Pandora was busy enough that it kept Rella adequately distracted. There had been a nasty brawl near the end of her shift that required her to stay longer to write a police report. By the time she got back home her neighbors were leaving for their office jobs. When she got to her place she washed herself up and passed out the moment she laid in bed. She was so exhausted she slept through her alarm making her late to her first meeting with Arkadiy.
It was close to 10am when she finally checked in with Claudia, who glared at her disapprovingly before snapping at a seat next to the office doors. Absolutely not in the mood for any attitude Rella matched Claudia’s glare before rolling her eyes and taking a seat.
The assistant scoffed out a laugh and shook her head before she sat at her desk and got back to work.
For a moment Rella felt bad for the way she reacted. She was late after all.
With a sigh she turned and apologized just as the double doors opened.
“It’ll be beat out of you soon enough, girlie.” Claudia muttered, typing away at her computer.
Rella ignored her and made her way up the stairs to Arkadiy’s office. The lack of sleep had made her cranky, all she wanted to do was crawl back into bed. She was mid yawn when she walked in on him standing at his desk surrounded by mounds of paperwork.
“Thought you’d chickened out.” He drawled, signing away at a scroll without looking up.
All he got was a grunt in response.
Rella tossed her backpack at her feet before slumping into the wingback chair beside his desk. It was a large piece of furniture that seemed at odds with the rest of the room. Nonetheless, it was one of the comfiest things she’d ever had the pleasure of sitting on.
The headmaster looked up at her with an arched brow. When he got a good look at her his expression turned dark.
“Is that dirt on your neck?” He softly asked.
Rella stared at him in confusion, a hand raising to wipe away at the area only to make herself wince. “Nah, just a bruise,” She rasped. “Damn, I didn’t see anything before crashing.”
“What happened?”
“Dude wouldn’t leave after last call,” Rella yawned. She arched into a quick stretch, her joints popping. “I was sweeping around him and told him he only had a half hour left. Next thing I know I’m on the floor and he has me by the throat. My adopted dads were still there and laid him flat quick, though.”
“You should have called to reschedule. Rest is more important.” Said Arkadiy.
“Nah, any other night that would have been a turn on.” She teased. “Too bad he smelled like cigarettes and methane gas.”
Arkadiy snorted in derision. “Enough. Let’s get started with some basics,” He finished with his scroll and rolled it up, putting it in a pile to his right. He pulled another from the pile to his left and continued scribbling away. “Just so you are aware, my office is completely protected from Traveler magic. You won’t be able to use it unless I recant the spells. I’ve also added more defensive wards against your seal. Not only does it protect me, it will keep you from being completely consumed.”
“Understood.”
“Perfect," He looked up at her. "Now, what all do you know about Travelers?”
“Their source of magic is different than the standard. One popular theory is that it comes from an unknown deity,” Rella paused to readjust herself in her seat. “The second theory is that Travelers are the source of magic themselves; pieces of the Nexus of Life that have broken off since the War against the Null.”
The headmaster nodded in approval. “Go on,” he encouraged.
Rella recited all she knew which wasn’t much more than what the academy did. Dimensional travelling was just a crazy sci-fi plot that had no real-world merit until Travelers let their existence known. Typical magic wielders needed spells to help direct their intention into their craft, but a Traveler could simply think their desire into existence, with limitations of course.
A singular Traveler couldn’t manipulate time, or give themselves sudden fame and fortune. Everything had to be gradual. Too much at once could use up their entire reservoir of magic and kill them in an instant.
Groups of four or more were the forces to be feared. When Travelers combined their powers anything was possible.
“Pretty sure you’ve got personal experience with that, though, don’t ya?” Rella slid in, her curiosity getting the best of her.
Arkadiy shrugged nonchalantly, his attention on a new roll of parchment. “Depending on how today goes, I’m thinking we can enlist the help of our tutor in the IntraD department. They’ll be able to help with some of our lessons, speed the process up a bit.”
“Cool. Am I to expect you’ll be getting help for my second problem?”
“Nope,” he sighed. “Sorry to say, you’re stuck with lil ol’ me.”
“Oh, don’t be so hard on yourself,” Rella puckered her lips in exaggeration. “I firmly believe size doesn’t matter.”
She was tickled pink when he chuckled at her barb. He rose from his chair to start clearing off the pile of signed paperwork, a smile lingering on his lips.
That smile was singlehandedly responsible for her unraveling. There wasn’t a valid reason for why she wanted to tease him so bad, just that her curiosity had been piqued. She smirked and tilted her head before saying in a challenging tone, “So, what happened to discussing hard limits?”
The headmaster stilled, his back towards her.
“Last night had me thinking...What if it had been your hand on my throat, me at your mercy?” She trailed off, gauging his reaction. In short, terse movements Arkadiy opened a desk drawer and put away his work. When he turned to face her, she noted he wasn’t angry, but he sure was irritated.
“I made it clear what your schedule will be.” He said in response.
Rella made a show of checking her wrist as if she had a watch. “Well, seeing as I’ve missed the better half of this morning I just assumed we’d get straight to the nitty gritty.” She raised a brow at him. “Whip out the chains and toys! Let’s see if you can back up your big boy speak; or were you just talking out your ass?”
The words came out of their own volition. Every nerve ending was on fire, her vision sharpening along with her tongue. She wasn’t sure where it was coming from and was fully aware she should reel it back, but she couldn’t stop.
“Personally, my favorite is shibari. I’ve no shame admitting I’m a bit of a pillow princess, but a good bruise is like a badge of honor. Being pinned and tossed around is the only way to do it right.” She rambled on.
While true, it wasn’t what Rella intended on saying at all. It was as if her body had been possessed and all she was capable to doing was spilling her inner most erotic thoughts.
“I say stop, you go harder, know what I mean?” She taunted.
Her hands gripped the arms of the seat she was in, biting her lip in an attempt to keep herself from continuing to sound a fool. His features became crystal clear making her ache to reach out and feel him.
Ever so slightly Arkadiy’s head tilted forward. His pupils gradually dilated, nostrils flaring. She noticed how he gripped the desk behind him, the tendons of his forearms flaring from the strain. Despite it all, he made no move towards her.
Where was this rapid influx of energy coming from?
The more Rella tried to fight it, the worse it became. It was a struggle to breathe and the clothes she wore suddenly irritated her skin. She tore her gaze away from the headmaster and pulled at the collar of her shirt.
“I’m sorry—I don’t feel so good…” She whispered hoarsely.
“It’s the seal,” Arkadiy only moved to cross his legs at the ankle. “I told you, you needed to stop using magic.”
Rella glanced back at him and immediately felt a rush of heat from her belly to her core.
Touch me already, she found herself thinking over and over.
“I haven’t used it since we last talked.” She said through chattering teeth. He shot her a look of disbelief just as she let out an involuntary gasp. “What the hell was that?!”
“The seal had a taste and is hungry for more.” He replied in amusement. “This will keep happening until it’s had its fill.”
Another wave of heat crashed through Rella making her cross her legs. She wanted to get up and leave, her embarrassment battling it out with her wanton need. Unfortunately, she felt paralyzed, her body melded to the seat.
“Dammit,” she hissed. “Please…help me.”
Arkadiy remained still, his eyes glinting as he watched her writhe. The electric shocks of unreleased pleasure made her cry out again, finally eliciting a mischievous smirk from him.
“I promised to help under one condition,” he said. “Do you remember?”
How could she forget? It was all her body could focus on since he’d left her apartment. Even now, she was willing to do anything he said as long as he could help alleviate the burn.
She nodded curtly at him.
He raised his voice in response. “I need to hear you to say it.”
Rella hoped she glared at him but she could feel the desperation on her face as she opened her mouth to say, “Chain me, choke me, I don’t care; please, just help me.”
“We can talk about those activities when you aren’t under the influence of magic,” he tsked at her mockingly. “I only require one thing.”
You want my help so bad, then you’re going to do everything I say.
Everything.
The memory alone made her wet.
Gods, all she wanted was release. The pressure was becoming so painful.
In a single fluid motion Arkadiy pushed himself away from his desk and was looming over her. She sucked in a shuddering breath trying to retain a modicum of composure, looking up at him from underneath her lashes. He nudged her legs apart with his knee, a hand firmly gripping jaw and tilting her head back until she could clearly see him.
“What is this?” She asked him weakly.
Arkadiy studied her features, his thumb caressing her lower lip.
“The Erotikos like to add a little failsafe to make sure all involved are properly motivated.” He said. His gaze turned hard as flint. “Ravenous lust that bleeds out from the source to its victims.”
There were so many questions but Rella only wanted one thing. Her hands began to throb from the grip she had on her seat, never once having let up. This close his scent added to the heady effect of the seal, her mind blanking out and her body in full control.
If he didn’t move soon she was going to burst.
“I trust you,” She croaked. “Please…”
A moment of silence passed between them
“You need to give me a safe word,” He finally said.
A thrill went through her as her imagination kicked in to overdrive. He knew how to take control, how to push the limits, and she craved it all. Even though everything she’d said was due to the seal’s power, she meant it all. Not that she could think of a reason she’d want him to stop anyway.
The grip on her jaw tightened enough to regain her attention. She focused back on the man above her, her mouth going dry at the sight.
“A word, Rella.” He urged.
It took a few tries, but she was finally able to croak out the first word that came to mind.
“Raven.”
That godforsaken smile of his flashed once more. He leaned in close, his free hand trailing down her chest and past her belly.
“Good girl.” He praised, his fingers curling at the waistband of her pants.
Their eyes were locked and she remained still. Two fingers sunk into her making her arch into his hand and gasp in delight. When he added a third he had her panting for more, her body on sensory overload.
Arkadiy brought her to the cusp in just a few strokes, pulling away just as her core began to clamp around him from impending release. She cried out in frustration and reached out for him just as he stepped out of reach.
“You’re not to move unless I tell you to,” He ordered in a low rumble. From behind her, he grabbed Rella’s wrists and pinned them on either side of her. He leaned close, his lips brushing at her temple. “Is that understood?”
A shiver went up her spine and she nodded.
Satisfied with the response, Arkadiy guided her hands up and behind her head getting her to grip the back of her seat. She followed through in silence, her pulse going a mile a minute in anticipation. He then grabbed the hem of her shirt and pulled it up and over her head until her wrists were tied together. His hand trailed softly between her breasts making her nipples pucker at attention. She cried out in shock when she was suddenly lurched backwards, the seat reclining.
Once secured, he stepped around until he was in front of her again.
In her rush to get to him this morning she’d forgotten to throw on a bra. He paused to take her in, making her squirm.
Rella dug her nails in to the cushion of the seat wanting nothing more than to reach out and bring him close.
“Lift your hips,” he said, his voice growing gruff. She did as she was told, her pants disappearing in one swipe. “Now your legs.”
One by one Rella lifted her legs on to the chair and spread them wide, putting herself on full display.
“Perfect,” He growled, staring down at her in approval.
Never had anyone looked at her the with such an intoxicating mix of hunger and desire. He pulled his blazer off and tossed it on his desk. In one move he had his undershirt pulled off, her mouth instantly salivating as she finally got a look at him shirtless.
It may have been years since his retirement from the military, but lord have mercy, his body was still ready for battle. Sleek and athletic with a tapered waistline, just staring at him made her clit throb, her body more than ready.
“Come on, then.” She goaded, swaying her hips.
Just like that, his amusement disappeared, replaced by disapproval. He reached for her ankles and flipped her on her belly. As Rella tried to sit back on her thighs trying to catch her bearings, Arkadiy pulled her to his chest with a firm grip on her throat, careful not to put pressure on her bruise.
“You’ve lost your privilege to speak,” he growled in her ear. Letting go of her, he tore his shirt in half and wrapped it around her mouth, tying it into a complicated knot behind her head.
She could easily pull it away if she really wanted to. But then he shoved her face into the chair, the fabric scratching at her face, and the only sound coming from her were whimpers of anticipation. He held the back of her head firmly to keep her in place.
The sound of a him undoing his pants was the only warning she got. Arkadiy pulled up her hips and spread her legs, thrusting into her with a force that had her gasping for breath.
Rella groaned at the way he filled her up, her ass grinding against his hips and taking him to the hilt.
A proud smirk spread across his face at her shameless begging, holding himself in place as he took in the sensation of her walls clamping around him. With his free hand he grabbed on to both her wrists and pulled them behind her, using them as leverage to start pounding into her.
Each thrust struck her deep, her moans escalating. Seconds later she was screaming around the gag, her body arching into his in ecstasy. Her orgasm had him thrusting harder, his own moans of pleasure joining hers. The skin of her knees and cheek began to sting from how hard he was shoving her into the chair.
As he was reaching climax, Arkadiy grabbed the back of Rella’s gag and pulled her back to his chest. He let go of her wrists and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her in place as he fucked her. Every grunt, every moan and curse were panted in to her ear, making her stomach flutter into a second orgasm.
“Oh, fuck,” he gasped slamming into her one last time, his abdomen clenching as he released into her mid wave. Arkadiy’s arms clamped around her and held her in place until the last of their pleasure ebbed away.
The adrenaline disappeared and she went boneless, Arkadiy maintaining his grip on her and keeping her close. He pulled out of her while loosening the knot of her gag, then laid back in the reclined seat with her tucked beside him. Using the rags of the gag he wiped her clean then inspected the abrasions on her knees and face.
“I have a salve--”
“No,” Rella said breathlessly, pulling back to look at him. She smiled drunkenly and wagged her brows. “The one on my face will fade by tomorrow. I want a little reminder of what just happened.”
Arkadiy laughed, bringing her closer into a one-armed embrace.
“How much do you think we fed into the seal?” She asked.
“There’s no real way to measure that,” he turned to face, his brows drawing close. “You understand this is a process, right? You shouldn’t go testing your limits, especially with no training yet.”
Rella lazily drew random shapes on to his chest, delighting in the way his skin felt. “Yeah, I get it,” She glanced up at him, her body going warm. “I don’t want to overstep, I can take it slow.”
She trailed her hand lower, Arkadiy going still.
“Remind me though,” she breathed, her fingers brushing against the velvety head of his cock. “This feeling of lust…it’s normal, yes?”
She wrapped her hand around him, Arkadiy hissing a breath as she pumped his length.
“It comes and goes.”
“And the spells you put up protect us from being drained?”
Arkadiy looked down at her and rolled his hips into her hand. “You’re telling me you aren’t tired?”
In response, Rella hooked a leg around him and straddled his hips. She pulled him out of his pants once again and guided him into her. Nothing else needed to be said, the two falling in to a pattern quickly. The world dissolved around them, Arkadiy rolling her underneath him and taking control once more.
Hours later Rella was driving home with a satisfied smile on her face. Despite the rough start, Arkadiy had thoroughly taken care of her. After their third round he had made the decision to stop. She didn’t fight him on it only because she was ready for bed and really didn’t want to fall asleep in his office.
“Keep in contact with me,” he’d said as he slid a slip of paper into her backpack before handing it back to her. “Don’t worry about meeting me tomorrow, just rest.”
“What if I want to come in?” Rella asked cheekily. The headmaster shot her a stern look and she rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah, I get it. Rest is more important.”
“We did more than I’d intended today,” he admitted. “You need to regain your strength. All this was done when you were half asleep. Imagine what could’ve been accomplished with you at full charge.”
It was a good thing he couldn’t read her mind because the only thing she was thinking about was how beautiful he looked after all the dirty things he’d just done to her. His long hair was a mess, his bandanna long discarded. Some fell into his eyes, the gold contrasting against the black in a beguiling way.
“Thank you.” She forced out, reaching for her bag.
“Message me when you get home. I want to know you made it safe.” He softly ordered before turning back to his desk.
Rella was in the process of digging for the slip of paper from her bag when she stepped off her elevator. Now that she was away from him she realized she could think clearly. There wasn’t an ounce of regret in her body, but as the memories of todays events played out in her mind, she found herself stunned at how easily she let herself be used.
The purpose of this morning’s visit was to learn more about her source of magic and its basics. Within moments of being in close proximity to the headmaster she had turned into a blithering mess begging to be dicked down. She hoped that wouldn’t be the case every time she was around him.
The man was gorgeous and knew his way around the body, but she needed him for more than that. Before she’d left he’d made sure to reiterate that he was there for her if she had any questions regarding her people.
With a sigh of relief, she pulled the slip of paper from her bag. When she unfolded it she found a typed schedule for the week, Arkadiy’s phone number and signature written at the bottom.
She messaged him she made it home safe then jumped in the shower. The hot water stung her knees, making her proud. Despite being thoroughly spent, Rella knew he’d held back.
Knee scrapes were child’s play.
Next time she’d make it clear he had permission to take it further.
Once clean, she dried herself off and threw herself on her bed naked. Her skin was still so sensitive from their play, especially between her legs. The fleece blankets on her bed were the only thing she could handle touching her skin.
‘I’m glad,’ chimed in Arkadiy’s response. ‘Rehydrate and get some sleep.’
If it had been anyone else Rella would’ve been annoyed at this constant need to be in control. But from Arkadiy, it didn’t feel controlling. He was naturally gruff and seemed to put on this façade of anger and disinterest.
In reality, Rella felt he was the exact opposite.
Arkadiy knows what he wants and when he wants it. Had there been no empathy he would easily shove her out of his life and forget her existence. The way he held her and cleaned her up after their play said enough for her.
‘You know I don’t need a whole day to recuperate.’ She sent back.
‘I have a meeting during our scheduled time.’
The disappointment that speared through her took her by surprise. He followed up his message by urging her to study up on Traveler magic with the texts she’d purchased when she’d been enrolled.
Rella tossed her phone to the side and glared at her ceiling.
He was right and she knew it. The disappointment stemmed from her desire to be rid of the seal, but now that she had someone she felt she could trust, it bothered her that he was putting limits on her.
He had every right to his own life and she knew she was being selfish thinking this way. Arkadiy just made it really easy to look forward to his company. She only ever felt something similar towards her fathers and Ren.
Rella frowned at the realization. Maybe she needed the day off after all. She’d only known him for all of three days. This sense of familiarity meant nothing and was just the seal trying to get her attached and drained to its victim. She needed to learn how to separate her real emotions from the manufactured ones of the seal.
The headmaster assured her they were protected from being ultimately drained so long as their relations were done within the confines of his office. Regardless, she couldn’t help but wonder how much it would take to finally be rid of it.
With a sigh, Rella drifted off to sleep with the thought of finally being free at the forefront of her mind. Someday soon she hoped to finally get the peace of mind about her past, and she had Arkadiy to thank for it.
80Please respect copyright.PENANAdXPQEKzBwf