In the doorway to the bedroom, I stopped and surveyed the mass of candles adorning every table top and dresser in there, too. The bed was layered in red, pink and white rose petals. Two bottles of champagne sat in a tub of ice on the dresser. The ridiculously cliché setup would normally have me laughing at the sappy romanticism of it. But, I seldom got the chance to be silly and cliché, so I was going to enjoy it.
“It’s totally cheesy, isn’t it?” Shaz slipped an arm around me from behind and kissed the back of my neck.
“Yes. I love it though.”
Arys swept past us, entering the room with a smooth glide. He regarded me for just a moment before reaching to free my hair from the pins that held it. Tossing them on the bedside table, he nodded his approval as my blonde locks tumbled down around me.
“Much better.” With a hand under my chin, Arys lightly kissed me, the briefest touch.
Standing between the two of them, the sensation of their bodies against mine taunted me. The promise of what was to come stirred the longing low in my core. It was good to be the birthday girl.
Sharing an intimate encounter together, the three of us, didn’t happen as often as Jez would like to imagine it did. It was a mind-blowing experience, to have them both at the same time. It was one of the few times the tension between Shaz and Arys slipped away completely.
“Champagne?” Arys was across the room popping the cork on the bottle before I could reply.
“No way,” Shaz shook his head and steered me toward the bed. “You’re not getting me drunk.”
“You’re already drunk. Besides, you process it fast.” Arys held a glass out to each of us. “Humor me.”
I hid a smile as I took the glass. Arys did prefer Shaz to be loosened up. It gave him greater allowance to push Shaz’s boundaries.
“So, do you want your gift now, or later?” Shaz sipped from the champagne glass, pointedly looking at Arys before abandoning it on the table.
“I thought you two were my gifts.” I glanced down at Shaz where he knelt at my feet. He ran a hand up the inside of my leg, toying with the ribbon from my heels that wound around my ankle.
“We are.” With predatory poise, Arys plucked the glass from my hand and watched Shaz slowly slide his hands further up my leg. “Just relax, Alexa, and let us celebrate you.”
I stepped carefully out of my dress, sliding it down my legs. My gaze met Arys’s. He watched with dark desire, looking me over like I was something to be feasted upon. It was a dangerous look, one that had me quivering. Anticipation built quickly.
With a small growl, Shaz nipped at the inside of my leg. I gasped when the warm flick of his tongue followed. His fingers found the soft stretchy material of my pink G-string. In an aggressive motion that sent a shock through me, he drew them aside and pressed his mouth to my most private region.
My fingers slid through his hair, and the sudden surprise of his tongue knocked me off-balance. Arys chuckled and came to stand behind me, encouraging me to lean back against him. Happy to allow him to support my weight, I felt the sharp touch of Shaz’s fangs, and I moaned.
Arys gazed down my body, watching Shaz. The wolf glanced up to lock eyes with the vampire, and there was an intensity so deep in his jade green eyes that I almost lost myself. I couldn’t read his expression, but I had a feeling that Arys could. Their best communication came in the form of silence and deep stares. I often felt like they were sharing something I wasn’t in on, but it never bothered me. Only in those times did I feel they were united.
Sweeping my hair off my neck, Arys bit lightly at the exposed vein there. A pleasurable tickle shot down my spine, making me giggle in a way that I hated but Arys loved. Gently, he reached around to cup my breasts. It didn’t match the aggressive attention I received from Shaz as he kissed and licked me with undeniable hunger. I groaned when Arys caressed my nipples until they stood firm, my fingers tightening in Shaz’s hair.
It didn’t take long for them to bring me to the brink of climax. Though when I expected to plunge over into that amazing abyss of ecstasy, Shaz denied me that glorious fall. Instead he pulled away, teasing me and ignoring my frustrated growl.
He slowly slid my panties down my legs before rising to his feet. Arys followed his lead, stripping me from the confines of my bra. I reached for Shaz, wanting to feel the silk of his hair between my fingers again, but he stepped just out of reach and began to disrobe.
His eyes were all wolf. It wouldn’t be long until he was all fangs and claws, just the way I liked him. Tearing my gaze from his, I appreciated his fine form, admiring the curves of his muscles, the way that little smattering of hair below his belly led to the finely sculpted organ that I ached for with anticipation.
The power between Arys and I flared to life with a staggering strength as he reacted to my growing passion. It flowed through the room with an almost audible whoosh, followed by a small gasp from Shaz as he felt it. I studied him, curious to see how it affected him.
Shaz reached for me with clawed hands that left faint bloody scratches where they touched my skin. Sliding one hand under my leg, he lifted it so that he could step in between my legs and easily slip inside me. He kissed me with a bruising ferocity that left small cuts on my lips and tongue from his fangs.
I could feel Arys’s growing intrigue as he stood behind me, his face just inches from Shaz’s over my shoulder. The press of his erection against my back was exciting. I reached back to play in the soft hair at the nape of his neck.
For one interesting moment, Shaz and Arys stared into one another, each of them on opposing sides of me. For just a second, I thought Arys was going to close the distance between them, but Shaz pulled away before it could happen. The memory of the one and only kiss they’d shared lingered in my mind. It had been extraordinarily sexy.
It had also been something that had pushed Shaz across his own boundary line. He would never give himself fully to Arys, whether or not the vampire desired such a thing. I knew that much. But, how much of himself was he willing to give? That remained to be seen.
As Shaz slowly loved me, Arys warmed until the heat rolled off him. He was feeding off of us, basking in our heady werewolf energy. I could feel him getting off on the spicy sexual energy we were creating, and I longed to feel it as he did.
Arys pulled away, leaving me void of his warmth. Shaz took the opportunity to turn us so the bed was behind him. Holding tightly to me, he fell back on the bed, pulling me down on top of him. For a humorous moment, I sprawled haphazardly atop him. We both laughed while Arys merely rolled his eyes at our drunken idiocy.
He stood near the foot of the bed, gazing down at us. He waited until my attention was on him before revealing his nakedness one piece of clothing at a time. I felt like a starved woman at a feast. I wanted him close again, so they both touched me. I craved it.
Shaz gave me a light slap on the ass, and I returned my attention to him. Guiding me carefully, he repositioned us so that we both sat facing one another on the bed, with me in charge as the one on top. I stared down into his beautiful eyes, seeing myself reflected in them.
The sitting position was nice. It forced us to press close, maintaining a deep level of intimacy as we moved together. It should have been a perfect moment of love, but an image flashed unbidden through my head, the black-haired vampiress with her lips on my white wolf, her fangs buried in his flesh. It stunned me, and I felt myself pulled from the magic of the moment.
“Lex?” Shaz whispered my name and pushed the hair back from my face. “Is something wrong?”
“No,” I said quickly, fighting not to let it show in my eyes. “Nothing wrong.”
Arys watched me with a peculiar certainty, and I was sure he’d seen the vision that had just flashed through my mind. He never said as much, just prowled closer to the bed with a sly, unnerving ease.
Shaz pressed his face to my throat, his lips warm against the pulsing vein there. I looked to Arys for help, seeking escape from the ugly images swirling
in my thoughts. He slid onto the bed, coming to embrace me from behind.
Pressing soft kisses to my shoulders and the back of my neck, it surprised me when I heard his voice whisper through my mind, ‘I’ll kill her.’
Tension filled me, and I closed my eyes, focusing on their scents, refusing to allow this night to be ruined by my own insecurities.
‘No, Arys. That won’t help anything. She isn’t the real problem.’
The musky wolf scent of Shaz mingled with Arys’s hair products to create a comforting aroma that was just the two of them made one. It stirred a ravenous response that I could feel in the pit of my stomach.
Arys knelt behind me, stroking his hands over my body as I moved with Shaz. As Arys manipulated the powerful energy the three of us called, I was able to fall deeper into the two of them. Nothing else mattered right now other than this current moment. I had to let myself believe that.
Shaz twitched inside me. A tingle filled my belly as his approaching release encouraged my own pleasure. With Arys’s metaphysical guidance every sensation was heightened. Their hands were all over me, in my hair, on my breasts, gripping my hips. My breath came faster, and I clung to Shaz so tight my clawed nails left bloody trails in his skin.
The scent of his blood hit me, and the bloodlust crawled up within me, threatening to burst forth. A throaty snarl escaped me as Shaz pushed me over the edge of climax, and I was suddenly caught in the throes of ecstasy. Mixed with every amazing wave that rocked my body was the hunger, the desire to bite into the wolf beneath me. I wanted him.
Sensing my hunger, Shaz gazed at me with a yearning that almost matched my own. He wanted it, too. I’d gotten used to seeing wariness in his eyes when the bloodlust raised its ugly head. Finding his expression full of intrigue left me conflicted. I loved it as much as I hated it.
My lungs heaved as I caught my breath. I slid out from between them and collapsed in the middle of the bed. This left them staring at one another with a strange, even look. Shaz quickly put some space between them by reclining back on the bed and rolling onto his side next to me. However, his gaze remained fixed on Arys.
“You want something, wolf?” Arys’s pupils dilated as he taunted Shaz.
Shaz reached out to touch me, a gentle hand on my leg. He continued to watch the vampire, a darkness settling into his wolf eyes. My heart raced as I waited for Shaz to give voice to his wish.
Instead of replying, Shaz pushed himself up on his knees and reached for Arys. Though I couldn’t take my eyes off them, I groped blindly for the nearest champagne glass on the table. All the booze in the world wasn’t going to take the edge off. I knew what I was about to see, and it twisted my insides in a mass of confusion.
Arys wore a look of devious satisfaction as Shaz slid his hands into the vampire’s jet black hair. He curled his fingers into fists, holding tight to Arys’s locks. He leaned in close, his mouth hovering just inches from Arys’s. I held my breath, waiting and hoping, but for what I wasn’t sure.
With the barest brush of their lips, Shaz spoke softly. “Don’t turn this into a game. You know what I want.” For just a moment he nuzzled Arys, a strangely affectionate gesture for two men who couldn’t stand one another. Then Shaz tilted his head to the side, offering his neck to Arys.
I sat upright, a glass clutched in my hand. The intensity of the scene before me was rife with lust and power. It took concentration on my part not to shatter the glass with my grip. I watched my white wolf offer himself to Arys, and I was both horrified and madly turned on. As much as I wanted to watch Arys feed from Shaz, I knew that this more than anything showed how far into our world Shaz had fallen.
I didn’t expect Arys to look to me for permission. I saw the question in his eyes, and I stared back at him, giving no indication of what I preferred. This was between the two of them. And honestly, I didn’t know. I was merely a bystander.
Arys would never pass up an offer like this from Shaz. Though Shaz was taking a dominant stance, Arys was always the one in control. With a slight smirk, he bared his fangs and bit hard and fast into my wolf.
Shaz grunted slightly as he relaxed into the bite. His knuckles were white from gripping Arys’s hair so tightly, and the energy that rolled off him was thick with wanton desire. It struck me like a slap in the face, and I couldn’t help but respond with my own hunger for blood and sex.
The champagne in my hand quickly lost all appeal. I held the glass forgotten and watched as Arys tasted Shaz, his tongue gliding over the bloody wound. The sound of my heart pounding in my ears alerted me to the fact that I’d stopped breathing, frozen in the moment.
Goosebumps rose up on my skin as a rush of power crashed over me. Arys drove it, sweeping Shaz up in its thrall. His eyes closed, and he leaned into the vampire’s dizzying allure. Arys was carefully in control. He pulled back before taking too much. I tensed, waiting to see what would happen next.
For a brief, heart-stopping second, I thought Arys would push it further, as he had once before. Expecting that very thing, Shaz’s eyes opened in a glare, and he growled. His hands slipped from Arys’s hair, and he turned his head away before Arys could kiss him. Instead, my beautiful vampire leaned into Shaz and boldly ran his tongue along that soft spot beneath Shaz’s ear.
Shaz pulled away. His eyes were wild, pupils huge. He breathed hard, almost panting as the power in the room pulled him under like a deadly undertow. Soaring high on lust and werewolf blood, Arys was on me before I could blink.
Knocking the glass out of my hand, he pushed me down on my back and forced himself between my legs. It was rough and even a little painful when he reached one hand into my hair, pinning my head to the bed. Adrenaline burst through me. I was eager for him, crying out when he forcefully thrust inside me.
Pressing his lips to mine, Arys kissed me hungrily. I tasted Shaz’s blood in his mouth, and my pleasure was instantly heightened. White noise roared in my ears as our power flowed freely.
Arys rolled us onto our sides, so we lay facing one another. This allowed Shaz to align his body to mine from behind. With a clawed hand tightly gripping my waist, he bit the back of my neck with those four massive fangs.
I yelped and felt the telltale warmth of blood. Wolf fangs hurt worse than vampire fangs. They were fierce, made for shredding and tearing.
Even as careful as he’d been, the burning pain was shocking. The wolf inside me loved it. The savage touch of my mate was stimulating, banishing the human fear of pain and instead finding joy in it. The gentle touch of his tongue on the wound was as intimate as when he’d licked between my legs. Shaz tasted my blood, and it made me crazy.
Wrapped up in the two men I loved with all my heart, there was nowhere else on earth I’d have rather been. The give and take of love and pleasure was a rollercoaster of power, emotion and acceptance. Time ticked by as we all sought something in one another whether it be gratification, affection or simply acceptance. It was long after dawn by the time we lay sprawled on the bed in exhaustion.
My body was decorated in bloody scratches, bites and bruises. I didn’t attempt to get up. My heart hadn’t returned to its normal pace, and my breath still didn’t come easily.
Shaz fetched a pair of sweat pants from the drawer in my dresser where he kept some of his things and disappeared upstairs.
I lay in the disarray of the blankets, snuggled against Arys. He stroked a hand through my hair while we listened to Shaz slamming doors upstairs. It sounded like he went into the garage.
“That wolf needs to be careful.” Arys broke the silence with words that made me apprehensive. “He was far too willing to give his blood to me. That kind of behavior can lead to addictive tendencies.”
“What about you?” I countered. “You wanted him. I didn’t see you turn him down.”
Arys looked at me like I’d said something ridiculous. “Of course not. He still has a very firm guard up when it comes to me. If I see it fall for even a minute, I’m taking advantage of it.”
&
nbsp; “I’m worried about him. He gets off on the rush. I don’t want to see him become a junkie for it.”
“Try not to worry about him too much. We won’t let our wolf become a blood whore. Besides, I think it’s you that stands the greatest risk of forming addictive tendencies.”
It was soothing to hear him call Shaz “our” wolf. But, that was overlooked when I heard what he had to say about me. “Hey! I do not have addictive tendencies.”
“Don’t you?”
Before I could toss a defensive retort back, Shaz entered the room carrying a shiny, black chrome rim with a big red ribbon tied around it. I sat up quickly, reaching to touch the smooth metal.
“Happy birthday, babe.” Fangs now absent, Shaz kissed me warmly. “The other three are in the garage. I hope you like them. I think they’ll look awesome on your car.”
“I love them! I can’t wait to get these on my beast.” I let out a girlish squeal. Brand new rims for my car might not seem like the most romantic gift, but coming from Shaz, it was perfect.
Arys propped himself up on an elbow, his hand under his head. He lay there on the bed in all his nude glory. “Nice choice, pup. Those will look great.” To me he added, “My gift to you is in the nightstand.”
I sprang at the nightstand like a rabid dog, eager to see what my vampire would choose to give me. I almost upset a few candles in my rush to get the drawer open. I had to dig through a pile of blue tissue paper before I found it, an incredibly old book. The leather cover was worn and thin; the pages had yellowed with time, and it had that musty book smell that all old books eventually have.
Lifting it carefully, I set it on my lap and opened it. It was a journal, Arys’s journal. The dates written in faded ink on the pages were shocking. There were journal entries from more than a hundred years ago.
“I know you have all of my memories,” Arys watched me flip through the pages, “but they’re mostly a mess of random images in your head. Yours are for me, too. I thought this might help. I wanted you to have it.”
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