NOVEL NEXT Chapter 76: Testing Immunity
Sensing her response, Zaeryn deepened the kiss. His hands slid down to rest on her thighs, fingers brushing lightly against the fabric of her uniform.
Arya's eyes fluttered shut, her breath catching in her throat, as she lost herself in the sensation. Her usual guarded demeanor dissolved, replaced by a soft, almost vulnerable surrender.
'So this is what it feels like,' she thought, the world narrowing to just his touch. 'Is this what all men are like... or is it just him?'
The hum of the cruiser, Mireille's presence in the cockpit, the weight of their earlier conversation—all of it faded as she leaned into him, her body warm and yielding under his touch.
From the cockpit, Mireille glanced back, only to realize that they were kissing. Her expression remained as neutral and unreadable as ever, but her eyes widened almost in a way that was slight and gradual. She had not expected this.
She had anticipated Zaeryn might try something. But succeeding? And with Arya, the most empathetic and rule-abiding of the two of them? This wasn't in the mission parameters.
Consensual contact between a civilian and an agent was a gray area, but this was a breach of protocol so blatant it was almost an art form.
Yet, Mireille said nothing. To interrupt would be to admit she had been watching, to make it a formal incident. For reasons she couldn't immediately analyze, she chose silence, turning her attention back to the cruiser's controls.
Zaeryn felt the world tilt and then steady. Arya's lips were soft and carried a warmth that contradicted her tough Warlady exterior.
The kiss was a question and an answer all at once, a silent acknowledgment of the strange, magnetic pull that had been building between them since the fight in Tiffany's office.
He felt a familiar chime in his mind, the Eros Engine humming in satisfaction.
[SYSTEM LOG]
[NEW BOND FORMING: Arya]
[CATALYST: Intimate Contact & Mutual Curiosity]
[VITAE ABSORPTION DETECTED: +10 Vitae Points]
[STATUS: Synchronization Initiating... Full Signature Mapping at 5%]
He pulled back slowly, his eyes still locked with hers. Arya's face was flushed, her breath unsteady. The daring spark in her eyes was now mixed with a dawning sense of shock, as if she couldn't quite believe what she'd just done.
"So," Zaeryn murmured, his voice a low, intimate rumble. "I guess that's a no. You're not immune."
Before Arya could form a response, a crisp, electronic chime echoed through the cruiser's cabin. Mireille's voice, devoid of any emotion, cut through the charged silence.
"We've arrived at your residence."
Arya jumped back as if zapped by a stun baton, her cheeks burning a brighter shade of crimson. She quickly straightened her uniform, refusing to look at either Zaeryn or Mireille, and she was the first one to run out of the cruiser.
Zaeryn watched Arya rush outside, then his gaze shifted to Mireille.
"I saw that," she said evenly, her tone dry as steel. "I would suggest you keep your… talents focused where they won't cause complications. My colleague isn't someone you should be practicing on."
"What?" Zaeryn asked. But he knew exactly what she meant: don't seduce Arya. The warning was written plainly in her eyes, even if her words kept it professional.
The moment was shattered, and the cold, professional reality of their situation came crashing back down.
Zaeryn let out a quiet breath and also walked out.
___
The front door hissed open. Zaeryn stepped inside, a smile touching his lips at the familiar, comforting fragrance of home. He'd been held, choked, and almost broken by Pyralis. He thought he'd never make it out alive, but what a relief it was to be back.
A figure emerged from the living area: Ravena. She moved with fluid elegance, her steps silent and deliberate on the polished floor. She wore a pair of high-cut lounge shorts that hugged her hips, showcasing her long, toned legs. A simple crop top clung to her torso, revealing a tattoo on a sliver of her flat midriff. Her dark hair was tousled, falling in effortless waves around a face that held a look of unadulterated beauty.
Her green eyes, sharp and glittering with an emotion he couldn't decipher, locked onto his. She didn't stop until she was directly in his personal space.
"You're back," she murmured, her voice a low, husky purr that vibrated through him.
Before Zaeryn could reply, her arms snaked around his neck, pulling him down. Her body pressed flush against his, soft and warm in all the right places.
His hands instinctively slid down to hold her waist, then shamelessly traced the curve of her hips through the thin fabric of her shorts. He felt the gentle press of her breasts against his chest, the fit of her body feeling perfect in his hands.
Her mouth was on his. It wasn't a tentative peck or a friendly greeting. It was a kiss born of unspoken feelings—a mix of longing, frustration, and fierce, possessive claim.
Her lips were soft but demanding, moving against his with a fiery intensity that stole the air from his lungs. A soft moan escaped her as she deepened the kiss, her tongue darting out to trace the seam of his lips before coaxing them open.
All the day's tension—the fear from Pyralis and the exhaustion from his Vitae use, melted away, consumed by the heat of her touch. His arms, acting on pure instinct, pulled her impossibly closer until there was no space left between them.
Across the room, Aeris and Marceline watched the scene unfold. Aeris let out a low whistle, a wicked grin spreading across her face. "Well, someone didn't waste any time staking her claim."
Marceline simply chuckled, a rich, knowing sound, as she took a slow sip of her drink, watching with undisguised amusement.
Ravena finally broke the kiss, though she remained pressed against him, breathless and flushed. Her green eyes sparkled with a triumphant fire. "I believe," she whispered, her lips still brushing his with every word, "that this is long overdue. Don't you agree?"