by Sammie Joyce
Jagger’s knees collapsed. Rose went to the ground with him. “Hey, it’s okay.” She cradled his face in both of her hands.
“What have I done?”
“It wasn’t your fault. I don’t know what got into Gavin, but anyone would have panicked in your situation.”
Jagger nodded, but Rose could tell he didn’t believe her. He looked up at Mace. “Thank you for protecting her from me.”
“Like Rose said, it wasn’t your fault.”
Asher was standing over Gavin, his eyes following everything the healers did. After a few minutes that seemed to last an eternity, they stepped back.
Maria came over. “He’s going to be fine.”
Rose’s heart started beating again.
“He’s lost a lot of blood, so he’ll need rest, but he won’t have any permanent damage.” Maria squeezed Rose’s arm in sympathy before hurrying off. The rest of the coven needed managing. Rose knew she should help, but she couldn’t bring herself to leave Gavin’s side.
“Dane!”
He hurried over at her call. “What can I do, Rose?”
“Can you manage the dragons? You’re Asher’s second-in-command, right?”
“That’s right. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it. You just focus on your mates.” He cast a dark glance at Gavin and Jagger. Rose didn’t bother trying to defend them. There were more important things to deal with right now.
She knelt down next to Asher by Gavin. He was still unconscious, but he was breathing easily and his heartbeat felt strong when Rose pressed her fingers into his wrist.
“Let’s get him inside.”
“Agreed.” Asher picked Gavin up and started carrying him through to the basement where the five of them stayed. It had originally been the dragons’ place of confinement, but it was comfortable and homey, and they’d decided to stay there.
Mace and Jagger followed. Jagger got a wash cloth and undressed Gavin, cleaning the blood off him before putting him in clean clothes.
“I think it should be just Rose and me when he wakes up.” Asher pulled a blanket over Gavin, then sat down in a chair, prepared to wait.
“No, I should be here. I need to apologize.” Jagger looked wretched. Rose put an arm around him, offering her wordless support.
“We will call you when he’s awake, but we don’t want him getting upset the moment he wakes up. Don’t worry, you’ll have time to talk, but it’s Gavin who should be apologizing.”
“Asher is right, Jagger. You go help Mace get cleaned up.”
Mace was, of course, perfectly capable of cleaning himself up, but he seemed to understand Rose’s purpose. Jagger needed something to do right now, someone to help.
“Come on, brother, my shoulder is still a bit stiff. I could use some help getting a clean shirt on.”
When the two of them had left, Rose perched on the edge of the bed, waiting for Gavin to wake.
It didn’t take long. Maybe ten minutes later, his eyelids flickered.
“Hey, Gavin,” Rose said softly.
Gavin tried to sit up, but moaned and fell back. Rose knew that magical healing could do a lot, but if the injury was severe, the pain could linger for some time afterward. “What happened?”
“You got into a fight with Jagger. You were hurt. Maria healed you, but she said you’ll need rest.”
Gavin groaned. “I’m an idiot. Where is he?”
“He’s outside.” Asher stepped forward. “Care to explain yourself, Gavin?”
Rose thought that this was not the best time to mete out discipline, but she kept her thoughts to herself. Asher had been leading this clan for a long time before she stepped in as co-leader. This was a situation she had no experience in, so she ceded to his judgment.
“I don’t… it’s all blurry.”
“Let me refresh your memory. You were talking to Jagger. He was joking around, as usual, and you decided to take something he said personally. You attacked him. You were strangling him, and he panicked. He shifted and you were hurt. Now, care to explain yourself?”
Gavin pushed himself up on his elbows. It looked like it took a lot of effort. “I have to apologize.”
Jagger burst into the room, no doubt drawn by Gavin’s thoughts. Asher didn’t look happy, but he allowed it.
“I’m so sorry!” Both Gavin and Jagger spoke at once. Though they looked different in their human forms, their expressions of remorse were identical.
“It’s not your fault, brother,” Gavin said quickly, before Jagger could get anything else out. “I almost got myself killed; it’s not on you.”
“I should have controlled myself better. If I hadn’t panicked—”
“Then I might well have killed you, and then where would we be?”
The two of them hugged, then Jagger carefully laid Gavin back on the bed. “You get some rest.”
“I will.”
At a look from Asher, Jagger left. Asher turned back to Gavin. “Now you listen here. I don’t care what your reasons were or how angry you were. Your behavior was unacceptable. You were hurt, Mace was hurt, and Mace was the only reason Rose wasn’t hurt too. You have a mate now, brother. If I see you put her life in danger like that again, you will be leaving this clan for an extended period, and you won’t be allowed back until you have your head together. Am I understood?”
“Understood, sir.”
“That’s all I have to say, then.” Without another word, Asher left. Rose could understand his anger, but she couldn’t bring herself to berate Gavin too, not with him looking so guilty already. He flinched as she looked at him, clearly expecting a reprimand from her too.
“You really worried me,” she said quietly.
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“Do you mean that, Gavin?”
“Of course I do. You know I do.”
“Then tell me what happened.”
“It’s like Asher said. I lost control of my temper. I put everyone around me in danger, you included.”
“I know that, but what I mean is, why did you lose it like that? You’ve fought with Jagger before, but this was something different.”
Gavin hesitated. “I don’t think you’ll understand.”
“Try me.”
He took a deep breath. “My father shared my mother with a number of other dragons. It’s just how we work—it always has been. I’m not sure I’m cut out for it, though. I don’t know if I can share you. I hate how you’re always laughing with Jagger, or sharing looks with Asher, or babying Mace. It drives me mad that they get to touch you, and that I can’t have you to myself. I feel left out when you spend time with them.”
Rose hadn’t picked up anything like this in his thoughts. Gavin must have been trying very hard to hide it from her, as it was clearly eating him up inside. Rose’s first reaction was indignation. She loved Gavin just as much as she loved Jagger, Mace, and Asher. She wasn’t leaving him out! She would never do that.
She clamped her mouth shut. She may not have thought she was leaving Gavin out, but that was how he felt. It had taken him a lot to tell her, probably because he also knew that she wasn’t really showing preference to his brothers over him. Whether she was or wasn’t didn’t really matter, though.
If Gavin felt like she wasn’t spending enough time with him, then she needed to adjust. He always took such good care of her. If she said she wanted the moon, he’d find a way to get it for her. He wasn’t asking for the moon. He just wanted some quality time with his mate.
“Hey.” She put a hand under his chin, getting him to look at her. Gavin looked like he was expecting her to condemn him for his struggles, and it was heartbreaking for her to see.
“Gavin, listen to me. You do have to share me; that much can’t be avoided. I love your brothers just as much as I love you. But that doesn’t mean your struggle is invalid, and it doesn’t mean you can’t ask for help.”
“How can I ask for help? I can’t ask them to leave you—you are theirs too, I know, no matter h
ow much I might wish otherwise.”
“So maybe you need more alone time with me than them. I know we mostly spend time together as a group, but if that doesn’t work for you, we can do stuff individually too.”
“They won’t be happy if I hog you.”
“I’m not saying I need to spend more time with you than with any of them, just that maybe some of the time I do spend with you should be with you alone. You’re all different people with different needs. They will understand that; I’ll make sure of it.”
Gavin still didn’t look convinced.
“How about this? We can arrange individual dates for all of us, not just you. That way, no one can complain you’re getting special treatment.” Rose found she liked the idea. “Every week, I’ll set aside one night for each of you, alone. We’ll have dinner, then spend the night alone together. The rest of the time, we can spend together, as usual.”
Gavin only needed to consider for a moment. “I’d like that. When can we do it?”
“How about tomorrow night? You look like you’re about to pass out—I reckon you probably need to spend the rest of the day sleeping. We can have dinner and the night together tomorrow.”
“Dinner tomorrow is great, though I’m not sure I’ll be up to much in bed.” Gavin sighed regretfully. “Getting stabbed really took it out of me.”
“I’m sure we’ll still find ways to have fun.” Rose sent him an image of her thoughts. They were both naked, and Gavin was lying on his back in bed. She was giving him a blowjob. Even through the blankets, she could see his cock rising.
“Tease,” Gavin muttered, but he was smiling.
“Now, I say you get some rest. Care for some company while you fall asleep?”
Gavin pulled the covers aside, allowing Rose to climb in. “I’ll be glad for the company, but I doubt I’ll be doing much sleeping with you pressed up against me.” He looked meaningfully down at his cock.
“Nice try, but you’re not getting any today. Maria said no strenuous activity. I may be willing to bend the rules tomorrow, but today, all you’re getting is chicken soup and sympathy.”
“Well, it was worth a shot—I’ll take it. Do I get to see you in a sexy chef apron?”
“Maybe tomorrow.” Rose sent him another image, this one of her wearing a skimpy apron and nothing else.
“You do know you’re torturing me, right?”
She laughed as she snuggled down next to Gavin, running her fingers through his hair. Rose fully expected to be up for hours. She felt wide awake from all the adrenaline.
Apparently, adrenaline had its limits, though. The stress of the day all seemed to catch up to her at once, and she drifted off in Gavin’s arms.
Rose woke up to movement around her. There were no windows in the basement, but she checked her watch to find that it was nighttime. Jagger, Asher, and Mace were coming to bed. The five of them had been sharing a bed for months now. Rose loved it, but she also wouldn’t mind having time with each of her dragons individually.
Mace was on her left, with Gavin still on her right. Jagger crawled in next to his twin, brushing the hair off Gavin’s forehead. Even though everyone had assured him what happened wasn’t his fault, Rose knew he still felt guilty.
Asher was on the edge next to Mace. He caught her eye and gave her a soft smile. “Go back to sleep, love. We didn’t mean to wake you.”
Rose mumbled something incoherent as Mace spooned her from behind. It was extremely comfortable. Before she knew it, she was asleep again.
Chapter Three
Waking up entangled with her dragons was always a pleasant experience. Rose was in no hurry to get up. They typically lounged in bed for a while when they woke, talking and catching up.
Apart from her, only Jagger was awake so far. “Hey. How are you doing?”
He shrugged. “I’m just glad he’s okay—you too. I could have killed you.”
“Let it go, Jagger.”
He nodded, but Rose was sure it was simply to appease her. Jagger wasn’t going to be letting this go anytime soon. She worried for him.
“We should get tattoos.”
“What?” The suggestion took her completely by surprise. Asher had tattoos—black, swirling designs that covered his arms and back—but none of the other dragons did.
“You know, matching tattoos, all five of us.”
Rose found herself liking the idea. “What do you want to get?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t really given it much thought.”
“I’m in.” Asher had been woken by their quiet conversation. “I’ve been trying to convince you wimps to get inked for years. If Rose manages it, more power to her.”
Mace and Gavin were also roused by the conversation. “What about dragon back spikes?” Mace suggested, his voice shaking with suppressed laughter.
“Shut up,” Gavin muttered, while Jagger gave Mace an approving look.
“Definitely not.” Rose managed to refrain from laughing with difficulty. “You’re a bad influence on him, Jagger.”
“No arguments there,” Mace agreed. Jagger reached over to swat his shoulder, but Mace ducked behind Rose.
“We could get matching motorcycles,” Asher suggested hopefully.
“Shut up, Asher, I’m not getting your mistress tattooed onto my skin.”
“She’s not my mistress.” His injured tone had Rose laughing.
“And yet you call her ‘she’.”
“She’s definitely his mistress,” Jagger added. “You should see the things he does to her when they’re alone together.”
Everyone roared with laughter, even Asher.
They chatted for a few more minutes, the argument of yesterday seemingly forgotten. Rose could tell that both Jagger and Gavin still felt bad about it, but that would ease with time.
As the four of them exited the basement, heading for the dining room, Rose was surprised to find a number of witches waiting for them.
“Are you okay?” Wendy asked Gavin. “We’ve all been worried about you.”
“Jade and a few of the others nodded their agreement.
“I’m fine—thank you.” Gavin was clearly taken aback, but he returned their smiles tentatively.
It was heartwarming to see the witches’ genuine relief at his words. Asher had been in mental communication with the other dragons, so they all knew that Gavin was fine, but the witches didn’t have the benefit of instant communication. They could do it with a spell, but that wasn’t attempted unless necessary.
One of Rose’s lessons had been about when to use magic. Magic was like fire in some ways—an invaluable tool, but one that could be dangerous if not used carefully. The coven was encouraged to use phones when possible.
The dining hall was packed. Multiple people came over to tell Gavin that they were happy to see him up and about. He took it graciously, even though Rose could see he didn’t really like all the attention.
“So, what’s on the schedule today?” Jagger asked.
“I’ve got my classes as normal.” Rose was still learning magic with Annabelle, Jade, and Wendy. Now that Kaylee was no longer posing as coven leader, Maria had delegated Elaine to teach them. This was more than okay with Rose. Elaine specialized in translating witch magic to human medicine, which was something Rose wanted to work on herself as soon as they had Hellith under control.
No one had heard anything from Hellith, which was making everyone nervous. As part of their training, Elaine had been teaching them some of the history around Hellith. In the past, she had wreaked havoc and destruction. No one understood why she had gone silent after revealing herself.
Asher suggested that maybe she wanted to gain some strength before renewing her attack on the coven, but she had seemed plenty strong to Rose when they had fought her nine months ago.
“I told Maria that I can lead a lesson she’s running about fighting a flying opponent, since Hellith can fly. I was thinking Mace and Jagger could help me.”
“What, you
don’t want the crazy brother joining you? Worried I’ll go off and start attacking people?”
“No, Gavin, I wasn’t thinking that,” Asher said patiently, used to Gavin assuming the worst. “You need rest, remember? Flying around and having spells thrown at you is hardly restful. Take the day off and enjoy it.”
Gavin mumbled something sourly under his breath, but Rose couldn’t make it out.
She kissed all of her dragons before going off to class. When she’d first come here, classes had taken at most a couple of hours per day, but at her suggestion, Maria had extended their lesson times, and made some form of training mandatory for all witches. The more experienced witches weren’t happy about it, but they knew that they had to do what was necessary to fight Hellith.
Now, instead of just the morning, Rose would be in class until the evening. She didn’t mind; she loved learning. When this was all over, she still hoped to go back to medical school. Modern medicine could be revolutionized with some of the healing spells witches had.
Of course, the humans didn’t know about witches of dragons. That, as Elaine explained, was most of the problem. It would be easy enough to bring some spells and potions into medicine. The hard part was doing it in such a way so that the humans didn’t realize that witches existed.
If their existence was discovered, Rose didn’t doubt that they’d all be locked in government facilities within the day.
Today, they were learning about shield spells, which would be vital when fighting Hellith. Rose already knew a basic shield spell, but Elaine had a lot of useful strategies for the best ways to increase shield strength with minimal energy investment.
To test it, they paired up. Rose stood on one end of the room, facing Annabelle, who was on the other side. Rose used the hurling spell they had already learned to chuck a pillow at Annabelle. It sailed through Annabelle’s shield, hitting her in the face. Fortunately, it didn’t do any damage—that was exactly why Elaine had directed them to practice with pillows.
After several tries, Annabelle’s shield deflected the pillow.
“Well done, Annabelle! Now, see if you can add some of the elements I told you about. If you do it right, the pillow should be incinerated on contact, though I don’t expect you to get that far today. But hopefully you can at least singe it.”
