Page 145 of Gemini Kings
If I was actually officially intending to pick up another mate.
Which I’m not.
Think that ship might’ve sailed a bit ago, love,Ronin murmurs, just for me, because he can draw the telepathic curtains around us whenever he wants.This dragon’s bonded with us—you and me—he’s bonded really hard. Looks like Neo won’t be far behind. Even if Max hasn’t bitten us yet.
Ronin hasn’t even taken a mating bite from Vasili, because it’s a point of pride for the Goblin King that Ronin fell in love with him without needing a mating bite, way before Vasili even knew he had enough shifter in him to give one. So it’s a really big deal that Ronin’s hinting (even super privately) that he’d maybe accept one from Max.
Which just makes me more pissed at that stubborn fucking dragon.
“Okay, big guy.” I assert my dominance by rolling over and straddling Max’s hips, buck naked of course, since that’s how I always sleep these days. But I’m extra careful to keep the thick duvet between me and that barbed dragon cock my hoochie’s howling for.
Max’s gaze slides down my body. His nostrils flare, either because I’m scenting or because he can smell all that pussy juice my girly parts are pumping out. I’m, like, really slick down there.
And he knows it.
“Look.” I swallow hard and get serious. “Here’s the thing.”
He grips my waist with his hot hands and growls, “Tell me this thing. I am listening.”
Sweet Jesus, why does this dragon have to be so fucking sexy?Why?My life would be so much simpler right now if he wasn’t.
Next to him, Neo laces his brawny arms behind his head and grins at me and watches the whole show with appreciation. He clearly likes the way I look with Max, like he won’t mind seeing a lot more of the dragon’s hands on my body.
That’s assuming I don’t kill the big guy first.
“The thing is,” I tell Max firmly, “it’s not just me and the guys you’re protecting, okay? When I do that succession ritual on live TV, I’m taking a vow to protect the whole witching world—right?” I shoot a look at Vasili, who’s gonna be choreographing-slash-directing the whole performance for me like a theater production, though he hasn’t filled me in yet on everything he’s planning.
“Hmmmm.” My snake’s watching us too, really closely, but he’s got the blinds lowered in his head, so I can’t pick up what he’s thinking.
Given my looming superheat, my Goblin King’s looking extra yummy. His silver rock star mane is growing. It’s falling past his jaw now and halfway to his shoulders, framing his imperious beauty and icy eyes like a punk rock halo.
Yep, it’s a really good look on him.
Of course, he’s been cagey and secretive as fuck about his feelings for Max since that whole library kiss fiasco.
But, you know, that’s Vasili.
He’s the quintessential Scorpio. Still waters run deep, etc.
My gaze zooms back to the dragon. “That protection gig we take on as royals starts right here at Icarus, okay? If you’re ever gonna be one of my kings, you can’t go around flaming innocent people. And that villa you were so dead set on attacking was full of them.”
His slitted pupils narrow. “My queen, they attacked you—”
“Stop ‘my queening’ me and listen up.” I cup his scruffy jaw in my determined hand. “You can’t throw out the whole bushel over a few bad apples. A bunch of students would’ve died, and you would’ve gotten expelled and probably arrested by the AIB and locked up for murder. And that would make it way harder for me to queen it when the time comes. So no more flaming—or attempted flaming—of innocent people. Got it?”
“Is this the only reason you will be displeased if I am expelled?” He looks like he’s actually listening, with his Slavic face all grim and his brow all furrowed. “Because it will be harder for you to rule?”
Okay, so this is him wanting reassurance.
Wanting to know if all that’s between us is witching world genetics and my superheat, or if I actually feel something for the guy.
Even though I’m pissed, my stupid heart goes all melty. I’ve always been a total sucker for anything my guys need.
Still, I gotta think about Vasili’s feelings. It was only a few days ago that Ronin found him crying in the shower (a thought I guardreallyclosely with those telepathic privacy barriers Ronin taught me to put up when I need to, because that’s a vulnerability Vasili will definitelynotappreciate me sharing, especially with Max).
“Jury’s still out on that one,” I say lightly. “You and the Goblin King gotta figure things out first, okay? Then we can revisit that whole issue about my feelings.”
But I soften the blow by leaning in to give the dragon a super-quick kiss.
