Page 92 of Failed State

“Good point.” Rory stops and looks at me again. “You need to pick a safe word. One you won’t say by mistake if you’re moaning or writhing. When you say it, everything stops, we get you cleaned up, and you rest. That word will never cause a discussion or argument. It’s final.”

I guess I’ve heard of this before, but I wasn’t paying attention. Are they setting me up for bondage stuff?

“Is this like… bondage stuff?” I ask carefully. “I don’t know if I’ll be good at that. I mean, I don’t even know what most of it is.”

“Pick a word, little rebel. It only gives us a clue when you truly mean stop.”

Elias’s reassurance helps; he definitely won’t let me get into things I’m not comfortable with. “Okay, how about kumquat?”

They all have amused reactions and for a moment, I wonder if I’m too naïve to handle one of them, much less all of them. Squirming in place, I feel the fear of disappointing people well up inside me, and I consider using that word even though I just set it. Before I can do it, Elias’s tail wraps around my waist and squeezes. The gentle gesture makes my chest tighten and I realize that I definitely donotwant to stop them—at least, not yet.

“Are you ready, Vicious?” Rory murmurs against my upper thigh. I feel the evening’s slight stubble sting as he moves along the inner curve of my right leg. “Because you got to eat, but I’m still hungry.”

Holy fuck, I’m never going to survive this.

JUST DON’T CALL ME LATE TO DINNER

HUCKLEBERRY

This isthe hottest fucking thing I’ve seen in a long time, by far.

Our girl—the one Thaddeus and I have been trying to get to notice us for years—is spread out like a nervous little buffet, and she’s actuallyallowingus to touch her. Not only that, but I’m pretty damned certain she’s going to agree to the vampire’s terms by the time we’re done making her sing for us. My imagination hasn’t done this moment justice and I have an active bloody imagination—I’m a demon, for hell’s sake.

Sydney’s long blond hair is unbound, spilling over her shoulders and onto us as she watches the talented mage slowly makes his way toward the promised land. I can smell her desire, which is intoxicating as is, but there’s also a bit of fear and worry leaking through her aura. For most, that wouldn’t be ideal, but for a fear demon like me, it’s the spice that makes everything taste like ambrosia. I’d be concerned about that if I didn’t know that it’s not connected to us as much as her deep-seated terror about letting people in. The world gave her that phobia, and we’re going to teach her that sometimes people stay.

The thought of her relinquishing that fear is almost as delicious as the scents surrounding us.

“Darlin’ girl, you’re gonna need to part your legs for him a bit,” I murmur as I reach over to stroke her cheek. “I know this is new and you’re feelin’ shy, but you won’t feel like that for very long.”

Rory looks up and winks at me before diving back to his task of nibbling and marking his path up to her soaked cunt. I know she’s practically drippin’ by the look in his eyes and the dazed expressions of all the other males forming the circle around Sydney. Each of us is affected by the smell and strength of her need differently—the vampire with his fangs, the dragon’s tail teasing, my ursine best friend’s tension as he relieves hers, and the mage barely keeping the ravenous hunger off his features. I’m delighting in my versatile role in the middle because being amongst the chosen is fueling me like no other rush before.

“You heard him, kitten. Open up for Rory,” Sebastian says in a firm but gentle tone.

I didn’t expect him to pull off soft Dom, but here he is, shocking the shit out of me.

“Are your sure that you want to—oh my fucking…”

My entire face lights up when Stormbringer finally reaches her neatly shaven pussy and licks the most sensitive spot eagerly. Sydney trembles in our embrace, her head falling back against Thad as her eyelids flutter. The timbre of that exclamation was throaty and breathy like a noir ingenue; I want to hear it again immediately. It made my dick twitch like a Mexican jumping bean and I guarantee I’m not the only one.

Thad’s big hands grasp her thighs, pulling them apart a bit more as the mage goes to town. His own moans tell me she tastes as good as she smells and I’m jealous as fuck that he gets to go first. But our girl will have a lot of firsts, and we’ll all claim ours, eventually. My sweet pea deserves to feel pleasure and since he’swormed his way into her graces better than anyone else, it makes sense that she didn’t protest his exploration.

“Little rebel, relax…” Elias’s tail flicks over her breasts through her tank and my eyes zero in on the pierced nipples begging for more. “This is all for you. Let him show you a preview of what we will make sure you feel whenever you are aching. Your pussy will weep for us, and it will be our honor to drag every ounce of pleasure from you until you cannot move.”

Damn, the dragon’s a good dirty talker when he’s not being a silent statue.

“Elias, I…”

Her voice trails off on another moan and Thad curses under his breath. “Motherfucker, Syd. That sound makes my cock try to tear through my fucking pants. Do it again.”

Her eyes crack open and a huge shiver runs through her before she speaks, “I… Is that what… I can’t…”

The mage lifts his head, his lips and lower facecoatedin shiny juices. “I like when you can’t remember how to talk, Vicious. Want me to continue?”

That gets her to open her eyes, and the look in them reflects the exact emotion his nickname refers to. She reaches down and grabs his hair, panting softly as she growls, “Don’t youdarestop.”

Sebastian laughs, his rumble dark and satisfied as he leans down to kiss our girl roughly. When he pulls away, his forehead is ridging with the physical manifestation of the vampiric demon inside of him. “That’s perfect, kitten. Demand what you want… what you need. I enjoy seeing that spirit. That’s what makesmydick hard, if you’re wondering.”

Sydney narrows her eyes, looking like she’s going to mouth off, but Rory goes back to eating her out and that stops the brat from exiting her lips like an entirely different magic. She buries her fingers in his hair and tugs, earning a few little snarls fromhim. I know he has to be humping the blankets like a madman down there because the veil has fallen on everyone’s tippy-toeing around their words.

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