“I know I owe you time,” I tell him, resting my palm on his hand. He covers my hand with his and looks into my eyes.
“I can't expect you to neglect such important work to spend time with me.”
“Nonsense, that's exactly what you should expect,” I say, rubbing my temple. I look up and see the other males nodding in agreement.
“We all just want to know who you are going to choose,” Uri says.
“We have been enthralled for weeks now,” Flume groans. “Making love with you has been a buffer but…”
“I know, my darlings, I know. It is time for us to consummate the mating ritual.”
“Have you have you made a decision?” Uri asks.
“That isn’t fair,” Mika snaps angrily, jumping to his feet.
“Mika, please.” I tug on his arm for him to sit back down. “I have made up my mind. But it's not what you think. I've decided to mate with all of you. There isn't one of you that I don't want.”
“But we haven't been together yet,” Mika says to me, confusion on his face.
“I knew I wanted you since I met you, Mika,” I say, patting his hand. “And the rest of you as well. There were some rough patches, but I knew from the day of the tournament that I wanted to be with you all. I want to connect with each of you and feel you inside me. I need that. After I return from the lab today. I will take my time with Mika.”
“And then? Will you be ready for our bites?” Uri asks.
“I don't know about that,” I stutter.
“Don't pressure her, Uri,” Donte says.
“She hasn't even been with more than one of us at the same time,” Flume says.
“We shouldn't pressure her to do all of that at once,” Reese agrees.
“She needs practice,” Donte says in a low tone.
“I don’t want her to fall apart once we start the claiming ritual,” Uri mutters. “It could ruin the whole thing.”
“We have to be careful with her,” Mika pleads.
“It’s time for us to start taking care of her,” Donte says.
“Are you guys hatching something?” I ask, my mind having drifted to the lab.
“We are, my lady,” Donte says. “Since you have announced you want us all, it is our responsibility to now act as your husbands. And so, we will now take charge of the mating ritual. However, we don’t believe you are ready to take our bites yet.”
“What do you propose?” I ask.
“Don't worry about that. We'll discuss it among ourselves and share it with you later,” he says.
I have so many other things to think about that it’s a relief to have them take charge of something. I feel the weight fall off my shoulders and my mind drifts back to my work. I stand from the table and turn to Mika, assuring him that I will be home later and we will spend time together.
“I'm going to give you a pleasant evening,” he says, gripping my hand warmly.
I leave the guys inside and flick off my nanotech outfit as I jump into the air. I shift on the breeze, feeling my dragon body expand in the cool morning. Winter has overtaken Arcadia. I enjoy the feeling of cold on my ice blue scales. The lab is a short flight from my palace, and I land gracefully on the landing pad outside. When I shift again, I flick my wrist com and my nanotech outfit reconstitutes on my body. As I walk into the laboratory, I am greeted by Taylon.
“Joon, you must come look at the readouts,” he says.
I hurry with Taylon through the lab into the computer room. We sit before a holographic dashboard and he shows me what he's talking about. One of my simulations with the blood of a female human has had unexpectedly positive results. It is a 99.999% positive, far better than anything we've seen before.
“I must begin the physical experiment now,” I say, standing from the terminal.
I grab a lab coat and prepare my materials in a secure laboratory. With my goggles and gloves securely on, I begin the experiment.
I drop the human genetic material into a petri dish. The Draxos sample in the dish is from my own blood. I flick on my quantum computer and the particle accelerator beams through the substrate, and I wait patiently for the results.
Even after the particle acceleration, the synthesis will need time to grow. My last experiment like this was a complete failure, resulting in a laboratory fire. But this time I am not met with an explosion.
The positive results are almost anticlimactic, alerting me with the beeping of a small green light on my computer. I swear in Arcadian dialect and pump my fist. This is what I've been waiting for. This is what I have worked my whole life to accomplish.
Chapter 29
After a long day in the lab, Mika comes to pick me up and take me home. I find a meal set out for us on the balcony off my bedroom. The snow has been cleared, and there is a little fire in the balcony hearth that warms the cold evening air. Light sparkles over the table in hovering tea lamps.
Mika pulls out a seat for me, and I flick my wrist com to change my nanotech outfit into a fuzzy pink sweater dress that comes to my ankles. Mika has ordered us Umbrian sea swine steaks with gow cheese sauce. I eat the delicious meal ravenously. I’m starving. When I get it into my stomach, I let out a long sigh. Mika has eaten his own meal at a more leisurely pace and looks at me with an amused smile.
“Your thrall must be killing you,” I say, dropping a bone on my plate.
“Let's remedy it now,” Mika says, lust in his eyes.
I wipe my hands and take a long swig of wine. Mika walks over and picks me up from my chair in one swift motion. I gasp and giggle like a schoolgirl, kicking my legs as he carries me across the room and places me on my bed.
His eyes are hungry, and he shows his sharp teeth. I suck a breath and my mouth drops open with excitement and hunger. He flicks his wrist com and his clothes disintegrate, leaving him completely nude.
His strong, young body ripples with taut muscles. His skin is gold and glistens in the hovering tea lights, bobbing about my room. He takes my wrist com and flicks my clothes away. I giggle as he stares down at my nude body.
Mika’s golden hands run over my light blue skin and he pulls me to him, resting his cock between my legs. He rubs it against my sex, growling hungrily, his impatience radiating through his gripping hands. I scream playfully as he pulls me to the edge of the bed and falls between my knees. He devours my sex, running his tongue around my entrance until I'm screaming with ecstasy.
“By the Bones of the Gods, Mika,” I growl, arching my back and gripping my breast.
“You better hold on, Joon,” he growls. “I’ve been waiting a long time for you.”
Mika growls and pushes the head of his cock into my wet entrance, running his hands up and down my body. He tweaks my nipples and presses his finger into my mouth. I suck his finger as he slowly sinks inside me. His thumb flicks my top most pleasure button and his finger pumps in and out of my mouth.
I'm groaning and want to beg for more as he slams into the depths of my pussy. He pulls his finger from my mouth and grips both my hips, his hands tight and his eyes wild with lust.
“Now I'm glad I made you wait,” I tease.
He growls at me and gives me a wicked smile before pumping into me a second time.
“You want to taunt me?” he says, turning me over on all fours and slapping my behind.
I grip the bed sheets as he pushes into my sex with his hard, young rod.
“Bite me,” I whimper, my dragon screaming for relief.
He pumps with forceful thrusts, his hands gripping my hips. I groan, my body throbbing and clamping on his dick. Mika has been so patient, waiting in the wings for my attention. Right now, he has it.
His long, slick cock runs in and out of my channel as he fists my hair. His other hand runs up my side, squeezing my breast. His body is sure and controlled as he takes me. I climax under the force of his commanding thrusts.
“I won’t bite you, Joon,” he whispers, pulling me back against his chest. “But you’d let me right n
ow.”
His sharp teeth graze over my neck as he slides into me. I want him to take me. I want him to claim me. My dragon growls for satisfaction. His teeth press against my flesh, almost breaking the surface.
He sucks my flesh into his mouth, pumping into my pussy. We come together, his hands on my breasts. I groan so loudly it vibrates through the room. Mika embraces me as his cum pumps into my channel. I feel like my entire body is throbbing as we kneel on the bed together.
Slowly, he lets me go and we lie across the bed in each other’s arms. I caress his face, finally understanding what is behind his free-spirited façade. He has a command and confidence that rivals Uri’s. Intuition like Reese. And discretion like Donte. And even some of Flume’s mystery.
He gathers me to him and I let out a long sigh of contentment, resting my head on his golden chest. I gaze up at him and look into his eyes.
“I would have let you bite me,” I breathe.
“I wouldn’t let me bite you.”
“I’m glad you didn’t.”
“Yeah, me too. The other guys would kill me. You lose control, Joon. That’s why we’re all so worried about you.”
“I do not,” I object.
“Really?” he asks, raising an eyebrow at me.
I sigh and turn away, knowing he’s right. I would have hated myself for the rest of my life. He takes my shoulder and pulls me back to look at him.
“You are brilliant and brave, Joon, but your passions are also your weakness. You don’t take care of yourself or make the best decisions. We’ve all noticed. But that’s why we’re here to take care of you. Don’t you understand?”
“I think I’m beginning to,” I admit with a sigh.
Chapter 30
I sleep with Mika and wake to the sound of my wrist com beeping. It's very early morning, and I open the message in a holographic window. The message is from Taylon. Attached is a readout of my experiment results. My eyes open wide at the sight.
I lean over and kiss Mika on the cheek. He stirs in his sleep and reaches out to grasp my hand, trying to pull me back into the bed.
“Don't leave,” he groans. “Stay with me.”
“I have to,” I say, kissing him again.
I flick my wrist com, and the nanotech outfit I wore to the lab yesterday appears on my body. I grab food from the kitchen and hurry out the door, trying to forget about last night. I ride my scooter and motor through the airways of Arcadia to the lab. Inside, Taylon is examining the readouts of my experiment on a holographic screen.
“I came as fast as I could,” I tell him.
“This could be it, Joon.”
“I know,” I say at a whisper.
“Your brother Sysko sent word that they have begun the search for possible human brides. Their science team believes that the females with dragon genes will activate their mates’ thrall.”
“And why does he believe that? That information was not included in the Tales of the Ancients.”
“Direct observation. A human female has activated Sysko’s thrall.”
“Sysko found a mate?” I say, pulling rubber gloves onto my hands.
I remove my petri dish from the terminal and take it into an adjoining laboratory to a table.
“The synthesis must be added to a carrier to create an inoculation. Once the inoculation is formulated, it must be tested on live subjects,” I mutter to myself.
“We can possibly test it on Academy students,” Taylon suggests.
“Male subjects are a less than ideal sample…”
“How else are we going to test it?” he asks me.
“I have an idea,” I say. “Tell me about Sysko and his new human mate.” I drip measured droplets of synthesized material into the carrier agent. After the compound is mixed thoroughly, I draw it into a syringe.
“What are you going to do with that?” Taylon asks.
“I'm just getting it ready for drug trials. What does the human female think of having a thralled Draxos male at her attention?” I ask. “Has she accepted my brother yet?”
“She has…reservations. From what I understand.”
“She’s not dying of love for Sysko?” I say, putting the syringe into the pocket of my lab coat.
“Sysko is a great man among the Draxos, but to humans, he is an alien invader.”
“Alien invader?” I mouth and then shake my head. “The Draxos saved that planet from being absorbed into the cyborg collective,” I say dismissively. “The human female should be grateful to my brother, the Admiral. Besides, can she not feel the pull of her thrall?”
“From what I understand, that's part of the problem. She feels very little. For such an emotional, short-lived race, they seem to be far less sensitive to such things than the Draxos.”
“It could just be that they are from completely different worlds,” I say. “I want to speak to my brother, but it sounds like he has his hands full. Could you send him a message telling him that we had success and are moving to the next phase in development of the widespread inoculation?”
“Where are you going?”
“I need to go home. I must attend to my mates.”
I arrive home with the syringe still in my pocket. My mind shifts to Sysko’s mission as I walk through the front door of the palace. It appears as if the research from the library of Remotis was correct. My brother’s human mate evoked his thrall. I am cheered knowing that my brother has found a way to bring additional breeding females into our race.
I don't envy the human girl her transformation. But in these times, we must find our strengths so we can continue to battle the insidious spread of the Archon Empire.
My mates greet me in the sitting room, and I try to relax with a mug of wasp honey mead. My heart pounds in my ears with excitement. I can't wait to share my success with my mates. But before I can say anything, Donte stands and asks for everyone's attention.
“While you were gone, Joon, we discussed what we believe should happen next in the mating ritual. We know that having five mates is a challenge for you. We’ve all fighting our thrall. And the time for patience is clearly coming to an end for all of us.
“Time is of the essence, but we want to help you get used to being with more than one of us at the same time. Since the mating ritual requires that we climax together and bite you all at once, we suggest that you practice first with just two of us. After that, we will commence the claiming ritual. Is that acceptable to you, My Queen?”
“I appreciate that you taking charge of this. I've been so busy I feel like I haven't given you the time you deserve. I want to bring an end to all of our suffering. I’m suffering too. I want you all to know how much I care about each of you. And I think you’re right. I need practice before the final event.”
“We’ve decided Donte and Uri will share you,” Flume says. “Because they are the biggest and it will give you the best impression of what it will be like with all of us,” Flume explains.
“That's reasonable,” I say.
Sitting between all of them makes me realize how much I want them all, together. I love them each so much, each in their own way. Being with all of them would be five times as wonderful as being with one. My heart bursts with anticipation, and I finger the syringe in my pocket.
“So, when do we start?” I ask them, grinning like an idiot.
“After our evening meal, Donte and I will join you in your chambers.”
Chapter 31
Sitting at the head of the table, I hold my crystal glass and take a long sip of merrow wine. My mates are gathered around the table in the grand dining hall as the floating lights glow overhead. Contemplating what is to come has me so agitated, I can barely eat my salted gow cheese cakes.
I avoided telling my mates about my decision to take them all for precisely this reason. As soon as they found out, they decided to work together to get me to cooperate. My mates are determined to get their bites in me and complete the claiming. It’s a relief to have them take charge. Bu
t I’m still terrified.
Just the thought of making love to two of them is intimidating. Each of my mates can master my body with his hands and his mouth and his cock. But two of them? Let alone five? I don't know what to do.
I slide my fork around on my plate and Donte gazes at me, covering my hand with his.
“Is everything all right?” he asks.
“I'm just distracted by work,” I say, hoping he will accept my explanation.
They have given me so much time to adjust to having five mates, but the truth is I've left them all in a powerful mating thrall for weeks. Soon it will be too late for them and the degradation of our thralls will commence. Now is the time for us to finally be mated and to bring an end to the suffering for all of us.
“I know you're afraid,” Donte says, as if reading my mind.
“Is it that obvious?”
“You wear your heart on your sleeve and your feelings on your face,” he says.
“I hope you aren't offended,” I say.
“Why would I be offended?”
“You all have given me so much time, and I’m still not ready. I can tell you are all getting agitated and sick from the thrall.”
“Be that as it may,” Donte starts, “your comfort and security is of utmost importance to us. I'm sure we can all agree,” Donte says, raising his voice and looking up at the rest of my mates.
They all nod in agreement, and I let out a long sigh.
“Well, you see,” I say. “I feel the same about you. And even if I weren't ready, my need to take care of you and give you what you need would win out anyway. So, in the end, your needs are my own. I don't know if there is any way around that. But it doesn't mean I’m not scared.”
“You feel us inside you,” Mika says with a sigh.
“Yes,” I say, with a nod.
I take another sip of wine. My need to take care of my guys conflicts with my passion to protect our world. I tell myself to get it together as I finger the syringe in my pocket.
“All the better reason to move forward with the mating ritual,” Mika says. “We all need you.”
Desired by Dragons (Dragon Shifter Mega Bundle) Page 119