by Willa Hart
Almeric shook his ancient head, his beard swaying gently. “For reasons I’ve never understand, they submitted themselves as willing servants to Vazha, despite the fact he wanted to destroy all of dragonkind. All these many years later, they appear to remain devoted to his cause, and we don’t know why. Nor do we know why they’ve suddenly become active again. It would be very helpful if Maximus could weigh in on this matter.”
Both elders looked pointedly at me and my face burned with embarrassment. “I’m sorry but I haven’t been able to reach him for quite some time. Or Zoe. I try to connect with them several times a day, but it almost feels as if my powers are weakened here. I’m not making excuses, I just haven’t been able do it.”
I sniffed back the familiar burn of threatening tears. I didn’t relish the thought of looking any weaker in front of them, no matter how much I blamed myself for my failure.
“Might we persuade you into another attempt?” Almeric asked, his wild white eyebrows raised in hope.
I sighed, my own hope on the verge of winking out. “Guess it can’t hurt.”
Lazlo stood. “You all have demonstrated a remarkable combined strength in the past. Perhaps we could all try joining hands while Favor focuses her energy on finding Maximus.”
My guys all shot me a look I could read without needing to read their minds. They wanted to make sure I was okay with Lazlo’s suggestion. We’d tried this very configuration several times with no luck. Maybe the elders’ substantial powers would give me the boost I needed. Worth a shot, anyway. I finally shrugged and pulled Lazlo’s empty chair to the middle of the room and sat, while they formed a circle around me.
I closed my eyes and fell into my vision state quickly. I envisioned Max first, since that’s who Lazlo and Almeric wanted to hear from, but didn’t even get a hint at a sparkle of him. I shifted my focus to Zoe, because why the hell not? Again, nothing but impenetrable fog.
“Dammit,” I groused, giving them a miserable, apologetic look. “Sorry.”
Almeric released Ryen’s hand and patted my head like I was a child, which to him I was. “No need for apologies, Ms. Fiske. In fact, it’s quite impressive that a human could communicate like that in the first place. We can try again tomorrow, after we’re all well-rested.”
He was trying to be kind and reassuring, I knew that, but his words felt like a punch to the gut. I already felt helpless and vulnerable enough, without being reminded I was “just a human.”
“And if that fails,” Lazlo said, oblivious to my distress, “we will simply rely on good old-fashioned detective work. Luckily, we all have experience in that regard.”
He caught my attention and winked, lifting my spirits more than words could. Kellum offered to show them to their quarters, another stone cottage that had previously been occupied by Rocco, one of the enforcers who’d flown to Romania with us.
“I hate to evict someone from their home,” Almeric said on their way out the door.
“I think they’ll survive bunking together for a few days,” Ryen said, as he and Danic followed the group outside.
“I wish,” I whispered to no one in particular.
Hale heard. “What was that?”
“Nothing.”
He came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist, resting his chin on my shoulder. “Come on, what’d you say?”
I let out a big, resigned breath. “I said, ‘I wish.’ As in, I hope we’ll only be here for a few more days, but from the way things are going, we’ll all be old and gray before—”
I choked on my words and ducked my head to hide my fear. Not that I could hide much of anything from my guys. Ash stepped in front of me, making me the filling in a Campbell sandwich. I searched his face for any trace of not-Ash, but he’d vanished a week earlier and hadn’t given any sign of returning. But the aftermath continued.
After he’d been healed by our combined love, Ash had withdrawn from us a little. Far from his normally sassy self, he’d stopped joking around and often didn’t offer his own opinion on matters. I knew — hell, we all knew — he needed time to get over everything that had happened, which meant giving him space. That space apparently included keeping his distance from me, physically.
But as he stepped in so close I caught a whiff of his familiar chili powder scent, I felt a heat radiating off him that had been missing for too long. He wanted me. God knew I wanted him. He cupped my face gently in his hands and searched my face for the answer to his unspoken question.
Did I trust him enough to make love with him again?
I locked onto his gaze and smiled, then grabbed both of their hands in mine, just like the first time we were ever alone together, and led them to the bed.
Chapter 4
Time slowed to a crawl when we stopped next to the big bed we’d all been sharing. Up until this point, I’d only been with one of my guys at a time. The others had always made a point to clear out to allow me to spend quality one-on-one time with each of them in turn — except Ash.
I’d decided to let him approach me when he was ready to open himself up to me again, and it made some sort of sense that he’d want the comfort of his twin to be there when the time came. Part of me couldn’t believe I was about to get down and dirty with two guys at once, but another part could hardly wait.
I’d almost forgotten the way they played off each other when they were at their best. They worked together naturally, like complementary parts to a whole, and yet they seemed so individual and different despite that. Love for them swelled inside me, bursting to get out.
“Favor,” Hale said, turning me so I faced him again, “I hope you know we’re with you, one hundred percent.”
Ash snuggled up against my back again, his hot need pressing against my ass. “Both of us. All of us,” he murmured in my ear as his hands skimmed down my waist to my hips, pulling me into him. “No matter what comes at us, we’ve got your back.”
“Whether you like it or not,” Hale finished, stepping in so close I had to crane my head back to maintain eye contact. It didn’t last long.
Ash’s lips pressed against the crook of my neck, distracting me for a moment. My eyes fell closed and I tipped my head to give him better access, which allowed Hale to brush his lush lips against mine.
The exhaustion that had threatened to overtake me only moments ago evaporated in a wave of heightened energy. All the dark and scary feelings that had been simmering inside me, that had pushed at the seams of my heart so hard I could feel them seeping through meant nothing as I stood there sandwiched between the twins. Their presence didn’t just push them aside, it erased them entirely.
The Heart pulsed in time with all three of our heartbeats, but it was easy to ignore with Ash’s cock tucked neatly along the crack of my ass and his hands roaming my body freely. He pressed his forehead against the back of my head, his breath tickling my neck through my hair.
Hale’s hands skimmed up my arms, drawing goosebumps from me, then buried themselves in my mass of hair so he could claim my lips more fully. Our tongues danced together, hot and wet, darting in and out of each other’s mouth, tracing the outline of our lips.
His hands eventually joined Ash’s on my hips, but so he had leverage to crush himself against me. I dug my fingernails into his shoulders and had to hold myself back from wrapping my legs around his waist and taking him right there. As delightful as that sounded, I wanted to draw this out, to revel in their love and need for me as long as I could. It would be just the soothing balm I needed after a hard day.
But we were venturing into brand new territory, crossing a taboo line, and I needed to make sure Hale and Ash were on the same page as me. Hale sensed the quirk of my conscience and pulled away, watching me with attentive, hungry eyes.
“What’s wrong?” he whispered, his voice thick with need for me.
“Nothing, I just…” My voice felt so small in my throat, like I was the shy nobody from my high school days. “I just want to make sure you’re both
okay with…this.”
A boyish smile lit up Hale’s face. “I thought that much was clear. How many times do we need to tell you that we’re always on the same page where you’re concerned?”
“I know, I just mean…both of you? At the same time? I don’t want you to feel pressured, if this makes you the least bit uncomfortable.”
Ash chuckled against my ear, sending bolts of electricity straight to my nipples. “We’re not here for each other, my love. We’re here for you.”
“And only you,” Hale added. “However you want us.”
He lowered his head to kiss me again but pulled away at the last second. “Are you okay with this?”
I had to stifle a laugh. “Are you kidding? Duh!”
That broke whatever tension I’d been feeling, melting it into pure, unfettered lust. Without hesitation, Ash’s hand dove below the waistband of my jeans, burrowing its way to the ultimate destination. When his talented fingers found my clit, I arched back against him, which unintentionally brought me closer to Hale’s cock. I wrapped a leg around him, allowing him access to grind against the exact spot I wanted him to while Ash rubbed tiny little circles that made me squirm and gasp.
The one time we’d made love, Ash had been domineering and aggressive. It had surprised me at the time, but I’d loved every minute. The hair-pulling, the commands, the roughness. I loved it.
After learning the effect the Dragon’s Heart had had on him, I was left wondering if Ash really was more alpha in the bedroom than Danic, or if the Heart had been the culprit. But the way he was taking charge now let me know his true nature. I couldn’t believe what a relief it was to know I’d actually made love with Ash our first time, not just what the Heart thought I wanted.
Ash’s fingers dipped inside me, pulling an anguished groan from me as Hale’s lips kissed their way down my neck to my chest and, after pulling my shirt off, my breasts. He sucked my nipple through the thin lace of my bra, and I cried out with need for him. For both of them.
Ash unhooked my bra without Hale having to ask, always working as a team. They seemed to know my body better than I did, their hands touching me in the exact spot I needed a split second before I knew that’s where I needed them to touch me. They were in tune with me in a way I never imagined possible.
Torture never felt so good. And that’s exactly what it felt like — torture. Hale’s sweet kisses on my breasts, Ash’s fingers buried deep inside me, their bodies the supports that kept me on my feet. I felt closer to them than I ever had before, and I didn’t want it to end.
And that was the moment Ash pulled himself free of me. “Time to get more comfortable,” he murmured.
I blinked in surprise as they both backed away from me simultaneously, swaying in one spot as I tried to hold onto my balance. They had a way of making me woozy, in all the best ways. I shot a glance back at Ash, whose eyes were fixed on my tummy. I looked down and realized he was staring at the pouch where the Heart lived.
Right.
None of my boys dared to even touch the pouch on its own, after what had happened to Ash. I quickly unbuckled it and shoved it under the mattress, where it would barely register on my radar while I was otherwise occupied. Once Ash and Hale fell asleep, I would wrap it around my waist again, but until then, I’d enjoy my freedom from it.
A lot!
We undressed hurriedly, the boys much more deftly than me. I jumped around on one foot as I tugged off my shoes, and by the time I’d managed that feat, Hale and Ash were both standing nude in front of me, waiting. To say the view wasn’t distracting would be a big fat lie.
They finally took pity on me. Hale stepped up behind me and lifted me so Ash could grab my jeans and tug them off in one sweep of his arms. My panties quickly followed them to the floor, but before I could find my footing, Ash kneeled before me, draping my legs over his shoulders.
He didn’t even look at me before diving in and devouring me. His tongue and lips were equally as talented as his fingers, maybe even more so. I clearly needed more time experiencing both before I could make a decision. But at that moment, tongue and lips were winning the race.
Hale shifted behind me, bracing me against him in a way where he also had access to my breasts. With each stroke and pinch and caress, I sank deeper and deeper into my desire for them, until all I knew was need. I writhed against Ash’s mouth, cried out with each of Hale’s touches, even as pressure built inside me, just waiting for release.
Tipping my head back against Hale’s shoulder, I silently begged him to kiss me. Our tongues collided as I bucked against Ash, guiding him by the way I moved my hips. He was ravenous, lapping at me with abandon, burying his face between my thighs so ferociously, I was taken to the edge of sanity faster than I imagined possible.
My breathing quickened as his used his fingers on me…in me. Then one slipped a little farther south and started circling my most tender and tightest entrance. When he pressed the tip inside, I stiffened, my body falling into paralysis as every muscle tightened to the point of breaking.
In a burst of light, the world around us exploded. My body flailed and jerked uncontrollably, and I trusted they would keep me safe while a mind-blowing orgasm rocked me, pulsing against Ash’s mouth and fingers, begging for his cock.
The next few minutes were a blur. Somehow I ended up on the bed, prone and exhausted, with Ash and Hale on either side of me. Their touches were soft and gentle, guiding me through the final tremors of my first climax and teasing me with more. When the world turned right-side up again, I returned the favor, taking each one in my hands, squeezing and gliding, my mouth watering at the smoothness of their hard flesh.
Flipping over, I moved to straddle Hale. His surprised smile made me love him even more as I dipped my head and kissed him. When I lowered my hips and slicked along the length of him, he groaned with pleasure, so I did it again.
The bed shifted slightly, then Ash was behind me, his rough hands caressing my ass and back as I rubbed against Hale. My lips trailed hot kisses down Hale’s neck and chest, diverting to take one small man-nip into my mouth. I nipped lightly and his cock flexed against me, urging me lower.
I was happy to comply.
He was hot and throbbing when my lips wrapped around his head, my tongue running along the hard outline of it. His eyes glazed over as he watched me, never breaking eye contact until my hair fell in my face as I gulped him deep down my throat.
At the same moment, Ash ran the head of his cock against my slick entrance, teasing me by slipping into me just a little bit. I tried pushing backward to take him inside me, but he pulled out entirely, then slapped my ass as punishment for my greed. My flesh burned from the slap, yet I was sorely tempted to “misbehave” again because the pain was so damn sweet.
“Patience,” he said, his voice husky.
He wanted it as much as I did, but obviously wanted the upper hand. I was overjoyed that he was every bit as dominant without the Heart’s influence. It had surprised me back then, but also delighted me. I didn’t want to lose that.
Hale’s fingers twined in my hair, cupping my head as I bobbed on him, slurping him deeper with each plunge. I relaxed my throat muscles, taking him all the way down at the exact moment Ash plunged into me with the force of a rocket.
I groaned in delicious pain and all the joy in the world, drawing an even louder moan from Hale. Each time Ash slammed into me, I swallowed Hale completely, feeling him grow stiffer in my mouth. After a few minutes we found a rhythm that allowed all of us to thoroughly enjoy ourselves.
As my fingers played with Hale’s shaft and balls, Ash took me like a wild animal, dark and aggressive. I slammed back against him, taking every inch he had to give, but it wasn’t enough. Slipping my hand between my thighs, I worked myself into a frenzy, even as I worked Hale and Ash worked me. This was the perfect trifecta, the answer to a dream I’d never known I had.
My core tightened as instinct took over. Our bodies rocked together, driving each other towar
d the brink. They both thickened inside me, hardening to silky steel, and it drove me wild. The mere thought of tasting Hale’s climax at the same time Ash released himself inside me drove me over the edge.
Every cell in my body collapsed in on itself like a dying star, then blasted free like a cosmic explosion. Tension uncoiled in long, cresting waves, starting between my legs and undulating out to every limb, every curve, every inch of me.
I cried out against Hale and clenched Ash’s length until they both shouted and moaned and gnashed their teeth, never losing their tempo. Our souls entwined, linking us on a cellular level and cementing our bond in a way that surprised me but felt purely natural at the same time.
We collapsed in a sweaty pile of limbs and lips, four hands gently stroking me up and down as my body twitched out the last of my climax. Euphoria settled in, driving out my anxiety over our situation — at least for a little while — but not the sensation of the Dragon’s Heart beating underneath me.
I’m going to kill you, I thought at the dark artifact as I sank into my exhaustion.
Somewhere in the night, amongst the beating of the twins’ hearts, the wind whispering through the eaves, and the hooting of an owl, I could have sworn I heard a dark, mocking chuckle.
Chapter 5
We’re thousands of miles in the air, hurtling through the sky at top speed. The wind howls and moans outside the tiny windows of the private jet. Clouds pass by like great, white, immovable giants, peering down at us with blind apathy while we puncture the tight air above our tiny blue planet. Beyond the thick metal walls, a precarious danger awaits us. But inside, I’m content.
Happy.
I’m lying down the center of a massive bed, custom-made with Lazlo’s money to be bigger than a king. The five great loves of my life surround me on all sides: three brothers, two twins, and one mysteriously psychic and extremely lucky human girl. In this moment I have no fear. The warmth and proximity of my boys keeps me from entertaining the usual grim imaginings that swarm me at night when I lie down to sleep.
