Page 21 of Conquered (Highgate Preparatory Academ:y Compendium)

I nod, incapable of speech as his fingers play me like he’s a master musician.

“Good girl,” he croons, slipping two fingers inside me, pumping them in and out, and grinding his palm against my clit.

My thighs tremble under his touch, my breath panting and he builds the pace.

“What about the librarian?” I manage to choke out, gasping as he applies more pressure to the bundle of nerves.

“Ah, don’t worry about her, Pretty Girl,” he drawls between shiver-inducing nibbles. “She’s probably flicking the bean in the fantasy section,” he scoffs.

“Loki!” I admonish, snapping my head up to look at him.

“Ahem,” a feminine cough sounds behind Loki, and I freeze, my eyes going wide with panic.

“Busted,” Loki grumbles under his breath, his fingers stilling as he rests his forehead against mine.

“I'm not sure that this is the best use of the library, Mr Thorn,” the female voice continues.

I move my head slightly to peep over Loki's shoulder to see an older woman in a twin set and pearls standing a few feet away.

Her greying hair is in a severe bun at her nape, and she has a perfectly plucked eyebrow raised as she looks at us with wry amusement.

She's clutching several books tightly to her chest, her lips pursed, but not in anger.

If I didn't know better, I'd say she's trying not to laugh.

I decide then that I like this librarian.

Loki chuckles, his fingers still inside of me, and I try not to groan with the slight movement. My face is bright red with heat, and it flares hotter as my gaze catches hers over his shoulder.

“Ah, Miss Darling, our new British student,” she says, not missing a beat, a warm smile on her lips. “Pleased to make your acquaintance.”

“Uh, yeah, you too,” I stammer out, wriggling out of Loki's hold, his hand slipping away as my feet hit the ground.

I can't believe I met her with his fingers knuckle deep inside me! I surreptitiously try and pull my dress down as I continue to hide behind him.

“My name is June, June Buck,” she tells me, not moving any closer which is a fucking relief, and still with a look of mirth on her face.

“Lilly, Lilly Darling,” I reply, finally somewhat presentable, although my hands tremble slightly as they smooth down my dress. I step away from Loki to face June.

“A pleasure, Lilly. Now, it may have escaped your attention, but it's lunchtime, so you might want to make your way over to the dining hall,” she informs us, her tone teasing and full of suppressed laughter.

“Sure thing, June ,” Loki drawls in that way of his, completely nonplussed by the whole encounter, like he didn't just get caught fingering me in the library!

He takes my hand in his, not the one that was bringing me such pleasure, and starts to lead us away, an arrogant swagger to his step as he makes a show of bringing his other fingers to his mouth and sucking them. Floor swallow me now, please .

June steps aside as we pass, making room for us to walk past.

“Oh, and Mr Thorn?” I hear June say behind us, making us both pause and turn to look back at her. “I much prefer Science Fiction to Fantasy,” she deadpans, but I swear there's a twinkle in her eye.

Fucking crushed it!

Loki barks out a laugh, and I don't bother to hide my own chuckle at that awesome one-liner, then we both cringe slightly, the mental image obviously hitting him the same time it does me.

We turn back towards the doors, and I'm sure I hear a wicked chortle behind me, as we make our way out of the library, hand in hand and laughing as we go.

LOKI

I grip Lilly’s hand tightly as we head down the hall, pulling her so close that I’m breathing in the lemon scent of Jax’s fucking body wash. I’ll make sure she uses mine again tomorrow. I’ll fill the whole fucking shower with bottles of the stuff if she keeps smelling like me.

Underneath, I can smell Lilly’s own natural perfume.

It’s like spring and new beginnings, fresh starts, and a hope so sweet that I want to weep, run, and pull her closer all at the same damn time.

She’s like a breath of fresh air, light after the darkest night, the warmth of spring sunshine after a freezing cold winter.

She’s turning me into a fucking poet.

And I couldn’t give less of a shit. I’m already fucking addicted. I can’t get enough of her, and whenever she’s near me, I want to touch her, taste her, and get lost in her smile and warm curves.

I don’t know why I did that dumb Disney shit at the doors, I guess I thought that it would make her smile. And I want to make her smile because damn, when she does, my whole world fucking lights up like the Fourth of July. And when she screams my name...fuck, I’m gone.

I’ve had plenty of girls before, shit, I’ve fucked hundreds. I just take them wherever and whenever I like, not bothering to remember their names or faces. They help to take away the darkness a little, and getting lost in soft bodies is my addiction.

My brothers and I all have things that help us to get through the day. To face the monsters that we’ve had to become.

But I’ve never felt like this before with any of the others.

Like the shadows and pain disappear when she’s nearby.

Like I can finally take a big breath of pure fresh air when I touch her.

She makes me forget that I’m damaged, a devil, filled with a black soul and rotten on the inside.

When I’m with her, I feel like there might just be a glimmer of light hiding beneath the pitch black.

I don’t know what this is, what we might be. Hell, I’ve known her for less than twenty-four hours. And these feelings scare the shit out of me. But I’m not giving her up. Or the freedom that she brings with her.

I know that she’s what we all need, especially after last year. After everything we’ve done, and will continue to do. I’m also pretty damn sure that we’re no good for her. We give pain and suffering, what else can we offer her besides that?

But I’m too selfish to let her go, not after spending so long in the dark. I need her light, we all do. Even if it means that she becomes a little tainted along the way.

We are the Black Knights after all.