Four Bonds

by Kelsey Soliz

  I blushed at Lander’s praise, ducking my head. I still wasn’t quite used to such compliments.

  Alina clapped her hands in joy, her eyes lighting up as she took me in. “And did you have fun, dear? Was the island as restful as you hoped? I’m so sorry we had to interrupt it.”

  “Oh, please don’t speak of it. Having the three of you still with us is way better than spending another few days on the beach. The island was amazing. We spent so much time swimming, exploring, thank you all so much for setting that up. I had the best time.”

  “Wonderful. Anything else to share?”

  I blushed again, hoping she wasn’t asking what I thought she was. Cue the husbands that pay attention so they can change the topic.

  “Do you remember anything from, you know, before? We’ve got a handful of palace guards that we thought might be involved, when everything was happening last night they were way more nervous than the others and their heartbeats were accelerated. Our dragons all seemed to feel suspicious of them.”

  Elias grabbed Alina’s hand in a gesture of comfort that my husbands frequently used on me. It was sweet to see them all still so happy together. “Afraid we’re not much help there, son.”

  “That’s okay dad, we’ll figure it out. Let’s go find Julian and maybe we can figure out a game plan.”

  My husbands all kissed their mother on the cheek and shook their dads’ hands before we walked hand in hand out of the room, down the hall to where the head of security’s office was. He had a bunch of papers spread out all over his desk and looked even more stressed out than we felt.

  He tried to scramble to his feet to address us, but my husbands all waved him off, not needing the formalities with the current circumstances.

  “Any news for us?”

  “Well, we’ve had the guards you separated out questioned several times, a few have confessed their involvement when we offered a deal. I was able to talk some sense into my nephew and he more or less filled us in on the rest of Adyson’s plans. It seems that they weren’t fully formed and made in a hurry so fortunately there’s not a whole lot of mystery to solve. Her magic was barely developed so she wasn’t able to do much more than charm a few guards onto her side, but we are fairly sure that they were under some sort of spell when they switched sides, at least initially.”

  “Okay, well if we can prove that then I guess that’s better than thinking we have traitors in our midst.”

  “I’m afraid to admit that my nephew however was among one or two that didn’t quite need the spell, he had selfish ambitions. He claims he honestly didn’t believe harm would fall to the monarchs, and I believe him. That does not excuse his disregard for the Princess’ safety however, and we’ll have to find a suitable punishment.”

  “Okay, for now let’s just keep him under lock and key until everything else settles down and the rest of the details reveal themselves. Do we know where all the silium came from?”

  “It seems that Soren’s cottage had a fair amount left over from when she lived there and Adyson went through most of it before Isla destroyed the rest.”

  “Okay I suppose that’s good news, no more of that to worry about then. Anything else?”

  “No, we’ve got it all mostly under control now. I’ll let you know if we come across anything else.”

  “Thanks, Julian.”

  We walked out of the office, unsure of our next task now that the threat was removed and their parents were resting.

  “Home?”

  We all agreed, needing to reconnect after the crazy turns yesterday took. Maybe this time we could actually appreciate our new room.

  “Before we do that, I just want to check in with Doc one more time. I’ll meet you out front when I’m done.”

  h“I’ll come with you, I want to swing by where those guards are being kept.”

  We split apart, Declan going to his parents’ room, Lander and Atticus heading towards the makeshift jail cells. Maalik and I wandered aimlessly for a minute until he checked some random door and shoved us both inside after making sure no one else was around. It was a glorified broom closet but being in such close quarters with Maalik made it feel like a secluded getaway.

  Maalik gently pushed me backwards, pinning me against the door and locking it behind us.

  “I didn’t get the chance to tell you how amazing you were yesterday. You were pretty badass and sexy when you were defending our kingdom.”

  “You think so, huh?”

  “And those flames you pulled out of nowhere? No shift? If I hadn’t already been in love with you, that would have done it for sure.”

  “So you like a girl that can use her big scary dragon powers for good, do you?”

  Maalik came closer, nuzzling my neck and fanning his warm breath all over it.

  “You’re the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen, Isla. I loved you before your dragon came out, and now that you’ve discovered who you are you’re even more attractive and it’s making me crazy. Knowing my wife is this powerful dragon that isn’t afraid to take care of business? No one holds a flame to you, Isla. You’re it for me.”

  Maalik slowly moved down my body, hovering over my belly for a minute as he lavished some kisses before continuing his descent. My jeans weren’t the best things in the world for over-the-pants action but holy shit, this man.

  “I think I’m feeling in the mood for another scoop, Maalik. I want you, but I want to kiss you. Get that mouth up here.”

  I could feel his smirk in the dark as he drug his body across the planes of mine and stood up. He used his hips to keep me in place as he ravaged my mouth and mussed up my hair. I could feel his excitement growing quickly as my own grew with it, making my panties uncomfortably damp. I wriggled against him, trying to find some friction against the slow throbbing developing between my legs.

  “We’re going to have to make this a little quick kitten, I don’t want anyone getting curious about where we are and taking this moment from us. We can draw it out later, right now I just need to be inside you so I can claim you again.”

  I mumbled some incoherent moans in agreement, madly clawing at his pants to gain access. He pulled just far enough away so I could unbutton them, then he did the same for me. Mine came all the way off but his only made it to his knees before he hoisted me up and pulled my legs around him. He entered me on the first attempt, pulling me all the way onto him and making me cry out a little at the feeling of sudden fullness.

  He had my hands pinned against the back door now, kissing my neck rough enough that I just knew it would be covered in marks by the time we were done, but it all felt so good that I didn’t even care. My dragon would heal it quick enough.

  He began to pump in and out of me, making me rock against the door slightly, then he spun us around to the opposite wall so no one would hear what we were up to. We might have knocked over a few cleaning products in our haste but there was nothing else that mattered right now but me getting as close to my husband as I could and us finding our release. It was building quickly, thanks to the furious pace he was now hammering into me. His breath was quickening and his fingers felt bruising as they crushed my hips to him, and I felt alive.

  He shifted me slightly, changing our angle completely and then I was there, blasting across the finish line as he found the spot that made me lose my mind. He called out the second I did, proving he was waiting for me to find release before he allowed himself to do the same.

  Maalik wrapped his arms tightly around my torso, squeezing me as he leaned his head on my shoulder, getting control of his breathing as I let my fingers tickle through his hair. It was quick, but it was still amazing. I don’t think I would ever have a time with any of my husbands that didn’t completely blow my mind.

  We sat in the silence a moment longer, enjoying it being just the two of us before we went to join the rest of his brothers and faced the world again.

  “Damn Maalik.”

  “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

  “
At some point you’re going to have to realize that I’m a dragon now. That was delicious. And perfect. And oh God.” I closed my eyes as a shudder ran down my spine. “Please feel free to do that whenever you want. I think I rather like being fucked in a closet by you.”

  Maalik moaned again, hanging his head as his body twitched a little inside me. “You keep talking like that and you’re going to be stuck in here longer and all that will have to happen again. Which I don’t object to, but I might when one of my brothers finds us in here and turns this into a scene. Let’s get back to our house where we can walk around naked if we feel like.”

  “I did not take you for the ‘walk around nude type’,” I tell him as we start to dress ourselves again. Maalik helps me step into my pants and I slip into my shoes as he helps me get my hair under control.

  “Ha. They’re going to be jealous. You look all sexed up and you smell like me.”

  Once my hair felt somewhat tangle-free and my clothes were as non-wrinkled as they were going to get under the circumstances, Maalik poked his head out to check the hall before pulling me out with him. We only made it about five steps before we ran into Lander, casually leaning against the hallway and cleaning out his nails like he had been standing there all day waiting for us.

  “Enjoy yourselves?”

  I blushed furiously but decided I wasn’t going to be embarrassed about being caught. “We did, thank you.” I pulled Maalik along as we walked past him, but I couldn’t resist shooting him a wink. He blinked at me in surprise but then caught up to me and yanked me away from Maalik so he could pin me against the wall and thoroughly kiss me.

  “I want in next time. That’s all. Is it weird that hearing you say you aren’t on birth control makes me want to just take you over and over again?”

  I cocked my head at that, looking to Maalik for help but he just stood next to us with his hands in his pockets and flashed the small dimple that sometimes made an appearance.

  “Really? You guys are really okay with this?”

  “You kidding? Hell yeah.” He kissed me again to punctuate his statement then wrapped his arms around my waist and spun me around briefly before we all started walking back outside where we were to meet Declan and Atticus.

  When we got out front, they were already there leaning against their cars with knowing smiles on their faces. Whatever. I allowed Maalik to help me onto Atticus’ car and then we were on our way back to the house to settle in for the afternoon.

  We opted for pizza and a movie after we all changed into comfy clothes. I sighed in contentedness, relaxing into the lounger after filling my tummy with gooey pizza. “This might be my favorite room.”

  “We know.” Atticus smiled at me and resumed my foot rub.

  “So are we going to have to help out with the whole running of the country thing while your parents are recovering? Oh God they’re not planning on giving it to us now that they can’t shift anymore, are they?” I tampered down my hysteria, knowing full well we’d be responsible sooner or later for the well being of the whole country.

  “No on the second thing, maybe on the first. They aren’t ready to retire yet, but they’ll be a little laid up for the next week or so. Most things can be brought to them while they recover, but there may be a few issues we will have to step in and take care of if they’re not feeling up to it. But anything that requires our attention we will handle as a team. You’re not alone Isla. We’ll figure this all out together.”

  Fifteen

  The next few days was all about unpacking and settling into our new routine, ensuring the new suite that had been remodeled while we were away was set up how we wanted and had everyone’s things in it. They had somehow managed to tear down the wall between Declan and Maalik’s room like we talked about, quickly merging the two spaces together so we had plenty of room for everyone’s clothing and whatever else we wanted stored in there.

  We found ourselves pulled away from our home on a daily business, but it was a quick drive to the palace and it was nice to have the separation of our own home when we were done for the day. Their parents continued to get stronger everyday and soon they were mostly back to normal, except for the fact that they always looked a little sad when you caught them off guard.

  The people of Nogalia were, to put it bluntly, pissed when they discovered what had happened, but relieved when they found out the threat had already been obliterated. Apparently meting out justice for the ruling kings and queen was a quick way to make the people love me, and there were whispers and conjectures about me since I was the first purple dragon they’d seen.

  They were curious about all I would be capable of, and the guys and I enjoyed going on flights over the towns as we did perimeter checks, and to show the people that our presence was always nearby if they needed help.

  Several weeks after we settled in, the guys were back to their normal schedule, heading various committees and leading events, pulling me in occasionally to show me how things were done and introducing me personally to some of the other people they worked with. They were all actually pretty involved with the kingdom, none of them content to rest on their laurels and just live the high life as royalty. They all worked hard and gave a lot back to the kingdom.

  I had promised Alina that I’d join her for tea when we got back from our honeymoon, and now that things had settled down and her and her husbands were recovered, I was finally able to accept her offer and I looked forward to sitting down and chatting.

  I hadn’t had much time with women since marrying, seeing as how Josephine had to head back home after the weddings so she could get back to her shop. We still kept in touch almost every day, but it was strange to not be able to run down the road and hang out. She had promised to come back for Christmas, and I was really looking forward to it.

  She was now trying to long-distance date Adrian, the guy that had driven us from the airport when we first got to Nogalia. She was the happiest I’d seen her in awhile and it looked good on her. I had Lander accompanying me to tea with is mom today, he had some things to take care of anyway which was good because I had some planning to do.

  Alina promptly kicked Lander out of her sitting room once he walked me to it, telling him I needed woman time and that seemed to greatly amuse him.

  “She lives with the four of you, Lord knows how she does it. I’ve only got two and I still feel crazy most of the time! Out with you!” Lander gave me a sweet kiss on the cheek and I gave him a quick side-hug before Alina all but shut the door in his face.

  “I Love my sons but I almost feel bad that you’ve got four to maintain! Now, how’s it going dear? Everything running smoothly at the house? Everyone playing nice with each other?”

  I giggled because she made it sound like I lived with a bunch of children, which to be honest, sometimes felt true.

  “Yes, we’re all doing quite well. They’re definitely a lot to handle, but they keep each other in check pretty well. Plus, they’ve learned I won’t take their drama so they’re quick to drop petty arguments. I’ve mastered ‘the look’ to get them to re-think their next moves.”

  Alina openly laughed and patted me on my knee. “Oh yes, you’ll do well. And I hear you’ve been sitting in on meetings and going out into the community?”

  “Yes, it’s been a good way to start to understand more of the culture here. The guys haven’t really put me in charge of anything yet per se, but they’re more than eager to let me get involved and help out when I feel up to it. I’ve also kind of been thinking of a special project I’d like to take the lead on, I wondered if I could propose it to you and see what you think? I’d love some help on it too if you think that’s possible.”

  “My you are ambitious. Of course, Isla. This is your kingdom too, it makes me happy that you’re stepping into your role here. What did you have in mind?”

  “Well, I’ve been around the town a bit now and I saw that pretty fountain that centers the roundabout down there, and after talking with some of the children
and kind of hearing how enamored with dragons they were, I was thinking it might be fun to get the children that will never be able to shift involved in a project to help in a display of our nation’s symbol.

  I thought maybe we could work with the schools to have children that wanted to participate paint their parents, or whichever dragon they most look up to, on a small white tile. Once we had a large collection of tiles, I was thinking we could maybe use them to line the fountain with them downtown so that we could honor the sacrifice of all those that won’t gain the ability to shift from the curse breaking.”

  Alina thought about this for a moment, tapping her perfectly manicured finger against her chin. “You want to get children’s artwork on tiles and install them in town?”

  “Yes, basically. If that’s not something that’s possible, then I apologize for over-stepping. I have just always been pulled towards art and I wanted to find a way to get people involved that will never shift.”

  “Hmm. I never thought about that before, but now that there’s hopefully an end to the curse in sight, I see what you mean. I wouldn’t want that generation to feel like they don’t fit in here, especially if they go on to have younger siblings born soon that will be able to shift.”

  “What do you think? If not this particular project, I’d like to do something. Maybe a mural? I came here as an answer to your dilemma, but I’m staying because I was always meant to be here. I can’t help those that have already been born without the dragon mark, but I would like to honor their sacrifice somehow, make sure they still feel like an important part of our country. I want them to have something they can see and be proud of.”

  “Definitely an intriguing idea. I’d have to bring it up to the city council, make sure they’re on board. We are the ones in charge but it’s still nice to get the people involved and let them make decisions about things as well. It really is a lovely idea, I can’t imagine that people wouldn’t go for it.