My hands tighten into fists under the table. “I’d like to get my hands on him.”
Griffin smiles at me, amused, though there is still hurt in his eyes. “No need. He’s dead.”
My jaw drops. “How?”
“He drank himself to death,” Griffin said. “I think the shame of us not getting partnered contributed, but honestly, he was already on his way there. He hated everything.”
“I’m sorry. You deserved better.”
“It’s fine,” Griffin says. “But it explains why I think everyone is out to get me. Why I think I have to fight everyone. Beat everyone or I’m going to get a beating. Or get beaten.”
I nod. “But it turns out some people aren’t trying to beat you.”
He laughs. “Yeah. I mean, in the Blur, it’s actually pretty accurate to see everyone as an enemy.”
“Except the other dragons,” I say somewhat nervously. I still don’t know how to tell him about Byron and Van.
“I already know about Rainier,” Griffin says, reading my thoughts. “And I’m fine with it. Why wouldn’t I be? I have no claim on you.”
I flush. “But you got so angry even thinking I might be with him.”
“No, I got angry thinking about you loving him. He’s so different from me that I thought if you loved him, you couldn’t possibly love me. And that was more painful than I could have imagined.”
“That’s ridiculous,” I say. “Although, Rainier thought the same thing. Just because you’re different from each other, it doesn’t mean I can’t love you both.”
“I know that now,” Griffin says. “And I know you have been with Van and Byron in some ways, and it’s not my business. Nothing you do with them changes anything for me, Anna. What I want is your heart. I want you to love me. And choose me. And I want you to know your options first.”
I feel a deep flush on my cheeks. “That’s… good to know. So you’re really not going to kill any of my friends?”
“Not unless they give me a reason to,” Griffin says. “Not that I would mind being given a reason.”
I snort. “Jerk.”
His lips quirk up in a smile. “You know it.”
I stand up and walk around the table to sit down next to him and lean my head against his big, solid arm.
“I’m glad you found me.” It feels good to just have him around, especially now that he’s not putting up a front with me. I feel like he’s just the Griffin I always wanted to see.
The real one.
I reach up and brush his hair back, loving how soft and thick it is in my hand. “I do want to explore more with you and Rainier. And I do have feelings for you. But I’m confused right now, and I might have feelings for other dragons and…”
I trail off as Griffin puts his hand up to my face, stroking his big thumb lightly over my cheek.
The wind blows my hair around my face, and Griffin brushes it back, then leans in and closes his lips over mine, making me immediately go warm.
I could sit just like this forever, with Griffin’s lips on mine, his hand softly brushing my cheek, his other snaking around my waist to pull me closer. My hands rest on his chest, and I’m helpless as he simply continues the kiss, the gentleness of it making difficult emotions well up in me.
Then he pulls back, cupping my face in those big, capable hands that have done so much for me.
“I think your heart might be big enough to accommodate a lot of love,” he says softly, making me just melt into him.
Because he’s right. It is easy for me to love people. To love dragons.
It isn’t easy to tell what I really want.
“Am I interrupting?” A cool voice floats toward us on the breeze as I see Rainier walking around the side of the house.
I shake my head quickly, pulling back. Griffin pulls back with a groan, more reluctant.
“Good,” Rainier says. “Because if it’s all right with you, I wanted to talk with Anna also.”
Griffin stands, looking stiff and a bit awkward. “I’m gonna go check on Seth, if that’s all right.”
Both Rainier and I nod at him.
I let out a little shiver as he walks back inside, shutting the door behind him.
Chapter 4
I turn to Rainier, trying to give him my full attention and not think about Griffin’s kiss.
Though, the minute I see Rainier’s sparkling silver eyes and intelligent smile, all I can think about is what we last did together.
The wonderful, heated moment in that little alcove by the ocean.
We went so far. Almost as far as we could go. We could go further now that we’re together again…
His lips turn up in a smirk. “Glad to see I made an impression.” He rests his cheek on his hand as he looks at me. No one makes me feel as seen as Rainier does. Like he’s looking through me, reading my mind and my heart.
“I’m just logical,” Rainier says. “Curious. Like Griffin was raised to value only brute strength, I was raised with a cold, scientist mentor who thought everyone was beneath us if they weren’t as educated or intelligent.” He purses his lips. “Though, I’ve always thought we were all smart in our own ways.”
I chuckle. “Sounds like something a smart person would say.” I give a shrug. “That’s never been my forte.”
“I would say you’re smart,” Rainier says. “After all, you’ve survived this long in the Blur. And you have all of us dragons eating out of your hand.”
Except Lee, I think.
Rainier cocks his head at me. “Any update on that front? Have you heard from him?”
I shake my head. “No. It makes me nervous thinking about that contract.”
“Don’t be,” Rainier says. “Lee was a blue dragon. If you can trust anyone, it’s him. Blue dragons are always softhearted. They’re healers.”
“What happened to him?” I ask.
Rainier frowns. “There are other things I’d rather talk about. But sure, as a curious person, I know what it’s like to crave information. He was injured by Seth. He almost died. The black dragon fire wouldn’t stop burning, and the oracle had to separate Lee from his dragon form in order to save him. His dragon form burned.”
I gasp, covering my mouth. “Oh my God, why would anyone burn him?”
“Seth lost control of his fire,” Rainier says carefully. “Seth was… different before. Now he lets his poison hurt himself instead of others. But he didn’t always have such control.”
I feel tears biting at my eyes, thinking about that poor hurt dragon. “That’s awful. Seth must feel terrible too.”
“Well, Seth was banished to the Blur before anyone. The rest of us were given a chance. Lee stayed in the human world. The other dragons fucked up and got sent here. I’m somewhere in the middle.”
“How so?”
His silver eyes twinkle. “Naughty enough to cause problems, too smart to get caught.”
“I see.”
“Not that it matters,” Rainier says. “Whoever we were, we were fractured. Unable to move on. To mate. To take our place as heroes.”
I nod. “It’s awful.”
“But Lee kind of got the best deal, I suppose, other than losing his dragon,” Rainier says carefully. “Because he could make a normal human life with any woman, whereas we can only mate with dragon hearts.”
I shake my head. I still feel terrible for Lee, losing his dragon like that.
“But we can’t do anything about that,” Rainier says. “And maybe Lee sent you here because he wants at least some of his friends to be happy. Lee was always the friendliest of us.”
“But he got hurt…”
“He was trying to protect the crowd,” Rainier says. “Seth hit him on accident. But as I said—”
“Yeah, yeah, I get it,” I say, trying not to let myself get too sad about it. After all, Lee is the one I know the least, despite him being the reason I’m here.
Rainier lets out a sigh. “You really are benevolent, aren’t you, Anna?”
/> “I suppose,” I say, twisting my hands in my lap. “I always have been.” I look up at him. “So you think Lee just wants me to mate with one or more of you?”
“Could be,” Rainier says. “I couldn’t pretend to know. But I do want you to make your choice carefully.”
I nod. “I will.”
He puts one foot up on the bench so it’s propped next to him. A few strands are free from his low ponytail, framing his gorgeously masculine face.
But those eyes. Those eyes are hard and dominant and uncompromising. “And when I say careful, I mean that you should make sure and do your research. Spend time with each of the dragons or pairs. Go all the way with them. Then make your choice.”
I swallow. “All the way?”
He nods.
“But isn’t that—”
“You’d have to share blood to be mated,” he says. “So no worries there. And I know Byron and Van have already showed you a taste of two dragons.” He leans in, eyes narrowing slightly. “Just for research purposes, how did you like that?”
I flush, realizing what he is asking. For a moment, all my brain can do is conjure an image of Griffin and Rainier together in bed with me.
Rainier, all hard eyes and hard body and cunning moves that take my breath away, and Griffin, all strength and muscle and possessive intensity to contrast with him.
I don’t think I can breathe right anymore.
Rainier laughs. “I’m glad you’re interested.”
My jaw drops momentarily. “But… but won’t that be weird for you? For both of you? Griffin is so possessive.”
“Griffin does want to possess you,” Rainier says. “But he sees being with me as his best chance for that. Besides, remember that dragons like us are meant to be paired. It’s an extra person watching our back and protecting our mate. It won’t bother us once we adjust.”
“How long will that take?”
He shrugs one shoulder lightly. “I’m not sure exactly. All relationships take work. I’m sure ours would as well. Though, the fact that the sex is so good would definitely help things.”
“But you weren’t sent here like Griffin was,” I say. “You don’t… belong in the Blur.”
“I belong where you are,” he says simply, and I can feel my heart skip a beat in a way that aches. “I want you to choose me and Griffin. I don’t know which world we would inhabit, but I know I would want to inhabit it with you.”
I just smile at him as it sets in that I’ve had my first real offer. One that considers the difficulties of living in different worlds.
Van and Byron have made their intentions plain, but Rainier is discussing how life would actually be.
It’s hard to remember that I used to work in a call center. It’s hard to think about my sister.
And it’s hard to realize that I’m actually considering making such life-changing decisions after such a short amount of time.
But then again, I don’t think I could go back to my other life now that I’ve met the dragons. It feels like I would leave most of my heart behind with them. And besides, there is nothing tying me to that world.
When my sister recovers—if she recovers—of course I would want to be there. But for now…
“If you mated with us and got the blue dragon’s power, it could also help you heal your sister. You wouldn’t need anything from Lee,” Rainier says. “You and I can still travel to your world even if Griffin can’t.”
I shake my head. “I would hate leaving Griffin behind.”
“Well, the oracle who decides these things is super romantic,” Rainier says. “I suspect she wouldn’t want to leave a mated pair of dragons in the Blur. Griffin would probably be forgiven.”
“But if he wasn’t?”
“Then we’d just have to work around it,” Rainier says. “But honestly, worry about choosing the right people. Once you do that, the work is worth it.”
That’s a good point. “I don’t know what to do.”
“Use your heart,” Rainier says. “I was raised to think only my brain mattered, and it’s a good brain. But all of the scientific experiments I’ve done mean nothing compared to the way I feel about you. No amount of study or work would make me happy. So I’m trying to learn to listen to my heart. You taught me that.”
“How could I teach you anything?” I tease. “You’re the smart one.”
He ruffles slightly. “That’s not all I am. If you recall…”
I go bright red. “Right. Totally. I never said that was all you are.”
“Think of the kind of things I’ll be able to come up with once we’re mated.” His grin is calculated. “Two big dragons. One mastermind. One brute.”
I laugh. “You’ve been thinking about this.”
He sits back. “Of course. Now that I know what, or who, I’m working with.”
I cover my face, blushing. “Oh my God, it’s going to be so weird.”
“It won’t,” he says, reaching over to pull my hands away, leaving me blushing with no way to hide.
His smile is reassuring and frightening at the same time. So calm and collected. But his silver eyes are hot. “Trust me, Anna. I won’t let anything happen that you don’t absolutely love.”
“Oh?”
“I plan to have you feeling so much pleasure you can’t see anything but how good it is to have two dragons. That’s if you’re up to try.”
I press my legs together, trying to keep dirty thoughts out of my mind. Already I’m picturing it. Being with either of them would be everything, but both at once? Going all the way?
Rainier cocks his head, peering at me. “Van and Byron won’t be back until late. Have you eaten?”
I nod. “I just had breakfast.”
He stands, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Well then, come and see Griffin and me in the guest room at the back of the house if you want to see what we have to offer. And Anna?”
I look up at him, stupidly aroused. “Yes?”
“It’s a lot.” Then, with a wink, he’s gone, leaving me trembling on the bench, considering my future.
How can I even be thinking of doing such a thing when I have feelings for other dragons?
But perhaps Rainier is right. Perhaps this is just research. I’ve always been a physical person, and though I’m a virgin, I’ve always known sex would be a big part of the way I love.
I wasn’t saving myself exactly. I just never met anyone in my limited free time who I wanted in that way.
It’s ironic now that I have feelings for five dragons.
But the longer I sit here waiting, the harder my heart beats in my chest.
I want them. I want to do this. I want to figure out who I feel the most for.
I stand up, straighten my spine, and go off to find my dragons.
Chapter 5
Griffin
“She’s not coming, is she?” Griffin’s throat was dry as he paced back and forth. Rainier looked perfectly calm, standing across from Griffin on the other side of the small guest room in Van and Byron’s odd, cozy house.
After spilling his feelings, Griffin felt like he was waiting for someone to just set fire to his heart and start laughing.
Anna, thankfully, would never do that.
“She’ll come.” Rainier peered at him thoughtfully. Then a small grin curved up the corner of his mouth. “Just calm down so you don’t screw it up when she does.”
Griffin had every intention of saying something in return when several light taps at the door made his entire body jump inside. For a second, he wasn’t even sure it was knocking.
It was knocking, right?
“I’ll get it,” Rainier moved past him like a silver blur, the click of the door handle giving Griffin something to focus on instead of the million other things in his head.
The door opened slightly, and Anna stood there, hand still up in a fist like she’d forgotten how to put it down. Then, realizing it was still there, she clapped her hands together and put them down.
>
“Um, hi,” she said nervously, looking up at Rainier. A second later, her gaze drifted toward Griffin, and he could see her cheeks turn an even brighter red, the dark blond of her hair a stark contrast.
“Please, come in.” Rainier motioned for her to come inside, and she did so obediently, taking little steps that seemed to match to the rhythm of Griffin’s heart.
How was Rainier acting so normal? Griffin had never been so nervous, expectant, and excited all at one time.
Just remember who we’re really here for, Griffin. Rainier’s voice seeped into his mind like words carried on rain.
Right. Anna.
He could do this.
“So I was thinking…” Anna kept looking back and forth between them, and each time her eyes fell on Rainier, Griffin had to fight his jealousy.
“About what I said?” Rainier asked, casting a glare at Griffin while he ushered Anna to take a seat at the edge of the bed.
“Yes. And—”
Damn, Griffin’s whole soul hung on her every word.
“I want to try it. With both of you.”
“Did you have any questions?” Rainier asked.
Griffin just wanted to cross the distance between him and Anna and take her right now.
“I mean, do we need…?” She bit her lip, flushing as she trailed off.
Rainier shook his head. “You don’t have to worry about any of the precautions humans have to usually take with these things. We can’t get you pregnant when we’re not mated yet. We would have to share blood for that. And we can’t pass anything on to you.”
Anna visibly gulped. “Well, that’s good.”
Rainier knelt next to her, and Griffin just stood there frozen because he didn’t know what to do next.
She seemed so small compared to the rest of the room, though maybe that was just because he and Rainier seemed to be filling the space. The bed was, thankfully, dragon-size, with teal covers and plenty of pillows.
“All that matters now, Anna, is that you want us,” Rainier said, his voice seductive, patient. “That you want this. If the answer is yes, leave the rest to me and Griffin.”
Soul of the Dragons: Bad Dragons Page 3