by Jasmine Walt
“Lucyan,” Dareena called anxiously, only two hours into their flight. “Something is wrong.”
Frowning, Lucyan glanced down. He cursed inwardly—the party had slowed down. Swooping low, he saw that Alistair’s horse was limping. Wonderful. Just what they needed.
“What happened?” Dareena cried as Lucyan landed. Their party halted so Alistair could dismount.
“I’m not sure,” Alistair said as he checked the horse’s hoof. The horse whinnied in pain as he poked at it. “I think she stepped on something sharp—she made an awful noise, then started limping. I don’t believe she can carry my weight anymore.”
“I could try healing her,” Basilla offered. She made to dismount, but Alistair held up a hand.
“Hang on,” he said. “I have a better idea. Lucyan, could I borrow the amulet?”
Lucyan cocked his head, wondering what his brother was about. He extended his clawed hand, and Alistair carefully took the necklace. Backing up, he clenched the amulet in his fist and closed his eyes, his brow furrowed in deep concentration.
“Oh!” Dareena exclaimed as his form began to blur. “He’s changing!”
Ryolas and Basilla hastily backed the horses away as Alistair’s form rapidly expanded. His roar of pain echoed through the night, and Lucyan winced, hoping no one else had heard it. Had he made such a sound the first time he’d shifted? If so, it was a wonder no one had come to investigate. Pride swelled in Lucyan’s chest as Alistair’s form solidified into a large dragon with green scales that shimmered in the moonlight. Large horns curled back from his great head, like a ram’s, and his spiked tail lazily whipped back and forth. Lucyan’s heart filled with joy as he looked at Alistair’s front legs—both seemed intact. With any luck, his arm would be whole again when he shifted back to human form.
Looks like you’re not the only one here who can shift now, Alistair teased. Lucyan started at the sound of his brother’s voice in his head, then grinned in delight—finally, he had someone to talk to!
Better late than never, Lucyan teased back. Do you think you can fly?
Alistair gave a flap of his wings, then hurled himself into the sky. Lucyan took off after him, fully expecting his brother to fall after a moment, but to his great surprise, Alistair not only stayed aloft, but also managed to do a roll in the sky.
Show off, Lucyan grumbled. Of course Alistair would be a natural. He excelled at everything physical.
“Don’t get ahead of yourself, Alistair!” Dareena called. “We can’t afford to lose the others! Lucyan, can you bring us down so I can talk to them?”
Right. Lucyan and Alistair doubled back to where Ryolas and Basilla were—the two had stayed behind so Basilla could finish healing the third horse. “How is she doing?” Dareena called, pitching her voice high to be heard over the sound of Lucyan’s flapping wings.
“She’ll be fine,” Basilla called back, patting the horse’s neck. “And so will we!”
“You three go on ahead,” Ryolas said. His lips curved in a knowing smile as he beheld them. “I know you are anxious to get home, and there is no point in slowing yourselves down on our account.”
“Are you certain?” Dareena asked. “I hate to leave you behind.” Dareena suspected that if Alistair had more experience flying, he might have tried to carry the elves. But he’d only just shifted for the first time and Dareena felt it unwise to push him.
“We’re more than capable of looking after ourselves,” Basilla said. “And besides, you really need to make it to the border before the anti-dragon spell forces one of you to shift back. Go on—we’ll see you soon.”
“Thank you,” Dareena said. She bade the elves farewell, and Lucyan and Alistair took to the skies again, speeding through the starry night. At first, they attempted to outrace each other, until Dareena complained that the wind was going to tear her eyeballs out of their sockets unless they slowed down. A quick check assured them both she was fine, but even so, they slowed to a more manageable pace, keeping their eyes on the real prize ahead.
Soon, they would be reunited with their brother. Soon, they would be home.
30
For the next several hours, the brothers flew, speeding through the skies as fast as they could without dislodging their passenger. Through it all, Dareena clung to Lucyan’s back, wrapping her arms around one of the spikes jutting from his spine as she gazed out at the world with wonder. Everything looked so different up here—the moon larger, the clouds thicker, the stars blazing so bright and true that Dareena almost felt as if she could reach out and pluck them from the night sky.
This high up, she should have been miserable and freezing. But with her body pressed against Lucyan’s hide, soaking in the heat from his scales, she was toasty-warm. It was rather like snuggling beneath a blanket with a cup of hot cider in one’s hands and a warm fire roaring in the hearth. Your nose and cheeks might be a bit cold, but that only made you savor the heat even more.
Dareena had a few such memories from her childhood, before her parents had been taken by that horrible illness. As she rubbed the elven stone on her finger, she wondered what her parents would think if they could see her now. When she’d been a little girl, she’d dreamed of being a princess living in a castle with handsome suitors currying her favor, but those had just been that—dreams. No one could have imagined in their wildest fantasies that Dareena Sellis would become a consort to dragons, riding them wild and free in the middle of the night. If only her friends could see her now…and her enemies! How had Mr. Harrin and Lyria Hallowdale reacted when they’d learned she had become the Dragon’s Gift? She would have paid good money to be a fly on the wall for that conversation.
Such petty thoughts are unbecoming of you, a voice in her head said—likely her conscience. She blushed a little—she was being a little catty, now that she thought about it. But surely she was allowed to indulge a little in the privacy of her own mind? She had come so very far…
A surge of energy rippled over Lucyan’s scales, distracting Dareena from her thoughts. She looked around, trying to see what had caused it, but in the darkness, it was hard to make out the terrain. Puzzled, she turned her attention toward Lucyan and Alistair, accessing the bond between them. She’d noticed that though she couldn’t speak with them in dragon form, she could sense their feelings to some extent. Right now, she felt joy and relief emanating from them—they both seemed quite peppy.
“Have we crossed the border?” she called, excitement thrumming in her veins. Lucyan rumbled something that sounded like an affirmative, and Alistair did a somersault in the air, then blew a stream of fire from his snout, lighting up the sky.
Dareena laughed, patting Lucyan’s hide affectionately. They’d finally made it out of elven territory! Only a few more hours of flying, and they would be back at Dragon’s Keep.
Unfortunately, Lucyan and Alistair didn’t have a few more hours of flying in them. Despite the boost of energy they got from crossing the border, they began to flag only an hour later. Dareena couldn’t blame them—this was their first long-distance flight. She clung tighter to Lucyan as the two dragons descended, landing in a thickly wooded vale.
“My goodness,” Dareena said as she dismounted. Her legs were a little wobbly, and she braced herself against Lucyan’s big body to keep from falling. “I didn’t realize how taxing that flight was. My muscles are going to be sore in the morning!”
Lucyan and Alistair’s forms blurred, and a few moments later, they were back in human form. “A good night of sleep and a massage will help,” Lucyan said with a roguish smile. “I think Alistair and I can help you with both.”
Dareena swallowed hard as she looked between both men, who were stark naked. Moonlight bathed their muscular bodies, beckoning her to close the distance so she could run her hands over each swell and crevice. The twin expressions of hunger in their gazes told her they wouldn’t at all be averse to the idea, and if she looked lower…
“By the gods!” Dareena exclaimed, rushing ove
r to Alistair so she could take his right hand in hers. “You’re completely healed!” She ran her fingers up his new forearm, feeling the muscles and tendons flexing beneath.
“That I am.” Alistair’s eyes sparkled. He grabbed Dareena by the waist and lifted her high in the air, spinning her around and making her laugh with delight. “I worried I might never get to do this again,” he said roughly, pulling her against him so he could kiss her. Dareena clung to him as he kissed her deeply, savoring his hot skin beneath her hands. His cock pressed insistently against her belly, and she could feel herself getting wet as she imagined wrapping her hands around it—no, her lips...
“Quit hogging our mate, Alistair,” Lucyan growled. He pressed against her from behind, and Dareena gasped as he gently scraped his teeth along the sensitive spot on her neck. His cock ground insistently against her bottom, and she moaned as her pussy clenched in anticipation. She’d long fantasized about having more than one at a time…
“We agreed we were going to wash up together, didn’t we?” Alistair asked, adjusting Dareena so that he was cradling her rather than holding her flush against his body.
“We certainly did.” Lucyan’s eyes gleamed. “I’ll lead the way, brother.”
“Wash up?” Dareena asked, shifting in Alistair’s arms. “Is there a stream nearby?”
“Something like that,” Alistair said, a secretive smile in his voice. Dareena craned her neck as they traveled through the forest, using a narrow but well-worn path. Leaves and branches rustled and cracked as they moved, but the noise was barely audible beneath the crickets chirping. They were so loud that it took Dareena a while to realize she was hearing another sound—rushing water.
We have to be close, she thought excitedly. The trail grew steeper, rocks jutting out of the dirt, but if the brothers noticed or found it uncomfortable, they didn’t let on. Gradually, the air grew warmer, and when they stepped out of the trees and into the clearing…
“By the gods,” Dareena whispered as Alistair set her on the ground. “This is incredible!”
An oasis sprawled in front of them—a collection of steaming pools cradled in a basin that seemed to have been carved out of the mountainside. Trees loomed all along the edges of the basin, providing some privacy while still remaining completely open to the elements. The air was hazy with steam rising from the hot springs, clinging to Dareena’s skin and urging her to divest herself of her garments.
“Do you like it?” Lucyan asked, sliding an arm around her waist.
“I love it,” Dareena breathed, still looking around. The large stones surrounding the hot springs were stacked in such a way that a person could easily lay their clothes out, or even perch comfortably while they tested the water with their toes. “How did you know this place was here?”
“The three of us found it on a hunting trip,” Alistair said, smiling fondly. “We’ve come back a few times since, but never with anyone else.” He moved closer and threaded Dareena’s fingers with his own. “You’re the first person we’ve brought here.”
He tugged Dareena to the closest pool, and she followed, eager to try out the water. Alistair waded right into the steaming pool as if he’d done it a dozen times—which, apparently, he had. Dareena was a bit more hesitant—she dipped her toe into the water, testing the heat.
“You may want to take this off first,” Lucyan said, his warm breath caressing her ear. Dareena’s heart jumped in her chest as he circled his arms around her from behind, then began to undo the buttons on the front of her maid’s uniform. Alistair watched as his brother slowly bared her body to the elements, and Dareena’s breath quickened as his hungry gaze trailed across each bit of exposed skin. Her breasts tumbled free as Lucyan popped the fourth button, her nipples already growing hard, and the way Alistair’s amber eyes flared with lust filled her with an answering need.
“Gods,” Lucyan growled, cupping her breasts in his hands. Dareena moaned, her head falling back against Lucyan’s chest as he played with her nipples, teasing them
into stiff, aching peaks. “You’re so damn tempting, Dareena. I haven’t even gotten you into the water yet and all I want to do is bend you over and sink my cock into your tight little pussy.” He tweaked her left nipple, pinching just a little too hard, and Dareena whimpered. “Would you like that, little minx?”
“I believe we promised our mate we would do something about her tense muscles first,” Alistair said, wading closer. He slid his wet hands up Dareena’s legs, pushing her skirts high as he gently dug his strong fingers into the muscles. “Ahh, there we go,” he purred as she cried out, her legs going boneless. Lucyan caught her around the waist before her knees hit the ground. “Let’s get you into the water.”
Alistair pushed Dareena’s dress higher up her body, and Lucyan tugged it off the rest of the way. The two of them made short work of her undergarments, and Alistair tugged her into the steaming hot water, Lucyan nudging her from behind.
“Ohhhh,” Dareena sighed in pure bliss as she submerged herself in the pool. The heat from the water seeped beneath her skin, loosening up stiff muscles and sending waves of relief through her. “This feels so good.”
“Then this will feel even better,” Lucyan said, coming up from behind her. He pulled her flush against him so that she was sitting on his lap, then nudged her legs open with his thighs. Dareena gasped as his hand delved between her thighs, finding that sweet spot he often liked to tease with his tongue. She arched her hips, pressing firmly against his fingers, but he used his other hand to pull her hips back against him. His cock was wedged between the cheeks of her bottom, pressing against her rear entrance, and Dareena’s eyes widened as she felt an unexpected bolt of pleasure.
What is this?
As Lucyan rubbed against her with his fingers and cock, Alistair moved between her legs. Dareena lifted her face to meet him as his mouth descended onto hers in a scorching kiss full of need. His left hand cupped her breast, massaging her nipple, and she moaned into his mouth, her body trembling from the combined sensations. Dareena wrapped her fingers around Alistair’s cock, and this time he moaned into her mouth. Stroking him beneath the water was a bit different, but Dareena quickly grew used to the new rhythm, sliding her hand up and down, letting the water flow over her fingers as they flowed over his shaft. Lucyan’s fingers seemed to move over her clit in time to her strokes, moving faster, faster, until her muscles stiffened, and she threw her head back, crying his name.
“Yes,” Lucyan growled in her ear as she came. He bit down on her neck, sending her even higher. At the same time, Alistair slid his cock inside her, filling her completely. He moved his hips in slow, deep thrusts, one hand on her hip while the other still toyed with her breast.
“And now,” Lucyan said, a devilish smirk in his voice, “let’s try something a little different.”
Dareena frowned as he removed his finger from her clit. She reached for his hand, wanting to put it back, but he slid it beneath her bottom instead, lifting her a bit higher. A startled cry sprang from her lips as his fingers teased the tight rosebud muscle of her rear entrance, and her stomach muscles fluttered in a combination of fear and anticipation.
“Dareena,” Lucyan breathed in her ear. “Do you trust me?”
“Yes,” she said breathlessly, even as she stared up at Alistair. The muscles in his face were tight with concentration as he pounded into her, and she focused on him, watching the way his cock slid in and out, in and out, sending pulses of pleasure and need through her.
“Good,” Lucyan said. He slid a finger inside her, and Dareena let out a strangled cry, her hips instinctively driving forward. Alistair groaned as he plunged even deeper inside her, and Lucyan pushed his finger higher. Her rear muscles clenched around him as a bolt of pain-laced pleasure hit her, and she clutched at Lucyan’s free arm, holding on for dear life as the sensation assaulted her.
“That’s it,” Lucyan crooned in her ear as she panted, straining against him. Slowly, he withdrew his finger unti
l it was nearly all the way out, then pushed it back in, going a little deeper. Dareena dug her nails into his flesh as the sensation lanced her again, but this time there was more pleasure than pain. Soon enough, her muscles relaxed, and she began to rock back and forth, taking them both, savoring the dual sensations as she was filled and stretched.
“Just imagine,” Alistair said roughly, leaning in to tongue Dareena’s earlobe. “One day, that won’t be a mere finger inside you. It will be a thick, hard cock, pumping you so full you’ll think you’re going mad.”
Dareena’s eyes flew open as the image branded itself in her mind. She’d never heard Alistair say something so dirty, and though the words scalded her ears, they also pushed her over the edge, throwing her into another orgasm. Screaming, she bucked her hips harder against Alistair’s, and he swore, then came inside her with a rush of heat.
“My turn,” Lucyan panted, shoving Alistair away with his foot. He withdrew his finger, and Dareena moaned as he slid his cock inside her pussy, which was still pulsing from the after-shocks of her orgasm.
Alistair watched as his brother fucked her from beneath, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction while he leaned against the rocks. His cock was still hard, and he stroked it lazily as Lucyan pumped his cock in and out of her while using his free hand to play with her clit.
“I want you to scream my name when you come,” Lucyan growled in Dareena’s ear as his thrusts grew faster. “Scream it so loud they’ll hear you all the way back in Elvenhame and know that you’ve been reclaimed by your mates. No one else will ever touch you again.”
The fingers on her clit began to move faster, forcing the knot of tension deep inside her to build, build, build. Moaning helplessly, Dareena moved her hips faster, grinding herself against Lucyan, straining for the release that was just out of reach.
“Gods, yes,” Lucyan groaned, his cock swelling inside her. She felt another rush of heat as he spilled his seed into her, and she came, screaming his name so loud that a flock of birds burst from a nearby tree, disturbed from their sound slumber. Dareena hardly noticed as wave after wave of bliss rushed over her, and with it, a wave of exhaustion. Coming so many times, coupled with the stress of escaping, and all this hot, lovely water…