Throne of Oak (Maggie's Grove)

by Dana Marie Bell

  “Dragos, where are you?”

  Damn it. If Eddy had been downstairs doing his job instead of getting his brains screwed out Dragos wouldn’t have to deal with Kate. The boy would have warned him that she was coming and he would have had time to dive out of a window.

  The door to his office slammed open. “Dragos!”

  Damn. Too late to make a run for it now. She stood there, her foot tapping impatiently on his carpet, her crystal-blue eyes narrowed with irritation. Her skintight dress came off as desperate rather than sexy.

  He much preferred Mina’s warmth and quiet strength to Kate’s cold elegance.

  He made no effort to hide his annoyance at the way she’d simply barged into his home. She hadn’t even knocked. Please tell me I wasn’t stupid enough to give her a key to my home. He couldn’t remember a time when she let herself in. She’d always knocked before. “What do you want?”

  She sauntered forward. Her annoyed expression disappeared, to be replaced by...hunger? Her hands slid across her hips enticingly. “You, Dragos. Always you.”

  Ugh. He’d rather kiss Greer.

  Something of his disgust must have shone on his face because, just for a second, fury flashed across hers before the sexual heat returned. “We were so good together. You know we can be again.”

  He fought the urge to roll his eyes and took a step back. He didn’t want her touching him, even accidentally. “I have a sotiei, Kate. I’m sorry, but I thought I’d made it clear. The moment I met Mina, you and I were over.” He tried to keep his tone soft. It wasn’t Kate’s fault he’d found and loved Mina, but her persistence was becoming irritating.

  She scowled, making her pretty face ugly. “Mina.”

  “Mina.” Dragos wasn’t going to apologize again. Kate was being nasty, and she had no cause to be. He’d never made her any promises. He thought they’d both known that someday his sotiei would appear, and their relationship would end. He would be drawn to his sotiei as to no other. There would be no denying the bond, and there hadn’t been. The moment Mina set foot in the town hall that day, he’d known she was his, and he hers.

  Kate no longer mattered.

  There was no room for Kate in his life now that he had Mina. How could Kate not understand that? Everyone who lived in Maggie’s Grove understood the mate bond. Even witches had their own version of it. Fighting a mate bond was like fighting the wind. There was no way you could win.

  “Mina is nothing. She can’t even leave the Throne. How is she supposed to help you rule Maggie’s Grove?”

  He hoped to hell he managed to keep the shock off his face. Apparently, she was going to try and fight the wind. “She will rule her people as she always has.”

  “As Queen of the Forest, yes. Lady of the Throne, of course. But first lady of Maggie’s Grove? I think not.” She ran a finger between her breasts, apparently hoping her charms outmatched Mina’s. “You need me, Dragos, not Mina. Mina can’t be for you what I can.”

  Dragos smiled, his teeth sharp. He let his eyes slip—the pupils slit, the irises red. He knew what he looked like as his beast responded to the threat to his sotiei. “I think not.”

  Her eyes went wide just for a second before she reached for the fob hanging from her purse. “Dragos. Admit it, I’m right. And I’ve loved you for years—you know that.”

  He did know that. She’d been by his side, helping him, loving him for so long he’d forgotten what it was like to be alone.

  The smell of cinnamon filled him, overpowering even her heated scent.

  “Together we can be so much more...” She took a step toward him, her eyes glowing with love and lust.

  Dragos felt his cock twitch as she glanced at his desk and licked her lips. Visions of how he’d taken her there—bent her over the polished wood on more than one occasion, riding her until they both screamed their completion—filled his mind.

  “Let me show you.” She stroked his chest, practically purring with desire. “Let me remind you how good it is between us.”

  Dragos shuddered as her fingers tweaked his nipple. Goddess above, yes. He remembered how good she’d felt, how warm and wet—

  “Dragomir Ibanescu! You stop that thought right there.”

  Dragos jolted under Kate’s hand. Who dared interrupt him when he was about to—

  “Dragomir Ibanescu! Attend me.”

  Dragos took a step back. No. This was wrong. Something was going on. There was someone in his head, someone who didn’t belong.

  “Dragos?” Kate frowned, her concern touching. “You need to listen to me.”

  “Dragomir Ibanescu!” He gasped at the third calling of his name, his mind cleared of whatever it was Kate had been doing to him—the magic of his name breaking Kate’s hold over him. “Your sotiei calls to you.”

  Dragos screeched, his dragon ready to destroy the woman who’d almost caused him to betray his sotiei. “Witch! Back away from me before I kill you.”

  Kate glared at him, her determination written all over her face. “You belong to me, Dragomir Ibanescu, by blood, by scent, by seed and by soul.” She smiled grimly. “And if you think I’m giving you up to anyone, even your sotiei, you are sadly mistaken.” She pulled something off of her purse and threw it on the ground.

  Thick black smoke poured from the broken vial, the rotten egg smell of sulfur filling his office. Somewhere off in the distance he heard a scream—recognized it as Eddy’s—but he couldn’t move, couldn’t react. Whatever Kate had done had paralyzed him, left him helpless to respond.

  Kate walked through the smoke unharmed. She stroked his cheek. “I’m so sorry, Dragos. I truly do love you, you know. But I can’t allow Mina to have you, not now. There’s far too much at stake.”

  What was it with witches and crazy obsessions? Kate was unhinged. And dangerous. Far too dangerous to be allowed to live. He couldn’t risk another Terri, couldn’t allow—

  Kate began to chant, the sound distant, the words unknowable, yet terrifyingly familiar. There was an odd echo to them he’d never before heard in her magic. The language she chanted in was malevolent, evil at its very core. He felt her words shiver through his bones, and realized finally what she’d done.

  Sympathetic magic. Damn it, she’d used him, taken parts of him, and was now binding him to her through his own body. If she completed her ritual and joined them together there would be only two things that could break the spell: Kate’s death, and his sotiei.

  “It’s okay, Dragos. We’ll get through this together. I’m sending help.”

  Kate had one thing right. Mina was trapped in the Throne, unable to physically save him. But that didn’t mean his sotiei was helpless. Just the knowledge that Mina was protecting him from afar made everything better. She wouldn’t allow Kate to win.

  Kate had just made the mother of all enemies, and Dragos couldn’t wait to see how it all played out.

  He’d even bring snacks.

  Kate paused, the chant halted midstream. She looked behind her, an expression of terror on her face. “Shit.” She turned back to Dragos. “Remember, Ibanescu. You’re mine.” She kissed him, tasted him, taking even more of his essence within her. “I’ll be back for you.”

  She disappeared into the smoke as Trajan barreled into the room, an unconscious Eddy cradled in his arms, a wild look of anger and horror on his face. “Dragos, are you all right? Eddy told me you were in danger just before he passed out.”

  Dragos tried to answer, but he couldn’t move. Thankfully, as a vampire, he didn’t need to breathe, but without taking in air he couldn’t speak. “Was Trajan the help you were sending?”

  “No. They’ll be there shortly.”

  Ash and Greer, then. The two men were going to get heartily sick of Dragos’s office.

  Trajan nodded once, and gently laid Eddy on the sofa. “I’m calling Vasile.”

  Dragos really wanted to tell his brother to call Selena. There wasn’t much a dragon could do to release him. Despite the fact that they were made of
magic, they were still vulnerable to spells. He had natural resistances, but Kate had more than enough of his essence to work her magic on him. She must have been collecting his hair, his semen and his nail clippings for months to have this deep a hold over him.

  He watched in frozen silence as Trajan summoned Vasile to them. “Vasile Ibanescu!”

  “You called?”

  Vasile didn’t waste any time. He flashed right into the room. If Eddy had been awake he’d have passed out again from shock. Vasile had always been the strongest of them magically. His ability to flash in and out of spaces was rivaled by none. Not even Dragos had his precision, preferring to find an open space rather than risk a crowded room. He had no desire to become part of the furniture.

  Their father might not want to acknowledge it, but Vasile was the strongest dragon to ever live. Dragos was certain of it.

  Trajan pointed toward Dragos. “Some witch has hexed our brother.” He turned his attention back to his mate, caressing Eddy’s hair and crooning softly in Romanian.

  Vasile winced. “Ouch, brother. How did this happen?” He held up his hand. “No, don’t answer that.”

  Trajan chuckled.

  Vasile sauntered around Dragos, studying him. “This requires a witch to fix.”

  “Witch doctor.” Eddy moaned and clasped his head. “Is the big bad gone?”

  “Yes, little one,” Trajan crooned, scooping Eddy up into his arms. He sat on the sofa and cuddled Eddy close. “She’s gone, but her spell lingers.”

  “Who is the witch doctor?” Vasile rolled his eyes as Trajan cooed over Eddy.

  “Selena Giannone. She’s in Dragos’s phonebook. Or you can take his cell from his pocket. She’s on speed dial...number three.” Eddy laid his head back on Trajan’s shoulder, his face pale. Lines of pain had formed around his eyes and mouth.

  “My mate is sick.” Trajan stroked Eddy’s back gently.

  “My gift and my curse. I’ll be fine with some rest.” Eddy sighed wearily. “It will pass now that Kate’s gone.”

  “She will not come near you again. I will see to it.” Trajan’s voice was soft, full of affection, but his eyes as he stared at Dragos were purple. His dragon was close to the surface.

  Eddy shivered hard. “You’ll kill her.”

  “Shh.” Trajan stroked Eddy’s hair. “If Dragos does not, yes. I will.”

  Eddy snuggled close and allowed Trajan to pet him. “Good.”

  Trajan smiled down at his mate, his expression disgustingly happy.

  “Ugh. I’m no longer certain I want to find my mate.” Vasile shuddered in mock disgust. “Ah. Here it is.” He picked up the phone and dialed the number listed in Dragos’s phone book.

  If he could have, Dragos would have groaned. Selena was going to give him a pure ration of shit over this. He couldn’t blame her. She’d warned him more than once about Kate, and he’d ignored her warnings, choosing instead to believe in his affection for Kate and hers for him.

  Or had he? Considering Kate’s power over him, had he truly been attracted to her, or had it been a spell all along?

  “She’s on her way.” Vasile turned off the phone and placed it back in the charger. “She sounds...feisty.”

  Dragos heard the hint of attraction in Vasile’s voice, but couldn’t warn his brother away. Although Vasile was powerful, Ashton Ward was a ruling dryad.

  Vasile wouldn’t even know what hit him.

  “She’s taken, even if she doesn’t want to acknowledge it.” Eddy yawned. “Ash and Greer are on their way?”

  “Who?” Vasile frowned as he glanced at Dragos. “Oh. Your mate’s compatriots.”

  Eddy yawned again. “Ash belongs to Selena.”

  Vasile’s brows rose. “That’s an interesting way to put it.”

  Dragos’s pinky finger twitched. Hallelujah. Maybe the spell was wearing off.

  “Not really. Trajan belongs to me. I’m the weaker of the two of us, but he’d do anything I asked of him.”

  “Mm—hmm. You keep telling yourself that, my mate.” But Trajan never once stopped petting Eddy.

  Now Vasile really looked intrigued. “Meaning Selena is the more powerful of the two?”

  “And out of your league, so don’t even try.” Ash stepped into the room, his green gaze diamond hard as he stared at Vasile.

  “Ashton Ward, I take it?”

  Ash bowed—elegant and lethal. “At your service.”

  Vasile chuckled. “I haven’t met your mate. She must be deadly indeed.”

  Ash merely smiled, but there was a twinge of respect in his eyes. Vasile had not underestimated Ash, the first step to warming the dryad. Now to see if his brother did the same with Greer.

  If he could see past Greer’s facade, he’d prove himself to the dryads once and for all.

  “Move, damn it. Mina wants a report.” Greer shoved past Ash and stopped dead at the sight of Eddy curled up in Trajan’s arms. “’Bout damn time. No one likes it when a dragon sobs into his cornflakes.”

  Eddy flipped Greer off, much to his obvious amusement.

  “Known many dragons, have you?” Vasile crossed his arms and stared at Greer, but Dragos could tell most of his attention was on Ash. It was why so few people ever saw Greer coming. Ash was the obvious threat, the “alpha” male you kept your eye on lest you find him at your throat.

  Greer was not silent, but he was far more deadly.

  “Dragos, what have you done this time?”

  Selena sauntered into the room and he would have laughed if he’d had breath. She was wearing her favorite pair of faded tight jeans and a bright red T-shirt that read Magically Delicious. From the look on Ash’s face, he certainly wanted to find out whether or not it was false advertising.

  “If nmt mi fmt.” Well. At least he could get something out, even if it didn’t make a damn bit of sense.

  “Kate hexed him.” Eddy didn’t even open his eyes. “She’s gone way over to the dark side.”

  Selena sighed. “Dragos.”

  He rolled his eyes, and considered it progress.

  Eddy suddenly giggled.

  “What is it, iubita mea?” Trajan hadn’t once stopped petting Eddy, but from the way Eddy cuddled up against his mate Dragos didn’t think he minded.

  “I keep waiting for him to mutter ‘oil can, oil can!’”

  Eddy was going to find his cookie stash missing if he kept this up.

  “It’s so damn tempting to yell at you since I’ve got a captive audience, but I’m going to prove I’m the bigger, better person here.” She tilted her head. “You know what? Never mind. Consider me small and petty.” She slapped him upside the head, shaking her hand out with a wince when he didn’t budge. “I told you so, asshole.” She shook her finger at him. “And your hard head hurt my hand.”

  “Let me kiss it better.” Ash took her hand before she could blink, pressing a kiss to her palm.

  She glared before taking a step back. “What did we discuss about personal space?”

  Ash smiled, and Selena shivered. “Personally, Selena, I don’t give a damn.” Electric sparks jumped between them, forcing Ash to let Selena go. The predatory smile remained, becoming sharper. “I hate it when you do that.”

  “I know.” Selena dusted off her hands and turned toward Dragos, ignoring the sudden scowl on Ash’s face. “Let’s start scraping off whatever it is you’ve managed to step in, shall we?”

  “I need to do something about those two, don’t I?”

  Dragos couldn’t answer. He was too busy bracing himself. From the look on Selena’s face, this was going to hurt like a son of a—

  Chapter Ten

  Mina shook her head, the throbbing pain not hers, but Dragos’s. It was so sudden, so intense, she felt dizzy.

  What the hell was Selena doing to Dragos? Driving spikes into his eyes?

  She rubbed her forehead and prayed Dragos understood why she’d severed the connection. Even without trying to maintain it she could feel him in the back of her mind,
the pain waiting to drive her to her knees. If she relaxed for even a second and let him back in, that agony would come rushing into her mind, swamping her senses. She doubted she’d be able to remain conscious. How Dragos was doing so was beyond her comprehension, but he was, and doing his own part to shield her from his suffering.

  Ash and Greer would help him, and now that he’d made up with his brothers they, too, would protect him. She doubted Trajan or Vasile would let Dragos out of their sight for the foreseeable future. If Kate could get to him in his own home, she could get to him anywhere.

  And that was unacceptable.

  Damn it. Van Helsings, dragon brothers, and now Kate. What else was going to jump out and bite them in the ass?

  Mina jumped as a roar erupted in the night, shattering the quiet evening and sending the animals scurrying for cover. That didn’t sound like any creature she’d heard before—and she’d heard the cries of quite a few. For one thing it was loud, shaking-the-trees loud, and so low it vibrated through her bones. For another, it was close, closer than she’d thought as a sudden wind blew the leaves of the oak, ash, birch and yew in the sacred circle.

  Flame erupted in the night—a yellowish-orange so bright it nearly blinded her—setting the trees outside the ring on fire.

  Shit. If that spread, if it got out of control in the least, the entire forest could go.

  Mina ran for her throne. She couldn’t hide, not now. Couldn’t get out of the way of the beast that was coming for her. The branches of her oak swayed, the leaves rustling as she settled herself on her throne. She closed her eye and reached out to the trees and shrubs surrounding the Throne, feeling their pain as the fire scorched bark and withered leaves. She sent out feelers through root and branch, leaf and sap, slipping into the collective consciousness of the forest as only the Queen could.

  She had to warn them, warn them all. The cry went out—the Queen summoning the elementals, the animals, the very trees themselves to the defense of the Throne. None would be able to ignore the summons, not the lowliest water sprite or the greatest dryad in town, Amara. They would all come.