by Erin R Flynn
I was selfish like that.
The next morning, I was up with the sun, and took a hot shower to work out my muscles. I wasn’t shocked when Darius and Jaxon were waiting along with Kristof.
“Good morning, my nobles, my husbands,” I greeted, giving each of them a kiss as they ran their hands over the towel I was wearing.
“It’s not healing,” Darius worried as he took my hand in his.
“It will,” I promised, knowing it would somehow. I glanced at the bench cushion and saw it was a new one. “Thanks.”
“Kristof did it,” he muttered, letting me go and stepping back.
Kristof moved forward and knelt before me. “Inez Garner, will you accept my request of engagement?”
“Do both of you approve?” I asked Darius and Jaxon first, flinching when they didn’t answer.
Uh-oh. I hadn’t foreseen that.
“You’ve been good to her, we’ve seen that, especially since she was attacked,” Jaxon said to Kristof. “However, you’ve also hurt her. You’ve been rough and crass with her and we’ve not seen enough gentle. And not just because we love her, but because she’s a baby vampire.”
“We have valid concerns whether you can be what she needs,” Darius added. “We hope you keep that private but it’s just us, everyone else still asleep, and we want to see how you truly are with her before we agree.”
Kristof didn’t seem upset—which floored me—but he was waiting from some clue from me, really hearing me that I needed him to check with me on stuff. I nodded, smiling at him so he knew I was on his side.
“I love her,” he whispered as I moved closer. “I love you, Inez. I truly do.”
“I know, I love you too,” I promised.
“Do you remember when you bled last and you bled on me?” he asked, ignoring the shock I felt from Darius and Jaxon. He reached up and took the towel off of me. “When I told you my secrets and begged you to give me another chance?” He leaned down and kissed my toes. “When I kissed your toes when you accepted my courting?”
“Yes,” I breathed, my heart racing as he gave me an intense look like he would eat me up again. “Do remember the taste I gave you of what you wanted?”
“I do. You said I could only have that until I won back your trust. Do I have your trust again?”
“Yes.” I ran my hand through his hair as he stared up at me. “I’ll still flinch and sometimes I might get scared, but I trust you. The darkness in you won’t hurt me, but will hurt others to protect me.”
His nostrils flared as I felt blood drip.
I moved over to the cushion and laid down. “Show them how gentle you’ll be with me. Show them how much you love me, Kristof. Let them see before I accept.”
He tore off his clothes, but then slowed down when he moved over me. “I am a blessed man you ever gave me a chance, much less forgave me twice for not being as careful with you as I should.” He kissed me and then down my body, burying his face between my legs. “Does my princess want more?”
“I want to ride your face as you bleed on my tits you love so much,” I purred, smiling as he instantly rolled us. I stared at Darius and Jaxon as I let Kristof do everything good to me, letting them see how happy I was, how much I wanted this.
“I agree,” Darius said after my second orgasm.
“I agree,” Jaxon echoed.
“Thank you for loving me enough to make sure,” I whispered, touched they would really take it so seriously when I gave them the choice. I moved down Kristof’s body, his eyes watching me. I raised his hand to my mouth and sliced his hand with my fang. I let his blood drip all over his hard cock. “Is that mine?”
“Yes, it’s yours, and only gets hard for you, Inez,” he promised. “All of me is yours. Please accept me, I beg you.”
“Show me your throat,” I growled, licking my fangs when he did. “There will be no other woman before me if I accept. You will always check with me because I’m a baby vampire. You want a baby vampire. You are begging to belong to me, a princess. Say it.”
He did, a thrill running through me as he did. “Please, Inez? Please accept me?”
“Yes, you’re mine now, Kristof,” I hissed as lowered myself on him. I cut his other hand as well, moving both to my breasts and then striking hard, sinking my fangs in his neck as I moved my hand to the ground so I bled in the dirt. I drank only a mouthful before closing the bite. “Mine, all of you is mine.”
“Yes, I’m yours, my love,” he moaned, squeezing my breasts.
“The fire, oh fuck, the fire,” I whimpered as I hurried and licked his hands, his blood too much for me. “Fire, on fire.”
“I know, I feel it too,” he promised, his eyes full of heat and promise as he pulled me down to kiss, his hand holding me to him as his other held my ass to help me move. He pressed his lips to my ear and licked the shell. “You’re mine now too, Inez.” I moaned as he sank his fangs in my neck and moved me faster. I helped as best as I could, but it was overwhelming and crazy.
And I orgasmed so hard, I thought my body might never work again.
“Rest, my love,” he whispered as I slumped against him.
“You didn’t finish,” I argued, my eyelids feeling too heavy. Holy fuck that had been intense. “I want to accept twice.”
“You will. I will finish in you, I promise. I will finish in my princess so many times we will set records, but right now, rest, little baby vampire.”
I snickered. “Little baby vampire with tits you love and a pussy you crave.”
“I do. Fuck, I so do,” he groaned. “Naughty princess.”
“I’m your naughty princess.”
“Yes, yes you are, and I will slaughter any who try to hurt you or take you from me.”
Well, who needed an engagement ring with a promise like that?
But he did have one for me. It was a rose gold band with two princess-cut black diamonds, and I loved it. It was perfect, as we both knew we had darkness in us but we could still fit together.
And I did accept twice. Nice.
2
The next morning my heart soared when Cerdic was waiting for me after my shower, looking nervous and fidgety. He knelt before I even reached him. “Inez Garner, will you accept my request of engagement?”
I glanced over to Jaxon, Darius, and Kristof. “Do you three approve?”
“I get a vote?” Kristof checked.
“We’re engaged; of course. I won’t court any you’re not comfortable with either.”
“I approve. Cerdic will be good to you, and a good addition to your court.”
Darius and Jaxon agreed, and I gave each of them a kiss. “Could we have some space? We’ve not had our first time yet and I have a promise to keep.”
“Of course. Have fun,” Darius teased me, the other two saying something similar.
I waited until they were gone before sitting on the once again new bench cushion. I stared at Cerdic and crooked my finger at him to come closer. I didn’t even see him move, yet he was kneeling on the cushion with me.
“I love you, Inez,” he whispered, cupping my face. “Will you be my fiancée? Is there any chance you could love me too?”
“I do love you,” I confessed, smiling he felt that way about me. “I love that you call me ‘love.’ I love that you can’t not touch my hair when it’s down. I love how much you always helped me from the moment we met.” I leaned into him. “I love all the flirty looks and touches you’ve snuck since we’ve met, how patient you were, so I knew this was right. I love how you always seem to know what I need.”
“I pay attention because I love you,” he murmured against my lips. “Thank you.”
“Thank you for loving me and wanting to be my fiancé.” I took off the towel and gave him a look that I was ready for him. I licked my lips as he got undressed, but I shook my head when he went to pull me on him. “No, I’ll accept twice, but I want you over me, covering me in your blood as we drink from each other. I want every inch of us touching
as you finally take me, make me yours.”
“I love you more than I ever loved her,” he blurted.
It felt so sudden that I could only blink at him, but then I realized there was a reason why I wanted to do this differently. “Did you want to make love to her that way?”
“Yes, but no,” he admitted, running his fingers along my arm and down my leg until I spread them for him. He pushed one in me, moaning as I bled on him. “I used to have this dream when I was younger that I would take my princess like that, bleed on her as I made sure to protect her, even when I made love to her.”
“Did you?” I whispered, not sure how to handle this.
He shook his head. “We never had sex. I’ve never had sex with a princess. After I found the one I thought I loved in bed with my twin, I swore off courts all together.” He chuckled as he kept teasing me. “I didn’t even realize I was having the fantasy again, but I was. I want that with you, Inez. Will you let me?” He kissed me when I nodded. “I’m going mad, love.”
I nodded again and turned over, lying down on the cushion with my cut hand on the ground.
“Spread for me,” he murmured, moaning when I did. He moved over me as he pushed two fingers back in me. “Your pussy’s so tender, isn’t it, love? Fuck, I just want to make you more swollen, make you ache, and scream for me.”
I looked up at him, shocked by what he was saying. “You do?”
He nodded, swallowing loudly. “I’m sorry. I’m dying. Smelling you for three days, knowing I had to wait to have you. I’ve been waiting weeks and you are so worth it, but I’m frantic, love. It’s worse than before. It’s rare I get aggressive like this, but I am, and I’m ready to claw at myself to not be too much for you.”
“I can handle it as long as you won’t always be like that,” I muttered, knowing I’d done the same for the other three, so of course I would for him.
“Thank you, love,” he breathed. He pulled out his fingers and slammed his dick in me. “Fuck, I knew you would be heaven.” He hummed in approval when I moaned as he rubbed his blood all over me, having cut his hands without me noticing. “So perfect. You are so fucking perfect, love.” He thrust hard and moved his lips to my ear. “Are you going to suck my cock one day too, be my naughty princess?”
“Maybe?” I gasped as he thrust again.
“Will you let me fuck your pert, lush ass?”
“Maybe?”
“Mmm, yeah, make me work for it,” he growled, moving his still-bleeding hands under me. One came up around my neck, gentle but I felt like the gesture meant something, and the other covered my stomach. “I love you’re so tender. It makes having to wait to have you last worth it. I’m going to make you ache, Inez. So bloody perfect.” He ran his fangs along my neck as he kept his hand there. “So fucking mine.”
I cried out as he bit me, his thrusts coming harder and faster as he rubbed his blood against my clit. I shuddered and orgasmed, everything he was doing to me taking me on a ride.
One that wasn’t nearly over yet.
He finished deep in me, and still seemed too on edge. “Offer me that ass, Inez. It’s mine now; you said so, just as I’m yours. Let me see those titties bounce.”
I pushed up on my hands and knees, exhausted and drained already, trying hard to keeping going after days of this. It wasn’t easy to keep feeding energy in the ground, to the tree, and for the coven like I was. Even if others were giving me blood and what I needed… It still all went through me.
He screwed me silly as he rubbed blood all over me, writing “Mine” on me and sounding extra possessive with it. I realized it wasn’t just my bleeding or him having waited. But he had some demons he was working through as he muttered I would never meet his twin, because I really loved him, and would always choose him. I melted, knowing I’d let him do anything to me if he was able to accept that was true.
We finished again and he caught me before I collapsed to the cushion.
“Sorry, love,” he whispered as he turned us on our sides and gently touched me. “Fuck, sorry, Inez.”
“Don’t ever apologize for sex with me, it makes me feel you regret me,” I whispered. I glanced at him over my shoulder. “I loved that you would be so open with me. I accept all of you, Cerdic, not just the chill and Zen side. I’ve got my greedy and bitchy side too. If I can’t be honest about that, how can you really know me?”
“You’re way too good for all of us,” he muttered as he pulled out of me. He cut his hand again and rubbed blood between my legs, murmuring to let out the energy and rest, he would tend to me.
I believed it and he did. He spoiled me. He was ridiculously attentive and I didn’t think anyone could go past how over the top Darius could be, but mellow Cerdic might have wiped my ass if I’d let him. I burst out laughing when he tried to follow me in the bathroom, banning him from the camper so I could have a moment.
I started to get really too exhausted. I fed from the twins, and it helped, but I kept apologizing to Cerdic because I felt like he got the dud day.
“Are you kidding me?” he chuckled, pulling me closer and snuggling with me. “I love this. Not that you’re wiped, but guys aren’t allowed to ask for snuggles and cuddles, love, so I get to enjoy this all I want and it’s your fault.”
“Asshole,” I chuckled, laughing my ass off when he just winked at me.
After dinner he got serious though. He waited until we were alone again and wrapped his arms around me… While holding an engagement ring. “Will you wear it?”
“Yeah, I love it,” I whispered as I stared at the ring. It was a thicker ring, but had three rows of smaller gems that looked to be diamonds and sapphires in different shades of blue. I took it from him and held it up in the setting sunlight. “It’s just like your eyes. I love it.” It really was, sparkling and dancing like ocean waves, swirling even if I turned it.
“I didn’t want to be conceited, but you have said you love my eyes, so I thought that you’d see it and always think of me.”
“I will.” I turned and kissed him before moving to straddle him. I put it on my finger until I could get another clip for my necklace and kissed him as I rode him, making him show me his throat like I had the others and declaring he was mine.
But after that, I was done and done.
And so was my period. The moment it was finished, the cut on my hand healed, and I sent one last push of power in the ground.
And passed out.
I woke the next morning with the sun, but was too wiped, muttering about needing more sleep and snuggling up between Darius and Cerdic. I did get up a bit later for breakfast, starved and dehydrated, but then I just wanted my bed again.
“You did a lot,” Cerdic praised, nodding behind me.
I turned, and my eyes went wide, as the tree was over ten feet now and full of branches and leaves. “Wow, thanks for watering that, guys. So weird.”
“It’s a thirsty bugger for sure, but we brought over a truck full of those huge jugs of water for coolers,” Vance said with a shrug.
“What kind of tree is it?”
“Life. It’s a tree of life, like we have at my family coven,” Jaxon said, Cerdic nodding as well. “It never gives seeds and never dies if tended to… Two things trees do so, yeah, not in your books or able to be grown besides a gift from the Goddess.”
“Well She also requires a lot to make it grow,” I said with a yawn. “I was supposed to warn someone if I was sore ever, right?”
“Yes, and we’ll help you get better,” Kristof told me and I was instantly in his arms. “You get doted on the next few days, My Princess. Someone tell James that Tyson isn’t making a run to Denver to kill corrupted until she’s better.”
“They’re all on hold, since she didn’t give more blood,” Jaxon told him. “They’re fine. Everyone’s bringing more here and getting camps set up. The nearest hotel is half an hour away; so is the RV camp.”
“I don’t want to be that far away from the tree,” I admitted, giving it a
worried look. “We can’t—don’t the covens protect it? I feel like it has to be protected.” I gave Darius a freaked out look. “How the fuck are we going to build near it? Someone would hurt the roots.”
“It’s going to be a large courtyard so the tree has ample room and a nice, relaxing place,” he promised. “Construction is done all the time while keeping natural features and landscape. We’ll put up a protective barrier just to be safe. Think of like a roofless garage, but everyone will know how important it is to protect.”
I nodded, scrubbing my hand over my head. “Everything’s been so crazy and I felt like we might never get here, that I didn’t ask how far you were in the designs or if you ever found that software.”
Several people burst out laughing and I blinked at them before looking at Darius, who simply leaned in and gave me a gentle kiss. “Your castle is completely designed and ready for your review, My Princess. It’s the greatest thing I’ve ever dreamed and will build because I love you.”
I flushed so hot I actually felt light-headed. Wow, fuck flowers. Sure, design and build me a castle.
The next time I got up for lunch, the computer was set up using the TV in the living area as the monitor and Darius patted the seat next to him. I went over there and Callum brought me food and water, giving me a wink when I thanked him.
“Are you ready?” Darius asked nervously.
“Yeah, excited,” I admitted. I almost dropped my plate when he brought up the 3D design. “Holy fuck, Darius. Can you really make that?”
“I can, my love,” he promised, sounding relieved.
Yeah, I didn’t blame him because I couldn’t even fathom how many hours went into designing it. He took what I’d said about a castle built around the tree, a circle that we would build out the coven like ripples in a pond, and put it on crack. There were five awesome diamond towers, so the castle also looked like a five-pointed star from the top, but cooler.