I wanted to sew my lips shut as soon as the words left my lips. And I was awful at sewing. Not bothering to wait for them to withdraw their help or friendship, I pushed the book back to Tove and pushed to my feet. "I'll go. You guys shouldn't be put in this position." I moved towards the door, that big panel of wood that stood between me and their safety. I needed to leave. Now. "Thank you for your kindnesses. They will be forever treasured." I reached out a hand for the lever that would permit my escape. Tag's arms came around me from behind. His energy felt like the waves washing against the shoreline. Warm, steady, full of potential. "You're not going anywhere. That statement didn't change a thing." He laid his warm lips to the back of my neck. "You're stuck with us, sweetcheeks."I laid my head against the door, called myself every name in the book. I was weak. But I'd found more acceptance from these three strangers than I ever had in thirty years in the Oaks. I was going
I wasn't sure what I expected when I suggested a movie night. Having Hollyn sit on the floor barely two feet away from the TV wasn't how I'd envisioned the night progressing, that was for damn sure. But her astonishment when I'd turned the movie on had curbed any desire I had to quash the joy lighting up her face. What the fuck are we going to do? I asked my brothers as Harry visited Diagon Alley for the first time on the screen. We need some straight fucking answers, Thane said. His mental voice was tight and hard. We can't keep her locked up in here, no matter how much each of us seems to want that. Tag snorted mentally. We need to have a conversation about sex. Fuck, she didn't even know what movies were. Glad to see you've come around, Grumpy, I said. Tag elbowed me in the ribs. I stifled my groan before it could slide out of my mouth. Asshole. I don't know what it is either, but we can't lose her. She opened something up inside me and damned if I don't feel li
I pinched the bridge of my nose. "What do you want, Ainsley? I told you, we're done."She stared at me as if I were speaking a different language. Her wide mouth firmed into a thin line. One dark red eyebrow raised as she tapped her fingers on her crossed arms. "Why now? What's happened that you need to do this now, Thane? We've come so far. We're almost there."I gritted my teeth. Not that I hadn't been aware of the fact that she was with me because we were the supposed it' couple of the rich and sexy set,'-her words, not mine-but having it shoved in my face wasn't really going to help her case at all. "Why do I need a reason? You know I've never cared about any of that. Look, we had some good times. Hell, we even had some great times. But I'm done. And please don't pretend like you're hurt. I know we don't have that kind of relationship." I crossed my arms, pinned her with a hard stare. Heat rose to her cheeks. "Can you hold off at least until the Autumn Gala is over?"
I looked Hollyn over as she walked with Thane back into the actual apartment. She didn't duck her head or try to hide behind him. No signs of embarrassment or shame at having me interrupt their fun. I adjusted my dick after she'd passed. The little sounds that had been coming from her mouth as she tried to crawl Thane's body had made me harder than I'd thought possible. What surprised me was the innocence of it.My tastes were a bit kinkier than my brothers. Vanilla sex hadn't turned me on for at least a decade. Not after I got a full taste of being in charge. An image of Hollyn tied down and spread out for me on my bed had me clenching my teeth so I didn't blow my load right there in the elevator lobby. I shut the door behind me as the ten o'clock news started. "Breaking news. We've received news that the Ladon triplets-Thane, Tagan, and Toven Ladon-are implicated in the bludgeoning death of Aldrich Yates. Yates, one of the founders of the breakthrough artificial organ technol
Something poked and pushed at my mind. I knew I was dreaming but couldn't figure out how to wake myself up enough to stop the intrusion. "Hollyn." I recognized that voice. It was straight out of my living nightmare. The master had found me. "Hollyn. You shouldn't have run. And you shouldn't have harmed Mattias. We are coming for you. All of us. The destruction that happens now can all be laid at your feet."I shook my head. "No. No. You stay away. I won't let you hurt them."Talking to that voice was my greatest mistake and would become my downfall. It latched onto something inside me. Something so deep I didn't know where to find it in my own psyche. I lay there paralyzed as whatever it was slid under my physical skin. Like foxtails from the Valley that burrowed in my heels, it slithered and permeated my entire body. It tainted my soul with its darkness. My eyes flashed open as adrenaline poured through my system. I had to get out of here. They were coming. They wer
Hollyn smiled. "No, thanks. They aren't my type."I chuckled, the sound a little strained even to my ears. "Tove, can you get started on finding information?"He nodded and jogged from the room. I looked down at the woman in my arms. "Thank you. We'll make this right. They won't ever harm you again.""Damn right they won't," Tag added. He tugged on a lock of her hair, pulling her head around to look at him. He leaned up, got right in her face. "Not cool, trying to leave under the cover of darkness. We're going to have words about that."She skimmed her lavender gaze all over the planes of his face. They ended on his lips. "Can I kiss you?" She flicked her gaze up to look at his eyes quickly. "Anytime," he said, his rolling thunder voice like a storm that was still off in the distance. He brought his lips to hers. She leaned over to increase the contact, which shoved her ass deeper into my lap. A low, shaky moan left her as Tag opened his mouth over hers. She followed h
"Good. I'm keeping you all, too." She turned her head and sealed her statement with a kiss against Thane's palm. I branded her words on my soul. I'd never wanted to be kept. Never wanted to belong to just one person. Parts of me still thought I didn't deserve happiness. How could I with all the death and destruction on my hands?But this woman...she forced me to live in the light with her. We could be the shade for each other when the light became blinding, but we would do it together. I was never letting her go. This was the one woman I was meant to find. I brushed my lips over her forehead as Thane moved down her body. "What do you call your sex?" I asked. No time for shame or embarrassment. We were going to get to know every single part of her by the time we walked out of this room. A dark smile crossed my face. Or she crawled or one of us carried her out of this room. That would be fine with me, too. Hollyn looked up at me. "My curse." Her expression was open and hone
I knew men liked sex. For the life of me, I couldn't figure out why women kept having it. But each year we had more and more babies in the village. Maybe it was just me who didn't like it.But hey, if it meant, I got to walk around naked...they could do whatever they wanted. Especially since Tagan said they weren't going to put their wie-cocks inside me. I had never liked that. I settled in to win a bet that had no possible downside for me. And if it got too bad, then they'd even given me a way out. I had no idea what butterfingers was or were, but I cherished the idea that they'd let me stop everything if I didn't like it. "Are you going to pay attention or just play around in your head, Stretch?" Thane asked from somewhere near my knees. I lifted my head. "Oh sorry. Had you already started?" Oops. I didn't know I was supposed to act like I was participating. They should have stated that on the outset. "Buuuurn," Tove said. Thane just chuckled. "I can take it. I'm jus
Eleven Months Later"Give me my babies, Grumpy. I carried them. I get to hold them." I held out my arms. My tired and noodley arms. I didn't care if I could barely hold them up. I was going to snuggle with my three girls until we all fell asleep anyways. He slid the one wrapped in purple into my arms. "So bossy, cheeks." He kissed my sweaty brow. "I love it. But I'm still the boss." My daughter's blonde hair and dark purple eyes were a startling combination. Her dusky skin made her even more exotic looking. I blew a raspberry at him. "That's what you think. We've got you outnumbered now."Tove carried over the little girl snuggled in pink. "Yes, you do. We're all going to be wrapped around your fingers. Hell, I already am and I have no problem admitting it." With her citrine eyes and black hair, she was just as pretty as her sister. Thane smiled. He laid the little bundle of yellow on my chest. "I'm right there with you. They're perfect, Stretch. Just like you." Little Miss Sun
One month laterI looked at the little computer screen. Squinted. When that didn't help, I rubbed my eyes. Blinked. Looked at the screen again. "Are you sure?" I asked. The nice dragon smiled at me. "Very sure, my lady."I grimaced at the name. But no matter how many times I told people not to call me that, they continued to do so anyways. I shook my head. "I still don't believe you.""Cheeks, you're pregnant. You can't tell me all the crazy mood swings and eating us out of house and home has been lost on you," Grumpy snapped at me. His face was basically plastered to the little screen. I glared at the back of his head. "If that's so, maybe I should go live with Drace and Finn. They won't bitch at me."He turned with a snarl. "Try it and see what happens."The dragon healer chuckled, the sound a little uncomfortable. "Perhaps we could all calm down. New mothers, especially dragon carriers, need to be calm and happy." I raised my eyebrows in victory at Grumpy. "Yeah. No m
"Where is she? Where's my granddaughter? Hollyn, he was lying. He was lying, baby!" Ari raced up. Tears and fear soaked her voice. "I would never do that. Not ever. You're mine. Just as your mother was mine. I don't trade one for the other. I'd never do that." I looked up at Tove, his blue green eyes smiling down at me. "Think I should talk to her?"He nodded. "You know you want to. I can tell." He gave me a cheeky wink. I narrowed my eyes at him. "Watch it, mister."He smacked his lips to mine. "You just smashed Merlin into light particles. I'm pretty sure you can handle a discussion with your Grams."I smiled hugely. I had smashed Merlin into light particles. His bitchass was no more. My eyes widened. "Shit!" I pushed Tove off me. "We've got to get out of here. Merlin's gone. The Valley could collapse at any second."Ari crushed me into her body. "He was lying. He was lying. I swear to you he was lying." She kept saying the same thing over and over again, her eyes wi
I still rushed forward. I would do whatever was necessary to help her win this. To get her back. To bring her home. Literally blind, I plowed into someone. She gave a hoarse oomph as we smashed to the ground and rolled. "Batman," she whispered. Then she settled her lips on mine. Two more heavy bodies crushed down on us. She inhaled sharply. "Can't...breathe."With a grunt, I forced myself to my hands and knees. Made a cage of protection over her. My brothers rolled off to the sides. "Sorry!" Tag said as he popped back up."Damnit, Tag," Thane snarled. "You good, sweet girl?" I whispered. She nodded. "As long as you're all here, I'm better than good."Soon, she was in our arms in another Hollyn burrito.
I saw his smug stupid face as he smiled up at me.He raised a hand. The energy crackled like pale pink lightning in his palm. His lips moved. The stores of my magic that had been topped off with Chaos' boost bubbled and writhed as I filled them with starshine. There were no longer any stars in my bright Autumn sky. None. Save for one. The sun. Using a thread of Chaos' magic, I linked up to the shining orb that rested high above our globe's heavens. The power shivered and danced through me. An unbreakable link that let me see far beyond what my eyes were capable of. The hint of pink shot from Merlin's hand, straight at me. I steadied myself. Prayed that my magic would hold me true. That I wasn't going to be the reason everyone in my life, in this fucking Valley, died. Just as the spinning, crackling sphere of pure energy neared me, it burst into a rainbow of motes. I hurtled towards the earth and an idea began to form. I had no idea if it would work, but I was out
He dies. Right now. I was torn between screaming in victory and yelling at my girl until I ruined my voice forever. Either way, I was out of time. As we raced up the final small hill, I saw her dart down from her spot in the sky. We thrust through the line of Wardens as she angled herself like an arrow at the man who had caused all of this. "You shouldn't have told me my men were dead." Her voice was in my head, but I could also hear it as if she'd whispered it to me. Shit. I poured on the speed.
I gritted my teeth. Tried to convince myself it was a lie. He wrapped a hand in my hair, yanked my head back. With his free hand, he displayed another screen of some kind. "Watch, pet. Watch with me as you realize your doom." A picture wobbled and then steadied in front of me."My daughter, Hollyn's mother, crying out for me," Ari said as she turned to look at someone.Grumpy. She was with Grumpy. They were both wearing the clothes we'd arrived in. The backdrop of the picture showed the hollowed out remains of the Village. Body and pieces of creatures dotted the ground."She's gone. You said yourself that she was gone. Cheeks told us." Grumpy squeezed her arm. Ari's gaze darted over his shoulder, back to his face. Her blue eyes were wide, scared. She shook her head. "You don't understand.""NO!" I screamed and thrashed against his hold. My heart stuttered in my chest. "No!" She was just like everyone else. Only using me for my power. For what I could give her. She wanted
I sliced through the last zombie that stood in front of me. Wiped a hand over my brow. I hadn't thought there were that many people in here the last time. But I guess if Merlin could raise one, he could raise all the dead people here. Time wouldn't really be a factor. Ari yanked her sword back, spit on the corpse that still twitched at her feet. "And stop touching my shoes!" She hacked off the creature's hand. I snorted, causing her to look up at me. A blush rose over her cheeks. "Sorry. That wasn't very goddess-like."I shrugged it away. "Honestly, I liked it better than the goddessy parts you usually show. A bit more real."She smiled as she looked around the Village. Dead bodies littered the ground like trash in an abandoned alley. "Where is everyone else?" She looked at me. I pointed to the right. "Apparently there were a lot coming in from the standing stones. I'm guessing these were the old Villagers?" I shrugged. Oh well. They'd deserved to die for treating my Sweet
I bent my knees to keep my balance as I soared on Drace's back. I hadn't really been thinking about anything but destroying Merlin when I launched myself towards the sky. Luckily, my bestie had my back. Although...I think I might have been able to fly for a little bit there. I focused as huge, gleaming balls of pure energy were launched into the sky. He's throwing magical grenades, I announced to the dragons. Hold on, Mistress, Drace said. She started dipping and dodging, weaving and winding in the sky as she tried to miss being hit with the missiles of unadulterated power. I lost my balance and landed on my ass between her spikes. Luckily, they felt like feathers instead of the sharp knives of Thane's scales the first time I'd hit those. I clenched my hand around the one directly in front of me as I held on for dear life. I'm going to swoop down and let you off. You're nothing up here but an easy target, corcra. Just make sure you stay alive down there until I can come and