Dawn of Chaos and Fury by Melissa K. Roehrich - 54

51

I t was late afternoon when they walked along the streets of Idalia, back from their trip to other areas of the kingdom. Along with the Fae city to the west, they’d been taken to the Anala Estate. Axel had gone to see Cressida while the rest of them had gone to a city farther south. They were headed to their rooms to relax and get ready for the dinner they’d be having later this evening with Kyra and her family.

His father was anxious where he strolled at his side, while Razik hung back several paces behind them with Eliza. All three of them were lost in their feelings as they waited for the same person to appear.

“Are you warm enough, Tessa?” Luka asked.

“Mhmm,” Tessa hummed from his right, lifting a hand and letting her power drift along her fingers. The bands of light on her arms glowed brighter too, and she sighed. “It’s beautiful here.”

And it was. It wasn’t the sleek and modern buildings of the Arius Kingdom or the opulent marble architecture of the Achaz Kingdom. The Anala Kingdom was grand brick structures with a simple and practical elegance. Lamp posts lined the streets, burning even in the daylight, and he was certain that even in the winter months, the chill was never truly felt here.

Theon was a few steps ahead with Axel and Kat, listening as Axel filled him in on his visit to Cressida and meeting Kasdeya, but he’d glanced back at Luka’s question. Tessa had lost her gloves and coat, Theon carrying them now. She was left in a long-sleeve dress that matched the color of her eyes. She’d lost her shoes at some point too, those now dangling from Theon’s fingers.

The sun was out and shining, and Kyra had commented more than once about how unusually warm it was today. Luka was pretty sure it had to do with the mother and daughter in their company.

Akira had stayed close to Xan’s side, but since her arrival, Tessa had made an effort. He’d seen it. Theon watched it. They’d both monitored it down the bond. Tessa was still hesitant, keeping her distance, but there was a relief there too as they watched Akira struggle with her magic and fury.

“Will you stay here, Xan?” Tessa asked suddenly.

Luka went rigid, and Xan nearly stumbled at the question.

“What?” Xan asked.

“When this is over, if we all survive, will you stay in Devram?” Tessa clarified, her chaos now twisting in her palm.

“I…” He glanced at Luka sidelong before looking away once more. “I can’t answer that. To have children in different worlds and a Ward in yet another, not to mention a home world that will someday be reborn, I don’t know.”

“What do you mean a home world that will someday be reborn?” Luka asked in confusion as they approached the building they were staying in.

But Xan didn’t answer him, and it took Luka a second to realize why.

Why the male was shoving past them. Past Theon and the others ahead of them. Why his strides were long and purposeful. Why he was moving like a dragon locked in on his prey.

Because that was a female doing the same. Her brown hair was pulled back and tied up, and she was tall. Creamy skin a few shades lighter than Luka’s own slightly tanned complexion. She was toned, carrying herself with the grace of a trained warrior in fitted black pants, shirt, and boots, with only a single dagger strapped to her thigh.

Neither his father nor the female spoke. Xan only grabbed her face in his hands and brought his mouth to hers.

When he finally pulled back, his brow pressed to hers, and Luka could hear him murmuring. He didn’t understand what was being said though. The words were in a different language, but whatever he was saying had her turning to look in their direction. Her eyes moved from him, then past him and back again, and Luka watched as tears filled her eyes.

She said something else in that same language, and Xan nodded.

“She asked him if he brought both her sons to her,” Akira said simply.

Tessa peered around him. “You know what they are saying?”

Her lips pursed. “I am fluent in many languages of the stars. Achaz made sure of that.”

His parents were walking towards them. Both of them. And gods, the moment was surreal. Only months ago, he’d thought them gone. Nearly a year ago he thought he was the only one left of his kind, and now he was watching a resurrection of dreams that had died long ago.

They came to a stop in front of him, Xan’s hand on her lower back. “This is—” he started, but she interrupted him.

“I know who this is,” she said, her eyes drinking him in. “I’ve had to watch you grow up from afar, unable to be there when you needed me most. For that, I am so incredibly sorry, Luka, but I am so proud of who you’ve grown to be.”

She was moving forward then, wrapping her arms around him, and Luka was clutched her back. An embrace he hadn’t felt in twenty-five years. An embrace he’d forgotten despite trying to cling to the memory of it.

“I am sorry for the life you were forced to endure alone,” she whispered, her tears seeping into his shirt.

Luka hugged her tighter. “I wasn’t alone. I had brothers. We survived together.”

She nodded, but Luka knew it wouldn’t be enough to assuage her guilt. Nothing ever would.

She stepped back, holding his shoulders. “We have much to talk about, but I need to⁠—”

“I know,” he said, leaning in to press a kiss to her cheek before he stepped aside.

Tessa was there, looping her arm around his and leaning her head on his biceps. Are you okay? she sent down the bond.

Yeah, baby girl. I’m okay.

His mother had sucked in a sharp breath as she stared across the few feet separating her from her other son. It may as well have been a chasm for the way Razik was staring back at her. The same hard apathy in his eyes that was always there.

Then she moved, not seeming to care that he was rigid and giving every signal to stay the fuck back. She wrapped her arms around him, and Razik didn’t return the embrace. The male hadn’t seen her in centuries, and he couldn’t even return a hug?

Their mother didn’t seem to care though. She stepped back, holding his broad shoulders the same way she’d done to Luka. Her gaze raked over him, taking him in.

“And for you, I missed everything. I couldn’t even watch from afar. I could tell you I fought for you. I could tell you I thought of you every single day. I could tell you any manner of things, but none of it will matter or make up for the memories stolen from us. For that, I am so incredibly sorry, Razik,” she said, her words clear and steady. “Some day, I wish to know who you have grown to be, but I understand today is not that day.”

Eliza reached over, intertwining her fingers with Razik’s. Luka could only assume she was speaking down their bond. Their mother must have assumed the same thing, and she took a small step back as she said, “I’m Aiyana.”

“Eliza,” the Fire General answered. She glanced up at Razik before looking back to Aiyana. “His⁠—”

“ Mai dragocen ,” Razik interjected. “That’s who she is.” Aiyana nodded, and then her eyes went wide when Razik spoke in that same language she and Xan had spoken in.

Back and forth they went, and Tessa sighed beside him. I wish I knew what they were saying, she grumbled down the bond.

Luka huffed a laugh. Why?

Because I’m curious.

Theon barked a laugh, having come up beside her. Maybe we should give them some time. He glanced at Luka. You could stay too. Tessa and I can go get ready for dinner.

But as much as Luka wanted to spend that time with his mother, this dinner was important. They would be telling Kyra of Dagian’s offer and requesting her permission to bring Dagian here for Akira to perform the transfer. They were in for a long night of discussion, and he could find time to spend with his mother later.

“Stay, Luka,” Tessa murmured, pushing up onto her toes and pulling him closer so she could press her lips to his jaw. “Theon and I are fine. Take your time.”

Take your time.

Everyone kept acting like they had all the time in the world, but he was staring at his mother. His brother. His father. A family who had lost all that time and maybe would never see it again if they couldn’t find a way to mend all this.

“All the Ladies?” Tessa cried, the door not even fully closed to their room when they returned from a very long dinner.

The sun had set long ago, and Luka had felt Tessa’s emotions rising all evening. She’d done well though. Keeping her poise and control. They’d expected the pushback and debate. Kyra had eventually relented to allowing Dagian to come to Idalia. However, they hadn’t anticipated Kyra informing them that not only would Dagian be here in the morning, but so would the other Ladies. She would send them word tonight.

“It’s not all that surprising,” Theon said calmly, removing his suit jacket and loosening his tie.

“And what are we going to do if they oppose this? We don’t have days and days to debate this, Theon.”

She was already pacing.

“It doesn’t really matter if they oppose it,” Theon said. “It is Dagian’s choice. Not theirs.”

“It is theirs,” she retorted. “We can’t simply go against the wishes of the kingdoms. We’re trying to change one or two people getting their way. Not just…do what we want.”

“Tessa,” Theon cut in. “We are doing this tomorrow. You’re right. When things are different, more opinions will be taken into account. But not with this and certainly not with the same four Ladies who have had every opportunity to push for change for decades and have done nothing but preserve their own seats of power. They will not alter a godsdamn thing.”

“This is… What if something goes wrong?” she demanded, having moved to the wall, dragging her fingers along it.

“That is always a possibility,” Luka replied, watching her power crackle around her with each step. “We can try to anticipate problems and prepare for them as best we can, but eventually, we just have to jump, Tessa.”

She didn’t answer them, but she did speak, murmuring to herself. “This is it. Salvation or destruction? We don’t know. We don’t know. We don’t know.” She repeated the words over and over, each time sounding more and more agonized. Her fingers were in her hair, and she wasn’t pacing anymore. She was turning in place. “A final stand. A final battle. Who will be left standing when Chaos comes to reign? Me? Them? We’ve seen the visions. Seen the dreams. They never change. No, they do, but never… Always destruction. Always⁠—”

She sucked in a gasp, her eyes snapping up as Theon and Luka both sent waves of power to her. Calling to her chaos. Distracting her.

“This weight isn’t on your shoulders alone, Tessa,” Theon said gently.

“Isn’t it?” she asked, desperation ringing in her voice. “Am I not everything that prophecy is? Salvation. Destruction. The realm depends on me, and I did not ask for this!”

“Maybe that is why it was given to you,” Theon countered.

“I’m not the one for this!” she cried again. “Luka’s been right all along. I’m not⁠—”

“Enough,” Luka barked. “Where is this coming from? You’ve been Traveling around Devram for months now. Destroying mirror gates. Standing up to Rordan. Helping innocent people. And now you question where your place is in this?”

“It’s too much for one person!”

“Which is why you have us,” Theon retorted. “It is why we are doing this. You are not facing this fate alone, Tessa.”

“How is this any different from those who have taken power before us?”

“Because we fucking care,” Theon snapped, and Luka could feel his frustration down the bond.

And so could she.

“You’re the one who told me to process my feelings. You can’t be upset with me for trying to do that,” she bit out.

“I’m not upset you’re processing your feelings,” he ground out from between his teeth. “I’m frustrated because you aren’t giving yourself enough credit. You still believe yourself the villain in all this.”

Her lip curled back, and Luka was more than perplexed as to where this mood had come from. “This world turned me into one, Theon!”

Her cry of outrage echoed in the suite as Theon threw her over his shoulder. “Luka,” he barked over his shoulder.

But Luka only snickered, strolling to the liquor cabinet and pouring three glasses of amber liquid, one slightly less full. He already knew where this was going. They’d been planning this for weeks. Well before her birthday, and Theon had apparently decided it was time.

Thank the gods.

Whether a distraction or to prove a point, Luka didn’t really care. Sure, Theon was irritated, but this wasn’t being done out of anger or a need for control. Quite the opposite actually.

Tessa needed someone else to take control right now. Take the weight of responsibility and madness from her. Make the decisions so she didn’t have to think. She could just…be. Be wild and untamed. Be reckless and impulsive. Trusting they would be there to catch her and keep her safe while she was exactly as she was made to be.

The world didn’t understand, but they did.

Theon already had her in a chair, his darkness around her wrists and ankles, keeping her in place. The fact she could get up if she wanted to told Luka just how right he was in his assessment. She always picked fights when she didn’t know how to ask for what she wanted. Or if she thought they’d deny her.

As if they’d ever fucking deny her.

Make her say it. Make her crawl for it. Make her beg for it. But they’d never deny her.

Luka tipped his head, all predator now while Theon prowled over and took a glass of liquor.

“Look at you, temptress. Tied up and waiting…for what?” Luka mused, setting his glass aside but keeping the one that wasn’t as full. She glared back at him. “Does she know what we’re going to do tonight, Theon?”

“No,” he ground out, unbuttoning his shirt. He didn’t remove it though, leaving it hanging open. “Give me your tie. I left mine in the other room.”

Luka tugged it loose, and then Theon was there, pulling it free. Luka followed him back to Tessa, where he placed the silk fabric over her eyes, tying it behind her head.

She gasped as she lost her vision. “What are you doing?”

“You want to think you’re a villain?” Theon asked, his voice harsh. “That’s fine for now, but you forget, beautiful.”

“Forget what?” she snapped.

He leaned in close, his words a whisper in her ear. “We’re your villains when you need us to be.”

She went still, and Luka chuckled darkly. “Here, baby girl. You’re going to need this tonight.”

He brought the glass of liquor to her lips, tipping it up and pouring some into her mouth. She coughed and spluttered, and he chuckled again. “Trust us, Tessa. You’re going to want this.” He was leaning in now, his words dark as he asked into her ear, “Do you trust us?”

He heard her swallow. Saw her fingers clench around the arms of the chair. Felt her power crackle in nervous anticipation.

“Verbal acknowledgement, Tessa,” Theon ordered, the sound of him removing his belt making her head snap in his direction.

“Yes,” she bit out. “I trust you.”

“Then drink up,” Luka retorted, bringing the glass back to her lips. “We have plans for that mouth.” She drank it down with ease this time, only a small drop escaping onto her lip. He slowly thumbed the drop, pushing it back into her mouth as he added, “We’re taking control right now, but you know you can take it back at any time, right?”

He could swear she stopped breathing for a moment, but she slowly nodded and that nervousness down the bond was coupled with  thinly veiled excitement.

“Good,” Luka replied, his fingertips dragging along her jaw.

Then he stepped back and his dragonfire burned her dress away, leaving her naked and tied to a chair.

“I liked that dress,” she said in outrage.

“You’re the Arius Lady. Buy another one,” Theon cut in, shucking off his shirt, then his pants. “The Arius Lady. Soon to be the Achaz Lady.”

“Don’t,” she snapped.

“Yes, don’t,” Luka drawled. “The gods know we don’t want someone who cares about all the inhabitants of a kingdom to have a say in policies going forward.”

“That’s not⁠—”

“It is, Tessa,” Theon interrupted. “You can say it’s not what you want, but your actions show otherwise. Begging me to claim your friends. Destroying the Sirana Villas. Fighting for the Fae. Giving Eviana a chance to fight for her daughter. Destroying mirror gates to save this world. But…”

“But what?”

Then she was gasping again. Theon had silently moved to her side, completely naked now, as he poured a trickle of liquor down her chest.

“Luka?” Theon said, arching his brow.

Luka didn’t care who was calling the shots right now. He bent over Tessa’s bare body, his tongue lapping up the spilled alcohol off her breasts.

“ Oh, ” she breathed, already sliding her thighs farther apart. Not having her sight would be heightening every other sensation at the moment.

“But you’re a villain, right?” Theon went on as if none of that had just happened. “So the plan must be to make them trust you, and then you’ll leave them to their own fate. Right?”

“That’s not⁠—”

Then she was hissing as Theon poured more alcohol down her chest, and Luka was there, cleaning her up. His tongue slid along her flesh, circling her nipples, sucking them sharply.

“Luka,” she gasped.

“Yes, please stop, Luka,” Theon sneered. “She didn’t ask for this.”

“Theon, that’s not… This isn’t the same thing,” she gritted out, jerking against the darkness keeping her in place.

“It should be,” he snapped.

Her brow bunched in confusion. “What?”

“It should be exactly the same fucking thing,” Theon snarled again, pouring more alcohol down her front. More than last time. Only this time, he kept talking while Luka dropped to his knees before her, catching the small stream that was making its way to her navel and licking up her torso.

“Here, when it’s just the three of us, you trust us to be what you need. To know what you need. To be your balance.” Theon gripped the back of the chair, leaning down and speaking harshly into her ear. His hand slid under her chin, tipping her head back. “Even out there, you trust us to pull you back if you sink too deeply into Chaos. But you can’t trust us to be your balance in this ? In something we have worked and prepared for nearly our entire lives.”

“To take over Arius Kingdom,” she gasped. “Not…”

“Say it,” Theon ordered. His hand slid from her jaw to her throat when she didn’t answer right away. His fingers flexed, massaging her pulse point. “Say it, Tessa.”

“They’re going to think we’re trying to take over everything. That we’re no better than Rordan,” she cried out. “And how are we any different? You are taking power from others. I am the very thing that has been prophesied to destroy the realm since its inception. The three of us? It’s no secret we could bring this world to its knees and make them worship at our feet.”

“Baby girl, you have proven time and again that is not your plan. Why would you bother with any of it if that’s all you wanted?” Luka asked, his hands settling on her thighs as he watched her torment play out on her features.

His thumbs made small circles, distracting her as she shifted, trying to move them higher. Because when she was in this state, she lost control of her thoughts. Letting them out and saying things she’d never admit to anyone else.

“Because I could,” she whispered. “Maybe not now, but the power… Maybe not now. Not tomorrow or next year. But some day… It wants that.”

It.

Not we .

“We are yours,” Theon said darkly, his hand sliding down to cup a breast. “Are you saying you are not ours?”

“No. That’s not⁠—”

“Because if you are ours, you will trust us to make sure that never happens. We are a balance, Tessa. We call each other out. We fight. We fuck. We drive each other mad. We talk. We love. We do this thing together .”

“I understand,” she whispered.

“That wasn’t very convincing,” Luka growled, his thumbs now massaging the creases of her thighs.

“Are you ours?” Theon demanded again.

“Yes.”

“All of you? Every piece of you?”

“Yes,” she ground out.

“Then that means we get your insecurities, Tessa,” he retorted, his teeth nipping at her throat and making her hiss again.

“We get your fury,” Luka said, his thumb swiping once through her center. Fucking Sargon, she was wet.

“We get your hate and your love. Your pain and your pleasure,” Theon snarled against her skin. “No one else, and when you don’t give them to us willingly…”

“We take them,” Luka finished, pulling his hands away and smirking at her whimper from the loss.

The darkness was gone, and Luka scooped her up, his tie still in place as he laid her on the bed. Theon was immediately there, spreading her legs apart and sinking into her cunt with one thrust that had her moaning and him cursing.

Luka quickly stripped out of his own clothing and climbed onto the bed, stretching out beside her. He trailed his fingers down the same paths he’d licked alcohol from her skin.

“You know, temptress,” he taunted. “You could just ask when you want to be fucked instead of throwing a fit.”

Her head snapped towards him, and if that tie wasn’t there, he knew she’d be glaring at him.

“Fuck you, Luka,” she spat.

He laughed a dark thing. “You will be soon enough.” He thumbed her mouth. “I’ll start here and move lower.” He captured her mouth with his lips, licking into it, and forcing her to taste him. Then he nipped at her lower lip, pulling back as he said, “And we’re not taking turns tonight, baby girl.”

“Wh-what?” she stuttered.

But Theon adjusted his position, lowering over her so their torsos pressed together. His arms slid beneath her, holding her close, and he fucked her with fast thrusts. Luka could tell by the way Tessa was squirming and panting that the position was working for her. Had no doubt Theon was hitting that perfect spot with every push into her until he was forcing her into pleasure.

Because it was all theirs.

Tessa was panting, but Theon pulled out, his cock still hard and pointing straight up. He nodded at Luka, but he was already ahead of him. With a burst of flame, he pulled a vial of oil from his magic.

“Theon?” she rasped, her breaths still shaky.

He was gripping her hips, rolling her to her stomach. “Do you trust us with your pleasure and your pain, Tessa? Your doubts and your needs?”

“Yes,” she answered before Theon could demand a verbal answer.

Luka would have demanded it for this too.

Theon leaned over her, turning her head to face Luka as he murmured, “So Luka can use that mouth if he wants to?”

And yeah, he fucking wanted to.

Luka reached over, pulling the tie from her eyes and tipping her chin up. “You can take back control whenever you want,” he reminded her. “But we’re going to talk you through everything.” He ran his thumb along her lip, his other hand reaching down and stroking his cock. He’d been hard since this all started. Since before his first lick of alcohol off her skin. “Trust us to be what you need.”

She nodded once, and Luka glanced at Theon, who was already waiting. Luka could feel his impatience down the bond, and he narrowed his eyes because if he fucked this up for them by being too rough right away, she’d never let them do this again.

And he wanted his turn when they did this again.

“Remember to breathe, baby girl,” Luka said, bringing his cock to her lips and pushing into her hot mouth. “Fuck,” he growled as Tessa whimpered around him, the vibrations of the sound going straight to his balls as Theon slid an oil covered finger into her tight hole. Pressing and readying her. When he added a second finger, she moaned louder, and Luka sank a hand into her hair, fisting as he thrust in and out of her mouth. “You say I have a dirty mouth, but look at you, baby girl. All but begging for him to fuck your ass.”

She pulled off him, her eyes wide as she stared up. “By the gods, Luka,” she murmured.

He only smirked, leaning down to press a kiss to her swollen lips. “We love you,” he said into her mouth. “Let us worship you.”

Her throat bobbed in a swallow. In anxiety or anticipation, he wasn’t sure. Probably both.

“Remember to breathe, baby girl,” he said again, his voice low and dark. “Breathe. It’s going to be— It’s going to hurt at first. Trust us. Can you do that for us?”

She nodded, lurching forward to take his mouth this time, and he held her there as Theon positioned his cock.

Go slow, Theon , Luka warned down the bond.

I know, he gritted back.

“Have you…done this with someone else?” Tessa gasped, and there was no doubt Theon had pressed into her a little because she jerked back. Her fingers were curling into the bedding, and she had her eyes squeezed shut tight.

“Hey, hey,” Luka said, turning her face back to him. “None of that. You keep your eyes right here, and remember you can take back control anytime. Your power can throw us across the godsdamn room if you want to stop this.”

Her violet eyes were bright with lust and fear as she held his stare, nodding her head.

“And no,” Luka answered, stroking her hair, down her back, her arm. “We’ve shared a female before, but never like this.”

Something akin to satisfaction flitted across her features, a determination that hadn’t been there before.

Because she was more possessive than they were.

She gasped again, her body tensing, and Luka gripped her nape, massaging the tendons. “You have to relax, baby girl.”

“How would you know?” she bit out. “Have you been fucked up the ass, Luka Mors?”

He barked at her snark. “No, temptress, but I’ve done my fair share of the fucking part. If you can still use that bratty mouth to spout off, we’re not doing enough.”

Luka readjusted, stretching out beside her once more so he could reach beneath her. Licking his fingers, he pressed them to her center, finding her clit and rubbing in slow, taunting circles. She sucked in a breath, and at the same time, Theon pressed in farther.

“Fuck,” she spat, her brow dropping to the bed. “Fuck, Luka. Theon.”

“By Arius, it’s so good,” Theon panted, his self-control on a tight leash.

“You’re doing so good, Tessa. Do you hear him right now? Look at the control you have over the Arius Lord,” Luka praised, his fingers moving faster, her hips seeking pleasure as the pain chased her.

She cried out when Theon pushed in more, and his fingers dug into her hips. “Keep breathing, beautiful,” he gritted out. “I’m almost there. Keep distracting her, Luka.”

“I have this handled,” he retorted. “You keep yourself under control. How does it feel?”

“So fucking tight,” Theon gritted out, and Luka watched as he sank in all the way. Tessa was tense, her knuckles white.

“Breathe, baby girl,” Luka pressed, leaning in to nip at her jaw, her shoulder, her arm. Anything to distract her as she adjusted to the new sensations. He knew she was getting there when her hips started moving against his hand, his fingers still massaging her clit.

He glanced at Theon and gave a slight nod, and he pulled back a little before pushing back in.

And she moaned.

Something sinful and dark and needy.

“There you go, baby girl,” Luka praised, his fingers moving faster. “How are you feeling?”

“It’s… gods ,” she rasped when Theon pulled back and thrust in again. “Yes,” she moaned.

They gave her a moment, let her adjust and get comfortable with this, and then Luka murmured, “We’re not done with you.”

“That’s…a lot,” she rasped out as Theon kept moving.

“You can take it. You will,” he replied, leaning in to press another hard kiss to her lips.

Then he was helping her onto her hands and knees so Theon could change positions and turn onto his back, never pulling out of her. She gasped, her hands grasping for purchase as Theon pressed his mouth to her neck, sucking and biting.

And Luka sat back, looking at them splayed out obscenely before him. Her back to Theon’s  chest. Her head settled on his shoulder, and his feet pushed her legs wider so Luka could see everything.

“I remember how your eyes lit up at the idea of both of us taking you at once, beautiful,” Theon whispered darkly into her ear. “You already love me buried deep. You’re going to love feeling both of us at once.”

His hand splayed across her stomach, pushing down and forcing her pelvis to tip down too. Her head dropped back, and Luka had his hand on his dick, stroking as he watched them. He’d never minded watching, but not tonight.

He scooted forward, kneeling between their knees and running his fingers along her swollen center. “Whose are you, Tessa?” he demanded darkly.

“Yours,” she gasped, Theon laving at her neck.

“How much of you?”

“All of me. I trust you,” she rasped out in a harsh breath. “Just… please .”

“Deep breath, Tessa,” Theon coaxed as Luka pressed forward. “You think it’s tight now, just wait.”

“Oh, gods,” she cried out as Luka pressed into her cunt, forcing himself to go slow. His self-restraint was as taut as Theon’s was now. They’d never done this before. Not at the same time, and holy fucking fuck, he was not prepared for how fucking good this was going to be.

He could see perspiration on her brow and glistening on her chest as he forced himself in a little more. Could feel Theon’s cock separated from his by only a thin barrier. Could feel her muscles spasming against the intrusions. Could feel every fucking thing.

Theon was murmuring dirty praises into her ear, and she was slapping her hands on the sheets, him, clawing at skin as she tried to find something to sink her nails into.

“So good to us, Tessa,” Theon was saying. “We don’t deserve you, you know that, right? But we need you. We’re yours. This is how it’s meant to be. The three of us with everything.”

She was nodding her head frantically, but her power never appeared. Never once did she ask to stop. Never once did she push them away.

“You’re going to take it all, aren’t you, temptress?” Luka grunted out, and then he thrust in the rest of the way, and all three of them stilled. There was nothing but their harsh breaths, chests rising and falling without any rhythm. Theon and Luka locked eyes because holy fuck. They’d planned this. Talked about what it might be like to have her like this between the two of them, but it didn’t compare to any of their dirty fantasies. Didn’t even come close.

“Are you ready, Tessa?” Theon asked, reaching up and smoothing hair off her brow.

And despite everything they were doing to her right now, something in her eyes softened at his touch. At his concern. She reached up, sliding her hand behind his neck and stretched out her other arm for Luka. He dropped his head down, letting her pull him to her mouth for a kiss, and he gave an experimental thrust of his hips.

She moaned into his mouth, spurring him on. His thrusts grew harder, her head turning from his mouth to Theon’s and back again. And this was how it was always meant to be. Something primal and dark. Something fierce and sacred. Something solely theirs. Something that they somehow found despite everything being stacked against them.

Tessa was thrashing, and Theon was holding her tightly to him, letting Luka have his way.

“Give it to him, Tessa,” Theon ordered. “It’s ours.”

She shook her head, nails digging into his arms. Theon chuckled darkly against her skin. “Oh, little storm. Then we’ll take it.”

One of his hands slid down to her stomach, pressing down, and Luka felt her clench around him.

“There it is, baby girl,” Luka grunted, his hair in his eyes and matted to his brow. “Just like that.”

She whimpered, and Theon’s fingers flexed, pressing down more. And fuck, every time he did that, she tightened more and more. “If you won’t give it to us, we’ll take it,” he repeated in a harsh pant. “But that’s what you want, isn’t it? Force us to push you and push you until you can’t take it anymore.”

“Yes,” she gasped. “Yes, please .”

Theon’s hold on her tightened, and Luka snapped his hips forward, his cock dragging deep and fast against her until she was clamping down around him, a cry leaving her lips. He couldn’t have stopped himself if he tried. He followed her into pleasure, his muscles contracting just as hard as he spilled into her.

“Fuck, Tessa,” he spat, his hips still moving through his release because she was still spasming around him. Her climax rolled on, dragging him deeper, until finally he pulled out and fell onto his back.

Theon was already moving, and Luka had to give him credit for his self-control during all that. But he was clearly done waiting as he rolled Tessa onto Luka. He propped her up and gripped her hips, driving in and out of her other hole while she clung to Luka, a dazed and satisfied look on her face while Theon took his own pleasure.

No.

As Tessa gave herself to him to give him pleasure.

Her choice after everything.

And after Theon found release and they cleaned her up in the shower, after they were all wrapped up in one another back under the blankets, only then did Theon press a kiss to her forehead as he murmured, “You’re not a villain, Tessa. We won’t let you become one.”

Her back was pressed to Luka’s front, and he could hear the tears in her voice when she whispered, “I’m scared, Theon. What if we fail?”

Theon’s smile was soft as he stroked her cheek. “Failure has never been an option, Tessa. If it comes down to it, we’ll be the villains so you don’t have to. But never you.”