Chapter 40

I paced back and forth, biting my thumbnail as I did. Madara's going to step out of that bathroom any minute now, and I need to decide if I'm going to go through with this or not before that happens.

Akin to my footpath, my mind jumped from pro to con with fantastic speed. I'll start with the cons because they're what's preventing me from saying yes.

The things Madara has done to harm me are substantial. He's lied, hurt, and used me. He's the sole reason Sasuke and I started so shakily. He made the prince try to kill me, which led to the incredibly traumatic and painful loss of my virginity.

Then there are the pros.

The most significant one is that he willingly changed his mindset and lifestyle for me, for my sake. I'm a firm believer that actions speak louder than words. A person can apologize and vow to change, but if they never back up their claim, there wasn't a point in any of it. Madara said he regrets his transgressions and is still actively making efforts to atone.

He doesn't obey me like some kind of slave, but he does listen when he knows I'm serious. That's another thing he didn't do before. For example, when I wasn't sure if Sasori would kill me or not when we were prisoners of Sonukuni, the Uchiha vampire agreed to protect Ino because I begged it of him.

There are also unspoken things.

As our bond grows, it's become increasingly acceptable to be close. That being said, he backed off the moment he realized I had a lingering unease about his proximity. Add to that the fact that he's gone out of his way on many occasions to accept and protect Sasuke, whether it's because he knows how much it means to me or not, and it's no wonder I'm having trouble deciding what path to choose.

The door to the bathroom suddenly opened, pulling me from the insane depth of my thoughts and making me jump in fright.

"On edge, are we?"

Madara's voice was unserious, and he offered an amused grin as he crossed the room to sit on the edge of the bed, running a comb through his thick, messy hair. Thankfully, he had a robe identical to mine, so I didn't have the distraction of his muscles to make my dilemma more difficult.

Still unsure, I climbed onto the bed and came to my knees so I could gently pull the comb from his grasp. Obviously, he sensed my tension and wordlessly allowed me to take over the task. With careful hands, I took my time removing any tangles I encountered.

What surprised me was how therapeutic the act immediately became. Gone were my frantic thoughts and anxious trembling. Instead, my breathing evened out, and I let this innocent proximity ease my discomfort. The fact that I couldn't see his face helped, too.

Many minutes passed, and then I was finished. As my manic anxiety rose again, I studied broad shoulders, a strong back and arms leading from them. Fingers trembling slightly, the comb slipped silently onto the bed beside me, and I placed my palms flat against Madara's back. As I felt him breathe beneath my touch, I closed my eyes and tried to calm the fear. The vampire didn't move and allowed me to do as I pleased at whatever pace I found suitable.

This is so confusing, my relationship with the once sadistic man. He terrifies me just as much as he calms me. I trust him not to hurt me as he has in the past, but I also struggle to overcome the memories and the trauma they brought.

Closing my eyes, I gently pressed my head against his back and breathed deeply, slowly, as I ran my hands up to his shoulders. Why is this so hard? We talked freely hours ago, and I felt comfortable with it. Maybe it's because Sasuke's not here to encourage me this time, so I can't mentally tell myself I only did it because my prince wanted it. No, I want it. I do, and I know it's weird and confusing.

"What's on your mind?"

My eyes crept open as Madara's voice broke my hectic thoughts, and I blurted out the first thing that came to mind, "I…. I think your hair is pretty."

What the hell did I just say? God, how humiliating.

I moved back when he suddenly began moving, turning around and moving around so he was sitting behind me rather than the opposite. To my surprise, he wordlessly picked up the abandoned comb and ran it through my hair. My gaze was locked, wide-eyed, on the wall as he gently pulled it through, from root to tip, and then repeat.

Madara spoke calmly, "I never cared for the color pink."

That statement bled with the truth. Madara, and sometimes even Sasuke, is a man of tradition. Pink is traditionally a female color, as stupid a concept as that may be. It doesn't surprise me that he had adverse feelings about it.

"I was a fool for not seeing its beauty."

Slowly, I began to relax. The tension in my shoulders released, and I let my hands rest in my lap as I closed my eyes and enjoyed the sensation. After another minute, the comb was placed on the bed again. Madara ran his fingers through my hair, gently pulling it behind my shoulders to fall down my back.

"You smell lovely. You always have."

Embarrassed, I mumbled, glaring down at my hands, "It's because of my-" "It's not just the blood." I'm unsure what he was trying to say, but it was meant to be flattering, so I took it that way.

"Sakura, you have every right to be scared, but I promise, you don't have to fear me anymore."

Tears welled in my eyes for some reason, and my voice wavered when I replied quickly, "I know that."

Madara ignored my response completely, his long and calloused fingers softly brushing over my shoulders in a gentle massage, "I've never wanted someone as much as I want you, which is why I won't ask you to do this unless you're completely sure. Sasuke knows it, too. Neither of us will force you."

"I want to." My eyes widened at my own words, and the slow massage the man gave my shoulders paused.

It was too late to go back.

So, I lifted a hand to rest atop his on one of my shoulders and turned my torso so I could look into his eyes. For a moment, neither of us said anything, but I eventually managed to form words, "I think the only thing holding me back is the fear that you'll return to how you were once you get what you want. Please tell me that's not going to happen, Madara. Promise me."

His brow furrowed as though I'd offended him, but he just nodded slowly as his jaw flexed.

The door to the room opened then, and Sasuke came in, looking much healthier. He must've had a good meal because his skin was bright and clear, eyes sparkling with energy as he nodded at us in greeting. He looked a million times better than when he left.

After locking up and taking his shoes off by the door, he approached with his gaze hard and focused on Madara's. I could all but read his thoughts by his expression, and I'm sure the other Uchiha man could, too. That stare was a warning that he'd better not do anything I don't want, or else he'd make sure he regretted it. It was also his silent permission to proceed with whatever was about to happen.

Eyes watering nervously, I studied Sasuke's face until he turned his gaze onto mine, those dark irises softening substantially. He began unbuttoning his shirt, but Madara suddenly spoke and distracted me, "Bite me, Sakura." I looked at the prince again, and he nodded once as he unbuckled his belt.

Fingers trembling, I fully turned my body to face the older of the two and moved his hair away from his shoulder as I leaned in. Madara's usual grin was gone. Instead, he offered both a reassuring and serious expression. Taking one last deep breath, I closed my eyes and went for it. My teeth sank into the skin where his neck met his shoulder.

The moment the flavorful liquid hit my tongue, a heat began flowing through me that substantially lessened my nerves. Cautious even in my steadily aroused state, I came closer so I could run my hand up his chest to hold the opposite side of his neck.

The room was nearly cold before now, but it was like the place was heading toward a sauna, and all the heat was coming from this muscular man's body. It took everything in me not to throw caution to the wind and tackle him to the bed because his blood was telling me to do it.

His throat vibrated as he spoke amusedly, "Ah, I never noticed because you're always almost dead when you bite, but this is quite…."

A soft moan left my chest, and I ran my hand from his neck back into his hair, where I held a fistful of it to hold him still. One of his hands was at the back of my head, and the other grasped a handful of blanket.

"You'll take too much, Sakura." Sasuke's voice met my ears moments before I felt him grab my waist with both hands and guide me to lean back.

I could tell my eyes were glowing red hot when I released Madara, and he seemed genuinely surprised when I met his gaze heavily, bloodthirsty and aroused like crazy.

A wrist was shoved against my lips, and I bit down automatically, moaning at Sasuke's blood's familiar, delicious taste. He leaned me back against his chest. I held his arm with both hands as I watched Madara hesitantly maneuver my legs so they were parted on either side of him. The older Uchiha man kept eye contact with me the entire time, waiting for any sign that I wanted him to stop.

Sasuke reached around with his free hand and expertly untied my robe so it'd fall open, and the other vampire's eyes danced over my appearance freely. I had no choice but to put on one of the lacy lingerie sets because Madara didn't buy me any practical undergarments. So, I'd chosen the black set as close to a regular bra and underwear pair as possible.

"You're not so nervous this time."

A soft growl rumbled through my chest at Sasuke's teasing words, but I quickly got over it when he looped two fingers under my bra and pulled it up so my breasts met the air. Then I was again distracted by warm hands caressing my hips, slowly moving upward until they reached my chest. I tore my teeth from Sasuke's arm, him automatically pulling it away, and watched as Madara brought one hand down between my legs.

His brow quirked when I jumped slightly as he began massaging me, starting the process of figuring out what I liked, "I've been tempted to ask your preferences, but it'll be fun to discover them naturally."

Instantly, I noticed a difference in his approach from Sasuke's. It's as though the prince's mindset was, "I'll coax you into telling me what you like," while Madara's was, "Tell me what you like, or else." Teeth clenching together at his unrelenting teasing, I hissed in pleasure, back arching from against Sasuke's front.

"Oh, that's one. What else, my dear?"

Rather than allow me to respond, he hooked his fingers around my underwear and slowly pulled them lower and lower on my legs until they were completely gone. Before I could see what he intended to do next, Sasuke moved behind me. Ever so slightly, I was made to lean back more so he could grip my jaw almost roughly and turn my head to the side to deeply kiss me.

Focusing solely on one man was impossible, which overwhelmed and aroused me further. Sasuke reached around with his free hand to massage my breast, slipping his tongue past my teeth slowly and sensually.

My body gave a jolt when a wet heat appeared against my womanhood, but I couldn't bear to open my eyes to confirm that it was Madara's tongue. I just had to assume it was. It all felt good, but after a few moments, he found just the right spot and pressure. One of my hands shot down to his head.

Moans were muffled by Sasuke's kiss until he pulled back and laid me down on the bed. That's when I realized he was already naked because he slid into my mouth the moment it was possible. My free hand grabbed the base of his sex as he slowly began moving his hips. If it weren't for the book that Ino gifted me so long ago, this type of thing would've had me choking.

Instead, I properly adjusted and prepared myself each time his length slid into my throat. Long fingers clasped loosely around my throat, just under my jaw, and I realized Sasuke was feeling for just that, and he liked it.

The tightening in my nether regions began to flare up as Madara found what my body reacted to and began abusing that knowledge.

"Won't you give in? You're holding back," The man between my legs mused before returning to what he was doing, annoying me thoroughly.

I moaned when he slid two fingers inside, tongue still attacking the bundle of nerves there relentlessly. My hand left his hair and frantically grasped the blanket as my back arched. I was close, so close. With each flex of his fingers, my chest heaved, and my legs trembled over his shoulders. At the very last moment, before I could climax, Madara's touch disappeared.

An aggravated sound rumbled through my chest. Sasuke pinned one of my hands to the bed, but the other reached down to blindly search for the missing man. Strong hands grasped my thighs suddenly, and the familiar sensation of a man met my sex.

A moan vibrated my throat around Sasuke's cock, making him groan and causing his steady pace to falter. Madara slid inside at a steady pace to ensure I wasn't hurt. I could feel my insides twitch excitedly around him, still just on the edge of climax.

To my surprise, I was distracted from him by a hot liquid flooding my throat. Sasuke thrusted in fully, paused as he released, and slowly slid out of my mouth. Gasping for breath, I sat up on my elbows, wincing as Madara began moving his hips, cursing softly.

The older Uchiha man pressed my legs further apart with a dazed expression, red eyes dancing between my face and sex, "You've come alive with the blood…Goddess…."

"Upward, Madara," Sasuke said, voice raspy as he recovered from his climax.

The vampire in question raised a brow, looking as confused as I felt, but then he changed how he moved, adjusting the angle where he was thrusting at an upward angle rather than just straight in.

In an instant, my insides exploded with pleasure. I fell back to the mattress, back arching as Sasuke wrestled my hands to the bed, leaning over to smirk at me. I moaned, whined, writhed, and trembled as the sensation passed through my body in waves until it finally ended, and I was left sweaty and breathless.

Madara's pace slowed as he smiled down at me, too, and I closed my eyes and blushed heavily. Auras of amusement came from both men. Rather naturally, considering how nervous I was that things would be awkward, the position changed. The bra was also removed, lying forgotten on the floor beside the bed.

Sasuke was behind me, hands on my hips. I pulled Madara into a kiss quickly so he wouldn't have a chance to see my humiliated red face. The prince entered from behind, making my breath hitch. At first, he moved slowly but carefully increased the speed and effort to not overwhelm me. Hesitant, I ran a hand down Madara's torso to wrap my hand around his sex, massaging cautiously as I gauged his reaction.

Moments passed before the tightening in my lower abdomen coiled. I reached back to place a hand over one of Sasuke's on my hip, fingers curling around his. In response, he brushed my hair over one of my shoulders, pressing his lips to the back of my neck and between my shoulder blades.

My eyes shot open when the younger Uchiha slid his hand out from beneath mine, and then I was forced forward onto my hands and knees. Madara moved back naturally, and I gasped when Sasuke moved his knees onto the outside of mine, pressing my legs together before giving up on being gentle.

I took the older royal into my mouth, glancing up to see an attractive, aroused expression on his face, bright red eyes locked onto mine. My brow furrowed as I was distracted by the man behind me, who was doing all he could to drive me wild. Seeing me so caught off guard must be amusing to him because it was like he was teasing me.

Sure, I felt incredible and lost in the moment, but I wasn't drunk or completely useless. So, I tried something new. Tightening my stomach, I arched my back further and focused my energy between my legs as if trying to heal someone. A low moan left the prince's lips, and I released an amused sound around Madara's cock. Suddenly, a familiar salty substance met my tongue, and I looked up at the older Uchiha with wide eyes. He just smirked.

"Sakura…." Sasuke's voice was deep and warning, pulling my attention back his way. If I didn't stop what I was doing, he wouldn't last much longer.

Feeling powerful because of his response, I pressed back against him. Nails dug into my hips as he moved more unsteadily. Moaning, I slid Madara out of my mouth, dipping my head and wrapping a hand around him as I panted. Then the man between my legs was climaxing, pressed deep inside and frozen. When he was finished, I looked over my shoulder at him, satisfaction meeting my ego when he seemed utterly exhausted.

Sasuke's eyes had returned to black, but he smirked, shaking his head knowingly as he pulled out, "Finish her off. I need a break." The man climbed off the bed to seemingly get a drink of water from the sink in the bathroom.

My attention turned to the man in front of me, and I sat back on my knees, pressing his chest so he'd back down. He lay down, head on the pillows, and watched me straddle his hips and slip him inside while musing, "I believe he said for me to finish you off, not the other way around."

Rolling my eyes, I placed a hand over his mouth and began moving, doing the same thing I'd done to Sasuke with my healing ability. A surprised sound was muffled behind my hand, his hand shooting up to pull it away. Madara's teeth gritted as he looked over me with wide eyes, obviously thrown off by the unfamiliar sensation.

I moved my hips more slowly, sensually, while teasing him under my breath, "What's wrong?"

Then, in the blink of an eye, my back was against the bed, my legs were bent around his hips while he sat on his knees, and his palm was flat on my abdomen. A pleasured cry passed my lips before I could stop it, face warming in embarrassment as he moved more precisely than before to touch just the right spot inside.

"Not so cocky now, are you, princess?"

I covered my mouth with my fingers, averting my gaze, humiliated. He reached down to massage the bundle of nerves between my legs as he continued moving. The muscles in my lower regions flexed and contracted as I approached climax more quickly. Madara's hand on my stomach slid up to swat my hand away from my face.

It was approaching quickly, making me temporarily forget my bashfulness at being seen so vulnerable by the man for the first time. Before he could do anything else, I grabbed a strand of his hair that'd fallen over his shoulder, tugging slightly, "Bite me." His eyebrows raised in surprise, but I pulled his hair again, growing closer and more frantic, "Hurry, do it!"

My knees bent toward my chest as he came down and bit into my neck with a hand on the opposite side, tangled in my hair. That was what I needed to get there, and I found myself pressing up against his body, hands grasping his arm and shoulder for dear life as my insides exploded with pleasure.

Madara's breath hitched, and he pulled his teeth from my skin to speak breathily, "Christ, Sakura…."

As the waves of climax began to fade within me, he pulled his body away, sitting back on his knees as he pulled out and ejaculated all over my stomach with cloudy eyes locked onto mine. Then the room was silent of any sound but our heavy breathing.

"Demanding, isn't she?" We both turned to see Sasuke leaning against the bathroom doorframe, a glass of water in his hand as he smirked.

My face erupted in blush when Madara chuckled, sitting back on his knees to look over my appearance with a grin, "Indeed, she is. It's a wonder you aren't forced to sleep more often, Nephew."

I pressed a foot to his chest and pushed, making him laugh harder as he climbed off the bed and began tying his robe closed, "I can also say I now understand why you're so against men coming too close. If they found out, she's likely to be stolen away by someone with a better personality."

I sat up, glancing down to ensure none of the substance on my body would reach the bed, "Will you two stop humiliating me?"

Sasuke snickered, handing me the glass of water and a towel to clean the mess off my skin, "Drink." I did, lifting a brow quizzically at him.

When I was finished, he took the towel, tossed it aside, took the drink, placed it on the nightstand, and climbed back on the bed to pull my ankle so I'd be forced to lay down again. A small squeak left my lips when he bit into my neck, over where Madara just had, "W-What? Already?"

He made an amused sound deep in his chest.

Madara chuckled, crossing the room to steal the water glass, eyes bright as he met my eye, "I hope you've properly prepared yourself for the days to come."