He stared at the doors and urged me out of the elevator when they opened. “We had some errands to run,” he replied, clasping my hand in his and leading us to the doorway. “I like your dress,” he offered as he opened the door, and I narrowed my eyes at him.
“Thanks. Where is everyone?”
“Their rooms or the training floor I think,” he told me. “I need to get upstairs to meet with Nick and Jace. We’ve had some trouble with the club while we were away and it has to be dealt with. But I wanted to make sure you were okay first,” he told me and turned his blue eyes on me. It was clear he wasn’t going to say anything and trying to drag it out of him wasn’t going to get me anywhere. If I wanted to know where everyone had gone that morning I’d have to use other tactics… and I cut off my thought and smiled brightly up at him while his eyes narrowed.
“I’m fine,” I told him.
“Hmmm,” he replied and stopped us in the hall while the rest of the men moved on into the living room. He backed me up against the wall and trapped me there with a hand on either side of me. “Leave it alone, Lexi,” he murmured, his voice brooking no argument as I tilted my head and smiled up at him.
“Fine. I’ll just go figure out something to entertain myself with,” I told him, and when I would have ducked under his arm he placed his hand on my shoulder and held me still.
“I mean it.”
“I suppose me going out is out of the question right?” I asked calmly and he eyed me warily and nodded.
“I would prefer you didn’t,” he replied, “although it seems we can’t force you to stay given your… newest ability.”
I stared up at him and chewed my lip. Last night I had teleported. Last week I’d teleported the little gold dragon Alan had stolen from me and this week it had been me. Of course a lot had happened in between. A lot of sex… if what Dane had said was true… it had been one continuous sex fest the entire time I’d been in a coma. Combine that with a really strong desire to do something and apparently I could teleport. Maybe I should just go practice that, I thought and Gareth gave me a look that said he wasn’t certain if he should approve or not. Then I remembered Immy’s warning and decided maybe that wasn’t such a good idea. Clearly getting from one point to another utilized the Everlasting and maybe that wasn’t a great idea just now. “I will try to behave,” I told him with a pout. Speaking of Alan, I thought, but then squelched the thought when Gareth frowned.
“Don’t,” he told me abruptly. “You have more than enough of us to keep you occupied. You do not need to… encourage others.”
Well, I wasn’t planning on encouraging anyone, I thought, as I crossed my arms over my chest and gave him a stubborn look. But I’d made a promise and I was planning to keep it. If only so I could say no. At the moment we still didn’t know what the hold was over Marcus. It was something worth looking into, just in case.
His body pressed me up against the wall and I uncrossed my arms and placed them on his chest. “You have done enough looking into things on your own. You have nearly a full Court and many more guards who are more than capable of dealing with this. Leave it be, Lexi. This is not open to discussion.”
“Fine!” I growled, feeling like a teenager being told I couldn’t go to the party because it was only for grownups and much too dangerous for me. “Would it be okay with you if I went for a swim with Spot? Or am I no longer capable of even that?” I asked angrily.
He sighed and leaned back. “Please do not make this harder than it has to be,” he replied in a tired voice. “Have you eaten yet today?”
His change of subject left me feeling helpless and the disappointment in his voice was like a cold slap in the face. “Yes,” I muttered and he nodded, then leaned down and kissed my cheek.
“I think a swim would be a good idea. Just don’t overdo it please. It’s only been a few days since we… almost lost you,” he added in a quiet voice that made me feel like a heel. I wanted to make a smart comment but somehow managed to swallow it and simply nodded instead. He leaned down and kissed me hard on the mouth, then pushed away from the wall and headed out the door on his way to the elevator. I stood there for a moment then turned and went down the hall in the opposite direction.
Cael, Cam, Lira and Roral were all waiting for me in the living room. I glanced at them then moved on down the hall. At the door to the cavern I turned and raised an eyebrow while the four of them stopped and stared back at me. “I’m just going to go visit with Spot for a while,” I told them. “I’d like to not be disturbed. So you can all stay right here,” I said and was met with a stony silence and raised eyebrows. “Right here,” I added as Lira and Roral both shook their heads. “On this side of the door!”
“I think not, Your Majesty,” Lira informed me bluntly. “The cavern is not safe and we have been instructed not to let you out of our sight.”
I frowned back at him and felt my anger start to simmer. “Exactly who was it that told you not to let me out of your sight?” I growled.
“The Prince,” he replied while the others nodded and I cursed softly under my breath.
“And why would he tell you such a thing?” I demanded sharply. The four of them glanced amongst themselves and to a man, crossed their arms over their chests.
It was Roral that answered for the group. “Because, Your Majesty, he does not trust you not to… how did he put it? Place yourself in a situation that might tempt you to behave badly.” I stood there staring at him and felt my ears turn red at the insinuation. I think my blood pressure shot up about forty points and I let out an inarticulate sound of rage. I turned and yanked the door open, not much caring that Cam had to jump back or be struck by the door.
I was perhaps ten feet into the room when I reached down and yanked my dress over my head and threw it onto the sand. My earrings and circlet following. And then I was running for the water and dove in head first.
“Go away,” I gasped as I dragged myself onto the shore and simply lay there too exhausted to get up. I had no idea how many laps I’d swam. Even Spot had grown tired of my back and forth and retired to his sandy bed when it was clear I was more interested in working out my anger than in playing with him.
“I believe Gareth told you not to overdo it,” Lira replied calmly as his hands reached to assist me out of the water.
“And I believe I already have a Father and do not need you or Gareth to tell me what I may and may not do!” I hissed back at him. My words were met with a pregnant silence and I squeezed my eyes closed and simply lay where I was, my lower half still in the water.
“Your Majesty,” Cam asked hesitantly. “Do you require… a Drake?” To which I grimaced and slowly lifted my head to look at the four of them, who were now gathered around me. I realized this was the first time I’d been alone with them without someone to buffer me.
“No, I do not require a Drake. I do not require a man at all. Just because I am angry does not mean I need to have sex. Sometimes I am merely angry for the sake of being angry and it does not mean that I am about to convulse upon the floor. Goddess knows there are times, such as now, when I have every right to be angry! And while I appreciate that you are trying to do your job, I’d very much prefer if you just went over and stood by the door and left me alone to deal with my anger in peace.”
“Oh, she merely wishes to be left alone,” Roral replied calmly and crossed his arms over his chest.
“She does not wish to be bothered with our concern for her well-being,” Cael added.
“In fact she would like us to remove ourselves from her presence immediately. No doubt so she might better ponder her anger and become even angrier,” Lira replied.
“You heard her. She does not need a man,” Cam offered and he glanced around at the other three.
“Perhaps we should just drown ourselves now as we are of no use to her,” Cael spoke, his voice bordering on sarcastic.
“Surely she could not be referring to us when she speaks of not needing a man for sex. As none o
f us have had the honor and it is obvious she does not view us as men,” Lira growled. I turned to glance up at him… starting to feel a little wary.
“No we have not, though she parades herself around in front of us constantly,” Cam added.
“Perhaps because we are only half men,” Roral offered. “And as such we do not warrant her attention.”
“And yet she refers to us as her men,” Cael spoke softly as he knelt on the sand before me.
“And has placed herself in danger to protect us,” Roral added as he went to the sand closest to me, then gently reached out with a finger and brushed the puncture wounds on my neck, while I held perfectly still.
“She has healed us all,” said Cam as he too knelt. “Kept us safe, even from herself.”
Lira went to his knees and spoke saying, “Gave us pleasure when she raised the passion to the point of pain.”
“At times she is wise beyond her years and always fiercely loyal to those she cares for,” Roral offered.
“It was not easy to watch her nearly die. To see the spark of life drain from her and feel helpless as she wasted away before us,” Lira whispered in an unsteady voice. “To realize we might never see her eyes blaze with anger or soften with a deeper emotion.”
“Who among us has not grown addicted to the pleasure she shares so freely? Does not hope that she might one day look to us and see us for the man we would be for her?’’ Cam asked calmly.
“Does she not realize we would give our lives for her? That we only wish to protect her… even from herself? Because we care for her, would love her if she but let us?” Lira asked gently. “Just as her Drakes are to her, so would we be. She is as much Elf as she is Dragon and just as precious to us.”
“Do not discount us, Your Majesty. Consider us,” Roral offered. “We would be more to you than bodies at your door. We would be men,” he breathed. I felt my heart constrict as I stared at the four of them and did not know what to say. I had held myself back from them for reasons I could not even explain to myself. I had healed Tdem and knowing what I now knew could I do any less for them? They looked at me and waited silently for me to decide.
“I think,” I replied calmly and lowered my eyes to the sand, “that you are wearing too many clothes.” I glanced up at Lira and watched as his eyes shifted from calm to hopeful in an instant, and then my eyes moved to Roral who smiled and reached for the hem of his tunic. When I glanced at Cam he stared back at me hesitantly and I smiled and gave him a nod, then turned to Cael who only needed the approval in my eyes before he too began undoing his clothing. While they were busy divesting themselves of their garments, I slipped back into the water to remove the sand from my body. I watched them from the water and sent up a request to Areth for towels and a very large blanket, all of which we would need.
Roral could not wait and his body filled mine with pleasure before we left the water. Lira carried me to the blanket and his loving was fiery. It was as if he didn’t trust me not to change my mind and wished to pull every ounce of passion from me before he lost the opportunity. When he released me, Cam shifted me into his arms and I cried out when his body glowed like moonlight for me and caused my tattoo to pulse upon my breast. Behind us the water heaved and broke upon the shore as if a mini typhoon raged upon its surface while we made love.
Cael surprised me most in that he was happiest to have me take him and ride his body. A hand in his hair held him in place and he writhed beneath me offering himself so that I felt… aggressive above him. When I drained his body, he pulled me down to his chest and held me tenderly. His lips whispered softly against my ear, while the others placed their hands and lips upon me and stroked me. I had not cracked my red door open once, preferring this first time to be free of the overwhelming lust with which they contended daily. The four of them had dropped their shields for me, nearly drowning me in emotion. Their feelings clearly indicated that coating them with my desire was not necessary, nor would it in this instance be welcome. After much whispering and gentle stroking, we fell asleep on the blanket, cuddled in a pile of warm body parts.
The light flavor of cloves and large cat woke me and I blinked slowly and lifted my head from Lira’s chest. Roral murmured against my back, tightening his arm about my waist as I shifted slightly and glanced around looking for the source of the smell. I recognized the scent and lowered my cheek to Lira, who opened an eye and made a soft curious noise. He lifted his hand and ran it over my hair, then traced the shape of my ear delicately.
“What is it that disturbs you?” he breathed while I nuzzled my cheek against his chest.
“We have company,” I replied and he tensed. I soothed him and urged him to stay where he was. “He will not harm me,” I told him softly.
“He who?” Cam demanded.
Roral moved slightly and covered me with one of the towels before shifting us forward so that my front was pressed to Lira while he pressed against my backside. The towel draped my body, providing covering from prying eyes. I smiled against Lira and turned my head so that my chin rested on his chest. “You can come out, Alan” I called and watched as he materialized on the blanket, seated on the other side of Lira who jerked and cursed under his breath. Cael rose slowly from the other side of Roral and Cam lifted himself up behind Alan like an avenging angel. His pale blonde hair tousled and very sexy looking.
“Lexi, you said a few days. You have been gone nearly two weeks,” he told me with a pout, and glanced over his shoulder at Cam with a frown. Cam stared back at him and bristled, his pale green eyes taking Alan’s measure. “And your group seems to have grown while you were away.”
“You have no idea,” I muttered.
“What do you do here, shifter?” Roral demanded. He raised himself onto his elbow and remained pressed against me, protecting my back. Alan glanced around at the others with a distracted look. Perhaps he was picking up their thoughts and didn’t much care for them. He frowned then glanced down at me, his dark eyes turning serious and I tensed and lifted my head.
“Bodark has been taken,” he finally replied while I felt dread creep over me.
“When?” I breathed, almost afraid to ask.
“Last night,” he replied. “They left Margie… barely alive. She just woke at the hospital and had the presence of mind to call me to let me know. I’ve been popping over daily, waiting for you to return. I am pleased that you are finally back, and sorry to be the one to have to tell you of Bodark,” he said with a sad look.
I pushed up on my elbow and was immediately pressed back down again by Roral. I grunted and glanced over my shoulder at him in confusion and got a look that warned me to stay put. I sighed as I felt him tuck the towel around me more firmly, and held my place.
I chewed my lip and wondered if Kit had finished upstairs, and if he would try to kill Alan again if I called for him. Alan’s dark brown eyes narrowed and he looked… almost eager. Not a good sign, I thought, and closed my eyes and reached for Owen, who would at least be reasonable.
He appeared on the sand behind Alan and glanced around, his face going from surprise to blank in an instant. It was obvious that he was concerned over my choice of lovers but managed to restrain himself from saying anything, merely lifted an eyebrow at me and flicked his eyes to Alan with a disapproving look.
“Alan came to let me know that Bodark was kidnapped last night,” I told him and watched as he continued to stare back at me with no change to his expression. I quickly realized it wasn’t news to him. “I see,” I muttered and he crossed his arms over his chest and refused to say anything. Alan leaned back on an elbow to the side and glanced between us.
“You do not seem surprised at the news,” he observed while Owen continued to look at me.
“No Alan, he doesn’t. It makes you wonder why that is, doesn’t it?”
Alan turned back to me and nodded. “If I had to guess, I’d say it’s because he already knew.”
“It would explain the ‘errands’ they had to run this mor
ning,” I replied thoughtfully while all eyes turned to me as I pondered the situation. “Now, who has the most to gain by kidnapping Bodark?” I wondered out loud in a musing voice to no one in particular. “Did Margie say what the men looked like, the men who attacked them?”
Alan looked confused for a moment then replied, “She did not say.”
“Vampires? Surely she would have sensed the coldness of them?” I asked while Alan stared back at me with a strange look.
“Coldness?” he asked and his eyes looked confused.
“Yes, do you not sense how cold they are when you are near them?”
He pursed his lips and glanced about at the others then shook his head. “Perhaps this is a Dragon’s ability? It is not something that I have ever experienced.” And I swallowed and looked at Owen, who simply shook his head.
“The bloodless ones smell… slightly metallic,” Cam offered. “I did not sense coldness last night during the attack.”
“You were attacked?” Alan asked sharply.
My eyes turned to him and I gave myself a small shake, apparently I was the only one able to sense Vampires in the way I did. I’d need to check with Gareth and Jace later to see if it was in fact, a Dragon thing. “We were attacked as we returned from the Sidhe last night… this morning actually. They were older; more experienced then the last group. And they brought with them a Blue Dragon. I assume Valentine gained control over him just as he did Marcus. They killed him, here in this cavern… not far from where we are,” I told him and his eyes widened in shock.
“Lexi… I did not come just to warn you of Bodark,” he told me in an uneven voice. “We have been watching Valentine since the Mayor’s party. In the past week, three men have been taken into Valentine’s mansion. We have not seen any of them come back out again. All of them smelled of Elf and… Dragon,” he finished softly. I stared up at him, my eyes widening in horror.
Dragon Greed Page 26
