Border Lair (17 page)

“I’m sorry to ruin your announcement, Belora. Your news is amazing. I can’t say I ever thought I’d have littles in the family to spoil and play with.”

Belora shocked him by hugging him tightly. “They’re your grandchildren, Darian. I expect you and Jared to spoil them rotten.”

“Grandchildren?” Darian shook his head, pleasantly stunned. The women of his new family had a way of doing that to him, no matter what their age, he realized.

Belora laughed up at him. “And Mama’s not too old to have more children of her own, you know. She had my sisters and me when she was just a child herself.”

Now he was completely speechless as he looked over at his blushing bride. The thought of her growing round with his child completely floored him, but that was in the hands of the gods. He would never pressure her to have a baby if it weren’t what she wished also.

“Belora, have some pity on the poor man!” Gareth chided his mate as he drew her back into his arms. Gareth looked over at him with a smile. “She’s a whirlwind at times, Darian. You just have to learn how to put up with it.”

All of them laughed then as Belora squirmed happily in her mate’s arms, showing a bit of her feisty spirit.

They left shortly after and Adora put Jared back in bed, despite his protests. She used her healing gift to treat his shoulder once more, tiring herself a bit more than she wanted, so she lay down on the sofa outside in the main chamber. Darian joined her, stroking her hair as they shared a quiet moment.

“Did your daughter say you had other children besides her?”

Adora yawned daintily and pillowed her head on his thigh. Her eyes stared straight ahead at the huge wallow where Sandor and Kelzy rested after returning from their hunting trip.

“I had twin girls who were stolen from me when they were ten winters old.

After that, Belora and I hid in the forest. I had three girls, Dar. Only one was mine to raise past her tenth birthday.”

“I’m so sorry, my love.” He stroked her soft hair, lulling her to calmness as she recalled the sad memories. “I want you to know that I would never pressure you to have more children.”

She sat up then on the wide couch and faced him. “What if I wanted more children?”

He frowned. “Do you?”

“Honestly, I don’t know.” She settled into his arms, snuggling close. “As a healer I know how to prevent pregnancy, of course, but since I had no bed partners until you and Jared, I haven’t been doing anything to prevent it. I could be pregnant, I suppose, but it’s harder to conceive for older women.”

She craned her head up to look into his eyes. “Would you want a child, Darian?”

He hugged her close. “What kind of question is that? I would welcome any child of yours into my heart, Adora. I would love it and teach it, be a good father to it, regardless of whether it was my seed or Jared’s that did the job.”

He squeezed her once in reassurance. “I love you, Adora. I love everything about you. I would love your child as well. Simply because it’s a part of you.”

Kelzy lifted her big head and stretched lazily over to them. You’re wrong about one thing, child.

Adora lifted her head from Darian’s chest to regard the dragon. “Oh, yeah? What’s that?”

You are not too old to conceive easily. By bonding with our kind, your knights will reap the benefit of a long, extended life. You’re a descendant of Draneth the Wise, as well as having mother-bonded with me when you were just a toddler. You will live three or perhaps four normal human lifetimes, as will your mates. You could have many children in that time, if you choose to do so.

“Sweet Mother of All! Mama Kelzy, I had no idea.”

The dragon quaked with smoky laughter. I thought as much.

Sandor raised his head and moved over to face them in his gentle way.

Princess, this land once teemed with black dragons. It’s been many years since even one black dragon was born and my kind was beginning to despair.

Now, with Belora’s news, we have new hope for your race as well as our own.

Any child of yours would be a blessing to our world, Adora. I hope you’ll consider having at least one set of babies for your new mates. I think it would make them both happy as well.

“Sets of babies?” Darian’s voice rose in question.

Kelzy swiveled her head to look at him. Royal blood often inspires twin births, as does mating with two knights. The Mother has a hand in all, Darian. She often blesses knights with twin sets—one from each knight.

Perhaps it’s Her way of equalizing things so that one mate or the other doesn’t feel left out.

“I had twins before Belora.” Again sadness nearly overwhelmed her.

“Arikia and Alania, we named them.”

Princess, Sandor intoned comfortingly, the search for them is already underway. Every knight and fighting dragon in the land has been told to watch for them. We’ll find them. I know we will. Have faith that the Mother will bring your children back to you.

“You’re a kind being, Sir Sandor. Thank you for trying to comfort me. I’ll keep your words close to my heart.”

Jared walked out to the sofa, scratching around his healing wound, careful not to get too close to the sore skin around the arrow hole. He sensed the tension in the air as he drew closer to Darian and their mate. He still couldn’t believe Adora was his…well, theirs. All in all, he didn’t mind sharing her love with Darian. He felt good knowing Darian would be there for her if the Mother of All should decide it was time for him to leave this world.

He had come awfully close when that arrow hit him. A few inches to the side and it would have pierced his heart. Regardless, if Darian and Sandor hadn’t caught him, the fall would have killed him with certainty. He had been spared that day, and he could only guess as to the reason. Apparently the Mother still had work for him to do here.

The first order of business was to cheer up his partner and their mate.

“Why so solemn?” He sat down on the couch, pulling Adora’s lithe, muscular legs across his lap.

“I was just telling Darian about my twin daughters.” She wiped at the wetness that leaked from her eye with a flustered smile.

“And learning that we’ll have three or four lifetimes to enjoy each other.”

Jared laughed. “I guess that came as a bit of a shock to you, Dar. I forgot you wouldn’t necessarily know about that aspect of partnering with a dragon.”

He nodded over at Sandor. “Hundreds of years to drive each other crazy. Can’t wait.” He chuckled dryly as his shoulder itched.

“And time to have more children,” Adora said quietly, shocking his eyes back to her. “If you want them.”

“Sweet Mother!”

“Now who’s caught off guard?” Darian teased him. “Or didn’t you think about the fact that Adora could bear our children. She could already be pregnant.”

Jared felt the blood drain from his face. He’d lost his son and it had nearly killed him. He didn’t think he could face such devastation again.

Darian clapped a hand on his shoulder. “There are two of us now to protect her, Jared. Two fierce dragons and two warriors, not to mention her daughter’s mates and dragon partners. Nothing will happen to Adora or any children we might be blessed to have.”

Jared took Darian’s words to heart. Relief worked its way through his system, a huge weight lifting off his shoulders that he had not even been aware was there. Adora crawled across the couch into his arms and held him as tightly as his wound would allow.

“Nothing will happen to me, Jared. I’m afraid you’re stuck with me.” She chuckled and he leaned down to kiss her luscious lips.

Jared sensed Darian moving around them, making a place for them all on the wide couch. They were out in the open, in the middle of the public area of their suite, but he figured it was relatively private as long as uninvited guests didn’t come barging in unannounced.

He pulled back from her mouth, helping Darian undress her. Adora’s leggings were already gone as Jared pulled off her top. She had her hands in his leggings and before he knew it, his cock was hard in her mouth.

“Suck me, baby.” Jared’s eyes closed as his head tilted back to rest on the padded back of the couch. “Oh, yes.”

Adora went down on him with relish as Darian feasted on her dripping pussy. Jared opened his eyes wide enough to watch Darian’s tongue delve between her legs and Jared reached out with one hand to squeeze her swinging breast. She whimpered around his cock as he pinched her nipple.

Her eyes shot up to his with a devilish sparkle as she sucked harder, using her tongue in a way that threatened to unman him right then and there.

She was shoved forward a bit as Darian rose over her bent bottom, sheathing his hard cock inside her with a deep groan of pleasure. The pistoning motions in and out of her sweet pussy moved her mouth on Jared’s most sensitive flesh making him even hotter.

Darian sped up as they neared completion, driving all of them forward.

With a grin for his fighting partner, he slapped Adora’s ass playfully. Both of them enjoyed it when she yelped and clenched on them, so he did it again with Jared’s nodding encouragement. They were close to the edge now and with a final whack to her taut ass, she climaxed hard around them both, Jared coming hard in her hungry mouth while Darian spurted deep inside her womb.

All three were speechless for long moments, but finally Darian drew himself out of her tight depths as she licked Jared’s cock completely clean.

Adora rested her head in Jared’s lap as Darian lowered her hips to the couch, taking only a moment to seat himself under her lean, gorgeously naked body.

Both men closed their eyes as they caught their breath, leaning their heads on the back of the padded couch.

“I’ve been thinking,” Darian said after a long while.

“You can still think after that? You’re a better man than I.” Jared chuckled as he stroked Adora’s silky hair while she dozed lightly in his lap.

“Lucan keeps a woman chained to his bed but she isn’t his fuck toy.” He kept his voice low so as not to wake the sated woman in their laps. “It’s rumored she’s a healer.”

Jared’s eyes popped open and he looked over at his fighting partner. “A healer?”

“I’ve seen the girl, Jared. Just once. She was skinny and dirty, but she had the most luminous green eyes I’d ever seen…until I met Adora.” He looked pointedly at the woman sleeping softly over them both.

“Sweet Mother! Do you think—?”

Darian nodded grimly. “That poor creature could be one of our lady’s lost twins.”

Bianca D’Arc

A life-long martial arts enthusiast, Bianca enjoys a number of hobbies and interests that keep her busy and entertained such as playing the guitar, shopping, painting, shopping, skiing, shopping, road trips, and did we say…

um… shopping? A bargain hunter through and through, Bianca loves the thrill of the hunt for that excellent price on quality items, though she’s hardly a fashionista. She likes nothing better than curling up by the fire with a good book, or better yet, by the computer, writing a good book.

Bianca loves to hear from readers and can be reached through her Yahoo group or through the various links on her website.

More from Bianca D’Arc

Maiden Flight: Dragon Knights Book 1 – available now!

The Ice Dragon: Dragon Nights Book 3 – Coming August ‘06

Lords of the Were – Coming October ‘06

Price of Spies – Coming January ‘07

Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

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