by Ivy Barrett
She’d risked too much to squander the opportunity. Her physiology might be ruined, but she wasn’t the only person on Protaria capable of absorbing mutant energy. She had to find someone with similar abilities who hadn’t abused their gift.
Her search for this perfect host had led her from mutant bar to mutant bar. What she really needed was access to the Underground, but that wasn’t going to happen. Too many of the mutants knew who she was. Or who she had been in another lifetime. General Bryson’s first lesser wife. Once upon a time, that had meant something.
She heaved a frustrated sigh and looked over the smoky room. Her search for another person with her gift had been futile so far, but she was far from giving up. In the meantime, she disguised her true mission by feeding rather indiscriminately. She never took from an unwilling donor and she never fed from the same donor twice. She was amassing quite a reputation as an energy whore.
A tall, lanky man decked out in synth-leather and chains sauntered up to her table and plopped down a beer. “Word is you’ve got an appetite for energy but you don’t like sampling the same dish more than once.”
She narrowed her gaze on his emaciated face. Holy shit! “Renn? Is that you?”
It took a moment for recognition to register in his pale blue eyes. “Nehalem?” He rounded the table and pulled her up and into his arms. “What the fuck are you doing in Old Towne? Where is your escort? You’re not alone, are you? Don’t you realize how dangerous it is…”
The years rolled back as they stared into each other’s eyes. She was fifteen again, a rebellious girl infuriated by an arranged marriage. Renn was a dashing young security officer in her father’s employ. They’d snuck away at every opportunity and he’d introduced her to the pleasures awaiting her in the marriage bed. Or to be more exact, he’d shown her the pleasures she would never find with her militant husband. They had stopped short of actual penetration, but oh, how they’d improvised.
“What are you doing here?” Renn asked again, drawing her back into the present.
With a reluctant sigh, she eased away from him and returned to her chair in the corner. “You’re not much for news feeds, I take it?”
“Nothing that happens in Sanctum changes our lives down here, so why bother?”
“Padric and Chancellor Howyn were both arrested last week. I am currently without protection.”
“Your husband and the chancellor were arrested?”
Apparently he had to say the words before the concept became believable. “That’s what I said.”
“Then the reports I’ve received of a…” He leaned across the table and lowered his voice. “Have you been cruising for energy hits? Is that why you’re here?”
She had fucked three mutants while her husband watched and hadn’t felt shame until this moment. “I’m staying alive. If you don’t understand what that involves, then get the hell away from me.”
“I’m sorry. I’m in no position to judge you. I’m just confused. When did you mutate? Wasn’t that one of Bryson’s conditions? I thought all of his wives were genetically pure.”
She scoffed. “Do you honestly think there’s a person in this star system who’s genetically pure? I didn’t mutate until after the wedding and my mutation left no visible evidence, so he chose not to set me aside. Lucky me.” She picked up the beer and took a long pull then made a revolted face. What was she doing? She hated beer. “Who’s your friend?” Blond hair and blue eyes, rather ragged around the edges. Just like everyone else in the bar.
“This is Ced,” Renn introduced. “He’s my cousin. He’s deaf and unable to speak. He can communicate telepathically, but he has to establish a link first. If he wants to ask you something, he’ll let me know.”
She waved, not sure what else to do with a deaf-mute telepath. “Does he have any other abilities? Telepathic energy isn’t usually worth draining.” She was too hungry to be subtle. Renn had known why she was here when he gave her the beer. She couldn’t let the fact they knew each other distract from her purpose. She needed it too badly to turn back now.
“Actually we have something a little different in mind.”
“Different than what? I only fuck to feed. I’m not in this for the sex.” Did that make it better or worse? She couldn’t tell anymore.
“What if you didn’t have to ‘fuck to feed’? Would you be interested in regaining control of your sex life?”
She leaned back in her chair and stared at him, searching for the man she’d known in the outrageous garb. Was his getup a disguise, or had he changed as much as she had? It had been a really long time since they’d last seen each other. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about little details your husband didn’t want you to know. You’re not a sponge, Nehalem. Most people with your gift live and die without ever unleashing the potential of their gift.”
“It’s not even a real gift. I just absorb mutant powers along with their… fluids. Lots of people are like that.”
“You’re right. Lots of people temporarily demonstrate an echo of a mutant’s abilities after they’ve fucked repeatedly, but that’s not what’s happening with you. The fact you won’t sample the same mutant twice means you’re in a completely different category.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“You’re a conduit. It’s a very rare, very powerful gift. You can give energy and transplant abilities into others. Your gift flows in both directions. We can fuck if you want to. Spirits know I’ve imagined it often enough, but there are better ways to control your gift.”
Each word he uttered only made her more wary. When things sounded too good to be true, they usually were. “Why would you help me? I have some really dangerous enemies.”
“Hell, everyone I know is dangerous.” Renn’s lips curved, but he didn’t quite smile. “Ced needs energy and you’re one of the few people on this planet capable of giving it to him. I came into this bar looking for a conduit. I won’t pretend to be disappointed that the conduit turned out to be you.”
Nehalem’s heart was pounding. It had been so long since she felt anything resembling hope, she wasn’t sure she could trust it. “If I feed Ced, you’ll teach me how to control my power. This will be an even exchange?”
“That’s the offer.”
She licked her lips, fidgeting in her chair. “I’ll have to meet you somewhere in about an hour. I—”
“We won’t let you starve, beautiful. That would be counterproductive to our needs.”
“But how will I feed if we don’t have sex?”
“Let’s go back to your hotel room. If I can’t have you transferring energy in ten minutes or less, I’ll go down on you.”
Perhaps she’d take eleven minutes just so she could find out if Renn’s mouth was as agile as she remembered. She pressed her thighs together and held out her hand. “You’ve got yourself a conduit.”
* * *
Are you sure you want to do this? Brianna tried to capture Sean’s gaze, but he wouldn’t look at her.
I left eleven years ago because I was falling in love with this son of a bitch. I think he’s always known how I felt. He knew before I did. Sean ran a hand through his hair, anxiety radiating off him in waves.
You don’t seem pleased by the realization. Other emotions seethed beneath the surface, but the combinations were too hectic for her to identify. All she could sense for certain was conflict. Sean was not yet at peace with this development.
He’s going to be so damn smug! He never loses. The bastard always gets what he wants.
But they obviously wanted the same thing. Sean’s desire was undeniable. Men could be so irrational. She smiled and then laughed, unable to contain the joy bubbling up inside her. It was happening faster than she might have liked, but this is what she wanted as well, for all three of them to form a tight, unshakable bond. She’d been trying to convince herself it had all been part of the illusion, but her heart
refused to pay attention to her mind.
“Will it really be so bad?” she asked.
“Which part?” Sean’s face turned an adorable shade of red.
“Stop telling secrets,” Kellan grumbled. “It’s not fair to those of us without magic powers.”
“Oh, neither of us is convinced you don’t have magic powers.” She turned around and faced him squarely, hands on her hips. “We think you’ve beguiled us, made us powerless to resist your scowls and snarls.”
“I don’t snarl.” He sounded affronted, but amusement sparkled in his eyes and he was struggling to keep his gaze focused on her face.
“You sure as hell growl.” Sean finally smiled. “And you bark orders like—”
“An overlord?” Kellan suggested.
“You see, this is the problem.” Brianna hooked her arm though Sean’s and swept her hand toward Kellan. “He’s proud of the fact he’s an overbearing ass, so it makes it hard to shame him into better behavior.”
“I’m an overbearing ass.” Kellan stalked toward them. “I’m an insensitive jerk and a barbaric animal. But you’re naked and I’m hard as a rock. Can we please fuck now?”
Sean and Brianna both laughed and shook their heads.
“He’s hopeless,” she concluded.
“I am what the world has made me. When I compromise, people die.” His words hung in the air for a moment, potent and unapologetic. All playfulness vanished from his bearing and fatigue crept over his face.
Sean reached for him first, but Brianna was half a step behind.
Sean palmed Kellan’s shoulder, looking deep into his eyes. “There is no conflict here, no danger, no responsibilities. I’m not a specter, she’s not a lawyer, and you are not the overlord.”
Kellan’s lips curved and his chin rose. “Overlord is not what I do, it’s who I am. That’s the difference between you and me. I can’t stop being the overlord, even if I wanted to.”
“And do you want to?” Brianna asked.
“Sometimes.” With a heavy sigh he seemed to shed the gloom. “Right now I want someone to kiss and either of you will do.” Before Sean realized what Kellan intended, the overlord grabbed a fistful of his hair and dragged him forward. “Have you had time to accept that you’re mine?”
“We belong to each other,” Sean insisted. “You are just as much mine as I am yours. And we both belong to Brianna.”
Kellan just smiled and slowly pulled Sean’s head back. “Have any of your lovers been men?”
“I’ve exchanged energy with other mystics but I don’t consider them lovers.”
Kellan tightened his fist, drawing Sean’s head farther back. “Did that answer my question?”
“Some of the things we did were sexual.”
It was impossible for Sean not to look into Kellan’s eyes. Was her interrogation next? Would Kellan want to know all the details of her past lovers? She gave an inward laugh. All three of them?
“Have you ever sucked a cock?”
“Yes.” Sean’s brows raised and challenge bled into his tone. “Have you?”
“Has a man ever sucked yours?”
“Why is this important? Are you going to answer these questions for me?”
Kellan shrugged. “I’ve had male and female lovers, and interesting combinations of the two. Sexual tribute is a two-edged sword. I’m able to demand it whenever I like, but I’m also offered it far more often than I would choose. Still, when the choice is fuck a stranger or rekindle a blood feud, I generally get undressed.”
His clipped, hollow tone made Brianna want to weep. This sexual tribute nonsense was going to stop! Kellan’s body belonged to her now. She would share him with no one but Sean.
“So back to you,” Kellan prompted, his tone a bit stronger. “How hard will it be for you to adjust to having a male lover? That’s the purpose for my questions. I’m not just being crass.”
“As I said, even though the acts were sexual, I didn’t think of them as lovers. We were exchanging energy, helping each other heal or preparing for battle.”
“I want to fight in your army,” Kellan muttered. “Sounds like fun. When my men get hurt, we try to keep them from bleeding to death while we stitch up their wounds.”
“People die in any war. Don’t fool yourself, overlord. Your men don’t have a monopoly on suffering.”
“Time out.” Brianna moved forward, trying to imitate Kellan’s scowl. “I thought you two were going to kiss. I was feeling pretty left out until you started arguing.”
Kellan wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her in close to Sean. “Let’s meet in the middle.”
“Always a good idea,” she agreed.
She pushed to the balls of her feet and Sean tilted his head. Kellan had the greatest distance to cover. He bent slightly and angled his face almost sideways. Their lips brushed and tongues slid. Kellan’s hair caressed her cheek and Sean’s whisker stubble rasped against her chin. It was intoxicating and decadent.
“Down,” Kellan ordered. “I’m too damn tall.”
The men frantically undressed on their way down to the pillows. Brianna helped as much as she could, but they were fast. They tumbled in a tangle of naked limbs and straining torsos, Brianna on the bottom then Sean and finally Kellan.
Sean pinned his arms to the pillows while Brianna pumped his cock. She wanted to feel him sliding against her tongue, but she was captivated by their urgent, hungry kiss. Kellan reared up, thrusting his tongue into Sean’s mouth. Sean laughed and pulled back, nipping out a warning. Then Sean licked Kellan’s lips, teasing him, arousing him, yet denying him the deep, wet kiss he obviously craved.
With a feral growl, Kellan wrenched his arms free and pulled Sean down across his chest. Their lips met and meshed, the faint motion of their cheeks the only hint of the duel going on inside their mouths.
Brianna finally turned her attention back to the cock in her hand. Not that she’d actually forgotten it. The tip was deeply flushed and widely flared, virile, potent, like the man himself. She closed her lips around the knob and sucked. So soft, yet so hard, the contrast never failed to fascinate her. She swirled her tongue as she took him deeper, savoring the hot slide of his shaft against her lips.
Desire pulsed and churned, curling around their bodies like arid winds. It was dizzying to sense the emotions coming from outside her body as well as within. She didn’t fight it. Relaxing into an easy, rocking motion, she slid her mouth up and down on Kellan’s cock. Her hand cupped his balls, lightly massaging the warm sac.
“I’m not going to last,” Kellan gasped, a note of desperation in his tone.
“So don’t,” Sean advised. “Surrender to us for a change. Lose control.”
Kellan bent his knees, rocking up into her mouth while Sean pinched his nipples and kissed him over and over. She wanted to watch his face when he came, see the moment when he finally surrendered.
Get your finger really wet and push it up his ass.
Her gaze flew to Sean, but his eyes were closed. He’ll kill me.
He’ll fill your mouth with cum, but he’ll love every minute of it.
Loosening her lips without stopping her slide, she let liquid run out and wet her fingers as they held the base of his cock. Then she switched hands and tightened her lips again as she carefully maneuvered her wet hand beneath his bent knee. Finding the needed angle took a couple of tries and he must have guessed her purpose because he spread his legs wider.
She rubbed her finger against then around his opening, as much to satisfy her curiosity as to stimulate him. She’d never thought of this part of the body as particularly sexy until Sean had given her the most powerful orgasm of her life while buried in her ass.
Kellan made deep, needful sounds in the back of his throat as she moved into position.
Do it, Sean urged.
She drove her finger inward and Kellan cried out. His cock bucked against her tongue and he thrust to the b
ack of her mouth. Hot cum blasted into her throat. She swallowed and licked and swallowed some more. His hands were in her hair as he shuddered, groaning with the force of his climax.
She stayed with him until the last spasm passed, her body tingling with his pleasure. Her breasts felt heavy, the tips extra-sensitive and her core pulsed with unfulfilled desire. Despite the contentment she shared with Kellan, her body demanded some attention of its own.
Sean pulled her into his arms as she released Kellan’s cock and removed her hand from between his legs. “We make one hell of a team,” Sean said with a smile. “I think our overlord is well and truly conquered.”
“Give me… five minutes to catch my breath.” Kellan laughed, flat on his back and sated.
“Well, five minutes isn’t a lot of time, but I’ll enjoy having her to myself for a change.” Sean laid her back across the pillows, taking her farther away from Kellan.
“Now who’s provoking him?” She opened her arms and bent her knees as he moved on top of her. He bent to her breast, however, which prevented him from responding verbally.
I guess he’s right. We both like to see him go off. There’s something incredibly sexy about his temper.
Sean’s lips moved on to her belly and she used the ticklish sensation to hide the true reason for her smile. She liked to see Kellan ‘go off’ but it had nothing to do with his temper.
Sean spread her legs wide and paused to look at her pussy. “This is so wondrously strange. I feel like I know your body already and yet I haven’t actually touched you or tasted you yet.”
“What are you waiting for?” She squirmed a little, needing his mouth or his fingers, or both.
He bent slowly, inhaling deeply as he went. His tongue swept out, stroking her from core to clit then circling the nub. She sighed and closed her eyes.
“Don’t close your eyes,” Kellan said, suddenly beside her. “Watch him. See how much he enjoys your scent and your taste.”
She opened her eyes and Kellan moved behind her, pushing pillows aside and settling her between his legs. Her back rested against his abdomen, making it easier for her to see what Sean was doing between her thighs.