Page 9 of Killer of the Bells
I never would have imagined that something like me could experience such bliss, but there I was, rutting against a stranger I’d nearly killed, feeling more alive than I had in my life.
Echo wailed wordlessly as I brought us both to completion, and we leaned against one another, panting like marathon runners in the aftermath. I pressed my face to the top of his head to breathe in his scent, arms locked tight around him as if I was afraid someone would steal him from me.
The sound of clapping interrupted us mid-afterglow.
“Excellent. Truly excellent, Vale. Here I thought my night was about to be spoiled by yet another episode of you killing something and then bitching about it endlessly to anyone who would listen, but instead, I got free porn. You’re officially welcome to return to my woods anytime.” A distinctly tree-like creature continued to bring her branch-like hands together in applause.
I groaned into Echo’s hair. The last thing I needed was that bitch intruding on one of the most bizarre evenings of my life.
“Go away,” I snapped, not wanting to deal with her bullshit while covered in blood and cum.
Echo stirred in my arms, eyebrows drawn together in confusion. “Go away?”
“Not you,” I said hastily, once again shocking myself.
I’m not a reassuring person. I don’t even know how. I never cared to be until I met Vix, and then after a few months of study and practice, I realized I was never going to know. It was good enough for me to be able to ape the process so that Vix knew I was trying.
I may be an asshole, but you try being mean to Vix and see how far you get. Even if you manage to break through his family to get to him, you’ll be stopped dead by one look at his innocent face.
So, when I automatically tried to keep Echo from misunderstanding, I was momentarily lost trying to figure out what the fuck was going on.
Right up until the bitch said, “You can keep going, Vale. I’m happy to watch you fuck for as long as you want. It’s no trouble. I’ve always wanted to see what you had going on under that coat of yours.”
I was immediately grateful to my coat for covering both my and Echo’s disheveled forms, and that it allowed us both to tuck our dicks away before she got another eyeful.
“Stop being a perverted bitch,” I snapped.
“Don’t fuck in the woods if you don’t want me to watch. My house. My rules.”
“I’m Echo,” my oddly cheerful victim chirped and waved at the intruder.
“It’s very nice to meet you, Echo. The People call me The Cody. How did you get caught up with the town asshole?”
“It’s very nice to meet you, The Cody,” Echo’s response was a stereo-perfect replica of the bitch’s greeting, but when he tried to respond to her question, his mouth worked, but nothing came out. As the silence stretched, he finally tugged at my coat with an anxious expression.
“At least I’m not the town pervert,” I told said pervert. “And he didn’t get caught up with me. We just met.”
Echo nodded eagerly. “We just met.”
“I’m not one to kink-shame. Carry on.” The Cody gestured grandly with one hand, and a patch of moss trailed across the ground as her arm moved.
Echo gave me anI’m game if you areshrug, and that was when I realized the whole evening was likely an elaborate prank by Baz, who was very shortly about to die from mysterious causes.
“We’re leaving,” I stated, and I began to drag Echo through the forest once more, only being more careful than the last time.
“Nice to meet you, The Cody! We’re leaving!” Echo called out behind us.
The Cody waved and said, “Come back any time.”
Chapter
Four
ECHO
Being around people I didn’t know was exhausting. Normally, I’d have context for whatever event I was attending. Was it a lecture I was giving? Easy peasy. I knew my source material backward and forward, and I’d just watch an episode of some college drama beforehand so I could parrot a few phrases at people when they engaged with me past the source material.
Office hours were a little dicey, but most students wanted the same thing: extensions on assignments or extra credit. I came off as very no-nonsense to students because I would either agree or flat-out refuse their request. I only had a set number of refusals memorized, and if none of them were triggered, then I literally couldn’t say anything else other than, “I’m sorry, but that’s my final word.”
