Page 12 of Distinctly Daray (D’Vaire, #43)

O nce their eventful meal was complete, Phillip followed Keegan and Victor into the cat shifter’s beautiful suite. From the moment Keegan had knocked on his door that evening, Phillip’s dragon had started to relax. It took both of his mates to fully calm the dragon, but what sent him into near ecstasy was being alone with the pair in the harmonious, gorgeous room Victor called home.

Keegan draped himself on a comfortable couch in a deep blue velvet, and Phillip ignored the way his fingers itched to touch him. It was a growing issue each time he was around either of his mates, but it wasn’t a problem that bothered Phillip. Desire was nice, and Phillip looked forward to the day when they would be ready to explore their sexualities. It also helped that he was no longer in a constant state of fear that his erection would show to the wrong person. Thanks to his potions, he was awake longer and could shoo others out of his dorm to study, relax, and even masturbate.

After Victor seated himself on the same sofa as Keegan, Phillip dropped easily into a pink chair nearby.

“How were your classes today, Sunshine?” Phillip asked.

Keegan flashed a grin Phillip longed to taste. “Wonderful. I love learning, but honestly, sometimes I wish it was a bit more of a challenge. We’re over halfway through training now, and I’ve finished all my textbooks. My memory isn’t perfect, so I reread the assigned parts, but yeah, I’m eager to push myself further.”

“No one tells me anything about training. How well are you doing on your tests?” Victor asked, slipping off a pair of loafers and tucking his feet beneath him.

“I don’t want to brag or anything, but my scores right now have me kind of between Juris and Venerable. I’m not going to catch up to Venerable, so I guess I’m going to be a JK? The strange thing is everyone knows JKs struggle with the physical tests, but I don’t. I can’t take down any VKs or the RKs, but I’ve bested all the other recruits.”

“You are essentially a Shadow Lord,” Phillip said. Unlike fallen knights, none of the sentinels were bad at the physical side of training. However, the Sentinel Brotherhood had a branch of men whose job it was to decide guilt, assign punishments, and be experts in the law. But unlike Juris Knights, Shadow Lords continued their physical training after graduation and were just as likely as anyone else to be found in a gym practicing with the daggers they were never without. Juris Knights didn’t even carry weapons.

Keegan’s beautiful smile flashed, and his big brown eyes twinkled with happiness. “Yeah, maybe I should’ve been resurrected as a sentinel, then I’d get that kick-ass title.”

“While I love being a sentinel, I quite like you the way you are,” Phillip responded.

“Same,” Victor added.

“Anyway,” Keegan remarked with bright color high on his cheeks. “Dinner was interesting.”

“That’s one word for it,” Victor muttered. “I love my family, but they’re irritating when they get an idea stuck in their thick skulls.”

“I was stunned to hear Chand had fired you,” Phillip commented.

Victor nodded. “Yeah, it was a long time ago. Ancient history. But it was traumatic. I was eighteen, and I had nowhere to go after he kicked me out. Thankfully, I have Evergreen and Dudley, who swooped in and let me sleep at their apartment. Alaric rehired me during his break from Chand. The picture pushed Chand into ending things. Eventually, they reconciled and Chand apologized. There was no question in my mind that I’d forgive him. Not that I want to make a bunch of excuses for him, but he was really fucked up. He’d been very sick, had no faith in himself, and had spent centuries in a guilt spiral.”

“I’m glad you guys worked things out,” Keegan said. “Both back then and tonight.”

“Yeah, me too. You guys have things to do Monday through Friday; it doesn’t make any sense for me to have an extra day off. I enjoy keeping busy, and I have the Darays to take care of, which is something I take great pride in.”

Phillip held in his sigh and reminded himself not to allow any resentment to grow against the dragon who’d trapped his life in limbo for weeks. “I have nothing to do Monday through Friday.”

“Sorry, but that’s not true,” Keegan responded immediately. “You’re doing your dragon training with Jeremiah, reading your textbooks, and practicing with your daggers. It’s not your fault you aren’t in classes; you have to build a relationship with your beast. You take potions and must be put in stasis daily because it’s a difficult thing you’re working through.”

“No apologies, Sunshine. While you are correct, I also grow bored and feel listless,” Phillip confided.

Keegan offered him a sheepish smile.

“Those are new, though, right?” Victor asked. “From what I understand, you weren’t even awake all day until you met Keegan. That wasn’t so long ago. I know your brain is constantly pushing you. I have yet to meet a sentinel or fallen knight who doesn’t want to work hard to succeed. It’s essentially written into who you are. Don’t fight it, but remember, there have only been two people on this entire planet resurrected with a beast. Just like you, Sam struggled. But look where he is today. He has a healthy relationship with his dragon, and he’s a Venerable Knight. Sam doesn’t need potions. He doesn’t require stasis. You’ll get there. I know you will.”

“I appreciate your kindness, and I agree with you,” Phillip told Victor as he enjoyed a punch of lust thanks to the fire dancing in the cat shifter’s green eyes. “Intellectually, I understand already how far I have come, but like you mentioned, I have a drive to accomplish far beyond what I have. Things are so much better now that I’ve met you both.”

“But you still need potions,” Keegan reminded him gently. “Your dragon is working on his ability to share your soul.”

“Maybe you should talk to Alaric,” Victor suggested. “You go a long time without being around either me or Keegan. Sam can’t handle more than a couple of hours away from Brynn. While Sam was at the Ascension Center doing his training, Brynn would come over to eat lunch to keep Sam’s dragon in check.”

Phillip smiled. “I would not mind seeing you both during the day, but I cannot impede your schedules.”

“Spicy, I’m literally in the same building as you. Come eat lunch with me.”

“I get a lunch break too if you guys don’t mind me crashing your meal,” Victor said. “I might have to bring Evergreen and Dudley though. They’re eager to meet you, and if I ditch them at lunchtime, I’ll never hear the end of it.”

“The office managers for the Sentinel Brotherhood take such a keen interest in your personal life?” Phillip asked, confused.

“They’re also my dearest friends,” Victor explained.

“Then Phillip and I definitely need to meet them as soon as possible,” Keegan insisted.

Phillip wanted additional time with his mates, but he didn’t want to be greedy. “Sunshine, what about your fallen knight friends?”

“The same ones who keep looking at me with pity because I have two mates and one of them is the sentinel with the dragon?” Keegan asked dryly as his mouth flattened into a thin, annoyed line. “We have all the same classes. I doubt they’ll miss me at lunch.”

“I did not realize you had issues with all of your classmates,” Phillip said, feeling terrible that he was affecting Keegan’s life negatively.

“Actually, it’s just the one I told you about who had to give me terrible statistics that have nothing to do with the three of us, and his closest friend who mentioned how sad it is that the sentinel I’m paired with isn’t like the rest of his brethren because he sits alone in a room all day. I was so glad I got to spar with him after that. I played by the rules and didn’t hurt him on purpose, but damn, it felt good to drop his ass to the mat. I didn’t even apologize.”

Victor laughed. “A little vindictive, are we?”

“No one talks shit about Phillip,” Keegan stated emphatically.

Phillip’s dick took immediate interest in the fallen knight, ready to take on any challenger. The rush of desire was nice, but it was really growing into a nuisance since they weren’t ready to explore each other physically yet.

“So, can we join you for lunch, Spicy?” Victor asked.

“I would be honored,” Phillip replied. “And I would love to meet your friends.”

“Same, but I’m not letting any fallen knights sit with us,” Keegan insisted.

“I don’t know what it is, but you coming to Phillip’s defense is really sexy,” Victor said. “Or maybe I’m just weird.”

“It is a weirdness afflicting me too, Sparkles,” Phillip assured the man who enticed him as much as Keegan.

Keegan covered his red face with his hands. “Stop flirting with me or I’m stripping out of this uniform right now.”

“That’s a horrible threat,” Victor replied, his eyes twinkling with humor.

“Agreed,” Phillip said. “We will be the ones stripping you out of your uniform.”

Victor squirmed on the sofa, and Phillip had to fight the urge to do the same in his pink chair. His dragon roared with approval, and Phillip hoped more time with Keegan and Victor would equate to fewer potions in his life. However, it would do nothing to solve his growing desire to taste and touch Victor and Keegan. His mates were both alluring men, and he and his dragon were ready to learn everything he could about them—including how they looked without clothing. But that would have to wait until they knew each other better.

“Stop talking about getting naked,” Keegan pleaded, folding himself in half and burying himself under a pile of throw pillows at the end of the sofa.

“I guess we should stop embarrassing our Sunshine,” Victor said, aiming his beautiful smile at Phillip.

“Yes, we should,” Phillip replied. “Perhaps you could offer him a kiss of apology.”

Keegan straightened immediately. His cheeks were pink, but there was definite interest in his slightly wild gaze. “Kisses?”

“Phillip, come and sit between Keegan and me,” Victor ordered. “You’ll kiss him first.”

“Somebody better kiss me soon,” Keegan muttered as he rubbed his hands on his uniform pants.

“Tell Spicy to get a move on,” Victor said. “You guys met first. It makes sense you’d be the ones to kiss first. And we already know I’m more stubborn than an entire household of sentinels, so there’s no use arguing with me.”

“May I kiss you after Keegan?” Phillip asked.

Victor smiled, and there was no hesitation in his eyes. “I’d like that.”

Although Phillip was nervous, his dragon didn’t suffer from any anxiety. He wanted their mates, and nothing was going to stop him. Thankfully, the sentinel side of him was also eager to experiment. Doing what he’d wanted to since he’d first met Keegan, Phillip stood and stepped closer to the sofa. Instead of sitting, Phillip carefully reached out and cupped Keegan’s handsome face in his palms.

Keegan’s expression was solemn, but Phillip detected no hesitation in the fallen knight. Slow enough to allow Keegan to pull away if he suddenly changed his mind, Phillip leaned toward him and settled his mouth atop Keegan’s. His mate’s lips trembled apart, and Phillip’s dragon roared loudly. A surge of desire and protectiveness swept through Phillip as he dipped his tongue in to taste Keegan.

Phillip had taken a great deal of time to think about what it would be like to kiss either of the men Fate had granted him, but his imagination was sadly lacking. Although he’d known Keegan was his and Victor’s sunshine, kissing him was as if the heat of the sun burned through him, setting him ablaze.

His cock grew hard, but Phillip ignored it. Someday, he’d have the opportunity to make love to both Keegan and Victor, but it wouldn’t be tonight. Thankfully, it was impossible to feel any disappointment thanks to the lovely mixture of desire, comfort, and affection growing inside him and his dragon for their mates.

Keegan squeezed Phillip’s forearms, and it was a testament to how rattled the fallen knight had made him that he couldn’t recall the moment his other half had touched him. It was tempting to haul Keegan upward and pull their bodies flush together. His dragon growled with approval at the thought. Which was why Phillip pulled away and ended the delightful caress.

“Thank you,” Keegan whispered, his brown eyes full of wonder and yearning. “Go kiss Victor like that and change his life the way you just rocked mine.”

Phillip gave in to the temptation to ruffle his fingers through Keegan’s thick red waves as he enjoyed the scent of sunflowers flooding his system. “Is it I who should thank you. Would you prefer to kiss Victor first?”

“No, I want to watch,” Keegan insisted.

Phillip straightened and glanced at Victor. The cat shifter was watching them with fervent interest written all over his stunning face. To his shock, Keegan slapped Phillip’s ass as he took a step closer to where Victor was perched on the couch.

“Sorry, I’ve wanted to do that forever,” Keegan said.

“Good, me too,” Victor replied. “But don’t apologize for it.”

“He has a habit of apologizing too often,” Phillip remarked.

“We’ll work on it with him,” Victor promised, then he surged upward and grabbed Phillip’s jaw in his hands. He sealed their mouths together, and his tongue met Phillip’s. Unlike Keegan’s sweet sunshine, Victor was like the sparkles he loved—bright and glimmering. But he smoldered too. Their kiss was deep and rich, like the heady smell of a perfectly roasted cup of coffee. Phillip’s dragon adored the aggressive way Victor took charge, but the sentinel side of him was far too competitive to give in easily.

It was a battle. A delicious one Phillip knew he’d crave for eternity.

His erection throbbed, and Phillip nearly touched himself when Victor finally released him.

“Are you guys sure I can’t strip?” Keegan asked.

He whimpered a second later as Victor fused their lips. Phillip watched with slack-jawed interest as his mates kissed. Once again, a roar resonated through the recesses of his mind and soul. This one was the loudest of the night. Astonishingly, Phillip didn’t need to be touching his mates to grow more aroused.

Keegan slumped against the sofa as Victor pulled away.

“I can’t wait to dream about that later,” Keegan murmured.

“Phillip, take your daggers off and sit between Keegan and I so we can cuddle for a bit,” Victor requested.

Happy to oblige, Phillip tore his daggers from his sides and slapped them onto the coffee table. His ass barely hit the cushions, and two men snuggled close. Phillip smiled as his dragon’s sounds of contentment rumbled through him. He wrapped an arm around Keegan and his other around Victor as he drank in the lovely feeling of being near them.