Dragon Storm (20 page)

Connor held out a hand to her when they were near the chairs once more, and she went to him. Darius took her other hand.

“Rol, this is our mate,” Darius said, his gaze holding hers.

“Josie, this is our brother, Roland, King of Draconia.” Connor finished the introduction, and Josie wasn’t sure what to do. She remembered how the dragons had greeted their king and decided to give him a sort of bowing curtsy, though she didn’t lower her eyes. She was too good a martial artist to lower her eyes to an opponent.

She read approval in Roland’s smiling face as he stepped forward to meet her. The twins released her hands, and Roland took them, drawing her upward to stand before him.

“I am pleased to meet the woman who can tame two of my wildest brothers.” The teasing twinkle in his eye made her laugh. “I wish you luck with them. Remember, now that they’re yours, you cannot give them back.”

Josie and Roland hit it off and though she was at first a little nervous about his being the king, his easy manner and obvious love for his family set her at ease. They reviewed the information they had already gone over with Nico, talking about Josie’s world and the twins’ travel through the storm to get there. Roland examined Josie’s amulet with great care and also looked at the weapons the twins had brought back with them.

“Wizard’s Lances, eh?” Roland asked again, verifying the name Connor had given him for the odd weapons. “I believe I have seen drawings of something like this in the ancient archives. We’ll have to send the archivist on a search through the library. I don’t recall at the moment where I saw it, but I do know it was there somewhere. The trident shape intrigued me when I was a lad.”

Roland was less pleased with the news from the north. Nico introduced the topic, then let the twins give their report, with some input from Josie.

“I need to talk to Lana about this,” Roland thought aloud as the twins finished speaking.

“That’s what I thought,” Riki agreed. “She knows more about the Northlands than anyone.”

“For now, I suggest we adjourn to the main hall for dinner, then spend the night here. I deemed Shanya’s vision reliable enough to recall our brothers to the palace. We’ll fly there tomorrow for a reunion, strategy session and celebration. You’ll have a full-blown wedding feast to attend by the time we arrive. You had best prepare Josie for what to expect.” Roland winked and led the way out of the chamber, into the large hallway that was big enough to accommodate two dragons walking side by side.

“What did he mean by that? What’s to prepare?” Josie grew concerned as she walked between her mates.

“Do you dance, Josie?” Darius asked with a twinkling smile.

“Yes. Most shifters like to dance.”

“That’s good,” Connor took her hand in his as they walked along behind Roland, Nico and Riki, with Hal, Jures and Candis bringing up the rear. “Part of the traditional wedding feast is a series of dances. We’ll explain them to you tonight…in our room.”

From the banked flames in his eyes, Josie suspected the dances were more risqué than formal.

“I’ll look forward to it.” She squeezed his hand as he led her into another chamber. This one was huge, and full of people. A cheer went up as Roland strode into the room and many of the men bowed and smiled at the royal party.

“Are all these men knights?” There had to be well over a hundred brawny men in the room and maybe two or three dozen women scattered around among them.

“Yes. The Northern Lair houses about two hundred dragons and their knights,” Hal answered from behind. She could hear the pride in his voice as he talked about his home. “We have quite a few families with youngsters—both children and dragonets—as well. The men are knights, the women you see are each partnered with a pair of knights and any youngsters are members of those families.”

“Sadly, we have many single knights as well,” Jures added.

“Why is that sad? I’d think any woman would jump at the chance to marry a knight and live here with all these wonderful dragons.” Her answer drew smiles that brimmed with approval, but she still didn’t understand.

“It’s good you feel that way. Many women are afraid of the dragons and lack the ability to bespeak them. It is a rare female that can live among knights and dragons,” Connor said.

“And a rare woman who won’t mind when the dragon side of the family gets frisky,” Darius put in with a sly grin.

“What do you mean?” There was something she was missing here.

“The dragons bond on a very deep level with their knight partners. In fact, dragons are not allowed to mate until the knights who partner with the dragon pair have found a woman willing to marry them,” Connor clarified. “You see, if the dragons were to mate before their knights had a woman of their own to love, the need inspired by the dragon’s lovelust would drive them mad. At such times, only a passionate encounter that mirror’s the dragons’ mating flight will do, and only with a woman the knights both love. Love is at the heart of such partnerships and only a true and abiding love can share in the magic of a dragon mating flight.”

“So anytime the dragons in the family have sex, the knights and their wife have to follow suit?” That sounded potentially inconvenient to Josie. “What if they’re in the middle of something else?”

Darius burst out laughing. “Many’s a time I’ve seen newlyweds running half-dressed through the halls of the Castle Lair, racing to get to their mate in time.”

Chapter Ten

Later that night, when they returned to their room, it was clear someone had been there. Items appeared that hadn’t been there before. Connor took a bundle of cloth from the bed with a huge grin and placed it in Josie’s hands.

“What’s this for?” She held up the odd bits of clothing he’d handed her.

“We’re going to walk you through some of the dances you’ll be expected to perform with us tomorrow.” Connor seemed perfectly serious, but she could feel the purr of excitement simmering just below the surface. “Candis loaned us this for now, but I’m sure there will be fancier clothing waiting for you at the castle. Shanya is probably ordering it made, based on her visions of the future.”

Josie was intrigued again by talk of this girl who saw the future, but the jealousy had passed. She was secure in her feelings for her mates, and secure in her knowledge of their love.

“Put that on, and we’ll start the lessons.” Darius came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and placing a quick nibble in the crook of her neck that made her squirm. “The sooner we get started, the sooner we get to fuck.”

“Darius!” She slapped at his arms and scooted away from him in mock outrage. In truth, she didn’t want to wait any longer to have them inside her. This dancing thing had better be simple. She didn’t have the patience to learn anything complicated at the moment.

She dressed quickly, wanting to get this over with. When she turned, she realized that both of her men were watching her. They’d removed some of their clothing. It wasn’t enough. She wanted them naked. Now.

Dancing first, she reminded herself. She had to learn this stuff or she might look like a fool tomorrow in front of their family and half the kingdom. She owed it to them to make an effort. She didn’t want to shame them or make a bad first impression on the people among whom she’d be living.

Josie forgot her annoyance after the first few minutes of the lessons. The dances were like nothing Josie had ever seen before. They were designed for three partners and involved a lot of touching, a lot of bumping and grinding that perfectly matched her mood. Each round grew progressively more daring and involved the removal of clothing until they were each clad in only thin strips of cloth and leather. It devolved from there into a Bacchanalian kind of encounter that left her breathless.

“Don’t tell me we’re going to be making love in front of everyone?” Her voice was a husky whisper as the twins held her between them. All three were naked and sliding skin on skin, torturing her with the hard contours of their bodies against hers. Darius was in front, Connor behind, teasing her with long strokes of their hands, their rough skin against her.

“No, love,” Connor breathed into her ear, making her shiver with need. “The public part of the dancing ended a while back. This is the part we’ll be doing in private, in the bower they’ll have set up just for us.”

“Thank the Lady for that.” She dragged his mouth closer so she could kiss him.

When Connor broke off, Darius turned her head and captured her lips with his. The kiss went on and on while Connor’s hands stroked down her back and into the crack of her ass. He touched lightly, then his hand went elsewhere for a few moments, only to return coated in something warm and slippery. She purred when he began to prepare her back entrance. Whatever he was using made her temperature spike and her need rise to an unbelievable height.

She reached back, clutching his ass with one hand and squeezing until he grunted and nipped her shoulder.

“No more teasing. I need you both!” Her demand was met by growls of approval as Darius picked her up and carried her to the decadently large bed. No doubt about it, this bed was made for three.

Connor took her from his brother and turned her on her side, positioning her body just the way he wanted. She was too far gone to complain. In fact, she would have applauded his take-charge attitude if she’d been able to do more than moan in ecstasy when he slid into her from behind.

Darius lay in front of her, watching his brother’s claiming with a heated expression.

“How does that feel, love?” Darius asked. “Does he make you burn?”

“So good…” she managed to get out before Connor began to move. His rhythm destroyed her sense and turned her into a quivering mass of feelings. That’s when Darius struck.

He suckled her breast with hard lips, using his tongue in an almost-rough motion that set her on fire. He switched to the other side, using his fingers to pinch the wet nipple just hard enough to make her squeal with delight. He knew just how far to push her. Just how far to torment her responsive body.

“I need you, Darius. I need both of you,” she panted as Connor picked up his languid pace.

Darius slid closer with a grin. “As I need you, my love.” He fit his body to hers, coordinating with his twin. Connor held still while Darius entered her, carefully testing her receptiveness until he was certain she was with them. She loved the way they were so careful with her at all times. Even when things got a little rough, she could always trust them not to hurt her.

“Move. Please. Move.” She needed them to come, to push her over the edge, to bring them all to ecstasy.

Darius growled as he complied, setting a harsher pace with Connor’s full cooperation. She loved the way they worked in tandem.

One stroked inward as the other pulled out. She was never free of the sensation of thick cock filling her. Just the way she liked it. The way she needed. The way she was coming to crave.

A little more. That’s all she needed. A little more and she’d be over the ledge, over the edge, into the oblivion she’d found only with her mates.

“Darius,” she pleaded, tears in her voice, on her face. She gripped Connor’s hand where he clutched her hip. “Connor,” she whispered as the twins sped their pace. She moaned as the passion rose between them, enveloping them in a fog of desire.

“Now, baby.” Darius rested his forehead against hers as the tide broke over her. She came with a strangled cry, feeling her mates join her a split second later. Together, the three of them spiraled to the highest point, riding the wind currents down. Slowly. Their pleasure lasting an eternity that blended into blissful sleep.

When Josie woke again, it was just after dawn. Someone had taken care of her in the night, bathing her and slipping her beneath the blankets. Darius and Connor were gone from the bed. The fading warmth on either side of her told her they hadn’t been gone long.

She got up, slipped on a borrowed robe that lay at the foot of the bed and went in search of her mates.

The sound of running water drew her to a side chamber. Inside, she found Connor, bending over a huge stone tub that was rapidly filling with water. He looked up and smiled when he caught sight of her in the doorway.

“Good morrow, my love. I was just preparing a bath for you.”

She stepped into the stone chamber, intrigued by the amenities. It was an honest to goodness bathroom, but instead of porcelain fixtures, everything was carved from stone and polished to a high gloss.

“This is really beautiful.” She ran her fingers along a countertop that had a border of leaves and vines carved around it.

Connor shrugged. “It’s not as fancy as the bathing chambers you’ll find at the Castle Lair, but it’ll do. I’m glad you like it.”

“And there’s hot and cold running water?” She joined him by the rustic-looking tap mechanism.

“Cold, for certain. Hot is a little harder to manage in this climate without a dragon’s help. Luckily, you have two dragons at your beck and call.” He grinned as he leaned in to kiss her lightly.

“No time for that.” Darius bustled into the room. “Rol’s got us on a tight schedule. He wants to be back at the castle by mid-day. We have just enough time to bathe and break our fast.” Darius stripped as she watched, enjoying the view.

He dipped a toe into the giant tub and pulled right back out, making a face at his twin.

“You didn’t even heat it yet? Come on, Con,” Darius chastised his brother even as he reached out with one hand and touched the surface of the water. Within seconds, steam began to rise from the deep tub, wafting into the air with aromatic freshness.

“Now you.” Connor lifted her to her feet and slid the robe off her shoulders before pushing her into the steaming water.

Much to her disappointment, the boys really did mean it when they said they didn’t have time for much more than bathing and breakfast. Though they didn’t rush her out of the deliciously warm water, they also didn’t allow themselves to get too distracted, not matter how much she wanted to play. Well, not much anyway.

They dressed and rushed out of the borrowed suite at a fast clip. Josie was starting to get to know her way around the Lair and knew when they hit the main hallway that led to the great hall where they’d had dinner the night before. The arrangements for breakfast were a lot less formal and Roland, Nico and Riki were there before them.