Maya
“You dothis shit on purpose, Marco,” Henry bit out, his voice a low snarl and not nearly as relaxed as Atlas’s, whose frustration from before now seemed more like amusement. Although, maybe it was just Henry’s extreme reaction that had everything else seeming far more relaxed, because Croy’s bright green eyes were watching me with unabashed heat that had my toes curling.
“He does,” Atlas agreed before saying something into the phone.
Croy’s tall, muscular frame crossed the room in front of Henry as he sat down on the couch with Bella on it, our kitten immediately jumping and letting out a cute little hiss before tumbling backwards. I surged forward, almost breaking from Marco’s lap, but Croy easily caught her and despite her small growl, she climbed up his shoulder and laid down there, making me feel better. Hadn’t Jordan said it was natural for cats to react that way towards wolf shifters? Croy sure as heck didn’t seem to mind, his amusement clear as I looked over his god-like muscular frame.
It didn’t help that all he was wearing was a pair of dress pants and an unbuttoned dress shirt, his golden blonde hair damp and messy. It was hard to remember that the man was two hundred something years old because he had a youthfulness to him that seemed to radiate from his wolf that I could feel pacing under his skin.
My wolf, more specifically. Which he was, one hundred percent, mine.
“Henry, you need to relax, man.” Croy offered him a look before grabbing my coffee I’d put down and stealing it from me. I scowled as he offered me a wink, making me bite down on my lip to keep a laugh from slipping out. I couldn’t help it completely—the man was extremely charming.
Everything about Croy appealed to me. From his accent, the way he drew out the nickname sugar, to the warm, familiar scent that he seemed to always carry with him. He had a dominant air to him that I had to assume came with his age but there was also this level of patience and understanding that had me feeling extremely safe and comfortable around him. Not that I didn’t feel so around the others but I truly felt like I could ask Croy anything and he would take the time to explain it to me fully without any jump reactions or judgement. It was very appealing, considering there was so little I knew about stuff.
It didn’t hurt that his wolf was constantly wrapping around me, our subconscious bond not as strong as the others, but growing each day. I found myself wanting to complete that bond. More than anything, though, I wanted to meet his wolf fully. I could tell our mating connection would be different than the ones I had with my dragons. Not weaker or stronger, but for sure different, and I loved that. Croy had been alone for so long and while I didn’t have two hundred years of loneliness under my belt, I understood the feeling well. The feeling of wanting to be wanted. To have someone that was special to you. So having such a close special connection was something I think both of us needed.
Henry’s voice pulled my gaze from Croy to where my other mate was offering Marco a frustrated expression. “It’s bullshit. I have to already sit through a goddamn brunch with these assholes, now all I am going to be able to imagine the entire time is spending every second of it buried between her legs. I’m going to fucking lose it.”
Oh.
Wait, why were we opposed to that plan?
My lips popped open at the clear frustration in his voice. Atlas shook his head at me, seeming to know what I was going to say, as Marco let out a legitimate chuckle, seeming to find Henry’s pain amusing. I didn’t want him in pain… but I was taken off guard by his blunt words and the way they seemed to affect my body. The image he painted was one that I very much wanted. I wanted what he did.
Now, preferably.
“Henry!” I squeaked as I was suddenly tugged off Marco’s lap, making the alpha growl. My eyes flashed down momentarily to how hard Marco was, his smile turning cocky at my lingering gaze. What? You would also! It was impressive how large and hard he was.
Talking about impressive, I wiggled against Henry as he turned my chin to look up at him as I pressed against his large muscular cut form. I had no idea where this boldness in me was coming from, but I couldn’t help but express exactly how I felt in reaction to my mates. I hadn’t hidden anything from them before, and as I became way more aware of this part of me, I couldn’t find it in myself to hide it now. Henry’s metallic grey eyes glinted with heat and frustration, his body telling me just how turned on he was, and I couldn’t lie, it did nothing to calm me down. Knowing that all three of them were turned on only seemed to fan that burning sensation that was not only exhilarating but extremely intense.
I really did feel like this was a pretty easy problem to solve, logically… but maybe that wasn’t how this worked? I could bring it up to them? I should just ask them why we didn’t all solve our problem at once. I mean, sure, it would take some creative positioning, but after what I did with Marco, I was starting to realize that I think it was possible for all four of us to find a way to—
“Holy fuck.” Henry exhaled sharply, gripping my jaw in a firm hold that had my nipples tightening against my dress, his entire energy flaring with something uniquely dangerous. “Maya, sweetheart, you have to stop.”
That’s right, Henry could read my thoughts sometimes, usually if I was turned on. A smile grew on my lips as I considered playing out for him exactly what had happened in my dream only last night. Although, somehow I had a feeling it may be enough to push him over the edge into an unknown that I wasn’t positive I was fully prepared for.
His large hand gripped my hair, my head falling back as I looked up into his stormy gaze that was accented by his dark framed glasses. Henry was so incredibly handsome and somewhat of a contradiction. Despite his wavy blonde hair and the freckles that covered his sculpted handsome face, I knew the man was covered in dark tattoos that accented his lean, hard muscles. There was an edge to Henry that I had never expected but was coming to love.
I knew instinctively the more he interacted with his dragon, the more prominent it would become. Even now, with his hard body pressed against mine and his attempt for control fairly strong, I didn’t think it would take more than a push to have him coming out. I let out a small needy sound as he leaned forward, nipping my lip in a scolding fashion that did the opposite of his intention to no doubt warn me of my actions. His spring rain and mint scent wrapped around me as I leaned into him further, wanting to rub my scent completely all over him. Especially before leaving the room.
“You need to behave until this meeting is done,” Henry growled, his tone filled with a level of dominance that had my knees nearly breaking. While I wanted to give Henry what he wanted, I also very much wanted him. All of him. Couldn’t I have both? Talk about being a bit greedy, right?
“Or not,” Marco suggested as Bella meowed, now crawling over his shoulder, having left Croy.
“I prefer that option as well,” Croy agreed, making a giggle slip out from my lips as Henry narrowed his eyes down at me.
Except, instead of continuing to tease him, I found myself changing direction. I wrapped my arms around his muscular waist and rested my head against his chest as I spoke softly, worry plaguing me at noticing the dark circles under his eyes. How had I just noticed those? I nuzzled against his chest as he let out a deep rumble.
“Did you sleep last night?”
Henry blinked, seeming to not expect my change in thought. A soft look filtered across his expression, and he brushed his lips against my forehead. I knew he hadn’t, but I wanted confirmation on just how tired he would truly be. I knew most of them had been up late last night going through some stuff in preparation for leaving for the Dreki realm, and I had fully intended on staying up with them… before I fell asleep curled against Marco. Which was why, despite wanting to say goodbye to the others before we left the room, I cared more about them getting sleep and feeling good when they woke up. It wasn’t like we were going very far. My concern for their health greatly outweighed anything else. It was honestly a really nice feeling, worrying about someone that I loved and cared about. I was just wishing I had been able to stay in bed with my mates as well.
“Not yet,” he admitted quietly.
“Henry,” I admonished softly. He leaned into my hand as I brushed my fingers up his cheek. “You need sleep.”
“I’ll be okay, sweetheart.” He brushed my nose with his. “Besides, we can go far longer than you would assume without sleep.”