by Betty Legend
“We don’t have a place of our own.” With the warmth of his magic swirling around us, he mimics it, swirling his fingers over my side. “All I had was a small apartment above a restaurant. I left it to move into Griffin’s beach house, but that place is his. Killian has this place. Cyrus has his house. Phoenix has a couple places of his own. We don’t have a place for just us, somewhere we can go to be alone.”
My finger traces his scar, then falls to his lips. He kisses the tip of my finger, the tiny bit of pleasure fluttering in my belly.
“I can keep my apartment in the city. It can be our place. Another benefit is using it to prepare for art shows.”
“Perfect.” A spark of crimson ignites in his black eyes. “It’s where our bond began, the first place I tasted your sweet, succulent pussy.” His fingers dance over my opening, and I giggle against his lips as he kisses me. “We can also keep our motorcycles there.”
“Then it’s settled. It’s our apartment. I’ll give you a key, so you can move in anything you want and go there whenever you want.”
Stroking my face, he brings me closer to him for another heated kiss.
“Every day, I fall more in love with you.”
Kissing him back, I tug at his bottom lip.
“I’m turning you into a big softy.”
“Fuck, I know it, babe.” He swipes a finger under my chin. “But only with you.”
“That’s how I like it. I want to be the only one who gets this side of you.”
“You never have to worry about me wanting anyone else.”
My head lowers, my lip between my teeth.
“Sometimes, I do worry you or one of the other guys might want to have another girlfriend.”
“Does it make you jealous?”
“Yes, and sad. I don’t want to share any of you.”
Chuckling, Emeric runs a hand through the longer locks on the top of his head.
“That’s how we feel a lot of times. We all want you to ourselves.”
“I know. It’s selfish of me to feel that way, but I still do.”
“Selfish, maybe, but it means you love us and don’t want to lose those bonds.”
“Exactly! You always get me.”
Tracing a finger over the feathers on my wrist and forearm, he watches them brighten.
“And you get me and love me for who I am. Plus, the passion between us is fire, baby. I never want to lose it or you.”
Coming closer, I pull his attention to my eyes.
“I never want to lose you. You have my heart and losing you would break me.”
Sitting up, he places his hands on my face as I sit up with him.
“Baby, you’ll never lose me. I’d go to the ends of the earth, walk through any hell dimension, fight any being to protect you, and I have zero interest in any other woman. You fucking complete me.”
Our lips meet, and neither of us releases for air. The emotion and energy pushing and pulling between us are like magnets sealing to one another. When we come apart, my body is flush with arousal and love. Emeric’s crimson-tinged eyes linger over mine, staring at me with a depth of emotion deeper than any ocean.
“I’d like to give you wings.”
My confused expression leads him to continue.
“Turn around, baby. I want to give you wings.”
Excitement jumpstarts my movements. I turn around, my bare back facing him. He moves my hair off my shoulder, the strands falling over my chest.
“It will hurt.” He caresses his hands over my back, massaging my muscles. “But I know you can handle it.”
“It’s worth it. I want them. I’ll feel even more connected to you.”
“That’s why I want to do it, and you’ll be so beautiful with them.” He puts his chest to my back, caressing over my arms and chest, creating pleasured bumps along my skin. Kissing my cheek, he separates from me. “Are you ready?”
“Yes.”
Emeric reaches his right hand outward, and a circular flame emerges in the earth around us. It blazes high enough someone would struggle to walk through it, but far enough away, I’m not burning up from its proximity.
“What’s that for?”
“In case they hear you cry out.”
Emeric’s fiery touch contacts my skin, and the searing heat shocks my body, my groan loud as I clench the dirt beneath me. Sweat dampens my skin as I grimace through the excruciating pain.
“One wing is done, baby… almost finished.”
The burning heat cutting into my flesh begins on the right side. Emeric takes my hand as he brands the new tattoo into my skin. Clenching my teeth, I cry out. Growling comes from our right, and I whip my head in the direction of Killian just outside the flames.
“What are you doing to her?” Eyes ablaze with bronze-gold, his claws extend from his hands.
“He’s giving… me… a tattoo,” I mutter.
The last of the tattoo is branded into my skin, and I breathe a breath of relief. Falling into Emeric’s arms, I wait for the pain to settle. The flames around us simmer down to a darkened ash in the dirt.
Killian erupts from the outside of the flames, fury in his eyes, his gaze intent on Emeric.
“It’s okay, Killian. I wanted him to.”
“It’s going to take me a minute. My wolf wants to rip him to shreds. We thought he was hurting you.”
“Are you fucking joking? You thought I’d actually hurt her?” Emeric’s tone is just as angry as Killian’s.
Shit.
“Isn’t that what you just fucking did?”
“Would you be losing your shit right now if she’d got a tattoo with a tattoo artist?”
“Maybe, fuck, I don’t know. Take your hands off her.”
Killian pulls me into his arms, protectively wrapping them around me. Emeric curses under his breath, grabbing his jeans.
“Calm the fuck down, wolf. This was our time together. You didn’t need to come bursting in, thinking you’re a hero. She’s safe with me. I’d never hurt her. You should know that by now.”
“Stop, both of you, please.” I withdraw from Killian and grab my clothes to dress. “Killian, I wanted the tattoo, and Emeric wouldn’t hurt me. Emeric, please cut him some slack. His wolf gets fiercely protective.”
Emeric and Killian square off, their chests expanding, their gazes sharply focused on the other.
“You know what, forget it. If you want to fight it out, fine! Maybe you both need to unleash some testosterone. I’m going back to the house.”
I don’t look back. It would only hurt me to. I hear fists contacting skin but keep walking farther into the woods. It’s not long before I hear growling and grunting, the sounds heart-wrenching.
CHAPTER FIVE
SELENE
Phoenix’s pale-blue eyes emerge out of the shadows, his silhouette departing from the darkness of the trees and appearing in the evening light. The light cast on his face accentuates the dangerous, handsome man standing in front of me.
“You shouldn’t walk alone with predators lurking in the woods.”
“You’re the worst of them all, so I should be safe if you escort me.”
Phoenix quirks a smile.
“Trouble in paradise?” Joining my side, he walks in step with me.
“They have their moments.”
“You’re quite upset. I can hear it in your elevated heartbeat.”
“I am upset. I don’t want them to fight, but I also get they’re not always going to get along. Not when they’re sharing me.” I glance at him, gauging his reaction. Tilting his head to the side, he clicks his tongue in cheek.
“It’s very difficult having to accept sharing you. You’re special, Selene. Each of us wants a special bond with you.” His hand grazes mine, and my heart skips a beat.
“I know. Each of you tell me so.” My fingers slide between his, and he gives me a sideways glance, the corner of his mouth upturned.
“How well can you see in the darkness?”
“Nearly as well as day.”
“Can you lead me back to the house? I could portal, but I’d rather walk with you.”
“Yes, I’ll lead you. I’d like this time with you.”
“No biting, though.”
Phoenix drops his head, a chuckle slipping from his lips. “Deal.”
We continue on in silence, our feet crunching dry leaves.
“What can you hear and smell around us?”
“Every animal moving around us, every leaf and branch moving in the breeze, the scents animals have left behind, the smell of your hair, the scent of sex between your legs, and the burnt flesh on your back.”
“So, literally everything?”
“Yes.” Phoenix stops us, turning me to face him with our joined hands. “I can help you heal faster.”
“How?”
“By drinking my blood.”
My nose scrunches. “I have tasted blood before on a cut finger, and it’s not appetizing. I don’t imagine vampire blood is much different.”
“It is. My blood is restorative and filled with magic.” Phoenix lifts his wrist, puncturing a small hole in it. “Try it.”
Giving me his wrist, I take hold of it, nerves bundling in my belly.
“I’m trusting you.”
Phoenix awaits me to put my lips to his wrist. When I do, I dip the tip of my tongue into the blood and await the awful copper taste, except that’s not what I receive. It’s almost sweet and not at all copper tasting. Kissing his wrist, I drink more. The blood reaches into my system, and there’s a sensation of rejuvenation, my muscles less tense, the pain in my back subsiding. My senses seem sharper, the colors and sounds around me more vivid.
Looking up at Phoenix, his icy blue eyes are rich with lightning bolts of red tingeing his eyes violet. Before drinking his blood, I couldn’t see that kind of detail in low light, but now the smaller details are visible. Underneath his calm exterior, he’s working hard to control his bloodlust around me. That truth warms me.
“Your blood doesn’t taste like I expected.”
“Drinking blood from a vampire with blood magic can be intoxicating, euphoric even. It’s a secret we hold close. It’s been exploited before.” The wound on his wrist has stopped bleeding, the skin healed. “How does your back feel?”
“Better, thank you.”
“I admit, it’s hard to see how strong your bond is with Emeric.”
“How long were you watching?” Nerves tighten in my chest.
“Long enough.” There’s a pained look in his eyes, and it hurts me to see it.
“I get it. I’m aware this is hard for all of you. I hope someday, it won’t be that way.”
“Maybe someday.” Phoenix takes my hand, caressing his thumb over it. “We’ll take one day at a time.”
With our hands together, we continue our walk, the sounds and scents around us more vibrant and audible than I’ve ever had the pleasure of experiencing. The pitter-patter of bird feet on branches reaches my ears, followed by the swish of a squirrel’s tail. Beneath our feet, the leaves are vibrant arrays of reds and browns, the veins of the leaves in clear detail.
“How long does this last?”
The corner of his mouth rises, his grin handsome. “It depends on how quickly it works through your system.”
“I’d like it to last a while.”
“We can do it again if you’d like to.”
“Are you bargaining a trade deal?”
“I suppose I am.” Phoenix laughs, the sound genuine. It’s an attractive laugh, masculine and laced with seduction.
“I won’t become addicted, will I?”
“Crave, yes, addicted like bloodlust, no.”
“All right, then yes, I’d like to drink from you again.” A glimmer of violet fills his eyes. “Did it arouse you when I drank from you?”
“It does arouse me, knowing you want me the way I want you.”
“The night in your condo, there was aggressive and seductive passion between us before you were lost to the bloodlust. Was that real or fueled by your bloodlust?”
Stopping, he turns me to him, his hand caressing my face, the sensation sending pleasured goosebumps along my skin.
“It was real, Selene. What’s between us is real. What we have is an aggressive and seductive connection, and I’m no longer going to avoid it, but I don’t want to hurt you again.”
Placing my hand over his, I lean closer, accepting the kiss we both want. There’s a fierce need simmering beneath our kiss as our lips aggressively claim the other’s. Backed to a large oak, my back meets abrasive bark. I whimper at the jagged feel of it against my tender skin. Phoenix quickly steps back.
“It’s okay. It was the bark of the tree. Don’t stop.”
Coming back to me, he lifts my legs, wrapping them around his waist as he continues our kiss. With the ferocity of our need, our hands roam each other’s bodies. Tightening his hands around my ass, he pushes into me, his erection warming my center.
“I want you, Phoenix.”
His head falls, pressed to mine, his breathing labored. “I want to ravage you here, giving in to the wildness of our magic and our bond, but I can’t hurt you again.”
Lifting his chin, they’re violet with a tinge of red in his eyes. Around the color are tightened features, revealing his struggle.
“I get it. Sex between us is wild and uncontrollable, so we’ll hold back, for now.”
As he lowers my legs, I take hold of his black shirt, keeping him close to me.
“Drink.” Tilting my head, I bare my neck to him.
“Selene, stop me if I go too far.”
“I will.”
Sharp fangs pierce my neck, and I whimper at the sting. Easing his sucking, he drinks slow, his hands holding me tight to him as he moans with pleasure. Magic escapes him, swirling around us. My body tingles with the sensation of my own magic. It responds to him, escaping through my hands before turning into a swirling ball of chaos. Phoenix pulls back from me, closes his eyes, concentrating on his composure. When he opens his eyes, they flicker between bright red and violet. Looking around us, his eyes turn fully violet as they widen.
“Your magic. Selene, it’s incredible.”
My lighter violet essence stretches out beyond his darker red-purple, dancing among the trees, wrapping around limbs, and seeping between leaves.
“It’s been building in me. I don’t know what to do with it.”
Phoenix takes my hand in his, leading me farther through the woods.
“Our magic is dangerous and wild, just like the connection and desire between us. It’ll take time to learn to control it.”
“What can our magic do?”
“You can kill with it.”
My breath catches.
“Don’t be afraid of it. It’ll be useful against demons. You can withdraw lifeblood from any being. You’ll be able to will your magic to extract blood from their bodies, and they’ll bleed out.”
“That’s gruesome.”
“It is, but you’ll be thankful if ever attacked again.”
“I believe that. What else can blood magic do?”
“It can give energy to spells, darker spells. It also makes you immune to some spells and illnesses. For me, my blood magic can enhance my speed and strength. I don’t know if that will be the same for you or if you’ll experience something different.”
“If blood magic enhances your abilities, maybe it will enhance my other magic.”
“That’s likely.”
“Blood magic seems like defense magic.”
“It’s both defensive and offensive magic.”
“The darker spells, what kind of spells are they?”
“There are many. There are ways to manipulate and control beings, to bind beings and magic together, to open and close gateways, and more.”
“The devil, does he use blood magic?”
“Yes. Vampires were created with demonic blood and magic. It’s why we’re dangerous creat
ures.”
“Can I use it against him?”
“I imagine you can,”—Phoenix’s brow rises, concern etching into his uniquely handsome features—“but I hope you never have to.”
The throaty purr of a screech owl catches our attention before it soars through the air. Phoenix stands taller, his attention turning another direction in the woods.
“Something is out there, moving quickly.”
The magic that had settled as we walked disperses around us.
“Can you tell what it is?”
“Male by the scent of it,” he whispers. “It’s a supernatural, not human.” As he pulls me closer, his fangs descend. “It’s… a shifter.” Looking into the darkness, he seems to hone in on whatever is out there. “It’s three wolf shifters. I can smell them,” he grimaces. “They’re running toward Killian’s house.”
“Let’s speed this up then.”
Holding my charm, I cast the spell, creating a portal. Taking Phoenix’s hand, I walk us through it and onto Killian’s porch.
CHAPTER SIX
SELENE
Killian and the rest of the guys burst out the front door, their faces a mix of worry and anger, but their attention is stolen by the three wolf shifters sprinting across Killian’s yard. Killian leaps off his steps, his jeans tearing as he morphs into his wolf and sprints across the yard toward the shifters. The four of them converge into a ball of fur and paws—pouncing, growling, nipping, biting—what looks like a pack of wolves playing.
“What the…” Emeric begins to say.
“Pretty sure those are family members,” Griffin shares.
“Definitely,” Cyrus confirms.
After the ceremonious greeting, the four of them separate, shifting into men. All naked, all muscled, and all sweaty, they clap hands on shoulders, laugh, and walk toward the porch. I bite my lip at all the sweaty, shapely muscles and lengthy cocks as they near.
Emeric slaps my ass. “Like what you see?”
Blushing, I blink and bring my attention to their faces. Two of the newcomers have similar colored hair to Killian’s, but the shortest of them has chocolate hair.
“Got some clothes we can borrow?” The tallest asks, putting his long locks in a bun behind his head.
