by JL Madore
I nod, utterly enthralled by the prince and dragon porn show. Sure, we could give them privacy but Rhylan’s dragon has to learn that despite him staking his claim, Creed is ours too.
It doesn’t take long before Creed’s breathing is coming in short, quick gasps and he squeezes his eyes shut. His release hits in a rough, hard gasp of breath, and his body shudders.
Rhylan strokes him off and swipes his tongue over the punctures in his neck. Then he lifts his hand and growls as he licks Creed’s release off his hand.
A moment later, the energy in the air shifts. By the shattered look on Rhy’s face as he eases back, his dragon descended, leaving the man to face the consequences.
Being wildlings ourselves, Dillan and I have both been-there-done-that. Losing control of our animal side happens to all of us.
It doesn’t always leave you mated to three other people but hey, if you’re doing something, might as well do it big.
The minute he meets Creed’s gaze the dragon gets panicky. “Slecking hell… Creed, I’m…” He turns and sees us there and curses again.
Creed looks like he’s in shock. He glances from Rhy, to us, and then, without a word, he turns and disappears into the bedroom. The boom of the bathroom door slamming echoes through the suite.
Rhylan stiffens and closes his eyes.
“It’s not as bad as it must seem,” I say, offering him an olive branch. “We’ve all been there over the past few days and we understand what you’re going through. What you need to do now is not overreact.”
Rhylan’s face twists in pained horror. “Not overreact? She’ll kill me. She’ll kill my brother. And when our alpha learns of this, our family name will be forfeit and the Silverwings will be erased from the ancient scrolls. My mother will be nameless.”
There’s a lot in that statement I don’t understand, but what’s clear is that, given a level-headed choice, Rhylan wouldn’t have chosen to mate Creed.
“You must love him, or your dragon wouldn’t have gotten so aggressively protective about losing him.”
“Caring about someone and thinking they’re getting a raw deal is a far cry from wanting to mate him and two strangers and sentencing your family to death and ruin.”
There’s a knock on the door and Rhylan looks like a spooked horse about to bolt.
I stand and raise a hand. “Yes, who is it?”
“It’s Vikarus. I need to speak with my brother. Is he in there?”
Rhylan’s eyes widen, and he looks like he might be pass out. “He can’t come in here,” he whispers. “I’m covered in Creed’s sweat and…”
He looks at the hand he used to prime Creed’s release and I think he might be sick.
I point to the bedroom. “We’ll take care of this. You calm down and go clean up.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Creed
Gripping the edge of the sink, I stare at myself in the reflection of the mirror. The puncture marks on the side of my neck are red and raw. Fuck. I didn’t know dragons dropped fang and did that shit. Rhylan certainly never did before now.
A shiver racks me as the sensation of the penetration floods back in a rush—it’s a lightning strike straight to my crotch.
I close my eyes and try to breathe through the tightening in my chest. Did that actually happen?
The swing of the door has my attention shifting across the mirror to the bathroom behind me.
Rhy stands there, pale and anxious. “I… I didn’t mean to do that… I’m sorry.”
I lock my legs, tighten my grip on the countertop, and clench my jaw. If I move, I’ll take him to the ground and not in a good way.
“I lost control of my dragon…”
No shit. That became apparent the moment he nailed me to the wall and made me his sex toy juice box.
He curses and sweeps his blond bangs out of his face. He looks wrecked. His eyes are still the gold of his wildling side and brimming with moisture. “I shouldn’t have—I wouldn’t have if I had any control.”
I believe him, but it doesn’t change anything. Especially if what I think happened, actually did happen.
“Did you claim me as your mate?”
He dips his chin, his eyes locked on mine and half-masted. “I’m sorry.”
A million emotions spin within the vortex inside me, not the least of which are fury and betrayal. “You stole my choice. Out of anyone in this fucking castle, you know how I suffer because of people taking over my life. You see everything that’s been taken from me and yet you fucking claim me in a rage… and in front of my mates and their family?”
He staggers back, his hand pressed against his heart.
“Now I have to go out there and explain to them that not only were we fucking around but Keyla and Dillan are now bound to a hot-tempered idiot dragon who they don’t know and who’s playing for the wrong team.”
Fire flashes in his eyes. “I’m more than my appointment to a violent bitch. I’m a man who happens to be duty-bound to serve the crown regardless of my personal convictions.”
“And you mated your prisoner!” I push off the counter to turn to him. “How does that work into your duty roster? Do you think that will fly? I’m not a wildling, but I’m pretty fucking sure that scent you released marked me, didn’t it?”
He winces.
“And now any wildling or fae with heightened smell will think I belong to you.”
“You do belong to me.” He storms farther into the bathroom and slams the door shut behind him. “That decision has been made. We can pretend it didn’t happen, but a dragon’s claim is a lock. You are mine.”
“And do I get a say in that?”
A cruel smile curves his mouth. “You got your say. Your blood sang to me and your heart was mine. It’s your fault my scent released. If your response to my advance had been different, the claiming wouldn’t have kicked in and nothing would’ve taken hold.”
Fuck me. “Bullshit. You’re backpedaling.”
He shakes his head. “I’m not. I didn’t mean for it to happen, but your reaction gave the process the go-ahead, and here we are.”
I chuff. “Am I supposed to believe you? Fuck, Rhy. How many times have you lied to me over the past two years? Now I’m supposed to believe you about something as important as this?”
He paces forward, his wiry frame rigid and tense. “I couldn’t tell you everything, obviously, but I never lied to you about anything personal.”
I get up in his grill, my chest heaving. I’ve got a few inches on him and it gives me a slight edge to back him the hell down. “Nothing personal? Like my sister escaping imprisonment or my mother being dead? Nothing personal, like that?”
He has the decency to drop his gaze. “I meant personal about us.”
I shake my head. “What us, Dragon? You snuck into my room a couple of nights a month and we fucked.”
“It was more than that and you know it.”
“Do I? We drew a line—enemies with benefits.”
“And it got away on us.”
“When? Once you saw that I had a chance at something real? The universe places a potential queen at my side and gives me the support I need to reclaim my life, then you move on me?”
“It wasn’t planned.”
“Does that change anything? We’re still mated. Fuck, Rhy, how do I face them? Keyla must be horrified. You injected yourself into our mating and jacked me off in front of her and her family. One of which is the king of the fucking Human Realm! How do you think that will go over?”
“Can I answer that?” Keyla cracks the door open.
I turn on my heel, too unsteady to face her. My cheeks flush hot and my stomach squirrels. “I’m so, fucking sorry, Keyla. I don’t even know what to say.”
“It happened. It’s done. Don’t be sorry. The important thing now is how we handle it. Vikarus is gone for now but we need to get Rhylan cleaned up and figure out how to mask his scent on you.”
Shaking my head, I turn to meet her gaze.
It’s as strong and steady as always. “How? How could you see what you saw and not be thrown? I’m mortified. Your family must be horror-struck.”
She snorts. “Hardly. My family found the entire exchange as carnal as I did. They excused themselves to go get naked and work off the effects of your mating in their suite. They’ll be back once they’re sated.”
I rub a hand over my mouth, my heart pounding. She genuinely doesn’t seem angry or hurt. “I don’t understand. Maybe I don’t know anything about what mating means in your world, but you should be furious with both of us.”
The deep-timbre of Doc’s chuckle precedes him coming through the door and entering the mix. “Try not to assign logic to her, my man. The females in our realm will turn the tables on you every time.”
“And how do you feel about this, Bear?”
“What does it matter?” Rhylan snaps, scowling. “It doesn’t affect them. I didn’t mate them. They’re not part of this.”
Dillan chuckles again and leans his broad shoulder against the doorframe, filling the exit. “That’s where you’re wrong, Dragon. Like it or not, it’s the four of us now. You might’ve claimed Creed as your own, but he wasn’t on the market. The universe gave him to Keyla, and you and I were added into the mix.”
Rhy doesn’t seem to agree, so I hold out my hand to Keyla and pull her to my hip. “Keyla and I are together and even though it’s early days, it’s amazing. We’re well-matched and our feelings grow deeper with every exchange.”
By the light in her eyes, I earned a few bonus points with that declaration of affection.
I shift my focus back to Rhy. “Mating me means mating us. Dillan and I had this discussion and it bears repeating. Keyla and I are destined for great things and although neither of us expected it, we are embracing it. Dillan and I are working on building a relationship and I will be as much his mate as I am hers. I’m not sure what you expected, but I’m not an individual—I’m part of a throuple.”
Keyla chuckles at the use of the word she introduced to me only days ago.
I wrap my arm around her shoulder and bend to kiss the top of her head. Having her close and breathing her in soothes me. She has quickly become my source of strength and support.
I hate the rejection I see in Rhylan’s eyes but there’s no benefit in pretending our situation is anything but what it is. “Having your dragon claim me complicates things, but I understand how it happened.”
Keyla places a hand on my bare abdomen and smiles up at me. “The three of us learned over the past week that our future won’t be what we initially envisioned, and that’s okay.”
“If we work on it together, it’ll be more,” Doc says, offering me a nod. “Different, and more.”
Rhylan shakes his head. “You’re talking like this is something I want. It isn’t. I don’t. My dragon’s possession got the better of me and now… slecking hell, I don’t know how to fix it.”
“The first thing is to get you across the hall and washed up.” Keyla breathes deep and shakes her head. “Doc and I will run interference to get you back to your suite without a confrontation with Vikarus. You need to shower and get into clean clothes that don’t smell like sex with Creed. I’ll speak to Lukas about suppressing the mating scent.”
Rhylan’s icy gaze narrows on her and the intensity of his glare raises the hair on my neck. “Why would you help me?”
She lifts her shoulders and winks. “Because we’re mates now and that’s what mates do.”
Keyla
On the way back from relocating Rhylan into his suite, I knock on the door to The Auburn Suite down the hall. “All clear. Come over when you’re ready.”
With that, I turn, and Doc opens the door to Creed and Honor’s royal suite. Closing ourselves in, I lean against the back of the door and close my eyes. Water is running in the distance and I feel bad for Creed and the upheaval of what he’s going through—again.
“Anything I can do, babe?”
“How about a bear hug. I could use your strength.”
Doc gathers me against his chest and wraps his arms around me. “Have I told you lately that I think you’re beautiful and the most amazing person I know?”
I nuzzle against the scruff of his jaw and breathe him in. “No, but I’m listening.”
His chest bounces against my cheek. “I’m sorry I grumble at times. It’s not you. It’s a bear thing.”
I know it is. Still, sometimes it bugs me. “I need your support, Doc. There are so many things changing so quickly that I need you as my foundation. Don’t ever underestimate your importance to me.”
“I’ll try. And I’ll try to be more of a team player, but I still might need some alone time with you. My bear and I need you to ourselves, too.”
I close my eyes as he strokes the back of my hair and I sink into his hold. It strikes me that this is the first quiet time we’ve had together since it all began. There was our mating, but that was rushed and filled with pressure to join up with Creed and get into the city.
It’s nice to have nothing waiting for us.
For this moment, there is me and my bear.
“Calli says it’s all about balance and each mate expressing what they need. I’ll never object to you wanting one-on-one time with me. I need that too. Don’t ever think I’m filling a corral and forgot my first stud.”
He chuckles. “First stud. I like that. I think I’ll get a t-shirt made.”
I ease back to smile up at him. “I love you, Bear.”
He meets my lips with a simple kiss of warmth and affection. “I love you, too.”
Doc
By the time Brant and the quint make their way back for the Drink and Think, Keyla seems to be firing at full power again and I’m glad to have been the one to give her the recharge. I forget sometimes she’s not as invincible as she seems.
Life in the spotlight of a realm taught her how to handle diversity with poise and grace. From the outside, it looks like things don’t rattle her, but deep down, she’s still a young woman with the weight of two worlds pressing down on her.
As she welcomes our brothers and gets everyone set up for our strategy session, I head into the bedroom to check on Creed. The guy has always been clean, but no one could take that long in the shower.
The bedroom wall panel is open and Creed is standing in the hidden closet. With both hands gripped on the hanging rail above, he’s got his eyes closed and seems lost in thought, he doesn’t hear me join him or at least doesn’t acknowledge it.
Wearing only a towel wrapped around his hips, the patchy white scars on his back catch me by surprise.
I’ve never seen him with his shirt off. Even when we were fucking he had his shirt on… unbuttoned and covering his back.
The damage has long since healed, but it just goes to show, you never know what someone’s been through. With that in mind, I knock on the door frame and give him a second as he jumps and throws a shirt on.
“Sorry,” I say, leaning on the frame. “I didn’t mean to disturb you.”
He shakes his head. “It’s fine. I’m fine.”
“Are you? No one would blame you if you’re not.”
“I would.” He pulls a pair of slacks off a hanger and steps into them commando. Then he gestures for me to unblock the doorway. “I’ve tarnished my impression on your family as much as I can stand.”
“Nah, we’re not like that. No one would think badly if you pass on tonight considering the day’s events.”
He buttons up his dress shirt and tucks the tails into his pants before grabbing a belt and some socks from the dresser drawers. “And what then? Should I hide in a closet for the rest of the night?”
I shrug. “What one man calls hiding, another might consider stepping back and gaining clarity. Keyla said something to me just now and I think it applies to your situation too. She said, our happiness is about balance and each of us expressing what we need. If you need a minute, take it. We’ve got you.”
He
sits on the chair beside the dresser and pulls his socks on before standing and checking himself in the massive floor-to-ceiling mirror. “I appreciate it, Bear. I do. I just feel like my life is out of my control and I need to assert myself where I can.”
“Anything I can do to help?”
He extends his arm and I mirror the gesture and clamp his wrist as he grasps mine. “You’re doing it. Thank you.”
Before we leave the bedroom, he straightens and holds his arms to the sides. “How do I look?”
“Dapper and sexy.”
That earns me a sultry smile. “Why Mr. Baskins, are you flirting with me?”
“In my defense, you’re looking spank and I’ll be the only one out there who knows you’re free-balling.”
He chuckles. “It’s no wonder Human Realm slang and idioms are such a craze here. You guys say the most outrageous things.”
“It’s true, not outrageous. You’re swinging loose and long and that’s sexy as fuck.”
A flush hits his cheeks. “Thanks for saying so, Bear. You’re a good guy.”
CHAPTER NINE
Keyla
It’s hard to miss how long it’s taking for Creed to join us. Doc went in to check on him and still nothing. I’m about to excuse myself and go in there myself when the two of them finally emerge.
Creed’s a little dressy for the occasion, but I’m not complaining. A male in slacks and a pressed shirt pushes my buttons. And the way his broad shoulders taper down to his slim, belted waist is breathtaking.
“So, it’s going well then?” Kotah asks, reaching around my shoulder to give me a side hug. “Between the prince and you, I mean. I have no doubts about Doc. He’s a solid guy and loves you. Creed seems to be following his lead though—falling in love with you, I mean.”
My two guys are sticking close to one another and Doc takes him over to the bar. What was a butler’s cart with a few bottles has been upgraded to Jaxx’s specifications and is now a full-on party bar.
I lay my head on Kotah’s shoulder and try not to worry. Doc’s got him. “I think it’s harder for him. He’s an alpha male, right? The would-be king. He lost his crown and his family and his say in life and then the moment things shift, something like the thing with Rhylan happens and he feels like his footing is more gravel than ground.”