The earlier lust-induced trembling subsided and, in a flash, my mind cleared up. I could finally think like myself again, Markolf's control being just a distant memory now.

The bite and the burn should have had my crying out in pain but, instead, intense pleasure took over my body and my soul. An electric current ran through me, a force that was so strong that it left me out of breath. It probably sounded crazy, but I had this sensation like threads were being woven together.

Then it hit me- it was our bonds that were strengthening, twining together our minds and souls.

I felt stronger. Better. Connected. Protected. And yet I also sensed guilt, anger, regret. I dug deeper inside my mind and realised that those were not my own feelings- it was the boys that I could feel through our new connection.

"You did it- you brought me back." I tried to push through our bonds all the gratitude I had inside me so that they knew exactly how thankful I was.

"We had to mark you, Riley," Aiden sighed. Ah, there was the regret again, even as he held me in his arms.

I placed a finger to the tender spot on my neck right where Rafe had bitten me and, sure enough, I could feel my usually blemish-free skin adorned with bite marks.

I turned my wrist around to find a small but intricate symbol branded on there. Inspecting it closer, I realised that it was a circle with the outline of Aiden's dragon inside of it.

The most irrational- for me at least- but beautiful realisation dawned on me: I was theirs and they were mine. We belonged to each other.

"I know." I gave each of them a reassuring smile. "I would have done the same. Trust me, you don't want to feel like I had just gone through."

It was Rafe who shook his head in disbelief. "You are not angry, Moreau?"

"That you saved me from a raging lust that consumed me before it killed me? Hell no."

"But do you know what that means?" He pressed on, unsure of whether I really understood the implications of being marked.

Sure, maybe I did not fully grasp all the aspects of what it meant but I caught enough of their conversation to get the broad strokes. And either way, it was the mating bonds that helped me snap out of Markolf's manipulation the first time around and now again.

"Yes, Rafe- last time I checked I was not deaf, so I did hear everything you said. Plus, I prefer to be marked by you than to fall under the control of that psychopath again. You are more tolerable." My lips curled up in a sarcastic smile just to piss him off but I genuinely meant what I said.

Give it a rest, Rafe, she's been through enough today, I heard Aiden say but his lips were not even moving.

What the hell? How did I hear him? Did I just imagine him say that? Wait, was I able to hear their thoughts now?

How did you do that? I thought I asked my question out loud but then I realised that I only thought about asking it.

"It's called mind linking, Riley," Aiden explained aloud. "And no, we cannot hear your thoughts- you decide what to project to us and vice versa." He must have seen my anxious face because that was exactly what I was wondering about.

Good thing that they don't know anything about my dirty dreams with the two of them.

Aiden laughed out of the blue and I could not understand why because no one said anything. "Yeah, maybe we should work on how not to project all of your thoughts."

Great, they heard about my dirty dreams. "This mind linking should come with a manual," I huffed, trying to act cool still.

Our mate is funny, a raspy, commanding voice snickered in my head.

Did you only just realise it? Too slow as usual. A deep, smoky voice answered.

I didn't recognise the voices and yet they sounded like I had known them forever but that couldn't be true- only Aiden and Rafe were in the room with me and I most definitely knew what they sounded like.

"Woah, who the hell was that?" I yelped.

"The one that's usually too slow to the point is Kai," Aiden rolled his eyes.

Rafe was clearly not pleased with the jab at his wolf, grimacing at his friend's words. "And Blaze is the one who always thinks that he is too smart."

My eyes widened- was I really capable of communicating with a wolf and a dragon now? This had to be a weird dream, right?

Screw you both, Kai mind linked.

Kai and I get on perfectly fine, Blaze added.

"You are kidding, right? I must be going crazy because I cannot possibly be hearing them in my head."

Aiden looked at me, one of his reassuring smiles appearing on his face. "You are not going crazy, Riley. This is part of our mating bond- you have to be able to communicate with our animals in order to communicate with us when we shift. And you are as much our mate as you are Kai's and Blaze's. They will protect you with their life, even more so now that you are marked."

Has anyone explained yet that the three of you would not be able to stay away from each other now? Kai laughed in my head.

"What does he mean?" I looked from one of my mates to the other. "Rafe?"

His body tensed and he broke his eye contact with me as he closed his eyes and summoned a deep breath, holding it in before he spoke. "Marking your mate is the first step towards completing the mating process and sealing the mating bond. Normally shifters mark, claim and mate each other pretty quickly. When this is not the case, the bond tries to push the mates to do so promptly."

I wasn't sure where this was going. "How?"

He rubbed the back of his neck, still not daring to look at me. "Once the mark is in place, being apart for too long becomes unbearable."

I imagined being separated from them and the thought made my chest tighten and my stomach churn. I could taste the bitter taste of dread in my mouth.

Aiden placed a hand on my back, providing me comfort as if he knew exactly what I was thinking about.

"We become more territorial...well, even more territorial. Shifters respect the mating mark and marked mates do not feel attracted to anyone else but their mate; yet, should someone dare to make a move on a marked mate, they will face the consequences."

I thought about the two women that were hitting on Aiden and Rafe at the gala. I was pissed off but the emotions that the memory stirred right now were on a whole new level. Anger spiralled from the pit of my stomach. Boiling with fury, I ground my teeth and clenched my jaw so tight, it hurt.

"Goddess, Moreau, easy there. You look like you might kill someone in cold blood."

Rafe's words reminded me that we were not downstairs at the gala anymore and that no one was making any advances on my mates. It was just them and me. In my room. Alone.

A familiar craving reappeared in my mind, bringing back dark desires that set my body on fire once again. Ardent need for my mates washed over me and I yearned for them like a drug addict itching for the next hit to replace the emptiness inside.

"I-" Coherent sentences were refusing to come out of my mouth. I shook my head in an effort to clear my thoughts and speak again. "Is there anything else?"

Rafe's eyes grew darker as his gaze cut to mine. His lips parted slightly and my breath hitched. I looked over to Aiden in hope of breaking the sudden tension in the room but his magnetic eyes were liquid pulls of lust.

"The mates become more drawn to each other, making it harder to resist one another," Rafe finished.

Raw, carnal passion. Feral desire. Animalistic need. The avalanche of emotions left me breathless. They were partially mine but I knew that a lot of them came from Rafe and Aiden. They both looked like they were ready to pounce on me and yet they were waiting for my signal.

Did I want that? I mean, the bonds we had were pulling me in that direction but was this what I really wanted- heart, body and soul?

The memories of Markolf kissing me, touching me, feeling me up came back to my mind and a wave of anger crept inside my head like an unexpected gust of wind. He tricked my mind and my body in thinking that I wanted that, that I wanted him but I knew, I had known all along, that I wanted no one else but my charming dragon and my infuriating wolf. My calm and my storm.

I had hidden behind my fears of losing control. I worried that I would not have a say. Now I knew better- giving in did not make me weaker or submissive, and doing so did not mean that I accepted my fate blindly. No, it was because I chose to do so. Because I wanted this.

The worry I sensed through the bond pulled me back into the present moment.

"Riley, are you okay? We get it that this is probably too much for you, especially after what just happened with Markolf." Sweet, sweet Aiden. His caring was boundless and it made my heart flutter.

"He wants me to join him," I whispered. "He wants me by his side."

"He wants what?" Rafe snapped. The rage surging across both of my mates was tangible. "I will end him before he even dares to touch a hair on your head. You will never be his, Moreau." The assertiveness in Rafe's words reminded me how much Markolf was underestimating me and my mates.

"No, I will not. I already belong somewhere else." I looked at the two men in front of me, my eyes sparkling from the significance of what I was saying. The flashing yellow colour in theirs told me everything that I needed right now.

"Make me forget his touch. Show me that I am yours," I breathed, my voice raspy with need.

They both moved closer to me, my body vibrating with electricity as they closed the space between us.

"Ours," Rafe growled before he pulled me in for a kiss that shook my entire being. It was rough, animalistic- a claiming and a promise.

The sweet taste he left on my tongue surprised me because this wolf shifter was anything but sweet and gentle.

Aiden's hand cupped my face, making me turn towards him. "Ours," he roared, kissing me with the same intensity that Rafe had.

I purred with pleasure when they both started kissing my neck, their hands exploring my body. Their scents were so powerful mixed together that they overwhelmed me and yet I could tell them apart with absolute precision. My body was burning for them and I could sense the same heat coming from them as well.

"Yours," I moaned which only spurred their advances.

"Let me take care of this." The cocky grin on Rafe's face told me that he was up to no good but I did not expect him to use the claws on his half-shifted hand to tear my dress off me.

"Rafe!" I yelped but I had to admit that the savageness in undressing me was a turn on.

"I could say that it was an accident but enjoyed it way too much to lie about it."

Aiden chuckled as he removed the last pieces of my torn dress. "Rafe is a bit of a caveman sometimes but his feral ways seem to come in handy on occasions. Now we have you right where and how you should always be- naked, turned on and between us, ready to be satisfied and worshipped."

The liquid heat between my thighs was soaking my underwear. I was so wired with anticipation that I could come just listening to them.

"You are both far too dressed for the occasion though, so we need to level the playing field. Clothes off, now," I ordered them.

Rafe cocked an eyebrow unimpressed but they both peeled off their jackets and their unbuttoned shirts, dropping everything on the ground together with their trousers. Their boxer briefs stayed on though, despite the fact that their cocks were clearly demanding to be set free.

"Bossy as usual, Moreau. We'll let you have this time but don't get it into that head of yours that this will become a habit." Rafe's smugness made me want to jump him and devour his mouth just to shut him up...well, I would enjoy it as well, of course. "Don't give me that look, little girl- as much as you might want to deny it, you like us having our ways with you and we will."

Fuck- I do! So get a move on. That was what I thought in my head while I gave him a dirty look, seemingly denying it.

"What your idiot of a mate wants to say, love, is that you will always be sated. Hard and fast, slow and gentle, us having your ways with you, you having your way with us- whatever the case, it will always be about you," Aiden muttered in my ear just before the tip of his tongue traced my earlobe, making me shiver with pleasure.

The sensation of fingernails grazing my breasts attracted my gaze. The cocky wolf dragged them across one more time, my skin erupting in goosebumps as a result. Satisfied with my reaction, he moved a bit lower, running them over my nipples which turned into hard peaks. Rafe looked at them, licking his lips before he dived in to take them into his warm mouth.

I squealed with pleasure but my brain was starting to struggle with all the sensations as Aiden left my boobs to Rafe, while he instead licked and nibbled his way along my skin until he reached my panties.

"The smell of your arousal is like a drug, my ravishing mate- I don't even need to run my hand between your legs to know just how wet you are for us." His words made me whimper in protest.

"Please do. I need you to touch me," a needy plea rolled off my lips.

"Oh, I plan to do a lot more than that, mate- I will feast on that delicious pussy of yours."

My panties were literally incinerated in a heartbeat, yet I did not feel a thing.

Damn shifters and their abilities! At this rate, I will run out of clothes in no time.

My hungry dragon pushed my legs apart, roaring as he neared my core. I felt my wetness drip along my legs at the excitement of having him taste me again. Our night together had been amazing and I had been looking forward to the next time with him. Well, with both of them, if I had to be honest. But everything felt different now- I felt every little movement, every smell, every breath. God, I could even hear their heartbeats which was crazy. Their emotions felt like my own. All of that made my body tremble in anticipation.

The first flick of his tongue over my clit made me squirm. He did it again and again until he took it in his mouth, the warmth enveloping it in a familiar embrace. Aiden's fingers explored my folds, dipping occasionally in my pussy, teasing it. The sensitivity across every inch of my skin made me buckle my hips.

His tongue moved to my core, fiercely thrusting it in and out. Rafe, meanwhile, held my mouth at his mercy with his rough, commanding kisses, biting my lip and sucking my tongue every so often.

"I want to taste you both," my voice was laced with raw need as I pulled away between my moans.

Without wasting any time, Aiden laid down on the bed.

"Sit on top of him, mate, and face me," Rafe commanded. I looked at him as he stood on his knees on the bed, his cock erected in its full glory, pre-cum dripping out of it. The sight of the essence at the tip of his dick drove me wild, even more when I saw the pearly drops seeping out of Aiden's hard-on as well. I swallowed hard as I imagined their loads spilling inside my throat, and out of my pussy. Shit, I was like a wanton starving for cock but I didn't give a damn.

I placed each of my knees on the side of Aiden's face. A loud shriek escaped from me as he fervently pulled me on top of his mouth, immediately thrusting his tongue inside my pussy. I leaned forward where both of their dicks were twitching for my touch and my lips. My hand wrapped around Aiden's dick. I stroked his shaft, twisting my hand as I moved up and down, while I sucked the pre-cum off his tip. I grabbed Rafe's erection with my other hand and brought it to my lips, running my tongue around his head and underneath it before I swallowed it in one go.

They were both groaning and panting, which only excited me more and made me increase the pressure and the tempo for both my hand around Aiden's hard-on and my mouth around Rafe's. My wolf mate's hands were wrapped in my hair, encouraging my movements as I bobbed up and down his cock, while dragon's fingers were sinking into my skin and my flesh as he greedily ate my pussy.

The heavy breathing, together with the suction and licking sounds, were the only noises that could be heard in the room. One lick, one pump, one thrust more-that was all that the three of us needed to come but I was insatiable. I wanted to milk both of them dry as they filled me up from both ends.

"Come inside me."

The authority that I projected caught my by surprise but I was past the point of caring- I knew what I wanted and I was not going to settle for anything less. I purred with satisfaction on the inside as my demand was met with excited roar and howl.

Aiden slid from underneath me, leaving me on my knees still as I diverted my attention and my mouth to Rafe's balls. I could feel my dragon mate's dick press against my arse as he lined himself up behind me. The rapid motion with which he entered me brought me pure bliss as my pussy was content with how stretched and full it was.

I hummed contently, which caused Rafe to hiss.

"Goddess, Riley, if you don't take me in your mouth again, I will end up exploding all over your face like that."

I let go of his balls and I ran my fingernails along them and his throbbing dick, making him jerk underneath my touch.

"Your release is mine, mate, and I will have it the way I want it- every single drop flowing down my throat," I commanded and squeezed his balls, drawing a strained moan out of the wolf shifter.

Straightaway I engulfed him in my mouth until his cock reached the back of my throat. I expected my eyes to water as I deep-throated him because neither of my mates was anything less than impressive when it came to their cocks but it never happened. Wow, did them marking me get rid of my gag reflex? It was like I suddenly had the ability to take them in as deeply as possible and in every way imaginable- like our bodies matched perfectly our needs and our pleasure.

"Bloody hell, Moreau, you are a goddess," Rafe grunted.

The power I held over right now, while Aiden slammed into my pussy from behind, hitting all the right spots, was exhilarating, bringing me closer to my climax.

"She is magnificent in every way," Aiden panted in agreement.

His pace accelerated as he rammed my core, slipping his hand between my legs to caress my clit. I quickened my own sucking motions over Rafe's dick, paying particular attention to his head. He was ready to blow and the throbbing between the walls of my pussy told me that so was Aiden. Yet it was me that fell over the edge first.

"I...I.....I..... Fuck," my words and my moans were muffled by the cock in my mouth.

I arched my back and fisted the sheets below me as an explosion of pure ecstasy swept through my body. My mates followed at once, growling as they orgasmed and emptied their hot semen inside me just as I had wanted, while I made good on my desire to greedily milk them dry.

We stood there trying to catch my breaths, none of us able to move.

"Bloody hell, that was on another level," Rafe chuckled, breaking the silence.

I felt Aiden's chest press against my back, making me tingle as he peppered it with kisses. Rafe leaned down, pushing my chin upwards before his lips entwined with mine, kissing me with a passion that made me feel giddy to start all over. I felt treasured and adored at that moment.