Nina felt a flare of annoyance. “Well, maybe you should ask Nina what kind of situation she’s okay with being in.”
They both looked at her with vague expressions of shame.
“I’m sorry,” Pryce said humbly. “I sprung this on you. What do you think, Nina?”
Nina fell silent as the wheels in her head turned. Normally, she would say no immediately. She was hardly the type to have adventurous sexual excursions with men she’d just met, even though she had hook-ups regularly and had a handful of one night stands. On the other hand, she was more stressed out than she’d ever been in her life—meaning her hormones were behaving as though it were the end of the world. Sex with Eli had been amazing, and she was willing to bet sex with Pryce would be at least as good. Sex with both at the same time sounded like an incredible stress reliever.
Nina looked from one man to the other. “Okay,” she said brightly, and began to take off her clothes. “Let’s do a trial run.”
It seemed to take no time at all to undress them, and when they all stood nude together in the room, Nina wondered if they were going to chicken out.
Then Eli took her by the waist and started to kiss her mouth hungrily. She shivered as his tongue ran across her bottom lip, opening her mouth to invite it in so it could gently massage hers. He led her to the bed and pulled her into a kneeling position, resting one hand on her waist and cupping her large heavy breast with the other.
Pryce came up behind her, and though his hands were more hesitant at first, they slid to cup her ass as he started to kiss the back of her neck. His skillful hands began to knead her flesh, and she cried out into Eli’s kiss, trying to figure out how to move her body to become closer to both of them. Eli started to kiss lower on her body, stopping at her right nipple to massage her puckered point with his tongue while he slid a finger between her legs. At the same time, Pryce pressed his erection against the crack of her ass, brushing the small of her back with his incredible girth as he slowly dragged his length up and down the curve of her backside. Nina shivered and cried out again as the pressure between her legs became at odds with Pryce’s thrusts from the back; already, her body seemed too filled with pleasure. How was she going to make it through this?
Eli pulled back, and his eyes were on fire with need. “I want to be at your front,” he whispered. “Pryce will take you from the back. Is that okay?”
Nina barely registered his words. She nodded and felt Pryce grip her hips and pull her backward while Eli guided her head down, toward his own rigid cock. Without hesitation, Nina swallowed his head, relishing the gasp of surprise from Eli as she worked her lips down his shaft, licking the salty vestiges of his love from his skin. He gripped the back of her head and groaned as she slid her lips back up his cock, and she caught a glimpse of his rapt expression before she swallowed him whole again.
Behind her, Pryce was steadying her as he pressed the head of his thick member against her slick opening. He pushed forward and started to slide inside her; the sensation of his shaft being swallowed by her walls was almost too much. She struggled to keep her head moving in a steady rhythm as Pryce buried himself inside her, his fingers clenching her ass, but all intent was thrown out the window as he began to stroke. He filled her unbelievably well; it was like he was hitting nerve endings she didn’t know she had. Nina was moaning continuously, unable to contain her cries as Pryce’s strong hips thrusted against her plump ass.
Eli had started to come undone; the vibrations of Nina’s lips against his member were overwhelmingly pleasurable, and his head was tossed back, his hips pumping as Nina bobbed on his shaft. Behind her, Pryce was beginning to moan audibly, and the timbre of his cries sent a violent shiver racing across her skin. Nina’s curvy body was being moved by the force of his strokes, so that each time he hilted himself in her tight walls, she took Eli’s cock a little deeper into her throat.
“I’m close,” Eli told them, and Nina had a flashback to their first night together. His eyes were fixed on her again, and they were full of a desperate need for release. She held his gaze as long as she could—a moment later, Pryce’s strokes started to quicken, and his faltering rhythm told her he was close, too.
Nina started to buck her hips back against Pryce’s to meet his vigorous thrust, and as she did, he slammed into her g-spot repeatedly, bringing sharp, high-pitched moans from her body that were muffled by Eli’s long cock. She felt Pryce’s hands slip around to her stomach and curve up to cup her breasts, and he used both hands to squeeze and pull her taut nipples while Eli pulled on a handful of her black hair. Pleasure was streaking through her body, and Nina thought it was going to make her explode. The wild gyrations of her lovers told her they were feeling the same.
Eli suddenly gripped the back of her head and started to slip in and out of her mouth as quickly as he could, his moans almost too breathy to hear. Pryce picked up speed and power, his hips pounding into her as he crashed into her g-spot over and over again. His thick member was covered in her juices, and he slipped out when he withdrew once; he slid back inside her and thrusted even harder a second later, his nails biting into the soft skin of her ass as he screamed his pleasure to the ceiling.
How much more of this can I take without melting?
As soon as the thought finished, Nina felt her energy burst to the surface of her skin and spill out, first on to Pryce and then on to Eli. She moaned deliriously as she came, unable to control anything her body was doing as they thrusted inside her. The men emitted twin screams as her walls tightened around Pryce’s shaft and her tongue lashed at Eli’s, her actions bringing them sailing to the edge of their orgasms and finally pushed them over, freeing their energy to soar over her body as hers had done to theirs.
Pryce pulled out of her, groaning, and collapsed on his side, pulling Nina’s sweat-slicked body with him. Eli turned and laid flat on his back beside them, gasping for air as his moist cock started to lose it rigidity. With Pryce nestled at her backside, Nina pressed her face against Eli’s chest, breathing in their combined musk contentedly as their essences slowed in their dizzying rotation around their nude bodies.
This feels so right, she thought, gazing at Eli’s sparkling green eyes as Pryce planted wet kisses on the nape of her neck. How did I get so lucky? How did this happen?
Eli grinned at her after reading her energy. “I’m glad that you liked it.”
Nina grinned back. “Didn’t you?”
Eli nodded as he sat up and started to search for his clothes. “I liked it so much that I’m going to get dressed before it happens again.”
Nina laughed and followed his lead. She watched both men dress openly, feeling a distinct sensation of unreality as she tried to process their threesome. Was this really going to work? Could they remain casual together like this? From their easy smiles, it seemed that Pryce and Eli were sure it wouldn't be a problem. So why was Nina so nervous?
Rachel knocked a moment later. “Guys!” she called. “I forgot at least three things, are you guys done in there?”
Eli hurried to let her in, and Nina laughed as her sister walked through the room, her eyes sweeping over them suspiciously on her way to the bathroom. She thinks she knows what happened, but she has no idea.
She felt a hand press against the small of her back as she pulled her shirt back on. Pryce was smiling at her as he shrugged into his jacket.
“Hey,” Pryce said. He had a way of putting the feeling of a warm, joyful greeting into a single word. “I need to ask you something.”
Nina looked at him curiously. He looked nervous, and it made her nervous, and suddenly she was frustrated all over again.
“What’s up, Pryce?”
Pryce looked down and shifted from foot to foot for a moment before bringing his gaze back to hers. Nina was taken aback at how different he seemed then.
“What if there was a different way to help the dragons? One that meant you wouldn’t need to worry about losing your powers?”
“I’d do
it!” Nina blurted. “Of course I’d do it. Wouldn’t you?”
The blonde dragon laughed. “I’m not the best person to ask about these things. Something tells me you don’t see much common ground between us, so I don’t know if you’d see my potential decisions in the same light.”
Nina frowned as Rachel darted around the room, looking for her glasses case. “We’re both dragons,” she said, echoing what she’d told Eli earlier. “I think that’s the only thing you need to be to make a decision like this.”
Pryce smiled warmly, though his eyes told Nina he wasn’t convinced. “You see the world differently from a lot of dragons, Miss Henry. You would be surprised.”
Nina thought it was strange that he was back to calling her Miss Henry. “Are you saying that there are people who would let us die?” She couldn’t keep the skepticism from her voice. “Their own people?”
Pryce was silent for a long while. A shadow of anger passed over his rugged features, and his upper lip started to curl before he seemed to come back to himself and assume a more neutral expression. “There are people who only think of themselves,” he said finally. “No matter what that means.”
His expression softened into a smile. “I know you’re not one of them, though. I think that’s why I feel... so much admiration for you.” He looked inexplicably embarrassed, and Nina wondered if he’d changed what he wanted to say at the last minute. “I want to let you know that there are other avenues,” he continued hastily. “I have connections, you know? Like I said before, there are things you don’t know. Better ways to train, and even ways to discover your real power. I can teach you. You don’t need to bond to wake your powers up.”
For a split second, Nina considered it. She was eager to find out exactly how powerful she could be, and she didn’t see any reason why she should have to wait—especially if she was really the queen the prophecy spoke of. She imagined spending long hours with Pryce going over techniques that would strengthen her energy projection, push her ability to direct her power into a sort of metaphysical weapon, or maybe even uncover a hidden ability she didn’t even know about yet. There was another reason to be interested; those long hours training with Pryce could easily turn into something more. Though they’d all just enjoyed each other’s carnal company, there was no reason they had to have threesomes all the time. She was an adult. She could do what she wanted.
After that very long second, however, Nina realized that the idea was absurd. After saving her life, Pryce wasn’t just a handsome stranger anymore, but he was still an Outcast. Whether or not Outcasts were as depraved as she’d been led to believe, they were still an entirely different class of dragon. They lived differently and they certainly thought differently, based solely on the fact that they had shirked the opportunity to bond with the Greater Horde. It was fine for Pryce to have his reasons, but there would never be a reason good enough for Nina. She couldn’t trust dragons that didn’t want to be bonded, and she certainly couldn't trust their methods.
What about your parents? A small voice said inside her. They trusted them. They had Outcast connections.
But that wasn’t the same, Nina concluded uneasily. Her parents still bonded with the Greater Horde, and she didn’t even know how much contact they had with the shunned dragons in the first place. Pryce could be misinformed, or even exaggerating.
No, she decided. I feel safer dealing with things the Council’s way.
“Thank you for your offer,” she said, forcing her voice to sound neutral. “For now, though, I want to focus on resting and taking it slow.”
Pryce looked disappointed, but he didn’t say anything more on the matter. “Got it. Ready to go?”
Nina smiled and nodded, following Pryce, Rachel, and Eli out of the door with her duffel bag slung across her shoulder. She had a strange feeling of longing as she watched Pryce’s broad back move toward the elevators, and she couldn’t say why.
CHAPTER SIX
None of them spoke to her as they loaded into Eli’s car and drove back toward the apartment, and this fact alone told Nina she’d offended them by not allowing them to make their case. Am I being stubborn? She shook the thought away angrily. It shouldn’t matter, because this is my life. My heritage and my community. It’s my destiny, she thought. The only thing I’ve ever been meant to do.
Eli’s Porsche wove through traffic quickly, and they reached the apartment in what felt like no time at all. As they slid into a parking space, Nina was hit with an abrupt chill, as if she’d been pushed into an industrial freezer and locked inside. It was more than cold—the chill bit at her muscles and tugged at her heart, instilling her with an inexplicable sense of fear and foreboding. As everyone unbuckled their seatbelts, the feeling intensified, and her breathing quickened.
“Wait,” she said aloud, sounding as desperate and alarmed as she felt. “Don’t get out.”
Rachel touched her arm and peered at her closely. “What’s up? You look... spooked.”
Nina couldn’t put words to what was happening in her body and mind. Something was pressing just at the edges of her consciousness, and as she tried to see what it was, it slipped away, out of reach, only to come back and hover on the edge of her awareness again. She could see flashes of images, but they were too quick to focus on, and she was forced to build a puzzle from the jagged pieces her brain was trying to hold on to. There was one especially familiar piece, one she saw almost every day—what was it? A window? A wall?
Pryce and Eli had both turned around, clearly worried.
“Miss Henry,” Pryce said gently, his voice sounding like it was coming from the end of a long tunnel. “You’re shaking. What’s going on?”
The door. The front door, she thought—and just like that, she saw it clearly in her mind. I’m at the front door.
(But you’re in the car, a small voice said. You can’t even see the door so clearly from here, it’s too far away.)
But she could see the door clearly right now, in her mind; not only could she see the door, she could smell the coat of fresh paint on the railing outside, put there days before after the tenants complained of its ragged appearance. Something was wrong with the door, however; it seemed lower, shorter than before. Then the view of the door was obscured by a gloved hand, one that was decidedly not hers, and also likely male, due to its size and shape. Nina watched as the hand slipped a silver tool into her lock and fiddled with it, remaining steady and sure until the door popped open.
What’s happening? Is someone breaking into my house?
The door opened and she took in the hole the enormous arrow had left in the drywall. She felt a frisson of fear, remembering how close it had come—but she also felt a surge of amusement come along with it. It felt alien, not only because she was far from entertained by the event, but because it didn’t feel like her emotion at all. It felt like she was in someone else’s body, watching them go through the motions of breaking into her apartment.
Why?
The next moment, the picture changed. Again, she was experiencing feelings and sensations that seemed separate from her. She was sitting on the couch, vaguely uncomfortable with the way her body was positioned, and there was a faint ticking sound in the distance. For some reason, that ticking sound filled her with a panic so intense that she couldn’t breathe for a moment, then she was standing up, heading for the door, not caring if she fulfilled her mission or not—
(Mission?)
—but the fireball consumed her before she got a chance. It was born from the ear-splitting roar that took over her hearing a second before, and the white flames engulfed her, melted her vocal chords before she could cry out in agony.
“Nina! Nina, wake up!”
Someone slapped her, hard, across the face, wiping the vision from her eyes with the help of a pulse of their own power. Stars blossomed before her pupils, and the car slowly faded back into existence as she came to, covered in sweat and breathing as fast as her lungs could manage. Rachel’s face was as white
as a sheet, and she was sprinkling something over her head that smelled like sage and roses. Her homemade reviving powder, Nina realized.
“It worked,” Eli said tensely. “Thank God.” He leaned close to her from the driver’s seat. “Your eyes are back to normal, too. They turned grey. Solid grey.”
Nina looked around at the faces turned toward her, trying to understand what had just happened. “What... what?”
“You were screaming,” Rachel said, her voice shaking. “You sounded like you were being killed.”
Nina closed her eyes and remembered the ball of fire. “I was. I was being killed.” She opened her eyes in time to see them trading horrified looks, and instead of being discouraged, she launched into an explanation of what she’d just seen. I have to make them understand.
“I was opening the door to the apartment, only it wasn’t me. It was someone taller, and it was probably a man. I walked in—broke in, actually—and sat down, and a second later I heard ticking.” She swallowed, wincing at the rawness of her throat. “I tried to run, but there was an explosion. I felt it melting parts of me.”
Everyone was speechless. Rachel put her reviving powder away and took out a jar of something that smelled like mint, smearing it on Nina’s lips before she could refuse it. A wave of calm washed over her, and her heartbeat slowed to normal; she sat up in her seat and looked around at them, trying to see if they had any idea of what had just happened to her.
“What was it?” she demanded, looking from Eli to Pryce.
The men looked at each other, fear written in their gazes. When they looked back, they only shrugged.
“You can’t have been asleep,” Eli said. “Your eyes were wide open.”
“Was it a vision?” Rachel asked. “Our mom can get visions around her crystal ball. Her eyes run white when it happens.”
“We don’t have clairvoyance anymore,” Eli said, shaking his head.
“Not for centuries,” Pryce added thoughtfully. He was looking closely at her again, and Nina felt that he was analyzing her. “Not true clairvoyance.”
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