Allow Me to Serve You [Dragon Hearts 4] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove)

by Marcy Jacks

  The healer didn’t question Dravick’s motives. He just nodded, left instructions for all the medicines and herbs and tonics, and then promised to return in the morning to check on Aaron’s progress and change his wraps.

  The good news, if there was any, was that Aaron hadn’t needed stitches. He’d never had stitches before, especially on the cheeks of his ass, and he didn’t want to know what that experience would be like.

  Dravick softly shut and locked the door when the healer was gone. He moved to the nightstand, picked up one of the wooden containers of cream, twisted the cap off, and gave the contents a suspicious sniff.

  “I can put that on,” Aaron said, reaching for it. “You don’t need to do that.”

  Dravick yanked his hand away before Aaron could grab the bottle. “I doubt you need an application so soon after the nurse already did it for you, but when you do need one, I will do it for you.”

  Aaron turned to look up at the man, and Dravick glared at him.

  Dravick shook his head, sighing and putting the jar down. “Don’t do that.”

  “Do what?” Aaron snapped. He was still on his belly, but he wanted to attack anything and everything. Dravick was the only one in the room.

  “Don’t turn to stone. It doesn’t suit you well, and I don’t know if you’re behaving this way because you’re defensive about what happened or if it really would be helpful for you to do this on your own. I know you must be suffering a great humiliation—”

  “You have no idea what I’m suffering!” Aaron snapped.

  He’d thought those dragons were going to rape him and kill him. He’d begged for them to let him go, and they’d laughed when they had because his tears had been funny...

  Dravick clenched his jaw. He continued. “But I would like to help you with it. I want to be strong for you. To demand that you allow me to help you, but enough has been demanded and done without your permission already.”

  Aaron flinched. It was almost a nice way of putting what had happened. Nice and polite for the king who was trained in being nice and polite. It couldn’t hide the ugliness of it, no matter how gently Dravick phrased it.

  “So tell me, Aaron,” Dravick said. “if you want to apply it yourself, then I will not humiliate you further by bending you over my knee and doing it for you, but if you ever need help, there will be no judgment from me.”

  He seemed sincere enough, but Aaron wanted to be stubborn. Even though he knew he wouldn’t be able to reach up to the highest points of his shoulder blades on his own, he still wanted to do it on his own.

  Dravick put his hand on Aaron’s shoulder, the spot that was not injured or bandaged. That place still burned, and a stupid, worthless hot sting pricked at the back of Aaron’s eyes. He hid his face again in the fold of his arms.

  He couldn’t say it. He couldn’t say it, and he couldn’t look into Dravick’s face as he started to cry again. What the hell was the matter with him? Wasn’t he done from before?

  Apparently not, and all Dravick did was rub Aaron’s back, his fingers and palm so soft there was no pain when his hand whispered over the bandages. There was only comfort as Dravick made soothing noises. He did that until Aaron stopped.

  He hadn’t stopped for a few minutes at least.

  “Why are you doing this?”

  “Me?” Dravick asked, snatching his hand away as though he’d been burned.

  Aaron wiped at his eyes. He sniffled a little more. Dravick handed him one of his thick, embroidered, and incredibly soft handkerchiefs.

  Aaron wiped his eyes on it. “Aren’t you disgusted with me?”

  Dravick’s face fell. “Oh, is that what you think?”

  Aaron sniffed again. He turned away from Dravick and shrugged. “I should’ve been able to...I should have been able to fight them off.”

  He could just bet that something like this had never happened to Dravick or any of the dragon warriors because they were real men.

  “No, sweetheart, you are not disgusting to me. Never.”

  Dravick had never called Aaron sweetheart before. He liked it, though the jolt it sent to his heart immediately crashed as he thought again of the many reasons why Dravick should be disgusted with him. “I was a whore before I was tied to the stake and sent to the dragons. I never told you that,” Aaron said, spitting it all out. “And now this. I don’t know why you keep me in your bed. You’re a king. You could easily match any of your warriors, and though I’m hardly your equal in anything, even in something as simple as being a man, this is on top of everything else. You should send me back to my room with the other servants. I shouldn’t be here.”

  Dravick was silent for what seemed like a long time. Aaron could, in all honesty, say that it was the most frightening time of his life. Even after what had happened with those other three dragons.

  “I don’t care about that,” Dravick said. “A dragon only becomes a king because he murdered the previous one in cold blood.”

  Aaron looked at Dravick, and he frowned. “But...everyone said the previous king deserved it. That he was a tyrant.”

  “My uncle was a tyrant, yes, but he was also a frail old man with perhaps less than fifteen years of life left. I know that’s a lot to a human, but it’s not long for us.

  “He was hardly good, but it was not exactly an honorable killing when I smothered him with his own pillow. I didn’t even want to give him the honor of having a dagger through his heart. I wouldn’t take the risk that any storytellers years from now would speak that he’d died in a glorious battle.”

  “How long ago was that?”

  “Roughly twenty years. I was nearly twelve at the time. Had I waited any longer, he may have either killed me or married me off to be rid of me and secure his throne.”

  Aaron frowned. “But...but even then you’re blameless. You can’t honestly say that you regret killing a man who might have killed you.”

  “And I don’t expect you to honestly think that I would turn you away from me because you did what needed to be done to survive,” Dravick said, his tone harsh with Aaron for the first time since bringing him in here. Then his expression softened once more. “I love you. I don’t care what you’ve done, how many humans you’ve been with before me, if you’ve stolen, murdered, pillaged, any of it. I would still want you by my side.”

  Aaron’s eyes filled with tears once more, and in that moment, there was nothing he wanted more in the whole of the world than to be held by this man.

  He lifted his arm, reaching for Dravick, and putting it on his shoulder and around his neck.

  Dravick seemed to understand fairly quickly as he came down and wrapped his arms around Aaron. Aaron felt Dravick’s lips on his temple and against his hair, and he wept again because he knew he was safe. Completely and utterly safe in the man’s arms.

  “Aaron...can I...?”

  Aaron knew what the man was asking for, and he nodded. He wanted it, too.

  Dravick climbed into bed next to him. With only some slight movement that did not hurt him too much, Aaron moved onto his side and cuddled up close to Dravick’s chest.

  The dragon king petted his back and his hair, holding him tightly, and though Aaron knew that tomorrow he would have to face the world, and maybe point out the people who’d done this to him, at the moment, all he wanted to do was sleep.

  Maybe he would be lucky and the only part of this nightmare that would become real was the part where Dravick had told him that he loved him.

  * * * *

  Jason was yawning and scrubbing at his eyes when it came time for him to head back to his rooms. He couldn’t say that he wasn’t a little nervous, not after what had happened to Aaron. Word of that had spread like wildfire, and rumors of what was happening were already running rampant.

  Some people were flat-out saying he’d been killed, but Jason knew that wasn’t true thanks to his connection with Adam. Novik had seen Aaron, and he’d been given a description of the attackers, and he would be out all night hunti
ng them down at the king’s command.

  Adam hadn’t wanted to be alone, and neither had Jason when he’d heard about that.

  “Where are you going?”

  Jason jumped three feet in the air and spun around. He grit his teeth and snarled at Kraigan. “What’s wrong with you? Why do you always have to sneak up on me?” he yelled.

  Kraigan shrugged. “It’s hardly my fault you have poor hearing.”

  Right. Blame him. Of course.

  It was nice to see that even after Kraigan had kissed him, he could still be something of an arrogant asshole.

  That was supposed to make Jason’s defenses against him better, but the standoffishness that Kraigan constantly put out with his personality alone made him appear that much more…

  No! Not going to think about that. His dick was twitching, and that was bad enough.

  “Hey, wait, you’re on your feet,” Jason said, looking down at the heavy bandages around Kraigan’s leg. There were wooden splints still strapped to the leg itself, holding the break in place. He also had a cane with him. “Sort of.”

  Kraigan glared at him. “I was tired of sitting in that chair.”

  Jason shrugged. “I guess that makes sense. You’re a warrior, and you’re used to moving around.”

  Jason had put absolutely no sarcasm into that when he’d said it, so it was shocking to him when Kraigan’s eyes widened, as if Jason had just said something deep and meaningful. Or something stunning to the ears.

  Kraigan nodded. “Yes. That is true.”

  Uncomfortable with the way this was turning, Jason did the only thing he knew how to do. He opened his stupid mouth and started spewing out the first thing that popped into his head. “So, are you here to start your time as my servant? I don’t think there’s much you can be doing for me if you’re going to be walking around with that cane, though. I don’t think I can get you to carry anything, though maybe you can—hey!”

  Kraigan’s large hand had come down on Jason’s chest and pushed him back. His spine hit the wall, but it stunned more than hurt. What worried him was the way Kraigan got up into his personal space the way he did. Their chests touched, and all Jason could feel was Kraigan’s body heat.

  “You certainly like to talk,” Kraigan said. “Though now I’m starting to think you only talk so much because you get nervous.”

  “No!” Jason snapped, a little too quickly.

  And from the crooked, absolutely cute smile on Kraigan’s mouth, he knew it too. How did he manage to look both cute and dangerous at the same time? It was the bulldog thing. They were cute and dangerous if given to the wrong master.

  Kraigan leaned down. Jason held his breath, expecting a kiss, not moving away but unsure if he should stand still.

  “Where are you going?” Kraigan asked, his voice a warm, soft breath in the air between them.

  Jason blinked, coming out of his trance when no kiss was forthcoming. “I…I’m going to spend the night with Adam. Novik is going to be looking around the nest for the night, and we don’t want to be alone.”

  “Your sister was not invited?” Kraigan asked, a brow lifting, as if he genuinely thought that Jason would not have included his little sister.

  “I asked her in the kitchen. She’s made some friends with the other women and wants to stay with them.”

  Kraigan nodded, and when he backed up, Jason was cold now that his body no longer shared heat with Kraigan. He was irritated for that, and irritated for not being kissed.

  Even though he definitely did not want a kiss from this man.

  “Let me walk you to Novik and Adam’s chambers, then,” he said. “It’s dangerous for humans to be walking alone as of late.”

  Jason blinked again, and then he smiled. “You know, I think that’s the first nice thing you’ve ever said to me.”

  Kraigan scowled at him and turned away. He started walking. “Hurry up before I leave you behind!”

  Even his snapped words could not affect Jason’s good mood. He was starting to think he was understanding Kraigan a little bit, and he was kind of liking it.

  Chapter Eleven

  It took Novik a little over a day before he found the men responsible for the attack on Aaron. In Dravick’s opinion, that was much too long of a time to wait. Aaron should not have been forced to wait that long. Dravick was furious at the entire thing.

  He was also furious at the village where Aaron had come from. He wanted to fly down there and rain hell and fire and brimstone on them all. He wanted to burn it to the ground and everyone in it.

  He also wanted to hold Aaron close, keeping his arms tightly around him and never let him go.

  His previous promise to not coddle the man had been thrown out the window. He could not stay away from the man. After what happened, he was fortunate to even have Aaron’s blessing of touching him at all.

  Aside from shifting in his sleep some nights, waking Dravick in the night, Aaron showed no other outward signs that he did not appreciate being held. The smaller man often turned into Dravick’s chest, snuggling closer to him before they turned in for the night.

  Though he was a lot more silent than usual. That was worrisome. Aaron was already the quiet type, and Dravick did not enjoy knowing that the man was suffering so.

  Aaron had to be brought out of bed so that he could identify the suspects Novik had brought forth. Dravick had prepared a bath for the man, getting him ready to be seen. He may have put too many bubbles in the water, and the bath water may have needed a moment to sit because he’d made it too hot in the beginning, but that was all right.

  Dravick knew how to make a bath, but he was simply nervous.

  He also insisted on putting Aaron in his extra pair of soft slippers and in one of Dravick’s most comfortable housecoats after new bandages had been wrapped around him.

  Aaron, of course, objected. “I can’t wear these.”

  “You can, and you will,” Dravick said. “It’s high time the rest of the nest sees you as what you are.”

  Aaron looked away from him, and down at his feet. The slippers were in front of him, and he clutched a wrap around his body after just exiting the bath. “What am I?”

  “You are the love of the king, and I want the nest to know of it.”

  Aaron’s shocked expression had been divine, and Dravick had used that to his advantage as he slipped the robe around Aaron’s shoulders.

  Dravick had been so damned proud when the silk and fur were on Aaron’s body, and he understood it right in that moment.

  He wanted to be mated to this man. Perhaps he already was because this wasn’t even simply love. He loved Aaron to be sure, loved him with absolutely everything he had inside of him, but Aaron was now Dravick’s mate.

  Aaron still seemed unsure to be wearing the garments however. Dravick didn’t need for him to become fully dressed since they would be out of Dravick’s—their—bedchamber for only a few minutes. Just long enough for Aaron to point out the men who had assaulted him. Then they would come back.

  After Dravick had killed the men responsible, of course.

  Also, the only articles of clothing Aaron had were the leggings and torn tunic with blood still on them. They were somewhere getting burned now, if Dravick’s orders were being followed.

  And they had best be getting followed.

  As they left their chambers together, followed by Lightning and Tatsu, who were both guarding Dravick’s door, Dravick promised himself to have fine new clothing prepared for Aaron as soon as possible. Leather boots that went to his knees, fine winter coats, tunics, knit sweaters, and leggings made out of the finest fibers.

  Aaron was no longer a servant. Dravick had meant for this process to take a little more time, to give his nest a chance to become used to it so there would be less a chance of an attack against Aaron. However, if there were dragons in his nest who were willing to harm Aaron based on a rumor, then Dravick needed to start this process now and make absolutely certain that everyone in the nest kn
ew, with absolute clarity, what would become of them if anyone attempted to put their hands on Aaron ever again.

  They went to the great hall. Both doors opened for them, and Aaron immediately shrank as he realized the crowd that had been gathered.

  Humans and dragons kept on their own separate sides of the great hall, but all turned and looked to both of them. To Aaron.

  The chatter started up and filled the great hall when Dravick put his arm around Aaron’s shoulder for comfort, leading him deeper into the great hall.

  Novik had captured five men, it seemed. All were on their knees, with their hands behind their backs as Novik stood in front of them.

  All five men turned to look at him. Two of them were in tears, snot and drool sliding down their faces as they wept. It looked as though Novik had applied some force to get them here. There was a black eye or two.

  Dravick glared at every male and female he passed by, at the human men and women as well. The room grew slowly silent as he and Aaron made their way to the front.

  Dravick nodded to Novik, happy for his good work, even though he wished it had not taken him so long to find the suspects. He looked down to Aaron then addressed the crowd.

  All seven hundred members of his nest must have been packed into this room.

  “Without a doubt, many of you have been told of the attack that has taken place. What many of you may not have been aware of is that the attack has happened against my mate.”

  Dravick squeezed Aaron’s shoulder a little tighter, feeling the man’s body, his every muscle, tense up beneath him.

  The chattering started up again, most civilians looking amongst themselves in disbelief, some of them looking toward the accused. From the corner of his eye, Dravick could even see the way Kraigan, Tatsu, Lightning, and Javik all looked amongst each other.

  Javik and Kraigan appeared somewhat hopeful at the announcement. Of course. If their king was taking a human mate, then they would not have to wait for his new law to be implemented before they could go after Athy and Jason.