Shade of Exposure (Three)

Seven

Seven:

“You should just let me finish her off now, do us all a favor.”

Skylar growled, her eyes narrowed, and her grin feral. She was not particularly happy to be hosting Nadia in our apartment.

“You, go stand outside the door, and stop giving her the evil eye.”

I chastised Skylar, and she flashed her reptile-slit eyes and murmured, “It’s dragon eye, not an evil eye.”

She corrected in a mildly annoyed tone.

“Whatever, just stop eyeing her like she’s about to join the menu!”

My tone was more ardent now, and I sighed as Skylar seemed to hover just outside my bedroom door. There was this sanctity to Nix about not intruding into another apex-type build’s den. While Sky did not often exude any of her common apex alpha characteristics with me, she did right now, because she was aware, I might get protective should she decide to cross my threshold. Mainly because if she was willing to violate her social boundaries, she might end up in a catfight with me at some point soon after. Sky and I never wanted to fight each other, even when we disagreed about things. Mainly, we disagreed about Nadia. Sky loathed the woman, because geas or no, she had slaughtered much nix over the years.

“Fine, I’ll go to class, better late, than never, I guess.”

Sky fumed and she eyed Nadia and gave me a warning look.

“Keep her the heck out of my food. I’m not going to have my barbecue go missing.”

She warned me in a slightly testy tone, and I rolled my eyes at her.

“Your Korean barbecue is safe, go, learn something. Or not, at least pretend you’re learning something. Appearances are everything right now. Besides, we need to check on campus, see how the state of the anti-zombie wards is holding out.”

I told her, and Sky seemed to sober and nodded.

“Probably a decent idea, in a sea of horrible ideas.”

She said, and I chuckled and scoffed at her, then I pushed her out the door in a gentle manner.

“Go, learn, wards. Love ya, little sis!”

I said and she allowed me to kiss her on the cheek in a sisterly manner.

“I’m still not happy about this.”

Sky finished, and she grumpily leaned in and kissed my cheek in farewell, apparently, she still loved me, even if she hated my taste in women.

Kerry was dressed up and ready to leave as well. I assumed that they were all opting for class and giving me the house with Nadia. My heart galloped in my chest realizing I was about twenty-seconds from being completely alone with a scantily clad, and vulnerable beauty that I had been pining away over for the better part of two years.

“Remember, keep the reaper in your room, where she is safest.”

Sky’s eyes flashed in dragon-slit warning, as she exited the house. My choice muttering about dragons and grudges might have fallen on deaf ears, or not, no telling with Sky’s hearing.

***

“She’s going to kill me, you realize that, right?”

Nadia murmured groggily as she winced and sat up on the bed. I pushed her back down with only a slight measure of force.

“Hey, easy you! You’re still at risk of these wounds opening back up.”

I told her, she had several nasty puncture wounds on her left side, and she seemed to be in great pain from the burns. Nadia had shielded herself from the brunt of the damage, but such high-intensity flames and oppressive force had taken their toll on her body in secondary injuries.

“Why’d you come?”

She asked, and I gave her a ‘are you stupid’ look and she stared up into my violet eyes as if they held some great universal mystery in them. Nadia was far from perfect, yet somehow, I fluttered every time I peered into her eyes. She was special to me; her eyes bespoke a sensual and intimate being that was nothing like the reaper everyone else knew.

Nadia was a girl to me, not a combatant. She had helped me when I thought I was going crazy. She gave me closure when my last human girlfriend was killed by a wraith. The person I knew her to be was not at all like the one everyone else portrayed with a pitchfork and horns.

“Don’t worry about Skylar. She’s just a big p***y cat.”

I said dismissively and Nadia looked up into my eyes and mirrored the “are you stupid” look back at me. I made a smacking sound with my lips and I waved my hand in an animated gesture.

“Ok, well she’s less a p***y cat and more a ferocious dragon, but still. She can manage her hatred since I am asking. Besides, it’s not like either of us are working with Hidden anymore, so not like there is much of a chance for a conflict of interest arising.”

Nadia’s eyes flashed in surprise and she coughed several times and winched slightly.

“What happened?”

I bit my lip and considered my answer for a few moments, then I decided to just give her a recap of the events leading up to my banishment. Nadia listened with rapt interest, and she seemed to take a moment to digest everything I told her.

“I saw a clip on the news, that was a rather large shock to me. Then the next thing I know Xane is impaling me and burning me.”

She told me and I frowned.

“Why was it so easy for me and not for you?”

I asked, and she gave me a serious look, like a schoolteacher about to launch into a lecture.

“He had the jump on me, and he also has the benefit of knowing my every action, limit, and expressive capacity. You were a wild card, and you were smart enough not to show your expressions until you smacked him right in the face with one. I promise you, now that he knows you are a shade, he will not underestimate you so much next time. And there will be the next time because Xane is an extremely vane being, so having his avatar so fully pummeled by a young shade will be a large blow to his ego.”

She explained, and I sat down next to her, and I stroked my hand through her bright hair, and gently traced my fingers along her soft jawline. My body tightened in a deep ache for her.

“Well, if there is a next time, I’ll be ready for him. Besides, he was not any stronger than me, so I am not that worried.”

I told her, and Nadia seemed ready to fight me further on this matter, but then sighed and looked away, as if too weary for an argument.

“If you don’t mind, I really should rub some ointment on these burns. Immortal or not, they must suck pretty bad.”

I told Nadia, and she looked into my eyes again.

“I’ll heal fine, but I won’t say no to your hands on my body with oil.”

She said, her tone filled with lust so deep that I shivered in delight.

“I guess I can scratch this off my bucket list now. Or not, I mean, rubbing oil, totally something I could do more than once, ya know.”

I said in a slightly husky tone, and I fumbled around for the aloe lotion. She watched me as I squeezed the tube, and the cool lotion dotted her stomach. She was naked on top, and I traced firm circles in her skin, working the lotion along with her abs and then slowly moving up. I felt my hormones surging as I cupped her firm and generously ripe breasts one at a time. All of me longing to leap atop her, fasten a strap-on, and plunge myself inside her with all the vigor and passion of the two-and-a-half-years of s****l tension I have built up.

Alas, she was too tender right now for s*x, but her smokey eyes told me she was thinking of the same thing I was. Nadia made a small should of enjoyment, despite the tenderness of her sore healing torso.

“You’re very good with your hands.”

She commented, and I considered her eyes, searching to her very soul. She seemed to reciprocate, and we stared at each other for a very protracted period. My heart was on fire, and Nadia was the flame and the water.

“A girl does try to be nimble and dexterous.”

I told her, and she hummed in agreement, and she laid back lazily and sleepily, as she seemed to be ready to nod off to sleep again anytime now. Her body was healing rapidly, so she was likely about to pass out again.

“What do you want for dinner, when you wake up?”

I asked her, and she looked into my eyes and murmured, “Just you, Hannah.”

My core tightened in response and I leaned down, and I kissed her lips, and she cupped my head with her hand, ignoring whatever pain it must have caused to raise her hand. Our tongues mingled, and she nibbled on my bottom lip, then after what felt like an eternity in our shared heaven, we broke apart for air.

My fingers traced along her silky-smooth flesh as I worked in the remaining lotion, and I stopped and captured her breast again, occasionally, using the excuse to touch her bare body as much as possible. Nadia moaned softly in agreement with my wandering hands.

“Hannah, will you lay with me?”

She asked, and I felt my throat tighten and my nerves danced, but I nodded, and I fully climbed into the bed beside Nadia. She curved against my body like the little spoon, and I gingerly cupped her to me, mindful of her injuries.

“Fair warning, I hum in my sleep.”

I warned her, and she giggled softly and looked into my eyes with such an angelic look.

“I welcome your habits. There is nothing I don’t find adorable about you, Hannah Graves.”

She told me, and I licked my lips, and I nuzzled my head against hers.

“You say that now, but you’ve never seen my bad hair days in the morning.”

I told her in a more dire tone, and she snorted and murmured, “I look forward to seeing every side of you. I’ve waited forever just to feel something real for someone special. My lifetimes before you were an endless marionette show. Nothing but misery and endless pain.”

Nadia told me, and I leaned in and kissed her neck, and sucked on her tender tissue, enjoying the honey flavor of her skin. She moaned at the pleasure of her sensitive neck and my mouth’s exploration.

“Rest up, heal up, because I am not going to be able to resist your sexy body much longer, sweetheart.”

I told her, a dark and ardent promise hung between us and she rubbed her ass against my center, a slight grinding, indicating her own decides to mount quickly. If she were not so hurt, I would have her in every way possible today, and she seemed to treasure and welcome such a possibility.

“Sleep with me Hannah, and hopefully we can wish the night away so that it can come marrow all the sooner.”

She said, and I sniggered at the cheesy line, but I wrapped my arms tightly around her, and carefully navigated the injuries. She seemed to contour to my every touch and her breathing seemed to deepen as if she were in pleasure overload at the sensation of our intimate cuddle sessions and how it seemed to bring us into a far deeper and more pronounced place together. So many things were still up in the air, but I was sure I cared for Nadia, and she seemed to feel identically for me. For now, that was all I could ever hope for moving forward.