The noise hit me first.

Long, drawn out cries of customers enjoying themselves assaulted me from nearly every angle and, not for the first time, I cursed my hearing. It was naturally heightened thanks to my centuries spent on the run and always on alert. In situations like this, it worked against me.

I was no blushing virgin, but some of the acts taking place here–in plain sight!–were downright depraved…and I was mentally taking notes to hopefully recreate some of them with Vladimir the next time we met for one of our sessions.

The couple nearest us included a brunette woman who spared a glance over both of us in turn, hesitating slightly over Dimitrius’s form, before returning to the man she’d previously focused on.

Keeping my eyes locked forward, I ignored the noise as we moved through the people engaged in intimate activities–or in modern slang, fucking like rabbits–toward the desk at the front.

A woman sat behind it, expression bored despite the screams all around that nearly made me jump out of my skin. To be fair, she couldn't hear what I did and, she was probably so desensitized to things like this that Dimitrius could bend me over that desk and she wouldn’t bat an eye.

And wasn’t that a glorious mental image?

Warmth crawled further up my cheeks at the thought and I groaned internally. If this kept up I’d need to schedule a day with Vlad soon, it’d been a few months since our last tryst so I guess we were due anyway. Though if I kept working with the being of sex incarnate I’d need to start popping over to Russia for weekly visits to my ‘not a stranger but not officially a friend’.

Dimitrius stepped forward with a nod, pulling me away from delicious thoughts of a tanned ass that I could never quite get out of my mind. “I am here for my usual.” His voice was deep, all traces of reluctance gone and the secretary nodded, pointing back down a hallway behind her.

As we moved down it, his words caught my attention.

Usual? One would think indirect feeding was the weaker food source, so why would he prefer this to actual feeding? Yet another thing to ask him, alongside the reason behind his reluctance when we first entered.

Maybe he was in a long distance relationship and when his partner wasn’t available this was how he handled it? It was admirable, if that was the case. Loyalty and devotion were two of the traits I valued most in a person and if my guess was true, Dimitrius had them in spades.

My thoughts came to a jagged halt when he led me into a side room. The second we crossed the threshold, the sounds hit me. Skin slapping skin and passionate cries. A couple laid on a bed in the middle of the room, eyes only for each other as they kept up their fucking despite us walking in.

Instinctively, I moved to give them privacy, only for Dimitrius’s hand on my arm to freeze me in place. Moving around me, he stopped a few feet away from the couple. His expression never shifted from the neutral one despite the two bodies languidly fucking not four feet away from him.

My curiosity disappeared when his power unfurled, flowing through the room until it crackled in the air like lightning. I didn’t shield completely in time, the power stroking along my nerve endings entirely too pleasantly.

Forcing myself to stay in the present and away from certain thoughts involving Dimitrius and I with far less clothes, I watched as the couple’s pace increased to a fever pitch. Their previous slow slide hastened until they were writhing, tearing at one another as if they’d die if they slowed.

Then, I saw it.

Like wisps of smoke, Dimitrius’s power became visible, the dancing gas-like substance swirling around the two as they got louder and more fervent. Slowly the wisps began to glow, energy transferring from the couple and pulling back to Dimitrius as he breathed them in.

Staying rooted to my spot, I watched in awe as the wisps slid through his nose, his eyes opening to lock with mine. Where before they’d been a honey shade, now they glowed an ethereal gold. He didn’t drop his gaze as he took a handful more breaths, each one coming with another hit of smoke.

After a minute of silent staring, his power eased from the room, the glow fading from his eyes until the normal honey tone remained.

The woman’s cry jerked me back to the present, quickly followed by her partner’s groan. As they slowed into a contented cuddle pile, Dimitrius stepped back to my side. Not a hair was out of place despite the act we’d just seen–or participated in, to a certain point, in his case–while I, on the other hand, was fighting the insistent clenching between my thighs.

I’d seen people having sex of course, but I’d never actually stayed through another couple’s intercourse on purpose before. Eyeing the two, I waited for their reaction.

Had anyone so blatantly stayed to watch me in such an act, I would have ripped their head from their shoulders. Apparently my sentiments weren’t shared, because the woman leveled a satisfied smile my way with a lazy wave.

“Thanks for stopping in; hope you two enjoyed the show.”

Well…okay then. Before I could ask just what the hell happened here, Dimitrius gestured toward the exit. Once we were out of the room, he explained. “Just as I told you before, I have the power to pull sexual energy from the air. Indirect feeding. I must be close to do so, thus this room was made for me and others like me who prefer to refrain from touch while getting the energy we need.”

My head spun from all the information–and the shards of leftover lust still floating through me–before I shook it off. Okay, so that’d been an informative and insanely uncomfortable demonstration. Giving a nod, I spoke.

“Well, I definitely have never seen anything like that before. Fascinating to watch.” Wouldn’t surprise me if some of the arousal he’d pulled in had been mine either. I hadn’t been this worked up in years. Forcing the lust back, I focused on dulling the pulse between my legs.

After a few slow breaths and some mental counting it was hardly noticeable. It hadn’t always been so easy to control, but now I was well versed in that particular need not getting dealt with.

Dimitrius’s lips twitched upward, though the tension from before lingered around him. When it didn’t abate after a minute, I prodded.

“If you prefer doing it this way then why do you look like you just sucked on a lemon?” Remembering my earlier guess, I tacked on. “Is it because you’re dating someone and this makes you uncomfortable?”

His mouth twisted into a frown as he tilted his head. “I am not courting anyone at present and your terminology confuses me. What does a lemon have to do with my facial expression?”

Okay, so either he’d never eaten a lemon before or he’d never heard the phrase. And his reluctance to feed had nothing to do with moral problems. I’d ask more on that later, but for now I needed to explain.

“It’s slang. You looked like you’d tasted something sour or otherwise unpleasant.” I’d have to keep in mind that certain similes or sayings went over his head.

Understanding dawned, his face shifting back to its neutral mask as he nodded. “That would be a fairly accurate description of how taking energy this way tastes to me.” He held up a hand before I could ask more. “I will answer all other questions once we are in the car. There are too many ears here.”

My neck tingled in the next heartbeat. At least two people were listening in and I swung around to glare fire at the staff hesitating around the corner from us.

Both girls yelped, scuttling back to their duties. At least I could still send people running with a glare. After what happened earlier with the ducklings I worried I’d lost my touch. Turning back to the now amused Dimitrius, I nodded. “Car it is.”

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When we were on our way out the front entrance however, every hair on my neck stood to attention. A choked noise sounded from behind me, instinct slamming into gear as I spun to face the potential threat.

My hands lingered near my knives, now hidden in my infinity bag. When I took in the sight waiting for me though, I paused. The brunette from earlier was now wrapped around Dimitrius, her hands tangled into his hair as she shoved their lips together. Like a cat in heat, she writhed against him, a muffled moan sounding through the air.

Like molten lava, protectiveness that was wholly out of place bubbled to the surface, my magic coiling dangerously as if preparing to lunge. I shoved it down before it could actually do anything, but the fact it reacted at all was...odd.

What in the hell was wrong with me lately? He’d probably needed a second round to be full, nothing big. Being like this was not only irritating, but unwelcome as well.

Confusion went out the window when I caught his eyes. The brunette covered most of his front, but that wasn’t what made rage burn hot through my veins.

No, it was the disgust and violation all but oozing off his eyes; the silent plea for help unmistakable. Understanding dropped a bucket of ice down my back and without a thought, I jumped into the mix.

Wrapping fingers into the woman’s hair, I threw her back to her partner, relishing in the yowl she let out. Satisfaction seeped through me, something primal following on its tail before I shoved all of the confusing mess down to analyze later.

The brunette spun to face me, a sneer on her lips as she eyed Dimitrius, muscles ready to lunge again. Seeing that, I planted myself between them, all the eyes of the room swinging to us as she spat. “What the hell are you doing?”

A quick glance back to Dimitrius confirmed his disgust, shards of relief now floating in his eyes as he nodded his thanks. He hadn’t wanted that and I didn’t need to know anything else. As long as I was here, no one would assault him.

Settling my glare back on the brunette, satisfaction welled again when she flinched back, her confidence faltering under my scowl. Lately my ‘glare of death’–as Vladimir so affectionately called it–was getting a work out. If this was a common response to Dimitrius then soon I’d have to start wearing it as my default expression to scare off would-be rapists.

Time to upgrade my resting bitch face.

But now wasn’t the time to be thinking about this, I had a woman to back off. Curling my lips into a sneer, I spat. “You should be asking yourself that question. You have a partner right there. This man was in no way, shape or form inviting that attention. I refuse to allow someone to be assaulted in front of me. Now go back to your business, before I permanently ensure you don’t do it again.”

She paled, nodding quickly before scurrying back to her mystified partner. Once she was gone, I turned back to Dimitrius with a scowl. “Car?” Because I had even more questions now, though how he’d stiffened in disgust and terror told me all I needed to know.

It all fell into place. His dislike of feeding through touch, his reluctance when we first got here… He’d been sexually assaulted.

He nodded, face still set in a hard mask as he led the way out. I stayed right behind him, glaring at anyone who so much as moved our way. He’d said that incubi and succubi had auras that caused lust freak-outs in people, but why hadn’t the woman reacted that way when we’d first come in?

And how in the hell had he stayed safe from getting taken advantage of while feeding before now?

Questions piled on top of each other as I settled across from him in the car. I waited until we were on our way before speaking again.

“I’m guessing that was someone under the influence of your aura?”

His mouth pressed into a line as he nodded, the ill expression not leaving. “Yes, while usually I have it under control, I did not tamp it back down properly after feeding. That was why she assaulted me.”

And why she hadn’t been affected when we first walked in. One question down, plenty more to go.

Eyeing him, I considered whether it was a good idea to ask about his history. We didn’t know one another that well yet and if I was right then this was bound to be an intensely personal discussion. I didn’t have a chance to change the subject before he spoke, taking the option out of my hands.

He scowled, a hard glint flashing behind his gaze as he straightened. “Speak your question.” His chin lifted in stubborn determination, all but daring me not to ask now that he’d made a thing of it.

Well, no backing out now.

“Do you prefer to take energy from the air because you’ve been raped?” His eyes darkened, serving as my answer even as his nod was the final nail in the coffin.

Honey orbs deepened to a whiskey shade as old memories drifted just under the surface. “Yes, when I was young I had the same aura that all of those children we saved do. My mother attempted to save me from those it called, but she could only do so much.”

His mouth eased, determination chasing away the darkness. “No child will live what I did, not if there is something I can do to stop it.”

Him devoting his life to this cause made sense now. He’d lived what those children would go through if we failed and nothing created a stronger empathy for someone’s suffering than living it yourself. I hated rapists of all kinds, but child ones deserve a special place in hell, in my merciful and humble opinion.

He continued, face softening at the edges. “And thank you. While I am physically capable of pulling off unwanted suitors, unprompted touch is…difficult to handle. If you had not been there I would have most likely suffered her touch for a good while before managing to remove myself from the situation."

At that, disbelief washed through me. “If people will just throw themselves at you whenever you feed and you can’t push them off, how do you keep yourself safe?”

A blithe shrug. “By having a bodyguard.”

Glancing around the car that only contained us and the driver, I prodded. “And where are they?”

His eyes bore into me, understanding sparking as he spoke. “In this case, it was you. The arrangement for that room is only two people are allowed in aside from the couple performing intercourse. One succubus or incubus and one guard in case things get out of hand.”

My jaw was touching the floor, I was sure of it. “But you didn’t tell me I was your guard! I would’ve been on alert if you had.” And the woman wouldn’t have managed to get as close as she had, because I wouldn’t have allowed it. Hell if he’d been wrong and his power had affected me then I would’ve done far worse to him!

He offered a small smile, the sight further baffling me. “Usually it is not a problem for me. I am old enough to cloak my aura. It was my own slip that caused the previous issue, nothing else. Besides, from how viciously you came to the children’s defenses earlier I knew you would handle anything that came up.”

He’d known that could happen and brought me along knowing I’d guard him should the worst happen. The trust was dizzying, even as I fumed. “Are you insane? What if I hadn’t been able to intervene in time!?” Or if I’d been less of a moral person. I would’ve been guilty beyond belief if he’d been violated while with me.

Not to mention if I’d been a twisted fuck then he would have been in quite the pickle. Joke though I may about my revolving wheel of a moral compass, I would have torn myself apart if I’d done anything to him.

His eyes warmed even as he titled his head curiously. “You worry for me?”

Staring gobsmacked, I nodded while trying to pull us back on course. “Of course I do, that could have had a completely different ending back there. Why aren’t you worried?”

His hand stroked his chin as he considered me. “Because I knew you would not allow-.”

All but growling now, I cut him off. “But you don’t know me. I could have joined in and then you’d be fucked…literally.”

Now his features settled into stony certainty. “I have an excellent sense for people. There’s nothing to fear from you. From the second I laid eyes on you, I knew that.”

Okay so, bright side I didn’t give off those kind of vibes…But damn he should really be more careful. Ignoring the warm wiggly feeling in my chest at the trust he already had in me–more than anyone other than Vladimir or Seraphina had ever shown–I huffed with a shake of my head.

“Thanks, I guess.” Looking for a topic that didn’t poke my squirming emotions with a stick, I settled on. “If your power makes people go lust crazy, why were you trying to throw it over me and the other witch earlier? She collapsed, but that was because she was weak. Wouldn’t someone being lustful but present enough to act on it be kind of counterproductive?”

Unless he wanted an orgy, but knowing what I did of his past, I knew better than to announce that.

His face settled into a neutral mask again. “Yes, if the power I used in the clearing was the energy you witnessed, but it is not. It is difficult to explain, but I will do my best.” Straightening, he continued.

“Think of it this way, the aura which causes people to go ‘lust crazy’ is involuntary and children cannot control it. The power you felt in the clearing is an entirely different ability that is entirely under my control.”

Seeing my chance to ask one of my other questions, I chipped in. “So what powers does your race have exactly?”

“The most common of them are shape shifting, mental or physical manipulation, and dream manipulation. Though there have been others sprinkled through my race’s history.”

So in essence, they were able to combine some of the most powerful magic types. Wonderful. If the council knew they’d shit bricks on the spot…or go on a crusade to kill every incubus and succubus out of fear.

Not to self, never tell the council about Dimitrius’s abilities.

Putting the harrowing thought to the side, I prodded. “When you say mental manipulation-?”

He nodded, “It is exactly as it sounds. We can cast illusions or in some cases take temporary control over a person. That is what I was attempting to do earlier, but I had too little energy. I tend to prefer subduing my enemies without bloodshed, but in your case you were immune. As you saw, the other witch was not. Though I underestimated how weak she was, leading to her intense reaction.”

And now I’m beyond grateful for my magic shielding me. I’d been under a control spell before and if his power was anything like that I never wanted to feel it. Shaking aside the nerves the thought came with, I questioned.

“Do you have other abilities too?”

He shrugged. “To a certain extent. Mental manipulation is my focus but I can use the others, though with far less expertise. Shifting is my least practiced and dream weaving is moderately difficult for me.”

With that, he turned the questions around on me, interest and curiosity sparking behind his eyes. “Now that you know what I am, as well as what I am capable of, I believe it is your turn.”

Joy.