Page 89 of Failed State

I didn’t actually needto ask that out loud because any supernatural in the world could smell how much she’s enjoying the treatment. But I also realize that this girl is as delicate as she is strong, and part of being able to accomplish our goal of sharing her is making certain she’s okay every step of the way. Of all the things she’s hadno choiceabout since her birth, we need this—us—to be something she chooses without question. Otherwise, it will never last and we will all end up burned.

“Ummmm…” Her big blue eyes look up at me with a mixture of desire, uncertainty, and bliss, but I make sure she can tell that I’m not using any of the vampiric skills I have available to me. “Iamenjoying this. I don’t think I’ve ever… you know. Felt this relaxed before.”

Baby steps, but still progress.

“That’s good, Vicious,” the mage says from his spot at her feet. “But I think they need more than that.”

Elias leans in, whispering to her in a low voice. “Are there other things we can do for you, little rebel? More… tension… to be relieved?”

The air around us shifts and I feel a tiny spark of anxiety flicker through it. It makes me chuckle softly because it confirms something I’ve wondered about. Sydney’s powers aren’t tied to sexuality like a Cubi, but that she’s this age and hasn’t gotten them had to be stunted maturity of some kind. Perhaps this is part of it—which tells me the assumptions about her lack of experience are also probably accurate. I’m not sure having five men surrounding her for this is the best introduction, but we’re also not going to go that far tonight.

Sydney swallows hard, then pulls her lower lip through her teeth. “I don’t—I don’t know?”

That’s not a ‘no’, so we can work with it. My expression is sincere as I reach over and brush a knuckle over her cheek. “Perhaps Rory can move to your legs to see if he can relax them as well, then?”

She looks down at him, and he lets go of her feet to slide his palms upward slowly. “What happens if I say yes to that?”

Stormbringer wraps his hands around her ankles as he switches the position of his body to sprawl out on his stomach like a lazy cat. Sydney watches him nervously, but she doesn’t balk as he moves his palms to her calves. I feel he’s adding a little magic to his ministrations, because yet again, she groans low. “How does that feel?”

“Really nice. I didn’t know I worked them that hard,” she murmurs. “I didn’t know anything else was so overextended, either. I just thought I hurt a bit from Bas beating me up.”

I roll my eyes, tsking at her as I tip her chin up. “You, Sydney, need to learn that you cannot just spew bullshit because you want the others to chastise me. I did not beat on you any more than you and the instructors asked—you specifically accused me of holding back as it was.”

Her pout makes me want to bite it, and I wait until she responds. “I can say whatever I want?—”

Moving quickly, I let go of her chin and place my hands on her cheeks. My eyes catch the dragon’s, then the bear’s, the demon’s, and finally the mage’s before I smirk at her. “Listen, you infuriating little brat… if we’re going to help you relax, there will be a few… rules. I know that’s not your strong suit, but I think the others will help you navigate it.”

There’s a spark in her eyes for a moment, then she adjusts as we stare at one another. “Is it going to be ‘brat’? Is that the name, Bas?”

Of course, that’s the part she’d focus on.

“I don’t know, Sydney. What I know is that you have to trust us to take care of you in private. That’s what tonight is about. You can go toe-to-toe with all of us in public, but here? This is where you need to believe that we have your best interests at heart.”

“Which we do,” Thad rumbles as he continues working her shoulders. “You know Huck and I have always had your back, and we trust the others to do so now, too.”

Sydney pushes against my palms with her face, obviously wanting to look at him, but he’s not in charge, so I keep her focused on me. “Let me?—”

“What did the bloodsucker say, little rebel?” Elias chides as a long, thick scaly tail snakes over his shoulder to brush along her neck. “He and I are the only ones giving orders at the moment. If you want something, the point is for you to ask.”

Her body tenses and I can tell she’s trying not to panic about the dragon’s casual use of his tail to trail over her. “We all have unique tastes, Syd. You’re going to like some things, and not like others. Declaring who's in charge doesnotever mean you have to suffer things you don’t enjoy. In fact, sharing what makes you feel good and cared for is exactly what we want you to do. Does Elias’s tail upset you?”

“N-no,” she whispers as it tickles her ear. Her instinctive scrunching makes me laugh, and the bear joins me. “It’s just… different.”

That’s when the demon holds up another piece of cheese and I let go of her face so he can give it to her. “Very good, brat. And you’re right—many things about each of us will be different, especially because you’ve insulated yourself from damn near everything.”

“Like what?” she frowns, and I sigh.

Let her move slowly, Sebastian. She needs to feel steady before she continues.

“Well, I doubt you could tell me any of the specific differences in anatomy for the supes in this room, much less across the board.” I wait for it to register and her eyes go wide like a cartoon character. “And that’s saying nothing about what powers we have that can enhance the experience.”

“Piercings,” Huck adds as he picks up another piece of fruit to hold up for her. Sydney takes it—surprisingly—and chews as she tries to parse our statements. “All the special things will be a little shockin’ at first, sweet pea. That’s what Sebastian is tryin’ to say.”

When she swallows, she clears her throat, then says, “You’re right. I’m not—I never thought about any of this because I… Well, I purposely pushed all this stuff down and stuffed it in a box. The reasons aren’t really important and they feel silly now. I don’t want to say them, either. I was woefully misinformed and um, a lot judgy.”

Stormbringer blinks as his hands inch past her knees, carefully watching her expression as he works the muscles and joints. “Oh, Vicious. You thought controlling your body meant they didn’t own you, right?”

Her head bobs, and she looks away from us at her hands. Tension is seeping back in; I can feel it. “Yes.”

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