Zack began tomove, and every fluctuation of his muscles rippled through Roger and Takashi. Following the heavy, now racing mortal tempo, Takashi leaned backward and rode them. His back was to Zack’s chest. Both his lovers were in Roger’s full view, and he drank in the sight of them. The sweetness of Zack’sblood was a gasp compared to the trembling moan that filled him from their beauty.
Zack came first, though Takashi followed a heartbeat later. The warmth from Zack, the tightness as Takashi clenched around them, and then the coolness as Takashi unloaded across Roger’s chest—all of it accompanied a symphony of their voices. Roger thrust upward and came.
The three of them lay together in the mess they’d made. An ache in the bones warned Roger that dawn was nearing. The night would be over. Hell would be waiting to draw him in again.
But for a while, he could remain sated and safe. What else could he want of the world?
CHAPTER 18
When Zack dropped by Blake’s house, he thought they’d take a taxi or drive share to their destination. Instead, Blake had led the way out to the street, and they took the El—though she called it “the train”—a few stops before switching to another line, riding for a half dozen more, and then continuing their walk. They were near Darkworth, a private college that, as far as the general public knew, catered to an elite scholarly student base. In reality, the college provided a top-notch mundane educationandtaught some of the most proficient spellcasters in the world. The surrounding neighborhood had the hybrid feeling of a college town and a homey block where neighbors might actually know each other.
“So, how’s your first week living in the lap of vamp luxury been?” Blake asked.
“Are you saying Nell’s mansion isn’t luxurious?” Zack replied.
“It’s swanky, but the donor house is nothing like Chateau de Vampire or any of the other hot clubs you’ve been to.” Blake nudged Zack with her shoulder as they continued down the street. “I know your posts and vids aren’t the whole picture.”
The collar around Zack’s throat itched. His social media posts had to be uplifting and eye-catching for other pets and supernaturals. If he made videos about how he sat silent for hours on end every night, had to adjust to being up all night instead of during the day, or that Seamus creeped him out, then he’d break the scam he was trying to run on the coven.
“Uh-oh, I’ve accidentally caused your thinking face,” Blake said.
Zack slid his hands into his hoodie pocket. The material was the softest Zack had ever felt for a hoodie, like a hug wrapping around him. Clothing in his family had been functional over soft or stylish. Having to care about style sucked, but there was an upside. His clothes were his. The few T-shirt hand-me-downs from Cal that he’d taken to Taliville were in the bottom of a drawer in the bedroom in Nell’s mansion. He’d intentionally left them behind but hadn’t been able to give them away.
“Thinking’s not a bad thing,” Zack said.
“Overthinking like we tend to do is.” Blake slipped her arm into his and hugged his arm tight. “Come on. We made a vow during your recovery. We spill about the bad stuff and share a good thing.”
“I don’t want to get into the bad. It would take too long to explain. Josefina, Roger—everyone tried to warn me that Chicago would be different. There’s a malice here. My family always taught me there was. But somehow, they didn’t get it right.” Zack cleared his throat. “But, ah. A good thing. Roger and I are officially boyfriends.”
“Knew that already. You texted me.”
“Right. Duh.” Zack bit his inner cheek. Blake wasn’t likely to poke fun at him or think he was gross. She’d been his most supportive friend. “We decided our relationship’s poly.”
“He didn’t pressure you into it, did he?” Blake said.
“No. I know how he is with me, and I can see he and Takashi havesomething. And he’s always had multiple partners. I’m trying to be fair.” Zack told his squirming stomach to knock it off and added, “I had a three-way with them.”
“If you’re happy, I’m happy for you.” Blake squeezed his arm. “If either of them hurts you, I’ll rip ’em to shreds.”
She could, at least in her werewolf form. Zack grinned. “Thanks.”
“And we’re here!” Blake tugged on Zack’s arm and led him through a shop door.
Magician’s Brew had the wonderful scent of fresh-brewed coffee that vaguely disguised the tingle in the air. Magic was a kind of energy, and areas where spellcasters performed spells over and over could have a sort of latent static electricity in the air. Like with vampires, it could permeate a space, flavoring the energetic buzz. The vibe of the place was like a warm hug or finding the perfect corner to cozy up in.
In addition to the various tables and chairs scattered through the shop, there were booths along one wall and a small corner stage in the front. A sign currently dominated the stage and advertised a trivia night, a poetry night, and special late-night hours on the weekdays. Overhead, planters hung from wires, and a variety of flora filled them. A couple of the plants looked like they were of fey origin rather than a mortal version. Tiny multicolored lights dodged between the different leaves. To the untrained, they’d seem like fairy lights nestled in the plants, but Zack had spent hours watching the pixies in Nell’s garden.
“Isn’t it great?” Blake asked. “I came here once when I was still in school and had no clue how awesome it really is.”
“It’s a great breather from the vampire bullshit,” Zack said quietly. He spotted that there were three people at a table not far from the entrance with pet collars on.
They ordered. Zack went for a black coffee with a touch of creamer while Blake bought a pumpkin spice latte. After they gathered their drinks, they slid into one of the booths near the back of the establishment. He sank into his seat. “I swear vampires don’t know what a comfortable seat is. Not that I get to try many of them. I spend most of my time on the fucking floor.”
“Careful how loud you say that.” Blake tapped her ears.
He thought he’d kept his voice low enough, but anyone in the place could be a shifter or even a fey. Was supernatural hearing that good? “How do you keep from getting migraines all the time? All the stimulus you take in has to be murder on your brain.”
“Definitely at first, but I’m getting used to tuning the unimportant stuff out.” Blake hauled her purse onto the table and opened it. She tended to carry a bigger bag. Zack had no idea what she kept in it, but she seemed better prepared than Zack’s family on a hunt. “Getting used to city life was an adjustment. It’s kind of cool hearing things from a distance, but wow, I did not need to know that much about my parents. Or that the neighbors are planning on dumping their cat because she’s pregnant.”
