by Abby Blake
Angus tried to act like everything was normal, but the sound of something exploding meant that he literally swept Kristen off her feet and used his superior speed to get them into the cellar fast. Thankfully, it was stone lined and seemed to be of very sturdy construction. Angus had explored this area of the house quite thoroughly and had been pleased to find several underground storage rooms. They weren’t exactly comfortable, but he’d brought enough gear down here that the three of them could stay several days underground if required.
“Dyson?” Kristen asked worriedly.
“Dyson is a well-trained soldier. He’ll be fine.” Angus understood Kristen’s fear, but he’d been working this kind of job long enough to know that you had to trust the people around you to be able to do their jobs.
Another explosion sounded, but it seemed to be quite a distance from the center of town. Apparently, Jed’s protection spells were managing to keep their attackers from entering the area. Any entry by a paranormal being would have set off the alarms. Whoever was attacking them—and from Jason’s e-mail it seemed to be warlocks and perhaps witches—was shooting from a distance and not entering the town limits.
Ten long minutes passed as a couple more explosive rounds detonated, but then everything went quiet once more. Kristen clung to him, but stayed calm and quiet. Angus heard the front door of the house open, and then Dyson’s familiar footsteps turn toward to the cellar.
“Warlocks,” he said as he opened his arms and Kristen stepped into his embrace. She was visibly shaking but otherwise showed no outward signs of panic. The woman truly was extraordinary. “We managed to apprehend two of them, but the rest escaped via bounce tunnels. Ronan thinks they underestimated the size of the wards or the range of their weapons. Either way, we were lucky this time, but we’re certain they’ll be back.”
“And they won’t make the same mistakes twice,” Angus said grimly. So much for being safe in Sugarvale. “When do we move out?”
“We’ve probably got a day or two, but sooner would be better.”
“Agreed.”
“I’ll go start packing,” Kristen said quietly. “Do we need to travel light?”
Before he could answer, Dyson’s cell phone started ringing. He glanced at the caller ID. “It’s Benjamin.” He pressed the screen to open the line. “Dyson,” he said, and then listened intently. Five seconds later he said, “Yes, sir,” and then hung up. “Benjamin wants us to sit tight for a little while. Hannah believes the Oracle’s receptacles can build some sort of barrier, a sort of shield that will be able to withstand physical attack. He’ll let us know in a few minutes if it worked.”
* * * *
Kristen couldn’t help but feel out of place. She was technically the only useless human in the whole town. Everyone else was either an Oracle’s receptacle, a highly trained soldier, or a paranormal of some kind. It seemed rather ironic that no matter how much her life had changed, some things simply stayed the same. She didn’t belong here anymore than she had at her job at the transport company. Kristen cuddled closer to Dyson, taking comfort from the fact that at least she wasn’t invisible. These two men loved her. That would have to be enough.
The all clear came a few minutes later. The Oracle’s receptacles had been able to create a shield that would bounce any weapons back at the shooter. Hopefully, the people attacking them would learn that without killing themselves. Benjamin had cautioned against using their human-style weapons inside the shield for the same reason. It left them without magic or weapons, but considering that the shield also formed a physical barrier against living beings that shouldn’t create any problems.
“I need to go get a situation report. It could take a while. Why don’t you and Angus get some rest? I’ll wake you when I get in.”
Kristen nodded, wishing he didn’t have to go, but understanding the reason for it.
* * * *
It took way longer than expected, but Kristen was still staring at the ceiling when Dyson came into the bedroom. He started stripping off his clothes silently, but he laughed softly when he realized she and Angus were both wide awake. Kristen rolled onto her side, propping her head on her bent arm. Angus did the same, his other arm resting loosely over her middle.
“Hannah has invited us over for dinner Friday night.”
It seemed such an out-of-place comment that Kristen almost forgot her standard “I’ll meet them another day” line. They were very literally living in a town under siege. It seemed a rather strange time to be organizing group dinners. She shook her head, trying to form words polite enough to call Hannah completely crazy without actually calling the woman completely crazy.
But the look Dyson gave her suggested he knew the exact reason why she was hesitating.
The simple fact was that she didn’t want to meet the women who represented yet another group that she was sort of, but not quite, a part of. The only thing she had in common with them was that they were all being targeted by assassins. But, unlike the Oracle’s receptacles, Kristen wasn’t able to use telekinesis, or shield bubbles, or whatever other skills the women had developed, to hold her attackers off.
“I…um…”
“You have to meet them sometime, sweetheart. They’re all eager to meet you.”
“Why?” The bewildered question was out of her mouth before she could stop it.
Angus slapped her bottom so hard it stung even through the wool blanket. “We discussed this,” he said in a warning tone.
“Sorry,” she said, rubbing her offended skin. She shrugged. “Old habits die hard.”
“So dinner?” Dyson’s tone suggested that there was only one right answer.
She sighed, glanced at Angus over her shoulder, saw his determination, and tried to give in gracefully. “I suppose we still have to eat.”
“Good girl,” Dyson said. He pressed a kiss to her forehead, patted her bottom in the same place Angus had slapped it, and then turned his attention to Angus. “I spoke to Benjamin about Jason’s e-mail. We’ve sent a cryptic reply that warns him of the shield the Oracle’s receptacles created.”
“Why warn him?” Angus asked curiously. He didn’t seem upset, just intrigued at the thinking behind Benjamin’s request.
“Technically, he did tip us off to the warlock’s attack. Benjamin thinks he might be trying to determine whether I’m loyal to PUP Squad Alpha on this assignment or not. He could see me as the weakest link, or he could be trying to contact me for a whole different reason. Whatever is going on, Benjamin doesn’t want to miss this opportunity.”
“So you’re going to pretend to think the same way Jason does?” Angus asked.
“I’m not sure that’s possible. Jason knows me pretty well. He’d know that I’d never support anything that requires the death of innocent people.”
“So why bother?” Kristen asked quietly, her concern for him leaking into her words. Jason’s betrayal had hurt the man more than he was willing to admit, and she feared this was Dyson giving his ex–squad partner a chance to prove he really wasn’t a traitor.
“Because it might give us a chance to figure out who Victoria is. We know she’s behind the drugs used on the pixie assassins. Eric says that all of the miniature pixies currently in custody are suffering fireweed withdrawal symptoms. He can’t even understand how a species capable of regenerating from incineration can be drugged in the first place. Emmallina assures him it’s possible, but human medical science can’t explain any of it. Judging by the severity of Connistanterina’s withdrawals, he suspects she was drugged without her knowledge for years, maybe even decades.” Dyson sat on the edge of the bed and reached over to touch Kristen’s face with the back of his knuckles. “If we can figure out how Victoria fits into the big picture, we might be able to identify who is trying to kill the Oracle’s receptacles and why.”
“It seemed pretty obvious that it was warlocks trying to kill them earlier today,” Angus said. “You don’t think they hired the pixie assassins?”
“Benjamin doesn’t think so. Jed and Darian both confirm that humans are mostly disliked by warlocks and witches, but they feel it is someone manipulating the mob into reacting to the existence of humans with extrasensory skills rather than the controlled sort of hit pixie assassins would usually perform.”
“Any news from the pixie side of the problem?”
Dyson shook his head slightly. “Emmallina knows her daughter was taking orders from Victoria, but the woman isn’t known to her and is not part of the PLA. We need to find out who she is and how she managed to order hits that went against official PLA business and bypassed the pixie king’s approval.”
Kristen nodded slowly. It seemed strange that after so many weeks of partial information, and only being told what she needed to know when she needed to know it, that Dyson would suddenly be filling in the blanks now. “Why are you telling me all of this?”
“Because, sweetheart, I want you to understand why I have to leave.”
“You’re what?” she screeched in a tone of voice she would swear had never once left her mouth before. Dyson slid farther onto the bed and pulled her into his embrace, but this time she couldn’t relax against him.
“I’m our best chance to find out why Jason did this. It’s doubtful he’ll try to contact anyone else from PUP Squad Alpha. But if he thinks he can trust me, if he thinks I believe whatever it is he believes, then we might be able to figure out what the fuck…sorry…what the heck is going on before someone else dies.”
“But I don’t want you to go.”
“Believe me, this is one assignment I’d be happy to pass on. I’d much rather be here with you, but I can’t ignore the fact that I have a chance to figure this all out.”
She’d known all along that sooner or later Dyson and Angus would have to move on to other assignments—they couldn’t protect her forever. She’d just hoped she’d have more time with them. She nodded, trying to hide the tears that prickled at the back of her eyes.
“When do you leave?”
He smiled, leaned forward to press a kiss to her lips, and whispered, “Not until Jason replies to my e-mail. I’ve got a suggestion or two on how we can fill the time.”
She kissed him, pouring all of her emotion into the contact, trying to imprint every moment with her men in her memory. She tried to remind herself that he’d come back to her. He said he loved her, but that insecure woman inside of her wondered how long she could hold his and Angus’s attention. She was plain-old ordinary human. Dyson and Angus were extraordinarily talented soldiers who did incredibly important work. Was it even fair of her to want to hold them close?
“You are definitely thinking too hard,” Dyson said as he broke the kiss. “Do I need to remind you how special you are to me and Angus?”
Her pussy clenched at the sensual threat. She was certain a therapist would have a field day with it, but somehow being spanked to climax by these men had—at least in her head—become a physical symbol of their love for her. Of course it helped that the orgasms were incredible and the sex afterward completely mind-blowing.
“Perhaps you need to remind me,” she said in a voice husky with her arousal.
“That can be arranged,” Dyson said with a laugh. He dragged her out from under the covers, arranged her facedown over his lap, and smacked her hard.
* * * *
Dyson really couldn’t explain why spanking Kristen seemed so natural, but even fully clothed his cock was steel-rod hard. He watched her closely as he peppered her soft skin with stinging little slaps. She flushed all over, her skin glowing with her arousal, the scent of her filling the room as her pussy clenched and released, her orgasm so incredibly close that he could almost feel it himself.
He eased off, willing to draw this out, willing to wait, willing to give Kristen everything she needed before slamming into her dripping pussy.
Kristen gripped his lower legs with her hands, her arms shaking violently as her body shook all over. He smacked her hard one last time. “Come for me, sweetheart.”
She did exactly what he asked, a low moan escaping her as she undulated against his legs. He pushed his thumb into her pussy, pushing deeper as her pussy walls fluttered around the invasion. As she finally relaxed, he pushed his slippery thumb against her anus. She jolted at the intimate touch but moaned when he pushed the digit inside. She was already clenching and releasing her anal muscles instinctively, dragging against him, begging with her body, when Angus handed him the lube.
“I love you, Kristen,” Dyson said as he squeezed lube onto her ass and worked it into her back passage, gently loosening the muscles. “Angus and I are going to show you how much.” He glanced at Angus, who nodded, apparently already anticipating what Dyson had in mind. He moved to sit at the end of the bed, his legs dangling over the edge. Dyson worked three fingers into Kristen’s ass, groaning as she began to shake again with her building orgasm. He fucked her gently for a few moments and then pulled his fingers away. She moaned so loudly in protest that he smacked her bottom one more time. “Behave, sweetheart, or I won’t let you ride Angus.”
She laughed softly. “I think Angus might want to have a say in that.”
“Very true,” Angus said as he reached over to grip Kristen’s hair. “Come here, baby.”
Dyson helped her to move over Angus’s cock, holding her up as she tried to slide down. She whimpered her need and sighed her approval when he finally let her lower onto Angus’s hard rod. Angus placed his hands on her ass, pushing her down, stuffing her with his cock, before spreading her ass cheeks in invitation.
Unable to resist the need coursing through him, Dyson moved quickly to get rid of his clothes, and then reached for the lube to slick up his cock.
* * * *
Kristen wanted to move, but Angus held her down, his big hands on her ass cheeks finally tipping her off to what they planned to do. She tried to hide it, but a nervous shiver worked through her system. Both of her men noticed. Dyson’s warm hands and Angus’s cool ones all caressed over her back and bottom in soothing, sweeping motions.
“That’s it, baby girl,” Angus said, “relax. We’ll never do anything to hurt you. Relax and let us take care of you.”
A cool hand slid between her body and Angus’s, unerringly finding her swollen clit and toying with it gently. She moaned, the shiver going through her this time having nothing to do with fear.
“Perfect,” Dyson said as he slid his slippery cock against the crease of her ass. She tensed slightly as she felt the head of his cock press against her anus, but Angus increased the pressure against her clit, completely distracting her from everything except her own need.
Dyson groaned as the head of his cock popped through the tight ring of muscle. “Holy shit, sweetheart, you feel absolutely amazing.” She wanted to push back against him, wanted to take him deeper, but he placed a hand between her shoulder blades, pushing her harder against Angus, holding her trapped as he worked his way deep into her back passage.
Finally, with both of her men inside her, thrust to the hilt, her pussy and ass throbbing around them, Kristen felt complete. This was where she belonged. This was the feeling of acceptance that she’d craved all her life. With her men surrounding her, she finally felt whole.
And then they started moving, and everything Kristen thought she knew about love and life was rewritten.
Dyson pulled out of her ass, slowly pushing back in as Angus pulled away. They moved slowly at first, getting their rhythm perfect, one in, one out, her ass or pussy always filled with cock, her men never leaving her empty.
But then Dyson stilled, his body shaking over her as he gripped her hips in his warm hands and pulled her back against him. “Goddess,” he murmured a moment before pushing her fully onto Angus’s cock, trapping her against him, and then thrusting harder and harder into her ass. The incredible feeling of holding Angus inside her while Dyson fucked her swirled through her mind, her pussy gripping and releasing, her ass throbbing in counterpoint.
&nb
sp; “Come,” Dyson growled, moving faster, the heat, the speed, the friction of his possession tossing her over the edge and into orgasm.
Angus started moving under her, his cock barely leaving her pussy before slamming back in. Dyson slapped her ass, riding her harder as her orgasm went on and on. She screeched, the intensity of release burning through her, shaking her violently, throwing her mind into the abyss of pure pleasure.
She felt them both come, their jerking movements and low groans accompanied by their cocks throbbing inside her. Dyson leaned over her, pressing his weight against her momentarily as he placed a kiss at the back of her ear.
He ground his pelvis against her ass, the movement pushing her harder against Angus’s hand still trapped against her clit. She gasped, the unexpected orgasm spilling through her like hot lava poured into her veins. Over and over, heated waves flowed through her, bouncing back and then over her again, the ripples of her orgasm finally slowing to an incredible feeling of exhaustion, of love, and of belonging.
“I love you,” she whispered to both of them a moment before sleep claimed her.
PART TWO
Chapter Ten
Emmallina DeKardoin, former Queen of the Pixies and now a target for assassination, read the extract from Bethany’s journal over and over again. Oracles couldn’t predict the future. As an Oracle herself, Emmallina knew this to be a fact, but it didn’t explain the human woman’s uncanny insight into problems that she should have known nothing about. Bethany was supposed to have held the history of witches and warlocks, not information on how to cure a miniature pixie suffering drug-withdrawal symptoms.
But there it was, written in black and white, a direct translation from Bethany’s journal that not only warned of the fireweed addiction that had crept insidiously through the assassins working for the PLA, but also listed the cause, the delivery, the effects, and the cure. The most incredible part was that, unlike other parts of the partially decoded journal entries, this passage was neither vague nor difficult to interpret.
