Chapter Text
Ezra physically recoiled when he got his first glimpse of the monster, struggling to comprehend the amalgamation he was looking at. Limbs too long and asymmetrical, a third eye on its face, skin in discolored patches of different textures, strange lumps growing all over it like tumors…
It had the shape of a human — most creatures did — but it was nothing like one.
And when it spotted the three of them, all three of its eyes narrowed on Selina.
Ezra had to struggle past disgust and disbelief and a surge of protective violence to focus on his spells, but Finn snagged him by the arm and tugged him behind the vampire.
“We’ll keep its attention, you attack,” Finn told Selina, leaning in so close his lips were almost brushing her ear. “Don’t let it thrall you.”
The creature stood up to its full height — not quite reaching six feet, but notably taller than its hunched lean before.
“What if it thralls you?” Selina returned in a whisper.
Finn grinned at the suggestion, malevolence rolling off him as he let out his inner beast. The transformation probably would've scared the average person, but Ezra wasn’t scared. As Finn’s eyes bled black and dark, prominent veins extended from the corners of his eyes, his fangs lengthening and claws sharpening and his prosthetic gaining new, sharp edges, all Ezra felt for the other man was love.
But even that was buried under the swell of fear he felt towards the thing standing across the glade from them.
“It can try,” Finn growled back.
Tense and admittedly terrified for the situation they’d found themselves in — especially for Selina, whom he knew was about to run within arm’s reach of that creature — Ezra swung an uncertain look at her. But her gaze was steady and determined, her body almost unnaturally still as she shifted her gaze from Finn to the creature across from them, studying it.
So Ezra took a breath, steadying himself, and brought his magic to the surface. Swirls of almost floral patterns appeared along his arms and face in a light, pastel green, glowing softly around him. He had little magic left after the ritual he’d just performed, but for this, he’d dig deep and conjure up more if it killed him.
Finn spared the witch a glance, then hissed to Selina, “Go.”
As if she were just waiting for the invitation, she kicked into motion, speeding across the clearing towards her opponent. Ezra was briefly stunned by her speed; Finn was faster when he used his vampiric celerity, but Selina was still the quickest mortal he’d ever witnessed.
The pair of men followed behind her, splitting to divert the creature’s attention. Selina leapt and struck it with her fist long before they made it there, the creature recoiling from the strike, then she darted a few steps away and yanked one of her two swords from over her shoulder.
Ezra recognized it immediately as iron — the metal that fey were harmed by — and already knew her second blade was silver from previous conversations. Though the iron would naturally be the heavier of the two, he knew she’d chosen it so she couldn’t accidentally hurt or hinder Finn with her silver blade.
The fight became brutal very quickly. Ezra was already ridiculously drained from the spell he performed earlier, forcing him to rely more on parlor tricks and light shows than anything else, but luckily both Selina and Finn were forces to be reckoned with.
Finn was definitely slower and visibly weaker than Ezra knew he was, though, which made him concerned. The last time he’d asked Finn when he’d fed last, Finn had brushed him off; now Ezra knew it must’ve been at least a few weeks.
The three of them were working together surprisingly well, though, for which Ezra was both grateful and impressed. He had to keep further away from the others, given he lacked their skills and defense, but he swooped in with another spell whenever both his loves needed to distance themselves. It felt like they were all simply aware of one another at all times, even despite the fact that Selina never let her gaze slip away from the creature.
Yet, somehow, it felt like they weren’t gaining any ground. The creature was sturdy and fast, able to keep up with its three opponents and brushing off most attacks. Even Finn’s claws and Selina’s blade were failing to do more than give it shallow scrapes before it could retaliate, swinging its large arms around to bat them away like annoying gnats.
Then, at last, Selina managed a solid blow; her blade slicked across the creature’s chest, digging deep. It screeched in response, the sound so jarring Ezra was shaken, having to cover his ears as his vision blurred in response. He didn’t catch what happened next, but suddenly Finn was skidding backwards across the ground until he slammed into a tree trunk.
Panicked, Ezra quickly dug deep into his power to conjure up vines from the ground. They seized the creature tight, constricting around it, but he knew it wouldn’t last long; he shouted for Finn and Selina to refocus, to rally themselves. His power has its limits, and he was nearing it—!
To his disbelief, Finn struggled to reorient himself on the ground, and Selina…stood there. She stared at the creature with a bemused expression as if she couldn’t comprehend something, her sword arm down, her vulnerable body undefended.
“Selina—!” Ezra called, dumbfounded and scared. He wanted to rush closer but there was only so much space and he had to keep concentrating on his spell—
Which failed as the creature surged forward, seeing the opening she was presenting and reacting to it. The vines tore away, unable to hold against it raw strength.
With a harsh growl, Finn finally pushed himself up and rushed to meet it halfway. The vampire and the creature collided in a mass of lightning-quick and powerful blows, and Ezra started work on another spell in the hopes that it would help — but Selina was still distracted, staring, immobile.
He couldn’t call out to her again, not while he was chanting, but he kept sending her panicked looks, waiting and urging her to snap out of it. Had the thing thralled her after all? Please, no…
Then, with another sudden surge of strength, the creature bashed Finn aside and rushed towards Selina again. Ezra tried to rush out the words faster, but he couldn’t match the creature’s speed — and worse, his attention was split between Selina in her stun and Finn on the ground, the vampire lunging back up slower than before.
It was the best he could do to rush to Finn’s side, throwing spell after spell at the creature to no avail in a desperate bid to distract it.
To his horror, the thing swung at her and she recoiled back too late, staggering on her feet. Her sword slipped from her grip, clanging on the frozen ground.
“Finn!” Ezra snapped, yanking on the vampire’s arm, urgency clawing at him.
Finn snapped to attention all at once and shot to his feet, snarling. His prosthetic’s power surged brighter, lengthening the claws, and his vampiric side took over, his fangs growing even longer.
Concerned as Ezra was for Finn’s state of mind, he was more concerned for Selina; as Finn darted for the creature again, Ezra focused his magic all over again. Seeing Selina harmed sparked a ferociousness he’d never felt before, and a flood of magic welled up from somewhere inside him, pouring out around him in swirls of green magic.
The creature was distracted by the display, torn between focusing on Ezra and defending against Finn; Ezra’s spells grew deadlier under the onslaught he threw at the creature, conjuring blasts of ice, daggers of wind, bolts of fire — and more.
He could see that little was making it through the creature’s tough hide, but its black blood was starting to seep out all the same. Between Selina’s cut, Finn’s frantic, vicious strikes, and Ezra’s magic, they were finally making headway.
Then, finally, Selina snapped out of her own daze. Just as Finn was bashed aside with a powerful blow to the chest, she lunged for her weapon and struck. Her arc through the air as she leapt onto the creature’s back was a thing of beauty and grace as much as it was a decisive blow, her blade coming down onto its neck — and then through.
Wailing, the creature thrashed, attempting to knock her off, but the damage was already taking effect. Its movements grew more sluggish and clumsy, and the Hunter held tight to her grips. Instead of getting flung aside she heaved herself up and then shoved the blade deeper, cutting through more of its viscera.
It howled in its wailing voice, dropping to its knees and beating at the ground — out of frustration or pain, it was anyone’s guess.
Selina shoved harder. With a deep crack, her blade severed bone and it collapsed forward with a final, pitiful whine.
Relief flooded Ezra, finally allowing his magic to relent. The fatigue that filled him was a heavy thing, making his legs feel like lead weights, his heart pounding in his chest. But it isn’t over yet — no, he’d witnessed both of his loves receive wounds and Finn was still ravenous besides.
One thing at a time, he told himself, pivoting to face Finn.
The vampire was bleeding from the nose and chest, his thirst for blood written all over him. But Ezra wasn’t afraid; he’d seen Finn like this before and he knew how to handle the larger man. He just crept closer, tugging Finn back to his feet.
“It’s okay now,” he whispered.
Distracted, Finn wiped the blood from his face just to suck it off his own fingers.
Concern crept up Ezra’s neck, but he made the effort to smother it, knowing Finn could feel it.
“It’s alright, love,” he tried again. “The fight is over. We can go home now, get some rest…”
Then, suddenly, Finn snapped his gaze up and over to Selina. Ezra followed his gaze mostly out of reflex — and ice filled his veins as he realized that Selina was pulling a bloody palm away from her side.
She examined her own hand, then looked at her side where blood was wetting her coat and armor. Then, more slowly, she looked up, fixing her gaze on Finn.
They were both tense, still, watching one another.
Growing more terrified by the second, Ezra pressed, “Finn, stay with me.” Boldly, he laid his hands on Finn, both to soothe and to restrain the man he had absolutely no hope of restraining.
To his surprise, Selina straightened and relaxed, saying, “Finn, it’s okay.”
Some part of Finn remained and was clearly trying to reach the surface; her words brought his gaze from her bloody side to her face. But the step he took towards her next was predatory, a hunter seeking its prey, and Ezra tightened his grip on Finn, attempting to hold him back.
Whether it worked or not, he couldn’t say, but Finn finally seemed to shake himself out of the madness that had taken him.
Easing back a fraction, he rumbled, distraught, “Selina… You’re hurt.”
Relief filled Ezra for the second time, recognizing that Finn was winning over his instincts. Freed from the burden of trying to keep the vampire calm, Ezra hurried from him to Selina, tugging her hand away from her wound so he could see it himself. It was bad, a trio of slashes cutting straight through her armor and flesh; if it’d been at an angle, it would’ve crushed her ribs.
With a distressed noise, he placed his hands over her wound, attempting to summon more magic to heal her. But it wasn’t coming to the surface anymore; he must’ve drawn his well dry.
Selina was still more focused on Finn, too, and she gestured Ezra to back off and relax. Following her gaze, he read Finn again, determining that the vampire was still greatly at war with himself. His fists were clenched tight and his jaw set equally so, tension radiating from him.
And his eyes were still black — not a good sign.
Selina betrayed no fear, though. As much as Finn was displaying fear, she displayed affection, and she strode towards him with sure steps. Finn, in response, looked away, squeezing his eyes shut.
In a way, that only made Ezra love him more. He kept pace with Selina, approaching the near-feral vampire without hesitation.
This was Finn, and Finn had a will stronger than any material in existence. As much as he obviously feared hurting Ezra or Selina, they were both aware by now that he never would.
“Finn, please,” Selina murmured, reaching for him.
Finn shook his head, recoiling. “I don’t want to hurt you,” he bit out, his tone tortured. “I’d never forgive myself.”
You won’t, Ezra thought; aloud, he soothed, “Let us help you. We’re not going anywhere.”
Selina paused there, giving him space, and she frowned as she examined Finn’s chest. The gash across his pectoral was deep and red but notably not bleeding anymore — and neither was it healing.
Also not a good sign for a vampire.
“You’re hurt,” she murmured faintly.
“Says you,” Finn retorted, glancing away again.
Tilting her head with a tiny smile, she closed the distance between them, reaching up to cup Finn’s cheek.
“Yes, says me,” she mumbled, her voice echoing her exhaustion. “I’m very observant, you know.”
The tease lightened Ezra’s mood and seemed to improve Finn’s as well; the vampire gave a contented rumble, leaning into her touch. Slowly the veins of black receded from his face, the black coloration fading from his flesh hand, and his prosthetic’s battle spikes retracted.
When he opened his eyes again, his sclera were once more perfectly white.
With a heavy sigh, Ezra said, “There he is.”
Finally, finally — finally, it felt like the horror and chaos was over. They’d done it, killing the thing that had been plaguing the town for the last month, as well as closing the Hell gate that had been plaguing it for the two years prior.
They were done.
Finn cupped Selina’s hand to his cheek, but his expression was still grim and averted. “You should let Ezra take a look at that, it’s…” he started, then trailed off.
Reminded of her wound, Ezra snapped his gaze down to her side again.
Horror descended all over again as he realized the blood had gone from her side down her leg. It didn’t take but a split second for him to recognize that it was worse than it’d appeared at first; she was losing too much blood.
Even a Hunter could die of bloodloss.
Sounding more dazed by the second and oblivious to Finn’s comment, she just slurred, “We did it. It’s dead. It’s over.”
Panic started to thread through Ezra as he looked her over, reaching for her. “Selina?” he breathed.
“Selina!” Finn echoed, surging forward to clasp her arms when she started to sway on her feet.
“We did it,” she repeated, her head lolling to the side.
“No,” Ezra blurted, snagging her as well. She didn’t seem to notice, her legs buckling until the only thing holding her up were Finn and Ezra’s grips.
“Stay with us,” Finn pleaded, stepping into her and tucking her against him.
Her eyes closed, and just like that, she fell limp.
In an instant, Ezra’s mind was a swirl of panicked information. He couldn’t heal her, not now and as weak as he was. That meant she needed medical attention, which meant she needed to be at his shop.
Finn hauled her up in his arms, turning a sharp look on Ezra. His mouth opened, but Ezra spoke first.
“Get her to my shop, right now!” the witch ordered.
Finn hesitated. “We’ll need you there, too. Get on my back again — I can carry you both!”
“You’ll be faster without me, just go!” Ezra insisted. “When you get there, just hold cloth to her wound to stop the bleeding. I’ll be right behind you—”
Conflicted, Finn swung his gaze from Selina’s pale face, to Ezra, and the town. Then, deciding on something, he rushed out, “I’ll send Raven to get you. Just let her bring you, no fighting!”
Ezra gave him a shove. “Go already!” he snapped.
In a flurry of movement, Finn was gone.
A little staggered and shaken up, Ezra glared down at the creature on the ground, hatred seeping out from within. If it hadn’t been for this creature, Selina wouldn’t—
No, no, he argued with himself. If it hadn’t been for the creature, he never would have met her to begin with. Silver linings. Stay positive. Everything will be fine, just have faith.
He just had to get home, heal Selina, and everything would be perfect again.
Easy enough.
The streets were still chaotic by the time Finn made it back to town, but he cut through it faster than he could be spotted by anyone. He made a beeline for Ezra’s shop and home, easily bypassing the magical wards with his prosthetic.
Selina neither moved nor made a sound the entire trip, and it terrified him. But he could still hear her heartbeat and breathing, at least. It was labored and faint, but she lived.
He took her straight to the back room, shoved everything off the table, and laid her out on it. In a darting motion he tore up the latch leading to the catacombs and shouted for Raven; in another he was rushing into a side room where the medical supplies were kept.
He came back with an armful of containers and clean cloths, setting them down and working on peeling Selina’s armor off. He had her down to her undershirt and was applying pressure to her gashes — while viciously fighting off his instincts to drink up every drop of blood she’d lost — by the time Raven appeared from below.
“What’s going on? Finn?” she demanded, sniffing the air. “Is that blood—”
“I need you to get Ezra,” Finn rushed out. “He’s in the forest, northwest of here. You should be able to follow the scent of Selina’s blood. Go!” he pressed.
To her credit, Raven didn’t wait. After a beat of stun as she absorbed his words, she vanished in a swirl of darkness, delving back down into the tunnels, the latch slamming shut after her.
Selina still didn’t react despite the loud thump, and it had Finn’s heart sinking.
“No, no, no,” he whispered to her, distraught. “I can’t lose you, too…not like this. I can’t. You’re a fighter, Selina,” he bit out, “so fight. Fight for us. You’ve only just found us, you can’t abandon us now. Not like this,” he repeated.
Not a few more moments passed before the jingle of the front door sounded, alerting Finn to another presence, and he pivoted, hoping it was Ezra—
It was August, flanked by Piper and another Hunter, all three looking frazzled.
“What happened?” August demanded, visibly shocked and horrified when they spotted Selina on a table with Finn leaning over her, bloody bandages in his hands.
A part of Finn knew and recognized the Enforcer and their subordinates. He recognized that he’d probably left a trail all the way here that had drawn attention, eventually reaching August. And he recognized that they would of course investigate something happening in Ezra’s shop, given how they’d just closed a Hell gate with Ezra’s aid.
The rest of Finn surged with protective brutality.
In an uncharacteristic show of ferocity, he bared his fangs at the intruders.
August hesitated in the midst of taking a step, gesturing that Piper and the other Hunter stay back. “Finn,” they warned, “that’s my subordinate on that table. I need to ensure she’s alright.”
Finn fully understood that, but the primal part of him replied harshly, “No. You’ll stay back until Ezra’s seen her first.”
“Finn, she’s bleeding,” they insisted. “Right now you’re a greater danger to her than I am.”
Again, the vampire understood what was being said. He even understood the implication: that, being a vampire, if his control slipped for even a second, he’d find himself feasting on her before he could stop himself.
But at the same time, offense arose. He’d already fought through those instincts and came out on top. He wasn’t about to let himself slip again.
“August, I hear you,” Finn told them roughly, “but I can’t let you closer. Not until Ezra says it’s okay. I won’t hurt her.”
August seemed to consider that for a moment, sending Selina a conflicted look.
Piper spoke up then, saying, “Oh, you big brute, just let us help! We all want to see her alive, yeah?”
August gestured her to be quiet again, then pressed, “What happened with the creature?”
“It’s dead,” Finn told them both. “She killed it. It’s over.” Then, sending her a tortured look, he added in a quiet mumble, “Almost over…”
Out of nowhere, Raven’s voice cut in, snapping, “Out of the way, all of you! Aside!”
Finn swiveled his head back around, relief flooding him as he saw the group split to allow Ezra and Raven through. The vampiress stayed well back from the bloody scene on the table, but Ezra swept right up to the table to check on Selina, even shooing Finn back in the process.
“Shut the door,” Ezra ordered as he peeled back the compresses on their huntress’s side. As grim and pale as his face was, his motions were clinical and his mind sharp as he got to work on her.
Orders were given from time to time as the witch worked, eventually calling August in to help him. Though the Enforcer was no healer, they could still help with smaller things, like magically cleaning the blood or holding and maneuvering Selina as needed.
Raven was the first to leave, followed by Piper and the other Hunter when August ordered them to go home and rest. With little to do at this point, Finn paced until his pacing aggravated Ezra; then he was told to either sit or leave, and he chose to sit.
Selina’s wounds were cleaned and stitched closed. The bleeding stopped easily enough once it was properly tended, and though her vitals were considerably weakened by the time it was over, it didn’t get any worse.
Exhausted, August asked the men for an explanation (which they gave) before thanking them for their help and leaving to get some sleep.
Ezra all but collapsed into the sofa beside Finn, leaning into him. They both just gazed at Selina for a long while, discussing what to do next, eventually deciding on taking her into the catacombs. Finn would be able to watch her day in and day out, and in the meantime Ezra could sleep and regain his magic. Once he was refilled, he could heal her in a snap.
If only it’d been that simple.
“Why won’t she wake up?” Ezra demanded, pacing and biting his nails in Finn’s room.
That, Finn couldn’t answer. It’d already been two days and Ezra had completely healed her wounds, and yet she still slept. Her vitals were back to normal, everything up to her bloodloss magically fixed.
But she wouldn’t wake up.
Finn had taken her down here after forcing Ezra to go to bed, himself, carefully and gently carrying her down the ladder and all the way to his room. The rest of his clan had been intrigued, perplexed, and distressed upon finding the new Hunter unconscious and injured in his arms. Though the younger ones were obviously affected by the scent of her blood, they retained enough self-control to keep their distance.
No one had disturbed Finn once he’d sequestered himself away in his room with the mortal woman. Then, once he’d gotten her sufficiently undressed and comfortable in his bed, he’d taken a seat at his desk and finally admitted to himself that he was absolutely going to be brooding.
A lot.
For several hours, that’s all he’d done: watch her and brood.
He’d replayed the battle over and over in his mind, obsessing over the moments when he’d been clumsy or distracted. He’d beat himself up over it, especially given that, once or twice, his focus had slipped from fighting to playing, briefly allowing himself to have fun fighting the thing. He’d had fun fighting alongside his two loves, admiring them from time to time instead of focusing on killing the thing that was trying to kill them!
And he hated himself for it.
If he’d just been more focused, this wouldn’t have happened. He’d let his guard slip, time and again, and Selina had paid the price for it.
Granted, he’d also received a wound and his weakened state was preventing it from healing like it should, but at this point he considered it his just comeuppance. His recklessness had allowed this to happen, and he’d bear the consequences of it like he should.
Then, after several hours of this focus, one of his clan finally approached the door. He received a report that the pair of vampires he’d assigned to watch the dungeons had a critical update: the patrols had thinned to almost none.
It seemed the creature’s appearance and subsequent death had thrown the entire city into such an upheaval that every Enforcer was being utilized to calm the townsfolk. At once, Finn realized they had a perfect opportunity to retrieve Fiero, the likes of which they wouldn’t get again.
He felt he couldn’t leave Selina to conspire with his clan, though, so he’d opted to stay put until Ezra came back.
The witch arrived less than two hours later, looking frazzled but rested. He’d come with supplies, as well, and the duo proceeded to tend to her wounds again, Ezra using his magic to heal her as much as he could after only a day’s rest. He couldn’t complete it — not without hurting himself, and Finn didn’t let him go that far.
Selina wouldn’t want him straining himself so much, and he’d reminded Ezra of that to calm the younger man.
Finn chose then to force Ezra to relax and eat something, then left to talk to his clan. Selina wasn’t going anywhere, and as much as it pained him to leave her now, he knew she was in good hands.
He’d spent a while talking to his clan, then, working out a plan to retrieve Fiero. It ended up being haphazard and risky at best, but with such a short window they decided that they needed to strike tonight, while the chaos was still at its peak.
With reluctance, Finn made himself go with, though his weakened state meant he was keeping watch instead of participating. No, he left the break-in and retrieval to his stronger and stealthier clanmates, Raven chief among them.
The group, together, infiltrated the dungeon through the forest entrance, avoided the scant two guards still working there, found the magical key they needed to unlock Fiero’s cell, and smuggled him out. Immediately a few of them sacrificed some blood so he could drink and replenish his strength, and Finn went as far as embracing his brother-by-fate.
They’d returned to the catacombs one vampire heavier, and Fiero had gone straight to his chambers to rest.
Finn had returned to his own, not the least bit surprised to find that Ezra hadn’t left — and more than a little angry to find that the witch hadn’t eaten. No, Ezra had evidently just been sitting in the chair, facing the bed and holding Selina’s hand, chewing his lips bloody.
“Angel,” Finn had chided him, “if you don’t take care of yourself, Selina is going to skewer you when she wakes up.”
The tiny, fragile smile Ezra gave had been like sunlight piercing through the dreariness of the last day.
Eventually Finn managed to bully the witch into such terrible acts as eating and sleeping, though he hadn’t been able to convince Ezra to sleep in his own bed. No, Ezra chose to stay here, nestled up beside Selina and fretting over her.
But as the night drew to a close and midnight approached, they grew increasingly tense. It’d been almost twenty-four hours, now, and she still hadn’t roused even the slightest. Even Finn confirming that her heart sounded better weren’t helping their moods; she was physically better and her mind was active, but she still hadn’t woken up.
The second day was even worse for them. When Ezra woke after getting a few more hours’ sleep to find she still wasn’t awake, he began to panic.
Soothing Ezra while trying to remain calm, himself, became a full-time job for Finn. He was scared for her, too, even as a part of him quietly lamented the fragility of mortals and their short lifetimes, accepting that if this was it…then this was it. Morbidity and vampirism went hand-in-hand, and Finn was a very old vampire.
He knew he had limited time with Ezra and Selina. He knew he wouldn’t have them forever. He especially knew that Hunters didn’t live long enough to die of old age. Hells, he’d killed several by his own hands in the past, in so doing proving that every Hunter had a limit.
As much as he’d pleaded with Selina to stay with them, he also knew that he couldn’t make her stay if she’d reached that limit. He didn’t accept it, but a part of him never forgot it. They could beg and wish and plead and flood her with healing magics all they liked, but if she didn’t want to wake again, she wouldn’t.
He didn’t speak these words aloud, however, not wanting to distress Ezra any further. No, Finn just held the man, soothed him, kissed him quiet, and held vigil with him.
For the time being, it was all they could do.
When Selina woke up at last, she was trying to sit up almost before she’d opened her eyes. A thrill hit Ezra right in the chest even as he reacted, grasping her shoulders and guiding her back down.
“Don’t move,” he murmured. “Let me check you over.”
Both he and Finn were seated on the edge of the bed; a moment ago, Finn had been comforting him, hugging him and stroking his hair. They’d both been tense and distraught over the fact that Selina was essentially comatose, and Ezra especially had been fretting over his inability to rouse her from it.
She was fully healed by now. Over the last two days he’d put nearly every drop of his magic towards healing and replenishing her, going so far as to use a spell to recover her bloodloss.
But despite all his efforts and their combined attention, confirming that everything was physically okay with her, she just…hadn’t woken. It’d gotten to the point where Ezra started to worry that she never would, that they’d be holding vigil over her unconscious body until it withered away from starvation.
It didn’t help matters that she would move every so often as if she were fighting to wake with something else holding her back. It tore at him every time she would make a distressed noise, shift, try to move, try to speak… More than once he’d just laid down beside her, cuddling her and trying to soothe whatever was happening in her dreams.
That always resulted in Finn having to drag him away once she’d settled, because Ezra was terrified that if he let her go, she wouldn’t come back.
And then, quite suddenly, she’d just…risen.
His emotions rioted between elation, relief and terror, and now he needed to make sure she was fully healed and wouldn’t fall back into that catatonic state.
His fingers tinted green with his magic as she did as bade, falling back into the pillows and letting him perform a check of her vitals.
Finn, as usual, was far more composed. He smiled down at Selina, taking her hand and squeezing it.
“Did you enjoy your nap?” he teased.
She gave him a wry smile and a shrug, retorting, “Not really. It was time apart from the two of you, after all.”
Ezra clucked his tongue at her, passing his hands over her torso an inch away from touching, seeking any damage or weakness he’d missed.
Finding none, he relaxed back, saying heavily, “You’re fine. As good as new, actually.”
Her expression said, I could’ve told you that.
As Ezra’s emotions settled from the chaotic mixture before into joy and affection, he sent a glance to Finn, the pair of them breaking out into smiles.
To Selina, Finn commented, “Not everyone gets the best healer in Eskria as their own personal doctor, you know, Selina.”
She smiled back…and then it faded. She pushed herself up, and though Ezra tried to keep her back, her strength was greater than his. She seized both men in her arms, hugging them tight, and he folded just like that.
He seized her in both his arms, squeezing her, and Finn caught them both in his own. She leaned into them as Finn all but crushed them against him, squeezing the air from their lungs.
Quiet and a little shaky, Finn murmured, “We’ve been so worried.”
She burrowed into Ezra, nuzzling her face into his neck. It tickled a little, but it was so adorable the witch couldn’t find it in him to mind.
They held like that for several long moments before withdrawing, Ezra’s emotions settling further until all he felt was love.
He cupped her cheek, gazing at her with the remnants of his former worry, saying, “I truly couldn’t figure out why you wouldn’t wake.”
Finn kept a hand on them both, one on Selina’s waist and the other on Ezra’s back.
The vampire added, “I had a hell of a time getting him to rest, you know?”
Her smile was strained as she replied, “I’m sorry I worried you.” Then, a little more cheekily, she said, “You know it’ll take more than a flesh wound to get rid of me, though.”
Ezra smiled at that, stroking her cheek with his thumb. “Our brave Hunter,” he praised. “Or stubborn, I suppose.”
“Stubborn comes standard with every Hunter,” she replied dryly. “How long have I been out?”
“Two days,” Finn answered; she blinked in shock, “and Ezra did an excellent job of healing you, but… we just couldn’t get you to wake up.” He sent a look at Ezra that the witch pointedly ignored.
“Do you feel okay?” Ezra asked her.
Her gaze wandered at his question and she felt her ribs where the creature had injured her, checking it. At length she turned his question aside, instead asking, “Did we really do it? Is it really dead?”
Both men smiled at that, and when Ezra edged closer to her, Finn followed, closing the distance between them until their legs were touching one another somewhere.
“You did it,” Finn replied firmly, “and you were incredible.”
Her lips quirked and she teased, “Did I live up to your expectations?”
Ezra sent him a questioning look, estimating he’d missed some conversation, and Finn grinned in response.
“You exceeded them,” the vampire told her.
She flushed, grinning, then shook her head as if clearing it. “We did it,” she insisted. “Together.”
Finn gave a heavy, dramatic sigh; Ezra nudged him with his elbow.
“We merely assisted,” Ezra told their huntress. “You’re a force to be reckoned with, Selina.”
“Our wildcat,” Finn agreed. “It didn’t stand a fucking chance. And now the bad guy is gone, so you can finally rest.”
Her expression immediately fell, her gaze slipping away from them. She gave a dry, almost maddened laugh, and Ezra shot Finn a concerned look. All humor had drained from the moment, replaced with worry just like that.
“Selina—” Ezra started.
She shook her head. “I don’t think the creature was the bad guy, not even close,” she told them. “Just… a pawn.”
Finn watched her in silence, probably picking apart her thoughts or at least her emotions, and Ezra took her hands.
Holding her eyes, Ezra said, “I couldn’t help but notice you stirring while you slept. I couldn’t pull you from your slumber, no matter what I tried.” And they’d tried everything from talking to her to flooding her with energy to pricking her finger; nothing had worked.
“Something happened, didn’t it?” he pressed. The only conclusion that he could reach at this point was that something else had gotten a hold of her mind or spirit and took her somewhere else.
She bit her lip, visibly considering what to say next. At length, she offered, “I’m not sure if you’d believe me if I told you.”
He gave a wry smile, sending Finn a pointed look. The vampire returned it with an easy smile, both of them on the same wavelength.
Nothing was too weird to not be believed. Not in Lunaris.
“How about you try us?” Finn prompted her. “We’ve lived in Lunaris long enough to be immune to most weirdness, Selina.”
She took a deep breath, and Ezra gave her hands little strokes with his thumbs in encouragement.
It seemed to work. After a moment, she started, “I had a dream — I think. It might have been something more. James was there, really there,” she insisted. “We spoke, and he showed me what I think were his memories. Some of mine, too,” she added more hesitantly.
She waited a beat, then went on, “I saw the Academy. My Academy. It felt so real, like I was twelve years old again. James took me through the initiation. I’d forgotten everything,” she whispered, “almost as if my memory had been wiped.”
Finn huffed in annoyance, his hand on her hip giving a squeeze. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they did such a thing,” he spat.
Ezra sent him a glance, silent and concerned. He didn’t know where Selina was going with this, but her hesitation and obvious dread was worrying him worse.
“Go on,” he encouraged gently.
She swallowed. “The ritual, it…” she started, then hesitated again. “They fed us blood.”
Ezra sucked in a breath, shock suffusing him.
Selina went on, “Vampire, demon, lycan, fae. That’s what makes us what we are…made me what I am.”
The witch’s mind reeled with this information. He’d be lying if he said he’d never thought that Hunters were far beyond the abilities of normal humans, that their strength and speed rivaled that of the creatures they hunted.
But he’d thought maybe potions and magic had been involved, not…blood. Creature blood.
At first, Finn didn’t react, and Selina glanced between them, fear etched on her face. Her hands squeezed Ezra’s in grips so tight it was painful, as if she feared they would abandon her in disgust now that they knew.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Finn spoke first, offering her a warm smile as he replied, “Nothing could ever make you less human, do you understand?”
She gave a little, relieved laugh.
Impulsively, Ezra lifted one of her hands to kiss her fingers. “We care for you,” he told her, “no matter what. Nothing could ever change that.” Then, more sadly, he added, “I’m so sorry they did that to you.”
Their words succeeded in relaxing her, and she leaned back into the pillows again, sighing. The action pulled her hands free of Ezra’s, and — still needing to touch her — he placed his hand on her knee, Finn doing the same with her other.
It seemed to help, tugging a fragile smile out of her. “It will all take some time to process,” she said wearily, “but…as long as I have you both by my side.”
Ezra smiled at that, but Finn scowled, looking away.
“They have no right,” he bit out.
She hesitated at that, then changed the subject. “I also saw Harry and James, together. Almost as if James was trying to tell me something by showing me pieces of his memories of them.” She gathered her thoughts for a moment, continuing, “James wrote Harry a letter the night he died, and they argued prior to that. James kept asking him to think about what he was doing.
“I got the impression he holds a lot of guilt over what happened, and he told me that he should have killed the creature when he had the chance,” she told them.
Thoughtful, Finn said, “Something made him hesitate.”
“That isn’t like James,” Ezra agreed. “Not in the slightest.”
“Like all Hunters,” the vampire continued, “he always knew that hesitation means death.”
Selina nodded. “The thing that killed him,” she started, “or the person that killed him… He knew them. That’s why he hesitated. That’s why he died.”
The person? Ezra thought, confused and grieving all over again. “Oh no,” he murmured. “Poor James…”
They fell into silence then. The only break to the monotony was Finn running his prosthetic hand over his face, one of the habits he’d developed to help keep humans at ease around him.
At length, he said, “While you rested we rescued Fiero. It went well,” he told her, “but they haven’t even bothered to come looking for him.”
Ezra frowned. In between moments of worry for Selina, he’d also felt concern over that fact, too. “I find it so strange that they don’t seem to care,” he said, glancing between the two. “They lost a supposedly valuable prisoner and yet they do nothing?”
“Exactly,” Finn agreed. “They know where he is, they’re not complete and utter morons. I think,” he added more lightly.
Selina shook her head. “They could very well be onto us.”
“They could,” Finn nodded, “and after what you’ve just told me, I can’t help but think that’s why they held him. To make…more of whatever that nasty concoction they fed you? To make more Hunters?”
She frowned. “I can’t think that’s what his purpose was. Surely they haven’t gathered the blood in such a violent manner all this time. Surely they have deals or something,” she impressed. “I feel it runs so much deeper than that.”
“You have a point,” Finn allowed. “You did say at your Academy you fought in sparring matches with creatures.”
“She did what?” Ezra blurted, shocked. He sent a sharp look at Finn, then Selina, demanding an explanation.
“Sacruese Institute,” she answered, “is where I trained. We had volunteers of various kinds of creatures train with us, you know, so we could get real experience before being let out into the world to learn in life-or-death situations.”
Frowning, Ezra said, “That sounds…hard. Brutal.”
“Oh, it was,” she agreed. Then, smiling, she told him, “But it was also enlightening. Sacruese boasts the best Hunter survival and success rate, and for good reason.”
That relaxed him a great deal. As horrible as her life must have been, it had clearly done her incredible favors. Watching her fight had been an eye-opening experience for him, given he’d never seen a Hunter fight before.
At times it’d been like watching a force of nature, a tornado or hurricane sweeping and darting across the battlefield, lethal and precise.
The subject sparked a thought in Selina, then, and she focused on Finn, asking, “Do you remember the first Hunters, Finn?”
The vampire’s good mood evaporated. He looked away, his smile gone.
Ezra knew this couldn’t be conjuring good memories in his lover, but he also knew Selina wouldn’t have asked without good reason. So he pressed gently, “It’s okay, Finnegan,” taking Finn’s hand between his own in a show of support.
It worked. Finn turned a grateful look on Ezra, then said to Selina, “I do, yes. I was in Aclea on Revelation Day, where it all began. I’m not sure if they were true Hunters then, or even when the order was truly formed, but…they were just normal humans,” he told her. “They fought, and most of them died. Maybe that’s why they sought to find something to make them stronger.”
Selina absorbed that, saying, “Because they wouldn’t stand a chance against you, otherwise.”
With a sorrowful smile, Finn shook his head, agreeing, “No, they wouldn’t, but they put up a bloody good fight. That’s why Levi and I fled and came here.”
Ezra couldn’t help a wince at Levi’s name. He knew only a fraction of the monstrosities the old vampire committed, but he knew a great deal of details about them thanks to prior conversations with Finn.
To say the talks had distressed Finn was putting it mildly. The poor vampire had endured monumental torments, both from atrocities forced on him and atrocities he was forced to commit, himself.
They weighed on him even now, decades later, and it was all Ezra could do most times to just try to comfort Finn.
Oblivious to his thoughts, Selina asked next, “What about me? Could you tell there was something wrong with me?”
The way her voice quavered as she asked that tugged at Ezra’s heart, making it give a painful squeeze. “There’s nothing wrong with you,” he told her quietly.
Finn smiled at her. “It’s always been obvious that you’re different,” he said gently. “Normal humans don’t have your agility, stamina, and all the other little quirks that make you, you. Even then, we’ve never thought of you as monsters.
“There’s never been even the slightest inkling that you were created that way,” he told her. “That should tell you all you need to know about what you are. There is nothing wrong with you,” he said firmly. “You are still human, every bit of you.”
Uncertainty remained in Selina’s topaz eyes as she glanced between them, a frown wrinkling her brow. Ezra reached out to smooth it with his thumb, clearing his throat for attention.
“That should tell you all you need to know about what you are, Selina,” he started. “You’re no monster.”
She took that in, her gaze wandering as she thought on it. Ezra sent a glance towards Finn, giving her time to think, and shared a warm, fond look with the much larger pale man.
No matter what Selina might think of herself, to him — to them — it didn’t matter if she were human, Hunter, witch or hag. She was theirs, and that’s what mattered most.
Then she sat up straighter, reaching for Finn. The vampire caught her wrist as her hand stretched out towards his chest, his opposite hand flattening over his pectoral as if to hide it.
“I’m fine,” he said, even as he averted his gaze.
A tiny alarm sounded in Ezra’s head. Before…during the fight…Finn had been injured. Ezra had known that, but he’d assumed it’d healed by now. After all, Finn was old and strong and not stupid — usually. He kept himself sufficiently fed — usually.
Ezra reached for the vampire’s shirt, and between him and Selina Finn couldn’t refuse them. He was visibly aggravated as Ezra managed to unbutton his shirt and nudge it aside, absently tugging it off to reveal the wound Selina had already noticed.
It was…bad. Taking a vampire’s natural healing rate into account, this wound should’ve been fully healed within hours.
Instead, two days later, it remained, with red and violet discoloration branching out around it. The dumb vampire let himself get an infection — generally an impossibility for a vampire, sure, but the evidence was irrefutable.
“Finnegan…” Ezra sighed, already conjuring his magic to fix it.
Finn caught the witch’s wrists, restraining him. “No,” he denied. “You’re still weak, you need rest. I will not have you making yourself sick when someone else might need you far more than me.”
Ezra sighed again, a chiding sound; Selina shifted forward, folding her legs under her.
“That thing was no normal creature,” she said, her tone hard and chastising. “You could get sick.”
Too late, Ezra thought, huffing as he yanked his hands from Finn’s tight grip. “It’s already infected. You’re a fool to not tell me,” he snipped at Finn. When would he learn that his well-being was just as important as theirs?
Selina frowned, reaching out to press her hand to Finn’s chest, right over his long-dead heart. It drew a little smile out of Finn, and he took her hand, lacing their fingers and squeezing.
“Don’t worry about me,” he told them both. “I’ll be fine.”
She watched him, her eyes displaying clearly that she was thinking rapidly. As he held her gaze, the two of them probably reading one another, Ezra spoke up again.
“If you won’t let me heal you,” the witch advised, “you need to feed.”
At once, Finn’s expression neutralized again, becoming more like the emotionless statue his kind normally displayed. Ezra knew that look; Finn adopted it when he was suppressing what he wanted or needed, particularly in response to his vampiric side.
Which meant he was undoubtedly thinking about feeding and was trying not to be affected by it.
“Where,” Selina prompted, “I mean… who do you usually feed from?”
Ezra’s face flushed as that answer was conjured. He was immediately flooded with incredibly pleasant memories of Finn biting him, drinking him, oftentimes during more passionate moments. It was easily one of the most powerful and pleasurable things the witch had ever known, and he couldn’t deny that he’d missed it dearly in these last few months.
Finn, of course, noticed, smirking a little. But he faced Selina to answer her directly, saying, "I stopped hunting properly when I met Ezra. Though, I had little choice,” he added more lightly, “being bedridden after my little incident.”
He twisted his prosthetic wrist again, something Ezra had noticed he did often, as if to remind himself that it was really there.
“After he saved me,” Finn went on, “I could no longer bear the thought of hurting someone like him. He changed my life, saved my life. He agreed to allow me to feed on him so that I wouldn’t have to seek that elsewhere and risk hurting anyone.”
Memories swamped Ezra all over again. That’s right, he thought; those first few feedings had just been a donation, a kind of harmless, victimless way to keep Finn fed and in control.
Their relationship had all but blossomed around it, and Ezra could still recall how their first kiss had been an impulsive decision on his part after Finn had lifted his head from one such bite. The fact that Ezra could taste his own blood on Finn’s lips hadn’t deterred him; if anything, it’d been even more of a lure.
His blood was in another man’s veins. What could make them closer than that?
As Ezra mused on that, Finn gave Selina a steady look, waiting for her reaction. When she just watched him, thoughtful and intrigued, then eyed Ezra and clearly noticed the puncture scars on his neck, it was plain as day to the witch what was coming next.
Either Finn didn’t catch on or he was too scared to hope, because he just went on, “Witch’s blood is potent. It keeps us sustained for a lot longer than any normal human would, which means I didn’t need to feed that often. But I haven’t fed for months, and with everything that’s been going on recently…”
He trailed off, hesitated, then finished, “I need to feed, but I’m not leaving your side.”
“You haven’t fed in months,” Ezra echoed, distraught. He’d hoped that Finn would’ve at least hunted at some point in the last month, had been strangling a hope that the vampire wouldn’t have been starving himself.
The witch had clearly been wrong.
Fearless as always, Selina prompted, “Tell me what it’s like.”
Ezra gawked at her query, not remotely expecting that, of all things. Finn briefly wore a matching expression, too, but it was swiftly overridden with a suave smile.
“What it feels like?” Ezra checked, blushing heavily. How would he even put that into words?
She nodded, glancing between them, visibly curious. “For both of you,” she clarified.
Finn swallowed, teasing, “I thought you already knew? You said you’ve been bitten before.”
“In battle, and unwillingly,” she countered. “This…between you…seems like it would be a lot different.”
“It is,” he agreed, sending a glance at Ezra. The two men shared a look, Ezra’s blush still deep and only growing hotter as his memories swamped him.
Finn started, “The way I feel when I feed on someone I’m close with is… It’s something euphoric,” he concluded wistfully. “Like, in that moment, nobody else exists but them and I. I can feel everything they feel, everything they want. Like we’ve become one.”
Ezra fidgeted in place, affected both by those words and his own memories. “It’s indescribable,” he breathed.
Finn reached over, bringing a hand to Ezra’s jaw. He gave the witch’s jaw a light stroke and Ezra softened, leaning into the caress. Maybe he was just starved for affection, but even those little touches felt like Heaven.
Then Finn turned his molten gold eyes to Selina, reaching for her hand, invitation — and begging — written all over his face. He bit his lip, holding back from saying what he wanted.
Selina clearly heard him anyway. She followed the tug of his hand, coming so close she was almost in his lap. Once there, she murmured, “I want that with you. I want you to feed on me.”
Ezra’s blush heated further, finding himself shockingly aroused by the thought of witnessing Finn drinking from her.
Finn just bit his lip harder, nearly piercing it with his fang, hesitating. “You trust me?” he prompted, his voice deeper and rougher than normal. “After what you saw in the forest?”
There was something humorous in her gaze as she sent Ezra a glance; he nodded, encouraging her. In a way, he wanted this too, wanted Finn and Selina to have that same connection he’d had the pleasure of feeling many times before.
“I do,” she told Finn, facing him again.
The hunger Finn was feeling, at that moment, was greater than it’d ever been — not only for blood, but for his loves as a whole. As much as he wanted to bite Ezra and taste the witch’s delectable blood again, the thought of tasting Selina’s roused him even more.
The smile he gave her wasn’t entirely voluntary, flashing his fangs at her; she didn’t flinch. If anything, he could feel her desire burning hotter at their appearance.
Sometimes being an empath was detrimental. Sometimes it was overwhelming.
Right now, as he was swamped in the rising passion of two incredibly attractive people, it was his greatest blessing.
He reached up, bringing a single finger to his wildcat’s neck and drawing it along the vein he’d already isolated as his target. She lifted her chin, her blue eyes hot on him, and it took everything in him not to pounce on her for that move, alone.
It didn’t help that this was obviously arousing Ezra, too, the witch’s breathing growing quicker and heavier.
In a slow move that was as much a warning as a teaser, he let his hand curl around her neck, then hesitated.
“I need to hear you say it again,” he rumbled roughly.
Selina’s response was to bite her lip, then wriggle free of her undershirt, tossing it aside and baring her breasts to both men.
He groaned, eating up the sight of her bare before him.
“Take whatever you need,” she murmured, “it’s yours.”
That drew another husky noise from him, and he tipped forward, seizing her lips in a kiss. But as much as he wanted — ached — to devour her delightful mouth, the call of her blood was stronger. He’d always been able to hear her heartbeat, but right then it was dominating his focus, thundering in his ears.
Ezra’s heartbeat was loud, too, but muted by comparison; Finn needed her blood, needed to taste her and take her in. It didn’t help that he knew from experience that Hunter blood was particularly delicious, lauded by vampires everywhere as the tastiest treat.
He dropped his mouth from hers to her neck right away, kissing and running his nose along her skin. He inhaled her scent and it filled him in an euphoric wave.
Dimly, he recognized that Ezra was moving closer, until they were all pressed as close as they could be without being in a pile.
The witch took Selina’s hand, purring, “Just breathe, it’ll only hurt for a second. Keep your eyes on me.”
Her head rolled slightly to do as bade, even as a thread of humor suffused her. She retorted, “It’s a poor Hunter who’s afraid of a little pain.”
Finn hummed in acknowledgement and amusement, even as he peppered her thin, sexy neck with kisses. It was partly a tactic to find the best vein for his needs, something learned from practice, but also a way to build up her own pleasure.
He wanted her to enjoy this as much as he would, though his vampiric need for blood was making it hard for him to do this slowly. He let his mouth open, let his fangs graze her, his grip on her waist giving her a squeeze.
More desire flooded her at the move, confirming how much she wanted this. One of her hands slid up along his back to delve her fingers into his hair, sinking in and gripping him tight. ::Please,:: her mind cajoled loudly.
It was all the encouragement he needed.
With a tiny growl, giving in entirely, he pinpointed the vein he wanted and sank his fangs into her. Her sharp inhale only made her throat jump against his tongue as her blood immediately began pooling in his mouth, and he dimly recognized that Ezra had leaned in to kiss her, too.
The flavors and sensations that flooded him were incredible. He’d expected that euphoric rush as he slowly, slowly swallowed her down, sucking at her skin, but it was almost debilitating in its intensity. Being able to feel her pleasure so clearly, their empathy feeding off one another, while also feeling Ezra’s own pleasure…
He groaned raggedly, wanting more the more he got. It wasn’t enough, even while it was also almost too much. He could feel her blood slowly suffusing him, the heat of it spreading through him with every draw of her veins.
Their minds collided and melded, his power sweeping through them involuntarily.
::Selina… Selina…:: his mind repeated, over and over.
::Finn,:: her mind replied. ::Ezra… Finn… fuck,:: she cursed.
::So good, too good,:: Ezra’s thoughts chimed in. ::Love this, love you both…so much.::
Selina moaned against Ezra’s kiss, her fingers gripping Finn’s hair all the harder. He was close to drowning in her by then, the taste of her blood sweeter than anything he’d known before — and given how sweet Ezra’s mint-tinted blood was, that was saying something.
A Hunter’s blood just couldn’t be beat.
Strength filled him as he drank, until he could feel all his previous aches and lingering injuries fading away. He knew the instant his wound had healed, and with great reluctance, he made himself withdraw. But he couldn’t make himself go far; he stayed where he was, lapping at her skin with his tongue, catching any lingering drops that managed to escape.
Waste not, want not, he mused.
Her grip finally relaxed then and she eased back; Finn lifted his head just in time to catch his lovers’ lips parting from one another. Their topaz and emerald eyes flit from each other to Finn and back, both gazes swamped in pleasure, love, desire.
Ezra reached over to Finn, bringing his thumb to the vampire’s lips. Finn glanced at him as the witch’s finger drew across his lips, then slipped past them, bringing a stray drop of blood directly to Finn’s tongue.
He sucked on the digit, groaning at the mixture of flavors he was greeted with. Selina’s sweet, rich blood on Ezra’s mint-flavored skin?
Delicious.
Then, in unison, the men faced Selina, and Ezra — beautiful, incredible, sly Ezra — slid behind Finn, wrapping his arms around Finn and sensually drawing his hands over the vampire’s abs as if to entice their wildcat further.
The way her gaze dipped down and back up said she liked what she saw, even as her cheeks burned red.
::I can’t believe they’re mine,:: her mind said, the words almost being screamed at Finn.
He grinned, nodding to her. “Yes. Yours,” he impressed, his tone rough and deep.
She flushed deeper, her blue eyes burning into his.
Drawn in by that look, the taste of her and the connection they’d forged, he surged forward, catching her face in his palms to kiss her. It was a deep, hungry thing, needing her lips and tongue now as much as he’d needed her blood a moment ago.
“You taste like Heaven,” he growled in between swipes of his tongue, devouring her mouth. The pulse of her heart racing in his ears only spurred him on, made all the worse by Ezra’s heart speeding up as he watched them.
Then the witch made a play, crawling across the bed until he was behind Selina, pressed up so tight behind her that his knees flanked her hips.
Finn was careful not to ask for too much or try to push her too far. This was her first romance and she was having to handle two lovers instead of one; he could only imagine how overwhelming it might be. So he kept his hands low, at her waist, even as his desire demanded he palm her breasts, massage her, tease her.
She clearly didn’t have as much restraint; her hands slid all over his torso, and he could feel it as her clever fingers traced his muscles, found his imperceptible scars, and dove through the thick hairs of his chest.
Naughty, naughty girl, he thought, pleased.
“Selina…” Ezra murmured, and Finn allowed his eyes to slip open as he continued devouring her mouth to find Ezra nuzzling and kissing at her neck — at her wound.
He was kissing Finn’s bite.
Finn growled low in his throat, suddenly so hard in his trousers he had to brace his thighs further apart to lessen the ache of it. He needed permission to go further than this, needed Selina’s consent, but he honestly didn’t know how he was going to stop now if she said no.
Luckily he doubted she was going to say ‘no’.
“Selina…” Ezra repeated, her name dripping with need.
She broke Finn’s kiss to roll her head back to gaze at Ezra, biting her lip. The look they shared was heated, all but igniting the air between them, and when she glanced at Finn again, he felt hot despite his ice-cold body.
“I…” she breathed, then hesitated.
“Tell us what you need,” Ezra purred, his hands sliding along her waist, his lips against her ear.
“You. I need you,” she hissed, her gaze swapping between the men in obvious declaration of which ‘you’ she meant.
Both. She needed them both.
Finn bit his lip, growling with a different kind of hunger. Already a plan was forming in his mind, ways to handle pleasuring two lovers of opposite genders. He was envisioning how to touch them, how to move them, where to maneuver himself and ways to direct them.
He couldn’t believe his luck in managing to earn both of them, but he was damn well going to show his appreciation for it.