Satyr Play 02 Pt. 01

"And you feel Henry is a threat to that?" Mab asked bluntly.

There was a definite pause. "We didn't say that," Lise-Anne recovered.

"In the spirit of sharing concerns, let me share something, as well. As long as Henry's linked to the global spell keeping my people alive, he's protected by the Fae. Not one hair on his head is to be disturbed. He has indicated to me that he's not aware of manipulating anything, and that's good enough for me. I suggest it's also good enough for the Council," Mab said. She turned her face away from them. Their audience was over.

Lise-Anne bowed, and Rand nodded stiffly, barely meeting the requirements for civility, but the Queen graciously let it go. The councilors turned and left quietly. Mab watched them leave from the corner of her eye, and only when they were beyond her influence did she turn her attention back to Henry.

"As we do know, you manipulated the spell, what circumstances led to you not being aware of it?" he said, fixing her eyes on his.

Henry looked nervously at Sigrid, who was frowning as she thought about that.

"He was under the influence of some very strong painkillers. Deeply under," Sigrid said as she looked at the Queen.

"Because he was placed in danger and became injured," Queen Mab stated coldly.

"I'll make extra effort to avoid activities that may lead to danger," Henry offered, and Sigrid threw him a sharp look.

Mab smiled. "That's all I ask, Henry. Take care of yourself and stay in control of your mind," she said sweetly.

"In control of my mind?" Henry mumbled.

She nodded with a little smile on her lips. "If drugs can cause you to interfere with the spell, then I suggest any form of intoxicant might have the same effect."

He looked at his half-empty wine glass.

"Moderation and vigilance. You bear a great responsibility," Mab nodded. She stood, and Henry automatically stood as well. She gave him a little smile and walked away. Ikehorn moved the chair back and nodded to Henry with a subtle but satisfied smile on his face as well as he moved to catch up to his Queen.

Henry dropped himself into his chair, and a tremor went through his muscles. His eyes lifted to see Sigrid's worried look.

"She seriously messes with my nerves," he mumbled to her.

"You need to be careful of what you agree to with her, or any of her kind for that matter," Sigrid warned.

He gave her a worried look. "Did I sign away my soul?"

She snorted and smiled at him. "No, I think you're good on that front so far." She saw him relax a little. "The smiles you saw on their faces as they left were because you'd adopted a conciliatory attitude towards them. Friendly is fine, but be on guard against giving anything away for free. They must pay for everything they want. They understand deals and bargains but will rob you blind if you show you're willing to give it away."

Henry sighed. "Right. Something else to remember." He took some calming breaths as he looked at Sigrid. He felt himself relaxing and appreciated the beauty before him. His eyes took in her intricate hairstyle once more. "You're so lovely."

"Henry, would you mind if we skipped the dancing tonight? And dessert?" she asked.

He blinked at her and then caught on to her true intention. "Oh! Sure!" He flagged down the waitress, who rushed over and apologized for her lack of attention. Henry assured her it was fine and asked for the bill. The flustered woman hustled away and returned shortly. Henry paid after quietly choking at the price they charged for the wine.

As they left the restaurant, they walked arm in arm and enjoyed the feeling of their bodies touching.

"Would you like to come back to my place?" Henry asked.

Sigrid smiled and gave him a little nod as she looked into his eyes.

Henry was overwhelmed with how sweet she looked, so he stopped to face her. He leaned in and kissed her, and she made a needful little sound.

She eagerly accepted the caress of his lips on hers and sucked on his tongue when it slipped past her parted lips.

They pulled back and rested their foreheads together.

"Henry! Your kiss is making my heart race!" she sighed.

He lifted his hand and flagged down a taxi. They hopped in, and he gave his address.

Sigrid and Henry left space between them but held hands. Any more contact than that and the activities in the back seat could quickly become x-rated.

After a painfully long drive, they were in front of his building, and he paid. They entered the building no longer touching as the proximity to their ultimate destination made it harder to refrain from bolder touches.

They made it up to his floor and inside his door without touching. The lock snapped closed, and eyes met.

Before she could speak, Henry dropped his glamor and pinned her to the wall with his naked body as he kissed her deeply. She moaned and grabbed his ass in her hands, pulling him tighter against her.

He felt a tremor rock through her body as he ground his pelvis against hers.

He suddenly pulled back and bent down to throw her over his shoulder. She squeaked in surprise as he carried her to his bedroom, his arm wrapped around her legs.

When he set her down on her feet next to his bed, he spun her and pulled the zipper down on her dress. She reached up and lifted the dress' halter collar over her head and let the dress pool at her feet.

Henry knelt behind her and slipped her panties down her legs as she gasped. He turned her to face him and took her ass cheeks in his hands, giving them a firm squeeze as he stroked her pussy with his tongue.

"FUCK! HENRY!?!" she cried out as she grabbed his horns.

He continued to knead her ass as he ran his tongue over her sensitive flesh,

"OH! FUCK! Henry, you're going to make me cum!"

He kept up his teasing and sucking as she ground her pussy against his mouth with an almost bruising pressure.

"OH—THAT'S IT! I'M—I'M CUMMING!!!!" she wailed as her legs shook. He had a good grip on her, so she was in no danger of falling, though her legs had turned to rubber.

He eased her down onto his bed as she panted and trembled through her bliss. She wasn't a light woman, so Henry had to use all of the strength in his Satyr body to keep from dropping her. As she caught her breath, he slipped away to freshen up as she'd sprayed him a little at the end. When he returned, she was still coming down and blinked at him. "I've never reached orgasm that way before," she sighed with a gentle smile.

He leaned forward to kiss her, and she pulled back a little with a nervous glance, so he gently blew on her face. She smiled when she scented the mint on his breath then her face flushed with embarrassment.

"I figured you might be a little squeamish about tasting yourself on my lips," he said with a smile.

She put her hands over her face and gave an embarrassed moan.

He took her hands and moved them to the mattress and held them there as he moved his body over hers. She sucked in a breath as the hot tip of his cock brushed up against the wet lips of her pussy. That gasp turned into a moan of pleasure as he rubbed his hard shaft across her opening.

She held his eyes as he looked into hers. When he tipped his hips back to drop the head of his cock down against her pussy her eyes flared with need. He pushed forward, and slowly, ever so slowly, his thickness forced its way deeper into her body.

"Oh, that feels so good!" she sighed.

He eased back out and forward again to go a little deeper each time but maintained the slow pace as it felt so incredibly good. Henry knew he probably wouldn't last long if he accelerated his thrusts.

She grunted gently as his body finally rested against hers.

"Are you okay?" he asked gently.

"Yesss... it's wonderful!" she sighed as he shifted his weight on her body.

He rolled his hips.

"FUCK! AH! Oh geez! I'm a little sensitive!" she hissed.

"Do you want me to stop?" he asked.

"NO!" she yelped, causing them both to chuckle.

Henry began to make slow strokes, and Sigrid's hips began to do a roll of their own.

"Can I be on top?" she asked, and Henry recalled the time they'd destroyed the bed in Camila's guest bedroom. He loved his bed, so he nodded quickly and pulled free, making her squeak.

Sigrid pushed him onto his back and swung her leg over his body. She positioned him against her and drove downward to take him all the way to the base in one stroke.

From that point on, her need drove her. She lifted and dropped her body on Henry's pelvis faster and faster.

He struggled to hold back as his orgasm was right there. He would hold off for the gorgeous Valkyrie.

"That's good... I'm right there!" she panted.

He reached up and took her heavy breasts in his hands and squeezed her nipples between his fingers. She threw her head back as her movements switched to a rapid rocking as she ground her clit against him. Her mouth was open, but she wasn't making any sounds. Henry could no longer hold back and felt his cum surge up inside her. He glanced at his window blinds and was relieved to see they were closed because—

Sigrid's wings snapped open, blindingly bright as she sighed and shook over his body. He released her breasts and pulled his arms over his eyes as he held them tightly closed. He grinned to himself. Sigrid was so refreshingly open and honest compared to Queen Mab and even Camila. He felt a little bad about comparing Mab and Camila but understood the significant difference between those two women was their intent. Camila always considered Henry's happiness. Mab? She just wanted something in return. Always.

He felt Sigrid gently pulling his arms away from his eyes and blinked up at her. Her wings were away, and she was smiling down at him.

"What's that smile for?" she asked.

"I was just thinking how nice it was to have such a visible sign that I've pleased you," he said cheekily.

She gave him a fake look of outrage and gently pummeled his chest with her fists. He laughed and pulled her down to lie across his body. His lips found hers, and they enjoyed a sweet kiss.

Pulling back slightly, she smiled at him. "Obviously, you pleased me very much."

"Good! I was very pleased as well," he said with a chuckle.

"Speaking of being pleased, I meant to ask you if you've experienced that pheromone burst again, like the time in the subway."

"No—wait." He thought about that. "I felt the start of it when I was squeezed between you and Camila in the SUV this morning."

"Ah, that's why you moved to the front seat."

"Yup."

"So what we did tonight didn't trigger it?" she asked curiously.

He realized that was the case. "Huh. It didn't." He shrugged with a frustrated frown. "It would be great to be able to speak with an expert on Satyr physiology. Other than Queen Mab, that is."

Sigrid eased off of Henry to lie on her side beside him, leaning her head against her palm so she could see his face.

"I'm sorry we can't be more help with that," Sigrid sighed.

He snorted. "I don't expect you guys to have all the answers! You've been so amazing helping me through all the changes so far! The heat, I guess it's just something Satyr's experience once they mature to a certain age. I think I'm just a little delayed because Baba kept me as a human most of the time. I'll learn how to control it."

Sigrid looked impressed and nodded to him.

"So... do you want to stay tonight?" he asked.

She smiled at him. "If you don't mind, I'll take a rain check on breakfast. I have some errands I need to run tomorrow morning, which will be easier if I get an early start from my place." She leaned in and gave him another kiss.

"Okay, rain check," he purred when she pulled back.

Sigrid stood and gathered her clothes, taking them into the washroom.

Henry stood and switched to his human glamor. He tugged on a robe and waited for her when she returned.

"Thank you for a delightful evening," she said with a happy smile.

"I had an amazing time too. But next time, let's not invite Mab and the Council members," he quipped.

"Sounds like a plan!" she agreed with a smile.

He kissed her, and after a moment, she patted his chest as she pulled back.

"Mmmm! See you on Monday! Have a good weekend!" she purred with joy glowing in her eyes.

"You too!"

She opened his door, and he watched her walk away. Damn, he could watch that all night. He waited until she entered the elevator with a smile and a wave.

As the elevator door closed, Michelle stepped out of her apartment with a glance in both directions. She spotted Henry, and he caught a look of concern crossing her face.

"Good evening, Michelle. Everything okay?"

"Good evening, Henry. Could... could I speak with you for a moment?"

He blinked at her and nodded. She locked her door, quickly walked to his, and went inside as he stepped aside.

He locked up and followed her to the living room.

"I'm not supposed to talk to you about Council business, but it's been bothering me," she said with a trembling voice.

Henry had some idea what they might have said due to their visit at dinner. He'd let Michelle off the hook. "They think I have something to do with weird stuff happening in the world because of my link with the Fae's spell."

Michelle stared at him with wide, nervous eyes.

"They confronted me about it while I was on a date with a friend tonight," he explained.

"Oh! And?"

"Queen Mab crashed the date first, so she told them to back off." He wasn't going to tell her that Mab thought he might be messing with the healing spell when he was inebriated.

"Queen Mab!?! She's still following you?" Michelle squeaked nervously.

"Yeah, she's in town and thought it might be a good idea to drop by and tell me to take care not to injure myself because of how important I was to their global healing spell." He sighed. "I get the feeling she's not the type to give up." He saw Michelle was feeling better. She'd stopped her compulsive hand-wringing. She had such lovely hands that it was almost painful to see them moving in distress. "You can go to work with a clear conscience and rest easy," he told her with a gentle smile on his lips.

A surprised and relieved smile popped onto her face, and spontaneously, she pulled him into a hug. Once he got past his surprise, he wrapped his arms around her as well.

She immediately pushed him back, so he released her and looked at her startled expression.

"Sorry!" she blurted, her face turning pink.

"Hey, no problem! No harm in a hug," he grinned.

She flashed him a pretty smile, then hesitantly moved to the front door. "I- I should get to work."

He followed her and opened the door for her. "Thanks for thinking of me," he said sincerely.

She paused, eyes watching his mouth, and then she rushed off to the elevators with a quick wave.

Henry stepped inside and locked up as he shook his head with a smile. It was truly nice to have so many people looking out for him.

He was really glad tomorrow was Saturday. He'd promised himself that he was going to take the weekend off. No work.

He had to make some new lifestyle choices as free time gave him more opportunities to have a social life. He was only now realizing how much his life was missing that element.

What was that phrase? All work and no play makes Henry a dull boy.

While a dull life had appeal compared to what he'd been through, Henry had no desire to be a dull boy.

Chapter 25

After the fight in the alley, Mary had gone home to shower and change into clothes that weren't destroyed. Then she rode her motorcycle north until she found the smaller country roads but stuck to the paved ones. She kept to the speed limit while she rode, as her mind was racing.

She let her thoughts run in circles. It always came back to the same two things.

VRL and Henry Gable. They were at the center of all the weird shit that had happened to her recently.

She remembered finding the two flattened bullets the morning after her night with Henry. She now realized Jeff had tried to shoot her. Somehow, she was bulletproof? That would be useful for a cop if they let her go back to work. From the hints she'd received from friends still on active duty, the brass was leaning in the other direction. The stink of corruption from her precinct was sticking to all the officers, guilty or not.

Knowing Jeff had tried to kill her cleared away the last doubts she had about him. He'd expected the bullets to pass through her to kill Henry, too. No wonder Henry had looked so terrified that morning.

Thinking about Henry, she realized her gut was standing by its assessment of him. Still, he had answers to her questions. She would get them.

Foremost in her mind, though, was the fact that she'd killed a woman. But she hadn't been a woman when Mary killed her, right? Mary was probably going to have to turn herself in for that. She couldn't see her future beyond that action.

She'd stayed overnight in a small roadside motel and went for breakfast in the connected diner this morning. She was only going through the motions as eating food didn't seem so important anymore. Above and behind the counter, she saw the newscast on the TV mounted there. A reporter was talking about the police finding the missing body of the second half of the mob kid kidnap crew. Oletha Thanemark's accomplice, Chantelle Gauthier, had been found. Her body had washed up on the shore next to a golf course off Upper Bay, a short distance from the marina.

Mary almost dropped her coffee mug when they displayed a photo of Chantelle. It was the woman she'd killed! She stared at the screen and wondered what was going on! She knew where the woman died. She knew who'd been there at the time. The body was moved! As she watched the full story, she wondered if any of it was true. How wide did this conspiracy go? She looked around the restaurant, but no one paid any attention to her.

She needed answers and needed to talk to someone. She recalled that detective on her street yelling something about VRL to the big redhead. Maybe Detective... Harmon? Yes, perhaps he had some answers.

She paid for her breakfast and headed outside. She had a long drive ahead to get back to the city. She had a detective to interrogate.

Then she'd hunt down Henry.

-=-

Rand fumed as he paced back and forth in Lise-Anne's office.

After their meeting with Henry and surprise guest Queen Mab last night, the two councilors had gone their separate ways. Lise-Anne returned to headquarters to track the latest developments, and Rand caught a flight to Kansas and did some recon. He'd met up with his Central States counterpart, but they'd been unable to get close to the town due to an extraordinary amount of paranoid military security. Even with their no-see-um spells active, there was no real opportunity to see the affected townspeople directly.

They did manage to find two drunk soldiers and heard one complain about guarding marbles before his less drunk companion shut him up.

Rand flew back to New York and came directly to their office to let the Minister of Security know they wouldn't be able to contain the scene unless they brought in serious firepower. Lise-Anne was not pleased with his report.

"I'll have to bring this to the attention of the Hidden Races Congress," she griped.

"That's just going to slow the decision-making process!" Rand growled.

Lise-Anne scowled at him. "I know!"

"We played our hand against the Satyr too early!" Rand continued.

She stared at him. "Are you just going to bark the obvious at me?"

Rand scowled and sat on the couch with a grumble.

She leaned back against her desk and slowly rocked her head from side to side to release the tension in her sore neck muscles. "I've recalled the watchers," she sighed.

"You know she has the Fae watching him—"