I wake slowly. It takes me a moment to realize that I’m warmer and more comfortable than normal. It takes a low moan from beside me after I begin shifting around to realize that there’s someone in bed with me.

It all comes back in a flash, Jalkyn getting hurt, the healer putting him out, and everyone losing it. And Iain. I remember Iain.

I flush and pray that it isn’t Iain in bed with me, but how can another person be better? God, I turned into a slut yesterday. Something about Iain biting me… It brought out my demonic side like nothing else ever had. I saw Iain as a mate. A strong one, one that could protect me. The bringer of the bacon, so to say.

I yank at my hair, and try to control my breathing. A vision of Iain, scratched up and covered in blood, makes my breath stutter. I squeeze my eyes shut and swallow down the bile rising in my throat.

When I finally calm down, I crack my eyes open and crane my neck so I could see whom the long hair brushing my bare arm and stomach belong to.

I can’t see the face, but the pale green hair is definitely distinctive enough- it’s Jalkyn, and a quick touch shows he’s naked.

Relief wells up in me. It didn’t happen. None of it happened.

But then I sit up and see we’re both caked in dried blood.

The shredded remnants of my clothes are in a pile by the wall and Jalkyn’s usual white clothes are hanging off him in shreds around his biceps and thighs.

Blood is pooled around me, dark, but still wet where it’s soaked into the mattress.

Oh hell. Did I do that to Jalkyn? I don’t remember that at all.

I wet a finger and wipe away a thin line of dried blood on his shoulder. His skin underneath is perfect. I blink and shift. Come to think of it, I don’t hurt at all. No scratches anywhere, no bruises, no pain.

I run a hand down Jalkyn’s arm and he seems healthy and whole too. He healed both of us? How is that possible? He wasn’t even conscious last I remember.

I nudge him and he bats my hand away, without moving otherwise.

I laugh and nuzzle his neck. “Jalkyn, wake up baby. I need to talk to you.”

Jalkyn moans something unintelligible and turns his face into my side, cuddling against me.

I sigh. I guess it can wait. I grab the soft silky blankets and pull them over both of us, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and holding him close.

--

I wake a second time, what feels like seconds later, to a loud banging. I groan and a moment later, the door flies open. It’s Cayden, Meara and Iain.

My eyes go straight to Iain and I flush.

Cayden’s face goes from pissed to shock when he sees us. “What the hell happened to you two?”

I don’t answer.

Jalkyn moans and shifts against me. I glance down to see his eyes crack open. I tighten my arm around him, praying he won’t run his mouth.

“We’re fine,” I mumble, carefully not looking at them.

I can feel Cayden’s eyes on me. “Fine,” he finally says, sounding tired. “We have enough to deal with right now. When he wakes up, I want him to come straight to me. We need to have a little talk.”

Jalkyn tenses.

“He didn’t do anything on purpose,” I growl. “Innis is the one who put him under. He even protested.”

Cayden glares at me, blue eyes hard. “He abuses his powers on a regular basis. That’s a step away from rape. And if he can’t control his powers while unconscious, he needs better control.”

I snort. “He’s asleep now, bro. Feeling hornier than usual? Like you’re about to attack someone you normally wouldn’t touch?”

My words are directed towards Iain, but all three men turn bright red. Ooh, apparently Cayden and Meara made some questionable hook-ups too.

Meara crosses his arms. “Nonetheless, he lost control. We need to talk to him when he wakes. Iain, stay with them. Make sure Jalkyn comes directly to my office.”

He leaves quickly. Cayden trails him out a moment later, moving much slower than Meara.

I barely notice. I’m trying my hardest to disappear into the covers. It’s not working.

There’s no sound in the room. Jalkyn is quiet and still beside me. Even his breathing is shallow. He wants to disappear as much I do.

Then there’s a thump. I glance over tentatively, but Iain isn’t doing anything threatening. He’s on his knees, head bowed.

“I am so sorry,” he whispers.

Jalkyn jerks against me.

I turn red. He’s apologizing? At least he has an excuse. Jalkyn was all ainmhaining him or whatever. I just… gave in to my demonic side. I have no control.

Iain stays hunched down.

“It’s not your fault,” I mutter. “It’s Jalkyn’s,” I add with a smirk.

Jalkyn elbows me in the stomach but otherwise doesn’t move. I sigh, remembering his earlier confession. He’s terrified of Iain.

I pull him up, over me, and set him down on the other side, so I’m between him and Iain. He rewards me with a startled look and then wiggles under the covers.

I turn back to Iain. He’s still looking down.

“Look, things got a little out of control. It’s no one’s fault.”

“I hurt you,” Iain whispered.

“And Jalkyn healed me. I’m fine.” I slide out of the bed, ignoring Jalkyn’s soft sound of protest and my own nudity- Iain’s seen it all before now after all- and bounce, stretching, trying to prove how totally fine I am. I even got a full night of sleep.

But he doesn’t look relieved. Instead, he turns dark red and turns away.

Jalkyn laughs from behind me and the flush crawls further down Iain’s neck.

“Shut up,” I snap at him. “Iain, really, it was an accident. No hard feelings. Please, just… forget it. Please.” I flush as well, remembering my behavior.

Iain nods and quickly hurries out, not glancing back.

Jalkyn giggles. “He’s really messed up over all of it.”

I turn and scowl at him. “You do need better control,” I snap.

He glares at me, gives me his middle finger, and then slides out of bed, looking pissed.

I roll my eyes and catch him around the waist. He turns his face away as I try to kiss his cheek. I bring up my free hand and turn his face back. “Jalkyn, you’re a sweetie. My baby, ‘kay? You’ve got amazing control, all things considered.”

He stays tense for a moment longer before chuckling softly and leaning against me. “I’m your baby, huh?”

I kiss him. “I know you’ll never be just mine, but yeah. You’re mine.”

He sighs. “If I’m yours, I belong to dozens of other people too.”

I grin. “I know. Want to make it one less, at least for today?”

He pauses and then smiles. “You’re offering to sex me up?”

“I’m offering to sex you up,” I agree.

He chuckles and turns in my arms. “Into the bath,” he orders. “We’re both gross.”

I smirk and let go. “Fine.”

He smiles at me and leads the way into the bathing room.

 

--

 

I feel like a thousand times better once I'm clean and lounging in comfortable lassitude in the tub, submerged in water up to my neck. It doesn't hurt that Jalkyn is curled on top of me, legs tucked under himself, cheek resting against mine so he doesn't drown.

I trail a finger along the muscles of his lower back. I get the same shuddering spine arching result I usual do. I love how sensitive that area is for him. His fingers ghost along my ribs in retaliation. I chuckle and grab his hands, kissing his knuckles. "I'm too tired to be ticklish."

He sighs and leans against me again, relaxing. "I'm too tired to do anything."

I run a hand through his hair. "Do you need more-"

He smiles at me. "Actually, no. Between you, Lonnie, and this lovely incident this afternoon, I'm pretty set."

I smirk, sliding a finger along his lower lip. "Were you really mad at me and Lonnie?"

He tenses before shrugging. "It hurt," he says matter-of-factly. "But it felt good at the time and it's my fault for not explaining things before."

I glance at him, one eyebrow arching.

He pokes it and sighs. "I'm an empath, right? So I feel what you feel- with the exception of people who know how to shield, so not actually you but whatevs."

There's that slang again. Where the hell did he grow up?

"So I felt everything Lonnie did and it felt really good to him so it felt really good to me and that just kinda… swept me away. When guys are touching me that much, it happens."

I blink at him. "So…"

"It's why I abuse my powers so much and I rolled you the first time. I can still feel the other person, but  it's not as overpowering."

"Shit Jalkyn, your powers just screw you over, don't they?"

He shrugs. "They also make sure I get laid on a regular basis."

I snort, wondering if the coming with other people issue is because of his ainmhain powers. He did say no other faerie would have the same issue, but that would include ainmhain faereies right? That's still pissing me off. I want to make him cum so hard he can't even think.

"Is that why you can't cum?"

He flushes. "No personal questions."

"Shut up and answer."

Jalkyn stands, but I catch him around the waist and pull him back against me, seeding water sloshing back and forth in the porcelain tub. "Don't be like that. I’m not a faerie and won’t judge you no matter what you say."

Jalkyn sighed and settled down again. "Fine. My powers go all wonky when I come. All my shields come down for a split second. It’s short enough that it doesn’t really affect anyone else unless I’m touching them. Then, remember earlier?”

I nod.

“It’s like that except all focused on one person and it’s like… feedback loop for a recorder.”

I raise my eyebrows. Only the humans have recorders. Bordertown has them too, but we got them from humans. Was he raised with humans?

He doesn’t seem to notice my minor freakout, continuing without pausing. “I feed all my energy and pleasure into them and then theirs and mine comes back and so on and so forth. Its bad for me but for the person I’m touching, it’s… it could drive you insane.”

I try and comprehend that. To never be able to have all that pleasure why touching someone… Only on your own. “Your powers fuck you over,” I repeat.

He nods and I sigh.

“You really should go check in with Cayden.” I kiss his temple gently.

Jalkyn scowls and lurches to his feet

I sigh, yank him back down, and kiss him firmly. “Relax baby. Come back here when you’re done.”

Jalkyn blinks down at me. “For more sex?”

I shrug. “If you want. Or I can bring Lonnie and Jamie back here and we can play spoons?”

He blinks at me. “Is that a euphism?”

I grin. “No.”

He pauses for a moment and then shrugs. “Yeah sure. Whatevs.”

I smile again and then kiss him gently. “Go. I don’t want you to get into more trouble.”

I watch him glide out the door, thinking hard. We also needed to talk later. I still have a ton of questions. But I get the feeling Jalkyn doesn’t need that before talking to his step uncles.