by Zoe Ashwood
He kisses my mouth, then my cheeks, my closed eyes. “I thought we’d lost you,” he says, his voice hoarse. He presses another kiss on my mouth, rough and bruising. “That monster…”
I put my fingers over his lips. “Don’t think about that. It’s gone now.”
Turning in his arms, I face Levi. “Thank you both for digging me out. Without you, I would have remained there forever.”
Levi walks closer and takes my waist, bringing our hips together. “We got lucky.” He leans in and runs his nose along the edge of my jaw, his breath tickling my sensitive skin. “Lucky that the tunnel didn’t collapse completely. Lucky we didn’t get crushed.”
Then he lifts his head and looks over my shoulder to Raphaël. “Well, you got crushed. Is everything okay now?”
Extricating myself from their embraces, I face Raphaël. “You got crushed? What happened?”
He sends an annoyed glance to Levi. “I’m fine. A little blood and I’m good as new.”
“You fed? In the tunnel?” I glance from him to Levi and back. “How?”
“Well,” Levi drawls, and his face turns uncharacteristically red. “He drank from me.”
“Oh!” I exclaim. “Are you okay?”
He places a hand on my arm to calm me, rubbing his thumb over my skin. “Yeah. It’s, uh, an interesting experience.”
I peer at him more closely. “Interesting how?”
Raphaël clicks his tongue and steps back. “I’m taking a shower while you two gossip about me.”
“No, wait,” I say, catching him by the wrist. “I didn’t mean to sound rude. I’m genuinely curious. I mean—is it anything like when you gave Levi some of your blood?”
That was one of the most erotic moments I’ve witnessed in my life, and the guys barely touched each other. To think that Levi now voluntarily gave his blood to Raphaël… I swallow thickly, trying to keep my flush from showing on my cheeks, but my body heats up all the same. Something tightens in my stomach, some primal, base need to see that again, see where it might take them in a safe setting.
Levi clears his throat. “It wasn’t unpleasant.”
Raphaël’s hazel eyes darken. “That’s all you have to say about it?”
Levi holds his gaze. “That, and you need to know that Raphaël can sense what you’re thinking of when he’s drinking from you. Your memories.”
Wow.
An undercurrent runs through the room, something dangerous and mysterious that I can’t quite grasp. Whatever happened between them has left them on edge, and I want to dig deeper, see where we end up.
Slowly, I step closer to Raphaël, placing my palms on his chest, and ask the question that’s been burning inside me for days. Maybe longer—maybe I’ve been wondering about this ever since I caught him in that blood den drinking from a woman who moaned with pleasure.
“Will you bite me?”
Raphaël remains so completely still, his face seems made of stone. He’s never looked less human than now, even without his fangs. Only his eyes burn into mine with such heat, I tremble from the intensity.
“Is that what you want?” he asks finally, his voice barely more than a murmur. “My fangs in your skin? Your blood on my tongue?”
The visceral image has me clenching my legs together. He’s a predator made to hunt prey just like me, and I want him.
“Yes,” I reply. “To all of that.”
I’m scared, but nothing could stop me now. We’ve come through so much together, I don’t know how I’ll ever let him go after this, and I want to experience everything he has to offer me.
Levi’s warm presence appears behind me. “I’ll be with you,” he whispers in my ear. “All the time.”
Raphaël’s hands find my waist, and he slips his fingers under the hem of my filthy camisole, lifting it over my head. His gaze drops to my breasts, cupped by my black cotton bra, and he draws in a sharp breath.
“Shower,” he growls. “Both of you. Now.”
The command breaks the intense moment, and I scurry into the bathroom, giggling, Levi close on my heels. But the sight of the bathroom has us stopping on the threshold. It’s clean and modern and dominated by one very interesting feature: a large walk-in shower with a glass wall, decorated with turquoise and black tiles forming beautiful geometric patterns.
Glancing at Levi, I raise my eyebrows. “Want to shower together?”
He pulls me forward, then removes his ruined t-shirt. It lands in a heap on the floor, along with my linen pants and underwear. I’m the first to reach the shower, so I open the tap, and the massive showerhead rains warm water down on me. I sigh in contentment, tilting my face up so the water rinses away all the dust and blood and soreness from me. Levi joins me a moment later and lathers himself up.
Then Raphaël appears at the bathroom door, shirtless and just as dirty as the two of us. “Is there enough room for three?” he asks.
I motion him to come forward, and he steps under the spray, slicking back his wet black hair. Levi eyes his chest and lets out a low groan that I almost miss under the sound of the rushing water. My gaze drops down to his groin, and I realize he’s half hard already, his cock thickening before my eyes.
Grinning, I step right up to him and press myself to his chest, reaching up for a kiss. His hands land on my ass, and he brings me even closer, so the length of his erection touches my belly. Then Raphaël puts his hand between Levi and me. He brings it to the apex of my thighs and brushes his fingertips over my clit, then lower, right into my core.
“You’re already wet,” he murmurs, his lips on my neck. “Who do you want inside you first?”
I gasp at the direct question, but I also know my answer. “Levi. And your fangs.”
Levi lets out a choked laugh, then kisses me deeply, his tongue brushing against mine. I slip my soapy hands over his chest, flicking his nipple piercing, and he sinks his teeth in my lower lip. With a whispered spell, he protects both of us and lifts me in his arms. His thick cock notches at my core, and our eyes meet for a second, his a brilliant green that seem to glow with intensity. Then he plunges inside me, pushing until he’s in to the hilt. I clamp my thighs around his hips and hang on to his shoulders as the initial wave of pleasure courses through my body.
Tentatively, I roll my hips to test out this new position. He supports me effortlessly, so I don’t have to do much, just rock myself on his erection. But Levi doesn’t let me set the quick rhythm I know will bring me to a climax the fastest—he pulls out slowly, then slides back in, sparking little fires all over me.
Raphaël brushes my wet hair aside and presses a kiss to the point where my neck meets my shoulder. Goosebumps race over my skin, but he kisses me until I relax under his and Levi’s care. My breath comes faster, and I work my hips to bring Levi deeper, to feel more of him. Raphaël touches my clit again, and I nearly come from the sensation. But I want to hold back, make this last longer.
Levi kisses me, sucking on my tongue, and at that moment of distraction, Raphaël sinks his fangs in my neck.
The initial prick of pain surprises me, so I stiffen, but the rush of pleasure that follows drowns out all the rest.
“Ohhh,” I moan, melting in Levi’s arms. “That’s… Oh my gods.”
Raphaël chuckles, sucking at the bite wounds, then strikes again, a little higher on my neck. Shivers of exquisite bliss race up my limbs, gathering in my belly, like a coiled spring waiting to be released. Levi thrusts into me, and there’s so much happening, such intense sensations coursing through me, that I can’t hold back a cry.
Levi’s answering growl is sexy as hell, and a glance at his face tells me he’s just as close as I am.
“Nora,” he pants, “grab his cock.”
It takes a second for my hazy brain to comprehend what he’s saying, but when I do, I grin. Yes. I want us all to take equal pleasure from this, like we did in the tent during the sandstorm. The memory of that night makes me even wetter, and Raphaël groans behind me.
&nb
sp; He licks the wounds and puts his lips to my ear. “I can feel you thinking about what we did to you.”
“Does it make you hot?” I pant, looking over my shoulder at him.
His eyes are fully black, his fangs descended, and his lips are red with my blood. It’s a dangerous, erotic image that I’d never in a million years thought I’d enjoy. But seeing him so on edge is a reckless thrill, and I want more of it.
He takes my lips in a bruising kiss, nicks my bottom lip with the tip of his pointy fang, then licks the blood off slowly. “It does,” he says. “I’ve never been this hard.”
Gasping for breath, I reach down and wrap my fingers around his thick erection. I want him inside me, too, somehow, but I haven’t crossed that threshold yet with anyone, so I know we need to wait. But I can make him come with us, just like Levi suggested.
Levi pumps into me, faster and faster as he closes in on his climax, I time my strokes to his rhythm. Raphaël puts his lips to my neck again, but he doesn’t touch my clit. The moment his fangs pierce my skin, he touches my ass with the tip of his finger.
I shudder at this unfamiliar sensation, but the more he teases me, the hotter it gets. I close my eyes and open myself up to him, letting my thoughts, sensations, and memories all flow into one, hoping he feels what I feel.
Raphaël groans, sucking harder on my neck. His hips jerk forward faster, and I tighten my grip on him to increase the friction. Just then, Levi buries himself deep inside me, and I fly off the edge of my orgasm, stiffening in his embrace. Throwing my head back, I scream, and pleasure detonates all through my body, reducing me to a shivering, gasping mess.
In the next moment, Raphaël comes all over my hand, thrusting. “I can feel your orgasm,” he rasps. “It’s— Nora!”
Levi’s hips slam forward again and again until he jerks me closer to him, plastering my body to his, and buries his face in my wet hair, groaning. He spills inside me, his broad shoulders shuddering under my grip.
For a moment, the only sounds in the bathroom are the rushing of water and our mingled breaths. Then I let out a shaky laugh, and Levi releases me, setting me on the tiled floor.
I sway on my feet, so Raphaël braces me with a hand to my waist. Gently, we rinse each other off, then towel dry in companionable silence. Every time I catch Levi’s gaze, I can’t help but grin, and Raphaël smacks my naked ass as I bend to rub the towel over my legs.
Levi gathers up all our dirty clothes and calls the reception, arranging to get everything cleaned by morning. All our luggage is still in the half-buried Land Rover, so I’m just hoping Aya’s team manages to retrieve the car before we have to leave Cairo for Iceland.
On that note…
I take a sheet off the bed and wrap it around my body like a toga. Then I return to the bathroom and toss fresh, dry towels to Levi and Raphaël. Not that the room isn’t warm enough to remain naked, but I want to have this conversation with the guys without distractions.
“We need to talk,” I declare and sit on the edge of the bed.
Raphaël joins me and finger-combs my wet hair. “I love that you grew it out since two years ago,” he murmurs. “It’s beautiful.”
I gently pull away and put a foot of distance between us. “Stop distracting me. This is serious.”
“That doesn’t sound good,” Levi quips, settling on the other side of me.
It’s freaking hard thinking straight when two amazingly fit men wearing nothing but towels are seated on either side of me, so I close my eyes to resist temptation and force myself to utter the words I’ve been thinking through.
“I’m not giving up,” I say quickly. “I’m going on to Iceland. Tomorrow, if I can find a good flight. But I understand if you don’t want to accompany me. Actually, I’d prefer it if you didn’t. This first task was too dangerous, and we all could have died. So…”
I pop my eyes open and focus on my best friend. “Levi, if I win, you can still come with me to Ballendial Library. I know you went along with this for me.”
He opens his mouth as though to argue, but I shake my head quickly. “Please, just let me finish saying this.”
His dark eyebrows snap together in a frown, but he presses his lips in a tight line and remains quiet.
“There’s so much at stake here. I’m doing this to fill the magical database with as many spells as possible, and I don’t think the Scottish witches will be happy with me for exposing their knowledge,” I tell him. “There’s a good chance they won’t leave me alone after this. And I don’t want you caught up in that shitstorm.”
Then I face Raphaël. “And you don’t owe me anything beyond this point. I owe you a spell, and I’m going to do everything I can to give it to you. I can even do it now if it’s something I already know. But please know that I don’t expect you to follow me anywhere from here. You probably need to return to Paris anyway.”
A great wave of sadness washes over me at the thought of parting ways with him—with both of them—but I needed to say this, to get it off my chest. This is my hunt, and I won’t be responsible for anyone else getting hurt.
“Are you done?” Levi growls.
I blink. “What?”
“Do you really think I’m going to just leave and let you do this fucking competition on your own?”
The vicious tone of his voice has me sitting back from him. “I—”
“Gods, Nora!” He stands, pacing away from me. “You’re so damn stubborn. You keep pushing us away, but has it ever occurred to you that we want to be here?”
His eyes flash, and he stands there like a statue of an angry god, his sculpted chest naked and his hands on his hips.
I wrap the bed sheet tighter around my body. “But I don’t want you to get hurt,” I reply, my voice small. “I can’t… What if I lose you?”
He lifts his hands in frustration. “And if I lose you because you’re off alone on some absurd treasure hunt? What do you think that’ll do to me?”
Staring at him, I can’t find the words to describe how I feel. So many emotions course through me, pinpointing and naming just one seems impossible.
“If I may?”
Raphaël’s calm voice has us both looking over to him. He’s leaning forward, his elbows on his knees, and his damp black hair falls over on his forehead, half obscuring his eyes.
“I had no intention of going on a treasure hunt before you visited me in Paris. My life was good, and I would even have said I was content.” He gazes up at me, his hazel eyes warm. “But the moment you lifted that spell off me, I realized I’d been living a half-life these past years. So. Unless you tell me you never want to see me again, I’ll be going with you wherever you go.”
Levi snorts. “What he said.”
Tears prickle my eyes, and I blink rapidly to keep them at bay. “You’re both crazy.”
With a great sigh, Levi returns to my side and drops to the bed, sprawling out on his back. “So are you.”
“I agree,” Raphaël adds calmly. “Taking on a centuries-old coven of murderous witches doesn’t seem like a sane idea.”
He lies on his side, supporting his weight on one elbow, and winks at Levi, who grins in return.
Twisting to face them, I glare from one to the other. “This isn’t funny.”
Levi reaches up and tugs at the corner of my sheet. “Of course not.”
Raphaël takes my hand and presses a soft, sensual kiss to the center of my palm. “We’re very serious about this.”
I surrender with a groan. “Fine. You two can come along.” I sigh as Raphaël licks the inside of my wrist. “But we go in prepared. We need to do better than this time. You’ll follow my rules?”
“Always,” Levi murmurs. He unwraps the sheet from me and cups my breast with his warm palm. “Just tell us what to do.”
“Mm,” I purr. “I can think of a few things I’d love for you to do right now.”
He closes his lips over my nipple, and I give myself over to bliss.
Tomorrow, w
e’ll plan. Tomorrow, I’ll make sure all my loved ones are safe.
But for tonight, maybe it’s enough if I just feel.
And let go.
Epilogue
Isak
I regret my dramatic exit the moment I shift under the waves of the Nile river. My body expands, my tail flicking, my wings flaring outward so I nearly brush a moored ferry boat. My snout stretches out, my gills open, and I sigh inwardly, relaxing into my preferred form. I tuck the obsidian scarab token under my tongue to keep it safe. One mouthful of the water, though, and I’m gagging, overwhelmed by the pollution.
For fuck’s sake.
River water in general isn’t my favorite, because it lacks the salt my dragon needs to survive, and if I hadn’t just spent forty-eight hours in that godsforsaken desert, I never would have taken the water route to Cairo. Instead, I might have offered Nora Moss and her companions a ride back to the capital. We could have driven through the night, and I’d catch a flight back home to Iceland in the morning.
I could have gotten to know the tempting witch better and find out exactly what her relationship is with the two men accompanying her.
But the water called me, no matter how murky it smelled. So I dived right in, only to realize it’s nothing like the rivers of Iceland I sometimes swim in.
I should have known. Everything in this hot, dry country is different, and I shouldn’t have gone along with Kiran’s plan just because he’d assured me he’d thought it through. He never thinks anything through, so I don’t know why I believed him this time.
But if I hadn’t come here, I might not have won that token. Regardless of my feelings toward this place, it has brought me one step closer to winning the competition and taking the royal crown back to my sister.
If I hadn’t come here, I also wouldn’t have met Nora again. I almost wish she were coming to Iceland next, so our paths would cross once more. Almost.
She never would, however, because she’d said it herself: there are no witches in Iceland. My forefathers made sure of that, cleansing—their words, not mine—the island of the very creatures who killed so many of our kin during the brutal dragon wars of the twentieth century.
