by Erin R Flynn
“Not as long as you’re not mad at me for not playing hostess and perfect little mate or something for them.”
He snorted. “Be you. I only want you to be yourself and get to know you.”
“Good.” I sucked on his lower lip and then bit it hard before finishing my dance and both of us. “We should have more dates here. This was nice.”
“Yes, freeing,” he agreed, making two drinks appear.
“Something you can do that I can’t,” I noted, mostly because he’d done it too and I didn’t want it to become jealousy. “There’s sugar and more than just wine in there, so it counts as nutrients.”
“The double edged sword,” he murmured, nodding as he handed me one. “Nutrients can give you power, but your power can never make nutrients for you.” He ran his cold glass over my nipple, smiling when I shivered as I sipped my drink. “Will you dance for me like that again later? That was better than the last several years of sex I’ve had.”
“Love, you’ve been fucking the wrong women,” I chuckled.
“I’ve become bored of it all,” he admitted, staring out at the water. “I think numb. There was always something new, something exciting to keep waking for, and for the past few decades I haven’t felt that, only doom that the humans will be their own downfall and then what was the point of all done before?”
“I know the feeling,” I confessed, shrugging when he gave me a shocked look. “My life was not always a coven to protect or the security and help I have now. Before it was one case of abuse after another, and it never seemed to stop the larger problem. It would never end, and even if I helped this person or that family, there would always be more. It would never get better.”
“But then it did,” he pushed when I stopped talking.
I nodded. “I don’t want to be rude, and I am willing to discuss this with you and only you, but not today. Today I just want easy and fun.” I gave him a kiss to take out the sting of my words. “And maybe another dance later.”
He sat up and whispered several other things he’d like to see me do, and none of them could be seen on TV. Apparently Brax was a bit of a voyeur like Hunt and seemed just as shocked by it.
Interesting.
I saw people moving over by the tiki bar and realized it was time for lunch. We finished our drinks, and I popped us over to the beach, smiling when he immediately put his arm around me as I sent our empty glasses to the bar. I glanced around and felt my heart warm when I saw Helen and Tommy sitting off to the side eating together and looking like teenagers on a first date instead of a hundred-year-old or more adults.
My eyes landed on Hunt talking with half a dozen women. He looked a bit confused, and I realized he didn’t get his new popularity from starting with Bacchus’s consort.
“Grab us food and I’ll meet you at my day bed?” I asked Brax, kissing him when he leaned in. I walked over to Hunt and hugged him from behind, peeking around him at the women. “Take them up on their offer, pet.”
“What?” he asked, giving me a shocked look.
“Sure, enjoy the bitches who throw themselves at you,” I purred, smirking at the women as if daring them to deny it. “Pick one and enjoy her.” I looked them over and liked one best. “She’s pretty. Have her for lunch.” I pulled down the front of Hunt’s swim shorts. “Taste what’s mine.” Her aura filled with pride and greed. “Give him what I won’t. Show him how amazing you are.”
She dropped to her knees and did, so sure of herself and her talents that it was all in her aura. Hunt moaned and grabbed her head, giving me another confused look before enjoying his fun.
I walked away and met up with Brax at my day bed, glad when he brought a tray of drinks as well as lots of food. The crab sandwiches that were made with croissants and had toothpicks in them with eyes to make them crabs almost fixed my darkening mood. The sushi burritos helped along with Brax’s occasional touches or kisses while we ate, but the show in front of me was blackening my mood.
“You don’t want him touching other women,” he murmured before taking a drink of his mermaid mimosa.
I thought about that as I kept eating my salmon and avocado burrito. “No, not like that. Us playing is one thing, and yes, I know I told them to go ahead and I’m right here, but playing is fun. This is… I hate this shit. And I know I’m not being fair. I’m reacting as if he should know better because it’s always on me to fill them in if people find out I’m with someone. And then it’s on me. It’s not fair, and I hate it.”
“Soraya, it’s not on you,” he said gently. “Remy’s a good guy, a loyal wolf, and he’s always looking out for you, but he’s a newb to politics or being in this league. It’s on him to understand the waters you swim in if he wants to swim in them with you.” He leaned over and kissed my shoulder. “It’s hurting you that he accepted her challenge as if he could ever find better.”
I felt like he’d slapped me across the face with the truth. That was exactly how I felt. Well, part of it. “He’s just my pet.”
“Yes, but people still care for their pets and expect loyalty. He betrayed you, and you’re waiting for it again. You feel as if he did by accepting her challenge. I get that. I even understand it, as I’ve been in your spot and hated it, but I didn’t care for the woman. But he doesn’t get all of this. He thinks he’s playing for your enjoyment again, because you did enjoy him wrecking Bacchus’s consort, but he didn’t understand what that was either.”
“I thought he did,” I sighed, realizing Hunt really was young and naive in so many ways still. I gave Brax an evil look. “If you realized that, why didn’t you tell him? You say you want to protect me, and how did that get ignored?”
He opened his mouth but then closed it, studying me closely. “I didn’t think my interfering with him would be welcome. I understand filling him in on politics isn’t the same now.” He waited until I nodded. “Be honest that part of this is you lashing out because you’re angry and hurt.”
“Yes.” There was no reason to deny it because we both knew it, especially when Hunt finished with the bitch and two more took her place to please him. “How does he not get what’s going on?”
“His blood isn’t currently in his brain,” Brax drawled. “He was holding them off until you gave the green light.”
“Just because the light’s green doesn’t mean you have to drive through it,” I snapped. “You can turn onto another street.”
“You can.” He leaned in and licked my ear. “Let’s go turn onto another street instead of watching this, Soraya. Let this darkness out. How do you want to let it out?”
I gave him a simmering look and not all of it angry anymore. “You won’t like it.”
“Try me. I can tell you if it’s too far or I can’t handle it.”
“Can’t handle me,” I clarified, glad he was honest, and nodded. “Fine, you want to see it? Let’s play.” We were done eating by then, but we went over and grabbed a tray of drinks, and he gave me a curious look when I loaded up a ton of desserts. I didn’t reply, instead I went over to three angels standing together off the tiki bar. “We were thinking of having a private chat between angels and enchantress. You interested?”
One nodded. “Let me call the others.”
“Not that kind of chat,” I corrected, running my fingers down my stomach. All three caught on and gave Brax a shocked look. He simply nodded, his eyes never leaving me. I led the four of them deeper into the island. Then I made an even larger day bed appear and a huge bug net tent to go around it along with a few small tables for everything we brought.
And a chair for Brax to sit in.
“Have a seat, love,” I told him, gesturing to the chair. I glanced at him when he set the tray down and was rocked with surprise at what I saw.
Namely he was hard.
“I find it shocking too,” he admitted, seeing what I was looking at. “But apparently I’m very into your darker side. My blood is boiling at the idea they will touch you first and dying to see you enjoyin
g yourself and loving the challenge of sitting out all in one exciting game.”
“I will always keep you excited, love,” I promised as I kissed him after he sat, running my fingers over his dick before climbing onto the bed. I looked at the other three who were just standing there. I glanced at Brax. “Do they need a written invitation or what?”
“You can’t seriously be okay with us touching your intended,” one of the angels whispered as if saying it any louder was unthinkable.
Brax licked his lips as he stared at me. “I stated that, not her. She belongs to no one and offered me the chance to say no. I want to see how far we’ll take this.”
“Good enough for me,” the second one muttered and yanked off his swim shorts before climbing onto the bed with me. He kissed me like a man dying for me and got right to the fun moments later.
“I like your brother’s tongue,” I taunted Brax after my first orgasm. “Maybe a different brother should help him.”
“What should I do?” he asked, looking like he was dying to join in.
I answered by chanting under my breath and giving him the Kiss of Twenty Tongues. The other two brothers joined me in bed, and it became a flurry of fun and spells and everything that pleased me as best as they could.
I moaned as I laid chest down on the bed, my gaze locked with Brax’s as his brother screwed me into the day bed. “I think I found my reward for anytime I’m a good lover if I decide to let you court me.”
“You’re still not sure?” he asked, not hiding his shock.
I glanced up at the angel. “Have you ever been inside a woman and felt this good, darling?”
“No,” he grunted, snapping his hips faster. “Forget Brax and be my intended instead.”
I smirked at Brax, licking my lips when I saw the heat along with anger in his eyes. “I promised to give him a chance. I’ve enjoyed our time together so far.”
“Me too,” Brax agreed, even as his brother said the same.
After that round, I let his other two brothers take me together, but that seemed to be Brax’s limit. I used my power and cleaned myself up as I went over to him and straddled his lap. We locked gazes again, and then I jerked him off so he came all on my body, the message pretty damn clear and seemed to make this fun for him again.
“You should leave this day bed and canopy here for the next time we want to play,” he murmured against my lips. “I have a lot of siblings who would love you.” He chuckled when I shivered. “Talk about bringing people to our side.”
“Huh?” I asked, frowning and shaking off my post-sex bliss.
He nodded behind me. “Two were of the opinion we force you to be our demon hunting champion.” He winced when I gave him a shocked look. “So I should have told you that?”
“You bloody idiot,” I sighed, smacking him in the chest. “Yes, if there are any around me who are a threat to me, please tell me. I thought that went without saying.”
“You’ve converted me,” one joked, flinching when I gave him a scathing look over my shoulder. “I apologize. It’s not funny, and ‘force’ is a bit harsh of a word for what I thought. I admit, I was blind to the reality and instead focused on the possibilities of pushing back on a war we have been fighting for thousands of years and will fight for all of our days.”
When he put it like that, I didn’t blame him for his perspective. What was one enchanter in that context? Except I was the enchanter.
I slid off Brax’s lap and went over to him, lying on him and giving him a kiss.
“You did that just to get my brother’s spunk all over me, didn’t you?” he checked.
“Oh yeah,” I purred, sitting up and rolling away when he tried to turn the tables. I yelped as he grabbed my ankle and pulled me under him.
“Turn her on her side facing me and fuck her until she screams,” Brax instructed.
“Good apology,” I chuckled, giving him a wink.
And then all of us enjoyed some fun even if only two of us were having sex.
We stayed a bit longer, drinking all the drinks and enjoying the treats which ranged from mermaid tail cupcakes to clam shell macaroons to hermit crab cheesecake bites with strawberries decorated as the crabs. The best was when we rejoined the party and there was a whole table of mermaid tail and aquatic themed cakes.
Yum.
“Go talk to him,” Brax murmured as he kissed my shoulder. “He looked up and you were gone, and they told him it meant you were tossing him aside. He’s freaking out and doesn’t want to make a scene.”
I glanced up at him. “You hear more than I do.” Shock flashed in his eyes, but then he nodded. “I’m sorry.”
He gave me a soft kiss, as we both understood that burden. Then he patted my butt to get going and gave me a cheeky smirk that he’d done it.
“You know I’m going to let one of your brothers give me a real slap now, right?”
“No,” he growled, and I almost burst out laughing. So sex was fine, but giving me a spank was the line?
Okay then.
I went over to Hunt and shook my head when he opened his mouth. He took my hand when I offered it, and I popped us far out into the water, almost all the way to the nets so no one—not even the ancients—could hear us.
“Was she better than me, pet?” I purred, not able to keep the anger out of my tone.
He blinked at me a moment, still not used to my teleporting without warning. Then he caught up, his eyes going bug wide. “No.”
“And the other two?” I demanded, moving closer and grabbing his dick. “Did you prefer two women sucking you to what I do for you? I won’t do that, so did you like them better?”
Hunt shocked me by moving my hand off of him and instead trying to hug me. “Soraya, you told me to. No. No, absolutely not. None of them were better, and I don’t prefer them.” He flinched when I checked his aura. “I’m not lying. You’re acting like I betrayed you or cheated. You told me to accept their offers.”
“But you wanted to,” I snapped, pushing his arms away when he tried to hug me again. “You wanted what they offered.”
“I don’t understand,” he whimpered when I wouldn’t let him touch me. “How is this different than the other night? I thought we were playing. Tell me we’re not really over like they said.”
I couldn’t. I just shrugged. It depended on what he said and did next. I held up my hand to silence him when he opened his mouth. “What do you think they were offering you?”
“A chance to play and try out your pet,” he answered after a moment. “I get that that’s why I’m very suddenly popular. If a man is good enough for you, there’s got to be something to me and a thrill.”
I let out a heavy sigh and made the float I’d been using earlier with Brax appear. I climbed onto it, and Hunt did as well. He went to sit by me, and I pulled away so we were sitting on opposite sides. “I get you are young and naïve, but we did warn you how people will absolutely use every advantage to get near me, be slimy and shady even.”
He frowned, shaking his head. “I don’t understand. How is this different than Wednesday night?”
“It’s not, idiot,” I hissed. “She wanted you, yes, because she wanted to try my pet and maybe because they assume you’re a high caliber man, but they wouldn’t jump to sex. Think like the distrusting cop I met instead of a man whose brain has been melted with sex.”
His eyes flashed shock after a few minutes. “They want to steal me from your side. They want to steal the ‘Enchantress’s man’ or whatever.”
“It’s the ultimate get,” I grumbled, pulling my knees to my chest and wrapping my arms around them. “To steal the man of probably the most powerful female supe alive has to be one hell of a woman. She’d be bloody famous in our circles. Those ones will brag to everyone they’ve tasted my pet and pleased him or whatever else. I’ve had women lie and say they stole a lover, which is why I keep who I bed under wraps normally.”
“Then why tell me to do it?” he asked quietly. “Why not
tell me of this?”
I shot him a nasty look that he was putting it back on me. “You still are missing several pieces, pet. I would have thought someone so distrusting of me and magics would be cautious, but they were shifters and vamps, right?”
His face went pale as he realized how bad he’d stepped in it. “What else am I missing? Please tell me. I’m asking you to tell me what I should be leery of.”
“Too bad you didn’t ask sooner,” I whispered, staring out at the water. “You’re not my mate, but you stood at my side. Have any of them been whispering anything in your ear as you bang them?” I gave him a hurt look. “They used you to get to me. And that I did warn you guys of at that meeting. We said they use every possible way to get closer to me. How much could you whisper in my ear from them if they’re in your bed?”
He let out a slow, long breath, nodding. “You’re right, they did. I figured that out when the hormones cleared. But, Soraya, how is it different than the other night? You seemed into it then.”
I sighed. “Yes, it was fun to fuck with her, but I also did it to show them that you wanted me. You only screwed her silly after I made her look like me.” I glanced away when understanding filled his eyes. “You passed that night, playing the game as you should as a pet, coming right back to me, not responding unless you thought it me. This time you were all into getting blow jobs and having fun. You enjoyed the perks of being at my side.”
He moved closer to me, and I shoved him away, but he wouldn’t go this time. I wouldn’t back down either, smacking him with all I had and pushing him until we both went tumbling off the raft and into the water. He tried to get me then, but I teleported away from him and more towards the beach. I blinked, and he was there too, reaching for me.
“Go fuck another bitch offering you blow jobs and pussy, not mine, you asshole,” I shouted and slapped him across the face. He didn’t back off, so I did it again.
And again.
And again.
He kept letting me slap him long after my hand throbbed.