by Jane Jamison
“Why would you fall for a man, sugar-pie?” Pike’s gaze was locked to hers.
“I’d fall for a man because he’s a good man.” Her attention shifted to Coltrane. “Because he’s kind and brave.” She looked to Roth. “And because he’s generous and treats me the right way.”
Their confident expressions said it all. They knew she was talking about them.
“Could you fall for a man who could change into an animal?”
“You’re kidding, right?”
“Nope. Seriously, just answer the question.”
“A man who can change into an animal? Like a werewolf?” She shrugged, thrown by the direction of their talk. If they were trying to distract her from getting answers, she wouldn’t let them. Not for long. “If I loved the man, and the animal was a part of him, then, yes, I’d still love him.”
She didn’t understand their reactions. Instead of looking as though they were amused by her answer, they seemed relieved. Really relieved. “Okay, now that we’ve settled that, answer my questions.”
“We’re weredragons.”
At first, she thought Roth’s answer was funny. Then came the irritation. “So you’re not going to answer, is that it?”
“I just did.”
“Bullshit.”
“Think about it. Our eyes change to red the closer we come to shifting into our dragon bodies.”
“The hay caught fire because we lost control just enough for flames to shoot out of our mouths,” added Pike.
“Dragons breathe fire. Fire makes smoke,” added Coltrane.
“Dragons are animals.” Roth smiled. “Animals growl.”
“Why are you doing this? Why are you making fun of me?”
“You said you could love a man who could change into an animal.” Coltrane rose from the couch, took her hands, and pulled her to her feet. “We change into dragons.”
“This isn’t funny.” She should’ve gone straight from irritated to angry, but she couldn’t. Not when they stood so damn close to her. Not when all she cared about was running her tongue over their skin.
“We’re not trying to be funny.” Roth put his mouth to her ear. “Roar.”
She shivered, suddenly sure that nothing else mattered except to hear him roar between her legs.
“You’re ours, darlin’. It’s that simple.” Coltrane grabbed a hunk of her hair, making her look straight at him. “We’re men who can change into dragons. We’re immortals.”
“At least we were,” said Pike. “Now that we’ve chosen you as our mate, we’ll start aging.”
“You’re not making sense.” As insane as they sounded, she still couldn’t resist them. She didn’t understand whatever it was that was pulling them together, but it was too strong to fight.
“Not everything in life has to make sense, baby.” Roth skimmed the backs of his fingers along her arm.
Her body reacted as though she’d been struck by lightning. “But—”
“You’re ours, and we’re yours, if you want us.” Pike came around behind her, running his hand along her waist and onto her butt cheek. “We’re ready and willing to give up an eternity of loneliness for a lifetime with you.”
She had to be strong, had to find out what she didn’t understand. “You didn’t answer my questions.”
“We did. You’re listening, but you’re not really hearing us.” Pike moved her hair aside to kiss her neck. A nip at her skin followed.
Coltrane started removing his shirt and tugged hers over her head. “We’re going to make love to you now. Not sex. Love.”
Love. They don’t mean what they’re saying. How can they?
Yet, didn’t she feel the same?
Her pulse raced, her heart pounded, but she couldn’t move. Instead, she let them take her clothes from her, slowly, seductively. Coltrane’s fingers slid beneath her jeans, hooking her panties along with them. Pike undid her bra with light touches. Roth leaned forward and kissed her lips with the softest of kisses.
“We have to be careful, sugar-pie. If we let go too much, we might hurt you.”
She once again saw the red flecks in his eyes. “Your eyes.”
He smiled a crooked, oh-so-sexy smile. “They’re all for you.”
She melted under their caresses. Sighed as their voices grew softer. Moaned as they took her to the floor.
On her back now, they surrounded her, touching her, kissing her. Coltrane eased between her legs, his fingers exploring her clit and her pussy. Already she was writhing with need.
Pike lay next to her, running his hand along her flesh and setting it on fire. He licked the lobe of her ear and then nibbled the wet spot.
Roth treasured her breasts, bringing both of them against his face. His tongue lashed at her nipples moments before his teeth caught one in his mouth and tugged.
The steam that had surrounded them in the barn returned, thickening so much that the overhead light looked hazy. Warmth sprang from them to her then back again. She whimpered, her craving for them lighting up her body as though she’d stepped onto glowing coals.
Red eyes glowed at her, not with hatred but with love.
Smoke trailed toward the ceiling from the sides of their mouths.
Roth tugged her over him, settling her onto his crotch. His cock, so huge, so hard, pressed at her opening, demanding entrance. “Time to get a little rough, baby. Tell us if it’s too much.”
With his black eyes spotted with red, he took hold of her hips and slammed his cock into her pussy. She cried out as pain sliced into her, as though his cock had changed into a sword. But the pain soon shifted, sending an incredible wash of lust through her. Her climax erupted, spilling her juices over his cock, wetting their joined flesh.
She rode him, her body rolling front and back in a continuous seamless motion. As soon as her release had ended, another began growing.
Coltrane eased behind her and wrapped his arms around her to take her breasts in his hands. His hard body pressed against her back, his cock slipping in the crease of her butt. “Bend forward.” He pushed against her spine, urging her on.
She’d barely managed to flatten her hands on either side of Roth’s head when Coltrane plunged into her dark hole. Once more pain struck. Once more it transformed into something more. Roth caught her nipple in his mouth, his tongue torturing it.
Pike pulled her hair back and whispered in her ear as his friends rammed into her again and again. “I’m going to wait and take you next.”
Roth and Coltrane plundered her, their cocks ramming deep inside her, filling her from both sides. She was caught in a tidal wave, riding the crest and then falling into the depths, breathless until she rose to the surface. The next wave hit her almost before she had time to gasp.
Coltrane’s shoves drove her forward while Roth’s rams pushed her higher. Sweat slicked between their bodies, mixing their juices. Soft “uhs” echoed in the room. A fire blazed in the fireplace as she threw back her head, her eyes slits in the midst of her ecstasy.
None of it made sense.
And she didn’t care.
Another orgasm ripped her apart, splitting her into pieces to dance along the white caps of the tidal wave. She screamed, her cry one of submission and victory.
Roth and Coltrane ground out their releases at the same time. Keeping his word, Roth roared, the sound of it deafening. As their releases stormed out of them, Pike yanked her away from them and threw her onto her back. His eyes blazed with red.
He paused, studying her as she studied him. “Don’t be afraid. Never be afraid of us.”
“I’m not afraid,” she whispered. Amazingly, even after everything she’d seen, she wasn’t.
“Good.” He dipped his head and kissed her neck. Taking her arms above her head, he urged her legs apart as he settled between them.
She stared at the smoke-hazed ceiling and held her breath. As he thrust his cock into her, she blew out her breath and watched as it eased aside the smoke. The heat outside her body wa
s almost too much to handle, with the fire burning not two feet from her head, but it was the heat inside her that consumed her.
He wrapped her legs around his waist and looked into her eyes. His body undulated, moving like a flesh-covered machine. In and out, hard then harder. His fingers found their way into her asshole as his cock pushed at the limits of her pussy.
He rode her as she’d ridden Roth. He took control of her as Coltrane had done to her. She gripped his arms and held on. They became one, two merging as three had done before. She grew breathless again, her pulse still racing, her heart still pounding.
Her third climax came hard and fast, sending her flying. She screamed again, her clit throbbing like a drum between her legs. Convulsions racked her as her climax stormed her. If she hadn’t been lying on the floor, she would’ve fallen.
Pike stiffened, his growl growing into a roar. His hot seed shot into her, burning her. For almost a minute, he spilled his cum until his arms shook and he fell to the side.
She lay on the floor with Pike and stared at the ceiling. Slowly, the steam dissipated. The heat lessened, growing less intense.
“God.”
Coltrane slipped his arms under hers and tugged her into his lap. The fire in the fireplace was gone. “No, darlin’, we’re not gods. We told you. We’re weredragons.”
She tried so hard to believe, but what they were claiming was too incredible. Or was it? She’d seen strange things that pointed to their telling the truth.
“It’s okay, baby,” said Roth. “It takes a while to believe. Besides, that’s not the most important thing we want to get across to you.”
Only now had her breathing finally returned to a regular rhythm, allowing her to speak. “It’s not?” What if she kept pressing them to tell her what was really going on? “Then what is?”
Pike leaned close. “The most important thing is that we love you.”
Love.
Pike arched an eyebrow, expectant, waiting. Coltrane’s and Roth’s expressions mimicked Pike’s.
As much as she wanted to tell them how she felt, she found she couldn’t. It wasn’t fair. How could tell them what they wanted to hear when they couldn’t answer her questions? She pushed away, getting to her feet as fast as she could. Grabbing one of the men’s shirt, she clutched it against her nakedness and ran from the room.
* * * *
Harper rose very early, needing time for herself before the men found her. After she’d left them the night before, she’d stayed in her room, confused yet thrilled. Had she fallen in love with three men who believed they were animals?
Are they animals? If not, then how do I explain what I saw?
She stepped up to Jupiter’s stall. Out of all the horses, he was her favorite, almost as though they had a special connection. “Hey, sweetie.” Today, however, even the feel of the horse’s muzzle against her palm, lipping up the baby carrots, couldn’t make her smile.
What if they were telling her the truth? What if they really could change into animals? She stroked the animal’s neck, wishing they’d never said anything about dragons.
Dragons. Imagine.
They’d asked her if she could fall in love with a man who could change into an animal. Even then, she’d been thinking about the werewolves she’d seen on television or read about in romance books. But dragons?
“It can’t be real, can it?”
He nickered again and nudged her, urging her to give him more of the baby carrots she had in her pocket.
“Don’t get greedy.” Why couldn’t her life be as simple as Jupiter’s? Soon enough, she’d have to go to the police station. Not that she expected them to have any news. Surely they would’ve called if they had. Either that or they’d remain tight-lipped, keeping whatever information and clues they had to themselves.
Jupiter nickered and bobbed his head up and down. He stomped and swished his tail.
“What’s wrong, buddy? Why are you so jumpy?”
“Maybe he doesn’t like you.”
Harper spun around to find a petite woman, dressed in a hoodie, glaring at her. “Who are you?” And yet, she knew.
Oh God. The killer.
The woman smiled, evil in the gesture. “I’m the Grim Reaper, bitch.”
Harper felt the pain in her jaw seconds after she saw the woman’s fist coming toward her. The pain seared through her, sending her to the ground.
“I’ve been looking for you.”
Harper’s fingernails dug into the pressed dirt. She scrambled away, half crawling, half stumbling toward the exit in the back of the barn. A sharp pain struck the back of her head, the force of the blow once more knocking her down.
“You didn’t have to get involved. If you hadn’t been such a fucking drunk, you wouldn’t have screwed up and taken that asshole Burton’s drink. The drug was for him, not you.”
The drink I took was Dr. Rump’s. If I’d had more than a sip…
“Hell, you dumb bitch. You could’ve kept your mouth shut. But no. You had to tell the police everything, didn’t you?”
She kept her focus on the door, intent on getting away. “I couldn’t tell them anything. I didn’t see your face.”
“You told them enough.”
Another strike brought a cry of horror from her. “Please, don’t.”
“Don’t what? Don’t hurt you? Why the fuck not? I’ve already got blood on my hands.”
Harper’s throat closed up as terror threatened to take away rational thought. Pushing to her feet again, she darted to the left and felt the whoosh of air against her as the killer swung and missed. “Help!”
“Shut up!”
The next strike hit Harper in the middle of the back. She fell forward, her momentum keeping her moving until she struck the door. The door banged open, and she spilled out of the barn. Dirt filtered into her nostrils as she landed on her hands and knees.
“Stop! Please! I won’t—” Her words were cut short as the yank on her hair jerked her backward. Her cry strangled in her throat as something thin and unrelenting wrapped around her throat. She clawed at her neck, trying to gain purchase on the thin wire.
“Damn it. I thought I killed you once, but that was your fucking roommate.”
The sting in her neck was terrible. She sucked in hard, trying to bring in what little air she could. If she didn’t get free soon, she’d die. The wire noose tightened.
“The fire was my way of telling you I wasn’t giving up. Too bad that old lady couldn’t wheel her way out of her apartment. But that’s the way it goes, right? She was collateral damage.”
I’m going to die.
She felt the burn in her lungs as they protested the lack of air.
Pike.
Coltrane.
Roth.
She’d never see them again. Never have them hold her in their arms.
If only I’d told them I love them.
The world around her spun out of control, and dark spots filled her vision. Her tongue lolled out of her mouth. She could no longer bring in the slightest of breaths.
The ground shook under her, the vibrations rumbling through her weak body. At first, she was sure she was in the last throes of her impending death. Then, all of a sudden, the tightness around her neck loosened. She gasped as sweet air rushed into her.
“No!” screamed the killer.
Fire flashed near her as she lay on the ground. Her vision slowly cleared, even as her ears filled with impossible noises.
Roars, horrible and frightening, split the air, the sound waves rippling over her skin. The crackling of fire danced around her. A scream, tortured and furious, changed into a strangled gasp. She sucked in another precious breath and turned her head.
What she saw couldn’t be, yet in her heart, she knew it was.
Three dragons, one with blue-hued scales, one tinted green, and one with red scales, stood over the unmoving body of the killer. Blood poured from her head, running between her glazed eyes.
Their eyes gle
amed red while flames licked the massive jaw of the red one. Smoke tendrils drifted out of the other two dragons’ mouths. Massive tails swept back and forth, and vicious fangs dripped saliva.
She pushed herself into a sitting position but could do no more. “Is this real?”
While the other two dragons had their wings folded at their sides, the blue one unfurled his impressive wingspan as far out as it could spread.
It’s real.
She watched them, her mind trying to accept what her heart already did. Slowly, their massive forms blurred as their bodies began to change. Limbs broke with sickening cracks. Their huge heads shrank, morphing into ones she’d caressed. She slipped to the ground, her last sight that of the three men she loved striding toward her.
Epilogue
Harper awoke sucking in air.
“Easy, baby, you’re safe.” Roth tucked her covers around her.
Pike and Coltrane strode over from the windows. Their concerned expressions eased.
She’d awakened as she had for the past two weeks. Would the nightmare ever end? Yet as long as she awoke to find the men she loved near her, she’d be all right. Every morning, she rallied quicker because of their loving support. “I’m okay.”
“Are you ready to go?” asked Roth.
“I still don’t know why I have to do this.”
“They need to tie up all the loose ends.” Roth put out his hand.
She didn’t take it. “There’s no rush, is there?”
Roth dropped his hand, a crooked curve to his mouth. “Not as far as I’m concerned. The police can wait.”
“Are they still questioning you three about how she died?” When would the waking nightmare end? The killer, Holly Schumer, had been Dr. Rump’s secret longtime girlfriend while he was publicly dating Charlotte Effington, millionaire heiress to Effington Industries, a huge, international conglomerate. When the men had landed, Holly had tried to run. When she had, she’d tripped and fallen, landing hard and hitting her head on a large rock.
“Not any longer,” added Coltrane. “It’s not like we’re lying. She fell and hit her head when she tried to run. They don’t need to know that she was running from three dragons. Thankfully, we didn’t have to burn her to a crisp.”
