Nina and Eli walked back to the elevator banks in silence. Nina was grateful for it, because she’d never been so confused nor so conflicted; she could tell that Eli was similarly shaken, but she also knew he wanted to talk about it. She didn’t, so she avoided the eye contact he was desperately trying to make and stared straight ahead. Her aura of energy was roiling around her like a sea thrashing in the midst of a storm. They rode up to the ground floor without speaking. Neither of them said a word until they stepped away from the elevator and began to move toward the car; Nina decided to try and keep the conversation light.
“Eka seems nice,” Nina said. Her voice was dull. “A lot less scary than I anticipated.”
Eli nodded, his lips pressed together tightly. “He is. He’s the one I go to when I need to talk to an authority figure. He’s like a kind uncle.”
“Lylah didn’t seem to like you much.”
Eli laughed dryly. “No, Lylah doesn’t like anybody much, besides herself.”
Nina was surprised at the bitterness of his tone, and she couldn’t understand that flash of anger in his eyes. It didn’t seem like him to feel negatively toward a Council member.
“And Osrik is too suspicious of everyone’s strength and commitment to focus on being pleasant.” He paused, thinking. “Cedric’s okay.”
Nina leaned against Eli’s car and closed her eyes. Now that they were away from the power-filled room of the Council’s chambers, she couldn’t ignore the situation as it began to close in on her. She balled her fists, sending the points of her nails biting into her palms as tears of rage and frustration pressed against her eyelids. She couldn’t yet voice what was going on inside her, and she prayed that Eli would leave her alone until they got back to Pryce’s hotel. She reached for the door handle and was almost in the car before her hopes were shattered.
“I understand that this is a huge decision,” Eli began.
Nina stopped in her tracks, slowly turning to meet his gaze. The emotions twisting her stomach into a knot began to unwind and separate themselves, and it was unsurprising that a bitter rage took the forefront.
“Do you?”
Eli took a step back at her sharp tone, uncertain. “Well... not perfectly,” he admitted. “But I can understand the enormous pressure that an impossible decision can put on you.”
Nina looked at him, shaking her head. “What kind of impossible decisions have you had to face, Eli? What could you possibly have gone through that’s proportional to this?”
Her voice had risen as she spoke until she was almost yelling. Despair surged in front of the anger, and suddenly tears were threatening to spill over her lashes.
Eli was silent again, and even though he looked hurt, Nina was glad for it. She was about to explode from all of the contrasting reactions clashing inside her, and if they didn’t go somewhere, she was going to rip herself apart.
“Imagine going your entire life feeling like something’s missing—something fundamental that everyone you want to be like already has—and having other people confirm your brokenness with their treatment of you. Can you identify with that?”
Eli shook his head.
“Can you imagine what it’s like trying so hard to make those people like you while also trying to figure out what the fuck it is that’s missing? Everyone tells you it’s just the way kids act, but you get older and it doesn’t get any better.” Nina’s need to cry had evaporated, and she could feel wrath overtaking her despair. “Then, when it’s finally supposed to get better, you find out you can either get so close to your goal you can taste it but never quite achieve it, or turn away forever. That’s it.”
Eli was shaking his head vigorously. “Nina, don’t think of it that way—”
“How am I supposed to think of it?” she shouted. “It’s the truth!”
Eli was holding his hands in front of him in a pleading gesture. “Look, you may not lose all your powers, or any of your powers at all. Our spirits are extraordinary—who’s to say you won’t bounce back quickly?” He took a step toward her, and then another when he saw she wasn’t going to move away from him. “Most importantly, though, nothing is set in stone yet. No one said you had to do anything. Only think about it.”
Nina laughed, her voice sounding harsh even to herself. “What’s there to think about? It’s either let my people die out or save us all and never be whole.” She looked up at him and realized she’d finally started crying; anguish had taken the wheel once again. “That’s not a choice, Eli.”
“It is, or he wouldn’t have given it to you!”
“What would you do?” she asked. “What would you do in my position? Would you even think about letting our people down?”
Eli was silent for a long time, and Nina watched a range of emotions flicker over his face as he thought. “No,” he said at last. “No, I wouldn’t, but we’re different people. We were raised differently, we’re treated differently... we think differently.” He took another step closer to her and took one of her hands in both of his, a peculiarly intense look of admiration in his eyes. “We’re at different places in our lives, Nina. But we’re also different because of our power. You can do things I can only dream of, according to that prophecy.” As he squeezed her hand, Nina felt a surge of desperate affection roll from his aura of power, clashing with the confused mess inside of her. “We’re so different, Nina. It’s quickly becoming one of my favorite things about you. How different we are.”
She gazed into his eyes, incredibly aware of how close their faces were. She wanted him to pull her against his body and wrap her in the passionate embrace she knew he’d been wanting to give her—she could feel his need in his energy—but she couldn’t take the step herself. Not until she knew he was willing to offer more than no-strings sex. The way he held himself back from her emotionally was bothersome; they’d already been through so much in so little time that it seemed strange to try and cut her off.
“But we’re both dragons,” Nina finally said. “And that’s all you have to be to see what the right decision is here.” She pulled her hand away, spun around, and slid into the passenger seat of the car.
Eli got into the driver’s seat without another word. Nina didn’t need him to speak to know how he felt; she sensed the vibrations of his hurt and disappointment even though he was trying hard not to let it out of his own personal space. Nina was glad for the effort, because she was ruminating the entire ride, unable to extricate herself from the thought pattern that kept leading her back to the same place.
My parents were murdered, and they believed I was the queen the prophecy spoke of. Whether or not I’m able to keep my powers or even fully cleanse the stone, it seems like I should try. Isn’t this what queens do? Protect their people at all costs?
She pressed her temple to the cool glass of the window and closed her eyes. Maybe I can still live among the dragons if I lose my powers. They’d welcome me. They would have to. I would be the one who saved them. I’d get my dragon family no matter what. She pictured Carrie’s face, imagining it twisted in horror at the realization that her life had been rescued by the weird girl no one liked from Ceremony Prep class. She might die of shock. Wouldn’t that be interesting?
But what about her family—the one she had now? What would they think about her sacrificing so much? Rachel would understand, sure, but Nat and Desmond worked so hard to keep her safe and out of trouble during her childhood so she could live to join with the community and reclaim her heritage. Would they try to talk her out of it? A chill crawled over her skin as she had another thought: What if I put them in danger by discussing the prophecy with them? Someone is already after me. They don’t need to be dragged into this, as well. It’s bad enough I told Rachel a little about it, and over the phone, no less. Anyone could have been eavesdropping, and they could do it at any time when we’re not protected by magically drawn boundaries. I can’t risk their safety by giving them details.
“Nina,” Eli said softly. “We’re here.”
She ignored the pleading look he was giving her and got out of the car, making a beeline for the hotel’s front doors. Nina wasn’t sure why, but she didn’t want to be alone with Eli any longer. Maybe it was the confusing tension between them; he seemed so attracted to her, when the day before he’d made it clear they couldn’t pursue anything romantic. I don’t need those kind of mixed signals, she decided. The next moment, though, she was remembering the way he’d looked at her in the parking garage, and while they were waiting for the results of her reading. He was telling the truth when he told her she was special and different, it seemed, but that only deepened her bewilderment. When she found something special, she went for it. No other way made sense to her. Challenges had been a part of her life for as long as she could remember; the challenge of making friends, learning energy control, balancing the need to work and earn money with her desire to immerse herself in studies—why should dating be any different?
We’re different people, she reminded herself. Maybe he doesn’t like a challenge as much as you do.
She was halfway across the lobby when someone collided with her from the side, nearly throwing her into an enormous fake fern. Nina’s heartbeat was suddenly frenetic. Her instinct was to send a pulse of power at whoever it was who had attacked her, shocking them for long enough to—but then she saw that it was just a very worn looking Rachel.
“Nina!” Rachel threw her arms around her sister’s neck and started to babble incoherently about how worried she’d been.
“Hold on, hold on,” Nina said to her, laughing nervously as she looked around the lobby. “Don’t make a scene in this nice hotel.”
Rachel glared at her, her eyes red rimmed. “Excuse me? The last I heard, someone was trying to murder you. I think that’s cause for alarm.”
Eli swiftly moved to Rachel’s side and a put a hand on her shoulder. “That may be true, but we can’t be sure our conversations are private here.”
Rachel looked at Eli blankly and nodded, waiting for him to walk away and press the call button before she turned back to Nina with a sly smile. It almost looked at home on her pale, exhausted features.
“Wow, that’s who you spent the night with? I don’t know how you got any sleep, between him and Mr. Mysterious up there.”
The wheels of Nina’s mind were spinning for a moment before she realized who Rachel meant. “Oh, you mean Pryce?”
She blushed, remembering the way he tackled her before the arrow shot through her body, and the intensity of his concern in that moment. It was so different from the angry, slightly aloof air he gave off the rest of the time—had it been real at all?
Rachel shot her a conspiratorial look. “Uh, yeah. I wish I were a dragon. They don’t make witches like that, you know.”
Nina laughed, her first real laugh of the day. “Witches come out okay,” she allowed. “Besides, these guys come with lots of baggage.” She paused. “Especially Pryce.”
Rachel looked curious, but she held her tongue until they were all in the hotel room together. Nina sank onto the couch, patting the seat beside her to let Rachel know she wanted her near. She couldn’t sense Witch energy as strongly as dragon energy, but it was there all the same—bright and sweet and inviting, like the scent of a lilac made into an aura. Rachel’s energy was calming.
Eli sat down opposite them on one side of the king sized bed, looking sheepishly between them as the silence filled the room.
“So, Rachel,” he began awkwardly. “Have you been all caught up?”
Her sister seemed taken aback by his professional tone, and Nina suppressed a smile.
“Uh, yes,” Rachel answered, tugging on a lock of her red hair. “Pryce caught me up. He told me about—” Her eyes flashed to Nina before she continued. “He told me about your prophecy, and how your parents were killed by the same people that are now after you. And about the Outcast network and stuff.”
For a moment, Eli looked furious. The expression slid off his face in an instant, but Nina felt the violent spike in his energy and knew he was only hiding it, not letting it go.
“I see.”
Rachel narrowed her eyes and looked at Nina. “Was I not supposed to know?”
“It’s not exactly something we want to publicize,” she said gently. “But it’s not just non-dragons. Most dragons don’t know about it either. Don’t worry, it’s not your fault.”
“Our dear Pryce should have controlled himself,” Eli said with forced cheer. “But if Nina trusts you, then we can, too. No harm done.”
A tense silence fell between them all again.
“Where’s Pryce, anyway?” Nina asked then, looking around the room.
As soon as the question left her lips, the door to the bathroom opened and a thick cloud of steam spread out into the main room. As she watched his approach, she wondered if he’d been waiting for someone to say his name so he could make an impressive entrance. Pryce strolled out wearing a pair of black jogging pants and nothing else, patting his blonde hair dry with a towel. Nina’s eyes were drawn to his torso—at first, just because it was bare and admittedly well-defined; his stomach was divided into a firm six-pack, and his broad chest was so immaculately muscled it looked sculpted, or modeled after a statue of a Greek god. His smooth chest was glistening from the shower, and Nina had a strange urge to rush over to him and towel his chiseled body off herself.
Then she noticed the scar tissue. There was a tangle of scars at the bottom of his rib cage. They twisted up his left side like a set of creeping vines, curling up his shoulder and onto his neck. A single line of scar tissue continued up and crawled over his cheekbone, ending just below his left eye. The scars were old, she could tell, and they were stark enough against his golden brown skin that Nina knew the cuts had been close to fatal when they were fresh. Dragons only scarred when their bodies truly had trouble healing, and that was rare. Who tried to kill you, Pryce? Was it another Outcast?
He dropped the towel and made eye contact with Nina at the same time. She jumped, embarrassed at being caught staring. Instead of looking uncomfortable, though, Pryce let a lazy smile take over his features until his eyes were twinkling like emeralds under a spotlight. A slow, delicious shiver made its way around Nina’s body, and she remembered to try and contain her energy at the last moment. Pryce didn’t bother; she could feel his desire from fifteen feet away, though it didn’t feel lewd—as Anders’ had—though she couldn’t say why.
“Hey,” he said simply. “Glad you made it out of there okay.”
Nina smiled and raised an eyebrow. “Did you think they’d attack me, too?”
Pryce shrugged. “You never know, with that Council. They have some weird ways.”
Eli cleared his throat harshly. “Pryce, if you’ll finish getting dressed, we have something to discuss.” His eyes were pointed carefully at the floor.
Nina felt a rush of shame; of course he’d felt the energy, too. The next moment, her shame was replaced by indignation: he’d already rejected her. Why shouldn’t she flirt?
Rachel seemed to have sensed the tension in the room. “Should I be here for this?”
“Yes,” all three dragons said at the same time.
“You’re involved now,” Eli said wearily, rolling up the cuffs of his dark grey shirt. “You’ve got to be kept abreast of all of this, for your own safety.”
“I think it’s great having a witch on the team,” Pryce said as he pulled a black V-neck over his head. “Witches and dragons work well together. Always have.”
Eli opened his mouth to interject, but Nina beat him to it, sensing that his anger wouldn’t allow him to be diplomatic right then.
“Witches hunted us. They helped the humans drive us into hiding thousands of years ago, and only made peace with us in the last millennium.”
Pryce spoke with a patient tone, as though he were correcting a student. “Actually, that’s only partially true. Some witches hunted us, but they were in the majority. Witches and dragons have similar powers in some respects, so there have been a lot more instances of us teaming up than you might think.”
Eli looked at Pryce strangely. “And where did you learn this?”
“Life,” Pryce said coolly. “Experience.”
Eli turned around without responding. “Well, fairy tales aside, it’s still dangerous bringing someone else in when there’s a hit man on the loose.”
Pryce sat next to Eli, ignoring his snide comment, and focused on Nina. “So what’s up, Miss Henry?”
Nina took a breath and told them about the meeting. Rachel was gripping her hand by the time she’d finished speaking, tears swimming in her wide brown eyes.
“Nina, I’m so sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”
As soon as Rachel apologized, it was like a dam burst inside her. She felt an enormous sense of loss fill her as she hugged her sister; Rachel understood her dilemma, because she knew how much being a fully-bonded dragon meant to her.
“I bet you’ve already made up your mind, huh?”
Nina shrugged. “I don’t know that there’s much to choose between. I can’t let the dragons die out.”
“And there’s no other way? At all?” Rachel asked.
“They didn’t mention it. Actually, I thought you’d know. Witches are pretty damn good at cleansing stones.”
“They are,” Pryce said.
Nina turned to Pryce, intrigued. “Could they do something like this?”
“I doubt it,” he answered regretfully. “Actually, I hate to say it, but it’s likely the Council has already tried. The Greater Horde may be distrustful of witches and their ilk, but the Council isn’t stupid enough to not try everything they can to halt their own demise.”
“Pryce is right,” Eli said, tight lipped. “I’m sure asking Nina was a last resort.”
Nina looked him squarely in the eye. “A last resort?” Like a backup to a backup.
Eli sighed. “That’s not what I meant.”
“I know what you meant,” Nina said. “But it just means I’ll have to do it.”
“Wait a minute,” Rachel said, panic in her voice. “You have a month to think about it. Why don’t we go back home and do just that? Or go to Mom and Dad and see what they think?”
“No,” Nina snapped.
Everyone looked at her, shock written clearly on their features.
Rachel looked angry as well as surprised. “They’d want to know, Nina. They’d want to help.”
“Exactly,” Nina countered, throwing her hands up in the air. “That’s another two people dragged into this mess. More secrets shared. Another two people in danger. I’m not doing it, Rachel. It’s bad enough I got you involved, honestly. I’m not losing them to these people, too.”
Rachel’s eyes widened in understanding. “Oh.”
Eli was shaking his head. “Nina, I really think you should think this over some more.”
“I hate to agree with Upper Crust,” Pryce said. “But he’s right. This may not be something you want to rush into. This could cost a lot more than just power.”
“I have the most to lose out of all of you,” Nina spat. “This is my decision. I’ve already made it. I would really appreciate it if you all kept that in mind and stopped trying to steer me elsewhere.”
“Nina—”
“No!” She stood up, glaring at Rachel as she interrupted her. “No, Rachel. I can’t not try this. If I’m really a queen, how can I turn away from it?”
“You won’t be a queen for much longer if you do this,” Rachel said desperately, rising slowly so she could look her sister squarely in the eye. “Not likely, anyway.”
Nina couldn’t reply to that, because the pain that ripped through her when she thought of losing her dragon essence sapped her ability to speak. Instead she shook her head and closed her eyes, trying hard not to start crying again. Enough crying today. I’ve made my decision, and now I have to start living with it. She inhaled deeply, willing the hysterically swirling energy surrounding her to slow and recede back into her body, condensing it into a tight ball in the center of her body. When she opened her eyes, she felt calmer, but no less sure.
“I’m going to take Eka’s offer. In the meantime, though, I’d like to go home. Let’s see if that Council Guard made it over there okay.” She could feel that her energy was firm and determined.
Eli and Rachel looked like they wanted to argue, but Pryce’s expression was harder to read. He stared at her, green eyes probing hers for so long that she had the feeling he was looking into her instead of at her. Then he nodded at her and stood, gathering his things silently and signaling for the others to do the same.
Nina turned away from him, unsure of why it felt like she’d just passed a test of some sort. Mr. Mysterious is a good name for him, she decided. I’ll have to thank Rachel.
Footsteps approached her a moment later, and a hand rested gently on her shoulder. Nina felt an inexplicable surge of elation rush through her body as she turned around.
Pryce was gazing at her, and she could tell that this time he’d felt the bolt of intense energy that had passed between them. He smiled, and Nina felt her stomach perform a clumsy somersault before she mentally scolded herself for being sappy. You’re letting Rachel’s read on him get to you. You hardly know this guy. Your body likes him, that doesn’t mean you have some connection. He’s still an outcast.
“Can you, me, and Eli have a minute?”
Nina was shocked. “What about?”
Pryce smiled wryly. “About this thing going on between us. We should address it before it tears us apart, I think.” He turned as Rachel came out of the bathroom. “Can you wait for us outside, please? Maybe on that bench by the elevators?”
She gave him a strange look but obliged.
Nina stepped closer to Pryce. “What are you doing?”
“Heading off a rivalry before it gets crazy,” Pryce said genially. “I’m sure you’ve noticed that both Eli and I are pretty taken with you.”
Nina had noticed, of course, but she blushed anyway. “So what?”
“So it’s going to be distracting,” Pryce said. “At the very least.”
Nina shrugged, but she knew he was right. Eli was growing more uncomfortable every moment it was apparent that Nina and Pryce found each other attractive. No matter how much they could bond over their love of the Greater Horde and all its trappings, Eli likely felt threatened.
“I don’t know if Eli is going to like that. Airing his feelings out.”
“I want to do more than that,” Pryce said confidently. “We need to find a solution.”
Nina laughed at his business-like tone. She raised her sparkling light brown eyes to his. “What do you suggest, a schedule? A punch card?”
“Maybe a ticket system,” Pryce said in mock seriousness. “Color-coded, of course.”
Nina laughed and shoved him on his shoulder playfully. “What if I don’t want a system? What if I want to let you both fight for me and choose a winner?”
Pryce pressed a hand to his barrel chest. “I’d do whatever my lady asks,” he said, his cerulean eyes shining with mirth. “It will be a fight to the death.”
Nina shoved him again, but he caught her hand in his before she could pull it away. Heat started to spread over the surface of her skin as he pulled her closer and gripped her hand, the weight of his gaze making her body grow warmer every second.
“Really, though,” he said gently,“I think you’re underestimating yourself, Nina. You’re incredible. You have two total strangers trying to make sure you stay alive and helping you on a dangerous quest at the same time. You could probably ask us both to leap from a building and we’d do it.”
Nina tried to speak around the lump in her throat. “I wouldn’t ask that,” she said softly. “And I wouldn’t ask you to fight, either.” She dropped her gaze briefly. “In fact... I don’t even know that I could choose between you, if it came to that.”
Pryce leaned forward and kissed her cheek tenderly. “If it makes things easier, maybe we can all climb into bed together. I don’t mind sharing you, after all.”
Nina’s mouth dropped open. “Pryce!”
He laughed, his eyes twinkling as she hit him with a pillow. “I’m kidding,” he said. “Well, no, I’m not, but I don’t think our dear Eli is ready for anything like that.”
Nina looked at him. “I don’t know. He’s told me about some wild things he’s done before. They do include threesomes.”
“Devil’s threesomes?”
Nina nodded, enjoying the shock on Pryce’s face.
Pryce whistled. “I may have underestimated Upper Crust. He’s not as crusty as I thought.”
“What about Upper Crust?”
Eli came out of the bathroom and eyed their joined hands, frowning as they stepped away from each other. “What’s going on?”
Pryce looked at Nina, silently asking permission to speak. When she nodded nervously, he turned back to Eli.
“We both seem to be after the same girl. It might become a problem if we don’t set some ground rules.”
Eli’s eyes widened in indignation. “Excuse me? I think we’re going to be too worried about staying alive and helping Nina come into her power to consider romance.”
“Really?” Pryce said mildly. “Because you guys found enough time to fit in a quick fuck last night.”
The room was filled with an embarrassed silence. Pryce smiled easily until Eli regained his voice.
“What are you suggesting?” he asked stiffly. “We take turns or something?”
Pryce gazed at them both. “I was,” he said slowly. “But Miss Henry gave me an idea. Maybe we could get rid of some of this tension between you and me if we... all got together. Once in a while,” he clarified. “Maybe not every time.”
Both Nina and Eli looked at Pryce in disbelief. Nina was angry at first, but then her anger gave way to bewilderment, and finally, curiosity. They both started talking at the same time, and their voices crossed over each other’s so much that Pryce held up his hands in a “stop” gesture. “One at a time, please.”
“It’s ridiculous,” Eli sputtered. “Sharing Nina? With each other? At the same time?”
“Why not?” Pryce countered. “You’ve done it in the past.”
“Yes, with another man I trusted,” Eli pointed out. “And with a woman who I’d known for some time. Sexual activity engages our auras in a way that can be very lasting on a relationship, you know.”
“I do know,” Pryce said calmly. “I think it would be interesting for us to have a closer relationship considering we’ll be working together for a little while, at least.” The corners of his mouth twitched. “The Council was all about cooperation the last I heard. Melding energies and whatnot. Is that not your deal anymore?”
Eli’s cheeks colored. “Of course I want us to work together more harmoniously,” he allowed. “I can see you’ll be very valuable to us. But I just can’t put Nina in that kind of situation.”
Nina felt a flare of annoyance. “Well, maybe you should ask Nina what kind of situation she’s okay with being in.”
They both looked at her with vague expressions of shame.
“I’m sorry,” Pryce said humbly. “I sprung this on you. What do you think, Nina?”
Nina fell silent as the wheels in her head turned. Normally, she would say no immediately. She was hardly the type to have adventurous sexual excursions with men she’d just met, even though she had hook-ups regularly and had a handful of one night stands. On the other hand, she was more stressed out than she’d ever been in her life—meaning her hormones were behaving as though it were the end of the world. Sex with Eli had been amazing, and she was willing to bet sex with Pryce would be at least as good. Sex with both at the same time sounded like an incredible stress reliever.
Nina looked from one man to the other. “Okay,” she said brightly, and began to take off her clothes. “Let’s do a trial run.”
It seemed to take no time at all to undress them, and when they all stood nude together in the room, Nina wondered if they were going to chicken out.
Then Eli took her by the waist and started to kiss her mouth hungrily. She shivered as his tongue ran across her bottom lip, opening her mouth to invite it in so it could gently massage hers. He led her to the bed and pulled her into a kneeling position, resting one hand on her waist and cupping her large heavy breast with the other.
Pryce came up behind her, and though his hands were more hesitant at first, they slid to cup her ass as he started to kiss the back of her neck. His skillful hands began to knead her flesh, and she cried out into Eli’s kiss, trying to figure out how to move her body to become closer to both of them. Eli started to kiss lower on her body, stopping at her right nipple to massage her puckered point with his tongue while he slid a finger between her legs. At the same time, Pryce pressed his erection against the crack of her ass, brushing the small of her back with his incredible girth as he slowly dragged his length up and down the curve of her backside. Nina shivered and cried out again as the pressure between her legs became at odds with Pryce’s thrusts from the back; already, her body seemed too filled with pleasure. How was she going to make it through this?
Eli pulled back, and his eyes were on fire with need. “I want to be at your front,” he whispered. “Pryce will take you from the back. Is that okay?”
Nina barely registered his words. She nodded and felt Pryce grip her hips and pull her backward while Eli guided her head down, toward his own rigid cock. Without hesitation, Nina swallowed his head, relishing the gasp of surprise from Eli as she worked her lips down his shaft, licking the salty vestiges of his love from his skin. He gripped the back of her head and groaned as she slid her lips back up his cock, and she caught a glimpse of his rapt expression before she swallowed him whole again.
Behind her, Pryce was steadying her as he pressed the head of his thick member against her slick opening. He pushed forward and started to slide inside her; the sensation of his shaft being swallowed by her walls was almost too much. She struggled to keep her head moving in a steady rhythm as Pryce buried himself inside her, his fingers clenching her ass, but all intent was thrown out the window as he began to stroke. He filled her unbelievably well; it was like he was hitting nerve endings she didn’t know she had. Nina was moaning continuously, unable to contain her cries as Pryce’s strong hips thrusted against her plump ass.
Eli had started to come undone; the vibrations of Nina’s lips against his member were overwhelmingly pleasurable, and his head was tossed back, his hips pumping as Nina bobbed on his shaft. Behind her, Pryce was beginning to moan audibly, and the timbre of his cries sent a violent shiver racing across her skin. Nina’s curvy body was being moved by the force of his strokes, so that each time he hilted himself in her tight walls, she took Eli’s cock a little deeper into her throat.
“I’m close,” Eli told them, and Nina had a flashback to their first night together. His eyes were fixed on her again, and they were full of a desperate need for release. She held his gaze as long as she could—a moment later, Pryce’s strokes started to quicken, and his faltering rhythm told her he was close, too.
Nina started to buck her hips back against Pryce’s to meet his vigorous thrust, and as she did, he slammed into her g-spot repeatedly, bringing sharp, high-pitched moans from her body that were muffled by Eli’s long cock. She felt Pryce’s hands slip around to her stomach and curve up to cup her breasts, and he used both hands to squeeze and pull her taut nipples while Eli pulled on a handful of her black hair. Pleasure was streaking through her body, and Nina thought it was going to make her explode. The wild gyrations of her lovers told her they were feeling the same.
Eli suddenly gripped the back of her head and started to slip in and out of her mouth as quickly as he could, his moans almost too breathy to hear. Pryce picked up speed and power, his hips pounding into her as he crashed into her g-spot over and over again. His thick member was covered in her juices, and he slipped out when he withdrew once; he slid back inside her and thrusted even harder a second later, his nails biting into the soft skin of her ass as he screamed his pleasure to the ceiling.
How much more of this can I take without melting?
As soon as the thought finished, Nina felt her energy burst to the surface of her skin and spill out, first on to Pryce and then on to Eli. She moaned deliriously as she came, unable to control anything her body was doing as they thrusted inside her. The men emitted twin screams as her walls tightened around Pryce’s shaft and her tongue lashed at Eli’s, her actions bringing them sailing to the edge of their orgasms and finally pushed them over, freeing their energy to soar over her body as hers had done to theirs.
Pryce pulled out of her, groaning, and collapsed on his side, pulling Nina’s sweat-slicked body with him. Eli turned and laid flat on his back beside them, gasping for air as his moist cock started to lose it rigidity. With Pryce nestled at her backside, Nina pressed her face against Eli’s chest, breathing in their combined musk contentedly as their essences slowed in their dizzying rotation around their nude bodies.
This feels so right, she thought, gazing at Eli’s sparkling green eyes as Pryce planted wet kisses on the nape of her neck. How did I get so lucky? How did this happen?
Eli grinned at her after reading her energy. “I’m glad that you liked it.”
Nina grinned back. “Didn’t you?”
Eli nodded as he sat up and started to search for his clothes. “I liked it so much that I’m going to get dressed before it happens again.”
Nina laughed and followed his lead. She watched both men dress openly, feeling a distinct sensation of unreality as she tried to process their threesome. Was this really going to work? Could they remain casual together like this? From their easy smiles, it seemed that Pryce and Eli were sure it wouldn't be a problem. So why was Nina so nervous?
Rachel knocked a moment later. “Guys!” she called. “I forgot at least three things, are you guys done in there?”
Eli hurried to let her in, and Nina laughed as her sister walked through the room, her eyes sweeping over them suspiciously on her way to the bathroom. She thinks she knows what happened, but she has no idea.
She felt a hand press against the small of her back as she pulled her shirt back on. Pryce was smiling at her as he shrugged into his jacket.
“Hey,” Pryce said. He had a way of putting the feeling of a warm, joyful greeting into a single word. “I need to ask you something.”
Nina looked at him curiously. He looked nervous, and it made her nervous, and suddenly she was frustrated all over again.
“What’s up, Pryce?”
Pryce looked down and shifted from foot to foot for a moment before bringing his gaze back to hers. Nina was taken aback at how different he seemed then.
“What if there was a different way to help the dragons? One that meant you wouldn’t need to worry about losing your powers?”
“I’d do it!” Nina blurted. “Of course I’d do it. Wouldn’t you?”
The blonde dragon laughed. “I’m not the best person to ask about these things. Something tells me you don’t see much common ground between us, so I don’t know if you’d see my potential decisions in the same light.”
Nina frowned as Rachel darted around the room, looking for her glasses case. “We’re both dragons,” she said, echoing what she’d told Eli earlier. “I think that’s the only thing you need to be to make a decision like this.”
Pryce smiled warmly, though his eyes told Nina he wasn’t convinced. “You see the world differently from a lot of dragons, Miss Henry. You would be surprised.”
Nina thought it was strange that he was back to calling her Miss Henry. “Are you saying that there are people who would let us die?” She couldn’t keep the skepticism from her voice. “Their own people?”
Pryce was silent for a long while. A shadow of anger passed over his rugged features, and his upper lip started to curl before he seemed to come back to himself and assume a more neutral expression. “There are people who only think of themselves,” he said finally. “No matter what that means.”
His expression softened into a smile. “I know you’re not one of them, though. I think that’s why I feel... so much admiration for you.” He looked inexplicably embarrassed, and Nina wondered if he’d changed what he wanted to say at the last minute. “I want to let you know that there are other avenues,” he continued hastily. “I have connections, you know? Like I said before, there are things you don’t know. Better ways to train, and even ways to discover your real power. I can teach you. You don’t need to bond to wake your powers up.”
For a split second, Nina considered it. She was eager to find out exactly how powerful she could be, and she didn’t see any reason why she should have to wait—especially if she was really the queen the prophecy spoke of. She imagined spending long hours with Pryce going over techniques that would strengthen her energy projection, push her ability to direct her power into a sort of metaphysical weapon, or maybe even uncover a hidden ability she didn’t even know about yet. There was another reason to be interested; those long hours training with Pryce could easily turn into something more. Though they’d all just enjoyed each other’s carnal company, there was no reason they had to have threesomes all the time. She was an adult. She could do what she wanted.
After that very long second, however, Nina realized that the idea was absurd. After saving her life, Pryce wasn’t just a handsome stranger anymore, but he was still an Outcast. Whether or not Outcasts were as depraved as she’d been led to believe, they were still an entirely different class of dragon. They lived differently and they certainly thought differently, based solely on the fact that they had shirked the opportunity to bond with the Greater Horde. It was fine for Pryce to have his reasons, but there would never be a reason good enough for Nina. She couldn’t trust dragons that didn’t want to be bonded, and she certainly couldn't trust their methods.
What about your parents? A small voice said inside her. They trusted them. They had Outcast connections.
But that wasn’t the same, Nina concluded uneasily. Her parents still bonded with the Greater Horde, and she didn’t even know how much contact they had with the shunned dragons in the first place. Pryce could be misinformed, or even exaggerating.
No, she decided. I feel safer dealing with things the Council’s way.
“Thank you for your offer,” she said, forcing her voice to sound neutral. “For now, though, I want to focus on resting and taking it slow.”
Pryce looked disappointed, but he didn’t say anything more on the matter. “Got it. Ready to go?”
Nina smiled and nodded, following Pryce, Rachel, and Eli out of the door with her duffel bag slung across her shoulder. She had a strange feeling of longing as she watched Pryce’s broad back move toward the elevators, and she couldn’t say why.