Earning Their Mate's Trust [Half-Demon Mates 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour ManLove)

by Sydney Lain

  He relished the feel of being filled and claimed. He wasn’t alone and each deep thrust reminded him that he was sandwiched between two men that only wanted to be with him. Dreams didn’t matter. Only now mattered.

  They both seemed to know that he didn’t want gentleness.

  “I love Jessie sandwiches,” Michael said. He then leaned into his ear. “Make Damon come.”

  Jessie nodded and reached for Damon’s cock. He met Damon’s hand and together they played and stroked his hard shaft. Michael slammed into him and his hips pressed into Damon. He felt a tingling in his belly. He was so close. Then Damon’s ass squeezed down on him and he exploded into the other man’s heat. Michael wasn’t done. He rammed into him hard and fast before he was filled to the brim. When Michael pulled out, cum dripped down his leg. He pulled Jessie from Damon’s warm body. He stared down as his seed trickled out of Damon’s ass.

  “It’s the same for me,” Michael whispered. “It’s proof that we belong to each other.”

  * * * *

  “What’s bothering you?” Damon asked, pushing back Jessie’s hair.

  Jessie looked like an animal trapped in a car’s headlights. “Nothing.” The smile, forced and fake, lacked its normal brilliance. Damon and Michael exchanged a look. Then both of them stared at Jessie.

  Jessie’s skin turned red under their scrutiny. He slowly stood. “I’m going to clean up and get dressed.” He hurried down the hall, squeezing his ass to keep cum from leaking down his leg.

  “He’s hiding something,” Michael said. “The fear was intense.”

  Damon nodded. “His blocks are good. We only felt it when he reached out for us. But he won’t let us in.”

  “We’re giving him too much freedom,” Michael complained. “What if he’s keeping something important?”

  Damon had lived a long time and understood that Jessie needed time to adjust. Michael had been the same after they mated.

  “Remember when we first met?” Damon asked.

  Michael rolled his eyes. “No, I completely forgot one of the most important days of my life.”

  He tugged on Michael’s wavy, brown hair, not appreciating the sarcasm. “After we mated, it took you a little while to get used to the bond. At first, you rested it.” Michael didn’t understand kindness. He often wanted to retreat within himself, but Damon pushed at the pain and helped the other man learn to accept what he offered.

  Michael rubbed Damon’s arm. “You were the first person to treat me like someone that mattered. Being gay to parents that already hated me didn’t help. My mother and father married because she got pregnant. They took that out on me. He drank and she slept around. Wolf shifters don’t get divorced. They never forgave each other, but I was an easy target for their hate.” Michael sighed. “At first, I was waiting for you to change your mind. Being with you filled my heart. I wasn’t alone, but I couldn’t trust that. All I thought about was the day my happiness would end. After knowing such peace, I couldn’t go back.”

  Damon nodded. “Jessie is like you. He came to us knowing loneliness, so he’s afraid that he’ll wake up and find both of us gone. We need to give him time.”

  Michael gave him a mischievous smirk. “For someone that can’t feel as deeply as a human, you can understand Jessie and me.”

  Damon tugged again on Michael’s hair. “You have the gift of understanding people’s hidden pain. I only recognized the same pain you went through. I was pretty useless in helping you solve it.”

  Michael shook his head. “No, you were there, and that never wavered. It took a while, but I came around.” His mate paused. “And so will Jessie.”

  “We’re in the mountains. He’s safe up here to explore his feelings. It will take time, but he’ll trust us and let us in.” Damon stood up and reached for his clothes.

  Michael sighed. “Let’s get cleaned and dressed. Then you can set the table for lunch.”

  * * * *

  Twenty minutes later, the three of them sat around the table. He watched both of his mates. Damon met his gaze a few times, doing the same thing. Jessie shifted in his seat with his head down. The other man had been thoroughly fucked and was now feeling a little sore. Michael smirked. Jessie had come a long way in the last twenty-four hours and he couldn’t wait to show the man more.

  Damon slowly sipped the canned soup. His mate lightly chastised him through their bond, as if the other man wasn’t thinking the same thing. He probed deeper and saw erotic images of Jessie across Damon’s lap as he spanked the pale flesh until his ass burned. Then Damon looked at him. The images changed to Michael straddling Damon’s lap, pants hung off of one of his legs as he rode Damon fast and hard. If he stopped thrusting his hips up and down a heavy hand landed on his rear. Michael wasn’t into spanking, but he enjoyed slaps during sex. Michael sent his own thoughts through the bond of Damon lying on his stomach on the bed as Michael filled him. The only thing missing from their fantasies was Jessie. He shared their bond, but wasn’t feeling it. He wanted to see the other man’s skin turn red as he pictured Jessie’s hips moving up and down over his cock or the hiss of anticipation as he and Damon nibbled on the other man’s nipples, but Damon had a point. They could wait for him to settle in before expecting more.

  Jessie scrunched his nose every time he tasted the canned chicken soup. The action was so cute. He considered serving canned food to see that face at every meal.

  Jessie pushed back the bowl. “I can’t eat anymore.”

  Michael placed the roast beef and cheese sandwich in front of Jessie.

  The smaller man looked at it. “I’m not hungry.”

  “What’s wrong?” Michael asked. He had to be hungry. Last night they went to bed without eating and Jessie slept into the late morning. “I can’t imagine not working up an appetite after last night’s activities and this morning’s fucking.”

  “Nothing’s wrong.” Jessie ripped pieces from his napkin.

  “If I remember correctly, tomorrow’s your birthday.” Damon gave Jessie a thoughtful look. “Let’s go into town. We can go shopping.”

  “I don’t know. That sounds expensive.”

  “That’s a good idea,” Michael added, ignoring the other man’s objection. Jessie needed to get over the “I’ll support myself” mentality. Everything that belonged to Michael belonged to them, and vice versa. Maybe if Jessie thought they both agreed to the trip, he’d give up.

  “We can get a cake.” Michael hadn’t missed the less-than-pleased look his cooking inspired. If he called it in, they could pick it up tomorrow.

  Jessie shook his head.

  “Well if you don’t want to go,” Michael sighed, “I can make a cake.” He’d never attempted to bake before. He was a stir-fry type of guy.

  Jessie’s face looked like he’d been served a plate of roaches. “I guess a short trip will be all right. But I only want the cake. Nothing else.”

  Michael opened his mouth to object, but Damon cut him off.

  “It’s your birthday. If that’s what you want, but we have to get you a gift.”

  Jessie shrugged. “That will be the cake.”

  Both men nodded. It was progress.

  Jessie stood and started to clean up the mess. He turned and looked at them. “Can we do something together?”

  “How about a walk outside?” Damon suggested.

  Michael shook his head. “It’s too cold to go far, but we can show you the garage and workshop.”

  The other man looked like he’d won millions of dollars. Were they offering something that amazing? Then he remembered. Being with Damon and just hanging out reminded Jessie he wasn’t alone. Had Michael ever been that needy? Now that he thought about it, he had.

  He rubbed a hand through Jessie’s hair. “It sounds like a plan. But if you get too cold, tell us.”

  The way his head bobbed up and down with little thought had Michael questioning Jessie’s honesty. It didn’t matter. Now that he knew what to look for, Jessie would never shiver
without him knowing it.

  Damon watched their interaction with warmth in his eyes. Normally, they’d go their separate ways and maybe catch a movie before bed, but this felt nice. Their lives were changing and he couldn’t be happier.

  Chapter Nine

  Michael stirred. He looked toward his right as Jessie nuzzled his nose into the pillow. Damon eyes shot open. He felt around for the disturbance that pulled him from sleep. Michael’s hand touched his mate’s arm, letting him know that everything was okay.

  Any change and Damon knew about it. Even if Michael woke up first, Damon never failed to follow him. Even in sleep, they were both on guard, but Damon was better at slipping out of bed and leaving Michael sleeping, something he’d never been able to accomplish. Jessie slept, oblivious to the situation.

  Both men looked at their sleeping mate. Loneliness had plagued Damon for over half a century before they met. Michael and Jessie were Damon’s lifeline, his heart. The longing the other man felt melted each year they were together, and now with Jessie by their side, Michael already felt the difference inside of Damon.

  Damon’s hand hovered above Jessie’s head. He hesitated.

  Michael smiled at the gentleness and concern.

  “He likes to be touched.” Michael’s hand rubbed Jessie’s back.

  Damon nodded and ran a hand through Jessie’s hair. “It’s more than the mating bond. He needs reassurances.”

  “Reassurances. He should feel the bond.” Michael knew that Jessie was still dealing with the newness of the relationship. Damon had been right about that. Everything about them was new to their mate and he was waiting for the dream to end. They had loved him over and over again. All three of them craved each other’s touch, but that wasn’t enough. Something kept Jessie from opening his heart.

  “I feel the earth and can get a sense of human thoughts. With Jessie, I should be able to see into his mind and feel his fears and help him through it.” Damon paused. “I was able to do that for you.”

  “He’s able to block you.” It was the first time that had happened to Damon and he was having trouble accepting that his mate wouldn’t let him in. The rational part of Damon understood the hesitation. Michael too had issues with it, but for different reasons. Still, to block a mating bond was difficult. Michael had tried a couple times, but never succeeded. He tried to build the rocking chair on the porch as a surprise, but it was no use. Damon knew and that night rocked Michael back and forth while his cock penetrated his ass.

  What was Jessie? The hunters that attacked them had gone after Jessie twice. They had killed the other man’s parents. They were obsessed with him. Jessie smelled human and felt human. But his intuition and ability to block them indicated something else. Was a psychic strong enough to do that? They’d met some psychics in the last few years, one psychic who read palms and tea leaves, two that tracked murders, and one that walked in other people’s dreams.

  “I don’t want him to block us.” Damon patted Jessie’s back. “I can force myself in, but then…”

  “But then, he might hate you for invading his mind.” The doubt that plagued Damon was new and unknown to his mate. He was having problems adjusting. At first, he was the strong one, but as the hours ticked by his mate felt powerless. No one blocked him, but Jessie could and did, which left Damon unable to help him through his adjustment problems.

  Even Michael couldn’t keep Damon from his innermost thoughts. The other man treaded lightly over his pain and anger. After they met, he needed Damon to dominate him both in and out of the bedroom. His body was all muscle and trained to kill, but he loved not being in charge and having someone else handle certain things. Now they switched positions all the time, but having Damon’s body over his while thrusting inside felt like heaven. Now it was his turn to be the strong one with answers.

  “Jessie’s not going anywhere. We can wait for him to trust. Besides, today’s his birthday. We’ll spoil him and love him. Remember, having people in his life is new and different.”

  “And tomorrow?” Damon asked. “It will be another day.”

  “No, it will be one more day for us to get closer to him. We need to reassure his fears.” Michael sighed. “Don’t give up now. I was much more difficult to deal with than him and you never gave up on me. When we met, I was only a few years older than Jessie and you saved me. We’ll do the same for him.”

  “Saved you?” Damon questioned. “You’re strong and didn’t need saving, but you never blocked me from your pain. I was able to help.”

  “No, my pack hated me and I started to hate myself. I hid everything I wanted. You stripped off each layer and made me a person that I respect. We’ll do the same for Jessie.”

  Damon was unable to read feelings. He felt things, but strong emotions eluded him. Demons were not capable of love. They fed off human emotions and they reproduced and created half-bloods that felt hollow for their inability to feel the full range of human emotions. People like Damon always felt a part of them was missing. Michael felt Damon’s hopes. Even now, his heart opened to Jessie. Neither of them could imagine a life without the other man.

  “Just because he’s blocking you doesn’t mean Jessie wants to leave.” Michael expressed the fear they’d both been denying. Was Jessie regretting the decision to join them? Is that why he kept his distance?

  “I won’t shackle him to us.” Damon closed his eyes, accepting the words as truth.

  Michael nodded. “You won’t make him unhappy because you love him.”

  “Love?” Damon questioned.

  “Don’t act surprised. You’ve told me you loved me before. It’s the same for both of us. I love Jessie. He has a way of getting us to focus on him.”

  “He rubbed my shoulders while I worked. It felt nice. He smiles and laughs. I do love him. It’s impossible for us to go on without him.”

  Michael nodded. He brightened the day and loved sex. “Did he suck your cock?” Michael asked, remembering their time in the kitchen. Jessie got on his knees and sucked and licked him to completion. Damon sent a similar image through the bond of Jessie on hands and knees with Damon in his mouth. It appeared that Jessie did love to suck them off. Before he commented on that fact, Jessie whimpered and both of them moved closer. He started thrashing on top of the bed. They pushed all thoughts from their minds and focused on their dreaming mate.

  * * * *

  Jessie stood in front of the burning house and watched as his dreams went up in smoke. The place he called home no longer existed. Every part of him ached as he tried to push the pain away.

  His heart reached out to Michael and Damon, but nothing. The bond that he blocked but always felt was gone. The loneliness and dread brought him to his knees. Had the other men left him? Where were they? As he looked at the burning house he knew that it was better if they were gone, because if he couldn’t feel them then that meant they were dead. He looked at the fire. No one else needed to die for him. His parents, and now the men that he loved and made him feel whole, were gone.

  His heart ached knowing that the place he called home was gone. The last time the fire destroyed his life, he wandered to a trailer park and made up stories about traveling parents. No one cared as long as he paid the monthly rent.

  After a few months, he rented an apartment in the city. The internet allowed him to do everything online and when he paid for a year in advance, they never asked to see the man that supposedly signed the lease.

  There he stayed for a few years until he was able to get his first job. It wasn’t much. He worked as a busboy in a restaurant. Then a dream told him to run and he did.

  Jessie looked up at the fire. His legs gave out and he fell to the ground. He pressed his knees into his chest. The scene felt real, the smoke made breathing difficult and each breath burned, but this was a dream. It wasn’t real. Dreamers could control their dreams and he tried, but the dream didn’t belong to him.

  “I know you’re there.” Someone else had invaded his sleep or he inva
ded someone else’s sleep. At this point, he couldn’t be sure. Darkness surrounded him.

  A black SUV pulled closer. If he wandered into another person’s dream, how did they know about hunters and his home? No, whatever this was it pushed at his buttons, invaded his sleep, and preyed on his fear.

  Only Damon could drive a car up this mountain. The words stayed inside. If the one controlling this dream didn’t know that, then Jessie wasn’t going to tell him. He watched men in black exit the vehicle, followed by a man in a suit. This man was different. He wasn’t young, maybe around fifty with pepper hair and a wrinkled face. He looked incapable of smiling. Memories of another dream flashed by. Whatever was happening to him, this man was responsible.

  “What do you want from me?” Jessie asked. Invading his dreams and following him for the last nine years, maybe even his whole life was too much.

  “We want you. Some of us want you to die, but I’m a visionary.” The man smiled with coldness. “Don’t you feel it? You’re different.”

  Jessie nodded. If he opened himself up, he could read strong emotions, but it was more than that. He could read people’s thoughts. His ability to read people was even stronger than Damon’s. That’s why he kept it a secret and blocked the other two men from his mind. They’d know instantly that he was different. Of course to do that, he couldn’t read them. It hurt to watch them continue to have private conversations, but it was a secret he wasn’t willing to share.

  “You’re a hunter,” Jessie said, and he pitied the men behind this man. They were created and engineered in a lab to hunt and kill nonhumans. No one saw them as anything other than a weapon.

  “I’m a doctor,” the man corrected. “And you’re a hunter.”

  He blinked. That was impossible. He wasn’t born in a lab.

  “Twenty-two years ago we genetically modified your cells and inserted your embryo back into the woman that gave birth to you, but you belong to us.”