Chapter 52
Hunter
Dagger tilted his beer up to his lips as we watched two human men on TV do their version of fighting, at Madison Square Garden, New York.
A place I’d been to once, but of course, would never be allowed to go to again.
Unless we managed to sneak out of New Nebraska like I promised Serenity.
Cheered and applauded by a packed arena, the humans bobbed and weaved with their daft puffy gloves and weak attempts at punching.
It was lame, but entertaining.
Even more entertaining to listen to our jaguars’ swapping commentaries on how they’d win the fight.
“Never thought our animals would be bonding like this again.” Dagger glanced at me, as if wanting to gauge my reaction.
“Yeah, feels good.”
“Yeah.”
“All thanks to Serenity”
“Yes. And our new family.”
“Our new family.” Dagger shuffled on the couch, nodding. “Feels good, right? Thank God for Serenity.”
I drained my own beer and walked over to the kitchen, tossing the empty bottle in the bin before coming back to recline. “I knew she was special from the moment she walked into my club. But I never thought she’d connect us like this. I think she wants to connect physically with us all too…”
Pinching and fidgeting with the couch arm’s cloth, he replied, “That’ll happen when she’s ready for it. Whenever she says.”
I studied him, sympathy gripping my chest. He was the only one she hadn’t completed the mate bond with. I hadn’t given her my mark yet, but my jaguar considered the bond complete with the knotting, and she’d been in my bed the few nights since.
If it didn’t happen for Dagger soon, he’d be the odd man out. Bryce had accidentally marked Serenity with his fire power, and Seb had made his when she’d allowed him to feed.
“I really don’t think you’ll have to wait long. But I admire the new patience,” I told him, and he quirked one corner of his mouth.
“Thanks, I’ve been working on it. Figure I’ve got to make some changes to live up the family man role, yeah?”
“Hey, not too many changes. I don’t want a new brother. I just got my old one back.”
Dagger’s smile grew, but his reply cut off when a Midas News bulletin interrupted the boxing match.
“It’s your number one fan,” I said from the side of my mouth as I perched forward, trying to focus on whatever that crazy Monique woman was saying and not how much I hated her face. “You ‘grubby little street grunt.’”
Dagger sat up. “Amen. Better a grubby little street grunt than a slimy ice bitch. When the hell is Bryce gonna shitcan that shitbird?”
“Leave it to him, okay? He’ll—”
Oh, shit. Monique’s words sank in.
The attorney general, Falco Bianchi—who’d stepped in as acting governor when Andino had been assassinated by the Marchand coven, the same day as their attack on us—was now not only stepping down, but he was withdrawing his candidacy from the upcoming election.
The bulletin switched over to a news conference with Bianchi himself. He cited fear for his and his family’s lives for why he needed to resign.
Some sack of shit had cut the brake cables on his limousine, causing it to career off the road and smack into a lamppost in downtown New Lincoln.
His children had been in the car with him.
Nobody was hurt but that was thanks to blind luck.
Bianchi announced another candidate would be taking his place to square off against Alexander Winterborn, though he declined to say who during the bombardment of questions that flew afterward.
“Any idea who’s going to step up?” I asked.
Dagger shook his head. “Not yet. But anybody short of a demon will get a solid helping hand from Bryce, I’m sure.”
Bryce had made it very clear he would do everything within his power to keep New Nebraska out of evil Fae clutches. I didn’t have his money and influence, but I’d be doing what I could too.
Serenity and the other guys returned not long after the station returned to its regularly scheduled programming.
We had Chinese takeout and chatted about Serenity’s first day back at Midas.
Seb wasn’t back to work yet, but he’d been to the hospital to have stitches removed and swore he was feeling better than ever.
After dinner we all sat around talking about work and who we thought the next mayoral candidate would be.
Then Seb stopped talking and stared at our girl for a moment, his cheeks heating before he looked down and started tapping away on his phone.
I got the impression they were talking about something.
Then Serenity moved to sit in between Dagger and me. She leaned back on me and I wrapped my arms around her. Dagger picked up her legs and brought them to his lap pressing his thumbs into the bottoms of her feet and she melted into his touch.
My jaguar rumbled a low purr, he smelled it a fraction before I sensed it, one look at Dagger confirmed my suspicion. Our girl wanted us. And who were we to say no?
“I’ll be right back,” she stretched, shifting her body enough I saw the flash of red lace under her clothes and her foot brushed Dagger’s hardening cock, before she stood.
She winked at Dagger and placed a kiss on my cheek before turning her back on us and walking into my bedroom.
“We’re supposed to follow, right?” Dagger asked.
“I don’t know,” I said as we both got to our feet. Bryce just stared after her and Seb was still tapping away on his phone.
“You want some company in there, Cowgirl?” Dagger called.
“No, stay in there. I’ll be right back.”
We both took a seat on the couch and waited. There was something electric in the air and both our jaguars were on guard… waiting… pacing… Needing our mate back.
A few moments later the hidden speakers in the living room crackled to life and the first few slow sultry notes came through.
Then the door opened and Serenity, in the sexiest red teddy I’ve ever seen and red high heels walked out.
“Dear God,” Dagger whispered under his breath and I couldn’t agree more. She was so beautiful. She swayed her hips to the music as she walked toward me. She climbed onto my lap, straddling me as she swayed to the music.
My hands went to her hips as she leaned down, lacing her fingers in my hair.
The brush of Serenity’s lips against my earlobe sent goosebumps along my arm and grew my cock as she softly declared, “I am yours. And you are mine.”
“Forever.” I met her smile and entwined my fingers in her hair as she kissed me. I returned the vow against her mouth, and she gave me a kiss before slipping out of my grasp, moving in her sexy red lace number toward Seb, making the flowy skirt of the teddy sway.
She beckoned us with her fingers as she backed away, and as one we all moved off the couch to the rug.
With the living room drapes drawn tight, we sat in a circle around her on a rug of smooth wool, clad in nothing but boxers.
“I am yours. And you are mine. Forever,” she vowed to Seb, and he repeated it, kissing the fine, pearly lines of his mark on her wrist.
With Dagger and Bryce’s vows already made, Serenity kept her hands on Seb’s shoulders and turned her head to sweep her gaze across all of us.
I watched her eyes darken, lids lowering, and traced a hungry eye over her lips and down to her chest, now rising with lengthening breaths.
“I want to remember this night forever.”
“Who could ever forget you, looking like that?” Dagger rasped, and I saw his jaguar tat’s eyes had taken on a candlelight shine.
Serenity smiled at him and traced the new lingerie’s cups with her fingertips.
“I’m glad you like it, but I’m ready to get out of it.
” She turned back to Seb, her fingers playing in his hair.
He tilted into her touch as she leaned into kiss along his jaw.
“How about some of that venom magic to start?”
Seb’s smile flashed his fangs and he shot to his feet, picking her up with him.
She threw her head back in an adorable giggle that tossed her auburn hair off her shoulders.
Legs wrapped around his waist, she let him carry her to the dining table, where he eased her down on the edge.
With a confident hand, he traced a palm up her torso, along her stomach and between her cleavage, bending her gently backward.
He coaxed her to lie down as his fingers moved up her neck to caress her cheek.
She sank back with a sigh as he dropped into the chair, spread her legs, and slid off her panties.
On the rug, we all had a perfect view between her thighs for one cock-hardening moment before Seb moved in to spread his venom with his tongue, and my jaguar roused. He melded with my mind, mingling his primal urges with my own in a seamless match that had me busting out of my boxers.
“Get the rest of these clothes off me,” Serenity panted between moans.
Dagger and I shot to our feet, but Bryce hung back, not risking the crowd. Serenity noticed, and as Dagger and I posted up on either side of her, she shot Bryce a beckoning smile. “Make sure you get a good view of the show, Bry.”
I had no idea if he got up or not, hyper focused on the delicate golden freckles along Serenity’s shoulder as I pushed the lingerie’s ruby strap off it and kissed every inch.
She bucked on the table with a loud moan, her hand caressing the length of my shaft through my boxers as Seb ate her pussy faster, gripping her thighs like they rooted him to the world.
Together, Dagger and I slid our hands under her arched back and undid the bra hooks. She sat up just long enough to let us pull the teddy over her head and then laid back to let us worship her stomach and tits with our mouths.
God, she tasted like sunshine.
I moved from her hardened nipple up her neck at the urging of my jaguar, feeling him try to push his fangs past my teeth, but I held him back with the prospect of making our mark while we were deep inside her.
I buried my face in her hair instead, my hand massaging one breast while I showered her head and neck in kisses, high on her sweet, natural scent.