I put down my glass on the tub and slipped in, dunking my head under and scrubbing at my face with my hands, trying unsuccessfully to erase the last twenty or so minutes.
“So I spoke with Snick and it seems someone tried to poison Spot. We found some kind of animal carcass near where he sleeps,” Jace told me as he reached for the shampoo and turned me around so he could soap my hair. I stood quietly while he worked then dunked myself getting out the soap so he could use the cream rinse. When my hair was clean I seated myself between them and leaned my head back.
“With Snick and Owen’s assistance, we added four inch titanium doors to all the outside entrances and tied them in to our security system. We tried steel first but Cursed had a very bad reaction to the iron content so we quickly switched. You’ll be happy to know that we are Elf Friendly at all the doors. We also created doors on the cavern side for all passageways leading to the bedrooms and up to the other levels. By the way, the chip in your arm will open any of the new doors,” Gareth added.
“Assuming you did have it implanted?” Jace queried then smiled when I nodded.
“Did you find any more beasties?” I asked staring up at the rock ceiling.
“No, it seems we got them all earlier.”
“We should have put the doors in a long time ago; it was overdue and lax on our part.” Jace added.
“Do you think whoever got in is still here, hiding?” I asked, turning my head to look at Jace.
“No, we believe they left the way they came. Probably worried they’d get eaten themselves.”
I caught the look that passed between the two and sat up. “What?” I muttered, my gaze slowly swinging between them.
Gareth gave a nod and replied. “Cursed was able to track the intruders through the tunnels. He believes it was two men... a human and someone that smelled of Hyena.”
I thought about that for a moment then leaned forward on the seat. “You think it was Ricky?”
“I should have just killed the bastard,” Jace muttered, an angry expression on his face.
“We don’t know for certain, though he had knowledge of the tunnels.”
“’Had’ being the key word here. I thought Snick erased his memory?”
“He did,” Jace growled. “But that doesn’t mean someone didn’t find him and tamper with him.”
“Great,” I moaned, “so if it was Ricky, whoever is behind him knows about me too.” I was suddenly glad I’d already heaved everything there was to heave.
“Well the good news is that he’s gone, we’re protected, and you were there when the attack began so the creatures didn’t get out of the cavern and we didn’t suffer any damages.”
I chewed my lip and stared at nothing. “Ricky couldn’t have opened that portal. What human has that kind of power?”
Gareth and Jace didn’t seem to know and I could tell it worried them.
Jace tried to lighten the mood by stating, “So it was pretty cool breathing fire. Do you think we’ll still be able to when we shift next time?”
If our change was anything like Amras’ alteration the answer would be yes. “Maybe, I don’t know,” I admitted.
Gareth raised an eyebrow at me and I felt a slow flush creeping up my neck and cheeks. “No bigger,” he warned and I knew he somehow knew about Amras’ second growth spurt.
Someone had obviously tattled on me.
Jace snorted and gave me a look. “No one had to,” he informed me sourly.
“She hasn’t a notion,” Gareth replied, dragging a hand over his face and rubbing his jaw.
“How can she not?”
Gareth shrugged and stared up at the ceiling. I started feeling antsy wondering what it was I was missing. “She did warn us.”
“Yes she did,” Jace grumped.
“It is most distracting.”
“Makes it hard to concentrate, you just don’t know when the next jolt is coming.”
“Two or three times a day and I’m still hard as a rock the rest of the time.”
“Staying away is difficult.”
“It’s not so bad when she is working out.”
“Or sleeping.”
“Hmmm.”
“I suppose it could be worse, at least we aren’t changing our clothing as often as the others.”
“Yeah, well abstinence will ruin a man’s control. That is for certain.”
“Her range is improving.”
“I know.”
“Should we be worried?” Jace asked, and they both turned to look at me.
I wasn’t sure what they wanted me to say. I was having a problem trying to figure out what they were talking about. It was like... “I’m broadcasting when I’m… oh God!” I whispered feeling a sense of horror and embarrassment tingling through my body. They nodded at me in unison and I groaned and dropped my face into my hands. Why hadn’t someone told me sooner? Then I thought back over the last couple of days at all the hints the others had dropped and wondered how I could have been so oblivious. “I am so sorry,” I muttered from behind my fingers, my face on fire.
“When it was just the three of us, it wasn’t an issue.”
“We thought you knew and were aware of our mutual sharing.”
I had sensed it. That each felt the other’s pleasure. I just thought that was because we were together at the time and because they shared some kind of bond between them. I hadn’t realized they would still feel something even though they weren’t actually with me. And I had no idea that I was broadcasting to all six of them, every time. I groaned again and rocked forward slightly. This was a disaster. Even buried under several hundred feet of rock I couldn’t be trusted.
“I wouldn’t go that far,” Jace soothed. “If it’s any consolation, we have our license for sex for the club, and the recruits seem happy.”
“Oh God!” I moaned, not them too! Was there no one I wasn’t infecting?
Gareth made a sound in his throat. “Jace is teasing. This isn’t some form of disease to be infecting anyone! And the recruits have no idea what is happening. I spoke to Nick and it seems all they get is a sense of satisfaction or well being which doesn’t compare to those of us that have actually…. experienced your body first hand.”
“Well actually you only seem to be affecting the six of us and some of the others were feeling it before you actually… became intimate. So we aren’t certain if it’s all immortals or just those that you’ve formed some sort of bond with.”
I peeked at him between my fingers his words making me feel somewhat better. “What about the club?” I asked my tone husky.
He gave me a lopsided grin and put his arm along the top of the tub behind me. “We didn’t have to use our new license last night, if that’s what you’re asking.”
That at least, was something.
“Indeed it is.”
“Why didn’t one of the other’s tell me?” I asked wrapping my arms around my waist and slumping back into the water.
“Hmm let me think,” Jace added, his tone teasing and I realized that perhaps that was a silly question.
I remembered something Kit had said when he’d come into the sauna earlier. I hadn’t taken him seriously at the time…but could the strength of my passion really drop Amras and Cursed to their knees?
Gareth’s fingers brushed my shoulders his hand stroking gently. “On more than one occasion,” he admitted. “In fact… whatever you were doing earlier nearly laid them out.”
“But not you or Jace?” I asked shyly.
Gareth pulled me in for a hug and chuckled as Jace remarked, “Damn near, but we just happened to be holding onto the tunnel wall at that moment and managed to retain our feet… barely.”
“You aren’t mad at me?”
“Hardly,” Jace teased, “I think I’m in love!”
I smiled at him and remarked, “Are you sure you’re not in lust…or just want to be?” And I wiggled my eyebrows at him pleased as his face tightened and his eyes narrowed.
“Yes I would, very much.” He assured me reaching out to run the back of his fingers down my arm.
“Now don’t start that,” Gareth muttered and I slipped a leg across his thighs and pulled myself onto his lap while I stared back at Jace. I wrapped my arm about Gareth’s neck and leaned over to offer my lips to Jace. I’d never been able to be near them for very long without wanting either or both of them.
“Start what?” I asked breathlessly as I pulled back from Jace and moved against Gareth, feeling his body respond to mine. I tightened in anticipation and leaned forward running my tongue lightly over his cupid bow lips, pulling the scent of him into my lungs. “This?” I asked, pressing my breasts against him and reaching between us to cup him in my hand.
“Nevermind,” he groaned, his hands reaching for my hips as he raised himself and pulled me onto the length of him.
Chapter 34
I slept deeply and woke to my stomach growling amidst a pile of naked arms and legs. I glanced down and recognized Owen’s brown skin and pale hair on the arm covering my chest. Turning my head I found Cursed’s face on the pillow next to me and there was a head laying across my inner thigh or so I thought as it had fallen asleep at some point and I couldn’t feel much below my hip.
I lifted my head and glanced around, wondering what time it was and noticed Kit curled in a chair across the room reading from red leather bound book. One of Jace’s I wondered? He glanced at me and winked as he closed the book. “Interesting reading, I’ll have to ask where he came by it,” he told me softly.
“How long have I been asleep?” I asked.
“Long enough for the rest of the horde to pass out while they were waiting for you to awake. Actually, I’d say about three or four hours,” he told me when I frowned at him.
“What time is it?”
He turned his head to the side and stilled. “Almost ten,” he replied, then waved his arm and the book disappeared.
I needed to get up and eat, then start thinking about getting dressed. Just the thought made me groan and Cursed slipped his arm over my waist, snuggling in tighter against my side. I turned toward him and found myself looking directly into his dark expressive eyes. “I didn’t get the chance to say thank you earlier,” he whispered and kissed the tip of my nose. “I have never had a Princess do battle for me before. Actually you saved my life more than once today. I thank you, My Lady.”
“I doubt my Mother would have ordered your execution,” I replied. “And you should thank Kit, who gave us the fire we needed to destroy the black creatures.”
“Still, one never knows what a jealous woman will do,” Owen offered. “And I should know. It wasn’t my brother that erased my memory.” He muttered as he pushed up into a sitting position.
I was still looking into Cursed’s eyes and didn’t miss the flash of pleasure at Owen’s words.
“I take it nap time is over?” Amras asked, wrapping his arm and leg over mine.
“Yes, please, I can’t feel my leg from the hip down.”
“My apologies, Princess,” he replied, quickly lifting himself off me. I tried to wiggle my toes and braced myself against the onset of prickly needles when I moved my leg. “I think I owe Kit a thank you too” he remarked. “Nudity can be so… liberating.” All four of them chuckled and I took the opportunity to sit up, wincing as the blood starting flowing through my lower extremity.
Apparently we were going to discuss my Mother, so I asked. “Do you think the Queen will be angry at me?”
Amras pulled his knees up and rested his arms on them. “I think she will be delighted at the Princess’ return.”
Cursed leaned up on an elbow amongst the pillows. “Do not be surprised, My Lady, if you receive a summons to the Sidhee.”
Amras nodded thoughtfully in agreement. “Most likely it will be contingent upon reopening the doors.”
I glanced between the two, not sure if I liked the sound of that. Though I’d always dreamed of visiting, I’d never actually considered it a possibility. “Will she like me?” I asked, my voice sounding hesitant.
Amras smiled and rocked slightly his beautiful eyes lighting up. “The Queen will adore you, Princess, and so will the court.”
“Even with my mixed blood?”
Cursed ran his fingers down my forearm gaining my attention. “Had you been Human it would not be the case My Lady. But the powers you possess will guarantee your acceptance in Faerie.”
I had a terrible thought and turned to Cursed. “Will my having taken you to my bed be a problem if we return?” I asked, my eyes searching his face as he absorbed my words.
His voice was hesitant when he spoke. “It could be a problem.”
“One the Queen will likely ignore,” Amras added. “As long as you are discreet and the Princess is well. The onus will not be on you to assume the throne, and since you are not betrothed you break no vows by taking lovers.”
Cursed nodded but still looked uncomfortable. “But the court will not be pleased.”
“The court will overlook her indiscretion or risk losing her,” Amras replied strongly. “Having grown up outside of Faerie will allow our Princess… some certain leeway granted to her.”
I couldn’t help chuckling at that. “You mean because I was raised amongst the humans they won’t expect much?”
Amras winced slightly yet in the end he nodded.
“I’ve never been in a Sidhee,” Kit remarked and we all glanced at him as he sat on the edge of the bed. Amras and Cursed glanced at each other with raised eyebrows. “You don’t think I’m letting my Mistress out of my sight do you? I’m legally bound to her for all eternity,” he reminded them primly.
Owen nodded and looked at Amras, then Cursed. “I too feel bound to Lexi; though I hold no contract and my reasons are not mine to discuss. I have been within a Sidhee. Just not here in America, and it was a very long time ago. Like the Demon, I’ll not be left behind.”
“I think,” I told them all with a sigh, “That we should worry about getting through this evening before we plan any vacations.”
“And to do that we must feed the Princess who appears to be losing weight. I fear our selfishness may be endangering her health.”
I frowned and glanced down at my body, wondering if Amras wasn’t correct in that my hip bones seemed to be sticking out a little more than normal. Then I smiled. With the six of them around I wasn’t going to need to worry about getting enough exercise!
“No, that won’t be a problem,” Owen chuckled as he slipped off the bed and reached for his pants pulling them on and fastening them. Cursed and Amras also left the bed and dressed themselves in their leathers. Kit was already dressed, which left me sitting there naked. I hadn’t had any clothing to leave by the bedside.
“Areth?” I called, and a dark red dressing robe appeared on the bed beside me. I reached to pull it on, belting it tightly then struggled to lift my hair out from beneath it. Cursed leaned over and helped me and I was glad Jace had taken the time to comb it out and let it dry before he’d put me to bed. There were fuzzy red slippers on the floor next to the bed and I slipped them on. The subterranean floors around here could be cold on the feet at times.
No one else had any ideas for dinner so I ordered us up salad and manicotti. It was a crime not to have garlic bread with the cheesy goodness of the stuffed shells but I didn’t think that was the message we wanted to send to our guests that evening so we settled for bread with olive oil and vinegar instead.
The first thing I did after the food arrived was make up two spare plates and called for Areth asking her to deliver the food to Jace and Gareth since I was concerned that they had not eaten and were too busy to come down to join us.
Areth left us a bottle of red and I sipped from my glass while Owen entertained us through dinner with a story of ‘Olaf the Crafty’ who’d gone a-Viking but ended a thrall to the King’s son. Gareth and Jace wandered in just as desert appeared and they left their empty plates on in the sink and joined us f
or gelato.
When I would have cleared, Jace told me not to bother. It was getting late and he sent me off to get dressed promising to join us shortly as Gareth led me to his bedroom.
“He has some information we needed to share with the others,” Gareth told me as he closed the door behind me and swept me into his arms. His lips were tender and stole my breath. “Thank you for dinner, it was wonderful and so very sweet of you.”
“Well I can’t have you passing out from hunger on such an important evening.” I teased running my hands over the muscles of his chest.
He dropped his forehead to mine and sighed. “Stay close to Jace and I tonight,” he whispered. “We will keep you safe.”
The door opened and Jace stepped in, giving Gareth a searching look. “Did you tell her?” he asked and I stiffened, not liking the sound of the question or the way Gareth’s body responded.
“Not yet.”
“Tell me what?” I asked, pulling back and looking between them. Gareth led me across the room and seated me on the bed. When he clasped his hands behind his back I knew for sure I wasn’t going to like whatever he was about to say.
“You are making her nervous, just tell her,” Jace hissed.
Gareth closed his eyes and took a breath, then opened them and looked directly at me. I stared up into the dark blue of his gaze and braced myself. “We won’t be the only Dragons in attendance tonight.”
My eyes widened and I asked, “Not Dane?”
“No,” Gareth frowned. “It’s a female. Her name is Belinda and she’s red and… volatile.”
“Vicious you mean,” Jace added.
“You’ve slept with her?” I asked and Gareth shook his head vehemently denying my question, while Jace refused to look at me.
“One does not sleep with Belinda, not unless one enjoys torture. I’d say it was more an exchange of sexual favors, quickly followed by a very strong need to bathe repeatedly and change my geographical location. It was a mistake. One I made a very long time ago and have never repeated,” Jace admitted.
Dragon Lust Page 40
