by Helene Gadot
"He's been avoiding me."
"Probably because he wants you, but is trying hard not to."
"Something I can relate to."
"But if you are interested, you need to be open about it. Because if you keep fighting against it, he'll never give in."
"I know." And I did. But I still didn't know what I wanted. And if I opened myself up to it and he still denied me? I was experiencing just what I put them all through.
I deserved it. Now that I knew what it felt like, I wanted to beg their forgiveness. On the other hand, I knew what Bastian was going through. I remembered what it felt like to fear the connection and the possible pain, the confusion. How the bond pulled at me while my life and plans pulled me in the other direction.
When I thought about returning to Faligrey and never coming back for him, it sliced through me. We just needed more time ,and he needed to stop avoiding me so we could figure out what we truly felt, what we truly wanted.
I didn't know what to do.
My worried thoughts floated away as Whist pressed his hot mouth into the crook of my shoulder, his tongue sweeping out to taste my skin.
I smiled and turned in his arms.
EIGHTEEN
Whist and I reclined in bed, sweat cooling on our skin. His idle fingers played with the strands of my tangled hair as I tried counting the freckles on his chest. We hadn't had many moments of simple peace like this, the chance to laze about in a bed with no looming danger.
We were worried about the meeting with the Assembly, but if they ended up failing to ally themselves, we would just leave. They wouldn't execute us.
At least, I didn't think they would.
Though no one knew where we were or what we were doing, so if the prince and princess disappeared, it was unlikely the dragons would be suspected at having anything to do with it.
He circled his arms around my waist and squeezed me tight. "Damn, I missed you, gorgeous. You can't disappear from us like that again. We can't handle it."
"I'm not going anywhere, Whistler."
A pleased sound rumbled in his chest. "Good. No more getting kidnapped."
I snorted. "There wasn't much I could do to stop it. I should resume training with Elora soon."
"Yes. You should. Or even your dragon friend who escorted us here."
I smiled. "Kira. I like her a lot. I've wanted to get the two of them together. They're very similar."
"Maybe you'll have some free time tomorrow."
"Do you mind missing the Assembly?"
He chuckled. "No. I have no taste for politics. I voted for assassinating the king from the beginning."
I shook my head. "Of course you did."
"Are you telling me you have never wanted him dead?"
"I've wanted him dead for most of my life. And I certainly won't cry for him once he's gone. But he is Aster's father. And I don't wish for war to come to Faligrey, so I see the sense in their plans."
"It's a smart plan. If it works."
"You don't think it will?" I asked.
"Too much rides on other countries assisting us. And because of the king, we aren't a beloved country others will rush to aid. I'm worried what Indigo will have to promise to get those things."
"Which is why she's grasping at my kindred bond with Bastian?"
"Yes. Not that it's a bad idea, but without you and Bastian agreeing to the bond, it's useless. And you are not agreeing to it for Faligrey. Only if you want him." He kissed my forehead.
I tilted my head so I could see his face. "Why doesn't it bother you and Aster that I found another? It was one thing with Aster since you're all friends. But you don't know Bastian. And it's not like multiple bonds are that common."
"They will be if we open borders."
"Probably. But you didn't answer my question." I drew a finger along his chest.
Whist blew out a breath. "Your happiness is important to all of us. Especially since choosing to be with us has gotten you into such mess. Does it make you jealous when Sky and Saber are together even if you're not around?"
My hand stilled and flattened on his chest "Of course not."
"Then why would it bother us? I admit I would prefer getting to know him better and seeing how he'd fit, but ultimately it's your choice and his. We would never deny you."
"But I still want to take your feelings into account."
"I know, gorgeous. Rest assured, we're fine either way."
"All right."
Noise from the sitting room interrupted us, sending us back into our clothes and hurrying through the door. Bastian had returned with the others, appearing uncomfortable, but Aster blocked his path to the exit.
My kindreds were bloody meddlesome creatures.
"How did it go?" I asked.
Indigo kicked off her shoes and sat with a sigh. "Not as well as I'd hoped, but not as badly as I expected."
Bastian sniffed. "It went quite well. We didn't send you away and are planning to continue talking with you. We also didn't just kill you all to protect our privacy."
Killing people just to keep their secrets was so utterly ridiculous. "I think I definitely have things I could sing about here."
Indigo snorted. "There will always be something for you to sing about. No matter where you go. There's no such thing as a utopia. And if anyone can force those problems into the light, it's you."
I grinned, pleased with the compliment. "I'll try to go easy on you once you're queen."
Indigo's expression lost its humor. "Don't. I plan to depend on you to call me out on my bullshit."
"I'd be honored."
Aster chuckled. "Of course she would."
I shot him a dirty look. "I'll call you out on yours too."
His smile turned wicked and my stomach clenched, worried he was about to say something dirty. Instead, he merely shot me a wink promising trouble later.
I heaved a sigh equal parts annoyance and relief.
Bastian glanced between us with a mix of curiosity and longing flickering in his black-eyed gaze. Warmth trickled over me as I stared back at him, the bond between us pulsating and drawing me to him. The surrounding conversation grew muffled and faded, neither of us able to free ourselves from the electricity spreading across our skin. Goosebumps rose along my spine and I shivered as his pupils dilated and nostrils flared, scenting my attraction.
At the moment, I couldn't remember why I was denying yet another bond. Hadn't I learned my lesson? The only thing I regretted about my kindreds was the time I wasted resisting them.
I slid away from Whist, ignoring everyone but Bastian, who stood unmoving with his chest rising and falling rapidly. I was tired of fighting and denying myself what I wanted. If he didn't want me, at least I wouldn't live with what ifs and regrets.
Before I reached him, the door flew open so hard it banged into the wall behind it and two assassins spilled inside, eyes wild and frantic, dirt coating their clothes.
NINETEEN
Sky slammed into me first, lifting me up into his arms and fastening his mouth to mine while he spun us in a circle. Another piece of my heart clicked into place, leaving only the slightest bit still aching from the lack of connection with Bastian.
My head spun when he released me to Saber's much more tender reunion. But Sky didn't give us long before he grabbed my arm and tugged me towards the bedroom Whist pointed him to.
"If you'll excuse us."
I glanced back at everyone watching with amusement on their faces. Everyone except Bastian, who looked like he wanted to follow us. I wished he would.
He turned away and disappeared before the bedroom door closed behind me. Thoughts of Bastian fell away as I was pressed between Saber and Sky.
"We are so glad you're all right, love. We've been worried sick."
"Enough chatter. We'll catch up later." Sky took my lips in a bruising kiss. He pulled back and stared at me with violence and pain shimmering in his eyes, the usual sky-blue color darkened to the color of the sky right be
fore the storm.
The assassin was looking at me. Not my playful kindred.
I shivered, and it snapped whatever leash he had on himself.
He tossed me facedown onto the bed and yanked me to the edge until only my top half pressed into the mattress. His fingers dug into my hips as he ripped my pants down to my ankles. He left them tangled around my legs instead of removing them completely. My breath caught, and I raised my hips, already wet and aching for him.
Where was Saber?
I twisted my neck to peek behind me and moaned. Saber was behind Sky trailing kisses along his neck. Damn, I'd missed the sight of them together.
Sky freed his cock from his trousers, and after sliding his hands between my legs to make sure I was ready, he plowed all the way into me with one hard stroke.
"Hang on, doll."
I reached back to grip the bottom frame of the bed, lifting my ass a little higher so he'd hit in just the right spot. The fabric of his pants rubbed against my thighs with each thrust and he kept a bruising hold of my hips. So glad to be reconnected to him again, it didn't take long for the pressure to build, electric currents racing through my body. An explosion of color bust behind my closed eyes and I trembled and jerked, the climax refusing to come to an end.
A rumble came from Sky and traveled through me as he stilled deep inside me and spilled himself. He slumped over my back, breathing hard, still connected to me as we recovered. Saber heaved Sky off of me and they caught me before I slid to the floor in a post-orgasmic heap.
Sky cupped my face in his hands and pressed a hard kiss to my lips. "I'm sorry if that was too much, doll. Are you all right?"
"I'm more than all right. That was amazing." And it was. He hadn't bothered to remove his dirty clothes before fucking me with burning desperation that still had a fire smoldering in my stomach.
I wanted more.
I looked at Saber over Sky's shoulder. "Your turn."
They grinned and Saber lifted me into his arms and carried me into the washroom.
We hurried to strip from our clothes while the tub filled with steaming water. It wasn't really big enough for the three of us, so Sky watched while Saber and I slid into the bath. Saber adjusted us until I leaned against his chest, the last hole in my chest filling in as I fit so perfectly against my kindred.
Sky grinned and handed over a bar of soap to Saber, who dipped it in the water before running it from my neck to my waist. The tension between us grew as we washed off with light, teasing touches and knowing smiles. My entire body trembled with the force of it.
Saber picked me up by my hips and turned me around to face him. He palmed the side of my face, his thumb stroking across my cheek before he drew me to him in a passionate kiss, letting me taste his worry and relief and happiness. I moaned into his mouth and reached between us for his cock, stroking his length.
Without breaking the kiss, he rose from the bath with me wrapped around him and stepped from the tub, laying me on the thick rug. Sky got into the bath we'd vacated, watching unabashedly.
Saber knelt between my wide open legs and bent to lick my nipples before sucking them one at a time into his hot mouth. He kissed every inch of my body between my breasts and my core, his hands warm and gentle on my sides. He spread my legs wider and licked right up my center. I gasped and threw back my head as he flicked his tongue over my clit.
Cold drops of water fell on my breasts and I looked up to see Sky leaning over the edge to watch us with heated eyes, the water coming from his soaked hair. Saber's tongue sped up, ripping my attention away from Sky. My hands slid in Saber's hair as I gripped the back of his head, squirming against his mouth. Short breaths panted from my mouth as the tension coiled tighter and tighter in my belly. I cried out as it snapped, leaving me gasping and lightheaded, my body pulsing with aftershocks.
Saber pressed a sweet kiss on the inside of my thigh and helped me up onto unsteady feet.
Sky climbed from the bath and we toweled each other off and spilled back into the bedroom in a tangle of limbs and kisses and grasping hands. The blankets on the bed were still mussed and Sky shoved them onto the floor before he turned to me with a wicked grin.
"Get on the bed. Now."
I shivered at his command and hurried to comply.
"Spread your legs. Let us see that gorgeous pussy. Show us how wet you still are for us. How badly you still want us."
I leaned back on my elbows and opened for them, my chest squeezing so tight it made me dizzy. Dual groans echoed around the room as their eyes zeroed in on my center, their cocks hard as stone, but they still didn't move.
What were they waiting for? Why were they torturing me? Why were all my kindreds such dominant assholes? Even Saber in some ways every now and again. A stray thought ran through my mind, wondering what Bastian was like, but I pushed it back deep inside me, wanting all my focus on Saber and Sky.
"Touch yourself."
I swallowed, then ran my fingers down the middle of my body until I reached my core. There, I teased and plucked my swollen clit, before dipping my fingers inside me, watching their panting breaths and dark eyes. I brought my other hand to my breasts and twisted my nipples, catching my breath as the sharp twinge sent heat shooting through me.
Sky approached and pulled my hand out of me and brought it up to his lips, licking my fingers and sliding them into his mouth as he cleaned them off. I whimpered and spread myself wider, hoping to tempt him into giving me what I needed.
He raised his knee up to the bed, pressing it right against me, digging it into my heat, making me toss my head back as I circled my hips, wanting more friction. With a dark smile, Sky pulled his knee away and stepped away from the bed, making me whimper with desperation.
"Please. I need you. Both of you."
"We didn't bring any oil with us, so we can't take you the way we want to right now. We'll have to share a different way."
"I'll take you any way you want me. Please." I wasn't against begging. I knew Sky liked it when I showed him my desperation. He liked the game.
I hoped they'd do the same thing Aster and Whist did, both of them inside my pussy together.
"We don't have a lot of time before dinner, so we can't torment you as much as I'd like. Are you interested in hard and fast?"
"Always."
"Get on your knees on the floor."
I slid off the bed and knelt in front of Sky who ran a rough hand through my hair, guiding my face towards him length. I opened my mouth and swallowed him, grazing my teeth against his sensitive skin, making him hiss and tighten his grip on my hair.
Saber came around to kneel behind me, lifting and positioning me until he slid inside me. Saber's hands were gentle as he caressed my sides up to cup my breasts, his mouth hot on my neck as his tongue teased my skin. In this position, his fit was snug and it took him a moment to sink all the way in.
I kept steady by gripping Sky's ass as he began to fuck my mouth in earnest. I relaxed my throat so I wouldn't choke. I loved the taste of him, the taste of sunshine and clear skies. Saber's hand traveled to my clit where he rubbed hard and fast as he kept plunging into me, harder than he'd ever fucked me before. I loved it gentle and slow, but it always thrilled me when his darker side came out to play.
It didn't take long before I came apart between them, shattering into tiny pieces before reforming back into myself. Sky and Saber helped me to my feet, and we fell onto the bed in a pile.
I still tasted Sky as I snuggled between them, happiness overflowing from me at being in their arms again, at having my other two kindreds in the next room.
The door leading to the living room creaked open and Aster popped his head inside, pushing it wide when he saw we were finished, and came inside with Whist right behind him.
They joined us on the small bed, all of us snuggling close together. With them surrounding me, everything clicked into place, leaving only the tiniest empty place Bastian was meant to fill.
"All right, gorgeous. T
ime to tell us what the hell kind of trouble you've gotten into now. You certainly have a knack for it."
"For starters, she has a fifth kindred."
Sky shot up. "What?"
TWENTY
It took right up until dinner to catch Saber and Sky up on everything. Sky was still cackling over me finding another kindred. I'd questioned them over and over to be certain it didn't bother them, but they echoed everything Whist had already reassured me of.
I didn't deserve these men.
Saber buttoned up the back of the blouse Indigo let me borrow, finally back in Faligrean clothes instead of the provocative dragon ones. He tugged me back into him and kissed my neck. "I think I preferred the other clothes."
Sky leered at me. "She's definitely bringing that outfit back with us. And I'm going to buy her at least eight more just like it."
I rolled my eyes at him. "I'm not wearing them except in private back in Faligrey."
"We'll see."
I opened my mouth to argue, but Whist interrupted us. "It's time to go. They're waiting on us."
The guys pushed and shoved with smiles as they decided who would escort me. I considered leaving them behind and going with Indigo and Elora. When I moved to do just that, Saber slipped in beside me and slid his arm into mine. I smiled up at him, happiness at having him next to me making me almost delirious with joy.
It was a new sensation, but not an unwelcome one.
The others grumbled as they fell in line behind us. The relief over being reunited had made us all giddy, acting like we were tipsy on too much good brandy.
Speaking of brandy, it had been much too long since I'd had a taste. Did dragons drink brandy? I decided I'd ask Kira. I had the suspicion she'd know where to find some.
A hush fell over the dining hall at our entrance, eyes watching our every move like we might burst into song or start killing people at any moment.
Kira approached, dragging Zelda along with her. "Come on. We saved you all seats." She turned to Indigo. "Sorry, Princess. We don't have special seating for royalty or guests. It's first come, first serve."
