Page 63 of Rejected By Dragons

I've been researching them for a week now, of course. That's the only way I can explain the strange feeling of familiarity I have, gazing up at the two enormous winged figures hovering above us in the sky.

On the Fire Kingdom's side is Prince Rafe, the hot-headed youngest son of the hot-headed king. The last time I was in the Fire Kingdom, I was a kid, and even then, the prince had a reputation. Rumor has it that he's been trying to shed that image, taking on more serious duties and diplomatic roles. Privately, Freya and the rest of us fear that his presence alone is a sign that the Fire Kingdom isn't really committed to these talks.

Opposite him, on the Stone Kingdom's side, flies Crown Prince Jianyu. The only child of the Stone King, he's said to be serious and reserved to a fault, groomed since birth to someday rule.

I dart my gaze between the two of them now. In dragon form, Prince Rafe is larger, with brilliant red scales and musculature that ripples with power. Prince Jianyu's silver dragon, on the other hand, is less brawny, but there's a sinewy grace to him that speaks of a different kind of strength.

My inner dragon swoons, just staring at them both.

It occurs to me that I'm not physically unaffected myself, an unusual level of arousal suddenly blooming inside me. I squeeze the inner muscles, low in the pit of my abdomen, and clear my throat. Being attracted to someone in their dragon form is...weird. I crinkle my brows. I don't exactly have a whole lot of sexual experience--or any, really, outside of Storm. But as far as I know, I'm strictly into humans, romantically speaking.

I don't have much time to think about it. The Stone Kingdom guards each raise one leg and one arm in a martial arts pose, then bring them both down, making the ground ripple once more. At the same time, the emissaries from the Fire Kingdom lift staffs toward the heavens, and bright sparks of flame rise from their tips.

The two dragon princes complete one final circle overhead. Freya wasn't wrong--the drama is a lot. But the theatrics have their intended effect, instilling a sense of the power of each kingdom's delegation.

By the time Rafe and Jianyu straighten out their wings and come in to land, the tension is nearly too much. They land with a final rush of searing air and surging stone.

The instant they alight, they begin to transform, wings and scales receding in blur of magic, only to be replaced with muscle and flesh.

And okay, yeah. Being attracted to them in their dragon form may have been weird. But being attracted to them now? There's nothing weird about that at all.

"Damn," Amy whispers. "I may be gay, but even I think they're hot."

"Uh-huh," I mutter, rapt.

It's hard to even know which way to look. At first my gaze is drawn to Rafe. The might of his dragon is just as evident in his human form. He's a brick wall of muscle, towering over me, with warm olive skin and a mane of thick, golden-brown hair that hangs down to his chin in rough waves I long to run my fingers through. His Fire Kingdom military uniform looks obscene on his broad shoulders. It should be all buttons and polish, but there's something about the way he wears it that makes him look like he's just come from debauching some maiden, and goddam if that maiden didn't have the time of her fucking life. He's turned toward one of his aides, so I don't get a full glimpse of his face, but a hint of stubble grazes his jaw, and I want to feel it between my thighs.

Then Jianyu steps forward. New flickers of desire flare to life inside me. Much like his dragon, he's all lean muscle and coiled strength, with a trim waist and a sleek, swimmer's body that I'd climb like a tree if I could. He's of Asian descent, with a sun-kissed, tan complexion, and jet black hair that's trimmed short and neat. My mouth waters at the sharp line of his clean-shaven jaw, and the strong arch of his throat. I let out a whimper that's honestly embarrassing as hell. I'm here to help with the peace summit, not drool over the princes who's come to negotiate a way for their kingdoms to co-exist.

The noise must be louder than I think, too, because all of a sudden, Prince Jianyu jerks his head toward me. Our gazes meet.

And it's like being punched in the gut. Like staring into the sun. Like a whole new world opening up inside me. A knot in my chest unravels, and I swear I'm cracking in two. Light pours out of me, and I'm moving. Pushing past Freya, and I can feel Amy reaching for my hand. In some dim, unhearing portion of my brain, I sense both of them calling my name, but it's all static.

Tendrils of light pour out of Jianyu, too, meeting my own and twining together, and what the hell have I been doing with my life? Who am I, and what did I think was love before this moment?

"Mate," I gasp.

Deep inside my chest, my dragon smolders with possessive heat. Ours.

"You--" Jianyu begins, and his voice reaches into my soul, rich and deep and so perfect I could cry.

"What the fuck--" comes another voice from behind me, and it hurts. It physically, actually, sincerely hurts to tear my gaze from my fated mate's beloved face.

But I do.

And there. Just two feet to the other side.

Rafe's burning, golden eyes meet mine, and it's like an explosion. Like fire and heat. I didn't know there was more feeling inside of me to burst out, more space in my chest or more need in my breath, but it's there. Licks of flame pour out of him, and my own reach out to meet them, and they're twisting together. I'm torn in half and in two, and I've never been more whole.

"Mine," he growls.

Jianyu lets out a sound that's pure, cold apex predator, and he takes my hand in his at the same moment that Rafe clasps his arm around my waist.

Light floods my nerves at their touch. I'm a live wire, burning and melting and freezing all at once, and it's too much.

This doesn't happen. It's impossible. Most dragons spend their entire lifetimes on this earth, and they never find their one true mate.

No one has more than one. It's heretical. It goes against the very definition of the word.

And yet...

Rightness settles into my bones. The only other time in my life I've felt this kind of conviction is when Storm first pressed his mouth to mine. For a moment, I block out the fact that everything about that "relationship" was a disaster.

The Shadow Bracer burns on my arm, and the dragon locked inside of me swoops in circles within my chest, darting back and forth between our two fated mates. I can't decide which one to look at. Which one to touch. Both, the beast inside of me calls out, and suddenly, all my fantasies about being taken by multiple men burn their way straight through to my core.

I have two mates. And they just happen to be two of the most powerful men in the whole of dragonkind. Two dragon princes, sent here from opposing kingdoms to try to negotiate some kind of peace.

But at this moment, as they each lay hands on me, they look like they're ready to start a whole new kind of war...