by Viola Grace
She laughed. “That is the binding spell. It makes you want to do what is best for everyone in the union. Even the other guys.”
He wrapped her in a towel and draped another around his hips. He cuddled her against him as they walked back into her bedroom. He sat on the chest at the end of her bed and pulled her onto his lap, inhaling and exhaling against her neck. Being with her seemed to relieve tension in him, so she leaned against him and enjoyed the closeness with her mate.
William Eric Andrew Smith. She wondered what Tremble’s name actually was.
An hour later, Andrew was tucked into a guest bedroom, and he was breathing evenly. Demon shifting was exhausting, and it had been his first time. He would sleep for hours.
Sighing softly, she closed the door and went down the hall, searching for Tremble. Her sundress swished around her calves with every move and it felt loud in the silence.
He wasn’t upstairs, so she went downstairs and found him in the library talking softly with her father and looking at some of the demon texts.
Her father looked up and smiled. “Benny, you look rested.”
She winked. “Close enough.”
He walked away from the elf who was raptly poring over the text, and he came over to give her a hug. “Thanks for coming for us, Benny.”
“You would have done it for me, Dad. Have you talked to Grandpa yet?”
“I did. He mentioned that he felt something was different. Kyria has not been in touch with him yet, but he feels she will be if she can get out of the zone.”
Benny blinked. “Oh, right. She used to leave, propelled by Yomra.”
Harcourt shrugged. “She will find a way. She always does.”
She leaned back in his arms. “Are you less green?”
He winked. “I am. I feel more like my old self. My father is experiencing the same thing.”
Her grandfather had the curled horns of the demon scholar, the same as Tremble did when he was wearing his demon. Well, she supposed it was when he was wearing her demon, but it was his manifestation.
“I am glad. I hope that this doesn’t screw me up with the XIA. They had just accepted that I was a demon blood with self-control. What are they going to think when I let them know that I have cut our family loose from the influence of the king of our bloodline?”
Tremble looked up from the book and stared at her with vivid dark rainbow eyes with slit pupils. “Don’t tell them.”
She left her dad and wandered over to him. “Why not?”
“They will re-evaluate you and demand the spell that was used to release you. I do not feel that the spell should fall into the hands of someone who has not been raised with the self-control that your family has embedded into you.” He gave her a solemn look.
She blinked. “I get the feeling that you guys are going to be tested for demon influence a little more frequently.”
He smiled slowly. “Unless they can prove exposure to a new demon, they have no grounds for testing us.”
He closed his book and moved in on her.
Her father cleared his throat. “I will go and check on your mother and Freddy.”
Benny was focused on the elf that was crowding her back to the study table. “Uh, Tremble...”
He nuzzled his cheek against hers, whispering, “Yes, Benny?”
“What is your true name?”
He moved his lips and exhaled his name against her mouth. “Gelendor. Gelendor Hurias Tremble. There are a few more names but those are the important ones.”
She didn’t have a chance to engage in witty banter. He kissed her and lifted her to the surface of the table. He pushed her dress up over her knees and stepped between them while he undid the buttons holding the front of the sundress closed.
When his hand slipped inside her dress and his long fingers closed over her breast, she arched into his palm. His other hand moved between her thighs, and she groaned when he slid two fingers into her, followed by a third a moment later. She was rapidly approaching orgasm when he pulled his fingers free and left her breast so that he could work at the closure of his jeans.
When his cock was free, he pressed her flat to the desk and nudged against her. He planted his hands on the table next to her and slowly thrust forward. When she slid back, he grinned and draped her calves over his forearms while he gripped her hips.
Benny gasped when he finally went as deep as he could, and she reached up to grip his arms as he started to move inside her.
His face was focused, but he was watching her. When she felt a curl of pleasure, he angled his hips and repeated the inner caress. Every time she gasped, he echoed the motion that had made her twitch. It was strange to be analyzed while having sex, but she was swept up toward release in a few sweaty minutes. She thought it would soon be over, but Gelendor kept her on the edge of release until she was thrashing on the table and hissing at him. She wanted to wrap her legs around him, but he was keeping her precisely where he wanted her.
Benny concentrated and clasped him with her inner muscles to trigger his own orgasm, but her elf simply paused before resuming the slow, even strokes that kept her on the edge.
When she heard herself begging, he bent forward and kissed her, pushing her legs back and grinding against her with slow circles of his hips that had her shrieking as the pulse of release took over.
The table trembled as he pounded into her rapidly until he held himself against her, jerking and shaking as he came.
He released her legs and lowered himself to her, giving her a sweet kiss.
Benny lifted her head and returned the gesture of affection.
He lifted his head and smiled. “I look forward to taking my time with you.”
Benny stroked his pale hair away from his face and tucked it behind his pointed ear. “I look forward to that, too. Thank you for taking the hint.”
“There is no reason for us to delay this. We agreed to join with you before we drank the potion, we agreed to work with you at the XIA and we testified that you had not used your demon nature to influence us. Agreeing to have sex with you was implied.” He grinned.
She chuckled and ran her hands over his shirt. “Next time, no clothing.”
“Deal. And perhaps, I shouldn’t have started this in front of your father.”
She laughed. “I feel a certain amount of smug revenge. I have had to leave this very room many times for the same reason.”
He brushed his lips against her cheek. “Your father has told me that they were hoping for this general outcome, though not specifically one that involved you risking your life.”
She arched her hips against him, feeling the delightful presence still inside her. “They hoped for this?”
“For you linking with all three of us. Your pedigree has a number of species that find fidelity a bit awkward. Since we each represent a different branch of magic, it is sensible that you have multiple mates, and each of us has already received release from their own people in regards to social obligation. We were possibly the best choice of agents that you could have been with.”
Benny chuckled and slid her fingers through his hair. “I think that is just my luck.”
“Then, I am glad for your luck.” He kissed her again and slowly rocked against her. It was a hypnotic feeling that she wanted to continue, so she wrapped her legs around him and let her senses take over.
She still had hours before Argyle would be awake enough to mate with, so why not spend some time bonding with another of her partners?
Chapter Eleven
After another meal with her family and Freddy had headed home, Benny crept into Argyle’s room two hours before sunset.
She slipped out of her dress and crawled into bed with Argyle, nestling against his cool skin and idly playing with his crimson hair until she was relaxed enough to nap up against him.
Benny woke when cool lips moved over her neck, her shoulder and nipped at her breasts.
She gr
umbled and heard him laugh as he rolled her to her back and wove his fingers with hers as he continued to taste her. She whimpered when he neared her pussy and thanked foresight for taking a flame bath earlier. When his tongue stroked her, she gritted her teeth and whined.
She felt the cold press of his teeth against her while he lapped at her folds and delved inside. Her breath left her in rapid gasps as his temperature affected her in a way she hadn’t anticipated. Most of her lovers to date had been warm blooded and hot when she got them naked. Argyle had the temperature of cool marble, and she wanted to feel him inside her.
His tongue was torture, his fingers slid along hers, caressing and binding at the same time. Her breathing increased in pitch, and she tensed against him, trying to push herself over the edge.
The cool slide of his tongue went on and on. He flicked at her clit and then burrowed himself inside her with gleeful enthusiasm.
When she was arched against him and her breath was caught in short pants, he moved his head and bit her inner thigh. The sharp prick of pain made her scream, but it also set her free. A rush of fire ran through her veins, and Argyle growled and released her limb before he slid over her and sank his cock in to the hilt.
She met him thrust for thrust. To her shock, she felt her teeth sharpening. His eyes glowed, and she leaned up to sink her teeth into his shoulder a moment before he did the same.
She felt a second wave of spasms beginning in her core, gripping him and causing her limbs to clench as she held on and tasted blood. He released her in what she could only imagine was surprise.
She snarled, released him and rolled him to his back with a burst of strength, riding him hard until he gripped her hips and held her to him while he quivered with tension.
His teeth were clenched, his neck distended, and he held her tight for close to a minute before he slowly relaxed.
She flexed her thighs and slid her hands up his chest until she was lying on him with her head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her and stroked the sweaty curve of her back.
“I didn’t get the chance, what is your true name?”
“Cairbre. My name is James Cairbre Argyle.”
She blinked and leaned up on him. “Charioteer?”
He laughed. “Yes. How did you know?”
“I have a lot of old relatives who are still around today. I have had to take five ancient languages via tutors and have gotten three via spellcasting.”
He smoothed his hand down her spine. “So, you are well educated.”
“As long as you don’t count an actual degree, yes. If you do, I graduated high school.”
“Why didn’t you complete college?”
She wrinkled her nose. “There was a demon-related incident and the XIA was cracking down on scanning for demons. I didn’t have enough control at the time to hide that energy. It was stay home and study or get arrested and dumped into the zone.”
“What did the assessors say about you when you finished your training?”
Benny smiled; he was the first one to really ask. “I was given a few bits of information. The first was that if I didn’t display any demon characteristics, I would be able to act as the first trained mage on a team. The second was that because of my obviously slutty nature—being a demon and all—that I would be allowed to have intimate relations with my coworkers.”
His hand paused. “You are joking.”
“Nope. I am allowed to mess around with you and you with me. No one will bat an eye, and there will be no repercussions. We won’t have to hide.”
He wasn’t breathing, but he chuckled. “That is a relief. Work will be work, but it is nice to know that I can grab you the moment the shift is over.”
“Sure, as long as you are faster than Smith and Tremble.” She chuckled. She stretched. “And with that, I need to go and get some rest.”
“You can sleep here.”
She shook her head. “No, you are getting up, and I need to be in my own bed.”
He sighed. “True. Ah, well. Soon, we will be on the same schedule.”
She nuzzled her cheek against him. “I look forward to it.”
She gave herself a dozen more contented heartbeats before she levered herself up. “Okay. I have to drag myself to my room. You need to pry Tremble away from the texts. I had no idea he was such a fan of reading.”
Argyle moved out from under her, and she tumbled across the bed. It was effective.
“You don’t know any of us very well. That will change, but it will be a strange process. Just as I learned about your education restrictions today, we will continue to learn about each other as time marches on.” Argyle got up and headed for the shower.
Benny ran the cleansing fire over her skin again, slipped on her dress and left Argyle’s room to make her way down the hall.
Her own room looked horribly inviting, and when she entered it and a sleepy Smith rolled over, she closed the door, shucked off her sundress and crawled into bed with Smith curled around her. He tucked her against his body and breathed her in as she slowly relaxed in his arms.
Lions weren’t supposed to purr, but a soothing rumble was coming from Smith. She was out in under two minutes.
★ ★ ★ ★
Smith joined the others downstairs while Lenora Ganger made dinner with her husband’s help.
Argyle looked at him. “She is asleep?”
He nodded. “She is. You two wore her out.”
Argyle and Tremble shrugged.
Smith asked Lenora, “Did that satisfy the spell?”
She set a casserole of cheesy potatoes on the table. “It should have. You won’t know for sure until next Sunday. Damn. You guys don’t have to work tomorrow, do you?”
Argyle shook his head. “We are waiting to be authorized to return to duty. It could be tomorrow, it could be in two weeks.”
Tremble cocked his head. “I hope it is later. We need to find somewhere to live. She can’t run from one of our homes to the next.”
Harcourt cleared his throat. “Lenora and I have already done something about that. The dower house is being expanded and renovated for all four of you to live there. Well, five if you count Jessamine.”
Smith blinked. “You are serious?”
The demon shrugged. “As serious as I can be. It should be done by the end of the week.”
Smith sniffed. “You are losing your demon scent. It is fading.”
Lenora smiled. “It isn’t fading; he is just gaining control again. He hasn’t had that control since I...”
Harcourt lifted her hand to his lips. “It is a good thing, love. You are here, and I am more me than I have been since you were in hospital.”
Smith could see the love between the two, and he admired the example that they had set for Benny. She had gotten used to the forms love could take and chosen to embrace the ones that were not parasitic but built up the partner. He did not doubt that she had seen far more than any child would want to, but she had come through it strong and loving with a great sense of humour.
Tremble asked, “How did she come by the name Beneficia?”
Argyle smiled, “In my community, it is the name of an assassin.”
Lenora smiled slowly. “It is my mother’s name, and she is still a vampire killer for hire.”
If Argyle could have paled any more, he would have. “So, that is Benny’s grandmother on your side?”
Lenora smiled. “She is. My grandmother, Sabina, was near to term when she was crushed by a carriage, and she was offered a chance at life in the darkness. My grandfather made her take the offer; he could not bear to watch the life leave her.”
Smith looked at her with wide eyes. “Her husband was a vampire?”
“No. Lord Hearther was the vampire that gave her life. She healed and went into labour. My grandfather was a mage who had many friends across many species. He called upon the vampire; my grandmother transformed and had my mother.”
Lenora smiled. “Do they still call her that? I will have to let my father know. He thought it would blow over after a century or so.”
Tremble smiled and tried to change the fixation of Benny’s namesake. “So, who is Beneficia’s husband?”
Harcourt chuckled. “Welgainer Mills, the forest lord.”
Tremble put his head on the desk. “I should not have asked.”
Smith chuckled. “Any shifters I should get nervous about?”
Harcourt shook his head. “My mother has passed. She was Lettice Norington Ganger.”
Smith swallowed. “The Great Wolf. The one who created a lasting peace between all the clans, packs and prides on this half of the continent. We are so outclassed.”
Harcourt shrugged. “You know that Benny comes from exceptional bloodlines. You don’t even want to know how extensive her medical education is.”
From his head down on the table, Tremble mumbled. “I think I can guess.”
Her parents stood proudly.
Smith could see the pride radiating from them. They were the product of a brilliant and terrible family, and they had created a brilliant and dangerous daughter. And he was one of three men who had basically married her. Ah, hell.
★ ★ ★ ★
Benny woke up after two hours of sleep. Her body wanted to be up in the middle of the night, and she blamed Argyle.
She muttered to herself, brushed her hair and put on jeans and a t-shirt, running around barefoot was one of the bonuses to being home.
She brushed her teeth carefully. Blood in the gums was never pleasant to wake up to.
When she was clean and presentable, she headed downstairs. It smelled like meatloaf and cheesy potatoes.
Everyone was eating when she came in, and she quickly took a seat and started filling her plate.
Tremble smiled sheepishly. “Sorry for not waiting for you.”