Page 59 of Chasing the Night

Chapter Nineteen

When Reality Rears Her Head

Ender

I wasn’t sure how I would manage to sit through a dinner and polite banter with Atticus, or any of the others for that matter. Not even Isabella had spoken up when he turned his inner monster on my brother. No one batted an eye. The anger and anxiety of it all had swelled within me. Until all I could see was the day-to-day acts that passed the time. The mundane acts that required no thought allowed me to slip away mentally to places I only knew in my dreams.

That’s exactly what I was doing when Chalice entered the room, leaning against my brother’s wheelchair while I tried my best to hide from any true conversation or interaction. She was gorgeous in black. It contrasted her skin and made the glow of her youth more noticeable. Her hair was pulled up, exposing the crevice of her neck. Earrings swayed with each step, drawing attention to her bold, bare shoulders. Those were all nice, but it was the way she held my gaze that made my heart momentarily stop. She passed by and the smell of something exotic and forbidden lingered in her wake. I couldn’t help myself—I turned to follow her, despite my brothers last ditch attempt to grab my wrist and stop me.

“En!” he hissed, but I was already gone. I followed the flutter of her white hem across the balcony and into the room beyond.

Where the fuck was she going? It didn’t matter, I was incapable of stopping at this point, and yet unsure of what exactly I intended to do. I was stirred beyond belief by lascivious glances and the twitch of her silk-clad ass.

“Chalice.” I said her name like I was trying to taste each syllable. When she turned to face me, I hooked a hand around her waist and pulled her into Atticus’ office. I didn’t give a fuck if it was a courtroom or the temple, for that matter. All I cared about was sating… whatever this was between us.

When her back met the wall, I noticed the smile that split her tempting lips. It was triumphant and sordid all at once. I nipped her lower lip and kissed her until she parted her lips and allowed her tongue to flicker with mine.

“Fuck,” I growled over her lips as I sampled the thickness of her ass with both hands. I hefted her up, fully prepared for the usual startle that such crude advances usually provoked from girls, but all I found was her thighs snugly wrestling and tightening around my waist.

“Well done,” Messiah called from behind me, his large hands echoing a condescending clap that irked my soul. I allowed one leg to drop, but only enough that I could turn to face him. “It was a test to see how well she could lure. Now get the fuck off her.”

I glanced down at Chalice who could only flail for words.

“Atticus will kill you both. He has his heart set on her,” Messiah continued until I dropped her other leg. She shoulder-checked Messiah on her way past and stormed from the room without providing an apology or any type of answer to his accusation.

My lips were still painted with her taste, and I could feel her fingers clinging to my neck.

“You’re going to get her killed with that shit,” I hissed toward Messiah.

I wanted to say so much more, but it was all I trusted myself to say in that moment. My cock and my ego had both been left aching.

Fuck dinner. Fuck it all. I needed to get my mind right. I clung to the shadows until I was back in my room and hurriedly pilfered around to find my Root box. All it took was a couple hits and I forgot all about dinner and my family.

The hours slipped away in a Root induced haze until, finally, a gentle scraping sound brought the moon into focus. I palmed my temple and eye socket and shifted toward the door. It must have been left open, I thought to myself while reaching out in anticipation. Rather than wood, I found warm flesh. Fingers! I took a sharp breath and nearly choked on the jasmine essence that came with it.

“Chalice,” I whispered. She was already rounding the sofa near my ankles. She reached up to my mid-thigh and slid her hand back toward her knee. As she did so, she had straddled my lower legs. Through the expensive underwear, I felt the bodice of her gown, and then the softness of her stomach was teasing against my cock.

When she felt it, she stilled, drawing in a breath just fast enough to have made it audible. She couldn’t do this. We couldn’t do this. If it was as Messiah said, and Atticus really had some fucked up… thing for her.

Fated Fucking Few.

Fated Few, she felt so fucking good. If it was her test, why was I the one struggling? I shifted, intending to help her off me, but when I did, it jostled her and left her snuggly straddling the source of half my misery.

“Fuck,” I growled against her. It seemed to be the only thing I could say or think of around her anymore. I tried to still her, but it only resulted in me gripping her ass. She took it for invite and prowled up me until she was nipping and sucking my lower lip. It wasn’t Chalice atop me. Chalice was cunning, beautiful and curious. This creature was intense, demanding, and fucking breathtaking. Her tongue danced with mine, resisting my occasional attempts to slow her.

What the fuck had Messiah created?

One hand laced fingers with my own and stretched my arm over my head. She grabbed and pulled at my hair. I tried to catch her hip and pin it. It was surreal, I kept asking myself if it was a Root induced hallucination, but no,she was rolling and grinding against me without shame, rubbing herself against the length of my cock and silencing my words of reason each time I found enough self-control to repeat them.

Fuck. Fuck.

I wasn’t sure how to stop her, but I was certain Messiah was right. Atticus definitely wanted this one. I flung my weight against hers and rolled, pinning her on her back. Prying her hand from my hair I left her with both wrists over her head. Her amber hues widened, and a sharp breath betrayed her sudden second thoughts.

“What. The. Fuck. Are. You. Doing?” I finally managed.

Her chest heaved, and her lips were swollen from the recent battle. “Fuck Atticus. I won’t let him bargain with me. My body is mine. Mine to decide!” She tried to raise up, but I kept her arms pinned, so all she accomplished was sliding her body against mine.

It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life, but I pulled myself from her and opened my door with a sigh.