Season of Sin Read online

  “That part isn’t so bad,” I say with a grin.

  I feel a burning flush feeling tickle from my cheeks all the down my body, right to between my legs. It’s almost uncomfortable for a few seconds. My legs begin to move as I try to find comfort.

  Seth touches my leg and smiles. “The hunger is from within. You’re craving something right now, Astrid. That’s okay. It will eventually change to a different hunger. For now, enjoy this. The appetite for us. The need for us inside you.”

  “Tell us when you’re ready and we’re there,” Layre says. “I think I’m halfway there already again.”

  “Easy now,” Darick says. “I get her first this time.”

  “I agree,” I say. “You didn’t even take your shirt off.”

  “He never does,” Kyran says. “Too ashamed of his body.”

  “I’m bigger and stronger than you,” Darick says.

  “Bullshit,” Kyran says.

  It makes me smile to see Kyran easing up a little. The cloud of tragedy still lingers over his head, but it’s a little bit higher.

  “You think that?” Kyran asks. “Prove it.”

  Kyran stands from the bed. Darick does the same.

  “Are they going to fight?” I ask.

  “Something like that,” Layre says. “Are you hungry?”

  “Hungry? Yes. Very much so.”

  “Pizza?”

  “Again?”

  “Is that bad?” Layre asks.

  “No,” I say.

  “Let’s watch the show first.”

  “What show?”

  “This should be interesting to watch,” Seth says.

  Next thing I know I’m stuck between Layre and Seth in the bed. Hot and cold. Both of them touching me as I sit up in the bed.

  I watch as Darick and Kyran face off, standing almost nose to nose.

  “Shirts off?” Kyran asks with a grin.

  “I don’t need to act pretty. I’m not a bitch like the rest of you.”

  Kyran shoves Darick back.

  The rooms shakes and in the blink of an eye, Kyran is shirtless. Darick stands in a brown t-shirt that hugs all his muscles tight.

  “Three and done,” Kyran says.

  “Deal,” Darick says.

  “What are they doing?” I whisper.

  “Seeing who has the bigger dick,” Layre says.

  I blush.

  I could answer that. I’ve had both of them inside me. Truthfully… when it comes to size, they’re right about the same. The only difference…

  The two charge at each other. The floor of the room shakes. I put my hands out, touching Layre’s left leg and Seth’s right leg. They both groan at the same time.

  Kyran and Darick collide with a thundering boom. Darick throws Kyran over his head like he’s a toy. Kyran spins through the air, leaving a green trail of color that fades quickly. He lands on his feet and turns, lunging for Darick. As Darick turns, Kyran hits him shoulder to shoulder. Both of them leave their feet. They crash to the floor and there’s a harsh ripping of flesh sound.

  Kyran jumps up and throws a fist into the air. “One!”

  He looks at me, showing his fangs. They’re covered in blood.

  I gasp and grip Layre’s and Seth’s legs tighter.

  “Just men being boys,” Seth whispers to me. “Nothing to worry about.”

  Darick gets to his feet and there’s blood dripping from his left arm. Two large holes, showing the size and power of Kyran’s bite. It makes no sense that Kyran bit me and nothing happened.

  “You get one,” Darick says. “I get three.”

  “Try me, asshole.”

  Darick growls and runs forward with an explosion that almost sounds like he breaks the sound barrier. My ear throbs but I don’t focus on the pain because somehow, Darick has Kyran pinned against the wall and slams his mouth onto Kyran’s shoulder, biting him with ease. Kyran lets out a howling sound.

  Darick steps back, blood dripping from his mouth. “One.”

  Kyran grabs his shoulder, turning his head to look at the wound.

  That’s when Darick attacks again. His fangs sink hard into Kyran’s other shoulder.

  “Two,” Darick growls.

  “Back up!” Seth orders. “You know the rules.”

  Darick looks at Seth. “Fuck the rules. Yours. Theirs. Hers.”

  His eyes meet with mine.

  I shiver.

  “It’s just for fun,” Layre says.

  “Fun is my cock buried inside Astrid. Holding those curvy hips and pulling her back against me so she can’t find her breath because nobody reaches where I can. Isn’t that right?”

  When Darick says those words to me, I can feel him inside me again. It’s hard to explain… but I feel it. So much so that my ass wiggles against the bed.

  Kyran dives at a distracted Darick, getting in another hard bite to his shoulder, ripping his shirt.

  “Two to two,” Layre says. “Next bite wins.”

  The two break apart and begin to circle each other.

  “What happens after the third bite?” I ask.

  “Nothing,” Seth says. “It’s a childish game. Like two drunk fools wanting to arm wrestle after drinking too much beer.”

  “Except we bite,” Layre says. “We fight as hard as we fuck.”

  I bite my lip when Layre says that.

  My body is so weak and tired, but I can’t stop thinking about the four of them having me again. But I imagine the four of them at the same time. Filling me between my legs. Filling my mouth. My two hands working to stroke the others. I could handle it. I could…

  Another thundering boom chases my thoughts away as Kyran and Darick crash together once more. They’re a blur now. It’s almost like a cartoon where two people start fighting and it’s all a big black circle of movement, fists, yells, random drawings on the screen to show there’s a fight.

  They break apart from each other, their skin glistening with sweat.

  They go at it again, Darick getting the best of Kyran for a moment, throwing him again. This time, Kyran plants his feet and lunges right at Darick. Darick spins as Kyran chomps down on air. Darick grabs Kyran’s bare shoulder and pulls him close, poised for the final bite. Can I just point out how turned on it makes me to see Darick’s big and strong hand touching Kyran’s bare shoulder?

  Darick’s fangs touch the back of Kyran’s neck, biting down for the win. But at the same exact moment, Kyran throws his head to side and bites Darick on his chest.

  Then the two break apart for good and just stand there.

  “I got you first,” Darick says.

  “No,” Kyran says. “I got you deeper.”

  “Call it a draw,” Layre says. “Come cuddle our sweet angel.”

  “I agree,” I call out.

  Darick and Kyran both nod. They surprise me when they hug. I then watch as all the open wounds on their bodies begin to close up. Darick slithers to the bed, no longer glistening with sweat. Kyran takes a shirt from the floor and covers his body.

  I’m back to the four of them in bed, their eyes devouring me the same way my memory of them inside me devours me.

  But the time for all this bed play is over for now.

  It’s time to get down to some real business.

  I need answers. I need more truths.

  I open my mouth to tell them this.

  But then I look at Layre.

  He winks.

  Gosh, he’s so fucking sexy and pretty…

  It’s time I speak what I demand of them. And not sexually either.

  So I ask the first thing that comes to mind.

  “So, how about that pizza?”

  15.

  They all watch me eat. It’s a little weird, but I don’t care. I’m scarfing down the most delicious pizza ever, and I’m starting to think that being dead has its benefits. Meaning I may not gain any weight from all the pizza. And anything I do gain, I’ll just burn off with the physical attention I’m getting from the four
brothers.

  Can life… well… can death get any better?

  I throw my fourth piece of crust to the plate and let out a long sigh.

  “Here, babe, drink this,” Darick says.

  He slides a large black mug in front of me.

  I smell it and my eyes burn a little. “What is this?”

  “Special drink,” he says. “Takes the edge off.”

  “Booze?”

  “Our version of it,” Kyran says.

  I take a sip and I expect it to burn like fire. It smells that way, but it tastes like water. It’s cold, smooth, goes down my throat easily. The aftertaste is a little interesting, almost slightly metallic. I lick my lips and rub my tongue to the roof of my mouth.

  “Made from a natural spring not far from here,” Seth says. “Where several fights took place.”

  “The blood of our enemies filtered,” Darick says. “Bottled and stored until you can drink it freely like you just did.”

  I start to feel a little relaxed and warm.

  “What’s with the crust?” Layre asks.

  “What?”

  “You didn’t eat it.”

  “I don’t always like the crust.”

  “That’s a sin,” he says. “Can I eat it?”

  “Of course.”

  Layre shoves an entire piece into his mouth. He crunches hard, crumbs dropping. “See, this is made by hand, cooked in a pizza oven heated by true fire. You can’t get it anywhere else in the world like this.”

  “He’s got a thing for pizza,” Darick whispers to me. “Like I’ve got a thing for your pussy.”

  “Dirty talk, huh?” I ask.

  Darick grins.

  It gets a little annoying that they all turn me on in their own way. Layre’s coolness and the way he winks. Darick and his rough bad boy attitude. Kyran and the way he looks at me. Seth with his need to protect me and lead the charge of his brothers.

  “The crust is everything with this,” Layre says. “You should eat it.”

  “Oh, fuck,” Darick growls. “Give me the fucking shit then.”

  He slams his hands to the plate and breaks it as he grabs a piece of crust.

  Seth starts to laugh.

  His deep laughs rumbles the table.

  Kyran soon follows.

  Darick jams the crust into his mouth. He stands up and chomps hard, purposely letting crumbs and chunks of crust hit the table.

  “You happy, brother?” he asks Layre.

  “Look at all you’re wasting,” Layre says calmly with a cocky grin.

  Darick swallows what’s left in his mouth and looks at Kyran. “I want to hurt him.”

  “You’ve already fought once today,” Kyran says. “And lost.”

  “I didn’t lose.”

  “But you didn’t win either,” Kyran says.

  “Okay,” Seth says. “Maybe it’s time we forget about fighting, fucking, and food for a minute.”

  We all shake our heads, all synced up to what we really love.

  Seth’s eyes burn at me as I blush, shrugging my shoulders.

  “You’ve walked with Darick and seen part of our hall. Kyran showed you his garden.”

  I look at Kyran and he lowers his gaze. He swallows hard.

  I want to comfort him. I want to know more.

  “One thing we never got the answer to,” Layre says.

  “Which is what?” Seth asks.

  “We all left Kyran alone with Astrid,” Layre says. “We had… uh… business to tend to.”

  “What business?” I ask. “Meeting with someone that wants me destroyed? Or something else?”

  “Feeding time, babe,” Darick says. “Pizza only goes so far.”

  “Pizza is everything,” Layre says.

  “Blood is everything,” Seth says.

  There’s silence as they all let me let that sink in.

  “Fine,” I whisper.

  “Don’t speak of anything more,” Kyran says.

  “We have to,” Seth says. “Kyran, you tried to do something to Astrid that caused you to be face down on the floor when she woke.”

  “She kicked his ass, just like I did,” Darick says.

  That’s when Kyran jumps up. The chair flies back and slams against the wall so hard that it shatters into pieces.

  I sit back in my chair and Layre touches my arm, soothing me.

  “Last time I remembered, you were bitten pretty good too,” Kyran says.

  I can tell these two love to mess with each other.

  “That’s enough,” Seth says. “You’re both acting like children.”

  “They got off, that’s why,” Layre says. “You get that rush of… a woman’s body… and everything else just builds up. That pent up tension. Right, Astrid?”

  He winks at me. I think I understand what he’s saying because ever since they kissed me, licked me, fucked me, I want more. I want so much more.

  “Drink,” Seth orders and points to the black mug Darick gave to me.

  Darick grabs it off the table and chugs the entire thing down. I’m amazed he could do that because I feel a little loose just from the sip I took. Darick passes the cup to Kyran who drinks from the mug which must have somehow filled itself back up.

  “Kyran, it’s only fair you tell us what you did and what your intentions were,” Seth says. “Then we can discuss our future here. What we need to do to keep our angel protected.”

  “I don’t need to be protected,” I say. “I have my own powers and control.”

  “You don’t understand what could be done,” Seth says. “What could be ordered. There are forces beyond what you think.”

  “Try me then,” I say.

  “She’s so bold, it’s driving me insane,” Darick says.

  He makes a fist and puts it to the table. I take a quick glance and I swear his jeans are getting fuller. The bulge in the front pressing out more.

  “All of us too,” Seth says. “Astrid, we are going to listen to what you say. Trust us. Our existence is based around you being here right now. But first…” Seth looks at Kyran.

  He nods. “Right. You all know exactly what I was doing. The purest of all blood? The blood that so many have been looking for for centuries?”

  Kyran grits his teeth and presses his fists to the table.

  “What did you do to her?” Darick asks.

  “Brother, answer the question,” Seth says.

  “I demanded to feed,” Kyran says.

  “Liar,” Layre says. “If you tried to feed, you’d bite, and nothing would happen. We’ve all tried to feed off her.”

  I feel a tingling in my neck and I touch both sides with my hands.

  They were biting me while I was stuck in the blackness?

  But I already sort of knew that. My memories told me that.

  “I said what I said,” Kyran says.

  “Fuck you, brother,” Darick says. “Maybe we should vote you to your garden to find yourself.”

  Kyran’s chest puffed out.

  “That’s enough,” Seth says. “Darick, you need to step back. Kyran, we need to know what happened.”

  “Fine,” he says. He looks at me with regret and then looks forward at nobody. “I wanted to draw her blood. Not feed.”

  “You wanted to take her blood,” Layre says.

  “Yes,” Kyran admits.

  “Why?” Darick asks.

  “You all know why.”

  “Tell us,” Seth says. “You must speak the words. So we can hear and figure out what to do.”

  “What does that mean?” I ask. “What to do? What do you mean?”

  “Nothing,” Layre says, touching my arm.

  I rip my arm away. “No. It’s my blood. I decide what happens. Not you.”

  “Our brotherhood requires something different,” Seth says.

  “Fuck your brotherhood,” I spit out with venom and ease.

  All four go wide eyed at me. All four show their fangs. That’s when I stand up. Am I terrified? Hell ye
s I am. But I’m not going to show that to them. Or admit it.

  “Who are you all to tell me the story about Kyran and then attack him like this?” I ask. “Sitting there, the water rising on me, the three of you wanting me, leaving me for Kyran to take.”

  “I don’t need you to defend me,” Kyran says.

  “I’m not defending you,” I say. “You’re an asshole too. When I ask questions, I want answers. I demand them. If you don’t give me answers, then I’ll leave the house. And you won’t stop me.”

  They all stare at me.

  I’m not sure if they’re going to kneel before me or attack me.

  I don’t think I care either.

  “You all know why I tried to draw her blood,” Kyran says.

  “There’s a lot to gain from having that blood,” Darick says.

  “You should know,” Kyran says.

  The tension grows even more.

  “You must speak it, brother,” Layre says. “Tell us the truth.”

  “How you tried,” Seth says. “If you got some of her blood. And what happened to you.”

  Kyran looks at me again.

  To think they had once been inside me. The only connection between us was their body to mine. But now they all looked ready to fight each other. They all looked ready to come after me. And I stood there, five-foot-one, taming the wild beasts of four seven foot tall men-slash-vampires.

  “Fair enough, brothers,” Kyran says. “I have no shame in my actions. For years we’ve spoken of the blood. Of the woman with the blood. All we’ve had are the stories that go along with what we were once told. As though we were taught to make this happen. So I had my chance for a moment to make something happen. Our brotherhood and bond is strong, forced, yes, but to break that… I would never do such a thing.”

  “Taking her blood unauthorized seems to do just that,” Seth says.

  “Unauthorized,” Kyran says with a laugh. “Who authorizes it? We’ve made our case to the greater elders. We’ve seen their reactions. We know it’s only a matter of time before they-”

  “Stick to your truths,” Seths says softly.

  “I want the pure blood of Astrid for one reason. I want to bring-”

  There’s a pounding that echoes through the entire house. Almost like thunder cracking again and again and again. The chandelier hanging over the middle of the table begins to shake gently.

  “Fuck,” Layre says.