Page 139 of Veil of Blood and Bone

Touch him. The need to remind myself of the taste of his skin dulls everything. I want to be part of the scene. Again.

I stare at the rise and fall of scarred chests, past a necklace of talons and teeth.

My chest rises in rapid breaths down to the jutting tent in his trousers and the world narrows.

Wren’s shadows lift his tunic off his shoulders to expose a stretch of upper body. Smooth, fair with a dusk-glow. He is moonlight tinted shadows.

He’s scheming even now, eyes glinting with mischievous manipulation. He drags his fingers through my hair to muss the strands, the way he does when he’s aware of every inch of lost control.

A sudden flicker of motion captures my attention as Nicholas unfolds himself, standing taller. Those lips of his, the fucking wicked grin he sporadically releases...

Black eyes mirror an intensity they share. Old wounds cut stories through his tawny muscles.

“As far as men go, you’ve hit the lottery, girl,” I tell Hellevi. “You have no idea. Or hell, I think you might. I'm sure you understand what you've got, but not how rare it is to find and maintain."

She’s unbothered. Her world centers on this activity. She knows exactly what she’s doing and moves with an unhurried confidence.

A worthiness I’ve always hoped to match and always fell short of.

Nicholas stops on the slight crest of the beach, leaving an impression in the sand.

His cock juts out proudly when he drops his trousers and kicks them away. Holy fucking shit. I clear my throat, but the sight of his erection pulls me. A tremor shudders down through my abdomen and lands at the juncture between my legs, nipples taut.

I slap my chest to get my heart beating again.

No one says a word as the men strip. As they wade closer to claim her. Hellevi turns to kiss Forest and Nicholas bends to capture her breast.

It was not uncommon to share bedmates.

Forest’s voice cuts through the fog of lust in my head, lacing through the memory.

It would have even been acceptable for us to be with each other. Not us. But we were not there for ourselves. We were, are, there for you. Only you.

I shiver with his truth, potent and undeniable.

They focus solely on me, on her, ready for her to come apart beneath their touch.

Desire burns a trail down my throat as Nicholas wraps a hand around the base of her neck. My neck.

I lose my breath when he draws her to him. Water cascades across her front, plating her breasts in silk. He crushes his lips to hers, and a moan pries itself free from my core.

That kiss...

My lungs decide to stop working. The way he moves, the way they flow together seamlessly, is everything.

His tongue invades her mouth, mine watering.

Do you see what you do to us? What is natural between us? Forest adds.

Hellevi breaks the kiss to lay her hand on Wren’s heart, Forest still holding her from behind. There’s nowhere for me to go but the unconscious step I take toward the stream is too raw and real.

I retreat and drag in desperate air, shuddering as another wave of lust grips me.

You are gorgeous no matter what form you take, because your heart and soul shine. Do you see now, Helene? Do you remember us?

Forest growls; only here, he is Muninn. Keeper of knowledge and memory. Forbidden.

And Nicholas is Niketas, Visigoth prince. The enemy.