by Lili Zander
Frustration makes me a bitch. The moment I snap at Casius and Mateo, I feel bad about taking it out on them. They’re trying to help me, and I’m acting like a petulant toddler.
Instead of being angry, Mateo’s smile turns feral. “Let’s play a game.”
“The dragon prince in the library with a candlestick,” I quip. The sarcasm hasn’t really run its course.
Mateo’s eyes dance with amusement. “Not quite,” he purrs, stalking toward me in a way that sets my pulse racing. “Casius, are you in?”
“Sure,” the other dragon replies, rolling up his scroll and setting it aside.
My gaze meets Casius’. His expression is filled with heat, and it sends a flash of excitement through my body. I lick my dry lips. Whatever Mateo is planning, it’s much better than failing to lift a paperweight in the air.
“What are the rules of this game?” I ask, refocusing my attention on Mateo. He’s standing mere inches from my body. He’s close enough I can feel the heat radiating off of him and smell his spicy scent that always seems to have a hint of power behind it.
He leans into me. “Well, with any good game there are both rewards…” His lips brush across mine gently. “And consequences…” He sinks his teeth into my bottom lip, just enough to sting. “Every time you complete your task successfully, you’ll get pleasure.” He sucks my lip into his mouth, gently soothing the sting away.
A riot of need builds up inside me. When he pulls away, I’m breathless. What the hell were we talking about? Oh. Right. Magic lessons. A game. Mmm.
“And if I fail?”
His fingers lightly pinch my nipple through my clothing, and I gasp. “That’s obvious, isn’t it? If you fail… punishment.”
“O-okay,” I stutter. Forming words is hard. Mateo’s big body is pressed against mine, and his fingers are busily torturing my nipple. Casius is watching us with a slight smile on his face.
“Try again, tesoro,” Mateo whispers into my ear. “Use your magic and lift the paperweight into the air.”
If I stay where I am, I’m liable to jump Mateo’s bones. I take a step back, putting a little distance between us.
Taking a deep breath, I focus my attention inward. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see the pulsing strands that surround Mateo. It would be so easy to manipulate those strands—they offer themselves up so readily—but that’s not the challenge. I’m supposed to find the magic that lives inside me.
Closing my eyes, I search for it.
Aah. There it is. My magic doesn’t feel like glowing golden threads. That’s why I’ve been missing it. It feels like a small, red ball of fire, deep inside my chest.
I take another deep breath and let my senses expand inward. Oh. My magic is made of strands too, but they’re knotted together in a tightly tangled red bundle. That’s why I can’t use it. It’s too messy.
I experimentally pull on the tightly coiled ball of red fire, trying to unwind the strands. It’s tedious and frustrating. Mateo’s magic hovers in front of me, tempting me to take the easier way out, but I can’t. Mateo’s right. I’m half-gemstone for a reason. I have to figure out how to use my own power.
Damn it. The threads refuse to cooperate. Worse than that, it feels like they’re actively resisting me.
If there were spirit animals for magic, mine would be a cat. Lazy, stubborn, and waiting to push things off the table just to be an asshole.
“You’re thinking too hard.” Mateo’s voice slices through my concentration. “Quit fighting against it. Use your instincts.”
I huff out an exasperated breath and try again. I finally work one of the flaming threads free and send it hurtling toward the paperweight. The globe-shaped stone wobbles, and then raises a foot off the desktop.
“Good. Now pull it toward you.”
I lightly pull at the thread of red-tinged magic, asking it to bring the object to me. Instead of listening, the strand snaps back like a rubber band sending the paperweight crashing to the floor.
Fuck.
Casius tsks from directly behind me. I hadn’t even noticed he’d moved. “Too bad,” he says with mock sincerity. “I had hoped to give you your first reward. But it looks like it’s time for your first punishment instead.” He doesn’t sound repentant in the least. “Take off your shirt, Aria.”
I consider arguing that I did better than I had before, but I hold my tongue. This is a new side of Casius, one I certainly haven’t seen before. I have a feeling I’m going to enjoy this game, punishments and all.
I tug my shirt off, letting it drop to the floor.
“Bra too,” Casius adds.
I comply without hesitation. My nipples pebble to tight peaks when the cool air of the library meets my skin. I hardly have time to grumble about winter because Casius’ big hands cup my breasts from behind. My head falls back on his shoulder as he pinches and pulls at the sensitive tips.
“The next punishment will be significantly more intense,” he murmurs. “Try again, Aria.”
This is ludicrous. Casius continues to tease my nipples. How am I supposed to concentrate when his hands are roaming all over my body?
I grit my teeth, close my eyes, and reach for the knot of magic again. Come on, red ball of fire, I plead. I’d be super grateful if you cooperate.
Something changes. Instead of a tightly coiled ball, the strands feel pliant. They’re still tangled together, but they appear slightly readier to respond when I tug at them.
Huh.
Maybe my crazy mates were on to something. Maybe I have been trying too hard.
This time, instead of yanking at the fiery strands, I coax them free. Stretching my hands out toward the paperweight, I imagine the magic wrapping around the fallen globe and bringing it to me. It’s just a ball of string, little magic-asshole-cat, I encourage, thinking of the way Madam Buttface bats wool all around Silas’ apartment. Roll it my way.
My eyes pop open, and at the same time the paperweight falls to the ground two feet away from me. “Very good, tesoro,” Mateo praises. “You definitely pulled it toward you. Next time, you’ll need to catch it though.”
That’s next time. I’m more concerned with right now. “Do I get a reward?”
“If you want one,” Casius replies.
Hell yes. “Of course I do.”
Casius’ lips curl into a smile. “Okay,” he says. “Pants off.”
I push my jeans off my hips and wiggle them down. I toe off my shoes and then kick both shoes and denim aside. Casius chuckles. “Someone’s eager for their reward.”
He pulls me back into his arms. The feeling of his fully clothed body against my nearly naked one feels deliciously dirty. He cups my face with one rough palm—definitely not the hands of a bookworm; it makes me wonder what other interests Casius has—tipping my head to the side. His warm lips press against the side of my neck, kissing, licking, and gently nipping the sensitive flesh.
I lose track of how long we kiss. When he pulls away, I moan in protest. I want him, damn it. It’s not fair to wind me up and leave me needy and panting for more.
“You’ll get more rewards,” Mateo says, his eyes glinting wickedly. “If you succeed.”
I glance down at his pants and see the hard outline of his cock straining against the fabric. Good. I hope you get blue balls, Mateo.
I know better than to say that out loud. Instead, I give Mateo a sweet smile. “What’s next, professor?”
His lips twitch. He knows exactly what I’m thinking. “This.”
He waves his hand lazily through the air. Before I know it, my wrists are bound behind my back by some kind of rope. I twist my neck around, and I catch a glimpse of tassels hanging from the ends.
He’s used one of the tie-backs for the thick curtains that cover the windows.
“What the…” I tug my bonds, but they are tied fast. I glare at a smiling Casius. “Seriously?”
“I’m dead serious,” Mateo replies. He retrieves an hourglass from one of the shelves and pl
aces it on the table in front of me. “Here’s how this is going to work. You have five minutes to free yourself. Casius is going to distract you. If you succeed in loosening the ropes before the time expires, you can come. If you don’t…” His lips curl into a wicked grin. “Well, you can figure it out.”
I’m about to ask him how Casius intends to distract me when the dragon drops to his knees in front of me, his mouth an inch from my pussy.
Holy fuck. Mateo is fiendishly inventive.
I tug at the rope again, but it does nothing more than chafe my skin. I’m bound by Mateo’s magic, I realize. The only way to free myself is to use my own.
“Are you ready?” Mateo asks.
I nod.
“Then your time starts now.” Mateo flips the hourglass, and sand starts trickling down to the lower bulb.
I close my eyes and concentrate on the rope around my wrists. I can do this. Just as the thought flits through my mind, Casius slowly removes my panties, his tongue snaking out to lick the seam of my pussy. My hips jerk forward, but Mateo’s fingers dig into my flesh, holding me still, forcing me to take only what they give me.
“Focus on the rope, Aria,” he advises.
“You focus on the fucking rope,” I retort rudely.
Casius chuckles into my pussy. “I could stop,” he threatens.
“No,” I practically shout, goosebumps breaking out on my skin. So far, Casius and I have fooled around quite a bit, but this is brand new, and I’m greedy for more. “Don’t you dare.”
Both dragons chuckle.
I reach for the ball of magic inside me at the same time Casius’ tongue flicks against my clit. If it weren’t for Mateo holding me steady, my knees would buckle. I want to melt into the sensation, but I also don’t want Casius to stop, and I know he will if I don’t get to work on Mateo’s knot.
Once again, the magic is different. The ruby-red strands seem to pulse in time to the delicious sensations fluttering through my body. This time, when I mentally touch them, they eagerly respond.
Okay, I could really use your help here. Yes, I know how crazy it is to talk to my magic like it’s a person, but it worked before. Besides, I’m getting desperate. The more time Casius spends teasing me, the closer my orgasm gets, and I know that if I run out of time, he won’t let me come. Could you please untie my wrists?
Surprisingly, my magic seems to be ready to cooperate. Warmth radiates around my wrists, and I feel the gentle tugging of the ropes. Just when I think it’s working, Mateo pinches my nipple, breaking my concentration.
The thread of magic snaps back into me.
“That’s not fair!” I whine.
“I never said the game would be fair,” Mateo replies. “you have to be able to use your magic even when you’re distracted by outside forces.”
Outside forces like Zyrian gunning for my head. I’m really starting to hate when my dragons make sense.
Casius sucks my clit into his mouth, and I moan, wanting nothing more than to sink into the pleasure. Mateo pinches my nipple, and I jump. “Ow.”
“Focus on freeing yourself,” he orders.
I reach for the tangle of strands again, tugging at them in frustration, forgetting that they respond better to gentle coaxing. I grow irritated as they fight me.
I’m ready to give up when Mateo starts kissing my neck and shoulder, his touch on my breasts turning gentle. As my body relaxes into the sensations, my mind clears, and I find myself mentally apologizing to my magic.
My wrists are once again swathed in warmth, and I feel the gentle tug of the rope as my magic does its work. This time when Mateo pinches my nipple, I moan into the pain but don’t lose my concentration. I wiggle my wrists and realize I’ve almost freed myself. Just a little more.
Then Casius thrusts two thick fingers inside me, and I lose my grip on it again.
Dammit!
Both men laugh, and I realize I’ve cursed out loud.
With Casius’ fingers and mouth tormenting my pussy, and Mateo teasing my nipples while he kisses and nips my neck, I’m thoroughly distracted from my task. Glancing at the hourglass, I realize I’m almost out of time. Resolve stiffens my spine. Come on, Aria. You’re not going to lose, are you?
It takes a monumental effort to push aside my need and focus, once again, on the task at hand. This time, I refuse to allow myself to waver. The red strands dance over the knot, unraveling Mateo’s magic.
Finally, the rope falls onto the floor. Just in time. Three seconds later, the last of the sand runs into the hourglass.
“Yes,” I laugh in triumph. “Ta-fucking-dah. I’ll have my orgasm now, please.”
Mateo chuckles. “I’ll leave the two of you alone,” he says. “But first…” He wriggles his fingers, and the books on the table disappear. “Can’t have the two of you destroy the contents of this library, can we?”
Whatever. I don’t care about the books right now. I want my reward.
I hear the door close behind me. Casius doubles down on his attention, and almost immediately, my orgasm crashes through me.
“Don’t stop,” I gasp. “I want you. Please...”
“All you ever had to do is ask, little thief,” he replies. He sweeps me off my feet before I can collapse in a puddle of bliss and lays me out on the surface of the desk. He parts my legs, stepping between them, naked. I have no idea when he lost his clothes, and I honestly don’t care because he’s slowly sliding his thick length inside me. Filling me exactly the way I want.
“You feel so fucking good, Aria,” he growls. “I’m not going to go slow.”
I hold his gaze in mine. I’ve waited for this moment too. From the start, from the moment Pieter injected Casius’ blood into me, the magic has tugged me toward him, toward this moment. “I don’t want you to be. Fuck me, Casius. I need you.”
Without another word, he plunges inside me to the hilt. He sets a hard, punishing, delicious rhythm. Faster than I’d have thought possible, I find myself on the edge of orgasm again. “Please…” I whimper.
“So impatient.” He pulls out and flips me to my stomach. I don’t have time to complain because he’s already inside me again, fucking me from behind.
“Yes, yes…” I cry out.
In this position, he’s hitting all the right spots. His cock pounds in and out of my pussy, and I surrender to the pleasure. His fingertip presses into my asshole, and it’s so deliciously naughty that my orgasm rushes through my body like a tsunami.
If this is my reward, I’m going to be the star pupil.
My orgasm goes on and on. Casius doesn’t relent. He keeps fingering my ass as he fucks my pussy, and I whimper and moan and writhe.
Finally, his rhythm falters, and I feel him tense behind me before a burst of warmth floods my pussy.
“Whoa.” His weight pushes down on my back as we both try to catch our breaths. “That was amazing.” I wriggle free of his grasp, and he tugs me into his arm for a gentle kiss. “Are you going to be in the library again for my lesson tomorrow?”
He laughs softly. “I think I must be,” he agrees. “After all, it’s very important that you learn to use your magic.”
5
Bastian
Derther Roth is in his eighties, but you’d never know it from the strength of his handshake. “Bastian,” he growls. “Took you long enough to come back to your castle.”
“Hello to you too, Derther.” I sit down in the chair by the fireplace and survey the old wolf. I haven’t seen him in twenty years. The last time we’d met, the pack had been celebrating Derther’s son’s mating with Elena Driscoll. There are more lines around his face, and his hair is thinning. Wolves live longer than Norms, but Derther’s still approaching the end of his years. After my conversation with Aria, I’m even more aware of the mortality of the other races. “How’s Pack Helferich?”
“Good, good. Stefan and Elena’s daughter Lena passed the Abitur and is attending Cologne University. Jonas doesn’t seem as concerned with his educati
on, but then, he’s only fifteen.”
It’s odd to think of Derther as a proud grandparent, but there you have it.
“We’ve had five new births this year too,” the Alpha continues.
I look up warily at that. None of the packs like to talk about the cubs that are born without magic. Lukus Hyde only came to me because he found out about the Bloodstone and hoped there was a cure to be had.
Most packs are similar to the Red Growlers, the pack that Raedwulf was once a part of. They might not demand that the parents abandon their cubs, but the children that can’t shift are definitely viewed as inferior. It’s a troubling situation. Some parents send them off to live with Norm families in the hopes that the cubs that can’t shift might find happiness in a world without magic, but that’s not the right answer either. The cubs have magic—they just can’t access it. Zyrian’s curse blocks them.
I don’t want to bring up what might be a sore subject, but I need to know how bad the situation really is. “All healthy?” I ask hesitantly.
Derther gives me a piercing look. “Don’t beat around the bush,” he advises. “It’s not your style. Yes, we have been fortunate. The cubs can all shift.” He takes a deep drink from his beer stein. “We believe your mother’s wards protect more than Castle Jaeger. The Königsforst is untouched by the ravages of the outside world. For now.”
“For now?”
“I haven’t been sleeping well,” the old wolf replies. “My dreams are filled with ill omens. Geri and Freki run amok, unchecked by the AllFather. The Dark Dragon is awake once more, and he prepares for battle. War is coming, Bastian Jaeger.”
He drinks deeply from his mug. “The woman is your mate?”
I blink at the sudden change in topic. I’m not surprised that Derther knows about Aria. Frau Ziegler and Wilhelm are both members of Pack Helferich. Their first loyalty will always be to their Alpha. This doesn’t really bother me. The Jaegers and Pack Helferich have been allies for generations. “Her name is Aria Archer.”