Chapter Forty-Six

"How was your lunch?" Rath asked as I entered the suite, his expression cautious.

"Good." I went to join him on the couch. "Very good. He's . . . good."

"Well that's good ," Keltyr teased.

"You look better," Xae said.

"I feel better. Calmer."

Rath glanced at the other men before saying, "We spoke to the Emperor."

"Fuck," I whispered. "I didn't even think about informing him."

"General Ranor informed him of . . . Aranren earlier," Taroc said. "The Emperor is grieving for his friend. But he agrees that there is still hope. He urged us to try again."

"We will," I said. "When we are stronger."

Taroc's face twitched.

"I know it's not what you want. And it's hard for me too. I just threw myself at Vexen."

"You did what?" Xaedren growled.

"I'm afraid for Ara, Xae. I just want us to be strong enough to save him. But Vexen calmed me. Focused me. He helped me see things a bit clearer."

"So, you didn't fuck him?" Keltyr asked.

Taroc snarled at him.

"What? We're all thinking it," Kel said.

"I didn't fuck him," I said. "I did kiss him. I tried to do more, but he refused me."

Xae grunted.

Rath sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Vexen is a better man than I thought."

"He's pretty incredible," I said. "I already knew that. I think that's what made me act so brazenly with him. His letters made me feel as if we already had a relationship. But we don't. We need to do this right."

"And Aranren?" Taroc asked.

"He will survive until I can go back for him. He's strong. I know he'll be all right. And the next time I free him, it will be permanently."

Rath stroked my face. "Your heart just keeps getting torn apart, love."

"It's taken a beating, but with all of you in it, it has never been torn apart, Rath." I leaned over and kissed him.

Rath's long, raven hair swished forward as he met me halfway. The herbal scent of his shampoo hit me, mixed with a male scent that was all Rath, and I groaned as I breathed in more of it. With a happy sound, Rath moved me onto his lap and settled his hands on my ass, kneading as he pulled me closer. I ground against him, lust smacking me in the back of the head. Yes, I did need this, just not from Vexen. I needed it from my lovers. All of them.

I lifted my head to look at the others. "I want you all. Now ."

Growls and other happy sounds came from Xae, Kel, and Taroc as they closed in on us, their clothes falling away like magic. Maybe they did use magic. Rath certainly used it to unfasten my belt. His hands were too busy stroking my face and chest. Once my belt was gone, I pulled off my tunic and tossed it aside. As it fell, a hand slipped into my hair and yanked my head back. I lifted my lips to meet Xaedren's.

Undulating against Rath's rising cock, I kissed my wolf and caressed my dragon. Meanwhile, Keltyr helped Rath finish undressing me, lifting me from Rath's lap to remove my pants and shorts. Instead of replacing me on Rath, Keltyr carried me to the bedroom, making Xae and Taroc snarl as I was pulled away.

Kel just laughed and ran off, exclaiming, "He's mine now!"

"The fuck he is," Taroc snarled and gave chase.

Rath just brushed past the shapeshifters and darted around Kel. He was waiting for me on the bed by the time Kel set me down. I turned into his arms, delighted to find him naked and ready. My hand instantly sought his cock, and with a hungry sound, I slid between his thighs. I'd been craving this ever since Vexen turned me down. But thoughts of the Tiger faded as I wrapped my lips around Rath's long shaft. I groaned and sucked him down, needing as much of him inside me as I could get.

Keltyr wasn't about to lay back and watch. He moved into place behind me, lifting my hips and spreading my cheeks to dive between them. I groaned around Rath as Kel licked me voraciously, getting me soaking wet. Meanwhile, Taroc and Xae came at me from either side. Xae's hand went to my cock as Taroc's found my balls, their free hands roaming the rest of my body. Strong hands touched me everywhere—sliding through my hair, over my back, caressing my nipples, and outlining my face. Rath began to pump up into my mouth just as Keltyr prodded my ass. It was perfect. But I needed so much more.

"That's not going to be enough lubrication," Taroc said. "Use this."

I opened my eyes just in time to see the oil bottle float past, going right to Kel. And then there came the delicious feeling of my hole getting coated in the slick substance. Kel worked it into me with a finger, then rubbed it around the outside before passing the bottle to Taroc.

And then Keltyr was inside me. Just the tip at first, popped past that outer ring. But with a few pumps, he was sheathed. I lifted my head on a cry, arching back into Kel's thrusts. Rath took the opportunity to get to his knees.

"You take him," Rath said. "Any longer and I'll come."

"I don't see the problem with that," Xae said, but he still took Rath's place and offered me his thick dick.

"I want to last longer," Rath said as he moved to the side and reached for my shaft.

"So do I," I said. "That's too much, Rath."

"All right, love," Ratharin said, a smile in his voice. He stroked back my hair so he could watch me take Xae into my mouth. "Better?"

"Mmmhmm," I moaned around Xae's cock.

"So much better," Xae said, grabbing the sides of my face. "Oh, fuck. That's it, Ember. Suck me just like that. Tighten those beautiful lips around my cock."

Keltyr moaned and quickened his pace. His hands clenched on my hips. I knew he was about to pull out.

I yanked back from Xae to say, "Don't pull out, Kel. Come inside me."

"Oh, fuck!" Keltyr shouted and locked up against me.

His horned head bowed backward, his nipples shot forward, and his cock jerked inside me. I felt the hot gush of his release and moaned before returning to sucking at Xae.

"You need to be filled, Ember?" Xae demanded. "Is that what you want?"

I moaned around his flesh.

"Then you will have it." Xae held my face and started fucking my mouth. "Don't waste a drop."

I whimpered in pleasure as Keltyr withdrew, his slick flesh slipping from me with a delicious slither. Xae's hands transferred to my rib cage as he leaned forward, shoving himself deeper. I happily loosened my throat but when he locked up as Kel had, I eased back so I could taste him before swallowing.

Knowing exactly what I was doing, Xae growled. "Savor that cum. Hold it on your tongue."

Once, twice, thrice, he spurted into my mouth, and I did as he said, holding it there before swallowing.

"Good boy," he said.

I glanced at Taroc, reminded of our games by Xae's words. The gleam in Taroc's deep blue eyes told me it had reminded him too. He lifted a brow in question, and I nodded. As Xae fell back onto the pillows, Taroc got into position behind me. A crack of sound came as he slapped my ass, and my other lovers went still. Rath watched avidly as Taroc began to smack my buttocks over and over, lightly, not painfully. More than anything, it was about making my ass jiggle.

"What's this now?" Keltyr asked.

"Shut up," Xae hissed. "I'm fucking enjoying it, whatever it is."

I didn't call Taroc daddy. That was our private thing. But I did lower my head and lift my ass, giving myself to him. Pleased by this, he gave me what I wanted.

"Oh, Goddess!" I cried as Taroc slid into me. "Fuck me!"

Taroc leaned over me, wrapped his arms around my chest and abdomen, then straightened, lifting me off the bed. The other men groaned as the dragon settled me against his chest, then thrust up into me. My cock flopped along with the rest of me, but I soon got some leverage, bending my legs and setting my feet on the mattress. I hooked my arms back around Taroc's neck.

Growling happily, Taroc held me with one arm and stroked me with his free hand. His touch glided over my chest to pluck at my nipples, over my face to brush my lips, then across my belly to tease my cock. At last, he gave my dick a little slap.

"Oh, fuck," Rath said and crawled over to us. "I like this new game." He lifted my balls and squeezed them.

"Rath," I panted.

"Do you like that, Ember?"

"Yes."

"More?"

"Yes."

"How do you ask for more?" Taroc growled.

"More, please, Rath."

Rath's eyes widened, and then he grinned. He lifted my balls so everyone had an unimpeded view of Taroc's dick entering me. Then he slapped my cock, setting it to flopping side-to-side.

"Do it again," Keltyr whispered.

I looked over to see him stroking himself. Xae too, was hard and hungry, his stare locked on my bobbing dick.

Rath seemed to be a natural. He moved on from my cock to pinch my nipples, stretching them out before letting them go. I arched into his hands even as I pushed down on Taroc's thrusts, taking him deeper. Encouraged by this, Rath scraped his nails lightly down my sides, making me shiver.

"Beg him for more," Taroc whispered in my ear.

"Please, Rath, give me more," I said immediately.

"What do you want, Ember?" Rath asked.

Suddenly, I knew. I needed to feel the sting of slapping hands and pinching fingers. Maybe even more than that. I needed a little pain to drive away the big pain in my chest. I wanted to be taken roughly, tossed around until my body was forced to heal itself. But what did I want specifically?

"Spank my cock, please. Spank it hard. Make it blush for you."

Rath's hand came down on my dick. I flinched at the sharp pleasure that ran up my shaft. Pleasure, not pain. It wasn't enough.

"Harder!"

Taroc growled and slammed deep enough to make me whimper.

"Harder, please, Rath," I amended.

Rath smacked me harder. This time, a sliver of pain came with the pleasure. I sighed.

"Perfect?" Rath asked and smacked me again, this time using his cock.

"Oh, fuck, this is so hot," Keltyr said. "Hit him with your dick again. Slap his balls with it."

"Perfect," I said. "I love you, Rath."

"I love you too, Ember." He grabbed my dick and massaged it, just a little roughly.

Oh, yeah, he knew the precise edge now.

I leaned back and whispered in Taroc's ear, "Come inside me, please, Daddy."

With a roar, Taroc jerked his hips upward one last time, and, holding me pressed tightly to him, came inside me just as I asked. Rath withdrew as Taroc crested, letting us have the moment. When the roaring was done, Taroc slipped out of me and lowered me to my knees. I instantly turned in his arms to kiss him.

"Ember," Taroc murmured between kisses. "I love you."

"I love you, Taroc." I stroked the scales at his temples and reveled in our kiss.

But I needed more. So I turned again, right into Rath's arms.

Rath laid back, drawing me forward to straddle him. "Ride me, Ember."

I bit my lip and settled atop him, slipping down onto Rath's cock with a sigh. It went deep and my channel clenched around it. Hands on his sculpted chest, I began to move, slowly rising and falling. And all the while, I held Rath's stunning, lavender stare. Vexen had taught me to look, and I realized I hadn't been doing enough of that lately. Even when I was alone with my lovers, I didn't look at them enough. Now, I looked.

I noted the gray touch to the lavender and the dark purple ring around Rath's irises. I saw the striations and little dots of violet. Those long lashes were as dark as midnight and glossy, framing his eyes so that they seemed even brighter. I looked at the scar along his left cheekbone and saw only the beauty of it. For me, it enhanced Rath's masculinity and highlighted the sharpness of his cheekbones. The royal line of his nose drew me to his stern lips, but I saw the plumpness in the bottom one and knew he would always soften for me.

"Ember," Rath whispered. "Keep looking at me like that, and I'm going to come."

I lifted my stare to his and rode him harder, slamming down on his cock until he couldn't stop himself from closing his eyes and tossing his head. Then I rode faster.

"I need more, Rath. Are you going to give it to me?" I demanded.

Rath suddenly rolled us, getting onto his forearms with the same motion, and smoothly glided into a rapid thrusting. I spread my legs wide, grabbed the back of my knees, and lifted, giving him more of myself. Rath's hair swung forward with his thrusts, smacking my chest, and I had a brief flash of Ara, his golden hair doing the same. But my love for Rath—the man I had wanted from the very start—overwhelmed my memories of Ara. Ratharin consumed me in a good way. In a way that supported and pleasured me. That was my Rath, always a steady force on my side. Never wavering. So beautiful, so strong, and ever honorable.

"I love you," I said with all of my love in my words.

Rath shouted, his pelvis slapping against me twice before holding firm. As he emptied into me, the pleasure finally took me, and I cried out with him, my cock launching my desire onto Rath's chest. He arched into the stream, his eyes closing in bliss, and I squeezed my channel, milking him of all he had to give.

Satisfied at last, Rath and I collapsed together. And in his arms, with his breath hot on my skin and my desire wet between us, I knew I would be all right. It had all gone up in flames, but among the ashes, I found an ember. I found myself. The sadness would settle into strength, the desperation into determination, and my heart would heal without scars. I would fall in love again and again and again if that's what it took to end the war. To free Aranren. I would open my heart to men like my Rath who would steady me. Men like Xae who would support me. Men like Kel who would make me laugh. Men like Taroc who would challenge me. And men like Vexen who would see me for who I was and accept all of me.

I would give each of them a part of me. I would steady and support them. I would make them laugh and challenge them. I would see them for who they were and accept all of them. Our union could be nothing less. Love was the foundation, and that would be the true power we gained. It would be the weapon we used to conquer Death. And when that traitorous, lying, bastard was defeated, I would dance on the bones of Ara's cage. We would dance together.

All of us.

Something shimmered in my chest. I frowned against Rath's skin. It came again. Something frail. A flutter like wings. Xae reached for me with a growl. The flutter thinned and settled into a thread.

I gasped and sat up, shoving Xae back.

All of them jerked upright.

"What is it?" Rath demanded.

"Ara," I whispered. "Oh, sweet Goddess. We're still bound!"