by JL Madore
I finish the ale in front of me and twist the top of the next bottle in line. “It’s not as simple as that.”
“Why not? You’re not getting soft on me, are you?”
“Not soft—smart. We’ve got to think beyond our next move to what happens three moves after that.”
Vik slumps down in the seat opposite me and snatches a bottle of ale out of the carton of eight. “That is your problem. You think too much. What you need to do is turn off your brain for a night and relax.”
I lift the bottle in my hand and clink the mouth along the three bottles I’ve already emptied. The high-pitched chink, chink, chink of glass on glass rings in the air. “Here I am… relaxing.”
Vik grins. “You can do better. Come on in, ladies.”
My heart sinks as three of Vik’s regulars round the doorframe and join us. One’s a trylle, one’s a water nymph, and one’s a light faery. They’re dressed for sex with tight sheath dresses that are so short, I can see the color of their underpants. And, what do you know, they are hemorrhaging the pheromones of girls who have needs to be filled.
I take a long draw on my drink and sigh. “I hate to disappoint you, ladies, but tonight’s not your night for the dragon twins. Vik will have to tackle the delights himself, I’m afraid.”
Vik makes a face at me. “What? Why would you turn down dragon doubles? You love it when we share.”
I did… when we were adolescents. “Bad idea, my brother. I’m on duty.”
He chuffs. “Since when has being on duty stopped us. Leave the door open. You’ll see if anything happens that you need to take care of.”
The idea that Creed or one of the others might come out and see me in the throes of release with these women turns my stomach. I never intended to claim him in front of them but if I join Vik with these women, it would be an intentional insult and dismissal of what happened.
My dragon claimed a mate.
And like it or not, somewhere deep, deep inside the man, I didn’t object. Being with these women feels like a betrayal. Except, Creed’s been having sex with the wolf and the bear and I have no say in that.
That was before my dragon staked his claim.
Now that I’m in the mix, I’m not sure what we’re supposed to do. Will he have me in his life? The universe chose the wolf for him. What does that mean?
Blast, I’m confused.
The water nymph, Brook, doesn’t wait for me to clear my mental cobwebs. She pulls the table forward and kneels in front of my chair. With a hand on each of my knees, she opens my legs and reaches for the buckle of my fatigues. “Vik’s right. You are tightly strung. Aura, Ruby, and I can help you with that.”
She releases the pin in the buckle holding my pants together and makes short work of opening things up. I bang my ale down and grip her wrists as foam rises up the neck and onto the table. “I appreciate the intention, but I can’t. Prince Creed has a suite full of guests and I’m on duty. It’s not a good night.”
I push my chair back, but Brook has a hold of my cock and is not taking no for an answer. She crawls forward, trying to get over me and suck me into her mouth. “Slecking hell, you need to stop.”
My pants are open, and I curse, pushing back in my chair, trying to gain some distance. “I said no.”
The knock on the door breaks her determination.
Rolling out of her grasp, I stand, turn my back, and get things put away. Of all the slecking people…
I do up my pants and turn to the door. “Princess.”
Keyla stands in the doorway taking in the scene. Unlike the three women in my suite, her gaze is sharp and intelligent. She’s reading the room and knowing her sense of smell is more discerning than mine means she smells the wanton female hunger in the air.
I scrub a rough hand over my face and draw a steadying breath. ”Apologies. What can I do for you?”
She smiles at the ladies. “May I ask your guests to excuse themselves so I can speak with you privately?”
“Of course, Princess,” I say, thankful for at least that much. Throwing Vik a glare I point to the hall. “Like I said. Not a good night, my brother.”
Vik frowns but isn’t about to argue with the newly wedded princess of our realm in front of the girls. As far as the palace staff and civilian population know, we’re Creed’s bodyguards. Now that he’s mated, that duty would extend to Keyla as well.
When my twin and his three companions clear out, I gesture for her to come in and check the hall to ensure we won’t be overheard. “That wasn’t what it looked like. I’d appreciate you not making an issue about it with Creed. I had no intention of starting something up with Vik and those women. I need you to believe me.”
“All right,” she says.
I wait, but when nothing more comes at me, I press on. “All right what? All right, you won’t bring it up with Creed or that you believe me.”
She shrugs. “Both. I overheard enough to know you were trying to diffuse your brother’s plans and smelled enough to believe you were frustrated and trying to end the aggression to have your cock swallowed by that blue-skinned girl.”
Classy. I grunt. “You don’t mince words, do you?”
“Who has the time? Besides, there are more pressing matters to discuss.”
“Yeah? Like what?”
“Like expectations of mating, loyalty, honor, duty… so many things. I’m a wildling, so I understand losing control, but I also understand what it means. You told Creed the two of you will ignore what happened, but at some point soon, your dragon will tire of knowing you’re the odd man out. When that happens, you’ll be a danger to everyone. We need to sort out your situation and get things resolved before that happens.”
I lean back and check that the corridor is still clear. “You say whatever is on your mind, don’t you?”
“Of course. There are times for discretion and diplomacy, but right now, the happiness of my mates, Honor’s safety, and setting things right in this quadrant take precedence—in that order.”
“And what, you’re here because he’s asking for me? I find that hard to believe.”
She offers me a sad smile. “No. He’s much too annoyed to be pining for you at the moment. You are the mate I was referring to. Your happiness is what I’m most worried about tonight.”
I search her gaze for any hint that she’s lying. Her words carry the warm, enticing scent of compassion and as much as I know scents don’t lie, I’m not sure what to do with that. “I don’t understand you. You’ve won. The universe gave him to you. Why do you care what happens to me?”
She shrugs. “Creed cares for you. We’ve been matched as mirrored souls, so I have to believe you’re worth caring for. I didn’t understand what you said this afternoon about your alpha, your mother, and your family name, but the panic and regret of your scent singed my nostrils. You think you’re alone. You’re not… or at least, you don’t have to be.”
“There’s nothing you can do to help. There’s nothing anyone can do. Even discussing it is dangerous. Just believe me when I say, you and Creed will be the death of my family.”
“I won’t let that happen.”
“You won’t have any choice.”
Stepping close, she presses her hands flat on the muscled plains of my chest, raises onto her toes, and leans close to whisper in my ear. “I understand you neither like me nor trust me, but we’re connected now.”
The warmth of her hands bleeds through my shirt and I close my eyes.
“Tell us what you’re up against, Rhy. We can work toward an outcome that works for all four of us. We don’t have to be adversaries.”
Her scent has altered since the searing. She and Creed have mated and their natural scents have merged. It calls my dragon to the fore in a rush.
Creed is ours. What is his, is ours too.
Unbidden, my body responds and my cock hardens. This close, there’s no way she’ll miss the hunger. Slecking hell, could this get any more twisted?
; Her wolf lets off a low growl and my dragon responds in turn. The merging of sounds is rough and full of probing possibilities. Warm breath tickles the side of my neck as her touch seeps through the fabric of my shirt. Unlike the wanton aggression the other three women were oozing into the air, Creed’s Little Wolf isn’t after sex. She wants more than that.
More than I can give.
“Return to your suite, Princess. Your mates will be missing you soon.”
She nuzzles her nose against the side of my neck, and I freeze. Every survival instinct I possess rears and I have a violent urge to shove her away.
But I don’t.
If she tenses to bare her teeth, I have enough strength to throw her across the suite like a ragdoll. Except she doesn’t. She draws her tongue along the sensitive flesh of my throat and breathes me deep into her lungs. Her animal is taking stock of mine.
Her wolf lets off a soft growl of approval and my cock twitches behind the fastenings of my pants.
“You think you’re his, but you belong to all of us now, Dragon. You’re mine, Rhylan Silverwing, and I protect what’s mine.”
Keyla
I see the shock on Rhylan’s face and smell the skepticism in the air. It’s nothing less than I expect. I ease back and offer him a sultry grin. “Once you learn to trust us, you’ll see the obstacles you’re envisioning aren’t as bad as you think.”
“No offense, Princess, but you don’t know shit about my problems.”
I shift toward the table and let my hand brush across the front of his pants as I step away. He’s hard and my wolf stretches languidly within. He wasn’t ready for his dragon to claim Creed but there’s no reversal of a wildling bond. He’s bound to us.
So, if the man is too stubborn to come to his senses, I’ll seduce his dragon and gain his trust that way. “Eventually, you’ll need to let us in. The sooner you do that, the better.”
“Better for who? Not me or Vik. Not my family.”
I pick up the open bottle of stout on the table and bring it to my lips. Letting a couple of long swallows slide down my throat, I lick my lips. “Who would you rather have at your back, Creed, Doc, and me with the support of the Phoenix and her Guardians or a queen you don’t believe in?”
“You don’t understand.”
“Then tell me.” I set the beer down and stride back to meet him chest to chest. With a slow, gentle hand, I sweep the fall of his hair out of his eyes so I can read him better. “I guarantee I understand realm politics and the pressures of family reputation much better than you think. I’m more than the fated mate of your lover. I’m the Prime Princess of the Human Realm.”
His gaze narrows and instead of appealing to the man, I return my attention to his dragon. There are certain things predatory males of wildling species can’t ignore. Strength. Weakness. Challenge. And submission.
Standing so close, the heat of his body is raising the hair on my arms, I sweep my hair to one side and bring it forward. Giving him my back, I tilt my head and bare my neck to him.
The growl of his dragon is too quiet to be heard by human ears, but my wolf picks it up. It’s a sorrowful bale and my heart goes out to him.
He’s so torn and twisted up.
“We are mates, Rhylan Silverwing. If you would welcome it, I would ease you.”
He chuffs. “Not interested.”
Glancing over my shoulder, I smile, reading the lie in those words. “Tonight, when you’re lying alone in bed and your mind won’t stop spinning, I want you to reach between your legs and grip that hard length of steel trying to break free from your pants.”
I turn and drop my gaze to where the black fabric of his military pants is straining to hold him. “Think about Creed and how badly your dragon needs to consummate its claim. Think about me naked in the suite today and what it would feel like to be inside me with Creed slamming hard into you from behind and my nails gripping your shoulders to ride out the storm. Think about belonging to something eternal where you’ll be accepted and cherished for who you are.”
A roar of dark spice fills the air. There’s no way either of us could miss his mating scent and he knows I’ve won. He wants what I’m offering, he just needs to get out of his own way to make it happen.
“You need to leave, Princess,” he says, his voice graveled with his dragon’s ascension.
“You belong in there with us, Rhy. Let me help you get there.”
I read the anguish in his eyes and my heart aches for him. Still, it’s not time to push. He needs to decide he wants what’s waiting for him across the hall… and not only the benefit of the mating.
I meant what I said, with the quint working with us, he has a greater chance of reaching his end goals on team Thornebane.
Leaving him to think about that, I head back and rejoin the party. The music bombards me the moment I open the door and I laugh at Jaxx, Doc, and Brant dancing with Calli in the center of the living room rug.
Creed is leaning against the wall inside the door and straightens when I come in. “How did it go with Rhy? He wasn’t rude to you, was he?”
“Not at all.”
Creed arches a brow looking skeptical.
“Seriously. We talked. Well, mostly I talked, and he listened. Then, once I said what I needed to, I left him to think about things. Nothing happened.”
“I’m calling bullshit on that,” Doc says, joining us. His cheeks are flushed and he’s a little breathless. I love that the bears love to dance. He breathes deep and arches an ebony brow. “If you were just talking, why are you wearing his mating scent?”
Creed stiffens and I shake my head. “Seriously, nothing happened. As you said, the mind is a powerful sexual organ. His door was open the entire time.”
“And?” There’s no heat in Doc’s expression, but I get the sense there’s no way he’s letting this go.
“All right, I may have had a rather suggestive subtext conversation with his dragon. We need to forge a relationship with his wild side or there will be trouble.”
“What do you mean?” Creed asks. “You’re talking like you think he’s dangerous.”
Doc nods. “Oh, he is… maybe not yet, but he will be. A mated wildling needs his mate. The more powerful the species, the more dangerous that need will become.”
Creed frowns and looks at me. “What did you do?”
“Nothing. I merely coaxed his dragon forward a little with some female persuasion. Basically, I flirted with his animal to start winning over the man.”
“And will that be enough?”
Doc and I both shake our heads. “I don’t think so. Rhylan is stubborn. You might have to take one for the team and tame your dragon.”
Doc chuckles and pats Creed’s shoulder. “That’s tomorrow’s problem. What else did you talk about?”
I shrug. “I merely pointed out that even without the mating, having us at his back holds more potential for him to come out of things in one piece.”
Creed grunts. “Laryssa certainly doesn’t care about him. He knows that.”
“And with the power of Kotah and the Phoenix Quint behind us, he belongs on team Thornebane.”
“What did he say to that?” There’s no missing the concern in Creed’s gaze. He might be furious about the claiming and embarrassed about his salacious relationship with his prison guard, but the fact is, he cares about Rhylan and that goes both ways.
“We’ll let him sleep on it,” I say, the music making me sway. “But for tonight, I’ve got some dancing to catch up on. Do you want to cut a rug with me?”
Creed frowns and looks at his area rug.
Doc barks a laugh. “Human expression. Cut a rug means dance. There will be no assault on your décor.”
My prince looks relieved. “Oh, no, you go have fun. I’m not a dancing prince.”
I roll my eyes. “Yeah, you and Kotah both. Okay, have fun holding up the wall.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Rhylan
After a miserable attempt at s
leep, I give up and decide to start my day with a couple of bottles of ale and a hot shower. I strip naked, swallow down half of the first bottle, and pick up a second bottle to go. Not the most productive morning routine, but I’m past caring.
It’s taking all I have to guard the prince and his lovers, lie to my brother, and pretend the evil bitch who holds my leash isn’t waving the key to my destruction in front of my face.
What does it matter if I show up to work in the haze of inebriation? At least locking myself in and getting shit-faced keeps my dragon at bay.
As much as I hate it, Keyla wasn’t wrong when she said my dragon won’t be held off long. Claiming Creed was only a bandage on a hemorrhaging wound. The bleeding hasn’t stopped.
He’s sharing himself with two other lovers.
Pretending it doesn’t gut me to be left across the hall while he’s in the royal suite with them is necessary, but it doesn’t fix anything.
I suck back another couple of gulps and reach into the shower to warm the water. With my thumb over the mouth of the bottle, I step under the spray.
I hiss and turn down the heat, my ass now screaming from the shock of being scalded.
Pressing the rim of the bottle to my lips, I finish bottle number one and set it down. I need to work on tightening up my emotions and locking down my dragon.
What an idiot I am.
For the briefest moment last night, I actually bought into the happily ever after bullshit Keyla dangled in front of my face.
Mates. The four of us against the world. Good conquering evil. Belonging to something to be proud of.
I see the bonds of camaraderie they share and yeah, I want that. She says it’s as simple as confiding in them, but she hasn’t got a clue. If she knew all of it… how far back Laryssa’s meddling went… how she plotted with the avian’s father… how they eliminated her father… she’d never accept me.