Page 16

Delaney

“Are we sure this is going to work?”

“No,” Adam says, “but it will be fun. I still think your memories are gonna come back, so I don’t think we need to start from square one. These are your mates, Delaney. I can already tell you’re ready to strip them all down and have your wicked way with them, so this is nothing.

“I know you don’t remember it but trust me when I say they’ve been in and out of every part of you.

Well, I guess that’s not true. You and Cory haven’t…

Rush either. But as your best friend, I feel like I owe it to you to tell you you might want to hold off on that one unless you feel super compelled.

You guys have some shit to work through. ”

Whatever, I already know I’m a ho. “Alright, turn off those lights. Blindfold me. Do whatever.”

“That’s our girl,” Adam says as he ties something around my eyes.

The light around the blindfold dims as somebody turns the lights out, and I’m giddy. I don’t think I would ever be interested in a second chance at much, I tend to enjoy life as it comes at me.

But right now, I’m basically in a room full of men that I’m insanely attracted to, and I’ve been told they belong to me. I can kiss them, and it will be like kissing strangers and I’m going to get fucking high off of it. It’s gonna be incredible. Can’t wait.

I walk around the room with my arms outstretched, trying to bump into somebody. I thought they might make this easy on me, but maybe not. I walk carefully so I don’t stub my toe or walk into anything too hard, and someone sneaks behind me and taps me on the ass.

I spin to grab them, but I’m too late or they’re too fast. Even when I squat and reach out in all directions, all I feel is a couch cushion.

I walk around a bit more, and someone yanks a tank top strap off my shoulder, pulling it down so one of my tits falls out. There’s definitely grazing involved, as there should be. That's the whole point of this game; to make things flirty and fun and sexy between me and these men.

I feel like I should cheat a little bit.

I push some lust out into the room, just a burst, strong enough to affect anybody close to me while being invisible. I immediately hear a deep groan, and I jump. I'd like to think they won't let me hurt myself, but maybe that'll make it kinkier.

I have no idea who I'm holding, but that's not about to stop me. I cling to him and kiss him like I'm desperate, and I'm rewarded with strong hands gripping me, pushing a delicious hardness into me through our clothes.

“Cheater!” one of the twins yells. “Guess we just need to block everybody in this room.”

Damn. I forgot they could do that. No matter, I'll use a different tool in my toolkit. Maybe if they see whoever I'm clinging to get preferential treatment, I’ll be able to spur them into action.

The more I kiss him, the harder it is to stop. Eventually, he's moving us and falling onto a couch, giving me more leverage to do more of the things I want to do.

Until I'm yanked off of the warm body and deposited several feet away on my feet.

Whoever I was with groans with frustration while the hands that are holding me smack me on the ass in what I'm assuming is supposed to be a reprimand.

“Naughty girl. Think you can just kiss one of us and then end the game? You've got more to find.”

One of the twins again. I really do think they're out to ruin all my fun.

I hear the door opening and closing, voices entering the room, which means the guys that went on a mission are back. They're immediately shushed, and footsteps run to them, likely explaining what's happening.

“Alright Delaney,” somebody else calls. “You've got fresh meat. Everybody is now wandering, with the exception of Wil. He's going to stand in the kitchen and observe for now.”

I hear a squeak and then somebody starts laughing, and then whoever was talking just a second ago corrects themself. “I stand corrected. Wil is... participating. Interesting. Enjoy your hunt!”

Somebody puts music on, and I try to listen for any footsteps near me walking around, snatching at the air until I grab somebody's T-shirt. I clamp onto that thing tight and tug the person into me, and I’m met with a rich and spicy scent I can't place.

I cling to them, using the sides of their shirt to press my body into theirs as I go in for the kill. They're eager to kiss me back, palming the back of my head to get our mouths fused together even better.

I try to let go of everything that's happened today, all the confusion and the discomfort. I focus all of my attention on this person I'm holding, this person I'm kissing.

There's a version of me out there that knows exactly who this is, that wouldn't need any other identifiers other than the way they feel in my arms to know who they are. But that person is not me right now.

I start mapping them out, running my hands under their shirt to feel all the warm skin. It's got a texture to it, a little bit bumpy everywhere but in a smooth way. It's firm, and they’ve got very little stubble on their face.

Before long they’re pulled away, and I’m spun around a few times so I lose any sort of orientation in the room. My victim is placed near my other one with a plop on the couch and a groan.

You know what they say, it’s all fun and games until somebody gets hurt.

Or disappears. I feel like that should be part of the disclaimer, too.

The whole building rocks as an earthquake goes off, the room shaking with a deep rumble that sounds far too menacing.

I immediately rip the blindfold off, which for some reason takes way longer than it needs to, only to find myself in a dim room containing exactly one unicorn and one mate that I currently only vaguely remember from class.

I run room to room as if that’s somehow going to magically reveal where everyone went, checking the hallway in case they all decided to play a prank on me, but I can tell by the expressions on both the remaining men’s faces that that’s not at all the case.

I stare around me, bereft without even knowing most of my mates’ names, not even knowing who to call for other than the twins, Adam, and Cory.

We’re all frozen in case whatever just happened isn’t done happening.

I feel mildly good about getting to Saladriel’s side because he was so kind to me earlier when we were in the infirmary, and Wil is sweet even if I don’t exactly know anything about the two of us as a couple.

“What just happened?” I look to Wil, tears about to fall down my face, no answer ready.

Saladriel grabs my hand, linking our pinkies. With a little tug I’m stumbling more into him as he wraps an arm around my shoulders, doing a very awkward job of trying to console me.

“I don’t… what ?” I fall silent again, then a toilet flushes down the hall and we’re all creeping that way and sticking our heads into the short hallway to see if it’s somebody that’s supposed to be here or somebody that none of us know.

Because I was raised to defend myself, I decide to protect the guys behind me and creep down further, keeping my back to the wall right as a blue-skinned demon walks into the hallway holding…a bowl of potatoes.

“Was that an earthquake?”

My head goes all fuzzy and I sway a bit, clarity returning to me.

I blink, look around the room, and then sigh. Very dramatically, lots of flair. “For fuck’s sake. Did you just miss out on getting raptured because you were using the bathroom?”

Rush looks down at his potatoes, french fries this time for variety, then at the bathroom, and he clears his throat. “Uh, yep. That’s— that’s exactly what I was doing in there. Totally was using the bathroom.” He nods emphatically to back this up.

I narrow my eyes and stalk towards him. Dig a nail into his chest for showmanship. “You were doing something freaky with potatoes, weren’t you?”

“Let me explain.”

“Can I get an ‘aye’ from everyone that does not want the demon to explain?” Saladriel immediately interjects with a hand in the air.

Wil follows suit, practically shouting, “Aye!” and maybe I’m curious, but I don’t think I ought to be.

Rush very surreptitiously stuffs a few more fries into his mouth, licks his lips, and looks me up and down, lasciviously. Then remembers that I’m not supposed to be this clear headed. “Did you get your memories back? Sweet.” Goes right back to eating potato products.

“Woah, really?” Wil asks, throwing himself in front of me and checking my eyes.

I smile at him and pat him gently on the cheek. “Don’t know if it will stick, but…yes. Just in time for me to lose every single one of my mates except the three of you. That seems like reckless behavior.”

A knock on my door is immediately followed by it opening with a key, and in walks my brother, then my mother, then every single one of my fathers.

Wil immediately cowers behind me and legitimately whimpers, but he’s so freaking cute. I sway again, once more falling right into Saladriel’s arms, and luckily this time I retain all the bits of information in my head.

“Delaney! They said— woah, where is everyone?”

“She said they were raptured…” Rush explains, looking back and forth between all of my parents, his precious bowl of potatoes, and me.

Then he stuffs the remaining couple handfuls into his mouth and turns around so he can finish consuming them without anyone seeing how gross he’s being, holding up a single finger over his shoulder to tell us he’ll just be a moment.

“Raptured? The goddess wouldn’t do that and leave you behind.

Unless…” my mom trails off, contemplating something very hard.

“No. I’m nearly 90% certain. You definitely would have been raptured, too.

Come to think of it, I definitely wouldn’t be here.

I’m a shoo-in to whatever afterlife the goddess has in store for us poor wayward souls. ”