Swallowing Fire

by ERIN BEDFORD

  If I was fine then while pregnant, I didn’t see how fighting now that I knew I was would make a difference. If anything, it would make me more careful. Besides, I could use the exercise. All those raspberry tarts were starting to show.

  “No,” Firestar snapped, “and that is final. You are pregnant. You can’t put yourself in danger just for some games.”

  “But I can take care of myself,” I argued, leaning forward with my hands on my hips. “I’ve handled myself fine in plenty of fights.”

  “But that was life or death,” Jack pointed out, always the reasonable one. “This isn’t. So, to risk yourself just to prove something is simply irrational.”

  “I’m just supposed to sit on the sidelines watching you have all the fun like a good little mate?” I snarled and stomped my foot. “No way!”

  “You are being difficult on purpose,” Raiden growled, the exasperation plain on his face.

  I scoffed and waved a hand. “Yeah, because I woke up this morning deciding that I wanted to make your lives as miserable as possible. I have better things to do, like trying not to throw up everything I eat.”

  Rolling his eyes, Raiden sighed. “You can’t blame everything on being pregnant. Besides, you being pregnant is our whole point exactly.”

  I opened my mouth to reply but closed it with a huff. I didn’t have a quip for that one. So, I did what any mature, rational adult would do. Name called.

  “Well, you are a stupid jerk face!”

  That only made the guys groan and facepalm.

  Unfortunately, our argument was beginning to draw a crowd, something none of us really wanted. The guys tried to usher me back inside, but I shoved them away, not wanting any of them to touch me with their prejudiced hands.

  Firestar’s eyes lit up with anger. “Maya Rose, you are acting like a child.”

  “Then maybe you should stop treating me like one,” I snapped back, trying to push my way through the guys and back to the sign-up booth.

  They had set up the village square for what would be a glorious week of fighting and festivities, and for the first time in weeks, I was genuinely excited.

  All I had experienced since I came back to Waesigar were attempts on my life and the ever-present pressure to get pregnant. Now that I finally was pregnant, and there were no assassins in sight, I planned to get my fun on.

  It would have been great if everyone else had been on board too. The guys had all been talking about which game they would compete in, but when we got to the sign-up tent, they totally freaked out.

  I didn’t know what the big deal was. It wasn’t like any of the events were real. Brawling, an in-flight race, and finally a hunt through the woods. Sure, I could see how they would want me to stay out of the fighting, but I didn’t see how flying or running through the woods could hurt me. They were just being overprotective, not that Firestar or the others would see it that way.

  No longer trying to argue the point, I tried to dodge around them, but they were always one step ahead of me, blocking my path. Finally, tired of the guys treating me like a child, I turned on my heel and stomped back toward Lord Fafnir’s house. I heard boots crunching in the hay-strewn streets behind me but didn’t turn around to see who followed me.

  When I arrived at the house, I attempted to slam the door behind me, but a big hand caught it. Firestar pushed through the door, and his large form loomed over me. Not to be intimidated, I glared right back at him.

  Shutting the door behind him, Firestar crossed his arms over his chest as if his massive muscles would make a difference.

  “You are being unreasonable,” he calmly stated, which I knew meant he was just moments from blowing up. The calm before the storm and all that.

  But my mouth didn’t seem to care. I shoved a finger into Firestar’s chest and bared my teeth at him. “You are the one acting like an overbearing asshole. You and the rest of you jerks treat me like I’m going to break. I’m pregnant, not made of glass!”

  “Did you forget that not only Raiden’s mother but your cousin wants you dead?” Firestar practically shouted at me, stepping forward, so I had no choice but to step back or get run over. “Or that if anything happened to our child that you would lose your leverage over your father?”

  I frowned at his logic, my anger wilting slightly. “What does that have to do with anything? They don’t know where we are. What makes you think they would find me just because I’m competing?”

  “We don’t know that they don’t know where you are,” Firestar growled, grabbing me by the arms. “There could be spies all over this place. As far as we know, one of the warriors that came in for the games could be one of Lady Nariko’s men or even Ned’s. You heard Lord Fafnir about vetting their visitors. There’s no telling who he let in.” He took a deep breath, trying to push down his annoyance with our host’s lax admittance standards. “Hell, for all we know, every last one of them could be trying to murder you in your bed.”

  “Then maybe we shouldn’t have come here,” I countered, getting impatient with the whole ordeal. “In fact, it seems like nowhere is safe for me. Maybe you should all take your chances on your own, and I’ll just go back to Earth. There are plenty of single mothers there. I’m sure I’d be fine all by myself.”

  Firestar threw his hands up in the air and let out a frustrated roar. “Don’t you hear yourself? Has this child muddled your brain so much that you can’t see sense right in front of you?”

  “This child?” I screeched, my eyes going wide. “This child that one of you put in me? This child that has my body in turmoil and has none of you wanting to touch me? You mean that child?”

  “Is this what this is about?” Firestar scoffed and shook his head. “You think we don’t want you anymore?” Before I had a chance to respond, he scooped me up and threw me over his shoulder.

  “What do you think you are doing?” I beat at his back and kicked my legs. “Put me down, you savage. I can walk just fine.”

  Smack. Red hot pain seared through my backside as Firestar’s hand found its mark.

  “Quiet down,” he growled, the feel of it rumbling through his chest and vibrating against me as we bumped along. Ridiculously delicious tingles spread through me from that vibration.

  No, I was not going to let myself get turned on by this.

  “Where are you taking me?” I tried once more to get some answers. “I have to sign up for the games.”

  “No, you don’t.” Firestar simply stated and then added, “I’ve found the cure for what ails you.”

  I snorted. “Oh, really? And what’s that?”

  Firestar shifted me a bit more roughly than needed as he rounded a corner, and I punched him in response. “You have been nothing but a pain in the ass the last two weeks, and I’ve had enough of it.”

  “Well, excuse me for being hormonal. You try having something growing inside of you some time and tell me how fun it is,” I spat out as my eyes found the familiar hallway. We were heading back to our rooms. Why?

  “If I could trade places with you, I gladly would. Then at least, I wouldn’t have to listen to your harping, but as it is, I can’t. So, I have something far more effective to settle your raging dragon.”

  I rolled my eyes and leaned on my elbow. “Please do enlighten me.”

  He stopped before a door, swinging it open, so it slammed into the wall. With a few quick strides, he was across his bedroom. He dumped me onto the bed. I bounced on the mattress for a second and came up scowling.

  Firestar closed and locked the door behind us before stalking toward the bed. The intense predatory look in his eyes had me backing up to the far side, and when he reached for me, I tried to scramble away, but he latched onto my ankle and dragged me back across the mattress. I screamed as he pulled me flush against him, beating at his chest.

  “What are you going to do to me?” My voice came out breathless as I said it, half from arousal, the other from fear of the unknown. I knew Firestar would never truly hurt me but the
threat that he just might just couldn’t be dispelled.

  “Giving you what you need. What we both need,” Firestar answered before putting me over his lap like a disobedient child. Without warning, my pants were jerked off my butt, baring my cheeks to the room. When I realized what he was about to do, I tried to scramble off of his lap, but his arm came down over me, keeping me in place.

  I was still trying to get free from him as I growled, “I can’t believe you are really going to do this.”

  “Quiet or it will be worse,” Firestar rumbled, his hand caressing my butt cheeks. Anticipation filled me as I waited for what I was sure to happen next. “Unless you’d like me to stop?” When I didn’t immediately respond, he nodded. “That’s what I thought.”

  The first slap of his hand against my cheek startled me. The stinging made me cry out. I tried to wiggle away, but Firestar held me fast, his hand rubbing the spot he had just hit. I wasn’t prepared for the second swat any more than the first, and it ripped a pained gasp out of me. This time though, when Firestar’s hand soothed my inflamed skin, his fingers dipped between my thighs. As his fingers stroked me, I realized I was already good and ready for him.

  What the ever-living fuck?

  I’d never considered myself someone into pain. Even Raiden - who was the kinkier of the three - hadn’t used pain in our pleasure. He had more of a dominance kind of thing going on. Tying me up, blindfolds, commanding me around, those kinds of kinks. But now that I’d started to experience it, a mixture of emotions welled up in me. Surprise and excitement overwhelmed me to the point where when the next hit came, I craved it.

  Now with each smack of his hand, Firestar rotated sides and teased my folds endlessly before the stinging sensation came again. When we reached five hits, I thought he might never stop, but then, as suddenly as he put me on his thighs, he had me back on the bed.

  I winced as my backside hit the comforter, still stinging from Firestar’s punishment, and watched as he undid his pants. My legs spread on their own, eager to take him in, but were caught when I realized my pants were still on. I reached for my boots, untying them as fast as I could, but before I could pull my pants down the rest of the way, he caught my hands and shook his head.

  “Leave them on,” Firestar commanded, one hand stroking his length, something that attracted my full attention, while the other held my legs in his grasp. He was already hard and long, the tip glistening in his arousal.

  I licked my lips, and all the pain in my butt seemed to go to the back of my mind.

  I let him drag me toward him, curious to what he had planned. Angling me to the side, he kept my legs pressed together, trapped beneath his arm, as he slid into me. I gasped at the fullness, the position making him feel much larger than he was.

  Briefly, I wondered if Raiden’s comments from before had caused this but quickly forgot about that when he withdrew only to push back in, making me cry out. Angled sideways, Firestar had complete control. My hands clung to the sheets beneath me as he stroked deep inside of me. The combination of the spanking I’d received mixed with his brutal thrusts and my lack of recent sex made my release come all too soon.

  I cried out in pleasure as Firestar continued to take me. As I came down from my high, my pants were ripped away, and he maneuvered me onto my knees.

  “Do you know,” Firestar panted as he moved inside me once more, “how worried we are about you?”

  “You are?” I gasped and groaned in response, trying to crane my head to see him.

  Firestar’s hand reached out and wrapped my hair in his fist, arching my neck to just this side of uncomfortable. “If anything happened to you, we couldn’t forgive ourselves.” He thrust his hips against me, grunting as he spoke. “Everyone wants you dead, and you can’t be bothered to take precautions. Do you want to drive us mad?”

  “No,” I cried out as he hit a particularly sensitive place inside of me. I tried to say more, but he had adjusted his thrusts so that he hit that spot over and over. My vision started to blacken as my second release hit me. Heart racing, I feared I might just pass out from the sensations.

  “I love you, Maya. We all do.” Firestar grunted against me, his words coming out in pants.

  “I love you all too,” I barely choked out.

  Firestar didn’t say anymore but released my hair and focused entirely on driving me into oblivion. My pregnancy had made me even more sensitive than before, so when my orgasm to hit me, it hit hard. My mind spiraled, and my breath caught. All I could get out before I passed out was, “Oh fuck.”

  9

  I had a silly, sated smile on my face as Firestar and I walked to dinner hand in hand. The fire dragon had been right. That had been exactly what I needed to get out of my slump.

  My body felt light and floaty, not sick and disgusting like before. Any irritation I felt earlier that day seemed like a bad dream. I’d have to remember that for the future, though - I winced - maybe not so much the spanking part. My backside still stung.

  “Hey, you’re back!” Raiden greeted as we approached the main dining hall. Usually, we dined in the smaller one by the kitchen since there were fewer of us, but since so many people had shown up for the games, there were too many to fit inside.

  I beamed at Raiden as Firestar allowed me to go into the lightning dragon’s arms. A familiar stirring lit in my belly as his scent filled my sense. Again? Seriously, Trina hadn’t been kidding about the increased libido. Or maybe it was because I hadn’t been with any of them in weeks.

  That said, I missed more than just sex with my guys. I missed curling up next to them, inhaling their scents as I fell asleep. I missed waking up next to them, their arms wrapped tight around me, making me feel safe and secure. If we hadn’t been in public, I would have thrown myself at Raiden. I craved his touch that much.

  “It looks like Firestar had the cure to what ailed you.” Raiden chuckled as he directed me to one of the many wooden tables in the hall.

  I flushed and ducked my head at his words, hoping no one heard him as I muttered, “Yes, I’m sure I’ll need another dose tonight. Would you like to help?”

  Raiden’s arm slipped from my shoulders to caress my butt. “I’d be more than happy to administer your medicine. Should we ask Jack to help as well?”

  Jack’s head shot up at Raiden’s words as we stopped beside him. He looked like a kid with his hand caught in the cookie jar, and I couldn’t figure out why. Raiden pulled my chair out for me, and as I sat down, I winced. Firestar chuckled and winked at me. I glared at him in return.

  Our table consisted of my men and a few others I didn’t recognize, one being a woman who was staring intently at me. She had pale hair like the others, but she kept hers braided with jewels and feathers threaded through them. Her eyes were a brilliant blue that reminded me of sapphires. She was absolutely beautiful despite the nasty look on her face. It was like she’d smelled something rancid, but when I sniffed myself, I didn’t smell anything. Odd.

  Either way, I was in too good of a mood to care. Still, one thing was definitely missing.

  “So, where are Fujin and Raijin? Still in the infirmary?” I asked, turning to look at my men as I spoke.

  “Yeah,” Raiden said before picking up his silverware. “The lucky bastards have medics bringing them meals in bed. They even get to have sponge baths.” He shook his head with a grin as he took a bite of his meal.

  “I hardly think they would call themselves lucky.” Firestar snorted. “Being beat to shit doesn’t seem worth a few luxuries to me.”

  “You would if our lovely Maya were playing nurse.” Raiden shot me a smoldering look that made me squirm in my seat. “What do you think Jack? Lucky or not?”

  Jack who had been silent the entire time kept his eyes down on his plate as he muttered, “I don’t have an opinion one way or another.”

  My brow furrowed at his answer. Something was off. I couldn’t place my finger on it, but my dragon senses or rather my female senses were telling me somet
hing was going on. Something that my dear ol’ Jack didn’t want me to know about.

  I picked up my glass and took a sip of it as I tried to decipher what had my mate in a mood. Then I remembered the woman at the table … or rather felt her. Her eyes hadn’t moved from me since I sat down, and I could feel her gaze boring into my head as if she could shoot lasers out of her eyes.

  “What’s your problem?” I asked, turning my attention to the woman who instantly dropped her gaze. That didn’t stop me any. “Well? You’ve been glaring at me ever since I arrived. Do you have a problem with me?”

  “No,” she said, her voice sultry and low. I wondered if that was her natural voice or if she did it on purpose. Bianca from Earth would have said she had a phone sex voice. The kind that made jealousy flare up inside of me.

  “Maya.” Jack placed his hand on my arm. My eyes went to that hand and then to his face. There was a nervousness there that made me pause.

  “What?”

  “Just ignore her,” he answered, but when I waited for more, he just let the words hang in the air. That wasn’t like him either.

  I glanced at the woman as she stabbed her meal like it was her enemy before shifting my eyes back to Jack. Only my ice dragon kept his own gaze down as well. When Firestar and Raiden only shrugged in response to my inquiring eyes, I frowned. I couldn’t figure out their connection. Why did she hate me so already and why would Jack jump to her defense, almost like...?

  Then it clicked. An old lover.

  “You know her, don’t you?” I asked, turning back to Jack. “Who is she, Jack?”

  “Nobody,” he snapped, his eyes going to me with such irritation that I was taken back. When he saw my expression, the hard line of his lips softened. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap. I mean, she doesn’t matter.”

  “She sure seems like someone to me,” I countered, my eyes going back to her. She was now staring at Jack as if he had ripped out her still-beating heart with his bare hands. “And that’s not a look of someone who doesn’t matter.”

  Jack sighed and leaned back from the table, slumping in his seat for the first time ever. “Gretchen. Her name is Gretchen, and we used to be lovers.”