mine, swiping our cum together, coating our cocks with it.

It’s beyond dirty, unlike anything I’ve ever experienced, or ever thought I would experience for my first sexual encounter. Fucking mesmerizing.

Feeling the flush in my cheeks, I gaze up at him, and him down at me. He blinks a few times, and the static is back in his head. I can’t hear anything he’s thinking right now. It stitches my brows together.

I think he notices, because he hops off me and saunters over to his desk, grabbing a towel to clean me up. Propping up on my elbows, I watch him as he does, a silent air of regret surrounding him. I feel it, weighing down the air. Suffocating.

I don’t want to be something he regrets. And I definitely didn’t want my first sexual experience to be tainted like this.

I didn’t even get to kiss him…

“Thanks for stopping by, Abdiel Harmony,” he blurts out, having already redressed. He hands me my shirt.

I feel like such an idiot. A total booty call, if that’s even what this would be. Is that why he called me here? He wanted to hook up with me and then kick me out?

He keeps blinking at me, his forehead lined. I have no idea what that look means, and I can’t even hear his thoughts. It’s beyond frustrating.

The colors are fading, and things are going back to normal, though I still hear voices. Just not from Drake.

Pulling my pants up, I tug my shirt over my head, running stressed fingers through my hair.

“I’m—”

“I told you not to apologize,” he cuts me off.

“Right…” I shake my head as I walk to the door. “I guess I’ll just ask Chelsea about classes, then.” I glance back at him one last time, and he nods.

“She’ll get you set up.”

Biting the inside of my cheek, I pull the door open, muttering a weakened, “Thanks, Serpent,” as I wander back out into the lab.

Before I close the door, I hear, Be good, little mouse.