Page 9 of Second Shooter (Betas in Waiting #28)

Win looked around and nodded at the neat arrangement of tables, chairs, and counters, and deep inside the space, a living room with puffy couches.

She wanted to dive onto one of those couches, but Atil took her on a tour. He showed her the bathroom on the main floor, the powder room. His study was as neat as everything else, and then he hauled her up the steps, past the guestrooms, and to the large bedroom.

He held her hands, and she heard the footfalls behind her.

“Gee, I can’t imagine why we are here.” She smiled.

Atil grinned. “Funny. We need to bond with you, and Cori suggested that you might be more comfortable in a bedroom.”

“Why did she suggest that?”

“Because we want to see all of you, and this is where you disrobe.”

She snorted and shook her head, looking at the others who were vibrating with tension. “Right. We can get this started. We are going for cold sets?”

Wellyn nodded. “We are. If all three of us are required to make you whole, this is the fastest way to do it. I am sure you understand our urgency.”

“If you are worried about a heat. Don’t be. I am not going to let myself fall into that until I am secure and can defend myself.”

Draven said, “If you are pregnant, we will defend you.”

She looked at him. “You know. That wasn’t the case the last time.”

Wellyn suddenly clued in. “So, the last heat you had was when you were taken.”

“Yup. I was like chum in the water, and the more of them that were there, the more violent they became. So, I will wait until I feel it is safe for me.” She sighed. “And Cori and Megan and May.”

“You are blocking their heat?” Draven asked quietly.

“Not development, just eggs. In May’s case, I am keeping her from having to relive that day over and over. She was just edging into receptive, so things had not yet progressed. I kept it from progressing.”

Atil looked at her and smiled slowly. “That is a good thing.”

She nodded. “It is. She is going to have a journey to feel that her body is hers again.”

Draven said, “You are aware of that journey.”

“Yes. That is why I am nervous about sharing possession.” She shrugged.

Wellyn said, “We stop when you say stop.”

Win smiled weakly. “Good, because if my instinct enforces it, you might get hurt.”

He nodded. “We understand, but when we create the initial link, there will be pain, and we will bind the braids before we leave here.”

She smiled. “I can deal with a little pain, and I know it has to be together.”

“So, will you remove your clothing so we don’t mark over another injury?”

She blinked. “Oh, right. I think the dragons got all the scars.”

She removed her shirt and bra, sweeping her hair over one shoulder so they could check out available real estate.

Draven looked at her torso and blinked. “You have a mark.”

She nodded. “Yeah. It wasn’t there two days ago, but it’s there now.”

Wellyn said softly, “Will you remove your jeans?”

Win sighed. “Sure.” She stripped to the skin and looked at them.

He trailed his fingers over her shoulders. “You mentioned scars on your back.”

“Yes, it was covered with ridges of knotted and torn skin. I couldn’t touch myself when I showered. It was gross.” She went to full height now that her clothing wasn’t in danger.

“Then, I believe it would be good to avoid your back.” He lifted her left hand, Atil knelt, and Draven lifted her right hand.

She smiled. “Thank you.” She relaxed and focused on keeping relaxed as her sense of smell woke, and she could smell pine and birch and walnut trees. Atil bit the curve of her waist, and the inside of each wrist burned with the bites.

Win felt the links forming, and she looked down at Atil and met his gaze. His eyes were glazed, and she could feel pleasure and satisfaction spilling through him and now through the link. Wellyn came to her second; the urgency spilled through him, and Draven was having a religious experience. His mercury gaze took her in, and he grinned around her wrist.

Her heartbeat began to speed up, and as they released their bites, she retained her sense of smell.

When they started to lick, her pulse got heavy. She could feel it in her chest, her arms, and even her toes. Win could vaguely remember the feeling. She inhaled again, and it got stronger.

Atil gripped her hips while he licked the curve of her waist next to the red sun on her belly.

The others licked the bites on her wrists, sealing their venom into her body.

She shivered and looked from one of them to another. They were in her mind right now, and they all were blazing with lust, but they were taking care and moving slowly. Moreover, they were all dressed. That relaxed her a bit.

Atil looked up. “Are you willing to complete the bonding?”

She looked around. “One at a time, but the others can tend their marks.”

“Which of us first?”

“Well, since it’s your house, why not start with you?”

He grinned, and his fangs flashed bright white against his skin. He got to his feet and then bowed. “You honour me.”

“If that’s what you want to call it. We can call it an honour, but I call it hard work. If you are looking to find an orgasm in me, it has been a while.”

Atil smiled. “If I can’t find one, I will put one there. Trust me?”

She inhaled the scent of pine. “Sure. The clothes are already off.”

He grinned. “That’s the spirit.” He kissed her.

Win leaned into him and freed her wrists from the others. She stroked his neck, cheek, and jaw. When her fingers trailed down his neck, his shirt was gone.

She smiled against his mouth. “Nice trick.”

“I am sure you have many of your own that we will see in time.”

“If you ask nicely.” There was chuckling behind her, but the guys sounded breathy.

His erection pressed against her, and she wrapped her hand around him, eliciting a groan. He pried her hand away and lifted her, settling her at the edge of the bed so he could drop to his knees. He lifted her hips to his mouth and leaned forward, licking slowly and then with more ferocity.

Win tried to hold herself up on her arms, but she just wanted to see what her body was going to do. It felt warm, and the warmth turned to heat as Atil took his time, moving his tongue slowly, and when he gripped her thighs and found her clit, her body seemed to understand what he was after.

The first bit of slick made her blush, but he kept going, and her body got hotter, and staying still became impossible.

She clutched at the bedding to either side of her hips, and Atil cupped her butt and lifted her higher. She whimpered and shifted her grip again as she didn’t want him to stop, but a hand gripped hers, and another gripped hers on the other side. They provided the anchor she needed as her arousal continued to mount while the hot flick of his tongue against her clit drove her higher. When he slid his fingers into her, she gasped, and a high whine came out of her as her body clutched at him and her clit throbbed. He kept her in that position until her sounds changed, and then he eased his fingers out and pressed a kiss to the top of her sex.

Atil stroked her thighs, and she struggled to sit up. Hands helped her. She was still gasping and twitching.

“That was lovely to watch.” Atil smiled. “It was even more wonderful to have caused it.”

She was being supported on either side by her black-and-white bookends. She let out a throaty, “No comment.”

He grinned and licked his lips and then his fingers. She turned pink and saw the colour reach all the way to her navel.

She whispered, “That is exceedingly odd.”

Draven murmured, “Get used to it. Taste, touch, scent, they all reaffirm our connection to you. It makes it stronger.”

She looked at him with raised brows. “Are you sure you want that? It’s a lot to contain if you get too close.”

“We are linked through you. You will not give us what we cannot take.” He stroked her hair.

“You have a lot of faith in me.”

Draven said, “I have seen you in action, Win. You did me no harm when the foundation broke. You could have, but you threw me to safety where I could get medical care.”

She shrugged. “You tried to help. You did help.”

He smiled. “It’s good to know it.”

Atil stroked her thigh. “May I continue?”

She bit her lip. “I would like to get on top if I may. I don’t want to be held down until I have a bit more confidence.”

He smiled and moved to the bed, sitting up slightly and holding his arms out to her. She grinned, and the other two helped get her back into a writhing mess. Fingers, mouths, no restraints but surrounded and supported. When she got Atil inside her, she paused, and he was perfectly still. She fell forward and braced herself on his shoulders while she swivelled her hips and got used to the feel inside her. His eyes were narrowed, and she leaned in to kiss him before she started a slow rise and drop. Wellyn and Draven kissed her neck, breasts and stroked her back slowly while she moved.

Atil was holding tight, his thick shoulders rigid as he gripped her hips and stroked his mark. The repetitive stroking got her moving faster until she locked on him, and he locked in her. She inhaled sharply. “Oh, right.” She felt heat inside her, and the pulse repeated.

His hands gripped her hips, and he grinned. “Any bad feelings?”

She wrinkled her nose. “Despite seeing it and feeling it, I forgot about the knot.” She sighed. “I remember now.”

He grinned.

Draven chuckled. “That was lovely.”

Wellyn muttered, “Speak for yourself; that was torture.”

She grinned and checked the link with Atil. It was thick and gold. Apparently, trust was an ingredient to a good relationship.

Draven kissed her and bent her back slightly, which caused a gentle tug below. She gasped and fluttered around Atil, and he groaned. There was more heat within, and Wellyn laughed.

Atil growled. “Just wait until she’s wrapped around you. You will understand.”

Draven lifted his head and grinned. “Feeling okay?”

“Yes. I get the feeling that the question is going to be asked a lot today.”

He grinned. “We want to make sure you feel safe.”

“I feel full; he swelled again.”

Atil chuckled. “Don’t clench on me, and I will eventually recede.”

“Meany.” She made a face at him, and he stroked her mark. She pulled his hand away. “I am guessing your placement was purposeful.”

“It was. Cori said you are ticklish, and those ticklish spots usually hide secrets.”

She made a face. “I am going to have to cancel her allowance.”

Wellyn chuckled. “It is good to have a little sister. She is a keeper of many interesting bits of information.”

Win sighed and rolled her neck as Atil came loose. She eased off, moving up his chest for a kiss. He grinned. “You did that on purpose.”

“Absolutely. Let’s all share the fun.” She glanced down at the glossy mess of pearl and slick. “Just glad it isn’t onyx. That would have been weird.”

Draven kissed her, threading his hand in her hair, tilting her head back. It started her moment with him, and after tidying up, they all continued to be in contact with her as moans and sighs filled the air, and the bed was thoroughly wrecked in a matter of hours.

Win lifted her head out of the pile, and while she was pressed down, it didn’t matter. Her mattress was breathing with her. The links in their minds were thick and bright. They had been thorough in reinforcing it.

She looked around and paused. “I would say that no one needs to know that we were having sex all afternoon, but—uh—Draven, you are living proof.”

He slowly opened his eyes. “Really? I feel fine.”

She smiled. “Look at your hands.”

He lifted his hands, and his eyes went wide. Wellyn groaned and lifted his head from his position under her. “Looks like you are on your way to becoming part of the dark Elite. It is certain that you are no longer identifiable as a Stronghold Elite at a glance.” He chuckled. “Our mate has a lot of magic, and that magic darkens our skin. Well, your skin. We have been steeped in magic since we were born.”

Win muttered, “At this point, I can only be thankful that the effect wasn’t localized.”

Draven laughed and looked at himself. “This is going to take some getting used to.”

Atil said from her left, “We can help you out. So, Draven, what do you want to do, aside from Win?”

He chuckled. “I don’t know. I was removed from school when I was sixteen and then spent the next twenty-five years in the Stronghold. I was a caretaker there.”

Wellyn said, “I know of a few companies who need alpha stuntmen. Can you take a hit?”

“I can.”

“Good. We will get you working out, dangle you in front of a certain filmmaker I know, and from there, you can start earning your keep.”

Draven extended his hand, made a fist, and rotated his wrist. A heavy platinum and ruby necklace was in his hand. “I can make jewellery.”

“I think it’s a little heavy for Wellyn.”

“It is for you, mate.” Draven smiled.

“It’s worth about eighty thousand at a glance.” Wellyn chuckled. “Assessment is my skill.”

“Wait. Like, is that a thing?” She stared at Wellyn.

“It is. We all have general skills, but we each have one focus. Assessment is mine; accuracy is Atil’s.”

She smiled. “He is accurate.”

Atil chuckled. “Precision is more of a calling.”

Draven was staring at his hand with a delighted smile on his face. He was halfway between pearl and the deep charcoal of the others.

She giggled. “It looks like we ran out of toner.”

Atil laughed.

She sighed. “Okay. I need a shower. My bits are both hot and sticky.” She looked down. “I think I am stuck to you, Wellyn.”

Wellyn sat up, and she ended up kneeling on him. He kissed her neck, dragging his tongue up to flick her earlobe. She convulsed with giggles.

He leaned back and grinned. “So, that is fun.”

She rubbed at the lick mark. “Yes, yes. I, the blood witch, the mirror mage... am seriously ticklish.”

Draven said softly, “We promise only to use it for our own benefit.”

She snorted and shoved at him. She got up and left the disaster that had three very friendly and careful mates in it until she sped up, and they chased her into Atil’s shower.

Twelve years of therapy seemed to be working. The fact that they didn’t look like Stronghold Elite anymore didn’t hurt.