Chapter 94: After Battle Bonding with Friends...

Of necessity, the cars congregated on the street between Alex's home and Drew's. At so late an hour, everyone was quite worn out, but farewells were reluctant. No one wanted to be the first to leave.

"Wow. Well, um," Alex said, coming back out of his apartment building to meet the others, "Mom's not home, but I think she's okay." His cell phone was in his hand, and as he walked he stared at it awkwardly. Drew walked beside him with a highly amused grin on his face.

"How's that?" Wade asked. He and Taylor sat on the hood of the car that he had appropriated from the mansion for the ride back. Nearby, Jason sat in his car with the engine running and the window rolled down. Onyx and Molly stood between the vehicles.

"She got a hot date," Drew answered before Alex could say anything. "Stayin' over at 'uncle Eddie's' tonight."

Alex looked at him through narrowed eyes as Wade and Jason both snickered. "I really hate it when you stand so close to the phone."

Drew just chuckled as he walked past. He paused to give Taylor a hug, then waved and headed over to his end of the street.

"We all good, then?" Jason asked.

"Yeah," Wade nodded, "think we're all good."

"Goin' home, Jase?" Alex asked.

"No way. I'm already gonna catch hell from my parents again as it is. I might as well go over to Britney's. Or Brittany's. Y'know, I can't really remember," he confessed with a cocky grin.

Alex just smiled. "You totally saved my life twice now, y'know. You could've died. I'd be dead without you."

"Yeah," Jason shrugged. "Is this what leveling feels like?"

"No. That's when you go see Britney or Brittany or whoever."

"Right. Well, I'm gonna go do that, then."

"Okay. 'gratz' in advance," Alex grinned. He waved as Jason's car zoomed off.

Taylor hopped off the hood to go lean into the window of the second appropriated car, a Lexus that had carried home Alex, Lorelei and the witches. The succubus still sat in the front passenger seat with the window rolled down. Taylor leaned in, whispered something to her before kissing her softly on the lips, then moved over to hug Alex again.

"Part of me wants to stay with you two tonight," Taylor admitted.

"It's okay if you want to."

"No. I think I probably need to sleep in my own bed and decompress a bit. I'm sure I'll see you again soon enough. I don't really know how I could resist."

"So don't," Alex suggested. He let her go. She lingered long enough to kiss him lovingly before she turned away.

As she walked to her car, Wade caught his eye. "Ah'm gonna follow Taylor home, make sure she gets in alright," he said. It was more of an offer for a favor than a firm plan.

Alex just nodded gratefully. "I don't have the words, man," he said.

"Yeah. That's pretty much how it goes. Y'all take care," Wade nodded at Molly and Onyx before he got into his temporary SUV. "Wuz nice meetin' ya."

"Night," Onyx smiled. She and Molly waited until both Taylor and Wade had driven off. Then they calmly walked up very, very close to Alex. Onyx slipped a hand up his dirty, bloodied leather jacket. "So," she said.

Molly touched the other side of the jacket. "So," she echoed. Alex felt his heart race. He wasn't really sure what to say.

Onyx could tell. "You look like you're about to explode," she observed with no small amount of satisfaction in her small smile.

"Yeah," Alex swallowed. "I've, um, got to take care of Lorelei, though."

"You should. She seems pretty awesome now that she's not hiding from us. Anyway, we're gonna go home, tear each other's clothes off and make love until we pass out," Onyx nodded.

"Probably take the morning off to stay in bed together, too," Molly added.

"That's... um," Alex blinked.

Onyx leaned in close enough to whisper. "We just wanted you to know that we're okay with being open about these things with you, since you'll definitely be included sometime soon." Then she tugged him close and kissed him, longingly and hotly. As she did, Alex felt Molly come in close, working at his neck again with her lips.

The pair traded places after a long moment, with Molly claiming her own kiss and Onyx ensuring that the other side of his neck received equal attention.

"Any idea when you'll be able to see us?" Onyx asked him.

"Um. I don't know. Soon. I want it to be soon."

"I want it to be sooner," Molly winked. "You've got to make up for Onyx cheating me on that coin toss." The pair walked away then, pausing only to wave at Lorelei as they walked to their car.

Alex watched them go before he got back into the car. Finally, it was just him and Lorelei again. She was curled up against the passenger's seat on her left side.

"How are you?" he asked gently.

Her eyes fluttered open. "I am happier than I have ever been, and I am very much in love with you. I expect I shall be so from now on."

His smile was tender. "You're still in a lot of pain?"

Lorelei nodded closing her eyes for a moment. "Yes, master."

"We can go inside. We'll be alone. But I think we might be more comfortable back in the hotel. I didn't think to check out. Seems like I could probably take better care of you there with the extra space and privacy."

"That would be wonderful, master."

He nodded before he reached out to touch her face. He smiled a bit as she turned to kiss his palm. Then he turned to the task at hand, starting the car and heading off. In the silence that followed, Lorelei remained curled up onto the passenger's seat to watch Alex drive. Street lamps and the headlights of passing cars floated by, bringing him from shadow to light and back to shadow again. There was little traffic, nor much in the way of other delays. He drove with his eyes on the road.

The car would have to be abandoned. They had no idea who it belonged to, only that it was the property of someone who hadn't driven it away from the mansion. That was enough for them.

"You're very quiet," Alex observed finally. They were coming into downtown. For most of the ride, he was simply unsure if he should spoil the silence.

"I am thoughtful," Lorelei said. She was also clearly very tired, but her tone held nothing but soft, quiet affection.

Alex opened his mouth to say something more, but then closed it. Lorelei understood. There was much to say, but not while he was trapped behind the wheel of a car. Comfort and privacy were not far away now. She watched him as he drove, studying his movements and his demeanor with weary but interested eyes. Her soft smile remained. She noticed a change in him.

Once they parked the car in the hotel's garage, Alex got out and came around to get Lorelei's door. It was appreciated, but not unexpected. What she did not expect was that he wordlessly picked her up in his arms and carried her the entire way to the elevator, and then held her close even to the door to the honeymoon suite. She kept them concealed from the eyes of others for the whole of the journey. Other than that, Lorelei simply held close to him and enjoyed the shelter and support of his arms.

Not for the first time since his escape, Alex found himself very grateful that none of the vampires nor the sorcerers had bothered to steal the wallet out of his leather jacket. He let her fish out the key card to the door while he held her. Lorelei opened the door for them both and he carried her inside. The lights were still on.

"We really need our own place," Alex said.

"I will see to it very shortly, master," Lorelei assured him.

"Don't... no," Alex shook his head. His face turned toward hers to give her his undivided attention. "Lorelei. I'm not really worried about that right now. I'm only worried about you."

Lorelei touched the side of his face with one hand. "There was too much to say in the car, master," she said simply. "For both of us. You can put me down if you like."

He just looked in her eyes for a long moment. "I feel like I could carry you forever."

"That would create a number of complications in your daily life," Lorelei smiled, "but the sentiment is certainly appreciated. I dearly love feeling you be so... possessive of me, master."

He smiled a bit. "You keep calling me that."

"The word has a special meaning to me now. I don't want to call you anything else. Especially not while we are alone. Not if you will permit it."

"Honestly? I really love it." Alex looked around the room. "We both need to get cleaned up, but I don't know if... will a bath be okay for you? I don't know how hurt you really are or if...?"

"A bath would be wonderful, master," Lorelei nodded. "If you would share it?"

"That's what I was planning, yeah."

"I'll be happy to draw a bath for us, master."

"No," Alex shook his head. He brought her to the spacious tub but sat her down on the soft bath mat beside it. "I'm the one taking care of you tonight." She watched him as he got the water running. Then he threw off his jacket, kicked off his shoes, and knelt next to her. Alex reached out to stroke her hair. "You need sex to heal, don't you?"

Lorelei nodded. "Your desires will make me feel better, but your pleasure and satisfaction provide so much more." She offered a faint smile. "The farewells you received from Taylor and the witches were rather nice for me."

"I have to confess that sex isn't the first thing on my mind right now. But I want to help you however I can. Would it hurt you? I mean, even if it heals?"

His lover shook her head gently, still looking at him with that soft smile. "Do not try to force yourself, master. I could endure, yes, and soon it would only help me, but even I have limits to my lusts. As beaten and weary as I am at this moment, I want only to be with you. All else will come in time."

Alex nodded. He stroked her matted, bloodied and filthy hair. "You don't have to hide your features from me, y'know," he said. His voice was only somewhat above a whisper.

"The effort required is quite minimal, master."

He shook his head. "Show me."

Lorelei nodded. She looked down for a moment, then back up. It was as if Alex had blinked, but he had not. One moment, he was staring at a beautiful but battered woman. In the next, she was still beautiful, but even more bruised and bloodied, and now there were horns. Wings. The tail. An animalistic, predatory change in her eyes. He didn't care, and she could see it in his expression. She reached up to touch his face again. "I was so afraid, master."

"I know. I was, too."

"More than I feared being held in bondage again, I feared losing you. Losing your love. Master. They... Lydia did not lie to you about everything. I have manipulated you. Used you for my own needs. Pressured you into things you found uncomfortable simply to further my own desires. You know what I am. You see what I am."

"I do. You're the woman I love. You're the most amazing person I've ever met. You're who I want to be with for the rest of my life, however long that might be."

"I have been awful to you." There were tears in her eyes. "You suffered so much pain, your friends were endangered, all because of me. I am a monster. I will always be a monster. Whatever they did to you tonight... you were hurt so much. And you see what I am. I don't understand why you do not reject me. I don't know why you still want me."

"No," Alex shook his head, "I owe you everything. I knew you were a demon when I first kissed you. I've known what you were all along. I made my own decisions."

"But they hurt you so much, master. All because of me."

"I'm over it."

"You're not," Lorelei countered gently. "You're different now. I felt... Master, you wanted to die."