"When she lowers her eyes she seems to hold all the beauty in the world between her eyelids; when she raises them I see only myself in her gaze."-Unknown

"We have to recognize that there cannot be relationships unless there is commitment, unless there is loyalty, unless there is love, patience, persistence."―Cornel West

The bedroom smelled of Bo. It still relaxed her like it did the first time she set foot in the Succubus Queen's private domain, when Lauren wasn't sure of Bo's intentions, or her own. She could hear the shower and found a trail of clothing to the bathroom, picking up the pieces as she went and dropping them in the laundry sack by the closet. When the water stopped, Lauren was there with a towel to dab her face and dry her body. She took this responsibility seriously, toweling off every inch of the Queen as her eyes twinkled blue.

Bo wandered into the closet and emerged moments later dressed in faux leather pants and a black top with fish scale sequins that hung off one of her shoulders. She sat on the end of the bed as she zipped up her thigh-high boots and Lauren watched the entire spectacle with interest from the doorway to the bathroom. She shook her head in disbelief.

"You're stunning," Lauren said, inexplicably out of breath.

Smiling up at her, Bo dried her hair with the towel. She stood and took three bold strides right into Lauren's personal space. "Can't wait to see what you have in store for me." Bo kissed her cheek and walked past her to the bathroom.

Lauren swallowed. No pressure. She rifled through the closet until she settled on a dress, a little white dress, formfitting and short, there was nothing about it for Bo to dislike. She stripped in front of the hangers and shelves and emerged in the dress that left little to the imagination. She hopped as she stepped into a pair of heels and smoothed the fabric over her hips before venturing into the kitchen. The meals were exquisite. A prosciutto and melon napoleon and assorted antipasto to start, a garden salad with pomegranate seeds and dressing, and chicken piccata with fettucine alfredo. Lauren's mouth watered. Dessert was in the refrigerator, pavlova with fresh fruit. The chef had gone all out.

She shut the refrigerator door to reveal Bo standing behind it, looking at her with fierce intent. She smiled as if to say 'I see what you did there.'

When their food was warm, they sat at the table, Bo at one end and Lauren at her side. She found it ridiculous trying to carry on a conversation from the head of the table, besides, tonight Lauren needed the intimacy. There was a disconnect between her and Bo and it was time for a little damage control. "How are you feeling?" Lauren asked as she sliced into her appetizer.

Bo sipped the Beaujolais. "That depends," she said, licking her lips. "Are you asking as my doctor or my lover?"

Lauren frowned slightly, confused. "The answer would be different?"

"Maybe…"

"Bo, I'm worried about you. You turned down sex, you're tired after a pretty routine ride, you're talking in circles." Lauren chased a piece of melon around the plate. "Did you fall when you were riding? Is there something you're not telling me?"

"Is there something you're not telling me?" Bo asked in response.

Lauren sighed. "This is about Violette, isn't it?" Bo raised her eyebrows and shrugged, chewing her mouthful carefully. She groaned. "It's in the past, how many more ways can I say that?"

"She's making her own little fox den in my tower," Bo replied simply. "She seems pretty present to me."

"Should I ask her to leave? Would that assuage your anger at the situation?"

Bo shook her head. "No, of course not. How would that look?"

"Like you're jealous?"

"We can't have that," Bo said in mock horror.

"Bo, please just tell me what's going on."

"I went to see your friend today." Bo drained her wine glass and poured another. "We had an interesting conversation."

Lauren set her fork down, afraid to hear the rest. "Bo…"

She held up a hand. "No, you wanted to hear this… she loves you, or at least thinks she does. And she's not here for sanctuary. She's here for something else."

"How do you know that?"

"I tasted her intentions."

Lauren's eyes widened. "You took her chi?" she asked. "Is she still…?"

"Breathing?" Bo nodded. "Unfortunately yes, the dreadful woman. Is she what passed for relationship material during the war?"

Lauren adjusted the napkin on her lap. "It wasn't a relationship."

"Oh good, as long as you were just fucking…"

Lauren laughed and pushed away from the table. "You know what?" She stood abruptly. "When you're through judging me, I'll be in the library."

Bo set her fork down and sighed miserably. She had single handedly ruined the evening that she set into motion. It was supposed to be about reconnection and being together and now Lauren was two rooms over, reading a book while her dinner got cold…again.

She got to her feet, replacing her chair neatly at the table, buying herself some time before the inevitable. Adjusting her posture, Bo started down the long hallway, stepping into the library. The walls were lined with shelves that reached the ceiling, books from every century filling the space, a rainbow of history and fiction. Lauren sat on a small chair next to a lamp with a book in her lap.

Bo stood in front of her. "Lauren, please come back to the table."

She didn't look up. "I don't feel very much like eating right now."

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said those things."

"No, you shouldn't have." She licked her finger and disinterestedly turned a page in the book in her lap.

"What can I do to fix this? Just say the word."

"Trust me."

"I trust you."

Lauren looked up at Bo. "Since our evening has already taken a hit, I'm going to gamble and tell you something. Just remember that you trust me and that I am telling you the whole truth."

"Now you've got me worried."

"Violette tried to sleep with me today." Bo didn't wait for Lauren to continue, that was all she needed to say. She spun on her heel and started out of the room. "Shit." Lauren dropped the book onto the floor and jogged after Bo, grabbing her wrist before she made it out the door. "It didn't happen. I didn't let it happen." She turned Bo's chin to face her. "I only want to be with you, Bo. She can try all she wants, but I won't stray. I love you."

Bo took a step forward and kissed her hard. It was a kiss of need and action, of want and possession, it was fiercely guarding her heart, and Lauren was receptive to all of it. She pushed Bo back into the library, tearing at the hem of her sequined top as they stumbled back against a bookcase. Bo grunted as her back hit the shelving, a shower of books raining down on them. Bo covered her head and shielded Lauren from the falling books, all the while fumbling for the zipper on the back of her dress. There was no holding back this time, no tender caresses, no sublime kisses, this was pure animalistic passion, the full force of which Lauren had never felt before.

Bo yanked her dress and it fell to the floor unceremoniously. Pulling the button free and tugging the zipper down, Lauren's hand slipped under the waistband of Bo's pants and pushed them over her ass. Her boots landed with a thud as Bo hastily removed them with Lauren's help, kicking her legs until she was free of the too-tight fabric at last. Lauren's hands wormed under her top, flat palms sliding over her ribs and breasts to her shoulder as she stripped it away.

Embracing her again, Bo pulled Lauren to the antique Victorian sofa at the back of library, flanked by towering bookshelves. She settled in its corner and pulled the doctor against her. The moon was bright tonight, its beams pouring into the only window in the room. A large window, it offered a view of the Outlands-the wasteland that chased them home again-and it framed the upholstered mahogany sofa with moonlight. Lauren's hair was positively ethereal in the white light and her beauty was even more evident.

When Bo made a move to lay her back, she resisted. The frenzy had cooled, but Lauren had not. She slid off Bo's lap and grabbed her by the knees, pulling her to the edge of the sofa cushion and kneeling on the floor in front of her. The lush high-pile carpet was luxurious beneath her and her eyes were wide with wonder as she stared up at the Queen. She was indomitable. Proud and strong, she wore her title even when she wore nothing at all. A spectacle-a sight to see, to be sure-without clothes, Bo knew she was beautiful, she was a succubus after all, but she was shrewdly aware of the consequences of being too much of anything to anyone. She didn't draw jealousy or the ire of her court, simply adoration, even when her formerly bad reputation preceded her. She once ruled with fear but with Lauren a kinder, gentler Queen was born. She was still terrifying to stand before had you broken a law or abused a service of the colony, but chances were you would get to keep your life and that was a definite improvement.

It was a sort of allegory for their relationship as well. Lauren, once the prisoner, her life was spared by the Queen and the tide began to turn in her heart. It wasn't just Lauren that she loved, she loved humanity and all that it brought to the table. Bo tempered her abilities and fed only minimally, she was monogamous with a Human and still she was considered the most powerful Fae.

Her hands were on Bo's inner thighs, guiding her legs apart. Bo was a ticking time bomb having skipped release in the elevator. Her eyes shone blue as Lauren leaned forward and, it was an agonizing moment that stretched on and on before Bo squeezed her eyes shut as Lauren made contact. She cursed quietly and exhaled a shuddery breath.

Lauren took her time, savoring every sound she made, every revolution of her hips, the intensity of her gaze when their eyes connected. Her fingers brushed Lauren's cheek and she closed her eyes, enjoying the connection. And that's what it came down to: the connection between them. Destiny or fate, whatever Bo wanted to call it, Lauren knew in her bones Bo was the one for her simply by the way her chest tightened when Bo looked at her. The fight or flight mechanism was always at work within Lauren and with Bo, as terrifying as she could be, she never felt that way. She felt at home, something she hadn't felt in more than fifteen years. Something she never felt with Violette. Something she never wanted to feel with Violette. She was a diversion, a wake up call for Lauren and now that she was back and wreaking havoc on her future with Bo the fight or flight mode was engaged once again. Except this time she was going to stand her ground and fight for Bo and whatever fate had planned for them in the future.

Bo gripped her shoulders as the furious tempo of her hips reached its climax and Bo moaned, Lauren clinging to her as she rode out the waves of pleasure. She sat back on her heels and watched the Queen come back to herself, the rise and fall of her bosom as her breathing normalized, the glow of her skin, and the return of those dark brown eyes that she had made a career of getting lost in.

She had taken control, put Bo first, and made her point but that wasn't good enough for Lauren. She didn't want there to be any doubt as to the level of her commitment to Bo. That, and Lauren was only Human. Who was she to resist the wiles of a masterful succubus? Crawling up her body, she covered Bo's breast with her mouth. The gasp of surprise that followed made her smile and soon her hand went wandering and settled between her legs again. She straddled Bo's thigh, grinding against it as her fingers pressed into Bo. Her hips jumped and Bo clung to her back, nails scraping against the tender skin she found there. They kissed and it was a religious experience like no other. Paying sacrament to the reverential Queen, singing the hymns of pleasure with her, Lauren coveted her body and mind. She was relentless, teasing and tempting Bo even as her own release loomed closer. Lauren pressed against Bo's thigh again and thrust forward, a moan getting caught in her throat. Her blue eyes shimmered and the sly smile of her intent shone but only for a moment.

When release threatened, Lauren's hand moved in concert with her hips, a steady rhythm tempting her with the dark commandments of their love. This was it, the pinnacle of worship, limbs intertwined, mouths entangled and bodies set on fire with wave after wave of pleasure. Bo gathered her up in her arms and held her tightly, kissing her gently, piously. But the moment of tenderness was brief. Before long, she backed Lauren to the opposite end of the sofa and crawled over her. Bo kissed her lips, the corner of her mouth, her jaw, and her throat, covering Lauren with her body. Her skin was ablaze, her desire burning her alive. Bo reached behind Lauren's head and gripped the arm of the sofa as her hips ground against hers. She was claiming her without words. She was claiming her with her body, with her very soul and she was showing her that Fae law be damned, she was the only Human Bo wanted to be with.

She would always be trying to live up to the ideal version of herself Bo had locked away in her mind. It was one thing to compete with another person, it was entirely another to have to compete with a perfect version of yourself and Lauren knew it well. Bo had been waiting her whole life for destiny to bring them together, it was understandable that she'd have some preconceived notions when it did finally happen, but Lauren never expected it to still be an issue this long into their relationship.

The concentration on Bo's face as she thrust into her was mesmerizing. Lauren's hands grabbed her face and pulled her down into a passionate kiss. Her lips were so soft, her mouth warm and Lauren almost cried out when Bo pulled away. Her forehead rocked back and forth on Lauren's shoulder as her hips' movements became erratic. "Lauren," she whispered against her cheek as her body tensed, hips jerking and slamming into her and Lauren was coming undone as well. Their moans reached a crescendo together and then a hush settled over them. The air was thick and heavy with sex, and silence blanketed the couple as they reclaimed their breath.

Lauren traced the curve of Bo's lips with her finger, bringing her thumb to tease her bottom lip before retreating and capturing Bo's mouth with her own. This kiss was different from every other kiss Lauren had ever bestowed upon Bo. It was her turn to lay claim and Lauren did so with a gusto. Bo held her face as their lips moved against one another. "Bo," she said softly as she pulled away.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I shouldn't have-"

Lauren shushed her with a finger against her lips. She shook her head. "The best part about an argument is the making up."

Bo smiled, relieved to avoid another serious talk and instead be towed down the hallway, through the dining and living rooms and into their bedroom. It was a night of passionate connection, endless and varied. Their bodies moved against one another for hours, bringing each other to the edge and back over and over again. And when they were through, there was little doubt in either of their minds that Lauren was where she was meant to be. And, exhausted and spent, Lauren came to grips with all that had transpired. The unbroken bond that seemed so fragile was fortified and the women were unified once again.

The moon was setting in the skylight and the sky was growing lighter, Lauren held on to Bo, drained from her evening with the succubus. Her whole body ached and she couldn't help but to smile. She was happy, ecstatic, even and it all hinged on Bo. Lauren climbed gingerly out of bed and Bo noticed her discomfort.

"You sure you're okay?"

Lauren smiled over her shoulder. "Never better." To deny herself this triumph was to deny her very existence with Bo. She was always going to be sore or drained after their romps and that was just a fact of biology, but that didn't mean she was going to stop having sex with Bo. On the contrary, she would rebel against the scientific rules of engagement and full steam ahead, she would make her own rules.

A few days passed and there was still no further sign of Vex or Evony. The silence was unsettling, but her Coronation was a week away and Violette still skulked the halls of the castle under the guise of protection. Lauren rounded the corner to her lab and there she was, leaning against the wall, her hat tipped low on her forehead. She had allowed it to get this bad, the quintessential houseguest from hell, the one that eats all your food, comes on to your girlfriend and trashes her room all the while remaining oblivious to her impact on your life.

Lauren took a step backwards. She cocked her head. "Violette, what are you doing here?"

"I thought you could give me that tour," she replied. "You know, show me where the magic happens…"

Her tone was just as suggestive as her words and Lauren recoiled. "I'm not sure that's such a good idea."

"Come on, what are you afraid of?"

"I don't trust you." She crossed her arms and stood in front of the door defiantly.

"Well that's a fine how do you do." She tipped her hat back and stared at her intently. "What are you working on, Doctor?"

"Violette, I think it's time you and I part ways."

"You want me to leave?"

Lauren blinked trying to hide how appalled she was to be having this conversation. "Yes."

"This isn't about the other day is it, Cherie?"

"In part, yes," she said with a nod. "Look, I just don't think it's appropriate for you to be here anymore. It probably wasn't the best decision in the first place."

"Tsk, tsk, Cherie. Never second guess yourself." The strains of her flirtation were not lost on Lauren and she groaned internally at the advance.

"You're probably right," Lauren started, leaning against the door jamb. "I mean, take you for example, looking back on that decision is something that would certainly end badly."

Violette hissed. "Ouch," she said jamming her hand into the pocket of her jeans and crossing her long legs.

Lauren sighed. "Look, Violette this just isn't working. You've upset Bo and with the ceremony coming up-"

"I've upset the Queen?" The delight in her voice was evident. "How?"

"She's unhappy, that's all you need to know."

"You would think the Queen would want to tell me that herself."

Lauren chuckled. "The less she has to do with you, the better, believe me."

"Is that her or you talking?" Violette wondered. "What are you so afraid of, Cherie? That she'll find out you actually liked being with me?"

"Even if that were true, Bo and I don't have secrets."

Violette laughed at that. "Cherie, your whole relationship is built on a lie. One that you told even to me."

"What are you talking about?" Her voice was sharp, cutting through the quiet of the hallway.

"You're a con, Lauren," Violette said, stepping closer to her. "You knew who I was when you slept with me. I was means to an end. You used me so I used you in return. Tell me, what does the Queen have that you want?"

She set her jaw. "Her heart."

Violette was taken aback by her answer and looked at her boots. "A noble cause. I know it well, in fact. There was a time when I hoped you would love me, too."

"Violette," Lauren warned.

The fox waved a hand. "I know that you don't care to hear about such things, Cherie, but you owe me this one time."

"I'm sorry," Lauren said, shaking her head. "I just don't feel that way about you."

"You love her?"

"Without question."

"I never had a shot, did I?"

The pang of a non-existing guilt gave her pause. "It's hard to know where a shot would land if it weren't taken."

"Still talking in riddles, Cherie?"

Lauren exhaled and checked her watch. "I'd love to continue, this but I'm late."

"But you're the boss, are you not?"

"I have work to do. Don't you miss work, Vi?" She needled.

"Someone always gets hurt when I work. It's better this way."

Lauren nodded and looked at the folder in her hands. "Think about what I said." She turned and opened the door to the lab, leaving Violette in the hall.

END PART ELEVEN