Inferno (22 page)

“I don’t see any other alternative. Look, the prohibition doesn’t have to be done the same way her keeper bespelled her. In fact, it would be better to seek another avenue. We could do it while we work to cleanse her of the poison.”

“During sex, you mean.” Dante spit the words out. They left a bitter taste in his mouth.

“It’s the only way I know to weaken the poison. Unless and until we kill the mage who put it in her bloodstream, she’ll be a danger to you and everyone else. All we can do is weaken his hold so when the time comes, she’s strong enough to fight against it.”

“I detest this.” Dante stood and paced to the fireplace, idly fingering some of the photos that sat in frames on the polished wood mantle.

“I know, my friend. I can see how you care for her.”

Dante looked at Duncan sharply. “She is mortal and shifter. She is not for me.”

“I know that and you know that, but does your heart hear and obey? I think not, laddie. I see the way you look at her, the way you make love to her. And that’s what it is, lovemaking, not just fucking. Your heart has already claimed her, but even I can’t tell if your path will lead to disaster or something more sublime than I have ever witnessed. All I can tell you is that it is a dangerous road, and I don’t envy either of you who walk it.”

Dante was shocked. He knew Duncan had a touch of the Sight, though it wasn’t always informative or conveniently available when they really needed it. The idea that Duncan had seen so much of Dante’s motivations—things he hadn’t wanted to recognize or come to terms with yet himself—was daunting, to say the least.

And through it all, Duncan was there, helping them. He was the truest of friends and someone Dante could trust. Beyond a doubt, Duncan was on the right side in this whole sordid mess.

Dante had known him long enough to know that if Duncan said something had to be done, there was a damned good reason for it.

“Have I been an ungrateful lout?” Dante deflated and sank onto the couch.

“Never that, my old friend. Just blinded by a want and desire so grand it may well overwhelm you in the end. Whether that will be for good or ill, I cannot say.”

“I’m on a collision course with fate, Duncan. Have been my whole life. I gave up worrying about it a long time ago. I try to live in the moment as best I can.”

“A wise move, but what of your lady? I’m not sure our Megan can do the same. She’s much younger than either of us can even remember being, and mortal. She doesn’t have the same luxury of time to learn to be as jaded as you, my friend.” Dante barked out a laugh at Duncan’s joking insults. Duncan always had a way of putting things in perspective. He’d been a good friend centuries ago and it had been a pleasant surprise to find he still was.

“Megan must be protected as best we can. She is precious, Duncan.” Dante felt the ice of resolve flowing through his veins. “Even if she is my end, she must endure.” Duncan seemed to measure his words. “So be it.” The half-fey knight held out his hand. “Do you accept my aid or will you go it alone?”

Dante reached for his hand and clasped it tightly. “We’re in this together, for better or worse.” Dante was still conflicted, deep in his soul.

On the one hand, he wanted to do all in his power to weaken evil’s hold over her. If that meant allowing Duncan into their bed again, he didn’t have to like it, but he would allow it.

On the other hand, he’d seen how much pleasure she derived from having both of them at once.

He liked giving that to her and while he hated Duncan for making love to the woman he ached to claim fully, he also had to thank Duncan for being careful with her. It was a strange position to be in. The idea that Duncan followed his lead when they were all together like that appealed to Dante’s intense need to dominate Megan’s pleasure. Of course, he still felt a small, lingering resentment that Duncan
had
to be allowed to make love to her.

And then Dante realized the root of the problem. Without Duncan’s help, Dante couldn’t protect her. That, which he saw as his own failure, was what irked him most. His inability to take her fully—to claim her body and blood at the same time—was feeding the jealous fire inside him.

The reminder of his failure to release her from her keeper’s thrall only added fuel to the blaze. It added insult to the injury of not being able to sink his teeth into her neck and sip of her delicate essence. He wanted that simple act more than anything he could ever remember wanting before.

The thought should have bothered him for all the reasons they’d already discussed. She was mortal and had shifter blood. Such beings were all right for occasional amusement, but Dante was thinking of something much more long-term. Permanent—if she’d have him—regardless of how that might be received by both the shifter and immortal communities. He’d have her no matter what anyone said and if she chose to join him in his endless dark, he’d take her there in an instant.

The thought should have been shocking. It wasn’t. It was appealing in a forbidden sort of way.

Dante was fast approaching the point of no return where Megan was concerned. The idea of turning her—which should have been abhorrent considering that she was
were
and therefore forbidden to turn—preyed upon his mind.

“So what’s on the agenda for this evening?” Megan bounced into the room with a smile that brought an echo of sunshine to his dark existence. She plopped onto the sofa and looked at them with an expectant smile.

Dante couldn’t resist her. Slowly, he stalked forward, cornering her on the soft sofa between his outstretched arms. She looked up at him with no fear, only sexy expectation. He growled and dipped his lips to claim hers in a quick, hard kiss.

He let her up but didn’t let go. “We’ll go back to my place…eventually.”

“Mmm. I think I like the sound of that.” She grinned at him. “So what did you have in mind to pass the time before then?”

“You know sexual pleasure is sustenance to my kind, right?” He waited until she nodded.

“Well, you’ve eaten. Now it’s my turn.” Dante rose with her in his arms and headed toward her bedroom.

There was also the little matter of allowing Duncan to use the energy released in the sex act to loosen the hold her keeper had over her and bind her from revealing Duncan’s true identity.

Dante wouldn’t speak of it. She’d agreed. Duncan would do the magic. All she had to do was enjoy. If all went well, she wouldn’t feel anything except pleasure as Duncan did his thing.

Dante stood at the side of her bed, grateful she had opted for a large size and jealous at the same time. Why would a lone woman have such a large bed unless she shared it frequently? Of course, she was a
were
wolf and they were known to like their space, so perhaps the existence of the decadent bed wasn’t so sinister after all.

He wouldn’t ask. Not now. He knew enough about women to know she’d take offense. His jealousy would only ruin the mood and derail his plans. That was the last thing he wanted to do, but the thought lingered in his mind. He vowed he would make her forget all who had come before him. He’d give her more pleasure than any of those shadows in her past. It was his mission and his goal.

The lamp beside the bed switched on, bathing the room in a soft golden glow. Dante looked over to find Duncan had followed them into the room and was regarding him with solemn eyes.

A nod was all it took to make Duncan aware of Dante’s intent. Duncan came up behind Megan, joining them.

Four strong hands caressed her body as Dante seduced her senses once again. Duncan was his able assistant and willing accomplice. Both men were focused on her pleasure, and she knew without a doubt they would bring her passion as she’d only imagined before meeting them.

Dante alone was potent, but when he directed Duncan in their little love drama, he was unparalleled. He was always a dominant sort of man. When they came together like this, his dominant streak went full throttle. And she loved it.

She loved the way he ordered her around. The way he told Duncan what he wanted him to do her. What he orchestrated for them to do together to her. The passion, the pleasure, the purity of their time together was something she couldn’t have imagined or anticipated. It was something totally outside her prior experience.

Had she thought about actually living the fantasy of being with two men at once, she never could have come up with such a scenario. She never would have expected the way she felt. There was nothing tawdry about the way they were together. Nothing sleazy. Instead, she felt honored and cherished. Totally respected by both men.

The only thing she could have wished for was love. She knew in her heart of hearts that such a thing was impossible between her and a vampire, much less a half-fey Knight of the Light. She had to enjoy this moment while it lasted because she knew all too soon, it could be over. They were involved in a dangerous situation and any one of them could be killed easily.

More than likely it would be her. She was the weakest link of their little chain. Very little could damage a being as magical as Duncan, and Dante hadn’t lasted for so many centuries by being weak. No, if there was a vulnerable party in this group, it was her. Young, only half-shifter and under the compulsion of a sinister mage who’d tricked her and her family into doing heaven-knew-what for him, she was the one who’d be the easiest target for their enemies.

But such thoughts were for later. For now, there was pleasure to be had and two men devoted to bringing her the greatest passion she’d ever known. She’d be a fool to ruin this moment with fearful thoughts of an unknown and nebulous future. No, this moment was for savoring.

Dante demanded her full attention with his dark gaze. He leaned down to graze her skin with his mouth, working his way toward her lips. As he kissed her deeply, Duncan’s hands were at her waist, removing her jeans and skimming them over her legs. She shivered as his hands lingered on her calves, working their way slowly back up her thighs and then to her panties. He dragged them down too, allowing them to pool at her feet with the denim of her blue jeans.

Dante lifted her out of the wad of fabric, placing her on the bed with gentle hands. He sat at her side, caressing her shirt up and off over her shoulders. The bra followed, and she was bare to his gaze and his roaming, arousing hands.

The bed dipped and Duncan joined them, sitting on her other side. She was surrounded by them, but not overwhelmed. Not yet. She figured that would come later, and she was really looking forward to it.

“Take off your shirts,” she requested with a purr. Dante looked at her slyly, and she wasn’t sure he’d comply. He gave in after a moment’s consideration.

Both of them shrugged out of their shirts, and she was rewarded with the vision of two of the most perfect male chests she’d ever seen. Both men were built on the muscular side and she loved the way they looked, one on either side of her, ready to make love to her. How did a girl get so lucky? She didn’t know, but she wasn’t going to argue with her good fortune.

They were hers for as long as it lasted, and she would enjoy every moment she had with Dante and Duncan while she could. Dante was the most compelling man she’d ever known and his half-fey friend wasn’t bad either. To her mind though, it was clearly Dante who made this encounter so special.

She was very much afraid that she was in love with the vampire.

It couldn’t come to anything, of course, but there it was. She’d never have given herself so freely to him and his desires if she wasn’t already a little in love with him. She may be
were
, but she wasn’t a bitch in heat to do anything a man asked. She was more discriminating than that.

It was
this
man. When he came to her, all bets were off. She’d do anything for him, and she was afraid he knew it. She was all too transparent where he was concerned.

She stroked her fingers over his chest, loving the warm, hard feel of him. Rising to her knees, she went into his embrace, kissing him, needing him to hold her and make her feel alive.

She’d never felt this way with anyone. She doubted she ever would again.

“Dante, I—”

He silenced her with a finger over her lips. “Ssh,
ma petite
.” He looked deep into her eyes, and she almost felt as if he were reading her mind. “Turn around, sweet, and give Duncan some of that. Kiss him as you just kissed me.”

She sent him a questioning look, her heart in her eyes. How could he ask her to turn to his friend when she really wanted only him? Didn’t he want her too? Or was this all a game to him?

It was delicious, of course. No woman was immune to having two handsome men so totally focused on her pleasure, but she wanted more. Somehow… she wanted a sign this meant more to Dante than just a momentary pleasure.

He seemed to see the pain in her eyes. His gaze softened as he stroked her hair away from her face.

“It must be this way. For now.” His eyes held promises of which he refused to speak.

“Duncan’s magic will touch you, help you, protect you from what’s coming.” She realized in that moment, he really did care. He wasn’t sharing her with his friend out of some bored ennui, but rather out of concern for her welfare. Duncan was the most magical being she had ever encountered, and she’d seen firsthand his care and friendship for Dante. This act was one of love. The love of a friend for a friend, a brother in arms for his fellow, a guardian for those he was sworn to protect.

She was a little frightened of Duncan’s power. She knew he was going to use it to bind her, just as her keeper had done without her knowledge. This was different. Duncan had explained the necessity, asked her permission and more than that, she trusted him. He had her best interests at heart. She’d always fancied herself an avenger—someone working for the greater good. She’d seen her work for the
Altor Custodis
in that light and only now realized she’d been duped.

There was no doubt in her mind that Duncan was on the right side. She’d seen for herself the way he wielded his magical sword and wore that stunning armor of light and goodness. He was the real deal. He was sworn to protect this realm and others from the encroaching darkness.