Before he could temper his reaction, Cin threw the door open with enough force it bounced off the wall and almost closed again.
The demon eyed him, looking bored by the show of rage. His gaze swept the room. Jonathan was asleep on a cot in the corner. It took every ounce of his willpower not to kill the spawn right then. It didn’t matter the creature had nothing to do with Jonathan choosing the garage over the bed he shared with Cin. Someone should feel his wrath.
“Why the fook is he with you?” Cin asked before he could call the question back.
The demon snorted. It was an ugly sound. “You really don’t want my opinion on that.”
Cin knelt beside the cot and inspected Jonathan’s sleeping form. He didn’t think the demon could do Jonathan harm from his trap, but he wouldn’t take any chances with his heart. “You’re right. I don’t,” Cin said absently. Jonathan looked like an angel when he slept. His long eyelashes fanned across his cheeks. Cin had to stop himself from brushing his fingertip over them. Before Jonathan, he’d never loved a single soul beyond his clansmen. Everything was falling apart, and he was trying his ass off to hang on. He would die without this man. Cin couldn’t understand why Jonathan didn’t see him fading away.
When he couldn’t stand it another second, Cin traced the curve of Jonathan’s cheek. The man didn’t stir.
“He’s exhausted,” the demon said, surprising Cin with the affection in his voice. As far as he knew, demons felt nothing.
“I know. He’s still adjusting to the turn.” Cin had no idea why he confessed as much.
The demon scoffed. “Whatever helps you sleep at night.”
Cin didn’t bother arguing. Demons could smell lies like vampires smelled blood. Instead, he scooped Jonathan from the cot like he was a child. The man still didn’t stir. Without a backward glance, Cin headed for bed. He wasn’t sleeping without Jonathan at his side. After getting Jonathan tucked into bed, Cin stripped out of his clothes. A low knock landed on the door. Cin didn’t bother covering up. He was too old for modesty, and there was no part of him that his clan hadn’t seen. He found Niall standing on the other side of the door. The giant vamp looked like hell. He had dark circles under his eyes and his beard was getting out of control. A wave of loneliness overcame Cin. It took him a moment to realize the sensation came from Niall. His gaze skirted in every direction as if he couldn’t meet Cin’s stare.
“Is your offer to sleep here still open?”
Cin stepped aside in way of answer. Niall shuffled into the room as if still unsure of his welcome. He eyed Jonathan’s sleeping form.
“I found him on a cot in the garage a few minutes ago. He’s pretty out of it.”
Niall finally met his gaze at the confession. His brow furrowed, showing his confusion. “Is he okay?”
Cin shrugged and moved to scoot Jonathan to the center of the bed. He climbed into his usual spot, leaving room for Niall to claim Jonathan’s other side. The moment he was settled with Jonathan’s heat resting against him and his prince’s strength filling the room, Cin heard himself admitting his worst fears.
“I think we’re all slowly dying without each other, and I’m out of ideas on how to fix it. You can’t live without him. He can’t live without you, and I won’t survive without either of you. Please tell me what I’m supposed to do?”
The silence hanging between them stretched on for so long Cin didn’t think Niall would respond. “I’m the thief here. You gave away everything to stay and serve me, and now here we are.”
“Yeah, well, don’t forget your father locked me away. I’d rather serve a prince who loves me than a king who uses me.”
Niall’s hand found Cin’s beneath the covers. “I do love you.”
“Then trust me,” Cin said, refusing to hold back.
“I do.”
“Then be the badass warrior prince I left everything behind for, because I need you. Jonathan needs you. Someone has to be the one holding us together, and we’re weaker apart.”
“I’m trying.”
Cin couldn’t let up. “Try harder.”
This time, Niall didn’t bother responding. It didn’t matter. With the man’s steady presence, clicking them together like a finished puzzle, Cin felt the weight on his shoulders slipping away.
8
Niall needed to blow off steam. Jonathan had come to him in a dream and left Niall a mess. So much so, he’d ended up begging to be accepted into Cin’s bed. After a night of holding his mate, he needed to run or hit something. He didn’t care which, as long as it made his muscles scream. Niall almost made it out the door before Faolan called out, stopping him.
“You had all our things moved, right?”
Niall peeked inside the kitchen. Faolan had torn it apart. Pots and pans covered every surface. Every drawer and cabinet stood open. “Aye, you know I did,” Niall said as he eyed the mess.
“What happened to that big frying pan thingie that we used to cook stir fry and whatnot?”
Niall couldn’t claim Faolan hadn’t looked. “Last I saw, it was in the big closet in the hall.” Because that was their catchall. If they hadn’t been able to find a place to put something, they’d used the huge closet in the hall that seemed to have no other purpose.
“I looked in there already.”
In that case, the closet was now—most likely—every bit as big of a mess as the kitchen. “It’s on the shelf.”
“Looked on the shelf.”
While swiping his hand over his face, Niall headed for the closet. If he didn’t find the damn pan, Faol was likely to tear the whole house down around them. The instant he opened the door, Niall almost slammed it closed again. Jonathan and Cin were half-dressed, hair standing on end. They’d obviously found a quiet spot and were five seconds away from steaming up the place. Before Niall could pull the door closed, leaving them to it, a shove came from behind. The door slammed, shutting him inside with the aroused pair. He turned the knob, ready to make a run for it. Nothing happened.
“The door’s locked.” Niall wasn’t surprised as much as he was confused.
“Yeah. I think that’s part of the plan,” Cin said. Laughter laced his words. “We’ve been stuck inside here for over an hour. Not that we’ve minded.”
“You could dissipate to the other side, if you want out,” Jonathan suggested
“Nope,” Niall said, hearing the way his voice had gone dead, but incapable of stopping it. Reaching above his head, Niall pulled the string, killing the light in the closet. Ancient symbols flared to life in glow-in-the-dark paint. “It’s a vampire trap.”
Jonathan turned in a circle and eyed the walls. “Why would you have a vampire trap in your house?”
A growl rose in Niall’s throat. “It’s your house too, and I didn’t have one until the fool in our merry lot painted one.”
Jonathan met his gaze. His green irises glowed beautifully in the dark. “Why would Faolan do that?”
Before he could stop himself, Niall ran his hand down Jonathan’s back. It was dark. They were standing too close. Jonathan’s breath caught at the back of his throat at the contact. It sounded as loud as gunfire to Niall.
Cin reached around Jonathan and tugged Niall closer. Jonathan’s scent overcame him. Damn, the man was a mixture of sex and a candy shop. Niall wanted to lick him all day.
“You still smell like last night’s dream.” He did. Niall didn’t know why he said as much. It was a stupid thing to say, especially with Cin eyeing him and obviously waiting to see what Niall would do next.
“Kiss me.” Jonathan’s voice came out on a whisper, hardening Niall’s cock.
Niall stopped breathing. “I can’t.”
“Kiss me,” Jonathan repeated.
“You know I can’t.” His gaze moved between Cin and Jonathan. He swore both men held their breath—waiting. “If I kiss you, I won’t stop,” Niall admitted, because—apparently—he had zero control over his tongue today.
“Then promise me you won’t
move.”
It was an odd request. “Why?”
“Because I asked it of you,” Jonathan said. His voice had gone soft, luring Niall in.
Since Niall had already denied Jonathan once, he gave in to the strange demand. “I promise.”
Jonathan moved closer. Niall held his breath. Their gazes never wavered as Jonathan leaned in. “If you won’t kiss me, it’s up to us to kiss you.” The air stuttered from Niall’s lungs as Jonathan’s lips touched the corner of his mouth. His lips moved from the corner of Niall’s mouth to his bottom lip. The instant he took Niall’s lip between his teeth, something broke inside him. His arm snaked out, snagging Cin. After finding the back of Cin’s head with his grip, he pulled the man in, forcing a three-way kiss upon them. There was a vise on his heart, squeezing the life from him. The moment his tongue entwined with his men’s, the death grip loosened. He could breathe again for the first time since turning Jonathan. In a moment of clarity, he realized all his fears of harming Cin for touching Jonathan had been ridiculous. The three of them—they were connected inside where no one could see.
Jonathan’s fingers shaped Niall’s erection through his pants. Niall’s muscles tensed. Somewhere along the line, it had become a habit to resist. He didn’t have to any longer. These men—they were his.
“Shhh,” Jonathan soothed as he pulled the string loose on Niall’s workout pants. “You promised.” He’d sworn he’d be still. No way could he keep his word, but he knew what Jonathan really wanted. He wanted Niall to stop running. That was one promise he would keep. “You don’t have to do anything,” Jonathan said, his lips brushing Niall’s chest with every syllable. “Just don’t push us away.”
Niall didn’t know if he should answer or keep trying to kiss Cin. This was something they hadn’t done in years. It wasn’t until Jonathan came into their lives that Niall realized no one kissed him any longer. One day, it just stopped. But in every dream Jonathan created for them, he always kissed Niall, making him long for contact he hadn’t realized he’d lost. Once he’d known what was missing from his life, he couldn’t stop craving the stroke of a strong tongue against his.
He found his back shoved against the wall. Jonathan’s mouth covered his. The man’s hand dipped inside his pants. Cin tugged at Jonathan’s clothes while Jonathan boldly stroked Niall’s cock.
I’m about to suck your dick.
Niall nearly came as Jonathan’s words shoved into his mind. Jonathan wasn’t finished.
I’m about to take you down my throat. I expect you to stand here and take it because I am your mate. You owe me your pleasure.
Goddamn. This was his mate. He equaled Niall in every way. Niall didn’t resist as Jonathan pushed the workout pants down his hips. At some point, Jonathan had lost his shirt. Niall ripped his over his head because he needed to feel the man’s skin against his. Without warning, Jonathan bent at the waist and took Niall down his throat. It was so much more of everything in reality than the dream world. The heat of Jonathan’s mouth. The brush of his tongue. Niall already knew this encounter would be embarrassingly short, especially considering the erotic sight of Cin positioning his dick to push his way inside Jonathan. Their gazes met as Cin shoved his way inside. Jonathan made a strangled sound around Niall’s dick that nearly brought Niall to his knees. Niall reached for Cin. Cin’s fingers linked with his.
“My prince.”
My friend.
Cin’s lips parted on a pant as Niall projected his words. Niall tore his gaze away from the vamp’s open pleasure. He needed to watch as his saliva-soaked dick sawed in and out of his mate’s mouth. His body was on fire. Everything inside him gravitated toward Jonathan. He just wanted to be with his mate. Niall no longer cared about the circumstances. Nothing else mattered. If the gods felt it necessary to decree he share this man, then there was a good reason, and it didn’t matter at all. His heart didn’t give a fuck. Right now, his body wasn’t too concerned either. Damn. Jonathan had talent. The man’s throat worked Niall’s cock. Every noise the man made screamed he loved what they did to him. Niall wanted more.
“Play with yourself, gorgeous,” Niall demanded, needing to watch Jonathan bring himself to orgasm.
Jonathan fisted his dick and weakened Niall’s knees. Pleasure curled his toes before climbing up his body and drawing his balls up tight. As his orgasm hit, the confession tore from this throat on a growl. “You’re both mine.” His vision went black as Jonathan came. The man’s orgasm mixed with Cin’s inside Niall’s mind, stealing all the oxygen from the room. They went down in a heap of legs and arms, shaking from the power of their union. Niall half expected the walls to crack around them from the explosion.
Jonathan lost track of time as he sat facing his men. Cin and Niall sat side by side, both eyeing him in hunger. It took every ounce of his willpower not to press his hand to his stomach to quell the butterflies.
“Eventually, we’ll get out of this closet. When we do, I plan to do some dirty shit to both of you. Seriously, you’ll wonder if you know me at all.” The smiles stretching both men’s lips had Jonathan taking a deep breath. He wanted everything, and he needed it now.
“I had another mate once,” Niall said, stabbing Jonathan through the heart. His throat tightened and his eyes stung. It felt like a betrayal, not to mention blindsided. He was feeling a lot of that too at the moment. Jonathan had no clue where that tidbit had come from.
Cin’s gaze flashed with fire as he glanced Niall’s way. “Niall, you don’t have to do this.”
Niall’s smile turned sad. “Aye. I do.”
Jonathan was leaning toward agreeing with Cin. He didn’t want to hear about another mate. Niall was his. Unfortunately, it seemed Niall was dead set on going there.
“He died. Starved to death, actually.” Jonathan’s insides clenched at the confession. He couldn’t look away from Niall. “You’ve been so unhappy since the turn, I’ve half expected you’d do the same thing. Put me through the same hell. That’s one of the reasons I’ve been scared to get too close.”
Jonathan couldn’t lie and say he hadn’t considered it. For months, he’d been tearing Cin and Niall apart while ripping himself to shreds in hopes of being everything to everyone. Dying had seemed the best for everyone.
A derisive-sounding snort filled the tiny space. Too late, Jonathan realized he hadn’t been guarding his thoughts. Niall shook his head while holding Jonathan’s stare. “You’re so fucking blind, Jonathan. I’m near to being seven hundred years old. Cin is just over six. Haven’t you stopped to think maybe we knew? We went into this thing fully aware of what would happen if I turned you.” Niall ran both hands through his hair, leaving it standing on end. Jonathan could feel Niall’s fury rising. Even Cin looked wary. “Fuck you,” Niall spat, taking him by surprise with his anger. “Never once have I asked you to choose. Every day, I wake up and take a sledgehammer to my heart—for you. How dare you steal the only piece I have of you—the knowledge that you live? That you’re somewhere in the world, breathing. I’d rather you take my life than leave me behind.”
The idea of anything ever happening to Niall flashed through Jonathan’s mind, threatening to rip his lungs out. For a moment, he swore he felt the flames of hell licking at his skin, letting him know how every day would be without Niall. He moved without thinking. He couldn’t let Niall continue believing he would ever leave them. Jonathan pressed his forehead to Niall’s while pulling Cin in as well. The three of them sat, eyes closed and breathing one another’s air.
“How could you think you only have that piece of me?” Without giving Niall time to answer, he made a different demand he wasn’t sure he could handle. “Tell me about this other mate and have it out there. We’ve spent too much time not talking to one another.”
Cin was the first to speak as if he too felt Niall’s inability to tell the tale. “It’s not a pretty story.”
Jonathan nodded. Dying rarely was attractive. “He starved to death,” Jonathan said, getting the man
started.
“There was a bit more to it than that,” Cin said, obviously incapable of keeping the bitterness from his voice while Niall kept his eyes closed, as if he couldn’t look at Jonathan while Cin spoke of a past he’d rather forget. “You see, in vampire society, it’s considered unnatural for men to prefer men. I know there are humans who believe the same, but it’s even more so in our world than the one you were born into, because we are all old,” Cin said with a snort of laughter. There was no humor in the sound. “There are verra few vampires under the age of two hundred, and most of the elders believe being gay is a perversion brought on by age, rather than a way we are born.”
Cin leaned back against the wall and stared into space as if remembering a time he couldn’t forget. “Niall fell in love with a human back when we were all living in the same stronghold alongside our king. He turned the man in secret. Only Dougal, Faolan, and I knew. We’d sworn, if anything happened to Niall, we would make sure the man didn’t starve.”
Jonathan felt Niall take a deep breath. He smoothed his hand up Niall’s thigh while hanging on Cin’s every word, even though every one was like a dagger to his heart. It was hard as hell, hearing about his mate loving someone else, especially when he didn’t think Niall loved him.
Niall’s eyes opened. His gaze held Jonathan’s, making Jonathan wonder if he’d heard his thoughts or if Niall needed to see Jonathan’s reaction to the tale.
Cin kept talking as if oblivious to everything but the past. “Niall might be fourth in line for the throne with zero chance of ever sitting on it, but he’s still a prince. His union was—for many reasons—considered an abomination. When his father learned of the man’s existence, he had Niall imprisoned, and he tortured Niall’s mate, Baodan, until he gave up our names as the ones keeping him fed.”
“Oh my god.” Jonathan couldn’t stop the words from escaping. What a horrible bastard. King or not, Jonathan wanted to hunt the man down and make him pay.
Cin nodded. “He is an evil bastard. Anyhow, the three of us were thrown into a cell alongside Niall until Baodan passed to the next life. Once we were set free, we left, and haven’t returned home since.”
Devour (Hellish Book 2) Page 8