20. Annabelle

Castor is at my side,and I need this so much. I need to touch all of them and let them touch me. Reassure myself that we are whole. I know it's selfish when Eros doesn't know what happened to his brother or his sister. But if I can give him a few minutes of peace, a few minutes of contentment, that's what I'm going to do.

Castor's square jaw nuzzles at the crook of my neck. Nico's lips are warm and demanding. Holter has his fingers pressed into my hips. He's fallen to his knees, his cock pressed between my butt cheeks, and Eros has his hands locked on my thighs.

I end the kiss with Nico. We're all naked, all of us but Eros. I pull on the hem of his tunic. Nico and Castor move, letting me yank it away. I need his cock. "Take off your pants."

"Our mate is so needy." Eros laughs.

"If you're not willing..." Holter stands and grabs me from Eros. I know he's joking. Holter knows how to make us the best pod we can be, in the pod bed and out of it.

I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss his rugged face. His blues hold mine.

I laugh. "You're asking for it."

"I'll always ask for you." Holter smiles before he gives me a quick kiss.

I lock my heels behind his butt, and he takes off running.

"You're not a seahorse. Holter, put our mate down." Eros streaks by me, his naked body flush with color. He's waiting for us in the middle of the pod bed when we get there, the covers pulled back, his body spread wide as if he's going to make a snow angel. Eros's taking up as much of the massive bed as he possibly can. "Give her to me." His voice has dropped.

"No. You can watch." Holter attacks my neck with his lips. His hands lock around my waist.

In an instant, Nico grasps my feet, one in each hand, and he unwinds my legs. Castor pulls me from Holter's grasp and steps up onto the bed. He moves to the center and lowers me onto Eros as if I was part of a crane toy from the pizza palace in my hometown. And I laugh.

"You think this is a laughing matter, Sunshine? This is no laughing matter." Eros says it with a huge smile on his face. He reaches for me and helps me into position. "No, there is serious work in a pod bed. No fun allowed. Isn't that right, Commander?"

"Nico knows how to have fun. Don't you, Nico?" I'm straddling Eros, his cock hard underneath me. I grind up against it as I reach for Nico.

"Sunshine, you're killing me." Eros runs his fingers over my breast. I thrust up, because I can. "Damn." Eros rolls his head back. I kiss Nico, and when I'm done, I flick my eyes to where Castor is waiting at the end of the bed.

"You want him to join?" Nico's voice drops low.

I give a single nod. Because I want him to more than join for right now only—I want him to join forever. But I won't pressure Nico. I mean, this is pressure, I suppose. But I didn't plan it. I wouldn't premeditate it. Nico needs to come to understand why he doesn't want Castor in our pod.

I don't think it's because Castor will bring us any more danger. And I don't think it's because Nico thinks it will keep him from being king. If Nico thought more carefully about it, he'd realize Castor's name and mine are already intertwined. If Castor denounces me and then says the Dorian need more open communication with the humans? That the Dorian need to find more women with the gene? Those two things don't go together. If anything, mating me would help him. It would unify those who believe the same things he does.

Castor in our pod has almost nothing to do with me and everything to do with Nico. I know Nico loves me. That's not in question. But Nico, weirdly, worships Castor like a hero. Castor in his pod would mean that he's as good as Castor, and I don't think he can feel that way. Or rather, he doesn't feel that way yet. Most of all, I know I can't tell him. He has to come to that realization on his own. I freaking hate it for Castor. For all of us. But Nico's still healing, and he's doing a good job. It's a lot to get over. Losing your mother is a lot. I should know.

I pull my lips into my mouth and widen my eyes. We all freeze, Eros, Holter, and me, waiting for Nico's response.

"Your mate is waiting, Nico," Eros growls from beneath me, sending little sparks through my body when his cock moves.

"Join us." I can't see Castor's reaction because Nico immediately claims my mouth. His lips are hard and demanding, like always. I hold on to his shoulder, my fingertips lightly skimming over his skin. My light touch changes his kiss. He softens and deepens it. His tongue trails through my mouth in a slow agony. I flex my hips over Eros. I can't stop the motion. I need more.

"Poseidon!" Eros shouts. His fingertips dig into my hips. He's trying to lift me.

But now Castor's at my back, and he's holding me down.

"Drakos, let her ride me. Damn you, I'm on your side." Eros tilts his head to see around me.

"I'm only on Annabelle's side." Castor laughs. "I want her to feel all the passion. I want every last ounce of need pulled from her."

"Then we're on the same side. Just let her up."

Holter has his hands in my hair. He's pulled my braid to the side and is nibbling on the underside of my ear. It's hard to think, let alone hear what the other two are going on about. My chest is rising and falling in quick succession. I'm gasping to breathe through my nose.

Nico pulls away. He bites on my lower lip as he does, tugging it lightly. "I'm with Castor on this. Making Eros suffer is good fun for all of us. I'm here for it." Nico turns me back straight on Eros. He quickly repositions himself to suckling on my breast.

"Well, at least you're unified on something." Eros laughs. He leans up and over Nico to take my lips and places his hand on my free breast.

The bed shifts, and Holter is on the opposite side of Nico. He's got a kit with protein gel. It's high-protein, used for young podlets. And by mermaids when they are deep in the ravages of need. "Here, Belle. You're going to need some of this."

My eyes flash. I reach for the packet, but Holter shakes his head and feeds it to me. I swallow it down, knowing what it does, how it gives me the energy to go on. Knowing it means we will be in here playing for hours. It's sweet, and it tastes like almonds and something else.

"Good, Belle," Holter says.

But then Eros has my lips. Nico's head is mashed between the two of us because he's not letting go of my breast. I tip my hips, tightening the space between me and Eros. Running my core along the side of Eros's cock. I'm so wet, and no one has touched my clit yet.

What?

"Why has no one touched my clit yet?"

"Such a good, needy mermaid," Castor whispers in my ear, and I roll my neck, taking Eros's lips with me. Castor's lips trail down my neck to my shoulder and down my side. He kisses across my butt cheeks, and now the hands that were keeping me firmly on Eros lift me. He's pulling my butt cheeks apart, and I expect him to push in a plug. But no. He's lifted me far enough to reach my clit with his tongue.

I gasp and break the hold Eros has on my lips. It's so much. With each movement of his tongue, stars collide behind my closed eyelids. I'm close to orgasm already.

"Fuck," Holter says. "You're a goddess, Belle. You look like a fucking dream."

Holter's lips crash to mine, and Eros lies back. Nico lowers himself down my belly, and I feel his tongue battle Castor's. It's unreal, the two of them working in unison. The tension is building. I'm being held up by Holter. It's like I'm not in my own body anymore. I don't know how to move. They're in charge of everything I do. Every twitch, every breath. I reach out and run my hands down Holter's chest. Down to his hard cock, pointing at me. I grab him, pumping him once, then twice.

"Fuck, Belle. Your hand feels so good. Don't stop."

My other hand comes to his face. Our lips crash. I can feel the gel kicking in. My energy and need both crank up when it does.

Castor moves his head from between my legs. The second he does, Eros has the tip of his cock positioned at my opening. And Castor has a finger on my bud. It's so much. Nico pulls my clit into his mouth with a strong suck and then moves his head. Eros pushes the rest of the way in, and it feels so good. I freeze. My hands go to my own breasts.

"That's it, Belle. Your breasts are amazing, aren't they? Just fucking perfect." Holter's kissing my neck on one side. Nico's on the other. And at this moment, I feel whole. Loved. Cherished.

Holter's hand squeezes in between Eros and me. He flicks my clit, and I'm on the edge of soaring. My hips thrusting with need. Eros pounding up. Castor's finger working my ass. It's more than I ever thought I could take, more than I ever thought I deserved. I'll take it. I'll take all of it and more. I want more. My hips collide against his, and with each thrust I'm wound tighter, the tension more, the pull wrapping around me. Their hands push me toward release. I know when it comes, it's going to be so good. Falling off the top of the world for good.

Castor has one hand on my shoulder. The other is sliding a finger into my ass in time with Eros's rhythm. But then it's gone, and Eros is like a machine firing off again and again.

"That's it, Belle. You're almost there. Open your eyes. See what you're doing to Eros. He's so far gone." I strain them open. It's so overwhelming, I'm overrun with emotions. With my love for all of them.

"Gend," Eros grumbles. Dorian for good.

"You know what he said, Belle?" Holter's voice is low in his throat. "You've heard that word before. Ethereal, the best. Nothing will ever top this, will ever top you."

I reach for Holter again, gripping him in my palm. His cock feels so good there, soft skin over his hardness. His eyes sizzle with heat, and he wraps his hand around my neck, pulling me to him. His lips take mine until I can't breathe. My heart trills in my chest. Every movement and touch make me feel treasured. I'm lost in their love. I lift my head from Holter's, catching my breath.

Over the top of Holter's head, Eros's hazel eyes lock with mine. "You're mine, Sunshine." He hammers into me, his hips firing like pistons, and at the same time Castor pushes down on my waist. Nico grinds my clit again, and I'm lost. My vision blackens, and I sail through the night. My body shakes with stars. I'm not sure; I might have passed out. I'm sheening with sweat. But Castor holds me up; my hand is full of Holter's release.