Overwhelemed

Overwhelemed
Mara

The silence stretches, and Nerion returns those impossible violet eyes to me. 

The pull between us hasn’t lessened. If anything, it has grown stronger. I turn slick between my thighs almost immediately, and I squirm beneath the intensity of his attention. 

Kaelith exhales heavily, and I realize in that moment that he’s holding in his breath. It draws my attention back to him, while his is squarely on Nerion. 

Then it shifts to Thane, lingering there for a moment before it lands back on me. 

Disappointment flashes in his eyes, a quick hardened expression that turns down the corners of his lips. Rhydan seems to understand what he communicates with the small gesture. I don’t know if it’s magic between them or simply centuries of knowing each other.

Whatever it is, they come to an agreement without speaking a single word.

Rhydan moves first, he turns from where he stands, stretching his arms. “I think we’ve overstayed our welcome.”

My eyebrows shoot up. “We?”

A grin tugs at his mouth, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. He leans close to me, pressing a kiss to the side of my jaw, forcing Nerion to drop his hands and take a step back. He snarls his discontent.

Despite myself, I smile. 

But Kaelith still hasn’t said anything, he hasn’t moved. My eyes find him, looking for some confirmation that he isn’t leaving me, too. 

His gaze softens. His red eyes lose some of their fire, his shoulders dropping in defeat. It’s a small movement, but it’s enough for me to notice. 

“We should give you space.”

My chest tightens. “No.”

He blinks, eye flinching as if my protest affects him more than me. He closes the distance between us, everyone else kind of disappearing into the void. 

“You don’t need me for this,” he whispers, reaching for me, hands on my neck as he tilts my head back to look at him. 

He’s wrong. I do need him. I’m not brave enough to do this by myself. 

He tilts his head as if he can read my mind. “You’re stronger than you think.”

My knees go weak, suddenly overwhelmed by how much he sees me. He presses his lips to mine. I can tell he only meant for it to be a quick peck by the way he pulls away. 

But I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him closer for a deeper kiss. He wraps his arms around my waist, giving in to my demand for more. 

Still, he’s the one to end it. 

To pull away and press his forehead to mine. His fingers flex at my waist, and it brings some relief to know this is hard for him, too. 

Rhydan claps a hand on Kaelith’s shoulder. “Come on.”

Kaelith doesn’t move for a moment, his body hard around mine. His jaw flexes, and he finally unwraps his arms from my waist. Rhydan heads for the door first, and he follows.

My pulse jumps when the door closes behind them, leaving me with Nerion and Thane. Nothing else, except for the magic that pulses with need between my legs. 

For one ridiculous second, I almost call out to Kaelith. To ask him to stay. 

Slowly, I turn back around to face Nerion. He’s still watching me, and I can only lightly make out Thane standing at his back. 

The room suddenly feels much smaller because there are two of them, and neither of them is Kaelith. 

I rub my palms against my pants and let out a nervous laugh. “Okay, I’m going to be honest.”

Nerion lifts an eyebrow.

My attention shifts between the two males. “I think I’m a little overwhelmed.”

Thane huffs. “I think we’ve established that quite well.”

I choose to ignore him, though the taunt is more friendly than angry. 

“I just...” I shake my head. “I was trying to wrap my head around Nerion, and now it’s both of you?”

To my surprise, Thane is the one who answers. “Not really.”

Nerion nods. “Thane isn’t here for that.”

I blink. “What?”

A smirk pulls at his mouth. “He’s not joining us.”

The immediate relief that floods through me must show on my face because Nerion laughs softly. 

I glance toward Thane. “Then why is he here?”

The larger vampire shifts his weight but says nothing.

Nerion answers for him. “He’s going to help us out.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means,” Nerion says carefully, stepping closer to me. “That you still smell an awfully lot like Rhydan.”

I frown, not understanding the connection. But then, a memory flashes through my mind. The pit of my stomach lights up with awkward, hungry, needy realization. My head snaps toward Thane. 

Rhydan’s words flash so clearly in my mind.

Bet you’re thinking of licking it off her, or out of her, I guess.

My breath picks up, a new flood of wetness flushing between my legs. I can feel my clit pulse in anticipation of what’s coming. 

Thane looks entirely unapologetic, gold eyes sharp as they take me in. They drop down to my chest, where he watches me heave for breath. I take a step back, wringing my fingers together. 

“Oh.”

It’s the only sound I can make. 

Thane takes a step toward me. “I can smell you, my light. Does the thought of my tongue between your legs make you weak?”

I’m lightheaded, squirming, pressing my legs together for some sense of relief. 

Nerion’s eyes remain on mine. “Nothing is going to happen that you don’t want to happen, Mara.”

Thane laughs, a deep, rumbling chuckle. “Oh, she wants this, Nerion.”

Nerion’s jaw tightens. A surprised breath escapes me as his hand closes around mine. He guides me backward toward the daybed.

When we reach it, he sits first, exhaling slowly as though trying to regain control of himself. He draws me closer and settles me onto his lap.

He turns me, pressing my back to his front, forcing me to face Thane. 

The larger vampire hasn’t moved from his place.

His arms are folded across his chest, though the rigid set of his shoulders tells me he’s feeling the same tension filling the room. 

His jaw is tighter than before, his stance is wider.

Behind me, Nerion’s chest rises against my back, taking in the smells that surround us. 

Oranges.

Honey.

The familiar notes of Nerion wrap around me, warm and bright despite the tension humming beneath me. Then Thane hits me like a wall. Leather and rain. 

The combination settles over us, filling every corner of the common room until it feels impossible to separate one from the other.

My pulse quickens.

Nerion hands land on the waistband of my pants, settling there as if waiting for me to stop him. 

I don’t.