Page 57 of Fated In Forever (Nocturne Vampire Clan #4)

EVANGELINE

M alachi didn’t let me out of his sight for the rest of the evening.

Neither did Blake and Riordan, all of them staying close, and now here we all were, awkwardly standing around at the top of the steps, people trying to make their way around us as everyone in the castle settled in for the night.

‘You look tired.” Blake pointed out for at least the third time, although he was right. The circles under my eyes had returned, some of my old exhaustion was creeping back in after such a demanding day.

Riordan and Malachi were engaged in some sort of silent pissing contest, and when I reached down both of their bonds, silence met me on the other end.

“We need to sort this bullshit mate crap out. Tonight.” Riordan finally snapped, “Follow me.”

He stalked toward our bedroom, the rest of us following in his wake, the hair going up on the back of my neck.

Maybe we should do this outside . I told Blake, dragging my feet.

I’d hate to destroy another room in Aisling’s castle, she’ll never forgive us.

But my mate just took my hand and kept tugging me along, leaving me to sort out a hundred different scenarios in my head, all of them ending in massive amounts of bloodshed .

Aisling was seriously going to evict us.

Then the four of us were locked together in a bedroom that was suddenly too small and too overflowing with male aggression. This was a bad idea, but Riordan was right about one thing. We needed to sort things out between us now, otherwise, someone—probably Malachi—would be left on the outside.

Just the idea made my heart ache and my palms sweaty.

“I’ll go first.” Rohr plunged his hands into his pockets of his dress pants, the edge of his tattoos peeking over the deep V of his sweater as he pinned a cold stare on Malachi.

“I don’t trust you. You’ve betrayed everyone who has ever trusted you, and caused more misery than I expect any of us know.

But…” His eyes went dark. “You saved Evangeline. Sacrificed yourself for her. And that is something I can respect. Even admire.”

I had to hand it to Riordan, he looked every inch a king right now, head held high, powerful shoulders in a tight, proud line.

He wasn’t one to be fucked with, especially with the cloak of white-hot magic hanging around him.

Heat radiated off his big body, corded forearms flexing when he crossed his arms over his chest.

“We’re setting down ground rules.” Blake stepped up, so he was shoulder to shoulder with Riordan. “Evangeline comes first. Always. Her welfare, her safety, her happiness takes precedence over everything else. You hurt her, you’re out. You fucking risk her life one single time…you’re fucking gone.”

My mate’s smile didn’t hold a trace of amusement.

“When Ravok is dead, and this is over, Evangeline will be Riordan’s queen, and sit beside him on the throne, ruling over the Nocturne Clan.

I know where I will be. Standing right the fuck in front of them, protecting them from every fucking threat, every fucking enemy who dares come for them. The question is…where will you be?”

I could barely breathe. Queen . I mean, they’d joked about the title, and I’d thought it was an annoying nickname, but never in a million years had I entertained the idea such a thing might really happen.

Oh, trust me, it’s happening , Blake purred. And I can’t fucking wait to get you into bed with nothing but a crown on your head .

Malachi remained still as a statue, the only thing alive about him were his eyes, overflowing with emotions too intense for me to sift through. There was an agonizing moment when I thought he might leave, turn on his heel and walk away.

Another when emotion shifted to fury, Blake and Riordan bracing themselves, bodies tensing for an attack. Then his stance relaxed, and he dipped his head to all of us, in a show of startling submission.

I will never leave you, Vicious.

You own my soul, don’t you know that?

“I cannot change the past.” His gaze lifted, met mine and my heart split in two as he said, “I cannot rewrite my history, but know this. I have dedicated my life to protecting Evangeline. Every moment, every second of my existence was spent ensuring her safety and her survival. To become a part of her life…to be given a chance…” His shoulders bowed, and a deep, quiet ripple of pure love went down the bond.

Then Malachi Draven, older than any of us, God of the Underworld, who should bow to no one, fell to his knees. “I swear I will honor and protect her, and always put her happiness first.” He lifted his head, a faint mist of shadow cascading from his shoulders as he pinned a dark glare on Blake .

“You want to know where I will be? Right the fuck beside you, so our enemies do not stand a chance.”

Malachi turned into a blur, then I was in his arms, crushed against him, shoulder to hip, his tongue plunging between my lips as he bent me backwards, kissing me like he didn’t need air.

I decided I didn’t much need to breathe either, because I was kissing him back, whimpering into his mouth, hands tangled in the lapels of his velvet coat as our tongues tangled together.

“Slow the fuck down, big guy.” Blake tugged me out of Malachi’s embrace and pulled me firmly against his hips, his hard cock pressed into the seam of my ass, telling me exactly where this night would end up.

Only if you want it to , my mate crooned inside my head. I’m laying down some ground rules first.

“Evie will be the one calling the shots tonight. She is the one who controls every situation. She tells you what she wants, you give it to her.” He sank his sharp teeth into my earlobe with a dark chuckle. “Can you do that, mate? Give this asshole directions?”

“Ye…yes.”

My toes curled into the carpet, excitement turning my insides molten.

I’d been dreaming about having all of them together for a while now, imagined a thousand different scenarios, although honestly, they all involved some version of scented candles, a bubble bath and some awkward fumbling around, mostly by me.

Nothing I’d ever fantasized about prepared me to jump straight into a full-on foursome, and yet I couldn’t stop my shivering, the ball of desperate need already curling in my belly.

I wanted this.

I wanted them.

But more than anything, I wanted to fuse us all together permanently, with blood and sex and trust, until nothing—not even death—could ever pry us apart. I might have been naive when it came to sex, but I was uncompromising with how I wanted my life to turn out.

I wanted everything , especially these three males.

I’m…I’ve never done this before.

I’ll be right here, helping you out. Blake’s voice was little more than a dark purr inside my head. We’ll make you feel so good, you won’t care that this is brand new, or how many mouths are on you. Tonight is all about you, Evie, your pleasure, your release, your happiness. Nothing else matters.

His fingers worked beneath my shirt and danced up my ribcage until he stroked the underside of my breast with such gentleness I sighed. “Isn’t she the most beautiful creature you have ever seen?” His warm breath skated across the side of my throat. “So perfect in every way.”

Malachi moved closer, face as still as a hunter’s, eyes glittering like they were made of citrine.

Are you ready, Evie? My mate’s tone was filled with patient concern, his heaving chest pressed tight against my back, strong hand gripping my arm, practically holding me up. If you want to stop, just…

No. don’t stop. This is what I want .

“Then let’s show your king and your soul mate how perfect you are, under all these clothes.

” I could hardly breathe as Blake stripped me with practiced ease until I was only in my panties.

He pinned my hands behind me, putting my breasts on full display, then cupped my pussy, fingers brushing over the soaked fabric.

“She’s wet. Soaking. Can you smell her?”

Riordan let out a low growl, peeling off his shirt, kicking off his shoes in a frenzy, his cock straining against the front of his pants.

All I saw were tattoos and muscle, then he cupped my face in his palms, his lips crashing into mine. That burning kiss stole away every last thought in my head, Blake holding me in place while Riordan plundered my mouth, his tongue claiming every needy, aching piece of me.

Then he stopped, stepped away, hand on his waistband, eyes alive with lust.

Blake kept me in place, displayed like a prize, naked and shivering and vulnerable, Riordan’s eyes sparking.

Another one of those low growls rumbled deep in my king’s chest as Blake swept his fingers down my body, from my collarbone and over my belly, until he reached my pussy.

Then he moved my panties to the side and plunged his finger inside, fucking me with slow, hard pumps.

“Your queen is so fucking wet, so ready for her king to fuck her.” Rohr held my eyes as Blake brought his dripping fingers to my mouth and plunged them between my lips.

“Suck. Until every drop is cleaned off.” I ran my tongue between Blake’s fingers, licked and sucked and worked into every crevice until I could no longer taste myself.

Malachi watched us so intently, I wasn’t sure he was even breathing, smoke pouring from his shoulders, power bending the air around him like he was on the verge of losing control, hands clenched at his sides as a heady rush went through me.

Power. This was power of a different kind.

Hunger, pure carnal hunger shone on the faces of these two powerful males, hunger for me. It was me they wanted, me they craved. Me .

“ Holy gods .” Riordan’s jaw worked, as if he was sorting through what he wanted to say then discarding every word.

“I can’t fucking take much more.” He unfastened his pants, gripped his swollen, ruddy cock and began to stroke, stomach muscles clenching with every brutal pull, and a tremor went through me, nerves swirling in my belly as I imagined him fucking me, just as hard.