“Oh, for goodness’ sake.”
“We know you lost control in the ballroom.”
I cut off a retort. “I didn’t lose control, exactly.”
“You let your anger over Willow’s disappearance feed your beast. That’s not a good thing, Gigi.” His voice dropped to a hoarse whisper. “I know. I’ve been there, too.”
I sighed and buried my face in his chest. Here, he smelled like he was supposed to, rich and deliciously male. My Jason. I scraped a fang along one firm pectoral, licked the swell of blood welling up from the tiny cut. It hit my tongue with the force of a linebacker wacked out on steroids. Need roared to life within me. I affixed my mouth over the cut and suckled hard, drawing every drop out of him that I could.
“That’s it, baby,” he murmured. He stroked a hand over my hair and slid one muscled thigh between mine. “That’s my girl.”
I grunted out a laugh. Girl, was I? I’d show him, just not tonight. The cut sealed after a few draws on his flesh. I abandoned it and cut a new one on the other side of his chest, and after that one sealed, I relented and sank my fangs into his neck. The shadows rumbled in their cage, but they stayed put. It wasn’t his blood they craved.
Apparently vengeance was as good as sex for control, and almost as good as a shared memory. I’d have to remember that, though I prayed with every bit of soul I had left that I’d never, ever have a need to seek vengeance again, not once Willow was returned to us.
* * *
Eric walked in as I was finishing, yanking at his tie with one hand, closing the door with the other. I didn’t need to turn around to know what he was doing. Jason fed me the images in a steady stream. Eric slipping into the closet, coming out dressed only in his underwear, trudging into the bathroom, one hand rubbing wearily at his nape.
I sealed the punctures I’d made in Jason’s neck and pressed a soft, lingering kiss there. “Thank you.”
“Anytime,” he rumbled. “I enjoy it, too.”
“I know.” I sighed and snuggled closer to him. He was so warm, so strong, and I loved him so very much. “Sorry there’s no sex behind it tonight.”
“Hey, now. That’s not the reason I’m with you.”
I smiled against his chest. “But it’s a definite perk.”
He laughed softly. “You could say that.”
The bathroom door opened and a moment later, Eric slipped into the bed behind me. “Elizabet wants to speak with us first thing tomorrow. I told her we’d meet her in the dining room so we can eat while we talk.”
“Any news?” Jason asked.
“None. Devin’s missing, but so are a few others. Raquelle, for one. Elizabet isn’t saying anything, but she’s really hurt Raquelle turned on her.”
“We don’t know that,” I said. “She could just be out of commission or something.”
“Elizabet’s tried calling her mentally.” Eric’s breath sighed gently over my nape. “The bond is fine. Raquelle’s simply not answering.”
“You think she had something to do with Willow’s kidnapping,” Jason said flatly.
“It’s too early to know.”
“But it’s a possibility.” Jason shook his head, then slumped into his pillow. “Exactly how many vampires were involved in this?”
“I don’t know. I don’t, Jason.” Eric bit back another sigh and curled closer into me. “You know what’s in my thoughts as well as I do.”
“Gigi doesn’t.”
“She does,” Eric countered, a hint of amusement tingeing his voice. “She prefers talking.”
“Well, it’s a lot simpler,” I said.
Jason laughed softly. “Only because you don’t have the hang of mental communication yet.”
“She will, eventually.”
“Maybe,” I hedged. “Maybe I like hearing your voices.”
“You’re a woman. Maybe you just like to talk,” Jason teased.
Eric snorted out a laugh and relaxed against me. “Speaking of communicating, I want to try to re-form one tomorrow.”
I nibbled at my lower lip with the tip of one fang. We’d tried and failed twice, the first time with devastating results. Were we ready to try again? Was I?
Jason rubbed his hand over my arm in soothing circles. “Hey, now. If Eric thinks we’re ready, we probably are.”
“We don’t really have a choice,” Eric said. “We need the strength one brings if we want to find Willow and hunt down the ones who took her. I’m not trying to push any of us into this, but we really need to be at our strongest now.”
The worry underlying his words tugged at me. There was something there, something he wasn’t saying. I attempted a stealthy foray into his mind through our bond and was promptly repelled by his defenses. I guess I really did need to work on the whole mental thing, though I thought I’d been doing pretty well, all things considered. “Tomorrow, then.”
“After we meet with Elizabet,” Jason agreed.
Eric inhaled deeply and let the breath out in a long, slow exhale. “Good. Let’s get some rest now. Tomorrow promises to be a really hard day.”
I closed my eyes and willed myself to find sleep, though my thoughts turned ‘round and ‘round in my head for a long time after, worrying over the obstacles lying between us and Willow.
Chapter Four
“Devin.”
The harshly spoken word startled me into awareness. Jason’s mind surged through mine and I gasped as he pulled me into his bond with Eric, drawing on my strength to squeeze off Eric’s connection with his former lover.
Eric jackknifed upright in the bed and scrubbed his hands over his face. “It’s ok, Jase. He’s not threatening me.”
“He contacted you,” Jason said, though he released our bond and allowed me to ease out of Eric’s mind. “That’s threat enough, especially now.”
“No.” Eric ran a shaky hand through his hair, rumpling it more than sleep had. “He wants to meet, says he has information we need.”
“Forget it.” I sat up and draped an arm around Eric’s bare back. “He’s part of the problem here, if only because of his relationship with Zane. How can he possibly help?”
“I don’t know, but we have to try.”
“I’m with Gigi.” Jason propped his head on one hand and speared Eric with a hard glare. “Devin’s been nothing but trouble since we got married. What makes you think we can trust him now?”
“I don’t,” Eric said softly. “But Willow’s out there and Devin might really know something. We can’t ignore that.”
We were all silent for a long moment. Outside, blue jays called to one another and the sun inched steadily upward, lighting a scant inch around the heavily covered windows of my room. Finally, Jason said, “It’s your call, man. You’re the one with the plan.”
Eric snorted. “Some plan.”
“Next time, we’ll know to take the really out there possibilities more seriously.” Jason slumped into the bed and dragged me down with him. “It’s not time to meet Elizabet yet. Let’s try to get some more sleep, ok?”
I sprawled across him as Eric climbed over both of us and settled on Jason’s other side. He slid under the covers and rested his head on Jason’s chest, and my heart turned over just watching him. He was so beautiful, more than he believed, and he was a good husband to both of us. I cupped my hand over his where it rested on Jason’s stomach and closed my eyes, determined to rest while I could.
* * *
We woke around noon, dressed in comfortable clothes, and plodded down the stairs together into the massive dining room, all three of us yawning sleepily. Dinky had laid out a beautiful spread of dishes prepared by Cook, bless them both. We helped ourselves and sat down at the far end of one table, ranged out near Alice, Gregory, and other members of Elizabet’s inner circle. Several had stayed after the previous evening’s ball in order to assist with efforts to find Willow, for which I was incredibly grateful. Every set of eyes would be needed if we had to search for her.
Elizabet a
nd Marco joined us when we were close to finishing, settling across the table from us with their own plates.
“Devin contacted me last night,” Eric said. “He wants to meet with me in private and I’ve all but agreed to it.”
Elizabet’s black eyes hardened and her pale cheeks flushed a deep shade of red. “I forbid it, Eric.”
Eric slumped into his chair and crossed his arms over his chest, meeting her angry stare evenly. “He may know something about Willow.”
“Did you consider for one moment that he may be leading you into a trap, and with you, the rest of us as well? We stand on the brink of war, Eric, a war you warned me was coming. Our allies abandon us, our enemies jeer, and you wish to hand yourself to them on a silver platter. You, with an unreached potential and the strength to outwit us all, a weapon so powerful, none could match you. I forbid it, and for once, you will listen to me.”
“Elizabet…”
Her hands came down hard against the table. “I am your mistress. You will address me accordingly.”
He nodded solemnly. “Mistress. We need to know what Devin knows. The easiest way to do that is for me to meet with him. I’ve already made up my mind.”
She hissed at him, baring her fangs in a feral snarl. “Your mind is mine to command. How dare you gainsay me?”
The volume of her voice startled me. My fork slid out of my hand and hit my half-full plate with a clatter, and I flushed nearly as red as Elizabet. Jason’s hand dropped to my thigh. I leaned into him, grateful for his calming presence.
Eric propped his elbows on the table, his gaze unwavering. “I’m not. I swear, Mistress, I’m not. This just has to be done. Marco and Jason can come with me. Darien, too, if he’s still around. In fact, he probably should. Maybe he can sniff out something that can help.”
The anger drained abruptly from Elizabet’s expression. She sat back in her chair and pressed an unsteady hand to her mouth. After a moment, she closed her eyes and turned her head away from Eric. “Is it any wonder my flock abandons me, when I cannot control one fledgling pet?”
“Don’t say that, please,” Eric said softly. “Nobody believes you’ve lost your strength, and absolutely nobody outside the crèche thinks I’m acting against your wishes. Most believe you’ve been directing me all along.” His mouth curled into a small smile. “Even when I do stupid stuff.”
Marco leaned down and murmured something into Elizabet’s ear too low for us to hear. She laughed softly as she relaxed into her favorite. “So I bear the burden and blame for your antics, do I, young Eric? And you test your limits, knowing I haven’t the heart to rein you in.”
“I test my limits so I’ll know where they are,” he corrected gently. “I never do it to hurt you. You have to believe me.”
“I know, dearling. Of all my dark children, you have the sweetest heart.” Her mouth turned down into a troubled frown. “I worry it will always be so and you will never find the ruthlessness you need in order to survive among the Vampyr.”
“That’s what I have Jason for.”
“Hey, now,” Jason said, and I hid a smile against his arm.
Marco speared Eric with an arch look. “Come to my bed, little pet. I still have much to teach you.”
Eric scowled at him. “Forget it, Marco.”
Marco smiled. Something dark brushed across my mind. A moment later, Eric shuddered and gasped, and his hands curled into fists on the table. I reached out, alarmed at the sudden change in his demeanor. Jason stopped me with a hand on my arm. I jerked my gaze to his. He shook his head almost imperceptibly and I let my hand drop away from Eric.
“Marco, my sweet,” Elizabet said, her voice a gentle chide. “Stop teasing him.”
“I’m making him a promise, one I intend to fulfill before he fully turns.”
Marco sat back, and beside me, Eric slumped in his chair, his breath panting out of his mouth in uneven gasps. His mind sought mine and Jason’s, drawing from our strength, and eventually, he brought himself under control.
“Fine,” he grated out. “You made your point. I still have a lot to learn.”
Something close to satisfaction crossed Marco’s expression. “Tonight, then. I’ll join you and Jason in your chambers. Nathaniel can service Gianna in your absence.”
And, of course, I didn’t get a say in it. Still, I let the command slide and glanced around, ashamed I hadn’t noticed before that Nathaniel wasn’t with us. My thoughts were too scattered, though that wasn’t much of an excuse, as far as I was concerned. “Where is he?”
“He returned to Charleston for a business meeting.” Elizabet glanced at the eggs and fruit on her plate, then pushed it away. “He promised to return this evening, though the queen has forbidden him from offering direct aid.”
She doesn’t want to be drawn into it. The thought slid easily along my bond with Eric, echoing through the one I shared with Jason. She doesn’t need to be. This is essentially a local conflict. She won’t step in unless it spreads to a larger area or threatens her hold on her territory.
I wrinkled my nose. Vampyr politics. Who needed ‘em?
“What time will you meet Devin?” Elizabet asked.
“Just after sundown, on the western edge of your property.” Eric rose and bowed toward her. “If we could be excused, Mistress.”
“Now you choose to be proper?” She huffed out an exasperated laugh. “Go on with you, child. Plot and brood with your family. Take care to act wisely.”
“Yes, Mistress.”
Jason and I gathered our plates and left, Eric close behind us. As soon as we were out of the dining room, I breathed a heartfelt sigh of relief. Eric could say whatever he wanted to about testing limits. That didn’t mean I had to like it, especially when he defied Elizabet. My time in the cage existed as a jagged shard in my memory. I had no desire to return there, nor did I wish to witness my beloved husband being punished and caged, not if it could be avoided.
I hoped to God it would never come to that.
Chapter Five
As soon as we re-entered my room, we stripped down, allowing our clothes to drop in a scattered trail across the floor. I knew in my heart that Eric was right. We needed to re-form one, the sooner the better, but I wasn’t looking forward to the necessary suck and fuck, as he called it. I just wasn’t in the mood and I was pretty sure I wasn’t the only one. We were all distracted, more focused on Willow’s disappearance and what we needed to do to get her safely back than on sating our basic needs.
I climbed into bed and met Jason halfway. He tugged me down and claimed my mouth in a fiercely possessive kiss with the fingers of one hand tangled in my hair and the other sliding slowly down my nude back. The mattress shifted as Eric crawled in behind me. He tugged the covers up over my legs, then trailed his mouth along my shoulders, nipping the skin at irregular intervals.
A hot flood of desire boiled through me. I gave myself over to it gladly, relieved that I wouldn’t have to work so hard at finding my innate need for my husbands, that I could enjoy our time together in spite of what we faced. Weeks out of the cage, and I still treasured every moment with them, no matter the circumstances.
Jason broke the kiss on a gasp. “Fuck, Eric,” he grated out. “Stop dicking around in my head. You’re gonna make me come before we even get started.”
Eric’s husky laugh feathered across my skin. “You really want me to stop?”
“God, no. Maybe you should tone it down a little, though, share some of that heat with Gigi.”
“Mmm, better idea.” Eric abandoned my shoulders and traced a single finger down the curve of my spine. “Pull us into a memory, sweetheart. Maybe it’ll make one easier to recreate if our minds are already joined.”
As if reading my hesitation, Jason said, “I’ll give you one, a good one of the three of us.”
“Lube first.” Eric rolled away and returned a moment later with a plastic tube. He patted my bottom. “A dab on Jason’s little head, ok?”
Jason raised
up from the pillow he was resting on and peered around me at Eric, one eyebrow raised. “It’s not little.”
“Touchy,” Eric said with a smirk.
I rolled my eyes. “Boys.”
Jason smacked my bottom, then rubbed the slight sting away. “Hey, now. Watch who you’re calling a boy, little girl.”
“Children.” Eric handed me the lube and knelt between Jason’s legs. He grasped the base of Jason’s erection with one hand and slid it up the thick shaft. “Just a taste.”
“It’s never just a taste with you.”
“Complaining?”
One corner of Jason’s mouth tilted up and a soft glow sparked within his cornflower blue eyes. “Never. Do your worst.”
Eric touched his lips to the head of Jason’s erection and pushed it into his mouth one slow inch at a time. Jason’s breaths shallowed. He tucked a hand behind his head, holding it up as he watched Eric, and nibbled on his lower lip with one sharp fang. “That’s it, baby,” he murmured. “That’s good.”
His expression was so soft, so full of affection and love. I dropped the lube onto the mattress and crawled forward, pressed a tender kiss to his forehead and smoothed my hand across his hair. “I love watching y’all.”
Jason shifted his focus to me and grinned. “I know.”
“Show off.”
He shook his head slowly and that glow deepened. “Let me touch your pussy.”
A vague sense of déjà vu washed over me. It took me a minute to remember why. The very first time the three of us were together, Eric had tasted Jason exactly as he was now, while Jason had pleasured me with his very talented fingers. I grasped that memory firmly, holding it to me. It was a good memory, in spite of everything that had happened that night, the cold man claiming Eric, me getting pregnant so unexpectedly. Those things paled in comparison to the love we’d discovered because of them.
I scooted back, spread my thighs wide, and leaned over Jason, peppering soft kisses across the curve of his lower lip. He slid his hand into the space I’d made for him and stroked gentle fingertips over my clit. I moaned into his mouth and deepened the kiss, and was rewarded by harder strokes and a single finger inserted slowly into my pussy.
The New Vampire Page 23
