Note: Dorian, Atlantis, and Atlantis' inhabitants do not belong to me. Selene, Aidan, Kendrick, and Anise are mine. Sexual situations. You've been warned. R/R, please!
Dorian rolled away from the woman beneath him with a contented sigh and a smile. He loved this feeling. The feeling he got after a good tumble with a soft, warm woman. And what a woman this one was.
A heavenly face, with fair eyes that could arouse him with the intensity of a well-placed caress, and lips that did everything he could ask for, before he even asked for them. Long, pale silky hair. Breasts he could fill his hands with, or conversely his mouth. Impossibly long legs that climbed to her best feature.
He loved the female form. It was as though it'd been made to just to please him. Any woman would do – he had no preference for appearance. Just as he would do for any woman. He loved exploring their long bodies. Looking into their faces of pure seduction – whether their faces were plain or ravishing. Legs that could wrap around his waist and hold on through the most turbulent of rides. And what a ride he would give them.
He was a nymph. A powerful warrior; the kind of foe no man wanted. The kind of lover every woman desired. For centuries, he'd pleasured every woman he'd gotten his hands on. As was the way with nymphs, he sometimes had to turn women away, so as not to make an enemy of her current lover. Sometimes, though, he would take whatever woman offered herself to him, be she mated or no. It really depended on how he felt on any particular day.
The life of a nymph warrior was simple: train all day, visit the outer city at night, and take whichever female seemed most appealing. They weren't difficult to find, he just needed to walk a ways and wait to be approached. That was how he'd met this little morsel by his side.
They'd been in bed for three days already. His fellow warriors might be wondering where he'd been, but he couldn't make himself care. He might have been missing training, but he was still engaged in some very vigorous activities. Rough, gentle, soft, hard. She'd taken every combination – everything he had to give – and demanded more.
Pure paradise.
She turned onto her side to stare at him with a contented smile. "Dorian," she sighed. "You're magnificent. Why can't I get enough of you?"
He chuckled. How many times had he heard those exact words, from her or someone else over the years? How blissful it was to be a nymph. "Ah, Laurel. I cannot answer your question. But if you find yourself in need of more of me, just tell me, and I'll happy oblige you."
"Hmm," she murmured, reaching for him. "I might be in need of you right now."
Hmm, he echoed in thought, as he felt his body ready for her again, too. "Whatever you wish, sweet."
xXx
Selene backed away, eyes wide. She might have made a sound, but her breath was caught in her throat. A breath shuddered from her, and was ignored by the people in front of her.
Of course they would ignore her, they were busy paying ample attention to one another.
She tripped over her feet, and nearly fell in the hall. Catching herself on a nearby table, she stood on shaky legs and turned, throwing the door open in front of her, and stumbling outside into the bright sunshine.
She didn't know what to do. Her eyes were overflowing with tears, which she couldn't help but let fall. She stumbled to a tree and leaned her head against it.
She was going to be sick.
Oh, gods. What could she do? She glanced back at the house, realized that the proximity was too much – did she just hear a moan? – and ran. She didn't stop running until she'd reached her brother's house.
She banged on the door, until it swung open. Kendrick looked shocked to find her standing at his door, doubled over as if in pain and sobbing.
His dark eyes – eyes identical to hers – looked past her, as if to assess if she was being pursued. Then his gaze ran over her body quickly, looking for injury. His mouth thinned in worry and fear.
Kendrick was her older brother. He'd practically raised her after their parents' deaths. He'd been the one to teach and protect her, until she'd been old enough to leave his home. Even then, he was never far.
"Selene?" he said, in shock. "What happened? Are you unwell?"
She just collapsed into his arms, sobbing like a newborn child. He held her, murmuring soothing sounds in her ear, and rubbing circles on her back.
He helped her inside, and sat her down, waiting for her to calm.
"What happened, Selene? I've never seen you like this."
She finally looked up. His face was so concerned that she instantly felt bad for not explaining herself sooner. He probably thought someone had died. They had so many friends in common that something could have happened to any of them, and he might not have found out about it before her. She should not have allowed him to worry so.
But how could she have explained when she couldn't even speak?
"I-I went to Aidan's house," she gasped.
"Alright," Kendrick said patiently. "And then what?"
"I had food, and," she paused to gulp some air. Kendrick put and a hand on her back, and rubbed a soothing circle. "I'd wanted to…surprise him with supper. But I walked in and found him with a…a woman." She broke down again.
"What?" he said, his eyes narrowing. He was protective of her, and he wouldn't like this insult to her. Especially when he'd never liked Aidan in the first place, but simply tolerated the man his sister loved.
"They were in bed," she sobbed, dropping her head into her upraised hands. "He never touched me like that."
In fact, he hadn't touched her at all. He told her he loved her and smiled cheerily in her presence, but he never even tried to make love to her. Never even acted like he wanted to. All she ever got were chaste kisses on the cheek, most of which led her to believe that he might not be interested in females at all.
Well, there goes that theory, she thought bitterly. He'd been very interested in that woman, whoever she was. He'd been very deep inside her as well. Of course he'd have no inhibitions with her, but be nothing but the annoyingly perfect gentleman with me.
But there was no of course about it. He'd never given her any indication that he was interested in other women, just as he gave no indication that he was interested in her.
"He never deserved you," Kendrick started, bringing her out of her thoughts. "You're too vibrant for him."
"I don't feel vibrant," she grumbled, wiping away what seemed to be the last of the tears. "I feel stupid."
"Who feels stupid?" a female voice asked.
Selene looked up, and her gaze collided with Anise, her brother's mate. The woman took one look at her, and rushed over. "What happened?"
Selene repeated the story – albeit more calmly than the first time.
"He's the stupid one, if he could let you go." Anise smiled down at her. "What you need is something to take your mind off all of this." Standing, she walked to a nearby table and returned with parchment and a writing stone. Offering her a smile, she wordlessly passed them to Selene.
Selene knew what her sister wanted her to do. Song writing was how sirens dealt with overwhelming emotion. Something about thinking of lyrics and melody was enough to dissolve the pain away, even if those lyrics and melody revolved around whatever caused the bad feeling in the first place.
Picking up the stone, Selene closed her eyes and readied herself to pour all her emotions onto the parchment on her lap.