average human’s Reviews > The 13th Zodiac > Status Update

I reached through the bond for the first time in weeks, directing my thoughts specifically to Aiden.
‘Follow me when I leave the room. Don’t tell the others.’
I felt his shock vibrate through our connection, followed by confusion and desperate hope. Without waiting for a response, I set down my champagne glass and made my way toward one of the side exits, not looking back to see if he would follow.
The small smoking room off the main hall was empty, dimly lit with plush leather furniture and heavy curtains. I closed the door behind me and waited, heart pounding against my ribs. Would he come? Part of me hoped he wouldn’t, that he’d have enough self-respect to ignore me.
But the door opened less than a minute later, and there he was, Aiden Reece, golden eyes wide and uncertain as he stepped inside.
“Jupiter,” he said, his voice rough. “What⁠—”
I crossed the room in three quick strides and pressed my finger to his lips, silencing him. “Lock the door.”
He reached behind him without looking, turning the lock with trembling fingers. I could feel his confusion, along with a desire so intense it nearly took my breath away.
Without warning, I grabbed him, spinning him around, then placed my hands on his chest and shoved him backward until his legs hit the leather couch. He fell into a sitting position, looking up at me with those beautiful golden eyes that began to glow. His long blonde hair fell in waves around his shoulders.
“Jupiter, what are you doing?”
I didn’t answer. Instead, I reached down and hiked up my dress, the slit making it easy to straddle him in one smooth movement. His hands automatically came to my waist, steadying me as I settled onto his lap.
“Baby,” he tried again, his voice cracking. “We should talk⁠—”
“No talking,” I said, reaching between us to unbuckle his belt.
His breath hitched as I unzipped his pants and slipped my hand inside, finding him already hard and straining. There was a part of me that felt incredibly smug at the fact that I could get him as hard as a fucking rock before even touching him, while all those other women made him soft and useless no matter how hard they tried.
“We shouldn’t—“ he began, but cut himself off with a groan when I freed his cock and wrapped my fingers around him.
“Do you want me to stop?” I asked, knowing full well he couldn’t bring himself to say yes.
He swallowed hard, his pupils blown wide with desire. “No,” he admitted hoarsely. “God, no.”
I shifted, positioning myself over him, the heat of him pressed against my core with only the thin fabric of my underwear between us. With one hand, I pushed the material aside, and with the other, I guided him to my entrance.
“Baby,” he breathed, his hands tightening on my waist. “Please⁠—”
I sank onto him, taking him to the hilt. We both gasped at the sensation, his thick length stretching me perfectly. For a moment, I just sat there, adjusting to the feel of him inside me, watching his face contort with pleasure.
Then I began to move, rising and falling on his cock. This wasn’t lovemaking, this was fucking, pure and simple. I rode him hard and fast, my nails digging into his shoulders through his suit jacket, my dress bunched around my waist.
“Fuck,” he groaned, his head falling back against the couch. “You feel so good⁠—”
I silenced him with a bruising kiss, pouring all my anger and hurt and desire into it. His hands moved from my waist to my ass as he thrust up to meet each downward movement of my hips.
Through our bond, I could feel the others becoming aware of what was happening. Their shock, their jealousy, their arousal washing over me in waves. I didn’t care. Let them feel it. Let them know exactly what they threw away.
I ground down on him, watching his face contort with each thrust. His golden eyes glowed brighter with the roll of my hips, his breathing ragged and desperate. I wasn’t gentle. I didn’t want to be. Every movement was punishment, every squeeze of my inner muscles around him designed to break his control.
“Jupiter,” he gasped, his fingers digging into my hips. “God—I’m close⁠—“
“Then come,” I hissed, increasing my pace. “Come for me, Aiden.”
His whole body went rigid beneath me, his back arching off the couch as he thrust up into me one last time. I felt him pulsing inside me, filling me as he cried out my name, his orgasm so intense I could feel it rippling through our bond. And through that same connection, I felt the others—Percy’s sharp intake of breath as he excused himself from a conversation, Draco’s sudden grip on a nearby table, Eris spilling his drink as they all came simultaneously, unable to control their bodies’ response.
I kept my eyes locked on Aiden’s face, memorizing every detail of his pleasure. The way his lips parted, the flush across his cheekbones, the complete surrender in his expression. I wanted to remember this, wanted him to remember this.
Then I stopped.
I stayed completely still, watching confusion cloud his blissed-out expression. I felt his heart still racing, felt the lingering waves of his climax, but also the growing uncertainty as he realized I hadn’t joined him.
“Jupiter?” He reached for my face. “What’s wrong? Let me make you⁠—“
I caught his wrist before he could touch me, a cold smile curving my lips. Fear spiked through our bond—not just his, but all of theirs.
“What’s going on?” Aiden whispered.
I leaned forward, my lips brushing against the shell of his ear. I opened the bond fully, making sure they could all hear me, feel me, experience this moment in perfect clarity.
“I hope you feel me under your skin for the rest of your fucking lives.”
I rose from his lap, feeling him slip out of me, still hard and sticky with his release. Without a backward glance, I straightened my dress, smoothing the glittering fabric back into place with steady hands that betrayed none of the turmoil inside me.
“Wait—” Aiden scrambled to his feet, hastily tucking himself back into his pants. “Please, just talk to me⁠—”
I walked to the door, my heels clicking against the hardwood floor like a countdown. Behind me, I could hear him struggling with his zipper, his belt.
“Please!”
My hand on the doorknob, I paused. Just long enough to turn and meet his desperate gaze one last time. I felt a single tear escape, sliding down my cheek.
His face crumpled at the sight, his hand reaching for me. “Baby, please⁠—”
I pulled the door open and stepped through, slamming it shut behind me with enough force to echo through the hallway. Through our bond, I felt his despair crash against my mental walls like a tsunami, followed by the others’ panic as they realized what had happened.
I strode back toward the main ballroom, wiping away the evidence of my momentary weakness from my cheek. My parents were waiting by the entrance, concern etched across their faces.
“Jupiter?” My mother reached for me, holding Noodle. “What happened? You look⁠—”
“I want to go,” I said, my voice surprisingly steady. “Now. Please.”
My father nodded, wrapping a protective arm around my shoulders without asking questions. As we made our way toward the exit, I caught sight of Percy pushing through the crowd, his dark eyes frantic as they searched for me. Draco and Eris were converging from different directions, their expressions identical masks of panic.
I turned away, letting my parents guide me outside where the night air hit my flushed skin like a slap.
“The car’s this way,” my father murmured, leading me down the steps.
Behind us, I heard shouting. Percy’s voice, calling my name. I didn’t look back.
In the car, I finally allowed myself to shake, violent tremors wracking my body as I curled against my mother’s side like I was a child again. She stroked my hair, murmuring soothing nonsense while my father instructed the driver to take us to their hotel.
“It’s going to be okay,” my mother whispered. “London is going to be a fresh start. You’ll see.”
I nodded against her shoulder, too exhausted to speak. My phone buzzed incessantly in my clutch, messages from all four of them. I turned it off without reading a single one.
Later, in the quiet sanctuary of my parents’ hotel suite, I stood under the shower until the water ran cold, trying to wash away Aiden’s touch, his scent, the memory of how perfectly we fit together. I scrubbed until my skin was raw and pink, but I could still feel him. Could still feel them all through our bond.
I wrapped myself in one of the hotel’s plush robes and padded out to the living area where my parents had ordered room service. My mother took one look at my face and opened her arms. I collapsed into her embrace, finally letting the tears come.
“I hate them,” I sobbed against her shoulder. “I hate them so much.”
“I know, baby,” she soothed, rocking me gently. “I know.”
“But I love them too,” I admitted in a broken whisper. “And I don’t know how to make it stop.”
My father’s hand came to rest on my back, warm and steady. “Time,” he said simply. “And distance.”
I nodded, wanting desperately to believe him. But as I closed my eyes, exhaustion finally claiming me, I couldn’t help but wonder if any amount of distance would ever be enough to break the bond that tied me to four men who had shattered my heart and still held the pieces.