Page 115 of Destined By Dragonblood
He glanced down over my nakedness, merely making note of my lack of clothing, but stepped back, motioning me forward.
My inner beast breathed a sigh of relief, but I kept mine from being audible and revealing weakness.
No.
Lips in a thin line, I told myself what my inner beast had: I needed to stop with the shit Father had taught me that had discolored my thoughts toward myself.
A quick scan around the cavern revealed the absence of Elijah’s mates, lowering my hope for good news. “Where are Jon and Dakota?”
“Hurrying to finish in the shower. They feel your presence and will be down shortly.” He motioned toward the couch where a throw blanket draped.
My shoulders relaxed. “The bonding ritual worked, I take it?”
“Indeed, it did.” Pleasure coated his tone, and I breathed a little easier at having one of my questions answered so quickly.
I wrapped the material around my waist, doing what I would have wanted him to do if the roles were reversed.
“Coffee?” he asked, ever the gracious host.
“Please.”
Elijah headed into the kitchen. “You found your mates?”
“I have.”
“And have you bonded with them?”
“Not yet—I wasn’t sure it was possible with how human they are, but you lay that fear to rest.” I settled at the island, watching the pure Blood Born work. Muscle rippled over his wide shoulders and back, but I had no wish to touch him. Kiss him. Bend over for him?—
A snort drew my gaze to the top of the stairs as Elijah set a mug in front of me.
“What the fuck do you want this time?” Jon stood there in a pair of shorts, his longer blond hair dripping water onto his chest and running down into the waistband of his shorts. He had obviously felt my presence in his home and hastened to finish showering.
I grinned, loving how his eyes narrowed into a threatening glare. As if the man could hurt me. A chuckle rumbled in my chest over the fact he’d rushed to ensure I didn’t make a move on his alpha. Jealousy was a delicious thing, and even though I would have loved to provoke Elijah’s beta, I hadn’t visited to get into a fight that would end up with Elijah’s hands around my throat.
“I’m here seeking answers,” I assured Elijah’s beta. “Nothing more.”
Jon’s lips pressed tight, eyes wary with mistrust.
Their female, Dakota, arrived on the landing in leggings and one of Elijah’s large button-down shirts that swallowed her up. Her wet hair twisted into a knot atop her head. She slid her hand into her husband’s.
“Keep your eyes to yourself, asshole,” Jon muttered at me.
Elijah stared at them as they descended, love and so much goddamned devotion in his gaze that my chest split in two.
My smile dissolved but not out of disappointment over having lost him to lesser beings. I wanted what the three of them shared, longed for it with every cell in my body.
The nearly-humans sidled up to their alpha, and Elijah kissed them both on the mouth in greeting. Jon shot me a cocky smirk after their quick lip-lock.
I was tempted to roll my eyes but refrained.
Elijah leaned against the counter, his mates bracketing his massive body, Dakota for what appeared to be soothing reasons with how she snuggled into him, and Jon with a satisfied grin. He trailed his hand over Elijah’s pecs, down his washboard abs, his intent clear.
Elijah grasped Jon’s hand before his beta could cup his bulge.
Biting back my snicker over Jon being denied and unable to physically stake his claim in front of me, I decided to address all three of them as equals since they’d been drawn together by fate.
“I’m sorry for disturbing what must still be the honeymoon phase.”
