Chapter Three

Yeah, so the next day wasn't any better.

Stanton was gone when I woke up, leaving behind only a small note that he'd gone off to do a little scouting and make sure that Hades wasn't in the area.

Good riddance, I thought bitterly as I changed into a pair of jeans and a black long sleeved shirt. I strapped a gun to my belt and hid a couple of daggers in my boots before I left the hotel and went downstairs, passing the woman at the front desk, who passed me a flirty smile that made me uncomfortable. I was used to people usually oogling Stanton. Whenever he was around me, as much as I loved him, he was obviously the more attractive of us two and people completely forgot I existed when they saw him. Not that I could blame them since I did basically the same thing.

Styx was a little more tamed in the morning, I noticed as I walked out into the street. Several shops were opening up and early bird customers creeping in. The artifical sun in the high was hot and made the dew that had settled on the cobblestones glitter. I headed down the street with the intention to find that weirdo Goth shop and interrogate that vampiress. Yeah, it was rude of me, but I needed to find Akin.

It was hardwired into my genetic make up that I depend on my family and swear loyalty to them. Lucifer had created me with a necessity for family. He probably didn't expect it to go this far, but genetics were ever specific and necessity for family meant I had to have Akin back at home where he belonged. Besides, how could he possibly be happy in this place? Sure, it smelled great and there was a variety of things to do. In fact, I felt as if I could stay here forever and still not get around to doing everything.

But it was the underworld. The place was crawling with unfriendly creatures.

And worst of all, because of that damned family dependency thing Lucifer gave me, I was already homesick. I missed my bed. Even though the hotel bed was soft and cushy compared to my bed at home, it still didn't smell or feel the same. It didn't creak in the right places. And I missed my room. I missed the palace and the smell of bacon and eggs in the morning. I missed running into Raven on the way out, and Jaques popping his head in every so often to check on everything. As annoying as my family could be, there was an ache in my chest that urged me to get back home and quickly.

I just hoped Bella didn't put up a fuss this time.

I rounded a corner to go to her shop, which was within my sights, when I smacked into someone and cursed, taking a step back to glare at whoever had gotten in my way. He was a large fellow, surly looking, with dark hair swept back from his face and dark dangerous eyes. He wore a navy overall uniform, and judging from the reeking stench of him, he worked at the docks or something. It was a horrid mixture of fish and oil.

"Get the fuck outta my way." He snarled. I twitched.

"You're the one who bumped into me." I returned angrily. Why was everyone treating me like this when they didn't even know me? Stanton did it because he was a grade-A douche, so that I accepted. But Theo? Bella? This guy? What made them so special?

"Buzz off, artificial." He sneered with malice and shoved past me, stalking off. I stiffened, watching him leave, too stunned to go after him. He knew I was artificial? How? It was rare that anyone had picked up on it, let alone point it out in the open like that. I suddenly felt oddly embarrassed as I rubbed at my cheek. What gave it away? Was it a scent? Did I smell fake? Maybe he was a werewolf, that was how he'd picked up on it so quickly-- what with their sensitive sense of smell.

I took my time crossing the street to get to Bella's shop, still feeling foolishly hurt by that guy's comment. Why did it matter what he thought? I didn't know that asshole. And he looked like a typical blue-collar worker anyway. He was so far beneath me, I wouldn't even shit on him.

And thinking that didn't make me feel any better.

I walked into Bella's shop, approaching the register just as she was seeing off another customer. The moment she saw me, her smile faded and she became instantly suspicious.

"Hello." She said monotonously.

"I want to know where Akin lives." I stated. Bella gave me a hard, calculating stare.

"I was going easy on you yesterday, buddy. Don't make me get harsh today."

"Then let me stick around until he shows up."

"That's loitering and against the law."

"This whole fuckin' city is loitering. How is that even a law?" I demanded impatiently. Bella wasn't amused by my comment and she looked like she was half tempted to call the authorities on me, something I couldn't deal with right now, what with my mission and the fact that I was supposed to be inconspicuous. However, before she could say anything, a man stepped out from the back room. He was handsome in an exotic way, his black hair swept back from a pale face with almond eyes. He wore a long black leather jacket over enough Gothic gear to put this store out of business. And his intense glare locked on me.,

"Stop harassing my wife," He ordered, making Bella step aside so he could get in my face and I glared back at him, "If you don't back off, I'll give you a beating you won't soon forget." A chill raced up my spine. There was something extremely authoritative about his voice. It was commanding. I actually found a part of me that was ready to back down just as he'd commanded, but my familial instincts held fast and I growled low in my throat. He flashed his fangs that glinted like razor blades in the red lights overhead. Bella looked nervously between us.

"Bella, go give the kids a bath. I'll take over for today." He told her without looking at her. Without a word of protest, Bella nodded and left the shop. The vampire narrowed his eyes on me.

"Who the fuck are you and what do you want with Akin?" He demanded. I glared at him.

"Akin's my brother. I'm here to talk to him." I informed sternly. He actually hesitated at that. He stepped back, scanned me from head to toe, wrinkled his nose, then became placid.

"You're Alaric."

"How do you know me?"

"I know Raven," He informed, making my eyes widen slightly in alarm and his expression became offended and angry, "I am not one of the monsters who kidnapped him. I was the one who launched an attack on his camp and saved him. So don't go shooting your mouth off to me, brat. I heard all about you from Raven. While he sang your praises like there was no tomorrow, I figured you'd be a self-centered little brat if we ever met." I stiffened, feeling my muscles pull taut. I was seconds away from smashing my fist into this asshole's face. What gave him the right to speak to me like that? Why would Raven ever talk to this dickwad? Obviously Raven had lost his friend-making abilities if he was calling this vampire a friend.

"My name is Kristoff," He said after a moment of silence, making me narrow my eyes on him and curling my lip in disgust, "And I don't see why I should even consider taking you to Akin. He's perfectly happy. He doesn't need your interference."

"I'm his brother," I hissed venomously, "I have the right to meet him." Kristoff studied me intensely, and it made me awfully uncomfortable. It was like he was examining me, and I'd had enough of people treating me like a science experiment. Kristoff's nostrils flared for a moment as his eyes flashed.

"You're an artificial," He stated, "No wonder you've got a one track mind. Raven never mentioned that." I held my breath, staring at him in alarm. What? Was I walking around with a sign on my back? How could he possibly know this just by looking at me? Same with that other guy?

And of course, Raven didn't know. He, as well as my other siblings, thought I had a mother just like everyone else. Lucifer had told them my mother died in childbirth, that she was a succubus named Maria from Spain. So, if people who lived with me all this time couldn't tell I was artificial, how could these complete strangers tell simply by looking at me?

"How do you know that?" I asked suspiciously. Kristoff gave me a droll stare.

"Your blood. I feed on blood and it's in my nature to know when blood is drinkable and when it isn't, and yours is toxic." He informed. A sliver of hurt rushed through me. Of course it wouldn't be drinkable. It wasn't regular blood. It was... something else. It looked like blood, tasted like blood, felt like blood, bled like blood, but wasn't blood.

"I want to talk to Akin." I repeated firmly. Kristoff tsked and leaned on the counter near the register, raking me with a less than approving glare.

"And I want to meet George Harrison, but we all don't get what we want, now do we?" He asked dryly. I twitched again, a tic throbbing in my jaw as I debated ripping his throat out, but that would be impractical. I needed this bloodsucking tick to find Akin. But how could I do that when he was as stubborn as a mule? If I stuck around, they'd call the authorities and I'd be caught. I couldn't risk it, but I couldn't leave without Akin. I bit at my bottom lip, trying to come up with a way that didn't involve a sexual favor, not that he'd take it. He didn't look to be the type to cheat on his wife. But he looked the type to like a good begging, and that was something I wasn't prepared to do.

"Akin is my brother," I tried again, watching Kristoff sigh wearily, making me glare at him, "I want to talk to him. To meet him. What would Akin say if you met me and didn't tell him?" That gave Kristoff pause. I waited eagerly for him to say something before he narrowed his eyes on me.

"What hotel are you staying at?"

"Why? So you can kill me in my sleep?"

"So I can stop by and pick you up later, doofus," Kristoff deadpanned, making me twitch, "Akin's out of town right now, and he'll be getting back tonight at eight. I'll pick you up around that time and we can go to his penthouse, but just so you know, he'll most likely wipe your memory of the location if you leave. He won't allow anyone to know where he lives if he doesn't trust them." That irritated me. What made him think Akin couldn't trust me? I was his brother, wasn't I? Why would I hurt him?

I didn't stick around after I gave Kristoff the address of the hotel and my room number. To be honest, I wasn't sure what to do afterwards. I had a date with Akin tonight, but until then, what could I possibly do? I had over ten hours to kill, and worse, the streets were bustling again once I left the Goth shop, so people were bumping into me left and right. And while yesterday I was afraid of getting lost, today I was suddenly afraid of how many of these people knew about me.

How many of these people knew I wasn't a person?

How many of them knew I was basically a test-tube experiment?

My stomach churned at the thought as I finally decided on just heading back to the hotel to wallow. I really didn't want to be in public anymore than I had to. I navigated the streets, trying to find my way back to my hotel when I realized I wasn't even in the right part of the city anymore and frustration welled up inside me as I passed a cruddy looking bar. It looked rundown and unappealing, and I was a little worried about that don't eat underworld food rule that had imprisoned Persephone down here. Did that apply to alcohol? I wasn't sure I wanted to find out.

"Hey, baby, what're you doing here all alone?" I stiffened at the voice behind me and snapped around to see a demon standing there. He looked a lot like a pro-wrestler with bulging muscles and a thick neck, his black hair cropped and green eyes glinting dangerously. He wore all black, like a shadow lurking through the alleys. I narrowed my eyes on him.

"Fuck off." I sneered at him. He twitched, but he kept that fake smile on his face. He was revolting, and he reeked of sulfur. I started to go, but he caught me by the arm and went to draw me into his arms, but I whipped out the other way and twisted his arm sharply, cracking the bone and causing him to howl in agony as he sank to his knees. I spat at him and kicked him hard in the head, making him curl up. So much for being a badass John Cena clone.

"Don't touch me, worm." I snarled at him and he responded with a whimper. I started to step back and leave when something hard cracked against my skull and I managed a strange cry from deep in my throat as I sank to my knees, reaching up to the back of my head where I felt warm sticky blood on my fingers. I pulled my hand away and confirmed my suspicions. I swallowed tightly and struggled to keep consciousness as I heard a chuckle from behind me.

"Jeez, Bret. Don't be such a pussy. Get up and grab him." Another demon said, coming out from behind me and giving Bret a kick in the ribs. Bret snarled like a feral beast and came to his legs, trembling. He reached for me, but I snatched the dagger from my boots and slashed it across his face, puncturing his eyeball. He wailed and stumbled back. The other demon snarled and went for me, but I rolled out of his way and spun around, planting the dagger deep into his back before ripping it down. Blood and innards splattered out onto the sidewalk as the demon fell face first in a pool of his own blood. I wiped my blade on Bret's shirt as he lay whining on the ground before I shoved the dagger back into my boot and quickly made my way down the sidewalk, my heart pounding and my head screaming in agony.

My heart pounding because that was terrifying, and way too close, and my head aching because that second demon asshole bashed me over the head with his fist. God, it felt like I'd been bashed over the head with a brick.I reached up to touch the back of my head, sighing in relief when I realized the wound had already healed. It must have been smaller than I thought if it healed that fast.

But the pain didn't go away. If anything, it intensified. I stumbled to a stop near a corner, leaning against it and clutching at the back of my head, screwing my eyes shut as I tried to collect myself.

"Hey, are you all right?" I blinked and turned to see a tiny fae approaching me. Dark brown hair that fell in beautiful waves around an angelic face, but his eyes were very pale, cloudy green that indicated he was blind. How did he know I was here?

"Me?" I asked, confused. The fae gave me a droll, unamused stare. Or at least, he tried to anyway.

"You're the one breathing in agony and sending off angry vibes, right?" He asked dryly. I had almost forgotten faes could pick up on emotions, but how could this one do that without his sight? Could he sense it?

"Hellooo? I know you're still there." The fae said impatiently. I gave him a weird stare, even though he couldn't see it.

"Uhm, sorry," I said in confusion, then grimaced at the pain throbbing in my skull, "I'm... fine. I think."

"You think," The fae echoed, drawing a brow up skeptically, "You sound like you're gritting your teeth. What are you doing on this side of town anyway? This place is the ghetto of Styx. It's not safe for someone who doesn't know where they're going." Now I was even more confused. How did he know where he was going? Something about this fae was weird. Aside from the navy blue hooded vest he wore with a picture of a bloody teddy bear across the front with a caption that said I'm Your Worst Nightmare. Yeah, that was pleasant. Either he had weird taste, or someone bought him that without telling him what it said.

"I don't know where my hotel is." I said at last. The fae hummed at that.

"Well, it's definitely not around here. You sound like an okay person. Okay people don't chill out over here."

"Then what does that make you?" I asked flatly. The fae grinned, much to my surprise.

"I'm so not okay," He assured me, making me grimace, "In fact, I could be your worst nightmare." Yeah, he just had a weird taste in clothing.

"Blaine! What are you doing?" My eyes widened at the fae's name. No way... Was this really Ambrosius's biological father that he went on and on about? You have got to be kidding me. I could barely peel my eyes away from him as a tall very handsome black man approached us. His skin was a rich shade of chocolate, his hair done in long braids down his back and away from his face, a gorgeous face with a pair of piercing blue eyes set under dark brows. He wore enough leather to put Stanton to shame. And the look he gave me warned me to take a good step back from Blaine or else I'd be more of a mess than I already was, and the exhaustion from the earlier fight made me think better of challenging that stare, so I stepped back.

"Ayo," Blaine greeted, "What's wrong with mister brooding over here? I smell blood." The newcomer, Ayo, frowned at me suspiciously. I paused, then turned my head to show him the blood that soaked my hair and he grimaced.

"Ouch," He said, "You look like you were bashed in the head with a brick."

"Right!" I exclaimed, exasperated. Blaine hummed.

"That's what you get for coming to the ghetto."

"Why are you in the ghetto, Ambrosius's father?" I drawled. Blaine stiffened and Ayo's mouth fell open in shock.

"Who are you?" Blaine demanded instantly. Ayo reached for a weapon in his belt holster, but I caught him by the wrist and disarmed him as quickly as possible. Ayo cursed and whacked me hard in the jaw and I spat blood out onto the sidewalk.

"Hey," Blaine snapped angrily, "Both of you cut it out! Answer my damn question or I'm gonna be the one to kick your ass." Ayo stepped back obediently, making me cast him a glare that he returned before I turned to Blaine with a scowl.

"What the hell could you do?"

"I have an overgrown puppy that needs a new chew toy. Don't tempt me."

"Wait, what?"

"Who are you?" Blaine repeated testily. I glared at him, then at Ayo, who was watching me the way a cat watched its prey. He was dangerous, I knew instantly. If he wanted to be. I may have gotten the jump on him just now, but if we were in a face-to-face fight, he'd break me in half. I don't know how I knew that. I just did. It was a little disturbing. I looked back at Blaine wearily.

"My name's Alaric. I'm Thorn's brother and Ambrosius's friend." I answered through clenched teeth. Blaine looked baffled and Ayo puzzled. After a moment, Blaine scowled.

"Then why the hell didn't you say that before you pissed my son off?"

"Your son? How many freakin' kids do you have?" I asked in disbelief. The guy was so tiny, I'm surprised he could manage one kid without spontaneously combusting. How in the hell did a guy have a baby anyway? Was it a C-section, or what? I don't even know why I was thinking about that. It made my skin crawl.

"Two," Blaine said, but there was a crack in his voice that made me realize my question apparently hurt him, "Didn't Ambrosius tell you?"

"We're estranged friends. I yell at him, but don't kill him."

"That's not friendship."

"It is in my books."

"I swear," Ayo said suddenly in irritation, "All artificials are the same." Blaine appeared confused and my eyes widened as I stared at Ayo, who stared back at me. How did he know I was an artificial?

"How...?" My voice trailed as Ayo snorted, folding his arms over his chest.

"My other dad is an artificial." He informed. I stared at him, baffled.

"Your other dad? Holy shit, is everyone around me gay? Who's your other dad?" I asked. Ayo cast me a withering glare, a tic throbbing in his jaw that said he was ten seconds away from punching me square in the nose.

"Cerberus." Blaine said, looking prouder than shit. I paled a little at that and now Ayo was amused. I made a mental note to thank Ambrosius for being a bucket full of information by not informing me that Blaine was married to the almighty beast called Cerberus. Would they run and tell him that I'd made my way into Hades? Was I already busted? Screwed blue and tattooed? Where did that come from?

"Oh, cool," I said slowly, "That's great. Anyway. I should be going."

"Take another step, butthead, and I'll break your legs." Blaine deadpanned. I scowled at him.

"Again, what could you do to me?" I asked. Blaine stepped forward, making me gasp as he grabbed me by the front of my shirt and jerked me so I was stooping down to get near his face, and somehow, he managed to meet my eyes.

"My son and husband aren't the only ones that can open a can of whoop ass. You're not going anywhere until you tell me why you're in Hades. You're a son of Lucifer, and if my memory serves correctly, you're Lucifer's baby kid. The one he watches like a hawk." He said in a low, threatening voice. I swallowed hard. Wow, that was oddly scary. How could such a tiny man be so creepy? I wanted to tell him to fuck off, but Ayo was giving me a glare that dared me to question him. I clenched my teeth, prying away from Blaine with a noise of disgust that only made Ayo's glare worsen.

"I'm here looking for Akin." I told him sternly. Blaine blinked, then frowned suspiciously.

"Akin? What do you want with Akin?" He demanded. First of all, what the hell? Did everyone know Akin? And secondly, judging from his question, he didn't know Akin was a son of Lucifer. Otherwise, it'd be pretty obvious why I was looking for Akin, right? I shook my head, annoyed as I rubbed the back of my head to try and ease some of the pain away, caused by both Brick Fist earlier and Ayo's right hook.

"You wouldn't understand." I answered him stiffly. Blaine rolled his eyes and waved a hand idly in his face before putting his hands on his hips.

"Oh, please. Don't give me that. I'd understand things if you explained them to me. You know, Ayo said the same thing to me when I asked him about this girl he met last weekend--"

"Dad!"

"What? I wasn't gonna go into details, but really. You guys have to stop dishing out that you just don't understand line. This isn't a tweeny soap opera like that one vampire show with the dude and the chick and the things that don't make sense. Didn't you used to watch that show, Ayo? What was it called? Vampire Night? No... Vampire... something. Vampire Whizz. Shit, fuck if I know."

"Dad, can we get back to harassing him please?" Ayo stressed, looking horribly embarrassed. It was strange to see this man go from hardcore kickass to whimpering child in seconds, which only spoke levels of Blaine's ability to reduce a full grown man to a whining pansy and there was no way I joining him on that boat of crazy.

"Look," I stressed in frustration, "I just want to find my hotel room, take a hot shower, and wait for... er, a friend of mine to show up." Blaine scowled.

"You brought more hellions into Hades? Was there a party I wasn't invited to?" He demanded. I scowled.

"No, he's just... He's a bodyguard, that's all." I said tightly. Blaine sighed.

"Fine. What's the name of your hotel?" He asked. I cast a sideways glance at Ayo, who still watched me warily. But I didn't blame him. He seemed extremely overprotective of Blaine, and considering the fae was blind and they were hanging out in the ghetto for some unknown reason, I wouldn't be surprised. I gave Blaine the name of the hotel and he nodded, gesturing for us to follow him as he walked down the street. It was so strange to see him walking down the street as if he had no problem, as if he could see everything just fine. Although, Ayo stuck very close to him, so I guessed maybe it was more Blaine following Ayo than anything else. I didn't say anything as I followed behind them, ignoring the pulsing pain in my skull.

"So, you want to find Akin, huh," Blaine said after a while, making me frown at him, "Well, you better watch out for Hannibal." I scowled.

"Who's that?"

"Akin's," Blaine paused, then scowled, "I don't feel comfortable saying pet, so we'll just call him Akin's boyfriend. Or boy toy. Anyway, Hannibal will break your face in half if you so much as look at Akin the wrong way." I frowned at that. To see someone like Blaine complimenting this guy, it made me wonder just who exactly he was, or rather, what he was. And why Akin would want to be around someone like that. I didn't say anything else as they finally brought me back to my hotel. I only had four more hours until Kristoff came to pick me up.

"Thanks." I muttered, folding my arms over my chest. Blaine looked in my direction drolly.

"You're welcome. And next time, stay out of that side of town. How's your head?" He asked, taking a step toward me, but I stepped out of his reach and hissed on instinct. Ayo went for his sword, but Blaine touched his arm and shook his head before looking at me.

"If you're still acting like a brat, you're probably still in pain. Go inside and put some ice on it," Blaine told me, unoffended by my reaction, "I'll talk to you later, but for your sake, I hope not. Come on, Ayo. I have people to torment." Ayo sighed, shot me another deadly glare, then strode off with Blaine right beside him. What an odd pair, I thought, puzzled, then shook my head and went into the hotel, heading up to my room while clutching the back of my head. A vicious headache tore at my skull and it only got worse after I entered the hotel room and Stanton was in there waiting.

"Where the hell have you been," Stanton demanded the instant I came inside, making me grimace, "You scared the shit out of me!" I scowled, dropping my hand as I shut the door behind me and crossed the room toward him.

"Stop shouting," I snapped, "I have a headache."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Stanton said with enough sarcasm to down an elephant, "Now you know how I feel. What the hell? Why am I even pissed? I should've known you'd just run off on your own. Where were you?" I glared at him. Why should I tell him? I have a headache. I just got lost in the creepiest part of the city. I ran into Ambrosius's pain in the ass father and brother, learned that Cerberus was married to Blaine. What kind of messed up family was that?

Then again, I was one to talk. At least all my other siblings had mothers.

I was born in an incubator.

"Oh, shut up," I snarled at last, clenching my fists, "I was the one that wanted to come here, so I can do whatever I want!"

"No, you can't," Stanton stressed, looking about seconds away from punching me, so I retreated a step and he came forward a step, "It's dangerous for you to run around in a city that you know nothing about. You could've gotten killed, or worse, captured."

"All right, Hermione. I get the picture, just stop yelling at me." I growled and turned to go to the bathroom for a hot rinse in the shower to get the blood off my hair when Stanton sucked in a sharp breath and I felt him grab me. I yelped in pain as his fingers dug harshly into my arms, then I felt his hands gently brush through the hair on the back of my head.

"Jesus Christ," Stanton breathed, then forced me to turn and face him, "What the hell happened? And don't give me snarky commentary. I'm serious, Alaric." I squirmed for a second, trying to get him off me, but he refused to let go, so I sighed in frustration and glared up at him past my hair.

"I ran into a couple of assholes. It's fine. I'm pretty sure I killed one of them and the other one will shit himself at night with nightmares." I assured sourly. Stanton clenched his teeth tightly, but for the sunglasses, I couldn't see his expression. Not until he grabbed me in his arms and hugged me tightly to his chest, his hand cupping the back of my head. I gasped, both at his display of affection and the magic that seeped through my skull to heal any interior damage caused by the blow. I breathed out a low breath, my heart pounding vigorously against the inside of my chest as I inhaled the intoxicating scent of leather, smoke, and sandalwood. I turned my head and buried my nose against his chest, wrapping my arms around his torso.

"Don't do that again," Stanton muttered, squeezing me tightly and pressing his nose into my hair, breathing deeply, "I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you."

"Wow, is Death making a love confession?" I laughed quietly. Stanton squeezed me tighter.

"Always." His response confused me, but it didn't matter. I didn't question it. Stanton always said weird cryptic things. I just tilted my head up for a kiss and he kissed me back. For a moment, it was just a peck on the lips, but the air suddenly filled with sexual tension that had me surging back forward for more. I parted my lips against his, taking his tongue into my mouth, letting him torment me. I moaned low in my throat, feeling his hands slide up the back of my shirt and search my muscles before dipping down the back of my pants and he let out a low chuckle as he ran his finger along the thin lacy panties.

"You wore pink today? It's usually a bitch to talk you into it." He commented. A blush, probably the same color as the panties, lit up my face before I buried my lips against his throat, suckling there and listening to him growl and cup my ass.

"I'm feeling lenient today." I murmured. Stanton chuckled, then hoisted me up into his arms and carried me to the bed where he dropped me down so he could shrug off his jacket. I quickly kicked my pants off onto the floor, wearing only my long sleeved v-neck and the pink panties with small ribbons dangling off the sides. Stanton flicked his tongue over his lips hungrily as he tossed his shirt aside and climbed onto the bed to hover over me. He attacked my mouth and I returned full force, listening to our teeth click as I searched for a way to ease the hot ache inside me. I ran my hands over the taut muscles of his arms to his back, raking my nails across the hard surface of his skin. He growled and moved his lips to my throat, sucking hard and leaving yet another dark bruise.

I reached between his legs and cupped him, massaging at his groin as he groaned, nipping at my neck. He rubbed himself against my palm, breathing hard against my neck before he moved his lips down my chest to my nipple, taking it between his teeth and giving it a tug that made me whine deeply.

We switched positions so I was on top of him, taking him deep into my mouth as he pulled at the ribbons on the sides of my panties as the lace slide across my skin, tickling me. I felt his hands knead at my ass, making me purr contently as I ran my tongue along his shaft before sucking him back into my mouth. A moment later, I felt his tongue digging inside me and I cried out as bolts of pleasure seared through my veins. I reached back to pull at my cheek to give him further access before I went back to tending to his needs. My body trembled with anticipation, and finally after what felt like forever, we rolled over and I straddled his waist, licking my lips as I wet my fingers with a lube from a tube buried in the sheets.

"God," Stanton panted, sweat trailing down his brow as I lowered myself on top of him and he tilted his head back, "You feel so good." I licked my lips as a response and he chuckled, grabbing me hips and bringing me down sharply. I bit my lip to keep from crying out and smacked his chest.

"Ow! That hurt, you dick! I wasn't... ah, I wasn't ready." I managed shakily. Stanton flashed me a wicked smirk as he trailed his hands up my sides, rubbing his thumbs around my nipples until they were hard and swollen.

"That's what you get for running out on me. Next time, you'll wait here like a good boy until I get back, understood?"

"Shut the fuck--" Stanton slammed his hips up until me and I cried out, clutching to him as he sat up with me trembling in his lap.

"Understood?" Stanton breathed hotly against my ear. I shivered and licked at his neck.

"Uh huh." I murmured. Stanton hummed as he ran his hands up and down my back, plunging himself further inside me, making me writhe and gasp desperately. I could feel my climax getting closer. My ears were ringing and my body throbbing as he rammed into the spot that made me see stars. A second later, I came and sank my teeth into his shoulder to keep from crying out again. Doing this at a hotel was such a bad idea. Oh well.

I trembled as Stanton came inside me, making me hiss past clenched teeth at the heat surging through me. We sat panting for a while before we moved to the bathtub, where another round ensued to the point where my legs were trembling and I was feeling weak, but I couldn't pass out before Kristoff showed up to take me to Akin.

"I'm going with," Stanton muttered as he sat behind me in the bathtub, his arms around my waist and his legs settled on either side of me, my back to his chest, "I don't trust vampires." I rolled my eyes as I pulled his hand off my stomach and laid it on the surface of the water to watch it ripple beneath his big trembling hand. I clasped my hand in his and tilted my head back to stare up at him as he stared back at me.

"I'm gonna be fine. Come if you want, but don't start shit."

"Oh, please. If anyone starts shit, it's you. I told you to stay away from that shop, didn't I?"

"You also told me to stay home, now look where we are."

"If you were me, you'd know why it's so hard to say no to you."

"Why, because I'm cute? Whatever," I snorted in disgust, dropping his hand and grabbing a bar of olive oil soap to rub my leg with, "Don't give me that bullshit. We're not lovers. We're just sex buddies."

"I don't like that word."

"Then partners."

"So we're getting married?"

"Fuck you, Stanton." I sneered. Stanton chuckled and squeezed me to him, sliding his hand down my arm to my leg so he could take the soap away from me and rub the bar across my chest. I bit my lip as the bar ran over my sore nipple, but Stanton laid his lips against my throat in a gentle kiss to distract me.

"For the record, you're not cute," He assured, making me frown instantly before he nuzzled the back of my ear and whispered, "You're incredibly sexy." A chill rose up my spine at that and I sank my teeth into my bottom lip thoughtfully as we climbed out of the tub and Stanton dried me off just before the phone rang on the nightstand and I walked over to pick it up while Stanton towel-dried his hair.

"Mr. Alaric? There's a Kristoff here to see you."

"Thanks, I'll be right down." I informed, then hung up and took a deep breath.

Time to visit the brother I've never met.