Page 19 of Dragon Rivals of New York (Dragons of New York #3)

Chapter 19

Jethro

O ur girl cries herself to sleep. I want to hold her, but it would be impossible to do without touching Kyro, and it’s clear he doesn’t want that. Despite what we shared during our scene, he doesn’t want me.

I remember Nadia now. Or at least I think I do.

Kyro wasn’t wrong in his accusation that I’ve killed a lot of dragons. I’ve lived more than a century, and during the first half of my life, things weren’t always peaceful between the hordes.

But seven years ago, before Adrianna took over as queen of the Silver Horde, there was an attack. It was an unstable time for the Gold Horde. Midas had just found Jeslyn, but Cyrus didn’t think the claim was legitimate. He challenged Midas to the throne, and the Silver Horde took advantage of that. They attacked our temple. We outnumber them two to one, but they took us by surprise. There weren’t many at the temple when they attacked.

When I showed up, a female dragon had Midas cornered. She got in a good swipe at him, too. So I didn’t think. I just lunged. She wasn’t dead when they retreated, but the wound was severe. She shifted back to a human, pretty and young, bleeding badly. I didn’t recognize her. She was never at peace negotiations, so she must not have been part of the royal family’s inner circle. I didn’t know her name, but I remember Kyro swooped in and carried her off before the battle was over.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper into the silence.

Kyro doesn’t respond, but he’s not asleep. His gaze meets mine. The anger has bled out, but the grief is still there. It’s a grief I recognize. You don’t live for centuries without experiencing loss.

“I didn’t know you were mated.” Not that it would have made a difference.

“I wasn’t,” he whispers.

My eyebrows draw down. “But you said—”

“She wasn’t twenty-three yet. But I knew she would be my mate.”

“I can’t believe they sent someone who wasn’t twenty-three into battle.” My voice raises with incredulousness. I knew Adrianna’s parents weren’t good rulers, but that’s a new level of coldness.

“Shh!” His gaze drops to Sora.

I pinch my lips, watching her steady breaths.

“We’re a small horde,” he says quietly. “Our Ra had few options.”

“They could have sought peace.”

He looks up at the ceiling. Sora stirs, but only to burrow her head into my chest. I wrap my arm around her, risking touching Kyro. He doesn’t protest, only moves back a few inches, making room for me.

“She shouldn’t have been there,” I whisper.

He sighs. “It was the will of our Ra.”

“Adrianna is a better ruler already than they ever were.”

He glances at me and concedes one curt nod.

“Tell me about her.” I risk touching his shoulder. He doesn’t flinch away, but it takes him a while to answer.

“She could have lived off popcorn, but only partly because she loved it. Mostly, she just didn’t want to have to make a decision about food, and she hated cooking, so she ate it all the time, always with peanuts.” He scrunches his nose. “She loved books, but hated libraries and bookstores.” His chuckle is sweet in the quiet room. “She said bookstores were too overwhelming. I used to buy her a book a week, so she wouldn’t have to decide what to read. She was so fucking indecisive about little things. But she was passionate about big things like civil rights and protecting the horde.” He looks down at Sora and brushes her hair behind her ear. “This one time, she convinced me to do a charity marathon, but I didn’t realize it wasn’t running or some shit like that. It was a charity sex marathon for reproductive rights that she’d organized here at the club without telling me. I still can’t figure out how she pulled it off without me knowing until I showed up.”

I laugh. “How does a charity sex marathon even work?”

“People pledged money based on how long you’d last. You had to be engaged in some kind of sexual activity the whole time, but neither partner could come. No breaks longer than ten minutes.”

“Shit. That’s intense.” I shake my head. “How long did you last?”

“Guess.”

I think about how he teased Sora and me earlier. We had to have been in here for at least two hours before he came. The man has discipline, and tonight, he wasn’t trying to hold out or hold back. “I’m gonna say… eleven hours.”

He surprises me with a laugh. “Four. I didn’t even make it half of our goal.”

“What was the longest someone lasted?”

“Twenty-seven hours.”

“Shit.”

“They raised half a million.”

“Not a bad way to raise money.”

“You’d be surprised.” His laugh is fuller now. “It was torture. Worse than any marathon I’ve ever run.”

I think of the way he teased and taunted me tonight. I couldn’t even last an hour before I was so worked up I came without even being touched.

“I still can’t believe she got me to do that.” A soft smile plays on his lips.

“I can’t imagine anyone making you do anything.”

“She could.” He’s talking about Nadia, but his gaze drops to Sora. He would do anything for her, too. Well, anything but kiss me .

Goddess above, I’d wanted him to kiss me when I was tied up. I almost begged him to, but I figured that would just make him more resolved not to do it.

I clear my throat. Sora rolls over, cuddling into Kyro as she pushes her ass into me.

I wish I could tell Kyro I regret what happened with Nadia, but I won’t lie to him. I was protecting my king, one of my best friends. The kill was brutal and fast. There wasn’t time to think of the least lethal attack, there was only time to defend Midas. And I did.

A deep, hot breath leaves his chest. “I don’t…” He inhales sharply. “I’ve hated you for so long, Jethro. I don’t know if I can just… share a mate with you.”

“I think you can.” I glance down at Sora, tangled between us. “For her. I think you can. You already have.” At least sexually. But I know that’s not what he’s talking about.

“And… would you really want that? To share her?”

His question is in earnest, so I give him the courtesy of really thinking about it. I’ve said I was fine with it, but am I? I shouldn’t be. Dragons are possessive of their mates. I should hate him for fucking her right next to me while keeping me from watching or joining in, but I don’t. It was the most erotic experience of my life. Hell, it made me come harder than I ever have and without even a brush of touch on my cock. I didn’t even know that was possible.

But sharing someone during sex isn’t new for me. It’s the other things that I’m honestly not sure about. Which Horde would we be in? Could we stand living together?

“We don’t even know yet if the priests and priestesses will let us enter the pools together,” I say. “But… you’re a good man, Ky. You’re good to our mate and your horde. I think I’d be honored to share a mate with you.”

I think I’d be honored to be his mate myself. But I don’t say that last part aloud.

He doesn’t respond. I must have waited too long to answer, and he fell asleep. Cautiously, I move closer to Sora and wrap my arm around both her and Kyro. I’m not sure if he’s awake or not, but before I doze off, he slings his arm over me as well.