A/N: Still not getting paid. When they came back to the living room, Audrey was curled up next to Nathan. When Audrey smiled at her, Mara hesitantly smiled back.
If Duke loved them this much, he must have a reason.
Mara sat on the couch next to Duke, folding her hands in her lap. She glanced at Nathan.
"I- okay, look, Nathan. I haven't been as fair to you as I probably should have. I've been judging you from my own point of view. But humans aren't like me. Hell, most of my own people aren't like me. I can see your point, a little. The same face comes back over and over, most people are going to be confused. You were less afraid with Sarah because part of you did know you'd get home, and Sarah and Audrey acted a bit similar sometimes. It was a way to get what you wanted without having to deal with the ramifications if Audrey didn't love you back.
"Intellectually, I understand where you were coming from. You had no way of knowing I was trapped under those personalities. It's... easier to be angry with you than it is to be angry with myself. Because when I realized that what I saw in your eyes was about Audrey, not me, I felt stupid. Naive. Frustrated. Sad. So fucking sad I couldn't stand it. Even trapped, I was always proud that I was smart. Realizing how stupid I really was- it hurts."
She looked at Duke, and he was looking at her almost like he was proud of her. She took a deep breath and continued.
"I've been hurting you back since I got free, but that single issue still haunts me. So when you brought it up, asking why I was mad at you... I reacted poorly and I knew how to make you hurt, too. I meant what I said- the one hit I took for free. I was desperate to get some kind of reaction from you. To make you acknowledge me. It was a free shot. And I was glad when you tried to hit me again, because I finally had a right to hurt you back. I've watched you beat on Duke all this time, and he took it. I wanted to hit you. I keep hearing your voice in my head, the things you said to me when I was Sarah and then you calling me pathetic and evil. I must be pathetic, because it still hurts.
"Even if you can't understand, you should know that every single day has been torture for me. I'm so angry, and sometimes I think that's all that's holding me together. I wish Audrey wasn't going to remember these things, but I can't fix that, either. But you can ask her, because she remembers enough already- I only understand pain. Everything else is foreign to me. 99% of the times I've trusted, I was used."
She crossed her arms, hugging herself.
"Just be good to her, and to Duke. Stop hitting him. If he's your best friend, then act like it."
She stood, going to get some water. Duke caught her hand to stop her. "Where are you going?" His voice was even and level, but she was emotionally raw, and she froze, searching his face. She thought she was done being a hostage, that he trusted her, even liked her. Why the restraining hand now?
"I was going to get a drink." Her reply was soft and hesitant.
"I'll get it. Sit down. Tea or water?" He stood to face her as he asked, the gap between them very small. He leaned in to whisper in her ear, still holding her hand. "You just started talking. Don't shut down now."
Mara sighed, whispering back. "I don't know how to do this, Duke. I don't usually deal with... people."
"You're doing fine. And you have been sick. I told you, you've got to learn to let me help you."
She straightened her spine, nodded and sat back down. "Water, please."
She sat in silence for a few moments. Just as she was about to speak, Nathan's phone rang. She relaxed a little, studying Audrey.
Until she realized who Nathan was talking to.
She could tell almost immediately as she saw Nathan's eyes dart back and forth between Mara and Audrey. Mara jumped up and ran for Duke, almost colliding with him in the small kitchen- galley- she remembered. She grabbed Duke's arm.
"He's talking to my mother! She called him! Oh gods, I should have played nice, I shouldn't have hit him. He has no reason not to sell me out."
He wrapped his arm around her, handing her a bottle of water.
"Shh. Nathan has a few issues, but he won't let her hurt you. Audrey's better now. He has no reason to help that woman."
"I'm sorry. I hate this, I don't want to be weak and clingy. But every time I think of her I just..."
"Panic?"
She shrugged. "Not the word I'd have used. But between you and me... yeah, I guess so."
He gently tilted her chin up so she would look into his eyes. He looked very serious, as though begging her to understand him.
"I will not let her touch you."
"If she finds out abut Audrey or you, you'll be in as much danger as me! I won't let her touch you, Duke. If it comes down to it, you have to hand me over."
"No. Absolutely not. It's not even an option. Come on, let's see what they're talking about." He pulled her into the living room with him, and though she tried, she couldn't keep the distress off her face. She rushed to kneel in front of Audrey, grabbing her hands in her desperation.
Her voice was a hushed whisper. "Audrey, please. I won't do anything to hurt anyone. I'll stay out of your way. Stay away from her, please. If you want me to beg, I will. Don't go anywhere near her. You know why I don't want to go back, but I will, Audrey. I will if it's the only thing that keeps you two safe. But you know why I don't want to go. Nathan won't listen to me, but he might to you." Mara laid her head in Audrey's lap, shoulders shaking.
She felt a hand stroking her hair, and the gentle touch seemed to break something inside her. She felt the crack, and then she was crying, hugging Audrey's waist. "Shh, we won't let that happen. We don't just give in, and we won't start now."
Mara didn't lift her head until the tears were gone, the Aether reabsorbed into her skin. She looked at Audrey with wide eyes, jaw clenched as she looked to Nathan, who was just hanging up. He looked tired.
"What did she say?" Mara whispered.
"That she needs you in order to keep Audrey alive." Nathan looked ill.
Swallow your pride, Mara. Suck it up.
A memory of her time with William in the Barn flared in her skull. Him snarling at her to shut up and just take it. To do her job.
"I'm sorry, Nathan. I'm sorry. Please don't do this. I told you I'll go if it's the only way to keep them safe, but if it doesn't come down to that, please don't. It will never end until I die, and I don't age. That means it will never, ever stop. I can't do this anymore."
He looked pained as he stared down at her splotchy, bruised face. This didn't look like the Mara he'd grown used to. Didn't look like Audrey or Lucy either. Just a girl who was hurt, tired and scared.
"I'm sorry I hurt you. But don't be afraid. We won't let her get you."
Mara rocked back, sitting on her heels. She put her hands over her face.
What the hell had gone wrong? She'd been winning. Slipped the leash, saw the Barn torn to shreds, even gotten control of her own body again. Even her time as their pet prisoner wasn't that bad. They'd been entertaining.
Then Duke ripped Audrey away from her. She didn't even mind that. It was kind of a relief, actually.
But the second she slipped up, let her heart lead her head, she'd ruined everything. Because she couldn't just allow Duke and Audrey to die. Because she was still the stupid little girl she'd always been. If she'd just run, they'd both have died, but she'd be somewhere beyond Charlotte's reach.
Time to grow up, Mara.
She'd chosen differently. Fixed Audrey, saved Duke. Because she loved him. Heart over head. She'd made her bed, and now she had to lie in it.
Although... he'd said he loved her. Duke didn't throw around words like 'love' pointlessly. He kept that locked up and safe, because he was as emotionally damaged as she was. Maybe in this case, growing up meant taking a stand. Figuring out what was worth fighting for other than the pathetic excuse of a life she'd been living.
Maybe growing up meant deciding to put something else before her own desires. Freedom didn't mean much if she was alone, afraid and rejected. There was no home for someone like that. Only places to lay. Home was what she'd felt earlier, watching Duke's eyes through the haze of Aether. Home wasn't just a place. It was love. Something Mara had no prior experience with it, but she wanted to. She wanted to feel complete.
She stood on shaking legs, and took a deep breath. She didn't even bother with the mask anymore.
"I want... to be better. I don't want to hurt all the time, to lash out at anyone who gets near me. I don't want to feel like this. I don't want to be constantly looking over my shoulder, afraid of what my mother or William will do to me next. I won't stand back and make you guys lab rats on my behalf." She glanced at Duke, blushing. "I want to be who I am when I'm with Duke. I didn't create the Troubles, but I can help you do something Momma can't- together, we can stop them.
"Momma isn't gifted. She can't use Aether. It doesn't recognize her. So maybe there's a way to stop her. Even Thinnies that I personally locked, I can't unlock. I wasn't trying to go home. I was just trying to get the Aether I needed to help Duke, and thankfully there was enough Aether to fix them both. I didn't want you to die, Audrey. I hated you because I hate myself.
"This isn't your problem, so I won't ask you to get involved. If they can't get any more samples from Audrey, as long as she doesn't always look like superwoman, Momma- Charlotte- should assume the deterioration just plateaued. She may get curious about Duke if some local tells her about his family, but I have faith in his ability to dodge her. He's smarter than everyone else here combined. "
Duke pressed his hand to her lower back, stroking gently.
"Mara, I'm offering to help. I hate what happened and I want you to feel safe."
"He's right, this situation is horrible. I'm with you."
Mara held her hands up. "Nobody needs to pity me, nobody owes me. I know I hurt you. My mother is my responsibility, not yours. I understand you feel like you have to save everyone, but I'm a big girl and you don't have to save me."
Nathan stood, facing Mara. She'd dropped her hands to her sides and she faced him, standing straight as ever. She looked tired and ill, but like Audrey, she remained unbent and appeared strong, even sick and bruised. She didn't flinch as he approached her, just watched him with a strange expression; sadness mixed with recognition, regret and even sympathy.
"We don't help people just because we have to. We do it because we want to. We got off to a bad start. Doesn't mean it has to stay bad."
"I'm sorry I hurt you. Sorry I said things to hurt you. Sorry about all of it."
He smiled slightly, cocking his head a little to look at her face. "Guess we've both done things we're not proud of. We could dwell on that- I've tried, Duke knows- or we can try to do better going forward."
Her gaze turned speculative. "What are you saying?"
"I'd like to start over. I don't want to live in the past anymore."
Mara stared into his eyes, trying to read him. Trying to understand him. Trying to understand herself, to sort through her emotions and decide what she really wanted.
"Where I come from, there's an old... I guess you guys would call it a spell. It's very rarely used. When the Target makes the oath, there's no way they can actually lie to the person they've made the oath to. Well, they could lie, but they really wouldn't want to. When the Target lies to the oath-holder, it's immediately obvious. Not to the other people around them, only to whoever they've made the oath to."
She set her jaw, furrowed her brow and clenched her fists.
"I want to take the Oath. To the three of you. Nobody else. I want you to have proof when I tell you the truth. I want you to be able to believe completely. If you're willing to try to help me after everything that's happened, then you've earned it."
"Mara," Audrey interrupted, "you don't need to do this."
"I do. For all of you and for me. I don't want to worry that you don't believe me. This will save a lot of time."
Before anyone could react, Mara was speaking quickly, foreign words running together until all they could understand were their own names and Mara's.
The air felt heavy, like a thick fog surrounding them. Sparks like lightning surrounded them, the image of the Maze flaring brief but bright enough to leave its imprint on their eyes, and as quickly as it started it stopped, leaving the room exactly as it had been. Nathan and Mara both sat back down, and then Duke started the interrogation.
"What did you just do, Mara? What do you mean by it being obvious when you lie?"
"I made the Oath. It doesn't mean I have to answer everything you ask- I won't give up my free will- In those cases I will tell you that I don't want to discuss something. But if I outright lie to you, you'll see it. It also gives me impetus not to lie to you. I can show you."
She pulled off Duke's button-up, leaving her arms bare, the Maze still visible on her wrist. "Ask me questions."
Audrey was staring at her, squinting. "Did you start the Troubles?"
"No."
Nothing happened.
"Is your name Mara Cross?"
"No. It's Mara Crossen."
Nothing.
Nathan went next. "Do you want to start over with us?"
"Yes."
Again, nothing happened.
Duke was giving her that look again, like he was peeling back her skin to look inside her. "Mara, are you in love with me?"
Son of a bitch. He could have picked an easier lie. Like if she liked clowns. But Duke, Duke never did anything the easy way. She clenched her jaw and sighed, holding her arms in front of her where they could see.
"No."
As the word left her mouth, there was a burst of bright light, and they saw a black slice appear on her arm above the Maze. A drop of blood ran down her skin before the slice closed, leaving a puckered pink scar.
Mara grabbed a tissue and calmly wiped the blood from her arm as they stared at her, aghast. She was embarrassed, but it had been her idea to demonstrate. She had made the Oath knowing the consequences, and truly, if it meant they would trust her, it was worth it.
Audrey looked deeply disturbed. "It hurts you?"
Mara shrugged. "Only if I lie."
"You should have told us. That's unfair."
"I have the right to tell you I don't want to answer anything I want. In a crowd, if, say, we were with a bunch of people and I had to lie, only you three would see the light. I haven't sworn to anyone else, so I can lie to anyone else with impunity."
Nathan was deep in thought and he did a double-take that almost made Mara laugh. "That means you really want to start over, even with me?"
"Yes, I do."
"Have you forgiven me for everything about Sarah and you?"
"No, but I'm trying. I understand it from a certain standpoint, and I'm trying to make the rest of myself understand it. I'm trying."
"So you are in love with me?" Duke asked.
She threw away the bloody tissue and put his shirt back on, crossing her arms. "I'd really rather not discuss that right now, Duke."
"Can we discuss it later?"
"Yes, Duke."
Audrey interrupted him again. "Are we bound to you the same way?"
"No. I made the Oath, it was a personal decision. You can't force it on someone else."
"How do we do it for you?"
Mara shook her head. "I don't want you to. I think I need to learn to trust without a net. If I fall, I fall. Besides, I don't even know if humans can do it. Obviously you can, Audrey, but I don't know that it would work on Nathan and Duke."
"It's not really fair for you to do that for us, and have to trust us blindly." Audrey insisted.
"Look, maybe it's selfish, but honestly, if you guys decide to hand me over, I don't want to know ahead of time. I don't want that dread. I'd rather pretend everything is okay until it just isn't. I have't experienced a lot of peace, and I'd rather just enjoy it while I can."
Gods this was embarrassing to discuss. For a moment, she wished for the chains and the hold, the whiskey in mason jars talking to Duke. When they feared her, but Duke kept talking to her out of morbid curiosity or sheer loneliness.
Then Duke's arm went around her, pulling her close to his side, and she didn't miss the chains at all. She twined her fingers with his, resting her head on his shoulder. Gods, she was tired. The pills Duke had given her made her a bit less restrained, and she didn't feel anxious as she cuddled against Duke. She had to get used to honesty with them.
"I need to face her myself. If she wants you to bring me in, Nathan, I... I trust you to bring me to talk to her. But just to talk. I won't let her take me again. She's less dangerous separate from William, but she made William what he is, don't forget that. "
Nathan looked uncomfortable. "There's a chance she's gotten involved with Dwight. He's the one who provided her the Aether that she's been using."
Mara looked green. "That's... I'd say sick, but for Momma, it's pretty typical. The boy I showed you, the one she was having William torture? That was the start of the Hendrickson Trouble. She developed that herself, it was't even William's idea. And now she's screwing him? It only makes sense from a power standpoint. He could get the Aether, she knows you won't hurt him. He has to hear her say who she is, he won't believe anyone else."
Mara turned her face into Duke's shirt, breathing him in while she tried to think of a plan. "If we set up a time to see Momma, do you think you can get Dwight in the same place, so he overhears her?"
"Mara, you tell me when and where and I will make sure to get him where you need him. Don't worry." He turned his head to kiss her hair, running his fingers up and down her side.
She nodded. "Nathan, may I use your phone. Please?"
Nathan handed it over silently. Mara put it on speaker and dialed, reaching for her spiteful, bored tone.
"Dr. Cross."
"I heard you want to see me,"
"Dove. Nathan found you quickly."
"Small town, word spreads. What do you want, Momma?"
"I need to see you. Audrey is sick and she needs your help."
Mara shot an apologetic look at Audrey, slipping Duke's shirt off again, just in case. "Why should I care?"
"Oh Dove, we both know it's your nature. You've always wanted to help people."
Mara clenched her jaw and closed her eyes. "I don't care what happens to Audrey."
Light flashed and another cut opened on Mara's arm, closing quickly again.
Duke moved with his usual agility, carefully wiping the blood from her arm.
"Mara, you need to come back. You know how important my work is."
"Your work? You mean the experiments you've been running on this town? The ones you let them blame on me?"
"I let you take credit for them, Mara. You'll be a hero when you come home."
Mara thought hard for a moment. "A hero?"
"I need you to help bring William back, Mara. Just bring him back, we'll take our information and you can go home. To your father."
"Do you mean that?" Mara sounded hopeful.
"Of course I do."
Mara grimaced and said, in a sweet, hushed voice, "I believe you."
Again the light, again the blood.
"When do you want to see me?"
Charlotte sounded like she was smiling. "What about 10:00 tomorrow morning?"
Mara looked at Duke who nodded.
"Yes, Momma. I'll be there."
"You're a good girl Mara. You're not built for running and hiding. You need to be looked after, or people will take advantage of you. They can never love you, you know that. You're too different. They can only fear you."
"I know." Mara whispered, but there was no light this time. No blood. She believed what she was saying this time.
Mara shut the phone off, tossing it back to Nathan as she sat back, looking tired. "We have to be there at 9:30 if she expects us at 10:00. Can you do that, Nathan?
"Of course. Are you okay?"
"I'm f-" she caught herself before the word left her mouth. She pulled Duke's shirt back on as she continued. "No. I'm... worried. About seeing her. About Audrey and Duke. About William. That she's right about me. I'm something to be feared, not loved."
Duke gently held both her shoulders, forcing her to face him. "That's not true. Don't let her determine your worth."
Mara stood and began pacing. 3 steps each way, over and over.
"But she's right! My Gods, you kept me in chains until what- 2 days ago? Look what I can do!" She turned to face them. Her eyes blazed like fire as thunder rumbled ominously. She stood, her hands out as the Rouge rocked when the waves picked up and they heard rain falling. Mara was still overloaded with Aether, and her crazed fear and loathing fueled her further. Black tears rolled down her face as she hiccuped and laughed maniacally, the tears seeping back into her skin with no Target or Intent to guide them.
She was out of control, and too overwhelmed to stop herself. She wondered if she'd burn herself out, overload and finally just die.
Suddenly Duke was in front of her, and he took her hands, pulling her forward and kissing her.
The kiss was insistent, as powerful as the storm outside, but she felt her soul rock like the ship and the thunder and rain tapered off as her arms came up around him, kissing him back. For a moment she felt the strangest sensation, as though her body actually believed they could become one, that she didn't have to be a damaged pawn in someone's sick game. It took her a long time to understand what the feeling was, because she hadn't felt it since she was a small child.
Pandora's Box had been opened, all the horrors of the world surrounded her life; but the box wasn't empty, and she finally recognized the feeling for what it was. The last thing left in that legendary box, the thing that kept the worlds spinning even with the evils running around.
Hope.
Hope was what filled her when Duke kissed her. Hope and a desperate longing, a strange wish to be small enough to curl up in his chest and live there, listening to his heartbeat. She sobbed into his mouth and he wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight against him. When she finally pulled back to catch her breath, he whispered fiercely, no room for argument in his tone.
"She's wrong. You are loved. You have to know that I'm not afraid of you, Mara. We talked about this. I don't give a shit if you can manipulate the weather. I don't care if you can use Aether. Mara, when it came down to the line, you saved Audrey. You can say all day that you did it for me, just because I asked you; but I saw you when you saw how sick Audrey was. When you saw she was suffering, you fixed her because you didn't want her hurting. That wasn't about me. It was about you having a big fucking heart.
"It's the same reason you were so pissed at Nate. Because you were hurt, and you can't be that hurt unless you've loved. Please, if you don't trust yourself, trust me. I have no reason to lie to you. None. You know that. Don't let that bitch get in your head, Mara. She doesn't know you. She only thinks about what she tried to make you. The fact that she failed is proof that you're got a huge heart. Most people, Mara, even strong ones, they would never have lasted ten years, nevermind 500. And you still care. Somehow you still give, even free from the Barn and the personalities."
He rubbed her back gently. "There's one more big way I know this. Someone once told me you can't really love someone unless they love you back. And you know I love you, so I know, I know without a doubt, that you love me. So we're going to pin that bitch to the wall, Mara. We'll put her somewhere she can never hurt anyone again."
She took a deep, shuddering breath as she looked into Duke's eyes. They held no pretense, no agenda. He didn't want anything from her.
Duke didn't need a fancy incantation to make his words his oath.
She nodded, the tear tracks drying on her face. "Thank you. And I do love you, but I already said that, huh?" She fidgeted when she got nervous, just like Audrey.
"That's something I'm not sure I could hear too much of."
Mara glanced anxiously at Audrey and Nathan. It was comical, really. If they'd been cartoons, Nathan's jaw would have been on the floor, eyes bugging out of his head, a strange mix of shock, curiosity and hesitation. Audrey would have been floating 4 feet above the loveseat, hands clasped against her chest and a grin that couldn't stop. You could practically hear a 'squee' emanating from her.
Audrey danced over to them as soon as they looked at her, an arm going around each of them. Mara's first group-hug. It took her a second to catch on, but she put her hand on Audrey's back, squeezing. It felt strange, being so close to another her that it made her jittery, shivers running up her spine.
"I'm so, so proud of both of you. You've both changed and grown up so much." Audrey smiled broadly. "I'm so happy for you both. And Mara? Consider this my first official 'I told you so'.
Mara hadn't seen him move, but then Nathan was next to Audrey. "She's right. Congratulations. Just treat each other well. I can see you're happy, and I'm glad. I can't think of another woman I'm trust him with- or a guy I'd trust with you. Congratulations."
Nathan shocked her by hugging her, and then he hugged Duke. Audrey had just hugged Duke and ran around Nathan to Mara, throwing her arms around the other woman.
Their skin touched and everything froze; the room felt filled with static electricity. Both women's eyes shone; Mara's her signature gold-specked red and Audrey's blue with gold. Neither men knew about Audrey's new abilities. Nathan stepped back up a half step automatically.
As they touched, they spoke as one, intonation, volume and cadence precisely the same. The only difference was the timbre. Mara's voice was slightly lower.
"Some laws are older than man. The gods judge man by their deeds and their weaknesses. Some bonds cannot be hindered by time or distance and nothing overcomes that union. That is the only true bond. Love conquers all."
Both of their eyes turned a matching violet, they shook for a moment and when they were able, they stepped away carefully, both confused.
Join the team.
Nathan gained his speech first, and he said, "What just happened?"
Mara was looking at her hands, trying to understand. "I don't know. It could have been any number of physical or paranormal issues, but I swear I didn't hurt her or do anything on purpose. We've had physical contact since Audrey got well and sometimes it felt... charged, like lightning, but nothing like this."
"But a couple things did change, Mara. The Oath, the talking. Forgiveness and acceptance. Maybe just believing. And it must be be like one of the twin things where they do the same things or say the same thing at the same time. We were one person who suddenly split into two. That's pretty much the definition of 'twin'. I wonder if it's every time we touch or only sometimes. Want to check?"
"We... may as well, I guess." Mara held her hand out tentatively and Audrey took it in her own. Nothing at all happened.
Both women considered, the men trying to come to grips with what they'd just seen, still looking like they's just suffered severe head trauma.
"I may have an idea, but I'd feel better if Duke and Nathan sat down. You guys look like you're about to fall over."
The men sat, staring in fascination.
"This is just a theory, but I think... I think our souls opened to each other. Audrey is her own person, but she's still something that was ripped from me. I cover the cracks with other things, but I think maybe when we were both open and happy and we made contact, our spirits recognized the missing pieces and fused for a moment. The one thing I'm pretty sure of is that Momma put me in that Barn for more than the one or two reasons she said. If we were born with this power, we'd have been a danger to her and her plans. Ripping parts out and keeping me from being whole would have given her a huge advantage. If we wanted to try and practice- I don't even know what we would be capable of."
Mara ran a hand through her hair."I'm absolutely not suggesting we recombine. I prefer for us to be different people. But if something truly terrible happens, it could be a big advantage. Something to consider. Working in sync, together."
She looked at Audrey cautiously. "Did you mean that, the twin thing? You'd equate yourself to me that way?" She looked doubtful. "Most people would be insulted to be compared with me like that."
Audrey cocked her head, looking back at Mara. "Most people don't know the stories about you are lies."
Mara laughed mirthlessly. "Most people don't care. They just want someone to blame. My guilt or innocence has had no bearing on that so far."
She sat next to Duke again, wondering if she could hold his hand. She cautiously stroked a finger along his hand and his fingers closed around hers. The feeling of relief was so strong that she thought her ribs might break open, and she squeezed his hand, smiling.
Audrey broke the thoughtful silence.
"We should be going. We'll be here early so we can be at her office by 9:30. We should give you guys some privacy, it's time for dinner anyway."
Dinner? Had it gotten that late? But...
"Wait, wait- what do you mean we. No we. You can't go near her until everyone knows what she is. You have no idea what she's capable of."
"Relax. I won't be driving with you. Duke and I will stay in another car outside. We're going to put a wire on you, Mara. Record everything so all of Haven knows by noon." Audrey grinned, and Mara couldn't argue- it was a pretty good plan. Charlotte wouldn't expect her to be working with Audrey and Nathan.
"Fine, I'll do what you want, but only as long as you're both safe. That's paramount. Please promise me." Mara stared seriously.
Duke eyed Mara carefully, nodding slowly. "I give you my oath." He had been appraising her, finding the exact thing to say to her to allay her fear.
"I give you my oath." Audrey repeated,
Nathan nodded. "Don't worry. I'll make sure they're safe,"
Mara believed him completely, but she wondered if his statement had a double meaning; That he'd keep them safe from her, too, if she was the danger.
She hoped it did.
Mara's rigid posture relaxed once the door shut and she was alone with Duke again. She felt like she'd been run over by an 18-wheeler. The Aether-shock was still strong, and it had been exhausting even sitting and talking to them.
Not to mention the fight and the 'psychic talking twin' display.
Eh, could have been worse.
She shrugged and Duke's hands went to her shoulders, nimble fingers massaging her tight muscles.
"Are you hurting?" he asked as he steered her toward the couch, still rubbing her neck.
"If I say no are you going to keep rubbing?"
Duke laughed loudly. "Awesome. I'm so glad the devious part of you wasn't part of the act too. Clever enough to get what you need without lying." They sat sideways, his leg against the back of the couch as she sat against his leg, close enough to feel his chest touch her back when he inhaled.
Mara smiled, turning her face to kiss his hand as she shrugged. "A girl's gotta make a living."
He leaned over to whisper in her ear, his hands sliding a bit further down her chest as he rubbed.
"You hungry?"
"Not for food."
He hummed in her ear, making her shiver noticeably. "Well, What are you hungry for?"
"You just want to make me say it."
"Maybe. Maybe I want you to say it a hundred times." His low, rumbling voice made her heart race.
"Why?" Mara breathed.
"Because I love the way it feels." His mouth moved closer, just a centimeter from her ear.
Oh. That she could understand. "I want you."
"Say it again." he growled,taking her earlobe in his mouth and biting gently. His facial hair gave her goosebumps.
She gasped. "I want you."
Duke's hands came around her, cupping her breasts as he kissed her neck. She didn't need prompting now.
"I need you, Duke."
His hands moved, pulling his shirt from her, tugging her tank top up and over her head so he could press his hands to the skin of her ribs, fingers brushing against her breasts as he kissed the top of her spine.
"Please, Duke." Mara wasn't sure exactly what she was asking him for, but she felt a desire so overwhelming it was almost painful. She turned, kneeling on the couch to face him. She pulled his shirt off and wrapped her arms around his neck, her breasts pressing against his warm skin. She kissed him, nipping his lip. His answering moan resounded in every cell in her body and she pressed even closer, holding him tightly.
His hands slid up her back, into her hair, tilting her head to deepen the kiss before he stroked back down,slipping under the fabric of her leggings to squeeze her ass. She moaned against his lips as he pushed her leggings and panties down her legs to her knees, and as she stood to pull them the rest of the way off, he unbuttoned his fly, standing to pull his pants off.
He sat back down on the couch again and Mara stood staring at him, enraptured.
He was the single most beautiful thing she had ever seen; perfect and comfortable with his body and hard for her. It was a dizzying thought.
Mara stepped forward, kneeling with her legs on either side of his thighs, pressing herself closer to him. His hands slid down over her and between her legs, stroking curious fingers over her and inside her. He pressed two fingers of his left hand into her and rubbed her with his right hand.
Oh gods, it felt too good, she was so close, but she still needed.
"I love you, Duke.' Mara whispered against his lips.
In half a second his fingers were pulled out of her and he pushed her down onto himself, still rubbing her with his other hand.
It was too much, a rush of sensation; he filled every crevice of her and she clenched around him, crying out as his clever fingers pushed her over the edge. She could feel herself pulsing around him, unable to control her body as she came around him, rocking hard against him.
She pressed down harder, pushing him deeper into her as she moved, grinding.
As she had that morning, she let his body lead her. She knew how to move by watching his face and listening to him. When she rose and pushed down, his head dropped back, giving her perfect access to suck and lick at his pulse. When Mara pushed down hard and rolled her hips, her thrust up into her. When she tightened her muscles and pulled up, digging her fingers into his shoulder, he groaned, his jaw clenched.
When she understood what he liked, she moved faster, her own body responding to him. She was moaning, and his arm went around her waist as he moved one hand between them again, stroking slowly when he found that tight ball of nerve endings. He kissed her as she cried out, taking the sounds into his own mouth as he jerked up unto her. A low wail broke from her, and he thrust up and rubbed as she came again, tight around him.
Suddenly, though she hadn't felt the movement, he was on top of her, pulling one of her legs higher, adjusting his angle as he drove into her, panting and gasping her name. She pulled at him, scratching, digging her nails into his skin. She wasn't coming down, only being driven higher, and she cried his name, her voice screaming that she loved and wanted him; no lights and no cuts, just someone shouting her love for him, and his body went taut, jaw clenched as he pressed his cheek to hers, warmth spreading through her.
It was perhaps the most honest moment of her life. Until she said, without thinking, "I trust you."
Again, there was no light and no blood, and this time he sobbed into her mouth, She'd given him something nobody else had; absolute love and acceptance.
