Page 27 of Brutal Reign (Shadowed Heirs #5)
27
M y first tattoo was a Kurt Vonnegut quote. When I stumbled upon it, the words spoke to me so deeply that I knew I needed to get it memorialized on my skin. My dad understood the itch to make it permanent, and he inked it onto the inside of my left forearm as a sixteenth birthday present: “The only proof I needed for the existence of God was music.”
Shifters believe in fate over the various other deities worshipped by humanity, but the sentiment still rings true for me. Music has always been a powerful, divine force in my life. When I’m struggling for answers, I always seem to find them in the bars of a song. When words fail, music speaks.
Not all music is created equal, though, and the song currently playing through my headphones is trash. It’s some overly-produced piece of shit that one of the big labels served up on a platter to appeal to the masses, and the sheep gobbled it up like their last meal. It’s become so damn popular that I can’t avoid playing it at least once a night during my DJ sets, and radio stations call it ‘the song of the summer’.
Summer has ended, but the popularity of the song persists.
Most people wouldn’t know good music if it slapped them in the face. They just follow the crowd, liking what they’re told to and glomming onto whatever’s trending at the moment. The dance floor of the Goldenleaf bar right now is a prime example. It’s packed with sweaty bodies bumping and grinding, screaming along to the words of this moronic song like it’s their anthem.
The only saving grace right now is that I get to watch my girl out there. Hayden dragged her onto the dance floor with the rest of the stampede as soon as this song came on, just like she did the last Saturday we were all here . Riv doesn’t look any more enthusiastic about dancing to the bubblegum pop now than she did then, but it’s cute that she’s indulging her friend, and I’ve got a great view of her from the DJ booth as an added bonus.
She knows it, too. She’s trying to play it off, but I’ve seen her sneaking glances up here, watching me watching her. As much as she insisted that she wanted to hang with her friends tonight, she’s having just as much trouble fighting the pull of our bond as I am. She’d rather be up in the booth with her mates. Where she belongs.
It feels strange to suddenly be open to someone else entering this sacred space. The DJ booth is like my own private sanctuary; I often slip into somewhat of a meditative state up here, where it’s just me and the music. Well, and Seb. He’s always been at my side. He’s the only person I can truly be myself around, so having him in the booth doesn’t disturb my peace.
I don’t think Riv would, either. Anyone else would be an intrusion, but she just fits with us. Always has.
If she keeps shaking her ass like that, we’ll find out soon enough.
I flicker a glance over at Seb to find him glaring out onto the dance floor, watching our girl bump and grind to the beat. She knew exactly what she was doing when she walked in here tonight dressed for trouble. She clearly intended to get a rise out of him, and it’s working.
While most of the girls show up to the Goldenleaf bar on Saturday nights looking like they’re going out to a nightclub rather than a shitty dive, River apparently decided to dress down in a pair of black denim booty shorts, shit kicker boots, and a backwards baseball cap. That’s not what’s got Seb’s hackles up, though. It’s the faded white Foo Fighters tee she’s rocking, cut off at the waist with the ragged hem brushing her belly button. There’s a reason it looks so familiar. It used to be his .
I’m surprised she held onto the raggedy t-shirt for so many years, but I’m not shocked she’s wearing it tonight just to taunt my best friend. River can deny it all she wants, but that girl loves provoking a reaction out of Seb, and vice versa. Keeping the peace between the two of them used to be like a full-time job. Now that the three of us are on speaking terms again, it’s the same shit, but with an added layer of sexual tension. Without me to referee, they’d probably fuck around and kill each other.
I swing my gaze back out over the dance floor, catching River’s eye as she shakes her little ass to the beat. She quickly looks away, still trying to play coy with me, and for now, I’ll let her. I’ve already got the next song queued up, and I keep my eyes fixed on her as I start to slide the crossfader bar. The moment she recognizes the tune, her hazel eyes ping back up to meet mine.
Yeah, babygirl. This one’s for you.
The hoard on the dance floor welcomes the song change; ‘ Shivers’ by Ed Sheeran is always a crowd pleaser. I stare right into River’s eyes while the lyrics of the first line ring out through the speakers, mouthing the last four words: ‘I want it all’. I swear I can see her cheeks flush from here.
Hayden rudely interrupts our moment by stepping in front of River, looping her arms around her neck to dance, and I chuckle to myself as I glance down at my laptop screen to search for the next song. I like this game.
Can’t say the same for Seb. He’s gonna hurt himself if he keeps glaring like that.
“Maybe you should go dance with her,” I suggest, shifting my headphones down off my ears as I glance over at my best friend.
“I don’t dance,” he grumbles in response. The muscle in his tightly-clenched jaw feathers as he glares daggers into River’s back for a few more seconds, then slowly turns his head to face me. “Aren’t you ready for a break?”
“Soon,” I say, sweeping my gaze over the dance floor again. “Good energy tonight. Don’t wanna bring it down just yet.”
Though Seb doesn’t appear to be satisfied by that answer, he doesn’t object. He knows this is my thing and there’s always a method to my madness.
I’m pretty sure every one of our fellow recruits is here at the bar tonight. The cut list was posted this morning, and it’s no wonder that it took the squad leaders the whole day yesterday to assemble it, because they’ve culled half our ranks. Only twenty-six of us remain, which means we’re getting down to the nitty gritty and the stakes just got a whole lot higher. Monday’s rankings are gonna be a wakeup call for the bottom half. Beau and Eli had better get more serious about training camp if they want to stay.
Some of the other recruits are clustered around River and her friends on the dance floor, and I watch intently as Nate Hines slides up behind her, getting much too close for my liking. Riv doesn’t seem to notice at first. She’s still dancing with Hayden, one arm dangling around her neck as she rolls her body to the beat. Nate presses in closer behind River, his hands landing on her hips, and she glances back at him over her shoulder with a flirty smile.
Seb snaps his head in my direction, the gold shimmers of his wolf swirling in his irises.
“Go get her,” I sigh.
His face lights up like a kid on Christmas. He probably had his doubts over whether I’d allow her up here in the booth, but the more I think about it, the less of a question it becomes. River’s my girl. Our girl. Of course she’s got a spot up here, and it’s about time she claimed it.
Seb’s lips curve into a menacing grin as he pivots for the doorway of the booth, heading down into the fray. Rather than fighting his way through the crowd, he skirts around the dance floor, snatching a bottle of whiskey off the bar as he passes by. The bartender who was about to pour shots from it looks like she wants to object, but evidently thinks better of it when she realizes who swiped the bottle. Seb can get away with all kinds of shit thanks to his position as a future Alpha.
He doesn’t even pause as he continues to thread his way alongside the dance floor, gripping the neck of the bottle and tipping it to his lips as he swivels to enter the crowd. I watch with amusement as it parts, people instinctively skittering out of his way once they get a whiff of the energy rolling off him. The only one who doesn’t seem to notice is River. Her friends try to nudge her in warning as he stalks up behind her, but by the time she heeds it and swings around, it’s too late. Seb stoops down, grabs her around the waist, and tosses her over his shoulder.
River kicks and flails, punching her fists against his back in objection as he casually pivots around to head back the way he came, keeping her securely in place with one arm while raising the bottle to his lips with the other. He takes a swig of whiskey, completely unfazed by the fight she’s putting up, and once again, a path is cleared for him as people shrink back on instinct.
Well, not everyone. I spot Chandler in the crowd, glaring daggers into Seb’s back as he stalks toward the DJ booth with his prize. We’re going to have to do something about her. She’s still so desperate for Seb’s dick that she offered to suck mine if I put in a good word for her with him. I declined, but Beau took her up on it. Wonder when she’ll realize it was all for nothing. Probably right about now, judging by the look on her face.
Riv’s still putting up a fuss as Seb enters the booth with her slung over his shoulder, and I quickly set a playlist before turning my attention their way, sliding my headphones down off my ears as he kicks the door closed behind them. He carries her over to the chair he usually occupies, dumping her onto it unceremoniously. Her hat was lost somewhere along the way, and she sweeps her hair out of her face angrily, huffing out a breath as she scowls up at Seb.
“What the hell?” River demands.
“Exactly,” he deadpans, folding his arms over his chest. “Dance with another guy like that and I’ll fuckin’ castrate him.”
She pushes up to her feet, snorting a wry laugh. “Guess I’d better go dance with Jake then.”
Seb arches a dubious brow. “You giving me the green light to pound his face in?”
River frowns, snatching the whiskey bottle from his grip and dropping back down into the chair. She brings the rim to her lips, tipping it back and taking a big swallow before lowering it and wiping her mouth off on a wrist. Then she turns my way, thrusting the liquor in my direction. “Were you in on this kidnapping?” she asks suspiciously.
I smirk as I lean forward to take the bottle from her. As if I’m not always the mastermind.
Winking, I raise it to my lips, tasting a hint of her strawberry chapstick on the rim as I tip it back. It’s a tease that only leaves me wanting the real thing, and suddenly I can’t focus on anything but her plush lips as I swallow down the liquor and lower the bottle.
“I shouldn’t be up here with you guys,” she mutters, crossing her arms and slumping back against the chair. “People are gonna talk.”
“Let ‘em talk,” Seb scoffs. “They don’t know what this is.”
“ We don’t even know what this is,” she grumbles.
“Exactly, so shouldn’t we spend time together so we can figure that out?” I drawl, her hazel-eyed gaze returning to mine. “We’re kinda on a time clock here, babygirl. Three weeks ‘til the next full moon.”
She wrinkles her nose, leaning over and reaching out an arm to snag the whiskey back from me. “Can you even seal more than one bond?”
“Guess we’ll have to find out,” Seb snickers, stealing the bottle from her grasp before she has a chance to take a sip.
She whips her head in his direction, scowling. “You say that like it’s already a done deal.”
“What can I say?” he muses as he brings it to his lips. “I trust fate.”
“Since when?” she snorts.
He shrugs, grinning around the rim of the whiskey bottle as he takes a sip.
River steals it back from him the moment he lowers it from his mouth, frowning as she swings her gaze between the two of us. “So what are we supposed to tell people, that we rekindled our friendship and now I’m suddenly dating both of you?”
“You’ll have to give us the chance to take you out on an actual date for that to be true,” I point out, the corner of my mouth lifting.
I haven’t told her yet, but I’ve got a line on tickets to that sold-out show in Boulder she mentioned a couple weeks back. I’m hoping the guy selling them comes through, because a night away from this place could be exactly what we need to help us remember how we used to be when we were young; back when it was the three of us against the world.
She takes a swig of whiskey, licking her lips as she lowers the bottle to rest on a knee. “I’ll consider it,” she quips, returning my smirk.
Checkmate.
Seb takes a step in her direction, scooping his hands under her arms and pulling her up from the chair.
“Hey!” she objects as she’s forced to her feet.
“You’re in my seat,” he grumbles, moving her aside and dropping down into the chair.
She rolls her eyes, looking down her nose at him. “Wow, and they say chivalry’s dead.”
He lunges forward, a startled squeal leaving River’s lips as he grabs her by the hips and yanks her down onto his lap. “And now you’re in your seat,” he growls, banding an arm around her waist and pulling her back against his chest. “Nice shirt, by the way.”
“I thought you might like it,” she snickers, squirming beneath his possessive grip.
He leans in, nipping her earlobe with his teeth. “So you’re admitting that you wore that just to fuck with me?”
“No, I wore it ‘cause I like it,” she declares, turning her head to meet his eyes. “The fact that it fucks with you is just an added bonus.”
“Mmm, changed my mind, I want it back,” Seb huffs, pushing the fabric up her waist as if he’s going to strip it off her here and now. An amused chuckle rumbles in my chest as I watch their struggle, Riv grabbing for Seb’s hands and digging her fingernails into his skin.
“Seb!” she grits out. “People can see!”
“Can they, though?” he drawls, sliding me a smirk as he brings his lips to the shell of her ear. “If you can’t see them, they can’t see you.”
River blinks in confusion, lifting her chin to try to glimpse the dance floor over the DJ table. It’s tall, though, and on their chair at the back of the booth, they’re pretty much concealed from sight. The most people dancing can see is the top of Seb’s head.
“He’s right,” I agree, taking a step backwards and lowering down to rest on my stool. I can still view the crowd from this position, but I’m a lot more interested in what’s happening inside the booth right now. “You wanna give us a private show, babygirl?”
Her cheeks flush, pupils blowing wide. She seems to like the idea almost as much as I do.
River peels Seb’s arm away from her abdomen, pushing up to her feet and stepping toward me. She thrusts the whiskey bottle in my direction, and I reach out to take it from her, sparks igniting between our skin as our fingers brush. “Play something I’ll actually wanna dance to,” she orders.
I chuckle to myself as I swivel to set the bottle down on the table. Challenge accepted.
Pulling my headphones back over my ears, I quickly select a new song, fading into it and queueing up another for good measure. The low, sultry beat starts to pulse through the speakers as I slide my headphones back down to dangle around my neck, reaching for the whiskey as I swing back around.
River struts back over to Seb, her hips swaying along to the beat of the song with each step. Moving between his spread knees, she kicks her legs over each of his, looping her arms around his neck and lowering herself down to straddle his lap.
Goddamn. He’d better wipe that shit-eating grin off his face before he ruins this for both of us.
His hands grip her bare thighs as River arches her back, rolling her body against his to the rhythm pulsing through the speakers. All I can do is stare in awe as she works him over, tempting the devil with every grind of her hips. She climbs off him to turn around, bracing herself on his thighs and rubbing her ass against his crotch. Seb’s eyes are firmly locked on her pert ass, but River’s are on me .
This little minx has no idea what she’s in for.
Seb slides a hand up underneath her shirt and she arches into his touch, a little gasp escaping her lips as he starts palming her tits. She hisses in a breath through her teeth, and even beneath her shirt, I can picture the way he’s pinching her perfect nipples, remembering how they felt beneath my own fingers in the shower last night. I shift my hand to my lap, squeezing my painfully hard cock through the denim as I watch my best friend tease our girl.
With one hand still tucked up under her shirt, he slides the other down her toned stomach, deftly unbuttoning her shorts and slipping it inside. Riv’s head falls back against his shoulder, her expression twisting as his fingers find her center.
“You wanna let Ace see?” Seb growls in her ear, his gaze flickering over to me.
She pinches her lower lip between her teeth, holding my eye contact as she nods.
A grin curves Seb’s lips. “Hey Ace? Do me a solid and help her get these shorts off.”
It’s embarrassing how quickly I shoot up off my stool and close the distance between us. Dropping to a knee, I look up at River’s face, searching her eyes for consent. She gives me a little nod.
Sucking in a steadying breath, I reach out for her, fighting against the tremble in my hands as they land on her bare calves. I feel a shiver run through her as I gently trail my fingertips up the length of her legs, gaze dropping to watch my digits glide against her smooth skin. The bruises on her thighs are gone. I haven’t forgotten about them, but my sole focus right now is stripping her shorts off so I can see what’s mine. Ours. I suppose this is for Seb’s benefit too, but I don’t really give a shit which one of us touches her, so long as I get to watch her come undone.
I tug her shorts down her hips, pulling them off over her boots and eyeing the scrap of fabric between her legs masquerading as panties. The black lacy thong she’s wearing is sexy as sin. I move my hands back up her legs, tucking my thumbs beneath the thin strap on either side of her hips and pulling them down, pocketing her thong as I rock back and stand up.
“Go on,” I tell Seb, licking my lips as I stare at her perfect pussy. “Make our girl feel good.”
River draws a short gasp as Seb’s hand delves between her legs, my eyes intently focused on his ministrations as I slowly back away. The seat of my stool meets the backs of my thighs and I drop down onto it, practically in a trance.
“Tell me how wet she is,” I murmur, sinking my teeth into the cushion of my lower lip.
River’s back arches as he plunges a finger inside her. “She’s soaked,” he groans against the side of her neck.
My gaze climbs up to lock on River’s face, contorted in pleasure. “Does that feel good, babygirl?”
“Yes,” she pants breathily, grinding down on Seb’s hand as he pumps his finger in and out of her.
I palm my cock through my jeans, squeezing the head. I’ve never been this tempted to whip it out and jack off in public like a heathen. I’m supposed to be doing a job here up in the DJ booth, but I no longer have any read on the crowd I’m spinning for. Instead, every song I queue up becomes the soundtrack to my own dirty movie, playing out right before my eyes.
The current song still has a minute left, but I throw my headphones back on and switch it up, needing a different beat. Riv starts rocking along to the sultry bass as Seb works her clit. It’s the hottest thing I’ve ever fucking seen. Her hazel eyes burn into mine as she rides his fingers, a thin sheen of sweat glistening on her forehead.
Seb pauses his movements to glance over at me, smirking when he sees I’m gripping my dick. “I think Ace wants a taste,” Seb murmurs in her ear, nipping the lobe.
River’s hazel eyes lock with mine, the look in them pleading. She reaches out a hand, the corner of her mouth lifting as she crooks a finger to beckon me.
I can’t deny her.
Pulling my headphones off from around my neck, I drop them onto the table, throwing five more songs in the queue. I plan on taking my time with River and I don’t want any interruptions. I’ve been dying to get my mouth on her since Seb told me what they got up to on Pine Mountain. I’m sure that’s why the smug bastard suggested it.
I move across the DJ booth toward them, lowering down to my knees to worship my goddess. Seb hooks her legs over his, spreading her wide in invitation, and I lick my lips as my eyes feast over her perfect pink pussy. Lifting my chin, I glance up to find excitement shining in both their eyes, River’s breaths coming out in staccato pants of anticipation.
“Dare you,” she breathes, leaning her head back against Seb’s shoulder as he palms her tits.
I chuckle softly as I lean in, my eyes still fixed on hers. “What’d I tell you about dangerous games?” I murmur, nipping her inner thigh.
She draws a short gasp, body jolting.
Dragging my tongue up to the apex, I pull back with a devious smirk. “Hope you’re ready to play, babygirl.”
She doesn’t get a chance to respond to my taunt before I dart forward again, licking into her center like a man starved. The tang of her arousal bursts on my tongue as I drag it up to her clit, circling the tip around the sensitive bud before suctioning my lips over it. River pants and squirms against Seb’s lap, her hand landing on the back of my head as I ravish her with my lips and tongue and teeth.
I’m no fucking amateur. I’m intently focused on every tremble of her body, every sound she makes. I familiarize myself with her pussy like I’m cramming for a pop quiz, taking note of what she likes and how she likes it. Teasing the tip of a finger into her entrance, I lick and suck her clit until her inner walls clamp down around it, thighs shaking with her impending climax. Then I drag her wetness down to her back hole, pressing against the tight ring of muscle.
“Fuck, bro, I think she’s gonna come,” Seb pants, still playing with her tits as he sucks marks into the side of her neck.
“Not yet,” I murmur against her center. She’s all wound up, but I know I can wring more pleasure from her before she explodes. Sliding two fingers into her soaked cunt, I press the tip of my pinky against her back hole, breaching her resistance.
River moans low in her throat, bucking against my fingers as I tongue her clit harder. Fuck, she’s so damn responsive. Working her body is like playing an instrument, and I can’t fucking wait for the crescendo.
I bite down on her clit right as the music swells, and she shatters gloriously, her whole body trembling as she rides out the waves of bliss. My eyes fall closed, the beat of the music pounding through my brain in time with my own heartbeat as she gushes all over my tongue. It’s like a religious experience, and I’m officially a convert to the church of River Jacobsen.
I plant kisses along her inner thighs as her climax ebbs, gazing up at her reverently from my knees. River’s eyes flutter open, a smile curving her gorgeous lips as they meet mine.
“You gonna let me fuck you now?” Seb murmurs in her ear.
Damn him and his big fucking mouth.
The moment we were suspended in shatters around us, River jerking her chin up to glare at him.
“What?” he laughs, squeezing her thighs. “We could totally get away with it up here…”
“You’re an asshole,” I mutter, reaching over for River’s shorts and helping her back into them. She’s still boneless on Seb’s lap, but he at least has the decency to help her lift her hips so I can pull her shorts up them and re-fasten the button. He seems intent on keeping her there, his arm banding tightly around her middle.
Strangely enough, she doesn’t seem to mind. River curls into his chest, blissed out and sated, while I give Seb a hard look that says to be on his best behavior. He grunts his discontentment, but at least he doesn’t open his big mouth again.
Small miracles.