Felix
She looked so different–not that I’d expected her to look the same, but I also hadn’t anticipated something so stark. For heaven’s sake, we
were only gone for four years! Granted, Elora had always been a cute kid, but none of us could have foreseen coming home to her.
What once was chubby-cheeked and tenderfoot had blossomed into the most alluring little creature I’d ever seen. Her body seemed lean yet soft, perfect in every way–a masterpiece, some distant God’s magnum opus. Hell, her little, round ass alone was enough to make a man devout, all barely concealed and begging to be spanked.
Said ass was on display, her skirt hiked to expose the pink panties underneath. They were cheeky, meant to show off rather than conceal–not that I was complaining. A better man in my position probably would’ve covered her back up, respecting her modesty as best he could… but I was not a better man, and, honestly, I liked the view.
A brief sigh and change in position from the angel in my arms forced my teeth to grit. Along with everything else, her scent had changed into something intoxicatingly sweet–addictive even–and I found myself yearning for her blood. It was nothing I’d ever act on; I would never hurt her, but I couldn’t lie to myself either.
My gaze drifted up to her beautiful face. Any and all baby fat was gone, leaving soft cheekbones and a sharp jawline in its wake. Whatever was left behind had no doubt come to rest in her plump, pouty lips. They puckered gently as she slept. As I watched them, I suddenly understood why Duke always gave her anything she wanted.
With a sigh, I returned my focus to the TV. I didn’t know why I was so drawn to her. Even the slightest touch made me feel crazed, frothing
internally for more of her. She was so warm–so soft–and the mere idea of letting her go was distressing.
My mind was torn; I wanted her, though I didn’t want to.
Her perfection didn’t end with her beauty alone, either. She was all- around flawless, almost exceedingly so, but I knew that was for us. Our standards influenced her and shaped her. After placing second in her meet, I could see how she looked to us for approval. When I asked her about school, she radiated joy. Even if she hadn’t, the twinkle in her eyes told me all I needed to know.
I only hoped Elora felt proud of what she had accomplished. She should have; I knew I did despite my lackluster way of showing it. Even as I glanced her way, I felt uncomfortable. She was nearly a stranger, and I treated her like one. Now, I’d have to relearn everything about her.
In spite of my behavior, it was annoying watching her walk around as though she had no idea how she affected us. She was clinging to us constantly with no sense of personal space. Earlier, it was Dane and Lucifer. Now, it was Lucifer and me. She was clearly comfortable around us, but was she really so clueless that she couldn’t see how we felt?
Everyone made it clear last night that they think she’s hot (as Lucifer so eloquently put it). Dane could deny it all he wanted, but who was the first of us to always offer her his hand? No, Dane couldn’t fool me. He just felt guilty.
He wasn’t alone. I also felt ashamed of my feelings, and it kept coming out in the worst ways. I’d hurt her countless times already, but if I revealed my true emotions to her, there was no doubt in my mind that she’d run for the hills. I had to keep my guard up to keep her; I had to wear my stoicism and indifference like a shield, no matter how much it pained us both.
She shifted in her sleep, rolling onto her side despite the cramped space. Her face was pressed into Lucifer’s stomach, and I could have sworn her entire torso fit between his legs. Then again, she’d always been small, while his legs had always been long.
Thankfully, her legs remained on my lap and my hands on them.
That wasn’t the only upside to her posture adjustment. It seemed her movement did nothing to help her skirt situation–not that any of us were complaining. It didn’t matter if her ass was facing the couch or not; it was completely exposed to all who dared to glance at it. I didn’t just dare; I
ogled it all while fantasizing about how much better it would look with my handprint on it.
On the other hand, Lucifer seemed too lost in thought to notice her state of undress. He was robotic in the way he pet her hair, his eyes completely glued to her resting body. Not even the TV was worthy for him, though I had to admit it was surprising to see him enjoying Elora’s closeness as much as he was.
The vampire may have been my best friend, but he wasn’t much of a people person, much less a ‘touchy-feely’ one. Hell–when Elora was younger, he practically hid from her. He’d do anything possible to keep his distance. Even the slightest touch from her had made him recoil in discomfort. Now, they seemed like one soul with her sound asleep in his embrace.
I wasn’t even envious, either. It was strange. I wanted her all to myself, yet had no problem with Lucifer (nor anyone else in my clan) watching her just how I was. It was out of character for me to be so sharing, and I couldn’t explain the reason why. Hell–at her track meet, I’d been prepared to kill every slimy teenager that dared to look in her direction.
Why was that anger nowhere to be seen when it came to my friends? They were much more dangerous than some measly human boys. In a way, it felt like she was the sun and we helpless souls trapped in her gravitational pull–all equal in our devotion and undoubtedly hers.
My senses tingled, and even if I hadn’t felt Duke’s gaze burning into the side of my head, I would have still known he was watching the three of us. I turned to catch his eye, our stares locked until I broke eye contact to look back at Elora.
“My mind can’t fathom how fast she’s changed. I barely even recognize her,” he whispered.
“You left between ages fourteen through eighteen–basically nineteen, arguably the most formative years,” Dane replied, his tone sounding more like a medical professional explaining a diagnosis than anything else.
Duke glanced at Dane with severity. “You know that’s not what I meant,” he hissed before glancing toward Lucifer and me. His gaze was scientific, analytical at best. “Just look at you two acting soft. Who saw it coming?”
He wasn’t wrong. Our behavior was unusual.
“She does have that effect on people,” Quin gushed softly, his gaze brimming with adoration as they settled on her.
My eyes scanned the room, and I found myself paying closer attention to my friends. They all had that look about them when it came to her–that same one I undeniably wore as well. It was then I knew for sure that they felt exactly the same way that I did.
“I’m glad I’m not the only one,” I muttered while her button nose twitched and crinkled in her repose.
With that, Lucifer finally looked away from Elora. Usually, his gaze was calculating–conniving–but he seemed at genuine ease for the first time in centuries. He eyed the rest of us for a few seconds before looking back to the sleeping beauty in his arms.
A smirk worked its way across his lips as they opened for the first time in what felt like forever. “So we’ve all been staring at her ass for hours then.”
That was definitely one way to put it. My eyebrows rose at Lucifer’s candid statement, eyes threatening to bulge while an incredulous laugh escaped my throat.
Theo snickered, “Pretty much.”
Duke, on the other hand, looked downright offended. “Absolutely not,” he snapped, and though there was caution in his tone, there was also denial. “Lucifer, watch your tongue.”
“Hypocrite,” Quinn baited with a pat on Duke’s shoulder. He was trying to provoke the struggling vampire, and by the look on his victim’s face, I’d say he was succeeding.
Eugene nodded. “Yeah, you’ve been staring more than anyone else, man. It’s okay–it’s not like we’re going to put you in a corner,” he teased.
“It’s not okay by any means,” Duke dismissed, obviously flustered from being exposed. “I’m done discussing this.
One part of me felt for him. This must have been hard on him, given their past. She was his baby–he’d spoiled, coddled, and raised her almost entirely by himself. Now, she was a woman.
The other part of me smirked as I watched my friend grow increasingly uncomfortable in the proverbial spotlight.
“Is that why you’ve been so mean to her, Felix?” Theo asked, pulling me from my trance. His timbre was accusing, and its hostility caught me off guard. “Because you have a crush?”
In no mood to be analyzed, I shot him a scathing glare. “I haven’t been mean–”
“You made her cry,” Quin said darkly. “You never said hi to her,” Dane added.
“You called her annoying,” Duke continued, giving me a glare of his own.
“I know!” My outburst stopped them from saying anything else. When faced with the reality of my previous actions, I could only feel guilt. I’d been awful to the poor girl since the moment she woke up. Had I really been that harsh, though?
I knew I’d been on edge and said things I didn’t mean, but that was no excuse. Just the thought of tears running down our princess’ delicate cheeks made my chest tighten.
“I made her cry?” I asked, my own voice resigned and full of regret.
“You’ve been gone for a long time, and Elora’s developed Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder,” Quin began, leaning forward to get a better glimpse of Duke, Lucifer, and me. “She shows up twenty minutes early to school, and that’s on time for her. This morning, she was late. Then you went and ate her lunch.”
The guilt worsened, gnawing at my bones. How was I supposed to know? She’d never shown signs of OCPD before. I was truly an oaf, but never again would I make her weep in sadness; that was my vow to myself.
Theo nodded along with Quin, though he did give Duke something of a half smile. “Yeah, that’s a recipe for a meltdown. I doubt you two showing up early helped, either. I’m sure that’s why she hasn’t really spoken to you yet. She probably assumed she had time to figure out what to say.”
“Anything,” Duke croaked. “She could say anything to me at this point. I’d rather her yell or scream at me than treat me like a stranger.” There was desperation in his venting, as though he was pleading in karmic futility.
“She cried for months after you left. You’ve been back for less than a day; give her some time,” Dane advised.
As much as I wanted to admit it, the memories of that day would forever haunt each of our minds. Elora’s screaming was, by definition, heartbreaking. It took everything for us not to turn around, but we had a critical mission–a fact I had to remind Duke of, even as we peeled away from our home. He had never hated me more.
Watching her, I had to admit: she’d done incredibly well for herself. Granted, she had her obvious abandonment issues, as well as an irrational need to constantly please us. Still, she’d also become self-sufficient, a tour- de-force among humans her age.
“She’ll never have to endure that again,” Duke promised. He eyed her for a moment, his gaze melancholic. “She should go to bed. That can’t be comfortable.”
Lucifer’s eyes instantly met his, and they promised death. That wasn’t downplaying it–our friend looked livid at the thought of her leaving his arms.
However, Duke was right (as he usually was). Her neck and back would be sore in the morning if left where she was. It felt strange worrying over her. Given the past, I almost felt bad for it. When she was younger, I couldn’t have cared less about her, not even when she needed it. Now that she was older and didn’t need our tutelage, I wanted to provide it.
I gave Lucifer a look that left no room for argument as I stood and lifted her from his hold. The vampire could be called many things, but he was obedient when it came down to it. He remained silent, and I began to carry Elora to her room.
Her petite body rested lazily in my arms, her long hair dangling as I walked. Tingles erupted where our skin touched, though I blamed it on her warm body rather than anything else.
It wasn’t long before I gently sat her on her bed and covered her body with a thick comforter. Immediately, her arms found a pillow, clinging to it much like she had with Lucifer earlier in the evening. A soft hum left her lips, followed by a faint smile that made my mind race.
Was it possible she felt it too–the warmth, the warm tingles, the lust, the general need to be around us? If she did, she hid it well. No–I couldn’t let myself fantasize about that, not with Elora. My safest bet was to put distance between us–not necessarily ignoring her, but staying away nonetheless. The less I saw her, the easier it would be for me to steer clear of my attraction and unadulterated want for our human.
