by Abby Blake
“I guess that makes sense. Being one of the six women we’d been searching for made her special, a part of something, part of a group. Learning that she didn’t share their skills must have felt like she was invisible once more.”
“Exactly.”
“So the fact that she wants her own room…”
“Is her pulling away from us.”
Now Angus could feel a headache forming behind his eyes. When he’d thought the problem was just a disagreement between Dyson and Kristen, he’d felt confident there would be a resolution soon. But if what Dyson surmised was actually true, then they were faced with something far more difficult to fix. Suddenly, the vague rosy future he’d been planning for the three of them seemed far less certain.
“If you figured all of this out, why haven’t you done anything about it?”
Anger flared briefly in Dyson’s eyes, the flames of his demon heritage dancing in his irises, but he quickly locked the emotion away.
“Because nothing we can say or do will fix it. She doesn’t have the skills of the others. We can’t make her feel a part of something that she isn’t really a part of, and we can’t expect her to change to suit us. If she’d stayed in the quiet, mousy personality, chances are neither of us would have noticed her any more than we’ve noticed any of our other assignments. If she hadn’t argued with us and stood up for herself, she would have been as invisible to us as she was to everyone else.”
Angus didn’t know whether to laugh or tear the man in two. He settled for words, since unexplained humor and uncontrolled violence wouldn’t do either of them any good.
“For a smart man you really are an idiot sometimes.” Dyson looked stunned by Angus’s announcement rather than insulted. “It doesn’t matter what personality trait first caught our attention. The only question is do we love the woman underneath? Did you feel she was playing some sort of acting part in bed with us? Do you think she was only pretending to like the sex?”
Dyson shook his head, either in denial of his questions or from complete and utter confusion. Whatever the fire demon meant by his response, Angus decided to push on.
“Simple fact is that we both love her because of the woman underneath. Not the outward behavior but the true, loving personality underneath. She cares for us. I know she does. If she’s pulling away like you suggest, then it’s because she’s worried we love the illusion she created, not the shy, devoted, sweet woman underneath.”
“Then why are we standing here talking about it when we could be upstairs proving it to our woman?”
Angus laughed softly, nodded his approval, and then followed Dyson upstairs.
Chapter Eight
Her bedroom door flew open, nearly scaring the life out of her. She sat up in bed, her hand pressed against her heart, as she stared at the men who came into her room.
“What’s happened?” she asked quickly. Surely they would have knocked if it was anything less than an emergency.
“We’ve decided,” Angus said, with a grin that could only be described as determined, “that you’ve had enough time wallowing in self-pity.”
“Wallowing?” she asked in a nearly breathless voice. The accusation stung, even if it was a little bit true.
“Yes, baby girl, wallowing.” Both men stood at the end of the bed, arms crossed over their muscular chests, their eyes watching her every expression. “Did you think we would let you go just because you don’t have the same skills as the others?”
“But I don’t,” she said quietly, the shock of being confronted this way making her voice stronger than she’d intended. “I’m not one of them. I’m not a part of this…this…war or whatever it is that I somehow found myself in. I’m a plain-old ordinary human in the middle of a bunch of extraordinary beings. I’m not special. I’m no one. I don’t belong here.” And then under her breath she added, “I don’t belong anywhere.”
Her voice cracked on the last word, and she closed her eyes against the fear that this was really the end. They’d finally realize that she was no one special and then go on with their own lives.
She felt the bed dip on either side of her, and she opened her eyes in confusion.
“You belong right here, baby girl,” Angus said as he slid an arm around her waist.
“You’re special to us. You belong with us. We don’t want to live without you,” Dyson said and then leaned in to kiss her lips softly. “I love you, Kristen.”
“Same here,” Angus said, squeezing her waist just a little tighter. “I love you, baby. Please give the three of us a chance to build a life together. Don’t turn away from us.”
Her heart was beating so hard she was liable to break a rib. “You still love me even though I’m no one?”
Before she could comprehend what was happening, she found herself facedown over Dyson’s lap. His warm hand rubbed her bottom through the thin material of her pajama pants.
“Say that one more time and I’m going to smack your ass. Are we clear?”
She was so distracted by the unexpected sexual arousal from her helpless position that she almost didn’t comprehend the question.
“Is that clear, Kristen?” Angus asked as he knelt down so that he could see her face.
“If I call myself a…um…nobody again, I’m going to get spanked?”
“Correct,” Dyson said, his hand still rubbing over her ass.
“And if I…um…actually want to be…um…” She couldn’t force the words past her lips. It seemed so wrong to be this turned-on by something that was essentially an act of violence. A part of her doubted that Dyson would smack her even if she did call herself a no one again. This was really just his way of getting her attention, but the sexual arousal it was causing was off the charts. She didn’t know whether to shrink away in embarrassment or beg for him to help her understand why she wanted this. Hell, would either man even understand an urge she herself couldn’t explain?
“Holy fuck,” Angus said, gripping her chin roughly and lifting her face to his. “You actually want to be spanked.” She could feel a hot blush creeping over her skin, but Angus smiled and kissed her hard.
“Don’t be embarrassed, baby girl. There is nothing I would enjoy more than covering your beautiful ass with my handprint.”
Kristen moaned when she felt Dyson tug at the material of her pajama pants. He had them to her knees before she even thought to stop him. But then Angus grabbed her hands, trapping them in his own as liquid excitement trickled through every inch of her.
Both men groaned as the musky scent of her arousal filled the air and her pussy pulsed in anticipation.
“We’ll start slowly,” Angus said in a voice that she figured wasn’t just meant for her.
“Slow is good,” Dyson agreed as he tapped her bottom a couple of times. She hardly felt the slight sting and wiggled her hips, hoping for more. Both men laughed softly, but then Dyson’s hand smacked her harder, and she forgot everything else except the exquisite feeling of being surrounded by her men once more.
The next slap was even harder, the sharp sting going straight to her throbbing clit. She gasped, wriggling in their combined hold, and discovered that she had no control. Arousal flooded all of her senses, her skin tingling, her muscles shaking, her every nerve ending flaring to excited life. She moaned as the hits came faster, the combination of pleasure and pain sending her spiraling out of control.
As her orgasm hit, thick fingers pushed into her pussy, forcing her wider as Dyson’s thumb pressed against her anus. She gasped at the unexpected sensation but couldn’t deny the intense pleasure. Every muscle was shaking, her orgasm bursting again as Dyson pushed his thumb deep into her ass. He held it still, groaning as her muscles squeezed around him and her climax pulsed on and on.
She lay across his knees, panting hard, her eyes closed as sensation flowed over her like never-ending waves of hot lava scorching her from the inside out.
As her orgasm finally slowed and she managed to catch her breath, she still could
n’t find the energy to actually move. She probably made a rather strange sight—rumpled pajama pants around her knees, bottom glowing from her spanking, Dyson’s thumb still in her ass.
She moaned as he slowly pulled the thick digit from her anus.
“Where’s the lube?”
“What?” she squeaked before she could control her fear. She knew neither of these men would ever hurt her, but she’d never even considered anal play before.
“It’s okay, baby,” Angus said as he leaned over to press a kiss against the warm flesh of her ass. “I promise you’ll enjoy this, but if it’s not what you want, all you have to do is say ‘no.’”
“O–Okay,” she said, trying to control her fear. She trusted them with her life. She knew she could trust them not to hurt her.
The sound of some sort of liquid being squirted from a tube had her asshole clenching in nervous anticipation.
“Relax, baby. Take a deep breath and then let it out slowly.” She did as Angus ordered, trying to let the anxiety flow away as Dyson’s slippery fingers smoothed over her anus.
“Good girl,” he said as he slipped a finger into her back passage. He wiggled it, pushing in an out of her ass very slowly, very carefully. She heard the sound of more lube being squeezed from its container and then shivered slightly as the cold liquid rolled between her ass cheeks and Dyson worked it into her back passage. Soon he added a second finger, the uncomfortable stretch offset by the incredible heat as nerve endings she’d never known buzzed to life.
She gasped, unconsciously pushing back against his fingers, demanding more, begging with her body for something she’d never even imagined asking for. She barely noticed Angus leave the bed, but the sound of him slicking up his cock caught her full attention. Just the thought of having his thick, hard rod up her ass sent a nervous shiver up and down her spine.
“We’ll take it nice and easy, baby,” Angus said as Dyson eased his fingers from her ass and Angus replaced them with his cock. “Just like before, I want you to take a deep breath and then let it out slowly.”
She did as he asked, forcing herself to continue breathing out, keeping her muscles relaxed as he pushed the head of his cock against her tight ring of muscle. A voice in her head urged her to squirm away, but Dyson held her trapped, one hand pushing her upper body lower, forcing her ass higher in the air, the other underneath her, caressing her clit as Angus slid farther into her ass.
“Good girl,” Angus said breathlessly as he sank into her body as far as he could go. He held still for a moment, and then his large hands curled around her hips and lifted her slightly higher. He groaned as he pushed deeper, holding her hard against him.
“How’re you doing, sweetheart?” Dyson asked as he squeezed her clit tighter.
Seriously? Did they really think she could answer rationally with a massive cock in her ass, clever fingers at her clit, and her orgasm ready to explode? “Fuck me,” she managed to order breathlessly.
Angus chuckled. “Yes, ma’am.”
And then her world tilted off its axis. Angus started thrusting into her ass, slowly building the speed, the depth, the force of each entry. Dyson rubbed her clit, the slippery friction tipping her arousal into the stratosphere. She screamed, orgasm exploding over her, every muscle shaking violently, every nerve ending vibrating with delight.
Angus growled, his hands gripping her tighter, pulling her against him harder and harder as wave after wave after wave of heat washed over her entire body. He dragged her away from Dyson’s lap, lifting her onto the bed on her hands and knees.
“Suck him,” Angus ordered as Dyson rushed to undress and then slid onto the bed in front of her. She hesitated a moment—she’d never given a blow job before—but Angus’s slap on her thigh had her doing exactly what he asked. She opened her mouth over Dyson’s hard cock, moaning as the slightly salty flavor burst over her taste buds.
“Holy shit,” Dyson exclaimed as he threaded his hands through her hair and controlled her movements. Angus laughed slightly, and then started moving in her ass once more.
“That’s it, baby,” he said, pulling her closer as he found her clit and squeezed the swollen bud once more. “Come again.”
She gasped as her body did exactly what Angus demanded. Liquid heat drenched her as she sucked harder against Dyson’s cock and tried not to scream. Her arms shook violently, barely holding her up as both men started to move into her in unison. Angus thrust deep into her ass, Dyson pushing to the back of her throat, as they took her harder and faster.
Angus slammed into her one last time, grinding his pelvis against her ass as his own climax began. He grunted, jolting against her several times before holding her still. Dyson dragged against her hair, forcing his cock to the back of her throat as his orgasm began. She swallowed convulsively, the taste of his cum surprisingly appealing.
Finally, he stilled as well, his cock slowly softening in her mouth as she laved her tongue over the silky-feeling flesh.
“Fuck,” Angus said as he gently pulled his cock from her ass. “Baby girl, that was one hell of a ride.”
“Ditto,” Dyson said breathlessly.
Dyson reached down and dragged her up the mattress and into his embrace. Angus moved to lie down behind her. They held her close for so long she was starting to wonder if they’d fallen asleep, but then Angus pressed a kiss to the back of her neck and said, “Never doubt that we love you, Kristen. It doesn’t matter that you’re not an Oracle’s receptacle. You’re very special to both of us.”
“You’re special to me, too,” she confessed quietly. “And I do love you both, but it might take some time for me to break the habits of a lifetime. I spent a long time being almost invisible, so I may need reminding now and then that you two see me differently.”
Angus laughed as he caressed her bottom. “Not a problem, baby. Dyson and I both promise to spank your ass anytime you forget. We’ll make certain you remember who loves you every time you sit down.”
She moaned as everything they just shared replayed in her memory. If that was how she would feel every time she sat down, she had an awful lot to look forward to.
Chapter Nine
Dyson sat staring at the computer screen and wondered what the hell to do now. He hadn’t really expected to find anything, so the message Jason had left him was more than a little disturbing. Years ago, they’d set up e-mail addresses under the guise of gamers’ accounts. Anybody reading the e-mails would simply assume they were trash-talking each other’s skills from a particular online game. Ironically, that was actually what most of the e-mails were about. The game had been a pleasant distraction over the years, but as far as Dyson knew, neither of them had played online for quite a while now.
But sitting there in black and white was an e-mail that sent a chill down Dyson’s spine.
“My mage army has new weapons and will easily destroy your castle. Time for you to flee, ugly troll.”
He was still staring at the screen when Angus and Kristen came into the room. They both noticed his tension immediately.
“What is it?” Kristen asked as she came to stand beside him. He tried to force a smile, grabbed her around the waist, and pulled her onto his lap. She let him kiss her, but it didn’t deter her from getting an answer to her question.
“Just an e-mail,” he finally answered, trying not to put too much emphasis on the importance of it. “A friend and I used to play an online game a while ago. It’s just some gamer trash talk.”
“Uh-huh,” she said, obviously unconvinced by the half-truth. “If that was true, you wouldn’t be staring at it as if it were a live snake. Would this friend happen to be Jason?”
Apparently, he’d told them way too much about his ex–squad partner. Over the past week, both of them had helped him work through the feelings about Jason and his actions. Dyson had never been one for touchy-feely emotional crap—he hated the yearly psyche evaluation necessary to stay on the PUP squads—but he’d never really had to deal with somet
hing like this before. To say Jason’s actions had undermined everything he believed in was a total understatement, but somehow the three of them were supporting each other as they dealt with the changes in their lives. Kristen was becoming more confident and relaxed, no longer overeager to please but capable of expressing what she wanted. Angus had talked about his decision to retire, his anger toward some of the people he’d protected over the years, and his change in plans about going back to his hometown.
It was kind of weird. After spending his entire adult life holding his emotions inside, explaining his feelings to Kristen and Angus seemed perfectly natural. With these two people he felt like he had a family. But that didn’t mean he wanted to worry Kristen unnecessarily. She was still his to protect.
“Is it Jason?” Kristen asked again.
He glanced at Angus and finally nodded.
“Does it mean anything?” Angus asked as he read the e-mail over Dyson’s shoulder. “It’s dated three hours ago. Do you think maybe this is meant as a warning? Is he trying to tell us that Sugarvale is about to be attacked?”
“I’m not sure,” Dyson answered honestly, “but I think Benjamin needs to see it.”
“The wards are still active,” Angus said out loud for Kristen’s benefit. Dyson could feel the wards that stopped slip, bounce, and vortex travel, but he didn’t miss Angus’s subtle suggestion that the attack would likely come from nonmagical weapons. “Why don’t you go speak to Benjamin while Kristen and I explore the cellar?”
Kristen wrinkled her nose at the word “cellar” but didn’t protest.
“I’ll be back quickly,” Dyson said as he lifted Kristen to her feet. He gave her a smile, kissed her quickly, and then headed for the front door.
He was halfway across the road when the first explosion sounded.
* * * *