Dragon's Hoard

by M. A. Church

  “But will you be comfortable?”

  “I’ll be okay. I’m not as weak as everyone thinks I am.”

  “I never, not once, made the mistake of thinking you were weak. I want you to know that.”

  Avery took a deep breath and slowly released it. “Thank you. You have no idea how much that means to me. So, your place?”

  Warwick picked up the phone next to him and buzzed the limo driver. A moment later the privacy glass between them lowered, and Warwick instructed his driver to return to his castle. He sincerely hoped he wouldn’t regret this by the time the night was done.

  Avery kept up a steady stream of conversation. Warwick didn’t know if it was nerves or something else.

  “Wow.” Avery’s nose was practically glued to the window as they drove through the gates and up the long drive to his home. “Do you have any idea how awesome this is? It looks like a genuine castle.”

  “It’s based on one I had when I lived overseas.”

  Avery dragged his eyes away from the beautiful scenery in front of him to look at Warwick. “That’s the coolest thing ever. Was it a real castle?”

  “Most definitely. For instance, it was cold, drafty, and didn’t have electricity or indoor plumbing. This one most assuredly does. I’ve grown accustomed to my creature comforts.”

  Avery snickered. “Still, I can’t imagine what it must’ve been like. The things you’ve seen… I’m sure you’ve witnessed some spectacular events.”

  Indeed he had. “And some so not spectacular. I do have to say, though, things were a lot less stressful then. Technology rules our lives.”

  “But on the other hand, they didn’t have the medical advances, for example, we have now.”

  “True, and the humans certainly paid for that lack.”

  The driver pulled the limousine into its parking place in the garage. The door opened, and Warwick climbed out with Avery right behind him, both of them holding their coats. His garage, like the rest of the castle, was modernized inside.

  “Jeez, you’ve got a lot—oh shit! Is that a Trevita? Hot damn, it is, isn’t it?” Avery scrambled away from the limousine and rushed over to the vehicle in question. He reached out to touch it, then froze. Quickly he drew his hand away and looked back at Warwick. “It’s beautiful.”

  “Thank you. It’s a CCXR Trevita, limited edition. Only two were ever made, making it one of the rarest vehicles manufactured by Koenigsegg.”

  Avery paled. “How rich are you?” Then he waved his hand frantically, shaking his head. “No, no, I don’t want to know. I’d probably have a heart attack.”

  “I can definitely afford kitchen curtains.”

  “Curtains.” Avery stepped back from the car. “Curtains, the man says. You could probably fund a small country if you ever sold that thing.”

  “What makes you think I don’t?”

  Avery goggled.

  Warwick grabbed Avery’s hand and pulled him closer. “Okay, I was kidding about that, but I do donate a hefty amount to varieties of LGBT charities and other ones too.”

  Avery willingly went into Warwick’s arms. “You’re such a contradiction. You donate to charities, but you’re basically a loan shark.”

  Warwick hugged him tighter, Avery’s head on his shoulder. “Loan shark is such an unpleasant term. I provide a service, and those who use it know full well what they’re getting into.”

  “I guess so. You certainly wouldn’t have the wealth you apparently have if you let people take advantage of you.”

  They were heading toward the subject Warwick really didn’t want to discuss, so he hugged Avery one last time, then slipped his arm around Avery. “Come on. I do believe there’s a castle you wanted to see.”

  Warwick nodded at the chauffeur as he escorted Avery through the climate-controlled, spacious garage and into his castle. Since the main entrance was the most spectacular, he quickly escorted Avery there. Now he wished they’d come in through the front. Every few steps, Avery wanted to stop and examine a coat of arms or a suit of armor. “Was that a real suit of armor? It certainly looks like it, with all the dents. Where did you get it? Oh! And the floors! Such a beautiful stone. Did the floors in real castles look like this? That was stone, right? Kind of hard to tell since you’re all but dragging me along.”

  “It’s stone. It’s on the floor. You walk on it. Besides, what I want to show you is much more spectacular.”

  “Did you ever wear that armor? I bet you were sexy as hell in it. I can see you, you know? In fact, I do want to see you in it. Oh, do you have a broadsword too? Did you ride a horse with the armor on? Oh! Did you joust?”

  Determined to get to where he was going, Warwick towed Avery along behind him, a firm grip on his hand. “A long, long time ago.”

  “That is so cool. Wait! Is that a stone stairwell? Oh, and stained-glass windows!”

  Warwick continued pulling Avery along behind him.

  “Can you give me a second to look at some of this…? I can’t even—oh holy mother of the gods. You have got to be kidding me.” Avery stumbled to a stop next to Warwick, mouth hanging open. “Those must be the biggest doors I’ve ever seen. How tall are they again?”

  “Fifteen feet, I believe.”

  Avery shook his head slowly, his eyes wide. “Why?”

  “Why not?”

  “Ha! As good a reason as any, I guess.”

  “I thought so. And keep your coat. We’re going to be heading outside.” Still holding hands, Warwick gave him the condensed tour of his castle. As they passed the numerous servants, Warwick introduced each of them to Avery. He also made a point of telling each one Avery would soon be moving in and was his mate.

  Eventually they put their coats on and made their way out to the back courtyard.

  Avery gasped, his mouth hanging open in shock. “Jeez, Warwick, this is… there are no words. It’s gorgeous.”

  Warwick shrugged on his coat before he turned away from the pleasant picture Avery made, then looked over the professionally done courtyard. The evergreens were all trimmed perfectly, and the area had numerous trees, stone pathways, and several monstrous fountains. There were pristine wood benches, archways, and a gazebo right in the middle. The pathways were lit, and the majority of trees were strung with white lights.

  But this wasn’t what he actually wanted to show Avery. “We can explore this later. Come on.”

  “You better believe we will. This is simply magnificent.”

  Warwick hoped Avery could say the same about what he was going to see soon.

  Chapter Eleven

  AVERY seriously thought about digging in his heels so he could explore the courtyard, but Warwick seemed to be a man on a mission. As Warwick pulled him along, Avery glanced up at the sky. The moon was nearly full, an imperfect circle in the starry nighttime sky. A cool breeze teased the scarf wrapped around his neck.

  They cut through the courtyard and came to a large field. Acres and acres stretched before them. Behind the open area were woods. Thanks to Mother Moon’s bright light and his keen eyesight, he could see quite a distance in the dark.

  “What are we…?”

  Warwick stopped and faced Avery. “This is where I’m going to shift for you.”

  Oh boy, now he wasn’t so sure his ability to see so well on such a clear night was a good thing. Nerves marched up his spine. He swallowed. For the first time, he understood how humans felt when they found out paranormals existed.

  His breathing shortened and his heart raced. Dammit, he knew Warwick heard his body’s reaction to the news, but there wasn’t a thing he could do except try to ignore it. Hopefully Warwick wouldn’t misinterpret his reaction. They’d already met their quota for misunderstandings for the night.

  Since his hands were shaking, he shoved them into his coat pockets. They were cold, that’s all. Right. He really wasn’t afraid, but… but this was why listening to rumors were a bad idea.

  Just how scary was Warwick in his dragon form?


  Then he forgot all about his worries concerning Warwick’s dragon when Warwick stripped off his overcoat and dropped it on the ground. Before Avery could get his mouth open, Warwick’s suit jacket was about to follow.

  “Oh hell no! You do not drop a sixty-thousand-dollar suit on the ground. What is wrong with you?” Scrambling over, Avery jerked the overcoat up. He didn’t know what the brand name was, but he figured it was likely as horribly expensive as Warwick’s suit. He brushed it off and folded it over his arm. Then he gently pried the suit jacket from Warwick’s fingers too.

  Warwick didn’t say anything, only arched an elegantly shaped eyebrow as he continued undressing. Mechanically, Avery took the clothes Warwick handed him, not really paying attention to what he held now.

  No, his eyes were focused on the lean-but-muscular body slowly emerging from under that gorgeous designer suit. Warwick stood in the soft moonlight, undressing as if Avery wasn’t standing next to him desperately trying not to drool everywhere.

  Avery reminded himself to breathe, to keep his mouth shut… because the alternative was tackling Warwick to the ground and kissing every uncovered piece of skin he could find. His cock was so hard, it hurt.

  When Warwick was finally nude, he pulled off the band holding his hair and flipped it to Avery. “You need to move away—quite a bit, please.”

  “Okay, yeah. Back. Got it.” Practically stumbling over his own feet, Avery moved to what he assumed was a safe distance. When Warwick didn’t tell him to keep going, he waited, heart pounding, both excited and nervous.

  Warwick, bathed in the bright moonlight, threw his head back and held his arms out to the side. Intrigued, Avery watched. Did he actually shift? Or was it more like when Avery changed into his wolf?

  The rumbling of the skies above him caught his attention, and he glanced up. Dark clouds rolled across the starry night, moving quickly as they slammed into one another. Avery shivered as the wind picked up, the gentle breeze turning into a howl. There was a flash, and then another one. Where the hell had this storm come from? The night had been clear a minute—Warwick. It was Warwick. Something having to do with his powers as a dragon and storms. Suddenly a brilliant bolt of lightning streaked down from the sky… straight to where Warwick stood.

  Avery screamed in warning.

  The bolt hit Warwick, and the bright light blinded Avery. Instinctively he turned away. Seconds passed as he blinked, frantically trying to clear his vision. What the hell was that? Silence reigned behind him. A part of him he didn’t know existed warned him not to look, to run. To get out of there.

  Immediately.

  But, oh gods, Warwick. How could anybody, a shifter included, survive that? Horrified by what he’d find, he slowly turned back around, now that he was finally able to see.

  Warwick was gone. In his place stood a dragon. Avery stopped breathing, unable to make sense of what he was seeing.

  Dragon. It was a dragon.

  And it was big as fuck. As tall as a modern one-story house—maybe fourteen feet tall and thirty feet long from nose to a tail… a tail that ended in the shape of an arrow. It had a muscular, long body with an elongated neck. Its short, beefy limbs were powerful-looking and had three digits on each foot that ended in sharp claws. Sharp, deadly claws Avery could imagine ripping through flesh quite easily. He gulped.

  The terrifyingly beautiful creature stood calmly as Avery gawked. Avery’s gaze traced the length of the dragon more slowly this time. Its head was wedge-shaped, and there were tiny nostrils located on either side of its snout—a snout he was sure was full of horribly pointed and lethal teeth.

  Two horns extended straight from its scaled forehead, and it had large, almost delicate-looking frilled ears. A bony ridge separated its nostrils. A mane of daunting spikes sprouted from the back of its head and ran down its spine.

  But those scales were the real showstopper. The iridescent scales were indigo, reminiscent of the last embers of a summer sky as night finally descends. They glimmered and flashed blue and purple in the moonlight. Wait, moonlight?

  Startled, Avery glanced at the sky, a sky that was once again cloudless. “Ho-ly shit, Warwick.”

  Warwick huffed. Avery was going to take that sound as one of amusement. With his feet still stuck to the ground, he stared intently into Warwick’s eyes, searching. There. There was that human intelligence he was looking for. Avery wasn’t about to ask if Warwick could understand him. Nothing irritated a shifter more, but now he understood the need humans had to ask.

  “Wow, you are… you are….”

  Horribly gorgeous. Beastly. Imposing. Intimidating. Threatening too, although Avery didn’t feel in peril. Maybe he was as empty-headed as rumors said Omegas were, because the creature in front of him could probably snap him in half with those powerful jaws. Which was not the most comforting thought, and he instinctively took a step back, but a low, rumbling purr rose from the dragon’s chest. Calmness flooded his system, a sense of well-being that quickly chased away the sudden spurt of anxiety. His nerves settled, and the wonderment of what was standing in front of him began to rise again.

  “You are magnificent, awe-inspiring, and scary as hell.” Avery rested his hand on his chest as his breathing slowed.

  The dragon—no, he needed remember to call him Warwick, not “the dragon”—rolled his eyes. He could almost hear Warwick saying of course he was scary as hell. He was a dragon, after all. Just like that, any residual unease fled. That was so typically Warwick. For the first time since Warwick shifted, Avery laughed.

  Caught by a sudden need to explore, he edged closer, even though he kept a lookout out for sudden moves. Instinctively he knew Warwick wouldn’t hurt him, but there was also no denying Warwick could accidentally squash him with little to no effort.

  “Can I… can I touch?”

  Warwick lowered his long neck so they were almost eye to eye and slowly nodded. Oh wow, oh gods, that was awesome. Overcome with the need to explore every square inch of a creature made famous by ancient lore, Avery threw caution to the wind and reached out.

  Warwick’s scales were hard, but he expected nothing less since they were basically his armor. Avery studied them. “Interesting. Your scales are pentagonal and shaped like a teardrop.” He examined them closer, mumbling to himself. “Huh. Two long sides and two shorter ones, and a very short fifth side attached to the skin. How flipping neat.”

  Warwick had raised his head and was looking down at him.

  “Hmm, I wonder. They’re only attached in one place.” Avery glanced up. “Can you… I don’t know what it is I’m trying to say here. Maybe move them somehow?”

  Warwick made his scales stand on end.

  It hit Avery where he’d seen something similar. “Like a duck when it’s cleaning its feathers, right? When it preens. Yeah. It’s the same thing, isn’t it?”

  Warwick rumbled happily when Avery scratched underneath the scales.

  “Like that, huh?”

  The tear-shaped design of the scales fascinated him. Upon closer inspection, Avery observed the innermost part of a scale was composed of a compact, hairy formation firmly rooted in the epidermis. On the hair follicle, there were some tiny glands that secreted a substance that adhered firmly to the skin.

  “Interesting.”

  His fingers tingled from where they touched the scale. Thanks to his Omega gift, Avery could tell the substance was rich in minerals that would determine the hardness of the dragon’s scales. The external surface had a hard, translucent texture that accounted for the scale’s luster.

  “You are truly a marvel of nature, you know that?”

  Warwick let his scales settle back into place, and Avery ran his hand over the ones he could reach. Another rumble came from Warwick, one Avery now knew meant pleasure. Warwick shook his enormous head, and a slight breeze teased Avery’s hair.

  “Man, you are massive.”

  Another huff came from Warwick, and he slowly lowered himself to the ground and rolled onto
his side. Avery quickly stepped away to give those gigantic legs plenty of room. He couldn’t imagine getting kicked by one of those humongous things.

  With the moonlight still shining down upon them, Avery noticed Warwick’s scales became finer and less thick on his underbelly. He scratched Warwick’s belly, and the ground trembled from Warwick’s tail thumping happily.

  “Oh my, and here I thought only canines did stuff like that.”

  Warwick snorted, twitched, and then one of his back legs began to cycle from the belly scratches.

  Avery laughed loudly and tried to reach every part of Warwick’s belly he could. “Feels good, right?”

  If someone had told Avery a week ago that he’d be in an isolated field, scratching a dragon’s belly, he would’ve insisted they check into a mental hospital. But here he was, doing just that.

  The power rolling off Warwick was unlike anything he’d ever felt before, including every Alpha he’d met. It danced along his skin, little pops and tingles that tickled. He realized then how much Warwick kept his power under wraps when in human form. If he didn’t, damn near every person he met—human and paranormal alike—would probably drop to their knees under its influence.

  Oddly enough, it didn’t send his wolf scrambling in distress. There was no doubt Warwick was far more powerful than him. Even if Avery had been an Alpha, he couldn’t compete, but Warwick didn’t aggravate the animal side of Avery’s nature.

  Instead, it flowed over him like a gently moving brook over smooth pebbles. That’s about how Avery felt too—so insignificant in front of such a powerful being, but… safe, like this was what was meant to be.

  He checked in with his wolf and wasn’t surprised he was relaxed and calm, not curled up and whimpering from the power in the air. With one last good scratch to Warwick’s belly, he continued his exploration farther down Warwick’s body.

  Warwick rolled so his belly wasn’t exposed anymore, and it dawned on Avery what Warwick had done—he’d shown Avery his stomach. That wasn’t something animals did unless there was trust. He had to swallow past the lump in his throat. Warwick trusted him. He patted Warwick and received a low, growly purr in return.