She smiled at him, the hint of tears pushed away, making him feel like a hero. “I appreciate the offer, but they’re really not worth it.”
Jayden took her hand. “Share with us.”
She rolled her eyes but clasped his fingers between both her hands. “If you really have to know, my wings are a very unusual color. There wasn’t another Naema at my school with my color or even close.” She shook her wings. “They are just so…bright.” Sydney shrugged. “We’re not supposed to show our wings, but at that age we just start to develop the dimensional portal to hide them, so we kids had them visible more often than not. I made an easy target.”
Miguel raised his hand and stroked the back of his finger along the outline of the wing closest to him. “They are incredible.”
A flush spread across her chest and face.
He gently tugged on one of the big outer feathers.
She bit her lower lip.
Jayden looked at him with surprise in his eyes.
“How quickly did you learn to hold the dimensional portal?”
It took her a moment to focus on him. Then she grinned. “I was the first one in my age group.”
Miguel continued to caress the outer feathers and Jayden stroked her inner thigh.
“Anyway, I’ve always wanted to find out if all the stories are true and after everything we’ve done you are obviously the perfect opportunity.”
Miguel dug his nails into his upper thigh outside Sydney and Jayden’s line of sight. It hurt not to be able to speak freely. Lifemates should not have secrets. The three of them had taken that first step into trust, but all three of them had been through too much to share their inner feelings easily.
He had barricaded himself behind the thickest and strongest wall he could imagine against their connection. Every time he felt her, every time he saw their link, every time he wanted to reach out to her mentally he tempted fate. More importantly, he tempted her safety. Nothing was more important than Sydney’s survival. Hence the barrier.
But the drive to accept their link, to tear down all barriers and share himself fully was there every single minute of every single hour.
He looked at Jayden. Maybe together they would be able to fulfill their goal, but with the shortened timeline their chances were pretty slim.
“What stories?” Jayden’s sensual voice stroked over him.
He refocused on the two people who in just a few days had become dangerously important to him.
Sydney shook her wings and spread them to their full expanse. “In a situation like the one we currently find ourselves in my wings can heighten our pleasure.”
Miguel rose and moved, making sure to touch wherever he could. The texture of the wings against his naked skin was incredible. He knelt behind her, his knees bracketing her. He stroked across her wings, from the top to the ends, from the outer line to where they came out of her back.
When he caressed her down her spine she arched her back and groaned. He noted the response for later and indulged some more. The texture of her feathers was strong and soft at the same time. In all his years he had never touched anything like it. With every caress his cock grew harder and his need more powerful.
Sydney shivered and clung to Jayden, who knelt before her stroking her front. He met the other man’s gaze over her shoulder and nearly combusted into flames at the passion blazing on his face.
Miguel leaned forward, thrust one hand into Jayden’s soft hair and kissed him. Their lips and tongues fought and struggled, both seeking supremacy while at the same time giving in.
She slipped out from between them, leaving him facing Jayden, knelt perpendicular to them and wrapped her wings around them. Her heavy outer feathers stroked up and down Miguel’s back, catapulting his need onto a whole new plateau. He softened his kiss and pulled back, his hand still clenched around the silky strands of hair. “Time to get this show moving.”
Sydney leaned forward and wrapped her hands around each of their cocks. “I couldn’t agree more.” She stroked up and down his hard member, pushing him too close to the edge.
He had always enjoyed sex, but he’d never been this close to out of control. After a handful more strokes he grasped her hand and lifted it to his lips. Jayden mirrored his move and then released her, allowing Miguel to tug her close until she straddled him. One quick touch confirmed that her desire was as strong as his. He lined up his cock with her pussy and thrust deep. Her nails dug into his shoulders. Her head dropped back, her sheath fluttering around him as she grew used to his possession.
Miguel vaguely realized that Jayden had moved away, but was too focused on the next lunge to pay close attention. He knew what would happen next. He couldn’t wait.
Sydney was in another dimension. Her whole body tingled and shivered, each inch of her skin too sensitive but at the same time in need of more. Her wings amplified every touch, every caress, every thrust.
Jayden settled behind her, his flattened palm stroking down her spine. Before she could prepare herself, another orgasm ripped through her. He kissed her neck and nipped at her earlobe. “I like this.”
If she’d any breath left she would have laughed at his sly comment, but all she could do was cling to Miguel while he continued to push inside her with long, deep thrusts.
Jayden gently nudged her forward until she rested her weight against Miguel, giving Jayden the access he required to prepare her for his consummation. He gently teased her spine feathers, his hand moving outward, his touch barely strong enough to feel, but enough to counterbalance the sharp pinch as he thrust his lubed finger into her, followed by streams of lubricant.
Miguel raised his hands to her chest and cupped her breasts.
Sydney was so ready to go, but the men knew and kept their touches just light enough to enflame but not enough to propel her over the edge.
Their heavy breathing filled the room. The scent of sex and passion hung in the air.
Miguel paused and held her tight against his chest. Slowly but inevitably Jayden penetrated her ass. As before she felt overwhelmed and unable to process the sensations. When he was finally all the way inside her he rubbed his chin against her neck and his chest against her wings.
“Jade.” What she expected to be a scream was barely a whimper.
“Jade, indeed,” Jayden whispered before he pulled back.
What came next was too much, too deep and intimate for Sydney to ever be able to put into words.
She wrapped her arms and wings around Miguel and just hung on. The men quickly found their rhythm, each plunge pushing her higher and higher onto a level of sensation and passion unknown to her.
Miguel kissed her and tightened his grip, his black eyes blazing with everything he felt. She wanted to stop, to study what was in his eyes, to identify where they stood with each other, but there was no stopping this cataclysmic wave of pleasure.
It began in her toes and streamed all the way to her tips of her hair. Every single cell in her body screamed, first with tension and then with a relief so deep she wasn’t sure if she would ever be able to put herself together after this.
Her men sped up their thrusts, grew more vocal and came only seconds after her.
She knew her physical body clung to Miguel, but what she had just experienced was so big, so deep, her mind could not process it. Instead it drifted in ecstasy.
But she wasn’t alone. Miguel and Jayden were right there with her.
They slumped to the bed, a tangle of limbs and bodies, no one capable of doing more than breathing.
Sydney wasn’t sure if she fell asleep or passed out, but she came back to when Jayden wiped her down with a warm cloth. She murmured her thanks under her breath but didn’t open her eyes. He disappeared and then was back, curling around her back, kissing her nape.
This is it. This is what I want the rest of my life to be like.
That was her last thought before Sydney fell asleep.
Chapter Eleven
Miguel shot aw
ake in an instant. The alarm flashing in his internal comp was mirrored by the wailing of his portable comp. He leaned over and grabbed it, Sydney’s wings stroking across his body.
“What’s the matter?” Her husky question tightened his groin. He wanted to lean over and kiss her, but he couldn’t ignore the alarm. A few quick taps turned off the wail and brought the details on screen.
He frowned and studied the scanner.
Jayden had jumped out of bed, pulled on his trousers and peered over his shoulder. “Intruders? Seriously? Who is stupid enough to try anything in a Feral compound?”
“Other Ferals?” Miguel’s fingers flew across the screen. “Three of them and they are headed to Nasir.”
“Let them.”
Miguel stilled. He and Jayden both turned to Sydney. She rose on one elbow. “I am guessing they’re not here to wish him happy birthday. Let them try,” she said.
For a second he ran through the odds of the intruders succeeding as well as the repercussions and then shook his head. “The same alarm that went off for me will go off for him.” He followed Jayden’s example and threw on clothes. “They won’t take him by surprise and he would question why I didn’t show up.”
Sydney climbed out of bed, vanished her wings and also got dressed.
He wanted to pull her close and savor her gift. Instead he waited for her to be completely covered and instructed the comp to call Nasir.
“Miguel, what’s happening?” His holo image hovered in midair. He didn’t appear to have gone to bed yet as he wore the same clothes.
“Three intruders heading straight to you. I will meet the men at the bottom of the lift and take them out.” He was about to sign off when Nasir called him back.
“Don’t worry. I haven’t had a good slaughter in a little while. This way I won’t have to use our own merchandise.”
“Do you have guards close?” Jayden asked.
Nasir laughed. “I don’t need guards.” He signed off.
Miguel cursed under his breath, shoved more weapons into his belt and ran out of the room. Jayden and Sydney were only a step behind him. On his way he called backup. It took them only a few minutes to reach the bottom of the lift. A quick swipe of his wrist over the scanner had them inside and shooting to the top floor.
He and Jayden pulled their weapons. Sydney stepped into the corner of the lift without having to be told to take cover. He handed her a knife. She gripped it with confidence, putting him a little at ease.
The doors slid open and they stepped into a nightmare.
A slight whimper escaped Sydney.
Blood and gore covered the wide-open entrance hall, coming from one of the attackers. It appeared he had been torn limb from limb. Nasir was in the process of doing the same to a second attacker while a third fired at him nonstop.
With absolutely no effect.
Miguel lowered his weapon and just stared. Behind him the door slid open allowing the backup to join them. He waved at them to stand down. He took Sydney by her elbow and guided her to a corner out of the way. Jayden followed.
“What the fuck is going on here?” Jayden asked under his breath.
“It appears that our leader cannot be killed by conventional methods.”
Sydney moved a little closer, her hand grasping the back of Miguel’s shirt. He wanted to pull her close but didn’t dare to do so with everyone watching. Jayden stepped over until he stood on her other side, keeping her mostly hidden behind his big body.
“Did he fall into a vat of superjuice?” Sydney’s voice trembled a little, but he appreciated her bite.
Jayden snorted. “Looks like, doesn’t it? I always thought that only happened in comics.”
Miguel only watched as Nasir ripped his attackers apart. Nothing they did had any impact on him. No wonder none of your attempts even made a dent. He watched an impossibility. An impossibility he was supposed to kill.
After what felt like hours but probably was no more than ten minutes Nasir was done. Blood, brain matter and guts covered him as he dropped the last body and addressed his watchers. “This was just what I needed.” He looked around him. “Made a bit of a mess, but I feel much better.” He nudged an arm with his foot. “Who are they?”
Miguel pulled out his comp and scanned the closest body part for ID. Seconds later a holo image appeared in midair. “Sebastian Tam.” He scrolled through the data. “Looks like he used to work for Silas.”
Nasir crossed his arms over his chest. “Silas is dead. The Vampire Council’s minions took him out.”
“It appears that his successor is making a power play. Instead of working with us he wants your share of the pie too.”
“He can’t have it.” Nasir nodded at Jayden. “Take care of it after Kajaani.”
Jayden gave a quick bow.
Nasir studied his hands and pulled his blood-drenched shirt away from his body. “I better clean up.” He caught Miguel’s gaze. “Are we ready to go for tomorrow?”
“The gas is in production and the troops have been advised.”
Nasir nodded and turned to the backup group. “Thank you for coming to my rescue. Clean this up and grab a snack from the pen.”
Sydney’s nails dug into Miguel’s back, but her expression gave nothing away. He didn’t like the fevered glint in the men’s eyes. They looked at Nasir as if he were a god. Maybe he was, but Miguel had to find a way to take him out. Normal weapons didn’t work. He had a few unusual options up his sleeve.
And it was time to pull in backup. That way when Nasir took him out someone else could take over.
He wrapped his hand around Sydney’s nape and guided her to the lift. She stared straight ahead, the blood beneath her feet squelching. She was incredible. Nothing in her manner or face gave away the horror that raged through her.
The three of them entered the lift. He nodded to Nasir as the doors closed.
A monstrous god who had to be destroyed.
He just didn’t know how.
Jayden walked behind Miguel and Sydney. Despite the distance between them he could still see their link. It had faded a little, the reds no longer as bright as they had been the day before. The ache at seeing them together had mostly receded. Sydney had been very clear that she felt emotionally linked to both of them, so he no longer felt like the outsider. There were moments where he wished he was her lifemate, but the shadow was mostly gone.
They needed to come up with a solution to the Nasir problem. Jayden had been a warrior for centuries, but in all his time fighting he had never seen anything like Nasir. Vampires were faster, stronger and harder to kill. Nearly every one of them had an extra ability, telekinesis, precog, sometimes languages or music. His ability to wield any weapon like a master within minutes of picking it up had helped him more than once over the years.
He studied the back of Miguel’s head. There were no records on his gift. Jayden prayed that Miguel—no that was too formal. Miguel was a little stuffy already. He liked Mik better. It suited him.
Jayden hoped Mik had some kind of superpower up his sleeve, otherwise he saw no way to take out Nasir. How the fuck had he gotten that way? The shots fired at him hadn’t even scratched him. It had been a high-powered laser gun with built in targeting system that searched for the most vulnerable spots. And none of them had penetrated Nasir’s skin.
He ran through his list of more powerful weapons. One problem was that a high impact weapon made it impossible to be close by. After what he had seen, Jayden didn’t trust that a conventional weapon would make it, no matter how big. He needed to see Nasir die with his own eyes. No coming back alive after.
A second problem with taking out the compound meant the death of all the humans held. He was single minded, but up until now he had always said no if it cost innocent lives and he could save them.
His gaze wandered to the slender figure beside Miguel.
That attitude may have changed. If it came down to them and her she would win every time. He hoped it wouldn’t co
me to it. And that meant one thing.
He flicked a hidden switch in his internal comp. The chip in his eye had recorded Nasir’s massacre. Jayden encrypted the short file and added the intel for tomorrow’s attack, how they planned to sabotage it, as well as Sydney’s presence. Sending this data could be a death sentence for him. If he were found out, Nasir would kill him and his death would not be easy.
Sydney appeared to feel his heavy thoughts and turned her head slightly so her eyes met his.
He smiled at her, glad he’d established a cover as an easygoing and friendly guy. Should Nasir watch the feed, smiling at Sydney would not be identified as something special. She is worth it. He remembered the numbers of innocents that would die tomorrow if he failed.
Jayden sent the file.
Duncan and Malachy would be close by in the system waiting for the right moment. They had reached the endgame. Nasir could not be allowed to take this war public and Jayden needed help. No matter what happened, Sydney would stand a chance.
They finally reached Miguel’s room. Funny how after such a short time his bare room had turned into a haven. He closed the door and leaned back against it as if his body could keep out the danger and horror of the last moments.
The three of them stood in a circle, not touching, looking at each other. The lines around Miguel’s eyes had deepened and Sydney had deep rings under hers. This won’t do. Jayden made a production of checking the time. “We only have a few hours before Miguel and I have to leave.” He stretched out his arms. “We can either attempt to come to grips with what happened or we can focus on something completely different.”
Sydney closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead. “I have never seen anything like it. He didn’t seem to even use the slightest bit of effort. He just pulled and had an arm in his hand.” She exhaled and opened her eyes. “We all know what needs to happen.” She shrugged. “I have no idea how we are going to make it happen—”
“It will happen.” Miguel’s words dropped like stones into a pond.
Tangled Redemption Page 15