Rose, Charlotte - Bayou Famine [Shifters of Alligator Bend 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (13 page)

“I’m fine, really. Just take me over there.”

“Whatever you say.”

Armand gripped the edge of his seat as the driver maneuvered his way through the Houston streets. Every bump jarred his bones, and even slow turns left him reeling with dizziness. Closing his eyes didn’t help. Staring straight ahead didn’t help. By the time the forty-five-minute trip was over, Armand was so drained that he wasn’t sure he’d even be able to unbuckle his seatbelt, much less walk up the stairs to her apartment. Yet he had no choice. He wasn’t about to give up.

Fumbling for his wallet, Armand handed the driver a one hundred dollar bill. He didn’t care that the ride was less than half of that. It had been more than worth it, and he didn’t have the energy to let the driver make change. He certainly wasn’t alert enough to calculate a tip.

Each step was agony to his joints. Armand felt that he had suddenly aged fifty years. He glanced at the three flights of stairs leading up to Narcisse’s apartment, and had no idea how he was going to manage even a single one. But dropping on the first step wasn’t an option. He needed his mate, and she needed him. If the worst came to pass, if Xavier and Oscar didn’t drive fast enough and Nelson didn’t arrive in time, Armand still wasn’t going to let his mate be alone.

With his fist in a death grip on the handrail, Armand managed the first flight of stairs. Each step felt as though it would shatter his bones, and when he reached the second flight he was gasping for breath, but he took comfort in the fact that he was a third of the way there.

The second set was more difficult. Armand’s muscles were cramping, and his lungs felt as though they were going to burst with every breath he took. Halfway through the flight, he had to pause and rest for a few minutes so he didn’t completely collapse. When he finally felt able to keep going, it took most of his strength just to get upright and steady himself.

As he reached the third flight of stairs, Armand collapsed, and couldn’t bring himself to stand up again. There was no way his legs could support the rest of his weight. But he was more determined than ever. He started to crawl, his limbs trembling with exertion. Each rub against the concrete left red scrapes across his skin, but he didn’t care. He would have crawled up a bed of hot coals to get to her.

Finally at her door, Armand rested again, drawing up the strength to stand up. Leaning against the door, he banged against the wood with his fist. He waited a moment, but nothing happened. He knocked again, but still, Narcisse didn’t appear.

“Narcisse!” he shouted, wincing at how ragged his voice sounded. “Narcisse! You in there, baby?”

“Armand?”

He would have jumped for joy if he’d been remotely capable of doing so. All he could bring himself to do was smile.

“Yeah, baby. It’s me. Nelson’s on his way. We’re gonna get you back home. Can you let me in?”

“I’m trying. It’s so hard to stand up.”

“I know it is, baby. You can do it. I’ll hold you ’til they get here.”

He heard her strained panting, and eventually the locks started to click. Finally, the door swung open.

Narcisse’s hair was a mess. Her skin was washed out, with an ashen pallor to it. The circles under her eyes were so dark that they looked like bruises. But to Armand, she was still completely beautiful. He needed to touch her, to hold her, to feel her heartbeat against his chest. Moving as fast as his weakened body would allow, Armand stumbled forward and embraced her.
 

“I am so sorry I made you want to run away.”

“I’m sorry I left like that. I’m sorry that we’re all going to die because of me.”

“We ain’t gonna die,” Armand said with as much ferocity as he could muster. “We ain’t gonna die.” Supporting her with what little strength he had left, he helped her into the bedroom, and they collapsed on the cool sheets. She curled up in a ball, and he wrapped himself around her. He would protect her, no matter how weak he had become.

Narcisse was still crying, her sobs coming harder now. “Don’t cry, baby. It’s gonna be okay. We’re all gonna be okay. Just relax. It won’t do you any good to drain your strength by bein’ so upset. I’m here, and Nelson will be here soon. It’s all gonna be fine.”

Armand held his mate and stroked her hair until she fell asleep. Then he started to drift off, hoping it wouldn’t be the last time he closed his eyes.

He was startled awake by Xavier pulling him out of bed.

“I can walk, I can walk,” he assured his friend. “Just need a little help is all.”

Xavier set Armand on the ground but kept an arm around him for support. Armand looked over to see Oscar lifting up Narcisse and rushing downstairs. Armand moved as quickly as possible, which was much easier when he had Xavier to lean on. He got downstairs much faster than he’d been able to go up, and he slid into the van next to Narcisse, who was already curled up with a pale, exhausted-looking Nelson. Armand reached out and gripped her hand.

“Okay,” Xavier said, hopping in the driver’s seat. “We’re gonna hit the road. The three of you just rest, okay? Save your strength. We’re gonna have you home in no time. Got it?”

“Got it,” Nelson said, before falling asleep.

* * * *

Narcisse had vague memories of being helped into a boat, but she was so weak that she barely registered what was going on. She knew exactly when they arrived back at the congregation, though. She felt a blast of power surge through her body and soul the second Adele helped her onto the deck of the houseboat. She wasn’t immediately healed, but she could feel the recovery beginning to take place immediately.

Still drained and exhausted, Narcisse slid between the two sheets. Armand and Nelson immediately eased in next to her, wrapping their arms around her. Serafine struggled in, looking weak herself. But she still had the energy to look them over and then begin to chant. Narcisse was shocked at how tired and old her voice suddenly seemed as she said a few words and then hobbled out.

Narcisse wanted to speak, wanted to apologize again, but her men were already asleep. She allowed herself to drift off again, frustrated at the exhaustion that kept claiming her body.

When she woke up the next morning, the sun was streaming through the small window in the bedroom, and Narcisse felt more energetic than she had in weeks. She couldn’t believe that just a few hours before she’d been on the verge of death. Now, she couldn’t wait to get up. She wanted to taste some delicious Cajun food. She wanted to start practicing her shifting again. She wanted to get out on the fishing boats and learn the trade that sustained her mates.

She wanted to make love to her mates. And she didn’t want to wait any longer.

Reaching down, she started to tease their cocks, one with each hand. She started by running her fingers up and down, making forays to their inner thighs, tracing outlines on their sacs. Their cocks began to flutter to life, even though the men were still asleep. Narcisse kept teasing, feeling their shafts grow more and more rigid beneath her fingers. Then, she wrapped her hands around them and began making long, slow strokes.

Armand suddenly sprang awake, gasping for breath. He turned to look at Narcisse with wide eyes.

“Fuck, baby. You’re amazing.” He pulled her into a kiss and then pressed her into the bed. As she released Nelson’s cock, he also sprang awake, and the second Armand broke the kiss, he moved in for his own, pressing her deep into the pillows. Narcisse’s pussy began to throb as two sets of hands began to move up and down her body, pinching her nipples, caressing her hips, teasing her thighs. She opened her legs to allow them access to the pussy lips that were desperate for attention. Nelson stroked his fingers along briefly, but he pulled away and resumed focus on her breasts, pulling and tweaking her nipples so that the sensation was a delicious mix of pleasure and pain.

Armand focused on giving her pussy attention. He eased his mouth between her legs and gave her slit one long, slow lick before delving his tongue beneath her hot folds and focusing it directly on her clit. As Nelson massaged her breasts and placed kisses up her neck and across her shoulder blades, Armand gave his full attention to her clit, alternating deep, long, circular strokes with short brushes that left her shuddering and shivering. Her legs began to twitch with the stimulation as he gradually worked harder and faster, matching his pace with the increased speed of her breath. It was the gentle use of his teeth, though, that set her over the edge. As he nibbled her sensitive bud, the orgasm raced through her, an infusion of power that left her spent and trembling.

“That was so beautiful,” she murmured as Armand crawled up her body and gave her another kiss. “Now I want to taste you.”

“And I want to be inside your hot cunt,” Nelson said, nibbling on her ear.

Narcisse grinned and slid down to the middle of the bed. “Does that give both of you enough room?”

Armand settled himself above her head, his rigid cock bouncing as he moved into place. Nelson hurried down to her waiting pussy and set the head of his cock against her slit. With one swift motion, he slid inside of her, reaching her G-spot. Just as he finished entering her, Armand slid his cock down her waiting mouth, and she began to make long, slow sucks, enjoying his smooth texture and salty taste.

Nelson waited inside of her for a moment as she set her tempo on Armand’s cock, and then began to match her speed, sliding in and out slowly at first, and only increasing the pace when she did. Nelson’s hands reached up to play with her breasts, giving her nipples that same mixture of pleasure and pain that she had come to enjoy so intensely. Narcisse wanted to thrash as the tremors of pleasure began to build in her body, but she had to stay focused on pleasuring Armand. She didn’t want her attention distracted from his body.

Narcisse increased her pace even more, and reached her hands up to grip Armand’s thighs. She ran her fingertips up and down gently, teasing his flesh, and then brought her nails down in long scratches. Suddenly, Armand stiffened, cried out her name, and emptied into her mouth. She swallowed him down and licked him clean, and then Armand slid away from her.

Nelson moved his hands away and Armand began to play with her breasts, kneading, rolling, and pressing. Gripping her hips, Nelson started pounding into Narcisse’s cunt at a pace she could barely believe was possible. Her whole body was suddenly overwhelmed with energy, and her pussy muscles locked down around his cock as her entire body shuddered with orgasm. Just as she reached her peak, Nelson stopped moving and groaned, throwing his head back as his cock surged and emptied into her. He collapsed on her chest, gasping for breath, and then rolled back onto the sheets, keeping his arms wrapped around her. Armand followed his example, his fingertips teasing her still-sensitive skin.

Fueled by the energy of their lovemaking, Narcisse felt stronger and healthier than ever. She was ready to face the day, to take her place in the congregation, and embrace whatever future awaited her.

“That’s a pretty big smile on your face,” Armand said. “What ya thinkin’ about?”

“How content I am right now. How grateful I am to be alive, and how thankful I am that the two of you came to rescue me. While I was in Houston, I realized how much I missed you. It didn’t take me long to regret my decision to leave, and I especially regretted taking off the way I did. I just didn’t really believe that anything that bad would happen if I left.”

Nelson pulled her a little closer. “It’s all real, baby. All of this.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t believe you.”

“It’s fine,” Armand said. “We get that it’s sometimes hard for people to believe all this stuff at first.”

“I still shouldn’t have left that way. Half the time, I don’t feel as though I deserved to be rescued in the first place. Hell, maybe I should be banished after all the trouble I caused.”

Nelson cupped her face and stared her straight in the eye. “Of course you deserved to be saved. You’re our mate.”

“Everyone makes mistakes,” Armand added.

“Yeah, but you had to rescue me, or else you and Serafine would have died.”

“Baby, we would have come for you even if our lives weren’t at stake,” Armand said. “You’re our mate, and we weren’t about to let you go that easily.”