Awoken from the Deep

by Octavia Kore

  With her feet rooted in place, Esme could do nothing but stare up at Ky as she stepped closer. The female leaned down, her mouth hovering so close to Esme’s. “When I was a youngling, I was told meeting my mate would be wonderful, would fill me with joy and make my heart race. I was not told that my mates would take years off of my life and that my heart would be racing because I thought I was going to lose them.”

  Esme pressed her lips together in an attempt to quell her laughter. It wasn’t funny, she knew that, but when Ky arched her brow ridge in an exaggerated fashion, she couldn’t help but grin. “I’m sorry. Do you forgive us?”

  “I could be persuaded,” Ky murmured against Esme’s lips as she tilted her face up in invitation. One of Ky’s hands slid over Esme’s cheek before diving into her hair as their mouths met, tongues tangling in an intimate dance.

  There had always been this heat between her and Ky, this automatic attraction, and while it might not have been love at first sight, it was faster than any romantic love she’d ever felt before. The way they touched, the way she caught Ky watching her, and the easy intimacy between them made Esme feel like she and her female had been this way for lifetimes.

  Her love for Xuvri, however, had been hard won. Esme struggled so much with her feelings for him and had fought her own mind their entire short relationship. She’d found herself caring for him in those chaotic moments after Eina’s birth, letting him hold her as she fed their daughter, letting him touch her in ways she thought she would never accept again. Even after he’d scared her, she hadn’t turned away from him completely, but she also hadn’t opened herself up to him; not like she had with Ky. She wanted to now, to show him and even herself that she was ready to accept him, ready for him to be her mate in every sense of the word. She belonged to him and Ky, mind, heart, and body, and she needed him to know that. He should be here with them; he should be part of this reconnecting.

  Esme gasped softly when Ky pulled back, clutching at the other female’s arms to steady herself. “I will stay here with Eina while you go find him. He was not far behind me.”

  There were times when Ky’s ability to read her left Esme speechless. The female nudged her softly toward the doorway, grinning when Esme huffed. “I’m going.” Esme peered into the crib one last time to assure herself that it hadn’t all been a dream, that their baby was back home, before she slipped out into the hallway.

  She found him almost instantly. He was standing motionless in front of the bathing chamber, his massive body blocking the door as he stared into the room. Esme padded down the hall toward him, her heart racing. She was suddenly all too aware of how distant she’d been toward him, of how much she’d denied both of them because of her past.

  No more of that, her mind whispered as she reached out to place her hands on his lower back. She slid them over the plates on his sides until her chest was pressed against him and her cheek rested on the large plates that covered his back, careful to avoid the spikes at the end of his tail.

  “Are you all right?” Esme asked, circling her fingers over his abdomen.

  “Yes.”

  “What are you doing out here? Ky and I were waiting for you.”

  “I was going to bathe. I didn’t want either of you to see me like this,” Xuvri said.

  Esme smiled behind him, her eyes on the soft glow. “We just traveled over a planet and across space through a portal with you looking like this. Ky even tended to your wounds in the temple. Your appearance isn’t going to disturb our delicate sensibilities. In fact,” she whispered, pressing her lips to his plating, “I think I might like this look on you.”

  Xuvri stiffened before turning around to stare down at her. “I am covered in lifeblood, not all of it my own.”

  “So am I,” Esme said, gesturing at the front of her soiled dress where Vodk had collapsed on top of her. “It’s proof that you slayed my monster.”

  “It’s proof that you slayed your monster. I just smashed his head for good measure.” She watched her mate grimace as he touched the stiff material she wore.

  Mate.

  She’d called him that so many times, but had she really ever looked at him as anything more than a Grutex? Had Esme really ever seen the male who she called her mate? He wasn’t just a warrior, someone to be feared. Xuvri was also a careful gardener, a conqueror of weeds. He’d become a good friend to Trakseer, loyal and dependable. He was a loving father who made time each day to hold their daughter, who whispered to her as she slept on his chest, who called her his ‘little warrior.’ He was the male who touched Esme and Ky in the quiet moments they spent together and who watched them like he was afraid they might vanish if he looked away for too long.

  They’d all come into this mating broken in their own ways, but together, Esme, Ky, and Xuvri were whole. They were complete, and Esme wanted to show Xuvri that he was loved and accepted.

  Xuvri’s eyes narrowed on her. “You should change out of that and burn it. I don’t want him on you anymore.”

  “Maybe you should come back to the room and help me get out of it? I’m sure Ky could use some help with her dress too.” Esme grinned at the look on his face.

  “I’m serious, Esme.”

  “Oh, me too.” She smirked, backing away from him. “Very serious, actually.”

  “Come here. I will help you.” A smile crept across his lips, and he reached out for her, but Esme danced away.

  “Gotta be faster than that,” she told him, giggling as he growled. The laughter died when he lunged for her, gathering Esme up in his arms and pressing her back against the wall as his mouth crushed hers. The Grutex were so hard and firm everywhere that the softness of his lips always surprised her. She let herself get lost in the taste of him, in the feel of his body on hers. When his arms slid around her, Esme knew this embrace wasn’t meant to trap, but to protect and cherish.

  Esme slid her hands up his chest, clutching at his xines as they writhed, using them to pull him as close as she could. Heat flared within her belly as she moved against him. “More, Xuvri. Please.” She moaned against his lips, feeling his entire body tremble.

  Xuvri’s tongue slid into her mouth, exploring and tasting. They’d kissed before, but not like this. She wanted him to touch her, to taste her, and to take her, but she wanted Ky to be with them. This wasn’t about Esme and Xuvri, or Esme and Ky; this mating was about all of them being together.

  Esme pressed her hands into his chest as she broke free of his mouth, and Xuvri lowered her immediately, steadying her as she struggled to regain her balance. “Come get us,” she whispered before turning and racing down the hall.

  The bathing chamber wasn’t far from the bedroom, but knowing there was a massive male about to be hot on her heels made it feel like it was miles away. The chase, the thought of being hunted, had once sent fear through her, but Esme had replaced those memories with the help of her mates and she ran now knowing that she wanted to be caught.

  Laughter echoed down the hall after her and she wasn’t sure if she should laugh with him or shiver at the excitement the sound evoked within her. Esme ducked beneath the arm that reached for her and swung into the room only to be snatched up by a pair of long, slender arms. A squeal of surprise burst from her mouth, but Ky’s hand closed over her mouth.

  “Shh. You don’t want to wake Eina up, do you?” Ky asked, her lips close to Esme’s ear. Esme shook her head, her eyes flying to the doorway as Xuvri stepped into the room. He grinned, growling low as he watched them. Ky’s softer rumbling response vibrated through her, and Esme moaned against her female’s hand, delighting in the way it teased the ache between her legs. The feel of heated skin pressed against her told Esme that Ky had already undressed, and it sent a thrill through her.

  Ky pulled her backward toward the bed, lifting Esme into her lap as she sat down. The hand on her mouth retreated, sliding down her neck until it cupped her breast, teasing her nipple through the material of her dress. Ky spread her legs, hooking Esme’s over her
thighs so that she too was open and exposed to their male’s hungry gaze.

  Her female’s hands moved to unclasp the golden belt before she slid the hem of the dress over her hips and chest, finally slipping it over her head before tossing it across the room. Esme’s nipples pebbled when they were exposed to the cool air of the room, and she shivered as Ky’s lips touched the skin of her neck. There was something so incredibly erotic about being touched like this while their mate watched from a distance.

  On Earth, especially in her little corner of America, being with another woman was taboo, something Esme would have been shamed for. It wouldn’t have mattered to the people in her small town that she loved the female, and if they’d known she was with Ky and Xuvri, she would have been the talk of the town for the rest of her life.

  Screw those people. She wasn’t ever going back there.

  Esme let her head fall back as she reached up to caress Ky’s face and hair. She turned to Ky, moaning into her neck when she felt her female’s hand glide down her stomach and settle between her legs. God, help her.

  It might be more appropriate to call out to the goddess this time, Esme thought as Ky’s fingers delved between her folds, sliding easily through her slick and into Esme’s pussy. There was rustling across the room a moment before the sound of fabric being shredded pulled her attention away from the pleasure she was receiving. She watched as Xuvri tossed his clothing on top of her soiled garment, and her mouth went dry at the sight of his hand around his cock.

  It wasn’t that she’d never seen a naked Grutex before, but she definitely hadn’t been interested in getting familiar with their anatomy at that time. His gaze was on Ky’s hand, and Esme watched as he fisted himself, stroking up from the base. Her fingers tingled with the urge to touch him, to know what he felt like there.

  “Xuvri,” Esme sighed, circling her hips so the heel of Ky’s palm pressed against her clit. He stepped toward them hesitantly, like he wasn’t sure if he was welcome, but Esme reached out, pleading silently to their male. The moment her fingers brushed his cock, Xuvri sucked in a breath. His hips bucked as she slid her hand along the curved shaft, her palm gliding over the soft skin as she moved up toward the base and the other, slightly smaller shaft that sat above it.

  Esme watched Xuvri from beneath her lashes as his lips pulled up over his fangs. His eyes closed as he tilted his head back, thrusting softly into her hand. She loved seeing him like this, so caught up in his own pleasure, so at ease. His hands flexed at his sides, and she wished he would put them on her and Ky, wished he would bury them in her hair.

  On impulse, Esme leaned forward and took the smooth head of his main cock into her mouth, swirling her tongue against the underside as Ky continued her assault.

  “Gleck!” Xuvri hissed, his eyes flying open as he stared down at her in obvious surprise. “Esme, you don’t have—” His words ended on a strangled moan as she sucked, hollowing her cheeks as she bobbed up and down on the tip.

  Esme trailed the fingers of her free hand over the upper shaft, delighting in the way their male’s breath caught. “Is this one sensitive too?” she asked, releasing him with a loud pop.

  “Yes,” Xuvri responded through gritted teeth.

  She heard Ky chuckle at her back and grinned up at their mate. She’d never seen him so out of sorts, not in this way. The moment he was in her mouth again, Xuvri’s hand was fisted in her hair and she moaned around his cock, her sex clenching around Ky as her female curled her fingers against the back of Esme’s clit. The smooth tip of a tail slithered up her leg, and Esme wriggled in anticipation as it climbed higher and higher. She pulled back to place feather soft kisses all along his main shaft before leaning in to run the tip of her tongue along the bottom of his upper shaft.

  Ky pressed her lips to Esme’s back as the tip of her tail joined her fingers, moving in and out, mimicking the way Xuvri thrust into Esme’s hand.

  “Fuck, Ky…”

  She ground herself against the intrusion as Xuvri urged her back down onto his cock. The pin pricks of pain on her scalp as he guided her up and down fueled the heat in her belly, and Esme took him into her mouth as far as she could. The curve near the middle of his shaft made it difficult to fit, and she found herself even more excited at the thought of what it would feel like inside of her.

  Xuvri yanked her head back with a pained grunt, and she watched in fascination as liquid beaded at the tip and slid down the underside. Without waiting for him to loosen his grip on her hair, Esme pushed forward to lap at the fluid, moaning at the salty flavor.

  Ky’s lips trailed up Esme’s neck until she reached the cusp of her ear. Sharp teeth nibbled at her earlobes, and Esme’s breath quickened. “Do you like the way he tastes, little human?” The tail within her pumped faster, and Esme pinched her eyes shut, twisting her hips as she chased the sensations it brought. When she didn’t answer immediately, Ky flicked her thumb over Esme’s sensitive clit. “I asked you a question, Esme.”

  “Yes!” she hissed.

  “Good, female,” Ky cooed. “Do you want more?”

  Esme glanced up at Xuvri to see him watching her, his eyes bright and his nostrils flaring as he panted. Oh, God, yes, she did. “Please.” She moaned as Ky’s fingers swirled against her and her teeth nipped once more at her ear. “I want more. Please.”

  “Then take him. Take as much as you can.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Esme murmured, blushing fiercely when she realized she’d spoken the words out loud. She was rewarded with a hard tug on her hair as Xuvri pressed the head of his cock against her lips and thrust himself into the warmth of her mouth. What Esme couldn’t fit inside her mouth she pumped with her hands, sliding them up and down, gripping and twisting, trying to offer different sensations.

  “Esme…” Xuvri growled, tugging at her hair until he fell free of her lips. “I’m going to come down your throat if you don’t stop.”

  She wasn’t sure if he meant that as a threat or as a warning, but either way, the idea appealed to her. Esme stuck her tongue out, trying to reach him, but Xuvri growled and pushed her head back even farther before dropping to his knees in front of her and taking her lips in a kiss that made her mind go momentarily blank. He kissed her with reckless abandon as one clawed hand cupped her breast, pinching and rolling the tip between his fingers. In the past when he’d kissed her, Xuvri had been so cautious of his fangs, so careful not to let her get too close, but tonight he nipped at her bottom lip as she tugged on his xines.

  She wanted to touch every part of him, wanted to reassure herself that their male was alive and safe. He’d been shot, beaten, had his old wounds broken open, and faced his worst nightmare, but he was here with them now. Esme felt his other hand slide behind her and with the way Ky gasped and bucked beneath her, she knew he was touching their mate. She wished she could watch them, that she could see what they all looked like.

  “So beautiful,” he whispered as he pulled away, his lips brushing her cheek. “My beautiful females.”

  Esme laid her head against Ky’s shoulder and watched with ravenous eyes as Xuvri took their mate’s lips in a kiss that made her entire body ache. Ky’s fingers moved faster within her, and Esme clutched at Xuvri’s as she bucked, feeling the heaviness in her belly begin to grow. She was so close, so fucking close.

  It wasn’t until Xuvri’s mouth closed over her nipple that Esme realized he’d pulled away from Ky. The ridges on his tongue abraded her flesh, and she thrust her chest out, seeking more. Her pussy fluttered around Ky’s tail and fingers, and when her female chuckled softly Esme growled.

  “Who do you belong to, little human?” Ky asked, her fangs pricking the skin of Esme’s neck.

  “I belong to you,” she moaned, the nickname sending a thrill through her. “I belong to Xuvri.” Her male rewarded her response with a gentle scrape of his teeth over her nipple.

  Another finger was added to Esme’s cunt, stretching her as Ky’s tail pumped in and out of her. “Beg, little huma
n,” Ky whispered, her voice low and breathy as if she too was being carried away by their passion. “Beg to be marked.”

  “Please, Ky,” Esme panted, her eyes closing and her thighs trembling with the force of her building pleasure. “I want your mark. I need… Fuck, I need you.” She sobbed a moment before Ky’s teeth sank into her skin and stars exploded behind her eyelids. The pull of Xuvri’s mouth on her flesh and the way Ky continued to work her body drew out her orgasm and Esme tried to writhe away, to escape the nearly painful pleasure.

  Ky released her neck to lave the wounds, running her tongue over them as she hummed softly. Esme opened her eyes to see Xuvri kneeling before them, his eyes fixed between her legs as Ky slid her hand and tail free. He grasped Ky’s wrist and leaned forward, bringing her slick fingers to his mouth as he sucked one at a time. God, it was one of the hottest things she’d ever seen.

  Esme’s legs wobbled as she stood, turning to wrap her arms around Ky’s neck as she leaned in to kiss the female. It was a soft, slow exploration that gave Esme time to gather her wits before stepping back and turning to face Xuvri again. Behind her, Ky shifted forward, reaching past her for Xuvri’s hand and tugging him toward the bed. Esme grinned at the look on his face, giving him a gentle push as he let Ky put him on his back.

  Their mate was massive and Esme felt so small as she climbed up into the bed beside him, facing Ky as she kneeled across from her. With one pale hand resting on their male’s hip, Ky slid the other over his main cock before leaning down to take the glistening tip into her mouth. Esme let herself enjoy the sight before she licked her way up his curved shaft to Ky’s lips. Her female moaned around Xuvri’s cock as she slipped down the opposite side. Their tongues brushed against one another as they explored him, moving and touching as if it were a dance.

  Esme moaned when Ky reached up to cradle her face in her hand, pulling her close as she pressed a kiss to her lips. They teased the head of Xuvri’s cock, letting it slide back and forth between their open mouths until he was growling and fisting the sheets, shredding them with his claws. Esme’s nipples hardened painfully with need as she felt her thighs dampen at the thought of him inside her. She wanted that, for him to know she needed him.