STORY EXCERPT

My cardia. I can’t believe I’m sitting next to my heart. Mates really do drop from the sky here. I’d come to this club with Dimitri to let off steam before the meeting with the vampire coven that made this building their home. We’d met the king earlier that day, and he indeed wanted someone killed—the witch, Harper. He wanted me to meet and work with a vampire tracker, who supposedly was the best the king had ever known. I was to find Harper and end her.

I looked at my mate again and thanked the Fates. As soon as I’d entered the bar, my dragon had gone crazy within me. The scent of cinnamon filled the air, and I knew my mate was here. I’d scanned the room before seeing him at the table, looking like he wanted to be anywhere else but here. In fact, he’d looked ready to bolt. I needed to get to him before he escaped. I knew when he saw me—his eyes dilated, and interest filled them. But as suddenly as the desire entered, it fled.

“You don’t have to sit with me. My boyfriend will only be a second.” My mate’s soft voice pulled me from my thoughts.

Boyfriend, there was that word again. He’d used it before, and I’d scented the lie on his lips. Why would he lie about a boyfriend? I wondered. I shook my head. He was human and probably didn’t understand the emotions he was feeling toward me. That had to be it.

“I don’t mind, agape,” I said, the term of endearment slipping easily from my lips. I needed to know more, though. “May I have your name?”

He swallowed and stared at me for a moment. I thought for a moment he wouldn’t respond.

“My name’s Bailey.”

Bailey, what an excellent name. I was hoping he would say more, but nothing was forthcoming. He seemed to close off after giving me that nugget. I could smell his arousal, and it was amazing, so I knew he was not unaffected by my presence. I wanted to find a room and lay claim to what was mine. There had to be a reason he was fighting so hard.

“Tell me, Bailey. Why are you sitting here and not dancing?” I asked.

He shrugged. “I’m not much of a dancer.”

“I'd be happy to show you how to dance. I promise you’d enjoy it. Our bodies pressed against each other, swaying to the music.”

He closed his eyes and gulped. The heavy scent of cinnamon filled the area. I knew my words affected him. I leaned over and whispered in his ear. “Can you picture it? Your body, melding against me, forming to mine. So close, you’d feel every part of me, every hardness.”

His breath hitched, and he panted. I reached over and placed my hand on his thigh. His eyes popped opened, and he turned his head toward me. His mouth, his lips, were so close, and I longed to taste him. I leaned in to claim my prize.

“What the fuck is going on here?” a voice growled.

Bailey jumped back, his eyes wide. “Carson,” he whispered.

I turned to see the man who dared interrupt my claiming. I froze. I couldn’t speak. For the second time in less than an hour, my heart skipped in my chest. The man was ethereal, with his porcelain skin, angular features, black hair, and piercing blue eyes. He was gorgeous.

He was also my mate.

How could this be? In all my years of living, I’d never heard of a dragon having two hearts. It was always just one mate, one half.

“Bailey, what is going on? Who’s this?” the stunning specimen asked through clenched teeth.

I looked at Bailey. Blood had drained from his face—he was ghost white and was shivering. “I-I…” he stuttered. He abruptly stood and ran, pushing his way through the crowd.

I went to go after him, but a strong arm grabbed me and jerked me around. Fiery red eyes greeted me. It was then I noticed that under the sweet smell of apples was the odor of vampire.

“Stay away from Bailey; he’s mine!” he hissed through his fangs.

I stepped forward and pressed into his chest, allowing my bulk to tower over him. I was the alpha in this triad. Images of the three of us intertwined in ecstasy flashed in my mind, and my dick hardened. I moaned.

“You are both mine, vampire,” I growled low, my scales emerging on my skin.

His eyes widened. I grabbed the back of his head and smashed his lips to mine. He tasted of molasses and honey. I reveled in the sensation as I owned his mouth. He groaned and pressed into me before tensing and pushing back.

“What the fuck are you doing?” he snarled, out of breath.

I looked him over and noticed a nice-sized bulge pressed hard against his pants. I smirked. “Do you not feel it, vampire? Our connection?”

He stared at me, and I saw his nostrils flare. “W-what are you talking about? What connection? You were just trying to fuck Bailey, and now you want me. Who the fuck are you?” he snapped back, challenging our bond.

My eyes narrowed. “I am Lord Alexios Dranin. You can call me Alex. I am leader of the black caste dragons, and you and Bailey are my cardias—my mates.”

ADULT EXCERPT

The bed moving caused me to pull back from the kiss. "Holy shit!" Bailey whispered.

I turned to see Alex in his boxer briefs, and I wanted to run my tongue across every inch of his muscled chest. He had a dark tribal tattoo on his right pec that accentuated his already dark skin. My eyes scanned lower, revealing his eight-pack and the large bulge pressing hard against the dark red material of his underwear.

The bed shifted again, causing me to avert my gaze from the prime specimen before me. Bailey rose and made his way toward Alex, stopping before him and falling to his knees. My own cock pulsed in my now too-tight pants at his actions. Bailey leaned forward, and Alex moaned as Bailey mouthed his cock through the fabric.

I rose from the bed and quickly lost my clothes, my cock springing free. I stepped beside Alex and claimed his mouth. A hand wrapped around my dick. I pulled back from the kiss and looked down. Bailey had my throbbing cock in his left hand and Alex's thick one in his right. He flicked his tongue over Alex's tip.

"Fuck yeah, agape! Take my cock!" Alex pleaded.

Bailey's mouth widened, and he took Alex into his mouth. The sight was mesmerizing as he went further down. He pulled back and came off with a pop. He turned his head to me, and his moist lips wrapped around my knob.

"Fuck, you suck my dick so good," I whispered, my head falling back in pleasure.

A firm hand grabbed the back of my neck, and lips captured my mouth. I groaned at the dual sensations. Bailey's mouth left my cock, and his hand continued to jerk my dick. I pulled back from Alex's lips and moved my head down to his neck. I needed his blood. I needed to feed. I needed to fuck. I licked his vein at his throat.

"Not yet," Alex said, pulling back. "I know as soon as I feel your fangs, I'll come."

Bailey stopped his actions and looked up. "Is that why I always came when you kissed my neck? You were feeding?"

My face went red in embarrassment.

"Oh, my God! I thought it was just an erogenous area, and all this time you've been feasting on my blood."

"You liked it. You came every time. The vampire bite is very pleasurable," I defended.

"As amusing as this is, I need to be inside one of you now. I feel the heat and don't know if I can control my dragon. I already stopped him from roaring and scaring the neighbors," Alex said, desire heavy in his voice.

I looked into his eyes and saw his dragon shining back at me. He was holding on by a thread. I looked down to Bailey, who still held both our cocks in our hands. The contrast between the fair skin and the dark was striking.

"On the bed, Bailey. Show Alex your perfect ass," I said.

"I wouldn't call it perfect," Bailey replied, rising to get to the bed.

"I would!" Alex and I responded at the same time.

Bailey's laughter filled the room as he crawled to the center of the bed, his perfect bubble ass on display. Alex groaned and leaned forward, separating his cheeks, revealing his tight little hole.

"Fuck, this is pretty," Alex growled, jacking his cock twice, collecting some of his precum that leaked from his tip. Taking his slicked fingers, he began to probe Bailey's chute. Bailey moaned in pleasure.

"Damn! What kind of lube is that? It tingles."

Alex chuckled. "Not lube, dragon precum. It will relax your ring muscles to ease any pain, preparing you to be claimed."

Wow! That sounded good. Bailey moaned again and pushed back on his fingers. Enthralled by the action, I stood watching the pleasure of my beloveds. I shook my head out of my daze and moved to Alex's cock bouncing in front of him. I leaned down and ran my tongue down his length, over his large vein. I groaned at the taste of his flesh. I continued lower, taking one of his heavy balls into my mouth. Hearing the sounds of pleasure above me, I continued my actions.

I ran my fingers over his head, collecting some of Alex's precum, slicking my fingers as he had done. Moving up and down his length, I took him in my mouth. I moved my slick fingers behind him and teased his crack. Alex tensed at the action. I smirked around his cock at the response. I'd suspected that he never bottomed—that was about to change. I continued on my quest, feeling his tight hole as I took him deeper down my throat. I proceeded, taking more and more of him down my throat, adding another finger on each motion.

Abruptly Alex pulled back, growling low. His patience had run out. He got to his knees behind Bailey and pushed inside his passage in one thrust. I moved behind him and aimed my cock for his virgin hole and slid in one fast motion as he had done to Bailey. Heat wrapped around me as I stopped fully seated, allowing him to adjust.

"Gods, move!" Alex shouted.

"Please move!" Bailey said at the same time.

I pulled back and thrust back in, Alex following suit. Pretty soon, we created a rhythm. Alex fucking Bailey and fucking himself on my cock. I felt my climax coming. Alex stopped, his action causing me to slip from his warm body. He flipped Bailey to his back, pulled him toward his cock, and slid back into him. I reached out and touched Bailey's hole as Alex began to fuck him in earnest.

Bailey cried out in pleasure. "More!"

I smirked. Bailey and I had played with toys. I'd slipped in a vibrator as I fucked him before. I smiled larger, an idea coming to me.