Something about it felt magical.
She felt the beating of the drums in her blood, reminding her of the heady feeling of her heartbeat when she was with Mat and Bryn, alone, together. Each time Mat thrust his hips, she wished he was between her legs.
She understood now.
“Oh,” she whispered one more time. Senri didn’t hear it this time. Not that Mave could carry on a conversation at that point. All she could think about was getting off the stage, grabbing her males, and going home to claim her perfect lover. Possessiveness rolled over her. Matesh was hers. Out there dancing, anyone could watch him, but in the end, he was going to always be hers.
It ended when the males roared in unison, and the cheers of the village quickly started echoing off the cliffside. Mave jumped up, running for the edge of the stage. Mat waited for her, not moving from where he’d finished dancing. She jumped for him, knowing he would catch her.
“You are amazing. That was…”
“Do you want me here or at home?” he asked softly.
“Home.” He started kissing her neck as she answered. “Find…Bryn.”
“Oh, he’ll be right behind us, I promise,” Mat murmured, carrying her away from the crowd. He dropped her just a little, which showed her just how ready he was for what was to come. She growled, possessiveness rolling over her again. That belonged to her.
“Patience,” he purred. “You don’t want to take me here in the dirt, remember?”
“Aye, but then maybe ya shouldn’t have danced so well,” Bryn said in the darkness. “I’ll get the door.”
“Hi, Bryn,” she called out softly. Clinging to Mat, she remembered how his muscles had worked as he danced. Mine. “You should learn to dance.”
“Mmm. Maybe I’ll learn to dance just for ya,” he said softly. She heard the lock of their door release and squeak as it opened. Mat carried her in, passing their rogue, his summer-sky blue eyes meeting hers as they passed. “There are other dances—ones a male does only for his female.”
“I would like that.”
Mat didn’t stop, passing their family room and going into the back hall. She figured he would drop her anywhere and get started, but he made his way to their bedroom, Bryn behind them where she could see him over her larger male’s shoulder. Her feet never touched the ground, but her back touched the furs and pillows that made up their bed.
In the dark, she caught a glimpse of his emerald eyes before his lips captured hers. His hands roamed over her ribs and sides, one brushing under her breast.
She growled, not in the mood for slow and romantic. She was going to claim him. He’d just offered her passion, and that was what she would take from him.
It wasn’t hard to roll them over, straddling him, grinding against his cock, a moan escaping her mouth. She could hear Bryn chuckle in the background while Matesh groaned beneath her.
“Mine,” she growled, sinking down on Mat’s cock, taking him deep inside of her. She was frenzied. She had to make sure this male was hers and only hers. No one else could have him. Nothing would take him from her.
“All yours.”
She grabbed his wrists, pulling his hands off her, pinning them over his head. In time, he thrust as she rode him. She held his hands down, even when he put up a small fight and tried to pull them up again. She was in charge now, and he belonged to her.
“Mine,” she snarled.
A hand slid up her back between her wings.
“That’s right, love,” Bryn murmured behind her. “We’re yours. We’ll always be yours.” Hot breath went in her ear. “Ride him hard.”
She turned and found Bryn’s mouth, claiming it as well. She released Mat’s wrists, using one hand to wrap around the back of her rogue’s head to hold him in the kiss. He groaned against her mouth. Her free hand felt over Mat’s chest. All the while, she did just as Bryn told her to—she rode Mat hard.
“I’m not going to last,” Mat pleaded under her. “Love, slow down.”
“No.” She knew her own release was coming and had to remind herself she had brought this popular, wanted male to his knees. They all talked about how he was the best dancer. How he once had females lining up for him. How he had jumped bed to bed.
Now—he belonged to her, loved her, and she loved him.
“Fuck,” Mat snarled. She took him deep as her own climax hit, knowing it was going to push him over the edge. Together, they found bliss. She felt him release, filling her, and a feeling of satisfaction warmed her chest. Everything about Matesh was hers.
Now, she had a second male to claim, one who was trying to hide in the dark. The only reason she even knew Bryn was there was her hand was wrapped in his black hair, holding him so she could claim his mouth.
She lifted off Mat’s cock, hoping to have another there.
“Still want more?” Bryn asked her softly.
“Always.” She released his hair, giving him free rein to do as he wanted.
He moved fast, going behind her. He didn’t pull her off Mat, instead sliding into her from behind, over the big male’s body. Mat took his opportunity, fondling her breasts the way she knew he’d wanted to all night, his thumbs grazing her nipples.
Bryn was relentless. “Let’s give our dancer a show.” He pulled her up, exposing her entire body to her male beneath her. Mat pushed a hand between her legs, finding that spot of pleasure and began to rub as Bryn took her from behind.
“Beautiful,” Mat said in a hushed whisper.
Mave began to scream in pleasure as Bryn rocked them, driving deep. Mat’s hands drove her higher, working with Bryn and finding all the sensitive spots on her body that gave her goosebumps.
“More,” she demanded.
Bryn pushed her down, forcing her to come face-to-face with Mat. He grabbed the back of her head and held her for a long kiss as Bryn grabbed her hips and drove into her, strong and growing more frantic with each push. Her tail wrapped around him, winding with his, forcing him to stay where he was and continue what he was doing.
She panted as Mat held her, her next climax coming without warning. One moment, she was enjoying being there, and the next, her body seized up, a scream tearing out of her mouth. Bryn gave a satisfied snarl, burying himself one last time before falling over to the side.
“So that’s the spring festival,” she murmured, nuzzling her face into Mat’s chest, using a finger to trace over his tatua.
“Well, normally we would have stuck around and eaten, talked to friends, and watched males get their worlds flipped upside down. It’s not all about fucking,” Mat answered.
“But the fuckin’ is the best part,” Bryn added.
“Who needs a feast out there when I have one in here?” she asked, stretching out like a satisfied mountain lion.
“I like the way you think.” Mat kissed the top of her head.
15
Luykas
Luykas felt like he was on fire. Mave was already at home with her males, and he was trying to sit across from his brother at their private table and pretend like nothing was wrong. He was getting better at it. He could make it through most nights without finding himself a damp rag, but this evening, everything was charged. He should have expected it since the spring festival had that effect on the Andinna, especially females.
“Stop fidgeting,” Alchan ordered. “Or I’ll go get Nevyn and Varon to give you a hard time.”
“Please don’t. I can’t believe they already started. On the bright side, they’ll be done by the time I want to go to sleep.” He always had to look on the bright side.
“Don’t wish you were there?” His brother asked, completely unable to beat around the bush.
“Don’t ask stupid questions.”
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
“That wasn’t a yes!” Luykas groaned, rubbing his face. “Okay, it was. I would give my fucking left nut to be there. She would never have me.”
“I thought you two were finally getting somewhere. You certainly h
ad a good time today, making my life miserable.”
“Yeah. She’s a friend now. When we agree, things are…great. I was never supposed to fall for her, though. I was never supposed to want her. I…” He shook his head in defeat. “I know part of it is the bond. I’ve been so good at keeping it from her. Thankfully, every time we touch, I’m in control, commanding us in a sparring match against Nevyn and Varon. It’s a good distraction.”
He’d noticed a problem recently, one he was afraid to tell his brother or anyone. The more he and Mave touched, the weaker his magic alteration of the bond became. She’d made her feelings clear about the spell he’d done, and he was resolved to keep it there, but he couldn’t do it again. He’d slipped it in while the bond was formed. Now, it was starting to fail. He was getting less from her, but it felt more natural, and that worried him.
“You’re so scared of her,” his brother accused. “Stop. I wasn’t right either. We’re the three most dominant Andinna alive. If you were submissive, like Rainev, I would have sympathy for you, but you aren’t, so I don’t. You can go toe-to-toe with her, just like I can. The only difference is you care that she likes you at the end of the day.”
“You make it sound so easy, but this is why you’re never going to find anyone who wants you,” Luykas reminded him.
“True.” Alchan grabbed his drink. “I don’t know why I’m even trying to talk to you about this. I’ve never had a relationship. Giving you advice about one is impossible.” He smirked. “Maybe I like seeing you hung up and screwing up everything when I was always the son who couldn’t do anything right.”
“Now wait a minute. I screwed up plenty. You were—”
“The one who fell asleep during a simple land blessing at the spring festival and got whacked by our grandmother. You were a precious, missing son, who was unfortunately born to an Elvasi woman.” Alchan didn’t lose his smirk. “You don’t need to make me feel better. I came to peace a long time ago with it, even understood it. Now, back to you and Mave. It’s far more interesting than the circumstances of our youth and our most idiotic moments.”
“We’re still young. We have a lot more time to be the fuck-ups that our father always thought we were.” Luykas grinned. “We’re not even two thousand. Plenty of time.”
“Fuck that old man,” Alchan grumbled. “He was a piece of shit. Even Grandmother knew it, and he was her oldest child.”
“I know.” Luykas wanted to kick himself—never bring up their father, not in front of Alchan. Luykas thought his childhood was bad with his mother, but for all her faults, she’d loved him in her own way. Their father had made Alchan’s childhood a living hell. He was never good enough in their father’s eyes. When Luykas arrived, their father effectively abandoned them both with only each other. “Sorry, brother.”
“He’s been dead a long time and thinking about him still pisses me off,” Alchan whispered. “He would hate Mave. He hated how our females were stronger than him. Better than him. More important than him.”
“It’s what drew him to having an Elvasi lover…she was always angry with how the Elvasi disregarded their women. Opposites attract. They wanted each other for what the other lived with, not realizing they each wanted what the other had.” Luykas sighed. “Mave would wipe the ground with him, by the way. He wouldn’t stand a chance.”
“No, he wouldn’t,” Alchan agreed. “And neither will you.”
Luykas knew that. He knew his feelings for Mave were going to be his downfall, one way or another. “She’ll be the death of me.”
“I look forward to it. You won’t be a pain in my ass anymore.” Alchan’s smile came back, broad and lighthearted.
“Without me, you’ll be a pain in everyone else’s ass. We can’t have that.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ve been good all winter. I think I’m starting to not need you.”
“Now that’s a lie, and we both know it.” An involuntary rush of fear ran through him. His entire life with the Andinna was rooted in being by his brother’s side. Since the moment General Lorren took him to his family, introducing him to the side of his bloodline he never really knew, he’d been the brother of Alchan Andini. Even before the War, they were a pair. During the War, it was believed Alchan would be the next great General, and Luykas would be the best advisor ever seen, the better politician of the two. His brother had to need him. Luykas didn’t know if he had a place in a world where that wasn’t the case.
Alchan must have seen what Luykas didn’t want to show.
“You’ll always be my brother and close at my side,” he promised. “Skies, how did we end up talking about this during the fucking spring festival?” He pointed to something behind Luykas. “Let’s make fun of Zayden fucking up his chance with a female.”
“Like every year?” Luykas looked over his shoulder, and sure enough, there was Zayden trying to have a drink while a female attempted to sprawl on his lap. “Oh, that’s a new sight.”
“I wonder if he even realizes. She obviously wants him.” Alchan sounded curious.
“Realizes what? I think he’s noticed she’s on his lap and just wants her off.” He pointed to the way Zayden tried to drink around her and gave up. He dodged a kiss and started talking, but Luykas had no idea what was being said.
“People look at him as a hero. Look at the adoration in her eyes,” Alchan answered softly like it was a dirty secret. “Not the entire Company, just him. Want to know why?”
“Lay it on me, Alchan.”
“Every female wants a male who’s willing to do anything to save their young. He went into the Empire just to save Rainev. Oh, Matesh his best friend, certainly, but Zayden loves nothing more than Rainev.”
“And the spring festival is a chance for a female to make her move without looking foolish. Everyone is trying to fuck everyone except us. How long have you been thinking about this?”
“I’ve been spending a lot of time with Rainev, which has made me look more closely at the entire Company.” Alchan nodded at the scene with Zayden. “I mean, really think about it. Rainev, a mutt from a doomed love affair and marriage, thanks to the different life spans. Zayden loved Summer with everything, though. I wish I’d known her better. Rainev has surprised me all winter with his dedication and perseverance. Then Zayden runs into the Empire, just to save his son. Females love that sort of thing, don’t they?”
“They do,” he agreed. “And Zayden looks incredibly uncomfortable. You realize he hasn’t been with a woman since Summer died, right?”
“I feel so bad for him. What was that, two hundred and twenty-five years ago? Something like that?” Alchan’s voice dripped with sarcasm.
“There’s the Alchan I know and love!” Luykas turned back to his brother, grinning. Alchan was attracted to both sexes, as long as they didn’t challenge his dominance. He didn’t have the right instinct that made him submit in the bedroom when it was asked of him, unlike every other Andinna male. It meant Alchan was probably never going to find a female lover. He certainly hadn’t had one yet. “You could break that streak by wagging your finger at any female here, and you know it.”
Alchan snarled, “Yes. I know.”
“Ah, and that’s the problem. You want them to want you.” Luykas shook his head. “Don’t we all?”
“You aren’t funny,” Alchan growled.
“I think I’m hilarious.” He pointed to another group. “Look, there are Nevyn and Varon, making everyone look bad.”
“Like always. I should call them over and tell them you have a hard-on for Mave.”
“That’s just mean. Please don’t do that.” He didn’t want to deal with that anymore tonight. “Why don’t you just get drunk like always and go home?”
“I’m working on it.” Alchan picked up his drink and pointed to the several empty mugs next to him. “Let’s do a walkabout, make sure everything is going well. I know Jesvena and Allaina are probably still around, waiting for me to tell them how well they did.�
� His brother smacked his shoulder as he stood up. “As we’ve learned, physical activity diverts your attention from her.”
“Good point.” Luykas started after him. It was getting late enough that the orgies were starting. Zayden disappeared, the female who had been on his lap now sitting with another male. Nevyn and Varon were on their way out, not stopping to talk to anyone, their hands all over each other. “Those two are disgusting.”
Alchan stopped. “I didn’t know you carried that Elvasi belief—”
“No!” Luykas hit his brother on the chest. “They’re just too perfect. Everyone wants to be them, they’re so perfect. It’s disgusting.”
“Ah, you’ve just turned green as the humans say. Envy, brother, doesn’t look good on you.” Alchan started to chuckle. “I hate to say that I agree.”
Luykas started to laugh, throwing an arm over his brother’s shoulder. “We’re a mess.”
“Yes, and there are the females we’re looking for.”
Jesvena and Allaina were on their males’ laps. Like nearly everyone at the festival, they were naked and had no shame. Alchan and Luykas weren’t. They used it as an implicit sign they weren’t looking for any one-night stands.
“Your Majesty!” Jesvena smiled at them. “Luykas. Forgive us for not standing tonight.”
“Forgiven,” Alchan said properly. Luykas knew it was because the females didn’t want to show off their husbands’ erections. Or lose the feeling of them. “I just wanted to say tonight was wonderful. You did a fantastic job. You should both be proud of yourselves.”
“Thank you, Alchan.” The old mativa bowed her head. “You should be proud of Maevana. She learned quickly and did well.”
“I am. Mave picks up everything quickly, so I’m not surprised.” Alchan exuded confidence. “Enjoy your night.”
They walked away in unison. Alchan’s job was done, and neither of them particularly enjoyed conversations with Jesvena. The fact that Allaina had remained quiet was a blessing.
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