Page 58 of Kingdom of Flames & Flowers
“Get off her!” Zariah reached around me and took a wild swing at Zion, who grabbed me with both arms and yanked me away from Zariah.
“ME?! You’re the one who risked shifting while I was already a dragon! You took her beyond the safety of the dome and the walls! And for what? I felt your terror! Whatever you were doing out west, I could kill you for risking her!”
Zion’s arm tightened around my waist, refusing to let me go.
Zariah threw his arms in the air, exasperated. “She asked me to go! The whole thing was her idea—”
Zion yelled, and sucker punched his twin. I gasped as blood flew, but didn’t have time to check on Zariah as Zion grabbed me by the back of my neck and claimed my lips with his.
Before, when I’d kissed him, it had been cocky. He was someone who was used to getting what he wanted at all times without argument. My first instinct was to kick him between the knees, but then I realized the kiss was different.
It was desperate.
The way he clung to me as the wind whipped around us took my breath away. His fingernails dug into my skin, unable to bring me as close to him as he wanted. The grip on my hip would leave bruises, but I didn’t care.
Zion had always tried to take from me, but there was innocent despair in the way he simply held his lips against mine, not pushing me or dragging my body against his as he’d tried to in the past.
So I kissed him back.
Zariah growled from behind us, and Zion’s grip loosened as I melted against him, both of us raw with each other for the first time.
Another pair of arms ripped me away, and I gasped at the loss, only to have Zariah devour me. His kiss was demanding, and I fought him for dominance, refusing to let him cow me about anything, let alone this.
His tongue pushed into my mouth, so I pushed mine into his. His hands tangled in my hair and pulled me to him, his grip tight as I refused to yield. I put my hand on his cock and squeezed hard, letting him know he wasn’t going to just boss me around.
Zion stepped up behind me, trapping me between the both of them. Instead of anger or panic, I only felt …. intrigue. Zion’s hands went to my waist, then left. Zariah went still as death, and that’s when I noticed the knife Zion had pressed against the back of Zariah’s neck; the same knife that had just been in my waistband.
“Let her go,” Zion demanded, his voice still rough from his time as a dragon.
Zariah grinned, keeping his head still. “She likes it, don’t you, flower?” His voice was gravelly and full of need.
I didn’t want to move, lest one of them did something stupid.
“You’rethe one who tried to force her, from what I heard anyway,” Zariah continued, anger bleeding in his voice. “But I’ll forgive it, since your recent spurts of madness seem to be more uncontrollable than usual!”
“Give me the knife, Zion.” I twisted around in Zariah’s arms and held my hands out. He growled, but reluctantly released his hold on his brother and gave me the knife. I slammed it back into its sheath at my waist, glaring at both of them. “No one is leaving this dome until you tell me what the curse is about.”
Zariah tilted his head to the side, still smiling. But he wasn’t looking at me; he was looking at his brother. “Zion, just accept it. Let it settle in your blood. We don’t have to fight over her. I’m sure she’d accept us both.”
“If you both don’t want kneed in the groin …” I threatened, only for Zion to kiss me again. He pushed me up against Zariah, who laughed and braced himself so I didn’t go anywhere. His arms locked around mine, pinning me against him with nowhere to go.
I didn’t exactly mind.
My mind went blank as Zion’s tongue dove into my mouth, claiming and taking over. One hand went to my neck and squeezed while the other caressed the curve of my breast through my leathers. Behind me, I could feel Zariah’s hardness pressing against my bottom.
“I want her officially declared as our future queen. I want it to happen as soon as possible,” Zariah growled. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you, flower?”
Zion’s fervor increased, a low groan emanating from his chest. He nipped my lower lip and bit down. I gasped at the delicious pinch of pain.
“Accept it, Zion. You and the dragon are one, and we’ve both chosen her. We can share. Can’t we, Mari?”
My brain felt like mush. I fought through the sludge and the sensation of hands all over me, touching and feeling.
Zariah chuckled darkly, and I felt the vibrations from his chest against my back. He leaned down and bit down on the back of my neck. I moaned, loving the sensation of both of them working me at the same time.
“Not much is known about dragons, but what I found in our library suggests they mate for life. It’s a deep blood bond that breaks for nothing except death. And we choose you.”
But they weren’t dragons all the time, so …
