by Grace Lynn
“He’s on his way,” Angel said calmly from the other side of the room, but the tone was laced with worry. D grasped the bond and pushed his mind into Nathan’s.
Baby, I’m glad you’re awake. You scared the hell out of me. I’m almost to our house, Nathan’s voice soothed. The terror didn’t disappear, and D knew nothing short of feeling his mate would take the fear away. His stomach revolted against the overuse of magic, and D had to lay his head down on his lap for a moment. The small fluttery hand soothed D in motions, and D found his body calming to the sensation. He leaned back into the body, fighting the nausea that seemed to find a home in D’s throat. It lodged there, struggling to choke him, and D felt the need to lie down. He pushed the feeling aside, focusing on his bond with Nathan, before wondering how he had gotten this way.
“What happened?” D asked Angel as he opened his eyes, dealing with the light shooting daggers for a moment to find his brother. The brown hues of his master bedroom comforted him. The window was open, pushing a light breeze through the room that smelled of a recent rain. He squinted against the invasion of light, allowing the pain to spread from his eyes to join the hammering in his head. He swiveled slightly to see the small man behind him, and the breath he had expelled from his lungs at the sight. The man was small, with skin the color of apricots. His hair spiked in different lengths, the color of coal, with maroon tips. His features were masculine, even with a nose piercing that sparkled with a small red stone. A small tattoo rested by his eye in a tear drop fashion of a crystalized flame. His eyes were beautifully unique, and D found himself lost in trying to discover the secret they held. The outer edges were maroon, which contrasted with the pale ice color that was shaped in a starburst from the center of the iris. The pain behind his eyes disappeared, but D was unable to look away from the eyes. As D stared, the ice seemed to widen and then shrink much like a twinkling star that hung in the heavens.
“Hi, baby,” Nathan said as he ran through the door, skidding to a stop next to D. D broke eye contact from the ice-blooded eyes to look at Nathan. His thick, raven-colored hair was messy, and dark circles surrounded his indigo eyes. Worry lined his face, and D felt the need to comfort his mate. D looked back to the small man with the captivating eyes before turning back to Nathan. He wondered if Nathan would be upset at the feelings the small man inspired inside, but shook off the worry since Nathan had to know from their bond. “Anyone want to tell me what happened?” D asked quietly.
“You overused your magic. You know how dangerous it is to try and sever magic from another realm. You are not a child, and you purposely put yourself in serious risk. You didn’t have any control, and got sucked into a magical torrent. Then, worse than anything else, you summoned when you barely had enough magic to physically hold you to this realm. If you ever do anything like this again, I swear, I’ll…” Angel ranted. “I don’t know, but it’ll be really bad!”
“I’m sorry, Angel. I can’t explain it, just that I had to do it. It felt like an obsession to free the dog from the Demon, and if I failed I would have tried again. I know how selfish it sounds, but…” D tried to explain, but Nathan was the only one who seemed to understand. Angel was mad and stomped his foot in annoyance before breezing out the door without even a good-bye. D knew he would be spending some serious time making it up to Angel. He couldn’t blame his brother. They had spent so long apart after his childhood attack. Angel had thought D had been dead, and after finding each other again, it had become a concern for them both. D didn’t know what he would do if he lost Angel.
“There’s a reason for your reaction. I felt the calling, too. The magic tried to swallow us. I couldn’t breathe. The bond between us felt like it was breaking. I blacked out for a few minutes after the explosion. When I came around, Angel was calming down a magical unicorn, and your dog was gone. This is Jason, and he was the dog you were trying to save. He-man, meet our mate,” Nathan said arrogantly, and D laughed at the nickname he had given Nathan when they first met. It actually made sense in an odd sort of way.
“Hi, I’m D, and apparently for the day, also He-man.” D turned to the smaller man. He looked him over for a second before deciding Jason didn’t really fit. D sniffed toward Jason, trying to determine what exactly he was, but all he could smell was alcohol. There was a hint of something magical, but D had never tried to smell magic before. He had to wonder at the situation, and how the small man had ended up playing Cujo in the woods. “So want to explain this whole situation to us? I am dying to hear how you ended up as Spot.” D thought about it for a moment. “No, not Spot, Fido.”
Has he told you his story? D asked Nathan as Jason moved away under the interrogation, and the light daggers returned behind D’s eyes. Nathan’s concern radiated through their bond, but D held a hand up to pacify his worrisome mate. He had overused his magic, and that was something he would have to watch in the future. He didn’t want to scare Nathan any more than he already had. He was well aware of his limits, but sometimes he risked too much. It was a stupid way to die, and not the best aftereffects, either. He hated feeling like he had been hit by a semi, even though the symptoms would fade quickly.
No, he wouldn’t talk. He’s very quiet, and was really worried about you. We both were. You’ve been out for three days. Nathan shook his head.
“Um, I have”—Jason paused for a moment, and a cute pink blush crept up his neck—“had bad taste in men. Safe to say he was controlling, and abusive. I left, and he didn’t like it. I moved on with my life, and he eventually caught up to me. Next thing I know, I was Fido.” Jason twisted his hands in the hem of his shirt, staring at the bed.
“Ok, I’ll buy that. What are you?” Nathan nodded as if the story fit into what he had seen from Jason. D smiled at Nathan’s serious expression and realized he was just grateful to be alive. The hammering in his head still pounded, but as long as they were all ok, it didn’t matter.
“I’m a Phoenix. Normally, at least. Recently, I was also a dog,” Jason said as he looked up, his maroon-ice eyes sparkling with mirth. D cocked his head to the side, trying to figure out the runt. Phoenixes were solo creatures, and D wasn’t sure he had ever heard of a mated Phoenix.
“I didn’t think Phoenixes had mates. In fact, I’m pretty sure that a Phoenix mating hasn’t ever been recorded, but then again with the fall of the Elves, matings didn’t get recorded. Do you know what we are?” D asked curiously, pausing to look at Nathan for a moment, before shrugging. D wasn’t sure why they never were recorded, but maybe it was because they liked living solo. It was possible they had mates, but ignored the bond for a life of solitude. D had enough of that life and wouldn’t go back to it for anything.
“I know he’s a wolf, but I’m not sure what you are. Your smell changes from species to species,” Jason said after a moment of thought. He spoke quietly and took his time before finishing. It was almost as if he was thinking about what exactly to say that wouldn’t offend D. D shook his head with a smile. His mate had a long way to go to heal from whatever his life experiences were. They all had a long way to go, and D nodded his head at the realization that they were meant to heal each other. Fate had been right in deciding to mate them.
“I’m a changeling. At least, that’s what my kind was called back when I was a child. I was born Elf, Dragon, and Incubus. As a young child I was infected with other Shaper-Shifter blood, and Vampire blood. So I’m a little of everything. My strongest forms are only the ones I was born with, but I can shift into other creatures,” D explained, not going into the details of the attack itself. He knew Jason would find out, but the attack wasn’t important anymore. Nathan had accepted him, even with all of his issues. Jason would accept them, or he wouldn’t have been fated to them.
A low rumble of noise echoed and D almost slammed his head against the bedframe. Nathan looked at the window, and D realized the noise was coming from outside. He pushed himself off the bed, and struggled to stand up. Jason was there immediately, holding his arm, leaning
his smaller body against D. D felt his cock harden at the feel of the lithe body against his. Desire flooded the air and coiled through the bond from Nathan. D glared at Nathan for a moment, until Jason pressed his cock against D’s side. His irritation at being turned on against his will faded. D eyed the small man, fascinated by the desire that sparkled in his eyes. Angel’s voice broke the eye contact, and D struggled to not snap at his brother.
“It would appear that a Dwarven Envoy is approaching the city. They are waiting at the edges of our lands for permission to enter, and the expected honor guard to escort them here.”
“So, escort them, and open the old Dwarven hall for their use. I’ll be along”—D cocked his head and slowly looked Jason up and down, before turning to Nathan to lick his lips at the sight of his mates—“shortly.”
“You cannot be serious. Mother Earth!” Angel swore as he closed the door.
D listened for the receding steps as he smiled at both his mates, one of which needed to be claimed. Jason pulled the hem of his shirt over his head, and Nathan closed the distance to stand behind D. Jason met their stares with a smile that said he knew he was attractive. Attractive didn’t cover it. D hissed through his teeth at the sight of his pink nipples. His fangs dropped, and his eyes turned the Vamipric red that said he wanted blood. Nathan grabbed D’s hips, as D slightly jumped toward the smaller man. D growled his displeasure at Nathan’s hands holding him back.
Jason laughed as he flipped the top button of his gothic jeans, showing his light colored treasure trail, and nude skin underneath. D cocked his head with a smile. It would seem Jason liked to dye his hair, and for some reason it turned D on more. Nathan’s hands loosened, and D remained still to see what Nathan would do. Nathan moved from behind D to approach Jason as he shimmied out of the jeans. D followed suit, stripping off his clothes quickly. Nathan seemed to take his time stripping, strutting slowly to move behind Jason with the grace that only Nathan could manage at his size. Nathan kissed down Jason’s back, and D stroked his cock watching his mate explore. Jason licked his lips, and D felt the fire burning in his veins flare with intensity. “Shit,” D mumbled at the feel of his hand rubbing across the large vein, building the need that burned at the base of his spine.
Nathan had moved lower, and D moved to the bed for a better view. D eased down on his back, still stroking his throbbing cock slowly, smearing the natural lube with the pre-cum. Jason’s breath came in small gasps, and D ran his tongue over his teeth, easing the ache that begged for blood. Nathan moved his mouth to Jason’s plump, apple-shaped bottom, and D opened the bond between them fully. The desire that flooded from the bond almost pushed D over the edge, and he grabbed the base of his cock to chase off a threatening orgasm. D’s hips stilled, even though his muscles tensed with the sight. Jason moaned loudly, and D pushed his desire through the bond, getting a muffled moan from Nathan. Nathan’s tongue had reached Jason’s hole, and the smaller bird jumped at the contact.
Nathan slapped Jason’s cheeks, pushing Jason onto to the bed with D. D smiled at the image Nathan sent through their link, a sixty-nine position that Nathan had apparently wanted to try. D crawled forward, kissing Jason quickly before placing himself even with Jason’s thick length. He licked the tip and sucked the head between his lips. D moaned at the salty spice of his mate, scraping his sharp teeth against the skin. Jason flicked his hips, sinking his length further into D’s mouth. D moaned loudly as a wet heat surrounded his cock and pushed his hips forward at the contact, thrusting against the tightened lips. D grabbed Jason’s hips, trying to control the orgasm he knew Jason wanted. D sucked the length in, moving forward to take in as much as possible before easing back.
D allowed himself time to adjust to the thickness in his mouth, before letting Jason’s hips go. A long moan sounded from both mates, and D knew Nathan was pushing into the smaller man. D let the length fall out of his mouth as he licked the twin balls that hung, getting a full view of Nathan’s fingers pushing inside Jason’s hole. The sweet mouth of the small mate sucked in D’s cock, and D pushed against Jason’s mouth before removing the length and pushing it back in. Jason held himself still as Nathan’s fingers disappeared, being replaced by a mushroom-shaped head. D panted as he watched Nathan’s length slowly disappear in Jason’s perfectly shaped hole. He watched Nathan pull out slowly before pushing in with the same slow intensity. D’s hips rolled against Jason’s willing mouth and moaned as Jason pushed the tip of his tongue against the head of his swollen cock.
D moved back to take Jason’s throbbing head in his mouth as D face-fucked the smaller man. The excitement flared from D to Jason, and Jason’s control snapped. Jason flicked his hips, sinking his full length down D’s throat. D concentrated on breathing and allowed the small man to lose control. Nathan cursed and slammed his cock into Jason hard. D moaned against the length, smiling as Jason cried out with his mouth around D’s cock. D moaned again at the vibrations, rolling his hips against the tight mouth. D felt Jason’s head swell, and the cum shot into D’s waiting mouth. Jason grabbed D’s balls, and it was enough to send him over the edge. D arched his back, almost dislodging Jason as he milked D’s cock, begging for a taste. Nathan leaned down and sunk his fangs into Jason’s neck, while D locked his fangs onto the spurting meat in his mouth. The sweet blood rushed his senses, spurning the orgasm on and combining with the flared bond between the three of them. D shook from the force of the mixture, and whimpers sounded from somewhere, but D didn’t care where.
D let his teeth slide out of the flesh before allowing the softening length to fall from his mouth. Jason shook on top of him, still trembling from the orgasm that Nathan was elongating. D felt Jason through the mental link and smiled. The pain in his head was gone, and he felt better than he had before. A pop sounded, and D knew Nathan had freed himself from the tight hole of their mate. “Mother Earth.”
Can you hear me? Jason’s tiny voice asked.
Yes, mate, both D and Nathan answered.
D felt the bond again, and felt a twinge of fear that it wasn’t filled yet. They still had at least one more mate out there to find, but D wouldn’t worry about the future. It would bring what it wanted regardless of how he felt. He would enjoy the time now with the two mates he had. For the most part, he would work to figure them out before the next one came along and threw them all out of whack.
Chapter Four
Jason smiled at his two sexy mates, feeling more relaxed than he had in years. Everything that had mattered a week ago didn’t seem to matter much anymore. Maybe that was why Fate mated him, because mating seemed to agree with his mind frame. They both were holding his hands, and he was seeing the city for the first time since the last time he had only thought of escaping. People talked and were smiling. Jason had never seen a place filled with happy people before, and found he liked the change. They were going to some hall, somewhere within the city. He was now an Alpha and Beta mate, so Jason had gone out of his way to dress nicer, even though he only had a few sets of clothes that Angel had gotten for him. Nathan had been busy trying to run the pack and take care of D.
D turned toward a smaller tree compared to the rest within the city, heading down a slope that lay within the tree. They had to duck to walk through the short door, and Jason was shocked at what the room held. Short men lined the tables with the longest, burliest beards Jason had ever seen. Loud voices echoed through the room, and Jason had a hard time of understanding what the miniature men were talking about. The roar of noise assaulted the senses, and alcohol slung from the cups as the men slammed the mugs on the table. The smell of musty mold overtook the enclosed space, and Jason held his disgusted face from view.
“Brethren,” D called to the noisy room. All the small, beady eyes in the room turned to look at them, and Jason felt the need to run. He quelled the fear, squeezing his mate’s hands for support. A larger, burly man jumped from his seat, and Jason took a slight step back from the animated mountain man. Fur covered the stout limbs, and weap
ons hung at every possible place. “Pointed Tooth!” the man yelled, and clapped D on the back with a force that sounded as though he had knocked things loose inside his mate.
Pointed tooth? Nathan asked, and Jason found himself nodding in question.
It’s what Dwarves call a person that has both Dragon and Elf parents. It’s a high honor among their people to be related to a Dragon, D answered.
“My mates, Nathan and Jason,” D introduced, and Jason smiled in encouragement. D smiled at Jason, and it eased some of the discomfort at the small bundle of a man. Though the smile wasn’t like the one Jason had seen earlier, it was still a smile. D turned to face the mountain man before asking, “To what do I owe this honor?”
“I have a seer among the clans. She has seen o’ mate of yers, being held captive. Fer’ a slight fee, o’ say hundred gold nuggets, I tell yer where,” the small man said with greed leaking out of his beady eyes.
He can’t be serious? Jason asked.
Dwarf seers are known for their perfection. They are never wrong, which is why the information comes at such a steep price. D nodded to Angel, who disappeared quickly with a small group.
Do we have that kind of money? I mean if you have another mate, doesn’t that mean we are all mated? Jason quizzed.
Yes, we are all mated. We do have the money, I just don’t like paying that kind of amount, but it’s never wise to haggle with a dwarf. They will always be the first to up the price, rather than lower it. Besides, we need them to make weapons for our city, so it’s best to make friends now, D answered quickly.
