CHAPTER NINE: CONNIE

"I LIKE his parents," Connie said.

"I do too. There is something that's bothering me, though." Hudson frowned into his drink.

"What?"

"Kit has said his parents live in a commune. I wonder how many shifters live there. Is it just those three? Or is this commune actually a pack? Sorry, a coalition."

That wasn't something Connie had thought of, and he didn't see why it was a concern. "Does it matter?"

"I'm afraid so. At least, it does now. Kit is our mate. Lennox isn't the only threat we'll have."

"Ah." Connie nodded. "I see where you're going with this." This was why Hudson was king. That devious mind of his was always working.

"We've seen the love Kit has for his parents. If someone wanted to hurt us, they'd target Kit. If they can't get to Kit, who do they target next?"

"His parents." Which made a sick sort of sense. To protect his mom and dads, Kit would do anything asked of him. Even something stupid. "I'm going to assume they haven't thought of that."

"Neither had I until just now. It'll come to Michail, sooner or later."

Connie was sure Hudson was right. Michail was a survivor, and in order to survive, he would've had to be smart. Plus, he was a paranormal. He was well aware of what titles and hierarchy meant to those like them. "What are you leading up to?"

"They need protection." Hudson took a big gulp of his drink and set it on the table next to him. "And depending on how many shifters they have, and how well trained they are, there's a distinct possibility I'm going to be sending a couple of my dragons back with them for an undetermined amount of time."

"Which probably won't go over well." That was putting it mildly. Shifters were territorial. But then, most paranormals were.

"No doubt about it. But Kit's parents are important to him, so they're important to us. I will have them protected."

There wasn't a doubt in Connie's mind that Chris and Michail were going to find out how much of an alpha Hudson was, even though dragons didn't have those types of titles.

But Hudson was an Ancient and a royal, to boot. He was the very definition of stubborn, and there weren't too many creatures who could out stubborn a dragon.

"While I understand that, how would you feel if someone insisted on sending unknown paranormals into your territory?" Connie pointed out.

"I'd be pissed and would resist, of course, until it was pointed out that it was for my child's peace of mind."

"Oh boy." Connie should've expected something like that. Hudson could manipulate with the best of them. And he absolutely would, especially if it got him what he wanted. "You're going to use Kit against them."

"What's that saying? Oh, yeah. Happy mate, happy life."

Connie snickered. "You know the saying is actually ‘happy wife, happy life.'"

"Same thing. Kit's parents are protected, which makes him happy, and a happy Kit makes us happy." Hudson shrugged. "I'll piss off whoever I need to in order to ensure that happens."

"Hopefully, it won't come to that."

Hudson shrugged again. "I'm sure they'll come around to my way of thinking."

In dragon speak, that meant Hudson didn't care if they did or not—dragons were going home with them.

"Got an idea of who you're sending?"

"I'll ask for volunteers first before I assign any dragons. None of my inner circle, though."

Connie glanced toward the entrance of Hudson's private quarters. He could hear Kit's footsteps. "Are you going to tell Kit your plans?"

"Of course. I need him to be on my side in this because if they don't agree, Kit will be my Plan B."

"Plan B, huh? That's an interesting group of words to walk in on. What's up?" Kit asked as he entered the room.

Connie started to move over so Kit could sit between them, but Kit waved him off and instead plopped himself down in Hudson's lap. He promptly stretched his legs out across Connie.

Hudson explained his plan while being totally upfront about how he'd absolutely manipulate Kit's parents if he needed to. Confusion swept across Kit's face first, then understanding, and finally, a sort of stunned bemusement.

"That's… kind of impressive, but also scary. I mean, you're being upfront with me about your intentions of using me to sway my parents into doing what you want. I'm not sure how I feel about that."

Hudson grabbed Kit by the chin. "Look at me, Kit. See me. I'm a dragon."

"O-kay. And?"

"Dragons are cunning, stubborn, covetous, manipulative, and dangerous. But when we love, we love completely."

Kit's eyes widened.

Did Hudson just throw the "L" word out there? Yes, yes, he did. Were the three of them in love with each other? No, but they would end up there. There wasn't a doubt in his mind about that.

"I will do anything and everything to ensure your happiness," Hudson continued. "I will move any mountain I need to."

"Jeez."

"As I told Connie, your parents are important to you, so they're important to me."

Connie moved Kit's feet off his lap, got up, and then kneeled on the floor so he could see both Hudson's and Kit's faces. As far as he knew, this was the first time Kit was truly seeing what Hudson was capable of.

"You're our mate. You mean everything to us," Connie stressed.

Kit's bottom lip trembled.

Hudson stroked it with his thumb. "Losing them would devastate you, and I will do everything I can to avoid such heartache. A couple of my dragons will be going home with them. Period. And if I must use you to convince them to do that, so be it. This is who I am, Kit."

Connie held his breath. This was the first test. Hudson was a powerful dragon with a great capacity to love, but he was a dragon. He was everything he'd told Kit and more. They both were. But Hudson was also capable of the most horrendous acts imaginable if pushed.

Kit nipped Hudson's thumb. "I see you. You're kind of scary, aren't you?"

"He really is, but he has to be," Connie said, drawing Kit's attention. "But that scariness is tempered by his goodness. And he is a good dragon, Kit. But yes, this is who our mate is. He's my king, and yours too."

Kit looked back at Hudson. "I do see you, and I do accept you. But I also need you to understand something. I need you to accept me for who I am. You might be my king, and wow, I hadn't thought of it like that, but I won't let you smother who I am, either."

"I would never," Hudson vowed.

"I hope not, because then I wouldn't be the person you're attracted to. The person you'll hopefully come to love. I understand that as your mate, I could be used against you and Connie."

"Very true, but I'm not the one who has the power to destroy an entire continent," Connie mumbled under his breath.

"You dragons are all about the drama, aren't you? There will be no destroying continents, do you hear me, Hudson? Jesus. I'll accept whatever precautions you need me to take. But I won't become something I'm not, not even for you. Can you accept me? Can you see me?"

"I can, and I do. So, will you help me persuade your parents if it's needed?"

"Yes, I will, because I agree they need to be protected."

"Excellent. Thank you." Hudson pressed a quick kiss to Kit's lips. "I'm curious about something."

"What's that?"

"I've heard you say Mother of all several times," Hudson said. "I've also heard Michail use it too. I'm curious. Is that a religious thing?"

"It is. My human parents aren't religious, but Michail is, and he taught me that Ailuros was his goddess. The Egyptian version is Bastet."

"Ah, okay. I hadn't heard of Ailuros, but I have Bastet," Connie said.

"I have, but Bastet is the more well-known name," Hudson added.

"They're pretty much one and the same. According to Egyptian myth, which is better known, as Hudson said, she was depicted as the daughter of Ra and Isis, and the consort of Ptah, with whom she had a son, Maahes," Kit said.

"The Egyptian lion-headed god of war," Hudson said.

"Yup. Maahes is the best known of those she birthed, but Ailuros had a lot of children. A lot. So, in other words, she is the mother of all."

"Interesting. I've heard you use God and Jesus as well. Do you also follow the Christian God?" Connie asked, standing. The damn floor was getting hard.

"Absolutely not. When I use those terms, they're just words. They're not any different to me than words like damn or shit." Kit shrugged. "For example, I wish to God you'd kiss me, Hudson. And Jesus, I'd like Connie to suck my cock too."

"Is that so? You know, I think I can do one better than that." Hudson stood with Kit in his arms. "Come along, Connie. Let's show him exactly what we can do."

"Can't wait," Connie said.

Kit groaned, and from one heartbeat to the next, Connie's body lit up as Kit's arousal flooded the room.

"I can smell how much that excites you." Connie took a deep breath. "Your scent right now is kind of floral and definitely lemony."

"Magnolias," Hudson said. "He smells like the Southern magnolia."

"I do? Wait, there are certain types of magnolias?"

"Yes. And yes, you smell like a magnolia in full bloom. Very lush," Hudson said, gently setting Kit on his feet.

Kit slid down Hudson's body. Connie wanted Kit to do the same with him, minus clothes, of course. His cock started to harden at the idea of Kit against him, naked and wiggling.

"But before we continue, you need to tell us exactly how far this is to go."

Connie's heart skipped a beat. He'd forgotten Kit had originally said he wanted to take things slow and get to know them after they'd agreed to be in a relationship. That was the first and only time Kit had seen either of them in their dragon form.

Did that still apply now that Kit knew they were mates?

"You're asking if I want to make love, aren't you?"

"I'm not pushing you," Hudson said. "We can do as much or as little as you want. Or we stick with what we've already done. It's up to you."

Kit's teeth sank into his bottom lip, and Connie was hard-pressed not to go over there and rescue that abused, tender skin.

"I know I said I wanted to go slow. I wanted a chance to get to know you both. That hasn't changed. Well, except for now, I know that when you guys used the word relationship, what you really meant was being mated."

"You are our mate, yes, but that doesn't mean we have to rush right to claiming you," Connie said.

"Yeah, I don't think I'm ready to drink blood." Kit shuddered.

"You can date us even though you're our mate," Hudson said.

"I appreciate what you're saying. The truth is, I want to be your mate, even though I still want to get to know you. Honestly, I don't see any reason not to make love. I want to, and both of you also want that too. So why wait?"

Was Kit asking them? Because it was on the tip of Connie's tongue to say he couldn't think of one good reason not to, even though Hudson would probably give him the evil eye for saying that.

Oh, what the hell. "Was that a rhetorical question?"

"Connie," Hudson warned.

Yep. There it was—evil eye and all.

Kit chuckled. "Yeah, it kinda was."

Connie's heart pounded, and fire raced through his veins. Did that mean what he thought it meant? He wanted his hands on Kit in the worst way. And he needed their hands on him, needed both of them touching him.

He hated that he and Hudson slept together, and Kit wasn't there. It was like a part of them was missing. Because it was. Kit was part of their relationship, and he needed to be there, in bed with them.

Kit looked Hudson straight in the eye. "I'm sure."

"Thank Gaura," Connie whispered.

But that was nothing to the low, sexy growl that came from Hudson. Surprised, Connie glanced at Hudson. So did Kit, but his gaze was more wide-eyed.

Which told Connie more than anything how much Hudson wanted to hear that answer from Kit. But he wasn't sure if Kit understood exactly what that growl from Hudson meant.

"That's a good thing," Connie hurriedly reassured Kit. "That sound he made, I mean. I know it sounds kind of scary, especially since it isn't something a human would make—"

"I don't find it scary." Kit smiled slowly. "At all."

And suddenly Connie was so hard he ached. He wasn't the only one affected, because Hudson grabbed Kit and had him up against the nearest wall before any of them could blink.

"Holy shit!" Kit exclaimed. "What in the…?"

Hudson nibbled at Kit's throat.

"Oh damn, yeah. Shit, Hudson." Kit leaned his head back. He closed his eyes as he ground his cock against Hudson. Kit groaned from the sharp little bites at his throat.

Connie froze, but he must've made some sound because Kit opened his eyes and focused on him.

"Connie." Kit held his hand out.

Connie's feet were moving before he thought about it. He crossed the room and collided with his mates, pressing his lips to Kit's. His mate opened immediately, and Connie's tongue swept inside, exploring. He plastered himself against Kit, wanting to get as close as he could.

A hard cock poked his thigh, telling him how much Kit was enjoying this.

While he was lost in the kiss, a very agile, very long tongue licked the shell of his ear. Connie shivered. His dragon wasn't the only one that wanted to come out to play. He moaned deep in his throat as Hudson's hands roamed over his back.

Kit buried a hand in Connie's hair at the sound and tugged.

Connie was losing his mind. His system was being overloaded by his mates, and he loved it.

Kit's other hand slid up under his shirt, skirting over his stomach, making his muscles bunch. The first brush of Kit's fingers over his nipples dragged another moan from Connie. Chill bumps rose on his arms as Kit rolled the hard peaks.

Hudson's breath fanned across the back of Connie's neck while Kit's wicked fingers drove him crazy. His nipples stung pleasantly as Kit pinched them.

Connie's toes curled, and he sprawled against Kit as the sweet zing of pain flooded his system. They were supposed to be taking Kit apart, yet he was the one at their mercy.

Connie grunted as Hudson's lips fastened on the back of his neck, sucking hard. He loved it when Hudson marked him, although it never lasted long.

He thrust his hips, rubbing his hard-on against Kit. After one last swipe of his agile tongue, Kit ended the kiss and slid his hand out of Connie's hair. Hudson must have been satisfied with the mark because he, too, released Connie.

With an evil grin, Kit smirked at Connie. "You look gorgeous with your swollen lips and hair messed up."

Heat rose on Connie's face.

"Remember me telling you guys I also like to do the fucking on occasion?" Kit drawled.

Connie's breath caught. Did he mean…?

"Yeah. I also remember how you acted when you heard I was a switch. I want to make love to you, Connie—can Hudson and I do that? Will you let us?"

Connie wasn't entirely sure how the roles got reversed on him, but he was all for it.

"Fuck, yes." Connie closed his eyes and struggled for control. When he opened them again, his vision was sharper, and he knew his dragon was staring out of his eyes. "I want to feel you in me."

Kit shot Hudson a look, then suddenly, they inched back from him. For a moment, Connie stood there panting. How the hell had some kissing and touching worked him up to this extent?

His entire body tingled, and his cock was achingly hard. Dragons had an excellent refraction time, so he wasn't worried about coming too soon because he knew he could come again relatively quickly. Nevertheless, this was ridiculous. He was already teetering on the edge.

Hell, he wasn't entirely sure he wouldn't come in his pants. "I'm so close. I'm telling you right now it's not going to take much to make me come."

"Are you in control, though?" Hudson asked.

Connie's dragon wasn't the only one putting in an appearance. Hudson's dragon also showed in his eyes. Connie took a deep breath and checked in with his dragon.

They were both excited, yes, but Connie wasn't in jeopardy of shifting. "I am. Completely."

No trip to the pool for him.

Hudson studied Connie for a moment, then nodded. "You really are, aren't you? That pleases me, sweetheart. I'm proud of you. But don't worry, you're going to come more than once tonight. Now, let's take this to the bedroom. We'll have more room."