by Maia Starr
When Hayden landed in front of Street House, and the burning flower shop above it, I slide off and am forced to stand back. Heat is rolling off in waves that are almost too much to handle. Hayden shifts and run over to two shadowy figures sitting on the curb in front of the fire. Both hang their heads but shoot to their feet the moment Hayden runs over. It is hard to see the two because the firelight is to their backs, but I recognized them as Reed and Sven. Eventually, the trio trudges over to me and huddles in front of me while we talk.
“It was Maxen,” Sven says, his voice strained. “We lit the apartment on fire to cook him...but he managed to get out.”
“He fled, but we couldn’t find where he went,” Reed adds, gazing back at the inferno behind them.
Hayden swears and crosses his arms. “Goddamn, I’m sorry I didn’t get back sooner.”
Sven gazes at me thoughtfully. “I’m just glad you weren’t around, or else this fight might have been harder. He was fixated on finding you and almost ignored us at first when he burst in.”
I easily imagine Maxen just walking right in as if he owned the place.
“Point is, we can’t stay here,” Reed says. “Most everything in there is burned up by now. It won’t be livable for a while. Oh, and your car, Erika…” Raising a brow, I look past him to where he’s pointing. My Honda Civic has been trashed, bent and flipped on its back. As quickly as I bought it, it’s left me. “Sorry, one of us must have smashed it while we fought.”
“Not to change the subject, but I think I’ve got a place we can live at for the time being,” Sven says, turning back to us after staring into the fire. “It’s my old family home, deep in the Redwoods not too far from here.”
“You’ve got a place out there?” Reed asks. “I didn’t know that.”
Hayden shakes his head. “Me either. Please tell me you aren’t joking around with us right now.”
Sven smiles. “I’m being serious. It’s where I lived when I was a kid. It’s a lonely place, but it’ll get the job done for the time being.”
Hayden nods. “Then it’s settled. We’ll head out there and deal with the fallout later. Right now, we have to protect Erika while Maxen is still prowling around out there.” Turning to me, he smiles. “Are you down to fly on my back again?”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Sven
Hours later, we’re flying just above the treetops of the Redwood Forest. We’re gliding quietly and safely, rising and descending as we follow the land. Because it’s still pretty dark out, I doubt anyone would have seen us fly this way. Maxen may have come from a distance, but there’s no way he could catch up to us to see exactly in which direction we’ve flown.
I lead the way as we go deeper into the forest, away from the main tourist areas and roads. Even after all these years, I still know the way to my family’s cottage by heart. Hayden and Reed follow closely behind, with Erika holding on tightly to Hayden’s back. I look back and see her watching me, her amber eyes shining in the dark.
I want nothing more than to hold her right now. After losing our home, we’re forced to come all the way out here, and all I want is to be with her. She’s slept with Reed, and when Hayden came back, I smelled the scent of sex on him too. I’m the only one she hasn’t been with yet, and it’s nagging at me.
Now that we’re going to be living out here in the forest, I’m going to need to figure out how to spend my time. Maybe I’ll scoop her up and sneak her out into the forest one day, and then we’ll have some fun.
But can I really wait that long? No, I can’t.
When I spy the spot where my family cottage is located, I give a short growl to indicate we’ll be landing. I look for a spot, decide on one, and then circle as I descend. Landing just outside the house, in the very front, I shift and quickly step away so the others can land. Hayden lands second, and Reed brings up the rear. Erika slides down Hayden’s back and comes up next to me, staring in wonder at the cottage in front of us.
“Wow! It’s such a cute house,” she says.
My family’s cottage is a one-story house, with a wood porch set stones, a big window to the right and a red door on the left. It’s bordered on either side by bushes and greenery and redwood trees that tower far above us. The cottage was built out of redwood, so it’s tinged an orange-red.
“This is nicer than I thought it would be,” Hayden says, coming up on the other side. He looks across from me. “But is it really safe? Has anyone been living here?”
I shake my head. “Shouldn’t be. I never sold the place in case of a situation like this.”
“Should we go check it out inside?” Hayden asks. Before he can walk forward, Reed pushes past him and shoves open the door, peering inside. He then grunts and waves Hayden forward. “Ah, whatever. All right, Sven, you want to wait outside with Erika while we check it out? I know it’s your place…”
I nod, seeing my chance to be alone with Erika. “Yeah, go ahead. I’ve seen the inside plenty of times before.”
Nodding, Hayden spares one more glance at Erika before jogging inside.
The second he’s out of sight, I throw my arms out and scoop Erika up. She gasps and looks at me, startled. “Why are you picking me up?”
I grin. “Because we’re going to find a private spot I know. Trust me, we’ll get there faster if I carry you.”
“But, Sven—”
I’m already sprinting off into the forest, dodging branches, running the slopes I remember from my childhood, glancing at the marks I made years ago in the trees that show me the way. Erika is holding my neck tightly as we run, a smile forming on her face.
Eventually, we burst out of a thicket and onto a grassy, flat area. In front of us is a pond, and above that pond is a tiny waterfall that’s trickling down a jagged rock face. It’s still dark, but the sky is beginning to change to a warm orange in the distance. The sound of the trickling waterfall, combined with Erika’s deep breathing and the natural sound of rustling leaves, leaves me romanced and lustful, and when I turn to Erika and see her bright big smile, I kiss her.
She doesn’t seem surprised and kisses me back. Her lips are warm and soft. I just can’t get enough.
When she pulls away, she leaves a hand touching my cheek. “You don’t need to say anything. We should be safe now, right?”
I nod, holding her hand and kissing her palm. “Your ex won’t find us here. Not for a while, anyway. Besides...I need you right now.”
She nods. “I need you too, I think. Maybe I should undress now? I’ve been feeling out of place, being the only one dressed since earlier.”
Chuckling, I watch as she steps back and strips. Her movements are sensual, slow, and intricate. She’s showing off for me, and she even spins once when she’s stark naked, batting her eyelashes at me. “You like what you see?”
“Is there any man who wouldn’t?”
She laughs, and we come together, planting kisses on each other. “How long do we have before the others become worried?” she whispers in my ear.
“Don’t think about them,” I say. “We can take as long as we want.”
Her hands find my chest and rest against it, fingers spreading out over my skin. Her touch is enough to make me go wild, and I can’t help trembling at the prospect of having her right now.
Kissing up my neck to my ear, she whispers, “Lay down.”
With a shove, she pushes me back, and I let myself fall to the ground, arms out, watching her stand over me and sit down to straddle my lap. Feeling her supple thighs brace against my skin nearly sends me over the edge. I go to help her, but she pushes me back down, smiling at me, her cheeks a bright red. “You relax, Sven. Let me do the work.”
She reaches in between her legs and grabs me, making me sigh in instant pleasure. She positions herself better and then sits fully down. I enter her, and it’s like my whole body is already scorching hot, my heart pumping wildly. She stays rigid for a minute, breathing hard, seeming to adjust to my body. Her palms are pressed a
gainst my stomach. They feel small compared to my body.
When she finally does move, I’m in heaven. She starts out slow, her eyes never leaving mine, and then she moves her hips faster and faster. Back and forth; up and down. It’s like she’s on the best rollercoaster ride of her life.
I know she said that she wanted to let me just enjoy this, but my inner dragon wants me to take control. She’s absolutely gorgeous, and I can’t just lay down while she gets to have all the fun.
Sitting up, I wrap my arms around her, pressing her body to mine, and move my hips rapidly. Erika shrieks at the pleasure. My mind is starting to melt from the sheer ecstasy. She’s just so damn beautiful, and sweet, and lovely. She needs to become my mate, and I’m using this chance to tell her.
Eventually, I can’t hold it anymore, and my mind goes blank as I spasm and groan, erupting in her. Erika trembles and nibbles on my ear to deal with how sensitive she’s become. I hold her as we jerk together, feeling her sweaty body meld with mine. Soon, all we can hear is the water dribbling down the rock cliff, splashing in the water. Erika’s breaths are ragged, and I pant like a dog.
My muscles relaxing, I lean back and allow Erika to lay on top of me as we rest. She peers up at me, a grin on her face.
“You know, my life flashed before my eyes when Reed and I fought Maxen,” I say after a while. “Then all I could think about was you.”
Erika doesn’t seem to know what to say, so I laugh and roll her over. “How about we go back now? It’s getting close to dawn. We all need some rest.”
Nodding, she stands with me. We pick up her clothes and then walk off hand in hand
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Erika
The days pass while we stay at Sven’s house. While the place is extremely cozy, I wish we’d all come out here under better circumstances.
Since Maxen hasn’t been seen since the day he attacked Street House, the trio have gone back to their usual rhythm and tactics. While I typically stay in the house, reading or watching TV or even playing some video games, two of the guys will be out looking over the surrounding area, making sure Maxen hasn’t figured out where I am. And of course, one of them stays behind to guard me.
Every day we are out here only seems to agitate the shifters. Because we’re surrounded by tall trees, I assumed at first that it bothered the guys inherently. Dragons were the largest of the shifter species, and so they often required a lot of room to maneuver and live. Even if they were used to Street House, that didn’t change the fact that they might struggle in a new environment. Maybe the trees seemed to close in on them.
But I’ve begun to notice that isn’t probably the case, especially since their arguments have been about Maxen and me specifically.
Like now, a full week and a half later, while I’m sitting outside on the porch, reading a book I found in one of the bedrooms. Hayden is sitting on the other side, his gaze swiveling from me to the woods and back to me again. I had gotten used to his intense looks, but he seems to watch me more intently now. In fact, they all do. It’s like they’re all becoming impatient to claim me for their own, which I know was originally part of their motivation to help me out.
As it’s become increasingly more dangerous to hide and guard me, Hayden, Reed, and Sven have been making sacrifices. Like losing Street House for the time being. They’ve switched gears to be all about me, which is flattering, but I hate the pressure that comes along with it.
Hayden jumps to his feet at the sound of a stick cracking nearby. When Sven emerges from behind a tree, Hayden glares at him. “Why are you walking so slow like that? I almost mistook you for Maxen.”
“Don’t you dare compare me to that jackass,” Sven growls, walking up to the porch. “It’s your turn on scouting duty, Hayden. Hurry and get out there.”
“Huh?” Hayden shakes his head. “It hasn’t been four hours yet. You still got—”
“It has been. You’re just too busy creeping Erika out with your stares to notice.”
“Excuse me?” Hayden comes face to face with Sven and the two snarl at each other. “I am not creeping her out. And you are early. You feel threatened that I spend a lot of time with her, right? Of course, you’d come back early.”
These types of arguments have become more frequent, and I’m at a loss for what to do. Every day I stop them, and hours later, they're back at it again.
When I look out to the trees, too exhausted to even try to stop the two, I spy Reed leaning against a tree, his arms crossed, his fatigued expression mimicking mine. He’s tired of the fights too, but that doesn’t stop him from glaring at his friends with the same vigor they all share. I can tell from the way he straightens when he catches my eyes that all that’s on his mind too is, well, me. It’s all enough to make me feel light-headed. I’ve been beginning to feel sick for days now.
“Oh, great, and Reed came back early too,” Hayden complains.
“I’m not early; it’s my time to guard her,” Reed calls.
“Bullshit.”
“What did you say?”
“Guys…” I say, clutching my head. At the mere sound of my voice, the trio latches onto me, their worry for my health stronger than their competitiveness. “As much as I love three guys fighting over me...none of you know a doctor that would come out and check me, right?”
Hayden stalks over and places a palm against my forehead. “You’re burning up. Why didn’t you say anything earlier?”
I half-smile. “It’s hard to think with so much yelling all the time.”
I can see the trio all visibly deflate. It hurts me to see them like that, but they need to stop acting like children.
Reed comes forward. “I know a human doctor I’ve been good friends with for a while. I can call him out, though he might not get here until tomorrow.”
“That’s fine,” I say. “Thanks, Reed.”
Straightening, Hayden steps back and exchanges a glance with the other two. “You two can stay and guard her then. I’ll go scout. Be back soon.”
And then Hayden is running off into the forest, leaving Reed to wander inside to find a phone and Sven to sit outside with me.
And I’m left to frown, wondering if my situation will ever get better.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Hayden
A couple days later, after Reed’s doctor friend said he needed to clear some appointments to come out this far, he finally arrives.
Reed and I meet him out front and shake his hand. “Name’s Travis. Which one of you needs a checkup?”
“It’s our friend, Erika,” Reed says, motioning towards the cottage. “She’s had a fever for some days now. She says she’s been lightheaded and dizzy, and she’s got a headache. She’s also been very hungry.”
Travis nods, pulling out a medical kit from his trunk and then slamming it shut before marching past us to the cottage. We fall in line behind him. “All right. I’ll go in and introduce myself and then run some tests. I’ll need you two to give us some privacy.” When he nearly walks right into Sven, who came out to see if the doctor was here yet, he steps to the side and shuffles past him. “You too, big guy. Stay outside, please.”
My eyes twitch as he walks inside, and despite his request, I almost storm in after him, but Reed catches my arm. “Don’t. Let the man work.”
“I know you know him, Reed, but are we really about to just let a relative stranger be alone with Erika? Right now?” I say, flailing and ripping my arm out of his grasp. “What if Maxen hired him to nab her while we stand out here like idiots?”
“Now you’re acting as paranoid as Erika used to be,” Sven says, crossing his arms.
“Oh, stop it,” I say, ignoring the two and leaning against the wall. “She’s been getting a fever because of you two.”
“You mean because of all of us,” Sven growls. “We can’t stop bickering like children, and now that she knows we’re all aiming to claim her, that’s only putting more undue stress on her.”
“
If you two had never agreed to become her bodyguards alongside me in the first place, we wouldn’t be in this position,” I say, my frown deepening.
“Right, because we can see into the future, can’t we, Hayden?” Reed says, speaking up. He steps to the edge of the porch and swings out his arms. “We all knew that Maxen would be hard to pin down. And we all knew we’d burn down Street House and come live in the Redwoods. Of course, we all knew that would happen when we accepted!”
“We don’t need the sarcasm, Reed,” Sven says.
“Hayden needs it, especially since he’s become so full of himself.” Reed glares at me. “What? Do you think you’re above us because we’re the ones that couldn’t catch him the second time around? Are you angry at us because we made a split-second decision to scorch our home and maybe try to catch Maxen in the crossfire?”
“You are the ones that burned down our home, so yes, that is your fault.”
“Oh, then why weren’t you around to help us? Oh, that’s right, you were off with Erika, screwing her while your clan was fighting for our lives. How does it feel to be so arrogant and such an asshole at the same time?”
My fist connects with Reed’s cheek next, and he’s spiraling backward, bouncing on the ground until he rolls up to his feet. As I climb down the steps, I expect him to charge me, but maybe he’s afraid of the wrath flowing through me right now. I can’t stand the smug look on his face or the fact that he keeps pushing me.
Sven steps in between us both. “You two. Stop it. Now.”
“Or what? You’ll punch me too?” Reed says. “Come on, Sven. Sometimes we just got to let our fists fly to work off some stress.”
Sven spins on him. “We’re all acting like idiots because of Erika.”
I growl. “Don’t blame her, Sven.”
