Chapter 28
Yalina
I dismiss the council with a few curt words. Inside I’m fuming but trying not to let it show. I’m afraid I’m doing a terrible job.
Aurelion leaves, promising to prepare everything for our trip, and I let him. I need a moment alone with Kaelun to reassure him. But as soon as my advisors begin filing out of the council chamber, Vahn lingers. “Light of the Sun, I beg you to reconsider,” he says, keeping his tone low.
I’m distracted, looking over his shoulder at where Kaelun is disappearing down the corridor. I have no wish to be lectured to. “I have made my decision.”
I’m about to step around him when Vos weighs in. “Shall I prepare a royal guard to accompany you, Light of the Sun?”
I frown. I did not think I made my intentions unclear. “I will be traveling with discretion,” I tell her. A royal guard will only draw attention.”
I can see her open her mouth to protest, but thankfully Harmer steps in.
“Solha Yalina is wise,” he says carefully.
“The Tarquenorian king will not look favorably on any Vathiran party traveling near the dam. Aurelion is right. A royal guard will not be enough to keep our solha safe if the king decides to view this as an incursion on their territory. It would take an army.”
“Exactly. I will be traveling with two highly capable fighters. I think we all saw that during the duel. Gods know they did enough damage to each other.”
“But can you trust the dragon?” Vos says skeptically.
“Can you trust Prince Noreth?” Interjects Vahn.
The two of them glare at each other.
I sigh.
“I think it would be wise to trust no one fully,” says Harmer. “And wise to take both of them. Have faith in your instincts, Light of the Sun.”
“Thank you. Now if you wish to remain and argue among yourselves, I will not stop you, but I have a trip to prepare for.”
I step around Vahn, who is still standing in the doorway, and march down the corridor toward Kaelun’s suite before anyone can stop me.
I was hoping to catch up with him on the way, but I see no trace of him in the corridors. I guess he moved faster than I thought. I hope he is not angry. If it were me, I would be feeling pretty hurt right now.
As I get close to his door I hear raised voices, and it makes me pause.
“I gave you my word.” Kaelun says in a heated tone.
I lean closer, wondering who he could be arguing with.
“You’re a fool or a liar. You would never give her up for me.” I recognize Jah’ruud’s deep gruff voice and my heart speeds up at his words. Give her up? Are they talking about me? I need to hear more.
To my shame, my curiosity gets the better of me, and I grasp the handle, turning it and softly pushing the door open a crack. What I see wakes an inexplicable hunger low in my belly.
Kaelun is pressed with his back against the far wall. Jah’ruud stands over him with his hand on the shorter male’s throat. The dynamic between them is intensely and unmistakably sexual. But how can that be? I thought Kaelun was in love with me.
“Does it have to be like that?” Kaelun runs his hand down Jah’ruud’s belly and cups his member through his trousers. Jah’ruud growls, pushing forward into his grip.
Unable to take my eyes from the scene in front of me, I lean forward to get a better look. My pussy throbs, and I press my legs together as Jah’ruud leans closer until his lips are almost touching Kaelun’s. “Your cheap tricks will not distract me.”
“Why not?” Kaelun holds Jah’ruud’s intense gaze. “You’ll feel better after a good hard fuck.”
Jah’ruud grunts, but the sound is not enough to cover the gasp that escapes my lips. My hand flies to cover my mouth, but it’s too late. Jah’ruud wheels around, and Kaelun’s gaze locks on mine. “It’s not what it looks like.”
I look between the two of them, more puzzled than ever.
“It’s not?” I don’t know whether to be disappointed or relieved.
A rather large part of me wants to ask them to keep going so I can watch.
I’m scandalized by the way I feel, but I cannot turn off the feelings sparked by what I witnessed and the energy still flowing between them.
“Ah, just to be clear, what did it look like?” Kaelun asks.
“Like… something I wanted to watch.” I flush. I cannot believe I spoke those thoughts aloud. Kaelun stares. “You’re not upset?”
“Should I be?”
“I don’t know.” Kaelun scrubs a hand over his face. “One thing at a time. Jah’ruud, I promised to use my last wish to set you free. I should have done it before, but I thought there would be time. But I didn’t think about the drought.”
I look between them and some of the pieces fall into place. All except one. “Wishes?”
Kaelun shifts uncomfortably. “You um… you know what he is?”
I nod. “He told me.”
His eyes widen, but to his credit he does not falter. “The wishes are a part of Jah’ruud’s curse. He was trapped into service, granting three wishes to whoever controls the magical object he is trapped in. But I was going to help him.”
“Then what is stopping you?” All this talk of helping doesn’t do much good when Jah’ruud apparently is still bound in service.
Jah’ruud folds his arms across his chest. “He cannot use his last wish to set me free. Not when that would allow Aurelion to win.”
Oh! But then that must mean… I step forward, hoping against hope, but this situation has me so confused. “Why not?”
“Because without you, freedom means nothing.” Jah’ruud says simply and gruffly, and my heart does a backflip inside my chest.
Kaelun lets out a low chuckle. “Yeah. What he said.”
I can hardly believe my ears. “To you too?” I ask him in a whisper.
Jah’ruud’s expression is tormented. He looks as if he would reach for me but stops himself. “To me too.”
My knees get a little weak, and I’m grinning. I forget all about the bite on my neck and my worries over Aurelion. I’m looking back and forth between these two handsome men. “And you want… to share me?”
“Would you let us?”
They both look so hopeful. I can’t help laughing.
“Can’t you tell that’s exactly what I want?
” This is the reason I’ve been having those wild fantasies of being together with more than one person.
Of sharing my love with multiple lovers.
I thought there was something wrong with me, but it turns out I am not alone in wanting it.
“Then we have to find a way to make it work!” Kaelun looks excited. “Just reject the dragon! You are solha after all.”
Guilt twists in my gut. “I cannot just reject him if he could save Vathira.”
Jah’ruud sighs and shakes his head. “It does not matter. I have come to accept my situation.”
“You should not have to.” Unable to fight the urge to reach out and touch him any longer, I step forward. He makes no move to stop me when I lift my hand to stoke a soft caress down his face. For a moment his eyes flutter closed and he leans into my touch.
Heart beating a million miles a second, I reach for Kaelun too, and he steps into my arms, dropping his head to nuzzle and kiss my neck. “Let us search for a way to restore Vathira’s water and free Jah’ruud so you do not have to choose.”
Kaelun lifts his head in astonishment. “Then you choose us?”
I cup his head tenderly. “I must serve my people first. I am no more free than Jah’ruud. But if I was, you are what I would choose—both of you.”
Jah’ruud lets out a deep groan and draws me against his body, lowering his head to look down at me. His eyes are alight with something impossible to name. I only know that it speaks to something spreading shaky fledgling wings inside of me too.
“I knew it from the first moment I saw you, Yalina.”
The way he says my name sends a spark of excitement through me. “Knew what?”
“That you were destined to be mine.”
“And what about me?” Kaelun protests on a laugh. “Did you know about me too?”
Jah’ruud huffs. “I knew you would be a thorn in my side.” The gruff words are offset by the way he roughly grabs Kaelun, cupping his neck, drawing him in for a hungry kiss.
A moment later Jah’ruud forces him to his knees.
“Get me ready for her,” he commands. “I will taste what destiny seems determined to deny me. Even if I never have the chance again.”
I look on in wonder as Kaelun frees Jah’ruud’s cock and takes it in his hand.
It’s larger than either Kaelun’s or Aurelion’s, thick and blue, with a darker tip which grows richer in color as Kaelun strokes him.
I watch as Kaelun opens his mouth and laps beneath the crown, drawing a moan from Jah’ruud.
It’s everything I had dreamed of—better even, because it’s right here in front of me.
I almost feel Kaelun’s mouth on my most sensitive places while he licks and then sucks at Jah’ruud’s hard member.
I certainly feel the way Jah’ruud’s arm tightens around me, the way he draws me close as if he cannot help but be caught up in the feelings he’s experiencing.
My pussy aches. I know just how good Kaelun is with his mouth, so I have no doubt he’s making Jah’ruud feel amazing.
But the thought of feeling Jah’ruud inside me as Kaelun watches makes me impossibly restless.
I press myself against his strong firm body, lifting on my toes to search out his mouth.
When he kisses me, it is as achingly beautiful as everything has been between us so far.
It is passionate and tender, raw and searingly sweet.
Jah’ruud nudges open my lips with his, flicks his tongue against mine, and suddenly my mind is swimming with the possibilities of what I want to explore.
Eventually he pulls back, pulling Kaelun from his member. “You want this, Yalina?”
“Of course.”
“Then how do you want us?”
I blink up at him. I want them both inside me, but obviously that is not possible. “I—I do not know.”
“Then leave it to me.”
I nod and Kaelun stands. “Can I undress you?”