by Alysha Ellis
Nieko’s legs wrapped around Lije’s. Lije searched for the buttons on Nieko’s pants and undid them. A hot, hard cylinder thrust into his palm. He closed his fingers around the silky surface and a tremor raced across Nieko’s bare skin. His cock jumped in Elijah’s hand. Lije felt Nieko’s balls pull up.
He wrenched his head back, breaking the kiss. “No. Too soon.” He reinforced the words with a wave of calming thought and squeezed the head of Nieko’s cock—hard.
Nieko gasped. “What are you doing?”
“Enjoying myself,” Elijah replied. “And making sure you enjoy it too. You can’t come yet. There’s more.”
“Do you ever stop giving orders?’ Nieko asked.
“Nope,” Elijah said, and gave him a quick kiss on his damp lips.
“I haven’t done this before,” Nieko whispered.
Elijah kissed him again. “Do you think I don’t know that? Trust me.”
“I do. I think.” A grin curved Nieko’s beautiful mouth. “You’re okay. For a human.”
“And you’re okay…for a Dvalinn.” Elijah relaxed his grip on Nieko’s cock, turned it into a caress. “And now, Dvalinn, I’m going to teach you things you know nothing about. I’m topping and you can do as you’re told.”
“Topping?’ Nieko asked. “What does that mean?”
“You’ll find out.” Elijah grinned. “But knowing you, I have a suspicion there’s going to be some topping from the bottom.”
“If that means what I think it might,” Eora said, “I guarantee you’re right.”
“Shit,” Nieko grunted. “I’d forgotten you were there. Eora I’m so…”
“If you say you’re sorry I’ll hit you,” Eora said, her voice raspy. “This is hot.” She slid down until she rested on the floor with her back propped up against the wall, her ankles tucked up to her bottom, her knees spread wide. Her hands cupped her mound but her gaze never wavered from them.
For the first time Elijah picked up on her arousal. “Can you feel her?” he whispered to Nieko. “Can you feel what Eora is feeling? What I am?”
“Yes. Oh shit, yes. It’s too much. I’m gonna…”
No. You’re not. Not until I’m ready for you.”
The eroticism of Eora’s desire sizzled in the back of his mind but Elijah kept his attention on Nieko. He pushed Nieko’s fatigues down his strong, brown thighs and followed after them, stopping to take nibbling bites and licks of his sweat-slick chest.
He rested his chin on Nieko’s bellybutton. “I’m going to take the edge off for you.”
He dropped down further and took a single long lick of Nieko’s cock. “You understand?”
“Yes,” Nieko’s response was little more than a whisper.
“Then I’m going to get some lube and I’m going to fuck you.” He raised one eyebrow. “You wanna argue about it, or just this once can you shut up and let me show you?”
“I guess you can show me.”
“There’s a good boy,” Lije said, and kissed him. Then he quickly ducked as Nieko took a swing at him. Damn, he loved getting the Dvalinn all fired up. He looked so cute when he was going all outraged warrior.
“What are you laughing at?” Nieko asked suspiciously.
“You.” He grabbed the flying fist, which clearly wasn’t meant to do much damage anyway, and dragged it down to his penis. Then he bent, opened his mouth and took Nieko’s cock in as far as he could. Nieko’s fingers tightened, but from the deep groan that issued from the Dvalinn, Lije didn’t think he had any control over mouth or body. Nieko was doing nothing more than feel.
That was fine. The power of reducing Nieko to a helpless bundle of throbbing pleasure was enough for Elijah now. Later he’d show Nieko how to return the favor.
He twirled his tongue around the thick cylinder, delighting in the salty taste of the drop of moisture that formed at the tip. He licked it up, then probed the slit, smiling when Nieko’s body stiffened and arched so only his head and heels touched the floor. Behind him, Elijah sensed rather than saw Eora lean forward, felt the heat of her rising arousal. Felt the pressure as she stroked her clit. It added to his enjoyment but he couldn’t afford to focus on it. This was for Nieko, to show him what they could have, what delights were in store for him once he let go of his prejudices, let go of his control.
And so for Nieko, Elijah sucked and licked, felt Nieko’s excitement grow and peak. Felt his balls draw up, felt the wave of euphoria wash over him as he came, felt the velvet darkness take him as he spurted hard, hot and long into Lije’s mouth.
Before he had time to recover, Lije drew back, scrabbled around in the kitchen for some oil and raced back. The last thing he wanted was for Nieko to have time to change his mind.
He grabbed Nieko’s sex-relaxed legs, lifted his thighs onto his shoulders.
He leaned forward.
The first touch of his greased finger rimming the edge of his arse snapped Nieko’s eyes open.
“What are you…?”
“You know what I’m doing,” Elijah replied. “What we’re going to do. Take a deep breath and let it happen.”
“But…”
“You’re going to do what you’re told, remember?” He opened the two fingers he’d worked inside Nieko and gently stretched.
“I never said I…”
“Shut up, Nieko.” Eora’s voice was husky with suppressed excitement. “Why do we have to keep telling you?”
“Let him talk if he wants to,” Lije said. “It’s going to happen anyway. He wants it to happen, don’t you, Nieko? You want me to fuck you.”
Nieko’s eyes grew soft. “Yes.” “It was all Lije needed to hear. He rubbed a handful of oil over his cock and pressed against Nieko’s lubricated arse. The head slipped in. Nieko’s pupils widened into dark wells. “Oh…fuck”
“Does it hurt?” There was no answer. Damn, what was he going to do if his feisty Dvalinn warrior couldn’t take him? “Nieko. Does it hurt?”
“Yeah. No.” Nieko drew a shuddering breath. “Don’t stop. It feels incredible. I want… I want…”
Words failed him. His head slumped back, a flush of arousal staining his tawny cheeks. His lids fluttered and closed.
“Open your eyes,” Elijah instructed. “We’re doing it this way so I can see you, see your reaction. I’m not going to be cheated out of it.” He turned his head and spoke to Eora over his shoulder. “You want to get closer? You could…”
“No,” she whispered. “This time, this first time, is for you two. I can feel it—I don’t have to be touching.”
“Next time,” Lije ground out, then Nieko flexed his butt cheeks, grabbing him, holding him tighter. Lije forgot everything but the man beneath him. He drove inward, desperately trying to remember not to go too hard too soon, but Nieko reached out and hauled his arse in closer. “I can take it, human. Whatever you’ve got…give it to me.”
Elijah’s control broke. He lost himself in the hot, rough, pounding rhythm. Lost all sense of where they were, felt Nieko’s flexible body, smelled the salty musk of his skin, felt the tendrils of sexual excitement—his, Nieko’s and Eora’s—twining together, rising up until they burst into magnificent, explosive bloom. His cock spurted as darkness swirled in to take him. He heard Nieko groan through the gathering darkness, heard Eora’s higher-pitched scream, then he slumped forward, sated, spent, for the first time in his life happy with who he was.
Nieko’s hands still clasped his hips. He felt the smooth slide as Eora crawled to throw herself onto the pile.
“Can’t stay here,” Elijah murmured. “We’ll regret it if we sleep on the floor.”
They dragged themselves to their feet and stumbled to the bed. They didn’t bother with covers. They fell onto the bare mattress and tangled together like den mates, surrendered to sleep.
In the middle of the night, Lije felt Nieko’s hand stroke across his back then slide down to grasp his cock. Elijah’s eyes snapped open. Eora was lying on her side facing him. Nieko was presse
d up against his back, his hand working its magic with a slow squeeze and release.
“Wake up, sleepyhead,” Eora whispered. “We’ve got plans.”
“Yeah?” The word ended on a strangled yelp as Nieko moved his fingers down to cup his balls.
“P-plans?” he gasped.
“Yup,” Nieko replied. “I want to be inside Eora, with you inside me. I’ll tell you what to do.”
“I knew it,” Lije sighed. “I knew you were going to top from the bottom.”
“I’m still not sure what that means, but unless you have any objections…?” He took the weight of Lije’s balls in his palm and leaned forward and bit his neck.
“No, no objections at all.”
“Good.” Nieko looked at Eora. “You ready?”
“I’ve been ready for this since I first saw you two eyeing each other off. I’m not dumb. I could see what was behind all the posturing and testosterone-fueled competition.” As she spoke she wriggled over Elijah, the soft friction of her skin winding him tighter. She rolled onto her back, then leaned up and kissed Elijah. The soft honeyed taste of her was rich and sweet on his tongue. For the rest of his life he knew he’d get a hard-on every time he tasted honey. Then she held her arms out to Nieko and he straddled her, his knees either side of her hips. “I thought if I…”
Lije kneeled up behind him. “I know what to do.” He wrapped his arms around Nieko’s waist. “Oh god, yes. I know what to do.”
He relaxed his hold a little as Nieko flexed, dipped and thrust between Eora’s wide-spread thighs. He waited until Nieko was fully seated inside her, then spread the lube around Nieko’s puckered arse. Then slowly, savoring every tight, gripping centimeter, he slid inside. Instantly he was flooded with the rush of sensation flowing from the minds of his two lovers directly into his.
The intensity of Nieko’s joy overwhelmed him. He’d known how important Eora was to Nieko, but he hadn’t expected how deeply Nieko now yearned for this. From Eora, he got a sense of completion, of rightness. He, Elijah, was the missing link, the piece of the puzzle that joined the three of them together.
He surged forward then pulled back, the rhythmic movement rocking them toward a new peak, one they would reach together.
Nieko’s strong arms bore Elijah’s weight, so Eora was supported and held but not crushed. Elijah’s thrusts filled Nieko, pushing him deep into Eora. Every movement was accompanied by sighs of pleasure from three separate beings moving as one.
Elijah deliberately kept the pace slow. This wasn’t a race to the finish.
Skin rubbed against skin. Elijah shared the smooth slide of Eora’s flawless softness, Nieko’s sizzle of sensation, his own soul-deep satisfaction. If he felt it all, he knew, so did Eora and Nieko. One skin, one body, one mind, shared by three.
No matter how hard he tried to keep a hold on his actions, the power overwhelmed him. He thrust faster. The passion poured upward, outward and inward until together they exploded into orgasm.
The rush shook him to the core of his being. Velvet darkness swirled in and consumed him.
Chapter Eight
Elijah paced back and forth, each time stopping short before bumping into the wall. Nieko and Eora were in the other room, practicing their leaps and turns, making sure their warrior skills stayed honed and sharp. With Huon and Tybor focused on the imminent birth of their child, the other two Dvalinn had assumed responsibility for the security of the tiny community.
Not that security had been needed. No one had come looking for them. Tybor had appeared before the Dvalinn council and returned with the assurance that they would be left alone to live their lives as they wanted, free from interference.
Nieko and Eora’s insistence on remaining fit and battle-ready was more for insurance than necessity. But at least it gave them something to do with their days. Their nights were devoted to each other, but even amazing sex couldn’t occupy them every minute of every day.
Elijah had never been a warrior. He was strong and determined, but no amount of practice would ever bring his skills up to those of Nieko and Eora. The few times he’d tried the Dvalinn had been helpful and encouraging, but Lije found he couldn’t stand their gentle tolerance. They didn’t mean to be condescending but that was what it felt like.
He stormed out of their dwelling and strode back toward the city of Ogof, letting his frustration drive him forward.
The trompe l’oeil painting of hills, clouds and wild flowers were beautiful, but a reproduction, no matter how exquisitely rendered, wasn’t enough. He wanted the real thing. He wanted fresh air and sunshine and, with a desperation that felt like pain, he needed something to do. He needed the fulfillment he got from rescuing a victim from danger.
He needed to go home.
But to go home he would have to abandon Nieko and Eora. They’d formed a bond. He knew he’d lose something important when he left but he had no choice. The lack of purpose was slowly killing him.
He picked up his pace and began to run but he couldn’t outrun the ache. Eventually he turned and made his way back.
In their living room, Eora and Nieko stood together, watching him. “You want to leave?” Nieko said.
Elijah thought about lying but what good would it do? Nieko and Eora could read his emotions as clearly as he could read their sorrow and pain. “I have to.”
“You can’t go,” Eora protested. “Have you thought about what it will be like when you get to the surface? Time passes differently here.”
“I’m counting on it,” Lije replied. “By the time I get back the police will have stopped looking for me.” He shrugged. “Or if they are, they’ll be looking for someone a lot older than I’ll appear to be.”
“What will you do?” Nieko asked.
“Get a job in a fire department somewhere.”
“How?” Eora demanded. “I know enough about the surface world to know you’ll have to have papers to prove your identity.”
“They can be arranged.” Elijah looked from one to the other. “That’s one of the things I learned from Hopewood. There are people who’ll do anything for money. It doesn’t take much to find them. Now I accept my empath powers, it won’t be hard to fake an identity.”
“You can do that?” Nieko asked.
“It isn’t legal but it’s possible,” Elijah replied. “I’ll stay away from places where people knew me. Maybe settle in a different country. It won’t be too hard.”
Tears gathered in Eora’s eyes. “I’m glad it won’t be hard for you. It is going to be hard for Nieko and me. We love you.”
Pain shadowed her face and tore at Elijah but he had to tell them the truth. He’d sworn there would be no more lies. “I told you before. You use the word love too easily. What we’ve had has been good but it’s time to end it. I can’t stay here.”
“Who the hell do you think you are to tell us what we do or don’t feel?” Nieko’s anger hit him hot and hard. “From the beginning you’ve come here, so sure of your superiority. So sure you know everything there is to know about emotions because you’re human.” Nieko took a step closer and poked him in the chest. “Well, guess what, human? Eora and I have learned some things about emotions too. We’ve felt your fear. We’ve felt your sense of abandonment. I don’t know what happened to you growing up. But I know it was bad. It’s twisted something inside you. You’re afraid.”
Lije needed him to back off, needed space but Nieko wasn’t giving an inch. Elijah hit out, knowing his words would hurt. “You think because I don’t love you, there has to be something wrong with me?”
Eora stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Nieko She poked her finger in Lije’s chest. “There is something wrong with you if you refuse to admit, even to yourself, what we three have is love.”
“Fuck you!” Elijah ran his fingers through his hair, fighting for control. “A minute ago you were yelling at me for telling you what you felt. Now you’re doing the same to me. I like you. Both of you. The sex has been great. But that’s all.”
“Who are you lying to?” Eora asked. “Us or yourself? I’ve got news for you. Those walls you think are impenetrable? The ones that keep your emotions locked away? They don’t work as well as you think they do. The only person here who can’t see behind them is you.”
“I don’t understand.” His hands clutched hanks of his hair, the pain grounding him, stopping him from exploding out of there, teleporting anywhere, away from the confrontation he never wanted to have.
Eora touched him. His skin burned from the contact. He wanted to close his ears, close his mind, but he couldn’t block out her words or her emotions. “It’s hard to recognize love if you’ve never experienced it.” Her hand curled and she held him tight. “You knew all about love in theory, Elijah, but you’d never felt it for yourself.”
“No, I…” His voice broke. He had no idea what to say—how to respond.
“It wasn’t your fault,” she continued. “The one who should have loved you most failed you. You grew up thinking you were unlovable. But it’s not true. You are loved more than you can imagine.”
Nieko spoke softly. “Do you think I could share Eora, what you and I have, with just anyone? It’s you, Elijah. I love Eora and I love you.”
Panic fluttered in his guts. They were wrong. They had to be wrong. The emotions saturating the air overpowered him, confused him, suffocated him. He surged to his feet. “I have to get out of here. I can’t—”
“Can’t what?” Nieko asked. “Can’t face the truth? Loving someone makes you vulnerable. It means letting them know everything about you. It means trusting them.”
Nieko reached out and grabbed his shoulders. “If Eora and I can accept that love exists, if we can fight our culture and our beliefs and know we’re right, you can do it too. Look inside yourself, Elijah. Look past bitterness.” He bowed his head. “Feel what I feel.” With those words, he dropped his shields. Emotion poured from him with no filters, no barriers. Everything was there, from his anguish at his hopeless love for Eora to his hostility when he met Elijah, his excitement, his growing affection, the intense grief when he’d thought Elijah was dead. And his love. Most of all his overwhelming, all-powerful love. Nieko held nothing back. He left himself utterly open and vulnerable.