by Lexi Blake
I looked at Daniel as I caught my breath and saw the episode had definitely heightened his interest. His jeans were full and my hands itched to cup that heaviness. I had been questioning the wisdom of going to my dad’s, but now I really just wanted to stay in the limo forever.
“Beautiful, lover,” Dev was saying behind me. “Let’s switch positions and see if I can make that happen with my tongue. Who am I kidding? We both know I can.”
I was just about to do whatever he said when Daniel’s previous words managed to punch through the haze of lust. I sat straight up and moved away from Dev’s clever hands because if he got them on me, I would be a puddle of submissive pleasure again.
“How am I involved in this particular plot of yours?” I tried in vain to straighten out my skirt, but it was hard to look respectable after an experience like that. My every muscle was a little limp, and I had to force myself to focus. They’d been working on this operation for months, and not once had they really talked about it with me. So I was surprised to discover I was the centerpiece.
Daniel frowned. “I told you we should tell her.”
“And I was going to,” Dev replied curtly as he reached for a bottle of champagne he had chilling. He popped the cork expertly and poured two glasses. “At the appropriate time.”
He passed me a glass, and I downed it just to get some of my composure back. “When is the appropriate time, Dev?”
“There’s a time and a place for everything, lover.” Dev sat back, not attempting to hide the fact that he had a massive erection. He was the very picture of decadent beauty. “Tonight is not for business. Tonight is the time and place to have your lovely legs wrapped around my head. Tomorrow we can discuss business, but Dan over there just can’t stand the pressure.”
Daniel stared at Dev from across the limo. “Trust me. We should get it out of the way. She can blow up and scream at us for a while and then you can do that thing you do where you talk to her and rub her and she’ll come around and then we can get freaky. She’s going to be ten times more pissed if we do the freaky stuff first and then tell her.”
He really did know me well. I was getting anxious because the last time they decided something without talking to me about it, I got saddled with Zack and Lee. “Somebody better tell me right now or I swear there won’t be anything freaky happening to either one of you for a long time.”
“It’s not a big deal, Zoey.” Dev’s voice went all smooth and silky. “We just had to use our assets to get us into the meeting, and you know I consider you our greatest asset.”
I rolled my eyes because I wasn’t about to let him “handle” me. “Cut the bullshit, Dev. What am I supposed to do?”
He shrugged and refilled his glass. “You do it almost every day, lover. All you have to do is fuck me.”
I raised my eyebrows because there had to be more to this. “And John McKenzie cares that you get laid why?”
“It’s a fertility ritual, Z,” Daniel explained. “The wolves are willing to pay handsomely for a high priest of Faery to perform a fertility ritual, and one of the methods of their payment is to let me in. That and a million dollars.”
“A million dollars?”
Daniel leaned forward. “Their birth numbers have been low the last couple of decades. Dev’s magic is rare on this plane. Even in Faery he’s rare. The fact that he lives here and is willing to provide the service is an opportunity the alpha can’t pass up. McKenzie is viewing this as a way to truly consolidate his power. If he can provide fertility for the packs, they’ll follow him. It does nothing but help me to have a strong leader for the wolves. I would really prefer to only have to deal with one alpha instead of fifty. It also provides excellent cover. If the Council finds out I’m there, it’s a cash-making enterprise.”
Dev, Danny, and I had performed our first ritual together in Las Vegas, though I hadn’t really known that was what we were doing at the time. It had been a happy accident, but since then, Dev had been thrilled to regain his power. His hold on the magic had gotten impressive. Since it involved sex, Dev liked to practice at every given opportunity. Daniel was able to feed off sexual energy as readily as blood, so it had given him a boost as well. The more he fed off that magic, the earlier he woke and the more sun he was able to handle.
Daniel’s ability to daywalk was a secret we guarded zealously. Besides Dev and me, only Zack knew, and he’d been told to keep the secret even from his brother. The only vampire who knew was Daniel’s patron, Marcus Vorenus, who also had the ability.
A sense of relief came over me. I wasn’t sure why they had thought this would be a big deal. We kind of did it a lot. “I don’t have a problem with the ritual. Let’s go to Colorado and help some wolves make puppies.”
“Good. Now let’s get some practice in.” Dev reached out to haul me back into his lap.
Daniel cleared his throat. “It’s a public ritual, Z.”
“What?” Now they definitely had my attention.
“Again,” Dev began, gritting his teeth as he glared at Daniel. “That was something to bring up later. We have to ease her into the situation.”
“You expect me to do that with the two of you in public? That’s not going to happen. Do you know how fast that will end up on YouTube? How could you agree to that?” I asked Dev, but then rolled my eyes because I was talking to the wrong boy. “I know why he agreed. He’s a pervert. But you? How can you be willing to do that with a hundred wolves watching?”
“I won’t actually be there,” Daniel clarified. “This is an experience for just the two of you.”
“You see, sweetheart, Daniel is a greedy bastard,” Dev explained, his voice soft and cajoling. “If he’s there, he’ll suck up all the energy and then there won’t be enough left for the wolves. If we were talking about fifty or sixty couples it might be fine, but this is a big gathering. We need as much of the magic to disperse in the crowd as possible. It’s just me and my goddess. That’s you, lover. You’re my goddess.”
“Don’t you ‘goddess’ me. How could you have thought I would be all right with this, Devinshea Conlan Quinn?”
“Now you’re in trouble.” Daniel chuckled under his breath.
I pointed at him. “You stay out of it.”
Dev sat forward and reached for my hand, taking it in both of his. “This is important to me, Zoey. This is far more than just a way to get into the Gathering. I was going to ask you to be my goddess anyway. Please believe that. Daniel and I have discussed it, and he’s agreed that it’s time. Our relationship has settled and we’re all happy.”
“So I get to be a porn star because we’re all happy?” I might have a crazy sex life, but I hadn’t gone that far despite Dev’s multiple attempts to convince me that cameras were fun.
Daniel glanced out the window, obviously leaving this conversation to us.
Dev squeezed my hand, moving closer. “No, you get to be my goddess. I want it to be real, Zoey. There are rituals involved. I gave up my priesthood when I left Faery. I can call myself a high priest all day long, but no one will really recognize me without my ascension and my goddess. When I left the sithein, I never thought I would be able to do this again. This is sacred to me. This is who I am. I am a priest, and this is what I was born to do.”
“Dev, I’m sorry.” I just couldn’t envision myself allowing such a private act to be public. I’d played his “goddess” on several occasions, though he’d never used the term before. Those had been intimate situations where the magic had been just for us. I knew that many fertility rituals were public, but I couldn’t see myself performing one. “I just can’t. I hope you understand. I want to help, but not like that.”
Dev let go of my hand, sat back, and took a deep breath. He looked like a man who just had something important taken from him. He sat back and took a long drink of champagne. When he was done, he smiled at me. “Of course I understand, sweetheart. It won’t be a problem. I’ll figure something else out that will satisfy McKenzie. Now, it’
s your birthday. Let’s have some fun.”
A grim expression settled on Daniel’s face, and I knew I’d really done something bad. Dev was talking about how much he was looking forward to this weekend and our plans for the three of us to go to the movies. He chatted on but his smile didn’t reach his eyes. Daniel kept looking at me like I’d kicked Dev and needed to apologize. I wished Dev would just get mad and scream at me. I could fight, but I hated this feeling that I’d let him down.
“Devinshea, can we talk about this?” I asked quietly.
He took a negligent drink. “There is nothing to say, sweetheart.”
“There is. You’re obviously upset.”
“I’ll get over it. It makes things a bit more difficult on the political front, but I’ll figure it out. It’s why I get paid the big bucks.” His cavalier attitude was bullshit. He didn’t get paid crap, obviously. He worked because he believed in the cause. “I’m looking forward to your party, sweetheart.” He frowned suddenly. “I’m afraid I have to disappoint you a little bit, lover. I wasn’t able to have your present delivered tonight. You’ll get it in the morning. How would you like a candy-apple-red Porsche?”
If Dev had meant to buy me a Porsche, it would have been sitting in my father’s driveway with a big bow around it. Dev didn’t forget or put things off. In all our time together, Dev had never forgotten a birthday or anniversary or holiday.
“Why can’t you give me my real gift? It has something to do with the ritual, doesn’t it?”
He shook his head. “It’s nothing, Zoey.”
“Then give it to me,” I requested softly.
Dev pulled a small box out of his pocket and sat it on my lap. “It isn’t the real one. I sent a request to the sithein for the real one. They refused me. This is a facsimile, but the jeweler did a good job. You may have it if you want it, of course.”
I opened the box, and my eyes widened at the lovely gold medallion. It was delicate and feminine. There was a raised sun symbol, and the entire medallion was circled with a foreign writing. I suspected it was Gaelic. “What does it say?”
“It says ‘you are my goddess, maker of my magic, keeper of my power.’” Dev read, his voice too steady. “Like I said, it’s not the original.”
Tears burned in my eyes. How much was my modesty worth to me? Dev had given me everything he had, and I was willing to let him down because I didn’t want strangers getting a glimpse of me? Dev had grown up in an entirely different world from Daniel and me. Dev was the one who so often had to adapt to fit into our culture and respect our customs. Perhaps it was time for me to mold myself to his needs. We were a threesome though, and I had to make sure we were all on the same page.
“Daniel, how do you feel about the ritual?”
He took a long breath, releasing it with a sigh. “We’ve been talking about it for months. If this is what Dev needs and you’re okay with it, then so am I. Z, this could be something big for us, but I don’t want to use either one of you like that.”
Dev groaned, a sure sign that this was a well-worn argument. “You’re not using us, Daniel. We’re in this together. I want this. I want it very much. This is a chance to prove myself. If it also gets us the loyalty of the wolf pack, then I don’t see why it’s bad.”
He was right. And, hey, if I was going to be a porn star, at least I’d be a highly paid one. I leaned into him. “I love you both. Yes, I’ll perform the ritual with you, Dev. I’ll be proud to be your goddess.”
Dev smiled, the world around me lighting up. He unclasped the necklace and put it around my neck, his hand touching where the disc lay against my skin. “That looks perfect. I love you so much, Zoey.”
“Now aren’t you happy we got through that?” Daniel said, relaxing as the tension left the space.
Dev winked at me. “I am.”
Daniel pulled me into his lap, cuddling me close. “Good, then it’s my turn.” Daniel pulled out a similar box and handed it to me.
I looked down at it. “Did you shop together? Zack told me you got my present at the comic book store.”
Daniel’s hand tightened around my waist. “No, yesterday was just new comic day. I got this a while back. I was just waiting for the right time to give it to you. I hope you like it. I…would really like for you to wear it. I mean, only if you want to.”
I opened the box and there was a polished golden band. “A wedding ring?”
He held up his left hand. There was a matching masculine band on his finger. He hadn’t been wearing it earlier, so I assumed he’d slipped it on when I wasn’t looking. “I know we didn’t have a traditional ceremony, but I like the idea of wearing rings. You can wear Dev’s necklace and my ring.”
It was times like this that made the rest of the crap worthwhile. I let the sweetness of the moment wash over me because I would remember it for the rest of my life. I gave the ring to Daniel and let him slip the band on my ring finger. He brought my wrist to his lips and laid a tender kiss there. I hugged him for the longest time because I was finally wearing my Danny’s ring.
The car pulled to a stop and I realized we had reached our destination, and several problems suddenly occurred to me. My father would probably make no comment on the necklace, but he was damn straight going to notice the wedding ring I was suddenly sporting.
“Danny,” I said carefully, “I love my ring but I’m going to put it back in the box just for tonight.” I slipped it off my hand and placed it back in the little velvet box.
A long moment passed as both my men stared at me.
“Would you like to explain why, Zoey?” Dev’s voice was practically arctic.
Daniel moved me off his lap. I was pretty sure it was so he could properly glare at me. “Damn it, Zoey. You didn’t tell him.”
Dev frowned at me, too. “You promised me you would talk to your father about us. He hates me, Zoey. He thinks I wrecked your marriage. I was looking forward to actually making some headway with your father tonight of all nights.”
I cringed just a little because I had promised the boys I would talk to my dad, but my dad could be really hard to talk to. I’m his only child, and he stills treats me like a princess. It was not an easy conversation to have. What was I supposed to say? “Hey, Daddy. I’m shacked up with two men and I really love them both and I sleep with them sometimes at the same time.” It just isn’t a thing you share with your dad. I had been sure I could get through one little dinner. “I just need more time. I promise I’ll tell him soon. Let’s just get through tonight.”
Daniel shook his head as the driver opened the car door. “I’m not doing it, Zoey. I’m not lying to him. If he asks, I’m going to tell him.”
Daniel got out of the car and stalked up to the front door, where my father was waiting with a hug for his son-in-law.
Dev moved to the sidewalk but turned back to help me out. Though he was courteous, it was easy to see he was pissed. He offered me his arm, and we started up the driveway. “One has to wonder what you’re ashamed of, Zoey. Given the fact that Harry loves Daniel like a son, I have to assume it’s me.”
“Devinshea,” I sighed.
“I’m sure it will be a lovely evening, darling,” Dev murmured as my father was giving him the evil eye.
This was why I memorized the earlier sweetness. Loving two men is twice the joy, but when it goes wrong, it really goes wrong. I’d made a terrible mistake because I had the feeling my father was going to find out exactly what had been going on, and I wouldn’t like the way my messengers delivered this news.
Chapter Three
I was surprised to see Ingrid standing in the living room. She wore a designer dress and was beyond gorgeous with her perfect ice-blonde hair and lithe figure. It was a glamour, but I’d never seen her any other way. I wouldn’t recognize her troll form. I rushed into the room and was greeted with a bright smile.
“My little Zoey,” Ingrid said with only a hint of Scandinavian accent. She looked me over and took in the sight of the medallion
around my neck, her eyes widening. She smiled as she touched it. “It’s good to see you. You’re practically glowing. This is beautiful on you.”
Yes, I was thrilled the see Ingrid, but I was also more than happy for the distraction. Dev had dropped me off at the door and then walked back to deal with the driver. Daniel was practically ignoring me. It was nice someone was happy with me. “Dev gave it to me.”
“Yes, I know,” she explained, studying it. “They did a good job on it. It’s a shame his brother refused to give him the real one. It belongs to Devinshea. It’s his to give to his goddess. I have no idea what his brother is thinking of keeping it from him.”
“His brother’s a jerk.” From everything I knew about Declan Quinn, I was convinced the heir to Faery was an asshole.
Ingrid chuckled at my descriptive language. “I’m certain the future king would disagree. You know there are always two sides to a story, Zoey. You’ve only heard one. Now, where is our Devinshea?”
“He should be here in a minute,” I replied.
I kind of hoped by the time Dev walked in, my dad would be passing out the drinks, but he hadn’t made his way into the living room yet. It was a bad sign. I didn’t think my father was ever going to like Dev, but the situation might have been better if I had talked to my dad about our living situation. Dad still thought Dev was some temper tantrum I was having. Once he realized I was serious about him, he was going to have to calm down.
“What is your father’s objection to Devinshea?” Ingrid asked, looking genuinely confused. “He is an excellent catch in both worlds. He’s of royal blood and well placed. In the human world, he’s wealthy and successful. He’s kind and loving toward you. I don’t understand the animosity.”
I understood it all too well. “Dad thinks that if Dev were out of the picture, I would settle down and do what Daniel tells me to.”
She sighed. “Your father doesn’t know you at all.”
My father wanted me safe, and he believed Daniel was the best bet. We’d been careful not to bring my father into our political games. Dad didn’t know Daniel’s status as the Council’s official assassin, and we agreed to keep it that way. I was just now realizing that Dev was the one who took the brunt of this particular ruse. Dev hated to be the outsider. He’d left his own family seven years before, and though he almost never spoke of them, I knew he missed them. Perhaps what he really missed was a sense of belonging. Well, he wasn’t going to get that tonight.
