When she seized him, both men groaned. Zoa opened her eyes and looked down to see Jeric staring at them from between her legs, his eyes so dark with lust they were almost black. Izar, however, was lost to the world. He was frozen over her, transfixed by the touch of her fingers against his cock, his face suffused in an ecstasy so intense it almost looked like pain.
For a moment, Zoa was confused. Her touch would certainly feel nice, but not
that
nice, especially considering he’d come twice only hours ago. And yet there the captain was, rocked by lust like he hadn’t released in months. She was still puzzling over this when Jeric’s tongue began to work her clit in earnest and the world vanished into a haze of pleasure.
Zoa groaned and tried to roll, but Jeric held her down, sucking her clit between his lips. With every pull of his mouth, pleasure crashed through her, and with each crash, her hand jerked against Izar’s cock. He moaned with each motion and then tore himself away. She had one brief moment to wonder where he’d gone before his cock was at her lips and Izar’s voice was in her ear, shaken and nearly begging.
“Please, Zoa,” he whispered, his voice so tight the words came out in bursts. “Please, suck me. I have to feel your lips. Please.”
Zoa opened her eyes in a drugged blink, and then, keeping her gaze on Izar’s straining face, she slid her lips over the smooth skin.
The effect was immediate. Izar jerked and threw back his head, his cock throbbing against her tongue like a drum as she drew him in. But that was expected. What wasn’t was Jeric’s reaction. He jerked against Zoa, his sucking growing more frantic as Izar began to thrust into her mouth.
As the captain rocked into her, Jeric’s hands came down, his fingers sliding into her wet slit and curling up to find the sweet, ridged spot inside her. She gasped at his touch and Izar groaned, his cock jerking. Jeric moaned as well, the sound vibrating against her. He flicked his tongue across her clit as he began to stroke her spot with his fingertips, moving them and his lips in perfect rhythm with his captain’s thrusts into her mouth. It was like the two men were in unison and the passion of their combined lust threw her over the edge.
Zoa came in a great staggering stutter, her entire body seizing up in throbbing pleasure. Above her, Izar had his hands in her hair and was holding on for dear life as she sucked him in deep. Below her, Jeric was panting with pleasure, his fingers sliding out with the force of her spasms. When the waves finally faded, Zoa felt Jeric’s wonderful mouth leave her clit and she nearly cried out in alarm, but then his long fingers grabbed her legs, lifting her hips until the tip of his rock-hard cock was pressed against her entrance.
“Zoa…” Her name was a moan on his lips.
She moaned in reply, shifting against him. That was all the invitation Jeric needed. He plunged into her with a desperation that made her gasp, and then, holding her up with one hand, he began to thrust into her while his other hand splayed across her lower stomach, the thumb pressed solidly on her clit, stroking it with every buck of his hips.
But as Jeric began to thrust, it was Izar who grew wild. The captain’s cock was like a metal rod in her mouth, harder than she’d ever felt it, even last night. He was curled above her with his eyes clamped shut. In control, she realized with a shock. Even lost in lust, he was trying not to thrust wildly into her mouth, not to hurt her. A wave of warmth went through her at his concern and Zoa pulled herself up, wrapping one hand around his hip while her other dropped between his legs to seize the length of him she couldn’t fit in her mouth. He shuddered at her touch and Zoa moved with it, using her hand and mouth to work him in time to the thrusts Jeric was pounding into her.
“Oh gods,” Izar bit out as her tongue slid down his length. “Oh gods, Zoa, Jeric.”
Jeric began to pound harder as Izar said his name and Zoa felt something powerful begin to build. It started like a delicious knot in her lower belly, almost like the beginning of a wonderful orgasm, but this was deeper, stronger, wilder than any orgasm she’d ever had. And more, she could feel it building in the men as well.
Zoa had been an Avatar of Dezira for five years. She’d slept with other Chosen on occasion, dark moons and white, but she’d never felt something like this. There was power rising in the room, a great, heady magic far larger than any she could work on her own. And then, like a flash of light, Zoa realized what was happening. Jeric’s power was flowing uninhibited.
She cursed herself for a fool. How could she be so stupid? He’d Awakened only hours ago, of course he hadn’t learned how to control the lust that all Avatars radiated like an aura. She hadn’t felt it because, as a fellow Avatar, she was immune, but Izar was human and it had hit him like lightning.
As a relatively young Chosen who’d never brought another into power, Zoa hadn’t even thought to consider this problem. Control came quickly, after all, but not this quickly. Oh, she should have known better. After so long with sex being nothing but frustration, of course Jeric was desperate. That desperation had swept Izar up in its tide and then the two of them had taken her along for the ride.
Zoa stared up at Izar with growing fear. The captain was coiled tight as a spring above her, his tan face nearly white with strain. The lust in the room was dangerous now and Izar was right at its heart. When it finally broke, it very well could break him.
Jeric would never forgive himself if he hurt his captain. She needed to stop this now, but when she reached for her own power to try to bring things down, all she touched was lust. It was too late, the thing that was building between them was bigger than her power now. Even she was caught in its grasp, her body moving almost without her control as she sucked Izar deep into her mouth, clamping her legs around Jeric’s hips in the process as their thrusts stoked the fire higher and higher until, in a final, glorious burst, the power broke.
The orgasm hit her harder than any since her first. Zoa went stiff on the bed, helpless beneath the power that tore through her. Above her, Izar came with a shout, his fists clenched bone white in the blankets as he poured himself down her throat. But Jeric’s orgasm hit them strongest of all.
He made no sound as he came, but Zoa felt his body go hard as iron, his muscles slamming against her as he came and came and came. Each clench was accompanied by a wave of power so intense Zoa could do nothing but surrender as another orgasm slammed into her body right on the heels of the first. Izar clenched as well, his cock slamming against the back of her throat as he came again, the unprecedented, magically driven second orgasm gripping Izar until he was white from the effort.
Finally, with one last great thrust, Jeric collapsed. The power faded, drifting out of the room like smoke. Izar fell as well, tumbling onto the bed beside her. Zoa was up at once, sliding out from under Jeric as she hurried to turn the captain over. Izar was still breathing, but he was white as snow against her red sheets, his eyes closed and his face strained.
“Captain,” she whispered, careful not to touch him. “Captain, are you all right?”
She felt the bed shift as Jeric started to get up, but she stuck out her hand, stopping him. Now that she was awake and free of the magic’s grip, she could feel it plainly. Lust was still rolling off Jeric in controlled waves. She couldn’t risk it near Izar, not after he’d been so overloaded. Even she didn’t dare to come any closer. All they could do was wait and see.
After a full minute, Izar suddenly took an enormous breath and opened his eyes. They were dazed and wild, but also filled with wonder as they slid from her to Jeric and back again.
“Izar,” she whispered, not daring to breathe. “How are you feeling?”
“Bloody amazing,” Izar whispered, sinking into the bed. “What happened?”
“What
did
happen?” Jeric asked, coming up behind Zoa.
Relieved, Zoa fell back against him, sliding into Jeric’s lap. “You did,” she said. “You’re an Avatar of Dezira now. Sex isn’t just pleasure anymore. It’s magic, and you nearly overloaded our dear captain.”
Jeric went stiff behind her. “What?”
“What?” Izar said at the same time. “Wait, Avatar?”
“It’s my fault,” Zoa said, glancing up at Jeric. “I should have told you, but you passed out last night, and then this morning I was distracted, not that it’s any excuse.”
“Overloaded?” Jeric said, his voice torn between bewildered and slightly panicked.
Zoa nodded. “Dezira’s magic is powerful, especially when there’s so much lust here already.”
Jeric looked down at the captain, still pale as death, stretched out on the bed and Zoa bit her lip as she saw him put the pieces together.
“No,” she said before he could speak. “This was my fault, not yours. I was sent here to bring you into your power and guide you, and I failed.” She looked at Izar and gave a solemn bow from the waist. “I am sorry, Captain Izar. Because of my negligence, you were put in danger.”
Izar glanced at her, and then, to her complete surprise, he began to laugh. The laughs were short and breathy, as though they hurt him, but his pale face was split with an enormous grin. “I don’t even want to hear it,” he said, slurring the words like a drunk. “Don’t you ever apologize for something that amazing.”
“This is nothing to make light of,” Zoa said, crossing her arms with an annoyed look. “You could have died.”
That only made the captain laugh harder still until he was wincing from the pain of it. “Lady,” he said at last. “I would count my life well given to go out like that.”
“Don’t say that, sir,” Jeric said. “I could have—”
“Enough,” Izar said. “Didn’t I just tell you? Nothing to apologize for. Now,” he said, glaring at both of them. “Why don’t you explain exactly what the hell happened in words I can understand.”
Zoa nodded and raised her fingers to her forehead. The moment she touched it, her white moon lit up like a lamp, filling the dim room with radiance. “I am Zoa Ionera,” she said. “No city courtesan, as Rosa told you, but an Avatar of Dezira.”
Izar’s dazed eyes widened. “A godtouched?” he whispered. “
Here?
”
“I was sent here to find one of our Own and bring him into the goddess’s hands,” Zoa said, glancing at Jeric. He caught the hint and touched his own forehead. The moment his fingers brushed the skin, his mark blazed to life, a blinding white crescent rich with power. It was so bright, even Jeric winced a little before he hid it again. For his part, Izar was staring at his lieutenant as if Jeric had just grown a second head.
“You’re one too?” he nearly shouted, his voice hurt and reproachful.
“I didn’t know until last night!” Jeric protested.
“He didn’t,” Zoa said, backing him up. She reached out to take Izar’s hand. “I came here specifically to find him. Now that he’s awakened, we must return to the Imperial Capital.”
“What?” Jeric said, jerking away from her. “But, my duties—”
“Forget them,” Izar said with a sigh, closing his eyes. “An Avatar,” he muttered. “In my Legion, and of Dezira to boot. Doesn’t that just burn all? I thought I’d at least get a Chosen of the Great Sun with all the heroics going on.”
Zoa bristled. “Dezira is not a goddess to be underestimated.”
“Peace, Chosen,” Izar said, grinning weakly. “I meant no offense. Honestly, after this morning and last night, I’m ready to take my oaths as a follower of Dezira myself.” He opened his eyes again and his face broke into an enormous smile. “You know what this means, right? I’ve had two of the Moon’s Own at the same time. Twice even! Most men would sell their own mothers for one night with an Avatar and I got you both.” He began to laugh again. “I’m almost sad you didn’t kill me. Life’s going to be nothing but disappointment after this.”
“Captain,” Jeric said warningly. “This is nothing to make jokes about. I really did nearly kill you.” He looked at Zoa, his face desperate. “You’ll teach me how to control it, right?”
“Yes,” Zoa said. “I’ll be with you until we get to the temple in the Capital.”
Jeric shook his head. “I can’t just pick up and leave,” he said. “Do you know how hard I worked to get this position? Izar’s the best in the Legion. Making second under him was a dream come true. I can’t just—”
He stopped, suddenly going red, and Zoa smiled. He hadn’t meant to say that much in front of the captain. But Izar looked very touched. He reached up, grabbing Jeric’s arm. “Thank you, Jeric,” he said sincerely. “But much as I’d love to keep you forever, you’re not mine anymore. You just showed me, didn’t you? You’re the Moon’s Own. You and Zoa both.” His eyes roved over the two of them and his face grew almost wistful. “I really am ruined for life, you know,” he said softly, and then he pursed his lips. “When do you leave for the Capital?”
“Today, if possible,” Zoa said, reaching out to stroke his cheek. She’d grown attached to the clever captain over the last few hours. Suddenly, she wasn’t so eager to go home anymore. Even with Jeric, it felt like something was missing. From the way Jeric was staring at the bed, she could tell he felt the loss far more than she. Izar was his captain, after all. But Izar had reminded Jeric he was following a new commander now and Jeric was too much of a soldier to abandon his post. Still, Zoa’s heart went out to him. She was trying to think of something to say when Izar spoke again and surprised them both.
“Well,” the captain said. “If you can wait until tomorrow, I’ll escort you there myself.”