Compelled (The Secrets of Dragons Book 1) (14 page)

“I have a connection to you that Luke will never have. I married you. I chose you for my mate. Nothing is going to change that.”

He knew that already, but it didn’t make him feel any better. He was being an asshole, and Alex really didn’t need it. He had enough problems on his plate. “So what are we doing with Lou? Are we going to wait or start things rolling?”

“What do you think?”

Alex was trying so hard to make him feel better. “I see your point about waiting, but I’m scared for her, for us.”

Alex put his arm around Eric’s shoulder, drawing him to his side. Alex kissed the top of his head. “So am I, babe. I’m terrified of losing her. Lou is perfect for us.”

“I know she is. I think that makes everything so much harder. I’m being a jerk about Luke. I have no problem with you asking him. We can work out the details once Lou is okay. She, of course, should have the final say.”

“She will. Can you do me a favor? Go find Yassie and tell him we want to start this as soon as the brew is ready.”

“I can do that. I love you, Alex.”

“I know. I love you, too.” Alex rose, pulling him to his feet and giving him a kiss. He hugged him tightly, inhaling the subtle scent that had caused so many problems lately. The man really did smell incredible. It was hot and spicy, almost like the spiced cider his mother used to make him as a child. It was one of the rare good memories he had of his parents.

When Alex was turned on it was more like fireballs, stronger and filled with hints of danger. Anyone who messed with Alex had the potential to get burned.

Chapter Eleven

Lou inhaled a gasping breath, sitting upward. Luke shoved a pail under her chin, but she didn’t use it. Her stomach roiled, her head pounding vibrantly. “Oh fuck. What happened to me?”

“You were in danger of dying. Yassie gave you the first round of serum about an hour ago. We were beginning to worry it might not work.”

“What are you talking about, Luke? Where the hell am I?” Lou shivered and slowly leaned back onto the pillows. “I’m so cold.”

Luke dragged a quilt up around her body and tucked it under her chin. “If you would like me to, I will crawl under the blanket and help keep you warm.”

“Where are Alex and Eric?”

“They took a little break to go for breakfast. They were both starving and didn’t want to fill the air with the scent of cooking food.”

“Can you tell me what the hell happened?”

“From what Alex said, you passed out from their scent and they couldn’t wake you up. Your vital signs were unstable and the only way to save you was to begin the change.”

They had mentioned the moss would make her sick, but she hadn’t imagined it would be this bad. This was worse than the worst hangover she had ever experienced. Just the thought of food made her stomach gurgle and threaten. “Can’t you give me something? My head feels like someone is banging on a base drum inside it.”

“No. You can never again take human medication. It will make you sicker than you are now.”

What a wonderful thought. “What if I get a headache?”

“It will never be as bad as the one you have right now.”

She could almost guarantee that.

“Do you want to try a sip of water?”

Lou swallowed hard at just the thought of drinking anything and quickly shook her head. It was a horrible thing to do and made her brain swim with dizziness. “Why am I in your bedroom?”

“Because Alex brought you here when you got sick. We figured my room was the best place for you to rest.”

She tried to focus on him more clearly. She hadn’t noticed before, but Luke had a scent of his own. He smelled like a shampoo she had once used that had a lemon for a cap. It was sweet and aromatic, but nothing like Alex or Eric. “Why am I suddenly smelling you?”

“Are you?”

Obviously, she had said it, hadn’t she? “Yes.”

“Then let me ask you a question. What would you think about having three men in your life?”

“I presume you’d be the third one?”

“Yes.”

It was an interesting idea, but more than she could deal with at the moment. The last thing on her mind was sex. “I’ll think about it.”

Alex strode into the room, sitting down beside her. “You’re awake.”

“Obviously. Can you put me back to sleep?”

“You feel bad, huh?”

“That’s an understatement.”

“If it helps, we’ve all been through it,” said Alex.

“No, that really doesn’t help, but thanks anyway.”

Alex looked like she had just slapped him. “I’m being a bitch, huh?”

“You’re entitled.”

“No, I’m really not. I asked for this.” She did want to become a dragon, but at the moment she was miserable. It was unfair to take it out on Alex though. “Where’s Eric?”

“He’s talking to Yassie.”

“Oh.” Her stomach lurched and Lou sat up, holding it. Luke and Alex both reached for the bucket, Luke shoving it back under her chin. She took a couple deep breaths and the feeling faded some. “I’m okay.” She was also tired. “Can I go back to sleep?”

“Of course.” Alex stroked back her hair, leaning and kissing her on the forehead. “We’ll be here when you wake up.”

Lou nodded and closed her eyes.

****

The room was pitch black without the slightest hint of light. She could feel warm skin at her front and back, but also beneath her. Her mouth tasted horrible and she was thirsty despite her still-angry stomach. The moment she moved, arms from beneath wrapped around her. A light went on to her right and the setup became clear. Eric was at her back, Luke at her front and Alex was sleeping beneath her. All three men were starting at her.

“I need a drink and is there a bathroom down here?”

Luke sat up and took a glass from the nightstand as Alex rolled her onto the bed between his body and where Eric had been a moment before. She was then able to sit up. Luke handed her the glass. Lou tentatively drank a few sips of water. It tasted amazingly fresh even though it was room temperature. She drank more and instantly regretted it as pain ripped through her stomach. Lou doubled over, panting for air as she rocked against the slowly ebbing pain.

“You need to take it easy,” said Alex. “You’re stomach has been unused for close to twenty-four hours.”

That was shocking to hear. “I’ve been asleep that long?” she asked as she gradually sat up. Her head was still pounding, although not quite as badly as before.

Eric sat back down beside her. “You passed out last night and Yassie gave you the serum just before dawn. You woke up for a short period and then went back to sleep. It’s close to four in the morning.”

How the hell did he know what time it was? He didn’t wear a watch. Eric seemed to hear her unspoken question and picked up a small wind up clock, showing it to her.

“As far as a bathroom,” replied Luke. “You’re in luck. Do you need help getting up?”

“I don’t know.” Keeping her movement minute, she slid to the end of the bed where Eric was standing. Alex stood up behind her and gradually lifted her to her feet. Her head swam, her vision blurred for a moment before it returned to normal. She really didn’t feel comfortable using the bathroom with one of them present, but there was no way she was going to make it by herself. “I need help.”

Eric stepped back and Luke swept her into his arms. He carried her across the room and into an attached space. “Reach out to your right, there’s a small click light on the wall.”

It took her a moment to find it, and she pushed it to turn it on. The space was tiny, with an odd looking toilet. Luke gently set her down. “Do you need to go one or two?”

“One.”

He turned, primed a tap, and filled a small cup of water. “Sorry, we don’t use toilet paper for urine down here. The toilets are self-composting and the paper jams them up. When you’re done, rinse with this, then give me a holler, I’ll come get you.”

It seemed to take forever to get her body working and when it did the result was unsatisfactory. It presented a horrifying conundrum and she rinsed quickly, calling for Luke. He was there in an instant and she asked, “Did I—you know—while I was out cold?”

He nodded. “We were prepared. I assure you it has happened before.”

His words gave her a small amount of solace. “So what happens now?”

Luke helped her up and then lifted her again. He walked with her back into the bedroom and sat her down on the bed. “Yassie will be in later to give you a second dose. You need to try and drink some more fluid before then.”

“Second dose?” she asked in horrified anticipation. Hadn’t one dose been enough?

“You have to take three doses, each twelve hours apart. They are controlled by your height and weight,” replied Alex.

“Are they going to make me sick like the first dose?”

“Probably sicker.”

****

Alex shook Lou softly and she grumbled. She was finally waking up, and he had no doubt she was still feeling like shit. The goal tonight was for her to choose her partners and then get drunk to forget how sick she was. The wine would lessen the sickness and the headache, but it would still leave her lucid so she had a clear memory of the night’s events. “Come on, Lou. Time to wake up, the party is going to start without you.”

She cracked one eye to gaze at him. The moss had taken its toll on her. Her eyes were bloodshot and ringed with darkness, her face appearing drawn. Eric handed him a glass of wine and he put it to her lips. “Drink some, it will make you feel better.”

“I don’t want it,” she mumbled.

“I know, but you have to drink it. I swear it’ll help.”

She took a small sip and then swallowed dramatically as she had whenever she was about to get sick. The wine would help, but she had to get some of it into her stomach. “Take some more. I know it’s hard now, but it’ll get easier.”

Her top lip curled into a sneer. “I wanna sleep.”

“I know you do, but sleep is over. Now is the night to become what you’re going to be. It’s time, Lou.” He sat her up straighter and put the cup back to her lips. She drank a sip more, seeming as if it was too much effort to drink. She had been hit really hard by the serum and had barely been able to keep water down. The only thing was it had weakened her faster than normal and only two days had passed rather than three.

Lou took the glass from him with shaky hands and with a deeply resigned sigh, drank some of it. Her entire body lurched and he feared she was going to lose what she had drunk, but she didn’t. “This shit’s good. What is it?”

“It’s a root that’s brewed into a wine. It’s medicinal, but tastes great also.”

“Are you gonna drink some or is it only me that gets drunk tonight?”

“Everyone will probably get drunk. It’s a night for celebration.”

She nodded, shakily sitting up further to gaze at him. “What if I changed my mind?”

“Why do you ask?”

“I’ve been having some really horrible dreams. I’m a dragon, but I’m captured by the army and turned over to the military for testing. I’m chained and tortured as they try to find out what makes me tick. I won’t tell them and just before they kill me I always wake up.”

“I didn’t know you were dreaming. I’m sorry, Lou, if you don’t finish the process the moss will kill you. Your entire body has been weakened and you probably wouldn’t last out the week.”

She nodded again. “Give me some more wine. Please.”

****

She was tipsy from the wine, but Alex was right, she no longer felt sick.

Pink lay to her right and Magenta to her left. The two women were enjoying the attention of Yassie’s and Luke’s tongues, their bodies writhing in pleasure. Eric was sitting by her head and Alex was directly behind her, her head propped up on his crossed legs. Yassie split from Pink and licked Lou’s cunt as Luke shifted up and kissed her. The taste of Magenta was salty, but not as unpleasant as she imagined. Luke however, was an excellent kisser, his tongue cascading over and around hers sweetly.

Yassie was wasting no time as his tongue altered between her clit and thrusts into her pussy. The man had a very virile tongue.

Yassie shifted back, slithering over her body and pushing Luke to the side as he leaned forward to kiss her. Lou was stunned when the very hard feel of his cock filled her. She was slippery wet and the fullness of him was far more thrilling than she anticipated. He thrust in and out, each time rocking upward to put the perfect pressure in the perfect spot.

His kiss was more aggressive than Luke’s, but he kept it short, then leaned back to put all his energy into his dick. Luke immediately grasped her breast in his hand, licking and massaging her skin. He bit into her skin and growled before blowing a cool breath over her nipple. Lou gazed down and saw that he really had bitten her, blood welling from the bite. Luke returned to the spot, sucking hard on the broken skin. It burned and then faded to a slight itch before disappearing completely.

When Luke kissed her again, she could taste the acrid blood on his tongue.

They absorbed her, Yassie pumping into her now throbbing cunt as Luke kissed her. Someone was on her other side, presumably Eric. He slid his hand over her mound, parting the flesh and stroking her clit. With his other hand, he crushed her breast upward, nipping her nipple and flicking it with his tongue. Alex’s hands were in her hair, massaging her scalp softly as she was overwhelmed with sensation. Lou howled with enjoyment as her pussy crashed around Yassie’s hard cock. He grunted and with a final thrust, relaxed.

Yassie got up, walking over beside her and nudging Luke out of the way. He knelt down, stroking her cheek. “You look better already. It was a pleasure.”

“Thank you,” was all she could think to say. The wine was really catching up to her. The feel of slightly haired legs against her thigh caught her attention. Lou looked downward and saw Luke smiling at her. He had the most intense smile she had ever seen, and the man had beautifully muscled legs. His ass was slightly plumper than most men, but it was the perfect accent to his tanned body. She noticed that his skin now had a slightly yellow tint to it. “Why didn’t Yassie change color?” she asked to no one in particular.

“Color comes with emotions as well as sex. He likes you, but doesn’t love you,” Alex replied.

She looked at Luke again and smiled. He nipped her thigh and then licked his way upward. Alex cupped her breasts, flexing and squeezing her flesh. She could see her nipples grow harder as he tweaked them, making the pinkness stand to his attention. Luke parted the outer lips of her pussy with his fingers and took a long leisurely lick from the bottom to the top. His touch made her shiver and gasp and when Eric began to nip at her stomach it was even better.