“Cave is just up that slope,” Bram said, giving a whoop as he jumped the width of the stream, with me copying his jump right on his heels. We scrambled up the small hill, little bits of rock and vegetation crumbling under the weight of our feet.
“Oh damn,” I said in awe when we reached the top. A small cavern, about fifteen feet back from the peak of the hill sat neatly hidden behind some ivy vines. “Perfect.”
Bram held his hand up and I high fived him with a grin as we squeezed our way through the narrow opening. Using my magic, I sparked a small flame so we could see the inside of our hideout. I released a small sigh of relief that there weren't any animals inside prepared to bite our faces off.
“Now we wait,” Bram said, sitting down on a large rock. The inside of the cave was pretty spacious, despite the small entrance.
“How long do you think we have?” I asked, wiping the sweat from my face with the hem of my t-shirt. When I didn't get an answer straight away, I peered over the cotton material and cleared my throat. Bram jumped, startled that I'd caught him clearly checking me out. “Were you just admiring my abs?”
“Oh please…” He huffed, but I saw the blush on his cheeks. I studied him for a beat; his deep red hair was flopped over, falling into his strangely colored amber eyes. His freckles stood out clearer than ever, thanks to the rush of the run we'd just done, combined with his blush. It was still bizarre to know that he’d been our handler for all of those years. Johnny. He’d always been very focused on work, and kept things professional, aside from the few times we’d convinced him to cut loose when we were off duty. I’d never felt attracted to Johnny though.
“It's fine,” I said, waving my hand. “They're pretty impressive.” I winked at him and sat down, with my back against the cave wall.By the stars, I think I just flirted with Bram.
“We should be quiet. He'll be racing through the woods right about now,” Bram said softly, and I nodded. My fingers tapped on my knees that I'd drawn up to my chest, but it was my eyes that had gone rogue and kept drifting to the large man sitting next to me. I was about to open my mouth to say who knows what, when the sound of a branch snapping nearby made me press my lips together and extinguish the small flame I'd set on the ground. Bram held his finger to his lips as the cave darkened to damn near pitch black.
Faris' voice filtered through the stone entrance. He was singing. “When it's dark as night and the stars shine bright, two sneaky boys look for a fright.”
A tiny spark of fear shot through me, even though I knew it was just Faris being his creepy self. I slowed my breathing, shut my eyes, and focused on my dragon. When I opened my eyes, my vision was perfect, despite the darkness. Glancing over, I saw Bram sitting with his legs stretched out before him and his palm on his cock, adjusting it roughly.Holy fuck, he's turned on by this.My own cock hardened, and I couldn't look away from the way he began stroking himself through his shorts.
“I've looked here, I've looked there, silly boys, I can smell your fear,” Faris sang in a hauntingly sinister tone, and Bram's head tilted back to rest against the cave wall.
The sliver of light at the front of the cave darkened, and I knew Faris had found us. The look on his face was absolutely manic as he slipped through the opening and came to a stop. He was so still, I wondered if he was even breathing. I was tucked back into a shadowy corner but Bram was exposed. I was sure Faris could see him, so when he darted forward, I shot my foot out and grinned at the surprised sound that Faris let out as he launched forward across the cave floor. Being the agile bastard that he was, he rolled and landed on his feet.
Spinning around to face us, he snarled. “Get up,” he growled, and I knew without asking that he was talking to me.
I guess we're doing this now.
Sighing, I rose to my full height and brushed my ass off. Fire sparked to life in my hands, casting spooky shadows throughout the cavern. I directed it to a spot on the stone floor well away from us, giving us light. Bram stood too, his hands clasped in front of his groin.
“I'm up. Now what?” I taunted, despite my better judgement. Faris smirked and tugged his shirt off, tossing it to the side. He cracked his knuckles and sauntered toward me. “If you wanted me to fuck you, all you had to do was ask.”
With a roar, he threw himself at me, tackling me at the waist. We hit the ground with a thud, and I caught his fist just before it smashed into my cheek. I leaned up and rolled us back quickly, tossing him over my head with a laugh.
“Why are you fighting me, Faris?” I asked, as I stood and spun to face him. His hair was sticking out everywhere and his nose ring glinted in the light of the flames.
“You know why,” he replied, stalking me now.
“Moons,” Bram groaned from somewhere to my left.
“Because you hate me?” I asked, irritated. “If you want to say something to me, then just fucking say it.”
“Yes. I fucking hate you, you cocky son of a bitch. You think you're so fantastic—the white knight ready to swoop in and save Fischer at any given moment, with no fucking regard for me. How do you think that made me feel?!” Faris shouted, his fangs shining and deadly.
“I didn't know you existed!” I yelled back, getting heated.
“You should've known! And you know now, don't you? I'm real. Every bit as real as when you'd fuck us. It was me you fucked when he was unhinged—don't act like you don't know that! You're stupid, but not that fucking stupid.”
“Are you jealous?!” I roared, unable to restrain myself anymore. “I don't do well with mind games Faris, so either say what the fuck you mean or get over it. We're not leaving this cave until it's sorted, so please, tell me how you really feel.”
He threw his head back and cackled. “That's rich coming from you. Themasterof mind games.” I didn't miss the emphasis he used on the word master, and I cringed. “You like to pretend you're a protector, someone who wouldn't hesitate to dive in and protect your brothers, and now, your woman. Does that courtesy extend to me or only to those you choose to acknowledge as living people?”
He stalked closer and I held my ground.
“Fuck you, Sloane. I hate you so much it consumes me most days. Standing here this close to you makes my fucking skin itch. You're an arrogant asshole, and I'm done with this conversation.”
I stepped up to him, my chest bumping his. He was only a few inches shorter than I was, but the cave floor was uneven so we were at the same height.
“Well, Faris, I fucking hate you, too. You were the cause of a lot of his pain. Pain that I had to help him through. So if that upsets you or pisses you off?” I put my nose right on his, pausing while our breath mixed. “Good. You deserve it.”
