Byzantium

Stage 13

Elise growled and turned onto her side to mirror Ivy's position. "I'm not trying to be funny. I'm serious. I told you- I'm dangerous now. All that's running through my mind is tearing open Rayna's throat, dancing her blood. I want to-" She stopped talking when Ivy placed a gentle, understanding hand on her cheek. She rolled her eyes shut and pushed her face further into Ivy's palm. The touch was comforting and everything Elise wanted.

"Have you done this before?" Ivy asked, so, so quiet. Her gaze was soft but intense. "Have you killed for someone?"

"Yes." Elise opened her eyes. "Only for family so far but... yes."

Ivy dropped her hand. "What about your pack?"

"My family is my pack."

"So, I'm part of your family, then." Ivy smiled, very much liking the idea. She wondered who else was in her pack, and what they were like. Would they accept a human? "Who else is in our pack?"

Elise looked up and away, her mind bringing up images of her pack, and smiled, suddenly forgetting her hatred for Rayna. "My mom, my dad, my siblings. My siblings' mates, their kids. We have a pretty big pack." She leaned in close to Ivy. "And now you're a part of it. I really would love to introduce you to everyone else- if you're okay with that, I mean."

"Of course I'm okay with it. But you know you can't introduce me to the family if you're gone, or worse." Ivy pleaded with her eyes as well as her words. "Please don't go to see Rayna. You could get hurt, and... and... and you can't leave me here alone while you go."

Elise grabbed Ivy's hand and kissed her palm. "I won't- I don't- ever want to leave you alone. You are my responsibility, by law and by my heart." She almost thought she would feel embarrassed saying such a thing but, for some reason, it felt right. She had always been very open with her feelings about those she was close to, so it was only mildly surprising to her that she was already saying things like that to Ivy. Her heart moved fast once she admitted to herself how she felt.

To Ivy, though, the words were entirely unexpected. She gulped and moved her hand in Elise's to intertwine their fingers. "Is this okay?" she asked softly. She knew they had held hands before, but now she was more conscious about the small intimacies to make sure Elise's anxiety wouldn't flare. When Elise nodded, Ivy moved closer and inched her legs to lay directly in front of Elise's. "This?"

Smiling, Elise dropped onto her back and pulled Ivy so close that Ivy was half laying atop her. She slid a leg between Ivy's to feel more connected and was delighted when Ivy let it happen. She noted that they fit so well together that it was dizzying. "All of this is okay when I'm with you," she whispered. "I want us to be as close as possible. Is that okay?"

Ivy felt a warmness in her lower stomach, but she tried so hard to cut the reaction quick. She wanted to enjoy Elise and arousal would only ruin everything.

But Elise wasn't dense. She caught the way Ivy's body temperature rose, the way Ivy's heartbeat raced. She caught Ivy's scent, the one that rose higher up the bed and stuck in Elise's nostrils. Elise had to admit that the scent smelled delicious, though. It didn't make her lustful, not at all, but she wouldn't mind tasting it to satisfy her curiosity. She had never 'gone down' on a woman, as the saying went, she had never gotten that far, and a part of her thought it might be gross. The only way she thought she could go through with it was not to think of it as a sex act, but as a sampling, as one did with new foods. She shook the thought away then pressed her lips to Ivy's cheek. "I'm sorry I make you feel this way," she mumbled, insinuating Ivy's feeling of lust.

Ivy grew hotter, slightly embarrassed that Elise knew of her arousal. "No, it's okay."

"No, it's not." Elise put a sliver of space between their bodies. "The way I am, I can't get enough of intimate situations. I love it. And I can go quite far, I just can't go through with the actual act of sex. I'm sorry."