Page 8 of Betrayed By Dragons

Rafe throws his hands up in the air. "All the more reason to be looking into them. Or have you forgotten that the entire reason we're here is to figure out if you have traitors in your midst?"

"Fire Dragon traitors would have had just as much opportunity as Stone Dragon ones--"

"Okay, okay," I interrupt. The need to close the distance between myself and my mates overwhelms me.

I hate when they fight. I hate that they have good reason to. I hate that their positions as leaders of warring kingdoms have put us all in the crosshairs.

I hate that I can't even decide which one of them is right.

Unable to bear it for a moment more, I extend one hand toward each of them. To my relief, neither hesitates. The first touch of Rafe's fingertips against mine sends ripples of belonging and love surging through me--not to mention a tingle of desire so deep it makes heat rise in my blood. Jianyu grasps me just as firmly, and my nipples tighten, slickness pooling between my legs. In my heart, this feels right.

"We'll figure it out," I mumble, pulling them both in.

They surround me, encircling me in their strength and warmth. I revel in it for a moment, closing my eyes against their arguments and all the pressures facing us. The high priestesses and the kings, the myths and legends; the saboteurs and the traitors.

I force myself to open my eyes again. My gaze connects with Jianyu's, and the strain he's under tears at me, our bond trembling with the sheer amount of stress he's feeling.

His father is a god, in the eyes of their people. In some ways, Jianyu is a lesser god himself. All his life, he's trained to become king, but for now, he remains his father's disciple, with little real power of his own. The restrictions and the expectations of his position chafe at him.

My heart clenches painfully behind my ribs. I want him to open up to me and tell me more about how he feels.

But Rafe curls his arm around me. I feel split in half, connected on the deepest possible level to both of these men, but also unable to truly connect with either of them.

It's a tension we need to figure out. We haven't had the time or the space to, though.

For now, Jianyu exhales roughly and looks away. "I'll push harder. Find out more about what they're doing behind the scenes." Then he shoots a slight glare at Rafe. "But without ruffling too many feathers."

Rafe holds up a hand in front of his chest, his face the picture of innocence. "That's all I ask."

Jianyu and I both snicker, though there's a lot more sarcasm in his tone than in mine. Rafe isn't an easy man to satisfy; he isn't quiet about what he wants, and he doesn't sugar coat anything. He knows full well what he's asking for.

The impossible.

I lean up toward Jianyu, trying to apologize for my other mate the best I can. We meet in the middle for a soft, lush kiss that I feel in my toes. His mouth against mine feels like coming home, feels like something that was missing inside of me clicking suddenly, unflinchingly into place.

I smile against his lips, tingles racing down my spine. My breasts press against his chest, and the achy, tender place between my legs warms further.

Rafe is remarkably patient, but as soon as Jianyu and I part for breath, he cups the side of my face and tugs me around. He claims my mouth, surging forward with his tongue. The kiss goes hot, wet and passionate in an instant. His hardness presses against my hip, and I let out a moan.

The intensity of the need I feel for these men continues to blindside me. After Storm and I broke up, and I got exiled from the Air Kingdom, I hardly thought about sex for weeks.

Now I can't go a few hours without having my mates' hands on me. The yawning emptiness inside me screams to be filled. I want their sweat and their skin, I want their cocks, I want to feel the hot rush of their seed filling me to the brim, and then I want to do it all again and again and again.

Rafe finally releases me. Breathless, I lean back into Jianyu. The hot burn of arousal simmers inside me, and I have no doubt we'll all give in to it soon. But for the moment, I do my best to focus.

"How was the rest of your day?" I ask, smoothing my hand down Rafe's enticingly muscular chest. Because we're more than just sexed-up, desperately horny fated mates. We're partners--in life, in love, and in the deadly conflict between two warring dragon nations.

"Getting better all the time." Rafe's deep, gravelly voice reaches into the needy center of me and pulls.

"Any other leads?"

Rafe looks over my head at Jianyu, and I twist my neck to glance in his direction. They're having one of those silent conversations of theirs. I swear, the only time they aren't arguing is when they're conspiring.

"We haven't had much luck," Jianyu admits. He drops his gaze to mine. "As you might have guessed from the shouting match you walked in on."

My stomach sinks. It's been more than a week since the attack on the summit. It's promising that Jianyu's resolved to press for more details on Bedrock's possible involvement, but other than that, it feels as if we've made no progress.

"We'll keep digging," Rafe promises, shooting a sharper glare at Jianyu.

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