“You know that you will never escape? There is always another life, and I’ll follow you even then.”

- The Journey to the Afterlife

***Kingdom Newerth, Capital City***

***Marcus***

I mull in my own thoughts while I drive Seria back to her shop. It’s been a long day and I am ready to call it quits. Especially with her sudden confession to deal with.

I've to admit that I was worried about bringing Seria to the club. Especially since my brother planted those doubts about her nature in my mind. A succubus in a swinger club? There are too many bad jokes with such set-ups.

In the end it worked out better than I feared. Though her skill with a whip is frightening and she looked much too much at home in that S&M room. I never thought of myself as the highly possessive one-man-one-girl type, but Seria awakens those tendencies in me.

By the gods, I've let go of plenty of women when my brother seduced them and they broke off the contact with me. Now I understand that they were probably too mortified to continue the relationship with me.

But with my feelings for Seria, I suppose that I would have broken a few necks if I had returned and found her with someone else. She is... special. This morbid jealously must mean something.

Though her really weird declaration of love was freaky! I really don't know how to feel about it. On one side I should be happy that the woman of my dreams finally confesses that I am not just another random guy in a long, endless line of random guys.

On the other side, she has a really strange way of showing it. I wonder why she chose exactly that moment? We exchanged some harsh words just a few minutes earlier. It wasn’t quite a lover’s quarrel, but close.

I guess it would have been better if she had used a tree.

That’s when Seria breaks the silence which we had going on since several minutes. “You are too silent, Marcus. I admit it. That declaration came at an inopportune moment, but my mind kind of went on autopilot while I whipped that guy. Who knew that I would think of you while doing something like that.”

So does that mean that she wants to whip me? I clear my throat. “I kind of hoped that you would finally answer my feelings, but you have to admit that the timing was awkward. Though I have to tell you, being whipped until I bleed isn’t my thing.”

Seria blushes and I try my hardest to keep the car going straight and my eyes on the street. It’s the first time that I managed to observe such a reaction from her.

She shakes her head. “It’s not like that. I am not thinking of you like that. Not at all! I don’t get off on such things… though you could be a little rougher when we do it.”

I try not to swallow my tongue. “Rougher?”

“Yeah, I mean, I understand that you are the sensual and slow type. But to get started I like it when the first time is rough and animalistic. No holding back. I already admitted my feelings, so why not tell you everything. You have the stamina, so why not use it?”

Damn. I thought she likes a slow start. “You’ve admitted your feelings? It felt more like you admitted them to yourself back then!” I don’t want to spoil her openness, but we have to clarify the situation. This discussion in itself is awkward enough.

Seria scowls. “Fine, I love you. I like to talk to a stalker like you and I like having you with me. Sometimes I think about buying a set of shackles to chain you to my bed. I am not a person who gets attached to a lot of people. In fact, you are the first one since several reincarnations to whom I admitted such feelings. And then it had to happen in such a haphazard way. The words came out on their own.”

I purse my lips, thinking about our first night. “Maybe we could try it. And I love you too, though your secrecy drives me crazy. I won’t put up with it for much longer. Once we get a spare minute, we will have a long discussion. I mean it.” Stealing a glance at her, I notice her expression turning sour.

“Try what?” She asks, trying to change the subject.

Scratching my cheek, I clarify, “Maybe I could allow you to chain me… to the bed? But no whips and stuff like that. I wouldn’t get it up.”

Her expression turns into a devilish grin. “There are also feathers and candles. I am sure that I can make you weep with a joss stick.”

This woman. “Then be prepared for my skills with the massage oil. You will scream before I am done.”

She smiles, but the her expression turns serious. “So what did you find out? Or was the trip just a waste of time? They didn’t attack you in there? Did they? Your ass belongs to me!”

I cough, imagining what she is suggesting. I hope she meant that as a metaphor. “No. I am hundred percent straight. But I managed to talk to Apex. He is a former classmate of mine and he has a lot of connections. Including knowledge about Trebor’s bunch. He suggested to look into the relationship between Trebor and Senator Zhon. According to him, there are a lot of transactions which are suspicious. Though I don’t get how Apex knows anything about the exchanged money between those two.”

Seria gestures with one hand. “Maybe he didn’t mean money? The underworld is often trading in favours. Such things are hardly documented and can be denied to outsiders.”

“I’ll order the DF to look into it. In the meantime, we will really lean back and let them do their job.” I try to put weight into my next words. “If it’s true that a senator is involved, one of my father’s trusted advisers, then we have to be careful not to make a mistake with false accusations.”

Seria nods slowly. “You are really sure that we shouldn’t just raid his office and turn it upside down to find something that hints at his involvement? The entire situation crossed the point of being subtle long ago. In my book, since they destroyed the Tandeen district, to be more accurate. And it’s been a while since then. Do you really want to tell me that your parents are still not prepared to take the gloves off?”

I sigh. Who am I kidding? Getting one nice night right after we declared this relationship as something more than bedtime studies was asking too much. “Yeah, understood. We’ll check the palace first and raid an office. Why not? That’s the first thing which is on my mind right after the woman of my dreams admits that she has feelings for me.” I switch to a higher gear and press the pedal to the metal.

.