Page 70 of New Nebraska Home

“Agreed.”

Liz

JUST THE BEGINNING

“Better run, little witch.” Cal’s deep voice sent shivers down my spine as I ran into the house and tried to find a hiding place.

It had been just over two weeks since we had killed Zmei, and things were starting to get back to normal.

The Temple, once under Zmei’s poisonous control, was now under the leadership of someone else. A change that brought its own set of uncertainties. Clyde Blunton wasn’t as hostile as Sid Zmei, but I still didn’t like him. None of us trusted him. But it would take him time to rebuild that organization into anything more than a glorified community center in a rural town like this.

At least I was reassured he wasn’t a basilisk with the ability to poison people and control their minds. So that was something.

The biggest relief was seeing how almost all of the people were horrified by their actions as soon as the poison’s hold broke. I didn’t think I had ever seen so many people beg for forgiveness for their ignorance. Which meant it must have been mind control. The truly ignorant never apologized, because they never believed they had done anything wrong.

The only thing I knew for sure was that if a therapist had opened up a practice in town, they would have been swamped.

It didn’t take long for someone to suggest getting all the halfling kids together, and just like that, Leif had a new group of friends. There weren’t a lot of them in town, but they were friends who understood him and were like him. I had met the other kid’s parents, and none of them looked down on me for being human or for being with three men of different species.

This was what I had hoped New Nebraska would be for Leif. It still had its problems, but it was home.

The first week had been nonstop: talking to the police about what happened, Malik getting questioned about what he was, Cal dealing with the fallout from the vampire covens involved, and Brock making sure things were set up for Leif and the other kids involved. Not to mention talking to his friend Osric about setting up some kind of formal Fae education in New Nebraska.

Osric mentioned moving out here himself at some point, if he could get away from what sounded like a very controlling mother.

All the activities and talking to other folks had been exhausting but necessary.

Today, however, we got a break. Leif was at his old friend’s now that his friend’s mother had been rid of the mind control. We’d already spent a bit of time this morning planning one-on-one dates for next week. Although I liked the group dynamic, I wanted to spend time with my men one at a time as well.

Malik and I were going to pack a picnic, and he was going to take me flying.

Cal and I were going on what he called a ‘proper date’ at some fancy restaurant in Omaha I couldn’t pronounce. That, no doubt, had tiny, overpriced portions that would leave me begging for a pizza after, just like Brock had mentioned once. I had wanted Brock to come to that dinner too, but he said there would be time for those sorts of group dates later. “So much time,” Brock said, and he’d mouthed the word, “Forever.”

For our first date, Brock was going to take me water skiing at a nearby lake.

The dates all sounded amazing, and I couldn’t wait for them, but it was all the other things that meant the most to me. Like the group intimacy, amazing sex, and quality time we all spent together as a family each day.

We were already doing life’s simple things, like playing board games and watching movies in the living room in the evenings.

Brock was currently holding me in his lap at the kitchen table, the tips of his fingers drawing little patterns over my thigh and sending electricity racing through my veins. He was teasing me, knowing I wanted more.

“I think we should take her down to my bed again,” Cal said, licking his lips as he watched Brock’s fingers.

“Or we can go to my room,” Malik said.

“Or we can stay right the fuck here,” Brock said, his lips pressing a soft kiss to the sensitive skin of my neck. “I think she will look amazing, naked and stretched out on the table. Definitely my favorite breakfast.”

I grabbed Brock’s hands, pulled them from my body, and stood up.

“How about whoever catches me, decides where and how they want me?”

I had no idea what had come over me, but I felt powerful. I had a surprise for them, but it wasn’t really ready yet. Still, I couldn’t wait. Three of the most beautiful men I had ever seen were arguing over where they wanted to have me, and I wanted them all. We’d been having fun in my bed off and on the past two weeks. But I wanted to be in Cal’s bed, with his silk sheets, again. Malik’s bed would smell like him, which was higher, leading to even more possibilities.

Brock taking me right there on the kitchen table excited me more than I wanted to admit, but if this was going to happen again, then it was going to be on my terms.

“Sweet girl, that is hardly a fair fight,” Cal smirked, showing off the tips of his fangs, reminding me how good it felt when they sunk into my flesh and he fed from me. The rush those fangs could give was almost unmatched.

“No using your supernatural powers,” I said, backing away from them. “No speed, no turning invisible, no water walls to block my path, and no sniffing me out.”

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