Total pages in book: 165
Estimated words: 159487 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 797(@200wpm)___ 638(@250wpm)___ 532(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 159487 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 797(@200wpm)___ 638(@250wpm)___ 532(@300wpm)
For a long moment, no one moved—the three of them just breathed together.
Ravik rested his cheek against her inner thigh, breathing hard. Severin held her close, one arm across her chest and the other around her waist, his lips pressed near her temple. Cassie lay between them, naked and panting, feeling like every bone in her body had dissolved.
The horrible clawing need was gone.
Not completely, though—there was still a low warmth inside her and a tenderness between her thighs—still a lingering desire for both males. But the sharp, frantic desperation had faded a bit. The pressure in her blood had eased and the glowing bite wound no longer pulsed like a warning signal under her skin.
For the first time all day, her body felt quiet…at peace.
“Oh,” she whispered. “Oh, that was amazing.”
Severin’s hand moved carefully to her arm.
“May I?”
“Hmm? Oh, sure.”
Cassie nodded, too tired to object.
He examined the bite site with gentle fingers, turning her arm toward the amber light of the room’s glows. His expression was intent, but beneath the scientist focus she could see something else…relief.
“The inflammation has decreased,” he said quietly. “The glow is almost gone.”
“Does that mean…mean that it worked?” Cassie asked, her voice still breathless.
Severin looked down at her.
“For now, anyway.”
Well, that was ominous—Cassie might have said so if she’d had the energy.
Instead, she let her head fall back against his shoulder and closed her eyes.
Ravik shifted between her thighs, pressing a soft kiss to the inside of one knee before he carefully withdrew his fingers from her body. The small loss made her whimper, which was ridiculous because she had just had an orgasm strong enough to nearly knock her unconscious.
Ravik lifted his head, concern in his golden eyes.
“Cassie hurts?”
“No,” she said quickly. “No, I’m okay. Just…sensitive.”
Ravik’s gaze darkened with satisfaction.
“Cassie tastes sweet,” he rumbled. “Her need is less now.”
“Thank you for the update from between my legs,” she muttered weakly.
Severin made a low sound that might have been amusement.
Cassie opened one eye and looked up at him.
“Don’t laugh. You’re the one who said this was medically necessary.”
“It was,” he said, though his mouth was twitching.
“Mm-hmm.”
“I mean it. Your wound reacted visibly to the pleasure response. I’ll need to confirm with bloodwork, but I suspect your viral load may have dropped.”
“Of course you need bloodwork.” She sighed. “I have a feeling that’s going to be the theme of my life for a while.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I know.” She opened both eyes now and looked at him. “But you were right. It helped.”
His expression softened.
“I’m glad.”
Ravik crawled up beside her, huge and warm and clearly reluctant to stop touching her. But he was careful. He stretched out alongside her and laid one big hand on her hip—not between her legs, not on her breasts—just resting there, warm and protective.
“Cassie was in pain,” he murmured, almost to himself. “Ravik helped.”
Something tender squeezed her heart.
“Yes,” she whispered. “You helped.”
He looked almost boyishly pleased by that, which was absurd considering he was a massive Beast Kindred with her juices still on his lips.
Severin shifted behind her, and Cassie felt the hard ridge of his cock pressing against her lower back through his trousers. Ravik was in the same state, judging by the rigid length pressing against her hip. Both males were aroused—painfully, probably. But neither of them was asking for anything. Neither of them was trying to turn her around or push for more which was a definite change from both Mitch and Sskarth.
They had given her pleasure because she needed it—they had helped her expecting nothing in return. For some reason that made Cassie feel worse than if they had demanded she return the favor.
“You two are both hard,” she said before she could stop herself.
Severin went very still and Ravik made a low sound.
“Yes,” Severin said carefully.
“And you’re not going to…do anything about it? I mean, you don’t want me to, er, help you out?”
“Not unless you want to,” he said.
“Can…can I think about it?” she asked hesitantly.
“Of course, sweetheart.” He stroked her hair. “Take as much time as you need.”
Cassie swallowed. The intense orgasm had cooled the fire in her blood and for maybe five whole minutes, she honestly believed it might be enough. After all, she felt so good now—so relaxed.
She lay between the two big Kindred, warm and boneless and calm, letting Ravik’s huge body press against one side of her while Severin cradled her from behind.
The terrible clawing need had loosened its grip and the glowing bite wound on her arm had faded to a faint shimmer. She could still feel both males’ arousal—hard and thick and impossible to miss through their trousers—but neither one pushed for anything…they just held her.
That, somehow, made everything worse and better at the same time.
Because the old Cassie—the Cassie who had been married to Mitch and then Sskarth, the Cassie who had learned not to ask for too much because asking usually ended in disappointment—would have expected them to want something back. She had been naked and spread open between them while Ravik licked her and Severin held her breasts and talked her through it. They were both painfully hard now. She could feel that.