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have, but I don t regret it.
Slipping out of Ja Rol s hold, she walked right up to Slone. With
a finger to his chin, she told him, It s okay. You took me by
surprise. I never would have imagined that kind of reaction from
you.
You re not mad? He studied her, mildly confused.
No, not really. Not for defending her, regardless of whom it
was against.
Relief eased the tension in his shoulders. He swept her into his
embrace and spun her around. I don t deserve you, he said,
dropping kisses to her face.
He set her on her feet a moment later. Ja Rol. He held out his
hand and together they stood before her.
She d never seen two men happier than the two watching her at
that moment. You asked us yesterday if we were in love with you.
The answer is an unequivocal yes. We want you; we need you, in
so many ways. Slone reached and clasped one of her hands and
Ja Rol took her other, then together they lowered before her.
You are the anchor to our hearts. We are asking you to stay, to
cherish us, as we will cherish you. We have only one thing to show
you, and if you accept, then all that has happened to now will
become a solid bonding.
Like the mind thinky thing? she asked, smiling when they
chuckled.
Exactly like the mind thinky thing, Slone replied with an
equal grin of memory. We understand common practice won t
allow us to marry, but together, we will be complete. Do you
understand?
That made her pause. Meaning if I m okay with your big
secret, then we ll be, for the sake of a better explanation, married?
She bit her lip. That s a big step.
We know, Ja Rol said. Together they stood, then he went and
closed all the blinds to the main room, enshrouding them in a
shaded space of secrets and privacy.
This is where it gets harder, Slone continued, subdued. In
our bedroom, we have a balcony. It faces the rear of the building,
and if you ve ever noticed, there is nothing as tall as us in that
direction for blocks. The glass is tinted and bulletproof throughout
our penthouse, but in that room, it is more than that. There is a
staircase to the roof, and hidden walls all through this building. We
created it that way, and only us, the designer and builders, know of
them. And none of them live in this plane.
This plane? she echoed, confused.
We prefer it to our own, Ja Rol admitted. We re challenged
here, have different environments to thrive in. At home, we re
merely one of many. Our skills are the same.
She studied both, but saw nothing that would make her believe
they weren t sane.
Would you like to sit? The next part can be overwhelming.
She whipped around, searching the penthouse with unseeing
eyes. Sure. Doubts were beginning to seriously wander through
her mind. What had she gotten herself into after all?
Ja Rol took her hand and urged her to sit, then began to
unbutton his shirt as he strolled to meet with Slone. Slone dropped
his towel. In a matter of moments they both stood naked before her.
This is why our penthouse is special, he explained.
The two men moved apart a few paces then as one, began to
change shape. Her jaw fell wide open. Her fingers clutched like
claws into the leather of the chair. Disbelief roiled through her
stomach, making her heart race wildly.
Thick muscled legs grew thicker, lean bodies lengthened. Deep
colors swept over each of their bodies, hardening into plates and
scales. Then, unbelievably, wings began to form out of their
shoulders.
Leather-like with fine veins, they spread out and flapped once,
then retracted, conscious of their space limitations. Nails scored at
the rug, but their steps were light enough to not damage the fine
layers.
Lastly, their shapes defined, their heads changed, became
spade-like but thinner. Even as large as the penthouse was, they
still reached the ceiling and had to lower themselves to not hit their
heads.
Cautiously, they crouched and then stopped moving. Both of
them focused on her. Even their eyes had changed color! Both were
nearly onyx black, pools of nothing that reflected back to her.
What are you? She enunciated each word, refusing to stutter
over them.
Slone s voice entered her mind first. We are wyvern. We are
magic, human and dragon.
Brigit stared, frozen by those two pairs of black eyes regarding
her back.
This is what created the mind thinky thing, because as we are able,
our mates can too, within reason.
She stared at the one on the right. Slone. His attempt at humor
fell flat. Shock made it hard for her to form complete thoughts.
Yes, I m still me, he explained with a gentleness that she d
come to recognize as him.
I can tell you apart by your color. Like your skin, she pointed
out. She unclenched her fingers with effort, clasping her hands on
her lap to hide their shaking.
It is one of the factors. It is very unusual to find a very pale wyvern
in human form. We do not come in pale shades, he said, with a light
teasing tone. Big, inky black eyes blinked at her, as if sharing the
joke.
Explain us .
We will change back, Ja Rol informed her. It will be less stressful
on you.
Before she could argue, they began to shrink, their skin
softening, their limbs taking shape. Even the chiseled maleness of
their faces, eyes that she recognized. Mouths that she d kissed.
We are considerably older, for one, Slone said, plucking his
towel from the floor to wrap around his hips. Ja Rol slipped on his
jeans, but nothing else.
How much older? She glanced to Ja Rol. You said decades
earlier&
Yes. Slone is two hundred and fifteen years old. I am a mere
ninety-eight.
She slumped into her chair, agape at that bombshell. Holy
Hell. I m only twenty-eight. Isn t that like, robbing the cradle, or
something?
Ja Rol chuckled. No, because in truth we live for several
centuries, and sharing with us, you will too. He nodded once to
Slone. It isn t always easy; times make it difficult, but it can be
done, and has been. By us and many others.
Slone disappeared into the kitchen. She could hear him moving
things around, bottles maybe. Glasses. A moment later, he returned
with three glasses filled with wine, one half as full as the other two.
They sat across from her on a loveseat.
This is why you said there is no gay between you, she
murmured. She d begun to swirl the white wine, watching the play
of the golden liquid as it moved within the glass. Trying hard to
come to grips with what they d shown her.
It is like we said. It is because we respond in ways that are not
typical.
Ja Rol sat forward, his hands cupping his wine, his words
faraway as he remembered. When I met Slone, I was barely thirty
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