Authors: Joyee Flynn
“I talked to Kody, and he filled me in. How are you holding up?” He was also the most sensitive of all of us. It might have been from his years in captivity and everything he’d been through though I remembered him being kindhearted when we were kids, too.
“Confused? Happy I found my mates but not sure what fate was thinking by one being a fairy and the other being a vampire? Exhausted and hungry as well.”
“All understandable,” he said before turning to my mates. “I’m Avery Donovan, these are my mates, Ty and Cord. Welcome to our home.”
“Why are you whispering?” Imogen asked as he shook my brother’s hand. Once again, I was an idiot.
“We have three daughters who are sleeping.” The love in my baby brother’s eyes at simply mentioning his children warmed my heart. He deserved that happiness a hundred times over.
“For now.” Ty chuckled as everyone exchanged hellos. “They’ll be up probably in an hour for their morning feeding.”
I glanced at my watch. “Their feeding is at six in the morning? Wow, I’m not sure how you guys do it.”
“With lots of love and patience.” Cord snickered. “You guys just want to crash, and we’ll get you unloaded and everything tomorrow?”
“Yeah, that sounds great,” I answered when Imogen and Aaron nodded, looking as tired as I felt.
We got settled in, and my heart broke when Aaron went to one guestroom and Imogen and I to another. He said he understood and we could deal with it after some sleep, but I saw the pain in his eyes. I didn’t like it. We needed to figure this all out and fast.
* * * *
After a whole five hours of sleep, I was up again…and overheating. My body was on fire with need to claim my mates, but I needed to give them more time until we knew what we were doing. Like if Aaron would try to eat Imogen. Silly little things like that.
I scurried out of bed and into the guest bathroom down the hall. I practically threw myself into the shower and blasted the cold water. When I realized I was standing there in my boxer briefs and T-shirt, I tore them off and moaned. The spray was freezing, and I swear I could almost see the steam rising from my skin as it cooled down.
“Sasha?” Avery called out as he knocked on the door. Like all close family would do when worried, he didn’t wait for me to answer before coming in. By then I was on all fours on the tile, panting as if I’d run a marathon. Holy shit!
“I remember your memories when you didn’t claim your mates right away, but I had no idea it would be like this.” I felt the tears burn in my eyes as he knelt down in front of me and nodded.
“Blows big time, doesn’t it?” He pushed my wet hair out of my eyes. I saw the concern and indecision. I’d bet he was dying to let my mates know I was hurting so they’d come help me.
“Why does fate do this to us? I don’t understand any of this. Yesterday I was upset about mom and dads having to leave the farm and the Hunters taking over our lives in a way. Now I just don’t know which way is up anymore, Avery.”
“I have a theory why, but I can’t give you any definite answers, Sasha.”
“Okay, I’ll take a theory right now.” I snickered. Right then I’d take just about anything because my brain was just fried from the past twenty-four hours.
“Having three in a relationship is harder than two and most people would automatically run if given the choice. Fate takes away the choice with dire consequences because fate knows what’s best when we don’t.”
I thought about it for a moment, and it made sense. I didn’t really like it, but it was logical. “But why a fairy and a vampire? They’re like oil and water from what I know now. Why do that to all of us?”
“I have a theory on that one, too,” Imogen whispered from the doorway. I turned to look at him so quickly that my world almost went black with how ill and faint I felt from overheating.
“I didn’t mean to wake you.” I grabbed my head as if that would stop my feeling dizzy. It didn’t, but it was just instinct to hold something that hurts.
“You should have,” he said angrily as his eyes flashed violet. “You say I’m your mate but don’t come to me when you’re in pain and need help. That’s not how we treat our keepers, Sasha.”
“You’re right,” I agreed immediately and shook my head. “I wasn’t thinking other than you have enough on your mind, and I didn’t want you to let me claim you out of pity. I won’t force you into anything.”
“You stupid, stupid man,” he sighed and joined us in the shower stall. Avery was slowly backing away but then stopped.
“What’s your theory, Imogen?” Avery’s tone was gentle as if he knew it would be hard for my mate to answer.
“My parents were killed by vampires,” he answered and swallowed loudly. Oh this just got better and fucking better! “And I’m a prince of the fae. I’ve been on the side of going to war with the vampires so that we may live on this plane freely without worry of them attacking us. If they’re gone, so is the threat.”
“Holy shit,” Aaron gasped. Well goodie, now the whole gang was here. “The vampires don’t know about that.”
“Go run and tell them then,” Imogen snarled as he put his arm around me, getting his expensive-looking clothes wet.
“I would never betray my mate’s confidence even if he doesn’t trust me,” Aaron said firmly as if trying to hold back his anger. “I’m sorry for what happened to your parents, Imogen. I truly am, more than you’ll ever know. But I am
not
the vampire who killed them. I’ve never hurt a fairy or any paranormal before. There are bad vamps just like any other species. We are not all like that though, and I think you should remember that before judging my character.”
“Damn,” Imogen whispered after Aaron stormed out of the room.
“I’ll start breakfast. You guys have to be famished.” Avery got up and grabbed a towel as he reached the door so he could dry off. “But claim each other first because it will only get worse, Sasha.”
“Imogen hasn’t—”
“Imogen has agreed to be yours,” my mate said tenderly as he helped me to my feet. “I was yours from the moment you found me in that alley, Sasha. Claim me and ease your suffering. I’m not leaving and will apologize to Aaron. He’s right, and we’ll come to some understanding. There is no reason to delay this any longer. We have a bed after all now.”
“Thank you,” I replied as my teeth chattered. My fairy turned off the water, grabbed me the other towel, and dried me off. Avery had slipped away when we’d been talking.
He’d been listening though because there was a bottle of lube on the bed we’d been using that wasn’t there when I got up. Subtle.
“He’s a good brother.” Imogen giggled as he closed the door behind us and shucked his clothes. “Are you ready to bind our souls for eternity?”
“Oh yeah,” I moaned as I got my first look at his completely naked body. Hot damn! My best wet dream in a small package. I was also shocked and relieved that all his bites and wounds had healed. His skin wasn’t quite so pale now, and I saw he actually had a nice tan. And suddenly the need to claim my mate and overheated skin was back. I pounced on him, knocking him back on the bed he’d been standing by.
“Feisty,” he moaned as our dicks came into contact. “How does this work?”
I let the shift flow over me, so I was in my half-tiger half-man form. “I fuck you like this and then bite you to claim you as mine.”
“You’re all growly and your cock grew,” Imogen whimpered and shivered with lust. “Will you always bite me during sex? Because it’s not my thing but for you I might make it be.”
“Only when I go into heat and need to reclaim you,” I purred and ran my claws gently down his sides. “My cat needs to remind you who you belong to when the lunar cycle sends us into heat.”
“It’s so weird how you talk about your cat like it’s a different person,” he whispered as his eyebrows drew together in confusion. “Isn’t it just all you?”
“I have qualities of man and a tiger. It’s all me, but sometimes it’s like I have split personalities. My tiger comes out when I need to protect my family or my mates. It just feels right to respect that part of me enough to say ‘us’ or ‘we’ at times.”
“Strange to me but I understand the line of thought,” he replied and then smiled wickedly. “Both of you have permission to fuck me any time you want.”
“Well thank you, my adorable, sexy fairy.” I growled as I rolled him over and saw his tight butt. I did love it. And I got a better view in daylight of his wings. “Will I be able to lean over your wings without hurting you? We claim our mates like this as a submission thing.”
“Yes, you won’t hurt me,” he moaned and raised his ass up to my groin. “Slam that huge cock into me.”
“Dirty fairy.” I chuckled as I pulled the cheeks of his ass apart. I gave him a quick swipe with my rough tongue, which made him cry out in pleasure before I did just as he asked. And the strangest thing happened. His wings started to flutter. “Do they always do that?”
“When I’m turned on or flying,” he mumbled. Imogen blushed so hard I saw it creep up his neck even though I couldn’t see his face.
“It’s hot.” He glanced at me over his shoulder and the look on his face clearly said he wasn’t buying it. I growled and started pounding into him. “I don’t lie. I think it’s sexy.”
“Okay,” he squeaked as I thrust into him hard enough to move him up the bed. I grabbed onto his hips tightly and held him to me, half pulling him back onto my dick as I fucked him into the mattress. “So good!”
“It gets better.” I picked up the pace, not telling him why it got better. I wanted the mating knot to be a surprise. Imogen screamed as I leaned over him and grabbed his cock. “Come for me, baby.”
“Too amazing,” he panted, gasping for air. “Don’t want it to end yet.”
“Pledge yourself to me forever, Imogen,” I whispered in his ear and ran my teeth over his neck. He shuddered at the contact and tilted his neck to give me more room. I think someone was into biting more than he wanted to admit.
“I give you my heart, soul, and very being, Sasha Donovan. Now and forever, a bond death may not even break.” It sounded very formal, and I assumed it was the binding he mentioned. We were both close, and I didn’t want to wait any longer. I sank my teeth into his neck where it met his shoulder.
My mate cried out my name and came all over my hand and the bed. His ass massaged my cock, and I moaned around his flesh. I followed him right over, lifting my head and roaring out my release as I kept thrusting into his hole.
“Surprise,” I purred when we started to come down from our orgasms and the mating knot came out and latched on to his prostate.
“Good surprise.” He moaned loudly as I swerved his hips, drawing out his pleasure. He climaxed again, screaming loudly. I liked the sound coming from my mate. “How come that didn’t happen before?”
“It happens with mates after they’ve been claimed. It’s fate’s way of telling us we got it right.”
“Yeah, fate,” Imogen slurred and then went limp in my arms. I couldn’t help but feel a little bit of pride that I’d fucked my mate and given him so much pleasure that he passed out. I licked the bite closed as I rolled us onto our sides, holding him close to me. When the knot receded, I didn’t want to pull out of him. I wanted this moment to last forever.
Right then, at that moment, everything made sense. There was no outside world and drama, simply my spent mate in my arms after mind-blowing sex. And I was scared he wouldn’t stay in my arms. I knew without a doubt I would do everything in my power always to keep Imogen safe and happy and with me.
I just hoped I was strong enough to be able to.
Chapter 4
“How are you feeling?” Aaron asked as I entered the kitchen a little while later. He wouldn’t meet my eyes, and my heart sank. I was so excited about claiming Imogen that I didn’t think how it would affect Aaron when he heard us.