by Ava Mason
“Lizzy.” He took in a shaky breath and, fingers trembling, he touched my cheek. His eyes, so dark and cloudy, were intent on mine. “You can’t fall for me. I can’t be yours.”
I inhaled a sharp breath. His words, so hard, cutting into me like broken glass, were opposite of his fingers that were caressing my skin. They were moving down my throat now and pulling down the side of my dress to bare my shoulder. I couldn’t move, couldn’t speak. I couldn’t break the trance between us.
His fingers traced my shoulder lightly and then they moved down my arm, causing goosebumps as his fingers lightly traced the length of it. When he reached my fingers, he gripped them tightly, almost as if he were afraid of letting go. His other hand moved towards my chin and I held my breath in anticipation. He leaned forward, his eyes on my lips and suddenly I knew that he wasn’t going to kiss me. He was going to kiss me goodbye.
I stood up, forcing his fingers to let mine go.
I knew that he wouldn’t speak to me, tell me what was wrong. It was too early, he needed to process whatever he was going through. But I had to keep him with us long enough for him to do it. He needed a reason, besides me, besides the guys, to stay. Something he was more loyal to: his honor. So I took in a deep breath and for the second time in an hour, couldn’t believe what I was about to say.
“Avery, you have a new assignment.”
“What?” He stood up, facing me. “I can’t. I would never tell you no under normal circumstances but there’s something urgent I need to do.”
I held out my palm, stopping him. “You’re right. These aren’t normal circumstances. Your new assignment is to protect the Queen. Unless whatever else you have going on has to do with an immediate need to save her life, this takes priority over everything else.”
He stared at me with raging eyes, a stormy look on his face. But I ignored it and glanced at his clock, doing quick math.
“You have twelve and a half hours to get your shit together. Be ready tonight, at one-thirty a.m. sharp.”
He opened his mouth to answer but I didn’t let him. I was a freaking coward. I didn’t want to hear him tell me no. Or whatever moody response he’d thought of. I turned around and jerked open the door. Christian and Easton jumped back in surprise, then fell over each other trying to scramble back, laughing.
“What the hell, guys?” I tried to give them a hard stare but a grin broke out at the guilty looks on their faces. I had no room to talk.
Christian stepped forward, pulling me out of Avery’s room and into the hallway. His eyes stared into mine intently, but his face held a look of pride. “Good thinking.” His words were soft, for my ears only. Then he spoke louder. “We need to plan what we’re going to do.”
Ignoring us, Easton took a step into Avery’s room. “Get it together, man. We need you.” He gave Avery a warning look, then grabbed the doorknob and slammed the door shut. Noises exploded behind it and I imagined Avery was throwing stuff around. Soon, loud, angry music filled the air.
I pushed away the desire to rush back into Avery’s room and kiss all his pain away and allowed myself to be pulled by Christian and pushed by Easton down the hall.
After grabbing my bag from Aria, we followed the sounds of Hunter into the kitchen. He was sitting at the table eating an apple. He smiled at me when I walked in but Christian’s hand on mine tightened. He pulled me away from Hunter and led me towards the fridge.
It was obvious by the look on Hunter’s face that he’d taken note of Christian’s reaction. Instead of saying anything, he glanced towards the living room, and by extension, Avery’s room. “That was fast. Did you tie him down?”
Christian and Easton smirked, but I shrugged. “Nope. Not yet, anyways.” I paused, smiling. “I just basically told him to get over it. The Queen requested the team to work on a special project. It’ll keep Avery busy for a little while. Hopefully long enough for us to figure out how to help him.”
“Good idea.” Grunting, Hunter leaned over the table and stared at the dark wood, still crunching on his apple.
Christian opened the fridge and began pulling out sliced ham, turkey, several avocados, mayonnaise, mustard and spinach. He handed the food to me and I placed them on the counter. Easton grabbed a loaf of sourdough bread from the pantry and pulled knives out of the drawer: one for cutting the avocado, and another for spreading the mayonnaise.
Letting Easton make the sandwiches, I grabbed the Queen’s bag and began pulling everything out. I placed them neatly on the kitchen table, trying to ignore the tension building between Christian and the rest of the guys.
Tonight we were going to complete the first mission and we needed to focus.
Christian leaned over my shoulder, pulling me into him possessively and I glanced at the others. Easton threw me a smile, then kept making sandwiches. Hunter ignored us by examining the stuff on the table.
“What’s this?” Christian pointed to a black case.
I opened it to show everyone. “It’s the replica. We need to replace the original with this one.”
“Oh, I know where that is. It’s in the,” Christian thought for a moment then snapped his fingers, “the Royal Institution of Legacies.”
“Yep.” I picked up the map of the inside of the museum and held it up so he could see it. I ran my finger over it, finding the location of the artifact. “That’s where it’s at. We need to go there, figure out what’s the best entrance and the quickest route in and out.”
He took it from me to study it and I noticed that Hunter was watching Christian’s fingers on my hips. Easton handed me a sandwich.
“Thanks,” I smiled at him. “So how does this work? How do you work together?”
Christian answered me. “Hunter is usually in charge of the mission, although technically you’re in charge now. Usually Avery watches our back and handles the most dangerous weapons. Easton is in charge of anything electronic. Hunter is the planner and the manpower. He assesses the situation as we work, and makes any decisions while in the field. I’m in charge of handling civilians, if there are any, and dealing with unwilling captors. Of course, we can all do anything needed, and easily adapt if the situation calls for it.”
I bit into my sandwich, thinking. Grabbing a napkin, Hunter wiped his fingers, then he stood up and put it and the core of his apple in the trash. When I finished chewing, I spoke my doubts. “I don’t know if Avery is in the right space right now. I want him with us when we make the switch.”
They all nodded their agreement and Hunter spoke up. “Do you know how to get inside?”
I nodded. “Yep. She gave me the codes. They change at midnight, every night. Usually the museums don’t need that much security, but because of the artifact, security is tighter.” I pointed to the paper in front of me. “These are the codes for after they change tonight. They’ll gain us entry inside, to the alarm on the whole building, plus the individual ones that cover the artifact.”
Hunter took the paper, studying it. “Since we already have the codes, Easton can do back-up instead of Avery.” He looked up at Christian. “You think you can handle the alarm? Even if the codes don’t work?”
Christian snatched the paper away. “Of course.”
Hunter rolled his eyes and turned away from us to help Easton make more sandwiches. I squirmed in Christian’s arms, feeling uncomfortable. Christian wasn’t usually like this; he was usually the calmest one of the group. Something was making him act out. And, of course, I knew what that was.
I put my half-eaten sandwich on the table and turned in Christian’s arms. I felt a little subconscious about what I was going to do, but I knew that I needed to do this, right in front of everyone. I grabbed Christian’s face and, tugging softly on the back of his neck, I brushed my lips against his.
He froze, staring at me intently. The kitchen was silent and a soft blush marked my face, but I focused on him. He needed to know that he wasn’t the last man I wanted and that I loved the way he touched me, the way he cared for
everyone, the way he made me feel. That I wouldn’t leave him behind, ever.
I put my hands to his face, cupping his cheeks, and the bond between us crushed me. Easton and Hunter were hard, like boulders demanding space in my life. Avery was the wind, blowing in and out of my life like a gale. But Christian, he was like water, softly filling in the spaces where the others lacked. A fire rose in my chest as a feeling of possessiveness overtook me.
I wouldn’t let him go. I needed him in my life.
I stared into his eyes. “You are mine.” I pulled him to me and claimed him with my lips. His breath caught in his throat, then he was responding with a rush of warmth against me. The world around me disappeared and it was him and me. His strong arms wrapped around me, pulling me tight, and I ran my hands through his hair, tugging on the back of his neck gently as my lips explored his. His tongue traced the edges of mine and I sucked it in deeper, running my tongue around it. He stiffened under me, his shaft growing stiff and I knew that he was a man who liked getting his dick sucked. Smirking to myself, I pulled his tongue in and out of my mouth, making him a promise. Letting him know that this was what I wanted and that he was going to get everything he ever wanted, and more. He grabbed the back of my head, pushing me in deeper as his lips explored mine.
Christian, soft and strong, protective and healing, a contradiction of existence. And mine.
After a while, I pulled back and he nibbled on the edge of my lips, tasting me one more time. His thumb rubbed my bottom lip and he stared into my eyes, a look of absolute possession on his face. “You belong to me.”
I nodded. “Yes.”
Suddenly, the tension in the room lowered, and Hunter sat back down, eating his sandwich and smirking at us. Christian took in a deep breath and looked around. Easton was eating and putting the food away at the same time.
Christian growled, letting out his sexual aggression. “Did you make me one?”
“Of course.” Easton grabbed a paper towel and wrapped up the extra sandwich, then handed it over. Christian took it, then he let me go to help Easton put away the food. I grabbed the knives and washed and put them away, still holding my breath.
When they were done, Christian looked over at Hunter. “You ready to go?”
Hunter frowned, his mouth full. “Right now?”
Christian grinned. “Of course, man. When else?”
Hunter held up his finger, inhaling his food. “Give me a sec.”
Easton pulled a set of keys out of his pocket and looked at Christian. “Let’s go pack up the car. Hunter can drive, and we can finish our sandwiches in the car.”
I picked up my half-way done sandwich. “Give me a sec with Hunter, guys.”
Hunter grinned, looking up at me and I went to him, putting my sandwich on the table and sitting in his lap.
Christian bent over, kissing me softly and a warmth spread through my chest. I smiled and he winked at me, then left the kitchen, calling over his shoulder. “Come on, Eastie.”
Grumbling at Christian’s use of his new nickname, Easton cupped my face with both hands. His kiss wasn’t soft, but demanding and all consuming. My face flushed with heat and I leaned up towards him, then he pulled away and looked at Hunter, who was casually leaning against the chair, still eating.
Hunter just raised his eyebrow. “You done?”
Grinning now, Easton strut out of the kitchen. “Yep.”
I turned to look at Hunter. He smiled and brushed his bangs out of his face. I pulled my legs up, curling into his lap. I took in a deep breath and with it, his smell, and my tension began to melt away. I relaxed, feeling a lot better about the situation. I could make this work.
Putting his crust on the table, he wiped his hands on his jeans, then put his arms around me and I snuggled into his chest. We sat in silence for a while, each thinking our own thoughts. His fingers caressed my arms and it sent a wave of goosebumps down them.
I turned towards him, pulling my dress up so that I could straddle him. His fingers ran up my thighs and I bent down to softly brush my lips over his.
“I missed you, Hunter.”
“Hmm.” His voice was deep and soft, and it rumbled in his chest. “You have no idea how much I missed you.”
“Don’t ever get sick again.”
He nodded, then he leaned down and, pulling my hand to his mouth, he raked his teeth across my knuckles, sending a shot of warmth down my body. His eyes stared intently into mine, his face was serious.
“Don’t let me go. I need you, Elizabeth.” He paused, his eyes searching mine. “I know you want us all. And I don’t care. I will never leave you. I want to share you with the team.”
His words washed over me, releasing me from the tension I’d felt inside, the stress of having to choose. I realized in that moment that I had been afraid. That even though they’d said I didn’t have to choose only one of them, a small part of me feared that I would. That once I’d opened up, once I’d told them the truth -- that I couldn’t choose -- their desire to keep me to themselves would come crashing down on me like a hurricane and I would loose them all.
But knowing that he was mine, that he would stay with me even though I couldn’t let a single one of them go, pulled a thread of hope out of my heart that I hadn’t dared pull.
“I fucking love you, Hunter.” The words slipped out unbidden, unaware and unplanned, and my hand flew to my mouth. But they were the only words I could say, the only things I could think of to show my gratitude for the hope he was giving me.
He stared at me, his face open and filled with awe as silence filled the kitchen.
I cupped his cheeks, owning the words. “I do. I love you so much. I will never leave you. I choose you, too.” And I meant it. I was choosing him. I was choosing them all but right here, right now, I was telling him that I wanted to be with him. I needed to say it, to let him know that I did love him. That I wasn’t letting him go.
Emotion filled his eyes and then he was kissing my face. “I love everything about you. Your cheeks, your nose, your mouth.” His lips moved over my cheeks, my nose, then he planted his mouth over mine in a deep kiss. I moaned, loving his fingers that were digging into my skin. His lips left mine and they moved to my neck, pressing soft kisses in the flesh.
“I love the way you talk and the sexy way you move when you sleep. I love the way you sigh and the way that you laugh, and even the way that you cry.”
He pulled away to look into my eyes.
“I love the way that you look at me when you think I don’t notice. You captivate me with your every move. I watch you, Lizzy, I can’t help it.” He gave me a serious look. “That’s why I know you love me, because you say it in every thing that you do. And that is how I know that you love us all. You won’t give up on Avery, just like you will also be able to give Christian what he needs to accept this. You give us everything that we need.” His fingers tugged me close and he gave me another kiss, soft and tender. “That is one reason why I love you, Princess. Because you are everything we ever need. You fulfill us all.”
I sucked in a breath, and the weight of the responsibility of making them all happy settled on my shoulders. It was a considerable burden. But the sincerity of his words, the honesty he showed me, gave me hope that I could do it. And, that they would all accept it, including Christian. That I could have my cake and fucking eat it to, smearing it all over my body and letting them lick it off me in one surge of selfish desire. That I could make each and every one of them happy, today and years from today. My necklace warmed at my chest, reminding me that I wasn’t just some random wolf. I was born to be a leader, fated by the moon. I looked into his eyes and let my lips rest over his, giving him a gentle kiss.
“Thank you, Hunter.”
Then Easton’s voice called from the living room. “Come on guys, we don’t have all day.”
Hunter smiled. “Always the cock block, that one.”
I grinned. “I’m sure you’ll find a way to get him back one day.”
We spent the rest of the afternoon getting ready for our mission. We staked out the location, first with the satellite version of the GPS on their phone. Then we split up to do the rest of the recon on foot. Easton and Hunter walked the outside, casually noting any video cameras and all outside doors. They were also looking for a structure to set up in. So they walked the streets to determine how we would approach the building at night and all escape routes, if we ran into any problems.
Christian and I went inside and walked every inch of the museum. It was fairly open and I tried not to gawk at the art too much. There was so much beauty to see, and there was a special exhibit on dragons that probably couldn’t be matched outside of the country. We noted each guard station and what surrounded the doors on the inside.
Christian walked with ease, his body relaxed, but his eyes were alert, taking everything in. My stomach was queasy. This would be my first official mission.
“We got this, Pinky. Don’t worry. This will probably be one of the easiest missions I’ve ever had.” Christian took my hand and stroked it softly. His healing power flowed through his hand, calming me and spiking my hormones all at once.
I loved that he knew when I needed his comfort. I loved that he was always watching out for me and the rest of the team. The simple act of his hand in mine set my hormones on fire and I clung to it, wishing we could be alone, wishing I could break through his walls, and wishing I could give him now what I’d promised him earlier.
My promise to have my lips on his bulging cock.
We kept walking and I checked him out of the corner of my eye. If I looked closely, I could see his dragon power pulsing from his body. It was strong and energetic, but it flowed through his body quietly. At peace with itself and with him. He had a strong connection to it.
