Page 13

Chapter 13

Andy

R iver heard the humor and acceptance in my tone. He moved closer, pressing kisses to my shoulder and back, his hands sliding from my hips, down along the top of my thighs, and back again. “Why don’t you enjoy your gargoyle while I get you ready, beautiful.”

I hummed my approval, leaning forward to kiss Zhong. He pressed his hips up to meet me, helping me slide along his length and enjoy the glorious friction. Meanwhile, River found lube somewhere and set to work lovingly and thoroughly preparing me for the fun they had planned for me.

I came again moments later, shuddering against Zhong, his throbbing cock still pressed against my pussy and River’s fingers sunk in my ass. “Enough,” I managed to sob though panting breaths. “Please. I’m ready. I’m good. Just fuck me already!”

That earned a deep chuckle from both of them. Then River withdrew and Zhong scooted down so he could lay flat, allowing me to lean forward a bit as he worked as much of his monster cock inside me as he possibly could. The change in position let me control how far he went, to slide on and off him without being impaled. I braced my hands on his broad chest and moaned as I was stretched to my limit, Zhong’s cock lighting up every sensitive place inside me.

He gripped my hips and held me still, letting out a deep groan of his own when he bottomed out inside me, his eyes closing in bliss. I knew he was doing his best not to thrust deeper and hurt me. And that knowledge just made me want more. I squeezed my muscles around him, and his eyes flew open. “Goddess,” he breathed.

I wasn’t sure if he was calling me goddess, or praying for aid. But either way, it only spurred me to start moving again. He cupped my tits, caressed my face and neck, urging me on.

River smoothed his hands over my back and ass, straddling Zhong’s legs as he arched over me to plant a kiss between my shoulder blades. “Are you ready for me?”

I answered by arching my back, canting my hips up toward him for better access. “Yes.”

True to his word, River was gentle and careful, slowly working his way into my ass while cooing endearments and encouragement. When he was finally seated inside me, all three of us let out a collective sigh. I felt like I might come apart at the seams, I was stuffed so full. But I never wanted it to end.

“So fucking tight,” River moaned against my shoulder. He shifted his weight, pulling out ever so slightly, then pushing back in, making me gasp. “Goddess, Zhong.”

I knew they could feel each other through the thin barrier of my flesh. The sensation must be extra obvious when Zhong’s monster cock left so little room inside me. And River wasn’t exactly small. I was about to have my organs rearranged. And I was so here for it.

Wiggling my hips a little, I urged them on. “Someone needs to move before I die of anticipation,” I complained.

“River,” Zhong ground out, his deep voice dropped to subterranean levels. “You first.”

River chuckled and I could feel him grinning against my back. “We’ll find a rhythm. Take turns. You won’t hurt her, big guy. The goddess made her body to give and receive pleasure.”

What a nerd. But he wasn’t wrong. “Zhong,” I commanded in my best master voice. “I command you to stop holding back and fuck my brains out.”

He lifted a brow at me, his hands coming to rest on my hips. “Far be it from me to deny your request.”

It didn’t take long for them to find their rhythm. And with each long, deep drag of their cocks inside me, I found it increasingly hard to breathe. Hard to control my body. I gave over control, letting Zhong take my weight and move me like a doll, unable to do anything but take all the pleasure they were able to dole out.

At one point, River pulled me back and up, so the back of my thighs rested against the front of his, supporting me and allowing Zhong more room to thrust. We all gasped and moaned at the change in sensation, and I writhed between them as they both sank even deeper.

River wrapped one arm around my waist and teased my breasts with the other, lightly pinching my nipple as he sank he teeth into my shoulder, buried deep inside me from behind. He held me there, shuddering, while Zhong pounded up into me, fucking us both hard and fast.

I really did scream like a banshee. I couldn’t help it. My orgasm crashed over me with so much force the edges of my vision went black. And the waves of pleasure only increased when I felt both men swell inside me, pulsing hot as they came, filling me with their hot release.

The entire world faded away, and I gladly let it go, lost in pure sensation.

I collapsed in River’s arms, limp as a ragdoll and gasping like a fish out of water. He caught me, but he was shaky too. Zhong supported us both as we all gently extricated ourselves from the tangle of limbs we had become. Then he scooped me up and carried me toward the bathroom, already anticipating my need for a good mop up.

River followed, padding after us on nearly silent feet, still graceful even after all that. “What are you doing?” he protested as Zhong sat me on the edge of the clawfoot tub and started fiddling with the taps.

I arched a brow at the shifter. “Bathing? I’m leaking buckets of come, here.”

He didn’t flinch at my blunt words. But his brow was creased in irritation. “Now? Wouldn’t you rather cuddle for a bit first?”

I frowned at him when he paced closer and ran his hand through my hair, brushing it back from my face. And off my neck, where he had left a particularly good love bite. His eyes lingered on the mark for a bit before finding my face. He seemed… agitated.

“River?” I said, as the deliciously warm water started to fill the tub and lap against my legs. “Am I missing something here?”

He looked to Zhong as if expecting help. Then he darted a lost look around the room when the gargoyle only gave him a questioning look. “I… you don’t…” he let out a sigh, ran a hand through his tangled black hair, then drew himself up straighter, squaring his shoulders. “Right. Of course. I’m sorry. I made assumptions. I don’t always get these things right. I misinterpreted things.”

Now I was even more confused. “River,” I said firmly. “What did you misinterpret? You’ve gotta help us out here.”

He jerked his gaze up from the floor to meet my eyes. “I…” Another sigh. “I thought we might bond for a while. At least a little bit, but…” his voice turned almost mournful for a second there. “But you want to wash my scent away. So clearly, I was wrong about… what we are to each other.” He shook his head and gave me a sad smile, his voice suddenly too even and cheery. “I didn’t mean to make things awkward. I’m sorry. This was fun. Enjoy your bath.”

He turned to go, but I reached out and grabbed his wrist, while Zhong not so subtly slid to stand between River and the door. “No way,” I said, tugging him closer. “I still don’t get it. But you seem hurt, and that’s not gonna fly. This is some shifter thing, isn’t it? Get in here.”

I tugged on his arm again, urging him into the half-full tub with me. It was a bit of a tight fit, but the tub—like every other tub or shower in this gaudy house—was bigger than your usual cheap, modern Planus realm bathing arrangement. Zhong wouldn’t fit in here with us. But I was sure he’d understand.

Once I got a reluctant River into the steamy, bubbly water behind me, I sat between his long legs and leaned back against his chest, trapping him there. Tilting my head to look up at his face, I tried again to understand what was going on. “Okay, now explain for real this time,” I told him. “And remember I haven’t the foggiest idea of anything to do with shifter sex.”

River gave a dry, self-deprecating laugh. “Of course. How short-sighted of me.” He ran a wet hand through his hair and glanced at Zhong, who plopped down to sit on the bathmat beside the tub, meaning he was still a bit above eyelevel with us.

Zhong waved away his concern. “Why didn’t you want Andy to take a bath?” he asked curiously, no judgement in his tone.

River leaned down and ran his nose along the side of my neck and into my hair, inhaling deeply. “Because then she won’t smell like me anymore. Like us.”

I huffed a laugh. “Dude, I am not going to walk around dripping cum. That’s a bit much.”

He chuckled into my hair. “No. I know. I wouldn’t expect you to never bathe. It’s just…” He sighed. “In shifter culture, it’s fairly common to bask in the connection for at least a short time. It’s how we bond. It makes me feel closer to you, when our scents are all entwined and you smell like… well, mine. ” He waved a hand as if to dismiss the weight of that statement, and his voice shifted into professor mode. “Shapeshifters don’t have every animal instinct that their animal counterpart might possess. But some impulses linger. And some, like bonding through scent, aren’t specific to any certain animal, but a general shapeshifter trait. There have been some interesting studies regarding the influence of these animalistic drives on how well shifters are able to integrate into other cultures, such as with witches or humans for example.”

I held up a hand. “Wait. That’s fascinating and all, but can we postpone the lecture for later, once we all understand what upset you and fix that.”

He ran a hand through his hair again, then looped his arms around my waist. “Yes, of course. I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize,” Zhong said softly. “Don’t apologize for who you are or what you like, River. It’s okay.”

I nodded in agreement. “Of course! I didn’t mean to make you feel bad about sharing the facts. I just want to make sure we don’t get sidetracked and forget that you were upset and that’s the important thing right now.”

He glanced between the two of us like we were some sort of interesting puzzle. “You really are wonderful,” he murmured. “Both of you.”

I shook my head. “River. Focus.”

“Right. Well. What more do you need to know?”

I mulled that over for a second. “So, you like it when your sexual partner smells like you. And you’d like to… I don’t know, bask in that for a bit after. Is that what you’re saying?”

“Yes,” he said, softly, almost shy. “I’d really like that.”

I glanced at Zhong and he shook his head. Right. He had no clue either.

“There’s something more to it, though, isn’t there?” I prompted, squeezing River’s hand where it rested on my stomach beneath the bubbles. Zhong reached out and turned off the tap so the tub didn’t overflow while we chatted.

River tensed behind me, but he made himself spit it out. Our shifter wasn’t a coward. And he seemed to pride himself on being forthright whenever possible. “Among my people, if you sleep with someone then immediately go wash away all traces of them… well, it simply means there is no bond between you. That it was just sex and nothing more. Which isn’t wrong. It’s fine to enjoy casual sex. It’s only… I thought perhaps we might have… more? But I’m sorry. It was foolish of me to assume that.”

Oh.

Zhong’s expression mirrored the little tug I felt in my chest. “So just to be perfectly clear,” I said softly. “You were upset because you thought I was rushing in here to wash off because I wanted to get rid of your scent. Because that would mean I don’t feel anything for you? And that would mean what we just shared was just for funzies and no other reason?”

River shrugged. “Essentially, yes. I shouldn’t be so sensitive.”

I turned around as much as I could so I could give him a stern look. “You’re not too sensitive. But you are surrounded by a bunch of non-shifters.” I reached out a wet hand to lay my fingers along his jaw. “River. I really like you. I suspect Zhong does too.”

I shot a glance Zhong’s way, and he nodded emphatically. “I do.”

“We weren’t trying to snub you,” I continued. “I just didn’t want to drip all over the bed. It’s a problem generally, but when Zhong is involved… well,” I waved at the faintly blushing gargoyle. “You’ve seen the size of him. Things get messy.”

The shapeshifter laughed then, some of his playfulness returning. “You do have truly massive balls, Zhong. Logically it would follow…”

I elbowed River. “Don’t tease him or he’ll never share the wealth again.”

Zhong ran a hand over his face, then covered his crotch with a towel. “All that aside,” he said dryly. “River, Andy and I would never treat someone we respect as if they were just an amusement.”

I arched a brow at the gargoyle. “Oh, I think you more than respect him.”

He narrowed his yellow eyes at me. “Master, please.”

River laughed. “What you are both saying is that I was hurt for no reason. I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions. I suppose… well, I suppose I just want so badly to be one of you, that it made me react without thinking.”

Oh, my heart. I knew there was chemistry, and friendship, and mutual attraction between us. This was definitely more than a casual fuck. But… was he saying he wanted to stay ? To be part of this strange… whatever the hell it was, with the rest of us?

“Well,” I said, turning back to grab the bottle of shampoo that rested on a nearby shelf. “It’s a good thing you want to be like the rest of the weirdos around here,” I informed him airily, even though I wanted to smile so hard it hurt. “Since you’re already one of us whether you like it or not.” I held out the bottle. “Now, someone shampoo my hair. Then we can get out of the tub and roll in River’s bed, or whatever, and get nice and smelly.”