Kiss of Smoke

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THE DRAGON LAIRDS SERIES BOOK 1

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AMY PENNZA

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Kiss of Smoke
Copyright © 2021 by Amy Pennza
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or
mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems,
without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief
quotations in a book review.
Cover design by Miblart
All rights reserved.

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 Contents

Excerpt from the Histories of the Firstborn Races

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Epilogue

About the Author

Also by Amy Pennza

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 Excerpt from the
Histories of the Firstborn
Races

Dragons
A polyamorous race native to the Scottish Highlands. Of
all the Firstborn Races, dragons are the fiercest. True
immortals, they cannot be felled by disease, flame, or
beheading. There is but one way to kill a dragon—by killing
one of its mates.

The Curse
A mysterious sickness that wiped every female dragon
from the earth. Determined to save their species, the
remaining males ruthlessly hunted and claimed females
from the other Firstborn Races. See “War of the Firstborn”

War of the Firstborn

“And the dragons rained fire and ash upon the earth
as they sought new brides. So powerful were they
that Fate obliged them, granting them new females
from among the other immortal races of the world…”

A centuries-long battle between the dragons and the

other species of immortals that make up the Firstborn
Races. Vampire, werewolf, witch, and fae—all united
against the lairds of the sky, determined to stop the
dragons from stealing their females. In doing so, they
slaughtered their own daughters, as this was the only way
to kill the males.

The Great Treaty

“And it came to pass that the last full-blooded dragon,

Mad King Cormac, descended from his throne to end
the war…”

An agreement between the dragons and the other

Firstborn Races whereby dragons promised to neither
kidnap females nor lure them with magic. In return, the
other Firstborns agreed to cease targeting the dragons’
brides.

But should a female wander into a dragon pair’s sight, she

is theirs to claim…and the lairds of the sky do not
relinquish what is theirs.

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 Chapter

One

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 CHLOE

I was both the luckiest and unluckiest woman in the

world.
On the one hand, I was sitting in a private airport
terminal, moments away from boarding a luxury jet with
my sexy-as-sin boss. My Scottish boss—complete with a
rippling physique and an accent that made my toes curl.
On the other hand, my other Scottish boss sat a few
seats away from him. Just as drool-worthy. Same panty-
melting accent.
And, like Boss Number One, totally uninterested in
women.
In the three months I’d worked for Lachlan MacKay and
Alec Murray, I’d never seen them so much as glance at a
woman—or another man, for that matter. Not only did my
bosses run one of the most successful hedge fund firms in
the world, they had a romance passionate enough to make
Romeo and Juliet jealous. Everyone in the office knew it
was futile to lust after either man. They only had eyes for
each other—a fact confirmed to me one evening when I
stopped by Lachlan’s office to drop off some paperwork.
The door had been ajar, and I started to push it open
when I heard a low, masculine groan. Worried something
might be wrong, I nudged the door wider…and witnessed a
scene that would forever be seared into my memory.
 Lachlan had Alec up against a bookcase, and the two
men were kissing like the world was about to end and they
were trying to grab one last moment of rapture.
I froze on the spot, my heart racing and my brain telling
me to turn around and get the hell out of the office. To stop
intruding on what was obviously a private moment. But I
couldn’t tear my gaze away. I stood there, riveted, my eyes
on Lachlan’s crisp, white Oxford shirt stretched across his
broad shoulders and his lean hips encased in a pair of gray
trousers. I couldn’t see Alec that well, but I didn’t need to.
I’d spent enough time staring at his body to know he was as
tall and ripped as Lachlan. He was a Scot through and
through, with red-gold hair and eyes the color of a lush,
green valley. Lachlan was dark to his light, with brown hair
and golden eyes that made my skin tingle whenever he
looked at me.
But neither man looked at me that night.
As I watched, Lachlan slanted his mouth across Alec’s,
giving me a glimpse of five o’clock shadow and high
cheekbones as he deepened the kiss. Which was a very
French kiss. It was obvious from the way Lachlan’s cheeks
hollowed that he was thrusting his tongue hard into Alec’s
mouth. Their strong jaws moved against each other, utterly
different from the way a man kissed a woman. It was like
they warred for dominance even as they took their
pleasure.
My lips parted, and I grew damp between my thighs. I’d
spent plenty of time fantasizing about my bosses
separately, but seeing them together was like someone
pushing all my buttons at once—and then punching buttons
I didn’t even know I had. Goosebumps rushed over my skin,
and I had to consciously remember to breathe so I didn’t
pass out.
Lachlan broke off the kiss and braced his hands on a low
shelf on either side of Alec’s hips, pinning the other man in
place and giving me a clear view of Alec’s handsome face
with its square jaw and cocky grin.
He flashed one now, his green eyes twinkling. “I thought
you were too hungry for this,” he said in his soft burr, his
sculpted lips reddened and slightly puffy. “We have dinner
reservations, you know.”
Lachlan’s right hand moved between their bodies, and
then Alec groaned, his grin slipping.
Because—oh God—Lachlan was gripping Alec’s cock.
My breathing grew uneven. Vaguely, I wondered if it was
possible to die of lust.
“Nothing wrong with an appetizer,” Lachlan said on a
growl, the muscles in his back flexing as he pumped his
hand up and down. His sleeves were rolled up, giving me
flashes of golden skin sprinkled with black hairs.
Alec’s breath hitched. “Point taken.” He tipped his head
back, and his eyes slid shut. “Damn, Lach, you’re really
good at that.”
“I’m good at a lot of things,” Lachlan rasped before
leaning in and sucking at the other man’s neck, his hand
still busy between them.
Blood rushed in my ears. This is wrong. I needed to
leave. But my feet wouldn’t move. I leaned forward,
straining to see more—
“Okay, there, Chloe?”
I jumped, Alec’s voice jerking me back to the present.
Airport noises intruded, and morning sunlight streamed
through the terminal’s long windows. Private jet
passengers got their own space, but one side of the lounge
was open to the main concourse, and business travelers in
suits hurried past with cell phones pressed to their ears.
Alec lounged in the plush seats across from me like Sam
Heughan on steroids, his friendly expression tinged with
concern.
“Y-Yes.” I sat upright, squeezing my thighs together. “I’m
sorry, Mr. Murray. I was just daydreaming.”
 A teasing look entered his green eyes. “It must have
been some daydream. Your cheeks are flushed.”
I swallowed. Sometimes, I swore he knew I’d seen him
and Lachlan that night. But that was impossible. His eyes
had been closed, and Lachlan had faced the other way.
Besides, they would have fired me if they found out I
spied on them. As kind and generous as they were, both
men were downright maniacal about their privacy. Every
new hire went through a week-long training about
safeguarding company secrets. And Lachlan and Alec had
an uncanny ability to root out employees with loose lips. My
first month on the job, they fired the office manager for
telling a friend the men liked a certain brand of coffee.
The office also had a strict anti-theft policy. Steal so
much as a paper clip, and you could expect to be shown the
door. I didn’t need to wonder what would happen if my
bosses knew about my stolen glimpses of their most private
moments.
So it was my little secret. The sooner I forgot about it,
the better.
Except I couldn’t stop thinking about it. The memory
rushed back every time I was around Lachlan or Alec.
Unfortunately, being their executive assistant meant I was
rarely out of their presence.
From a few seats down, Lachlan spoke without looking
up from his newspaper, rolling his Rs in a way that lifted
the fine hairs on my arms. “Leave her alone, Alec. She’s
probably just thinking about her wedding day.”
Alec’s face brightened. “That’s right. How much longer
until the main event?”
“Um, five weeks.”
“Josh must be excited, no?”
“Honestly, we’re both ready for it to be over.” My cheeks
heated, and I could almost hear my mother’s voice scolding
me. “Good grief, Chloe Drexel, your boss doesn’t care about
your personal life.” My mother had a lot of opinions,
including plenty of commentary on Alec and Lachlan’s
relationship. When I first told her about the job, she
frowned and said, “It’s good money, but two gay men?”
When I called her on it, she got all huffy and accused me of
being over-sensitive.
Cindy Drexel was, to put it mildly, a piece of work.
“Och, sorry to hear it, lass,” Alec said. “Anything Lach
and I can help with?”
The thought of taciturn Lachlan assisting me with
wedding tasks made me smile. I shook my head at Alec.
“No, but you’re sweet to offer. Wedding planning just isn’t
as fun as I thought it would be.” Mostly because, in
addition to dealing with my mother’s antics, I’d ended up
handling the bulk of the planning on my own. My fiancé,
Josh, wanted nothing to do with selecting stationery or
choosing floral arrangements.
But that was normal, right? Men didn’t care about those
things. Plus, he was crazy busy with work. As a second-year
associate at one of New York City’s top law firms, he didn’t
have much free time. At the end of a twelve-hour day, the
senior partners expected him to show up at cocktail
dinners and happy hours. That meant I spent a lot of
evenings alone with pizza, wedding magazines, and Netflix.
And the Netflix was definitely sans “chill.” Most nights, he
got home so late he slept on the sofa to avoid disturbing
me.
It was hardly the romantic lifestyle I envisioned when
we moved in together. But as Josh liked to say, it wasn’t
forever. Every young lawyer had to put in their dues.
Alec nodded like he planned weddings all the time and
knew exactly what I was talking about.
Lachlan looked at me over the top of his paper, and I
was struck all over again by his masculine beauty. The
women in the office called him “Mr. Grey” behind his back
because they said he looked like Jamie Dornan. As hard as I
tried to keep the nickname out of my head, I never failed to
picture him wielding a riding crop.
I blinked hard, struggling to banish the image. “Did you
need something, Mr. MacKay?” Jesus, I’d almost slipped
and said “Grey.” Damn those women in accounting.
His dark brows pulled together. “Are you sure you’ll be
okay leaving for two weeks, Chloe? That only gives you
three weeks back in the States before your wedding. Alec
and I probably should have considered the timeline before
we planned this trip. If you’re having second thoughts, we
completely understand.”
“Oh, no, it’s fine. Josh can handle anything that comes
up.” He’d said as much last night, when we spoke on the
phone as he traveled between work and a firm function at a
hotel downtown. I’d hoped for one last night together
before I left, but he’d already booked a room. The event
was supposed to run late, and he didn’t like taking cabs
when he’d been drinking.
“I want you to get a good night’s rest, babe,” he’d said.
“A flight to Scotland is no joke. You’re going to be
exhausted.”
For a split second, I’d been tempted to call off my trip. I
mean, what was I thinking jetting off to another country
with my bosses five weeks before my wedding? But when I
suggested it to Josh, he shot down the idea. “It’s a free trip,
Chloe. I know how crazy you are about castles. Go stay in
one and enjoy yourself. We’ll see each other for the rest of
our lives when you get back.”
He was right, of course. And I was pretty crazy about
castles. Who wasn’t? But I couldn’t help wishing he would
have put up at least a token resistance to his future wife
leaving him alone for two weeks.
Lachlan was still staring at me, so I plastered what I
hoped was a convincing smile on my face. “No second
thoughts here, Mr. MacKay, I promise.”
 His golden gaze sharpened, making me want to squirm
in my seat. He lowered his paper all the way, exposing his
crisp, white business shirt. The same kind he wore that
night…
My throat went dry.
“Are you certain?” he asked. “It’s not too late to change
your mind.”
Alec tossed him an irritated look. “Christ, Lach, she said
it’s fine.”
Lachlan returned his stare, and an odd tension seemed
to rise between the two men.
Wait. Was Lachlan upset I was tagging along? My
lingering desire fled. Maybe he wanted to spend two weeks
alone with Alec without an employee underfoot. Come to
think of it, Alec was the one who invited me in the first
place. Lachlan hadn’t said much at all about the trip,
except to give me terse instructions about what to pack.
“It’s cold in the Highlands this time of year, so bring warm
clothes. We won’t have time for shopping.”
He had a global financial empire to run. He didn’t want
to babysit his American executive assistant. More likely,
however, he didn’t want a third wheel on his and Alec’s
vacation.
As the men continued their staring contest,
awkwardness descended over me. “Um, guys? I don’t have
to come. You really don’t need me—”
“Nonsense,” Alec said, swinging his gaze back to me.
The sharp look he’d given Lachlan softened as he smiled at
me. “We need you, Chloe.”
And there went my libido again.
Lachlan shook out his paper and lowered his gaze. “I
never said we don’t need her,” he murmured, his soft tone
laced with a hard edge. “I just want to make sure she’s not
compromising her personal life for our business.”
“You’re no’, are you, Chloe,” Alec said with a wink. He
made it a statement, obviously confident I would agree with
him. Looking at him, it was easy to see why. His tight-fitting
gray sweater hugged his chest, and his black dress pants
pulled taut over his muscular thighs. Sunlight played
through his hair, turning the thick, red-gold waves to
copper. His green eyes were…mesmerizing. It was the kind
of dramatic word heroines in silly romance novels used, but
it was the only way to describe the currents that ran
through my body when he looked at me.
Vaguely, I heard myself say, “No, sir, Mr. Murray. As Josh
said, I’ll see him for the rest of my life when I get back.”
And maybe I had a guilty conscience, because as I tore my
gaze off my gorgeous boss, I could have almost sworn I saw
my fiancé standing across the terminal.
Great, I was so inappropriately horny I was
hallucinating.
Except…wait a minute. My heart skipped a beat, and it
was like someone dumped a bucket of ice water over my
head.
I wasn’t hallucinating Josh. That was Josh. My fiancé,
Josh Bennington, was standing in JFK Airport—and he was
kissing another woman!
The world tipped on its axis. Later, I wouldn’t remember
leaving my seat or crossing the terminal. One minute I was
sitting, the next I was standing beside my fiancé with my
fists balled at my sides as he deep-throated a redhead.
“Josh?” My voice came out as a strangled croak.
He and the woman sprang apart so quickly it was almost
comical. Almost. There was nothing funny about what was
happening. We stood in front of a small food court, and
people in line had started to stare.
For a second, Josh looked like he’d seen a ghost. Then
he gaped at me. “Chloe? What are you doing here?”
“What am I doing here?” My heart pounded so hard I
thought I might pass out. “I’m getting ready to board a
flight to Scotland. What are you doing here?” I looked at his
companion. Now that they weren’t sucking each other’s
faces off, I recognized her as a lawyer from his firm. My jaw
dropped. “Clarissa?”
She had the decency to flush. “Chloe… I don’t know
what to say…” She was dressed in a white pantsuit, and
there was a small wheeled suitcase at her side. Josh wore
jeans and the Yale sweatshirt I bought him when he got
accepted to law school.
“Are you guys together?” I asked, looking between them.
“Josh?”
A muscle in his jaw ticked. “The firm sent me to pick up
Clarissa from the airport. My hotel is nearby, so it made
sense.”
“Did the firm ask you to kiss her?”
“Chloe—”
“Are you cheating on me, Josh?”
He pressed his lips together, his expression stony. There
had to be an explanation. I waited for him to say “this isn’t
what it looks like” or “an anvil fell on my head and gave me
temporary amnesia so I forgot about our engagement.” But
he just stared, his shoulders rigid.
My throat thickened. Oh my God, I was going to cry in
front of all these people. “You couldn’t wait until I was out
of town? You had to show up at the same airport I was
leaving from?” My voice cracked. “At the same time in the
morning?”
He drew himself up. “You’re on a private flight. When
the partners at work fly private, they board from the
tarmac. I thought it would be the same for you.”
Alec’s deep voice rumbled behind me. “You thought
wrong, lad.”
I turned to find him and Lachlan behind me, and my
throat burned with tears. How fucking humiliating. In the
space of five minutes, I went from discussing my wedding
plans to getting dumped in front of my bosses and a bunch
of business travelers next to the Cinnabon stand. It was like
something out of a bad movie, except it was my real, stupid
life.
Face burning, I faced Josh. “How long?”
He blanched. “Chloe, I don’t think—”
“How. Long.”
“About a year.”
The ice in my veins turned to fire. “You’ve been fucking
her for a year?”
“Chloe—”
“You selfish, arrogant asshole!” My voice climbed,
drawing more stares, but I didn’t care. I wanted to take off
one of my new pointy heels—patent leather Louboutins I
got on deep clearance—and stab him right in his all-
American, country club face. “All those nights you were
supposedly out late with your law firm friends, you were
really screwing her?”
“Well, Clarissa is one of my law firm friends, so
technically—”
A screech ripped from my throat, and I flew at him.
A strong arm caught me around the waist and hauled me
back. “Come on, now, Chloe lass. I’ve got you.”
“Let me go!” I clawed at Alec’s—or was it Lachlan’s?—
forearm. “I’m going to kill him!”
Josh’s eyes went wide, and he shoved Clarissa behind
him. “Chloe, this is uncalled f—”
“Wheesht, man,” Lachlan said sharply, holding me tight.
Next to him, Alec gave Josh a withering look and said,
“That means shut yer trap.”
I continued twisting and fighting, but it was no use.
Lachlan’s chest was like a rock against my back, and his
forearm across my stomach was hard as iron. As quickly as
it came, my rage fled, and I slumped in his arms.
The crowd stared. Airport food court workers leaned out
from their stalls, a mix of curiosity and pity on their faces.
Josh gave me a wooden look, his gaze flat and empty.
The eyes of a stranger.
 My tears rushed back. As I stared at the man I was
supposed to marry in five weeks, the only thing I could
squeeze past my burning throat was, “Why?”
Some of the emptiness drained from his gaze, and a look
of weariness crossed his face. “I don’t know, Chloe. I think I
was just bored.”
The word hit me like an arrow thunking into its target. If
Lachlan hadn’t been holding me, I might have collapsed.
Suddenly, everything was too much. Hot tears streaked
down my face, and I turned in my boss’s arms.
“Please, just…get me out of here.”
Before I even choked out the full sentence, he swept me
into the air and folded me against his chest. The airport
blurred, and then we were moving, his long strides
carrying us away from Josh and the onlookers. As I gave
into the sobs I’d been holding back, I registered that Alec
had fallen into step beside us.
“I-I c-can walk,” I gasped against Lachlan’s chest.
“No worries,” he murmured. “We’ve got you now.”

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 Chapter

Two

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 CHLOE

A t first, I didn’t know where Lachlan and Alec were

taking me, and I didn’t care. I’d always been an ugly
crier. Being blond with fair skin meant even the
slightest bout of tears turned my face into a red, splotchy
mess. So I curled against Lachlan’s chest and put my hands
over my face, part of me hoping a hole would open in the
ground and he’d toss me in it.
But he kept walking, occasionally talking to Alec in a
musical language I recognized as the Gaelic they
sometimes used. It was beautiful, with a rhythmic flow that
swirled around my brain like a cool river. Drowsiness
tugged at me, and I let myself relax against Lachlan’s crisp
shirt. He smelled of starch, expensive aftershave, and
something that was uniquely his—a dark, spicy scent that
made me relax even further.
Suddenly, the air pressure changed, and I lowered my
hands to see the unmistakable interior of a private jet.
Unlike the commercial airliners I’d flown on in the past,
this plane had big, leather recliners with enough leg room
to accommodate a giant.
Lachlan deposited me in one, exchanged a look with
Alec, and promptly left.
I scrambled upright, tugging at my skirt, which had
ridden up as Lachlan carried me. “Mr. Murray—”
 “Easy, lass,” Alec said, sitting next to me. He pushed a
handkerchief into my hand. Not a tissue, a real square of
cloth embroidered with ACM in red script. As I clutched it,
I couldn’t help wondering what his middle name was. I’d
never seen it on any of the documents I handled at work.
“Take a moment to get your bearings,” he said.
“Lachlan’s gone to speak to the pilot.”
“Are we taking off?”
His green eyes were kind. “Do you want to? We
understand if the trip is too much for you to deal with right
now.” His accent made now sound like noo.
“Josh cheated on me,” I blurted. As soon as I said his
name, fresh tears spilled down my cheeks.
Alec made a soft tsking sound and moved closer, until
his thigh pressed against mine. He pulled the handkerchief
from my hand and dabbed at my tears. The gesture was so
tender, my tears flowed faster, and an involuntary sob
warbled from my lips.
“Chloe,” he murmured, gathering me in his arms. His
chest was as hard as Lachlan’s, and his heart beat strong
and steady under my ear. This was the second time one of
my bosses had held me, and somewhere in the back of my
mind, I knew I should push away. Even in my predicament,
it was wrong to weep on their shoulders.
Yet I couldn’t seem to stop.
Alec’s delicious, woodsy scent mingled with a subtle
cologne, reminding me of crisp fall nights and long walks
through a dark forest. He was so warm, his body throwing
off the same comforting heat as an electric blanket.
Gentle fingers stroked my hair. “Go on and cry,
sweetheart. You’ve had a shock.”
“I’m s-sorry,” I said, my throat thick. “I just can’t believe
he had the nerve to pick her up at the same airport at the
same time I was leaving. Who does that?”
Alec’s voice was a mix of anger and exasperation. “A
coward and a fool. It took everything I had not to lay him
out.”
“I wish you would have.” Alec was several inches over
six feet and worked out five days a week. He would have
sent Josh flying across the terminal.
“We’re cleared for takeoff,” Lachlan said, seating
himself across from us.
I sensed rather than saw the men have some sort of
unspoken exchange over my head.
My shoulders tensed. Lachlan probably wanted me gone.
He’d hinted as much in the lounge. If he’d felt that way
before, he almost certainly did now. Who wanted a jilted
bride tagging along on their vacation?
No one. Which was why I needed to get off this plane
immediately.
But when I started to sit up, Alec ran his palm down my
hair again, keeping me against his chest. “The choice is
yours, Chloe. We can be in the air within minutes if you still
want to go ahead with the trip. If you ask me, I think you
should.”
“You do?” I said into his shirt.
Lachlan replied, his voice low and steady. “Only if you
want to.”
“I think she does.” Alec made another lazy stroke down
my hair, and the rumble under my ear deepened. “Get away
for a couple weeks. There’s nowhere like the Highlands for
unplugging from the rest of the world.”
It sounded wonderful. His hand in my hair felt
wonderful. Goosebumps rose on my skin, and I had to
suppress a shiver. He must have worried I was cold,
because he tightened his arms around me. As soon as he
did, another wave of lassitude swept me. My lids grew
heavy, and my breathing slowed.
Sleep. God, I wanted nothing more than to drift off in
the comfort of Alec’s embrace.
Somewhere deep in my brain, a faint alarm bell clanged.
I had no business being in Alec Murray’s embrace. He was
my boss. His lover—my other boss—sat across from us.
But as exhaustion gripped me, the alarm faded. I was so
tired.
I could worry about doing the right thing later.
“Chloe lass? Shall we tell the pilot to go?”
If I hadn’t been so sleepy, I would have smiled. There
was something endearingly old-fashioned about the way
Alec spoke, with his “shalls” and his Highland accent. I’d
never get sick of hearing it. And if I flew to Scotland right
now, I could hear it all the time.
As his hand smoothed my hair and sleep tugged hard at
my mind, I nodded. My voice seemed to come from far
away as I said, “Yes. Tell the pilot to go.”

T he next time I woke , I lay on my side with the steady

thrum of jet engines filling my ears.
I sat up, and a light blanket slipped to my waist. I was in
a darkened bedroom—a luxurious one with sleek furniture
and thick carpet. To my left was a bathroom with one of
those plug-in night lights that turn everything a soft blue.
Someone had removed my heels.
And the top button of my blouse was undone.
My face heated. At the same moment, the door opened
and Alec entered, spilling yellow light into the room.
“Madainn mhath.” He closed the door, then crossed the
room and sat on the edge of the bed. “Means good
morning,” he said with a wink.
“Is it morning where we are?” As my eyes adjusted to
the dark, I took in his appearance. He was as immaculate
as ever, his thick hair neatly brushed back from his high
forehead.
“We’re over Iceland at the moment, and it’s the middle
of the night.”
 “Oh.” He loomed large on the side of the bed, his
sweater snug over his biceps. My stomach did a flip.
His gaze moved over me. “How do you feel?”
A rush of self-consciousness swept me. I’d lunged at Josh
in the airport, cried in both of my bosses’ arms, and passed
out on their airplane. Also, one of them had apparently
tucked me into bed like a toddler.
Mortification level? Off the charts.
I cleared my throat. “I’m sorry I fell asleep like that. I
don’t know what came over me. I’ve never been so tired.”
“No need to apologize. You went through a trauma.
Anyone would be exhausted.”
“Thank you,” I whispered, reality slamming into me all
over again. As soon as we landed, I needed to get on the
phone with wedding vendors. But with the ceremony so
close, I probably couldn’t get out of the contracts I’d
signed. Tears pricked my eyelids.
Alec noticed at once. “Hey,” he said, brushing a gentle
thumb under my eye. “None of that now.”
“I’m sorry.” My skin tingled where he’d touched me, and
I had to take a deep breath before I could keep talking.
“It’s just…I can’t believe this happened. Josh and I were
together for four years. You think you know someone, and
then they pull the rug out from under you.” Bitter humor
rose in my mind. “He was bored with me. Hopefully
Clarissa can keep him entertained.” Which, of course she
could. She was beautiful and accomplished—exactly the
kind of woman Josh wanted. They probably fucked and then
discussed recent Supreme Court decisions. I was an
executive assistant with a typing certificate from a
community college in Brooklyn.
“What are you thinking?” Alec asked.
I swallowed. “That I should have seen this coming. Josh
is ambitious. I was never going to be good enough for him.”
Alec’s gaze was steady, his big body relaxed and elegant
as he watched me. He’d spread his knees, and he rested his
hands on his thighs.
He was so freaking hot, with his red-gold hair and
chiseled features. Even in dress pants and a cashmere
sweater, it was easy to picture him swinging a claymore
while Highland mist swirled around him.
Okay, I had to stop lusting after my boss, stat. My gay
boss, I reminded myself. Right on cue, the memory of that
night in the office rushed back.
Lachlan had grasped Alec’s hip in a possessive grip as
his other hand worked up and down Alec’s shaft.
Alec had groaned, sinking strong, white teeth into his
lower lip…
Stop it.
I ducked my head and toyed with the bedding. Alec and
Lachlan were a couple—a sexy, committed couple. As late
as that morning, I would have said my relationship with
Josh was just as solid.
Was I boring? Or maybe there was something else wrong
with me. Maybe I’d lost whatever spark attracted Josh to
me in the first place. He no longer found me desirable, so
he found someone else.
Alec made a soft sound that drew my gaze up. “Yer
thinking again, lass, and I don’t think they’re good
thoughts.”
“No,” I heard myself say, “they’re not, really.”
“You can tell me if you want. The best place for bad
thoughts is out of your head.”
That made me smile. “I don’t think it’s as easy as simply
saying them out loud.”
His return smile made my stomach do another flip. Then
he folded his arms, making his sweater pull even more
tautly across his shoulders. “You don’t need to say them. I
already know what you’re thinking.”
“Oh, really? You can read minds?” The funny thing was,
sometimes I got the feeling he could do exactly that. Like
he could peer directly into my brain and rifle through my
thoughts like someone opening a file cabinet.
His green eyes twinkled. “Mmhmm.”
“Why don’t you tell me, then, since you already know.”
Wait a second. Were we flirting? The thought made a warm,
flustered feeling climb up my neck.
He sobered. “You’re thinking you aren’t good enough for
Bennington, when that’s not true at all, Chloe lass.”
It was the Chloe lass that did me in. He was so kind and
easy to talk to—his concern so genuine—that I got choked
up all over again. As the tears gathered, he made another
soft sound and pulled me into his arms.
“I’ll get your sweater all wet,” I protested, even as I
nestled my cheek against his warmth.
“Dinnae care.”
“Josh dumped me,” I said, the shock of it making me
blurt the obvious.
“I know. He’s an idiot.”
“I d-don’t think he wanted me anymore. Clarissa is”—I
sucked in a breath—“gorgeous.”
“She doesn’t hold a candle to you.”
“Do you mean that?”
“Absolutely. You’re a stunning woman, Chloe Drexel.
Damn near irresistible.”
Something in his voice made me lift my head. He’d
sounded…sincere. And his green gaze burned with
appreciation as he stared at me. I was practically on his
lap, my skirt bunched high on my thighs and my shirt
gaping open.
My voice was a thread of sound as I asked, “You think
I’m irresistible?”
“Yes,” he murmured. “Let me show you.” He took my
chin in his fingers and kissed me.
I gasped, and he pushed his tongue inside, stroking it
along mine.
 Desire shot through me like sparks, sizzling straight to
my sex, which grew instantly damp.
He gave a throaty growl and deepened the kiss, seizing
my mouth like a starving man. His fingers left my chin to
tangle through my hair and pull me more firmly against
him. His other hand slid up my thigh, his palm hot against
my skin. As my breasts mashed against his chest, my clit
throbbed hard between my legs.
He sucked at my tongue, and my desire ratcheted
higher. His mouth was as hot as his skin, and his scent
swirled around me, the combination of cologne and dark
forest invading my senses.
A moan wound up from my throat and transferred into
his mouth as he plunged deep. His lips were firm but soft,
and he used them like a sensual weapon, stroking and
sliding as he explored my mouth. His hand on my thigh slid
higher.
The door opened, throwing a harsh dose of reality over
me.
I wrenched away from Alec, then scrambled backwards
until my shoulders hit the headboard. I crouched against it,
my chest heaving and my hair spilling over my shoulders.
The blond waves were tangled from sleep—and Alec’s
fingers tunneling through them.
Oh God.
Lachlan filled the doorway. The lit cabin behind him
threw his face into shadow, but his stare bored into me with
a weight that made me want to melt into the wood at my
back. The light spread over Alec and the rumpled bedding,
the yellow blaze like an accusation.
Holy shit, I just made out with my boss. My mouth still
tingled from his lips, and my thigh burned where his palm
had covered it.
Words spilled from me like a river rushing over rocks.
“Mr. MacKay, I am so sorry. I-I don’t know what came over
me. I didn’t mean to kiss Alec—I m-mean Mr. Murray. I just
—”
“Chloe,” Alec said, reaching a hand toward me.
“I’m still shaken by what happened at the airport, and I
think I lost my mind for a minute and—”
“Chloe!”
Alec’s voice cut through my babble. “Yes?” I asked,
forcing myself to look him in the eye.
His expression was calm—as if his business partner and
lover hadn’t just caught us with our tongues in each other’s
mouths. “You didn’t kiss me. I kissed you.”
“You…did?”
“Yes.”
“But…” I darted my gaze to Lachlan, who was still silent
in the doorway. “You’re gay.”
“No, we’re not,” Alec said.
“Yes, you are. I saw—” I snapped my mouth shut before I
could confess I’d seen the two of them. Confusion flooded
me as I looked between the two men. “You’re not gay?”
Alec shook his head.
“But you like men.”
His boyish grin held an air of mischief. “Quite a lot.
Women too.”
Understanding dawned. “You’re bisexual.”
“That’s right.”
“Both of you?”
“Yes,” Lachlan said, stepping inside at last. He closed
the door and walked slowly to the bed. His hard gaze ran
down my body, taking in my open shirt and the skirt that
was now twisted around my waist, revealing the cream-
colored thong I’d worn to avoid panty lines when I bent
over.
My cheeks blazed, and I tugged at my hem.
“Don’t.”
I froze, my gaze flying to his. But he wasn’t looking at
my face. His golden stare was fixed between my legs, and
his jaw was clamped tight. He’d rolled his sleeves up,
revealing the golden skin and black hairs I’d seen the night
he jerked off Alec against the bookcases in his office.
An image of those tanned hands on my thighs popped
into my head. My breath hitched, and more moisture
flooded my sex.
Lachlan’s nostrils flared. A muscle jumped in his jaw,
and his expression grew more intense. Almost predatory.
Oh yes. Lachlan was definitely bisexual. How had I never
seen it before?
“Chloe,” Alec said softly.
I jerked my gaze to his, even as Lachlan’s stare made my
clit throb anew. My reply was more breath than sound.
“Yes?”
“We’re not just bisexual. We’re polyamorous. Are you
familiar with that term?”
For a second, I couldn’t speak. Lust surged hot in my
veins, spreading to my sex and making my nipples tighten.
The sensations were so intense they bordered on pain. I’d
never been more turned on in my life. At the same time, I
couldn’t think straight. The air seemed thicker—like the
moments just before a thunderstorm. The jet engines
droned, filling the room with white noise that muffled and
blunted, making everything dreamy and smooth.
Alec was waiting for an answer, so I dragged in a breath.
“You like multiple partners.”
“Yes. Specifically, we like bringing a woman into our
bed.” His eyes seemed to glow in the darkness, that
gorgeous green drawing me in.
My heart raced as the ache between my legs intensified.
I pressed hard against the headboard. Maybe the
discomfort of wood digging into my shoulder blades would
clear my head.
Because I couldn’t sleep with my bosses. Both of my
bosses, at the same time. Who did that sort of thing? Yet it
seemed that was exactly what they had in mind.
 Didn’t they?
Lachlan began unbuttoning his shirt.
Yes. Yes, they did.
My mouth went dry, and my heart tried to pound from
my chest.
This can’t be happening. I waited for Lachlan to stop, or
for Alec to jump up and announce the whole thing was a
big, cruel joke.
But Lachlan kept going, his long, nimble fingers working
down the row of buttons.
I devoured him with my eyes, my gaze glued to his torso
as he pulled off his shirt and undershirt, mussing his dark
hair a bit as he went. His bare chest was smooth, and his
rippling abs looked hard enough to wash clothes on. I let
my gaze trail lower, and my eyes widened at the
unmistakable bulge in his pants.
Warm fingers circled my ankle, and then Alec gave a
gentle tug, as if he wanted to coax me off the headboard.
He slid his hand higher, smoothing it up my calf. “We want
you, Chloe. And if you let us, we’ll show you just how
irresistible you are.”
My whole body trembled. With Lachlan on my left and
Alec in front of me, it was hard to know where to look.
Alec’s thumb flicked back and forth against my calf like a
metronome marking time. Beside me, Lachlan stood
barechested and still. I got the sense I balanced on the
edge of a precipice. One careless step, and I would plunge
into something dark and forbidden and maybe irreversible.
We want you. Three simple words. A whole universe of
meaning. I’d spent three months fantasizing about my
bosses, but even my wildest daydreams had never
approached anything like this. Josh and I enjoyed the
occasional role play, and I kept a nightstand stocked with
toys and even a pair of leather restraints, but the prospect
of bedding Lachlan and Alec at the same time made my
previous sex life seem as thrilling as cold toast.
 Josh. The mere thought of him made anger burn in my
chest. As I looked down my body and met Alec’s eyes, some
of my resolve crumbled.
He kept up the steady flick of his thumb, murmuring in
his Scots accent that made my heart race faster. “We won’t
do anything you don’t want, Chloe. This is all about you.”
He leaned in and planted a soft kiss on the inside of my
knee—like he was sealing his promise on my skin.
The jet engines roared. Dark desire coursed through my
veins, pumping blood to my nipples and sex.
“Yes,” I whispered, moisture surging hot between my
legs. “Please touch me more.”
Satisfaction flared in Alec’s gaze, and his green eyes
glittered as he stood and pulled his sweater over his head.
His tight undershirt was next, and then his pants, and—
holy shit—he wasn’t wearing underwear. His cock jutted
from his hips, the shaft long and thick and the head
crowned with a bead of moisture.
I looked at Lachlan, and my mouth went dry. He watched
Alec with narrowed eyes, his golden gaze simmering with
unconcealed lust.
Alec gripped my ankles and pulled, and I slid down the
bed with a yelp. My skirt bunched high, exposing my lower
half.
He wedged himself between my legs, his cock bobbing.
Before I had a chance to process that my completely nude
boss was kneeling between my spread thighs while my
other boss watched, he pulled the crotch of my thong aside,
baring my sex to his gaze.
Both men growled.
Alec prowled up my body, his eyes locked on my sex.
“I’ve got to taste this pussy,” he muttered. Instead of
lowering his mouth, however, he traced a reverent finger
down one side, then the other, teasing my sodden folds. He
made the same circuit a few more times, then drew his
fingertip to my opening and dipped inside, stirring the
wetness pooled at my entrance.
My hips lifted of their own accord. More. The plea
lodged in my throat, even as my body made its wishes
known.
“Like that, do you?” he asked, a smile playing over his
lips. He darted a hot glance my way before pulling the
damp thong down my legs and tossing it aside. He gave my
skirt the same treatment, the muscles in his shoulders
bunching as he worked it down my hips and flung it away.
Then he pushed my knees wide, lowered his head, and
licked straight up my center.
I arched off the bed. “Oh my God, Mr. Murray.”
Alec chuckled, his lips moving against my sex as his
muffled voice floated up. “I think you should call me Alec
now, lass.”
“Yes, sir,” I said on a gasp.
He lifted his head from between my thighs long enough
to shoot me a grin. “Och, but I like the sir. Maybe we’ll
keep that.” He winked and bent back to his task, his lips
hot and greedy against my folds. He kissed my sex the
same way he’d kissed my mouth, probing and stroking with
his tongue until I was moaning and thrusting my hips
higher. Shivers danced across my skin as I strained up to
meet the wicked mouth driving me crazy.
The clink of metal made me turn my head toward
Lachlan. Our gazes met and held as he undid his belt and
dropped his pants to reveal black boxer briefs. The material
hugged his muscular thighs, and there was a damp patch in
the front where the tip of his shaft strained against the
fabric. Still watching me, he pushed the waistband down
and pulled out his cock.
Alec slid a finger inside me and sucked my clit hard,
making me moan as I watched Lachlan grip his shaft and
pump his hand up and down the hard length. Alec’s cock
was longer, but Lachlan’s was thicker, with a meaty girth as
round as a soda can. Like Alec’s, his balls were smooth and
heavy between his legs, the sac swaying gently as he
stroked himself. His gaze moved down my body, falling on
Alec’s head nestled between my thighs.
“How does she taste?”
Alec gave me a long, sensual lick, then pulled himself up
and beckoned to his lover. “Come find out.”
Lachlan moved swiftly. His arm shot out, and he clasped
the back of Alec’s head and pulled him into a kiss.
A gasp caught in my throat as raw lust shot through my
veins. It was like the night in the office, only now I got an
up-close-and-personal view. There was nothing sexier than
their strong jaws working against each other as they took
each other’s mouths, and the knowledge that Lachlan was
tasting me on Alec’s lips made my clit throb so hard I had
to bite the inside of my cheek to hold back a whimper.
Keeping a tight grip on the back of Alec’s neck, Lachlan
used his other hand to grasp Alec’s bare ass. He squeezed
the muscle, then yanked Alec’s pelvis into his own. Alec
groaned and thrust his hips in a quick, hard roll, grinding
his cock against Lachlan’s even as they continued their
passionate kiss.
My chest heaved like I just ran a marathon. The erotic
display was a buffet of sensual delights, and I wanted to
consume everything at once. They pressed against each
other from mouth to hip, giving me occasional flashes of
their rock hard shafts as they kept up their sexy grind.
Suffused with need, I widened my thighs and began
rubbing my swollen clit in tight circles.
Lachlan broke off the kiss and swung a fierce gaze
toward me. “Oh no, you don’t. That pussy is ours.” His
golden eyes blazed as he released Alec and moved up my
body. When he was next to my head, he grabbed my wrist
and guided my fingers to his cock. His accent thickened.
“No’ to worry, lass. I’ll keep yer hands busy.”
 I gripped his shaft and immediately gasped at its heat.
He was like burning steel covered in silk, the veined length
so thick my fingers didn’t meet my thumb.
He groaned and pushed his hips into my hand as I began
to stroke up and down. “Been waiting to feel your sweet
fingers on my cock.”
He had?
“Since the day you walked into the office,” he said,
seeming to answer my question.
Except I hadn’t spoken out loud.
Alec’s mouth covered my sex again, and my confusion
fled as pleasure washed over me. He sucked at my clit, his
tongue teasing all around the aching bud. He licked and
nuzzled with exquisite skill, taking me right up to the edge
only to pull me back just before I came. I squirmed against
his face, my body convulsing. My hands convulsed, too, and
I squeezed Lachlan’s shaft as I tried to claim my release.
He gave a throaty sound of approval. “That’s it. Stroke
me.” He grasped my collar and ripped my shirt down the
front, surprising a yelp from me and sending buttons flying.
A rare smile lit his eyes as his gaze fell on my lacy bra, and
he flicked open the front clasp with a single twist, spilling
my breasts and leaving me wholly bare to his gaze.
Shivers coursed over me as he looked his fill, his gaze
lingering on Alec still lapping between my thighs before
traveling to my quivering breasts and tight nipples. They
grew even tighter under his regard—and tighter still when
he reached down and lightly pinched each pink tip.
“Stroke me harder, Chloe. I like the way your tits bounce
when you work my cock.”
I obeyed, little sobs spilling from me as Alec’s mouth
took me ever closer to release. “Please,” I begged. “Please
let me come.”
Alec lifted his head, his lips shiny with my juices. He ran
the back of his hand over his mouth, a mischievous light
dancing in his eyes. “You want to come?”
 “Yes.” Exasperation made my tone sharp. He was slowly
killing me with his mouth. Of course I wanted to come.
He nodded to Lachlan, who eased his cock from my grip
and opened a drawer in the nightstand. He withdrew a
condom and tossed it to Alec, who caught it and ripped it
open with his teeth.
After he sheathed himself, he placed a gentle hand on
my knee. “Still good, sweetheart? Remember, nothing you
don’t want.”
“I want you,” I said without hesitation, my sex aching for
him. “I want you inside me.”
“That’s good, sweet Chloe, because I can’t wait to feel
your slick pussy gripping my shaft.” He positioned himself
at my entrance and pushed inside. The three of us groaned
at the same time, the sounds mingling with the drone of the
plane’s engines. Alec’s brow knit with concentration as he
held himself still while I adjusted to his girth.
“Keep going,” Lachlan murmured. His gaze was
fastened on the spot where Alec’s body joined mine, and he
began pumping his own shaft with slow, languid strokes.
“Tell me what she feels like.”
“Tight,” Alec gasped. “Like a hot fist around my cock.”
To me, he said, “Open wider, baby. I don’t want to hurt
you.”
“You won’t,” I said, but I spread my legs as wide as I
could. His cock was even bigger than I thought, and it
seemed to rub against every nerve ending I possessed,
invading me with rock hard heat. As my body relaxed, the
burn faded to a sweet fullness.
And once again, I wanted more.
Tentatively, I lifted my hips.
Alec hissed like he was hurt, then gripped my thighs
with hard fingers. “Slow down, greedy girl, or this will be
over before it starts.”
I thrust my hips again, shivering when my clit dragged
against his dick. “More of that,” I demanded.
 Lachlan’s voice was amused. “Give her what she wants,
Alec.”
“You’re both too impatient,” Alec muttered, but he
began to thrust, each roll of his hips sinking him deeper,
until he was driving himself to the hilt with each pass.
“God, yes!” I moaned, a flush spreading down my chest
as my orgasm gathered. Lachlan watching made everything
hotter. Never in a million years did I think I would let one
man fuck me while another looked on. Now that I was
doing it, my body hummed with dark, delicious pleasure. I
wanted to look everywhere at once, from Alec’s muscled
body looming between my spread thighs to Lachlan’s
narrowed, golden gaze as his fist flew up and down his
shaft.
Alec braced his weight on his fists and pumped harder,
giving me swift, steady strokes that hit my clit over and
over. The room filled with the sound of my wetness and the
sharp smack of skin slapping against skin.
“That’s it,” Lachlan growled. “Give her more, man.”
Alec lowered his head and doubled his pace, thrusting so
hard I had to brace a hand against the headboard to keep
from knocking into the wood. My breasts bounced, and my
breaths came in harsh pants as I barreled toward my
release.
My gaze collided with Lachlan’s, which cranked my
pleasure higher. He lowered his eyes to my chest, and his
hand pumped faster.
“Gonna come,” he grated.
A dark thought shot through my brain like an arrow.
Come on my tits.
“Yes!” His shout rang around the room, and then he was
coming, his release hitting my chest in a scorching spray
that painted my nipples and breasts with hot, creamy
ropes. I came at the same moment, my orgasm flinging me
into a sea of pure sensation. My pussy clamped hard
around Alec’s cock, and I threw my head back and
screamed as wave after wave of pleasure washed over me.
Dimly, I was aware of Alec gripping my hips and pinning me
down as he gave one last thrust and unloaded deep inside
me, his release so hot I felt it through the condom. More
pleasure rushed me, the wave so tall and vast it pulled me
under. My body flew apart, and my mind went blank.
When I swam back to consciousness, warm hands
tended me and low, gentle murmurs filled my ears.
“I can do it,” I mumbled, trying to sit up.
Someone pulled me against a hard chest, and a
masculine chuckle vibrated my back. “Hush, lass, you’re
limp as a noodle. We’ve got it.”
I relaxed, letting my eyes drift shut. More murmurs, and
then a warm cloth wiped at my breasts and swiped between
my legs. After a minute, the bed dipped and another hard
chest touched my front. I lay sandwiched between the two
men, their big bodies emanating heat.
This feels like a dream.
Lips touched my neck, and Alec’s brogue curled around
me. His voice seemed to echo, the words overlapping.
“That’s right, Chloe. ‘Tis a dream. ‘Tis naught but a
dream.”

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter

Three

OceanofPDF.com
 ALEC

L achlan had taken a glass of scotch into the bathroom,

which meant he was angry. He always drank when he
was upset, and considering he’d polished off two
bottles since we landed in Inverness, he was furious.
He also hadn’t spoken to me in several hours. I was no
detective, but I considered that pretty strong evidence I
was the source of his anger. The woman sleeping a few
chambers down had something to do with it, too.
Fortunately, she’d slept through the rest of the flight, the
transfer between plane and car, and the entire ride to the
castle. The situation with her was delicate enough without
introducing Lachlan’s misgivings into the mix.
I sprawled in an oversize chair in his bedroom, a sigh
building in my chest as I eyed the bathroom door. How
much longer was he going to be? I shifted my gaze to the
dresser, where he’d left the third bottle of scotch. I wasn’t
above taking his alcohol hostage if it meant he was forced
to stop giving me the cold shoulder.
As if I’d summoned him, the door opened and he walked
out, scotch in hand and a white towel around his hips.
He stopped when he saw me. “You’re still up.”
“Aye. According to relationship experts, you should
never go to bed angry. And I know you’re mad at me.”
He grimaced. “You sound like an American.”
 “Verra well. Cross then. You’re cross with me, and I
think I know why. Also, our mate is American, so you should
probably get used to the slang.”
“You dinnae ken she’s our mate.”
I sat up. “I bloody well do, Lach, and so do you. Pretend
all you want, but Chloe Drexel is ours.”
“She’s human.”
“So?”
“So I hoped for something more. A mate worthy of our
race.”
“I can’t tell if you’re making a joke or not. You’re so bad
at it.”
He stared at me a moment, then tossed back his drink
and stalked to the dresser.
I let my sigh escape at last. “That’s not going to work,
you know. It’ll take half the cellar to get you drunk, and
you’ll burn it off the first time you shift.” I glanced out the
mullioned windows. “Which should be tomorrow, since it’s
nearly a full moon.”
He met my gaze in the dresser mirror as he poured
another finger of scotch. “What do you know of the moon’s
call?”
“I know you can be a right git when you’re on the cusp
of a forced shift. Case in point, you continue to insist a
human isn’t good enough for you, which is utter shite.”
“Piss off, Alec.”
“Now who sounds American?” I stood and crossed the
room, letting my gaze roam down his bare back and tight
ass as I neared him. His dark hair was damp from his
shower, and beads of moisture still dotted his golden skin.
Even after being sated—scratch that, very sated—by the
session with Chloe, I was instantly aroused at the mere
sight of Lachlan. My body’s reaction to him stopped
surprising me a long time ago. It was as ordinary to me
now as breathing or blinking—an involuntary response that
happened merely by being in the same room with him.
 Damned inconvenient sometimes, but a fact nonetheless.
I reined in my lust as I stopped behind him. Because as
much as those relationship experts might hand out clichéd
advice, they had a point. If I let the disagreement between
Lachlan and me fester, it could end up ruining everything.
We had to talk.
Taking a deep breath, I stated the obvious. “You’re
angry I claimed Chloe.”
His eyes in the mirror were hard. “Aye.”
“Not all humans are the same. This prejudice of yours is
—”
“Beside the point. If she’s ours, I’ll accept it. But we
agreed to wait to claim her. It’s important to be certain.”
His clipped tone was familiar. It was the same one he
used whenever I tried to get to the bottom of his dislike for
humans. He was reasonable about most everything in life,
but human beings were his sore spot. Worse, he refused to
discuss his animosity, let alone try to overcome it. Over the
years, I’d learned not to push him on it.
Except now I didn’t have a choice.
“It’s not a binding claim, Lach. You know it takes both of
us to make her ours for good. And she was so sad after that
cocksucker fiancé of hers dumped her in front of the whole
concourse.”
Suspicion shaded his eyes in the mirror. “You didn’t have
anything to do with that, did you?”
For a moment, I was speechless. Then my own anger
kindled. “Christ, man, of course not. I’m glad he broke
things off. It needed to happen if we’re to keep her safe.
But I’m not that much of an arse to set her up for public
humiliation.” I frowned at him. “How could you even think
it?”
He faced me, his expression contrite. “Sorry. I know you
wouldn’t hurt her that way. But you charmed her on the
plane. I could feel it.”
“I lowered her inhibitions.”
 “You did a fair bit more than that. I’ve never seen your
gift so strong.”
He had a point. Chloe had been incredibly receptive
when I charmed her—an ability I inherited from my mother.
A cousin of hypnotism, charming allowed the wielder to
delve deep into a subject’s mind, seize a thought or fantasy,
and encourage them to act on it. It was best used sparingly,
as suggestion could easily slide into coercion.
Judging from Lachlan’s furrowed brow, he worried my
influence over Chloe tipped toward the latter.
“I was careful,” I said. “And I couldn’t let her stay in
New York. She’s been vulnerable since the day she met us.
Our enemies—of which there are many, in case you’ve
forgotten—would love to get their claws on her.”
“I’m aware,” he said, his voice disgruntled.
“More importantly, this trip was supposed to give you a
chance to finally realize what’s been obvious for three
months.” When he didn’t say anything, I added, “She’s our
mate. That’s the obvious part.”
He was quiet a moment. Then he crossed his arms, his
earlier displeasure resurfacing. “You shouldn’t have
charmed her. Now we’ll never know if she wanted us on her
own or because you put the idea in her head.”
“Are you serious?” I let out a huff of laughter as I tried to
ignore how his muscles bunched with his arms folded. “I
might have given her a push, but she acted on it because
she wanted to. You know she saw us together that night in
the office. She hasn’t stopped thinking about it.” I held
back a smile. Chloe Drexel might have the face of an angel,
but her mind was devilishly naughty.
Lachlan’s golden eyes flashed, his inner beast peeking
out. “I could scent her desire even as we waited in the
terminal.”
“Aye, that’s right,” I said, seizing on his admission. “She
wanted us, Lach. I’ve never felt a wetter pussy in my life.”
“Well, you certainly enjoyed yourself with it.”
 The irritation in his voice gave me pause—then
amusement drifted through me. “Is that what you’re upset
about? You didn’t get to stick your cock in something?”
“Very mature, Alec.”
I stepped into him, our chests nearly touching. “It is,
isn’t it?”
“It’s no—” He sucked in a breath as I found the slit in
the towel and grasped his cock. Immediately, it hardened in
my hand.
“Liar,” I murmured, stroking him, my own cock
hardening at the feel of his thick shaft in my palm. It was
like holding a steel pipe covered in silk. Needing more of
him, I undid the towel and let it drop to the ground.
He leaned against the dresser, bracing himself on the
heels of his palms. “Stop trying to distract me,” he
muttered, but he made no move to end my ministrations.
Totally nude Lachlan was a sight to behold, and for a
moment I let my eyes rove freely over the bounty in front of
me. Six feet, four inches of warm, muscled male. Broad
shoulders. Smooth chest. Thick thighs and swollen cock. I
leaned in and kissed the underside of his jaw, licking at the
scruff there. He moaned and tipped his head back, giving
me better access.
“Mmm,” I murmured against his hot skin, “I like when
you skip shaving for a day or two. I might fancy a bit of
beard rash on my arse if you’ve a mind to put that tongue
of yours to good use later. But right now, I want to taste
your cock.”
He swallowed so hard it was an audible gulp. “This is a
bad idea. We might wake Chloe.”
I cupped his balls, caressing his smooth sac and smiling
inwardly when he thrust his hips forward. “No, we won’t. I
put her to sleep on the plane. She’ll sleep until morning
and wake thinking tonight was a dream.”
He looked at me, some of the desire fading from his
eyes. “You push too hard, Alec. She’s human. You’ll damage
her mind.”
“I know what I’m doing,” I said. As if to demonstrate, I
gripped his shaft again.
He put a forestalling hand on my chest. “I’m serious. You
tread dangerously close to breaking the treaty.”
“Nonsense. We didn’t kidnap her.”
“Do you know the difference?”
I released him and stepped back. “What’s that supposed
to mean?”
“This isn’t some Seelie game. The survival of our race
depends on the treaty. We have no females—”
“I’m well aware we have no females,” I said, my hackles
up at the mention of my mother’s people. I let a little of
that side of my ancestry rise under my skin, my heart
racing as power flooded my veins. “But we have our female,
and I’m doing my best to keep her safe until you stop being
stubborn and admit she’s ours. And it’s odd you didn’t seem
to have a problem with her when you were ripping her shirt
off and fist-fucking yourself in front of her.”
The atmosphere in the room shifted, an eerie charge
building like the gathering of a storm.
Lachlan pushed away from the dresser, his eyes
glittering like chips of amber. “Watch your fucking mouth.”
I let my power flare higher. In the mirror, my skin
glowed like it was lit from within. “Watch yours, before I
shut it for you.”
“If you think to threaten me, prince, I advise thinking
again.”
I stepped toward him, my voice echoing with
otherworldly power. And that was an apt description,
because it came from another world entirely. “I don’t need
your advice, beast.”
A streak of movement, and then my head snapped
around, blood spraying across the Aubusson carpet. Even
as I stumbled, I spared a pang of regret at the damage. I’d
purchased the piece myself in a workshop in France, long
before the famous rugs bore the name of their village of
manufacture.
Something slammed into my shoulder, and I stumbled
again and nearly went down. I caught myself and whirled
just as Lachlan swung again. This time, I ducked and then
surged up, punching him in the ribs.
He grunted and staggered back, his eyes like molten
gold. He shook out his arms at his sides, ready to charge
again. “You sure you want to do this?”
“Are you daft? You punched me. Maybe that’s too
difficult a concept for your primitive brain to—”
He came at me in a blur, lowering a shoulder at the last
second and tackling me around the middle. My back hit the
ground, forcing a grunt from my lungs. Before he could
make another move, I flipped him under me and nailed him
with a right hook.
“Returnin’ the favor,” I grunted, pain knifing through my
knuckles.
He shoved me off him, and I sprang to my feet and
hustled back before he could strike. He swung his legs and
did a kip up like a goddamn ninja, then advanced on me
with clenched fists.
I raised my own, my chest heaving. We circled each
other, both waiting for the other to make a mistake. To
lunge too soon or expose a flank. Even with his accusations
ringing in my ears, desire blasted me as I took in his nude
body. His cock swung heavy between his thighs, and his
muscles flexed and shifted as he moved. He had a warrior’s
build, and it was all the more impressive because it was
real. He’d honed it in an era when a male’s physique could
mean the difference between life and death.
In another blur of movement, he flew at me, catching me
around the waist and carrying us both backwards. I twisted
mid-air and hit the bed on my stomach. He landed on me
like a sack of bricks.
 I threw an elbow. He seized my wrist and wrenched my
arm to the small of my back. “This isn’t just about what
Chloe wants,” he growled, his breaths coming fast. “All
three of us have to choose.”
“Fuck you, Lachlan,” I panted, the side of my face
pressed into the comforter. “You didn’t seem consumed by
indecision when you were coming on her tits.”
“She asked me to.”
I gathered all my strength and heaved, shoving him off.
Before he could recover, I seized his shoulder and pinned
him face down. He struggled, but I threw a leg over his
hips, straddling his back. “What are you talking about?”
Abruptly, the tension drained from his body. He turned
his head, showing me his profile. “Just what I said. She
spoke to me mind-to-mind. Or at least it seemed that way.”
Confusion flooded me. “But…that’s not one of your
gifts.”
“No shit.” He made a halfhearted bucking motion. “Get
off me.”
I slid sideways, then kept going until I collapsed on my
back next to him, my chest heaving as I caught my breath.
After a second, he rolled over, his breathing equally
labored. We lay side by side, our legs dangling off the end
of the bed. As quickly as it came, the charge in the room
faded.
Silence reigned for a moment, then he muttered, “Sorry
I punched you.”
“Same. Your jaw’s hard as a fucking rock. I think I broke
my hand.”
“Seriously?”
I lifted it and flexed my fingers a few times. The
stabbing pain was already gone, replaced with a dull ache
that meant any broken bones were already knitting back
together. “It’s fine. Did you really speak mind-to-mind with
Chloe?”
 “Aye. Well, maybe. And she spoke to me, not the other
way ‘round.”
“But you heard her in your head?”
His shrug shifted the bedding. “It was in the heat of the
moment, if you ken what I mean, so I wasn’t about to stop
and contemplate it.”
That wasn’t good enough. How could he be so casual
about this? I raised on my elbow so I could look down at
him. “Lachlan, don’t you understand? If you’ve got that
kind of connection with Chloe, she must be your mate.”
His expression was neutral. “I don’t know, Alec…”
“What are the chances of you suddenly gaining a new
gift after all this time?” Excitement pumped through my
veins. “I wonder if it’s happened with other mates. We
should ask the king.”
“No,” he said quickly. “Cormac isn’t exactly…lucid at the
moment.”
I raised an eyebrow. “A nice way of saying our sovereign
is bat-shit crazy.”
“In a different time, you’d be killed for saying that.”
“You gonna turn me in?” I smiled and ran my palm over
his smooth chest, finding a flat, brown nipple and pinching
it.
His breath hitched, and desire stirred in his golden gaze.
“Not if you keep doing that.”
I plucked at his nipple again, pleasure rushing through
me when he groaned. Splayed on the bed, he was a naked,
bronzed god. Every inch of his body was beautifully formed,
from his beard-shadowed jaw to his powerful chest and
long, muscled legs. He began to writhe under my touch, his
white teeth sinking into his lower lip as I moved to the
other nipple and circled it with my fingertip.
“I hate it when we fight,” I murmured.
“Me too. But”—he gave a sexy moan, his eyes glittering
with lust—“the makeup sex is worth it.”
 I made my voice light as I ran my palm down his
stomach and grasped his cock. “Who says we’re having
makeup sex?”
“Fuck, Alec, don’t tease me.”
Stroking him, I leaned over and took his mouth. He met
me eagerly, sliding his hot tongue against mine. His lips
were firm but soft, and I went hard as stone as our jaws
scraped and our breaths mingled. I deepened the kiss,
tasting toothpaste and scotch.
He moaned again, the sound muffled by my mouth.
I stroked him harder, pumping his shaft with a firm
hand. Loving the way he trembled as his need mounted.
After a minute, the trembling turned to quick thrusts of his
hips as he sought more friction.
“Suck me,” he rasped against my lips. “I want to feel
your mouth around my cock.”
“How bad do you want it?”
“So fucking bad.”
I rolled off him and stood, unbuttoning my shirt. “Since
you asked nicely.”
He propped himself on his elbows and watched me with
a dark hunger that shot straight to my dick. Normally, I
might have taken my time undressing just to stoke his
passion that much higher. But he looked fit to burst, so I
stripped quickly.
“Get over here,” he growled, his gaze on my bobbing
shaft.
The command rippled across my skin, raising
goosebumps in its wake. Lachlan was naturally more
aggressive, and it spilled over to the bedroom. Blame it on
his mother’s genetics or just a quirk of nature, but he was
usually more dominant in bed—a role I didn’t mind letting
him play.
On the other hand, I enjoyed the hell out of making him
work for his pleasure. I also wasn’t above turning the
tables on him.
 I walked toward him slowly, pumping my cock with
leisurely strokes as I went. “Aren’t you the bossy one?
Patience is most certainly not one of your virtues, Lach.”
Frustration crossed his handsome features, his
expression so irritated and perplexed I had to hide my
smile. He looked like a kid who’d been shown a new toy,
only to have it taken away. “I don’t need patience. I need
your mouth. Now.”
I stepped between his legs, letting my bare thighs brush
his. I stood there for a minute, thrilling at the way his
golden stare drank in my hand going up and down my cock.
I inched closer and let the tip of my shaft bump his.
He sucked in a quick breath, and his accent thickened.
“Christ, man, get on wae it.”
Chuckling, I went to my knees. His dick stood up like an
arrow, the slit pooled with precum. I grasped his thick
length and fastened my mouth around the tip, sucking it
clean.
Lachlan’s hips jerked hard. “Oh, fuck,” he gasped.
“Jesus, that’s good.”
Delicious was more like it. I lapped at him again,
drawing more moisture from the slit. He tasted of salt and
fire and Lachlan. I could never get enough. Like all our
kind, he was smooth between his legs, giving me an
unimpeded view of his rock hard shaft and heavy sac. I took
my time with him, trailing my tongue up and down his
pulsing length before licking at his balls.
He jumped and hissed, his damp shaft bumping my
cheek. “Alec Murray, you are the worst fucking cocktease.”
I looked up and found him scowling at me. “Well, your
cock seems to like it,” I said, holding his gaze as I licked
him from root to tip in one long swipe.
His back bowed. “Fuck. You’ve got me so hard my dick’s
ready to explode. Suck me right now or I’ll—”
I wrapped both hands around his length and sucked him
deep into my mouth.
 “God, yes,” he groaned, bucking hard against my face.
“Yes, yes. Like that. Bloody hell.”
My laugh was lost to a gurgle as his dick filled my
mouth. No matter how many times I sucked him off, I was
always surprised at his girth. His cock was a monster, with
a meaty shaft and a wide mushroom head that caught on
my lips as I bobbed up and down his silken length. I opened
my jaw wider, and he surged inside, his cock nudging the
back of my throat.
Immediately, saliva pooled in my mouth. I loosened my
jaw and breathed through my nose, deep throating him the
way he liked.
He sat up with a growl and grasped my hair in both
hands, his hips thrusting faster. “That’s it, man. Take me
deep.”
My cock throbbed between my legs, but I ignored it.
Lachlan needed this. As much as he tried to resist Chloe, he
wanted her. And because he wouldn’t let himself have her,
his body was burning up with unsatisfied desire. It was also
important for things to be right and whole between us. We
couldn’t win Chloe over if we were at odds with each other.
Because Lachlan was right about one thing. She was
human. Revealing our true natures was going to turn her
world upside down. When that happened, it would take
both of us to make sure her mind could handle the shock.
Lachlan stood, pulling at my hair as he yanked me
tighter against his groin. Between curses and moans, he
spread his powerful thighs wide and quickened his pace. I
tipped my head back, taking him even deeper.
His eyes went wide, and he gave a thick growl of
approval. “Sweet Christ, man. Nothin’ better than this.”
Oh really? Well, if he wanted a challenge… I slid my
tongue past my lower lip so the tip caressed his sac.
“Yes,” he rasped. “Stay just like that.”
Amusement drifted through me. I was hardly going
anywhere with him tunneling in and out of my mouth like a
piston.
His fingers tightened in my hair, holding my head still as
he thrust faster. His breaths alternated between gasps and
growls, and sweat broke out across his forehead.
“Love this,” he said hoarsely. “Love you on your knees
when I’m fucking your mouth. Goin’ so deep down your
throat. Christ, Alec, you know how to suck a dick.” The
dirty talk seemed to spur him on, because he yanked
harder at my hair and pumped in earnest, drilling the back
of my throat in quick strikes that rocked my whole body
and made my erection flap wildly between my legs.
I hummed, knowing he’d feel the vibration around his
shaft.
A mix of modern and ancient Gaelic spilled from his lips
—some of the words so old they probably hadn’t been
spoken aloud in centuries.
Still humming, I gave his bouncing sac a squeeze before
delving between his cheeks, my finger finding his puckered
entrance. Aided by saliva, I pushed inside.
He cried out, his thrusts growing frenzied. “Gonna…
come…so…hard.”
I pumped my finger in and out of his ass as I hummed all
around his cock.
He gave a few more disjointed thrusts and then spurted
hard against my throat with a shout. I swallowed his hot
essence as I drank in the erotic sight of him standing over
me like some ancient conqueror. He was magnificent, his
muscled chest sheened with sweat. He’d thrown his head
back, and his sexy mouth was open on a long, sensual
moan. I sucked gently at his pulsing, softened shaft,
drawing the last of his come down my throat.
He shuddered, his chest heaving, and his fingers slid
from my hair. After a second, he pulled out of my mouth
and looked down.
Gaze locked with his, I wiped a trickle of come from the
corner of my mouth and sucked it off my thumb.
 “Alec,” he breathed, his eyes fierce with emotion. In one
motion, he tugged me to my feet and tipped us both onto
the bed. We collapsed in a heap, his fist already pumping
me.
I closed my eyes on a groan, my hips bucking. “Fuck.
Won’t be long.”
“Come for me, then,” he murmured. His warm body
pressed against mine and his breath stirred my hair as his
fist flew. “Come all over my hand. Do it now.”
The growled command was all it took. Pressure boiled
up my balls and into my shaft, and then I was shooting my
load into his fist and onto my stomach. Colors burst in front
of my eyes, the world reduced to my cock and Lachlan’s fist
and the utter bliss drumming through every nerve ending.
He knew just how to handle me, jerking me off fast and
then slow as I arched and cried out. Just as my shaft
became too sensitive, he released me and settled back.
As I came down, he left the bed, then returned with my
shirt, which he wiped over my chest and stomach. As he
mopped up my mess, I caught a flash of red on the fabric.
Ah, yes. He must have broken the skin when he cracked my
jaw. From bleeding to coming within fifteen minutes. It
wasn’t the first time.
“I liked that shirt,” I said weakly, still trying to catch my
breath.
“You can afford another one.”
Well, that was true. Our kind had a thing for amassing
wealth. It was one of a small handful of weaknesses.
Mates were another.
He flung himself next to me and scrubbed a hand over
his face.
I rolled to my side and raised my eyebrows. “Feel
better?”
He spoke without removing his hand. “Yes.” There was a
long pause. Then, “Perhaps I was a wee bit pent up.” At my
soft laugh, he lifted his hand and gave me a disgruntled
look. “What? You want a formal apology on engraved
paper?”
“No, Lachlan. Your tight arse is quite enough.” Smiling, I
kissed him, passion firing all over again at the feel of his
lips and tongue. When he was relaxed and breathless, I
broke off the kiss and murmured, “Love you.”
“I love you, too,” he said huskily.
“And we could love her. We’ve waited a long time for our
mate, Lach. And you’ve waited longer than most.”
Pain flashed in his eyes—there and gone so quickly I
might have missed it if I hadn’t been inches away. Our bond
was forged in fire. Nothing could break it.
But something was missing, and we both felt the lack.
He swallowed. “Aye, a long time.”
“You want her,” I said. “You connected with her on the
plane.”
“Of course I want her. She’s a beautiful woman.” His
dark brows drew together. “But wanting her isn’t the same
as mating her.”
If he hadn’t been so obviously angst-ridden, I might have
punched him again for being so stubborn. He was
determined to deny Chloe simply because she wasn’t what
he expected. Fortunately, last night proved his body already
knew the truth even if his hard head needed more time to
process reality.
But maybe I could prod him along.
“Her being human could be a good thing,” I said. “We
don’t have to worry about her kin trying to take her back.”
He said nothing. Then again, he didn’t argue. It was a
start.
“Use these two weeks to get to know her better.”
His chest lifted in a sigh, but it was one of acquiescence
rather than frustration. “The moon calls. I have to hunt
tomorrow.”
“That not a problem. I’ll take her around the castle.
Maybe show her the long gallery.” My mind filled with
images of Chloe strolling before me, her long legs encased
in the tight jeans she sometimes wore on casual days in the
office. She had a glorious body, with round tits and ample
hips. I wanted to explore it for hours. The mere thought
made my cock stir.
“And you won’t show her anything else,” Lachlan said, a
note of warning in his voice.
“I’m not gonna fuck her, if that’s what you mean.”
“I meant charming her, but you make a good point. Keep
your dick in your trews and your brain to yourself, Alec.”
I tried to look insulted, but I ended up smiling. “I’ll be on
my very best behavior.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of.”

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter

Four

OceanofPDF.com
 CHLOE

I could never face Alec or Lachlan again.

Which was massively inconvenient, given that I was
staying in their castle.
I’d woken in a canopied bed in a room fit for a princess.
Sunlight had streamed through windows framed in blue
velvet curtains. Ten-year-old me would have sunk into the
feather pillows and possibly died of happiness.
Twenty-four-year-old me had buried my face in my hands
and groaned as yesterday’s events paraded through my
head like a bad movie.
The airport.
Josh. (That dick.)
Lachlan carrying me.
Alec comforting me.
Blacking out on the airplane.
Having zero recollection of landing in Scotland or
getting from the jet to the castle.
Having no idea how I could have possibly slept so long.
Having the most erotic dream of my life.
I hadn’t stopped thinking about it—not when I got out of
bed and realized my panties were soaked. Not when I
wondered just which one of my bosses had put me in one of
the nightgowns from my suitcase. Not when I stood in the
en suite shower with images of hard, male bodies filling my
head. The scenes were so vivid, it was as if I’d lived them.
Somehow, I managed to do my hair and put on a light
makeup application even as glimpses of bare chests and
thick cocks flickered through my mind. I’d pulled on a pair
of jeans and a plain, long-sleeved shirt.
Then immediately swapped the shirt for a sweater when
my hardened nipples poked under the fabric.
I’d done everything I could to banish the remnants of
the dream. I hung my clothes in the big, wooden wardrobe
that looked like it probably led to Narnia. I restyled my
hair. Applied more makeup. Wiped some of it off. Searched
for my phone, which was nowhere to be found.
Despite everything, the images refused to go away.
Problem was, I couldn’t stay in my room forever. Alec had
left a note:
Come to the kitchen when you’re up. I’ll make breakfast.
—A
Even his handwriting was beautiful. My third grade
teacher would have gasped in delight at his elegant loops
and curves, which looked like something from the
Declaration of Independence instead of a casual note from
a host to a house guest.
Well, technically, boss to employee.
Which was exactly why I had to erase the dream from
my brain. I was already guilty of lusting after my bosses.
Lots of women in my position would do the same. But now I
was fantasizing in vivid detail about having a ménage à
trois with my employers. Knowing they were gay made it
worse—as if I intruded on a sacred part of their
relationship.
I sank onto the edge of the bed and groaned. The dream
was obviously the result of stress brought on by Josh
dumping me. I didn’t need a psychologist to explain why my
brain had pounced on Alec and Lachlan for my forbidden
fantasy. They’d rescued me from an intolerable situation.
They were rich. Gorgeous. Wealthy. Scottish.
They were also unattainable. Even if they were into
women, they would never choose someone like me. I didn’t
even have a college degree. After high school, all my
friends rushed off to universities, their lives mapped out.
But I’d had no idea what I wanted to be. My mother’s real
estate career held little interest, and none of my
stepfathers’ jobs ever seemed all that exciting. At eighteen,
I’d assumed I had plenty of time to figure out my path.
Then a year passed. Then two. Then I met Josh and his
legal ambitions took center stage. Yale didn’t come cheap,
so I’d worked while he studied. It made sense. Why force
him to put his dreams on hold when I didn’t even know
what I wanted out of life?
I’d wanted a life with him, and look where that got me.
Four years down the drain. I was an idiot for neglecting my
future so he could seize his.
The scent of bacon drifted under my nose, drawing my
gaze to the door. If I didn’t obey Alec’s summons, he would
probably come looking for me—and I did not want to end
up in a bedroom with him. Swallowing hard, I forced myself
off the bed and across the room, glancing in the dresser
mirror as I went.
My cheeks were flushed, but my appearance was
otherwise acceptable. No one would know I’d spent the
past two hours reliving an X-rated dream.
“You’re a stunning woman, Chloe Drexel. Damn near
irresistible.”
I shoved Dream Alec’s voice from my head as I opened
the door and stepped into a broad hallway lined with suits
of armor. He’d never said those things to me, and I had to
keep that reality front and center in my brain.
I followed the smell of bacon down the hall to a grand
staircase that opened onto a black-and-white checkered
foyer. Awe filled me as I descended the stairs, and I
couldn’t help gawking at the castle’s lush interior. I’d
known Alec and Lachlan had money, but I didn’t realize just
how much. I was so busy admiring the banister’s intricate
carvings, I didn’t notice Alec until he spoke from the foot of
the staircase.
“There you are, sleeping beauty.”
I stumbled the last few steps, lost my footing, and
pitched forward.
He caught me easily, his broad chest absorbing the
impact as our bodies met and our feet tangled. The scent of
forest and cologne filled my nose, and his green eyes
smiled down at me. “Och, lass, I didn’t mean to startle
you.”
My heart raced from a combination of desire and
mortification. I stepped back before I could do something
stupid like stroke my hand over the bristly reddish-brown
hairs that shadowed his jaw. “You didn’t,” I said, my cheeks
burning. “I’m just clumsy.”
His eyes softened. “Surely not, Chloe lass. You’re
probably just getting your land legs back after the long
flight.”
For a second, I could only stand there, mesmerized by
his roguish grin and masculine beauty. His thin black
sweater turned his red-gold hair to fire, and his worn jeans
clung to his hips. Even in the casual, American clothes,
there was no mistaking him for anything but a Highlander.
His shoulders stretched his sweater, and his big hands
looked like they could rip a man in two if necessary.
Out of nowhere, an image of his glittering green eyes
boring into mine as he thrust inside me popped into my
head. I sucked in a sharp breath.
What was wrong with me?
His smile faltered. “Is something wrong?”
“Not at all.”
Sympathy filled his gaze. “Do you think you’re up to
eating? You had quite a shock yesterday.”
 My stomach growled so loudly, we both looked at it.
I slapped a hand over my midsection as he chuckled. “I’ll
take that as a yes.” He proffered his arm in a courtly
gesture. “I hope you’re ready for the best breakfast you’ve
ever tasted in your life.”
There was no way to gracefully decline. He’d just heard
my stomach trying to claw its way from my body. And I
hadn’t eaten since yesterday. So I took his arm and let him
lead me across the foyer. “You don’t have to cook for me.”
“Nonsense. You’re a guest. Besides, it was either me or
Lachlan, and I’m a far better cook.”
My stomach did a flip. I’d been so preoccupied with the
dream, I forgot to worry about Lachlan not wanting me on
the trip. “Is he eating with us?”
“Afraid not,” Alec said, afraid sounding like afreed. “He
had some business in Inverness. He’ll be back later this
evening. But don’t you worry. I’ve got plenty of activities to
keep us busy.”
At the mention of activities, a flurry of erotic images
flooded my mind. I stumbled again and might have gone
down if not for his grip on my arm.
“Whoa, lass.” He stopped, steadying me. “You sure
you’re all right? Maybe I should take you back to bed.”
“No!” My protest rang off the stone walls. I couldn’t let
him get anywhere near a bed in my presence. My brain
would melt.
Meanwhile, his eyes had gone wide.
I took a deep breath. “I mean, no thank you. I promise
I’m okay. Like you said, it’s probably just jet lag.”
His expression cleared. “Och, probably so. Come now.
Coffee and food will put you right.”
I had serious doubts anything could put me right at this
point, but I managed a weak smile as I let him lead me
again. Maybe I really was jet lagged, because my head was
so hazy I had trouble focusing. Fortunately, he didn’t seem
bothered when I leaned hard on his arm, my fingers curling
around his bicep.
“The kitchen’s not far,” he said in a bright voice. “It
actually used to be a library, but we— Ah, the previous
owners gutted it over a century ago.”
“Why would they do that?”
“Well, the castle already had two, but the old kitchen
was in a separate building. People used to build them that
way to keep from burnin’ the whole place down if a grease
fire got out of hand.”
“Did it work?”
“Aye, and I assume that’s why you never see any fat
people depicted in medieval art. It’s cold in the Highlands.
You think twice about fetching a midnight snack if you have
to freeze your bawbag off to get it.”
I couldn’t help laughing at his use of bawbag—one of the
more colorful slang words I’d picked up while working for
him over the past three months.
He grinned down at me, his eyes dancing with mischief.
“No,” I said, “that’s definitely not worth it.”
“Too right, lass. Ah, here we are.”
Like the rest of the castle, the kitchen was a mix of old
and new. Modern cabinetry and stainless steel appliances
blended with stone walls and arched, wooden ceilings. Alec
steered me toward a spacious island next to the oven. “You
sit. I’ll cook.”
“Oh no, I can help.”
“Arse in chair, Chloe. That’s an order.” The command
was delivered in a teasing tone, but it still made desire
flutter low in my belly.
“Okay,” I said meekly, grateful for the marble countertop
that hid my lower half as I squeezed my thighs together.
He worked quickly, pulling out ingredients and turning
on the stove’s burners. In no time, he had a pan of bacon
frying and a coffee pot brewing in the background. There
was something insanely sexy about a man who knew his
way around a kitchen, and it didn’t take long for the
flutters of desire to bloom into something stronger and
more persistent. My heart sped up as he stood whisking
eggs with his back to me, his perfect ass lovingly hugged
by his faded jeans.
He hadn’t worn any underwear in the dream.
“Scrambled or omelet?” he asked, turning around with
the bowl in hand.
I jerked my gaze to his. “Um, scrambled, please.” My
throat went dry. There was no way he hadn’t noticed me
ogling his ass, but he was too polite to say anything. I
lowered my eyes, pretending to be suddenly fascinated by
the veining in the marble.
“I have something of yours,” he said as he poured the
eggs into a skillet.
I looked up. “Oh?”
He pulled my phone from his pocket and handed it over.
“It was dead when we landed last night. I put it on the
adapter to charge.”
“I’m kind of afraid to see my messages,” I murmured,
powering it on. Knowing Josh, he’d already contacted my
family and our mutual friends in a bid to control the
narrative about what happened. He was a stickler for
managing his reputation, so he’d probably come up with
some lame story for canceling the wedding.
My heart raced as the screen lit up. Sure enough, there
was a long list of missed calls—half of them from my
mother. I also had over a hundred unread text messages
and just as many emails. And not one of them was from
Josh.
Blood pounded in my ears. He couldn’t even be bothered
to make sure I landed in Scotland okay? Then again, he was
probably busy with Clarissa. Maybe he even took her back
to our apartment.
Jesus, were they sleeping together in my bed?
I flipped the phone facedown on the counter.
 Alec slid bacon and eggs onto plates. “That bad, huh?”
There was genuine sympathy in his voice, which meant
he cared more about me than the man that, up until twenty-
four hours ago, I thought I was going to spend the rest of
my life with.
“You know,” I said slowly, “it probably sounds weird, but
I’m glad it happened. Josh couldn’t even wait for me to
leave town before he cheated. He would have been
unfaithful during our marriage.” A shiver shot down my
spine. “God, imagine if I’d had kids with him.”
Alec’s face was kind. “I think that’s a very positive way
of viewing the whole situation. I’m proud of you, Chloe. Not
many people could hold themselves together after an
experience like that.”
Proud of me. Something told me that wasn’t going to be
my mother’s reaction. Throat tight, I said, “Thank you, Mr.
Murray.”
“Alec, lass. Just Alec.”
But I like the sir. Maybe we’ll keep that.
The dark words rolled through my head, overlapping the
ones he’d just spoken aloud. The Alec in front of me faded,
replaced with Dream Alec who lifted his head from between
my legs, his mouth glistening from my sex. I blinked hard.
For a moment, the two Alecs merged, and the whine of a jet
engine filled my ears.
“Chloe?”
Like the flip of a switch, the vision vanished. The real
Alec stood on the other side of the counter with two plates
of steaming breakfast food in front of him. As the scent of
cooked bacon hit my nose, my stomach lurched.
“I…” Sweat broke out across my forehead.
He frowned. “What’s wrong, honey? You’ve gone pale as
a sheet.”
My mouth watered uncontrollably as my stomach
pitched. “The food,” I said weakly.
 He moved fast, removing the plates and rushing to the
sink, where he held a towel under the tap. Then he was at
my side and pressing the cold cloth against my nape as he
rubbed the small of my back. “I’m sorry,” he murmured. He
sounded contrite, as if he was somehow responsible for my
nausea.
I tried to say “not your fault” but it came out so garbled
he probably didn’t catch it. Talking made things worse, so I
clamped my mouth shut and concentrated on not vomiting
on his kitchen counter.
Slowly, the queasiness receded.
He seemed to sense it. “Better?”
“Yes.” Except I’d embarrassed myself all over again. No
wonder Lachlan had to leave for “business.” I was
supposed to be the men’s assistant. Instead, they’d ended
up looking after me.
“You stay put,” Alec said. “I’ve got a miracle cure for
nausea.”
His trilled meeracle, along with the purposeful way he
bustled off, made me sit up and smile. “A miracle cure? If
this works, you should bottle it and sell it.”
“It works,” he said airily, his back to me once more.
This time, I kept my gaze squarely on his shoulders. Not
that it did much good, considering his upper half was just
as sexy as the lower. As if my body wanted to prove a point,
it started humming with desire again.
Seriously, what the hell was wrong with me? While I had
a healthy enough sex drive, I was hardly a nymphomaniac.
Yet here I was getting turned on just moments after nearly
puking.
He turned and set a plate of toast in front of me.
I stared at the neatly cut wedges. “This is toast.”
“No. It’s dry toast.”
“This is your miracle cure?”
“Aye.”
 He looked so proud of himself, I covered my mouth to
hide my smile.
A reddish-gold eyebrow went up. “Laugh all you want,
lassie, but that’s a miracle on a plate.”
Meeracle. If his body didn’t tip me over the edge, his
accent would.
He folded his arms and nodded toward the toast. Clearly,
he wasn’t going anywhere, so I sighed and took a cautious
bite. When my stomach stayed calm, I took another and
then another, and then suddenly I’d finished an entire
wedge. And I felt…pretty good, actually.
Alec’s handsome face was smug. “Admit it, lass. That’s
miracle toast.”
I wiped my mouth as I laughed. “I do feel better so, yes,
I admit it.”
“Think you’re up for a tour of the castle?”
The word “castle” was all it took to banish the last of my
nausea. “I know how crazy you are about castles,” Josh had
said. “Go stay in one and enjoy yourself.”
He could fuck right off, but his advice in that regard was
solid. I was sitting inside a real castle in the Scottish
Highlands, and an honest-to-goodness Highlander was
offering to act as my tour guide. I probably wouldn’t get
this kind of opportunity again.
I smiled at Alec. “Honestly, I would love it.”

H alfway through the tour , I had to clutch my sides

because they hurt so much from laughing. Alec should have
worked in a museum, because he had a story for every
painting, piece of art, and stick of furniture. And his stories
were more often than not raunchy or downright
outrageous.
 In the long gallery, which was literally a long room built
for indoor strolling during Elizabethan times, I blushed at a
painting of a man in a fur-lined doublet and an enormous
codpiece.
“Och, that’s a bad look, isn’t it?” Alec said beside me.
Big shafts of late morning sunlight slanted through the
windows and turned his hair to a rich garnet.
“Why would men wear those?”
“There were no trousers yet. Just hose, like a pair of
stockings a woman might wear today. When fashion
changed and men started favoring shorter doublets, they
found their bits and bobs were exposed, so the codpiece
was the solution. They started out as fabric and then
evolved into a contest o’ sorts.”
“So, basically, you’re saying nothing’s changed in five
hundred years?”
He grinned. “Fair point, lass.”
My heart rate picked up, and my relief at Lachlan’s
absence evaporated. Without his gruff snarls and stern
looks, there was no buffer between me and Alec’s
unrelenting charm. Every time he smiled or winked, scenes
from the dream threatened to surface. The easy solution
was to make up an excuse and escape to my room. But Alec
had been kind enough to show me the castle. I’d already
caused enough disruption with my wedding nightmare and
nausea at breakfast. I wasn’t about to add unnecessary
drama to the mix.
We moved to another painting, and I gasped. “He looks
so much like Lachlan!” A forbidding-looking figure stood on
a green hillside with a horse at his side. Except for the
knee breeches and curly wig, the man was the spitting
image of my taciturn boss.
Alec stared at the painting. Then, almost to himself, he
murmured, “He loved that horse.”
“How do you know? Did he leave documents behind?”
 Before he could answer, my phone buzzed. Right away,
my blood turned to ice in my veins. What if it was Josh?
What would I say to him?
But when I dug in my pocket, it was my mother’s name
on the screen.
Oh no.
I looked at Alec. “It’s my mom. I’m not sure I want to
answer it.” I kept my voice low, as if speaking too loudly
might summon her through the phone.
“It’s your choice, honey. If you let it go to voice mail, I
won’t tell anyone.”
His steady, quiet support was exactly what I needed. My
mother couldn’t hurt me. Not with six-and-a-half feet of
Scot at my side.
Besides, if I ignored her for too long, there was the
possibility she would get on a plane and come find me.
“Stubborn” was too weak of a word to describe my mother.
Taking a deep breath, I swiped the screen and put the
phone to my ear. “Hey, Mom.”
My mother’s voice was sharp as a rapier and so loud it
frazzled the ear piece. “Chloe, you have outdone yourself
this time!”
I winced and pulled the phone away. “What are you
talking about?”
“What am I talking about? I’m talking about your
wedding! I’m talking about you abandoning Joshua so you
can spend two weeks with those men.”
I swung away from Alec and hunched my shoulders.
“Mother—”
“I’ve held my peace all this time because you’re a grown
woman and you make your own decisions, but do you
realize how unsavory this looks? A woman vacationing
alone with two gay men? No wonder Josh got cold feet.”
“Is that what he told you?” I demanded, my blood
heating. “Did he mention I caught him kissing his co-
worker in the airport?”
 There was a pause, and I could almost hear her pressing
her lips together.
“Josh has worked hard to get where he is, Chloe.”
“What’s that got to do with anything?”
“He has a reputation to protect. He can’t have a wife
involved with people who flaunt an alternative lifestyle.”
She made a dismissive sound and added, “Or whatever
they’re calling it now.”
My anger flared, and for the first time I understood what
people meant when they talked about being so furious their
blood boiled. Gripping the phone, I spoke in a low,
trembling voice. “It’s none of your business what people do,
Mom. You and Dad divorced before I turned two, and then
you ran through three more husbands. You’re in no position
to judge anyone’s relationship.”
The line went quiet.
“Mom?”
“Chloe Ann Drexel, I never thought I would say this, but
I am ashamed to be your mother in this moment.”
I froze. When my mother got angry, she didn’t yell.
Instead, she became eerily calm. Over the years, I’d
learned to recognize the tone that signaled she was ready
to say something truly awful.
After another tense silence, it came. “Return home
immediately and maybe you can work things out with Josh.
He said he’s willing to listen. But if you stay in Scotland
with those faggots, I don’t think he’ll have anything more to
say to you. And neither will I.”
“Mom—”
“Chloe, you either come home now, or you’re no longer
part of this family.”
The call ended.
For a second, I just stood there, my whole body numb.
Somewhere in my mind, I knew I should be shocked.
Except I wasn’t, and maybe it was because I’d always
known my mother was capable of such casual bigotry. But
Josh?
No, he didn’t care about Alec and Lachlan. Hell, he
pushed me to go to Scotland. Obviously, he’d wanted me
gone so he could be with Clarissa, but he wouldn’t have
encouraged me if he had an issue. He was just using my
trip as a reason to excuse his disgusting behavior. He’d
obviously sensed my mother’s feelings and decided to
capitalize on them.
God, he was such an asshole.
Misery rose hot and thick, then settled over me like a
lead weight. Slowly, I faced Alec, who stood in the same
spot with his arms folded lightly over his broad chest. “How
much did you hear?”
His smile was wry. “Your mother has strong opinions.”
“Please know I don’t share them.”
“I do ken that, sweetheart.”
There was no anger or condemnation on his face. He
didn’t seem the least bit ruffled by my mother’s insult, even
though he had every right to be.
“I’m so sorry for everything that’s happened,” I said.
“The airport yesterday…and now this.”
He came to me and clasped my shoulders in a light grip.
“You didn’t cause any of it, Chloe. It’s not your fault people
you trusted betrayed that trust.”
I shook my head as bitterness welled inside me.
“Honestly, the hardest part is realizing what a fool I was to
think Josh was a good person, let alone someone I should
marry. Or maybe I was just willfully blind. He’s changed a
lot since he started practicing law. I mean, he was always
ambitious. He wanted the big firm lifestyle and the prestige
that comes with it.” I gave a humorless laugh. “An
executive assistant for a wife isn’t very prestigious.”
“Hey now.” Alec curled a finger under my chin. “Your job
is important, and you’re bloody brilliant at it. Lach and I
are tough to work for. We may look civilized on the outside,
but we’re rough, unruly beasts underneath. It takes a lot to
keep us in line. You’re exactly the drill sergeant we need.”
I smiled, because sometimes it did take a bit of bossing
to keep the two of them on schedule. “You’re not tough to
work for.”
“You’re right, o’ course.” His eyes twinkled, and his face
split in a grin. “I’m easy. Lachlan’s the pain in the arse.”
His air of mischief was so infectious, the heavy feeling
lifted, and I felt my smile grow as my body relaxed.
We stood like that for a moment, the gallery quiet and
still around us. Sunlight puddled at our feet and warmed
my skin. His fingers under my chin were warmer.
And he was close. Much too close. So close I could feel
the heat from his body and see the gold striations in his
green pupils.
His eyes were gorgeous—almost inhuman. No man
should be this sexy. Desire quickened in my blood, and I
tensed, ready to lift onto my toes to kiss him, when I
remembered this was my boss and what the hell was I
doing? He just overheard my mother slander him for being
gay and now I was ready to make out with him?
I took a quick step back, dislodging his grip. My heart
pumped fast and my body trembled like I just lurched out of
the path of a speeding car. “U-Um, thank you for the tour.”
His brows pulled together. “There’s a lot more to see.”
He nodded toward a spot behind me. “The gallery opens
onto the roof. On a clear day, you can see the church spires
along the River Ness.”
“Maybe later.” I forced a smile, hoping I didn’t sound as
jumpy as I felt. “I think I just need a little more sleep. My
body’s still adjusting to the time difference.” And a near-
constant state of arousal. “I know this is a working trip, and
I promise I’m not trying to—”
“Chloe,” he interrupted, his tone gently chiding. “You
take the afternoon to rest. Lach and I will catch up with you
around dinnertime.”
 “All right.” I swallowed the Mr. Murray that wanted to
slip from my tongue. Things were safer between us before
he became Alec.
Before the dream.
I had to forget it. I had to permanently ban the images of
entwined male bodies and rock hard cocks from my mind.
But as I placed my hand on his firm forearm and let him
escort me from the gallery, I was almost certain there was
no putting that genie back in the bottle.

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter

Five

OceanofPDF.com
 LACHLAN

A s I entered the castle, there were a half dozen reasons

for my bad mood. Chief among them was the need to
use the front door—something I generally avoided,
given it took twice as long as simply leaping to the balcony
from the ground. But Chloe’s window overlooked the same
courtyard, and I couldn’t risk her seeing me do something
no ordinary man should be able to do.
Miss Drexel was another reason for the displeasure that
snaked through my veins in a steady flow I’d been unable
to stem.
Despite my best efforts, I couldn’t get her out of my
head. Normally, the moon’s call was so strong it blotted out
all other thought. Held in its silver grip, I was free to drift
across the sky, my mind unburdened by the weight of years
of fruitless searching.
But as night had fallen and the stars winked overhead,
my thoughts had returned again and again to Chloe.
Although my body still hummed from our shared passion, it
was the aftermath that kept invading my head. It was I who
carried her from the plane to the car, and I who held her on
the winding drive from the airfield to the castle. I would
have transferred her to Alec, but she’d curled against me
like a sleepy kitten, her body warm and her pale hair
smelling of jasmine.
 That damn scent clung to me still, and it had filled my
lungs as I dipped over the city I could obliterate with a
sigh.
So clueless, humans. It was the great gift of their
species. They could pretend they held dominion over the
planet.
Just as long as they didn’t look up.
That was why Alec had to be wrong. Chloe couldn’t be
our mate. Fate wouldn’t be so cruel as to saddle us with
such a fragile creature. One so easily broken or stolen.
Of course, fate had been screwing our species over for
more than a thousand years.
Unlike the other Firstborn Races, our kind didn’t have
any alliances. The Great Treaty, signed by our king
millennia ago, was the closest we had to any guarantee of a
peaceful coexistence with the other magic wielders in the
world. But that agreement was mostly one-sided, and our
enemies were forever looking for ways to strike without
breaching its terms. Any mate of ours would be a target.
A human mate would be a burden.
And yet I couldn’t keep Chloe out of my head. Hadn’t
been able to since she walked into my office three months
ago. She was an alluring mix of temptress and innocent.
Her features were delicate, almost doll-like, with wide, blue
eyes and smooth skin and a silly dab of a nose. But all that
blushing prettiness stopped at her mouth. Plump and pink,
her lips were made for closed doors and black silk sheets.
And she had this habit of nibbling the lower one when she
was deep in thought or perplexed about something.
Her body was just as distracting. She dressed her supple
curves in work-appropriate clothes, but no amount of fabric
could hide those long legs and firm tits. The nip of a waist
and rounded ass. I wanted to sink into her heat. To feel her
pussy ripple around my shaft while her siren’s mouth
begged for more.
 And that was exactly what I’d planned on doing while
she was in Scotland, assuming she wanted it. Which she
did, of course. Alec was right about that. But he was wrong
about her being ours. One questionable bout of telepathy
was hardly proof of a mate bond. I didn’t need to, as he put
it, “get to know her better.” I needed to bed her—
preferably with Alec along for the ride—until I got her out
of my system. Then she could be on her way and Alec and I
could go back to searching for our true mate.
And we could put the inconvenience of Chloe Drexel
behind us forever.
“Where’s Chloe?” I asked as I strode into my bedroom
and saw Alec sprawled in one of the chairs in the sitting
area.
He pulled his gaze from the flat screen TV on the
opposite wall, where a rugby match was in full swing. “And
a good evening to you, too, Lachlan.”
I sat on the sofa and looked him over. His hair was
damp, the red-gold strands appearing almost brown. His
bare feet were propped on an ottoman, and he wore
nothing but a pair of black sweatpants. The table next to
him held a glass ashtray full of cigarette butts.
I raised an eyebrow. “Cold shower and a pack of
cigarettes? You kept your word, Alec. I’m impressed.”
“Aye, and I have the blue balls to prove it.” He scowled
and muttered, “Despite jacking off twice in the shower.”
Immediately, my mind conjured an image of him
standing under the spray, his muscular ass flexing while his
hand worked his cock. Lust bolted straight to my groin, but
I forced myself to focus on the conversation. The sooner we
slept with Chloe, the sooner we could put this whole trip
behind us.
“How was she today?” I asked.
“Honestly, not good.” His air of sexual frustration
disappeared, replaced with one of concern. “I worry you
may be right about me charming her. She seemed
disoriented this morning. Then her mother called, and
things went even further to hell.”
“What happened?”
He ran through the events of the day, starting with
Chloe feeling ill at breakfast and ending with her mother’s
ultimatum.
When he finished, I let out a low whistle. “Do you think
she’s serious about disowning Chloe?”
“She sounded pretty damn serious. And from the look on
Chloe’s face afterward, I’d have to say, yeah, she meant it.”
“How close is Chloe with her family?”
Alec tilted his head, and his voice was lightly reproving
when he said, “All that information was in the background
check report I left on your desk when we hired her.”
“You hired her.”
“Did you read the report?”
“Refresh my memory.”
He gave me a look, but said, “She’s an only child. Her
father died when she was young. The mother is a real
estate broker, but her Manhattan apartment is far too nice
for someone who sells a few modest properties a year. She
seems to have made a career out of building wealth
through marriage.” He snorted. “It’s always the serial
monogamists who have the most problems with other
people’s sex lives.”
I mulled over this information, which was indeed new
since, as Alec was all too aware, I hadn’t read his report.
Between his words and little hints Chloe had dropped here
and there, it was clear her childhood had been one of
genteel neglect—a child raised by nannies and day camps.
People with that kind of upbringing often ended up shy
or cold. But Chloe was neither. Everyone in the New York
office loved her. She was forever bringing in donuts or little
treats for the staff. One time she even bought the
receptionist a plant in a rainbow-colored pot so
outrageously bright I’d done a double take when I passed
it.
“What’s this bloody thing?” I’d asked.
Chloe had looked up from arranging the leaves. “Oh! Mr.
MacKay.” Her cheeks had turned bright pink, and she
swallowed several times before saying, “It’s a plant.”
“I can see that, Miss Drexel. I meant the pot astronauts
can see from the space station.”
At first, she frowned, her baby blue gaze filled with
confusion. Then she let out a nervous laugh. “It is colorful,
I’ll give you that. It represents the Rainbow Bridge. You
know, for pets.” When I continued staring at her blankly,
she said, “You don’t know.”
I shook my head.
She darted a look over her shoulder, making the blond
waves she’d tied in a low ponytail swish over her generous
breasts. When she faced me, she lowered her voice.
“Karen’s cat passed away, so I wanted to cheer her up.
There’s this poem that says pets cross a Rainbow Bridge
into Heaven when they die, and they wait for their owners
in a green meadow full of sunshine.”
It took a minute for her explanation to sink in—probably
because I was busy staring at her mouth. That pouty, pink
mouth that made my dick twitch even as she talked of
receptionists and cats.
“Mr. MacKay?” She nibbled her lower lip, anxiety
hovering in her gaze. “I can move the plant if it’s too bright
for the office.”
I wanted to yell at her to stop that nonsense. To stop
making the whole world fantasize about fucking her mouth.
Instead, I’d muttered “keep it” and walked away before I
could kiss her or fire her.
Alec made a sound, drawing me back to the present.
“Would you look at that?” he asked, pointing to the TV,
where referees dragged two shouting players apart. “These
refs are out of control. Just let the lads play, you clatty
bastards.”
“Do you think she’ll go back to New York?” I asked.
He turned the TV off and looked at me, his green gaze
far too perceptive for his seemingly casual pose. “I’m not
giving her the option,” he said simply.
“She’s a modern woman. She’s used to making her own
decisions.” And she could easily decide we weren’t worth
ruining relationships with her family, especially after she
found out what we really wanted from her. Chloe might
fantasize about us, but there was a difference between
indulging in a hot daydream and acting on it.
Alec’s beast moved through his eyes, revealing the
possessive, deadly creature beneath the tan skin and easy
smiles. Then he shrugged. “I’ll seduce her. She won’t
realize she never had a choice.”
“What about her mind? If she’s that fragile—”
“I won’t charm her.” A wicked light entered his eyes. “I
won’t need to.”
“You think that will work?”
He lowered his chin. “Lachlan.”
Fair point. Still… “Seducing her could be a slow-moving
process, given the wedding drama and now this line in the
sand from her mother. You said she shied away from you
today in the gallery. She’s obviously confused by her
feelings for us. It might take time for her to come around to
the idea of two men at once.” I leveled a look at him. “And
patience is most certainly not one of your virtues, Alec.”
His nostrils flared as he recognized his line from the day
before, and I didn’t need his mental gifts to know he was
thinking of what had followed. He ran his gaze down my
body, taking in the plain white T-shirt and loose trousers I’d
pulled on after my shift. Voice gruff, and maybe a little
begrudging, he said, “How was your hunt?”
“Uneventful.”
“Boring?”
 It was my turn to shrug. “It’s better when you’re there.”
Alec wasn’t pulled by the moon as I was, but he was still a
predator—maybe even more so, given his lineage. Most of
the time, he joined me when the moon’s draw became too
hard to resist. But we couldn’t risk leaving Chloe
unattended. Not when her presence in the castle put a
target on her back.
“So you’re saying you missed me,” he said. Between his
smirk and the heat building in his eyes, he liked the idea of
that a lot.
“I wouldn’t go that far.”
“Liar.” He put his arms over his head and stretched, his
abs flexing and his ass lifting off the chair. “I can smell your
deceit from here,” he said on a lazy exhale.
I stood and drifted over, letting my gaze wander over his
tanned chest. “It’s a wonder you can smell anything after
all those cigarettes. Thanks for doing that in my room, by
the way.”
“Sorry. You ken I only smoke when I’m horny.”
I shoved the ottoman aside, and his feet hit the ground.
“So you’re horny, hmm?”
“Aye,” he rasped, his head tipped back and his eyes
glittering with unconcealed lust. His erection bulged under
the sweatpants, and his pulse throbbed hard in the side of
his neck. When I stepped between his knees and knelt, his
breath caught. “What are you doing?”
“Figure it out.” I pulled roughly at his sweats, yanking
them off in a couple of quick tugs. His erection sprang free,
the tip already dotted with moisture, but I ignored it.
“Hands above your head. Hold onto the back of the chair
and don’t move.”
He obeyed with an eagerness that was almost comical.
Alec was always up for anything, and his adventurous
streak was one of the things I loved about him. He was as
dominant as any male, but he was usually happy to let me
take control. Some might view his willingness to submit as
a weakness. In reality, it was part of his strength. He was
confident enough to know what he liked, and alpha enough
to go get it.
And it was incredibly satisfying to give it to him.
I pushed his knees wide, then smoothed my palms up his
powerful thighs and over his rippling abs, avoiding his shaft
entirely. He swallowed thickly, and his lips parted as his
heart rate picked up. I took my time exploring, lust surging
in my veins at the feel of his chiseled body under my hands.
When I reached his nipples, he twitched and bit his lower
lip.
Sexy as hell. In the back of my mind rose an image of
Chloe doing the same thing. And just like that, I wanted
them both in my bed. Needed them both at my mercy.
But right now, Alec was losing control.
“Touch my cock,” he gasped, starting to writhe. “I need
it bad, Lach.”
“Not yet.” I pinched lightly at his nipples, smiling when
he hissed and squeezed the back of the chair in a white-
knuckled grip. I plucked at the flat, dusky peaks before
running both hands down his flanks to his hips, which he
lifted again and again, clearly longing for me to turn my
attention to his dick. But I paid it no mind, instead
caressing him everywhere else. His silky inner thighs. His
hard calves lightly dusted with golden hair. His long, bare
feet.
Everywhere but his cock and the tight sac underneath.
He squirmed, his swollen shaft bobbing against his
stomach. “If you don’t suck my dick, I’m goin’ tae die.”
“You always say that.”
“I mean it this time.” His eyes narrowed to green slits,
and his voice was half growl, half whimper. “Fucking tease.
I should kick your arse.”
I stood and pulled my shirt over my head, heat prickling
down my nape at the way he drank me in like a man dying
of thirst. When I dropped my trousers, he squeezed the
chair so hard the tendons in his wrists stood out. Despite
his threat, we both knew he wouldn’t break position. I’d
told him not to. It was as simple as that.
I took a minute to appreciate the sexy stretch of his
nude body splayed out like a feast on a serving platter. The
man was put together like a Greek statue. Every muscle,
every sinew, was perfectly formed. His cock was a thing of
beauty, too. It swelled under my regard—nine solid inches
topped with a smooth head drizzled with precum.
His voice turned to gravel. “You want me to beg?”
Without breaking eye contact, I sank to my knees, took
his shaft in one firm hand, and slowly licked my way around
the damp tip.
“Fuck,” he wheezed, his eyes going heavy-lidded.
“Fuck.”
I gave him another long, languid swipe of my tongue. In
Old Gaelic, I said, “Tell me what you want.”
“Fuck you, Lach,” he rasped in the same language,
thrusting against my hand. “You know what I want.”
“Aye, but I want to hear you say it.” With my other hand,
I fondled his sac, my fingertip inching toward his ass.
His reply came in a rush interspersed with moans and
urgent thrusts of his hips. “Stop teasing me and suck my
dick. Please, Lach, I need it so bad. Put your mouth all over
my cock and suck m—”
I sucked his whole length down, launching straight into
a hard, fast rhythm.
“Fuck yes!” His hips lifted, his cock surging into my
mouth. “More of that, Lach. God, don’t stop.”
His enthusiastic shouts echoed around the room, and
somewhere in the back of my mind a little voice warned
Chloe might overhear. But the castle walls were thick, and
he settled down as I fell into a regular tempo, one hand
kneading his balls while I used the other to give him a
quick pump each time my mouth ascended. Every few
plunges, I sucked hard, loving the way it made him moan.
Loving the salty-sweet taste of his dick in my mouth and his
dark, woodsy scent in my lungs. Loving the fuck out of the
way his strapping body trembled above me.
With the moon’s call heavy in the air, my inner beast
stirred. Pressure built in my chest and spread outward,
sliding through my limbs. Still sucking up and down Alec’s
dick, I lifted my head enough to see his face. He was biting
his lip again.
Like Chloe.
My beast grew restless. Want her. The thought formed in
my mind. Not really words, because the beast didn’t speak.
But it made its wishes known. When it wanted something
badly enough, it didn’t wish at all. It just took.
Soon, I told it. Chloe was in the castle, and Alec wasn’t
going to let her leave. Or, more accurately, he was prepared
to use his considerable charm—figurative, not literal—to
convince her to stay. He and I might want her for different
reasons, but we both wanted her. So it was as good as
done. Chloe Drexel would be ours. For a day. A month. For
however long it took me to exorcise her from my thoughts
and convince Alec she was nothing more than a passing
fancy.
Not a mate. Just a pleasant diversion.
The beast pushed harder.
My skin started to burn.

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter

Six

OceanofPDF.com
 CHLOE

T he problem with hiding in my room was it gave me a

lot of time to think. And my thoughts were dominated
by the things I’d seen in my dream.
I should have been thinking about my canceled wedding
or my mother’s threats or what the hell I was going to do
with my apartment now that Josh and I were no longer an
item. Both our names were on the lease. We’d gotten a
killer deal on the rent, and it was in a great location—just
far enough from my mother’s place to make it impractical
for her to drop in for visits.
Although, that probably wasn’t going to be a problem
now.
But I couldn’t seem to concentrate on any of those
things. My life was in tatters, yet my mind spun with
memories of Alec and Lachlan and the dirty sex on the
plane.
Except they weren’t memories at all. None of that had
happened, and I needed to get a grip before I completely
lost my mind.
Actually, I thought as my gaze landed on my open
suitcase on the floor, I needed to go home. I’d started
packing after I fled the gallery this morning and then
stopped when Alec left lunch outside my door.
 At least I assumed it was Alec. He was gone by the time
I responded to the light tap on the wood. There was no note
on the tray, just a chicken salad sandwich on homemade
bread beside a steaming bowl of the most delicious broth I
ever tasted in my life. There was also a thick slice of
chocolate cake and a glass of ice cold water.
Of course he prepared an amazing lunch. Because he
was amazing. And funny and smart and sexy.
And I had to get out of Scotland before I embarrassed
myself by moaning in front of him or licking his abs.
Clearly, the incident in the airport with Josh had broken my
brain, unleashing some kind of mental crisis that led to
erotic fantasies about my bosses.
Paging Dr. Freud for real.
It was stupid to continue with the trip, even though I
hadn’t been completely conscious when I agreed to it. But
now that I’d had a chance to sleep on my decision, it was
obvious I’d made the wrong one. Alec had stayed away
today, but maybe that wasn’t about letting me get over my
“jet lag.” Maybe it was because he was tired of me
alternating between weeping on his shirt and ogling him.
Lachlan had gone one step further and left the castle
altogether.
He was probably tired of me ogling Alec, too.
Come on my tits.
My face grew hot as images of Lachlan pumping his
release onto my chest flickered through my head. He could
never, ever know I dreamed such a thing. Could never
know I fantasized about him jerking himself off while he
watched his lover fuck me. Could never find out I wanted to
know how it would feel if they switched places.
And he wouldn’t. Because I was getting on a plane and
flying back to New York.
Now I just had to tell Alec. There was no way around it.
Even if I managed to sneak out of the castle, I had no way
of getting to Inverness, let alone booking a plane ticket on
my own in a foreign country.
Squaring my shoulders, I opened my door and stepped
into the hallway with its gleaming hardwood and suits of
armor. Alec had pointed out all the bedrooms on our tour,
explaining that he and Lachlan kept separate quarters
because Lachlan was a light sleeper.
“And Lach says I snore,” he’d added with an eye roll. Of
course, that immediately made me picture the two of them
in bed together, their big bodies entangled beneath the
sheets.
I shoved that image firmly from my head as I walked
toward Alec’s room.
Then a muffled noise made me stop.
Male voices drifted from the bedroom just past Alec’s.
Lachlan was back.
Well, that should make leaving easier. He didn’t want me
in Scotland in the first place. He’d probably drive me to the
airport himself. With that cheery thought in mind, I
followed the voices, which grew louder as I approached.
Except they weren’t speaking English…and they weren’t
speaking Gaelic, either. Not quite. My understanding of the
language was rudimentary at best, but I’d picked up a few
phrases here and there, and this bore little resemblance to
the lilting cadence Alec and Lachlan used around the office.
I frowned and crept closer, straining to unravel the guttural
sounds. The door was open just enough to let me see the
edge of a bed and a sitting area where—
All the breath left my body.
Alec was sprawled naked in an oversize chair, his arms
over his head and big hands gripping the back of the frame.
Between his spread legs knelt Lachlan, his golden body
equally nude as he gave Alec a blowjob hot enough to set
the room on fire. His dark head bobbed up and down, and
from the way his cheeks were hollowed he was sucking
Alec’s cock like his life depended on it. His hands were
busy, too. One pumped Alec’s shaft while the other made
rhythmic thrusts under Alec’s balls.
Because he’s playing with Alec’s ass. The realization
made my heart pound so hard I felt lightheaded. They were
magnificent, both of them, two warriors built for battle yet
sharing the most intense passion I’d ever witnessed.
Unintelligible sounds spilled from Alec’s lips as he put
his head back and squeezed his eyes shut. His red-gold
brows drew together and a look of ecstasy swept his
features.
My panties went instantly damp, and my knees
loosened. Actually loosened to the point where I darted a
look at the door frame in case I needed to clutch it for
support. This was hotter than the dream. Hotter than that
night in the office.
And it was wholly different than anything I could have
imagined. While the men were evenly matched in size and
strength, Lachlan had always seemed more dominant.
Harder and more aggressive. Yet here he was on his knees
sucking Alec’s dick with obvious zeal. His stubble-covered
jaw was stretched wide, and his muscles flexed as he
absorbed every brutal thrust.
“Goin’ tae come,” Alec gasped in English.
Lachlan bobbed faster, his own erect shaft slapping his
stomach as he sucked.
A creaking sound filled the air. With a start, I realized it
was the chair and Alec’s grip was straining the wood. He
let out a hoarse shout, then jerked his hips in a stilted
rhythm.
Lachlan’s throat started working, and I couldn’t have
looked away if I tried. He swallowed again and again,
clearly drinking Alec down to the last drop. Above him, Alec
moaned and went limp, his breaths sawing in and out of his
chest. After a second, he lifted his head.
The men’s gazes locked, and an electric look passed
between them. A prickling sensation slid down my nape.
Something was about to happen…
Lachlan swallowed a final time. Then he surged to his
feet and pulled Alec out of the chair and into a rough
embrace. My eyes went wide at the sight of two broad,
muscled backs and two taut, round asses. Two sets of
sculpted arms. Endless bare skin.
Lachlan slanted his mouth across Alec’s and kissed him
like Alec was the source of all oxygen in the world. They
stood in profile, giving me a direct view of everything.
Thick cocks rubbing together. Glimpses of tongue as their
kiss went from hot to scorching.
Guilt and lust flooded me. It was wrong to watch them. A
horrible intrusion. If I had even a shred of decency, I would
turn and go back to my room.
But I couldn’t make myself move. Couldn’t tear my gaze
away from the mesmerizing sight of their hard bodies
locked together as they continued to kiss. When Lachlan
ran a hand down Alec’s back and squeezed a firm ass
cheek, I finally had to brace myself against the jamb.
Alec moaned.
Lachlan tangled his other hand in Alec’s hair before
breaking off the kiss, yanking Alec’s head to the side, and
burying his face in the other man’s neck. Even with his
mouth muffled against Alec’s skin, I heard him growl, “I
want your ass.” As he said it, he squeezed Alec’s cheek
harder, lifting the other man onto his toes.
Jesus. This was the Lachlan I’d expected to see, and he
didn’t disappoint. His mouth nuzzling Alec’s neck was a
tender contrast to his possessive grip on Alec’s ass. His
eyes glittered, and it must have been a trick of the light,
because they almost seemed to glow.
“Aye,” Alec said on another moan, his eyes shuttered as
Lachlan kissed his neck. “Hurry, Lach. I need it fast and
hard.”
Lachlan took Alec’s earlobe between his teeth, nipping
lightly. “How hard do you want it?”
 “As hard as you can give it to me.”
In a blink, Lachlan spun him so he faced the chair. Alec
braced his weight on either arm and leaned forward. His
biceps flexed, and his body seemed to vibrate with
anticipation. His muscular ass could have graced any
fitness magazine cover, and Lachlan seemed to appreciate
the view, because he smoothed his hands over the rounded
globes before pulling them slightly apart and letting his
gaze fall on Alec’s puckered entrance.
Oh God. I wasn’t sure I could handle this. Moisture
flooded my panties as Alec raised his ass in blatant
invitation.
Lachlan withdrew a small bottle of lube from a side table
and coated two fingers. When he snapped the cap closed,
Alec moaned.
And I bit my lip hard so I wouldn’t moan with him.
“You ready for me?” Lachlan asked, his voice so deep it
seemed to vibrate inside my chest. And I was clearly
starved for oxygen, because his skin appeared darker, his
usual golden tan deepening to bronze.
I blinked the vision away in time to see him trail his
lube-covered fingers down Alec’s crack. He glided up and
down, teasing without pushing inside.
Alec arched his back, thrusting his ass higher. He shot
Lachlan an irritated look over his shoulder. “Stop fuckin’
around and give me your cock.”
Lachlan’s low chuckle seemed to drift across the room
and caress my skin. I gripped the door frame as he parted
Alec’s cheeks and eased his fingers into Alec’s ass.
Alec dropped his head forward and let out a pleasured
groan that shot straight to my sex. “Christ, Lach, that feels
good.” He threw his hips back, as if he couldn’t wait for
Lachlan to go deeper.
Lachlan obliged him, thrusting his glistening fingers in
and out in a slow, steady rhythm.
 “More,” Alec said, his voice rough as sandpaper. He bore
down hard on Lachlan’s fingers, and his breaths grew
ragged.
Lachlan gave a throaty growl of approval and increased
the pace. He must have added another finger, because Alec
grunted and widened his stance. He moved with Lachlan,
rolling his hips and setting his heavy sac and semi-erect
shaft swinging.
Sweat broke out across my skin, and I had the passing
thought that I might actually faint. The sight of one big,
powerful man bent over while another big, powerful man
finger fucked his ass was beyond any fantasy I could have
conceived. It was hot and delicious and forbidden. My
breasts grew heavy and pressure built between my thighs.
“Want more?” Lachlan asked, his gaze on his fingers
pumping in and out of Alec.
Yes. I leaned forward.
“Aye,” Alec rasped, his deep voice breaking on a sexy,
masculine whimper. “Fuck my ass, Lach. Put your big cock
inside me.”
Lachlan withdrew his hand, gripped his shaft, and
surged inside.
Both men moaned.
A haze covered my vision. For a moment, Lachlan went
blurry.
I shook my head to clear it because I was not missing
this.
Suddenly, Lachlan was solid again. He wrapped an arm
around Alec’s chest and pulled him upright. The position
must have lodged his shaft even deeper in Alec’s ass,
because Alec shuddered and let out a low, satisfied groan.
He gripped Lachlan’s forearm with both hands and let his
head fall back on Lachlan’s shoulder.
“You feel that?” Lachlan muttered, giving him slow,
grinding thrusts. His forearm flexed as he pulled Alec more
tightly against his chest, holding him steady while he
plundered his ass.
Alec’s eyes slid shut. His shaft was erect again, and it
bobbed up and down with every surge of Lachlan’s hips.
“Aye…I feel you.”
“I feel you too, lad. Love your tight ass like a fist around
my cock.”
The blunt, dirty talk drove my desire to new heights. I
didn’t need the dream or my memories from the office. I
had the real thing right in front of me, and it was so
unbelievably hot I couldn’t see straight. Lachlan went
blurry again.
But blinking didn’t work this time.
Neither did shaking my head.
I clutched at the door frame as panic shot down my
spine. Maybe I wasn’t jet lagged. Maybe there was
something truly wrong with me.
Lachlan got blurrier…and blurrier.
And then he turned to smoke.
For a second, my brain couldn’t comprehend what I was
seeing. Alec was as solid as ever, but behind him, where
Lachlan should have been, was a dark, man-shaped haze. It
twisted and swirled in a torrent of energy. At the top of the
shifting column, a pair of glowing eyes burned like golden
fire.
I gasped and stumbled back.
Alec jerked his head up, instantly focused on me. Behind
him, the smoky entity did the same.
For a brief, terrifying second, time stood still.
The entity shivered. Then it shot toward me in a long,
narrow stream.
I didn’t scream. I didn’t slam the door, and I certainly
didn’t stand and fight. Heart lodged in my throat, I did the
only thing I could think of.
I ran.
OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter

Seven

OceanofPDF.com
 ALEC

A s Lachlan streaked after Chloe in shadow form, I let

out a string of curses. She couldn’t know it, but
running was the worst thing she could do. Of course, I
could hardly expect her to stand still and let him reach her.
She had no idea what she was seeing. No clue her life had
just changed forever. She was in my world now. Mine and
Lachlan’s. And it was a lot more dangerous than the one
she was used to. For starters, she’d probably been taught
fairy tales were just stories.
They weren’t, of course. They were heavily edited
versions of the truth, sanitized so humans could tell
themselves werewolves and witches and other creatures
were nothing more than entertaining myths.
If I’d been worried about her mind breaking before, I
was doubly worried now.
Fuck. What had Lachlan been thinking? His beast was
always close to the surface when he was under the moon’s
influence, but he hadn’t shifted unexpectedly like that in
years.
What a hell of a time to break a streak.
Cursing and stumbling, I yanked on my sweats—nearly
falling over the sofa in the process—and raced into the hall.
Chloe’s scent was strong in the air, and I sprinted after it,
flying up the stairs to the long gallery. A woman’s scream
made the hair on my nape lift, and I pounded across the
marble floor, flung open a door set in the wood paneling,
and burst onto the roof.
“Don’t move!” Lachlan barked to my left, and it took me
a second to realize he spoke to me and not Chloe.
Then I saw her.
She stood on the battlements, her feet on a stone ledge
no wider than a stair tread.
And she held a sword. Italian, judging from the hilt.
Probably sixteenth century. And far too heavy for her. One
wrong step—a moment’s loss of balance—and she would
plunge three hundred feet to the rocky ground below.
There was no guarantee Lachlan or I could shift fast
enough to catch her.
Fear and anger burned in my gut. She was ours, and she
was being so incredibly foolish to gamble with her life this
way. Nothing was going to take her from us. Not even her
will.
But best not to let her know that just now.
“Chloe,” I said, holding my hands away from my body as
I took a cautious step forward. “Come down from there.”
She brandished the sword, her knuckles white on the
leather-braided grip. “Don’t come any closer!”
I stopped. “Or what? You’ll stab me from across the
roof?”
“Alec,” Lachlan said under his breath.
Chloe’s eyes glinted, and her voice rose. “This isn’t
funny!” Her gaze darted from me to Lachlan, who stood
nude in a patch of moonlight. She looked between us for a
moment, then settled on Lachlan, as if she’d judged him the
bigger threat.
Not entirely accurate, lass.
I kept my palms out. “You’re right, and I’m not making
fun of you. I jest when I’m nervous, and you’re scaring the
wits out of me standing up there.”
 “The castle is old,” Lachlan said in a steady voice. “The
stone could crumble, Chloe.”
My stomach clenched. She wore flats—some kind of silly
slip-on shoe with hardly any tread. For a second, I
considered calling up my power. I could force her off the
wall with a mere word. But I’d have to drop my glamour to
do it, and seeing that might send her over the edge.
Literally.
She stared at Lachlan, her eyes round and stark. Even
with the distance and darkness between us, I could see the
pulse fluttering in her neck like a bird trapped under her
skin.
“He’s not going to hurt you,” I told her, daring another
step forward. She was gorgeous with her pale hair loose
around her shoulders and her creamy skin gilded by
moonlight. But there was a wild look in her blue eyes. I’d
seen that look before—in the eyes of men on the losing side
of a battle. In the desperate gazes of people backed into a
corner. That look was dangerous. It was deadly.
I took another step.
She swung toward me, the sword’s blade catching the
moonlight. “Stay away!”
I froze. Lachlan muttered without looking away from
her. “I told you not tae move.”
“I won’t,” I said, my attention on Chloe. “I’m standin’
still, sweetheart. See? It’s safe to come down.”
“No, it’s not.” Her gaze skidded between Lachlan and
me. “I saw… I don’t know what I saw.” Her forehead
wrinkled, and she lowered her voice to a mumble she
probably didn’t intend for us to hear. “Something is wrong
with me.”
My heart squeezed. She was obviously still feeling the
aftereffects of me charming her on the flight. Now that
she’d seen Lachlan between forms, she probably thought
she was losing her grip on reality.
 The wind picked up, tossing her hair. She tightened her
grip on the sword, which began to tremble as she struggled
to keep it aloft.
Forcing calm I didn’t feel into my voice, I said, “Chloe
lass, look at me.” When she did, I held out a hand. “You
have nothing to fear from either of us. You’ve worked for us
for three months. Have you ever seen us be cruel or
unkind?”
Her brows drew together. “No.”
“If you listen closely, you’ll hear the truth in my words.
We won’t hurt you. I vow it. But I need you to come down
off that wall.”
Silence reigned for a moment. Eventually, she
swallowed. “You vow it?”
“Aye. You have my word.”
There was another long stretch of quiet. “You’ll let me
leave?”
Lachlan tensed.
Deep in my mind, my beast reared its head. My chest
grew hot, and a growl gathered in my throat. She wanted
to leave us? The beast scented the air, testing the veracity
of her words. They swirled through my lungs, smelling of
earth after a hard rain.
Truth. Her declaration was sincere. If Lachlan and I let
her off the roof, she’d return to New York.
Unthinkable.
The heat in my chest built. My beast stirred, straining
against the metaphysical bonds that held it in check. I kept
my gaze on Chloe, but I felt Lachlan’s regard like a weight
on the side of my face.
“You’ll let me leave?” Chloe asked again. Her arms
shook. She was nearing the end of her strength.
“Yes,” Lachlan said.
Truth.
I faced him as an inferno formed in my chest.
 His eyes narrowed with warning. For the briefest second
—just a heartbeat—his irises flared bright gold as his beast
challenged mine. Its message was clear.
Don’t.
I shoved my sweats down my hips and twisted toward
Chloe, already shifting to smoke. Her shocked gasp and
Lachlan’s angry shout filled the air as I shot across the
roof. I materialized next to Chloe on the battlements,
getting a glimpse of her pale face and dumbfounded
expression. In one movement, I knocked the sword from
her hand, swept her into my arms, and carried her off the
ledge.
For a second, she seemed too stunned to move.
But only for a second. As I strode toward the door, she
came alive, thrashing and screeching like a wild animal.
“Put me down!”
I ignored her, then grunted as her fist caught my jaw.
She swung again.
I yanked my head away, and the blow glanced off my
cheek. In my mind, the beast purred with satisfaction.
She’s strong, it told me in its unique way of
communicating. A fierce mate.
Lachlan fell into step beside me, his body radiating
disapproval. But he stayed silent, and he didn’t interfere.
Which was good, because I wasn’t sure I could handle both
him and a flailing Chloe. My sweet, mild-mannered
executive assistant was gone, replaced with a swearing,
spitting hellcat.
“Let go of me!” She fought harder, clawing at my bare
chest. Without breaking stride, I heaved her up and over
my shoulder. Immediately, she pummeled my back, striking
my spine and kidneys.
I smacked her ass as I shouldered through the door and
into the long gallery.
She went rigid. Then she unleashed holy hell on my
back, yelling as she pounded her fists. “You hit me! Put me
down, you Neanderthal!” She kicked her legs, one foot
veering dangerously close to my sensitive bits.
I gave her another open-handed whack—this one hard
enough to echo through the gallery—and put on a burst of
speed no ordinary man could have managed. In a blink, I
was through the gallery, down a series of hallways, and up
a narrow, twisting staircase.
Lachlan met me at the top, his eyes like molten gold as
he watched me unlock an ancient door studded with iron.
The hinges groaned as I shoved it open and carried Chloe
inside.
The tower room was small and round and held nothing
but a bed. I deposited Chloe on it and straightened.
She shot to her knees, then shrank back when she got a
look at my face. “Y-You…” She swallowed, and the rest
emerged as a croak. “You’re glowing.”
Well, the cat was out of the bag now. I let my power rise
a little more, and my voice rippled with it as I spoke a
binding command. “You’re not to leave this room.”
She winced as if I’d struck her. As if the command was a
physical blow.
Alarm bolted through me, and I reached for her. “Lass
—”
“Don’t touch me!” She scrambled back, pressing herself
against the wooden headboard. Her chest heaved, and her
cheeks burned with color.
But it was her expression that made me lower my arm.
Her pupils were dilated, her eyes wary and fearful. They
flicked to my hands, as though she waited for me to
advance.
Or attack.
I was suddenly mindful of my nudity—and of the
difference in our sizes and strength. I pushed my power
down, forcing my voice to a human volume and cadence. “I
won’t hurt you.”
Her chin went up. “You already have.”
 Now I winced, her words cutting deeper than the rusty
sword she’d wielded on the battlements. At the same time,
my beast fought its bonds, straining to break free. Fire
licked at my veins and singed my insides. In another
moment or two, I wouldn’t be able to stop the shift.
And taking my other form in the oldest tower in the
castle was a recipe for disaster.
Chloe was frightened and furious, and she had a right to
both emotions. But I was in no state to offer comfort or
explanations. Not with my beast so close to the surface.
Without another word, I turned and went to the door. As I
gained the threshold, she called out.
“What are you?”
I stopped. Turned my head just enough to answer over
my shoulder. “Your mate.”

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 Chapter

Eight

OceanofPDF.com
 LACHLAN

I let Alec have it as soon as he pulled the tower door

shut.
“Have you lost your mind?” I said in Gaelic.
He faced me with glowing green eyes and replied in the
same language. “She was going to leave.” He jabbed a
finger at me. “You were going to let her!”
“Aye, because it’s what she wanted. Are you daft? You’ve
broken the treaty.”
His expression turned mulish. “I have not.”
I flung a hand toward the door. “You locked her in the
tower!”
“It’s what our forefathers did with reluctant mates.”
“Centuries ago. In a far different time. You can’t just
grab women off the street and shackle them to your bed.”
He gave the door a speculative look.
“You can’t be thinking of doing that. Christ, Alec, you’ll
go to prison.”
His eyes glinted, some of the haughtiness from his
mother’s side coming through. “As if one could hold me.”
“So you are thinking it.”
“Of course not.”
“Then what’s your plan?”
He opened his mouth just as something hard thudded
against the door. A moment later, a woman’s grunt rang
out, followed by another dull thud that shook the ancient
oak.
We stared at the door. Then Alec muttered, “You should
talk to her.”
I gaped at him. “I should? You created this mess.”
“You shifted in front of her.”
Anger rose swift and hot. I dropped my voice to a growl.
“You’re blaming me for this?”
“In part.” His gaze sharpened. “What happened,
Lachlan? You haven’t lost control like that in forever.”
“I…” I clamped my jaw shut. Because he was right. I
shouldn’t have lost control. Worse, I hadn’t even realized it
was happening. That kind of mistake was reckless and
dangerous. In a modern world full of smartphones and
public surveillance, changing forms could mean outing all
the Firstborn Races.
And that could lead to war.
Alec watched me, clearly waiting for an answer.
I cleared my throat. “I didn’t know she was
eavesdropping.”
His expression said he wasn’t buying it, but he didn’t
press. Just glanced at the door and said, “She has a habit of
doing that. And she liked what she saw.”
“Well, she didn’t like the aftermath. Forcing her off the
battlements was one thing, but she’s unlikely to forgive the
swats on her ass.” Her delectable ass, which had looked
plump and fetching over his shoulder.
“Aye, she’s angry with me.” He shoved a hand through
his hair, making the reddish waves stand on end. The
arrogance drained from him, and his shoulders slumped.
“I’ve botched this, haven’t I?”
“Botched, no. Fucked beyond all reason, aye.”
“You can fix it, Lach. Make her understand.”
Exasperation washed over me. “There’s nothing to
understand. She wants to go home.”
 His expression darkened. “Not happening. She’s our
mate. And she’s seen too much now.” He ran another hand
through his hair, the motion jerky and agitated. He
switched to English, mumbling, “It’s the mate bond making
me feel this way. I need to shift before I explode.”
It wasn’t the mate bond. More like three months’ worth
of sexual frustration. Bedding Chloe was the cure for what
ailed him—and me. Of course, that was unlikely to happen
now that he’d swatted her ass and stuffed her in the tower.
“Go,” I said on a sigh.
“You’ll talk to her?”
“I’ll do my best.”
Something struck the door, making it shudder.
“What could she possibly be throwing?” Alec murmured.
“Go on,” I told him. “It’s probably better if she doesn’t
see you right now.”
He grimaced. “Probably.” He started down the steps,
then paused and looked over his shoulder, his gaze dipping
to my hips. “Maybe put on some trousers first.”
I scowled and shifted to shadow form, then shot forward
so fast he didn’t have time to move out of the way.
Streaming in a million particles, I streaked a hot path past
his ribs, making him yelp and jump aside.
It served him right, I thought as I twisted down the steps
and raced to my bedroom. Not that a burn could really hurt
him. Like me, Alec was a creature of fire.
My discarded trousers lay where I’d dropped them just
before I pleasured him—something that seemed ages ago
now. I shifted as I entered the room, my feet striking the
ground as my body became flesh. I couldn’t wear clothing
in shadow form, however, so my trip back to the tower was
far less convenient, and my irritation with Alec grew as I
climbed the narrow steps.
The landing was quiet, as if the air itself held its breath.
Mindful of Chloe’s propensity for launching things at the
door, I entered the room slowly—and almost tripped over
her shoes on the threshold. She lay on her side in the bed,
her knees drawn to her chest.
“Chloe?” I moved toward her.
No answer. She stared sightlessly at the room’s sole
window, which was covered by bars. Moonlight spilled
across the floor and onto the bed, turning her hair to a
silver river. She was lovely. And full of more fight than I’d
given her credit for.
A human, yes. But a damn courageous one.
I moved between her and the window, my body blocking
the light. “You chucked those shoes hard enough to shake
the door, lass. I’m impressed.”
“Ten years of softball,” she said, her gaze still
unfocused. “We were state champions in high school.”
“I didn’t know that.”
Now she looked at me, her blue eyes apprehensive but
shaded with the same grit she’d displayed on the roof.
“There are a lot of things you don’t know about me, Mr.
MacKay. For example, if you think you’re going to keep me
prisoner, you’re mistaken.”
“Lachlan. And I have no intention of keeping you
prisoner.”
Could have fooled me.
I caught my breath. Because she hadn’t spoken aloud.
Yet her voice had rung through my head as clear and true
as a bell. Just as it had on the plane.
Desire flooded me as my heart beat faster. Holding her
gaze, I concentrated on forming a sentence in my mind.
Can you hear me, Chloe?
She bolted upright, then plastered herself against the
headboard, one hand thrust out as if to ward me off. “You
—”
“Spoke in your head.” As you did in mine. My heart was
racing now, the knowledge of who and what she was
crashing over me in waves.
“No, I didn’t.”
 I tilted my head. Could have fooled me.
Her lips parted, and her chest rose and fell rapidly.
“What are you?” Her voice climbed. “How can you hear my
thoughts? How did you change into that…thing?” A tear
streaked down her cheek. “I need some answers, because I
think I’m going crazy.”
A surge of protectiveness rose within me. Before, I’d
wanted her body. Or at least I told myself that was all it was
—a temporary itch I could scratch by taking her to bed.
Now I knew it was more than that. A lot more. Chloe
Drexel wasn’t going anywhere.
And it was time to give her the answers she sought.
I went to the window, where the moon hung heavy in the
sky. Closing my eyes, I cast out my senses. ALEC.
His response came at once, his mental voice strong and
incredulous. Lachlan?
Aye. I’m with Chloe, and it seems I’ve gained a new
ability.
Satisfaction poured through our mental connection,
along with a steady whooshing sound. Told you so.
I clenched my jaw. He was going to be insufferable
about this. Are you near the castle?
I can be.
Come to the tower window.
The whooshing sound intensified. Be there in a minute.
I turned, finding Chloe still crouched on the bed, her
features pinched with anxiety. I gestured to the window.
“Watch, lass.”
She frowned, questions practically floating around her.
“Just watch. It won’t be long.”
Her frown deepened, and her gaze darted between me
and the window. Then she tensed, as if she listened for
something. She leaned forward, and her eyes went wide.
A shadow fell behind me. I swiveled as Alec swooped
into view.
 Glorious beast. And, oh, but he put on a show. His scales
rippled with moonlight, and his tail flicked sparks that split
the night. His body was as green as his eyes, his wings a
deep emerald veined with gold. Black horns sprouted from
his head, and matching spikes decorated the long, sinuous
length of his tail. The whooshing I’d heard in my head
surrounded the tower, the sound like a great engine
beating the air.
“Oh…my…God,” Chloe breathed next to me. “It’s—”
“A dragon,” I said, turning toward her. I swept a loose
curl from her cheek and let my hand linger. “We’re
dragons, lass.”
“We?” She glanced out the window. “You and Alec.”
“Aye.”
“I’m not hallucinating?”
She looked so adorably earnest, tenderness welled in my
chest. “No, honey,” I said, brushing a thumb over her soft
cheek, “‘tis not a dream.”
Something flickered in her eyes, and she paled. “The
plane…”
I cupped her jaw, and this time I brushed my thumb over
her pouty lower lip. “Not a dream, Chloe lass. That was
very, very real.”

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 Chapter

Nine

OceanofPDF.com
 CHLOE

V erra, verra real.

Lachlan’s brogue was thicker than ever. But there
was no misunderstanding his words.
The dream on the plane hadn’t been a dream at all. I’d
had sex with my bosses. At the same time.
And they were dragons.
Shapeshifters. Mythical creatures that weren’t supposed
to exist. And yet…one spun and swooped outside my
window, its glittering scales as green as Alec’s eyes.
Because that was Alec. My tall, gorgeous, Highlander
boss—the one who made me meeracle toast and told bawdy
stories about codpieces—was a dragon. So was my other
tall, gorgeous, Highlander boss.
As my brain tried to wrap itself around that reality, I
opened my mouth and blurted the first thing that popped
into my head. “You’re not gay?”
Heat and humor gleamed in Lachlan’s eyes. “I believe
the term is bisexual.”
A door in my mind flew open. Memories from the plane
roared back, each moment captured and framed in
exquisite detail. We’d had this conversation before.
And it had led to the most intense sex of my life.
Lust swept me, my nipples going instantly taut.
 Lachlan cupped my cheek in one big hand, his thumb
making lazy passes over my bottom lip. The gesture was
more tender than sexual, but my body didn’t seem to care.
Moisture dampened my panties, and my clit started to
throb.
His nostrils flared.
Black smoke streamed into the room from around the
window.
I jumped back, my heart hammering, but Lachlan put a
steadying hand on my arm. “It’s just Alec.”
The column streaked to a spot between us and the bed,
then formed into the silhouette of a man. The particles
thickened, and Alec materialized on the stone floor, his
nude body sheened with sweat. His hair was tousled, and
his chest heaved as if he just finished a grueling workout.
But it was his eyes that held my attention. They glowed
so brightly they cast shadows on his cheeks.
“Just Alec,” he said, darting a look of mock offense
Lachlan’s way. Then he focused on me, and his expression
softened. “How we doing, lass? You okay?”
Considering I just learned dragons were real and I was
still conscious? “Yeah. I think so.”
He stepped close and brushed my cheek in the same
spot Lachlan had touched. “That’s my girl.”
Shivers coursed over my skin. The men bracketed me,
their bare chests gilded in silver. The ache in my sex grew,
and a restless need squirmed through me. “A-Are you doing
this?” I asked, looking between them. “Making me feel this
way?”
Alec shook his head. “No tricks, sweetheart. Just you.
Just us.” He rubbed a featherlight thumb across my lower
lip, as if he knew Lachlan had just been there. “If you want
us, that is.”
The ache between my legs intensified. I wanted them,
but… “Why me?” I heard myself ask. I’m nobody.
 A growl rumbled in Alec’s chest. He threaded a hand
through my hair and forced my gaze to his. “Not nobody.
You’re ours, Chloe Drexel. Ours to claim. To protect. A
treasure.”
Treasure. He trilled his Rs, the vibration shooting
straight to my sex. As more heat dampened my panties,
Lachlan moved close, his chest brushing my arm. His spicy
aftershave filled my lungs, and his golden eyes gleamed
like jewels.
“I want you both,” he said, his stare intense. Almost
predatory. He flicked a wicked, possessive look at Alec, and
my panties almost melted from my body.
Oh God. This was happening.
Lachlan dipped his head and spoke in my ear. “Get on
the bed, Chloe.”
The command tripped a wire inside me, taking my desire
from hot to scorching. There was no disobeying him—not
when he spoke like that. I slipped from Alec’s hold and lay
on the bed, which was as large and glamorous looking as
the one in my room.
But it could have been plywood for all I cared. Because
the guys were already prowling to the foot, their eyes
roving my body stretched on the mattress. My heart
thudded as Lachlan dropped his pants, his erection
springing free. Alec’s rose and thickened, his cock
impossibly long. They stood side by side, both nude and
hard as stone. Together, they climbed the bed, shafts
bobbing and muscles rippling.
They stopped on either side of my hips, turned to each
other, and kissed.
My sex clenched, and I gripped the sheets in both fists. I
could scarcely believe the erotic display unfolding right in
front of me. They devoured each other, mouths gliding and
tongues flashing as they made out with wild abandon.
Lachlan seized Alec’s hips in both hands and yanked him
close so their dicks rubbed together.
 Alec groaned and thrust into Lachlan, grinding against
him. Lachlan speared his fingers through Alec’s hair and
tugged Alec’s head back, then nipped at Alec’s jaw before
muttering in the other man’s ear. “I need to finish what I
started, hmm?”
“Aye,” Alec gasped, his eyes heavy-lidded and his cheeks
stained with color.
Lachlan used his free hand to squeeze one of Alec’s taut
buttocks, then delved his fingers between Alec’s cheeks
and did something to make the other man give a sexy,
plaintive cry. “You still ready for me?” Lachlan said gruffly.
“Never…stopped…being ready.” Alec’s accent turned
ready to reddy, which fanned the flames already
threatening to consume me.
Just when I prepared for them to continue, Lachlan
released Alec and both men looked at me.
Alec’s smile was pure wickedness. “Och, lassie, you’re
wearing far too many clothes.”
Before I knew what was happening, male hands were
everywhere, tugging and unbuttoning. Pulling my sweater
over my head. Sliding my jeans down my legs. My bra
disappeared, then my panties, and two sets of gleaming
eyes fastened on my sex.
Lachlan slid a knee between my legs, spreading me
open. “I only got a taste of this pussy before. I want more.”
Alec stroked my thigh, his fingers moving in lazy circles
as he lifted his gaze to mine. “She tastes like candy. Sweet
as sugar on my tongue.”
“Wider, lass,” Lachlan murmured, settling between my
legs and running a burning golden gaze down my body. He
looked at me the same way he did Alec, with a fierce
possessiveness that seemed to sear my skin.
I opened my thighs, lust rippling through me in waves.
I’d never been so wet. So ready and desperate to be
touched. My body hummed, primed for him to lower his
mouth and deliver on his promise.
 Instead, he ran a finger down my slit, teasing my lips
apart.
An involuntary moan rose from my chest. I lifted my
hips, silently begging for more.
He stroked through the moisture slicking my lips, then
pushed a long finger inside me, gliding easily.
“Please,” I begged, arching up so his finger plunged
deeper.
He rubbed his thumb over my aching clit, making
buttery warmth suffuse my sex. His accent thickened. “Tell
me what ye need, lass.”
I didn’t hesitate. “Your mouth. Please.”
His golden eyes gleamed with pleasure. “As my lady
commands,” he said, then lowered his mouth to my clit and
sucked.
My body jerked, my hips lifting. “Oh…God. Oh, Lachlan,
that’s so good.”
“He’s just getting started,” Alec said, still stroking my
thigh. He gazed at Lachlan’s broad shoulders with
smoldering eyes. “Our Lach’s got a talented tongue.”
That was an understatement. In short order, Lachlan
had me thrashing and moaning, my mind blanking as I
bucked and writhed. He replaced his finger with his
tongue, spearing me in short, fast strokes before switching
to long, sensual licks that made my sex clench over and
over. I lost control of my body, my hips rolling brazenly
against his mouth as I sought more contact, more friction,
more everything.
And he gave it to me, lapping me up greedily. Like he
relished my taste as much as Alec had.
Alec began stroking himself, his big hand smoothing up
and down his cock as he watched Lachlan drive me crazy.
“Told you she tasted amazing.”
Lachlan lifted his head, his eyes slitted with lust. “Better
than anything. I could eat this pussy all day.” He pushed
two thick fingers inside me, then lowered his head and
continued lapping at my sex.
My vision went blurry as my orgasm gathered. But I
blinked hard, struggling to hold it at bay. I wanted this to
last as long as possible. To prolong the pleasure.
Lachlan moaned loudly, his mouth vibrating hard against
my splayed sex.
I lifted my head and caught my breath. Alec still gripped
his cock, but he’d reached under Lachlan’s body and now
his hand pumped Lachlan’s shaft, too. His arms moved in a
steady rhythm, his biceps flexing as he worked both
Lachlan’s shaft and his own.
It was hotter than I could have ever imagined. I
watched, riveted, my gaze flicking between his muscled
forearm pumping his cock and his other muscled forearm
thrusting under Lachlan’s hips. Lachlan groaned with
desire, the sounds traveling straight into my core. My clit
throbbed, and I let my head drop back as my release
hovered just out of reach.
“Come for me,” Lachlan growled, plunging his fingers
deep. He tongued my clit, licking and sucking the center of
my desire as he thrust his fingers faster, drawing wet
sounds from my sex. “Come now,” he ordered, and I did, my
passage clamping hard and my orgasm sweeping over me
like a hurricane. My back arched as waves of pleasure
pulled me under.
When I resurfaced, Lachlan sat on his heels between my
legs, his head thrown back as Alec stroked him. “Fuck,” he
rasped, his chest heaving. “Fuck, yes, like that.”
Alec released him, swiped his hand between my legs,
then took it back to Lachlan, coating his straining shaft
with my juices.
Lachlan and I moaned in unison. Aftershocks rippled
through me as I stared, transfixed while Alec pumped
Lachlan’s thick length, which now glistened from my
desire. He thrust his other hand between Lachlan’s legs to
fondle his sac.
Even with my orgasm still receding, fresh lust swept me.
I propped myself on my elbows so I didn’t miss a single
detail of what was happening. Alec handled Lachlan more
roughly than I would have, squeezing and kneading his
balls with a firm hand while he stroked Lachlan’s shaft
from root to tip. In response, Lachlan’s breath quickened,
and a ruddy flush spread across his cheeks. He brought his
head up, grabbed Alec’s jaw, and took Alec’s mouth in a
brutal kiss.
Holy shit. My heart raced and my eyes went wide. They
went at each other like they battled for supremacy, neither
giving an inch. Alec jerked Lachlan’s cock harder, his fist
flying up and down Lachlan’s shaft. Lachlan grunted and
squeezed Alec’s jaw until his fingers turned white. It was
intense and rough and so crazy hot I struggled to breathe.
As quickly as it started, the kiss ended. The guys broke
apart, and suddenly I had two pairs of hot male eyes on me
again. In a blink, Alec levered himself over me and buried
his face in my neck, nuzzling the sensitive skin under my
ear. “All right, sweetheart?”
“Yes,” I breathed, letting my eyes flutter shut as the tip
of his tongue touched my skin. “More than all right.”
He kissed a blazing path down my chest and captured a
nipple in his hot mouth.
I jerked, then moaned as he tongued all around the
peak. “Please keep doing that,” I said, my breath hitching.
It hitched again when he nestled his hips between mine
and prodded my entrance with the tip of his cock. Desire
zipped back and forth from my sex to my captive nipple.
He sucked a final time, then transferred his attention to
the other breast. “Fucking perfect tits,” he muttered
around the damp peak, but I barely heard him as I tried to
squirm my sex closer to his cock. He seemed oblivious to
my efforts as he continued his ministrations, his tongue
stroking and lashing. Desperate, I squiggled a hand
between our bodies and gripped his shaft.
He released my nipple with a popping sound and lifted
burning eyes to mine. “God, yes, Chloe. Put me inside you,
lass.”
Faces inches apart, we locked gazes as I guided him to
my entrance. He thrust forward, seating himself to the hilt
and making us both shudder. My sex clamped hard around
his shaft, and he released a long, satisfied groan. Then he
smoothed the hair off my forehead and lowered his mouth
to mine.
He kissed me gently, his soft lips a contrast to his rigid
shaft buried inside me. After a minute, he pushed upright,
his bright eyes searching my face. “You’re so tight, baby.
I’m not hurting you, am I?”
Was he crazy? It took a second before I managed to
speak. “Not even a little bit. I’ve never felt this good.”
“I take that as a challenge,” Lachlan said, rising behind
Alec and making me blink. In my lust-addled haze, I’d lost
track of him.
Oh no. Did he think I preferred Alec over him? How did
people navigate the etiquette of threesomes? I licked my
lips. “I didn’t… I don’t… Do you—”
His grin stopped my babbling in its tracks. Lachlan
MacKay was grinning at me. And, oh God, a lock of dark
hair had fallen over his forehead, giving him a roguish look.
He snaked a muscled arm around Alec’s chest and toyed
with a flat, brown nipple. “Relax, Chloe. I’ve got plenty to
occupy me back here.”
My pulse picked up as his meaning sank in. I couldn’t
see much from my angle, but the way he was positioned,
with his thighs flush against Alec’s ass, he must have
nestled his cock between Alec’s cheeks, where it would
tease Alec’s most sensitive places.
“Fucking cocktease,” Alec muttered.
Yep. That was exactly what Lachlan was doing.
 Alec shuddered and closed his eyes as Lachlan brought
a second hand around and smoothed it over Alec’s chest.
Lachlan found Alec’s other nipple and tweaked that one,
too, pinching and rolling the dusky peaks with his
fingertips.
I watched Alec closely, entranced by the expressions
that played over his face as Lachlan continued touching
and tormenting him. Curiosity made me bold. “Does that
feel as good for you as it does for a woman?”
Alec’s eyes flew open, and his lips curved even as he
seemed to fight back a moan. “Well, I’ve never been a
woman, lass, but I’m gonna have to say yes. Because”—he
jerked, sinking his cock deeper inside me—“it feels pretty
damn good.”
Lachlan leaned forward and gave Alec’s ear a playful
nip. “I can do better than good.”
Alec’s reply was more breath than sound. “Please
fucking do.”
“Fuck her first,” Lachlan growled in his ear. He pushed
his hips against Alec’s backside. “I want you both moaning
when I take this ass.”
The dirty talk had me gripping the sheets again.
“So bossy,” Alec murmured, but he started to move,
giving me slow, thorough pumps that lifted goosebumps on
my skin.
My inner muscles spasmed, and fresh heat pooled low in
my belly. He braced himself above me, pulled back, then
surged home in a powerful thrust that jiggled my breasts.
“Again,” Lachlan ordered in a thick voice, his golden
eyes glued to my chest. How could I have forgotten he was
a boob man? My heart pounded, and I could almost feel the
hot ropes of his release lashing my nipples.
Alec withdrew almost all the way before plunging back
in.
“Again.”
Alec repeated the move.
 “Again.”
Another deep thrust, and then Alec fell into a grinding
rhythm that stole my breath and made pleasure dance over
my skin. I clutched his biceps for support as he pummeled
me, then moaned and closed my eyes when he changed the
angle so his shaft rubbed my clit. With every pump, my
desire coiled tighter and tighter, ready to burst apart and
send me flying into another release.
When he slowed unexpectedly, I thrust my hips up,
struggling to capture my orgasm before it slipped away.
“Hold on, lass,” he said in a strained voice. Then he
moaned. “Yes. Oh my… Yes.”
I opened my eyes as I realized what was happening. He
bit his lower lip, and the muscles in his forearms flexed as
he braced himself above me. Lachlan loomed behind him,
his brow furrowed as he guided his cock into Alec’s ass.
Unlike the frenzied kiss they’d shared, this was slow and
steady. Easy and gentle.
And more erotic than anything they’d done until now.
Alec moaned and rolled his hips back, the movement
shifting his erection inside me.
“That’s it, baby,” Lachlan rumbled, and I realized he
spoke to Alec. “Open all the way up. Just like that.” He
palmed Alec’s ass, prising his cheeks apart as he eased
inside inch by inch. I raised my head, struggling to see, but
Alec’s shoulders blocked most of the action. Still, the look
on Alec’s face and the gruff, sexy sounds he made told me
everything I needed to know. Bliss flickered over his
features, and his eyes gleamed like emeralds as Lachlan
worked his cock deeper. After a minute, Lachlan surged
forward, thrusting hard.
Alec sucked in a breath, then exhaled a string of soft
curses interspersed with moans.
“Feel good?” Lachlan said, bending and kissing the
other man’s sweat-sheened shoulder.
 “Aye,” Alec grunted, starting to move in sync with
Lachlan’s thrusts. “More.”
Lachlan chuckled and lifted his head to smile at me over
Alec’s shoulder. “A man of few words. That’s a first.”
“Piss off,” Alec said, but there was no heat in it. He
moaned again as Lachlan drove deep. “Oh yeah… Fuck,
that’s good. Ah, man, keep going.”
Lachlan grasped Alec’s hips and fell into a rhythm,
rocking forward in sure, steady strokes. Every movement,
every surge, pushed Alec’s cock deeper inside me, as if
Lachlan made love to both of us. Pinned under their bodies,
it was almost impossible to move, which left me helpless to
do much besides lie there and take each thrust as it came,
my legs wide and my breasts bouncing. The air filled with
our combined moans, the slap of flesh on flesh, and the wet
sounds of my sodden sex. It was dirty and forbidden and
utterly incredible.
Alec went to his elbows and claimed my mouth, his
tongue tangling with mine. The new position deepened his
thrusts, and suddenly his cock hit a spot inside me that
made the coil of my desire blast apart. My cry of ecstasy
soared into his mouth as my orgasm seized me in a searing
grip and didn’t let go. The pleasure kept coming, each wave
more powerful than the last.
Lachlan’s movements grew faster and more frenzied. He
squeezed Alec’s hip and gave a final thrust. “Coming…
Coming so hard in this tight ass.”
At the same moment, Alec gave a hoarse shout, buried
his face in my neck, and unloaded deep inside me. We came
together, all three of us gasping and shivering.
And we came down together, crashing back to earth in a
warm, satiated heap.
For the next few minutes, the only sounds were our
harsh breaths as we lay in a tangle of limbs and sheets. The
guys seemed to realize they were crushing me, because
they pulled out and maneuvered us so I lay between them.
Lachlan stretched on his side, one arm folded under his
head and my backside tucked against his hips. Alec faced
me and flung an arm over my waist, his hand resting on
Lachlan’s stomach. As my heart rate returned to normal, a
wave of lassitude swept me. I let my eyes drift shut,
cocooned by their big, warm bodies.
Very warm bodies.
Dragons.
Questions formed in my brain, then vanished like wisps
of smoke. There were things I needed to ask, but the waves
of lethargy kept coming, each one pushing me farther into
the depths of sleep.
And maybe, I thought as the darkness gathered, maybe
this was just another dream.
Maybe I’d wake in the morning and discover dragons
weren’t real after all.

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter

Ten

OceanofPDF.com
 CHLOE

W hen I woke, the bed was empty. Sunlight streamed

through the window and a column of black smoke
shivered in the air.
Okay. So last night wasn’t a dream.
Also, dragons? Very real.
As I sat up and pulled the sheet to my chest, the smoke
formed into Alec. His hair was wet, and he wore nothing
but a satisfied smile.
“Mornin’, lass.”
I tucked a stray curl behind my ear. “Um, good
morning.” Don’t look at his cock. Do not look at his cock.
He grinned.
Heat blasted my cheeks. I had to start remembering he
and Lachlan could read minds. And turn into smoke. And
move so quickly I couldn’t track it. Good grief, what had I
gotten myself into?
More importantly, how could I have jumped into bed
with them after their revelation? Was I really that
susceptible to muscled chests and a Scottish brogue?
Alec stepped toward me with a concerned expression.
His shaft swung heavy against his thigh, the thick length
appearing even bigger in the daylight.
My face grew hotter. “M-Maybe you could put on some
pants.”
 A contrite expression flashed over his features. “Sorry.
Clothes and shifting don’t mix. But I can make do.” He sat
on the mattress and pulled a corner of the bedding over his
lap. “Better?”
“Yes,” I choked out. Somehow, the fact that I’d slept with
him and Lachlan—twice—was more shocking than finding
out they were mythical creatures with magic powers.
Although, who was I kidding? Everything about the past
two days was shocking. Maybe that was my life now, just
stumbling from one disaster to another.
Alec frowned. “Last night was not a disaster.”
I pulled the sheet higher, as if the fabric might keep him
out of my head. “Can you hear my thoughts all the time?”
Oh God, had he been listening in since I’d met him?
“No,” he said quickly. “The gift doesn’t work that way.
With most people, I can only send, not receive, although I
can pick up a person’s thoughts if they’re very strong or
directed specifically toward me. I can’t grab images or
dreams, just words, and I typically have to be in the same
room with someone to communicate mentally. I hear
Lachlan more clearly than most because he’s my mate.”
My stomach did a little flip. “You used that word last
night, when I asked what you are.”
“That’s right.” His voice grew husky, and something
glinted in his eyes. “You’re also my mate. Mine and Lach’s.
We’ve waited a very long time for you, Chloe.”
Verra. What was it about his accent that made me
abandon all sense and melt into a puddle of lust? But I
couldn’t afford to do that now. I needed answers. “What
exactly does that mean, me being your mate? Is it like a
girlfriend or—”
The door opened and Lachlan entered. He wore black
pants and a dark sweater that looked like cashmere and
was probably something far more expensive. His shoulders
strained the material, and his hair was damp.
 Immediately, my brain conjured images of him and Alec
together in the shower, their powerful bodies slicked with
water. I slammed my mind shut, shoving the pictures from
my head before either man could discern my thoughts.
Lachlan stopped at the foot of the bed and frowned at
Alec. “Would it have killed you to use the door like a normal
person?”
Alec shrugged. “Chloe knows about us now. We’ll have
no secrets between us.”
But I didn’t know everything. And questions flooded my
mind so quickly my head seemed to spin.
Except it didn’t just seem to. The room tilted, and my
stomach lurched as a wave of queasiness crashed over me.
“Chloe?” Lachlan was at my side in seconds. “You’re as
pale as the sheets. Here, let me help you, lass.” He guided
my upper body down so my forehead rested on my knees.
Cold sweat pricked my temples and under my arms, and my
mouth watered uncontrollably.
Gentle fingers stroked my hair back from my head.
“Deep breaths,” Alec said. “Nice and slow.”
I did as he instructed, inhaling air until my lungs
burned, then releasing it through my mouth. The nausea
passed quickly, and I straightened, embarrassed to the
core. “I’m sorry,” I mumbled. “I must still be jet lagged.”
The guys exchanged a glance, an odd look passing
between them.
“What?” My embarrassment deepened. “Is something
wrong?”
“No, honey.” Alec patted my knee. For once, he seemed
hesitant, as if he was unsure of himself. “You’re human
and…well, it may take a while for you to…acclimate.”
Apprehension rose swiftly. “What am I acclimating to?”
“Nothing bad. Just a different kind of life.”
He and Lachlan shared another glance, and my unease
grew. The events of the night roared back, reminding me
how easily they’d subdued me on the roof.
 And then Alec had hauled me to the tower and told me I
couldn’t leave the room. He’d glowed when he said it, and
his words had licked over my skin like an electric current.
It wasn’t a sensation I wanted to repeat.
Both men frowned. Alec reached for me. “Chloe—”
“Wait.” I scooted back, tugging the sheet with me. With
the harsh light of day filling the room, the atmosphere was
different. Gone was the dreamy, seductive night. This was
reality, and the men I thought I knew were not human. “I
don’t know how any of this works. Are you saying you want
a relationship? Or is this mate thing like a marriage?”
Lachlan was utterly still, his golden eyes more serious
than I’d ever seen them. Which was saying a lot. His deep
voice was just as solemn. “It’s far more than a marriage.
The mate bond is permanent.”
“And eternal,” Alec said.
My heart rate picked up. Suddenly, the bed felt smaller
with both of them on it. “What do you mean by eternal?
Like angels and Heaven?”
Alec shook his head. “Dragons are the only true
immortals. We can only die of heartbreak, and even that’s
usually a choice. We are very hard to kill.”
Verra. This time, it didn’t make lust shoot through my
veins. Heart hammering, I searched his face, for once
unmoved by his masculine beauty. “How old are you?”
“A touch over three hundred.”
Oh…my God. He was older than the United States. No
wonder he knew so much about the paintings in the long
gallery. He’d probably met some of the people in them.
Lachlan’s expression was inscrutable as I turned to him.
“And you?”
“A fair bit older than that.”
“How old?”
There was a pause. “Twelve hundred years, lass.”
I gasped. “I am twenty-four years old.”
 “Aye,” Alec said. “But you’ll learn age is truly just a
number. Especially once you get past the first couple of
centuries.”
My pulse fluttered. “So I’m immortal like you now?”
“You will be.” Something dark and possessive flitted
through his eyes. “After we claim you.”
“What does that mean?” I swung my gaze between them
again, beginning to feel like I was trapped in a neverending
ping pong game. Panic stirred in my gut. My family wasn’t
religious, but my mother had taken me to St. Patrick’s
Cathedral every Christmas as a child. The pomp and
pageantry of the mass was beautiful, but I’d spent most of
the service staring at the stained glass windows, several of
which featured scenes of Heaven. To my child’s brain, the
idea of eternity was terrifying. What would I do all day in
Heaven? Or eternally mated to a pair of dragons? What if I
wanted to leave?
Alec’s eyes flashed. “We settled that question last night,
Chloe.”
“You mean after you spanked me?” God, how could I
have forgotten that?
Easy. I was busy having multiple orgasms.
He narrowed his eyes. “A mere swat. You were ready to
punt my bollocks to Inverness.”
I’m starting to wish I had.
A red-gold eyebrow shot up. “That’s playing dirty,
lassie.”
“Stay out of my head!” I scrambled back, and my
shoulders bumped wood. Trapped. Again. My chest
tightened. “Last night you promised I could leave. But now
you’re talking about mates and claiming and immortality.
So I need you to level with me.” I pressed against the
headboard until it dug into my spine. “Will you let me go?”
The men were quiet, their gazes steady.
And that was all the answer I needed.
 “Am I a prisoner here?” I asked, hating the way my voice
quivered at the end.
“Never,” Alec said.
“Then say you’ll let me go!”
“We can’t do that. You’re our mate.” His eyes lightened,
and for a moment he seemed to grapple with some strong
emotion. He took a few deep breaths. “Dragons are
possessive about their mates. It’s…unwise to run from us.”
For the first time, genuine fear slid down my spine. Was
he saying they would hunt me down?
Lachlan spoke. “You asked us to level with you, Chloe.
So here is the truth. Our race has no females. They died out
long ago, taken by a mysterious sickness that only affected
our women. It happened in another time, when the world
was steeped in magic. Maybe it was a virus or some kind of
blood disorder, but most likely it was a spell engineered by
our enemies. We call it the Curse.”
“Fucking vampires,” Alec muttered, and I jerked my
head toward him. Vampires were real, too?
“We’ve never been able to prove it was them,” Lachlan
said. “But they and the other Firstborn Races—the other
magic wielders in the world—celebrated the Curse,
thinking it would be the end of us. Admittedly, they had
some justification. Our ancestors were a violent lot. There’s
a reason human fairy tales talk of dragons burning villages
—”
“We don’t do that anymore,” Alec said.
“—and killing innocents.”
“Or that.”
“What about kidnapping maidens?” I blurted. I’d read
enough Grimm’s to know how the stories went, and the
Disney versions bore little resemblance to the originals.
There was also the fact that I was sitting in a tower room
cornered by a pair of freaking dragons.
Lachlan didn’t deny it. “Fate chooses a mate for
everyone, Chloe. Even humans. Your kind just doesn’t
usually live long enough to meet the person chosen for
them. Or maybe they meet in another life, I don’t know. But
time isn’t an issue for the Firstborn Races. We can wait
thousands of years for our true mate to appear. When the
last female dragon died, our forefathers prepared to follow.
However, fate is a fluid thing. It adjusts and adapts. Instead
of dying off, the male pairs discovered new mates among
the Firstborns.”
Well, that didn’t sound so bad. And his explanation about
soulmates made sense. There were always those rare
couples who seemed perfect for each other, or the
occasional touching story of an elderly pair who died hours
or days apart.
“Fate gave us new mates,” he said, “but it was an
imperfect adjustment.” He found a loose thread on the
bedding and snapped it off, leaving a tiny hole. “Each time
a dragon pair is matched with a female from another race,
we take her away from her people.”
“And the chance to mate with one of her own,” Alec
murmured, his gaze on the tear.
“Vampire, werewolf, witch, and fae,” Lachlan said. “All
the other Firstborn Races united against us. They couldn’t
kill our males outright, so they targeted our females,
slaughtering their own daughters in an effort to wipe
dragons from the earth.” His jaw clenched. “In doing so,
they even killed their own kin. With the exception of our
king, all dragons are halflings, since our mothers come
from different races. But the lords of the other Firstborns
didn’t care about that.”
“They just wanted us dead,” Alec said bitterly. “With no
dragons in the world, fate would eventually pair their
females with an acceptable mate.” He gave me a thin smile.
“Your mother’s attitude toward our way of life isn’t new.
Most Firstborns are lusty creatures, but dragons are the
only polyamorous race. A thousand-year-old vampire prince
is unlikely to cheer at seeing his daughter mated to two
males who share a bed.”
“So it was war,” Lachlan said. “We fought for centuries,
our numbers dwindling. Desperate, our forefathers took to
acquiring females to test if they were compatible as mates.
That practice is where your fairy tales come from.”
Acquiring, he’d said. But he really meant abducting.
“You mean you held them prisoner.” I glanced around the
near-empty room. At the barred window. The castle was
old. The tower looked ancient, the blocks in the walls
rougher and more primitive than the other rooms I’d seen.
“You kept them in places like this.”
“It was a different time, Chloe. Our people were dying.”
“That doesn’t make it right.”
“No,” Alec said quietly. “And it rarely worked. Cormac,
our king, negotiated a treaty with the other races. Dragons
agreed not to capture or use magic to steal females, and
the other Firstborns agreed to a cease fire. Once a dragon
pair claims a female, her kin are forbidden from trying to
take her back. But we must claim her fairly, and she has to
come to us of her own free will.”
As silence fell, I struggled to make sense of everything.
So their war was over and they were free to pursue any
female they wanted as long as they didn’t hold her against
her will?
Then why was I sitting in a room with bars on the
windows?
“To keep you safe,” Lachlan said, reading my thoughts.
“The treaty stopped the war, but it didn’t make the other
Firstborns suddenly love us. Targeting our females remains
one of the few ways to harm a dragon. Our enemies are
forever skirting the edges of the treaty without breaking it.
Claiming you will afford you some protection, but you’ll still
be vulnerable. The safest place for you is by our side.”
My lips parted. Did he mean forever? As in, I could
never be alone again? Not even to grab coffee?
 “For now,” he said.
I rubbed my forehead, which had started to ache. “This
is a lot to take in. It’s all new to me and having you both in
my head isn’t helping.”
“It’s new to me as well, lass.” He glanced at Alec.
“Telepathy wasn’t one of my gifts until you came along.”
I lowered my hand. “What do you mean?”
“It’s a fae ability. My mother was a werewolf.” He
grimaced. “Not a race known for their communication
skills.”
My gaze drifted to Alec. “So your mother was…”
“Fae. We inherit gifts from our mothers, but dragon
blood is strong. For example, Lach is pulled by the moon,
but he can’t shift into wolf form. His dragon side is too
dominant. When we pass on our genes, our bairns only get
our dragon DNA. It’s as if the blood protects itself from
being diluted.”
The mention of bairns made my stomach do a weird little
flip. “I’m human. I don’t have any gifts to pass on.”
An aura of discomfort settled over the men. Alec smiled,
but it wasn’t one of his open, easy smiles. “You’ll pass on
love for your children, lass.”
Lachlan was silent. When I met his gaze, he lowered his
eyes, his expression locked down as tight as I’d ever seen
it.
And, suddenly, puzzle pieces clicked into place. His
relative coldness toward me when Alec was so warm and
charming. His not-so-subtle efforts to convince me to stay
in New York. “It bothers you,” I said. “Me being human.”
He lifted his head, but his eyes were shuttered. “It
doesn’t matter. Fate chose you for us.”
“How can you be sure?”
Alec’s smile fled. “I should think last night proved it.
And the night before that.” He raked a gaze down my
sheet-clad body. “Deny it all you want, sweet Chloe, but you
want us. Badly.”
 Heat blossomed in all the usual places, but I ignored it. I
couldn’t let him seduce me again. I had too much to think
about. Like whether I was okay committing to an eternity of
living with two dragons.
Including one who might not really want me at all.
Gaze locked with Alec’s, I marshaled every ounce of
willpower I possessed. “I want”—I dragged in a breath,
then spoke in a rush—“to go back to my room.”
His irises lightened, and for a split second I swore I
could see fire in the emerald depths. Then, like the moon
emerging from behind a cloud, light built under his skin.
His features changed, growing sharper, and his hair waved
in a breeze I couldn’t feel. His ears curved to delicate
points. He was beautiful. But it was a terrible beauty.
Something tickled my cheek, and I realized I was crying.
Playful, charming Alec was gone. In his place was a
gorgeous, haughty creature too breathtaking to be real.
Seeing him now, it was laughable to think I could have ever
held him off with a sword.
Moving with fluid grace, he turned his head slightly,
looking over his shoulder.
The door clicked, then slowly opened. My breath caught
in my throat.
He faced me, and his voice rippled with the same
electric power from the night before. “You can leave this
room… But you’re not to leave the castle.”

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter

Eleven

OceanofPDF.com
 ALEC

F ive days after Lachlan and I talked to Chloe in the

tower, I knew I’d fucked up.
By dropping my glamour and calling up my power,
I’d intended to show her there were dangerous creatures in
the world, and that running from Lachlan and me would be
foolish. Instead, I scared her senseless and now she wanted
nothing to do with either of us. She’d gone straight from
the tower to her bedroom, and we hadn’t seen her since.
I’d waited three hundred years to find my female. Now
she was two doors down and it might as well be two
thousand.
“Do you think it’s possible to die from lack of sex?” I
asked Lachlan from the sofa in his bedroom, where I lay on
my back with a glass of whisky balanced on my bare chest.
He sat in the chair opposite me, his face buried in a
newspaper. A fire roared merrily in the fireplace, snapping
and dancing. Mocking me.
“Lach?”
He folded down the top of his paper long enough to cast
me a mild look. “If this is about Chloe, you have no one to
blame but yourself.”
“Really? I had no idea. Too bad you haven’t pointed it
out several times.”
“If you’re that hard up, you should use your hand.”
 “Or you could blow me.”
He flipped his paper back up.
“Arsehole,” I muttered.
“If you spill whisky on my sofa,” he said airily from
behind the paper, “you’ll regret it.”
“I’ll buy you a new one.”
“I like that one.”
I grabbed the glass, sat, and drained it in one gulp.
“Better?”
A muffled grunt was all I got.
“You know they put the news on the internet now. You
don’t have to murder trees to know what’s going on in the
world.”
“Joshua Bennington announced his engagement to
Clarissa Wakefield this morning.”
My jaw dropped. “Get the fuck out.”
He lowered the paper. “Says it right here in the Times.”
His brows pulled together. “That son of a bitch moves fast.”
No kidding. “Do you think Chloe knows? They publish all
that shite online. Or someone could have texted her. She
has her phone.” Which Lach and I had debated taking from
her. In the end, we decided the risk of her contacting
anyone was minimal. What would she tell them? That a
couple of dragons were holding her prisoner so she didn’t
get kidnapped by a werewolf or fae?
Lachlan folded the paper and tossed it aside. “It’s hard
to know when she won’t even speak to us.”
That wasn’t entirely true. When she didn’t emerge for
meals, I took to leaving food outside her door as I had when
she felt queasy in the long gallery. I’d whipped out every
culinary skill in my arsenal, trying to tempt her with herb-
roasted lamb, duck breasts in cranberry chutney, and
crème brûlée.
Lachlan had shaken his head at the last. “Chocolate,
Alec. If you’re going to grovel to a woman, always go with
chocolate.”
 His advice proved prescient, because when I added a
chocolate and caramel tart to her dinner, there was a note
scribbled on the napkin when I collected the empty tray
later that evening.
Has a dragon pair ever been wrong about thinking
someone was their mate?
I’d tucked my reply on a card beside her eggs Benedict
the next morning.
Never.
Two meals went by—crab brioche bites and chickpea
gnocchi—before I received her second note.
Do dragons ever have daughters?
My heart had soared at the thought of it, then sank
when I had to reply with the truth.
Sadly, no. The Curse extends to our offspring, too. We
only produce sons.
I decided not to mention I was willing to spend the rest
of my life trying to break that streak with her.
Her next question came a day later.
Have other dragons mated with a human?
It took me three hours to get the fondant on her petit
fours just right, and I was equally careful with my answer.
It’s rare. But we live a long time, and there aren’t all
that many dragons in the world. There would probably be
more human mates if we increased our numbers.
Which we were desperate to do. Dragons had never
been a prolific species—something true across all the
Firstborn Races. Most agreed it was Nature’s way of
controlling the magical population. We lived such long
lives. The planet couldn’t sustain billions of beings capable
of surviving thousands of years.
But the Curse, followed by centuries of war, had left
dragons toying with extinction. And now maybe I’d pushed
us a step closer by screwing up with Chloe. Lachlan hadn’t
helped by putting doubts in her head about fate giving us a
human mate. Six meals had passed since her last note, and
my hopes of receiving another were fading fast.
I set my empty whisky glass on the end table with a
decisive thunk. “We have to persuade her to accept our
claim.”
Lachlan folded his arms, making his T-shirt pull taut
across his shoulders. He also wore MacKay tartan pajama
bottoms, which I’d gotten him as a joke. The
uncharacteristically casual clothes made him even sexier
for some reason. Which, considering he’d been holding out
on me since Chloe fled the tower, was irritating as hell.
“How do you propose to do that?” he demanded.
“I’ll charm her.” I waved a hand when his eyes
darkened. “Not charm her charm her. I mean use my
considerable powers of seduction to soften her up.”
He snorted. “Someone’s awfully confident.”
“You doubt my abilities?”
“You’ve tried all your bedroom tricks.”
I stood and walked toward him, untying the drawstring
on my sweats as I went. I let my voice dip into a lower
register. “Not all of them.”
He rolled his eyes, but his breath hitched when I
dropped the sweats and my erection sprang free—and he
didn’t protest when I climbed into his lap and straddled his
thighs. He eased back slowly, unfolding his arms and
resting his head on the back of the chair.
Unlike him, I didn’t go slow. After five days of reluctant
celibacy, I was ready to burst as I slid my hands into his
hair and mashed my mouth to his, my hips rolling so the tip
of my cock prodded his abs.
His lips curved against mine. “What bedroom trick is
that?”
My answer came in heavy rasps as I stroked my tongue
back and forth across his, reveling in his taste and the feel
of his hard body under mine. “When I think…of a name…I’ll
tell you.”
 We made out for several long moments, our moans
filling the room along with the crackling fire. He skimmed
his hands up my back and over my shoulders, raising
goosebumps in his wake. Pulling me closer so our chests
touched and my aching shaft leaked onto his shirt. Judging
from the damp bulge nudging my ass, he was having the
same problem.
Still kissing him, I tugged at his shirt. “Take this off.
Want tae feel you.”
He tried turning his head.
I growled and brought him right back with a hand on his
jaw.
His laugh rumbled my mouth, and he jerked his head
more forcefully, breaking off the kiss. “It’s hard to undress
when you’re sucking my face off, Murray.”
I leaned back so he had room to maneuver. As I watched
him pull his shirt over his head, I frowned. “What’s with the
distance this week, anyway?” It wasn’t like him to turn
down sex. But he had—repeatedly—and my balls were in
serious danger of staying blue forever.
He lifted his ass enough to push his pajama pants down
his hips. When his shaft sprang thick and ready between
us, he gave it a pointed look. “You really want to talk about
this now?”
No. But it seemed important. If there was tension
between the two of us, how could we hope to woo Chloe?
We needed to present a united front.
He sighed. “I’ve just been working through some things
in my mind. I guess you could say coming to terms with
Chloe being ours.”
“So you accept it?” I tried to keep the eagerness from
my voice, but I was probably unsuccessful. He knew me too
well.
“Aye,” he said softly. “It’s hard to deny the mental
connection.” A distant look entered his eyes, as if he saw
things I couldn’t. “I’ve lived so long, I thought I’d seen
everything. Never could I have anticipated gaining a new
gift, and one no werewolf halfling is supposed to possess.
And I certainly can’t deny wanting Chloe’s body.” His throat
worked as he swallowed. “I don’t think I’ve ever craved a
woman so badly. I wanted to see if going without her made
me feel different. If the need would fade.” He flashed a
rueful smile. “It hasn’t.”
Joy burst like a firework inside me. I never doubted he’d
accept her eventually, but hearing him say it meant
everything, especially in light of her recent questions about
dragons mating with humans. She might dispute the power
of fate, but I didn’t.
And now I knew Lachlan didn’t either.
I wrapped a hand around his cock and gave him a few
slow, thorough pumps. “Well, until we bring Chloe around, I
guess you’ll have to make do with me.”
His golden eyes glittered with unconcealed lust. “That’s
hardly a sacrifice.”
I bent and kissed him again, and it was like he released
some kind of barrier he’d imposed on himself. The
dominant, insatiable Lachlan came roaring back, his tongue
shoving at mine and his hands roving my body like he
couldn’t get enough. His biceps flexed as he explored, his
questing hands stroking my shaft and cupping my balls. He
ran a hot palm over my abs. Another across my chest,
teasing my nipples as he went. When I was flushed and
trembling, he slipped a hand under my ass and found my
crease.
“Don’t need prep,” I rasped, bearing down on his fingers
teasing at my entrance. “Just give me your cock.”
With record speed, he stretched an arm to the end table,
dug in the drawer, and produced a bottle of lube.
Even burning up with desire, I managed to smirk. “I love
how you have those stashed in every corner of the castle.”
His response was to coat his fingers and carry them
back to my hole.
 “Lach—”
“Shhh.” He worked two slick fingers inside me, making
the hair on my arms lift. “Let me have this,” he said in a
voice like sandpaper. “Let me feel you.”
The plea did me in. I pushed my impatience aside as I
spread my legs wider, urging his fingers deep. Thrilling at
the stretch and fullness. The slight burn that slid into a
delicious pressure that spread from my ass through every
part of my body. Holding my gaze, he pumped his fingers in
a languid rhythm, sliding all the way out and over my taint
before plunging back in. Massaging my prostate in wicked
strokes that had me squirming and shivering.
I braced my palms on his broad shoulders as I rocked
my hips, choking back a moan at the way the movement
made our dicks rub together. When he added a third finger
I bit my lip, then released a shaky laugh. “You’re gonna
make me come doing that.”
“Hittin’ the right spot, am I?” he murmured, his gaze
locked with mine.
“Aye, but your cock would feel better.”
“Then you’ll get it.” He slapped my ass with his free
hand. “Up.”
I lifted my hips long enough for him to grasp his cock
and bring the tip to my clenching pucker. Then I lowered
myself onto his shaft, and we both groaned as I clamped
hard around him.
“Ride me,” he muttered, urging me into a rhythm with a
hand on my hip. “Fuck, that’s a good lad.”
Speech deserted me for a moment as I started to grind,
setting a pace that had us both moaning.
“So good,” I gasped, and I would never tell him, but it
was almost better for the drought he’d put us through. Like
the first bite of food after a long stretch of hunger. Being
equal in height, our faces were on level, so I caught every
emotion that crossed his face. Even the ones he was usually
too stoic to say aloud.
 Adoration.
Obsession.
Love.
At the last, I grasped his face and slanted my mouth
across his, sucking at his tongue as my ass clenched hard
around his dick, grabbing at him with every stroke.
He made a sexy sound somewhere between a growl and
a whimper, then squeezed my ass with both hands and
started to move, surging his hips up in short, rapid thrusts.
Pleasure rushed at me from everywhere at once. My
world shrank to his golden gaze and the slap of my ass
against his thighs. The mind-numbing bursts of pleasure
that came with each thrust of his cock. I bounced harder,
and my dick flapped between us, the tip swollen and
drizzled with precum. I reached for my shaft, but he batted
my hand away.
“Let me take care of you,” he said huskily, and took my
erection in a firm grip slick with lube.
Ecstasy. Streaking through me like a pinball gone crazy.
I rode him faster, grinding hard as his hand flew up and
down my cock. My legs tingled as my whole body got on
board with my impending release.
“That’s it,” he crooned, his eyes glowing slits. “Blow that
hot load all over me.” He reached his other hand under me
and fingered my rim, stroking hard where our bodies
joined.
My eyes rolled back in my head. “Fuck! Oh…fuck.” My
balls tingled, and then my orgasm ripped through me like a
thunderclap. My stomach clenched, and I cried out and
slammed onto his cock a final time as hot jets spurted from
my shaft, soaking his chest and stomach.
He was right behind me, baring his teeth as he thrust
once…twice, then shuddered as he came deep inside my
ass.
I collapsed against his chest with my face buried in his
neck. His pulse fluttered against my lips, and I touched the
tip of my tongue to his skin, tasting salt and sex and fire. As
our chests heaved and our hearts thudded against each
other, my eyelids grew heavy. With sleep beckoning, I
murmured, “So you liked my bedroom trick?”
I heard the smile in his deep, sated voice as he ran his
fingertips up and down my spine. “Aye. It was quite a trick.”
Deep in my mind, my beast purred, pleased at having
satisfied its mate. I closed my eyes.
“But it won’t work on Chloe,” he said.
My eyes flew open. Wide awake now, I sat up. My beast
came alert, too, riled at the thought of losing her. “What’s
that supposed to mean?”
“We’ve tried sex with her. We need something different.”
“But…” My mouth worked, but no words came out. “I
can’t think of anything else,” I finished.
His chest shook with laughter. “I know, Alec. You do
most of your thinking with your cock.”
“Says the male with his dick lodged in my arse.” My
beast stirred more forcefully, itching for a fight. Its
emotions rose hot in my mind. First he denied us for days
on end, now he called us a manwhore?
Okay, so maybe the last part was justified. But he had a
lot of nerve saying it, given he was the direct beneficiary of
my sex drive. I went to slide off his lap, but he grabbed my
thigh.
“Hold on.” He moved his hand to my jaw and leaned up
to capture my mouth. “I’m sorry,” he murmured, brushing
his lips over mine.
I held still, making him work for it. “You love my cock,” I
muttered defensively.
His soft laugh was warm on my chin. “I absolutely do.”
He drew back so he could look at me. “But I love you
more.”
I gave in with a sigh, letting him apologize with a slow,
thorough kiss. When we drew apart at last, I could see the
tiny flames of my beast reflected in his pupils.
He smiled. “I have an idea.”

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Twelve

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 CHLOE

I f I continued eating Alec’s food, I was going to get fat.

Already, my pants fit more snugly.
But I knew refusing meals was a surefire way to
make two dragons appear in my room.
Plus, Alec’s cooking was to die for. Surprise, surprise,
the same man who made meeracle toast prepared food
worthy of a Michelin star.
Of course, he’d had lots of time to practice. Because he
was three hundred years old.
That was just one of the realities I’d grappled with over
the past four days…or was it five? I sighed and settled
deeper into the featherbed in my princess room. Anyone
viewing my situation from the outside would probably call
me an idiot for being hesitant about Alec and Lachlan. They
were rich, handsome, and exceptionally skilled in bed. They
said fate had brought us together. They wanted to spend
forever with me.
What more could a girl ask for? That level of
commitment was hard to come by.
But that was exactly what gave me pause. They claimed
they just knew I was theirs. That there could be no mistake.
That fate never screwed up.
Except I didn’t feel that same level of knowing. Worse,
I’d thought Josh was my soulmate. Until a week ago, I
believed with all my heart that Josh Bennington was the
love of my life.
I clenched my jaw. A couple well-meaning friends had
texted the news of his engagement. Hopefully Clarissa had
better luck than I did. Honestly, though? She and Josh
deserved each other, and I was happy I hadn’t married
someone capable of dumping one woman and announcing
his engagement to another within the same week.
But wouldn’t committing to Alec and Lachlan right now
be the same thing? How could I go from newly single to an
eternal relationship with two men in the space of five days?
And not just any men. Two dragons who also happened to
possess magical powers they inherited from other Firstborn
Races. Hell, five days ago I’d never heard of the Firstborn
Races. Now I was supposed to live in their world? A world
that, according to Alec, was inherently dangerous for me
simply because fate had chosen dragons as my mates.
On the other hand, the dragons in question were
breathtakingly gorgeous—and they had twice now given me
sex so mind-blowing I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Every
night since I’d locked myself in my room, I’d woken wet
and writhing, lust riding me so hard I’d had to bury my face
in my pillow so I could satisfy myself without waking the
guys.
But my hand was a poor substitute for their cocks and
mouths. Their fingers and tongues…
I lifted onto my elbow and punched at my pillow, fluffing
it higher. Then I collapsed with a sigh. If I didn’t figure
things out soon, I was going to end up bursting from my
bedroom and begging them to—
The door clicked, and Lachlan walked in. Six feet four
inches of Highland Scot in, oh God, he was wearing a kilt.
My gaze fixed on the blue and green pleated fabric, which
fell to his knees. Sexy knees. How had I never noticed how
sexy his knees were?
“Lass?”
 I dragged my gaze up. “Yes?” My voice emerged as a
hoarse croak, and I quickly cleared my throat. “I mean,
yes?”
He crossed the room, and my mouth watered as the kilt
swung around his legs. “I hope you don’t mind me coming
in. Alec and I have been worried.” He stopped about a foot
away, his broad shoulders filling my vision. He wore a blue
fisherman’s sweater, and his dark hair was tousled.
I sat up, absurdly grateful I’d taken a long shower and
spent extra time on my hair and makeup.
A ghost of a smile touched his lips. “You always look
beautiful.”
I sucked in a breath. “Can you not read my thoughts?”
“I’m sorry.” He ran a hand through his hair, then held it
on the back of his neck. “I’m not used to telepathy.”
“Because you’re a werewolf.” It was still hard to wrap
my mind around it.
“Yes and no. My mother’s side gives me some wolf traits
like strength and aggression, and I’m called by the moon
once a month, but my beast is dragon, not lupine.”
“And Alec’s traits are…”
He grimaced. “Alec’s a bit of a different story, and I think
you saw some of that in the tower.”
“Yes.” The memory of Alec’s glowing skin and sharp,
deadly features was unlikely to fade from my mind anytime
soon.
“May I sit?” Lachlan waited for my nod, then settled
beside me, bringing his familiar scent of aftershave and
dark spices. “Alec isn’t just any fae. His mother was a
princess of the Seelie court. It’s a popular misconception
that the Seelie are good and the Unseelie are bad or evil.
But the truth is all fae are the same. They are neither good
nor evil. They’re power, the same as electricity or fire.”
Goosebumps rose on my arms. “Is that why Alec’s
commands hurt?”
 “Aye,” he said softly, “but he didn’t mean to harm you.
You seem unusually sensitive to him, probably because—”
“I’m his mate. So you keep saying.”
He tilted his head—a wolflike gesture that, along with
his golden eyes, made that side of his ancestry apparent for
the first time. “Would it be so bad to be our mate, Chloe?”
The hint of a smile returned to his face, which was
shadowed by dark stubble. Between that and his Highland
dress, he didn’t seem like a dragon at all. Just a man. A
living, breathing man with washboard abs and perfect,
rugged features.
Out of nowhere, I heard myself say, “You’ve never talked
to me like this before.”
“What do you mean?”
“Just…” My cheeks heated. “I don’t know, just two
people talking. In the office, you always seemed in a rush.
So corporate. Like—” I cut myself off before I could say
“like Josh.”
He frowned. “I’m nothing like Bennington. For one, I’d
cut off my hands before I hurt you.”
He would, too. I might not feel the same tug of fate he
and Alec did, but I knew in my bones he would never harm
me.
“Neither would Alec,” he said, reading my thoughts.
“He’s possessive, Chloe, but he’s not a monster. When
dragons find something they want, they take it.” His eyes
gleamed. “They keep it.” Little flames seemed to dance in
his pupils. “And I think you’d like being kept.”
My nipples tightened. His domineering language should
have been a turn off. So why was my body totally ready to
sign the dotted line on the mate agreement? A kilt, a couple
of smiles, and I was prepared to ditch my freedom and stay
locked in the castle forever.
“Now, that’s where you’re wrong,” he rumbled. Before I
could tell him to get out of my head, he stood and extended
a hand. “You want out of this tower?”
“Yes—”
“Want to see Scotland?”
“Yes, but—”
“How do you feel about seeing it from the air?”

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 Chapter

Thirteen

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 CHLOE

“W hy are you wearing a kilt?” I asked Lachlan as he

led me through the castle. I hadn’t paid much
attention to where we were going. I was too busy
admiring his legs.
He slanted me a look. “Given the direction of your
thoughts, do I really need to answer that?”
I clamped my mouth shut. I wasn’t sure which was
worse, that he thought I was easy enough to be lured by a
kilt or that he might actually be right.
“You wouldn’t be the first, lass.”
We descended a set of stone steps and entered an
enormous room with a cathedral ceiling and banners lining
the walls. I wanted to gawk, but he tugged me along at a
brisk pace, his long strides carrying us to a big wooden
door.
“We can’t linger,” he said, pulling it open and gesturing
me through. “It’s three hours to London, and we need the
night sky for cover.”
Wait, I thought as we stepped into a darkened courtyard.
The flight from Inverness to London was usually only an
hour and a half. Why would it take three—
Oh.
A green dragon sat on the flagstones, its tail curled
around its body.
 When Lachlan mentioned seeing Scotland from the air, I
assumed he meant via private jet. But it looked like we
were flying Dragon Airlines.
Now I gawked. Every kid in New York City visited the
Museum of Natural History at some point or another. I’d
loved standing next to the dinosaur exhibits, marveling at
how something that big could have existed.
But the dragon in front of me wasn’t a skeleton in a
museum. It was alive and breathing, its massive chest
rising and falling as it watched me with deep green eyes
slit by vertical pupils. Its wings were tipped with curved
claws as long and thick as a car. One flick and I’d be dead.
“Easy, lass,” Lachlan said, wrapping a warm arm around
my shoulders. He raised his voice so it echoed across the
courtyard. “Alec is a gentle beastie, aren’t you, lad?”
The dragon rolled its eyes—actually rolled them—then
rose to its hind legs in a mass of glittering scales. A beat
later, it blurred and formed into smoke. The roiling,
concentrated mass streamed toward us, stopped, and
shifted into a nude Alec, who slid an exasperated look from
Lachlan to me.
“I fought in the Battle of Culloden, and this one still calls
me lad.”
Lachlan snorted. “Talk to me when you’ve fought in the
Battle of Hastings.”
“You watched the Battle of Hastings.”
“Aye, and if popcorn had existed, I would have settled
down with a bag of the stuff. It’s always a good day when
the English get their arses kicked.”
Alec groaned and spoke to me in a stage whisper. “Word
of advice, don’t ever talk about the English in front of Lach.
He won’t shut up for a week.”
“I won’t,” I said, fighting a smile. It was impossible not
to be charmed by their banter.
“Ahh, there it is,” Alec said. “I’ve missed your smile,
sweetheart.” His expression turned softer and more
serious. “And I swear to you I won’t ever do anything to
chase it away again.”
Oh my, that look. His eyes were the same shade of green
as his dragon’s. My throat went dry, and my heart rate sped
up.
He touched my cheek. “If you’ll let me, I’d like to make
amends.”
All I could manage was a breathless “okay.”
His slow grin made butterflies flutter in my stomach.
“You ready for the ride of your life?”
“I’m…not sure.”
“It’ll be fine,” Lachlan said, starting to strip. “You’ll ride
with me.”
“Lach’s bigger,” Alec said, “so you’ll have more room to
sit.” He winked. “But I’m faster.”
Lachlan’s response was a muffled growl as he pulled his
sweater over his head. “We’ll see about that.”
Aboot. God, they were killing me.
In short order, I stood between two hulking, nude Scots,
their muscled bodies gilded by moonlight.
Maybe I was already dead and this was Heaven.
Lachlan looked me up and down, his normally smooth
forehead wrinkled. “It’ll be chilly in the air. Here, put this
on.” He scooped his sweater from the ground and tugged it
over my head like I was a toddler. Immediately, I was
cocooned in Lachlan-scented wool from my neck to halfway
past my knees.
“Och, let’s fix those sleeves,” Alec said, rolling them up.
When he was finished, he stood back and nodded. “That’ll
do. Now, let’s show you a side of Scotland most people
never get to see.”
As if that was a signal, Lachlan turned and paced away.
Oh…wow. His ass would put a Greek statue to shame.
Two taut, round globes with sexy little indents that made
my mouth water. I was so fixated on his backside, his shift
took me by surprise. He poofed to a cloud of smoke, twisted
into a tight column, and then burst into a golden dragon
the size of a small mountain.
Wonder filled me as I took in his golden scales and
glittering eyes, which gleamed like liquid metal. Like Alec,
he had a crown of black spikes on his head and a row of
horns marching from the top of his spine all the way to the
tip of his tail. His face was reptilian, with an elongated
snout and a mouth full of multiple rows of serrated teeth.
Without warning, Alec scooped me into his arms and
carried me toward Lachlan.
“Hey!” I batted at Alec’s chest, which was like swatting
a boulder. “What are you—”
“Trust me, lass, when it comes to riding a dragon, you
shouldn’t think overmuch about it. It’s like learning to ride
a bike. Best to just get on and go.”
“That is not how people learn to ride a bike!”
He quirked an eyebrow. “Is it no’?”
“No, it’s no’,” I said, mimicking his accent. “It’s—” I
squawked as he tossed me into the air, then grunted when
Lachlan caught me on his wing. Before I could catch my
breath, the wing soared above the courtyard like a
construction crane. Then it tipped, and I slid onto Lachlan’s
broad back. The whole thing happened so fast I didn’t have
time to scream or worry about falling.
A column of smoke swished into the air beside me, then
shivered and took Alec’s dragon form. The beast bared
razor-sharp teeth at me in what I supposed was meant to
pass for a smile. Alec’s deep voice flowed into my head.
See? Easier than ridin’ a bike. Just don’t let go.
My heart pounded as I surveyed one of the horns
protruding from the top of Lachlan’s golden head.
Wrap your hand around it, he said in my mind. You won’t
hurt me.
I bit my lip at the innuendo, then gasped when his back
shook underneath me. “Behave yourself,” I murmured,
tracing my fingertips over one of his shimmering gold
scales. They were more comfortable than they looked—like
running my hand over a fine leather coat. If not for the
horns and the fact that I was twenty feet in the air, I might
have thought I sat in a luxury car with heated seats.
A great gust of wind tossed my hair, and then Alec
launched himself into the night sky, his body shooting past
like a rocket. Lachlan’s back dipped beneath me as he drew
a deep breath.
Then the world dropped out from under me.
For a second, I couldn’t breathe. I clung to his horns for
dear life as wind blasted my face and a jet engine roared in
my ears. It was like takeoff in an airplane, only the plane
didn’t have a roof or seat belts. We shot into the air,
climbing and climbing, Lachlan’s wings flapping like two
massive sails. They were banded with deep crimson, which
made the gold even more breathtaking. Clouds streaked
past my face. My hair grew damp, and cold air bit at my
skin.
Just as the ascent became unbearable, Lachlan snapped
his wings out straight. The roaring stopped, and we seemed
to float, suspended in the sky like a blimp over a sports
stadium. I dared to look down and my eyes went wide.
Lights dotted the Scottish countryside, which glowed a
rich green even in the middle of the night. Church spires
rose among the towns. Here and there, a castle perched on
a rugged hillside or the edge of a rocky precipice. And
everywhere there was water. Lochs of all sizes shimmered
with moonlight, as though a giant had made footprints and
then filled them with stars. Clouds drifted past like tufts of
cotton candy. Every few minutes, Lachlan’s wings gently
beat the air, sending a whoosh of wind twisting around me.
The temperature was chilly, but his body was warm. Like
cupping my hands around a mug of hot chocolate on a
snowy day.
Alec swooped into view, then settled in the air beside us.
He gave me another terrifying smile, his teeth like
stalactites in a cave. Fancy a race? Before I could reply, he
plastered his wings against his body and streaked forward,
leaving Lachlan and me in the dust.
Lachlan’s voice rumbled in my head, the timbre rich
with disapproval. Show off. Don’t worry, lass, we don’t have
to chase him.
Ahead of us, Alec looped through the sky, his body
twisting sinuously. He stopped, wings flapping, and looked
over his shoulder. Through the mental connection came the
faint sound of a chicken clucking.
I gripped Lachlan’s horns tightly and patted his back.
“Whatever happens, just promise you’ll catch me if I fall
off.”
I had time to register him chuckling in my head. Then
wind tore through my hair as he shot forward. We flew past
Alec, which was how I learned dragons look absolutely
ridiculous with a shocked expression on their faces.
My laughter was lost to the wind as we sped through the
air, the ground below going blurry. Alec flew forward, his
horned tail swishing. Lachlan dipped us sharply to the left,
ducking under Alec’s body. Obviously expecting to find us
on the right, Alec did a double-take, his spiky head
swiveling back and forth like a cartoon character.
Lachlan and I laughed together. Alec spun away,
dropped back, and released a burst of flame perilously
close to Lachlan’s tail.
And then the race was truly on.
We dipped and soared. Spun and twirled. My fear melted
away as we streaked through the sky, and I laughed as
Lachlan did barrel rolls like a fighter plane. It was so much
fun I lost track of time, and before I knew it the land
beneath us glowed with millions of lights.
London.
The guys ceased their play, and Alec’s voice entered my
head. We have to fly a bit higher, lass. Someone might spot
us.
 I held on as Lachlan flapped his wings, propelling us
upward. The lights on the ground shrank to pinpricks, and
the Thames became a narrow ribbon.
Alec settled next to Lachlan once more and swung
glowing emerald eyes to me. What do you think of your first
dragon ride?
I started to yell a reply, then tested out our mental
connection. A little scary at first, but I’m getting used to it.
Approval shone in his eyes. You just had to try it to know
you liked it.
The double meaning was clear.
A magical life awaits you, Chloe. It’s up to you to seize
it.
I stared at him as we glided over London, the glowing
city sprawled below us. It was magical. There was no
denying the view or the sheer wonder of sailing through
the sky with two dragons. They’d warned me their world
was dangerous, but that was true of the human world, too.
And yet…
I was human. There was nothing special about me. And I
hadn’t imagined Lachlan’s resignation in the tower. His
shuttered expression and grim acceptance. Human mates
were rare. Alec admitted it. I even had it in writing. Out of
nowhere, Josh’s voice rang through my head. “I don’t know,
Chloe. I think I was just bored.”
Abruptly, Lachlan folded his wings and took us on a
sharp descent. The city rushed up, making me gasp and
cling to his horns. Wind roared. My stomach dipped like I
went over the hill on a roller coaster. We punched through
a bank of clouds. A skyscraper appeared out of nowhere.
Lachlan swept toward it, snapped his wings out, and landed
on the roof. A second later, Alec alighted beside him, his
claws scraping concrete.
I barely had time to take in my surroundings when
Lachlan lowered himself to the ground and tipped his body
sideways. Instinct bade me grip his horns in a bid to stay
seated, but the angle was too steep. I slid off his back and
onto his wing—and kept right on sliding until my feet hit
the ground.
Alec was there in human form, his big hands gripping
mine and pulling me up. “All right, lass?” he asked,
brushing my tangled hair from my face.
“N-No.” I was too unsteady to push him away, so I clung
to his arm as I rounded on Lachlan. “You could have
warned me you were descending!”
The golden dragon shimmered and twisted into smoke.
“I could have fallen,” I told it.
The smoke formed into Lachlan, who strode to me,
muscled Alec out of the way, and swept me into his arms.
Not again. What was it with Highlanders and plucking
women off their feet? “Put me—”
“No’ yet,” Lachlan said, his accent thick as he carried
me toward the glass doors of what was obviously a
penthouse apartment. He looked down, and his predator’s
stare made my mouth go dry. “You have some twisted
thoughts in your head, Chloe. It’s time we untangle them.”

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 Chapter

Fourteen

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 LACHLAN

A s I carried Chloe into the penthouse, I waited for Alec

to call me a hypocrite or try to stop me. Considering
how things turned out the first time we found
ourselves in this situation, I wouldn’t have blamed him.
He did neither, but a mix of confusion and displeasure
clouded his features as he followed me into the living room.
I couldn’t fault him for that, either. I’d given him plenty
of reason for confusion through the years. But that ended
tonight. At last, it was time for me to come clean to my
mate.
Both of my mates.
I deposited Chloe on a long sofa and gestured Alec to a
nearby chair. “Please, sit. I have something to say.”
“All right,” Alec said slowly. He pulled a throw blanket
from the arm of the sofa and tossed it at me. “Maybe cover
up first. I see it was a cold flight.”
It was a crass attempt to break the tension, and while I
appreciated the effort, I couldn’t bring myself to smile or
snipe back at him. What I had to confess was too important.
And painful.
Swinging the blanket around my shoulders, I perched on
the edge of another big chair, my bare feet looking absurdly
out of place on the room’s white shag area rug. Mostly
glass and chrome, the apartment was ultra-modern and
about as opposite the castle as a place could be. Alec loved
it. I was ambivalent, although I didn’t mind the tub in the
master bath. It was big enough for both of us and—
“Lachlan?”
Alec’s voice interrupted my rambling thoughts. “Um…” I
scrubbed a hand over my face. “Right. No point dragging it
out.” I looked at Chloe, who watched me with wide blue
eyes. She was so beautiful it almost hurt to look at her. But
I forced myself to hold her gaze as I said, “I didn’t want a
human for a mate, but it was never because of you.
Humans killed my mother…and one of my fathers.”
She put a hand over her mouth.
Alec stiffened, his whole body suddenly alert.
I settled my gaze on a spot between them, and their
faces went blurry as I cast my mind back to my earliest
memories. “My mother was a werewolf, as you know, and
she believed she had nothing to fear from humans. In those
days, they were primitive and superstitious. They accepted
magic as part of everyday life, even if they didn’t
understand it. But people can turn on things they don’t
understand. When they encounter something powerful,
they fear it…and then they try to eliminate it.”
The room was still as Chloe and Alec listened. Outside,
the London night reigned, an inky black covering the city. If
not for the room’s sleek furniture and the thick panes of
glass protecting us from the cold, we could have been in a
mead hall, our ears pricked for the sound of enemies.
Or monsters.
“The details aren’t important,” I said, “although humans
got plenty of them wrong when they wrote down the story.
But the long and short of it is they hunted my mother and
eventually killed her. Ripped her arms from her body and
hung them in the king’s hall for all to see. My fathers
sought revenge, but they were heartbroken and it made
them weak. By the time they attacked, the humans had
amassed a large army. They killed one of my fathers. My
other sire died shortly thereafter.”
“Leaving you an orphan,” Chloe said, her voice thick
with tears.
When I looked up, moisture sheened her eyes, turning
them a deep violet. “No,” I said. “I was a fully grown
dragon, and I unleashed hell on that kingdom. I burned it to
the ground, just like the fairy tales say.”
Alec shook his head. “It was a long time ago, Lachlan. A
thousand years or more. And it was hardly a kingdom. A
cluster of longhouses, more likely, or a village with more
animals than people.”
“Why should that matter?” I asked, voicing the question
I’d grappled with for centuries. “I murdered men and
women. Children and babies. I didn’t discriminate. Is there
an expiration date on evil? I was capable of that once.
Who’s to say I’m not capable of it again?”
Alec drew a breath, but Chloe put a hand on his arm.
Then she rose, crossed the small space, and sank to her
knees at my feet. “You want to know what you’re capable
of? Evil isn’t capable of love.” A sad smile touched her lips.
“When I first started working for you and Alec, I was
jealous of your relationship. You love each other
wholeheartedly, with zero reservations. I wanted that for
myself, for me and Josh.”
My voice was gruff in my ears. “He wasn’t worthy of
you.”
“I don’t regret what happened,” she said. “Now that I’ve
seen what true love looks like, I know I could never settle
for anything less.” She tipped her chin up as she met my
gaze, and her blue eyes grew fierce, giving her the look of a
furious angel. “You’re not a monster, Lachlan MacKay.” She
grasped my hands in both of hers. “We are all more than
the worst parts of ourselves.”
My throat ached. Because I wasn’t worthy of her, either.
“I killed,” I said hoarsely.
 “In another time, in another life. You had lost your
family, but now you have a new life…and the chance to
make a new family.”
For a moment, time stood still. Then I was on my feet
and she was in my arms, our mouths locked together as I
walked her backwards and tumbled her into Alec’s lap. He
cushioned her fall, then went to work stripping her out of
her clothes. Her sweater sailed over my head and her bra
smacked my shoulder as I sucked at her tongue and nipped
the pouty lower lip that had driven me mad for months.
She moaned loudly into my mouth, and I broke away to
see Alec’s big hands cupping her tits. Lust struck me like a
rattlesnake, and I pulled back so I could take in the sexy
sight of his palms overflowing with her trembling breasts.
He flicked his thumbs over her nipples, making the dusky
pink tips tighten to little spears. He and Chloe made an
alluring pair—him with his big, muscled body and her with
her soft, creamy curves. My beast craved them both.
“Get ready for me,” I told them as I worked Chloe’s
jeans down her legs. I tossed them aside and snapped her
panties off with a quick yank that made her gasp. I pushed
her thighs wide and hooked her legs over the arms of the
chair, baring every inch of her luscious pussy to my gaze.
Alec’s cock stood up proudly between her splayed thighs,
the veined length inches from her glistening folds. A bead
of precum dotted the tip of his erection. Shiny juices pooled
at her entrance.
No sight had ever been hotter. I kept them that way for
a moment, my inner beast thrilling at having them open
and needy and at my mercy. “Which to taste first?” I mused,
shooting a dark look up at my lovers.
My mates.
Chloe whimpered.
I smoothed my hands up Alec’s calves and kept going
until I reached her soft inner thighs. “You’re right, lass.
Ladies first.” I lowered my mouth and licked straight up her
center.
She went to pieces at once. “Oh God, oh God…oh God.”
She thrust against my mouth, griding against my face as
Alec’s leaking shaft brushed my cheek…my chin…my neck.
I gave Chloe a long swipe of my tongue, then closed my
lips around Alec’s cock and took it straight to the back of
my throat.
His hips jerked, and his deep groan seemed to vibrate
the chair. The room echoed with his gravelly pleas. “Suck
me. Yes. Fuck…just like that.”
I fell into a pattern—one lick for her, one suck for him.
Back and forth, I feasted on both, reveling in the contrast
between her soft pussy and his rigid shaft. I kept them on
the edge as long as I could, denying them release as their
moans grew louder and Chloe’s pussy got wetter.
But Alec broke first. When it was his turn, he surged into
my mouth almost comically fast. His hips thrust in
uncoordinated bursts, and his harsh pants drifted over my
head. Smiling inwardly, I slid a finger between his cheeks
and teased his hole.
He came at once, his hot release hitting the back of my
throat. I drank him down and then some, delving my tongue
in the tiny slit on his head to make sure I got every last
drop.
When I pulled back, he’d wrapped his arms around
Chloe’s thighs, spreading her impossibly wide as he took
her mouth in a passionate kiss. I rose, grasped my shaft,
and stirred the tip around her entrance.
She pulled her mouth from Alec’s with a gasp.
“Lachlan,” she breathed, her eyes dark with lust. Behind
her, Alec’s green eyes glittered with just as much heat.
I loomed over them, one fist gripping my cock as I drew
the head from her clit to her opening. Sandwiched between
me and Alec, with his hands holding her open, she couldn’t
move. Could only tremble and moan, her big eyes wells of
need.
And she could beg.
“Please,” she whispered. “Please fuck me.”
I pushed my hips forward slowly, spearing her an inch at
a time. The three of us watched, gazes rapt, at her flaring,
pink lips stretched around my cock. I pulled out slightly,
and we moaned as one at the sight of my shaft glistening
with her desire.
“So wet,” I murmured, easing back inside, then sinking
even deeper. “Such a needy pussy hungry for my cock.” A
few more slow, easy pumps and I was all the way in, my
dick buried in her perfect heat. Her muscles clenched
around me, and my sac brushed Alec’s shaft, which had
hardened again.
He slipped his hands from her thighs and cupped her
breasts, gently kneading the plump curves.
“Keep doing that,” I rasped, starting to thrust. It was
almost better with his hands on her instead of mine, and
dark pleasure curled inside me as I directed his
movements. “Pinch her nipples.” I thrust faster, rocking her
on his lap. “That’s right. Harder, lad. Make her moan.”
He did, teasing and flicking the taut peaks until she
cried out. Her sex squeezed my cock, making my balls
tingle as I pumped faster, whipping my hips back and forth
like a piston.
She squirmed on Alec’s lap, her full lips parted as she
alternated between gasps and sexy little moans that drove
my arousal to unimaginable heights. “I’m… Oh, Lachlan.
I’m gonna…” She moaned as Alec buried his face in her
neck and sucked at her skin.
“Say it again,” I growled, pumping so hard the heavy
chair inched across the floor. “Say my name.”
A flush bloomed over her chest as her orgasm gathered.
“Lachlan!” she cried.
“Again.”
 “Lach—” She choked off the word as her mouth opened
on a soundless scream. Her pussy spasmed, and her eyes
went glassy.
My hoarse shout came a second later. Pleasure spun
through my body, colors bursting behind my eyes as I
thrust to the hilt and shot my release. It seemed to go on
forever, and I was vaguely aware that I gripped Alec’s
forearm as I rode out the most blissful orgasm of my life.
When it finally ended, I collapsed on her chest with my
forehead on his shoulder.
He put a hand on the back of my neck and held it there
while my heart rate returned to normal. When I could
breathe again, I lifted my head and kissed him, then tipped
Chloe’s chin up and did the same to her. “You all right,
baby?”
“Yes,” she murmured. “Just really tired.”
Alec smiled down at the top of her silky head. “Then we
should get you to bed. Though I have to warn you, Lach is a
pillow hog.”
It was tempting to stay right where I was, but I peeled
myself off Chloe and helped her rise from Alec’s lap. She
shivered, so I snagged the blanket from the floor and
settled it around her shoulders.
She gave me a shy look. “Does this mean you’ve claimed
me now?”
Oh man. I should have known that question was coming.
I glanced at Alec, who seemed suddenly interested in the
weave of the upholstery on the sofa. “Ah, no. It takes a bit
more than…that.”
She frowned. “Like what?”
“Well… We have to claim you a certain way.” I cleared
my throat. “Both of us. At once.”
The color drained from her face.
“But you’ll like it. I mean, we’ll prepare you.” Fuck, I
was bad at this.
 “I need to sit down.” Her complexion took on a green
tinge. She swayed.
Alec and I reached for her at the same time.
Her eyelids fluttered, and she slumped into my arms.
“Chloe!”
“Lachlan,” Alec said sharply, his tone laced with
something I rarely heard from him.
Fear.
He gripped my arm and pointed to the white carpet.
“There’s blood.” He pulled the blanket away from Chloe’s
body, and we both froze.
More blood smeared her thighs.

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 Chapter

Fifteen

OceanofPDF.com
 ALEC

T he human hospital smelled of antiseptic, dying

flowers, and stale coffee. Pots of the stuff sat on a
warmer in the corner of the waiting room where
Lachlan and I had been stuck since the nurses rushed
Chloe away. On the flat screen television mounted on the
wall, a news presenter in heavy makeup talked about a dip
in the stock market.
“How much longer do you think it’ll be?” I asked
Lachlan, who had finally stopped pacing and now sat in one
of the green plastic chairs, looking out of place and slightly
menacing.
I knew better, though. His glower didn’t stem from
anger. He felt responsible for Chloe, and he was beating
himself up inside for what happened.
I leaned forward to catch his attention. “Lachlan.”
His golden eyes snapped to me. “If I knew that, do you
think I’d be sitting on my arse in this cursed place?”
I closed my mouth and sat back, my own plastic chair
creaking.
As swiftly as it came, his temper drained away. He
rubbed a hand over his jaw, mumbling, “I’m sorry. I just
wish they’d tell us something.”
“Excuse me, gentlemen?” A woman in light blue scrubs
stood in the doorway.
 Lachlan and I shot to our feet so quickly her eyebrows
lifted.
“Yes?” I said.
“Which one of you is here for Chloe Drexel?”
“I am,” Lachlan and I said together.
Her gaze darted between us, and a nonplussed
expression crossed her face. “We only allow one visitor per
patient. It’s hospital policy.”
Oh hell no. No way was I staying put while Lachlan saw
Chloe. I went to the doorway, tapping my power as I went.
The nurse’s brown eyes went wide, and her head tipped
back as I drew close.
Voice rolling with power, I smiled. “It’s all right”—I
glanced at the name badge clipped to her shirt—“Helen.
You can change the policy just this once.”
The glow of my skin reflected in her pupils as she
nodded. “Yes,” she said in a dreamy voice. “You’re both
allowed back.”
“Tapadh leat.” Thank you.
“You’re Scottish.”
I winked. “Born and raised.”
“This way.”
Lachlan muttered beside me as we followed her down a
white, sterile-looking hall. “Laying it on a bit thick, don’t
you think?”
“It worked, didn’t it?” I muttered back.
Helen led us through a series of halls to a tall counter
buzzing with activity. Another nurse—older and oozing
authority—stood next to it, tapping away at some kind of
futuristic computer mounted to a pole on wheels. She
looked up at our approach and frowned. “Just one visitor
per patient.”
“They’re here for Miss Drexel,” Helen said, a vague
smile on her face.
“Helen. You know our policy.”
“They’re here for Miss Drexel.”
 The older nurse opened her mouth like she intended to
argue, then shook her head. “You know what, I don’t have
time for this.” She brushed past Helen and motioned for
Lachlan and me to follow. “You’re already here. I’m not
kicking you out now.” Her shoes squeaked as she strode
past the counter, speaking over her shoulder. “I’m Joan, one
of the nurse midwives. Ah, here we are.” She disappeared
inside a patient room.
Lachlan and I froze on the threshold, then looked at
each other. Midwife? We knew that word. It was an old one,
and its meaning hadn’t changed over the centuries.
Joan stuck her head out the door. “Gentlemen? It’s been
a busy night and my shift ends in an hour.”
“Sorry,” I heard myself say, and Lachlan and I followed
her inside as my thoughts whirled with the implications of
Chloe being treated by a midwife.
Then I saw Chloe sitting in the hospital bed, her face
pale and frightened, and my heart dropped to my feet.
“Lass,” I breathed, rushing to her side. “Are you all right?
You scared Lach and me near to death.” He crowded beside
me, his face nearly as pale as hers.
Her mouth trembled. “I…don’t know. They said I’m
pregnant.”
Joan made a soft noise, and the three of us looked at her
standing near the door. “I’m sorry,” she told Chloe. “We’ve
been so busy tonight, I didn’t think to ask if you told
your”—her gaze drifted over Lachlan and me—“um…
partner.”
“Partners,” Chloe said firmly. She lifted her chin, and
her voice grew stronger. “Both of these men are my
partners.”
I braced myself for a negative response, but Joan simply
nodded. “Well, my apologies for dropping the news so
abruptly.” Her brows pulled together. “Your hormone levels
looked a little off, so we’d like to do an ultrasound. I’ll just
pop out and grab the machine.” She left in another swirl of
no-nonsense efficiency.
The second she was out the door, Chloe’s face crumpled.
“I can’t believe this,” she whispered. She looked up, faint
hope glimmering in her eyes. “It couldn’t be one of yours,
could it? You used a condom on the plane, but then…” She
trailed off and swallowed, obviously anxious.
I shook my head slowly. “No, honey. I used a condom the
first time because I didn’t want to alarm you. But we don’t
need one. Lach and I can’t catch human diseases, and we
can’t get you pregnant until we’ve claimed you.”
Lachlan pulled a couple of visitors’ chairs over. We sat,
and he laced his fingers through Chloe’s. “Och, they’ve
bruised your wee hand.” He planted a soft kiss on the
greenish discoloration around her IV. “I can fix it, lassie.
Soon as you’re home.”
“You can?”
“‘Course I can. Dragon tears have healing powers.”
Moisture streaked down her cheek. “It’s Josh’s baby.”
Her mouth trembled again. “What are we going to do?”
I stroked the soft skin of her arm under the sleeve of her
hospital gown. “Whatever you want, sweetheart. Lach and I
support you no matter what.”
“But what about Josh? God, I’d have to see him for the
rest of my life.”
“Don’t think about that now,” Lachlan said. “Just focus
on getting better.” He drew an unsteady breath. “When I
saw the blood on your thighs… Christ, lass, I couldn’t bear
thinking I’d hurt you.”
“You didn’t,” she insisted. “They told me bleeding is
common at this stage, and some women spot through their
entire pregnancy.” A shy look bloomed over her delicate
features. “You didn’t hurt me. I loved every minute of what
we did. What we all did.”
A squealing sound split the air, and then Joan entered
with a machine on a rolling cart. “Here we are,” she said,
maneuvering it to Chloe’s bedside and locking it in place.
She punched a bunch of buttons, then turned to Chloe.
“Since you’re early in your pregnancy, I’ll need to do a
transvaginal ultrasound for accuracy.”
“All right.”
Joan glanced at me and Lachlan. “Are you okay with—”
“They’re staying,” Chloe said.
Joan didn’t bat an eye, and I exhaled with relief because
I had a feeling she’d be tricky to charm. Some people were
naturally less susceptible to suggestion. Others had simply
encountered too much bullshit in their lives to be
persuaded. My money was on Joan fitting both descriptions.
She fiddled with the machine some more, then swished a
probe under Chloe’s blankets with sleight of hand that
would have put a magician to shame. A second later, a
grainy image appeared on the black and white screen.
Chloe tensed.
Lachlan and I leaned forward.
In profile, Joan’s mouth turned down. After a moment,
she faced Chloe, and her voice lost its clipped, harried
edge. “I’m truly sorry, dear. This isn’t a viable pregnancy.”
“What?” Chloe looked between her and the screen. “I
don’t understand.”
Joan pointed to a white ring in the middle of the black.
“This is the gestational sac. We should see the developing
embryo, but it’s missing. We call it a blighted ovum.
Sometimes the embryo passed very early. Other times it
never developed at all.” Her expression softened. “These
are so much more common than people realize. Up to
twenty percent of all first pregnancies end in miscarriage,
and the number is probably even higher because we don’t
always know about these very early ones.”
Chloe gazed at the screen.
“There is absolutely no reason to think you won’t go on
to have a successful pregnancy.”
“I…” Chloe trailed off.
 I put my hand over the one Lachlan already held, my
fingers around both of theirs. “What should we do now?” I
asked Joan.
“Right,” she said, her brisk tone returning. “There are
two options, really.” She looked at Chloe. “You can wait for
the miscarriage to progress on its own, or I can send you
home with medication to move things along. You’ll likely
have some cramping, and then it will be like a heavier than
normal menstrual cycle.”
“Medication,” Chloe said. “I don’t want to wait.”
Joan nodded. “Just give me a minute to get the
prescription. We can fill it here, and you’ll be on your way.
Once you’re home, get rest and plenty of fluids.”
“We’ll take good care of her,” Lachlan said.
Chloe squeezed our hands.
Joan bustled about for a minute, then pushed the
ultrasound machine to the door. Just before she left, she
turned, her gaze falling on Chloe. “I’m sorry for how things
turned out, Miss Drexel.” She hesitated, then added, “This
probably sounds terribly unprofessional, but the women in
my family have a knack for…knowing things. I can’t explain
it, but I just know you’ll have a son. I feel it very strongly.”
My heart pounded. Beside me, Lachlan went completely
still.
“Um. Anyway, I thought it might help to pass that
along.” She gave a short nod and left.
By some unspoken agreement, the three of us waited
until the sound of the machine’s squeaky wheels faded,
then Chloe turned to us. “Are psychics a thing?”
Lachlan answered. “Yes, though the gift is
unpredictable.” He cast a thoughtful look toward the door.
“I’d wager she’s the real deal, though. That sort of thing
does tend to run in families.”
I brushed a loose curl off Chloe’s shoulder. “You okay,
sweetheart?”
 She was quiet a moment. “I think so. That was a roller
coaster.” She grimaced. “Honestly, I just want to get out of
this gown and go home.”
“We can make that happen,” I said. “We’ll tuck you in
bed and be at your beck and call. You can order us around
like servants.”
Her smile put color back in her cheeks, which made
sweet relief wash through me. “Two handsome Scotsmen to
do whatever I say? I’ll take it.”

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 Chapter

Sixteen

OceanofPDF.com
 CHLOE

T he guys made good on their promise to take care of

me. As soon as we returned to the penthouse, they
tucked me in bed in the master suite and saw to my
every comfort. Alec brought me bowls of homemade
chicken noodle soup (with a side of meeracle toast), and
Lachlan brushed the tangles from my hair and arranged the
heavy mass in a French braid.
I’d touched the plait in surprise. “You know how to
braid?”
“Of course I do. Medieval warriors were vain about their
hair, lass.”
“Aye, like in Braveheart,” Alec said cheerily as he
carried a laundry basket from the bathroom.
Lachlan glowered at him. “Watch your language. There’s
a lady present.”
“It’s Lach’s favorite movie,” Alec said as he left the
room.
“It fucking is not,” Lachlan called after him. He’d turned
back to me with a scowl. “He gets me a DVD of the damn
thing every year for my birthday.”
I’d grinned at their antics—and all the other ways they
teased each other. They kept me laughing, sometimes until
tears rolled down my face.
 And when the tears shifted unexpectedly from humorous
to the real thing, they’d held me as I wept, the three of us
spooning in the oversize bed.
“I-I’m s-sorry,” I’d gasped between sobs, my face buried
in Alec’s chest with Lachlan’s warm body pressed against
my back. “I d-don’t know why this is h-happening.”
“You cry all you want, lassie,” Alec replied, his breath
stirring my hair. “It’s normal.”
I sniffed. “It is?”
“Aye. I read some medical journals online. The
pregnancy wasn’t viable, but your body still thought it was
pregnant. All those hormones are making a run for it.” He
planted a firm kiss on my crown. “It can make you weepy.”
I lifted my head so I could see his face. “You researched
all that for me?”
“Of course I did. You’re not in this alone.”
My heart squeezed. How could such a simple statement
mean so much? But it did, and even more so because I
knew it was true. I’d been alone my whole life—first as a
lonely kid who seemed to get in my mother’s way, and then
as the underachiever fiancée watching Josh from the
sidelines. Now, for the first time, I was part of something
I’d never had before.
A family. Maybe an unconventional one. Some people
might not approve.
But who cared what people thought? People were
overrated anyway.
Lachlan had chuckled, clearly picking up my thoughts.
But it didn’t bother me anymore. The mental connection
was part of our bond.
He’d run a gentle hand down my back. “How’s your
bleeding, lass?”
“Lighter,” I said readily, because it was impossible to be
embarrassed with these men. My men. They were so
matter-of-fact about things. But heat entered my cheeks as
I added, “I think we should be able to…you know…soon.”
 He made a tsking sound and turned me so I faced him.
Propped on his elbow, he traced my lower lip. “We’re not
worried about that. But I can speed up the healing process
if you want.”
“With your tears?” He hadn’t mentioned it since the
hospital, and now I really wanted to see how it worked. And
if it made the damn hormones go away faster? All the
better.
He looked at Alec behind me. “You want me to do it?”
“You’re far better at it,” Alec said lazily. “Old man,” he
added.
Lachlan gave him a disgruntled look. Then he lowered a
soft gaze to me. “It’s a tricky gift. Something that takes a
long time to master.” As he spoke, moisture gathered in his
eyes, which seemed to leap with fire.
My heart raced as the air around the bed…sparkled.
There was no other word for it. Currents seemed to dance
over my skin like champagne.
Lachlan blinked, and a perfect, tiny diamond slipped
onto his cheek.
My breath caught. Instinctively, I reached for it, curious
to see if it was as real as it looked.
“No,” Alec murmured, catching my hand in a gentle
grip. “Let him give it to you.”
Slowly, Lachlan plucked the shimmering jewel from his
face and carried it to my mouth. Heart pounding, I parted
my lips.
Fire. It licked over my tongue…and yet it didn’t burn.
Heat streaked from my mouth to every cell in my body,
searing without harming. The diamond dissolved and a
sense of well-being flooded me, better than anything I’d
ever felt. Better than the finest food or the biggest wine
buzz or the most explosive orgasm.
In a blink, all the aches and pains of the miscarriage
vanished. The dragging in my limbs. The raw, scraped
feeling in my womb. The nagging headache buzzing in my
temples. All of it disappeared, leaving me flushed and
awestruck.
“Wow,” I said, breathless as the rush of pleasure
receded. “That was…thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” Lachlan said, golden eyes smiling.
Alec’s indignant voice had floated over my shoulder.
“Better than an orgasm? We’ll see about that.”
Raindrops struck my face, yanking me abruptly from my
memories. I shivered and stood, gathering the tartan
blanket I’d taken onto the rooftop where Alec and Lachlan
had landed our first night in London.
It was hard to believe that was a week ago, I thought as
I slid open the penthouse’s heavy glass door and ducked
inside. As I pulled it shut, the rain started in earnest,
soaking the roof and making the city’s lights gleam in the
darkness. The wind howled, and I tucked my bare toes
under the tartan. London wasn’t as cold as the Highlands,
but it was still chilly. If either of the guys caught me
without socks, they would pitch a fit.
I snorted under my breath. They would probably do
more than that. Alec would plunk me in a warm bath while
Lachlan built a fire. It had been days since he healed me,
but they both still acted like I was made of glass. It was
endearing, but also kind of…well, irritating.
I sighed, and my breath fogged the door.
The constant pampering had another downside. Namely,
our sex life was beyond non-existent. No matter how much
I insisted I was ready to resume our nocturnal activities,
they insisted the opposite.
“We’ve plenty of time for that, lassie,” Alec had said.
“Your health is more important,” Lachlan had agreed.
Except I was fine. I didn’t need another bowl of soup or
back rub. I needed two strapping, horny Highlanders to
make my toes curl. Problem was, if I waited for the
Highlanders in question to make the first move, I could be
waiting a very long time.
 Verra. God, I needed to hear that sexy accent growling
at me in bed. Or on the sofa. Or the table. I didn’t care
where.
I gave my reflection a firm nod, then turned and strode
through the living room, the tartan flaring behind me like a
cape. The bedrooms were on the other side of the
penthouse, with a view of Hyde Park. Although the guys
hung out with me in the master suite during the day, they’d
slept in a separate room at night, saying they “didnae want
tae disturb” me.
Well, no more.
Determination pumping in my veins, I headed for their
room. As I neared the door, Alec’s voice drifted into the
hall. “So it’s not a problem, her being human?”
I stopped, my scalp prickling.
Lachlan’s heavy sigh came a second later. “It’s never
going to be ideal. But it doesn’t matter.”
“Right. We know she’s fertile.”
Oh my God. I pressed a hand over my mouth so I
wouldn’t make a sound. My heart pounded so hard I felt
lightheaded.
Lachlan murmured something I didn’t catch. Then Alec
said, “We need to claim her. That will help.”
Another sigh, and Lachlan said, “It’s going to be a while
before I can bring myself to touch her.”
The hall went blurry as tears flooded my eyes. How
could I have been so stupid? All my initial instincts had
been right. They weren’t into me. They only wanted each
other. But their species was in danger of dying out.
My throat burned. They didn’t want a mate. They
wanted a surrogate.
And if I refused, they had the power to override my
wishes. They could lock me in their castle tower and throw
away the key.
I backed away from the door…and then I was moving
fast, my bare feet soundless on the marble floors. I ran to
the kitchen, where my phone was plugged into a charger.
My heart thudded like a drum as I shoved the phone in my
back pocket and rushed to the front door. I pulled on my
boots with shaking hands, and then looked over my
shoulder fully expecting to see a wall of smoke barreling
toward me.
But there was nothing, so I slipped out the door and ran
for my life.

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 Chapter

Seventeen

OceanofPDF.com
 CHLOE

I was both the luckiest and unluckiest woman in the

world.
On the one hand, I’d managed to flag down a taxi
seconds after fleeing the penthouse. The driver had taken
me straight to Heathrow, where a flight to New York was
leaving in less than an hour.
On the other hand, I had no passport. I’d been so intent
on escaping Alec and Lachlan, I’d forgotten all about it.
Now I was sitting in a deserted waiting area across from
the ticket counter while a bleary-eyed agent tried to get the
U.S. embassy to answer its phone in the middle of the
night. Judging from her expression, she wasn’t having
much luck.
Anxiety gnawed at me as I swept my gaze around the
terminal, my eyes peeled for a pair of six-foot-four
Scotsmen. Why, oh why, hadn’t I remembered my stupid
passport? I kept my license and credit card tucked inside
my phone case, so at least I had money and some form of
identification. It drove my mother crazy, and she was
forever predicting the habit would lead to disaster. “What if
you get mugged? Now you’ve lost your phone and your
money.”
Well, that hadn’t happened. Instead, I’d lost my dignity
and maybe my freedom.
 No big deal.
Two police officers—one man and one woman—rounded
a corner and made a beeline toward me.
I sat up straighter, my stomach doing its best to expel
the gourmet grilled cheese Alec had served for dinner. At
the thought of him, my nausea turned to anger, so I didn’t
flinch when the officers stopped in front of me.
“Chloe Drexel?” the woman asked, her accent as neat
and clipped as a BBC presenter’s.
“Yes?” I stood. “I mean, that’s me.”
The man spoke, his voice low and courteous. “We’re
from the Metropolitan Police Service. We’re here to take
you to your embassy, which will issue you an emergency
passport so you can fly home.”
Hope surged like a shooting star in my chest.
“Seriously? How soon will I be able to leave London?”
“I’m not certain, ma’am. But the embassy moves pretty
quickly. I’m sure they’ll get you sorted.”
It wasn’t like I had any other options, so I followed them
from the waiting area and past the ticket agent who didn’t
even look up as we left. Which seemed…weird. Because
wasn’t she still trying to get the embassy on the line?
The female officer looked at me over her shoulder.
“You’re lucky we monitor all outgoing calls to the
embassies. We picked up your case on our scanner.”
Oh. Well, that made sense. “How far is it to the
embassy?” I bit my tongue before I could ask what part of
London it was in. I didn’t want them knowing I was running
from someone. Two someones.
“Not far,” the male said, gesturing me toward a waiting
police car as we exited the terminal. To my surprise, he slid
in beside me while the female officer took the driver’s seat.
She merged seamlessly into traffic and we were off, the
airport shrinking behind us.
We rode in silence for about twenty minutes, the police
car a dark cocoon of silence. Then my phone buzzed in my
back pocket, and I let out a yelp.
“Everything all right?” the female officer asked, meeting
my gaze in the rear view mirror.
“Y-Yes.” I had to wipe my sweaty hands on my jeans
before I could grasp my phone. “Sorry, just anxious about
losing my passport, I guess.” My heart raced as I typed my
password with my thumb.
Two text messages. Both from friends.
I let my head thump against the back of the seat. For the
next few minutes, I simply stared out the window, letting
the blurred scenery soothe me. Except… We were going
kind of fast.
Too fast for the congested London streets.
And the scenery was all wrong. Instead of bright lights
and busy streets, there was nothing but forest. How had I
not noticed it before?
I sat up. “Where are we—” My question ended in a
strangled scream as the male officer slapped a hand over
my mouth and yanked me against him. As soon as my back
touched his chest, I knew I’d made a terrible, terrible
mistake.
Because he had no heartbeat.
Vampire. The enemies Alec and Lachlan had warned me
about.
A low chuckle slid around my ear. “It’s a pleasure to
meet you, Chloe.” The mocking edge in his voice was even
more offensive for being delivered in a cultured, upper
class accent. “Let’s see if you taste as good as you smell.”
Something sharp pinched my neck. Agony zipped down my
shoulder and into my elbow, like hitting my funny bone
against a hard surface.
I bucked against him. He tightened his grip, and the
agony moved to my ribs as he squeezed me like a tube of
toothpaste.
The air seemed to vibrate.
He lifted his head. “What the devil is—”
 A fireball smashed into the road ahead of the car.
Chaos.
Tires squealed, and then I was thrown forward. My
forehead smacked the seat in front of me, and a high-
pitched whine filled my ears. For a moment, it was like I
was underwater. Sounds were muffled. The world became
fluid and slow.
Then everything rushed back in a burst of light and
sound. Fire filled my vision. Someone shouted. Rough
hands hauled me sideways. The vampire pulled me from
the car and into the road, which looked like a scene from
Hell. A wall of fire at least ten feet high formed a circle
around the car. Heat seared my face and smoke filled my
lungs. As I bent, coughing, the vampire seized my arm and
spun me so my back was against his chest. He wrapped a
hard forearm around my neck and put his mouth next to my
temple. “If you fight me, I’ll drain you before your lovers
can save you.”
The female vampire strode into view, her police hat gone
and her hair flowing like an inky cloud down her back. She
rounded on us with glowing red eyes. “Do it now, Andrei!
They’ll kill us if they know we have her!”
Fire streaked from the sky—a thick stream of it
incinerating her on the spot.
I tried to scream, but the male’s arm cut off the sound.
“No, Volenta,” he said in an amused tone. “They’ll just
kill you.”
A golden dragon swooped from the air, its wings fanned
open as it descended. Just before its clawed feet touched
the ground, it shifted to smoke. The dark mass swirled, and
then a nude Lachlan stood before the wall of flames. His
eyes glowed like two pools of metal, and every inch of his
body vibrated with menace.
The vampire tightened his grip, completely cutting off
my oxygen. I gagged, and he loosened his hold, almost as if
he’d choked me reflexively and not on purpose.
 The wall behind Lachlan flamed higher, and then Alec
strode through in human form. The flames parted and
reformed behind him, leaving his muscled body unscathed.
He stopped beside Lachlan, his green eyes burning with
anger and the promise of violence.
My heart threatened to pound from my chest. These
weren’t the playful dragons who raced as they flew me to
London. These were killers.
And they were really pissed off.
Lachlan spoke, his voice too deep to be human. “You
break the treaty, Andrei. Your prince will punish you.”
“Assuming we don’t kill you first,” Alec said. As he
spoke, the inferno behind him flamed higher.
The vampire’s chest rumbled against my back. “I haven’t
broken the treaty. The female was fleeing you.” The hint of
a taunt entered his voice. “Or was she merely sightseeing
at Heathrow in the middle of the night?”
Lachlan’s eyes burned brighter than the blaze at his
back. “Don’t be stupid, leech. You’re no match for us.”
“Not normally,” the vampire said. “But she’s the
strongest of her kind I’ve ever felt.”
Lachlan and Alec frowned, confusion stamped on their
features.
For a moment, silence reigned, with nothing but the
crackle of flames around us. Then the vampire spoke
slowly, his voice as surprised as their faces. “You don’t
know, do you?” Now he laughed, the vibration traveling
down my spine. “Oh, this is too rich.”
I struggled to draw air as his arm dug harder into my
throat.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Alec demanded.
“It’s a trick,” Lachlan muttered. “Leeches love deceit.”
The vampire laughed for another long moment, as
though he enjoyed their bewilderment. “It appears the
trick’s on you. She’s a donum, you fools. I walked unnoticed
through all of Heathrow merely because she was inside it.”
He put his nose in my hair and inhaled deep. “Mmm, she
reeks of magic.”
I squeezed my eyes shut, but not before I got a glimpse
of Alec’s face going livid.
The vampire lifted his head but kept his cheek against
my temple. “Prince Ludovic will reward me handsomely for
delivering such a prize. She’ll serve our territory for
centuries, enhancing our power.”
My eyes flew open.
The flames shot higher than ever. Alec took a step
forward. “She’s not your prize. She’s our mate.”
“You neglected to claim her. Until then, she’s up for
grabs.” The vampire’s arm tightened. “And I grabbed her.”
My lungs burned. White spots danced in my vision,
which had grown dark at the edges. The word “donum”
meant nothing to me, but apparently the vampire thought it
was worth abducting me over.
So I could “serve” him, just as Alec and Lachlan had
expected me to serve their interests, providing them with a
womb so they could save their species.
Just as I’d served Josh by working while he attended law
school. Putting my life on hold so he could fulfill his.
No one ever wanted me just for me. They wanted me for
what I could do for them.
And in the end, they were happy to cast me aside when
I’d outlasted my usefulness.
As my lungs seized and blackness threatened to
descend, the memory of every humiliation, every slight,
rushed back. All the shitty odd jobs I’d worked. Every quiet
night alone. The missed phone calls. The excuses and half-
baked apologies.
“I don’t know, Chloe. I think I was just bored.”
“It’s going to be a while before I can bring myself to
touch her.”
A ball of heat formed in my chest.
Power. Not Alec’s. Not Lachlan’s or the vampire’s.
 MINE.
The vampire tensed.
I ripped his arm from my neck, spun, and grabbed his
throat.
His red eyes widened, and his lips parted, revealing
needle-sharp fangs.
As I lifted him onto his toes, my hand and arm glowed
like they were lit from within. The wall of fire leaped in my
peripheral vision. Staring into the vampire’s eyes, I could
see it leaping in mine, too.
“I’m done being useful,” I said, my voice rippling with
power that shook the ground.
Then I flung the vampire into the flames.

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 Chapter

Eighteen

OceanofPDF.com
 ALEC

C hloe was gorgeous before.

Now she was breathtaking.
Her body glowed as she tossed Andrei all the way
across the circle. He crashed into the fire, sprang to his
feet, and slapped at the flames that climbed up his legs.
Chloe narrowed her eyes, which glowed like two
sapphires. For a second, it seemed she might pursue him,
but then she threw her head back and roared. The car’s
windows shattered. The flames around us shot upward. Her
pale hair snapped around her shoulders, tossed by an
invisible wind. For the briefest moment, her body wavered,
her form going blurry.
My heart thumped like a wild animal in my chest, and
emotion burned my throat. When I glanced at Lachlan, his
eyes swam with unshed tears.
Understandable. This was the closest either of us would
ever get to seeing a female dragon.
Chloe lowered her head and pinned Andrei with a look
that dripped menace. “I serve no one.”
He swept her an elegant bow that wouldn’t have looked
out of place in an eighteenth century ballroom. Which was
exactly where he’d perfected it. “My sincerest apologies,
my lady. I will inform my prince.”
 She let her gaze rest on him a moment longer, then
looked away, as if he was a bug she’d decided not to smash.
At least not today.
Andrei smiled at Lachlan and me. “Best of luck claiming
her. I have a feeling you’ll need it.”
Lachlan lunged at him, but he winked out of sight,
disappearing in the way only a vampire could.
Which left Lachlan and me alone with Chloe. Power
seethed around her, crackling and distorting the air. But
the light had gone from her eyes, and her chest rose and
fell quickly.
Too quickly.
I dared a step toward her. “Chloe… You hold too much
power. You have to release it.”
She shook her head. “You lied to me.” Her skin glowed…
then flickered. “You have to let me go.”
“We can’t do that, lass,” Lachlan said. “You belong to us.
And us to you.”
“Why did you run?” I asked, unable to stop the question.
She’d been so happy at the penthouse. Sure, the
miscarriage was a blow, but her recovery had brought the
three of us closer than ever.
Her skin flickered again. And again. Under the glow, she
grew pale.
I eased forward, one arm outstretched. “Chloe, you don’t
understand how this gift of yours works. Let me—”
“I heard you!” she cried suddenly, and the power around
her flared like a light bulb in an electrical surge. “You said
it doesn’t matter if I’m human. You only care that I’m
fertile.” She swung anguished eyes to Lachlan. “You said it
would be a while before you could touch me.”
My stomach dropped. She’d overheard us talking. But
she didn’t know the context, and she’d interpreted our
conversation in the worst way possible.
Lachlan drew a deep breath. “Chloe, you heard Andrei
call you a donum. It’s an extraordinarily rare gift, especially
among humans. The mechanics are complicated, but the
easiest explanation is that you’re a magical battery.”
She stared, frowning but clearly listening.
“A donum absorbs the gifts of any magical being in close
proximity. You store power, but you also feed it back to
them. As that loop gets stronger, a donum can actually
display the gifts of the magical beings they’ve siphoned
from.”
I slid a look at Lachlan. Where was he going with this?
Magic 101 could wait. We needed Chloe to trust us before
she fried the circuits in her brain.
“It’s very hard to lie to a dragon,” he said. “You’re flush
with our power, lass. Use it. Caste out your senses and test
the truth of what we’re telling you.”
I exhaled, torn between admiring his intelligence and
being annoyed that mine was obviously inferior.
“We don’t care that you’re human,” he told her. “But no
dragon pair can take a female mate without permission
from the king.”
“He’s old,” I said. “Possibly older than dirt. Cormac is
the last full-blooded dragon on Earth, and he was born in a
time when dragons ruled it. Over his long lifespan, he’s
seen our numbers dwindle to almost nothing.”
“And all he cares about,” Lachlan said, “is seeing them
rise again. He’s… Well, full-blooded dragons are intense.”
“That’s putting it mildly,” I muttered. Volcanoes and
hurricanes were intense. I’d rather snuggle with one of
those bastards than spend any amount of time in Cormac’s
presence.
Lachlan held Chloe’s gaze. “Our king is the most
powerful being alive, but Alec and I would risk his wrath to
mate you.” His throat bobbed as he swallowed. “And I
would die before I hurt you. When I saw that blood on your
thigh…”
Inside the bubble of power, Chloe’s eyes filled with
tears. She flickered again, the flash revealing her bones
under her skin.
“Lass,” I said gently, “you’ll burn yourself up. You have
to release that power, sweetheart.”
“I…don’t think I know how.”
I smiled. “It’s easy. Just picture your hand holding a
wire. Then let it go.”
“That’s it?”
“That’s it.”
Her eyes drifted shut. A second later, the power boomed
outward in a wave and dissipated. She staggered back.
Lachlan and I were already there to steady her.
“Whoa,” she breathed, sandwiched between us. “That
was really weird.”
“The weirdest,” I agreed.
“Can I do that all the time?”
“I sure as hell hope not.”
Lachlan smoothed her hair back from her forehead.
“How do you feel? Are you hurting anywhere?”
She smiled, and love shone from her eyes, turning them
bluer than I’d ever seen them. “Not at all. In fact, I’ve
never felt better.”

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 Chapter

Nineteen

OceanofPDF.com
 LACHLAN

“A re you sure you’re ready for this?” I asked as I set a

bowl of ice cream in front of Chloe.
She lit up at the sight of the French vanilla
drizzled with chocolate syrup. “If I wasn’t before, I am
now.” She leaned her elbows on the penthouse’s kitchen
counter and dug her spoon into one of the creamy mounds.
Her hair was damp from the shower, and her nipples were
hard points under the thin silk of her robe. There was
beard rash on her neck, and her lips were swollen from my
kisses.
Or Alec’s. Probably both.
I reached down and adjusted my cock, which pushed
painfully against the front of my trousers. In the week since
the vampires tried to abduct her, the three of us had hardly
left the bed.
And still I wasn’t sated. Even now, I wanted—needed—
more. It was a damn good thing she’d agreed to stay.
Because letting her go wasn’t an option. Each time we
joined, our bond grew that much stronger, its presence so
obvious it was hard to believe I’d ever questioned it.
Over a thousand years of living, and I was still a fool.
Fortunately, Chloe wasn’t. She’d forgiven my prejudice.
And I would never stop being grateful.
 Alec walked into the kitchen and stopped. “You’re
having ice cream without me?”
I gestured at the cell phone on the counter. “Chloe is
going to call her mother.”
Chloe scooped more ice cream and held her spoon aloft
in invitation. “Don’t worry. I share.”
Alec grinned and sauntered around the counter.
“Careful, lassie. You’ll put wicked thoughts in my head with
talk like that.” He dipped his gaze to the bulge between my
legs and raised an eyebrow. “Having a hard time?”
I leaned a hip against the counter. “Just eat, Alec.”
His eyes gleamed with a mixture of heat and merriment
as he put his palms on the granite and stretched toward
Chloe. “Oh I plan to,” he murmured, holding her gaze as he
took his time licking ice cream off the spoon.
She blushed and bit her lip. “I didn’t know dragons like
ice cream.”
“We love it,” he said as she fed him another bite. “Give
us something sweet and wet, and we gobble it right up.”
A curious sensation spread through me as I watched
them alternate between flirting and sharing the dessert.
The feeling was more than happiness. It was…joy, I
realized. And lightness. For the first time in centuries, the
constant ache in my soul was gone. I was whole.
Fate had given me not one but two perfect mates.
My eyes burned, and I swallowed against a suddenly
thick throat.
Alec turned his head toward me, a soft smile playing
around his mouth. “Come here,” he said, extending a hand.
I took it and let him pull me to his side. He used his
other hand to grip one of Chloe’s and then nodded toward
the phone. “You don’t have to do this to make us happy,
sweetheart.”
Her heart rate picked up, and she licked her lips, anxiety
rolling off her in waves. “I know…but I want to do it.” She
squared her shoulders. “I need to do it.”
 I reached across the counter and took her other hand.
“Draw from us, then, love. Just like we practiced.”
Some of the tension left her shoulders, and a hint of
amusement entered her blue gaze. “That’s a good idea. If
there was ever a time to borrow some dragon power, it’s
before a call with my mother.”
A sense of humility spread through me—something that
probably wasn’t going to stop happening anytime soon. I’d
questioned fate because I hadn’t wanted to be saddled with
a weak human for a mate. I’d thought Chloe beneath me.
And fate had delivered the ultimate sucker punch by
giving me a female who could siphon magic from any of the
Firstborn Races.
“Okay,” she said suddenly. “I’m ready.”
Alec lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles.
Then he swiped her phone screen and dialed.
Her mother picked up right away, her clipped tones
filling the kitchen. “I knew you’d see reason. I’m swamped
with work so I won’t be able to get you from the airport—”
“I’m not coming back to New York,” Chloe said.
There was a long pause. Then Cindy’s voice went low.
“Think very carefully, Chloe. Because—”
“I have.” Chloe squeezed my hand, and a little tug in my
chest let me know she was drawing from me. I squeezed
back. Take whatever you need, baby. I’d give her anything.
She’d given me everything.
Alec gripped my other hand and feathered his thumb
over my knuckles.
“I’m staying in Scotland,” Chloe told her mother.
“With those men?”
“They have names. Alec and Lachlan. And I love them.”
My chest swelled.
“You’re in love with two gay men?”
“They’re bisexual,” Chloe said. When her mother
gasped, she kept right on talking. “I don’t expect you to
understand. I can’t explain it all right now. Maybe
someday…if you’re willing to listen.”
There was another long stretch of silence. When Cindy
spoke again, her voice was hard and flat. “Chloe, I’m sure
you believe yourself to be in love. But I’m not sure you even
know what love is.”
I tightened my fingers around Chloe’s. Alec gazed at her
with steady eyes shimmering with power.
She looked between the two of us before drawing a deep
breath and focusing on the phone. “You could be right. I
may not know what love is, but I definitely know what it’s
not. And I have you and Josh to thank for teaching me
that.”
Cindy’s swift intake of breath was loud in the kitchen.
“I’m going now,” Chloe said. “If you ever decide you
want a relationship, then I’ll expect you to treat me and the
men I love with respect. This is the life I’ve chosen. I’m
going to go live it.” She reached out and ended the call.
For a moment, the three of us looked at each other. Her
words rang in my ears. I love them.
She loved us—enough to uproot her life and enter an
entirely new world.
I was moving before I even realized it, circling the
counter and plucking her off the barstool so I could take
her in my arms. Alec was right behind me, and I grabbed
his shoulder and pulled him into our circle.
In typical Alec fashion, he got straight to the point. “So
you love us, hmm?”
She smiled up at him, her cheeks flushed with pink.
“Yes.”
“Do you have a favorite, and why is it me?”
I reached around and pinched his ass.
He leaned down and murmured in her ear. “You can tell
me later, lass. For now, just know that we love you, too.”
“Aye,” I said, drawing them both closer. “We love you,
Chloe. And we’ll spend the rest of our lives showing you
just how much.”
“We’d do anything for you, sweetheart,” Alec added.
She shifted her gaze between us, her big blue eyes
shining with love. “Anything?”
“Name it,” he said.
The pink in her cheeks deepened. “I have a few ideas in
mind.”
My cock twitched, completely on board with whatever
her imagination could conjure.
She reached up and lay her palm against my cheek, then
did the same to Alec’s. “For starters,” she murmured, “I
was thinking you could lock me in that tower again.”

OceanofPDF.com
Epilogue

OceanofPDF.com
 CHLOE

“J ust the lassie I wanted to see.”

I turned at the sound of Alec’s voice…and
immediately caught my breath at the sight of him
leaning against the tower room’s doorway with a crooked
grin on his handsome face. Would I ever stop being taken
aback by his sexiness? Probably not.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“Ogling you.”
“Well, that’s a given.” He swept his gaze around the
room. “I meant what are you doing up here? Lach and I
have been looking all over the castle for you. I was ready to
bake something with chocolate in it just to lure you to the
kitchen.”
I put my hands on my hips. “I’m offended. Also, what
were you thinking of baking?”
His grin spread as he sauntered over and took me in his
arms. Light from the window turned his eyes the color of
spring leaves, but his voice was a dark, smoky autumn.
“You have a sweet tooth, hmm?”
I nodded, my skin tingling where he touched me. “An
insatiable one, as it turns out.”
“However will we remedy that?”
“I don’t know. It’s—” My words were smothered by his
hot mouth on mine. His tongue invaded, plunging and
conquering, and his hands stroked a blazing path down my
neck to my chest. He cupped my breast, his thumb finding
my nipple through my shirt. When I moaned and thrust into
his hand, he chuckled against my lips and pinched the
hardened peak.
After several long, sensual minutes, he pulled away with
a groan and rested his forehead against mine with his big
arms wrapped around me. “Need to fuck you, but I dinnae
want to do it in this tower.”
“Me neither,” I said, struggling to catch my breath. “It’s
too cold.”
“What were you doing in here?”
I gnawed my lower lip as I debated giving him some
bullshit excuse. But I couldn’t keep the truth from him for
long. He’d taught me how to shield my thoughts, but there
was no stopping a Seelie prince from sidestepping mental
barriers if he really wanted to. So I took a deep breath. “I
was testing the bars on the window. I wanted to see if
they’d hold a vampire.”
He reared back, a reddish eyebrow shooting up. “A
leech? Whatever for?”
My cheeks heated. “I wanted to experiment a little. See
if I can draw power consciously.” In the month since we
returned to the castle, I’d focused on learning everything I
could about my newfound abilities. Donums were so rare,
even Lachlan knew of only a couple others in the world. So
far, I’d learned my gift literally meant “gift” and that I
could accidentally kill myself if I drew too much power.
Wonderful.
But there were also benefits. If I could learn to control
the power draw, I could temporarily take on the abilities of
any of the Firstborn Races. Lachlan called it “short-term
invincibility.” Which was kind of awesome.
Alec frowned. “You pull from me and Lach all the time.”
“That’s just it. You’re the only magical beings I’m
around. I guess I just wanted some variety.”
 “So you thought you’d kidnap a vampire and hold him
prisoner so you can absorb his powers?”
“Um…yes?”
His eyes darkened. “Fuck, honey, that’s actually pretty
hot.” He drew me more tightly against him. “I like this
bloodthirsty side of you.”
I moaned when he lowered his head and kissed me
again, then I gasped when he smoothed a hand over my ass
and nudged the plug nestled between my cheeks. Even with
my panties and jeans in the way, the slight movement was
enough to make me instantly aroused.
He smiled against my lips. “You’re after variety, eh,
sweetheart?”
My heart pounded. I’d been skeptical about the plug
when he and Lachlan first showed it to me.
“You want to put that where?” I’d asked.
The guys had laughed. Then Alec had kissed the frown
off my face, explaining, “It takes both of us to claim you.
And, not to brag, but we’re not exactly small lads, if you
catch my meaning.” He’d drawn back, a mix of lust and
mischief in his eyes. “Trust me when I say a few days with a
toy in your arse and you’ll be begging for the real thing.”
He’d exchanged a heated look with Lachlan and added, “I
speak from experience.”
But it had been more than a few days. Claiming they
didn’t want to hurt me, he and Lachlan had insisted on a
series of plugs, starting small and graduating to a larger
one every couple of days. Now it had been a week and I
was ready to murder them if they didn’t deliver on their
promise to give me “the real thing.”
“Yes,” I gasped now, my panties flooding with moisture
as he gave the plug another nudge. “I think I’d like some
variety. But…oh God, I’m going to come.”
With a growl, he swept me into his arms. “Not yet,
you’re not.” He strode from the room and descended the
tower steps at a near-run. At the bottom, he cranked his
speed to inhuman levels, and before I knew it he was
shouldering his way into Lachlan’s room.
“You found her,” Lachlan said, turning from the
fireplace.
And, oh wow, he wore nothing but a pair of silky pajama
pants. As the dizziness from the trip downstairs faded, I let
my gaze roam his rippling abs and broad shoulders. I’d
clung to them more than once over the past week as Alec
had thrust into me from behind. I’d also straddled them as
Lachlan devoured my sex, his tongue making me scream
myself hoarse.
“You’re blushing,” he murmured, drawing near as Alec
put me down. “Thinking wicked thoughts, Chloe lass?”
“It’s your fault,” I grumbled. “Both of you.”
Alec grabbed my hips from behind and pulled me
against him. “Guilty,” he said, already kissing my neck.
Lachlan went to work on my front, lifting my shirt over
my head and tossing it aside. His eyes lit up when he saw
my bra. “I love these front clasps.” He snapped the plastic
with a deft flick of his fingers, spilling my breasts.
Alec reached around me and cupped them, almost as if
he presented them to Lachlan. And that was exactly what
he did, because Lachlan immediately lowered his head and
took a nipple in his mouth.
“Oh…yes.” I let my head loll on Alec’s shoulder as desire
pummeled me. Every draw of Lachlan’s mouth was like a
wire running straight to my sex. They hadn’t even touched
me there and already my clit throbbed so hard it bordered
on pain. Alec lifted my breasts, his fingers caressing and
kneading as Lachlan feasted.
But I needed more. “Please,” I gasped, my sex clenching
and my ass rippling around the plug. I wasn’t even nervous
about accommodating them both anymore. I just needed
them to fuck me. “More, please.”
Always attuned to my needs, they lifted and carried me
to the bed. My jeans and panties disappeared, and then I
was stretched on my back with Alec tonguing my nipples
and Lachlan sucking my clit.
He lifted his head and pinned me with a look so
scorching it was a wonder my hair didn’t catch fire. “You
look so sexy with this plug, lass. I’ll never grow weary of
seeing a jewel nestled in your luscious bottom.”
I knew what he saw because I’d spent quite a bit of time
examining myself in my bathroom mirror. And I had to
admit the sight was…mesmerizing. Each plug they’d
inserted was tipped with a gem, and I’d turned this way
and that in the mirror, entranced by the way the stone
gleamed between my cheeks. And I knew the guys found it
just as entrancing because they never missed an
opportunity to touch and admire it, which inevitably
reduced me to a puddle of lust.
“As much as I like it, though,” Lachlan said now, “I think
you need”—he flicked his tongue over my clit
—“something”—another flick—“bigger.”
“Yes,” I said, my plea more breath than sound.
Alec released my nipple, and a look of understanding
passed between the men. In a flash, they’d removed their
clothes and Alec had propped himself against the pillows in
a reclining position with me straddling his lap.
I braced myself for him to lift me and lower me onto his
cock. Instead, Lachlan bent his dark head between us, took
Alec’s shaft deep into his mouth, and launched straight into
a vigorous blow job.
“Fuck,” Alec gasped, his body jerking beneath me. He
palmed the back of Lachlan’s head, which brushed my
stomach as Lachlan bobbed up and down. “Oh…that’s…
fuck.”
My eyes widened at Lachlan’s skill. He took Alec to the
root on every pass, swallowing Alec’s thick cock without
gagging or slowing his pace. And it was mind-numbingly
hot. The sight. The sounds. The way Alec sprawled on the
pillows, his chest heaving as he obviously struggled to keep
his orgasm at bay. His hand clenched in Lachlan’s hair, his
fingers twitching. After a minute, he tugged hard at the
dark strands. “Need to come. Almost…fucking there.”
Lachlan straightened abruptly, abandoning Alec’s cock,
which flopped heavy and damp on Alec’s stomach.
Alec dropped his head back and groaned. “I hate you.”
Lachlan laughed. “You love edging. Don’t try to deny it.”
“It’s a love, hate relationship,” Alec said with a heavy
sigh.
After a month of Lachlan’s bedroom antics, I had to
agree. He was a master at edging—at taking Alec and me
right up to the brink of an orgasm just to snatch us back at
the last second. But when he finally let us come…
I shivered, and he turned lustful eyes to me. “Och, lass,
you’re looking awfully lonely.” He cupped my splayed sex
with an open palm, then slipped his middle finger between
my sodden lips and rubbed my clit. He grasped Alec’s cock
in his other hand and stroked it, prompting Alec to release
another frustrated groan.
Lachlan ignored him. “What do you say, sweetheart?” he
asked me in a voice like gravel. “You want Alec’s big cock
inside you?”
“Yes.” God, I was nearly salivating for it. Even as
Lachlan’s finger circled my clit, I couldn’t tear my gaze off
his hand working Alec’s shaft. His fist slid up and down the
glistening length in steady strokes, raising beads of pearly
white moisture at the swollen tip. Groaning again, Alec put
an arm over his eyes and bit his lip.
“This isn’t about him,” Lachlan said, stopping his strokes
to squeeze Alec’s shaft in a brutally tight grip.
Alec muttered a string of curses.
My gaze flew to Lachlan’s. He leaned in and brushed his
lips over mine. “It’s about you,” he murmured, dropping his
head and nuzzling the skin under my ear. “Do you want us,
lass?” he whispered, his breath tickling my cheek as he
toyed with my clit. “Both of us? There’s no going back once
we do this.”
“I know,” I said, trembling from the things he was doing
with his finger. I was so wet I could hear the loud smack of
my juices as he made lazy passes around the throbbing
center of my desire. Maybe I should have been
embarrassed, but I was too far gone to care. My ass
clenched around the plug, which was big but not nearly as
big as his dick.
But I wanted it. Wanted them. Forever.
“I want you,” I said, because somehow it mattered that I
say it out loud. “Both of you.”
Lachlan pulled back with a big smile on his face. “That’s
what I wanted to hear. Now, let’s see you climb on Alec’s
hard dick, sweetheart. I think he’s just about ready for
you.”
“Been fucking ready,” Alec grumbled, already reaching
for me. His big hands circled my waist and lifted me like I
was nothing. He positioned me over his cock, which stuck
straight up. “Slide on down, lassie. Get me nice and wet.”
He lowered me slowly, and the two of us gasped as my sex
enveloped his cock.
“Christ,” he rasped, his gaze on my entrance stretched
around him. “That’s it, honey. All the way down.”
I shuddered hard at the intrusion, which felt even better
than usual because of the plug. When my pussy was flush
with his skin, I started to grind.
“God, yes, lass. Ride me.”
I braced my palms on his hard stomach and rocked back
and forth, undulating my hips so my clit brushed his dick. I
was so primed, my clit so swollen and over-sensitive, I
couldn’t hold back. A million tingles rushed over my skin,
and just like that I was coming. “God! Oh my…” I rode him
faster, sobbing unintelligible words as the orgasm swept
me.
 He talked me through it, murmuring soft words in his
delicious brogue. Telling me how gorgeous I was with my
creamy tits flushed and my nipples like two ripe berries.
How he loved my tight little pussy milking his cock. His
deep voice soothed and praised, carrying me up as I soared
and returning me gently back to Earth.
As I slumped forward, warm hands slid over my back.
Then Lachlan kissed my shoulder and guided me down until
I lay on Alec’s chest with my breasts mashed against his
pecs and his cock twitching inside me.
Alec stroked my hair from my sweaty forehead. “You’re
so fucking beautiful when you come. I want to see it again.”
The unmistakable snap of a plastic flip cap cut through
my post-orgasm haze. A second later, Lachlan stroked a
slick finger down my crack, bumping over the plug.
I stiffened, but Alec was right there to reassure me. “It’s
all right, sweetheart. Lach’s gonna take good care of you.”
“That’s right, baby,” Lachlan said in a voice thick with
lust. His fingers brushed my sex flared around Alec’s cock.
“You look so sexy like this. Fucking perfect.” Something
warm and wet slid down my crack, and I realized he was
lubing me up. He pulled the plug out just a bit, then pushed
it back in.
Intense pleasure rippled in my ass and pussy at the
same time, and I thrust my hips back before I could stop
myself.
Alec moaned into my hair. “Fuck, Chloe, you can’t
squeeze me like that.”
Lachlan’s warm chuckle drifted over my head. “That’s a
lusty lass. Let’s see you fuck this toy with your pretty
asshole. Aye…just like that.” He moved with me, giving me
slow, easy pumps with the plug, working it a little deeper
each time.
And it was, oh God, it was incredible. My hips rolled
hard as more waves of pleasure rippled through me.
 Lachlan continued fucking me with the plug, pausing
every couple of minutes to drizzle more lube over my crack.
In no time, I was reduced to a bundle of nerves and moans,
my back arching again and again.
Alec wrapped strong arms around me and spoke next to
my ear. “You ready, baby? You want us to make you ours for
good?”
“Yes,” I sobbed. “Please…do it now.”
More liquid slid down my crack, and then Lachlan
withdrew the plug and pressed his cock to my entrance. I
clamped down at once, reflexively trying to keep him out.
“Relax,” Alec crooned in my ear. “Just like we talked
about, hmm? Push your hips back. Good girl. Open up and
let him in.” Approval laced his tone as I followed his
direction. “That’s it, lass. It’ll burn a little, and then it’ll feel
really fucking good.”
He should know, I thought as I took deep breaths. He
was an anal expert.
His shoulders shook, and then he laughed out loud as he
picked up my thoughts. “Expert? Sweetheart, I’m an anal
champion.”
The humor broke the tension, which was exactly what I
needed to relax. Suddenly, Lachlan surged forward, seating
himself to the hilt.
“Fuck,” he growled. “So goddamn tight.”
Alec gasped. “I feel you, Lach. Christ, you’re right
there.”
I could only moan as I tried to wrap my head around
being completely, thoroughly filled. They were in every part
of me, Alec’s cock buried in my pussy and Lachlan’s dick
stuffing my ass. My muscles clenched all around them.
Then they started to move.
“Oh…” My voice went too hoarse for words as nerve
endings I didn’t even know I possessed came alive. Alec
thrust his hips up as Lachlan withdrew. Then they reversed
position, Lachlan plunging inside as Alec pulled back. They
fell into a rhythm, seesawing their cocks in a rolling grind
that rocked me between them.
“That’s right,” Lachlan growled, his fingers biting deep
into my hips. “You’re right where you should be, lass.
Between your mates.” He fucked my ass harder, his balls
lightly slapping my pussy and Alec’s thrusting cock.
“Can’t…hold on,” Alec gasped. “Say the words, Lach.”
Pumping faster, Lachlan spoke in a language I didn’t
recognize and wasn’t entirely certain was language at all.
The words touched my skin, sliding and stroking like
fingers. They spun around us, flowing faster and faster as
we moved and moaned. They kept flowing even after
Lachlan stopped speaking. Words tugged gently at my hair
and whispered over my skin. Caressed my sides and slid
between my legs. Pressed hard against my clamping pussy
and quivering hole.
And I fell apart. Exploded into a million stars. Reformed
and exploded again a dozen times…a hundred. I lost count
as my release spun me into new worlds and dimensions.
Alec’s shout rang in my ears and his heat flooded my
womb. Behind me, Lachlan shuddered and pumped his
scalding load into my ass. They held me and covered me,
enfolding my body between them as we came together.
Eventually, awareness returned, and I heard my ragged
breathing. The rapid thump of Alec’s heart under my ear.
Lachlan pulled out and dropped beside us, his chest
heaving. After a second, he turned his head and gave me a
searching look. “You okay, lass?”
“Yes. Are we…mated?”
“Aye.” His gaze flicked above my head. “Although, I think
we killed Alec.”
“I’m alive,” Alec said, his voice sleepy and sated. He
shifted so I rolled and landed between him and Lachlan.
Green eyes gleamed with satisfaction as he stroked light
fingers over my stomach. “I love you, Chloe.”
 My heart skipped a beat. This was what the mate bond
was about, I realized suddenly. Not power or one person
serving another’s interests. Just…love. Tears thick in my
throat, I said, “I love you, too.” I lifted my head and kissed
him, then turned and did the same to Lachlan. “And I love
you,” I told him.
“Me too, sweetheart,” he murmured, lacing his fingers
with Alec’s on my stomach. “Forever.”
I snuggled deeper between them, sleep tugging at me.
But a sudden thought had me wide awake again. “Does this
mean King Cormac approves of me?”
Lachlan grinned. When I turned to look at Alec, he wore
a similar expression.
“There was never any question, lass,” he said. “Human
or donum, you’re downright magical.”
“No,” I said softly, my heart overflowing with love. “I’m
the luckiest woman in the world.”

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 About the Author

Amy Pennza is a USA Today Bestselling Author of steamy paranormal and

contemporary romance. After stints as a lawyer and a soldier, she discovered
her dream job is writing about stubborn alphas and smart heroines. She lives in
the Great Lakes region with her husband and five children.

Keep up with new releases by visiting amypennza.com

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 Also by Amy Pennza

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