Fortune and Fortitude Pt. 06

Jared and Kiara waited patiently as a dark limo pulled up to where they stood, next to the broken bus. Senguine hadn't asked many questions when he had requested a ride, aside from their location and status. Not even two hours later, it appeared to have arrived.

Kiara had assured him that she would handle getting the rest of the field trip home. Humans, she had called them. It still seemed foreign to him, but much less foreign in the aftermath of what he had just done.

The driver stepped out, and Jared was surprised to see that he was wearing a blindfold. "Good evening, sir. I trust you two are guests of Miss Senguine?"

Jared nodded, only realizing after the futility of the gesture. "That's us."

With practiced motion, and without the use of his eyes, the driver swiftly opened the vehicle door. "Please, step in, sir."

He and Kiara shared a glance before crouching to enter the high-quality vehicle. The seats and windows were immaculate. Jared had never been in a limo before, but he had heard a few things. He eyed the fried in the corner, and, after only a moment of hesitation, reached for the handle.

As they started to move, Jared was pleased to find the fridge fully stocked. There was far more wine than necessary, but there was plenty of other snacks to satiate his appetite. He quickly pulled out handfuls of various snacks and passed some to Kiara, who opened hers gratefully. Neither had eaten all day - the food packed for the field trip had been eaten during their preparations for the dousa ambush.

As they ate their fill of various refreshments, Jared glanced through the window to the front seat. He noted with relief that the man was no longer wearing the blindfold. Even if he was proficient, he was much more comfortable having a man who could see driving the vehicle.

They made good time. He couldn't see the speedometer from where he was sitting, but if he had to guess, he'd say they were going well over the speed limit - twenty or thirty, most likely. In the fine transport they had, however, he could hardly tell.

He slumped back and released a small burp. Kiara rested her head on his shoulder, also looking content. They were both exhausted from the day's activities, and more so from the more recent events. They had talked about small things to keep themselves awake while waiting for the ride. Their current mood left room for no serious discussion.

Jared closed his eyes and rested his head on hers. How this was going to work, he had no idea. He might hate himself tomorrow morning. He might break it off with her and never see her again - or, at least, stay distant.

The thought made the fire in his stomach rumble angrily, and he sighed. Even if it was the right thing to do... He wasn't sure he could bring himself to do it. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her against him tightly. She sighed contentedly in reply.

He felt a twinge of guilt. What about Quinn? During his lovemaking session with Kiara, he had been unable to recall her face. That frightened him. He concentrated, willing her to form in his mind.

The image of her smile came easily, and he relaxed somewhat. What would she think? Sure, she was fine with him having sexual relations with another woman, but, despite his intentions, it had gone past that.

He wasn't sure he could call it love, really. It had only been a few hours since they had copulated, after all. But he felt... powerful affection for her, much stronger than a married man should have for a friend. Affection he knew, if he wasn't careful, could blossom into genuine love.

Would Quinn be angry? Understanding? Tolerant? Resentful? He had no idea, not even a clue as to what she would decide. Worse yet... She might see this as a means to escape any love that had been budding between them. She had grown more accommodating, but she still seemed to feel a great deal of lust. Perhaps she would see Kiara as a means to keep his lonely heart occupied, while she herself could merely enjoy the sex.

Kiara shifted next to him, and he looked down to find her gazing at him, concerned. "You grew tense again, Jared. Are you alright?"

Jared smiled and allowed his clenched muscles to relax. "Just worried about the future. I'll be fine."

She frowned, apparently not satisfied with that answer. "Are you... having regrets?" She pulled back a bit. "Would you like me to -"

"No." Jared folded his arms around her. "I made my decision, and I'll stick to it." He put his chin on her head and gave her a squeeze. "Whatever the consequences."

Kiara sighed quietly in his embrace as she returned it. "I am now twice indebted to you. I doubt it's a debt I can ever repay."

Jared chuckled. "You don't ow me anything, Kiara. I made my choices."

"But I put you in a situation where you had to choose..." she muttered. "I'm sorry."

"Would you take it back if you could?"

"In an instant."

Jared pulled away but left his arms on her back as he stared at her. She hesitated, recognizing her mistake. "It worked out in the end... I think. I only mean that if a similar situation came up, I would be much more cautious, especially when soliciting help."

Jack shook his head. "If you had gone alone, you would be dead. You did the right thing."

Kiara hesitated but finally relented. "I suppose I should be grateful," she mused, "That you are such a powerful demon."

Images of the recent battle flashed into his mind, and he winced. "Let's... not talk about that right now."

She smiled in understanding and laid her head back on his shoulder. Jared closed his eyes and allowed slumber to come upon him.

Before he could fall asleep properly, he felt Kiara nudging him awake. "We're almost there," she murmured. Jared stretched and yawned, trying to rouse himself. He needed a good nap. Tomorrow, he was sleeping in for sure.

He looked out the window as they neared Fairway. Suddenly, all of his nervousness returned. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, ignoring the potential consequences of tonight. Maybe the dousa found Fairway and took their revenge. Unlikely. Maybe Senguine would withdraw her offer of protection. More likely. Maybe Quinn....

They pulled in through the gates of the sanctuary smoothly. Outside the tinted windows, Jared could make out two figures in the moonlight. Quinn.

He didn't wait for the driver to step out and open their doors. The moment the vehicle pulled to a stop, Jared yanked open the door and stepped out.

Quinn's concerned frown faded into a smile as he stepped out. He rushed towards her and wrapped his arms around her, squeezing her tightly. It was going to be alright. She was with him now.

Quinn returned the embrace as Senguine looked on. Kiara sheepishly exited the vehicle behind them, and the driver pulled around and out the gate. But in that moment, Jared simply relished the feeling of having his wife in his arms again. Reality could wait.

She held him patiently, stroking his hair with her fingers. "Are you alright?"

"I didn't know if I'd see you again," Jared murmured, his head buried into her chest.

He felt her chest heave as she chuckled at him. "And I was afraid you'd never come home."

They stood there for a few minutes, holding each other. Senguine opened her mouth to interrupt, but Kiara shushed her. Aside from a disparaging glare, she offered no further protest and waited.

Jared took a deep breath and pulled away to face Miss Senguine, putting an arm around Quinn's shoulder. "All right. I'm ready to talk."

Senguine's narrowed eyes betrayed nothing. "Quinn said you were facing dousa. Due to having a certain political arrangement with them, I need to know what happened - in full detail."

Jared took a deep breath. "And this can't wait until morning?"

"No."

"I didn't think so." Jared recapped the encounter with the dousa to the best of his memory, with the occasional tweak. No major misinformation, just slight adjustments to the violence levels of what had occurred.

Kiara jumped in every once in a while to offer supporting details. She was, after all, much more aware of what was happening than he had been. Senguine gave no indication of what she thought until near the end of his explanation, when he recounted his deal with them.

Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You let them go? After they threatened one of your vassals?"

When Jared nodded, she scowled. "Why? From your description, it sounds like you were experiencing quite the height of battlelust. What pulled you back?"

Jared hesitated. He hadn't disclosed any portion of his and Kiara's relationship. "I... frightened Kiara. And she pulled me back."

Senguine turned her attention to Kiara. "What did you do, exactly?" Her tone was razor sharp.

Kiara flinched. "Nothing. I grabbed him, trying to get him to calm down. One moment, he was about to hurt me, and the next..." She lowered her head. "He was back to normal."

"Hmph." Senguine sighed miserably. "We'll discuss this portion another time. I will look into your relationship with the dousa, see if they're being truthful. As for the two of you..." She folded her arms. "Kiara, you knew I disapproved."

"Yes."

"Did she tell you of my disapproval?"

Jared hesitated for a moment. "Yeah."

"And you went anyway? Why?"

Jared sighed. "You've always struck me as a bit paranoid. I thought you were just against anything that was the least bit dangerous."

Senguine scowled. "You are the weakest that you will ever be. Should you rise to your potential, the number of lives you could save is much greater than a bus full of ignorant children!" She pinched her nose. "I have a mind to discontinue my offer of protection. Certainly," she remarked drily, "You no longer have a need for it."

Jared hesitated. "You knew my father personally." Intimately, even. "A ferronaught. You are right to say that my actions were foolish, but I wouldn't take them back." He looked to where Kiara stood across from him and Quinn. "But I would be more foolish to reject your offer and ignore your counsel." He took a deep breath. "You were right. It worked out well, but it was a bad idea."

Senguine's scowl lightened. "I see." She glared at Kiara. "And you?"

Kiara shrugged helplessly. "I am his vassal. I'll follow where he goes."

"Good." Senguine relaxed, a small smile returning to her face. "Then you will stay here tonight. As a new vassal, it's important that we keep you safe. Especially on a night of a full moon..."

Jared froze. She wasn't his only new vassal. "Wait! We forgot Zoe!"

Kiara blinked, then cursed. "I'll get her. But you're right."

Quinn raised her eyebrows. "Wait, Zoe? Like your childhood friend, Zoe? She was there?"

Jared winced. "Yeah. And I... We..."

Kiara stepped in for him. "We told her the truth. And she agreed to be a vassal."

Quinn's mouth fell open in shock. "Wait, seriously?"

Senguine gave a loud sigh. "Well, there's nothing we can do about it now. I'll send for her immediately and have her brought here. In the meantime," Senguine turned back to the house, "You two ladies will come with me. Your status as protégé is second to your status as vassal, after all," she remarked to Kiara. "Mister Bertreck will go home." She glanced over to him. "Your car was returned here after we discovered your whereabouts."

"No."

Senguine turned slowly to face Jared. "Excuse me?"

Jared folded his arms and jutted out his chin. "I'm not leaving Quinn for another night."

Quinn eyed him with concern as Miss Senguine raised an eyebrow. "Have you forgotten what you agreed to mere minutes ago? She stays and you go. Unless you want me to withdraw my off - "

"I almost died tonight without having slept next to my wife for one night," Jared snarled, his fire flickering dangerously. "If it means dropping your contract to have that, then fine."

"Jared!" Quinn hissed. "What are you doing?!"

But Miss Senguine offered only a sly smirk. She waved her hand dismissively. "Fine, you have one night. I know better than to get between a ferronaught and his vassals." Her eyes flickered. "Particularly his favorite."

Jared's eyes locked with Kiara, and she smiled sadly. He winced and turned away. "Uh, thank you, Miss Senguine."

Quinn smiled and broke away from Jared to give Senguine a bow. "Thank you."

Miss Senguine rolled her eyes, but she seemed pleased at the honorific. "I expect you both back here at 7:30 sharp - and this time, Mister Bertreck," she said, tilting her head, "I expect you to be on time. Am I clear?"

Jared nodded. "Transparent." He glanced at the time on his phone. It was nearly 2 AM. So much for sleeping in tomorrow.

Senguine guided Kiara into the house as Jared and Quinn strolled back to where his car was parked outside the gate. He glanced back, catching Kiara's eye as they parted. This was going to be... complicated.

Quinn was silent as they rode home. At first, Jared thought that she was thinking, or maybe she was still angry with him. But when he glanced over at her, about to break the silence, he noticed that she was dozing. She looked more tired than he was. Funny, since she had had all day to sleep.

Then again, she had sounded worried on the phone. And the little information he had given her was probably more worrying than none at all. She probably hadn't slept a wink.

He smiled. Quinn had been worried about him. Really worried. He knew he shouldn't derive any satisfaction from the fact that she had been afraid on his account, but he couldn't help it. It proved she cared, even if she couldn't exactly tell.

It was halfway to three by the time they pulled up to the house. Jared went to wake her, but she stretched before he could.

"If you were hoping for any action tonight," Quinn said with a grin, "I'm afraid I'm going to have to disappoint. I say we just hit the hay, especially with the deadline tomorrow."

Jared chuckled. "Agreed. But it will be nice to sleep next to you, if just for a few hours."

Once they were inside, Quinn immediately went off to find her backpack. She dug through it before finding her pajamas, and then, to Jared's relief, left the room to change. He couldn't muster the effort and fell back onto the still messy bed.

Suddenly, he caught a whiff of a now familiar smell. He sniffed, trying to identify it. It smelled like...

Kiara. He shook his head. He couldn't think of that right now. He had a headache, and he was tired. He'd deal with it in the morning.

Quinn returned and jumped into bed next to him, snuggling comfortably into the spoon of his body. Her fuzzy pajamas stifled everything but her body heat and general sensation, for which he was again grateful.

He wrapped her arms around her and hummed pleasantly. "Good night, love."

She turned to kiss his cheek. "Good night."

Within seconds, they were both fast asleep.

****************

He awoke to the pleasant sensation of warm lips against his. Still half-asleep, he responded in kind, pushing up against the kisser. Quinn giggled, and the sudden heat rushing through his stomach woke him the rest of the way. They both had morning breath, but neither of them seemed to care.

With sudden fervor, he sat up and deepened the kiss, opening his mouth and settling comfortably against Quinn. She responded enthusiastically, welcoming his advances openly. Jared wrapped his arms around her, slowly lowering her to the bed beneath him. She didn't resist as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

The fire in his belly raged, but he shushed it. He was going to enjoy this moment as long as he could. Quinn gasped as he slid off her lips. He moved slowly, lifting and then pressing down as he descended her neck. Finally, he settled against her collarbone, and, remembering their first time together, began to gently suck and nibble.

She whimpered, her hands running through his hair as he gave her another love bite. He pulled back, satisfied with his work.

"Oh, Jared, I -"

He cut her off with another kiss, pushing her back into the pillows. She smiled against him and hummed in delight. One of her hands moved to the small of his back and began gently stroking, tracing unintelligible designs.

All too soon, he had to pull back for air. They gasped together as he gazed down into her eyes. She matched the heat that he felt, and the temptation to push further was all too strong. He glanced over to where his alarm clock used to be. "Oh, uh, Quinn? What time is it?"

"I woke you up at about 6:30. I'd guess it's nearly 7."

Jared sighed. They'd have to continue this later. "We should probably get up."

He moved off of her as she sat up and stretched. Her hair was a mess, her minimal makeup was ruined, and she was dressed in a purple bunny full body suit. He didn't think he'd ever seen anything quite as beautiful.

He rose from the bed, intending to get dressed, when Quinn interjected. "You need a shower. Make it quick, though."

Jared took a sniff of his armpit and winced. After a few bouts of lovemaking, nearly two days and a full-blown fight with overgrown pigs, he did smell pretty bad. Hard to believe Quinn would still kiss him.

He showered quickly. When he finished, he was surprised to find an outfit laid out on his bed, with Quinn nowhere in sight. He changed as fast as he could, before exiting to find Quinn in the living room, using her fingers to try and untangle her hair.

"Ready?" she asked.

Jared nodded, and she slung her backpack over her shoulder as they headed out. He opened her door for her and was rewarded with a kiss on the cheek. He climbed in and set out for Fairway.

"Jared, there's been something I've been meaning to tell you." Quinn said slowly. "Is now a good time?"

He smiled. "Sure."

"I'm sorry."

Jared glanced at her in surprise. "What do you have to be sorry for?"

She sighed. "For being selfish. Especially during our first time together. I know I made you uncomfortable, and I wasn't able to give what you wanted in return." She gave a small smile. "But I'm going to try to be better - to be a real wife, not just some sort of FWB."

"FWB?"

"Friend with benefits. You know..." She shook her head. "Nevermind."

A pang of guilt dug into his side. "On a similar topic, I kind of need to tell you something."

She lifted her eyebrows. "Shoot."

"Well, you know that I... slept with Kiara."

"Yes." She didn't appear fazed.

"And Zoe."

She appeared confused for a moment, but then nodded. "Oh, right. Jared, I told you, that doesn't really bother me."

He winced and tightened his grip on the steering wheel. "It's just... Especially with Kiara, I didn't..." He stopped, trying to think of what he should say.

Kiara popped into his mind, unbidden. The night they laughed together in the barn. The fear in her eyes before he hit her. The look on her face as he made love to her. The feelings hadn't faded overnight.

"It was... more than physical cheating. I..." He took a deep breath. "I've started to care for them. Mostly for Kiara."

Quinn didn't answer for several seconds, and he glanced over to see her face in concentration. Her eyes raced in a tell-tale sign of intense thought. He focused on the road, leaving her to her thoughts.

"Has this," she asked slowly, "Affected your feelings for me?"

"No!" Jared stated sharply. He backpedaled. "I don't think so. I mean..." He hesitated. He wasn't sure he wanted to tell her about not being able to bring up her face. "No."

"What is it?"

Darn. She could always tell when he was hiding something. He sighed. "When I was with Kiara... For a moment, I couldn't picture your face."

That led to another minute of silence. Finally, she spoke again. "Well, I should hope so. That would be kind of awkward, wouldn't it?"

Jared glanced over to see her nodding slowly, adjusting to this new information. "You're not mad?"