Crack.
"Nine," I whimper, tears streaming down my cheeks. I don't know if they're from pain or from something deeper loosening inside me. Something that's been locked up for far too long.
I feel Asher step closer. His body heat is a wall behind me. His belt brushes against the curve of my ass.
"Last one. Take it for us, Sage."
Crack.
It breaks something. A sound that tears from me is not quite a scream or a sob, but a visceral release. My body sags forward, shaking, heart pounding in my ears.
"Ten," I whisper, the word falling from my lips like a vow.
Asher drops the belt, and then his hands are on me, touching with care. He kneels behind me and presses a kiss to one of the welts, a gentle contrast to everything before. His mouth moves lower, and he whispers, "Still with us?"
I respond with a small nod.
Kayden's hand cups my face, thumbs brushing away tears.
"I hate that I love you this much," he says, voice rough, eyes shining like he's half a breath from destroying something. "I hate that I'd forgive you. That I already have."
Kayden helps me up. My hands release the bedpost, fingers trembling, legs unsteady. I fall into his arms, and he catches me like something he's reclaiming. His kiss is not soft, nor sweet. I kiss him back with everything I have, tasting fury and forgiveness on his lips.
When he pulls away, I'm breathless.
Then it sinks in. The word.
Love.
He saidIlove you this much. We never said that to each other before. Now it's out, and it came from him, fromKayden, like it's always been there.
"Love," I echo, my lips shaping the word like it's foreign.
He lifts a brow, that wicked smirk returning. "Yes, love. My tainted, untempered, undead love." He leans closer. "But don't think that gets you off the hook, sunshine. We're far from finished with you."
"He's right," Asher's voice cuts in.
His hand grips my hair, and his mouth crushes mine in a kiss that makes my knees buckle. It's filled with domination, control, possession, and I want it all.
When Asher pulls back, his hand remains in my hair, holding me steady, reminding me exactly whom I belong to in this moment. His eyes are steel, but I notice the glint of a dark pleasure in them.
"You should have your voice back," he says, tone clipped. "Repeat your safe word."
"Marigold. But I don't want to use it."
He nods. His approval is subtle but clear. "Then we continue." He glances past me to Kayden. "Your choice, brother."
The sound Kayden makes is feral. A low, vibrating growl of anticipation.
"You know what I keep thinking about?" he asks, stepping closer. "Our ride back. The way she squirmed in your hands. The way you shoved yourself in her tight, little ass, and she made those sounds."
My breath catches.
"Did I jerk off to that memory?" Kayden continues. "Of her face? Her voice? Her body taking it? Yes. More than once. And now… now I want to be the one ripping those sounds out of her."
Asher gives a nod, the corner of his mouth twitching in dark amusement. "You'll need to prep her." His voice is matter-of-fact, clinical, but his eyes are burning.
And just like that, I'm pushed into Kayden's arms. He turns me to him fully, his gaze ravenous.
