Every Dawn Forever (6 page)

“Yes.”  She said the word without thinking.

Orion and Sterling had frozen in place.  They turned slowly and stared at her, and the blatant longing on their faces filled her with happiness.  They wanted her, but they were willing to walk away if she didn’t want them, too.  She’d never experienced a male willing to let a woman make her own choices with her body.  She’d been property to Byron and nothing more.  A plaything, a toy he could abuse at his whim.

She held out one hand to them, and they moved slowly back towards her.  When they were standing in front of her next to Crux, the heady, masculine scent of their bodies filled the air.  She inhaled.  “What are you?”

“Hyena,” Orion said.

It wouldn’t have mattered to her what they shifted into, and now that her curiosity was sated and the momentary distraction from her raging lust had started to wane, she kicked off her flip-flops and scooted back on the bed.  Going to her knees, she said, “I need you.  All of you.”

They climbed onto the bed quickly.  Her hands slid up Orion’s arms to the sleeves of his shirt, her fingers slipping under the hem.  He ducked his head and kissed her so tenderly that it brought tears to her eyes, but she forced them away so she didn’t ruin things by bawling.  When daylight came, when they found out her abused history, they’d be glad to leave her alone.  No one would want to put up with someone with her baggage, certainly not three gorgeous men who could have anyone on the planet.  Shoving aside the snarling worry from her wolf at the thought of them leaving her alone, she focused on kissing Orion.

Sterling and Crux’s fingers touched her arms at the same time, and her body jolted with awareness.  How strange!  Their touch was electrifying.  She moaned softly and Orion’s tongue slipped into her mouth, sliding against her own as he tipped his head to the side and deepened the kiss.  Crux and Sterling stroked her arms and kissed her shoulders but made no move to do anything more.

She slid her hands down her sides and gathered the dress, lifting it up past her hips.  Crux and Sterling took over, helping to lift the dress up her body as she parted from Orion’s tempting mouth.

Orion’s quick breath had Sydney covering her upper body with her arms.  “I know I’m ugly—”

Sterling’s dark snarl caught her off guard and she looked at him in surprise.  His blue eyes flashed.

“You’re not ugly, you’re beautiful.”  His thick fingers lightly grazed her jaw and he kissed her on the lips.  “Truly beautiful.”

She wanted to believe him, but she’d been told so many awful things about herself for so long that she couldn’t readily believe what they said.

“The bruises,” she started and Crux kissed her shoulder, brushing her hair away.

“Show that you’re a survivor, Sydney.  Don’t forget that.”  Crux said.

She’d never thought of herself as a survivor.  She’d never really given much thought to herself at all.  With their encouragement, she dropped her arms and squeezed her eyes shut.

No rough handling, no pinching, just pleased murmurs and light touches.  Sterling kissed her and she relaxed.  One of Crux’s hands traced her spine and his breath cascaded over her sensitive nipple as he cupped one breast and kissed the hard tip.  At the same time, Orion kissed her other nipple and ran his thumb along her inner thigh, just outside the edge of her cotton panties.

The painful desire that had swept through her eased with their hands on her, and she lifted her trembling fingers and brushed them through Orion’s soft blond hair.  Her legs began to tremble and she felt like she was going to fall, but before she could, they laid her on her back.  Orion sat on his knees by her calves, his fingers drawing circles on her thigh.

“Tell us how far to go,” he murmured, looking at her with intense blue-green eyes.  “Tell us how to love you, to make you feel better.”

She looked at Crux and Sterling, both crouching on either side of her, their eyes filled with compassion and want, and she answered as honestly as she could.  “I don’t know.”

She might have been embarrassed, but Orion said, “That’s alright, we’ll take it slow.  You tell us to stop if you want to, and we’ll stop immediately.  I promise.”

“I believe you,” she said, and she meant it.

Orion’s full lips split into a smile that made her stomach flutter.  “I’m glad.”

He hooked his fingers in the sides of her panties and drew them slowly down her legs.  She felt heat rush to her cheeks again, embarrassed by how wet she knew she was from the drugs.

Orion’s voice was husky when he spoke.  “Look how wet you are, sweetheart.  So pretty and pink.”  He pushed gently on her knees and she parted her legs.  She expected him to flip her over onto her stomach and fuck her, and a part of her wouldn’t necessarily mind that because she was so tightly wound from the drugs that all she wanted was to have sex.  But when she felt Orion’s tongue stroke across her swollen clit, she gasped and sat up, bumping her shoulders against Sterling and Crux.

“What are you doing?” she panted.

Orion raised a brow.  “Tasting you.”  He licked his lips with a smile.  “You taste delicious.  You’ve never done this before?”

“No.”  She shook her head.  “I’ve never, um, climaxed.”

Her mind immediately thought of the few times when she’d felt pleasure begin to bloom inside her.  It was as if Byron had been able to tell that she was starting to feel good because he would hurt her immediately by hitting or choking her, and the pleasure would disappear.

Crux slipped his hand behind her neck and massaged lightly.  “There’s no pain or fear here.  We just want to make you feel good.”

Resolving that she would not think about Byron or her past any more that night, she eased back to the bed and lifted her hands to Crux and Sterling’s shoulders.  Orion’s tongue touched her clit again and she breathed out a sigh as she widened her legs further.

Her hands slid up their arms and across their shoulders where she ran her hands through their hair.  Crux’s hair was dark blond and cut short, and slipped through her fingers like silk.  Sterling’s hair was brown and buzzed on the sides, tickling her fingers as she stroked over his ear.

Sterling’s large hand rested on her stomach and slid up to her breast, his thumb brushing across her tight nipple.  As he bent his head to kiss it, Crux kissed her lips, his hand still massaging her neck.  The lips of her sex were spread open; Orion sucked her clit into his mouth and her back arched, her hips pressing up towards his mouth.  His finger circled the entrance to her body and she moaned into Crux’s mouth.  Orion’s finger was thick but slid easily through her wetness and into her body.  He rubbed the walls of her pussy, and her belly clenched.  Small panting cries seeped from her throat and Crux groaned, leaving her mouth and kissing across her cheek to her ear.  He licked the shell of her ear and whispered, “Come for us, Sydney, let go and let us love you.”

Her legs tensed and her body clenched as Orion sucked on her clit like it was his favorite piece of candy, his finger rubbing ceaselessly inside her.  Warmth filled her and she threw her head back into the mattress with a loud moan as pleasure flowed through her.  Orion’s finger slipped out of her and he released her clit, licking the sensitive bud with slow strokes.

Sterling and Crux moved away slightly when the bed shifted as Orion moved over her.  She gripped his shoulders and said, “Can we stay like this?”

“Like what?”  His brows furrowed in confusion.

“Facing each other?”

“Of course.  I don’t want to miss seeing your beautiful face.  We can stop now, if you want.”

“No!”  She clutched at his shoulders and he chuckled, sitting up and drawing off his shirt.  His jeans were next, as he moved off the bed to strip and then climbed back on again.  His body nestled in the cradle of her hips, and she lifted her legs to wrap around his waist.

“Are you ready?” he asked again.

“Yes, Orion,” she breathed, stroking her fingers across his jaw.  He was so handsome, and for tonight, he was hers.  He shifted his body away from hers and his cock bumped against her pussy.  With one long, slow stroke, he filled her.  Both of them groaned, and he dropped his forehead against hers, wrapping his arms around her.  “You feel perfect, sweetheart,” he whispered with a kiss.

She wanted to say it back to him, but her past kept the words locked up tightly.  That was the sweetest thing anyone had ever said to her.  She was far from perfect, but in this moment, with these men, she felt as close to it as she ever had.

They stayed motionless for a few moments, and then he pulled out of her just as slowly as he’d driven inside, as if they had all the time in the world. And tonight, it felt like they did.

They moved together, slow at first and then building in speed, as the tension in her body built more and more.  She felt him tense and then groan low and deep in his throat as his cock swelled and emptied inside her.  The first spasm of his body inside hers set off a reaction that made her clench her teeth together.

Orion’s voice was deep in her ear.  “Let go.  You don’t have to be quiet.”

Unclenching her jaw, she let out a gusty groan as hot fingers of pleasure wove through her, and Orion chuckled in her ear and then kissed her cheek.  He held her for several quiet minutes.  The whole cabin was quiet and the only thing she could hear was the storm outside and her heart beating.

As her pleasure slipped away like the tide, emotion welled up inside her and her eyes filled with tears.  She’d never felt so singularly cherished in her entire life.  Her tears were ones of joy and relief, for her first taste of freedom, and the tenderness she’d found at the hands of her rescuers.  Then her mind began to churn, making her question their safety.

“Are these happy tears or sad tears?” Orion asked softly, brushing his thumbs across her cheeks.

She blinked and more tears spilled over.  “Are we really safe?”  Her voice was thick and her lips trembled as she spoke.

“I swear we’re safe.”  He smiled in understanding and hugged his arms around her tighter.  “You take all the time you need.  We’re right here.”

At his words, Crux and Sterling laid their hands on her arms, lending her their strength and support.  She willed her mind to let go of the fear of being found by her former mate and pack, and absorbed the heat of Orion’s body on top of her and remembered the pleasure that they had shared.  Her tears eased as they held each other, until they disappeared altogether.

Orion slipped out of her body and climbed off the bed.  Her body tingled with pleasure.  He returned quickly with a metal cup filled with water from the kitchen and she drank it greedily.  He refilled it and she drained it just as fast, laying back on the mattress and closing her eyes.  Although she felt better than she had before having sex with Orion, she knew the drug wasn’t out of her system yet.  She could feel the heat of passion flaring up in her again.

She looked at Crux and his nostrils flared, his green eyes darkening.  She reached for the button of his jeans and undid it, and he straightened slightly so she could pull the zipper down.  Going up on one elbow, she watched as he moved off the bed and pushed his jeans down his legs.  They were amazing men.  So willing.  So tender.  The females that became their mates would be lucky indeed.  To have this time with them was precious, and she’d cherish the memories for the rest of her life.

As Crux joined her on the bed again, her wolf howled in pain at the thought of walking away from them, but Sydney knew she had no choice.  She was damaged goods, and the three sweet men with her deserved to be with women that hadn’t been discarded by their mothers, abused by their mates, and on the run for their lives.

Chapter 6

Making love to Sydney had been the single most amazing thing in Sterling’s life, and he hadn’t wanted it to end.  He’d wanted to share her with his brothers and forge the permanent mating bond between a hyena clan and its bride.  It was absurd to think such thoughts, because he knew she was nowhere near ready to be mated, but it didn’t stop his hyena from whining plaintively in his mind at the thought of her leaving.

She fell asleep almost immediately after making love to him.  He knew she was tired before she’d even turned to him, but whatever drug that bastard had injected her with was driving her to keep going.  She’d fallen asleep next to him, but now, an hour later, she had wiggled away in her sleep to the edge of the bed against the wall, her body curled in on itself, as if even in her dreams she was afraid.

Orion whispered, “I’m going to shift and take a run around the perimeter and make sure that we’re still alone.”

Sterling would have offered to do it himself, but he didn’t want to leave Sydney.  When she woke up, he wanted her to see him and know that she was still safe.  She was so beautiful.  Delicate like a porcelain doll, with big blue eyes and long, blonde hair.  In spite of being on the thin side, her curves were evident, and he knew that her body would be downright sinful when she had a chance to live a life free of stress and fear.  As it was, her ivory skin and soulful blue eyes were like a beacon calling to him to do more than they’d already done.

By the time she turned to him, he was afraid that his need would frighten her, that he’d hurt her in a sexual frenzy and he couldn’t bear that.  He’d rolled them both over so she was on top.  She’d laughed, shaking her head as if she were dizzy, and at his urging, took his cock into her hot, wet pussy.  It had been heaven.  The tightest, hottest, wettest heaven he’d ever known.  And all through her tentative riding, his beast had growled in his mind, to mark her and make her his forever so that no one would ever doubt that she was his mate.  He couldn’t do that.  It was too soon.