Chapter 461: No No No Don’t He’s In Capable Hands

Draft night: Brennan was the first-round lock, three teams fighting over who got to suck his dick first. Sterling got two second-round offers that sounded like "he’s cute." Ryker was the guy who fell to the end until one woman said "fuck it, I’ll take the gamble and hope he doesn’t suck."

"There was a portal," Brennan continued. "And an alley. And a man with a knife, who I made eye contact with, which you’re not supposed to do. And then a prison. My Alpha was angry the whole time and nobody got me a snack until very recently."

"You poor thing." One of the women pushed the spoon gently to his lips. Brennan accepted the bite, chewing thoughtfully, nodding at the flavor. "That’s very good. What is that?"

"Don’t worry about it. Just eat."

"Okay, I won’t worry about it. What are your names?" he asked before opening his mouth for the next spoonful.

"Astrelle."

"Talia," the one combing his hair replied just as she started pressing slow kisses down the side of his neck, and Brennan’s eyes went wide and glassy and his spine straightened by two inches.

He did not move, because moving might disturb the arrangement and the arrangement was the second greatest thing that had happened to him outside of becoming a Master Mage.

"Velora." The third one answered as she started to unbutton his shirt. "You’ve been through so much. Let’s just help you breathe."

"Breathing is important," Brennan agreed solemnly, staring at the ceiling with the devotion of a man at prayer. "I have been meaning to do more of it."

Talia guided his hand higher, under the soft fabric of her top, until his palm was full of bare skin and the weight of her settled properly into it. She made a quiet, pleased sound and kept combing through his hair with her free hand.

"There," she murmured. "Better."

"Yes. That’s better," he breathed.

Astrelle offered him one last bite. Brennan accepted it with the same grave attention he’d given the others, and she set the small dish aside on the low table beside them. Her hand slid between his legs, resting over the front of his trousers, and she began to stroke him in slow, careful strokes through the cloth.

"Does that feel good, handsome?"

"Yes. Very good."

Astrelle shifted lower and started on the fastenings of his trousers, working them open with unhurried fingers. Once she freed him, she took him in her hand, stroking with the same careful pace she’d used with the spoon.

"You don’t have to do anything. Just let us." Then she bent her head and took him into her mouth.

Brennan’s free hand tightened on the breast he was holding while the rest of him stayed perfectly, obediently still.

Talia kissed his mouth, soft and unhurried, so that every sound he made stayed caught between them.

Velora’s hand slid down Brennan’s chest. "My turn. Switch."

Astrelle didn’t lift her head. She made a sound that translated roughly to "no" in every language.

"Astrelle."

Another sound. This one closer to "absolutely not."

"You can’t just KEEP him."

Astrelle pulled back just long enough to say "Watch me" and went back down.

Talia broke the kiss to look at the situation developing below. "This is going to be a problem."

"It’s already a problem," Velora snapped. "She’s been down there for—"

Astrelle chose that moment to deepthroat Brennan. He let out a loud moan, which made Talia and Velora even more angry.

"Get off of him. Now."

"Ladies. Would a rotation help? Perhaps we could have a schedule," Brennan offered, both eyes still shut.

"No," all three answered.

Velora took the opening and kissed him while the other two were distracted. It lasted two seconds before Talia pulled her back by the hair.

Across the room, Ryker Stormvale had a woman in his lap, and she was laughing at something he’d just said with her full-body.

"—and that’s how I became the second most attractive person in any room," Ryker finished, "except this room, because you walked into it and ruined my average."

She laughed harder. He grinned like a man who had died and had gone to heaven. She worked his neck and shoulders, thumbs digging into muscle, and Ryker tipped his head back and let out a sound that no High General should ever make in a foreign kingdom.

"I love it here," he announced to no one. "I’m moving. Sterling, I’m telling them I defected."

She followed his line of sight across the room to Sterling. "He’s going to have his hands full in a minute."

"Oh, he needs it." Ryker shook his head with the gravity of a man reporting a casualty. "He had a rough one."

"What happened?"

"Where do I start." Ryker held up a finger, then lowered it, then raised it again, because this was a layered tragedy and layers took setup. "His fiancée died. He blamed himself. Carried it around for years like a wet coat. Turns out she faked her own death. Then, same night he gets that news, he dives in front of dark magic to save a girl, a princess, took the whole blast to the chest, three concussions stacked like pancakes." He paused. "And now the princess is all cozied up with a wolf."

"Oh, the poor dear." The woman pressed a kiss just below his ear. "Should I go cheer him up?"

She shifted her weight like she might get up.

"No," Ryker answered immediately, his arms locking around her. "No, no, don’t, he’s in capable hands, look at him, thriving. Can’t take all your attention and dump it on one man, that’s not how an ecosystem works. Also, and I want to be clear, I had a rougher day than him. Prison was involved. I got catcalled by proxy. Truly the worst of us all is right here, in this lap, needing comfort."

The woman settled back down. "You poor thing."

"That’s the spirit."

Six feet away, on his own couch, Sterling Emberfell had one unbuttoning his shirt, while another started kissing down his neck while she ground against him.

His dragon surged so hard beneath his ribs the couch creaked.

"What’s your name?" he gritted out, his voice layering with his dragon.

"Electra."

"Electra, I—"

She pressed one finger to his lips, stopping the sentence before it could become a problem.

"Just relax."

"Let me in, Electra. Quit hogging him," the other whined, sliding in behind Electra to straddle Sterling as well.

She pressed herself flush to Electra’s back, arms coming around her waist, chin resting on Electra’s shoulder so she could look down at Sterling, while Electra unfastened his pants. His glowing ball was, thankfully, not in the way.

"This is happening," Sterling stated.

"Oh, this is happening, dragon."