The veil shimmered, and she jumped back as Rylan walked through it, appearing next to her. “We’re under strict orders to find you and bring you to our king. Oisin wishes to have a discussion with you.”
“That’s super. Then he should come and talk to me instead of attempting to have me abducted.”
Rylan frowned. “He has no wish to sully himself with the human world.”
“Well, I have no wish to enter the Unseelie Court. I’m not stupid. I know what goes on there.”
A wicked grin split his brother’s face, and Kier couldn’t contain his chuckle.
“Let me guess,” Rylan said. “We practice unnatural magic, upsetting the balance of earth and sky. We roast Seelie babies for supper and ravish every Seelie maiden we can get our hands on, willing or not. Is that about the sum of it?”
Kier glanced at Tama. Her lips pressed together as if she were trying desperately to keep from speaking.
“Granted, I think I can speak for my brother when I say we’re more than tempted to ravish you.” He ran his fingertip along the upper swell of one of her wings, watching intently as her eyes closed on a shudder. “But, something tells me you wouldn’t be unwilling.”
Her eyes flew open. “I don’t even know your name, and you think I’m going to let you anywhere near me?”
“It’s Rylan. And I do.”
Bright color stained her cheeks, and she looked about to retort when her gaze darted beyond Rylan. “They’re coming. Let me go. Please. I can’t go back with them.”
“They won’t take you,” Kier growled against her ear as he glanced toward the east.
“There are too many of them,” she whispered, her voice harsh.
“She’s right,” Rylan muttered. Stepping back, he spread his arms, whispering an incantation. Kier felt the effort as if he were the one pulling on the barrier. His muscles burned with exertion as Rylan drew the veil between the worlds around them like a bubble, sealing it with a murmured spell.
In times of heightened emotion, it wasn’t unusual to experience what his twin felt. It was the same for Rylan. With the combination of the Seelie horde searching for them and the intoxicating nearness of the woman pressed between them, Kier’s senses were ready to burst.
The pursuing warriors swept toward their makeshift shelter. Kier didn’t have any doubt it would hold, but whether or not the Seelie sensed their presence was another matter. Tama trembled with fear. Oddly, she seemed more frightened of her own people than she did of them.
“You’ve gotta be kidding,” Tama whispered. “Like they’re not going to notice this giant bulge in the veil?”
Keeping his gaze on the horizon, Rylan answered. “The barrier between the worlds is neither straight nor smooth. They won’t notice.”
“I hope you’re right.”
He spared her a brief glance. “I do, too, Princess.”
Chapter Three
Muffled voices filled with anger and frustration drifted to them through the protective shield as the Seelie soldiers searched the border. Tama froze as Dahire alighted next to their hiding place. Her breath caught in her throat as he turned to look at her, but she realized he couldn’t see her. He only saw the vast expanse of the veil.
Rylan slowly stepped closer and rested his hands on her shoulders. Comfort trickled into her body at his touch. She couldn’t believe she could find reassurance at the touch of an Unseelie fae, but one look at Dahire’s icy blue gaze and she knew she was safer with these two than she would ever be with him.
Dahire stepped closer, and Tama had to close her eyes. Rylan’s lips brushed her ear, his hushed words stirring her hair. “Silence. No sudden movements.”
Opening her eyes, she nodded once—slowly—to show she understood, her gaze fixed on Dahire as he stalked around the area, berating his troops for not besting the Unseelie scum and failing to capture her. Her hands tightened into fists at her sides, her short nails digging into her palms.
No matter what happened, she wouldn’t return to court with him. She missed her home in the faery realm, but not enough to sacrifice her freedom. Life with Dahire would be no better than slavery. He would dress her in the finest of gossamer silks and shower her with jewels, but she would be nothing more to him than a tool, a means to control their people. A means to defeat the Unseelie and bring them to heel. He planned to use her power against anyone who crossed him. He’d told her as much before she’d run away.
Of course, at the moment, her power was practically non-existent. The constant exposure to iron had seen to that. After such a long time, she might never recover her abilities. She could still communicate with animals and plant life, the same as any faery, but she’d had additional, more specialized powers. Unlike others of her race, she could also control the elements. If Dahire had that skill at his command, he could force his will on anyone he chose. She could refuse, but she’d seen him torture the loved ones of other Sidhe who had refused to do his bidding. There weren’t many people she was close to, but she refused to let them suffer because of her.
Dahire screamed his frustration at the sky, drawing her attention back to the present. In a fit of rage, he directed an energy bolt toward a group of his soldiers. A bright flash tore through the ground in front of Tama’s hiding place, scarring the earth and startling a strangled sound from her throat.
Rylan slid his hand from her shoulder to cover her mouth. “Shh,” he whispered. She nodded, but he didn’t remove his hand. Instead, his other arm circled her waist, drawing her firmly against his body. His warmth soaked into her, and inexplicably long, dormant desire slowly radiated from where his hand rested on her belly and outward though her body. His fingertips traced lazy figures over her abdomen, and her head lolled back against his shoulder.
Barely noticing as the Seelie soldiers left the area, she squirmed against the growing ridge pressing into the cleft of her ass. Her breasts felt full, almost swollen as her nipples hardened to tight, aching peaks. Her sex grew slick, and the threat of Dahire and his men faded from her mind, replaced by thoughts of Rylan or Kier touching her. Or, better yet, both men touching her at the same time.
Kier turned to look at them, lust burning brightly in his dark eyes. His heated gaze followed the motion of his brother’s fingers as Rylan woke the need within her. Kier moved closer, looking mesmerized by the sight of his brother’s hand on her body. His broad chest skimmed her breasts, effectively trapping her between them as he leaned forward and brushed kisses along her jaw line.
She shouldn’t be giving in to this. She should be fighting to get away. Rylan had said that their king wanted to have a discussion with her, but in her experience, ‘discussion’ was nothing more than a euphemism for an order. The last thing she needed was to end up with another king who planned to use her for his own ends. Besides, who knew when Dahire and his men would be back? Whether she stayed with Kier and Rylan or not, they needed to leave this place. And she was fairly certain the iron in her pocket was preventing her from crossing the border into Faery, but she wasn’t willing to let it go. It was one of her few weapons against Dahire.
“I need to leave,” she whispered, pulling Rylan’s hand from her mouth.
“You need to stay,” Kier murmured against the side of her neck. “You need to stay with us.”
“I thought you wanted to bring me to your king,” she breathed as he nipped the soft flesh with his teeth.
“We want to keep you safe.” Rylan punctuated his words with open-mouthed kisses along the sensitive curve of her wing. “We can do that more efficiently from within the court.”
She closed her eyes at the onslaught of sensation and tried to focus on her argument. “I’m Seelie. You’re…not. Why do you even care?”
Kier frowned. “You can’t tell me that you didn’t feel the connection between us the moment we touched. Even through your fear, you sensed that there was more between us than hunter and prey.”
The rough timbre of his voice slid unapologetically down her spine t
o throb in her womb. Though her instinct was to deny it—to deny them—she couldn’t. She’d felt something in them that defied definition. It defied explanation. She was drawn to them in a way that she’d never been drawn to anyone else. Part of her wanted to believe it was the rush of fear and excitement, but part of her wanted to believe it was something more. And another, rather large part of her wanted to stop analyzing everything and simply experience this moment with them.
Kier cupped her face and tilted her head back, capturing her mouth with his own. Her lips parted on a gasp, and he wasted no time delving inside to taste her. A whimper escaped her as he pressed himself fully to her body. She barely had a moment to register the fact that there were two, hard cocks pushing insistently against her when Kier suddenly pulled back.
Tama forced her leaden eyelids open to see him clutching his thigh. “What—?”
His eyes narrowed, and he dropped to his knees before her. Rough hands tugged at the button and zipper closure of her jeans. With a sinking feeling, she knew he’d discovered her only protection against other Sidhe.
“What is it?” he demanded, yanking ineffectually at her clothing. Finally, his hand caught on her pocket and the fabric gave way with a loud tear that seemed to echo endlessly in the quiet of the night. The woolen bundle fell to the ground, and the iron key bounced gracelessly from the center of the material to stare accusingly up at her. Both men stepped back, giving the dangerous metal a wide berth.
“You carried iron on your body?” Rylan’s expression was incredulous as he repeatedly looked between her and the offending item. “It could have killed you,” he said more softly.
“It was the only way I could stay hidden from Dahire…and the others.”
Kier poked at it with a stick. “It must have prevented us from crossing through the veil.
Tama nodded and bent to pick up the wool and the key. “I really think it would be better if we parted ways here.” Somehow she managed to keep her voice from trembling at the suggestion. “Dahire is gone for the time being, there’s nothing your king can offer me that I want.” Except maybe endless nights with the both of you.
Kier reached out and grasped her hand before she could touch either thing. “It’s been sapping your strength, hasn’t it? It’s why you couldn’t teleport away from us.”
She nodded again.
“No more. I won’t allow you to harm yourself further—not when we can protect you.”
“I don’t need either of you to coddle me.” Frustration welled within her. If the iron hadn’t weakened her, she wouldn’t be in this position. But, without the iron she would have been captured long before now.
Rylan wrapped his arms and wings around her from behind. “Enough discussion.”
For the second time that night, she felt the warm rush of magic as her body dissipated into nothing more substantial than vapor. This time, she breached the barrier between the realms. Fear settled in the pit of her stomach as she steeled herself for meeting the king of the Unseelie Court. Even more powerful than the fear was the realization that despite Kier and Rylan’s pretty words, there was no connection between them. She was still their prey. And even more unnerving was that the realization didn’t change the fact that she still wanted them.
Rylan transported them to their rooms in the palace, knowing Kier would follow. He wasn’t worried about Dahire finding them. The Unseelie lands were well protected, and Dahire’s sense of self-preservation would keep him from attempting to track them in their own territory.
Right now, Rylan was more concerned with exploring their connection with Tama. She’d been adamant about trying to push them away, but he wasn’t having it, and neither was Kier. Rylan had known there was something different about her from the first moment he’d touched her. Something that called to his most primal self, begging him to taste. To touch. To possess. He knew Kier felt the call as strongly as he did. And he suspected that Tama, though she’d be loath to admit it did, too.
Once inside their dwelling, Rylan slowly lowered Tama to the ground, allowing her to slide down the length of his body. He knew the moment she felt his erection. Her body stiffened and a tiny, choked sound of arousal escaped her parted lips. As soon as her toes touched the floor, she took two steps back, but he snaked an arm around her waist and tugged her flush against his body.
“W—What about the king?” she stammered.
“He can wait.” Oisin would understand, of that, Rylan had no doubt. Besides, he was guessing that Kier’s continued absence meant he was informing Oisin that they’d met their objective, and they’d bring her to him later. That was really all he needed to know at the moment.
Tama’s eyes dropped to Rylan’s chest as if she dreaded meeting his gaze. Sliding the fingers of his free hand into her windswept mass of hair, he tilted her head back to look into her eyes. “Tell me you don’t want this—that you don’t want us,” he rasped.
“I don’t…” She closed her eyes and shook her head seeming to wage battle with herself. “I can’t. I can’t tell you that.”
Chapter Four
“Good,” Rylan breathed as his lips descended on hers. She opened willingly to his kiss, and he plunged into the sweet velvet of her mouth. His cock throbbed at the urgent press of her body against his as she tangled her fingers in his hair, tugging him closer.
Kier materialized behind her with a quiet groan. “You couldn’t wait for me?” he muttered, stroking his hands over the delicate arches of her wings.
A shudder racked Tama’s body.
He repeated the motion. “They’re so sensitive,” he whispered as he trailed his tongue along the same path. “Are you that sensitive everywhere?”
Stepping closer, Kier slipped his hands under her top and stroked her stomach. “I want to see you.” He pressed a kiss to the middle of her back between her wings. “I want to taste you.” He nipped at her earlobe. “I want to fill you.” He sank his teeth into the curve where her neck met her shoulder.
Rylan caught her needy cry in his mouth while he tugged at her sweater, as desperate to bare her as his brother was. Lifting his head, he stared into her eyes as he gripped the neckline in both fists and split it down the center. She snagged her lower lip with her teeth as she shrugged the remainder of the garment off, letting it fall to the floor.
His breath caught at the sight of her breasts. Tight, dark pink nipples topped full, creamy mounds, a delicate tracery of veins showing through pale skin. Fuller figured and far fairer than Unseelie women and he couldn’t tear his eyes from her.
She squirmed at his perusal. Shifting from foot to foot, she raised her arms as if to cover herself, but he caught them before she could.
“Never hide from me,” he breathed. He dropped to his knees before her, and Kier cupped both of her breasts as if offering them to him. Rylan leaned forward, taking one hard peak into his mouth, then the other. Tama’s head fell back against Kier’s chest, her neck extended as she arched her back, silently demanding more. As he sucked one nipple, his brother pinched and rolled the other until she was thrashing between them.
The subtle scent of her arousal drifted to him while he continued to torment her, gently biting the distended nubs. Reaching out, she grabbed a handful of his hair and tugged him more firmly against her.
Kier’s hands left her breasts to grip her hips while he ground his cock against the cleft of her ass. Rylan groaned around her nipple. Due to their connection, he could feel the sensation of her rounded bottom against his own shaft. He sucked harder on her as Kier did it again, drawing a breathy moan from Tama.
Kier’s fingers went to the closure on her pants, but she pushed his hand away and quickly unfastened them. “If I have to wait for you to figure out a zipper, I’ll die of need.”
Rylan pressed kisses across her satiny stomach as Kier’s fingers dipped inside her pants to toy with the top of her black undergarment. Her hips jerked forward, seeking more of their touch. Kier complied, slipping his hand inside to cup her fab
ric covered mound.
“So wet,” he rasped.
Looping an arm up around Kier’s neck, Tama steadied herself as she thrust against his hand.
Rylan stared up at her. Eyes closed and lips parted; she was so beautiful. Skin flushed a pale pink, nipples tightly knotted, and hips rocking back and forth seeking more stimulation. He trailed kisses across her belly, smiling as her stomach quivered beneath his lips. Drawing the remainder of her clothes from her body, he nudged his brother’s hand away, skimming his fingers over her tight, damp curls.
Kier reached around and spread her lips, exposing her slick pussy to his gaze. Rylan’s breath stalled in his throat at the sight of her moist, pink flesh and her swollen clit. Leaning toward her, he dragged his tongue through her wet folds, letting her sweet flavor fill his mouth.
A wordless cry echoed in the chamber as she canted her hips toward him, begging for more. His cock strained against the confines of his clothing, desperate to plunge into her silky heat.
Instead, he continued to lick her, teasing her tight opening with the tip of his finger while she reached behind her and fumbled with Kier’s pants. Rylan knew the moment she wrapped her hand around his brother’s cock. He felt it like a phantom touch around his own. She worked her fingers up and down the length of Kier’s shaft, smearing the drops of pre-cum with her thumb as it passed over the top. The Gods help Rylan if she took Kier into her mouth. He’d spill into his pants with nothing more than the taste of her on his tongue and the shadows of his brother’s pleasure washing over him.
He renewed his assault on her cunt. He needed to make her come before she brought Kier over the edge and they both lost it.
“Do you have any idea how beautiful you are, writhing between us?” Kier murmured, twisting and pinching her nipples. “I’m so jealous of him, right now. I want to bury my face between your legs and lick you ‘til you come. I want to taste you on my lips and tongue.”
Dark Sidhe Claimed Page 2
