by L. A. Boruff
“He was just heading inside when I came up here.”
The lift starts to descend when the lights flicker above. We glance at each other. I hope to hell this isn’t part of Bronson’s bad luck cycle. I touch Dean and Damon and let the good fortune within me flow from my fingers into their bodies. If I can do anything to help save them, I will.
“What the fuck?” Dean mutters, as the lift stops dead between floors.
A chill falls over me and I stare at my hands as they drop back from my men’s shoulders. I feel myself falling, but there’s nothing I can do to stop it. Everything feels weightless. Is the elevator going into freefall? I look at my guys and they’re turning in slow motion, shouting and moving toward me. Panic flares in Dean’s golden eyes. I hear Damon shrieking, “No!”
Then it all cuts away to darkness. It takes a second to realize what just happened, but when it hits, I’m hollowed out inside at the realization. Bronson has just died. I’m on my way to hell right now. Who knows when I’ll even come back to earth again? I just screwed up big time, and there’s nothing I can do about it.
* * *
I blink awake, expecting to find myself on one of the volcanic beaches down under. It’s warm, but not that warm. The overhead lights make my eyes hurt. Then I find I’m looking into Finn’s worried blue eyes. He’s murmuring things in that sexy accent, anxious for me to wake up.
“What just happened?” I’m disoriented and the room spins a little as he helps me to my feet.
He clears his throat. “Well...”
He seems to be speechless now, though I start to understand why when I glance around the room. This is Bronson’s office. What the hell?
“I’m assuming this is yer demon side, Maeve,” he says softly, his hand still in mine.
I look down and flinch, pulling my hand from his. He’s right. This is what I look like in hell. It’s not supposed to be what I look like on earth. At least, it’s not what I look like when I can control it. Only my men have seen me like this. I concentrate to attempt to change form, but it appears I’m too weak right now to pull that trick off. I’m going to have to wait. I cross my mottled gray arms and find him gazing at me the same way he did when we were alone together.
“I can’t change back right now,” I mutter, grimacing at the long sharp nails that I’m going to have to file once I change back. My long hair is dark and thick in this form and my eyes are an unearthly shade of purple that’s close to the shade of amethyst crystals, but not quite the same. I also have a couple of hard-to-miss horns protruding from my head right now. I look like a banshee. Ugh.
“That’s all right,” he tells me. “It’s just... ye look different.”
Different. Right. I guess I’m lucky he hasn’t run out of the room screaming before now.
“Things got a little outta hand back here,” he admits, motioning to Bronson’s corpse at the side of his desk. “I’ll admit, I came here wit the intention to do bad to this arsehole, but honestly he went and bloody murdered his own damn self.” He shakes his head. “Never seen anythin’ like it in me life.”
Of course! The bad luck had kicked in. “Okay, I may have had something to do with that, albeit without that specific intent.”
“Ah,” he says, with a wry smile. “Makes sense.”
“But how did I get here?”
That part didn’t entirely make sense. Until Finn held up one tattooed hand, a gold and green piece of jewelry between his fingers. Bronson’s ring. The blood drained from my face. He was taking the mantle of my Master?
“I tink this belongs to ye.” He brings it to me, and I stare as he takes my demonic gray hand in his, unfurling my fingers with their sharpened claws.
“What? This has never happened before.” I can’t believe it. He must not know what he’s holding right now. Mustn’t understand what he’s giving up.
“Course not. Or ye’d be free already. That’s how it works wit Djinn, eh?” He places the ring in my hand and it reverts to my original crystal necklace. The form always changes dependent on my Master. This is the form I chose all those years ago when I was first deigned ready to be summoned to the earth.
Tears fill my eyes as I put the necklace on, just slipping it over my head. The chain is thankfully long enough. The doors open just as Finn steps forward to brush the tears from my cheeks.
I hear Dean suck in a breath, and Damon snap, “Get away from her.”
Finn steps back, hands going into the air. “Ah, so youz two must be the boyfriends. Good to meet ye both.” He glances my way, an eyebrow raised. “I taught they weren’t the murderous sort?”
I wipe my own tears away quickly and turn to my men. “Finn just freed me.”
The shock on their faces must mirror my own so damn closely. Dean’s gaze is on my charm before it lifts to my eyes, a full on grin forming on his face. “You’re free?”
I nod, so happy I could burst. “Bronson died from the overdose of bad luck. Finn took the charm and gave me it back.”
“I think this calls for a celebration,” Damon says, nodding toward Bronson’s body. “But we should get rid of the body first. It’s high time Bronson retired anyhow.”
He comes into the room properly and closes the door firmly behind him. I gaze at Finn, wonder still filling my eyes.
“Why did you do this?”
“I told ye before; ye saved me life. Besides, what sort of a man would I be if I didn’t try to help a woman in yer situation?” He steps closer, eyeing Dean before moving in close enough to embrace me, his voice lowering. “Also, I tink I might be just a little bit in love wit ye. If that’s all right.”
“It’s more than alright. Wait. You came here for something the other night. What was it?”
He blows out a breath. “It’s gonna make me sound less heroic fer coming back here, but I was gonna take me money back too. It’s all I’ve got at the minute an’ I need to be able to provide fer me daughter.”
I nod at Dean and he opens the safe. There are hundreds of thousands of dollars in there. “Give him all of his winnings from last night.”
“Now ye don’t need to do that,” Finn starts, shock in his eyes. “That bastard was spot on the money callin’ me a hustler. I was cheatin’ me arse off to win that lot.”
“It’s my casino now,” I tell him, knowing Bronson put it in my name as a tax dodge. I’d sort out the legalities later. Right now, I was staking my claim. “That money is all yours.”
“Well, now,” Finn says, stroking my thick dark hair back from my face. “I feel I should be doin’ something else to tank you fer the generosity.”
Despite how weak that statement makes me, I shake my head. “I’m the one who needs to thank you for setting me free. You have no idea how long I’ve waited for this. I never thought it would happen.” I glance at the mess in the office as Dean fills a case with Finn’s money, before I meet his gaze once more. “Come back tonight, Finn. We can thank each other then.”
* * *
It takes me an hour to get my human body back, and another hour to get rid of the claws of death. My nerves only start to kick in after I’m looking like myself again. I don’t know how long it took me to pick underwear, but Damon seems to have realized that I’m fixating on the superficial out of nervousness.
“You think he won’t come back?” Damon asks, while I try to decide on a dress.
I cast my gaze over the fifty shades of green in my closet. Why don’t I have anything in any other color? I shrug as I pull out the lightest colored item I have. I hope Finn will come back, but honestly, now that I gave him his money I’m not entirely sure. In my experience if something seems too good to be true, that’s usually because it is. Right now he’s the most incredible man I’ve ever met, and he will retain that status regardless of what happens tonight, because he’s the one who freed me.
“I hope he will,” I say, glancing at the potion Dean went out for and brought back an hour ago. The bottle is blue, but the glittery mist inside is pink.
I don’t expect to be using it tonight, even if Finn does come back. Still, it was nice of Dean to go get it for me.
Whatever happens tonight, I’m free, and I have the rest of my mortal existence to do whatever the hell I like. If things don’t work out with Finn, I’m sure I’ll meet another human somewhere down the line who wants to be a part of this strange set up I have here.
I groan at the thought of that. I want Finn so damn badly. But asking him to come back later was a test, and there’s nothing I can do about it if that test fails. He’s already done more for me than I could ever have wished for.
“I’m going out,” I tell Damon, before I summon myself to the nearest mall with a purse full of cash from the safe. I walk across to the closest shop with dresses in the window and pick through the rails, determined to come out with something that isn’t green.
The amethyst silk that my eye catches on isn’t quite what I expected to find, but I remember Finn’s loving gaze even while I was in my demonic form and it draws me to the item. It’s almost exactly the color of my eyes when I’m in that form. Maybe it’s time to embrace that side of myself. It is what allowed Finn the opportunity to free me after all.
* * *
Dean is with Damon when I come back with the new dress and a matching pair of heels. I’m pleased at how easy teleportation seems to be now that I can summon myself to wherever I like.
“Where have you been?” Dean asks, coming toward me quickly.
“Relax. I just had to go get a new dress for tonight.”
“You could have told me that’s what you were doing before you left,” Damon points out. “Instead of making me worry.”
“Sorry,” I tell him. “It was thoughtless of me. I won’t do it again.”
I put the bag down as Dean checks my necklace. “Can anyone take this from you?”
I shake my head. “I’m free now, Dean. Even if they did, it’s a piece of jewelry now. It doesn’t have the ability to chain me to someone else any longer.”
He lets out a relieved sigh. “For a while we were worried that someone else had claimed you as theirs.”
“You were gone so long,” Damon adds, making me feel guiltier.
“No-one else can claim me now,” I tell them. “I’m yours.” And Finn’s, if he ever comes back. “That’s all.”
Dean’s cool lips brush my neck and I gasp as Damon comes around to kiss me at the other side. My body tingles all over at their touch. Dean’s hands are on my hips as he brings his lips to my mine. Damon’s body presses against mine from behind, his cool fingers brushing my back as they find the zipper of my dress. He releases me from the material and pushes my silky panties down to run his fingers through my folds. The icy touch of his skin makes me shiver as Dean’s cold tongue invades my mouth. It sets my body on fire to be held between them like this, devoured by them both at once. I’m shivering as Dean removes my bra and his cool thumbs stroke over my nipples when I let it drop to the floor.
Dean moves back with a sigh, dropping to his knees. One of Damon’s hands turn my head slightly and his mouth replaces his brother’s on mine. I don’t see it when Dean vamps out, but the prick of his fangs along my thigh pulls a throaty purr from me. Yes, I want to tell him. Bite me right there.
He plays, making me shake and shiver as he tickles my flesh with his sharp teeth. I’m wet and ready for more, but the thrill of being bitten makes me stall the rising swell of my climax at Damon’s hand. I tense a little, waiting. Being bitten isn’t quite the greatest high I’ve ever experienced. Being bitten just as I’m about to come is the greater feeling. Damon pulls his hand back, seeming to understand what his brother is ready to do. He squeezes my breasts before he removes his lips from mine.
I gasp out a breath as they lift me to the bed and lay me down.
They’re naked when they approach me from either side, pulling my legs open and positioning their heads at the vein of either thigh. I’m throbbing between my legs as they sink their fangs into my flesh. I groan as the rush of adrenaline hits, just as their cool fingers stroke me right where I need to be touched. Dean strokes my clit as he feeds from my thigh, an expression of pure bliss on his face. I can’t see Damon’s face, but I can reach his shaft and run my fingers along its straining length.
I can feel blood pumping out of the wound he’s made as he moves his ravenous tongue over my slick thigh. His fingers thrust into my pussy hard and fast. I squeeze his cock in my hand and he moans against my thigh. His lips will be crimson when he comes up to kiss me, and the metallic taste will only fuel my hunger for them both.
I come just as Damon seals the wound he made with his bite. Dean moves back, sealing his own. I can see that thigh is clean and just a little damp from his mouth. The other is still covered in blood that Damon is working very slowly to clean up. Dean gets up and I wonder what he’s doing.
He brings the vial to me and lays down at my side. “It doesn’t matter when you drink it. It starts to work right away.”
I don’t know what to say. I know vampires are, like most immortals, incapable of procreation.
He seems to realize what I’m thinking and he smiles. “I know we can’t be the ones to give you this, but maybe if you drink it while you’re with us it will feel like we were a part of it.”
I kiss him and sigh, taking the bottle from him. “What do I need to do?”
“Just drink it.”
“I shouldn’t save it for whenever I know I might...” I start, trailing off when I realize I’m not sure what the rest of the sentence really is.
He shakes his head. “Finn is coming back tonight, Maeve. Even if you don’t do anything tonight, this potion is a one-time thing that will work to give you what you need.”
“What was the price?” There’s always a price. I should know that better than anyone.
He smiles sadly. “The child will be mortal. There’s nothing that can be done about that.”
I know what that will mean. I’ll outlive my baby. It should be enough to make me reconsider. I open the vial and sink the potion quickly. I don’t care what the cost is. I’ll find a way to help my child stay with me forever, but I need to have her first.
I drop the vial and pull Dean into a kiss. I love that he did this for me, and I love that they both want to be a part of this. Damon moves away from my thigh and turns, his cock now pressed against my hip. I kiss him while Dean moves between my legs, thrusting inside of me as Damon moves back, and runs his tongue over my lower lip slowly.
His lips are clean of my blood now, and so are mine apparently.
I wait for Dean to roll us over, to make it easier for Damon to join with us. When he doesn’t I gaze up at him questioningly. He smiles at pins my arms above my head.
“Patience, Maeve. Tonight we’re helping you make a baby.”
I wind my legs around him as he continues to thrust, going harder and deeper now, chasing his climax. When he comes he moves away from between my legs but comes up to keep my arms pinned as his brother takes his place. Damon’s cock is a little thicker and it’s made obvious whenever they take turns like this. I gasp as he pushes inside. I’m soaked already, but once he’s done I’m going to be drenched.
“Don’t fuck her too hard,” Dean instructs him. “We don’t want to ruin Maeve for her human lover.”
“I’ll fuck her as hard as she wants to be fucked,” Damon tells him, gazing down at me. “How hard do you want it, Maeve?”
“Fuck me raw, Damon,” I gasp out, giving him free license to screw me however he’d like.
He smiles, slowing his pace. It’s sweet torture and I love every shallow thrust he gives me.
“Well, if you want to be so raw that even a human’s dick feels impossibly huge, then that’s going to take time.”
I expect Dean to laugh but his lips are busy. He’s kissing my wrists now, the ones he was pinning above my head. Now they’re lifted almost straight up, obscuring my view of Damon as he very slowly pumps his cock in and out of my soaked pus
sy.
His sudden bite on my wrist makes my clit throb. My skin prickles all over as the second big rush of adrenaline course through me. It feels like torture to be getting slow-screwed while I’m being bitten. Dean surprises me when he lets go of my bitten wrist. I feel blood trickling down my forearm as Damon snatches the arm and catches the drip before clamping his mouth over the wound.
The grind of his hips quickens as he drinks, which is enough to make me hit the peak of another orgasm. I come, crying out in ecstasy. Dean bites down on my other wrist as I ride the wave of that climax, my body shaking under my men.
Damon’s expression tightens as he licks the wound in my wrist closed and speeds up his thrusts. He comes inside me and lets out a satisfied sigh. He pulls out and lays his head on my chest slicking his tongue lazily over one pointed nipple.
“Is it enough?” Damon asks as he lifts his head to gaze at Dean.
Dean shakes his head. “Two more bites.”
“What’s going on?” I ask, sitting up and pushing Damon back.
“Blood helps the potion to work. The first time you drink it, you should bleed four different ways.”
“Oh,” I say. “So the wrists and thighs weren’t enough?”
“Throat and breast,” Damon says, a haze of lust-fueled hunger in his dark eyes. He’s vamping out just talking about it.
“Then it’s just as well you can never drink too much from me,” I tell them, laying back down.
Damon waits for Dean to mark me first, in spite of his hunger. Their hierarchy makes it impossible for Damon to chose a place to bite me first. He can only follow Dean’s lead.
“Her breast,” Dean says, moving toward me with his fangs bared. He makes the bite and moves on, leaving the wound open for Damon to drink from. Then he moves around to sink his fangs into my throat. He drinks there while Damon suckles at my breast.
I’m light-headed and turned on beyond belief by the time they’ve had their fill.
