by T. S. Ryder
“Yes,” she answered. She wanted to experience as much as she could with the two men who could reduce her to a simpering puddle of need with mere looks. The opportunity would probably never present itself again. “But, I don’t think I can manage,” she breathed. She was finding it hard to find coherent words with Sloan slowly moving inside of her.
Michael patted her playfully on her bottom. “You are not ready for that yet, my love. We will start with something else.”
On cue, Sloan stood up, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. Perplexed, she eyed him with uncertainty. “Trust us?” he asked.
“Yes,” she whispered. For some strange reason, she had faith in two men she barely knew. She felt a connection to them that she couldn’t understand.
Michael stepped behind her and placed his hands on her hips. Both he and Sloan supported her weight. Rachel gasped and her arms tightened around Sloan. “Sloan, I mean Michael, oh I don’t know,” she panted. Both men began to move like a well-oiled machine, with Sloan pushing forward when Michael pulled back. The rhythm continued until Rachel erupted in a mind-blowing orgasm. Shockwaves rippled through her body as Sloan and Michael continued to move, increasing their paces. They shouted out simultaneously, their large bodies shuddering against Rachel. She sagged against Sloan, panting.
“That was intense,” she murmured. “But so good.”
Sloan lowered her to her feet. “We can enjoy each other like this every night.”
Her eyes flew to his. “What? Isn’t this a one-time thing?” She was sure they would move on to other females. That was their thing, wasn’t it? At least, that’s what she had assumed.
Michael spoke. “It seems we have both taken a profound liking to you, Rachel.”
“It’s more than like,” Sloan corrected. Michael shrugged and nodded in agreement. “This has never happened to us before.”
Michael spun her around to face him. “Stay with us tonight, Rachel. We can talk more in the morning.”
Chapter Six
Rachel lay in bed between Michael and Sloan. Both men had their arms draped around her. She stared up at the ceiling in a near dreamlike state. Her body was still humming from the erotic session she had engaged in. It was hard to believe that both Sloan and Michael wanted to have sex with her again. Together. Could she keep up with them? They implied that they wanted to continue this strange relationship long-term. Rachel nearly let out a laugh. A few days ago she had wished for a boyfriend. Now she would have two. Incredible.
Her bladder began to protest, and she shifted in an attempt to detangle herself from Sloan and Michael. Both men tightened their arms around her, preventing her from getting up. Michael lifted his head to look sleepily at her. “What is it?”
“I have to go to the bathroom, but you two are like logs.”
He grinned and lifted his arm then threw Sloan’s off as well. “Sorry.”
Rachel smiled and scooted out of bed and pulled on the shirt Michael had been wearing earlier. She went through the door instead of using the bathroom in their master bedroom. She found one down the hall and then decided to raid the kitchen. She didn’t think the men would mind. Scanning the refrigerator, Rachel frowned. All she saw were beer and energy drinks. If Michael and Sloan expected her to keep coming back, they would have to start stacking up on a few things like ice cream, any kind of cake and maybe a bottle of wine.
“Okay, water it is.” She took out a bottle and retrieved a glass. Taking small sips, her eyes roamed around the room that she was seeing for the first time.
“Who are you?” A deep, raspy voice startled her. She swung around and gasped at the sight of a strange man standing in the shadows. The glass slipped from her fingers and shattered on the tile. He was just as big as Sloan and Michael. Was there another housemate that she didn’t know about?
“Um, w-who are you?” She stammered. The sinister vibe that the stranger was giving off made her take a few retreating steps backward.
“I’m Ronan. I see the boys have a new playmate. Perhaps I can use you to make them see reason.”
“Huh?” Rachel didn’t have time to run. Ronan reached her in a split second and grasped her arm.
“You’re coming with me, girl.” Ronan spun her around, wrapped powerful arms around her waist and lifted her off the floor. She opened her mouth to scream but he clamped a hand over it. “Quiet, little girl,” he snapped. Rachel thrashed and kicked against his shins to no avail.
***
Sloan’s eyes snapped open when he heard a glass fall. The sound came from the kitchen. He sat up and glanced around, remembering that he was in Michael’s bedroom. He glanced down. Michael’s eyes were open, and Rachel was absent.
“Did you hear that?”
Michael nodded. He sniffed the air. “Ronan is here.”
Sloan sprang from the bed in alarm. “Where’s Rachel?” he asked, already running through the door. They reached the kitchen to find Ronan making his way to the door with Rachel. Relief flashed in her eyes when she saw them.
“Put her down, Ronan,” Michael growled. His eyes flashed a peridot green.
Rachel’s eyes widened when she saw Michael’s eyes transform. Ronan threw her to the floor, knowing he was no match for the two ancient dragon shifters. “Both of you stay back or I’ll turn the girl to ash!” Ronan shouted.
Sloan and Michael stopped. “She’s an innocent human, Ronan. You don’t want to hurt her.”
Rachel stared up at Ronan with terror. What did he mean he would turn her to ash? And why did Michael refer to her as human, as if he, they weren’t?
Ronan laughed. “I can smell both of you on her. She belongs to you both. I can use her to gain your allegiance. What will it be, boys? Fight with me and the girl lives. Refuse and I fry her.”
Sloan’s jaw clenched. He could see Ronan preparing to shift. “Well, Michael?” he asked. Michael was better with words. Sloan would just attack Ronan and bite his head off, but he didn’t want to risk Rachel getting hurt.
“How about you and I step outside and talk, Ronan? Your problem is with us. Leave the girl out of it.”
Rachel whimpered when Ronan took a step closer to her. Her eyes bulged when his face began to contort, taking on a serpent-like shape. A shrilling scream escaped her lips. She felt a hard body drop over her and roll her away from Ronan right as a blast of heat grazed her right arm. She lay still for a moment, her mind racing and trying to process what she had just seen. None of it could be real. She was still sleeping, and this was all a dream. It had to be.
“Rachel, are you alright?” Sloan peered into her eyes.
She nodded and looked to the right, her eyes widening when she saw a huge scorch mark in the spot she had just been laying. She looked further to see two giant creatures rolling in battle, destroying the kitchen. Sloan grasped her shoulders and hauled her to her feet. “Let’s get you out of here.”
“Where’s Michael?” she asked, as he pulled her out of the room and up the stairs.
Sloan shot her a quick glance, not sure how to answer. “He’s um- he’ll be fine.” He pulled her into a dark room.
Rachel clutched his hand tightly. “We shouldn’t have left him down there with those things, whatever they are. I can’t see you.”
Sloan flicked on the light. He shifted uneasily. “Michael can take care of himself.” He paused. “We didn’t want you to find out yet, not this way.”
She pulled her hand from his. “What are you talking about? And why aren’t we calling the police right now?”
“Rachel, I-” The door opened cutting him off. Michael stood in the doorway, chest heaving and blood dripping from scratch wounds on his chest. There was a feral look in his eyes that made Rachel drawback, seeking Sloan’s protection. His gaze shifted to her, and he instantly softened.
“Rachel, I’m sorry,” he murmured.
“F-for what?” Rachel asked, eyeing his wounds. She was immensely relieved that he was still alive. She inched around Sloan and approach
ed Michael cautiously. “I’m glad you’re okay. But you’ve been wounded.”
“I’m fine.” His eyes met Sloan’s inquiring gaze over Rachel’s head. “He’s dead,” he said gruffly, answering the silent question.
Rachel sucked in a breath. Did Michael kill the man who had tried to take her? “Okay, what the hell is going on? Clearly I’m not dreaming, or I would have woken up by now. Who’s Ronan? What were those things in the kitchen and why did your eyes change color?” Rachel was staring pointedly at Michael.
He swallowed. “Ronan is- was one of us, a dragon shifter.”
Rachel gawked at him in disbelief. He must have received a blow to the head. But she had seen the two creatures with her own eyes. Maybe he wasn’t suffering from a concussion after all. She let out a breath. “I need to sit down.” She took the few steps to the bed and dropped down. She glanced at Michael. “So you changed into one of those creatures, a-a dragon?”
He cleared his throat. “Yes.”
Her eyes swung to Sloan. “You’re one too?” He nodded, his gray eyes searching her face. “How long have you two been like that?” They shared a look and turned back to her. Her eyes narrowed. Was that amusement she saw on their faces?
“We were born dragon shifters,” Sloan volunteered.
“Oh. I know Michael is twenty-eight.” Was Sloan the same age?
Michael’s lips curved upward. “Actually, I’m a bit older than that.”
Her eyes widened. “You lied about your age?”
He shrugged. “I can’t go around telling people I’m two thousand years old.”
Sloan let out a laugh. “He’s too old for you, Rachel. You should stick with me. I’m only fifteen hundred.” Michael shot him a deadly look.
Rachel stared at them both, her mouth hanging open. There was no way they were being serious. “What did I get myself into?” she murmured. She took a deep breath. “Assuming that the both of you haven’t totally lost your minds and you’re telling the truth, does anyone else know what you are?”
Michael took a step forward. His eyes bore into her. “No, we keep what we are from humans. We move often to keep our secret.”
“So you’ll be leaving soon?” Rachel’s heart dropped. If she were smart, she would be happy to know they would leave. But she didn’t want them to go, to leave her. She had even accepted their offer to make their nights together long-term.
“We’ll have to leave eventually,” Sloan said, taking a seat beside her. “But we’re not going anywhere without you.”
“Which is why we will stick around for a while until we convince you that the three of us belong together, and you will hopefully be willing to go with us,” Michael added.
Rachel looked from Michael to Sloan. There was no hint of humor on either’s expression. “You’re staying for me?” It was probably one of the most romantic things any man could do for a woman. And here she had two men willing to stay for her. Sure, she had to digest the knowledge that they weren’t entirely human. She should be freaking out at the moment, but she was oddly calm, which surprised her.
Sloan smiled. “We won’t let you go. I was jealous of you and Michael in the beginning, but now I see that we can make things between the three of us work. We can be happy together.”
Rachel swallowed. God help her, she wanted this, wanted to be with them. It didn’t matter if they weren’t human. A rush of excitement went through her at the risk she was going to take. “Okay,” she whispered. “I don’t want to leave Denver just yet, though.”
Michael grinned. “Fine by us. Let’s go back to bed. I’m feeling wound up after my little fight.” His eyes twinkled with carnal desire.
“Wait, we’re just going to leave a dead dragon in the kitchen?”
Sloan stood up. “We’ll clean up a bit later.”
Both men held their hands out to her. She stared at the outstretched hands for a few seconds before accepting. She had to see where things would lead with them. Michael and Sloan’s fingers wrapped around each of her hands, sealing their bond.
*****
THE END
The Vampire Prince's Baby
Description
A curvy orphan looking for a man to free her PLUS a sexy Vampire Prince on a quest to gain the throne PLUS two dangerous fights that must be won!
It's a great honor to be chosen to marry a son of the Vampire Empress.
Found Burlap doesn't care about honor. She also doesn't care that mating with a vampire might kill her. All she cares about is getting away from the boring orphanage she grew up in.
When Vampire General Alexandru offers her that chance, she accepts without hesitation.
Alexandru has just one thought on his mind when he chooses Found to be his mate, producing a child so that he can prove himself worthy to be the Empress' heir and take on the title of Emperor someday. The Empress has decreed that only a son with a human mate who bears his child may have the honor and Alexandru is determined that he is the one she will choose.
But there are dangerous obstacles in the way. Bear Shifters are threatening his territories and he must take action. Plus Alexandru's jealous brother Vlad has his eye on his bride.
Alexandru will not rest until he manages to claim the Empress' favor–and Found–for his own. Will he manage to do so? Only one way to find out.
Chapter One
Alexandru opened the throttle on his refurbished 1969 Harley Davidson, enjoying the feel of the wind on his face. The night was inky about him and it was only by going this fast that he could push past the hunger that burned in his throat. He had a couple of blood bags in his backpack, but he was too impatient to stop and drink.
As a general of the Vampire Empress, he held extensive lands that he protected from both Shifters, animalistic beings that could shift from human to animal forms, and his own brothers. Well, half-brothers. All of them shared a father, but Alexandru's mother had only given birth to him and his sister.
He often traveled across his territory, but rarely had the opportunity to take the time to just enjoy riding. He always had business to attend to.
And that was what he was doing here, riding along the rough roads between large stretches of fields full of crops and animals. Snatches of smells–pig, cow, tree, asphalt–all bombarded his senses as he rode, blowing away as quickly as they came.
The Vampire General passed a broken sign that read Bayside Orphanage and headed for the large house at the end of the gravel driveway. It wasn't in terrible repair, but it could use a fresh coat of paint and a new roof.
He could almost smell her blood already—the girl he had chosen was waiting for him. It had only been a few weeks since he sent out a call for all women of child-bearing age in his land to send a droplet of blood to him so that he could take a human bride. The moment he scented hers, he knew she was his.
The orphanage mistress, a tiny, wrinkled woman, waited for him on the steps. He cut his engine, put the kickstand down and approached her.
"My Lord, please spare the girl," the mistress rasped. "She has done nothing."
"Step aside," Alexandru said impatiently. "My bride awaits me."
Since the death of the Emperor, Alexandru's father, the Empress had refused to drink vampire blood. As a result, her mortality was returning and it was impossible not to see the lines on her face or the gray in her hair. She appeared to age more every day.
Her sons would continue their faithful servitude towards her for as long as she lived, but it would not be yet another seventy years before she was laid to rest beside their father. Once she was gone, the brothers would divide into factions, warring against one another until a new Emperor took his place.
"Master, the girl is an innocent," the mistress tried again, but Alexandru pushed past her.
The Empress hated to think of her sons killing each other, as well as the toll such a war would take on human lives. So she decreed that she would name one of the generals, vampires who had already proven their military aptitude, as her heir.
The catch was that he must have a mortal wife and a child from her in his arms before he was considered possible to be the heir and next Emperor.
Alexandru always knew he was meant to take his father's place and had been building his army and power since he was old enough to shoot a gun. This new declaration meant he had to adjust his plans, but he was certain that he could control the bloodlust that caused his brothers to kill their wives, rather than mate them.
As he stepped into the orphanage, his eyes found his bride instantly. The almost non-existent beat of his heart sped.
She stood near an empty hearth. An alluring, delicious scent wafted off her dark olive skin, and her slanted dark eyes gazed steadily at him. Alexandru drew in a deep breath. There was no fear in her scent. A suitcase sat near her feet and she picked it up.
"Let me look at you first," he instructed.
She set the suitcase down and stepped forward. "Do you wish me to undress?"
The mistress, who had followed him in, whimpered.
Alexandru shook his head. "I can see everything I want with you clothed."
He circled her, feeling uncomfortable like he was inspecting a prize horse rather than the woman who would be his wife. She had good, wide hips that would be perfect for birthing. Her breasts were the size of a grapefruit and would provide his children plenty of milk. She was a good, stout girl—thick and strong, not like the wives his brothers kept choosing.
"If you come with me, you will never return," he told her, stopping to stare down at her. She had to crane her neck to meet his eyes.
"That's why I sent in my blood. I want nothing more than to get away from this place."
The orphanage mistress gasped. "Do you think so cruelly of me?"
"I think nothing of you at all," the girl replied, not moving her eyes from the Vampire General. "I was born for better things than a lifetime in an orphanage."