Page 6 of The Last Wish (Lost Legacy #1)

CHAPTER

SIX

SHEENA

I wake up slowly to the rumble of two deep voices. Lying on my side, my head is pillowed in one lap while my legs are stretched carefully across another. Memories of the last few hours trickle in, but the familiar panic doesn’t come.

I told them about my captivity. I gave up a piece of my past to two men I barely know.

The last part of that thought doesn’t feel true anymore. I feel like I know these guys. Maybe not their favorite foods or pet peeves, but their morals—those I feel like I’ve got a decent grasp of already. Why else would I feel so light after sharing a secret that’s haunted my every breath for the better part of a decade?

Maybe they won’t betray me. Maybe I don't have to carry this burden alone. After bearing the weight for so long, laying it down is intoxicating. Do I dare trust them with the truth about my abilities? The tiny hairs on the back of my neck stand up as fear rolls in, overwhelming me with its familiar intensity.

Bitterness follows in its wake. Nice try, Sheena. Maybe I can adapt some of my rules to fit this new reality, but my promises to myself... No, those I have to keep. I should have known better.

“Callum, I swear to the gods, I’ll kill them. One by one, crushing their hope for survival. Once I’ve butchered the last one, I’ll scatter the pieces along the mountainside for the vultures to fight over. No one will find them. No one will remember their names.”

Good LORD.

I open my eyes just enough to see Gideon deliver the tail end of what’s got to be the longest, most deranged collection of words I’ve ever heard him string together. Gone are the dimples and teasing smiles. Logic tells me I should be terrified, but his brutal talk of revenge on my behalf makes my blood pump instead. Shit, I’m probably deranged too.

Callum groans, and the sound makes my skin pebble.

“Yes, they will all die. Lots of regret, pain, agony, blah blah blah.” Callum raises his voice to talk over Gideon’s growl. “They’ll get what’s coming to them. I swear it, Gideon, but not before we get answers and make sure this can't happen to anyone else. Promise me you won't be so blinded by this psycho revenge boner you’re rocking right now that you lose sight of the goal.”

Gideon huffs, his massive arms crossed over his chest as he glares at his best friend. Callum seems both amused and irritated, and I get the feeling I’ve missed the first few rounds of this argument while I napped.

“I fucking heard you the first three times, dude.”

“Okay, wonderful. What did I say then?”

“Godsdammit,” Gideon hisses. “No murder until we follow all the leads. I got it. Now, let me fantasize about revenge.”

I snort, then freeze. Gideon’s impatience and Callum’s exasperation made me forget I was pretending to still be asleep.

“We've got a little spy on our hands, Gideon,” Callum says. I clench my eyes shut tightly, making it even more obvious I'm awake and listening in.

“Hmm, her eyes are closed, though. How can we know she's really awake?” Gideon asks. Fingers clamp down on my ankle, and then someone tickles the arch of my foot. I lose it. My eyes fly open, and I kick my other leg up, desperate to escape. My shin narrowly misses Callum’s stupidly perfect nose. He dodges back with a wide grin of triumph.

“Our little spy is ticklish. We'll keep that in mind for the next time we need answers.” Callum stops tormenting my foot, but his dark eyes are still sparkling with laughter.

Gideon's pained groan makes us both turn to look at him.

“Dude, the next time you decide to tickle her, can you at least warn me so I can prepare to have her bouncing around in my lap?”

I blink a few times as I process what he just said. With dawning horror, I figure out his meaning when I notice something hard poking the back of my head. I sit up so fast my muscles aren’t ready to keep me upright, and I fall back down like one of those weird inflatable tube things you see waving in the wind outside used car dealerships.

Callum pulls me back up, but something intense is dueling with the amusement in his eyes now. I don’t dare try to identify it.

Gideon places a throw pillow on his lap, hiding the evidence with a dimpled grin. I’m mortified. I’m blushing so hard I can feel my heartbeat pulsing in my face. Meanwhile, Gideon looks like he doesn't mind at all.

Where should I even look?

I settle on the TV, which is still playing some mindless comedy. I try to focus, but the laugh track seems forced; and I can't stop thinking about the fact that Gideon is sitting right next to me—huge, handsome, and horny.

Just minutes ago, I woke to him describing how he wanted to dismember my captors and spread their body parts across a mountain range. It shouldn’t be hot. So why does my skin feel so tight?

I lean forward to give myself a little space, but I can't stop thinking about how good it would feel to erase it instead. I’m sure neither of the men on this couch would have any problem making me feel wanted.

Clenching my thighs together, I suck in a deep breath as someone curses. I’m too focused on getting my body and brain under control to figure out who. When a big hand trails up my back, rubbing softly, I shudder. It’s probably supposed to be soothing, but I’m too worked up.

“Sheena, if you want something—anything at all—it’s yours.” Callum purrs directly into my ear. Another shiver rocks me. “Gideon would be happy to take care of any needs you may have.”

The hand on my back slides slowly up each bump of my spine, ending its journey with a slow, sensual caress along the back of my neck.

“It would stop whenever you want it to. No strings, no expectations, just a chance for you to feel good and get rid of some of that stress.” Callum’s words sink into my body like a drug, so soft and seductive. I arch into the phantom touch.

It isn’t enough.

If he stops, maybe I could think.

If he stops, I might die.

I’m not sure how long I teeter on the knife’s edge before something in me snaps. Whipping my head around, I find Gideon bathed in the fading light of the late afternoon sun. If I feel out of control—he looks it. Eyes wild, fists clenched at his side, he’s staring at me like it’s taking everything he has not to reach out and grab me. His bottom lip is slightly puffy, and I imagine him nibbling on it.

Jealously churns in my gut. I want to replace his teeth with my tongue.

Like he can sense my thoughts, I watch as molten gold burns away the deep brown of his eyes. He looks half starved and three-fourths feral, and some buried instinct inside of me yearns to satiate his hunger.

Before I even make a conscious decision, I've dislodged Gideon’s throw pillow and straddled his lap. The last thing I hear before I crush my lips to his is another one of those low, possessive rumbles.

Okay... I’ve heard people describing first kisses before, saying it felt like Earth moved beneath them. I’ve always rolled my eyes because it sounds ridiculous to think two tiny beings could affect the gravitational pull of an entire planet.

Now I get it.

When my lips touch his, everything changes. Granted, I can’t tell if any tectonic plates shift, but what’s actually happening is just as scary. Instead of relief from the tension that’s been building between us, I swear I'm catching fire.

Gideon's lips are soft and utterly destructive. He kisses me with a single-minded focus, like there's nothing else he'd rather be doing. His fingers weave among the strands of my hair, tugging gently to put my head where he wants it. It's so intense I feel my whole body shaking.

“Can I stay?” Callum’s pained voice barely registers in my mind until Gideon separates our lips to answer.

“Yeah, man—take whatever you need.”

I don't have time to make sense of the exchange as Gideon's lips immediately latch on to the sensitive skin of my neck. I moan and grind down on his lap, shamelessly looking for friction. He answers my unspoken demand, moving his hands from my hair to my waist, helping me rub against him in a rhythm that makes my body sing.

We're still fully clothed, but this is by far the sexiest thing I've ever done in my life. None of the drunken make outs from my high school years or the unsatisfying one-night stands on the run ever came close to this heat.

Maybe I’ll feel differently later, but it doesn’t scare me.

Callum said I was in control and could stop at any point, and despite myself, I believe him. Despite all my fears and best intentions, I’m starting to trust them both.

“Does he feel good?” Callum’s whisper in my ear surprises me, but I can't stop the groan that escapes in response.

“Why don't you take his shirt off?” It’s a brilliant suggestion. I yank Gideon's shirt over his head, tossing it out of the way. Now there’s nothing stopping me from sinking my fingers into the coiled muscles he's been tormenting me with every morning after his runs.

He twitches a little beneath my touch, and I smile against his mouth. Maybe I’m not the only one here who's a little ticklish. Still, I want him closer to me, not squirming away. I latch one hand onto his shoulder and bury the other in his wild curls. They are as soft as they look. I lose myself in his kiss and the rough grind of my jeans against his running shorts. It feels good, but I need more. Desperate, I turn my head back to Callum, hoping for another suggestion.

He doesn’t make me wait.

“I bet it would feel good if you took your shirt off, too,” he says.

I pause. I'm not wearing a bra. Nerves skitter along my skin at the thought of being so vulnerable. A glance at the reassuring heat in Gideon's eyes gives me a surge of bravery. Before I can second guess myself, I peel my shirt off. Callum assists me when it gets caught in my hair on the way over my head.

I don't have time to feel embarrassed because Gideon is looking at me like I’m Christmas morning. He reaches for me like he can’t help himself, but pauses to make eye contact. I nod, and then the space between us is gone.

His enormous hands cup my bare skin like I'm precious, like I could vanish at any second. His fingertips are callous and rough. My nipples pebble under his gentle exploration. When he rolls the tips carefully between his fingers, my pleasure spikes, passion pulling me under as I arch into his hands and gasp for breath.

I slump slightly, overwhelmed with sensation, until Callum’s hands find my waist. Somehow, he helps me find the perfect rhythm, the perfect friction, as I ride his friend on the couch. His hands never wander, but the filthy secrets he whispers in my ear stoke the bonfire burning inside me. Each word and every stroke drag me closer to the edge.

The demon explains in explicit detail all the things he wants to do to me, punctuated with detailed compliments about how perfect I am. I soak up the praise, hoping one day I’ll be brave enough to ask him to follow through on some of these promises.

When he tells me to let go, my orgasm crests, and I writhe between them, chest heaving, a wild cry escaping my mouth. Gideon swallows the sound with a hungry, open-mouthed kiss, stiffening beneath me.

He presses a kiss to my sweaty brow.

“Okay, don't judge me for that.” He groans. “You're just so sexy.” Gideon crushes my naked chest to his, letting out a tremendous sigh. “I swear I'll last longer next time.” I chuckle then, realizing why he's embarrassed.

“I can't make the same promise,” I tease, relaxing into the cuddle.

The air conditioning kicks on with a distant hum. Cool air blows across my back and a shiver rattles down my spine. I feel a little self-conscious about my topless state, but before I can get too embarrassed, Callum drops Gideon's massive shirt over my head. When I swivel my head to thank him, my mouth drops open instead.

He's so hopelessly beautiful I can't even understand what I'm seeing.

The dark circles under his eyes are gone, and his skin is... glowing? Some of his sharper edges seem smoother somehow. Callum looks like the glossy cover of an airbrushed magazine come to life.

“It's not fair, is it? Fucking incubus demon,” Gideon mutters good-naturedly, like he's used to staring at perfection. “I was going to ask if you got what you needed, Cal, but it’s obvious you're all charged up.”

Callum smiles at Gideon's statement, a light blush staining his olive skin. He doesn't look away from me, though. A tiny furrow pops up between his eyebrows as I catalogue all the subtle changes to his appearance.

After a moment, he clears his throat and breaks our eye contact.

“I didn't mention it earlier because there's a lot of suspicion about my kind,” he admits. “Like Gideon said, I’m an incubus demon. I consume lust and sexual energy to survive, and you both just fed me a three-course meal.”

He delivers that explanation like he’s gearing up for a confrontation. His gaze locks on me again, except now it’s devoid of the earlier softness. Callum is clearly waiting for me to freak out or something, but—besides surprise over his appearance—I'm not overly concerned.

I am, however, curious about what he can do and why he expects a fight. “Your abilities,” I begin. “I assume they can be more predatory, too?”

Gideon tenses against me, but Callum seems both relieved and angered by my question.

“I can burn someone alive with desire. I can make them so desperate to please me they’d walk off a cliff without question,” Callum scoffs. The sound is as bitter as it is beautiful. It shows me more clearly than any words could how much he hates this part of himself. He can’t hide his self-loathing from me, not when its echo has haunted me for years. When I simply nod in response, he blinks slowly and tilts his head.

“Aren't you going to ask me if I did that to you?” He points at me. “Accuse me of making you so horny you humped my friend’s cock until you creamed your jeans?”

I flush at his crude characterization and cut him off with my hand.

“I’m going to stop you there. If I thought you would try something like that, Callum, I would be out the door already.”

He narrows his eyes at me. I roll my own. His attitude is ruining my post orgasm buzz, so I give him what he obviously wants.

“Fine. Since you’re obviously desperate for me to question your character, I will. Callum, would you ever use your power to influence or control my body?”

“I would never do that to either of you without your consent,” Callum insists, his voice earnest, all the anger gone and replaced with a kind of sad resignation. He doesn’t think I’ll believe him.

I gently climb out of Gideon's lap, compassion for the incubus demon welling up in my chest. He may look like a stereotypical sexy villain, but it’s becoming clear that I’m not the only person in this house with baggage. Standing up on my tiptoes, I press a soft kiss to the corner of his perfect lips.

“Then there’s no problem,” I assure him. He says nothing, his face frozen in a blank mask of confusion.

He’s not the only one.

CALLUM

Holy fuck. Holy fuck . I slam my bedroom door, tripping over my own feet as I stumble to the mirror.

I look like a god and feel like a monster.

Power buzzes beneath my skin. I think I could legitimately move a mountain or compel an auditorium full of people to get themselves off in public if I tried. Still, even if I did that, I can't imagine the lust rush could top what I just experienced. I barely touched Sheena, and I feel stronger than I have in years.

Fuck, this is bad. If I can’t resist her, can’t stop myself from going back for more... I clench my trembling hands, hating how the tremors damn me as nothing more than an addict, desperate for his next fix.

I don’t like feeding my demon, can’t even remember the last time I bothered, but this reaction seems extreme. Other.

Like ice melting on my skin or nails raking down my back, it’s a godsdamn fucking rush. My cock goes rock hard as I think about what could have happened if we'd taken it further. For a stupid, indulgent moment, I let myself marinate in an alternate ending.

My hands around her waist. Driving her down until I bottom out inside of her again and again. Pushing her to the edge of madness until she’s so mindless with pleasure that she doesn’t know if she wants to beg me for more or beg me to stop.

Shaking my head, I try to clear the filthy thoughts. They aren't doing a godsdamn thing to discourage my erection or my guilt.

I promised Sheena I would never use my abilities on her without her consent, but if she were to give me that kind of trust, the possibilities would be endless.

She won’t. You can’t. Gideon . . .

I shake my head, stepping closer to the mirror to distract myself with how creepy my face looks. There isn’t a single blemish. Not a damn thing. I look like some wannabe influencer who's been through ten rounds of fillers and filters. The dark circles, the slight bags I woke up with this morning, and the faint laugh lines I've had for several years are all gone.

I’m parasitic perfection, unnatural, dangerous, and primed to hunt.

Incubus demons are notorious for their beauty. For me, my appearance has always been the one thing I couldn’t ignore, marking me as a predator against my will and serving as a barrier to true connection.

My trembling fist itches to shatter the glass and destroy my reflection, but the door clicks open before I can strike. Gideon steps inside without knocking, shutting the door behind him, then scanning my face thoroughly.

If I look unhinged, he looks shell-shocked.

My shoulders slump. He’s here to kick my ass, and I won’t try to stop him. After all, I put my hands on his mate. We study each other in the tense silence, his unruly curls sticking out in every direction from where Sheena pulled on them as she chased her pleasure on his lap.

Fuck. I've got to stop thinking about that or I'm going to pop another hard on just in time to get the shit beat out of me.

“Dude. Your face...” Gideon shakes his head, his long strides erasing the distance between us.

“Yeah, it's weird,” I mutter, hating how awkward this feels. We both sound like we've never strung together a complete thought in our lives. But how can I tell Gideon—the one person who’s never left my side—that I want the woman who’s meant to be his?

I could lose him over this.

“I’m so sorry,” I tell him, the words spilling out of me in my desperation. It's true. I am sorry, but it's a hell of a lot more complicated than that. Maybe, if I find the right words, I can make him understand that?—

“Sorry for what?” He groans. “That was so hot. I came in my pants like a teenager.” His eyes flash golden, then he studies me like I’m a math problem that won’t add up. I open my mouth to says gods know what, but I don’t get the chance.

“Anyway, I’m here to hammer out a game plan for tomorrow. I don’t think Sheena is up for talking more about the traffickers tonight.”

I hold up my hand to shut him up.

“Wait. Wait. Gideon, I touched your mate. Saw her come...” I cringe, bracing for the punch.

He nods slowly, concern for me on his face. Shit, he must not have noticed how bad it was in the moment. I rake my hands through my hair. I have to tell him, have to let him know how far out of line I was earlier.

“Dude, I whispered all kinds of dirty shit in her ear,” I admit. “I told her I wanted her to ride my face until her legs collapsed and I drowned.”

He growls at that, reaching down to adjust himself.

“Stop making me picture that. I just put on clean shorts.” Gideon chuckles.

The sound abruptly cuts off when he notices whatever look is on my face.

“Gods, you’re fully freaking out right now, Cal.”

When I nod, he rolls his eyes. It reminds me of Sheena’s reaction to my explanation of the dangers of incubus powers.

“I need you to help me hold it together,” Gideon says. “Maybe that’s not fair, but I can’t figure this out without you. You expect me to lose my shit, mark my territory, tell you to fuck off. Well, I won’t.”

I don’t know how to respond. I’m too hung up on him admitting he needs me.

“Yes, she's my mate, but I don’t own her.” He grabs my shoulders with both hands. “We’re getting to know each other.”

Gideon’s forehead furrows. I know this look. He wants me to understand—to help him articulate his thoughts, and normally, I would, but I’ve never been more confused. When I gesture for him to go on, he throws his hands up.

“Shit, I'm so bad at explaining. I liked seeing your hands on her. I loved hearing you whispering all that sexy stuff in her ear.” Gideon grins. “But maybe cut it out sooner next time, so I don’t blow in my pants again and give her the impression I can’t last.”

I gape at him like a startled goldfish. “I don’t understand,” I say. Can he really mean...? He can’t be suggesting what I think he is.

“Callum, I want her to be mine, but that doesn’t mean she can’t be yours too.” He points at my ridiculous expression; his own is uncharacteristically serious. “You want her. And it's obvious your demon is a big fan. But if it's just sex, you need to figure that out now because I won’t have her hurt again.”

Could I really have her too? Share her with my best friend? His words play on repeat in my head, each one piercing a new hole in my defenses. I can't pretend the thought of Sheena’s curvy body pressed between us, gasping, and completely at our mercy isn’t fucking with my intentions.

I study Gideon, unsure how to respond to the bombshell he just dropped on me. The future he’s describing sounds perfect, too good to be true even, but if it means I get more time...

The trembling in my hands gets worse as I hold my secret in.

My incubus has long felt possessive of Gideon, but I’ve never admitted that out loud. A part of me has always lived in fear of the day when our paths would split. If there’s even a chance to prevent that, I have to take it.

“If she’s interested, we can try,” I say, clapping him on the back. I’ll stick around for as long as they both want me. I just can’t get attached or forget the truth.

They’re meant for each other, but an incubus always ends up alone.

As soon as the sun peaks through my window, I give up trying to sleep, toss some things in a bag, and brace myself to head downstairs. A quick glance at the mirror shows that my sleepless night went a long way toward making my face look more normal.

I’ll take it.

Gideon and I head out to investigate the new lead today. My eyes may feel gritty and tired, but my anxiety is well rested and ready to put in some work this morning. It’s so bad I have to order myself to stop doom listing worst-case scenarios. Every time I think about leaving Sheena alone, my chest gets tight. Something could happen to her, or she could decide to leave.

On top of that, I’m worried about what we’ll find in Boulder. This lead could easily fall flat or expand into a complete shit storm. If it's not the same group that took Sheena when she was a kid, then we've got two dangerous—potentially rival—criminal organizations to deal with. If it is those masked assholes, then we’ve got some serious justice to hand out.

Shuffling into the kitchen, I drop my duffle bag by the door next to Gideon's and follow the sound of voices out onto the porch. Sheena is standing in the yard bathed in sunshine, wearing the devil's own sick idea of shorts. The sight of her holding a 9mm pistol and listening earnestly to Gideon’s instructions on how to grip it replace all my anxious thoughts with horny nonsense.

I may have to kick my own ass.

Instead of saying any of my thoughts out loud, I walk across the yard and offer a suggestion about her stance. She blushes but makes the change with no comment, her nose wrinkling in concentration. After a tiny hesitation, she pulls the trigger. Once I’m able to peel my eyes away from her to look at the target, I'm surprised to see she hit the edge on her first try.

Good eyesight and a steady hand are a given for most supernatural species, so this doesn't give us any new clues about her heritage. I tell myself it doesn't matter. She'll trust us enough to share more about herself one day.

Sheena fires off a few more shots before Gideon is satisfied with her accuracy and confidence. After taking the gun back, he walks her back to the house. He shows her how to work the security system, where the keys to the spare car are, and the safe room we installed in case of emergencies a few years back.

He keeps all the explanations short and serious, the smiling man from last night nowhere to be found. I know he's worried too, but I hope Sheena doesn't feel like he's acting cold towards her after what I'm referring to as ‘the couch incident’ in my head.

Gideon puts the pistol in a case and hands it to her, along with three preloaded clips. There’s a little pink in Sheena’s cheeks, but I can’t see any other signs of embarrassment. She seems to be taking all of this in stride.

He watches her for a long, tense moment, then snaps, grabbing her up in a bear hug that lifts her feet completely off the ground. To her credit, she rolls with it, wrapping her legs around Gideon’s waist like she's done it a thousand times before.

“I know it's moving fast,” he groans. “I’m freaked out too, but please, don't leave. We can figure it out together.”

When Sheena runs one hand through his curls, he grips her even tighter.

“I’m not going anywhere, Gideon,” she says, her tone soft but adamant.

It’s not a promise exactly, but I believe her. It seems he does too because some of the tension leaves his body.

“Be careful—both of you.” Her voice trembles, and she turns her head to include me in the warning. “If these are the same guys... They’re dangerous and not exactly worried about collateral damage.”

I hear the hitch in her breathing, hating that her fear is back, but I’m touched that she’s worrying about me at all. When I catch Gideon’s eye, his normally brown irises are glowing a faint golden in the morning light. I dip my chin, knowing instinctively that we’re back in sync. We’ll take care of this threat no matter how bloody it gets, then come back to her.

Gideon sets Sheena down, then gives her a kiss that starts friendly enough but borders on obscene by the time he's done. My heart pounds as two trickles of lust seep into me from their goodbye kiss alone. I want to kiss her too, but I settle for a hug and a peck on the cheek. Now isn’t the time to make a mess in her head or mine.

We'll have plenty of time for that later.