Page 22 of A Bloodline Redeemed

River wrapped one arm around my waist and teased my breasts with the other, lightly pinching my nipple as he sank he teeth into my shoulder, buried deep inside me from behind.He held me there, shuddering, while Zhong pounded up into me, fucking us both hard and fast.

I really did scream like a banshee.I couldn’t help it.My orgasm crashed over me with so much force the edges of my vision went black.And the waves of pleasure only increased when I felt both men swell inside me, pulsing hot as they came, filling me with their hot release.

The entire world faded away, and I gladly let it go, lost in pure sensation.

I collapsed in River’s arms, limp as a ragdoll and gasping like a fish out of water.He caught me, but he was shaky too.Zhong supported us both as we all gently extricated ourselves from the tangle of limbs we had become.Then he scooped me up and carried me toward the bathroom, already anticipating my need for a good mop up.

River followed, padding after us on nearly silent feet, still graceful even after all that.“What are you doing?”he protested as Zhong sat me on the edge of the clawfoot tub and started fiddling with the taps.

I arched a brow at the shifter.“Bathing?I’m leaking buckets of come, here.”

He didn’t flinch at my blunt words.But his brow was creased in irritation.“Now?Wouldn’t you rather cuddle for a bit first?”

I frowned at him when he paced closer and ran his hand through my hair, brushing it back from my face.And off my neck, where he had left a particularly good love bite.His eyes lingered on the mark for a bit before finding my face.He seemed… agitated.

“River?”I said, as the deliciously warm water started to fill the tub and lap against my legs.“Am I missing something here?”

He looked to Zhong as if expecting help.Then he darted a lost look around the room when the gargoyle only gave him a questioning look.“I… you don’t…” he let out a sigh, ran a hand through his tangled black hair, then drew himself up straighter, squaring his shoulders.“Right.Of course.I’m sorry.I made assumptions.I don’t always get these things right.I misinterpreted things.”

Now I was even more confused.“River,” I said firmly.“What did you misinterpret?You’ve gotta help us out here.”

He jerked his gaze up from the floor to meet my eyes.“I…” Another sigh.“I thought we might bond for a while.At least a little bit, but…” his voice turned almostmournfulfor a second there.“But you want to wash my scent away.So clearly, I was wrong about… what we are to each other.”He shook his head and gave me a sad smile, his voice suddenly too even and cheery.“I didn’t mean to make things awkward.I’m sorry.This was fun.Enjoy your bath.”

He turned to go, but I reached out and grabbed his wrist, while Zhong not so subtly slid to stand between River and the door.“No way,” I said, tugging him closer.“I still don’t get it.But you seem hurt, and that’s not gonna fly.This is some shifter thing, isn’t it?Get in here.”

I tugged on his arm again, urging him into the half-full tub with me.It was a bit of a tight fit, but the tub—like every other tub or shower in this gaudy house—was bigger than your usual cheap, modern Planus realm bathing arrangement.Zhong wouldn’t fit in here with us.But I was sure he’d understand.

Once I got a reluctant River into the steamy, bubbly water behind me, I sat between his long legs and leaned back against his chest, trapping him there.Tilting my head to look up at his face, I tried again to understand what was going on.“Okay, now explain for real this time,” I told him.“And remember I haven’t the foggiest idea of anything to do with shifter sex.”

River gave a dry, self-deprecating laugh.“Of course.How short-sighted of me.”He ran a wet hand through his hair and glanced at Zhong, who plopped down to sit on the bathmat beside the tub, meaning he was still a bit above eyelevel with us.

Zhong waved away his concern.“Why didn’t you want Andy to take a bath?”he asked curiously, no judgement in his tone.

River leaned down and ran his nose along the side of my neck and into my hair, inhaling deeply.“Because then she won’t smell like me anymore.Likeus.”

I huffed a laugh.“Dude, I am not going to walk around dripping cum.That’s a bit much.”

He chuckled into my hair.“No.I know.I wouldn’t expect you to never bathe.It’s just…” He sighed.“In shifter culture, it’s fairly common to bask in the connection for at least a short time.It’s how we bond.It makes me feel closer to you, when our scents are all entwined and you smell like… well,mine.” He waved a hand as if to dismiss the weight of that statement, and his voice shifted into professor mode.“Shapeshifters don’t have every animal instinct that their animal counterpart might possess.But some impulses linger.And some, like bonding through scent, aren’t specific to any certain animal, but a general shapeshifter trait.There have been some interesting studies regarding the influence of these animalistic drives on how well shifters are able to integrate into other cultures, such as with witches or humans for example.”

I held up a hand.“Wait.That’s fascinating and all, but can we postpone the lecture for later, once we all understand what upset you and fix that.”

He ran a hand through his hair again, then looped his arms around my waist.“Yes, of course.I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize,” Zhong said softly.“Don’t apologize for who you are or what you like, River.It’s okay.”

I nodded in agreement.“Of course!I didn’t mean to make you feel bad about sharing the facts.I just want to make sure we don’t get sidetracked and forget that you were upset and that’s the important thing right now.”

He glanced between the two of us like we were some sort of interesting puzzle.“You really are wonderful,” he murmured.“Both of you.”

I shook my head.“River.Focus.”

“Right.Well.What more do you need to know?”

I mulled that over for a second.“So, you like it when your sexual partner smells like you.And you’d like to… I don’t know,baskin that for a bit after.Is that what you’re saying?”

“Yes,” he said, softly, almost shy.“I’d really like that.”

I glanced at Zhong and he shook his head.Right.He had no clue either.

---