"No," she whispered. "I love this. I love you. Both of you."
Vellum muttered something against her neck as he continued to feed from her. He wrapped an arm around her waist and hugged her tight as he began to thrust into her. When he finally pulled his fangs free, he panted, "Be careful what you say."
"It's the truth," she swore, "and you feel it, too."
Vellum didn't reply, but his thrusts grew deeper, more demanding, and Clay responded to the challenge of pleasing her, bucking up beneath her to drive home the point that they both wanted her as desperately as she wanted them. It was a perfect union and Mariel reached her peak far sooner than she expected to, her muscles clenching and unclenching around both of the cocks that pierced her.
"God!" she cried out.
"Mariel," Clay groaned. He thrust twice more and then frantically reached down to pull himself out of her. His essence spurted across his chest and belly mere seconds later.
Behind her, Vellum didn't stop. He began to growl, and the sound made Mariel swoon with desire. When he finally froze and bent his head over her shoulder, she imagined she could feel him filling her with his release.
"I hope you get the message that we're meant to be here," Clay said, sounding winded. He flung an arm across his eyes. "You're stuck with us, vampire."
"So I'm beginning to realize." Vellum lifted his head, but only far enough to rest his chin on Mariel's shoulder. It was such an easy, familiar action that Mariel knew she would always remember it. "I maintain my original declaration that you're both fools. My focus is on my destiny."
"Who's to say we're not part of that?" she challenged.
His chuckled warmed her skin. "Clearly not I."
~~~~~
They didn't linger much longer at camp. Clay could tell the mountain pulled at Vellum with the same elemental tug that the moon held over the tides. All too soon they were on the move, heading toward Vellum's destiny.
During a break for Mariel to relieve herself, Vellum brought his horse alongside Clay's. Both males looked out at the mountain as the vampire quietly spoke.
"I expected you to keep her happy and satisfied in Everton Fort, Clay."
"Mariel's headstrong. You should know that by now."
From the corner of his eye, Clay saw Vellum glance at him. "She doesn't belong out here."
"She belongs wherever she wants to belong. I'm not her master."
"No, you're not. And that may prove to be unfortunate for all of us."
Clay had heard enough. "Mariel's allowed to feel and do what she likes. I'll never attempt to change that and you're a bastard if you think I'm wrong. That's what we love about her. It's your fault if you can't see that or admit it."
Black eyes met his, narrowed. "And it'll be your fault if she ends up dying out here because you weren't enough for her."
"You son of a —"
"I'll be that and more if it'll keep her alive," Vellum said mildly, cutting him off.
Clay was annoyed, but he couldn't exactly be angry with Vellum for wanting to keep Mariel safe. On that, they were in absolute agreement.
"There's no stopping her," he muttered. "I advise you to just go along with her."
Vellum frowned and resumed looking at the jagged mountain. "I'll expect you to keep her from following me when the time comes. Surely you're intelligent enough to understand why."
"She doesn't need to see bloodshed," Clay agreed, although he wasn't too fond of the idea of being her keeper. "But on that note, I could help you, Vellum. No one said the odds had to be fair when you face off against this vampire."
"This isn't your fight."
"The vampire who turned you is a ruthless killer. I may have surrendered my Marshal's badge but I haven't stopped being a man who stands for justice."
"This is vampire justice. It has nothing to do with you."
"You so sure about that?"
Heat crept into Clay's cheeks when he felt Vellum studying him intently.
"So you're infected by her madness, too," the vampire said quietly. "I thought you were smarter than that."
"It has nothing to do with being smart or not." Clay was proud of himself for not sounding defensive. He certainly felt it. This was shaky ground for him. He wasn't quite sure how to act. "It is what it is."
"Sexual desire for another male?" Vellum taunted. "Is that truly in your nature? Or are you being swept along in doing what pleases Mariel?"
Clay took a deep breath and then turned in his saddle to face the other male. "You pushed me to my limits and then over them because you saw something in me. Don't try to convince me that it was all because of Mariel. You wanted it from me as much as I needed to give it to you."
A cocky smile tilted Vellum's mouth. "So I did. I can't say I regret dominating you. Sliding my cock up a Marshal's ass is a memory I'll cherish for a very long time. I'm looking forward to the other ways I'll make you submit to me."