Soft lips nips at mine, dotting my tender flesh in tiny kisses. My phoenix strains inside me, and I groan when his tongue slips into my mouth, joining mine in an erotic dance. I follow his lead as his tongue massages mine, but I need more.
I bite his lower lip, pulling back with a slight tug. He responds by thrusting his tongue in my mouth eagerly. I pour all my emotion into the kiss. Anger and betrayal, happiness and fear. I let it all out as our mouths crash against each other. Memories of our night together flood my mind, the insurmountable pleasure he gave me tingles my clit.
A growl escapes my throat, and I grip him by the back of his shirt and launch myself into his lap, straddling him, encouraging him to give me more. I thrust my pelvis against his, the movement causing my shirt to slip off a shoulder and expose my breast. My nipple hardens as it rubs against the fabric of his shirt.
“Fuck, Princess.” His voice sounds breathless as he pulls away to take in my uncovered form. His large hands grip my hips and grind me against the hardness I feel growing underneath me. I hesitate, realizing two things at once. The first is that I’m not wearing anything under this shirt, my bare pussy is riding his fabric-covered cock. The second is that those two other males remain in the room.
I glance to my left and see them watching, shameless in their perusal. Their eyes glow, fueled by arousal, and twin bulges push against their pants.
“Oh my god,” I gasp and close my shirt. Regrettably, I push myself off Keegan’s lap, trying hard not to flash them in the process. I’m about to apologize when I look at Keegan and see the biggest smile on his face, one I can’t help but return. “I’m so sorry! I don’t know what came over me.”
“You can’t help it, Trinity. It’s only natural that you're drawn to me. We’re life mates. We bonded in the mating fire.”
“Trinity? Life mates? Mating fire? What are you talking about?” In my confusion the questions come pouring out of me.
“I’m sorry. I keep forgetting how little you know about your identity.” With a look of regret he cradles my hands in his. With nothing holding them together, the two halves of my shirt hang open, revealing that large scar. His eyes lock on the pink skin, and a look of anger crosses his handsome face. Letting go of one hand he reaches for me, and trails a finger over the rough flesh. The feel of his hands on my body sends a shiver of pleasure through me.
He groans and takes my hand again. Looking me straight in the eye he says, “Your name is Trinity, Princess.”
“My name?” I try out the foreign word, letting it roll off my tongue. “Trinity.”
“Yes. Trinity. A name as beautiful as its owner.”
“I’ve never had a name. The Enforcers always just referred to me as slave eight.” Three growls resound in the room, and I jump at the sense of rage I feel wafting off of these males.
“What did I do?” I ask, frantically looking around at them, backing away from Keegan with fear edging in the corner of my mind.
Lachlan speaks for the first time, and his rolling deep voice thrums a cord down low inside me. “Those mother fuckers.” He slams his fist onto the table. “She doesn’t even know her own god damned name!” Fury mars his handsome face as his lip sneers and his eyebrows furrow.
“I know, Lach, I know. Calm down, okay?” Keegan says, his hands fanning up and down trying to placate his teammate. “Now is not the time. You’re scaring the Princess.”
“What princess?” I ask, my face scrunched up in confusion.
Silence encompasses the room, and they look at each other. Orian speaks up next, his voice calm and soothing. “There’s no easy way to say this.” He gulps and clears his throat, his green eyes trained on mine as he runs a hand through his red hair.
“Trinity.” He pauses, his voice is soft, and his eyes are full of concern.
“Yes?” My breath hitches at the sound of my name, and Orian takes a deep breath.
“You, are the Princess.”
“I’m a what?” I feel faint, nauseous. My stomach churns, and my palms start to sweat. Princess? I can’t be a princess. I’m just some random, unlucky slave girl; I’m the farthest thing from a princess. I grip my head in my hands, trying to stabilize the world from spinning around me.
“A Princess of the Phoenix empire. You are the only child of King Ignatius, who is anxious for your return,” Orian tells me. “You have no idea how important you are to us, Princess. The fate of our race depends entirely upon your safe return.”
My heart clenches, and my stomach twists in knots. I’m having a hard time processing all of this. Going from a sex slave to a dying kingdom’s Princess from one moment to the next is completely overwhelming. Tears leak from my eyes and drip onto my thighs where I sit cross-legged on the bed. I can’t help the sobs that escape from my lips as a potent mixture of joy and anger stirs within me.
On one hand I’m so happy. I have a family who never gave up looking for me, even after all these years! Someone out there cares about me and wants me for something other than my body or my blood. I’m a Princess for God’s sake! That’s every girls dream come true! It was my dream. I used to imagine I was a Princess awaiting my knight in shining armor to come and rescue me.
But part of me is so very angry for the loss of the life I was supposed to have. Instead, forced to grow up a slave and live a life of solitude, submitting to the whims of some of the world's most revolting and detestable males.
So I cry… a lot.
I grieve and rejoice through my incessant tears.
I let all my frustration and happiness pour down my face like a waterfall cascading over a tall cliff.
A warm pair of arms wrap themselves around me, and I stiffen when they try to pull me into a broad chest. Then his familiar fresh scent washes over me, and I relax into his arms, accepting Keegan’s comfort. I move my hands away from my face and grip him around his torso. I hug him in earnest, laying my cheek against his chest and try to sniff away the tears. I watch as Orian and Lachlan seem to engage in a silent conversation, and with a decisive nod, they make their way over to us, joining in the embrace.
Engulfed by the massive arms of these Phoenix warriors makes my heart explode in happiness, and the tears pick back up. But this time not in sadness. No. This time I cry with joy.
“Shh, Princess. It’s going to be okay. We have you now. You’re safe. No one will take you away from us ever again.” Keegan’s words of comfort squeeze my heart and make me cry harder. It feels so wonderful to be cared for and loved.
Loved? Is that what this is? Suddenly aware of this new feeling I pause, and search within myself. A distinct connection lives deep within my soul, binding me to all three of them, with the link to Keegan burning brightest. What is this? Who are they really?
Wanting to test this unfamiliar sensation, I grip onto the imaginary string that attaches each one to my soul and pull. A collective gasp surrounds me as each of them reacts to whatever it is I did.
Removing my arms from around Keegan, I look up, meeting each one in their eye as they look down upon me. “Did you feel that?” I ask meekly, unsure of myself. They all nod in response, each with the same look on their face. I’m not sure what to call it, but from the sensations building within me, I would call it, reverence, contentment, or validation.
Lachlan’s fierce snowy eyes connect with mine. “Yes, Princess. I would have to be dead not to feel your soul calling to mine.”
“What is it?” I ask, glancing away from his knowing eyes to look down at my hands. A sudden bout of nerves hit me, and I take to picking at my fingernails. What if this is bad? What if this is something they don’t like or want? Did I do something to them? Will they leave me for it? Will they punish me for it?
I shiver as the thought of them having their way with me stirs something low in my belly. What is wrong with me? Have all these years in captivity corrupted me, twisting my mind? Probably.
A chuckle leaves Keegan’s lips. I never knew a laugh could sound so sexy. Taking a deep breath, I loo
k up to meet his searing golden gaze and find humor there, not the anger I expected. “Well Princess, Trinity, those are the connections to your true mates. All three of them to be exact.”
“True mates? I’m so confused.” I look back and forth between each of Keegan’s eyes, searching for answers there.
Keegan takes my hands in his, but it’s Orian’s voice that speaks up, commanding my attention. “True mates are almost nonexistent these days, Princess. Since the day you were stolen from the bed in which you slept, there have been no fated matches.” Orian’s emerald green eyes captivate me as he speaks, his smooth voice reassuring and his words softly spoken. “True mates are said to be connected at the very base of our existence, entwined together by each other’s souls.” He runs a comforting hand up and down my spine. “They can feel each other’s emotions, read each other's minds, and it’s said they begin a slow descent toward death when apart from each other. It’s a bond beyond anything you can imagine, the connection solidified when consummated and confirmed within the Mating Fires.”
I gulp. “Mating fires?”
“Don’t be scared, Trinity. You’ve already been through them once.” Keegan’s voice is strong and confident as he squeezes my hands. “Don’t you remember the night we were together?”
My whole face heats when he brings up the best night of my life. I’m embarrassed to discuss it, especially in front of the other two. I was but a slave to him that night. He bought me and used me for fuck’s sake. My embarrassment quickly morphs into anger.
“Yeah, I remember, Keegan.” I speak his name with as much snark as I can muster and push away from the males. Scooting off the bed, I move to stand, placing my feet firmly on the floor, but immediately collapse when my legs fail to hold my weight.
Keegan moves to help me up. “Don’t fucking touch me!” I shout, holding out a hand to hold them at a distance. I don't need their help.
“Trinity, what’s wrong? Why are you so mad all of a sudden?” Keegan asks, his voice filled with concern. The mating bond, or whatever the hell it is, must be working. He can sense my anger, and I can feel his worry.
I ignore him and grab the edge of the counter to hoist myself up. My chest tightens, pulling on the scar that lines the middle of my body. I use my arms and grunt with the strain. But I’m determined as fuck right now and ignore the pain, as I learned to do after succumbing to years of torture.
Shakily, I pull myself up and steady my legs before walking away from them. When I get to the table, I turn around and lean back against it. The borrowed shirt I’m wearing falls open revealing my scar and the swell of my breasts, but right now, I don’t fucking care.
“You want to know why I’m mad?” I laugh with the question, and I’m sure it sounds maniacal. “You fucking bought me, Keegan.” I point at him, jabbing my finger in his direction as I speak. “You bought me and fucked me while I was tied to that damned bed.” Exasperated, I run my hand through my long hair before gingerly crossing my arms under my boobs. “You used me, just like all the others did, like every male I’ve ever met has. So please, tell me, why shouldn't I be pissed off?” I shoot him a pointed glare, expecting to see his eyes stern and a rebuttal forming on his perfect lips, but that’s not what I see. Instead, I’m met with a profound sadness and a feeling of deep regret raining down on me through our bond.
“Trinity. I’m so sorry.” His head hangs and his shoulders hunch, his voice coming out in a broken whisper. “I didn’t think about it from your perspective. Of course you feel that way, but please, allow me to explain myself.”
I raise my eyebrows and wait for him to continue. He clears his throat before standing and walking halfway across the room. He stops by the door and places a hand on his heart. “Words cannot describe how it felt to see you up on that auction block with a room full of abhorrent shifters drooling over your body. I stood in the corner scouting, and from there I could hear them talking amongst themselves, discussing their depraved ideas of what they would do to you if their bid was successful in winning slave eight.”
Rage fills me through our link when he tells me this. His eyes no longer look at me, but past me as he recalls that night. “So many emotions ran through my mind when I saw you. Relief, because I’d finally found you, and anger at your obvious enslavement.” He looks at me then, and I would swear he could see into my soul from the intensity of his golden gaze. “But most of all, I felt desire. When my eyes landed on you and my phoenix stirred inside me, recognizing our mate, I could barely breathe. You were so captivating up there.” He rubs his chest, and I find my anger quickly dissipating. “When you shifted, your phoenix called to mine. I know you felt it, too. The connection drawing me to you and you to me.” He tentatively walks over to me and cradles my face in his warm hands, and I can’t help but nuzzle into them. “Even with the blindfold covering your beautiful lavender eyes, you kept turning your angelic face towards me, blindly following me as I moved about the room.”
A tear leaks down my cheek when I see the sincerity on his face. “The thought of allowing those monsters to inflict their dark desires upon you fueled a rage inside me that I almost couldn’t suppress. The thought of their hands on you…” He doesn't finish his thought. Instead he closes his eyes and swallows, his handsome face set in a grimace. He runs his hands up and down my arms, opening his eyes to gaze down at me with so much affection. “I couldn't allow them to have you, Trinity. So I bid. I bid everything I had to ensure your safety from them, even if just for one night. I swear to you, I had no intentions of… things progressing.”
He’s telling the truth, I can sense his emotions as if they were my own. “And then I won you, and I felt unbelievably happy... but conflicted at the same time. You were mine, for the night at least, and no one else could touch you.” I uncross my arms, letting them hang loose by my sides. Taking one finger, he lightly trails along my exposed cleavage. I close my eyes and lean into his touch.
He chuckles and moves his hands to my hips, gripping them firmly. “When it was time for me to claim you, and you were presented to me in that room, I had no idea what I was going to do. Per the purchase agreement, there were certain terms to which I was magically bound to follow, like the blindfold and the restraints.”
“The lack of clothes.” I supply, and he nods.
“Yes, that too. I had to do those things to you, strip you and restrain you. Oh god, Trinity. You have no idea how at war I was with myself, trying to remain a gentleman when every fiber of my being wanted to claim you. I won’t lie and say that it wasn't arousing tying you up, running my hands along your perfect, soft skin. Because it was. Oh my god, it was.” He licks his lips, and I chew at mine. “You looked like a goddamned goddess lying there, bound with your magnificent wings spread out underneath you…” He squeezes my hips. “I’m sorry, Princess. I have no excuse, I just couldn’t help myself.” He shrugs. “My phoenix took over, determined to claim his mate, our mate.” He growls out the last and rubs the back of his finger on my cheek. “I never wanted to hurt you; I only wish to worship you Princess, for all of time.”
I must admit how much I love that sense of belonging I feel towards him. That I am his just as much as he is mine. My phoenix stirs under my skin, and for the first time I notice a change in my vision. Looking around the… whatever I’m in, I notice that everything is more clear and colors are vivid. I panic. “Something is wrong with my eyes!”
Orian laughs from behind Keegan, “Oh, Princess,” he says affectionately. “Your vision changes when you shift, and right now, your eyes are glowing the most amazing shade of purple I have ever seen.”
“They are?”
“Yes. Can’t you feel it? Your phoenix is screaming to be let out.”
“Why is she doing that?”
Keegan answers. “Because Trinity, she wants her mate. It’s taking everything I have not to shift right now and throw you down on that bed.” He growls out his words, the vibrations running straight to my clit. My legs finally give out,
and he catches me in his strong arms before sitting down on the bench and pulling me into his lap. “Trinity, when we… consummated our bond, we ignited.” My eyes widen, and my eyebrows shoot up as he continues. “The flames of the mating fires consumed us. Didn’t you feel the heat?”
I nod. “I did feel it. I noticed a bright light from behind the blindfold, but I thought I must be imagining it.”
“Oh, it was real, sweetheart. It was so hot that it melted the cameras watching us. The fires brought forth my phoenix, and I shifted above you. Our phoenixes answered the call of the mating fires, accepting each other as true mates. It was… magical.” He whispers the last bit, and I lick my lips, remembering the power that surged between us.
“I felt your feathers when they landed on my body.” He pulls me into his chest, and I let him surround me with his arms.
“You looked… perfect, Princess. Your lavender skin decorated in my bright blue feathers…” He trails off when his cock hardens and presses against my ass. He pulls back from me and looks me in the eyes. “I know you didn’t ask for any of this, Trinity, but you are mine. From the moment I first saw you, I knew you were mine. And I am yours. We are one, you and I.” He grabs my face, forcing me to hold his gaze as I grab onto his wrists. His glowing eyes track my tongue as I sweep it over my bottom lip to wet it. “I know you feel it, too. Your phoenix calls to mine, Princess. You.. are.. Mine.”
With that possessive thought he crushes his lips onto mine. His moans of pleasure fuel our kiss. Our tongues duel in a sensual dance, massaging back and forth in an arousing blend of lips, teeth, and tongues. He dominates and I submit, allowing him to guide me along in the most erotic kiss imaginable. A gush of wetness dampens my naked legs. He sniffs, then lets out a low growl, recognizing the scent of my arousal. His hand leaves my face, and he trails a languid finger up my inner thigh, finding the wetness in the crease of my leg. He groans into my mouth, encouraging the passion of the kiss. Gripping my lower lip between his teeth, he bites down before gently gliding his incisors along the soft tissue until it slips through. The abrupt change from pain to pleasure only serves to heighten my arousal.
Bound For Blood (Feathers & Fire Book 1) Page 17
