by Ophelia Bell
“She’s not a stranger to our ways, Marcus. And my brothers are not monsters. If anything, they’re more gentle than I am. Aodh is a regular teddy bear, compared to me. They will do it out of need as much as desire.”
“Good. Don’t be gentle with me. I’d rather you make it less palatable an experience.”
“Far from it,” Ked said, leveling Marcus with the full force of his dark gaze. Marcus struggled to suppress the tremor of anticipation that passed through him. “You’ll enjoy every second as much as Evie does. I am a dragon, after all. It is in my best interest to ensure your absolute pleasure.”
Ked took a step toward him, followed by another. Marcus’s pulse raced and he involuntarily found himself retreating, but Ked just kept coming, as inevitable and ominous as a thunderhead. His eyes flashed with deep violet light that seemed to see straight into Marcus’s soul.
Marcus’s back bumped against the sturdy wooden railing of the porch and he grabbed hold of it with both hands. He had nowhere to go now, and not even Evie as a buffer between himself and this man who had flowed through his veins for decades. Such an intimate connection as sex shouldn’t have terrified Marcus so much after literally being filled with the man’s very essence for so long. Hell, his life had been defined by Ked for the last fifty years. Perhaps longer if what he’d learned about himself and his brothers was true. He was destined to be the mate of a dragon, and the detour he’d taken into the Ultiori ranks hadn’t changed that.
But to be mated to this dragon? Christ, he couldn’t even imagine himself with a female of the race, much less the most imperious and dauntingly male member of the race he’d ever met. He hated himself a little for how much Ked’s presence so close actually sent pleasant ripples of sensation over his skin, like that gaze sweeping up and down him had a tactile element to it—like he was, indeed, being physically caressed.
Yet he had little enough strength left to object. He was living on borrowed time and if he ever wanted to see his and Evie’s child thrive, he had no choice.
Ked reached him and rested his hands on the railing on either side of Marcus, not touching but so close Marcus could feel intense heat radiating from his skin.
“You know I am capable of compelling you to do my bidding. In your weakened state, you wouldn’t be able to resist me. But that would be a poor start to what I would like to be a mutually pleasurable beginning to a very, very, long and satisfying relationship for the three of us. I am fated to have a family with Evie, yet it seems Fate, as always, has thrown a knot into the tapestry. Evie loves you and she would be heartbroken if you died, not to mention we would likely lose the baby.”
Marcus let out a stuttering breath. “Then do it already,” he said, trying to goad the man into overpowering him. To hell if he was going to simply bend over and beg to be fucked.
Ked leaned in, his lips brushing against Marcus’s ear. “Do what, Marcus? Hold you down, strip you naked, and have my way with your untried ass? That really isn’t my style, or any dragon worth his horns. No…” Ked let out a soft laugh that tickled Marcus’s cheek and set every nerve in his body alight. The man raised a large hand and clutched the back of Marcus’s neck, pulling back just enough that their eyes met. “You will ask for it, but only because you can no longer stand the thought of not having it. I belong inside you, one way or the other.”
Closing his eyes against the confusing swirl of lust and expectation in Ked’s fathomless black depths, he said, “Did you already make love with her?”
“Not particularly relevant, but not yet. Not for lack of profound desire on both our parts. Her injuries and her worry for you held her back. Now that her wings are restored and you’re coming around, she’ll be ready. So far, we have kissed, and I’ve coaxed her Nirvana from her once. ”
Marcus clenched his eyes more tightly shut, shaking a little at what he was about to do.
“Then we’ll start where you started.”
Steeling himself, he opened his eyes and stared into the twin voids of Ked’s again. He hated how utterly helpless he felt in that moment. The man was only slightly bigger, and not more than an inch taller than Marcus, yet somehow Marcus had the strongest sense that, had Ked been the least bit inclined to, he could tear Marcus in half.
He was far less concerned for his physical well-being in that moment, however. More than anything, he had to admit to himself that he was scared—not of what would soon transpire between them—no, he was utterly, ball-shrinkingly terrified that he would like it.
That sense was only confirmed when Ked’s eyelids lowered, his gaze falling to Marcus’s parted lips. Then Ked’s fingers slid up through Marcus’s hair and he bent his head, tilted slightly, and pressed his lips against Marcus’s mouth.
Marcus surrendered reluctantly, at first thinking he could simply imagine the mouth on his was Evie’s, but there was no mistaking the utterly masculine, powerful pull of Ked’s lips, or the thrust of the hot, sweet, velvet of his tongue into his mouth. Marcus could do nothing more than open up for the man, and once he did, something primal and instinctual seemed to take over.
A sudden blast of heat flooded his body as the need gripped him. He released his hands from the railing and clung to Ked’s sides, fingers digging in hard as their lips and tongues tangled. With a push and a twist of his leg around Ked’s, he spun them, pushing Ked back against the railing and grinding hard against him. Their hips pressed so tight, the friction of their erections rubbing together through their clothing was as overwhelming to him as the slide of Ked’s tongue against his.
Marcus pulled back abruptly, gasping for breath.
“Jesus Christ,” he panted, struggling to steady his vision. The world swam around him, as though all the blood had rushed from his head. And he supposed that’s exactly what had happened.
He stared down between them where his own and Ked’s thick erections bulged in heavy ridges side-by side beneath their lightweight trousers. In another life, he might have been repulsed by this type of intimacy with another man, but it was far from distasteful to him now. Everything about it felt right. Right down to the contours of their thighs, warm through the thin linen barrier between them.
“It’s the Blessing,” Ked said softly, his large hand still cupping the back of Marcus’s head, fingers gently stroking his neck. “You were meant for me from before your birth. Or meant for a dragon, at any rate, but fate and circumstance led you to me. You can’t deny that this feels predestined.”
“Evie…” Marcus began, finding it difficult to even form a full sentence.
Gathering his meaning, Ked smiled. “She’s definitely a big part of it. We can wait for her to return before venturing further.”
Marcus found himself fixated on the movement of Ked’s lips, the hard lines and soft curves, flushed darker now after the pressure of the kiss and glistening slightly with wetness. Marcus’s mouth watered, craving another taste.
“Take what you desire,” Ked murmured in a low growl. “You can give in to that urge with me. You won’t hurt me.” The undertone in his voice hinted at an invitation for Marcus to not hold back.
Marcus raised both hands and tangled one set of fingers in the hair at the nape of Ked’s neck, yanking his head back and testing his resolve. With his other hand shaking from need, he traced fingers over Ked’s throat and hooked them into the collar of the woven, tunic-style shirt.
“What if I want you to beg me for it first?” Marcus asked, twisting the fabric of Ked’s collar into his fist and pulling until the lightweight weave protested.
“Not much of a challenge,” Ked said. “I want you, but I don’t think you have the energy to follow through yet.”
With a wrenching pull, Marcus yanked downward. The linen weave tore like paper and the shirt fell open, hanging haphazardly on Ked’s wide shoulders.
Energized by the hunger for the body pressed against him, Marcus pushed the fabric as
ide and sank his teeth into Ked’s shoulder, grazing lips, teeth, and tongue over the taut, salty skin. Under his tongue, the skin had an unusual texture, both sensual and foreign. When he slid his free hand down the center of Ked’s chest, he felt the same thing. Opening his eyes, he accessed his waning power to see what he could only feel, and could make out the faintest outline of dark scales shimmering over every surface of Ked’s body. The same dark scales he’d had in his dragon form.
His hand paused at the waist of Ked’s draw-string pants. Did the texture of his skin extend to every extremity? Was he brave enough to find out?
As if belonging to another body, his hand rose up, fingertips plucking at the ties and pulling. In slow motion, it seemed, the bow came undone, the gathered waist of Ked’s pants loosened and slid down a few inches to reveal more of Ked’s naked hips and dark thatch of curls—the culmination of the dark trail of hair that led south from his navel. But the pants snagged on the jutting thickness of Ked’s erection.
“Go ahead,” Ked said. “You clearly want to find out for yourself when you could have simply asked what you want to know. Or you can wait, and find out when I fuck you whether my cock is as smooth as yours or not.”
From somewhere behind Marcus, a lilt of amusement in her tone, Evie said, “I’ve seen you naked. Definitely smooth.”
Marcus snatched his hand away and stumbled backward in a panic, spinning on his heels. “Jesus, Evie, I… was just…” Just what? His mind somersaulted over all the ridiculous excuses until he caught the alarm on her face. The lovely image of her suddenly tipped sideways and she cried out his name. Something hard and cool hit his side and pain shot through his body. His vision went red, then darkness seeped in around the edges, finally taking over again.
Chapter Thirty
Evie
Dragon Monastery, Sunda Islands
Present Day
Evie’s pulse raced from the surge of adrenaline coming right on the wake of one of the most arousing scenes of her life. She bent to the side of her unconscious lover, a fresh wave of despair coming over her at seeing him unconscious again after finally learning he could live.
“Marcus, baby, please wake up.” She pulled his head into her lap, stroking his hair. “What happened?” she asked, looking up at Ked. She lowered her eyes abruptly at his state of his clothing, ripped and half falling off, his pants barely staying up, and his thick arousal as clear as day. “I mean, I can guess what happened, but why did he get so upset?”
Ked strode over to them, cinching his drawstring tight again before shrugging out of his ruined shirt and tossing it aside. He knelt down and examined Marcus’s side.
“He was coming around, but not easily. I think it’ll be easier, now that you’re here. We can’t take much longer, though. When he wakes up again, we need to go through with it. Before he deteriorates any more. Are you all right?”
His tone softened to tenderness and she glanced up again in time for him to reach out a large hand and cup her cheek. She smiled and pressed her lips to his palm.
“Yes, but I’ll be infinitely better once the three of us have done what we can for the baby. Do you know that even from the very first day we met, he talked about having children with me? And even though I didn’t believe it would ever happen for us, I gave into the fantasy. He was never really mine, but I wanted what he wanted so badly back then. And now… now I want it so much I can taste it.”
Ked’s expression darkened, but not in a magical way. Something troubled him and when Evie met his gaze with a question in her eyes, he looked away. “There’s something I failed to mention before… about the child. Marcus and I aren’t enough to ensure its survival. We can provide most of the energy it needs, I just want you to be prepared…”
“Ked…” she began in a quavering voice, fresh fear gripping her at her helplessness to provide for her own child and anxious what this new complication might be. “Please tell me we don’t need something he has. I’m not going back to that monster.”
Ked’s head snapped back around. “Sweet Mother, no. It isn’t anything like that. It’s only that the way the Elites are made uses a mixture of my blood and my brothers’ blood, in different ratios. Marcus’s seed carries my energy primarily, but also small bits of Aodh’s and Gavra’s energy. To survive, the baby will need their energy, too.”
Evie closed her eyes and let out a long sigh that ended with a soft laugh. “Oh, thank the Winds. As long as your brothers aren’t repulsed by the idea, I believe I can overcome my reservations, too. They did restore my wings, after all.” She opened her eyes and smiled slyly at him. “I don’t know if the bed is big enough for all five of us, though.”
“Ah… no,” Ked said, smiling back at her. She could have been mistaken, but she was nearly dead certain that a slight pinkness tinged his cheeks.
“So, what did you have in mind? Is my entire sex life plotted out for me in your head now? I ran into Issa on my walk. The complications of her pregnancy sounded terrifying.”
Ked waved a hand. “The timing of her pregnancy was unfortunate, and carrying a single Catalyst is hard on any dragon mother, much less twins. I don’t know what our child will be like, but we will take care to ensure we all provide for it. But no…” He trailed off and looked down at Marcus. “He’s having a tough enough time adjusting to the idea of being with me. I wouldn’t want him to be traumatized by a tryst that involved my brothers, too.”
With a smooth, graceful motion, Ked slipped his arms beneath Marcus’s prone body and lifted him. His shoulders bunched with the considerable weight, but otherwise showed no hint of strain. Evie followed him to the bed and climbed on, positioning herself so that she could cradle Marcus across her lap. At least he seemed less unconscious and more asleep now, his breathing slow and regular.
The other side of the bed dipped as Ked walked around and climbed on, situating himself diagonally alongside Marcus and leaning down to press a kiss on Evie’s lips. She tilted her head back, accepting his mouth, allowing him to command the slow tempo and depth of their kiss—all lips slowly moving against each other, with only the barest hint of tongue teasing between.
An involuntary shiver coursed through her when he raised a hand and tugged open the loose robe she still wore, baring one breast. Her nipple pricked and hardened in the cool evening air coming in from across the mountains outside. The warm pad of Ked’s thumb brushed over it, and it hardened and tingled.
A deep groan rumbled up from Marcus and Evie pulled away to see if he woke.
Pale green eyes gazed back at her, confused at first, then a low heat built in their depths. “Don’t you dare start without me,” he croaked. “Assuming you’re okay going through with this?”
“Oh, Marcus,” Evie said, stroking the side of his face. “We both want this too much not to. I know that. And seeing you with him does exactly the opposite to me that you seemed to think. If any dragon could be a match to you, it’s him.”
Marcus pursed his lips and furrowed his brow, turning his gaze to Ked. Without a word, he simply nodded, as though some silent agreement had passed between them. After the quiet exchange, both men seemed to relax into the moment.
Marcus maneuvered above her lap, shifting enough to brace himself on one arm. He glanced around as though getting his bearings, and his gaze landed on Evie’s bare breast, Ked’s palm resting just beneath on her belly, his thumb casually stroking the underside of her breast. Seeing a worthy target within easy reach, he bent his head and captured the small peak between his lips and sucked.
Delicious warmth spread downward, pooling between her legs. Ked tugged her robe open and off her shoulders, then lowered his mouth to her other breast.
“Ohh,” she sighed, tilting her head back and threading her fingers through their hair. After the harrowing experience of the last couple days and her recovery, she relished the pleasurable contact, all too eager for their mating to fi
nally be under way.
Her eyes fluttered closed, but she opened them again when a hand gripped hers. Marcus tugged her hand away from Ked’s black mane and pulled it down between them. Ked released her nipple and leaned back, kissing her neck while Marcus guided her hand lower. She thought he was urging her to touch him, but Marcus didn’t place her hand on his own cock as she expected. Instead, he pressed her hand between Ked’s legs onto his hardening cock and gripped her fingers tight around the thick length, now gloriously exposed, though she didn’t remember Ked’s drawstring coming undone.
“That’s right, baby. I think together we can maybe make him beg, what do you think?” Marcus said, giving Ked a wicked grin.
Ked leaned back with a groan, but didn’t make a move to stop them. Evie’s eyes widened at the girth of him, too large for her small hand to surround, though Marcus’s hand could easily grip him. Marcus sat up fully and leaned across in front of her, snagging the back of Ked’s neck roughly and yanking him into a hungry kiss while his hand urged Evie’s up and down Ked’s steel-hard length.
Deciding to encourage them both, she found Ked’s hand and followed Marcus’s example. Ked took over, untying the closure of Marcus’s pants and pulling out his cock.
The sounds of heavy breathing surrounded Evie, a rhythmic soundtrack harmonized with the sounds of their hands sliding over each man’s stiff erections, stroking.
Marcus gave her a devious look that she remembered all too well from their first year together. The look usually signaled a wicked idea he’d come up with that would undoubtedly lead to pleasure for her. He pulled his hand away from Ked’s cock and abruptly kicked his pants the rest of the way off. In a flash, he slid down the bed between her legs and opened the tie of her robe to finally expose her hips and the glistening mound of aching flesh between her thighs.
Rather than lie flat against the bed, however, he kept his knees bent, his ass in the air while he spread her open and ran his tongue between her folds. Her entire body tingled from the pleasure and she tilted her hips up, aching for more. Both men let out similar moans of pleasure—Ked’s apparently in response to the sight of Marcus diligently teasing her cleft with his tongue.
