by Skye Jones
She laughed again at the way he said the last sentence, as if he might be able to do it just about over his dead body. “I don’t need time, at least not alone. As long as we can wait to make this official, because, honestly, I cannot go from being single to married, mated…whatever, in like a few weeks. And I think we all need to settle into this and see how it goes. But there is something I want.”
“Spit it out, gorgeous.” Aiden winked at her, and he might seem to be back to his flippant self, but there was a depth now to his gaze, something emotionally charged and different.
“I want to spend some time at my house, at least during the summer. To be honest, it’s not great in the winter. It can be isolated and bleak when there’s weeks of rain and wind and nothing but the gray, rolling sea. But I love it in summer, and I’d like to keep the house. I grew up there with Mum.”
“Of course,” Steffan said.
Could it be so simple? What about Steffan?
“You love it here. What about what you need? This is all about us so far.” She blew a stray hair out of her mouth and waited as he considered her words.
“I don’t love it here. Don’t hate it either. It’s simply where I live. I’ve been alone for centuries. Centuries.” He let it sink in. “Didn’t imagine having anything different, of having something like this. So, yeah, I don’t give a shit where we stay if we’re together. There are things I may still need to do, too. If Rhyndor ever shows his ugly face again, I need to avenge my mates, so I get you both needing to keep aspects of your lives. I’m not Nathan—I don’t run a clan, and I don’t see the need to live by their archaic rules. And some of our kind do live outside of clan society. It’s rare, but it does happen. We can do what we damn well please and figure it out as we go along.”
Her heart lifted as, instead of envisioning years and years stuck in this small village, she saw an open future, decided as they went along. It filled her with a crazy-scary sense of exhilaration.
“I didn’t think it’d be this easy,” Aiden mumbled.
“Sorry you’re not facing another fight?” Steffan shot back.
“Why, do you want one? I won’t let you beat my ass so easily this time.”
“Oh, for the love of God, you two. You’re terrible. Honestly, I’m going to be spending all my time keeping you in line!”
“I like the sound of that.” Aiden tossed her a wink.
She rolled her eyes but didn’t stop smiling.
“How about you show me how alpha and dominant you are in a different way?” Aiden fixed his green gaze right on Steffan.
She watched, always fascinated by it, as Steffan’s eyes warmed right in front of her, turning molten gold. That right there was enough magic in itself, never mind changing into a dragon.
“Come on,” Steffan grabbed her and Aiden by the hand. “We only have an hour or so before they return. Let’s make use of the time.”
Chapter Eleven
Mia watched, laughing, as Nathan’s and Steffan’s huge beasts did a loop-de-loop high above her. They were visiting the Scottish clan, and the nights grew dark earlier now.
She glanced at Aiden next to her, who shivered and wrapped his arms around himself. She understood his shudders. Two days ago, they’d been in the deserts of Africa, and now they were in autumnal Scotland.
She’d been living with her two mates for a few months now, and it all still took some getting used to. They worked well together, and one of the reasons they did is that they all needed their own space at times for various reasons. Sometimes, Steffan would change into his dragon form and sleep alone outside. At others, Aiden would be off for long days on digs, or she might be holed up in her studio. They didn’t suffocate one another, but they always had each other’s backs if support seemed needed.
Steffan had realized as time went on how Aiden’s digs might reveal information about Rhyndor, and he had become quite interested in dragon history and archaeology himself. He doubted these days if Rhyndor even lived.
Before the most recent dig, they’d spent six weeks at her cottage and planned to return again in the spring. The winter, they’d decided to spend with the clan as their base, with a few trips to break up the long nights. She’d sensed lingering animosity from a few clan members as time went by and she sharpened her skills, but it didn’t bother her much.
It turned out she possessed strong magic… Like, really strong.
Wings flapped, and the two huge dragons flew right toward them, skimming over their heads and landing with thuds on the grass beyond.
Claire clapped her hands in glee. “I so wish I could fly with them.”
“At least you were with us in dragon form once. Even if it was beyond this realm.” Dominic kissed her on the forehead.
Claire had told Mia all about how she’d experienced her dragon form during the time she’d tried to bring Nathan back to the land of the living.
The dragons changed back into their human form, and Mia looked away as Nathan dressed. She peeked at her male, though. It never got old. Steffan was flat out the most breathtaking thing she’d seen, other than Aiden…and she’d seen a lot of awe-inspiring views these last few months.
Finally dressed, the two males approached their mates. Steffan stalked right up to her and Aiden and gave them both hard, demanding kisses. Her belly flip-flopped in anticipation. He always got horny after changing form.
Her two dragons were insatiable. Seriously insatiable. Which was good because she’d kind of become the same way. She couldn’t get enough of them. In some ways, it afflicted her like a curse, the constant need driving at her, but in so many others, it proved to be the best blessing. How the hell they’d only made love this morning and she found herself raring to go all over again, she had no clue. It drove her insane how badly she needed these two all the time.
Dragon lust, she supposed. And she thought of them as dragons now…as males. Not men, not human.
As she’d practiced her own magic, she’d begun to connect with her inner dragon. Sensed her other form as a part of herself, a part that understood things on a much baser level than her human side. If she turned off her human mind and let her dragon brain take over, the whole world changed. Scents and sounds became exquisitely powerful. Colors receded, but sensations like touch flared to dazzling brightness.
She also sensed what others were thinking and feeling with startling clarity. Anger gave off an acrid scent she easily identified. Lust threw off a much richer and deeper scent. Envy she always recognized in the gaze. And fear, fear she sensed by the increased heart rate and breathing.
But more than tuning in to people’s physiological responses, she also tuned in to their thoughts to a degree, and she discovered a gentle nudge made her human acquaintances do what she wanted. She swore never to try it again once she’d found out she could do so. It seemed utterly wrong to take away someone’s free will.
As for her fire, she controlled it brilliantly. She also had the ability to move objects. Nathan said she might have magic as strong as his if they taught her thoroughly. Somehow, though, she wasn’t sure she wanted to learn to such a degree.
The only niggling doubt making her wonder if she should hone her power was the fear that one day Rhyndor would reappear from wherever he hid, if he wasn’t already dead. Then her mate would want to avenge his lost loved ones, and if she had powerful magic, she’d be able to help him. No way would she sit back and let Steffan fight that battle alone.
They headed back to Claire’s impressive home. The place amazed her. They had manservants, which struck her as so nineteenth century it always made her a tad uncomfortable. But other than the whole servant thing, she loved visiting with her sister.
Because they didn’t have any servants themselves, it had been an ongoing battle to make her males understand she wanted to do things for herself. Yes, she let them cook; she liked their food, particularly Steffan’s. She also had no issue with the way Aiden always washed the pots after a meal, but she’d always quite liked
cleaning. So when, for about the fifth time, they’d tried to stop her from doing something or other, she’d put her foot down.
Aiden left a mess trailing after him wherever he went, but he owned little, so picking up after him proved easy enough. He’d decided to get rid of his house and pass it on to another young male in the village. So now, they split their time between Steffan’s cave, her home, and wherever their travels took them. So far, as life went, it certainly didn’t suck. At all.
“I’m going to fuck you so hard when we get back,” Steffan whispered the words so low into her ear, she had to strain to catch them. A delightful tremor ran through her. “I’ve been thinking about it all day. And while I’m inside you, I want to watch you suck Aiden.”
Oh, she liked the sound of both of those things. She almost licked her lips, but she caught Dom looking their way with a smirk across his handsome face.
They reached the house, and Steffan said something about needing a shower and a nap after flying. Nathan nodded, and Dom smirked all over again. Claire winked at her as they headed for the guest room they’d been assigned.
The bed alone gave her envy. Huge, it dominated the luxurious room and fit five people easily.
They reached the door, and Aiden, who’d been unusually quiet, opened it. She gave a gasp.
On the bed lay one of her paintings framed in the most stunning silver frame. The painting was of Steffan midflight, and she’d drawn it from memory.
Steffan looked at Aiden, jaw dropped. “When…? How…? I mean…”
“I ordered it a long while ago. It’s real silver. Antique. I had to get it couriered up to town and send one of the manservants to collect it this morning. Do you like it?” Aiden’s gaze flitted between them both.
“I love it.” She pressed her hand over her heart.
“It’s the three of us in that painting. I bought the frame, you painted it, and Steffan’s in the picture. There were others, but I love this one so much.”
She had to admit to liking it herself. It captured the essence of Steffan—the power and grace of his dragon, but also his beauty. Fancifully, he liked to think something about the fierce dragon face gave way in the eyes to show the gentler side of Steffan. Because he was. Gentle. Surprisingly so, at times.
Aiden proved to continue to be more like the proverbial bull in the china shop. Bulldozing his way through life, and still at times stomping on feelings, but he always said sorry.
For all his power, Steffan lived life in a laid-back manner. If he had them nearby and plenty of physical contact, not just of the sexual variety, Steffan didn’t care too much what they did. Because of that, she and Aiden tended to run their day-to-day lives. But if Steffan ever did put his foot down, damn, he proved to be immovable.
Aiden had wanted to go do a dig in Afghanistan, and Steffan had flat out refused. He didn’t want her exposed to danger, he’d said, and couldn’t bear the thought of Aiden going alone. There’d been a few days of rows, and some sulking from Aiden, but in the end, Steffan had his way. He didn’t ask for anything much from them, so the odd times he did, they both felt like giving it to him.
With great care, Steffan lifted the framed painting from the bed and leaned it against the wall. “Come here.” He crooked his finger at Aiden, who walked over to be given a soft kiss on the lips. “Thank you. It’s a wonderful present.”
Aiden flushed, and she loved how he still responded to praise from either of them by getting all flustered. It made her sad, too, a little, as if he hadn’t had much praise in his life. She’d grown to realize how much Aiden cared about what others thought of him deep down. He might try to cover it up with his brash nature, but he gave a damn. He gave a lot of a damn.
The two males turned to her, and a predatory smile stretched across Steffan’s face.
She turned her back to them and pulled her top over her head. She wore only her bra under the loose fleece. She kicked off her boots and undid her jeans, letting them slide down her legs.
Aiden’s snort of amusement made her smile. She’d worn the Wonder Woman panties her friend Helen, the gallery owner, had bought her as a joke the previous year. Boy shorts that cut high on her butt cheeks, they were silly but kind of hot.
“Wonder Woman, eh?” Steffan asked. “You know…” He broke off, and two big, strong arms snaked around her from behind, his palms splaying across her tummy possessively. “I’ve always had a bit of a thing for Wonder Woman, and you look a bit like her. We ought to get you a costume.”
Then he nipped at her earlobe, and she gave a soft gasp.
“I think you owe our Aiden here something, don’t you? I mean, he spent this morning between your legs and you came twice, so why don’t you return the favor…on your knees.”
She fucking loved it when Steffan got all domineering.
“Aiden, come here and unzip your pants.”
Not needing telling twice, Aiden stood in front of her, undoing his pants while she knelt.
“Take yourself out.”
She wasn’t surprised to see him already hard when he did as requested. A hand tangled in her hair, and Steffan knotted her long strands around his big fist and pulled with enough firmness to give her a delicious thrill. “Take him in your mouth, and don’t tease him.”
She nodded and took Aiden’s swollen erection into her mouth. His taste hit her and made her ache between her legs. Honestly, if anyone had told her how supernova-hot sex could be, she’d have laughed. But add in some sort of supernatural, magical matching-scent shit, and wowsers. Sometimes, she worried it had become a bit of an addiction. But then, why worry? It didn’t do any harm, did it?
She sucked at Aiden with wanton abandon, loving the way he pushed into her mouth. His hands came to rest on either side of her head, and Steffan still held her hair in his fist.
“Good girl. You can rest your mouth for a moment.” Steffan’s arms went under hers and pulled her up.
In one smooth move, he picked her up in his arms and carried her to the bed, dropping her on the sumptuous silk sheets. The feel of the raw silk of the throw against her back gave her goose bumps. Steffan clambered on after her, his knees planted on either side of her. He looked at her, all golden eyes, sharp lines, and full lips. Her very own vagabond lover, about to ravish her senseless. She smiled at the thought, and his lips twitched in reply. She anticipated a kiss, but instead, he bent his head to her breasts and sucked one hard nipple into his mouth.
Arching her back, she gave herself over to the sensation as his teeth rasped over her sensitive flesh and his warm tongue swirled immediately after, soothing and tantalizing in turn.
After spending long moments on one breast, he moved his dark head to the other, his palm soothing the wet flesh he’d abandoned.
Aiden kissed her stomach and down her body to her right hip, where he gave a small bite and laved it with his tongue. She squirmed under their touch, that heady fire already lit within her.
Those sparks of electricity swarming around her body would build and build until she combusted, and when she came, she’d burn with the glory of it. But those wicked hands and mouths left her, and she moaned for a moment. So near, but left dangling on the precipice of release.
“Kneel up for me, baby.” Steffan smoothed a strand of hair from her face.
She did as asked and rose on her knees, only for a big hand to plant itself between her shoulder blades and gently push her onto all fours. Aiden positioned himself in front of her so she could reach him once more, and Steffan’s warmth covered her back.
Two thick fingers parted her folds, and another dipped inside her, testing her readiness. Oh, she was ready, all right. More than ready.
She waited for Steffan to take her; the guy’s size still intimidated her at times, and she didn’t want Aiden in her mouth when Steffan pushed in. Just in case.
The initial tiny burn she still experienced when Steffan entered her gave way to a glorious stretch and then fullness as he pushed his way slowly inside. His balls
hit her ass as he seated himself to the root. One long withdrawal and another smooth glide in, and she gasped as he once more hit her deep inside.
Aiden wiggled his hips, making his dick bob comically in front of her face. She rolled her eyes at him, and he waggled his eyebrows with a smirk.
“I’m feeling all left out and lonely.”
“Sure you are,” Steffan grunted from behind. “Must be terrible being you.”
“No one asked you, oh, great leader.”
Steffan gave a low growl in his throat. “Keep it up, and I’ll tan your behind.”
“Or I will,” she said and laughed at Aiden’s outraged expression. “What? You two got to spank me last week. Why should it always be the girl who gets it?”
At that moment, Steffan gave a particularly forceful thrust, and she couldn’t speak anymore. Her mind went offline at the sensations once more burning in her. A pulse of precome leaked from Aiden’s cock, and she reached out with one hand to take him in her mouth.
From then on, the joking stopped, the pace increasing as the air in the room gained the humid, heated feel it always took on when they came together.
Her orgasm built as Steffan plowed into her in a steady but deep rhythm, one hand slipping around to her front to play with her clit as he fucked her.
Aiden groaned and swore and came down her throat a moment later.
She sucked every last drop out of him, and closed her eyes as he slipped from her lips and gave in to the sensation of Steffan fucking her with those aggressive strokes.
A hand smoothed across her cheek, and she looked to see Aiden watching her. His gorgeous green eyes drinking her in sent her tipping over the edge, suddenly and unexpectedly. She gave a cry and convulsed around Steffan.
He kept moving as she rode it out, and with one more thrust, he pulled out of her. She frowned, wondering what happened, until wet warmth covered her butt cheeks. She turned to him with an open mouth.
“Did you…did you pull out to come all over my behind?”
