She knelt by Drake, brushing back his blond hair and kissing his forehead, calling his name.
Quill felt for a pulse. Nothing. The poison had stopped his heart. He listened to Drake’s chest, trying to sense the dragon within him. It was there but weak, his dragon flame nearly extinguished.
Quill wrapped his arms around him and pulled him against him, hating the vulnerable state of his normally impervious partner.
He blew dragon flame over him, making sure it touched every wound, went into every pore. He breathed over Drake’s mouth, filling him with blue fire.
He’d taken his partner’s invincibility for granted too much. It had always made him seem like the wrong partner for him because he couldn’t heal an invincible dragon. But now he knew Drake had always been perfectly right for him. Because in not having to constantly worry about Drake being okay, Quill had been able to stay calm and enjoy his existence. He’d taken it all for granted, and now it was slipping out of his fingers.
“Is he going to be okay?” Tara asked.
“I don’t know,” Quill said. But then he felt something come to life in Drake, felt his dragon fire burn brighter. A second later, he heard and felt the deep pulse of a heart coming to life. “He will. I think. But I need more time, and it’s going to take all my fire.”
“Time you won’t have,” a deep voice interrupted. “Because I’m going to finish you once and for all.”
The wyvern who’d been fighting the wolf upstairs was standing in front of them, looking barely scathed except for being covered in dust, with a few bloody scratches. He must have hid during the fight or been behind a door during the dragon fire Drake had unleashed. Coward.
Drake’s eyes fluttered open, but he was still so weak. He tried to sit up, as if, even half conscious, his need to fight for his mates was stronger than his will to live. Quill pushed him back down, not knowing what they’d do.
“Tim,” Tara said. “Just give up. You can’t win.”
“Oh, yes, I can. The wolf is out of the way. Your dragon is down for the count, and after I bite that one, you’re all mine.”
Quill heard a low growl emanating from Tara but didn’t have time to think about it before Tim launched at them, transforming into a wyvern as he jumped, his skin going scaly. Quill pushed Tara out of Tim’s path and covered Drake’s body with his own, wincing in anticipation of the sting of the wyvern’s bite on his back, but it never came.
Instead, he heard an unladylike scream as something caught Tim midair and hurled him away from them. He flew twenty feet into the brick wall, breaking it, and Quill blinked in shock and looked up to see Tara standing in front of him, dark curls in all directions as she breathed heavily.
She looked at him as if she were just as shocked as he was.
“Dragon strength,” Drake murmured. “Damn, she got my power.”
Quill shook his head. “So now I have two of you to deal with.”
He focused on blowing dragon fire over Drake again, now fairly sure he would survive, and saw Tara running out of the corner of his eye. Once again, Drake struggled to get free, but Quill restrained him, forcing him to stay in the fire as they turned to watch their mate take on the wyvern that tried running toward them one more time.
She drew back and hit Tim with an uppercut that made a cracking noise as he was flung into the air, looking nearly unconscious. Then she watched him, timing his fall, and kicked him squarely in the middle before he could land, sending him into the wall again.
This time, he didn’t move.
Quill didn’t think he would move ever again.
“I’m okay,” Drake said. “I don’t know how, but I am. Let’s get home before anything else can happen.”
“Can you fly?” Quill asked.
Drake shook his head, tense. “No. I don’t think I can shift, actually. Never mind.”
Quill laughed. “I guess I’ll just have to carry your big ass out of here.” He transformed into his dragon and beat the air a couple of times with his wings. Tara ran over to him after delivering a final kick to the man who was responsible for all of this, and Quill picked up her and Drake and lifted into the air.
The two people he cared for most in the world were really no burden at all. And once he had them safely back home again, he would never do something selfish to put all of them in jeopardy again.
He’d found his purpose, and it wasn’t healing the world, though that was nice. It wasn’t about being needed, though he now knew he was. It was about working together with the people who meant the most to him and making sure they all made it home safe together, every day.
That they were all happy.
That was the goal worth working for.
11
Drake slipped in and out of consciousness for a couple of days, and by his side, Quill watched closely to monitor his recovery. Even though Drake was going to be okay, the effects of the wyvern poison took time to wear off, and his body needed time to heal.
Never during their entire partnership had Drake been so mortally wounded before. Usually, he got away with no more than a few scuffs or cuts, no matter how difficult the mission. And Quill had always taken that for granted.
Quill hoped to never have to see him like this again.
Finally, Drake woke up in the afternoon, while Quill was lying next to him on the bed, reading. Tara was in the other room, finishing up handing off her business to a grateful friend, explaining she no longer needed the hustle and bustle in her life.
That had made Quill smile. It was going to be just them.
Drake groaned a little, then shot up to a seated position on the bed.
“Where…? What? Is Tara safe?” Drake asked, his speech slurred, his face groggy.
“Yes, yes, she’s safe. You just lie back down, partner,” Quill said, gently pushing Drake back. He obeyed and ran a hand through his hair as he shook off the sleepiness.
“Hell, how long have I been out?” Drake asked.
“Couple days,” Quill replied, putting away his book.
“Damn,” Drake replied, shaking his head. “So was I just imagining things, or did Tara save your ass back in that warehouse?”
Quill laughed. “She saved our asses while I was in the middle of saving your ass,” he corrected.
Drake laughed heartily, and the sound warmed Quill. He was already getting back to his regular self.
“Well, yeah, but not until after I got to be the hero, for once,” Drake said.
A silence fell over the room as Drake looked up at Quill, his eyes warm and blue.
“I’m sorry, Drake,” Quill said. That past couple of days had given him a lot of time to think about things, to realize how many times he’d put Drake in the position of feeling helpless. He was ready to move on.
“Sorry for what?” Drake asked, sounding better by the minute.
“For all the times I ran out on you. For all the times you had to save me from myself,” Quill said apologetically.
“No, I’m sorry for being so bossy about it. For being so controlling. All that time, you were just doing the thing you loved, the thing you felt you were born to do. Your calling.”
“Well, now I realize my calling is to be by your and Tara’s side. No matter what.”
“I’m sure we’ll work out some sort of compromise. Having two bricks for mates living under one roof can only be so fulfilling, I imagine. So when things settle down, we’ll see about coming with you so you can do your thing,” Drake said, finishing with a smile.
“Deal,” Quill replied.
“So what about our mate? How is she?” Drake asked, sounding excited and sitting up.
“Tara’s doing great. Worried about you, obviously. But now that she’s officially mated to us, she’s just been taking care of handing over her business and affairs to a friend since she won’t need it anymore. She said it was good to keep her mind busy while you recovered, but after that, she’d like to focus on missions with us.”
“Well, damn. That d
oes sound nice. Having our mate around all the time,” Drake said to himself.
“Did someone say my name?” Tara stood in the doorway, leaning to one side and watching the two men. Her curly hair was back in a pony, a few curls escaping on either side of her face. Her dark eyes sparkled with happiness that Drake was awake and alert.
“How long have you been there?” Quill asked.
“Long enough to know someone should have told me Drake was up,” she said, coming over to the bed and jumping on it next to Drake. The two exchanged a firm embrace and a quick kiss. “I’m so glad you’re doing better,” she said, running her hand through his wild, short hair.
“Yeah, well, I’ll be doing a lot better once I have a chance to get these clothes off,” Drake said, perusing Tara’s curvy body with his eyes, making her blush. “Just as soon as I get some breakfast. Or lunch. Whatever mealtime it happens to be.”
Tara moved over Drake and sat between the two men. It felt so right having her between the two of them. A complete triad, together, ready to face whatever the future held.
“How about we meet back here in fifteen minutes?”
“I don’t know. Drake just woke up,” Quill said hesitantly, not wanting to rush despite his body’s instant response to Tara.
“Oh, so you’d rather wait?” She raised an eyebrow at Quill and then looked down at Drake.
“I’ll be done in five,” Drake responded, grinning and giving her thigh a squeeze, then hopping out of bed and heading to the kitchen.
Quill leaned over and gave Tara a kiss. “Be right back.”
* * *
While Quill helped Drake get food, she looked for something sexy to put on from the collection of clothes the dragons had bought her earlier in the week. Now that she was sure Drake was going to be all right, all she could think about was getting her two men in bed again. The last time they’d been together was so amazing, even though it was her first time truly experiencing how wonderful sex could be.
She wanted to have both of them tonight.
Tara decided on a pair of purple lace panties and a short, purple chiffon nightdress that accentuated her curves. She knew both men didn’t care what she wore, but she wanted to surprise them just the same. After looking herself over in the mirror and feeling satisfied, she tiptoed over to the master bedroom, hoping to avoid her mates seeing her in the hallway.
Quill had been there for her while Drake had been recovering, comforting her and reassuring her that everything would be all right. Both of them had risked everything to come rescue her. She was just thankful she’d been able to return the favor. It hadn’t hurt that the favor involved kicking her ex’s ass into next week. But even still, she would always be grateful that her two strong dragons were still there to protect her. And always would be.
She opened the door to the master bedroom and closed it behind her, trying to not make a sound, since dragons had heightened senses. She walked toward the bed and was ready to crawl on when she was startled by a familiar voice.
“Thinking about surprising us?” Drake’s voice said behind her. She whirled around to see her two men next to the door. They’d been waiting for her. Or did they know she was planning this?
“We could hear your thoughts long before you came into the bedroom,” Quill responded, coming up to her and pulling her into his arms. She wrapped her legs around him while his hands cupped her ass. Every touch felt like fire, hotter than a dragon’s breath.
Quill’s tongue slipped inside her mouth while he held her up in his arms. He stroked inside and claimed her, making her wetter by the second.
Drake was pressed to her back, a wall of muscle and strength. He ran his hands along her soft curves and kissed the back of her neck, increasing the sensation of Quill’s tongue inside her.
After a minute, where Quill plundered her mouth wholly and made her think of many other things she wanted to do, he brought her to the bed and laid her down. She turned, sitting up on her knees, and looked at her two men.
You know what I want now, she thought, hoping it was loud enough for them to hear.
Both of them smiled and stripped for her while she took in the sumptuous view of their ripped bodies. Drake’s hulking, bulging musculature. Quill’s corded, lithe definition. A pair of ravenous blue-green eyes and a set of deeper, purple-hued blue ones. From top to bottom, they were both perfect. Both ideal.
Her mates. Forever.
And as their eyes roved hungrily over her, it was very obvious just what they wanted right now.
Drake came down to her first, moving his hands deliciously up her body as he kissed her breasts, making her entire body writhe with pleasure and anticipation. Quill followed up, kissing the center of her thighs and pulling off the panties and dress she’d so carefully chosen.
Her entire body was burning by the time they finished undressing her, and there was something else building inside her. Something that had been increasing ever since she’d completed the mating with Quill and Drake both a couple days prior. It was near to bursting with excitement.
She wrestled Quill over and came on top of him, wanting to do to him what she and Drake had done the other night. Quill didn’t resist her, even though she knew he was probably just as strong as her, given that he was a full-blooded dragon, even if not as strong as Drake.
Quill’s eyes went wide with pleasure as she came on top of him and her hands ran down his chest, feeling every indentation and ridge of muscle, then through his soft, dark hair with its blue accents. She could scent him even better now, the smell of a cool mountain breeze through a field of budding wildflowers.
And as she did, Quill ran his hands along her body, feeling up her soft belly, her full breasts. Touching her everywhere he could grasp.
“You’re next,” she said, turning and looking at Drake. Drake just responded with a wicked smile as he came onto the bed behind her. Tara could see just how ready Quill was for her, and she was going to enjoy it.
She hovered above Quill and then slowly came down over him, reveling in the erotic feeling of his cock inside her.
A gasp was pulled involuntarily from Tara’s lips, and she saw Quill smile.
“Don’t expect me to go easy on you,” he said with a grin.
“You better not,” she replied, leaning down to kiss him on the lips again as she pulled away from his hips and then pushed down again.
Quill was amazing. Even as she started to move into a slow rhythm with him, she could feel his powers more acutely now that she was mated to him. Could sense his calming influence keeping her own burning desire from pushing her too quickly.
Each stroke was heaven, and as she enjoyed the incredible feeling of every inch of his hard length, Drake cupped her breasts from behind, lightly tweaking her nipples and squeezing them gently. So much sensation, so much pleasure…
Before Tara could process another thought, Quill pressed his hips into her, making her orgasm. It was incredible. She felt lightheaded as sensation and all-consuming pleasure washed over her, filling her completely.
Even as it slowly abated, she could still feel the intense arousal from having Quill inside her. His eyes lit up as he watched her, flickering bright blue momentarily. The color of his dragon’s eyes.
“My turn,” he said with a heated gaze, gripping her hips and picking her up with deft strength before pushing back into her. The feeling was even better when he did it. She could feel everything, could feel the pressure building inside her even more quickly this time.
Drake didn’t let up either in single-mindedly seeking her pleasure. One hand held her breast while there other stroked her belly button, which felt surprisingly good. Even his ravenous kisses across her neck and back she could feel with incredible intensity as Quill moved inside her, all the way to the hilt.
Tara could see Quill’s eyes going wider, his breathing getting more intense, and she wanted to see him come just as badly as she anticipated the orgasm building lightning fast inside her.
Sh
e started moving quickly with Quill, pushing hard onto him as he thrust into her over and over. Her breathing was so quick, the pleasure so intense, she couldn’t hold on for long.
With one final stroke, her body came apart over Quill’s as she saw stars blur her vision. A split second later, she felt Quill jerk and become even harder inside her, his entire body tensing as he held her hips as close to him as she could be.
Everything was ablaze inside, every inch of her skin, every sensitive area Quill and Drake had lavished with love. Wave after wave of pleasure coursed through her body as she came with Quill. She held on to him for dear life and screamed his name as he held her, and she could feel Drake holding her from behind as well.
The three of them together. A perfect triad.
When her body finally calmed enough for her to see clearly again, she found Quill’s eyes smiling warmly with relief and satisfaction. “So amazing, Tara. I love you,” he said sincerely.
She smiled at his expression of love, feeling the same. “And I love you too. Now, one more thing.” She carefully came off of Quill, feeling pleasantly stretched and warm all over. Her body was happy and pleasured but definitely not finished.
She turned to Drake, whose hungry gaze wandered over her body. Clearly, watching and feeling her go with Quill had been erotic for him too, and he looked more than ready to claim her as well.
“So fucking hot,” he said as he knelt in front of her, running his hands once more over her body, his eyes looking more and more heated.
Behind her, Quill sat up and came behind, running a stream of kisses down her back that made her spine tingle with pleasure.
With one powerful motion, Drake picked her up by her thighs and held her body over him, without going inside. His towering size made her feel small, protected. She wasn’t a small girl, but he held her up like she weighed nothing. But she knew he would never do anything to harm her.
Desired by Dragons: BBW Paranormal Romance (Dragons of New York Book 2) Page 10