Chapter 31 – Wave
Wave didn’t know how long she had been out of it, but she roused to the soft voices of Irishen and Jarred talking. She kept her eyes closed and breathing even, trying to prolong the haze where she didn’t need to confront the world.
Periodically between their conversation, she felt both of them reach out in their bonds and check on her.
The touches were so light that they didn’t disturb her, but they kept coming.
Little strokes and caresses filled with reassurance that she was fine.
Safe. They wouldn’t let anything happen to her.
Jarred dropped a soft kiss to her forehead. “Good morning, love. Ready to wake up yet?”
“No,” Wave mumbled and buried her face into his—no, Risha’s chest. She was surrounded by the males, one side of her body blissfully cool and the other heavenly warm. Hellion might be the prince of hell, but he had nothing on Jarred’s warmth.
“How are you feeling, morsel?”
“Nhgn,” Wave groused. She wasn’t sure. Most of last night’s events were a haze in her mind. The look on Irishen’s face had cut her deep and then he had shielded against her. She didn’t fucking know how to get up and walk away, so she kept her face hidden like a coward and prolonged the moment.
By some miracle, he was holding her now, but she was way too raw to process it. Her powers swelled and thrashed in response to the idea of leaving. It twisted her insides, but she would have to do so, soon.
Wave bit her lip. She should do what was right and find a way to free Jarred, too.
It was selfish of her to keep him with her.
Put him in danger. She had let her loneliness win when she had listened to Sinister.
Telling him had been a mistake. Not because he would betray her, but because she could never be enough.
Because she would always bring danger and destruction to those around her.
Stupid. Irishen’s reaction had driven the point home. Even her mate shied away from her, his reaction fully justified. Her siren heritage was repulsive, dangerous.
She had deluded herself into the belief that it wouldn’t be that big of an issue.
They were powerful males; they could hold on their own.
But it wouldn’t be enough. Not after the word got out—and it would get out.
She had lost control too many times lately, leaving behind plenty of little traces and clues if someone dug deep enough.
They were all looking. Even Hellion and Marc. She was the acknowledged heir apparent now. There wasn’t a being in this realm who wasn’t keeping their eyes open. She would have to come up with something that would lead the trail away from Tracthesian, away from them—
“You are not going anywhere without me, love,” Jarred’s grumble cut through her spiraling thoughts.
“Morsel? Mate?”
“It won’t work,” she mumbled. “There’s no point…” She took a fortifying breath and pushed up and away from both of them. She managed to lean back, but then four hands banded around her torso.
“Don’t,” Jarred said, shaking his head. “I’m not letting you go, so don’t even think about it.”
“Wayla, please, look at me.”
Slowly, she turned to face Irishen and licked her suddenly dry lips when the bond stirred inside of her.
“I’m so fucking sorry,” he said, white eyes dim, ashen. “I never meant to hurt you, ever, but I did.”
“It’s fi—”
Irishen snarled. “No. It’s not fucking fine. Stop saying that.”
“Love, he’s—”
“But I get it,” Wave hurried to say. “I’m a siren, it’s—”
“You are my mate,” Irishen snapped. “I was so way out of line that Jarred should have bitten my head off.”
“No!”
“Breathe, love,” Jarred interjected before Wave could spiral out of control again. “I know you have trouble believing this, but someone attacking you or hurting you is. Not. Fine.”
“He was just trying to block—”
“No.” Jarred’s eyes held rage. “Not an excuse. And you didn’t even try to defend yourself. We’ll circle back to shielding later, but I need you to get this thought in your head, love. You will stop taking hits like that. I don’t care how much you’ll level in retaliation. You’ll defend yourself.”
He was truly angry with her. It came through loud and clear in their bond, yet his hold on her was gentle, reassuring, protective. To add to the confusion in her head, Irishen moved his hand from her waist and cupped her cheek gently, turning her gaze back to him.
“I agree with him, morsel. Realms’ spirits help me, if I ever act idiotically like that ever again, I want you to blast my ass to the next realm, okay?”
“I wouldn’t—”
“Promise me, mate.”
“I—” He still wanted to be her mate? The bond being in place wasn’t an accident or result of him lacking the power to sever it all the way through?
Irishen surged forward, his lips crushed to hers, and his hand wrapped around her hair. Wave found herself pushed against Jarred when Irishen took over. This time, his kiss, or his hold on her, wasn’t soft. It was rough, full of biting ice and demand.
Wherever his power stroked over Wave, it felt possessive, a demand that she had to give in, give him access. Irishen kept pushing at their bond until Wave let him in. His feelings rushed through and blindsided her.
Worry. Need. Wonder. Adoration. Fear. Lust. Possession. So many emotions, too fast, too strongly for Wave to keep track of. Not one of them was regret over their bond. Where she had torn them apart, he was clinging on.
His ice coursed over her skin, under her skin, along with the bond.
All Wave could do was soak it in. It felt like a balm over a burn.
It was a way of communication that she couldn’t deny or misunderstand.
His magic didn’t lie. It wanted her, and the male wielding it was willing to fight anyone, even herself, to keep the mate bond.
“Always, mate.” Irishen’s tone brooked no argument. He wasn’t letting go or backing down or running away from her or her mess of a life. He tried to make that clear in every possible way. Fix the mistake his unguarded reaction had caused.
For just a second, memories of iron closing around her throat resurfaced and then the ice soothed those feelings away too. Never again, it seemed to whisper to her.
Wave wasn’t sure for how long she was lost in that feeling, but eventually, Irishen pulled back, breathing heavily.
“I’m not letting you go, mate. I will cling to this bond with everything I have.”
“But—”
“I claimed you, love,” Jarred added softly. “You carry my bite and I can assure you that the marks on my neck won’t fade. Ever.”
Her bond with Jarred thrummed and she couldn’t argue those words or the conviction behind them. Neither could she deny the spark of hope and happiness that spread through her. Irishen chose that moment to pour more power into their bond, making it glow in her mind.
“I’ll do anything to mend it, mate.”
“You don’t think this—that I’m a mistake?” Her voice broke at the end and both males vibrated with fury as they erupted.
“No!”
“Never!”
She wanted to—no, she didn’t want to argue. She desperately wanted to believe them. Both of them. And the bonds inside of her were telling her the truth. It was impossible to lie and deceive in the bond. They wanted her. The bonds. Everything.
The sob that broke free hurt her throat, but there were two shoulders to lean on. Arms around her, supporting, sheltering her. Two voices murmuring soft reassurances and encouragement to her.
So, Wave gave up. She let go of the doubt and guilt. She pushed aside the voices and memories and focused on the males pouring everything they had into the bonds. Her mate. Her claimed.
“Okay,” she said, sniffling. “Okay.”
Jarred wiped her tears away and Irishen magically had a handkerchief so she could blow her nose.
Slowly, she calmed down and with that, a new need rose inside of her.
She wanted—no, needed—to solidify those bonds.
She needed them to make her body and mind believe that everything really was all right.
Her lips sought theirs and she clawed at the clothes separating them.
“I will not fuck my mate for the first time when she’s emotionally in shreds.” Irishen sighed after he pulled away from yet another breathtaking kiss. She felt the urge to protest, but then his lips were over hers again, teasing. “But if you’d like to fuck your Claimed, I’d be happy to watch.”
“Way to put me on the spot,” Jarred grumbled. Then he moved Wave’s hair out of the way and kissed her neck. “Would you like me to fill that needy pussy, love?”
She couldn’t think. The bond with Risha kept thrumming. The bond with Jarred pulsed. She wanted Risha to make her stop thinking. She needed Jarred to be her rock. A safe haven.
“I think my little mate needs a bit of help,” Risha said, a smile tugging at his lips. He gave Wave one more kiss and then jerked away and all the way up from the couch. Had they held her there the whole night?
A pitiful whine broke free from Wave at the loss of their physical contact.
“Shh, mate. I’m just going to get you naked so that Jarred can ease that need.” He kneeled on the floor and tugged her loaned shorts down easily. Then, without a fuss, he slapped Jarred’s thigh. “Up!”
Jarred’s hips rose, dislodging Wave, and Irishen pulled Jarred’s pants and boxers down too, like it was the most natural thing in the world. They both still had their shirts on, but Jarred took care of Wave’s in a second.
“He’s got a very nice dick, mate. Now climb on it.” Risha shot his comment and command easily. “I want you to look at me when you come for him.”
“Come here, precious,” Jarred said and basically lifted Wave into his lap. Her back met his chest and he kissed the claiming mark, making her moan. “Are you going to give him a show? I know you like to show off.”
“He said you have a nice dick,” Wave panted.
“And do you agree, love?”
“Gods, yes,” she moaned when Jarred easily lifted her and lined up. “Perfect,” she added when he pushed her down.
“Good mate,” Risha said, voice rough and eyes alight, locked on where Jarred’s cock filled her pussy. “Now ride him, morsel. Jarred, play with her clit. And I don’t think I need to tell you not to come before she does.”
“Aye, aye, captain.” Despite the bite in his voice, Jarred rubbed Wave’s clit in light circles that drove her wild.
She rocked her hips, chasing after his touch, and the whole time she kept looking at Risha, whose gaze flicked between hers and what Jarred was doing to her pussy, like he was making sure he was following orders and pleasing her properly.
“That’s right, mate. We’ll take good care of you.”
“You feel so fucking good, love,” Jarred panted right after.
Wave was riding the high. Her pussy was filled, her clit was so sensitive, and she just couldn’t let go. It wasn’t enough.
“I can’t… I can’t,” she chanted helplessly.
“What do you need, mate?”
Him. She needed him. She needed the reassurance that they would make it through. That her siren heritage wasn’t ruining everything. She needed—
Risha’s lips covered hers and his palm covered her mound, trapping Jarred’s fingers between them. “I’ve got you, mate. I’m right here.” He moved his hand so that his finger was circling her clit with Jarred’s.
Every one of her whimpers and moans got swallowed. Wave hovered on the edge of release, wanting and needing it, but too wound up to let go.
“I can’t,” she whined.
Like they had done so a million times before, both males stroked their bonds at the same time.
Jarred pushed over the feeling of how good she felt squeezing his cock and how proud of being her claimed he was.
Risha’s bond vibrated with his need for her, how much he wanted to see her come.
If only she let go, he would be there to catch her.
“Love, I’ve got you.”
“Come for your Claimed. Come for me, mate.”
The bite of ice on her clit broke Wave free. Jarred’s hand wrapped around her throat, and Risha’s lips sealed over hers, silencing her scream. Jarred followed her over the edge in seconds.