Like feels too tame a word to use for what flares between Malachi and me. I’m not sure what to say to that, so I swallow hard and change the subject. “So how do we get out of this mess?”
“If Wolf is to be believed—”
“I am.” Behind me, Wolf turns around and slings an arm over my hip. He doesn’t quite press his hard cock to my ass, but I can feel the tension of it behind me.
Malachi snorts. “Then Rylan will be here shortly. Between the three of us, we can figure out a solution.” He shoots a sharp glance over my shoulder. “A solution that doesn’t involve your death, Mina.”
“Tsk, tsk, after last night, I’m not particularly fond of the idea of our Mina bleeding out for your freedom. Why waste all that delicious blood on something as mundane as freedom?” His breath ghosts the back of my neck. “We’ll find another way.”
“As simple as that.”
“As horrendously complicated as that.” Wolf sounds like he relishes the challenge, but even after knowing him such a short time, I’m not surprised he’s perverse like that.
I relax against him, soaking up all this skin to skin contact. It’s heady and intoxicating, nearly as much as the sex was last night. I can touch these men as much as I want. I lightly stroke my hand down Malachi’s impressive chest. “I suppose we’ll have to keep ourselves occupied until then.”
His muscles jump beneath my fingertips. “You need to eat something.” He searches my face. “I’ve also ordered you some iron supplements. Even with the blood exchange, you’re paler than you were when arriving here.”
Something in my chest warms even as my logical side points out he’s just looking after his food source. I’m no good to them if I pass out constantly from being anemic. That’s the most likely reason Malachi is acting like a mother hen. Despite my reasonable explanation, the feeling in my chest gets warmer. I find myself smiling. “I’m not quite ready to get out of bed yet.”
Behind me, Wolf blurs. One moment I’m on my side, facing Malachi, and the next Wolf is on top of me, settling between my thighs. He grins down at me, flashing fang. “No point in worrying about anything until Rylan appears. There are better ways to occupy our time.”
It’s against my nature to push worry aside when I can poke and prod at a situation until I find a way forward. But it’s hard to remember with Malachi’s brooding presence next to me and Wolf’s warmth pressing me into the mattress. I stare up at him, tracing the carved lines of his cheekbones and those eerie colorless eyes. He’s beautiful. I registered it before, but there’s something about the softness of sleep still lingering in his expression pushes him from being terrifying to just being breathtaking.
I reach up with a cautious hand and stroke my thumb along his cheekbone. “You’re very, very pretty.”
“I know.” His grin widens. “I’m going to kiss you now.”
It’s not quite a question, but I want to kiss him. I don’t know what it says about me I had Malachi last night—have him right next to me right now—and all I can think about is kissing Wolf again. But then, Malachi seems just as into this as I am.
They’re right; there’s nothing to be done right now. Or maybe that’s the excuse I cling to as I nod slowly. “Okay.”
He starts to lean down and pauses to glance at Malachi, who’s watching us with a small smile on his lips. Wolf gives his hand a pointed look. “Are you going to behave?”
“Do you want me to?”
Wolf laughs. “As enjoyable as it was to watch you fuck her while covered in my blood, I’d like to feel Mina coming on my cock more than I want a repeat right now.” He settles more firmly between my thighs and thrusts a little. “Sore?”
“No.” In fact, I feel better than I have since the first time I took Malachi’s blood. Energized and downright glowy. I’m sure if I had access to a mirror, I’d find I look a mess, but it doesn’t matter right now. I’m not sure what it says about me I desperately want to fuck Wolf just as much as I wanted—still want—Malachi, but I’m past questioning these things. Everyone is obviously into this and it’s not like vampire culture is overly monogamous. That whole mates-for-life thing is nice in theory, but when your life spans centuries, even the most intense love can shift and change. I’ve noticed partner hopping just from watching the way the vampires in my father’s colony operate. There’s no reason to think this is abnormal.
Again, I feel like I’m grasping for a reason to do this. It only means what I let it mean.