Double Dragon

Double Dragon Sierra Dafoe All rights reserved.

Copyright ©2008 Sierra Dafoe

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ISBN: 978-1-59596-971-2

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Changeling Press LLC

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Editor: Chrissie Henderson

Cover Artist: Bryan Keller

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Double Dragon Sierra Dafoe Cal is everything Kevan wants -- or at least everything he thinks he wants. But as the crown prince of the dragon kingdom, Kevan is expected to marry and carry on the royal line. When Kevan brings the handsome young human back to Djarera, Melgara, the queen, orders him to keep Cal a secret -- after all, what sane dragon would be willing to share her husband’s affection with a human male? In love with Kevan since she was nine years old, Melina Westron is determined to win the prince’s trust -- especially when she discovers the secret he’s hiding is a man every bit as delicious as Kevan himself! Even better, she’s delighted to find that the way to a dragon’s heart… is through his lover.

Chapter One Torches flared around the perimeter of the courtyard, sending light flickering over the high stone walls of Wind Castle. Surrounded on all four sides by the graceful bulk of the palace, the large inner courtyard was sculpted into a formal garden, with swaths of green winding through the flowering beds and a broad stretch of lawn at one end, surrounding the stone steps down which Prince Kevan would descend. To Melina, who had never before been inside the royal residence, it was an awesome spectacle. Lords and ladies from all five dragon clans crowded the courtyard, dressed in their finest, while Melina hung back near the courtyard wall, trying to get a handle on the nervous tension roiling in her belly and watching the other girls with a mixture of envy and disdain. Just about every eligible young female on Djarera had been invited to Prince Kevan’s birthday celebration, and most of them were gathered now in a large, shifting throng near the stone steps, determined to be the first to catch Kevan’s eye when he descended. Lisha Hausther, tall and elegant in the plunging black dress that ostentatiously displayed her ample charms -- charms that, if rumor were true, had already been sampled by half the young lords on Djarera -- jabbed an elbow into Riva Aurorea’s ribs, brazenly shoving the curvaceous blonde out of the way and taking her spot at the forefront of the group. Sullen fury flashed in Riva’s eyes, but she didn’t dare shove Lisha back. Torn between amusement and disgust, Melina shook her head wryly. If we weren’t in the dragon queen’s own castle, she thought, those two would be clawing at each other’s throats by now. Everybody knew that Melgara was anxious to find a bride for her son. After the scandal with Elara (who had been heir to the throne before practically eloping with

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Melina’s infamous uncle, Zendar), it was completely understandable that the aging queen would want the royal line finally assured -- which explained the less than cordial attitude of the girls, although it hardly excused it. Melina grinned to herself, imagining the black stares that would ensue if Prince Kevan were to pick her out of the crowd. She wouldn’t in the least mind seeing Lisha seething with jealous fury -- she’d never cared much for the arrogant Hausther girl who too obviously thought her willowy frame and high, rounded breasts entitled her to the hand of a prince… or any other male she cared to claim. Envy tugged at Melina again as she surreptitiously studied the tall, black-haired girl. Oh, sure, Lisha’s dark eyes flashed with a certain fire -- but Melina knew full well that fire was mostly pride and self-conceit. And her breasts, as lavishly displayed as they were, were no fuller or rounder than Melina’s own. Then again, I don’t go around shoving mine at every male in the vicinity, she thought tartly. Of course, up until three years ago, she’d had nothing to shove -- she’d been flat as a board almost till her sixteenth birthday, and by the time she had finally started blooming, she’d been too old to be impressed by the antics of the adolescent males around her, or to be interested in trying to impress them. That hadn’t kept her from sleeping with two of them -- after all, sex in human form was considered to be little more than a pleasant diversion, freely indulged in and with, of course, no concerns about conception. She’d been curious more than anything else, but both encounters had left her perplexed as to what all the fuss was about. It hadn’t been at all what she’d expected, and certainly nothing like the fiery, blinding passion that supposedly occurred during khef matings. Khef. Melina swallowed nervously. She, and all the other girls there, were nearing the age when most female dragons went into khef for the first time -- the uncontrollable mating fever that came upon them when they were fertile. Once again, Melina tried to imagine what that would be like, to be so enthralled by mating lust that you would couple like beasts with whatever male claimed you…

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She shuddered, even though the spring night air was pleasantly mild. Most of the girls here would be married before the year was out for precisely that reason -- an unbonded female going into khef could incite all the males around her into a killing frenzy as they fought for the right to claim her. Melina could only avoid that hideous possibility by bonding herself to a male before it happened. She’d had offers -- two young Westrons, both eager to curry favor with her kinsman Gerdain, leader of the Westron clan -- but she’d held back, telling herself it was because they were more interested in her rank than in her. Which was true enough -- but it wasn’t the real truth. The real truth was far more mortifying. And the real truth was she’d been in love with Kevan Southerlin since she was nine years old. That was the year her father had died. Her burly, laughing redheaded father, who’d braved his family’s displeasure -- had actually forsaken the Aurorean clan -- to marry Amira Westron, the younger sister of the most hated dragon on Djarera. Melina missed him with an ache that time, even ten years of it, had done little to diminish. She’d stood at his graveside, lost and heartbroken, unable to reach out to her mother for comfort -- and that was when she had first met Kevan. Melgara had attended the funeral, but even at nine Melina had somehow known the dragon queen was there more to keep an eye on the powerful, rebellious Westron clan than she was to help mourn her father. As a result, she’d shied away from the queen’s cool, formal condolences -- but Kevan’s hazel eyes, watching her steadily, had been full of the compassion his mother’s had lacked. He’d been eleven then, standing pale and somber beside Melgara, tall for his age and with shoulder blades poking sharply against the embroidered tunic he wore. His gaze had held hers, seeming to pierce to the very core of her grief, and then -- even now Melina’s heart still jumped a bit at the memory -- the crown prince of Djarera had left his mother’s side to come and stand beside her, not speaking, not even looking at her as the tears rolled silently down her cheeks, his warm, somber presence beside her offering the comfort her shattered spirit had so desperately craved.

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From that moment on, her heart had been fixed on the crown prince of Djarera as firmly -- and as hopelessly -- as a moth winging toward the candle flame that would kill it. Melina rolled her eyes skyward, as disgusted with herself as she’d been a moment earlier with Riva and Lisha. Did she really think Kevan was going to spot her across the crowded courtyard, like in some ancient fable, and magically fall in love with her? She snorted. Not hardly, despite whatever fantasies she might have indulged in the privacy of her own bed -- fantasies she would never in a million years have admitted out loud. For one thing, she was plain. All right, not quite as plain as she’d been before her body had finally started developing some curves -- but still, next to the tall, striking Lisha Hausther or the busty Riva Aurorea with her enormous blue eyes and flaxen curls, Melina knew she might as well be invisible. The one claim she could lay to beauty was the flame-red hair she’d inherited from her father. And then, of course, there was the other reason why all her fantasies were a foolhardy dream. She was Zendar’s niece, and despite the fact -- or even more, because of the fact -- that Zendar had managed to first abduct and then somehow win the love of Melgara’s daughter, there was no way the dragon queen would ever let his niece marry her son. Melina was sure of that -- she’d seen the coldness in Melgara’s eyes when she’d presented herself, curtseying deeply to the queen. She sighed. Her presence here was a formality, a concession to her rank, nothing more -- and she knew it. But at least she would finally see Kevan again, and she had to admit to a certain degree of curiosity. What sort of dragon had Kevan become? Was he still the same somber, warmhearted boy who’d stood beside her during the sharpest grief of her life? What would he be like, after all this time? Would he talk to her? Would he remember her? Would he notice her at all? Almost against her will, Melina found herself moving toward the steps, her heart beating rapidly. She wasn’t the only one drifting in that direction, she noticed. There

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was a growing restlessness in the crowd, a sense of something gone awry in the proceedings. Whispers broke out as Darmon Hausther, Melgara’s consort and Kevan’s father, came down the steps, his face stern and unreadable. Going to Lisha -- who was a distant relation of some sort or other, Melina remembered vaguely -- he murmured something to her. Whatever he said, it clearly wasn’t to Lisha’s liking. Her face grew dark with fury and she whirled, her skirts flaring around her, to stalk across the courtyard and stand near the wall, sulking. Melina didn’t have to wonder long what news he had given her. A moment later, Melgara appeared at the top of the steps, tall and regal and no longer young. Her mouth was pinched into a thin line, and her eyes as she looked out over the gathering seemed to Melina to glitter with rage and worry. She raised her arms to catch the crowd’s attention, and the whispers died away. “Dragons of Djarera. My son, I’m afraid, will not be joining us this evening. He is unwell, and asks me --” Melina saw the corners of her mouth tighten as she hesitated. Then she continued firmly, “And asks me to convey his regrets and his desire that you will nevertheless enjoy the festivities to their fullest. That is all.” With a smooth, graceful gesture, the queen withdrew. Darmon Hausther strode up the steps after her, his shoulders stiff, and together they disappeared inside as the guests burst into a sudden babble of furious speculation. Melina stared after the queen, perturbed. She’d always been adept at reading expressions and body language, and she was mortally certain Melgara had been lying. But why would she lie? There seemed no reason for it. Not unless… Cold apprehension twisted suddenly through Melina’s belly. Not unless something was horribly, horribly wrong.

*** “He’s got to be somewhere, Melgara. I’ll go through the castle again --” In the empty throne room, Melgara stopped her pacing long enough to round on her consort. “He’s not in the castle, Darmon. You know it, I know it, and it’s the sheerest good fortune every guest in this castle doesn’t!”

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“Then find him!” She glared at him coldly. “Do you think I haven’t tried?” It was a power she’d discovered when she’d sent Elara to Earth -- when seated on the throne of Wind Castle not only could she call the Dragon Winds, she could also reach across the blackness of space to mind-link with her daughter, seeing out of Elara’s eyes… But when she’d tried linking with Kevan, all she’d felt was a blank wall. Either he was so far away she couldn’t reach him -- or he was somehow blocking her out. What had made Kevan angry enough to leave Djarera? He was forbidden to, for obvious reasons -- or was it only the fact that it was forbidden? Was his sudden, uncharacteristic disobedience merely the usual adolescent defiance of youth against authority? She hoped so. Oh, how she hoped so! Djarera simply could not afford to have the throne in contention. The uneasy power balance between the clans would fracture in a heartbeat under that sort of pressure. No dragon alive could remember the old clan wars -- devastating battles that had raged for generations, conflicts which had made Zendar’s bloody rebellion look like play-acting in comparison. But Melgara Southerlin had been raised -- as every heir to the throne was raised -- on tales of those battles, impressed time and again with the chilling realization of what could happen if the hard-won ascendancy of the Southerlins ever faltered. Every heir except Elara, she corrected herself unhappily. At the time, sending her first-born to Earth to be raised had seemed like a good idea -- and indeed, as a ploy to end the feuding between the Auroreans and the Hausthers, it had been effective. But it had also left Lara woefully uninformed, and thus vulnerable to the charms of the rogue dragon Zendar. Now, with Lara and Zendar married -- and the issue complicated further by the inclusion of Dravidian in their unconventional union -- there was no way Lara, or any of her children, could ever ascend to the throne of Wind Castle. The clans simply would not stand for it.

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Which left Kevan to carry on the royal line. Except that now the prince was missing. And if the clans knew that… If they knew that, the hereditary claim of the Southerlins, hardened over the generations into inviolable custom, could quickly become precarious indeed.

Chapter Two “Whoo-hoo! Yeah!” Cal’s jubilant cry rang in Kevan’s ears as he dove through the semi-darkness, his wings spread wide as he swooped toward the shadowy bulk of Mount Anduth. To the east, a first line of pearlescent color glimmered over the ocean, and the white walls and columns of Wind Castle, perched high on a ridge, gleamed in the dusky predawn light like a shell. He couldn’t believe Cal had come back to Djarera with him. In one night, the handsome young dancer had utterly captivated Kevan’s heart -- and made him understand at last why no Djareran female had ever claimed his attentions. Even in draconic shape a tendril of heat spiraled through him, remembering how Cal’s thighs had felt around his waist the night before, remembering Cal’s low, hungry moans as Kevan had entered him… And he loves me. He loves me! Jubilation as fierce as Cal’s exuberant cry thrilled through his heart. Cal had come to Djarera with him -- and now they would never be parted again. He glanced sidelong at Rand and Darrek, flying beside him. The massive red Aurorean grinned at him, and Kevan grinned back, loving the feel of Cal riding him, his chest pressed against Kevan’s neck, his thighs wrapped around Kevan’s rib cage as tightly as they’d gripped his waist last night. Speaking of last night… Kevan glanced down, relieved to see the central courtyard was empty of guests. Undoubtedly they were still there, somewhere in the castle, all the ambitious, annoying females his mother had insisted on inviting to his birthday celebration with the unspoken understanding that it was time for him to make a choice.

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And he had -- or rather, it had been made for him. From the moment he’d seen Cal, Kevan had known this was the person he wanted to spend his life with. No matter what. Surely his mother would understand that? Still, he was glad no one had noticed their approach to the castle. It would be far, far better to spring this on Melgara alone. He arrowed toward the massive doors of the audience hall, touched down lightly -- and saw his mother sitting upright on the high throne, her hands clenching the arm rests, her bloodshot eyes blazing as she stared at the human astride his back. Kevan! Her mind-voice blazed through his skull, and Kevan started in shock. It truly had not sunk in until this moment how alike he and Cal were. Oh, he’d seen his reflection a few times in lakes and such, but mirrors were unknown on Djarera. Even the one he’d seen in the club on Earth hadn’t made him realize they were so identical his mother would mistake them. Winds, Kevan, are you hurt? As Melgara rose and came toward them Cal slid hurriedly from his back, and Kevan shifted into human form. Melgara stopped short, staring from one to the other, her gray eyes wide with confusion. Then they narrowed. Are you mad, Kevan? First you disappear without even a word, leaving a castle full of guests -“Guests that I didn’t invite, if you’ll recall,” he replied, grimly determined to have this quarrel aloud where Cal could hear it. “And now you bring a human to Djarera! A human!” Her gaze flicked over Cal’s outlandish clothing with an air of distaste, and Kevan clenched his jaw. “Mother --” “And you!” Melgara whirled on Rand and Darrek, who had shifted after landing, and now stood protectively to one side of Kevan. “I’d have thought you, at least, would have known better. Winds, what were you thinking?”

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“Mother!” Kevan’s sharp shout made her swing around again, glaring at him. “Mother, it was no one’s choice but mine to bring Cal here. I should think you’d thank Rand and Darrek for making sure I got home safe rather than berating them.” She visibly bit down a retort, wrestling her rage under control. “You are right, of course,” she muttered. “All right, Kevan. Explain this.” “There’s nothing to explain,” he replied stiffly, drawing himself erect. It pleased him that he had finally gained an inch or two over his tall, elegant mother -- it wasn’t much of an advantage, but right now he’d take every advantage he could get. “I am not unmindful of my responsibilities, Mother. But I love Cal. And I will not give him up.”

I love Cal. There it was. The thing she’d secretly feared without even knowing she’d feared it. Now here it was, out in the open -- and what was she going to do about it? She could hardly have failed to notice the casual disinterest Kevan had invariably displayed toward the opposite sex. Even when a young Astraea female had unexpectedly gone into khef right in front of him, her son had failed to join the male dragons that had chased after the glistening blue dragon, snarling and snapping at each other in their eagerness to claim her. Melgara felt her heart sink. She’d never known what to make of the relationship between Darrek and Rand -- such a thing was unheard of, but she hadn’t thought any less of either of them because of it. Then again, neither of them was her sole remaining heir. Fueled by her fears, her rage flickered back to life. “And what price,” she said, wielding her words like a lash, “will you pay for this love of yours, Kevan? Will you sacrifice all of Djarera for this… this… human?” “I already told you, I know my duty.” Kevan raised his head defiantly. “The throne demands heirs. I will provide them. But mark me well, Mother -- I will not give Cal up.”

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Cal, Melgara noted, looked significantly more dubious -- as well he might, she thought wryly, faced with an irate parent who could change into a dragon with twelveinch fangs. Would that the solution could be so simple. The thought was almost wistful. “Fine,” she answered. “And how exactly do you think your prospective bride will react to sharing your affections?” Kevan shrugged. “Zendar and Dravidian don’t seem to mind sharing.” She stared at him a moment, shocked almost speechless. “Are you being deliberately obtuse? Whatever else they may be, Zendar and Dravidian are both dragons, Kevan. And in case you’ve failed to notice, Lara is no longer the heir to this throne.” Kevan’s gaze glittered dangerously, and Melgara modulated her tone, speaking as calmly as she could. “I realize you’re in love with Cal” -- she couldn’t help wincing as she said the words -- “but if I may make a suggestion…” She trailed off, waiting for him to nod. He did, curtly, his face stiff with anger. “Send him back to Earth.” Kevan expostulated, but she held a hand up sharply. “Send him back with Darrek and Rand, and you can visit him whenever you like. The lucky girl you choose as mate,” she gave the words a sarcastic edge, “need never know.” “No,” Kevan replied shortly, crossing his arms. Melgara stared at him, fury surging along her limbs. Fire burned in her belly, and some dark, primitive part of her hungered to change shape and dare her son to challenge her -- their race had been that bloody once, with power claimed and proclaimed over the corpse of a defeated dragon, and obedience ensured by force if necessary. She had fought against that brutal heritage all her life. She would not give into it now! Balling her hands into fists, Melgara forced her rage into coldness. In tones as frigid as ice, she said, “Then this is my command. If he stays, no one must know he is here. Not until after you have married and provided an heir to this kingdom.”

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Kevan’s eyes widened in rage and disbelief. “So those are my options. Send him back to Earth, or lie to some girl long enough to marry and mate with her.” Not giving an inch, she snapped, “Simply marrying the girl will be enough of a falsehood, I suspect -- whether or not you send him back.” His head jerked back as sharply as if she’d slapped him. Two febrile spots of color burned high on his cheekbones, and the muscles in his neck stood out like cords. In that moment he looked so like his half-brother Darrek that Melgara almost quailed, bracing herself against the outburst that would surely come. None did. Instead, he spun away from her, dragging Cal with him toward the outer doors. Good, Melgara thought, making no move to stop them. Go rant and rage, and then think it over. Hopefully you’ll come to your senses and send the boy home. It disturbed her profoundly that it was Cal who looked back, hazel eyes dark with uncertainty in a face so uncannily like her son’s.

*** Kevan tore through the sky, his eyes narrowed to slits against the wind. He felt trapped, baffled, but one thing burned clear in his mind -- he wouldn’t give Cal up. He wouldn’t! How dare his mother even ask that of him? It wasn’t like he was refusing to marry! He understood his duty as heir to the throne… and he would do it. Really, Kev? How, when not even a female in khef can arouse your interest? Kevan scowled and flew faster, trying to push the thought away. There was a place along the river, a small, tree-shielded glade… Slicing through the air, he swooped down and landed, feeling Cal tumble from his back even as he shifted into human form, his chest heaving as he panted furiously, his breath rasping in his throat. “She can’t do this! Winds take it, Cal, she can’t do this to you!” “Kev…” Sprawled on the grass, Cal stared up at him, looking pale and uncertain. “No! I am not letting her send you back!” Sitting up, Cal raked a hand through his windblown hair. His eyes were dark and haunted. “Kev, what will happen to the dragons if you don’t marry?”

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Kevan froze, not wanting to answer. But Cal’s gaze held him, demanding honesty. Sighing, he hunkered down beside Cal, folded his arms across his bent knees and stared moodily at the soft morning light slanting through the trees as the sun rose. “If the royal line fails, they’ll fight. Fight tooth and claw for the rule of Djarera.” He felt Cal stiffen beside him. “Oh, Jesus. Kev, maybe I…” “No.” His denial was flat and immediate. For years, he’d wondered what was wrong with him, why he was never attracted to the girls foisted on him as possible mates. In one night, Cal had taught him more about pleasure than he’d ever even imagined there was to know. And the thought of what Cal had suffered at Marco’s hands still scalded Kevan’s heart like acid. He couldn’t bear the idea of Cal alone on Earth, vulnerable to that kind of pain again -- any more than he could bear the thought of letting him go. Cal shifted beside him. “Fine. Then what are we gonna do? I know you, Kev. Do you really think you’re going to be able to look some girl straight in the eye and lie to her?” “If it’s what I have to do,” he said grimly. Cal sighed in exasperation. “Kev…” “What?” At the snap in his voice Cal fell silent, and Kevan sat there, cursing himself and feeling like a heel. It wasn’t Cal’s fault, after all -- he had no business shouting at him. When, a moment later, Cal rested his head against Kevan’s shoulder in mute forgiveness, Kevan choked back a sob, dragging Cal into his arms and covering Cal’s mouth with his own. “I won’t let you go, Cal,” he murmured fiercely. “I love you. Winds take it, I love you!” “Then love me,” Cal whispered, pulling Kevan down with him as he lay back on the grass. “Love me, Kev. Right now.” With a cry, Kevan slumped into Cal’s embrace and held him fiercely, kissing him with a hunger born of desperation.

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Sighing, Cal parted his lips as Kevan buried his hands in Cal’s thick, silken hair, driving his tongue into the incredible sweetness of Cal’s mouth. How could he possibly give this up? Fire ran along his nerves, gathering into a hot tension deep in his groin. Cal’s hardening shaft brushed against his own, teasing it through the layers of fabric, and Kevan groaned, sliding his hand from Cal’s hair to grab his ass instead, tugging that teasing hardness tighter against him. “Oh, Kev,” Cal murmured, his breath warm and gusting against Kevan’s ear. “My dragon prince…” His lips traced the curve of Kevan’s ear, his tongue flicking briefly inside, and Kevan moaned, his hips jerking forward. Every time Cal touched him, he seemed to discover a new point of sensitivity, find some new way to arouse him that would never in a million years have occurred to Kevan. This, for example -- this shivery sensation that went through him as Cal licked his ear, then lowered his head to nip lightly at his neck… Kevan panted, pistoning his hips, working his cock against Cal’s straining erection. How could he ever stand to let Cal go? But the alternatives were hardly any more thinkable. To keep Cal hidden like a shameful secret while he lied to some girl? Courted some girl for the sake of the kingdom? Could he do it, even knowing what the consequences of not doing it were? Kevan gritted his jaw as Cal’s mouth moved over his neck, trying furiously to will away the questions, to feel nothing but Cal’s lips against his skin, Cal’s taut, muscular body pressed against his own… Under Cal’s touch, Kevan could feel his anger changing shape, transforming into a fire that lanced through him, beating in his balls. His mouth opened in a silent snarl, and he dragged Cal even closer as if daring the universe to try and take him away. Burying one hand in Cal’s hair, Kevan squeezed his ass with the other, driving his tongue deep into Cal’s mouth as he pumped his hips mercilessly, dragging his cock back and forth against the hard ridge of Cal’s shaft.

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You’re close, aren’t you? So close you could come just from this, just from humping me. Couldn’t you? Kevan groaned, remembering Cal’s whispered words from the first time they’d made love. Cal panted, his hands caressing Kevan’s chest, his eyes opening as Kevan pulled back to look at him. His face was flushed, lax with arousal, those beautiful hazel eyes watching him with an unguarded longing that stole the breath from Kevan’s lungs. “Oh, Cal,” he whispered. “Winds, what you do to me.” The darkness came back into Cal’s eyes, a flickering shadow that made Kevan wish suddenly his lover was a dragon so he could reach into Cal’s mind and hear his thoughts. Then Cal pushed the shadows away, smiling mischievously up at Kevan. “I haven’t done anything to you… yet.” The playful threat in his gaze made Kevan’s balls pulse. Hoarsely, he asked, “What did you have in mind?” Cal cocked his head, considering. “Get up.” “I am up,” Kevan replied. Cal punched him lightly. “I mean on your feet, smartass.” Kevan did as Cal asked, standing before him with his erection tenting out the front of his trousers, feeling the tension in his groin ratchet higher. “Now what?” That mischievous smile widened as Cal knelt before him. “Now you’re gonna find out what a good old-fashioned all-American blowjob feels like. Take off your shirt.” Kevan swallowed nervously. He had no idea what a blowjob was. What if he couldn’t do it right? What if… Then Cal grabbed the ties at his waist, undoing them with one tug and dragging his trousers down over his ankles, and Kevan gasped as the soft, indescribable warmth of Cal’s mouth closed around his cockhead. Winds! His knees buckled under him, and black spots danced before his eyes as every last drop of blood in his body, it seemed, raced to his cock, swelling it further. It felt huge, enormous, as thick as a battering ram. His balls dragged at his groin like lead,

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so heavy and distended they ached unmercifully. Cal pulled back, grinning up at him as his engorged cock popped, glistening, from his mouth. “I said take off your shirt, dragon boy.” Hurriedly, Kevan yanked it over his head, hearing the fabric rip in his haste. He stared down at Cal, panting, watching the flex and play of Cal’s shoulder muscles under the strange black fishnet shirt he wore as Cal reached up, wrapping one hand around Kevan’s shaft, and pumped it. Involuntarily, Kevan’s hips jerked forward, a first gleaming drop of liquid spilling from his slit. “Oh, yeah,” Cal murmured, his voice thick with desire. “Now that’s what I’m talking about.” Kevan quivered as Cal leaned forward on his knees, his tongue delicately gathering up that shimmering drop. He felt awkward standing there, his hands at his sides. What was he supposed to do? Was he supposed to do anything? Surely he wasn’t supposed to just stand here and enjoy this… Cal opened his mouth wide, plunging his head forward, and any vestige of rational thought fled as Kevan stared down at the sight of his hard, throbbing shaft sliding between Cal’s lips. His heart thundered in his chest. His pulse roared in his ears. His hands clenched at his sides, and he hissed through his teeth as Cal pulled back slowly, his cheeks hollow with the suction he was exerting on Kevan’s shaft. The need inside Kevan spiraled even tighter as he watched his cock reappear inch by inch from Cal’s mouth. He almost cried aloud as Cal released it. Reaching for one of Kevan’s hands, Cal guided it to his hair and glanced up Kevan, his eyes smoky with lust. “Now, my prince, you are going to fuck my mouth. Got it?” The crudity of his words -- and the images they called to mind -- made Kevan’s cock jerk painfully. He swallowed, nodding, and Cal leaned forward, swirling his tongue around the very tip. Hesitantly, Kevan ran his hand through Cal’s hair, then brought his other hand up to join it. Cupping Cal’s head tenderly, he pressed his hips forward, and groaned as Cal closed his lips around him again, his tongue prodding eagerly at Kevan’s gaping slit.

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Carefully, he rocked his hips forward and back, working just the first few inches of his cock in and out of Cal’s mouth. He wasn’t sure how to do this. He didn’t want to hurt Cal… But Cal apparently had other ideas. Impatiently, he shoved his head forward, engulfing Kevan’s cock in one quick, liquid movement that made Kevan roar aloud in shock and delight. Cal took him so deep that his lips were wrapped around the very base of Kevan’s shaft, his jaws stretched wide as he sucked Kevan’s cock for all he was worth. The agony in Kevan’s balls spiked sharply, and he closed his eyes, moaning in anguish as Cal suddenly pulled back. The abrupt absence of sensation knifed through him like pain, and Kevan reached out blindly, his hands fisting in Cal’s hair as he rammed his hips forward, all his concentration focused on the burning need in his groin. His cock drove again into that hot, liquid cave, and sparks exploded behind Kevan’s eyelids as Cal moaned around his shaft, the sound vibrating straight through his overburdened balls. Panting, every nerve in his body fixed on the intoxicating feel of Cal’s mouth tugging at him, Kevan cupped the back of Cal’s head, holding him there, and began pumping in earnest. Cal groaned hungrily, his tongue lashing the underside of Kevan’s shaft, spurring him on, and Kevan pushed even deeper, opening his eyes to watch from under heavy lids as he stroked his full length in and out of Cal’s working mouth. How could he do it, Kevan wondered -- how could Cal take all of him like that? His jaw was stretched open, his lips wrapped tight over his teeth -- but the look on Cal’s face was one of such ecstasy that Kevan growled, clenching his teeth as he fought back the sudden surge in his balls. Did Cal want him to… to… Suddenly uncertain, Kevan jerked his hips back, but Cal whimpered below him, thrusting his head forward again to swallow Kevan’s cock. A pleasure sharper than anything he’d ever known speared through Kevan’s groin, and

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he hung helpless in Cal’s grip, fighting for control as Cal dragged his head back and forth, working his shaft mercilessly. At the same time, Cal’s fingers played over his distended balls, teasing them, caressing them… He even slid one finger up behind them, prodding at Kevan’s tight, virgin asshole. Gasping, Kevan grabbed Cal’s hair, yanking his head tight against his groin as he slammed his hips forward, burying his cock in Cal’s delectable mouth. The white hot frenzy inside him splintered free of his control, and Kevan thrust forward again and again, feeling his cock swell even further. His gaze, darkened by the blinding need inside him, was fixed on his shaft pounding in and out of Cal’s mouth, on the ecstatic look on Cal’s face as he sucked Kevan’s cock… Roaring, Kevan threw his head back, every muscle straining as his balls clenched so hard he thought he might pass out. Shuddering, groaning, he hung there, his entire body swept by wave after wave of mingled agony and bliss. With each peak, he pumped another load of come deep into Cal’s throat, trapped in a timeless, delirious void where nothing existed but his hard, aching balls, his pulsating cock, the incredible sensation of Cal’s mouth tightening around him as he sucked and swallowed, making him ejaculate again and again… With a harsh, ragged sob, Kevan collapsed to his knees, crying out anew as his cock jerked from between Cal’s lips. Blindly, he reached out, his hand curving around Cal’s warm cheek, and pulled him into a deep, desperate kiss. The taste of his seed on Cal’s lips was enough to make him groan again, and Kevan plunged his tongue deep, savoring it. Cal sucked lightly at his tongue, his face flushed and sweaty, and Kevan’s heart contracted painfully in his chest. He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t let Cal go. Breaking off their kiss, he leaned heavily against Cal, panting in his ear. “You,” he whispered hoarsely. “I want to do that to you. I want to make you feel like this, Cal.” Cal’s shoulders shook under his hands, and Kevan pulled back, alarmed. “What’s wrong? Did I hurt you? Did I say something wrong?”

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“No.” Cal shook his head fiercely, glancing up to catch Kevan’s worried gaze and smiling even through his tears. “No, you said something so exactly right.” He hugged Kevan, clinging to him so tightly Kevan could feel Cal’s heartbeat through his own ribs. “Oh, Kev,” he whispered. “Kev, what are we gonna do?”

Chapter Three Melina woke with a groan, half-blinded by the sunlight pouring through the eastern arches of her room. Between her apprehensions and the sound of Riva snoring in her ear, it had taken her hours to fall asleep. Despite Riva’s stentorian noises, Melina had been relieved to discover Melgara had housed her with the plump, blonde Aurorean girl. Riva was far too dense to notice her nervous, distracted manner, unlike the sharp-eyed Lisha Hausther whom Melina might despise but would never make the mistake of considering stupid. Why would Melgara have lied? The question tugged at her as soon as she awoke -- not surprising since it was the last thing she’d thought about before falling asleep. As many times as she’d turned it over in her mind, there was only one answer she could think of. Something had happened to Prince Kevan. Melina was painfully aware -- far more than, say, the empty-headed Riva would have been -- of the potential dangers of such a situation. After all, she’d grown up in the most rebellious of the five dragon clans, her life shadowed by a bloody revolution that still, more than forty years later, had been neither forgiven nor forgotten. But it wasn’t concern for the kingdom that sent her scrambling for her clothes, moving as quietly as possible so as not to wake the girl still sprawled in the sleeping pit, her flaxen hair tumbling around her face and her plump thighs tangled with the silken sheets. In her mind, Melina saw again the lanky, golden-haired boy who had watched her steadily, his hazel eyes filled with compassion, and fear clenched her gut, along with a stubborn determination to find out the truth.

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Silently, her heart fluttering nervously in her chest, Melina slid out of the room and padded down the hallway, heading for the far side of the castle where the royal apartments lay. The castle was silent around her, the guests apparently still asleep. Which was good -- she would have had a hard time providing any adequate explanation why she was sneaking into the royal quarters. There were no guards -- even during the bloodiest chapters of their history dragons had always fought each other openly, never by stealth or subterfuge, a fact which helped explain why her uncle was so despised. Indeed, there were dragons who saw Zendar’s kidnapping of Elara to free himself from the Void as a worse crime than the rebellion which had gotten him sent there in the first place. So there was no one to stop her as she crept step by step down the corridor along which she knew Kevan’s chamber must lie -- at least, not until a door opened in front of her and the prince himself stepped out into the hall.

*** Cal had been nervous as Kevan had flown them back to Wind Castle. He’d crouched low against Kevan’s neck, afraid they might be spotted. Melgara hadn’t spelled out the punishment for letting someone see him, but Cal had no doubt he really didn’t want to find out what it was. Swooping low, Kevan had landed on the ledge outside his chamber, and Cal’s eyes had widened as Kevan led him inside. “Wow. “ He gazed around the spacious room, the high ceilings, the elaborately carved arches, the enormous sleeping pit. “Wow. It keeps not sinking in -- you really are a prince.” “Sometimes I really wish I wasn’t,” Kevan muttered, and Cal slid his arms around his waist, hugging him. This is the best part about being the same height, he thought, turning his head to brush his lips against Kevan’s lips. Then he felt Kevan stiffen. “What is it?”

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Kevan’s gaze was turned oddly inward, as if listening to some internal voice. Mind-speak, Cal thought, awed. Kevan had explained that dragons could communicate telepathically. Kevan grimaced, confirming his guess. “My mother wants to see me. I shouldn’t be long. If you get bored, Darrek and Rand are right next door on the left. They already know you’re here, so it shouldn’t matter if they see you.” Digging through a clothes chest, he tossed Cal a tunic and trousers. “Here. No one’s supposed to be in this part of the castle without permission, but just in case.” “Kev…” Cal looked up as Kevan tossed him the clothes. “What?” Cal shook his head. “Nothing.” Then he gave Kevan a wan smile. “Aren’t you even going to kiss me goodbye, dragon boy?” Grinning, Kevan walked back to Cal, bent down and kissed him gently. Cal clung to him, wanting to hold him there -- preferably forever. Things weren’t ever that simple. Not even in a world where penniless dancers actually did get swept off to exotic castles by handsome, powerful princes. Smiling grimly at the thought, Cal let him go and stared bleakly at the sumptuous sleeping pit as the door closed behind Kevan. It was far too easy to imagine the hours and days they could spend on those cushions, reveling in each other’s bodies… But this wouldn’t work, and Cal knew it. Eventually, someone would notice something… and even if they didn’t, would Kevan really be able to woo a woman with Cal hidden in his bedchamber, waiting for him to return? No. Not a chance. For all his determination and his sense of duty, Kevan was simply too honest to be successful at that sort of deceit. With a vague sense of shame Cal realized that he probably could have -- growing up fending for himself on the streets of Boston had almost demanded a certain amount of duplicity. But Kevan would never be able to pull it off. And I’ll be damned if I’ll be the reason his whole kingdom falls apart.

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It was ironic, if you stopped to think about it. Who was he? Nobody. Just a dancer -- he wasn’t anybody important. And yet he was in a position to wreck an entire civilization as surely as Helen had been the downfall of Troy. He could almost have laughed, if it didn’t hurt so much. There was so much he’d wanted to show Kevan, so much he’d wanted to share with him. They’d barely even met -- and already it was time to say goodbye. Hugging his knees to his chest, Cal dragged in a ragged breath, forcing back his tears. He wouldn’t cry, damn it! As brief as it had been, meeting Kevan was the best thing that had ever happened to him. For the first time in his life he’d known what it was like to truly be loved. He wouldn’t cry over that, no matter what. Clenching his jaw against the ache in his throat, he pulled on Kevan’s clothes. Rand and Darrek were right next door -- one of them could take him back to Earth. Now, before Kevan returned. It was the coward’s way out, maybe, but Cal knew he’d never be able to make himself leave with Kevan standing right before him, his hazel eyes dark with love and grief. Going to the door, he placed his ear against it, listening. The hall outside was silent, and he closed his eyes a moment, fighting back tears. Then he jerked the door open, stepped out into the hallway -- and froze at the sight of a red-haired girl coming up the hall toward him. She stopped as abruptly as he had, her eyes going huge, her pale face under that fall of remarkable hair growing even paler. There was an intensity in her gaze that held him spellbound, running through him almost like an electric shock, leaving his mouth dry and his spine tight, his nerves tingling with uncertainty. What did he do now? Should he speak to her? Would she expect that? Not knowing what else to do, Cal strode down the hall, nodding briefly as he passed her. From the corner of his eyes, he saw her drop an awkward curtsey in return, and breathed a silent sigh of relief. He could still feel the weight of her gaze, uncomfortable and unwavering as he walked the dozen yards to Darrek’s and Rand’s door. She hadn’t moved, he was certain

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-- if he looked back he’d see her still standing there, rooted in place, staring after him with that intent, hungry look… Reaching for the door handle, Cal stopped suddenly. He knew that look. Damn it, he knew it. It was the way Marie had looked at him the day he’d left her. Cal flushed, a shame he’d almost convinced himself he’d forgotten twisting through his gut. He’d always been attracted to both men and women, and Marie had been so playful, so easy to talk to… He’d thought they were friends -- and they were. But it had never occurred to him she might want more than that. It had never occurred to him that she might fall in love. And whoever she was, this girl was in love with Kevan. Desperately so, Cal suspected. Desperately enough to accept his clandestine lover? He didn’t much like the duplicity of what he was contemplating, but… Glancing back up the hallway, he confirmed what he already knew -- the girl hadn’t moved. She was pretty enough in a quiet, unremarkable sort of way. Regular features in a pale, rather bony face. The modest dove-gray dress she wore hinted at hidden curves. And the sleek fall of flaming red hair tumbling halfway down her back was truly stunning. Quickly, before he could let himself think too much about what he was doing, Kevan opened Darrek’s and Rand’s door and went inside, speaking even as they looked up in surprise. “Mind-speak Kevan for me. I’ve got to talk to him -- right now.”

*** Melina watched the prince walk away from her, her heart shattering in a thousand pieces. It didn’t matter how many times she’d told herself she was being foolish. It didn’t even matter that she hadn’t seen him for over ten years. The second his hazel eyes had locked onto hers, she’d felt her heart lurch uncontrollably, and an unexpected heat blooming between her thighs.

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He was so beautiful! All right, so maybe that wasn’t the word one usually thought about an attractive male, but it fit. His handsome face with its high, pronounced cheekbones was a perfect blend of both his parents, with the broad mouth and generous features of the Southerlins underlain by the strong, chiseled bone structure of Darmon Hausther. He was tall and broad-shouldered, not burly like an Aurorean, but with firm, flowing muscles under smooth, sun-bronzed skin, and his thick, gleaming hair shone like spun gold, falling almost to his shoulders in unruly waves. She’d stood, her heart hammering in her chest, unable to do anything but gape at him like a witless fool. He’d grown so tall, so handsome… but his eyes were exactly the same as they’d been ten years ago. And they’d held absolutely no recollection of her at all. Melina stared after him as he walked away, a dull, leaden shame seeming to weigh her in place. Of course he didn’t remember her. Why should he? He was the crown prince of Djarera, and she… She was nobody. She was worse than a fool. Why couldn’t she make herself walk away? Surely she had that much pride left, at least -- but to her horror, Melina realized she couldn’t move. What, after all, would be the point? What was the point of even continuing to live? She loved him -- she could deny it all she liked, but she loved him. And he… He didn’t even remember her. He glanced back at her once, briefly, before disappearing into the next chamber down the hall. There’d been a brief flicker in his eyes, maybe a small stirring of some forgotten memory. Then he’d opened the door and was gone. Numbly, Melina turned and moved blindly down the corridor. People appeared around her as she made her way back to the public hallways, but she hardly saw them. All she could see was Kevan… Kevan, as he’d been at eleven, watching her silently. Kevan as he was now, breathtakingly handsome… and not for her. Never for her.

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- 30 -

She walked for what felt like hours, wandering the halls, not noticing that she’d passed right by her room, only distantly aware of a growing excitement in the people around her. Somehow she got herself turned around again and found herself back at the room Melgara had given her. Woodenly, she opened the door and went in. Riva was yanking desperately at her tangled curls with a comb, her huge breasts jiggling beneath her nightdress. She watched in amazement as Melina wandered over to the arches and sank down onto the ledge of one with a sigh. “Aren’t you going to change?” Melina looked at her blankly. “What for?” Riva rolled her eyes, her doll-like mouth pooched in a disbelieving moue. “Well, really, Melina, I’d think you’d at least want to make some effort.” Hurriedly stripping off her nightdress, she wriggled into a tight, emerald-green dress cut so low Melina wondered vaguely why she didn’t fall right out of it. “Not that you have that much to display,” Riva added, glancing down with satisfaction at her own prodigious bosom, “but that dress is about as seductive as a damp rag.” “What are you blathering about?” Melina was far too depressed to care about being tactful, but the curvaceous blonde didn’t even seem to notice. “The prince!” Riva drawled on a note of exasperation. “Don’t you ever pay attention? Everyone’s talking about it.” She waved vaguely toward the hallway. Then she stopped short, her baby blue eyes finally taking in Melina’s slumped posture, her dull, dispirited air. In a kindlier tone, she said, “Come on, Melina. I know you’re not as… I mean, even if you’re a little less… I mean, who knows, right? You’ve got as good a shot as anybody, so you might as well try.” “As good a shot at what?” Riva rolled her eyes again, all her earlier impatience returning. “At the prince! Melgara’s ordered all of us to present ourselves in the courtyard so the prince can make his choice. Now come on!”

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Bemused, Melina found herself being dragged to her feet and out of the room by the curvaceous blonde. It was pointless to go, but it would take more effort than she could summon to dissuade the girl tugging her along by the arm. It did occur to her though, even through her befuddlement, that Riva Aurorea, empty-headed though she might be, was a far more good-hearted girl than Melina would ever have given her credit for. Lisha Hausther, she had no doubt, would have gleefully left her sitting there without a clue.

*** It hadn’t in fact been Melgara’s idea to call the girls to the courtyard. It had been Kevan’s. He stood well back in the shadows of an archway, gazing down at the squirming, seething mass of them below. Winds, this is going to be awful. But Cal’s excitement had convinced him -- and after all, what did it matter to him, really? One girl was as good as the next as far as he was concerned. He scanned the group, trying to spot the one Cal had insisted he marry. Pale little thing, about this tall, Cal had said, holding his hand up just shy of his shoulder. She looks like a nun. A what? Kevan had asked. Never mind. Gray dress, soft blue eyes, flaming red hair. Got it? Sure. More than half the Aurorean clan had red hair, but of course Cal hadn’t even known if she was an Aurorean -- by the time Kevan had appeared in answer to Darrek’s call, the hall had been empty, the girl long gone. This was as good a way to find her as any. Kevan just prayed she hadn’t changed her dress. Sighing, he walked down the steps, watching the girls tense, visibly palpitating at his approach. Their hopeful gazes followed him as he moved among them, hunting up and down their ranks -- he couldn’t very well tell all the ones with red hair to step forward, although it would certainly simplify things.

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Winds, how many of them were there? Kevan spotted a redheaded girl of about the right height and hurried toward her -- but when she lifted eyes brimming with hope, he saw they were brown. He also saw the crestfallen look that came into them as he turned away, and cursed himself. This was worse than embarrassing -- this was needlessly cruel. Finally, at the very back, he spied a girl standing with her head down, her entire body seeming huddled in on itself as if trying to blend in with the stone wall behind her. Her hair fell around her hunched shoulders like silken fire -- and she was wearing a gray dress. With a quickening of his heartbeat that was certainly nothing more than relief, Kevan strode to her, touched her lightly under the chin, and turned her pale, quiet face up toward his. Her eyes, a soft, smoky blue like the sky at twilight, widened as she looked up at him, and widened still further when he spoke her name. “Melina.”

Chapter Four For a man supposedly celebrating the happiest day of his life, Melina thought, stealing a glance at Kevan’s grim profile, he sure looks miserable. Of course, after the little scene in Melgara’s chambers it was hardly surprising -she’d been right to think that Melgara would be violently opposed to her as a bride for her son. What had surprised her, though, had been Kevan’s absolute insistence on her, and no one else. His vehemence was flattering, in a way -- or would have been if he hadn’t looked so thoroughly forbidding throughout the ceremony. Even when he’d bent to kiss her in the ritual claiming, his face was stony and aloof. When he’d first tilted her head up and looked down at her in the courtyard, Melina would almost have sworn she saw a flicker of surprise. For that brief moment, his face had been open, unguarded, making him look young and uncertain. Almost immediately, though, he’d retreated into himself, masking whatever that fleeting emotion had been, and he’d been self-contained and formal ever since. Even now, as he escorted her to his chamber -- the same one she’d seen him coming out of early that morning -- he remained stern and distant, his jaw clenched tensely. By now she was feeling rather apprehensive herself, and found herself thinking back to her earlier encounters, wondering for the first time if the fault had not lain as much with her inexperience as with her erstwhile lovers’ ineptitude. And she wanted desperately to please him, to ease that somber scowl from his face. She could start, she supposed, by at least breaking the silence. Glancing at him sidelong, Melina murmured, “I thought you didn’t remember me.” “Of course I remember you.” Kevan looked down at her, startled. “Why wouldn’t I?”

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“You didn’t seem to this morning when we met in the hall.” “In the… oh. No, I just didn’t recognize you at first.” For the first time he smiled at her, and she felt her heart leap in her chest. “We’ve both changed a lot over the years.” Feeling the taut muscles where her hand rested lightly on his arm, Melina had to agree. She still couldn’t believe what had just happened, but now, with the argument with Melgara and the tension of the wedding behind them, it was slowly beginning to sink in. She was married -- actually married -- to Kevan Southerlin. Despite her plainness, despite his mother’s objections, she was married to the boy she’d loved since she was nine years old. Married to a man you hardly know, something in her replied. “Here we are,” Kevan said, opening the door to his chamber, and Melina gulped in sudden nervousness. The room was dark, lit only by the moonlight outside the high arches. “Shall I light the torches?” “No. Yes. No… I mean, whatever you’d prefer, my lord.” She saw the muscles in his jaw clench at the honorific, and ducked her head. He looked so like a man steeling himself to an unpleasant task that she couldn’t bear to look at him. Why did you marry me, Kevan? Really? She kept the thought private, not entirely sure she wanted an answer. She moved toward the arches, gazing out over the moondrenched sides of Mount Anduth. It was a glorious view, a glorious night… or it should be. Wasn’t this what she’d always dreamed of, never believing for an instant that it would ever happen? But it had. It had. She ought to be the happiest dragon on Djarera. So why did she feel so utterly forlorn? Kevan shifted behind her, clearing his throat. She turned, but now it was he who ducked his head, flinching away from her gaze as if afraid of what he’d see in her eyes - or what she might see in his.

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- 35 -

“I… Excuse me a moment. I’ll be right back.” With a small, stiff bow, he let himself hastily out of the room, leaving her to lean against the arch and stare out at the night. She could see the glow of torchlight from other rooms in the castle, bathing the stony ground outside in pools of warm amber light. What was it like, in those other rooms? Did their inhabitants shy away from each other, too, or stand in a heavy, uncomfortable silence that she didn’t understand? Why had Kevan married her? She was too nervous to light the torches in the chamber, and considering how ill at ease Kevan had seemed, perhaps it was better to get this over with in the darkness. She couldn’t help feeling a vague disappointment, though, as she turned away from the arch. Somehow she’d been certain that with Kevan things would be different, magical… Instead, he was so tense and formal that she found herself almost dreading his return. When he did return, it was so silently she didn’t realize at first he was in the room with her. Warm hands brushed her bare shoulders as she stared out at the night, and Melina gasped in surprise. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.” “No, it’s all right, my lord. Please.” Reflexively, she nearly dipped in a curtsey, and looked up to see a gleam of humor in his eyes. “Are you planning to call me ‘my lord’ for the rest of our lives?” “No, my l… Kevan.” She swallowed nervously, and heard something click in her throat. He smiled. “That’s better.” Tilting his head to one side, he studied her, his gaze trailing up and down her with a warmth that brought a sudden flush to her cheeks. He reached out a hand, stroking it slowly down the length of her hair where it fell over one shoulder, and Melina quivered as his fingers brushed briefly across her bosom. Then he moved to stand behind her, gathering her hair up in both hands and holding it aside as he leaned in to nuzzle her neck.

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- 36 -

Melina closed her eyes, small jolts of sensation scurrying along her nerves like nervous, excited animals. Her breath speeded in her chest, and her heart thumped alarmingly at the feel of his soft, full lips on her skin. “Take off your dress, Melina,” he whispered, and she almost moaned. Hurriedly, she reached behind her to unknot the laces at her waist but her fingers, usually so deft and sure, were suddenly awkward. Kevan’s hands closed over hers, moving them aside. “Let me help you with that.” His voice was lower, more intimate than it had been in the hallway. The rigid formality in it had evaporated, and his breath was warm on her neck as she lifted her hair out of his way and stood there, a strange, unfamiliar tension thrumming through her body. He unlaced her dress and eased it over her shoulders, then bent his head to kiss the smooth curve of her shoulder. She quivered as he pushed her dress down farther, working it over her arms until she was bare to the waist, her breasts spilling out into the moonlight, the dark nubs at the tips already furrowed and tight. “Turn around,” Kevan ordered, and she did, flushing, grateful for the darkness which hid the color in her cheeks. She stood head down, but she could feel Kevan studying her, his breath growing deeper as she stood before him. “Oh, Melina,” he murmured, his voice low and thrilling. “You’re beautiful, do you know that?” She stiffened in surprise, half-believing he was teasing her. No man had ever called her beautiful before. Sensing her sudden tightness, Kevan gently reached out and lifted her chin -- and Melina stared up at his moon-shadowed face, shocked into stillness at the naked desire in his hazel eyes. Where had all the cold distance gone? The rigid formality? The silent grimness? His gaze dropped again to her breasts, drinking in the sight of her with obvious delight, and Melina shivered under his scrutiny, amazed to find herself so excited just by being looked at.

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Then again, no dragon had ever looked at her the way Kevan was now -- slowly, appreciatively, his eyes dark with desire. She wanted to arch her back, lifting herself to his view. She wanted him to touch her, to trail his fingers across her breasts. They felt taut and heavy, almost aching for his caresses, and a damp, secret warmth pulsed between her thighs as Kevan reached out, tugging the dress past her hips until it fell with a rustle to the floor, leaving her standing naked in the moonlight, her arms at her sides. His gaze traveled lower, tracing the curve of her belly, her hips… His tongue flicked out to touch his lips as he stared at her crotch, and the heat in her groin spiked up sharply in response. Reaching out, he brushed his fingers over her mound of copper curls, lightly grazing her sensitive nub, and she gasped, her nipples hardening further. She’d never felt anything remotely like this. Everything inside her seemed to either ache or throb. Her lungs burned as if she couldn’t get enough air. Her pulse thundered in her ears. Her crotch was so damp she could feel moisture slicking the insides of her thighs -- and he had barely even touched her! She been right, she thought dazedly, to think things with Kevan would be completely different. The thought made her want to giggle inanely, but she bit it back, her teeth catching her lower lip. Kevan’s eyes caught the small movement and he checked, dropping his hand. “Melina, I…You’ve done this before, haven’t you?” She stared up at him, ridiculously reluctant to answer. Would he be angry that she had? Why? It made no sense. She nodded, then added quickly, “Only a few times only to see…” “See what it was like?” His warm voice rumbled with humor, and he smiled. “And what was it like?” “Nothing like this,” she breathed, and saw a sudden darkening of lust in his eyes. He gathered her to him, holding her tight against his chest as he nuzzled her hair. Her nipples grazed against the soft fabric of his tunic, and she could feel the hard ridge of his erection pressed against her belly. A sudden, overwhelming exultation flooded through her, and she said, almost gasping, “You do want me. You do!”

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“Of course I do, silly.” He grinned down at her, his thick golden hair tumbling around his strong face. “What made you think I didn’t?” “You were so…” “So what?” “I don’t know. Distant.” Kevan sighed, raking one hand through his hair as he stared past her, thoughts moving behind his eyes. Then he looked back at her. “Melina, you have to understand that during the day I’ve got a lot on my mind. I… I might seem… different to you. But I’m not. Really. I just…” “It’s all right. I understand.” He smiled at her easy acquiescence. “You’re awfully sweet, you know that?” “Not always.” Relief flooded through her, making her bold, and she tugged at his tunic, pulling it upward. “Sometimes I’m downright impatient. Like now.” Laughing, he held his arms up in surrender and let her strip his tunic off. She gasped as it cleared his chest, displaying the ripple of muscle along his rib cage, the firm pecs, the taut stomach… She loved the flex of muscles in his shoulders, and even the fine tufts of golden hair under his arms. Truly impatient now, she tugged the shirt up over his jaw, uncovering his wide, full mouth. Unable to resist, she stood on tiptoe to kiss it, and felt lust pound in her groin as his lips closed on hers, soft and warm and hungry. It was nothing at all like the kiss he’d given her earlier -- but then, she thought, why should it be? This was private. This was just for them… Then all thought fled from her mind as his tongue, wet and insistent, traced her lips and then sought between them, eagerly exploring the warm cave of her mouth. She moaned, clinging to him as he deepened his kiss, his jaw working as he claimed her mouth with a determination that left her breathless. His arms were still raised above his head -- so were hers, her hands tangled in the fabric of his tunic. Bending his elbows, he grabbed the hem of his shirt and peeled it over his head, then stood before her, naked to the waist, letting her study him just as he’d studied her.

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Winds, he was so beautiful! Muscles rippled along his torso, and his shoulders, broad and bronzed, gleamed softly in the moonlight. His eyes held hers, bright with arousal, as she reached out hesitantly to caress his chest. Her palm grazed one small, hard nipple, and he sucked in a breath, almost hissing between his teeth. Immediately, Melina jerked her hand back. “Did I do something wrong?” “No.” He grimaced wryly, nodding down at the erection straining beneath his trousers. “But if you do that much more I’m gonna come in my pants.” Her eyes flew wide at his words, and then she did giggle, blushing madly as she reached for the ties of his trousers. Fumbling them open, she stared down in wonder as they sagged around his loins, revealing the line of his hipbone -- and the hard, curved tip of his jutting cock. With trembling fingers, she touched it lightly, amazed to feel a slick bead of moisture already trickling from its gaping slit. Kevan groaned, his hand closing around her wrist -- not to pull her hand away, but to slide it downward until she grasped his shaft, closing her fingers tightly around its hot thickness. “Oh, Winds,” she whispered, feeling her cunt pound with impatience. Larger by far than either of the two Westrons she’d slept with, his cock throbbed in her grip, the skin as soft as silk over an iron-hard core. Wonderingly, she slid her hand up and back, and was immediately rewarded by Kevan’s harsh groan. This time he did pull her hand away, dragging her to him at the same time and claiming her mouth again in a kiss that seemed to sear her all the way to her bones. Her knees felt like water. Her head spun. Her breasts were crushed against his naked chest as he reached down, cupping her ass to pull her more tightly against him. Whimpering, she arched her back, pressing her nipples against his rib cage. Responding to her unspoken plea, Kevan ran one hand up her side and between their bodies to fondle her breast, his fingers kneading and teasing and flicking her nipple until she moaned with delight, only half aware she was rubbing her mons against him, dragging her clit up and down his thick, rigid cock. Kevan groaned again, meeting the impatient thrusts of her hips with his own, grinding his cock against her groin and increasing the pressure on her swollen nub until

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she was panting, one leg wrapped half around his, working herself against him with mindless abandon as his fingers squeezed and stroked and tugged at her nipple. Suddenly, he cupped both hands under her ass again, lifting her as she twined her legs around his waist and her arms around his strong, corded neck. She gasped as his cockhead, seemingly enormous, nudged between her swollen outer lips, and then cried aloud as, with one hard, impatient thrust, he drove himself up into her, letting her weight down on his huge, rock-hard shaft. Sobbing in delight, Melina clung to him, amazed at the feel of his biceps bunching against her and his shoulders straining under her arms as he worked her up and down his throbbing shaft. With each stroke, it invaded her deeper, spreading her open in a way that was completely intoxicating. Winds, she thought wildly, if sex always felt like this I’d be as shameless as Lisha! And there was no reason not to be, she realized suddenly -- she was married. She was making love with her husband. She could be as wanton as she wanted, and there was no one to judge her. With a heady sense of freedom, she tightened her thighs, meeting Kevan’s stroke as he plunged into her again, pushing herself down around that huge, gorgeous cock. Kevan gasped as she strained against him, taking him in all the way to the hilt, and they both froze there, quivering. She could feel him inside her, so deep it took her breath away. His shoulders shook as he held her, his head dropped against her neck, and she could hear his sharp, rasping breaths loud in her ear. “Oh, Melina,” he groaned, and his deep, hungry voice made her cunt clench around him. He groaned in response, clasping her tighter. Heat spiraled up inside her, and her clit throbbed, mashed tight against his pubic bone. Slowly, he rocked against her, not withdrawing, simply pressing deeper and then relaxing the pressure, his groin teasing her aching nub. She whimpered, feeling herself hovering on some unnamable brink, the sweet, painful tension in her cunt ratcheting tighter every time his groin pressed tight against her clit. Every muscle in his body was

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drawn tight, quivering with sensation, and she heard him grit his teeth as he shifted her slightly, bringing her clit into even firmer contact. Then, holding her securely, his strong hands clenched around her ass cheeks, he began working her in a small, tight circle, grinding her against him as his cock corkscrewed inside her. She hung in his grip, boneless, panting, feeling the need in her cunt blaze higher, the friction of his body moving against hers gradually increasing, delectable, tormenting, maddeningly slow… Her climax seemed to unfold as delicately as a flower and as irresistibly as an earthquake as he worked his huge cock into her, driving the hunger in her cunt up to unbearable agony. Then, slowly yet inexorably, the agony curled over into creamy bliss and crashed inside her, her cunt pulsating, her blood roaring in her ears, her juices gushing from her as she gasped and panted and thrashed wildly against him, crying out his name over and over. Groaning, he slammed his cock upward, and Melina felt another spike of ecstasy roll through her as his shaft bucked, growing even thicker. Then he was hammering into her, the cords in his neck standing out like ropes. He worked her against him, driving even deeper until at last with a harsh, desperate cry his orgasm lanced through him and he shot into her, his thighs trembling, his biceps like rocks, his groans rasping in her ear as his balls clenched and pulsed, filling her with his come. Slowly, panting, he lifted his head, his eyes wide and wondering and his hair tangled with sweat. She brushed it tenderly back from his forehead, gazing into his soft, beautiful eyes, feeling tears sting her own as she remembered how many times she’d dreamed of him looking at her just like this. “Oh, Kevan,” she whispered, her heart aching with the splendor of it all. “Oh, Kevan, I love you.” His jaw clenched at that, his eyes closing as he tilted his head back. His Adam’s apple bobbed in his neck as he swallowed. Then he gathered her close, wrapping his arms around her, kissing her cheek as he murmured, “I know.” Gently, he lifted her off his softening shaft and before she could protest, he swung her into his arms and carried her to the sleeping pit. Kneeling, he lowered her

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down on the soft cushions and then stretched out beside her on his belly, one arm folded under his chin. He gazed up at her, playing idly with one long lock of her hair with his free hand. Holding it between his fingers, he dragged it over her nipple, making her flinch as a ripple of delight ran along her nerves. She moaned lightly, spreading her thighs, and he grinned as he watched her. “You liked that, huh?” “I think I’d like just about anything you do to me,” she replied honestly. His eyes closed again, as if in pain -- but when he opened them, Melina saw in their depths a renewed desire that made her heart suddenly pound faster. “And what can I do to you, Melina?” he murmured, his gaze holding hers, spearing her to her core. She swallowed again in a throat tight with anticipation and whispered hoarsely, “Anything.” Oh Winds, she thought with something close to despair as Kevan covered her body with his own. Winds, I would do anything for him. Anything at all. She cried out, already on the brink as he slid back into her, his cock claiming her cunt as thoroughly, as determinedly as he claimed her mouth, his tongue plunging deep between her lips.

Chapter Five Despite Kevan’s reassurances, it was distinctly disconcerting to go to bed with a man who was loving and warm, and wake up with one who was edgy and distant. She’d hoped over time he’d relax more around her, but as the weeks wore on Kevan grew if anything even more tense and withdrawn. Melina sighed and rolled over, knowing without even opening her eyes that Kevan would already be up and prowling restlessly around their chamber. Not that she was complaining! She stretched languorously, feeling a gentle ache in those muscles her husband abused so delightfully in the darkness. But it was as he had warned her, she thought with a pang of regret -- she fell asleep with Kevan Southerlin, and woke up invariably with the crown prince of Djarera. Sometimes they seemed almost like two different men. Well, it sure could be worse. She smiled, remembering how indefatigable he’d been the night before, bringing her to peak after peak before seeking his own climax, and then rousing her again just as she was drifting off to make love to her yet again, his cock as hard as if he’d been waiting a week for her. He was incredible. Absolutely incredible. The things he did to her… Filled with tenderness, she couldn’t help rising and going to him, sliding her arms around his waist from behind. He was already dressed, but she pressed close against him and laid one cheek against his shoulder blade, loving the feel of his strong chest beneath her hands. He stiffened -- for a dragon who was so demonstrative in bed, it was surprising how he shied away from affection outside it -- but then his hand rose to cover hers briefly before he pulled away. “I’ve got to be gone all day, I’m afraid.” He turned, glancing at her from under his thick golden hair. “You don’t mind, do you?”

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She shook her head, smiling. “I thought I’d visit my mother for a while. I haven’t seen her since the wedding, and it’d be nice to go home for a bit.” “Did you want to stay overnight?” Now why would he sound almost eager, asking that? “No. I’ll probably be late, though. So, where are you off to this time?” “North,” he replied shortly. “Just some business with the Hausthers.” She kissed his cheek before he left. He stood by the door, head down suffering through it. Melina couldn’t resist adding playfully, “Give my love to Lisha,” and almost laughed aloud at his scowl. After he left, she dressed quickly, wanting to reach the western forests as early as possible. On the ledge outside their room, she shifted and leaped into the air, spreading her wings in the bright morning sun. It occurred to her to wonder why Kevan hadn’t simply left from the ledge, too. Probably had to talk to Melgara, she guessed, dismissing the question. The queen’s attitude toward her hadn’t moderated much -- she still treated Melina with a cool, stiff formality. Sometimes she caught Melgara watching her thoughtfully, but the queen would move away quickly at such times, almost as if afraid to speak with her. Melina knew what she was waiting for. She was waiting for it herself. Khef. The idea didn’t frighten her the way it had before her marriage. In fact, in some ways she was looking forward to it, wondering how it could possibly be more intense than the stunning, all-consuming rapture she’d found in Kevan’s arms. And a small, secret part of her hoped that maybe, after a khef mating, Kevan’s daylight diffidence would finally disappear. In the meantime, the air was delightful, still cool this early in the morning as she skimmed through the air, looking down across the thick band of forest that surrounded Mount Anduth. Along its edge, the Andida River curved in lazy bends away southward, marking the line between the woods and the broad, rolling grasslands of

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Djarera’s central plains. A flash of gold, low above the forest, caught her attention, and Melina realized with a shock that it was Kevan. But why would he be going south? She watched for a moment, perturbed, as he followed the winding line of the river. Then, dropping abruptly between the trees, he disappeared. Intrigued, she plunged downward, skimming along the treetops till she thought she was close to the spot where he’d vanished. Folding her wings, Melina landed on the riverbank, shifted into human form and slipped between the trees.

*** Kevan looked around the empty glade, his heart hammering wildly in his chest. Then Cal stepped out from under the trees, and with a hoarse cry Kevan went to him, dragging him into his arms. “Winds, how I’ve missed you.” Cal buried his hands in Kevan’s hair, returning his kiss eagerly. Then he broke off, smiling. “Rand flew me out here well before daybreak. Come see.” Jerking his head, he led Kevan through the forest to a small, hidden clearing. A sheet was spread out on the soft grass with cushions scattered across it. Nearby sat a small hamper of food. Drawing Kevan down with him, Cal sprawled on the sheet, closing his eyes in the dappled light. “I finally get a day to spend with you, and you’re falling asleep,” Kevan complained. Cal opened one eye a crack, grinning. “Sorry. I didn’t get much rest last night.” Kevan tried to smile in return but a hot, jealous ache tugged at his heart. He rolled away and sat up, trying to force back the anger roiling in his gut. “Kev.” Sitting up abruptly, Cal stared at him. “Kev, what is it?” He studied Kevan, who sat mute, glowering, not knowing how to hide his reaction. “Kevan, talk to me.” “I just don’t like hearing about it, all right? It’s bad enough having to lie there in the darkness, knowing you’re in the next room with her. And I hate not being able to see you, not being able to touch you…”

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“I’m here now,” Cal said quietly. “I know.” Kevan dragged a hand through his hair. “I just wish…” He trailed off, staring moodily at nothing. “What do you want, Kev? Do you want me to tell you I hate it? That every moment I’m with her, I’m thinking of you?” That was exactly what he wanted, but he couldn’t admit it. He kept his eyes averted, knowing and dreading what Cal was going to say next. “I can’t do that, Kev.” “I know.” Even in his own ears, his voice sounded wooden. Cal sighed, moving to sit beside him, their shoulders brushing together. “Kev, if you’d just give her half a chance…” “I said I don’t want to hear this!” Pulling away, he glared at Cal, who glared back, suddenly irate. “Well, maybe if you didn’t spend all day being so damn cold to her, I wouldn’t have to work so hard to make her happy! She loves you so much, Kev -- and you won’t even give her a chance!” “That’s not me she’s loving,” Kevan shot back, sneering the words. “I know exactly who’s touching her, who’s fuck --” He broke off abruptly, gritting his jaw. “Who’s fucking her? All right, then, damn it. Yes.” Cal stared at him, his eyes bright with rage. “She’s sweet and smart and playful and damn it, Kev, if you’d just let yourself try, you might find you actually feel something for her!” Cal’s words lashed at him, and the worst of it was he had felt something, hadn’t he? When she’d pressed against him, her body still radiating bed-warmth, her breasts full and heavy against his back… Pushing the thought away as if it scalded him, he snarled, “I’d say you feel her plenty for both of us.” He couldn’t have said who was more surprised when Cal’s fist clocked his jaw -Cal’s eyes flew wide the second he’d hit him, and he stammered something Kevan

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didn’t hear, didn’t want to hear. Launching himself at Cal, he slammed him backward, landing atop him with bone-crunching force. Panting, Kevan stared down at Cal, who’d gone white as a sheet beneath him. Grabbing Cal’s wrists, he pinned his arms over his head, grinding his hips against Cal’s groin, his erection straining inside his pants. Fury and need warred in his loins, and his pulse thundered in his ears, so hard the world seemed washed in red. “Tell me,” he gritted through clenched teeth. “Tell me you want this.” Cal swallowed, his face so pale his eyes looked black in contrast. “I want this,” he whispered. “Tell me I can do anything I want to you.” “Anything,” Cal breathed, his eyes huge and almost frightened. Seeing it, Kevan felt his rage -- and his lust -- climb another notch inside him. “Tell me to fuck you,” he whispered harshly, feeling Cal’s cock twitch against his own. Closing his eyes, Cal tilted his head back, baring his neck in subconscious surrender. “Fuck me, Kevan. Please. I’ve missed you, too.” The sweetness of those words seared through him like fire and, with a hoarse cry, Kevan bent his head to Cal’s lips, kissing him with a hunger that had tormented him as he’d lain, imagining Cal’s hands on Melina’s body, his mouth on her breasts, his cock driving into her again and again… Sobbing with need, he tore at Cal’s clothes, stripping them both with ruthless urgency. Cal’s cock, thank the Winds, was as hard as his own. Kevan pounced on it, sucking it deep into his mouth, and felt grief and desire twine together inside him at the sound of Cal’s soft, aroused moan. As quickly as it had come his fury evaporated, and Kevan felt his desires shifting. Not ten seconds before he was desperate to possess Cal, to take him savagely, fiercely. Now he was just as desperate for Cal to take him. Lapping eagerly, he fumbled for Cal’s hands and lifted them to his head. He was kneeling over Cal, straddling his thighs, and he glanced up along the flat rippled plane

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of Cal’s stomach to see his eyes widen briefly and then fall shut in delight. Kevan plunged his head downward, taking Cal so deep it hurt. Cal’s fingers twined in his hair, pressing gently, and Kevan dragged his mouth up and down Cal’s shaft, his tongue lashing along its underside, wanting to stir him to the point that Cal lost all control, plunging into him with the same ferocity that Kevan imagined him plunging into Melina… Curling his tongue around the rim of Cal’s cockhead, he suckled it hungrily, and Cal groaned again, a first salty drop of come leaking from his slit. Lapping it up, Kevan teased him with his tongue, until at last Cal’s fists clenched in his hair and he pushed Kevan’s head downward as he thrust up. Kevan groaned, feeling Cal’s cock buck at the vibration, and felt something like joy unfold in his breast as Cal’s fingers tightened even further, dragging his head up and down as he pumped his shaft between Kevan’s lips. Cal’s breathing grew shallower as Kevan cupped his balls, reveling in their fullness, their heaviness, the soft golden hair coating them. He squeezed lightly, and Cal growled in delight, plunging his cock hard into Kevan’s mouth. He was so close, Kevan knew, so close… Pulling back against Cal’s grip, he lifted his head, enjoying the way Cal yanked at his hair, trying to force his head back down. “No,” Kevan whispered, his lips gliding against the hard, slick curves of Cal’s engorged tip. “Cal, please, I want you to fuck me.” Cal’s eyelids flew wide, and he stared down at Kevan. Then a slow, predatory smile curled his mouth. “Hard?” he asked, his eyes growing smoky as Kevan nodded, flushing. His hands played through Kevan’s hair, stroking it as he murmured, “Tell me, then.” Kevan gulped. “Tell you what?” “Tell me you want it.” He’d never seen Cal like this before, that lazy, dominant smile on his face, something almost dangerous glinting in his eyes. Was he like this with Melina? Kevan

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swallowed, feeling his balls pulse at the thought. He envied her -- and was determined to have that from Cal, too. “I want it,” he whispered hoarsely, and saw the heat in Cal’s eyes deepen. “More,” he said shortly. “I want…” Kevan stopped, his mouth dry with longing. Closing his eyes, he trailed his tongue down Cal’s shaft, murmuring the words against its hardness. “I want you to fuck me, Cal. As hard as you want. As deep as you want. I want…” He swallowed again. “I want you to do anything you want to me.” Cal sat up then, his cock brushing against Kevan’s cheek. Too nervous to open his eyes, Kevan didn’t move until Cal leaned down and murmured in his ear, “Get on your knees, Kev. I’m gonna fuck you till you scream.” Kevan gasped as a bolt of lust tore through him, and hastily moved off Cal’s thighs, pressing his face into one of the cushions as he thrust his ass in the air and listened to the soft rustle of Cal’s movements. A cool breeze played across the small glade, stroking his thighs and exposed balls, making him painfully aware of his upthrust ass cheeks. His cock throbbed with anticipation, flexing against his belly, and Kevan moaned as he felt a first drop of fluid leak from his slit. Where was Cal? What was he doing? Kevan didn’t dare open his eyes to find out. Finally, the rustling stopped, and Kevan felt something slick and wet dribble between his ass cheeks. Then Cal ran a finger through it, smearing it over his sphincter. “Oh, Kev,” he murmured, working his finger partway in. “God, you’re so tight.” His voice was harsh, strained, and Kevan reveled in the sound of it. He wrapped his arms around the cushion, pressing his hips higher as Cal prodded his asshole lightly, slowly working his finger in. “Would you like to know what I’m doing?” he asked. Unable to speak, Kevan nodded. “I’m watching myself finger-fuck your ass. I’m rubbing my cock as I do it.” Kevan moaned. “I smeared oil over my cock, just like I did with your ass, and now I’m gliding my hand up and down my slick cock, jacking off as I watch.”

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Gasping, Kevan felt his hips jerk spasmodically, and he pushed them backward, burying Cal’s finger deeper inside him. He heard Cal’s harsh intake of breath, and then the sheet rustled as Cal rose to his knees. Kevan’s cock was so hard it felt like iron against his stomach, and he moaned in abandonment as Cal withdrew his finger. A second later, something firm and hot pressed against his exposed asshole, and Kevan knew it was Cal’s cockhead. He felt Cal’s knuckles graze the curves of his ass, and realized Cal was holding himself there, the tip of his cock nudging Kevan’s tight opening as he rubbed his shaft. Cal’s other hand closed on Kevan’s hip and he twisted his neck, peering through the tangled fall of his hair. He was right -- Cal was kneeling behind him, his face dark with lust, looking down at Kevan’s upturned ass as he stroked himself slowly, his cockhead pressed firmly against Kevan’s small, tight opening. Cal’s voice was heavy with desire as he murmured, “God, Kev. I’ve wanted this for so long. I never even knew how bad I wanted it.” “Then take it,” Kevan croaked, closing his eyes. Knotting his fingers around the cushion, he repeated. “Take it. Fuck me, Cal. Fuck me hard. Make it…” He swallowed, remembering the mingled agony and bliss on Cal’s face as he’d taken Kevan inside him, urging him on. “Make it hurt,” he whispered, and heard Cal chuckle. “Oh, it’ll hurt, all right. Your first time, it’ll hurt.” But still Cal paused. “Kev, are you sure?” He nodded, wishing again he could mind-speak with Cal as he could with other dragons, wishing Cal could know exactly how much he wanted this. “Please, Cal. Take me. Fuck me. Do anything you want to me.” He was totally unprepared for the sharp sting of Cal’s slap on his upthrust ass. Cal spanked him again, harder, and Kevan cried out in shock. Then that burning was driven from his mind by a sharper, deeper pain as Cal jabbed his cock through the tight clench of Kevan’s sphincter, spreading him open in one short, hard thrust. Kevan’s neck snapped back, and he cried aloud. It hurt! Winds, it hurt! But at the same time it felt so impossibly good. His cock pulsed against his abs, and his balls

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ached with fire as Cal hung there, rocking his hips gently back and forth, waiting for Kevan’s muscles to relax around him. Slowly, they did, and Kevan felt his looming climax back off a little. Winds, he’d been so close to coming when Cal ripped him open! “More?” Cal murmured, and Kevan nodded again, clenching his fists against that sharp, searing pain. It never came. His muscles ached in protest as Cal worked his cock deeper, but it was like the ache in his balls -- tormenting and arousing. Cal froze, hissing, and Kevan tensed. “What’s wrong?” “Nothing.” Cal chuckled ruefully. “You’re so tight I almost lost it already.” Kevan moaned. “I want that,” he whispered. “I want you to come in my ass.” Cal’s cock flexed inside him at his words, growing even thicker, and Kevan bit his lip, fighting to relax. Cal’s cock felt as huge as a club, stuffing him slowly, stretching him open, and Kevan groaned into the cushion as Cal grabbed his hips, pulling them even higher as he pressed down relentlessly. “More?” Cal whispered, that hard, dangerous edge back in his voice. “Please,” Kevan gasped, and bit back a cry as Cal’s shaft slid in deeper. “More?” Cal demanded again. Winds, how much more was there? “Yes,” Kevan hissed, and pressed his hips upward. Something seemed to snap inside Cal. With a fierce, greedy lunge he plunged in up to the hilt. Kevan cried aloud, impaled on Cal’s shaft, his body an inferno of hot, aching bliss. He felt his climax building as Cal dragged himself backward to ram home again, sending a wave of pain and desire straight through Kevan’s balls. “Yes,” he panted as Cal seized his thighs, spreading them wider. “Oh Winds, Cal, yes.” He groaned as Cal settled into a slow, delicious rhythm, thrusting into him with strokes that penetrated so deep Kevan thought he might black out from mingled agony and joy. His balls grew even tauter, so swollen they felt filled with molten lead, hanging heavily between his thighs. They swung slightly every time Cal thrust inward, the

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sensation pushing Kevan relentlessly closer to the edge. Driving himself home, Cal rolled his hips, corkscrewing his cock deep inside Kevan’s ass, and Kevan cried out as ecstasy flared through him, sparked from some place inside him he’d never even known existed. His passage clamped around Cal’s shaft, and he heard Cal groan, his control shattering as he lunged into Kevan again and again, pounding his ass as Kevan’s cries spiraled higher, sharp and harsh and desperate with yearning. Cal’s orgasm shattered across his mind, so intense it made his head reel. But… that’s not possible. Cal’s not a… The thought was distant, disturbing, tugging at Kevan but not quite strong enough to penetrate the haze of lust in his mind as Cal groaned and pumped his seed, hot and searing, deep inside Kevan’s ass. His own peak was so close, so near… Then Kevan screamed as Cal yanked himself free. His brain whirled with pain and confusion and hot, blinding need as Cal staggered to his feet, crying out hoarsely. “Melina!”

Chapter Six Melina stared, her pulse thundering in her ears. It wasn’t possible, she thought, it wasn’t… But it explained so much, didn’t it? Choking on her sobs, she watched them, grief and rage and arousal pounding through her. They were so beautiful, both of them, and so exactly alike. Which one of them had kissed her in the darkness? Which one of them had brought her, shuddering and gasping, over and over to those mind-numbing peaks? Mind-numbing is right, she told herself, the thought tinged with both anger and shame. She should have seen it. She should have known… Winds! It was too much. The sight of them, like some optical illusion, kissing each other, caressing each other’s bodies… She remembered Cal’s ragged words, the first she’d heard as she stumbled upon them, seeing a flicker of motion in the tiny glade ahead of her and ducking instinctively behind a tree. Fuck me, Kevan. Please. I’ve missed you, too. Which one had loved her? Which one had… Gasping, she watched, tears streaming down her face, unable to look away as they made love before her. Shaggy golden head bending over taut, straining erection… Strong, sun-bronzed hands clasping hard, curved muscle… The one called Cal rearing up behind Kevan, plunging his cock deep in Kevan’s upturned ass… A hot, hungry longing pulsed in her groin, and she clung to the tree, feeling need building inside her with each stroke of Cal’s cock, every low, desperate cry as Kevan clung to the cushion, taking him in to the hilt. She stared at that beautiful, familiar profile, tilted down now as Cal watched himself piston into Kevan’s flesh, only

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distantly aware she’d slid her hand to her clit, rubbing it in time with Cal’s hard, thrusting strokes. His shoulders stiffened, the hard curves of his ass tightening again and again as his orgasm took him, and as he threw his head back, crying out harshly, Melina felt her own peak shatter inside her, breaking her heart even as the tension snapped in her groin. She whirled, unable to bear it one second longer, and tore through the trees, not caring if they heard her, not caring if they saw her, only desperate in her agony to get away… “Melina!” She didn’t turn back, didn’t even pause in her blind, frantic flight. Something was building inside her, something wild and frenzied and almost feral. Images of them haunted her as she ran, searing her mind’s eye, throbbing through her veins. Her heart thundered in her chest, and between her thighs the heat of her climax didn’t fade, but kept building and building… Bursting from the trees onto the bank of the river, Melina felt her body ripple and launched herself skyward, her head snapping back with a harsh, challenging cry.

*** Outraged seared along Kevan’s nerves, but even through the whirling daze of his confusion, he heard the note of anguish in Cal’s desperate shout. His balls throbbed with need, but suddenly Cal was at his side, tugging Kevan to his feet, his gaze burning with urgency as he shook Kevan roughly. “…after her! You have to go after her!” His words finally penetrated Kevan’s confusion, and Kevan stared at him, seeing the haunted frenzy in Cal’s hazel eyes. “You… you love her,” Kevan stammered, feeling lost and appalled. “Oh damn it, Kev, don’t look at me like that,” Cal rasped. Pulling Kevan roughly against him, Cal held him almost mercilessly tight. “I love you too, and you know it. But… Oh Christ, Kev!” His voice cracked, and Kevan pulled back to see tears rolling down Cal’s beloved face.

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He couldn’t stand it. He couldn’t stand seeing Cal cry. Gritting his jaw, Kevan nodded sharply -- and heard Melina’s furious shriek echo across the sky. Reaching out, he felt for her with his mind, something he’d never bothered to do before -- something he’d never wanted to do, afraid of feeling her satisfaction with Cal, refusing to even acknowledge what they shared at night while he lay in an empty chamber, staring at the darkness. What he felt, when his mind touched hers, was a furious roiling of lust and rage so intense it made him blanch in sudden shock. “What is it?” Cal demanded. “Khef,” he replied shortly. “Melina’s in khef.” They stared at each other, eyes dark with understanding. Then Cal gripped his shoulder once, bruisingly hard. “Bring her home, Kev. Bring her back to us.” Kevan nodded as Cal stepped back, giving him room. With no more than a thought, he shifted, leaping skyward, his wingtip catching a tree branch as he beat the air. Climbing higher, he veered in a circle, his gaze searching the sky… There! Like a flash of emerald, she darted over the plains, her mating shrieks echoing through the air around her. Already, Kevan could see streaks of color as dragons launched themselves skyward, and felt an unexpected burst of possessive rage as he hurtled after that green, distant shape. A red blur, off to his right. Kevan snarled, diving in front of the pursuing Aurorean, and raked out with his claws as he sped past the red dragon. Not pausing to see if the Aurorean had heeded his warning, he arrowed after Melina, gaining on her. Lithe and trim, she danced in the air before him, taunting, tormenting, evading his lunge. Like a tongue of fire, her thoughts lashed through his mind, a wordless, incoherent shriek of rage and desire. His groin, still throbbing with the ache of his interrupted orgasm, blazed with fresh need as he caught Melina’s scent -- and mingled with it, intoxicatingly, was Cal’s scent as well. In his mind he saw them again, tangled together as Cal thrust between her thighs, his eyes half-closed in ecstasy as she arched below him. But the image was so

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much sharper, so much clearer than his jealous imaginings, and with a shock Kevan realized they were coming from her mind -- Melina’s. A green Westron male dove between them, snarling, and Kevan roared in rage. She was his! He had married her! He had claimed her… Only he hadn’t really, had he? No, he had married her and then left it to Cal to do what Kevan had convinced himself he couldn’t -- or wouldn’t, he realized with a sudden flush of shame. It was true. He hadn’t, as Cal had so rightly accused, even tried. And now he must fight for her. For Cal, for himself, for the very survival of the dragon kingdom. In a khef duel, it mattered very little that he was the prince -- only the heart-bond of life mates could overrule the battle instincts. Only the scent of possession on a female would discourage challengers… and Cal’s scent, Kevan realized, would be unrecognizable to the other dragons. Shrieking in fury, Kevan lunged after the Westron male, his talons raking the green dragon’s back as he stooped like a hawk, crashing feet first into the other male. The Westron lurched sideways, one wing dragging awkwardly, and spiraled down, quitting the battle. But Melina was arrowing straight for a knot of writhing, airborne figures -- seven or eight dragons tearing at each other in their eagerness to possess her. With a sickening lurch, Kevan was reminded of the scene in the courtyard, the hungry gazes of the females as he’d moved between them. Remembering the shock that had bolted through him as he’d lifted her face up and recognized her, Kevan shouted desperately after her. Melina! She checked in the air, looking suddenly uncertain. One of the Hausthers broke off from the knot, speeding suddenly for her. He couldn’t reach her in time, Kevan realized hopelessly -- the Hausther would claim her before he could close half the distance. Melina! he called again, his mind-voice crackling with urgency. This time, she actually hovered, glancing back at him dubiously. Kevan? The word was faint, half-buried beneath the mating frenzy beating through her… but it was there.

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Kevan clung to it, shouting urgently. Yes! Melina, come to me! Quickly. Fly toward me! Kevan? But… He felt her confusion, the shifting images in her mind. He saw his face, then Cal’s, as they kissed each other, their hands buried deep in each other’s shaggy gold hair. Then he saw Cal’s face as he smiled down at Melina, brushing a strand of hair tenderly back from her face in the aftermath of love. That was Cal, he said gently. That was Cal, not me. Oh, Melina, I’m sorry. I should have told you. He heard her soft, forlorn thought deep in his own mind. So he never loved me. Neither of you love me. With a sob, she turned away from him -- and toward the black dragon. Yes, he does, Kevan whispered, fighting to keep his panic under control. He sped toward her, but the black Hausther was close, so close… He loves you, Melina, more than you know. Opening his mind, he let her see Cal through his eyes, Cal’s gaze bright and frantic as he shook Kevan, shouting, “You have to go after her!” Cal? Her mind-voice quivered, half hopeful, half afraid. Yes, Cal! He sent me to get you! Come to me, Melina, before it’s too late! Cal! Crying his name sharply, Melina sprang forward, darting out from under the very wings of the black dragon. In midair, she and Kevan crashed together, wings tangling as they clung, their necks twining, their tails wrapping together. Oh, I love him, Kevan. I love him so much! I know, Kevan answered brusquely, his throat tight with emotion. He spread his wings, slowing their fall, and drew his head back to look into Melina’s eyes. I know, Melina. I love him, too. Releasing her, he let images play through his mind -- Cal as he’d first seen him, alone on a stage… Cal clinging to him in the darkness, their hips grinding together as Cal kissed him into a frenzy like nothing he’d ever felt… Cal’s eyes wide with fear as

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Marco stood over him, and the fierce, protective rage that had burned through Kevan’s heart… In an answering flood, Melina’s memories poured through him, and Kevan swallowed, arousal smoldering like a live coal deep in his groin as he watched Cal make love to her, his skin gleaming with sweat… Jealousy flickered through him, taking him by surprise. He wanted that, he realized suddenly -- he wanted Melina looking up at him, her eyes wide and wondering as they’d been the first time he’d seen her, her gaze seeming to drink him in with hungry desperation… Oh, Melina, he breathed, struck dumb by realization. She had needed him, needed him so strongly she’d drawn him to her with only a look. Her eyes, wide and sorrowful, had seen him with a clarity that had pierced him to his very soul -- not Kevan Southerlin, crown prince of Djarera, but simply himself, Kevan, a warm, affectionate boy whose heart had ached at the grief in her eyes. Melina, who had looked at him in a way no other girl had. Melina, he murmured again, his mind-voice hoarse with need. In response, he felt the heat inside her flare up again, nearly blinding. She darted away from him, her seeming rejection flicking at him like a lash. Goaded, he sprang after her, seizing her neck in his powerful jaws as he covered her wings with his own. And then… Lust detonated inside him as he plunged into her passage, her warmth closing around him like a velvet glove. She shrieked, her neck snapping back as he tightened his haunches, driving himself in to the hilt. Her tail twined around him, dragging him even deeper as they tumbled through the air, snarling, straining, thrusting against each other in the frenzy of khef. Roaring, Kevan gripped her with his forepaws, holding her tightly to his chest as his wings beat the air, lifting them higher. With each downstroke, his cock jabbed deeper inside her, and she writhed against him, her body burning with need. Stretching his wings wide, he gave her what she demanded, pounding into her with a ferocity as mindless as the one which had seized him while he fucked Cal’s mouth. Melina bucked below him as she caught his

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memories, feeling every thrust of his cock, every swipe of Cal’s tongue, experiencing the mind-numbing bliss that had exploded through his balls as Cal’s throat worked around him, swallowing his come. She shrieked, thrusting backward, and her climax tore through his mind, the sensations assaulting his brain even as her cunt spasmed around him, gripping him so tight he roared in rapture. It was you, he rasped, pistoning his cock in and out of her searing wetness. You I felt… Yes, she whispered, letting him feel her memories, the grief and unbearable arousal as she’d watched Cal fucking him, transfixed by their passion, the tension inside her snapping as Cal had climaxed, his face taut with an almost painful ecstasy. Kevan shuddered in delight, remembering the delicious pain of Cal spreading him open, pumping his spurting juices deep into Kevan’s ass. Melina arched against him, caught up in his memory, and her almost incoherent thought flicked through his mind. Want that… I want that… him inside me, both of them inside me… Kevan roared as his balls clenched tight at the picture, imagining both of them slamming into her, filling her with their cocks, taking her over and over as she shuddered beneath them. Her cunt clamped around him as she shrieked in delight, her peak searing through him as she orgasmed again. His blood thundered in his ears, and white-hot light burst inside his mind as he came, hammering his cock into her with single-minded frenzy. His balls clenched so hard the world went black around him, and he saw nothing, felt nothing but the throbbing in his groin as his cock bucked again and again, his seed spurting from him in seemingly endless waves. It was her wings, he realized dimly, that were spread below his, cupping the air as he slumped, spent, against her, her lithe, slender body holding them both aloft as they glided slowly downward to the gentle, rolling plains. You are so strong, Melina, he murmured faintly. So strong, so determined…

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He should have seen it earlier. Her steady, tender gaze, the flash of wry humor behind her soft eye… He should have known he could trust her with everything. Even Cal. Even Cal’s love -- and his. Rousing himself from his exhaustion he cradled her tenderly, and she let herself relax against him as his wings covered hers, taking the strain. She trusted him, he realized with mute gratitude. Even after he’d lied to her, even after he’d held himself aloof… Yes, she whispered. It hurt when I first saw you together, but I understand. And I trust you, Kevan. I’ve always trusted you. I’ve always… Her mind-voice faltered, and Kevan twined his neck around hers to rub his golden jaw against her emerald green cheek. It’s all right. You don’t need to say it. Ahead, he could see the sparkle of the Andida River, and angled his wings to bring them alongside it. They touched down gently, the ground rising up to meet them in what felt almost like a kiss, and wearily, they sprawled on the warm grass and let themselves change, their bodies still entangled and his cock deep inside her. With his last bit of energy, Kevan gathered her close, and felt himself drifting into sleep. A loud splashing impinged itself on his consciousness, and Kevan groaned in annoyance, reluctant to move. Lifting his head, he turned his neck to glare at the intruder -- and froze as he saw Cal splash across the river and climb up the bank to stand over them, soaked and grinning. “Told you you should give it half a chance. I never could understand how you couldn’t like girls.” He hunkered down beside them, turning his smile on Melina, and Kevan curled a possessive arm around her waist and drew her back tighter against his belly. “I don’t like girls,” he growled. “I like Melina.” Cal’s grin widened even further, not in the least perturbed. “Cal,” Melina complained sleepily, “you’re dripping on me.” “Oh. Sorry.” Hastily, he shucked his tunic and sodden trousers. “Is that better?”

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“Much,” she drawled languorously, and reached up to drag Cal down beside them. Lifting his head, Kevan scowled at Cal. “Do you mind? You’ve had her all to yourself for weeks.” “Was that my fault?” Cal shot back, and snuggled close against Melina, utterly unrepentant. She curled a warm, soft arm around him, pillowing his head, and reached behind her to run her fingers through Kevan’s hair. Sighing in defeat, he dropped his head to her shoulder, nuzzling her neck even as Cal leaned forward to take her mouth in a kiss. “So,” Cal murmured when he finally came up for air, “did you have a good time up there without me?” She smiled, twisting her neck to glance up at Kevan, a mischievous light dancing in her soft blue eyes. “Oh, yeah,” she replied, winking at Kevan. “It was the best, Cal.” Kevan choked back a laugh as he watched Cal’s face fall. “In fact,” she murmured wickedly, “I can’t think of any way one man could possibly top that.” Cal’s jaw clenched stubbornly, and Kevan burst out laughing at his grim determination, knowing already where Melina’s mind was going. She placed a hand on Cal’s chest, forestalling his precipitous assault on her body. “I’m afraid, Cal,” she drawled with mock regret, “it’s going to have to take two.” At the sudden comprehension that flared in Cal’s eyes, turning them dark with renewed lust, Kevan’s exhaustion evaporated. Feeling his cock thicken again inside her, Melina turned to Kevan, her eyes and voice both suddenly sharp. “You can stop right there, Kevan Southerlin. I’ve got one question first.” “What is it?” Glaring at both of them, she snapped, “So which one of you am I actually married to, anyway?” Cal dissolved into gales of laughter as Kevan grinned, drawing her close. “Me,” he murmured, feeling a rekindled desire beating deep in his balls. Cal curled against

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Melina, running his hand up her side and cupping her breast. “Luckily for Cal,” Kevan growled as Cal tugged at her nipple, making her gasp, “I share.” Reaching out, Melina drew them both tight against her, turning her head to whisper in Kevan’s ear, “Luckily for you, dragon boy… so do I.”

*** Cal folded his arms behind his head and gazed blearily at the last light of sunset gleaming across the high, ornate ceiling. The two dragons slumbered beside him, Kevan on his left, Melina on his right, her head pillowed on his shoulder and her arm draped across his chest. Tilting his chin downward, Cal kissed her fiery red hair gently, and she shifted slightly, murmuring in her sleep. He was exhausted himself. Dragons, he was discovering, were every bit as indefatigable as legend claimed -- and being attacked by both Melina and Kevan at once had wrung him dry. Repeatedly. Four times, in fact. Now he lay in a pleasant daze, feeling the warm, drained ache in his groin and listening to the sounds of their breathing. Turning his head, Cal smiled as he looked at Kevan, studying the long sweep of his honey-gold lashes, and the full, sensual mouth that balanced his determined jaw. So does it make me incredibly vain that I think he’s the most beautiful man in the world? Cal grinned, remembering Kevan’s confusion when he’d tugged the prince in front of a mirror and stood beside him. He’d been so skeptical of Kevan then… of everything, honestly. After Marco, it had been nearly impossible to imagine ever letting himself love someone again. And now he had two people to love. Two incredible, shape-shifting dragons who loved him with a fiery passion that left him limp and sated, and yet still wanting more… Remembering the way their bodies had intertwined, mouths sliding over flesh, skin gliding against warm, smooth skin, Cal felt his cock twitch again. Not only twitch, but lengthen.

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Incredible.

He should let them sleep, he really should…

Instead, he slid an arm around Kevan’s shoulders, drawing the dragon prince

close. Melina murmured again, her hand sliding down Cal’s firm stomach, and curling around his hardening shaft. Kevan rolled toward them, his strong, agile fingers curving around Melina’s, lacing through them, and Cal groaned as their intertwined hands glided up and down his cock. Oh God, he thought as Melina opened her eyes just long enough to give him one quick, mischievous glance. Kevan tightened his fingers, squeezing Cal’s shaft harder, and Cal swallowed in a throat gone suddenly dry. The only thing more seductive than one dragon, on this planet or any other… is two.

Sierra Dafoe Sierra Dafoe published her first erotic romance with Changeling Press in May of 2006, and hasn’t stopped since! Named a Rising Star of Romance in July by Love Romances and More, she received three 2006 CAPA nominations including Favorite Erotic Author (a fact which still has her stunned)! Sierra lives in northern New Hampshire’s White Mountains with her incredibly tolerant hubby, her thoroughly obnoxious cat, and her twelve-year-old puppy. Visit her at www.sierradafoe.com for free stories and monthly contests, and join her yahoogroup at http://groups.yahoo.com/The_Sierra_Club -- she loves hearing from her readers!