Ascension - Book Eight - Man x Man

Chapter 110

The day after expelling so much emotional energy, I knew he would be out cold. Laying in bed with him, I slowly stroked his hair, he'd slept too still and the thought of him being under Tiberius's control continued to bother me. Verando's brand wasn't going to protect him from being influenced, only from being completely overtaken. Every quickened breath awoke me, every time he stirred, I felt as though I was waiting for something to unearth. 

Yet, he was still the same, nothing to come from the enchantment of the siren. Leaving him vulnerable was dangerous, Tiberius should know better. Rolling onto my back, I stretch out my hand to grasp the cell phone off the nightstand and tap in the text for Tiberius to come to our hotel. There was more he wasn't telling me, more that he was hiding for fear of retaliation. 

The Siren was crafty, I couldn't help but wonder if the enchantment was an attempt to test how under control Fenrir was.

Verando's arm slides around me, he slips closer and I kiss the top of his head with a soft sigh. "I'm going to go make breakfast," I murmur.

Flinching, he winces away from my words. I slip out of bed and pull on a pair of boxer briefs and one of his softer t-shirts before sneaking off into the kitchen. We took turns in this way, him caring for me and me doting on him. As a submissive, it was my job to care for my master. 

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't hoping for a reward in some form for my efforts, but I also enjoyed these small acts of service. Grabbing some of the painkillers out of the cabinets with a glass of water, I'd make him breakfast while I interrogated Tiberius. The Siren knew better than to disobey my summons. 

He's hardly conscious as I hand them over, treading as quietly as I can to the windows I pull the dampener curtains tighter in an attempt to keep the room as dark as possible. 

It's a rare opportunity to capture a glimpse of myself in the mirror, I will something to be there, placing my hand over my stomach with a sigh as I eye the cuff locked firmly around my wrist. It doesn't come without a cost, hmm? 

Silly to even imagine when I was just starting another cycle, running my hand through my hair I leave to go into the kitchen, only to jump as I spot Tiberius standing at the kitchen island. While my wolf had been silently telling me he'd arrived, I couldn't spare the thought when I was so focused on what could be. 

"You rang?" Tiberius offers a half-hearted bow of his top half, heavy with sarcasm.

"In what world do you drug what belongs to me?" I snap, short, my voice low. "What did you do to him last night?"

Surprised, he tilts his head, the long heavy strands of black inky hair swayed with each step as he moves to place himself strategically between me and the door. He would run if I pushed him too hard, I'd have to be careful. The Siren was too smart now that he'd been maimed, he knew what a lycan was capable of. 

"I can't control who is affected by the essence that is released while we're seducing the crowd. You like the money our music brings in, the... addiction... to how I make people feel is part of that appeal, unfortunately. I hadn't really considered it affecting Verando, I don't often consider him a very sexual creature." Scoffing, I roll my eyes heavily but Tiberius is not laughing. 

"Yes, you and he have sex, but... I am a sexual creature. I fornicate in public, I would devour the nethers of any woman who so requested of me, I live for those moments. Verando? Not so much. At least not what I see. People who come to our shows for this side of the entertainment are there for how the music makes them feel. Perhaps whatever this aroma is is triggering a more primal side of him? Making him more sensitive to my magic?"

The words make me shudder, while I considered us adventurous I certainly didn't entertain that amount of sexual intention. I suppose I also had little to compare it to, Verando was one of the first people I'd truly consented to have a physical relationship with outside of trade for information.