by Tamara White
“Emerald, when I say ‘now,’ you need to cut your finger and let the blood spill into the middle of the pentagram, nowhere else. If any blood crosses the lines, the magic could break or the spell might backfire. The last thing we want is to deal with a hurricane or an earthquake because the magic was done wrong,” Blaine warns sternly, as if I would intentionally cause a natural disaster.
I nod, feeling determined. Yep, I got this. For Britt, I would take on the world if I had to. I look up at the lightening sky, glad that Nik and Dev are safe inside. We all need to be at our strongest to face this next threat. I have a feeling we’re all going to require everything we’ve got to get Britt back. And the last thing we want is for my guys to be weakened by the sun when we leave.
As one, the four guys bow their heads, and close their eyes as they concentrate on the spell. After a minute or two, I feel a prickling run over my skin, a sign that the spell is working. All the hairs on my arms rise and I feel magic building inside me, burning me from the inside out. The pain is agonizing, but I keep my mouth shut, hoping it will ease soon.
I look to each of the guys nervously, but they still have their eyes closed and heads bowed, so they don’t see my growing concern. Maybe it’s just a side effect of the magic?
My instincts are screaming at me to slice my hand now, but I quash the urge, my hand shaking with the effort. Finally, Blaine lifts his head, his eyes snapping open to meet mine. He nods once and I bring the knife across the tip of my right pinky in one quick swipe.
Blood wells and I form a fist, holding it close to my body as the blood drips into the center of the pentagram between my feet. A pressure starts to build in my head the moment the first drop hits the ground.
Hear me, child.
I cock my head in confusion as the familiar voice speaks into my mind. I can’t quite place the voice, but I know I’ve met her before.
Her next words sound in my mind. My blood to yours, I beseech the guardians, return the missing parts of my soul to me. Upon hearing it, I feel the overwhelming pressure to repeat those words.
What comes out, though, is complete and utter gibberish. “Ego offerre mea usque ad sanguinem custodes.In commutationem, te rogamus vos revertetur in absentis pars animae meae.”
The moment I finish speaking, I look up at the four guys. To my shock, they look absolutely horrified by the words I spoke. Meron and Kellan are shouting, but the words are muted, and I can’t make them out. Blaine tries to step closer to me, but I raise my hand, although I’m unsure why I’m doing so.
It feels like I’m moving my hand, but I know that it’s not me in control of my body. Blaine tries once again to get close to me, but with a wave of my hand, I send him flying away. The other three are also flung back by the same unseen force.
The voice speaks again, and I listen intently. My power, my soul, my love. Return them to me. Again, foreign words escape my lips when I try to repeat the words. “Potestas mea. Anima mea. Amica mea. Redde eos ad me.”
I command you! “Lubes faciam tibi.”
A flash of light explodes out of me and I feel my soul coming back into me. It’s filled with love and power, and while it feels like there are parts missing, I sense it calling those parts back, hoping to be reunited with them.
I cry out as pain suddenly consumes me and drop to my knees in the cool grass. I feel something or someone calling to me, and I reach out into the bright light. Suddenly, I feel a hand clasp mine.
I know deep in my heart that it’s Britt and tug hard, pulling her from wherever she is, and she tumbles into my lap.
The light starts to slowly fade as I rock Britt back and forth, her sobs growing louder as she clings to me like I’m the last person in the world.
“Shhh, Britt. It’s okay, I promise. No one’s going to hurt you now,” I reassure her, running a hand over her head where it’s buried in my chest.
She lifts tearstained eyes to mine, looking bruised and haggard, with massive bags under her eyes. As I look her over, I notice how thin she is, almost as if she’s been gone weeks rather than mere hours. “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” she mutters over and over, until she passes out in my arms.
I let the magic I called to protect me drop so her husbands can come rushing over. Nik and Dev are by their sides, despite the imminently rising sun.
Torie is the one to try and lift Britt from my arms, but he stops the moment she lets out a whimper of pain. She wraps her hands around my neck, trying to snuggle deeper into my body than she already is. Torie gives me a helpless look and I give him a sad smile.
“It’s okay, I got this,” I tell them. They all look at me, appearing less than thrilled by this turn of events, but if Britt feels safer with me at this moment, I won’t deny her that comfort, at least not until we know more about why she’s reacting this way.
I rise to my knees and adjust Britt in my arms so she’s cradled in a more comfortable position. Then I walk across the back lawn and up the two small steps into the house.
I pause, unsure where to go to find a bedroom. I look between the kitchen and living room, as if waiting for a door to appear. “Uh, Nik? A little help please?” I call over my shoulder.
In two seconds, he’s by my side, with a grin on his face as he looks at my still form. “You rang?”
“Where’s a bedroom that Britt and her guys can stay in?” I inquire, keeping my voice to a whisper so as not to wake Britt.
“Follow me.” He flashes me a wink and saunters away, down past the living room to a second hallway that I didn’t even notice.
I trail after him, trying not to get distracted by all the beautiful artwork hanging on the walls. Nik stops at the end of the hallway in front of a large closed door. He opens it, revealing a massive guest suite.
It’s very plain, especially considering Nik’s normally extravagant tastes. The room is decorated in black and white, with a massive orgy style bed dressed in black sheets.
The walls are painted a bright white with black trim and even the ceiling fan looks to be painted with black and white stripes.
The room is pretty sparse, with only the bed and a dresser for furniture. I can hear the thud of footsteps against the wood floor as her husbands hunt me down.
Nik moves to the bed, pulling back the black sheets so I can gently set Britt down. She whimpers as I try to remove her arms from around my neck. I glance down, tears welling in my eyes.
What the hell kind of nightmare has she been through in such a short period of time? She looks traumatized, and I know the big bags under her eyes weren’t there earlier tonight.
I try yet again to get up, but she clings to me. Thankfully, Meron comes to the rescue, taking her hand. She seems to relax at his touch.
Call me if you need anything, I whisper into his mind, not wanting to speak aloud.
Blaine, Torie, and Kellan all look down at her, before they climb up onto the bed to surround her. By the way they’re holding themselves perfectly still, I can tell they don’t want to risk waking her by moving. Funny, considering they all just scrambled to climb into the bed with her.
I tiptoe out of the room, forgetting I can use my speed to move from the room almost silently, until Nik does exactly that. I smirk, and then hurry after him, excited about the chance to use my speed. What I’m not prepared for, however, is how Nik plucks me from the ground right as I turn the corner.
He throws me over his shoulder, slapping me once on the ass. I let out a squeal that ends on a moan.
“You’re all mine now, Em, and you have some major explaining to do,” he growls. Dev appears behind Nik, and I use my hands on his lower back to lift up and look at him.
I see concern in his eyes, but there’s a hunger as well.
As Nik carries me through the house, I try to wiggle off his shoulder, but he just hikes me back up and slaps me on the ass again in warning.
“Stop moving, Emerald. I’m taking you downstairs and you’re going to explain everything that happened outside. Then,
Dev and I are going to show you what happens when you scare us like that.”
“There’s a downstairs?” I ask, my voice breathy with need. I try to ignore my arousal, instead focusing on another part of his statement. I didn’t see any stairs when we came in, and there was no basement window visible from outside. So how the hell is there a downstairs?
Dev grins at me and winks when we stop in the kitchen. Nik starts pressing some buttons on a wall toward the back of the kitchen, saying, “You didn’t think I would have a house without a safe place for me to sleep, did you?”
I guess I hadn’t really thought about it. I just assumed he stayed at the coven all the time. But I guess it makes sense. Any vampire with their own house would be sure to add a safe space underground to hide from the sun.
I gaze curiously at Nik while he continues to press buttons. After a moment, a hidden compartment reveals itself. As we enter the small area, I realize it’s an elevator of sorts.
After we’re all inside, Dev presses his hand to a keypad and the doors close on us. I look up at Dev skeptically with an eyebrow raised.
“Seriously? A hand scanner? Doesn’t that seem a bit excessive?”
Nik chuckles and adjusts me in his arms, which thankfully eases the uncomfortable pressure his shoulder was putting on my abdomen. “When you have many enemies who would love to track you down and kill you when you’re at your weakest, then having a few safety measures in place is for the best. This way I can be sure that Dev, Tal, and I are the only ones who can get into my sanctuary. And now that I have you in my life, it gives me an extra comfort—as I’m sure it does for Talon and Dev—that we can lock you away, safe from anyone who’s trying to hurt you.”
The protective tone in his voice sends a shiver straight to my core. I have to squeeze my thighs together to ease the desire growing within me.
I bet they can already smell it wafting from me, and somehow that thought just turns me on even more.
The moment the elevator stops, Dev places his hand on the scanner again, and I wait for the doors to open. I guess that Nik wanted this place extremely secure for it to require a hand scan before entering the elevator and before leaving it.
The doors open and Nik carries me into the room after Dev.
I don’t get the chance to look around the room before I’m carried through another door. Then I’m flung onto a soft bed with a squeal.
When I look up, Nik and Dev are both gazing down at me. Desire is the strongest emotion in their gazes, but underneath it, I can see their fear as well.
And for the first time since the soul-ties were broken, I can actually feel them again, like they were never gone at all.
Nine
Energy Recharged
Emerald
“Can you feel that?” I murmur in awe, closing my eyes to focus on the bond I feel in my chest, which is surging back to life. My eyes open to meet Dev and Nik’s, their gazes filled with hunger and hope.
I watch as they both descend on me like sharks who have scented blood or, well, vampires. I’m lost in the sensation of them touching me, kissing me, worshipping me as they touch any and every part of my skin they can reach. It’s still not enough, though, and soon we all find ourselves naked on the bed.
My eyes run over my men appreciatively. “Should we be doing this?” I ask, my breath coming in short pants as my pussy clenches with need.
Nik leans forward, his eyes dark with desire. “Why shouldn’t we, Emerald? You are so hard to resist, even at the most inappropriate of times. Like earlier at the meeting, seeing you take control like that turned me on like you wouldn’t fucking believe,” he murmurs in my ear, and my body shivers in response.
Dev leans over on the other side of me, his eyes flaring bright. “I want you, Emerald, and I can smell how much you want me. Why should we stop? Do you really want us to?”
I look at him curiously, before my gaze flicks to Nik, who’s watching us with patient eyes. “But you two don’t share. I mean, other than that one time where I needed to be fed, but I never thought we’d do that again.”
Nik smiles gently, kissing me as if I’m the only girl in the world. The tenderness of his action surprises me. He breaks the kiss and cups my cheek reverently. “We may not be interested in each other, but we have no problem sharing you. You are our soul-tie and we both want to be with you while the feeling of our bond is still here. Who knows if this will disappear or if it’s back for good? I don’t want to wake up tomorrow and regret not doing what I’ve wanted to do with you since that first night. To see one of my most trusted friends, someone who you also love, take you while I watch.”
My breathing hitches at the image that enters my mind, and I feel myself caving already. I want everything he does, I’m just worried about the timing of everything since we only just got Britt back. But as I look between them, I know I too don’t want to wake up and regret not sharing this moment with them.
“Okay.”
Dev grins down at me, and despite being naked before him, I feel no embarrassment. “Okay, as in stop?” he teases.
I groan in frustration and squeeze my thighs together just to ease some of the tension. “Oh, God no. Please don’t stop.”
That seems to be all the answer Dev needs. He climbs over me, pushing me back on the bed, while Nik moves to sit on the edge of the bed next to us. He watches as Dev kisses his way along my collarbone, his eyes dilating when Dev purposefully traces Nik’s name on my skin using his tongue, and the warm, wet trail heightens my arousal beyond levels that are humanly possible.
Dev pulls away with a wicked smirk. “Oh, I’m sorry, Em. Are our marks sensitive to touch?” he inquires, as if he has no clue what kind of effect he’s having on me.
I growl up at him, then wrap my leg around his hip, flipping him so I’m straddling him. “Enough games, Devin. I need you inside of me, now!”
I rise up, positioning his throbbing cock at my entrance, enjoying his hiss of pleasure as I ease him inside me. My walls clench around him until he’s fully sheathed in my body and my pelvis touches his.
I give myself a moment to adjust to being on top of him like this. Then, I slowly start to move my hips, finding a rhythm. Dev grips my hips, slamming me down onto his length. What started out slow and passionate has quickly turned hard and fast, not that I’m complaining.
It’s not until I feel hands on my shoulders that I realize Nik has moved behind me. He massages my shoulders gently as I ride Dev. I feel more turned on by the minute with the both of them touching me.
“Can I feed from you?” Nik asks in a barely heard whisper.
Fuck! Why does the thought of him biting me while Dev fucks me turn me on even more? Any more arousal and I may pass out!
“Yes,” I pant, more than eager. “Bite me, Nik. I need to feel you inside me at the same time as Dev.” When his hands move my hair to the side, I groan.
Dev is watching Nik over my shoulder with rapt attention, his thrusts speeding up. I’ve heard how orgasmic a bite is during sex but the idea of feeling it firsthand, makes me needy beyond belief.
Without warning, Nik’s fangs pierce my neck, and my core tightens around Dev from the pleasure it elicits. As Nik begins to feed from me, taking my blood, it causes my body to vibrate with overwhelming sensations. Even as Dev continues to fuck me, the combined feel of them is going to make me climax sooner than I want.
Nik’s hand reaches down to cup my breast, tweaking my nipple softly while Dev repositions himself so his pelvis is hitting my clit with each thrust and it’s enough to send my orgasm crashing through me.
My pussy clenches, squeezing Dev’s cock as he loses his rhythm. Dev cries out when his release slams into him, causing another shockwave of sensations to run through me.
I slump forward, absolutely shattered but still throbbing. Surprisingly, while I’m exhausted, I also feel rejuvenated. “You okay, Em?” Nik queries, lifting me up so Dev can roll over to the edge of the bed.
Once he’s moved
over, Nik lets me drop face first onto the mattress with a sigh, and then he lies down beside me. Dev suddenly climbs out of the bed and leans over me, so I turn to watch him.
He presses a gentle kiss to my cheek, before brushing my hair to the side. “I love you, Emerald.”
I give him a goofy smile. He just shakes his head in exasperation, then stands up and walks over to the bathroom. I call out before he reaches the door, “Love you too, Devin.”
He looks back over his shoulder and smiles happily. Then he steps inside, closing the door behind him and leaving me alone with Nik. I roll back over to meet his twinkling eyes.
“I know this probably doesn’t mean as much after hearing Dev say it, but I do love you, Em. I may not be the best at showing it at times, but I want you to know just how much I care for you.”
I reach up and place my hand over the right side of his chest, covering the spot where my name is now darkly etched into his skin once again. “Nikoli, never doubt that I know how you feel about me. Even when I was ignoring you guys, trying to push you away, it was only because I wanted to protect you. Not because I didn’t love you.”
He goes to speak, but I move my hand to cover his mouth. “No, let me finish.”
He nods and I remove my hand, placing it over his heart instead, feeling the steady beat as I continue, “It’s been almost a month since I’ve been here, and already, you three are my everything. So much has happened, but I feel like it’s only made us all stronger. I didn’t see it over the past two weeks, but even when I was cutting myself off from you guys, you still tried to protect and take care of me. Not many guys would do that. Hell, most would probably just give up and let me go.”
Nik growls, his chest vibrating with the sound. “We would never leave you.”
I smile softly at him and press my lips gently to his, before pulling away to look into his eyes. “I know that now. And I love you all the more for it. I am so grateful I met the three of you. While I know we’re going to have problems in the future, what with Malcolm being Dastian, with Lincoln being my mate, and the fact that my brother’s still out there somewhere, at least I know you three will always be there.”
