Page 33 of Help Wanted, Vampires Inquire Within
“I’m so sorry!” she gasped. Struggling out of Jack’s embrace and the sheets, she sat up. “I can’t believe I did that. I didn’t know I could, I swear! I can find a bruja to remove it. I promise, I’ll fix this!”
“Fix what?” Jack asked, sitting up with a yawn. His dark hair was standing up in all directions, making him look even cuter than usual.
“The bond I forced on both of you!” Skyler cried, stumbling out of the bed. She was wearing her pants and shirt from yesterday. She accidentally pulled the blankets off with her, revealing both men wearing nothing but boxers.
They were both so gorgeous, all thought left her head for a brief moment. Mason was nothing but bulging muscles with thick legs and wide shoulders. Jack’s body was lean and muscled. The way they contrasted with each other made both of them look that much more beautiful.
“Skyler, you didn’t force anything on me,” Jack said, reminding her that she shouldn’t be staring at these men. She had a serious problem to deal with!
“I did!” she insisted.
Jack put his arms behind him and sat back; Mason moved until his back was resting on the bed’s headboard. That’s when Skyler noticed the bed was very large. Much bigger than the small bed she’d been sleeping in since Anatoly offered her sanctuary.
The bed was so large it took up a quarter of the studio apartment and left little room on either side to get out.
“I wanted to bond with you and Mason,” Jack explained. “I don’t care that you did it instead of me. If anything, I feel lucky as hell. I’ve got something no other vampire has, a flock that claimed him instead of the other way around. Does this mean you’re going to carry me over the threshold later?”
Skyler couldn’t believe Jack was making jokes. “This isn’t funny! I stole a piece of your soul.”
For the first time, Jack frowned. “Not stolen, accepted. Big difference, Skyler.”
“You should be at least a little angry.” Skyler looked from Jack to Mason. “I stole a piece from you too!”
Mason shook his head. “Mates can’t steal from each other.”
“I’m not your mate, Jack is,” Skyler reminded him. “I messed all this up. You two were supposed to live a happy life without me to make this complicated.”
Mason scowled. “I’m not even gonna ask what you mean by that,” he growled. “You’re both my mates, Skyler. I said that we are mates. You and me, Skyler. I knew from the beginning. You must believe me now because the magic pushed you to bond to us.”
Skyler blinked. “I thought you were trying to protect me. I didn't think we were real mates.”
“What?” Mason asked, sounding offended. “Am I not good enough for you?”
She flew at him. Mason made an oomph sound when she landed on him. She laid quick kisses all over his face as she talked.
“I wanted to be with you so bad! I love you, but I was scared that all you felt for me was obligation. Then there was Jack, and I thought that was it. You’d found your mate, and we were over!”
Mason started laughing. “You love me, and I love you, but neither of us were saying anything because we wanted what was best for the other person. That’s right out of a romance novel!”
“Where do I fit into this novel?” Jack asked, moving closer to the two of them. Now that she’d accepted the bonds between them, she could feel both his love and a slight insecurity.
Sitting up, she put a hand behind Jack’s head and guided his face close. “You fit in right here.”
She only meant to give him a quick kiss on the lips, but the moment they touched, he opened his mouth and demanded more.
Moaning, she let him deepen the kiss. Lust flooded the bonds. She couldn’t tell who it was coming from. Probably all of them.
When the kiss ended, they were both panting a little. “We need to do more of that and often,” he whispered.
“You’re really not mad?” she asked. Waves of love from Mason and Jack flowed through the bonds.
Jack’s eyes flashed with magic. “Never. I feel privileged to be your land.”
“Same here,” Mason said. “Except for the unfortunate fight, this couldn’t have ended any better.”
Skyler pulled back and noticed she’d left a smudge of dirt on Jack’s face. Looking down, she saw her hands were covered in filth. So were her clothes.
“I’m disgusting!” she exclaimed.
