CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR: HUDSON

SEVERAL DAYS had passed since the meeting Monday night, and things were good—almost too good.

Hudson wondered when the other shoe would drop. He couldn't shake the feeling something was about to happen. It was the main reason he and Connie had something planned after dinner tonight.

Something big.

They just needed the guest of honor. Once more, he checked his watch. Kit and Beckett should've been home ten minutes ago.

"Would you stop?" Connie looked up from his phone and frowned at Hudson. "You know how insane traffic is, and it's Friday evening to boot."

"They're late."

"Just a few minutes. If you're that concerned, why don't you text Kit?"

Hudson was tempted, even though Connie was right—Kit and Beckett really weren't that late. Plus, he didn't know what time they'd left the bookstore.

Still, it couldn't hurt, right? Hudson pulled out his phone, but as he was about to unlock it, he got a text notification. A few seconds later, he chuckled.

"It seems as if Kit picked up my worry through the bond," Hudson admitted, reading the text. "That was him."

"It's getting stronger, isn't it?"

"It seems so. I'm glad we're doing the blood exchange."

"Kit already said he was willing. I don't think it's an issue," Connie said.

Hudson had finally made love to Kit after the meeting of the leaders of San DeLain. They'd also talked about Kit taking their blood. That night had certainly been eye-opening. Hudson's dragon had taken over. Something that rarely happened. Not only that, but the creature also made it clear he was concerned for Kit.

He thought Kit should take their blood. Hudson had been slightly horrified but unable to stop that side of him. Well, the dragon wasn't really a side of him—Hudson was the dragon.

If anything, the human fa?ade was that "side" of him, but in this modern age, he spent more time in his human body than as a dragon. Which meant his thinking was more human thanks to that.

Still, his true nature had bubbled to the surface and had been very frank. Kit, fortunately, hadn't completely freaked out. But it had forced Kit to re-examine his feelings about taking their blood. He'd concluded it wasn't the actual blood itself.

No, the problem seemed to be how his blood was taken by Nox. Which wasn't a concern with Hudson and Connie. Even as persistent as his dragon had been, he knew better than to force the subject.

Which, honestly, was saying something. Guess you could teach an old dragon new tricks.

"Pssst. Where did you go? Having a senior moment there, old man?" Connie teased.

Hudson debated bending Connie over the couch arm. Maybe that would show him who was the old man.

"Oh no. Absolutely not. I know that look, and if we start that, none of us will leave tonight."

Which he'd be all for, but they intended to show Kit their hoards and had a surprise planned. While he was okay having Connie there, sharing space was a no go—for both of them.

It was a dragon thing, which was why starting Saturday morning, a construction crew was coming to add on to the vault where Hudson's hoard was stashed.

Yes, he was uncomfortable having other paranormals around his treasure, although technically, the crew wouldn't have access to his actual hoard. They were basically adding another underground storage area next to his, and it was going to comprise several weeks of nonstop work.

"Are you starting something, Hudson?" Kit asked as he walked into their private quarters.

Hoard forgotten, Hudson turned on his heel and made a beeline toward Kit. Grabbing his face, he planted a kiss on Kit's lips and then stepped back.

"I could. Start something, that is, because you look delicious."

Kit struck a pose, his hand on his hip. "Why, thank you, darling."

Kit wore black leather pants, but the leather material on his right leg stopped midthigh, and from there down to his ankle was sheer black mesh.

On his feet he wore simple black flats. The belt had D rings on it. His shirt was something Hudson had never seen before. It had long sleeves, and the sleeve part, up to his elbows, looked like a black pinstriped dress shirt.

The rest of the shirt resembled a plain black T-shirt with what looked like cream-colored fishnet around the top of it. Hudson had been so confused about the shirt he'd snagged Kit's arm while they were eating breakfast so he could investigate it.

It was actually one shirt made together instead of the two he'd originally thought. Kit had topped off the look with a pearl necklace, a couple of pearl bracelets, and pearl stud earrings. He'd been on a pearl kick lately.

Kit had also braided his hair, and his makeup was natural looking.

The very first thing Hudson planned to do this evening when they visited his hoard was start replacing Kit's costume jewelry with the real thing. His dragon was itching to see Kit covered in his gems.

He hoped Kit wouldn't protest too much. Humans were odd like that. Well, some were. He had a feeling Kit was going to be one of those who objected to Hudson covering him in gold and jewelry.

"Let me get out of my dress clothes and then let's go eat. I noticed the food was ready on my way back here," Kit said. He kissed Connie on the cheek and then walked into the closet.

Kit had moved a few things into their bedroom, but most of his clothing was still in the guest room because there simply wasn't a lot of room in the master closet. That was another thing that was going to be addressed starting this weekend, along with the master bath.

Speaking of things to address, they needed to make a trip to Kit's apartment and get the rest of his clothes. The lease needed to be broken, and his stuff moved.

A few minutes later, Kit returned in a pair of jeans with strategically placed light blue lace patches, dark blue lace-covered tennis shoes, and a light blue crop top that was open in the back. Only a single button held it together, and there was beading hanging off the hem of the shirt.

"Only you could make a pair of jeans and half a T-shirt look like something from Fashion Week," Connie said.

"What?" Kit looked at what he had on. Grinning, he winked at Connie. "This old thing?"

Connie snickered. "Yeah, that old thing. You outshine the both of us."

Hudson glanced at himself and then at Connie. His mate wasn't wrong. Hudson had changed out of his suit, but he wore jeans and a button-down shirt.

Connie was more casually dressed in khaki shorts and a knit shirt. No doubt about it, Kit was the most fashionable out of the three of them.

"I think we all look marvelous." Kit hooked his arms through theirs. "Let's eat. I'm starving."

AFTER DINNER, they returned to Hudson's quarters. Once there, he showed Kit the hidden door in their closet that would lead to his hoard.

The vault was underground and practically inaccessible, but there was a tunnel that led from the hoard out into the woods near the house.

No compound should be without several escape routes.

Hudson stood before a deceptive-looking regular door in the closet. Of course it was steel, and of course it was thick. There was a computerized panel next to it.

He tapped in a combination of numbers, then leaned in close. A beam scanned his eye, then he placed his palm on the panel. That too was scanned.

"That's some fancy technology," Kit said.

"It's set in such a way that only living tissue will activate the locks."

Kit stared at the panel. "Was that a retinal scan or an iris scan?"

"A retinal scan. It's more invasive, but one can't be too safe."

There was a beep, then a multitude of locks disengaged. Hudson's heart beat faster.

The door swung open, and they stepped through. He held his arm out, gesturing to the enormous underground room. "Welcome."

Mouth open, Kit stepped inside. "Hudson, wow, this… this is unbelievable."

Hudson tried to see it through Kit's eyes. It was large enough to accommodate his dragon, and instead of the stone used to build his compound, these walls were steel.

He'd paid a ridiculous amount for the most technologically advanced security system he could find. In fact, it wasn't even available on the open market.

The vault was a climate-controlled space with a total of fifteen medieval-looking torches that had been wired to support present-day lighting.

Yes, those were a nod to the past. He'd also had recessed lighting installed in the ceiling because he was a modern dragon, dammit.

Hudson shut the door, engaged the locks, then pulled Connie and Kit farther into the room. "I can count on one hand the people who I've allowed into this room."

Kit turned slowly in a circle. "This is unbelievable. I swear, did you empty every jewelry store in a thousand-mile radius? Everywhere I look, something sparkles or twinkles. There's just so much."

Yes, there was. Entire walls full of climate-controlled shelving, podiums holding crowns, bars of silver stacked up, display cases full of rings, bracelets, necklaces, and tiaras, not to mention the busts with necklaces with every colored jewel imaginable.

There were so many piles of gold coins, he couldn't even count them, much less see the floor in some places. Some piles were higher than Kit's head.

A multitude of treasure chests were positioned throughout, the tops open to display the bounty inside. Precious gems blinked under the bright lights. Reds and greens, blues and yellows shone throughout the room. And, of course, clear stones that reflected the light brilliantly.

Kit suddenly gasped, then went down to one knee. "You have got to be kidding me. That thing is as big as my fist."

Connie laughed softly next to him.

Hudson looked at the enormous ruby. He had quite a few of those because he liked the color. What could he say—he was a red dragon.

"May I touch it?"

Hudson was pleased Kit had thought to ask, not that he would've had a problem with Kit touching anything in there, but it definitely showed respect toward his dragon.

"You and Connie can touch anything in here you wish."

"Thank you, Hudson," Connie said quietly. "My dragon and I are honored."

Kit held the ruby, then set it down. He glanced at Connie. "I'm missing something, aren't I?"

Connie shrugged. "Normally, we don't let people into our hoards. We are possessive about what we collect, and we don't like to show off what we have. Someone could see what we have and want to take it."

"Which would trigger any dragon into defending what was his," Hudson said.

"But you're okay with us being in here?" Kit asked as he stood.

"Yes. You are my mates. I treasure the both of you more than I treasure my hoard."

"Same," Connie said. "Seriously, Kit, a bonded mate is everything to us."

Kit turned to Hudson and threw his arms around his neck. "Thank you. I'm honored too."

Hudson caught Kit easily while his mate tried to hug the stuffing out of him. A rumbling purr started in his chest. His dragon was very pleased. He kissed Kit's temple. "You're welcome."

Holding his hand out, he urged Connie to join them.

Connie hurtled himself at them, and Hudson wrapped him securely in his embrace. He kissed both of his mates, and then just simply held them. He could spend an eternity like this—secured in his hoard with both of his mates in his arms.

After a few moments, he let them go. "Please, look around. I want to share my treasures with you."

And while they did that, there was an ostentatious multilayered pearl body chain—harness?—he intended to find, along with that other pearl jewelry he wanted to give Kit.

At least to start.

The three of them wandered aimlessly through the hundreds of gold candlesticks, pure silver vases, jewel encrusted goblets, and a few of his ancient swords. Some of those he remembered collecting, but other things he didn't.

"Do you even know what the worth of all this stuff is?" Kit finally asked, admiring a bejeweled dagger.

"The monetary value does not matter," Hudson said. "It's mine, and that is what matters."

"This is wild. I mean, everybody who reads high fantasy or paranormal knows about dragons and their hoards. The movies talk about it, but seeing is believing, isn't it? It never honestly dawned on me you had this much stuff. Jesus, you're insanely rich, aren't you?"

"He is, but whatever the monetary value of his hoard, it's not factored into his portfolio. Believe me," Connie said. "Because it's the same for my artwork, although I'm not as wealthy as Hudson. I haven't been alive as long."

Kit massaged his temple. "I need to sit down, because oh my damn, you have more money than God." Kit collapsed next to a pile of gold coins.

Hudson wasn't sure what they were—maybe Spanish bullion. He and Connie sat, and he pulled Kit into his lap. "I didn't mean to freak you out."

Kit rested his head on Hudson's shoulder. "It's hard to wrap my head around this kind of wealth. Seriously. It doesn't compute."

Connie scooted closer and gently rubbed his hand up and down Kit's back. "I bet."

"You know, I brought you here for two reasons," Hudson said. "Of course I want you to see my hoard. I'm very proud of it."

"It's impressive. I also want to see Connie's."

"We will get to that. But later," Connie said.

"Later? What do you mean later? Okay, what have you two cooked up?"

Hudson clasped Kit's hand and kissed his knuckles. Connie took Kit's other hand.

Holding hands in the middle of his hoard, Hudson looked into Kit's eyes. "The other reason we brought you here is because we wanted to talk about sharing our blood with you. Is that the only thing you wish to do?"

"What Hudson is trying to ask is if you're ready to bond," Connie said. "Sharing blood is one thing. Mating is another. The two don't always go hand in hand. For example, occasionally a dragon will share his blood with a human he is not in a relationship with."

"Well, there is a relationship there, but not like the one we three are in," Hudson corrected. "Kage shares his blood with a few humans in his clan. The relationship is that they are clan members, but there is nothing sexual between him and the human."

"Right. All the blood does is extend their life span and increase their senses, plus it enhances their ability to heal quickly," Connie said.

"Oh. I see."

"We don't share that information with just anybody. It could be deadly for us if word got out exactly how powerful our blood is," Connie said.

"That makes sense," Kit said slowly. "So, you guys and the daemons can extend a human's lifespan?"

"And the gargoyles. We're also the only three who cannot change a human into what we are. At least, we're the only three the paranormal world knows of," Hudson said. "If there are other paranormals out there who are like us, we haven't found them yet."

"Please understand, we're not trying to push you into formally bonding with us," Connie said. "We only want to make sure there are no misunderstandings between the three of us. So? Would you just like to take our blood?"

Kit bit his lip, looking between Hudson and Connie. Finally, he nodded to himself. "That you want to clarify that tells me all I need to know."

"Huh?" Connie glanced at Hudson and then back to Kit.

A slow smile spread across Hudson's face.

"I mean, I'm living here. I'm sleeping in your bed. I've told my parents about you, and you sent protection home with them. Both of you want to bond with me, and the only reason you haven't is because I asked you to wait." Kit squeezed both Connie's and Hudson's hands.

"Of course. That's not something we would push you into," Connie said.

"I know that. Because I am your treasure."

"Exactly. Oh. Wait. Kit? Are you—"

"A dragon's hoard is important to them, but I've come to find out it's not the most important thing," Hudson said. "You are. You are the most important thing in this world to us. All that we have and all that we are is yours."

"And the both of you would do anything for me."

"Yes," Connie swore.

"I was worried we were rushing this thing between us, but you know what? I realized I didn't have to be scared," Kit said. "There is no time frame we need to adhere to. We each know what we want."