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I turn to face him, and he settles his arms around me, tucking me against his chest and resting his chin on my head while the hot water caresses my back. We have not been this close in weeks, and as much as I would like to simply enjoy it, I am on my guard for Annoth.

“I will do anything to protect the two of you,” I tell him, “and I am not afraid of what might await me when I go back. But…I am afraid you will both forget me when I am gone.”

“Annie, sweetheart,” Theo laughs, “how the hell could we ever forget you? Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t.” I pull my face away from his chest and look up at him.

“May I sleep between the two of you tonight?” I ask. “Do you think that would be safe?”

“I think that would be fine,” he murmurs, brushing a strand of wet hair out of my face and kissing me on the forehead. His gentleness brings tears back to my eyes, but I drop my head to his chest again so he does not see them.

I cannot sleep. Even cradled between Ben and Theo, with their arms draped over me and their fingers clasped together on my hip, I cannot find peace.

I watch Ben’s face as he sleeps, his dark curls spilling onto the pillow, lips twitching as he dreams. Even now, he grins–ever the optimist, the one who believes things will work out, the one who pulls us back together when we fall apart.

I do not deserve him, but I desperately want to keep him anyway.

Slowly, I roll to my other side and brush my fingers over Theo’s jaw.

He always looks just a little tense when he sleeps, with a s mall furrow between his eyebrows.

It is so difficult for him to let go of his worries, of his fears and anxieties, even at rest. I hoped I could be a soft place for him to land—a safe harbor in the storm, a warm kiss after a long walk in the cold.

I know Ben will be all those things for him if I cannot.

After nearly an hour of chasing sleep with no satisfaction, I carefully slip out of the bed and go to the living room, where I open a window and sit beside it. I can just barely see the full moon hovering over the roofs, and take a deep breath before I speak.

“I know that I should not be asking anything of you. I am…not one of your creatures. I was born to darkness and fire, not meant for this kind of light, but I have found it nonetheless, and…I do not want to go back now. Ben tells me that love endures all things, and that these are words from your holy book, so please…tell me what I must do. I will give you anything–endure anything–to stay with them, to have this love. Please…”

I wait for a few minutes, listening for any kind of reply, but I am met with an unending, suffocating silence, which I fill with my own tears.

The following Saturday evening, Ben sticks Theo and I in his car with absolutely no warning and drives us across town to another dingy-looking bar with a small crowd inside.

He tells us to get a drink and sit down, so we do, but then he vanishes.

I ask Theo what is happening, but he does not seem to know.

Ten minutes later, the curtain pulls back on a tiny corner stage, where several men in Green Day shirts, like the ones Ben wears, are setting up instruments.

“Oh…oh God,” Theo mutters with a tiny laugh.

I frow n at him. “What is it?”

“Remember…when Ben told us he plays drums?”

Before I can answer, Ben appears on the stage in one of his sleeveless t-shirts, black makeup smudged around his eyes. He sits behind the drum set and waves at us, then picks up a pair of sticks and twirls them skillfully between his fingers.

I wave back and smile, but whisper to Theo, “What is happening?”

“Just watch,” he replies, grinning ear-to-ear.

If it is possible, watching Ben play the drums makes me fall even more in love with him.

It is not just that he is very good at it–because he truly is good at everything he does–but when he plays, I can see the weight melting from his shoulders.

He appears younger, completely lost in the blaring music, thrashing his head and singing along, occasionally shooting a wink or blowing a kiss across the bar at us.

Theo seems to be feeling the same way I am, judging by the smile that will not leave his face, and the hungry way he kisses Ben after the show.

Since Theo and I each had several drinks, Ben drives home, but neither of us can keep our hands off of him.

From the back seat, I slip my fingers into his shirt, nipping at his neck and ears with my fangs.

Theo sits beside him in the front seat, one hand slowly drifting up his thigh and rubbing until Ben lets out a soft moan.

“Theo…Annie,” he warns, “you’re about to have me breaking the fucking sound barrier to get us home faster.”

“Why’s that?” Theo asks with a wicked grin.

“Because I have a list of truly filthy things I’d like to do to you both when we get there.”

“Does your list perhaps involve…this?” I ask, twisting and pulling shadows behind my back to recreate the tail that he seems to enjoy so much. Once it is solid, I thread it around his neck and his br eath catches.

“Yes, it actually does,” he murmurs. The anticipation in the car builds to an unbearable crescendo during the rest of the drive, which I spend teasing the two of them with my tail.

It has taken a great deal of work for me to be able to control my demon powers and human emotions simultaneously.

Since I do not need to sleep much, I have spent hours each night sitting out on the couch, watching television and practicing.

Now, I believe it is a good time to put my hard work to the test. When we finally park outside Theo’s building, I hide the tail and Ben practically drags me out of the back seat, then holds my hand the entire way up the stairs.

Theo walks behind us, holding my other hand.

At the top of the stairs, Ben drops my fingers and pulls out his keys to go ahead of us and unlock the door.

Theo jerks me back a little and slides a hand around my waist, then presses his lips to my ear.

“You and I are in charge tonight,” he whispers. “Make him forget all about his damn list, alright?”

I nod eagerly and lick my lips. “But you and I…we still should not…”

“Just follow my lead,” Theo says. Down the hall, Ben clears his throat, and when we enter the apartment, Rex immediately greets us by rubbing against my legs. I bend over to pet him, but Ben uses the distraction to grab me and pin me face-first up against the wall.

“First thing on my list is to see if this pretty cunt is already wet for me,” he rasps as two of his fingers slide beneath my skirt to find my panties already soaked.

“ Goddamn , Annie. I’m surprised you weren’t begging for my cock the entire way home.

” Theo approaches us and puts his wrists together, then flicks his eyes at Ben, who is so focused on me that he does not notice.

I think I understand what Theo wants, so I reach down deep and pull my shadow-tail back out, spiraling it around Ben and pinning his arms to his sides.

“Annie, what the hell?” he groans, but Theo steps up behind us.

“Tonight,” he say s quietly, running his hands over Ben’s hips, “you’re gonna let us take care of you. No list, no control. Just be a good boy, and listen.”

Ben lets out a long, ragged breath and snarls, “Oh, fuck that.”

“Take him to the bedroom, Annie,” says Theo with a grin.

I turn to face Ben, wrapping my tail tighter and adding a few shadows for good measure.

Ben glares at me, but I can see his eyes shining as I walk backwards down the hall, pulling him along and making my own clothing disappear piece-by-piece.

By the time we reach the bedroom, I am naked—save for the shadows swirling around my body.

Theo comes to stand beside me and gently kisses my cheek.

This is as far as he and I ought to go right now, so we both turn our attention to Ben.

“Well?” he asks, trying to shift his arms beneath the bonds.

“Sit him down,” Theo tells me. I can see that Ben is already hard, and my mouth begins to water, so I pull him over to the bed and use my shadows to bind his wrists and forearms together, then withdraw my tail from around him.

“This is not fucking fair,” he groans.

“Maybe a gag too,” Theo laughs as he removes his own shirt.

The way they are both looking at me only serves to make me wetter, and I know exactly what I want at this moment.

I turn back to Ben and unzip his jeans, then pull them to the floor.

He opens his mouth to speak, but I thread a shadow across his lips and his eyes widen.

Theo comes up behind me and puts a hand on my lower back.

“I want to watch you suck him off,” I say, and his eyes sparkle.

“Whatever you want, sweetheart,” Theo replies.

“You hold onto him.” I climb onto the bed and kneel behind Ben, wrapping my arms around him the same way I did in the car.

He tilts his head back and turns toward me, inhaling my scent as Theo drops onto his knees and takes Ben’s cock in his mouth.

A deep groan rumb les through Ben’s chest, and I realize that his shirt is still on.

I want it gone, so I push my claws out and slice through the fabric, using my tail to help me remove the pieces.

With Theo’s lips and hand on his shaft, I do not think Ben even notices.

I toss the shirt scraps aside, then put my claws away and run my fingers through the hair on his chest, kissing his shoulders, teasing his neck with my tail, and whispering in his ear.

“Does that feel good, my love? You like it when Saint Theo sucks your cock, don’t you? Do you want to come in his mouth?”

Ben just nods and struggles against my shadows.

“I do not think that is the plan for tonight,” I laugh softly. “And you will just have to accept it. Judging by the sounds you are making right now, I think you enjoy being at our mercy.”

Another loud groan, and his body twitches.

“Lay him back,” Theo says, pulling away from Ben and standing up.

“I want to taste him now,” I tell Theo.

“Good thing that’s exactly what I had in mind.

” He begins to remove his own jeans, while I pull Ben by his shoulders so he is lying flat on his back.

His eyes, still surrounded by smudged makeup, flicker around my face, then down the rest of my body.

Theo moves to stand between his legs, then takes hold of his cock, pumping it slowly and making his back arch up.

Theo’s eyes are intense–darker than usual–and the edge of power in his voice sends a shiver of longing through my body.

This is a different side of him than I am used to seeing, and I want more.

I desperately want him to take control and use me however he wants right now, but I return my focus to the man beneath me, bound by my shadows, watching as my tail flicks back and forth above his face.

“Look at me, Ben,” says Theo, putting one knee on the edge of the mattress and bracing his hands on either side of Ben’s body, then kissing him on the jaw, the neck, the chest…

slowly moving down. “Here’s what’s going to happen now: Our sweet Annie is going to take the gag off so you ca n taste how wet she is for us.

If you’re good, and you don’t run that mouth of yours, she’ll suck your cock while you make her come on your tongue.

As many times as you can.” Theo pauses and looks up at me, so I wave my hand to remove the shadow gag from Ben’s mouth.

A fiendish smile immediately spreads across his face.

“I know you aren’t planning to just sit there and watch this time, Saint Theo,” he breaths. Theo leans in again and slides his own erection between Ben’s hands, which are still tied at the wrists. Ben squeezes it as their lips lock together and Theo pumps his hips.

“No, I’m not going to watch,” he whispers. “This time, I’m going to fuck you.” The desperate sound that escapes Ben’s mouth flips a switch inside of me, and I use the tip of my tail to tilt his chin back as Theo removes his cock from Ben’s grip and stands up again.

“You will only say ‘yes’ and ‘no’, or our names,” I tell him. “You will not give us any orders, or do anything without our permission. Do you understand?”

“Yes, mi amor ,” he answers, dark eyes shining fervently.

I can tell that he desperately wants to be in control of the situation, but he does not speak as he raises his bound arms and looks at me imploringly.

He is trying to remind me how good he can make me feel with his tongue and fingers alone, and it works, because I wave my hand to remove the shadow binding.

In a flash, he grabs the backs of my thighs, jerking me forward so I have to brace my hands on his hips.

“Impatient,” Theo laughs softly. He reaches into his nightstand drawer and removes a small bottle.

On my knees, I shuffle forward and Ben wraps his arms around my thighs, pulling me down onto his face.

All of the energy he would normally be using to talk or direct the two of us, he now channels into fucking me with his tongue.

“Oh God, Ben!” I cry as he plunges inside me, thrusting and licking and sucking with an enthusiasm I have never felt from him before.

Theo still stands between his legs, watching us hungrily as he applies the lube to himself and Ben.

I am eager to watch them together, and the antici pation only brings me closer to release.

But Ben’s fingers, which he buries deep inside me–and his lips sucking my clit–also do their fair share.

Theo tosses the bottle aside, then reaches out and gently takes hold of my throat.

“How’s he doing, sweetheart?”

“So…fucking…good,” I pant, my fingertips digging into Ben’s flesh. I must be careful that my claws do not make an appearance, although I am not sure if Ben would mind the pain or the scars.

“Are you close?” Theo asks, his own breaths coming faster and faster as his eyes flicker down to where my tits are bouncing mere inches from his mouth. This must be just as torturous for him as it is for me.

“Yes,” I moan, rocking forward and nearly kissing him.

Theo leans closer, tightens his fingers around my throat, then whispers a truly filthy request in my ear. The thrill of it sends a shockwave through my body which, combined with Ben’s fingers and mouth, push me into the spiral of a delicious orgasm, which I know will only be the first tonight.