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Orion was waiting for us when we stepped off the shiny elevator and into the elegantly decorated personal suite he shared with Derek White. The incubus was pacing. He looked so uncharacteristically flustered that it set me immediately on edge. Orion was a mixed bag of insecurities, but he usually hid it way better than this.
“Miss Troya,” he said, sounding relieved, as if I was the answer to all his prayers. I don’t know what he thought I was going to do to help. It wasn’t like he knew about my recent chat with the fates. At least, I didn’t think he did. If he knew all about my supposed powers, and he’d been hiding it from me too, things were going to get ugly.
I grabbed one of his gloved hands and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “Tell me what happened. Where are they? We’ll do whatever we can to find the idiots.”
His blue eyes landed on Chike and he seemed to make more of an effort to pull himself together, putting his professional mask on. Or at least making the attempt. “I believe they went after Apophis. I...well, I wasn’t feeling well when I arrived home after our excursion, and my ma—Mr. White convinced me to take a potion. For sleep.” He took a breath, but squared his shoulders and forced himself to continue. “I sometimes use Con’s sleeping draughts for the nightmares.”
I nodded at him to continue. I knew he hated admitting what he thought was weakness. But there was no shame in needing a little help sometimes. Hell, Gesa’s mate Con used to make me a tea mixture to magic me to sleep when I was stressed out over silly little normal things like school and exams, back before I knew that the magical stuff was, you know, actually magical.
“He knocked you out so he could sneak out,” Chike said, frowning. “But why? I mean, he didn’t exactly make it a secret that he planned to deal with the trouble-maker eventually.”
Orion ran a hand through his caramel curls, his posture tense and uncomfortable.
“It’s okay,” I told the incubus softly. “You don’t have to explain if it’s too much.”
Chike glanced between me and the incubus curiously, but he held up his hands in a peaceful gesture. “Whatever it is you’re talking about, I won’t judge, man. You know that.”
Orion turned away, leading us to the office, where he resumed pacing, drawing a finger along the bookshelves that lined one wall, picking up a paperweight off the desk and putting it down again, his eyes averted. “I belonged to Apophis. I was his slave. Mr. White freed me and several others. I...even though it’s been so long, I fear I’ve never fully...recovered. I think he wanted to keep me away from this. I admit...the thought of being captured by Apophis again is terrifying. But I don’t doubt Mr. White will ensure my physical safety—after all, it’s what he does.” His soft voice grew bitter. “I think he worries more about...my fragile mental state.”
My heart ached for the incubus. I could feel some of what he was feeling—the flavor of his pain—through our ever-growing link. He was ashamed. He saw this as evidence that he really was damaged goods. Hopelessly broken.
I crossed my arms over my chest. “Derek White is a moron. And so are you. You’re strong, Orion. You don’t need sheltering. You’re a damned demon, for the love of Aphrodite! And you aren’t broken. We all have our shit. Yours is just...a little heavier to lug around with you.” I moved closer to him, finally getting him to meet my eyes. “So, are we going to stand here feeling sorry for ourselves all night, or are we going to go get your demon and my vampire out of whatever dumb heroic crap they’ve gotten themselves into?”
Orion’s blue eyes flared briefly with incubus magic. “Something’s different,” he breathed. He closed his eyes and pulled in a deep breath, as if he were inhaling the scent of my magic. “Why do you feel like...one of them?” His eyes snapped open and he took an instinctive step back, his eyes searching, on high alert as he waited for an attack of some sort.
I just stayed where I was and gave him an apologetic smile. “Uh, yeah. About that....”
Chike snorted. “Troy was visited by the fates on the way over here. Being around her is really a trip now.”
I glanced at him with a raised eyebrow. “Being around me is a trip? Seriously?”
He shrugged, one corner of his mouth lifting in a smirk. “I mean, the crazy power sparking off you is one thing, but the way your eyes just randomly start glowing? Yeah, it’s trippy.”
I sighed. Cause I needed more weirdness in my life. Great.
Orion stepped closer and reached out a tentative hand to touch my cheek, drawing my attention back to him. “What did they do to you?” His eyes were glowing again. Ha! Take that, Chike. I wasn’t the only one who did that. And it looked cool on Orion. Though...his eyes were already that beautiful light crystal blue color, so when they started glowing, they looked like blue flame. How did boring hazel eyes glow? Probably like shiny mud. I shoved the random tangent thoughts away.
“Well,” I said slowly. “They told me that I had powers the gods hid from me. They said Rhys and White were going to die unless I let the fates play around in my head.” I shrugged, pretending it was nothing. “So, I let them go to town. They gave me back my connection to my previous life—to my powers and my memories. But it’s taking a while for any of it to make sense in my brain.” I took a deep breath and let it out. “They told me...that I can influence fate. Whatever that means. They told me I had to believe in something, and it would happen.”
Orion blinked at me, his beautiful face full of wonder. “That’s...if that’s true, you could ensure that Derek and Rhys are successful!” His relief and excitement were so wonderful that I didn’t have the heart to point out to him he’d just called White by his first name. I had noticed that was something he tried to avoid when he was in stuffy secretary mode, but he slipped from time to time.
“I...think so?” I answered him. “I mean, I have no idea how it works. Apparently, I didn’t even know I could do that back in the good old days, when I was demigoddess. So, I don’t have memories to tell me how it worked. Although....” I thought back. “I remember that everyone always said I was blessed. That I always felt really lucky. Like things usually went my way.”
Chike huffed. “Shit, that must have been a nice power to have. What kind of magical life did you live back then?”
I laughed, but sadness seeped in around the edges. “I...a good one, I think. Until it wasn’t. But now I’m not so sure I ever really knew anything that was going on around me.” I shook myself and turned to Orion. “Do you have any idea where they are? You said you lost contact with them. Does that mean you talked to them at some point?”
He tugged off one of his gloves, using his teeth to bite down on the tips of one finger and drag it off while he grabbed his cell phone off the desk with the other hand. Wow. Was it wrong that I noticed how hot that was? Completely wrong. Right? Now was so not the time for my libido to get even worse.
I turned to go to the bar to get a bottled water from the minifridge I knew was housed there. I caught Chike watching Orion and snorted a laugh. Okay. It wasn’t just me. From the look on Chike’s face, I was guessing we were both the victims of a perpetually hungry incubus who didn’t even know he was leaking allure. Oh, and he was just plain amazing even before you threw in sex demon magic.
I got my water and turned back as Orion swiped at his phone with his ungloved hand and held it out to us. I saw he had pulled up a map. “I was tracking his phone, but I lost the signal. So, I contacted Miss Lionheart. She and a couple of her pride helped me seek for him. We could sense Rhys’s energy alongside his, and I think we almost caught up to them at one point. But it appears they realm jumped.”
I lifted my eyebrows at him, but he had talked about this before, and I had more of my memories back now. I knew exactly what he meant. Chike huffed. “Realm jumped? The nursery rhymes say only a few of the gods can do that.”
Orion gave the mer a tired smile. “And a few of the demon lords. My employer said he thought he had damaged his ability somehow—burned it out completely—after the last time we jumped here to the Earth plane. But he’s been working on trying to recover it over the centuries. I think perhaps he was able to muster enough magic to jump again. It’s the only explanation.”
I frowned and bit my bottom lip, thinking furiously. “So White is...where? In the demon realm? And he took Rhys with him?”
Orion shook his head. “I don’t know for sure, but I doubt it. That kind of travel would take sustained magical reserves. And Rhys couldn’t stay there for long without suffering side effects. I think he probably used the ability to slip into the space between realms long enough to travel somewhere else—to get somewhere quickly. He was probably chasing Apophis. My old master never possessed this ability before, but something has changed. He’s stronger. It’s possible he’s using this new ability to move about the country spreading his chaos.”
“Well fuck,” I muttered. “That means they could be anywhere.”
Chike’s amethyst eyes met mine and I knew exactly what he was thinking. Rhys and the demon were the strongest beings we knew. They were probably fine. Except what if they weren’t? The fates had said they would die if I didn’t do something.
“They aren’t going to die,” I said firmly, trying to put every ounce of conviction I could muster into the statement. That whole belief thing was harder than it sounded because there was a voice in the back of my mind constantly piping up to remind me about all the horrible ways things could go wrong. “Rhys and White are stupid strong. They can survive anything. They’ll be okay.”
Orion’s blue eyes burned into mine. “Belief?”
I nodded. “They said it was important. The fates. They also said I had to find them and help. So, how do we find them?”
Orion sank onto the nearby leather loveseat, his exhaustion beginning to show. “I don’t know. I tried. Gesa’s nine-tail used his spirit powers to try to locate them, but he is limited to this plane and the inbetween. If they popped out into another realm even briefly, it could be enough to prevent his sensing them. And if Derek didn’t want to be followed...he probably put magical protections in place to block things like that. I used my own...abilities. I tried calling him. I’ve never attempted it on him before, so I’m not even sure if it had any effect. I nearly drained all the energy I accumulated on our trip. But I felt nothing.”
I sank down beside him. “What do you mean? Not ‘calling’ him on the phone, I take it.”
He let out a wry laugh. “If only it was that easy. No. I meant an incubus call. Theoretically, an incubus can call to people he has fed from, pull them back to his side.” His cheeks turned pink, and his angular jaw clenched. “It’s...an evolutionary thing. To ensure we never starve.”
I grinned at him to show him I wasn’t going to judge. “That’s genius. Always keep your verified food sources handy.”
He nodded, relaxing a bit at my acceptance. I skimmed my senses over his aura as gently as I could, sneaking, hoping he wouldn’t notice. My shoulders slumped at what I felt. Orion was starving again right now. He really had used up everything he had trying to call his...whatever White was...back to him.
Chike came to perch on the arm of the couch, tapping his long fingers on his thigh as he considered. “I just thought of something,” he said, his silky voice full of suppressed excitement. “Can’t vampires do something similar?”
I felt my eyes widen. Turning to Orion, I grabbed both his hands. “Oh, gods. I don’t know how vampires work. Tell me you know.”
His bright eyes met mine. “I...from what I understand, a vampire can form a connection with their regular...donors.” His eyes drifted from me to Chike, then jerked back to me again. But he didn’t ask the question he was clearly thinking.
I grinned at him. “Yes. Both of us. Frequently. Will that make the bond stronger? To have two of his ‘donors’ together? And does it even matter, if we’re looking for him rather than the other way around?”
Orion pressed his lips together, then sighed. “I really don’t know. For an incubus...I think I would be able to feel something if someone I was intimate with were calling for me. I carry a bit of their life essence inside me after feeding. But vampires may be different.”
“No...I think it’s the same for them. Rhys said that’s why his aura is all different colors. He keeps a little piece of their energy every time he feeds.” I stood and started pacing. Stopping by the bank of tall windows that overlooked White’s empire, I thought of Rhys out there somewhere, possibly in danger. I went still, closing my eyes and feeling inward, searching my memories and my own well of golden power. It was a struggle at first. The human part of me was still terrified of letting the non-human wash of power and memories in. Uncertainty buffeted me around, churning everything in my mind like a hurricane over rough waters. But eventually, it all started to settle. I stayed with the sensation, searching through me until I was sure.
“I can find him,” I whispered to myself over and over. “I will find him. I will find him. I will....”
And...there. It was so much a part of me that I overlooked it at first. The thread connecting me to Rhys was thicker and stronger than the growing thread that connected me to Orion. I could trace along it mentally and feel a sense of direction.
My eyelids fluttered open and I turned to find Chike and Orion watching me with wide eyes. I blinked at them. “What?”
Chike shook his head in wonder. “What was that? You were...glowing.”
Orion smiled, the expression full of quiet wonder. “That was a manifestation of pure godspark. I haven’t seen it in centuries. Beautiful.”
I shook myself free of the panic that wanted to rise up and overwhelm me. I was glowing? Pure godspark? What the hell? “I can find Rhys,” I said calmly, firmly. With belief in the connection between us.
Orion stood. “Thank all the realms. Where are they?”
I stared at him, striding back across the room to stand in front of the incubus with my hands on my hips. “No. We aren’t going anywhere until you’re stronger.”
He blinked at me in surprise. Then he shut down. “I’m fine, Miss Troya. We don’t have time to waste over my silly weakness.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “You’re right. We don’t have time to waste. And it will be a waste of time if you get injured along the way and can’t heal yourself. It will be a waste of time if you’re too weak to actually do anything once we get there. It will be a waste of time if me and your master have to be worried about protecting you because we know you’re starving yourself.”
I hated how he flinched and looked down at the floor. Yeah, that was harsh. But it was the only way he would take care of himself.
Chike came to stand beside us. “How bad is it?” he asked softly.
I glanced at him to find him watching Orion with sympathy, no snark or judgement on his face. “He’s in pain,” I said firmly. “He’s faint, and he feels shaky. He’s pushing himself just to stay conscious and in control of his demon side—which is nothing new. But it stops now. He’s using all the energy he has left just to suppress his hunger.”
Orion lifted his eyes to mine in surprise. “You...can feel all that?”
I nodded. “I can read suffering, Orion. I’m a healer. I want to heal you. But more than that, I want you to be healthy and happy and you. Please stop fighting with yourself. Whatever that monster did to you, you have to believe me, you aren’t a monster. I trust you. You can embrace your true nature without harming anyone.” I grinned. “And apparently when I say something and really believe it, it comes true. So guess what? Everything I just said is one hundred percent the truth.”
Orion closed his eyes, trapping his lower lip between his teeth. “Your lovers,” he said finally, not opening his eyes.
“Are absolutely not bothered by it,” Chike said helpfully. “Trust me. I can speak for both of us.” He put a hand on Orion’s shoulder and squeezed. “Hey. Look at me Orion.”
The incubus opened his glowing, flame-blue eyes, his hunger visible for all to see.
“I’ve always considered you a friend,” the merman said slowly. “Even if you do work for an asshole.” He smiled. “And honestly, if you haven’t noticed that I bat for both teams, you have to be the worst sex demon ever.”
Orion glanced between me and Chike hesitantly, like an abused child who was afraid someone had given him candy just to snatch it away from him again. I smiled at him encouragingly.
Chike licked his lips and rubbed a hand over the back of his neck, his own cheeks flushing with embarrassment. Which was amazing, considering how degenerate he really was. “What I’m saying is, if Troya is okay with it, you can feed from her...or more...whatever you guys want. I can um, step out for a bit. But...if you wanted me to stay...?”
Orion swallowed convulsively. Poor incubus. I knew the feeling. The first time Chike kissed me, I almost died. I’d thought he was gay back then. I thought I was doomed to always just lust after him from afar as the silly, smitten best friend. Thinking you’d never have a chance at all that perfect, beautiful, snarky goodness only to have your whole world view shift was disorienting.
I smiled, leaning in to press a kiss to Orion’s cheek. “I want you, Orion. Not just because I want you to feed. Because I want you. But I don’t think I’m the only one. So, I’m going to give you an absolute order, you hear me?” He nodded slightly in acknowledgement. “You do what you want to do right now. Not what you think you should. Not what that twisted sense of fear or shame inside you says you should. What you want.”
I pulled back, waiting, letting my healing powers soothe what I could of his wounds.
Orion closed his eyes. His human guise faded as he let his true form free. His shirt ripped as his wings tore their way free. His skin took on a blueish tint as his curly horns and his fangs became visible. Then he opened his eyes. They were glowing with incubus fire. But they weren’t empty the way they had been when he was wounded and so depleted he fell into survival mode. I’d forced him to acknowledge his hunger before it got quite that bad. This was a purposeful unfurling of who he was. He bowed his head. “Please,” he whispered. “I want...you. He flicked his eyes sideways, finding Chike’s face for a brief moment before looking at the ground again. His smooth, compelling voice was barely a whisper, but it was his voice and for once, he was using it to say what he meant. “Both of you.”
I nudged Chike with my shoulder, earning a grin from my siren before I put a finger under Orion’s chin and lifted his head so I could kiss my beautiful, brave incubus. The touch of his soft, chiseled lips against mine was electric. I felt my whole body coming alive, like all my nerve endings were suddenly a hundred times more sensitive. Orion’s hands found my hips, his touch light, hesitant. I pressed closer, looping my arms around his neck and twisting my fingers in his silky caramel curls as the trickle of power between us increased.
Chike stepped up behind me, his lithe body pressed to mine as he reached around me and took one of Orion’s hands from my hip. It took me a minute to realize what he was doing—removing Orion’s remaining glove. I pulled away from Orion long enough to catch my breath, and to watch as Chike slowly lifted the incubus’s hand and turned it to press a soft kiss to the palm.
Oh, Chike, you charmer. I couldn’t help my smile. Sometimes, Chike was just too much with the snark and the banter. It was kind of our thing to tease each other constantly. But he seemed to know Orion needed something different. He lifted his head and winked at the incubus before returning their interlaced hands to my hip. His amethyst eyes stayed glued to Orion’s and his lazy smile deepened as he drew their hands up my side in a slow caress, moving up to cup my breast and squeeze.
I groaned and leaned in to kiss the base of Orion’s neck. Gods. They were both so beautiful, but if they we were going to move at this pace, I’d die before anyone got around to third base. I dragged my teeth along Orion’s shoulder, biting him through the thin fabric of his shirt. The incubus shuddered and a wave of pure lust rose up around us, nearly drowning me.
Chike’s gasp echoed my own, as we were surprised by the weight of the desire that flooded our bodies. Hel’s hairy hounds, I thought I knew what that felt like already. But no. This...I lifted my head to meet Orion’s glowing eyes, shocked to see a lopsided smirk curling up the good side of his mouth. This was what it felt like when he used his powers on purpose.
“Holy Zeus,” I mumbled.
Orion pressed his forehead to mine, breathing deep, his hands both moving back to my hips. “Please,” he breathed, his damned voice nearly making me orgasm. “I need to know you can tell me no. Please Troya. Don’t let me become the monster he tried to create—the weapon that could turn his enemies into mindless dolls.”
My heart thudded slow and loud in my chest. Oh. Hell. That was what Apophis had done to him? Made his very nature into a weapon? A tool he was forced to use if he wanted to live?
I grabbed his hands in mine and squeezed, pulling his hands off my hips, stepping back to put space between us. “You aren’t a monster,” I told him firmly. “There is nothing wrong with what you are. And if I really wanted to, I could walk right out that door at any time. Okay?”
He nodded.
Chike moved out from behind me to stand beside us, his amethyst eyes looking slightly glazed. “Mmm,” he hummed, a little of his siren magic creeping into the sound. “I’m not gonna lie, it would be real hard to follow her. But...I’d go too. If I had to.” He cleared his throat and hummed a little more, his magic rising up and forming a sort of mini-barrier between his aura and Orion’s. “See? I was birthed by predators who feed on desire.”
Orion nodded again, but looked away, at a loss for how to deal with our easy acceptance. And, I suspected, afraid of ever having the freedom of being in control of a sexual encounter. I pushed him toward the loveseat. “Sit,” I ordered. “You can still feed just by being in the same room as us when we do our thing, right?”
He sank down onto the couch, tucking his wings in close. “I...yes.”
I grinned at him. “I know you’re scared, so how about this? You watch and suck up all the energy you need. And, if you feel like it, you join in when you’re ready, okay?”
He swallowed hard, the long, graceful column of his throat working with emotion. “Yes.”
It should have been hard to concentrate on sexy times when I knew Rhys was out there in danger. But thanks to the urging of my newly honed instincts and Orion’s putting out pheromones like the sun put out heat...it was easy. Nothing existed but right now. Nothing was important except sharing this with Orion—making him whole.
Chike followed my lead, stepping close and kissing me deeply, letting that shield of his drop so our energy entwined. His graceful hands roved my body, outlining all of my generous curves for Orion to see. I let Chike undress me, reveling in the way he stopped to kiss and caress every inch of skin as it was exposed. His sharp teething nipped at the curve of my breast and nibbled at my hip as he sank to his knees, helping me kick off my frumpy khakis and underwear. I leaned my ass against the edge of White’s monstrosity of a desk, sinking my fingers into Chike’s silky hair and tugging him close so he could put that wicked mouth to work. Thankfully, the boss demon had sturdy furniture.
Much as I wanted to put on a nonchalant face for Orion, I was self-conscious. I’d been with Rhys and Chike at the same time, sure. But they were my best friends. And we were all used to each other by now. And usually, they both participated. To know Orion was there, seeing me completely lose myself while he just...watched. It was unsettling. But as I lost myself to the feel of Chike’s mouth on my overly sensitive skin, I finally worked up the courage to look over at Orion.
The incubus sat forward on the couch, his elbows draped on his knees, and his wings slightly spread. His blue eyes practically danced with flames. His mouth dropped open a bit, revealing his fangs, and I thought of the way a cat will sometimes open their mouth to taste the air when encounter a strong smell. Was that what he was doing now—tasting every bit of want that rose up off Chike and me? I felt the pull of energy between us, felt his need. And suddenly, just like that, I wasn’t feeling so self-conscious anymore. I arched my back and gasped, my body spasming as orgasm crashed over me, my eyes locked with Orion’s burning stare. I saw him suck in a breath, as if my release had hit him like a physical force.
His eyes flicked from me to Chike as the siren stood, running his hands up my thighs to my waist, pressing soft kisses along the center of my stomach and between my breasts as he straightened. I smiled at the incubus, knowing exactly what he wanted to taste next.
I slid off the desk and ran my hands through Chike’s hair, undoing his braid so the lavender strands rippled down to his waist. Then I helped him out of his clothes, skimming my hands over all that pale, lean grace, pausing to kiss along the outlines of the fine, iridescent scales that were visible along his high cheekbones and his ribcage. Chike tipped his head back as I flicked my tongue over one of his nipples. His fingers tangled in my hair, pulling me up for a filthy kiss. He winked and urged me downward, reading my mind. I angled us so Orion would have a good view. Then I knelt and licked along the length Chike’s rigid cock before sucking it deep into my mouth.
I’m pretty sure that was when Orion lost the last shreds of his fear. He stood and came to join us, running his hands through my hair, urging me on as I bobbed on Chike’s cock, running his short, blunt claws down my spine and making me shiver under the touch of his magic. Then he reached for Chike, tracing along the faint, shimmery line of scales that was sprinkled across his hip. Chike sucked in a breath at the erotic touch of Orion’s power. Or, you know, just because the demon was finally touching him at all. He pressed deeper into my mouth and I hummed my approval.
“Come over here?” Orion’s soft voice was nearly a whisper, but still packed a wallop of lust. I pulled off Chike to see that the demon was gesturing toward the couch.
He paused by the couch to unbutton his fly, movements a bit clumsy thanks to the claws. I stepped behind him, between his amazing wings, and reached around to help, dragging his zipper down with as much excitement as a kid unwrapping a Christmas present. This was happening. This was so happening. Finally.
His pants slid to the floor, quickly followed by a pair of silky boxer briefs. Chike padded across the room to join us, his amethyst eyes going narrow and his expression sultry. “Oh, Troy,” he whispered. “Love. He was right about being a monster. You had it all wrong.”
I rolled my eyes at his stupidity and caressed Orion’s flat abs, brushing my fingers blindly through the surprisingly soft hair at the base of his dick before I wrapped my hand around the goods.
And...well, shit. I couldn’t really get my hand around it. Chike was right. One of us was going to die tonight, impaled on a cock the size of a damned baseball bat. Orion let out a soft sigh as I stroked him, that intoxicating energy around him growing even stronger. My knees went weak and I let go of him. He turned and caught me, his glowing blue eyes full of concern. “I’m sorry.”
I huffed a laugh. “Oh gods, your aura just about made me faint from bliss and you’re sorry?”
He quirked a shy smile at me, his arms wrapping more firmly around me, pressing me against his lean muscles and massive cock. "I’d rather my out of control powers not cause you to injure yourself.”
I grinned and leaned up to kiss him, enjoying the press of fangs behind his soft lips, pausing to run my tongue over one sharp point and earning myself a full body shudder from the incubus. “I’m sure you’ll catch me if I black-out orgasm, right?”
He shook his head, his shy smile full of a combination of amusement and disbelief.
“Don’t worry, a little head injury from fainting would be worth it.” Chike slipped his arms around Orion’s waist from behind, and the incubus tensed. I had a front row seat to the way his eyes widened at the unexpected, easy contact from not one but two people. Chike’s hand brushed my belly as he stroked Orion’s smooth skin from sternum to lower belly and back. “Okay, incubus?”
Orion relaxed, letting out a soft chuckle. “Okay seems like an inadequate word at the moment.” He kissed me again, deep and unreserved, leaving me panting and begging for more. “Maybe we should sit,” he murmured, with a bit of amusement dancing in those glowing eyes. “Just in case.”
I gave him a dopey smile. “Careful, your sense of humor is showing.”
He took my hand and led me to the couch. Then he sat and pulled me down onto his lap, facing away from him, my back to his chest. I almost protested, until I realized this put me in a perfect position to get my hands and my mouth on Chike again.
Orion stroked my hips and back, snaking his hands around to cup my breasts and stroke my clit, the electric pleasure in his touch sending me into overdrive as I tried to focus on Chike.
“You are both so beautiful,” Orion breathed, pressing the heavy heat of his cock against my ass as he leaned forward to kiss my shoulder. “So perfect. I am so blessed.”
I shifted forward, lifting my hips and letting out a ridiculous mewl of need. I had never felt so turned on in my life. And that was saying a lot, since I had Chike and Rhys in my bed every night. But as amazing as my sex life was, I’d never felt this level of achy need. My core clenched around nothing, and I felt like my power was overflowing, bubbling up and becoming uncomfortable in its need for release.
Orion gripped my hip with one hand, urging me up, then pulling me slowly back down onto his rock-hard cock. I groaned around Chike, making him groan in turn at the heightened sensation against his sensitive skin. And all the while, Orion’s power whispered promises of ecstasy beyond our wildest dreams. I tried to go slow, knew intellectually that I would regret it if I just slammed my hips down on Orion’s and impaled myself on something that big. But my brain had short circuited, so that’s exactly what I did. He hissed in surprise, grabbing my hips and holding me still to keep me from wrecking myself. I moaned loudly and nearly choked myself on Chike’s cock. The mer gripped my shoulders, holding me upright so I didn’t die.
I pulled back and huffed a laugh. The brief flash of discomfort was immediately washed away by lust. Orion’s power was calling to mine, wanting me to lose myself and give him everything. I wiggled, pulling free of Orion’s grip so I could lift my hips and sink back down again. Oh. My. Gods.
Things got a little blurry then. All pretense of slow and easy went out the window as we all fed off each other, spiraling to new heights of need and pleasure. I took Chike in my mouth again, my motions rough and uncoordinated. He spilled down my throat with a harsh cry, fisting his hands in my hair so hard it should hurt, but didn’t. I pulled off him and he crumpled to his knees as Orion leaned me back and thrust upward harder and faster, holding me immobile as he drove me right over the edge into a screaming orgasm.
I sank my nails into his muscular thighs as he growled and came so hard, I could feel him pulsing inside me.
Holy fucking fuckballs.
I collapsed, unable to hold myself upright. Orion’s long arms caught me, pulling me back against his chest as I did exactly as I’d predicted and passed out.
Okay, so I’m not sure if I exactly passed out...but I don’t remember him rearranging me on the couch, or how Chike got on there with me so we were curled up like a couple of shrimp on the short, deep loveseat. When I managed to get my breathing under control and open my eyes, Orion had found an afghan somewhere and draped it over me and Chike. The incubus was back in his human guise. He had his pants on, but not buttoned up, and the stark contrast to his usual careful neatness made my stomach do this little fluttery thing. He sat on the floor with his back braced against the desk so he could watch us, occasionally reaching out to trail his graceful fingers over us. A butterfly touch here or there, as if he was afraid we weren’t real. I watched him trace a finger along my upper arm and smiled. “Feel better now?”
He huffed, his usually closed off expression completely gone, replaced by a soft, open vulnerability. “Oh, I feel like a new person. But I’m a bit concerned for the two of you.”
I laughed. “Please. Apologize for the most amazing sex I’ve ever had.”
Chike snorted. “Uh, hello? Ouch?”
I ruffled his tangled lavender hair where his head rested on my shoulder. “Oh, be quiet. You were there.”
I felt him grin against my skin. “Yeah. I was. Holy fuck.”
Orion closed his eyes, a soft smile still playing about his features. “I forgot how it feels. To be...content.”
I grabbed his stroking hand and pulled him closer, tilting my head back for a kiss. He only hesitated a second before he obliged me, brushing his soft lips across mine. Chike sat up as Orion pulled away. The siren pulled me over to rest my head against his chest. “Stay here a minute,” he said softly, stroking his hand through my hair.
I glanced up at him in concern, sensing the nervousness in him. “What’s wrong?”
He quirked a surprisingly shy smile at me. “Well...you’ve got your blood bond with Rhys. And now Orion can call to you anywhere. I want that too. Will you let me sing to you, Troy?”
I blinked at him. “Sing to me?”
He nodded. “A siren song. So we’re connected too.”
I smiled at him and leaned up to press a sweet kiss to his lips. “Chike, you are such a big softie. I’m telling everyone. Your cold reputation will be ruined.”
He shook his head and pressed a hand to my neck, forcing my head back down on his chest. “Shut up and listen.”
He started humming and I listened to the soft rumble of it in his chest, felt his magic rising up and twining about me. As the sound flowed from his lips, his beautiful voice lulled me under, twining my essence with his, calling to something deep in my soul. I knew this voice. I’d know it anywhere. When the song finished, I couldn’t have told you what it even sounded like. There were words, spoken just out of my understanding, and for some reason I couldn’t recall the melody or the meaning of those foreign sounds. But I knew I'd recognize this song anywhere.
I came back to myself with the sensation of settling back into my body. “Holy Hecate,” I breathed. “Chike, you’re amazing.”
He huffed a laugh. “Well, yeah. Duh. Though I’m pretty sure most of the sirens’ victims would say that too...right before they were raped and drowned.”
I sighed. “Ruining the moment, here, mer.”
Orion’s soft laugh reminded me we weren’t alone. “This is...sweet. What you have.”
I rolled my eyes and sat up, fumbling around for my clothes. “What we have, Orion—if you want. I told you, this wasn’t just about refueling you.”
He looked at the ground, running a hand through his curls and unconsciously revealing the scarred side of his face that he always kept hidden by his long hair. “That is...I will need to process that."
I glanced at Chike. He shrugged. Everything was baby steps with the incubus. But I would get him to realize his worth eventually. First, we had to go rescue our missing guys. Your king and your knight, the fates had called them. Sounded like the gods were in on White’s little chess game.