Ferris Braden [Beyond the Marius Brothers 6]

by Joyee Flynn

  “I’m sorry you had to leave your home but I am glad you’re here. It’s hard to put it into words,” Rylan said gently. “Like if that didn’t happen, we would have never found you. But that doesn’t mean I wanted your people to be uprooted from their home. So yeah, my mind’s swirling to not be grateful.”

  “I get it,” Ferris chuckled. “Like I’m happy you came to check out our coven, but not because you said your people were pompous jerks.”

  “Margays are jerks?” I asked with a raised brow.

  “We’re one of the rarest shifters,” he explained with a sigh as we finished up lunch. “And for whatever reason, maybe because we’re small and looked down on by some, most of my people think that makes us elite or something. It’s stupid really. To me, that makes us vulnerable. The world has changed severely, even since I’ve been alive. If we don’t start changing our ways, we’ll end up extinct.”

  “And your father doesn’t share your views?” Ferris asked as he stood and picked up our empty plates.

  “No, he thinks I’m idealistic and not living in reality. He doesn’t think I know this, but he’s trying to find a loophole in our laws so he can continue to rule. My father isn’t a power-hungry man, I know that, and he’s got the best intentions. He doesn’t want me to fail and he thinks I will given how different our views are about how we should rule our people.”

  “So you might not take over next year?” I asked hesitantly, understanding this was a difficult topic.

  “Oh no, I will,” he sighed. “The younger generation badly wants me to rule. Some still are like their parents, thinking we’re so special and all that, but they find most of our practices outdated. Others are like me and worry we won’t make it much longer as a people if we don’t get our shit together. Those people are bucking against their parents, just as I am.”

  “Wow. Am I glad I’m just a warrior,” Ferris said gently, shaking his head. “I don’t mean just as in there’s anything wrong with it or I’m not important to my people. I keep them safe. But the job isn’t complicated. There’s a threat and we handle it. I protect people. It’s cut and dry. The hoops and finagling you must do daily sounds exhausting.”

  “You have no idea,” Rylan agreed.

  “How did you leave your home without any guards?” I asked, curious as to why he was wandering around, unprotected as a member of their royal family.

  “We don’t have any. We’re scary fast, faster than just about any shifter so to my people, that means we’re untouchable.”

  “Unless you end up cornered or the numbers are just overwhelming,” I replied, thinking that was a naive way to look at things.

  “Exactly. We can take bigger shifters. Ferris saw how fast and strong I was. That’s not the issue. But what about humans? We have to have an escape plan in place in case they ever find out about us. And we know demons are our enemy. But some think since they don’t know what our blood can do for them, there’s no reason for them to attack us. If they do, it would be like lambs to the slaughter. We’ve got a lot of money and some think they can just buy anything.”

  “Like their way out of trouble,” I clarified. He nodded and rubbed his eyes. “We’ll discuss this enough tonight at dinner. Personally, I liked Ferris’s idea of a nap and maybe a good-night kiss.”

  “That can be arranged,” Ferris breathed as he stared at me. Rylan nodded as well.

  We quickly put everything away and cleaned up our mess before I picked back up Rylan’s suitcases and followed Ferris up to his room. It was very nice, comfortable even. I learned a lot from my mate just by glancing around.

  “You like art,” Rylan said approvingly.

  “I like prints of photographs taken from all around the world,” Ferris said, gesturing to the main wall that his bed was against. There were dozens of different-size frames with beautiful pictures.

  “Margays are a very artistic bunch,” Rylan told us as he set his other bag on the floor at the same time Ferris and I did. “I have yet to meet one that wasn’t an artist of some type. We always have been. Open that suitcase, Onah.”

  I gave him a curious look but he nodded that it was okay. I set it on the bed and unzipped it, smiling at what I found inside. “You’re a photographer. This is lovely equipment.”

  “Thank you. Yes, my mother gave me a camera when I was a boy and I was hooked. I used to develop my own pictures before digital and now HD cameras. When things get too trying with my father, I take a vacation for a week or two and see somewhere new. For all of his faults or the ways we don’t see eye to eye, he’s always been proud of my talent. The formal dining room in the palace has my pictures everywhere.

  “He brags constantly about the eye his son has for beauty. Every Christmas, he always has an assortment of pictures I’ve taken that year professionally framed and gives them as presents to his allies.”

  “You love him,” I said gently as I closed the suitcase and set it back on the floor.

  “Is there any way to not love your family?” he chuckled, shaking his head as he sat on the bed. “Yes, I love my father. We used to be very close when I was younger. I would follow him everywhere, ditching my studies to learn from him. It wasn’t about being King one day, just that he was so confident, so respected by all that I was in awe of him.”

  Ferris pulled off his shirt and then knelt down to untie his work boots. “When did that change?”

  “When I turned eighteen and started exploring life outside the palace. I wanted to see more, see everything. And when I said I was going to a human college, it all changed. I think my father felt betrayed that I didn’t want to stand with tradition and keep learning from my tutors. They were excellent, but I wanted the interaction. I tried to tell him that I felt if I was to understand the world as he did, then I needed to experience it.”

  “I’m sorry, Rylan.” I pulled him into my arms and kissed his head. “It’s hard when we realize we’re different people than our families.”

  “You sound like you know,” he whispered quietly, staring up at me with those orange eyes that just dazzled me.

  “I do,” I chuckled as Ferris moved to the bed and pulled off Rylan’s shirt. “I was the first warrior of my family, an honor among my kind. But my parents didn’t seem to know what to do with me after that. It was like we would never have known each other or had anything in common if we hadn’t been family and I think that left them without a way to relate to me.”

  “Where are they now?” he asked as he stared at my chest as I pulled off my own shirt.

  “They went on to Greece with some of the others. They wished me well and said they’d visit when I left our plane before them to go on my mission, but honestly I think they were a little relieved. Sometimes families do better where they’re far away from each other and only visit occasionally.”

  “What about you, Ferris? Do you need to run away from your family time and again?” Rylan asked, teasing our other mate. I frowned when Ferris looked away from us.

  “No, I’ve never had that need.”

  Rylan saw it too and we moved to either side of our gorgeous vampire. “I just brought up something bad, didn’t I?

  “You didn’t know and we said we were going to relax. Now’s not the time to discuss this,” he whispered sadly and started to move away from us.

  “Probably not, but don’t shut down on us,” I said gently as I wrapped my arm around him, Rylan moving to the back of Ferris and plastering his smaller frame to his back.

  “They’re dead, okay? My whole family was slaughtered. I said no to what the demons wanted, and they all were killed because of it. Today was probably the first time since then I told anyone no since and no one died, but it blew up in my face still.” He wouldn’t look at us but I saw the fat tears rolling down his cheeks.

  “I’m sorry,” Rylan whispered as he kissed Ferris’s shoulder gently. “You don’t have to say any more. We needed to know that, but the whole story can wait for another day. Today, we’re going to nap and let o
ur batteries recharge.”

  “I get you guys have issues with your families,” he mumbled as we pulled him to the head of the bed and slid under the covers. “I’m not trying to be a jerk because I can tell the problems are valid. But I’d give anything to have a fight with my family because that would mean they were still alive. So I never know what to say when people talk about family problems.”

  “Of course you don’t,” I agreed. “No one would expect you to. We won’t hold your silence against you.” He opened his mouth but I shook my head. “Rest now. We all need it.”

  “Yeah, it’s been a rough day,” Ferris whispered. “I should be doing cartwheels that I found my mates but I just can’t get my footing. I feel like I’m spinning out of control.”

  “Just hold on to me and we’ll keep you grounded,” Rylan said as he scooted back against Ferris. The vampire nodded and wrapped his arms tightly around our little mate. In turn, I hugged both of them to me, realizing we might have lots of issues and problems on the horizon, but already we were looking to each other for comfort when we just met. I took that as a good sign and fell into a peaceful sleep.

  * * * * I woke to a strangled moan and was instantly awake when I realized I wasn’t alone in the bed. It took me a second to remember what had happened and who I was with. I glanced to Ferris’s face, seeing the bliss on it with his mouth slightly parted.

  “This is the best wake-up ever, baby,” he groaned as he rubbed a lump under the covers over his groin. Oh!

  “Rylan testing the waters on your chemistry?” I asked before throwing back the bedding. Sure enough, Rylan blinked up at us, smiling as he sucked Ferris’s cock. “Taste good, sweetie?” He nodded and gave me a wink. “Then I want to taste his plump lips.”

  “Yes,” Ferris hissed as he grabbed the back of my head and pulled it down to his. Our lips mashed together and I felt a shock through my body like I’d never experienced before. I growled my approval as he let me take charge. But it wasn’t enough. I reached past Rylan and spread Ferris’s legs wide, my fingers rubbing over his hole. Our little mate got the idea and let some of his saliva drip down to slick up the way for me.

  “May I?” I asked, knowing some bigger guys didn’t like to be breached.

  “Yes, but go slow. I’ve never had anyone in me before,” he answered nervously. “Everyone assumes I want to penetrate them. So after a while I decided to save that for my mates.”

  “So considerate,” I cooed as I pushed a finger inside of him.

  “Fuck!” he exclaimed and inadvertently thrust his hips up. Rylan choked for a second but recovered just fine.

  “You’re so tight, Ferris. Will you let me take you tonight? I’m dying to be inside of my mate. I think you’ll like being in the middle of two men.”

  “Do you?” he moaned as he stared at me hesitantly.

  “Yes. In general I like controlling the pleasure but sometimes I like to let go and be taken.”

  “Good, because I won’t always want to bottom,” he sighed. I knew the feeling.

  Rylan pulled off Ferris’s dick with a loud pop. “Well I don’t like to top so it works out well. I’m a fan of a big cock pounding into my ass.” He reached over and cupped my groin. “Oh yeah, fate blessed me with two well-hung mates. I do like to ride my partner broncostyle sometimes too.”

  “I don’t know what that means,” I grumbled. I’d spent some time in this world over the years, but I still didn’t know everything about it.

  “I like to sit on cock during wild sex.” The little imp gave us a toothy grin before he swallowed Ferris back down.

  “Sounds like fun,” I chuckled and then moaned when he squeezed my dick through my jeans. I quickly undid them with my free hand and pulled out my cock.

  “You want me to take that my first time bottoming?” Ferris asked with wide eyes.

  “We’ll go slow but I promise it will fit.” He nodded hesitantly and I decided kissing him until he couldn’t think right then would be best. I plundered his mouth as Rylan jerked me off. Ferris blew first, my finger still in his ass, and I followed right after him. We lay there gasping for air, both of us partially on Ferris.

  “Your turn, baby,” he growled after we got the wind back in our sails.

  “Oh yeah,” I agreed. Rylan gave a yelp as we moved around so he was on the bottom and we were looming over him.

  “Jesus, you guys are big,” he purred. We practically tore his jeans off of him. I moaned as I got my first look at his firm little body.

  “And you’re perfect.” I kissed him as I fondled his sac, smiling at the happy yowls he made. He really was part animal. It was quite the change from what I was used to from a bed partner.

  “I feel like getting some cream from our kitty,” Ferris said a few moments later. I glanced down and saw he was licking Rylan’s cock like it was his favorite treat.

  “Great idea.” I shimmied down Rylan’s body until it was right in front of me as well. We licked it together, Ferris’s hand pumping his cock, as I kept fondling his balls.

  “Fuck, guys. So good,” Rylan mewled as he spread his legs wider. “Someone fuck me!”

  “Not yet. Right now is for play.”

  “Fine but I’m getting fucked after dinner if I have to break out the toy I brought with me and do it myself!”

  “We can help you with that,” Ferris chuckled. We went back to teasing and pleasing him until Rylan was rambling and pleading for us to finish him.

  “Please? I’ve been a good kitty. I made you both happy. Don’t be mean. I need. God, do I need. Oh fuck, please?”

  Ferris gave me a nod and I agreed. We’d tortured Rylan enough. He got to sucking our kitty’s dick as I lapped as his sac. Rylan let out a loud yowl and blew, his back bowing off the bed at the intensity of it.

  Absolutely breathtaking.

  “Shit, I haven’t come like that in a very, very long time,” he said in between gasps for air when he was spent. “And never from getting head. I’ve been blessed with two very talented men.”

  “I’m glad you feel that way,” Ferris chuckled as we moved to lie on either side of Rylan. “Because after watching that performance, making you come is officially going to become my favorite hobby.” He glanced over to me. “You agree?”

  “Yes, but I’d add on making both of you climax. I think it’s equal in being the prettiest sight in my eyes.”

  “I’m sure I’ll feel the same when I see you,” he said quietly as he took my hand that was lying on Rylan’s firm stomach. “I was kind of wrapped up in my own orgasm to pay much attention.”

  “If you could have, that meant I hadn’t been doing my job right,” Rylan giggled as he covered our joined hands with both of his. “I’m so fucking happy I found you guys and not because of the hot play time. We found each other. Do you know how many never find their mates?”

  I shared a look with Ferris that clearly said we both did. Hell, Rylan was only thirty-five. We’d been looking for a millennium. But I had a feeling they were both going to be worth the wait.

  Chapter 4

  Ferris We quickly got cleaned up, trying our best to behave in the shower. I learned something real fast though. If we were in a time crunch, no more group showers. It was just too hard… And so was I when we got out and dressed.

  “Teases,” Rylan grumbled as he bent over to rummage through his suitcase. “It could have been a quickie. No one said you can’t have a quickie with your mate.”

  “Yes, but don’t we earn your forgiveness since it was out of such respect for you and our mating that we didn’t want our first time tasting the bounty of your body and plundering your sweet hole to be just a quickie?” Onah asked as he moved behind Rylan and rubbed his naked ass. “This feast deserves several courses the first time we taste it.”

  “You should be a diplomat with that kind of finesse,” Rylan moaned and pushed his ass back in Onah’s big hands. “And I think that might be one of the nicest things anyone’s ever said about me.” They both glan
ced to me as if wondering what my response would be.

  “I’m not that eloquent,” I snickered as I pulled on some nice suit pants. “I was just going to say that there’s no way once and a quickie at that would be enough after plundering your firm little body.”

  “Just as sweet to my ears.” Rylan shot me a big smile and stepped away from Onah, standing on his toes and kissing my chin. “It’s the sentiment behind the words, not the words themselves that always matters, my big, fine warrior.”

  “Glad you think so because I tend to blurt shit out but it comes from a good place.”

  He nodded his head and I could tell from the look he was giving me that it was okay by him. I knew Rylan needed a little less conflict in his life, but I was starting to get the impression he might need some more fun too.

  We quickly finished getting ready and climbed into Rylan’s rental. Sure, we could have taken my SUV but my little mate seemed enamored with the sports car. If it made him smile, I was all for letting him drive.

  “I feel the need for speed,” he joked as he shifted from first to second gear and took off.

  Apparently my mate had a wild streak in him. It was subtle of course, but the moment he hit a hundred miles per hour, I was kinda figuring it out.

  “You get us killed and we won’t be able to have sex tonight,” I teased, hanging on to the door tightly. He was a good driver and it was basically a straight shot down a deserted road, but I thought ninety would have given him the same thrill without making me want to shit my pants.

  We pulled up to Barnabas’s house in record time. They must have heard how fast he’d come down their drive, because as Rylan parked the car, Bas was smiling from ear to ear as Miles and Digger frowned.

  “Nice wheels,” Bas joked as we got out and then walked over to them. “You didn’t rent that around here.”

  “No, New York,” Rylan chuckled as he shook the man’s hand. “I figured as long as I was coming to the States I’d fly in there and make a donation on behalf of my family for the widows’ and orphans’ fund that was started after 9/11.”