Chapter Twenty-Seven

Jeremiah

"Focus Cassie. I know you can do it," Leila's voice echoes through Ares' apartment.

Being a test dummy for the Kaye girls isn't exactly how I expected my day to go. Honestly, I didn't think this would be my life in general. Leila is sitting on the couch behind us, while Cassie and I are standing in the middle of the room.

I can't help but let my eyes fall on her. I can't get enough of her full lips, high cheekbones and the way her now white hair makes her blue eyes stand out. Her white brows are furrowed in concentration and it's cute watching her try so hard to control her pheromones.

I've been blocking her attempts to attack me with a shield of my own pheromones, and part of today's training is for her to try her best to sneak hers around my defenses. Normally, I would be no match for her if she were to use her full powers… but that is another aspect of the training today. She has to control the amount she uses so as not to overpower me with brute force, and she has to make sure I am the only one affected. She's doing great so far.

The nearly two months of living together have been great so far. Eric and I have gotten used to sharing our lives with Ares, and we've also gotten closer to Cassie romantically.

I mean, we've always been very close, but our relationship back then was more friendly than romantic. Now we've gotten so used to being romantic with Cassie that we go on dates as often as we can.

Ares spends the most time with her, though. Since Eric and I have had Cassie for most of our lives, we decided to allow Ares to spend more time with her to get to know her since they're mates after all. Well… allow is a strong word. He was very adamant. We just agreed.

Although our family unit is unofficial because we haven't become official yet and Cassie isn't married to us, it's been going very well, and I am beginning to see this for us for the long term.

Being a family unit with Cassie is all I've ever dreamed of. When Cassie leaves a room, the air changes. The molecules rearrange themselves into something stale and listless, something only barely life-giving. I could drag in lungful after lungful of air and never get enough oxygen. Nothing is enough without her.

But now here I am, her pheromones bringing me the most relief I've ever felt in my life. Because she's right here, beside me.

I glance sideways and watch her breathing, her chest heaving with every breath she inhales and exhales. Her breasts pressing against her shirt like that… shit.

I can barely look at her without thinking of fucking her. Although her heat period only lasted a week, we all still take turns pleasuring her. Eric and I even tried something new recently. My ears redden slightly as I remember that night.

**

I capture her mouth in a searing kiss, sweeping my tongue across hers, and it's her mouth so sweet and hungry against mine and her latest orgasm—a rolling thing that has her sobbing brokenly against my lips and bucking weakly in our arms—that delivers the killing blow.

Cassie pushes up onto her tiptoes, her calves bunching as she sits back on them, her thighs tensing. Her hole is at the perfect height for me to push into. We're all kneeling on the bed at this point, me behind her and Eric in front.

Eric, who had been watching us and stroking her hair comfortingly while I kissed her, gives her hair one final adoring stroke before he cups the back of her head and angles her face so he can kiss her next.

His mouth devours hers, strong and sure, and with his nakedness, I can see the effect the kiss has on him. The tight belly, the tense muscles everywhere. The dark, bobbing cock pointing up at the ceiling like a thick weapon.

Eric breaks off the kiss, looking satisfied at Cassie's hazy expression, and gets to his feet on the bed. I realize it's so he can position his cock into her mouth.

Is he joining us? Excitement tickles my spine. This is our first threesome. We knew this would happen eventually… so I suppose we have been preparing her for this with how we sometimes watched each other with her without joining in.

One day… she would be able to take all three of us. Today, it's me and Eric.

I stare down at where my fat crown nudges into her— teasing little presses that have her whimpering and that show what a big thing I'm about to put into her wet heat—and with her spread like this, I can easily breach the first ring of her, in and out, in and out in short, almost-nothing shoves. Just enough to start swallowing my cock, just enough to make her gasp. I might come from this, from fucking her with only the tip of me. Hell, I could come just from staring down at my head teasing at her pretty, pleated cunt.

I can't wait another instant, I decide. I widen my stance, put a steadying hand around her hip, and I start wedging my cock into her. She makes a noise, signaling that pleasure-pain I've been on the receiving end of so many times, and I run a calming hand over her ass in reassuring circles.

"It's okay, baby," I soothe. "I'm here. I'm here."

I enter her slowly, watching as her entrance expands to take me. It's a beautiful sight. Her moans reach my ears, spurring on my lust, but I fuck her slowly, drawing this out for both of us until it feels like a pleasurable torture every time my hips smack against the soft flesh of her ass, making it bounce.

"You can put your hands back on the bed," I tell her in a ragged voice, letting her get back on all fours. Eric kneels back down, following her mouth.

"You'll want your balance for this."

"Okay," she whispers, doing as I say and putting her hands on the bed. I lean forward and drop a kiss onto a bare shoulder, and then I start fucking her for real. Slow strokes at first, until I regain my control.

In and then a breath. Out and then a breath. Every thrust measured and cautious until I can adjust to the hot friction of her. Until I can be sure she's ready for more.

Soon, she's bucking back against my hips, seeking out more of me, and I answer in kind, kicking her feet together to make her tighter and then sawing into her with heavy, regular strokes.

Eric is practically glowing with lust now, as he places his hand in her hair and thrusts into Cassie's mouth, invading it, no care or time for her to move to accommodate him.

I rub my finger against her clit, making her moan loudly with Eric's cock in her mouth.

"Fuck Cassie," Eric groans. "You're taking me so well."

Cassie chokes on him, but he doesn't stop.

"That's it," he murmurs, pushing in even deeper until her nose is pressed against the close-trimmed hair stretching down from his navel.

"That's it. All the way. All the way."

And then he is all the way in, and I can hear Cassie trying to suck air through her nose.

"You're so fucking beautiful like this," Eric whispers to her. He pulls out his length from her throat, leaving her sputtering for air, and then he bends down and seals his mouth over hers. Cassie whimpers, her heat tightening around my hard cock as I raise her up again so that her back is against my chest.

Eric gets on his feet, his mouth wet, his cock wet, and his expression satisfied. "I've been looking forward to that all night." Then he puts his cock back into her mouth.

I rumble a low moan of agonized pleasure as I crest the point of no return, and the muffled moans of Cassie as Eric's cock is sliding in and out of her mouth sends me over the edge. And then the first contraction jerks delicious muscles deep in my groin.

Another jerk rips a groan from my lips as I start pouring and spilling deep into Cassie, hot spurts that fill her wet heat, and I can feel the jetting throbs all the way into my thighs, all the way up into my stomach. On and on I pulse, the weight of a satisfied woman heavy against my chest, while Eric finishes in her mouth.

**

Cassie's sweet pheromones invade my senses as the pheromone shield I had up suddenly crashes. Allowing my mind to wander messed with my concentration. My body feels hot with need as she affects me immediately, and I can't help but pull her into myself.

I grab Cassie by the waist and press my lips against hers. But just before I'm able to fully thrust my tongue into her mouth, I feel a needle stab into the skin of my back.

Oh. A blocker.

I realize what I'm doing as the neutralizing effect fills my bloodstream, cooling me down, like a bucket of ice dumped over my head.

I let go of Cassie and turn around to see Leila behind me with an unimpressed look on her face.

"That's enough training for today. I'm not trying to watch you two fuck," she says grudgingly.

My face heats up with embarrassment. I hadn't meant to do that. The flashback I had made my control slip up for a bit… but I can't tell her that.

The door suddenly swings open, and heavy footsteps against the wooden floor reveal Ares' presence.

"Perfect. You're all here. I have something very important to tell you," he says, his voice low and urgent.

I exchange a confused glance with Cassie. I wonder what this is about.

"Where's Eric?" Ares asks, looking around the apartment when he realizes that we are, in fact, not all here.

"Oh, uh I sent him to the bookstore," I answer.

His eyebrows furrow a bit, a look of confusion on his face.

"Why? Is it that important? Does he have to be there?" I ask.

Ares scratches his head. "No… I suppose not. I just… I was just surprised he's not here."

I smile subtly. I suppose he's gotten used to us being a unit and being around all the time, but he still hasn't realized it.

"He should be back soon," I say. "We haven't been working properly lately, and I needed him to go accept a new shipment of books I'd already purchased six months ago."

"It's okay," Ares waves his hand. "You can just text him the details of everything that is discussed."

I nod. "Okay."

"So," Ares starts, widening his stance and crossing his arms. "I've found proof of Mrs. Kaye's involvement in the assassination attempt."

The entire apartment goes pin-drop silent.

I glance at Leila and see her eyes widen in shock. We all already thought it was her, but I guess it has more impact when there is proof.

"This file contains all the evidence proving her involvement." Ares hands over a thick paper file to Cassie.

The room is filled with tension as we huddle around Cassie and see several pictures of Mrs. Kaye, truly proving the fact that she tried to kill Cassie.

Leila swallows loudly.

"Are you okay?" Cassie's voice trembles with genuine concern as she reaches for her half-sister's hand.

Leila's response is resolute. "She deserves what's coming. She shouldn't have done what she did. Actions have consequences, and she can't run away from hers."

I can't help but feel slightly impressed. For someone who was raised with affluence, Leila is honestly a pretty decent person.

"So, what's your plan, Ares?" I ask.

"She's going to jail," he states matter-of-factly. "I'm going to let the authorities know everything."

Leila's voice quivers. "Our family is going to be dragged through the mud."

Ares's lips curve into a hint of something softer. "It depends."

"Depends on what?" Leila asks.

"Your father wants to see Cassie."

We all turn to Cassie. She looks put on the spot suddenly. Ever since we found out the truth about her, we'd just been ignoring it. Granted, we had more pressing issues immediately after, what with her being sick, then her heat coming, and the assassination attempt. But after all of that, Cassie's been in a bit of a bubble since we've all been protecting her and trying to fill her days with peace.

Ares walks toward Cassie, gently cupping her face. "You don't have to go if you don't want to. I understand if you have complicated feelings toward him, but he said he wants to apologize to you, and he seemed really sincere to me."

There's a beat of silence.

"I'll speak with him," she says finally. "I'll have to do it eventually."