The Triplets Pt 04

Thanks again to a_koozie for being my editor! I'm so glad that this submission is being well received. Hope you enjoy this next part!

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(Aiden)

Aiden didn't think he'd ever seen a lovelier woman. He'd seen and been with his share of beautiful women, but beautiful simply didn't do Meredith justice. She had a slim, feminine body with soft curves. Her breasts were high, tipped with small, dark nipples. She had a nipped waist that flared gently to lean hips with legs that seemed to go on for an eternity. After having dunked her in the pond, her dark hair hung in soft waves against her face and shoulders, trailing down her back.

Even in the moonlight, he could see the blush that tinged her cheeks as he stared at her. He swallowed and tried to speak, tried to say something to reassure or comfort her, but she had stolen his breath.

Aiden laid on his back and pulled her on top of him. Her body seemed to fit against him as if she were made to be his other half. Aiden placed a hand on her cheek and drew her face down to kiss her. She kissed him back sweetly, her tongue stroking against his. Her hands brushed over the muscles of his chest and grazed his own smaller nipples. A small jolt rushed through him at her touch.

He felt her smile against his mouth before she moved her hand over his nipple again. He began to thrum louder before flipping her to her back and taking her own stiff nipple into his mouth. She arched into his touch and ran her hands through his hair, pulling lightly. Aiden moaned his approval before switching his attention to her other breast using his hands to massaged the abandoned one.

Her soft legs lifted to run down his calves. He could feel the heat of her pussy against his thigh. It took all of his self control to not shove his cock into her then. Instead, he descended down her body and took her with his mouth, finally getting to taste her bare flesh. She cried out when his tongue ran over her wet cunt. She was so sweet against his tongue. She trembled as he swiped his tongue over her again, making sure to flick against her clit with each pass. When he could wait no more, Aiden plunged his tongue into her pussy, reaching for every drop of her sweet juices.

Meredith's body twitched and writhed beneath him until he had to hold her hips down so he could continue his ministrations. Before long, she gasped sharply and tried to muffle a cry as her release broke over her. Aiden lapped and suckled at her clit, trying to make her orgasm last for as long as possible.

Once she began to come down, Aiden pushed his finger into her, sliding it in and out, enjoying the tiny shivers of her pussy around him. He slid in another, feeling the walls of her pussy stretch around them. She arched her back and gasped again. Slowly, he thrust and withdrew his fingers taking his time to get her adjusted.

Aiden returned his mouth to her clit, slowly lashing his tongue against the stiff bud. When she began bucking against his hand again, Aiden moved his fingers faster within her. She crested again, this time crying out, unable to contain the sound. Her pussy clamped against his fingers, rhythmically closing around him. Aiden groaned as he imagined his cock inside of her instead of his fingers.

He was painfully hard, his erection throbbing against his belly. Once she went limp, Aiden withdrew his fingers and collected the moisture with his tongue before he began to kiss his way up her body. Meredith arched her back and rubbed her breast against him. Aiden dropped a hungry kiss to her mouth, threading a hand into her hair to hold her lips against his.

He nearly bit his tongue off when her hand returned to his cock and began to stroke it. He couldn't prevent his hips from thrusting into her small, soft palm and neither could he gentle his mouth as he ravished her lips. She moaned sweetly into his mouth and stroked faster, squeezing her fingers around him until Aiden thought he was going to spill his cum over her belly.

He broke their kiss, both of them gasping for breath. Gently, he pulled her hand away, placing a kiss to the inside of her palm before using his hands to spread her thighs over his. Meredith watched him as he drew her body closer to his hips. Aiden held her gaze as he rubbed the head of his cock over her pussy lips. Her eyelashes fluttered and she bit into her bottom lip as he teased her clit with the tip of his cock.

"One last chance," Aiden panted, though it would near kill him if she said to stop.

"Please, Aiden," she whispered.

He needed no more prompting. With a low groan, Aiden guided his aching shaft into her sheath. He shifted his hips and pushed inside her slowly, her tightness resisting his invasion. Meredith clenched her eyes shut tightly, her body bowed in discomfort. Aiden used his thumb to rub against her clit, trying to make this as pleasurable as he could. She gasped, but she was still tense with pain.

He had only fit in the tip, but he withdrew slowly, feeling her pussy suck at the head of his cock. Even slower he pushed back in, this time a little deeper, gritting his teeth as he tried to keep from forcing himself into her fast and hard. He continued that way, slowly easing his cock in and out of her until he felt her begin to relax. Aiden was drenched in sweat and trembling with restraint. He lowered his body to hers, bracing most of his weight on his forearms.

He kissed her again, trying to dredge up enough control to pleasure her slowly. Aiden rocked his hips steadily against hers, inching slowly deeper with each thrust. When he finally bottomed out, he held still feeling her clinging tightly around him. Meredith opened her eyes and met his gaze. Her eyes glowed as they reflected the strong moonlight.

Their eyes held as he slowly withdrew his cock, leaving just the head inside of her. He watched as she bit into her glistening bottom lip. Aiden dropped back down and took her lip for himself, thrusting into her at the same time. She gasped into his mouth while her nails bit into his back.

Aiden withdrew slowly again and used his fingers to pinch one of her nipples. Meredith moaned against his mouth and began to undulate her hips. Groaning, he thrust into her, deeper than before, rougher than before. He restrained himself as best he could, but his control had thinned to nearly nonexistent.

Fortunately, she was there with him, gasping for breath and clutching his surging body closer. Her pussy suddenly convulsed around his cock. She cried out softly, her body trembling. Aiden felt the last of his control break. He pounded into her wet heat, gentleness forgotten as he drowned in lust. Meredith was uttering hushed mewling sounds as he continued to pump his shaft deep into her, the soft noises driving him further into madness.

She peaked once more, the contracting walls of her pussy wringing his own climax out of him. Aiden groaned and pumped his hot seed deep into her clenching womb. He bit into his own lip to keep from sinking his teeth into her and marking her. The taste of his blood filled his mouth as he continued to shoot cum into her body.

When he was spent, Aiden braced himself on his forearms over her, too drained to roll off of Meredith. Her hands stroked over his lower back, her touch light over his damp skin. Once he had caught his breath, he managed to muster up enough energy to roll over so that Meredith was laying on him once more. She gave a small huff before settling onto his chest.

A strange peaceful trance settled over him. His thrumming had quieted to a low rumble, but didn't seem to be stopping anytime soon. Aiden ran his palms over Meredith's smooth back, her skin already beginning to cool in the night air. He spread his palms over her, trying to warm her a bit.

A sudden realization penetrated his thoughts. He had cum inside of her. His blood felt like it froze in his veins. Abruptly, Aiden sat up, but braced Meredith with his hands behind her head and back. He felt her rub her face into his shoulder, her body still limp. An unexpected wave of tenderness rushed through him, nearly erasing his panic.

"Meredith?"

"Hmm?"

Despite the situation Aiden grinned, taking perverse satisfaction in her lethargy.

"Are you alright?"

"Mmm."

Aiden heard her inhale before she leaned back far enough to look him in the face. Aiden smoothed back her mussed hair. Battling a mixture of regret and tenderness, he met her gaze, luminescent in the dark.

"Meredith, we need to talk about what just happened."

For a minute, he thought she was going to get angry, but she calmly stared back at him, her eyes disconcertingly penetrating. The light dimmed in her eyes.

"I know," she whispered.

They sat in silence for a moment until Meredith quietly slipped from his lap. She turned the front of her body slightly away from him and let her hair fall forward. Aiden sighed and looked around the bank for her night gown. He had inadvertently flung it back into the water. Aiden rose to his feet and went to the tree he had draped his own clothes on.

He pulled on his pants and brought his shirt over to Meredith. She took it with a whispered thanks and slipped it over her head. While she dressed, Aiden retrieved her night gown and wrung out the water as best he could. He shook out the piece of clothing and draped it over a tree limb. He went back to where Meredith was and sat beside her.

She kept her face turned away from him. Aiden clasped his hands together and tried to think of something appropriate to say. He was surprised when Meredith spoke first.

"I don't expect you to take responsibility. I don't want you to either."

Aiden sat in stunned silence. A wave of possessive rage swept through him. He grabbed her shoulder and forced her to face him. She stubbornly turned away until he grabbed her chin and turned her face up. He instantly regretted being so rough. Tears slowly seeped from her eyes. Overwhelmed, Aiden wiped the wet tracks off of her cheeks and placed small kisses to the corner of her eyes to catch the tears.

"Don't. . ." she choked out.

She pushed at his chest, but he wouldn't move, drawing her even closer when she began to sob. He held her close, stroking her head while she cried. Guilt, regret, and a different kind of panic prodded at him now. He didn't have the words to comfort her and he'd never known how to deal with a woman's tears.

Her sobbing finally quieted, but Aiden kept stroking her head. After another few moments, she heaved a sigh and pushed firmly away from him. Aiden let her go, immediately missing the warmth of her body against him. Angrily, he shoved the bewildering emotions from his mind.

"Meredith," he began, but she cut him off.

"Look, Aiden, you don't have to feel sorry about what we just did."

This time Aiden interrupted, placing his hand firmly against her mouth so that she would listen to him.

"I don't regret this. You are amazing, Meredith, and I am the luckiest man in Ardis for what you have given me. I wouldn't be a man if I didn't take responsibility. You could be pregnant with my child now. The only thing is . . . I don't want you to be miserable. I don't want you to be forced into anything just because I was not careful. "

Aiden felt his face flush, it was a hell of a lot harder to talk about this than he had anticipated.

"I want you to have a choice. I don't want you to have to settle for me, just because of what just happened here," Aiden said.

Once he had finished speaking, he slowly removed his hand from her mouth. He waited for her to say something, but she had turned away again. They sat in a tense silence, the leaves rustling in the wind the only sound around them.

"I don't want to be mated to you."

The anger he felt was nothing compared to the pain that short sentence inflicted on him. Incredulously, his chest actually contracted in pain as her words sunk in. Aiden quickly buried the hurt and shifted his expression into a practiced mask.

Aiden nodded his head, which she didn't see since she still wasn't looking at him. He stood and drew in a shaky breath.

"Let me walk you back."

She shook her head and stood, his shirt skimming her upper thighs. Aiden disregarded her and grabbed her damp night gown and let her take the lead, following a few steps behind her. She walked quickly, using one hand to keep the shirt down. They walked in silence, their step muffled by the damp leaf litter.

Aiden kept his thoughts empty as he followed her slender form through the forest. In the dimmed light, she was nothing more than a pale apparition. He desperately wanted to comfort her or at least make love to her again. Aiden nearly missed a step at that thought. He'd never referred to sex as making love before. That alone frightened him a bit.

It was a long walk to her house, but he could barely remember it. Meredith's home was a bit smaller than he had expected, as well as poorly maintained, at least from the outside. Strangling vines of ivy had dominated half of the house's walls and had started to attach to the roof. Meredith abruptly stopped a distance from the house and turned towards him.

"I'll be fine now. Goodnight."

She turned quickly, but Aiden grabbed her shoulder, pulling her back against his chest.

"Aiden," she sighed tiredly, sadly.

He tilted her face up and kissed her, trying to apologize, to change her mind. He just couldn't bear watching her walk away from him knowing she didn't want him as a mate. Aiden knew he should have been grateful, elated, relieved even. But the only thing he felt was a gaping emptiness that clawed at his insides. They parted slowly, reluctantly and Aiden felt a small flicker of hope.

Tears slipped slowly down her cheeks again. She stared into his eyes, shining brightly as tears continued to flow. Her small hands, icy now, came to either side of his face. Aiden covered them with his own, trying to impart some of his heat and keep her there even for a moment longer.

Using his thumbs, Aiden gently swiped at another tear. She closed her eyes and held still for a long moment. Then, on a quiet sob she turned away and ran to the house. Aiden watched her go, regretting every step that she took. Once she was out of sight, he turned back into the woods.

After a few steps, he realized that he was beginning to shift. Numb, he let the shift roll over him. Fortunately, he wasn't far from a small clearing. Aiden muscled his way past a few young trees, finding satisfaction at the sound of them giving way before he launched into the sky. His flight muscles, weak from disuse, labored to gain altitude. Once he cleared the tree canopy, he picked a direction and just flew.

(Meredith)

Meredith sucked in a breath as Ella laced her into her new dress. The dress was beautiful. The skirt was made with layers of shimmering silver cloth, the bodice was elaborately embroidered with white thread. Tiny pearl beads had been sown into the fabric to trail down the skirt like icicles. Ella weaved in thinly spun silver strands into her hair and used a variety of pearl pins to arrange it.

Meredith was still sore between her legs. While Aiden had been gentle enough, she felt as if her flesh had been stretched beyond its limit. After having returned home, Meredith had found small traces of blood while washing herself. It had been frightening, but there hadn't been much.

Once she was dressed and her hair styled, Ella placed a heavy necklace of silver and pearls around her throat. She seemed to be swimming in silver and pearls. Meredith would have preferred a simpler, lighter dress; one where she wouldn't feel like a walking treasure box or wearing one. She shouldn't complain though. This was her first new dress this year. Jaine kept her inheritance under a strict budget. Though when she deemed it necessary, she spared no expense on public appearances.

Meredith didn't know how much she was entitled, but the way Jaine parceled it out it didn't seem like much. Though that didn't seem to overshadow the silver blood her mother had bestowed upon her.

Ella sprayed her lightly with perfume about her throat and wrists. It was a heavier scent than she was used to, but Ella insisted that similar fragrances were in fashion. Meredith stepped into a pair of ivory samples as Ella checked her for any flaws.

"Thank you, Ella."

"You look absolutely ravishing. We'd better get you down stairs. I'm sure Esa Jaine will want a look at you before you're sent off."

Meredith nodded, careful not to disturb her hair. Though she thought her appearance was gaudy and overdone, Ella had done a marvelous job with her hair.

The dress was extremely heavy to walk in. The pearls and embroidery made the dress so stiff it restricted her breathing. Meredith dreaded the coming night. She would no doubt be miserable by the end of the party. If she was lucky she may be able to slip away early.

Esa Jaine was waiting in the foyer, with her arms crossed impatiently over her chest. Meredith bowed her head slightly as Jaine looked her over. After a long moment she nodded her head and gestured for her to go. Ella who had followed her down, opened the door for her and helped her into the waiting carriage.

"Thank you, Ella. I'll see you tonight."

"Enjoy yourself, Meredith."

It a long, uncomfortable ride to Es Dane's home. The stiffness of her dress prevented her from relaxing as well as the anxiety of attending a Red blood's party. The gossip that she had overheard all pointed to a boisterous and violent gathering of hot blooded dragons. Meredith regretted not inviting someone else to come to the party with her, but on such short notice she doubted anyone would willingly come with her.

Though she had no basis for such rumors, Meredith couldn't help but remember Aiden and Dane's practice match. Both had been frighteningly strong, but Es Dane had seemed much more aggressive or rather blood-thirsty.

The carriage slowed significantly. Meredith drew back a curtain and glanced outside. The first thing she saw was a huge building that towered above the few ornamental trees around it. It had been made of a cream colored stone and accented with dark window frames. The roof was also dark and sharply angled to a spire that seemed to pierce the sky.

It was beautiful and surprisingly inviting. The door to her carriage opened and a neatly dressed servant helped her out. He escorted her to the front door as her carriage was sent away. The interior was as impressive as the outside. An enormous crystal chandelier hung from the vaulted ceiling, its light reflected on the polished marble floors.

A large, sweeping staircase carved from dark wood stood on the opposite wall. Small engraved scenes decorated the railing and steps. A set of doors, on the middle landing had been thrown open and led to a crowded room of people. Meredith was led up the stairs and into the next room. Nearly everyone in the room had differing shades of bright red hair.

She felt distinctly out of place, her silver gown seemed almost drab among the vivid colors around her. The ladies were all dressed in fuchsias, blues, greens, and yellows. Though the men wore either black or grey suits, they also had a splash of color in either a neatly folded scarf or vest.

The room moved with an excited pulse of energy. Meredith found herself immediately surrounded by several men, all reds, offering her drinks or requesting a dance. As politely as she could, she refused the offers, but they followed her persistently through the room.

A hand on her elbow startled her and sent a chill down her spine. She looked up and met Es Dane's eyes. The other men bowed deeply in his direction before fleeing. Meredith would have breathed a sigh in relief, but she almost would rather have had their clumsy advances than have Es Dane come to her rescue.

As an excuse to put some distance between them, Meredith bowed. He returned the gesture with his own smaller one.