"There are certain boundaries." Daegan lifted a hand. "They won't threaten his life or subject him to prolonged torture, though they may challenge his tolerance for pain or other . . . inhibitions he may have." At Gideon's expression, Daegan gave him a straight stare. "Second thoughts, vampire hunter?"

"Gideon, you can't go if that's the scenario," Anwyn said emphatically. "There's no way I want you walking into that. No. Absolutely no."

"It's fine," Gideon said shortly.

"You already knew this," she realized. "Of course you did." And though Daegan had made his feelings clear, she felt anger at him anew as well, at the whole helpless situation. Well, f.u.c.k that. She wasn't helpless. "I'm calling your brother. He will will keep you from going, baby or no baby. He can come down here and babysit you after we chain you in that cell in my dungeon. See how you like being caged up like a rabid animal with people treating you like you don't have a brain." keep you from going, baby or no baby. He can come down here and babysit you after we chain you in that cell in my dungeon. See how you like being caged up like a rabid animal with people treating you like you don't have a brain."

"Anwyn." Gideon stepped forward. He made the mistake of lifting a hand as if to touch her face. She slapped it away, but he caught her hand in one of those lightning-quick moves that reminded her of his training. She wrenched free, however, meeting his roused blue gaze with a furious one of her own. For the moment, she ignored Daegan. One a.s.s-ripping at a time.

"If you can go down in some blaze of glory, defending me, that's okay? Even if it leaves me without a servant, alone?"

"I have no intention of getting killed, Anwyn," Gideon said, but his gaze said something different.

"I've had enough of this. Of your d.a.m.n death wish, the one you've been carrying since the day you met me. If I don't get to kill myself, neither do you."

The jolt of reaction from Daegan startled her. The vampire's eyes darkened in shock, and his surprised anger filled her. She'd thought it was obvious, but she was deep in Gideon's mind, had studied different aspects of the man than Daegan had. Men didn't always see the things that the women who loved them did. Her servant was about to make it worse by confirming it, though.

"We both know I'm not a good long-term servant for you. If I can help get you through this part, then you'll be all right. You'll find someone. h.e.l.l, someone like James. Someone who knows how to serve. To submit."

Anwyn stepped forward. At her accusation, Gideon had retreated back to the doorway, his arms crossed, the knives holstered, thumbs hooked under his armpits, his body radiating tension. "Do you want to be my servant, Gideon?"

"I told you-"

"I know you feel an obligation to protect me. But when I've commanded you to your knees, or made you do things you didn't want to do, it felt like something you wanted, something you couldn't resist, didn't it? There's a craving in the pit of your stomach for more of it, even if you think you don't want it."

"You can read my mind," he said gruffly. "You already know."

"Yes, and no. I see all those thoughts in your mind, but I don't know which of them wins the struggle."

"Some days one side wins, some days the other."

"So it's still an ongoing war." She managed a stiff smile.

"Yeah." He straightened now. "But if you won't let me be at your side when you go into dangerous situations, the war will be over pretty quick. It's the one thing I'm good at, Anwyn. Don't deny me the right to protect you with all I have."

"Even if it gets you killed? I don't need to see your body cut down to know that you're willing to die for me. Except I don't think you're dying for me. You're dying for yourself, to prove something to that girl. To Laura."

He flinched, and she knew she'd hit a direct target. Good. She didn't mind confronting it head-on. In fact, as her anger built with the whole situation, with the idea of taking him to the Council like a f.u.c.king sacrificial lamb, she understood what had fueled Daegan's rage the day she'd tried to burn herself alive behind the Dumpster. Karma could be a real b.i.t.c.h.

She closed the last s.p.a.ce between her and Gideon, her b.r.e.a.s.t.s brushing his chest, her hands settling on his taut biceps. It was an intimate pose, but she knew her gaze was as unrelenting as solid ice. "Live for me or die for her, but you make up your d.a.m.n mind before we leave. If you want her, then you clear out and go find the vampire that can grant your deepest wish. I'm sure Daegan can point you toward the nearest unwinnable, desperately heroic situation. You're not not going to meet the Council with us. And that's final." going to meet the Council with us. And that's final."

With that, she swept past him, headed for the corridor that would lead to the weapons room. For once, she she needed to pound on something. needed to pound on something.

9.

CAUGHT between annoyance and something worse, it took several moments before Gideon realized Daegan was still standing in the same place, regarding him with an expression almost as aggravating as Anwyn's opinion. h.e.l.l, why was he he angry? He was the one who'd jumped the gun and let Anwyn know about him going before Gideon had figured out how best to tell her. If she was upset, Daegan was as much to blame as Gideon. angry? He was the one who'd jumped the gun and let Anwyn know about him going before Gideon had figured out how best to tell her. If she was upset, Daegan was as much to blame as Gideon.

However, Gideon was getting a distinct vibe that Daegan was p.i.s.sed at him for other reasons. The intent way the male was staring at him, in that manner that Gideon found d.a.m.n hard to meet. It lifted his own hackles, making him itch to toss the other knife, test the vampire's reflexes.

With irritating perception, the vampire jerked his head toward the corridor where Anwyn had disappeared. "I've been working with her on her hand-to-hand, as you have. But earlier, before you came in, she said she'd like to see us fight each other, to observe the moves by those who know how to do them. I expect now would be as good a time as any to do that. Unless you prefer brooding over facing me on a mat."

Gideon bit back a snarl. "She's not being reasonable."

"Women have a tendency to look at things somewhat differently than we do. If you do get yourself killed, she will blame herself. I'll be left to deal with her anger and grief. But I suppose that matters little to you as well."

Gideon snorted, something ugly and bitter twisting the words out of him. "Save the martyred routine. It'd clear the playing field pretty good, wouldn't it?"

In that second, Gideon thought the vampire might start their sparring match right there. Daegan took a full, weighted second to reply, and when he did, his voice was flat. "We are not in compet.i.tion, vampire hunter. Perhaps this is also as good a time as any to force you to face that."

G.o.d, he hated it when Daegan pulled the cryptic s.h.i.t. He did want to brood. He also wanted to pound something, and though Daegan was likely to obliterate him, he might get in a few jabs of his own. So he gave a c.o.c.ky shrug. "Fine. I guess I can go kick your a.s.s if it will teach her anything."

"How magnanimous of you."

She was still angry when they joined her, but she was already sorting through those emotions to grip the cool rationality she knew would help her handle them both. Daegan and Gideon lived by almost the same code. Risking their own lives was acceptable, no matter how uneven the odds. It was something they actually respected in each other. Just as they were united in their desire to protect her.

She'd had Daegan and Gideon each teach her ways to fight better, because it didn't sit well with her to have them risk themselves on her behalf. Yes, they would always be more competent in that area than she was, because she wasn't a warrior. What they didn't seem to realize was she was as fiercely protective of the two of them as they were of her. If she was going to be part of a more violent world, she was going to learn to handle herself better. Maybe she'd shock the h.e.l.l out of them and end up saving their their a.s.ses one of these days. a.s.ses one of these days.

She had her own a.r.s.enal of weapons, though, and knew the battleground where those weapons worked best. So by the time they arrived, she had-to all appearances-set aside their argument. She met Gideon's wary look with one that her alley cats had perfected, that aloof, mysterious expression that was neither invitation nor rejection. Neither forgiveness nor outright anger. He was intelligent enough to become even more concerned, but Daegan was already directing them onto the sparring mats.

Daegan had donned a pair of black drawstring gi gi pants and a dark tank that showed off the architecture of chest, shoulders and muscled arms. Gideon wore a similar pair of pants, borrowed from Daegan, and was likewise barefoot. Though she'd expected them to immediately start sparring, instead Daegan spent time with her first, doing their usual lesson, showing her offensive and defensive moves. Only this time Gideon was there, sitting on the sidelines and giving additional suggestions for her height and weight. In Daegan's absence, he'd also coached her, but this was the first time she'd had the pleasure of watching their different skills come together. pants and a dark tank that showed off the architecture of chest, shoulders and muscled arms. Gideon wore a similar pair of pants, borrowed from Daegan, and was likewise barefoot. Though she'd expected them to immediately start sparring, instead Daegan spent time with her first, doing their usual lesson, showing her offensive and defensive moves. Only this time Gideon was there, sitting on the sidelines and giving additional suggestions for her height and weight. In Daegan's absence, he'd also coached her, but this was the first time she'd had the pleasure of watching their different skills come together.

As they fell into what they knew so well, some of the tension she'd felt from Gideon eased. Interestingly, she detected more of it from Daegan, vibrating toward Gideon. Though she didn't have the same access to his mind she had to Gideon's, she understood the cause. Apparently Daegan felt far differently about Gideon risking himself for her protection than he did about Gideon wanting to get himself killed. Males. Males.

At last, they squared off with each other, letting her take a seat on the sidelines to get her breath. As they went to work on each other, her volatile energy drifted in a sensual direction.

Lord, they were beautiful to watch. Daegan of course slowed his speed, and Gideon as well, so they could show her the maneuvers, stopping to verify she understood them. Once or twice they brought her into the middle to position her, demonstrate the proper way to turn, twist, flip, break, strong hands always making sure she was eased to the mat rather than flung there, despite her vampire resilience.

By the time they let her step out again, she was even more out of breath. Gideon's shirt was damp with sweat, but he didn't seem winded. "Can you show me some of those moves at a faster speed?" she asked. "I want to see what they look like in real time."

Daegan nodded, and he and Gideon faced each other again. Kicks, spins, dodges. Daegan moved swiftly enough, but she was impressed by how well Gideon ch.o.r.eographed with him. It was like watching two professional dancers, every move and countermove unconscious.

The flat of a palm slid along a leg, diverting its course. Two bodies came together, twisted like vines, smoothly breaking free, hands knowing just where to put pressure, grip, strike. A roll across the ground, a leg sweep, a quick grapple, an elbow into the side, and Gideon broke backward, taking them both down to the mat. Daegan was up and bringing down a leg to pin him, but Gideon caught the calf and twisted it, turning him away and then leaping back to his feet.

They didn't engage in the banter she'd expected. She was drawing her experience from action movies, the quintessential male bonding scenes. The two males she was watching had always used these skills to survive or kill. It was never a game for them.

Though she was mesmerized by the display of male virility, they disrupted her absorption on occasion by pointing out technique, giving her new information on the grips, other ways to break them, and the importance of balance.

"A vampire's balance is far better than a human's," Gideon said. "But if you catch him off guard, he's going to have a similar reaction. So if he has you in a chest lock"-he glanced at Daegan, and the vampire obliged, sliding his arm across Gideon's chest to grip him beneath the arm-"and you abruptly fall back against him, you can either break the hold or, if you're going for more debilitating, hook the ankle."

He demonstrated it, Daegan allowing the maneuver as Gideon flipped over him to pin his chest with a knee. There was a brief moment where he held him there, and Anwyn saw the men's eyes meet, the challenge in Gideon's, but then that moment was gone. Gideon shifted into a squat next to the man. He offered Daegan a hand up, the casual gesture at odds with tense shoulders. Daegan clasped his arm, but as he lifted his upper body, he startled both of them by curling a hand behind the vampire hunter's neck and yanking him down to his mouth.

Gideon stiffened, but he didn't pull away. Instead an involuntary noise came from his throat, as if he was fighting himself, the desire to stay greater than the desire to break away. Daegan changed the angle, delving deeper, coming up on his knees. Before Gideon could choose to withdraw, he'd shoved him so he landed on his back. In a heartbeat, Daegan was stretched out on him, one thigh pressed against Gideon's groin, his other arm bracing him just above Gideon. Though Daegan's broad shoulders shadowed the other man, Gideon's hand dug into his arm in a near-combative grip. For a second he didn't move, as if he'd been paralyzed.

Before Anwyn could absorb the sudden s.e.xual charge saturating the atmosphere, Gideon broke the hold with an oath and a short, vicious jab to Daegan's mouth that drew blood. He flipped over and tried to make it to his feet, but the vampire had him pinned again, this time on his stomach, his knee in his lower back. Though he leaned down to whisper in Gideon's ear, Daegan was still clearly audible to her.

"You think I will tolerate suicide from you any more than I would from her, vampire hunter? You seek death when you cannot face life, when you cannot face who you are, what you are becoming. You've never been a coward, Gideon. Don't start now."

Bring me a set of restraints, Anwyn.

It startled her, but she covered her reaction, retrieving what he wanted from the playroom, a pair of padded yet extremely strong cuffs. When Gideon saw her, he started to struggle.

"No," he snarled. "Don't."

He was no match for Daegan in this position. The vampire yanked Gideon's hands up over his head and locked his wrists together. Then he hooked the restraints to a bolt in the floor that was used for the pulley weights in the room. Gideon continued to fight, but his arms were caught above his head, his body trapped on his stomach since Daegan was squatting on top of him, using Gideon's a.s.s as a seat.

"You cannot run; you cannot deny yourself; you can only give in to me."

She shouldn't be surprised that Daegan had so clearly recognized what barbed conflict had been tearing Gideon up these past few days, and had chosen to address it in a combative way like this, male to male. However, Daegan was also angry. As she had been angry, realizing Gideon was determined that he was simply a way station for her, one that she might sacrifice without a second thought.

Daegan, this may be what his body wants, but it's tearing him apart. On something like this, you have to go easy.

He is strong, stubborn. And his need to come to grips with this is as vital and necessary as anything else we are facing. Time is too short. But she felt the mental pause, emotion struggling with the honor and integrity she knew ran so deep inside of him. So deep he had let her hate him to do what needed to be done, those long weeks of transition. But she felt the mental pause, emotion struggling with the honor and integrity she knew ran so deep inside of him. So deep he had let her hate him to do what needed to be done, those long weeks of transition.

Help me, cher cher. Make sure I don't push him too far.

He was already pushing far beyond what Gideon believed he wanted. It took a very careful, very adept, Master or Mistress to get a slave to expand his boundaries like this without rupturing emotional scars into full, festering wounds. When their eyes met, she gave Daegan a slight nod.

"Son of a b.i.t.c.h. Let me go." Gideon spat it, pulled at the manacles in an impressive show of strength. He tried to buck Daegan off, but the vampire held firm. He flattened his palms on the flexing muscle as Gideon swore, then moved down to the waistband of the loose gi gi pants Gideon had borrowed. When Gideon bucked again, Daegan slid an arm under him, held his hips up to yank at the drawstring, bring the pants down to reveal the bare a.s.s, strip them off his muscular legs. pants Gideon had borrowed. When Gideon bucked again, Daegan slid an arm under him, held his hips up to yank at the drawstring, bring the pants down to reveal the bare a.s.s, strip them off his muscular legs.

"No. No. I don't want this."

Daegan reached beneath, closed his hand on Gideon's hard c.o.c.k, so large and stiff it made Anwyn swallow. A throbbing ache started in her own s.e.x, watching them.

"I can tell."

"It doesn't mean s.h.i.t and you know it. I don't want this. Now, cut it the h.e.l.l out."

He was panicking, his image of himself colliding with what his body wanted, his heart rate accelerating at the destruction of his ident.i.ty, an ident.i.ty that had been fragile for too long, explaining why he'd kept it behind such ironclad shields. But Daegan could tear away iron as if it were paper. Gideon needed her.

When she rose, Daegan held up a hand. Pure, cool command was in his gaze. It settled a different feeling over the room, one that even Gideon recognized, for he briefly stopped struggling, his eyes darting between them both.

"When I am inside him, you will take him, cher cher. This time, he will accept me first."

"f.u.c.k you," Gideon snarled, though his hips could not help jerking, pushing into Daegan's sure grip around his c.o.c.k.

"That's a privilege you haven't earned, servant." Daegan stood then, putting his foot on his back to hold him there. Loosening the drawstring on his own pants, he shoved them down, kicked them aside. Gideon squeezed his eyes shut, but in his mind, Anwyn saw it was because he was denying himself the temptation of looking.

You don't want to look at another guy's d.i.c.k. You don't. That was what he was telling himself. But he did. Partly for self-preservation, a warrior's natural inclination to evaluate the size and force of the weapon that was going to be used against him. Partly for other reasons. That was what he was telling himself. But he did. Partly for self-preservation, a warrior's natural inclination to evaluate the size and force of the weapon that was going to be used against him. Partly for other reasons.

Daegan didn't yet want her physically near, but she understood how she could help. Gideon, listen to me. You're being cruel to yourself, only because Daegan's touch is arousing you. You've told yourself that it's because we've been in s.e.xual situations, the three of us, intense situations, and it's just overflow from how you feel toward me. But the truth is something far different. As long as you're afraid of it, you won't know the truth. This can take you a step closer to the truth, whatever it is. You have to trust us. Can you do that?" Gideon, listen to me. You're being cruel to yourself, only because Daegan's touch is arousing you. You've told yourself that it's because we've been in s.e.xual situations, the three of us, intense situations, and it's just overflow from how you feel toward me. But the truth is something far different. As long as you're afraid of it, you won't know the truth. This can take you a step closer to the truth, whatever it is. You have to trust us. Can you do that?"

You can read my mind. Why the h.e.l.l do you ask me anything?

You know why.

They were both naked to her appreciative gaze. Daegan sent her another mental command, and she returned with a lubricant. Daegan reached out, keeping her a few feet away from her servant as he took the items. He caressed her fingers, though, giving her a look that was part rea.s.surance, part male predator.

When he turned back to Gideon, it was as if the dense energy gathering in the room had made everything slow down. As she folded her legs gracefully beneath her, seating herself close to them, Anwyn watched Daegan pour the lubricant over his hand. He thoroughly saturated it before he slid a palm over Gideon's left b.u.t.tock. It left a glistening wide band of oil there, as he worked his way toward the tightly clenched seam. "Loosen up, Gideon, or this will be more painful than you want it to be."

"If you're going to f.u.c.k my a.s.s, it's going to be agony no matter what. Stop Stop." It burst out of him as Daegan touched his rim with oil-slicked fingers. "Anwyn, Mistress . . . I don't want this."

She met his furious, panicked gaze as his head jerked toward her. Your mind says you do, Gideon. All three of us know it. Your mind says you do, Gideon. All three of us know it.

Pushing his face into the floor, blocking them both out, he gave a long, agonized growl of anguish that twisted her heart. She was a Domme, she knew Daegan was right, but this was harder than she expected. Though her body was on fire, her pulse rate up, her p.u.s.s.y soaked, watching what was about to happen, she couldn't ignore the emotional battle going on in him.

Let me at least do the lubricant, Daegan. Soothe him with my touch.

No. There's a reason I do this, Anwyn. He might be asked to submit to worse in Berlin. If he can't handle this, then he'll know know he can't go with you. he can't go with you.

It stunned her enough to bring her up short. Son of a b.i.t.c.h. Son of a b.i.t.c.h. When the expletive came to mind automatically, she knew Gideon was influencing her language. Daegan gave her a significant glance, a bare nod. When the expletive came to mind automatically, she knew Gideon was influencing her language. Daegan gave her a significant glance, a bare nod.

He'd let her snarl at him, let her believe that he'd accepted Gideon's decision. And perhaps he had, but it didn't mean he didn't have a plan to test the h.e.l.l out of it. One of these days, she was going to teach Daegan Rei to give her some inkling of his strategy before he implemented it.

Of course, even if she'd missed that, she wasn't thrown off enough to see that there was more going on here than a public service. She'd seen Daegan's anger and reaction to Gideon's challenge. As a vampire and Dominant both, she understood a predator's nature better. What was happening now made her see that duality in Daegan pretty d.a.m.n clearly.

You want to be the first male to claim his a.s.s. He'll be yours first, before any of them.

His dark eyes met hers again, and his sensual lips curled, showing a hint of fang. Then he turned his attention back to Gideon. He'd poured lubricant in the other palm and brought Gideon's hips off the ground to close it around Gideon's c.o.c.k. As he slid his grip along it, the organ grew longer and thicker.

"No," Gideon whispered. His eyes were closed, and she saw fluid leak out of the tip of the organ, a convulsive shudder taking his powerful body.

Shifting to squat next to him, Daegan clasped a handful of Gideon's hair and pulled his head up. Gideon's eyes opened, and he tried to yank back, but Daegan's grip held him in place. The vampire hunter looked like he might spit at his captor, but then thought better of it. Daegan nodded, acknowledging the wisdom. In this position, Daegan's c.o.c.k was almost under his chin. Gideon's gaze was almost tearing in his effort not to look at the fully erect organ brushing Daegan's belly, the weight of his t.e.s.t.i.c.l.es hanging beneath, the powerful thigh muscles that would help him thrust into Gideon's a.s.s.

The knuckles of Daegan's other hand slid down Gideon's throat, caressing the taut windpipe, then lower, pa.s.sing oily fingers over the trinity mark over his heart, earning a hard shudder. "You may not believe it," he murmured, "but the day will come, vampire hunter, when you will beg for my c.o.c.k in your mouth. Anwyn will be f.u.c.king you from behind with one of her strap-ons, a c.l.i.t stimulator bringing her to climax so you hear her cries, feel the spasm of her p.u.s.s.y vibrate through the rubber c.o.c.k she'll have in your a.s.s. All that will matter to you is our mutual pleasure. Whatever serves our pleasure will serve your own."

Anwyn drew in a breath, for it was the second time he'd acknowledged what she already suspected, that Gideon should belong to them both, serving a Master and Mistress. But first that last bastion had to fall, and it wasn't being f.u.c.ked. It was letting a male vampire feed off him, subjugate him to his blood needs. That was what would shatter the last part of Gideon and the life he'd led, because male vampires had always been his target. It was a male vampire who'd killed Laura.

This was perilously close to shattering him now, and it worried her.

We will take care of your tough vampire hunter; never fear, cher cher. His soul may be fragile, but he is also stronger than you realize. Remember, when he first came to you, you thought he might need the hand of both a Master and Mistress, a male energy to confront his temper and anger and kick his a.s.s when needed.

Releasing Gideon's hair, Daegean gave it an almost tender stroke, then moved behind him. Though Gideon's whole body tensed, Daegan slid his arm back under his abdomen, pulled his hips back up. He put his lips close to Gideon's ear again.

"If you're determined to stand at her back at the Council, you might have to deal with far worse than this. I'm throwing you that bone, a shield to imagine that's what this is about, no different from any other combat with an enemy. If it gets you through it, fine. But we'll both know that you respond to my c.o.c.k, my mouth, in a way you've never responded to a male."

"f.u.c.king . . . b.a.s.t.a.r.d."

"f.u.c.king you, vampire hunter. Claiming your fine a.s.s for my own." Using his other well-lubricated hand, he began to push into the opening Gideon couldn't deny him. A strangled noise came from Gideon. More pre-come oozed from his c.o.c.k, making Anwyn lick her lips. She slid closer so Gideon could see her. Though her eyes were on what Daegan was doing, she could feel Gideon watching the arousal grow in her face. He was reluctantly drawn into it, his desire to give her pleasure overriding his denials. Which conversely spurred her own reaction.

"Is it easier for you to think of it that way, like a battle exercise?" she asked. "Rather than you learning to serve me the way I desire?"