“Really, I’m okay.” But he lets her hold the bag on his face.

  “Are you sure?”

  “I’m sure.” He takes the ice pack from her and kisses her hand, leaving the ice on the counter.

  “Just leave it on a little longer for me.”

  “Okay, Sunshine. I’ve had worse, but for you, I’ll leave it on.” Ice back on, he pulls out his turned-off block and puts it on the table. He clicks it on. This should be good. I can’t wait for him to read my thoughts on his behavior. He’s leaning on the counter watching his messages come in. “Nice.” He glares at Holter and me and back at his messages. I might have threatened his life several times. I don’t remember. Not knowing where Annabelle was, it was like she was missing all over again. “Oh shit. Sunshine, there’s a message from Kronus. He said the deal went straight through. Russell Strickland is no longer the owner of any interest in your family farm. Actually, it went through in a matter of days. There’s some paperwork left to be tied up, but your father is free of him.”

  “What?” She’s holding the bag to his face again, but Eros takes it from her.

  “I’ve got this. Here, read.” He slides his block over.

  “Wow.” Her blue eyes widen. “My uncle is gone. Out of my dad’s life.”

  “Scroll down,” Eros says.

  “It says he packed up and moved. But it doesn’t say where.” Annabelle turns to me.

  “Do you care, Belle?” Holter gently tugs her into his grasp.

  “No, I guess not. As long as Marlee and Aunt Blair are okay, I suppose it doesn’t matter what happens to him.”

  I growl.

  “Nico?” Annabelle is at my side.

  “It matters what happens to him.” My hatred for the man is stronger than my disdain for Vikings.

  She makes a face at me because she didn’t want me to kill him. He’s the father of her beloved cousin. But the man isn’t good enough to feed the bottom scavengers. It would give the spiny lobsters a bitter taste, and if I have to eat bugs, I want them to be sweet. If I’m ever close enough, if he ever dares get close enough to Annabelle to breathe the same air as her again, the man is dead.

  Blood surges through my veins, pounding in my ears. “Because he doesn’t deserve to live.”

  She stares at me and slowly nods.

  “Hey Belle, it’s okay.” Holter grasps the back of her head. And then he glares at me like I’ve done something wrong.

  I sink to the sofa. My fucking ankles throb. The ice in the freezer was something Dr. Pertusio placed there for me. I haven’t touched it, nor do I plan on touching it.

  What I do need is Annabelle. Her touch is better than any artificial pain relief. “Come here, Little Krill.” I hold my arms out for my moon and tide. She glances at Eros but comes to me. I wrap her up in my arms, and for the first time today, my heart rate slows and my vision clears. I breathe in the smell of her hair, the intoxicating apple scent filling my lungs. I kiss along the top of her ear.

  “I’m okay, Nico.” She nuzzles into my chest, her body touching mine all the way to our toes. She gives me a squeeze and tips her head back. “If I had a block, this wouldn’t have happened.” Her lips twist into a smirk, a smirk that doesn’t irritate me nearly as much as Eros’s does.

  “If Eros had any brain cells, this wouldn’t have happened,” I growl back, glaring at him across the room. I still want to have it out with him.

  Holter’s staring at me. He’s on guard mode. He thinks I’m still on the knife’s edge about Eros. Holter’s vibration is palpable. The least movement, and he’ll have Annabelle out of the way and me pinned to the ground. Last week, we were evenly matched. Now? I’m not going to admit it out loud, but he could take me. Hell, Eros’s brittle seaweed of a brother could take me.

  “Hey!” Annabelle shakes her head. “If this is going to work, we have to be kind to each other.”

  Holter and Eros both laugh.

  Annabelle lets go of my waist. “Seriously. Stop it! Kindness.”

  “Belle? We’re doing our best.”

  “Really? Do better.”

  “I know something we’re not half bad at.” Eros drops the bloody cloth on the island.

  “You’re shit at it.” I pick up Annabelle. Her stomach rests on my shoulder, her head hanging over my back. I’m getting stronger every day. No amount of Arg-leth in my veins could ever make me weak enough to not be able to carry her. I’m five strides down the hallway before the other two even move. Annabelle is holding on around my waist, her braids brushing the backs of my calves.

  “Nico?” She slaps my ass. I keep moving. “Nico? We should—”

  I slide the hand that isn’t around her waist up the inside of her tunic under her underwear, as she calls them. Finding her pussy wet. “We should pound it out before we do anything else.” I wiggle my finger over her clit as I reach the bedroom.

  “That’s so not—” She moans. I put her on the side of the bed, carefully leaving my finger swirling around. She thrusts her hips into my waiting hand. This. This is what I need. My mate crying out with need, taking what she wants. Using me how she needs me.

  Like a barracuda, she rolls away from my hand and jumps on the side of the bed. Standing on the mattress, she is as tall as I am. “Take off your tunic. Now.”

  The smallest of smiles takes hold of my lips, but I stand firm, my hands on my hips. Behind me, Holter and Eros are shedding their clothes. But Annabelle needs a challenge. She doesn’t need us all to be her shark puppies. She needs someone who is her equal.

  “Nico.” Her low warning makes me hard. She sucks in her lips and puts her hand on my shoulder. “Take off your tunic and get on your knees.”

  Her defiant smile has me hard. “Make me.”

  Her hand slips into my pants. Her fingers cup my balls, rolling them in her palm. Eros and Holter move to the edge of the bed. They’re naked. They’ve followed her orders like obedient soldiers.

  I’m not a good soldier. I’m not good at anything.

  She slides her fingers around my cock and eases up and down. Pumping me. I’m not following her directions, but she owns me, and she knows it. I wrap my hand around her neck, turning it sideways as I lurch forward and suck on my mate mark. Reflexively, she squeezes my cock.

  My eyes roll into the back of my head. Another motion like that, and I will come in her hand. “Annabelle, let go.” My voice comes from my diaphragm. It’s low and rough.

  “Make me,” she growls.

  I glance over my shoulder. Holter and Eros lie on the bed.

  “You need a little help there, Commander?” Eros laughs.

  I flip her on her back, her hands pinned above her head. My mouth is watering to taste her.

  “There you are.” Her eyes twinkle. Oh, she’s going to pay for that, and I won’t mind having a little help.

  My lips are on hers, our mouths dueling, her kiss softening to my touch as we go on. Holter’s close. When I lift my lips from hers, I incline my head to him, and he’s not shy about taking over. I’m off the bed, my tunic gone. From the side table, I get rope. It’s not something we’ve used before, and it’s not something we’re going to use today. Not on Annabelle, anyway. I pin Eros’s wrists, wrapping them before he reacts. His head is too caught up in his cock. I hook the end of the rope to the beam on the ceiling so that his arms are held up but his feet are securely on the floor. Standard equipment for a pod bedroom.

  “You act like a pod mate, or you watch like an outsider,” I tell him.

  He glares at me but doesn’t struggle.

  Annabelle hasn’t noticed yet. And in the next breath, I have my head between her legs, my hand on the mark Holter gave her. I suck on her clit, and her hips grind into my face. My brain is going crazy. I’m jealous. I’m angry. I’m so fucking hot I’m about to explode from my skin. My cock is so swollen I’m not sure how much longer I can keep myself from shooting my load. It’s going to be a good night. I hold on to that.

  37

  EROS

  I saw it coming, but sometimes you just have to let the whale think the minnow has nothing he wants. Nico has no idea that watching and waiting is my biggest kink. I’m going to love every minute of this. When I come—because I will have our mate tonight—I will come harder and longer than I ever have in my life. Because denying myself Sunshine isn’t something I’ve been able to do on my own. Not touching her. Fuck. I shouldn’t have mated with her, but I couldn’t stop myself. I’ll never be able to stop myself with her. I need her more than my fluke or water. She moans, and my cock twitches, rubbing against my zipper. Having a pod who can help me achieve that? Fuck yeah.

  Holter’s got her attention. His hands slide down one side, incredibly close to where Nico’s head teases the mass of curls at Sunshine’s pussy. Fuck. Females born as mermaids don’t have hair between their legs. But our girl has loads of blonde hair, and it’s the sexiest thing I’ve ever touched. Or in this case, not touched.

  I pull against the ropes. Damn, they’re loose. I try to tell myself I can’t get out. Because sometimes not having what you want makes having what you want better. Pre-cum leaks from my cock, but it’s going to wait. This is exactly what I thought I could never have in my life. A beautiful, smart, sexy mate. With pod mates who know how to take care of her almost as well as I do.

  Nico has his hands under her ass. His tongue is fucking her. Holter’s pinching her nipple, his lips colliding with hers. I watch. I wait. And I listen. I want to touch her. But seeing her hips vibrate on Nico’s face is fucking fantastic. She’s all ours. I would do anything for this female.

  Holter lifts himself off her, sliding down her chest as he sucks her nipple into his mouth. “Are you liking what Nico’s doing, Belle?”

  “Yes,” she says, out of breath.

  Holter pops her nipple out of his mouth and moves back up onto the mattress. Kneeling next to her, he feeds his cock into Annabelle’s mouth. She sucks him down and then puts his hand on the mark I gave her. Her back arches, and she chokes on Holter’s cock. Her hips spasm. Holter’s free hand smooths back her hair. And then he’s coming too. Damn, her mouth is so good. It feels like I’m in it, just watching. His neck dips backward, and when he comes around, he pulls out of her mouth. Leaving a trail of cum, he shivers.

  “You’re so good, Belle.” Holter kisses the breeding spot on her hand, its circle incomplete but still there. I strain at the ropes as I lean in to see.

  Annabelle’s eyes go wide when she realizes how they’ve left me. Nico’s been careful with the angles, keeping me out of her line of sight. “Eros?”

  “I’m good, Sunshine. Love you.”

  “Fuck yes!” Nico yells. He leans up over her body and says, “Look at me, Annabelle. Look at me!”

  She turns back to him, and Nico stands to his full height. His cock is huge. He runs the head through her pussy, then against her clit. She’s panting.

  “Please,” she says. Her body fights the lust, but it’s not going to win this round. Nico’s hard, and the bastard can go all night. We all can.

  “Not yet,” Nico says. “First, you’re going to come again. It’s Holter’s turn to feast on you. Give him a minute to suck on his own damn mark.”

  “Please,” she says again as he pushes one finger into her pussy. When Holter makes his way down the mattress, they switch positions. Nico is licking and trailing his fingers up to her glorious mouth.

  I want to be the one to get her there. To bring her so close she can’t think. I want to be the one to make her come with my fingers, my tongue, my cock.

  “Eros.” Sunshine’s blue eyes flash to me, and it’s all I can do to keep from coming on the spot. Our female. I want to pull tighter on the ropes, leaving red marks on my skin. Red marks I can picture her kissing later. But I don’t. I know they would cause her pain. And I never want to cause her pain.

  “He’s waiting his turn, Belle. If he can’t act like a pod mate, he can’t play like a pod mate.” Holter glares at me.

  Annabelle nods and reaches for Nico’s cock. Her tongue darts around the head, lapping and cleaning off his glistening head. I watch as she sucks his cock down her throat.

  “Eros,” Holter says. “Keep it together. You’ll get your turn.”

  I pull at the ropes, letting them bite into my skin, letting the pain stop me from coming. They’re strong enough that I can’t slide out of them easily. But with some work, I’ll be able to shed them on my own. This is what I deserve. Fuck, I need to tell them all the truth. I’m sure Sunshine could guess it if she tried.

  I stare at Nico’s chest. It’s moving quickly as his breathing increases. I can’t tear my eyes away from them. I want to feel the stretch of her throat as she takes me down. Her mouth is so fucking wet. Nico’s hands are under her head, gently tipping her head back. She’s so beautiful, and she’s ours.

  “Such a good girl,” Nico says. He’s putting on a show. But it’s working. Annabelle bends her knee, giving me a full view of her glistening pussy. She’s opening up for Holter’s fingers, and the scent of her arousal fills the room.

  “Do you want me to fuck you?” Nico pulls out of her hot mouth.

  “Yes,” she says.

  “Good, because Holter and I are going to take you together.” Nico lies on his back and pulls Sunshine to his chest, her back to his stomach. Nico slides his cock into her. Holter’s holding her legs wide. I’d say I have the best seat in the house, but that’s a fucking lie. I’m shaking inside. I need to come clean. Tell them the truth.

  Holter pumps his cock twice. Lube from the bedside table is spread over it. “Let me in, Belle.” He pushes forward, easing into her pussy, already filled with Nico. It’s so tight I can practically feel it from here. Even with my perfect view gone.

  “Fuck,” Nico growls. “You’re so fucking tight. Poseidon, Holter, move.”

  “I’m going to fuck you so hard, Belle. I’m going to make you scream.” Holter’s cock goes in deeper, his hips matching Nico’s thrusts. They’re moving together, Nico’s hands on her chest, Holter’s pinching her nipples. He’s pulling them to the edge of pain. “I’m going to make you come so hard you never forget.”

  “Are you ready, my Little Krill?” Nico asks.

  She nods. I cannot wait any longer. I can’t do this. This is going to drive me insane. I need to get out of these ropes. I throw my weight into them. I need to feel her body sliding down my cock. I need to feel her warmth. I need to fill her up. I tear the harness out of the ceiling; it clatters to the ground. My arms in front of me, I’m able to remove the rope with a few well-placed tugs of my teeth.

  Holter nods at me. Once freed, I’m on the bed next to her.

  Sunshine’s hazed eyes focus on me. She reaches for me. “I want you,” she says and opens her mouth for my cock.

  “Oh Poseidon, damn it,” Nico says, his hips driving the rhythm of the mattress.

  “Belle, you look so good letting Eros fuck your face. He doesn’t deserve you.”

  I feel the shift in her. Her mouth tightens around my cock. She’s telling me I do. She must be doing the same thing to them, because they are both mercifully quiet. Then Holter moans, “Fuck that’s good.”

  My cock is so hard. I need her so badly. She takes me deep into her throat, her tongue flicking against the head. Her mouth tightens around my cock. I hold my breath. Her throat is nirvana. I ease back. Her body tenses, her tongue swiping up and down my shaft.

  “Oh, fuck yes.” I gasp. “You’re amazing.”

  Annabelle bobs her head up and down. Her mouth is so wet and warm, her cheeks hollowed out from sucking me down.

  “Now,” Nico demands.

  I’m not following his command; I pull out of her throat. But Annabelle does, and the three of them tumble over the edge. Sunshine screams her pleasure. Holter and Nico go silent, their eyes rolling back. A cock, as deep as it can go into a pussy, is an exquisite thing.

  I watch her come. I’ve never been so jealous of someone’s cock before. I need to feel it. I need to taste her. I need her. Her mouth is divine, but I’m doing this my way.

  Her head drops back on Nico’s chest. There’s a sheen over her pink skin.

  Holter slides out of her, and she eases off of Nico. She reaches for me, and it’s glorious. “Eros, I want you now.”

  I know she’s come and come hard, but she’s all mermaid now, ready to go round after round.

  I pull her by the hips toward me. “Are you ready?”

  “Heck, yes.”

  I laugh. That’s my Sunshine. She wraps her legs around my waist. Nico doesn’t move away but pushes up onto his elbow, his fingers skimming down her stomach.

  My cock slides into her easily. Nothing is better than this. She straddles me firmly and rides me.

  “So good,” she says, her voice raspy from all the moaning she’s been doing.

  Her cheeks are flushed deep red. Her hair’s all mussed up. Was anyone ever this sexy? I’m consumed by her. I love her.

  “So good.” I’m not sure what I’m agreeing to. I don’t care.

  “Beautiful Little Krill,” Nico says. “Look how you’re riding this undeserving mate so well.” Nico’s right. I’m not deserving of such a female. I’ve never deserved anything. But I’m here and I’m going to love every minute of it.

  She groans. “He’s ours.” It’s all she can get out. Her tempo picks up, breasts bouncing as she gets a rhythm going.

  My fingers dig into her hips, helping her.

  “I’m going to come again,” she says. “I can’t get enough of you, of all of you.”

  “Come for us,” Holter says as he watches us.

  Her head rolls from side to side, and her pussy convulses around me. It’s the best feeling and sight in the world.

  “That’s it, Sunshine, come on my cock,” I growl.

  She cries, “Eros.” My heart swells with every sound she makes. I come hard. Every muscle in my body seizes up.