17

dmitri

NO ONE WAS pleased when I said I wanted to leave and shirk my duties, such as they were, for another two or three weeks.

I pointed out that this had been the original plan. When I was supposed to bite and bond her on our wedding night, the plan had been for us to have two weeks on the other side of it without any duties to see to. Sure, I'd bitten her early, and this had necessitated changes to the schedule, but how many events could really have been scheduled for this time when we'd originally not had any events?

Apparently, a lot.

Apparently, everything from the past two weeks had been pushed forward until after the wedding, and now it was going to have to be pushed forward even more. Apparently, the palace staff was not even remotely pleased.

The King actually took me aside to ask me if everything was going all right. "Look, it might be a good idea to bring some other alphas into this. I know you're feeling possessive, but you need to understand that you do have a full-time job. You're the heir to the crown, and you can't spend all your time seeing to your omega's every whim."

"Great minds think alike," I told him. "That's actually my plan, is to bring them in over the following two weeks."

"You don't have to be there if it's upsetting for you," he said. "I didn't like watching Cole with anyone for years. I actually told him to do whatever he wanted with anyone else and just not to tell me."

"Really?" I considered it, actually. I could send her off to the castle with Nik and Johannes, and they could have her to themselves. Johannes would be happier that way, and maybe it was better if I did get back to work.

But, no, no. I needed her there for all of my public appearances. I didn't need to consult the staff to know that it wouldn't look good if she wasn't at my side right after our marriage.

"Really," he said. "We could absolutely—"

"We're going on a honeymoon," I said. "What could be more normal? Everyone will understand."

And so, by that evening, we were pulling up the drive to the Heirastein Castle. It was tucked away on a winding road through the mountains, standing at the top of the hills with spires reaching for the sky like a fairy tale castle. In the fading sunlight, it reflected the purplish glow of the evening sky, and it looked magical.

Aurelie looked out the window, grinning up at the glowing windows and spires, gleaming against the setting sun. She gasped and oohed over it. It really was a striking building.

We got out of the car and we were met by the staff, all lined up on the front steps to greet us. I went directly to the housekeeper to explain to her our requirements. We needed the nest made up, in addition to separate bedchambers for myself, Aurelie, Johannes, and Nikolai. Someone should help Aurelie into the garments I had prepared for her to wear for her night with us, and then escort her to the nest in about an hour and a half.

"Very good, Your Highness," said the housekeeper. "None of this will be a problem." She nodded at one of the maids. "Olga will take care of the new princess."

I went to Aurelie, kissed her, and gave her a little nudge toward Olga. Then a gentle swat on her bottom. "See you soon."

She gave me a look, and I could see some part of her wanted to argue with me. Maybe she didn't want me to spank her in public or maybe she didn't want to wear clothes I'd picked out for her or maybe she simply didn't want to obey.

But also, she was slicking for it, and I could scent how aroused it made her to be ordered around. It soothed her. She didn't argue.

I stayed outside, waiting for Nikolai's and Johannes's car, while the staff filed back indoors.

Their car arrived only a few minutes later. They hadn't been too far behind.

They got out and I told them that we'd all be meeting in the nest in an hour. I wanted them there before Aurelie arrived. I had plans to get them prepared. I was aroused too, highly aroused, and having them there made me even more turned on. I wanted to kiss both of them, too, swat their asses on their way into the house. I might have done it with Nik, but I thought Johannes would get pissy if I did, so I just ordered him around.

He took that.

Then I went inside. The main entryway was dominated by a spiral staircase that led up into the tall center tower. The nest was up at the tippy top of that tower and so were all of our rooms. We were led up the staircase by the staff, each dropped off in our various bedchambers, which were all on the same floor, only a few stories down from the nest for ease of access.

I went to my room, changed into something more comfortable, and jerked off in anticipation of knotting Aurelie's tight, sweet, virgin ass. I came like crazy and felt a little bit less frenzied in the aftermath.

By the time I was up in the nest, however, I was hard and knotted up again.

The nest here was part of an entire suite at the top of the tower. There was an outdoor area around the turret too, with a hot tub and a fire pit. I didn't expect we'd be hanging out and making s'mores, nor would we be using the full kitchen or dining area. There was a large TV, too, but I expected we'd be too busy to watch anything.

Next time she had a heat, I thought this would be a good place to pass it. I'd broken her heat easily last time because of the bite, but it wouldn't be nearly as easy next time.

The purpose of tonight was her ass, and I wasn't letting either of them have her pussy yet. Maybe her mouth. I hadn't decided yet.

I was really glad that I'd decided to have them here for this, though. It was going to make the entire experience so much sexier. As long as I stayed in control of it all, everything should go well.

Around that point, Nikolai and Johannes appeared in the nest, both wearing the robes I'd sent down for them.

Johannes gestured down to it. It wasn't like a bathrobe. It was more like a cloak. It fastened in the front and swept the floor. It was made of crushed black velvet. "Are we here in the service of Lord Satan?" he said sarcastically.

"That's it exactly," I said, just as sarcastic. "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law."

"What?" said Johannes.

Nikolai laughed. "I like them. They're dramatic."

I was wearing one, too.

"So," I said, "I'm thinking you two should be over here."

"Do we get a say in this?" Johannes was bland.

"I mean, not really," I said. I gestured to one side of the room where the curved part of the outer wall was prominent. There were cushions built into the wall and a number of pillows. "You guys can lounge here and watch. I'm going to be knotting her here." I pointed to the center of the room, where I'd already arranged a bunch of pillows.

"Are we going to, like, have to ask permission to touch ourselves?" said Johannes.

"Obviously," I said with a shrug. "Don't even act like you don't want to do that. You really want to show me your knot right now, Johannes, don't you?"

Johannes's scent got very prominent and he glared at me. "No."

"You want to see mine, then," I said, giving him a mischievous grin and parting my robe to display it to him.

Johannes's scent filled the room, bright and very aroused.

"Let me see your knot, Johannes," I breathed, coming over to him. "Show it to your alpha, hmm?"

Johannes groaned and parted the robe and there he was—very, very hard and huge. He had a nice cock, a big cock, and I didn't know if I'd always wanted to top him like this or not. Probably, yeah. It felt good, because usually, everyone submitted to me, no issue. With Johannes, it was a challenge, and it was all the sweeter when he gave in.

I went down on my knees and kissed the tip of him.

He let out a noisy huff of air.

I looked up at him, smiling at him. I liked this, too, being on my knees in front of him, a typically submissive pose, while he looked down on me, and yet knowing he was mine. Keeping eye contact, I took him into my mouth, just the tip of him, running my tongue up and down against the sensitive part of him underneath.

His breath grew labored as he looked down on me.

Abruptly, I stopped, moving off him.

His nostrils flared.

I stood up, putting the robe back, covering him, giving his erection a little pat through the fabric.

"You're a jackass," he informed me, but his voice was threaded full of arousal.

I just laughed.

I turned to Nikolai. "Feeling left out?"

"Of your teasing?" said Nikolai, who was grinning. "Nope, I'm fine. You torture Johannes all you want."

I laughed harder. I pulled Nikolai in for a kiss. I lingered there, looking into his eyes. "I've missed you," I breathed.

He ducked out of my grasp, looking up at the ceiling.

Well. That was going to take some repair. But I'd get there. This was going to be good, better than good, all of us together like this. Bringing Aurelie into it would make us a real pack. Things would be smoother from here on out.

"You haven't, that's the thing," said Nikolai suddenly.

I turned to him. It wasn't like him to contradict me. "I wouldn't lie to you, Nik."

"You missed me now, when you remembered I existed," said Nikolai. "All this time, when we've been apart, you haven't thought of me once."

He was sort of right. I winced. "Look, I mated the omega, so I was distracted. Anyone would be distracted—"

"Yeah, so fine," he said. "But you haven't been pining away for me during all that, and we both know it."

Okay, we really did not need to get this entire sexy session off track with a bunch of discussions of feelings . I took Nikolai by the shoulder. "You'll take whatever you get from me and like it," I said in a soft, rich voice. "That clear?"

Nikolai drew in a breath, clearly affected by that. He nodded.

"Call me alpha, Nik," I said gently, caressing his shoulder.

"Yes, alpha," he said in a hoarse voice.

"Good boy." I kissed his forehead.

"You really are a jackass," said Johannes.

"And it gives you a knot," I said, unwilling to back down on this. "You two going to be problems for me? I don't have to let you assist with the omega tonight, you know."

They both glared at me.

Fine. I reached forward and moved their robes, tucking them over their shoulders. Now, they resembled capes, clasped at their necks, hanging behind them, but keeping their entire bodies bare.

Johannes was broader than Nikolai, his skin more tanned, while Nikolai was pale. But Nikolai's wiry body showed more detail of each and every one of his muscles. He was strong and sturdy. And they both had very nice alpha cocks, hard, knotted, standing at attention like soldiers.

I looked at them, my two beautiful men, and my own cock jerked. I had the urge to show it to them, to tell them in a soft voice what they did to me, to praise them for being as beautiful and utterly sexy as they were.

But I didn't.

I was trying to show them strength here, after all.

If I went too indulgent here, they'd lose respect for me.

And besides, I was sometimes uneasy with my attraction to men. I didn't mean to be. I knew it wasn't politically correct or whatever, but… well, I didn't want to get into it, exactly, except obviously it was more natural to be attracted to women, wasn't it? Obviously, there was something deviant about wanting a man.

I guessed the deviance turned me on to a degree, but I also shied away from it in some way I couldn't quite explain. I couldn't steamroll over it by telling myself it wasn't politically correct either. It was just, well, there .

"Hands," I said, demonstrating that I wanted them to make a diamond shape with their thumbs and forefingers and that I wanted them to put their cocks through the diamond. So, it would appear as if they were standing there, hands around their pretty cocks to display them.

Nikolai did it right away.

Johannes sneered at me.

I stepped forward, grabbed his hands, and moved them.

Johannes let out another huff of air, and his scent changed in a way that let me know he was turned on by my forcing him. I kissed his cheekbone. "You're mine, Johannes."

"No," he breathed.

"Yes," I said, "and you will stand here, showing me this very hard, knotted-up cock of yours, because I like looking at you, and I like looking at this cock, and because this cock belongs to me."

"Fuck you," he whispered, but his scent was practically coating me because it was so thick.

I went over to Nikolai, giving his knot a squeeze and then using some of the pre-come that had slipped out of his cock to rub it all over his erection. "Perfect, Nikolai, very good. You make your alpha proud."

"Yes, whatever you want, Dmitri," murmured Nikolai. There was something in his tone, though, something that worried me.

I wanted Nikolai with me on this, and he was still resentful. Maybe I was doing this wrong. Maybe I shouldn't force him, push him, make him submit. Maybe Nikolai could outwardly submit so well that I'd never know he hadn't inwardly submitted. He was good at playing games, because he'd been trained that way, and I never wanted him to feel as if he needed to be that way with me…

I put my hand to my mouth and licked it, and then I put my hand back on Nikolai's cock. I started to work him hard and fast. "You're going to come for me, Nik. Your alpha wants you to fall apart as quickly as you can. And then once you're done, you'll get hard again for our omega, won't you?"

Nikolai gasped, holding my gaze. "Y-yes, alpha."

"Good boy," I said. I glanced at Johannes. "See how much nicer it can be, Johannes?"

"Don't pit us against each other," said Johannes, but he was looking at Nikolai's cock, not at me.

"Come for me, Nik, come for your alpha," I murmured.

Nikolai came very quickly, letting out a high-pitched whine, and I kept stroking him through it, until he pushed me off. My fingers were coated in his release. I put them to my mouth and licked the taste of him off them.

Besides Dirk, Nikolai was the only other alpha I'd ever tasted, and I loved the taste of him.

He watched me licking him off my fingers, his lips parted.

So, I put my hand in his mouth. "Taste yourself, pretty boy," I urged.

He did it.

Then we were kissing, me tasting his mouth and then his essence on my palm, back and forth, the mingling of it, all wrapped up in Nikolai. Fuck, I loved Nikolai. I had missed him. Maybe I hadn't noticed it, but I had.

Finally, I was finished, and I made Nikolai put his hands back to show off his cock. I told them I wanted them both standing like that when the omega came in.

Aurelie appeared right on time in the outfit I'd picked out for her. She had a robe too, but it was made of see-through gauze, and so, when she walked, you could see hints of her luscious body beneath. She had scraps of lingerie she was wearing under it, but they didn't cover anything.

There was a bra, sort of. It went under her breasts and on either side of her breasts and over her shoulders, but it left her actual breasts bare. There was a little thong pair of panties, but it was basically just scraps of fabric over her part of her body. She was wearing a pair of thigh highs, lacy at the tops, and high heels.

When Nikolai and Johannes saw her, their scents told me they approved.

And when she saw them, her scent went wild.

"These are for you, omega," I whispered in her ear. "I told you I'd give you alpha cocks like a present."

She stood there, in front of them, her gaze going back and forth between their knots, her chest heaving.

"Aren't they pretty?"

"So pretty," she said. "Perfect, pretty cocks. May I kiss them?"

I sighed. "Such a good, submissive omega, asking for your alpha's permission. You don't know how pleased that makes me."

She beamed up at me.

"No," I said.

"No?" She stuck out her lower lip, pouting.

"No kissing their cocks," I said.

"Well, what can I do with them?" she said.

"Just look for now," I said. "Just look at them." I had her face them, and I moved in behind her and began to kiss her neck and caress her through the gauze. I touched her legs and her hips and her back and then her breasts and her pussy and I squeezed handfuls of her ass. As I did it, I prompted her to tell me if she was still liking the look of the alpha cocks.

She whispered that she was, and her scent told the entire story.

They liked looking at her, too. I could scent that. They wanted her, but they were getting satisfaction from being forced only to look.

I liked this, being the only one who could touch.

I squeezed her ass. "Are you ready for me here tonight, omega?"

She squealed. "Yes," she hissed.

"Nervous?"

"A little," she said, chewing on her lip. "But mostly curious. I feel like we've been waiting for it forever."

It was true that we'd been talking about this for a long time, and the anticipation had woven through it to make it even more intense.

"You don't mind that your other alphas will watch you lose your anal virginity?"

"No," she said, shaking her head. "I'm glad they're here. I want… oh, please, Dmitri, can I touch them? Just touch their knots?"

"No," I said, and I removed her gauzy robe, so that she was just in the scraps of things that barely qualified as lingerie. "But let's go over here." I nodded to another part of the nest, where I had the pillows set up for her.

She let me lead her there.

"Let's get these off," I said, removing her panties, not that there was much to them. They'd just be in the way, however. I might leave the non-bra on. It was hot that she was covered but not covered, I thought. "Down on your knees, legs parted," I told her, helping her get into position.

She did it, and I knelt behind her.

I beckoned to Johannes and Nikolai. "I'm going to stretch our omega's tight, virgin hole," I said to them. "She might like it if she had alphas licking her pussy while I got her ready for my knot."

"Oh, yes," said Aurelie, grinning up at me.

Nikolai's and Johannes's expressions both darkened in desire.

"Beg me," I said, smiling up at them.

"Please," said Nikolai easily enough.

"Please what?"

"Please, alpha, may I lick the omega's slick?" said Nikolai.

"Yes," I said. "You may. Johannes?"

He swallowed. Then he said it, in a rush, his voice a dark rumble. "Please, alpha, may I lick the omega's slick?"

"Good, Johannes," I said. "You may."

They went flat on their bellies between her spread knees, both of their heads crammed between her thighs, licking at her at the same time. She writhed into me, closing her eyes, as both of their tongues lapped and teased and toyed with her.

She had both of her hands in their hair, half sobbing as I applied lube and eased one finger into the tightness of her. She mewled as I pushed in.

I kissed her temple. "I know, sweetness. It might be a little uncomfortable at first, but you can do this for me."

I'd had a cock in my own ass before, a knot, in fact. Only once, admittedly, and I hadn't exactly liked the experience overall. There had been pleasurable aspects of it, but it had mostly made me feel panicked. I thought it was because of the submissive aspect. I didn't submit. That just wasn't how I was put together.

She sighed. "Yes, alpha."

"Do this for us ," I amended. "Your other alphas want you to give me your ass, too."

She perfumed prettily, arching her back, sticking out her large, beautiful breasts, and I had to reach out with the hand not working her hole to cup one and toy with her nipple. She turned to press her mouth into mine.

I kissed her and finger-fucked her ass.

"Doing so well," I breathed into her skin. "Such a good omega. You're ready for another finger in there."

It wasn't a question, but I waited until she acquiesced before I did it. I applied more lube in there, too. She needed a lot of lube. She was so tiny here, and my cock and knot were very big.

I couldn't wait to be squeezed inside her tightness, but I didn't want to damage her, either. I wanted her nice and loose, so that I could do it again later if I wanted.

"That's right," I told her as I slid two fingers in and out of her, gently scissoring them to stretch her even wider. "You like that."

She moaned, and I could tell that she did not exactly like it, not yet.

"You do like it, pretty omega," I told her, kissing her neck. "You like pleasing me, and I'm very pleased."

"Yes, alpha," she breathed.

"You like having your clit licked," I said. "Are the other alphas doing a good job?"

"Oh, yes," she said.

"Concentrate on that," I told her. "And take another finger."

She tensed a little, so I didn't put the third finger in yet. I kept going at her with two fingers and let her get her sweet pussy pleasured.

I waited, noting her sighs, watching her nipples tighten on her chest, and then… wait for it… yes, she came for us.

While her orgasm was washing through her body, I slipped that third finger in, and I don't think she even noticed it. She was distracted.

She started moaning hard as I worked three fingers inside her, deep in her, all the way up inside.

"That's good, isn't it, omega? It's starting to feel good."

"Yeah," she gasped. "Actually, it always felt good, it just… I don't know… there was an intense part of it, a little too much, and now that part isn't there as much."

"Because you're looser," I said. "You're an omega, Aurelie. You'll take a knot here very nicely, and you'll love it. I swear."

She sighed. "Oh, I want it. I want it now."

"You're not ready," I said.

"I think I am," she moaned, writhing away from the tongues of Nikolai and Johannes, who'd switched to cleaning her slick from her thighs and opening in the wake of her orgasm, leaving her sensitive clitoris to recover.

"No," I said. "Nik and Johannes, that's enough. I want some of that slick."

They backed off, looking up at me, both drunk on the taste of her, both wanting a release. I tossed them a tube of lube. "Johannes, you want to knot Nikolai. Here. Get him ready."

They both went totally still.

"Is that an order, or do I get a choice?" said Johannes tightly.

I was confused. "You don't want to knot him?"

"I never have," said Johannes. "That's not… how we do things."

I furrowed my brow.

"It's okay," said Nikolai quietly. "If you want to—"

"No, not here, not like this, not in front of him," said Johannes, giving him the tube of lube.

"Wait, what?" I said.

Aurelie looked up at me. "Do I get to watch them together?" She was very excited at the prospect.

"Yes," I said. "Yes, you two will do whatever the omega wants."

Aurelie smiled at them. "I don't care how it works, really, but ever since that time you told me to think about it Johannes, I've been wanting to see you together in the flesh."

Johannes grinned at her. "Yeah, you went into heat so fast, you never got to watch us, not like we planned."

"I want to touch them, Dmitri," she breathed.

"No," I said.

"We're here to serve you, omega," said Johannes, eyes only on her. "If you want me to knot Nikolai, for you—"

"Yes," said Nikolai. "Yes, for you, omega."

"No, I want to see it the way you usually do it," she said.

"When we usually do it, we don't have Dmitri barking orders," said Johannes.

"Come here, Johannes," I said sharply.

Johannes shook his head at me. "You know—"

"Now."

Johannes crawled over on his knees.

"Face that way." I pointed. "Forehead on the floor, ass in the air."

Johannes's scent increased as he obeyed.

Aurelie panted. "Oh, Johannes, you smell so good."

I smacked his bare ass.

He grunted.

"Spread your legs, Johannes," I muttered. My balls were tight.

He obeyed.

I smacked him again, smacking his balls a little, smacking his knot.

He shivered, groaning, his scent on the air so intense that I thought it might make me come.

Aurelie did come. She pressed her own hand between her thighs, squeezed her legs together, and I felt the sympathetic tremors in her ass, where my fingers were still buried. "So good," she breathed. "So, so good."

"What do you say, Johannes?" I growled.

"Thank you, alpha," he moaned.

Aurelie reached down and touched him, running her fingers over the curve of his ass.

"Bad omega," I breathed, but the sight of her on him was definitely good. I moved my hand to gently, barely, spank her mound.

She cried out and came again.

"Very bad omega," I breathed into her hair. "I'm… going to need to be knot-deep inside you soon, sweet thing. I'm sorry. I wanted to spend more time preparing you."

"Mmm, want it, Dmitri," she gasped. "Want your knot."

"It'll fit just fine. You'll stretch for me, baby girl," I told her, easing my fingers out of her. "Hands and knees, pretty omega, now."

She moved immediately.

Johannes crawled up next to her and kissed her. She turned to accommodate the kiss. I spanked both of them, but their scents were nice together.

And Johannes just pulled away, said, "Worth it," and went over to present himself to Nikolai, who was setting his phone down.

"Something more important than what's going on here, Nikolai?" I said. How had he even had his phone with him in that robe? They didn't have pockets.

"No," said Nikolai, giving me a blank look.

"Knot Johannes," I said. "Just lube him, don't bother stretching him."

Nikolai glanced down at Johannes, who shrugged up at him.

"I guess I've been bad, Nik," said Johannes, his voice silky.

"Come here," said Nikolai in a throaty voice, seizing him by the hips.

I turned to Aurelie, to her body, to her tight hole, lubed for me. I made her spread her legs a little wider and then I moved back some of her slick. I rubbed it into her and rubbed it over the head of my cock. I lubed my cock and then I rubbed the head against her tight, tiny hole.

She moaned.

I ran my hands over her ass cheeks, over her hips. I leaned forward and gathered up handfuls of her breasts. "Fuck, omega, you're the sexiest thing on earth, do you even have any idea?"

She sighed. "Dmitri, please."

"Are you ready to give me your anal virginity, my pretty girl? My bride?"

"Yes, been ready, please ."

"Ask for it nicely, then." I pinched her nipples gently.

She groaned. "Please knot my ass, Dmitri."

"Your virgin ass."

"Please knot my virgin asshole, yes," she said. "I want it so bad."

"You want me there, want the first cock you've ever felt there to be mine."

"Yes, Dmitri, because I'm yours," she said, sighing, wriggling her cute, little hips at me.

I grunted. "Say that again, omega."

"I'm yours, alpha," she said breathily. "Your bride, your wife, your omega, yours."

I slammed my cock into her. I wasn't gentle about it. There were ways to be gentle. I could have had her bear down or I could have had her put me inside, but that wasn't what I did. I brute-forced my way into the tight ring of her and she screamed, and I pushed in further, all the way to my knot, and she panted, her whole body tense, and I ran my hands over her skin. "Sorry, baby, sorry, you make me so crazy I can't think straight," I said and then I knotted her.

She shrieked.

Fuck, she felt good.

I reached around to toy with her clit, gently rocking inside the tightness of her tiny virgin hole, the hole I'd just fucking taken too fast, and then I apologized some more, all in a big garbled rush, peppering every apology with an excuse that she just felt too fucking good, that I couldn't help myself, that sort of thing.

She was breathing real hard, not saying anything, but her hips were moving against mine, fucking herself on my knot as I was deep inside her tight little asshole.

I finally stopped the string of words and just said, "You okay, baby?"

"Better than okay," she said. "Stop saying you're sorry and fuck me, please?"

Thank fuck. "Good girl," I breathed. "I told you, you're an omega, you can take it."

"Yes, yes, please, Dmitri."

"Like my finger here, baby?" I asked, rubbing her clit.

"Mmm, yes," she said.

"Good girl," I said, and I toyed with her and fucked her. "Want you to come for your alpha, then, come nice and hard while I'm taking your anal virginity, will you do that for me, will you do just what your alpha wants, baby girl?"

"Yes, Dmtri, fuck yes, you feel so good," she groaned, moving harder and deeper on me.

I worked my knot in her, moving my finger on her clit, until she fell apart for me, letting out these little broken half-sobs, like I'd never heard come out of her before.

And then I followed her over the edge, and we collapsed into the pillows in the aftermath. She turned to capture my lips and I kissed her like a man gone mad, knotted up inside her, connected to her, feeling euphoric.

"I like it so much," she breathed. "It's so intense. It's so good. I might be, like, a slut for anal, Dmitri. I might want it all the time."

I chuckled. "No one is going to mind that, pretty girl, no one at all." Because it would be perfect. There were three of us, and she had three holes. I looked up to see if Johannes and Nikolai agreed with me.

I expected to see them fucking each other, but it was just Johannes, leaning against a set of pillows, his cock soft against his stomach, his chest and abdomen smeared with his own semen, smiling a lazy and very happy smile as he looked at Aurelie.

"Where the fuck is Nikolai?" I said to Johannes.

"Yeah, I don't know," said Johannes. "I went to touch him and he was gone."

I sat up, pulling Aurelie with me, because we were connected. "Didn't he knot you like I said? Shouldn't he be tied inside your damned ass?"

"He didn't knot me," said Johannes. "We were done, and he pulled out, and then I got distracted watching you two. And then he was gone."

"Gone?" I repeated. "What do you mean, gone?"