by Zara Chase
“I just hope it comes to that, after tonight, I mean. Now quit talking and get some sleep. You must be completely drained.”
“Actually,” Vadim replied, “I feel pretty good. Better than in a while.”
“Yeah, but once the euphoria wears off.”
“When it does I’ll let you know. Right now I could use some more lovin’.”
Zayd growled, rubbed his face against Vadim’s cheek, and bit down on his shoulder. “Be careful what you wish for, big boy. After what I just saw, I’m packing a load here.”
“So I noticed.” Vadim glanced at the bulge in the front of Zayd’s shorts. “Care to let me have a closer look?”
“Thought you’d never ask.” Zayd stepped out of his shorts and kneeled on the bed at the side of Vadim’s face. “See what you can do with that for me, lover.”
Zayd closed his eyes as the familiar feel of Vadim’s long jaguar tongue grazed the underside of his cock, swamping his senses. He’d vented at Talia for playing with Vadim at such a time, but he was no better himself. Even so, he couldn’t deny himself, or Vadim, either. This might be the last time…tears flooded his eyes. He absolutely wouldn’t think like that. Instead he’d give Vadim the ride of his life. One that he’d never forget. One that just might help him through this battle with Wilson.
Zayd reached for Vadim’s cock and played with its head, forcing the foreskin back in the way that made Vadim crazy. Zayd lay back, forcing Vadim to lean over him, exposing his ass for Zayd’s pleasure. He ran the hand that wasn’t playing with Vadim’s swollen prick across it, extending the claw on one forefinger so he could rim his anus with it. Vadim almost choked on Zayd’s cock, buried deep in his mouth, when Zayd added a second claw—something he’d never risked doing before.
“I think it’s your turn to be tied up, big guy,” Zayd said, slipping out of Vadim’s mouth and reaching for the discarded scarf. “On your knees for me, lover.”
Zayd secured Vadim’s hands and then reached into his drawer for a Japanese flogger, one of Vadim’s favorite forms of punishment. The makeup of the supersoft whip was deceptive. It appeared harmless enough but when wielded with a strong wrist its tips could deliver sensational stings. Without warning Vadim, he brought it down hard across both his buttocks.
“Just imagining us using this over Talia’s pussy,” Zayd said, flogging Vadim a little harder. “You think she’d like that?”
Vadim groaned. “Don’t! I don’t wanna think about it right now.”
“I think we’re gonna have to teach her to enjoy pain. She’ll be a very receptive student, is my guess.”
“Yeah, she will.”
“Those cute pink pussy lips are just crying out for our special brand of lovin’.”
“Stop talking about it. You’re killing me.”
“What?” Zayd asked innocently. “You want me to stop chastising you?”
“No, never that, but I—”
“Seems to me you’ve been badly behaved. No more fucking for you, buddy, just chastisement until you’ve learned your lesson.”
“I’m sorry.”
“What did you just say?”
“I’m sorry, master. Just keep beating me, then fuck me stupid. Please!”
“I thought you preferred the ladies nowadays.”
“Nope, I love you both. Can’t wait to have you both together.”
The very real possibility that Vadim wouldn’t live to see that day temporarily floored Zayd. He shook off his despondency and carried on torturing Vadim with another vicious crack of the flogger. Vadim grunted through the pain and held his position.
Zayd chuckled. “You want the nipple clamps?”
“God, yes!”
“You got it. Cock ring, too?”
“I want it all, fuck it.”
Zayd collected up lube and the other items required. He lubed Vadim’s rock-hard nipples and affixed clover clamps to them, one at a time. Then he leaned beneath him to suck one into his mouth and graze it with his teeth. Vadim growled so Zayd nipped a little harder, using his free hand to wield the flogger again. When he figured Vadim was close to his limit, he slipped the cock ring onto his own prick and eased it into place. He’d fuck Vadim’s ass with the ring on, just the way his lover wanted him to. Zayd already knew the sensation for them both would be wild.
The small part of his brain still capable of rational thought told him how reckless he was being. Vadim really did need to regain his strength. Even so, something beyond his control—beyond lust—urged him on and there was no turning back now. He squirted lube over Vadim’s ass and rubbed it into his anus, pausing every so often to use the flogger, sometimes on his ass, other times across his back or his thighs. Then he slid the tip of his cock into Vadim’s ass and plunged deep with one almighty thrust. At the same time he grabbed a handful of Vadim’s hair and tugged his head back. That would pull the nipple clamps tight and give Vadim even more of a crazy ride.
“Shit, Zayd, what’re you doing to me, man?”
Zayd grinned. So it was that good, was it? “Just reminding you who’s in charge here.”
“It’s fucking awesome.”
“Glad to oblige.”
Zayd extended a claw again and ran it down Vadim’s spine as he continued to pummel his ass. As he did so the door opened and Talia rejoined them, still naked.
“Hey, babe,” Zayd said, not losing his rhythm as he turned his head to look at her. “Make yourself useful and use this on my ass while I fuck our buddy here.”
He threw her the flogger, wondering what she’d do. What did she really think when she saw two men fucking? This would be the acid test. If by some miracle Vadim did survive the debacle with Wilson tonight and they wanted Talia in their lives, giving up Impulse would be out of the question if she expected them to give up each other as well. To his delight, she grabbed the flogger without hesitation in both hands and crashed it down over his ass.
“Shit!” Zayd lost it then and there. “She’s making me crazy. I’m so fucking close.”
Talia brought the flogger down even harder across his butt. Damn, all that karate had made her super strong! His balls crashed against Vadim’s buttocks. Zayd gloried in the physical discomfort and thrust even harder. He knew he’d hit Vadim’s prostate head-on when his buddy tensed, grunted something unintelligible, and pushed his ass out to meet his next thrust.
“You’re red hot today,” Vadim said on a strangled moan.
“I’m on fire, is what I am. I’m so damned close, I can’t hold it.”
“Me, too.” Vadim’s laughter echoed round the room. “Shit, let’s do it!”
Both men ejaculated simultaneously, swearing, sweating, laughing, and, in Zayd’s case, crying, too.
Would he ever get to do this with Vadim again?
Chapter Twelve
As soon as Zayd released his hands, Vadim lay flat on his back, taking a moment to recover. Zayd cleaned them both up and joined him. Vadim opened one eye and saw Talia hovering, clearly unsure about whether to leave them to it.
“Come and join us, babe,” he said, patting the mattress between him and Zayd. “I guess we could all use some rest before we set out.”
She glanced at Zayd, as though seeking his permission. He grinned, made room for her, and she slithered athletically into the space between them. Vadim had probably literally fucked up any chance he’d ever had of beating Wilson, but right now he couldn’t give a shit. He stretched out one arm and rested it protectively across Talia’s body, his fingers coming to rest on Zayd’s arm. This was the moment he’d think about when the end was close.
Zayd touched his fingers, as though he understood. Vadim knew that wasn’t because his lover had invaded his head and read his thoughts. He always knew when Zayd did that. He must have a thousand questions, and as many more accusations to hurl Vadim’s way. Instead he leaned up on one elbow, kissing Talia’s lips and then Vadim’s before closing his eyes and drifting off.
Vadim needed to sleep, too, but that
wouldn’t happen right away. Not because he was anxious about the fight to come, but because he wanted to mull over everything that had happened between him and Talia. He waited for regret to come crashing in now that he was thinking with his head and not his cock, but all he felt was an urgent desire to repeat the performance. For once the weight of his responsibilities took a back seat and, set against erotic images of Talia surrendering to him with such desperate passion, he fell almost immediately into a deep sleep.
“Wake up, Vadim!” There was urgency in Zayd’s voice.
Vadim’s eyes flew open. “What’s happened? Give me a break. I’ve only been asleep for five minutes.”
“Make that two hours.”
“Two hours? Shit, we’re late!” He leapt out of bed. “We should have left here an hour ago. Where’s Talia?”
“Getting dressed.”
“How did we sleep so long?” Vadim asked, pulling his jeans on.
Zayd grinned. “Beats the hell out of me, lover. You’re the one into mating, not me.”
“Yeah, that must be it. Still don’t explain how you didn’t wake up, though.”
“Hey, I’ve been busy, too.”
Talia rejoined them, looking tense and anxious. Vadim, for some peculiar reason, had never felt more vigorously in control.
“Okay, let’s get going,” he said. “We’ll have to go flat-out, but even then we’re gonna be late.”
“That’s okay,” Talia said. “Keeping Wilson waiting will make him jumpy.”
They left the house at a run. Vadim jumped behind the controls of the boat and fired up the engines. Zayd let the lines go and they were off. Vadim smelt the air as he maneuvered the boat away from the dock and scowled. The wind was up, whipping the surface of the ocean into a maelstrom of choppy waves that would slow them down.
“Looks like we’re gonna have some rain,” Zayd remarked, glancing up at the dark clouds gathering overhead.
“Great,” Vadim muttered. “Fucking great.”
He felt tense, and not just because of the conditions or the fight that awaited him at their destination. His jaguar senses were on high alert. Something wasn’t right. He glanced at Zayd and saw that he was frowning, too.
“We’ve overlooked something,” Vadim pheromoned, not wanting to distress Talia by speaking aloud. “What have we missed?”
“Hell if I know. Perhaps we’re just stressed because we’re running late.”
“Perhaps.” But Vadim sensed there was more to it than that. “Rafe and the others will be on the road by now. We’ll be out of pheromone range.”
Zayd chuckled. “That’s what cell phones are for.”
“Except we won’t get a signal out here.”
Talia came up behind Vadim’s helm position and wrapped her arms around his waist.
“What is it?” she asked.
“Nothing.” He steered into a large wave that caused spray to billow across the foredeck. “Hope you didn’t mean it when you said you get seasick.”
She grimaced. “Unfortunately I did.”
“Look straight ahead at the horizon,” Zayd advised. “That usually helps.”
“I don’t—”
Talia broke off when static crackled over the radio and Giron’s voice broke through it.
“Where are you, Vadim?” he asked, sounding tense.
“Just left, we’re running late. Why?”
“Predators gathering to the north of Impulse. I think they’re planning to spring an attack.”
“Shit! You sure?” It was a stupid question but one that still needed to be asked. “Any idea who they are?”
“No, they’ve come from the south. Four vessels.”
“Anything landside?” Vadim asked as he turned his boat in a smooth arc and headed back for Impulse.
“Yeah, a few suspicious twos and threes.”
“We’re on our way back. ETA ten minutes. Have Rafe and the others left?”
“Yeah.”
“Get them back here fast.”
“Will do.”
Vadim threw the microphone down, swearing beneath his breath.
“What’s going on?” Talia asked anxiously.
“We’ve been played,” Vadim replied tersely. “They second-guessed us the entire way. They hoped you’d kill Zayd and me, but had a contingency plan in case you didn’t.”
“Once you made that call to Wilson,” Zayd said, taking up the story, “that plan swung into action. They knew inviting Wilson to your studio was a ruse and that all the alphas would be there to back Vadim up.”
“Leaving Impulse vulnerable,” Talia said, looking mortified.
Zayd extended his claws and raked the air with them. “Yeah, and the bastards are making a two-pronged attack, from land and sea simultaneously.”
“We have a little time to prepare a counterattack, but only because we left late,” Vadim said, grimacing. “They would have known we’d go by sea, because that’s how Zayd and I go most places. They’d also know what time we had to leave.”
The radio crackled into life again.
“Rafe and the others are on their way back, but they’re an hour out,” Giron told them. “Rafe said for you to call him as soon as you’re back on land.”
“Will do. Anything new?”
“Nope. Those vessels are holding offshore.”
“They won’t try and land before dark,” Vadim said. “Keep me informed.”
“Why won’t they come ashore before then?” Talia asked when Vadim shut off the radio.
“Because they know they’ll meet some resistance, even with the alphas gone. If they fight they can’t stop themselves from shifting. They won’t do that in daylight, even in a place like Impulse that’s inhabited by shifters,” Zayd explained. “There are always a few hardy visitors around who brave the thin air. You know how it is nowadays. Everyone has cell phones with cameras. One rogue picture would bring the world’s media down on the place. Not even our enemies want that, because they’re as vulnerable to outside interference as we are. Think Bigfoot hunting if you doubt me.”
Vadim docked the boat and the three of them leapt ashore. The first thing that Vadim did as soon as his feet hit the dock was to call Rafe.
“We should have anticipated this.” Rafe’s voice was terse.
“Yeah, well, good job we overslept. What do you suggest?”
“They’ll have to anchor offshore and swim in,” Rafe said. “That’ll buy us some time.”
“Giron thinks a few have already gotten in across the bridge. His guys didn’t pick up on them until it was too late. They’ve found a way to cloak their shifter DNA.”
“Yeah, I gather. I’d give a lot to know how they’ve done that.”
“We just might get to find out. They’ll probably want to boast about it.”
“We’re half an hour away. Call all the available men in who aren’t on patrol, Vadim. Get all the women together in the cellar at the Cat’s Whiskers. Full siege conditions.”
“Giron just called Zayd,” Vadim said tersely. “They’re not waiting for dark. They’ve already started swimming ashore.”
“Shit! Okay, get them to the children’s park. You know what to do. Try and hold them off until we get there to back you up.”
Vadim felt his body itching to shift—a sure sign that a fight was in the cards.
“We need to get you to the Cat’s Whiskers,” he said to Talia. “You’ll be safe there with the other women. The cellar’s impregnable.”
“Not a chance. I got you into this and I want to be there to see it through.”
“We don’t need to be worrying about you.”
“I can take care of myself.”
“Against a pack of kick-ass wolves.” Vadim shook his head. “I don’t think so.”
“We’re wasting time. Wilson won’t walk into Impulse as a wolf. While he’s still in human mode, I might be able to get through to him.”
“Let her come,” Zayd said. “They won’t hurt her. It’s
us they want.”
“Okay, come on.”
Vadim wasn’t happy about it, but there was no time to argue. Besides, for some weird reason beyond his understanding, having Talia with him seemed like the right move. They made their way quickly across the thin strip of land to the Cat’s Whiskers. Talia’s inability to breathe the air didn’t slow them as much as Vadim had supposed it would, presumably because her anxiety overcame the discomfort.
Chantal greeted them at the bar along with Layla, Mikael’s mate. Chantal and Layla were efficiently herding a procession of women and children into the cellar.
“Just in time to join us,” Chantal said to Talia, sounding perfectly unconcerned by the imminent attack. “It’s very cozy down there.”
“Thanks, but I’m needed here,” she said.
Chantal blinked but didn’t argue. “It’s a bit archaic, us women hiding away, but we can’t shift and we’d make easy targets. We understand that, and it’s the only reason why we allow ourselves to be hidden away like fragile flowers.”
Talia managed a weak smile. “I guess that makes sense.”
The bar was now crowded with all the available male shifters. Giron joined them.
“How many have gotten in by land?” Vadim asked.
“Hard to say. A dozen at the most.”
“Okay, close the bridge down. Say there’s a gas leak or something, and don’t let anyone in unless we know them.”
Giron disappeared to ensure that order was carried out and returned moments later. “All done,” he said.
“Okay, we’re going for the kids’ playground,” Vadim said. “I still want to take Wilson on myself, but I suspect this show of force means they won’t take that risk.”
They headed out the door at a trot, Talia struggling to keep up.
“I hadn’t noticed the rise in the ground before,” she said, panting as they reached the playground. “I thought the land here was dead flat.”
Vadim winked at her. “You’d be surprised how many secrets this little corner of Florida has buried away.”
Zayd glanced up at the darkening sky. “The damned rain had just better hold off.”
“It will,” Vadim said. “The wolves conjured up this weather to keep inquisitive souls inside. But they won’t want it to rain on this particular parade any more than we do.”
