Page 33

Happy New Year

Sadie

I ended up sleeping through the rest of Christmas—and quite a few days after that.

A black, dreamless sleep served as a reward for six days of constant sex, topped off by some wild out-of-body experiences.

Transcendental… The word had sparked into my head on a current of the Shadow King’s knowledge, right before I’d passed out in a heap.

When I woke up, I was still stark naked, but no longer a mess of my own want and my bear kings’ seed.

I was also no longer in the nest Declan had built for me, but lying on a bed, smaller than the circular one in my room, but still large compared to the twin cot I’d slept on in St. Ailbe.

A wide, square bed located beneath a high ceiling with exposed beams.

Where am I?

I sat up, rubbed the sleep from my eyes, and blinked around a luxurious room I’d never seen before.

The palette was technically warm—earth tones—but everything still appeared cool to the touch.

Frosted wardrobe doors, golden drawer handles, polished marble floors.

Whoever’s space this was, it was aggressively neat.

Nothing out of place…

…except me, lying beneath a ridiculously soft, warm, brown blanket and crisp, cream-colored sheets.

Oh—and also the massive image of Tadhg, sleeping in my bedroom suite in nothing but white underwear, streaming from the digital wall in front of me.

A soft electronic whirr and whisper sounded, and the scent of rhubarb hit my nose.

I turned to see Declan emerge from what must have been the washroom.

His rich-brown hair, with its white streak, was damp, and water droplets beaded his broad chest. Along with the rest of him.

Because the High King was also naked as the day he was born.

A sudden rush of shyness made me pull the sheet up over myself.

But then my good-Wolfennite-girl instincts were overridden by the straying of my bad girl eyes down to the trunk of flesh between his legs.

Even flaccid, it looked formidable.

Wide as my fist and hanging nearly to the bottom swell of his muscled thighs.

He was all wet from the shower, but my mouth went dry, remembering everything that had passed between us.

The things we’d said to each other.

The hateful, hateful sex.

Followed by begging.

So much begging.

My entire face burned, remembering how many times I’d begged him to fill me up while I was in estrus.

I didn’t know whether to feel aroused, proud, or deeply, deeply embar?—

“The first two,” Declan said before I could finish the thought.

With authority.

As if to prove his point, the staff between his legs rose to fully erect and pointed straight at me.

Like an arrow.

I still couldn’t believe that monster had been inside me.

Lots and lots of times.

So many, I’d lost count around day two or three.

“Keep thinking thoughts like that, and it’ll be inside you again,” the High King warned, reminding me that he could now read my mind, thanks to the bear bite he’d given me.

“And you’re supposed to be recovering from the most not-by-the-book First Claim in kingdom history. So, eyes up here, álainn .”

He pointed at his face.

At least I think he did.

My eyes stayed glued down there .

What would it feel like in my mouth?

Would I even be able to fit my mouth around ? —

“Jayzus Christ, you remain a ruiner of well-laid plans,” he muttered.

Then he disappeared the distance between us and, before I could blink, snatched away my modesty sheet and tumbled me sideways on the bed.

“Little witch…” he said with a chastising shake of his head, yanking me to the edge of the mattress and burying his face between my legs.

It was his first time doing this to me.

But from the way his mouth moved over my mound, he needed no lessons.

His tongue licked up my seam, then beared out, extending long and rough and oh-so-deep into my tunnel.

I whimpered, my fingers tangling in his damp hair.

Then he added fingers.

Two sank inside me, assisting his tongue, while the thumb of his other hand worked over my clit with just the right amount of pressure.

Oh my goodness . He hadn’t lied about watching my training sessions.

He hadn’t just studied for the test, it was obvious he was using the magical one-sided link created by the bear bite he’d given me to earn extra credit.

I became a moaning wreck beneath him.

Squirming. Arching. Begging again.

This time, not to stop.

“Ah, now, something’s getting well-laid, but it’s not our plan to let you rest until the new year,” another voice said.

I turned my face toward the digital wall.

Tadhg was no longer asleep.

In fact, the Mountain King was sitting up and watching —watching Declan tongue me down—with another mountain having risen between his legs.

I squirmed at the new, heady feeling of knowing explicitly that I was being watched—not just sensing it, but knowing.

“None of that close-your-eyes business. Remember your lessons, Strawberry,” Tadhg instructed from the screen, stroking his length up and down.

“If another king is watching you, give him your pretty brown eyes. Keep them here right on me. And if you really want to make me hurt, rub those delicious tits while you do.”

I didn’t want to hurt him.

I never wanted to hurt my wise teacher, not to mention the kindest man I’d ever known.

But some feminine instinct made me hold his hazel gaze as I raised my hands to my heavy breasts, squeezing the nipples just as he would’ve.

As hard as I could. Which escalated the pleasure zapping between my legs.

“Oh!” I whimpered.

And Tadhg groaned.

“Feck, Strawberry…”

His hand moved faster up and down his thick shaft, his expression strained, pained.

But he didn’t stop watching me.

Even when I started coming, clenching around the High King’s fingers as I creamed into his mouth.

The licking and flicking didn’t stop until I did, and on the big screen, Tadhg rocketed ropes that made the aftershocks hit even sweeter.

When I looked away from him to thank Declan, I found the High King already standing above me, licking his fingers clean.

His mouth glistening with my essence, his eyes gleaming with devilish intent.

“Let’s see if I can find this clit I’ve heard so much about.”

He proceeded with his search.

But he didn’t use his fingers.

He wrapped his hand around his long, thick arrow and dragged it along my seam.

Poking and pressing until?—

“There you are,” he murmured when my back arched on the bed.

“Should I reward you for waking up my cock and ruining yet another plan,” he asked, “or punish you?”

Even just the tip of him rubbing against my secret button felt incredible.

Sparks of pleasure raced up my belly, tingling across the place that held not one, not two, but three future royals.

It didn’t matter that I was already incredibly pregnant.

Even with estrus over, I wanted him inside me.

Filling me again.

“Please don’t punish me,” I begged.

At the same time, Tadhg said, “Punish her—and let me come over to help.”

The High King didn’t even hesitate.

“Door’s open,” he said to Tadhg, eyes glued on me.

“What in the world?” I asked when Tadhg barged into the room not five seconds later, holding a bottle filled with some sort of clear, viscous liquid.

“I thought you two hated each other,” I said, as Declan cruelly removed his mushroom tip from my clit and stepped aside for Tadhg.

“What?” Tadhg jerked his head back, looking both baffled and offended.

“This male is my brother from another. The best friend I’ve ever known.”

Declan’s brow lowered in agreement.

“Tadhg is the best brother I’ve ever had. And I actually have a full-blooded one.”

“What would ever put a notion like us hating each other into your mind?” Tadhg asked, shaking his head.

I didn’t even know how to begin answering that.

“She’s confused because of how we’ve been treating each other in the six weeks since you and the Shadow King arranged this,” Declan translated, reading me over the bond bite again.

“Brigid tried to explain to her the nature of being Irish, but she hasn’t got a full grasp.”

He glanced at me, then added, “Also, we’re losing the mood to her confusion.”

Tadhg’s baffled expression dissolved back to intent.

“Well, we can’t have that, can we?”

“No,” Declan agreed.

“Let’s give her a comprehensive demonstration of our operational synergy…”

Lube.

The clear liquid was lube.

And that morning, I found out my clit wasn’t the only bundle of nerves capable of being tortured with just the tip.

After putting me on my knees above Declan’s face, they proceeded to show me just how wrong I’d been about them by executing a mind-breaking campaign of pleasure.

Declan licked me everywhere but that secret button, while Tadhg teased another hidden spot from behind that I didn’t even know I had.

They weren’t satisfied until I was crying, begging, apologizing—even though I still didn’t know what I’d done wrong.

And I wasn’t satisfied until Tadhg stood me up on my knees, allowing Declan to turn around so that our privates were lined up.

The new position left him perfectly placed to receive me as Tadhg guided my trembling, dripping core onto his best friend’s monstrous cock—inch by inch, he filled me up.

Then came the lube again—rubbed into my back hole, slick and warm—so Tadhg could also fill me completely from behind.

Yes. These two worked very well together.

It only took a few coordinated pumps to send me spiraling.

I cried out, gnashed my teeth, and clawed at Declan’s chest as the pleasure crashed over me.

They felt so good.

By some silent agreement, Tadhg picked me up afterward, and they both carried me back to my original bedroom suite, where I passed out between the two brother-from-another kings.

More sleep.

This time, I woke to the most delicious smells yet.

“New Year’s feast,” Tadhg explained, dragging an armchair close to the service cart that had been placed beside my bed.

“To welcome the best year of our lives.”

It was so much food.

A whole beef and Guinness pie just for me.

Two for Declan. Three for Tadhg.

Between us sat several heaping bowls—rich buttered cabbage, crisp roasties, candied carrots, mountains of champ, and thick slices of soda bread stacked beside a crock of golden butter.

As it turned out, I was ravenous.

Tadhg ended up giving me half of one of his pies, reminding me gently, “You’re eating for four now.”

I accepted it with a quiet “thank you,” shame tightening inside my chest.

It must have shown on my face.

“What’s wrong?” Tadhg’s happy eating expression crumpled into worry.

“She’s got her evil mother echoing through her mind,” Declan answered before I could.

“It’ll take a while for the voice to fade.”

“In that case,” Tadhg said, tone firm, “I’m insisting you take two portions of this caramel cake for dessert.”

My face burned.

I wasn’t sure I’d ever get used to Declan reading my mind.

It was like having my confessional bear back—but now I didn’t even have to speak for him to know my worst, darkest thoughts.

“You’ll get used to it,” Declan assured me.

I frowned. “I don’t think I?—”

“You will,” he insisted, spearing his one piece of caramel cake.

“And let your bear know that after six weeks, you’ll want into my head, too.”

That’s when I realized someone was missing.

“Where’s the Shadow King?” I asked.

“Acting pure mule-headed about waiting his turn,” Tadhg said, rolling his eyes just like Brigid.

“Sorry, Strawberry, that training session was a once-off. Your Shadow King’s a loner, through and through. I’m hanging out with you two for the week, with Declan’s permission. But you won’t be seeing Cian again until it’s his turn.”

That tracked with what all I’d learned about the Shadow King when I bit him.

But…

“His turn?” I asked them.