WarriorsandLovers (21 page)

Before he had time to recover, Lije drew back, scrabbled
around in the kitchen for some oil and raced back. The last thing he wanted was
for Nieko to have time to change his mind.

He grabbed Nieko’s sex-relaxed legs, lifted his thighs onto
his shoulders.

He leaned forward.

The first touch of his greased finger rimming the edge of
his arse snapped Nieko’s eyes open.

“What are you…?”

“You know what I’m doing,” Elijah replied. “What we’re going
to do. Take a deep breath and let it happen.”

“But…”

“You’re going to do what you’re told, remember?” He opened
the two fingers he’d worked inside Nieko and gently stretched.

“I never said I…”

“Shut up, Nieko.” Eora’s voice was husky with suppressed
excitement. “Why do we have to keep telling you?”

“Let him talk if he wants to,” Lije said. “It’s going to
happen anyway. He wants it to happen, don’t you, Nieko? You want me to fuck
you.”

Nieko’s eyes grew soft. “Yes.” “It was all Lije needed to
hear. He rubbed a handful of oil over his cock and pressed against Nieko’s
lubricated arse. The head slipped in. Nieko’s pupils widened into dark wells.
“Oh…fuck”

“Does it hurt?” There was no answer. Damn, what was he going
to do if his feisty Dvalinn warrior couldn’t take him? “Nieko. Does it hurt?”

“Yeah. No.” Nieko drew a shuddering breath. “Don’t stop. It
feels incredible. I want… I want…”

Words failed him. His head slumped back, a flush of arousal
staining his tawny cheeks. His lids fluttered and closed.

“Open your eyes,” Elijah instructed. “We’re doing it this
way so I can see you, see your reaction. I’m not going to be cheated out of
it.” He turned his head and spoke to Eora over his shoulder. “You want to get
closer? You could…”

“No,” she whispered. “This time, this first time, is for you
two. I can feel it—I don’t have to be touching.”

“Next time,” Lije ground out, then Nieko flexed his butt
cheeks, grabbing him, holding him tighter. Lije forgot everything but the man
beneath him. He drove inward, desperately trying to remember not to go too hard
too soon, but Nieko reached out and hauled his arse in closer. “I can take it, human.
Whatever you’ve got…give it to me.”

Elijah’s control broke. He lost himself in the hot, rough,
pounding rhythm. Lost all sense of where they were, felt Nieko’s flexible body,
smelled the salty musk of his skin, felt the tendrils of sexual excitement—his,
Nieko’s and Eora’s—twining together, rising up until they burst into
magnificent, explosive bloom. His cock spurted as darkness swirled in to take
him. He heard Nieko groan through the gathering darkness, heard Eora’s higher-pitched
scream, then he slumped forward, sated, spent, for the first time in his life
happy with who he was.

Nieko’s hands still clasped his hips. He felt the smooth
slide as Eora crawled to throw herself onto the pile.

“Can’t stay here,” Elijah murmured. “We’ll regret it if we
sleep on the floor.”

They dragged themselves to their feet and stumbled to the
bed. They didn’t bother with covers. They fell onto the bare mattress and
tangled together like den mates, surrendered to sleep.

In the middle of the night, Lije felt Nieko’s hand stroke
across his back then slide down to grasp his cock. Elijah’s eyes snapped open.
Eora was lying on her side facing him. Nieko was pressed up against his back,
his hand working its magic with a slow squeeze and release.

“Wake up, sleepyhead,” Eora whispered. “We’ve got plans.”

“Yeah?” The word ended on a strangled yelp as Nieko moved
his fingers down to cup his balls.

“P-plans?” he gasped.

“Yup,” Nieko replied. “I want to be inside Eora, with you
inside me. I’ll tell you what to do.”

“I knew it,” Lije sighed. “I knew you were going to top from
the bottom.”

“I’m still not sure what that means, but unless you have any
objections…?” He took the weight of Lije’s balls in his palm and leaned forward
and bit his neck.

“No, no objections at all.”

“Good.” Nieko looked at Eora. “You ready?”

“I’ve been ready for this since I first saw you two eyeing
each other off. I’m not dumb. I could see what was behind all the posturing and
testosterone-fueled competition.” As she spoke she wriggled over Elijah, the
soft friction of her skin winding him tighter. She rolled onto her back, then
leaned up and kissed Elijah. The soft honeyed taste of her was rich and sweet
on his tongue. For the rest of his life he knew he’d get a hard-on every time
he tasted honey. Then she held her arms out to Nieko and he straddled her, his
knees either side of her hips. “I thought if I…”

Lije kneeled up behind him. “I know what to do.” He wrapped
his arms around Nieko’s waist. “Oh god, yes. I know what to do.”

He relaxed his hold a little as Nieko flexed, dipped and
thrust between Eora’s wide-spread thighs. He waited until Nieko was fully
seated inside her, then spread the lube around Nieko’s puckered arse. Then
slowly, savoring every tight, gripping centimeter, he slid inside. Instantly he
was flooded with the rush of sensation flowing from the minds of his two lovers
directly into his.

The intensity of Nieko’s joy overwhelmed him. He’d known how
important Eora was to Nieko, but he hadn’t expected how deeply Nieko now
yearned for this. From Eora, he got a sense of completion, of rightness. He,
Elijah, was the missing link, the piece of the puzzle that joined the three of
them together.

He surged forward then pulled back, the rhythmic movement
rocking them toward a new peak, one they would reach together.

Nieko’s strong arms bore Elijah’s weight, so Eora was
supported and held but not crushed. Elijah’s thrusts filled Nieko, pushing him
deep into Eora. Every movement was accompanied by sighs of pleasure from three
separate beings moving as one.

Elijah deliberately kept the pace slow. This wasn’t a race
to the finish.

Skin rubbed against skin. Elijah shared the smooth slide of
Eora’s flawless softness, Nieko’s sizzle of sensation, his own soul-deep
satisfaction. If he felt it all, he knew, so did Eora and Nieko. One skin, one
body, one mind, shared by three.

No matter how hard he tried to keep a hold on his actions,
the power overwhelmed him. He thrust faster. The passion poured upward, outward
and inward until together they exploded into orgasm.

The rush shook him to the core of his being. Velvet darkness
swirled in and consumed him.

Elijah paced back and forth, each time stopping short before
bumping into the wall. Nieko and Eora were in the other room, practicing their
leaps and turns, making sure their warrior skills stayed honed and sharp. With
Huon and Tybor focused on the imminent birth of their child, the other two
Dvalinn had assumed responsibility for the security of the tiny community.

Not that security had been needed. No one had come looking
for them. Tybor had appeared before the Dvalinn council and returned with the
assurance that they would be left alone to live their lives as they wanted,
free from interference.

Nieko and Eora’s insistence on remaining fit and battle-ready
was more for insurance than necessity. But at least it gave them something to
do with their days. Their nights were devoted to each other, but even amazing
sex couldn’t occupy them every minute of every day.

Elijah had never been a warrior. He was strong and
determined, but no amount of practice would ever bring his skills up to those
of Nieko and Eora. The few times he’d tried the Dvalinn had been helpful and
encouraging, but Lije found he couldn’t stand their gentle tolerance. They
didn’t mean to be condescending but that was what it felt like.

He stormed out of their dwelling and strode back toward the
city of Ogof, letting his frustration drive him forward.

The
trompe l’oeil
painting of hills, clouds and wild
flowers were beautiful, but a reproduction, no matter how exquisitely rendered,
wasn’t enough. He wanted the real thing. He wanted fresh air and sunshine and,
with a desperation that felt like pain, he needed something to do. He needed
the fulfillment he got from rescuing a victim from danger.

He needed to go home.

But to go home he would have to abandon Nieko and Eora.
They’d formed a bond. He knew he’d lose something important when he left but he
had no choice. The lack of purpose was slowly killing him.

He picked up his pace and began to run but he couldn’t
outrun the ache. Eventually he turned and made his way back.

In their living room, Eora and Nieko stood together,
watching him. “You want to leave?” Nieko said.

Elijah thought about lying but what good would it do? Nieko
and Eora could read his emotions as clearly as he could read their sorrow and
pain. “I have to.”

“You can’t go,” Eora protested. “Have you thought about what
it will be like when you get to the surface? Time passes differently here.”

“I’m counting on it,” Lije replied. “By the time I get back
the police will have stopped looking for me.” He shrugged. “Or if they are,
they’ll be looking for someone a lot older than I’ll appear to be.”

“What will you do?” Nieko asked.

“Get a job in a fire department somewhere.”

“How?” Eora demanded. “I know enough about the surface world
to know you’ll have to have papers to prove your identity.”

“They can be arranged.” Elijah looked from one to the other.
“That’s one of the things I learned from Hopewood. There are people who’ll do
anything for money. It doesn’t take much to find them. Now I accept my empath
powers, it won’t be hard to fake an identity.”

“You can do that?” Nieko asked.

“It isn’t legal but it’s possible,” Elijah replied. “I’ll
stay away from places where people knew me. Maybe settle in a different
country. It won’t be too hard.”

Tears gathered in Eora’s eyes. “I’m glad it won’t be hard
for you. It is going to be hard for Nieko and me. We love you.”

Pain shadowed her face and tore at Elijah but he had to tell
them the truth. He’d sworn there would be no more lies. “I told you before. You
use the word love too easily. What we’ve had has been good but it’s time to end
it. I can’t stay here.”

“Who the hell do you think you are to tell us what we do or
don’t feel?” Nieko’s anger hit him hot and hard. “From the beginning you’ve
come here, so sure of your superiority. So sure you know everything there is to
know about emotions because you’re human.” Nieko took a step closer and poked
him in the chest. “Well, guess what, human? Eora and I have learned some things
about emotions too. We’ve felt your fear. We’ve felt your sense of abandonment.
I don’t know what happened to you growing up. But I know it was bad. It’s
twisted something inside you. You’re afraid.”

Lije needed him to back off, needed space but Nieko wasn’t
giving an inch. Elijah hit out, knowing his words would hurt. “You think
because I don’t love you, there has to be something
wrong
with me?”

Eora stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Nieko She poked her
finger in Lije’s chest. “There
is
something wrong with you if you refuse
to admit, even to yourself, what we three have is love.”

“Fuck you!” Elijah ran his fingers through his hair,
fighting for control. “A minute ago you were yelling at me for telling you what
you felt. Now you’re doing the same to me. I like you. Both of you. The sex has
been great. But that’s
all
.”

“Who are you lying to?” Eora asked. “Us or yourself? I’ve
got news for you. Those walls you think are impenetrable? The ones that keep
your emotions locked away? They don’t work as well as you think they do. The
only person here who can’t see behind them is you.”

“I don’t understand.” His hands clutched hanks of his hair,
the pain grounding him, stopping him from exploding out of there, teleporting
anywhere, away from the confrontation he never wanted to have.

Eora touched him. His skin burned from the contact. He
wanted to close his ears, close his mind, but he couldn’t block out her words
or her emotions. “It’s hard to recognize love if you’ve never experienced it.”
Her hand curled and she held him tight. “You knew all about love in theory,
Elijah, but you’d never felt it for yourself.”

“No, I…” His voice broke. He had no idea what to say—how to
respond.

“It wasn’t your fault,” she continued. “The one who should
have loved you most failed you. You grew up thinking you were unlovable. But
it’s not true. You are loved more than you can imagine.”

Nieko spoke softly. “Do you think I could share Eora, what
you and I have, with just anyone? It’s you, Elijah. I love Eora and I love
you.”

Panic fluttered in his guts. They were wrong. They had to be
wrong. The emotions saturating the air overpowered him, confused him,
suffocated him. He surged to his feet. “I have to get out of here. I can’t—”

“Can’t what?” Nieko asked. “Can’t face the truth? Loving
someone makes you vulnerable. It means letting them know everything about you.
It means trusting them.”

Nieko reached out and grabbed his shoulders. “If Eora and I
can accept that love exists, if we can fight our culture and our beliefs and
know we’re right, you can do it too. Look inside yourself, Elijah. Look past
bitterness.” He bowed his head. “Feel what I feel.” With those words, he
dropped his shields. Emotion poured from him with no filters, no barriers.
Everything was there, from his anguish at his hopeless love for Eora to his
hostility when he met Elijah, his excitement, his growing affection, the intense
grief when he’d thought Elijah was dead. And his love. Most of all his
overwhelming, all-powerful love. Nieko held nothing back. He left himself
utterly open and vulnerable.

Eora’s emotions wrapped them both in her embrace. For a
moment he tried to resist. He was afraid. He knew it.

“It will be all right, Elijah.” Eora said. “You know we’ll
never hurt you. You can let go.”

“Whatever you decide, wherever you go, whatever you do or
are, we love you,” Nieko said. “We can’t give you what you should have had in
your past. But the future will be filled with our love. I promise.”

“Even if you reject us, we will never stop loving you.” Eora
whispered the words but they rang with conviction.

“There’s nothing to be afraid of, Elijah. You are safe. You
are loved.”

The soft litany slid past his defenses, enticing, beguiling.
Like the soft, golden light of the Dvalinn walls, it illuminated the dark
places in his heart. And in that light he finally saw the truth.

The last shreds of his doubt evaporated. No mere sexual attraction
had ever, could ever be what this was. Mean what this did.

The words bubbled to the surface and burst from him. “I love
you.”

He flung his arms around them. “Eora. You’re the strongest,
most determined, most beautiful woman I have ever met. Nieko. You’re pushy,
touchy and I’ve never seen you back down over anything. And damn it, I love you!
Both of you.”

It sounded so good he said it again. “I love you!”

Nieko ginned. “Believe me, we can tell. You might have to
tone down the exuberance. You’re radiating like a nuclear reactor. It’s making
me drunk.”

Elijah laughed. How could he not have known? How could he
ever have kept this…
joy
hidden?

He kissed them both, fast, feverish kisses that swapped from
one to the other, building his delirium, feeding his frantic need.

Nieko’s hands slipped down to the zipper of Elijah’s jeans.

They slid and turned and twisted until they stood naked in a
tangle of arms and legs. Nieko shuffled free. He stepped backward, dropping
onto the couch, pulling Eora with him.

Eora landed on his lap, knees either side of his thighs.

Nieko grinned. “Just how I wanted you.” He spread his legs
wide and looked up. “Hey, human? You waiting for instructions?”

“I think I can take it from here,” Elijah replied. One thing
was certain—Nieko might bottom, but he was never, ever going to be submissive.

Nieko’s hands clutched the smooth globes of Eora’s buttocks
and pulled her in until she was impaled on his cock. Elijah grabbed the lube,
never far away, slathering it around Nieko’s arse.

Then he leaned in, wrapped his hands under Eora’s thighs and
drove home into Nieko.

His chest pushed up against Eora’s bottom, Nieko’s fingers
rubbing against his nipples, pushed Nieko’s cock harder inside her.

One hard thrust after another, Elijah controlling the pace
of all three. He needed to—he needed to show his two lovers how important they
were to them. He knew they could feel his love and excitement as he could feel
theirs but he had to have this physical closeness to confirm the bond.

He bent his head and put his teeth on the curve of Eora’s
neck and bit, leaving his mark.

She arched up, the movement impaling her harder on Nieko’s
cock.

All three opened their minds, shared every sensation. Elijah
would have sworn that the sex couldn’t get any better, but it did. They were no
longer three individuals. Their bodies were joined, one to the other, and their
minds followed. One in three, three in one.

Emotional tension built, sparks of fire burning and sizzling
until they burst into a conflagration, consuming self, thought and awareness.

They slumped—Eora and Nieko chest to chest, Elijah covering
them both—in total, exquisite exhaustion.

After a moment, Elijah, too sated and too happy to move,
murmured, “I love you.”

He wasn’t sure if he said aloud because they needed to hear,
or for himself, but he knew that the words were true, now and forever. There
would be no more doubts, no denials.

* * * * *

Elijah opened his eyes. He nudged Nieko, curled up beside
him, Eora tucked into the shelter of his arms. “Wake up!”

What?” Nieko muttered. “Bloody hell, Elijah. You’re keen. I
swear if you want another go, I’m topping this time. I don’t think I could take
another bout like our last…” He pulled his hand out from under Eora’s buttocks
and held it up, dropping his fingers as he counted. “Um. Once on the sofa, once
in the shower and twice in bed.” He groaned. “Nope. Me and my arse are out.”

Elijah punched him on the shoulder. “I don’t want sex… Well,
I do, but not right now. Wake Eora up.”

“I’m awake.” Eora rubbed her face. “What time is it? Why
aren’t we still asleep?”

“Because I have the solution,” Elijah said.

“Did we have a problem?” Eora asked.

“Me not having anything to do? Not being happy underground?”

Eora sat up, a frown etched between her brows. “I thought we
settled that yesterday.”

Nieko rolled to face him. “You’re still going, aren’t you?”
His lips tightened. “Nothing we did or said changed that.”

“I’m still going, yes,” Elijah agreed, “but I want you to
come with me.”

“What?” Eora squeaked. “Me and Nieko?”

“Who else? Hopewood’s gone. You’ll be safe there.” Elijah
grinned. “Eora’s always wanted to go to the surface. Nieko not so much, but if
he can put up with me, he can put up with other humans as well.”

Nieko gave him a playful punch. Elijah could tell it was playful
because it only knocked him back about six inches.

“You can’t stand it here, with nothing to do,” Eora said.
Her tone was somber. “What if we can’t stand it on the surface?”

Elijah raised his eyebrows. “You were jumping out of your
skin with excitement for the short time you were there,” he replied. “You won’t
be bored. There’s so much for you to see.” He knew her now. Knew what made her
who she was. “So much to learn. You could work if you wanted to. If I can get a
fake identity for me, I can get one for you.” He smiled. “And since we all have
empath powers, I see no harm in using them to make sure we get the jobs we
want.”

“I don’t know…”

Eora’s reluctance surprised him. He’d thought she’d jump at
the chance. He’d expected Nieko to be the one he needed to convince.

“What is it?’ he asked, wrapping his arms around her.

“What if we get to the surface and we don’t fit in? If we
embarrass you? Or get you into trouble?”

Elijah kissed her on the nose. “I don’t care what anyone
else thinks. I won’t be embarrassed by anything you do. I love you. Both of
you.”

She snuggled up against his shoulder.