I tried. Stars help me, I tried.
Below, the spar continued. Kaede’s psydagger hummed. Ryzen’s daggers flashed. Zyxel moved between them, still stumbling but learning, always learning.
And Odelm’s mouth found me.
The first stroke of his tongue dragged a sound from my throat that I barely managed to swallow. Wet heat against sensitive flesh. The gentle pressure of his lips. The way he settled into the task with the same focus he brought to his music—precise, attentive, utterly devoted.
Xylo’s fingers tightened on my breasts, rolling my nipples between them until sparks shot through my nerve endings. His teeth grazed my neck. His hips pressed against my lower back, holding me there, preventing me from crumbling to my knees.
“You’re so beautiful like this,” he murmured. “Trying so hard to stay quiet. To keep control.” His hand slid lower, over the swell of my belly, down to where Odelm worked. “But we know how much you need this. How long you’ve been carrying everything alone.”
Odelm’s tongue circled my clit.
I shattered my grip on the railing, stone biting into my palms. My shields flickered—I felt the bonds pulse, felt attention start to turn—
I slammed them back into place.
Reinforced walls. Locked doors. A fortress around my pleasure that let nothing escape.
Below, Kaede didn’t pause. Ryzen’s daggers didn’t falter. Zyxel didn’t look up.
Good.
I could do this. I could maintain control while my body liquefied under my Favored’s attention. I could—
Odelm’s finger slid inside me.
“Oh,” I gasped, and Xylo immediately covered my mouth with his hand.
“Quiet, nestqueen.” His voice was thick with want. “Unless you want them to hear you.”
The threat—the promise—made everything more intense. The danger of discovery. The thrill of doing something illicit while three warriors trained below, oblivious. My mates. My protectors. My constellation of devoted males who would tear apart anyone who threatened me.
And here I was, being consumed by two of them while the others fought to become worthy.
Odelm added a second finger.
My back arched against Xylo’s chest. His hand muffled my moan. His other hand worked my breast with knowing skill—pinching, rolling, soothing—while his hips ground against me in a rhythm that promised more.
“That’s it,” he breathed. “Let go. We have you.”
Odelm’s tongue flicked faster. His fingers curled, finding that spot inside me that made stars burst behind my eyes. The pleasure built in waves—cresting, falling, cresting higher—each peak threatening to breach my shields.
I held.
Teeth gritted. Muscles locked. Mind screaming.
Below, Kaede disarmed Zyxel again, and yet, he recovered faster this time.
“They’re learning to work together,” Xylo observed, as if he weren’t currently driving me toward madness. “Kaede sees Zyxel’s potential now. Respects it. By the time they reach the station…”
I couldn’t respond. Could barely think.
Odelm’s mouth sealed over my clit and sucked.
My shields cracked.
Just for a heartbeat. Just a sliver of sensation bleeding through the bonds—
