Chapter Seventeen
Delaney
I’m trying not to make it a big deal, me going home with Wilder, because I know what I want. What I’ve been wanting, bad behavior on his part or no.
I’m sure I would get counseled by anyone I admitted this to, but even that first day when I was in his class, and he was so awful to me, there was just something about seeing him lecture knowing that he was my mate, that made me want to do very naughty things to him.
There’s this stupid sense of ownership, and I kind of hate that we’ve been walking around for over a week now wearing each other’s mark without fully claiming each other. I want to see him on campus and have first-hand knowledge of what he sounds like in those most intimate moments, and I want him to look at me wherever he might see me around campus and remember what I looked like when I moved above him or underneath him.
Being back with August has fixed a lot of things in my head and my heart, but it’s like now that I’ve opened up this part of me, and have started accepting mates, I’m almost ravenous for all of them. I feel this growing pressure to take everybody that I want before somebody else can.
So when we pull into Wilder’s driveway and he opens the front door for us, I don’t even pretend that I’m interested in a house tour. All of the rooms will still be there tomorrow, so that’s when I will see them.
“Let me show you around,” he says automatically, responsibly hanging up his keys on a hook by the door. He steps out of his shoes and carefully puts them on a little shelf, bending over and making sure they’re nice and straight and even with the others. Oh, I’m about to wreck his world for sure.
I start backing away from him very slowly. I bring one of my feet up behind me so I can slip the strap off my heel, and then I kick my shoe across the room, completely not caring where it lands.
His head snaps up first to my bare foot, lingering on my toenails that are silver right now, and then his eyes trace the shoe that is currently upside down and on his coffee table.
“I do have a shoe rack, you know.”
My lips twitch. “Yes, I can see that.” Another few steps back and I kick off the other shoe, watching as it tumbles to the other side of his couch. “You’re not going to pick those up right now.”
“I’m not?” He crosses his arms over his chest, trying to look tough, but I see his fingers twitching.
“Nope.” I reach behind my neck to find the zipper of my dress and finagle my way around until I’m able to pull it down enough that I can get the straps over my shoulders. The dress gets caught around my hips as I keep moving, but I have no idea where I’m going. “You want to help me out and point out the direction of your bedroom?”
“Delaney, I—”
Embarrassment rushes over me as I realize he’s not into this. I can feel my cheeks heating up when his lust registers as a little stale instead of excited like it was at dinner. I’m quick to get my dress back over my shoulders and zip it up as much as I can, mortified.
“Don’t run, Delaney.”
“Lucky for you I have no idea where I am.” I try an awkward laugh, which feels so off, but it’s all I can manage.
“Can you look at me please?”
It’s the soft tone that gets me to do as he wishes. “I want us to be more than sex,” he says. “I didn’t just bring you here so I could slide that dress off.”
The slightly burnt taste of his lust lingers still, and all the daydreams I was imagining start to fizzle out.
“I hurt your feelings, damn it. I didn’t mean for that.”
I pull into myself a little bit, all too familiar with comforting myself. “You don’t have to apologize for being honest.”
“I do want to take that step with you Delaney, but not until the time is right for both of us. If we do it too early… I wanna get to know you better first.”
Honestly, all I can really hear is he doesn’t want me like that. So I pull out my phone and text August to come pick me up, hoping he knows where I am.
“Don’t leave. Why don’t we watch a movie or something?”
“This isn’t exactly the type of dress you watch a movie in. And I’ve just embarrassed myself so I need a minute. Can I use your bathroom?”
He pulls me through the house, ironically straight to his bedroom, then rifles through his drawers before pulling out sweats and a T-shirt and handing them to me. “In case you want to get comfortable,” he says before leading me to his master bathroom and shutting the door.
I lean on the bathroom counter trying to collect myself, and he pops his head back in. “I love having you here. I had a lot of fun tonight, and I didn’t mean to make you feel bad about yourself. I’m not as comfortable with my body and physical stuff as you are.”
“I don’t feel bad about myself, I’m just embarrassed that I misread the situation. I guess I got a little too excited and forgot to check in with you.” I still can’t really meet his eyes.
He moves to stands behind me, leaving his hands on either side of mine, not moving until I make eye contact with him through the mirror. I can feel his chest rise against my back as he breathes, his hair slightly disheveled. “How did you get too excited by me?”
“This isn’t going to work if you don’t accept that I’m attracted to you. I am a bodysmith, Wilder.”
“Ash. I think I would like it if you called me Ash.”
That almost makes me feel worse, that it took this long for him to be able to ask me that simple thing. I just nod, rolling my lips in because I don’t know how to talk without feeling like I’m gonna cry.
“I know you’re a bodysmith.”
“Do you though? Do you understand what that means?” I force my eyes back to stay on his, the prolonged eye contact making me itchy. “This goes hand in hand with the affection thing,” I tell him. “Wanting this with my mate is a need for me. This is how I’m wired. Things in a relationship with me can’t move very slow, because sex is another language for me. It’s how I express myself and how I show affection and how I feel close to people that I’m interested in.”
“Okay. Communication is good. For me,” he says, “making sure my mate is pampered and feels treasured is more important to me than physical affection. I want to hold you and feel comfortable together and work up to sex.”
“If you don’t feel comfortable with me, then I’m not doing my part.” A spark of inspiration hits me and I hope it doesn’t lead to me making a bigger fool of myself. “Come here,” I ask, gently pushing him out of the bathroom and to the edge of his bed where I help him to sit down.
I step between his legs and prop my hands on his shoulders, taking the full measure of him. “I’m going to try something, and if I make you uncomfortable, just tell me to stop, okay? I know I must seem like I’m being awfully forward, but I think this is just because you’ve never met someone like me.”
“That’s for sure,” he says with a smirk, and because this is better than the stale lust, I take it as a win.
“I want you to close your eyes and just focus on me being here with you. Can you do that?”
His thick eyelashes flutter shut and I wait a beat, just to build up the anticipation. When he doesn’t move, I reward him with a gentle kiss and some simple praise. “Good.” I feel my eyebrow raise when his jaw twitches a little. Hot damn, he liked that. “I’m just going to help you unbutton this dress shirt, nothing else. Is that okay?”
“Yes.”
I kiss him again, another reward. Instead of just going for the buttons though, I drag my fingertips down his jawline, across his neck, and over his hammering pulse before falling over his collarbone and finally undoing the two topmost buttons.
I slide my fingertips under the collar and trace the skin that’s now exposed to the cooler air, inhaling his changing scent. “I think your body is perfect and strong. I admire how you want to do the right thing, even when it feels like a difficult choice.”
He swallows thickly, but keeps his eyes closed.
“I see you have an undershirt on. Is it okay if I undo more buttons?”
“Yes.” His voice is scratchier this time.
I climb on his lap like I did in the car, remembering that he seemed to like that. I’m still clothed, but I do have to pull my dress up to make the move work, so it feels intimate. I press kisses down the column of his throat, letting my teeth press into the skin there until he hisses. I look up when I catch movement, a quick shift to feline eyes surprising me but confirming that this is still going well.
“Good kitty, kitty.”
“Seriously?”
“Remind me that I have some kitty treats and cat toys for you back at my place.”
He freezes and it’s so hard to pretend I don’t find this as hilarious as it is, but I manage to take one from Leo and keep my face stony and serious. “Close your eyes again. I’m still working.”
Only when he obliges do I continue. I very slowly unbutton down the line on his dress shirt, pulling up to untuck it from his pants. “This chest and these shoulders? Beautiful.” I run my palms between his dress shirt and t-shirt, tracing the line of his shoulders. I run down his arms until the button up is forced to fall before working his hands free from the fabric. “We doing good so far?”
“Yes.”
“I want you to stay right here so I can go and change.”
His eyes pop open. “Don’t. Don’t do it in there, I mean. That is—”
He wants to watch. I kiss him for the information, sliding backwards off his lap and letting my hands trace across his thighs and knees before I’m fully standing.
I keep eye contact until I have to turn and grab the clothing he lent me, his bathroom vanity being in direct line of sight to where he’s sitting.
I give him my back as I reach for my zipper once more, giving him a little bit of a tease as I let it slip down my back, exposing my skin.
“You’re so beautiful. When I’m nervous, I tend to shut down a little bit.”
I don’t say anything to this, but it does make me feel a little better. My dress was backless so I have to pull really awkward nipple overs off my boobs, which he absolutely does not need to see, but the fucking relief I feel from the fresh air on my skin makes me groan.
But then I remember I’m standing in front of a damn mirror and he can see everything anyway. My breasts feel heavy after being shoved in that tight dress for hours, so when he’s suddenly behind me and running his hands over my stomach, cautiously going up until he’s cupping me, it’s like therapy.
“You have no idea how good that feels. Taking off tight fitting garments is the best part of the day when you have boobs.”
“It very well might be my favorite part of the day now, too.” His mouth lands on my neck, hot tongue teasing me and helping me relax further. I lean into him more, encouraging him to continue his massage. “You smell like my favorite fruit.”
I’m sure I do. I’m so incredibly turned on right now from his touch.
“I could look at you all day long; it is actually very difficult for me to comprehend that you’re actually mine. Fuck. You’re my mate.”
I don’t reply, because I thought that was already common knowledge.
“I see we got here right in time.” I close my eyes and smile, relaxing against Ash more, enjoying it even more now that I know I have more of an audience.
“Welcome, gentleman,” Ash says calmly to August and Jackson. “I see that the key I gave you worked well?”
“You gave them a key?” I ask stupidly since he literally just said that. But I’m shocked because he seems like a private person, and giving access to his home to people he barely even knows feels like a big trust exercise.
“I don’t want to cut off their access to you. We were thinking, and obviously you have to agree to this and be comfortable with it, that we should all court you as a group. You were asking about the group text; this is something we all agreed on, because we’re all in a relationship with you, so it makes sense to spend time all together.”
“You’re all entitled to alone time though,” I assure him. “Just because I’m a conduit, doesn’t mean I have to do everything in a group setting.”
“I think we know that,” Jackson says, taking a step into the room. I don’t feel the urge to cover myself even from him, my blood too familiar with the weight of his gaze on me. Ash’s bathroom isn’t super big, but it is big enough for Jackson to get in front of me and kneel so his breath lands right on my belly button. “We decided that being in a group is important to us, because we want everything to feel fair. We want to get comfortable being together with you, because if any of us want to take things seriously with you, this is how it’s going to be sooner or later.”
“That’s true, but—”
“No buts. That’s it. You’re a conduit, Delaney, and anybody you”re going to decide to bring into your bond group needs to know exactly what they’re getting into. That’s not to say you can’t have alone time if you need it or if one of us especially needs it, and again, you have to approve this, but we think we need to all court you together. That means we’re intimate together, we’re going on dates together, and spending a lot of time together as a group. Especially because you’re in class a lot of the time, and we can’t always spend the time with you that we want to. We all want to take it where we can get it.”
Ash’s thumbs are tracing little circles on my hips, the warmth of his body seeping through his shirt now and onto my bare skin. I turn my head to meet his eyes to make sure he agrees with what Jackson just said, and then make sure August is on board too. He’s now sitting on the edge of the bed where Ash just was. “I just want to make sure you guys are all comfortable.”
“No,” August argues, immediately standing and moving closer. “That’s not your job. We are adults, and we can regulate ourselves. Your job is to do what you feel comfortable with and our job is to support you while you do that.”
I’m startled when Jackson presses a kiss to my belly button, resting his forehead there. My hands automatically wrap around his head and then embrace it, scared to feel so much comfort in something we did so many times before he ruined it all.
“I’m so sorry Delaney. I know that doesn’t fix things, but you still need to hear it.” He tips his head back so he has to look at me through the valley of my breasts, which I don’t think he minds at all, but his eye contact stays right on my face, which makes this feel more intimate than sexy.
“When we first met you, you knocked me off my fucking feet. I thought, this is what love at first sight feels like. I was obsessed with you from the minute I laid eyes on you. I knew I was going to do some really stupid things to try and become a part of your life, and I was actually convinced that I was hallucinating when you agreed to date us.”
He looks back at his brother just to assert he was still there because he’s being so quiet, leaning against the door jamb and taking everything in. Taking that as an invitation, August steps closer, leaning over his brother to kiss me. He rests a hand on Jackson’s shoulder, connecting us all.
Jackson’s not done talking though, and I know I want to hear what he has to say. This moment feels too heavy for something important not to happen. “You were… everything I ever needed. I knew right away that you were going to be somebody that was in my life for a long time, and I was okay with that. I wanted it, yearned for it. Every day I got to spend time with you, even if I was merely protecting you while we were out doing stuff, it felt like a dream. That somebody so sweet, gorgeous, and just all around wonderful as you would look at someone like me, a bodyguard for hire with low emotional intelligence, and see something worth pursuing?
“It felt out of control how big my feelings grew for you, and even though I knew where we were heading, I panicked when things started to become serious, because I think part of me expected you to not want that with me. I never for once thought you could reject my brother because he’s so good, but I always need so much reassurance, and I know it gets annoying. I know how codependent me and August are with each other, and that”s a lot to ask anybody to take on.
“That you managed to find this way of treating us like we were simultaneously two separate people and yet one unit, recognizing what differences we have and celebrating them, while also completely accepting that me and him come as a package was nothing short of a miracle.”
This is bringing back all the emotions from those early days with him, and it’s like he’s ruining things all over again, making me remember how bad everything felt when his feelings stopped.
“We had never been in a relationship with somebody like you, Delaney. With somebody that saw something they wanted and just took it. August never looked back, never questioned it, and I think it’s because you’ve been so sheltered that you hold on to things with two hands and go all in. The spirit you have in you is intoxicating, and every time me and August got to touch you, I’d always end up feeling at the end that that is what the afterlife must feel like. Because being with you, moving together, all three of us? It was too perfect.”
“Jackson, please.” My eyes shutter and tears start to fill them. I don’t want to go through this again.
“You know I texted our ex, and I apologize for that. Even though there was no flirtation or anything like that, it was still a betrayal to you. We’ve told you that I have this innate need to sabotage things when they go too good for me, and that was my first move. It felt wrong that you were all I thought about; that my job, my house, my family, everything became second to you.
“Instead of asking to take a step back, in a healthy way, I did it in a reckless way and hurt you. I don’t even know for sure what I was really scared of other than you maybe deciding that I wasn’t what you wanted. I knew that once you came to Hemlock, you’d be surrounded by all these new people, and I thought there was no way I could hold the attention of somebody like you; princess, conduit, bodysmith… you’re so incredibly important to so many people, but when we’re together, I don’t feel like any of that stuff matters. We became a new unit, and I need that back. I want it back so badly, Delaney.”
“But what happens when you freak out again and lash out at me?”
He shakes his head. “I’m sorry that you overheard that conversation that August and I had, because of course you did, right?”
I nod, still not sorry for eavesdropping.
“You shouldn’t have heard that, and not for the reasons you think. You hadn’t been with us long enough to see this pattern, but when I start to act stupid, my brother tells me to snap out of it, and then a day or two later I’m able to do just that. I just needed a few days to accept what was happening, to realize that nothing was going to change between us if we started talking about getting mated, and I probably would have been scared out of my mind, but I would have been fucking thrilled.”
“But do you remember that I can feel when somebody has affection for me, Jackson? I knew something was wrong days before that because your lust stopped feeding me. I could tell you were pulling away, and if you weren’t feeding me, then you didn’t love me. And then that conversation happened, and it pretty much cemented that. You shouldn’t have to make yourself want to be with me. It should have been easy for you.”
He stands up slowly, towering slightly over me. “You’re right. It should have been easy for me, but that’s the thing about mental health. We don’t choose what’s easy for us and what’s not. We simply learn how to manage with the brain we’ve got, and how to function the best way we can. My feelings for you were never in question.”
“But I felt—”
“I know what you felt. You were so quick to jump on and yell at me and break things, instead of working them out. And it hurt me that you immediately thought so little of me after everything we’ve been through, Delaney. Did you ever stop to think that the reason you couldn’t feel me, that my lust felt different to you, was because of what my magic is? Did you forget that I’m a shield? You not getting nourishment from me wasn’t because I didn’t have those kinds of feelings for you. It was because I was nervous about things for my own reasons, and I started protecting myself, shielding myself. I don’t know how that would have translated, so I didn’t say anything. It’s something I just do when things start to feel shaky to me. But if you would have trusted me, I could have showed you then, what it would have felt like with my shield gone.”
It’s as if a wave of heat washes over me as he stares me down, and I have to take what he just said and think about it harder. The lust I’m feeling from him right now is alive and writhing. It’s so thick and aggressive it’s practically burrowing under my skin on its own.
“Of course I love you, Delaney. I’m sorry that I said the things I did when we were in the forest, I’m sorry I wasn’t good about communicating my needs with you, but I knew that if I continued on as we had been, my little episode would fade away and things would be a lot better. It wasn’t a you problem at all, it was completely on me. I got weird because sometimes I need to do that. It doesn’t mean I don’t love you; it just means I need to work through things on my end. And I’m sorry it took me so long to tell you and open up to you, but you dumping us? I never want to feel like that again.
“It was like you came at my chest with a rusty spoon and told me everything I’d feared all along; that I wasn’t good enough, that you didn’t want me. And yes, I reached out to our ex, because I honestly thought you were just going to move on. You seemed so cool and unaffected by the breakup, and I was desperate to see if I could muster up any sort of enthusiasm for anything. I shouldn’t have contacted Nat, but at the time, I just needed somebody I felt somewhat comfortable with. Nothing ever happened with her, and I was never even tempted to try.”
I reel back like I’ve been struck with an iron, completely in shock. “But you—”
“I know. When you broke it off I really did think we were gonna be done done. My brother had other ideas, but things have just been wrong for so long now. I’ve been trying to heal, trying to watch you flourish, and now you’ve taken two mates and I’m not one of them, and I can’t sit on the sidelines anymore. I need to be yours again. I don’t know if you’ll have me, but if you need to think about it for a bit, then take your time. Just please don’t make the mistake of thinking I don’t need you.
“I’ve worked through what I need to work through for now, and even if I do have some other sort of episode later on, I’ll be better about communicating my needs with you. I’ll work through that one just like I could have worked through this one if everything hadn’t fallen apart. But I really hope that we can find our way to how things should be between us,” and the look he’s giving me intensifies, his gray eyes hard to look away from. “I was yours on day one, and even if I lost my way, I never truly stopped being yours.
“I left my heart with you when we split up, and living with you has been torture, seeing you walk around in all your skimpy night outfits and smelling so damn good all the time.” He shakes his head to clear it. “I want to touch you, and hold you, kiss you, and do all the things I can, and I’m ready Delaney. I really am. Boyfriend, mate, whatever you’re ready for. I want to court you; I want to be somebody that you consider as a definite part of your future. Please don’t leave me out here in the cold.”
He grips onto me with both hands shaking slightly, but I feel as if I don’t have the high road here. All this time I’ve been thinking I was the wronged party, but now after hearing his perspective, I realize that’s not fully the case. “Things clearly aren’t so black and white,” I admit, trying to process anything. “I guess I can start with telling you I’m sorry. For how quickly and negatively I reacted, because being with you guys was my first actual relationship ever. I don’t know what the hell I’m doing, but…”
I relax into Ash. I appreciate how all of us are ignoring how my breasts are just hanging out with my nipples hard as shit because they’re cold. I pull August in for a kiss, the need to taste him more overwhelming than anything right now. “You started this text chat? Why?”
“At that moment you claimed Leo,” he says, nodding his head outside even though we’re nowhere near my dorm, and now an ache forms in my chest yearning for someone I’m not sure when I’ll get again. “That sort of opened my eyes to some things. Obviously we always knew you were a conduit, that you were going to have mates, and I always hoped to be among them. But to get to witness that moment, to see you and Leo connect in a way that transcends any sort of relationship I’ve ever seen, was really powerful.
“I know he transferred some sort of memory or vision or something to you,” and August pauses to let me confirm this, which I do with a nod, “and I know that getting mated is only the beginning, that the real work comes after that. I also sort of realized we hadn’t been giving you everything you needed. We haven’t made you feel special enough, haven’t put enough effort into making sure you knew how important to us you are, and I saw how you reacted to Leo’s statements, and knew that that’s what you needed. You need the big declarations and the heavy emotions because of what you are; because of who you are and how you grew up.
“I want to be part of your love story, Delaney.” His hand cradles my arm, his thumb brushing over the mark that’s undoubtedly his. “I can’t wait to see this mark filled in, but I just want you to know that you have my full support in all that you do. Watching you meet people and come out of your shell has been a gift, and I’m so glad I’ve been here for all of it. I love you, in the big way.”
I can’t do much more than blink away the heavy tears as I bury my face in his chest, sort of squishing Jackson in between us, but he just wraps his arms around me tighter.
It seems too good, too easy, that they should just tell me I can have whatever I want. But then again, I’ve had so many challenges just to get to this point that I deserve a little bit of coasting.
“We hurt each other, Jackson. Neither one of us is faultless. I have a bit of a deal with Ash,” I start to explain, motioning toward him and patting Ash on the cheek so he knows I’m still thinking about him. “We want to lead with honesty, and I think that that’s important here, too. I think we need to promise to always tell each other whatever needs to be said if we’re going to be our best selves. With that, I’ll give you the caveat that if you come at me with honesty, I can’t promise I won’t be hurt, but I can promise I’ll listen to what you’re saying and think about it. This is not going to be a one-way relationship where I dictate everything and you jump, because I want a partnership.”
Jackson stands slowly, my chest struggling against his as he does, elbowing his brother a bit out of the way. He brings his hands to cup my face, his pinkies resting on the back of my neck. “You’re everything to me,” he says softly. “If I start getting any weird thoughts in my head, know that they’ll have nothing to do with you, and I’ll do my best to be open about them with you. But if I do that, then you have to promise not to run again. If something happens and goddess forbid we get in a fight again, and you break things off? Doesn’t matter who caused it, I won’t be able to handle it again. So if you decide to break things off again, that’s it.
“And I don’t mean that to be some sort of scary ultimatum, I’m just telling you where I stand. I want this to work so badly, and I can so clearly see the life we could build together; you, me, my brother, Ash of course, Leo, whoever else comes along. My whole soul knows that you’re meant to be my mate. Will you agree to let me court you once again with the intention of becoming mated when we feel ready? I’m good with things moving fast from here on out. I promise. Or we can go slow. Whatever speed things go, I’m ready.”
I search his eyes even though my whole self knows that this is the right move. And so, giddy as hell, I plant my hands on his shoulders to give him a warning before jumping up on him. I wrap my legs around his waist so I can kiss him down to this chest bone. I infuse that kiss with everything I’ve wanted to say and do to him in the past few weeks, and I kiss him in a way that I hope says I’m in this.
Even though the twins are so similar in every way, I can still tell the difference between their kisses. “Fuck, I’ve missed you,” I have to admit out loud. “Did you know your bottom lip is just slightly fuller than your brother’s?” I bite it and suck on it, playing with it to emphasize my point.
Of course, this works as an ignition. “I’m thinking that I need to prove to you I’m different in other ways, too. Have you forgotten how quickly I can make you come on my tongue? I think you need a refresh. It’s been far too long, my darling conduit.”
I feel my eyes widen as I tremble, and then I’m being tossed onto Ash’s bed. Ash’s bed. We should do this somewhere else if he doesn’t want to be physical with me. Or does he?
I look to Ash as Jackson begins to pull off the dress I put on for our date, to see that he’s taken a seat in the armchair in the corner, getting settled to watch, apparently.
“This feels like an extraordinary exercise in which to become better acquainted with my mate. Good planning, Jackson.”
“Yes, let’s give Jackson all the credit for— oh fuck.” All he did was kiss me, but it’s also so much more. And no, I haven’t forgotten Jackson’s many talents, but I’m definitely not about to tell him that and miss out on this demonstration.
“You let me lick this pretty pussy and it’s completely mine. That’s the rule, right?” He licks a strip up my center, then hovers over me to roughly suck on my nipples, using his teeth in a way that has my back arching.
“I’ve heard of this rule,” August chimes in, slowly getting undressed. “Ash, is this angle good for you? Feel free to jump in if you want. We sort of just completely commandeered your evening with her.”
Ash waves him off, appearing nonchalant even with a raging fucking boner nearly breaking through his pants. “Seems to me that my evening just changed directions, is all.” He’s quiet for a moment while Jackson looks over me, apparently deciphering some sort of plan of where he really wants to start.
“Can someone explain to me why I have a sudden urge to suck on her toes? I think feet are…not pleasant normally, but even her toes have sex appeal. I find this confusing.”
“Yeah, I’ve had heels on all night, no one is licking these toes,” I say, shutting Ash down. “You want to let that freak flag fly, might I suggest we do it post bath?”
“I can accept this. Proceed,” Ash says, waving us on.
“Fuck. The formal thing is weird but the contradiction is kind of working for me,” Jackson says with a smile.
I trap his face, stopping him with his tongue extended, mere inches away from me. “You really want to be mated to me? You’re not just saying that?”
Then he very deliberately lowers his head, fighting through the resistance of my hand trying to hold him in place. His tongue slips out a little further, and he uses his thumbs to spread me wide fucking open before licking me so lightly it nearly tickles.
“I licked it. It’s mine. It was so dumb for my brain to tell me I’d be missing out on anything if I built a life with you, because everything good is right here.”
As he begins to show me what I’ve definitely been missing, I completely agree with his statement.
Time seems to stop as his tongue flicks in little circles around my clit, the pointed tip of it pressing firmly against my flesh. I know I’m leaking an embarrassing amount, but watching Jackson move between my legs, his head dipped and the muscles in his shoulders and back flexing, is like live porn while simultaneously been treated to the oral of my life.
“We both have our strengths, let’s not forget,” August says as he climbs onto the bed, naked now.
I need Ash though. He’s my mate, and my body doesn’t understand why he’s not over here. My lioness is prowling, angry suddenly.
Being a poly shifter means technically I could change into different animals with enough practice, but I’m actually pretty happy with my lion, and I normally have perfect control over her—she’s never the side of my magic that causes issues. But there’s also never been a male lion within the vicinity when I was in a mood like this, and Ash is ours by right.
My head falls back as a growl scratches through my throat, a demand for Ash to get over here and tend to me.
The growl doesn’t feel awesome without my lion vocal cords, but I don’t think she much cares about that.
“Holy shit,” August and Jackson both say, stunned and staring at me. “What the hell was that?” also in tandem. The twin thing is occasionally a little freaky.
But Ash knows what’s up.
He’s up on his feet, prowling towards me, and I feel my body heating me up and twisting my insides with need. Every part of me needs to be touched and bit and licked, and even the sheets feel as if they’re too much sensation underneath me for how little I’m getting in return.
“Do you need me, Delaney?”
I have to fight my lioness some more, because with Ash now standing over me, his scent is making me basically feral. “Not if you’re not…comfortable. Maybe you could just lie in front of me and let me hold onto you while they…”
Jackson is so quick to comply with this new plan, flipping me so I’m instantly lying on my side, tucking his head between my legs again, pulling my top leg down on his neck so he’s voluntarily trapped. His tongue spears inside of me, his nose and face working my clit perfectly as I get to cling onto Ash.
“Is this a freaky lion thing?” August slips in behind me, stroking himself and eyeing my ass like the bullseye it’s about to be.
“Damnit. I wanted to wait. I’m not sure if I can hold out now that you smell like this though. You won’t think less of me and my dedication to you if I give in to what my lion wants? He’s about to break through and force me to mount you.”
“You know she’s a bodysmith, right?” August grunts out. “She’s fueled by sex, and intimacy from someone she’s claimed will be potent as hell. You claim her for real and you’ll both likely be positively drunk on how that connection hits you. Prepare for landing.”
“Landing? Are we being invaded?” Ash asks, honestly confused.
“He’s…talking to my ass. No worries for you.” Fuck it’s hard to talk right now.
Oh my gods. I forgot that sometimes August makes weird astronaut sounds when we’re having sex. That should be so icky, but…then he’s stretching me around him, taking my ass slowly. Bodysmiths don’t need lube or even really stretching since we’re made for sex in all forms, so anal feels as incredible as any other sex I get to have with them. It lights up a whole different set of nerves than Jackson is stimulating though, and I’m fucking gone.
They’re so damn good at working together, so when Jackson sucks my clit and shoves a couple fingers inside of me, I definitely cream all over his hand, screaming out with my human noises.
“Fuck. You can’t do that yet, Delaney. There are rules, godsdamnit.” August thrusts hard inside of me, pounding me, and I can feel exactly what is making this so good for him, aside from my out of this world ass; Jackson purposely tracing the shape of his dick through my flesh, pressing against him every time he slides into me.
The spasms are wracking me hard because Jackson hasn’t let up on my clit, and then he starts pressing against my A spot which extends the orgasms to an absurd length.
“Fuck, that’s godsdamn beautiful,” Ash says in awe. “Your face just now when they, while they…together, huh? Yes, I think this arrangement will work quite well. That…doesn’t hurt you?”
“Body…smith…” August gasps out, reaching around to palm the back of Jackson’s head so he can hold him to me tighter. The image short wires my brain, because even though it’s so fucking wrong, the thought of August holding Jackson’s head as if he were sucking him off might be the hottest thing I’ve ever seen.
“You’re giving it to her so good, brother.” August uses his hold on Jackson’s head to leverage himself against me, thrusting into my ass as I begin to scream, silently this time.
Once I’m spent August slows down, giving himself a break. Jackson sits up and I know exactly what he’s going to do.
I don’t know how Ash will find this relationship to be, it must be slightly shocking, but I need to see it too bad to warn anyone off of it.
Jackson scoots himself up and I feel him rub himself all over August’s balls before he’s sliding inside me, DVPing the absolute fuck out of me.
With them both now at the same level, Jackson leans forward, my release drenching his face. August presses forward to reach him, his tongue snaking out to lick Jackson’s skin clean. “Gods, our woman tastes good. This is where we both belong, Jackson. Promise me we won’t forget this. What she gives us.”
Jackson pushes himself into me roughly, his hands wrapped over me and around August’s back, pulling the three of us together tightly. “This is the only way I ever mean for her to come between us again.”