The sound of blades whirling, cut the air above us like a knife hacking through a piñata. Avery’s arms around me tightened. Seven black helicopters moved towards us, black omens of what was to come.

“Sophia’s here. And she brought Andre.”

“Who’s Andre?”

“Her boss. He’s pretty much The Authority, as far as we’re concerned.” Avery looked at me. “She must really hate you.”

My stomach tightened, but I steeled myself. “I’ll give her a reason to hate me, alright.”

We were in a paradise; an island in the middle of a beautiful lake in the mountains of Hawaii, and their intrusion on our happy reunion was unwelcome. We’d just found Emma and her family, and discovered that if I mated with my dragon guys, I could have dragon babies. This was the best freaking news ever because it meant I was allowed to be with them. Their race was dwindling, and the team had been brought together to try to help the race create more dragons.

And now, we were being punished for accidentally destroying a book of magic. A freaking book for heaven’s sake. We had been in the middle of being attacked, I think they should cut us some slack. I rolled my eyes as we walked to meet the rest of my guys, along with Emma and her family.

Soldiers jumped out of the helicopters like small rows of ants, each moving in sharp, disciplined steps. And each was armed with a cattle prod. Except a cattle prod for dragons.

What in the actual hell.

Sophia stepped out of the helicopter, a flash of red in a sea of black military uniforms. Her sharp eyes scanned over the guys, her eyes lingering on Hunter a moment longer than the rest, and then they moved over to Emma. Her eyes hardened when she saw her, but she said nothing.

Sophia was still wearing her red fuck-me pumps and they sank into the grass as she walked. It didn’t deter her, though, she walked through the groups of special ops like it was second nature, following behind Andre without pausing. When she saw me, her lip twisted up in a sneer and I moved towards her, clasping my hands tight to my sides.

Andre saw me approach. “Is this the wolf?” His uniform was black and ironed in crisp lines. I expected rows of colorful pins and badges pinned across his chest, but his uniform was bare except for a simple pin: round, with an 'A' slashed across it. Somehow, that made him even more intimidating. He moved in measured, forceful steps, decisively and in control.

Sophia nodded. “Yes. This is the wolf.”

He extended his hand. “My name is Andre Douglass. I’m the commander-in-charge here.” He frowned and his dark grey, bushy eyebrows furrowed deeply. They reminded me of caterpillars. “Emma here has disobeyed the orders given her by the Queen.”

He looked up at Emma; she was facing him with her arms folded across her chest, her face red and angry.

“Now she must face the penalty. It’s for the safety of the kingdom, of course.”

“What the hell are you talking about? Sophia gave us permission to look for them.”

“You were given permission to look for them but the Queen never gave Emma the authority to reveal herself or her family.”

Emma marched forward; her wolf power brushed against mine and it made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. “What have you done to Will?”

Andre raised his eyebrows. “Will?”

She growled. “You know full well who Will is. You banished us here to live in seclusion.” She glanced at her son, Landon, who was standing protectively beside her, a scowl on his face. “You made me raise my sons without any contact with the rest of the world, all because you couldn’t give me up. Do you understand how hard it is for a wolf to live without a pack?” She stepped into Andre’s personal space and his eyes betrayed a mixture of pain and laughter. “You would never forget Will, he’s handsome, smart, and twice the man you are.”

Andre’s hand snapped to her neck, not squeezing it but the threat was there. “You forget your place, dog.”

Landon stepped forward, his hands already transforming into green, scaled claws. Sophia put her hand to his chest, stopping him, and a soldier stepped towards them. You could clearly hear the zapping sound of electricity charging. Landon met Sophia’s eyes and I could see the dead set of darkness swirling in them. She almost looked afraid.

“Step back.” Her voice held authority but she looked away when she said it.

Andre glanced at Landon. “Just behave Emma, like a good little pet. You wouldn’t want anything to happen to your sons, would you?”

The thought that we’d brought this upon Emma burned through my stomach and I couldn’t hold back any longer. I looked at Sophia. “Did you know they were here?”

Her steely eyes glared at me. “Of course not.”

I looked at Andre, who was stroking Emma’s neck with his thumb. What an asshole. “Did you think that Easton wouldn’t find them?”

Andre let go of her neck and she visibly relaxed. He wiped his hand on his pants and then strode towards the helicopter. “Everyone pack up, we’re bringing them with us for a tribunal.”

“What the hell? It’s not Emma’s fault; it’s our fault.” My wolf came alive, causing my eyes to flash a bright yellow, and power pulsed through my body. “You told us to look for her; she was forced out of hiding.”

Andre kept on walking. “I may have underestimated Easton’s abilities a tad much.” He turned towards me, walking backwards with a grin on his face, his eyes roaming over my body. “He must really have been driven to find them; I can definitely understand his motivation.”

I put my hands across my chest and Avery’s hand was on my arm, his voice low. “Just shut up.”

There was no way in hell I was going to let this fly. “You can’t dictate their lives; they are free to live and love whom they wish. Just because you’re a wrinkly, craggy old man who thrives on putting others down doesn’t mean you can tell them what to do.”

Avery’s hand tightened on my arm. “Shut your mouth now, Elizabeth.”

Andre stopped and suddenly Hunter was on the other side of me, pressing into my arm. His dragon power moved through my body, strengthening me. His arms were by his side, ready to shift if necessary.

Andre’s dead eyes stopped on me and goosebumps ran up my back. Every instinct inside me told me to shut up, that this man was dangerous, but I couldn’t stop.

“You can’t banish people to live in the middle of nowhere just because you want to. This is the freaking United States, where people have the right to live where they want.”

His eyes narrowed on mine and he moved slowly towards me. Christian moved behind me.

“I’m fully informed of your situation, Elizabeth. You are probably upset at the loss of your parents and having a close member of your pack rip what you thought would be yours away from you.” His lip lifted up in a sneer. “I’m going to give you some leniency because you aren’t aware of our way of living. There are no borders that hold us, we live under no government except our own. William was a high-ranking member of the royal family and it was his duty to mate with a pureblood dragon, not some sleazy wolf.”

“A wolf that you loved.”

He shrugged. “I may have had feelings for her once. But she was a wolf and I would’ve never lowered myself to mate with her.”

“Then why were you stroking her neck like you want to screw her right here on the patio floor?”

Easton stepped into my line of sight. “Elizabeth!”

I moved to the side, jerking Avery’s hand off of my arm so that I could see Andre. “Admit it. She didn’t choose you and that’s why you were so pissed off. That’s the real reason why you banished her. And that’s why you’re making her suffer now. She shunned you and you couldn’t accept that. Not a man of your position.”

“Actually, back then I was a nothing, just a member of the guard. And that’s why Emma rejected me. Oh no, William was royalty, he was someone special. She is nothing but an opportunist.”

“She’s been nothing but nice to us; if she really wanted a lavish lifestyle, she’d have left here by now.”

“Is that what you think?” He began to move towards me, not clipped or measured steps like before, but in jerky motions like he was beginning to unravel. His eyes narrowed on me like a tiger focused its prey.

Growling, Hunter stepped back up behind me again, pressing tightly into my back. Christian was right next to him and their dragon power pulsed through me. I felt charged with electricity.

The rational side of my brain was screaming at me to shut up, to follow orders or be annihilated but the wolf inside me was roaring, scrambling to come out to shred this guy to pieces, to protect Emma and her family. It was my fault that they were in trouble.

I sneered. “What, you used your pain to push yourself to advance through the ranks to become a mean, spiteful asshole. So that by the time you found out she was pregnant you had enough power to destroy her life forever? Why couldn’t you just move on already?”

Easton growled now, his voice a low warning. “Elizabeth, enough.” I couldn’t tell if he was ashamed of me or if he was just trying to protect me. I’d reached the point of no return; I wouldn’t stand by and let him ruin their lives again.

Andre was right in front of me now, his face was twisted in rage, and I had to look up to meet his eyes. “You’re just a little girl from a little pack in the back woods of Tennessee. You know nothing of politics or power and if you have any sense of preservation, you’ll shut your tiny little mouth right now before I cut your tongue out.”

I leaned forward and Avery’s hand was on my arm again, pulling me away. Ignoring him, I pushed forward so that I was almost touching Andre. “At least my parents taught me how to treat those under my command. I can guess that yours weren’t that great.”

Suddenly my arm was behind my back, along with Andre, and he was pulling it up so harshly that it almost popped out of its socket.

Both Hunter and Christian were on either side of him, so close that their breath was on his neck. The dragon magic from my guys surged through my body. Both of them were growling at Andre. My own magic charged through me and fur sprouted on my hands and shoulders.

I growled. “Let me go, asshole.”

His body pressed against mine, his breath on my ear as he spoke. “That’s the second time you’ve called me an asshole. And it will be your last.” He paused, holding his breath. “I’m being very patient with you. But this will be your last warning. Shut your fucking mouth and recognize the chain of command. You may have been high up in your little pond, but your little redneck pack means nothing here. You have no power over me. Surely your parents taught you to respect those in the chain higher than you.”

I growled, ready to spit out a response but then Avery was in my face, touching my cheek. “Lizzy.” His words caught me off guard. That is what Aaron used to call me. I blinked my eyes and looked at him. “Everything will be okay. And maybe this is for the best. They can come out in the open now; they’ll have a tribunal and I’m sure with the new information that she produced dragons, that they’ll release them.”

I wanted to argue with him, I wanted to smash Andre in the face because he was still pushing on my arm and it was killing me. I wanted to tell them that I didn’t trust Andre, he would find a way to punish them. But the look in Avery’s eyes made me shut my mouth. They were soft and worried, pleading with me to calm down. He’d already lost one woman he loved; he didn’t want to lose another one.

I looked to Emma who was staring at me with a mixture of respect and fear. Not fear of me but fear for me. I realized that my guys and Emma knew Andre. If they were afraid for me, then they knew what he was capable of.

Avery’s touch on my cheek was soothing; and I let it calm me down.

His eyes probed mine. “Let’s just let the process work.”

I nodded and Avery looked up at Andre. “Let her go.”

“You’d better make sure she stays out of my way.” Andre let me go and my arm flopped forward, aching. Christian rubbed my shoulder, then he pulled me to him. I sighed, releasing my tension into him and he took it, filling me with strength with his powers. Both Avery and Hunter stood in front of Christian and me, blocking Andre’s body with theirs.

Andre moved towards the helicopters and the pilot started up the engine. “Let’s move out.”

Sophia stepped forward. “Are you sure? What about—”

He moved his hand through the air, cutting her off. “Just follow orders, Ms. Sorensen.”

She stopped, her mouth still open. Emma began to walk towards the helicopters, calling out for her sons to follow her. Their faces reflected their anger but they didn’t protest. The soldiers surrounded them; they really had no choice. I fumed silently, my feelings mixed between the peace that Christian gave me and my desire to punch someone’s lights out.

Sophia looked at me and her eyes darkened. “You, too. All of you.”

Hunter moved towards her. “Under what orders? We need to return to the house, to collect our things.”

“We’ve already arranged for everything. Anything important is already packed up and being transported.”

“What about the cat?”

She raised her eyebrows, an expression of hurt on her face. “I would never hurt an animal. You should know that.”

Hunter turned away, his face a mask of calm but I sensed the rage boiling underneath.

Sophia walked towards the helicopter. “Make sure you bring the book with you. We’ll have to determine how badly you’ve damaged it and what your punishment will be.”

* * *

I ended up with the book and I clasped it tightly to my chest as the helicopter lifted off the ground. Sophia left with Andre while Emma and her family were escorted to other helicopters. Soldiers moved towards the Cthulhu’s nest, after assuring Emma that Daisy would be well taken care of.

Christian climbed in the front of the helicopter while I sat in the back with Avery, Hunter, and Easton. As soon as we were in the air, Easton pulled me close and, grasping his hand over my head, yelled into my ear.

“The last time I saw Andre, he shifted just his hands into dragon claws and ripped someone’s head off. If you’d have forced us to defend you against him, we’d be in a shitload of trouble right now.” He paused and his eyes stared into me. Something about the way he looked at me went right into the heart of me, to the essence of my soul, making me feel vulnerable. “Because we will defend you to the death, Elizabeth. So don’t ever do that again! Not with Andre, anyway.”

I nodded, realizing that he was afraid for me.

Then he smirked. “But you can talk to Sophia that way if you want.”

Not waiting for me to respond, he pressed me to his chest, gripping me tight, and I leaned into him. He was shaking. I stroked his arm and we moved through the air towards their home. I remembered that he didn’t like flying, so I pushed my fingers through his and squeezed them. He didn’t look at me but gripped my hand for several hours before he began to relax.

It took two days to travel, with stops to pick up food and to stretch our legs. We picked up another pilot who took the control and Christian squeezed in the back with us.

When the new pilot saw me, his eyebrows shot up. “Well, hello there. And who are you?”

Hunter and Christian growled. Easton leaned forward, blocking his view. “Just fly this thing, alright?”

The pilot threw his hands up in surrender. “Alright, okay. Just wondering.” Then Easton kept his arm around me the rest of the way as I listened to the thrum of his erratic heartbeat. I stroked his palm, trying to calm him. After the pilots switched seats again and another glorious sunset, I fell asleep again, with both Hunter and Easton’s head on my shoulder.

When I awoke, snow drifted around us and I jerked up. The sun was coming up and the other guys were already awake.

“Where are we?”

Easton leaned in so I could hear him. “We’re almost home. Aerwyna.”

“Aerwyna.” I felt the name of their home on my lips. It was so strange to think that a whole country existed that I never knew about. Then a strange and powerful magic moved through my body, causing the hair on my arms to stand on end. It took us a few minutes to move through the borders of Aerwyna and my wolf was on high alert. The guys weren’t troubled, though, so I told myself to stay calm. As soon as we pushed through it, I took in a sharp breath, shrugging the magic off me.

“Where exactly is Aerwyna?”

“In between Denmark and Sweden.”

I stared at them, not understanding. “But you all speak English.”

Easton shrugged. “We were colonized by the British. And we all travel around the world, even while we’re young. A lot of us actually grow up in the United States.”

Hunter leaned over me. “Actually we grow up watching too much American tv.”

“What? You mean, you actually have tv in this magical place of yours?”

Grinning, he raised his eyebrows mysteriously. “You’d be surprised what kind of modern stuff we have there. We even have a machine that washes your dishes and everything.”

“Oh, shoot, I won’t get to watch your ass while you do them anymore.”

Smiling, I glanced out at the snow, realizing that we were surrounded by mountains. It was stunning. Avery stared out the window, hugging his blanket up to his neck. I wondered if he was thinking about Mia. I reached out and squeezed his knee.

He didn’t look at me but squeezed my hand back. Then put it back under his blanket.

I leaned forward, and tugged at the pilot. “Where are you taking us?”

He glanced back at me, and I saw that his brown eyes were soft and his hand was stiff on the controller. He probably needed a break too.

“I’ve been given instructions to take you to wherever you request after we arrive. You’ll be contacted through the Queen’s emissaries when to meet with her.”

I lay back, suddenly feeling very nervous.

* * *

As we neared their home, the group of helicopters separated. Ours landed in an open field and had a car waiting for us. Hunter instructed the driver to take us to his apartment. As soon as we pulled up to his building, the night lit up with flashing lights. There was a crowd of reporters waiting for us.

“Crap.” Easton stepped out of the car first. He pushed back the mob of people crowded around the car. A middle-aged man with a large gut stepped in front of Easton, flashing his camera, but Easton grabbed the camera and tossed it over his shoulder.

“Hey!” The photographer pushed at Easton to get to his camera but Easton was immovable. When we were all out of the car, Easton pushed forward, parting the horde like Moses and the Red Sea.

I’d never been in front of so many reporters before; it was a shock to me to hear them reporting about shifting right in front of the cameras. It was such a contrast to the secret lifestyle we lived in the United States, where here they were open about their magic and shifting.

A microphone was shoved into my face. “Did you kill Emily Carolyn? Was it you that bombed her house?”

My mouth dropped open. “No, I didn’t.” Who was Emily Carolyn? What was going on?

“Excuse me. Please let us pass.” Christian tried to push the guy away but now the microphone was shoved in his face. “Did you help bring the terrorist wolf in and were you surprised that she was a woman.”

Terrorist?

Loosing his patience, Christian growled; his voice was low and menacing. “I asked you politely to move. Now, get out of the way.” Not waiting for the guy to react, his hand shot out, pushing the reporter to the side. Then he put his hand on my back, firmly encouraging me forward.

I had trouble making my way through the row of people, the crowd pushing at us was so intense. Avery held his hand at my elbow while Christian pushed at my back. Easton, still parted the crowd with his body.

Hunter was being bombarded with questions and requests for photos. Some of them were serious reporters who wanted to know how Larsen Enterprises had connections to bringing in a wolf. Others were gossip reporters, inquiring as to who he was wearing and how long he’d be in town. There were a couple of young gushing girls, asking to take a selfie with him.

All around me, words buzzed through my mind.

“How does it feel to bring in a killer?”

“It’s rumored that Andre Douglass has brought in a mysterious woman who seems to be a wolf. And now she’s to meet with the Queen behind closed doors tonight. Is she part of a larger group of terrorist wolves, or is she working by herself? And why is she with Hunter Larsen? Does his corporation have anything to do with bringing her in?”

“Hunter, looking dashingly ragged in jeans and a t-shirt has just arrived home after being gone for several weeks. Joined by three other friends, Avery Madsen, Easton Olsen and Christian Poulsen, all known to regularly party with Hunter, will all be meeting with the Queen tonight. The unexpected turn of events is that they have brought a wolf with them. Is she Hunter’s new play kitten or…”

My chest grew tight and I couldn’t breathe. Why did they automatically assume that I was a terrorist? Either that or Hunter’s sex toy. Was it so rare that a wolf was brought here? I paused and bent over, my hand to my chest and tried to take in a deep breath.

Suddenly the media was abuzz with news that I was having a hard time breathing and I wanted to barf. It landing all over their faces would be a nice cherry on top.

“No comment.” Hunter shoved aside the microphone and moved towards me. Avery grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the door.

All the guys were beside me when suddenly the doors opened from the inside and Avery whisked me indoors.

* * *

The silence of the reporters as soon as the doors closed was immediately calming.

A man with a sharp suit and grey hair was standing by the door. “Sir, I asked them to leave but of course, they don’t listen to me.”

Hunter pat his shoulder. “It’s alright, I know you tried.”

Then Hunter turned to me. “I’m sorry, I should have told you. The media tends to blow up everything around here.”

I nodded. “That’s not so different from back home. I’m just not used to being the one that they blow up at. Where the heck did they get the idea that I was a terrorist.”

“Wolves are always portrayed as terrorists.” He frowned. “I should have guessed. My dad’s money and influence always created a spotlight on Riley and me. I should’ve guessed they would be here.”

Avery scowled. “It’s not just that. They knew Elizabeth was going to be here.”

Hunter’s eyebrows shot up. “You don’t think that…”

Avery nodded. “Either the Queen, Andre or Sophia told them.”

Easton and Christian frowned, and Christian’s fingers tightened around my arm. “If Sophia’s the one who leaked this story to the media, I’m going to kill her.”

All the guys nodded and their determination to protect me fizzled the pressure built up inside me. I was safe with them. Christian looked into my face. “Are you okay?”

I nodded, grinning. “Next time I’ll be better prepared. I’ll just show them my boobies, that’ll give them something to talk about. Then they won’t call me a terrorist anymore.”

He grinned, but Hunter growled. “You’d better not.”

We entered the elevator and went up. All the way up to the penthouse.

As soon as I entered Hunter’s apartment, I knew I was home. It just felt like I belonged here. It covered half the top floor, with high ceilings and beautiful trim molding across the whole apartment. It had a warm manly feeling, with exposed brick walls and a mixture of wood furniture and fur rugs that swept across dark hardwood floors.

A girly scream hit my ears and a slender woman with long legs and a head of soft purple hair ran towards us, her arms outstretched. “Brother!”

She jumped in the air and Hunter caught her. She wrapped her legs and arms around him, squeezing him tight and I caught the look of absolute happiness on his face.

Then she slid her legs back down and winked at Christian, who blushed. “Hey babe.”

I held in my growl. He was not her babe. But Hunter had already told me that his younger sister was good friends with the guys, so I knew I shouldn’t feel possessive. Although I was finding it hard not to feel that way.

She gave the rest of the guys a solid, but sisterly, hug and they moved wearily towards the high-ceilinged living room. “I saw the media out there.” She narrowed her eyes at Hunter. “If you’d had your phone on, I could’ve warned you.”

He shrugged. “We made it okay. Easton just barreled through everyone.”

Christian threw his bag on the floor and collapsed on the couch, resting his head on the back of it and closed his eyes. I took off my coat and Hunter put it in the coat closet. Avery took off his shoes and fell across from Christian, then put his legs in Christian’s lap. Christian closed his hands over Avery's feet and, at Avery's insistence, began to massage Avery’s feet.

Easton didn’t bother to settle on the other couch but, after grabbing a sofa pillow, laid on the floor with his head on the pillow. Then he put his arm over his eyes and tried to fall asleep. They all seemed very familiar with Hunter’s place.

“Make yourself at home guys, why don’t you?” She paused. “You guys look tired. You know I have a huge bed we can all share!”

I froze. If anyone was sharing a bed with the guys, it was me. But I was determined to play nice with Hunter’s sister, so I played it cool. It wouldn’t do to smash Hunter’s baby sister’s face into the counter upon just meeting her. Besides, I wasn’t that kind of gal anyway. I wasn’t down with a guy who wasn’t down with me.

She looked at me with a smirk and I suddenly understood she was testing me.

The revelation didn’t bother me. In fact, it made me like her more. I acted the same way around some of the guys in my pack when I met their girlfriends. But I only did it because I loved them like family.

She turned towards me, taking me in. “Let me check out this new woman. See if she’s good enough for my brother.”

I suddenly felt very self-conscious and gripped the spell book to my chest as if it could protect me. I smiled. “Hi.”

She didn’t answer but walked around me, running her hand across my shoulders, then over my head, causing my hair to flop into my face. I’m sure I looked amazing; I’d just spent several days hiking, then two days in a helicopter, with only one real shower during that whole time.

“Riley.” Hunter’s voice was impatient and he pulled my hair out of my face. I smiled at him to let him know that it didn’t bother me. She took a few steps backward and put her pinky finger to her lips, watching the interaction between Hunter and me. I stepped forward.

“I’m Elizabeth.”

She frowned. “Oh no, I know your real name.”

I stopped, confused. “Huh?”

She fluffed her dress, which was a soft pink with flowers on it; she looked dressed for spring even though there was snow outside. “Oh yes, Hunter told me.”

I looked at him for help; his cheeks were glowing pink. My eyes widened. I’d never seen Hunter embarrassed before. “Hunter, what did you tell her? Have you been talking about me?”

She crossed back towards me. “Oh yeah, he wouldn’t stop talking about you. ‘Princess’ this and ‘Princess’ that. Gawd, it was annoying.”

She winked at me and now his face was a bright red. Suddenly her arms were around me, squeezing me and, surprised, I hugged her back. Then she pulled away and began to skip across the room.

“I like her, Hunter. I give you my approval.” She stopped next to Easton and crumpled to the floor next to him. “So, did you see the new 2100 XLR? I got mine two weeks ago.”

He opened his eyes. “Two weeks ago? I thought they didn’t come out for nine weeks.”

She smiled broadly. “I may have a connection or two.”

He laughed and the sound of it amazed me. She must be a hell of a woman for Easton to be so relaxed around her. He turned on his side and closed his eyes, but put his arm around her and pulled her closer. She didn’t react but just kept talking about nerd computer stuff, moving her hands animatedly. Easton didn’t say much, except to grunt but it didn’t deter her from talking his ear off.

Hunter touched my arm and pulled me into an embrace.

“So, you’ve been telling your sister about me.”

He smiled and brushed his nose over mine. “Of course. I told you, you’re here to stay. You’re a part of my life now.”

I felt a warm glow in my chest. “So, what now?”

“We wait for the Queen to make contact. Who knows when that will be.” He grabbed my hand and led me to the empty couch. I gently put the book on the table next to it, then he sat down, pulling me with him. He put his arm around my neck and pulled me close to lay against his chest. I pulled my fingers through his and held them there.

He cleared his throat and Riley stopped mid-sentence.

“We’re going to stay here until we’re called in to meet with the Queen. Then go to one of the houses, so that Elizabeth can keep training. We can use one with more bedrooms.” His thumb circled the palm of my hand.

Easton called from the floor. “I don’t mind sleeping on your floor. Your rugs are more comfy than some of the dirt floors I’ve slept on. Besides, I’ll just kick Avery and Christian off the couch later.”

Growling, Avery spread out even wider on the couch. “You could try.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t even have to try. You’re too small to be a match for me.”

“Funny. That’s what your last girlfriend told me.”

Easton punched Avery’s leg, who, grinning and rubbing his leg, stood up and went to the kitchen. He opened cupboards and began to rummage around inside.

Christian sat up and nodded at Hunter. “Sounds good, boss man.”

Hunter shoved at Easton’s shoulder with his foot. “Easton?”

Easton shrugged. “Okay by me.”

Avery walked back in with a box of donuts, staring at Hunter’s arm around me. Suddenly, he threw the box of donuts on the coffee table and strode towards me, a look of determination on his face.

I sat forward, feeling the intensity of his gaze, knowing that this was about me. He stopped right next to me and I looked up towards him.

“Hunter, I know that right now you’re staking your claim on Elizabeth and all that but I just have to make things clear.” He leaned over and pulled my chin up, then pressed his lips on mine, enveloping me in a kiss.

I stilled for a second, surprised, then a soft sigh escaped my lips as heat rushed through me. Giving in to my feelings, I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him back. I was so aware of everyone staring at us yet, I couldn’t stop. No one knew exactly what went on between him and me at the waterfalls and so I wanted them, and Avery, to know that I had feelings for him. Then Avery pulled back, a smirk on his face and I grinned.

He leaned over to look at Hunter with a serious stare. “I want Elizabeth just as much as you do and,” he paused and swallowed hard, “you know how much that means to me.”

No one had to say it, everyone knew that he hadn’t had feelings for anyone else since Mia. Hunter nodded and Avery went back to the coffee table and grabbed the box of donuts.

“Well, okay then.” Riley pulled herself out from under Easton’s arm and sat up, reaching for the donuts Avery offered her. She chucked one at me and it hit me squarely in the face. “Damn woman, you’re such a whore.”

I turned to her, surprised, but she laughed. Her laugh lit up her whole face and she winked at me.

“Don’t worry. I’m not sure about where you’re from but it’s normal for dudes to share women here.” She plugged her nose, getting powdered sugar all over it, and spoke in a high pitched voice. “As purebloods, we must do our duty to reproduce the dragon race.”

I laughed, taking a bite of the donut. “Is that what the Queen sounds like?”

Nodding, she turned to Easton, a grin on her face. “Look, Easton, she thinks I’m funny.” She faced Hunter. “Oh I do like this one.”

“Me, too.” Hunter pulled me back towards him and I rested against his chest. Then he took the donut in my lap and chucked it at Avery who was slouched on the couch next to Christian. I smiled at their bromance.

“Except everyone has to abide by rule number one: make-out sessions are in the back room.”

Avery wiggled his eyebrows. “Oh, I plan on it.”

I blushed. “Gah, shut it guys.”

Riley chucked another donut at me and this time I caught it.

“I’m throwing these at you because,” her voice got louder, “Avery was so rude and didn’t offer you any.”

I smiled. “Thanks.” Then I bit into it and offered the rest to Hunter. He took it from my hand and tossed it into his mouth.

“Hey,” Riley protested. “That was for you. Not my nerdy brother.”

I grinned. “I’m pretty sure you’re the nerd of the group. Well, you and Easton.”

She smiled. I think she liked being called a nerd. “Just remember, Elizabeth,” her voice was serious, “it’s your choice. You don’t have to pick them all. But if you do, you’ll have to fuck them all.” She leaned forward, staring into my eyes with a mischievous grin. “Every single one.”

A shiver went up my spine and the sides of my lips twisted up. I’d always seemed to want more sexually than Aaron. Maybe a whole harem of men was what I needed.

Hunter kicked at her with his foot. “Shut up, Riley.”

Easton’s arm snaked around her waist again. “Yeah, shut up, baby sis.”

She fell over as he pulled her close. “Ohhh, does Easton have a crush too?”

“I think we all do, Riley.” His voice lowered to a whisper. “Don’t let her know she has a choice in the matter.”

There was something about being in Easton’s home country, or maybe just being here with Riley, that showed a different side to him. He seemed more relaxed. Happier.

Riley snorted but then settled on the floor next to him. “Oh, I think she knows.” Then she glanced at me, winking.

The rest of the powdered sugar melted on my tongue and I squirmed a bit in my seat, considering what Easton had just said. No one acted like it was a big deal and honestly, I was hoping that if I couldn’t make a choice between the guys, it wouldn’t be.

There was an undeniable bond between us, one that had been created in the cabin the first night that I shifted. And it was going to take a lot for anyone to take any of these men away from me.

Then Hunter moved me forward, pushing me off the couch, so I stood.

He held his hand towards me. “I think you need a tour of the apartment. Then maybe we can clean up?”

I nodded and he took my hand, then pulled me towards the kitchen, amidst the whistles and immature sniggers of the guys in the living room.