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  Fin arched a thick red brow at me. "Well, I can't imagine something that fucking huge was difficult to locate."

  I snorted.

  Emerson did not look amused. "I'm going to just go…shower…," he mumbled, edging out of the room like he'd rather die than spend one more second with either of us.

  Fin cackled. I shoved him, nearly knocking him off the step stool he used to reach the stove. "Ease off. Fuck, you know he's sensitive."

  The leprechaun just laughed harder. "You're both idiots. That guy's had a crush on you since he met you. He's like a blushing virgin."

  I arched a brow at him. Moving shifter fast, I grabbed him and picked him up. He let out an unmanly squeak and clamped his legs around my hips. "Fuck's sake, Saber. What have I told you about picking me up?"

  I grinned evilly at him, wrapping my arms around his back and under his ass to hold him still. "You say that, but don't think I don't feel your dick poking me in the stomach right now."

  His green eyes twinkled, and he smirked. "Put me down before the food burns."

  I arched a brow. "Admit you're just hard on Emerson because you were scared of me too, at first."

  He huffed, leaning in to bite my shoulder with his blunt little teeth. "I wasn't scared of you, idiot."

  "Sure," I said, finally relenting and setting him back on his feet in front of the stove.

  He rolled his eyes and flipped the sandwich before it could completely blacken. "I was stupid to think your gender was a problem. Just like Emerson's stupid to think he isn't good enough for you. You have a terrible habit of proving everyone wrong. I just got sick of watching the big oaf suffer."

  I laughed, holding up my hands. "Okay, I take it back, stop being so deep."

  He leered at me over grilled ham and cheese. "Oh, I'll be deep, sweetheart, just as soon as were clean and fed."

  I scoffed, going to unpack the weapons. Most of them could just be wiped off and put away, but my blades could probably use some deep cleaning after all the stabbing I'd done with them lately. "So confident, for such a little guy."

  He made a lewd gesture with his hips. "Not little everywhere, kitty cat."

  I huffed a laugh and snagged a sandwich, burning my mouth as I took a bite before Fin could even hand me a plate. "Good," I said around a mouthful of gooey deliciousness. "Because I'm pretty hungry. It's gonna take a lot to fill me up."

  Emerson padded into the kitchen at that exact moment, his hair damp, wearing a pair of old sweats and a t-shirt. He stopped, looking like he was reconsidering his life choices. "You guys are still at it?"

  I laughed and handed him my plate, piling another sandwich on it, before getting more food for myself. "I was talking about food, Em. Geesh. Is your mind always in the gutter?"

  Fin snorted and turned off the stove, getting his own plate and joining us at the table. "That's Emerson. Always thinking with his monster-sized dick."

  Emerson buried his face in his hands. "Oh, my Gods."

  I patted him on the shoulder in sympathy. "Don't worry big guy," I said, realizing I loved making him uncomfortable. "I like your monster-sized dick."

  He made a whining sound and I took pity on him. "Eat your food. I'm not going to sexually assault you."

  When he lifted his head, his cheeks were still pink, but he was clearly making an effort. "Oh, I wouldn't mind being assaulted by you, Sam. But do we have to talk about it?"

  I choked on my food. Fin pounded me helpfully on the back, grinning the whole time, the asshole. "I just realized something," I said, as I tried to catch my breath. "I might hate you both equally."

  Fin flipped me off and focused on his food. Emerson gave me puppy-dog eyes and slid one of his sandwiches onto my plate. "Sorry."

  I rolled my eyes heavenward. "You see what I mean?"

  Emerson shrugged and went to take the sandwich back. I slapped his hand away and snatched up the food. "Mine now."

  His smile and laugh were more relaxed that I'd seen him in a long time.

  Chapter 16

  We tumbled into bed in a tangle of damp skin and blessedly clean sheets. Being out on a hunt always made me appreciate the simple things when I returned. Like the brush of cheap, but soft, cotton and the smell of my laundry soap. Or the sensation of Fin's skin against my own. The leprechaun let out an "oof" when I landed on him, then pushed at my shoulders, rolling me onto my back so he could breathe.

  I chuckled, and he climbed on top of me, awkwardly straddling my stomach with his short legs and pinning my hands to the bed with his own. The position put his face at the perfect level to lean forward and drag his tongue over my hard nipples. Gods, it was so good to be clean and fed. And to be able to enjoy myself without the fear of becoming prey. Though, with the way Emerson was watching us, I was starting to feel a little bit like food.

  I met his red-brown eyes as Fin continued to make me writhe under him, suckling at my breasts like he couldn't get enough. It wasn't long ago that I was too self-conscious to give him full access to my freakish body, and Fin seemed determined to enjoy the new trust. Besides, before me, he was straight. He had an ingrained appreciation for a set of tits. Not that I was complaining.

  I rolled my head on the pillow, resisting the urge to grab the little terror and have my way with him. Maybe sometimes it was better to let someone else take control.

  Emerson had been waiting while Fin and I showered, but his patience was clearly coming to an end. He pulled his t-shirt off over his head, and I got an eyeful of his broad, rippling muscles. I smiled at him, slow and wicked, encouraging the strip tease.

  Fin lifted his head and saw where I was looking. He nipped playfully at my chest. "Enjoy the show, Saber. It's about fucking time." Then he released my hands, moving to crouch between my legs. I gasped and buried my hands in his soft red curls as he sucked my cock into his mouth.

  The sound of a zipper had me glancing at Emerson again, watching hungrily as he got rid of his pants. Fucking Gods and all the monsters. Emerson wasn't hung like a horse. He was hung like a fucking ogre. A horse would develop an inferiority complex if it saw the rigid tree trunk Em called a dick. I licked my lips in appreciation, smiling up at him with a hint of fang.

  Fin wet two fingers and slipped them in my pussy at the same time he swallowed down my cock. I arched my back and thrust upward, fucking into his hot mouth as he crooked his fingers, making me groan. Em came to kneel by the bed, leaning over and drawing me into a sweet, soul-stealing kiss that rapidly became rough and desperate. I sank my teeth into his bottom lip, and he hissed in a breath, reminding me how much he seemed to like my fangs. I sucked his lip into my mouth to ease the sting, while his big hand caressed my breast, his thumb teasing the nipple in just the right combination of gentle and rough. I untangled my fingers from Fin's hair and wrapped my arms around Emerson's neck, pulling him closer, so he hovered above me. "Okay, there, ogre?"

  He smiled down at me in a very Emerson combination of tenderness and lust. "Tell me if I do anything that freaks you out, okay, Sam?"

  I growled. "Nothing about you freaks me out, Em."

  He looked down at me as Fin withdrew, giving me a second to catch my breath. Emerson's eyes were so full of emotion—love—even though I didn't want to admit it. "Same goes for you, Sam," he whispered, drawing a big hand gently down my body, over my breasts, my abs, fluttering over my cock, and lower, to brush against my pussy. "I love every bit of you."

  I swallowed hard and sat up. "Enough talking. Who's going to fuck me first?"

  Emerson sat back, looking alarmed. "I'm not fucking you, Sam. I'd break you."

  I narrowed my eyes at him. Fin laughed. "Stop pouting, Sam. You can convince the ogre to split you in half some other time."

  I snorted. Emerson blushed so hard it looked like he was going to catch fire. "Not happening," he said, his deep voice panicked.

  I took pity on him before the sweet, frustrating guy hurt himself. "Fine. Be that way."

  Lunging, I grabbed Fin and had him on his back a
nd perpendicular to the edge of the bed in an instant. He whooped in surprise, then grabbed my hips as I lowered myself down onto his cock. I spared him a glance to make sure I wasn't too heavy, but he seemed to know what I was thinking. He yanked my hips down as he thrust up, burying himself inside me before I could worry. I bent double and leaned down to kiss him, short and hard, before sitting up and reaching for Emerson.

  He didn't hesitate this time, standing at the edge of the bed and gripping the base of his massive cock as I licked his head. I expected some smart-assed comment from Fin about his view of Em's giant balls, since the leprechaun really wasn't into guys, but he just seemed happy that me and Em had worked our shit out and gotten on with it. He met my eyes as I did my best to suck a dick the size of a redwood and winked, slamming his hips upward so I moaned against Em's skin.

  The ogre slipped one big hand behind my head, brushing my hair back from my eyes and cupping my head in a grip that could easily crush my skull. That restrained strength was hotter than it should be. I opened my mouth wider, my jaw popping and lips stretching so far they burned, but I managed to get the whole head in my mouth, spit sliding down my chin and breaths ragged as my own body raced toward orgasm at Fin's hard thrusts. I lifted my eyes to Emerson's, pleading for him to please, for the love of the Gods understand that I wasn't a fragile flower. He bit his bottom lip and gripped my head harder, slowly, carefully pushing forward. I moaned in bliss, my eyes slipping closed and head tilting back to open my throat. My short fangs scraped his sensitive skin as he withdrew, and he sucked in a harsh breath.

  "Gods Sam, you're so fucking beautiful," he groaned, his voice so deep it rumbled through me. "So fucking perfect." I'd hardly ever heard Em swear. I'd smile, if my mouth could stretch any more. Instead, I lifted a hand and grabbed his hip, my fingers digging in, dimpling the bulging muscle there. Growling a little, I tugged him forward, egging him on. He seemed to fight with himself but finally, he gave in and trusted me—and trusted himself. Griping my hair harder, he slowly thrust back into my mouth, one agonizing, amazing inch at a time. He bumped the back of my throat before I managed to take even half of him, and I breathed heavily through my nose, lifting a hand to wrap around the rest of his shaft, stroking as he pulled out and thrust back in again.

  Fin wrapped a hand around my cock, and I swiveled my hips, riding him hard. My motions with Em became rougher as I crested the hill toward orgasm, and I must have dragged my teeth along his shaft a little too hard, but he didn't complain, just started mumbling an outpouring of adorable, sweet, ridiculous praises, his dark eyes fluttering closed as he chased his own pleasure.

  Fin cursed in leprechaun, slamming into me so hard I saw stars. His cock pulsed inside me, and I felt my own muscles clamp around him as I came, coating his fingers as he continued to milk my cock. I lifted up and Fin slid out from under me so I could lean back on my heels and use both hands on Em. The ogre opened his eyes and watched me with such intensity that it made my heart ache. I pulled off him, using both hands to work his spit-slick cock. "Cum for me, Em," I growled.

  He bent and kissed me hard, our teeth and lips clashing as his control over his strength slipped a bit. He pulled me closer, burying his face in the crook of my neck, chanting a litany of "I love you" and "so perfect," until he came, hard and fast, painting me in white.

  He collapsed to his knees in front of me, breathless and dazed, and I laughed, completely covered in jizz. "Fuck, Em, that was hot."

  He grabbed my hair and dragged me into a sloppy kiss. "Sorry, but I'm not sorry about that."

  I laughed. "Good. Now move. I need another shower."

  Once I was clean, again, I snuggled up between Fin and Emerson. We were squashed into my bed like sardines, and I had to half-lay on Em to make room, Fin curled around my back. The leprechaun absently stroked my hair as I drifted off to sleep. "You two morons happy now?" he huffed, his voice deadpan. But his eyes were twinkling with humor when I lifted my head to glance at him.

  "I've never been so happy," Emerson murmured earnestly, stroking a hand over my hip, his touch soft against the sleek fabric of my boxer briefs.

  I grinned, but kept my eyes closed. "Be a lot happier if we were sleeping now," I grumbled.

  Fin patted my head. Emerson planted a soft kiss on my forehead. I had a brief, fleeting thought about how ridiculously sweet it all was. Then I was out like a light.

  Chapter 17

  Rough hands gripped me. My knees slammed into the uneven wood planks of the stairs and I tumbled down them face first, scraping my elbows. The sick, wet crunch of my nose breaking, a flare of pain, warm wetness on my lips as my blood flowed. Something sharp and stinging on my leg. Not a splinter. My eyes adjusted to the dim light and I saw the sinuous movement to my right. Scooting away, fire coursing through my veins, my other leg bumped into a big, cold, scaled body. A screaming growl tore from my throat, garbled by the way my mouth was filled with my own blood. Vipers. I grabbed one and broke its neck, but by that time two more sank their fangs into my legs. Scrabbling up the rough wooden stairs, I pounded helplessly on the door. But it didn't help. The vipers slithered right up the stairs after me.

  My perspective shifted, things going black, then orange, and I was suddenly looking up. Flames licked around my bed. Smoke clogged my nostrils and filled my lungs. Josie. I flung my small child's body from the bed and crouched low, running to the other side of the cabin. Josie's form was visible in the shifting shadows and smoke, unmoving in her bed. I dragged the covers away, shaking her hard. "Josie," I croaked. "Wake up. You have to wake up." You can't leave me alone with them. Her head lolled and I crawled into the bed, gasping for air, choking as smoke burned my throat and lungs. She was bigger than me. I was a runt. But I couldn't live if Josie wasn't here. I managed to get my skinny arms under hers and drag her through the house, stopping to cough and choke several times on the way. It started raining as we hit the yard, fat drops coming down in furious gusts that made my skin tingle. The rain poured down, saving enough of the cabin to rebuild. But it wouldn't have been enough to save us in time. Close. So close. I coughed and heaved as blackness surrounded me.

  I was choking again. My searching eyes saw nothing but dark shapes through the muddy water as a dozen hands held me under. I couldn't hear their taunts anymore, as my ears filled with water and the blackness closed in. But I knew what they would be saying. Runt. Freak. Not even a cur is this worthless. Waste of air. Air. I needed air. My lungs burned, and black and white starbursts flashed in my vision. So hard. I had fought so hard for so long just to live. I was tired. My muscles ached, growing heavy, screaming for air. It was too much. Maybe it was better to let it all go. The pressure in my chest was too much. I couldn't hold back. And I didn't want to anymore. A sound reached my ears, like music, like a beautiful voice calling to me in the water. "Breathe." I sucked in a breath, cold river water rushing into my lungs. The feeling of hands holding me down slowly vanished as I relaxed into the darkness and peace.

  "Just breathe, Sam," the beautiful voice said again. A soft, cool touch ghosted over my forehead, brushing my hair back. Magic brushed over my skin, flowing like water. Like peace. I relaxed into the bed, all the fear leaving me. Home. I was home. The melody of the water soothed my soul and erased every remembered pain. The touch slid across my cheek, tucking hair behind my ear. I curled on my side toward the touch, wanting more of that feeling. That peace.

  My knees bumped something solid and my eyes fluttered open as I realized I wasn't dreaming anymore. A pair of black leather pants filled my vision. An unnaturally pale hand reached to stroke my hair again, and the voice that spoke made my heart ache. "There. See, just breathe. I'm here, Sam."

  I sat up and flung myself backward so hard I slammed into the headboard and half-slid off the other side of the bed.

  "Angel!"

  My eyes took in the vision before me, my mind scrambling to figure out where the fuck we were and what the fuck was going on. Angel sat on the edge of the bed, looking like a
sad, ethereal sex god—as usual. He wore a loose, flowing silvery shirt with the leather pants, and his long silver hair was pulled back in a ponytail that hung over one shoulder and spilled across his lap as he reached for me. Seeing he was about to get his wrist broken, he pulled the hand back and held it up in a staying gesture instead, the wooden bangles on his arm clicking against each other softly. Those bracelets hid a wicked set of concealed blades. Just like his shimmering gold eyes and perfect features held nothing but danger.

  "What the fuck are you doing here?" I demanded, resisting the urge to pull the blankets up to cover my chest, which was only clothed in a light tank top. My eyes darted around the room and I found Fin and Emerson watching us from the doorway.

  Fin looked suspicious and pissy. Emerson only looked sad and worried. My ogre hurried over to kneel next to the bed, and Angel shifted over a bit to make room. Em squeezed my foot, which was the only thing on that side of the bed. I was leaving it there, in case I decided to kick Angel in the head. "You were having a nightmare, Sam," Emerson said softly. "We couldn't wake you up." He glanced uncomfortably at the beautiful man at his side, then back to me. "You were calling out for him."

  I bared my teeth. "Fucking ridiculous," I growled.

  Angel sighed. "I was on my way here on an errand. You probably just sensed me nearby, felt my magic."

  I narrowed my eyes at him. "Get out of my bedroom, asshole."

  He stood, all graceful and at ease, the silky shirt falling around him, highlighting his broad shoulders and tapered waist. "I'll just wait in the kitchen, shall I?"

  I flipped him off. He smiled sweetly, showing me a hint of his short, sharp-pointed teeth, then spun and stalked out of the room.

  "Fucking hell," I muttered, running a hand through my hair and telling my traitorous body to shut the fuck up already. Why did that asshole unsettle me so much? And why the fuck was the only time I ever felt really, truly at peace in his presence? Fuck everything.