by JL Madore
“He likes it when you nip the hoop in his lip.”
Aust complied. He shifted, rolling over Kobi’s bare chest.
“Aust has you now, Kobi. His hair is brushing your jaw, his body draped over yours, skin on skin. Can you feel it?”
Nothing happened. Hell’s dread weighed me down heavier still. Kobi dead meant we all died. Dawn brought the reapers back. The boatman would leave. Aust and I had no provisions or skills to escape Hell on our own.
“Please, Kobi,” I whispered. “We need you. You have to try to come back to us.”
I lifted Kobi’s hand and hugged it against my chest. The blood and the bruising on him was unlike anything I had ever seen, his body more black than flesh-toned.
Highborne.
I held my breath. Kobi’s thought whispered weakly in my head. I didn’t want to get ahead of myself. His injuries were extensive on the outside. I couldn’t imagine the internal damage. I brushed his scraped knuckles against my lips and felt the tingle of his healing beneath my kiss. Studying him closely, I watched, waiting for some sign that—
“Aust, it’s working.”
I caressed the muscled lines of first Kobi’s shoulder and then Aust’s. The difference in their skin was amazing. Kobi was dark, his warrior’s skin tough and peppered with dark hair. Aust had skin as smooth and soft as the finest silk. Hairless. Unmarred by battles and a life of physical assault. He was a beautifully made male.
The gentle rocking of Aust’s hips against Kobi’s thigh drew my body into the mix. Instead of cold panic, my belly tightened with a much warmer and more welcome sensation. Once again, I stroked down Kobi’s navel and caressed between his thighs. His shaft kicked against the ridges of his abdomen, and I gathered him in my grip.
My next words, I sent privately to Kobi.
Aust grinding on you makes me wet.
I laid beside them and bit Kobi’s shoulder. He stiffened in my palm. With a surge of relief, I went with what was working. I stroked him base to tip, soaking in the sight of the two men. The chiseled warrior and the lean nurturer together.
You two are hot. Seriously hot.
Kobi’s arm lifted, his hand seeking, finding, gripping into the back of Aust’s hair. His stubbled chin lifted, and he returned the liplock in earnest. Aust responded as any healthy male would, arching, rocking his hips to increase his pleasure.
I’m getting naked. Amuse yourselves.
As sexual energy crackled in the small space, I shimmied off my shorts and untied the bandeau covering my breasts. Kobi threw a heavy leg over Aust and rolled for a dominant position. When he moaned and thrust his hips, I knew he was on the mend. Welcome back, Demon. Glad you joined us.
Now, my biggest challenge would be to get Aust out of this cave and back to Bree with his virginity intact.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
“There’s no way Bree’s coyote can turn you down now,” I said, as Kobi, Aust, and I materialized on the outer plateau of the Dens. I released Aust’s hand from Flashing and stroked the pup’s velvet ears. “When we tell her how you tracked down this little guy, lured away his Hell mommy in your tiger form, and healed Kobi, she’ll see that you’re every bit as heroic as any arrogant alpha male, Were or otherwise.”
Aust’s ears flushed red, right to their pointed tips. “Mayhap we should keep the healing private for now.”
“Whatever you want, Highborne,” Kobi said, his voice tight. “What happened is nobody’s business. I hope you don’t think you did anything wrong.”
“You don’t, do you?” I said. “You didn’t even do anything sexual enough to break your Highborne vows. You saved Kobi’s life, and likely my mother’s, by extension.”
Aust shrugged. “And Kobi saved mine right back by flying us over the reapers, to the boatman and escape.”
“We’re an amazing threesome,” Kobi said, waggling his brow. “Let that soak in.”
Aust smiled down at the pup in his arms. “Moments in my life have often been twisted by public opinion. I should like the hours shared in that cave to remain our own. Untainted. We three know what affections were shared and why. Let it be our own truth.”
I laced my arm through his elbow and kissed his dirt-stained cheek. “Agreed. The only problem is that we smell like sex. There’s no way a room full of Weres will miss it.”
Kobi clapped Aust on the bare shoulder. “Bree understands the biology of my healing. I think she’d be cool either way, but if you want, I’ll spin it, so you’re left out of the carnal pleasures. Zo healed me. Tight quarters. I’ll be convincing. But if you ever want to explore the benefits of a true Devil’s Threeway, let us know. Boundaries or no, you’re more than welcome.”
I rolled my eyes.
Aust handed me the pup as his ears flushed even brighter. “The honor was mine.”
I brushed my lips over the soft fur of the pup’s muzzle and kissed his nose. “Let’s go show everyone we’re not dead and introduce them to Paladin.”
The three of us entered the Dens and made our way toward the living room. In ripped shorts, covered in scrapes, blood, and filth, we were a sight. Despite our appearance, however, with the danger of our Hell quest over, a celebration was in order.
“Drinks on the house,” Kobi said, bursting into the room in true Kobi fashion.
Bruin, Cowboy, and Bree had gathered by the bar. Aust rounded the leather couches, jogging straight for Bree. His beloved sat on a barstool, facing the back wall.
She didn’t turn to greet us.
Kobi bounded over to Bruin. “The Hellraiser Three have returned. Did you miss us?”
“More than we care to admit,” Bruin said, clapping Kobi on the back. “Thank the gods you’re safe. We were worried when you didn’t get back last night.”
Kobi lined up two glasses and grabbed a bottle of whiskey from the back wall. “Nah, easy peasy, right, guys?”
Aust squeezed Bree’s shoulders and spun her stool around. Her face was blotched, her eyes rimmed red. He hugged her to his chest and set his cheek on her head. “Bree, fash not, sweeting. All is well. Everything worked out. We are home.”
She pinched her eyes shut and sobbed against his bare chest. It was a gasping hitch of breath and anguish. Her nose and tears ran, her shoulders rounded.
A hum erupted in my head. “What is it? Is it my mother? Has something happened?”
Bruin stepped out from behind the bar. His somber expression had my nerves on end. “Don’t panic, Zophia. We don’t know anything more on that front than when you left. This is not that.”
That was good.
“If it’s not Shalana, then what the fuck is it?” Kobi snapped. He drained the tumbler in his hand and tipped the bottle to refill. “Where’s Mika?”
“Lying down,” Cowboy said.
“Is it the pregnancy?” Aust asked. “Are the cubs—”
“It’s not that either.” Cowboy finished his beer, looking like he’d rather be anywhere other than standing in that room. “Mika’s upset, Aust. I need to tell you about it, my man.”
“Very well. Tell me.” Aust settled onto the stool next to Bree and accepted the beer Kobi handed him.
Cowboy rubbed his palms down his thighs and exhaled. “Last night was the full moon run. Our animals have been especially anxious with the coming of the Equinox. We’ve been struggling to contain our primal sides—”
“My brother, I know this,” Aust said, his hand up between them. “Why is Bree crying and why is Mika upset?”
Bree reached for another tissue and Cowboy nodded.
“So, during the run, our animals took over. It was a relief to let them loose, to go primal, to let our consciousness recede. But then something unexpected happened.”
Cowboy held out his hand for Aust to see. Emblazoned into the flesh of his palm laid the stylized symbol and Sanskrit of a Were brand.
“You bonded with your mate!” Aust launched to his feet and met Cowboy chest to chest. After clapping him on the back in a rough hug, he grabbed h
is broad shoulders and stepped back. “This is remarkable. Congratulations. Who is she? Why do you not celebrate?”
“Because of who I mated,” he said. “You see, it was my wolf, not me. I wasn’t in human form, or it would never have happened. But with the moon . . . and the run . . . and my wolf being in control . . . I’m just so fucking sorry.”
The abject misery in Cowboy’s face raised the hair on my neck. Aust turned back to Bree and took her hand. Slowly, he flipped her palm up to reveal the matching tattoo.
She blinked tear-filled eyes at him. “I’m s-s-so . . . sor-ry.” Her words cut off as her breathing hitched.
Aust straightened, devastation written in every line of his body. My gaze jumped to Kobi and Bruin, Cowboy and Bree, and then back to Aust. The same tortured looks reflected around the room. The wolf and the coyote had mated.
“This is my sisters at work,” I breathed. “They did this. Aust. Bree. I can’t begin to tell you how sorry—”
“No,” Aust said, his voice a hoarse whisper. He straightened and retreated a step. “A Were-bonding is extraordinary. A pairing of souls to rejoice. You both deserve nothing less than a union blessed by the gods.”
“You don’t mean that.” Cowboy cursed and moved directly in front of his best friend. “Hit me. Curse me. Pound me into pulp. I deserve it. But don’t you dare take the high road here, Aust. You can’t be okay with this.”
“I never said I was.” Aust’s tone held a barely-restrained scream tethered beneath the surface. “Verily, I wish things different, but my wish changes nothing. Instead, I leave you to your new life. Mayhap, one day I might even be happy for you.”
Aust bowed his head and backed away. Cowboy grabbed his arm, but the hold was shrugged off with a violent twist. Aust froze, his fists up, his shoulders rigid. After a moment, though, he dropped his gaze and backed away.
The pain wafting off Aust’s body fouled the air as he passed me. “Aust, I . . .” What? What could I say to make this any better? I hugged Paladin and kissed his head.
Cowboy dropped to his knees, tipped back his head, and howled. The mournful cry tore at my gut and broke my heart.
“He’s not answering.” I hung up Kobi’s cellphone and tossed it back to him. My nails bit into the flesh of my palms as I paced. Luckily, the floor was stone, or I would soon owe Bruin a new rug from wearing a path. I brushed past him to access the pile of necessities Nash left in my suite.
Fresh from the shower, my hair dampened the sweatshirt I wore. I managed to wash off Hell’s filth, yet still my skin crawled as if covered by a legion of ants. “If Sunday night is the night for Abaddon to make his move, we need to get Paladin trained on my mother’s scent or energy or whatever is going to lead him to her.”
The pup chuffed, sound asleep on the padded chair in the corner. His little feet twitched as he dreamed, soft whines and yips coming off him as he chased some imaginary foe.
“Aust knows what’s at stake here, Zo. He lost his best friend and his love in one horrible moment. As soon as he has a moment to process that, he’ll be here. Don’t panic.”
“I have a horrible feeling eating at my gut.” I slid my feet into a pair of tennis shoes and knelt to tie the laces. “We should go out looking for him. Remind him we care about him, but we’re on a clock. Maybe keeping busy will help.”
Kobi caught my wrist in one of my passes and pulled me into his lap. He smoothed a hand against my thigh. “Give the guy a moment to grieve. Right now, he needs privacy to let his guard down.”
The warmth of Kobi’s body did nothing to soothe me. I checked the clock again and yep, another minute had passed. “I know you’re right, but if I ache this bad for him, I can’t imagine the pain he suffers. I can’t breathe.”
“You’re still suffering the influence of Hell’s dread. It’s compounding your anxiety.” He brushed my hair back and tugged the collar of the shirt down my shoulder. A gentle finger touched the mark from his bite two nights ago. “I can help you with that. Set you right again?”
I slapped his hand away and stood. “Stop trying to seduce me. My mother is in danger, and Aust’s life is in shambles.”
Kobi sat back and scowled. “We’ve covered that ground. What’s really up your ass, Zo? You’ve been throwing me stink the eye since we left the cave. What did I do?”
I snorted. “Your ego knows no bounds, I swear. Did your multitude of lady friends lead you to believe the world revolves around you? Well, it doesn’t.”
“Granted, but this is about me.” He stood, his hands locked on his hips. “I get that you’re worried about your mom and Aust, but if this more than the dread, I want to hear it. Is the novelty of slumming with me over? Did seeing Aust get his heart broken convince you to cut your losses?”
I flexed my clenched fists and forced a smile. “You’re imagining things.”
His nostrils flared, and he held up a finger. “I warned you about lying to me. Don’t do it again.”
“Fine, you want the truth? You almost died, and I hated it.”
“It was no fun-fest for me either. What’s your point?”
“Don’t be an ass. I don’t want or need to be focused on someone else when my own life is such a mess.”
“Life is messy. Getting your hands dirty is part—”
“Save the speech on realm life and how I haven’t got a clue. Enjoying each other is one thing. Investing in someone else when I don’t even know who I am is another. Don’t you get that? All of who I am and have always been is gone. Haven isn’t my home. It’s a fallback position after being smacked in the face with the realization that I’m not welcome in my own life. I’m biding time here. This”—I gestured between us—“what’s happening here, it’s nothing more than a distraction.”
“Lie,” Kobi snapped again, stepping closer. “Your family hollowed you out, and you’re throwing up walls. I fucking wrote the book on self-preservation, baby. And while I may have started out as a distraction, I’m more than that now, and that scares you more than you have the balls to admit.”
“There’s that ego again.” I shook my head, the thrumming beat of my heart pounding in my ears. “We’re displaced souls caught in a battle against evil, that’s it. Adults get to have sex—even great sex—without it meaning more.”
Kobi’s gaze narrowed and he stalked closer. “You’re losing traction, Lacy. What happened in Hell spooked you. You’ve never seen death before. You told me that.”
I headed to the dresser and pulled a brush through my hair. “I’ve witnessed every horrible moment of this realm.”
“From the safety of your station, you view the gore of battle through a distant lens. Today was up close and personal. You got to smell the tang of my blood and watch the life drain out of my eyes. I bet it cut deeper knowing it was your fault, didn’t it? Your responsibility. Your quest to save your mother.”
I threw the brush at his head. “Get out!”
He ducked and caught my arm, spinning me, so my back collided with his chest. Pinning my arms against my stomach, he struck, piercing the meaty flesh between shoulder and neck.
It’s the dread, Zo, Kobi said into my mind. Let me help you.
The physical pain eased after a racing heartbeat or two. The strange sensation of Kobi leaching my suffering tingled down my shoulder. Icy-heat trickled into my chest and rolled like an ebbing tide through my body.
The familiarity of his presence maddened me. What I’d perceived to be an invasive sensation the first time, was Kobi’s demon energy dispersing within me. I recognized him now.
Seductive. Greedy. Hungry.
Despite my urge to gain distance, the oppressive dread consuming me followed Kobi’s call. Other pains, old and new, rose to the surface. Judgment. Rejection. My ache for Aust. The panic of watching Kobi die. The fear of being trapped in Hell—of leaving my mother vulnerable.
His gentle pull released the heavy press on my chest. After another moment, he eased off his hold on my arms. The deep-throated murm
ur of his pleasure made me curse. He knew his effect on me—likely on all women.
Stupid. Arrogant. Demon.
How dare he think he knew me. I didn’t even know me. The shiver came out of nowhere. For millennia, I believed we Fates were blessed to live amongst the gods and goddesses of the Fae Pantheon. What value did a realm of mortals offer?
What indeed.
The withdrawal of his incisors ignited both relief and regret. Kobi licked the puncture marks and sealed them closed. He looked down at me, his satiation obvious in his heavy-lidded gaze. “Better?”
I pursed my lips, shaken at how deep the roots of my affections had grown. Too deep.
Paladin barked, and my awareness jolted back to the room.
Forgive me, Cameron said, stepping around Kobi to see me. You must needs come. It’s Aust. I fear he might harm himself.
Blood rushed to my head, and I steadied myself. “Aust’s in trouble.”
“And you know this, how?”
I grabbed the navy peacoat from the hook at the door and headed out the hall. “Cameron’s here. He watches over Aust and Elora.”
Kobi caught up to me in the hall. “What? Why is this the first I’m hearing about Aust’s father haunting him?”
“He’s not haunting him. And don’t say anything. He wants them to move on.”
“Keeping a secret this big from a friend is a shitty way to return loyalty. Aust risked his life for you and your mother.”
We rounded the corner from the sleeping quarters to the living areas of the dens. All seemed quiet. Likely everyone retreated to their corners after Cowboy, and his little coyote mate, blew up Aust’s life.
“It’s Cameron’s right to decide what his family knows. He understands them best.”
Kobi grabbed his leather jacket from the closet near the main entrance and stomped his feet in his boots. Grabbing the doorknob, he swung it open and waited for me to exit. “You don’t get to play Fate almighty down here, Zophia. In this realm, you’re either one of us, or you’re not.”