Chapter 3: The Birthday Feast
The smoke curled from the extinguished wicks like tiny spirits, carrying the scent of birthday wishes that would never be spoken aloud. Alice stared at the darkened candles, her hands still wrapped in Alek's cool fingers. The silence stretched, elastic and fragile.
Then Kai moved.
He surged from the floor with a predator's grace, scooping Alice up before she could gasp, settling her onto his lap with his back against the sagging couch. His arms locked around her waist, a cage of muscle and heat. His amber eyes blazed down at her, expecting a protest.
"Kai, what are you—"
"Shut up." He grabbed her plate, speared a forkful of cake, and lifted it to her lips. "Eat."
Alice blinked at him. "You're going to feed me?"
"If you won't let anyone do nice things for you, I'll do them anyway." His jaw set, stubborn as stone. "Open."
She opened her mouth. The chocolate hit her tongue, rich and sweet, and she let out a sound that was half moan, half embarrassment. Kai's eyes darkened at the noise. His thumb brushed the corner of her mouth, wiping away a smear of ganache, and he brought it to his own lips without breaking eye contact.
The wolf inside him howled approval.
Alek watched from the couch, his icy eyes tracing the flush creeping up Alice's neck. He made no move to intervene. Instead, his long fingers slipped into the inner pocket of his coat, brushing against velvet.
"Another bite," Kai growled, lifting the fork again.
"I can feed myself," Alice protested weakly.
"Sure you can. But you're not going to." He held her gaze, daring her. "Not tonight. Tonight, you sit here and let yourself be taken care of."
She opened her mouth again. He fed her another forkful, slower this time, letting the chocolate melt against her tongue. Her body relaxed against his, tension bleeding out of her shoulders in increments. The blanket had fallen away, leaving her skin bare in the flickering light.
"You're warm," she murmured. "Like a furnace."
"Wolf metabolism." His voice was rough, scraped low. "We run hot."
"Yeah." Her hand came up, pressing against his chest, feeling the steady thunder of his heartbeat. "I noticed."
Alek rose. The motion drew both their gazes, his movements unhurried as he crossed to stand before them. In his hand, a small velvet box, beaten dark with age, the gold clasp worn smooth. He held it out to Alice with the same reverence he'd offered the cake.
"Alek," she breathed. "You already gave me cake."
"The cake was a delivery. This was intentional." His voice dropped, velvet over steel. "Open it."
Her fingers trembled. She took the box from him, turning it over in her hands like it might bite her. Kai's arms tightened around her, steadying, and she cracked the lid.
Inside, nestled on a bed of black silk, lay a silver locket on a delicate chain. The metal was old, the engraving worn in places, but the surface gleamed with careful polishing. Alek reached down, his pale fingers plucking it from the box, and pressed the clasp. The two halves sprang open.
A hand-painted jellyfish glowed on the inner panel. Its translucent body shimmered with iridescent blues and pinks, tentacles trailing in delicate strokes of silver leaf. The detail was exquisite, each strand of light-catching pigment a tribute to a creature that existed in the deep, where no one else could see it.
"I painted that," Alek said quietly. "Over a century ago. I saved it, along with the chain, not knowing what I was waiting for." His cold eyes met hers. "Then you walked into my shop and told me about the immortal jellyfish. The one that can live forever, passing backward through its own life cycles."
Alice's vision blurred. She blinked hard.
"I looked for that creature for ten years," she whispered. "No one ever believed me when I said it was real."
"I believe you." Alek's hand closed over hers, threading the locket between her fingers. "I have seen many impossible things, Alice Jones. You are one of them. Wear it, and let me remember what I was waiting for."
She broke.
The sob tore out of her throat, raw and ugly, and she surged forward, her hands cupping Alek's face as she dragged him down. Their mouths crashed together, all hunger and gratitude and desperation. Alek made a sound low in his throat, his cool fingers threading through her hair, returning the kiss with a passion that cracked his careful composure.
Kai watched. His wolf paced, possessive and hungry, but he didn't pull away. Instead, his hands slid down to her hips, gripping hard enough to bruise, letting her feel the line of his claim.
When Alek finally pulled back, Alice's lips were swollen, her cheeks wet. She laughed, a watery broken sound, and pressed her forehead to his.
"You two are going to be the death of me."
"We intend to be the life of you instead," Alek murmured.
Kai's teeth grazed her earlobe, right over the tiny jellyfish tattoo. "And after that, we're keeping you."
Alice turned her head and looked at him, her cheek still damp, the locket clutched against her chest. "Keeping me? That's a big claim, Whitesmoke."
"I'm a big guy." His amber eyes had gone almost fully gold, the pupils blown wide. "I mean every word."
She set the locket on the coffee table, careful, deliberate, then turned in his lap until she was straddling him. Her little shorts rode up her thighs and her tank top was still twisted sideways. Kai's hands flew to her hips, gripping hard.
"Alice." His voice cracked. "You sure?"
"Ask me again and I'll bite you." She reached down, dragged her fingernails up his bare abs, and watched the muscle jump under his skin. "I've been sure for months. You two have been too busy growling at each other to notice."
Alek laughed, low and dark, from where he stood watching. He peeled off his coat and dropped it over the arm of the couch. "The wolf's possessiveness does have a way of blinding him."
"Shut up, Alek." Kai's voice was a growl, but his hands never left Alice's hips. He pulled her down against him and she felt it, the thick hard line of his cock pressing through his sweatpants right against her cunt. Her breath stuttered.
"See?" she whispered against his jaw. "That's what I thought."
Kai snapped. One hand fisted in her hair, tilting her head back, and he kissed her like he wanted to swallow her whole. His tongue shoved into her mouth, hot and desperate, tasting the chocolate on her. She ground down against him, moaning into it, and the sound made his hips buck up hard.
Alek crossed the room in two silent steps. He sank down behind her on the floor, his chest cool against her back, and gathered her hair over one shoulder. His lips found the spot behind her ear, right over the tiny jellyfish tattoo, and pressed a kiss there.
"Little fish," he murmured, his voice like silk dragged over glass. "May I?"
"God, yes."
Alek's fingers found the hem of her tank top and drew it up slowly, his cold touch leaving goosebumps in its wake. Kai broke the kiss to watch, his chest heaving, as Alek stripped the shirt over her head. Her tits bounced free, full and heavy, her nipples already stiff and dark in the candlelight.
"Fuck," Kai breathed.
Alek cupped her from behind, his cool palms covering her breasts, rolling her nipples between long fingers until she whimpered and arched. Kai leaned in and took one into his mouth, hot and wet and greedy, sucking hard while his stubble scraped her soft skin. She cried out, one hand buried in his hair, the other reaching back to grip Alek's thigh.
"That's it," Alek whispered, kissing her shoulder. "Let us hear you."
Kai's teeth grazed her nipple, just a hint of fang-sharp pressure, and she jolted. "Kai!"
"Sorry." He didn't sound sorry. He didn't sound sorry at all. He dragged his mouth down her sternum, over the soft curve of her belly, and hooked his fingers into her shorts. "Off. These come off."
She lifted her hips and both of them stripped her together, Kai yanking the shorts down her legs while Alek peeled her soaked panties after them. The air was cool on her bare skin and she was dripping, and she knew it, and she saw Kai see it.
"Jesus Christ." He stared between her legs like a man starved. "You're soaked, little fish."
"Shut up." Her face flamed.
"Don't you dare be embarrassed." Alek's hand slid down her spine, cool and sure, until his fingers traced the crease of her ass. "You have no idea what that does to us."
Kai pushed her back against Alek's chest and ducked his head between her thighs. The first drag of his tongue through her folds made her gasp, her whole body jerking. He groaned against her cunt like the taste had punched the air out of him, then licked her again, slower, deeper, his tongue broad and rough as it circled her clit.
"Oh my god. Kai. Kai, that's, fuck."
Alek held her steady, his arms banded around her ribs, his mouth at her ear. "That's it, little fish. Let the wolf taste you. He's been dreaming about this."
She had no comeback left. Kai's mouth worked her open, his lips sealing over her clit and sucking, and her thighs clamped around his head. He fucked her with his tongue, two fingers joining in, sinking into her slick heat and curling up against that spot that made her vision white out.
"I'm gonna, Kai, I'm gonna come."
"Do it," he growled into her, the vibration tipping her over. She shattered, screaming, her back bowing off Alek's chest, her cunt clenching around Kai's fingers while he rode her through it, licking every wave.
When she came down, boneless and panting, Kai wiped his mouth on the back of his hand, his chin shining with her. His eyes were pure gold now.
"I need to be inside you," he said, raw. "Right now. Unless you say no."
She reached for the waistband of his sweatpants and pulled. "Then get in me."
Alek shifted her forward, guiding her down onto Kai's lap as the wolf shoved his pants down. His cock sprang free, thick and flushed and already leaking, and Kai lifted her by the hips and let her sink down onto him inch by inch. The stretch burned and blurred into pleasure, and all three of them groaned at once.
Alek stood over them, undoing his buttons one by one, his icy eyes never leaving her face. "Happy birthday, Alice."
She laughed, breathless, rocking her hips. "Best cake ever."
Kai's fingers dug into her hips, guiding her up and down on his cock with a rhythm that was all instinct. His head fell back against the couch, his throat working, amber eyes fixed on the way her tits bounced with every thrust. "Fuck, Alice. You feel like heaven."
Alek finished undoing his shirt and let it fall to the floor. His pale chest was a map of old scars, some faint as whispers, others deep enough to remember. He circled them, naked from the waist up, his trousers still hanging low on his hips. The candlelight caught the silver locket she'd left on the coffee table, glinting like a promise.
He knelt behind her, his cool chest pressed against her spine, and his hands found her breasts again. He rolled her nipples between his fingers, sharp and deliberate, and she moaned, her rhythm faltering.
"Don't stop," Alek murmured against her ear. "Keep riding him, little fish. Let me watch."
She did. She drove herself down harder, taking Kai's cock to the root, and the wolf beneath her groaned like she'd gutted him. Alek's hands slid down her stomach, slow and possessive, until his fingers found her clit.
She cried out, grinding against his touch while Kai fucked up into her.
"That's it," Alek purred. "You're so wet for him. So tight. He's not the only one who wants to be inside you."
Kai snarled, a sound that vibrated through his chest. "You get your turn. But I'm not done with her yet."
"There's no rush." Alek's fingers circled her clit, faster, harder. "We have all night. And all day tomorrow. And every night after that."
Alice came again, mouth open on a silent scream, her body shuddering between them. Kai kept thrusting through it, relentless, his hands bruising on her hips.
When she finally stilled, trembling, Alek slid his fingers out from between her legs. He brought them to his lips and tasted her, his icy eyes closing for a moment.
"Sweet," he said. "As promised."
Kai gripped her hips and lifted her off his cock. She whined at the loss, slick and aching, but he was already repositioning her, turning her around to face Alek.
"Your turn," Kai growled. "Get her on your cock, bloodsucker."
Alek's eyes flashed, something ancient and hungry surfacing in their depths. His hands found her waist and guided her up, settling her onto his lap with his back against the couch. His cock was already hard, long and pale, and she reached down to stroke it, feeling the cool silk of his skin.
"Careful," he murmured. "I've waited over a century for this."
She sank down onto him, her breath hitching at the stretch. He filled her differently than Kai did, deeper somehow, and the chill of him against her heat made her shiver.
Alek's hands landed on her hips, steadying her. "Slowly, little fish. Let me feel every inch of you."
Kai knelt beside them, his hand on her back, stroking the curve of her spine. He watched with naked hunger as she began to move, rocking her hips against Alek's, taking him in with agonizing care.
"That's it," Kai said, his voice rough. "Take all of him. You're so fucking greedy."
Alice laughed, breathless, her head falling back. "You two have ruined me. How am I supposed to go back to normal after this?"
Alek's fingers dug into her hips. "You're not."
Alek's hips rolled up beneath her, slow and deliberate, and Alice's laugh died in her throat. He filled her differently than Kai, cooler, deeper, each stroke measured like he was memorizing her from the inside. His fingers bit into the soft flesh of her hips.
"Look at me," he said.
She looked. His icy eyes had gone dark with hunger, his pale chest flush-less and scarred beneath her hands. He drove up harder, and the slap of skin filled the room.
"You feel," he breathed, "like being given daylight after a century of night."
Behind her, Kai made a rough sound. He'd moved around them, kneeling on the floor, and now his hot mouth closed over her shoulder, over the junction of her neck, sucking a mark into her skin while Alek fucked up into her. The contrast was dizzying, Alek's cold hands bracing her hips, Kai's furnace heat pressed along her side, his tongue dragging over her pulse.
"I can hear your heart," Kai growled against her ear. "It's hammering. You love this."
"Yes." No shame left in her. "Yes, I love it, don't stop."
Alek didn't stop. He set a deeper pace, hauling her down onto him to meet every thrust, and his cock dragged against that swollen spot inside her until she was shaking again. Kai's hand slid down the slick line of her back, between the cheeks of her ass, his thick finger tracing the tight pucker there, teasing, not pushing.
"Next time," he rasped, "I want you here too. Both of us in you."
Alice's cunt clenched hard around Alek at the words, and he groaned, his composure fracturing. "Christ, little fish. Do that again."
"Say it again," she panted, riding him, her tits bouncing, her hair sticking to her flushed skin. "Say what you'd do to me."
Kai's finger pressed just inside, slow, her own slick making the way easy, and she moaned loud and broken. "I'd split you open on both our cocks," Kai said. "I'd hold you down while Alek filled this sweet cunt and I stretched that tight little ass. You'd take us, wouldn't you, Alice? Greedy girl."
"Yes. God, yes." Her thighs trembled around Alek's hips.
"Not tonight," Alek murmured, though his voice shook with restraint. "Tonight I want to watch your face when you come on my cock. Tonight I want to finish in you and feel it run out."
The filth of it tipped her over. She came with a sob, clamping down on him, her nails raking red lines down his scarred chest. Alek snarled, low and inhuman, and his hips snapped up, once, twice, hard enough to shake the couch. His cock pulsed deep inside her, spilling hot and strange, and he held her down on him through every wave, his mouth open against her collarbone, fangs grazing her skin without breaking it.
Kai's hand froze at her hip. "Don't," he said, sharp, watching Alek's mouth at her throat.
Alek lifted his head. His fangs gleamed, retracted slowly, and his eyes were rueful. "I know. She's not my prey. She's my mate." He said it flat, like a vow, and something in Kai's shoulders unknotted.
She barely registered the exchange. She was slumped against Alek's chest, leaking, twitching, boneless, when Kai's hands closed on her waist and lifted her clean off Alek's softening cock. She made an indignant noise.
"Kai."
"You had your turn." He laid her down on the blanket-piled floor, on her back, and settled between her thighs. His cock was furious, red and thick, slick with her and with Alek, and he didn't give her time to recover. He pushed in with one long stroke, bottoming out, and her back arched off the floor.
"Fuck, Kai!"
"Still so tight." He braced over her, muscles cording, and fucked her with deep, punishing strokes, the slap of his hips against hers echoing off the dorm walls. His gold eyes ate her up, every jolt of her tits, every gasp. "You took him so good. Now take me. Take all of me."
She wrapped her legs around his back and pulled him deeper, meeting him thrust for thrust. Alek knelt at her side, watching with heavy-lidded eyes, his fingers trailing lazily over her breast, pinching her nipple in time with Kai's rhythm.
"Perfect," Alek said softly. "Look at her, wolf. Ruined and still greedy."
"Always greedy." Kai's strokes turned erratic, his breath sawing. "Alice, I can't hold it, tell me."
"Inside. Come inside me, I want it."
He buried himself to the root and came with a growl that shook the room, his hips grinding deep, pulsing hot into her over and over. She felt it fill her, mix with what Alek left, and the fullness pushed her into one last shuddering climax, small and overwhelming, her cunt milking him dry.
Kai collapsed beside her, dragging her onto his chest. Alek settled against her back, cool and solid, sandwiching her between them. She was soaked, tender, dripping onto Kai's thigh, and utterly content.
"Happy birthday," Kai mumbled into her hair.
Alek reached over her, unclasped the locket from the coffee table, and fastened the chain around her neck with careful fingers. The silver lay warm against her skin, the little painted jellyfish resting over her heart.
"Mine's better," Alek said.
Kai snorted. "It's a tie, bloodsucker."
Alice, half asleep between them, smiled into Kai's chest. "Shut up. Both of you. I'm jellyfishing."