Firedrake - By Bianca D'Arc Page 0,60

hand in his. “I’m terrible at this,” he muttered, “as I am at so many other things.” The earnest look in his eyes sent a pang through her. “But in order to have Mace, it looks like you have to accept me as well. I want you to know that I’ve wanted you since the moment I first saw you. I’ve respected your skills and your heart, your compassion and your courage, for as long as I’ve known you. I’ll honor you and cherish you—if you’ll let me—and love you with all my heart. I don’t know when it happened or how, but I do love you, Krysta. You’ve taken a place in my heart I never thought to have filled. I only hope you can find some room in yours for me, now that we’re forced by circumstance to join.”

Tears rolled down her face at his misunderstanding of the situation. She mustered the will to speak past the lump in her throat, knowing he needed to be set straight before they went any further.

“Drake,” she swallowed hard, “I don’t need to find room in my heart because you’re already there.” She saw hope light his eyes, but he still seemed skeptical. “I’ve been struggling with my feelings for you both. True, I made love with Mace, but I probably would have done the same with you, given the opportunity. But when Wil got kidnapped…”

“My seduction plans went out the window,” Drake finished for her, seeming more confident now.

She nodded. “I’ve been so conflicted. I didn’t understand how I could want two such completely different men—and at the same time. I worried about how to choose between you. And now I see, I wasn’t meant to choose at all. I was meant to have you both, if you’ll have me.”

“If? Are you kidding? Krysta…” his voice dropped with emotion, “…I’ve never told any woman what I’m telling you now. I love you, Krysta Vonris, and I will love you, and you alone, for the rest of my days. Please say you’ll be my wife.”

She flung her arms around his neck and kissed him in answer. The joyful kiss turned passionate and only Mace’s tug on her shoulders finally drew them apart.

Drake let her go, shooting his friend a dark look that promised retribution, but Mace only shrugged.

“We have to do this right, Drake. Vows first. Fun after.” Mace took one of her hands and Drake the other. They stood in front of her, one on each side, facing her, their dragon partners looming over their shoulders.

“Do you, Krysta, take Mace and Drake to be your husbands?” Nellin spoke an approximation of the ancient words, but they were enhanced by his magic, making Krysta very aware of the power they held.

She took a deep breath.

“I do.” Krysta felt bands of power snapping into place between her and the men, though she’d never experienced this kind of magic before.

“Do you, Drake and Mace, take Krysta to be your wife?” Jenet asked in a soft voice.

Each man answered with an “I do”. The bonds that had started to form when Krysta gave her answer now widened and firmed, joining them together in a way she’d never before experienced.

“Now us.” Jenet prodded the trio with the blunt edge of her talon, nearly knocking them over as they broke apart, laughing. The trio faced the dragons, smiles on their faces.

“Do you, Nellin, take Jenet as your mate, to love, cherish and protect for all your days?” Mace asked.

“I do.” Nellin replied.

“And do you, lovely Jenet,” Drake embellished the words, “take Nellin to be your mate, to love, cherish and protect for all your days?”

“I do.” Jenet rubbed her neck against Nellin’s before they both trumpeted their joy to the skies. A moment later, they bounded into the air, circling each other playfully as they rose into the darkness of the night sky.

Mace and Drake swept Krysta back into their arms, taking turns kissing her breathless. She felt their connections to the dragons through the mating bond and felt the fire in their souls. It was a heady experience, but she didn’t have time to really savor it as first Mace, then Drake, kissed her in ways that made her knees falter. But they were there to catch her, wrapping her in their arms as they carried her to the soft sand in front of the campfire.

“It’s going to be fast this time, Krysta, because of the dragons, but we would never hurt you.” Mace drew