by Terri Lane
“God, you’re so beautiful,” he whispered huskily. “Your skin…it’s so flushed.”
“You like that?” I asked, panting. Every one of my nerve-endings screamed out for release. They both began to move, rhythmically surging back and forth within me together. I cried out.
“That’s it, baby,” Aiden prompted. Ben’s face was tucked in beside my neck and ear, his lips and his beard brushing the tender skin. My orgasm crashed through me, my body writhing in absolute pleasure. I yelled out. Aiden surged faster, his release coming soon after, and then Ben, his cries rang softly in my ear.
We all came apart, falling back onto the bed. I lay for all of one second before I turned to Ben, still hungry. I slipped my leg over his slim, sinewy body, and he wrapped his arms around me as I kissed him. I looked at Aiden out of the corner of my eye to find him watching, touching himself. I placed my hand around Ben’s member, tightening my fingers around it, teasing him towards hardness before I lowered myself down onto him. He placed his hands on my hips as I rode him.
Ben studied me, his eyes glowing bright green. His hands traveled my body, his fingers touching me lightly, making my skin tingle from the heat of his. I could feel myself building again. Ben sat up, taking my left nipple in his mouth, sucking on it, teasing it with the tip of his tongue. I threw my head back, and he placed his hand on my collarbone. I felt electric, another orgasm surging through me. Ben pumped in and out of me and I came, the muscle of my core contracting around him. He exhaled, moaning as he came too. I placed my hand on his cheek, feeling so much love for him.
I leaned forward, kissing him gently. I could feel him smiling against my lips. I got off of him; I wasn’t done yet. I turned toward Aiden, who smiled at me, his head cocked to the side. Yet again, my heart soared, full of my love for Aiden. I thought of how confusing this should be, realizing that it wasn’t. I simply loved two men. And they did nothing but love me back. The heart, I realized in that moment, has the capacity to grow, enough to hold more than one.
“Come here, you,” Aiden said, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me toward him. I found myself on his lap, my nipples touching his warm, smooth skin. He leaned his nose up against mine as he took me. He guided me, up and down in a flurry of motion. I was tired—but not too tired. I ran my fingers through his short-cropped hair, pulling his face close to mine. His kisses were deep, hungry. My body was reacting—on the verge of exploding, catching Aiden’s fire.
When we had finished, the three of us lay entangled on the bed. I was in between the two of them, on my back. Ben’s arm was wrapped around my stomach, his face tucked within the curve between my ear and my shoulder. Aiden was on his side, his leg entwined with my own.
“What happens now?” I whispered, sitting up and glancing at both of them. “Will you come back to my city with me?” Ben sighed deeply.
“We don’t belong near large groups of people,” he said sadly. He reached up, his fingertips touching my skin and sending a tingling sensation across my skin. I took his hand in mine and kissed it.
“Please?” I asked gently. “I don’t want to be without either of you.” I looked toward Aiden.
“Our kind is rarely welcome among the general population,” Aiden explained. “We tend to ruin buildings and set fire to things. And anyway, our home is here.” He reached out and caressed my chin with his fingers.
“You’re always welcome here,” Ben added. “With us.” I smiled at both of them. I knew that I had been chosen before my birth to be the next High Priestess of my coven, but I did not want to leave them. I breathed in. I knew the choice that I would have to make. But that choice didn’t have to be made today.
“Do you mind if I stay then, for a little while?” I asked hesitantly. They both looked at each other, then back at me, grinning.
“Of course,” Ben replied. “You can stay as long as you like.”
“Always,” Aiden chimed in. I smiled and flopped back on the bed, exhausted.
“I’m tired again,” I complained. They both laughed mischievously.
“Well, Benny,” Aiden remarked with pride. “Evidently, the two of us are a match for a Necromancer.”
“Mhmm,” Ben agreed as he pulled the soft down comforter over the three of us, and they both snuggled in close to me, their arms wrapped around my mid-section.
* * *
I awoke a little while later to someone calling my name. It was dark, and both dragons were asleep on either side of me. I looked out across the room, where Meroe's ghost stood looking at me. She beckoned, and I got out of the bed, easing myself gently out from under Ben and Aiden’s arms. I slipped silently out of the bed, wrapping myself in a throw blanket that was folded over the back of an armchair around me. I followed her into the library. She paused, turning to look at me, her smile triumphant.
“I have taken care of Aurora,” she said lightly.
“What did you do?”
“Nothing that she didn’t deserve.” I cocked an eyebrow. She wasn’t going to explain further.
“Are you ready to go?” I asked her, and she nodded. “I’m going to miss you so much.”
“And I will miss you, love.”
I held up my hand toward my friend, releasing my powers and letting them envelop my friend’s spirit.
“Meroe, best of friends, most loyal,” I began, opening up the final path, the one to send her into the afterlife, where she could find the rest that she deserved. “Goddess, let Meroe go. Send her with love. I will walk on with her in my heart forever.” As I said it, I felt Meroe kiss me on the cheek. I felt her spirit leave the material plane, walking along the silver paths and into the light. My heart ached. My friend had been so brave and selfless. I opened my eyes, tears streaming down my cheeks.
A hand rested lightly on my shoulder. I turned and found myself wrapped tightly within Ben’s arms. His beard was rough and wiry against my cheek. I held on to his slim form as snugly as I could, listening to the comforting thrumming noise within him.
“I’m glad you’re here,” I whispered.
“What about me?” Aiden yelled from the other room. Ben and I laughed. I pulled away and looked up and into his eyes.
“You lied.”
“Did not.”
“Then how come he’s telepathic in human form?” I asked and Ben smiled.
“He listens in on everything.”
“I do not!” Aiden hollered. Ben shrugged.
“There are no secrets in this house.”
“None at all,” I agreed.
EPILOGUE
I sat on the floor in the library…our library. Ben would return home from the shop at any moment. Aiden had gone in search of a new treasure and was set to return from a treasure hunt any day now. The room was lit by three black candles which sat before me. I sat, letting myself be still inside, letting my powers rise within me. I called to the spirit of my mother, feeling her consciousness communicating with me along the silver threads.
She appeared before me, a mist forming a soft contour line with a glowing yellow heart. She tilted her head. Her flower crown looked strangely wilted.
My daughter, her voice said, although her lips did not move. Like most of the Dead, she spoke without emotion.
Mother, I replied. Thank you for your guidance.
It is as you required.
I am safe now, I said, And happy. I am in love with two dragons, of all people. My mother was silent for a moment. The room grew icy by several degrees. I felt a sudden sense of…wrongness. My mother’s spirit seemed to vanish as another presence filled the room. My stomach grew queasy. The dark presence pressed in around me, causing me to feel claustrophobic. The next time that someone spoke, it was not the voice of my mother.
You are not safe, little goose, Lex’s voice hissed. I could feel his presence pressing in around me like a load of bricks falling on top of my body. He was trying to oppress me.
Wait, I said, my eyes going to the golden statue on the mantelpiece where we ha
d agreed to keep it. You were imprisoned.
You should not trust things that you do not understand, you fool. Lex laughed. I will come and I will extinguish the fires of your dragons. My minions shall hunt you down, I shall hunt you. You will never have peace. I will come for you and the child that you now carry.
Fear flooded me, and the lights of my candles were blown out by a fell wind, leaving me in darkness. I placed my shaking hand on my stomach.
THE END
= Bonus Book 10 of 20 =
More Than Human:
Book 1: World War Interrupted
In a lush field under a cloudy gray sky occurred a great battle of which the people of the West had never before witnessed. Between bloodied trees, men collided in a thunderous roar, shaking the very heavens which frowned upon them with a darkening gaze. A man clad in a Navy uniform carrying an electric ray gun pushed aside some shrapnel with his foot and stepped behind a bush, watching a small troop of soldiers march past him. His name was Trevor Noble and he was a decorated Navy SEAL officer. He thought himself more capable on ocean than land, but here he was. This field was filled with mines and vicious men. It was no place for a sea dog such as himself who took pride in the lavish ships that he helped build.
Around the corner, a general for the opposing side shouted orders to the troop, which spread out as soon as its members received their directions. It wouldn’t be long until Trevor had the general cornered. A few steps to the left and one step forward would reveal the man who had taken his brother’s life. The memory of his slain body was still raw in his mind from the last raid they made.
Stepping forward, he aimed, his arm becoming tense with the desire to kill the man who had taken his brother from this world. He was so close to getting his revenge.
Alfonse, he thought. Alfonse, this is for you.
The electrical gun hummed in his hand as the energy built in order to deliver its intended shot. As he was lining up his sight, a man came barreling from his right and knocked him to the ground. They brawled momentarily until Trevor scurried away, retreating back to the bushes as the general whipped out his gun and pulled the trigger. A beam of light erupted from the end and landed in Trevor’s left leg, sending him tumbling to the ground with a yelp. The soldier who had tackled him wielded his weapon as well, taking a higher shot to the left arm of the naval officer.
While bleeding out into the soil, Trevor watched the ships pass overhead and wondered how this even began, questioning the very nature of war, all while trying to hold in his very life force. The two men who had fired their guns were drawing nearer. It wouldn’t be long before they decided to blast him once more, finishing him off. He would leave this warring world and join his brother.
Alfonse came to his mind just then, the freckles of his face like the stars above. What was he fighting for? Why had this ever begun, when Earth was under increasing threat by attackers from another galaxy, the news of whom aired nightly?
Breathing raggedly beneath the hair strewn across his face, Trevor watched as the two men came into view. Their eyes gathered the image before them, reveling their victory over the enemy that they were about to vanquish. It would be too soon for the men to celebrate as a few men from his troop rushed the scene, jumping over Trevor’s shivering body as he attempted to keep himself awake. Two shots in their direction sent them running and voices filled the air, giving the wounded officer something to focus on. Blood was gushing from his body. His breath came in rapid waves, the humid air forcing him to choke as pain rattled through his body.
Standing at his side was one of his men. Trevor was wounded, ragged. The man’s lips moved, but no sound came. Had he lost his hearing? Another wave of ships roared through the sky, sending pulses of sound that vibrated the earth beneath his wounded body. It seemed to send a wave of heat with it. Trevor clung to any stimuli that would keep his mind from focusing on the awful stinging pain radiating from his wounds. His lips moved slowly.
“Please...” he whispered through tears. “Avenge me.”
As Trevor reached up to grab the arm of his comrade, the world around him plunged into darkness and the silence remained. It rang in his ears as he dipped into unconsciousness. His troop quickly wrapped his wounds and then carried him on a stretcher towards a helicopter that would lift them up over the battle field and transport them to a local Navy hospital. The flight was unsteady as the pilot dodged random ships and flak that shot up from the ground. Most emergency copters were safe in war zones, but this particular battle had been fueled by passion and fury which made it difficult to evacuate the wounded. The building came into view and the pilot maneuvered them down to the landing strip where medical personnel were waiting for him.
Medics rushed him through a series of hallways while expertly inserting an IV into his arm, checking his vitals and flashing a light into his eyes.
“Unresponsive,” said one.
“Heart rate dropping,” said another.
“Get him to surgery. Call Dr. Clark.”
A rush of energy pushed them through the last hall and they shoved through the double doors of the operating room. There, nurses dove into their work, cutting away pieces of clothing and checking wounded limbs. After analyzing the damage, she began to put pressure on the gaping holes in his leg while instructing another nurse to do the same for his arm.
“There’s far too much damage to the nerves in this leg,” commented one nurse while another jotted information on a clipboard. “And his arm is damaged, too. Those guns are getting stronger by the day.”
“It’s such a tragedy,” said the nurse holding the clipboard.
“That’s why we must save him,” replied the other.
While they put pressure on wounds to stop more blood from escaping, the surgeon overseeing the procedure walked into the room and began studying the naval officer who was lying half dead on the operating table. She was Dr. Lena Clark, a surgeon who had become world-renowned during the last two wars, not only for her surgical expertise, but also her expertise in cryptology and linguistics.
She looked at Trevor’s face, eyes closed, tired and battered. For a moment, she paused in her work to observe his features. But she got back to work so quickly that no one else even noticed the pause at all.
She barked orders at the nurses surrounding her and retrieved two large stainless steel limbs from the room next door. Her latest project had been to transform valuable officers into cyborgs who would be ready for battle, a new weapon that could swing the balance in the war against the Eastern Alliance.
The advancement of medical science by Lena was astounding and she had won a Nobel Prize early in her career, when the world recognized her genius. She stood over the operating table, measuring Trevor’s limbs for proper fitting. The poor man would be in a great deal of pain for a long time with these new additions, but it would be worth saving his life. Some would argue that this sort of life-saving work was actually detrimental to the survivor as they would have to live out their existence as something different than before. But then again, that’s all war did. It changed people into that which was different, returning to their homes as broken shells of their former selves who would never be able to grasp reality in the same way ever again.
Lena hoped that the procedure would offer Trevor a new chance at life, even if the reasons behind the operation were purely military ones: to use the wounded in war, rather than have to house them in a hospital, where they would be of no use to the war effort. It was her chance to prove how her work could change the battlefield forever and that she was worth recognizing in the military. The world had recognized her worth. Now she wanted the armies to reach out to her for help. There was no room for failure.
***
Eyes fluttering and heart beating slowly, Trevor Noble stirred from his anesthesia. The surgery had been a great success and Lena stood outside the door while Trevor came back to consciousness, her arms folded across her chest as she watched the naval officer wake. Gasping, he rose from the pi
llows and looked around in a panic, the memory of his attack seemingly fresh in his mind. But the ringing in his ears faded, and he started to recognize his surroundings.
“Where…?” he asked no one in particular. “Where am I?”
“You’re at the Base Naval Hospital of the Western Alliance,” replied Lena as she entered the room. “You’ve had quite an accident, Commander Noble.”
Trevor was panting, the images of the shooting returning to him all at once and causing a blinding headache. He raised his hands to his face. That moment had meant everything and he had failed. His wonderful brother would not rest in peace until he was able to destroy that evil general who had sent him to his death. The weight of his failure crushed his chest. Or was that the morphine?
“You should lie down, Commander. I must explain what we did during your procedure,” Lena said while shutting the door. “A couple of changes have been made to your physiology.”
“My what?” he asked, looking down at the sheets.
Lying on the pale white blanket was a cybernetic piece of metal, the elbow whirling a bit as it moved around. The dim lights decorating the forearm and hand blinked a few times and then went dim, glowing underneath the fluorescent lights of the recovery room. Lena leaned over and pushed a hidden button, and then opened a compartment to press a few keys underneath. A ball of energy formed in the palm of the cybernetic hand, whirling between the barely moving fingers and then dissipating.
“Commander Noble, welcome to the world of science,” she said proudly. “I’ve fixed you with a new cybernetic arm and leg. We’ll have you going through physical therapy within the next week.”
“Cybernetic?!” he asked, shock overwhelming his body.
The heart monitor next to the bed began to beep rapidly and Lena shushed him, warning him that raising his heart rate might cause his new additions to malfunction if he didn’t learn how to control his body.
