Priest (Trident Agency #2)

20. Oliver

20

OLIVER

O liver wasn’t entirely on board with Poe coming to the compound, but he understood why his friend needed to do it. He could also see how frustrated Poe was by how careful the others were being with him. Priest was mostly hands-off, and so was Knight for obvious reasons. But he hovered a little too close, and Azriel didn’t let Poe get more than a few feet away from him without putting a hand on his shoulder or his back.

Poe looked like he wanted to pounce on the Angel and drain him, and Oliver wondered if Az would let him if he did. Poe had clearly been feeding, though Oliver couldn’t bring himself to ask on what—or who. But he could tell Poe was still hungry.

He wished he knew more about Vampires. He never thought they deserved the sort of treatment they got, but he’d never put much study into them either. For so many years, he believed they were caused by a viral infection in humans. Now, realizing it was a genetic mutation or something, it changed everything.

He could only hope the lab had something left behind because he wanted to help figure it out. Not just for Poe’s sake but for everyone who had been turned against their will.

The drive to the compound wasn’t terribly long, but Oliver considered asking if they could just use their powers to close the distance. Knight seemed happy behind the wheel though, and Azriel looked at ease. Priest seemed to sense his discomfort because he picked up Oliver’s hand and gently played with his fingers.

It was distracting enough to pass the time, and before long, they were there. It was difficult to see at first with the thick brush, but eventually, the road opened up into a clearing with a path that led to an underground garage. The tire tracks were fresh and dug deeply into the dirt from the hasty escape the humans had made that night.

It was odd to see the place in the middle of the day. It looked so unassuming and yet oddly sinister in the same way. It was massive—way bigger than Oliver had assumed. It stretched far into the trees, blending almost as seamlessly as the safe house.

It was no real wonder how it had operated undetected for so many years. It just broke Oliver’s heart that it had taken Poe’s capture to bring it down. His best friend did not deserve that kind of fate. If he was to become a Vampire, it should have been on his own terms. And Knight sure as hell deserved justice far sooner than he was getting now.

The tension in the SUV ramped up as they pulled to a stop, and Priest quickly clambered out, taking Oliver with him. Azriel followed suit, and the two Vampires remained inside.

“They need a moment,” Azriel said.

Oliver knew. He could feel it. He took Priest’s hand in his and tugged him toward the door, which had been blasted off the hinges by what he assumed had been either the Bravo or Charlie Teams. “Do you think there’s anything we should be worried about right now?”

Priest shook his head, lifting Oliver’s hand to his lips and kissing his knuckles. “No. There’s no chance in hell they don’t know who raided the place, and they won’t be foolish enough to come back. They might have government officials on their side—at least, we think they do—but they don’t have the law on their side. Not yet. Now’s the best time to collect as much evidence as we can.”

Oliver didn’t have much hope that anything had been left behind, but he followed Priest inside and stuck close as they began to explore the first set of rooms.

It took the better part of three hours to get through the whole compound, but by the time they were done, they found little more than a few handwritten journals and one single computer terminal that hadn’t been wiped. Unfortunately, the only thing on there was security footage of the guards coming and going.

Priest hooked a tablet up to it, downloaded everything onto a zip file, and immediately sent it to HQ for the analysts to go through, but he wasn’t confident they were going to find anything there. So far, Priest hadn’t recognized anyone, and facial recognition would take forever since each country or kingdom had its own database that would have to be searched.

“I doubt they send anyone high-ranking to these facilities,” Knight said. He’d been quiet as he perused the rooms. Everyone had left him to his thoughts, and while he seemed tense, he wasn’t shaking the way he had been the night of the raid. “They’re not too clever to get away with this forever, but they’re clever enough to cover their tracks.”

Azriel rubbed at his chin, glancing over at Poe, who was leaning against the far wall with his arms wrapped around his middle. “Were you able to piece anything together?”

Knight shrugged. “Odd, broken memories. Kind of like dreams.” He massaged his temples. “I’m starting to wonder if they fucked with my mind.”

“It’s entirely possible. They have access to every drug on the market and many that aren’t. There are plenty of spells too,” Priest said. “It wouldn’t take much to affect the memory of a newly turned Vampire.”

Knight lifted his chin, looking furious. “Then I need to find someone to unlock this shit.”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea? You know that could?—”

“I godsdamned know exactly what it could do to me,” Knight interrupted, glowering at Priest. “But do you really think the better alternative is to let me live in this fog?”

Priest sighed heavily, and Oliver moved closer, taking his hand. Priest shot him a grateful smile before turning back to Knight, his eyes glowing crimson. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I just don’t want you to have to suffer more.”

Knight let out a bitter laugh. “My entire life has been a nightmare since they took me. Starting the agency saved my life, but that doesn’t mean it erased the torment. But I can’t move past something I don’t remember.”

“He’s right,” Poe cut in. He pushed away from the wall and walked toward them. “A lot of what I went through is a foggy mess, and I know it would have been so much worse if I’d been here as long as him. Being here is awful, but it helps. Being able to see it with sober eyes and totally free?” He glanced away. “I’m ready to leave now, but I’m glad I came.”

Azriel looked at Poe, then Priest, then Knight. Finally, his gaze settled on Oliver. “Are you ready to say goodbye for a while?”

He wasn’t. Shit. His chest was tight like he had a boulder lodged behind his sternum, and he swallowed thickly. He knew he had to let his best friend go. At least for a little while. Poe needed time to adapt and to heal. He needed time to accept that whatever had been done was forever.

And Oliver knew he’d just be in the way. He’d want to shield Poe from feeling anything bad, and that wouldn’t help him in the moment. No, he needed someone like Azriel who would let him suffer because it wouldn’t be forever.

But it sucked.

“Are you ready?” Oliver asked.

Poe looked at him, his gaze shuttered. It was the first time since meeting Poe that Oliver couldn’t read his expression. He felt like he was being gutted. “I’m ready.”

When Oliver tried to take a step forward, Poe took a step back and shook his head.

“Okay.” The word came out a tattered whisper, and Priest quickly pulled him close.

“I’m sorry,” Poe said. “But I just… I can’t. Not right now. Not here.” He turned on his heel and hurried out of the room, his footsteps echoing off the metal walls like gunshots.

Knight turned to Oliver and met his gaze. “It won’t be forever. I promise. Just give him a little time.”

“You’ll come by soon, right?” Azriel asked.

Knight offered a wry grin. “If I can find the place.”

Oliver had no idea what that meant, but he watched as Azriel leaned in and whispered something into Knight’s ear. The Vampire nodded, then shoved his hands into his pockets and backed away like the closeness was becoming too much.

“I’ll call you soon,” Azriel said to Oliver. “When he’s ready for a visit.”

All Oliver could do was nod and let the Angel pull him into a firm embrace. He felt the pulse of Priest’s jealousy, just a gentle simmer, really, so he indulged in the hug until Azriel let him go. “Thank you.”

Azriel cradled his face gently. “Don’t thank me, little brother. We’re family. This is what we do.” He pressed a kiss to Oliver’s forehead, ignoring Priest’s clear growl, then pulled away and turned. In the blink of an eye, he was gone, and just like he’d felt it when Poe was gone before, he felt the same thing now.

Only there was no fear. No pain. No desperation. There was just the absence of him and the knowledge that as soon as he was ready, Oliver would see him again.

Back at the safe house, Priest and Oliver were alone. Knight packed quickly after finishing up with the compound, and then he took one of the two remaining cars and said he’d see them back at HQ. He and Priest spoke quietly for a few minutes in the driveway, and Oliver watched from the window as he got in and eventually disappeared down the narrow road.

The door opened again, and Priest gathered Oliver close. “And then there were two.”

Oliver was profoundly aware this was the first time they’d been alone together after bonding. It felt important, and yet it also felt so natural, like it was part of who they were. He turned his face up, and Priest took him in a firm, lingering kiss.

“Take me to bed,” Oliver murmured.

Priest didn’t obey immediately. He pushed Oliver against the wall, kissing him harder, then lifted him until Oliver was wrapping his legs around Priest’s waist. He was hard, needy, aching for more, and Priest let out a soft growl as he scraped his teeth along the tendon in Oliver’s neck.

“Want you,” Priest said.

Oliver knocked their foreheads together. “You have me. I’m yours.”

Priest began to purr again, more vibration than sound, rushing under Oliver’s skin. He shuddered with a mix of pleasure and contentment, rocking himself against Priest.

“Bed. Now.”

Oliver laughed. “That’s what I’ve been saying .”

Priest ran faster than Oliver could process, and in a single breath, they were behind their closed bedroom door. Priest laid Oliver out on the bed, and then he lifted a clawed hand and tore the shirt from his body.

“I liked that! I don’t have many things to my name right now!”

Priest smirked as he went after his slacks the same way. “I’ll buy you more. I’ll buy you an entire department store of adorable, nerdy librarian clothes the moment we get back.”

Oliver shuddered. The moment was tender yet oddly feral. It was a glimpse of what was to come—of everything he was still waiting to learn about Priest. He could see himself naked in the forest, running, Priest in full Demon form going after him.

A moment like they’d shared in the alley, but instead of racing home to feed, Priest would take him there, surrounded by nature, observed by the moon and stars. He groaned as Priest dropped to his knees and lifted his cock, taking the head between his lips. He suckled, dipping his forked tongue into his slit, and Oliver’s eyes rolled back in his head.

“Gods. Gods,” he gasped.

“Demon, but close,” Priest said, sinking his teeth into Oliver’s thigh. He broke the skin, then licked away droplets of blood before kissing his way up Oliver’s chest. “I want to be inside you, my little human.”

“Yes,” Oliver said. He watched as Priest spat in his hand and slicked his cock, and then he wrapped his legs around Priest’s waist, moaning when that thickness dragged over his hole. Priest sucked his fingers into his mouth, then reached between them and pushed inside, lubing and stretching him.

Oliver groaned at the sudden fullness, at the heat of it, at how perfect it all was.

This was fate. It had to be. There was no other explanation.

“Yes. Fate decided you are mine, so I took you,” Priest rasped, fucking his fingers in and out. He added a third, then a fourth.

Oliver had never been stretched so wide before, but gods, he wanted more.

Priest groaned as he lifted higher, shoving Oliver farther onto the bed, and then he pushed and slipped inside with a single thrust. Oliver’s eyes went wide and sightless as he took all of his mate. It was different. He felt his own pleasure wrapped in Priest’s, ricocheting back and forth.

It was almost too much.

“I didn’t realize it would be like this,” Priest gasped, his hips moving fast, thrusts shallow and rapid like he was chasing both their orgasms. He was trembling, clinging to Oliver like he needed him to stay weighted to Earth. “Fuck. Fuck. I feel you taking me. I feel it.”

Oliver understood. He could feel himself being fucked, but he could feel the ecstasy coursing off his mate. Their bond threads were twisting together, bright gold, pulsing with the beats of their hearts. His balls went tight as Priest lifted his leg and changed angles, hitting his prostate with every thrust.

“More,” Oliver gasped. “Harder.”

“Yes. Yes. Take it. Gods, look at you take it.”

Oliver opened his eyes to see Priest staring down at where they were joined. He grabbed him by the back of his hair and yanked him in for a kiss. The moment the forked tongue wrapped around his own, he was lost. His orgasm crashed over him like a tsunami, whiting out his vision, consuming his limbs, tearing him from the mortal plane.

And Priest went with him. There was a single, still moment, and then he was spilling deep inside Oliver. He clung hard, claws drawing blood, fangs sinking into their mating bite. There were no words in any language to describe the way Oliver felt.

Only that it was right. It was theirs.

No one else would ever—could ever—feel this way. It was them. Together.

For as long as the universe allowed them to live.