Unferth and his men kept rowing.
His arms flailed about in the darkness, mostly upward, reaching for something to hold onto. Panicked huffs and grunts came from his throat. His eyes opened wide. The water clung to him like bedsheets, tangling his arms and his legs.
He felt nothing but desperation and fear.
Strong, feminine arms came around his naked chest. “Ssshhh, love, you are safe,” Lorelei told him urgently, whispering close to his ear. “Relax,” she commanded, unhurt by the way his elbows and head bumped into her before his thrashing lessened.
“You are Alex Carlisle,” Lorelei told him, “You are home, in bed, with me.” She kissed the back of his neck, then his shoulder, caressing him to calm him down. “Whatever life you dreamt of is over now, and can hurt you no more.”
His eyes darted around. A spacious bedroom replaced the bay. The bed seemed vast in the darkness. It was larger than king sized, bought with a humorous, indulgent smile that promised thorough use. He heard the rain fall against the bedroom windows. His skin was soaked with sweat, but not water.
An angel appeared through the open bedroom door, seeming to illuminate the room merely with her presence. She rounded the bed, sat down beside him opposite Lorelei, and gently kissed him.
Calming under Lorelei’s influence already, Alex soon felt his body relax. Fear and desperation melted away with Rachel’s touch. She smiled at him, her eyes as full of comfort as Lorelei’s arms. “21st Century, lover,” she said. “Your life’s awesome. Drop the baggage. We’re here. Go to sleep.”
His eyelids felt heavy. Lorelei eased him back down again. “Sleep,” she urged. His breathing quickly grew steady once more.
“Worse tonight, huh?” Rachel asked.
“Yes. He was accosted today. I’ll explain later,” Lorelei added as Rachel’s eyebrow rose, “but the stress seems to have worsened this. His memories confused him even during the day. Were all of his lives so violent?”
Rachel hesitated, biting back her first answer before she spoke. “Yeah,” she said. “Yeah, pretty much. They always were at the end, anyway.”
“I understand little of such things, but I know that isn’t natural.”
The angel sighed. “No, it’s not. I can’t get into it. I’m sorry.” She gestured to their younger partner. “This is why mortals aren’t supposed to know too much.”
“I only listen to him,” said Lorelei. “I offer counsel only with great care. But he cannot be left to suffer like this.” Rachel looked to Lorelei without speaking. The succubus nodded in understanding. “So be it. I understand. My hands are not tied like yours. I have at least one prospect in mind.” Her head tilted curiously. “How long have you been home?”
“Literally just blew in through the window,” Rachel said with a shake of her head and a smile. “Don’t think I’d be fucking around out in the living room if I could be in here with you, do you?”
“I should hope not,” Lorelei replied mildly. “You don’t seem one to waste your opportunities for free time.”
“Yeah, well. City’s a supernatural shithole,” the angel shrugged.
“What romantic imagery.” She gave her lover a thoughtful look. “You know you need only ask for my help.”
“I figured cleaning up the town wouldn’t be your style.”
“Perhaps not, but you know where my loyalties lie. You have dreams. I would be a terrible lover if I did not help you realize them.”
“I’ll keep the offer in mind… but it means a lot to hear you make it.”
“Come now, you’re an angel. I must lull you with a façade of benevolence and demonstrate my eagerness to amend my evil ways. Only once you’ve lowered your defenses can I truly defile you.”
The angel rolled her eyes, but smiled. “You have no idea how often I hear that exact same thing from… well. Bitches, really. Of every gender.”
“I never expected that initial outpouring of support for our relationship would last,” said Lorelei.
“Nah. Plenty of that was genuine, but what people applaud in front of all their peers isn’t necessarily what they’ll support in private or in smaller groups. Angels are people, too,” Rachel shrugged. “But you know that, don’t you?”
“Yes. I make no apologies for what I am, or how I came to it.”
Rachel shook her head. “I don’t ever want you to.”
“My offer stands. If I can help you, I will.”
“I’ll keep it in mind. It means a lot that you’d offer,” she said. Her eyes drifted toward Lorelei’s legs. Her hands followed her gaze, reaching out to explore. Rachel leaned in close, her lips brushing against the side of Lorelei’s neck. “That bit about defilement sounded pretty good.”
“I am happy to accommodate,” Lorelei taunted. She waited for Rachel to shift closer in, slipping her fingers under Rachel’s soft white dress only after the angel’s kisses and her breath conveyed rising needs. She coaxed Rachel to rise on her knees with gentle, teasing fingers. Rachel shuddered and clung to her, the angel nearly buckling under the pleasuring touch of the demon’s tail that snaked between her legs. “How can I resist when you willingly throw yourself at me like a wanton, shameless harlot at every opportunity?”
Rachel let out a tiny whine. Lorelei could be vicious with that tail. “I’ve got some shame,” she protested weakly. “Makes it hotter when I give in to you.” She held to Lorelei as the succubus manipulated her, bringing her to a first, small, appetizing orgasm. Lorelei held Rachel in a supporting embrace as her partner rode out the spasms of pleasure.
Rachel’s lips split into an eager grin as her tremors faded. She pushed Lorelei onto her back with a playful shove and crawled over her with her eyes shining. The succubus deftly slipped Rachel’s white dress from her shoulders and then down her hips. Lorelei’s hand slid between her legs, cupping her sex and holding still. The sensation sent Rachel’s eyes rolling back into her head. Moans escaped from her throat as Lorelei began to slowly, gently move her hand against Rachel’s already wet lips. The angel felt Lorelei’s mouth on her pert breast, teasing her with further arousal.
Their mortal partner slumbered peacefully beside them as they made love through the night.
Chapter Two: Welcome to Our Madhouse
Don’t be afraid to take it slow. Learn the lay of the land. Hold off and observe. Get him used to seeing you in his life. Nobody expects miracle results right away. First contact is always tough.
Warnings, encouragement and advice reverberated in Amber’s head as she walked to class. She kept her textbook and notebook close to her chest, head down with her newly auburn hair dangling over one side of her face as she walked toward the lecture hall. She couldn’t help but worry that she would be recognized.
Matt Lanier ran a check on literally every class roster from both her high school and the university just to be sure. There were some hits, of course, but none of them came near her class schedule. Nothing set off any warning bells.
Plenty of alarms went off in her head, though, over how quickly Lanier could acquire, sort and analyze all that data. Still more unsettling had been Hauser’s advice: “Exploit any opening you can find. The rulebook for this task force isn’t very thick. CIA deals with more red tape than we do. Short of committing a felony yourself, you’re free to improvise all you want.”
Amber tried not to read too much into Hauser’s choice of words. She reminded herself they were all on the same side.
Students filed into class without ceremony. With most of her college pre-req classes completed while she was still in high school, Amber hadn’t spent much time in UW’s big lecture halls. She checked in with one of the TAs to provide her transfer paperwork.