Book of the Lost: AAV-07d25-11: (A reverse harem, post-pandemic, slow-burn romance) (The JAK2 Cycle, Book 3)

by V. E. S. Pullen

  “So how many are in the club?” Sev asked again, holding the door open for Tai to carry me into the house.

  “Patched members? Currently twenty, plus three prospects including me. Club, umm, girls… maybe five or six? Official ones. Plus about a dozen old ladies and about ten kids between them. Hangers on, another dozen or so, a couple that I think they’re going to invite to prospect, and a couple more slu—uh, girls that have been dropping into the bar regularly.”

  I raised an eyebrow at Tai — I could see now that we were inside, even with the dim night-time lighting in the house — and he was making a face similar to mine. I think we both knew that motorcycle clubs weren’t exactly the most feminist organizations, their pro-vagina stance was from a very different perspective, but neither one of us was used to hearing the term “club sluts” quite yet. It’s kind of like the word “cunt”: Mouse needed to yell it a few dozen times, a whole lot of those at me, before it stopped feeling like a taboo word no one should say. It got so comfortable that it ended up taking some effort on my part not to constantly refer to my classmates as “dumb cunts” but that was less about the word being offensive and more about me not liking that girlie parts are used as an insult. Although thinking about it, I certainly had no issue calling any of them dicks, dickheads, or cock-holsters, so did that make me a Genitalist? Is Genitalism a thing?

  “You still with us, sunshine?” Tai mumbled into my hair as he followed Wriot down a hallway. Since I was facing backwards, and we were at the end of our little parade, I assumed we were walking towards bedrooms or something and not an abattoir or torture chamber.

  “Mmhmm,” I mumbled, feeling the long-ass day catching up with me.

  “I know you want to sleep, but we should do a blood draw,” he continued as Wriot explained to Sev which door was the bathroom and that it was shared with two other bedrooms belonging to Gamble and Teddie, their Road Captain that we hadn’t met yet, and how this part of the house was all added on when the club moved in, and other stuff that I gave up on listening to because the dude likes to talk.

  Sev went in the room first, scoping it out, then signaled Tai. He set me down, took my packs from me and entered the room before me too, leaving me with Wriot, who was watching me with a strange expression on his face. Tai gestured for me to come in, and I held up a finger and waited.

  It took him a hot second, but finally he seemed to resolve himself. “Umm, I know you probably hear this all the time, but I just wanted to thank you. For— for being you, I guess. For whatever it is about you that makes the vaccine possible, and the things you do to provide it, because I’m pretty sure it doesn’t just appear in little vials all on its own. I know it’s probably lame to thank you, everyone does but— but thank you.“

  I felt my fucking eyes sting again, fighting off that annoying liquid that gathers in them and keeps trying to fall, and shook my head at him. “Uhh, no, actually. It happens less often than you’d think. People thank me for giving them a bunch of vaccine or something, but not really for— for being me. That’s… wow. Um, you’re welcome—?” I wasn’t sure exactly what to do in this situation.

  “You’re kidding me?” He managed to look both outraged and pleased with himself, especially since I was so obviously out of sorts over it. “That’s… that’s not right. So, um, can I give you a hug too?”

  I stared dumbly at the big biker, with his crazy beard and neck tattoos and septum piercing, and realized he was only a couple years older than me. He was tall and gangly, with arms slightly too long for his body, and his cut was almost bare of patches over a plain white t-shirt stained with axel grease along the bottom, dirty jeans, and heavy boots. He grinned widely and winked at me as I checked him out, which had me chuckling and shaking my head. “Sorry, dude, five is my limit but yeah, I’ll hug you.”

  “Sweet,” he hummed, wrapping me in those gorilla arms, and I caught a whiff of soap and gasoline and I think Old Spice as I was suddenly breathing through his t-shirt. He held me for just a few seconds longer than was polite, almost to the point of awkwardness, then let me go with a sigh. “You know, in the last couple years, I got a job at the garage, then Ishaq backed me to prospect for the Hellspawn, and now I got the vaccine. My family is still intact and healthy, and I’ve got this whole new family besides looking out for all of us. The pandemic’s been good to me… everything is coming up Wyatt!”

  “Wyatt—! That’s your name?” I asked and he nodded, making a face. “Sorry! I didn’t really hear you when you introduced yourself, and I thought I heard Wright (with a W) or Riot, so I’ve been calling you W-R-I-O-T in my head, combining the two, but Wyatt… that makes way more sense.”

  “Riot?” he tilted his head, a gleeful smile splitting his beard and lighting up his face. “RIOT. Fuck yeah! That’s my fucking road name now! No W… well maybe? No. Fuck… I’ll talk to Ishaq about it, but since it came from you, I bet they won’t have any problem calling me R-I-O-T or W-R-I-O-T or whatever. That’s a fucking great name. Fuck yeah— Riot! Fuckin’ love it.”

  He was practically bouncing, he was so excited, and I collapsed against the wall. “You’re welcome, crazy biker man,” I giggled, and smiled at Sev who was watching from the doorway, grinning.

  “Hey, man,” he did a head tilt at Wyatt/Wriot (not to be confused with Quiet Riot — which was actually a fucking hilarious joke for many reasons, including how damn talkative this guy was, and I made a mental note to keep that one in my pocket for later), “you mind if we get our girl to bed? Been a long fucking day…”

  “Oh! Yeah, dude, sorry,” Wyatt/Wriot held up his fist for the forthcoming bump, and then trod off down the hall, gorilla arms swinging, muttering to himself about “Riot or Wriot?” but since they were pronounced the same, he sounded like he was just repeating the same word over and over. Hopefully he’d resolve his conflict before it lost all meaning to him.

  “Look at you,” Sev leaned back against the doorframe facing me, with a Cheshire cat-grin. “Just makin’ friends and influencing people all over the place. Adding more Hellspawn brothers to your fan club… what are we gonna do with you?”

  “I don’t recommend keeping me hidden away in a secret military base, that just presents a challenge I can’t resist,” I smiled smugly, lolling my head against the wall. The way he was looking at me… felt good. It felt like bad intentions, in the best way.

  “How about you join us in this nice bedroom here? Bed looks… comfy.”

  I leaned forward, peeking my head around the doorframe, and pretended to evaluate the décor, when I gave no actual fucks as long as the sheets were mostly clean. Tai had stripped his shirt off and was crouched down next to one of the bags; I watched the muscles in his back flex as he dug through the contents, admiring the tattoos I couldn’t quite make out on his torso and right arm, the way his skin seemed to glow in the warm yellow light of the single lamp lit next to the bed. His ass and thighs, thick and powerful… those arms…

  Sev stretched out his hand, and I jumped, forgetting anyone else was there, and he shook his head with an offended glare covering his amusement. “Stop ogling your soldier boy—” Tai’s head shot up and he half turned towards us, “—and get your ass in the room or I’ll strip you down right here in the hallway.”

  Not gonna lie, a small part of me was tempted… the sex-goddess inside me that Luka and Spider had released, she was intrigued by the thought of being caught or maybe watched. But maybe not tonight. Maybe tonight was about me finally getting to kiss Sev… the first to declare himself, and somehow the only one I hadn’t yet kissed.

  “Tempting… really tempting,” I drawled, taking his hand then using it to tug him towards me. “Maybe next time though. Right now— I want to finally take that tongue piercing for a spin.”

  His face lit up, my roughly beautiful Viking with his light blue eyes — I think lighter and bluer than his brothers’ — and blonde scruff covering his strong jaw. His mouth curled up, making his cheekbones even more pronounced, and the
look in his eye… positively feral. He dragged his gaze down my body, licking his lips slowly, letting his piercing catch against them.

  I realized what I said, which was way dirtier than I really meant— “That sorta came out wrong,” I pursed my lips together, blushing, as his eyes trailed back to my face. “I meant kissing— I’ve never kissed you, Sev— and I think that sounded like I—“

  “Mmhmm.” He stepped into me, using my hand — still holding his — to drag me against him, tilting his head down to run his nose along my neck up to my ear. “I know exactly what you meant,” he whispered, his breath sending a wave of sensation over my skin. “Don’t go gettin’ shy on me now, I wanna know if you taste as sweet as my brother claims. See if your bragging about candy is legit.”

  Okay, so I hadn’t actually showered in a few days, but that whore bath in the bar’s bathroom was really thorough, and my sucky circulation doesn’t lend itself to my hair growing quickly, which meant my waxing held up. As for the claims about me tasting like candy, I had a theory about that: diabetics give off a fruity smell when their blood sugar is dangerously high, something to do with the chemicals in their blood, so maybe the Magical Unicorn Juice in my veins makes me taste sweet. It’s possible that, for once, I have a good side effect from PV. I mean, besides the life-saving vaccine I produce.

  If I was a responsible person, I’d prioritize sleep or a blood draw over sexy times, but… but Tai was on his feet and watching us, and I’m pretty sure that wasn’t a Glock in his pants. Speaking of— Sev shifted his hand to twine his fingers with mine, his palm to the back of my hand, and moved them over to cup him through his jeans.

  I tilted my head so my mouth was up against his ear, flicking my tongue against the ring in his tragus piercing, and purred, “Would your brother lie about something so important as the taste of my pussy? But maybe I want to taste you this time instead.”

  “Fuck—“ Tai spat out, and I looked back over my shoulder to see him scowling darkly. “I need— I need to walk the perimeter, check the area— it would be irresponsible—“

  “Do you want me to—“

  “Someone needs to stay with her,” he said, running a hand over his face.

  “Go now, and get your ass back here,” I scrunched up my nose, making an angry face. “Dammit, Tai! Why you gotta be so careful about my health and safety?!”

  “I know,” he said, deadpan, as he moved past us and smacked my ass. “I’m a monster.”

  “Don’t worry about a thing,” Sev called after him as the door shut, “I got this covered.”

  And suddenly I was nervous.

  I didn’t know why. I didn’t know why Tai’s absence, or being alone with Sev made me feel both fluttery and agitated, like things were more serious being alone with just one of them? Or maybe it was because Sev and I hadn’t even kissed, and we were discussing who would be going down on whom just a minute ago. Whatever it was, it made me jittery.

  I looked up at him through my lashes, nervous but excited, expecting— I didn’t know what. Determination, lust maybe, but not the softest, most tender warmth, like I was all he’d ever wanted. Rather than calm me, my heart sped up.

  He loves me. He really does.

  It wasn’t just words, and it wasn’t infatuation based on an idea of me. Each of them have seen me at my most vulnerable moments — different ones too, of fear or pain or grief — but I think Sev might be the only one who has seen me totally at ease, in my happy place gaming with my group. He knows me. And he loves what he knows.

  “Azzie,” he breathed out, running a hand lightly over my cheek, brushing my hair back. “It’s like a fucking dream right now. I don’t even know—“

  I stood up on my tiptoes and kissed him, soft and sweet. His hand stilled, cupping my face, holding me steady. Two, three, four soft kisses, both hands on my cheeks with fingers buried in my hair, our tongues gently exploring each other’s mouths, brushing together. Velvet. Tasting of the beer he drank earlier, and something uniquely Sev. My heart was thumping wildly but my body felt languid, liquid… I wanted— I wanted all the things.

  “Sev,” I whispered against his mouth, opening my eyes to find him watching me, a little wrinkle of concern between his brows. I reached up and smoothed it out. “I want— I don’t want to mess around, Sev. I don’t want to waste time. I’ve spent years hyper-focused on my own mortality, and the last few days… always being afraid, anxious. If this ends tomorrow, I don’t want to have missed out on anything. I want to have sex with you, right now. I want— I want to have that, with you. No matter what, no one can ever take it away.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Sev

  Was she worried I’d say no?

  Her face— she looked trepidatious. That was the best way to describe it, she looked nervous and a little afraid, hesitant… but not about what she wanted, about what I wanted. Like she was really worried I’d say no.

  Fu— no. Wrong word. Making love? Ugh. So cheesy that it bordered on creepy. None of the words worked, not banging, boning, drilling, or even pounding. Hitting that, tapping it, riding her, slamming, scoring… none of it worked. None of it was appropriate. Certainly not hump or do her. Fornicate?

  “Azzie, I’m having trouble finding the right word or phrase to use when I say I want nothing more than to have sex with you — which sounds way too clinical — and I’ve gone through just about every euphemism I can think of in my head—“

  “Bump uglies? Hit a home run? I mean, those are the traditional ones. Butter my muffin? Spear the bearded clam? Ugh, no. That one sounds gross. And hostile.”

  “I’m going for sweet here, something to describe our love, not— I mean, that kind of makes me feel a little like Poseidon or something, with a trident, conquering some monstrous beast to get to the pearl inside but—“

  “Stabbing me with your trident feels like it should work, but again, a little violent, and also trident? Kind of implies a three-pronged dick.”

  “Yeah, no. That would be…interesting, but not something I’d want permanently.”

  “Open the gates of Mordor?”

  “That sounds like your pussy is evil, and although that flaming eye was disturbingly vaginal in the movie, I’m not cool with calling your pussy Sauron.”

  “Oh! I’ve got it! Riding the treant! Because wood! Plus Treebeard, amirite?!”

  “Azzie, would you ride my treant? Although, I guess technically they were ents in Tolkien—“

  “Hmm, I’m not sure. It’s not quite right, and every time I said it, I’d think of Merry and Pippin, and those were not the eye candy in that movie. The hair, really. Both the hairstyle and the feet.”

  “Ride my dragon?”

  “Uhh… that would make me think of Luka. The way he guarded his cocoa.”

  Huh. That made sense. Unfortunate, but if she already had that association, I’d rather not. Then I remembered something. “Never got a chance to say it before, but you naming my dick Szass Tam? You made me so happy when you said that.”

  She grinned at me, glanced down at my Lich King, who was more than eager to make her acquaintance, and then folded her lips into her mouth with wide, excited eyes before making a face and shaking her head.

  “What? You had something there—“

  “I was thinking of him being the ruler of the Legion of Bone — right?! — but then I thought of the Red Wizards of Thay, and that sounds like I’m on my period.”

  “Azzie, I want to roll your dice and score a crit.”

  “Done. Perfect. Even sounds like a celebration: Sev, toss me on that bed and give me a nat 20. With your proficiency and strength bonuses — or are you a dex build? Are you using a finesse weapon?”

  “Strength. Versatile — going to equip it two-handed.”

  “We still need a shield.”

  I fished out my wallet and pulled out a condom. “Not a problem.”

  She leaned in and tilted her head up, kissing the bottom of my chin, and I shook off the feeling of playfu
l fun for a second. As much as the thought of frisky, whimsical, gaming-themed sex appealed to me, I didn’t want to make light of this.

  “All joking and playing aside, this is— this is everything to me, Azzie. I love you so fucking much, and being with you… being your first— it wouldn’t even matter if I was or wasn’t, it’s enough to just have a chance to love you, but this? This is everything.”

  “For me too, Sev. I fucking love you.”

  “You have my heart, Az.”

  “But do I have your sword?”

  “As soon as I get you naked, you will.”

  Azzie

  Getting me naked took almost no time at all. Getting him naked was even faster.

  He— his body—

  I can’t even.

  He’s tall, really tall. I think they’re six foot five? Six? Something like that. Barefoot, he’s just shy of a foot taller than me. He’s lean but muscular, every bit of him defined by dips and creases and those absurd abs and that Adonis belt… so fucking beautiful. I’d called Luka that once, a living sculpture, and Sev was no different.

  A painted sculpture. A pierced one.

  He had his tongue pierced, and his tragus — I knew those already, plus he had two little scars like dimples under his bottom lip, on the right, what I assumed were spider bite piercings that healed over. In addition, he had a barbell through his left nipple, and his junk—

  “What are those called?” I asked, staring at his dick, fascinated. There were three piercings in an evenly spaced line along the bottom, little steel balls on each side, and then two through the ridge around the head of his cock, at the two and ten o’clock positions, with steel balls capping both ends of those too. Ten ball bearings attached to his cock. Not even taking into consideration the size of it — fully erect— that better be fully erect! — the thing was now laying almost flat against his belly and easily reached his navel. If I hadn’t already read the quote inked in a line following his Eyes Down Here! muscles (“The lone wolf dies but the pack survives.”) I would’ve been confused by the message “The lone wolf d…….he pack survives.”