Page 91 of Failed State

“Yes, it does,” I murmur when I’m done with the bite. “How can I trust people I’ve known much less time than my father when he was lying to me for almost two decades?”

This time, it’s Elias who answers. “Your father had something to gain by lying to you—a devoted companion, a daughter who stayed safe, and someone to give credence to his beliefs. We don’t know how much of his rhetoric was true because we’re stuck here instead of wandering the world to confirm it. However, at this moment, youknowwe have allagreed to work as a team and to use this event to help start a rebellion. We don’t need you to say you want to date us to achieve that goal. Since it’s the only thing we can focus on and it’s not a motive, you know we’re being honest.”

“Holy shit, Dante,” Rory says, as he looks up from his spot between my legs. “That was a fuckton of words for you, man.”

My lips curve up a little as I turn my head to look at the dragon. “You know I like when you talk more.”

“I do, little rebel. That is why I put in my two cents.”

Sebastian pulls my face back, looking into my eyes seriously. “The mage has been making you feel relaxed, but he can do so much more, kitten. Those light kisses are just the beginning. If you would like, he can show you what we mean.”

“Um…” I lick my lips as I stare into his crimson eyes, my brain warring with my body inside my head. “I don’t… I don’t know?”

Thad presses his thumbs into the small of my back and I moan as the knot on one side loosens slightly. “Syd, you smell like citrus and flowers; it’s intoxicating. I’ve known you for four years, and I’ve never caught this scent on you before. You have no idea how hard it is not to sniff you until I get drunk on it.”

Oh, my.

“If you say no to more, no one will be upset, Vicious,” Rory says hoarsely as he pauses. “We can still have the food and be comfy and make sure you don’t have muscle aches. You can do that with the option to reconsider later on without it being an issue.”

Turning to look into his beautiful blue eyes, I see the truth in them. He’s serious, and since no one is correcting him, the rest of them are, too. But I can smell things, too, and when I inhale, the mix of their own arousal is heavy in the air. I don’t know if I noticed shit like this before or if the ability is new because I’m slowly ‘emerging’. Either way, I know Thad has the smell ofcinnamon, amber, musk, vanilla, and other spices coming off of him. He smells tasty, too.

“We want this, but we can wait until you’re ready—if you’re ready,” Sebastian says when I look at him again. I breathe in again, smiling at the smell of gardenias, jasmine, and the wings of the night. His scent is exactly what you’d think a creature of the night would smell like, and I hate admitting that it also makes my whole body tingle happily.

“You guys… um. You guys smell fantastic, too,” I finally say. Sebastian looks surprised, and his head tilts as he looks at me curiously. “I can tell the difference, I think.”

Rory punches my thigh lightly as he smiles prettily. “That’s a really good sign, Vicious. It points towards a shifter in the mix, which we sort of ruled out. You’re an enigma, baby.”

Hearing his raspy, eager voice say the word ‘baby’ regarding me hits me right in the needy bitch button. I clench everything for a second, trying not to give in just because my sorely neglected sexuality is bursting at the seams. “I, uh… I’m not sure. I just know my mom had magic, and he didn’t, and it was forbidden for them to be together.”

“It’s probably forbidden for us, too, by that standard, kitten. But I don’t give a fuck.” Sebastian dips his head to get closer, and I can see the tips of his sharp fangs between his lips. “The longer we’re all together, the more I think nothing about this entire set-up is coincidence. You’ve done nothing but smack me around, and I can’t do shit without keeping my eyes on you. It’s not normal.”

I frown, unsure how to take that. “I’m sorry?”

That gets a laugh out of Elias, and his tail flicks over my collarbone lightly. “It’s nothing to be sorry about, little rebel. Being obsessed with you has been infinitely more interesting than anything I’ve done in the past four years.”

“You, too?” My eyes widen and I turn for a second to glance at the dragon, but Sebastian brings my face back again. “Hey!”

“Focus, Sydney. You don’t need us to repeat what we said in order to stall. If you do not want to continue, you can say so. But you will need to decide that before the mage has to hump the blankets to deal with his… problem.”

He’s baiting me and it’s working—I want so badly to see what he means now.

“I… I think I…” my voice cuts out and I have to clear my throat before I can speak again. “I want him to continue.”

The collective groan from the men around me makes my stomach flutter, and Rory drops his head to dust more kisses over my sweats. I feel the heat of his lips even through the fabric, and for some reason, I wish I’d picked shorts. Thad starts on my back again as Rory’s hands slip up my hips, and Elias’s tail traces along my torso, studiously ignoring every spot that seems to ache for his touch.

“We’re teasing you, kitten, but not in a joking way,” Sebastian whispers to me. His breath is warm on my face and I have to lean back a little to watch him as he talks. “It’s the best way to get you excited, and sometimes, you’ll find that it’s both pleasure and punishment.”

“Punishment?” I breathe. A not-so-subtle grip on the hem of my sweatpants makes my heart rate kick up, and I don’t resist when Rory’s hands wiggle them down on my hips. “Why would I want… um… that?”

The vampire chuckles. “Oh, you won’t. But you’re a brat, Sydney, and I guarantee you will earn it. Am I right, dragon?”

His tail flicks over my nipples and I make a strangled sound when the gesture sets me on fire internally. “You are, Whitmore. But I also think she will enjoy some of it. She enjoys irritating you far too much not to savor the sharp edges.”

“I don’t know about?—”

I have to swallow hard when I realize Thad is now lifting my hips so Rory can tug the sweatpants down. He drags them down my legs, then tosses them aside to leave my legs bare in front of him. “Vicious, all you have to do is say the word.”

“You didn’t set the word,” Huck drawls as his eyes rove over my skin.

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