Page 43 of Bloodbane

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

Sweet Sounds of Submission

{ G R A Y S O N }

Thayne’s shocked stare bores into me. I meet it without hesitation. Confusion, doubt, and hope wage war in the amber hues, but at my nod, they clear, shining brightly with nothing but unadulterated joy. He takes my hand and threads our fingers together, warm against cool, and I’m sure that if I had breath to catch, it would be lodged in my throat, seized by the wide smile pushing pretty crinkles around Thayne’s eyes—years of pain and resentment peeling away until I can see the beautiful, unbridled spirit I fell in love with in that alley a lifetime ago.

“Yeah, you’re ours… If you want to be.” Thayne reaches his other hand out toward Ruby.

Ruby stares down at the offered hand, her brow furrowing. “I don’t— what? Did I get hit on the head? A concussion would explain a lot, actually.” She runs a hand through her hair tentatively, as if expecting to find evidence of trauma. “I just, I don’t understand what’s happening right now. You’re not… you aren’t interested, Thayne. The last time I was in this room, on that very bed, you made that abundantly clear. And you—” Ruby frowns at me, “—you had your chance in the kitchen and hard passed, so you can see why all this ours business is giving me a little mental and emotional whiplash.”

“Kitchen? Did you two…” Thayne quirks an eyebrow.

Ruby blushes, her gaze dropping to her feet. The strange, sweet scent that I have come to know as the smell of omega arousal floods the air. My cock throbs messily in response.

“Don’t worry, Thay. That was after you had your taste of her.”

“ What? " Ruby squeaks, her head snapping back up, wide eyes locking on Thayne’s. “ You told him? "

“He didn’t say a word. I could smell you on his breath.”

“Oh, Jesus.” Ruby’s hands come up to cover her face.

“I’m sorry.” I finally offer the apology I should have given that night. “I should never have taken advantage of you. I knew your interest wasn’t pure. I was…” Stupid. Aroused. Famished. Envious. Ruby’s fingers slide together, steepling over her nose, beautiful mismatched eyes fixing on me, waiting. “Selfish. I’m sorry.”

The hands drop from Ruby’s face. “Oh, for fuck’s sake,” she huffs. “If one more person apologizes for giving me an orgasm, I swear to god, I’ll—I’ll—” She clamps her jaw shut.

Thayne smiles fondly at the very Ruby-like display. “Yeah? You’ll what, exactly?”

“I, uh… fuck, I don’t know. I’ll make them give me another just out of spite.”

I growl approvingly low in my throat. “I’d like to see that. You’re so pretty when you come.”

The sweet scent of Ruby’s arousal is stronger now. But heavy-lidded eyes edge wide. “No. No. You can’t just say pretty things from your stupidly gorgeous face and distract me.” She steps out of Thayne’s space, crossing her arms. “I don’t get it. Why did you reject me when you had your chance? Why did you want to talk instead of fucking me?”

“Last time you were here, you were human. Or…” Thayne bobs his head to the side. “Kind of.”

“Right,” Ruby draws out slowly, clearly not understanding. “So, humans aren’t good enough for you? If I wasn’t an omega, would you be throwing out this ‘ours’ crap?”

As realization dawns, I can’t help the dark laugh that rolls from my throat. Both heads turn in my direction.

“Just show her, Thayne.”

“Show me what?”

“No, it’s not—I’m not—”

“ Bullshit. I can smell you leaking already. You’ve been hard since I sank my teeth into you.” My lips twitch. “As usual.”

Thayne scrubs a hand over the pretty flush ripening his cheeks but remains silent.

“I’m not sure if everything is going over my head because I’m still stuck at supernatural shit level one , or if this is ex-lover’s shorthand, but whatever the case,” Ruby says in a rush before sucking in a breath, “I am going to need some kind of show and tell using large diagrams and small words, because I have no fucking clue what you’re on about.” She plants her hands on her hips.

Thayne squirms on the bed, and affection blooms unchecked inside me. His body may have changed, but his mannerisms haven’t, nor his complete inability to hide his desires.

“It’ll just get harder the longer you wait.”

The pun is unintentional, but Thayne’s blush deepens. There’s only a beat of hesitation before he unfastens his jeans and shoves them down thick thighs.

Ruby’s eyebrows shoot up as her jaw drops.

Thayne’s blush burns brighter, and I realize that the transformation of his body is still relatively new to him, too. I haven’t even thought to ask Thayne about it, don’t know if he likes the changes or loathes them. He had always been self-conscious before: trying to cover bony hips and prominent ribs with thin arms and broad palms. It had taken time to reassure him with soft praises, filthy words, and lingering kisses that he was perfect.

Had been then, still is now.

I run a hand along Thayne’s thigh, curving up over the muscle, coming to rest a whisper away from his cock. “It’s magnificent, isn’t it? Just like everything else on our boy.”

Thayne’s cock twitches at that, translucent precome welling and spilling over, running from the flushed head and down the shaft toward the already bulging knot.

“What...” Ruby licks her lips. “Can I touch it?”

I’ve healed enough to make quick work of Thayne’s shoes and jeans, fully removing both and discarding them before Ruby has taken two steps.

“Damn it, Eirik. A little warning next time.”

“Stop pretending you don’t love it when I manhandle you. I’m just giving Ruby better access. Actually…” With a playful shove, I propel Thayne back onto the bed, enjoying the gasp of surprise. I wrap my arms around Ruby more carefully, depositing her on the mattress in front of Thayne. She raises her hand, reaching out toward the large cock, but hesitates.

“Of course you can, it’s just—” Thayne hisses when Ruby wraps her hand around the knot and squeezes.

“Shit, I’m sorry!” Ruby pulls her hand back as if burned, cheeks on fire.

“Uh, no, you’re fine. It’s just really sensitive.”

Ruby swallows thickly before reaching a finger out to trail around the engorged flesh lightly. “This is what you didn’t want me to see? You could have told me it was a genetic condition. I would have believed you,” she murmurs, wrapping a hand around the swollen base gingerly.

“Oh, yeah, because that’s so sexy,” Thayne mutters.

“It really kind of is,” Ruby breathes lowly, eyes not wavering. “Is this why I felt so full last night? This was inside me?”

Thayne nods mutely.

Amusement rumbles from my chest again. “And why your belly was so full this morning. Thay should have had the decency to clean you out after the mess he made of you.”

Ruby’s hand clenches, and she shoots Thayne an apologetic look at the resulting grunt. “Is that, are you—I mean, is that something you’re into?”

Thayne shoots me a murderous look. “That was a very long time ago.”

With the ice thawed from my veins, washing away all hesitation, I don’t try to fight the familiar temptation Thayne stirs to indulge in affectionate teasing.

“So wolfing out into a big, strong alpha means you’re not the desperate little come slut you used to be? I remember you begging—”

“Oh, shit, shut up,” Thayne moans. Though his skin flushes impossibly brighter, his cock reveals the truth of my words, leaking all over Ruby’s hand.

“Why? Are you about to spill all over Ruby with nothing more than a few dirty words?” I slide my hand between the bed and Thayne’s bare ass, guiding my fingers to Thayne’s other super sensitive spot with nothing to ease my entrance.

“Ughh, I—oh, fuck!” Thayne grinds down, clenching around me desperately.

“You’re making such a mess, dear one. Look at you, drooling all over yourself. Ruby, love, how about you help clean him up?”

“I thought you’d never ask,” Ruby murmurs before pitching forward and wrapping her plush lips around Thayne’s cock, swallowing up the head with an appreciative, lustful sound that goes straight to my cock. The blissful noise is chased by gagging as she tries and fails to take more of Thayne’s impressive length. She pulls back with a choking cough before filling her mouth once more—the fat cock pushing her frustrated groan back down her throat as her cheeks hollow and her head bobs, taking as much as she can of the impressive length as her hands continue massaging the still-swelling knot.

Thayne’s fingers thread through Ruby’s hair, forming desperate fists, urging her down further, seemingly enjoying her gagging. “Mmm, fuck that feels so good, baby.”

I slide another finger past Thayne’s rim, forcing him open. He rocks his hips over the bed, jerking up into Ruby’s mouth before driving back down, grinding onto my hand. He’s the picture of strung-out bliss: whimpering, head back, mouth open.

“You two look so gorgeous together. Ruby’s pretty lips wrapped around your cock may be the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

Ruby hums happily and reaches out to squeeze my thigh with her free hand, and I run my fingers through the silky strands at Ruby’s nape, taking a fistful and guiding her up and down Thayne’s cock.

“You’re making him feel so good with that perfect little mouth of yours, Ruby. Such a good girl. Make him come, sweetheart.”

A constant stream of broken moans punch from Thayne’s chest, and Gods, I’ve missed this—the sound of Thayne’s orgasm building quickly, the feel of him shaking apart, trying to hold back his pleasure for as long as he can before finally surrendering and chasing it over the edge. But I don’t want Thayne to hold back, not tonight. Tonight, I want it quick and dirty, want bliss to tear through that beautiful body and burn away every lingering memory of pain still trapped in his body.

I press in a little deeper, curling my fingers and giving Thayne’s greedy hole what it craves after so long. With a keening cry, his muscles constrict and convulse, his knot spasming as come floods out of Ruby’s mouth.

“Yeah, just like that, show Ruby how good you taste.”

Ruby pulls off with a choked sound, come coating her lips and dripping from her chin. Thayne’s hips thrust up into empty air as his orgasm tears through him. I continue to fuck into his quivering rim with one hand, pumping his prostate, and bring the other up to grip his jerking cock as it continues to spill his milky release.

“Jesus, Thayne, look at you, still coming . No wonder you filled Ruby’s belly. I bet you were imagining it running from her sweet little cunt into your mouth, weren’t you?”

Thayne cries out again, his hips fucking up into my fist so quickly he’s a blur of flushed skin and white streams until finally, he collapses back down onto the bed, panting harshly.

“Holy Fuck.” Ruby trails small fingers through the come pooling on Thayne’s skin. “That was… that was… Holy fuck . "

“Mhmm,” Thayne agrees without opening his eyes, chest heaving. “Yeah, it was.”

“If I’m dead and this is heaven or hell, I would just like to state for the record, I’m fine with it. No complaints. Ten out of ten, would recommend,” Ruby says, sounding awed. “And,” she adds smugly, “I’m glad I’m not the only one that goes off like a rocket with the proper motivation.”

Thayne’s hand hops on the bed behind his head, finding a pillow and flinging it in Ruby’s direction.

“Yeah, blowing his first load within five minutes, now that’s the Thayne I know and love.” The teasing words are out of my mouth before I can stop them.

Thayne pulls in a sharp breath as amber eyes fly open.

“ Still? ” The word is delicate, threatening to break under the weight of the hope it carries.

I lean down, not thinking, just feeling, and capture Thayne’s mouth. It’s warm and soft and demanding, and remains the sweetest thing I’ve ever tasted. I pour a past of regret and apologies into the kiss, and write a thousand promises for the future into the velvet depths. Thayne breaks the kiss, breathless and panting, and I run a thumb over the spit-slick lower lip.

“ Forever. ”

“Yeah, so I’m never going to get tired of seeing that, ” Ruby rasps before clearing her throat and squirming on the bed. “But if you’re going to do that again, I might need a towel.”

“No, I have plans for you,” I murmur, lifting Ruby into my arms.

Her shock barely has time to settle over her face before I have her naked, her breasts pressing against my chest, holding her aloft with strong hands clamped around her waist. She wraps her legs around my hips, digging eager feet into my ass. Her eyes dip down to my cock, standing proud, wet and needy. I grin at her pretty pout when I resist giving her what she obviously wants.

“Soon. But first we’re going to put your slick little cunt to good use, sweetheart.”

In a blink, I unlock Ruby’s legs, spin her around, and lower her onto Thayne’s still half-hard cock.

Ruby rocks forward with a shuddering moan, planting her hands on Thayne’s chest. “You feel amazing.”

Thayne growls deep and low in the back of his throat as his hands go to Ruby’s hips. “No, baby, you feel amazing.”

My desire is cutting through me harder now, demanding release. Without warning, I grab Thayne’s legs and pull him flush to the edge of the mattress.

“Ei? What’s—” The question breaks into a scream as I lift Thayne’s hips off the bed, taking both his and Ruby’s weight easily, and force my cock into Thayne’s tight hole with only my precome to ease the joining.

Thayne had always begged me to take him like this—wanting it rough, wanting it to hurt —something I could never give when he was human. But now, the pain will fade quickly enough, and any damage will be healed. An unexpected silver lining.

“Is that okay, my love?” I ask in case I’ve misjudged. But Thayne just nods furiously, tears leaking down his cheeks.

“Fuck, yes. Perfect. Never thought I’d feel you inside me again.”

“I’m going to fuck your tight little hole while you fuck Ruby’s, and make you come again and again until you’re empty.”

Ruby whimpers, leaning back against my chest. “And then you’re going to fuck my mouth while I ride his face, aren’t you?”

“ Goddamnit ,” Thayne chokes out. “Stop talking and fuck me already, both of you.”

Ruby laughs and wiggles her hips just enough to tease, and I feel a swell of pride. She twists her face to the side, snaking an arm around my neck, and pulling me close. My lips curve up against Ruby’s before claiming them. Soft and sweet gives way to rough and needy, and I swallow down the wanton moans spilling into my mouth. Lifting a hand from Thayne’s hip to wrap around Ruby’s throat coaxes out more sweet sounds of submission.

Readjusting my single-handed grip on Thayne’s hip, I stake my claim with fingertip bruises. They’ll be gone before the night is over, and we collapsed together in an exhausted tangle of sweat-slicked limbs, but it doesn’t matter: it’s a claim all the same.

Mine.

Thayne is mine.

Ruby is mine.

And I am theirs.

Valhalla surrounding me—beautiful beneath my hands and warm against my chest. It’s the closest to gilded gates and golden halls I’ll ever be; closer than I deserve. I had been so ready to throw away my baneful existence, weary of being ensnared in shadows with death stalking my every step. But now, the light on the horizon doesn't signal suffering or demand sacrifice, it offers hope and a second chance. I am done grieving the life I’d lost. How can I mourn an eternity in paradise when I have found it here, in life? In the arms and acceptance of the two souls I can only count as gifts from the gods. I won’t deny myself any longer.

Not tonight.

When the full moon rises, best-laid plans may yet fail. Tomorrow night may be my last, but tonight… tonight I will allow myself to love fiercely and without fear, and accept Thayne and Ruby’s devotion in return.

Tonight, I’m going to live.