Page 57

Z’leni draws a sharp breath, his fists clenching at his sides.

When I finally let the cloth fall, the cool air hardens my nipples instantly. Both of them freeze, staring, and for once, I don’t feel embarrassed. I feelpowerful.

“We need to… rewrap it… lower…” I say.

You’d think I threw fresh meat in front of a starving animal. They lunge at the same time, colliding with a grunt. Ryatuv bares his teeth; Z’leni growls low in his throat. I smile and in a rare display of wantonness I thrust my chest forward so my ample sized tits jut forward. The cool air of the cavern has already done its work on my nipples which are painfully hard.

“Move,” Ryatuv hisses.

“You,” Z’leni growls.

“Boys,” I murmur, my voice full of heat. “Calm. Take turns.”

They stop messing with each other and both look abashed. I smile and feeling more frisky than I think I ever have in my life, I touch both their faces.

And they do. I hold the start of the cloth in place and they wind it around my back, handing it off to each other. There are more than a few contacts of flesh on flesh and more than once I whimper with suppressed pleasure while one or the other of them groan. The pain is there, but the pleasurable sensations are riding roughshod over it.

Finally they’re done. My tits are half bound but my ribs are tight and though it still hurts, it isn’t nearly as sharp when I inhale and I can take a mostly full breath. I button up my shirt, and while I do, they both watch with clear disappointment on their faces.

What if… could I… would they?

The three of us are here, but we’re trapped. Which is a much bigger problem than any crazy fantasy that is never going to happen. I hold out my arms and they both grab on, helping me to my feet. I wince, but its workable. And for the first time I look around at where we are.

The space is small, a collapsed chamber, half-buried under rubble. Dust hangs thick in the air, glowing in the torchlight clutched in Z’leni’s hand. Looking up we fell through the roof, but that opening is already closing over us. The crack above shrinks as broken stone rains down, sealing that exit.

Z’leni moves around, cursing in his native tongue.

“Gada,” he growls, pacing the perimeter. “This wasn’t supposed to happen.”

“No shit,” I say, slowly looking around for any way out of here.

My side pulses, but I ignore it. Ryatuv is silent. Still. His breathing is hard and sharp, and his eyes are fixed on Z’leni.

“You knew,” he says, low and deadly.

“I didn’t know the floor would collapse,” Z’leni snaps back. “You think I want to be trapped in here with you?”

Z’leni moves over and they’re standing close now. Too close. The tension is thick. Coiled and sharp like a tripwire waiting to snap.

“Okay,” I say. “Let’s not kill each other before something else gets the chance.”

Ryatuv’s wings flex open, brushing the narrow walls. Dust rains down from the ceiling.

Z’leni’s hand drops to the weapon at his belt, fingers tapping it like a warning.

“You’re too emotional,” Z’leni says, his voice low and scathing. “That’s why you’ll die first.”

“And you feel nothing. You’d let her die if it suited your mission.”

“She’s not yours to protect,” Z’leni spits.

“She’s not yours to use.”

“Both of you—stop,” I say, stepping between them, heart pounding.

They look at me, finally. Good. I take a shaky breath and keep my voice steady.

“Whatever is hunting us? It doesn’t care if you two have a pissing contest. We need to figure a way out of here. Together.”