Every Dawn Forever

by R. E. Butler

  A small, muffled sound of pain came from behind the bathroom door and all three of them tensed. He stepped forward, planning to find out what was wrong, when Orion caught his arm. “Hold up, man. We can’t go barging in there.”

  Sterling bared his teeth. “She’s hurting.”

  The sound came again, and then a wave of her delicious scent washed over them. Sterling closed his eyes and inhaled. She smelled like she was aroused.

  “Holy shit,” Crux said, shaking his head.

  Orion swallowed hard and clenched his hands at his sides. He took in a few deep breaths. “I’m going to ask her if she’s okay. If she says yes, then we’ll leave it at that. If something is going on, then we’ll help her in any way that she’ll allow.”

  Orion walked to the bathroom, his steps heavier than necessary so that he didn’t scare her when he knocked.

  “Sweetheart, are you okay? It sounded as if you were in pain.”

  There was a long pause and then her voice came out, breathy and high. “I-I’m fine, Orion. I’ll just be a few minutes.”

  “Take your time, sweetheart. You can rest on the bed and we’ll leave when the storm passes.”

  “O-okay,” she replied.

  Crux moved to the bed and ripped the covers off, opening the front door and shaking them swiftly. Dust flew off them. Sterling didn’t think anyone had been inside the cabin for months. Crux fixed the covers on the bed again, smoothing the top with nervous hands. Sterling knew that Crux was feeling the strong desire to mate with Sydney, because he was feeling it himself. But this wasn’t a normal situation. They hadn’t met her for a date, they had rescued her from whatever hell she’d been trapped in for who knew how long. Their mate needed time, and they would give it to her.

  Another wave of heady arousal rolled over him and he groaned, nearly dropping to his knees. It was definitely going to be a long night.

  Chapter 5

  Sydney clutched the edge of the sink as another stab of desire hit her like the lightning that flashed intermittently outside. Her body was trembling, her heart racing, and desire wet her thighs.

  When she was in the car with the three men, the desire that had struck her in the bus station had all but disappeared. But the moment they left her standing alone in the cabin while they checked it over, the desire had come back full-force. And then when they had surrounded her at the window again, it hadn’t gone away but had started to get worse. Little pains stabbed at her insides while heat filled her body and desire coiled in her stomach. Her nipples ached and her clit throbbed. In all the times that Byron had drugged her, she’d never felt quite like this. She wondered what exactly had been in the clear fluid he had injected her with.

  He’d told her that she would be begging for his cock later. In a moment of clarity she wondered if he’d managed to somehow drug her into a mating heat. If the drugs had made her body ready to mate, then the pain would only continue to grow until she went crazy from it. Unless she sated her body.

  Another wave of desire poured over her and her knees went weak, but she managed to stay upright by clutching tightly to the sink. She heard heavy footsteps and her first instinct was fear, immediately picturing Byron furious at her for escaping.

  The knock wasn’t the violent pounding that Byron would have done, but a gentle rhythm followed by Orion’s voice, asking if she was okay. Just the sound of his voice ramped up her feelings and made her long to throw open the door and fall into his arms.

  She told Orion that she was fine, when she was anything but. Desire hit her again; spots formed before her eyes, and she felt light-headed. She didn’t know the three men in the cabin at all, but there was something about them that told her they wouldn’t hurt her. The problem that lay before her now was that she didn’t think she could get through the night on her own. Her blood felt like it was on fire, her stomach was tense, and her body ached for pleasure.

  She couldn’t hide in the bathroom all night. Just thinking about the three men made her heart go haywire. They had such kind eyes. And they were so big; especially Sterling, who was the biggest of the three. She didn’t think she could get her hands around one of his biceps, they were so large. They were gentlemen, that was clear. They would never hit a woman in anger or for fun. Tears burned in her eyes. She’d never known real tenderness, real compassion. On the other side of the door were three men that had come to help her. And she’d never needed help more than she did at this moment.

  Opening the bathroom door, she took in a breath and swooned as the scent of them crashed over her like a tidal wave. Strong hands prevented her from hitting the ground, and in a blur of speed she was seated on the bed, the three men standing anxiously in front of her. Crux raced to the kitchen and pumped water into the sink, pulling off his shirt and soaking it before wringing it out. He approached her slowly, the folded wet shirt in his hand. “Can I, Sydney?” he asked quietly.

  Humiliation burned in her cheeks, but she nodded, hissing as the cool cloth touched her feverish neck. “Are you ill?” Sterling asked. His tone was rough, but tender as well.

  “My mate drugged me before he left me alone tonight.”

  All three growled. When she’d heard growling in the past, it always frightened her because it meant that Byron was just seconds away from beating her. But she wasn’t afraid now. She understood that their growls were directed at her past, not at her.

  “What kind of drug? Do you need a hospital?” Orion demanded.

  Crux patted her skin with the cloth, soothing her fevered flesh. Licking her dry lips, she said, “When he did it before, it would make me feel crazy with need. It wouldn’t go away until I satisfied the urges. If I denied them, they just grew worse. Whatever he did to me is like that, but worse. My whole body aches with need.”

  Crux tipped her chin up until she was looking at him. The cloth lay pressed against her collarbone. “Sydney, we’d never hurt you, I swear on my own life. On all of our lives. If you need help, if you need us in any way, then just say the word.”

  Orion moved closer. “Do you want us to go out and stay in the SUV so you can have privacy?”

  She saw Sterling’s jaw clench, but he said nothing. They were some kind of were-animal, so she knew they could smell her arousal. Under their watchful gaze, she was starting to grow less self-conscious and more aware of how itchy her dress was and how good it would feel to touch them. To have them touch her. For the first time, the thought of a man’s hands on her body didn’t repulse her and fill her with shame. But she didn’t think that it was just any man’s hands that would make her feel this way, it was Orion’s. And Sterling’s. And Crux’s.

  A tingle wove down her spine as she thought about the three men touching her. She’d never dreamed of anything like that in all her years. Was such a thing possible?

  Her breath came out in pants. “Don’t leave, please.”

  “What do you want us to do?” Orion asked.

  Need twisted through her and her eyes went out of focus for a moment. Shaking her head until she could see clearly, she said, “Will you touch me? Have sex with me?” She added hastily, “Just tonight, to help me through the drug?”

  Crux frowned. “We don’t have any protection.”

  She gripped his wrist. “I’m on natural birth control, there’s no danger of me getting pregnant. Please. My body’s on fire.” Shamelessly, she pleaded with her eyes, hoping they would take pity on her situation and help her. She was aware she should feel humiliated, begging strangers for sex when she was still technically mated to Byron, but all she could think about was how good they smelled and how much she wanted them. She’d never known compassion. She’d never been touched tenderly. And right now, she wanted that more than anything she’d ever wanted in her life. It seemed fitting to celebrate her freedom, and although she wished she wasn’t at the mercy of the drug, when she let her gaze roam down Crux’s muscular chest, she knew she wasn’t making a mistake. She might only have tonight with them, but she was going to take what
she could get and hold onto the memory for the rest of her life.

  Crux brushed his lips across hers and she gasped in surprise. Had it really been six years since she’d been kissed? She hadn’t realized how much she’d missed it until Crux’s soft lips were sweeping over hers. The cloth was tossed aside and his hands touched her bare arms, his touch feather-light. She shivered, her toes curling in her flip-flops. She heard Orion and Sterling moving away and she leaned away from Crux’s lips and looked into his eyes. Would he be mad if she asked his brothers to join them? Would he think her sudden thoughts of three sets of hands on her body perverted?

  Somehow he seemed to sense her curiosity and desires, and he smiled. “Do you want them to join us? They will, but they won’t do anything you don’t want.”

  “Yes.” She said the word without thinking.

  Orion and Sterling had frozen in place. They turned slowly and stared at her, and the blatant longing on their faces filled her with happiness. They wanted her, but they were willing to walk away if she didn’t want them, too. She’d never experienced a male willing to let a woman make her own choices with her body. She’d been property to Byron and nothing more. A plaything, a toy he could abuse at his whim.

  She held out one hand to them, and they moved slowly back towards her. When they were standing in front of her next to Crux, the heady, masculine scent of their bodies filled the air. She inhaled. “What are you?”

  “Hyena,” Orion said.

  It wouldn’t have mattered to her what they shifted into, and now that her curiosity was sated and the momentary distraction from her raging lust had started to wane, she kicked off her flip-flops and scooted back on the bed. Going to her knees, she said, “I need you. All of you.”

  They climbed onto the bed quickly. Her hands slid up Orion’s arms to the sleeves of his shirt, her fingers slipping under the hem. He ducked his head and kissed her so tenderly that it brought tears to her eyes, but she forced them away so she didn’t ruin things by bawling. When daylight came, when they found out her abused history, they’d be glad to leave her alone. No one would want to put up with someone with her baggage, certainly not three gorgeous men who could have anyone on the planet. Shoving aside the snarling worry from her wolf at the thought of them leaving her alone, she focused on kissing Orion.

  Sterling and Crux’s fingers touched her arms at the same time, and her body jolted with awareness. How strange! Their touch was electrifying. She moaned softly and Orion’s tongue slipped into her mouth, sliding against her own as he tipped his head to the side and deepened the kiss. Crux and Sterling stroked her arms and kissed her shoulders but made no move to do anything more.

  She slid her hands down her sides and gathered the dress, lifting it up past her hips. Crux and Sterling took over, helping to lift the dress up her body as she parted from Orion’s tempting mouth.

  Orion’s quick breath had Sydney covering her upper body with her arms. “I know I’m ugly—”

  Sterling’s dark snarl caught her off guard and she looked at him in surprise. His blue eyes flashed.

  “You’re not ugly, you’re beautiful.” His thick fingers lightly grazed her jaw and he kissed her on the lips. “Truly beautiful.”

  She wanted to believe him, but she’d been told so many awful things about herself for so long that she couldn’t readily believe what they said.

  “The bruises,” she started and Crux kissed her shoulder, brushing her hair away.

  “Show that you’re a survivor, Sydney. Don’t forget that.” Crux said.

  She’d never thought of herself as a survivor. She’d never really given much thought to herself at all. With their encouragement, she dropped her arms and squeezed her eyes shut.

  No rough handling, no pinching, just pleased murmurs and light touches. Sterling kissed her and she relaxed. One of Crux’s hands traced her spine and his breath cascaded over her sensitive nipple as he cupped one breast and kissed the hard tip. At the same time, Orion kissed her other nipple and ran his thumb along her inner thigh, just outside the edge of her cotton panties.

  The painful desire that had swept through her eased with their hands on her, and she lifted her trembling fingers and brushed them through Orion’s soft blond hair. Her legs began to tremble and she felt like she was going to fall, but before she could, they laid her on her back. Orion sat on his knees by her calves, his fingers drawing circles on her thigh.

  “Tell us how far to go,” he murmured, looking at her with intense blue-green eyes. “Tell us how to love you, to make you feel better.”

  She looked at Crux and Sterling, both crouching on either side of her, their eyes filled with compassion and want, and she answered as honestly as she could. “I don’t know.”

  She might have been embarrassed, but Orion said, “That’s alright, we’ll take it slow. You tell us to stop if you want to, and we’ll stop immediately. I promise.”

  “I believe you,” she said, and she meant it.

  Orion’s full lips split into a smile that made her stomach flutter. “I’m glad.”

  He hooked his fingers in the sides of her panties and drew them slowly down her legs. She felt heat rush to her cheeks again, embarrassed by how wet she knew she was from the drugs.

  Orion’s voice was husky when he spoke. “Look how wet you are, sweetheart. So pretty and pink.” He pushed gently on her knees and she parted her legs. She expected him to flip her over onto her stomach and fuck her, and a part of her wouldn’t necessarily mind that because she was so tightly wound from the drugs that all she wanted was to have sex. But when she felt Orion’s tongue stroke across her swollen clit, she gasped and sat up, bumping her shoulders against Sterling and Crux.

  “What are you doing?” she panted.

  Orion raised a brow. “Tasting you.” He licked his lips with a smile. “You taste delicious. You’ve never done this before?”

  “No.” She shook her head. “I’ve never, um, climaxed.”

  Her mind immediately thought of the few times when she’d felt pleasure begin to bloom inside her. It was as if Byron had been able to tell that she was starting to feel good because he would hurt her immediately by hitting or choking her, and the pleasure would disappear.

  Crux slipped his hand behind her neck and massaged lightly. “There’s no pain or fear here. We just want to make you feel good.”

  Resolving that she would not think about Byron or her past any more that night, she eased back to the bed and lifted her hands to Crux and Sterling’s shoulders. Orion’s tongue touched her clit again and she breathed out a sigh as she widened her legs further.

  Her hands slid up their arms and across their shoulders where she ran her hands through their hair. Crux’s hair was dark blond and cut short, and slipped through her fingers like silk. Sterling’s hair was brown and buzzed on the sides, tickling her fingers as she stroked over his ear.

  Sterling’s large hand rested on her stomach and slid up to her breast, his thumb brushing across her tight nipple. As he bent his head to kiss it, Crux kissed her lips, his hand still massaging her neck. The lips of her sex were spread open; Orion sucked her clit into his mouth and her back arched, her hips pressing up towards his mouth. His finger circled the entrance to her body and she moaned into Crux’s mouth. Orion’s finger was thick but slid easily through her wetness and into her body. He rubbed the walls of her pussy, and her belly clenched. Small panting cries seeped from her throat and Crux groaned, leaving her mouth and kissing across her cheek to her ear. He licked the shell of her ear and whispered, “Come for us, Sydney, let go and let us love you.”

  Her legs tensed and her body clenched as Orion sucked on her clit like it was his favorite piece of candy, his finger rubbing ceaselessly inside her. Warmth filled her and she threw her head back into the mattress with a loud moan as pleasure flowed through her. Orion’s finger slipped out of her and he released her clit, licking the sensitive bud with slow strokes.

  Sterling and Crux moved away slightly when the be
d shifted as Orion moved over her. She gripped his shoulders and said, “Can we stay like this?”

  “Like what?” His brows furrowed in confusion.

  “Facing each other?”

  “Of course. I don’t want to miss seeing your beautiful face. We can stop now, if you want.”

  “No!” She clutched at his shoulders and he chuckled, sitting up and drawing off his shirt. His jeans were next, as he moved off the bed to strip and then climbed back on again. His body nestled in the cradle of her hips, and she lifted her legs to wrap around his waist.

  “Are you ready?” he asked again.

  “Yes, Orion,” she breathed, stroking her fingers across his jaw. He was so handsome, and for tonight, he was hers. He shifted his body away from hers and his cock bumped against her pussy. With one long, slow stroke, he filled her. Both of them groaned, and he dropped his forehead against hers, wrapping his arms around her. “You feel perfect, sweetheart,” he whispered with a kiss.

  She wanted to say it back to him, but her past kept the words locked up tightly. That was the sweetest thing anyone had ever said to her. She was far from perfect, but in this moment, with these men, she felt as close to it as she ever had.

  They stayed motionless for a few moments, and then he pulled out of her just as slowly as he’d driven inside, as if they had all the time in the world. And tonight, it felt like they did.

  They moved together, slow at first and then building in speed, as the tension in her body built more and more. She felt him tense and then groan low and deep in his throat as his cock swelled and emptied inside her. The first spasm of his body inside hers set off a reaction that made her clench her teeth together.

  Orion’s voice was deep in her ear. “Let go. You don’t have to be quiet.”

  Unclenching her jaw, she let out a gusty groan as hot fingers of pleasure wove through her, and Orion chuckled in her ear and then kissed her cheek. He held her for several quiet minutes. The whole cabin was quiet and the only thing she could hear was the storm outside and her heart beating.