by M F Adele
When I thought about it in that context, it made me wonder how I would feel about the guys if I didn’t get to spend every day with them.
Would our relationships have taken longer to build?
Would I trust them less?
Would I have shown them less of me?
The answer to all of those questions was a resounding yes. Spending less time with them wouldn’t have diminished my feelings toward them, but it would have made them slow-brewing. I wouldn’t have shown them nearly as much of myself or instilled the level of trust in them that I currently had.
But I did want to see them every day. I wanted to trust them with everything. I wanted them to know all about the pieces of me, and I wanted the same in return.
It was a lot to unpack, and I wasn’t sure that I wanted to unpack all of it.
But my heart wanted what it wanted. Fuck what my brain thought.
As I sat back and truly admired my mates, the idea of loving all of them continued to circulate through my mind. And finally, it felt like the useless organs were collaborating together on the same fucking page.
I could love all six of them.
And I would… It was just a matter of time.
I had been struggling with the remaining tethers of my feelings for York for years. Even when he was gone and my heart was left shattered, I couldn’t force myself to not love the fucking druid. Every day that I’d spent with him lately had reminded me of all the things that made me fall for him in the first place.
I’d told Novak that I thought I loved him too. He was chaotic and wild, but his easy-going nature was the balm for my complicated life.
They all had traits that I enjoyed being surrounded by, though I didn’t know I was missing them until I met the guys. Stone’s calmness, Briggs’ grumbling attitude, Palmer’s sarcasm, and Vaughn’s need for planning.
It was difficult to narrow down my attraction to them, because the more I got to know them, the faster I fell in love with all the little things.
They consumed my thoughts completely.
And if I was honest with myself… I’d admit that they’d walked into my life, thawed my frozen heart too quickly, and stamped their names into it without my permission.
But I wasn’t ready to display that level of emotion yet, so I’d lie to myself a little longer.
As they rotated from the equipment to the mats, I let my greedy eyes drink up the sight of them. And gods, what a sight they were to behold. All shirtless and sort of sweaty from taking their frustrations out on… not me.
Who knew sex wasn’t the ultimate stress relief?
Apparently, I fucking didn’t.
That was a lie, too. Murder was the ultimate stress relief, but it was highly frowned upon in the human world.
Observing them as they stretched and rolled around on the mats was better than porn. I hadn’t been able to watch them train or fight without being in the middle of it myself. So I let the rest of the world fall away while I memorized their features and enjoyed the show.
York’s eyes could draw me in from across a crowded room. The greens and blues mixed with streaks of brown reminded me of a tropical island. His ebony hair was buzzed close to his scalp, fading away to bare skin on the sides of his head.
His toffee-colored skin was riddled with freckles, and veins bulged just under the surface of his forearms and calves. He’d told me several times that he had thick scars that looked like pearls and twigs under the surface of his skin in the druid’s realm.
He had two small tattoos; one of the Jolly Green Giant on his right ass cheek—courtesy of a lost bet—and the other was a starfish right above his dick to annoy me for the rest of my life. I tried really hard to ignore it.
Novak’s body was lean and athletic with the grace of a feline predator. He didn’t just walk; he prowled and stalked with purpose in every movement. I found myself oddly obsessed with the size of his hands, though.
His golden eyes swirled as if melted metal was trapped in his irises. Chestnut brown hair spilled over his forehead, tousled and unruly as it covered his eyebrow piercings. He had a ring through his septum, one in each nipple, and quite a few in his dick that I was awfully fond of.
Across his torso were colorful tattoos that depicted France and Louisiana, but the rest of them were representations of paranormal creatures. They showcased a wide range of emotions on their faces, from sadness to greed to determination and everything in between.
Stone’s hair was as soft as silk and as long as mine. He usually kept it braided and coiled neatly at the nape of his neck, but it had fallen loose, draping over his right shoulder and down his bare chest. He was the shortest of my mates, standing at six feet, but his body was all lithe, rippling muscle.
His human appearance was an attractive Asian man with defined cheekbones and a jawline that could cut glass. Those navy eyes of his were so dark you could easily miss the lapis starbursts around his pupils if you weren’t looking closely enough.
The strange moths on his back fluttered their wings, playing across the geometric honeycomb-patterned tattoo. I couldn’t tell if they were agitated or happy… or if they felt anything at all. I wanted to study them more, uncover all their secrets.
Briggs was the biggest of my mates. He was a good six inches taller than Stone and all thick, bulky muscles. His sun-kissed skin still had tan-lines from the weeks he’d spent camping, making his Cyprus-colored eyes appear bright against his complexion.
His hair was pulled up in a messy knot atop his head, dirty-blonde strands sneaking out to hang past his shoulders in waves. His beard was slightly darker, trimmed on the sides yet long enough to run my fingers through.
Black and gray tattoos covered the entirety of his body. Faceless monsters and moons, humanoid figures wielding white flashes of magic, tombstones, and the number thirty-one in blocky print between his shoulder blades.
Palmer seemed studious and clean-cut, but underneath those button-downs, he was dangerous for my health. His body was ripped, and there was no amount of tape that could make him look anything less than shredded the fuck up.
His eyes were a mixture of grays, shifting like rain clouds before a thunderstorm. He kept his hair neatly styled, and it was glossy with a russet, metallic sheen. Between shaves, his facial hair had an auburn tint, which made the light dusting of freckles across his cheeks stand out.
He was the only one of my mates who didn’t have tattoos, and I briefly wondered if I could talk him into getting one with me. That would be a fun trip for later.
Vaughn was so devastatingly handsome that I kind of wanted to be jealous. His chiseled jaw accentuated his perfectly straight nose while broad shoulders tapered down to his waist. His pale skin had a faint shimmer to it, giving him a constant otherworldly appearance.
His hair was longer on top, full of fat curls, and such a rich brown that it neared black. Icy blue eyes glowed with kindness and subdued violence, making him look like both the dark prince and the white knight.
A cobalt blue tattoo stretched across the expanse of his back, hugging his obliques. The intricate design was a circular mandala, filled with fae runes that I could only guess the meanings of.
It was fucking stupid of me to ogle them while they wrestled on the mats, but I couldn’t stop myself.
I tilted my head to the left as I tried to picture myself in the chokehold that Stone currently had Briggs in. The move itself wasn’t overtly sexual, but yes, please.
And then I was frustrated…
Novak collapsed onto the floor beside me, wiping a wet towel across his forehead as he squinted at my shifter.
“I’ve never thought about how much bigger Briggs is than the rest of us,” he murmured to me.
“Why do you only comment on a small portion of my thoughts if you’ve heard all of them?” I hissed back, squinting my eyes at him as I ran through everything I’d just thought about.
My vampire shrugged, grinning at me. “I just chime in when I have something to s
ay…”
“What were the rest of her thoughts?” Stone called from the other side of the gym.
“The cliff notes?” Novak suggested.
“A summary would be lovely,” Vaughn sarcastically replied.
“She thinks we’re all sexy.”
I scrubbed my face, trying to cover my grin. “Gods, Novak. Can you please—”
“Absolutely not. Your thoughts are entertaining.”
Palmer rolled his stormy gray eyes at me. “How else are we supposed to understand ya if he doesn't tell us what ye were thinking?”
“Yes, okay. I understand that,” I admitted.
“But could you not pick and choose which parts you relay to them? If you’re going to tell them what I’m thinking, at least tell them everything…” I trailed off when he smirked at me.
“Everything?”
“Mmm, maybe not everything.”
He shrugged, teasing me. “I could.”
“Let’s not and say we did.”
“It’ll cost you.”
“How about I don’t lock you out of my mind, and you keep your mouth shut?”
“I think I could tear your walls down,” he challenged. “I now have a secret weapon to use against you.”
I scoffed.
“It’s recently come to my attention that you can’t contain the perversion within your mind if one or more of us is shirtless. And that’s got me curious.”
My nostrils flared as I narrowed my eyes at him.
“Could be fun,” Briggs acknowledged.
Vaughn sat on my left side, picking me up and placing me in his lap as he played with my hair. He tugged on the ends, humming his agreement.
“What could be fun?” I slowly enunciated each word, meeting the eyes of my mates, one after the other.
“Oh, you know,” Stone shrugged.
“I don’t think I like this game,” I mumbled, but godsdamnit, I wanted to know more.
If we were talking about group sex, then sign me up. I wanted front-row seats to the pre-show. Dinner and dessert looked hot and fucking delicious after working out.
It was like an upgrade to the dick buffet. Six-course meal for one, please. All the meats, all the sauces, zero vegetables, unless they came with a toy.
This time the buffet came with a curtain draped over it, though. I wasn’t sure what they were serving, so I was anxiously rubbing my thumbs across the bottom of my plate, waiting for the menu to be called out.
“You could,” York said, pulling me out of my dick-filled daydream.
“I won’t.”
“Ye would,” Palmer admitted, nodding his head.
“It’ll be a fun game,” Briggs coaxed.
Something in the tone of his voice told me that it’d be fun for them and akin to torture for me. His eyes were a lively shade of green as his wolf pressed against his skin.
I lifted my chin, shaking my head before I scrambled out of Vaughn’s lap. I needed to put some distance between myself and them. I couldn’t think straight while my fae’s dick hardened against my ass, and my vampire was picking apart my mental walls.
I could physically feel him pushing and tugging inside my head, so I thought of a flashing neon pink Do Not Enter sign. His chuckle caressed my mind, but outwardly he looked intense as he concentrated.
They were all staring at me, and I wasn’t used to feeling like prey unless it was voluntary. It wasn’t hostile, but the air was thick with sexual tension.
Flight, fight, or fuck?
It was hitting me hard as I inched toward the door, repeating, “No, no, no,” while shaking my finger at them.
“What’s the game? I need to know if I should fight or run. Pre-warning; I’m smart prey.”
“Wasn’t there a third option?” Novak asked, proving he’d made a hole in my mental barriers.
“Only if you catch me,” I sassed.
Briggs glanced at my feet, grinning as he said, “Barbie. There are six of us. Someone is bound to catch you.”
Vines wrapped around my ankles as Novak riffled around in my mind. I fought for control of York’s living restraints while working on barricading my mental walls back up.
I needed to get loose before Palmer called his chains because I couldn’t magic my way out of those.
Stone’s fingertips brushed my arm, and I faded, turning into smoke as I filled up the room.
“What are the parameters of this game?” My whispered voice echoed around them.
“This wasn’t part of the game.” Briggs’ bright eyes bounced around quickly as he cocked his head, trying to hear where my voice originated from.
Stone smirked, meeting my eyes through the smoke. “It is now.”
“First to catch you—” Vaughn started.
“First to get me home,” I corrected, moving to see if my demon could find me again.
York shrugged. “Winner’s choice.”
“Oh, no. Not the group sex. Anything but multiple cocks at once,” I sarcastically replied, knowing I was going to win whatever this was.
“One,” Palmer counted loudly.
“Godsdamnit,” I mumbled.
Stone found me again, holding up two fingers as he added to my mage’s tab. His eyes were hooded as he licked across his bottom lip, and I suddenly remembered that he loved the thrill of the chase as much as I did.
Fuck.
I stepped into the Void, leaving the smoke behind me. Popping out in the center of the circle they’d formed, I sucked the smoke back to me. They turned in unison, and I winked before misting.
My body dissolved into cold water particles as I pulled myself outside of the trailing facility. The summer sun heated my skin as soon as I landed in the grass. I kicked shoes off, sending them back to the cabin with a single thought.
Stretching out our powers was a healthy dose of excitement that we all needed. It would be interesting to see what had changed since stronger bonds had been formed between us.
And yet again, I found that I was thrilled by the idea of my mates chasing me.
I just wasn’t sure if I wanted to win or lose.
9
Sloane
Thursday, June 4th
Early Evening
Vaughn landed right beside me no sooner than I kicked my shoes off. I danced out of his reach as the doors opened, kissing his cheek before I raced straight into the sparse treeline.
Foliage crunched behind me, and I pushed myself to move faster. It was either Stone or Novak. None of my other guys could catch me on foot. As I listened, I realized that it had to be my vampire making all that noise.
I giggled to myself as I dodged trees, knowing the forest well enough to run with my eyes closed.
I didn’t, but I thought about it.
I wasn’t ready to be caught, though.
There was a small cliff on the other side of the hill in front of me. It wasn’t steep, but there were large rocks at the bottom. When I reached the jagged boundary, I jumped, landing in a crouch on the balls of my feet beyond two boulders.
I twisted my head, glancing up just as Stone came sailing over the edge. Novak was hot on his tail, leaping off the cliff’s lip as he cursed us both.
Stone rolled his eyes, and I squinted, trying to see their coloring better.
“I didn’t realize that when your demon is close to the surface, your eyes go a hazy red color too.
They bled to black as he smirked at me. “Fight or fuck, Kitten. You can’t keep running.”
Novak stood beside him, biting at the plump center of his lower lip as he watched Stone curiously. “Can you fuck in your demon form? I’ve always wondered, but now suddenly seems like the only time I’ll get to ask.”
Stone turned his head, a devious grin slipping over his lips as he slowly appraised Novak.
“Do you want to watch, or do you want to know?” he inquired, giving my vampire no time to answer.
His voice became deeper as his demon made his appearance known. Black eyes found mine as Stone s
moothly moved behind Novak and wound his hand around his throat. My vampire’s chest was motionless as he held his breath.
He was caught between wondering if Stone was serious or if he’d suddenly become the prey; a mouse in the cat’s clutches.
“Why so quiet, Novak? Don’t you want to know what I can do with my tail? Imagine being between us, fucking Sloane while I fuck you. Can you handle that, or are you just curious? You can watch, but wouldn’t it be more fun in the middle?”
Was that an option? Was this a thing?
My mind was going to fucking explode.
That demon was a godsdamn incubus.
Focus, bitch.
Right.
I couldn’t let them sidetrack me now. But later? Yeah. Definitely. We were going to explore whatever that was. I needed to know what I’d witnessed before my imagination ran rampant, conjuring up all the positions and combinations.
I didn’t say a word aloud as I turned away from them. I rushed through the small valley, running up the hill on the other side as I banished the filth swirling through my thoughts.
And then I barreled into a black wolf. Scrambling up, I dusted the dirt off myself and watched Briggs struggle to get his paws underneath him.
Palmer stepped out of the Void and grabbed my wrist, jerking me to him. I went completely limp in his arms, making him hold me up. Briggs growled at him, and my mage scoffed.
I faded, delighting over the stunned expression on Palmer’s face as he grasped at the smoke now filling the woods. Backing away from them, I left the smoke lingering as I sprinted through the paths between the trees at top speed.
I tripped when a vine wrapped around my ankle, catching myself before my face hit the ground. York dragged me toward him, and I fought for control over his plants once more. I couldn’t get them to obey me. I tried to burn them off with hellfire, and that also didn’t work.
So I misted it out of my druid’s hold and landed behind him.
Wrapping my arms around his waist, I rested my head on his back and pressed a kiss between his shoulder blades. Then I bit him lightly, spinning to haul ass in the opposite direction before he stepped into the Void to chase me.
