by Laura Wylde
Chapter 13
Megan
“I worry about you, Megan.” Mom wrapped her arms around me and inhaled deeply. “Even more so now.”
“You don’t need to worry.” I tried to pull away from her before she suffocated me. As soon as we healed Duncan, she hadn’t let me go and I was starting to wonder if I ever would. “I’m okay. You can see that now.”
“But a demon!” she yelled out hopelessly. “You have only been at the academy for a short while.”
“And look how much I have achieved!” I laughed. “We have defeated a demon. Sure, it was our fault that it escaped, but we got rid of it. Don’t you think that’s incredible? You should be proud of me, Mom.”
Of course, my little attempt at a distraction didn’t exactly work out. Mom wasn’t going to be derailed from panicking about me that easily. I bet she was starting to wonder why she let me go to the academy at all. I could tell that she was struggling with me leaving Ireland when I did, and I bet she wished that she had spoken up now.
But she also knew that I had gone for a reason and she probably understood that nothing would ever be the same again. She had to see that the dragons were a potential harem for me which would transform my life. The more that I thought about it, the more I realized that everything would change… and I was kinda excited about it. Of course, it still made me nervous, who wouldn’t be when diving into a lifetime commitment, but at the same time I knew that I wouldn’t feel the same way about anyone else like I did these guys, so why waste time? Why hold back anymore?
“What was the demon doing though?” Mom worried on my behalf. “Why did it go to all of those places? Big Ben seems like a strange one. Aren’t you worried that it was doing something while it was there? I am…”
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. “I was worried, Mom, but he’s gone now. We killed him, so even if he was in the middle of doing something, it didn’t work out, did it? So, it doesn’t matter now. Whatever he was doing is over now.” I shrugged my shoulders and smiled reassuringly at her. “We’re good, Mom. You saved us.” I rested my hands on both of her shoulders and stared firmly at her so that she would listen and know how serious I was. “You have been wonderful, Mom, and I really do appreciate it, but you do need to stop stressing yourself out now because it isn’t helping anyone. All we need to do now is get some rest, check that Duncan is healed, then…”
“Then what? Go back to the academy?” Her eyes remained wild with panic; I wasn’t helping her at all. “And then what? Will you be setting yourself up with these men and creating a harem of your own? Is that your plan?”
“Would that be such a problem?” I asked with an embarrassed heat tearing through my body. “Isn’t that what I am supposed to be doing? And you do like them, don’t you? You seemed to get on well over dinner.”
“I do like them,” she admitted, albeit begrudgingly. “But it’s hard for me to see you growing up so quickly.”
She was about to get emotional and I couldn’t stick around to see it because I knew that I would end up the same way too. If we both sobbed like babies, then I definitely wouldn’t be able to find the inner strength that I needed to get back to the academy. I leapt up from my seat and rapidly wiped the stray tear away.
“I need to check in on Duncan,” I declared rapidly. “The guys are out in the summer house and they might be too shy to come in and ask for anything. I better just make an effort to see if they are okay.”
“That Connor definitely isn’t shy,” Mom shot back with a light-hearted chuckle. It was obvious that she could see right through my lie, but she was willing to let it slide by so we could both gather ourselves up. “But yes, you better see if Duncan’s bones are aching less. He is likely to be doing much better already, but I’m sure it will take him about a week to be able to shift back into a dragon again. Wings are a bit trickier….”
“I guess we will be staying in Ireland for a week then,” I declared impulsively. “I don’t think that Duncan will want to head back to the academy without being sure that he can shift again. He’s going to trust your healing, isn’t he? So, I know it’s a big ask because there is a lot of us, but do you mind if we stay here?”
Mom’s eyes grew shiny once more. “Of course, you can stay here. I would love it! I want to get to know the dragons a lot better. Plus, you’re all out in the summer house anyway, so it isn’t any trouble to me.”
There it was. An acceptance from Mom that we would all be sleeping in the same place. She might be struggling with the concept of me growing up, but she was happy to give me the space to do it anyway. That was what I loved so much about her, she truly was the best mother in the whole world. I pulled her in for a hug and held her tightly to my chest, remembering all the ways that she made my childhood incredible before I took one more step into adulthood. It was kinda fitting that all of those milestones should happen in the same place.
“Goodnight, Mom,” I whispered softly to her. “Thank you so much for everything.”
“Goodnight, baby girl.” She cupped my cheeks in her hands for a moment. “I will see you in the morning.”
It was heavy, it was loaded with meaning, it was as if we both knew that nothing would be the same in the morning. But even with all of that hanging between us, we parted and made our way in opposite directions. She went to her bedroom and I walked outside and headed towards the summer house. The place where they all were.
My heart raced like crazy, I felt a bit like a mad person as I swung the door open to see them all. Everything was wild and crazy, nothing was the same, and it wasn’t just because the demon had gone. The dragons knew it as well. I could tell from the way that Connor’s eyes darkened with lust and Trevor had a much more open body language towards me. Even Artemis had lost his shy edge as he was thrilled about taking the next step. But that couldn’t happen unless all of us were together and in the same frame of mind. One of us might not have been…
“Is Duncan okay?” I asked cautiously while trying to peep into the giant bed we had in here. Mom brought this for me when I was younger to have sleepovers with my big group of best friends. I never realized then that the bed might go on to have another use when I was older. “How is he doing? Is he still out for the count?”
“I’m doing good.” Duncan surprised me by popping his head up. “I feel so much better now. Less dizzy.”
Relief flooded me. This was awesome to see. “You had us all worried there. I hope you know that.”
“Hey, I like a bit of drama, you know me,” he teased weakly. “Lucky I have you lot around to look after me. And your amazing family. I honestly can’t thank them enough, Megan. I don’t know where I would be without them.”
“They are just glad that you are doing okay,” I reassured him. “Trust me, they’re happy to help.”
“What an introduction, huh?” He shifted his body weight uncomfortably in the bed. “Sorry about that.”
“I was out as well remember when we got here!” I reminded him as I perched on the bed beside him. “It’s fine. It certainly hasn’t changed any opinions of you anyway. Mom and grandma really like you a lot.” I glanced around at all the guys. “They like everyone and thank you for taking care of me. For looking after me with the demon.”
“We didn’t take care of you,” Artemis chimed in. “It was the other way around. You saved all of us from near doom. We were just talking about how hopeless we all felt before your magic saved the day.”
“Well, I did try to tell Mom that, but she wasn’t having any of it,” I joked, trying to hide my blush as I did. “She assumes it was you. I would just take the credit otherwise she might start probing for something she doesn’t like.”
They all looked a little horrified and I could tell they didn’t want that, which was nice actually. It showed just how much they really cared about me. Something I had begun to see through the whole trip. It seemed like there wasn’t anything that they wouldn’t do for me, and that was a really warm reassuring feeling. E
specially when I cared so much about them as well. So much so that I didn’t ever want to live another day without them in it.
Tell them, my brain screamed at me. Tell them you want them to be your harem. Just say it already!
But thinking it and finding the words were two very different things. I wasn’t sure what made it so hard. I glanced at them all in turn, trying to figure out how they would all react. Connor would likely bristle with pride but not say a lot. It wouldn’t be just a victory for him though, after everything we had been through, I was sure that it would feel so much more important to him. Duncan would likely make a little joke out of it, but a sweet one maybe about needing to break his wing to get my attention. Trevor would be god smacked and Artemis would say something lovely to me. It would be amazing, but still, I couldn’t find the words. I had no idea why.
Maybe I could show them, I thought cheekily instead. That could work, couldn’t it?
For some reason that was a lot easier to go with, so without debating it for even a second longer, I closed the gap between me and Connor and dragged his lips to mine. I knew that would be steamy. If it was anything like the last kiss, we had then it would set me alight, which was exactly what I needed. I heard a sexy groan from somewhere else in the room, but I wasn’t exactly sure who it belonged to. Not that it mattered. Everyone would get their chance.
My tongue massaged Connor’s and his hands pulled me towards him so that I could rest against the length of his body. He was hot, and I was pretty sure I could tell how turned on he was as well. That thrilled me to the bone. All the fear that I’d been experiencing taking me to this point simply melted away. Connor had a way of putting me right on edge but making me feel safe at the same time. It was utterly phenomenal, and I needed more.
“Ooh,” I gushed against Connor’s lips as I felt someone else rest against my bag. I didn’t even need to look behind me to sense that it was Artemis. There was something about him that I could just understand well. His hands reached around to the front of my body and he cupped my breasts in his hands, giving them a gentle loving squeeze.
“You are so beautiful,” he whispered in my ear before slowly traveling his fingers downwards. “Oh, Megan.”
My head was spinning, my knees turning to jelly as these two men brushed their fingers lightly over my skin. The flames tickling all over me transformed into goosebumps, which had me seeing stars. I couldn’t get anything like enough air into my lungs to breathe properly so I was glad that these two men could hold me up.
“Here.” All of a sudden, Trevor’s hand slipped into mine. “You need to get on to the bed, don’t you?”
I nodded emphatically, happy to be moved. The bed was no longer where I used to have childhood sleepovers. It was a place where my very first adult sleepover was about to happen and my body was on fire, completely ready for it. As Trevor pulled me towards the sheets and I carefully clambered up towards Duncan, I knew with every inch of me that all four of these men were perfect for me. They cared for me, they challenged me, they turned me on, they were my friends as well. We all got along well, and that made it more thrilling. Knowing what they all brought to the table was incredible, it made me feel whole, this harem was just what I needed. It didn’t feel too much, just right.
“Are you okay?” I whispered, before bringing my lips up to his. “Does your arm hurt badly?”
“Not too badly for you to wrap your arms around me,” he hissed back. I stared into his eyes and spotted the deep desire there which had my heart pounding wildly. “You have no idea how badly I want you, Megan.”
I rolled on top of him carefully, but as the kissing progressed, the care kinda washed off to one side and the passion overtook me. I couldn’t exactly help it, could I? He was absolutely incredible, and he adored me. I could feel it running through him, fizzing in his veins, and the caring sexy way that he was working me was everything.
I only grew a little distracted from kissing Duncan as Trevor’s lips grazed my legs. He was kissing slowly upwards, working towards my pulsing core where I was absolutely aching to be touched. Especially by him. I had a feeling that Trevor would know the exact way to make me succumb to the sensations, crumble in a heap of pleasure.
Soon, the bed springs flexed as Connor and Artemis joined us on the bed as well, completing the harem. Teeth, tongues, handing, fingers… there was touch all over me and I loved it. All of them knew how to work me, all of them knew what I needed to send me to heaven. If it was going to feel this way for the rest of my life, then it wouldn’t be hard to commit to them at all. I would happily give myself over to them completely. They were the ones for me. I couldn’t believe that there was even a time when I ever doubted it. It was so fucking obvious.
I love them, I thought to myself with complete honesty as they flipped me over to my back and became a blur of activity, rocketing sensations all the way through my body, from the tips of my toes to the top of my head. The sensations were almost other worldly in their intensity. I love each and every one of them…
And it was that thought which remained in my brain as these men sent me tumbling into the abyss of pleasure. Everything that each of them did seemed to cause another wave of pleasure to roll over me. Sounds were flying out of my chest that I didn’t even know I could make. I felt raw and vulnerable, exposed and free, carefree and animalistic all at the same time. It was wonderful, thrilling, my toes curled over under the weight of it, and I honestly never wanted it to end. I could have happily remained in this summer house of love forever…
“Do I look different?” I wondered as I stared at my reflection in the mirror. “Am I still me?”
I poked and prodded my cheeks while grinning from ear to ear, smiling so widely I thought that my face might crack under the pressure of it. I was still the same person, but at the same time, I had been through the most monumental sex of my whole damn life, which had changed me a lot. I was definitely an adult now, there was no denying it, I had grown into a woman, and there was no going back now. Not that I wanted to go back.
“Where do we go from here?” I asked myself with a sigh. “Is that it? Or do we have a conversation? What would we even say to one another?” I giggled awkwardly. “Oh God, I really don’t want to mess this up.”
I knew the basics of what happened when a harem came together but I guess I hadn’t ever considered the after bit. Luckily, I was the only one awake right now, so I didn’t need to worry too much. Not yet anyway. I was in the main house at the moment and my family wasn’t awake either so I could enjoy this glorious moment of contemplation alone. Not that I was getting any answers really, only more questions. I was winding myself up.
One of the good things about remaining in Galway for a while to allow Duncan to heal was obviously being in my hometown and enjoying my family and friends some more. But I would also get to show the guys more about me, where I grew up and what shaped me, why I had become the woman I was now. I was thrilled to let them really know me in every single way. Ireland as well, since it seemed to have a strange reputation at the academy.
I felt like we also needed a break between murdering the demon and going back to the academy, returning to real life. It was a massive deal and we all needed some space to get our heads in order. Obviously, Duncan especially and we all wanted to be there for him to help him heal, because that was what people in love did.
I clung on to the love deep in my heart, holding tightly on to it. Much as I wanted to tell the guys to set it free, and to have it out there in the world, but I couldn’t say it first. Not when I wasn’t sure how it worked. Plus, I knew that Connor, in particular, took a little longer with his feelings, so I was happy to wait for him.
Either way, I was excited to see what the future held for us, I couldn’t wait to see where this could go. I was looking forward to the rest of the week as well. Galway and the wonderful Irish air would only be good for me.
Chapter 14
Duncan
I flexed my arm, glad to have it fe
eling much more back to normal. It had been a hard as fuck week for me with a lot of ups and downs, but now it was beginning to look like I could get my life back on track. Although, in a way, despite all of the pain and drama it had caused, I couldn’t help but see my injury as a good thing. It had given us a chance to bond more, to relax and get to know Megan and her life better. Her friends and family as well. I also enjoyed seeing where she had grown up and everything that she had done in her life.
If we had returned straight to the academy, it would have been instantly back to work and reality and we would have missed out on that time. It could have changed the dynamics of everything. But we couldn’t put that off forever, it was time for us to leave this beautiful country now, and to get back to our lives.
“Are you ready to try?” Connor asked me, softly for him, as he patted me on the arm. “We can wait…”
“I need to do it,” I insisted right away. “I can’t not shift forever, can I? I’m going to have to try.”
“Well, you have been given the all-clear, so you should be fine. But this is a mental thing too.”
I appreciate these kind words from Connor, I definitely wouldn’t have been able to do this without him, but he was right about it being a mental thing. I needed to get my head in order first. It was utterly essential. So, I remained in silence and sucked in a few deep breaths with my eyes fixed on the sky as I did. Connor and the other guys respected my need for silence, for my need to just feel nature for a moment, before I could do anything. I was acutely aware of Megan and her family standing to the left as well, near where we fought the demon, but I couldn’t look at them either. This was a battle just for me. A battle between me and my physical injuries and the mental scars left behind as well. I wasn’t sure that I had fully recovered from the moment the demon put us all in that dark place, and this was going to be the moment that I broke free from that and left it all behind.