“Shall I ask him what the plan is now?” I looked at my mates.

  They both nodded and I formulated my message in my head before reaching out to Landis.

  We’re at the archery field, what is the next move?

  I wrapped my arm around Dallas and rested my head on his chest while we waited for Landis to answer. I had no idea how long it had been since any of us had slept or eaten. Raife stepped up behind me, running his hand down my back and I breathed deeply, in between my two mates where I belonged.

  Jules, there is a tunnel that runs from where you are directly into the dungeon, but the end may be well hidden now, because it hasn’t been used in decades.

  “Landis says there’s a tunnel into the dungeon, and the end is here somewhere,” I stated. My mates immediately straightened, looking at me.

  “That’s good, much better than trying to fight our way in,” Raife added.

  “Ask him if it’s a hatch in the ground, and if he knows what it’s made of. We may be able to scent it,” Dallas said.

  Lan, is it a hatch in the ground and what material is it made of?

  We waited again as this whole mind talking thing wasn’t like picking up a cell phone and calling someone.

  Yes, it is a hatch and it’s just inside the first row of trees. It’s made of metal, but has likely been overgrown.

  “It’s a metal hatch, just inside the first row of trees,” I told them.

  Dallas immediately stripped off his clothes and I had to bite the inside of my cheek a little to remind myself that we had more important things to do, but I couldn’t help myself from ogling his backside just a little. My mate was hot!

  Once he’d shifted, Dallas moved off toward Jay and I spoke to Ren directly in her mind and asked her to come back so we could explain what we were looking for.

  It was almost midday before we located the hatch and I let Landis know right away.

  We found it!

  That’s good Jules. River suggested you reach out to a bird and do some surveillance of the grounds, to prevent anyone from sneaking up on you.

  Now that he said it, I was really pissed at myself for not thinking of that sooner. It was much easier than trying to keep watch!

  Good idea.

  While I was waiting for Landis to answer, I reached out for a bird in the vicinity and slid into his mind, controlling his eyes and his body, while keeping my hand on Raife’s arm at the same time to keep me grounded. It was an odd feeling to look through the bird’s eyes, a few hundred feet in the air while my feet were still on the ground.

  I saw a group of guards and others, putting the wall back together, laughing to myself at how easy it had been to knock it down. I circled the palace the way the guards had taken Landis last night, trying to spot the door to the dungeon. The guards stationed next to the door gave it away and I noted its location in case we had to use it. Another sweep of the grounds and I let the bird go, coming back to myself as Raife wrapped his arms around me.

  “Ok sweetheart?”

  “I am,” I smiled up at him. “I saw the door to the dungeon, it’s guarded on the outside, and a group is repairing the wall at the front gate, but no other activity. Outside, at least.”

  Dallas had shifted back and put his pants and boots back on and I was secretly happy that his shirt had been lost somewhere last night as I took in his broad chest and ridged abs.

  Raife raised a brow at me and the corner of his mouth twitched up. “Enjoying the view sweetheart?”

  “Mm hmm,” I nodded, because I would never deny that both my mates took my breath away.

  Dallas threw back his head and laughed before lifting me up and holding me tight to his chest. His mouth against my ear sent shivers down my back. “I love you Jules.”

  I held his face in my hands and looked into his deep brown eyes, the gold flecks vivid in the sunlight. “I love you Dallas.”

  At that moment, Landis’ voice was in my head.

  Jules, you all should go into the tunnel now, you’ll be hidden and we can wait until dark before we proceed.

  I let everyone know what he’d said and Dallas led us back to where the hatch had been located. It was heavily overgrown and I was amazed that they’d been able to smell the metal, covered as it was with soil and plants.

  “I think I can clear this away pretty easily,” I stated.

  Placing my hands on the ground, I simply moved the plants aside, letting them re-establish their root systems before I pushed all the soil away from the hatch.

  The thick metal hatch was about three feet across and luckily had a ring in the center, making for easier lifting. Raife took hold of the ring and hauled the hatch up…vampires are ridiculously strong…and we all peered down into the deep, dark hole. I conjured a small ball of flame in my hand and lowered it slowly into the tunnel, creating just enough light to show us that after a drop of about eight feet, the tunnel went straight toward the palace. It was wide enough to walk two abreast and was maybe just a bit taller than the guys.

  “Everyone ready?” I asked.

  Dallas went first and one by one we all jumped down into the tunnel with Trey the last as he pulled the hatch shut behind him, the darkness blanketing us until I sent up another small ball of flames.

  “I should conceal the hatch with plants so no one knows we’ve come this way.” I looked at my mates and they both agreed.

  I placed my hands on the dirt sides of the tunnel, above my head and just below the hatch, picturing the plant life I’d just moved and guiding it back to its original place before giving it a tiny zap of power to stimulate more growth. Hopefully that would hide any trace of our underground route.

  We moved into the tunnel, Raife and Trey followed by Dallas and I and Ren and Jay bringing up the rear. I floated a small ball of flames ahead of us as we proceeded along the hard packed dirt and the darkness closed in behind us.

  Raife stopped and turned back to Dallas and I and I held the flames steady so we could see.

  “I would estimate this is about halfway to the palace”, Raife announced. “I think it would be wise to stop here to await instructions from Landis. If we go closer we could risk being overheard.”

  “Sounds good to me,” I said as I pressed my back to the wall and slowly slid to the floor. “I think we could use a rest.”

  “Trey, move ahead another hundred feet or so and listen for anything,” Raife instructed, “Jay and Ren can go back the way we came to guard that end.”

  As they moved away, I leaned my head against the dirt wall of the tunnel and stretched my legs out in front of me, my eyes slowly closing. I felt Dallas sit down beside me, his warmth pressed to my side and I hummed softly in my throat. Before my head could land on his shoulder, Dallas pulled me onto his lap and I laid my cheek against his chest, my head tucked in under his chin. Exhaustion closed in on me and my limbs became heavy as the warmth of Dallas’ body cradled me and I gave in to the pull of sleep.

  Dallas shifted underneath me and I dragged my eyelids open. Raife’s face was inches from mine where his head rested on Dallas’ shoulder, his beautiful face relaxed in sleep and I took a moment just to admire him. A lock of dark hair had fallen onto his forehead, just above his dark brows that were smooth in sleep rather than marred with lines of worry. His thick black lashes fanned out above his prominent cheekbones, the perfect symmetry of his face accented by the straight line of his nose. His lips were slightly parted at the barest of breaths and I longed to sweep my tongue across them as my hands itched to caress the stubble across his jaws and chin.

  I could feel my heart kick up a notch and Dallas shifted underneath me again and I imagined that he was getting stiff from the hard packed dirt floor with me on top of him.

  Raife’s eyes opened and I fell into the endless blue pools, seeing his emotions as clearly as if he were speaking to me. His look of desperation and worry gave way to determination, strength, and his love shone through above all else, the truth of it shining in his eyes like a beacon. It called to me and the love I felt for him flooded my entire body until it felt that every inch of me glowed with the love I had for him.

  Raife’s arm came around my back as he moved to press his lips against mine, the softness of his kiss causing a shiver to run through me. Dallas shifted so we were sitting up a bit more and his arms encircled Raife and I as his nose nuzzled into my neck.

  “Mmmm,” Dallas growled low in his throat. “Jules.”

  “Dallas”, I breathed out against the soft skin just below his ear, my lips caressing that spot and a low rumble started up in his chest. His hand roamed up my side, his thumb on the side of my breast causing heat in my core and I turned myself so I was straddling his waist and we were chest to chest. His deep brown eyes held mine and the gold flecks in his were glowing with an intensity that looked like fire. His hand on my back pulled me into him as his mouth descended and I reached up to meet him.

  His kiss was fierce with longing and possession as his tongue plundered my mouth, our teeth scraping together as we both held on like it was our last fucking kiss. My chest heaved, as I was starved for air, but I refused to break our kiss, not allowing this perfect moment to end.

  Dallas finally lifted his head before crushing me to him and I could feel the faint tremor in his arms as Raife gently turned my chin to him and claimed my mouth with his own kiss.

  He cherished me with a sweetness that brought tears to my eyes that overflowed and ran freely down my cheeks.

  My beautiful Raife, what did I ever do to deserve the love of this man?

  He brushed the tears from my cheeks before kissing my eyes and moving toward the sensitive spot below my ear that always got to me. He sucked and licked as his hand squeezed my ass, his long fingers teasing me with just a bit of friction between my legs.

  Dallas pulled my top over my head before latching onto my nipple and biting down just enough. I arched into him, moaning from the pleasure overload coursing through me.

  Raife lifted me from Dallas’ lap just enough to slide my pants down and then he was behind me and I was sandwiched between my mates. I lifted a hand to the back of Raife’s head, letting my fingers slide through the silky waves of his hair, much longer now that it had been and I loved the feel of it.

  Dallas sucked and teased my nipples, one in his mouth and one between his fingers at the same time Raife slid two of his long fingers inside me. A single touch of his thumb to my clit and an orgasm rolled through me. I pulled Dallas’ mouth to me and plunged my tongue inside, needing him to feel the pleasure coursing through me.

  Raife stroked my opening, slowly circling my clit and I moaned into Dallas’ mouth.

  Dallas lifted both of us, shifting himself to his knees before pulling his pants down enough to free his massive erection and sheathing himself in one quick thrust. Raife moved behind me and I could feel his hard length pressed between my cheeks as his hands wrapped around me to hold my breasts, his thumbs skimming across my nipples.

  My head fell back to his shoulder and I turned my head to kiss his throat.

  “Feels so good,” I moaned. “I love you so much, it scares me. I need you to be mine forever. There is no world that I want to live in without you,” I gasped, emotion rolling through me.

  Dallas cupped my chin, pulling my eyes to his as he whispered, “You have us forever, no matter what, we’ll never let you go.”

  I could drown in his eyes as he spoke, the molten chocolate color swirling with gold holding me captive and I wished we could stop time at this moment..

  Raife pulled me into his chest, his mouth to my ear, “You are ours, and nothing in this world or the next can change that.”

  Dallas slid in and out of me, long slow strokes that built the pleasure in my core and when Raife circled my clit with his finger my back arched and I moaned as an orgasm rushed through me. Dallas followed me, his big hands gripping my hips hard as he came, locking his lips to mine, stroking my tongue with his.

  Raife lifted me off Dallas and turned me so I was facing him, slowly lowering me onto his hard length and thumbing the tears from my cheeks, my hands finding his shoulders to steady myself. Stroking his hair, I brushed his lips with mine, gently caressing them as I stared into his beautiful eyes of the deepest blue, dark with desire.

  I felt the bond in my chest, beside my heart and it quivered before becoming warmer and then almost hot. I pressed my chest into Raife as the heat spread through my body, running all the way to my hands where they were gripping Raife’s shoulders and his eyes showed me he was feeling the same heat.

  The bond seemed to spiral out from where it lay before returning to wrap firmly around my heart, feeling more solid and heavier than it was.

  Raife pulled my mouth to his, his tongue dancing with mine as he pumped slowly in and out of me.

  Dallas pressed against my back, his finger circling my clit, his other hand firmly holding my hip.

  Raife pulled back from our kiss, his eyes shining with the feeling of the strength of our bond before lowering his mouth to my neck and sliding his fangs in. My orgasm rushed through me, arching my back and tightening all my muscles, my channel holding Raife’s cock in a tight grip.

  He moaned with me as he came, crushing me to him as Dallas wrapped his arms around us both.

  “I love you Jules,” Dallas breathed into my ear. I could feel the strength of his bond also and knew that for whatever reason, the connection between the three of us had been strengthened.

  I raised my eyes to Raife’s as he pulled back from my neck and sucked in a short breath.

  The air around us sparkled, almost like iridescent dust motes, forming a bubble of sorts that encompassed the three of us in its magic. The air shimmered and our surroundings fell away until only we existed.

  I didn’t move, afraid of breaking the spell and just let the sparkles come to rest on us.

  I raised an eyebrow at Raife, and he answered.

  “I don’t know, I’ve never seen anything like this.”

  Wherever on our skin the sparkles landed, it glowed for a moment before sinking in and disappearing.

  Dallas didn’t release his grip on the three of us as he spoke.

  “I don’t know what that was, but it feels peaceful, like it was a part of the strengthening of our bond. I know that the connection we have is unbreakable.”

  He kissed my neck with a slow open mouth kiss and pulled Raife to him, kissing him the same way. I loved that my mates were able to express their love with each other so freely. We shared the same heart, the same love, the same life.

  Chapter fifty-two

  Dallas

  I wasn’t sure what the sparkles meant, but I knew with every inch of my soul that Jules, Raife and I were meant to be together forever, no matter what realm we were in, or what bodies our souls occupied. My entire being felt it and it settled all the parts of me that hadn’t ever been fully settled. I knew with complete clarity that the three of us only existed together. Should one of us cease to exist, the other two would follow, there was no choice and I was totally secure in that knowledge.

  I shifted to my knees behind Jules and moved to Raife’s side, leaning against the dirt wall of the tunnel again. Jules had her head on Raife’s chest, her eyes closed as his hands skimmed the soft skin of her back.

  “Sleep love,” I whispered in her ear, “We don’t know when we’ll have another chance.”

  “Mmmmm,” she murmured, before reaching out and taking my hand and pulling it into Raife’s side.

  I inched closer to Raife until our sides were pressed together and he lowered his head to my shoulder. I let my eyes slip closed and the sound of our hearts beating together lulled me to sleep.

  “Landis”, Jules spoke his name.

  She sat up and Raife and I both jolted awake.

  “Is he speaking with you?” Raife asked and she nodded.

  As Jules stood, I helped her into her clothes and Raife grabbed her boots, sliding her feet into them as she looked down the tunnel, listening to Landis in her head.

  Another moment passed before she turned to us to let us know what he’d said.

  “He says we should go to him now. There’s a door at the end of the tunnel and when we get to it, he’ll let me know if we can go through to where they’re being held.”

  Raife moved to the center of the tunnel and motioned to the others to join us. Trey sped toward us and when Jay and Ren reached us, I filled them in.

  “Landis wants us to move now, so we’ll proceed to the end of the tunnel and then wait before we open the door at the end when he says it’s clear.”

  Raife and Trey took the lead with Jules and I behind them and Jay and Ren behind us. I let my wolf senses range as far as I could reach, constantly scenting the air and listening for sound of any kind. I didn’t like being stuck underground like this and my wolf’s need to protect my mates was riding me hard.

  We walked about another half mile and the tunnel gradually got wider and had a slight uphill feel as we approached a solid wood door just slightly smaller than the width of the tunnel. I motioned to Jay and Ren to stand against the wall behind the door and pulled Jules with me as we joined them.

  “You want to check in with Landis now, Jules?”

  She nodded and then got that look of concentration on her face as she communicated with him in their heads. Raife and Trey stood closer to the door as we waited for Jules.

  “He says they can’t see any guards in their area. We should go through the door and follow the hallway to the right and they are in the cells about fifty feet away.”

  “Let Trey and I check it out, then you follow. Alright with everyone?” Raife asked.

  “We’ll be right here,” I nodded at him.

  Raife grabbed the door knob and twisted until it came off in his hand, then pulled the door. It swung inward and the hinges creaked, causing us all to freeze, waiting for the sound of footsteps. No one breathed as we waited before Raife and Trey stepped through the doorway and disappeared.

  Jules clung to my hand as we waited for them, neither of us moving, and hardly breathing. Less than a minute later they reappeared and motioned us to follow.