CHAPTER 28

Vita

"WHO ARE YOU?" VITA asked, still caught in the enormous man's clutches.

There was a deep bellow of a laugh as he dropped his hand from her cheek, the smile never leaving his face. "I am Petran. Petran Valentius. A friend of Renatus, and Aurora, of course."

Vita had not been aware the High Consul had friends beyond Aurora. Thralls? Yes. Lovers? Certainly. But friends ?

Her head pounded, tension squeezing her temples as if she were being crushed between two mountains. Lack of sleep made her woozy, not to mention her thoughts of Verian and the High Consul.

When she said nothing, Aurora stood, walking over to greet her. "Out all night, dear? And with your handsome guard friend, no less. "

Well, that just made the ache in her head worse. "How did you know?"

"Renatus has eyes everywhere, silly girl." Aurora's lips curled into a smirk, a familiar navy dress dripping down her body as if she had just emerged from a pool of water.

Vita's eyes widened at the implication. "Is he… upset?"

"With you?" Aurora scoffed. "Never."

She tried not to be pleased with that answer.

"And with Verian?" Vita quirked a brow, arms crossed over her chest.

Aurora waited a long time before rolling her eyes and answering. "No. As he said, you are free to come and go as you please."

A deep flush burned through Vita as Petran let out another deep bellow of a laugh. With a sympathetic smile, Aurora sent her off.

"Get some rest. You'll be dining with all of us tonight."

Vita nodded, eager to escape to her quarters as quickly as possible. Heat flashed through her in more ways than one. Embarrassment at the fact Renatus knew what had happened between her and Verian at the temple. Had he watched them himself?

The other kind of heat stirred at the thought, the one that settled at the apex of her thighs. He knew about Verian and didn't mind. Perhaps he even enjoyed that she'd taken another lover. Aurora had been speaking the truth, a truth which apparently extended to any who Vita wished to be intimate with.

Sleep called to her, though her mind still raced, and she settled into her bed for a nap.

Dinner was… interesting.

Renatus had been at the head of the table as usual, elegantly dressed in a rose-embroidered tunic, quietly observing the group. The smile he'd given Vita melted away some of the anxiety, though he hadn't said more than a greeting to her the entire meal.

Aurora sat on his other side in another beautiful navy dress, strapless and sophisticated. Vita noticed her mouth watering slightly at the sight, and she averted her gaze in a rush. She wasn't surprised by her body's response, but by how quickly she'd accepted this new detail about herself.

For dinner, she had chosen a sleeveless white dress, an elegant cord of gold wrapped around her waist with the help of Livia. A thick gold chain encircled her neck, a star pendant hanging at its nadir. Another one of Renatus' gifts.

Petran and Aurora had reminisced throughout the meal, letting the wine and conversation flow as Vita ate silently. Petran had also let his hand rest conspicuously on her thigh, giving her a squeeze and a flirty smile every now and again.

The touch sent heat rushing to her face and… elsewhere, though that could have been the effects of the wine she sipped from a crystal glass. Renatus was somber, adding to the stories here and there, but for the most part observing his friends.

Vita could sense nothing from him. Well, not nothing, but a wall that blocked the bond that still linked them, however diminished it was. She still felt a tug, one that she knew would draw her to him, but the few moments of vulnerability they'd shared had not been repeated.

The group had retired to the parlor, a roaring fire stoked in the hearth to stave off the chill of the night. Petran refilled her glass as she sat beside him, red liquid sloshing about and scenting the air with berries and spices. Renatus chose a chair near the hearth, away from the couch the other three sat on.

Though Vita enjoyed the company—Petran's affable presence and Aurora's sly humor distracting her from her own thoughts—she wished she could speak to him privately. She caught his glance more than once, a strange look in his eyes and mouth tensed with some emotion she couldn't read.

He was purposefully keeping her out, a fact which provided her with little comfort .

The buzz of wine was lovely, though, warming her chest and face with its cozy velvet touch. Petran warmed her too, his enormous hand still squeezing her thigh, slowly working its way up, not giving the flush a chance to leave her cheeks. The noise of the room had quieted to a gentle hum, the crackling fire hypnotizing Vita with its tendrils of flames.

Even as the drink dulled her senses ever so slightly, it did not surprise her when Petran brushed a lock of hair out of her eyes, kissing her hard on the mouth. She whimpered into him as he pulled her onto his lap, letting her straddle his hips as her head spun with need. He gripped her waist, rocking her against him until she noticed the appreciable mound in his pants.

A chime of laughter rang from behind her, then there were fingers brushing through her hair. Vita hardly noticed with the way Petran's mouth overwhelmed her with the taste of smoke and wine. Her hips rolled against him, the pressure of his erection at her entrance sending shockwaves up her spine.

"Do you want his cock?" Aurora's voice was a luscious whisper in her ear, and the erotic offer sent another pleasant jolt through her body.

"Yes," she murmured into Petran's mouth.

Aurora's lithe fingers were at her waist, unlacing the gold cord as Vita ran her fingers through his soft hair. Petran continued to grip her hips, thrusting up as if he were fucking her, though the fabric of their clothes separated them. That didn't stop the ache of arousal from coursing through her, and she moaned into his mouth, their tongues dancing.

"There's no rush, Petran dear," Aurora cooed, and Vita finally pulled back, gasping for air, her palms pressed to his chest.

Things were moving fast, but still she craved more, unlacing the tan shirt he wore and pulling it off to admire the power it revealed. Arms as thick as logs and knotted with muscle, a chest as firm as rock, a trail of brown hair leading to a soft belly. Vita's entire body clenched with need as she took him in, automatically raising her arms as Aurora slipped her dress off over her head .

She was bare before them, and as the realization struck her, she looked around the room for Renatus. He still sat in his chair, one leg crossed over the other as he sipped from his almost-full glass. A subtle nod, before a smirk curled his lips.

"Back to us, love," Petran said, his voice even deeper than before, heavy with need.

Aurora dragged her up from behind, a slender finger tilting her head into a kiss, this one quick and needy. Her tongue brushed against Vita's as Petran quickly unlaced his trousers.

When she pulled away, Vita's chest was heaving, gasping breaths dizzying her with lust. Aurora led her back to the couch, seating her beside Petran as she gave a quizzical look.

"I get to go first," Aurora said with a smile, before shooting a playful glare at Petran. "Isn't that right?"

"Yes, of course, Domina ," he answered quickly, with only a hint of sass, earning him a light slap on his stout leg.

Aurora settled onto her knees, running her hands up and down Vita's thighs and sliding her to the very edge of the couch. "Is this alright, my dear?"

Her smile was so sweet, so sincere, and Vita was eager to agree, eager to have a woman between her legs. When she nodded, Aurora moved in, licking a long line up Vita's already slick entrance with the flat of her tongue. Petran wrapped an arm around her as she trembled, Aurora sending electricity through her veins with each firm swipe.

Renatus would be more than happy to watch us together .

The memory of her words echoed through Vita, arousal building in her core. She turned to Renatus, still in his chair with that amused smile on his face, the gratification of being watched and lusted after tingling every nerve.

"You taste so good, my dear."

Aurora's whisper against her cunt reclaimed Vita's attention, as did the pulsations of the woman's tongue against her clit. Her oral skills seemed innate, but Vita knew it had to have come from much practice, just like Verian's. Practice that she might get to try herself someday, the mere thought of her own tongue on another woman in that manner sending tension coiling in her stomach.

Suddenly, Aurora wrapped her lips around Vita's clit and sucked lightly, forcing her back to arch and her eyes to roll. At the same time, her hand was snaking up Petran's tree trunk of a thigh until she gripped the base of his length, barely wrapping her fingers around it.

Vita's mouth actually started salivating, even as she felt her climax approach, the thought of that enormous cock inside her sending her right to the edge. Aurora's talented tongue took her over it, pulsing hard on Vita's clit as she writhed through her orgasm, slamming her eyes shut.

Moans turned to whimpers as the waves of climax slowed, her entire body releasing the pent up tension from dinner. When she opened her eyes, Aurora was gazing up at her, a sly smile curling her lips, still wet with Vita's desire.

"Are you ready for him, dear?" she asked, still lazily thrusting her fingers over Petran's stiff length, the man straining with need.

Vita nodded and Aurora positioned her, helping her up so she straddled his hips as before, the touch of bare skin already warming her again.

Petran grabbed her ass and lifted her in the air, Aurora gripping his length and notching the tip at Vita's entrance. She whimpered in earnest now, her legs trembling as she awaited being filled.

"Do you want this, love?" Petran breathed, his lids heavy as he held her firm.

"Yes! Gods, yes! Please…" she cried, grabbing his shoulders for support as she writhed with need.

A gentle smile and he was lowering her onto his cock, slow and steady, letting her get accustomed to his size. Her eyes rolled and she tried to relax her muscles, her whole body quivering with the intrusion. When he was seated fully inside, he let her settle there for a moment and she slumped against him, bouncing herself gently.

It was all too much, too much and not enough, Vita resting her cheek on Petran's chest while he kneaded her ass. Aurora was at her neck with gentle kisses and nibbles as she rocked against him, feeling his cock deep within her.

Tears blurred her vision from the missing piece and she focused on Renatus, his eyes ablaze with lust, a mound in his pants confirming his arousal.

"Are you alright?" Petran whispered, running a rough hand up her spine.

She cleared her throat, trying to focus through the haze of lust, the ruin of absence. "Yes, I'm fine."

Without turning back to Petran, she gripped his shoulders, raising until just his tip notched her before bringing herself back down with a groan. He gripped her ass again, taking the cue and heaving her up and down on his cock, thrusting his hips up to meet her each time.

Vita refused to take her eyes off Renatus, even as Aurora slipped next to her and pressed her lips to Petran's. Renatus didn't drop his gaze either, taking in every inch of the scene in front of him as his eyes roved across the tangle of bodies.

Every thrust stole the breath from her lungs, a dull ache already forming in her core, but it was exactly what she needed. She wanted to be lost to lust, not agonizing over the lack of his touch. Was he mad at her for having sex with Verian? Is that why he denied her, giving her over to his friends instead?

In this moment, she would do anything for his icy fingers to cup her cheek, to run across her scar. Anything to have him inside her, not his hands or his mouth, but the cock straining in his pants.

Petran fucked her faster, harder, plunging deep until his hand gripped her throat, her eyesight graying from breathlessness. She was grateful for the distraction, warmth pooling in her core, burning ever brighter with each of his thrusts.

When her climax came, it hit her like an earthquake, trembling every muscle in her body until she was a quivering mess atop his still-hard cock. Only when Petran slowed to a stop did she tear her eyes from Renatus' intense gaze. She ran a thumb over Petran's cheek, pressing a soft kiss on his lips .

"Beautiful girl," he murmured, his voice thick with need and his length still throbbing inside of her. "Do you want more?"

She shook her head, her whole body already feeling weak, unsure she could take another round with the enormous elf even if she wanted to.

Petran smiled as he gave her a final passionate kiss, then lifted her and set her gently next to him. In a beat, Aurora took her place, straddling his hips and pressing down on his great length with a lusty sigh.

Though the pull to watch was strong—the two beautiful forces intertwined in perfect synergy—the buzz of wine was fading, a bashful flush replacing the one of desire. Vita dressed, glancing at Renatus, who continued to watch her.

"Leaving so soon?" Aurora asked, slowing her rolling hips as Vita tried to make her escape.

"Yes, I… I am fatigued."

She paused at the door and was met with a melodious laugh from Aurora, a grin from Petran. "Good night, love."

Vita smiled sheepishly, then turned to the exit with a bow. A final glance cast into the room caught Renatus observing the couple, still moaning and thrusting on the couch.