ℤ𝕒𝕟𝕖

My hands shake as I pace in circles beside the rental car. The encounter plays through my mind on repeat.

Who does that wanker think he is?

It's one thing to try it on with Ava, it's another thing to do so right in front of me.

"That's my girl," he said. He called her his girl.

It's as if I can feel the blood boiling as it runs through my veins—filling with heat and irritation, frothing beneath my skin.

A couple of students pass me, giving me judgmental looks as they pass by.

I must look like a right nutter, mumbling to myself in a university car park.

I open the car and get inside, letting out a heavy breath as I lay back in the driver's seat.

Fuck.

Ava can handle herself—I know she can. But being challenged like that eats at me. This man didn't just threaten to take the love of my life, but he claimed her as his own. If any other Siren were in my shoes, the bloke's insides would be splattered across every book in that library.

I hate feeling so helpless, especially when Ava's safety is on the line.

Why is he so insistent on this no-Sirens policy, anyway? There are plenty of Immortals who judge Sirens for their particular gifts or because they have no real lineage, but this seemed different. He was angry that I was there—furious even, almost as much as I was.

My heart is still thrashing against my ribcage, readying my body for a fight. The urge to do something—anything—is crawling within me.

I could go back, knock him into next week and show him just what happens to someone who challenges me. But would that quell the anxiety or feeling of helplessness?

Probably not. It never has before.

The soft hum of Ava's voice shakes me from my thoughts. She walks up with Finn, who waves in my direction before heading over to his own car.

"Hey," she says, jumping in and closing the door behind her. She reaches across the seats to give me a hug and I breathe in the calming scent of her shampoo. "Are you okay?"

"Doing better now," I say with a smile. It must not be particularly convincing because Ava seems to be concerned.

"I appreciate you letting me handle it."

"Of course. I want you to know that I trust you."

She grabs my hand in hers and squeezes reassuringly.

"You're shaking," she says, her eyes wide and worried.

I look down at my hand. She's right, I'm trembling—undoubtedly a residual effect of the confrontation earlier.

"It's fine," I say, shaking my head. "I just got a bit worked up and can't burn off the energy."

"And burning it off would usually entail a fistfight?"

"Something like that," I say with an awkward, slightly-forced chuckle. "I'll be fine, really. It just takes a lot of effort to fight my instincts sometimes."

"You know I love you, right? You don't have to worry about losing me."

I nod.

Sure, I know that, but convincing my constricted chest is another issue.

"Well," she says, placing her hands on the edge of my seat and leaning toward me with a glint in her eye, "I've got an idea for burning off a little energy."

Her soft lips meet mine before she takes my lower lip between her teeth and bites slightly.

Oh hello.

I pull away for a moment.

"You don't have to do this for me," I say. "You don't have anything to prove."

"And what am I proving?" she asks, nibbling at her lip while she looks up at me through her eyelashes.

"That you're... um... I... I dunno."

Fuck me. I can't think when she looks at me like that.

She smirks and starts to kiss my neck. A shiver runs down my spine and I lean my head back. I feel her fingers slowly lowering the zipper on my trousers.

"Fuu-uuck," I groan.

I can feel my brain shutting down as the blood travels to my groin.

Her tongue trails from my neck to my collarbone, pleasure radiating from her every touch. I feel the pressure release as the button on my jeans pops open. Her warm hand slips between my legs, freeing me from my trousers.

If it were possible to bite through my own lip, I surely would have done so by now.

I close my eyes, reveling in the sensation. My every muscle relaxes under her touch until I feel like I've melted into the seat.

I'm pulled back into reality by the feeling of warmth as she takes my length into her mouth. I shudder and my teeth dig further into my lip.

This woman could truly kill me. I'm completely helpless under her touch.

She moves up and down, slowly at first but with increasing speed, her soft moans sending vibrations through my skin that have me practically on the edge.

Her motions continue as her tongue swirls around, sending sparks through every nerve as it goes. After a few minutes, I feel a pressure building deep within me. My hips buck involuntarily and I let out a deep, guttural growl.

"Ba- baby, I..." I say between staggered breaths. "That's gonna... you.. I..."

She pulls away and looks up at me with a smirk.

"It's okay, I've got you," she says. "I'm yours."

She takes me back into her mouth, moving rhythmically up and down as the pressure becomes unbearable and tips over into a cascade of sensation. The noises that pour from my mouth are far from human, some even surprising me. My muscles tighten all at once before everything relaxes and my head drops back.

"Feeling better?" Ava asks with a giggle.

"Yeah..." I mumble.

To be honest, I don't even remember what I was upset about in the first place. In this moment, my entire world exists inside this car.

What was I even on about, anyway?

Oh. Finn's friend—I think he was called Morgan?

I smirk to myself in contentment. Leave it to my girl to know exactly how to dissolve my anxieties into nothing.

"How did your meeting go?" I ask, the fog clearing from my mind.

"Oh yeah, that," she says, blushing slightly. "Morgan agreed to help us. Finn is going to work out the details with him."

"Did he try it on with you any more?"

"No, that was actually you, I guess. I don't really understand the details, but I guess he's an Empath and he was sensing your feelings toward me."

I blink, taking in her words and slowly processing them.

He's an Empath?

I honestly didn't think there were any Empaths left. They're incredibly strong, so strong that Immortals and demons alike are terrified of them. That kind of power draws in enemies.

No wonder he didn't want me there—Empaths are especially sensitive to Siren emotions.

I rub my hand over my face and back through my hair.

I am such a bloody idiot.

"I'm sorry," I say, shaking my head. "None of that would have happened if I had just kept my distance. I didn't realize."

"It's okay," she says, leaning into my shoulder. "You didn't know."

"Yeah, but I could've done a better job controlling myself."

"So? There are so many things I could've handled better in my life. I'm not going to fault you for being human."

"Except I'm not human."

"Okay, fine, then I'll start blaming you from now on," she says with a smirk. "Smartass."

I chuckle slightly, but my smile quickly falls when a new thought occurs to me: if Morgan agreed to help, that means we'll be seeing more of him.

Fucking fantastic.