Ever Cynical

Chapter 26🌶️- Taking the Edge Off

Anais POV

This was a dangerous situation, and I was not equipped to slow things down and take a step back. If I'm totally honest, I didn't want to at all. I wanted him, no, them. I wanted Ri'dubh just as much as I wanted Kieran. They were both just so damn hot. Is that even okay?

Of course it's okay, ma Cherie, just like you and I share a body, they do too, Claire said. It doesn't weird you out that I want both of them too, does it?

Nope, not a bit. It should, probably, but like you said, we share a body, so it's not really possible for things to be separated anyway.

What about Kieran? Do you think he's okay with what Ri'dubh is doing, Anais? Claire sounded worried, for the last thing either of us wanted, was to do something that ultimately, Kieran did not consent to.

Hmm, I'm not sure. He was really worried about how we will change.

"Mo rí." I said just before his soft, tasty lips touched mine. "I need to know something." He growled at my delaying his kiss, his golden eyes flashing. "I need to know if this is what Kieran wants." He snarled, but I was not afraid of him. I couldn't be. I stroked his hair slowly. "Talk to me Ri'dubh. Claire and I want you so much. The same as we want Kieran. But I can't let you keep going if it's not what Kieran wants." I touched my forehead to his. "Please tell me what's going on, mon coeur." He sighed, and when I looked again, his eyes were back to their beautiful emerald green. His cheeks were flushed.

"I'm beginning to forget why I'm waiting, Anais. Remind me, please. I'm struggling." He said as he peppered my face and neck with kisses. "They are going to find out soon anyway. Should I just throw caution to the wind?" He sighed as I stroked his back. "On a side note, I really do want to know what you might be able to do with your tongue ring." His eyebrows waggled.

"Oh my goddess, Kieran, seriously?" My outrage was totally fake. I love how much he delights in our touches.

"Well, oral wouldn't be enough to cause problems, I don't think? So maybe we could do that and, you know, take the edge off? I want to taste too." He pouted. Good lord, this man was adorable. I patted his shoulder, and he pulled back to look into my eyes.

"If it wasn't clear enough already, I'm down for anything you wanna do. A little, or everything. I just didn't want your wolf to take that decision away from you, and neither did Claire. If you were fine with it, I wasn't planning to stop him. Not at all." I grinned, winking at him. He purred and dove in for a searing kiss that shot straight to my core. Seriously, I'm such a hussy.

Only for Kieran, though. I doubt he minds.

"Make sure you tell me if you don't like something." He whispered into my neck, making me shiver in anticipation. "There are so many things I want to try." He let out an especially husky giggle as he began to kiss my neck and shoulder, sucking gently. I already felt like I was going out of my mind with lust and affection, but he was planning to make melt from the inside out. I just knew it. I tunneled my fingers through his hair and moaned as he gave his attention to my n*****s, flicking and pinching one while he sucked hard and gently bit the other.

He stayed there for bit, pulling on my piercings and testing if I liked a little pain mixed with the pleasure. Any guesses as to if a girl with twenty piercings might like a little pain? Absolutely. Especially his balance of pain followed by gentle caresses. I don't know how far he'll push that line in the future, but I could tell he was more focused on worshiping my body at the moment. His hands were everywhere, touching and squeezing. Every touch sent sparks flying along my skin, and I was starting to feel like an overcharged battery.

The kind that explodes from internal combustion.

He slid down my body to my core, and with his face against my folds, took a deep breath, much as his wolf had. If I didn't understand how much smell meant to wolves, I might have been embarrassed. He began to purr again as his fingers gently stroked my thighs. He looked up at me with adoration.

"What is it, mon coeur?" I whispered huskily.

"You're just so beautiful and perfect. Mine." He growled as he smashed his face into my folds and began licking and sucking whatever his fingers weren't already touching. Holy s**t. The tension that had been gathering in my core was intensifying, and since I had never even touched myself, I wasn't really sure at what point I was supposed to be... done? Watching a few pornos here and there did not teach you much beyond that it was okay to squirt- it wasn't pee. So I understood the moisture I was generating and dripping all over the damn place, but this feeling of intense pleasure yet wanting something to peak? I didn't even know what to ask for.

Then his purr intensified and I looked down at him. That was one mischievous look, right there. I could feel the vibration from his purr in my core, and it added a whole new layer to what I was feeling. Wasn't he supposed to be a virgin too? What the hell? And then he slid a finger into my core and everything got real. His mouth continued to delight in tormenting my c**t as I writhed in pleasurable agony. He added another finger and I could not hold back my moans as the waves of pleasure intensified. I felt a rush of fluid, but they hadn't said there was this odd sort of release that came with it! I could feel something more, though, just beyond my reach.

"Kieran, please." I moaned out, not sure what I meant by it. Please, don't let him tease me right now or I might freaking kick him in the head. Maybe the little one.

Thankfully, the goddess had given me an intelligent and caring mate. He intensified his rhythm and purring, and finally, I saw stars as I was pushed over the edge and into my first orgasm. The aftershocks pulsed through me and I felt as weak as a newborn faun. He removed his fingers and mouth, sliding up to kiss me. Did I care that he had my juices on his gorgeous face? Absolutely not. Having him covered in my scent made me feel proud and possessive.

"Mine." I growled into his mouth. He smiled broadly, holding me close.

"Yours forever, mo shíorghrá." He chuckled. "Ri'dubh was right about that piercing. What a delight to play with. I like all of them, though. What do your tattoos mean?" He was referring to a large tattoo that covered my left side of a Celtic horse and wolf intertwined, symbolizing power and transformation. On my right clavicle I had the phrase ****・Jigō jitoku (You get what you give/what goes around comes around). On my right hip I had a Virgo symbol with its constellation. On my right shoulder I had a yin-yang done in traditional Japanese Koi. His finger was tracing the wolf.

"Ah, well. My first one was the astrological sign on my hip. It means Virgo, since my birthday was September third." I cringed, waiting for the reaction I knew was coming. He sat up, upset. Yep, called it.

"You already had your birthday?! Just about two weeks ago? Why didn't you say anything?" He was suddenly highly stressed. I patted his shoulder, then pulled his face into my neck where he took several heavy, shaking breaths. "I wanted to celebrate that with you and I have to wait almost a whole year." He pouted. It was soooo cute.

Cute and sexy.

Yeah, yeah, maybe you don't think cute and sexy go together in a man, but I sure do.

Kieran POV

Dammit, I was already failing as a mate. I'd asked how old she was, but I hadn't bothered to ask the actual date itself? How big of an insensitive jerk can I be?

"Kieran, mon coeur." She cooed, stroking my hair. "It's okay, bebe. We have plenty of birthdays in the future, non?" I nodded but continued to keep my face planted in her neck, breathing her in. "Do you still want to hear about the other tattoos?" I nodded again, still pouting. Ri'dubh rolled his eyes at my un-Alpha-like behavior, but I didn't care. Here was where I wanted to be. "Okay, so... I've got a yin-yang on my shoulder, done up in Japanese koi. Obviously representing balance." I nodded again. "On my clavicle I've got kanji that says Jigō jitoku, which means you get what you give. I like that one a lot."

"And the Celtic one?" I was the most curious about that one.

"Ah, well, horses in the Celtic tradition symbolize power, and wolves symbolize transformation. I got it hoping it would inspire me to gain power in myself, and transform my future. I'd felt powerless for so long, you know? Even if I could manage to escape and survive, I wasn't really living. I wasn't happy waking up each day. It felt like time was passing, and I had nothing to show for it." I hated how despondent she had been. I knew she was feeling better now, but it was literally centuries of depression that she had to work through. Maybe I should convince her to get therapy.

No, not right now, anyway. When we get everything else figured out there will be plenty of time for that.

"They are beautiful." I told her. "Just like my mate." I growled. She giggled.

"You know, you go between being a big softy and super bossy. Which one is the real you? Are you sure you're an alpha?" She asked teasingly, her tone coy.

"If I thought that was a serious question, I would feel the need to show you just how much of an alpha I am. But I've never held the belief that being an alpha means you have to be, or deserve to be, an asshole. Way too many of those in the world, I mean, everyone's got one, right?" She smacked my arm, laughing. "I just think, being alpha means being a leader. People need to know you trust them enough to show a little vulnerability in order to trust you back. Don't think the side you see is what everyone gets, either. You're mo bhanríon, you're special." I needed her to understand. The world may see me as the Iron Alpha, but to her, I was her loving mate.

"I see, handsome cutie." She tapped her chin, looking me up and down. "Now, how about I return the favor?" She said, eyebrows waggling.

Damn. Death by sexiness overload with a side of cute? I'll take it.