Dark Empathy Archibald Bradford (best books to read in your 20s TXT) 📖

it’s okay for you to reach out. You are our friend, you are my friend.”

Again there was a long pause, heavy with the emotion of the moment.

“Thank you.” She whispered, again wiping tears from her cheek.

He embraced her then, releasing her hand and wrapping his arms around her.

But as was always the case when the Amazons hugged him, their height difference proved an issue, his face ending up in her cleavage. And since he had been the one to initiate the hug, he had to own it.

The warmth of her chest enveloped him, and he felt a familiar stirring in his loins.

Fearing that he might give her the wrong impression, he pulled away before the hug lasted too long.

But as he did he felt her hands grip his face, strong yet soft, and turn his head upwards to see the hunger in her eyes.

“Wha-”

Before he could speak her lips were on his.

It was the farthest thing from a chaste kiss, her tongue slipped into his mouth and past his teeth to grapple with his.

Nameless had been kissed many times and knew how to read his partner, but Escrya had surprised him with the sudden advance so instead of focusing on the kiss, panic spreading in his breast as his fear of hurting her again blossomed in his mind.

Kiss her back.

Volka?! What are-

I must confess, I was still with you when you left Juni’s mind, once Escrya sought you out, well, I was curious. Now stop thinking at me and kiss her, she needs it.

The flurry of thoughts passed between them in an instant, meanwhile he had one arm up between them, resting against the front of her shoulder, the warmth of her cleavage teasing his forearm.

With Volka’s urging the arm that had been raised to push the Amazon away instead slipped under hers and wrapped around her back, pulling her closer as their kiss deepened.

But he was far too conscious of the fact that they weren’t alone, Juni and the other Amazons had fallen silent when Escrya had pounced on him, worried expressions on their faces.

So before long he pulled away from the young teller, the heat of her gaze on his enough to stir his passion, but not enough to forget their surroundings.

She bit her lip as she read his expression, suddenly anxious.

“I’m- I’m sorry, Valkyrja-datta. I should not have-”

“It’s alright.” He interrupted her quickly, though he was still distracted by the taste of her; “I kissed you back after all.”

They both fell silent for several awkward seconds.

“Soooo, that just happened.” He finally said in a bid to break the tension.

Her face was now in her hands as she groaned.

“It shouldn’t have, forgive me. Witch’s tits, what will your bond-mates think?”

He chuckled.

“Well, one of them thought that I should kiss you back. The others are... a mixed bag.”

Her head came out of her hands rapidly as she looked at him in shock.

“Wh-what?”

Laughter bubbled out of him again, he couldn’t help it.

“Empath remember? Volka was here, or is?”

Is. As are the others.

Escrya pursed her lips at the distant look in his eyes, waiting.

His eyes focused again and he smiled ruefully.

“Is.”

The Amazon blushed rosy red, once again looking shame-faced.

“Is she very angry with me?”

“No! None of them are!” He insisted; “Like I said, it’s a mixed bag.”

Everything in her posture screamed vulnerability as one arm came up and gripped her opposite shoulder, reassuringly hugging herself.

“What does that mean?”

Once again she had to wait while he reflected inwards on the lights that were his bond-mates’ souls, forever in his mind.

Knowing that honesty was the only way to move forwards, he drew in a steadying breath as he held out his free hand and began to tick them off on his fingers.

“Volka is fine with it, she loves everyone though, kind of an angel thing I guess? Ophelia feels pretty much the same, she and Nina are debating the pros and cons of having an Amazon around. Milly isn’t sure what she feels, kind of a long story there, and Erica...”

He trailed off; this time it was his turn to blush.

“What? Erica what?”

He coughed delicately as his blush deepened until the tips of his ears were burning.

“I’m not going to say that.” He muttered.

“Say what?” Escrya urged with a frown.

“Erica cut it out! We said no more of that! It wouldn’t be fair to her!”

“What is happening?!” The Amazon demanded.

Allow me, Escrya.

Volka’s amused thoughts brushed against hers and quickly shared exactly what Erica was inflicting on her husband.

It was... graphic.

And with Volka’s aid, the young warrior could now hear exactly what Erica was thinking.

-already passed up on one Amazon’s offer to blow you.

“Erica?!”

Oh, hey Escrya. What’s shaking?

She cast about, as if expecting the Katje to be hiding behind a tree.

With her blithe response, not to mention the surprise of her communicating as Volka often did, the Amazon was struggling to separate her own feelings from the horny cat’s.

Mmmm, yeah, this is neat, we really should do this more often.

It was Nameless’s turn to hold his head in his hands.

“Not helping, Erica.”

Still, the imagined scene of Escrya kneeling before him played out in their minds.

It was a struggle for the Amazon to control her breathing: with Erica and Volka’s help, she could not only taste him, but she could feel the intense pleasure that he would at such an encounter.

“This... isn’t the first time you have had such thoughts about me.” She said breathlessly.

It wasn’t a question, and she was right: back when they were returning from the wilds, Erica and Nina had started a game where they would expose Nameless directly to their fantasies, and he had