Page 11 of Coven

“That,” Ember said, his voice slow as he likely fought to find the right words, “was Master Xavier. I believe he went mad, and the house defenses reacted to stop him. I’m sorry for the fright, but you were never in any danger.” Ember strode forward and held out a hand to Kana, who took it and allowed Ember to help him back to his feet. “I suggest you all get in your van and head home,” he finished.

Beth nodded. “Amen. I am ready for a drink. Coming Kana?”

Kana nodded, but when he tried to pull his hand free from Ember’s, Ember didn’t let go.

“We are going to have a talk about tonight,” Ember said in a soft, growling voice that pleasantly renewed the weakness in Kana’s knees. “Whether you like it or not.”

Kana nodded. He cradled Mika in his arms and followed Beth into the van, hoping Ember would be too busy with the death of two of the vampires he was supposed to protect to remember Kana.

Chapter Five

SUNLIGHT POURED THROUGH the windows of Kana’s apartment. He groaned and rolled over, smushing his face into his pillow where the light couldn’t bother him. He was just drifting back to sleep when the morning alarm on his phone blared. Kana stuck one hand out from under the covers, tapping his fingers over his nightstand and not finding his phone.

“It’s over here, still in your pants pocket from last night,” Sora said.

The alarm stopped, and the bed sank as Sora sat on the edge of the mattress at Kana’s side.

“Can’t you skip work today? We’re all still exhausted from yesterday,” Sora asked, his voice hopeful.

Kana rolled so he could look up at Sora. “I can’t. They’ll be worried at work if I don’t come in, or they might think something happened to me. Besides, I'll likely have to do some damage control after all the magic they saw. It’s probably a good bet they’re going to change their write-up for the interview after Stephen almost got bitten, but I want to make sure they don’t have anything about my potion in there.”

Sora sighed. “You’re right. I’ll brew some tea and start breakfast. You go kick Mika out of the shower.”

Kana crawled out from under the covers, but instead of going to the bathroom, he reached out and wrapped his arms over Sora’s shoulders. Sora tilted his head just right and bent, Kana pushed up onto his toes, and their lips met.

“Good morning,” Kana said when he pulled away, his lips feathering over Sora’s as he spoke.

Sora laughed. “It is now. Go tell Mika good morning too so we can get today started.”

Kana obeyed, heading to the bathroom where the shower was still going strong.

Mika liked water, particularly when he was in his human shape. Sora tolerated it as a necessity to stay clean, but Mika was standing, unmoving under the warm spray, letting the water completely soak him. Kana stared at him for a long moment, taking in the beauty of his sleek human body and the water droplets rolling down over taut muscle and smooth skin. Kana let out a heavy breath and tried to refocus. He had to get to work, which didn’t leave time for all the filthy, wonderful things the sight of Mika was inspiring. Especially when his lips were still tingling from Sora’s kiss. He shook his head to clear those thoughts away. He had to get to work today.

“Did you at least bother with the soap?” Kana asked, his voice almost steady. He shucked his pajamas and tossed them into the corner, and then climbed into the tub with Mika.

Mika rumbled out a purring laugh and opened his eyes. “Yes. I did that first, but I’m sore from all the running yesterday and was trying to use the hot water to ease my muscles.”

He stepped out of the way so Kana could get under the water and handed him the shampoo bottle once Kana was wet enough. Five minutes later, Kana rinsed off the last of the soap. He reached for the handle to turn off the water, but Mika’s hands landed on Kana’s hips. He yanked Kana backward until Kana’s back was pressed to Mika’s chest.

Mika purred in Kana’s ear. “You never told me good morning.” His hands drifted forward and down, one taking Kana’s quickly growing length in hand, the other reaching past to caress Kana’s balls. Mika’s fingers were skilled, his fist strong, and his purring breaths an aphrodisiac in Kana’s ears. Mika thrust his own length against Kana, using the pressure between their bodies to pleasure himself as he pleasured Kana. It didn’t take long before Kana was moaning out his release. Mika’s length pulsed as he let out his own moan.

Kana leaned against Mika’s body, waiting for his knees to remember they were supposed to hold him up. Mika chuckled and then manhandled Kana so he was back under the spray where the evidence of their fun would be washed away. By the time Mika was done cleaning him, Kana’s brain was back online. He shut the water off and grabbed towels for them both off the rack.

“You’re going to be late!” Sora yelled, his voice easily penetrating through the bathroom door.

“Crap,” Kana muttered. If he missed his usual bus, the next one wasn’t for twenty minutes and then he’d be really late. He rushed to get dried and into clothing and ran out the door with a piece of toast in his mouth, a travel mug of tea in one hand, his bag in the other, and two cats trailing behind. It wasn’t until he was on the bus—which pulled up just as he got to the stop—that he was able to straighten the strap on his bag and open the top so Mika and Sora could climb inside.

He made it to work on time and trudged inside. Beth was sitting at her desk. She glanced up at Kana and grimaced.

“You have a hangover too?” she grumbled. “I’m gonna be dragging all day.” She thumped her head down on her desk, then groaned. “One of these days I’m going to remember I’m not twenty anymore, and I can’t drink like I used to,” she said through the arms she had crossed over her head.

Kana placed his bag on the ground and turned on his computer while Mika and Sora squirmed out the top and went to curl up on their pillow.

“Do you need any painkillers?” Kana asked.

“Waaay ahead of you, but thanks,” she replied, still with her head hidden.

Kana shrugged and sipped tea from his mug while he waited for the computer to load. Once it was running, he opened his email to see if anything had landed about the interview.

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