· x ·
Bo sat on the edge of the bed, shaking uncontrollably. It had taken every last bit of strength she possessed to keep herself standing while she spoke with Lauren. When the doctor had gone, it was all Bo could do to make it back to the bed.
She had no idea how long she had been there, staring at Lauren's cell phone, sweat dripping from her brow. She had known last night that it would come down to this, but for some reason despite how awful she felt Bo couldn't make herself do what she had to.
She had faked the call.
Now she sat with the phone gripped tightly in her sweaty hand, wondering what the hell to do. She honestly had no idea who to call. Dyson was out of the question. Cleo's power made her untouchable, striking her from the list as well. She briefly considered calling Hale, but she had a suspicion that doing so might open a totally different can of worms.
Sluggishly contemplating her options, Bo curled onto her side and closed her eyes.
The first rumble that tore through the compound woke her. The second sent stucco from the ceiling peppering down.
The power snapped off as Bo struggled up, panic flaring in her chest. She slid off the bed and because she couldn't stand erect, she shambled to the door of Lauren's bedroom doubled over, clutching her stomach. Fighting nausea, she descended the stairs hoping to find Cleo lounging in the living room, but the erised was not there.
Bo threw open the door and took a shaky step out into the hallway, where she paused to lean against the wall, gasping for breath.
"Hey! Everything all right?"
Unable to speak, Bo merely shook her head and slid further down the wall, her legs no longer able to support her. It was moments before she felt a strong set of hands grip her underarms to drag her up. When she managed to focus, Bo realized that her benefactor was none other than the head of security, Serena.
"Where is Doctor Lewis?" Serena asked as she hoisted Bo, throwing the succubus' arm across the back of her shoulders so that she could support most of her weight.
"Lab," Bo croaked.
Serena nodded. "One of the ogres will find her then. Can you walk?"
Bo didn't answer. Instead she reached for Serena's hand. The woman drew in a long, pleasured breath as Bo desperately expelled a trickle of power in search of healing.
"I'm sorry," Bo whispered, using a burst of adrenaline to push Serena against the wall. Serena's eyes hooded as Bo kissed her deeply, eliciting a moan. The woman didn't protest as one of Bo's hands found its way up beneath her shirt and the other popped the button of her jeans.
Taking a huge sip of chi from Serena to get a jump start on the healing, Bo was stunned by the more aggressive nature of the security woman. Serena pushed Bo roughly then swung her so that her back hit the wall with a dull thud. Serena's hands were everywhere and her mouth trailed harsh kisses down the length of Bo's neck.
Calloused hands jammed beneath Bo's blood soaked shirt, rucking it up to expose her breasts which Serena promptly paid homage to. Bo leaned her head back against the wall as Serena continued her ministrations. She struggled not to get too involved in the whole process as the woman lifted one of Bo's legs to support it against her hip, allowing her better access.
Staring at a spot on the ceiling, Bo felt her body involuntarily reacting. In an effort to distract herself, she breathlessly asked, "Why were you looking for Lauren?"
If Serena was bothered by the blasé conversation while in the midst of such an intimate act, she didn't show it. "Protocol," she answered between jagged breaths, "When something happens we are to lock down and protect all of our assets. Doctor Lewis is at the top of that list."
"So, what happened?" Nature forcefully asserted itself and unable to fight it, Bo reached out and slipped her hand back inside Serena's pants.
"Bombs," Serena replied. It was becoming increasingly difficult for the head of security to speak; her cheeks flushed red in pleasant contrast to her dark skin. "Two… the smaller one… ah, God, the smaller one inside the compound… the bigger one, fuck, took out the power and backup generators and shook up the central part of the building."
Closing her eyes again, Bo rocked against Serena. Lauren's name ran like a news ticker inside Bo's mind as her body succumbed to the pleasure. She came and Serena kissed her again. Bo took another enormous pull of chi, enough that the woman would likely be a heap on the floor if the two weren't supporting one another. Serena swore in climax and collapsed against Bo.
· x ·
Cleo had been up early. She made her way to the lounge for a cup of coffee and sat staring out the window at the pristine, manicured gardens, her chin resting on a gloved hand. She had been drifting through daydreams when a hand rested on her shoulder. She tensed momentarily before noticing Dyson's reflection in the glass.
"Good morning," he said. "Do you mind if I join you?" He, too, clutched a cup of coffee.
"By all means," Cleo said, relaxing with a genuine smile.
"Did you manage to sleep?"
"Lauren's couch is surprisingly comfortable. I haven't slept that well in probably a month."
"No doubt exhaustion played a major factor," Dyson mused.
"Indeed. It's also an odd sensation to trust your surroundings."
Dyson sat back at that, studying the erised. "I'm sorry, Cleo."
Cleo tilted her head to the side and searched his face. His rugged features gave nothing of his meaning away and she wondered what he could possibly have to apologize for.
He must have seen the question in her expression. "I was unfriendly last night."
"Oh, no," Cleo said, chuckling softly. She sipped her coffee. "You were well within your rights, Dyson. I should have known better than to approach you after such a trying day."
"You were right, though. I haven't been myself for a long time." At her raised eyebrow, Dyson huffed out a breath and continued, "I was once what you'd call a player." He shook his head at the memories of all the fun he'd had as a young wolf.
"Until you met Bo," Cleo supplied, gently prodding him to resume.
"Yes," he said quietly. "She enthralled me and it had nothing to do with her succubus powers."
Cleo listened as he told her about how they had met, how he had been forced by Trick to let her go, how he had been unable to stay away. He even touched vaguely on the nature of his relationship with Lauren and how they had both been vying for the succubus' attention. And eventually he explained how he had come to lose his love for Bo.
His story came to a halt and he shrugged, his gaze resting on the gardens outside the window. "Last night Lauren asked me to heal Bo like it would mean nothing to any of us."
"Ah," Cleo said. "Now I understand."
Dyson raised his eyebrows and snorted derisively. "There's this ghost of a feeling inside me. It's like when you can't remember a name or word and it's on the tip of your tongue. You think if you concentrate hard enough it'll shift to the forefront. It's as if my love for Bo isn't gone, merely… hidden or… or forgotten. Does that make sense? And everything else… everything else is still there. I still get jealous. I still hurt. I remember what it felt like to be possessive…" He stopped, ran his hands agitatedly through his hair. "And Lauren—well, I want Bo to be happy. I do. It's just… Lauren can't take care of her, you know? How could she? She's human."
He frowned deeply at that, as if thinking that way—putting voice to the thought—somehow made him a villain. Cleo reached out and grasped his forearm, leveling him with an unwavering, yet sympathetic gaze.
"I think Lauren is extremely hyper-sensitive to the fact that she isn't an ideal partner for Bo," Cleo pointed out.
The shifter relented, blowing out a breath. "I know," he admitted dejectedly. "And I can see that she is taking every step she possibly can to be less of a liability. I just can't be the go-to guy when she fails."
"I think that's reasonable. And I'd be willing to bet that Lauren knows she made a mistake. Perhaps you should consider talking to her, Dyson. In the meantime, you have to trust Bo to make appropriate decisions."
"But she's bloody reckless," he muttered.
"That recklessness was part of what you loved about her, though, wasn't it?"
"Yeah, I guess you're right," he admitted and then his eyes narrowed as he looked out the window, his coffee raised halfway to his lips. Cleo frowned as his expression darkened.
"What is it?" she enquired.
He pointed to several figures racing across the lawn, toward the compound. "Berserkers," he growled, just as the first explosion sounded in the distance. "They're attacking the goddamned compound!"
· x ·