Carnal Indulgence Page 9

  Water churned and the wind roared, as if nature itself was furious at his reply.

  “Damn it, Cris, do you want us to die in here like the rest of these poor bastards?” Andre roared.

  “Your greatest shame,” said the voice.

  The attack on his clan flashed through his mind. Wolves slaughtering wolves. His mother and sisters murdered before his eyes and he too frozen with fear to fight back until it was too late. Even then his meager strength had been nothing compared to the full grown wolves.

  “That I let my clan die. That I allowed myself to be taken as a slave rather than die in battle,” he said. A shiver rippled down his spine at the memory.

  Seconds later, Andre and Chantel landed on the rock beside him.

  For the first time he was too ashamed to look at either of them. Along with guilt, anger gnawed at his insides. Anger that he had bared himself to these pirates. That someone knew Crispin Snaghand was not completely invulnerable.

  Then Chantel was sitting beside him on the rock. Her arm slipped around him and she kissed the corner of his mouth. “It wasn’t your fault. You were a child. There’s no way you could have stopped the attack on your clan.”

  “She’s right,” Andre said. “You have no reason to feel shame. At least not for that. Your reputation with women, however, now that might be a reason to hang your head.”

  Crispin glanced up at Andre sharply, noted the other man’s teasing grin and shook his head. A slight smile tugged at his lips as he stood, his arm draped around Chantel. He said, “At least once this is over I won’t need to put up with you anymore.”

  “The feeling is mutual, Snaghand,” Andre grunted, and the three fell into step with one another as they headed back toward the beach.

  * * *

  That night when Chantel retired to the cabin with her wolves, she felt closer to them than ever before. Now they had each shared something even more intimate than lovemaking. They had shared a dark corner of their souls. Three pirates, once enemies now lovers, were bound by something stronger than blood. Their spirits had intertwined. Even when they parted they would always belong to each other.

  The wolves must have felt the same because other than a few muttered words about the ship and crew, they remained uncharacteristically silent. When they slipped naked into bed, Chantel nestled between them, they reached for her and began covering her with tender kisses. Crispin nuzzled her neck while Andre nibbled her ear.

  “Tonight is for you, Chantel,” Andre said.

  “Just for you,” Crispin murmured and ran his tongue along the side of her neck. His firm, slightly moist lips slowly made their way down her throat to her collarbone. He kissed and sucked her shoulder, making her shiver with delight.

  Andre kissed his way down her body. His lips traveled over her sides, belly and hip. She raised her knees and he guided them apart then settled between her legs. Sighing with pleasure, Chantel smiled and pressed her head into the pillow.

  Andre’s tongue swirled over her clit then licked the joining of her thighs and pelvis. He thrust his tongue into her pussy and explored as deeply as he could. All the while his large, warm hands stroked her inner thighs and caressed her belly. His fingertip gently swirled around her navel and she giggled. He answered with a playful growl.

  While Andre teased her below the waist, Crispin devoured her breasts with passionate kisses. He’d removed his faux claws and covered his fingerless hand with a soft leather glove. The palm caressed one of her breasts with slow, tender circles. At the same time he drew the nipple of her other breast into his mouth and sucked so deeply that she moaned with passion. His long auburn hair tickled her face and breasts and both men’s beards teased her sensitive flesh.

  Instinctively she grasped Crispin’s head and held him closer. He lapped her nipple and used his teeth to worry it gently.

  Chantel floated on an ocean of bliss. She moaned and sighed, her body writhing so Andre was forced to grasp her hips and hold her steady as he lapped her clit with upward strokes of his tongue that soon had her dancing on the edge of passion. As he lapped her clit, he pushed first one finger into her wet pussy, then two, then three. He sucked and licked while at the same time finger fucking her. Damn, it was unbelievable. She couldn’t have dreamed two more perfect partners than these gorgeous wolves.

  Only one thing could make the moment more perfect and that would be if she tasted blood. “Cris,” she panted, tugging on his hair. “Let me taste you. Please.”

  He lifted his head and she gazed at him through half-open eyes. The expression of raw lust on his face pushed her excitement to even greater heights.

  “Please. I like the sound of that word on your pretty lips,” he purred and covered her mouth with his.

  She clung to his neck, took his lower lip between her teeth and ran her tongue over the soft yet firm flesh before sinking her fangs into it.

  He groaned, a sound of pleasure-pain and pressed closer so his weight pushed her deeper into the mattress. She relished the feeling of his hard, hair-dusted chest and sleekly muscled body almost as much as she loved the taste of his sweet blood and the sensation of Andre’s lips on her clit.

  Unable to hold back a moment longer, she came. Her hips thrust against Andre’s face while she sucked Crispin’s delectable lip.

  * * *

  As the ship neared Janis Isle where Morall’s Treasure supposedly rested, the trio’s excitement was almost tangible. Chantel stood on deck, her wolves on either side of her. All three stared at the map she held.

  “The instructions are explicit,” Chantel said. “The ship must dock here and we must row to the sea caves on the east side of the island.”

  “Let’s get to it,” Andre said.

  “I can hardly wait for this to be over,” Crispin added.

  Chantel narrowed her eyes and sank into deep thought. “I wonder exactly what the treasure is?”

  “There’s only one way to find out,” Crispin said. “Come on.”

  A short time later, the three headed down the coast in a small boat. Their ship, a dark silhouette in the dim light of dusk, soon faded from sight. While the wolves rowed, Chantel kept a careful watch along the shoreline.

  “There are the caves.” Chantel pointed ahead. The excitement and apprehension was heavy on the air as they neared the caves. Then the singing began.

  The beautiful, breathy chorus captivated Andre and Crispin so much that they stopped rowing.

  “Gods, it’s lovely,” Crispin murmured, a glassy look in his eyes.

  “I’ve never heard anything like it,” Andre said, apparently just as entranced.

  “Hey! Wake up!” Chantel waved her hands in front of their faces, but they ignored her completely.

  The singing became louder and more beautiful. Then in the distance two tall, voluptuous women rose from the water. Their skin glimmered bluish green and their blond hair hung in thick, wet tendrils over their shoulders.

  Sirens.

  Wonderful. No wonder the rules stated that to find Morall’s Treasure one of the partners must be female. No woman was fool enough to fall for the Sirens’ song.

  Andre and Crispin stood and jumped into the water. They swam toward the Sirens who continued singing. Their hands had scaly talons rather than fingers. The talons stretched toward the bewitched wolves.

  “Damn!” Chantel muttered. She slipped out of the boat and swam underwater as quickly as she could, hoping to reach the Sirens before Andre and Crispin. She should have no problem, considering they were swimming slowly, as if in a trance. She prayed that vampire strength was greater than Siren strength.

  When she reached the sea creatures, she punched one in the face, staggering her. The other shrieked, a horrible grating sound completely different than the beautiful singing, and attacked Chantel with her talons. Chantel dodged her hands and used the heel of her palm to strike the Siren’s nose. Bluish green blood splattered her face and the creature dove beneath the surface, joining her sister.

  A
ndre and Crispin stood waist deep in the water and blinked as if awakening from a sound sleep.

  “What the hell happened?” Andre demanded.

  Chantel curled her lip. “Just bring your stupid butts over here. I want to get this over with.”

  Still grumbling about what had happened and why they were swimming instead of rowing, the men joined Chantel and together they approached the sea caves.

  Inside the caves, the water was only ankle deep. They sloshed through the wet sand until they reached the cave where a hollow had been dug in the wall -- a hollow that fit the key.

  Chantel’s hands trembled slightly as she opened her waist pack and removed the key. She glanced at Crispin and Andre.

  “Go ahead,” Andre told her.

  “You do it, Chantel,” Crispin added.

  Drawing a deep breath, she released it slowly and put the key in its place. At that moment the whole world went black.

  * * *

  Chantel awoke in utter darkness. The ground beneath her feet still felt cool and damp, like moist sand.

  “Cris!” she called. “Andre!”

  There was no reply, except for that of the watery voice which said, “Your companions cannot hear you. They have served their purpose in helping you find Morall’s Treasure, but now they are of no use.”

  “What do you mean no use?” she demanded. “Where are they?”

  “The treasure is yours.”

  “Where are Crispin and Andre?”

  “Are you concerned for them?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do you want to know what’s happened to them more than you want the treasure?”

  Chantel’s brow furrowed. All her life she’d wanted this treasure. Now, knowing that her companions were quite possibly in danger, it didn’t seem so important anymore. “Yes,” she said.

  “They’re on their way to die.”

  “What? Is this another damn test? Another part of the game?” she demanded. “Ask your fucking question and get on with it!”

  “The question is this, do you choose your companions or the treasure? You may only have one or the other. Take the treasure and they die. Take them and you lose the treasure.”

  “Then I choose them,” she replied without hesitation. Anger burned inside her. She couldn’t possibly sacrifice Crispin and Andre. She’d already lost her mother and her grandmother. She couldn’t lose her wolves as well.

  Again she was floating in blackness. Then she awoke to a gentle hand on her back.

  “Chantel,” Andre murmured.

  “Wake up, love,” Crispin said.

  Slowly she opened her eyes and pushed herself off the damp sand. She and the wolves were sitting on the beach, their boat a short distance way.

  Andre’s arm supported her while Crispin brushed hair from her face.

  “She’s all right,” Crispin said.

  “What the hell happened?” Chantel muttered, glancing from one wolf to the other.

  “Looks like we failed after all,” Andre said.

  “Or it’s all some enormous joke,” Crispin scoffed.

  “I had to choose between you two and the treasure,” Chantel said. She closed her eyes for a moment and shook her head. “Seems like a dream now.”

  “I’m guessing you picked us?” Andre said, smiling slightly.

  “Of course I did.”

  “So did I,” Crispin replied.

  Andre sighed. “Me too.”

  “We’ve all gotten too soft,” Crispin growled, slamming his fist into his palm. “Fuck!”

  “Congratulations,” the watery voice spoke.

  “Oh no,” Andre moaned. “Not again. I swear I’ll be hearing that voice in my nightmares.”

  “You have found Morall’s Treasure,” the voice continued. “The first to do so in five centuries.”

  “What?” Chantel pushed herself to her feet. “Where is it?”

  “You already have it.”

  The three exchanged accusing looks.

  “All right, which one of you is holding out?” Crispin snarled.

  “You all have it,” the voice continued. “The treasure is your love and loyalty to one another.”

  “What?” all three said in unison.

  “You must be joking,” Andre snapped.

  A savage growl erupted from Crispin’s throat.

  Chantel was too dumfounded to move. All they’d risked, all they’d lost and there was no monetary compensation? The pirate in her was ready to explode with fury while the woman in her… Well, it was too shameful to admit what the woman in her felt.

  “The treasure you sought is greater than any in the world,” the voice said. “Without the love you share, no matter how much physical wealth you possessed, you’d be poorer than the lowest peasant, but with it, you’ll always be richer than a king.”

  “I think I’m going to be sick.” Crispin spat.

  “Not before me,” Chantel said.

  “I don’t believe it,” Andre murmured. “I don’t believe it.”

  Silently the three dragged the boat to the water and returned to their ship.

  * * *

  During the journey back to Chantel’s island, Andre and Crispin slept on deck while Chantel stayed alone in the cabin. They spoke only when necessary and the crew, sensing the underlying anger and disappointment of their captains, kept a sensible distance from them.

  No sooner had they set foot on the beach than Jolie greeted Crispin with a firm embrace.

  “Well?” she asked all three. “Did you get it?”

  “Oh, we got it all right,” Chantel muttered.

  “What was it?” Jolie asked.

  Crispin sighed and shook his head. “I’ll tell you later. Are you ready to go?”

  “Uh.” Jolie cast her eyes down to her booted feet. “Cris, I’ve been spending most of my time with the wolf clan here and… can I stay?”

  Crispin looked shocked, but pleasantly so. “Of course. As long as you’re happy and welcome. And as long as I meet the family you’re staying with first.”

  Chantel smiled. No matter what he wanted the world to think, Crispin Snaghand had a heart.

  “Thank you, Cris! You’ll love them I’m sure. But I’ll miss you so much.” Sadness flickered across her eyes and she hugged him again.

  Chantel realized how much she was going to miss him, too, and Andre.

  “Would you like to spend the night?” Chantel offered. “You can have a good meal and leave in the morning.”

  “No. I’m on my way now,” Andre said gruffly.

  “Me too. Once I meet the members of this wolf clan,” Crispin stated, glancing at Jolie. “Then I’ll leave directly.”

  “Good.” Chantel folded her arms across her chest and tried to ignore the ache in her heart. “I’m sick of looking at you two anyway.”

  Andre snorted. “Charming as always.”

  “Then this is goodbye,” Crispin said. Jolie took his hand as they walked down the beach.

  Andre and Chantel turned in opposite directions, she toward the path to her house and he toward the ship.

  Simultaneously the three turned back to one another. Crispin said something to Jolie who nodded and headed down the path toward Chantel’s house.

  Crispin, Andre, and Chantel approached each other.

  “I can’t go,” Andre said.

  “Me either,” Chantel added.

  Crispin sighed. “I guess that makes three of us.”

  “So what do we do?”

  “Well, I’ve never been one to throw away treasure,” Crispin said. He wrapped an arm snugly around Chantel’s waist and kissed her deeply.

  “Just as long as you learn how to share treasure.” Andre lifted his eyebrow in Crispin’s direction. He tugged Chantel out of the other man’s arms and into his.

  Chantel narrowed her eyes and said, “Do you two know what this means?”

  “It means we’d better decide which island we’re staying at.”

  “That’s simple enou
gh. We’ll stay right here,” Chantel said.

  “I’m not leaving my island,” Andre told them. “I like my island.”

  “Then we’ll rotate.”

  “Fair enough,” Crispin said.

  “Partners?” Chantel turned slightly away from Andre so she could drape an arm over his shoulder and Crispin’s.

  The wolves stared at one another for a long moment, each growling slightly. Two alphas together usually ended in disaster, but something told Chantel that she, Crispin, and Andre were a special mix. “Come on, boys. I’ll show you my house. Our house,” Chantel said and placed a hand on their chests. “I should probably mention I have cats.”

  The wolves exchanged glances. Andre growled and Crispin curled his lip.

  “Cats?” they said simultaneously.

  Andre sighed with mock exaggeration. “I guess we’ll learn to live with it if you provide the right incentive.”

  Chantel raised and eyebrow. “Such as?”

  “All the cock sucking we can handle,” Crispin replied with a wicked grin, wrapped an arm around her waist and tugged her close.

  “I’ll see what I can do,” she said, kissed him and playfully slipped from his arms.

  As the trio headed down the path to Chantel’s home, their home, she knew that together there was nothing they couldn’t conquer.

  The End

  Kate Hill

  Kate Hill is a thirty-something vegetarian New Englander who likes heroes with a touch of something wicked and wild. Her short fiction and poetry have appeared in dozens of publications both on and off the Internet. When she’s not spending time with her family or working on her books, Kate enjoys reading, working out, and researching vampires and Viking history. Feel free to drop her a note at katehill@sprintmail.com or visit her website to learn more about her current releases and upcoming projects. You can find Kate online at http://www.kate-hill.com.