Page 9 of Gua rdian of Blood and Shadow

Javier smiled to himself. “You give him a purpose,” he said. “Something greater than himself to fight for—a reason to fightagainsthis father.” Javier’s eyes narrowed in thought. “I think he was always meant for you.” He refocused on me, the intensity in his gaze startling. “I think, perhaps, we all were.”

5

Ichewedonmythumbnailas I approached Ash and Thane’s suite. I had a million things to do. I needed to check on Micah and see how my very mortal, very human son was recovering after the shifter attack—and after the magical healing that had saved his life even as I upended his world. I needed to ask the healers about a possible tincture from Gavin’s blood. I needed to visit Isador and ask her to teach me everything about being not just a queen, but the High Queen of the House of the Moon.

My to-do list was ever growing while time seemed to be slipping through my fingers like dry sand. Gavin was suffering, Micah was in danger, and binding Thane was the only thing that would increase my power now. That, at least, would bring me an intangible step closer to rescuing Gavin. I already had four men in my bed, though not yet all at once. What was one more?

Laughing under my breath, I jerked my hand away from my mouth and shook it out in an ineffective attempt to dispel some of my nerves. This was ridiculous. I was being ridiculous. Ash was already mine, and I had fed on Thane recently enough that I could still feel him. My sense of Thane wasn’t as strong as my sense of Ash, but I could still pick up on his hopeful expectations. He wanted this. Wantedme.

Besides, this was about more than just me. More than just what I needed. By coming to Ash and Thane’s suite and binding Thane to me, I would be linking the three of us in a way that had never been possible for the two of them before. So much of what I had experienced since Gavin discovered me was about obligation, but this—this was about choice. My choice to do something good, something beautiful. By welcoming them both into my harem, I could act as the glue between them, forever binding them together.

The door to their suite opened before I even reached it to knock. Ash stood in the doorway, shirtless, his jeans riding low to bare the glowing silver markings covering the pale skin of his hulking torso and arms. The V lines disappearing into the waistband of his pants drew my eye like a glaring neon sign, and it was impossible not to picture the equipment I knew he was packing. Nerves and excitement fluttered in my belly, battling for dominance.

Ash reached for me, his hand settling on my arm. “Sophie.”

I dragged my gaze up to his face, my cheeks heating, and I cleared my throat.

Ash’s brows bunched, forming a deep crease. “If you need more time…” He must have picked up on my nerves. How could he not? I was practically buzzing with anxiety.

I shook my head, swallowing the urge to take up his offer and postpone. We’d made a deal. He let me bind him, and in exchange, I promised to bind Thane as well. And beyond that, Iwantedto do this. Not just for them, but for me and for Gavin and for Micah. The more consorts I had feeding my body and fueling my magic, the stronger I would be. The more capable I would be at protecting those I loved. I wasn’t willing to let Gavin linger in that dank dungeon for a second longer than was necessary.

The idea of all those queens feeding on him…

Of what else that might lead to…

I squeezed my eyes shut and turned my face away from Ash, pushing the ugly thoughts to the back of my mind. I refused to let jealousy worm its way into my heart, not when Gavin was only doing what he had to do to ensure both he and the queens survived.

Gentle fingers gripped my chin, turning my face back toward Ash. “Sophie…” His voice was filled with echoes of my turmoil. He was possibly my most sensitive and intuitive consort. My gentle giant.

He bowed his head and leaned in until his cheek pressed against mine, the coarse whiskers from his beard brushing against my skin. “Let us distract you,” he whispered, his breath caressing my ear and shifting the small hairs that had escaped from my low bun, sending pleasant tingles cascading over my flesh. “It doesn’t need to be anything more than that.”

I inhaled deeply, breathing him in. This position placed his neck mere inches from my mouth, and I licked my lips. My salivary glands kicked into high gear as I imagined the cinnamon and sugar taste of his blood. A distraction. Yeah, that sounded really good right about now. And if it turned into more, into bonding Thane, then so be it.

Ash’s lips ghosted down to the sensitive skin beneath my ear, and he dragged his sharp teeth suggestively over my flesh. His large hands slid from my neck to my shoulders, gliding down my arms until they settled in the curve of my waist. I leaned into his solid heat, my fingertips automatically tracing the waistline of his jeans. I found the grooves between muscles that dipped lower, leading to glorious hidden places, and followed them with greedy fingertips.

Ash tightened his grip on my waist, lifting me until my feet left the floor as his lips found mine. I automatically wrapped my legs around his hips, my arms winding around his neck. His tongue caressed mine, and I pulled his lip between my teeth, biting gently, promising more.

A low growl rumbled in his chest as he backpedaled, carrying me into the sitting room of his shared suite. He kicked the door shut and pressed my back against the hard, wooden surface, his body flush against the front of me, nearly as unmovable as the door at my back. He rocked his hips, his massive erection rubbing against me in all the right places.

New hands glided along my forearms, and I broke the kiss, finally opening my eyes. I rested my head back against the door, giving Ash access to my neck. My eyes locked with Thane’s, who was standing so close behind Ash that the front of his body was molded against the back of Ash, pinning my legs. The dark skin of Thane’s bare torso stood out in stark contrast to Ash’s pale complexion.

I sucked in a shuddering breath as Ash grazed his sharp teeth down the length of my neck, teasing, promising. Thane’s hands glided up my arms and down my body, settling on my hips. His fingers dug in as he massaged my ass, increasing the friction between my center and Ash’s concealed erection.

My breaths came faster, pleasure coiling in my core. I was already close to release, and nobody was even naked yet. The tantalizing effect of my bond with Ash at work, heightening desire, pumped his blood full of the dopamine that fueled my magic. Thane brushed his lips over my forearm, the faint scratch of his teeth a silent question. Should he do it? Could he feed on me? My climax sparked at the suggestion of a bite, just out of reach.

“Dear goddess, yes,” I panted, near tears with anticipation.

Ash bit down on my neck at the same moment as Thane dug his teeth into my arm. I gasped. Between one heartbeat and the next, the dual shocks of pain transformed into delicious pleasure, arcing straight to the throbbing heat between my legs. I floated on a cloud of bliss for long seconds, their bites holding me on the plateau of ecstasy.

They pulled on my blood in perfect synchronicity, igniting delicious spasms that rocked my body. My eyelids rolled back, my eyelashes fluttering and my mouth opening in a silent “O”.

Suddenly, Thane drew back from my arm, and Ash whirled me around. Another hard body replaced the door at my back even as Ash continued to suck from my neck, his draw on my blood gentle but enough to hold me captive in the throes of the climax. Hands moved over my body, though I couldn’t tell who they belonged to. Did it matter? Everywhere they touched drew sparks of pleasure, like little bolts of lightning arcing from my core.

My head lolled to the side, resting on Thane’s sturdy shoulder. His lips brushed against my cheekbone, my jawline, my chin, then claimed mine. His kiss tasted of my blood, but I didn’t mind.

Ash lapped at the bite on my neck, the tingling sensation telling me he was sealing the wound with his own immortal blood. The tremors of release subsided, allowing semi-coherent thought to return to my mind, and I kissed Thane back.

Thane’s lips curved into a lazy smile. “You taste even better than I remember,” he murmured, dragging his mouth along my jawline until his lips brushed my ear. His hands clutched my ribcage possessively, the tips of his fingers teasing the undersides of my breasts. “I want to taste the rest of you.”

---