Distant Light: An Urban Fantasy Reverse Harem (Tales From the Edge Book 1)

by Chloe Adler

  And what about Thorn? Will he be angry that his brothers are here with me, like this, when he’s stuck as a dragon? Old programming fills my head—I’m being insensitive to their needs. And then I tune into my men. They’re lost in this moment of pleasure and both of them want me to enjoy it, too. Caspian, perhaps noticing my distance, pulls back, holding my gaze, willing me back into the moment. There will be time later to sort out the rest.

  The pleasure builds again and I let my breath take over, panting strong enough to frost a window. I never thought I could go from zero to sixty in a few seconds but they’re proving that I can. Both men follow the crease with their tongues, in unison. Are they mind melding? As if there were such a thing. Rhys massages my clit with his soft tongue, alternating between light licks, harder presses, and all-out sucking. He teases me by pressing against the most sensitive part and then pulling away to lick the inside of my thigh. Caspian leans over me to lick my neck and then nibbles down to my breasts.

  Pulling Caspian’s head down, I arch into him, into both of them. “Harder,” I moan and both men bite me gently. “Yes,” I cry out.

  Caspian squeezes and rolls my nipple between his fingers, little presses that send jolts of heat radiating outward and then shooting down between my legs. Rhys’s tongue is hot and firm with its flicking and lapping, first thin and pointed and then flat and wide.

  The pressure builds and my body tightens. Rhys stops moving his mouth and presses his hand against my heat. I cry out, begging him not to stop. He shimmies up my body as Caspian sits back to let him and then Rhys takes my mouth while Caspian caresses my body with his hands, tripping ever so softly over my arms. The sensations are strong, and every light touch feels like bellows stoking the flames. My pussy is throbbing and I reach my hand down to touch myself but Caspian stops me, kissing my palms.

  “Please,” I pant around Rhys’s mouth.

  Caspian

  I lean over her lower body and bury my own face deep in her core. Her thighs are pure muscle and her pussy . . . I’ve never tasted anything this sweet in my entire life and I want to lap at this woman’s essence for all of eternity. I could get drunk on her taste alone. I’ve been with plenty of other women but no one like this, no one with so much to give that she’s forgotten how to receive. Has she ever received?

  My hands trip featherlight up her taut inner thighs, skimming the surface, barely touching her skin. She bucks fervently into me, crying out for my mouth to take her there.

  “Yes, please,” she practically shrieks. My cock is throbbing hard, standing at attention under my briefs. But I ignore it, pushing my own wants aside to focus on the needs of our woman. It’s about her right now.

  I place a finger at her entrance and move it in the tiniest of circles. Iphi cries out, bucking up again. Soon her cries are muffled as Rhys takes her mouth.

  I dip one finger inside of her and then pull it back out to skim her clit. She moans into Rhys, making me almost shoot my load into my briefs like a horny teen again.

  Her body tenses and Rhys pulls her up and into his embrace. I recognize it as a go-ahead even though we didn’t discuss any strategies beforehand. Rhys and I have shared enough women that we can work together without any verbal cues. For Iphi, we can we practically read each other’s minds.

  I descend on her pussy with my tongue and mouth, ravaging her. The orgasm builds, I can almost follow the flow through her body. The woman bucks madly but we overpower her, holding her down. Her moans and cries urge us on. No time to take care of myself, even though I’m edging and may come everywhere without a single touch.

  A growl builds in her throat and then crescendos out as her orgasm bursts through her, long and deep. I wrap my hands around her thighs and hold her body down. Rhys does the same with her torso and arms, both of us pushing down on her while she comes. We look up in unison and smile broadly at each other, then return to watching her come. We cover her body with our hands and mouths while she bucks and writhes like a serpent.

  Her eyes snap shut as her body convulses in wave after wave of pleasure. When she finally stills, we all bask in the glow of the aftermath. Rhys is cradling her in his arms, and I’m stretched out beside her, stroking her powerful legs with one hand. We drift in and out on a blanket of contentment until there’s a knock on the door.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Dominic

  The minute I enter the Palace, I know exactly what’s been going on. It reeks of sex.

  Great. I close the door quietly and lean my back against it. Thorn shifts on my shoulder.

  My brothers have been enjoying Iphi and I . . . haven’t been. I want to be happy for them and for her. Part of me is. The therapist knows this is exactly what she needs, to be worshiped and loved for who she is. To be seen and spoiled. Taken care of in a way she spent her entire life taking care of everyone around her. But what if this girl—woman—tears our family apart?

  At least she’s made her choice now. I wish it was me but maybe Thorn and I can move on, knowing that at least she chose our brothers.

  My breakfast sits untouched inside, on the counter, and it’s as though I’m standing outside in the cold, shivering. As a tremor passes through my body, Thorn takes flight. I know my reaction is a form of releasing somatic trauma so I can move forward in a healthy way. After I’ve healed from the loss. At least the worry, jealousy, and pain won’t lodge itself in my muscles to cause future post-traumatic stress. But in the moment, it sucks, and I take time to acknowledge the sense of sadness. I step away from the front door and drop my head into my hands.

  Thorn flaps noisily in front of me and then flies toward the kitchen counter, landing next to the cold food. He taps his claw against the countertop and tilts his head at me. I sigh and move into the kitchen to make some coffee.

  “Dom?” Iphi’s sleepy voice drifts down from the loft.

  “I’m making coffee,” I call back.

  “Oh, thank you!” she practically squeals. “I’ll be right down.” Whispers float by but I clank the coffee pot and cups to give them their privacy.

  A moment later, Iphi climbs down dressed in a blue silk robe adorned with silkscreened flowers. I recognize it immediately since I picked it out for her personally and placed it in her sleeping loft. My brothers and I decreed that this tiny house should be hers. It matches her personality. The Palace for a radiant queen who possesses our spirits.

  Seeing her in the robe melts my heart. The cold I was feeling a few minutes ago disappears completely, replaced by an intense heat.

  “You’re glowing,” I say and reach for her hand. Her cheeks warm to a lovely shade of pink. I turn her hand over and press a kiss into her small palm. Thorn buzzes by my ear and I swat at him before realizing I’m not swatting at an enormous fly.

  The dragon tumbles through the air and hits the wall with a thud.

  Iphi shrieks and runs to scoop him up, planting kisses all over his body. The guy milks it for everything it’s worth, laying prone, and puffing smoke clouds, his eyes closed.

  “Dominic, how could you?” she admonishes me.

  “It was a total accident, Iph. He’s fine. Here, let me see him.”

  She holds him out to me and I tickle his sides. Thorn writhes and a small flame shoots out of his mouth, then he rights himself and takes off, buzzing around the room.

  Iphi giggles, shaking her head.

  Caspian and Rhys finally climb out of the loft, wearing self-satisfied grins and partial erections. I snort. Rhys raises his eyebrows at me but Caspian pats me on the shoulder and pads into the kitchen.

  “Breakfast looks great, man,” he says. “I’m going to reheat it, okay?”

  I glare openly at Rhys, and Caspian starts the oven.

  “All my men together with me in one place. What more could a girl ask for?” Iphi sits demurely at the counter.

  Shit. I’m guilty of doing exactly what I feared would happen between my brothers and myself.

  When the coffee is ready, I pour everyon
e except the dragon a cup and practice every mindfulness technique I can think of to avoid dwelling on painful past events that can’t be changed. Remain in the present moment, concentrate on my breathing, and focus on the positive. I pace around the living room, holding a cup of joe in my hands, pausing to look out one of the windows onto our little plot of land.

  We’ve come a long way from the gutters of Manhattan.

  “Dom?” Iphi calls to me and I turn away from the window and back to her and the others. She pats the seat next to her and smiles so large that her entire face brightens. Stronger than the morning sun.

  Iphigenia

  Dominic sits next to me at the counter and Rhys on my other side while Caspian removes the plates from the microwave and serves us.

  “Thank you for making us breakfast.” I look pointedly at Dom and he bobs his head, blinking at me like he’s only just noticed something. I try not to be self-conscious even though I want to run into the bathroom and check myself in the mirror. Is there something on my face?

  He reaches around me for a pitcher of orange juice and offers me some. Then he tops off our coffee.

  My fork is hovering over a mound of delicious-smelling potatoes when Thorn squawks from the couch and flies over to perch on my shoulder. He squawks again when I raise the forkful to my mouth.

  “Can he have some?” I ask the men and they shrug.

  “He’s never had to eat in that form. Usually he changes back,” says Dominic.

  Thorn emits a low sound into my ear and I hold up a fork of potatoes, which he snarfs down in a messy gulp.

  “What are his other two shifts?” I stifle the urge to slap my palm to my face a split second after the question slips out. It’s beyond rude to ask shifters about their shifts. But none of the men seems slighted at my impertinence.

  “All dragons. Lucky devil,” says Caspian. “Small,” he motions toward my shoulder. “Medium, about the size of a bull, and large. What you think of when you think dragon.”

  “Cool!” I clap my hands together. I can’t help thinking that having my very own dragon for a bodyguard is awesome, but my excitement is doused by the surge of his discomfort through my system. What the hell was I thinking?

  “I’m sorry, Thorn. I got caught up in the dragon fantasy. That was ridiculously insensitive of me.”

  I reach up to rub his head, and he pushes into my hand, then nuzzles my neck. A half giggle, half shriek explodes out of me.

  “Hey now,” says Rhys, looking at Thorn. “None of that at the breakfast bar.”

  “Yeah, if you don’t behave,” says Dominic, “we’ll cage you.”

  Thorn widens his mouth and I flinch. Next to my eyes those spiked teeth are quite intimidating.

  Even though I know they’re joking . . . “No one’s caging anyone.”

  Rhys looks at his watch. “After breakfast, I’d like to show you some moves before you guys go to work. I can’t do it after work since I’m teaching at the vectum tonight.” At my confused look, he hastens to explain, “Janice hired me to train some of the girls.”

  A little knot forms at the base of my throat. I don’t want Rhys to teach a class at the vectum. I don’t want him to go to the vectum at all. I know what the girls there dress like and how they’re encouraged to act. There’s even talk that they can be enticed to perform illicit acts for extra money.

  “What’s wrong?” Rhys peeks at me over a forkful of pancake.

  “Nothing,” I say quickly.

  “It’s just work, Iphi. I’m coming home to you.”

  I toss my head. “You don’t owe me anything. You’re a free agent.” I say the words but I don’t believe them, not after our morning together. After the two of them made me come. My entire body flushes with the memory. Still, I want him to want me, not to feel bound to me because of a little sexual play.

  “Oh, but I’m not, darling girl. And I can’t even put a price on what I owe you.”

  Although I haven’t explored my sexuality as much as most people I know, including my two sisters, there are a lot of things I’m liking so far about this arrangement. I’m glad I’ve got some open-minded women in my life, Sadie and Burgundy in particular.

  “Is everyone working tonight?” I ask, then continue to feed myself and my miniature shoulder warrior.

  “We are,” the other two men answer. “We’ve both got the night shift, too,” continues Dominic.

  “What did Sheldon say about Thorn?”

  They exchange looks and Dominic clears his throat. “They’re understaffed and he wants him to keep working, says his mini dragon shift could be helpful on the force. After all, that’s why Sheldon was willing to take us all at once. But we bought him a little time so he doesn’t have to go in quite yet.”

  “Good.” I reach up and scratch under his chin. “I’m not ready to be without him.”

  After breakfast the men wait outside while I change into a pair of jeans. Even in her anger, Mother did a surprisingly good job packing for me, which says a lot, right? She may be mad now, but the items she included in my suitcase indicate she’ll speak to me at some point in the future, unlike the way she treats Chrys. But is that something I want?

  Moments later I join the men, who are practicing moves in the grassy area at the center of the Grove. What they’re doing looks complicated. Rhys, in his element, is gorgeous. The way he moves, linking one fluid action to the next—he’d fit right in at the circus. I had no idea that self-defense could look so sexy.

  “Iphigenia.” Rhys stops sparring with Dominic to call me over. “Eventually I’d like to teach you my favorite martial arts forms, push hands in tai chi, but it takes years of practice to be able to thwart an enemy and I’m afraid we don’t have that kind of time.”

  I walk around in a small circle and then hold up my hands in a mock pose. One I’ve seen in the movies.

  He shakes his head but his lips curve up. “You’re distracting in an adorable way, but this is serious. We’re going to start with basic self-defense moves. In particular, I’m going to teach you some of the moves that were taught to female KGB agents back during the Cold War.”

  “That sounds scary . . . and cool.”

  “I’m going to teach you several moves that will either kill your enemy or maim them.”

  Er, there goes the cool. I cross my arms over my chest. “Uh, no thanks. I’m not interested in killing anyone.”

  “What if it’s kill or be killed?” Dominic asks.

  Damn him. “That’s too dramatic.”

  “This is serious, Iphi,” Caspian says. “Someone or something is after you.”

  “You mean Nolan?”

  “Where did you hear that name?” says Rhys.

  I can’t help but take a step back from his menacing tone.

  “Iphi, this is important.” He takes another step toward me, still wide-eyed and intense.

  “Stop!” Miraculously, he does, holding up his hands. “I think it’s time to tell me what the hell is going on.”

  “If we could, we would,” says Dominic, “but this is official police business.”

  Ignoring the shifter, Rhys asks Caspian, “The vampire attacking Iphi, was it Nolan?”

  “We’ve been over this. You saw the sketch yourself,” says Caspian after a weighted glance in my direction. “I told you, I’m not sure. his face was deformed.”

  “Iphi, are you sure? He told you his name? You talked to him?” Rhys takes another step toward me, running his fingers through his hair. Something like excitement or hope radiates from him. Caspian flashes him a warning glance.

  “I did.” I straighten my shoulders. “He didn’t want to hurt me. Wait, how do you know his name?”

  They all exchange loaded looks. The tension is so thick Thorn could cut through it with his talons.

  “We know who he is,” says Caspian. “It’s why we’re all here in the Edge, but that’s all we can tell you right now.”

  I chew on my lip, torn between helping them and helping Nolan. S
urely I can do both. Surely they’ll react better than Aurelia . . . “Do you know that he’s being controlled by someone else? At least, I’m pretty sure he is. He wasn’t totally with it.”

  The men don’t say anything for a minute. Despite more glances between them, I can’t figure out if they believe me or not. But I hold my ground, tired of explaining myself to people who’d rather stick their heads in the sand than take me seriously. Either they believe me or they don’t. Why do they still insist on keeping me in the dark? I’m the one who’s not hiding anything. Full disclosure would be nice here. I think I’ve earned it.

  At some unseen signal, Rhys halts further ocular arguments and turns to me. “If you see him again, you need to defend yourself. I’m not saying you should kill him, because I’d rather you didn’t. But if you run, he’ll catch you. And he could hurt you, maybe in ways your amulet won’t protect you against. So let me show you a couple of moves you can use that will incapacitate anyone so you can get away.”

  I want to ask him who Nolan is but I can tell the conversation is over. And I’m happy to learn what I can do to defend myself without killing anyone. Though I suspect if I had to defend an innocent animal, I’d be more likely to fight.

  Several hours later, after both Caspian and Dominic have gone to work, I’m exhausted. Thorn dozes on the grass far enough away that he won’t get kicked or stepped on but close enough to watch.

  Rhys trained me hard, and I had to compartmentalize, pushing away flashes of his head between my legs. The man focuses on his craft the same way he focuses on my body. All in. He taught me how stomp my foot on top of someone else’s foot and break all their bones. He assured me that on a vampire, if I use that move or any of the others he’s taught me, they’ll heal quickly and it won’t permanently disfigure them. Except for the eye gouge, which is only to be used if I’m about to die.

  Then it was time to learn the groin grab. At first I thought that would be an easy one. After all, from a young age, we’re taught to kick little boys where it counts if they get too aggressive—not that I ever have, mind you. But this move turned out to be different. Rhys instructed me to grab the testicles, squeeze, twist, and pull.