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One down, a dozen or so more togo.
I tossed another boulder aside, and another, and another. The pinching I’d noticed earlier started to creep through my wings and chest. I’d already held the shift longer than last time. My body was getting worn out. Damn it, I wasn’t doneyet.
But I’d handled the worst of it. I eyeballed the remaining pile, only half as high as when I’d started. My alphas had backed up to give me room. If I just took a good running start atit...
I flew down the path the way we’d come. As I swung around, a flicker of movement caught my eye. I hesitated, peering down, but I couldn’t see anything except shadows in the path below me. It’d probably been the motion of my own shadow I’dseen.
Gathering my strength, I raced toward the heap as fast as my wings could flap. The air whistled past me. My expanded heart thudded with glee. My dragon lips parted in what must have been a dragon-ishgrin.
At the last second, I heaved my hind legs down and forward. I crashed into the pile feet first. The impact radiated through my body, but I hopped upright before I could fall on my back. The remaining boulders tumbled down the path with a rattling thunder, spreading out so we’d be able to walk betweenthem.
Not a second too soon. That bone-deep exhaustion was rolling over me again. I sank down on the ground, hunching my back, shrinking into myself. The scales contracted back into my skin. In a moment, all that remained of my dragon form was the taste of smoke in the back of mymouth.
My human body felt tired too, but not enough to dampen my sense of victory. “I did it!” I said, springing up. “There you go, path cleared, dragon shifter at your service.” I gave a littlebow.
“Nicely done,” Aaron said with a chuckle. Marco grinned and clapped his hands in a round of applause. Nate smiled proudly. AndWest—
West’s eyes were fixed on my body, which in my enthusiasm I’d forgotten was now completely uncovered. At my glance, his gaze jerked back to my face. In that first instant as we stared at each other, hunger lingered in his expression, too intense for him to completely rein in. Despite the cool air, a wave of heat washed overme.
He turned with a snap, taking that heat withhim.
Chapter 3
Aaron
When I duckedinto the tent, Serenity was sitting cross-legged on her sleeping bag in the middle, grimacing at herphone.
I sank down onto my own sleeping bag at her right. “Is something thematter?”
“Oh, I knew there probably wouldn’t be much reception up here, but I was hoping I’d be able to update Kylie at least one more time before we lost it completely.” She sighed and tucked the phone into her pack’s outer pocket. “I guess I’d run out of charge before too long anyway. No handy electrical sockets uphere!”
“We’ve made good time,” I said, sensing the distress under her joke. I’d seen her with her friend enough to know how much they’d relied on each other. Serenity could rely on the four of us, her alphas, now, but of course it’d take time for her to adjust to that. She’d only just found enough trust to welcome me fully as hermate.
That thought drew me closer to her. I leaned in, and an answering spark of attraction lit in her amber eyes. She lifted her head to meet my kisseagerly.
When I’d first met our dragon shifter, I’d wondered if the unshakeable pull I felt toward her—to be near her, to touch her, to bring her pleasure—would ease off once our mate-bond was consummated. It seemed the answer was no. Since last night, my desire for her hadn’t eased off at all. I’d managed to keep my equipment in my pants for twenty-seven years, and now it was agonizing to imagine going even one night without hearing her moaning beneathme.
She made a sound that was almost a moan now as I teased my tongue into her mouth. Her fingers trailed up my neck to tangle in my hair. She tugged me even closer. Sparks of pleasure raced over my scalp. I cupped her jaw, kissing her harder. Then I let my hand slip down over her shirt to caress her breast. The nipple peaked beneath mypalm.
A whimper crept from her throat. She arched into my touch encouragingly. Her curves were so soft under my fingers, but I could still feel the strength all through her body. The combination thrilled me. What a woman my matewas.
I edged up the hem of her shirt to touch her skin to skin. Serenity let out a gasp against my mouth when my fingertips grazed the tip of her breast through her bra. Her fingers curled against my shoulders. Then shetensed.
I eased back to see her face. “Are you allright?”
Her mouth twisted. Desire still burned in her eyes. “I want to keep going. But... West is supposed to be sleeping in the tent the first half of the night too, isn’t he? He might come in while we’re...” She gestured between us with a crookedsmile.
Ah. It was going to take time for her to adjust to that aspect of our relationship too. I stroked her cheek and the side of herneck.
“You know if all goes well between the group of us, there’ll be moments in the future when the other alphas aren’t just seeing you with me... they’ll be joining in aswell.”
She drew her legs up to her chest. “I know. It’s still a little hard to wrap my head around. It’s not like I’ve ever tried athreesome before, let alone a... five-some?”
If Serenity had grown up among the shifters, seeing her mother with her four fathers, she wouldn’t feel this hesitation. And that was the fault of the rogues who’d ripped her family apart with theirbloodshed.
My jaw clenched for a second before I forced it to relax. The past was gone, as horrific as it had been. All we could do was move forward from there. And make sure none of the rogues who remained got another chance at harming the dragon shifter we stillhad.
Serenity didn’t deserve to be rushed, but it wouldn’t be right for me to encourage her to see me as her only mate either. I pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. “We can give you time. Don’t feel you have to rush things. And I’m here for you, however you need me. But I think it’ll be good for you to try to keep your mind open. Dragon shifters aren’t meant for only one mate. I won’t be enough to satisfy you on myown.”
