His lips twitched and a bit of unrestrained laughter broke through. After a quick smile, Alex finally claimed his mouth in a kiss made much sweeter by the anticipation. “Mm mm, if being pushy gets me kissed like that. Hell, yeah.”
He earned the pop on the ass Alex gave him. “Mm mm, was that for swearing or for topping from the bottom?” He rutted his aroused erection against Alex’s.
Alex asked, “Why?”
“Cause I want to do whatever it was again.” He intended on getting more of Alex’s palm.
Alex smacked his butt twice more before Storm and Uli joined them in laughter. “Geez, get a room.” Storm cupped Ulrich’s ass as if he needed to protect the jean pockets. Ulrich traced the waves of Storm’s dark hair with his fingers.
He was a lucky man. Three wonderful guys and they were all for him. Each one brought something the others didn’t have to the relationship.
* * * *
This was it. Uli had been waiting for this moment for years. He had been yearning for the shadow of his soul mate to claim him. Granted, he hadn’t seen three of them, or maybe he ignored it when he did see three because that didn’t seem possible. But now it was impossible to imagine he’d survive without having what each of them offered. He clearly saw how each of his mates held a part vital to his soul.
What if Storm and Cutter said they didn’t want to be zombies? His hands started to sweat, and he pulled his fingers out of Storm’s glossy hair and wiped them on his jeans. He sniffed quickly.
He and Alex had spoken of a contingency. The plan was they would stay with Cut and Storm until they passed from this world, and after their bodies ceased to function, they would join them in death. Watching these beautiful men age would be rather heartbreaking but… Uli shut the voices in his head down because Storm had started to talk.
“…and so the doctor helped us. The records will be fixed, but the less everyone knows the better.”
“What?” he asked. Maybe his English wasn’t as good as he thought.
Alex grinned at him and touched his face. Uli leaned into the warm palm. He’d given up on trying not to cuddle in like a puppy when Alex touched him—the temptation was impossible to resist. “Storm and Cut blew up their car.”
“Oh? Oh!” He nodded. This was good?
Cut leaned up and quickly kissed Storm. He giggled and shared the news, speaking directly to Uli. “The jackass said he loved me today. Right as the cops were arriving.”
Storm shook his head. “I’ve always loved you. I can’t imagine why you assumed I didn’t. You know what they say about assuming…”
Cut may have been submissive to Alex, but he got up in Storm’s face. “The whole ‘we can never do this again’ speech didn’t leave much room for assumption.”
Shrugging, Storm gave him an apology kiss. Cut’s sweet whimper signaled his acceptance.
Ulrich’s heart clenched. Alex had a smile plastered on his face. Even though his heart shattered at losing them, Uli was content they would have love with one another. But why kiss him and Alex like they were dying for them? “Why’d you blow up your car?”
“Why else? Um, to be with you guys.” Cut bounced from foot to foot. He glanced from Alex to Uli and back to Alex. “You said you wanted that. You do want us, don’t you?” His uncertainty seemed to push him closer to Storm.
Elation spread through Uli as he pulled Cut into his arms. “Of course we want you.” He grabbed Alex and Storm and melted into them. Anxious hands and eager lips would have led them down one path, but Alex pulled back.
Alex studied each of them before asking, “So are ready to do the exchange?”
“Yes!” Cut cried out and he pulled Alex into another kiss.
Storm chuckled. “Yes. We were ready a few hours after you told us, but the doctor said we had to wait until we would be able to leave our lives permanently.”
* * * *
Alex guided his men over to the large padded bedding that over the past couple weeks had become piled with pillows in rich jewel tones: golds, purples, blues, and magentas. Uli kept swiping them from the main lounge. Beau had given them matching sheets and a blanket of silk, satin, and cotton. The different textures of the fabrics heightened every touch exchanged.
Alex reached under the bedding to pull out three packages and handed one to each of them. Cutter held his shiny silver package close to his heart as tears gathered in his eyes. “Thank you.”
Storm ripped open his box. “Thanks.” Uli peered into the box Storm held.
“Let me put the necklace on you,” Uli offered. The chain came down to rest with the entwined rings right over Storm’s heart.
Storm appeared to be struggling with how to respond as he toyed with the rings in various shades of gold.
Uli opened his gift and exclaimed, “Oh, awesome. I always wanted one of these.” He held out his arm and the bracelet for Alex to strap on him.
Storm smiled. “They match.”
“Of course.” Alex had poured a lot of his energy into these pieces. He wanted them perfect.
Uli and Storm glanced over at Cut, who clutched his present as tears slowly spilled over his cheeks. “Open yours,” Storm whispered.
Cut sniffed and swallowed as he carefully revealed the collar. He touched the three rings of gold reverently before he raised his eyes. “I love it.” He sniffed again. “I love each of you. I’ve always loved Storm. When I fell in love with you guys, I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know how it would ever work.” He traced the entwined rings on his collar. “But it does. Uli’s my yellow ring; he brings magic and makes me laugh like no one else. Storm is my white gold ring, who has always been there and knows me better than anyone. And Alex is my rose gold ring, giving me what no one else can.” He seemed to stop himself from breaking down further. “I love you guys.”
Alex took the leather. “May I collar you, Cutler?”
“Please.” Cut quickly pushed the hair off the nape of his neck.
Maybe they would have a more formal ceremony later, but settling the collar around Cutter’s neck felt right. It was as perfect as Uli wearing his bracelet and Storm wearing his necklace. Tracing Cut’s skin under the leather made all of Alex’s needy mates shiver as if they experienced the touch as well.
He pulled out a ring of the three twisted types of gold to place on the fourth finger of his left hand. “I can make you all a matching ring later if you’d like, but I wanted each of you to understand and believe how much I love you. I envisioned each of you and what you bring to me…to us. Each of us is necessary, without any one of us the loss would be intolerable. By doing the blood exchange we will be tethered. None of us will ever be adrift again.”
Uli took Cutter’s face into his hands to kiss him. “I love you.” He grabbed Storm’s ass to plant a hot kiss on his mouth. “I love you.” He smirked. “And I love you.” His lips fluttered across Alex’s mouth before he deepened the kiss. Sighing, he stepped back.
All eyes turned to Storm.
“What? Don’t expect pretty words cause you know I ain’t got any.” He frowned. “Fine. I love you and you and, of course, you.” He folded his arms over his chest. “I don’t get why we need to keep talking about this. Of course I love each of you. You’re all kind and shit. Hot as hell.” He sighed like he was being tortured by having to admit his feelings. “I couldn’t live without any of you and I wouldn’t want to try.” He turned away. “Now can we just pretend I said it was cause you all give great head? Let’s get to the bloodletting and be done with the emotional crap.”
Cut tackled him, knocking him down into the pile of pillows, and started kissing him. Uli’s eyes flashed and the little demon dived in to help Cutter by pulling off Storm’s shirt. Checking his dominance at the door, Alex jumped into the fray and Uli’s shirt came off. He pulled his own off.
Storm pulled out a penknife. Uli grabbed the alcohol from under the bed. Even though sanitizing the pointy end wasn’t necessary, he did anyway. Alex wasn’t going to stop him. Uli must have read his mind. “We don’t need to do this. Zombies can’t get sick or catch human diseases, but old habits die hard.”
“Don’t I know it?” Cutter grabbed the knife from Uli and twirled the blade in his hand to hold the handle out toward Alex. “You make the cuts. I can’t. Well, I can.” Alex smacked him in the ass for the poor joke. “But I don’t do that anymore.”
Uli presented his chest. Alex inhaled. Uli hissed as Alex made a small incision over his heart. His mouth watered when the air became scented with the droplets. He licked at the wound, which made Uli moan. Alex shifted back and Storm and Cut swiped their tongues over the slice.
Storm rubbed the front of his jeans as the taste of his mate hit him. “Damn, I think I’m a vampire.” He licked his lips and snickered. “Am I all sparkly and shit?”
Everyone cracked up until Alex cut his own chest. Storm straddled his waist, and with the assistance on either side from Uli and Cut, they pushed him back onto the pile of pillows. He couldn’t distinguish whose tongue was whose, only that his mates licked at him.
When he would have let go and made love to each of them, it was Storm who made him focus. “Two more cuts, man. Let’s do this.”
Alex reached deep and found his focus. He carefully sliced Storm and everyone licked him. He could feel the lust heating up every last one of them up.
Cut instantly lay back like a sacrificial lamb willing to give everything. The smile of anticipation on his face disturbed Alex. “Cutler.” He used the voice that could call out any submissive in a ten-mile radius. “You may not enjoy the cut but you will love our tongues. Understood?”
This was the first direct order he’d given that truly mattered. Cut frowned and nodded. When the blade opened his skin, Cutter cried out in pain, not pleasure. “Ow! That fucking hurts,” he yelled.
Alex breathed a sigh of relief. He didn’t want the exchange to cause a setback by enticing Cutler to regress. “Now feel the pleasure your mates can give you.”
“Yes, Alex.” Cutter’s eyes slid shut and he arched into a perfect presentation.
Uli and Storm licked up the blood and moved to the side for Alex to partake. Completeness washed over him.
Cutter gasped. “Oh, do you feel that?” The lines of their separate lives tethered together.
“Yes. Mine.” Uli laughed as he retackled everyone.
“Mine,” Storm replied.
Cut took the weight off his butt to allow Uli to pull off his pants. “Mine.” He sighed as his shaft became engulfed.
“Mine,” Alex purred when he removed his pants before helping Storm with his jeans.
“Damn, come here.” Storm pulled Alex onto him. He licked at the thin line of blood on Alex’s chest and moaned. “Fuck. I’m a zombie vampire, I just know it.”
Cut and Uli snorted but soon went back to their hot makeout session.
Storm stared up at him. Alex skimmed his hand slowly down Storm’s body. His skin goose bumped and Storm’s mouth fell open when Alex reached his destination. He wrapped a fist around Storm’s arousal and tugged upwards.
Storm writhed and tried to thrust but Alex wasn’t going to let his mate rush him. He had plans for thoroughly making love to Storm. Shadows of doubt still lingered in Storm’s eyes as if he wasn’t sure Alex wanted him.
Alex squirmed down Storm’s body, and the smartass tucked his hands behind his head with a sigh as he fully enjoyed the classic reclining blowjob position. But as much as Alex enjoyed his mate’s essence, he wanted to go to another level. They needed to reinforce their connection. Apparently, Uli and Cut craved the same. A bottle of lubrication was lying on the bed and Uli was between Cutter’s legs preparing him for penetration.
Cut put his head on Storm’s arm. Twisting his head, Cutter begged for a kiss. Alex was relieved Storm provided one and another until Cut gasped as Uli’s fingers entered him.
“Is it good, Cut?” Storm asked as he peered down at Ulrich’s busy activity. “Do you like his fingers in you?”
Uli must have found his prostate because Cut screamed in pure pleasure. His erection leaked where it was lying against his stomach. Storm’s eyes seemed to flash with love and lust before he reached out for Cut.
Trying to get the timing perfectly, Alex waited until Storm’s fist enclosed Cutter before teasing his opening. “Oh!” Storm cried out. The gentle tickling turned into a probing. “Fuck! More, Alex,” he demanded while he stroked Cut.
Uli watched them as much as he drank in Cut. Trying to match his progress, Alex followed Uli’s pace. Storm muttered about how good Alex’s lubed finger felt inside him and started kissing Cut again. Cut was simply in heaven based on the happy moans escaping him.
Alex got onto his knees and Uli followed. They both ignored the needy whimpers of their mates begging for more as their lips met in a passionate kiss. Their tongues tangled until they pulled back to take pity on their waiting mates.
As Alex lined himself up, Storm broke the kiss he shared with Cutter to stare at Alex. “Take me, Alex.” Not a submissive bone in his body, Storm simply demanded what he needed.
Happy to provide for his mate, Alex added a little more lubrication and pushed the head of his shaft into the heated passage. Tight sensation almost carried him away, but he forced himself to pause and watch Storm carefully. When it was clear Storm wanted more, Alex sunk the rest of the way inside. Storm’s gasp of pleasure was followed by “Oh God” as Cutter’s fist appeared to tighten around Storm.
Ever so slowly, Alex dragged himself out of where he wanted to be buried. He pushed in a little too excitedly, but Storm keened with need as he fisted Cut a little faster.
Alex turned to watch Uli and was pulled in by the erotic site of Ulrich’s body over Cutter, his cute butt humping up and down in a steady rhythm. His head was thrown back in apparent bliss. It appeared he was heading toward ecstasy at a fast pace.
Alex shifted forward, putting himself over Storm. “Uli,” he called until the blond turned toward him with parted lips. Their mouth crashed together. They bucked and pushed until completion was the only option left.
Cut groaned. “Aren’t our mates pretty?”
Alex heard a strangled “Yeah” coming from Storm. The channel around him rippled. He continued to kiss and bite Ulrich’s mouth.