by Flynn Eire
Gaius shot me a smirk before focusing on Verge. “I would take you to Paris and we could sample anything and everything you’d want. Walk all the romantic spots, see the sights, take pictures, and just have fun while all your teeth get their sweets, sugar elf.”
“Would you accept?” Alastair checked. Verge nodded, but I still felt good because he hesitated, not liking Gaius’s answer as much as mine. I could see it. Gaius thought it was about money, the one-upping me. It wasn’t.
It was about Verge.
William offered some small town outside Denver—where he was from—that was famous for treats and fun, calm, nice, staying at a B&B to get to know each other.
Verge accepted.
One said Taste of Chicago, which was more than treats but something cool. Verge accepted. The last one said he’d make Verge treats, which he accepted too, not looking all that thrilled. Didn’t sound like much of a date to watch someone bake. And he’d told me he knew how to make treats and helped Manny.
I listened.
“I’ve told you I want you to take me,” I said, ready to go big and knock others out. “I want that. I want us to be in each other, love on each other in so many different ways.”
“You wouldn’t let him do that,” Gaius snapped.
“I would. I offered it in New Orleans,” I argued.
“Wow, one trip with lots of sex was all it took to win him, huh?”
“No, your attitude is what makes me shy away from you,” Verge snapped. “I’m not for sale. I’m not the prize you win over Nero. You got pissed you didn’t get your equal time with the game that Nero was playing well. I’ve noticed, Gaius.” He studied Gaius. “Would you let me finish on your face?”
“No, what does that have to do with anything?” he replied.
“But you finish on mine, so why wouldn’t you let me?” Verge challenged, the answer clear. He glanced at me. “Would you let me?”
“I would try it,” I swore. “I don’t know I’d like it. I’d rather you come on my groin to make me smell like you, but if you wanted to try the face, I’d do it.”
Alastair held up his hand when it looked like we might get to the physical fighting. “Would you three let him top you?”
Two bailed out, but William just shrugged. “I don’t care. If he was good at it, but yeah, I’d try it. I’m not a fan of coming on people’s faces, so I don’t do it and I wouldn’t like it done to me.”
“I don’t actually like it, either,” Verge admitted. “I just didn’t care because Gaius wanted it, but I agree that if he wouldn’t do it for me, that’s not okay then.” He shot me a hurt look as if I’d betrayed him now that this was all coming out in the open.
“You’re out unless you’re willing to match Nero or offer something,” Alastair reminded Gaius gently.
“This is bullshit,” Gaius growled, storming over to me and shoving me. “Why are you doing this? He doesn’t want to choose! He likes us both, so let’s just—”
“Because I love him!” I roared, shoving him back as my fangs came out. “I love him, and you come on his face. I love him, and you want your equal time. I am glad he has healed your heart to where you would try dating him, but I am sorry, old friend, I love him. I think I have since I laid eyes on him and he was talking to the donuts that would be in his tummy soon, apologizing they had to die but he would appreciate them. I love him.”
“Why didn’t you just say so?” Gaius whispered, his eyes wide.
“Because he wanted us both. Because he didn’t want to choose. He can play with us both, but I want him in my bed. I want him to be my partner. I want him to be mine and me to be his.”
“Yeah, I’m out,” William whispered, backing away. “You’re hot and super nice, Verge, but I see the way you look at Nero, and if he loves you too, I’m—I don’t want to get in the middle of that.”
“Thanks, I think you’re nice too, and I was going to tell you I said I’d date them,” Verge said, blushing all the way up to his ears. He shot me a look I couldn’t read. “Which is why I’m upset you did this without talking to me. I was going to tell you that I didn’t think I wanted to see Gaius anymore. He likes to play, he likes to win, but I wasn’t sure he actually liked me all that much or more than being buddies who fucked.”
“You were?”
Tears filled his eyes as he nodded. “Yeah because the moment I saw you reach the fence where I was watching with the rifle, I thought I would die if you got hurt. I realized you rushing out of the bed we were in and into danger made me never want to be in another bed because even going into danger, I only want to do it with you. When I thought that asshat could blow you up, I didn’t even wait for orders or ask, I just shot because I was terrified for you.
“I could have set off the bomb or—I didn’t even get orders. I couldn’t let him near you. You didn’t buy me in New Orleans. It wasn’t about the money or the spoiling or even playing and loving to see me have fun. You looked near panic I got sick at the landing. You looked at me like I was perfect for handling business, not just taking more cock or sex stuff. I want that. I want that with you.” He let out a choked breath. “You should have told me instead—”
I was at him in a flash, pulling him into my arms and kissing him. “I’m sorry. Don’t be upset. I didn’t mean to announce it like this without talking to you first. When I saw you up on the roof, looking beautiful and perfect, like a guardian angel, it hit me hard that someone could take you from me. You could be with someone else, and it killed me. I want you, Verge. I want you to be mine, be an us.”
“I pick Nero,” he told Alastair. “Officially or whatever. Fine, we’re together, not mating, but us.” I was about to kiss him again, thrilled he said it, but then he started hitting me. “But we are going to talk about you making me the center of attention or saying I want you over Gaius in front of everyone and changing what you said yesterday and—”
“I will, I’ll atone for it all,” I assured him and then kissed him deeply. “How? How do you want me to start?”
An evil grin formed on his lips that I loved. “I get on my knees to show you I appreciate you. I thought you said this was like Alastair and Zibon’s thing but just for me?”
I didn’t even hesitate, dropping to my knees before him. “With pleasure.”
8
I gaped at Nero as he went to pull down my running pants. I moved my hands in the way in time, and he shot me a hurt look. “I was being a brat. I didn’t mean it. I was—I was being a brat because you put me on the spot.”
“I know, but I still want you. You picked me, and I want to,” he assured me.
I moved my hands, shocked down to my core. He sucked me right there in front of everyone. The problem became I was too nervous and freaked out doing it with all the eyes and couldn’t get into it.
Nero solved that by turning us around so my back was to everyone and I could pretend it was just us. That worked, and I finished super fast, which wasn’t exactly great, either, but whatever.
“You’re crazy, you know that?” I whispered as he tucked me back in my pants.
“Isn’t it thrilling, though?” he chuckled, standing and pulling me into his arms. “I do love you, Verge. I think the only thing about you I don’t completely adore is you talking about food in your sleep.”
“I do not,” I hissed, shoving at his chest.
“You do,” Mark said as he walked over and grabbed a tray now that food was coming. “You used to talk about taco night and you wanted to do the taco night dance before the cake shimmy.”
“Okay, I do find that adorable,” Nero chuckled, kissing along my neck. “So yeah, it’s everything.”
“I adore you too,” I told him, not the same as loving him, but damn, give me a minute or three. I turned to see Gaius waiting to talk to us and swallowed loudly. “I’m sorry, you didn’t deserve for me to say that in front of everyone.”
He waved it off and scratched the back of his neck. “I-I think you both might be right. I li
ke you. Don’t get me wrong, I do, and I don’t think you’re a toy but—”
“I know,” I assured him, not wanting to make him say it. I pulled away from Nero and kissed Gaius, a nice one… A goodbye one.
“You do? I’m not sure I do,” he admitted.
“You like me, and I like you, but Nero loves me, and I’m falling for him, maybe already fell. That’s not fair to you when I know.” I saw in his eyes he was still confused. “I didn’t care about you coming on my face really until it upset him. You still don’t really care either way, or it bothers you. You didn’t jump to the next level. You will.”
“Will I?” He looked so confused I hugged him tightly.
“You will. You got to something you haven’t before, you said so. Just keep going, and you’ll find the person. It’s just not me.”
He pulled away and frowned. “It sounds like you’re saying goodbye, Verge.”
“I am. We can be friends, but that’s it.” The look on his face was priceless, and so was Nero’s as he moved up next to his friend. I chuckled, meeting Nero’s gaze. “Admit that it would make you uncomfortable if he joined us in bed while he’s still confused and I’m not where you are. You might love us playing, but it’s not fair to do for a bit, at least with Gaius. If that changes, then it does, and he’s your good friend.” I shrugged.
“You amaze me,” Nero whispered.
“You’re pretty cool too,” I chuckled. I went to say something else, but Gaius kissed me, like really kissed me, his hands all over my ass, and ground his hips against mine.
“Sorry, I wanted a real goodbye then,” he murmured against my lips. “I like to leave an impression.”
“You do,” I promised to be nice, not really meaning to hurt Nero, but Gaius was all fire and passion.
I simply liked a balance of that, and for me, that was Nero.
We grabbed food and sat down, my friends giving me happy smiles and thanking Nero for the shirts to let me see they liked him, were supporting me. It was nice. It was calm, which we didn’t get enough of. As if to prove my point on that, Basilia came jogging over to us with a grim face.
“I went to handle the vest, as I am unmated or attached,” she explained, holding out something to Alastair. “I removed the explosives from the vest so even if it remotely denotates, there’s nothing to blow. I did find this on him.”
He took the wallet and started cussing up a storm as he looked in it. Then he handed it to Nero, and I could see over his shoulder that it was the zakasac’s. Even with the changes, like red eyes, from the license photo, it was the guy. I’d gotten a good look at him through the scope.
“He’s from New Orleans,” Nero muttered, and I flinched. “I felt none there.”
“The coven isn’t answering,” Basilia informed us. “Ashton contacted the Jackson coven, and they have not heard from New Orleans, either, saying they’ve been trying for a week. Wyrok headquarters are sending some to check out the coven estate, but we might have another Charlotte on our hands. They could have had a few left not turned and you came to the city or—”
“Or a million options,” Nero agreed, handing her back the wallet. “They knew I used my contact there and found we had a meeting. It’s endless options without knowing more. They sent one to follow me back, though, thinking either we’d learned something or found a reason to come now. He’s right that we’re in the dark on too much. Their numbers could be vast. How many were in that coven?”
“At least a thousand, Ashton says, probably more,” she answered, worry in her eyes. “We need to hurry and get a haven built here, Nero. The rest of us can start checking every coven if need be, but we need places to put them.”
“Agreed. Supplies are coming, and we can get enough done before the bad weather really starts. Insides can be handled no matter the cold. Pretty for cover can happen in spring. I already told headquarters I want Mexico’s trainees sent here. I heard Proximo did as well.”
“He did, and headquarters agreed, but there’s nowhere to put them, Nero.”
“Give me a week and there will be,” he promised, most everyone giving him wide eyed looks. “The teams are good, and we’ve got help. We can get the basics in a week even if it’s bigger and more floors than the dorm now. It’s a precast concrete and box shapes. I arrange more trucks and deliveries, as many as needed. The human drivers can switch the trailers right out on Alastair’s land, and we can drive them in. We’ve got this.”
“Of that, I have no doubt, my friend,” she told him firmly. “The money is in the account, and we will aid however you need. I will go with Gaius and Proximo to hunt if others came with this zakasac while you continue.” She glanced at me then. “There are several nice rifles coming in with what Morggyan is recovering. I would very much like you to teach me how to shoot like that.”
“Matteo taught me,” I admitted.
“He says you have surpassed his skills, that you even beat the gun master here. With more pre- and post-trans coming in and maybe more still, he’s thinking about getting more help, you handling that for any who want to be trained. I would like that.”
“Yeah, sure,” I agreed, smiling. “I’d like that job. Help out here and there, stay well rounded, but I like the shooting. I could teach it.”
“Thank you, young Verge, and thank you for making our friend so happy.”
“He’s nice to me,” I murmured, shrugging. “So what are these designs for the new dorm?”
“Subtle,” Nero chuckled, nodding we could move the conversation along. He pulled out a pen and turned a napkin over and started drawing. “Basic layout for post-trans will be a four-room suite that shares a living area and two bathrooms. Shower stall, toilet, sink—nothing fancy, but something more private, and the lounge is great, but let them have study space or a shared area. Microwave, fridge, sink, and a few cabinets. Like college dorms.
“Warriors have their own bathrooms and share a small living space, rooms a bit bigger. Mated pairs have even bigger, their own bathrooms, and shared area again. It’s just for late night stuff, or if they want to watch a movie and make popcorn, they don’t have to go all the way to the cafeteria. The fact you all live in this tiny barracks setup depresses us all.”
“That’s awesome. What happens to the dorm now?”
“Refurbished for pre-trans,” he answered me. “The pre-trans dorm is a joke. It’s basically a shitty stable someone threw up with shitty materials. I was told there were next to no funds and they did the best they could, I get it, but we’re fixing it. So the pre-trans will get the old dorm, which we’ll keep communal showers and bunk beds. We update what we can when the snow is falling, which there’s a lot we can do and fast, but that’s the plan.”
“Cool. Super cool. I gotta pick a suite mate,” I said with a chuckle. Except Nero was frowning. “What?”
“You are dense, young Verge,” Basilia sighed and walked away to handle whatever.
“I am, so you can’t get mad at me for it because I try my hardest,” I blurted, not liking Nero unhappy when he just was having fun and we were.
He leaned in and brushed his lips over mine. “I know you do, and I adore that. I frowned because one of the main points of the melee was I want you in my bed every night.”
“Yeah, but you didn’t ask me to move in. Don’t skip steps again,” I said with a growl. “You have to put on your blinker and give me a clue where we’re going.”
“That’s fair,” he agreed after a moment. “Fine, I will want you in my bed in the mansion I’ll be building, so prepare for that.”
“Okay, as long as you’re thinking of the super cool shower and tub thing Zibon was talking about because that sounded awesome.”
“Demanding, so demanding,” he teased me, smiling brightly that I wouldn’t dig in my heels.
Why would I? I adored him, pretty sure I loved him. Yeah, I was dense most days, not fucking stupid. I wanted to be in his bed too, and if I got to wake up with an awesome shower we would share, that sounde
d about the best way to wake up to me.
The End
Thank you for purchasing this book. I hope you enjoyed it! I realize everyone is busy, but if you could leave a quick review, I would greatly appreciate it. And to show I appreciate my readers, if you do and email the link with the book title as the subject to [email protected] I will send back two extra side stories I’m working on once the timeline catches up. I will go through emails on Fridays and send out the files after I announce it’s ready. Hugs from Vader and I.
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