Elesian Dragon Mates: Dragon Shifter Reverse Harem Complete Series

by Sammie Joyce

  Annabelle was asking Rose to trust her with everything—more than her life. With her best weapon to defend herself and her dragons against Maria and the other witches who wanted to harm their child. If Annabelle decided not to give the necklace back, Rose would have no way to force her. If Annabelle changed sides, Rose’s baby was as good as dead.

  Rose reached up and unhooked the necklace. Mace hissed his disapproval, but didn’t intervene.

  “I trust you, Annabelle.”

  Annabelle threw her arms around Rose. “I promise, I won’t let you down. When we’re next together, I’ll return it.”

  “I know. Now go!”

  Annabelle’s arms tightened for a moment, then she let go. Rose watched as her friend ran back to the burning mansion.

  “Come on, we have to go.” Mace lifted her onto Gavin’s back, getting up behind her. Clearly, he didn’t trust her not to try to slither down and run after Asher. He wasn’t wrong; Rose didn’t exactly trust herself not to do that either.

  They took off. The wind swiped tears off Rose’s face. Asher is in a rage. He’s not going to recognize Annabelle, Jade, and Wendy. He could kill them, thinking they are the enemy.

  They’ll be careful. Gavin soared higher, up above the clouds, until they were out of sight of the mansion. They know what’s going on. Annabelle will probably put shields around her room and keep Wendy and Jade with her. With the necklace, Asher isn’t going to get through any shield Annabelle makes.

  Are you sure giving it to Annabelle was a good idea? Mace gripped Rose’s waist firmly, even though she had flown enough times that she wasn’t in danger of falling off. That’s your best weapon.

  And I’m using it to save Asher. I trust Annabelle. Don’t you?

  Power does funny things to people’s minds.

  Rose couldn’t disagree there, but she didn’t regret her decision. Still, she felt empty without her necklace. She glanced behind, but could see no signs of pursuit. Asher was keeping the coven busy.

  Where are we going? She’d been to a number of her dragons’ favorite hideouts before, and looked forward to relaxing in an isolated cabin in the woods, or something similar.

  Mace, Gavin, and Jagger all grimaced mentally.

  What?

  We can’t go to any of those places. Mace sighed, his warm breath on her neck providing a moment’s temporary relief from the biting wind. Even the ones that no one else knows about are typical dragon hideouts. If we go to one of those places, it’s likely someone else in the clan can find us.

  So where do we go? We have to go somewhere. Rose’s hopes of a warm cabin were fading fast.

  Somewhere in the human world. I think our best bet is to find an out-of-the-way hotel.

  I don’t suppose any of you brought your wallets? Rose certainly hadn’t had the chance to grab anything. She had a clan credit card that gave her access to the dragon clan’s considerable wealth, but that was back in the mansion, which was probably still burning.

  Nope. I guess we’ll be forced to work as we go. Good thing I’m the prettiest. How much would you pay for a lap dance from me?

  Rose had thought it was impossible, but Jagger managed to make her laugh. Millions.

  Seconded. I’d give a lot to see that. Are you going to wear a bikini? The image Gavin sent with the thought was so ridiculous that Jagger almost fell out of the sky. He flapped his wings frantically, trying to stabilize himself.

  Maybe I’ll do that when we get back.

  Gavin groaned. Jagger had absolutely no shame. He would totally do it just to embarrass his brothers.

  So I guess our first task is a trip to the bank. We should draw cash, so that even if Maria does think to track our financial records, she can only track us to the bank where we withdrew from.

  We should stop soon, then. Mace rubbed his hands up and down Rose’s arms, trying to warm her. She usually wore multiple jackets when flying, but she hadn’t had time to bundle up. We’ll get the money, then fly somewhere far away to find a hotel.

  Landing was always tricky. They needed to do it far enough away from the city that humans wouldn’t be able to spot them. They eventually settled on a game reserve, scaring away a couple of deer as they landed.

  “I’ll go.” Gavin did his best to neaten his clothes, trying to look like he wasn’t literally running out of the wilderness. “I can run into the city. I’ll be back in a few hours.”

  “Sounds good.” Rose had Jagger and Mace on either side of her, and her shivers were quickly calming.

  They found a relatively soft patch of ground and settled down to wait. Jagger quickly pulled Rose onto his lap, while Mace stood guard, watching for any predators who might think the strange people in their midst would make a good meal.

  Rose reached out to Asher, but she couldn’t connect with him. His mind was still a jumbled disorder of rage and flashes of combat.

  “How long? I’ve never seen him lose his temper like this. When will we be able to talk to him again?”

  Jagger shrugged. “It varies. None of us has lost control like that in many years. I imagine he’ll only stop when he’s captured.”

  Or killed. No one said it, but Rose knew they were all thinking it. Maria may want to take Asher alive, but what if she couldn’t? He certainly wasn’t in any mood to come quietly.

  Rose must have drifted off, because the next thing she knew, Jagger was shaking her gently. Gavin was there with a large duffel bag. When he opened it to show them, Rose was surprised to see it full to the brim with cash.

  “This should be enough to last us months in a five-star hotel. We won’t need to worry about money, at least.”

  Rose wasn’t sure how he persuaded the bank to give him that much from his account when he didn’t have identification, but it didn’t really matter. “Any idea where we should go?”

  “You’d probably be the best one to answer that.” Gavin hoisted the bag over his shoulder. “You’ve spent much more time in the human world than we have.”

  Rose nodded. “We should probably avoid places I’ve been to before; those can be too easily tracked by the coven. How about we go a couple of states over? Hotels aren’t exactly hard to find. We’ll pick somewhere at random. With this much money, I doubt we’ll have any problems.”

  Focusing on the practical stuff was good, because it allowed her to think about something other than her terror and heartache for Asher. Rose already missed him, and they’d only been apart for a few hours. She hadn’t tried to touch his mind again, scared of what she would find.

  Chapter Four

  Asher belted out more flames. He barely saw the mansion anymore. All he could see was Rose, her hand cradled over her belly in a futile attempt to protect their child. He knew that if all of the coven witches attacked her at once, she would have no chance against their magic.

  It was on him and his brothers to protect them both. He knew that Gavin, Jagger, and Mace were getting her away, but he had to keep the witches here too busy to pursue them. Asher used his claws to rip away another piece of the mansion. His rage flared as he saw three cowering witches.

  He didn’t have any illusions about killing them. Witches had been fighting dragons for centuries, and they were well up to the task of defending against one dragon. He could hurt them, though, and stop them from going after Rose.

  Asher was on the brink of releasing another blast of flame when the information from his eyes filtered through to his brain. That was Annabelle, standing with her arms spread in front of Wendy and Jade. They were inexperienced witches and their shields might not be enough to turn back his fire.

  He would never hurt them, especially after what they did for Rose, but Asher couldn’t make it look like he was in league with them. He had no idea if they would manage to salvage the situation and convince Maria that they were on her side, but if there was to be any chance, he needed to help them.

  Asher turned his head slightly, burning down the room next to them. Hopefully, the other witches would think
he missed, too caught up in his rage.

  Now, his rage was faltering, with rational thought returning. Seeing Annabelle, Wendy, and Jade had made him pause in his rampage, and it wasn’t easy to slip back. As easy as carnage and destruction were, Asher knew that rational thought would serve him better.

  He flew higher over the mansion, so that he could see the surrounding grounds. If any of the witches tried to escape, he would stop them.

  Movement caught his eye, and he saw a number of them gathering in a blackened area that he had already de-roofed. Asher flew higher, sure they were about to shoot a spell at him. He could send fire at them, but he probably had a better chance if he got out of their range.

  He no longer had the element of surprise like he’d had when he started the attack, and he wouldn’t last long against all of them. Asher gave brief thought to retreating, but decided it was still too soon. He needed to give Rose and his brothers more time.

  As he flew higher, something in the air changed. Asher glanced up just in time to see Harran and Jara in their dragon forms, flying above him. Finally, some backup.

  Let’s get higher, make sure we’re out of their range.

  Jara’s voice was laced with regret. I’m sorry, Asher, but that abomination must be destroyed.

  I hope someday you will understand. Harran was blocking Asher’s escape, and Jara was next to him. Asher barely had time to rage at the traitors before they folded their wings as one, coming down on top of him. The three of them plummeted to the ground in a mess of wings and claws.

  The fall wouldn’t kill them, but the witches below might well. Asher saw the air sparkling with a spell, and he could do nothing to avoid it.

  It hit him like a brick wall, and the world went black.

  When he woke, Asher’s entire body throbbed with pain. He groaned, rolling over, trying to find a more comfortable position. It felt like he’d been beaten all over with a steel club. He brought his hands up to his aching head. They encountered metal.

  It was pitch black, which left Asher with nothing but touch to explore the situation. There was a collar around his neck, made of a material he didn’t recognize. Asher tugged experimentally at it, and wasn’t surprised when it showed no signs of give.

  “Hello?”

  No one answered. He got up, wincing. As much as he hurt, he didn’t seem to have any injuries, at least. Magic users were adept at causing pain without injury.

  Rose? Mace, Jagger, Gavin?

  No answer.

  Panic raced through him. Asher tried again, but there was no response. Asher tried to calm himself. It was probably the collar. Why put it on him if not to block his powers? He probably couldn’t shift either, but he dared not test it when he didn’t know how much space he had around him.

  He staggered around like a blind man, touching walls and furniture. To his surprise, Asher realized he was back in the basement. He quickly found the light switch. The lounge was empty apart from himself, and a quick check of the bedrooms showed the same.

  Asher went up the stairs, glad to find the pain in his body fading the longer he was awake. He knew better than to try breaking down the door. It probably had a spell that would repel such attempts painfully. It reminded him of the dark days when he and his brothers had been kept prisoner down here. But that was before Rose came to them.

  “Hello?” Asher didn’t even knock on the door, wary of getting shocked for no reason.

  “Asher! You’re awake.”

  It was Dane. Asher growled under his breath. The traitor.

  “Stand back.”

  The fool was coming in? All the better.

  Asher took a step back, getting ready to pounce. The door opened. Dane stepped through, holding a piece of paper out in front of him like a shield. The large letters were easy to read. I’m not a traitor. Be quiet and come with me.

  That gave him pause. Asher knew that Dane was in love with Annabelle. If Annabelle was on his side, then there was a high chance that Dane was too. He nodded slowly, but still kept his muscles tense, ready to leap into action.

  Instead of taking him out of the basement, Dane gestured for Asher to go down the stairs. Asher gave him a suspicious glare before reluctantly complying. Dane sat down on the couch and took a box out of his pocket. He slipped a folded piece of paper inside it, sighing in relief as he closed the box.

  “There, we can talk without fear of being overheard now.”

  “A silencing spell? How did you get hold of that?”

  “Annabelle got it for me out of storage. If someone comes to the door, I’ll need you to take the paper out and hide it. If that happens, I’m afraid I’m going to have to hurt you to keep our cover. I’ll say you were trying to escape and I went down to stop you.”

  “How is that going to be believable? I may not have my powers, but I can still beat you one on one in hand-to-hand.”

  “Not with this.” Dane pulled a rod out of his belt, holding it gingerly as though it might contaminate him. “Maria outfitted us all with these. They’re infused with the pain spell. We’re to use them on you if we need to subdue you.”

  Asher stared at the thing, disgusted. To his credit, Dane looked equally unhappy as he tucked it back into his belt.

  “You have yet to convince me you’re not a traitor.”

  “If I was, I would have stayed at my posting. I’d be hurting you right now for coming to the door.”

  He had a point there. “How many of our people are only pretending to go along with Maria’s scheme?”

  Dane grimaced. “Just me, I’m afraid. With the witches, only Annabelle, Jade, and Wendy. The others—witches and dragons—are all determined to capture Rose and force an abortion on her. Hey, don’t fly off the rails. That’s not going to help anyone.”

  Asher clenched his hands into fists, trying to get control of himself. Dane was right—going on another rampage would be pointless.

  “She’s okay, Asher. Jagger, Gavin, and Mace got her out. They’ve got a secure line with Annabelle. They haven’t told us their location, so that it can’t be pulled from us by the other witches if they figure out our game, but it’s somewhere safe.”

  Asher felt himself deflating with relief. He let out a shaky laugh. “You’re sure? She’s fine?”

  “She misses you, of course, but Annabelle has assured her that you haven’t sustained any permanent damage.”

  All of Asher’s troubles suddenly seemed unimportant. Rose was safe, as were his brothers. They would take good care of her until he could join them.

  “I know what you’re thinking, Asher, and it’s going to be harder than you think. Maria has this whole place on lockdown. She was badly burned. Elaine managed to heal her, but she’s not exactly feeling kindly toward you. If you try to escape now, you’ll just be captured again.”

  “So what do you suggest? I hope you don’t expect me to sit here while Rose is out there, missing me, worrying for me?”

  “For now, that’s exactly what I expect you to do. You need to bide your time, just like before Rose came. Convince Maria that you’re over your fit of rage and won’t cause any trouble. That won’t get the collar off, but she may allow you to roam the mansion, just like when we were prisoners before. It takes a lot of resources to maintain the kind of vigilance she has going now.”

  As much as he wanted to rush after Rose at once, Asher knew that Dane was right. He had to be smart about this. He needed to wait for his opening.

  “Is there any way to disable the part of this collar that blocks mental communication?” Though he didn’t say it, Dane probably understood that he’d go mad if he couldn’t talk to Rose. It could take weeks for him to get out of here. Being cut off from her for that long was not a pleasant prospect.

  “I doubt it. It was made by some of the most powerful witches in the coven, and the ones we have on our side are still very young in their powers. Annabelle thought of using the necklace on it, but she’s worried that she won’t be able to control it and someone will
find out. We need to remain undiscovered if we’re going to be able to help you.”

  Asher’s heart stopped. “The… the necklace?”

  “Ah. Well, don’t fly off the handle, Asher, but Annabelle needed a way to do a memory modification spell on the witches who knew she was on Rose’s side. Rose lent her the necklace of power.”

  Just like that, all of Asher’s relief over Rose’s safety drained away. Without that necklace, she had only her own powers to rely on. Rose had a lot of latent power, but she was still very much in the early stages of learning to harness it.

  “She has Mace, Jagger, and Gavin,” Dane said steadily. “They won’t let anything happen to her. You know that.”

  Asher forced himself to start breathing. Of course he knew that. They would die before letting harm come to Rose or their child. The thought of her with such reduced power was terrifying, though.

  “I can’t believe she did that. After what happened the last time, she swore she’d never let that necklace out of her sight again.”

  “She trusts Annabelle with her life—and she’s right to. Annabelle will give the necklace back at the soonest opportunity. We decided against getting it posted—it’s too risky, we can’t have it getting lost—but Mace says that maybe in a week or so, we can arrange a meet, and Annabelle can return it.”

  “Is that safe? What if Maria tracks Annabelle to Rose?”

  “We think Annabelle has them convinced, but that is something to consider. I’ll see what Mace says.”

  “Mace?” Asher would have thought Gavin would be in charge. Mace was the last person he’d expect to be running the situation.

  Dane shrugged. “Apparently, Mace has been invaluable helping with tactical decisions.”

  Asher put the matter aside, for now. It didn’t really matter who was calling the shots. Mace would protect Rose just as well as Gavin or Jagger would. “What about talking to Rose?”

  “We can try to sneak Annabelle’s phone down here. Maybe with the silencing spell, you can give her a call.”

  “Yes, please,” Asher breathed. If he could just hear her voice…