lh.narcissusinchains-第97部分

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ool　of　it；　two；　Richard　had　been　covered　in　it；　and　he'd　slid　down　my　body。　I　was　going　to　have　to　shower　before　I　could　go　to　bed；　even　if　it　was　dawn。　And　I　ached；　ached　as　if　I'd　been　beaten。　I　knew　I'd　be　stiff　when　I　moved。
　Everyone　was　standing　in　a　ring　above　us；　staring　down。　I　found　my　voice；　hoarse；　almost　raspy；　but　clear。　〃Get　off　of　me。〃
　Richard　raised　his　head；　slowly；　as　if　he　hurt；　too。　〃I'm　sorry。〃
　〃You're　always　sorry；　Richard；　now　get　off　of　me。〃
　He　didn't　move；　in　fact　he　settled　heavier；　hands　curving　at　the　edges　of　my　waist。　〃Do　you　still　want　to　help　Gregory？〃
　〃That's　what　this　whole　show　is　about；　so　yeah。〃
　〃Then　let's　try　again。〃
　I　tensed；　and　started　trying　to　wriggle　out　from　under　him。　His　hands　tightened　at　my　waist。　〃Easy；　Anita；　it　won't　hurt。　I　don't　think。〃
　〃Says　you。　It　hurt　like　a　son　of　a　bitch。　Let　me　go；　Richard。〃　My　voice　held　the　beginnings　of　anger；　and　fear。　I　liked　the　anger；　could　have　done　without　the　fear。
　〃You　fought　me　to　a　standoff。　It's　over；〃　he　said。
　I　stopped　struggling　and　stared　at　him。　〃What　are　you　talking　about？〃
　〃We're　not　the　same　kind　of　animal；　Anita。　They　had　to　find　out　who's　。。。　tougher。〃
　I　stared　down　the　line　of　my　body　into　those　brown　eyes。　〃Are　you　saying　this　was　some　kind　of　dominance　display？〃
　〃Not　exactly。〃
　Strangely；　it　was　Merle　who　answered。　〃When　two　such　different　beasts　meet；　and　they　are　both　strong　dominants　　such　as　a　true　Nimir…Ra；　and　a　true　Ulfric　　the　two　animals　must　fight　and　test　each　other。　I　have　seen　it　before。　It　is　a　type　of　taming　of　one　beast　by　the　other。〃
　I　looked　way　up　at　the　tall　man。　〃No　one　tamed　anyone。〃
　Merle　knelt　beside　us。　〃I　think　you　are　right。　It　is　as　the　Ulfric　has　said；　a　standoff。　He　could　have　kept　fighting　until　one　of　you　won；　or　lost；　but　he　chose　to　let　it　be。〃
　I　remembered　someone　telling　Richard　to　control　it；　it　being　his　beast。　I　looked　at　Richard。　〃You　stopped；　didn't　you？〃
　〃I　don't　care　which　of　us　is　more　dominant；　Anita。　Those　kind　of　games　have　never　meant　anything　to　me；　unless　people　forced　me　to　play　them。〃
　〃You　said　something　about　helping　Gregory。　What　did　you　mean？〃
　He　started　working　his　way　a　little　higher　up　my　body；　sliding　his　body　along　mine。　I　could　feel　the　slime　from　his　shirt　recoating　my　bare　stomach　and　nearly　bare　chest。　My　disgust　must　have　shown　on　my　face；　because　he　asked；　〃What's　wrong？〃
　〃Your　shirt　is　covered　in　slime；　and　I'm　lying　in　a　pool　of　it。　I　didn't　just　want　you　to　get　off　me　to　be　off　of　me；　I　wanted　to　get　up　out　of　this　mess。〃
　He　came　to　his　knees；　his　legs　on　either　side　of　mine。　I　could　feel　our　beasts　stretched　between　us　like　something　that　should　have　been　visible；　as　if　each　of　their　heads　was　buried　in　the　other's　chest。　He　offered　me　a　hand。　I　stared　up　at　him。
　〃I　know　you　don't　need　the　help；　Anita。　But　our　beasts　are　touching　now。　It's　a　close　connection　and　physical　contact　will　help　us　keep　it　until　we　finish　Gregory。〃
　I　didn't　need　the　earnest　look　on　his　face　to　know　he　was　telling　the　truth；　the　marks　were　still　open　between　us。　I　knew　he　was　telling　the　truth。
　I　took　his　hand　and　he　lifted　me　to　my　feet。　Standing　up　hurt；　and　either　he　felt　it　or　saw　it　on　my　face。　〃I　hurt　you；〃　he　said　softly。
　〃We　hurt　each　other。〃　I　could　feel　that　he　was　stiff；　aching；　but　he　moved　like　he　wasn't；　and　I　still　moved　human　stiff。
　He　raised　the　bottom　of　his　shirt；　still　holding　my　hand。　〃Touch　me。〃
　I　looked　up　at　him；　and　he　laughed。　〃Just　keep　physical　contact；　Anita。　I　don't　mean　anything　by　it。　But　I　need　both　my　hands。〃
　I　laid　a　hand　on　his　side；　very　tentatively。
　He　shook　his　head。　〃I'm　going　to　take　my　shirt　off。〃
　If　you　can't　touch　a　person's　hands；　arms；　or　much　of　their　upper　body；　you　run　out　of　polite　places　to　touch。　I　settled　for　sliding　my　hand　under　the　wet　shirt；　touching　the　smooth　firmness　of　his　side。　Even　his　skin　was　damp　from　the　shirt　having　molded　to　it。
　Richard　drew　the　shirt　over　his　head；　and　I　was　left　standing　inches　from　him　as　he　revealed　the　flat　plains　of　his　stomach；　the　muscular　swell　of　his　chest；　and　arched　his　back　to　draw　the　shirt　over　his　head。　The　sight　of　him；　the　pull　of　the　lust　that　always　came　when　I　saw　him　without　clothes　pushed　my　beast　against　his。　I　felt　furred　sides　roll　against　each　other；　a　tentative　roll　of　power　that　felt　like　someone　had　taken　velvet　and　caressed　the　most　intimate　part　of　me。
　Richard　gasped。
　I　concentrated　hard　to　stop　the　movement；　but　that　I'd　done　it　without　thinking　brought　heat　in　a　wash　up　my　face。　I　looked　at　the　ground；　my　hand　was　still　only　touching　his　side；　just　above　his　jeans；　but　the　touch　felt　suddenly　intimate。　I　wanted　to　take　my　hand　away；　and　his　hand　covered　mine　before　I　could　move。　He　pressed　my　hand　to　him；　firm；　but　not　forceful。
　He　touched　my　chin；　raised　my　face　until　I　had　to　look　at　him。　〃It's　alright；　Anita。　I　love　the　fact　that　just　seeing　me　moves　you　like　that。〃
　The　blush　that　had　been　fading；　blazed　harder。　He　laughed；　soft；　low；　with　that　edge　that　a　man's　laugh　gets　when　he's　thinking　intimate　things。　〃I　have　missed　you；　Anita。〃
　I　looked　up　at　him。　〃I　missed　you；　too。〃
　His　beast　moved　through　me　in　a　wash　of　power　and　sensation　that　left　me　gasping。　My　beast　responded　to　his。　I　couldn't　seem　to　stop　it。　Maybe　I　didn't　want　to。　Those　shadow　forms　rolled　in　and　out　of　each　other；　through　us；　until　I　couldn't　breathe；　couldn't　think。　It　was　Richard　who　drew　back　first；　and　said；　〃Dear　God；　I　never　thought　。。。　〃　I　felt　the　effort　it　cost　him　to　draw　back　from　me；　to　stop。　His　face　showed　a　businesslike；　no…nonsense　look；　but　I　could　feel　the　trembling　of　other　things　inside　him。　His　voice　came　out　brisk。　〃I'll　call　Jamil's　beast；　the　way　it's　supposed　to　be　done。　Feel　what　I　do；　how　I　use　my　beast　to　call　his。〃
　My　voice　was　a　little　breathy。　〃Then　I'll　do　Gregory。〃
　He　nodded。　〃Or　I　can　call　Shang…Da's　beast；　if　you　need　to　see　it　one　more　time。〃
　I　nodded。　〃Okay。〃
　He　slid　a　hand　around　my　waist；　drawing　me　against　him。　It　didn't　seem　as　intimate　as　the　roil　of　our　beasts　inside　us。　Jamil　stood　facing　us。　He'd　stripped　off　his　shirt　and　shoes；　but　kept　on　his　pants。　It　occurred　to　me　for　the　first　time　that　I'd　never　seen　him　nude；　except　when　he'd　been　injured　and　near　death。　Jamil　didn't　do　casual　nudity。　One　of　the　few　modest　shapeshifters　I　knew。
　〃I'm　ready；　Ulfric。〃
　After　what　Richard　had　done　to　Stephen　I　thought　Jamil　was　being　awful　trusting。　But　then；　everyone　trusted　Richard；　he　was　very　trustworthy。　No；　lack　of　trust　wasn't　the　problem。
　〃I　don't　need　to　physically　touch　anyone　to　do　this；　but　it's　easier　that　way；　so　I'll　touch　him；　so　you　can　understand　better　how　it　works。〃
　I　nodded；　wrapped　in　the　circle　of　his　arm；　the　firmness　of　his　body；　the　velvet　roll　of　our　beasts　like　another　arm　to　hold　us　against　each　other。
　Richard　touched　Jamil's　bare　shoulder；　and　I　felt　his　power　move　outward　like　a　warm　wind。　It　caressed　Jamil's　skin；　and　Richard's　beast　flowed　with　it；　pulling　mine　along　for　the　ride。　Richard's　power　teased　along　Jamil；　coaxing；　and　the　best　analogy　I　could　think　of　was　like　someone　trying　to　lure　a　cat　down　out　of　a　tree。　Beckoning；　talking　sweetly；　promising　caresses；　and　treats；　if　only　it　would　e　down。　But　Jamil's　beast　didn't　e　down；　it　came　out。　It　rolled　out　of　the　center　of　his　being　like　a　pale　golden　fog；　an　almost　shape。　I　saw　his　beast　like　I'd　seen　Micah's　earlier；　for　an　instant；　then　Jamil　collapsed　to　the　deck；　and　his　bare　back　began　to　ripple　like　water　under　a　strong　wind。　The　wolf　drew　out　of　his　back　in　a　long　wet　line；　and　his　body　dissolved　into　that　dark　furred　shape；　so　that　his　human　body　became　the　wolf；　like　flipping　over　a　coin；　heads；　tails；　but　still　the　same　coin。　I　felt　the　rightness　of　it；　the　harmony　of　it。　Jamil　embraced　what　he　was；　there　was　no　conflict　between　him　and　his　beast。　I'd　never　seen　him　in　wolf　form；　man…wolf；　but　not　this　pony…sized　black　beast。　He　was　like　Little　Red　Riding　Hood's　worst　nightmare。
　The　wolf　shook　himself；　and　I　realized　that　his　fur　was　dry。　There　was　more　of　that　clear　goop　all　over　the　deck；　but　very　little　of　it　had　clung　to