Page 51 of Priest

Priest gave him a squeeze and then stepped back, turning Oliver to face him and cupping the sides of his neck. He pressed his thumbs beneath the edge of Oliver’s chin and pushed his face up, forcing him to meet his gaze. “They aren’t just a bunch of psychos.”

Oliver sighed. “I know.”

One side of Priest’s mouth went up in a small smile, and he said, not for the first time, “They have a plan. They’re professionals. That means they have an endgame. They’re not just causing harm to cause harm.”

Oliver took a deep breath in through his nose and then let it out noisily through his mouth, trying to shake the last of the anxiety out of his body. “You’re right. I know you’re right. I’m just so fucking frustrated. I can’t seem to control my powers at all, if I even have any.”

Priest gave him an unimpressed look. “You have them. Most Supes spend years figuring out how to control themselves and any abilities that they might have, and that’s after knowing your whole life you’ll grow into the abilities. How long did Caspian say it took him to learn how to fly?”

It was Oliver’s turn to roll his eyes. “Three months.”

“Three months just to stay off the ground for over a minute,” Priest corrected. “It took him two years to be comfortable flying at any altitude or distance that he needed.”

Oliver had a feeling Caspian was the exception, that his intellectual brain had possibly hindered him in following his Dragon’s instincts, but he’d appreciated what had passed for a pep talk from the scientist.

“Poe doesn’t have two years,” Oliver said.

“I know, which is why we aren’t only depending on you,” Priest reminded him, leaning in and pressing his forehead against Oliver’s, the soft contact nearly melting the bones in his body. “My team and the Bravo Team are making progress. I know it’s not as fast as you want, but we should have answers within the next week or so.”

Another week. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to handle that. The Dragons were wonderful, fed them well, kept them entertained, had all kinds of activities to try and distract him—everything from board games to SUVs that had been modified to go up the mountain.

But being unable to leave? Not being able to run down the mountain and back into the city, to go back to the bookshop and follow whatever instinct had tried to lead him to Poe, it was killing a little piece of him. No matter how much he loved being able to spend time with Priest, curled up in his arms at night, working on trying to harness his powers during the day, and everything in between.

He couldn’t take much more of it.

“Let’s take a break,” Priest said, like he could read Oliver’s mind. “Maybe we should go watch a movie or take the bikes out for a ride, get some fresh air.”

Oliver considered those options and then shook his head. “I have a better idea.”

He slipped free from Priest’s hold but then held out his hand. Priest took it, entwining their fingers, and let Oliver lead him up to the main floor and then up the staircase into the bedroom they’d been given for their stay.

Priest closed the door behind him and leaned back against it, his eyes already beginning to darken. Oliver was pretty sure he was starting to be able to sense when Priest’s powers grew, filling the air around them with lust and desire, heightening the feelings he already had.

He held his eyes, slowly stripping out of his clothes and tossing them aside. Climbing up onto the bed, he scooted back until he was in the middle, propped up on his elbows.

“Help me forget for a while,” Oliver whispered.

They hadn’t turned a light on, but the large, south-facing windows allowed the cheery blue sky to provide plenty of illumination, allowing Oliver to see every detail as Priest followed his lead, holding his gaze as he got rid of his ownclothing and then prowled up the bed until he hovered over Oliver’s body.

“We’ll find him,” Priest said, his quiet voice sounding loud in their silent bedroom, but the words sank into Oliver, beneath his skin and muscles, directly into the marrow of his bones.

Priest wasn’t just telling him something to make him feel better. He meant it. Hebelievedit. He would do everything in his power to make sure it came true.

“I know.” Oliver fell back against the mattress, spreading his arms and legs, welcoming his lust Demon easily. “I believe you.”

Priest’s eyes darkened further, not completely black, but the whites were a dark gray, haunting in their beauty. He knew from his readings that Demons—Incubi especially—had been ostracized for over a century, even within the supernatural community. He knew their black eyes were feared, but all Oliver felt when he saw them was safe.

Well, that and a healthy dose of lust.

Priest closed the distance between them, taking his mouth in a deep, lingering kiss. Neither one of them was in a rush like they usually were when their passions became so heightened they could barely control themselves.

Instead, they spent long minutes tasting each other, Oliver’s hands running along Priest’s sides as he slowly lowered himself down on top of Oliver’s body. In that moment, he knew what it felt like to be consumed.

He also knew he would give everything of himself—including the last spark of his soul—if his Demon asked him for it.

But Priest never would. He would never be so careless or selfish.

The languid kisses went on forever until Priest finally started to move down his body, pausing for achingly drawn-out moments on all his favorite spots. The side of his neck,his collarbones, nipples, and the small protrusion of his belly button.

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