Little Wolf

Stacked Pulses-One Shot (Sylus x Zayne) God of War (6 Parts) (Sylus, Zayne x Non MC)

Nocturnal Hunt-One Shot (Xavier x Non MC) Guardian (4 Parts) (Xavier, Caleb x Non MC)

Beneath the Waves-One Shot (Caleb x Rafayel) Just Friends? (3 Parts) (Caleb x Non MC) Guardian (4 Parts) (Caleb, Xavier x Non MC) Endless Summer (5 parts) (Caleb, Zayne x Non MC) (COLLEGE AU) Lucid Dream (Caleb x Non MC) (SELF AWARE FIC)

Let It Snow-One Shot (Zayne x Non MC) Stacked Pulses-One Shot (Zayne x Sylus) Endless Summer (5 parts) (Zayne, Caleb x Non MC) (COLLEGE AU) God of War (6 Parts) (Zayne, Sylus x Non MC)

Beneath the Waves-One Shot (Rafayel x Caleb) Steamy Tones-One Shot (Rafayel x Non MC) Body Art (Rafayel x Non MC) Ongoing

Under the Moonlight-Collection of Short Stories (Valko x Non MC)

Confessions Tattoos & Tequila (Sylus, Caleb x Non MC) Chaos & Moonshine (Rafayel, Valko x Non MC) Ongoing

Dark Signs Tainted (Sylus, Caleb, Zayne x Non MC) (DEAD DOVE CONTENT) Coming Soon

Entwined Dangerous (Sylus x Non MC) Hidden Shadow (Rafayel x Non MC) His Gravity (Caleb x Non MC: Side story) Curious what Mephisto looks like as a human in Entwined Check him out here

Healing Hearts Second Chance (Caleb x Non MC) Heat Steam-One Shot (Sylus x Non MC) Fiery Embrace-One Shot (Caleb x Non MC) Melt-One Shot (Zayne x Non MC) Coming Soon

Myths Annihilation (Zayne, Caleb x Non MC) When Night Comes (Sylus x Non MC) Netherlord (Caleb x Non MC) Darkness Comes (Xavier x Non MC) Coming Soon

Once Upon a... Fairytale? Neverland (Caleb, Sylus x Non MC) (PIRATE/PETER PAN FIC) Coming Soon

Sylus Abyssal Sovereign, Silverwing Fiend, Sylus' Birthday, Attitude Caleb Netherlord, My Provider, Caleb's Birthday

Chapter 12: Punish Me

"Ah! Baby, I’m sorry!" Valko yelped then let out a whimper that almost made me want to forgive him. Almost. "Shit… please… let me come."

I let out a hum, braced my hands against his broad chest and kept rocking my hips, dragging my naked pussy over the hard length of his cock from base to tip, making sure to keep the angle just right so he couldn’t slip inside me like he wanted.

That wasn’t what this was about… giving into the need to sink down on his rigid nine and half inches and let him come inside my tight pussy. Oh no, this was punishment… for allowing another woman to touch what is mine.

It all started innocently enough.

We were at a snazzy dinner party for a friend… dressed to the nines in a form fitting black three-piece suit with a burgundy button up and a tight black dress with a slit all the way up my leg to my hip paired with a pair of six-inch stilettos with burgundy undersides to make him perfectly.

I walked away for five minutes to use the lady’s room. Five fucking minutes! And what do I come back to? A tiny, blonde bimbo with glossy lips and wearing way too much perfume standing in front of my man staring up at him with hearts in her eyes and a hand on his chest as she jabbered away about only God knew what.

He hadn’t touched her, hadn't even smiled or said a word to her to encourage her attention, but the touch of that woman's hand had been too familiar… the look in her eyes lustful as she looked at him. It had taken everything in me not to snatch her up by her fake blonde hair and toss her across the room or better yet… off the three-story balcony.

And to make matters worse… as soon as he had seen me stalking towards them, he hadn’t stepped away or spoken up to tell her he was taken… nooo, my sexy as fuck boyfriend had smirked at me then asked the tiny little bitch to dance.

Valko's breath hitching as I dug my nails into his chest at the memory drew my attention back to him and away from my murderous thoughts. His golden eyes burned into mine, jaw clenched so tight it had to ache, sweat beading along his temples and chest.

He let out a ragged groan and arched when I shifted my hips so the tip of his cock caught the soaked entrance of my pussy before I moved lower and ground down hard on the thick base. His body tensed like a coiled spring, every muscle in his chest and arms locking up as he clawed at the sheets and thrust his hips up against me.

A drop of pre-cum beaded at his tip, glistening under the dim bedroom light, then dropped down on those rigid abdominal muscles that fascinated me so. "Fuck… please," he choked out, voice raw with desperation. "Baby, please… I… need…"

I tilted my head then leaned down until my breasts were pressed against his chest and my lips hovered just above his ear. I blew lightly against the skin there the way he liked it then I whispered, low and deadly, "You danced with her" and bit down hard on his neck. "You let her touch you," I mumbled then licked a line down his jawline all the way to his throat and bit down on his Adam’s apple before sucking a mark into his skin.

He gasped, hips jerking up to try to get his cock inside my pussy, but I stayed firm above him, lifting my hips at the last minute so he thrust against the air instead. "Shhh," I murmured, voice sweet like honey laced with venom. "Not so fast, baby, your punishment isn’t over."

I went back to biting, licking and sucking marks into his skin while grinding my pussy along the full length of his cock. His breath started coming in sharp, desperate gasps—each bite, each mark I made a brand on his skin to drive him wild with need. His eyes were wide, pupils blown black with need, canines digging into the plump flesh of his bottom lip and leaving indents.

He looked beautiful like this—muscles taut, sweat-slicked chest rising fast beneath my body. The werewolf who could tear through steel with his claws now helpless under my touch… under my need… all because I asked it of him.

I knew he could easily take over, flip us and slide that big cock into my pussy and I would let him. But he was allowing me to do this and it did things to me that I didn’t want to think about. Instead, I shifted again and ground the slick heat of my pussy against the thick vein along the underside of his cock. A whimper escaped him, a broken sound that made my thighs tremble.

"You smirked at me as you led that little harlot onto the dance floor, " I whispered harshly into his throat before biting down and sucking another mark where everyone would see it.

The sting of my teeth sent a visible shudder through him, his back arching off the bed and that delicious cock twitching against me. A fresh bead of pre-cum welled up, glistening and hot where our skin met, only to disappear when I slid my pussy over him from base to tip again.

His lips parted in silent pleading. No words… just breathless gasps and the occasional whine slipping free when I rolled my hips just right over that sensitive spot beneath the head.

Ohhh yes. My gorgeous man was suffering… and loving every second of it.

I dragged my mouth down to his collarbone next, sucking a bruise there too—the kind he’d feel tomorrow when he dressed for work and remembered exactly why it hurt to button his shirt. His chest heaved as my lips traveled lower, each new bruise blooming like a dark promise on his skin. The scent of him—musky sweat and heat—filled the air, thick and intoxicating and mixing with the heady scent of my own arousal.

I could feel how painfully hard he was but I kept teasing him with slow rolls of my hips that never gave him what he truly craved: full penetration.

Instead? Just pressure. Just friction. Just torture.

And when I finally lifted myself up slightly… staring down at those golden eyes glazed over with lust… watching another drop of pre-cum well up and slid down his solid length… I smirked then leaned down and licked it off his skin without breaking eye contact.

A guttural sound tore from his throat, something between a growl and a moan. His hips jerked upward like he couldn’t help it, chasing that fleeting contact. His hands gripped the sheets with enough force to rip the fabric.

I didn't let him recover but instead of taking more of him into my mouth like he clearly wanted… I pulled back completely and blew softly on his slick tip before trailing one finger down his length from tip to base before cupping his balls and rolling them softly in my palm.

A strangled "Fuck—!" burst from his lips, raw and desperate, followed by "Please…"

His body started to tremble uncontrollably beneath me, every muscle coiled tight like a predator restrained by an invisible leash. He was so hard, thick and heavy in my hand, the solid length pulsing like a second heartbeat.

When my finger trailed down the thick vein again, I watched his throat convulse as he swallowed hard. A fresh bead of precum welled up instantly… more than before… proof of how desperate he really was. "Please," he begged again—a broken whisper this time—and it did something dangerous to my pussy.

Gripping the base of his cock tightly, I bent and licked across the slit while looking up at him through my lashes. Then I circled the swollen head with my tongue, teasing every nerve-ending, once… twice… three times before taking his full length deep into my throat.

The second his cock hit the back of my throat, his control shattered. A feral snarl ripped from him. His hips bucked, desperate to chase that hot wet heat around him, but I held firm with one hand braced on his stomach while the other tightened around his base in warning.

He was thick… so fucking thick it made tears prickle at the corner of my eyes, but I didn’t stop doling out his punishment. I swallowed, a slow pulse of pressure around him that had his body locking up like he’d been struck by lightning.

"Fuuuucckkkkk," he ground out, eyes rolling back, pupils swallowing the amber completely as a deep, guttural growl rumbled from his chest like an earthquake. The sound was primal and it sent heat flooding through me.

He wasn't just turned on anymore; he was unraveling and I wanted to see how far I could push him before he snapped. A low whine escaped him when I pulled off him with a wet pop and licked up the underside in one long stripe before swirling my tongue around the head again.

That sound sent a thrill straight through me. My pussy clenched, slick with arousal that dripped down my thighs and coated his shin where I was rubbing against him, but I refused to acknowledge my needy cunt yet.

Not when I had such a feast before me.

I smirked against his skin before kissing the base of his cock tenderly and then dragged slow open-mouthed kisses back up every ridge and vein until I reached that swollen head again. This time? No teasing circles or soft licks.

This time… I sucked hard on the tip before biting down gently on the spongy tip. His body seized—back bowing off the mattress, a guttural cry tearing from his throat… half-snarl and half-moan, echoing through our bedroom like a wounded animal’s howl.

His hips jerked upward wildly as if trying to fuck the air. Precum flowed freely now in thick rivulets down his length that I chased with my mouth until I had licked him completely clean only to return to the head to collect more.

A broken sob escaped him when I did it for the fourth time. "Baby… ple-I can’t…I ne-need inside!" His voice cracked on that last word, raw and pleading in a way I'd never heard before.

His body was trembling, shaking with the force of restraint, his breathing ragged and uneven. Those golden eyes that usually burned with confidence were glazed over, pleading, desperate.

And I loved it. I loved seeing my big bad werewolf reduced to this… a whimpering mess beneath me because of how badly he needed me.

I stayed crouched between his legs for a few more minutes—letting him suffer under the weight of that desperate need—and then slowly crawled back up his body. My knees bracketed his hips as I settled atop him again, our bodies aligning perfectly with my hands on his chest and my dripping pussy hovering just above the thick head of his cock.

He whimpered—a soft sound full of longing—as if sensing what might come next but didn’t dare hope too hard. His eyes flicked between mine and where our bodies almost touched several times… waiting… silently begging.

But I hovered there for a long moment, just inches away from giving him what he craved.  His cock twitched, a restless pulse that made my own body clench in response. A thin string of precum connected his tip to the folds of my pussy, glistening proof of how close he was to losing his shit completely.

Slowly… deliberately… I lowered myself until the tip caught against my slick entrance then paused again. He held completely still, like even breathing might make me pull away. His lips parted, eyes locked on where we were connected, chest rising and falling in shallow bursts. Every muscle was rigid with tension… not from restraint now, but anticipation.

I stayed there with just the tip inside me and then I started circling my hips. Every slow circle dragging that tiny bit of his cock deeper for just a heartbeat before pulling back again. The stretch was maddening—not nearly enough to satisfy either of us—but perfect for punishment.

A broken whimper escaped his lips, followed by the softest little no as he instinctively tried lifting his hips off the bed to chase more contact. But I stayed firm, pressing down on his chest and shaking my head before I continued teasing him.

His breath came in short pants now—panicked almost—as if he were drowning in pleasure and frustration alike. Sweat glistened on every sculpted muscle from his chest down to his abs while his eyes stayed locked on mine.

The way he looked at me like I was both his savior and torturer sent a thrill down my spine and made my body thrum with need. I could feel how wet I was getting with each grind against him, the stretched edges of my pussy glistened around him, clung to him.

That tiny stretch burned deliciously—a reminder of how much more there could be if only he had behaved tonight. If only he hadn’t let that blonde bitch touch him with her grabby little hands while everyone watched.

The thought made me grind my teeth and dig my nails into his chest as I dropped all the way down on his cock… hard. The sudden movement ripped a guttural cry from both our mouths—his in raw ecstasy, mine in sharp pleasure-pain.

His back bowed violently as his hands flew to my hips, claws pricking my skin like anchors as a choked shout tore from his throat.

I didn’t give him time to adjust or recover. With one hand braced against his chest for leverage and the other gripping the headboard, I started riding him hard, immediately lifting nearly all the way off before slamming back down with punishing force.

The force of my movements made the bed frame slam against the wall, each impact echoing through our bedroom. His grip on my hips tightened—claws dimpling but not breaking skin—as his head thrashed back and forth on the pillows with guttural groans as I took him to the hilt again and again without mercy.

His cock stretched me impossibly wide. Each downward thrust had him hitting that sweet spot deep within me and I couldn’t help grinding down harder on every descent.

The room filled with the sounds of our passion—skin slapping, heavy breathing, and the creak of the bed protesting under each forceful thrust. His eyes were glazed over now, jaw slack, lips parted in silent gasps as he struggled to keep up with my punishing pace.

Every time I bottomed out, his cock twitched inside me—an involuntary spasm that made me clench around him each time. His chest rose and fell rapidly beneath my palms where they pressed down for balance. Sweat glistened across every defined muscle… those chiseled abs quivering with each upward snap of his hips when instinct took over and he finally started moving to meet every downward grind.

A broken moan escaped him when I suddenly leaned forward, changing the angle so that his tip rubbed directly against that spot deep within me during every plunge downward. Then just when I felt his cock harden like he was about to come I lifted off him completely.

The abrupt loss of contact made him cry out… a raw, wounded sound that tore from his chest like he’d been stabbed. His hips jerked upward instinctively, chasing my heat but I hovered about him, my gaze locked on his body… watching… waiting.

His cock stood rigid between us, throbbing and glistening with a mix of my slick and his precum. The tip pulsed visibly—a clear sign he was teetering on the edge—and when I stayed suspended above him, he let out a low growl and slammed his head back against the pillow. His eyes flashed with something wild as he stared up at me… frustration, desperation, the raw edge of a predator denied its release swimming in those golden irises. That growl rumbled through him again—low and dangerous—but there was no anger in it. Just pure agony. And God… it was hot.

I watched the way his jaw clenched so tight a muscle twitched near his temple. Watched how every breath made his thick chest expand like an overworked engine straining to keep running without fuel. Watched his cock twitch against his belly and his fingers flex against my thighs.

I watched until I was satisfied then I let out a low hum and lowered myself again until just the tip pressed inside my slick heat once more.

A shudder ripped through him instantly; even that tiny contact sending sparks firing down every nerve ending in his body. When he opened his mouth to beg again, I dropped all of my weight onto his thighs, slamming back down on his cock in one beautifully brutal deep glide.

The sudden, searing fullness punched a strangled roar from his throat. His body arched off the bed, muscles locking tight. His hands flew to my hips again but this time they weren't just gripping—they were crushing, claws pricking into my skin as if trying to fuse us together.

The pain mixed perfectly with the pleasure stretching me so wide it bordered on too much.

Once again, I didn't give him a second to adjust before starting another punishing rhythm—up and down in sharp, shallow thrusts that had his cockhead catching on every sensitive spot inside me. Each snap of my hips drew another guttural noise from him; whimpers turning into panting curses between gasps for air and words full of need.

The slap of our skin echoed loudly through the room… the obscene sound only making everything hotter. Sweat dripped down his temples as he stared up at me with wild eyes that kept rolling back whenever I bottomed out especially hard.

His hips started bucking beneath me—instinctively trying to meet every downward thrust—but I shifted slightly to deny him the full angle of penetration he craved. Instead of letting him sink all the way in with each upward motion from below like he wanted… I angled myself so only about two-thirds would slide inside before rising again.

A frustrated growl tore from his chest as his body fought for control—a primal battle between his predator instincts and the submission I wanted. His eyes burned, watching me like I was the only thing that mattered in the universe but also like I was his worst enemy.

He wanted more. Needed it. Every nerve was screaming for full penetration, that deep stretch where our bodies fused completely and he sank so deep I swore I could feel him in my throat, but I wasn't giving it to him.

Not yet.

Instead, with every bounce of my hips, I continued to let just enough of him sink back inside me to tease. The friction burned beautifully; my inner walls fluttering around the thick length enticingly while still denying him what he wanted.

Each time he tried pushing up with a roll of his pelvis I’d lift higher or shift at the last second, forcing only partial entry again. His growls grew louder—a symphony of tormented noises escaping between panting breaths.

"Fuck… fuck… baby please—"

He stopped talking abruptly, a broken whine slipping out when one particularly sharp upward snap left barely two inches inside before I pulled away completely once more and knelt over him on my knees.

The growl that tore from his chest was feral—pure, unfiltered werewolf aggression. His eyes blazed with a mix of anger and desperate need then in one fluid motion fueled by sheer dominance and pent-up hunger, he flipped us over.

One second, I was on top—the next I was beneath him, wrists pinned above my head with one large hand while the other gripped my thigh tightly to hitch it up high around his hip. The shift happened so fast it made me gasp but not from surprise… no… this is what I’d been secretly waiting for since his punishment began.

Him taking control.

His muscular frame caged me in completely—the heat radiating off him like a furnace—and before I could even react or tease him about taking so long to retaliate and take what he needed—he slammed into me.

The sudden entrance was electric—his cock driving into me with a force that stole my breath and sent white-hot pleasure exploding through every nerve. No patience, no finesse—just pure, primal possession as he buried himself to the hilt in one ruthless thrust.

My back arched off the bed violently as my first climax crashed over me like a tidal wave. A scream tore from my throat—raw and unfiltered—as waves of ecstasy ripped through me uncontrollably. My walls fluttered wildly, clamping down tight with each pulse of pleasure.

But he didn’t slow for even a second. Instead, he growled—a deep, feral sound vibrating from his chest—and immediately started pounding into me without mercy. Each snap of his hips was brutal; all raw power and pent-up desperation after being teased for so long.

The bed shook violently beneath us with every forceful snap of his hips. His muscles flexed and strained, veins standing out along his arms and shoulders.

Every time he bottomed out—his full nine-and-a-half inch cock stretching my walls obscenely—I gasped for air that never came fast enough. The pleasure was overwhelming; each punishing drive forward sending sparks behind my eyelids. My nails dug into his fingers as another orgasm built rapidly in response to how thoroughly he was fucking me.

The moment my second climax hit, a guttural snarl ripped from his throat and suddenly his pace turned feral—no rhythm, just raw hunger. His hips pistoned into me with wild abandon; each thrust deeper and harder than the last as if trying to burrow himself inside me permanently.

Sweat dripped from his brow onto my chest while his eyes burned into mine: pupils blown wide with lust, canines fully elongated. The primal side of him had taken over completely.

His thrusts turned erratic, deeper. Each one driving me further into the mattress as his claws pricked lightly at my wrists. I could feel him swelling bigger inside me, his body preparing for the orgasm I had been denying him for hours. His breathing came in ragged growls now, lips peeled back slightly to show those sharp canines and then suddenly he was roaring my name.

Not yelling it… roaring it like an alpha claiming what is his.

He collapsed forward slightly, forehead pressing against mine while his hips stuttered through each pulsing wave as he came. Every jet was hotter than the last, flooding me so deeply I could feel it pooling around my entrance then sliding out of my stretched pussy. The sensation sent shivers through me and even as oversensitive as I was from multiple orgasms, I clenched around him again in another mini orgasm that left me boneless beneath him.

For a few breathless seconds there was nothing but heavy panting… sweat-slick skin pressed together… hearts hammering in sync. Then he pressed soft kisses along my jawline before finally capturing my lips in a deep kiss full of exhausted affection and lingering hunger.

The kiss was different compared to the wild passion that had just consumed us. His lips were warm, slightly swollen from biting them, and they moved against mine with tenderness. One hand cradled my jaw gently while the other trailed down my side, fingertips brushing softly over my sweat-damp skin.

When he finally pulled away for air, he rested his forehead against mine again. Golden eyes half-lidded with satisfaction searched mine silently before his nose nudged along my cheekbone in an affectionate nuzzle.

A low hum rumbled through his chest—the contented sound of a well-fed predator—and then he pressed another kiss to the corner of my mouth before he carefully pulled out of my body and shifted just enough to collapse beside me on the bed.

His arm hooked around me instantly; pulling me securely into his side so I could tuck myself under his chin like I always did. The steady thump-thump-thump of our heartbeats slowed gradually as our breathing evened out.

One large palm started rubbing lazy circles along my back while moonlight filtered through the curtains, illuminating the scattered marks all over him: bite marks and hickeys on his throat… scratch lines across his chest...

All proof tonight hadn't been gentle.

All proof punishment had turned into a claiming.

All proof this wolf loved only one person–me.

Chapter 1

In retrospect, telling my twin sister that I had fucked my best friend and his girlfriend probably wasn’t my best idea but I needed help. And not the kind where someone puts their hand on your shoulder and says, ‘oh it will work itself out.’

No I needed advice on how to navigate a relationship with three people… like my sister had with her boyfriends, Caleb and Sylus.

Because now that I had had Valko and Ember the way I had always dreamt of… that’s what I wanted and I wouldn’t settle for anything less.

The fact that Valko was avoiding me and had been since the three of us had gotten drunk and fallen into my bed three days ago was irrelevant.

Co-owning an automotive shop for the past three years meant the three of us had had disagreements in the past.

Ember typically forgave me the next day and we moved on until the next time I fucked up.

But Valko being Valko… he always avoided me for a few days or even a week until he had worked through whatever was going through his gorgeous, stubborn head then we made up and things went back to normal.

In my mind, I knew this was different… waaayyyy different.

I had messed up big time by giving into my urges and not pushing Ember away when she had kissed me after way too many glasses of her favorite butter pecan moonshine or told Valko no when he had gotten on his knees and put his mouth on me.

I should have stopped things there and played it off as too much alcohol and bad decisions.

But… the two people I had always wanted most in this world were right there in front of me, asking me to fuck them and I hadn’t been able to let the chance to take them pass me by.

And now… I needed advice because the fear that I had fucked things up so bad that Valko and Ember would no longer want anything to do with me was on my mind and my twin was the one person who would understand what I was going through more than anyone.

"Raf?"

I shook my head free of the mess of anxiety and worry and glanced up at my sister, Bailey, where she was curled up on the couch in the break room of Simply Inked, the tattoo and piercing shop she ran with her boyfriends.

"What do you need my help with exactly?"

I let out an exasperated sigh, running a hand through my dark hair.

"I need advice," I repeated, flopping onto the couch next to her then remembering the way she had looked at the piece of furniture when we had entered the room I stood up quickly and took a few steps away, ignoring her snort of amusement.

Sighing, I stared at the floor for a moment before looking up at her.

"Valko is avoiding me and Ember won’t answer my calls. Do I keep trying until they answer, apologize and play things off like it was a drunken mistake? Or… do I tell them the truth?"

She stared at me for several moments, studying me closely.

"You really think they'd buy that lie?" she asked, her voice skeptical.

"Honestly? I… don’t think they would… and it feels wrong to lie to them."

Besides Bailey, Valko and Ember had always known me better than anyone, and the idea of them seeing right through my poor excuse of a lie was almost laughable.

But telling them the truth of how I felt only to be rejected? Or laughed at?

That was heartbreaking and even though I had come here with my mind up made up about the three of us being together… was losing them completely worth it if they didn’t want the same?

"This is a clusterfuck," I added, glaring at the floor like it was responsible for my misery.

"You're in love with them."

Her words hit me like a kick to the chest and the urge to deny it was high but it was pointless to even try… we had always called each other out on our bullshit and something told me she wouldn’t even hesitate.

I let out a shaky exhale, the room feeling smaller and smaller around me.

"Yeah... I am," I mumbled, my voice barely above a whisper.

It was the first time I'd admitted it out loud, and that only made my heart ache even more because now it was out there and not just words in my head.

Her expression softened and she patted the couch next to her.

"Come here."

With a sigh, I trudged over and slumped back down onto the couch, my entire body sagging with the weight of my emotions.

She wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me into her side.

Despite how much tension was in my body, I let myself lean into her, the familiar feel of my twin providing some small comfort.

"You're scared. You're scared of losing them, scared that they won't feel the same."

I let out a heavy sigh, her words hitting the nail right on the head.

"Yeah…" I admitted, my voice barely audible.

"I get it. God, do I get it…" she muttered with a laugh.

I let out a laugh of my own because a week ago we had been in our mother’s kitchen having a similar conversation about her and her two lovers and the ultimatum that they had thrown down.

That day I had been the one giving her advice and now… I was the one who needed someone to listen and help me figure things out.

She squeezed me gently, giving me a sympathetic look.

"It hasn’t escaped my notice that we were having a similar conversation a few days ago. The difference between you and me, though…" She gave me a nudge with her shoulder. "I wasn’t drunk when I crossed a line with the two people I wanted most."

I groaned and leaned my head back against the couch, closing my eyes.

"Thanks for the guilt trip," I muttered, but there was no real heat behind my words.

"I wouldn’t be your sister if I didn’t give you a hard time."

That made me let out a soft laugh.

"You’re not helping," I said, the slightest hint of a smile on my lips.

She leaned in slightly, her tone shifting to something more serious—though not unkind.

"Look… you know them better than anyone." A pause for emphasis where I opened my eyes and finally looked at her. "You know if they’d rather hear the truth or be lied to. I can’t decide that for you as much as I wish I could."

She sighed and laid her head on my shoulder.

"Val might be avoiding you because maybe he's just as terrified of what this means for you guys as you are... and Ember? She's probably waiting for someone to make the first move so she doesn't have to risk rejection either way."

I hadn’t even thought about that and it made my stomach drop.

I was sure they weren't avoiding me because they hated me… or even what we had done.

But if they were worried about the situation and what it entailed for the three of us like I was... that just made the situation harder because what in the hell did I do next?

"I hate it when you're right," I muttered, letting a long breath out.

"You love me," she replied, poking my side.

I groaned, shoving her away halfheartedly.

"Ugh, don't say that out loud—it'll ruin my reputation."

Even as I said it, I couldn't stop the small smirk tugging at my lips because even in the middle of a crisis, she had a way of making me feel like things might be okay.

She propped her chin on her hand and studied me with that infuriatingly knowing look—the one that said I can see right through you.

"So," she drawled, tapping a finger against her cheek. "You gonna go after them or not?"

My stomach did another flip-flop at the thought.

Sitting here moping was easy; actually facing Valko and Ember? That required guts... which I currently felt were missing entirely from my body cavity.

"Do they always have to smell so good?"

The question slipped out before I could stop it and I honestly wasn’t entirely sure where it had come from considering what we were talking about.

She blinked once then burst into laughter so hard she nearly knocked us both off the couch.

"That's your biggest concern right now?!"

"What? It's a valid concern!" I protested, giving her a nudge that made her laugh harder.

"Only you, Raf. Only you would obsess about the scent of the people you're in love with while you're in the middle of a crisis."

I shot her a sly smirk.

"Like you don’t enjoy the way Caleb and Sylus smell."

She shot a playful glare my way and shoved my shoulder.

"Shut up," she huffed, her face dusted with a light blush.

I let out a snort of laughter, her reaction only making me grin wider.

After several minutes of bantering back and forth, I fell silent, my mind drifting back to the problem at hand.

"I need to talk to them… figure out what they are thinking and go from there," I muttered.

She nodded in agreement, the seriousness returning to her face once more.

"Yeah, you do. But you won't get anywhere by sitting here and overthinking things so go talk to them."

I grimaced. Overthinking things was what I seemed best at, unfortunately.

"I know that… it's just… easier said than done."

Especially with the way my heart felt like it would burst out of my chest any moment. Sighing, I stood up and waited for her to stand up before pulling her into a hug.

"Thank you, Bay."

She hugged me back tightly, her arms around my neck.

"Anytime, Raf," she replied, her voice muffled slightly by my shirt. She gave me a playful smack on the back. "Now go fix your mess."

"Hey!" I complained. "No abusing the brother."

She chuckled, gently pushing me away.

"Go, go…" She made shooing motions with her hands.

"Fine, fine!" I grumbled, giving her a mock salute before turning towards the door.

With a deep breath for courage, I stepped out of the break room and tried to ignore the way my heart was beating like a drum in my chest.

The shop had closed while I had been talking to my sister, the lights were off and Sylus and Caleb were nowhere to be seen.

I knew they were close by because there was no way they would leave Bailey here alone.

As I made my way through the shop, I caught sight of the binders Bay had brought out when I mentioned getting a tattoo and curious, I approached and opened the one on top.

The binder was full of different designs, each one more intricate and breathtaking than the next. There were colorful watercolor pieces, black and grey realism pieces, intricate tribal pieces and everything in between.

All done by Caleb, Sylus and Bailey and compiled into the binders for customers to see.

I couldn't help but marvel at the artwork, my fingers tracing the images of a few that caught my eye and others that were beautiful but weren’t really my taste.

Just as I was about to flip to the next page, a deep voice interrupted me.

"You really want a tattoo or were you just fucking with Bay?"

I looked over my shoulder to find Sylus standing there, arms crossed over his broad chest.

"Little bit of column a, little bit of column b," I replied.

He stepped closer, his gaze wandering over the open binder next to me with a critical eye.

"You don't really strike me as the tattoo type," he commented, his tone dry.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

He let out a low, amused chuckle.

"It means," he drawled, tapping a finger against one particularly intricate black-and-grey design of a dragon’s face that was obviously only part of a piece meant to cover a large expanse of skin, "you don't seem like someone who can handle permanent rebellion." His smirk widened as he tilted his head. "Or pain."

"And you're the expert on permanent rebellion, are you?"

"You could say that."

His gaze lingered on the design for a moment longer before he looked back at me, his expression unreadable.

"Besides," he mumbled before flipping a few pages until he settled on one of an underwater sea scape featuring a colorful coral reef, a merman and a pirate ship floating on the surface of the water done by my sister, "pain is a subjective experience."

"Pain is a subjective experience," I echoed absently, distracted by the design he had chosen.

It was so vibrant it seemed to jump off the page… the colorful fish, coral, and other sea life seeming like all it would take is one word and it would flow off the thick paper it was drawn on and take over.

In the center of the image was a merman in profile, long purple hair cascading down his back, his upper half pale skinned and lean while his lower half was covered in bright blue scales that seemed to shimmer.

He held a spear in one hand pointed towards the surface of the water where a pirate ship was wrecked against sharp rocks.

"This one's by Bay," I said, running my finger down the merman’s tail.

He let out a low hum of acknowledgement.

"She's damn good."

"Yeah, she is. I think she's gotten better than you."

He let out a short scoff at that, leaning against the table beside me.

"It's not a contest. We're both good at different things."

I couldn't argue with that, but it also wasn't a lie that my twin's artistic ability was second to none, even to the man beside me.

There was a moment of comfortable silence as we both continued to look over the design before he cleared his throat, drawing my attention.

"She drew that one with you in mind."

"With me in mind?" I repeated, glancing back down at the drawing.

The merman's sharp features did resemble me if you squinted hard enough.

"You didn’t see this?"

He tapped the bottom of the page with his finger, right where Bailey had scribbled something tiny in black ink.

For Raf’s first tattoo when he’s brave enough.

I snorted.

"Subtle," I commented, grinning.

"Subtlety isn’t exactly Bay’s strong suit when it comes to her big brother."

There was a tone of fond amusement in his voice and it made my grin widen.

"No, it isn't," I agreed, still tracing my fingers over the image.

He let out a rough laugh under his breath and finally turned to fully face me instead of just hovering over my shoulder like an annoying shadow.

"So? You gonna do it or not?"

It took me a moment to realize he was referring to the drawing, and my attention flicked up from the page to his face.

"You think I should?"

He raised an eyebrow, his smirk shifting from smug arrogance to mild surprise and just a hint of satisfaction.

"I'm all for body art. Especially if it's one of Bay's designs."

I hesitated, my gaze dropping back down to look at the drawing again.

It was stunning and I could picture it on my skin but the thought of a big, colorful piece like that for my first tattoo… was intimidating.

He noticed my hesitation immediately, leaning forward to get a better look at my face.

"You're thinking too much about it."

"Easy for you to say. You're covered in ink."

"What? Not feeling confident in your pain tolerance, Raf?"

"It's just... a big decision," I protested, gesturing vaguely towards the image on the page.

He let out a low hum, his eyes flickering over me for a moment.

"If it makes you feel better… you wouldn’t get the whole design done at once."

"I don’t?"

"No. This design is meant to fit your upper arm or if you’re feeling adventurous, it can be stenciled to fit your back… completing the outline plus the color all at once? That would be one hell of a first session, and anyone would tap out within hours."

The thought of sitting for hours on end while someone tattooed the design on me all at once was not appealing, to say the least. But if I understood correctly… it would take multiple sessions?

"So…" I murmured. "How many sessions are we talking?"

"Three or four depending," Bailey answered as she came up behind Sylus and wrapped her arms around his waist.

 "That's an average, by the way," he added, letting out a grunt and grabbing her hands when she pinched his side. "Some could take longer depending on how well you’re able to sit, how big the piece is and so forth."

"Three or four? Depending?" I repeated, my eyebrows shooting up.

Sylus smirked and shrugged like it was completely reasonable to willingly sit down and be stabbed repeatedly with a needle for hours on end.

"And you're telling me people actually want this?"

Bailey let out an amused huff.

"They do and once they get one? They always come back for more."

"It’s addictive..." Sylus added, smirking as he pulled Bailey’s hands lower so they were hovering over his cock.

She let out a little growl and bit his shoulder before yanking her hands out of his grasp.

I raised an eyebrow, choosing to ignore everything I just saw in favor of asking, "Really? Is it that addictive?"

They both nodded in unison, Bailey grinning while Sylus rubbed his shoulder with a scowl.

"Trust me... you get your first and you'll be aching for more within a week..."

"I didn’t even wait a week," Caleb said, suddenly appearing on my other side and jumping up to sit on the counter beside the open binder.

He glanced at the design then up at me with an eyebrow raised as if to ask, ‘well you getting it or not?’

I looked back and forth between the three of them, a mixture of disbelief and curiosity on my face as I studied the variety of tattoos between them.

Sylus with his black and grey designs with pops of color in strategic places.

Caleb with his colorful designs.

And my sister… with designs drawn by her and tattooed on her skin by the silver-haired devil currently palming my twin’s ass like I wasn’t standing right there.

"You guys are insane," I muttered, shaking my head.

Bailey giggled, reaching over to pat my shoulder then swatting Sylus’ hand away from her ass when he squeezed and shooting Caleb a glare when he chuckled.

"You'll understand once you get your first one, I promise," she said with a smile.

My gaze lingered on them for a moment, my mind still trying to wrap my head around the idea but the more I looked at the design and listened to the three of them talk about it, the less insane it all seemed.

And something new… something spontaneous seemed like a good idea right now after… everything.

I exhaled sharply, dragging a hand down my face.

"Fuck it. Let's do it."

All three of them froze for half a second then Bailey squealed while clapping her hands together like an overexcited kid on Christmas morning.

Caleb grinned and hopped off the counter in one fluid motion while Sylus quirked a brow.

"You sure?"

"Absolutely not," I admitted bluntly. "But if you're telling me this is addictive... might as well get started before I chicken out."

Sylus let out a laugh and shook his head, grabbing Caleb by the back of his collar and pulling him close as he went to walk past him.

"Impulsive, huh?"

Caleb mumbled something under his breath that had Sylus swatting him on the ass hard enough that he growled and muttered, "Hmm… fuck… do that again."

I grumbled incoherently while ignoring the PDA going on two feet away, knowing that it was at least partially true because if I wasn’t impulsive, I wouldn’t be contemplating getting a tattoo to avoid having to go talk to my best friend and his girlfriend about what had happened between us.

"So… when are we doing this?" I asked, then waved a hand in my sister’s face to get her attention when all she did was stare at her boyfriends with drool running down her chin.

Bailey shook herself out of her lust-filled daze and moved around the counter before reaching down and pulling out a thin black binder.

"That depends," she said, flipping through the pages full of appointments until she reached the current month. "First you have to sign the forms and pay the deposit."

I blinked, taken off guard that it was such a simple process.

"That's it? Don't I have to... show ID, take a blood test, donate a kidney… or something?"

She let out a laugh, shaking her head as she flipped another page, tracing her finger down the columns looking for an opening.

"Kidneys? Really?"

"No, smartass," Caleb interjected dryly while shoving Sylus’ mouth away from his neck. "… you have a design picked out and you're obviously old enough. All you need to do is sign, pay and set up a time you’re comfortable with and that’s it."

I nodded, more than a little surprised at the simplicity of it all but then I supposed that was one upside to getting your tattoo done in a shop owned by family and friends.

Bailey hummed, scanning the list of scheduled appointments with a thoughtful expression.

"We're pretty booked until the end of next month."

I let out a scoff, drumming my fingers on the countertop in an attempt at curbing the building anticipation.

"You're kidding, right?"

Waiting almost a full month would give me time to think about it… time to change my mind and I was hoping that we could just start now and get it going so I couldn’t.

"Afraid you're gonna chicken out?" Caleb mocked, dodging a half-assed swat from Sylus without even looking.

Sylus let out a low growl and pulled Caleb against him while pressing up against Bailey from behind.

I let out an exasperated sigh as he then all but dry humped my sister right in front of me.

"How do you guys get any work done?"

"With a lot of self-control," Bailey muttered, shooting Sylus a warning look over her shoulder when his hand started to creep up under her shirt. "Which seems to be absent at the moment."

A snort of laughter from Caleb had her elbowing him in the ribs while Sylus simply smirked and gripped her hip in response.

I shook my head and leaned against the counter, watching the three of them banter and flirt and touch each other until a slight pang of jealousy made me look away.

It was an interesting feeling… watching the ones you love being affectionate and intimate when the people I wanted to touch, hold, kiss… were avoiding me like I had the plague.

The thought wasn’t a pleasant one and I found myself looking out the dark window, focusing on the streetlights as I tried to think about anything but the empty pit in my stomach.

Sylus glanced my way, mouth open as if to ask a question but he frowned and tilted his head to the side as he noticed I was no longer paying attention.

"What's wrong, Raf?"

My fingers stopped their nervous drumming against the counter as I met his crimson gaze.

"Nothing. Just… zoning out," I mumbled then flashed him a smile. "So… when can I get that tattoo?"

Sylus wasn't fooled, not for a second but he didn't press the issue.

"Impatient?"

My forced smile turned into a genuine grin as the anticipation of being poked repeatedly with a needle returned.

"Impatient. Impulsive. Maybe a little bit of both."

I only hoped my impatient, impulsive behavior hadn’t ruined two of the most important relationships I had.

Chapter 2: Her

Rafayel

The back exit where I told her to meet me was in an isolated corner of the building, with a single dim light illuminating the hallway. I quickly made my way there and leaned against the wall with my arms crossed.

I didn’t know what her name was… hadn’t asked and didn’t plan to but I did know she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen in my life and I wanted her. Not only for sex… I mean that was something I wanted from her obviously… but I wanted to draw her, paint her… see all that red hair spread out around her body as she spent the night under me.

She hadn't shown herself yet and I was starting to think she wouldn’t, but then I heard soft, hesitant footsteps and she came around the corner, slowly making her way towards me.

At first, I couldn’t see her clearly since the lighting was so bad, but as she stepped into the crappy light of the single bulb above, my eyes traced over every single detail, cataloguing her every feature and nuance. I was itching to touch her already, wanting to pull her close and devour every single inch of her… but I held back, forcing myself to stay still.

She stopped a few feet away, her breathing fast and shallow with a mixture of anxiety and anticipation. I could almost smell it on her, the sweet, tantalizing scent of her nervousness and while that was something that normally turned me off… with her it only made me want her more.

My eyes swept over her hungrily, starting at her face and running all the way down her jean clad legs, taking in the way the light illuminated her fiery red hair and glittered in her green eyes. And that skin… it was flawless, dotted with light freckles here and there… a canvas that I could spend my entire life worshipping, but one night was all I was going to get.

Finally, my gaze met hers again, and I knew she could sense the desire rolling off me by the way her pupils dilated. "You came," I said, unable to keep the satisfaction from my words.

She fidgeted a bit under my gaze, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. "I… yeah…" she replied softly, her eyes darting to the side.

I chuckled. "Shy, are we?" I said teasingly, straightening away from the wall and taking a step closer to her so I could reach out and run my fingers down the side of her face.

She shivered, her eyes closing momentarily as I traced the angle of her jaw then hooked my finger under her chin, tilting her head back so she had no choice but to look at me. My free hand moved to her hip, gripping it firmly and pulling her closer until her body was against mine and I could feel her heat.

Her hands came up to rest on the bare skin of my chest, her cheeks flushing an even lovelier shade of pink. It was a heady thing, seeing this beautiful woman turn into a blushing mess at the simplest of touches.

"You’re trembling," I murmured, leaning down so my lips grazed her earlobe. "Do I make you nervous?"

Her breath stuttered and she shivered, a soft noise slipping out of her that sounded like a whimper. "Yes…"

I couldn't stop from running my nose along her neck, breathing in the sweet scent of her skin. It drove me insane, the way she smelled like a perfect mix of innocence and sin. "I like you nervous," I whispered. "…it's cute."

My hand slid from her hip up her back, my fingers slipping under the hem of her top to brush over bare skin. Her breath hitched and I couldn't help but smirk. "Let’s go, Little Red. I’m ready to devour you and I’m not willing to do it here."

She nodded, her eyes wide with a mixture of nervous excitement and desire. With my hand on her lower back, we turned and exited the club together. As we crossed the parking lot, she seemed too shy to speak, but I didn't mind… I would have her making enough noises soon.

The night air was cool as we made our way towards my car, the light of the lampposts casting soft pools of light. I opened the passenger door, gesturing for her to slide in, then shut it once she did before circling around to the driver’s side.

The drive to my house was short and silent, the air between us thick with tension. She was still nervous, her fingers toying with the hem of her shirt and her gaze darting to me every so often. She was so alluring in her unique beauty, and I found myself growing more impatient as the minutes ticked by. I wanted her, needed her, and the more I thought about what I was going to do to her… the more needy I became.

She shifted in her seat, and I tightened my grip on the steering wheel, the image of her laying on her back with flushed cheeks and dilated pupils while I pushed my cock into her tight little body burned into my mind. This girl… she was something else and I had a feeling she was going to be one I remembered the most after we parted ways and I went about my life.

By the time we arrived at my house, my hands were practically shaking with barely restrained need. I parked the car, got out and opened her door, offering my hand.

She didn't hesitate to take it, and I pulled her to me, wrapping one arm around her waist and pressing her against my body. She was so damn tiny, her head just barely reaching the middle of my chest… her slender build and petite frame making her seem so delicate and fragile.

The urge to lift her up and take her on the hood of my car was strong, but I held myself back, knowing that I would have her soon. "Let's go inside," I said, my voice thick with repressed desire and I didn't let go of her as we walked up the path to the front door and I led her inside.

As soon as the door closed behind us, I turned and pushed her up against the wall, trapping her between my body and the cool surface, my hands moving to her wrists and slamming them above her head, holding them in place with one hand.

She let out a gasp, her chest rising and falling quickly with her labored breaths. Her wide eyes were locked on mine, and I couldn't help but revel in the sight of her like this… completely at my mercy.

I leaned down, my mouth hovering just inches from hers. "You have no idea how much I want you, Little Red. And I'm going to have you… all… night… long."

"Rafayel, I…" she started, her voice shaking and quiet.

"Hmmm… I love the way you say my name," I purred. "I’m looking forward to hearing you scream it while I wreck you completely."

She shivered, a soft, breathy whine slipping past her lips. My grip on her wrists tightened, my hips grinding against hers in a slow, tantalizing motion so she could feel what she did to me. "Ohh…" she gasped, her back arching off the wall and her head tilting to the side.

I took advantage of her exposed flesh and latched my mouth onto the soft, sensitive skin of her throat, sucking and biting, marking her so she would remember our night together. My tongue flicked along the column of her neck, tracing a hot path along her jawline and up to the delicate shell of her ear. I nipped at her lobe, relishing the soft gasps and moans that slipped past her lips with every touch of my mouth.

Her reaction was nothing less than pure sin, a mixture of pleasure and pain and need that left me itching to devour her completely. "So sweet," I murmured.

Before she could respond, I claimed her mouth in a harsh, demanding kiss, pouring all my pent-up desire into it. And God, she tasted just as sweet as she looked, her soft lips parting and letting my tongue slide in, exploring her mouth with an intensity that bordered on feral.

Her hands twisted, trying to free themselves and I let them go, curious to see what she would do. They immediately went to my hair, her fingers tangling in the strands and pulling as she kissed me back, arching desperately against me.

I groaned at the slight pain, my hands gripping her thighs and hoisting her up to wrap her legs around my waist then I carried her into the living room and dropped onto the couch with her beneath me. She wrapped her arms around my neck, her thighs gripping my hips and her hands tugging at my hair as needy whimpers and moans left her perfect mouth.

I growled, my lips leaving hers to trail down the curve of her jaw then I was pulling away and standing, immediately pulling my loose shirt over my head and tossing it to the floor.

Her eyes widened, her gaze roaming over my exposed skin hungrily and I smirked. "Like what you see?" My voice was low, practically a purr.

She nodded, her eyes roving over my body like she couldn't get enough.

I ran my hand down the muscles of my stomach to the waistband of my slacks, my eyes locked on hers. "Don't worry… you're going to see a lot more soon… but first, take off your clothes, Little Red. Let me see that beautiful body."

She hesitated, her breathing heavy but she eventually reached for the hem of her sheer top and pulled it over her head, letting it fall to the ground before pulling off the black crop top followed by her bra. Then she stood and unbuttoned her pants, pushing the tight black material down her legs then toed off her ankle boots.

I couldn't tear my gaze from her, my eyes sweeping over her like a starving man who had been denied food for weeks. And damn… this view was even better than I had imagined.

Pale skin covered in a smattering of light freckles across her shoulders and chest, large round breasts that would fit in my hands perfectly while she rode my cock, flat stomach with a gold hoop through her belly button, shaved pussy, long smooth legs and small feet… she was everything I could ever want in a woman.

Impatient to get my hands on her, I reached out and grabbed her forearms, pulling her closer so that her naked body was pressed against my chest and my hands could roam.

She gasped, her hands coming up to grip my biceps as my hands explored… running down the slender curve of her spine to her round ass around to her flat belly then up to her breasts and I couldn't help but admire the way her pale skin was such a stark contrast to my tanned complexion. It was so damn attractive… I had to have more… I wanted more.

I bent down and scooped her up, carrying her across the room, down the hallway and into my bedroom. She landed on her back on my bed, and I wasted no time in climbing on top of her again, my mouth attaching itself to her neck hungrily and sucking a mark there.

Her body arched, her hands finding my hair again, as I marked her flesh with my lips and tongue. I trailed kisses down her body, my mouth moving down her collarbone to her chest, between her breasts, down her stomach then I was biting and sucking at the skin of her hip. "So damn beautiful," I murmured, pressing my lips to her stomach then my mouth was trailing lower. I grasped her thighs, pulling them further apart so I could lay on my stomach between them, my mouth moving to the inside of one thigh and nipping her skin before I moved to the other one.

Her breath stuttered and hitched, her hands gripping the bedsheets so hard her knuckles turned white and I couldn't help but relish in the way I was making her fall apart. I could feel her body trembling, silently begging for more, and the need in me surged, my body aching to take her right then and there, but first I wanted to taste her.

My mouth moved upwards, my face coming closer to her pussy, my mouth watering in anticipation… "Are you ready for me?" I asked, my voice low and rough.

"Yes… please…"

Her reaction alone was enough to break the last bit of my restraint and then I was leaning forward, my tongue slipping out and licking a slow, lazy stripe up the center of her slick folds… and God, the taste… sweet and perfect. I groaned, savoring her like a fine delicacy and it still wasn't enough, she was so damn sweet I needed more. I started to lick her with more force, suckling and circling her clit with my tongue and sucking on it.

With one hand still gripping her thigh, my other moved to her entrance, teasing her with a single finger before dipping inside to the first knuckle.

Her body jerked with a low cry, her fingers tangling in my hair and pulling lightly as I continued to move my tongue and fingers, teasing her relentlessly. My eyes flicked up and I had to keep from coming at the sight of her… head thrown back, lips parted in a silent cry, cheeks flushed and pupils dilated so wide her eyes were almost black.

"Perfect," I rasped, pulling my hand away from her slick heat and licking my fingers clean while holding her gaze. "Are you ready to be ruined, Little Red?"

She bit her lip as she nodded. "Please," she breathed, her voice shaking with need.

That was all I needed to hear… I moved, flipping her onto her stomach and pulling her hips up so she was on her knees with her face in the sheets and her back arched beautifully.

For a moment, I was distracted by the sight and the need to get an easel and start painting her was nearly overwhelming, but I pushed that aside and instead made sure to imprint this image in my mind to take out later. "Stay right there…" I mumbled then climbed off the bed to finish removing my clothes.

She did as I said with a needy whine, her body trembling and her hands gripping the sheets.

I worked quickly, toeing off my shoes then pushing my pants off and kicking them aside before I was climbing back onto the bed.

My hand tangled in her hair and gripped it tightly, my gaze drifting down her back, admiring the pale perfection of her skin and the small scars here and there. She was perfect in a way that was almost unreal… she looked like something you'd find painted on a canvas and hanging in a fancy art museum, something you'd have to pay millions just to catch a glimpse of.

She was a beautiful little masterpiece, and I was about to ruin her… and I couldn't wait, not with how pretty she looked, all flushed and needy. I ran my hand down her spine, relishing the shiver I pulled from her at the touch then one hand was on her hip while the other grasped my cock and slid the tip through her slick folds.

The sound that came from her lips was like music, and I couldn't help but let out a groan of my own as I pushed forward, sinking the full length of my cock inside her tight body. She was perfect, like nothing I'd ever felt before. Everything else ceased to exist. All I could think about, all I could feel… was her. Every touch, every sensation was intense as I pulled my hips back until only the tip remained inside her then I pushed back in slowly.

She was so tight and perfect around me, and I knew deep down in my bones that I would never be able to get enough of this. This feeling, being with her, needing her… it was like nothing else I had ever experienced, the closest thing I could compare it to was the adrenaline rush I got when I painted.

I'd never felt this much of a connection to another living being before. She was making me feel things I had never even imagined I could feel… and I wasn’t sure that I liked the feeling. I had no time in my life for a woman… had no time to give her the attention she deserved but for now, right here in this moment I would give her what she needed and then… then I was going to have to force myself to let her go.

I tightened my grip on her hips at the thought, my fingers sure to leave bruises in the shape of my fingers and quickened my thrusts in and out of her body.

I didn't want to think about it. I didn't want to give voice to the thoughts and feelings that had wormed their way into my brain because doing that would make this real, and this wasn't real… I couldn't get attached, I couldn't care, I didn't have time for her. I was an artist, I had my work, that was all that was important.

Don't fall in love, I thought, the words like a prayer.

She made a small sound, a sweet little noise of pleasure that had my heart aching and my head telling me that I could make room for her. I shook my head, my brain screaming at me to shut my heart and focus on the physical. This was just sex, we were just two bodies, and that was all it had to be. I needed to get those goddamn feelings under control.

Letting out a growl, I pushed down on her hips until she was flat on her stomach and draped myself over her, my hips moving faster as I bit and nipped at the delicate skin of her shoulder.

"Oh!" she gasped, her back arching and her head twisting to the side so I could see the pretty, flushed expression on her face.

Damnit, she was beautiful. The way her red hair was tousled, the way her eyes dilated and that sweet, innocent expression… how was I supposed to get her out of my head? How the hell was I supposed to forget her when my every sense was overwhelmed by her?

I bit down on her neck, hard enough to leave a mark, then soothed the mark with my tongue then my fingers were tangled in her hair, and I pulled her head back, making her look at me. I was panting heavily, trying to catch my breath, trying to control the feelings and once again failing miserably. I forced my hips to move faster and harder against her perfect ass, taking what I wanted, trying to get my mind back on fucking her senseless then letting her go.

She met my gaze, her eyes half-lidded and hazy with pleasure and need, and the sight had my heart skipping a beat. I couldn’t look away from those beautiful green eyes. "You'll be the death of me," I muttered under my breath, not caring if she heard it or not. No matter how hard I tried… I was losing control, and I just didn't care. Just this once… I needed to be greedy, I needed to be selfish and take what I wanted… to forget everything else in the world.

"Please... I need more," she murmured breathlessly.

God, her voice was like music, her words like the sweetest honey… everything about her was perfect. "You want more?" I rasped, my hips grinding against her.

"Yes," she panted, her fingers gripping the sheets tightly.

I chuckled softly, a hint of dark satisfaction in the sound. "Are you sure you can handle it?" I asked, my tongue tracing a slow path down the side of her throat. "You're so small, so delicate…"

"Give me more," she demanded, thrusting her ass back against me roughly.

I growled at the bold move, pulled out of her pussy, grabbed her waist and flipped her onto her back before sliding back inside her and grinding my hips against her in slow, tantalizing circles. "Careful, Little Red," I warned, my voice rough.

Her eyes widened and a strangled gasp left her lips. "Oh… so… deep," she mumbled, reaching up and digging her nails into my shoulders. "No one's ever been… this deep before…"

Oh, those words… those words went straight to my head. No one had ever been this deep inside that tight pussy before… only me, and it made me feral. "Good," I murmured, a satisfied smirk spreading across my face. "I'm glad. This pretty, perfect body…" I ran my hands down her body to her hips, my touch possessive and greedy. "You belong to me for now, Little Red… all night long," I murmured, my voice a low growl.

I leaned down, pressing my mouth against hers in a harsh, hungry kiss, my tongue demanding entrance to her mouth and I groaned when she obeyed. Her lips opened readily, her tongue coming out to tangle with mine. I wanted to devour her whole, to have her beneath me and begging for more for the rest of my li-no, no… the night.

No, not just begging … I wanted to worship her; to show her exactly how much I wanted her. I broke the kiss, my eyes taking in her disheveled appearance… lips red and kiss-swollen, cheeks flushed, eyes dark and hazy with need.

Her hands moved up my back as I started moving inside her again, grasping tightly at my shoulders and pulling me down. Her legs wrapping around my hips and I was completely lost in her sweet pussy as she started rocking her hips against mine.

I leaned down, my lips finding her neck, and I nipped at her soft skin, the sweet gasp that escaped her making my head spin. I kissed my way up to her ear, breathing deeply, inhaling her smell and relishing the slight shiver that went through her body. "You feel so good," I murmured against her throat, my lips moving to her jaw, then to her mouth, my tongue slipping inside to dance with hers.

But as I kissed her, I felt that damn feeling in my chest again. That strange, desperate feeling that had me wondering what on earth was wrong with me. I didn't do this, I wasn't supposed to care about anyone, I had no room...

Angry at myself, at her… I grabbed her behind the knees and started moving faster, thrusting harder inside her until she was a sobbing, needy mess beneath me. I wanted to make her forget everything else but me and her, us and this moment. I wanted to make her feel good, needed to make her feel good. I needed… no. I was being ridiculous, acting like a damn fool, and for what? For one night with a woman I wouldn't see again.

I growled, my head spinning as I tried to sort through my thoughts and feelings, but it was all a damn mess… she had me tangled up in so many ways. I was losing control, losing my damn mind… and I needed to end this. "Come for me, Little Red," I growled.

The feel of her body writhing with pleasure beneath me was too much, and I could feel my control slipping, my heart and my mind warring with each other… the need to hold her, to take her and claim her, warring with the knowledge that I had to get her out of my system, that I couldn't let myself get attached… this was the only night I would have with her.

The thought of never having her like this again was like a physical ache in my chest, the realization of what I was doing and the fact that I didn't want to let go of her hit me so hard that I felt like I was going to stop breathing.

No… I needed to… end… this. I pushed the feelings aside, ignoring them and how badly I wanted her. "Come on, little one… I want to hear your pretty little moans as you fall apart…"

She whimpered, the sound making my gut clench and my heart skip a beat, then I felt her pussy clamp down on my cock, the feeling sending me over the edge with her.

When I came back to myself, I buried my face in the crook of her neck, taking deep breaths. I had to get a handle on my feelings... they were all over the place. I couldn't let myself get attached to this woman, no matter how strongly my heart was telling me to. I was an artist, my life was my work, I had no time for a woman in my life... no room in my heart for love. This was just a night, a one-time thing, a moment to forget the rest of the world and just… feel.

I forced myself to pull out of her, rolling off to the side and staring up at the ceiling as I struggled to control my breathing. I could hear her next to me panting heavily and I felt her eyes on me, but I couldn't bring myself to look at her. If I looked at her, if I saw the beautiful, flushed, disheveled sight of her… God, it would be impossible to hold onto my crumbling control.

I forced myself to speak in a low, slightly unsteady voice. "You need to leave."

She gasped softly, her body stiffening slightly. "Wh… what?" she asked in a small voice.

I could hear the surprise, the hurt in her voice, and I hated myself for it, but I pushed back the feelings and kept my voice cold. "You heard me. You need to go. Now."

She sat up, and I could feel her gaze on me, but I still refused to look at her, even as she climbed off the bed and left the room and I still didn’t move even when I heard the front door slam shut minutes later.

I lay on my bed for a long time after she was gone, my mind racing and my heart aching. I had done the right thing; I told myself sternly. This was just a one-night stand, it didn't mean anything, and I would forget all about her in a few days, she would be nothing but a memory.

But even as I repeated those words to myself, I couldn't forget the way she felt in my arms, the sound of her voice saying my name, the taste of her skin… the need to hold her and never let go… and I wondered… what if I had held on and never let her go?

Chapter 11: The Warden

"Warden, we have located the prisoner."

I finished signing the admissions information for a new prisoner then looked up, quietly searching behind the messenger for the escaped prisoner but not finding him. "You said you located the prisoner, Captain," I mumbled, meeting his gaze. "Where is he?"

The Captain’s face flushed, his gaze dropping to the white tile beneath his boots. "Booth and Jackson took him to Isolation, sir."

Linking my fingers together on top of my desk, I silently stared at him long enough that he started to fidget. "Have the prisoner brought here like I originally instructed. Now…" I tilted my head to the side, studying him from head to toe with narrow eyes. "Or must I do your job for you?"

He snapped to attention, sweat beading at his temples. "Right away, sir!" He spun on his heel and bolted from the office like the hounds of the hells were behind him.

Silence returned to my office for the moment… thick and heavy with anticipation. I leaned back in my chair, staring at the file on my desk.

Prisoner #4732

Name: Valko Ao

Hair Color: Red

Eye Color: Gold

Designation: Werewolf

No photo. No record of past crimes beyond "resisting arrest" when spotted in an unauthorized area. The notes were sparse: Captured attempting to cross over into a No Hunt Zone for unknown reasons. Exhibits unnatural strength and aggression when provoked. Proceed with extreme caution.

The door creaked open with a groan several minutes later, two guards roughly shoving Valko inside ahead of them. The werewolf didn’t seem to care about the mistreatment as he shuffled forward with his wrists bound in thick iron cuffs that glowed faintly red, the metal lined with suppressors meant to dampen supernatural strength.

His golden eyes burned like embers in the dim light, scanning the room until they landed on me. He didn’t resist as the guards pulled him forward, but he didn’t bow down and cower before them either. Didn’t flinch. Didn’t say a word. Just stood tall despite the chains and cuffs marking him as a high security prisoner.

One of the guards cleared his throat. "Prisoner 4732, sir."

I didn't rise from my chair. Didn’t acknowledge them in any way. Just kept my gaze locked on those burning gold eyes, silently noting the wildness… the feral, unbroken lust in them as he stared back at me. The kind of stare that had made lesser men flinch and look away from such a wild creature. But I wasn’t a lesser man, and I wasn’t scared of what he wanted.

The guards waited for me to tell them to return the prisoner to Isolation or even put him back with the other prisoners, but I waved them off. They hesitated for half a second before bowing their heads and filing out of the room in silence. The heavy click of the door echoed behind them.

I stood up, my shoes clicking against the floor as I approached and stopped five feet away from him. When I spoke, the words landed like stones in still water. "You tried to escape again."

The corner of one eye twitched… not out of guilt but irritation at being called out for another failed escape attempt. He said nothing, just stood there with that wild gaze locked on mine as if daring me to do something about it.

The silence stretched, thick and electric as I started to circle him slowly. Like a predator assessing its prey, though the irony wasn’t lost on me. He was the werewolf. The dangerous beast in chains. But here? In my domain? I was the Predator.

My eyes traced every detail of his beautiful face… the sharp line of his jaw, glowing gold irises, straight nose, plump lips, the tantalizing line of his throat. His posture remained rigid as I circled around behind him… shoulders back, spine straight as an arrow, head straight forward.

When I stopped directly in front of him, close enough to see each fleck of amber in his eyes, I tilted my head slightly forward until our faces were inches apart. I could smell him then. Wild pine and earth, a scent that didn’t belong in this sterile prison of steel and rules. It was too free, too alive for a place meant to cage wild things like him.

Our breaths mingled… his slow and controlled; mine measured, deliberate despite the need to touch him that always surged within me when we were this close. I reached up… my fingertips hovering just above his cheekbone before they finally made contact. "Why must you resort to such methods to get my attention?" I mumbled, sliding my fingers down and hooking them under his chin while releasing the cuffs with my free hand. "You already know that you have it."

The second the cuffs hit the floor, he exhaled sharply… like he’d been holding his breath since they clamped those iron shackles on him and brought him to me. His golden eyes flickered down to his free wrists then back up to my face, only a thin ring of gold left as his pupils dilated.

A low growl left him and that was the only warning I got before his hands were on my waist and he was backing me up against the edge of my desk. The impact of his body against mine knocked the air from my lungs, but I didn’t fight it. Didn’t shove him away like protocol demanded. Didn’t even think about how wrong this was.

No… I let him manhandle me… just like I did every single time we were here.

My back hit the wood edge, papers scattering to the floor behind me. The desk creaked under our combined weight as he caged me in; one arm braced beside my head while the other stayed locked around my waist… tight, possessive.

The moment his lips crashed into mine, it was like a dam breaking. No hesitation. No gentleness. Just raw hunger and pent-up fury and that wild, untamed part of him he could never fully suppress. His mouth slanted over mine with bruising force, teeth catching my bottom lip before his tongue swept in to claim my mouth completely.

He kissed me with everything he had, like this moment might be taken from him any second. And maybe it would. We weren’t supposed to do this. A Warden kissing a prisoner? It defied every rule carved into this prison’s stone walls. Punishable by solitary confinement for me as a Predator… or worse.

But I didn’t care and neither did he.

His lips were hot against mine, demanding and relentless. No softness… just passion edged with anger at being captured again, at being dragged before me in those cursed cuffs that drained him of power. I let him take what he wanted because I always did.

His fingers tangled in my hair, gripping hard enough to sting. He tilted my head back, deepening the kiss with a feral growl vibrating through his chest. The sound sent heat pooling low in my stomach and made my cock thicken and pulse in my slacks.

One of his hands slid down from my waist to squeeze at the curve of my ass before roughly gripping my knee and hiking my leg up over his hip. The desk groaned as the new position spread my thighs wider for him to press closer until our bodies were flush together. Then he started circling those lean hips in slow, tantalizing movements that shattered what little control I had left.

"Take me," I murmured against his lips.

The moment those words left my lips, something primal snapped in him. The need to take… to own… to lay claim to what was his. A deep, guttural growl ripped from his throat and suddenly his hands were everywhere. Tearing at the buttons of my uniform jacket and shirt, ripping them open then shoving the fabric off my shoulders and out of the way to expose my skin for his hungry mouth. His teeth scraped over the sensitive flesh of my left pectoral before he bit down hard enough to break skin, making me gasp and arch into him.

My hands flew to his shoulders, fingers digging into the fabric of his prison jumpsuit and hanging on as he licked, bit and sucked at the skin of my chest until there were several marks blooming across my pale skin. Then he licked his way back up to capture my lips again in another searing kiss while one hand worked at unbuckling my belt. When the leather slipped free and clattered on the floor between us, I reached for him, fisting both hands in that short red hair and yanking hard enough to make him grunt then let out a low laugh.

That laugh… rough and dark, vibrated against my lips and sent a thrill down my spine. He loved this. The roughness, the struggle for the control he knew I’d give him even if I wanted to play a little first. But when I yanked his hair harder, his golden eyes flared with something wilder.

In one fluid motion, he tugged my pants and underwear down my thighs without even bothering to unzip or unbutton them then he flipped me around so my face was pressed against the glossy surface of my desk. The wood was cold against my cheek, but the heat of his body behind me burned. My hands braced against the desk as he crowded in close, pressing every hard inch of his body against my back… chest flush with my spine, hands braced beside me to keep me in place, hips grinding forward so I could feel exactly how much he wanted me.

His breath fanned over the nape of my neck before sharp teeth nipped at my skin. Not gentle but controlled fury wrapped in a deep hunger we could no longer control.

One hand gripped my hip hard, fingers digging into soft flesh with bruising force, while the other slid down to squeeze my ass before pulling one cheek aside and spreading me open. A low rumble rolled from his chest as he leaned over me, pressing hot kisses along the curve of my shoulder blade while grinding his clothed erection against me.

I gasped at the rough scrape of his prison jumpsuit against such sensitive skin but more than that… I ached for him. Needed him closer. Needed him inside me. Every nerve was screaming for it and he seemed to sense that I wasn’t in the mood for slow and gentle. I needed him to take me, own me in the roughest way possible.

There was a flurry of movement behind me as he yanked open his jumpsuit to free his cock. Reaching out, he grabbed the small bottle of lotion I kept on my desk and pumped some out onto his hand before slicking up his cock. After that there was no teasing. No slow buildup. He lined himself up against my entrance and pushed inside without hesitation, a single relentless thrust that buried him deep inside.

A sharp cry tore from my throat, not from pain but from the overwhelming fullness mixed with the electric shock from being taken so suddenly after weeks of separation. My body clenched around him instinctively, muscles fluttering from the shock.

He didn’t give me time to adjust. A low growl escaped him as his hips snapped forward again, driving him deeper with a force that made my knees buckle. The desk creaked under us, papers flying everywhere as I braced myself against the wood with trembling arms. Every nerve lit up, my back arching as my hole fluttered wildly around his thick length.

His hands gripped my waist hard enough to leave bruises while he began fucking into me with relentless strokes… deep, powerful snaps of his hips that pushed air from my lungs each time our bodies collided. The sound of skin slapping against skin echoed through the silent office, mingling with our heavy breaths, my low moans and whimpers and his guttural growls.

The rhythm was punishing… no tenderness, no sweet nothings whispered in my ear. Just raw, unbridled fucking from a werewolf who’d been caged too long and now had me pinned under him right where he liked me. Each thrust slammed into that spot inside me, the one that made stars burst behind my eyelids and my eyes roll back in my head. His fingers tightened on my hips, each snap of his pelvis jolting me forward slightly before he yanked me back onto him.

A particularly rough thrust knocked a choked moan out of me that seemed to spur him on further because suddenly one large hand fisted in my hair again while the other clamped around both wrists, pinning them together behind my back without breaking rhythm. The sudden restraint sent a new jolt of awareness through me. I was completely at his mercy, unable to brace myself or move away from the brutal pace he’d set.

He used that leverage to angle my head just right, arching my spine further, exposing more of my neck to him, and then he hammered into me with even greater force. His breathing turned ragged, not from exertion but pure animalistic need. Every snap of his hips grew more feral, each thrust deeper and harder than the last as if he couldn’t get enough of being inside me.

The hand fisting my hair tilted my head sideways so he could sink his teeth into the junction where neck met shoulder, a claiming bite. Pain flared hot for a second before melting into pleasure when he soothed it with a wet kiss right after.

My vision blurred, sharp pain flashing white behind my closed eyes before dissolving into molten heat. My body reacted instantly, clamping down around him like a vice, muscles fluttering.

He growled, a sound that vibrated through me where our bodies were joined. He liked this… liked how I surrendered to him. Liked how I squeezed him tight when he marked me. How every part of me responded to his roughness without protest.

He rewarded the reaction by driving into me even harder, each thrust now punctuated with another possessive nip along my shoulder and neck. Teeth grazing skin here… biting there… sucking bruises over tender flesh as if branding what was his.

His grip on my wrists tightened to the point of near-pain while his other hand crept around and wrapped around my cock. The sudden touch to my neglected length sent a shockwave of pleasure through me. My hips jerked into his fist, a broken moan tearing from my lips.

He didn’t stroke me gently. It was a rough, tight grip right from the start, thumb swiping over the leaking tip before pumping hard in time with each deep thrust of his hips. The dual sensation—being fucked into my desk while being handled roughly by him—shattered whatever remained of my composure.

My knees wobbled violently as pleasure coiled tight and hot low in my stomach. Every drag of his cock inside hit that spot relentlessly while every stroke on my length built pressure faster than I could endure. "V-Valko!" His name ripped from me between gasps when he twisted slightly on an upstroke and suddenly, I was teetering on the edge.

He felt it too. Knew exactly what that tremor meant because a dark chuckle rumbled through him then he leaned down to bite at my earlobe before speaking for the first time since he entered the office. "Come for me."

The command was the final trigger. My body obeyed instantly. The pleasure that had been building exploding like a supernova as my orgasm ripped through me without warning. I arched violently into his touch, back bowing as white-hot ecstasy surged through every nerve. My cock pulsed violently in his tight grip while thick ropes of come spilled over his fingers, onto the desk, my belly and the floor.

The sensations left me trembling uncontrollably beneath him. He didn’t stop fucking me during my climax, he grew rougher not that I was clenching around him tightly until suddenly… his rhythm stuttered. A deep growl tore from his chest then he buried himself to the hilt and stayed there while warmth flooded my insides in thick pulses.

His grip on my wrists loosened slightly but he didn’t let go entirely, still holding me firmly in place as he rode out the waves of his release with low, guttural growls. The sounds were primal… animalistic… completely unrestrained. The intensity sent shivers down my spine—something about it making my spent body throb with aftershocks. He hadn’t made noises like that since… well, ever in front of me. Normally he was silent while fucking me but this was different.

It felt possessive. Primal. Like something deep inside him, the wolf side most people feared, had finally snapped loose and claimed what it wanted without hesitation. And right now? The thing he wanted most was me.

His hips twitched once more before he slowly pulled out. The slick drag of him leaving my body sent a new kind of shiver through me. My arms wobbled and I collapsed against the desk, catching my breath while listening to the soft rustle of fabric as he adjusted himself.

The silence that followed was thick, charged with the aftermath of what we’d just done. The air smelled like sex and sweat, mingling with the sterile scent of my office. Eventually, I pushed up off the desk and turned to look at him, but he wouldn’t meet my gaze.

Instead, he walked over to where his discarded cuffs lay on the floor and picked them up. They glowed faintly and I watched as his jaw tightened slightly as if bracing himself for their return. He turned toward me slowly… expectantly… waiting to see if I would put them back on.

But I wouldn’t be doing that because I had finally been able to secure his freedom. Having sex with him before telling him that was purely selfish on my part, but I had wanted one more moment in his arms before I freed him completely.

Instead of reaching for the cuffs, I stepped forward and closed the distance between us in two strides. He stiffened, those golden eyes flickering up to mine with caution. He wasn’t expecting kindness after being treated like a prisoner for so long.

Without a word, I cupped his face gently with both hands, thumbs brushing over those sharp cheekbones and then leaned in and kissed him again. This time it was different. Soft. Tender even. No teeth or hunger or desperation—just warmth… affection… love that had been building quietly between us in the months that he had been here.

When we parted seconds later, I rested my forehead against his. "You're free. There’s no longer any need for you to wear those cursed things or see me again. Your release is scheduled for tomorrow morning."

His entire body went completely still, like time itself had frozen around him. Those golden eyes widened, the pupils dilating until they swallowed nearly all the color. For a long moment, he didn’t speak. Didn’t move then he dropped the cuffs and grasped the back of my neck, pulling me up against him. "Not see you again?" he murmured then lowered his head so we were nose to nose. "That’s where you’re wrong. You’re mine, Warden. I dare you to try to prove me wrong."

Before I could answer… he took my mouth in another kiss while backing me up against my desk again and once against claiming what belonged to him.

Chapter 12: Punish Me

Chapter 14

A few days later...

My head rolled against fluffy pillows as I slowly stirred awake.

Soft sunlight streamed through the window, giving my room a warm and cozy glow.

The birds were chirping outside and a cool breeze drifted through the window, ruffling the curtains and fluttering the pages of a nearby book.

I sighed contentedly, shifting a little and stretching my limbs.

Beside me, Sylus stirred, his arm tightening around my waist and pulling me closer.

"Mm… morning, Kitten."

I groaned at the sound of his deep, rough voice still thick with sleep and pressed my face deeper into the pillows.

His hand slid up my bare back, palm warm against my skin as he shifted closer until his hard cock was pressed against my ass and his lips were brushing my ear.

"Don't tell me you're still tired," he murmured, his breath hot against my skin. "You’ve been asleep for twelve hours…" he thrust his hips against my ass and licked my neck. "I’m going through withdrawals."

I grumbled something unintelligible into the pillows, too lazy and comfortable to put in the effort to come up with a witty retort or move away even though my body felt like a wet noodle.

Caleb chose that moment to let out a groan where he was sprawled on his stomach.

"Fuck… no more… my ass hurts, my cock hurts…" He paused long enough to roll over and press a kiss to the top of my head. "… everything hurts."

"You were begging for it," Sylus muttered, sounding unrepentant. "You weren't exactly complaining at the time."

Caleb groaned again, burying his face against my shoulder and mumbling something that sounded suspiciously like "shut up."

I snickered, turning my head to look at the pair of them before shifting to sit up in the bed.

It was no secret that the past few days and nights had been long and satisfying ones… for all of us. Working during the day then falling into bed for hours on end every night meant we were all feeling it.

"I'm starving," I groaned, my stomach growling loudly as if to prove my point.

Sylus chuckled and rolled onto his back, one hand behind his head as he stared at us.

"Of course you are," he said dryly. "You're always hungry."

Caleb let out a muffled grunt in agreement from his place face-down on the pillow then twitched when Sylus reached over and ran his fingers down his spine all the way to his ass.

He flinched, letting out a protesting noise as he lifted his head to glare at Sylus.

"Not happening, asshole," he grumbled, the insult holding no real heat as he shifted his hips away from the other man's wandering hands.

Sylus just smirked and grabbed Caleb's hip to keep him in place, dragging a thumb over the sensitive skin just above one sharp hipbone towards his cock.

"You're such a whiny little princess," Sylus murmured huskily.

"You always say such nice things to me," Caleb mumbled with a snort then rolled off the edge of the bed and stood up.

I let out a surprised yelp as Caleb's weight suddenly vanished from beside me, the loss of his body causing me to topple towards him.

The mattress dipped as Sylus shifted closer, his strong arm sliding around my waist to pull me flush against him.

"Where do you think you're going?" he rumbled into the nape of my neck while nipping at the sensitive skin there. His hips pressed forward insistently so I could feel exactly how hard and eager he clearly was.

Caleb paused, looking over his shoulder.

"Shower then pancakes," he declared firmly—like it was some kind of battle cry—before wobbling towards the bathroom on unsteady legs.

Sylus' chest vibrated with dark laughter as he watched our boyfriend then his focus shifted to me as I tried to wiggle my way out of his arms.

"Ah ah, kitten, you’re not going anywhere."

I let out a gasp as he effortlessly lifted me into the air, my legs kicking in protest and my hands scrabbling along his muscled forearms.

"Put me down! I need a shower-ah!"

My complaint cut off with a sharp cry as he deliberately pulled me on top of him with my back against his chest and his arms around my waist then he ground his hips upward, making his cock drag against my bare pussy before he shifted and slid inside me in one smooth thrust.

He let out a growl that was downright sinful as I arched against him, his hands sliding up to palm my breasts roughly as he slowly started rolling his hips in slow, filthy circles.

"Shower?" he repeated, voice dripping with dark amusement. "Why… when I’m gonna just get you dirty all over again?"

A sharp thrust punctuated the words before he nipped at my earlobe, making me let out a loud whimper.

Caleb's loud groan echoed from the bathroom.

"Fucking hell, I can hear you two!"

Sylus laughed, low and wicked, one hand sliding down my stomach between my legs where he started rubbing my clit.

A sharp cry tore from my throat as his teeth grazed that spot on my neck that always made me see stars then his hips picked up speed, making incoherent noises fall from my lips.

A loud thump, followed by a shout came from behind the bathroom door.

"Do you two ever stop?!"

Sylus chuckled darkly.

"Come join us," he called back while angling his hips to get deeper.

I let out a high-pitched whine as Sylus' fingers worked my clit, his thrusts growing rougher and faster. My hands flew up to grip his wrist as pleasure coiled tight in my belly.

Another groan of frustration echoed from the bathroom followed by another loud thump that sounded suspiciously like he'd just punched something.

Sylus smirked against my throat, nipping at that sweet spot again.

"That's it, kitten," he rumbled darkly when I started trembling. "Let go for me."

My back arched violently as my release crashed through me with a cry so loud it the neighbors probably heard me.

The bathroom door suddenly swung open with force revealing our dark-haired lover standing there dripping wet and glaring… until his gaze dropped to where my pussy was milking Sylus’ thick cock.

He stood there staring… watching as Sylus continued to fuck up into my pussy for what felt like an eternity, water dripping down his body and pooling on the carpet at his feet then he cursed and stalked across the room, the sound of his footsteps loud in the quiet space.

"Pull out," Caleb growled as he pushed his way onto the bed, muscles flexing in his chest and shoulders as he crawled up the bed until he was between our legs.

Sylus tensed for a second, his hold on me tightening before he let out a snort.

"Is there a 'please' in there anywhere?"

"Please," Caleb ground out through gritted teeth.

Sylus deliberately rolled his hips up one last time before pulling out with an obscene sound that had my cheeks flushing.

"Since you asked so nicely."

The second Sylus withdrew… Caleb was on me like a man starved.

His calloused hands grabbed my hips and flipped me onto all fours over Sylus before I could even catch my breath then he sheathed himself inside me in one brutal thrust.

"Aaah-! C-Caleb!"

Sylus let out a dark, appreciative growl as Caleb took me with rough, punishing thrusts—his grip bruising on my hips as he dragged me back onto his cock over and over until we were both making incoherent noises that filled the room.

I don’t know how long he fucked into me before he let out a low, "Fuuuckkkk…"

His voice was pure gravel as he bottomed out one last time then I felt his cock pulse and sticky come started coating my insides.

My eyes rolled back into my head as I found my own release, the sound of my gasping cries and his low curses making Sylus groan.

A few minutes later, Caleb groaned and pulled out of my pussy, collapsing on the bed beside us.

I was barely given a moment to catch my breath before Sylus was suddenly flipping me onto my back then he was straddling my chest while stroking his cock.

"Open your mouth," he growled.

I obediently parted my lips and seconds later, the thick head of his cock pressed against my tongue then he started pushing deeper with slow, deliberate rolls of his hips.

His groan was pure filth when I hummed and brought my hand up to cup his balls.

"Fuck… just like that," he rasped, threading his fingers through my hair and gripping tight as he pumped his hips.

I looked up to find him staring down at me like he wanted to devour me… the look in those bright, red eyes sending heat through every vein in my body.

A dark smile spread on his lips when he caught me watching then he tightened his hand in my hair and he started moving faster.

"Keep looking at me, kitten," he ordered roughly. "I want to see those pretty eyes when I come down your throat."

Seconds later, his hips stuttered as I swallowed around him.

"Fuck," he gritted out, thrusts turning jagged and uneven then he froze, his abs flexing as the first hot pulse hit the back of my throat then another.

When the last creamy spurt landed on my tongue he pulled back with a wet pop and let out a rough exhale, his chest heaving as he stared down at me with half-lidded eyes.

His fingers—still tangled in my hair—gave a lazy tug, forcing my gaze up to meet his.

"You're dangerous," he muttered, voice gravel-deep and wrecked.

He shifted us so he could lean back against the pillows then pulled me onto his chest, one hand holding me in place as he leaned down to kiss my lips.

"Now, that's a proper way to start the morning," he murmured against my mouth. "Don't you agree, pretty boy?"

Caleb grumbled something unintelligible from where he was still sprawled out face-down with a pillow over his face.

Sylus chuckled, pulling me closer while the hand tangled in my hair rubbed my scalp.

I hummed contentedly, burrowing my face into his chest, breathing in his scent as I felt some of the tension in my muscles melting.

"We should get up and shower," I mumbled halfheartedly then rubbed my face against his chest like the kitten he called me. "We can't just stay in bed all day… gotta open the shop."

"Says who?" Sylus grumbled, the hand in my hair sliding down to trace mindless patterns along my bare spine.

Caleb made a strangled sound, pulling the pillow from his face and rolling onto his back.

"Says the store we run," he replied wryly. "Or has all the sex addled your brain?"

Sylus scoffed, shifting so he could bury his face in my hair then nipped at my neck.

"Oh I'm thinking just fine, pretty boy," he drawled lazily while his hand slid down to my ass and squeezed. "Just not exactly… motivated to get out of bed yet."

I groaned, slapping weakly at his chest before shifting into a more comfortable position.

Caleb rolled his eyes and got to his feet, shooting us both a dirty look.

"You're hopeless, both of you," he muttered as he disappeared into the bathroom again. "I'll make sure to use all the hot water while you two cuddle!"

"Brat," Sylus called out, sounding completely unrepentant as the sound of the shower starting came from the bathroom.

I let out a sigh, listening to the steady thump of his heart under my ear.

"He's going to use up all the hot water, isn't he?" I mumbled, already knowing the answer.

"Mm… probably."

I let out a low growl and squirmed out of his arms, quickly scrambling off the bed before rushing towards the bathroom.

"I’m coming in and there better be hot water or no sex for you for a week!"

Sylus let out a sharp, barking laugh behind me and I heard the mattress shift as he moved to follow me.

I burst into the bathroom, scowling at Caleb where he stood under the spray, body glistening with water and muscles taut.

His head whipped towards me when I let myself in, watching me with narrowed eyes.

"You wouldn’t last a week before you started begging for my cock," he mumbled, the look on his face challenging… like he was daring me to come any closer.

My eyes narrowed as I stalked forward, my bare feet making no sound on the tile.

"You think so?" I purred, stopping in front of him with a huff, hands going to his chest.

He raised an eyebrow, a hint of a smirk on his lips as he leaned back against the wall.

"I know so," he replied in an even almost bored tone… but there was a dangerous edge there that made heat pulse through my veins.

His eyes flicked down to my hands where my fingers were tracing the contours of his muscles… his abs tensing faintly beneath my touch.

I hummed innocently, tracing one finger right below his belly button before moving lower.

"Is that a challenge?" I murmured, watching with growing satisfaction as his expression darkened… his voice lower and rougher when he answered.

"It is-shit!"

His head hit the wall with a thump when I suddenly dropped to my knees in front of him, hands running down his thighs and settling on the backs of his legs.

He let out a hoarse curse when I looked up at him, eyes wide and innocent as I licked my lips and leaned forward until my lips were less than an inch away from his rapidly hardening cock.

"I might surprise you," I purred, my breath brushing against his skin.

Sylus' deep chuckle rumbled through the bathroom as he entered the shower stall with us.

"Kitten," he drawled. "You're the one who suggested getting cleaned up and going to work… behave."

I smirked up at Caleb, letting my breath brush against the damp tip of his cock.

His jaw clenched, fingers curling into fists at his sides when my tongue darted out for a teasing swipe over my bottom lip making his hips twitch forward instinctively.

He caught himself… growling under his breath like an animal as he froze against the wall.

"Kitten," Sylus repeated, tone firm.

I rolled my eyes, but he had that tone so I knew not to push the line.

I hummed innocently as I got back to my feet and turned towards the other showerhead and started washing my body and hair. I could feel their eyes on me, watching me… but I purposefully made my movements slow and sensual.

I heard a low, pained groan from somewhere behind me and bit my lip to keep a smug smile off my face... I knew my little display hadn't gone unnoticed.

Humming quietly to myself, I made sure to bend over more than I really needed to to rinse my hair… my heart starting to hammer when I heard Sylus swear under his breath.

"Shop is gonna open late."

The low, gravelly tone of Sylus’ voice made heat flare through my body and I let out a breathless whimper when his hands suddenly grabbed my waist.

His rough palms were warm against my skin as he spun me around.

"You are a damn tease," he growled, making my entire body throb with desire.

I smirked up at him then went up on my toes then wrapped my arms around his neck.

"Shop is gonna open late," I mumbled then pressed my lips to his and jumped up to wrap my legs around his waist.

The shop was in fact opened two hours late and we ended up giving fifty percent off vouchers the three clients we had to reschedule.

The rest of the day flew by and soon we found ourselves leaning on opposite sides of the counter, scrolling through our phones in an almost companionate silence.

With an hour left until closing time, the shop was empty apart from a quiet hum from the air conditioning and the clicks of our fingers over our screens.

I was in the middle of responding to a few messages and checking the latest news headlines when the bell above the door went off and my brother came through the door.

I looked up in mild surprise, my eyebrows raised at his sudden appearance because in the four years since we had opened Simply Inked Rafayel had never been here… and he lived less than two miles down the road.

"Hey… what are you doing here?" I asked then rolled my eyes when he gave me an obnoxious wave and came towards me… eyes skimming over the dark, polished mahogany floors, the matching counter with the black marble top, the wall of mirrors and the walls of flash art.

"Came to pester you," he answered as he came to a stop beside me and eyed the display cases full of jewelry. "I've gotta admit, you guys have done well for yourselves," he muttered, giving me a sidelong look before looking up at Sylus and Caleb who were watching him silently.

Sylus raised a brow but didn’t say anything.

Caleb leaned back against the wall, arms crossed and expression unreadable.

Their reactions were understandable… the four of us had grown up together and while Sylus, Caleb and I had wanted to open Simply Inked as soon as we were able to, Raf had gone in a different direction and opened his automotive shop with his friends, Valko and Ember, who had been dating since middle school.

Sylus and Caleb had always asked after Raf but they hadn’t seen each other much since we had graduated from high school and went our separate ways but now here we were… the four musketeers as our mothers had always called us… back together again.

Except now… now I was in a relationship with the two men currently eying my brother like he was a stranger even though we had known each other since preschool.

I huffed and elbowed Sylus in the gut, ignoring the oof he let out and the glare he shot me.

"Knock it off."

Sylus scoffed, rubbing the spot I'd elbowed, his eyes narrowing… but he let it go.

I turned back to my brother who was watching us with an amused smirk on his face.

"So why are you here?"

"Can't a brother come see his little sister?" Rafayel drawled. "Or is that too unbelievable?"

I rolled my eyes.

"One," I held up my index finger, "You’re five minutes older than me. And two," I held up another finger and wiggled them both, "You never come by the shop and you live down the road. I see Val more than I see you."

At the mention of Valko, my brother’s shoulders tensed and the smirk fell off his face but he quickly recovered and glanced around at the flash art as if it was the most interesting thing in the room.

Sylus leaned against the counter beside me, folding his arms across his chest as he watched the exchange… even Caleb looked more interested than he had when the door had first opened.

I wanted to ask what that whole reaction had been about because Rafayel had been friends with since we were kids and something was clearly going on, but I didn’t get a chance.

"I actually came by to see about getting a tattoo."

I raised a brow at that, surprised.

My brother was a lot of things… impulsive, careless, reckless and unpredictable but getting a tattoo wasn’t something I had ever seen him doing.

Hell, when he had gotten his ears pierced then gauged them out two years ago, I had been surprised but this was different…

He was very particular when it came to his body and had chided me when I had started getting my tattoos… and now here was, wanting one himself.

It didn’t make sense.

"You? Really?" I asked, eyeing him dubiously. "You want a tattoo?"

Rafayel shot me a wounded look.

"Why is that so hard to believe? I can get a tattoo if I damn well want to."

I raised my hands in surrender and backed up a step to pull three thick binders full of art that I thought he might like out from under the counter.

The pages were full of artwork done by Sylus, Caleb and I that we had spent years compiling and only let people see when they were looking for something ‘unique and specific’ which I had no doubt would suit my brother’s tastes perfectly.

"Hey, no arguments from me but why the sudden change?" I asked, putting the binders on the top of the counter and tapping my fingers on them. "You used to give me so much crap for getting my tattoos. You called them a waste of money."

I tilted my head to the side as a thought occurred to me.

"Wait… I know. Val finally rubbed off on you and convinced you to get some ink to go along with those gauges, didn’t he?"

His face gave nothing away but the mention of his best friend once again caused a muscle in his jaw to flex and his hand curled into a fist at his side… and my suspicion that something was going on between them grew even more.

He let out a short huff.

"Something like that."

Something about the way he said that made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end but I pushed the feeling back.

Whatever was going on was for later and I got the feeling he really didn’t want to talk about it in front of Sylus and Caleb… so…

"So," I said, leaning forward to rest my chin on my palm and eyeing him with a mix of curiosity and skepticism. "You want a tattoo… do you even know what you want?"

He stared at the binders for a long moment then reached up and ran a hand through his hair.

"I…" he trailed off, let out a long breath and met my gaze. "Can I talk to you? In private?"

My heart thumped against my ribs and I studied my brother, something about the look on his face putting me on edge.

It wasn't that it was unusual for him to want to talk to me… we talked all the time even if we didn’t always see each other in person.

Out of everyone in the world, he was one of the people I was closest to but… something felt off. He was clearly uncomfortable... and a bit conflicted about whatever he wanted to say.

"Um, yeah," I finally said, pushing off the counter and heading out from behind the counter. "We can go into the back."

I led my brother to the break room and flicked on the lights before shutting the door.

The room was large, spacious and filled with large shelving units with boxes of supplies, a mini kitchenette and counter and the long, black couch where I had spent an hour on my back this afternoon underneath Caleb while Sylus was doing a tattoo out front.

I blushed remembering how Sylus had joined us as soon as he was able to and we had almost gotten caught by another customer.

Clearing my throat, I pushed the thought away and sank onto the plush cushions before toeing off my boots and pulling my feet up onto the seat under my butt.

My brother was watching me with an amused expression like he knew what I was thinking.

I rolled my eyes and threw a pillow at him.

"Shut it and sit."

He dodged the flying object with a smirk and shook his head.

"Nah, I’ll stand. With the way you’re looking at that couch I’m pretty sure you’ve been fucked on it."

My cheeks burned and I grabbed another pillow, this time hurling it with deadly accuracy. It smacked him right in the face.

"Okay first of all… ew… never say fucking in my presence again, it’s weird," I hissed, glaring at him as he tossed the pillow back at me with a shit-eating grin. "Second of all… what did you want to talk about?"

His smirk faded as he rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly looking uncomfortable. "Look... it's about Val."

My stomach dropped.

Here we go.

The real reason he was acting so weird.

I kept my voice carefully neutral.

"What about him?"

He exhaled sharply through his nose, avoiding my eyes.

"I slept with him and Ember," he mumbled.

I froze.

For a solid five seconds, I just stared at him, my brain short-circuiting as the words replayed in my head.

I slept with him and Ember…

"You what?!"

My voice came out strangled—somewhere between disbelief and surprise.

My brother had slept with Valko?

The same Valko who'd been his best friend since we were six? The one he swore was "like family"? The same Valko who was dating Ember, a girl who had moved here when we were in middle school and had fallen in love with Val as soon as she saw him?

That Valko?

Rafayel shifted uncomfortably under my stare before muttering, "Okay look… a few days ago we were at my place and we started drinking. Drinking led to Ember kissing me then it led to Val sucking my cock then the three of us were in my bed…"

He groaned, dragging a hand down his face.

"Fuck, this sounds so bad when I say it out loud."

A beat of silence passed as I processed all of that information and the fact that he didn't even seem particularly upset about it… which should've been more alarming than anything because how had I missed that he had feelings for Valko? For Ember?

"And? Are you… are you in a relationship with them now or was it a onetime thing?"

He shifted, shoving his hands into his pockets and rocking back on his heels.

"It was… I don't know what it was… but now Val is avoiding me."

I frowned at that.

Valko avoiding something was not normal and definitely not when it came to Rafayel…

"Why?" I asked, leaning forward.

"I don’t know but…" he paused with a sigh then looked me in the eye. "I need your help."

Well, shit… looked like I wasn’t the only one with a messy love life.

Note: This is the last chapter for Tattoos & Tequila but there's more! Look for Chapter 1 of Chaos & Moonshine (Raf, Valko x Non MC's fic) next Wednesday!

Chapter 1: Him

Bree

The loud music from the speakers pounded through me like a second heartbeat as I wiped down the counter. I was used to the loud sounds, the smell of liquor and sweat, and seeing people grind against each other on the dance floor like they were trying to fuck with their clothes on.

Came with the territory.

As an art student I needed an income to pay for classes, supplies, food and a place to live while attending school. Working behind the bar at Delusions serving drinks to people who believed the words ‘whatever doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger’ applied to alcohol wasn’t my dream but it did the job.

Normally, working here and dealing with men and women hitting on me right and left asking questions like ‘Is your hair that red everywhere?’ or ‘Red hair and green eyes. Wanna make a baby?’ made me uncomfortable, moody and downright pissy.

But not tonight.

Tonight, I was flying high on the news I had received right before coming to work so not even the guy throwing up all over the floor at the end of the bar could bother me.

And why could nothing could bother me? Because I had finally been approved for an internship with a local artist and was one step closer to getting my degree and finally being able to follow my dreams. I still wasn’t sure which local artist… but I was hoping it would be Rafayel.

The man was brilliant, his fiery and passionate style of art leaving quite the impression on critics and fans alike. Most of his paintings were centered around Lemuria; an ancient, marine civilization, and were some of the most beautiful ones I had ever seen.

If he was the artist I had been assigned to then I would die a happy girl, but I wouldn’t know who it was until Monday… which was still three days away.

Wrinkling my nose at the smell that was wafting my way from the end of the counter, I sighed then grabbed the mop and bucket so I could clean up the mess before someone slid and fell.

“I got it, Bree.”

Pausing near the bar flap, I looked over my shoulder at Jackson, my best friend and coworker, just as he came to a stop beside me and grabbed the mop out of my hand. “You sure?”

He nodded then grinned at me. “Yep, besides your favorite customer just arrived.”

Turning my head, I sighed when I saw Shawn sitting in his normal spot, beady little eyes locked on me and that smarmy grin I hated on his lips.

He was one of my most hated customers, always making rude and sexual comments on my appearance. I dreaded having to serve him but unless he did something like touch me or come over the bar, my boss said there was nothing he could do. But I knew the truth.

My boss was an asshole and probably just didn’t want to deal with Shawn or lose the excessive amount of money the man spent here instead of ensuring my safety.

Blowing my bangs out of my eyes, I turned back to Jackson and pushed the bucket against his chest with a glare. “I hate you.”

He grinned, grabbing the bucket with his free hand. “No, you don’t,” he laughed, then bent down and brushed a kiss over my cheekbone.

Sighing, I turned and made my way over to Shawn, ignoring the scowl on his face in favor of asking, “What can I get you to drink tonight?”

I had learned a while back to phrase my words very carefully around this man because the first time I asked him, “What can I get you?” he had responded with, “You in my bed.” The pickup lines had gotten progressively worse from there and gave me the big ick.

“Are you dating him?” he asked in return, his eyes on Jackson.

Lifting a brow, I answered, “My personal life isn’t on the menu. You either order a drink or leave.”

He huffed in annoyance and ordered his normal beer, his face set in a pout that would have looked cute on a two-year-old but not on a man who was pushing fifty and had a face as round as the rest of him.

I grabbed a beer out of the built-in refrigerator under the counter, popped the top, sat it down in front of him and then wandered off down the bar to serve another customer before he could try to start a conversation.

That was another lesson I had learned.

Don’t engage the creepy man with caterpillars for eyebrows in conversation. It always ended up being about my bra size, what kind of underwear I wore, my shoe size or how many tattoos and piercings I had. I’d rather stick to drinks and avoid anything else.

Two hours later, Shawn left, storming off like a two-year-old because Jackson had taken over serving him instead of me.

I was wiping down bottles of liquor set in neat rows along the back wall, avoiding looking in the mirror behind the shelves at the blonde surfer dude who kept eying my ass and making snide comments. It was do something mindless and completely useless in this dump or get fired for punching the guy in the mouth.

And growing up with three overly protective big brothers had its advantages because they had ensured I knew just where to land the punch to do the most damage.

“Time for a break, Red,” Jackson said, coming up beside me and hip checking me.

I stumbled and caught myself against the shelves, almost dropping the bottle in my hand, before turning to look at him with a scowl. “Dude, you almost sent me into the stratosphere.”

Jackson grinned, hands on his hips. “If you weren’t so tiny, that wouldn’t happen.”

“I hate you,” I repeated with a grin and a shake of my head.

“No, you don’t,” he sing-songed in return with a wink, holding out his hand for the bottle and the rag I was holding.

I laughed, handed over the items and grabbed my bag from beneath the counter before making my way to the bathroom to freshen up. Once inside, I locked the door behind me and stood in front of the sink, staring at my reflection in the mirror…

At my waist length red hair with its dozen braids decorated with different colored strings, beads and a feather or two and the rest of the wavy locks falling down my back and shoulders.

At my delicate features… my bright green eyes outlined in liner, my glossy cupid bow lips, my high cheekbones with just the right amount of blush and my slender, toned body.

Then my gaze tracked to the large gold hoops in my ears, the gold hoop in my septum, the gold necklace with a feather dangling from it laying against my chest and the matching bracelet on my left wrist. All gifts handmade from my oldest brother, Casey, who wouldn’t ‘dare let mediocre jewelry touch his sister’s skin.’ His words, not mine.

And last, the pale orange sheer beaded pheasant’s top over a black crop top, black jeans and a pair of light brown ankle boots.

Beautiful, gorgeous, exotic. Words used to describe me all my life. Words that I wanted to mean more than just sorry excuses for attempts to flirt to gain my attention and get into my pants.

Sighing, I went about my routine of freshening up. Reapplying my lip gloss and eyeliner. Finger combing the loose locks of my hair, so the curls didn’t frizz with a brushing. And lastly, pulling the perfume my father had created just for me out of my bag and spritzing some on my wrists, neck and chest.

A loud knock on the door had me jumping about a foot in the air and almost tossing the perfume across the room. “Just a sec,” I yelled over my shoulder, putting everything back in my bag and throwing it over my shoulder.

I opened the door to see a busty blonde with her arms folded over her chest and an angry pout on her face. As soon as she saw me, she brightened, dropping her arms to her sides and rushing towards me in a drunken stagger.

“Oh, it’s you! You work behind the bar! Have I mentioned how much I love your hair? Is it really that color or do you use color on it? And you must tell me where you get your clothes. Especially those boots. Oh, your shirt is soooo soft.”

Raising my brows, I fended off her drunken attempts to pet my clothes by grabbing her upper arms and spinning her slowly, so she was in the bathroom, and I was in the hallway. “Come to the bar and I’ll tell you everything,” I said cheerfully, knowing full well she probably wouldn’t remember a thing five seconds after I left her sight.

Shutting the door on her rambling, I leaned back against it and blew my hair out of my face with a heavy sigh. Two more hours and I could go home.

Stepping out of the hallway and into the crowd of bodies was jarring after having been in the relative quiet the bathroom. I elbowed and shoved my way across the dance floor as per normal and was almost at the bar when a flash of white out of the corner of my eye caught my attention.

Most of the people who came here wore dark colors but never white because it got so dirty in this place, but someone was obviously brave enough to chance it. Turning my head, I searched for the source and then everything just… froze.

The noise. The bodies bumping into mine. Even smell seemed to leave my senses as I focused on the most beautiful man I had ever seen in my life.

I couldn’t see his face because he had arms crossed in front of it at the wrists while he moved his hips in time with the music. And move those hips he did. In a slow circular motion, reminiscent of the movements made in a private setting involving flat surfaces and no clothing.

He was clearly in his own little world, enjoying the music.

My eyes scanned his tall form from head to toe, taking in the black slacks that seemed to be molded to his long legs and the sheer white shirt that had been left partially unbuttoned, leaving his well-toned hairless chest on full display.

He turned his back, trailing one slender, long-fingered hand down from the top of his head to his chin then to his neck, where he gripped and held on. I noticed the tips of his ears were pink, but it was unclear if it was because of the flashing lights in the bar, or because he was bashful. I was going to assume it was both.

As soon as he turned around again, as if he sensed my gaze on him, he looked up through his lashes as his eyes met mine and a small smirk graced his lips as his hips swayed back and forth in that same hypnotic pattern.

And me? I just stared, lips parted and eyes wide, because I knew that beautiful face with eyes the color of sunsets over the sea.

Rafayel… the whole reason I had enrolled in the art program. His artwork amazed me, his ability to bring life to a painting by using colors and the perfect proportions in every single painting. He was a master at his craft… he was brilliant… he was like an immortal in my eyes.

So, seeing him here in Delusions, a shitty bar in the middle of the Linkon, dancing amongst people who would never appreciate his beauty or talent the way I did was jarring. Not only that, but the way his hips moved… it was obscene, an act that mirrored pure sex… and… I couldn't tear my gaze away from him.

He was that captivating, a magnet that tried to pull me closer, against my will.

As if he sensed my thoughts, his smirk widened. He lowered his hands to his sides, revealing his face in all its stunning glory… sharp, chiseled features, intense eyes, and the cutest dimples I'd ever seen.

I swallowed hard, unable to look away even if I wanted to then he started walking towards me, weaving through the crowd with an odd grace for such a tall figure and I panicked. With a squeak, I spun around and rushed towards the bar, nearly bowling Jackson over in my hurry to get behind the countertop.

"Woah, easy there," Jackson said, laughing, and grabbed my arm before I could fall flat on my butt like the clumsy dork that I was. "What is going on?" he asked after steadying me, cocking his head curiously as he took in my flushed cheeks and wide eyes.

"N-nothing is going on," I replied hastily, avoiding his gaze, but I just knew he wasn't going to let go of the subject that easily.

He leaned closer, blocking my view of the crowd so no one could see the panic on my face, and tilted my chin up with his free hand, forcing me to look at him. "Liar," he said bluntly, raising one of his eyebrows. "You never get flustered and you're as red as your hair right now."

"Shut up," I mumbled, knowing full well I was caught.

He let go of my chin and crossed his arms in front of his chest with a smirk. "Spill."

Biting my lip, I glanced over my shoulder, hoping against hope that a certain artist was nowhere to be seen and was disappointed when I didn’t see him. Had he left?

"You're looking for someone…" Jackson whispered as he followed my gaze. His smirk widened, and suddenly his arm was around my waist, pulling me flush against him.

"Don't you dare," I warned before he could start his antics and potentially make a fool out of the both of us.

He chuckled in my ear, leaning down so his breath brushed my skin, and I shivered involuntarily. "What?" he asked with feigned innocence, and I could hear the smirk in his voice without even looking at him. I knew him too well. He had a mischievous glint in his eyes and I could tell he was already coming up with ideas on how to embarrass me. It was his favorite pastime. "Come on, tell me who you were looking for. You never get this flustered," he pushed, moving closer until he was basically pinning me to the bar.

I let out a huff of annoyance, dropping my bag to the floor and trying to wiggle out of his grasp without attracting the attention of our boss, but his grip on me was like iron. "Let go," I retorted, glaring up at him.

He just laughed and tightened his hold on me for a moment, enjoying my flustered state, then he let go and walked off like nothing had happened.

"Asshole," I grumbled at his back as I bent down to grab my bag.

With Jackson having walked off, I thought I was safe behind the counter… Wrong! As soon as my fingers touched the handle of my bag, the hair on the back of my neck stood on end, goosebumps erupting across my arms because I felt eyes on me.

Slowly, I stood up and lifted my head, my breath catching in my throat when I met a pair of intense sunset eyes that held me captive as surely as if there was a hand around my neck to hold me in place. I thought he had left during my little spat with Jackson but no… he was still on the dance floor, moving like sin, still watching me closely.

His gaze was like a physical touch to my skin, trailing along the length of my body, heating me from the inside out, leaving me flushed even more so than before. I swallowed hard, trying to wet the dryness in my throat, to get words to form so I could say something but all I could do was stare like a deer in headlights.

He gave me a cocky smirk, as if he enjoyed the fact that he had left me speechless, and took a few languid steps towards me, every move he made calculated and seductive.

"Excuse me, can I get a drink?" a feminine voice asked.

I snapped out of my daze, blinking a few times before my brain registered the pretty dark-haired woman who was standing on the other side of the counter. "Yeah, of course," I said, taking a couple of deep breaths to recompose myself, hoping the heat in my cheeks would subside quickly. I shoved my bag under the bar then stood up and met her blue-eyed gaze. "What can I get you?" I asked, flashing her a polite smile.

She returned my smile with one that seemed a little off and leaned forward, her long nails tapping on the surface of the bar as she looked me up and down curiously. "Vodka."

I could tell she was sizing me up, trying to assess whether I was worth her time and attention. She had a sly and calculating look, like she was ready to pounce the moment I showed any sign of weakness, and it was unnerving to say the least.

"A vodka, coming right up," I replied with a forced smile, trying to ignore the unease I felt. Turning around, I busied myself with getting the vodka from the shelf, my mind still stuck on Rafayel.

I felt his eyes on me, following my every move, and it made it difficult to concentrate on anything else. I couldn't help but steal glances in his direction, trying to gauge his thoughts or figure out why he was fixated on me in the first place. He seemed to be studying me, observing my every move as I worked, and it made me feel exposed, like he could see right through me.

Finally, I got the woman her drink and set it on the counter, plastering on my usual customer service smile. "Anything else?" I asked politely.

Instead of answering, her gaze travelled up and down my body again then she grabbed the glass and spun around, leaning back against the counter… clearly dismissing me.

"Yeah, you’re welcome," I muttered then grabbed a rag from the neatly folded stack in one of the cubbies beneath the register and started wiping down the counter. The feeling of being watched remained as I cleaned and I tried my best to ignore it, focusing on my tasks and doing my job like I'd done a thousand times before.

Jackson reappeared after some time and leaned on the counter. "Still flustered, Red?"

"Shut up," I growled, scrubbing at a particularly stubborn stain and refusing to look at him.

"Someone can't handle a bit of teasing," he chuckled and then looked past me, his gaze fixed on something in the crowd behind me. "Don't look now, but I think you have a secret admirer," he teased, leaning a bit more over the counter.

"Shut it," I grunted, momentarily distracted as I watched Jake, Jackson’s twin brother, trying to hit on the rude dark-haired woman from a few moments ago while she basically ignored him until he said something that got her full attention.

"No, really," Jackson pressed, drawing my attention back to him. "He's been watching you nonstop since you went all shy and speechless on me."

"You're being ridiculous," I said, rolling my eyes as I spun around to face the wall of liquor bottles and leaned back against the counter with a huff.

He hummed in response, his smirk widening, as if he knew something I didn't. "Just turn around and you'll see," he said, nodding his head in the direction behind me. "Don't be a chicken."

I opened my mouth to tell him where he could shove his head, but the words died on my tongue when I heard a voice say, "Hmm… hello there…" I immediately went still, barely noticing as Jackson let out a low chuckle and walked off towards the other end of the bar as my heart rate sped up at the sound of that smooth, rich voice.

He was right behind me, close enough that I swore I felt the heat of his body seeping into my back, and the scent of his cologne… spicy, warm, and intoxicating filled my senses.

I tensed, gripping the cloth tightly as I slowly turned around to face him. He was more stunning up close, his sharp features and piercing eyes intense. And that damn smirk… it was infuriatingly attractive.

"You know, I've been watching you," he said, his voice low and sultry. "… and I have to say you are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen."

I tried to respond, tried to say something witty or even just form a coherent sentence, but all that came out was a soft, shaky breath as I stared at him with wide eyes. Damn it.

He chuckled, the rich sound rumbling in his chest, as if my reaction amused him. "Speechless, are we?" he quipped, tilting his head to the side.

I once again tried to compose myself, to come up with something to say that wasn’t just a stammering mess, but my brain felt fuzzy and my heart was pounding too fast in my chest. It was like he had this intense aura about him that muddled my thoughts and made me feel off-balance.

He took a step closer, bending as far over the bar as he was able to, his eyes never leaving mine. "Cat got your tongue, Little Red?" he teased, reaching out to tuck a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

The touch of his fingertips made my breath stutter, and all that came out was another embarrassing squeak then I started stuttering like a flustered idiot. This man had me reeling, a tangled mess of conflicting emotions and sensations and he had done was call me beautiful.

He chuckled again. "No need for words, I can see it in your eyes."

My brow furrowed and I tilted my head to the side, wondering what he meant. "See what?"

His hand left my hair and trailed down my cheek. "Your need," he murmured, his voice soft. "Your vulnerability. The want… the desire…"

My breath hitched as his hand moved to cup my jaw, his thumb brushing over my lower lip. I was frozen, unable to move or even think as his proximity and intensity overwhelmed me. I didn’t realize I had been broadcasting what I wanted so clearly. "I-"

He interrupted me, his gaze never straying from mine. "I know exactly what you want. The question is… are you going to let me have it?"

I stared at him, my body tense as my brain tried to catch up with what was happening. He was so close, the warmth of his body practically surrounding me and his intense eyes locked on mine. I couldn't think straight under the weight of his gaze and the nearness of his body, and a part of me wanted to say yes… but logic won out in the end. "I… I'm working," I stammered.

"No, you’re not," Jackson suddenly said from beside me, making me jump.

Both of our heads turned towards Jackson, who stood nonchalantly beside me, arms crossed as he watched the interaction with a smirk.

"What do you mean 'I'm not'? This is literally my shift," I retorted, my eyes narrowing.

Jackson chuckled, raising an eyebrow. "Relax, Red, you have like forty-five minutes left. Go… I'll cover for you. You clearly have a more… interesting ways to spend your time."

I opened my mouth to protest, to remind Jackson that I couldn't just abandon my work... but the words died on my tongue as I glanced back at Rafayel. He was still standing just as close as before, an amused expression on his face.

I bit my lip, my mind warring with itself. On one hand, I had a job to do, a boss to appease, and customers to serve... but on the other, here was this stunningly attractive man with his intense gaze and his damnable smirk who clearly wanted to fuck me… and I wanted to let him.

The tension between us was palpable, an almost tangible thing that hung heavily in the air as we stared at one another. In the end, desire won out and I nodded slowly.

His smile widened, a satisfied gleam in his eyes. "Meet me by the back entrance."

Without another word, he pushed himself away from the bar and sauntered off into the crowd, leaving me feeling a little shaken.

What the hell was I getting myself into?

Chapter 2

Chapter 10: Movie Night

The microwave beeping drew my attention away from where Valko had his nose buried in a shopping bag full of snacks making noises that reminded me of an overly excited child wandering around a candy store. Laughing at his excited whine when he found the big pack of chocolate bars, I mumbled, "Popcorn is done."

He turned his head, eyes lighting up like I had told him we were going to the pet store to see puppies instead of our buttery goodness being ready. "Popcorn… I brought something to dip it in," he said then turned to the big plastic bag he had brought with him. He dug into it then let out another excited huff and brought out a jar, holding it up like it was the holy grail. "Perfect!"

Eyeing the jar of chocolate Nutella uncertainly, I opened the microwave and pulled the popcorn out, opening the bag and waiting for the steam to escape before responding. "Chocolate covered popcorn. I… have never tried that before."

He let out another one of those cute, excited noises I loved so much and grabbed a bowl out of the cabinet and handed it to me then impatiently waited for me to dump the bag. "You haven’t lived until you’ve had chocolate covered popcorn. It’s excellent!"

I took the bowl with a small smile and upended the bag, watching as he practically vibrated beside me… ears twitching, tail giving tiny swishes through the air. He opened the Nutella with dramatic flair and dipped a single piece of popcorn in like it was some sacred ritual then he held it up to my lips.

"Try," he said, golden eyes wide, hopeful.

I hesitated for just a second then leaned forward and took the chocolate-coated popcorn from his fingers with my lips. The moment it hit my tongue, warm buttery popcorn mixed with rich, smooth, chocolatey Nutella, my eyes widened. It was amazing. Sweet without being overly sugary. Crisp yet melty in texture. A soft hum of approval escaped me as I chewed.

Valko didn’t blink. I don’t even think he took a breath. He stared at me like his whole life depended on this single reaction.

When a tiny smile curled my lips, his ears perked up and his tail whipped around behind him in pure joy before going still again as if he was trying to play it cool despite clearly celebrating internally. "Good?" he asked quietly, voice softer than usual.

I nodded eagerly, still smiling. "So good," I confirmed with another hum of delight.

His face glowed… literally it was like his eyes shimmered almost like sunlight catching on honey. He grabbed another piece of popcorn, dipped it and popped it into his own mouth then chewed slowly—like a food critic savoring fine cuisine.

The moment he swallowed, his whole demeanor shifted. He grabbed the bowl, eyes now blazing with manic energy and in one swift motion, he sat it on the counter and dumped half the jar of Nutella into it before shaking the bowl like a mad scientist conducting an experiment.

Nutella splattered across the front of my shirt and dripped from the rim of the bowl, streaking across his fingers and wrist, but he kept shaking like this was life or death situation. After a few moments he stopped, inspecting his creation quietly with the intensity of someone who had done this before. The popcorn was absolutely drenched in chocolatey goo, some pieces nearly swimming in it while others were completely spotless.

Satisfied, he nodded then tucked the bowl under his arm, grabbed my wrist with chocolate covered fingers and started dragging me into the living room. "Movie time!"

"Wait!" I protested with a laugh. "What about the other snacks and drinks?"

He skidded to a halt, blinking rapidly like he’d just remembered the rest of civilization existed then turned his head slowly and stared at the kitchen counter where the untouched drinks and snacks sat innocently waiting for us to consume them.

For a second, he looked genuinely torn. Like choosing between chocolate covered popcorn and chocolate candy bars and soda was an executive decision. Then he dropped my wrist, shoved the bowl of popcorn at me and sprinted back into the kitchen like a feral raccoon spotting an open trash can.

I barely had time to catch the bowl before he was gone, nothing but a blur of red hair, dark clothes and a wildly wagging tail. Within seconds, he came barreling back into the living room like an overexcited toddler who’d just found treasure. In his arms there were two cans of soda, a giant bag of gummy worms, three huge chocolate bars, and a bag of tortilla chips along with a jar of salsa. There were two more cans of soda tucked into his hoodie pocket along with another unopened jar of Nutella.

He passed me with a cheeky grin and dropped it all onto the coffee table with zero ceremony then immediately snatched up the remote with his sticky fingers. The screen flashed as he scrolled through movies too fast for me to see before settling on one. "Horror," he declared without looking at me. "We’re watching horror."

I barely had time to sit down before beside him before he was already pressing play, his tail flicking with anticipation as the eerie opening music of the movie began.

He was immediately fully immersed. Ears pricked forward. Tail curled around my leg. The bowl of popcorn somehow made it into his lap, and he would dig his hand in then pop a mouthful of gooey stickiness in his mouth before going back for more and stuffing it into my mouth.

The first jump scare happened a few minutes into the movie, a shriek echoing loudly as a shadow lunged at a blond with a knife. Valko flinched so hard the entire bowl of popcorn almost flew over his shoulder. For a split second, his wolf ears flattened against his head and his tail puffed up like an alarmed cat. But just as quickly, they sprang back up and he scowled while muttering ‘run the other way’ then ‘no! not that way.’

He shoved another handful of chocolate-covered popcorn into his mouth and chewed aggressively to cover up any lingering fear response but then came another creepy sound effect… slow footsteps echoing down a hallway.

I watched him instead of the movie… loving how expressive he was.

His ears flicked with each creak of the floorboards on screen. His tail stayed tightly wrapped around my leg like a safety rope. Every time the killer moved silently through a dark hallway or exploded through a doorway, his breathing hitched just slightly… barely noticeable unless you were sitting right next to him.

Then came the scene. You know the one… the one in every movie where everyone thinks they’re safe… music playing softly… people laughing…. then BAM—a door slams open, the killer comes at you with a knife and there’s blood everywhere!

The screen exploded into chaos, blood splattered, the victim screamed, and Valko literally shot upright off the couch like someone had goosed him in the ass. The bowl of popcorn went flying over his shoulders, his ears flattened completely against his skull, tail puffing up to twice its normal size as he let out a tiny, undignified yelp.

For half a second… pure panic. Golden eyes wide as saucers darting around looking for a guy in a Halloween mask with a knife. Then another loud scream on the screen echoed through the room and he launched himself sideways… literally launched onto my lap like a startled housecat. A choked yelp escaped him as he threw an arm over his face, tail lashing wildly and knocking over a soda can. It fizzed all over the coffee table but neither of us cared.

His ears were flat against his skull, eyes squeezed shut for three full seconds before he peeked through his fingers at the TV just in time to see blood splatter across a white wall. He made another tiny noise. High-pitched. Almost whimper-like. Then immediately tried to cover it by grabbing two fistfuls of gummy worms and shoving them into his mouth while side-eyeing every shadow on the screen like it might come alive any second now.

I couldn’t help the giggle that escaped me as I wrapped my arms around his broad shoulders to pull him closer.

He whipped his head toward me, cheeks flushed, eyes narrowed in mock offense. "You're laughing," he accused quietly, voice still an octave higher than normal.

I just grinned and reached up, rubbing my fingers along his ears. He froze like a deer caught in headlights, the last of the gummy worms forgotten halfway to his mouth. The tension in his shoulders slowly melted away like butter on hot toast then a soft, involuntary sigh slipped out. His big frame practically collapsed into mine like a 200-pound living, breathing weighted blanket.

His tail, which had been thrashing like a metronome, began to slow as he leaned into my chest. The gore continued on the screen: more screaming, another door slamming open and a person having a TV dropped on their head… but Valko didn’t seem to care anymore.

He just melted. A low rumble started deep in his chest. Subtle at first. Then stronger. Not quite a growl… not quite a purr? More like an overgrown wolf-cat hybrid. One of his ears twitched under my fingertips when I hit just the right spot. He exhaled through his nose, tilting his head slightly into my hand. One golden eye cracked open just enough to glance up at me before shutting again in blissful surrender.

The movie kept playing—tense music, ominous camera angles, another murder about to happen—but neither of us were watching anymore or paying attention to the sounds.

He shifted slightly in my lap to get more comfortable before curling his tail around both of our legs like a fuzzy blanket. One large hand came up and gently grabbed my wrist, not pulling away or stopping me, but guiding it to another spot behind one of his ears.

The second I adjusted my touch he made a noise so soft it was almost inaudible. A breathy little moan that vibrated through me. His whole body went limp. Not lazy-limp. More like… full-system shutdown from pleasure-overload. The hand holding my wrist loosened completely, just resting there now, warm and heavy.

On screen, the credits started rolling but I was too focused on the man in my lap to be upset about missing the end of one of my favorite movies.

His breathing was slow and even now, deep and rhythmic. He wasn’t asleep. More like in that hazy zone between wakefulness and dreamland where everything feels soft around the edges. The room was quiet except for the faint hum of the TV and those contented purring noises.

Eventually he lifted his head, his nose nudging mine before he tilted up just slightly… golden eyes half-lidded and sleepy. For a second I thought he might kiss me but instead he just stared at me, a look in his eyes that made me wonder if he was ready for us to take the next step.

Nibbling on my bottom lip, I went in for a kiss but the second my lips parted, his warm tongue swiped across my cheek… quick, wet, and utterly dog-like. I blinked in surprise while he just laid there. Smirking. Eyes sparkling with mischief. Looking way too pleased with himself. "Did you…" I trailed off for a moment before continuing. "Did you just lick me?"

His smirk widened. So wide it nearly split his face. His eyes crinkled at the corners, tail giving a single, smug thump against the couch cushion. Then he did it again… another quick swipe of his tongue across my other cheek.

I gasped and shoved at his shoulder. "Ew! No licking!"

He laughed—a real, deep laugh that rumbled through both our chests—and caught my wrists before I could retaliate further. "Sorry," he said without sounding sorry at all. Then he leaned in closer until our noses brushed and just as I braced myself for another lick to my cheek or chin or some other place, he licked me right on the lips.

The sudden wetness against my lips made me freeze. For a solid three seconds, I just lay there with wide eyes, brain short-circuiting. Then… "VALKO!" I shrieked, immediately wiping my mouth on the sleeve of my T-shirt.

He burst out laughing again… full-bellied and unapologetic.

I lunged at him in retaliation, but he was fast.

He pinned both of my wrists gently but firmly against the couch cushions on either side of my head as he loomed over me, grinning like an idiot. His golden eyes danced with amusement as I glared up at him, cheeks puffed out in outrage.

"Stop licking me," I demanded while trying to twist free from his grip.

He only grinned wider, his sharp canines glinting in the dim TV light. He didn’t say anything, just kept his hold on me and leaned down until his breath ghosted over my lips.

We stared at one another for a long moment then one corner of his lips twitched. The sudden attack of fingers skittering across my sides had me shrieking with laughter, squirming like a caught fish. "NO! OH MY GOD! STOP!" I gasped between fits of giggles as he mercilessly targeted every sensitive spot on my ribs and waist.

His fingers slid across my sides, across my stomach, under my arms and even my thighs… digging into every ticklish spot he could find. He wasn’t playing fair either; his other hand still held both of mine captive above my head while he tortured me with relentless poking.

I kicked wildly, legs flailing as I laughed so hard tears pricked the corners of my eyes. "VALKO! Oh my God, stop! I’m gonna pee," I howled between breathless giggles, twisting uselessly beneath him.

He only laughed harder and switched tactics again. Warm lips pressed a slobbery kiss right on one sensitive spot near my collarbone… then followed immediately by a quick lick followed by more kisses and licks along my neck, jaw, chin and cheeks.

"EWW NO LICKING!" I shrieked with another laugh.

The chaos escalated again… he was relentless, a predator turned playful menace. He blew a raspberry against my neck just to hear me squeal, then immediately followed it with another quick lick like some kind of overexcited puppy who’d discovered the joys of torment.

I thrashed under him, laughing so hard I could barely breathe. "Disgusting!" I gasped, finally managing to free one hand before trying and failing to shove his face away from my neck.

He ignored me completely and switched targets again. This time he went straight for my ear and… licked. Long. Slow. From lobe all the way up to my temple where he huffed out more of those deep chuckles against the side of my head.

"EEWWW! Stop!!!"

He did it again and this time added teeth. Gently gnawing at my earlobe with playful little growls before sealing his victory with one final slobbery kiss right on top of my head.

We were both breathless from laughter when he pulled back. His chest rose and fell heavily as he caught his breath… still smiling… lips glistening slightly from all that licking nonsense…

His gaze fell to my lips and I braced for another lick but instead, he lowered his head and kissed me. Properly. Soft at first, almost like he was testing the waters. His mouth was warm and sweet with Nutella, popcorn and gummy worms still lingering on his tongue. It was a gentle first kiss but still hungry, like he’d been waiting for this all night.

The kiss deepened almost instantly… like a switch flipped. One second it was soft and sweet, the next his lips parted more insistently against mine, one hand sliding up to cup the side of my face while the other stayed braced beside me.

I melted into him completely, my hands finding their way up to tangle loosely in the hair at the nape of his neck. His breath hitched like I’d just pressed a secret button that sent electricity straight down his spine.

When my nails scraped lightly against his scalp he made this tiny sound. A quiet, desperate little hum against my lips that reminded me of a cat purring. Then he kissed me with more confidence, less hesitance and tilted his head slightly to deepen the angle all while rubbing his thumb over my cheekbone.

The kiss grew bolder; lips moving with newfound urgency. It was almost like now that he’d started kissing me, there was no stopping him. His thumb kept stroking my cheek in slow circles while the other hand slid into my hair, fingers gently tugging at the long strands.

I kissed him back just as fiercely, biting his lower lip playfully before soothing it with another soft press of my mouth. He let out a breathy chuckle and immediately chased after my mouth again when I pulled away slightly to breathe.

Our noses brushed as we caught our breaths… close enough that every exhale mingled. His golden eyes were darker than usual, half-lidded and full of something warm and tender… something intense. Then he grinned. "Sooo…" he drawled out, dragging a finger along my bottom lip. "Since I licked you… does that mean you’re mine?"

I snorted out a laugh and then dragged his head down to mine for another kiss.

Chapter 11: The Warden

Chapter 13

Getting from the shop to my place was a lesson in patience that almost had me laughing hysterically on the sidewalk.

You know when you're so desperate for something that everything that happened before you got it felt like it took an eternity?

Yeah. That was how things went as soon as Sylus suggested ‘taking things elsewhere.’

After a few more kisses that almost led to me pinned to a wall with Caleb buried as deep as he could get, the three of us finally separated long enough to get dressed.

Which we did quickly.

None of us spoke… the tension in the air was thick enough I could almost taste it, and the result was my skirt twisted around my hips and Sylus’ shirt on inside out and backwards.

Caleb couldn't keep his eyes or his hands off me. He kept grabbing my ass or my hip and pressing kisses along my shoulders and neck, his touch leaving my body feeling like it was on fire all over again.

I knew he was desperate… I was too but something about knowing that he couldn't look at or touch me enough made my stomach clench.

Sylus was quiet the whole time, but I could feel his gaze on me like a physical touch, tracing every dip and curve like he was memorizing where he wanted to put his mouth and hands first once we were at my place.

It wasn’t until we got outside and they discovered I had walked and would need to ride with one of them that things got interesting.

Caleb's smirk was instantaneous, sharp as a blade. "You're riding with me."

Sylus' hand shot out and grasped my wrist. "Like hell she is."

The tension between them crackled before Caleb leaned in, his voice dropping to that rough murmur that made my stomach flip, "You plan to fight me for it? If I win, I think I’ll have her sit on my cock the whole way there."

He turned to look at me, gaze heated.

"Think about it…" he murmured, taking a step closer. "My cock inside your tight little pussy the whole way…" another step "… think anyone will notice?" another step until he was right in front of me "Would you be able to keep a straight face or would your desire be written all over your face?"

Heat flared in me, my eyes going a little hazy as I pictured the scene he was painting. I could already feel my cheeks warming at the thought of it, and I had to bite down on my lip to keep from reacting and begging him to do it.

Sylus let out a dark, humorless laugh as he watched the flush spread across my skin. His grip on my wrist tightened just enough to make me whimper—eyes flashing red with something dangerous.

"Oh?" he murmured, stepping forward until his chest was pressed against my back. "Would you like that, kitten?"

I shuddered, a low whimper leaving my lips before I could stop it.

Caleb's smirk widened into something downright feral.

"Look at that," he murmured, reaching out to drag a rough fingertip along my bottom lip. "You want it."

"That's not an answer, kitten," Sylus murmured, his hand sliding down to grip the curve of my ass before adding darkly, "Use your words. Do you want to ride his cock while he drives?"

"Y-yes," I admitted in a shaky whisper… the confession seeming to send electricity crackling between all three of us.

Caleb let out a low chuckle, his thumb dragging across my lips before pulling back.

"Guess that's settled then," he murmured with a glance at Sylus.

Sylus' grip on my wrist tightened for a fraction of a second, eyes flashing dangerously as he stared Caleb down then, with terrifying calm, he released me and took a step back.

"Fine." The word came out like gravel underfoot. "But you don't get to come until we get there." His gaze flicked to me, dark with promise, then back to Caleb.

"Either of you," he mumbled with a smirk.

The smirk on Caleb’s face faltered for just a second, surprise flickering in his eyes before it was quickly smothered by something far more dangerous.

"Fuck," he rasped, running a hand through his dark hair as he let out a rough exhale.

"You worried you can't make it?" Sylus asked, his voice mocking as he raised one eyebrow.

Caleb's gaze snapped back to his and he bared his teeth.

"I'll make it, don't worry."

And as soon as he said the words, I felt my stomach drop.

This was going to be a long ride… literally.

Sylus' smirk widened, the expression almost looking bloodthirsty.

"Good." He turned to look at me. "Try not to make a mess before we get there."

I felt my cheeks go bright red but I kept my mouth shut as I watched Caleb walk over to his bike then straddle the seat before unbuttoning and unzipping his pants to pull his cock out.

"Come on, baby," he purred. "Time to go for a ride."

I felt my heart skip a beat then a shiver ran down my spine as I stared at the long, thick length in his fist warily… sitting on his cock while he drove to my place was going to be torture but I was a big girl, and I could handle this.

Right?

Walking up to the bike, I tried to keep my expression casual as if my heart wasn't beating so hard I felt like it might come up my throat.

I straddled the seat in front of him, put my hands on the handlebars and leaned forward with my ass in the air… silently waiting to see what he would do.

He chuckled, his hand settling on my thigh.

"Eager, are you?" he teased.

I tried to keep from trembling as I looked over my shoulder at him.

"Shut up."

"Tsk, not a very nice way to talk to your ride," he mumbled while stroking his cock.

Seconds later, he notched the head of his cock against my entrance and pushed.

I bit my lip hard enough to hurt, trying and failing to suppress a moan as he guided himself into me inch by torturous inch. My fingers clenched around the handlebars until my knuckles turned white, legs trembling as I lowered my ass until I was sitting in his lap.

"Fuck..." he rasped, hands flexing on my waist like he was physically holding himself back from saying fuck it and wrecking me right here in the parking lot.

Sylus, who had been watching the whole time with an expression that could only be described as hungry, let out a dark chuckle.

"You feel that?" Caleb rasped against my ear as he ground his hips up against mine. "How hard I am? And we haven't even started the bike yet..."

He punctuated the last few words by rolling his hips upward in one slow drag that had my pussy squeezing around him as my eyes slid shut with a low moan.

"Careful, kitten," Sylus murmured warningly. "No coming until I say so…"

My eyes snapped open, and I realized I had unconsciously leaned back against Caleb's chest until my head was resting on his shoulder as I rocked my ass against him.

"Damn it—" Caleb bit out, his grip on my hips turning bruising. "She’s not gonna last."

I whimpered pathetically when Sylus stepped close enough that I could feel the heat or his body as he dragged a fingertip up the inside of my thigh until his fingers drifted over my clit.

"No," he agreed smoothly, voice dripping with amusement. "She won't."

Then he reached down and started the bike with a dark chuckle.

The roar of the engine vibrated through my entire body, sending a jolt straight to my pussy as Caleb's hips snapped up involuntarily. My back arched off his chest with a sharp cry because it was almost too much too fast as my hips spasmed, the movements causing my wet pussy to slide up and down his thick length.

Sylus' smirk turned downright predatory as he revved the bike before leaning in close enough for his breath to ghost hot over my neck.

"You think this is bad?" A calloused thumb pressed hard circles into that swollen little bundle of nerves between my legs. "Wait till we hit every pothole on the way home."

Caleb let out something between a laugh and groan as he palmed one side of my ass roughly and rocked his hips.

"She's gonna break my cock off if she gets any tighter."

"You'll survive," Sylus murmured with a smirk before smoothing my skirt down so no one would be able to tell I was impaled on eight inches of cock before stepping back with a sharp clap.

"Now let’s get moving and remember… no coming, pretty boy."

"Yeah, yeah," Caleb grumbled then leaned forward and revved the bike before taking off.

The ride to my place was pure torture on every level.

Traffic seemed to suddenly triple.

Every stoplight turned into the longest minute of my life even though Caleb was taking every goddamn shortcut he knew of.

Potholes?

Ohhh the potholes.

Every single one of them sent a brutal jolt through my body, the rough pavement jostling me in Caleb's lap with enough force to make his cock slam up into that sweet spot deep inside me every… single… time.

My pussy would clench around him… tight and wet… and I could feel the tension in his body as he fought not to rut up into me like an animal.

Sylus rode behind us the whole way and I could feel the weight of his gaze burning into the back of my skull every time I let out a sharp cry or choked back another moan.

We weren’t that far from my place when Caleb snapped.

"Fuck this," he snarled at a stoplight.

One hand slid from the handlebar up my waist then beneath my shirt until his calloused fingers pinched my nipple roughly between his thumb and forefinger.

"Mngh…" I mumbled, throwing my head back against his shoulder.

"Gonna come," he growled, voice wrecked beyond recognition as his other palm pressed down firmly on my lower belly to hold me in place as his hips pulsed against my ass.

"Pretty boy," Sylus warned, a dark undercurrent of danger threaded through his voice.

My breath hitched, my head snapping to the side just in time to see him watching us with a warning glint in his eyes.

"Behave," he bit out. "We're almost there."

With an almost visible effort, Caleb let out a strangled exhale and put his hands back to the handlebars just as the light went green.

"Good boy," Sylus murmured, the words almost drowned out by the squeal of tires on pavement as the bike took off again.

"Fuck off," Caleb growled, whether it was directed at Sylus or himself, I didn’t know.

His hips jerked upward involuntarily as we hit another bump, and this time when my body clamped down around him in pleasure?

He groaned… loud enough that even over the roar of engines and traffic Sylus heard.

Sylus' bike swerved dangerously close to ours, his gloved hand reaching out to slap Caleb’s ass as we slowed down for the last light before we reached my place.

"You come and you won’t like how I punish you," he growled, red eyes flashing.

Caleb inhaled sharply, his chest vibrating with a dark chuckle against my back as he deliberately rolled his hips upward just once, slow and filthy.

"I’m almost tempted to come just to see what he’ll do," he whispered in my ear.

I let out a strangled gasp, my nails digging into the handlebars as I felt Caleb's cock twitch inside me as if the idea of Sylus’ ‘punishment’ was almost too much for him to resist.

"Y-you wouldn't," I breathed, but the way his hips stuttered told me he absolutely would.

His hands left the handlebars and gripped my hips like a vice, his face burying against my neck while he grunted like a feral animal and started thrusting up into my pussy hard enough to make my vision go white around the edges.

"I would…" he growled, one hand sliding up my front, fingers closing around my neck to hold me in place then I felt his teeth sinking into the muscle between my neck and shoulder.

"You're pushing your luck, pretty boy," Sylus warned, his voice a menacing rumble that made my heart drop to my stomach. "You’re going to break the rules and come, right here… in the middle of a public street… where anyone might see?"

Caleb’s movements slowed as he lifted his head to glare back at Sylus with narrow eyes.

"I might."

A dark chuckle slipped from Sylus’ throat as he met Caleb's gaze with a cool look.

"Lights green."

Caleb’s gaze flicked to where the light was now flashing green, and he swore before releasing me to grab the handlebars and gun the engine like a man possessed.

I could do nothing but hold on for dear life as the bike shot forward.

A few minutes later, we screeched to a halt in my driveway.

As soon as the bike shut off, Caleb’s hands were around my waist, lifting me off his stiff cock and guiding me off the bike.

Sylus was off his bike in a flash, boots hitting the pavement with force as he stalked toward us, red eyes burning like live coals.

Caleb barely had time to swing a leg over his bike before Sylus’ hand shot out and grabbed him by the front of his shirt and dragging him towards the front door while I trailed behind them.

Once we were under the porch, he yanked Caleb forward until their noses nearly touched.

"You’re real fucking lucky you didn’t come because if you had your punishment would be a hell of a lot worse than it’s going to be," Sylus growled, voice low enough that only we could hear it. "Now get that sweet ass inside and strip."

A muscle ticked in Caleb's jaw but there was no hesitation when he followed me through the doorway and pulled his shirt over his head while toeing off his boots.

Sylus didn't even glance at me as I stumbled off to the side and leaned against the wall to watch what was no doubt going to be the hottest thing I had ever seen.

He pushed Caleb’s jeans down his thighs then he was shoving him against the wall hard enough to rattle the pictures on the walls.

"On your knees."

Caleb opened his mouth—probably to argue or to no doubt say something sarcastic that would no doubt piss Sylus off more—but one sharp crack of skin against bare skin made him choke on whatever smartass comment he'd been about say next as Sylus’ hand came down on the side of his bare ass.

"I said. On. Your. Knees."

It was no longer a request but a demand.

Caleb gritted his teeth and let out a ragged exhale as he slowly dropped to the ground.

I held my breath, eyes widening as I took in the sight of him like that… golden skin almost glowing in the dim light, muscles trembling with tension, dark hair falling across his forehead as he stared up at Sylus standing above him.

Sylus dragged a slow, appreciative gaze over Caleb's kneeling form… taking in the flush of anger and arousal staining his cheeks, the way his bare chest rose and fell too quickly, the way his cock bobbed against his belly as if begging for the other man’s attention.

"Look at you," Sylus murmured darkly as he stepped forward, one boot nudging between Caleb’s spread thighs so he was forced to spread them further. "On your knees where you belong."

A muscle jumped in Caleb's jaw as he swallowed hard, eyes dark and blazing… but he didn’t say a word.

Sylus reached down, unbuttoning and unzipping his pants before he reached in and pulled out his swollen cock.

"Open."

The command came so suddenly it was sharp… like a crack of a whip that had Caleb's mouth dropping open automatically.

A slow smirk tugged at the corner of Sylus' mouth at the response and when he spoke again, the words were thick with satisfaction.

"Good boy…"

Sylus' smirk deepened as Caleb's breath hitched—his chest rising and falling faster now, eyes flickering between Sylus’ cock and his face.

"Hands behind your back."

I watched, transfixed, as Caleb's fingers twitched like he was physically fighting the urge to grab Sylus' hips and drag him in but then his hands slid back behind him obediently, muscles flexing under golden skin as he locked them there.

Sylus let out a low chuckle before dragging the swollen head of his cock over Caleb’s bottom lip… smearing precum there like some kind of dark claim.

"Lick it," he ordered gruffly, red eyes burning with something predatory. "Show me how bad you want it."

Caleb's tongue darted out… slow and deliberate to swipe a stripe up the underside of Sylus' cock. His lashes fluttered for half a second before he locked eyes with the man towering over him then he did it again.

Sylus let out a rough groan that made my thighs press together instinctively.

"That's it," he murmured darkly, one hand fisting in Caleb’s hair to yank his head back just enough to expose his throat. "Now suck me."

Caleb didn't hesitate… just opened wider and sank down on him until his nose was pressed into the trimmed hair at the base of Sylus’ cock.

A strangled sound ripped from my chest at the sight and Sylus’ gaze snapped to me.

"You're dripping," he growled while deliberately angling his cock deeper so I could hear every wet drag of flesh on flesh.

My cheeks burned as I bit my lip hard enough to taste blood.

I couldn't speak—couldn't even breathe because he was right.

I was already soaking my thighs… had been since the bike ride and he could see it just like I could see the pearlescent drop of precum sliding down the side of Caleb’s cock.

Sylus' smirk turned downright feral as he watched the struggle in my eyes—the way I clenched my thighs together like that would hide anything.

Caleb let out a raspy whine around his mouthful of cock, his hips jerking involuntarily at the sight of me so worked up. A bead of sweat slid down his temple, muscles straining to keep still when what he clearly wanted was to put his cock inside one of us.

Sylus tightened his grip in Caleb's hair and pulled him off his cock with a wet pop, leaving the other man panting and slick-lipped.

"On your feet."

He jerked his chin towards the couch and Caleb rose slowly… legs shaking and gaze a little dazed as he stumbled towards the furniture and flopped onto it with a shaky exhale.

"Knees apart."

Caleb obeyed with a swallow… his long legs spreading so everything was on display.

I watched every micro-expression as he fought to keep control of himself and failed… his eyes glazing further with every passing second as he waited for Sylus to do something.

Sylus' gaze raked over Caleb's exposed form… taking in the flush of his chest, the way his cock twitched against his stomach as if begging for attention… and the way his hole fluttered as if beckoning the other man inside.

Seconds later, Sylus was across the room and dropping to his knees between Caleb’s legs, hands sliding up Caleb's thighs, dragging against heated skin as he pushed his legs even wider.

"Fuck, pretty boy," he murmured, voice thick with something dark and possessive. "All this for me?" His thumb pressed into the slit of Caleb’s cockhead, smearing precum in slow circles under the mushroom cap then down the long length to his base.

Caleb’s breath came out in a punched-out groan.

"Mngh, Sylus… please—"

Sylus leaned in until his breath ghosted over the wet flesh... then licked one long stripe from base to tip without warning.

Caleb's entire body seized… back arching off the couch as a ragged, punched-out sound tore from his throat as his hands flew to Sylus' hair, fingers tangling in the strands like an anchor.

Sylus hummed in approval, low and dark, before taking him deep into his throat without hesitation until his nose was pressed against tattooed, golden skin. He swallowed around him, one hand gripping Caleb’s hip to keep him still while the other slid lower to palm at his ass.

"Fuck… fuck… please," Caleb begged hoarsely, hips canting up into the wet heat of Sylus' mouth. Every muscle trembled… sweat beading along his collarbones and dripping down his chest as he fought not to rut mindlessly into that sinful mouth.

Sylus hummed… the vibration wringing another broken noise from Caleb’s lips before pulling back with an obscene pop and dragging a single finger down the underside of Caleb’s cock then bringing it to his lips.

"I'm not even in you yet and you're already so damn close."

His gaze flicked up as he curled his tongue around his fingers, tasting the pre-cum there like it was a delicacy before pulling the spit slick digits away from his mouth with a smirk.

Caleb's eyes fluttered, a flush creeping up his cheeks and down his chest at the display.

"My beautiful boy," Sylus murmured, voice dripping with hunger as he lowered his hand to the base of Caleb’s cock before trailing lower where he dragged a finger over the sensitive spot just behind Caleb’s balls.

Caleb let out a strangled gasp, hips jerking up as Sylus’ fingers dragged lower until they were pressing against his fluttering entrance.

"Tight," he mused, dragging the pad of his thumb in slow circles over that sweet spot behind Caleb's balls while pressing one finger slowly inside him.

Caleb’s hips stuttered between thrusts into Sylus' grip and back against that teasing pressure. A broken sound tore from his throat when Sylus added a second finger, stretching him open with rough efficiency.

"You want my cock here?" Sylus murmured darkly, twisting those fingers deeper.

"Yes," Caleb panted, eyes blazing with need.

Sylus' smirk turned downright predatory as he curled his fingers just right, watching the way Caleb's body arched off the couch with a strangled cry in satisfaction then he was dragging his fingers out of Caleb’s body.

He growled as Caleb’s hole clenched as if beckoning him back inside, reaching back and pulling his shirt over his head before grabbing his wallet and pulling out a small pack of lube. He ripped the packet open with his teeth, squeezed a generous amount onto his fingers, then pressed two back into Caleb’s hole… this time with brutal efficiency.

Caleb's breath hitched, back arching and hips jerking against the rough friction.

"Fucking perfect," Sylus murmured darkly as he twisted his wrist to drag those fingers against that spot that made Caleb let out a sharp moan.

His other hand palmed Caleb's neglected cock roughly, pumping in rough sync with each thrust of those slicked-up fingers until precum beaded at his tip.

I watched from my spot by wall—the sight making my pussy clench as I bit down hard enough on my bottom lip to draw blood. As much as I wanted to join them… I was too transfixed by what was happening to interrupt.

Sylus pulled his fingers free then notched his cockhead against Caleb’s hole and pushed.

A strangled sound ripped from Caleb's throat, fingers fisting in the fabric of the couch.

"Oh mmmm…"

Sylus' hands came down to grip his hips, fingers digging into golden skin to keep him still.

"Relax," he murmured, the word sounding like a command. "I've got you."

"Move," Caleb gasped, eyes rolling back for a second before focusing on Sylus with hazy desperation. "Please move…"

Sylus let out a dark chuckle—hot breath fanning over Caleb’s sweat-slicked skin as he dragged his cock almost all the way out before slamming back in with enough force to make the leather beneath them creak.

"Perfect boy," he rasped, setting a brutal pace that had Caleb arching and making incoherent noises. "That's it… taking me so good…"

Caleb whimpered and threw his head back, exposing the sweat-slick column of his throat.

"S-Sylus—"

"That's right," Sylus growled, dragging a hand down Caleb’s chest to wrap around his cock. "Say my name."

"Sylus…"

Sylus' smirk turned downright feral as he tightened his grip on Caleb’s cock while slamming into him with enough force to make the couch screech across the floor.

"Fuck… yes," Caleb moaned, back arching like a bowstring as Sylus pistoned into that spot inside him. "Don't stop—don't you dare fucking stop!"

Sylus let out a rough laugh and leaned down to sink his teeth into Caleb’s shoulder.

"Not a chance in hell," he growled against sweat-slicked skin.

I watched, transfixed, as Caleb's body convulsed with each punishing thrust, Sylus' name spilling from his lips in a broken litany. My own hips rocked helplessly against the hand I had buried between my thighs, the slick sound of skin-on-skin and Caleb's choked moans filling the room.

Sylus suddenly stilled—cock buried to the hilt—as he dragged his thumb over Caleb’s swollen cockhead.

"Look at me," he ordered darkly.

Caleb blinked dazedly up at him through wet lashes before Sylus snapped his hips forward hard enough to make them both groan.

"Eyes on me when you come."

A ragged sound tore from Caleb’s throat as Sylus tightened his grip on his cock and started moving again… each thrust brutal and precise.

Seconds later, Caleb let out a hoarse shout, his cock pulsed against his stomach then thick, creamy ropes of come started spurting from the head of his cock.

Sylus watched with a predator's satisfaction as Caleb came apart beneath him, hips stuttering wildly while ropes of white painted his stomach and chest. His own control snapped not long after and with a guttural groan he bottomed out and spilled deep inside him.

After a few moments, he slowly pulled out and slumped back on his knees, eyes raking over the mess of golden skin and sweat in front of him while rough pants left his lips.

He glanced at me then, eyes narrowing with something dark as he took in the sight of me still pressed against the wall, cheeks flushed and breathing hard with my fingers inside my pussy and a smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"Come here," he said, holding out a hand.

And I went, even though I had no doubt walking would be difficult tomorrow.

Chapter 14

Chapter 9: A Helping Hand

"Valko, I got your message. Are you okay?"

I opened one eye with a ragged groan as my doctor’s voice echoed through my apartment.

No, I wasn’t okay. I was in rut. I was hot and needy and horny. My cock felt raw from where I had attempted to jerk myself off to alleviate the need to fuck anything that moved. My arms and thighs were shaking; the muscles in my stomach and groin were sore and twitching uncontrollably; and the sheets beneath me were covered in sweat.

I was miserable. I needed something to knock my ass out before I broke down the wall between my apartment and my neighbors and joined in on the fuck fest he’d been having with his girlfriend for the last three hours whether he wanted me there or not.

A growl worked its way up my throat as another high-pitched moan sounded through the wall behind my head followed by the headboard smacking against the wall so rapidly I couldn’t help but wonder if my neighbor was the werewolf instead of me.

"Valko? Are you here?"

Licking my lips, I pushed up on my elbows where I had been lying on my stomach humping my pillow to try to relieve the ache between my thighs and called out, "In here."

Sighing, I rolled away from the pillow just as Zayne appeared in the doorway, his medical bag in hand and a flustered look on his face as his eyes landed on my very naked and erect body. His eyes widened, then immediately darted to the ceiling like he could will himself invisible, his face flushed crimson. "Uh shit," he muttered under his breath, gripping the medical bag tighter and moving it so it was in front of his groin. "Can you… um… cover up?"

My ears twitched at the husky sound of his voice then the scent of his arousal hit me, and I almost launched myself off the bed at him. But… I controlled myself, dropping my head back on the mattress with a groan. "No… anything against my skin makes it worse."

He didn’t say anything for a long moment, but I could feel those gorgeous green eyes on me… no doubt looking at my sweat slicked skin, my trembling limbs and my rigid cock where it pulsed against my stomach as if silently beckoning him to come closer.

The air was suddenly thicker with heat. Not just from my rut, but from him. As his body heated with embarrassment and arousal, his scent grew stronger… clean soap and something warm like cinnamon and mint mixing dangerously with my muskier, pine forest and rain scent.

And gods, I could hear his heartbeat thrumming fast. He was nervous… turned on. I turned my head slowly toward him, golden eyes meeting green through the dim glow of light from my bedside lamp and another low growl left my throat before I could stop it.

His breath hitched—just slightly—but I heard it. Like a gunshot in the silence. His fingers twitched around the bag again, his knuckles whitening as his pulse jumped at his throat. His lips parted slightly like he wanted to say something clinical or professional, but no words came out.

I swallowed hard and forced myself to stay still because moving would set off the instincts telling me my attention wouldn’t be rejected if I stood up and approached him. "Can you give me something to help with the rut?" I asked hoarsely.

He swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing as he tried and failed to keep his gaze anywhere but on my cock or the way my hips seemed to unconsciously mimic the actions of sex.

The room felt like it had shrunk. Too small. Too hot. His scent was everywhere now, and it made the rut worse, so much worse, but not in a bad way. In a dangerous way because it was taking everything in me not to give him what he so clearly wanted.

His doctor brain was fighting with the need that was written all over his face… the flush creeping down his neck wasn't just embarrassment anymore; it was arousal responding to mine like magnets being pulled together. He shifted slightly on his feet before speaking, voice low and shaky as he took a step closer. "I-I don’t carry sedatives for ruts… they’re rare… I-"

He trailed off as he unconsciously took another step closer. His shoe squeaked against the hardwood floor, soft but deafening in the quiet room. The bag slipped from his grip and hit the ground with a thud, quickly forgotten. Then his hands lifted towards me, palms open.

God… he smelled so good. That cinnamon-mint mix wrapping around my senses now that he was closer. Clean doctor mixed with nervous sweat… sweet panic… desire.

My ears flattened completely against my skull… not out of anger but surrender because I didn’t know what he was going to do once he reached me, but I was going to let him do it. My tail flicked into view, the thick bushy black appendage curling around my thigh as I lay still… waiting to see if he would give into his desires or if he stayed the calm, cool doctor I had always known.

His breath came faster, shallow and uneven, as he reached the edge of the bed. His hands hovered. Not touching. Just… there. Trembling slightly. Then he reached out, one warm palm pressing flat against my chest, right over my pounding heartbeat. His touch was featherlight, clinical at first like he didn’t know what to do but then his palm slid down my chest slowly, carefully testing the heat of my skin through the sweat.

A full-body shudder rolled through me; my eyes fluttering shut for half a second before snapping back open to watch him. Zayne—the composed doctor who always wore suits and had polite words for everyone—standing over me with parted lips and green eyes full of something far less professional than there should be.

His touch grew bolder, sliding down my chest, becoming firmer… fingers spreading wide as they glided over the ridges of my abs, tracing muscles that twitched. His breath hitched again when I arched into his touch with a growl and that seemed to embolden him…

That hand slide down past my navel. Past the V-line leading to my hips. And then… he paused just above where I ached most—the knot at the base of my cock, thick and flushed with blood and need—and for one agonizing second, neither of us moved.

The silence stretched, thick and electric.

His hand hovered just above my hipbone, so close but not close enough. His palm radiated warmth through the thin layer of sweat on my skin, teasing me. My cock throbbed visibly with every heartbeat, a steady pulse that made the head glisten in the lamplight. A single drop formed at the slit… then another… before trailing down my length, slow and torturous.

I didn’t breathe. Just watched him, the way his eyelashes fluttered as he stared down at me, how his lower lip caught between his teeth for a brief second like he was thinking about it then…

He exhaled and his resolve snapped. One second, he was hovering. The next, his hand dropped… warm palm sliding over my hip and wrapping around the base of my cock with sudden certainty. A gasp tore from me, not just from surprise at being touched after hours of desperate frustration but because his touch was careful. Almost clinical.

His fingers were soft but firm as they curled around me, testing the heat and weight of me in his palm before slowly stroking upward along my length in one slow glide. I arched immediately, a broken groan tearing through my clenched teeth as pleasure surged through every nerve ending.

The first stroke was electric, like lightning down my spine, but the second was better. Slower, deliberate… a full pump from root to tip. His thumb swiped over the leaking head with featherlight pressure and I jerked, hips lifting off the bed as a guttural growl ripped from my chest. My claws unsheathed on instinct, tearing into the mattress beneath me while my tail lashed wildly behind me as I fought the urge to grab him and flip him beneath me.

His touch became bolder, more confident—each stroke smooth and measured as he watched me. Learned what made me twitch and what made me moan the loudest. Every swipe of his thumb over the head sent sparks behind my eyelids, every firm glid up and down my length made heat coil tighter in my gut. Then his other hand wrapped tightly around my base, pressing down hard on the knot there and I about came off the bed.

The pressure sent a shockwave of raw pleasure through me so intense that it bordered on painful. A strangled cry escaped my lips as I bucked into his grip, claws shredding the mattress as a full-body shudder wracked me. Sweat dripped down my temples; every breath came in short gasps; my gaze went hazy as my body spasmed.

His eyes widened slightly at my reaction, and he adjusted his grip instantly: one hand stroking above with firm precision while the other applied steady pressure to the sensitive knot below. The dual sensation was almost too much. I thrashed, a mess of growls and whimpers leaving my lips as he worked me with a doctor's precision, mixing clinical focus with growing desire.

His green eyes never left mine. They were dark now, pupils blown wide with lust despite his professional demeanor. "Can you come like this?" he mumbled.

The question… so clinical, yet so filthy coming from his lips sent a jolt through me. I couldn’t speak. My brain was fried, reduced to pure sensation and instinct. All I could do was shake my head frantically because no, this wasn’t enough. Not when the rut had been building for days without relief. Not when I felt like I was about to explode.

My cock throbbed in his grip like it had its own heartbeat now, slick with pre-cum and straining under the pressure of his hands. A whine escaped me—a high-pitched sound no alpha should ever make—and that seemed to undo something in him. He licked his lips and slowed his strokes, making me whine again in protest. "Do you need to actually have sex to come?"

His voice was low, careful… like he was diagnosing a condition instead of asking if I wanted to fuck him. But the way his thumb lingered on my leaking tip said otherwise. He wanted this… wanted me to put my cock inside him and knot him.

I nodded fast, too desperate for words. My cock pulsed violently in his grip, hips jerking up into his touch again in silent plea: Yes. Please. Now.

He exhaled sharply through his nose and glanced down. For one agonizing second, I thought maybe protocol would win out… maybe professionalism would make him stop and suggest a cold shower or offer to call someone to come handle this, but he pulled his hands away and stood up so he could remove his clothes.

The soft rustle of fabric filled the silence as he unbuttoned his shirt with careful, deliberate movements then peeled it off, revealing smooth skin stretched over a lean but toned frame. He wasn’t bulky like me but slender with just enough muscle definition from years at the gym. His green eyes stayed locked on mine as each piece of clothing came off until he stood naked.

My breath caught in my throat as I drank him in. Moonlight from the window spilled over his skin, highlighting every muscle of his chest, the gentle slope of his shoulders, that narrow waist leading to hips that flared just slightly beneath a neat trail of dark hair leading to his hard cock.

That faint flush had returned to his cheeks and neck… spreading down over his collarbones and chest. He didn’t speak again—no more clinical questions or nervous rambling—but stepped toward the bed with quiet confidence. One knee pressed into the mattress beside my hip; then the other on the opposite side until he was straddling me. "Lubricant?"

I blinked, dazed by his sudden boldness… the shift from hesitant doctor to someone ready to ride me and take my knot was dizzying. My brain struggled to catch up. "Under the pillow," I managed to croak out.

He reached over, fingers brushing mine for the briefest moment as he tugged the small bottle from beneath my pillow. The click of it opening was obscenely loud in the quiet room. He squeezed a generous amount onto his palm and rubbed his hands together to warm it. Then he leaned down slowly until our lips were just a breath apart. His mouth hovered there… so close I could feel every warm exhale against mine… but he didn’t kiss me. Instead, one slick hand slid behind him and began working the lube into his hole.

I nearly lost my damn mind. My eyes tracked every movement. The way his hips lifted slightly to give himself better access. How his breath hitched as two fingers slipped past that tight ring of muscle with a quiet pop. A soft moan escaped him, unfiltered and real, and my cock twitched violently in response.

I wanted to touch him so badly. To flip us over and pin him down while I claimed that body for myself… but this was his moment. He was taking control here and I’d let him have it because watching Dr Zayne go from professional doctor to eager lover was the hottest thing I’d ever seen.

My jaw clenched as he added a third finger, his expression a mix of concentration and pleasure. The wet sounds were obscenely loud in the quiet room, each slow slide of his fingers drawing another soft gasp or whimper from him. His free hand braced against my chest for balance, palm flat over my hammering heartbeat.

Every now and then, he’d curve those fingers just right and when he did a little shiver ran through him and that pretty mouth parted on an erotic moan. I was about ready to beg when he pulled his fingers free and licked his lips. Then, without breaking eye contact, he lifted himself slightly… hovering over me on his knees. One hand braced against the mattress beside of my head as he shifted forward, using the other hand to grab my cock and notch the tip against his hole.

And then… he sank down. A slow, careful descent that made both our breaths catch at once.

The first inch was pure agony… delicious agony. His heat swallowed me in a vice grip, so tight it made my vision blur at the edges. I gritted my teeth hard enough to hurt, claws digging into the mattress again as every nerve screamed with sensation. The slick warmth of him pulsed around me, his body adjusting inch by torturously slow inch.

His brows knit together; lips parted on silent gasps. Sweat already glistened on his forehead from concentration alone as he lowered himself further. I could feel every ridge inside him gripping me like velvet fire; every twitch of muscle as he took more without rushing.

A whimper escaped his throat when his ass met my knot, a soft sound that went straight through me. The knot was the thickest part, and I could feel him trembling from effort as he tried to take it. His body tensed around me—tight, so tight—as his muscles adjusted to the stretch. A quiet whine slipped past his lips—not pain exactly, but that overwhelming fullness of being stretched by a cock designed for breeding.

I held my breath. My eyes locked onto his face: flushed cheeks, parted lips, breathing in shallow pants… those long lashes fluttering with every small adjustment of his hips. Then with a deep breath he lowered himself completely until my entire length disappeared inside him and our bodies pressed together, his ass resting fully against my pelvis.

He let out a shuddering exhale that ghosted over my lips and for a second, neither of us moved. Then he shifted slightly, a tiny roll of his hips, and the sensation wrecked me. A guttural groan tore from deep in my chest as the friction sent electric jolts through every nerve.

His eyes fluttered shut when he rocked again… testing… learning how it felt to move while I was sheathed completely inside him. This time there was less hesitation—more confidence—and when he lifted himself halfway off my cock before sinking back down slowly my head fell back against the pillow with a choked growl.

His movements grew bolder with each rise and fall, finding a rhythm that made his breath come faster. Every time he dropped back down, his body would clench around my length, and I swore my soul left my body for a second each time. The headboard creaked and banged against the wall with every bounce of his hips, the sound blending with our heavy breathing and the slick slap of skin on skin.

The pace increased, his thighs flexing beautifully as he began riding me faster, his movements no longer cautious but hungry. Each bounce made the bed shake, the springs squeak in protest. His hands braced against my chest for leverage; fingers splayed over my pecs as he used them to push himself up and down.

My eyes rolled back, every muscle in my body tensed with restraint because I wanted to grab him, flip us over, pin him down and fuck into that perfect heat with reckless abandon. When he twisted his hips in a slow circular grind on the next downward thrust that was it.

That single, sinful twist shattered my control.

A snarl ripped from my throat as I surged upward, one arm hooking around his waist while the other cupped the back of his head and in one fluid motion I flipped us. The mattress groaned beneath the sudden movement and before he could even gasp, I had him pinned beneath me.

His surprised yelp turned into a moan when I immediately started slamming into him without hesitation… deep, hard strokes that drove every inch of my cock inside his perfect ass with brutal precision. My hips pistoned against him with wolfish hunger; no finesse, just pure instinct to claim and breed.

Each thrust made his body jolt farther up the bed until he braced himself with trembling hands against the headboard to keep from slamming against it. His breathing came in ragged pants and soft cries, each one fueling me further as sweat dripped down my face onto his chest.

His body arched off the bed beneath mine, moans pitching higher, loud and desperate as pleasure overtook him completely. One hand left the headboard to claw at my shoulder while his legs locked around my waist instinctively to pull me even deeper with each stroke.

My knot swelled slightly at the base, a warning sign that I was reaching my peak, and when he felt it during one particularly deep grind… he whimpered and clenched around my cock so hard that for a moment I couldn’t move.

The sudden tightness made me freeze mid-thrust, a strangled groan escaping me as his body squeezed me like a vice. My hips jerked, chasing the sensation even though I couldn't move properly. "Zayne," I growled low in warning because that squeeze had been too much… too good… and if he did it again right now when my knot was already swelling for mating… I wouldn’t be able to pull out before it swelled inside him.

But he was beyond listening anymore; face flushed, lips swollen from biting them and eyes glazed over with pleasure. He was completely lost to it and operating solely on instinct too. So much so he arched beneath me again and clenched again with a moan.

A feral snarl tore from my chest as I dropped all pretense of restraint and let the werewolf take over. My hips slammed into him with punishing force, each thrust deeper and faster than the last, chasing that tight heat like an animal starved for it. The bed creaked violently beneath us; headboard banging so hard against the wall it sounded like we were demolishing the apartment.

My hands caged his face as I finally dropped to my elbows and kissed him, a messy clash of teeth, tongues and desperate breaths. No finesse, just hunger. He moaned into my mouth when our bodies collided again mid-kiss, his body rocking up to meet every brutal snap of my hips.

And then… things changed. His body clamped down as he came with a deep, guttural groan. My hips stuttered as my knot swelled fully, the thick base locking at its widest point inside him, anchoring us together as my release surged through me. The pleasure was overwhelming—white-hot and all-consuming—as I came harder than I ever had before.

I didn't pull out like I had intended. Couldn't even if I had wanted to.

The moment my knot fully locked inside him, time seemed to stop. Deep growls poured from my throat as my body trembled and convulsed, pulse after pulse of my release surging out of my cock, filling him with each thick spurt.

A shuddering gasp tore from his lips as he felt me swell impossibly thicker, that thick ridge of muscle forming a solid plug deep within his body that would hold us together for a while. His back arched off the bed like he'd been electrocuted, green eyes flying wide open with shock before they glazed over completely as another powerful orgasm ripped through his lean frame.

His fingers tangled desperately in my sweat-damp hair, his body convulsing beneath mine. Tears pricked at the corners of those pretty green eyes; hips twitching weakly against mine even though we couldn’t move apart. His inner walls fluttered around me relentlessly, massaging every drop out of me.

I didn't kiss him again because I couldn’t. My breathing was too ragged, my whole body shaking with the aftershocks of an orgasm so intense it felt like I'd been hollowed out and rebuilt. Instead, I just collapsed, careful not to crush his smaller frame but pressing our chests together as my forehead dropped against his shoulder. My lips brushed his collarbone in soft, exhausted kisses while our heartbeats thudded wildly against each other.

The room was silent except for our labored breathing and the occasional creak of the bed. My knot stayed firm, a thick tether that kept us connected as I slowly came down from my high. He whimpered quietly when I accidentally moved a little too much on top of him; his body oversensitive from coming twice and being stuffed full.

My arms tightened around him instinctively at the small sound. Even though the rut was temporarily sated, my wolf instincts were still roaring in triumph at having claimed this beautiful man and I couldn’t seem to help myself. It also didn’t help that he smelled so good… like mine.

I nuzzled his temple with my nose, inhaling deeply—the scent of sex and sweat and him mixing into something intoxicating. My lips found his forehead next before trailing down to press against the corner of his mouth.

He stayed pliant beneath me, boneless and utterly spent—his usual composed doctor demeanor completely shattered. His eyelids fluttered at each tender kiss I pressed to his skin, too blissed-out and overstimulated to react much beyond a soft sigh or the faintest part of his lips.

One of my hands slid up his side in slow strokes, gentle now compared to how rough I'd been before and when my thumb brushed over a sensitive nipple, he flinched with a tiny gasp that made me smile against his jaw.

"You cannot seriously want more after that," he mumbled tiredly.

"Can't help it," I murmured, nipping at his jaw before dragging my tongue down his throat. I nipped at his pulse point with my fangs then buried my face in his neck. "You smell like me now and I want to mark you up some more."

The words came out more possessive than I meant them to… low and gravelly, laced with primal satisfaction. My teeth grazed his throat again, not hard enough to break skin for a claiming mark but enough for him to feel the sharp pressure before I soothed it with my tongue.

"Ohhh," he whined softly. His hands weakly pushed at my shoulders—not in rejection but because he was overstimulated—and when I finally lifted my head slightly, his expression was dazed. Lips kiss-swollen, cheeks flushed pink all the way down his neck… beautiful and mine.

The moment my knot deflated enough to allow movement, I instinctively rolled my hips—gentle at first, testing. A soft grunt escaped me as the new friction sent a spark through me. My cock was still hard inside him, sensitive but I couldn’t wait. I wanted… no needed more.

My hips rolled slowly with gentle rocking motions rather than the frantic thrusts from before. Just testing… seeing how he’d react now that we weren’t locked together anymore. His legs tightened around my waist; a quiet noise escaping him—a low whine, the sound a mixture of surprise and reluctant pleasure—and that was all I needed.

I smirked against his skin then my lips found his again in a lazy kiss that deepened as I rocked into him with deliberate ease. "So needy," I mumbled in satisfaction.

"Don’t… mmhm… don’t get used to this," he mumbled against my lips, his fingers curling weakly into my hair as a deep stroke made him arch and cry out.

"Too late," I murmured before capturing his lips again.

Chapter 10: Movie Night

Chapter 8: Red Handed

Laundry day.

A day I both looked forward to and dreaded in equal measure. Because her scent was stronger than normal. That sweet vanilla and lemon perfume she loved so much wrapped up in a unique musky scent that was uniquely hers.

I couldn’t walk into a single space in our apartment without smelling her but the laundry basket in her room was where her scent was strongest. The dirty laundry there always tempting me to dump her clothes on the floor and roll around in them so her scent was all over me.

But… that would be weird since we were nothing more than roommates so instead of doing what my werewolf instincts were telling me, I picked up the full basket and carried it into the laundry room.

Sitting the basket on the dryer, I glared at it for a few moments, dreading this part the most. Sorting her work clothes from her street clothes so I could wash them separately. Normally I wouldn’t have even bothered and dumped them into the washer to avoid torturing myself but the first and last time I had washed everything together I had gotten a lecture.

"Valko, if you wash my clothes together the colors from my regular clothes will bleed into my work clothes! There’s no way I’m going to wear a pink shirt to fight Wanderers in! I’ll never hear the end of it from my coworkers!"

After that, I had never mixed her clothes again.

I hated this.

Hated how something so simple made my chest tighten and my claws prick at my palms. It made me want to just walk up to her and bury my face in her neck and inhale that erotic scent straight from the source… consequences be damn.

But I couldn’t do that… we were friends. Roommates. Nothing more.

Huffing, I stared at the basket for another long minute then reached for a pair of black jeans then a pale blue T-shirt followed by a pair of underwear and socks.

Each item carried her scent strongly. Her warmth. Her presence.

A low growl rumbled in my throat when I picked up her favorite hoodie, the one she always wore with leggings on Sundays because it was part of her ‘weekend relaxation outfit.’ It had a dark stain on the sleeve from when she had tried helping me change the oil in my bike, but she still wore it stating that the stain gave it character.

Then I held up one of the dark blue heavy-duty shirts she wore to work and my ears twitched. It smelled like her sweat with a faint hint of blood from where she’d cut her arm taking down a Wanderer a few days ago.

I clenched my jaw, claws digging into the material slightly as the urge to go hunt her down and investigate the wound to make sure it was healing properly hit me. But… once again I forced myself to take a deep breath to fight my instincts and loosened my hold with a swallow.

No shifting right now. No hunting her down. Calm… cool… collected.

With careful precision, I kept sorting: black pants… more socks… another pair of jeans…

I froze when my eyes landed on a pair of pale blue panties.

The fabric looked soft—cotton, maybe—but the scent that hit me was a lightning strike straight to the brain. Sweet vanilla and lemon, yes… but underneath? Warm skin. Heat. Her most intimate scent. Stronger than normal… almost like she had been aroused while wearing that particular pair of panties.

My breath hitched. A full-body tremor ran through me as I pulled my hand away and closed my eyes.

I shouldn’t touch them. Shouldn't imagine what she looked like in them. Definitely shouldn’t want to bring them to my nose and smell them while touching myself.

My eyes flicked down to the pale blue fabric again, my pulse hammering in my ears. The rational part of me screamed no. This is wrong. She trusts me to do her laundry, not to use her dirty underwear to fulfill my twisted fantasies.

But the wolf? The wolf didn’t care about right or wrong.

It wanted to know everything… how soft they’d feel against my skin if I wrapped them around my cock, what had she done while wearing them for her scent to be that strong… whether they still carried traces of her pussy juices.

A low growl rumbled deep in my chest, and I grabbed that tiny scrap of fabric before I could change my mind, clutching them tightly in my fist, the soft fabric cool against my skin. My breath came fast and shallow, ears flattening against my skull, tail rigid with tension as it swayed back and forth behind me.

Every instinct screamed yes… she is yours. Claim it. Smell it. Own this piece of her.

And I couldn’t help but answer that call…

I lifted them slowly to my nose and the second I inhaled… a jolt ripped through me like lightning down a live wire.

She smelled divine.

Not just clean or sweet. Not just vanilla or lemon—but her. Heat where no one sees… that quiet intimacy only she knew about… and here I was holding proof of it like some sacred relic stolen from a shrine meant for the gods.

My cock twitched violently inside my jeans. Hard. Painful. Unavoidable.

The world narrowed to her panties pressed against my nose, her scent flooding every nerve ending.

I didn’t move. Just breathed in again and again like I was starving for it. Because I was.

A whine escaped me… a quiet, desperate sound I’d never made before. My cock throbbed painfully against my zipper, and I couldn't help but reach down, unbuttoning then unzipping my pants one handed before pulling my cock out.

The cool air hit my heated skin, but it did nothing to ease the ache. My cock was thick and flushed in my palm… glistening at the tip and pulsing with every rapid beat of my heart. Inhaling again, I didn’t hesitate in doing what had been on my mind since I had caught that sweet scent.

With the panties still clutched in one hand, I wrapped them around my cock then dragged them slowly down over my length, letting the soft cotton slide along the sensitive skin. A shudder ripped through me at how right it felt. Her musk mixing with mine now; arousal so potent it made everything else fade away: time, place… guilt…

The friction was electric—soft fabric against hard, aching flesh. Every slide sent sparks up my spine, a dizzying mix of her scent in the air and the heat building between my legs making me almost dizzy.

I started moving my hand along my cock, slowly at first, the panties sliding up and down in a tight grip while I used the other hand to gently thumb over the wet tip where pre-cum had gathered. Each stroke pulled another quiet whine from me, noises I couldn’t suppress.

My hips twitched upward, chasing more friction as my breath came in ragged gasps. The panties were soaked now with sweat from my grip and pre-cum, clinging to me like a second skin.

I couldn’t stop myself. I didn’t want to.

Leaning back against the washing machine for support, I started jerking off properly, fear of being caught completely gone as pleasure zipped down my spine. The cold metal pressed into my back, but I barely felt it—every nerve was alight with her scent, wrapped around me like a fever dream.

My hips rolled up into each stroke as I fisted both hands now—one gripping her soaked panties tight at the base of my cock, the other working just above them to twist and squeeze where skin met fabric up to the broad head where I swiped my thumb through the precum and smeared it down the sides.

A sharp gasp tore from me when I hit a particularly sensitive spot on an upward thrust—the panties catching the tip just right—and suddenly pleasure coiled low in my gut so intensely that for a second all sound vanished.

I was seconds from coming and probably would have if not for a low chuckle followed by a deep voice. "Now that’s an interesting way to do laundry."

The voice hit me like a bucket of ice water.

I froze. Every muscle in my body locked… sweat sliding down my chest and stomach, my hand still wrapped around my cock, her panties clinging to my length, breath ragged and mouth slightly open.

Slowly, I turned my head toward the doorway.

And there was Caleb… my other roommate.

The door creaked open wider, revealing the other man. Tall, broad-shouldered, wearing nothing but grey sweatpants and a grin. His dark hair was messy like he’d just woken up from a nap and his gorgeous purple eyes glinting with amusement.

For one endless second neither of us moved. The only sound was the hum of the air conditioner and my ragged breathing filling the awkward silence between us.

"Didn't know laundry day got you this… motivated," he said slowly, dragging out the last word with obvious delight.

My face burned hotter than a fire in summer but I didn’t say a word.

His smirk widened—slow, knowing… clearly enjoying this—and I suddenly wanted the ground to open and swallow me whole. He leaned against the doorframe; arms crossed over his broad chest as his eyes roamed shamelessly from my flushed face… down my bare torso… to where her panties were tangled around my throbbing cock like some twisted love confession.

I couldn’t speak because my throat was dry as sandpaper. All I could do was stare at him, my ears pinned back flat against my skull like a guilty dog caught chewing on a favorite pair of his master’s shoes.

The silence stretched before he pushed off the frame and took one step forward into the laundry room, then another and another… each footfall deliberate, calm.

Unhurried.

The laundry room suddenly felt smaller than a closet with him in here with me. The air thicker.

My heartbeat pounded so loud I was sure he could hear it.

He didn’t say anything else. Just watched me with that infuriatingly amused expression as his eyes flickered between my face and my cock.

Then… he reached out.

And plucked a pair of black panties out of the basket behind me before holding them up between two fingers like it was show-and-tell with a smirk. "Seems like I’m not the only who is addicted to her scent," he mumbled then brought the lacy fabric to his nose and inhaled.

The sight sent a jolt through me—not jealousy, not quite. Something deeper. Hotter.

Because he wasn’t disgusted. He wasn’t judging me for being some weirdo for jerking off to my roommate’s underwear.

No, he was doing the same damn thing right in front of me with that cocky smirk like he had done this before too.

And worse? That knowledge turned me on more than I already was.

He inhaled again and his eyes fluttered shut just slightly before they opened again, darker now. Less amused. More… hungry?

His chest rose and fell once with a deep sigh then without breaking eye contact… he slowly slid the panties down his bare chest to the waistband on his sweats and palmed his hard cock through the fabric.

My breath stopped.

The air in the room shifted like a storm rolling in. Heavy. Charged.

He didn’t speak as he pulled his sweats down just enough to free himself. His cock slapped against his belly, thick and already hard. He wrapped her panties around the base much like I had, his eyes locked on mine while his hand slowly slid up the long length, squeezing gently at first.

My own neglected cock twitched painfully between my thighs, as if to remind me that it wanted attention to.

The air between us thickened… becoming electric, suffocating.

I could hear my heartbeat in my ears, each beat echoing.

Swallowing hard, I held his gaze and started stroking my cock again, moving slowly then picking up speed… my hips giving small rolls into the motion before I finally just let go and started moving my fist along my length faster.

Caleb didn’t look away. Not once.

We stood there—bare chests rising and falling, sweat beading at our temples—and stroked ourselves in silence with her panties wrapped around our cocks in some twisted shared secret.

Every slide of his hand sent a visible tremor through him. His purple eyes stayed locked onto mine, dark with lust but also something else… curiosity? Challenge?

He wasn’t rushing. Wasn’t saying anything cocky anymore either.

This wasn't teasing… this was real hunger playing out between us. And when he bit his lower lip on an upward stroke? When a soft groan slipped past those perfect lips?

My stomach flipped violently.

I didn’t know if this was okay, if this was going to change things between him and I, but I couldn't stop now even if the world was burning down around me.

So I kept going, fingers tightening just slightly over the head before dragging back down again slowly… deliberately making sure he saw every inch as my cock flexed in my grip.

His breath hitched audibly, his grip on his cock tightening as a low groan escaped him. His hips rolled again, more deliberately now, chasing friction like he couldn’t help it. The panties clung to him just as they did me but neither of us cared about anything but this… heat between us thickening with every passing second.

Then… slowly… he took a step forward until there was about a foot of space between us but he didn’t touch me, only leaned forward. He put his hand on the washing machine behind me and simply kept stroking his cock, his eyes flicking between my face and my length.

The proximity was suffocating. His body heat radiated against my bare skin, mingling with the scent of her and something uniquely Caleb: clean soap, sweat-salt warmth, and that stupidly attractive cologne he always wore.

He didn’t kiss me. Didn’t say anything.

My pulse hammered as I watched his lips part slightly when another soft groan escaped—this time louder—and I realized I had caused that sound. Because he couldn’t take his eyes off my cock either. Watching it twitch in my grip like it had a mind of its own.

The tension snapped like a live wire.

A deep, guttural moan ripped from my throat as pleasure exploded through me—white-hot and overwhelming. My hips jerked forward, cock throbbing violently in my hand while thick ropes of come shot out onto the panties still wrapped around me and Caleb’s stomach and cock.

Each pulse sent shockwaves up my spine. The heat was unbearable… so intense I couldn’t breathe properly for a solid three seconds as wave after wave crashed over me.

Caleb’s hand sped up over his cock as he watched me unravel, his breath catching when the first spurt of cum splattered across his abs and lower abdomen, the sticky warmth falling onto his fingers.

He didn’t pull away. Didn’t react with disgust or surprise.

Instead… something primal flashed in those purple eyes. His nostrils flared as if inhaling my scent mixed with hers and then he was coming also.

His orgasm hit like a tidal wave—sudden, powerful, unstoppable.

A broken gasp tore from his lips as his back arched slightly, his cock pulsing violently in his hand. Thick strands of come shot out over the panties still wrapped around him and splattered across my chest and stomach too—some even landing on my chest.

For a moment neither of us spoke. Just breathing hard with the aftermath buzzing between us… the air thick with sex and sweat mixed together as we stared at one another.

Then slowly… he pulled the come soaked panties off his cock and dropped them into the opening washing machine with a heated smirk. "I won’t tell if you don’t."

Chapter 9: A Helping Hand

Chapter 12

Caleb didn’t fight it, instead he opened his mouth and let Sylus in—the kiss turning from rough to downright filthy as they fought for dominance.

Sylus let out a sharp groan, his hips stuttering against mine when Caleb gripped a handful of hair and pulled. His grip on my thigh tightened, keeping me spread open and pinned in place while he fucked up into my pussy with rough, uneven thrusts.

"Oh, you like that, hmm?" Caleb taunted darkly before nipping at Sylus' bottom lip hard enough to draw blood.

I watched through heavy-lidded eyes—my chest rising and falling rapidly as I struggled to process what I was seeing: two dangerous men kissing like they wanted nothing more than ruin each other… all while one had me stuffed full of his cock.

Sylus sank his teeth into Caleb's bottom lip, his hand fisting in dark hair and yanking before he pulled back with an almost feral growl.

Caleb groaned but didn't pull away, instead chasing his mouth then he was murmuring against Sylus' lips, "You're being so damn greedy. Wanting us both… hmm…"

"You have no idea," Sylus rasped, voice rough with barely restrained hunger.

"Show me then," Caleb mumbled with a smirk—like a predator who’d just found the weak spot in his prey’s armor. He leaned in, dragging the pad of his thumb over Sylus’ lower lip to smear the blood there.

For a split second, everything went so silent you could hear a pin drop as a look of surprise flashed across Sylus’ face then he growled softly… the sound dangerous and dark.

Something had shifted between them… the tension in the room seemed to double and the air became so thick you could practically taste it.

Caleb must have felt it too because his smirk faded and his eyes darkened, his gaze flicking between Sylus and me like he was trying to read the situation.

Finally, after a moment of silence that felt like an eternity, Sylus let out a low chuckle that made me shiver and pulled his cock out of my pussy.

"Strip, pretty boy."

The simple order was growled out in a tone that left no room for argument.

Caleb tensed, his gaze flicking from Sylus to me then back again, but despite the clear challenge in his eyes, he took a deep breath and not breaking eye contact with Sylus, began unbuttoning his shirt before slipping it off his muscular shoulders and letting it drop to the floor.

He was so beautiful… like a statue come to life, all tight defined muscle and sharp angles, his golden skin covered in colorful tattoos that I wanted to lick.

Sylus' eyes burned, his fingers flexing at his sides like he was physically restraining himself from reaching out and taking.

"Something wrong?" Caleb taunted, popping the button on his jeans before sliding them down in one slow drag that left him bare save for black boxer briefs that clung to his long, thick cock.

Sylus snapped… moving so fast there wasn't time to blink before he shoved Caleb back against the wall beside me with brutal force.

Caleb’s breath left him in a rough oof as his spine hit the wall, but the surprise only lasted a second… his smirk returning full-force as he looked up at Sylus through his lashes.

"Fuck," he rasped, shifting just enough to press his hips forward against Sylus' thigh. "Didn’t realize you’d get all worked up just seeing me strip."

Sylus let out a sharp, humorless laugh as he crowded closer.

"Worked up?" he repeated darkly, dragging the pad of his thumb over the damp fabric covering the head of Caleb’s cock.

Caleb's breath hitched, hips jerking forward instinctively as his hands came up to grip Sylus' wrists—whether to push him away or pull him closer wasn't clear.

"Ummhmm…" he taunted. "You had plenty of chances to touch me over the years… why haven’t you taken what you wanted?"

Sylus’ eyes flashed dangerously… red like smoldering coals in a fire about to burn everything down around it.

He leaned in and growled, "You weren’t ready for me yet."

Then he yanked Caleb's boxers down just enough for his cock to spring free between them.

Caleb let out another rough exhale, his hands clenching tighter around Sylus' wrists as his muscles tensed… but for a second... just a split second, I could see the uncertainty in his eyes before it was carefully covered again by that cocky gleam he wore so well.

"And you think I am now?" he murmured, his head tilting almost playfully.

There was a dangerous edge to the way Sylus smirked, his eyes darkening as he leaned in closer to brush his lips across Caleb's jaw, almost like he was taunting him.

"Not yet…" he growled before grabbing a fistful of Caleb's hair and yanking his head back to expose his throat. "But soon."

He pressed his face against the smooth skin of Caleb's neck—inhaling deeply and drinking in the familiar scent of smoke and ink then let out a low, rough sound and bit down on the tendon hard enough to make Caleb gasp.

"Bastard," Caleb rasped out, arching against the wall. "You always did play dirty."

Sylus chuckled darkly, dragging his mouth up to his ear.

"And you don’t?" he murmured, curling one hand around their cocks and stroking.

Caleb's hips jerked forward as a ragged groan tore from his throat, his head falling back against the wall with a thud, exposing the bruise forming on his neck.

Sylus watched him unravel with satisfaction, tightening his fist just enough to make Caleb whimper then he dragged the pad of this thumb over both of their swollen heads slowly—deliberately—watching every micro-expression flicker across Caleb’s face.

"Still think you're ready for me?" Sylus taunted before adding more pressure and stroking them again from base to tip.

Caleb's mouth opened, no doubt ready with a smartass response… but all that came out was a guttural moan as he writhed against the wall.

"Can't even form a reply?" Sylus taunted. "You might be more desperate than I thought."

Unable to help myself, I bit my bottom lip and put my hand between my thighs, dragging my fingers through the wet folds of my pussy before inserting two inside my body.

Caleb must have heard the slick sounds because his eyes snapped open and locked on mine, his gaze darkening when he realized what I was doing.

"Yeah?" he rasped out, voice barely above a whisper as his hips jerked against Sylus’ hand. "Getting yourself off while we play?"

Sylus' gaze flicked towards me then the corner of his mouth crooked up into a dark smirk. "Look at you… all ready for us," he growled before turning his gaze back to Caleb. "She's so desperate for us… you think she could take us both at the same time?"

Caleb's mouth opened... like the question caught him off guard then his gaze flicked between us before he let out a deep exhale.

"Fuck yes…"

Sylus released his grip on their cocks before yanking Caleb forward by the hips and shoving him toward me making him stumble before he catching himself against the wall beside my head, his breath ragged as he stared down at me.

"Fuckin' hell..." He muttered under his breath when our gazes locked—his pupils blown so wide there was barely any iris left.

Sylus let out a rough, approving growl. "Take her," he challenged darkly, his red eyes burning with something between possession and hunger.

Caleb didn’t hesitate.

He crashed his mouth against mine in a brutal kiss, teeth nipping at my lip before dipping his tongue inside like he was starved for the taste of me. One hand fisted in my hair while the other slid between our bodies, lifting one of my legs and draping it over his arm then rough fingers were finding his cock and sliding inside my pussy.

I cried out into the kiss, back arching as he stretched me open on his cock… pushing in deeper with a slow, deliberate roll of his hips.

Sylus watched with rapt attention, one hand fisting in Caleb's hair while the other traced along the curve of my ribs before sliding between our bodies and down Caleb’s stomach to where we were connected.

"That's it," he rasped approvingly. "Take him like a good girl."

Caleb let out a guttural groan when I tightened around him and pulled back just enough for our gazes to lock.

"Hmmm…" He panted roughly against my swollen lips, thrusting in so deep it stole what little breath remained in my lungs and had my body clamping down on his cock so hard he couldn’t move.

Sylus' smirk turned downright predatory as Caleb froze, his red eyes burning with the kind of hunger that could level cities.

"Fuck," he rasped, voice thick as gravel when he watched my body milking Caleb so greedily.

His fingers pressed against my clit… rough, ruthless circles meant to wring another orgasm from me and my sensitive body couldn’t help but obey.

Sylus let out a dark chuckle as I came again, his free hand fisting in Caleb’s hair and yanking as he growled, "Think you can handle her coming on your cock while I fuck her tight ass?"

"Fuck—" Caleb rasped out, eyes wild and dark. "You serious?"

Sylus didn’t answer with words… just smirked and dragged the pad of his thumb over my bottom lip before pushing it between my lips. His other hand slid down between our bodies until he was dragging one finger through the slick mess where I was stretched around Caleb’s cock… then lower…

I whimpered at the sudden pressure against that untouched ring of muscle but couldn't even form a word before Sylus was leaning in and whispering, "Gonna stretch you open on my cock..."

Hi fingers worked me open with slow, deliberate pressure… the stretch was unbearable, the sensation foreign and overwhelming as I clenched around his invading digit but eventually, I got used to it and my body started to relax.

He let out a dark, approving grow then he added a second digit.

Fuck," Caleb rasped when Sylus’ actions had me arching and clenching again, his hips jerking involuntarily and burying himself deeper in my pussy.

Sylus hummed… his red eyes burning with something feral and possessive as his free hand gripped Caleb’s shoulder roughly before pulling him back a step and turning us so Caleb’s back was against the wall.

Caleb leaned back against the cold stone and grabbed my other leg, draping it over his arm, then his hands were on my ass, spreading me open for Sylus.

The movement caused his cock to press deeper in my pussy, and I couldn’t help but let out a long moan that had both men growling.

"Fuck—look at her," Caleb rasped against the shell of my ear, hips rolling up to meet every downward thrust of my own… I hadn’t even realized I was moving.

Sylus let out a dark chuckle before adding a third finger without warning—the sudden stretch punching another ragged cry from my throat as I clamped around them involuntarily.

Caleb’s hands flexed on my ass cheeks as he gritted out, "So… fucking tight…"

"You’re ready for me," Sylus growled. He pulled his fingers free, wrapped his long fingers around the base of his cock and lined himself up against my fluttering rim.

"Don't move," he commanded, the order sharp and firm.

Caleb's hips stilled, his eyes snapping open as a ragged groan tore from his throat as my body tried to milk him deeper to get him moving again.

"Fuck," he bit out between gritted teeth, purple eyes burning into mine like molten lava—wild and untamed in a way I had never seen.

"Mngh…" I moaned, head dropping back against Sylus’s shoulder as he slowly pushed, burying himself inside my ass to the hilt… stretching me so wide I was sure I blacked out for a moment as my back arched violently.

Caleb's head slammed back against the wall with a thud, his entire body going rigid as Sylus' cock pressed against his through the thin barrier separating them.

"Fuck… fuck… fuck…"

For a second... just one suspended moment... there was no sound but our shared panting.

Then Sylus moved.

A slow roll of his hips that had me seeing stars all over again while Caleb choked on a cry… the sudden movement almost too much for him to handle.

"Move," I begged between gasps, nails scoring down Caleb’s arms as my body shuddered between them. "Please move…"

Sylus growled but obeyed… pulling back until only the tip remained before slamming home again so hard it knocked the air from my lungs.

Caleb snarled something filthy under breath right against the shell of my ear then he thrust up into my pussy with brutal force, his hips slamming against mine in perfect sync with Sylus' punishing strokes against my ass.

The sensation of being stuffed full from both ends was overwhelming… I couldn't form words anymore—just ragged, punched-out moans as their thrusts grew rougher, deeper.

Caleb's hands were everywhere… gripping my hips, sliding up my ribcage, cupping my breasts, fingers pinching my nipples while his teeth sank into the curve of my shoulder.

"Gonna make you come so hard you forget your own name," he growled against my sweat-slick skin before slamming up into me again with a snap of his hips that had my pussy clamping down on him as my body came from over stimulation.

A low, guttural moan torn from Sylus’ lips as if the sight of me coming apart was the most erotic thing he had ever seen. His hand fisted in Caleb’s hair and he yanked him forward, crushing their lips together in a brutal kiss as they continued to fuck up into my body like men possessed.

Caleb’s fingers dug into my skin as he kissed him back—aggressive… possessive…

"You won't last much longer," Sylus mumbled against his lips.

Caleb didn’t try to deny it as he gritted out, "Neither will you."

Sylus didn't deny it either, "You're right… maybe we should make this interesting then."

"How?" Caleb asked huskily.

Having a feeling I knew where this was going, I started to squirm between them to try to get away but of course they were having none of it.

Sylus' grip tightened instantly, his red eyes flashing with dark amusement. "Oh no you don't," he growled, yanking my hips back against him so hard I felt the sting of it.

Caleb let out a rough chuckle, his hands clamping down on my waist like steel bands. "Where d'you think you're going?" he taunted, grinding up into me just to feel my pussy flutter around his solid length.

Sylus smirked then leaned in to whisper something in Caleb's ear.

Whatever he said had Caleb's eyes widening then a slow, wolfish grin curled the corner of his mouth. When he turned his gaze to mine, the look in his eyes was downright feral.

"Oh… this is gonna be good."

Sylus leaned in close enough that I could feel the heat of his breath against my ear, "Count."

And then they moved at once—brutal thrusts from both ends that punched a scream from my throat as their cocks rubbed against each other.

"One," Sylus snarled right after another punishing snap forward.

My nails scraped down Caleb's chest as another cry tore free.

"Two," Caleb murmured.

Hips moved faster now—no rhythm left as pure need snapped between us.

"Three," Sylus growled.

"Four," Caleb echoed.

I could feel the pressure building in my belly—the tension coiling tight like a spring ready to snap as high-pitched cries and moans tore from my lips.

"Five," Sylus snapped.

"Six," Caleb grunted roughly and buried his face in the crook of my neck, his breath hot against my skin, "You're so damn close. I can feel it."

"Seven," Sylus growled, his thrusts turning punishing as he chased his own release.

Caleb bit down on my neck, a ragged groan vibrating against my skin. "Eight."

I sobbed their names between gasps—my body shaking violently as pleasure coiled tighter than ever before, threatening to shatter at any second. My fingers tangled in Caleb's dark hair and pulled as my hips spasmed against theirs.

"Nine," they snarled in unison as they thrust in deep at the same time and it sent me over the edge with an ear-splitting scream.

Sylus roared out something filthy under his breath, hips stuttering violently as he came, his red eyes burning with satisfaction as he watched my body milk every drop.

A moment of utter silence… then Caleb let out a loud exhale and leaned back against the wall behind him, eyes closed and chest heaving violently.

"Holy shit," he rasped.

Sylus let out a rough, satisfied chuckle as he slowly pulled out of me—his movements deliberate to make me feel every inch.

"Holy shit?" he repeated, dragging his thumb over the bite mark on my shoulder before turning his gaze to Caleb. "That all you got to say after that?"

Caleb cracked one eye open.

"Guess I should've known better than to challenge you," he muttered hoarsely as he pulled out of my pussy and lowered my legs to the ground then held on as I wobbled and almost fell.

"Yes, you should have," Sylus smirked then reached down between my legs, dragging his fingers through our combined fluids before pressing them between Caleb's lips.

Caleb sucked in a sharp breath—his tongue darting out to chase Sylus' fingers as they pulled away. His gaze burned with something dangerous when it locked onto mine again.

"Fuck," I whimpered weakly, still trembling as I backed away. "No… n-no more."

Sylus let out a dark, throaty laugh as he watched me struggle to form words.

"No more?" he repeated as he spun me, his still-hard cock brushing against my stomach.

My eyes widened and I brought my hands up to push at his chest.

"You-" I stopped to lick my lips then wished I hadn’t when he growled. "You’re still hard…"

His smirk turned downright feral as he watched realization dawn on me.

"You should know by now that I have impressive stamina, kitten…" His voice dropped to a rough growl as his hands slid down to grip my hips, pulling me flush against him so I could feel every hard inch of him pressed between us. "I’m not done with you yet."

"Fuck," Caleb muttered under his breath as Sylus pushed me up against him.

I opened my mouth to protest but Sylus cut me off… one hand dragging up one trembling thigh and hooking it over his hip.

"You said no more?" He repeated before grinding forward in one brutal roll of those hips. "There’s going to be a lot more… we have a week to make up for…"

A ragged moan tore free before I could stop it as I was filled all over again with thick cock.

"I knew that tight pussy could take me again…" he mumbled triumphantly.

Caleb let out a sharp, humorless laugh as he watched us with dark amusement.

"Fuckin' hell," he rasped, cupping my breasts in his large palms.

Sylus didn't even glance at him; too busy watching my face as I struggled to adjust around him again. His smirk was pure sin when my body clamped down on instinct—tight and wet and hot around him.

"That's it." He growled as he held me in place… not letting me move as his gaze turned to Caleb. "You’re gonna watch as I fuck our girl…"

Caleb's grip tightened on my breasts. "Oh?" His voice was rough with interest, thumb brushing over one peaked nipple. "You planning to make it good for me too?"

Sylus let out a dark chuckle, hips rolling in an agonizingly slow drag.

"Better than good," he corrected, voice rough as gravel. His thrusts turned brutal from the first snap forward, punishingly deep like he was trying to imprint an image of his cock inside me.

I threw my head back against Caleb’s shoulder, moaning their names between punched-out cries—body strung so tight it felt like I might break.

One of Caleb's hands wandered, fingers wrapping around my chin.

"Look at me," he growled.

My eyes locked on his… taking in his dilated pupils, the sharp edges of his features, the flush staining his cheeks... he was just as affected as me.

"So goddamn pretty like this," he mumbled then lifted my other leg so both were hooked over his arms, opening me wider for Sylus’ cock.

Sylus growled as he sank deeper, a shudder rolling through his powerful body as his thrusts sped up.

"So perfect… all ours… we'll keep you like this always… and you won’t ever run from us again… will you, kitten?"

"N-no," I gasped. "I won't run again… I promise… I swear."

The words seemed to please him… the tension in his expression softening as a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

"Good girl," he murmured then his hands were cupping my ass cheeks and he started hammering his cock in and out of my body like a man possessed.

I arched with a sharp whine and shook my head, pushing against his chest.

"Too deep…"

"You can take it," he growled. "You were made for this… for us."

Caleb hummed, his fingers trailing down my stomach to wrap around the base of Sylus' cock where it disappeared inside me. His thumb rubbed slow circles over the spot where we were joined… deliberate… taunting… then he pressed down on my clit harshly.

A strangled cry tore from my throat, my legs trembling and my hips spasming against Sylus’ violently as I came so hard it hurt.

"That's it… there you go… such a good girl," Sylus growled, his mouth trailing up my neck as he buried his face against my skin. "Perfect…"

One of his hands slid up my chest, his fingers wrapping around my throat, not applying any pressure but holding me in place as his mouth latched onto my neck and sucked, his hips jerking against mine as his cock pulsed inside me.

"Fuck..." Caleb murmured then suddenly he yanked Sylus' head back by the hair.

Sylus let out a rough growl of surprise but then Caleb crushed their lips together in a brutal kiss… a clash of teeth and tongue that made me whimper just seeing it.

They broke away after what felt like forever, chests heaving, gazes locked and hungry… and then Sylus smirked, his eyes darkening.

"You want something, pretty boy?"

Caleb grinned… sharp and dangerous, a wild look in his eyes that had me shuddering. He looked like a man who'd found his purpose—a hunter who just found his prey.

"I do, actually," he drawled.

"Oh?" Sylus mumbled, a slow smirk curling the corner of his lips as he slowly pulled his cock out of my body. "And what would that be?"

Caleb's smile turned dangerous, his gaze raking over both of us like a physical touch until it settled on Sylus’ length as it slapped against his stomach.

"I think you know," he responded in a low voice—rough like gravel.

Sylus' breath hitched, his red eyes flashing with something dark.

"You want me to fuck you?" His voice was rough—raw with disbelief and a hunger that had my stomach clenching.

Caleb didn't flinch, just let out a slow exhale through his nose before nodding.

For one terrifying second… I thought Sylus might refuse him or tell him he wasn’t ready again but then he smirked… satisfaction curling his lips as he stepped forward until their chests were pressed together.

Caleb's eyes widened at the sudden movement but then a low noise built in his chest as Sylus grabbed Caleb's waist possessively and pulled so their hips were pressed together.

Sylus ran his nose along Caleb’s throat before nipping his skin.

"Been thinking about it, pretty boy?" he growled quietly.

Caleb let out a shaky exhale, his eyes fluttering before he closed them and pressed his forehead against Sylus' shoulder.

"Yeah…" he replied, voice barely above a whisper, "been thinking about it lately… a lot."

Sylus hummed as he moved one hand up to bury it in Caleb's hair then tugged his head back again, forcing their gaze to meet.

"Why didn't you say something then?" he murmured.

"Because," Caleb rasped, voice rough with frustration and something far more vulnerable beneath it, "I didn't think you wanted me like that." His jaw clenched. "You never... touched me or looked at me like that until… recently."

A dark chuckle rumbled from Sylus’ chest as he dragged a finger down the center of Caleb’s bare torso—watching goosebumps rise in its wake until he reached the head of Caleb’s cock.

"And now…" he murmured, tilting his head mockingly as he drew a finger through the moisture there and brought it to his mouth.

Caleb's breath caught, his gaze locked on as the other man sucked the digit past his lips—a slow, deliberate motion.

"Now?" he repeated through gritted teeth, hips twitching forward.

"Now you ache for it," Sylus growled, the words rough with satisfaction. His free hand slid down to grip Caleb's hip hard enough to bruise—yanking him flush against his own body so their cocks pressed together in a hot, slick slide.

Caleb let out a sharp groan at the sudden friction, his hands flying up to dig into Sylus' shoulders like an anchor.

"Fuck—"

Sylus didn't let him finish—just crushed their mouths together again in a kiss that was all teeth and dominance while grinding against Caleb with slow, filthy rolls of his hips.

"You want my cock?" he murmured darkly when they broke apart for air.

Caleb's breath came in ragged bursts; sweat-slicked chest rising and falling rapidly beneath ink-stained skin then he murmured, "Yeah."

A satisfied grin spread across Sylus’ face then he was letting go, stepping back and removing his hands from Caleb’s body.

Caleb let out a sound of protest and went to follow him but Sylus held up a hand, his gaze flicking to me for a moment before it settled back on Caleb’s, "Then I think we should take this somewhere else…"

Chapter 13

Chapter 7: Winner… Sucks? (Part 3)

Caleb’s breath hitched, his purple eyes darkening with something raw. He didn’t hesitate before surging forward, knocking the werewolf onto his back and climbing over top of him. The sudden shift caught Valko off guard, his golden eyes widening in surprise for half a second before Caleb was on him, straddling his waist and crashing their mouths together.

There was nothing gentle about this kiss. It was all teeth, tongue and desperate hunger, like Caleb had been holding himself back from what he had clearly wanted for a while but could no longer stand it. His hands gripped the other man’s jaw roughly as he kissed him with feverish intensity, nothing like the shy boy who had spent most of the night blushing at every word or touch.

Valko let out a surprised grunt but quickly melted into it, one large hand sliding up to tangle in Caleb's hair while the other wrapped around his back. The werewolf kissed back just as fiercely—mouth moving against the other man’s with equal desperation—and when they finally broke apart for air, they were panting hard as they stared at one another for a long moment.

Caleb immediately dove down again after that brief pause but instead he went lower. Not toward Valko's mouth or even his neck but straight down along that sculpted chest… nipping lightly at each nipple before moving lower over defined abs until he reached those tight hips and the large cock resting against the werewolf’s belly.

Valko tensed with a sharp inhale and a slight arch of his hips… every muscle coiled like he was bracing for something monumental. His golden eyes locked onto the man above him with an intensity that bordered on worshipful hunger.

The Colonel wrapped one hand around Valko’s thick length, giving it a slow experimental stroke from base to tip before leaning down and pressing an open-mouthed kiss to the flushed head. Valko made a noise somewhere between a growl and gasp and his fingers clenched in Caleb's hair like he needed an anchor.

Then Caleb licked up the underside in one long stripe. Slow, deliberate… teasingly light compared to how the werewolf had been when the roles were reversed. The contrast had to be maddening, gentle caresses where everything else had been rough between them so far.

A low, guttural moan tore from Valko’s throat, his thighs tensing as his hips lifted off the floor, chasing that soft lick like he couldn’t help himself. Caleb smirked and did it again… one long, slow drag of his tongue from base to tip before swirling around the head with deliberate care.

Then he seemed to take pity on the werewolf or maybe just wanted to see how far he could push him and finally closed his lips around the flushed head, sucking gently while swirling that wicked tongue right where Valko needed it most.

Valko’s body arched off the floor with a choked groan, one hand fisting so tight in Caleb’s hair it had to hurt. The other hand shot out blindly toward me as if seeking contact with me too or subconsciously letting me know I hadn’t been forgotten.

I didn’t hesitate; I grabbed onto his outstretched fingers, instantly lacing our hands together tightly while watching with half-lidded eyes. My cock was hard and throbbing between my thighs and I couldn’t help but reach down and wrap my fingers around my length and start stroking.

Valko’s grip on my hand tightened as Caleb took him deeper, his breathing coming in ragged bursts through clenched teeth. His abs flexed with every shallow thrust of his hips, desperate little movements like he couldn’t stop himself.

Caleb took more into his mouth slowly… testing how much he could handle before pulling back with a wet pop and swirling that sinful tongue along the underside before diving down, taking the whole nine inches in one go.

Valko’s body jerked violently, a ragged shout tearing from his throat as both hands returned to clamp onto either side of Caleb's head while those golden eyes blew wide in shock at having every inch suddenly engulfed in tight wet heat.

For one second neither moved… then Caleb swallowed around him deliberately, sending white-hot lightning through Valko's spine, before he pulled off his length and crawled slowly up his body. The werewolf was still gasping, chest rising and falling rapidly as their lips met… this kiss slower but filled with the kind of hunger that came from wanting someone so badly it hurt.

Valko’s hands slid down to grip Caleb’s hips while their mouths moved together in perfect sync—tongues tangling, teeth nipping at each other's lips. The air smelled like sweat and sex now; thick with tension as they ground against one another. Then Valko rolled, flipping their positions effortlessly and pinned Caleb beneath his larger frame.

His mouth crashed back onto Caleb's hungrily while one hand roamed possessively: tracing collarbones, skimming down toned arms, squeezing biceps before trailing lower along defined abs, tracing one finger along Caleb’s cock then dipping lower, pressing against his hole.

Caleb gasped at that touch, body tensing with a mix of surprise and sudden, overwhelming arousal. Valko didn't push inside him yet, just applied gentle pressure there with one fingertip while watching Caleb’s face like it was the most fascinating thing in the world. Caleb’s lips parted in a shaky exhale then he mumbled, "You don’t have to stretch me… I use toys."

Valko's eyebrows shot up at that confession, and for a second, he just stared, processing the unexpected information. Then his expression shifted into something darker… more possessive. "Oh?" His voice dropped an octave, rough with sudden interest. "What kind of toys?"

Caleb blushed furiously and averted his eyes. "Dildos mostly…"

Valko’s pupils dilated, his fingertip pressing slightly harder against Caleb’s hole just to make him gasp. A slow smirk curled on his lips… the kind predators wore right before pouncing. "So you're used to being filled then."

"Yeah… I like it." Caleb’s admission came out in a whisper, barely audible.

Valko’s smirk widened into something downright feral then without another word, he flipped Caleb onto his stomach with effortless strength. The Colonel gasped at the abrupt movement but didn’t resist.

For one long moment there was only silence as Valko studied the broad shoulders, narrow waist and tight ass laid out before him like a buffet then he leaned over and pulled open a drawer. He grabbed a bottle of lube without hesitation and squeezed a generous amount onto his fingers before tossing the bottle aside then leaned over Caleb's prone form. He pressed one hand between his shoulders to keep him still while using the other to spread the lube on his cock.

The slick sound of Valko coating himself filled the quiet room, a stark contrast to the heavy breathing coming from the three of us. Caleb trembled beneath him… head turned to the side, eyes glazed, cheeks flushed and fingers twisting into the carpet in anticipation.

Valko leaned down, positioning himself over Caleb, one hand braced against the floor while the other guided his thick length to press against that tight entrance. He didn’t push in immediately; he took a moment to tease, rubbing slow circles around the rim before applying light pressure.

Caleb’s breath came in short, shaky gasps, each one sharper than the last as the anticipation built. He looked like he wanted to protest but he kept quiet as the werewolf took his sweet time, seemingly enjoying how tense and pliant he was, how he was trembling with need… waiting. Then finally, he pressed forward enough for the broad head to breach that tight ring of muscle.

A sharp gasp tore from Caleb’s lips, his hips instinctively arching up to take him deeper. His fingers clawed at the carpet as Valko pushed deeper with agonizing slowness, inch by thick inch filling him up until his hips met those perfect ass cheeks.

Valko stayed perfectly still once fully buried inside him, letting Caleb adjust while pressing slow kisses along the back of his neck and shoulders to his ear. One large hand rubbed soothing circles on Caleb’s hip while the other carded through dark locks and held him still while whispering soft reassurances against the side of his neck.

Caleb exhaled shakily, body slowly relaxing after a few deep breaths then he pushed back slightly in silent invitation. The werewolf understood instantly. A low growl rumbled from his chest—part approval, part barely restrained hunger—and then he pulled almost all the way out before sinking back in with deliberate control.

This time wasn’t slow though; it was deeper. Harder. More possessive than anything they'd done yet. Each thrust made Caleb's breath hitch louder until soft moans spilled from his lips with every snap of Valko's hips.

My hand tightened around my cock, stroking the long length in time to Valko’s thrust, as I watched them through heavy-lidded eyes. The sight of powerful muscles flexing underneath sweat-slick skin each time they moved sent heat straight through me. The sounds of skin slapping against skin and guttural moans and whimpers made my thighs quiver and my stomach tighten with need.

I wanted to reach out and touch one of them… both of them, but this moment was special. Something that seemed to have been a long time coming.

Valko’s rhythm grew rougher, hips pistoning with increasing urgency. The werewolf was holding back just enough to not hurt him, but every powerful snap of his pelvis showed how badly he wanted the man beneath him… needed him.

Caleb wasn’t complaining. His moans had turned into breathy cries, each one more desperate than the last as pleasure overwhelmed him. One arm reached back blindly, fingers grasping at one of Valko’s thighs, silently urging the werewolf to go faster, take him harder.

With a low, feral growl that vibrated through the room, Valko grabbed Caleb’s hips hard enough to leave fingerprints and pounded into him with raw, unfiltered hunger. Each thrust was punishing—deep and fast—driving his cock in so hard that their bodies made a sharp smacking sounds with every movement.

Caleb cried out and pushed up onto his knees, lifting that perfect ass in the air. The shift in position gave Valko deeper access, an angle that made his thrusts hit Caleb right where he needed them most. A particularly brutal snap of his hips had Caleb arching like a bow, a high-pitched whimper tearing from his throat.

Valko leaned forward, pressing his broad chest against Caleb's back. His lips found the shell of Caleb’s ear, and he bit down gently before murmuring darkly, "You feel so fucking good."

"V-Valko," Caleb whined, a soft sound that only spurred Valko to wrap one arm around Caleb's torso and pull him upright so his back was flush against his chest.

I tightened my fingers around my cock, mesmerized by how Valko's sweat-damp muscles flexed with every movement… how each powerful thrust jostled Caleb’s entire body forward before he was yanked back by the grip around his waist… how flushed both their faces were from exertion and pleasure…

The new angle made Caleb gasp louder, his head falling back against Valko’s shoulder as the werewolf continued to pound into him with single-minded intensity. Every snap of Valko’s lean hips sent a jolt through Caleb's body, and he instinctively reached up to grip the thick forearm wrapped around his chest for balance, fingers trembling where they pressed into hard muscles.

Valko kissed along the side of Caleb’s neck between ragged breaths, open-mouthed kisses that turned into light bites when the Colonel shuddered and tried to angle his head away. Then one hand left its possessive hold and slid down Caleb’s chest and stomach until calloused fingertips curled around Caleb’s cock.

The moment Valko’s hand wrapped around his length, Caleb grunted. His back arched as those skilled fingers started stroking him in perfect rhythm with each punishing thrust. "Please…" he begged, rotating his hips against Valko’s pelvis in a sensuous movement that made my breath hitch sharply.

"Please what?" Valko chuckled darkly against his ear and tightened his grip just slightly before picking up speed. His palm glided up and down Caleb's cock while he fucked into him, every deep snap of his hips perfectly timed to match the brutal pace of his hand.

Caleb was unraveling fast. Sweat gleaming on his neck, shoulders and chest. Tears pricking the corners of those purple eyes as he gasped for breath between cries. He was oversensitive but unable to stop himself from rocking into Valko's touch whenever possible.

I watched them closely, my own breathing growing erratic. My cock ached; throbbing painfully against my lower belly and suddenly I couldn’t sit still and just watch anymore. Not when every gasp and moan falling from Caleb sounded so sweet or when Valko’s possessive growls made heat pool low in stomach…

Getting up on my knees I scooted around until I was in front of Caleb and ran my fingers down his chest. The second my fingers touched him; his eyes snapped to mine… glassy with pleasure and need.

For a heartbeat, we just stared at each other then he surged forward awkwardly, wrapping his arms around my neck and crashing our mouths together in a messy kiss. It wasn't graceful but it was hungry and needy and so typically Caleb that I melted instantly.

One hand moved to cradle his jaw while the other slid lower to pinch one of his nipples before traveling down over toned abs. My thumb brushed over the head of his cock where Valko’s grip had been moments ago but now that thick length throbbed between us… untouched, throbbing steadily… just begging for me to do something.

Reaching down, I gripped both of our cocks in one fist and started stroking. The sudden sensation made Caleb gasp sharply. His hips jerked forward, chasing the tight heat of my grip as a moan vibrated from his throat.

Valko’s thrusts didn’t stop; if anything, they grew more relentless now that Caleb was distracted. Each powerful snap of his hips drove Caleb’s cock into my tight grip. I stroked slowly at first, getting used to how different we felt pressed together. His smooth skin contrasting with mine… his skinnier length pressed against my thickness, my cock an inch longer than his impressive eight inches, the way he trembled…

Caleb broke away from our messy kiss with a whimper when I twisted slightly on an upstroke and buried his face in the crook of my neck where he bit down gently on the sensitive skin to muffle another noise.

The sensation of his teeth grazing my neck sent a jolt straight through me, and I tightened my grip instinctively, squeezing just enough to make him whimper again. Valko noticed immediately; his gaze darkening and a low growl rumbling from his chest… not in anger, but in primal approval. He reached out and grabbed a fistful of my hair, not painfully but firmly enough to tilt my head back and expose more of my throat for Caleb’s lips, teeth and tongue.

Valko’s mouth crashed onto mine before I could even process the move, claiming my lips with a fierce, possessive kiss that stole my breath. His teeth caught my lower lip, biting down just hard enough to sting before his tongue swept in and invaded my mouth. He kissed exactly like he fucked—all raw hunger and dominance.

Caleb attacked my neck and chest with just as much fervor, surely leaving behind marks as he sucked and bit at my skin. "You taste so good," he mumbled before biting down on my collarbone hard enough to break the skin.

I gasped sharply, both at the sharp sting of Caleb’s bite and the overwhelming sensation of being kissed so roughly. My free hand flew up, tangling in Caleb’s hair, holding him closer.

Valko finally broke the kiss only to immediately latch onto my jaw instead and he sucked harshly, a spot that made me shudder violently. I couldn't help but arch like a cat begging for more attention even as I continued stroking… savoring every twitch our cocks gave beneath my palm.

Valko growled and suddenly one hand slid down between us. His large palm covered mine where I was stroking both our lengths and added pressure, forcing a rougher rhythm from me. "We come together," he grated out against my skin then picked up his pace.

The command in his voice sent a thrill through me. With his larger hand guiding mine, our strokes became firmer—more synchronized—each movement deliberate and intense. The added pressure made every glide feel electrified, the heat between our bodies skyrocketing.

Caleb let out a guttural moan against my neck, his breath hot and uneven as he squirmed. Valko’s thrusts grew sloppier; less precise but deeper each time like he was chasing something just out of reach. His free arm locked around Caleb's waist to keep him steady while that dominant grip on my wrist ensured I didn't slow down for even a second.

I could tell they were close by the way Caleb's thighs trembled and how Valko's breathing turned ragged against my shoulder. Then… "Fuck," Caleb gasped sharply before going rigid in Valko’s arms as pleasure crashed over him first. A broken cry tore from his lips while thick ropes of come spilled over our joined hands and something about the erotic sight dragged me over next.

Valko followed instantly with guttural moan muffled by biting down hard on muscle where neck met shoulder—not quite enough break my skin but enough to leave a vivid mark—and came deep inside Caleb.

For a few breathless seconds, no one moved. Just heavy panting and sweat-slick skin pressed together. Then slowly, Valko pulled out with careful consideration for Caleb’s sensitivity before collapsing backward onto the floor.

Caleb slumped forward, boneless and trembling with aftershocks, his forehead pressed against my chest as he tried to catch his breath. His skin was clammy with sweat, hair sticking to his face. The usually composed Colonel looked utterly wrecked—lips swollen from kissing and biting, eyes hazy like he’d just run a marathon.

I wrapped an arm around him, holding him close while my other hand absently stroked up and down his back in soothing circles. He nuzzled into me weakly—exhausted but content—and let out a soft sigh that made warmth bloom in my chest.

Valko watched us from his spot on the floor, golden eyes half-lidded with satisfaction. Sweat still glistened on his sculpted chest as he took slow, deep breaths. For a moment there was quiet… just our breathing syncing and Caleb’s occasional shiver then Valko reached over and ran his fingers along my thigh then Caleb’s. "Mine."

Chapter 8: Red Handed

Part 5

The words were quiet, but they carried weight… like a door finally creaking open after being locked for years. My breath hitched slightly as I lifted my head to look at him properly as he pushed himself into a seated position and removed his boots before dipping his feet in the water.

This was it. The talk. The one that would explain everything: his coldness, his jealousy… and maybe even what this really was between us.

I swallowed hard before pushing myself up into a sitting position beside him. Turning fully toward him, I tucked one leg beneath me while fiddling with the pendant around my neck. "What about... your meeting with The Council?" I asked softly.

He glanced at me before turning his gaze back to the pond, where koi glided beneath the surface, darting forward bravely to nip at his toes before moving away again. "It was postponed," he said simply. "They wanted answers about Ghost sightings... I told them I had more important matters to attend to."

The way he said that so casually dismissive of something as serious as Council business spoke volumes. Nothing mattered more than this moment right now with me.

A silence fell again before he exhaled and finally looked at me, those violet eyes searching mine. "I owe you explanations," he admitted quietly. "For everything."

The air between us grew thick. Not with tension, but anticipation. This was the moment I’d waited for for years… answers to questions that had haunted me since I had woken up with him standing over me.

I didn’t interrupt or rush him, just nodded and leaned slightly closer, only for him to grip my waist and lift me into his lap. The sudden movement made me gasp as I was effortlessly settled across his thighs facing him. His large hands rested on my hips—warm and solid—anchoring me there while the cool night air kissed the bare skin of my thighs.

For a second, he just looked at me… like he was memorizing every freckle, every flicker of emotion then he averted his gaze, almost like he was wrestling with himself. "You and I are connected on a level that’s almost impossible to understand," he started slowly, "… two halves of a whole. Yin and yang." He trailed off, brushing his thumb over my pendant absently.

When he spoke again, his voice had dropped lower, the words measured and careful like he was choosing each one with extreme precision. "We aren’t supposed to be together. When we are… things start to fall apart, decay and wither."

The air between us turned heavy, the weight of that confession pressing down on my chest. My breath hitched slightly as I processed those words—we aren’t supposed to be together. The idea that our closeness caused destruction felt impossible to reconcile with how right it felt…

My fingers dug unconsciously into the muscle of his shoulders. "What do you mean?" I finally whispered, unable to stop myself from asking despite the dread curling in my stomach.

Was he telling me that now that I knew what it was like to be in his arms, safe and protected, that it needed to stop? Was something going to happen to me if we were together? Was something going to happen to him?

"I know what you’re thinking, Zaya. Stop it," he growled, making me jump and look up at him in surprise.

"When we're near each other for too long… things die," he continued then gestured around us before adding grimly, "It’s why I waited so long to bring you back the last time you died. It’s why I stayed away from you for eighty years even though all I wanted to do was hold onto you and never let you go. I was trying to find a way for us to be together without destroying everything."

The implications sank in like ice water as I looked around us. The lotus pond remained serene… petals drifting on glassy water, koi glided through its emerald depths, insects darted towards the water before fluttering away.

Beautiful… untouched by decay.

My stomach twisted as my mind raced with more questions… how long did it take for things to die when we were together? Was it gradual or sudden? Did people get sick or just die?

Before I could ask any of those things aloud, his hand lifted again. This time cupping my cheek and turning my face, so I had no choice but to meet his gaze head-on. "Listen, everything is okay," he said quietly but intensely. "I figured things out and we don’t have to be away from each other ever again." He lightly tapped the gemstone. "That's why this pendant exists."

It pulsed faintly under his fingertips… almost as if the magic within was drawn to him. The soft glow reflected in his eyes, making them look even more vibrant. Almost like twin galaxies swirling with power.

My breath caught as I realized why he had given me the pendant. It wasn’t just jewelry. He hadn’t given it to me on a whim. It was protection. A barrier against whatever destructive force tied us together.

"These pendants," he continued, "they neutralize the decay when we're near each other." He touched his own matching one… the green gem identical to mine but slightly larger and embedded in gold rather than silver.

Relief flooded through me so fast it nearly made my knees weak as everything clicked into place. The answer to why he’d waited so long before bringing me back after my last death? Why he’d waited another eighty years to be with me… all because he was searching for a way for us to be together.

What had he gone through to obtain them? How did they work to keep us together? And why did I have a feeling I wouldn’t like the answer?

He exhaled slowly as if sensing my thoughts. The weight of centuries seemed to press down on him. All the years he’d spent searching, experimenting, and failing… before finally succeeding. "They weren’t easy to make," he admitted quietly. "They required something… rare."

His gaze flickered away for just a second—an uncharacteristic hesitation from someone usually so confident and unshakable then it returned to mine. "The core of each gem is a piece of an ancient tree here in the Nether Realm… a piece of the soul of the tree to be exact. It’s the only thing known that can stabilize our energies and it took me quite some time to hunt the grove these trees grow in down and extract enough cores to make these pendants."

The revelation sent a chill through me because he had obtained the soul of an ancient trees... used their very essence? Had they been sacrificed to create these pendants? That kind of magic didn’t come without cost.

I stared at the glowing green gem, suddenly seeing it differently even though moments ago I had been grateful. Now I didn’t see it as a beautiful gift, but as something forged from sorrow and sacrifice.

How many trees had he destroyed for this? Had there been a great battle or were there Guardians protecting them that he had been forced to destroy?

My fingers hovered over the pendant before I finally touched it again… this time with uncertainty rather than curiosity. "Caleb," I started softly, searching his face for any hint of regret or pain about what he’d done to acquire them. "Did you… kill those trees?"

His expression darkened. Not in anger at my assumption but something else. "No." A pause as he studied my face then he continued quietly, "They gave them willingly and will continue to do as long as I return once a year and bring them the things they need to thrive."

My breath hitched because if they'd given up pieces of their souls freely then these trees weren't just objects. They were living beings who understood why they were needed and what they required in return. And once again, that changed everything about how I saw the pendant resting against my chest and his own heart...

He watched the emotions flicker across my face—the surprise, the relief, then something deeper. Respect. Awe. He didn’t say anything for a moment, just let me absorb it all, the weight of what he’d done to make this possible.

The ancient trees weren't mindless creatures; they were wise and sentient beings who understood balance better than anyone in this realm. And they had chosen him… trusted him enough to give pieces of their souls so that we could finally be together without consequence.

That kind of bond… that level of trust from an entity older than time itself? It spoke volumes about Caleb. Not as the cold man I had come to know or the obsessive lover but as someone worth following.

His fingers gently curled around the pendant, his touch feather light and reverent. "They know what it's like to care for something so deeply that you'd sacrifice everything for them," he murmured, voice thick with an emotion I rarely heard from him… gratitude. Gratitude for these ancient beings who believed in our bond enough to ensure that nothing would be destroyed because of it… not people nor nature itself nor us.

"What do they require in return?" I asked quietly.

He exhaled slowly. "They demand balance," he said simply. "They’re ancient Guardians. Older than even the gods in this Realm and they thrive on harmony between life and death, creation and decay… yin and yang."

He shifted slightly beneath me, adjusting my weight across his thighs before continuing. "To keep these pendants stable… I have to return every year with offerings: soulbeads from slain Ghosts, fruits from sacred orchards beyond our borders; pure water drawn from the mountain springs; and rare minerals."

His lips quirked slightly, not quite a smile but something close to amusement at how mundane the things they required sounded for such powerful magic. "They wish to meet you the next time I visit," he added, a flicker of something almost like pride passed through his eyes.

The idea of meeting them, beings older than time itself, wise and powerful enough to understand our bond sent a flutter through my chest. They wanted to see me? Not just hear about me… but meet me.

I could almost picture them in my mind: towering hundreds of stories high with dark bark thick like armor, their glowing green leaves whispering secrets of the universe as they stood guard over sacred groves of smaller trees.

"Meet them?" I repeated softly, surprised by how much I suddenly wanted this—to stand before those who had willingly given pieces of their souls for us.

He nodded. "They want assurance that you're real," he explained gently. "That you're not some illusion or trick meant to harm the balance." His fingers slid from his pendant up into my hair again… a habitual gesture that he couldn’t seem to control that I loved.

The way his fingers threaded through my hair was so familiar now—gentle, possessive, and comforting all at once. It grounded me as I processed everything.

"When do we go?" The question left my lips before I could overthink it. There was no hesitation in my voice because this mattered too much, not just for us but for them too.

His lips curved slightly at the corners. "In six months," he answered, then lifted his free hand and tapped the center of his chest where his pendant rested against his bare skin. "The magic stabilizes with the winter season; but they’ll know if the gems weaken or lose power before then and send word for us to come to them."

Six months. It wasn't far off, and yet it felt like an eternity to wait.

Caleb's fingers continued carding through my hair absently while his other hand traced idle patterns on my thigh… the touch light but grounding. We sat in comfortable silence for a while longer, listening to the pond’s soft ripples and distant night creatures calling to each other.

Eventually though… he shifted beneath me again.

This time not just adjusting but tilting forward until his lips met mine in a kiss that was different from all the others tonight. Softer, slower… almost tender. It wasn’t hungry or claiming or fueled by anger this time; it was sweet, an expression of something deeper than possessiveness or passion. Love? Affection? Gratitude? All three mixed into one.

Whatever emotion drove him into that gentle press of lips against mine I melted into it instantly, returning each featherlight brush with one just as soft.

When we finally parted, his breath fanned over my mouth as those purple eyes searched mine again. There was something raw in them… vulnerable even. Then he hugged me. Not possessively or tightly but carefully… almost hesitantly? Like someone afraid their arms might break the very thing they were holding if they squeezed too hard.

He buried his face in the crook of my neck where loose pieces of my silver hair tickled my neck and for several seconds… he just stayed there breathing me in while one hand rubbed slow circles on my back.

I closed my eyes and let myself melt into him completely—nose pressing against his temple as I inhaled that familiar scent: sandalwood with a hint of something uniquely him. No cologne could replicate it; it was just Caleb—the man who had loved me through lifetimes. The man who had spent decades? Centuries? Longer? Trying to find a way for us to be together.

How could I ever repay him for everything he had done in order for us to be together? For what he had sacrificed? His time? His sanity?

His lips brushed against my neck once… then again. Tiny, almost absent-minded presses like he couldn’t stop himself from touching me. Each one sent a little shiver through me, making me crave more of his touch, more of his kisses.

I felt his lips curve into a small smile against my skin before they moved along my jawline until finally reaching the corner of mouth where he paused. For another heartbeat, nothing happened… then he turned his head and captured my lips in another soft kiss before pulling away with a lopsided smile.

The sight of that smile, rare and genuine, not the cold expression or possessive glare he had worn so often made my heart swell. It was small, barely there… just a slight upward tilt at the corner of his mouth but it transformed his entire face into something breathtakingly beautiful.

I couldn’t help myself; I giggled. A light, airy sound that slipped out without warning because seeing him like this made me giddy inside for reasons I couldn’t understand.

His smile widened just a fraction, and he just stared at me, those purple eyes wide like he’d never heard that sound before… or maybe hadn’t in so long he forgot how it sounded. Then something shifted. That quiet tenderness in his gaze deepened into something warmer, softer than I'd ever seen on him. No possessiveness. No control or dominance… just pure affection.

Without warning, his arms tightened around me, then he was kissing my cheeks rapidly: quick pecks here then there like an overexcited child discovering joy for the first time.

Mwah! On one cheekbone.

Mwah! On the other.

Mwah! A soft smooch right on nose.

Each kiss came with more laughter, the bells in my hair chiming softly each time my head moved. The sudden, playful side of Caleb was so different from the quiet, reserved man who ignored me for eighty years or the intense, obsessive man who had claimed me last night and kissed me with bruising hunger was utterly disarming.

I laughed again and instinctively raised my hands to cup his face between them. His skin was warm under my palms; smooth except for the faintest stubble along his jawline.

For a second, I just looked at him… memorizing this version of a man I couldn’t fully remember but who I knew deep down had belonged to me dozens if not hundreds of times: high cheekbones flushed with pleasure, eyes crinkling at the corners with happiness… lips slightly parted as his breath fanned over mine…

Without thinking or maybe following some instinct that told me I had done so a million times before, I leaned forward slowly until our mouths met once more. This kiss wasn't rushed or hungry but slow and sweet… like tasting something precious after years without it.

The kiss deepened naturally, our lips moving together in perfect sync like they’d done this dance a thousand times because we had. There was no urgency, no fire or passion driving it… just warmth and tenderness. The kind of kiss that spoke volumes without words.

My thumbs brushed over his cheekbones as I kissed him, savoring the softness of his mouth against mine and the way his lips parted slightly to accommodate me like he trusted me completely.

And Caleb? He responded with quiet devotion. No tongue, no teeth… just slow presses of lips and tiny nips followed by soothing kisses.

When we finally broke apart, he didn’t pull far away, instead resting our foreheads together while our noses bumped lightly every time one of us breathed.

His eyes fluttered shut for a moment—long lashes casting shadows on his flushed cheeks—and he exhaled slowly through his nose like he was savoring this too. The peacefulness radiating from him was surreal… the cold Netherlord who many here feared? The obsessive lover who claimed me so obsessively? Gone.

In this instant… there was only this. Only us.

He pulled back, one hand lifting to brush stray hair behind my ear while the other traced down the side my face before cupping my jaw tenderly and then he whispered words that shattered whatever composure I had left.

"I love you."

The words… simple, quiet, and so deep in their sincerity, hit me like a tidal wave. My breath stopped entirely for a second.

I’d known it. Deep down, even if I didn’t understand what we were to one another, I had always felt it on some level that he loved me… but hearing him say it out loud? After centuries of silence? After lifetimes where he hadn’t been able to be with me?

Tears welled up instantly—stinging the corners of my eyes before spilling over without permission. They slipped down my cheeks fast and hot as his thumb caught one mid-fall and I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I did love him… I always had.

"I love you, too."

My lower lip quivered as I stared at him through blurry vision, heart pounding so hard I could feel it in my throat. I surged forward and crashed our mouths together again.

He kissed me back with equal fervor. One hand slid down to press against the small of my back, pulling me even closer until there was no space left. Until our bodies were flushed together from chest to hips. The other hand cradled the back of my head gently but firmly keeping our lips locked as if afraid I'd pull away too soon.

When we finally did part, the look on his face stole what little breath I had left. He was beaming, his whole face lit up like the Nether Realm’s twin moons. His eyes sparkled, crinkled at the corners, and his cheeks were pink from more than just kisses.

The sight of him like that was something I never thought I'd see. The man who wore stoicism like armor was radiant. His entire face glowed with pure happiness, unfiltered and bright as if he’d just been handed the universe itself. And all because he had figured out how we could be together. Then we said ‘I love you’ out loud and that made everything better… real.

Tears kept streaming down my cheeks, happy ones that didn’t stop. Not even when he pulled me close for another kiss, fingers wrapping around my braid while his other arm slid around my waist, holding me so close that our heartbeats synced.

We stayed locked together like that for what could have been minutes or hours, but eventually exhaustion began creeping up, the adrenaline fading and leaving behind peaceful contentment instead.

He finally broke our kiss with a sigh that was more content than tired and rested his forehead against mine as his thumb wiped away another stray tear from my cheek. "We should get you inside," he murmured softly, voice low and warm with affection.

He didn't wait for a response before carefully lifting me into his arms bridal-style. I instinctively curled against his chest, wrapping my arms around his next and resting my head against him, quietly listening to steady thump of his heart beneath my ear while he carried me towards our home.

The walk through the moonlit garden was quiet, peaceful in a way I hadn’t experienced since waking up here. The cool night air kissed my skin, but Caleb’s body heat kept me warm as he carried me effortlessly.

When we reached the grand double doors, he nudged them open with his shoulder and stepped into the dimly lit foyer before making his way to our bedroom. As he pushed open the door to our chambers, the soft glow of lanterns cast golden light over the plush rugs and silken sheets. The bed looked impossibly inviting after such an emotionally overwhelming night.

He carried me straight towards it, gently lowering me to sit on the mattress then quietly removed my gown and camisole then his pants before climbing into the bed beside me. Gently wrapping an arm around my waist, he pulled me further up the bed until my head was on one of the fluffy pillows before laying down beside me.

For a moment, he just lay on his back staring at the ceiling… as if absorbing everything. Then he turned onto his side and pulled me against him so that my head rested on his chest while one arm draped over my waist.

The moment I settled against him; his body molded to mine perfectly like two puzzle pieces clicking into place. The steady rise and fall of his chest beneath my cheek was soothing, the rhythmic thud-thud of his heart a lullaby. His fingers idly traced circles on my back, a touch so gentle it made me feel cherished rather than claimed.

Outside the window, crickets sang their evening song while fireflies flickered in and out like tiny stars dancing across the water. But I remained focused completely on him. I closed my eyes, just breathing him in and when I opened them again… he was already looking at me.

Without speaking, he leaned down and pressed a kiss to each eyelid before moving to brush one against the tip of my nose then finally captured my lips again, a slow sweet meshing of mouths that left me breathless and wanting more.

The kiss was feather-light at first, but it deepened almost instantly, becoming hungry. His mouth moved over mine with quiet reverence and when his tongue gently slipped past my parted lips to meet mine, I melted into him completely.

One hand cradled the back of my head while the other splayed across my lower back, pulling me closer until there wasn't an inch between us. Every now and then he'd pull away slightly for air only to dive right back in again—as if stopping meant breaking whatever spell had fallen over us.

A soft moan slipped out when he nibbled lightly at my lower lip before soothing it with his tongue. The sound seemed to spark something inside him because suddenly he rolled us without breaking the connection, pressing me deeper into the mattress.

His body hovered just above mine, hips tucked between my thighs and hard cock sliding against my center, as those skilled lips kept working their magic. Biting playfully here then kissing sweetly there… each touch igniting tiny fires under my skin.

The weight of his body was intoxicating… solid, warm, and utterly possessive in a way that sent sparks through my veins. Even though we'd already been intimate multiple times, this felt different. Not rushed or desperate… but slow-burning intimacy laced with tenderness.

His hands roamed my body slowly, reverently. Memorizing every curve and dip like he hadn’t already committed them to memory. His fingertips traced the outline of my collarbone before gliding down to the swell of my breast, his thumb tracing light circles around my nipple then his large hand cupped my ribcage and glided down to rest on my waist.

When his lips finally left mine, they trailed down my jaw… then lower, pressing open-mouthed kisses along the column of my throat. A whimper escaped me as his teeth grazed that sensitive spot right above my shoulder.

The bite was gentle, not enough to hurt, but enough to make my breath hitch and my fingers lift to tangle in his hair. He chuckled against my skin before soothing the spot with a slow lick and another kiss before his lips continued their descent, mapping every inch of exposed skin. The hollow of my throat… over my collarbones… down between my breasts.

He hesitated there for a moment before looking up at me through his lashes, then he licked my skin before moving and sealing his mouth around one pert nipple. The sensation sent a jolt straight through me—electric and sweet. I arched into him, a soft gasp slipping past my lips as pleasure spiked through every nerve.

He hummed, low and satisfied, the vibration sending another shockwave of pleasure through me. His tongue flicked over the sensitive peak before he sucked gently, drawing it deeper into his mouth while his teeth lightly scraped in a way that made my hips jerk against him.

One hand slid up to cup my other breast, thumb brushing over its peak, alternating between soft pinches and slow circles until it was taut. The contrast between his mouth lavishing attention on one side while tormenting the other with delicate touches had me squirming beneath him.

When he finally released my nipple, his lips found mine again in a searing kiss. His kiss deepened quickly; hungrier now. One palm slid down my chest to my stomach, tracing every inch of soft skin as he explored my body until his fingers found the slick folds of my pussy.

He didn’t rush.  He took his time exploring me with slow, deliberate strokes… teasing the outer lips before slipping a single finger between them to gather moisture. Then he worked that finger in lazy circles around my clit, just enough pressure to make me whimper but not enough friction for real relief. The frustration built deliciously inside me… and from the smirk I felt against my lips he knew exactly what he was doing.

Breathing heavily, he shifted just slightly so that while one hand continued its maddening teasing below… the other reached down and grasped his cock, those long fingers slowly sliding up and down his length.

The sight of him touching himself—those strong, elegant fingers wrapping around his thick cock while watching my every reaction with those dark violet eyes—sent a fresh wave of heat straight through me. His strokes were slow at first, almost lazy… just enough friction to make the tip glisten with precum. The way his thumb swiped over it before continuing to stroke himself made me bite my lip hard because I wanted him so badly, I could barely stand it.

The air between us grew heavier, charged with need. His cock twitched in his grip as he watched my face, studying every flicker of desire, every hitched breath and something possessive flared in his eyes.

Without warning, he captured my mouth again while moving over me to line himself up. The broad head of his cock pressed against me… teasing just enough to make me squirm then he was sliding inside, slowly at first as if savoring each bit of the tight heat surrounding him. A groan rumbled from deep in his chest when we were fully joined, forehead dropping to mine as we both gasped for air.

For a moment neither of us moved; just breathed together while our bodies adjusted then he began moving—a slow roll of hips that dragged almost entirely out before pushing back in with deliberate slowness that had me whimpering into the crook of his neck.

Each thrust was measured and deep rather than fast or frantic… the rhythm was maddening. Deliberate, full-bodied strokes that sent waves of pleasure radiating through my core. His hips rolled in a slow, sensual grind that made me feel every ridge and vein of his thickness, stretching and filling me perfectly.

His arms caged me beneath him as he moved, one hand braced by my head while the other cradled the side of my face. His breath came in warm puffs against my lips as our mouths hovered just inches apart… never quite kissing but close enough to share the same air.

Every movement screamed devotion. The way his hips rocked into mine with such care, the soft press of his lips when they finally met mine again in a kiss that was more feeling than passion. It was overwhelming.

Tears pricked at my eyes, not from sadness but from how much I loved this closeness after so many years apart. His thumb brushed the skin of my cheekbone before he kissed each eyelid again… almost like he knew and was offering a silent apology for every lonely year without him.

His thrusts stayed slow, one hand sliding down to grip my thigh and lift it higher around his waist. The new position widened my legs and the angle changed slightly, which had him hitting that spot deep inside me that sent sparks shooting up my spine.

A quiet, broken sound escaped him—half moan, half sigh—as his hips stuttered for just a second. His eyes fluttered shut as he focused on the sensation of my pussy clenching around him, of my arms wrapping around his shoulders and my nails digging into his skin.

His breath hitched against my skin, the shift and tightness of my body making every thrust more intense—more perfect. His lips found my shoulder, pressing open-mouthed kisses along my skin while his hips began moving with a slightly firmer rhythm. Still slow… still deliberate… but now each deep stroke carried more purpose.

The hand on my thigh slid higher, fingers kneading into the soft flesh there before gripping firmly to adjust my body, tilting my hips so he could sink even deeper. The new position had his cock head dragging over that sweet spot relentlessly with every roll of his hips.

A whimper slipped out when the pleasure suddenly crested sharply. Not quite an orgasm but close enough to make my nails dig into his back. He responded by capturing one of my wrists and pinning it beside our heads without breaking pace before grabbing the other and dragging them above my head with one hand.

His larger frame caged me beneath him, his body radiating heat and strength as he continued those slow, deep thrusts. Every roll of his hips now carried that perfect angle that made my back arch and sounds I had never heard pour from my lips.

His breathing grew heavier, each exhale hot against my mouth. His free hand slid down his chest, over the tight planes of his stomach to where our bodies were joined. There, his fingers brushed over where his cock slid in and out of my pussy before moving higher to find my clit. He touched it lightly at first, a featherlight circle that made me gasp and squirm under him.

The dual sensations… his cock stretching me perfectly combined with slow circles on that sensitive bundle of nerves were overwhelming. Pleasure coiled tighter in my belly like a spring winding tighter with each second.

My thighs trembled; lips parting soundlessly for a few seconds before I finally found air and moaned so low that it almost couldn’t be considered a sound. He heard it though… the broken cry slipping from between my clenched teeth and something primal flickered behind those violet eyes before he sped up his thrusts.

The change was subtle at first, just a fraction more urgency in his movements but then the restraint snapped. His hips pistoned faster, his cock hit deeper, each snap of his pelvis driving me into the mattress with delicious force. The hand pinning my wrists tightened slightly as he adjusted to this new pace while keeping my clit under those torturously perfect circles of his thumb.

Every nerve lit up like fireworks every time he bottomed out, the stretch now bordering on overwhelming but in that sweet way that made pleasure sing through every muscle and tendon. My back arched off the bed, desperate moans spilling past my swollen lips.

The slap of skin meeting skin filled the room alongside ragged breaths and whimpers.

The room spun, my vision blurred at the edges. The sensations were almost too much yet not enough: his cock pounding into me with relentless precision, that thumb circling my clit just shy of too rough but exactly right, the delicious burn in my thighs from holding this position.

A high-pitched whine built in the back of my throat as pleasure coiled tighter and tighter inside. My body tensed… muscles locking up… toes curling into the sheets beneath us…

Caleb saw it coming before I realized exactly what was happening, the exact second I teetered on that precipice. His lips crashed onto mine again while he increased both speed and pressure simultaneously; hips slamming down harder now while his thumb pressed more firmly against my clit without losing its rhythm.

That was it. I shattered.

Wave after wave of blinding white-hot ecstasy ripped through me so violently that for a terrifying moment, I forgot how to breathe. My back arched and my pussy clenched around his cock as euphoria exploded… bright colors dancing behind my eyelids almost like a kaleidoscope.

He didn’t stop his desperate thrusts, not even when he felt every fluttering contraction of my body squeezing around his cock greedily. After several more thrusts, he groaned against my mouth, a low guttural sound vibrating straight through his chest and suddenly froze except for the pulsing of his cock as he followed me over.

For a few heartbeats, he just stayed there… frozen above me while waves of ecstasy rolled through him. His face twisted slightly in blissful agony before his features softened and slowly relaxed then he exhaled and collapsed. Even in his blissed-out state, he was careful to avoid putting too much weight on my smaller frame by bracing himself on one elbow.

His other hand came up to brush damp strands of hair away from my sweaty forehead before pressing a slow kiss right between my eyebrows. Then he slowly pulled out of my body and rolled, wrapping an arm around me and pulling me with him until I was pressed against his side.

He kissed the top of my head without a word, just an absent press of lips to before settling back into the pillows and running his fingers over my hair then down my back. The warmth radiating from his body wrapped around me like a second blanket… safe and comforting.

A few minutes passed like this in comfortable silence until he shifted so we faced each other. In dim lantern light he looked younger somehow… less guarded as he reached out and ran a finger over my lips before pressing a kiss to the corner of my mouth.

"I've loved you," he murmured against my skin, "in every lifetime. And I will keep loving you... until there are no more stars."

Note: Darkness Comes, Xavier's fic, is next BUT with all the stuff going on with Valko I haven't been focusing on it like I should have so give me a little time & I will get it done & start posting it.