Finding You Bk. 02: Paradigm Shift

"You almost there, brother?" he rasped out, wondering briefly if it would have been easier just to stop breathing altogether.

Marcus' eyes flicked to his, their lust hazed gazes locking together. "Oh yeah, just a little more..." he grunted and lowered his mouth to Tabby's ear. "Suck, angel. Bring me with you."

Grimacing with the effort to hold off his release, Cooper freed one hand and quickly slipped two fingers into Tabby's sodden folds. His fingertips found the swollen, pulsing nub of her clitoris and began circling it with hard swipes. She bucked against him, letting out a long, high-pitched moan that Marcus choked off with a well-timed thrust. She came with violent shudders, inner muscles clamping down around Cooper's cock and trapping him inside her with great, sucking spasms that rippled along his length.

Cooper's heart stuttered before a wild rush of heat shot up his thighs and burst into a thousand stars in his belly. His hips convulsed, ramming his cock into Tabby in a final act of claiming that ripped an ear-shattering wail from Tabby's throat as another massive orgasm blasted through her. His entire body shuddered and his fingers dug into Tabby's hip while his cock pulsed, erupting like a volcano and sending jets of his sticky seed to fill her.

Marcus grabbed his abandoned erection, jerking it hard to finish what his angel's glorious mouth had begun. He came with a roaring a curse, spurting warm semen into her gasping mouth and dripping from her lips.

Cooper swayed with exhaustion, his legs doing their best to turn to jelly and dump him on the floor. Tabby's muscles had all gone limp, her arms trembled and the elbows slowly folded under her until she was partially lying in Marcus' lap, utterly exhausted. Cooper wobbled, but managed to sink to his knees before gravity made him its bitch. Tabby slid boneless off Marcus' laps and Cooper caught her, cradling her to his heaving chest like a small child holding a security blanket.

"So beautiful, kitten." He kissed her damp forehead, brushing the hair that was clinging to her sticky skin. Using a corner of his shirt, he wiped her lips clean and then brought her to his mouth and kissed her tenderly. "You were amazing, baby girl. So fucking amazing!"

CHAPTER 70

Marcus tucked his softening cock back into his pants and leaned over; running a gentle hand down the side of Tabby's flushed face. He carefully removed her blindfold and her lids fluttered open to reveal glassy, blissed out irises the colour of a stormy sea, slowly transitioning from blue, back to her normal deep green.

"Holy shit!" Cooper breathed in surprise as he watched the blue transform into teal and then back to her familiar green. "Except for yours, I've never seen anyone's eyes do that."

"Until I saw Tabby's, I'd only heard rumors that some green-eyed people's irises could do that." He gave Cooper a wicked smirk. "When they go blue, get your pants off because it means our girl's horny."

"Or get ready to run." Tabby added sleepily. "Because they also turn blue when I'm super angry...or so people have told me."

"Good to know. What colour are you now, kitten?" Cooper asked, chuckling at the way she couldn't seem to open her eyes more than half-mast. He knew the signs of subspace and their girl was still flying high on endorphins.

"Very, very green, Sir," she said, sounding dreamy and giddy. She cast a sultry look at Marcus and trapped her bottom lip between her teeth. "I could go again if you wish, Sir?"

He laughed and stood up. "As much as I appreciate the offer, my dirty little angel, I think that you've had enough for one day. You're going to be very sore once the numbing effect of those raging endorphins fades."

He tapped Cooper on the shoulder, ignoring the cute pout that dimmed Tabby's enthusiasm. "C'mon, brother. Let's take our girl into the bedroom," he said helping Cooper to his feet with Tabby clinging to his chest like a koala bear.

Tabby snuggled her face under Cooper's chin, rubbing her cheek against the raspy bristle of his trimmed beard and loving the rough feel of the stubble. It vividly reminded her of how the prickly hairs had felt when his cheeks had been rubbing between her thighs while his tongue had teased her to the brink of madness, and she hummed happily in pleasure.

"You're not playing fair, little one," Cooper's husky voice rumbled above her head. "Keep that up and Marcus and I might forget that we are trying very, very hard to be good guys here."

His warning made Tabby giggle and, on a wild impulse, she licked a path up Cooper's throat and toyed with his Adam's apple, eliciting a growl from the man. "But I feel so good right now," she whined playfully, playing the temptress. "I'll bet you two, big, strapping men could make me feel even better."

Marcus choked on a laugh. "Fucking hell, we've created a sex monster."

"Your amazing cocks sure did at least," she nodded in agreement.

"I can promise you more sex than you can handle, but only after your body has had a chance to get used to it. Trust me, angel, in a few hours, you're not going to want us to touch you, let alone fuck you." Marcus kissed her forehead and turned the lights on in his bedroom.

Tabby found herself placed carefully on the bed and she closed her eyes, happy to drift on the currents of bliss that swirled around her. The bed dipped alarmingly causing Tabby to startle back to reality, but before her panicked whimper had a chance to leave her lips, two, very warm, very big and very naked, male bodies pressed in on either side of her.

Having their comforting presences hem her in instantly made Tabby feel safe and protected and she slipped back into her dreamy, post coital bubble of contentment, surrounded by the two men who had very quickly become a vital part of her life.

With a sexy sigh, she rolled onto her side and curled up against the slab of muscle that was Marcus' chest while Cooper's big frame spooned up behind her and one of his arms slipped under her waist, wrapped around her belly and drew her back flush against him. She yawned, drowsy and satisfied, safely ensconced between her two big protectors. Her last thought before she lost her hold on consciousness was wondering if this was what it felt like to fall in love.

Tabby shifted from semi-awake to dead-to-the-world so quickly that Marcus would have missed the transition if he'd blinked. One minute, she was practically purring against him, the next, her soft, regular, puffs of breath were warming the center of his chest, just below the spot where her forehead had come to rest. She'd fallen asleep with both of her hands curled into little fists resting between his body and her chin and Marcus couldn't tear his eyes off her. There was a feeling expanding in his ribcage that he couldn't explain and he thought that if he could have had one wish at that moment, he would have wished for the ability to consume her so that he would always be able to keep her close to him and safe from the dangers of the world.

Cooper's hand rested lightly on her shoulder and her skin rippled at his touch before she sighed and relaxed, pressing her back against him for more contact. He glanced up and met Marcus' gaze, he wanted to say so much, but he just couldn't find the right words to describe the depths to what he was feeling.

"Thank you, brother." Cooper whispered, hoping Marcus would understand the strength of the feelings behind his simple statement of gratitude.

Marcus raised an eyebrow and replied. "For what?"

Tabby shifted, opening one of her fists and flattening her palm onto the figure of the angel on Marcus' tattoo and his skin tingled with a static shock where her skin made contact with his.

"For including me. You didn't have to, Marcus. I know how badly you wanted her...you could have easily have kept her all to yourself, but you didn't and it's for that that you have my eternal gratitude." Cooper lightly stroked Tabby's arm, relishing how soft her skin was. "She's everything I've ever wanted to find and so much more."

"You don't need to thank me, Coop. This was always my hope too...that we would find the one woman we could care for together. When I saw her the first time, she overwhelmed me with the unexpected connection and then, I'll admit, I was afraid of how she'd react to becoming a part of a triad. I almost didn't want to bring up the subject, just in case she bolted."

"She didn't bolt though and look what we have, brother." Marcus stared at her with incredulity shining in his eyes. "She's the treasure we never thought we'd find and she's all ours." He slid his head across the pillow so that he could place a tender kiss on the top of her head. "She's our strength, she's our weakness and she's become the heart that beats in both our chests."

"I still can't get over how fucking amazing it was to be inside her. It's never been like that before. I could feel the energy flowing between us... like she was giving me something I never knew that I was starving for and I couldn't get enough." He shook his head, trying to clear the bewilderment. He just didn't have the words to explain the experience. "Was it anything like that for you?"

"Hell yeah," Marcus replied solemnly. "I've never experienced anything like that before either. It was so much more than just hot sex; it was as close to a spiritual experience that I've ever had. But even as good as the sex was and, trust me, it was fucking mind-blowing; it was caring for her afterward that made me felt like I was fucking Superman."

Marcus paused and smiled at his best friend. "That's what's always been missing. It's not just the sex that joins us together, Coop. That's just an added bonus. The difference is Tabitha. The needing to protect her and take care of her...every breath, every thought I have is with her in mind. She was all I could think about for the last month and that need is a thousand times stronger now that she's ours. She calls to me in a way I can't deny...and it scares me just as much as it thrills the fuck out of me."

Cooper nodded in agreement and chuckled quietly. "I know. I swear, if jumping off a cliff would make her smile, I'd fucking grow wings and throw myself off just to please her."

"Pussy," Marcus teased and Cooper shot him a dirty look.

"Right, because you wouldn't be trying to be first in line if it came to that? Whatever, asshole! One of us has to be the good guy in this relationship. Poor thing is going to need some respite from all your broodiness. At least I get to be the fun one!"

Marcus wanted to laugh and punch Cooper at the same time, but there was no denying the truth. "Okay. I'll let you be the fun guy for now, but you're still a pussy."

"Fuck off, Marcus." Cooper grinned at him before yawning. "Fuck, I'm getting old if that session has tuckered me out this much."

"Let's try to get some sleep. We still have one more thing to do with her before I take her home later on."

Cooper looked confused. "You can't possibly want to fuck her again. She needs some time to recover. Between you and me, we've fucked her raw. She's going to be hurting when she wakes."

"Give me some credit, you ass. I'm not that much of a sadist. We still need to offer her our collar, remember?"

Cooper looked gobsmacked and then grinned like a loon. "Shit! I can't believe that I forgot about that."

Tabby grumbled and shifted restlessly and immediately, both men acted to comfort her - Marcus, by kissing her forehead and murmuring to her and Cooper, by stroking her arm and planting butterfly kisses on her shoulder. The lines of tension eased from her forehead and she settled back into deep sleep.

Marcus grinned, chuckling to himself. "Fuck. We are so whipped, brother."

"I know," Cooper smirked back; looking down on Tabby's sleeping face in wonder. "It's awesome."

"Go to sleep, you idiot."

"Asshole."

CHAPTER 71

The sounds of Tabby's sobs woke Marcus up with a start. He rolled over and found her curled up, weeping quietly to herself.

"Hey, angel, what's wrong?" he scooped her up against his chest and making contact acted like a damn bursting for Tabby's tears. They poured out of her while her body shook uncontrollably.

"What?..." Cooper's mumbled sleepily, waking up suddenly when he saw Tabby crying in Marcus' arms. "What's happening?"

"I don't know." He turned to Tabby, stroking back her damp hair so that he could see into her eyes. "Angel, you have to talk to me. What's going on? Are you hurt? In pain? C'mon, sweetheart, let us help you."

Tabby sniffled and rubbed at her wet eyes with her fists. "I...I don't know what's wrong. I woke up thinking about everything that has happened and my thoughts were all over the place. I don't know how this is going to work. One minute I'm flying high with excitement, the next I'm terrified that I'm getting myself into something that I don't have the experience to handle," she sobbed, her emotions spinning out of control. "Once I started crying, I couldn't stop. God! I feel like I'm losing my mind!"

Marcus felt like a complete idiot. He'd forgotten to warn her about subdrop - a phenomenon that some submissives experience after an intense play session - and here she was in the grips of an inexplicable depression and it was scaring the hell out of her. With everything that they had put her through, it was no wonder that she was dropping hard now.

Cooper sat up and helped to dry her tears with the bed sheet. "You're dropping, kitten. It's normal and will pass." He looked up to Marcus. "You didn't tell her?"

Marcus shook his head ruefully. "I fucking forgot." He hugged Tabby tightly. "I'm so sorry, angel. I should have warned you about subdrop, especially seeing as you went into subspace so easily. It's the downside for all that bliss the endorphin high brings on. Once it dissipates, you're left with this depression until your normal hormone levels stabilize again."

"So I'm not crazy?" she sniffed.

"Crazy? You're with us two, so probably! But this isn't that kind of crazy, baby, and we'll help you get through it, okay?" Cooper chuckled and kissed her. Kissing her had become his go-to solution for just about everything where Tabby was concerned. Whether it was for her benefit or his...well that was something that Cooper would just pretend didn't matter. It worked for him and usually made her feel better, that was all that was important.

"How?" her tremulous voice asked, shivering in Marcus' arms.

"The first thing is to get you into a warm bath," Marcus announced. Cooper was already getting to his feet and heading for the bathroom. When he heard the water splashing into the tub, Marcus climbed out of bed, holding Tabby protectively to him. "I'm so sorry that I didn't warn you that this may happen, baby. Later, we will sit down and work out some coping mechanisms for you, in case the drop hits you when we are not with you to help, okay?" He felt her nod against his chest as he carried her into the bathroom where fragrant steam was already starting to build.

Marcus held Tabby until the water in the bath was half-full. Cooper double checked the temperature and nodded to Marcus. "Put her in," he said, stepping out of the way.

"You ready, angel?" Marcus asked. He hated seeing the dull green show up in her eyes, a sure sign that she was distressed. He was getting better at reading her moods from the remarkable way her expressive irises shifted colours and this was his least favourite of the myriad of shades her eyes could display. Seeing it meant he had failed to do his job somehow and that his angel was hurting because of it.

"Yes." Her answer was barely a whisper, sounding so despondent that it wrenched Marcus' heart to hear it.

"You'll be feeling better soon, angel, I promise." He began gently lowering her into the bath. "Dealing with subdrop is all about pampering yourself until it passes and nothing feels better that a hot bath."

Tabby hissed as the warm water stung the sore skin on her bum and as the heat penetrated between her legs, she became aware of the dull, throbbing ache that had developed there.

"You okay, kitten?" Cooper asked, concerned at the flashes of discomfort he was seeing cross her features.

"Just sore, I guess. You were right when you warned me that I'd pay for the pleasure later." She gave a tired, half smile and settled into the bath, praying that the warm water would help alleviate the pains that she was just beginning to feel.

Cooper dipped a fat bath sponge into the water and squeezed it out over her back, letting the soothing water cascade down her spine and pour over her shoulders and onto her breasts. It felt so good that Tabby shuddered with the sensation and sighed with relief.

"Lie back, angel," Marcus instructed her and she did so with complete trust that her men would take care of her. Sure enough, Cooper was waiting for her and her back settled into his big hands. She leaned into his support and found herself looking up into his handsome, smiling face.

"Hi there," he winked and was rewarded with the sweet smile from her that he had been hoping to see.

"Hi back," she grinned. His cheeky grin was so endearing that it helped to push back the heavy clouds of depression that had swarmed in while she'd been sleeping. She couldn't help smiling back at him, as he tried to cheer her up.

Both men went to work with hands and sponges, washing her hair and rubbing scented body wash into her skin. Marcus' hands were magical, kneading and massaging the ache out of her calves and thighs until Tabby felt as if she could easily dissolve into a puddle. Cooper's long fingers worked shampoo into her hair and she purred in delight at the relaxing feeling of his fingertips massaging her scalp. Her eyelids grew heavy and she let them close, surrendering herself over to the tender ministrations of her loving men.

By the time they rinsed her off and lifted her from the tub, Tabby felt almost as good as she had when she had been in subspace. It wasn't a perfect cure by far, some of the depression still lingered, but at least now, she didn't feel so raw and vulnerable in the face of the black mood. Marcus and Cooper's caring attention had bolstered her energy so that she could fight through the smothering sadness and see it for what it was - just a momentary lapse until the effects of the subdrop dissipated.

Bundled into pre-warmed, fluffy towels, both men dried her off and then wrapped her into a thick, black, terry robe that smelled wonderfully like Marcus. She grabbed the lapels and brought them to her nose, inhaling his masculine scent and letting it comfort her. It was all around her and every breath brought his lovely scent into her nose; it was like being in her own private heaven.

"Happy?" Marcus quipped, seeing the blissed out expression on her face.

She blushed and nodded, moving the robe off her nose enough so that she could speak. "It smells like you," she replied shyly. "I...I really like it."

A bright globe of pleasure oozed warmth through Marcus' chest giving him a rush of pride and possessiveness and...something he refused to acknowledge. That emotion was off limits and not up for discussion, so he ignored it and focused on the allowable emotions that had accompanied the forbidden one. The animal part of his brain rejoiced that his scent was getting all over her body; he wanted her marked so that every male would know that she was his.

He briefly wondered if she'd let them tattoo or brand her sometime in the future. Call him a Neanderthal but Marcus couldn't quash the desire to see a permanent symbol of their ownership displayed on her skin.

Afraid that she was neglecting Cooper, Tabby brought her small hand up and pulled back the overly long sleeve so that she could caress his bearded cheek. "Thank you for the wonderful head massage, Cooper." She leaned over and let her nose trail up his neck, breathing in as she followed the curve up and over his jaw until she was staring into his crystal blue eyes. "I love how you smell too," she whispered and kissed him lightly on his lips.