It felt as though it had been a lifetime since I had felt so completely consumed by him. At the beginning of our relationship, lust had been the centerpiece, and our appetites for each other were difficult to satisfy. As our relationship changed, so did our priorities, and passion-filled moments became more of a convenience rather than a necessity.

It was challenging to make time when you teetered on the edge of losing everything, surrounded by political figures and forcefully married to a woman, marvelous as she may be. Coming here at this time brought about a change in both of us. 

A relaxation neither of us had felt in our knowledge of each other. 

 In the short month since we arrived, the time had slowed down. Between his sickness and the quarantine, we had nothing better to do than get to know each other and decompress. Neither of us was at risk of collapse from the exhaustion that came with running a kingdom or guarding lives. There were no drills, no meetings except for the occasional passive briefing, and people, rather than politicians, surrounded us.

 I found that I was finally beginning to come down from the adrenaline rush of living in our perilous times. 

Relaxed, able to feel and want without the weight of several dozen other things on our shoulders. I had grown so used to being exhausted, used to being at the edge of my tolerance, that the thought of having energy to burn never occurred to me. 

"Again?" I muse, arching my back at the intensity as he fills me once more. 

"I haven't been out running around." He reminds me, resting his hands on my thighs. 

I'll have to look into getting him some exercise, lest he loses that incredible physique and I'm pummeled into the ground by his need to expel energy. In my nearly drunken state of euphoria, my mind briefly drifts to wondering if this was what caused his roaming.

 A lack of purpose, a need for an outlet, would he grow bored of me as he did the rest of them? 

I steal a glance at him in the dim light, pulling myself up to hook my hand around his neck and bring him to me; I kiss him as if to reassure myself that it's just drunken musings. Clinging to my warlord, I kiss him so desperately that it makes him pause, and I wrap my legs around his hips as he sits up to hold me. 

"Are you alright?" Verando asks against my lips. 

I want to tell him everything, that I'm torturing myself over wanting children, and I'm so afraid that he's going to stray, but I fear I sound like a broken record. 

This last time, I chose him when I was forced to climb out of the depths of despair after my long months of torture. I pull back to cup his face with my hand, brushing the scar on his lower lip with my thumb. "I just really missed you today. Withdrawals I guess, it's been a month."  

That experienced suspicion eyes me and I press my hands to his chest to push him back onto his back. 

Verando moans a response as I lower myself back onto him, moving slowly, savoring it. I trace my fingers over the scars on his pectoral muscle, shutting my eyes as I focus on feeling the depths to which he reaches. My body feels hot, feeling him throb within me, his hands pulling me to sheath himself entirely with every stroke into my body.

It was so deliciously slow, so intense that I couldn't stand it. "Too deep." I whimper, earning only rough treatment for my trouble. It was what I wanted, to encourage him to push me past my limit, to slam past my sweet spot and take me to places I wasn't willing to take myself. 

He'd ruined me; I could never pleasure myself in the ways that he could. My body shakes and trembles, I'd only just come, and yet something deeper builds within me. Overly sensitive, I pant, desperate, I grip his thighs and roll my hips to match his pace. 

 "You're so beautiful." Verando exhales, "You feel so good."

My body is a wreck with convulsions, the intensity of what I can only call a release nearly is my undoing as I ride out the waves in a pathetic symphony of whimpers for his mercy. My warlord takes little pity on my state, using me, taking me to the edge of my tolerance before he spills himself within me. I collapse beside him in a trembling mess, shivering at even his touch as he wraps his arms around me to kiss the top of my head. 

"I love you." I feel neither of us says it enough. "Even if you try to kill me with cock."

It's something that's assumed, something both of us are too awkward and elusive to confess in everyday conversation.

"With all that I am," Verando concludes the statement, "Your entire body was shaking, I've given myself a complex every time I make you come like that." He chuckles, brushing his nose through my hair. 

"I think I would die if you did that to me every time," I murmur, scooting impossibly closer as he holds me.

"Tonic won't be sniffing around you much now." 

I can hear the smile in his voice as I push myself up to stare down at him. 

"You're awful. Is that what this is?" 

Verando shrugs so innocently. "Partly. You were wiggling against me for quite a bit; maybe keep still if you don't want to incite my wrath. Besides, I've missed you, too." 

I can't help but snicker at his tangled hair, reaching to smooth it while memorizing the soft texture. My locks have gotten long enough that I could wear the top in a ponytail if I so chose. 

"I like this." He tucks a stray strand behind my ear. 

"Does it make me look like a woman?" 

Verando rolls his eyes at me in the over-the-top way that makes me shake my head at him. 

"No. Makes it look like less of a prude." He smacks me on the ass for my commentary as I lay draped over him for warmth. "Plus, I like the color."

"I noticed," I grumble. "You 'fancy' the redheads. Didn't your mother have red hair?"

"She did." His fingers trail casually up and down my side, pausing to run the length of the scar on my thigh from the arrow wound. I listen to the sound of his breathing, tracing my fingers through his light chest hair before I glance up to see his distant expression. 

I stretch to kiss his throat, my complicated man. 

"Don't get too comfortable. I'm not nearly finished with you." 

I flush at his words, wondering how I'm going to survive.

_______________________________________________________

I'm surprised I'm not limping as we walk out to the car, where I expect bright light and sunshine, trees and birds, I'm greeted with the dank stale air. 

"Respirator." Marcello reminds me. 

I feel like a member of the undead as I pull it up and over my mouth, flicking it on from the side. The sweet relief of fresh oxygen perks me up, and I stretch in the Lycra bodysuit. Tonic comes from behind, fumbling with my belt to set it more square on my hips. 

"Nice hair." He comments on the fact I have it tied up in a messy ponytail today. 

It's too hot out here for anything less, the lack of a breeze makes for a surprisingly sticky atmosphere, even with no humidity, my body swims in the close-fitted suit. I notice he's in short sleeves, and I'm envious of him. 

His fingers snag the jagged end of my short updo, tugging lightly. Annoyed, I swat his hand away with a grumbled threat.

"Thanks. I just figured, you know, might as well look fashionable." My voice drips with sarcasm, and I flush at the awkward look Marcello gives me, obviously not understanding my commentary. 

"We're going towards the city today. If that proves more successful, we will change compounds."

 It seems like a lot of work for something we could easily drive to. These metal carriages were so fast, why not stay where it was safe? The sleek black vehicle was back to its sparkling glory. Marcello casually rubbed a spot with his gloved hand and muttered some words to the beast as if it were alive. 

Once again, I was reminding myself that it was mechanical. 

Tyler yawns as he exits the compound, dragging Tonya with him, whose face suggests she's reluctant to partake in another one of these adventures. 

"No killing today, please, Marcello." Her skin is pale as she adjusts her bodysuit, fussing with the zipper with shakey hands. "We need to keep a low profile, boys. The city will have more water; I picked up on the radar today that we are getting some weather changes. Nicolas, I was hoping you might be able to give us some insight. We could use the rain." 

She gestures around us, her hand sweeps, motioning towards the blackness off in the distance. The dusk of heavy clouds looming around the tops of the buildings, like a predator in wait.

"What is that?"

"Pollution." Tonic sighs. "With no rain, nothing washes it away, and with the dust, it keeps it all inside around the buildings. We can't stay there for long, but if we could create some rain, it might make life a bit easier for those who live within its limits. It would be a good case study." 

A case study? 

It seems like a big leap from yesterday when Tyler was considering quitting. My eyes drift towards him, and I notice the bottle of water is in his hand. 

We practice as we race towards the looming darkness, the rocky terrain makes it challenging to separate easily, but he's starting to get it. If nothing else, it brings up his confidence. I showed him how to separate the water and the dirt, parting the contents with a barrier of air.

 The chanting is easy and good practice for my aching body. I noticed that today, Tyler is between Tonic and me. 

Also, the Alpha look alike hasn't touched me since his fingers left my hair. Maybe Verando was right? Perhaps he just needed a dose of reality? 

I stifle a yawn, blocked by the respirator. Tyler reaches up to turn it up as we near the city limits, and the vehicle beeps at us, flashing a bright red light.

Artifice's voice chimes in.

"Oxygen levels are lowering, Marcello. Use caution. Respirators on, please." He pushes the steering wheel up into the dashboard.

"Engage autopilot, Artifice. Drop speed by 30 percent. Keep an eye on the weather and switch to wireless." 

"Of course, Marcello."

The seats rotate so that Marcello and Tonya are facing us. He straps on the respirator and hands Tonya hers. I eye the group suspiciously, trying not to look too obvious that the stress of them not driving is bothering me. 

How would the vehicle know where to go or what to do? 

I try not to dwell on the thought of crashing while in this metal hell as I lean back into my seat and focus on my breathing; Tonic and Tyler change places as Tonya and Marcello brief him on vulnerability and only do what he feels is within his limits. 

Unimpressed by this hodge-podge operation, the situation was entirely underwhelming given the stern tone they were using.

"Did you eat?" Tonic asks. 

It reminds me of the early days, except for my Alpha look-alike, which is now a giant and missing some body parts. I give in to that sweet expression and shrug sheepishly. I was so exhausted that I didn't have time to grab anything. I spent way too long in the shower, soaking my sore muscles and trying not to wake Verando in case he decided I needed more convincing this morning.

 Carefully reaching up, he breaks the seal on my respirator to slide it down my face and hand me the muffin. "Eat. You need your energy."

"This is pretty easy. You know that." I take a bite anyway, groaning appreciatively at the flavor while trying to hold onto my dignity and pace myself. "Oh my god." 

"Yep. It's good. Take it in, savor it." 

"Thanks." I sigh contentedly, leaving it to Tonic to remember my tendencies.

"Gary made it. He's a pretty good cook. I hand them out and take the credit," Tonic leans back as well, tense as if he'd left something unspoken. I suck on one of my fingers delicately and note the look of longing he kept attempting to pry away from me. 

 It wasn't anything I wasn't used to. As a King, it was common for others to desire something or another. I could work around this; if I avoided it long enough, surely it would die down. 

I tuck the wrapper into a pocket on my vest and pull the mask back up as Artifice warns us that the vehicle is slowing. Marcello stomps hard on the floor, producing a table that widens to fill the space, and a map spreads in the air. 

"Wow. This is unbelievable." I run my fingers through the simulation, and Artifice laughs robotically, as if I've tickled it. "Sorry," I say instinctively. 

It makes Tonya giggle as if she appreciates my empathy for the voice that follows us around the compound. 

"No worries, Nicolas."

Marcello gives me a hard look. "If we encounter a group of outsiders, we will turn back immediately. If we encounter pedestrians, we turn back immediately. No magic when they're watching; we can not let the media know that you are here."

"The media?" 

"The press. The newspaper, people who write shit down. God forbid your friend is right; the government can not know you are here. They would harvest you and use your magic for their purposes. That's why we stay hidden. Tonya, I know you don't like it, but if we encounter someone-"

"It's ok. I've made my peace. The planet is more important." She whispers, crossing her slender arms over her chest. She presses a few of the illuminated buttons, changing the image to the terrain around us. "These are the outlands. The city is here. We aren't going to go into the city today but there are some old water pipes out here that are no longer in use, I was thinking maybe we could access them, pull them up, and use the water. If you could clear the sky again-"

"Tonya," Marcello growls, looking at her as if she's insane.

"I know. I know..." Her eyes gaze longly at the murky skyline out the window. "Train Tyler. If we can access the pipes, maybe we can make another water source." 

"Without sunlight, nothing will grow," I warn her. "It might be a waste to pull water onto such dry earth."

Marcello rubs his chin, thinking it over. "I have a storage tank we could put some of it in. Tonic can bend the pipe back and seal it off."

 I give the man a startled look; he could do that? 

The gray-haired lycan winks at me, and I swallow, turning my attention back to the diagram.

 "I don't like the thought of hoarding water, but if it's just going to go to waste, we could keep it for an emergency. Lord knows we've been on hard times before."

Tonya spins the screen, her slender fingers expanding to enhance the image. "Just have to watch this nasty dust storm blowing in. Don't want to be caught outside in that."

"Nearing destination."

I lean around Tonic, watching Tyler. "Are you ready?" 

He nods excitedly as the car rolls to a halt.