by Lila Jean
Sure enough, the demigod prince charged seconds later. Anthony swept out Draven’s legs, throwing off his center of balance and taking him to the ground. Draven huffed in surprise, falling hard on his hands.
Anthony dove to take the dragon in a chokehold, but the man rolled at the last second. Draven jumped to his feet and took a defensive position, hands slightly open, in case an opportunity to grab Anthony opened up.
It wouldn’t.
Anthony charged, ready to feint to the right and take Draven to the ground again with a well-placed hook. The dragon lifted his hands to try and counter.
And that’s when everything changed.
To Anthony’s horror, a blistering fire shot from the dragon’s fingers, aimed directly at his chest.
Only his remarkable reflexes and speed saved him. He barely twisted out of the way as fire roared by his face, far too close for comfort. Draven must have realized something was wrong too, for he had jerked his hand up abruptly, sending the burst of fire into the ceiling instead. The room shook as drywall rained down on them from the new crack torn through the roof.
“What the hell are you doing?!” It took every ounce of self-restraint in Anthony’s body to not shift into his wolf and rip the dragon’s head off. “You nearly killed me!”
“But—but I’ve never—” Draven stared up at the gaping hole in the roof, eyes wide with shock.
Anthony shoved the dragon in the chest, and that seemed to snap him out of his daze. Draven scowled, squaring off as he prepared to defend himself, his broad shoulders strong as a wall.
“Guys, that’s enough!” Killian darted between them, his hands on both combatant’s chests.
Zane grabbed Anthony’s arm, tugging him backward. “Anthony, it was clearly an accident.”
“Look at the roof!” Anthony pointed to the ceiling. “That could have been my head!”
Zane sucked in a nervous breath, eyes flitting to the obliterated ceiling tiles.
“Explain,” Flynn said, arms crossed. He glared at Draven, shoulders squared, his body language saying he was ready to throw down if need be.
Anthony balled his hands into fists to restrain his anger. He scowled at the dragon prince, silently demanding answers. Killian and Zane followed suit, but Draven gawked at his hands as if they belonged to someone else.
“Draven!” Anthony barked.
“I don’t know!” Draven snapped. He frowned, deep lines of worry on his forehead.
Killian pointed a finger at the dragon, a deep scowl on his face. “I thought dragons can only breathe fire in their shifted forms. They certainly can’t throw flames around like that, out of their hands, even in dragon form.”
“That’s true! At least, I couldn’t before. This was the first time I’ve ever…” Draven trailed off again, his baffled gaze glued to his fingers.
“Can you do it again?” Zane asked.
Anthony glared at the cat shifter. “Don’t ask him to—”
Out of the corner of his eye, Anthony noticed Draven flex his hands just as he had in the match. A second blast of fire struck the ceiling, this time tearing a gaping hole in the roof. Debris fell across the room like a fog. Anthony coughed violently, the dusty air swirling as he walked off the mat.
“You need to work on your aim,” Flynn said, arms crossed as he stared at the broken ceiling. “You destroyed my roof.”
“I don’t understand,” Draven said, his voice almost too quiet to hear.
A heartbreaking realization clicked into place in Anthony’s mind. “You had sex with Tina.”
Draven’s expression hardened, his mouth a grim line as he defiantly met Anthony’s gaze. “Yes.”
Anthony let out a disappointed sigh and rubbed his temples, dismayed at hearing the truth even when he had already figured it out for himself. He had wanted Tina all to himself. To suspect was one thing, but to have his suspicions confirmed …
All around him, the other princes stared at the ground with equal disappointment. Flynn’s nose crinkled with what could only be jealousy, and Zane chewed the inside of his cheek. Killian ran his hand repeatedly through his hair, and no one spoke.
“We knew this was going to happen.” With a shake of his head, Anthony cleared the last bit of dust from his hair. “We can’t be mad at her.”
They couldn’t think this way. She didn’t belong to any of them, and he had to stop this jealous nonsense. Each of the princes lifted their head to watch him, but no one spoke.
“She’s a fertility goddess, for goodness sake!” Anthony shrugged, trying to convince himself as much as the others. “Sex is going to be involved in this contest. That’s a given. I think we all knew that going in, and no one here is to shame her.” He glared at each prince in turn. “Do you understand? You will not make her feel bad about this or push her to do anything sexual, or you’ll answer me.”
“Don’t be an idiot.” Killian wrinkled his nose in disgust. “I would never dream of doing that.”
“None of us would,” Zane added, a deadly serious expression on his face as he glared at Anthony. “We care for her too, Anthony.”
Anthony turned his attention to the dragon shifter. “Draven?”
“Tina has no trouble telling me ‘no,’” the prince of the dragons said as he lifted his hands in gentle surrender, “and she’s been the boss from day one. I will always do what she says.”
Though Anthony hated to admit it to himself, every one of these men adored Tina as genuinely as he did. She was safe with each of them, and that simple fact pushed his possessive nature into overdrive.
He headed for the door. “We’re done sparring.”
“Where are you going?” Zane asked.
“To tell Tina what happened.” Anthony glared at the tiger shifter. “I think she’ll want to know, don’t you?”
“Perhaps we should …” Zane’s voice trailed off.
Anthony frowned. “Is anyone going to try to stop me?”
Each of the four princes hesitated a moment, but they slowly shook their heads. They had to have known Anthony had a history with Tina, and they seemed to be respecting his need to protect her by backing off.
“Smart move,” he muttered, pushing open the door as he headed for her room.
43
Tina
“Wow,” Tina said softly as she and Anthony sat in the royal gardens.
Draven’s powers had finally manifested. She had been wondering when it would happen, or if the books and her own high priestess had all been wrong. Yet here they were, and true to the legends and myths about her goddess, Tina could give the men she slept with magical abilities. To be told it would happen was one thing, but to know it was the truth, well, Tina didn’t quite know what to think.
Anthony’s eyebrows tilted upward, wrinkles of worry and sadness in his brow as he studied her face. He looked shattered by the news. It took a moment for Tina to realize he cared less about Flynn’s new powers and more about her.
He was jealous.
Tina sighed, feeling awful. She hated to make him jealous, but she was the living embodiment of a fertility goddess. No apology needed. Quietly, Tina waited to see what he would do.
His gentle grip on her shoulders tightened ever so slightly, and his gaze fell to the floor. “I’m sorry.”
His words surprised her, and she tilted her head a little in confusion.
Anthony continued before she could say a word. “I’ve been so jealous, so possessive of you, but you’re not mine. I don’t share, Tina, I never have, and this contest has been one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life because I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I want you. I want you more than anything, and I can’t imagine losing you. As I much as I hate to admit it out loud, any of these princes would make you incredibly happy. All I can do is hope you choose me. I just … all I can say is … Tina, I’m so sorry.”
Swept away by his sincerity, Tina lost herself in gratitude and love for the wolf shifter. He had only ever tried to protect
her, even from the first day they’d met. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply.
Anthony held her tight, cradling her head and her waist as though he might lose her at any second. It broke her heart that he had been hurting so deeply, that she had been the cause of any pain at all.
“Do you still want to do this?” she asked softly, setting her forehead against his. “Are you still in the contest?”
“Of course,” he said, cradling the back of her head with his hands. “I will always protect you, Tina, even if you don’t choose me. I just need to know you’re happy. I need to know you’re safe.”
She held him close, savoring the steady pulse of his heartbeat as she ran her fingers through his dark hair. Her beautiful wolf would always protect her, and she loved how cherished he made her feel. No matter what happened, he would always be there for her. With a grateful smile, she gently kissed his temple.
Suddenly, Rose and Lillian’s suggestion to choose all of the princes popped again in Tina’s mind, but each man had a kingdom run. His people would need each of her princes someday, and she wasn’t sure it would be fair of her to choose them all. It hadn’t seemed like a real option, even when the girls had suggested it, but Tina couldn’t deny the simple fact that every prince had stolen a piece of her heart. If she chose just one, she couldn’t imagine the fallout and heartbreak that would follow.
44
Flynn
The flight from Olympus to the dragonlands had been a quick one, and thankfully uneventful. No attacks. No threats. No traitors.
Yet.
Situated somewhere in the royal gardens, Flynn stared out over the sprawling city of Mersarth, elbow resting on one knee. The king had forbidden any of Tina’s suitors from leaving the palace grounds, so Flynn was restricted to the gardens just outside his bedroom suite.
Once they had landed, Draven had whisked Tina away almost instantly to explore the vast lands of Mersarth, leaving Flynn and the others to wait behind in the dragons’ palace.
The castle sat on a cliff overlooking a sprawling city of skyscrapers and mansions. A dense rainforest dotted the horizon, which Flynn had honestly not expected. He’d assumed Australia was all deserts and cacti, but the island’s northern coast was dotted instead with lush woods and ancient trees. A dark storm rumbled over the distant forest, and his skin prickled with the warning of rain.
Boots shuffled over the path nearby, and Flynn tensed as Anthony sat on the ground beside him. It unnerved Flynn that the wolf shifter could get almost right behind him without Flynn’s enhanced senses picking up so much as a sniff of the shifter’s scent.
Without saying a word, Anthony studied the buildings below. He leaned back on his hands, legs outstretched as the two princes sat in silence.
Flynn studied the wolf shifter, wondering why the man had joined him in the gardens. Before Tina, a rival prince joining him usually ended in insults or a fistfight. Lately, however, it had become increasingly difficult to think of the other princes as competitors. Truthfully, they became more and more like brothers every time they sparred. On their days without Tina, that was pretty much all any of them did, and they slowly made each other better fighters with every critique and word of advice.
Rivals didn’t build each other up like this. Friends did. It seemed alien to think of the other princes as anything besides a threat, but Tina had brought them together.
Of them, Anthony was the only one who had a history with Tina. He cared for her, clearly wanted to protect her from anything and everyone. Flynn hated the thought of losing, but he had to think of what would be best for the woman he cared so much about.
“You would be good for her,” Flynn admitted.
Anthony’s brows knit together in confusion, and he didn’t respond.
Flynn felt the need to elaborate. “If I lose this contest, I want to be beaten by someone worthy, someone who will protect her. I like the other princes, but if I lose, it had better be to you.”
Anthony’s shoulders relaxed. “That’s the first compliment you’ve ever given me.”
Flynn nodded. “Don’t get used to me saying nice things.”
The wolf shifter laughed. “Noted.”
Flynn’s eyes glossed over as the distant storm rumbled, and he cracked his knuckles absently. “If I’m being honest, I’m not sure I could leave her even if I lost.”
Anthony rubbed his eyes, sighing. “Neither could I.”
Flynn studied the wolf shifter’s face, almost unable to believe they could agree on something. They sat in a comfortable silence, bonded over the woman that had stolen their hearts.
Anthony ripped a blade of grass from the ground and slowly tore it to shreds. “What did your father think of her time in Olympus?”
For a moment, Flynn didn’t answer. His father’s opinion on pretty much anything was technically a state secret, and he had been trained to respond to such questions with silence. This subject, however, felt like an exception. “He thinks she’s already made her choice.”
“He thinks she’s chosen you?”
Flynn nodded, though he didn’t agree with his father’s assessment. Everything was very much still up in the air, even if Tina did feel at home in Olympus.
“You disagree,” Anthony said, apparently picking up on the unspoken uncertainty.
“I do.”
Anthony dumped the shredded blade of grass out of his hand, and a gust of wind carried the remnants into the air. “I don’t think she can win, no matter who she chooses.”
“What do you mean?”
The wolf prince shrugged. “Between the missing dignitaries and the kings’ struggle to control her power, the losing kingdoms will most likely come after her. Though the five of us will tell our fathers to let her be, they will most likely ignore us. I know my father wouldn’t listen to me if I lost and told him to let her live her life. He would start a war.”
Flynn stiffened, astonished that Anthony would confess something so ugly about his own father and kingdom. “Why would you tell me that?”
Anthony tilted his head, catching Flynn’s eye with a serious glare. “Because we can protect her from it, from everyone involved. You, me, and the other princes can keep her safe, but no one else will try.”
Anthony was absolutely right. Flynn knew that his father would do the same as Anthony’s father, as would Killian’s. These kings didn’t think of Tina as a woman to cherish and protect. To them, she was a possession to be controlled and manipulated into obedience or outright destroyed.
Flynn couldn’t let that happen. “What can we do?”
“We make sure she’s as powerful as possible. We train her. We bed her as much and as often as she wants. Her power comes from sex, and she will need as much of it as she can gather.”
Flynn let out a long, slow sigh and nodded. “She most certainly will.”
45
Tina
Tina reclined in front of Killian’s desk and tapped her cheek, lost in thought. Killian sat in a nearby chair, one arm around her as he pored through a book of notes. His fingers ran lazily through her hair as they researched, and she loved how comfortable he made her feel.
The days in Mersarth had flown by. Tina had spent most of her time with Draven exploring the various surfaces in his bedroom, experimenting to find out which were best for sex, and learning more sexual positions than she thought were possible. Flynn and Anthony had also kept her busy in the best ways, and it seemed as though she had spent the last five days doing nothing but screaming their names as they brought her to orgasm.
A wicked little smile spread across her lips as she gleefully remembered their hands on her: Draven’s wild and feral seduction, Flynn’s powerful body pinning her to the bed, and Anthony’s possessive and protective grip on her thighs.
In Killian’s presence, however, she always felt calm and soothed. He accepted her, quirks and all, exactly as she was. Nothing could rile her when she was near him, and his touch calmed her soul.
Tina returned her attention to the stack of notes in her hand, her eyes roaming the familiar scrawl of Killian’s tight handwriting. Her gaze flickered over a company’s name, and she lingered, wondering where she had read it before.
With a sudden rush of understanding, everything clicked into place.
She gasped, searching for a blank sheet and a pen. When she finally found one, she quickly scribbled notes of her own as she frantically tried to empty her brain onto the page.
“Tina?” Killian’s hand hovered on her back as though he wasn’t sure if touching her would set her off.
“I don’t know why we didn’t see it before,” she said, breathless with excitement. “Every one of the dignitaries that has gone missing so far was last spotted at a public function. Every. Single. One. They all went missing in restaurants or convention centers owned by a single corporation.”
“What? Are you sure?”
Tina nodded, thrilled with her discovery. “Rogers, the dragon emissary, went missing from a bar owned by a subsidiary of Noxxom Corporation. The cat shifter…what’s his name, Anderson? He went missing from a fancy restaurant owned by Richmond Incorporated, one of Noxxom’s newest acquisitions. It goes on and on. Every missing shifter disappeared from a place this corporation owns. Look!”
Killian obliged her, flipping through page after page as an expression of understanding dawned across his handsome face. “This is our first real clue.”
She grinned. “And you said this would be boring!”
“I have to tell Father right away.” Killian whipped out his phone. His fingers flew over the screen, likely shooting off a text to the king of the eagles.
Tina spread out the notes again, wondering what else they might have missed. She nibbled on the end of her fingernail as she studied them, already hooked on the rush of adrenaline that had come with piecing together such an integral part of the puzzle.
