“And intent,” Xado said.
“She obviously has no problem with intent,” Rafe said. “Look at this spellwork.” He trailed his fingers across the bare skin along my shoulder before moving down my sleeve. “Perfect.”
“It really is,” Hiron said. “I see no reason to wait. We should go to the Symposium now. Then you’ll be able to explore the grounds and the village safely and can begin to settle into your life here.”
“More importantly, once we’ve gotten approval from the Symposium, we’ll also have the binding spells that allow us to claim you completely,” Rafe said.
“We were going to make a healing spell for her mother,” Xado said. “But—it’s true. That can easily be done tomorrow. And we can mate tonight.”
My nipples went hard, perking up under the linen shift, thinking about the idea of their cocks being bound to fit me for the rest of their lives. The more I thought about it, the more it seemed like a fantasy I didn’t even know I wanted. But now I couldn’t get it off my mind. And it was obvious that they were excited for it too, which made it even better.
“When do you have to go back for your trip?” Rafe asked.
“Two weeks…”
“Then, we do have time to make a strong spell,” Xado said. “And you can give it to her when you pay her a visit.”
“I already wonder how we’ll live without you,” Hiron said.
“I could really get used to this,” I murmured, as Hiron nibbled on my ear and Xado stood behind me, his hands wrapping around my hips. He started hiking up my skirt inch by inch, gathering it in his fingers.
“Have you tasted her yet, Xado?” Rafe asked. “You two were gone for a while.”
“Only her mouth. Not her nectar.”
“Then we’re both due. Darlin’, you better give us plenty to taste,” Rafe said, before his tongue started to caress my sweet spots.
I moaned immediately. I was already starting to sink into this new life, where I might be pleasured at any moment. It made me feel so alive, so desirable, like every moment was fraught with excitement. Hiron nudged Xado aside and stood behind me, caressing one of my breasts as he held up my skirts while Rafe moved aside so Xado could lap at my entrance, his tongue penetrating me just slightly.
My toes curled. “More,” I moaned.
“Spread your legs wider,” Rafe said. “Let us see all of you.”
Xado moved so he was under me, holding my feet wide with his hands, and now his tongue pushed into me more deeply. Hiron reached down and pinched his fingers around my clit, holding out the tender spot for Rafe’s tongue to graze. Rafe’s cheek brushed my stomach. They had to be really close to each other to achieve this position, but they all seemed so comfortable that I marveled even though I knew demons were used to this sort of arrangement. I had never had an orgasm so fast and so hard, shrieking with pleasure as the castle didn’t seem to have any regular servants who would hear me.
“Mm,” Xado said. “I like a loud woman.”
Somehow that was not a surprise to me.
“Good enough for now,” Rafe said. “Tonight is when things get more interesting.”
Hiron paused. “We probably shouldn’t have gone that far. She looks a bit distracted to be doing magic for the Symposium.”
“I’m more than fine,” I said. Sure, a part of me just wanted to collapse into the nearest comfy bed, preferably with all of them beside me, but I also got pretty energized by a good release. It made me feel confident.
“Girls really have changed in the last fifty years,” Rafe said. “Sometimes they used to faint on me.”
“So you say,” Hiron said.
“Faint?” I nudged him. “Stop reminding me how old you are. How many little screaming groupies did you have, anyway?” I saw his face calculate and quickly said, “Never mind.”
“Look, it was a long time ago anyway,” Rafe said.
“Too many, and none of them right for us,” Hiron said. “They would never have been able to accept all of this or perform a spell. I’m not sure I’ll ever understand the attraction of spending so much time immersed in the Fixed Plane. I’m glad you didn’t turn out like Declan. Some demons might take pride in that path, but to me, living in a world where you have no magic and can never even turn into your highest form would be like a sort of death.”
Rafe’s look turned dark. “Let’s not talk about this. The past is long gone. If our bride is only thirty years old, then let’s forget everything that preceded her.”
“Who is Declan? You have some albums—“
“Declan is Rafe’s kinsman,” Hiron said. “He went to the Fixed Plane and remains there to this day.”
“Cousin,” Rafe said. “It doesn’t matter.”
“He had a few hits or something, didn’t he?” I shrugged. I mostly listened to what Nicole considered to be pretty bad pop music, but my brain was also full of pop culture trivia.
“Yes,” Rafe said.
I got the idea that maybe I should drop it. I guess the one good thing about not having a big family is that I never had to deal with sibling rivalry, or cousin rivalry, but I could imagine. “It’s cool,” I said. “Rafe’s right. Welcome to the new millennia because my taste in music isn’t cool or esoteric at all, and if I ever have to sweep the floor, I am going to be singing Taylor Swift all up in your business the whole time.”
Now Rafe looked horrified and I’m pretty sure Hiron and Xado had no idea what I meant, or they would be horrified too.
Demons had pretty hard lives, I thought. All this pressure to get this magic they needed one way or another…
It almost made me feel happy for them that I was here. I couldn’t even imagine having to wait fifty years to enter a serious relationship, or to know that you wouldn’t really have a choice when you finally got there. It was no wonder they seemed ready to bend over backwards on my behalf. (Or…maybe bend me over backwards. But in a good way.)
“Let’s do this,” I said. “Let’s go to the Symposium.”
Hiron took my hand. “It would be our honor.”
“I should change,” Rafe said. He still seemed like something troubled him, but I had already gotten the idea that he was in a different groove than the other two. Maybe I would be able to help them all understand each other better.
We walked out the heavy wooden doors of the castle and back out into the daylight, such as it was. The crows were nowhere in sight now; I didn’t even hear cawing in the distance, although the forest was full of other weird little chirps and rustles.
They didn’t seem to be making any moves to get a horse and carriage or turn into dragons and fly there or anything else, so I was just about to ask how we would get there, when Nicole suddenly burst out of the brush and flung an outspread palm toward me. “Dakota! Take my hand, quick! Come home!”
Chapter Fourteen
Nicole
“So what’s your band called?” I had asked as we waited, trying to make conversation.
He paused. “I can already tell you’re going to snort when I tell you.”
“I wouldn’t snort! What is it, the Wolf Boys?”
“…Teen Wolf.”
“Isn’t that a little on the nose?”
“You’re snorting,” he said, raising his eyebrows at me. “But it’s not on the nose because we’re not teens.”
Basically, we had to be on a stake out. Me and Elias, just sitting there in the brush in view of the castle entrance for the next three hours. We were pretty quiet for longer than I expected. He wasn’t as fidgety as he was on the train. He’s a hunter, I thought.
I was the one who started to crack under the awkwardness and boredom of just sitting there. So I asked him a lot of questions about himself. I liked to get people talking before I said anything about myself. I had a naturally suspicious nature, always had, even though no one had ever really broken my trust in a big way. It was more that I just expected people to not get along. Edie and Dakota were the first stability I’d ever had. No wonde
r I missed them already.
“You did go with a wolf related name, though.”
“It’s a wink to the truth, but our fans will never know. Anyway, it’s not a bad name. It has retro connotations. Plus, what’s more rock and roll than a teenage wolf? But we need to change it. We’re hard to google and there are like three other bands named Teen Wolf. Maybe something with ‘Howl’ in it.”
“So you are a rock and roll band, like, electric guitar, drums, the real deal?”
He paused. “Well, we do a lot of stuff with computers, keyboards…and…we have a violinist.”
That figured. “At least you know how to use a computer.”
“I love computers, I just can’t use them that much or I feel sick. Our computer guy really suffers for his art.”
He abruptly stopped talking and lowered himself closer to the ground, looking toward the door of the castle. He must have heard something. I followed suit.
“Get ready,” he whispered.
Now I heard the castle doors groan open, slowly and heavily. My eyes fixed ahead, waiting. A big, tall guy with long blonde hair came walking out first. Well, he was definitely Dakota’s type… and so was the next guy, with a dark, wild look. Then I saw her, and I barely recognized her. She was wearing a long forest green gown and her own fair hair spilled across her shoulders and for a minute I gaped at how perfectly she fit the surroundings. I had never imagined this side of her before. She seemed more mature. She wasn’t even slouching much. Another guy, with shorter hair of a strange, silver-black color and a more refined, rather timeless fitted black coat and boots, took her hand as she stepped over an apparent gap between the drawbridge and the path, and she smiled at him.
A wave of despair and loneliness and maybe even jealousy surged through me. First Edie, now Dakota… Why did she look happy? She had sent the note of distress, right? She didn’t even know these guys. Maybe they’d brainwashed her or something. Drugged her. God knows what they might have done.
I had to get her back.
I ran up to her, flinging out a hand. My heart was pounding as all the men looked at me. I heard Elias just behind me, but he didn’t look like he had a prayer of standing up to the three dragons.
“Dakota! Take my hand, quick! Come home!”
“Nicole!” Dakota started running toward me, but then she stopped short before taking my hand. “I—I’m not sure I want to go.”
“What? But you asked for my help! Edie and the guys are all worried. And what about your mom? You’re going to regret this for the rest of your life.”
“I…”
The men approached her carefully. “Lady Dakota…this is your friend Nicole, isn’t it?” the dark haired barbarian asked.
“Yes…”
“You misunderstood the note we sent,” he said. “Dakota didn’t want you to worry, but she belongs to us now, and she’s happy here. She will come back to visit after we’re mated.”
Ugh. “Dakota, take my fucking hand right now! You don’t want to stick around here. We’ll find you someone else to be with, in the real world. But you need to be with your mom right now.” I didn’t dare say that I needed her. I knew that was selfish.
Dakota glanced at the dark haired barbarian. “I can speak for myself,” she said gently. “Nicole…I think I might want this. These guys need me. I can still visit Mom, but—”
I could see conflict in her eyes. I mean, no wonder. Dakota had always wanted to be a princess, and this definitely seemed like the ultimate immersion role play. Gowns, castles, real magic, hot men that turned into dragons…
I got the appeal. If you were into that kind of thing. I was not. No thanks on living in the past. If they ever built really safe space colonies on Mars, sign me up.
“This isn’t real life,” I said. “Real life is hard work, and being there for your family.”
The guy with the shorter hair took a step forward, as Elias walked out of the woods to join me. “Elias?” he said. “Did you bring her here?” This was Rafe, I guess.
“Yes,” Elias said.
Rafe wasn’t quite as huge as the other two, but he had a very intimidating air and it was obvious he held his own. “You used the hair I gave you to track this castle? I gave that to you so you could interview me for your book, not to interfere with my business.” His eyes practically glowed with simmering anger and he lifted a hand.
Something in Elias’s pocket burst into flame. He had to frantically try to slap it out and was forced to drop and roll. I took a step back, frightened.
“Get out of here,” Rafe growled. “We’ve been waiting fifty years for this and no wolf kit is going to get in our business.”
The other two backed him up with nothing but their posture and fierce expressions, but when you looked like you just came in on a Viking longboat, that was enough.
Elias sprung to his feet, with one singed pocket, and grabbed my hand. We abruptly jerked back into Marchcliff Manor with Edie and the guys in their living room. It was obvious they weren’t doing much but waiting for us.
And Edie knew immediately. Her face fell. “Did you…find her?”
“She had a shot. She wouldn’t take my hand.” I looked down. “Rafe attacked Elias, and it was clear it would get worse if we stayed.”
“What did he do to you?” Dante asked. He took in the sight of Elias with leaves in his hair and clinging to his clothes, smudges of dirt on his arms, before noticing the burn on his pants.
“It was just the hair,” Elias said. “The hair I used to track him. He set it on fire with dragon flame.” He shook his head. “Dakota had her chance. But they’re higher demons than we are. I doubt even all four of us could grab her back from them. I’m sure they have been making every effort to charm her.”
“And then she’ll be in their clutches forever?” Edie cried. “Dragons? Will they hurt her?”
“Damn!” Dante snapped. Alister frowned, thinking through it all. Van held Aithne closer like he was hoping none of their daughters ever fell for a dragon.
They all had gotten to like Dakota. Who wouldn’t? Dakota was one of those people you can’t help but like and want to protect.
“They won’t hurt her,” Elias said. “We all know that. To find a bride is a precious thing. They would protect a human bride with their lives and would rather die than hurt her.”
The way he said that so earnestly was kind of endearing.
No, no, no.
Man, I can’t wait to get home and out of this crazy demon universe.
“We have to admit, this is how things have been done since demons came into existence. If we find a suitable mate, we have to act on it,” he continued. “The problem is that Dakota is your friend, and we lesser demons don’t associate with higher demons.”
“Lesser demons.” Dante scoffed. “I never admitted to that label.”
“It’s true,” Van said. “We can all sympathize with their plight. But I still don’t want to think of Dakota in that situation. Dragons. It’s too much for her.”
“Are we just giving up?” Edie asked.
“It seems like perhaps Dakota has made her own choice,” Alister said. “She wrote the initial message asking for demon mates, and she didn’t take Nicole’s hand when she had the chance. However ill advised this seems…we can’t save other people from their own choices.”
“Dragons are too much for her,” Dante said. “When they killed those girls a thousand years ago, maybe they should have gotten the idea that they should stay away from them, rather than just creating spells.”
“I think some people might say we are too much for Edie,” Alister said, “and yet, we are not.”
I hoped that wasn’t directed at me. But it seemed like maybe he was just jibing the other guys for dwelling on it.
“Yeah…,” Edie said.
“So that’s it?” I demanded. “You are giving up.”
“I don’t want to give up,” Edie said. “But what, exactly, am I supposed to do now? I can’t put any o
f these guys at risk over it, not when Dakota sort of…got herself into it. I mean, if she wouldn’t go with you, she’s not going to go with anyone unless we grabbed her mom out of Florida and dumped her into the world of demons.”
“Yeah,” I said, stubbornly curt. “Well, I guess I’ll bring my stuff upstairs.”
Elias followed me up the stairs, slinging his own backpack over his shoulder. “Hey, you’re not giving up, are you?” he asked me. There was a spark of rebellion in his eyes that made me pause on the staircase.
“Why do you ask? Seems like I have to.”
“Maybe not,” he said. “But it will mean getting Dakota’s mom involved in the world of demons. We probably missed our chance to keep the dragons from bonding with her.”
“So…what happens then?”
“It is possible to break that bond. But we need a person Dakota really, really loves down to the core of her soul. I’m guessing that’s her mom, and I’m guessing her mom doesn’t know about magic. Which makes this…not so much approved in the eyes of the Demon Symposium. Are you in for that sort of thing, or are you more of the rule abiding type?”
Why is he so eager to help me?
I was suspicious, but I was also determined not to just shrug Dakota off, especially after I’d seen her potential husbands with my own eyes, and they seemed like brutes to me.
“What do I care about the Demon Symposium? I’m in.”
Chapter Fifteen
Dakota
“Are you all right?” Hiron put his hands on my shoulders, looking me over like he wanted to make sure I was in one piece.
“Fine.” I was pretty shaken up after Nicole disappeared. “You didn’t have to be so aggressive,” I told Rafe. “You probably scared her.”
“They were trying to take you away from us,” Rafe said. “And that isn’t what you want.”
“Well, no, but…I don’t want you to decide that. Or tell her that.”
“Rafe was fighting for you, Dakota. It would be shameful to do anything less,” Xado said.
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