Interesting.
I study myself and realize I'm already covered in blood anyway. Maria's blood.
The thought strips me of whatever pleasure I just experienced as the violence of the night crashes into me. I turn towards the toilet and heave the last remnants of bile from my stomach, then I strip out of my clothing as quickly as I can and step into the shower, turning it on as hot as my skin is able to handle.
I scrub and scrub with a manic energy that scares me, trying to get the blood off me. Trying to erase the memories of her death that haunts me.
I should have stopped her.
I should have stopped him.
I should have killed him when I had the chance.
But did I ever have the chance? I don't even know how powerful this man—no, monster—is. None of us do.
A shockwave of grief and pain hits me, and I slide to the floor of the shower, curling into myself as the water streams over my head and the sobs rise up from the depths of my soul.
Suddenly, two strong arms wrap around me, lifting me to my feet. Startled, I peel my eyes open and find myself staring into the dark green eyes of Declan, who has shifted out of wolf form and is as naked as I am.
The feel of his skin against mine, the look of pure desire on his face, the way he's holding back so he can comfort me without expectation—all of this drives out every other emotion inside of me and replaces them with need.
Carnal, hot, urgent need.
My lips find his, skipping any words we might have exchanged, and I kiss him with everything in me. With all the longing and loneliness and fear and grief and pain I am carrying. With all the desire and need and love that has been building. All of it is pushed into that kiss and moves through us, binding us into one.
Somehow he manages to turn the water off without letting me go, and he stands, lifting me into his arms and carrying me out of the shower and into the bedroom.
I'm about to object to being thrown into bed soaking wet, but I realize I don’t actually care about our bedding at the moment. I’m much more focused on the naked man before me.
And his twin brother, who was just in wolf form, but is now all human.
Dean stands by the bed, his need as evident as his brother’s, and I feel suddenly nervous.
I care for them both. Maybe I even love them both. Deep connection can form quickly under intense shared experiences, and it doesn’t get much more intense than what we’ve been through together.
But we haven’t talked about what this means. I’ve never been with more than one guy at a time, not romantically—and definitely not sexually.
Still, the idea of it stirs a base desire in me I didn’t know I had, and I hold out my hand to Dean, the invitation clear. “Is this okay?” I ask softly.
Dean’s light green eyes darken with desire and longing so deep, I find myself lost in them. “Yes,” he says with a huskiness that would make my legs quiver if I had to stand on them. “More than okay.”
I look to Declan, who just smiles and positions himself between my legs, propping himself up so he can kiss me again, the hard length of his body pressed against my very sensitive flesh.
Dean joins us, his hand lightly stroking my neck and back. His lips are hot as he trails kisses down my collarbone to my breasts.
I groan, my body writhing under his attention as Declan kisses the inside of my thighs and uses his fingers to tease me.
The two of them consume my senses, and nothing exists but the heat of their bodies, the pleasure their hands and mouths are bringing me. I close my eyes, letting the sensations suck me into a deep trance that replaces all my fear, pain and worry.
I arch my hips, wanting more. Needing more. Declan growls then, and moves his head lower, replacing his fingers with his tongue just as Dean teases at my nipple with his teeth.
The stubble on Declan’s chin brushes against the sensitive skin of my inner thigh, the chafing its own kind of pleasure, and when he's wound me up as tightly as he can, he pulls away, repositioning himself to give me everything.
In one thrust, I am his and he is mine.
The silver thread of power inside me wakes and winds itself through all three of us, adding to my pleasure. To my claiming.
It is like nothing I have ever experienced, the merging of our bodies and souls, the interplay of spirit and flesh. It erases the world around us and I am lost in the eternalness of our joining.
When Declan pulls out, the space between our bodies feels almost painful, but then Dean sits and pulls me onto his lap, facing him. I straddle his hips as he slides into me, Declan supporting me from behind, his hands cupping my breasts, his mouth on my neck as Dean’s hands grip my hips and move us into a rhythm that drives me to the edge of my senses.
Time loses all meaning and I am swept away on the wave of this delicious pleasure, the twins surrounding me, claiming me, filling me. We kiss, nibble, bite and touch. Their hands stimulate and massage and tease.
When we are each spent, I lay curled between them, Declan spooning me, my head on Dean’s chest, relaxed and satiated for the first time in… ever.
For this one moment, I can be content like I've never been before.
There's a kind of magic that takes place when souls destined for each other come together. It is the kind of magic that can—for a time—erase the horror of this life and replace it with bliss. Wonder. Love.
Tonight, we have made that most powerful of magic.
I fall asleep without dreams or nightmares or voices in my head, just the steady heartbeats of the wolf-men holding me.
15
My brain is sluggish, every muscle in my body deliciously satisfied. I blink against the shadowy darkness that makes it impossible to know what time or even day it is. But I have a sense of having slept for hours. Beside me, Declan is quiet in sleep, his large body sprawled across the tangle of blankets. His expression is peaceful. Relaxed. I admire his handsome features and wish for more moments where we can all be so worry-free, and not just in sleep. I shift to stretch my legs and bump against another body curled in close behind me.
“Mmm. Morning, love.” Dean’s voice is deeper in his half-awake state. His warm breath hits my neck and I shiver in pleasure.
He tightens his arm around me, drawing me back against his already-hard length.
My hips move automatically and I bite my lip. To be with them like this is more than anything I could have imagined. Then again, now I can’t imagine life without them.
“You okay?” Dean asks, and I realize he’s read the change in my mood perfectly.
I roll over to face him.
“I’m good,” I tell him. “What about you?”
He snakes his arm around my waist, pulling me closer. “In this moment?” He drops a kiss on my nose. “Fantastic.” Another kiss on my cheek. “Amazing.” And one more on my chin. “Never better.”
I smile and lift my mouth to meet his, rocking against him.
His hand dips to cup my ass.
Something clicks and the door swings open.
I sit up, breathless and startled. Beside me, Dean does the same and lets loose a growl that’s more animal than human. On my other side, Declan stirs.
“Go away,” he grumbles sleepily.
Sir frowns at the three of us in bed together, and I realize belatedly I’m naked. Grabbing the sheet, I yank it to my throat.
“What do you want?” I demand.