by Erin R Flynn
“Yeah, count me in,” he groaned and got to his feet. It was hard not to see the wet spot on his wrap. Fuck, he looked good.
There were another ten quick ones before Gayle went. I gave her a good dose of the power I’d collected, and she experienced a huge orgasm right there for everyone to see, the hormone level in the club rising even higher.
The same happened with several other women of the pack that had come or worked for us, being careful to space themselves out. It was also tiring, not to mention the weird times like when I kissed and fed from my boss. But that was part of the show. Seraphine Thomas wouldn’t have been caught dead kissing Chief Chad Monroe.
It helped the subterfuge because while all the paranormals in the area knew I was powerful, not all knew what I was. And the ones who did, well, let them see my power and to not fuck with me. People who came into town looking for a siren might not actually get me at the club. It was complicated, certainly a juggling act, but I had a lot of help to keep it all going and could give power to those in the pack who seriously needed it.
After about half of the guests were done, I “swallowed down” what my siren needed with a bit extra to boost my own power. I waited until Harris came and gave him the extra, waving to Hagan, Reagan, and Dain I’d had enough and couldn’t go any further.
“Our goddess is sated, filled with your love and devotion to her. You have worshipped her well, giving her no reason to leave us and take her blessings from our fine city. Tomorrow, she will feed again, giving more blessings to those who will come and kneel before her next.”
That was the end of Dain’s speech, and I took Zlat’s hand, getting to my feet, a bit dizzy when I stood. I managed up the stairs and to sit on the litter, but when they lifted me, I had to hang on tighter, as the quick up gave me a head rush.
I let out a huge sigh when we were back behind the stage and they’d set me on the ground with no problem. I went to stand and plopped right back down.
“I thought feeding would make you stronger?” Brian asked, squatting down in front of me. I hadn’t realized he’d slipped backstage.
“So does pushing your workouts, but they have a cost to you,” I explained, always going with that analogy for the power. “Plus, I gave a lot of it back to some people.” I realized it was the time to bring up something he wouldn’t like. “What I took from you was tiny, Brian. I took a baby sip from the humans. I took gulps from someone powerful like Monroe and fed it back to Harris and Davis. That’s a lot of in and out.”
He gave me a soft smile, reading in between what I was telling him. “Your life, what you are, won’t ever fit being exclusive with someone. I know that.”
“Still want to shower with me?” I whispered, staring down at my gold paint-covered thighs. I removed the headdress and took off the cap so my hair was free.
“Oh yeah.” He snorted when I raised my head with wide eyes. “Sera, you’re still you, or you wouldn’t have to ask. You weren’t giving blow jobs to strangers. You fed, which you need, and provided something awesome in the club that gave all these jobs. Feel proud because what you did was amazing—tonight and with all of this—and nothing to feel shame from.”
“Stupid Catholic foster family that dragged me to church three times a week,” I grumbled, knowing that was where most of my prudishness came from. They’d done it at an impressionable age and then kicked me back to DCFS when they learned I could get images from people, a demon clairvoyant to the church.
Yeah, because tossing out a foster kid wouldn’t be a sin to any loving god.
“You got her?” Hagan checked as Brian helped me stand.
“Yeah, don’t worry.”
“It’s our job to worry about our Alpha,” he argued.
“Worry about the woman, not the Alpha or wolf or siren,” Brian snapped and swung me up into his arms. Then he stormed off in the direction I pointed to, not listening to me when I said I could walk.
“I don’t know how long this stuff will stay on. It could get all over you,” I informed him meekly, remembering I was naked even if I was painted.
He chuckled softly, and I felt it in his chest. “Good thing we’re at a shower.” He set me on my feet and leaned me up against the tiles of the group shower before turning on the water and testing the temperature. Then he took off his wrap, hard and wanting, and moved us under the stream. “Where can I wash you?”
“I think you’ll have to do it all because I’m running on empty,” I confessed, not shocked when his hand went between my legs, though surprised it already had soap that I’d missed he’d gotten from the dispenser.
“You’re so fucking wet,” he groaned before mashing his mouth to mine. Shit, I’d forgotten how intense he was.
And how much he liked foreplay. His fingers did amazing things that made my legs give out as I cried out at the climax.
“Brian, I really can’t stand,” I panted as I felt myself slide against the tiles.
“I can wash you sitting.” He helped me to the ground and changed the stream of water to straight down, hurrying to get my hair out of my face as he actually worked on getting the gold off me this time. Okay, fine, he took a few breaks to enjoy my breasts or squeeze my ass, but mostly he washed me.
Which was why I reached out and grabbed him, stroking him as his hands moved even faster. “It’s so hard it looked painful.”
“Yeah, after seeing you in goddess mode, that’s one way to describe how I feel.”
I took good care of him as he washed me. When he finished—both washing my front and he climaxed—he turned me so he could get my back. Then he lifted me up and got where he couldn’t with me sitting… My butt.
“Did you get it all?” I chuckled as he turned me one way and then the other.
“I think so, but water glistens on you, and that’s sparkly like the paint.”
“I think it’s fine, Bri. It’s a bit embarrassing to have you check every inch of me like this.”
He slowly turned me back, smiling widely as he cupped my cheek. “You are still you, Sera. Only you could get embarrassed now from this after being naked out there or we played. It’s one of your most endearing traits and one you haven’t lost.”
“Thank you,” I whispered, lowering my forehead to his chest and accepting a strong hug. “I really have to eat.” My stomach echoed that sentiment by growling loudly.
Embarrassing. I was always doing embarrassing stuff.
7
“The comments are good across the board,” one of the chefs informed me as we entered the kitchen. “Not one bad thing so far, only which they liked best, so some might be good for weekly specials.” He gestured over to a bunch of plates out of the way on a prep table. “We have a lot of extras waiting for you since some of the humans didn’t even touch some of the options they were so full.”
“Damn humans,” Brain joked, shrugging when we both shot him a look. “Hey, I was one of them. It was too much food.”
I thanked the chef and took a seat at the waiting stool, digging right in. “You never told me what you thought of the salmon like you promised.”
“It was delicious. I thought it would be your raspberry teriyaki salmon, but then I remembered you gave the recipe to Simone for her bistro, so it wouldn’t be here too. What was that sauce?”
“Ranch dressing,” I giggled, shrugging when he shot me a look like I was lying. “We had a huge bottle of ranch Jared found in the back of the pantry that wouldn’t be good much longer, and I thought why not and brushed it on all the salmon I was going to smoke and added sliced mushrooms we had since I got a big container and I’m the only one who really likes them. It was awesome, and even the chefs laughed at the idea until I had them try some.”
“Yeah, it was really good. I would never have guessed it was just ranch.” He sat with that a moment and then burst out laughing, leaning in and kissing my cheek. “You really are too much sometimes.”
“I try.”
“So I know you were doing your thing and
flooding the room with power that affected the paranormals more than us, but I thought you’d want to know something interesting,” he offered as I kept eating, wanting to get back to see the dancing. I nodded, and he smiled that impish, Brian smile that warmed me inside. “After Gayle orgasmed at your knees from a kiss, turning on every straight guy in the club, she walked directly over to our booth and sat on Corbin’s lap.”
My eyes went wide as I waved him to continue as I swallowed down my bite. He didn’t, so I asked the question. “Did she just sit there only?”
“Oh no, she about attacked him. He was totally into it and wearing the right color wrap, but yeah, I wouldn’t be surprised if they had sex right there.”
“That’s how power exchanges work for us. You saw the state I was in. I did it in Vegas the first time and let Hagan do me right in the middle of a shifter lagoon thing.” I frowned, thinking that had been unlike me. Maybe the power had been part of it.
“Everyone goes a bit crazy in Vegas their first time there since there are so few rules,” he said gently, reaching over and rubbing my leg. “I went bat shit nuts my first time on a bachelor party trip. There’s so many pheromones in the damn air there that everyone’s a bit wound up, and you’d been through something bad. I’m not shocked you pushed what you thought you’d do.”
“I kept using that as my reasoning too, but how does that—”
“Would you do what you did with Hagan up on the stage right now?”
“No,” I immediately answered, and he gave me a triumphant look. “And not just because they hurt me. But I did do something so bold with Riley and Jesse.”
“I heard about that from Simone. Riley backed you into a corner, guilted you that you were abusing your wolf, and that’s different.” I nodded and finished my plate, no longer hungry because of what I was feeling. He cupped my face and sighed. “Even if you did something crazy—who cares, Sera? You feeding from me felt so good I would have done you right there if I thought you’d be okay with it, not caring that my subordinates or someone above me like Monroe was there.”
“You’re saying we all get swept away now and again?” I checked, feeling better when he nodded.
“That and the older you get, the less you care about shit that just doesn’t matter in the long run. So what if people saw something intimate? That embarrassed me as a kid too, but now, fuck, I was just thrilled you gave me even a chance after all I did. I don’t care if I had to do it in the middle of Times Square.”
“Thanks.” I meant it. He was always really good at helping me work through things, which brought me to another question as I switched plates, hurrying to finish but wanting to know too. “Has talking with someone helped?”
“Yeah, and normally I hate when I’m forced to see the shrink after a shooting or whatever, but he said something that hit a nerve with me, and I found myself realizing I did want to talk. I did maybe need some help. Saying that alone was like a huge weight came off of me. Why?”
“Apparently Alena’s bringing someone for me to talk with who was infected with the same strain I am. I guess that complicates things for the females. The guys don’t feed and have the level of powers we do.”
“Life is never easy no matter what species or shit in front of us,” he reminded me, not in that condescending way but in a you’re not alone way. And I appreciated that too.
I put my plates in the sink, wanting the dessert left, most tables not finishing the cakes but taking slices. They’d be there after the preview ended since we weren’t going until late. I headed to the elevator, but Brian pulled me off to the side hallway that led to the security office.
“I’m hungry too,” he muttered and dropped to his knees. I gasped as he moved my leg over his shoulder and feasted on me twice in a row right there outside the kitchen. When he was done, I simply stared at him, and he smiled at me as he stood. “I never thought I’d get to taste you again. I don’t fucking care where it is or who I’m in front of if you let me, and I’m not a wolf or siren.”
I yanked his head down for a kiss when I realized he’d done it for me. Well, obviously, I’d gotten two orgasms, but he did it, swallowing whatever embarrassment it might have caused if someone had found us and did it to help me. This was the Brian I’d risked so much to let touch me almost a year ago. This was the Brian I had respected and been attracted to since the moment we’d met when I’d arrived back after Quantico.
This was the Brian who did things to my heart more than I’d like to admit.
“Let’s go see your dancers,” he panted when we came up for air. He took my hand and pulled me to the elevators.
“What about you?” I asked, even as I stepped on when the doors opened.
“I got my snack,” he assured me, smirking. I could tell he was hard under his wrap, but he didn’t push it.
He didn’t push me.
We hurried to the table with his group instead of having me rejoin Hagan and Reagan. I wasn’t sure that was smart, but I didn’t want to go over to them. Another thing hit me as I slid in next to Jason, Brian coming in on the other side of me.
“You didn’t come up,” I accused Jason.
He smiled, shaking his head. “No, you fed from me earlier today. I wasn’t really sure if I could handle two in one day or how it worked, so I didn’t want to cause a problem. Plus, I seriously enjoyed it from here and the waves of whatever the hell that was.” He leaned in and nuzzled my neck. “You mad?”
“No, just wondering if you’re up to something again,” I answered, shoving him away with a laugh. I might have said more, but music cued up. “We missed the Gaga number.”
“It was really good,” Corbin complimented with a big smile. “I can’t believe you have a wolf that sings so well.”
“We have a couple,” I admitted, smiling at the praise Lillie Reed was getting. We’d worked hard to talk her into doing it after hearing her sing. The woman had chops. “Two from Simone’s panthers too and a hawk.” I smiled even wider when the curtain lifted. “This was the number I fought for.”
“Who wants to watch guys dance,” Jason grumbled as the spotlight hit Jesse with four other hosts backing him up for the only guy number.
“All the women here,” I told him. Jesse opened with the first line of NSYNC’s Bye Bye Bye while the others just lip synced and they moved into a dance. He was doing all the solo parts since he had the voice, but the change from the video was instead of other clips of this or that, they turned towards each other with one in the middle, a bit of shoving, and someone ripped off the guy’s shirt. Yes, so the clothes went bye, bye, and bye.
“Yes! This is awesome,” a woman called out a few tables away and whistled loudly.
There were a few more items of clothing lost during the first solo part, group dancing in the chorus, and then more clothes came off during a solo so when the third one came around, they were down to nothing but tiny boy shorts.
“This was seriously your idea?” Brian checked.
“Yeah, I loved this song, and this was what was always missing from the video.”
“You always had a dirty girl deep in you then, and it was time for her to mature no matter what happened in her life.” As if to prove his point, he slid his hand under the blue wrap I was wearing and teased my upper thigh.
“What other songs are up for tonight or do you have worked out overall?” Jason asked when the show was over, scooting closer and wiggling his eyebrows at me.
“Oh stuff it,” I chuckled, pushing him away. “Just because you have a voice like Josh Groban doesn’t mean anything tonight.”
“He does?” Brian asked tightly.
“Yeah, it’s smooth enough to get any girl out of her clothes,” I drawled. Then I decided to answer his question. “We have Free Your Mind by En Vogue, my pick. Simone loves Beyoncé, so there’s Single Ladies, which came out awesome, and Run the World. P!nk is my goddess, so there’s a few of hers that everyone wanted. Blow Me and Most Girls we’ve got.
“I th
ink they’re trying to do Try with the actual dance. U + Ur Hand is somewhere in there, and I voted for Trouble since it’s like a burlesque in the video, but I don’t know where that’s at.”
“No Christina Aguilera or actual Burlesque numbers?” Corbin asked, frowning.
“One, every burlesque show does those numbers, even the fairy queen’s in Vegas. Second, that woman can sing and with a big range. We have one who can do it, but she’s not comfortable at that level yet. She’s not a professional, just a rough diamond who wanted to have fun dancing, not even trying for the singing. Everyone’s worried if it’s not awesome, we’ll get mocked, so there’s some debate about letting her sing but audio cover the high stuff.”
“Smart,” Jason complimented as he tried again to snuggle.
I chuckled and sat back, letting him see—but only him since he was next to me—where Brian’s hand was. “I’ll let your hand go there if you go up there and sing a song.”
“And?”
“Nothing, Jas. You’re greedy. You want to show you’re willing to give to get even a snuggle instead of trying to steal or do underhanded shit for it, that’s the price.”
Understanding filled his eyes. I was punishing him and challenging him, which he always pushed back on.
“Kiss for luck?” he asked after he motioned for us to get out so he could.
“No, but I’ll give you a kiss for success.” I slid back in the booth, Brian frowning as he took his same spot.
“Am I so easily interchangeable? I get you won’t ever be exclusive, but that was a bit like treating me like I’m completely replaceable.”
I opened my mouth to argue but then closed it, trying again once I had my thoughts in order. “I didn’t mean it like that. I wasn’t offering for him to join me in the shower instead of you when I’d said you. That would seem replaceable I guess, but this was more just stop pushing him away, adding his hand maybe? I wanted to poke at him, not slight you. I’m sorry.”