"You want a break?" Seb's mouth set in a tight line. I could tell how firmly the last three reined in their passion, but Seb had less patience than Reed and Ian.
Mason shook his head, gently wiping my sensitive nether regions with a cloth to clean me up before the next one took his place. "The bond is riding her. She needs us all inside her before her body will settle."
Seb didn't need any more encouragement. Displaying impressive strength, he flipped me over, pushing my chest into the bed, my ass straight up in the air. His fingers reaching underneath me, he rubbed my clit until I moaned again. His other hand bit into my hip, his fingertips almost bruising. I didn't complain. The pleasure-pain was bearable and easily catapulted me into renewed desire.
I faced Clay now, his member erect again, but contentment and satisfaction still colored his energy. Love and admiration glittered in his eyes as Seb slid into me from behind. One hand twisted in my hair, pulling a little. My scalp prickled as he drove himself into me.
"Saints, Kee, you're so tight," he gasped. I was a little surprised actually. I had already been stretched so much. He grunted. His fast, frenzied pounding and the hand in my hair brought me close to my peak quickly. I had to touch his chest to complete the bond, though, and the position made it difficult. Ian caught my gaze and slid forward on his knees, propping up my body. My palm twisted around to press against Seb's lean pecs. His hand covered mine, holding it as our passion continued to crest. Ian kissed me, his lips urgent and teasing.
Mason and Reed watched intently as I shattered. My own orgasm prompted Seb's, and he spurted hotly within me, his hand jerking my neck back simultaneously. His energy flowed into me at the same time, and I sensed his adoration, his playfulness, and an abiding sadness he hid from the rest of the world. My heart ached for the lost boy abandoned, the pain he tried every day to forget and overcome.
Moving away, he gently caressed my scalp and kissed the places where his fingers had dug into me. His lips met mine in a tender kiss, his mouth tilting upward in a sweet smile which I echoed. We lived within each other now, and we felt the other's spirits equally.
I collapsed onto the bed, my body shaking. I was still needy and hot, but my muscles protested. Reed and Ian curled into either side of me, their faces nuzzling my neck.
"I wish this were easier for you," Reed murmured. His hand grazed my belly.
"Just need a minute," I wheezed. I tried to mute the insistent hunger as it grew once again. Mason's awareness nudged me. He stood by the bed, a goblet of water in hand. I rose and drank it down gratefully, droplets dribbling over my chin and running down my chest. Ian licked his way up the path the water had taken, his tongue swirling and feeding the fire. When his dark eyes met mine though, they were understanding and patient.
"We can wait," he said.
"You have both waited the longest," I protested. They would gladly delay until the morning, or longer if I asked. My body cried out in protest at the thought. The bond, magic, chemistry, or whatever we called it wouldn't allow me. Emotionally, I didn't want to wait either. I desired them all, and I didn't want anyone left out, not even for a couple hours.
A message passed between Ian and Reed's gazes before Ian moved. His lips trailed down my body, swirling hotly over the curve of my belly, the ridge of my rib, the juncture where my curls tickled my thighs. I groaned as passion replaced discomfort.
My eyes met Reed's and I reached for him, kissing him with all my desperate need. My tongue dueled with his as Ian continued to lick around my mound, flirting with my aching bud but not touching it. I cried out in frustration and clasped his head between my thighs. His soft chuckle vibrated against my sensitive skin. Finally, his mouth possessed my clit, sucking lightly and grazing with his teeth. I bucked against him, my fingers clenching tightly on Reed, scratching his back in my frenzy.
Ian rose after another languorous lick up my slit. He leaned over to kiss my lips which were swollen from Reed's attention. "I want you to suck him while I fuck you," he whispered hotly. I glanced at Reed and he nodded, his eyes burning with blue heat. He rose to his knees near my head, and my tongue licked him from the base of his shaft to the tip. His eyes rolled back in his head, his breath escaping him in shattered bursts. Clay moved over to place my head on his thigh.
Reed and Ian pushed into me at the same time, and I exclaimed around Reed's girth. He was so thick; my jaw was forced wide open. But he was also short enough that the tip of his cock touched the back of my throat when he thrust forward. My lips grazed the curls at the base of his shaft as his hand kneaded my breast, his palm rubbing my taut nipples with delicious friction.
Ian sunk into me, positioned on his knees between my legs. His hands tilted my hips toward him, and the slight bend at the end of his cock touched a place deep inside me I hadn't known existed. I glanced at him, my mouth full of Reed. His dark eyes smoldered as Reed pumped in and out of my mouth.
Our climaxes built quickly. Ian was overstimulated from watching for so long, and I was more than ready from the two cocks filling me so fully. When the bond no longer demanded they come in my womb, I was going to insist they fill me like this more often.
Reed grunted and his pelvis thrust. He held himself deep in my mouth as my tongue swirled around him and his breathing grew more erratic. He pulled out briefly, his indigo eyes meeting mine. His hand gripped the base of his shaft, his chest heaving.
Ian lifted my palm to his soul, and I searched for the light within him. I tugged on his energy as he came inside me. At the same time, Reed thrust between my lips one last time, so deep I swallowed around him. His breathing increased and I could feel him so close to orgasm, but the bond insisted he wait. His expression flirted with pain as he held off. The sensation of his hardness in my mouth and Ian's cock stroking my inner walls splintered me into a million pieces. Shadows again darkened my vision. Stars flared behind my eyes and my back arched against the bed. My heart beat so forcefully, I feared it might explode. My sex throbbed so intensely, it echoed my pulse.
Ian's essence filled me as thoroughly as his cock. I drank down his brilliant intellect, his oneness with the darkness in every facet of the word, his dedication to me. He pushed inside me a couple last times and withdrew, his energy calm. He hadn't felt peace in a while, perhaps ever, and my heart soared with the pleasure of knowing I had given him that gift. The ghosts of his past faded to the beauty and possibilities of the future. He regarded me intently as he again cleaned my thighs. I would probably be wet for days with all the seed they had pumped into me.
Reed's body lay against my side, his thickness dripping against my hip as we moved toward a free portion of the bed. Mason and Seb had both pulled their pants back on, but their crotches bulged, the continuing show rousing them to hardness again. Their gazes were sweet and patient, though. Their essences rested next to each other in my soul. They understood I needed the last piece, the final reflection of my energy to bring our entire circle to wholeness.
I glanced at Reed. "I need you."
I wondered if he felt left out of our link. He was a virgin. He had saved himself for me, and I had unintentionally saved him for last. I poured all my love and appreciation for him into my eyes. In a way, loving them like this, they were all my firsts. He covered me slowly, his hands and mouth lingering over every spot on my body as he began a gentle exploration. For a moment, we were the only ones in the room. The others merely observed and I sensed their decision that he experience this on his own. I gave him all my attention.
His soft, curly hair brushed my neck as his teeth and mouth pulled at one of my nipples. I adored his gentle touches, and I was soon writhing and wet beneath him. His lips paved their way towards my belly and then his tongue flicked my nub. I cried out, my hands tangling in his wild head of hair. He only stayed a couple seconds before he was climbing up my body again.
"I won't last long," he murmured softly, the rigid thickness of him pressed against my inner thigh. I could only nod, my voice hidden behind emotion a
nd need. He crushed my chest to his, settling between my legs, his arms wrapping around my shoulders as he slid into me. I moaned, the girth of him stretching me so completely, so beautifully. I clenched around him, pulling him deep inside me.
His head burrowed into the crook of my neck as he moved on top of me. My nipples brushed the soft hair on his chest, furthering the sensations as his pelvis ground against my clit. I wrapped my legs around his hips, urging him deeper and faster into me as my back arched against the bed. We rose together, entirely in sync.
Edging my hand between our bodies, I reached for his energy as I had done with the others. The power of his soul throbbed against my palm as the majesty of his body pulsed within me. He lasted longer than we had both thought he would, rising as his movements became harder and faster. I climaxed first, the world combusting around me in lights and sensation, my head thrashing against the bed. His eyes captured mine as my muscles gripped him, milking his orgasm from him. His body stiffened inside me and above me. His energy flooded into me, the culmination of his faith in me, his intelligence, his hidden depths of passion, and his questioning nature.
As we shook together, the world slowly came back into focus. My chest ballooned with fullness; my body and mind were anchored securely to the world for the first time in my life. I belonged here, with their souls filling me and their bodies surrounding me. Everything seemed right. I was at home, I was loved...and I was exhausted. I sighed as Reed lifted his body off mine. Vaguely, I felt hands cleaning me and gentle fingers combing through the sweaty tangles in my hair. I could only smile weakly at their five handsome faces before oblivion claimed me.
Chapter 16
Clay
"Her body and spirit need to recover," Clay stated. The words weren't necessary. They all sensed the weakness of her body, the moderately sated bond insisting she sleep. Their masculine energies burrowed next to his in Kiarra's soul, but he couldn't sense their thoughts or emotions any more than before forging the bond. He did, however, feel more connected to them, if by nothing more than this woman they now thoroughly and eternally shared.
They finished cleaning Kiarra together, Clay teasing most of the knots from her hair while the others gently wiped her legs, her breasts, her neck, and her sex. They did this jointly, working in tandem to care for their woman. Then, they tucked her under the covers and dressed. A bit of awkwardness overlaid the situation as the bond settled and the passion died.
Seb chuckled, breaking the tension. "Well, I never thought I'd do that," he said out loud.
Ian grinned but didn't respond. The spy enjoyed watching, including the sight of the other men. While Reed and Mason had mostly averted their eyes from the other men's cocks, and Seb had appeared primarily impassive, Ian absorbed everything. Clay admitted the image aroused him. He had savored the experience of group sex. The proximity of their bodies to him and possibly touching him like they touched Kiarra didn't bother him. Unfortunately, they didn't all share his opinion.
"I'm starving," Ian said. "Let's dress and go eat so she can rest peacefully."
None of them wanted to leave Kiarra, but they could sense her. Her heart beat strongly, and her mind was calm as she sank into a dreamless sleep. They would be alerted when she woke. They left the door open a crack anyway, not wanting her to wake alone after what they had shared.
Clay sat on one of the couches and thanked Reed when the Scholar brought him a plate of food. The comradery settled more comfortably as they ate and remembered.
Finally, after several minutes of silence, Mason cleared his throat. "I don't think any of us expected this to happen," he stated in a clinical tone.
Ian shrugged a shoulder, genuinely relaxed for the first time since Clay had met him. He joked and laughed with them, but a burden had always lain upon him, likely stemming from the horrors of the childhood which had elicited such horrendous scars. Kiarra had soothed a few of his inner demons by bonding with him. He assumed the other ghosts might ease as they continued their life together.
"I, for one, am glad it happened this way. We are to share the same woman. That we did so literally, at least the first time, is symbolic in a sense," the Shadow said around a mouthful of meat. They devoured the feast spread on the table, no matter how warm and soft the cheese had become or how stale the bread was getting. They also shared a bottle of wine between them, something they usually ignored when it came with the meal.
"I don't believe she had much choice," Reed added. He glowed with an evident pleasure and Clay was pleased his first time had been satisfactory. They had all instinctively moved aside to let him enjoy Kiarra on his own. The sight had been beautiful. When Reed and Kiarra had merged together, the last link clicked into place like a missing variable. Clay wouldn't want to change anything about their first time, and everyone had been accommodating towards his needs. He hadn't felt left out or ignored because he couldn't move around properly. He sensed all her matches needed one-on-one bonding time to build upon the initial group binding, though.
"Now that we have begun the process and Kiarra isn't likely to turn feverish on us, we should discuss the other revelations she found in her ancestor's diary." Ian sighed and rested his head on the couch. He remained shirtless, and Clay admired his lean muscles. They all displayed varying forms of beauty, both inside and out. If he were a woman, he'd be infinitely pleased with the options available to him in the room. Kiarra thought similarly. When he had connected with her, he had experienced her desire for all of them. She wanted them all in different ways. She appreciated the unique traits each of her specific partners embodied.
Reed ran a hand through his hair, the mess curling more with the humidity blanketing the room. "Yes, we should. The crucial question is - do we trust King Demetrius?"
A tense silence filled the air. Clay sighed internally. He wanted to bask in the afterglow of their shared experience, not discuss potential death threats. But, he wanted to do this again, so he needed to focus on the trouble as well as the pleasure. "Ian?"
Ian swiped a hand down his face, smoothing back the dark hair which had fallen in his eyes. "I'm not certain. The King has accepted Kiarra will be Queen and that she has five partners, but he might consider this a necessary evil. The King and Queen are both devoted believers. They aren't involved in the church, but they worship the Saints and the Fates. I think their piety will be the deciding factor. If King Caden truly believes the changes are decreed by the Fates, we may be able to rely on him. If he doesn't ally himself with us, matters will become extremely difficult."
"What do you know of the Accleshians? You lived closest to them."
Ian considered Seb's question. "Not much, to be honest. The skirmishes at the border surprised me. Megreria has never had an issue with them. They might have been our ally over a century ago, but much time has passed. Now, we do not interact with them except to entertain a visiting ambassador who arrives every few years to renew the trading agreement. We give Acclesh ore and oil. They provide us with textiles, medicines which are difficult to cultivate in Megreria, and a few precious stones in exchange for coastal treasures. Their lifestyle is quiet and the spies aren't privy to more. The secrecy itself is suspect, as if the details are being kept under wraps intentionally."
"What do you think of Kiarra's theory? Do you think Baldony is behind this rather than Acclesh?" The Scholar asked.
"Hard to say. Our information is limited when it comes to other countries. Baldony has suffered under a constant state of turmoil since the civil war over a hundred years ago. We now comprehend the catalyst for the conflict. The Mishokians say they are a bitter people. Before the uprising, the country was extremely prosperous. They own land and resources but lack organization. It would be difficult for them to launch any sort of structured attack. However, I would not be surprised if they are manipulating other countries to resolve a grudge."
"And Everett is due to arrive within a day," Mason growled, his voice deep. He lounged in one of the wide chairs, his impressive form takin
g up a lot of space. "He is an established threat, the one we should be most concerned about."
"Aye," Ian agreed. "Not only us, but Demetrius as well. If Everett suspects the King plans to replace him, nothing will keep him from killing his own father. I've shared my suspicions with the Information Advisor, and he agrees. The palace guard will be bolstered with those loyal to the King and more spies in gray will be running about, ferreting out schemes and secrets. I've dispatched a trusted friend to tail Everett in the hopes that he'll return with some inside intelligence. We must keep our eyes open as well. I inspected and approved of Kiarra's maid. Her shyness is crippling, but she is loyal to Kiarra. She does acquire our meals from the kitchens, however. We can't ignore the threat of poison; it would be untraceable for the most part. We all eat the same food; our enemies could view it as an opportunity to take us all out at once."
Clay sucked in his breath. The discussion had shifted from potential threats to imminent danger. "I will arrange some flags among the accounts of the Merchants," he began. "A black market exists, but the Merchant House can monitor the purchase of large amounts of potentially harmful herbs. We'll be notified if anything is bought or sold. Most of them are loyal to the House as they wouldn't have a job if they weren't. If the directive arrives directly from my Advisor, they dare not ignore it."
"Speaking of herbs," Seb interrupted. "We didn't think to protect ourselves tonight."
"Aye, the bond would not have engaged if we had used a barrier between us, but her mother prepared her. She possesses the proper medicine to prevent conception. We need to remind her to take it when she wakes as we're blind as to the state she'll be in." Ian glanced at Reed. He claimed the most significant medical knowledge.
Reed shrugged. "This is not a typical bond. The raging fever isn't a normal symptom. I'm also uncertain if the curse, or spell, or enchantment laid upon the journal has satisfied itself now that our bond is forged. We must keep in mind that we only started the bonding process tonight. I think she will require one-on-one time to complete and further solidify the energy exchange." Clay nodded in agreement. His intuition whispered the same. "She might be groggy when she wakes, depending on how long she sleeps, but she should be healthy. She may need an adjustment period to adapt to our different energies within her, especially if it manifests as a magical ability like the book suggested. I'm uncertain whether we'll experience adverse effects as the bond settles."
Echoes of Her Soul Page 14