Chapter Four
Jax whipped his shirt off and tossed it into the hamper by his closet. Chewing on his lower lip, he thought about Elvine’s and Arion’s memories. While the vampires had been more vivid than Jax would have liked, Elvine’s had been shrouded in mystery.
Even though he’d been denied most of her visual memories, he’d felt the fear and anger overflowing from them. Jax had assumed she was a quirky little fairy with a fiery personality. That was what had drawn him to her.
But he’d only seen what Elvine wanted everyone to see while hiding what was under the surface.
There wasn’t anything hidden as far as Arion went. Jax closed his eyes, his insides quivering with rage. Whoever the person was, they’d used Arion for sex, had called Jax’s pumpkin their “pet,” and demeaned him while using his body for his own pleasure.
Then, some other son of a bitch would hunt Arion down afterward and drag Jax’s mate into a dark underground room. The stranger would torture Arion until the little vampire begged for death. He’d used a razor-sharp claw or something similar to it. Jax couldn’t really tell what the object had been. He just knew it was the item that had left so many scars over Arion’s body.
And it had gone on for a fucking decade.
Jax would find the two, and then he would bury them deep, allowing them to starve for the rest of eternity.
Death would be too quick and merciful for them. Jax wanted them to suffer for what they’d done to his sweet, timid mate.
He ran a hand through his beard, his brow arched as he watched Elvine dragging Arion into their bedroom. She seemed to like towing him around, and honestly, Arion looked like he was in heaven when she did that.
Now the fun would begin. He’d heard their conversation and was curious to see if they would actually follow through with spanking him or make Jax work at getting them into bed like Elvine’s evil little butt had suggested.
“We’ll start with you, buttercup.” Jax pointed at her and stepped closer, inwardly smiling when he saw her swallow roughly. He wasn’t talking about having sex, but it was fun to see her squirm after hearing her diabolical plan.
“Start with what?” The hesitation in her gorgeous green eyes dissolved into a playful smirk. “Are you talking about letting me spank you, or are you referring to feeling my feelings?”
Nice. He liked that she still had that fire in her. Although he enjoyed shocking them with his boldness, loved their reactions, Jax didn’t want either of them to fear the intimacy they would share.
He could handle shyness and didn’t mind coaxing either of them into relaxing so they could explore each other’s bodies. But he never wanted fear to be a part of their lovemaking.
Not after the way he’d seen Arion treated. Not after he’d found out that Elvine was hiding something from them. Jax prayed like hell her fear and anger had nothing to do with sex. If he discovered someone was abusing her the way Arion had been, the burning fires in hell would seem like a backyard fire pit compared to what Jax would do to them.
Both his mates needed protecting, and Jax would do that. He also knew his father and brothers would also kill anyone who thought to harm the two. Elvine and Arion were family now, and the Frosts fought to the death for one of their own.
“I’d be more than happy to help you with feeling your feelings, buttercup.” He sat on the bed and patted the spot next to him. Her bravado melted right before his eyes. “Have a seat for our jam session.” He gestured toward the other side of him. “You too, pumpkin. We’re not going to let anything put a strain on our mating. That’s how this is going to work. If one of us has an issue, we jam.”
Jax waited for Elvine to call him Mr. Bossy Pants, but she didn’t. Instead, she flopped down next to him like dealing with their issues cramped her style or something.
“If I have to sit and pour my feelings all over you two, then you have to do the same,” Elvine said to Arion.
Honestly, Jax was beginning to think his fairy wasn’t in the habit of opening up to anyone. The Frosts always dealt with problems head-on.
They were a close-knit family who supported each other and leaned on each other when things became tough. If they had a beef with one of their family members, they either talked it out or beat each other’s asses. But once that happened, things were settled and they moved past the problem.
Jax wouldn’t dream of laying a hand on either mate to settle their issues, but he would threaten to put them over his knee if they were too stubborn to work through whatever was bothering them.
“I didn’t think he actually meant it,” Arion argued with Elvine, a panicked look on his face.
It seemed his other mate wasn’t used to opening up either.
“Sit your sexy ass down right here, pumpkin.” Jax poked the mattress on his right.
He cursed under his breath when Arion wrung his hands in front of him, his eyes darting around like he wanted to find a quick escape. Did Arion fear intimacy or talking about his feelings? Jax needed to know those things so he was better equipped to help his mate.
Pushing from the bed, he pulled Arion into his arms, holding him close while wishing he could erase the vampire’s pain. “Take a few deep breaths, jellybean.”
Elvine frowned, causing Jax to shrug, letting her know he had no idea where that endearment had come from. But he kind of liked it. Then he crooked a finger at her. Elvine slipped from the bed.
“I didn’t want to overwhelm him.” She walked toward them, and damn if Jax wasn’t captivated by the sway of her hips. “I thought my honey bunny could use strong arms right now to feel safe.”
Jax kissed Arion’s head when he felt his mate trembling. Elvine looked up at him, her expression conveying the depth of her concern for their mate. He nodded at her, telling Elvine he felt the same way.
“We’ve got you, jellybean.” Jax tried out the endearment again, because he was willing to bet that, under all the pain and suffering, Arion was the sweetest guy.
Elvine pressed her front into Arion’s back, wrapping her arms around both males. “I’m sorry I made you fear me in the forest,” she whispered to Arion. “I’m really not like that, except when it comes to protecting the people I care for the most. Then mama is gonna unleash her badassery.”
Jax smiled when he felt Arion’s shoulders twitching. His pumpkin was fighting a laugh.
“Keep going,” he mouthed to Elvine then added in a normal voice, “You said a cuss word. I’m telling my dad.”
She rolled her eyes. “What’s he going to do, ground me? Papa Frost has to catch me first.” Her beautiful gossamer wings fluttered behind her. “All I have to do is give him an innocent smile, and you’ll be the one in trouble. Kalen will swear you somehow caused me to say it.”
“You’re diabolical, ma petite .” He narrowed his eyes. “Are you saying my dad would believe you over me?”
She gave him a daft look. “Hmm. Would Kalen believe a sweet little fae or McSnarly?”
“Don’t you start calling me that again.” Shit, Jax was getting turned on. It happened a lot when they argued. He just loved seeing the tiny warrior come out in her.
And Jax had no doubt his dad would take the “little lady’s” side, and give Jax a whap on the back of his head for causing Elvine to cuss. Which he’d had nothing to do with.
But who was he kidding? He’d take the blame a thousand times over for her. All she had to do was gaze at him the way she was doing right now, like she wanted to kiss him. And fuck, he wanted to kiss her as well, kiss every inch of her body, eat the sweet cream between her legs, and slide his dick inside of her.
Her breath hitched slightly, as if she could read the obscene thoughts running through his head.
Elvine’s gaze lowered, and she stared at their mate with just as much longing.
Arion finally stopped trembling, but he’d yet to unbury his head from Jax’s chest. That was okay. Jax would hold the guy for as long as his mate needed him to.
It seemed Elvine felt the same way, but he saw the fear in her eyes, the trepidation of sending him spiraling if she touched his scarred back. Instead, she moved in closer and simply rested her chin on his shoulder, keeping her hands to herself.
Jax ran his fingers through her soft, blue tresses, amazed the strands reached all the way down to her flared ass.
“Were you born with blue hair?” he asked, continuing to glide his fingers through the silky strands. Now he wanted to feel them slide over his naked body as he made love to her.
“All Unseelie are born with black hair.” She tapped Arion on his shoulder. “Do you want to see something cool, honey bunny?”
Arion finally withdrew from him. But Jax turned their mate, pulling Arion’s back to his chest then wrapping his arms around the vampire.
“Are you going to do some more voodoo?” Jax asked.
“It’s just a simple spell,” she replied. “Tell me, honey bunny, what hue do you want for my locks to take on?”
Jax leaned to the side, watching as Arion nervously chewed on his bottom lip. He could see the indecision in his eyes.
“Make it something outrageous.” Jax chuckled, relieved when Arion finally cracked a smile.
“Purple,” Arion blurted out, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment.
Nodding in agreement, Jax declared, “Two votes for purple, ma petite .”
While not the craziest color choice, Arion visibly relaxed at the decision. That was all Jax had wanted, to see his mate at ease.
With a dazzling smile, Elvine gave them a deep bow, her curvaceous figure catching Jax’s eye.
As she rose back up gracefully, the blue gave way to a lustrous, shimmering veil of rich purple hair that cascaded down her locks like a waterfall of amethyst light, transforming her into an ethereal goddess.
“That…was the coolest thing I have ever seen,” Arion said in awe. “The purple makes your pretty green eyes stand out.”
Jax was simply enchanted with her. The new color seemed to have transformed her into an entirely different person, the hue making her seem more seductive, like a pretty kitty who wanted to purr in delight.
“Is it me or does the new color make her seem more…” Arion pushed his tongue against the inside of his mouth, causing his right cheek to poke out. “More provocative.” He looked Elvine over. “That color turned you into a hot babe, cupcake.”
“Are you implying I wasn’t a ‘hot babe’ before I changed my hair color?” Elvine crossed her arms, but with her new look, the movement only made her appear sultrier.
“That’s not what I meant.” Arion was once again panicking. His amber eyes bulged, and his mouth dropped open slightly. Then he turned to Jax with a pleading look. Damn right he would yank the foot right out his pumpkin’s mouth.
Every guy deserved at least one free pass when they’d upset a woman. Jax remembered his mom forgiving their father whenever Kalen messed up. All men made mistakes.
Then again, Kalen Frost had a quiet charisma about him, a natural authority that people seemed to respond to.
Jax and his brothers used to watch their dad in awe, trying to learn from his smooth tactics and effortless charm.
Unlike other men, Kalen didn’t need pickup lines or expensive gifts to win someone over. He simply exuded confidence and kindness, never disrespecting a date or treating them as anything less than equal.
To Jax and his brothers, their father was more than just a role model. He was a legend in their eyes, someone to look up to and aspire to be like.
“What our mate was trying to say was that the new color only enhances the wild beauty you already possess, buttercup.” He slid his arm around Arion’s shoulders and gave his mate a light squeeze.
“I was?” Arion frowned at him, then his eyes bulged again before he calmed down. “You’re right. That’s exactly what I was saying.”
Now the guy was catching on. Jax saw he would have to teach his vampire how not to insult a lady. Which made Jax wonder if Arion had ever been with a woman sexually. Again, gender didn’t matter to Jax. He’d been alive for 247 years, and he’d had his fair share of both men and women.
Elvine pursed her lips, and she looked between them. “If you two weren’t my mates, I would tell you to go hump yourselves.” She turned to walk out of the room but stopped and narrowed her pretty eyes. “That was not an error. I substituted the F bomb, thank you very much.”
Jax wore the biggest grin. “Where’re you going, sprite?”
Her smile was downright devilish. “To go do the same in the privacy of my bedroom.”
Arion shuddered in Jax’s arms. “Did she just say she was going to masturbate in her room?”
Holy. Hell. Jax briefly closed his eyes and imagined her naked body laid out on the bed, her fingers greedily touching her cunt, and he desperately wanted to know, to hear, what sounds she made while she pleasured herself.
“Is it okay if I admit how turned on I am right now?” Arion hadn’t ripped his eyes away from the doorway since she’d walked out. “I mean, after I insulted her.” His gaze flicked to Jax. “By the way, thanks for the save. I really haven’t been around many women.”
His amber eyes drew Jax in and had held him captive. Arion looked hungry for his touch, and Jax would be more than happy to give the guy anything he desired.
He leaned forward and licked a long path across Arion’s bottom lip.
A quick inhale of breath.
With a wicked smirk, Jax did it again then probed at the man’s lips with his tongue until Arion finally opened. The vampire’s scent was a stroke against Jax’s senses.
As they kissed, Jax slowly backed his mate toward the bed. He knew the instant Arion realized what was happening. His mate’s steps faltered as his eyes flashed open.
“The exact moment you become uncomfortable, you let me know,” Jax said against his soft lips. “But I really want to suck your dick, sweetheart. My mouth is watering for a taste of you.”
The sooner he made Arion at ease in the nude around them, the more pleasure they could share. Jax also knew he might have to seduce them one at a time. While he had indulged in multiple partners, Elvine and Arion hadn’t.
Part of the problem was the fact they were scared. Jax didn’t mind helping them past their fears of being with two people at once in the bedroom.
“My legs.” Arion rested his forehead against Jax’s chest. He cupped the back of his mate’s head, remembering what he’d seen in those memories, how not even Arion’s legs had been spared.
Jax pressed his palms against Arion’s cheeks and stared into his amber eyes. “Can I show you, hon? Will you let me prove to you that your scars are only proof of how strong my baby is?”
Arion slightly nodded. Jax grinned then dipped his head, taking his mate’s lips once more in a searing kiss. When the back of Arion’s legs hit the bed, Jax slowly lowered his mate onto his back, leaving Arion’s legs dangling over the side.
He slid his fingers down Arion’s arms then gently shackled his wrists, keeping his grip loose enough to let his mate know he wasn’t trapped, that he could pull them free whenever he wanted to.
“Lie still and let me bring you so much pleasure,” Jax groaned in Arion’s ear. “Let me show you what sex should truly feel like.”
His mate’s breath hitched. “Wait!”
Jax searched his eyes.
“I need to shower first.” Arion was breathing heavily, and Jax wasn’t sure if his mate was running scared, but he nodded.
“Then we’re getting right back to me sucking your dick, beautiful.”