Page 11 of Mantle (IMMORTAL FLAME #3)

Kai gave him a withering look. “Are you on board, or not?”

“Always.”

“Me too,” Nyx said, nuzzling against me. I turned and brushed my lips over his hair.

“So, about that research getting underway now…” Kai said, shifting his weight and folding his arms. “There’s something I need to tell the three of you. Something that must remain only between us as secrecy is paramount where this is concerned.”

“Operating on our own and keeping shit from everyone is kind of our thing already, don’t you think, Kai?” Vorzyr put to him.

“It is, yes. But it became more than just the four of us tonight, and with what we’re to face that will only become more commonplace, I’d imagine.”

“Doesn’t matter, we’ve got each other first and foremost,” Vorzyr assured him.

“No fucking doubt,” Nyx confirmed.

I looked out at them all, grinning, “Absolutely. It begins and ends with us.”

Kai took a moment, seemingly overcome by the bold outpouring of support, and then he told us, “I’ve been invited to join a clandestine, elite group of the greatest magical minds across the supernatural world to engage in high-level research and magical development. They call it Arcanum Order.”

“Wow,” I breathed. “That’s an incredible honor.”

“Motherfucker,” Vorzyr exclaimed. “Long overdue, Kai. No doubt.”

“Gabriel… he wanted you to go with him downstairs… he’s a member?” Nyx mused.

“I believe that was what he was about to reveal to me, yes. I was requested to assist with the Inhibitor research.” He looked at me and filled me in, “It’s believed that the Inhibitor used at Polaris can be engineered to encompass and maybe even infuse Ketheron to nullify his magical ability.”

“Holy hell.”

“As we’ve agreed now, though, it would be more like a failsafe, not our first move in dealing with him.”

“Hold up,” Nyx spoke. “You declined heading off to do high-level magical research with the top magical minds in the world? That’s what you were turning down earlier?”

He lifted a shoulder. “Ari needed us.”

“Fuck, Kai,” I breathed. “I can’t believe you did that.” Knowing how he was, how much he’d yearned for something like that all his life… for him to have even postponed it… it was unbelievable.

He’d chosen me, chosen us.

Over something that meant everything to him.

“Go now, Kai. I’m doing all right. I’ll be fine,” I urged him.

But he shook his head in so much surety. “Not tonight. I want to be with you, with all of you. You need it, we need it.” He eyed Vorzyr. “Isn’t that right?”

Vorzyr strangely dropped his gaze for a moment, before managing to utter, “Yeah, it’s right.”

What was going on there?

He caught my eye and I saw something. Something that seemed to be more than his fear for me earlier, more than what being in a combat situation did to his animal side, how it antagonized it.

But then he surprised me as he reached into the pocket of his coat, and said, “I picked this up just before we left Meforian Forest earlier.”

I sucked in a breath as he pulled something free and held it out to me.

It was a real beauty.

Layered petals of burgundy and plum that had an ethereal glow and they sparkled under the light of the room as he twirled the stem for effect.

“A Celestial Eclipse Peony.”

I took it from him and breathed it in, watching as it responded to my touch, its silver glow much more vibrant this time.

“It’s perfect,” Kai said, smiling at it.

“Definitely,” Nyx uttered.

Vorzyr slid his fingers into my hair. “You remember that it represents the balance between light and dark? The balance between control and chaos?”

“I do,” I said, beaming up at him. “It’s definitely appropriate with what just happened… what’s just risen.”

“It’s a reminder that you have the means to deal with it, goddess, to handle any fucking thing that comes your way.”

“And we’ll be right there alongside you,” Nyx affirmed.

“I know. I know that you all will. Thank you, my boys.”

I held out my hands, beckoning them to me. “Now, come here.”

With a flick of his magic, Kai had the peony safely ensconced in a vase on my nightstand.

Vorzyr grinned out at me as he stepped between my thighs. “This is really something,” he said, his eyes glinting with humor as he fondled the arm of my fuzzy pajamas.

“Shut it with the PJ teasing.”

He looked over his shoulder at Kai and Nyx. “Ah, you already got down to that, I see.”

“Yes, they did. Now, come here.” I fisted my hand in his tee and used my angelic strength to toss him over my shoulder and onto the bed.

As he landed on his front and rolled to his back, I was there pouncing on him.

Nyx stripped off his jacket and shirt, then crawled on right next to Vorzyr.

And Kai’s shadow covered me a moment before he was fisting my hair from behind.

As he yanked my head back by his rough hold that sent a thrill through me, it gave Vorzyr the in to call his talons forth and slice them down the length of my pajamas, shredding the material from my body in seconds until I was so very bare to them all.

“So fucking gorgeous,” Vorzyr groaned as he swept his hot gaze all over my body.

“Mmm… you smell so good,” Nyx breathed as he turned, then had me gasping as he licked and sucked at my breasts. “Always so deliciously sweet,” he murmured in between.

I arched my back and Kai released his harsh grip on my hair, then came up on my other side and traced his tongue over my ear, down my neck, trailing a path of liquid heat that had me grinding on Vorzyr.

As Vorzyr went to reach between my legs, I batted his hand away, then pressed them both down either side of him to the sheets, binding them there.

I rocked on him, grinding myself up and down his leather-clad cock.

It was mesmerizing as Kai and Nyx tended to me, and I watched my growing wetness slicking Vorzyr’s pants, as his cock strained against its tight confines at my teasing.

“That’s right,” Kai whispered all sexily, his hot breath fanning over the side of my neck. “Take it. Take your pleasure, sweetheart.”

“Yes,” I breathed. Fuck, yes.

I lifted one of my hands off Vorzyr, then removed his clothes with a spark of my magic.

He groaned and threw his head back as he felt me rubbing on his bare cock then, skin-to-skin.

I trembled as Nyx gnawed at my nipples, then flicked his tongue to take away the sting, alternating over and over until I was crying out in need.

I felt a flare of magic from Kai, and then he was grinding his hard cock over my ass cheek.

I reached back and grasped his hip, slamming him against me with my angelic strength, earning a grunt from him.

“Fuck, woman,” he uttered, liking it a whole lot.

“More,” I told him, over my shoulder, digging my fingers into his ass and grinding him against me, so that his cock slid between my ass cheeks.

I was jolting in the next moment as his magically-lubed fingers teased my asshole, swirling and dipping inside just slightly, so teasingly, making me moan out.

Pleasure built and I fisted Nyx’s hair and guided him between my legs.

I didn’t need to do more than that, before he went wild, lashing his tongue through my folds, my thighs shaking from the intensity.

As I rocked on Vorzyr harder, I released one of his hands, and gestured at Nyx. My dragon’s eyes hooded and he got the message, then slapped Nyx’s ass.

In the next beat, he slicked his fingers with a brief flare of magic. “Give me that sweet ass, Luscious.”

Nyx shifted so his ass was up in the air, essentially offering himself to Vorzyr, but never breaking his tonguing of me, even thrusting deep inside me that had a cry tearing from my throat.

Vorzyr sank two thick fingers into his ass, twisting and driving deep, causing Nyx to buck and his moans to reverberate through me, adding to the sensations already surging.

As he did that, I sank down onto Vorzyr’s ribbed cock, taking him inside me, deeper and deeper at a tormenting pace that had a long, drawn out growl sounding from him.

“Motherfucker…” he groaned. “Yes… yes, goddess.”

Vorzyr bucked up into me, and I braced my hands on his chest, grinding in slow, hard circles. Each twist of my hips dragged the ridges of his cock against that place inside me that made my vision go white.

“Fuck, you feel like heaven and hell wrapped together,” he growled.

Nyx moaned around me, fingers gripping my thighs as he devoured every drop of wetness I gave him, like he was starved for it. His tongue thrust deep, fluttered over my clit, back and forth, faster and deeper, until I was shaking.

Kai’s lubed his fingers and worked me open.

“Your ass is mine tonight, sweetheart. Gonna stretch you wide, make you burn for me.”

“Do it,” I gasped. “Now. I want all of you.”

Vorzyr’s breath caught. Nyx whimpered.

Kai’s fingers withdrew—and then the thick head of his cock pressed against my hole.

The first push had me jolting forward, crying out as bliss shot through me like wildfire.

“Ungh… yeah, there’s our dirty slut, taking us so fucking well,” he whispered, voice low and reverent. “So fucking tight, so fucking perfect.”

I rocked back, giving him what we needed.

Inch by inch, he slid inside, claiming every bit of space he could take. And when he bottomed out, I cried out with the fullness, stretched to my limits with Kai in my ass and Vorzyr pulsing inside my pussy, Nyx now kissing up my belly and chest, cupping my face.

It shot me over the edge.

My body went rigid, my orgasm tearing through me like a fucking lightning strike.

I cried out, trembling, and Vorzyr lost it—his hips snapped up, grabbing at my waist with his free hand as he fucked up into me, groaning my name and cursing.

Kai’s thrusts became punishing and wild, and so incredibly perfect.

As Nyx slid back down, planting kisses along my ribs, I reached out wildly and grasped his cock, and he screamed in pleasure as Vorzyr took that moment to twist his fingers deep inside his ass, and then start stabbing deep.

“Take that finger-fucking in your whore ass while you drink down her cunt juices,” Kai rasped, digging his fingers into my shoulder as he powered into me.

“Shit,” Nyx uttered, twisting, and fighting to take the intensity, just like I was, while I played with his cock, roughing up his shaft as Vorzyr erotically abused his ass just the way he liked it.

A moment later, he pulsed violently in my hand, all that hot cum flowing through my fingers and dripping down between us.

Kai snatched my hand, then wiped it all over my mouth and cheeks.

And that was it—it set me off again and I came, screaming out and shuddering violently.

“Motherfucking shit!” Vorzyr roared, his rhythm faltering as he held inside me, then spurted deep.

Kai cursed and filled my ass with a growl, and I groaned as I felt his sticky cum leaking from my ass as he pulled out.

When he started shoveling it back in, the oversensitivity of it all had me coming yet again, and I collapsed on top of Vorzyr, convulsing from the pleasure high.

Kai and Nyx wrapped themselves around us, stroking me, soothing me.

A smile spread over my lips and I let out a peaceful moan.

I’d never get enough of this.

Of my boys.

Of us.