returned." He gave me his full attention then and the look I saw in his face sent a tremor through me before I could get a hold of my reaction.
Why such rage? What did it matter to him?
"Yes." There was no point in lying. I was sure the spies were quite up to speed after Cormac's grand entrance although it was quite unnerving that he'd found out this quickly. We'd barely just returned.
"How did you know?"
"You think you are the only one I watch?"
"Is that going to cause a problem with our agreement?"
"Why should it?"
He was lying. I involuntarily went to move a step back but stopped myself. I didn't want the senator to know I was aware of his true feelings, or worse, that I feared him. When he didn't continue, I asked, "Is that all you wanted?"
"I know he has sway over you." It was a condemnation.
"You're mistaken. I do exactly what I want." I watched him as he took in my reply. For something wholly inhuman, he had very mortal reactions. His brow furrowed and his eyes seemed to sink deeper. I had a strange feeling, that regardless of what he said, this would be the day I'd mark down on my calendar that our truce had ended.
He didn't speak again but simply walked off. I watched his back retreat, knowing somewhere deep inside, all hope of peace was disappearing with him.
I sat by the ruins after he left, trying to convince myself I was wrong. When I couldn’t after an hour, I gave up and headed back to the castle, the feeling of impending doom stronger than ever. I'd almost made it back when the lightning bugs appeared.
"Jo." They sang my name out like usual.
"What are you guys doing out here tonight? Don't you have somewhere warm to bed down?"
"We have to talk to you, Jo."
"What's wrong?" I asked, pausing about a half a block before the castle.
"We're hearing strange things."
"Strange how?" I couldn't wait to find out what would seem odd to talking lightning bugs
"He's coming. Gotta go."
I turned to look but I already knew who they meant.
Cormac was walking toward me with a purposeful stride as the bugs were already zipping down the block. I started walking forward, not toward him but to the castle.
It was impossible not to have him in my vision as he approached from the direction I was headed but I probably would've watched him regardless. Everything about him drew me in. The way he moved jarred loose buried memories. The way his body felt, moving over mine. His hands wrapped around me, pulling me still snugger to him as he had relentlessly drove deeper. His desire stripping down everything I was, all my pretenses, until nothing was left but pure need. Claiming. Being surrounded by the unleashed intensity that was him, normally so controlled, it swallowed me whole as I'd bathed in the force of who he truly was on a primal level.
I'd felt the full force of him, had succumbed to his raw appeal. And I'd relinquished everything I was. I'd laid myself bare to him in those moments , and he'd accepted and relished in everything I offered.
How do you step back from that? How was I supposed to be near him and be less? I'd let him in and now I didn't know how to keep him out.
I felt the flush of my skin even as I told myself to keep my distance. My brain screamed to stay away but my body, maybe even my soul, craved his nearness.
"Where've you been?" he said as we approached each other. He didn't touch me but stood so close, as only someone intimate would. His eyes moved over my face and then seemed to fixate on my lips.
"Out." It was curter than I'd intended but my emotions were throwing my senses into turmoil.
"I can see that."
I went to move past him; I needed distance. I wasn't ready for this, whatever it was.
He stopped me with a hand on my arm when I would've kept going. "With who?"
"I'm not your concern." I yanked roughly away from him and he let it go.
"Whether you care to acknowledge it or not, everything that happens here is my business. I deserve to be told what is going on."
I'd planned on
Why such rage? What did it matter to him?
"Yes." There was no point in lying. I was sure the spies were quite up to speed after Cormac's grand entrance although it was quite unnerving that he'd found out this quickly. We'd barely just returned.
"How did you know?"
"You think you are the only one I watch?"
"Is that going to cause a problem with our agreement?"
"Why should it?"
He was lying. I involuntarily went to move a step back but stopped myself. I didn't want the senator to know I was aware of his true feelings, or worse, that I feared him. When he didn't continue, I asked, "Is that all you wanted?"
"I know he has sway over you." It was a condemnation.
"You're mistaken. I do exactly what I want." I watched him as he took in my reply. For something wholly inhuman, he had very mortal reactions. His brow furrowed and his eyes seemed to sink deeper. I had a strange feeling, that regardless of what he said, this would be the day I'd mark down on my calendar that our truce had ended.
He didn't speak again but simply walked off. I watched his back retreat, knowing somewhere deep inside, all hope of peace was disappearing with him.
I sat by the ruins after he left, trying to convince myself I was wrong. When I couldn’t after an hour, I gave up and headed back to the castle, the feeling of impending doom stronger than ever. I'd almost made it back when the lightning bugs appeared.
"Jo." They sang my name out like usual.
"What are you guys doing out here tonight? Don't you have somewhere warm to bed down?"
"We have to talk to you, Jo."
"What's wrong?" I asked, pausing about a half a block before the castle.
"We're hearing strange things."
"Strange how?" I couldn't wait to find out what would seem odd to talking lightning bugs
"He's coming. Gotta go."
I turned to look but I already knew who they meant.
Cormac was walking toward me with a purposeful stride as the bugs were already zipping down the block. I started walking forward, not toward him but to the castle.
It was impossible not to have him in my vision as he approached from the direction I was headed but I probably would've watched him regardless. Everything about him drew me in. The way he moved jarred loose buried memories. The way his body felt, moving over mine. His hands wrapped around me, pulling me still snugger to him as he had relentlessly drove deeper. His desire stripping down everything I was, all my pretenses, until nothing was left but pure need. Claiming. Being surrounded by the unleashed intensity that was him, normally so controlled, it swallowed me whole as I'd bathed in the force of who he truly was on a primal level.
I'd felt the full force of him, had succumbed to his raw appeal. And I'd relinquished everything I was. I'd laid myself bare to him in those moments , and he'd accepted and relished in everything I offered.
How do you step back from that? How was I supposed to be near him and be less? I'd let him in and now I didn't know how to keep him out.
I felt the flush of my skin even as I told myself to keep my distance. My brain screamed to stay away but my body, maybe even my soul, craved his nearness.
"Where've you been?" he said as we approached each other. He didn't touch me but stood so close, as only someone intimate would. His eyes moved over my face and then seemed to fixate on my lips.
"Out." It was curter than I'd intended but my emotions were throwing my senses into turmoil.
"I can see that."
I went to move past him; I needed distance. I wasn't ready for this, whatever it was.
He stopped me with a hand on my arm when I would've kept going. "With who?"
"I'm not your concern." I yanked roughly away from him and he let it go.
"Whether you care to acknowledge it or not, everything that happens here is my business. I deserve to be told what is going on."
I'd planned on
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