Vyserous was more than happy to duck his head out of the room, but Dracyrus was much slower in moving. Maybe because he was bigger, or maybe, Light thought, because he knew the reason Faith wanted him to leave. The way he looked at her; Light recognized the look. He’d seen it countless of times in Jag’s eyes too. The Dread King truly had fallen for the Harbinger, somehow.
Once the three of them were alone and the wooden door swung closed, Faith let out a soft sigh. Jag was beside her the next instant, taking her hand in his. It probably took every ounce of self-control he had not to bring up the other Fae woman. Instead, he asked softly, “What’s wrong?”
“I’m sorry,” Faith said, glancing from Jag to Light. “I’ve tried, but I just can’t…”
“You can’t what?”
Light watched her, thinking, goodness, Jag was dense. Wasn’t it obvious? Wasn’t it obvious on both sides? Dracyrus fancied her, and she fancied him right back, even though she’d tried not to.
“I don’t know if I can fight it anymore,” Faith went on. “But I don’t want another repeat of what happened with Finn. I don’t want to betray you guys.” She took on a grumbling tone, “But without Finn and Cam here, how am I supposed to—”
“Cam would want you to be happy,” Light spoke. At least, the brother he knew would want her to be happy. The Ulen his mother had spoken of, swore up and down that Cam was now, might not, but Light still held onto hope for his older brother. He always would.
Jag was quick to say, “And who cares about Finn?”
Light felt himself smiling, which only caused Faith to knock elbows with him. They each sat on her sides, Light on her left and Jag on her right. He still held onto her hand, holding onto it tightly. It didn’t look like the Malus was going to let go anytime soon.
“That’s not nice,” she said.
Shrugging, Jag said, “He’s not nice. He’s a, what’s the word? An asshole. A big asshole. I hate him—”
Faith laughed. “You do not.”
“I do. Don’t you, Light?”
Light wasn’t sure what to say. He didn’t hate Finn, but he didn’t exactly like him, either. The Human was irritating, far too confident for his own good, completely cocky and superior in every way. But hate? Hate was a strong word. It seemed especially too strong considering Finn was missing, along with Cam.
He chose not to address Jag’s question, instead asking Faith, “So, you truly do have feelings for Dracyrus?”
She was quiet until she whispered, “I do.”
Perhaps it was because this was not his first time debating on sharing her with another, or perhaps he cared more for Faith now than he did before—but he wanted to see her happy. Light didn’t necessarily want to share her, but he could feel the tension between her and Dracyrus. It was undeniable. He would be selfish to want to keep her all to himself.
“You’ll do what you have to,” Light finally said, reaching for her other hand, pulling her close. “And I’ll be here with you, no matter what.” He was just about to run a hand through her hair, but Jag tugged her back to him, seemingly needing to get his point across, too.
“And I’ll be here too, you know, even if you have to kiss another woman. I don’t think you can say the same of Light for that,” Jag spoke, scrunching his face as if he knew he was pulling his words straight from his backside.
Light glared. So did Faith.
“Shut up,” she said. “I was drunk. And she kissed me, okay? Not the other way around.” She shook her head, her auburn hair flying every which way. “You are such a stereotypical guy.”
His ears perked up. “Is that a good thing?”
She only laughed. Faith stood up, dragging them with her. “Come on, there’s someplace I want to show you.”
Light had no idea where she was taking them once they left her room and passed Dracyrus and Vyserous in the hall, and he didn’t care. He would go anywhere and everywhere with her, for her. It still blew his mind he had such feelings toward a Human. If he would’ve pegged where his life would be when he was growing up, he definitely wouldn’t have guessed he’d be in the Harbinger’s fellowship, and in bed with her. His younger self would’ve gotten very confused.
The Eldertree was a marvel. Its root system seemed to spread out for eternity in all directions, thick and wild enough to create dozens if not hundreds of rooms beneath its growth. Vines grew along the walls, their flowery blossoms glowing to illuminate the area, better, more ethereal, than torches or magic. Light felt comfortable here, as strange as it was.
Faith took them down further, deeper into the Eldertree’s depths, stopping only when she brought them to a room with a giant pond, its waters glowing from the light shining from the small, floating creatures inside it. It was a beautiful area, perhaps the most beautiful space Light had ever seen—and he’d come from the Springsweet, he knew Elven architecture well, the grandiose and elegant curves they put in everything. But this? This wasn’t hand-crafted or constructed on purpose. This was a natural space, and nature had demanded it be ridiculously beautiful.
Just like the auburn-haired girl with two dagger tattoos on her wrists and a metal dot in her nose.
Jag went to the water’s edge, kneeling down as he peered over, at the slow, meandering creatures inside the water as Faith turned to look at Light, a gigantic smile on her face. “I thought you’d like this place,” she said.
She knew him well—he did. He adored this place.
Faith stepped closer to him, running a hand down his chest as her green eyes sparkled. Her eyes were such a vivid, pure green, it was a wonder why Light hadn’t put the pieces together before. She was part Fae. Those eyes were Fae eyes, wholly mischievous in every way.
“Want to get in?” she asked, cocking a single eyebrow. Her hand fell off his chest as she reached for the cloak—Dracyrus’s cloak—tied around her neck, undoing the string and causing it to sail to the floor. Faith went to lift her shirt off next.
Right here? Right now? As much as Light would like to—and he was dying to get his hands on Faith once again—this was a public area. No door. Anyone could walk right in and see them—her shirt came off, her round, perky breasts bouncing free. Her nipples were already hard, and Light instantly lost his train of thought.
How could he deny her when she so clearly wanted him in that pool with her?
Light started to shed his clothes, momentarily forgetting about the Malus in the room, at least until Jag turned to watch them, his blue eyes twinkling. “Is he the only one you’re going to invite?”
Her shoulders shrugged. “That’s up to you, Jag. Do you want to come in, too?” She gave the Malus a grin as she kicked off her stitched shoes and lowered her pants to the ground. She stood before Light and Jag, utterly naked, for only a moment before turning and leaping into the water, splashing them both. The glowing creatures in the pond floated away from her body, though once the water settled, they slowly swam back around her.
Jag looked at Light, and Light knew exactly what his friend was thinking. He knew Light didn’t particularly care to watch others with Faith, but then again, at this point in time, Light had a one-track mind: he wanted Faith, and he didn’t care if Jag was there, too. Light gave him a look, an expression which Jag grinned in response to.
Soon, both he and Jag were naked, wading into the pool beside Faith, who stood at its edge, submerged to her chest, her hair drenched due to her dive into the water. Its lengths were tucked behind her ears, and she let out a sigh when Light reached for her, pulling her to him and holding her against his bare chest.
By all the kingdoms, feeling her skin against his—it was something he’d missed with his entire body. His soul. Every part of him ached to have her, to know her, to feel her. Faith beside him, against him, was not something he should have to go without, not after knowing what she felt like around him. It was a cruel punishment, and Light swore to himself he would never let Faith wander off by herself again. She would always be with one of them. Jag, him, even Dr
acyrus or Vyserous—he didn’t care. So long as she didn’t disappear without a trace again.
Without Dracyrus, he realized, without their connection, they never would’ve found her. Who knew where she would be, what she’d be doing? If she arrived here and got her memories back, would she have gone off by herself in search of them? No, it was best not to think about what could’ve been; Light had to focus on what was. What will be.
And right now, it was all about their bodies reconnecting. And Jag, but the Malus was an afterthought. Besides, if he truly enjoyed watching Faith with others, he’d step aside and let Light have her first.
Faith had the same thing on her mind, for she wrapped her arms around his head, kissing his collarbone once before lifting her mouth to his, drowning him in everything she was. Wild and free, heated and hungry. Almost immediately, Light felt a stirring in his lower gut, and he knew his arousal showed. This time, none of them were high on maleek; they were all in their right mind. Light was thankful their private bits were under the water, otherwise he wasn’t certain if he could do it with Jag less than a foot away.
Her tongue pushed into his mouth, and he let her devour him. She smelled of nature, something new, a fresh scent due to her time here. Or maybe she’d always smelled like that, and Light had been too smitten with her to realize it. Now he knew she was part Fae, and everything clicked together in ways they didn’t before.
Jag had moved behind her, running his hands down her back, causing her to shiver as she kissed Light. The Malus’s hands were under the water, and suddenly Faith moaned into the kiss, practically panting with desire. Light didn’t have to spend more than two seconds guessing what Jag was doing to her beneath the water: touching her, caressing her in her most private, intimate place.
Drawing her lips off his, Faith turned toward Jag, kissing him in much the same way. Light was a bit jealous at first, but then he felt her backside arch against his hard length, and he let out a groan. No matter what she did, she drove him crazy. Completely and utterly crazy, even when she had her lips locked with Jag’s.
Light ran his hands over her body, reacquainting himself with each curve, tracing her spine as he pressed himself harder against the crack of her butt, wanting desperately to be inside of her in this moment.
In fact, it was what he wanted, so he was going to do it. Take her off of Jag and be the dominant one, show her that he needed to have her first. Light wasn’t normally that kind of lover, but his balls ached with a deep, inherent need to find their release, and his body craved the feeling of hers once more.
He grabbed her shoulder, spinning her off Jag, to which the Malus shot Light a glare, but Light didn’t care. He wrapped an arm around Faith’s lower back, stopping her from wriggling away as he used his other hand to position himself below the water. Within a moment, he pushed inside of her—or did her body sink down on his? He didn’t know, didn’t care. All Light knew was that he felt her inner walls around his cock, and never had he felt so at home. So right. So perfect.
Faith let out a low, guttural moan when she fully took him in, her eyelids fluttering closed as his hips began to move, pumping his length in and out of her with a vigor Light didn’t know he was capable of. He had missed her. Her spirit, her spunk, her body. Everything about her, Light had missed with each fiber of his being while they were separated. This union was him letting her know just how badly he’d longed for her.
It must’ve killed him to simply watch and not join in, but Jag leaned on the edge of the pool, his eyes glimmering with the glowing creatures’ light as he watched Light and Faith. Mostly Faith and how her back arched, how she threw her head back and moaned with wild abandon, running her nails down Light’s back and scratching him.
She was perfect in every way. Light wouldn’t change a single thing about her.
Light felt his release building, and he didn’t even try to fight it, to make himself last longer. Now that she was here, with him, they’d have all the time in the world to do more of this. Right now, he only wanted to make her his. His hips started bucking, the tension in his body rising until it reached the turning point. Balls tightening, he felt an orgasm rip through his body, demanding that he moan and close his eyes as he rocked inside of her, pumping his cock in and out, his seed spilling in her.
He held her close, tightly against him, even as his thrusting stopped, even as the orgasm released him from its hold. She was so much shorter than him; it was a lot of work, but he bent his head and rested his cheek against the top of her head for a few moments, breathing hard. Though he was still inside of her, this was the most relaxed he’d been for a long time. This was where he should always be, in her arms, as she should be in his.
But remain in his arms she wouldn’t; not for long, at least, for Jag wanted her, needed her just as badly as Light, and the Malus was done waiting.
Faith was taken from his arms, his cock sliding out of her under the water as Jag pulled her to him, burying his face in the crook of her neck, rubbing his cheek against hers as a low growl came from his chest. The animal. Faith didn’t mind though, for she moved his face, hand on his cheek, giving him a slow, eager kiss that stifled the rest of the growl in his throat.
Light probably shouldn’t watch, but what else was he supposed to do? Get up and walk away? Not only would he get lost in the depths of the Eldertree and probably never be seen again, but he’d miss out on spending more time with Faith.
He could tell when Jag was inside of her, for she let out a great sigh, and Jag muttered a soft, “I almost forgot how good you feel.” Light knew the feeling, for they’d gone too long without her, without knowing her body against theirs. They should never have to spend so much time apart again, no matter what problems came their way.
They were one. They were a fellowship. They were lovers. They shouldn’t be apart; it just wasn’t right.
Jag spun them, leaning Faith’s back against the edge of the pond, her chest heaving above the water’s surface as he took her. His fur-covered shoulders shook as he pounded into her, his muscles tightening as he let out grunts with each hard thrust of his hips. Faith leaned her head back, her eyes rolling to a close, a look of ecstasy on her face. Her lips were parted, panting in a way similar to Jag, as if she wanted more, needed more. She’d clearly missed them as much as they’d missed her.
The water around them rippled with their movements, the floating, glowing creatures knowing enough to stay away from their forms beneath the surface. It was a while before Jag let out an annoyed growl, saying, “This isn’t working.” Before Faith could say anything, before Light could ask what was wrong, he lifted her off and pushed her out of the water. He leapt out, shaking himself off once, his tail flicking the excess water off as he shook.
Faith was on her hands and knees before him, her backside in the air as Jag positioned himself behind her, his cock hard and ready, wet with her juices—and, Light supposed, his as well. Probably not something Light should think about. Oh, well.
Jag pushed back inside of her without hesitation, filling her up in one smooth thrust. His clawed hands rested on her hips, rocking her body back and forth along his length, pulling himself out nearly all the way before thrusting back inside of her as deep as he could go, letting out grunts as he had her like a Malus. Her breasts swayed back and forth, but it was clear she didn’t mind being taken like this. If anything, the expression on her face told Light she rather enjoyed it.
Between his legs, Light felt his cock growing hard again—it was hard to keep it down, keep it unexcited, when he watched Faith writhing in sheer pleasure. Before he knew what he was doing, he reached under the water, starting to stroke himself. His hand was nowhere near as nice as her sex was, but Jag was currently balls-deep inside her, and it didn’t look like he’d stop anytime soon.
Jag’s thrust grew harder, more frantic as he buried his length deep in her. Light watched as his friend’s body started to tremble, and he knew the moment when Jag had found his release inside Faith. The Ma
lus’s back bent, and he nearly collapsed on top of Faith, his hips’ thrusting growing slower and slower until it stopped entirely. Faith crawled forward, letting Jag slip out of her.
Still on her hands and knees, she turned, grabbed Jag by the shoulders and pushed him down so that he laid on the ground. Faith crawled to him, her head low, stopping only when her lips were near his cock. They parted, her mouth opening wide as she took him in, slick juices and all. Light felt his own length ache, wishing he was in Jag’s place, wanting her mouth around him. Her tongue swirling around his tip and making him squirm.
The Malus was powerless to stop her, even to beg her to keep going. Jag could do nothing but rest his head on the ground and let out a moan every few moments. Faith bobbed along him, eager to please him, wanting to make him come again, if her focus on his cock meant anything. Jag’s hips started to thrust off the ground, a bodily reaction to getting his cock sucked. He was sluggish in moving his hands to her head, fingers weaving through her wet hair as he held onto her.
Okay, Light begrudgingly admitted to himself, perhaps watching wasn’t so bad. There was something erotic about it—watching two people he cared about going at it like animals, hearing the sounds Jag made as Faith pleased him. The small pop of her lips when his cock left her mouth and the whimper he made as she swatted his hands away. She crawled over him, positioning herself above him before sinking down, taking him in again, wriggling her butt as she encased him.
Light couldn’t take it anymore. He pulled himself out of the water, moving to Faith and Jag, spreading his legs over Jag so he could position the tip of his cock before Faith. Her green eyes flicked up at him, and she said nothing as she took him into her mouth as she rocked along Jag. It wasn’t the most comfortable standing position for Light, but he would make do, mostly because the feeling of her mouth, wet and warm, around his cock was one of the best feelings in all the world.
The Lionheart (The Harbinger Book 4) Page 13