Something strange comes over his face. “No one has ever thanked me for killing someone before.”
“Most people haven’t imagined that death might be easier than life.”
Sage rises slowly to his feet.
I look at him, a question in my eyes.
“Now you know. Ethan guides souls to the afterlife. Aeron heals injuries. Do you know who I am?”
I shake my head.
“I’m the god of grief and mourning. And, Alice, I’ve felt you. Every day since we left. You’re still mourning. You’re still in pain.”
Taking a long sip of my wine to calm my emotions, I struggle for the right words. “You’re right.”
Sage offers me his hand. “I didn’t know we’d meet you tonight, but we were in this area to find you.”
I feel my brows rise. “Why?”
“To finish what we should have done those years ago. Take my hand, Alice.”
I stare at him. “How will you heal me?”
He smiles, and I swear it’s the gentlest smile I’ve ever seen in my life. “Trust us.”
My heart hammers, but I take his hand.
There were so many things I expected. A flow of magic. Of power. Lightning.
But I never expected Sage to pull me into his arms. His shaggy hair falls forward, and those dark eyes seem to hold me as carefully as his arms. My hands rest on the front of his blue sweater, and his full lips part ever so slightly to reveal teeth that seem beautifully white against his tan skin.
“Wh—?”
He leans down and brushes his lips against mine, and I exhale. Oh! He moves closer again, and I stand on my tiptoes to close the distance between us. This time when our lips meet, they aren’t soft or gentle. They’re exploratory. As if neither of us quite knows just yet what to expect.
Each movement sends tingles running through my body, and when my lips part, his tongue dives in. I’m embarrassed when I moan. But to my shock, the slight sound causes him to pull me closer. Now, I can feel him, hard against my belly. Which is... surprising. And nice. It makes me feel attractive and wanted in a way I haven’t felt in so long.
When he breaks the kiss, I open my eyes and stare at him in shock. Is this how he’ll heal me?
He gently pulls away from me, and my legs tremble. Brushing my fingertips lightly against my swollen lips, I find myself aching for more. I want to kiss him again. I want him to hold me again. It’s like for the first time since the accident I’m warm.
I feel... safe.
So why did he stop?
But as soon as I start to feel something building in my chest, something that feels strangely like tears, I’m turned around. And there’s Aeron. He lifts my hands and places them on the sides of his face, letting his beard tickle through my fingers. I’m shocked. Did he know how badly I wanted to touch him? Did he know that I wondered if his beard was as soft as it looked?
And it is.
His lips quirk, as if this God of Healing can read my mind. He leans down, so slowly that it’s as if I’m the one pulling him down to me, and kisses me. His kiss is deep, possessive, so damn intense that when he pulls back, I can’t catch my breath. I’m just stroking my fingers through his beard and down his throat, as if I’m trying to memorize every inch of him.
And then, he pulls back too.
I’m left standing, feeling alone and vulnerable, when Ethan moves forward. “My touch won’t help you with your healing or your grieving.”
“Will it kill me?” I ask, the words barely a whisper.
His brows rise. “No. I don’t kill. I guide spirits to the afterlife.”
I can feel his uncertainty and pain, as much as I can sense the soothing gentleness of the other two men.
“Can I touch you?”
He nods, watching me wearily.
I move closer. For reasons I don’t understand, I grasp the zipper on his leather jacket and slowly tug it down. Then, I pull the heavy material from his body, revealing a black shirt underneath.
Maybe it’s my imagination, but I swear I can feel his heartbeat through his shirt as I lightly rest my hand on his chest. “Kiss me.”
“You sure?” he asks.
I lick my lips, and his gaze locks onto my tongue. It’s hard to speak. “Yes.”
Gasping, I grab his shirt harder as he sweeps me back and kisses me like we’re in a damn romantic movie. Only, this is nothing like that. His lips are so damn desperate and filled with desire that I’m lost to him. The room spins out of control.
One of my hands digs into the back of his hair, pulling him harder against me. My tongue tangles with his in a dance of domination.
I'm still clinging to him when he lifts me back on my feet.
“Fuck,” he whispers above me. “I wasn’t... I didn’t know it’d be like this.”
And then, they’re around me.
I raise my head from his chest and look at each of them. Hands reach out to stroke my skin.
“You’ve been calling to us for too long,” Sage says, a note of pain to his words.
I don’t deny them. Because maybe this is what I needed. Not just this foreign idea about healing and forgetting, but Gods who could kiss away my pain and memories.
“What now?” I ask.
Were they done?
“Now,” Sage stares, “now we take you to bed.”
Chapter Three
Ethan carries me to my room and sets me in front of my bed. The three Gods stare at me without speaking, and I realize, for the first time, that they’re going to see me naked. My mind goes to my injuries, and I stiffen. There’s no chance they’ll want me when they see that. Even if they could look past how out of shape I am.
My injuries are... revolting.
Looking down at the floor, every drop of my confidence fades. “I have a lot of scars.”
“We have scars.” Aeron’s voice is soft and reassuring.
I don’t move. “Not like sexy guy scars. I mean hideous ones. On a body that doesn’t exactly belong to a supermodel.”
Sage is there before me, his tall frame dwarfing mine. He draws my chin up, and our eyes meet. The second I look at him, my fears melt away. This God of grief and mourning has seen more terrible things than my body.
But will he like what he sees?
For some reason, I really want him to. I want this to be about more than healing.
It doesn’t have to be love. But more than just something for me.
“Maybe we should start,” Ethan says, and I’m surprised to hear something in his voice.
Is he cocky? Even as the question enters my mind, he reaches for the hem of his shirt and draws it off.
Holy shit. I think my heart just stopped. He didn’t just feel hard beneath his clothes. He is hard. A sea of incredible muscles that ripple over his entire chest and stomach. And my God, I don’t remember ever being an arm woman, but his biceps are something else. An ancient language curls along the chiseled lines, giving Death a bad boy edge that I’m digging.
When he reaches for the button on his jeans, my gaze snaps to his hands. The button flicks open. The zipper goes down, and those tight jeans get stripped away, leaving behind a gorgeous man in nothing but dark boxers.
“Death has an erection.”
“I’m not Death,” there’s a rumble of laughter in his voice.
Which is exactly the moment I realize I’ve spoken aloud. My cheeks heat, and I wrap my arms around my chest, realizing that my nipples are poking through the thin material of my shirt.
“If you liked that,” he continues, then slides his boxers off.
I swallow. “That’s... wow!”
There are people who say men don’t look good naked. I guarantee you they’ve never seen this man. I have never wanted to lick a person like an ice cream cone before, but I want to lick every inch of him.
I’m in serious trouble.
Sage moves closer to me. “I’d prefer if you undressed me, if you don’t mind.”
There’s a lump at the back of
my throat as I reach for his sweater. Peeling it up, I realize he doesn’t have a shirt underneath. And these men, I’m pretty damn sure they all go to the same gym, because he is fine. Not just, “fine,” but fiiiinnnne.
“Are all Gods built like this?”
Sage laughs. “Living for eternity leaves a lot of time for working out.”
I’m about to say more when he places my hands on the top of his jeans.
Don’t chicken out now, I order myself, before taking a deep breath.
Undoing the button on his pants and pulling down his zipper feels like I’m enjoying unwrapping a gift for the first time in years. Especially when I discover he isn’t wearing anything under his pants.
“Why hello,” I murmur, the back of my hand brushing his hard erection.
He groans. “Alice, shit.”
I should be embarrassed. I don’t know if it’s the wine, these men, or my years of loneliness crumbling away, but I’m not someone who undresses men and touches their massive cocks. And yet, as I stroke him again, and his head throws back, I like the woman that’s taken over tonight.
And he seems to be enjoying this, a lot.
Maybe this isn’t just about helping me.
He struggles out of his pants and shoes, and then I’ve got two hot, naked Gods standing in my room. My gaze goes to Aeron, the God of Healing. The man who saved my life.
I’m surprised when he crosses the distance between us. “How about you undress me while I undress you?”
I bite my lip. This isn’t going to get easier. If I want to do this, if I want to finally feel ready to move on, then I need to be brave. For the first time since the accident.
Nodding, I hold my breath as he takes my shirt off. The cool air hits my flesh, and I feel a second of embarrassment as I look at my simple white bra. Not willing to let myself change my mind now, I tug his shirt off. His chest and stomach are covered in tattoos. Some of the symbols look familiar, but others are ancient and strange.
I trace them with my fingertips, fascinated by the way they somehow turn the beauty of his body into something even more beautiful, something unlike any sexy human.
When he unclasps the back of my bra, I gasp.
My bra falls down my shoulders, and then, I’m standing in front of them, topless.
Shaking, I fight the urge to cover myself.
But they don’t give me time.
Ethan reaches out and starts to stroke one of my breasts, his touch light. Sage begins to stroke my other breast. My head is spinning as Sage kneels down in front of me and tugs off my pants.
Desire wars with fear as he stares at my mangled leg. I’m trying not to think. Trying not to imagine these men pulling away from me in disgust. But Sage does none of those things; instead, he begins to stroke my scars in the gentlest way. As if he’s the God of Healing instead of the God of Grief. As if he believes his touch will heal my injuries.
And the strange thing is, his touch is like magic. With each stroke of his fingers, I feel less embarrassed. Less worried. And more... accepted.
When he kisses a trail up my leg, my warring emotions freeze, and hot desire takes control. When he yanks my underwear off, Aeron and Ethan begin to suck my nipples.
I choke on my breath, and a moan slips past my lips. My hands dig into their hair, pulling them closer. Their mouths are hot, skilled, turning my core to a blazing inferno of need.
And then, Sage’s fingers part my folds, and his mouth presses deeply inside of me.
“Fuck!” I moan, goose bumps erupting across my flesh.
He licks and sucks as if there’s nothing more he’s wanted in his life. And if it wasn’t for their arms around me, holding me up, I would have fallen. My trembling legs betraying me.
When his fingers enter my tight body, slipping in and out of me, I start to buck against his hand and mouth. He groans between my thighs, adding another finger.
Everything is winding inside of me, tightening to an unimaginable point. My vision starts to waver, and my throat tightens.
“Please,” I whisper.
The men freeze around me.
Sage rises, his finger still buried deeply inside of me. “Would you like us inside of you?”
I nod, overwhelmed.
Aeron and Ethan pull back from me, and then Sage picks me up, curling my legs around his back. His tip strokes my wet folds as I bite back a sob of pleasure. But he doesn’t enter me. Instead, I feel someone behind me.
Aeron’s breath puffs against my throat. “I’m going to take your ass. Nice and slow. Understand?”
Again, all I can do is nod.
A second cock begins to slide in my juices, and I’m glad they’re holding me sandwiched between them, because I’m light-headed, swimming in a glorious sea of desire.
When Sage suddenly slips into my core, I dig my nails into his shoulder, gasping. He moves deeper one second at a time, as my tight body squeezes around him.
I hold perfectly still, not sure if I can handle these massively well-endowed Gods. But each time the border between pleasure and pain grows thinner, he slows. Sage’s lips finding mine. He kisses me with a rigor that reveals how close to losing control he is. And when he finally comes to his hilt, I feel deliciously ready. Aroused and in need of the orgasm that claws within me.
And then, Aeron moves his slick shaft and positions himself at my back entrance. His hands spread me wide, and I tense, waiting. When he starts to ease into me, I find myself breathing hard. Feeling unsure. But this big God is gentle too. He lets my body adjust to the sheer size of him, rather than just plunging right in.
So when, after what feels like years, he comes to his hilt, I finally take a deep breath. I feel... strange. Full. My body squeezes around these men as if testing how well they fit.
When Ethan strokes my arm, I turn to him. He gently wraps my hand around his massive cock and holds my gaze. Tightening my hand around him, trying to keep my nerves from shattering in pleasure, I stroke him slowly.
He throws back his head, his jaw locked, and I continue to stroke him faster and faster. For one minute, I feel completely in control, knowing that at any moment I could take this big, handsome man over the edge.
And then, Aeron and Sage start to move inside of me. I swear I shatter into a million screaming nerves of pleasure. I grip Ethan’s cock harder, and dig my nails into Sage’s shoulder as they begin to thrust harder and harder inside of me.
This is too much. There’s no chance that I’ll be able to stay in my body. My thoughts have fled. My body is stretching tighter and tighter. And my orgasm is building so quickly that I’m frightened it’ll tear everything into pieces when it finally hits, like a natural disaster.
But when their thrusting becomes frenzied, and my body has wound as tightly as it can go, I gasp, and fall screaming over the edge.
I think I may have exploded like a bomb, taking everything down around me. I must have leveled the house and scorched the earth. Everyone must have awoken, starring in confusion as the ground shook beneath their feet.
Because this orgasm—it can’t possibly be contained inside of me. Can it?
I’m aware of nothing for a long time, just my nerves dancing beneath my skin. And then, I feel them come inside of me with groans. The heat of their seed tingles pleasantly, and moments later, I feel cum spill down my hand. Their thrusting finally slows, and nothing but my heartbeat fills my ears.
At last, the powerful feelings inside of me have calmed, and I collapse between them.
Someone cleans off my hand, then they lay me on the bed and curl around me.
And for the first time since the accident, I feel... happy. Content. And my leg doesn’t hurt.
My eyes flash open. I stare at them with wonder. “Your magic... it healed me!”
They exchange a look, but Aeron’s the one to speak. “I think you misunderstood us, Alice.”
My heart starts to race. “What do you mean?”
“Our magic can’t just fix you. When we sai
d we came here for you, we meant we came here for you. To be with you. And with time, we hope to bring happiness into your life. To help you finish mourning. And give you everything you need to move on.”
If they stayed here, it’d be better than magic. But... is that what they’re truly planning?
It’s hard to speak around the tears in my throat. “And then,” my voice is a whisper, “you’ll go?”
Ethan’s bark of laugher is dark and humorless. “I’m afraid you won’t get away from us that easily. Unless you want to...”
“No,” I say, the choice easy. “I—I want you guys to stay.”
Sage reaches forward and strokes my cheek. “Good, because as much as we pretended it was your choice, it never was. You were always going to be ours.”
“And, we’re never leaving,” Ethan says in a matter-of-fact kind of way, crossing his big, sexy arms behind his head.
I smile. Suddenly, I think about the snow outside and my little house. I imagine a Christmas tree, holiday music, and presents. I see us in those awful Christmas sweaters, cooking dinner and laughing.
Maybe this time of year isn’t so bad after all.
Also By Lacey Carter Andersen
Mates of the Realms: Mortals
Renegade Hunter
Cursed Hunter
Betrayed Hunter
Mates of the Realms: Immortals
Rebel Lover
Rebel Lies
Rebel Loss
Alternative Futures
Nightmare Hunter
Deadly Dreams
Mortal Flames
Twisted Prophecies
An Icelius Reverse Harem
Her Alien Romance
Steamy Tale of Warriors and Rebels
Gladiators
The Dragon Shifters’ Last Hope
Stolen by Her Harem
Claimed by Her Harem
Treasured by Her Harem
Harem of the Shifter Queen
Sultry Fire
Sinful Ice
Saucy Mist
About the Author
Lacey Carter Andersen loves reading, writing, and drinking excessive amounts of coffee. She spends her days taking care of her husband, three kids, and three cats. But at night, everything changes! Her imagination runs wild with strong-willed characters, unique worlds, and exciting plots that she enthusiastically puts into stories.
The Mortal's Choice: A Short Standalone Reverse Harem (Paranormal Quickies Book 2) Page 2