Heat rolled through me.
And as Zayn stepped up to Winter close on my left, that skyrocketed when he swept a gash across his own throat with a spark of his Ifrit flame, then tilted it in offering.
A choked sound escaped Winter.
“Been a long time, huh?” Zayn said. “Seems appropriate given what happened tonight. And what you need with you going toPolarisfor it.”
“For what?” I asked. “Feeding?”
Winter looked out at me worriedly. His gaze darted to Vaxan. “You know… you were at Polaris looking for me and… Carter was still there?”
“Yes. And all is well.”
Ah.I saw what they were getting at. “It makes you feel alive, lovely?”
Winter gulped and could only nod at me.
“Then feeding from an Ifrit will be amazing, won’t it?”
“Oh, hell fucking yes.” Zayn said. He grinned at Winter. “Makes you all fucking wild.” His eyes softened and it had Vaxan and me smiling at each other as Zayn reached out and stroked Winter’s arm. “Look, only if you want. No pressure ever. I just figured with the way things went tonight… all the insanity for you… that it’s what you’d need, but be too embarrassed to ask for. I’m here now either way.” He stepped back, emotion making him choke up as he said, “I swear to fuck that I’m here with you now.”
Winter’s hand shot out and grasped Zayn’s arm. “Iknow.”
Zayn’s lip trembled. “You do?”
“Yes.”
Zayn’s eyes sparkled and it had me choking up at the sheer relief coming off him, that he’d finally been accepted by Winter again, that they’d finally made amends.
But as Winter patted Zayn’s arm, then just released him, and looked between me and Vaxan nervously, I saw the retreat about to happen.
Retreat rooted in his clear shame about the feeding.
“You’re surrounded by a beautifully volatile Ifrit who would eat you alive sexually if he could, and a dragon and a Basilisk—two primal supernatural species. You drinking blood is so very far from a negative thing to any of us, lovely,” I told him. “In fact, it’s another very interesting facet of who you are. And it being out there now… I fucking love it, honestly.” I gestured at Vaxan, and he gave a nod of agreement.
“With that sleazy sorcerer, however… not sitting well with me.”
“Ah! There it is!” Zayn cried, spinning to face him. “I knew you couldn’t stay behind that arbitrary line of us not claiming exclusivity yet.”
Winter stared, taking in the exchange. “I do it with people like Carter because there’s no sexual attraction—on my end. It makes it easier to feed without worrying about losing control, because I can ensure it’s just about the blood.”
“You’ve handled it with me before,” Zayn said.
“Your blood is insanely charged with Ifrit heat. It’s like hot sauce in a way, so I can’t ever draw too quickly where you’d be in danger. But with Evira and Vaxan here… the desire sparking furiously right now, that might not even be enough. It could push me over the edge.”
“Then let it,” Vaxan said, stepping closer. “Allow it to consume you. You’ll see for yourself, then—there’s a perfect balance between all four of us. It will catch you. It will catch us all.”
Zayn gestured at me. “And you won’t believe how dominant our stunning dragon can be, so there’s that.”
“I’m aware,” Winter told him.
Zayn looked impressed as he smiled at me. “Wow, even during your first time ever you brought that, baby?”
“I had the scratches to prove it,” Winter said, entering a teasing state now.
“Careful. You’re close to throwing down a challenge there.”
Vaxan came to me and took my hand, stroking my fingers. “You’re certain you’re ready to do this? Things don’t need to escalate beyond some light petting and Winter feeding, if that is what you wish. We should determine boundaries now, however.”
