Three

Keiji shifted in his seat. He’d been rock hard since the minute he caught a hint of her tantalizing scent—vanilla and something succulent. Natasha. He couldn’t get her out of his mind. His gaze traced every inch of her lithe body. From her multi-colored hair to her bright blue eyes, he couldn’t get enough of her. She had full lips and creamy flesh. Usually he didn’t go for the bumbling girls. He liked them self-assured, yet with her, he found her quirks enduring.

He also shouldn’t pick her for the job. She had no idea what she’d be getting herself into. Plus, she wasn’t even a broadcasting student. When it came to jobs at the studio, they at least wanted students who knew their way around a sound board. It would save them several teaching hours and allow Keiji or the morning DJ, Stefan, to take a much-needed break. However, the thought of not being close to Natasha made him anxious. It left a bitter taste in his mouth and twisted his guts.

As Gordon droned on and on about what Introduction to Philosophy would consist of, Keiji spied a glance at the seating chart passed to him once it’d been filled out. Nemescu? He glanced at the girl driving him insane with lust. When she came into the radio station, nothing about her screamed royalty. Everyone demon or vampire or fae learned the name at an early age. The Nemescu clan were ruthless. They killed to instill fear among those who might fight them. They’d built an empire in Romania and were now reaching out to other countries around the world. Could it be why Natasha was there?

 Interesting… He leaned forward slightly and grasp his bottom lip between his fingers. He lightly plucked at the flesh while he continued to study her, this time with a critical eye rather than one hazed by desire.

She appeared so… clueless.

Did she not know who she was? He gave an internal snort. There’s no way she can’t know. So, it begged the question again, why was she there? Nemescu offspring had the best education money could buy, including private tutors. They also didn’t attend school alone. They had bodyguards, kind of like his friend Maël. Already, his friend had guarded some of the most powerful vampires stateside and one vampire at TSU. Yet, as he watched her enter Williams Tower before class began, she’d been afraid. Vampires like most demons weren’t afraid of the dark. On the contrary, they craved it. She didn’t. In fact, she relaxed the minute she stepped into the light. He’d tasted her fear on his tongue as she drew closer to him. Her heart rate increased as she sensed the shadow demons lurking among the trees near the entrance.

Keiji tiled this head to the side. None of this made senses. All of the evidence indicated she was vampire. But, her body language coupled with her scent, said something else. So, what could she be? Of course, she’d been quick to point out she was human and lived in a shifter community with her human grandparents and human brothers, but it didn’t fit. None of it did.

 

“And this is; Keiji. He’s my Teaching Assistant. If you need anything outside of my office hours, you can e-mail or setup meet times with him. He will be here when it comes to all tests, while I will administer midterms and final exams.”

Keiji’s gaze locked with Natasha’s as she gasped. He gave a small smirk. He had a feeling this would be an interesting semester. As he stood up, he straightened his shirt then waved. “I’ll also be taking over lessons when Professor Gordon can’t.”

The girls situated around Natasha began to giggle, but he paid them no mind. He only had eyes for the girl sitting almost directly in front of him. In a short amount of time, she’d crawled under his skin and he had to know everything about her. The minute Gordon ended the class with an assignment of reading the first three chapters of Plato’s Five Dialogues, he gathered up his things and followed Natasha out.

“Hey,” he said, coming up beside her. “Have any more classes?”

 

Natasha jolted. “Whoa. Sorry. Hi. No. I’m going home—er the Co-Ed house across campus.” She flicked her gaze toward him while clutching her book to her chest. Her steps quickened as she stepped outside.

“Can I walk with you?” His protective instinct rose as the smell of her terror intensified. “You seem a little…”

“Nervous?” She gave a soft chuckle. “I am. I didn’t realize the campus was this dark at night. Where are the lights?”

“Towards the quad.” He guided her down the path back to the lights. For every step they took away from the building, the more she relaxed. “If you’d like, I could walk with you, you know, whenever you needed me.” He didn’t know why he made the offer, it just seemed like the right thing to do.

She let out a breath. “You’d do that?”

“Of course,” he answered without hesitation.

She stopped in the middle of the quad. “Why? You don’t even know me, and we’ve barely met.”

 

Keiji tucked a strand of her multi-colored hair behind her ear. “I’m Keiji Nomura. I’m also a red demon.”

“Next, you’re going to tell me you like long walks on the beach, candle light dinners and deep conversations.” She bit her bottom lip, as her blue eyes sparkled with playfulness.

“As a matter of fact, I do.”

She laughed. “You’re smooth.” She turned before continuing on her way.

Keiji caught up to her. “Thanks.”

A small smile drifted across her lips. “So, you’re a junior, huh?”

He nodded. “Yeah. Don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re a little older than some of the freshmen here.”

“Yeah. I spent some time helping my grandmother.” Unlike earlier, her strides slowed to a sedate pace. “My brothers are here too—have been for a couple of years now, so it’s easier. With my grandfather’s butcher shop, it’s, you know… We tried to stay to help, but we all got the urge.”

 

“Your grandfather has a respectable job, and I can only imagine how much time he spends away from home. Your grandmother must be proud of you.”

“She wanted me to go to school closer to home.” Natasha shrugged. “I wanted to get out. I’ve been in Blue Creek my whole life or, for as long as I can remember. When I started researching colleges, my brother Sebastian told me about this place. TSU kind of stands out on its own, you know? I liked the campus. I liked the Co-Ed house. It almost feels like home. I guess I kind of like the familiarity of it.”

“So, you’re staying at the Co-Ed house? Can I let you in on a little secret?” He found himself enjoying her company. He even liked learning the little bits about her she gifted him with. You’ve got it bad.

“Sure.” She glanced over at him.

“I helped design the add-ons there.” Pride filled his tone. Bell and Hayden could have gone to anyone in the architecture department to help them with the design, but they came to him. Their ideas were bombastic and pretty unique. Bell’s father, Rapier, joined them on a couple of trips to University Diner for checkups and to examine the finer details Keiji added. The man read the blueprints and with each change Keiji made, Rapier incorporated it into the build. They actually worked well together, and Rapier offered him a job once Keiji graduated next year.

“Shut. Up. Seriously? The house is amazing.”

Heat filled his cheeks. Am I blushing? Demons don’t fucking blush. “Thanks. It’s all Bell and Hayden. They let their imaginations run wild, I transformed them into reality.”

“Well, all the same. The house is incredible. Did you design the outside?”

He shook his head. “Utah did. He built everything while Rapier and his crew built the house. The guy has an artistic eye. He’s cool people too. Have you met him?”

“I have,” she said. “He’s not very talkative.”

Keiji laughed. “He’s deaf.”

“Doesn’t mean he can’t talk,” she replied.

 

“He stays to himself mostly from what I’ve seen. Not my business, you know?” They walked across the lane separating the main campus from housing.

“Totally.” She pointed to the house. “Looks like everyone’s still awake.” Several lights were on in the house.

“Seems like it.” He held the gate for her as she stepped through, then followed behind her. “So…”

“So?” She turned to face him at the base of the stairs. “Thanks for this. I guess it’s first night jitters. New school and all.” She tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.

“No problem.” He ran the pad of his thumb along her jaw. “Have a good night, Natasha.” It took all of his willpower to not gather her up in his arms and kiss her. The whole time he walked beside her, her intoxicating scent swirled around him. It clawed at his senses, turning him inside out.

She leaned into his touch. “You too.” Then, she did something he hadn’t been expecting. She licked the tip of his thumb.

For a second, he stood there dumbfounded, wondering if she’d really done what he thought she had. In the next second, he gathered her into his arms and kissed her. It was all tongue and clashing teeth. He swallowed her moans as his heart hammered. Who the fuck is this girl? Keiji palmed her ass, pressing her body flush to his. He sank his other hand into her hair, tilting her head to the side a bit, allowing him to deepen the kiss. She tasted as good as she smelled, maybe better.

The door opened, and a soft squeak broke them apart. Natasha panted for breath while touching her lips. Her cheeks were a pretty shade of dark-pink. His dick throbbed behind the confines of his jeans. His heart hammered as he tried to catch his breath. A petite red-head—Shelly—appeared. He remembered her from coming by a few times. Keiji raised his hand to wave.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt your …erm …thing.” Shelly stepped back inside the house, pushing the door to.

Natasha laughed once they were alone again. “Wow. Okay. So, goodnight, Keiji.” She climbed the stairs to the porch.

He chuckled too. “Goodnight, Natasha. You’re welcome. Catch you in class.”

She nodded before opening the door. “Yep.”

*

Keiji waited for her to enter the house before leaving. He’d never done that before—just kissed someone for no reason. He strode back across the campus to the station. Taichi would be on duty for the evening. He had to tell someone about what happened, and he might as well tell the one person he trusted the most. He and Taichi were bound by their demons. Where his was the bringer of destruction, Taichi’s could prevent it. In being opposites, bound together, it also led to some incredibly hot make out sessions and more. Over the last few years, their encounters had escalated to full on sex. Being with Taichi … He couldn’t adequately explain what he felt or experienced with the guy. Plus, he’d never cum so hard in his life. The whole situation had been more than he’d expected.

He entered the station as his lover pushed away from the table. He stood and glanced out the window. His features lit up when he saw Keiji. After holding up a finger, he flipped a couple of the switches on the main board before exiting the booth. He closed the distance between them then cocked his head to the side. Leave it to Taichi. The guy could smell Natasha on him.

“Her name is Natasha,” he said before his lover could ask any questions. “She’s not anything she says she is.”

“Did you learn this from kissing her?” Taichi quirked a brow. There hadn’t even been a hint of jealousy in his voice, it’d been of a curiosity.

Keiji stepped to him, knowing the truth of Taichi’s scent, he teased him. “You jealous?” He invaded Taichi’s personal space, dipping his chin to rub his nose across his lover’s. “You’ve never been jealous before.”

Taichi whimpered. “I’m not.” He let out a tremulous breath.

 

Keiji palmed Taichi’s nape. “No.” He tilted his head to stare into the man’s brown eyes rimmed with violet. Since walking away from Natasha, the bolt of adrenaline continued to wreak havoc on him. His heart pounded. His dick ached. “What is it?” He grabbed Taichi’s hip and rubbed against him.

The interest was reciprocated. He felt the thick length of his lover’s cock pressed to his groin. The lust burning an unrelenting path through Keiji’s body intensified. He captured Taichi’s mouth in a searing kissing, and a rush of relief filled him while guiding him away from prying eyes. He claimed the demon’s mouth, taking as much as Taichi would give him and then some. Keiji’s hands went to the hem of Taichi’s shirt, trying to pull the offending piece of material from his body. Inch by glorious inch of his sun-kissed skin was exposed to Keiji’s gaze. He groaned. The man was magnificent. Not overly muscular, his slender form had been created with power in mind. Small tattoos littered his torso. A koi fish followed the curve of his hip, while he had the symbols for earth, wind, fire and water, in different spots around his torso. Keiji licked his lips as he went to his knees.

“No,” Taichi whispered. “Not enough time.”

“There is always enough time. Don’t worry.” Keiji winked. He released Taichi’s belt then opened his pants and allowed them to fall to the floor. He hummed in approval. His lover’s cock was hard and a drop of precum clung to the slit.

He didn’t hesitate. He took Taichi’s tip into his mouth. The tang accompanied by the hint of musk had him moaning in pleasure. He cupped the demon’s balls and rolled the tight spheres in his palm while sucking and bobbing his head. Taichi whimpered. His body shook as he ran his fingers through Keiji's hair, whispering encouraging words in Japanese. When Keiji swallowed around him, Taichi flexed his hips. “Keiji... Time.” His breath came in soft pants.

Yes. Time. He gave one more suck then retreated from Taichi’s dick. “Later, I’ll be more attentive to your gorgeous cock.”

 

Keiji turned him to face the sound board. “Take us to the end of the hour commercials, then the syndicate stations wrap up. We’ll have ten minutes.” He pushed his lover towards the booth

“Not enough time.” Taichi tripped and stumbled into the room, removing his pants as he went. With one hand on his cock, stroking himself, he set the programing and clicked the button.

Keiji laughed as Taichi rejoined him. “See, plenty of time.” He pulled a packet of lube out of his pocket and unzipped his pants. Once he pulled his cock out of the opening he stroked it absently while applying the jelly. “Fuck, I’m about ready to blow.”

“You were the one who wanted to suck my dick.” Taichi glanced over his shoulder and smirked. “You could already be fucking me.”

Keiji growled. He squirted a liberal amount of the lube onto his fingers then rubbed some on Taichi’s ass. The hole fluttered before opening to the intrusion of his finger. He sunk the digit deep inside his lover, only to retreat and press forward again with a second finger. He was so fucking tight. “Fuck.” He pulled from Taichi then pressed the tip of his erection against the puckered entrance. “Take me into you. Push back.”

Taichi cried out as he did as Keiji instructed. Keiji couldn’t look away as inch by inch his lover took him. He groaned Taichi’s name and grabbed his hips, directing him. When their bodies were flush, he stayed still. He loved the way his lover gripped his dick. The way the heat seared him. Taichi rolled his hips, silently begging Keiji to move. He obliged. His thrusts were frenzied. He hadn’t expected it to be like this. He meant to tease his lover. However, when Taichi squeezed him hard, he lost all sense of control.

He didn’t fuck. He rutted. Harsh, guttural sounds built in his chest. He literally released the beast within him, fucking his lover in hard demanding thrusts. Keiji bent over Taichi and placed kisses along the back of his neck and shoulders. He wrapped his arm around his lover’s middle and took his dick into his hand. It was slick with precum, and a thrill shot through him. He liked it when Taichi lost control. The demon was always so put together. To see him lose the polished veneer he used for everyone else gave Keiji a sense of triumph. No one but him saw this, and if the kiss he shared with Natasha had been any indication, he couldn’t wait to show her as well.

“Keiji,” Taichi sobbed. “So close.”

He’d been too. The idea of Natasha joining them, or at the very least watching them, turned him on. His hips stuttered, and he grunted. “Cum for me. I want your load.”

Taichi gasped. “Shit.” His cock twitched in Keiji’s palm before giving a heavy pulse. In the next second his lover went wild, fucking Keiji as he came.

The fire building in Keiji’s gut turned into an inferno as his back tingled with his impending release. He groaned low pressing his forehead to Taichi’s spine. He thrust one last time and unloaded in Taichi’s ass. His orgasm stole his breath while he clung to the demon. Each burst of his release pulled a moan from him. He rode the thin line of pleasure and pain, enjoying the sensation consuming him.

Then he laughed.

“Eight minutes and thirty seconds. I could have sucked your dick a little longer.” Keiji didn’t want to pull from Taichi just yet, so he eased into the chair beside him, bringing Taichi with him. “Thank you.” He nuzzled his lover’s neck. “I didn’t realize I’d been so worked up.”

Taichi sagged in his arms and gave a content sigh. “Who is she really?”

*

They dressed in silence while Keiji tried to gather his wits. He’d just fucked his lover’s brains out and yes, he owed Taichi an explanation. After Taichi reset the music, they cleaned up then stopped by the coffee pot to get a fresh cup of brew. Taichi glanced at him expectantly and Keiji rubbed the back of his neck. He’d put off answering him long enough. “Her name is Natasha Nemescu.”

Taichi took a step back. “Holy shit, a Nemescu?”

 

“Yeah, tell me about it. But, she swears she’s human. Not an ounce of vampire or royalty in her.” He went over to the basket where she’d left her application before class. “Here. This is her application.”

Taichi looked it over. “How is this possible?”

“I’m not sure. I meant to come back here and meet with you and Maël—”

“You got caught up in the moment?” His tone had been teasing as his lips twitched.

“You’d understand if you met her. It’s crazy.” Keiji ran his fingers through his hair. “She came in while I was on duty with Reid and asked for a job. She’s got no experience.”

“Who’s got no experience? I’m not training a noob.” Maël rested his hip against the table where they placed all the event flyers. His nostril’s flared as though he scented the musk of Keiji and Taichi’s lovemaking in the room, yet he didn’t say anything. He knew and accepted their relationship. “Bad enough I had to find out about vampire royalty being here, but I can’t find their detail yet.”

Taichi laughed as he headed back for the booth. “Good luck, shujin.”

Keiji clenched his jaw. The little asshole liked to goad him. Whenever Taichi went to his knees in front of Keiji, he called him master. No matter how many times he told the itami ketsu not to, he still did it. He rolled his shoulders. “That’s because she doesn’t believe she’s royalty.”

“What?” Maël stood a little taller. “How is that possible?”

“She believes she’s human,” Keiji answered. “She’s convinced there is nothing special about her. She said she was raised in Blue Creek with her grandparents and two brothers. It’s more though. When she walked into Williams Tower, she freaked out at the presence of shadow demons.”

Maël dumped himself into the chair near where Keiji stood. “What’s her name?”

“Natasha Nemescu.” He handed Maël the application she filled out.

“Fuck.” Maël scrubbed his face with his free hand. “She is the lost heir to Dimitri Nemescu.” Keiji began to pace as Maël read over her information. “A little over twenty years ago, Dimitri returned to Romania a bit out of his mind. He kept saying she was gone and they were all gone. When asked to elaborate what he meant by she, and they but he kept repeating the name Natasha. Several of the guards, including my father, believed he’d found his betrothed and she’d somehow disappeared, maybe died. However that wasn’t the case, Natasha turned out to be his daughter. Her mother and older brothers disappeared.” He shrugged. “Soon afterwards, Dimitri died—met the sun. His brother Yevgeni took over the Nemescu empire. The one order, besides guarding those who need us, has always been to find her. I thought it was just a story. A folklore, because nothing ever came of it.”

“Well, she’s very much real and attending school here along with her brothers. Question is, what are you going to do about it?”

“We should have her come in and interview,” Maël said. “Maybe if I can see her, I can figure out if she’s really the heir or just an unfortunate victim of having the same last name.”

Keiji nodded. “I agree. I’ll get it all set up, then you can get a feel for her.”

Maël handed him the paper back. “Sounds good. I’m out. I have a late one with Simaco.”

He fist bumped the vampire as he passed by, then made his way over to the booth. Taichi was going to pay for calling him master in front of Maël…

****

Natasha couldn’t believe the text she received from Keiji early the next morning. She’d been sure he wouldn’t even consider her as a candidate for the position since she had no experience in field. Yet, as she sat at the table eating a late breakfast, she read his message again.

Be at the station at five. ~K

The timing was perfect. She could go straight to her English Lit class from the radio station. She had two classes that night and thankfully, she didn’t have to go back to Williams Tower until Wednesday. She couldn’t put her finger on what scared the piss out of her about the building, but it had been as though the whole area had eyes. She’d meant to ask Keiji when he dropped her off what the deal was, but instead found herself playing tonsil hockey with a demon. Natasha snorted. If her grandmother found out what she’d been doing, she’d have a conniption fit.

Some things grandmother doesn’t need to find out about.

She supposed she should thank Shelly when she saw the girl. She probably saved Natasha the embarrassment of jumping Keiji in the full view of every house on Greek Row. No one deserved that punishment. She shook her head as she took the last bite of her yogurt, then opened her laptop. When she returned home after the eerie experience outside the tower, she decided to send a note to admissions. She shouldn’t let the people, or the class times bother her as much as it did, but something about the way people said Nemescu around her, made her twitchy. A reply greeted her when she opened her email. The letter had been friendly bordering on formal.

Miss Nemescu,

The class schedule assigned to you fits the core requirements for your degree program. Please refer to the handbook for a full explanation of pre-requisite classes. If you have any more questions, we are here to help you. Welcome to TSU. We hope you have a wonderful year.

Miss Abigail Turnoff

 

Natasha stared at the screen. The woman—Abigail hadn’t answered her specific question. Instead, told her to read the handbook that didn’t have any answers either. What the hell? None of it made sense to her. She shut the lid of her computer and stood. She supposed she couldn’t dwell on it. But, still. Why was everyone so insistent about keeping her in the night classes? Shouldn’t they be more accommodating? Shouldn’t you? Natasha frowned. Next semester she’d address the issues a little more forcefully. If she had to, she’d have her grandfather come down and help her straighten it out. Yes, because your grandfather should fight your battles for you. Ugh.

“Morning,” Nico said entering the kitchen. “You look lost.”

After stepping inside the house last night, she found most of the Co-Ed members in the living room watching some rom-com. She took the seat offered to her and spent a good portion of the movie getting to know everyone around her. It would seem Nico and Hayden had quite a history. Hayden had known Nico was her mate since the age of fourteen and he fucked it all up because of their age difference and family circumstances. It took four more years for them to fix the situation and move forward.

“Stumped more like it.” She sighed.

“What’s wrong?” Nico sat at the table after turning the coffee pot on. “Maybe I can help.”

“I’m not sure anyone can to be honest. I sent in a request to find out why I have all night classes. Instead of a straight answer, I received a cryptic answer.” Natasha opened her computer, so Nico could see the email.

 

“Weird. You’re right. This isn’t normal.” He scrubbed his chin with the back of his fingers as he read over the email again. “And you didn’t sign up for the classes at night on your own?”

“No, I wanted all day classes. I mean, I don’t mind. I figured a ton of new students and all, but isn’t it weird on some level?” She noticed the differences the minute she stepped outside last night. While the shifters and humans were coming back from their classes, the unseelie fae, demons and vampires were going to class. She’d been the only human to follow them.

“Really weird. I can do some digging if you want?” He glanced up at her. “It wouldn’t be a problem.”

Natasha bit the corner of her lip. “No. I’m probably making a bigger deal of this than I have to. I’m sure of it.” She picked up her computer. “Anyway, I have to get ready for an interview for a job I’m not even qualified for.”

He gave her a surprised look. “What?”

She shook her head. “Never mind. Have a good day.” With a wave she headed up the stairs to her room to do a little light reading before getting ready to go. Just because she felt out of place didn’t mean she didn’t have to do the homework.

****

Natasha arrived at the radio station with only a few minutes to spare. While she’d been reading Plato’s Five Dialogues, Shelly made an appearance. The girl apologized profusely for interrupting her the night before, and Natasha had shrugged it off. There’d been no way of knowing what she’d been doing outside. Besides, she liked the quirky girl. Shelly had an infectious way about her. She always seemed so happy, albeit a little weird. It added to her charm and eclectic style. Before she left, Natasha agreed to hang out with Shelly over the weekend.

“You made it,” Keiji announced, drawing Natasha out of her thoughts.

“Yeah, you surprised me.” She tingled from head to toe as her body remembered the night before. In fact, the buzz of energy racing through her grew stronger as the hours ticked closer to interview. She believed, at the time, it’d been due to her nervousness, however now she wondered if it was something more. She couldn’t put her finger on it, nor did she know if there was a name for it. Yet, it wriggled around inside of her, making her feel funny. She squeezed her hands into tight fists so not to do something stupid.

“Good,” he said. “Taichi and Maël will be here in a moment. They’re going to sit in on the interview if you don’t mind.”

“I don’t mind.” She hadn’t expected it to be so formal but understood.

“Great.” He glanced up when the door opened once more. “Right on time.”

Natasha turned. Her heart lodged in her throat. Both men were…intimidatingly good looking. She didn’t know where to start. The one on the left stood about two inches shorter than the guy on the right. He had almond-shaped brown eyes and unlike Keiji, violet flecks rimmed his brown eyes. There was a superior confidence to the smirk tugging at the corner of his tempting mouth. He wore a white button-down shirt that had the top three buttons undone, drawing her gaze to his tanned flesh and ribbed tank underneath. Like Keiji he had tattoos along his neck that dipped below the collar of his shirt. His jeans hung low on his narrowed hips, drawing her attention to his groin. He wasn’t her type normally, but both he and Keiji were delicious.

Hussy.

The other man crossed his tattooed arms over his broad chest and narrowed his blue eyes at her. What the hell, did everyone have tattoos except her? She opened her mouth to ask, when his gaze turned downright deadly.

He’d been built to kill, she could tell just by staring at him. The guy outweighed the man next to him by a good twenty pounds if not more, and if the way his biceps twitched while adjusting his stance, was a tad bit muscular too. He rocked the buzz cut, which gave her a better view of the tattoos on his neck. He reminded her of one of those Eastern European warriors. If she had to guess his heritage, she’d say Slovenian or something along those lines.

 

“Natasha Nemescu meet Taichi Goto and Maël Darius.” Keiji placed his hand on her shoulder. “Let’s sit down. We can discuss the job and answer any questions you might have about the position.”

She nodded. “O-okay. Lead the way.”