Vaewolf: Damn the Darkness: The Prophecy's Promise (Hearts of Darkness Book 3) (33 page)

“What did you glean from Dylan’s open mental pathways?"

Once he told her, he added, “Now do you want to hear my idea?”

"Why not?" She was out of ideas. “Only if it’s going to get Dylan to agree to the mate bond and bind me to him."

"Once he agrees, you know I'm in." Jackson grunted. “At least, it’s a step in the right direction.” He pulled the towel from around his waist, showing he was naked and aroused, as always.

“If his feelings are anything like mine, he can’t stand the idea of not pleasing you. It’s part of the mate bond. We can’t deny you no matter what you ask. I got that tidbit from his mind while we were in the bar—”

Jackson's serious expression rearranged into a grimace “I probably shouldn’t have told you—”

“I promise I won’t take advantage.”

He sat next to her, and Caitlin patted him on the knee. “Go on. Tell me your plan.”

“Anyway, I figure we’re going to have to play on that aspect of the relationship if we’re going to get him to consider the ménage bond.” Jackson's jaw tightened. He wasn't giving up on them. “Scoot over closer to him, so he gets your scent and we can get started.”

When she did as he asked, she winced. The alcohol leached from his pores.

“Ew! Speaking of scents...” Caitlin moved away to the far edge of the bed. "He smells ripe."

Jackson stood next to Dylan and began undressing him from his boots up. “You want to help?”

“Help? Okay... What exactly are we doing?”

“We’re going to seduce him into agreeing to this, until he can’t deny it’s the right thing.”

Caitlin’s eyes went wide. “'We’re'?”

“Sort of. Not 'we' exactly. 'You'. You’re going to have the biggest role, but I’ll play along.”

When she got closer to Dylan, she pinched her nose. “Ugh. I love the man, but he smells like a cross between swamp gas and a brewery. If you want me to take part in his seduction, you’re going to have to get back in the shower with him and clean him up.”

Jackson laughed. “Really? Not exactly what I was thinking.”

“I’ll turn on the water. Good luck with the naked man.” Caitlin gave him a don't-mess-with-me look and went into the bathroom.

“Thanks, but no thanks. Why don’t you join us?” Caitlin knew Jackson hadn’t meant it as a question. It was a weighted alpha suggestion. But then he added, “If the shower doesn’t rouse him, you can finish him off with a little of what we shared before.”

Great finally an idea with merit.

Caitlin admired Dylan’s ripped abs and suddenly couldn't wait to get her hands on him. “I uh…don’t suppose you’re looking forward to soaping him up.” She knew the answer before she asked.

“Not really. I was counting on you for that.” Jackson snarled and pulled off Dylan’s pants. “This is sacrifice enough.”

Trying to keep the enthusiasm out of her voice was not easy. “I guess I get the honors.”

Suddenly, Caitlin couldn’t wait to run her hands all over Dylan again. If only he were more aware. She sighed thinking she'd settle for the pleasure of just touching him again. Maybe he’d respond.

Oh, yes. She smiled. He'd respond. Then all bets were off.

Jackson half walked, half carried the big naked vampire into the shower, supporting and holding Dylan until the water roused him enough to stand on his own. The man must have consumed an ungodly amount of liquor.

“Scented body wash will help.”

“Argh!” Jackson growled when he came face to face with Dylan. “Get the tooth brush and paste. Start with his mouth so his breath doesn’t asphyxiate me.”

After convincing Dylan to rinse his mouth with mouthwash without swallowing, she was ready to forget the plan. But while Jackson braced Dylan, Caitlin started at the top.

She washed his hair, and after a few minutes of running her hands over his shoulders, back, and chest, she started on his abs. Heat began to consume her, and then she smelled the bonding scent--Jackson's, hers, and Dylan's. Her hands moved right below his navel, and... Well, no worries. Dylan could never claim he was completely out of it.

Caitlin grinned. The best part of the Highlander was wide awake.

Dylan’s cock stood at attention. A good sign because it was what she needed to get the job done. She stroked the man with soap, sliding her hands up between his legs and around his balls then pressed her wet body against his. His eyes were still half closed as he moaned, and Jackson braced him up against his chest. They moved into the warm stream to rinse off, and then Caitlin repeated her oral ministrations on Dylan.

Jackson growled, watching. “Hell, if this doesn’t wake him up, he may as well be dead. You’ve got me hard as steel, and I just had your sweet lips on me.”

After a little more sucking action, Dylan leaned against the wall and stood on his own. He responded by pulling Caitlin up and slanting his mouth to kiss her. Jackson moved behind Caitlin, his erection nestled between her butt cheeks. Sandwiching her against Dylan, Jackson fondled her ass while Dylan’s hands caressed her breasts.

Her mouth tasted his for the first time in eight months, and when his tongue searched out hers, for Caitlin it was like coming home. She stroked his chest and followed the faint, pale blond trail of hair to his groin, then fondled him with both hands. His cock lurched in her hands, as if silently begging for more, but he was still too out of it to realize what she and Jackson were doing.

“Turn off the water while I dry him and get him back to bed.” Jackson whispered.

Chapter
Forty Four

Dylan Refuses Caitlin

“Dylan, I want to taste you,” Caitlin demanded in a husky voice in no uncertain terms. The sharp points of her fangs slid past her tongue over her lips. She licked at his neck.

He tipped his head back, wanting to give in to the demand, giving her better access to his chorded throat, but he warned her, “I can’t let you drink from me tonight without taking your blood in return. If I do, by the gods, I’ll bind you, and then what of the future?”

“Then Jackson will bind me, too. I want you to take my blood while you’re inside me.”

“You know what a sexual blood exchange will mean.”

“So? It’s time to take that step. You accept our bond don’t you?”

“You know the answer.” Dylan’s eyes shimmered silver with desire. The bloodlust was on him. “Don’t play with me, Caitlin. It’s been too long.”

“Why are you waiting when we could take what we need from each other?” Caitlin glanced over her shoulder. “We can make him accept this, Jackson.”

“He’s right. If we don’t completely accept the consequences, it’s too dangerous,” Jackson interrupted. “Dylan and I pledged our devotion to one another long ago. I will not break my oath to my brother.”

“All right, Dylan. I won’t ask you to complete the bond tonight, just make love to me, again. Fill my emptiness.”

Dylan closed his eyes and turned away. “I was drunk, before. I never should have—”

Caitlin gasped at the coldness of his statement, and his eyes shimmered silver, frustration seething around him.

Jackson pulled Caitlin into his arms to comfort her when she released a short sob. Then, like a mad man, without regard to Dylan’s presence and unable to deny her need calling to him, Jackson knew what he had to do. He physically picked her up, flipped her to her stomach, and lifted her hips. With one quick movement he thrust into her, taking Caitlin from behind the way his wolf demanded.

Jackson turned and bared his fangs at Dylan, a challenge, then picking up the pace, he drove hard inside her, viciously thrusting long, hard strokes. Sweat poured off him as his balls slapped against her ass. He gave her all he had, but not what she needed. With each stroke he understood it would never be enough for her without Dylan.

She moaned and groaned, pumping back against him, but her thoughts reached out to Dylan.

“Please come to me. Be with me. I need you.”

Without warning, Dylan traced beside the couple and although Jackson snarled at the interruption, he paused. Dylan slipped beneath Caitlin and embraced her for a moment. A bead of sweat made a slow path from Jackson’s hairline, past his brow, over his cheekbone, and down his jaw. The muscle in his jaw clenched when the rivulet dripped to Dylan’s chest.

Clearly sober now, Dylan moved aside. The expression on his face revealed his pain even if his thoughts were blocked. But Jackson knew the level of his suffering couldn’t possibly have matched hers when he’d silently refused her.

She opened her mind to Jackson knowing Dylan could read both their thoughts. In this way, they shared every sensation between them. She wanted him to show Dylan, drive him to the edge, force him to face the truth.

Jackson stopped, collapsed to his side. With the sound of his breath bellowing hot at her ear, he choked out, “Dylan, I-I can’t fill the emptiness in her alone.”

“You don’t have to,” she murmured sounding hopeful. “He’s here. He can
claim
me.”

“Damn it, can’t you see she needs you?” Jackson groaned, “Only you can complete her.”

“Not now? Not tonight?” grumbled Dylan.

“I’m hurting,” Caitlin whimpered in pain. “How can you deny me?”

“Forget it!” Jackson rolled over and cursed. “Because of the prophecy. He’ll never agree to bind you to him, Caitlin, not while he believes I’m the best shot at impregnating you.”

“That’s not entirely true.” Dylan corrected him. “But you are the one shot.”

Her throat tightened. “Please, Dylan if there’s a chance, I want this between us.”

“Why not, Dylan?” Jackson asked.

Dylan stared at him. “I’m not ready. And I’m not sure this is the best thing for Caitlin...for us.”

“What do you know about what’s best for me?” she snapped out. “I haven’t had a fae orgasm since Jackson imprinted on me.

“She’s right, isn’t she? Before you left the faery dust stopped. There’s something missing. She’s never completely satisfied. Our connection is fruitless, and if I can’t satisfy my mate, what will happen? It’s driving my wolf crazy. I can’t leave her alone, but during the last full moon, I lost it. I can’t be with her until I bind her.”

“We wait. Victor should have answers soon. For now, we can at least satisfy her sex fae. I’ll leave when I’m done, and you can finish. Caitlin, I’m sorry I’m not ready to be here when he—”

Not conscious or sober, anyway.
She understood what he didn’t admit…

Chapter Forty Five

Caitlin’s Disappointment

Jackson held Caitlin from behind, cupping her breasts in his hands, playing with her nipples, and stimulating her. Dylan was just reaching the last of his thrusts, when he took her head in his hands and kissed her like a man dying of thirst, then he arched his pelvis and came violently inside her. Caitlin’s breathing signaled Jackson she’d reached her limit and was ready to explode. Jackson lightly bit her shoulder and Dylan nipped her lip while he continued his hips thrusts. With her head thrown back against Jackson’s chest, Caitlin screamed as she climaxed. And they waited. No faery dust settled.

Disappointment radiated from her, and she refused to hide it. No fangs, no sharing blood, equaled no bond. No bond meant no fae orgasm. The last one she’d experienced had been before Jackson imprinted on her.

“It was wonderful being with you again, Dylan.” Caitlin turned her face to Jackson, her cheek pressed to his and sighed. “Almost perfect. But I want this to last forever, and if that means risking the blood bond, I’m willing to chance it.”

“I would, too.” Jackson sat up and leaned against the headboard. “But I don’t think Dylan will risk the hope of the vampire nation.”

“Damn the vampire nation,” Caitlin shouted.

“I’m not talking about this now. Jackson can fill the other emptiness within you.” Dylan ran a hand across his stubborn jaw and moved aside turning his back on her and sifted out of the room still stark naked.

~~~~

Gone again
, she thought. “All I want is a life with the two of you.”

“
Cher,
you’re his life mate—sharing you tonight almost killed him. You felt it. It would have been impossible if he’d been completely sober, even worse if we’d been bonded.”

“I don’t believe that. The bond will make it be easier because we’ll all belong to each other. Could we try sharing blood?”

“It’s not like test driving a car and returning it if we don’t like it, Caitlin,” Jackson reasoned. “We can kill each other.”

“If I believed that I’d never make the suggestion. I have a gut instinct all this happened for a reason.”

Caitlin’s fae needed another orgasm, and from appearances so did Jackson.

He pulled her back to the bed and said, “What if you’re wrong?”

“I’m not. Let’s get the research together—look at all our DNA—and see what we think then. Dylan’s hiding something.”

“Okay, I agree. Now kiss me,
cher
. I’ve been patient long enough.”