Into the Dream [The Arcadians] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)
Page 16
Lunaria’s piercing silver eyes bore into Allie with a seriousness that had her breath catching. “It took the combined powers of both Silas and I to bring you here and gift you with the change. We want to lead the Arcadians back to what once was, only stronger this time. I am able to aid true mates to have female young, but their nature is swayed to birthing more males in general. We chose you to lead this change since your people pride yourselves on equality. You are our hope for the future.”
Well, damn…that was a lot to take in.
Allie was still having trouble dealing with her own life, and now she was supposed to lead the Arcadians into some grand evolution?
Could she do it?
What if she couldn’t do what they asked and let them down?
Lunaria’s perfect lips curved into a smile. “That is why we chose you to be the first. It is in your nature to want to succeed although you doubt yourself. You are not hungry for power. You are a healer, and thus will begin to heal the Arcadians back to who they are supposed to be.”
“But how can I lead them when I don’t even know what I’m doing?” Allie still didn’t know how she was supposed to do what they asked.
“You just have to be. Live your life and love your mates. That is all we ask of you. Aside from your longer life, we have given you the gift of shifting to your dragon form. At first you will only be able to call upon your beast when you are in danger. Through the years you will gain a better understanding of what you are. Do not fear, even in beast form you are still yourself. Once you return, you will feel an overwhelming need to seal the blood bond with your mates again. Do not fight it, as your blood will be infused with magic. Over time as you continue to share your blood with your mates, you will bring forth their dormant dragons as well.”
“Oh, and you are immortal now,” Silas added absently, making Allie gawk at him. “What? We haven’t gone to all this trouble just to have some Arcadian kill you off before you can do what we want you to, now can we?”
Allie gritted her teeth together, all too aware that both beings in front of her could read her mind.
Silas opened his eyes and grinned at her. “And at least with your new powers, you can stop your mates from hearing your thoughts all the time. You should really thank us for that.”
Thanks a ton, Allie thought then blanched as he glared at her.
“You would do well to remember that I do not harbor a love for you lesser beings as my lady does.”
Yeah, but you need me to bring about this change, Allie thought.
Lunaria smiled. “She is learning.”
“You are a bad influence over this lesser being, my love.” Silas sighed.
“Can you two at least try and pretend that you don’t hear my every thought? It’s sort of freaking me out.”
Silas focused his glowing golden eyes on Allie again. “Why pretend when you know we can hear you. Just do not think anything we would take issue with.”
Oh for the love of…like she could really control her thoughts. Allie wanted to roll her eyes at him but held back the urge. Barely. Shit, she was doing it again. Sneaking a peak over at Silas, she could see he was clearly not amused by the thoughts racing through her mind.
“Nay, I am not amused.” Silas frowned.
“Over time you will pass on your immortality to your mates. But you still have your limits,” Lunaria said delicately.
“Aye, you can still die if someone cuts off your head, so try not to let that happen,” Silas added.
Gee, another fantastic thing to think about.
“And even with our combined powers, we are not able to bring forth another from your world until the next full moons, so you will be the only of your kind for a while,” Lunaria said.
“How long is that?” Allie asked.
“Both moons are full at the same time only once a year,” Silas replied. “Try not to screw things up too much in the interim.”
“I’ll try,” Allie said dryly.
“If you need me, I will be able to hear you if you come to the crystal temple,” Lunaria promised.
“Aye, do try and not to bother us while we are together,” Silas added.
Lunaria sent him a scolding glance then said, “I will be able to answer you and will try and aid you however I can, although I may not be able to come to you unless it is during the deep hours of the night when my power is strongest. When you return, it would be best if you completed the mating ritual with your mates and sealed your bond.”
Allie was comforted by the Goddess’s promise to help her if she needed it. Lunaria stared at Silas in silence until he heaved out a sigh. “Fine. If you have need during the hours of daylight, you may call to me in the Sun Temple located in the forest. But it better be life-or-death important, or I will be very irritated. And you don’t want to get me irritated.”
No, she really didn’t. “Umm, thanks, Silas. Is there anything else I need to know?”
Before Lunaria could answer, Silas spoke. “Aye, tons. But you will figure it out as you go. We would not want you to get bored with your new life so soon.”
The sparkle of amusement in his eyes gave Allie pause. That was definitely not a good sign. Bored? How the hell was she going to get bored now that she was a shape-shifting dragon with magical powers and three mates?
Not. Going. To. Happen.
At least not for many years to come.
Silas leaned back, striking a deceptively relaxed pose against the far side of the chaise. “The change should be complete, and I am getting bored with this.” He paused for a moment before smiling, making Allie instantly worried. “But I do have a stipulation I would like to add before you go. You may not tell anyone, including your mates, about your new ability to call forth the beast inside you until you change for the first time.”
Allie’s mouth dropped open in shock.
Even Lunaria seemed startled by his request. “Silas?”
Silas leaned in and placed a quick kiss on his lover’s lips before shooting a wicked grin toward Allie. “I have to get my entertainment somehow in all this chaos. You may go now.”
Allie opened her mouth to speak, but at the wave of Silas’s hand, her vision dimmed until the world faded to black.
Chapter Twelve
Thud.
Allie woke when she heard a dull pounding, and wanted to bury her head under the covers to block out the sound. It took her a few seconds to realize that the sound she heard was not her alarm clock going off, and she was not in bed, but lying out on the altar in the crystal temple.
Allie took a moment to survey her body. She was glad that the searing pain that she had been feeling had disappeared. She didn’t feel any different, she felt good. In fact, she felt wonderful. Her gaze flickered down to see that she was still wearing the sparkling silver gown gifted to her by the Goddess.
Huh, how was she going to explain this without telling her mates what she had been changed into?
This had really been one fucked-up night.
She rolled her head to the side to try and track the sound and blinked her eyes when she saw Tynan and Ryder taking turns throwing their massive bodies against the invisible barrier surrounding the altar. Cael knelt on the floor, holding his head in his large hands as if physically trying to keep it on his shoulders. Her heart felt ravaged as she could feel their anguish and grief through their bond. Alarmed, Allie curled her feet to her side as she sat up.
Why couldn’t they see her?
Why couldn’t they sense her through their bond?
As Allie looked at her mates, she felt a different kind of heat spread through her body. Boy, did she love them. They really were perfect for her, and now that she had been changed, she would be able to be with them forever. She was supposedly magical now, right? She silently willed the invisible wall surrounding the altar to disappear, and to her surprise, it did.
Tynan stumbled as he threw his body against the invisible barrier, only to find that it had vanished in the last few second
Cael and Ryder stroked loving hands over every inch of her they could reach as Tynan buried his head into the crook of her neck and held her tucked against his chest.
“What happened?” Ryder asked in a voice rough with emotion. “Where did you go?”
“I was here…well, my body was here even though you couldn’t see me.”
“What do you mean, your body was here?” Cael asked, concern softening his voice as he pressed his lips to the top of her head.
Allie sighed as she thought about what she could tell her mates and what she couldn’t. Damn Silas for his stupid caveat. Well, the truth was always the best answer, only this time she would have to leave a few things out. Christ, and just thinking about the whole immortal thing made her stomach queasy. No, some things were going to have to wait.
“It’s a long story.”
“Tell us. Everything,” Tynan growled.
Allie told them all about being taken to the Isle of Dreams where she had met Lunaria and Silas. By the shocked look on their faces, Allie could tell that this wasn’t something that happened, well…ever.
“You actually met Lunaria?” Cael asked, incredulous.
“And who in the blazes is Silas?” Ryder demanded.
“Silas is the God of the Sun, or something,” Allie replied. “He’s a pretty scary guy…although I could tell he really loves Lunaria.”
“This is amazing,” Tynan breathed. “Allie, you have to understand that this has never happened in the history of our race. At least as far back as we know. Lunaria has spoken to a few individuals within the walls of this temple, but she has never shown herself to anyone before.”
“I’m special,” Allie quipped.
Ryder leaned in and pressed his lips against hers. “You certainly are. So what did they tell you?”
“They told me that I was going through a conversion of sorts. They left my body here in a protected shield while they took my spirit to the Isle of Dreams because she said it was really painful, and she wanted to spare me from feeling it.”
“What conversion?” Ryder growled. “What did they do to you?”
Allie looked at the narrow-eyed, pissed-off expressions on her mates’ faces and hurried on to explain. “No, it’s a good thing. Did you know that in my world people only live to be about a hundred years old?” The looks of horror on Tynan, Cael, and Ryder’s faces told her that they didn’t. “Lunaria and Silas did something that would allow me to…live longer so I could be with you.”
“Then we shall thank them every day for the rest of our long lives,” Cael vowed.
Huh, if he only knew how long that would actually be…
“They said there were other things…gifts and stuff, but that I had to wait and see what would happen.”
Tynan growled at that. “If something is wrong, we should know about it so we can protect you.” His eyes narrowed again. “You are blocking us from your mind. Why is that, mate? What are you not telling us?”
“And how the hell can you block us out?” Ryder asked. “You shouldn’t be able to do that with the blood bond.”
“Well…see, here’s the thing,” Allie hedged. “The blocking thing is one of the side benefits of the whole conversion.”
All three men cursed under their breath and snarled viciously.
“Hey, you guys may be comfortable having someone running through your head, but I’m not. I can still open the link to you, but there are some times a girl wants her privacy.”
“You are our mate. You have no need for privacy,” Cael growled.
Men…will they ever learn?
“That isn’t true,” Allie explained patiently, when she really wanted to smack each of them on the head. “We should be able to talk and communicate if there is something you need to know. You shouldn’t just cheat and sneak a peek in my head if I don’t want you to, get it?”
Clearly they didn’t.
Ryder sighed. “What else are you not telling us, Allison?”
Fuck it…she’d place the blame where it belonged. “Silas gave me some rules I have to follow. Actually, it’s just one, but it means I can’t tell you everything yet.”
“That is unacceptable,” Tynan snarled.
“I agree,” Allie said. “But the good thing is it isn’t anything that will harm me or you. I’ll be able to tell you everything…soon. Please, don’t ask me again. I swore to Silas I would do as he wished, but I really will be able to share everything very soon. And Lunaria and Silas both promised to answer me in case I need them or if there is a problem we need help with.”
“Call them forth now, and we shall demand they tell us,” Cael ground out through clenched teeth. Allie gaped at him. Oh boy, and he was usually the calm one.
“Trust me when I say that this is one dude you really don’t want to piss off,” Allie said. Trying to get their minds off of the conversation and on to more pleasant things, she stroked a hand over Tynan’s cheek. “You know…Lunaria suggested we may want to complete the bonding ritual when I woke up. I think she may be right.”
Tynan’s nostrils flared with lust. “Aye, mate. That is a good suggestion.” His hand reached up to grip onto the thin strap of the silver gown she was wearing. Allie quickly placed her hand on his to still his movement. “This was a gift from Lunaria.”
“Then we shall make sure not to damage it,” Ryder promised.
Cael carefully removed her dress as Tynan continued to hold her. His large hands stroked over her soft skin as he pulled off the gown. The rough pads of his fingertips fluttered over her puckered nipples, making them stiffen even more. Cael smiled down at her and placed a kiss on both of her bare knees as he pulled the dress free, leaving her naked.
Tynan briefly handed her over to Ryder to hold and stripped out of his own clothes quickly.
Ryder’s mouth swooped down and claimed hers in a searing kiss. Their tongues tangled in a leisurely tasting, stroking until a loud growl penetrated the air. Ryder pulled back and shot her a quick grin. “Tynan almost went mad earlier. It would be best to soothe him first, Princess.”
Allie smirked back at him. “I think you were pretty freaked out, too.”
Ryder’s grin faded, his glowing eyes intense. “Aye. Do not ever leave us like that again. My heart could not take it.”
Allie threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tight. With her face buried in his neck, she could hear the blood rushing through his veins. It was calling to her, and the smell of his skin was intoxicating.
Tynan growled again. “Give her back to me.”
“It comes with being the first born, that commanding arrogance,” Cael whispered from behind her, making Allie chuckle.
Tynan reclaimed her and cursed softly. “I cannot wait, my love. I need you too much.”
“Show me,” she whispered as she sunk her hand into his dark hair. “Show me how much you need me.”
Tynan walked back over to the altar and set her down on the smooth stone. Their lips met in a passionate kiss, their tongues mating as he shoved her thighs apart to step between them. Allie could hear Cael and Ryder stripping out of their own garments as she and Tynan fed from one another.
Tynan’s fingers delved into her tight pussy, feeling the liquid seeping from the hot hole and making her shudder with need. His hands reached up to cup her breasts, driving her crazy as she felt his hard cock searing her inner thigh.
This was what she wanted.
This connection to them.
Feeling brave and full of feminine power, Allie gripped Tynan’s head in her hands and levered up her hips to rub her pussy lips over the head of his engorged cock. She felt his breath suck in harshly and purred at the sound.
“Mmm, I missed you,” Allie whispered as she clung to Tynan, burying her head into the crook where the corded muscles of his neck met his shoulder.<br />
“Not nearly as much as I missed you, little one.”
Allie breathed in his scent, loving the smell of him. She rubbed her lips back and forth over his skin then felt an overwhelming desire to bite down. Heat coursed through her body as Allie felt a hunger come over her so strong she almost stopped breathing. It was as if she didn’t have him soon she would die. She wanted him inside her, in every way.
“In me. I want you inside me,” she whispered against his skin.
“Patience, little one. We must prepare you.”
“No, now.” Unable to wait any longer, Allie wrapped her legs around his back, pulling sharply against his hips, forcing the wide head of his cock into her pussy.
“Fuck!” Tynan growled as he gripped her hips hard. “You will hurt yourself, Allie. You were not prepared, and I am too large to shove into you like that.”
Allie wanted to scoff at his scolding, but it came out as a moan as she felt Cael hop up onto the stone altar. She felt his large body settle behind her, his hands reaching around her to cup her breasts, the hot, thick length of him burning into her back.
“Here, sweetling. Lean back against me as Tynan pleasures you.” Cael eased her body back against his hard chest, holding her securely. One of his hands drifted down her stomach, and the other started to pluck and rub her distended nipple as Tynan slowly sank into her until he was completely buried deep within her snug heat.
“Do you like that, love? Here, let me help you relax your little pussy so Tynan can fuck it for you,” Cael whispered as he slowly stroked his fingers over her clit.
Tynan growled with pleasure as he ground his hips into her, making her moan as he rubbed the spot deep inside her. “Do you feel that, little one? Your pussy is clutching my cock, hugging me so tight it almost hurts. I love being inside you, so close to you. You feel so damn good. I wish I could keep my cock inside you all the time.” He was breathing hard, as if he had just run a mile in a flat-out sprint. “Gods, I just got in her, and I am ready to spill. She is so tight.”
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