by Bonnie Dee
A wafer-thin cracker smashed to crumbs between Valarian’s fingers. He turned away from the pâté and went to the refrigerator, wrenching open the door hard enough to make the jars rattle. “That is not all we are to each other and you know it. Why do you have to make this so complicated? Why can’t you just be content with things as they are?”
God, he missed the long-ago days when he’d shouted out orders and his men had fallen over themselves to obey them without ever questioning why. Or the heady days when he’d killed anyone who crossed him. Modern times were all about negotiation and keeping the peace. It was tedious and exhausting.
“Because it is complicated,” Jacob replied calmly. “And because I’m not content.”
“Why not?” Valarian exploded. “You have everything, and now this woman too. You like her. She will bear your—our child. We’ll save the world and live fucking happily ever after. Be content!”
A smile snuck across Jacob’s mouth, turning the reluctant corners upward. “I’ll try…Master.”
“Good.” He slapped plates and cutlery on the tray, opened a bottle of wine to let it breathe and grabbed a bag of O negative from the fridge to fill his own appetite. He’d rather have sipped straight from Akila’s artery, but that would come soon enough, he hoped.
They finished preparing the food in silence, but before they left the kitchen, he turned to Jacob once more. He put his hands on the other man’s shoulders and stared into his eyes.
“I do want you to be happy. And you’re right, maybe it’s time for a change. You can leave me if that’s what you truly want. I won’t hold you back. But I hope adding Akila to our lives will make things better for both of us. Maybe she’s the element that’s been missing.” He drew a breath before making another concession. “Or, if you want her to be yours alone, I won’t stand in your way.”
The little smile played over Jacob’s mouth again and he shook his head slightly. “I think it’s too late. She’s already tasted us both. The decision is up to the lady now, and I believe whatever she wants is what she will have—one, the other or both of us.”
Chapter Nine
Akila had half expected the prophecy to be on a rolled-up scroll, tattered at the edges and inscribed in ancient cursive. It was a bit of a disappointment when, after they finished eating a delicious picnic lunch in Jacob’s bed, Valarian sat her down on the sofa in the bird room and called up the document on his iPad screen. The original text was in one pane and the translated words in a separate document. At least the scanned copy of the original looked as antique as Akila had imagined.
The manuscript was short, only a paragraph, really, and Valarian had already paraphrased it in clear terms. A threat to mankind. Enslaved by monsters. Which she could only assume meant vampires. And the union of Ra and the Great Khan that would bring forth a child. Then some more vague phrases about ending the strife between humans and blood drinkers.
“Why not nip it in the bud?” she asked, deciding to bring up Jacob’s much better way of solving the problem. “I was thinking if the world knew the truth—that vampires exist and that not all of them are stone-cold killers—maybe we could come to some kind of truce. Overton and his movement could be stopped before they gain any real power.”
She looked up from the tablet, meeting Valarian’s frown.
“And how would you go about proving our existence?” It was clear from his dry tone he knew the answer.
“What could be better than a world-renowned financier and well-respected philanthropist ‘coming out’ as a vampire? I could write an article, or better, tape an interview with you and send it to the media.” If she happened to get her name out there attached to the breaking news of the century, it was an added bonus.
“No. That’s not going to happen.” He shut her down. “The ramifications are enormous and I have no right to decide to share a secret that is not mine alone. You’re suggesting exposing an entire subset of the population and possibly sparking a massive witch-hunt.”
“People might not be as horrified or shocked as you think. We’ve been conditioned through popular media to begin to think of vampires as real. If it’s made clear that your kind doesn’t have to pose a threat—”
Valarian was a blur and then he was right up in her face, gripping her throat and baring his fangs. “Don’t fool yourself. We are a threat.”
“Valarian!” Jacob lunged for him, grasping his shoulder.
The vampire shook him off as if he were a fly, then he released Akila and stepped back, retracting his fangs. “Relax, Jacob. I’m making a point. Such a revelation might start an all-out war with vampires preying on humans much more aggressively. This secret has been kept for centuries for a reason. It’s safest for everyone this way.”
Akila’s heart pounded in her aching throat. He hadn’t grabbed hard enough to choke her, but she felt the phantom impressions of his fingers and knew he could have crushed her windpipe with a flex of his hand. The danger inherent in him was well illustrated.
“Point taken,” she gasped.
Jacob sat beside her on the couch, resting a hand on her back. “Are you all right?”
She nodded. “Yeah. Sure.”
“I’m sorry I frightened you.” Valarian didn’t sound very apologetic as he turned away to stare at his birds through the cage bars. “But you must understand the impossibility of what you suggest. The prophecy cannot be circumvented. We must fulfill our destiny.”
Akila had never been much of a believer in destiny. She’d been brought up to think a person shaped fate by his or her choices, but she wasn’t about to argue with the vampire about it right now.
“Okay. So, this union is absolutely necessary. I get it.” She handed the iPad to Jacob and rose to walk over to Valarian. “But I’m still not certain I’m ready to sacrifice my future and have a baby. I need more time.”
He looked down at her. “I don’t know how much time we have. Elections are only a few months away and Overton is in the lead in his race. Once he’s in power, he’ll begin to appoint his people to crucial, influential positions. The infiltration will have begun. After that…I don’t know exactly how this will play out, how vampires gain so much power so quickly considering we’re a small minority. All I know is what the Sisters showed me, a possible future in which humans become drones serving the vampire elite.”
Akila released a shaky breath. Concepts like duty and responsibility—beyond paying her bills on time and checking in with her parents from time to time—had never been a big part of her life. Now suddenly she was expected to turn her life upside down.
“If these ladies guarded the prophecy for hundreds of years, you’d think they would have approached you a little earlier, given us more time to adjust to the idea. What’s with this eleventh hour bullshit?”
Valarian chuckled and warmth bathed her. He had quite a knack for veering from scary to accessible in the blink of an eye. “I have no idea, and I know I promised I’d try to track them down so they could talk to you personally, but to be honest I have no way to contact them again. They appeared from nowhere, delivered their message and left, two wizened women who looked like they’d been alive as long as the scroll itself.”
Akila folded her arms and gazed at the bright plumage of the birds that flitted from branch to branch inside their cage. “You’ve been upfront with me about everything and I appreciate that. So I’ll be equally honest with you. I enjoyed being with you guys.” That was a hell of an understatement and demeaned how powerful the experience had been for her. “I’d like to continue getting to know both of you, spending time here and, to be blunt, having sex with you. But I intend to stay on the Pill until I’ve made my own decision. I won’t be pushed into something I’m not ready to commit to.”
She didn’t need Valarian pushing. Her own conscience was doing enough of that.
“Very well. I won’t say anything more,” he promised. “You’ve got the facts and what proof I can offer. Now it’s up to you.”
A strained silence fell. Akila wished they’d stayed in Jacob’s big bed, where they’d shared an easy camaraderie, making small talk over lunch. If she’d been invited here purely for a sexual romp, things would’ve been so much easier. But there’d been important matters to discuss and after a while they’d dressed, come downstairs and Valarian had showed her the prophecy as promised.
“It’s nearly dusk.” Jacob broke the silence. “We could walk on the beach now if you’d like.”
She smiled at him. “That sounds perfect.” Taking a stroll on a tropical evening was exactly what she needed to ease her mind.
Several minutes later, they descended the path from the bluff to the beach. The tail end of a gorgeous sunset painted the sky orange, red and gold against indigo blue, and the water reflected the paintbox above. A girl couldn’t ask for a more beautiful, balmy evening at the beach with her two best fellas, Akila decided. Valarian strode by her side, the fading light gilding his harsh features gold, and she felt Jacob’s presence behind her on the stairs. She was drawn to them both in different ways, these two very unique men.
By the time they reached the beach, the colors had already faded from the sky, leaving only shades of blue and the white pinpricks of stars. The rising moon was a large, oblong disc hovering on the horizon. The sand was white and as fine as sugar sifting between her bare toes.
Jacob moved up beside her. Akila was escorted between the two men as if they were bodyguards and she their charge. She felt intensely feminine and delicate next to the men’s overwhelming, masculine presence. She’d never thought of herself as a fragile woman, but for the first time she understood that “delicate” didn’t necessarily mean “weak”. She was still self-actuated, strong-willed Akila, but sexually speaking they brought out a different side of her nature, a side she thought might rather enjoy being dominated.
“Want to swim?” Valarian asked as he unbuttoned his shirt and stripped it down his shoulders.
On her other side, Jacob had already pulled his T-shirt over his head and thrown it on the sand. “Water’s perfect in the evening. Come on. You’ll love it.”
“I didn’t wear my suit. I didn’t know there’d be swimming.”
“You don’t need one.” Valarian unzipped his jeans and tugged them down his hips. “No one here but us to see you.”
Akila was riveted by the sight of his nude body, as if she hadn’t had a good long eyeful earlier. Good God, he was gorgeous, lean and fit, and with those scars here and there to remind her he was no housecat but a ferocious tiger at heart.
And then Jacob stripped off his jeans and was naked, too, equally chiseled and as sturdy-looking as a wrestler. His body was stockier than Valarian’s and his cock matched it—thick and solid even at half-mast, although it was hardening quickly under Akila’s stare.
She reached for the hem of her top and pulled it over her head, then stepped out of her shorts. Her bra and underpants were lacy white against her dark skin. They would serve as a bikini. But then it seemed kind of stupid to wear anything when her escorts were both naked. She unclasped the bra and slid the straps off her arms, pushed her panties down her legs and stood naked before the two men.
If she’d felt delicate before, she felt as vulnerable as a newborn kitten now. A trembling mouse before two ravenous cats, both scanning her body as if they would like to devour her. Heat baked her from the inside out. She imagined steam would rise when she hit the cool water. Akila turned from the men’s hungry eyes and splashed into the surf. It was nearly as warm as bathwater and lapped around her legs with a welcoming caress.
It was eerie, swimming in the sea at night. She couldn’t help but picture the opening sequence of Jaws, a fin cutting the water and a huge body lurking below the surface. She decided to stay close to shore.
But evidently it wasn’t her choice, for strong hands suddenly grabbed her waist and propelled her into deeper water. A hard body supported her from behind—Jacob or Valarian? She wasn’t certain which until Jacob swam past them, cutting cleanly through the water like the shark of her imagination.
Valarian held her cradled in his arms, floating in the water but nestled snugly against his hard chest. His breath tickled her cheek and once more she was overcome by the strangeness of his existence. A vampire. Not a dead and breathless monster with an appetite for blood, but a warm, living man with a pumping heart and…oh yeah, an appetite for blood.
He had yet to nip her, although he’d grazed her with his sharp fangs several times. Was he aroused by the rush of blood through her veins? Hungry for a taste of her? As she listened to his breathing near her ear, the hair on her nape rose. She was aroused and almost wished to feel his fangs piercing her skin, his warm tongue lapping, his mouth sucking at the juncture of her neck and shoulder.
Akila shook off her trance. Good God, who needed vampire mojo? She was managing to seduce herself with an erotic bloodletting fantasy without any help at all from Valarian.
“He really loves to swim,” she commented on Jacob to break the mood.
“I think he feels free in the water.” Valarian’s voice rumbled in his chest, vibrating into her back.
She glanced at him over her shoulder. “Can you release him from this bond you two have? I mean, if he’s unhappy and wants to go his own way, it seems you would want that for him too.”
“No one’s stopping him. He can go.” Valarian released her, letting her float away from his warm body.
Akila waved her arms and legs to keep afloat without him. “Except you want him to knock me up first. It doesn’t seem as though you’re through with him yet.”
Even in the dark she could see his scowl. “I wish you’d stop putting this on me. It’s not as if this is my choice or my plan. I’m as much a tool of the fates as you are. But enough. I don’t wish to argue. This is too fine a night for that.”
Jacob’s head broke the water between them as he emerged from the depths. He paddled close to Akila, his arm brushing against her beneath the surface. She was acutely aware of her naked flesh and the way the water undulated around her body. She felt buoyant and free…and extremely sensual with her breasts bobbing and water tickling between her legs.
And then something else was touching her there—Jacob’s hand, like a fish lightly teasing her pussy. Her body contracted at the sensation, toes digging into the soft sand. Akila slid a hand over Jacob’s slick chest and leaned into him. His kiss set her on fire even as she was surrounded by the cool fluidity of water. Oh yes, moonlight swimming was everything it was cracked up to be.
Jacob slid his hands down her back and cupped her rear, pulling her against his rigid cock, bumping and grinding a little before letting her go. He splashed away and then Valarian was before her, taking his place—a different hard, male body to cling to, a different kiss seizing her mouth.
Akila molded to him like seaweed caught on an incoming tide and wrapped around an immovable rock. As she slid her tongue into his mouth, she felt the sharp scrape of his fangs, descended…dangerous.
Eat me up, her heart clamored. Make me a part of you.
And then Jacob was behind her, his body cool and hot at the same time. His mouth skated over her neck, her shoulders, and his cock pressed between her cheeks, snuggling into her warmth.
Akila could scarcely breathe as Valarian occupied her mouth and she was cradled between the two men’s bodies. Wet, slick skin slid over skin, legs bumping against hers, hands caressing her, water flowing around her.
Valarian broke off his kiss and she gasped for air. He dropped his mouth to her neck, licking salt water from her body as he descended lower. He teased her nipple with flicks of his tongue then drew it between his lips, sucking hard. Below the water, Jacob fingered her clit, bringing her to orgasm once more. She moaned and thrashed against him like a beached mermaid. If this was a walk on the beach, she’d add it to her schedule every night.
After her shudders of pleasure receded, she slumped against Jacob and opened her eyes to take in every detail of
this unforgettable night—the moon-frosted waves and the dark figure of Valarian rising like Neptune from the sea. He grabbed her hand, pulling her away from Jacob’s arms.
“Come. Let’s swim now.”
The three of them dove into the water, paddling and playing like children, body surfing on the waves that crashed against the shore. The men wrestled and ducked each other in a display of dominance that was as thrilling to watch as a pair of stags locking horns. Then they turned to Akila again, Jacob grasping her wrists and Valarian her ankles. They swung her back and forth like a hammock before flinging her through the air. She soared. She flew. Gulped a deep breath then plunged into the water.
It was silent beneath the surface—just her and the sea creatures that lurked there. She kicked off from the sandy ocean floor and burst into the air, showering water droplets like glittering diamonds in the moonlight. She swam back to shallow water where the two men were locked in a tight embrace. Hard to tell if they were still wrestling or doing something else until she got closer.
She feasted on the sight of their gorgeous nude bodies. Valarian’s arms were around Jacob, pulling him up hard against his body. His hand slid down the other man’s stomach and wrapped around his erect cock, stroking briskly. Jacob’s head leaned back against his master’s shoulder, eyes closed and lips slack. His face was etched in lines of pure pleasure and the moonlight turned his dirty-blond hair to silver.
Akila remained still for a moment, watching them. They were so beautiful together, the dark and the light, two sides of one coin. Then Valarian’s eyes met hers over Jacob’s shoulder. She waded toward them and sank to her knees in the rolling surf, her knees buried in sand, water slapping against her thighs. Valarian offered Jacob’s cock to her like a perverse communion. She accepted and brought him to her mouth.
He tasted of brine as she licked his tip. Then she swallowed him deep, bobbing her head up and down while rubbing the base of his shaft with her hand. She looked up at his face to witness the pleasure she brought him, and Valarian was there, a dark angel peering down at her. His hands roamed over Jacob’s chest, stroking the smooth muscle, then he pinched and twisted the buds of his nipples, making Jacob gasp.