by Lucinda Dark
I groaned, leaning up as if trying to escape, but there was no escape. Maverick held me still for Torin’s exploration. Torin pushed two fingers into that place, smoothing the gel around my hole, inside and out. At first, I felt only discomfort and then, as he continued, I began to feel pleasure. He added a third finger, stretching me and making me want to bite down on something. Mav’s skin was so smooth in that place between his neck and shoulder. It was just right for my teeth.
Fingers were pulled out of my asshole and then Torin was there, pressing his length against that place. I moaned as he pushed into me. Two cocks speared me deep. It was too much and just enough in the same breath. I gasped as they filled me. I’d never felt so alive. Never felt so fucking on edge. I needed to come.
As soon as they established a rhythm, the two of them let go. When one entered, the other would withdraw. And it went on like that for several minutes, my second orgasmic crescendo rising up and up and up. I couldn’t fucking deny it anymore. I dangled—like a spider on a thin string of web—just over a pit of lava. I wanted to fall. I wanted to feel the burn. And so … I let go.
I screamed as my orgasm of the night crashed into me—only belatedly hoping that Beth and Jon couldn’t hear me. Torin had said he put them to bed and I could only hope that he’d put it into their minds that they would sleep heavily tonight.
As my orgasm stole over me and rav aged my mind, the part of myself that had been keeping me from biting Maverick was burned away. I fell upon him, my fangs sinking into his flesh, his blood flowing across my tongue. Warm and spicy. I moaned at the sensation of his groan rumbling against me as he, too, found release. His cock spurted inside of me, filling me with warm fluid as Torin stiffened at my back.
And when we were done, when we’d all reached our release and pulled away, I licked my lips and realized … just like before when I’d drank Maverick’s blood, I didn’t feel sick. I didn’t know what it meant, but as I slowly drifted back down to Mav’s chest and Torin pulled out of my ass, I decided that it could wait. In fact, everything could wait. As warm arms closed around me and my eyes slid shut while Torin came back to wipe me clean, all I wanted to do was sleep. And so, that’s what I did.
I slept.
Chapter 31
Barbie
My mom used to have a saying. "When your heart knows, it knows." I never had a fucking clue what it meant until I woke up sandwiched between two assholes after a night of debauchery—well, a night of debauchery followed by a scorching hot shower that had been necessary after all they’d done to me. Honestly, I couldn't be sure that I knew what that saying meant, only that now I think my heart wanted something more than it had ever wanted anything else in my life. That something was them.
I cuddled against Maverick's chest as Torin spooned my spine. Warmth surrounded me. Naked chests rubbed against equally naked skin and I sighed as I relished in it. A wide palm gripped my hip and dragged my leg up and over a waist. My quiet chuckle turned into a laugh as I felt the hardened ridge of an erection on my ass.
Cuddling, I thought. It's all sweet and innocent until someone gets a boner.
"Why are you laughing?" Torin grumbled at my back, rubbing both his morning wood and his morning beard growth against my skin.
"Because she's planning something evil?" Mav responded with a yawn.
"I'm always planning something evil," I replied. "But you like me all feisty and shit. Why would I change now?"
"She's got a point," Mav said as he cuddled closer, pressing what I expected was his own morning wood between my thighs. I rolled my eyes.
"Alright, hard and harder—time for me to get up." I tossed their arms aside and crawled to the end of the bed, the sound of their mutual groans following me the entire way.
"Is she always this perky in the morning?" Torin asked. I looked back to see he'd thrown an arm over his eyes, covering the upper half of his face even as the rest of him remained on full display. I picked up one of the blankets that had fallen off the end of the bed sometime in the night and threw it on top of him. Whereas Mav had the decency to cover up with one of the sheets, it seemed Torin didn't give a shit and I needed to think. Thinking and their dicks did not go hand in hand.
"Why is she getting dressed?" Mav grumbled.
"Why don't you ask her," Torin shot back.
"I'm getting dressed because it's time to get the fuck up," I said as I slid into a pair of jeans sans underwear. I grabbed the bra I'd been wearing the night before and slipped it on as well as a fresh shirt. "Come on," I said, circling the bed. "We're back in the real world and the weekend is over. We've got school." I checked my bedside clock. "And we're already an hour late."
"I thought good sex was supposed to chill a woman out," Mav said as I yanked on his beefy arm. When he still refused to budge, I slapped his bicep. My gaze caught on his throat and fixated there as what I’d done the night before came back to me. I’d bitten him. I put my hand to my stomach as if expecting the reminder to kickstart a series of cramps and pains, but nothing came. The thoughts I’d had right before I’d fallen asleep the night before came back. What the hell did it mean?
Yes, I noticed that as well. I pursed my lips as Satrina’s voice infiltrated my mind.
And your theory? I inquired.
Perhaps it has something to do with me, she answered. You can’t seem to drink human blood—whether fresh or bagged. But neither of the boys are human.
She was right. Maverick was a shifter now. Does that mean supernatural blood can sustain me? I asked. Vampires can’t drink from other vampires. Torin was only half-vampire, therefore, it had been assumed that his human blood is what had allowed me to drink from him, but if not…
You’re not completely a vampire, Satrina reminded me. I’ve been here the entire time and as I’ve said before, you’re an entirely new being. We are merged you and I, and now so, too, is your vampire. I did expect to win out over her, but it seems we have grown accustomed to sharing your body.
“She’s quiet,” Torin said lightly, drawing me out of my conversation with Satrina. “That’s never a good thing.”
I huffed and grabbed onto Maverick’s wrist and started tugging again. "I'm not kidding," I growled. "What if Beth catches us all in here?"
Torin finally lifted the arm from his eyes and blinked over at me. "She won't," he assured me. "I put it into her head as well as Jon's that they wanted to go into work early today."
I stared down at their languid forms. "So, what ... we're just ... taking the day off then?"
They shrugged in sync. "Why not?" Torin asked.
"The school year's practically already over, Barbie," Mav replied. "Grades are in, seniors won't be going in much for the next few weeks as it stands."
"Besides, what we really should be focusing on is tracking down Arrius and coming up with plan B," Torin reminded us.
And just like that, all of the light—all of the smiles and jokes and good feelings from the night before—was sucked out of the room. If my grin had fallen any harder, it would've crash landed and skidded across the floor. Mav and I both turned our heads to look at Torin.
"Tor..." Mav's tone was rough and tight with irritation.
Torin didn't take it. He shook his head. "I know you're upset, but these are things we have to consider."
"You couldn't fucking let us have a moment?" Mav barked as he tossed the sheet to the side and got out of bed. I didn't even get a glimpse of him as he slid past me and grabbed up his jeans and boxers, sliding into them and doing up the button before whirling around.
"We had a moment—a full night of moments," Torin argued as he, too, sat up. "And it was enjoyable, but now it's morning and it's time to face the reality of our situation."
My chest tightened. It had all been too good to last. Torin was right. We'd taken a moment to just be and it had been ... amazing, but with the rise of the sun, the timer was buzzing, and our time alone was up.
"He's right," I said aloud. "I'm sorry, Mav."
> "For fuck's sake," Mav snapped. "Not you too."
"The hunters are out of commission," I said. "And it looks more and more likely that Arrius took Esperanza. We need to start figuring out what we're going to do next."
"Starting with Olivia," Torin said before Mav could respond. I flinched. Torin moved to the side of the bed, lifting the blanket I'd tossed over him earlier and wrapping it around his waist as he stood. "I know you don't want to hear it, Barbie, but it would be safer for her if she forgot."
"You let Mav know," I said defensively.
"And look where he is now," Torin replied.
"I'm fucking fine," Mav growled.
"You're a dragon shifter, man," Torin said. "There's no possible way for a human to know about this world without falling headfirst into it." Torin moved closer to me, his hands reaching out and cupping my arms. "Please, talk to her. Try to get her consent. I know you'd rather have her agree to do it than me simply stealing the memories."
"What if she says no?" I asked. "What if she doesn't want her memories altered? It's like mind rape, Tor."
"You know it's not like that," he said, squeezing my arms. "Try to get her to say yes. Do what you have to do. Lie if you must."
"Lie..." I repeated the word, hating it on my tongue, but hadn't I been doing that from the fucking start? Lying. What was one more? They all tasted the same, right?
I pulled away from Torin and circled him, going for my phone—the new one Mav had ordered for me so we didn't need to tell his parents about the one I'd broken in the city. I picked it up off the nightstand and typed out a text. I didn't face them as I waited for an answer. Even though it was a school day and I knew classes had already started, I didn't have to wait long for an answer.
I turned and showed Torin the screen. "There," I said. "I'm meeting with her this afternoon. I'll ask her then. Happy?"
He nodded. "Yes."
"Good." I put the phone down and then began going about picking up his clothes. I shoved them all into his arms and snatched Mav's shirt, tossing it to him as well. "Then you can leave now."
Torin blinked at me. "Barbie, you know I don't want to do this, don't you?"
"Yup." I knew that, but that didn't make it fucking hurt any less, now did it? "I just want to be alone. I have to figure out what the fuck I'm going to tell her." Mav cursed and threw on his shirt before unlocking the door and storming from the room. I walked over and stood by the open door expectantly. "Well?" I said, gesturing to the hallway.
Torin sighed and dropped the sheet from his waist. Despite what happened the night before, I kept my gaze level on his face as he stalked forward, his clothes in his arms. He paused alongside me, hesitating for a brief moment as his head turned and he looked at me. "I'm sorry, Barbie. Truly, I am."
With that, he strode from the room and let me slam the door behind him. My back hit the wood and I slid down, a scream of frustration bubbling up in my throat.
Why couldn't the day start slower? I wondered. Why couldn't it romance me a bit before it reminded me how fucked I was?
Chapter 32
Barbie
There was something about coffee house music that made even the bitchiest of bitches chill the fuck out. There had to be, because as I entered the coffee shop and scanned the area, searching for Olivia—the music that drifted out of the speakers made me feel like I was walking into a pool of relaxation. It was definitely something I needed.
As soon as my muscles slackened, my thoughts flipped me right back into the boiling pot of stress that I’d been nursing ever since Mav and Torin had left the house. I hadn’t intentionally not mentioned drinking from Mav, but somehow it’d gotten lost in the morning’s events. The reminder, though, rocketed through me. Fast, furious, and packing a hell of a punch—pun most fucking certainly intended.
Supernatural blood was my sustenance. There was no other explanation. Maverick was now as much a part of the supernatural world as Torin and I were. His blood had tasted like the richest spices from the Eastern Continent. Heavy and delicious. Even now as I looked around the small coffee shop not far from St. Marion's campus, I couldn't help but wonder when I'd get a chance to drink it again. He'd let me, I knew, and it would certainly take the pressure off of only being able to drink from Torin.
The only question that I had left was, Why? Why could I only consume supernatural blood?
We'd originally assumed that I could only be sustained off Torin's blood because of his human blood, but now I was wondering if it was his vampire blood instead. Pure human blood made me sick. Vampires weren't supposed to be able to drink from other vampires, but I wasn't completely vampire. Why, then, could I drink vampire blood and dragon shifter blood, but not human blood? Was Satrina right? Did it have something to do with being part demon?
I shook my head, shaking off the thoughts and perpetual questions that plagued me. I spotted Olivia towards the back of the café with her phone in her face and a mocha frappuccino something or other in hand. She slurped that shit down as she clicked away, her thumb spinning a mile a minute as she internally squealed over something she was looking at. Well, it wasn't so much internal as it was slightly quieter than her normal, intentional squeals.
"Hey." I kicked her chair as I stopped at her side before dropping into the seat across from her, sliding my bag across the table.
Olivia jerked and looked up, her entire expression lighting up when she saw me. It was strange, to say the least. She knew my secret now—she knew that I wasn't human, but you wouldn't have been able to tell from the way she treated me. It was as if nothing had changed. She was most assuredly not normal.
"Oh my goodness," she said, turning her phone around and shoving the screen into my face. "Look at these shoes!" I didn't get an actual glimpse of them—all I saw was shiny gold and big gems before she snatched the phone back and clicked something else on it. "I'm getting them for prom. I think they'll be perfect with my dress. I have to pay extra for shipping to make sure they get here in time—which is a total drag, but hey no pain, no gain, right?" She finished up and set the phone down, clasping both hands around her drink as she put the straw in her mouth and sucked hard, popping off a second later and swallowing.
I eyed her and that drink. "How many of those have you had?" I asked hesitantly. "And does it have coffee in it?"
She laughed. "Only like the smallest amount," she said. "I'm naturally perky."
"You're naturally something," I muttered with a small grin.
She removed her straw and used it to scoop up a dollop of whipped cream from the top. Sticking the whipped cream in her mouth, Olivia turned the straw my way and used it as a pointer. "I heard that, bitch," she said good-naturedly.
I chuckled, but soon enough my laughter dried up and Olivia sat there, staring at me, waiting expectantly. I'd been the one to call this meeting after all. I swallowed roughly and clasped my hands in front of me.
"Okay..." Olivia eyed me. "What's up?" she asked. "What's with that face? You look like you're about to either impart some ancient wisdom or tell me that someone killed my dog. Just for your information, I don't have a dog. My parents wouldn't let me get one. My dad's allergic."
"It's..." I winced. "Do you remember what I told you when we came back from the city?" I asked, glancing around meaningfully to let her know to keep her voice down and not be obvious.
She nodded. "It's not something a girl just forgets," she said.
Not yet anyway, I thought. A grimace stretched and thinned my lips. "What if I told you," I tested, "that you could?"
"Could what?" She scooped up more of the whipped cream from her cup and popped it in her mouth.
"Forget," I clarified. "What if I told you that you could forget? That it would be safer if you would forget all about it? About everything I told you."
She frowned, sitting up as she put her cup down on top of the table and leaned forward. "What are you saying, Barbie?"
I closed my eyes. I was fucking this up. I didn't want to hurt
her, but Torin and Maverick were not on board with her knowing everything. And after a few days of thought, I had to admit they were probably right. It wasn't safe for her to know.
"I think it would be best if you agreed to let someone alter your memories." I winced as the words came out of my mouth. "A little," I amended.
She stared at me, frowning as she tilted her head to the side and her brows lowered. "Is that ... what you want?" she asked. "You don't want me to remember?"
"It's not about what I want," I said with a sigh. "There are other people at stake. There's so much that I didn't tell you—that I can't tell you—but even knowing as much or as little as you do now, I worry..."
Olivia bit her lip as she looked at me. Her nails tapped out a rhythm on the tabletop, clicking against the solid wood. Each snap made my muscles contract and squeeze tighter as I waited for her answer. "Will," she started, clearing her voice with a cough when it came out rough and raspy, "will it keep you safer for me to forget?" she asked.
There was no way in hell I'd be safe. Until Arrius Priest was taken care of, any safety I felt was only an illusion, but before I could tell her that, I found myself stopping. Was this what she needed to hear? I wondered. I looked at her and tried to determine what would make her ask something like that. Olivia wasn't the kind of person to be overly concerned with how the knowledge she had might affect her. Despite her airy, oftentimes annoying, self-possessed personality, she wasn't a selfish person. She'd agree to have her mind altered—to allowing someone else to change what she knew—if it meant her friend was protected.
I could be a bitch. I could be a fucking asshole, I knew, and I was more than willing to make sacrifices for the greater good of my goals. Olivia did not need to be one of them.
"Yes," I lied. "If you were to forget everything I told you, it would be safer."
Her head dipped as she stared down at her lap, her red curls sliding over one shoulder as she contemplated my words. My hands clenched against the table as I waited. Tension ate away at my nerves and finally, she nodded.
