Blonde and Blue (37 page)

He stood near the foot of the bed, gazing down at us. He waited until my attention was on him before revealing his nakedness one piece of clothing at a time. I felt like a starved woman at a feast. I wanted him close again, so they both touched me. I craved it.

Shaz gave me a light slap on the ass, and I returned my attention to him. Guiding me carefully, he repositioned us so that we both sat facing one another on the bed, with me in charge as the one on top. Impaling myself along his hard length, I stared down into his beautiful eyes, seeing myself reflected in them.

The sitting position was nice. It forced us to press close, maintaining a deep level of intimacy as we moved together. It should have been a perfect moment of love, but an image flashed unbidden through my head, the black-haired vampiress with her lips on my white wolf, her fangs buried in his flesh. It stunned me, and I felt myself pulled from the magic of the moment.

“Lex?” Shaz whispered my name and pushed the hair back from my face. “Is something wrong?”

“No,” I said quickly, fighting not to let it show in my eyes. “Nothing wrong.”

Arys watched me with a peculiar certainty, and I was sure he’d seen the vision that had just flashed through my mind. He never said as much, just prowled closer to the bed with a sly, unnerving ease.

Shaz pressed his face to my throat, his lips warm against the pulsing vein there. I looked to Arys for help, seeking escape from the ugly images swirling in my thoughts. He slid onto the bed, coming to embrace me from behind.

Pressing soft kisses to my shoulders and the back of my neck, it surprised me when I heard his voice whisper through my mind, ‘I’ll kill her.’

Tension filled me, and I closed my eyes, focusing on their scents, refusing to allow this night to be ruined by my own insecurities.

‘No, Arys. That won’t help anything. She isn’t the real problem.’

The musky wolf scent of Shaz mingled with Arys’ hair products to create a comforting aroma that was just the two of them made one. It stirred a ravenous response that I could feel in the pit of my stomach.

Arys knelt behind me, stroking his hands over my body as I moved with Shaz. As Arys manipulated the powerful energy the three of us called, I was able to fall deeper into the two of them. Nothing else mattered right now other than this current moment. I had to let myself believe that.

Shaz twitched inside me. A tingle filled my belly as his approaching release encouraged my own pleasure. With Arys’ metaphysical guidance every sensation was heightened. Their hands were all over me, in my hair, on my breasts, gripping my hips. My breath came faster, and I clung to Shaz so tight my clawed nails left bloody trails in his skin.

The scent of his blood hit me, and the bloodlust crawled up within me, threatening to burst forth. A throaty snarl escaped me as Shaz pushed me over the edge of climax, and I was suddenly caught in the throes of ecstasy. Mixed with every amazing wave that rocked my body was the hunger, the desire to bite into the wolf beneath me. I wanted him.

Sensing my hunger, Shaz gazed at me with a yearning that almost matched my own. He wanted it, too. I’d gotten used to seeing wariness in his eyes when the bloodlust raised its ugly head. Finding his expression full of intrigue left me conflicted. I loved it as much as I hated it.

My lungs heaved as I caught my breath. I slid out from between them and collapsed in the middle of the bed. This left them staring at one another with a strange, even look. Shaz quickly put some space between them by reclining back on the bed and rolling onto his side next to me. However, his gaze remained fixed on Arys.

“You want something, wolf?” Arys’ pupils dilated as he taunted Shaz.

Shaz reached out to touch me, a gentle hand on my leg. He continued to watch the vampire, a darkness settling into his wolf eyes. My heart raced as I waited for Shaz to give voice to his wish.

Instead of replying, Shaz pushed himself up on his knees and reached for Arys. Though I couldn’t take my eyes off them, I groped blindly for the nearest champagne glass on the table. All the booze in the world wasn’t going to take the edge off. I knew what I was about to see, and it twisted my insides in a mass of confusion.

Arys wore a look of devious satisfaction as Shaz slid his hands into the vampire’s jet black hair. He curled his fingers into fists, holding tight to Arys’ locks. He leaned in close, his mouth hovering just inches from Arys’. I held my breath, waiting and hoping, but for what I wasn’t sure.

With the barest brush of their lips, Shaz spoke softly. “Don’t turn this into a game. You know what I want.” For just a moment he nuzzled Arys, a strangely affectionate gesture for two men who couldn’t stand one another. Then Shaz tilted his head to the side, offering his neck to Arys.

I sat upright, a glass clutched in my hand. The intensity of the scene before me was rife with lust and power. It took concentration on my part not to shatter the glass with my grip. I watched my white wolf offer himself to Arys, and I was both horrified and madly turned on. As much as I wanted to watch Arys feed from Shaz, I knew that this more than anything showed how far into our world Shaz had fallen.

I didn’t expect Arys to look to me for permission. I saw the question in his eyes, and I stared back at him, giving no indication of what I preferred. This was between the two of them. And honestly, I didn’t know. I was merely a bystander.

Arys would never pass up an offer like this from Shaz. Though Shaz was taking a dominant stance, Arys was always the one in control. With a slight smirk, he bared his fangs and bit hard and fast into my wolf.

Shaz grunted slightly as he relaxed into the bite. His knuckles were white from gripping Arys’ hair so tightly, and the energy that rolled off him was thick with wanton desire. It struck me like a slap in the face, and I couldn’t help but respond with my own hunger for blood and sex.

The champagne in my hand quickly lost all appeal. I held the glass forgotten and watched as Arys tasted Shaz, his tongue gliding over the bloody wound. The sound of my heart pounding in my ears alerted me to the fact that I’d stopped breathing, frozen in the moment.

Goosebumps rose up on my skin as a rush of power crashed over me. Arys drove it, sweeping Shaz up in its thrall. His eyes closed, and he leaned into the vampire’s dizzying allure. Arys was carefully in control. He pulled back before taking too much. I tensed, waiting to see what would happen next.

For a brief, heart-stopping second, I thought Arys would push it further, as he had once before. Expecting that very thing, Shaz’ eyes opened in a glare, and he growled. His hands slipped from Arys’ hair, and he turned his head away before Arys could kiss him. Instead, my beautiful vampire leaned into Shaz and boldly ran his tongue along that soft spot beneath Shaz’ ear.

Shaz pulled away. His eyes were wild, pupils huge. He breathed hard, almost panting as the power in the room pulled him under like a deadly undertow. Soaring high on lust and werewolf blood, Arys was on me before I could blink.

Knocking the glass out of my hand, he pushed me down on my back and forced himself between my legs. It was rough and even a little painful when he reached one hand into my hair, pinning my head to the bed. Adrenaline burst through me. I was eager for him, crying out when he forcefully thrust inside me.

Pressing his lips to mine, Arys kissed me hungrily. I tasted Shaz’ blood in his mouth, and my pleasure was instantly heightened. White noise roared in my ears as our power flowed freely.

Arys rolled us onto our sides, so we lay facing one another. This allowed Shaz to align his body to mine from behind. As Arys pumped into me with an aggression that pleased my wolf, Shaz held tight to me from behind.

With a clawed hand tightly gripping my waist, he bit the back of my neck with those four massive fangs.

I yelped and felt the telltale warmth of blood. Wolf fangs hurt worse than vampire fangs. They were fierce, made for shredding and tearing.

Even as careful as he’d been, the burning pain was shocking. The wolf inside me loved it. The savage touch of my mate was stimulating, banishing the human fear of pain and instead finding joy in it. The gentle touch of his tongue on the wound was as intimate as when he’d licked between my legs. Shaz tasted my blood, and it made me crazy.

Wrapped up in the two men I loved with all my heart, there was nowhere else on earth I’d have rather been. The give and take of love and pleasure was a rollercoaster of power, emotion and acceptance. Time ticked by as we all sought something in one another whether it be gratification, affection or simply acceptance. It was long after dawn by the time we lay sprawled on the bed in exhaustion.

My body was decorated in bloody scratches, bites and bruises. I didn’t attempt to get up; my heart hadn’t returned to its normal pace, and my breath still didn’t come easily.

Shaz fetched a pair of sweat pants from the drawer in my dresser where he kept some of his things and disappeared upstairs.

I lay in the disarray of the blankets, snuggled against Arys. He stroked a hand through my hair while we listened to Shaz slamming doors upstairs. It sounded like he went into the garage.

“That wolf needs to be careful.” Arys broke the silence with words that made me apprehensive. “He was far too willing to give his blood to me. That kind of behavior can lead to addictive tendencies.”

“What about you?” I countered. “You wanted him. I didn’t see you turn him down.”

Arys looked at me like I’d said something ridiculous. “Of course not. He still has a very firm guard up when it comes to me. If I see it fall for even a minute, I’m taking advantage of it.”

“I’m worried about him. He gets off on the rush. I don’t want to see him become a junkie for it.”

“Try not to worry about him too much. We won’t let our wolf become a blood whore. Besides, I think it’s you that stands the greatest risk of forming addictive tendencies.”

It was soothing to hear him call Shaz “our” wolf. But, that was overlooked when I heard what he had to say about me. “Hey! I do not have addictive tendencies.”

“Don’t you?”

Before I could toss a defensive retort back, Shaz entered the room carrying a shiny, black chrome rim with a big red ribbon tied around it. I sat up quickly, reaching to touch the smooth metal.

“Happy birthday, babe.” Fangs now absent, Shaz kissed me warmly. “The other three are in the garage. I hope you like them. I think they’ll look awesome on your car.”

“I love them! I can’t wait to get these on my beast.” I let out a girlish squeal. Brand new rims for my car might not seem like the most romantic gift, but coming from Shaz, it was perfect.

Arys propped himself up on an elbow, his hand under his head. He lay there on the bed in all his nude glory. “Nice choice, pup. Those will look great.” To me he added, “My gift to you is in the nightstand.”

I sprang at the nightstand like a rabid dog, eager to see what my vampire would choose to give me. I almost upset a few candles in my rush to get the drawer open. I had to dig through a pile of blue tissue paper before I found it, an incredibly old book. The leather cover was worn and thin; the pages had yellowed with time, and it had that musty book smell that all old books eventually have.

Lifting it carefully, I set it on my lap and opened it. It was a journal, Arys’ journal. The dates written in faded ink on the pages were shocking. There were journal entries from more than a hundred years ago.

“I know you have all of my memories,” Arys watched me flip through the pages, “but they’re mostly a mess of random images in your head. Yours are for me, too. I thought this might help. I wanted you to have it.”

I gazed at Arys in wonder. I never would have expected something so deeply personal from him. “Arys … thank you. This is so thoughtful. I don’t even know what to say. I really appreciate that you would be willing to give me this.”

I reached out to grasp his hand, hoping he saw the gratitude in my eyes. I gently replaced the journal back into the nightstand drawer. Arys smiled and pulled me back down on the bed beside him. I reached for Shaz who quickly joined us.

As tired as I was, I didn’t sleep. I waited for each of them to fall asleep, and then I carefully disentangled myself from their grasps and left the bed. Wrapping myself in the black robe that always hung on the back of the door, I glanced back at the two of them.

Shaz clutched his pillow, snoring softly. He was facing away from Arys, far enough out of reach to avoid accidentally touching. Arys had an arm up over his head, hiding his face from view. I wondered if he really was asleep at all. He didn’t sleep much, and when he did, it was light, like he was always partially alert.

Though they were only a few feet apart on the bed, it was like they were worlds away from one another. I linked them, and without me, they were nothing. I didn’t particularly want them to be close, but I didn’t want them to always be at odds either. I really didn’t think that would ever change.