CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

As promised, he lifted his glistening fingers to his mouth, completely encasing and sucking on them. It was so unbelievably hot, and I wondered if I looked like that when I did it for Rory. He moaned at the taste.

"Do I taste like peaches, by chance?" I asked, still trying to catch my breath.

He wiped his hand on the sheets and grinned. "I would ask how you know, but I get the feeling you've been told."

I rolled my eyes, pulling his broad shoulders over me. "I want you inside me, already."

"As you wish, my Queen." He chuckled, using one hand to hold himself above me and the other to guide his cock into my pussy. Inch by inch, he entered me, slowly allowing my walls to stretch around his thickness, all while he exhaled.

"Shit." He groaned once he reached the end. "You still okay?"

"Mm." I couldn't speak; the full feeling I got was raw and all-consuming, sending charges into my chest and stealing my breath. He was showing care and concern he had never shown before. He was cherishing me. Sure, he wasn't as natural at it as Rory, but he was trying, and that's all that counted. I thanked the gods for bringing me two men that I didn't have to choose between, also adding that they had better not be watching this for good measure.

Bastion rocked back slowly, then forward. His lips found mine, and his free hand went into my hair. He kissed me so desperately, not with greed or lust but with conviction and hope. When he broke for air, I whispered of my love for him, and his hand moved to my lower back, lifting me slightly so our fronts could touch. He picked up speed to the perfect and most addicting tempo.

"Bastion, yes, just a little more." I purred, out of breath and nearly out of energy. His lips crashed down on mine, and he became sloppy with his thrusts. I could tell he was just as close. Orgasm number four was even more superior to the others of the day. My mate was tightly intertwined with me, breathing rapidly against my mouth and filling my nose with the most delectable of scents. I loved him. My legs crossed around his lower back while I came, holding him close and squeezing him as I shuddered, allowing my eyes to fall closed.

"Oh baby..." He said, somewhere between a groan and a whimper as he joined me in bliss, allowing his full weight to come down on me and burying his face into my hair-covered shoulder.

Once he caught his breath, he rolled me over to lay on his broad chest. I traced the outline of his muscles, watching with sated content as they twitched beneath my fingers.

"I could stay like this forever." I mumbled.

"Mm... We had better get cleaned up before Rory gets back, though. We made a mess."

I sat up. He was right. We were absolutely covered in a mix of sweat, come, and even blood.

"You get new sheets while I start a shower?" I offered.

He smiled dreamily. "Sounds like a plan. Up you go." He lifted me with ease and set me on the floor. Thankfully, he managed to find some spare sheets in the wardrobe and didn't have to hunt down a housekeeper.

Once he was done, he joined me in the shower. It had a rain-style head, making it easier for us to use it at the same time. I kept catching him staring at me from the corner of my eye, and I giggled. Finally, I decided to ask what I had been wondering about all day.

"What happened today? With the pack."

He frowned, furrowing his brow. "A lot of bullshit, that's what. Damn Lawson... he..." His whole body tensed, so I moved to hold him. My eyes were only at chest level for him, so I had to strain my head back to look into his eyes. Suffering and pain clouded them, and his seal began to glow red. "The fucker killed my mom." He finally managed to whisper.

Suddenly, the mating bond opened, and I was flooded with each and every emotion the tragedy had generated. He had been purposely hiding it from me. He was trying to protect me, for good reason, too. The rage, loss, sorrow, despair... it almost knocked me to my knees. I squeezed him tighter, burying my face into his chest.

"We will have peace, Bastion. Where no one has to die." I promised, kissing his pec. I could feel the slight twitching that told me he was trying to suppress his sobs. He had to act so strong, so put together in front of everyone else. I would not have him thinking the same for me.

"Cry." I commanded.

And he did. He slid back against the tile and collapsed to the floor in heart-wrenching sobs, covering his face and curling his legs up to his chest for comfort. I held him from the side, rubbing circles on his bicep as I let silent tears of my own break through. I thought of James, who had to have been suffering even more than Bas. The mating bond was both a blessing and a curse in that regard. If I had lost Rory or Bastion... hell, I couldn't even entertain the thought. And I hadn't been with them for more than a few days, much less twenty-six years.

"We should check on your dad." I whispered, blinking away tears and water.

He sighed, his tears coming to a halt. "I already did. When I first got here. He said he just needs time, then ordered some scotch. I've never seen him drink before. You don't think...?"

"No, sweetie. Your dad is one of the strongest men I know. He probably just needs some help relaxing. We will check on him again in the morning. If you need more time with him, take it."

He gave me an appreciative smile and stood up, helping me to my feet. We finished showering, and while we dried off, he told me about the new recruits from the pack. It terrified me that I went from being Queen over five to a hundred and something. What if I wasn't good enough? What if I disappointed them somehow?

Rory arrived home as we were getting dressed for bed. He seemed exhausted and informed us that he traveled back by foot.

"That's a kick-ass car you got, man." I had never seen Bastion's eyes light up so quickly.

Rory chuckled, removing his shirt. "She was my graduation present." He explained.

"Damn. A 3 mil car for graduating high school?" I choked. He had better not mean three million. As in, the car cost three million.

"College. I graduated with my masters this year. I finished high school at fifteen." He admitted as if he were embarrassed by it for some reason.

"Of course he's a genius..." Bastion mumbled, shaking his head in amazement while pulling the sheets back.

"Business?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Economics. I didn't think I had the leadership qualities for business. That's more my dad's thing. I like working behind the scenes." And he was now King over an entire kingdom. The irony was amazing.

"How about you, Bastion? You're 24. Did you go to college?"

He scoffed. "No, baby. I didn't have bad grades or anything, I just preferred to fight. I joined pack military right out of high school."

I huffed in disbelief. "You two really are opposites, aren't you?"

They both smiled at me in endearment.

"Also, three million? Isn't that overkill?" I added, climbing in on Rory's side of the bed.

He chuckled again, stifling it with his bottom lip between his teeth. "We can afford it. This room alone costs $15,000 per night. Our net income per year sits right around $113 million."

"Fuck. I knew you were loaded, but I didn't know you were a billionaire."

"We aren't. We donate most of it to charities. My pocketbook holds just shy of a 100 million, but that includes my investments."

I couldn't even begin to process what he was saying. He was only twenty years old and had enough money to buy Rhode Island.

"No wonder my dad's inheritance was so large." I mumbled, tucking into the toasty sheets.

Bastion grabbed hold of my waist, pulling me against his chest. "I'm so sorry the pack did that, baby. It was fucked up."

I snuggled into him, feeling Rory's hand tracing soothing lines down my spine. "I love you guys."

"I love you, too." They both said in sync.

And just like that, restful sleep took me.