“You’re coming with me to London. In three days. Your father, Blake, and I managed to have a meeting with the dragon councilor, Calder Grimmr, and he’s on our side. He thinks that if we don’t try to convince the Council now, we might never get another decent chance. Councilor Harington has prepared a pretty good speech, Blake is bringing Amelia to the council meeting so she can tell everyone how it is to be a hybrid, and Max is bringing his wife, Avelyn. If you come with me and tell them how much you want to become a hybrid and how you think it’s the best option, especially for a bride who is married to an almost immortal shifter, then we can make a strong case. A really strong case. The Blackmanes are sure it won’t take much to get the Wolf Councilor’s vote, and then the only ones left are Christian Kwahu and Zachary Willamar. We can do this. Together.”
Delyse shot up, the sheets pooling around her waist, leaving her breasts bare.
“Oh my God, you’re not kidding! I’m going to see my friends!”
Eric was mesmerized by the excitement dancing in her eyes. Right then and there, he made a decision: he had to do everything in his power to make her happy, make her jump with joy just as she had done a second before. He had to get over his fears and insecurities and think about her, about what she wanted and what made her smile, laugh, dance.
“I… I wanted to tell you before I told Viggo, Astrid, and Finn. We’re all meeting in my office in an hour. Would you like to join us?”
Delyse blinked in confusion. This was new, indeed. Eric coming to her first? Asking her if she wanted to join the members of his clan to an important meeting? He was finally treating her like she had wanted to be treated since the moment she became his official bride.
“Yes,” she whispered. She was too surprised to say more.
“Perfect!” He sat up, pressed a rough kiss to her lips, then got out of bed. “Come on, we both need a shower.” He smiled and offered her his hand.
Delyse took it and let him pull her up. When her feet hit the soft carpet, he lifted her easily, using only one arm, and threw her over his shoulder.
“Oh!” She yelped. “What are you doing?”
He didn’t answer. He laughed and used his shifter speed to get them both in the bathroom. He only put her down when the water turned hot, but Delyse didn’t complain. She was grinning to herself. She had no idea what had made him change his attitude, and quite frankly, she didn’t feel like dwelling on it. It didn’t matter. All that mattered was for Eric to stay the way he was now. There was a chance they could have a happy marriage, still.
***
They ended up alone again. They hadn’t intended to. Or… had they?
The clan meeting in Eric’s office had lasted a little over two hours, and Delyse and Viggo could hardly look away from each other. It hadn’t helped that the room was well lit, the bright sun sending almost blinding rays through the open windows, and that Delyse looked like a fairy in her white dress, and Viggo looked like an older version of the sweet, mischievous Cupid. Stealing glances at him, Delyse had thought for the thousandth time how different the two men she loved were. Because, yes, she had come to the conclusion that she loved them both. She had tried to keep her eyes on Eric. The Fyrstur was just as handsome and fascinating, after all. His long black hair was tied in a low ponytail, and his tanned skin shined like gold in the beautiful spring sun.
That was three hours ago. Now, Delyse and Viggo were on the hallway, waiting for the others to join them. It had so happened that Eric’s phone rung just as they were all leaving the office, then Finn wanted to check something on his laptop before going to lunch, and Astrid had conveniently disappeared. It would’ve been weird for Delyse and Viggo to excuse themselves and pretend they needed to be somewhere else for the next ten minutes it would probably take the others to get ready. Or… so they had told themselves.
“Do you really think this could work?” Delyse asked.
They had talked about the council meeting and what she and Eric intended to tell the three councilors they needed to convince. Although the plan seemed simple enough, Delyse was worried that they would fail, and she didn’t even want to think about the possible consequences.
“It has to,” he answered.
The truth was Viggo wasn’t that convinced himself, but there was no point in showing his insecurities and worrying her further.
“Yes, you’re right. It has to. Max, Avelyn, and my father will tell them about the cure and how they used it, you will
admit to being an accomplice… If it doesn’t work, it’s all over. My family’s reputation will be buried, and God knows what will happen to Clan Blackmane and Clan Drekinn.”
“Shh… Don’t think about it.”
His voice was so kind and gentle that it sent a shiver up Delyse’s spine. What would it be like for Viggo to step closer to her and whisper something, anything, in her ear? She would probably turn into a puddle at his feet. She tried to snap out of her lustful thoughts and nodded in response.
Five minutes passed in silence. They both stole glances at each other, then averted their gaze at the last moment. It was as if they were playing a silly game. Who would be the first to catch the other staring… Viggo bit the inside of his cheek and cursed Eric for taking so long. Then, he cursed Astrid for having left them alone intentionally.
Delyse had so many questions for him that she felt like she would burst. “What happened in the garden?”, she wanted to ask. Not because she didn’t know, but because she wanted to hear his perspective. She knew what had happened and why. She was in love with him. Her body craved his touch just as much as it craved Eric’s touch. Still, it was different. When she thought about Eric, her clit throbbed and her pussy clenched. It was raw passion, raw desire. When she thought about Viggo, her heart swelled, and she could almost feel his strong hands wrapping around her, holding her close and safe. She needed Viggo’s tenderness just as much as she needed Eric’s attention. “Do you… do you feel the same?” was another question she wanted to ask him, but couldn’t.
Viggo shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans and tried to relax. He studied the walls, looked at the ceiling, then stared at his feet for what felt like forever. There was nothing he wanted more than to pull Delyse against his chest and breathe in the wonderful scent of her skin. His cock was slightly hard, and he tried to think of something else, lest his erection became uncomfortable and visible.
“I’m sorry, but I…” Delyse swallowed hard before finishing her sentence. She looked into his eyes, and he held her gaze this time. “I’m scared.”
Viggo felt like his heart had just melted.
“There’s nothing to be sorry for. We’re all scared, believe me. We’re just too proud to say it out loud, you know?”
“Dragons…”