Mated in the Stars (Starscale Mates #6)

Chapter Seventeen

Elio

Everything unfolded so quickly when I met Fred that I sort of expected it to go the same way when we met Nelum. Only that’s not what happened. The next few days saw a lot of hand and blow jobs, but it was as if everything from hunger to Minter calling stopped us from going all the way. Everything inside me wanted to pull Nelum onto our link. Frustration tugged me in every direction. He and Fred seemed content to let things play out and drag out and twist and squirm us around. I was patient but I’d done my waiting. I waited so long for Fred to answer the message I sent. Even longer learning to send the message out. I didn’t know how Nelum did it. He was in heat. Our whole house smelled like him and how aroused he was. His skin stayed hot to the touch any time he wasn’t in a cool bath or shower. Did he enjoy the torment? Did he enjoy being on edge so often?

Don’t get me wrong. I loved talking to Nelum and staying up all night with him and Fred. When I reached out over the group link, I felt him there. Could sometimes even hear his thoughts but I wanted more. I wanted what we promised each other in the Other World. By the third night, I had to ask them if they were waiting on something I didn’t know about.

“I just want to make sure you two aren’t going to change your minds and say I’m ruining your relationship,” Nelum said.

“I’m trying to make sure you’re both comfortable with everything,” Fred said a second later. “Sure, you and I knew this was going to happen from the moment we got on the same page. That wasn’t the case for him and ---”

“Are you okay with everything?” Nelum asked me.

I flopped onto the sofa and let out a long, deep breath. I was okay with everything. I’d be okay even if these two drew everything out for eternity, but I wanted them together. I wanted Nelum on our link. I wanted --- I wanted the damn claiming vows. My dragon grumbled inside his inner sanctum, and I tried to find a polite way to say it.

“He’s horny,” Fred smirked. “Really horny.”

“It’s not just that!” I snapped.

“I know it’s not just that. It’s also magically backed up,” Fred said. “Really horny isn’t an insult, mate. A better term might even be magically horny.”

“Okay,” Nelum said, drawing out the word. “What’s up, Elio?”

“I…”

Was Fred right? Was I sexually frustrated? Sure, Fred and I usually went at it at least once a day, but it wasn’t like I hadn’t cum every day still. I had. Usually, multiple times a day.

“Are you in heat?” Fred sat up from his spot stretched out on the carpet. “Does birth control stop heat?”

“No,” I shook my head. “Sometimes. Well, sort of.”

“Not really, then?” Fred asked.

“Sometimes is the real answer. Heat and fertility are tied but sometimes you can still go into heat. I don’t feel like I’m in heat, though,” I said and grabbed my balls just to make sure they weren’t more sensitive than normal.

“Can I double-check?” Fred smirked.

“Be serious for a minute,” I said, but couldn’t hold in my laughter.

“I am, mate. Let me double-check. If you’re not, I’ll fix any problems I cause and if you are, I’ll fix any problems I cause.”

“Guys,” Nelum said.

“I’ll fix your problem too,” Fred said, motioning for Nelum to move closer.

“Not to be the guy who cock blocks himself but if something’s actually wrong we should talk about it. I mean, yeah, I want the vows too but I’m okay with waiting because we have to make sure everything feels right. But if something is bothering you, we need to talk about it. Hell, even if it’s you’re hornier than the sex you’ve been getting. I could give you and Fred time alone or I could watch or ---” a scarlet blush spread across his face when he figured out what he said.

I blushed too. That wasn’t a bad idea.

“And omega dragons are known to be moody if they don’t get their claiming vows,” Fred said.

Nelum and I both shot him dirty looks, but strictly speaking, he was right. Mate claiming was important to our wilder ancestral omegas. No eggs for dragons who wouldn’t claim their mates and help guard the nest.

“Fair enough,” Fred sighed. “Moody isn’t the right word, but you don’t like when I say you’re on edge.”

“I am on edge,” I nodded, swinging my legs off the sofa and sitting up.

“On edge like right before we found out you were pregnant or on edge because everything is up in the air?” Fred asked.

“I’m not sure,” I frowned. “I’m not pregnant. Don’t ask me that. I know I’m not pregnant.”

“Is that why you’re upset?” Nelum asked.

“No,” I shook my head. “I have an egg. My egg is safe.”

I stood up and went to double-check that fact. My egg was indeed in the same spot and position I’d left it in ten minutes ago when I checked on it. I leaned one hand against the doorway as Fred and Nelum joined me.

“And Minter is okay,” Fred said.

“Yes, I know,” I nodded. “I do want the claiming vows.”

I let out a long breath.

“But I don’t want to rush anyone. Is it weird that I’m like seriously ready while you guys are just enjoying the ride?” I asked, risking a glance at Fred.

“No,” he said, quickly. “No. I mean, I am ready. I’ve been ready since we were all on the porch together at Sunny’s. I’ve had a long time to practice patience, though. Sometimes the wait is part of the seduction and fun.”

“I’m ready,” Nelum said, still blushing scarlet. “I’ve just never--- I’m not a virgin. I’ve never had sex with two people at once beyond what we’ve done.”

“I haven’t either,” I said and glanced at Fred.

He ran his fingers through his hair and scratched his head to buy time before he spoke.

“Am I the only one here whose been part of threesomes and stuff before?” he asked, a shadow of a doubt dancing on his words.

“Yeah, you are,” I laughed.

“At least one of us knows what to do,” Nelum said before Fred had too much time to overthink it. “You’ve sorta guided us through all of it from the moment Elio sucked my dick in the kitchen that first morning.”

“Are you two waiting on me?” Fred asked, slowly. “I’ve been waiting on both of you to be comfortable enough to start something or say it or---”

“Sometimes an omega wants to be led around a little,” Nelum smirked.

“And sometimes an alpha needs to know both of you are ready emotionally for what’s to come because the true-mate claiming vows are serious magic,” Fred said.

“So, you’ve been doing just enough to keep Nelum from melting down from heat,” I nodded. “No wonder I’m on edge.”

“I haven’t stopped you two from doing stuff together,” Fred pointed out.

“I think we’re all just too fucking nice for our own good,” Nelum laughed.

“Believe me,” Fred said. “You’d rather have an alpha around who is like me than some of the guys I’ve offed.”

My dick stood up thinking about him snapping the vertebrae of anyone who threatened an omega in his presence. Maybe my brain was broken. Maybe my dragon was too on edge but sometimes the idea of him doing all the heavy lifting hit me in all the right spots. Sure, there were no necks to snap over here but that didn’t mean I didn’t like feeling all safe and sound.

Fred’s eyes drifted down to my hard dick, and he sniffed the air before glancing at Nelum. He licked his lips, and his nostrils flared.

“Bedroom,” he said, pointing down the hall. “Both of you.”

Nelum and I exchanged a playful look before turning on our heels and heading to the bedroom. Before he showed up, I wondered how long it would take before the bedroom felt like it belonged to all of us once he was actually here. The answer was not long. He didn’t have many belongings, but Sunny had brought them by the day before and we’d already unpacked him. I’d lost track of how many times we’d crawled into bed together over the last few days. We didn’t always do our foreplay in the bed, but we took lots of naps too. Our schedule had been anything but the one we’d lived on since right after Fred and mine’s matingmoon.

“Condoms?” Fred asked, following us in and shutting the door behind us.

I turned on the nesting room monitor and shook my head. He already knew my answer. My birth control was up to date.

“I’m good,” Nelum shrugged. “Same as the last time we talked about everything.”

Fred looked from Nelum to me and then back to our mate as if he didn’t know what to do with us. Then I realized he didn’t know what he was going to do with us, but he had plenty of ideas. Somewhere along the way, I’d forgotten how much my mate excelled at keeping his thoughts to himself. All at once, his need rushed over our link, and I sank onto the bed. He was hard and ready. He was as eager as the rest of us.

He looked back and forth between us again and Nelum asked if he was making a play by play of what he wanted to do. He nodded and waved a flat hand to indicate sort of. I laughed and grabbed that waving hand to tug him onto the bed with us.

“You’ve spent enough time fantasizing, alpha. Time to put you to work,” I laughed and claimed his lips in a hungry kiss. A second later, I found myself flat on my back with my legs wrapped around Fred’s hips. He kissed me hard, his teeth scraping against my lips. Nelum watched us. His gaze slid up and down our bodies. I was naked but Fred had his pajama pants back on as if he wore them to remind himself to keep things in check.

I nodded at Nelum and then at Fred’s butt. Fred raised an eyebrow, but I just kissed him again, running my fingers through his thick hair while moving my legs so Nelum could steal his pants and make him as naked as we were. Fred kissed me harder, pulling Nelum by his arm up to join us. He rose to his knees and let me sit up enough to kiss our new mate. Nelum had really soft, plump lips that I loved kissing. His tongue was hesitant, and he liked it when I held onto his face while our tongues danced between our mouths. Fred slid in front of us and put a hand on both of our naked asses. Nelum startled but kept kissing me. Sooner or later, he’d learn just how much of an ass man Fred was. I pushed back against Fred’s big, warm hand and reveled in its warm grip.

Nelum whimpered into the kiss and the sound of his needy desperation shimmied down into my core. Our new mate was definitely in heat. All the signs were there. He was warm to the touch. Almost constantly hard and slick at the same time and he smelled so fucking good.

“It’s a good thing he wants a hatchling. He smells so good – so much in heat – that it’d happen even if we were careful. Okay, maybe not, but we’d have to be more careful than the magic would like. The magic wants to pry our scales off and glue us together if that’s what it takes. Old magic doesn’t care whose feelings it hurts,” my dragon rambled into my thoughts.

He was desperate to pull Nelum’s dragon into the space he shared with Fred’s inner beast. Our dragons couldn’t touch until after we brought our newest mate onto the mating link. That meant exchanging the claiming vows. That meant romping. The very act Fred thought we hadn’t caught up to emotionally. How were we all waiting on everyone else to be ready?

Fred leaned over and kissed my neck. I overthought so many things in life but he kept me grounded to the solid world. Putting my hands on his waist, I pulled Nellum closer, until he straddled over one of my legs. He ground his slick omegahole down against my bare thigh and deepened the kiss. His tongue sank into my mouth, caressing my own, as they danced together.

Fred’s weight shifted on the bed and I snuck a sidelong glance at what he was doing. He stretched out on his side and took Nelum’s hard dick in his fist. A line of precum already dribbled from his tip. Nelum moaned as Fred’s tight fist slid up and down him. His gaze drifted down to watch Fred’s fist pump over him. Our foreheads rested together as if we’d never seen such an act. Only, Fred’s hands had been all over us since the moment we were alone in the house. A second later, Fred took my dick in his other hand and ran his thumb slowly across the tip. I shivered with need and want as he played with us both. He kissed the head of my dick, teasing me with his tongue over the small slit opening before turning his nimble tongue’s attention to Nelum’s. Back and forth he went, spreading around the affection and stoking the fires inside of us. I couldn’t help it. I kissed Nelum again. I kissed him hard as Fred’s warm mouth slid down my cock, once – twice – then disappeared to do the same with Nelum’s as he ground against my thigh.

Fred held onto my dick. His body heat radiated through his palm into my shaft as his thumb caressed up and down drawing out the sensations of pleasure zipping through my body. Nelum’s breath hitched, and his tongue paused immobile inside my mouth. Fred worked him over hard and fast, sliding his mouth up and down again and again. I kissed him softly, running my fingers through his hair as his breathing quickened and his face contorted into that familiar expression I’d come to love over the last few days. Nelum trembled when he came into Fred’s mouth. Our alpha swallowed down his pleasure and I tasted the question he was about to ask before it ever tumbled off his pleasure-giving lips.