The Friction

Damon’s lips found her neck, whispering an apology against her skin. He kissed her again, his lips lingering on her skin.

Lilitha shrugged, a soft chuckle escaping her lips.

“It’s okay. It’s not as bad as it looks,” she reassured him.

Damon’s fingers traced the bite wound on her neck, his mouth set in a hard frown.

“You need to be more careful,” Mateus warned, his tail swaying behind him. “You could have killed her.”

“I would ~not~ have killed her,” Damon retorted, his voice a low growl. “If I hadn’t stepped in, you would have done ~other~ things.”

Damon shot him a glare. “Keep lying and I’ll rip out your throat.”

The tension between them was palpable. Lilitha sighed, feeling the friction between them growing.

They were fighting every day, their wounds from previous battles still fresh. Mateus’s broken rib was still a bother, and Damon’s limp was still noticeable.

“I wish you two would stop,” Lilitha said, her voice weary.

“You and me both, Lila,” Damon replied, his fingers gently stroking her neck.

Across the fire, Carmella was cradling Silus, humming a soft lullaby. Lilitha picked at her teeth with a bone needle, her attention divided between the two men.

Damon’s hand found her breast, his face buried in her neck as he gently licked her bite.

Suddenly, Silus began to cry, and Lilitha felt the familiar warm drip of milk from her nipples.

“Again?” Damon asked, his voice filled with surprise.

As Silus’s cries grew louder, Carmella handed him over to Lilitha.

Damon’s hand smoothed over her knee as Lilitha pressed Silus to her breast.

Damon leaned over, pressing a soft kiss to Silus’s forehead, then to Lilitha’s. Their lips met in a tender kiss, Silus watching them with wide eyes as he suckled.

“You’re so sexy like this,” Damon murmured against her skin.

“Really? Why is it I don’t feel sexy?” Lilitha replied, her voice filled with amusement.

Damon brushed her hair from her shoulder, his lips finding her neck again. “Definitely sexy,” he assured her.

“Once I’m finished, we should get going,” Lilitha said, her gaze scanning the surrounding trees. “I’ve got more strength now and we haven’t gone far enough.”

A short time later, they were on the move. The four of them stayed close together, Damon bringing up the rear as Mateus led from the front.

Silus was nestled against Carmella’s chest, his head cushioned between her breasts. Lilitha felt good, her body healing well.

She knew she would be back to normal soon.

She had given up on wearing a shirt—what was the point?—but kept her pants, like Damon.

Carmella was wrapped in a cloak, but the rest of them were too hot.

The weather was clear, their path ahead an easy downward slope.

The smell of salt was everywhere now, a stark contrast to the scents she was used to.

The wind tasted different too, like it came from faraway lands across the sea.

They reached the water just as the sun was rising. They all stopped to watch as the sunlight danced on the water’s surface, making it sparkle.

Small waves crashed against the rocky shore, a sight that brought tears to Lilitha’s eyes as she thought of her father.

She always seemed to think of him during her happiest and saddest moments.

He would have loved this.

They set up camp further up the hill, nestled among the safety of the trees.

The squawking of gulls filled the air, the sound of crashing waves a soothing backdrop.

Lilitha would have fallen asleep if not for the lingering gazes of Damon and Mateus.

She tried to call for Carmella, but she had disappeared further into the trees with Silus.

Lilitha was sitting next to Mateus, his hand resting on her thigh.

His gaze was intense, making her uncomfortable.

Damon was watching her too, his eyes glittering with an unreadable emotion.

Lilitha looked through the trees in Carmella’s direction, hoping she would return soon.

Mateus’s hand moved to her breast, causing Damon to jerk toward her. His tail waved agitatedly, his horns gleaming in the sunlight. He growled, a sound that was met with a growl from Mateus.

“Stop it, you two,” Lilitha pleaded. “Please.”

Lilitha felt her heart race as Damon dropped to his knees beside her.

They were both looking at her with an intensity that made her uncomfortable.

Damon reached over to touch her other breast, causing Mateus to bare his teeth.

Damon snarled back.

“Carmella!” Lilitha called out. “You’d better get back here!”

There was no response.

Damon’s shoulders tensed as he glared at Mateus.

“You had your turn. It’s my turn!”

Mateus growled in response, his veins bulging from his arms.

“Carmella!” Lilitha yelled again. “Get the fuck over here, right now!”

Relief washed over her as Carmella appeared through the trees, Silus clutched closely to her chest.

“He wants comfort,” she said, her tone annoyed.

“He’s fine. Put him down.”

Carmella bared her teeth at her. Lilitha bared her teeth back.

“Put him down. If these two kill each other, there will be nothing to feed him anyway.”

Carmella reluctantly placed Silus between the roots of a tree.

The two alphas looked up at her, their tails swishing.

Carmella removed her cloak, revealing her naked body.

Mateus rose to his feet and went over to her, his hands finding her waist as he buried his face into the nape of her neck.

Lilitha suddenly found herself on the ground, Damon on top of her, his tail waving behind him as he straddled her hips.

His red hair tumbled wildly down his shoulders, his jade eyes aflame.

He cupped her breast again, his thumb stroking her nipple until it hardened.

He stared into her eyes, his gaze hungry.

“Are you ready for this?”

Lilitha nodded.

“I feel good.”

She gasped as he leaned over to kiss her throat.

“~Really~ good,” she said as he kissed the dip between her collarbones.

Lilitha glanced over to see Carmella already sitting in Mateus’s lap, her head buried into his shoulder, her braids flowing down her back. Silus was quiet. Damon kissed down between her breasts, his hand grabbing her hip as his tongue dipped into her bellybutton.

Lilitha lifted her hips as he pulled off her pants. Then he was pushing up her legs, his fingers touching her intimately. His eyes were bright as he separated her folds, his finger circling inside her before pushing in deep.

Then he leaned in, and Lilitha hooked her thighs around his shoulders. Lilitha tilted her head back, her breath hitching as he lavished her with his tongue, drawing her in until her pulse thrummed in her hips and she grew wet around him.

“You seem different,” he murmured, his voice a low rumble. His fingers traced her entrance before he covered her completely with his mouth.

A laugh bubbled up from Lilitha as she arched her hips. Then he was trailing kisses up her stomach, between her breasts, over her breasts, drawing her nipples into his mouth again and again, as if he hadn’t tasted them in years.

“God, these are amazing,” he rumbled. He buried his face in her chest, then began to nibble gently on her left nipple.

“You’re kinder than Silus,” she teased, a chuckle in her voice. “He’s always so damn rough.”

“I can be rougher if you’d like,” he offered.

“Only if you’re thirsty.”

A grimace crossed Damon’s face, quickly replaced by a burst of laughter. He reached down to tug off his pants, his arousal springing free.

“It looks painful.”

“It ~is~ painful.”

He nudged her thighs apart and slid into her. Lilitha’s cry echoed Carmella’s. He began with a slow rhythm, ensuring she was comfortable.

It felt good. Better than it usually did. Then he picked up the pace. Harder. His hips slamming against hers.

Lilitha clung to his backside, lifting her hips to meet his.

“I’ve missed this,” she gasped.