“We don’t even know if it’s possible for a human to birth drakens. You are, essentially, a last resort experiment.”
He paused, grinning again.
“This will sound incredibly self-serving, but I would be willing to help you learn about being with a man. That is, both of us would.”
I blushed again, something that amused them to no end. The no nonsense way they approached everything was refreshing, but also terrifying.
“May I kiss you?”
He hovered above me, demanding or expecting nothing. That was what made me consider it; he had asked.
“Here, hold the dagger if it helps, and you can stab me through the heart if I get too fresh.”
I shot a dubious look at Ronan, who waved my concerns away.
“He’d heal faster than he’d bleed out, no worries.”
I left the knives on the table, deciding to trust him. My index finger softly touched his lips, thinking they felt just like mine. He closed his eyes, inhaling sharply as though my touch was overwhelming. It felt odd to have this sense of power over a man, and I couldn’t help but wonder: what would it be like to kiss him? The men in the breeding house didn’t kiss; that wasn’t how children were made. Was that what Kieran wanted to show me?
His fingers ran a soothing pattern down my forearm and a delightful shiver ran through my body. My thoughts were as foreign as the delicious tingling of my body. I was different now; a woman who had killed, and who wanted to learn more about what went on between men and women at the breeding house. The scared, frightened girl who’d been abducted was dead.
She’d died with Brogen, bleeding out on the floor to be forgotten and disposed of. No more would I be constantly frightened, letting other people tell me what to do. Things were different now; I could protect myself. I wanted to protect myself, because for the first time in my life I felt like I was someone worth protecting.
Who could I be if I could choose? I was sick to death of fear, and how it had controlled me my entire life. What would it be like to choose freedom? To choose the drakens? To choose as many men as possible that would give themselves to me? It was a terrifying thought, but so incredibly liberating.
My fingers continued to explore Kieran’s face, so different from D’Arcy’s and Benedict’s. Kieran was covered by scars, and his skin felt hot yet smooth under my fingertips. I wondered what his scales felt like.
“Kiss me?” I asked, unsure but curious, no longer afraid.
My words were a trigger, and suddenly my face was in his hands as he kissed me deeply, stirring to life a sleeping desire within my chest I hadn’t even been aware of. It felt wet, but also wonderful. Kieran broke away quickly, moving his lips over my face, then my neck and shoulders. I felt his fangs graze the side of my throat as Ronan watched carefully.
A fire blazed in Kieran’s eyes, and he snarled as Ronan took a step towards us.
Ronan backed off, and Kieran assaulted my mouth. My lips stung as he bit down hard, though he didn’t break the skin. I backed away, swatting him none-too-gently on the face. Kieran stopped, and shook his head. His eyes cleared, and he sighed.
“Do I need to fetch a knife?” I asked innocently.
The lingering tension broke, and he laughed, his eyes alight in challenge.
“Let me try again,” he begged. Kieran’s large hands cupped my face, his lips much gentler this time. I closed my eyes as he delved into my mouth, curious and firm, but without the desperate hunger he previously had. When his tongue quested further, I opened my mouth, allowing him in. It felt as though my soul were wide open, as he pressed desperately against me. He groaned, and then with great reluctance pulled away. My shoulders heaved in disappointment, an odd tingling racing down my spine. I turned to Ronan. I needed more.
“Would...would you like a kiss as well? Since you’re both winners?”
Kieran’s kiss had awoken something within me, an itch that desperately needed to be scratched. Would it feel the same as Kieran?
Ronan nodded wordlessly, and then was in front of me. His arms ghosted over my bare shoulders, then cupped my face tenderly.
“We are all old enough to remember that there were mates and families before, but we have forgotten how it felt…”
His voice was full of awe and reverence. His hands ran lightly through my hair, and I closed my eyes. It felt nice, and his lips brushed lightly against mine, but rougher than Kieran. I took a deep breath and relaxed into him. His kiss became more insistent, and I decided to let go of my fears and just feel. He moaned, one hand squeezing the side of my neck. His claws slid out from his nailbeds, leaving tiny marks against my skin. I liked it, I craved it, and I wanted more. Would he squeeze my neck harder? My fingers traced his lips, and he drew one into his mouth, the pads of my finger sliding underneath a fang.
“Like I said, kinky, siren.”
I jerked, jumping back from Ronan as Benedict strolled into the room. I hissed in pain as Ronan’s fang bit down on my finger, and I snatched it back to my chest. Blood trailed down my hand, and when I looked up the three of them were frozen, eyes trained on the blood.
“What—"
Benedict slammed into Ronan, knocking him to the floor as he pounced directly at me. I grabbed the knives, holding them
