Page 76 of Blood and Trouble

“In the shower,” Lycan said. “Now. Both of you.”

Smiling at the command, Ava grabbed my hand, intertwined her sticky, wet fingers in mine, and led me toward the back of the cabin. The three of us squeezed inside the tiny shower, bumping elbows and shoulders while we took turns washing each other’s hair and skin. Ava massaged my scalp while I ran my soapy palms over her soft, delicate skin. She kissed my throat and giggled when I tickled a sensitive spot on her stomach. Lycan leaned against the tile wall and watched us with a tiny grin.

When he joined us, he took tender care to wash my body and condition Ava’s hair. Then we did the same to him, caring for him with the attention one would give their sovereign.

After our fingers pruned and the heat from the water dissipated, we climbed out and dried each other off. Without so much as a thought for clothes, we returned to the nest in the living room, coated ourselves in blankets, and, with our scents still lingering in the room, fell into a blissful sleep.

Just as I drifted off, I forced myself to memorize this strange contentment in my heart, the utter bliss of the three of us together. I told myself I wouldn’t run in the morning, no matter what happened. No, my running days were over. Time to face whatever this was and deal with the consequences.

CHAPTER 17

Lycan

I woke up to the sounds of Poe and Ava talking quietly and laughing at something just between them. The scent of coffee and bacon floated toward me, and I rubbed my face as the memories from last night soared back. Poe kneeling for Ava. Kneeling for me. Bent over the table. The smell of Ava’s slick mixing with Poe’s cum. The way they’d smiled at each other in the shower while suds slid down their skin.

A tiny sliver of shame threatened to rear up before I could smother it. I’d fucked up. I couldn’t control my selfish desire to have both of them, and in doing so, I’d taken Poe without any thought to the consequences. Yes, I wanted him. I’d always want him. But there were years of baggage between us, and I’d swept it under the rug like it didn’t matter. Out of sight, out of mind, and all that shit.

It should have felt like a mistake, but that didn’t sit right. I didn’t want it to be a mistake.

I sat up and glanced at them, memorizing the sight of their dark heads huddled together.

“Your mouth is going to get you in trouble, Trouble,” Poe whispered before shoving a strawberry in his mouth with an adorable grin. He sat in his boxers with fading scratch marks on his chest that disappeared over his shoulders.

“Your mouth got you in a lot of trouble last night,” Ava teased, wrapping a thin white sheet tighter around her shoulders. If I had to guess, she still had nothing on underneath, which suited me fine. Whatever they were talking about was probably going to make me want to yank it off her and eat her for breakfast.

Poe sniggered and licked his lips, eyeing her with a dangerous stare. “You seemed to like it.”

“Maybe you’ll like what my mouth can do, too.” My wife curled her lips, sipped her coffee, and Poe’s gaze dropped lower.

That fucking green-eyed monster roared in my blood, and my skin burned as my wolf raised his hackles, determined to defend his territory. But…which one was that? My wife or my ex? Or maybe I just wanted to be involved? I pinched the bridge of my nose and pushed to my feet with a groan, my muscles protesting the two nights on the floor.

“Uh-oh,” Poe said. “You’ve done it now. Woke the beast.”

“Good morning,” Ava chirped.

I grumbled something that sounded faintly like, “Morning,” and leaned down to plant a kiss on her lips. She returned it with a sweet one of her own and a beautiful grin. Then I went to Poe and leaned down to do the same. He straightened, and for one horrifying second, I thought he might back away. Instead, he stayed still while I pressed my mouth to his, the contact sending electricity through my nerves. He softened into the embrace but quickly turned back to his breakfast. Before I could read into that, my bladder screamed for relief, so I stole a piece of toast off Poe’s plate and walked to the bathroom.

“Hey!” he shouted after me, but I laughed and kept walking.

Serves him right.

What the fuck did he think would happen this morning? Of course I wanted to kiss him. I had my cock in his ass last night. Taking his perfect mouth was the lowest on a long list of things I wanted to make up for.

Just as I was finishing up and washing my hands, three hard knocks echoed from the front door, and I stalked out of the back just as Poe peeked out the window. He had his gun in one hand, thumb on the hammer, and the other pressing Ava behind him.

“It’s Bas,” he said.

I cracked the door.

“Morning,” I said, stepping out to the porch. Ava and Poe were half-naked, and if I was territorial when it came to them together, I definitely didn’t want a shifter from another pack seeing either of them like that.

“Good morning,” Bas said, crossing his arms. “You all recovered, then?”

“Back to one hundred.”

“Perfect. On to business.”

Right. The Copenhagen Bastards had asked for my help with their upcoming run because I’d already had a run-in with Evelyn and any Scorpion vampires that may have followed her here. I’d agreed. It seemed like a small price to pay for a safe place to shift and fuck my wife. I hadn’t counted on also fucking my favorite brat, but hey. A win was a win.