by Ophelia Bell
“I would fucking love for us both to come inside you right now and find out how we taste all together. I bet it’d be even more addictive than just him and you.” Theron gave her a languid kiss, his hips dropping and tilting into hers.
Bekim’s pulse sped as he watched Theron’s length disappear into Numa’s depths. He knew the tight squeeze of her so well, loved the familiar sound of her breathy gasps when Theron’s cockhead rubbed just right inside her, and reveled in the disappointed whimper when Theron pulled out fully and rested back on his haunches.
“He knows better than to test his limits,” Bekim told her. “But I plan on testing them myself.” He gave his partner a wicked smile and surged up, grabbed Theron by the hips, and wrapped his mouth around his cock. Theron let out a groan and seized Bekim by the shoulders, but didn’t push him away.
“How fucking good is that?” Theron breathed. “Oh, fuck, dude. I’m halfway tempted to get him back in here so we can have a firsthand taste.”
Bekim savored his lover’s shaft until Theron’s fingers tightened on his shoulders, his cock twitching dangerously in his mouth. He slipped off Theron’s cock with a soft pop. “My turn,” he said with a grin and moved between Numa’s thighs again.
She gazed up at him with a bewildered look. “Why are you two so enthralled by him? He’s your competition.”
“He’s one of us and he’s single, which means he’s a free agent. If you choose the god, he’s our best chance at landing a mate of our own, as long as he’s willing to share.”
“And what if I choose you two?” she asked, spreading her thighs and moaning as Bekim sank into her. Her muscles tightened around him and his entire body flushed with fresh need to climax, but he moved carefully, sliding out and back in only once before sitting back again and enjoying Theron’s lips and tongue eagerly sucking him clean.
Bekim’s mind was abuzz with too much pleasure to answer, but Theron responded. “Would you be willing to take all three of us?”
“Four …” Bekim said, his mind finally clearing as the throbbing in his cock eased a little. “It’d be four, with the West Wind.”
“Four of us. Even better,” Theron said with a grin. “Gaia’s sweet amrita never tasted so good. If we can have you tasting like that for the rest of our lives, I’m all for it. Not that you didn’t taste divine already…”
Numa only stared up at them both, speechless.
Bekim wasn’t sure what had stunned her. “Is it against the rules? Would Fate be pissed if you did that?”
Theron jumped in then. “Seriously, you’re a dragon. Don’t dragons traditionally keep entire harems? I was all about hoarding you to ourselves, but after seeing him and knowing how fucking delicious your juices are mixed with his, I want more of it. Why fucking choose?”
“I …” Numa began, then stopped, her gaze darting to the clock, and then the window behind the bed. “I don’t know.”
Chapter Seventeen
There wasn’t enough time for her to make this decision. Testing their limits had to be done so she would know one way or the other whether they could provide enough power for the ritual. But if an ursa pair were an option, and Cade and Zephyrus would certainly be a package deal if she chose them … why in the world wouldn’t she take them all, if they were all willing?
“Something’s got your gears turning, honey,” Theron said. “Are we on for our test or not?” He dropped his hand to his cock and gave it a slow stroke, leaving his fist wrapped around it with his thumb aligned with the head.
Numa swallowed at the sight of the droplet that glistened on his tip. She knew very well how much power the pair could bring together, and with Gaia’s magic infusing them, their auras were stronger by tenfold now. The goddess must truly be invested in seeing them win.
Then wouldn’t it be a coup if she broke all the rules? She surged up into Theron’s arms and kissed him soundly on the cheek.
“I knew there was a reason I loved you so much.”
“Hey!” Bekim said, waving at her. “Aren’t you forgetting me?”
“Never,” she said, reaching for him and tangling her fingers in the thick hair at the back of his head. She pulled him into a kiss that he hungrily accepted, sliding his hand down over her hip to grip her ass and squeeze.
Theron’s mouth drifted down her neck as he slid his fingers between her thighs again and teased along her folds. Sweet Mother, she couldn’t let herself get distracted. Not now.
“No,” she said, pushing them both away. “I need to go talk to Sophia before it’s too late.”
She hopped off the bed and exhaled as she went, commanding her magic to tidy her up and clothe her. By the time she reached the door and looked back at them, she was dressed with her hair neatly done up in a braid coiled at her nape. Her heart fluttered at the sight of the two ursas. Perfect. They were perfect, with their big ursa brawn and deep, earthy complexions. Like most Rainsong males, they had very little body hair, aside from Theron’s jet-black beard and Bekim’s decadent mop of umber waves.
And they were both supremely confused, probably owing in part to how unbearably horny they were right now.
“Hold that thought, guys. If Sophia says no, we’ll need to pick up where we left off. But if she says yes …” She beamed at them both.
“We’ll get our wish?” Bekim said.
“If the others are willing, yes.”
Excitement flared their auras and Numa’s heart thudded hard. Two more generous mates she had never imagined she’d find. That they would willingly share her with others should not have surprised her. They were ursa males, after all, who were conditioned to cater to their female’s needs. Perhaps they had subconsciously sensed the answer to her dilemma.
Either way, she left the room in a rush, too excited to waste more of the precious time Vrishti and her mates had given them.
The Rainsong Lodge was arranged in a wide arc that surrounded the lush interior courtyard. Through the windows, she had a clear view of the trees and the sky above as she ran, hoping she would find Sophia and Ozzie in the library or the throne room on the first floor. The temporal barrier shimmered with iridescent light overhead, but beyond it she could see the distorted orb of the sun, now higher in the sky. It was late morning on Spring Equinox already, and she hoped the forces in the Haven were holding out, but if Sophia confirmed her hopes, they wouldn’t have to wait much longer for reinforcements.
Halfway down the wide staircase the light changed, another disturbing flicker in the energy field that surrounded them. Beneath her feet, the world shook, and the big carved-wood chandelier above her swung from side to side. Numa grabbed the banister for balance, staring up through the high windows in alarm.
For a moment, she swore she saw a shimmer of blackness slide across the dome of the barrier. A chill ran down her spine. Something was wrong. Doors opening and closing and quick footsteps sounded in the halls. Before she reached the bottom step, she saw Sophia rushing in from the gardens with Ozzie, Cade, and Dionysus right behind. Both her potential mates were stark naked and dripping wet, but sporting expressions that were distinctly unaroused.
They paused for only a second on the way up the stairs. “The child is in danger,” Dionysus said, giving her arm a squeeze before continuing his climb.
“Tell me what’s happening,” she said, falling into step beside Sophia.
“Your nephew had a run-in with Meri outside,” Sophia said. “She is attacking the barrier, draining it. Somehow it’s affecting the child.”
“Meri is here?” Numa said. “And Zorion? How did he get here?” She supposed his arrival was none too soon, regardless of his methods, if their enemy was powerful enough to be in two places at once. There was no way in hell Meri would have left the Haven before securing the Source, and Gavra would have alerted her if she were anywhere close to winning.
Back on the floor above, they r
ounded the bend, heading toward Vrishti’s room, and she caught a glimpse of Bekim and Theron striding toward them, clothed in just their silken dress trousers now and too worried to still be turned on.
“What’s going on? We felt the tremor and saw the light shift. The place never shook before.”
The door swung open before they reached it and Neph stepped through, giving them a nod.
“How is she?” Numa asked.
“Older than the last time you saw her,” the big satyr said with a grim set to his jaw. He stepped aside to let her enter, and the others filed in behind Numa. Inside, she was greeted by seven worried faces, all belonging to individuals she realized would have called Deva their daughter. Her sister’s two godchildren had returned from their mission, it seemed, and there was no mistaking the auras of the trio who accompanied them. They were her sister’s lost children, and her heart swelled to see them.
“Oh, Sweet Mother, you made it,” she gushed, reaching them where they stood near the fireplace. Somehow Zorion’s soul had split in two, but that mattered little when she could plainly see the love both halves had for the luminous woman between them—and the very reason they likely had her positioned on the hearth to start with. Neela had somehow become the embodiment of pure dragon fire—a phoenix, the likes of which Numa had only heard of in tales her mother told when Numa was a child.
She pulled the woman into a fierce embrace, heedless of the immense heat Neela threw off. “Thank you for finding them,” she said, squeezing Neela and casting a grateful look to Naaz. “Has Belah seen you yet?”
“We went there first,” Naaz said. “Z and Zil can do a little trick that gets us past magic barriers, so we thought we’d come in and offer our help. And I’m glad we did.”
“Me too,” she said, hugging each of them before turning to face the room.
The outer chamber of Vrishti’s rooms barely accommodated all of them, and Numa saw no sign of the little girl.
“Is she all right?” Numa asked the Sanctuary’s newest Summer Spirit.
“We aren’t sure,” Vrishti said shakily, her shoulders sagging. “The last surge accelerated her growth again and she’s still recovering. Aodh cocooned her in a healing cloud and she is resting now.”
“Can I see her?” Numa asked.
“Hear what Zorion saw outside first,” Vrishti said.
Numa looked at her nephew again, her brows raised.
“A leech,” Zorion said. “We could only see it when time was frozen to allow us through the barrier. It was the essence of her power, latched onto the bubble’s membrane, sucking the power from it.”
Dionysus cursed, and all eyes turned to him. “The creature you described is not the essence of a nymphaea. Whatever Meri has become is something far darker and more corrupt than I feared.”
“The battle in the Haven persists,” Neph said. “My niece and her mates are keeping the Ultiori at bay with the help of the ursa, who fight alongside the nymphs. We’d hoped to buy time to allow Numa to accumulate power for the portal, but if the temporal barrier fails sooner, we will be out of choices. If there’s another surge, Deva may not survive it. Father, we need your help.”
Dion returned Neph’s stare with equal intensity. “There is one option,” he finally offered, then lowered his gaze to Numa’s. “But it would mean forfeiting this contest. I will only go if you have made your choice and it isn’t me.”
“What option?” she asked, her gut a roiling at the very idea of Dion leaving when she’d just made her choice.
“What my father means is the realm of the gods,” Neph said. “If he takes her there, she will be safe. Once she is gone, we can take down the barrier, but we need to be prepared for that. Is there any chance you can begin the ritual soon? Have you had time to make a decision on a mate yet?”
Numa glanced between the four men and then back to Neph. “Is there any way to get her there without Dionysus carrying her himself?”
Sophia’s brows rose. “So you have made a choice already, then. Interesting.”
“No!” Numa yelled. “I just asked a question. Is Dionysus the only one who can get Deva to a safe place? I haven’t made my decision yet …” She regretted the lie, but wanted a chance to speak privately to all the contestants before she made her choice public.
“It must be a god who carries her there,” Sophia said. “The doors will only open for the divine.”
“I can return, but if I don’t stay with Deva, I would need someone to remain behind as my proxy as the girl’s guardian.”
“I will go,” Ozzie said. The room quieted as everyone turned to stare at him.
“What are you thinking, grandson?” Sophia asked.
He sighed. “I am the only option unless you go yourself, Nanyo. Everyone else is committed to the fight in some fashion. I am no less eager to see Meri get her ass kicked, but the fact is I’m more of a bystander.”
Sophia’s stare turned hard, her jaw clenching. “I don’t see why one of the males Numa doesn’t choose can’t make the sacrifice.”
“Then your eyesight must be failing,” Ozzie said. “Look at them. She is definitely not choosing me, even if I had entered the damn contest you saw fit to finagle.”
He gestured toward Numa, where she stood surrounded by four males, Theron and Bekim on either side of her with Cade and Dion at her back. All four had a hand on her, either at her shoulder or her waist, and Zephyrus was gently whispering in her ear his affirmation of the choice she hadn’t even come close to voicing yet.
Sophia’s gaze turned icy when she turned to look. “Numa, this was not Fate’s intention when the contest was devised. You were to choose between contestants.”
“Fuck Fate,” Numa spat. “I would happily sacrifice one of them to save Deva, if any of these men wanted to make that choice, but I am not doing it because of the contest. I want them all, and more than that, I need them all to ensure the ritual succeeds, especially now that we likely have no choice but to move forward with it sooner than we’d planned. The very second Dionysus gets Deva out of here, I plan to start it. And when he returns to help, you can be damn sure Fate won’t get in our way.”
She shot a glance at Ozzie, who had crossed his arms and was giving his grandmother a smug look. He winked in Numa’s direction.
“This is not your path, Oszkar West. You will displease Fate by proceeding. It might affect your ability to find your One.”
“Let the boy do his duty. The child adores him,” Cade said, only the timbre of his voice was all Zephyrus. Sophia visibly flinched as he continued. “He is my namesake. My own blood runs in his veins, niece. If I could get my brother here to put you in your place, I would, but he is locked beyond the barrier.”
“Are you telling me Fate actually has a mate in mind for me, Nanyo?” Ozzie asked. “Because I’ve waited two centuries to find her. It’s honestly not much to lose, at this stage. I will protect this child with my life. She deserves an existence free from the beast that made her what she is, that forced her into being without a soul of her own. If it pisses Fate off for this to happen, then all the better.”
The light around them flickered once more, and a cry sounded from the other room.
“So are we decided?” Numa asked impatiently.
Lips brushed her ear, accompanied by the scent of wine and sex. “I will return the very second she is safe,” Dionysus whispered. “That is, if you were telling the truth and you intend to hoard us all for yourself. Tell me the others are in agreement with this plan.”
“If it means having her, even if it’s only on Tuesdays, I’ll take it,” Cade said, and Bekim and Theron added their hearty agreement as well.
Chapter Eighteen
The temperature in the room spiked, and across the room, Neela’s aura flared bright with panic.
“No! I won’t let you go without me. She’s my daughter!”
“This is as much your fight as it is mine,” Vrishti said, starting to approach Neela, but stopping several feet away, her skin breaking into a sheen of sweat. “I would love nothing more than to stay by her side and protect her. My maternal instincts are so strong, I fear that’s the reason Meri has increased in power. If I had not attacked her when she threatened Deva in my womb, she would have never discovered the full range of her powers. But all I wish for now is to go on the offensive. To join the fight. To save my own mother too. Neela, there are so many others whose lives depend on us helping. Deva will be fine with Ozzie as her guardian. Join us in the fight.”
Neela turned to look at Ozzie. “I barely know you. Do you promise you will watch over her?”
“I give you my vow,” Ozzie said. “I want Meri dead as much as the rest of you, but I have less of a stake in the fight and my skills are better put to use with Deva. She responds to my music. She will be safe with me.”
“I want to see her once more,” Neela said.
“We should not waste more time, if we’re going to do this,” Numa said. She looked up at Dionysus. “What do you need me to do?”
It was her brother who answered from the doorway to the room. “Your smoke would not go amiss to start with, sister. Deva is still hurting from the last surge. Help me finish healing her. And Ozzie … she’s asked for you to sing.”
Numa made her way to the door with Dionysus at her side. She abruptly stopped and blocked the big god’s path. “Not like this,” she said, expelling a breath that twined around his exquisitely muscled body, covering his bare skin in a sheer length of green fabric that draped over one shoulder and encircled his hips. She finished it off with a shimmering copper belt. “She’s just a child.”
Dion’s lips quirked. “As you wish, little one.”
