Elora
Something in me just shattered, and I didn’t know why. The tears seemed endless as I cried into Lucifer’s shoulder. I just felt so bad,
and it didn’t make sense.
He was carrying me out of the room, his big hands running down my bare back. My legs were wrapped around his naked waist, shaking horribly. My whole body was shaking like a leaf, and my girly parts were beyond tender.
I didn’t know where my other guys went, but they weren’t anywhere in sight as Lucifer carried me into his shower. The faucet was already on–I guessed one of them did it.
Lucifer gently set me down on my wobbly legs, keeping his arms wrapped around my back so I wouldn’t stumble and fall.
The warm water hit my skin, relaxing my shoulders and back. I winced as it touched my bottom, the heat making the burning sting worse.
Lucifer gently ran his hand over my ass, turning me around so my back was facing his front. It helped a little, but my ass still hurt. He took my hair out of the braids, gently rubbing his hands through it as the water soaked it.
My shoulders trembled as I attempted to catch my breath, trying to stop crying. I placed my palms against my eyes. “I–I don’t know why I’m crying,” I tried to explain, but my voice was a broken whisper.
Lucifer’s arm tightened around me, “It’s okay to cry,” he comforted, pumping some shampoo into his hand. He lathered it into my hair, and I closed my eyes as he massaged it. “It’s called sub drop, Kitten. You just went through a scene much more intense than you’re used to. Hormones, like adrenaline and endorphins, cause a high. Then, when the scene stops, it can cause an emotional crash,” he explained.
Oh good, they broke my brain.
He washed my hair and helped me remove the stockings, seeing as I couldn’t bend down. He grabbed a cloth, wetting it before he turned me towards him again. I flinched as the water hit my ass again, but soon forgot about it when I looked up at Lucifer in a haze. He was so handsome…
His lips turned up in a small smile as he watched me. He seemed intrigued as he gently wiped my cheeks, getting rid of any tear stains. The cloth lingered on my cheek briefly as he looked between my eyes. He dropped his arm. “You’re beautiful, Elora,” he said so seriously that it took me by surprise.
My tears slowed as I lifted my brows. “Huh?” I questioned softly.
“You’re beautiful in every way possible. You’re kind and patient; you don’t have a mean bone in your body,” he whispered. “You made me believe that someone can be kind without malicious intent. That happiness is real and not something people made up. You taught me what life is, what it means to live,” his thumb rubbed my lower back where he held me. “You’re so beautiful,” he repeated.
I didn’t know what to say… That was the most lovely thing anyone had ever said to me. I blinked up at him, my lips parted in surprise. I was confident about one thing: it wasn’t easy for him to admit that. Lucifer had always been guarded, and talking about his feelings didn’t come naturally to him.
Wrapping my arms around his torso, I pulled him to me, hugging him tightly. I knew Lucifer had a hard time saying the words I love you. But in his own unique way, he just did.
He wrapped his other arm around me, squeezing me into him.
We stayed like that for a few minutes as I cried, my body still shaking.
He pulled away, grabbing the cloth again. “Let me finish getting you cleaned up,” he said. He lightly touched my thigh. “Spread,” he ordered.
I did as he asked, flinching a few times as he cleaned between my legs, removing any stickiness. Every time he got remotely close to my core, I whimpered. It was going to be several days before anything went near me down there.
Lucifer smirked, straightening to his full height. He gently wiped away any wax that the water didn’t wash away. It came off easily and painlessly. There weren’t any burns left behind, just pinkish spots that didn’t hurt.
I heard someone enter the bathroom and looked up at Lucifer expectantly. He grabbed my chin, tilting my head up. “I think I have to
share you now, Kitten,” he smirked.
I was okay with that… as long as he was okay with that. I wasn’t sure. Everything felt so uncertain, like anything I did could upset them. I was worried they would take me back into that room. Deep down, I knew we were done but I couldn’t shake the feeling.
“Baby,” Duke said. My shoulders relaxed at his kind tone, much different than how it was in the Butcher Shop.
Lucifer gently turned my shoulders, and I saw Duke standing outside the shower, with a big towel in his hands open and ready to bundle me up. He smiled at me, and with the help of Lucifer, I stepped out of the shower.
Duke immediately wrapped me in the warm towel, picking me up bridal-style before walking out of the bathroom. I always loved it when he carried me; his hugs were so special.
Walking us into his room, he sat on his bed with me in his lap. He placed small kisses all over my face. “My sweet girl, I’m so sorry,” he held me tight.
Allowing my heavy, tired eyes to close, I basked in his warmth. I loved him like this. This was my Duke, gentle and caring. I’d never cause him to act cruel again. I had really upset him… I bit my lip, feeling it wobble. I felt my stomach drop.
Does that look like a good girl to you? My chest caved in, and I wept into his chest. I should have at least called to tell him that I was okay. I made him worry so much… He didn’t deserve that. He was always so caring and went out of his way to do nice things for me.
“:, Baby, look at me,” he said softly, his finger under my chin.
My breathing was sharp as I peeked up at him. I kept averting eye contact and sniffling, unable to look at him. I hated feeling this way and wished I could break out of this horrible mind cage I was trapped in. I felt so small, and my ever-present urge to please them was at an all-time high. I just felt terrible.
Duke’s eyes were filled with sincerity as he lovingly gazed down at me. “I’m not upset with you, Baby.”
Although every limb in my body felt like it weighed a million pounds, I lifted my hand up to my face and rubbed away my tears. “I know…” I voiced quietly. He wasn’t mad anymore, but in the Butcher Shop, he definitely was.
“Then why are you crying?” He asked gently with a tilt of his head.
I shrugged, not knowing the answer myself. “I–I just,” I hiccuped, “I feel really bad that–that I made you all worry. I know better,” I rambled, a new set of sobs escaping.
Duke pulled me into his chest, and I wrapped my sore legs around his waist, hugging his neck tightly. He ran his big hand up and down my back in the way I’d always loved. “Calm down and breathe; your heart is racing,” he comforted.
Yawning, I took a shaky breath. The exhaustion was finally catching up to me. “You’re not allowed to be mad at me, okay?” I whispered. “I can’t–I can’t handle that,” I admitted.
“Never again, Baby. I promise,” he agreed while tightening his hold around me.
I could handle the ire and rough treatment from the other guys, but something about having Duke punishing me that way hurt me beyond belief. When he left for four years, the part of me he took left a gaping hole and, truthfully, was still fragile. Obviously, today, we both learned the hard way that we still were suffering from it.
My body relaxed in his arms, and I felt my eyes grow heavy. His hand running up and down my back was like a soothing lullaby, and I couldn’t wait to sleep.
Duke kissed the top of my head. “How about we get you dressed, then Quin and Theo have a surprise for you,” he soothed.
A surprise? A small smile fell on my lips. I loved surprises! “Okay,” I said softly.
Duke stood us up and carried me to his closet. I watched as he picked out a pair of sweatpants and a cozy t-shirt. I winced as he sat me back on his bed, my ass cheeks still sore and burning. There was also a massive amount of discomfort on my girly parts and ass.
Duke mind-linked something as he put his shirt on me–it engulfed my body like a blanket would.
Dane walked in, wearing loose sweatpants, barely held up by his hips. His hair and chest were wet like he’d just gotten out of the shower. He had a little bottle of lotion in his hand that he wiggled. “This will help with the stinging, Angel,” he informed.
The last time he had a bottle of lotion, he put his ding-a-ling in my ass. My bottom really hurt, though, all jokes aside. I nodded, desperately needing any sort of relief.
Dane gestured at the bed as he approached. “Lie on your stomach,” he instructed gently.
Say less. Lying down, I rested my tired body on Duke’s bed, closing my eyes. This was nice.
Dane chuckled, sitting next to my waist. “Are you tired?” He asked. His hand gently rubbed something cold and soothing on my cheeks, instantly relieving any stinging.
“Uh-huh.”
Duke was gently running his fingers through my hair. Between both their loving touches, I was fighting sleep.
Dane put the sweatpants on me, pulling me into his lap. He kissed my cheek. “I’m so proud of you, Angel. You made us so happy,” he cooed.
My stomach fluttered, and I couldn’t help but smile. That was all I wanted, for them to know how sorry I was. “Can we go see my surprise now?” I remembered.
Dane pushed his eyebrows together, giving Duke a confused look. Duke pressed his lips together. “Theo,” he answered.
Dane smiled down at me. “Don’t get too excited, Angel, I wouldn’t call it a surprise,” he informed.
That sounded good; I was sure I’d love whatever Theo and Quin had for me. It was too late, I was already excited. I shyly smiled at him. “Carry me?” I prompted him to take me to them.
The only thing that kept me awake was the need to see what they had for me. My tears were long gone, but my legs wouldn’t stop shaking. There was also a strange feeling in my gut that I couldn’t shake. I just felt off. I didn’t feel like myself right now, but I didn’t think it was a bad thing.
Dane placed his arm under my knees and lifted me up, carrying me bridal style. A lovely smell graced my nose as we walked to Theo’s room. It was sugary, sweet, and oh-so-yummy.
Immediately recognizing the delightful smell, I raised my eyebrows. “Strawberry birthday crêpes?” I whispered in surprise.
We entered Theo’s room, where Theo was straightening blankets hung loosely over his bed and dresser, making a dome over his floor. My stomach fluttered. “Theo, you made a fort?” I gushed.
Eugene crawled out from under the fort, looking slightly annoyed. “No, we made the fort while Theo supervised,” he gave Theo a cold look. Quin stood up, becoming visible from the other side of the fort.
Awe… My heart felt so full. Even Quin, who hated touchy-feely acts like this, helped. That meant so much to me.
Theo smiled, walking over to Dane and me with open arms. I smiled, letting him take me. “They’re just mad that I tricked them into doing all the work,” he placed a big kiss on my cheek. “Do you like it, Princess?” He asked.
I nodded; it’d been so long since I’d been in a fort. Theo and I used to build them when I was younger, but that was years ago. “Uh-huh, it looks really good,” I complimented.
Eugene smiled. “I’ll take credit for that, love,” he commented.
My stomach growled loudly, and Quin and I immediately made eye contact. “I know you have them,” I smirked at him. I loved my special crêpes. Man, I must have really outdone myself in the Butcher Shop if Quin made me my once-a-year sugary, sweet treat.
“I may have made something,” he played along while smiling.
I felt much better; I was incredibly excited to go into the fort and have my favorite food! This was turning out to be the best day ever–besides the booty pain and shaking legs.
Quin tilted his head and gestured to the fort. “They’re inside–” Before he finished his sentence, he turned to look out the window. He narrowed his eyes at the casement before starting towards the door.
When he was about to exit, he stopped beside Theo and me. He placed his hands on my cheeks and squished my mouth together into a pout. I giggled as he gave me a huge sloppy kiss. He pulled away and pointed to the fort. “The crêpes are in the fort, Doll. I added a preposterous amount of cream, just how you like them,” he grinned. “You know I love you?” He asked.
Duh. “I know,” I dismissed, too focused on my delicious treat waiting for me.
With that, Quin and Duke walked out of the room with haste.
Theo used his sleeve and wiped my mouth as if wiping away Quin’s kiss. “Hey–” I began to complain but was silenced as he placed his own kiss on my lips.
“Ah, that’s much better,” he smirked, carrying me into the fort. I scoffed. “You’re so petty,” I giggled.
“Aw, thanks, Princess. You’re pretty too.” He snickered.
Eugene was sitting down in the fort, putting Tangled on the TV they’d squeezed in here. My favorite!
Theo sat down, placing me between him and Eugene. Of course, not before he put two fluffy pillows under my butt. In front of me was a glorious plate of strawberry crêpes with a whole lot of cream drizzled over the top.
I had the best guys–”Where’s Felix?” I asked suddenly.
Eugene wrapped his arm around me. “He’ll be up in a second, love. He had to send a quick email.”
I smiled. Felix was going to watch Tangled in a fort with us? That was shocking on many levels. Childish forts like this definitely didn’t seem like something he would be interested in. Not to mention he would be watching a princess movie. He really did love me if he was going to put himself through this.
Felix
“It’s normal for her to behave this way,” I tried to comfort Duke. Elora was sobbing upstairs. She was in the shower with Lucifer, and I knew he wouldn’t let her spiral. He didn’t fuck around in the bedroom, but he also knew how to care for her afterward.
The rest of us had our own plans. I stood at the stove, waiting for water to boil so she could have hot chocolate with the crêpes Quin made for her. Theo was making Eugene help him with some kind of blanket cave. Dane has soothing lotion to soothe her ass–her cute little ass that was perfectly marked with my handprints.
I was incredibly proud of her. I thought she would use her safe word after Eugene and me. She surprised us all, powering through until the end.
We put her through a lot, and I couldn’t be more pleased with how she handled it. Halfway through, when it was Duke’s turn with her, Lucifer warned us there would be a massive drop. It would probably be a few hours until we got our happy girl back.
With guilt written all over his features, Duke ran his hands through his hair. “I shouldn’t have been so rough with her; she’ll never forgive me,” he stressed.
We were fully expecting him to go easy on her, it wasn’t like him to be as rough as he was. He didn’t hold back at all, which left us dumbstruck– but he was clearly having a difficult time with it. Elora wasn’t the only one who needed aftercare.
I smiled at my friend. “She’s okay, Duke. You definitely put the fear of God into her; maybe now she’ll stop pushing your buttons,” I teased. Elora knew she could get away with anything when it came to Duke. When she was young, if one of us told her no, she’d sneak away and ask Duke; of course, he said yes. Nothing has changed in that aspect–he was still a pushover for her. She was clever but not clever enough to know that we have always been very aware of her little antics.
He pushed his eyebrows together like the thought repulsed him. “I’m not that big of a pushover–”
“Yes, you are,” Eugene cut in from upstairs.
Duke shrugged, “Seeing her happy makes me happy. I live for her.
There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for her,” he dismissed.
I smirked. She had him wound so tightly on her little finger. Duke sighed. “I caused this, she’s crying because of me–”
“Duke,” I said calmly, stopping his upcoming rant in its tracks. “Go get her dressed,” I suggested. All he needed was to hug her and see that she was perfectly fine.
He immediately started up the steps, eager to hold his baby.
I couldn’t wait to hold and tell her how proud I was. She always got the cutest gleam in her eyes when we praised her. My compliments would have to wait, though. For now, I was attempting to make hot chocolate for the first time in my ‘million years,’ as Elora likes to say. I couldn’t quite pinpoint my exact age, but I remember the birth of Pharaoh Ramesses Ⅰ . Back then, our kind was scarce. As one of the first vampires to come into existence, I was incredibly lonely until I met Lucifer in 55 BC.
Finding the marshmallows took quite some time, seeing as Lucifer had a strange need to hoard sugary food everywhere. I didn’t understand it at all; he didn’t need anything except blood to survive. However, if he ran out of pastries and other non-perishable sweet crap, I think he would actually die. Over the years, I’d found hidden sweets in the strangest places.
Everyone knows about him hiding human food, but no one dared mention it. It wasn’t worth it, and I was sure the reason behind it was simply greed. He didn’t want others to eat his sweets. The only thing that man liked to share was Elora.
Listening to everyone in Theo’s room, her sweet giggle made me smile. Lucifer entered the kitchen, dressed in sweatpants and a black hoodie.
He saw the marshmallows on the counter and instantly popped one into his mouth.
“Are you planning on watching the children’s movie Eugene insisted we watch with her?” I asked after scanning his loungy attire.
“No.”
I didn’t think so. If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t either. Curious about what he could read from her, I decided to pry. “How is she?”
Lucifer leaned against the counter. “Tired. Heavy. Quiet. And very cautious,” he answered.
Just in time, the hot water finished boiling, and I grabbed the mug, ready to hold my baby and have her sleep in my arms.
Over the cocoa scent, something familiar distracted me from going to her. Lucifer made eye contact momentarily before we both ran outside,
stopping on the front porch. We could hear their footsteps coming down the driveway as they approached.
The clans were instructed to arrive on Friday. That way, we could keep an eye on Elora without worrying about her being in school where someone could attack her. No one should’ve been here this soon.
Coming from upstairs, where they must have sensed them as well, Quin and Duke joined us. I wasn’t in the mood for this.
“It’s completely unacceptable for them to show up unannounced like this for the second time,” Quin commented.
The familiar scent of Zion and Gavin hit me, and I glared at them as they approached.
“What is the meaning of this?” I asked.
Zion narrowed his eyes at me. “You’re hosting the gathering here?
Why?” He asked.
My mind buzzed with rage. I stepped forward. “Are you questioning me? You dare come to our home unannounced and uninvited and question my decisions?” I seethed.
Zion shrunk slightly, putting his hands up in surrender. “Of course not,” he responded innocently. “I’m just confused. It seems a bit risky, don’t you think? Hundreds of thirsty vampires and your precious human,” he explained.
“Is that a threat?” Duke asked, his eyes quickly turning bright red. Gavin placed his hand on Zion’s shoulder as if telling him to back off.
“We mean no harm. We tried to stop by earlier, but it seems you were all… preoccupied,” he smirked.
“He’s dead,” Theo mind-linked. I could hear Elora’s soft breathing and knew she had fallen asleep. These fuckers showed up, threatened us, stole our time with Elora, and had the audacity to even mention what they may have heard.
“Gavin, if you’d like to live, I suggest you don’t finish that sentence,” Quin warned. “What do you want?” He repeated.
Zion cocked an eyebrow. “What, we can’t show up a few days early?” He asked.
“No. The invitations were clear. You’re not welcome in this house. If you show up here again before or after the gathering, you’ll pay with your life,” I warned.
Suddenly, Theo landed directly in front of Gavin, jumping down from his balcony. “Motherfuckers, I know your dumb asses didn’t just threaten us,” he chuckled.
I hadn’t seen that look in Theo’s eyes in a long time. This should be good.
“Theodore, there’s no need to make such a fuss over–” Gavin was quickly silenced as Theo grabbed his tongue.
Theo glared at Gavin. “Have you forgotten who you’re speaking to?” He asked before ripping Gavin’s tongue out of his mouth without hesitation.
Zion backed away quickly, a growing fear behind his eyes. Gavin fell to his knees, blood pouring from his mouth as he wailed out. Vampires could heal from a lot, but we couldn’t grow anything back.
Theo grabbed Gavin’s hair, forcing his head up. “Don’t forget your place. You wanna come here and act intimidating? You like to talk. I’d bet anything you’re the ones who’ve been leaking information to rouges.”
Gavin shook his head, staring at Theo in horror. I smirked. “Theodore, please–” Zion started to beg.
“One more word, and I’ll take your eyes,” Theo promised.
Having seen enough, Duke went back inside. He’d never been one for violence.
Theo kneeled down next to Gavin. “Now, here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to tell the other clans what happens when any sort of treason is attempted. Do you understand?” Theo glared.
Gavin nodded.
Theo smirked. “What was that? I didn’t hear you?” He teased.
Approving his antics, I slowly nodded. Theo was easygoing and friendly, but when he snapped, he became one sick motherfucker.
A few hundred years ago, he played a game of tag with a vampire who’d crossed him. For a hundred years, Theo would hunt him down, torture him for a few hours, then come back home like nothing had ever happened. The vampire lived in constant fear, never knowing when Theo would strike again. Sometimes years passed by between the tags. Eventually, Theo got bored and stopped.
Gavin tried to agree, but without his tongue, it came out as groans.
Theo chuckled. “Good. Now, off you go. If I see either of you again before Friday, I’ll tie you up in the basement and see how long it takes to
kill a vampire when I tear you apart limb by limb, organ by organ,” he warned.
Zion and Gavin sped away the second Gavin was released.
Theo rolled his eyes at us. “Were you really going to let them get away with that?” He asked.
“No. I was going to kill them, but I like your method more,” I smirked. It would send a message to the other clans. Although we weren’t as cruel as we used to be, and we were extraordinarily soft for a tiny human girl, we were still royalty.
Quin crossed his arms, eyeing the bloody tongue in Theo’s hand. “What are you going to do with that?”
Theo grinned, holding the tongue out to Quin and wiggling it. “Wanna make out?”
