Sundown, International 4: Maneater Read online

  Not really. The Faery was in Australia at the time. Ruarc paused for a second then said, apparently to Alexius, Really? The Seelie prince?

  Oh yeah, sure, I mocked. Ruarc had explained to me a few things about the Fae, notably that their nobles belonged to either the Seelie or Unseelie courts, presided over with total authority by their respective queens. The Seelie queen had only one heir, a young gadabout who’d only recently managed to produce heirs of his own.

  High court Fae have extraordinary healing powers, Ruarc told me.

  They’d have to. The blood of the Hydra has killed better men. How did this Seelie prince get here from Australia in time to save Alexius, then?

  Well, I assume he teleported.

  You guys can do that? Why haven’t you --

  Iron, Ruarc reminded me. Can’t mind-speak through it, certainly can’t move through it. That’s why I didn’t see through the glamour until I was away from the iron bars.

  Well, that sucks, I told him, grinding down hard on his cock. You suck.

  Only when asked nicely. Ruarc’s hands trailed up from my hips to my breasts. Chloe…

  Yes? I snapped.

  Alexius seems to be under the impression you’re trying to make him jealous.

  I turned my glare on the man in question. He was watching silently, not touching himself, even though he was getting pretty hard.

  I’m not, I said. Tell him… Tell him I don’t care how he feels? No. That’s just a blatant lie, and he’d know it. Tell him I’m not trying to make him jealous. I’m trying to hurt him.

  There was a slight pause. You want me to tell him that? Ruarc asked.

  Yes. And then get up and sit on the chaise, I said, sliding off him, giving his slippery wet penis a tweak, and holding my hand out to help him up. If Alexius wanted to see me fucked, he could damn well get a good view.

  Ruarc relayed my message to Alexius, whose face didn’t change. He watched me take up a new position, seated in Ruarc’s lap with my back against his chest, my legs propped wide open over his. I slid down onto his cock, and said to Ruarc, Tell him to watch. Tell him to watch me taking you inside me.

  You sure?

  Yes. I want him to see. And I want you to fuck me harder. Touch me. Make me come.

  Chloe --

  “Fuck me,” I said, and just as before The Voice went through whatever was blocking his ears and straight to his brain, and Ruarc’s hands were suddenly all over me. His fingers pinched my nipples, his teeth bit into my neck, and as I plunged down on his cock he rubbed my clit, not gently at all but hard, fierce. I arched my back, lifting my arms and pulling Ruarc’s head closer.

  And this time, all the time, I watched Alexius.

  He was hard now, fully hard, pulsing and straining, but still he never touched himself.

  In the other cages, everyone was silent. No one made a single comment. Perhaps they saw through his glamour too, perhaps they knew something else was going on.

  Those Mediterranean eyes were fixed on mine now. Eyes I’d stared into while he made love to me, stroked me and caressed me and filled me, fucked me hard, loved me tenderly. Eyes that had lied to me. Eyes I thought I’d never see again.

  A tear rolled down my cheek.

  Alexius opened his mouth, as if to speak, then stopped and knelt in front of me instead.

  “Don’t you touch me!” I cried out loud, even though I knew he couldn’t hear me. I kicked out at him, shoving him away, slamming my heel into the purple scar on his shoulder. “Don’t you dare touch me.”

  He fell back, steadying himself on his hands, lying there looking up at Ruarc’s balls as I thrust up and down on them, harder and faster.

  Chloe, Chloe. Ruarc’s voice was gentle in my head. I can feel your tears. Let’s stop this now.

  No, I said, and I put all my siren’s force into that mental word. Make me come, Ruarc.

  And he did. He rolled and pinched my clit, rocking his hips to change the angle of his penetration, and kissed and licked and bit at my neck, and I closed my eyes because I couldn’t come with Alexius staring at me like that.

  And I wanted him to see me come. Wanted him to see that he wasn’t the only man who could make me scream. Because scream I did, at a pitch I knew would hurt. Earplugs be damned. A siren’s voice is stronger than that. Some harmonics reach straight to the brain.

  I didn’t stop until I felt Ruarc’s fingers digging in me, his hand gripping my jaw and trying to close it.

  Chloe… it hurts!

  I opened my eyes. Alexius was flinching, face screwed up in pain, just like the last time I’d seen him… when he’d been shot… when he’d been dying.

  I was shaking. Behind me, Ruarc flopped against the back of the chaise, still inside me but not so hard any more. I guess a migraine does kind of kill off an erection.

  Alexius was still hard though. Still hard, and as he righted himself, smoothed out his expression and knelt before me again, still my golden boy.

  “Chloe,” called a strained voice from Lliadra’s cell, “please don’t do that again!”

  I reached out and touched Alexius’s golden hair. “I’m sorry,” I said, and I didn’t know who I was talking to.

  Chapter Eight

  Feeling bad for hurting Ruarc and the others -- whose ears hadn’t been blocked at all, I reminded myself guiltily -- I started singing. It was a lullaby my mother sang to me, beautiful cross harmonies and lilting words. A siren can, with practice, sing in harmony with herself. I can only manage a two-part harmony, but my mother and her sisters can sing three or four parts at a time.

  What are you doing? Ruarc asked. I can… I feel better.

  My voice doesn’t have to hurt, I told him, and slid my hand between my legs to caress his balls. I wasn’t moving on him, just sitting there with him inside me, my legs propped wide over his, pussy bared to Alexius.

  Tell him, I said to Ruarc, reaching out and drawing Alexius’s head toward me, tell him this doesn’t mean I’m forgiving him.

  What doesn’t?

  It just means I want my pussy licked, I said, and pressed Alexius’s mouth to said pussy.

  Ah, said Ruarc, then, Ahhhhh, by which I gathered Alexius was licking him, too.

  He’s good, isn’t he? I said it without thinking.

  Hell, yes. He’s very good.

  Then Ruarc laughed.

  What?

  He just said thank you.

  I wriggled a bit, letting Alexius know I wanted more of the licking. He obliged, sliding his hands up my thighs as he did, caressing my hips, my waist.

  Chloe?

  Mmm? I reclined against Ruarc, feeling him grow and throb inside me. What with that and the licking, I was feeling somewhat mellower. I changed from the lullaby to another ditty, one that required less concentration. It’s hard to concentrate on cross harmonies when you’re being fucked by one man and licked by another.

  Alexius wants to talk to you.

  The mellowness receded.

  I don’t want to hear.

  Well, tough. I’m going to repeat what he’s saying, and you can’t block me out of your head.

  I scowled. Ruarc stroked my breasts. Ha!

  I’m going to sing inside my head, I warned.

  Don’t be childish. Now listen. Alexius says -- well, he says he’s sorry.

  I glared at the golden head between my legs. He damn well better be.

  He says he didn’t know about this place.

  I snorted.

  He only had orders to find you, track you and see if you really were a siren.

  I pushed Alexius’s face right into my pussy. All this seriousness was taking the edge off my enjoyment -- and considering the position I was in, there had damn well better be some more enjoyment.

  He only found out about this place in the morning -- the morning after he met you.

  You mean, the morning after he’d spent the night fucking my brains out? I said.

  Er. Apparently. Yes. Don’t get mad at me, I’m just the mes
senger.

  I wasn’t mad at Ruarc. I was mad at myself. I mean Alexius. I was mad at Alexius.

  He says… Starne called him that morning and asked him to come here. He showed Alexius this place.

  Did you see him?

  I vaguely remember there being a visitor. But I was… er… busy. Ruarc’s lips nuzzled gently at my neck. Chloe. He says he honestly didn’t know this place existed until that morning. He didn’t know Starne wanted you here.

  I dug my fingers into Alexius’s hair, forcing his head down so he couldn’t look up at me with those blue, blue eyes. How could he not have known? How could he have been innocent of what Starne was doing?

  Even if the rest of the world seemed to be. But Alexius wasn’t like the rest of the world.

  What did he think Starne wanted me for? How could he know the guy and not suspect --

  He didn’t know him. He only met Starne that morning.

  My mouth actually dropped open. I grabbed Alexius’s head and forced it upwards -- the licking wasn’t working anymore anyway. I just wasn’t feeling sexy.

  You were working for a guy you’d never met?

  I saw the surprise in his eyes as Ruarc repeated the question. Then the answer came back.

  He was on contract. Through an agency.

  What agency? What kind of agency hires out… stalkers? And then I remembered Starne saying he’d called Sundown in London. Who is this Sundown? What do they do?

  Everything, Ruarc replied, not even asking Alexius. I thought you’d have heard of them. Most paranormals have.

  Well, I’m not most bloody paranormals, am I? I nearly yelled out to the others to ask if they’d heard of it, but figured that might get picked up by Starne.

  And, so, what, it’s just normal to them to hire someone to stalk someone? To spy on them?

  A slight pause. Yeah, actually, Ruarc said.

  I was working up a good fit of vitriol when he spoke again.

  That’s a good point. Alexius says now they know about this place though, they’ll be pretty pissed off.

  And why is that? Shoving Alexius to the ground, I got up off Ruarc and stomped over to the fountain in the corner of the cage. I wasn’t interested in sex any more. Not with these two men who seemed to know everything about a world I didn’t even know existed.

  Because Sundown is entirely staffed by paranormals, Ruarc said. Last time I was in London their secretary was a werewolf and there was a wizard visiting. The Seelie prince’s bride works for them sometimes. If there’s someone collecting Fae and vampires and the like, they’ll want to know about it.

  I paused in splashing water on my face. You think they might try to get us out?

  What was I saying? These were the people who’d put me in here. Indirectly, anyway.

  Ruarc seemed to be listening to Alexius. He gave a nod, then smiled and pulled my former lover toward him. As I watched, Ruarc swallowed Alexius’s thick, throbbing cock.

  Scowling, I threw myself at the other end of the chaise, trying to ignore the slurping and sighing coming from a few feet away. Ruarc’s fingers were delving between Alexius’s perfect buttocks, making him gasp and moan.

  I tried not to be jealous. After all, I hated him. I didn’t want to suck his cock. I didn’t want to finger his asshole. I didn’t want him to have any pleasure at all. Bloody Ruarc, handing out the fun to Alexius. Hadn’t he got the message yet? Alexius=evil!

  Dammit, they were hot, though. Ruarc with his pale skin, dark glossy hair, his lips stretched wide around Alexius’s cock… and Alexius, teeth clenched as Ruarc sucked him deep, sweat beading his golden brow.

  His golden brow? Now I was talking poetry about him. Stop, Chloe, stop! You hate him, remember?

  Chloe. Ruarc’s voice, sounding strained. Lube?

  I had it in my hand before I realized what I was doing. Under the fountain was a small cache of dildoes, lubes, wipes, and other toys. Ruarc had introduced me to it, but I hadn’t yet worked up any enthusiasm about using anything there.

  Watching Ruarc lube up Alexius’s ass made me wonder if I might be changing my mind.

  He was tonguing Alexius’s balls now, being tugged from the chaise and onto the floor, where Alexius turned on his hands and knees and Ruarc applied his tongue where his fingers had been.

  Okay, that was really hot. I watched Ruarc rimming the man I was supposed to be hating, and considered putting one of those dildoes to use. My hands slid to my breasts, heavier and more sensitive now. I’d been so angry before that no amount of stroking and touching was getting me off. But now? Watching these two beautiful men together, not participating but just watching, I was more turned on than I’d been all day.

  As I watched, Ruarc nudged his cock against Alexius’s ass, but he pulled away. Can’t take it, I thought, but then he rolled onto his back, pulled his legs up and presented his ass to Ruarc, who plunged right in.

  Oh fuck, Ruarc moaned. That feels so good!

  Something felt pretty good to me too. Someone was touching my clit, and I realized it was me. I was stroking my own pussy, kneeling there on the ground watching these two men fuck. As Ruarc plunged deeper, Alexius’s cock stood right up, flushed and hard, throbbing desperately.

  And suddenly I felt empty. Here were two big cocks, and neither of them were in me. Okay, Ruarc’s was otherwise occupied, but right there was Alexius’s, hard and straining, thick and hot.

  I slipped two fingers inside myself but it didn’t help. My pussy was throbbing. My nipples ached. Alexius was stretched out, his hands fisting in the fake grass, his eyes closed and his lips parted -- but Ruarc was watching me.

  You okay? He asked, and even mentally he was panting.

  I licked my lips. I’m good.

  Yeah, you look good. Ruarc’s fingers toyed with Alexius’s massively erect penis. You look like you could use this.

  I… My eyes were fixated on it.

  Of course, I’d have to move…

  Then you can be inside me, and --

  No, I’ll need to wash.

  Ruarc slid out almost to the tip, and then back in again. I whimpered.

  You just come over here, sweetheart, he said, and I obeyed like… well, like someone listening to my Voice. Come over here and climb on him.

  Alexius’s body was as hard and hot as I remembered and it felt good, so damn good, against mine. As my breasts pressed against his chest, my nipples hard little points, he opened his eyes and smiled. That smile, like the sins of angels.

  Just like that, I was lost. I barely noticed Ruarc pulling away, or Alexius shifting to a better position. Well, that’s a lie. I felt every movement of every muscle under me. His arms came around me and my legs parted, my pussy rubbing against that thick, hard cock.

  “Inside me,” I murmured out loud, and Alexius smiled and stroked me and brushed his lips against mine.

  Those lips, those magic lips. When Alexius kissed me, all the rest of the world faded away. He moved inside me, filling me up in a way Ruarc just hadn’t been able to.

  “I hate you,” I murmured against his mouth, but I didn’t stop. Maybe just one last glorious fuck, I told myself, knowing I was a dirty liar.

  We moved together perfectly, and I remembered how jealous I’d been of the Fae when they made love, how elegant and beautiful it all seemed. Well, this seemed twice as beautiful to me. I knew I hated him, I knew I should hate him -- but he felt so good, it felt so right to be here with him like this.

  We kissed and moved, and Alexius rolled me to my back and thrust deep inside me. His fingers stroked my breasts. Heat rose higher inside me with every stroke, every kiss, every lick as he nuzzled my neck.

  Ruarc knelt beside us, his cock in his hands, and a pang of guilt shot through me.

  I’m sorry, I --

  He just smiled. Don’t be, he said, and came into his own hand. I gripped Alexius harder, my fingers digging into his buttocks, diving between and finding his ass open and slippery. When I stroked inside he made a harsh sound, biting m
y collarbone and looking up at me with those deep blue eyes. I grinned, and he smiled, and his finger came around to caress my clit.

  But it wasn’t necessary, because I was already coming. His smile set me off.

  His fingers kept me going, gasping and writhing beneath him, coming over and over, while he came too, until eventually we lay there exhausted, and I started to wonder what the hell I’d done.

  Ruarc reached out to ruffle my hair and I smiled, feeling a huge wave of fondness for him. I didn’t love him; I probably never would. Not until I got my feelings for Alexius sorted out. There was still way too much to think about. But I was feeling pretty good until a voice boomed from the loudspeaker.

  “Very good, siren. Now we’ve proof you’ll happily fuck anyone I can start bringing in more visitors.”

  I felt a growl rise my throat, and Alexius clamped his hand over my mouth.

  Your teeth, Ruarc said. Don’t show him.

  I gnashed at Alexius’s hand, drawing blood, but he didn’t move. His eyes were full of warning.

  Then he glanced at Ruarc, who blinked in surprise.

  You couldn’t have said this earlier? He frowned. Oh… I suppose so. Want me to tell her now?

  Tell me what? I said, but Ruarc still seemed to be listening. Tell me what?

  Ruarc waved his hand at me to be quiet and I glared at him, wriggling under Alexius until he moved off me, still holding me close.

  “Don’t push it, Flash,” I said.

  Flash? Ruarc said.

  “Flash?” Starne’s voice said.

  He had voice-recognition software.

  The horror must have shown in my face.

  What? Ruarc said.

  Flash. He’d heard me call Alexius that. Gods alone knew where, but he had… else why would he be querying it?

  Crap, I said. He knows. He knows… something. That I know you. I shoved at Alexius.

  Ruarc’s eyes shot to the speaker. He repeated what I’d said to Alexius, who immediately said aloud, “Sing, Chloe. Sing the note for glass and the note for rocks.”

  “What?” I stared at him. In the distance, a warning klaxon went off.

  “What the hell is what?” called Maria from her cell.

  “Your mother told me. For Hephaestus’s net. She said it’ll break any metal, even his.”