As the night continues, Bo learns some important news. Enjoy!

Chapter 8

Alistair had indeed filled the fridge with all kinds of tasty things for them, and before long, they sat down at the table to enjoy their dinner. The setting was peaceful, almost domestic, and Bo found herself getting lost in a fantasy where she and Lauren led a quiet life, far away from the fae. But of course, it wasn't that easy. Why could things never be easy?

Lauren was watching the brunette, who seemed to have zoned out and was poking around in her food. "What's the matter?", she asked gently. "Are you okay?"

Bo sighed and put her fork down to take Lauren's hand. "I was thinking how happy being here with you makes me", she replied, entwining their fingers. "And how much I wish we could just stay in this apartment forever and hide from the crazies. But I know this little bubble of happiness will only last until morning, and then…?" She looked up and gave the blonde a weak smile. "I've been running for over ten years, and I'm so tired of it."

Lauren squeezed her hand. "I understand. I'm so sorry you had to go through all that for so long, and all alone."

Bo lifted Lauren's hand and placed it on her cheek. "It was okay, you know… for a while. I learned to ignore the fact that I left behind a trail of dead bodies, wherever I went. And eventually, I kind of accepted the fact that I'd be fleeing from myself for the rest of my life. But now…" She looked up. "I can't run anymore, Lauren. For my own sake and yours. Besides, the bond doesn't leave me a choice", she added with a shrug.

Lauren bit her lip. "Because it ties you to me", she concluded with a thoughtful nod.

"And you to me. We can't run off together either, because now that the fae know of my existence, they would never leave us alone, would they?"

Lauren shook her head. "Not likely, no."

"I don't want that kind of life anymore. Not for myself, and certainly not for you. Besides, I don't want to leave Kenzi behind. I've only known her for a few weeks, but she's… special to me. Like a sister. And I owe her so much already."

Bo paused, as she caught Lauren's gaze. It showed sadness. And guilt. "Lauren, this is a good thing", she added emphatically. "It may sound contradictory, but the bond gives me more freedom than I ever had before. It's like I finally have a purpose… and a home", she added with a little smile.

"Me too", Lauren said, squeezing her hand.

She was smiling, but something in her tone garnered Bo's attention. Lauren sounded nostalgic and… sad?

"What do you mean?", she asked hesitantly. "I thought, this city was your home… I mean, you've been working for the Ash for years, right?"

Lauren looked down, avoiding her gaze, and out of the blue, a new thought hit Bo like a freight train. Over the last weeks, she'd been so busy connecting with her succubus and hiding from the fae, that she never questioned the doctor's business with them.

"Wait a minute", she added. "How is it you even know about the fae? Ali said they've been keeping themselves hidden from humans forever… Hell, he didn't even tell one of his best friends what he was, but you…" She interrupted herself, catching the blonde's sad eyes.

Getting up from her chair, she took Lauren's hand and led her to a comfortable couch, where they could sit next to each other. "Honey…? Please tell me what happened", she said.

The doctor sighed. She hadn't thought her past would catch up with her this quickly, but Bo deserved her trust. And the truth.

"Four years ago", Lauren started, "I went to the Congo for Doctors Without Borders. During my time there, a deadly virus broke out, which only affected fae. In the course of my research, I studied these people's physiology and realised they were different from humans. That's when I learned about their existence. I managed to synthesize a cure, after which the Ash approached me with a job offer. So, I came back here."

Bo tilted her head. "I have a feeling that's not all."

"You're right, it isn't." Lauren gave her a weak smile.

The brunette braced herself. She felt it in her gut that she might not like, what was coming next.

"I didn't go alone", Lauren continued. "When I volunteered for the project, I was in a relationship. My girlfriend, Nadia, was a photographer. We were both young and adventurous, and she thought it would be the perfect opportunity for her to create this photo series she'd always dreamed of. So, we went together."

Bo swallowed. Hearing of this girlfriend stung a little, but witnessing Lauren's pained expression was worse. "What happened?", she asked quietly and took the blonde's hand to give it a comforting squeeze.

"Nadia fell ill. The same disease that had afflicted all those fae somehow also affected her, and she fell into a coma." Lauren paused and looked at Bo. "The peculiar thing was, that I'd already made up my mind at that point. I was determined to refuse the Ash's job offer, because I wanted to continue my humanitarian work and stay in Africa." She let out a sad chuckle. "In retrospect, Nadia's illness probably saved my life."

"How so?", Bo inquired.

"After she got sick, I changed my mind. I told the Ash about her condition, and he assured me that he'd have her transported here… that he would cover any and all expenses for her care, and that I'd be allowed to work on a remedy for her, while I was in his service. The offer was too good to be true." She snorted and shook her head. "I was so naïve. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. On the other hand, had Nadia not got infected, I would've turned him down… and most likely suffered the consequences."

Bo tensed. "Are you saying he would've had you killed?"

Lauren shrugged. "Honestly, I'm not sure. But he definitely would've made sure somehow, that I wasn't going to tell anyone about what I'd learned in the Congo." She paused again and chewed on her lower lip. "To this day, I feel guilty about having survived, when Nadia…" Her voice broke, and she swallowed.

Bo pulled her closer and softly kissed her temple. "Shh, it wasn't your fault. None of this was. You couldn't have known." For a few minutes, she held Lauren, who shed a few silent tears.

"What happened to Nadia?", Bo finally dared to ask, even though she feared that she already knew the answer.

"She died", Lauren whispered. "Two years ago, the city was hit by a heavy storm. The power was cut almost everywhere, and through an unlucky coincidence, the emergency generators at the Compound failed. Nadia's pod got damaged, and life support was interrupted. There was nothing I could've done…"

"I'm so sorry", Bo said earnestly and caressed her hair.

Lauren sat back up and smiled weakly. "It's okay, really. In all honesty, I'd made my peace with losing Nadia long before that." She paused, pondering on whether she should tell Bo the whole ugly truth, but finally concluded that she had to. "Sometimes, it just makes me sad, knowing that all these years of deprivation were ultimately for nothing."

"Deprivation?", Bo echoed. "What are you talking about?"

Lauren took a deep breath and exhaled with a long sigh. "Working for the Light hasn't always been easy", she started explaining. "Don't get me wrong, on most days, I love my job. I mean, I get to do research on creatures, whose existence most of my scientist colleagues aren't even aware of. But this whole time in service of the Light, I've been on my own. My contract forbids me to have relationships with other humans, and the fae… well, I think you know what most of them are like. They don't see me as an equal and likely, never will. The truth is, I'm lonely… or I was, until now." She smiled at Bo, and this time, there was no sadness in her eyes.

The succubus returned the smile and leaned in to give her a tender kiss. "I'm with you now. And I'm not like most fae."

"I know", Lauren whispered and caressed Bo's cheek with her thumb.

Closing her eyes, the brunette leaned into her touch. She could feel Lauren's pain… all the suffering she had to endure over the last years. It made her heart heavy, but she wanted to be strong for the doctor. She couldn't imagine what working for the fae really meant, especially as a human. But even though she knew that they were a difficult bunch, something about the way Lauren talked about her job disturbed Bo.

She opened her eyes and was met with the blonde's loving gaze. "Lauren, can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"Why did you stick around? After Nadia passed away, I mean. If you were unhappy with your job, why did you stay? Didn't you ever… you know, think about quitting?" Lauren frowned uncomprehendingly, so Bo decided to elaborate further. "I know it wouldn't be as easy as quitting Starbucks, because you know about the fae and all that. But you've been working for the Ash for years. Don't you think he'd cut you some slack if you told him you wanted out?"

"Bo, I… can't." Lauren kept forgetting, how new Bo was to all this. She had no idea…

"I know, I know, you're insatiably curious", the brunette said, smiling at the memory of their first encounter. "But you could be a scientist anywhere. I mean, you're insanely smart, anyone would employ you, right?"

"Maybe", Lauren admitted carefully. "Bo, there's something I haven't told you yet. About the relationship between fae and humans." The brunette's smile faded, and a foreboding frown creased her forehead. But she remained quiet.

"When I said contract", Lauren continued, "I didn't mean a regular work contract other people have with their employers. It's more like a non-disclosure agreement, which mostly exists to prevent me from leaking any information about the fae to the human world." She paused to look at the brunette. "I don't have a regular work agreement, because the fae don't employ humans. They own them."

"W-what?", Bo asked, unable to process what she'd just heard. "How do you mean?"

"When I accepted the Ash's offer, I agreed to become his ward… for life. Which on the one hand means that for as long as I live, I'm untouchable by any fae, Light or Dark. It's the only way humans are allowed to exist amongst them." Lauren shrugged. "The flip side is that I'm not allowed to leave the Compound without the Ash's consent, I don't get paid more than pocket money, and my apartment as well as any food and other life necessities are provided by the Light… For lack of a better word, I'm their servant."

Bo scowled. "Sounds more like you're their slave", she growled, her eyes turning blue. "God, I hate these people and their whole circus with a passion. How can anyone be like this? Don't they know any morals at all?"

Lauren cupped her face with both hands, and immediately, the blue shine faded as the succubus calmed down. "Not all fae are like that, Bo. Think of your friend Alistair. Or Trick."

The brunette deflated. "You're right. Besides, I'm one to talk, right? All these poor souls I killed…" She hung her head. "Talk about double-standards."

"Oh, Bo…" Lauren pulled her into a hug. "That's hardly the same. You had no idea, what you were. It wasn't your fault", she whispered. She knew it didn't bring those people back to life or ease Bo's pain about her troubled past, but that didn't change anything about the fact that it was the truth.

Bo basked in the warmth of Lauren's embrace and let her thoughts drift away. She couldn't shake the unease about the doctor's indentured servitude with the Light. The way the fae looked down on humans angered her… no, it made her furious. Then again, Lauren was right. There were good people, even amongst the fae. Alistair, for example. At this point, Bo was pretty sure that she couldn't even grasp the whole extent of everything he'd done for her. And this Trick fellow seemed to be a decent guy as well, if he shared all those treasures of ancient knowledge with a lowly human.

Still… if Bo ever got her hands on this Ash dude, he would suffer a world of pain for treating Lauren like livestock… or chattel. Goddamn control freak. Wait a minute…

"Lauren?"

"Hm?"

Bo shifted to look at the blonde. "You said you're not allowed to leave the Compound without the Ash knowing, so… how are you here with me? How is the place not swarming with fae cavalry?"

Lauren smirked. "We have Alistair to thank for that as well", she explained.

"Wow", Bo said. "That boy is full of surprises."

Lauren nodded. "He didn't just provide us with the apartment, he also made the necessary arrangements, so that we could be undisturbed for a while."

"How did he manage that?", Bo inquired curiously.

"He contacted me a few days ago, saying that he knew you and that you were ready for us to meet." Lauren's expression turned ironic. "I didn't believe a word of it. I was sure, he'd been sent by someone to lure me into telling him the truth about what happened between you and me."

Bo grinned. "How'd he convince you?"

"He mentioned details only you could've told him. About our meeting in limbo and that I was the one, who'd initiated our first kiss."

"Clever boy", Bo said appreciatively.

"He's extremely resourceful", Lauren agreed with a nod.

"In every sense of the word", Bo added, eyeing the massive apartment. "So, how did he get you out of the Compound?"

"With the help of Hale", Lauren answered, and at Bo's questioning expression added: "Another fae with a good heart. He's a detective, but that's just a cover to blend in with humans. He really works for the Ash. He was one of the two who brought you in, actually."

Bo snorted. "So, let me get this straight. The good-guy detective, who's now helping me, is the very one, who brought me to the Ash in the first place? Which of the two was he? Creepyfangs or Whistleblower?"

Lauren laughed out loud. "The siren", she replied. "His full name is Hale Santiago."

"And the other one?"

"Dyson Thornwood. A wolf shifter – hence the fangs. He's… not as nice. At least not to me. I think he mistrusts me."

"Well, he can fuck right off then. Tell me more about this Hale guy."

"He's loyal to the Ash, just like Dyson, but they're quite different in nature. I think it's because Hale's not too fond of his family, who are a bunch of rich snobs, I hear."

"Ha!", Bo exclaimed. "Just like Ali's then."

"Yes. I think that's why Hale is one of the few people, who knows his whereabouts, but won't reveal them to Alistair's folks."

"Huh. I wonder, why that is."

"I wondered about that, too, but we didn't have much time, so Alistair didn't give me a lot of details. Based on what little he did tell me though, I assume Hale had something to do with his escape. The Santiagos are an old family, just like the Huntingdons, so I guess he gets his motives. In return, Alistair helps Hale out with cases sometimes… His unique abilities come in handy for a detective, as you can imagine."

"I'm actually beginning to like Hale. It's good of him to not rat out Ali to his people. Or me to the fae."

"He is a good man", Lauren confirmed. "And good friends with Alistair. Which is why he never actually told him why he needed me outside of the Compound. Or about you, for that matter."

"Ha", Bo said. "I get it. It would be a conflict of interests for him."

"Exactly. Alistair asked him to feed the Ash a little white lie about needing me for a case, and that was it. Alistair didn't tell him the reason, and Hale didn't ask. He did promise to tell him the truth after all this would be over though."

"Over?", Bo echoed, excitement rising inside her. She'd come here with the express determination to do something about her crazy situation, but didn't have anything concrete in mind – except for the decision to finally stop running. She'd intended to talk it all through with Lauren, confident that together, they'd find a solution. But hearing the doctor's words just now made her hopeful that she already had something up her sleeve. "Are you saying, we have a plan?"

"We do", Lauren answered, then swayed her head from side to side. "But it's going to be risky. And it's anything but waterproof."

Bo flashed her a grim smile. "If it offers us a way out of this gigantic heap of crap, I'm in. What do I have to do?"

"Your part in this is the one that bears most of the risk", Lauren explained. "You have to reveal yourself to the fae. And bow to their rules."

Bo's gaze went fierce. "I figured as much", she stated. "When I decided to stay, I knew that part was going to be one of the biggest challenges I'd face. But that decision is final, so I say, bring it on." She looked at Lauren. "Only question is, how do I do that without getting slaughtered right away?"

The blonde grinned. "That's where Trick comes in. He and I devised this plan together, after Alistair contacted me."

"Why is he helping us?", Bo asked, her tone laced with curiosity.

Lauren smiled. "You'll have to ask him. But believe me when I tell you that we can trust him. It was only thanks to him that I learned so much about the bond. Plus…" She inhaled deeply, both anxious and excited about what she was about to reveal to Bo. "He was the one, who told me something else, that changes… everything."

Bo held her breath.

"There's an ancient fae law, much older than the Ash and even Trick himself. It states that a true bond between a succubus or incubus and their mate overrules any and all previously made ownership claims. Which effectively means…"

"The Ash can't control you anymore", Bo concluded, gobsmacked.

Lauren nodded emphatically. "Our bond directly affects my status with the Light."

"But that's amazing!", Bo exclaimed excitedly. "Why didn't you tell me right away? Let's go to him right now and tell him to fuck off!"

The doctor chuckled softly. "I had a hunch you'd say that, which is why I waited. Bo, it's not as easy as showing up at his doorstep and shoving our bond in his face. Fae politics are complex and full of loopholes. We likely only have one chance, so we have to be smart about this."

Bo sighed, but nodded. "Okay, I'm listening."

"First of all, this is a situation not even Trick has ever encountered, so we're entering uncharted territory. The plan is that we'll stay here until tomorrow morning. Alistair will pick us up at nine and drop us off at the Dal Riata, which is Trick's bar. Over the last few days, he's been negotiating with the Ash about an official hearing, which will include the Ash himself, Trick, you, and me."

"Why Trick?"

"For one, because he'll make sure that we'll arrive in one piece. And secondly, because the Ash… respects him."

"Wow, really? That guy? How come?"

"Honestly, I have no idea. But whenever I've seen the two together in one room, there's been a strange energy between them. I'm guessing there's more to Trick than he likes people to know… but I'm okay with not knowing all the details, as long as he's willing to help us."

"Me too", Bo said. "Alright, so we meet up with Trick, then what?"

"The four of us will head straight to the Ash's quarters at the Compound. That's the risky part – getting through to him without interruptions."

"I bet", Bo snorted, but Lauren shook her head.

"It's not the Ash I'm worried about, it's everyone else. News spread fast amongst the fae – especially the type of news concerning a certain unaligned succubus. The second you reveal yourself, they'll be all over you, so we have to be careful."

"We will be. But it's still the Ash I mistrust the most."

"I know you're not his biggest fan, but I've known him for years. He's one of the most powerful fae I know, and even though his attitude towards humans is questionable, he's way more lenient than any of his predecessors. Plus, he's a sucker for rules. Which means he will likely bow to the law."

"Then why the official hearing? Can't Trick just go there, tell him, and be done with it?"

"Like I said, fae politics are complex. The Ash may be lenient, but he didn't rise to the position as leader of the Light because he was naïve. The fae love to engage in power games. Their entire history is riddled with beguilement and deceit. No different than that of humans, if you think about it." Bo shrugged and nodded. "The bottom line is, he'll likely want some kind of proof that our bond is the real deal, before letting me off the hook."

Bo's jaw dropped. "How on earth are we supposed to prove something like that?"

"That I don't know. I'm guessing he'll consult another fae with unique powers…"

"Like Ali!", Bo exclaimed, but then deflated. "Wait, what am I saying? He can't reveal himself to the Ash. His family would be all over him…"

Lauren nodded. "I'm assuming it'll be someone neither of us know – possibly not even Trick. A neutral third party, if you will." She paused to take Bo's hand. "Like I said, the plan is risky. But it's the best Trick and I could come up with in this short timespan."

Bo smiled softly. "I think it's brilliant. Thank you for doing all that for me… for us."

She leaned in to give Lauren a tender kiss, which quickly turned more demanding, and soon, both women felt the familiar pull. When they parted, Bo gave her a seductive pout and got up, holding out her hand. "What do you say, we bond some more?"

Grinning, Lauren reached out and pulled Bo close. "I say, I've had enough of evil plans and fae politics for one night", she hummed into her lips and then led her growling succubus back to the bedroom.

They made love slowly, tenderly, their bodies melding in a beautiful dance to a melody only they could hear. Over and over, their lips met, while they ground into each other without haste. Blue sapphires intently observed swirls of molten amber, as the succubus came forward to inhale her mate's exquisite chi, and they succumbed to the whirlwind of sensations encumbering both women like a raging hailstorm, carrying them away towards euphoria once, twice, three times, until they finally sank into each other's embrace.

Bo put her head on Lauren's chest to listen to her slowly calming heartbeat, as they both drifted off. The day lying ahead of them was going to be a major turning point in both of their lives, but for now, neither of them thought about that.

Because tonight wasn't about the Ash nor the fae. Tonight was about two women in love.