by Erin R Flynn
“Want to find out?” Beth chuckled, glancing at me. I nodded, and she kissed him before dropping to her knees and having fun with my… Well, my husband according to fairies.
And I didn’t mind. I watched her technique, intrigued to watch another woman do that and get such a close view, knowing how he was with me. But I wasn’t jealous at all. I knew he was mine so there was no jealousy.
I did want to ask when it was over if she was better than me.
“No one is better than you because I love you,” he panted, getting what I was feeling. “Beth, you are truly talented and lovely, but I love Sera, and that always makes it better.”
“I understand.”
“You shouldn’t leave her hanging,” I said, looking between them, willing to see how things played out. “That’s rude, and you are never rude.” He opened his mouth to argue, and I leaned in, giving her a peck before kissing him. “Tell me about it later. I’m really fine because I know she doesn’t want to steal you. I think that’s when I can’t deal with the woman. Fun is fun, and I want you to have fun too.”
“You’re sure?” Beth checked, studying me carefully.
“Yes. He’s too good to keep to myself like Noah. But he always comes back to me, so leave it at fun or I will claw then.”
“Yeah, I’m good with that. I don’t want to settle down for a long time,” she chuckled, yanking off her clothes.
“I love you,” Dain whispered in my ear as I went to leave. “I think we should explore this, but I don’t want you to think for a second that I am unsatisfied. My wife gives me everything I need.”
“Good, but I want you to have fun too.” And with another kiss I left, thinking I really had a weird life but fun. Yeah, my life was pretty damn fun sometimes if I got out of my own way.
It also made sense. There was only one of me to go around, and we had a lot of sex as paranormals. If two were scratching itches other places, that left me to get all the romance and good stuff.
Right?
“That was fast,” Axel murmured, studying me closely as he sniffed the air. Brian had joined him and was glancing between us.
“We didn’t have sex,” I clarified, looking at Brian as he moved over to me. “Were you talking with my tiger?”
“He’s yours?” he challenged, raising an eyebrow at him.
“If he’s lucky. I was going to let him touch me after he unwrapped me if he admitted why he was truly here.”
Understanding filled Brian’s eyes, and he moved behind me, hugging me to him. “You’re letting her play.”
“I know she enjoys it, but human Sera was too impatient, too inexperienced to enjoy foreplay and teasing. She’s teaching me the fun, and I’m practicing because Goran told me the councilman is coming, and that means all it will be tomorrow is teasing and games.”
“Vampires,” Axel drawled, rolling his eyes.
“Yes, and shifters are all about the hunt,” I agreed, undoing my belt. “Now you were going to tell me something?”
“Wait, where did Dain go?” Brian murmured as his hands moved over my flat stomach and cupped my breasts. “Didn’t he come to find you earlier?”
“He’s having sex with Beth.” I smiled up at him when he flinched. “Apparently I get less jealous when I siren someone. I give Noah all the passes he wants because he’s mine. Dain’s mine now, and it was interesting to watch them play, knowing they’re having fun and taking the edge off before he comes to me for the main dish.”
“Can I have sex with Beth?” he asked, his eyes wide.
Axel threw back his head and burst out laughing. “Dude, I think you just made sure she is the one woman you’ll never get to touch by being so excited at the idea.”
I pulled away from Brian and went over to Axel, leaning against him instead. “Especially after I found him at the restaurant he first had dinner with me at, sitting with another woman he used to date with an engagement ring on the table, their heads together whispering.”
“And he’s not dead?”
“He was getting the ring back for his brother, but he was very cagey about the whole thing. I haven’t officially said we were okay yet. I was thinking about it when he threw himself into danger for me tonight, but now he’s excited he might get to screw other women.”
“Hey, it’s not like that,” he grumbled, moving closer. He froze when Axel slightly growled in warning as he moved an arm around me.
“Yes, my tiger?” I purred, smiling when Axel swore under his breath. “What did you need, Brian?”
“We finished with all of Detroit’s people. None of them have crimes to report, and it seems they run a good pack there. They shifted before coming, wanting to run if they got the chance, but they switched up vehicles after they met up so no one could. Can they leave?”
“Yes, but I’ll be speaking with their Alpha and soon.”
“Can I kiss you?” he worried, studying me. “I thought we were going to be okay.” He sighed when I raised an eyebrow. “I don’t want an affair, Sera. You said the idea was interesting. Yes, I found it interesting too. I find it interesting to watch you with new men. We’ve explored a lot together, and I like that.”
“Just not me. You don’t want her with me,” Axel clarified, and I was impressed when Brian didn’t deny it.
“No, you’re too Alpha for her. She doesn’t need another one in her life.”
Clearly stating he was the one in my life. I crooked my finger at him and kissed him gently.
“Dain is pretty Alpha too. Goran is seriously Alpha. So are you. That’s not the problem. The problem is if people can’t switch it up and let me be Alpha also. And yes, we’re okay. I won’t say it still doesn’t smart, it does, so give me a bit to ease back in, but you did show me you were all in. No more secret meetings with ex-lovers and rings or I’ll tear off your balls, okay?”
“Yes, dear,” he chuckled, giving me another kiss before leaving.
“Your siren likes to tease and be mean like fairies,” Axel murmured, nuzzling my hair. “You like to play and tease. He upset you so you came to me then to hurt him.”
“She is a bit like that, but I’m not, and we’ve met in the center better,” I admitted, turning in his arms, loving how he ate up every inch of me with his eyes. “Teasing doesn’t have to be mean. I moved away from him because that wasn’t a comment I would stay there after. I felt how much you wanted to touch me, I wanted it too, so I came over here. If it made a statement to him, so much the better. That’s how she is.
“I’ve learned a lot from fairies being at court and hearing stories from Dain and Shaw. They like to play with mice like cats. That’s not my siren. I tease you because you won’t be honest and we both like the hunt. It’s not holding back until I get what I want, but do you really deserve a chance to touch me if you won’t even admit to me why you came?”
I pulled away and went to sit back on the counter, closing my legs and moving my robe to cover up. Clearly saying I was waiting and to not make me wait long.
He growled, fisting his hands. “I won’t forgive you if you use this against me or try to trap me.”
I flinched. “I already know the answer, and I’ve done everything but offer myself up on a platter to make it easier for you to be honest. If you aren’t interested in a quality woman and a bit of a hunt, there’s the door and go back to your bimbos who want a big guy with an even bigger dick. Otherwise, don’t put your shit on me when I’ve been very patient with you, which I’m not.”
“I’m sorry,” he murmured, coming to me and baring his throat, moving my legs so he could stand between them and loom over me as I leaned against the mirror. “You’re right. That’s my shit and hurt. I’m sorry.”
“Good tiger,” I purred, giving him a love bite but still a bite that he hadn’t made me happy. “Now tell me. You owe me that after accusing me of that fairy shit just because I’m a siren. I’m more than that, and you’re more than a tiger.”
He nodded, cupping my cheek with his big
hand. “I had to know you were okay. I hurried to get on a plane to come here even before I knew if he had won. If he had, I would have put a clip of gold bullets in his head to free you because you are too important, too much a goddess to ever be caged. I had to come save you if you needed it, help you even when you beat his ass because I knew you would win.”
“See, that was worth saying,” I whispered against his lips after I pulled his head down. “Thank you, my tiger. Thank you for being willing to go that far for me no matter the price. I would free you too, never cage you.” I kissed him deeply before pulling away. “What do you want more than anything?”
“Please just let me touch them,” he whimpered, sighing in relief when I nodded. His big hands were very, very good at touching a woman’s body. I let him touch and taste every inch of my breasts for a good ten minutes before moving his hands to my hips outside the robe, vibrating from what his cat rough tongue did to my skin.
“Can I ask you something as a man? No teasing but something that confuses me that I think you’d be honest about?”
“Yes,” he agreed after a minute.
“Do I need to close my robe?” I teased him when his eyes wouldn’t leave my body.
“Please don’t. I’m committing every inch of you to memory for when I have to go back.”
I shivered, completely believing him and the intensity of his words. “You love how I see in your head, right? You want to explore that and enjoy it.” I waited until he nodded. “Why would a guy give that up to sleep with me at night?” He gave me a confused look, and I explained the tradeoff.
He bobbed his head and let out a slow breath. “There was a woman I loved once, long ago, and she used to kick me out of her bed after sex. It hurt that she could, that she didn’t experience more like I did and want to be together after as a couple. But you have to do it. It hurts both of you when they leave your bed. I would absolutely give up on the fun of your seeing things for that if I fell in love.”
“I don’t get that. It’s part of why you wanted to be with me.”
He smiled, kissing my forehead. “Yeah, you’re not like a fairy at all, just fun.” He waved me off when I went to argue. “After months of being with someone, you learn what they like anyways, Seraphine. It’s that you know immediately and grant it that’s so amazing and drives everything up. Months and months of being together, and you’ll know how I like to be touched. They love you and wanted the next step to be able to hold you at night. Make sense?”
“Maybe,” I sighed, pushing my hair over my shoulder. “Men just confuse me most days. I’d be totally lost without my siren.”
“Glad I could help.”
“You did, so kiss me again and let me feed on your nummy energy before we get to work because there’s a lot to fucking wade through.”
“Sounds like fun,” he chuckled.
We made out for a few minutes, and then I hung up the dress I’d tried on and threw back on my clothes, knowing he watched, before we headed back out.
There ended up being quite the comedy of errors that wasn’t all that fucking funny. Green Bay was clean and had only come under threat… And that threat was Milwaukee and the two main packs of Minnesota.
Except they were both clean and had gotten the same threats but of Green Bay. So the right hand didn’t talk to the left hand, and it was a lot of last minute and threats of a councilman behind it all so they got on board. Well, that made it hard to be so angry at some of them, especially when pretty much all of them had taken a knee.
We found one in Minnesota who hadn’t and liked beating up hookers, so he was going away as soon as the transport arrived. Axel said the council would handle the full interrogations this time instead of taking the time and getting the eyes of my office to do too much of the legwork.
“I have to earn my paycheck and get the funding we need,” I argued.
“We will give you complete files as if you did it, working in conjunction with your office, but the wolves cannot afford another huge mess like this in one year and have it be so public too.”
“Fine, but they are to declare the official transfer and her taking over in a few days,” Dain interjected as he joined us. “She’s already going to get audited for all she received from deals and people dying. Have them wait a few days to make her life easier. Slipping this in on this year when we’ve already waded through all her taxes and legal shit is just cruel.”
“Agreed,” Axel muttered, giving a firm nod. “I’ll update Haton.”
He walked away, and I glanced at Dain. “Sorry, but you looked at the end, and I knew I had to get that in.”
“It’s fine. Not what I was thinking about.”
He moved his arm around me and brought me over to the back table by the kitchen, having food ready for me. “You know how that first round gets the edge off before you get into the deep fun?” I nodded as I bit into my burger. “That’s how I feel. That she took the edge off and got me wound up for my deep fun with you so I can give you my A game. Does that make sense?”
“Yes, but no, but yes,” I admitted, bouncing it around in my head. “It turns me on that you’re immediately here doting on me and giving me a look like you want another six rounds with me.”
“I do.” He moved his hand over to my thigh as he slid closer. “She was lovely, but no one is you.”
“Is it weird that we’re okay with this?” I worried.
“No, I think we have forever together and we’re both open to new ideas. It’s a way for you to never feel guilt again you’re not giving us what we need. I know the councilman is coming tomorrow and you will have to play the game with him and Goran. But it’s our first New Year’s together, so of course I want that midnight kiss. Instead, I might kiss a random human because I never have and know you let me because you love me.”
“Okay then, but we need to set rules.”
“No affairs or continued repeats. It might be Beth again, but not for a few months. I think random would be better or visiting instead of people you see.”
“Agreed. What else?”
“I don’t like keeping it from you. Either give me a pass for the night and I’ll take it if I want it, knowing those are the rules, or we play together.”
I bobbed my head. “Good, good.”
“I’m always clear I have a pass and no chance anyone can keep me, that I’m not on the prowl but my woman loves me and wants me always satisfied and having fun.”
And with that, we agreed to try it. No guarantees, but we’d try it for the next month and see how we felt about it. It was interesting, that was for sure. He went to handle something, and I flinched when Beth sat down.
“Are we okay?”
“Are we?” I muttered, studying her.
“I don’t want to keep him, Sera. It was just full moon sex.” She sighed in relief when I nodded. “Dear gods, he is a robot though. I mean, is the Energizer Bunny’s real name Dain?”
I threw back my head and burst out laughing. “I’ve said the same thing. Glad it wasn’t just me and my inexperience or whatever.”
“No,” she snorted, snagging a fry. “I’ve been with a lot of men. I mean a lot of men. I’m over a hundred years old and a born shifter. He was a top twenty for sure.” She cleared her throat. “Noah was one too.”
That took me a minute to digest, but then I shook my head. “I really am fine with it. I don’t get this. I threw a fit when Simone flirted with Brian, but I’m fine hearing you had sex with both the men I sirened. This is so weird.”
She shrugged. “I’m not Alpha. Simone’s Alpha. I would tell them to make sure they’re not using those passes on Alphas. I also don’t want to get serious, and we’ve talked about that. I don’t think it’s like I’m not a quality woman to you—”
“No, I think you’re the highest quality of woman, smart, kind, and kickass.”
She smiled brightly, her cheeks heating. “Thank you. I think the same of you too, Sera. And thank you for trusting me with someone you tre
asure. I would never betray you.” She cleared her throat when I still seemed unsettled. “Shifters don’t look at it like humans. I didn’t get sloppy seconds. You found an amazing flavor of ice cream, and as someone you trust and like, you suggested I try it. That is how we see it.”
“That is better,” I agreed, sighing. “I had some prudish foster parents, and we live in a prudish world. The FBI is very judgmental—except when they try to whore us out undercover—and it’s not easy.”
“It’s not worth it if it was. I’m just saying how we see it and that we keep it to ourselves.” She smiled when I gave her a confused look. “Has anyone gossiped about seeing me with Noah that full moon? Say shit or throw those passes in your face?”
“No, never.”
“And we won’t. Sex is sex, and sex is primal, but it’s also private and not anyone else’s business. We don’t judge like that, and we survive by keeping our mouths shut so no one will ever throw it at you like you’re used to human women doing.”
“I have had some do it,” I argued, thinking of the woman from Virgil’s—and even Stud’s—pack.
“There are bad apples in every group, but I mean as a general rule.”
“Thanks, that helps.”
“Good. And if you ever want to play, I’m very open to it. I know you’re not into women, and I’m not always, but it can be fun to share a man with a friend.”
“Anyone in particular?”
“Brian.”
I growled, and her eyes went wide. “He asked if he could have sex with you too. I think you both just got off the list for each other.”
“Crap, yeah,” she agreed. “Damn, I always wanted a hot human like him.”
“Not helping.”
Just as I finished my second burger, Brian walked by and shared a look with Beth that made me growl. Deeply.
“Yeah, you two are never going near each other.”
His eyebrows shot up as he looked between us. “She mentioned me too?”
“Yes,” I snarled, giving him a look like he was about to get his ass beat. He wisely scooted into the booth on my side, moving closer to me.