Chapter Thirty-Two
It was about a four-hour drive to Spokane. I spent most of it in the backseat of Merrick's Mercedes, snuggling with Braxen. We stopped halfway there for a late lunch, then drove on, Braxen switching seats with Merrick to drive the rest of the way. The stop made the trip bearable. That and the men.
Dominic and Darius were in their truck, so I was alone with my guys. And I was thinking of them as mine. It was good to spend some time getting more comfortable with Merrick physically. Casual touching turned out to be the key to us connecting emotionally. By the time we reached Spokane, butterflies filled my stomach, Merrick was staring at me tenderly, and I knew love wasn't just inevitable for him. We were both falling. Merrick and I had come a long way in a short time. Getting past his gruffness seemed like an almost instantaneous thing for me. And once that happened, once I saw the real Merrick, I knew I had found my place at last. It wasn't Seattle or a building full of antiques and art. It was these three men. Wherever we went, we were home.
Speaking of homes, I was impressed by the estate we pulled up to in Spokane. We were in a neighborhood called Nine Mile Falls where the homes were more spaced out with acreage between them. It didn't have the historic feel of some of the other neighborhoods we had passed through, but when the gates opened and we drove up their long driveway, I knew Darius, Declan, and Dominic had been there for decades if not centuries. Their house had a history.
It was massive, and I could tell that it had been added to, but the new wings had been done to match the old style. Victorian. That's what the style was. And I'd never seen one like it. Most Victorians had height. They had turrets crowned with peak ornaments and gable roofs. They reached for the stars, even their windows tended to be tall. But they don't stretch outward. They're willowy girls, but not angels. You don't see many Victorian houses with wings. This one had wings bigger than the original house. I counted eight turrets and six peaks. And it wasn't built of wood. The structure was stone and even the roofs were slate, making the Victorian design look like a castle. The wraparound porch had been expertly extended from the original house to wrap around the wings and those wings came forward to either side of the original to curve around the circular driveway. In short, it was a masterpiece. A little Wednesday Addams, but I liked that sort of thing.
“Wow,” I whispered.
Merrick, Rune, and Braxen all frowned at me, Merrick's arm clutching me closer.
“It's beautiful,” I said.
“We will buy a new house like this one,” Braxen said.
I laughed. “I love your house. Don't buy another.”
“Our house,” Rune said. “It's yours too, Lora.”
“Not yet,” Merrick muttered and nuzzled my forehead.
“Merrick, what the fuck?” Rune asked.
“I'm just worried. We need to bond with her soon. We can't protect Lora fully without the bond. What if Hermes suddenly takes away her immortality and we haven't shared ours with her yet? She'd age instantly.”
“Over four hundred years,” I said.
We all went grim and silent.
A knock came at Braxen's window, startling all of us. We glared at Darius, who chuckled and lifted his hands.
“Just wondering when you were going to join us,” he said, his voice sounding hollow through the glass.
We got out of the car, and the men grabbed our luggage. Then we followed Dominic and Darius up the porch steps and to the main door. A carving of a Cerberus in its collective form, with three heads, adorned it. The door opened before we got there.
“Welcome,” Declan said, opening the door further and stepping back into the house.
“Any updates?” Darius asked.
“Nah. I've been working on getting names. All we have is the one who came from Seattle. Morgan Rand. He hasn't used a credit card again, and he abandoned his car in Seattle. He doesn't own any property, not here or in Seattle, so I'm hoping I can find one of the others who were with him, spot him on a security camera, or even get a tip from the police. I've been monitoring their radios and computers.”
“Wow,” I whispered.
“I can do all that too,” Merrick said to me.
I leaned into Merrick and smirked. “Don't be jealous. I'm already impressed by you.”
A flush crept up Merrick's neck.
“What about the man who Michael last possessed?” Rune asked as we went inside.
Declan shut the door behind us. “I've got him here. I thought you might like to question him further. I didn't get anything out of him. He remembers a few things, but not much.”
“Where?” Braxen asked.
“He's in one of the guest rooms,” Declan said as he led us down the entry hall. “I told him we're part of a private organization tracking paranormal activity. I'll take you to him in a sec. But let's get you guys settled first.”
There were rooms to either side and through them, I saw corridors beyond. The furnishings were old, many appropriate to the home, but the further in we went, the more modern touches I saw. Light switches, for one. Then there were the electronics. The runner on the stairs was new and so was the chandelier that hung in the stairwell, though it was a good reproduction. The finial on the stair's newel post was original, indicating the home was paid for. I liked that touch, especially since I knew that they had probably placed it there themselves and so knew what it meant.
We went upstairs and down a hallway before going left and down another long corridor. The shift was subtle but I could tell immediately when we left the original and entered the new wing.
“There are three guest rooms down here.” Declan waved at the open doorways. Then looked at me to ask, “Or did you need four?”
“Three is fine,” I said and went into the first room.
Merrick surprised me by following me inside.
I lifted a brow at him.
“Is this all right?” he asked.
I hesitated, then said, “Yes.”
His face had gone tight during my hesitation, but then relaxed. “Thank you.”
“We need to bond, right?”
He grinned. “Right.”
“All right then,” Declan said and cleared his throat. “Braxen, you want to come with me?”
Braxen grunted.
“I'm going too,” Rune said.
They dropped off their bags and went with Declan, leaving me and Merrick alone.
Merrick took our bags to the closet and set them down. Then he turned to me and cleared his throat. “I, uh, do you want me to leave so you can freshen up?”
I adored his awkwardness and found myself sauntering over to him with a smile, stopping only to close and lock the door. “Or we could freshen up together,” I suggested as I kicked off my shoes.
Merrick blinked. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.” I undid the tie of my wrap dress and let the fabric slither to the floor. It pooled around my feet.
Merrick's breath caught, his lips parted, and his stare slid down from my face to take in my black lace bra and panty. “Fuck me,” he whispered.
“That's my intention.” I grinned and slid my hands over his hard chest, going inward to unbutton his shirt.
“We need the other two to complete the bond,” Merrick said.
“No. We need to bond first. Just you and I,” I said. “When I'm comfortable with all of you, then we can take it further.”
Merrick's throat worked roughly. “Okay.”
I pushed back his shirt and looked down as I reached for his fly. But I stopped halfway there. His cock was hard and so long that it was poking two inches above his waistband.
“Oh, my,” I whispered.
As if those were the magic words, Merrick growled and swept me up into his arms. I gave a soft yip, then grinned and started kissing his neck. He growled more, the sound vibrating against my lips. And then I was on the bed, stretching out while he kicked off his boots, then shoved down his pants and underwear. A few seconds to get his socks off too, and then he pounced.
I had enough time to remove my underwear, but I wanted Merrick to do it. And judging by the happy sounds he made as his hands swept over the lace, he wanted to as well. Luxuriating in his long, slow touches and the way he stared adoringly at me, I took in his body. I thought he was thinner than Rune, but that had been a trick of his clothes. Merrick tended to wear looser button-down shirts and trousers, the fabric skimming his body. And they'd been hiding a lot.
Muscles, muscles everywhere, and all for me to touch. The butterflies had multiplied and suddenly they burst from my chest, spreading throughout my body. Several went to my core and turned liquid. Just looking at Merrick was a delight, his golden-brown skin was paler than the other two, but not unhealthy. His was a more pure, polished gold compared to the antique gold of his packmates, and his hair was made darker by proximity. He had a sprinkling of that dirty-blond hair around his deep-rose nipples and a trail of it on his belly, leading down to the nest around that oh-so-long cock.
“Keep looking at me like that, and I'll come before I get inside you,” Merrick said.
I looked away from his corded thighs and up to his face. “We can't have that.”
“No. But you can come.” He slid a hand beneath me and flicked my bra open. Then the same hand slid downward and back front to delve into my panties. His fingers parted me and he groaned. “Oh, fuck, you're already wet.”
I flung my bra away, then lifted my hips. “Take them off. I don't want anything between us.”
“Neither do I.” Merrick rolled to kneel between my legs, then, slowly, pulled my panties down.
I dropped my hips when they reached my knees, then pulled back my legs, bringing them together. He drew the fabric up, up, and up, coasting it over my calves, then my ankles, my feet. At last, he flung it away. As he did, I spread my legs.
“Great Gods,” Merrick whispered as he stared down at me. “Look at you. Glistening pink against those dark curls.” He ran his hand up from the base of my sex, fingers spreading through those curls. Then he brought them down, spreading me. Gathering moisture first, he rubbed and pressed inside.
I moaned and spread my legs wider, reaching past my thighs to stroke his thick arms. “Merrick.”
He glanced up and grinned. “I've waited so long for this.” Then he dove.
I yipped again when his lips made contact with mine, just not the ones on my face. Merrick pressed his mouth against my sex, kissing it as he would my upper lips, then moved against me, massaging me. I shrieked and grabbed his head. His hair was pulled back into a low ponytail. I tore the band out, freeing it so I could run my fingers through the silken strands. A few strands escaped my grasp and fell to border his face. That golden frame was perfect for the brilliant green stare that swung up to meet mine.
“Lomasi,” Merrick whispered against my skin. “I love you.”
A feeling of the most profound pleasure and rightness filled my chest. I couldn't stop the words if I tried. “I love you too.”
Merrick shot up on his forearms. “You do?”
Chuckling, I said, “Yes, I love you.”
His grin was magical, but not as wondrous as the way he instantly dropped back down and started licking hungrily at my sex, drawing his tongue up to circle my clit. I cried out and pulled him closer, hands on his hair. Making blissful sounds, Merrick licked and licked and licked. He sucked at me and slid a finger into me to pump gently. Moisture dripped lower. He circled my bud with his tongue as he shouldered my legs further apart, then drew his finger out of my sex to rub lower. I pressed down on him, encouraging him to do more than just circle that ring of muscles. With a possessive growl, Merrick pushed past the ring and slowly worked his wet finger into my ass. All while still sucking at me with expert abandon.
“Merrick!” I shrieked, my body going into a rolling orgasm that wound up my stomach, then back down again.
As I came down from it, Merrick lurched up. His arms came under my thighs with the movement, hooking my legs. I opened my eyes to see him posed like a victorious warrior, his shaft lying atop my curls—a sword ready to take its prize.
“Lead me home, Lo,” Merrick said.
I reached between us and guided him to my opening. Arching my hips, I angled him to the right spot, drawing his tip through my wet sex. Then I drew him forward by his cock, and he took the hint. With a triumphant shout, Merrick plunged into me. He was long but not as thick as Braxen, and my body was so ready for him that he slid nearly to the hilt with that first thrust. A second one quickly followed, joined by a softer but no less joyful sound.
“Lomasi,” he said. “Gods, I love you. You're so fucking incredible. You feel incredible.”
Merrick leaned down, bringing his forearms to either side of me, my legs still hooked over his arms. It opened me further, and his next thrust went so deep that he hit places that had never been touched before.
“So do you,” I gasped. “Merrick, you fill me perfectly.”
Groaning, Merrick bent his head to mine and kissed me. I tasted myself on his lips and the musk of it combined with the wet sounds of our bodies coming together to ramp up my desire. He set a steady tempo, grinding his pelvis against mine to tap my bud. Zings ran up my belly and it finally hit me that this was Merrick. I was making love to Merrick. They were mine. All of them. No going back now. The thought sent me over again, and I fell into a bliss both emotional and physical.
“That's it,” Merrick murmured against my neck as he continued his steady thrusting. “Come for me, love. Clench that pussy around me.”
Shocked by his sudden crudeness, I trembled again, reaching an even greater height.
Merrick chuckled in my ear. “Oh, you like that?” He churned his cock in me as I came down. “Then let me tell you what else I'm going to do to you. After you finish coming, drenching my cock with your pussy nectar, I'm going to suck on these glorious tits and grind against your little clit until you start dripping again. Then I'll speed up. I'll fuck you hard and fast until your tight cunt milks me dry. And then, you're going to suck me back to life, Lomasi. Aren't you?”
“Yes,” I panted, already getting hot again even as my climax ended. “Oh, fuck yes, I'm going to suck your cock.”
“Good girl.” Merrick groaned. “And when you get me hard and wet enough, you're going to ride me. But you'll face my feet and bend forward so I can finger your ass while you pump that wet pussy on my cock.”
“Oh, fuck!” I screamed as I came again.
“That's my girl,” Merrick said in pure male satisfaction. Then he bent his head and did exactly what he said he would.