Page 5

5

I chewed on my thumbnail as I approached Ash and Thane’s suite. I had a million things to do. I needed to check on Micah and see how my very mortal, very human son was recovering after the shifter attack—and after the magical healing that had saved his life even as I upended his world. I needed to ask the healers about a possible tincture from Gavin’s blood. I needed to visit Isador and ask her to teach me everything about being not just a queen, but the High Queen of the House of the Moon.

My to-do list was ever growing while time seemed to be slipping through my fingers like dry sand. Gavin was suffering, Micah was in danger, and binding Thane was the only thing that would increase my power now. That, at least, would bring me an intangible step closer to rescuing Gavin. I already had four men in my bed, though not yet all at once. What was one more?

Laughing under my breath, I jerked my hand away from my mouth and shook it out in an ineffective attempt to dispel some of my nerves. This was ridiculous. I was being ridiculous. Ash was already mine, and I had fed on Thane recently enough that I could still feel him. My sense of Thane wasn’t as strong as my sense of Ash, but I could still pick up on his hopeful expectations. He wanted this. Wanted me .

Besides, this was about more than just me. More than just what I needed. By coming to Ash and Thane’s suite and binding Thane to me, I would be linking the three of us in a way that had never been possible for the two of them before. So much of what I had experienced since Gavin discovered me was about obligation, but this—this was about choice. My choice to do something good, something beautiful. By welcoming them both into my harem, I could act as the glue between them, forever binding them together.

The door to their suite opened before I even reached it to knock. Ash stood in the doorway, shirtless, his jeans riding low to bare the glowing silver markings covering the pale skin of his hulking torso and arms. The V lines disappearing into the waistband of his pants drew my eye like a glaring neon sign, and it was impossible not to picture the equipment I knew he was packing. Nerves and excitement fluttered in my belly, battling for dominance.

Ash reached for me, his hand settling on my arm. “Sophie.”

I dragged my gaze up to his face, my cheeks heating, and I cleared my throat.

Ash’s brows bunched, forming a deep crease. “If you need more time…” He must have picked up on my nerves. How could he not? I was practically buzzing with anxiety.

I shook my head, swallowing the urge to take up his offer and postpone. We’d made a deal. He let me bind him, and in exchange, I promised to bind Thane as well. And beyond that, I wanted to do this. Not just for them, but for me and for Gavin and for Micah. The more consorts I had feeding my body and fueling my magic, the stronger I would be. The more capable I would be at protecting those I loved. I wasn’t willing to let Gavin linger in that dank dungeon for a second longer than was necessary.

The idea of all those queens feeding on him…

Of what else that might lead to…

I squeezed my eyes shut and turned my face away from Ash, pushing the ugly thoughts to the back of my mind. I refused to let jealousy worm its way into my heart, not when Gavin was only doing what he had to do to ensure both he and the queens survived.

Gentle fingers gripped my chin, turning my face back toward Ash. “Sophie…” His voice was filled with echoes of my turmoil. He was possibly my most sensitive and intuitive consort. My gentle giant.

He bowed his head and leaned in until his cheek pressed against mine, the coarse whiskers from his beard brushing against my skin. “Let us distract you,” he whispered, his breath caressing my ear and shifting the small hairs that had escaped from my low bun, sending pleasant tingles cascading over my flesh. “It doesn’t need to be anything more than that.”

I inhaled deeply, breathing him in. This position placed his neck mere inches from my mouth, and I licked my lips. My salivary glands kicked into high gear as I imagined the cinnamon and sugar taste of his blood. A distraction. Yeah, that sounded really good right about now. And if it turned into more, into bonding Thane, then so be it.

Ash’s lips ghosted down to the sensitive skin beneath my ear, and he dragged his sharp teeth suggestively over my flesh. His large hands slid from my neck to my shoulders, gliding down my arms until they settled in the curve of my waist. I leaned into his solid heat, my fingertips automatically tracing the waistline of his jeans. I found the grooves between muscles that dipped lower, leading to glorious hidden places, and followed them with greedy fingertips.

Ash tightened his grip on my waist, lifting me until my feet left the floor as his lips found mine. I automatically wrapped my legs around his hips, my arms winding around his neck. His tongue caressed mine, and I pulled his lip between my teeth, biting gently, promising more.

A low growl rumbled in his chest as he backpedaled, carrying me into the sitting room of his shared suite. He kicked the door shut and pressed my back against the hard, wooden surface, his body flush against the front of me, nearly as unmovable as the door at my back. He rocked his hips, his massive erection rubbing against me in all the right places.

New hands glided along my forearms, and I broke the kiss, finally opening my eyes. I rested my head back against the door, giving Ash access to my neck. My eyes locked with Thane’s, who was standing so close behind Ash that the front of his body was molded against the back of Ash, pinning my legs. The dark skin of Thane’s bare torso stood out in stark contrast to Ash’s pale complexion.

I sucked in a shuddering breath as Ash grazed his sharp teeth down the length of my neck, teasing, promising. Thane’s hands glided up my arms and down my body, settling on my hips. His fingers dug in as he massaged my ass, increasing the friction between my center and Ash’s concealed erection.

My breaths came faster, pleasure coiling in my core. I was already close to release, and nobody was even naked yet. The tantalizing effect of my bond with Ash at work, heightening desire, pumped his blood full of the dopamine that fueled my magic. Thane brushed his lips over my forearm, the faint scratch of his teeth a silent question. Should he do it? Could he feed on me? My climax sparked at the suggestion of a bite, just out of reach.

“Dear goddess, yes,” I panted, near tears with anticipation.

Ash bit down on my neck at the same moment as Thane dug his teeth into my arm. I gasped. Between one heartbeat and the next, the dual shocks of pain transformed into delicious pleasure, arcing straight to the throbbing heat between my legs. I floated on a cloud of bliss for long seconds, their bites holding me on the plateau of ecstasy.

They pulled on my blood in perfect synchronicity, igniting delicious spasms that rocked my body. My eyelids rolled back, my eyelashes fluttering and my mouth opening in a silent “O”.

Suddenly, Thane drew back from my arm, and Ash whirled me around. Another hard body replaced the door at my back even as Ash continued to suck from my neck, his draw on my blood gentle but enough to hold me captive in the throes of the climax. Hands moved over my body, though I couldn’t tell who they belonged to. Did it matter? Everywhere they touched drew sparks of pleasure, like little bolts of lightning arcing from my core.

My head lolled to the side, resting on Thane’s sturdy shoulder. His lips brushed against my cheekbone, my jawline, my chin, then claimed mine. His kiss tasted of my blood, but I didn’t mind.

Ash lapped at the bite on my neck, the tingling sensation telling me he was sealing the wound with his own immortal blood. The tremors of release subsided, allowing semi-coherent thought to return to my mind, and I kissed Thane back.

Thane’s lips curved into a lazy smile. “You taste even better than I remember,” he murmured, dragging his mouth along my jawline until his lips brushed my ear. His hands clutched my ribcage possessively, the tips of his fingers teasing the undersides of my breasts. “I want to taste the rest of you.”

A full-body shiver moved from the place where his lips brushed my ear down to my toes. “Oh dear goddess, yes,” I moaned, arching my back to rub my center against the bulge in Ash’s pants, making my clit throb with aftershocks of my release.

Deep, rough laughter rumbled through me from the front and back, and I clung to Ash anew as Thane stepped away, leaving my back cold. Ash carried me into their bedroom and sat me on the bed, then stepped to the side, making quick work of removing my shirt while Thane worked on unfastening and pulling off my jeans. My bra and underwear came off next, and Ash stretched out beside me as I laid back on the bed, propping myself up on my elbows.

He grazed the thick fingertips of one hand slowly up and down the centerline of my body, from neck to pubis, never quite reaching the place that ached for his touch. Goosebumps sprouted in the wake of his fingers.

Thane stepped back, letting his gaze rove over my nude form while he unbuttoned and pushed down his own jeans, dragging his underwear off with his pants. I clenched my thighs together at the sight of his thick erection. A quick glance at the lower half of Ash’s body told me his pants were still on. Was he planning on sitting on the sidelines while Thane and I communed ?

There was no way I was letting that happen.

I reached for his groin and palmed his bulging erection through his jeans. He hissed in a breath. “These better be coming off,” I said, my voice husky. My mouth watered at even that teasing feel of him through the coarse fabric. I wanted to run my tongue all over that beautiful, monstrous cock of his.

Hands gliding up the insides of my thighs drew my attention back to Thane, who now knelt on the floor between my knees. When he reached the apex between my legs, he pulled my outer lips apart and trailed the pad of his thumb over my entrance and higher, spreading my wetness along the length of my pussy. He slid his thumb around my clit, avoiding direct contact as he leaned in.

The first touch of his tongue on my exposed clit made me jump, only increasing the pressure on that sensitive bundle of nerves. Thane chuckled, then dipped lower to my dripping center and fucked me with his tongue, his hands kneading and lifting my ass, allowing him to reach deeper into me.

I let my elbows slip out from beneath me and flopped back onto the bed, palming my breasts. “Pants off,” I told Ash. “Now.”

The corner of his mouth tensed, lifting with the hint of a smirk. As soon as he unzipped his jeans and his cock sprang free, I reached for him, licking my lips to make my intentions clear. There was no way I would be able to fit all of him in my mouth, but I could still lick every inch of that beautiful shaft.

I groaned, my back arching as Thane captured my clit between his lips, sucking it into his mouth as he flicked his tongue over the tip. My fingers clenched around Ash, and I insistently pulled him closer, not even waiting for him to push his pants down beyond the tops of his thighs.

Ash obediently shuffled to me on his knees, and I drew my tongue along the length of his shaft from base to head, peering up to watch his abdominal muscles tense and the tendons in his thick neck bulge in response. He buried his fingers in my hair, holding my head up as I laved his cock with attention.

Thane’s sucking became steadier and more insistent, and he teased my entrance with the tips of his fingers, hinting at more. My breaths came faster, that familiar, promising pressure tightening in my belly. He slid a long finger in. Another. Then three, curling them expertly.

I opened my mouth wide, straining to take the head of Ash’s cock between my lips, and stared down the length of my body. Thane’s heated gaze locked with mine, his pupils dilated to drown his copper irises in sinful night. Moments from that first prophetic dream flashed through my mind, and I vividly recalled Thane’s dark head buried between my legs.

This was meant to be. He was destined to be a part of my harem, and now that I recognized the inevitability of our bond, I wanted it. Now. I needed the world, the gods—the whole damn universe—to know that Thane was mine .

But I couldn’t reach any part of him to bite down, to take his blood into me and complete the circuit, sparking a full communion and initiating the bond. I pulled my mouth off Ash’s head with a pop , my fingers scrambling for purchase on Thane’s muscled shoulder.

“I need you,” I panted. My lips felt as swollen as my desire. “I need you inside me, Thane. Now .”

With a look that was pure possession, Thane raised his head and rose to his feet. He gripped my hips and jerked me closer to the edge of the bed, lifting my ass off the mattress completely. He lined his straining erection up with my entrance and slammed into me, making my breasts sway toward my shoulders.

The pleasure of being suddenly so blissfully full momentarily whited out my vision, and I gasped, clutching at his arms. “More,” I demanded, my need to claim him all-consuming. “Come here.” I dug my nails into his flesh insistently. If I didn’t get his blood in me soon, I was going to scream.

With a grunt, Thane pushed me further back on the bed, pulling free of me, and lithely climbed onto the mattress. He stretched out atop me, his lips covering mine as he shoved into me once more. I opened my mouth to him, wrapping my legs around his to encourage his hard thrusts. I ran my hands down his muscular back to his flexed ass and back up, practically clawing him as I gripped his shoulders and broke our kiss, angling my head to the side as my lips sought out his neck.

My teeth grazed over the bulge of his carotid artery. His motion faltered, his whole body shuddering in anticipation. Urged on by his obvious eagerness, I bit down, digging my teeth into his flesh until his skin broke and his immortal blood gushed into my mouth. Molasses and spice flowed over my tongue, tasting like the most delicious ginger cookies.

With the first swallow, heat welled in my chest, the exchange of blood and my desperate need to make him mine, initiating an instinctive response within me. My power swelled, pulsing with promise, as the blissful pressure in my core wound ever tighter.

Ash sprawled on his side beside me and wedged his hand between our bodies, moving down my belly, seeking that sodden heat between my legs. His fingers slid along either side of my clit, quadrupling my pleasure.

The power coiling within my chest snapped, exploding out of me and bathing the bedroom in magical moonlight, and a violent climax ripped through me. I gasped, tearing my mouth away from Thane’s neck, overwhelmed by the sensations racking my body.

Thane rose up, gripping my hips and lifting my ass off the bed as he continued to pound into me. His rhythm faltered, my magical climax dragging him over the edge of his own release, and he slammed into me one last time, his entire body going rigid.

As the waves of the physical and spiritual release waned, my eyelids fluttered open, revealing the brand new bonding sigil wrapped around Thane’s neck. Ash bent over me, bowing his head toward the place where Thane’s body joined with mine. I watched, transfixed, as Ash alternated between tonguing my clit, causing aftershocks of pleasure to rock my body, and licking my and Thane’s shared arousal from Thane’s shaft, still half buried inside me.

The sight pushed desire buttons I hadn’t even been aware of, and lust raged anew. I buried my fingers in Ash’s loose hair and watched with rapt attention. I wanted to see more. I wanted to see him take Thane’s cock into his mouth while his own monstrous erection filled me to bursting. I wanted to ride his big dick while he sucked off his man. Fuck, even the thought of it sent a mini orgasm quaking through me.

Impatient and needy, I pushed Ash away and sat up, scooting back so Thane’s waning erection finally pulled free. I pushed Ash onto his back and bowed over his body, but instead of going for his bulging cock, I sank my teeth into his inner thigh. I sucked his blood into my mouth but only swallowed some. Shifting slightly, I dribbled the rest out over his shaft, rubbing it around with my hand. I would need that healing lubrication if fucking Ash was to bring me pleasure rather than pain.

His vibrant blue eyes darkened with lust as I straddled his hips. I reached for Thane, pulling him closer to us. “I want to watch,” I said, looking pointedly from Thane’s cock to Ash’s mouth as I slid my throbbing, swollen slit back and forth over the head of Ash’s cock to coat my outer lips in his blood.

Ash’s jaw clenched, his nostrils flaring, and his hands gripped my hips as he pushed his way into me. Oh, he liked that idea. A lot. Based on Thane’s returning erection, he was equally excited about sharing this part of their relationship with me.

As Thane crawled closer and Ash worked his shaft deeper into me, I reached for Thane’s cock, angling the head toward Ash’s mouth. I licked my lips like I was the one preparing to take Thane into my mouth.

Finally, Ash was sheathed fully within me, and I gripped his wrists, moving his hands from my hips to Thane’s. I rocked atop Ash, savoring the unique sensation of being filled full to bursting. My greedy gaze locked on Thane’s cock as Ash opened his mouth to take him in.

I kept my motions slow, savoring the immense pressure, the slight tingling from immortal blood easing the tiny tears made by that massive cock, and reached between my legs to tease my clit.

Thane pumping into Ash’s mouth was quite possibly the hottest thing I had ever seen in my entire life. These two virile immortals, both prime specimens of masculinity, one dark, one light. I moaned, my rocking motion atop Ash becoming more demanding, my finger moving over my clit harder and faster. I had to force myself to let up or risk coming too soon.

I gripped one breast, tugging and twisting my nipple, and pulled my bottom lip in between my teeth. Ash watched me out of the corner of his eye, sensing my impending climax, and redoubled his efforts on Thane’s cock.

Thane’s whole body tensed, his muscles bulging, and he gripped Ash’s head, fucking the other man’s mouth with hard thrusts of his hips. He was close. I could feel it through our new bond. I rubbed my clit faster, harder, edging myself closer. The instant he thrust forward, stuffing his cock so deep into Ash’s mouth that the other vampire gagged, I slammed down on Ash’s cock and rubbed my clit as hard and fast as I could.

The orgasm crashed through me, my inner muscles clenching around Ash. My sudden spike in pleasure leaked through our bond, dragging Ash into blissful oblivion right along with Thane and me.

Though intense, it was a pure, simple release not fueled by an active exchange of blood, and the spasming waves of pleasure quickly faded. I slumped forward, Ash still sheathed within me, and curled up atop his burly body. Thane snuggled in beside us, skimming a hand up and down my back, and I luxuriated in the intimacy that existed between these two men—this partnership they were now welcoming me into. Though some of my communions with the others may have been more intense or more extreme, none had ended with anything akin to a group snuggle session.

Thane kissed my shoulder, then Ash’s. “That was…” He laughed under his breath and shook his head. “I don’t even know what that was.” He leaned closer, claiming my lips in a lingering kiss. “Thank you,” he said, the words heartfelt. “I’m honored to be one of your chosen.”

I laid my cheek on Ash’s shoulder and smiled lazily at Thane. Ash nuzzled my hair, one burly arm curling around my back while the fingers of the other grazed over Thane’s biceps. I couldn’t remember the last time I had felt so cherished. So precious. So safe. Not since before, when I was a child and didn’t know anything about the true horrors of my world.

“You two are amazing,” I said, my eyelids drooping as the exhaustion of the past few days weighed on me and as the soothing motion of Thane’s fingers lulled me ever closer to sleep.

I was the one who should be honored. I had never been part of anything so loving and comfortable. So stable and deep. So real, as much about the emotional connection as the physical.

I was already halfway in love with them both, individually and together, and I could feel space being made for them in my heart. They belonged to each other, but now they also belonged to me.

I smiled to myself as I closed my eyes, sinking into this stolen moment of tranquility. Maybe the rest of my day would be stressful, filled with urgency and desperation and fear, but right now, at least, I felt at peace.

I tossed and turned, slipping into and out of horrific dreams filled with oceans of blood, fields of fire, and demonic monsters swarming across the earth like locusts.

Hands gripped me and voices whispered through my mind—my immortals attempting to wake me—but even they couldn’t drag me out of the nightmarish montage. I was a prisoner to the dreams, the visions. I could do nothing but sink further into the hellscape as a chorus of screams filled my ears, echoing in my bones.