28. Karmen

28

KARMEN

P erhaps I should have been shocked or dismayed or even embarrassed to suddenly have three naked men in bed with me, but I couldn't seem to make myself care. It happened so quickly, so easily. So naturally.

I wasn't offended to now have two new, very fine muscular chests to compare and contrast to my alpha's. Vlad was lean to match his tall, slender frame, though slabs of muscle encased his waist in a delectable vee that encouraged my eyes southward to his splendid cock.

That thought alone made my mouth curve and another ridiculous sound escape my lips. That I, formerly God's Wife, tortured for centuries by the vilest, most monstrous gold phallus ever to exist, would ever think a man's appendage splendid.

But Vlad's cock had an arching curve that was somehow elegant, thick without reaching intimidation level, and carved from smooth marble.

Marcus, on the other hand, was perfectly cast from dark gold, with just enough bronze so the color didn't trigger me, roped in veins I could feel against my palm.

Yes, I had both cocks in my hands. While they simply knelt on either side of me. While my third Blood lay between my thighs.

Such tremendous feminine power.

These strong, fierce men waited for my command, virile and full of lust, yet completely subservient to my wish. I could touch them at my leisure, even intimately, and not experience coercion or force of any kind. To trust them enough to lie beneath one exhausted lover and wrap my fingers around such eager cocks…

And know that nothing was ever going to happen until I wished. Nothing would ever hurt me again. I could touch and look and taste—without fear of consequences or repercussion.

Vlad's hands squeezed his thighs, his fingers digging so hard his skin dimpled and reddened from his force. Marcus' head fell back, his shoulders corded with strain. Yet neither of them touched me without my explicit invitation.

However, Sunzi still accidentally blocked any advance I might make. He lay heavily on me, his head down, nestled into the crook of my shoulder, so still I started to fear for his wellbeing. "Sunzi? Are you alright?"

He mumbled, his head rolling against me, as if he tried to move but couldn't.

"Smoak said her queen drains them to unconsciousness." Vlad's voice rumbled deeper than usual, though his words didn't sound strained. "I also haven't seen him eat human food, my queen."

"I have fed on him numerous times. Should we wake him? I can order him to eat. I'm afraid he might not be willing to leave for even a moment otherwise."

Marcus' jaw flexed, his nostrils flaring with each breath. Yet he managed to say, "If I were him, I wouldn't leave for a single moment either."

"I recommend we carefully set him aside and let him rest," Vlad replied. "When he awakes, if you ask him to eat, he will without hesitation."

I nodded, regretfully letting both cocks go so they could maneuver Sunzi's dead weight aside, nearby on the massive mattress. Then both men returned to the same position. Eyes locked on me, on their knees, waiting for me to decide how best to proceed.

The only problem…

Vlad's eyes narrowed to slits. "There will be no problem, my queen. We do not need Sun awake to restrain us like the Isador alpha."

I sat up so I could more easily touch them in a less intimate way. "I wasn't afraid you might be uncontrollable."

Flatting my palm on his chest, with my other hand curving around Marcus' nape, I allowed my eyelids to flutter shut. Both to show my implicit trust in them, but also simply to soak them in. Heat rose from their rock-hard flesh, muscles quivering and flexing beneath my fingers. I'd enjoyed Sunzi immensely, but my body felt ravenous all over again. Not just for their blood, but the feel of their muscles against me. Their strength pummeling me into the soft mattress.

"Then what problem do you fear, my queen?" Marcus asked. "I beg you to allow us to resolve this issue for you at once."

I turned my head, opening my eyes so he could see my desire. "I don't have any experience with multiple… uh… spears. At the same time. I'm not even sure what might be possible. If you're waiting on me to decide how to proceed, I'm afraid we'll all be sorely disappointed."

I wasn't prepared for Vlad to snort with amusement, while Marcus rolled his eyes and chuckled. "There's a simple solution for this minor problem, my queen."

My cheeks heated. "Oh?"

"As the great Sun Tzu has already recommended, simply allow your spears to deploy themselves in perfect synchronization to satisfy every desire you might possibly have."

Vlad closed his fingers over mine on his chest and lifted my hand to his mouth so he could press a kiss against my palm. The stroke of his tongue made me gasp, my breath catching in my throat.

"The Impaler eagerly reports for duty, Your Majesty."

VLAD

The endless sun of Heliopolis had blasted away all flesh and humanity from our existence. I would do it all again in a heartbeat simply to hold our queen like this again.

Nothing else mattered except making more of those husky sounds escape her lush lips.

I kissed and licked a slow path of fire up the inside of her wrist toward her elbow. Tasting her skin. Breathing in her scent. Laving her wrist with my tongue so I could trace every tiny vein pumped with blood and magic.

Slow, sweet torture. Especially when my fangs descended. Such a marvelous wonder. Hard ivory, seemingly impenetrable, yet throbbing and aching with sensation. Air. The pressure of her skin, even though I didn't bite. The memory of feeling them inside her. The first hot flood of her blood on my tongue. Exquisite.

I gained new appreciation for every lurid, delicious vampire tale ever told in my name.

Antonius moved closer behind her, kissing her opposite shoulder and neck. Her breath sighed out, her head falling back against his chest on another ragged moan that made my blood burn.

Her bond unfolded like a rare, precious flower risking every delicate petal for a single moment of glory. Hesitant hope for a safe existence in her new home. Walks on her island, hand in hand with each of us. Learning our stories. Hearing me read to her. Sitting beneath a tree in broad daylight and not being afraid.

She asked for so little, because her existence had been nothing but pain and terror.

Nevermore , I swore. No more pain. No more fear. Only this.

My gaze met Antonius' grim stare, and I read the same oath in his eyes.

We didn't have to use the bond to exchange orders and strategy. We just knew. As if the goddess who made us had implanted every hope and dream our queen could ever have.

Her fingers tangled in my hair, her arm sliding around my neck as I dipped my head to her breasts. She trembled between us, her bones melting away. "Please."

"Yes, my queen." I snagged her around the waist and lifted her off her knees, bringing more of her body within range of our mouths. Antonius licked down her spine. I inhaled her breast, filling my mouth with her soft flesh. Though the urge to?—

"Yes," she moaned, tightening her fingers in my hair.

I sank my fangs into the upper swell of her breast, holding her nipple on my tongue. Not to feed exactly, though I did taste blood. But to feast on the sound of her pleasure as Antonius slid his palm around her pussy from behind. Lifting her up even higher so he could sink his fangs into her buttock.

Penetrated by nothing but fangs, our queen exploded like the supernova that birthed the sunfires.

I released her breast so I could bite the other side as well—and her cries went up another notch. The thin trails of blood on her skin entranced me. The smell of her blood and desire mingled into an addictive aphrodisiac that set my blood on fire. I licked the trails down the curve of her stomach, shifting her legs over my shoulders so I could feast.

Though the involuntary tightening of her thighs gave me pause, the tremor of her bond even more so. I leaned back enough to see her face, though her head was back against Antonius' shoulder, his mouth tormenting the sensitive skin behind her ear and the cords of her throat. Her cheeks were flushed, her lips parted, her fangs glistening. Which only made my cock throb and twitch with anticipation.

She cracked her eyes open. "I might still be bleeding."

I allowed a hungry rumble to roll from deep in my chest. "Don't tempt me with an even better time, my queen."

Her eyes flared wider and she let out a half groan, half laugh. "Plus Sunzi just came inside me. I'm… messy."

"It wouldn't matter if all ten of us had come all over you a dozen times. A thousand. I'd still taste you."

Her groan edged up toward squeak. "Oh."

"The Impaler loves to play with fire." Antonius murmured against her ear, stroking the delicate skin of her ear with his tongue. "The hotter, the better. How about I give him something else to taste?"