“Obey your masters, Miriam,” Kristoff urged.
Miriam nodded. She moved her aching body to Lucas’ cot, laying over him. This time, he wrapped his legs around hers, then propped her up on her knees. His arms wrapped around her shoulders and Miriam was suddenly overwhelmed by a feeling of utter safety. Even though their roughness had left her with aching joints and bleeding shoulders, there was a tenderness, a gentleness to Lucas’ touch that she couldn’t ever recall having felt before.
Tears started to flood her eyes, and she buried her face into Lucas’ shoulder. In part, so she could have that closeness to him, in part because she didn’t want to have to explain why she was crying.
The scent of peaches reached her nostrils again. A cold, slippery substance was dribbled over her ass and her aching parts. Kristoff’s hands glided over her, spreading it around. He spanked her a couple times, the sting making her yelp, and then the buzzing was back. Miriam squirmed on automatic instinct, but Lucas held her still as Kristoff used the vibrator on her once more. He moved it all over her body, and then a second one pressed against her ass while the first circled her clit.
Miriam gasped and moaned and begged. She wasn’t even aware of the words coming out of her mouth as she clung to Lucas. It was all so much, so wonderful! It felt like the first time she’d ever had a man touch her. The overwhelming pleasure only grew to higher intensity as Kristoff started to fuck her ass.
With him inside of her and the vibrator on her clit, she did not last long. Every muscle in her body tensed. She bit down on Lucas’ shoulder, rewarded when he jerked and shuddered. Everything exploded and her whole body went limp before the rush of pleasure.
She would have happily laid there for the rest of the night, but Lucas was ready to go again. This time he laid her on her back as he took her. When he was done, Kristoff was again ready. They swapped back and forth, overwhelming Miriam’s body again and again until she was forced to snatch the vibrators from their hands and throw them across the cabin.
“Enough,” she said firmly, and for the first time in the night, she meant it. “You’re going to kill me if you keep going like this.”
“I suppose we have been working you pretty hard,” Lucas agreed. He helped her sit up and touched her shoulder. “Thank you, Miriam. Now, let’s get you cleaned up and some ointment on those bites.”
Miriam pointed at his and Kristoff’s shoulders. She’d broken some skin herself in those half-moon bruises her teeth had left on them. But Kristoff shrugged. “We’re wolves. We’ll heal.”
“Oh,” Miriam muttered.
Both of them were impossibly gentle as they cleaned her up, careful with the bruises they’d left—she enjoyed the look of the dark purple on her pale skin—and then took care of her bites and left her in Lucas’ bed with a bag of peas for her various bruises. Miriam lay there, smiling up at the ceiling.
She still didn’t know exactly what she was feeling toward them, or what they were feeling toward her. But there was something she knew for certain right now. She was floating on the high they’d given her, and she wasn’t coming down anytime soon.
Chapter Twelve
The kitchen smelled of Miriam’s heavenly scent mingled with the peach-flavored lubricant they’d used on her and the smells of their own musty sex. Kristoff lazily washed up the vibrators they’d used on their delectable guest while Lucas stripped the sheets off the cots.
“Well, that was intense, wasn’t it?” Lucas asked.
His hair was damp from the shower they’d taken with Miriam, a lazy smile on his face as he did his work. He and Kristoff both wore boxers. It was less that they were uncomfortable with each other’s nakedness—this wasn’t the first time they’d shared a woman—and more of a reminder that the sex was over and it was time to turn their thoughts to other things.
“Intense is one way to describe it,” Kristoff agreed. When was the last time he felt his wolf this satisfied? He couldn’t recall. Maybe never. It was flopped over on its side, utterly exhausted from the sex. “Did you notice the way her shoulders wiggled when she orgasmed? And the way her toes and tongue both curled?”
Lucas laughed. “I thought she was going to choke. But she’s got quite the lungs, doesn’t she?”
“I love how vocal she is,” Kristoff agreed.
Lucas tossed the sheets in the corner and started putting up the cots. “So, about what you said. Was it real?”
“What did I say?”
Lucas rolled his eyes, as though what he’d asked wasn’t totally cryptic. “What you said about getting feelings for Miriam.”
Kristoff rinsed the vibrators and left them on the counter to dry.
“Well?”
“Don’t be pushy,” Kristoff snapped, then sighed. “Yeah. It’s true. I knew from the moment I first saw her that she was going to be the ruin of me. And now… well, there’s no going back from this, is there? How will I ever be satisfied living as a hermit when I know that she’s out there… willing and more intense than I could ever have imagine?”
Lucas grinned. As he opened his mouth to tease him, two rapid cracks came from outside. A window shattered, and Kristoff tackled Lucas to the floor. Silence echoed from all around, but the sharp prick of pain in his shoulder and the foggy feeling in his chest was all he needed to know that he’d been too late.
“Blockers,” he spat, rolling off Lucas to yank the needle from his shoulder. Lucas pulled one from his collar. “Fuck! Did it inject?”
Lucas grunted, his face twisting with concentration, and then his head fell back. Fury burned in his gaze, the only answer Kristoff needed. He let out another low curse and jumped up, keeping himself low to not present a target for whoever was outside.
Whoever it is… who am I kidding? Miriam’s brother is taking this to the next level.
He’d almost gotten to the door to lock it when it swung open. He threw himself forward, landing a solid blow to the vampire’s diaphragm. The vampire wheezed but recovered quickly. He punched Kristoff in his stomach. The wind was knocked from him as pain shot through his body. He clawed at the vampire’s body, but the vampire pushed past him with ease.
Lucas roared. Kristoff, trying to force his body to pull in air, stumbled to his feet. Lucas traded blows with the vampire, avoiding and blocking them first, but then the vampire got a hold of his wrist. He flipped Lucas over his shoulder. A crack rang through the cabin as Lucas’ arm jerked the wrong direction. He screamed with pain even as Kristoff took the opening.
He knocked the vampire off his feet, ramming him into the wall. But the vampire simply punched him in the face; without his wolf, the blow rocked through his body, sending him down to the floor again.
“Not so tough without your beasts, are you?” the vampire mocked as he stepped over them. “Miriam, where are you?”
No! Kristoff staggered to his feet, but the room spun around him, and he was only able to take a few steps before he tripped over a cot and sprawled on the floor.
“Miriam, run!” Lucas shouted.
But it was too late. Hearing her brother’s voice, she had stepped out of the bedroom. She wore the nightgown she’d been wearing before. Her eyes widened when she saw her brother, and then both her hands pressed to her mouth seeing Lucas and Kristoff sprawled out on the floor.
Her brother’s face took on an anxious expression. “Miriam, hurry! We have to get out of here. I don’t know how long the blockers will last!”
Miriam rushed forward. She fell to her knees beside Kristoff and as he grabbed her, trying to pull her away from the vampire, he saw him roll his eyes. Miriam gasped seeing Lucas’ arm at an awkward angle. She whirled back on her brother, accusation sharp in her voice.
“What did you do?”
“I’m here to save you. I know how these animals enslaved you!”
Kristoff growled. He pushed himself up, slower this time so he didn’t fall, and grasped Miriam’s arm. He pulled her back, keeping his eyes on her brother. His expression was so earnest it w
as almost believable if not for everything else that Kristoff knew was going on.
Lucas stumbled to his feet and joined them. He broke over Miriam’s stuttered protests as she tried to explain to her brother what was really happening. “Don’t believe him, Miriam. He’s a vampire.”
“What?” Miriam turned huge eyes on Lucas. “What do you mean, a vampire? How?” She turned to her brother, no longer struggling against Kristoff’s hold on her. “Charles, you’re not… are you?”
Charles’ brows rose. “You know about vampires?”
Her gaze focused on the fangs in his mouth, and her cheeks blanched. “You are a vampire!”
Charles edged to one side. Kristoff and Lucas both edged the other way. Lucas grabbed a couple of knives and handed one to Kristoff. Not much of a weapon against a vampire, but better than nothing. His lips curled back in warning. The need to protect Miriam pounded through his blood, stronger than the absence of his wolf. He was not going to let this bloodsucker get his fangs into her!
“He’s been stalking you,” Kristoff growled. “That’s why we moved you and the boys up here. So we could better protect you.”
“Stalking?” Charles repeated, his eyes widened. “I would never—”
“Stalking,” Lucas snapped.
Miriam looked between the three of them, confusion and fear warring on her face. “But why? He’s my brother… What happened, Charles? Maybe we can help!”
“I—” Charles started, but Kristoff cut him off.
“Vampires are drawn to seek out the blood of their kin,” he said, not about to let Charles confuse Miriam further or convince her to try to go with him. “It tastes all the sweeter and richer to them, blood that they share genetics with. He’s been more than stalking you… he’s been hunting you.”
“That isn’t true,” Charles snarled, pacing the other way now. Trying to figure out a way to get her without getting the knives stuck in him. “Miriam, they’re a couple of murderers; how can you believe them over your own brother? I’ve got it under control. I have been feeding on animals. I know how to keep myself from wanting human blood. I wanted to make sure I could control myself before I… I’d never forgive myself if I hurt you or the boys. Where are they? I know these beasts sent them away, but I lost them… Where are my sons, Miriam? I just want to see my boys again.”
The pleading tone, the anxious eyes. He was good. Damn good. Kristoff growled. He could feel Miriam wavering.
“Don’t tell him,” Lucas panted.
Kristoff sent him an alarmed look. His face was rapidly paling, a large bruise forming on his stomach as it pressed out on his skin. Fuck! Internal bleeding. He was going to lose all his blood without a single drop being spilled. Desperation welled up in Kristoff. It was up to him. He had to drive off the vampire. Had to protect Miriam. No matter what!
“Wait,” Miriam said. She grabbed Kristoff’s wrist as though she knew what he’d been planning. “Wait. Charles… did you really go to Europe? Or was that a lie? Did you drop the boys off with me and then use Europe as an excuse?”
“What?” Charles’ brow furrowed, but impatience was building in his eyes. This charade wasn’t going to last long. “No! Of course, I didn’t use Europe as an excuse. I went to Europe. That’s where I was turned into a vampire. The woman I was seeing… I didn’t even know that vampires existed, but she was one. She lured me away from my home, away from my family, because she was trying to kill me. I barely got out alive. And then when I realized what I was… I nearly killed myself. Because I can’t live without my boys.”
Miriam’s hand dropped from Kristoff. For one awful second, he thought she was going to push away from him and Lucas. That she was going to go to her brother and walk to her death willingly.
But then she laughed. It was a hard, bitter sound. A sound with so many years of pain attached to it that she didn’t know how to stop. Miriam snatched up a knife of her own. Her hand shook as she held it in front of herself, but her gaze held nothing but sheer determination.
“No. No, you don’t care about them. If you did, you never would have abandoned them. Again and again and again. Don’t you think I saw the bruises on Geoff’s arms when you first left them here? Saw the way they flinched and froze if I raised my voice even a little? I see how meek and beaten down they are, and I know what you do to them. Because it’s the same thing you always did to me, isn’t it? I should have called the cops on you long ago, but you made sure that I thought nobody would believe me, didn’t you? It’s what you did all my life. Made sure that I could never even think of asking for help because if I did, it’d make things even harder for me.”
Kristoff tightened his grip on the knife. He knew exactly what Miriam was talking about. So afraid that you’d be punished for asking for help that you never did. So certain that if you tried to help someone you loved by taking them away from their abuser, that same abuser would cut you out and then you wouldn’t be able to do anything at all.
“If you really loved them, you would have called. If you were really here because you cared, you would have left a letter. Not just jumped in here and beat up the only two people who care—"
Charles leapt forward, faster than any of them could react. His fist flashed out and Kristoff shouted, stabbing blindly at the wall of flesh. He felt his knife sink in, but then it was torn away. A splatter of black blood sprayed over his face. Charles’ fist landed hard on Miriam’s face and she crumpled. Lucas tried to hold her, but he was too weak from blood loss. He fell and Charles laughed as he turned toward Kristoff.
Kristoff tried to stop him. He punched, he blocked, he threw everything he had into it. But it just wasn’t enough. Charles was just playing with him, and when he got bored, he threw Kristoff across the room. Something snapped and, without his wolf, Kristoff couldn’t get up. Blood filled his mouth and darkness faded in and out of his vision. Lucas lay motionless on the floor as Charles picked up Miriam and slung her over his shoulder.
“Ugh,” Charles whined. “She’s gotten even fatter. What do you guys have, some sort of fetish?”
Kristoff growled. He tried once more to get up, but then Charles was there. His foot crashed into Kristoff’s face and Kristoff knew no more.
Chapter Thirteen
Who had hit him with a truck? Lucas groaned, setting every part of his body off throbbing with pain. A stupid beeping in his ear and the antiseptic smells in his nostrils told him that he was in a hospital, but the events leading him here were blank. They were having a party… had things gotten out of hand?
A cool hand laid on his forehead. “Oh, you’re awake. Finally.”
Lucas’ heart jumped, thinking the cool, feminine voice was Miriam’s, but he quickly realized that wasn’t the case. Her voice was warm, not like this one… Chloe. Sly and Devon’s mate. Lucas slowly opened his eyes, expecting a burst of light to blind him, but instead, he only got a rather pleasant dim light. Chloe leaned over him, worry on her face.
Sometimes she took her responsibilities as the Alpha’s mate too seriously. But that wasn’t the case this time. Lucas was glad to see her. It meant that the wolves had brought him here and that meant that whatever had happened couldn’t have been too serious… right? At least, if Chloe was here it meant that Sly didn’t think they were going to be attacked again.
“Yo,” he greeted, his voice crackling with dryness.
Chloe smiled. “How are you feeling? You had quite a hit.”
“What hit me?” Lucas frowned. Consciousness wasn’t returning as quickly as he’d have liked. He still felt a little… fuzzy. He blinked several times, trying to figure out what was going on. “Where’s my wolf?”
“Don’t you remember?” Chloe’s brow furrowed. “You were attacked, Lucas. Got hit by blockers and then beat up something bad. If we hadn’t found you when we did… You needed a blood transfusion and surgery. If we hadn’t had adrenaline to counteract the blockers you would have bled out before we even got to the hospital.”
So he was on
blockers. Lucas groaned. That explained the foggy feeling. But what had happened? Had he been tracking someone down or something? He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been caught off-guard enough for someone to jab him with blockers.
“Wait… I was at the cabin.” He frowned fiercely, trying to force his brain to remember. “Someone was there…”
Chloe put her hand on his arm. “You should just try to go back to sleep, Lucas. The doctors don’t want to risk giving you adrenaline again right now, and you need to process the rest of the blockers from your system to allow your wolf to return in full strength.”
But even as she was speaking, memories rushed back.
“Fuck!” Lucas cried, pushing himself up. Pain shot through him, but he ignored it, swinging his legs off the bed. “Miriam!”
Dizziness hit him at the same time as Chloe grabbed him. Even though normally he could brush her off like a kitten (though he wouldn’t, for fear of Sly pummeling him for it) she pushed him back into the bed with laughable ease. He couldn’t even keep his head up as she secured him back down. The worry in her eyes had only increased. He tried to growl at her to let him up, but it only came out a weak moan.
“I know,” she said, stroking his hair in a motherly fashion. “I know, it’s scary and we’re all worried. But you can’t go jumping out of bed like that. Even after your wolf comes back, it’s going to take you at least a day to fully heal.”
They didn’t have that kind of time. “Her brother, the vampire… he’s got her. He attacked and he took her!”
Helplessness crashed on him. His body wouldn’t respond the way he wanted it too. He felt so weak and the pain was only getting worse. He ground his teeth, fighting to control himself, but it was useless. His body was out of his control and without his wolf to help him there was no getting it back under his power. He went limp, panting through his pain.
He hadn’t even told her… hadn’t had the chance. Kristoff wasn’t the only one developing true feelings. What was he supposed to do if he lost Miriam before he had a chance to tell her?
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