Page 118 of Gemini Kings
“This dragon,” Vasili says coldly, “isnota member of your court.”
“I share the queen’s roof. That makes me one of her courtiers, by accepted custom.” I try not to sound argumentative and even manage a sly smile as I cleverly use his own argument. “This fact was in your witching world law lecture, Master Romanov.”
“Hmmm.” Vasili pouts at our queen curled in his lap. “Well, that may be. But he’s certainlynotone of your alphas.”
“He could be, though… couldn’t he?” Ronin pads past me to crouch at Vasili’s feet. “If she decides she wants him, he’s in. Lucius has already accepted him, or he’d never have brought Max here. Lucius literally brought him into thisdomusso Zara’s dragon and Max’s could fuck. And you know Red’s happy with whatever Zara fancies. We’re all mainly waiting for the two of you—you and Max—to figure your broody alpha shit out.”
“Darling, you’re in heat yourself.” Vasili heaves a long-suffering sigh. “Both of you are off-the-charts hormonal. Why am I the only one who seems to comprehend this biological fact? For all his numerous shortcomings, this flying designer handbag is an alpha. Therefore, it stands to reason that you’re both hot for him. It’s basic biology.”
While I hold my tongue and try not to look offended (even though he called me a flying handbag and claims it is only hormones that make these two want me), Ronin toys with the laces tied in a pretty bow above the alluring bulge of Vasili’s breeches and smolders up at both his lovers with smoking eyes. Looking thoughtful, Zara licks her luscious lips and leans in to nuzzle Vasili’s ear.
I have the distinct sense that these two are working together to placate their irritated alpha.
Or, possibly, they are working to reassure him.
At last, my nemesis heaves a sigh and flourishes an exasperated hand. “Oh, very well. Date him if youmust, darlings. Only until your heats pass and not a moment longer. If you fuck him, either he gets tested first, or everyone wears a condom.”
My heart hammers with shock.
Then my spirits shoot up with a cautious spurt of optimism. My dragon launches to his feet with a surprised bugle.
This is so much less than I want.
But it is also so much more than I have dared to hope.
Ronin hides a grin of triumph by resting his forehead against Vasili’s knee. He captures Vasili’s restless hand and presses a lingering kiss to his boyfriend’s inner wrist. This, Vasili allows him to do.
As for my Zara, still tucked up in my enemy’s lap, she sucks in a noisy breath and looks as though she is about to protest that she wants to do any such offensive thing as date me.
Much less fuck me.
For my part, I wish to protest the condom. There is no need. I am not diseased. And mine is not a cock that takes kindly to such encumbrances.
“How. Ever.”One flash from Vasili’s icy eyes freezes the hot words that hover on Zara’s lush lips and vaporizes the cold protest on mine. He spears me with a warning finger and glares straight at me. “That dragon isnotpart of this polycule. He will never be part of it—never be one of us—unless we all explicitly agree, Lucius and Neo included. Which, at the present time, we all too clearlydon’t.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Ronin
When Zara struts her stuff into the Hufflepuff bash like the badass queen of the witching world she is, with half her court lined up at her back, I’m still swinging like a yoyo between anger over this rumored queen bullshit and total fucking shock that Vasili’s actually willing to grant “friends with benefits” privileges (even temporarily) to his hated rival.
Honestly speaking, I never for a tick expected he’d actually agree.
I was just hoping to hurry things along a bit, for everyone’s sake. To get us through Zara’s superheat, it’s bloody crystal she needs dragon cock.
Whereas Lucius wants the world’s only male dragon shifter to have a proper education, which will only happen if that dragon stallion and our dragon queen find some way to rub along together.
Plus, yeah, I’m not quite ready to admit it, but I’m starting to feel a wee bit of a gooey spot in my own tattered heart for this scarred and scrappy stray we seem to have picked up.
And despite all Vasili’s sneaky efforts to guard this particular secret from me—his telepathic and deeply bonded boyfriend—he hasn’t stopped thinking about that dragon, one way or another, since Max flew straight into our shared life together, literally breathing fire.
So because we’re a polycule—and not the open-ended kind, we don’t have random fucks drifting in and out of our bed—we’re all waiting on Max and Vasili to figure out their shit. (That’s assuming they can.)
Well, gods know I’ve done my bit to help matters along.
Right now, it’s Zara who’s got my full focus.
Villa Hadrian’s the biggest residential college at Icarus, but the cohort here’s pretty mediocre in the witchcraft department. They’re basically the Hufflepuff contingent (at least according to Vasili, who’s definitely our resident Slytherin). But this crumbling ruin of a Roman villa perched high on the harbor cliff, leaning over the edge like it’s about to lose its balance and topple into the foamy sea, is barely inhabited and the closest thing this island has to an actual haunted house.
