by Naomi Martin
Worry for Gray’s safety runs rampant through my brain and I feel my eyes start to burn with tears. I take a deep breath, fighting to keep them from falling, but I can’t stop myself from being scared for him.
“He is going to be all right, Raven,” Zane says gently. “Gray is one of the most capable fighters I’ve ever seen. Aside from me, of course.”
He flashes me a smile and a nervous laugh bursts from my throat. Leave it to Zane to find a way to make me smile when I’m racked with fear for somebody I care about. I try to banish from my mind the images of Gray in some bloody, savage fight for his life.
“Truly. He will be all right,” he repeats. “This is not his first rodeo. He’s fought many times before. And now he has added motivation to win.”
I cock my head. “What do you mean?”
A gentle smile graces his lips. “He’ll be fighting to get back to you. He cares for you very much, Raven,” Zane says. “As do Elliot and I.”
My cheeks flaring with heat, I let out a long breath and look around his cell, trying to not focus on Gray’s precarious situation—or what Zane just said about all three of them caring for me. It makes my heart swell with emotion, but I can’t afford to let myself dwell on it right now. Instead, I turn my attention to studying the wide array of books on a boatload of different subjects that he has stacked on every surface and sitting in piles on the ground.
“Have you actually read all of these?” I ask.
“At least once.”
“I don’t think I’ve read this many books in my entire life.”
He smiles softly. “I’ve been here since I was thirteen years old,” he says. “I don’t like getting involved in prison politics. I prefer keeping to myself, so books have been my best friends.”
Zane is so well spoken and intelligent that it makes sense he’d be surrounded by books. I guess this is how he’s acquired all that knowledge. I think it’s really admirable. It’s impressive.
“How old are you?” I ask.
“Twenty-one,” he replies.
“Seriously? You look young,” I say. “I wouldn’t have thought you were more than seventeen or eighteen.”
“We age slower than mortals. And we retain a youthful appearance late into our lives,” he explains.
“Huh. I always thought you stayed whatever age you were when you turned into a vampire.”
He laughs softly. “Hollywood garbage,” he tells me. “We do age, and our bodies grow. It’s simply at a glacier’s pace.”
“That actually sounds kind of awesome.”
He grins. “It has its advantages,” he says. “And its disadvantages.”
We sit together in silence for a long moment, simply staring into each other’s eyes. The silence is comfortable, and I enjoy the fact that we don’t feel the need to simply yammer on, filling the silence with meaningless words and idle, boring chatter. There’s no need for us to talk just for talking’s sake.
As we look at each other, though, I feel a familiar energy surge through me and my heart turns a somersault in my chest. As I look into those cornflower blue eyes, I feel a ball of heat blossom in my belly and start to spread through the rest of my body.
My attraction to Zane can’t be denied. I’ve thought he was beautiful from the moment I laid eyes on him, and nothing he’s done since then has changed that fact. And I can tell by the way he’s looking at me that he feels the same way. As his eyes bore into mine, I feel myself shudder and grow impossibly wet.
“Is this part of your vampire power?” I ask.
He flashes me a smile that softens his features. “Unfortunately, my powers of compulsion have been weakened,” he admits. “I could no more compel you to feel what you’re feeling right now than I could compel you to jump off a bridge.”
“A-and how is it you know what I’m feeling?”
His smile moves from soft to salacious and I can see the lust shining in his eyes. He taps his nose, his smile broadening.
“I can smell your arousal,” he whispers.
I don’t know why or how, but those five simple words fill me with an intense desire that has my entire body vibrating with want. It’s insane, I know, but I suddenly need to feel him inside of me. My attraction to Zane is similar to the one I feel for Elliot, but there’s something different about it. Just as there’s something different about them.
The attraction I share with Elliot is sweet. It’s pure, just like he is. He’s gentle and kind. And when I made love with him, it was because I needed a gentle touch and a kind hand. He was all of that and more, and our time together was as perfect as I wanted. As I needed it to be.
But Zane is different. He oozes raw sexuality and touches off feelings of intense desire inside of me. That base, carnal side of me has wanted to sleep with Zane the moment I laid eyes on him, just because he’s such a beautiful man. But the more time I’ve spent with him where I’ve gotten to know his heart, to know what sort of man he is, that desire I feel for him has deepened and become far more complex.
And now, sitting here staring into his eyes, all I can think about is how much I want this man.
Without breaking eye contact, I stand up and remove my shirt, tossing it to the side where it’s quickly joined by my bra. Zane simply sits there on the edge of his bed, watching me, his eyes bright with his desire.
I give him a smile and gnaw on my bottom lip, doing my best to control the wild churning in my belly. I’m not exactly the bold, adventurous type, and giving him an impromptu striptease is about the craziest thing I’ve ever done. It leaves me feeling exposed. Vulnerable.
“Now the pants,” he urges, his voice low and husky.
I giggle nervously but shimmy out of my pants, too, taking my panties along with them. I let it all fall into a pool at my feet and step out. Zane’s eyes stay fixed on my body, and the way he looks at me, drinking me in from head to toe, steals my breath away.
He looks at me like I’m a living work of art. A goddess made flesh. I’ve never been made to feel so beautiful before, and it makes the insides of my thighs grow even slicker. Feeling emboldened, I step over to Zane and he leans back on the bed, bracing himself on his arms, his eyes never leaving mine.
Biting my bottom lip, I try to quell the nerves racking my insides as I kneel down before him. I reach up and grab the waistband of his pants, and he raises his hips as I slide them down his legs. I pull them off and toss them aside, giving me my first view of his long, thick cock. It’s glorious, and the mere sight of it sends shivers running down my spine and a flutter through my intimate parts.
“Put it in your mouth.” His voice is low and commanding, his gaze on me intense.
I lean forward and slide my tongue from the base of his shaft to the tip of his staff, teasing the sensitive underside of his head. He lets out a soft sigh. I’m not very experienced when it comes to sex and I’ve only given a few blowjobs in my life, so I’m nervous. I want to make him feel good. No, I want to make him feel incredible.
I open my mouth and slide his rigid cock into my mouth, taking as much of him into me as I can. Gripping the base of his dick, I squeeze it as hard as I can and start to stroke him, moving my hand and mouth in unison. Zane’s eyes roll into the back of his head as I work him, sucking and stroking harder and faster. He moans softly and tangles his fingers in my hair, pulling it tight.
“Raven,” he gasps, “that feels amazing.”
The sultry tone of his voice sets off waves of pleasure inside of me, spurring me on. The feel of having him in my mouth, my tongue sliding up and down that thick, veined shaft, makes me wetter than I’ve ever been. His breath quickens and his muscles grow taut beneath me. The strangled gasp he lets out pleases me. I tighten my lips around his cock and suck him harder.
But then he’s pulling away, sliding his dick out of my mouth. “Wait,” he laughs softly. “I want to enjoy you for a while.”
I give him a smile and daintily wipe the wetness from around my mouth with my fingertips as Zane look
s at me with an expression of the purest desire I’ve ever seen. He stands up and pulls me to my feet, slipping his hands around my waist as he presses his hard, toned body to mine. Leaning down, he finds my mouth with his and kisses me with an intensity that makes me whimper. I thrust my tongue into his mouth, swirl it around his, and lose myself in the sensation.
Zane pulls back and flashes me a grin as he drops down to his knees. He pushes me back against the desk and as he lifts my leg, sliding it over his shoulder, I grip the edges of it tightly. I watch with intense fascination as he leans forward, and the second his tongue touches my clit, I feel an explosion of sensation inside of me. He strokes my lips, wet and swollen with desire, with his tongue, making me shudder.
“Oh my God,” I gasp.
Zane plunges his tongue deep into me, and I throw my head back and cry out. I reach down and grip his hair tight, pulling him harder into me. He licks and laps at my center, sucking hard on my clit as he drives two fingers deep into me. A low, stuttering moan escapes my mouth as Zane fingers me at the same time he’s sucking on my swollen button, sending shockwaves of ecstasy shooting through me.
I gasp and writhe, grinding my dripping wet opening against his face. I look down to see his eyes shining with desire, with passion, and with the emotion he feels for me. The pressure is welling up inside of me, and know I’m not going to last much longer. As if sensing how close to the brink I am—or maybe he can just smell it—Zane licks me harder and plunges his fingers deeper into me.
As my orgasm crashes down over me, I grip his hair so tightly, I’m afraid I’m about to start tearing out chunks of it. I grit my teeth but still moan loud enough I’m sure they can hear me over in the adult pod. But I don’t care. I just want to keep feeling as incredible as I do right now.
Zane keeps licking as I cum, seeming to enjoy watching me squirm and writhe. Slowly, the intensity of my orgasm fades and Zane gets back to his feet, a wide smile on his face. Our mouths crash together, and I taste myself on his lips and tongue. He plants a line of kisses down my neck and cups my breasts with his hands, gently stroking my stiff, sensitive nipples with his thumbs. He gives my neck a slow, sensual kiss that lingers on my skin as he gently turns me around and pushes me down over the desk.
Planting my hands on the desk, I bite my bottom lip as he stands close behind me, the rigid length of his shaft pressing against my ass. Zane takes a handful of my hair, gripping it hard as he pulls my head back. I let out a small moan as he slips the head of his cock between the velvety folds of my opening.
And when he presses himself deeper into me, filling me up and stretching me open with his thick cock, that moan turns into a cry of passion. Zane’s grip on my hair tightens and he takes hold of my shoulder with his other hand, his fingers pressing hard into my flesh as he rolls his hips, slamming himself into me.
The feeling of his cock filling me makes my head swim, sending electric bolts of ecstasy coursing through every vein in my body. Our bodies move in unison, the rhythm of our passion slow and sensual, lighting me up in new and breathtaking ways.
Zane grunts and he pulls my head back hard. “You’re so fucking tight,” he growls. “You feel so good.”
He turns me around and, as if I weigh nothing at all, scoops me up and sets me down on top of his desk. I part my thighs as he steps forward, then lock my ankles around his waist. Our lips come together again, our tongues swirling and probing into each other’s mouths. The head of his cock presses against my opening and the feel of it sends ripples of pleasure through me.
“I need you inside of me, Zane,” I murmur. “Please. I need it.”
Zane gives me a sumptuous smile and rolls his hips, piercing me with his long, thick staff. I close my eyes for a moment and revel in the feeling as he thrusts himself into me with a slow, steady rhythm. I grab hold of his shoulders and dig my nails into his skin, drawing a loud hiss from Zane. But then he gives me a smile and starts to move himself inside of me faster. His shaft runs along my inner walls, sending tendrils of electricity coursing through me.
Our bodies roll together, his long cock piercing my molten core, lighting my every nerve ending on fire. I feel that familiar sense of weightlessness in my belly and the pressure building up low inside of me.
Zane thrusts himself into me deeper than before and I let out a long, shuddering gasp as he holds himself there. My entire body grows taut and then my orgasm explodes through me. I shudder and shake, the smile on my face fluttering as my eyes roll back into my head. My moan is long and quivering and the rush of pleasure is exhilarating.
Zane cups my ass and pulls me to him, driving himself into me again, harder. He holds himself there again and a low growl passes his lips. A moment later, he bursts inside of me, filling me with his warm, sticky cum and the powerful sensation rocks me to my very core.
We remain like that, clinging together tightly, our bodies slick with sweat and tingling with the memory of our sex. I press my forehead to his and look into his eyes, unable to stop the smile from spreading across my face.
“That was amazing,” I say.
Zane’s smile matches my own. “Yes. Yes, you are.”
Chapter Eighteen
Raven
I lay on the bunk in my cell, staring up at the ceiling. My lips still tingle and tendrils of fire course along my skin as I think about being with Zane. It was everything I thought it would be and more. A smile touches my lips and a pleasant shiver runs up and down my body.
Feeling restless, I get up and pace the small cell, then get frustrated with the lack of space and sit down in the chair at my desk. There’s some small part of me that thinks I should be ashamed about the fact that I’ve slept with Elliot and now Zane. But there’s another part of me that just doesn’t. I care for both of them—all three of them, if you count Gray. And to my way of thinking, when you care about somebody, there’s no need to be ashamed of sharing yourself with them.
As I think about all three of them, a smile stretches across my lips. They’re all so different. Elliot is sweet and kind, compassionate and earnest. Gray is blunt and direct. Maybe more down to earth than the others. He’s definitely the more aggressive of the three, and the one quickest to anger. But he’s got another side to him, a softer side—he’s a lot sweeter and gentler than he lets on. And then, there’s Zane, the erudite and thoughtful member of our little troop. He can be mysterious and intriguing, and he definitely has some rough edges. But he’s sweet and solicitous. He’s generous of spirit and wants to take care of me.
There’s something about each of them that resonates within me deeply. Each has qualities that strike a chord inside of me, qualities I admire and respect. All three of them make me feel a certain way—and feel it in a powerful way. I’ve never felt so strongly about one boy before, let alone three of them. And it seems like something so wanton that I should be ashamed of it. But to me, it feels natural. It feels right.
Society might frown on it. People might call me a slut, or whatever. I’m sure I’d be judged harshly by some people out there. So I guess it’s a good thing I’m not out there. That I’m in here, where the rules are different and I don’t have to worry about being judged or not conforming to society’s standards of proper behavior for a woman.
As I sit here in the dark, thinking about all three of my boys, the smile on my face stretches from ear to ear. I realize how utterly insane this all is. To have had my life ripped away from me and ending up in this place, to having three amazing men in my world and to have found some small measure of happiness—it’s insane.
But even more than that, something about having all three of them in my life has shifted something inside of me. Something has definitely changed because of them. I’m stronger, there’s no question about it. And I didn’t have this kind of power before the boys came into my life. I can draw it in faster and unleash it with more fury. There’s something about them that has flipped a switch inside of me, giving me access to this reservoir of power inside of me I didn�
��t even know existed before they came to me.
Now I just need to figure out how to use that surge in my power to my advantage. As I sit here, I can feel my power churning inside of me. It feels like a warm ball of light, just sitting there waiting to be tapped into. But even as I draw the barest hint of it—just a few threads of it, really—I feel the collar around my neck growing warm. I’ve learned that the runes etched into the steel make the collar act as a conduit of sorts. It absorbs the power I draw into myself and, when it reaches capacity, it unleashes that power back onto me.
It’s a nasty little device the elementals who work for these evil bastards put together—nasty, but effective. Much to my chagrin. But I beat the first collar. I don’t know how I did it, but I did. And that only makes me more determined to find a way to do it again. At the very least, I want to be able to defend myself against the likes of Clint and his scumbag buddies. At best, I want to be able to channel my power and use it to get the hell out of this place.
I hold out my hand, palm up. Gritting my teeth, I channel just a small bit of power, just a few threads. The collar warms but it doesn’t grow hot, so I ignite a small flame in my hand. I watch as it dances and writhes in the palm of my hand, twirling around in a graceful pirouette. Closing my fist, I snuff out the flame. It’s a good start, but I need to know more. I need to know my limits to really know what I can do.
I take a deep breath and let it out slowly, preparing myself for what I have to do. When I feel ready, I start drawing my power again, slowly. Bit by bit. I extend my senses and pay close attention to the collar as it continues to warm. I keep powering myself up as the collar grows warmer and clench my jaw as I draw even more power into myself.
And then, I cross the line. I’m knocked backwards onto the floor, pain ringing through every cell in my body. My muscles clench and I writhe, gritting my teeth to keep from crying out as the pain, seemingly more intense than before, ravages my body. I feel my power swelling inside of me again, but I try to shut it off. It’s as if my body is acting of its own accord, though, because I can’t keep it from filling me. It’s just a small amount, and as it slithers through my body, I feel the pain easing.