Dragon Envy Read online

  “It hurts me to see you looking so tragic,” he admitted. “And yet I can’t be sorry that you need us. Is that selfish of me?”

  I leaned my forehead against his and sighed. “Perhaps a little, but I forgive you.”

  “Please?”

  I nodded and closed my eyes, allowing myself to savor the feel of him within me. I lifted my hands to his shoulders and began rocking my body in time with him, letting go of all the worry and hurt and concentrating on Jace. “Let me in,” I whispered and his shield dropped away. I slid into his mind and reveled in the passion and tenderness he shared with me. His aura shifted to light red and I breathed deeply and blinked, feeling my eyes begin to whirl for him. His hands cupped my breasts and I dropped my head back while his lips nibbled and teased me. He made low pleased noises against my skin and I felt my pulse begin to increase.

  “Oh Goddess!” I whispered and took him by the hand and showed him my door. Together we opened it and my passion spilled out and over us both. Jace cried out, and other voices behind me joined in. I simply ignored them, my mind and body focused on Jace. And then Gareth was with us, his mind sliding in as he wrapped himself inside our passion and fanned the flames even higher. Jace picked me up and laid me on the grass, his body coming over mine, sliding deep inside. I held on to him while his hips pressed me into the grass and he rode me hard. I reached for the door again and fanned my desire over him. His back arched and he cried out, his body shuddering while he brought us both in a heart stopping moment of complete fulfillment.

  With his face buried against my neck, I wrapped my arms about his shoulders and held him to me tightly. We stayed that way for several minutes and then he eased himself up and kissed my lips tenderly before he lifted himself from me. I opened my eyes and murmured softly as Gareth slid over me, his body hard and hot, his eyes urgent. “Open for me, Lexi,” he urged and I reached for him while his mental shield slid down and away. I arched my back and welcomed him inside. The combination of his desire and the feel of him in my body and mind sent me over the edge and crashing down the other side. Gareth wasted no time, his strokes strong and nearly brutal as he slammed himself into me repeatedly. I felt the pressure building inside me again, spilling out and over, arching me off the ground again as I came.

  My eyes were wild, my breathing erratic as I looked up at him and realized he was nearly frantic in his desire. The skin over his cheekbones tightened and his eyes whirled madly. “Now Lexi… please!” he groaned while I shoved open the door once again. His body jerked and his head flew back, the veins in his neck standing out while I felt him explode inside of me and clenched around him in response. His lips came down upon mine and he rolled us over, draping my body across his while I sucked air into my lungs and collapsed in an exhausted heap across his chest.

  A low moaning sound caused me to crack open an eye and I glanced in surprise at Dane, who was on his hands and knees, his head hanging down between his arms. He looked… completely exhausted. I tipped my head back and stared up at Gareth who licked his lips and winked at me. I smiled and then laughed silently against his chest. Beside us, Jace was resting on an elbow, his legs slightly bent, a devilish look in his green eyes. “Youngsters,” he remarked with a smile as he waggled his eyebrows at me.

  We didn’t spend much time cuddling but it was several minutes before my legs were steady enough to hold my weight… with a little assistance from Jace who had brought me my nightgown to go with my robe. I couldn’t really say when I’d lost the robe or where the nightgown came from, but I wasted no time in getting dressed, nor did Gareth or Jace.

  “Should we leave him here?” Jace asked, his green eyes dancing and his voice sounding quite pleased. He couldn’t seem to contain his glee over the fact that Dane was still wobbling on his hands and knees while the rest of us could possibly have gone another round. Gareth too seemed smug. I couldn’t say that I blamed either of them, especially if it kept him out of my body. He might have claimed the right of ascension, the right to have me any time my other Dragons did, but that did not mean I was under any obligation to stand around waiting for him if he couldn’t perform.

  “Tis clear this will take some getting used to,” Dane muttered then pushed himself up onto his knees, where he swayed slightly like a leaf in a breeze. It seemed he was going to be a sport about it at least. “An I’ll be needing ta change me pants again,” he remarked, his voice sounding amused. “Tis the third time in nae even twelve hours!”

  I’m not sure why I took pity on him but I looked at Kit, who rolled his eyes before snapping his fingers, the end result being that Dane was all dry again. I grinned at Gareth and Jace and asked Kit for some hot coffee which he supplied immediately, the mug accompanied by his wicked grin and an even more wicked laugh.

  I rolled the mug between my palms and noted that it had a picture of me with red horns and a pitchfork on it with the words, ‘Dragons do it often, but Demons do it best’ stenciled boldly across the bottom. When my laughter caused curious looks, I read it out loud and turned it so both Jace and Gareth could see it too. I blew steam across the top of the mug, my eyes flicking between Gareth and Jace, and I lifted an eyebrow in challenge. Jace grinned and nodded while Gareth ran his hand over his face and seemed to brace himself. Kit’s red eyes nearly glowed with pleasure as I pulled the first taste into my mouth and rolled it oh so slowly around and over my tongue. Kit leaned in toward me, his body vibrating and I could swear he actually inhaled the satisfaction out of the very air surrounding me. Jace lost his smile and his eyes turned an intense green, while Gareth swallowed and attempted to breathe normally.

  Dane made a strangled sound and jerked his head toward me while I slid the sweet yummy goodness down my throat. I closed my eyes and took my second sip, pleased when Gareth rumbled low in his throat. His hands reached for me and my mug was lifted from my fingers, my body once again plastered against the front of Gareth. Kit snapped his fingers and we were naked again. Jace’s hands reached for me and the three of us went down in a happy pile upon the meadow floor.

  When I finally lifted my head, I looked around and found Kit seated Indian style with a proud expression on his face, his red eyes literally sparkling with good humor. He snapped his fingers and handed me my coffee. I grinned and reached for it causing both Jace and Gareth to groan. Dane appeared to be passed out on his back snoring softly, his pants stained yet again. In spite of everything, I just had to laugh. I was lying across Gareth with Jace snuggled against my back. The three of us had gone at it like kids in a candy store and I wouldn’t be surprise if I was sore later. As an object lesson it had been a doozie.

  “Okay boys… I think fun and game time is over. I need to go workout now,” I told them, tongue in cheek. My comment got me a chuckle from Kit and a swat on the bottom from Gareth, who growled and made a stern face at me.

  “Yes, by all means we need to get up because if he wakes to find our tongues hanging out. That would be a pity, and defeat the lesson entirely,” Jace replied in an amused voice. “Just give me a moment to remember where my limbs are and how to use them.” His comment brought grins and chuckles from the rest of us.

  I swallowed the last of my coffee, being careful to keep my thoughts to a minimum and handed the mug to Kit, who snapped his fingers making it disappear back wherever it had come from, probably the kitchen cupboard all nice and clean. As that was the way Snick our resident Gnome man-servant/butler/cook and house keeper liked it. For all that he was a Second Level Demon; even Kit didn’t seem to relish the thought of Snick being angry with him.

  We peeled ourselves apart and looked around for our clothing. Kit sighed and snapped his fingers, relieving us of the dubious task of getting ourselves into them without falling on our faces. Kit glanced at Dane and then eyed me thoughtfully. “If I leave him like that it is going to hurt when he dries,” he told me with a naughty smile.

  “Hmmm, dilemmas, dilemmas,” I replied glancing down at Dane and wondering if I actually did something to
help, again, would it be misconstrued as an invitation. I shrugged, thinking it was likely anything I did would be intentionally misconstrued.

  Jace nodded slightly then winced in sympathy, but Gareth grinned and remarked. “If you want to fly with the big Dragons, that’s the price you have to pay. He’ll be fine.”

  No one was at the door when we made our way there and I briefly wondered where everyone was. “I sent them off to rest,” Kit explained while we filed into the hall. “The youngster wasn’t the only that one you managed to exhaust.”

  I shook my head and felt my cheeks warm slightly. “I’m just going to shower and head up to the training room,” I told Jace and Gareth and went up on my toes to kiss one after the other. “Did you want to come along? Or will you also be requiring a nap?”

  “We need to check in with Nick. The Press set up shop again last night and I think I’d like to see the morning papers,” Jace replied, his greens eyes twinkling as he gave me a lopsided grin and just managed to swallow the yawn he was struggling to prevent.

  “I need food,” Gareth told me with a grin, then patted his flat stomach gently. “Need to keep my strength up. Make sure she eats something,” he told Kit, then gave me a quick squeeze and headed down the hall.

  I opened the door and found Amras leaning back against my pillows, looking pleased. Cursed was sprawled across the foot of the bed with his head propped up on a couple more. Both of them looked very relaxed and I suspected my recent lovemaking with Jace and Gareth may have put everyone in a mellow mood. Kit propped himself up on my bed too and looked at me, then turned his head and gave a directional nod at the picture across the room. I turned slowly following his glance, then wandered over and stared at the painting, my smile turning to a pinched look of dismay. The canvas was large, taller than I, and on in it was portrayed what I’d come to think of as ‘my’ men. Before yesterday the picture had only shown Jace, Gareth, Owen and my Dad in vivid detail. Kneeling before me in the picture were Kit, Amras, and Cursed. All of whom had been partially obscured by shadows. Behind me and closest to the group in the foreground was Marcus and Dane. Behind them, spread out in various poses around the picture or room, were my other eight potential mates, their faces also hidden in deep shadow.

  Since I’d last looked at the portrait it had changed, my four were now clearly visible as were Marcus and Dane. Most shocking was that the light seemed to have somehow shifted within the portrait and where it appeared the order was to have been Red, Black, and then White. Now both the Copper and Bronze were arranged next to the White as if the three would somehow arrive simultaneously or in quick succession.

  I noticed a shadow and without thinking reached up and brushed at that something on the edge of the frame. I had thought it might be a spider but it hissed loudly at me and I yanked back my hand, starring in horror at a little black… monster with red eyes and very pointy sharp teeth. “Do not touch me, Princess. I would not hurt you unintentionally.” The creature lisped. Cursed was suddenly in front of me, his body blocking mine, while Amras’ hands pulled me quickly and carefully to the side and apparently out of range. Kit swirled up and leaned forward over Cursed’s far shoulder, his red eyes glowing as he curiously observed our small intruder.

  “Explain yourself, Spriggins?” Cursed demanded harshly, his fists braced on his hips, while he spread his legs and drew back his shoulders as if at attention. Cursed’s face looked harsh, poised… decisive. I’d never seen him look so, well… he looked like royalty at the moment. It was most impressive and a bit disconcerting. The little… I wasn’t certain what it was, had a deformed body and glowing red eyes that darted nervously about, pausing briefly on each of the men in the room as if trying to determine from which of them the killing blow might be delivered. Cursed had called it Spriggins, but I wasn’t sure if that was its name or its race. Before I could ponder any more on the miniature being, it began to speak.

  “Greetings, O Mighty Prince of Air and Darkness. King Tdem Stoneshadow sends salutations,” the little being hissed unpleasantly. While my eyes widened and I felt Amras’ hand on my forearm grip just a tinsy bit tighter.

  “Get to the point, Uendt.” Cursed told him bluntly. His tone sounding haughty, his words clipped and harsh.

  Uendt, if that was his name, stood up on his hind feet and glanced slowly between Cursed and myself. “You are commanded to bring the Princess before the King for formal introduction.” The Spriggins lisped out, causing my eyes to widen and my breath to strangle unpleasantly in my throat. The little creature swung his gaze back to me, fixing his little beady red eyes on my person. At that moment, I realized two things; one he could probably read my thoughts, and two, if I did something about that fact, it might cause a serious problem. Since I couldn’t tell, I simply blanked my mind and began mentally chanting ‘happy thought happy thought’. Beside me Amras tilted his head and gave a slight nod as if to say, good choice.

  Cursed continued to focus on the creature but I could swear his shoulders lost a bit of stiffness while he took a moment to consider the request. Through my mental rambling Cursed’s face had not changed expression. “The King cannot command the Princess.” He replied dismissively while his fingers clenched oh so slightly at his hip. “She has been recognized by the Queen of Light as a royal heir of the Seelie. It is for the Queen to determine if she will be presented.”

  Uendt glanced back at Cursed and with what appeared to be a sly grin informed us. “As the Princess has accepted fealty from the Prince of Air and Darkness, who is, as you well know, the heir and subject of the King of all Slaug, she has aligned herself with the UnSeelie. Therefore she is commanded to present herself before the King, just as you are commanded to accompany her.”

  Beside me Amras seemed to stop breathing and my mental chanting increased in both intensity and speed. Uendt tilted his head slightly and seemed almost amused by my mental response though he refrained from remarking upon it. “Were she merely Princess of Light to the Seelie that would be true,” Cursed told him calmly. “But the Princess is also a Dragon and therefore cannot be commanded by the King.” A lovely loophole if ever there was one, I thought then immediately squelched my wayward stream of consciousness as both Cursed and Amras seemed to tense while Uendt hissed and gnashed his tiny teeth.

  Uendt ignored me and glared at Cursed. “You have sworn fealty to a Dragon without permission from your King.” His little body appearing to vibrate with what I guess might have been outrage, given the tone of his hiss. Apparently Amras’ wasn’t mistaken in his prediction that Cursed’s Uncle was not going to be happy over his having pledged me his fealty.

  “The Dragons have ever been allies to the Elves both Seelie and UnSeelie. Even before the destruction of Seriscai. I would hope the King would welcome the renewed alliance, and rejoice.” Cursed replied smoothly, his voice taking on what I could only describe as a used-car salesman’s tone. An ‘I have the only car in town and I know you need one badly and are willing to pay me anything I ask for it’ used-car salesman’s tone.

  The little monster considered Cursed for a moment and blinked his little red eyes, possibly trying to determine what a used-car salesman was. His confusion caused me to bite my lip lest I smile and make matters worse. “She is fertile?” Uendt lisped, his voice shifting from demanding to curious in a shockingly abrupt change of subject. This shift in the conversation I found to be both distasteful and frankly, none of his business. Polite beings did not ask such questions and I was really hoping Cursed would just ignore him.

  “She is in Fecundity,” Cursed replied after a slight hesitation, and I frowned wondering what that was supposed to mean while Amras’ fingers dug into my arm just a little tighter. I made a huffing noise and then did my own teeth clenching. Whatever it meant, it apparently excited Uendt for he ignored my irritation, all the while chittering softly and nodding a bit too enthusiastically for my comfort. “I will take your message to the King.” He informed Cursed once he managed to get himself back under control
, and then added. “And we shall see.”

  Cursed gave him a cursory nod. “A moment more,” he demanded, holding up one hand. His voice had dropped to a measly few degrees above freezing and could probably have chipped ice. “Harming Princess Lexi will be seen as an act of aggression against the entire Dragon race. I do not need to remind you that I am sworn to protect the Princess with my life. This morning she was visited by Nixies. I suggest you inform the King that he has a traitor amongst his people. And that any further interference will not be tolerated.”

  “A traitor you say? What nonsense is this?” Uendt scoffed, his little red eyes skittering over the three of us as if he couldn’t quite make eye contact.

  “Who else would dare attack the Princess in such a manner?” Cursed demanded softly his voice sounding like silken death. The tone raised the hair on my forearms and sent a shiver down my spine. “Inform the King that should she be harmed again by ‘any’ of the UnSeelie, I will make a point of hunting down the traitor myself.”

  Uendt glared back at Cursed then flicked his glance to me. I looked back at him and gave him my most haughty elfin expression. “He will be told.” And I watched in shock as a rent appeared in the very air beside him, which he then used to crawl through and disappear.

  I watched in amazement as the rent carefully healed itself and the picture frame went back to being…just what it was, minus our little guest. Giving myself a shake I glanced first at Amras who looked troubled to say the least, then at Cursed and asked. “You didn’t tell him we will go to the Sidhe?”

  He nodded and turned fully to face me, a worried look in his eye. “It is my desire to get you in and out quickly. The Drakes will not allow a lengthy stay and the Sidhe is a dangerous place for you.” He advised, shifting his weight and frowning. Of all my men, Cursed was the least likely to wear his emotions on his sleeve. At the moment he was looking…distressed.