Steal the Moon (48 page)

“I don’t know if I’d go that far.” Daniel pulled back, chuckling a bit as though he was amused with himself. “I do like the taste. It’s different from yours, but gives me the same boost. I like the contrast. You’re sweet but he’s savory. Z is right. I am possessive and it’s bothering me that I don’t know if we just brought someone into our lives who might try to push me out.”

Dev smiled, letting Daniel know he didn’t mind at all. “I wouldn’t allow it. Bris can accept our relationship or find another host. As it happens, he finds the thought of living with a vampire intriguing. He knows little about your species and is curious. And he definitely wants to get our hands on Zoey again.”

“I’ll have to get used to that, too.” Daniel turned my way. “So I suppose you didn’t really understand the whole ascension thing, either.”

Did he have to bring up my idiocy again? “No, of course not.”

“Then I have to ask you the question I thought I’d already asked. Are you all right with this, Z?” Daniel spoke, but both men were staring at me. “If it scares you, there are rituals to dispense with the god.”

Dev put a hand on his heart as though it suddenly hurt him, but his mouth remained closed. I could only imagine the voice in his head. It wouldn’t be shouting. I knew that instinctively. Bris was gentle, tender even. He wouldn’t fight Dev. He would be hurt and alone.

“It’s okay. He seems nice.” And I might be pregnant with his baby. Go me. Except it would be Dev’s child. If I was pregnant. Which I probably wasn’t. I’d had unprotected sex with someone who had live sperm once in my life. What were the odds I would actually get pregnant?

“He wants to talk to you, Daniel,” Dev said quietly.

“Why doesn’t he then?” Daniel stared at him as though a bit ill at ease.

“Because he won’t take over the body unless you give him permission. I’ve already said yes, but he believes he understands our relationship now and he wishes for your approval, Your Highness.”

“I don’t require that you obey me, Dev.”

Dev’s lips curled up. “He’s a little old school when it comes to kings. You should be a shock to him, Dan.”

Daniel nodded. “All right. I’ve never met a god before. Z seems to think he’s okay. Let’s have it. Or should we, like, get you dressed?”

“I’m perfectly comfortable naked, Your Highness. And I believe you’ve seen this body more than once.” The change was startling. One minute Dev was speaking and the next a lyrical Irish accent was flowing from his mouth and his eyes had gone a solid green, twin emeralds staring from his familiar face.

Daniel tensed. “I can’t sense a difference. I thought…I guess I thought I would be able to tell.”

“The eyes and the accent don’t give him away?” I asked. I gave the fertility god a little smile. It’s probably not a good thing, but I was starting to get comfortable being naked around everyone, too. “Hi, Bris.”

His face went from slightly alien to infinitely warm. “Hello, my goddess. You are well? The magic of the ritual hasn’t made you overtired? This one and I will take care of you if you need to rest.”

“I can take care of my wife.” Daniel crossed his arms over his chest.

“I am sorry, Your Highness,” Bris said. “Perhaps I should go because I am incapable of not forming an attachment to her. It’s already there. I feel what Devinshea feels. It’s why I waited millennia to bond again.”

“What’s special about Dev?” Daniel asked. “As a priest, I mean. You bond to a priest from what I understand. You waited in the ether for a thousand years? Surely there have been more than a handful of priests in that time.”

“Yes, but they didn’t match my needs. You have to understand that Fae priests aren’t trained to love. To care certainly, but for many people. Priests are not monogamous. They don’t take lovers in that fashion. Sex is a thing to share with many.”

“And for you?”

“I loved my goddess and when she was gone, I went to the ether on my own. I went until I found someone who loved as strongly as I did. Your Highness, if my regard for your wife is going to cause trouble, then I should go because loving her, caring for her, and quite frankly for you, are the reasons I bonded with this priest in the first place. He thinks you want me to strengthen him for the fight that is to come, but I think something different.”

“And what’s that?”

“I believe you want me to keep him alive. I think you would prefer he didn’t fight at all, but you know it’s his nature. I can be helpful, Your Highness. I can bring him strength that you can’t imagine. And I can keep him safe. It will be my highest priority to protect all of you.”

“You’re a fertility god…what should I call you?”

“Bris is fine. I feel this world is less formal than the one I last lived in. More open, as well. You have progressed. In my world, I would have been called My Lord, but I want a friendship with you, Your Highness.”

“Daniel, please.” I could see he was softening.

Bris smiled and it lit up the room. “Yes, Daniel. I don’t want you to worry that I mean to cut you out. I could no more do it than cut out my own heart. I share a soul space with Devinshea. I feel what he feels. I am empty without him. You have to understand that his emotions rule me. It is why if you don’t wish me to touch your wife, I should end the bonding. For that matter Devinshea loves…”

Bris suddenly stopped, his eyes sealing shut, and when he opened them again, he was Dev. “See.” His smile was a bit unsteady. “I can take control when I want to. Do you understand better now, Dan?”

I stayed perfectly quiet because this seemed to be a moment between them. Nothing Bris had said made me wary. And I trusted Dev. He was sharing a body with this god person.

Bris had touched me, kissed me, worshipped me. I’d been in the middle of his magic. If I had to make a bet, he was one of the good guys.

Daniel’s hands went straight to Dev’s face, cupping his cheeks and looking deep into his eyes. “Tell me you’re okay. Tell me he’s being truthful because he sounds too good to be true.”

Dev’s hands went up, covering Daniel’s. They were so beautiful together I felt my heart nearly stop. “He’s with me. He’s part of me. He wants so badly to be part of us. We’re good, Daniel.”

Daniel stood up suddenly and shucked his shirt, the tension rushing out of the room. “All right, then. You two hurry up. I’m hungry and I didn’t like being left here alone.”

“You weren’t exactly alone.” I shifted back to Dev, reveling in his warmth. “You had everyone else here.”

“I’m alone if I’m not with you two,” he said quietly.

“We can’t have that, Daniel,” Dev replied. “What should we do with our wife? Our wife. I like the sound of that.”

Daniel’s dimples came out as he stood over us. “It does sound good. I thought I’d give you the night off, Z, since he already did god knows what to you. I’m sure it was filthy.”

“Oh, it was more about what Zoey did to me,” Dev said with a salacious grin. “Do you want me to tell you, Daniel?”

“Oh, yes,” Daniel replied, a little shudder in his voice. “The two of you meet me in bed and give me every detail about how Zoey misbehaved tonight. I think it would be fun if I bit Dev while Zoey took care of Little Dev there. We were both bad. We should be punished.” Daniel winked at us as he left the room.

“I think I created a monster,” Dev observed as Daniel left. He hugged me tight and I could feel his satisfaction. “Looks like we’re not through tonight, my goddess. I think my wedding night is going to be happy after all. I like being in the middle.”

I shook my head and laughed, avoiding several questions I would really like to ask. The boys weren’t ready to go there so I let go of the whole thing. “You’re going to have to settle for a hand job, buddy.”

Dev nodded. “I can handle that.”

When we joined Daniel, he welcomed us. Our threesome was finally blessed in both of their worlds.

Daniel pulled me into his arms and the magic began all over again.

Chapter Thirty

“Zoey.” Neil jumped onto the bed the next morning. His weight made the mattress shift underneath me and shoved me further into Dev’s arms. “Zoey, wake up.”

I groaned and opened an eye. I could already tell it was way too early. Dev grumbled in his sleep and disentangled himself from me so he could turn over and shove his head under a pillow to try to escape the noise. I wasn’t allowed such retreat as Neil was insistent.

“God, Neil, what time is it?” I moaned the question.

“It’s time for you to help me.” Neil’s voice was a little desperate and whiny. “If you want to make that brunch we’re supposed to go to before we head home tonight, you’ll get up and fix this.”

I sighed and pushed myself up. I really couldn’t miss the brunch with McKenzie. We were still negotiating the alliance, and after last night, we were coming in from a position of power. I just wished I could have slept the day away. My husbands had taken the idea of a wedding night seriously. Danny had kept me up until right before dawn, reminding me I was married to him as well as Dev.

My vampire couldn’t seem to stop indulging in the new freedom he was giving himself. When I told him I couldn’t take anymore, he just cuddled against me, playing with my neck or pressing his ear against my chest because he said he loved the sound of my heartbeat. Dev passed out after our little feeding session, the events of the night having exhausted him completely. As I drifted off to sleep, Danny had kissed me and promised that when we got home, he would sleep beside us again. The noise of so many people kept him awake, so he slipped off into his coffin for the day. Now I was kind of wishing I’d gone with him because I would still be asleep.

“What’s the problem, sweetie?” There was no getting around it now. I was awake.

Neil scratched his head and his eyes had a desperate look to them. “I think it was the pixie.” Tears welled as his voice quivered so slightly. “I think she gave me fleas.”

I tried really hard not to laugh but Dev didn’t bother. He just shook with the force of his amusement.

He tossed the pillow aside and pushed up on his elbows to regard Neil with sparkling green eyes. “I told you she would get you back, wolf. Pixies may be small, but they’re great believers in revenge. Hope, no pray, she’s satisfied with this or it will only be the beginning.”

A horrible thought hit me. The ramifications could be truly terrible. “Dev, this isn’t funny. If Neil has fleas, then they could move over to Lee and Zack. All of our wolves are going to end up like this. I have to flea dip Neil or they’ll be all over the house.”

Dev thought that was just the funniest thing he’d ever heard. He let his head fall back as he laughed loudly. “I assure you Zack would never let himself be flea dipped, but you should probably check out Lee. I heard he went hunting last night so he wouldn’t have to listen to the sounds of our wedding night.”

Neil was still scratching his hair furiously, trying to stop that itch. “It’s making me crazy, Z. Please tell me I won’t have to wear a flea collar. They don’t go with anything. I promise I won’t eat the pixies anymore.”

I shot a look around the room where the pixies were glaring at Neil. I pulled the sheet around me even as Dev protested the loss of it. I rolled out of bed and addressed my new tiny retinue. “He’ll leave you be from now on. You’ve had your revenge and he’s sorry. All the wolves will know the rules. You have to get along with them because they’re not going anywhere. Now, I have to go delouse my wolf. Try to stay out of trouble.”

I swear those little butterflies were laughing their asses off and their priest was right there with them.

“Come on, Neil,” I said, giving the entire Fae contingent my most forbidding look before holding out my hand to him. “We’ll wake up Sarah. I’m sure she knows something that will get rid of the fleas.”

An hour later, Neil sighed as I used a scrub brush on his hair. He sat in the tub looking a little like a drowned puppy with his blonde curls flat against his face. Sarah had whipped up something with orange, yarrow root, and a bunch of flowers that seemed to be working. At the very least, Neil had stopped trying to peel his scalp off. Sarah wielded a pitcher of warm water and poured it over his head.

Lee walked in and frowned at the scene in front of him. “You do know he’s human too, right? You two girls treat that boy like he’s one of those yippie dogs debutantes buy. I bet you’d carry him around in your purse if you could.”

Neil’s hand shot up, and he scratched behind his ear. “Missed a spot, Z.”

He probably wouldn’t have cared if we did carry him around in an oversized handbag as long as it was Louis Vuitton.

I rubbed some more of the paste into his scalp and frowned at Lee. “Well, you better stay away from the pixies or I’ll have you in this tub too, mister. Neil tried to eat one and she gave him fleas.”

Lee’s face lost all color. “Are you talking about the little butterfly things that are suddenly everywhere?”

“Tell me you didn’t eat one,” I begged.

“It got away.” Lee sighed a little. “They’re really fast.”

Sarah shook her head. “I’ll make up some more.”

“Actually, I was looking for you, Sarah. I don’t feel so hot. My stomach is upset. Nothing too bad, but I was hoping you could give me something.”