On another steamy night in Velaris, Lucas tossed and turned restlessly in his bed, pushing the thin sheets off to the floor. On other nights, he wasn't too bothered, but on this particular night, the warm air appeared to have penetrated his mind and body, making it impossible for him to sleep at all. Not only was the humidity keeping his head racing and his body on edge, but he was also experiencing a strong desire to be with Harper, which was causing his heart to race and his breathing erratic.
Looking up through the barred window, he noticed that there wasn't a single star in the sky on that evening. The moon, a beautiful silver crescent, hung alone in the night sky. It was the only thing visible. He pondered if the same moon could be seen back in his world.
As he turned for the hundredth time, his bedroom door gently opened, and from his bed, he could see a woman peeking in hesitantly, her hair loose about her shoulders, dressed in a black wool, sleeveless tunic garment. She held a cup in her hand.
"Who is it?" Lucas asked.
She walked slowly into his room, carefully closing the door behind her and hesitated before turning to face him. "Lucas," she said.
In the dim light, he stared at her. "What are you doing here, Libby?" He got out of bed and walked over to her. "Where is Harper?"
"Sleeping."
"Can I go see her?"
"I'm sorry, Lucas, but it's against the rules."
Lucas sighed, defeated. "I understand, and for the time being, I will abide by the rules. " Don't worry, we'll get out of here." He had a puzzled expression on his face as he glanced at her. "So, sitters are allowed to talk to the fighters, am I right?"
Libby gave a nod. "Yes, but only to the fighters assigned to them."
"Can you tell me how Harper can become my sitter?"
She shook her head. "It's all up to Master Gillen, to be honest."
"Ah, I see. And I guess you're my sitter."
"That's right. You and Alex."
"How about Francine?"
"Another sitter has been assigned to her. Don't worry. I know her new sitter. You do not need to be worried about your vampire friend."
"Okay. That’s good to hear."
"So…" Lucas trailed off, unsure why Libby had come to see him.
"After Francine, you'll fight next..."
"What? Really?"
"Yes, and I'm here to see to it that you're well taken care of before your fight."
"I don't get it."
Two days before a bout, Master Gillen wants his fighters to be in peak condition. The last thing he wants is for them to be distracted in any way. Taking care of the fighters' needs and making sure they are not distracted by anything is one of the sitter's duties."
Lucas gave a kind smile. "I still don't get it."
Libby responded with a fleeting grin. "Don't worry. You don’t have to. Just leave everything to me. "Here, drink this."
"What is that?" he asked.
"This will make things easier for us both." She offered him a cup.
Lucas pressed the cup to his nose.
"Drink up. It'll help you sleep," Libby muttered, her gaze fixed on him.
He took a few deep breaths and inhaled the sweet scent of what was inside the cup before he poured the liquid down his throat, emptying the cup, and setting it on the table.
"Hmmm…"
The atmosphere in the room shifted dramatically, haunting almost instantly. Lucas took a step closer to Libby. He could hear her rapid, shallow breathing and saw the rise and fall of her chest as he got closer. "Libby...why do I feel..."
"I'm sorry, Lucas, but this is something I have to do..." Libby placed a palm on his broad naked chest, where she could feel his heart thumping. She lifted her gaze to his, her eyelids fluttering as she traced his forearm with his other hand, stroked the curve of his elbow, along the line of his bicep.
Her heart was hammering in her chest, and Lucas could hear it. She was terrified. His wolf had picked up on it as well.
"Libby...what are you up to?" He tried to create some space between them, but his body felt so heavy.
She pressed her cheek into the contour of his neck. "I'm taking care of you," she muttered, nuzzling the corner of her mouth. "Don't worry, you will thoroughly enjoy this. I promise." Her lips brushed across his skin before kissing his neck and nipping his earlobe.
"Libby…stop…" Lucas moaned, looking and feeling powerless at the same time. "Why are you doing this?" He eventually managed to take a step back with all the strength he could muster.
"I have to. I’m sorry, Lucas."
They stood for a moment just staring at each other, neither saying anything as Lucas's eyes swept over every detail of her face before resting on her lips. With her tongue, Libby moistened her lips. Her heart was racing and her breathing was irregular as she tried to calm herself down.
"Libby…I…" Lucas mumbled, as if using all of his effort had taken a toll on his body and he was fast slipping into a trance-like state. He slipped out of reality, enthralled by the unexpected surges of pleasure that encompassed his mind and body, notably his groin.
Libby looked up to see him looking back at her. The intensity made her feel as if he could look right through her. Lucas was a stunning man, and she could feel her flesh heating up beneath her clothes.
"What's...going...on?" he asked, wave of ecstasy swept over him.
Libby traced the breadth of his pecs, the broad curve of his shoulders, and the strum of his ribcage with her fingertips. His eyes rolled shut, and his muscles twitched in response to her gentle touch. As she swirled her index fingers through his wild tresses and caressed his nipples, his low groans echoed in her ears, encouraging her on.
He opened his eyes to her, perplexed and concerned that he'd gone too far, but his surprise faded as she gently trailed her tongue down his neck, and his breathing quickened. He closed his eyes again and threw his head back, making a grunt from his throat that evolved into a groan when she brushed her teeth against one of his nipples. “Ah, fuck.”
When her movements came to a halt, he opened his eyes again to be met with her smirking, knowing she was driving him insane.
Then she pulled him and she sat down on her bed when she felt the back of her knees brush up against the edge of his bed. She slid her fingers inside the waistband of his pants and held them there. She glanced up at him and drew him forward so he could stand between her open legs. The top of his crotch was almost at eye level with hers, and she could tell by the way he looked and breathed that was all it took to turn him on.
Her fingers slipped further down his waist. She was taken aback by the warmth of his skin, which felt unexpectedly smooth against her fingertips as she moved her fingers further, curving her palms around his waist.
"You're so hot," she said, reaching forward to kiss him around the navel, pushing her nose against his silky skin. "You're so fucking hot, Lucas," she said again. His fingers curled into her hair, stroking her scalp, and she glanced up into his gleaming eyes, the desire engraved into his face.
"What am I doing?" Lucas asked, his voice hazy and airy, his eyes drooping. He was teetering on the brink between truth and imagination.
"You don't have to do anything, Lucas," she encouraged as she drew him closer, her cheek stroking low over his tummy. "This will all be a dream shortly." Then she bit the border of his skin right below his navel. He moaned, and she soothed the area with her tongue, then repeated the action, his hips hopelessly swaying in her hands.
"Ah...that feels so...good..." he gasped, as she lowered her lips, her fingers trailing down, gripping his thick length through the pants. Desire rushed through her veins at the sight of his massive length growing right before her eyes. He was hot, throbbing, and ready, and her mouth went utterly dry.
She located his pants button, then his zipper, and slowly lowered it. With her fingers wrapped around his waistline, she yanked down his trousers, dragging his boxers along with them. Her lips nuzzled low on his belly, brushing lower with each inch of skin she gradually exposed.
Then Lucas' pants fell down.
He seemed to be holding his breath, and the air was thick as he stood naked in front of her, revealing himself in all his splendor.
Looking straight at his long and massive erection, Libby’s heart pounded in her chest. Her body was immediately on fire. She suddenly craved for him to be buried deep inside her. She desired him, all there was to him, and desired to feel, taste, caress, and explore every inch of him.
She glanced up at him, finding him staring at her but not recognizing her, his eyes glazed and so dark. Her heart was pounding and her throat was choked with emotion. She saw him closing his eyes with his mouth agape, a groan spilling from deep inside, as she curled her fingers tightly around his hard length.
"You’re so hard," she whispered, admiring his thickness and the hot, velvety skin against her palm. "I can do this. I have to do this," she murmured, her breath flowing in time with her fingers caressing his skin.
Lucas gasped for air, before he slowly started to thrust into her palm. Desparate for friction. In a few seconds, he succumbed to the hypnotic state that had been trying to suck him in. He tried to shake the sensation away, but when he opened his eyes again, however, he was shockd by Harper's face that had replaced Libby's.
"Harper?" he rasped, surprised.
"That's right. Just think of her, Lucas. It'll make it easier for me to take care of you," Libby said quietly.
And she wrapped her mouth around him.