“I’ve told you I shifted once. Well, twice now counting this one but I seriously don’t know how to fly. You can’t chase me. I mean it, Vaughn, I can’t.”
My fingers slide underneath her massive head and I slowly stroke up and down. “Trust your instinct, gorgeous,” I mentally tell her, and can’t help but tease her, so I add, “Oh, and flapping your wings might help.”
The rumble flowing through her whole body makes the first row of people take a step back.
A smile tugs my lips as I tsk her before turning my attention to everyone who showed up here. “I guess this is a good moment to formally introduce my mate, Enya. Though I was hoping to start the mating ceremony later when it was all planned and scheduled accordingly. But I guess now is as good a time as any. Lucio, make sure to have clothes stashed behind the wall for us.”
I get a nod from Lucio and it’s all I need. My fingertips slide over her shimmering scales once more before I turn and jump off into a backward flip, allowing me the space I need to shift mid-air and land on all fours in my Dragon form. I release a breath of fire and swing my head Enya’s way.
She takes a step back and another one as I inch closer. Satisfaction roars through my veins as she opens her wings and pushes her magnificent body off the ground in one hard swoop. Except, I can tell by the panic in her eyes she doesn’t have the confidence she can do this.
A traditional mating ceremony is when the male chases the female, but I guess we’re going to take a spin on tradition as I move forward and bump into her from an upward angle causing her to shoot up in the sky. As I hoped she instinctively uses her wings and starts to climb higher.
Her head swings my way and a loud roar rips from her body. “You asshole, I could have crashed.”
“Careful who you’re calling an asshole, sweetheart. I’m the one ruling the skies here, remember? And I had to give you a little boost to get up there in the first place.”
“You ass,” she growls and heads right for me, exactly what I hoped.
Her temper is certainly something I can use as an advantage. I’ve spent decades in the air and know how to maneuver flawlessly. I easily dodge her attack and she surprises me by flying off with speed I didn’t know she possessed. My heart races in my throat at the thought of something happening to her.
“Slow down,” I growl through our telepathic connection.
All I hear in return is giggles before she disappears completely right before my eyes. What. The. Fuck?
A grunt rips from my body when I feel something collide with me. “Enya.” I clench my teeth to prevent myself from ringing out a string of curses.
“Yes?” she says in a husky voice, making need spread like wildfire through my veins.
I was inside her a few moments ago and yet I can’t wait to have her again. Even if I can smell my scent all over her, it’s not taking away the need to possess every inch of her. The best thing about all of this is the fact she’s already mine in every way. And how we interact might still seem head-to-head for others but the way she reacts to me shows commitment; our bond is set and unbreakable. It will only grow stronger from here on out.
“You’re going to pay for that.” I lunge for her and she fucking squeals before she dashes forward at full speed.
It takes every piece of strength in me to keep up with her and it only fuels me to give more. I almost have her when she retracts her wings and dives down, heading for the ground beneath us at a deadly speed. My heart skips a beat and I know I’m going to redden her damn ass the second I have her in my arms if she keeps this up.
I mimic her actions and manage to catch up to her. I wrap my wings around her and gently bite down into her neck before letting go. The both of us are now hovering in the air with our eyes locked. A wave of applause and whoops are coming from underneath us and I realize we instinctively completed the traditional mating ceremony.
Enya glances down and I can feel the change inside her body. Her feelings are all over the place and she’s getting uncomfortable. The black of her scales fade and she turns into the serene white beauty she originally is. Dammit.
“Enya, your hide,” I mentally alert her and she instantly changes color, except now she’s a full-blown red Dragon. “Are you fucking blushing with the whole red appearance?”
“Oooops.” Slides through my brain before she turns into a magnificent emerald Dragon.
The noise coming from the people beneath us has turned to utter silence as both Enya and I land behind a large wall to shield us from them. There’s a stash of clothes Lucio put there for us and before my feet hit the ground I’ve already changed into my human form. I grab the black sweatpants and yank them on as I spin around to see Enya staring at me, still in her emerald Dragon form.
“Shift, Enya,” I tell her and reach for a shirt.
When I don’t hear or see any movement coming from her direction, I connect my gaze with hers and see a glimpse of vulnerability in her brilliant blue eyes. I step forward and place the palm of my hand against her nose. She leans into my touch and I relish in the way she seeks comfort from my body.
“What is it, gorgeous?” I murmur. “You don’t know how to shift back? Afraid to face the people standing there waiting on the other side of this wall?”
She doesn’t say or do anything and I can hear the discussions firing up from the people who watched Enya change color. The loudest voice being Typhon. That asshole is spreading panic, I just know it because he grabs hold of every opportunity to draw people to his vision on things.
It’s a good thing and a bad thing I am both president and clan leader though I would hate for him to put both against each other. My parents used to divide tasks. My mother was more clan leader behind the scenes without having the official title. My father could never make it official because of the ancient laws where women aren’t allowed to be in high positions. My father wanted to change all that before they died in a horrible accident.
Though the strong woman in front of me makes me realize this is what I would want for us; to be able to lead together and divide responsibilities. It would make our tasks easier and allow me to fully focus on the MC. Even if we’re a solid team, I would like to form more of a unity instead of mixing everything with clan responsibilities.
Time for a change and a different approach. “You need to shift back. Imagine your sweet curves as if you’re standing in front of a mirror and seeing your own reflection. This will help you to switch appearances.”
She releases a huff and I can feel the corner of my mouth twitch, but I am very much aware time is of the essence here with Typhon tainting the people with his insane train of thought.
I reach for the hem of my shirt and pull it off. “Fine. If you want to hide here, I’ll skip tasks too because if my mate isn’t beside me to lead the clan with me…why do I have to face responsibilities?” I reach for my sweatpants and add, “Maybe I’ll forget how to shift too and flash some of the people my cock while I’m at it.”
I spin around and drop my pants down to my ankles, showing her my bare ass.
“Vaughn.” My name on her tongue rings out as a steel threat.
I turn to face her. “Yes, gorgeous?” I croon in an effort to soothe the beast inside her because she’s standing in front of me fully naked and furious as hell.
“Put your pants back on,” she snaps and stalks past me to grab the black yoga pants and puts them on before she snatches a sweater and the sneakers lying next to it.
The both of us dress quickly and when we appear from behind the wall, we come face to face with everyone and all eyes are focused on Enya.
Typhon steps forward, leaning on his cane until he swings it up and points at Enya but his words are directed at me. “She’s bad blood. A white Dragon. How dare you put the clan at risk. You’re not worthy of leading any of us.”
A growl rumbles low in my chest but Enya places her delicate hand on me as she steps forward. “White? Are you sure? Didn’t you see me add in some more color? Bl
ack, red, green. Pretty sure I can manage a few more, so why are you hooked on the white I flashed? Oh, wait, I know…you see a chance to stir up trouble. Right. Well, allow me to give everyone something else to talk about. Vaughn was so nice to knock me up. Awesome, right?”
“Not possible,” Typhon gasps and shoots a look of disgust Enya’s way.
Enya grunts and stumbles slightly back against me. “What…what are you doing?” she gasps and recovers quickly. This time Typhon is the one grunting and falling back. “Did you seriously use magic on me? On my freaking belly? You asshole.”
I can feel magic crackling the air as Typhon falls on his ass while Enya is leaning toward him. “Is this what you’ve been doing? Holding your magic over everyone’s head to keep the women infertile? Controlling the future of this clan with your magic? Using that same magic to try and hurt what’s inside my belly? You might be one of the elders and from what I’ve heard from Vaughn they need to be respected and hold a certain amount of guidance but you, sir? You are the bad seed among a clan that needs strength and a fresh wave of prosperity instead of a chunk of darkness dragging everyone down with him. And I will tell you right now that your magic doesn’t stand a chance to hurt me or any female walking this earth. You hear me? It stops now, I will make sure of it.”
Enya’s hands are fisting at her sides, blue fire crackling around them as she’s shaking from anger. The words she just voiced are a shock I can feel vibrating from all of us. I never suspected Typhon was involved with the reason why no one was fertile. I can’t believe I never thought about it because it makes perfect sense.
Dorn rushes to his father’s side, pulling him up. “How can you hurt an elderly person?” he practically yells at Enya. “He’s done nothing but help the clan and sacrificed so much.”
Typhon rips his arm away from Dorn. “Silence,” he snaps. “I don’t need your help, you incompetent fool.”
“You know,” Enya says. “For someone who supposedly wants what’s best for the clan, you might need to adjust your own standards.”
She points at Dorn. “That’s your son who stood up for you just now and you repay the favor first by ripping yourself away from him as if you’re disgusted and then you verbally put him in his place which is absolutely unnecessary.”
Her face softens and she addresses Dorn. “I’m sorry your father is an ass, and I admire you for the fact you still offer your help and kindness to stand up for him.”
“Don’t try and influence him with your lies,” Typhon sneers.
I’ve heard enough. “From what I gather it’s you who is trying to influence everything, Typhon. We will address this point later because right now we’re going to finish the tradition we were in the middle of before you disrupted the whole thing.”
I lace my fingers with Enya’s and lead her toward the main group of people who have gathered here to witness their president and clan leader’s mating. I raise our connected hands into the air.
“Some might have heard my mate mention something I wanted to announce to all of you myself. But, it’s true. I couldn’t wait and claimed her before we were officially mated by the traditions of our clan.”
“Always give into a mating frenzy, dude. We hold no blame. Well, other than a truckload of jealousy,” Emery bellows and laughs along with others around him.
“Get on with it, we’re ready,” Nessie quips.
She’s Orion’s old lady and a hint of sadness hits me because even if they’ve mated, she wasn’t fertile. Though Vernon’s mate was. Vernon was part of the exchange program with the other clan located across the country where he stayed while Nessie came to live with us. We visited them and during the first meeting it was clear Vernon found his eternal mate in one of the women of their clan.
Orion too and brought Nessie back to perform the mating here with us while Vernon stayed behind with the other clan. This because of the exchange program we set up. But what Enya just stated about Typhon makes it even more believable when you think how Vernon’s mate is fertile while Nessie isn’t.
All because she’s here and exposed to Typhon’s magic suppressing everything. A harsh squeeze in my hand brings me back to what needs to be handled right now. My gaze swings right and collides with magnificent blue eyes.
“Are you okay?” she whispers underneath her breath.
I give a slight squeeze and a tight nod in return before I focus back on the people surrounding us. “From the day we are born and take our first breath we take in the first sense of our surroundings. Aware of what gives us comfort, strength, warmth, and helps us grow into the Dragons our ancestors once were. Evolution brings prosperity, a future to branch out and set roots to have our children follow in our footsteps. Once I was standing before you with the promise to make a change for this clan. Like my father before me. Yet our goals were different due to the time and obstacles thrown in our path, while we all have our welfare and that of the clan in our mind. I was blessed to find my eternal mate and to have the promise of new life growing inside her. Today is the turnaround for a new direction, one we will focus on together.”
I glance at Enya and at the same time let my finger turn into a talon to nick her skin. Enya repeats the action and with it our blood and magic collides, causing a blast with us in the center. Though it isn’t as forceful as the first one, it’s still greater than the one Lucio and Polina had back in Enya’s apartment.
Some people stumble back and murmurs slide through the air, discussing the magnitude of our magic combined. I guess there’s no use in denying, even more when she already showed them how much she possessed by shifting colors. And now I’m thankful for it because with it no one knows her exact color or how much magic she really has.
Hell, I don’t even know how powerful she is and I hate to admit…I’m fairly sure she doesn’t know herself either.
Chapter Eight
***Enya***
“Crap. What’s with the massive blowback? One would think once was enough,” I mentally state.
Vaughn brings back our joined hands where our blood is mingled and trickles down and yet the wounds are already closing due to our healing abilities. “It’s our magic running through our blood that collides and merges with each other. Though I wasn’t expecting it again so fierce since we already bonded, but I guess it shows how much power is involved when our magic collides.”
“Nice,” I mutter. “Just to be safe…we’re ditching the blood play from now on.”
Vaughn releases a chuckle and reaches out to cup my face. “Understood. Now, the final part of the ceremony, and next to catching you, my favorite part…taking that smart mouth of yours.”
Warmth spreads through me and settles low in my belly. This man’s kisses are all-consuming and I have to admit…the chase was exhilarating. His mouth covering mine and nipping my bottom lip to lick away the sting before taking my mouth in a dominating way? Panty-wetting. It’s like how you dance when no one is looking; go all out and enjoy the hell out of it.
I groan and dig my nails into the fabric that’s covering his back. I want him naked and inside me now. A mere kiss isn’t enough. I want to feel, taste, explore, consume, before bursting into pleasure and doing it all over again for the useable future.
“Mine.” Vaughn’s voice flows through my mind. One word on repeat and my brain answers in sync.
Somewhere in the distance I hear an overwhelming wave of cheers and it pulls me from the lust-filled haze I’m wrapped in.
I tear my mouth away from his and mutter, “I guess screwing in front of the clan isn’t part of the festivities.”
His rich chuckle warms my chest as he pulls me close and grunts in a guttural tone, “No damn way.”
“Then you need to stop giving me kisses because those will end with you inside me,” I mentally tell him and I’m liking the intimate connection we have together.
Plus, it allows me to curse at him when needed and keep a smile plastered on my face when we’re surrounded by other people. Yes, I’
m most definitely seeing the benefits of being mated, and I haven’t even mentioned the a-freaking-mazing sex we just had.
“Okay, you guys, show is over. Clearly this couple needs some personal time,” Lucio states and adds, “Get her out of here, Pres. I’m going to handle the rest and we’ll meet tomorrow, okay?”
Vaughn grunts in reply and practically drags me out of there. We head for a large house across from the building we first entered and once we step inside, I need to take a few breaths to assess my surroundings.
“I’m guessing you’re not the one who decorated, right?”
The corner of his mouth twitches but his eyes show a hint of sadness. “This was my parents’ house. I didn’t touch a thing when I moved in.”
He glances around and I follow his gaze. There’s an old painting of a young boy on the wall including one of a happy couple. The male has some of the same features as Vaughn and I guess it’s his father and mother. The one painting where his parents are holding each other’s hands while staring at one another intensely is where his eyes have landed.
I reach out and touch his hand. “What happened?”
A sigh rips from his throat. “It was decades ago. An accident. We most times keep to ourselves but when The Orderly requests help, we always answer. My parents and three others of our clan were nearby when a large building was on fire. Supposedly there were kids still in the building and they needed to be saved. They managed to save all but they did one final sweep to make sure. A steel beam gave way and decapitated the both of them. Or so I’ve been told.”
Sadness rises up inside me and I wrap my arms around him. “I’m so sorry,” I muse. His last words flow through my mind again, making me pull back. “Why did you say ‘or so I’ve been told’?”
His eyes turn hard. “I’m doubting everything right now. Your words. What you mentioned to Typhon about him working his magic to prevent females from getting pregnant. Him being the last one to see my parents, walking out of that building as the sole survivor. I was a teenager when it happened and since he was my uncle, he was the one who took over because I wasn’t ready. My parents had different visions about leading the MC and the clan. Where Typhon wants to keep everything a man’s world, my father saw the benefits of ruling together as a team. My mother was always at his side and I have heard them talk many times in the past about how my mother would eventually fully claim the spot as clan leader so my father could focus on the MC and working with The Orderly. This way Dragons would interact more with other MCs to lighten the load where needed.”
Dragons: Death by Reaper MC #4 Page 8
