Elizabeth and the Thunder of Dragons: A Reverse Harem Paranormal Romance (RH Fated Alpha Book 6)

by Ava Mason

  He paused, gathering his thoughts and I could tell that he was struggling to put into words what he was trying to tell me.

  “Just spit it out. That’s what Hunter tells me.”

  He smiled, but pushed on. “As an outsider coming in, you may see it as being able to add anyone into your group. But to them, they are almost one person. They know each other well. They’re a band of brothers. So you being with anyone, outside of the group, may be seen as cheating. Especially since your group has already been established. If Aaron had been there from the beginning, it would be different.”

  I let this wash over me. “But, what about James? Aria practically forced me to take him in.”

  “Well, your case is a little bit different. Just the fact that you’re a wolf makes it different. But you’re their Alpha, and you deserve that title, because you earned it.”

  I nodded. Damn straight I did.

  “James isn’t exactly an outsider. And if your Alpha needs to bring him in to make your clan stronger, than you can force it, if you want to. But Aaron, or anyone from the pack, would be different.”

  I rubbed my forehead, feeling a headache coming on. I realized that the guys were hanging around across the way, waiting for us.

  “I’m not really sure I understand the difference.”

  “Look,” he took my hand in a soothing motion. “You can do anything you want, Lizzy, since you’re their Alpha. But that doesn’t mean that if you do, you’re going to have a happy pack. So if you’re worried about that, which I’m sure you are, keep that in mind.”

  I nodded, thinking.

  “And honestly, I believe that if you still have feelings for Aaron and you think that he could bring something to the pack, then maybe you can work it out with the guys. And, of course, the same goes for James. But your Alpha isn’t going to claim Aaron like it would James, because that’s dragon magic only. So you have somewhat of an excuse for James.” He took in a deep breath, and I was starting to feel a bit weird that I was having such a hard time getting what he was telling me. “Just. Just before you do anything, make sure you work it out with the guys, okay? Don’t run up to Aaron and kiss him or something.”

  I burst out laughing and my face turned red, only because I’d just had a dream about that very thing the other night. “No problem. I think I understand.”

  “Good.” He kissed the tips of my knuckles. “Now I’ll let you go. I can see that they’re waiting for you, kid.”

  I gave him a hug, then waved goodbye after I got out of the car. I shut the door and headed straight for my guys, considering his words. I was going to have to talk to my guys about this before we left. But, I needed to figure out how I felt about it, first.

  “What’s one thing about yourself you wish you could change?” I sat on a bench across from Avery, and our plane was slowly gaining altitude. As part of my agreement with him, I could ask him any question and he had the choice whether or not to answer me. It was part of the whole trust and being open thing. So far, he had answered everything.

  “My eyes.”

  “What’s your greatest hidden talent?”

  His eyes sparkled, like he wanted to make a sex joke, but instead he answered. “Painting. It’s been a while, but I used to paint.”

  “I didn’t know that! What kind of paint? And what was your favorite thing to paint?”

  “I mostly used acrylic, but sometimes I tried other things. And landscapes.”

  “What is one thing that brings a smile to your face, no matter what kind of mood you’re in?”

  This time he didn’t hold back. He grabbed my chin and pulled me close, growling. “The thought that one day soon, you’ll fuck the shit out of me. I can feel it through my powers, Lizzy. I know you want me as bad as I want you.” I grinned, not denying it, and he closed his mouth over mine. Heat blazed through my chest and he pulled back, letting me go.

  “What’s one thing that’s a total turn on? I need to know, for research purposes only, of course.”

  “When the girl is bossy.”

  I raised my eyebrows. “Seriously?”

  He nodded.

  “Sometimes, I have, uh… control issues.”

  I smirked, but didn’t say anything, allowing him to continue.

  “It’s a turn on to just let go, let the girl boss me around.”

  “What’s the one thing you’re proud of?” I kept on going.

  He didn’t answer right away, but thought about it for a minute. “My kid. I mean, I know that she was never born, but I can be proud of that, right?”

  I nodded, meeting his eyes. “Absolutely.” I hesitated for only a second before I asked the next question. “What’s the stupidest thing you’ve ever done?”

  “Leaving you.”

  “I agree.” I nodded. “When was the last time you cried, and why?”

  “The same day I left you.”

  I opened my mouth to ask another question, but no words came out. My eyes stung; I was holding back my tears. “You cried that day, when you left me in the woods?”

  Nodding, he swiped at the tear that leaked out of my eyes. “I did.” His voice sounded rough.

  “Okay,” I fanned at my face, trying not to let any more tears fall. He grabbed it, not letting me move on to the next question, but held his hands on both sides of my face. He stared into my eyes with an intense focus, and my whole body was tuned into him. “I’m serious, Lizzy. I am sorry for the way that I acted. It was dumb and childish. I should’ve been open with the whole team from the beginning, but especially to you. I didn’t feel that I could’ve approached you from the first time I opened my assignment because I thought someone might have been watching me. And that’s a valid concern. But when I couldn’t discover who it was, I should’ve contacted you. If I could go back and do it all different, then I would. I swear to you, that I will never do anything like that again. I love you, Lizzy. I want to be with you. I will do whatever it takes to be with you. To show you my trust.”

  I gave up on not trying to cry. Tears were streaming down faster than he could catch them.

  “Okay?”

  I nodded.

  “Please, just say you forgive me. Say you’ll let me make it up to you.”

  I nodded. “Yes, of course I forgive you.” Avery had done nothing but try to make it up to me these past few weeks.

  He smiled, his face lighting up, then looked over my shoulder and I turned around. Christian was pulling off his shirt. Avery leaned back in to give me a soft kiss and warmth washed over me. “Thanks, love.”

  I smiled and he let me go. He looked up at Christian. “You flying with me?”

  Christian nodded. “Sure. Why not. It’s been a while since you and I’ve been together.” He smirked. “Plus, if you shift all the way, I won’t have to worry about dodging your shredded pants.”

  Avery jumped up, pulling off his shirt. “That sounds awesome.”

  Hunter sat down next to me and took a picture. He’d brought his camera and had been taking shots all morning. He also had a video strapped to his helmet that was recording everything. “It’s time.”

  “Oh, okay. What do I do?”

  “We’ll let them out first, then I’ll hook you up to me. Then we’ll jump out.”

  Suddenly, Avery’s pants flew across the plane, landing on Christian’s face. Christian growled, then, grinning, threw them out the door.

  “Hey!”

  Christian smirked. “Serves you right. Maybe you can catch them.”

  Avery jumped forward, then stopped at the edge of the door, watching his pants fly through the air. “Not funny, Christian.”

  Christian shrugged, grinning. “Seemed right to me.” Then he turned to me, his face lit up. “See you.”

  Nudging Avery aside, he jumped, head first, into the air. I ran towards the door, with Hunter close behind me. He clasped me tight as I looked out, watching Christian.

  Christian fell several feet and just as I began to get nervous, he shifted. The
sun glinted off his gorgeous black scales and his wings extended far beyond my view from the plane. Avery approached the door again and I stepped back to let him by. I saw the flash of his smile before he jumped and he hollered as he fell. Avery was a little bit more flashy, and he did a couple of somersaults in the air before shifting, and it was almost strange to see his whole body shift, instead of just his wings.

  Hunter passed me my goggles and helmet. I put them on, then he connected us, first at the shoulders and then at the hips. While he went over everything, I stared out the door, admiring Avery. The black and red design of his wings made it look like the landscape was on fire, and I couldn’t help but stare in awe at his beauty.

  “You ready?”

  “Yes!” I nodded while Hunter double, then triple-checked to make sure we were attached properly. I trusted him completely. He must’ve gone over his parachute ten times before he led us to the door. I stared out at the landscape, catching glimpses of Avery and Christian as they flew while Hunter yelled at the pilot that we’d meet him back on the ground. Then he clasped me tight. “Just remember, keep your mouth closed.”

  Without hesitation, I took a step forward and we dropped out of the plane. I squealed as we fell through the air, loving the rush of adrenaline. The air roared against my ears and occasionally, I felt Hunter’s hands on me.

  We fell for a while and I watched the patchwork of land below me. Avery flew by us and he caught my gaze. Dragons were so fucking beautiful. I couldn’t stop staring at him and Christian as they followed us through the sky. I watched the way their bodies moved, so graceful through the sky, noting the intricate way their scales shifted to make the air pass more smoothly. Everything about them was the right mixture of elegance and power, and their magic vibrated around them in bright pulses.

  Avery did a nose dive, turning in a circle as he did it, and I grinned. Show off.

  I was grinning so big when I realized that my mouth was dry. Now I understood why Hunter had reminded me to keep my mouth shut. Hunter checked his wrist a few times until he made a waving motion and Avery and Christian moved further away. As soon as Hunter felt comfortable, he pulled the cord and our parachute burst out.

  We drifted a lot slower now until we hit the ground. Hunter had told me to just put my legs out; we’d come to a stop on our butts. Avery landed a short distance from us, his pants in his hands, and then Christian came next, shifting a second before he landed.

  I turned my head towards Hunter. “We’re going again, right?”

  He laughed. “As soon as we go over emergency protocols, yes. We’ll go all day if you want.”

  2

  The next day, Christian drove me to the Interrogation Centre, a nondescript building in the middle of nowhere, Aerwyna. It looked like a small post office and the only thing that gave it any indication that it was a government facility, were the signs along the incoming road warning to STAY OUT.

  Christian was relaxed the whole way there, which calmed my nerves, until we pulled up into the parking lot. Edward was waiting for us when we parked but Christian held up his finger to tell him to hold on a sec. Then he turned towards me and grabbed my hand, his thumb and middle finger pressing too tightly on my fingers.

  “Pinky, I…” He fumbled with his words, trying to get out what he wanted to say and I waited patiently for him to get it out. He slid his fingers over my ring finger, over and over, his mind churning. I could feel his nervousness, not about what he was about to do but about what I was about to see, about him.

  I clasped my hand over his. “Christian, I don’t care what happens in there. I know who you are. You are kind and loving, and you never hurt people intentionally.”

  “But that’s the thing. When I work, I do hurt people intentionally.”

  “Do they need it?”

  One of his shoulders came up. “More like we need it.”

  “Is it keeping other people safe?”

  He finally looked into my face. “Do we? I don’t know. I like to think so. But sometimes I’m afraid I don’t know the truth.”

  I was quiet, thinking this over. “Do you trust Edward?”

  “Yes. Of course.”

  “Is what we’re doing today directly going to help keep the Queen safe?”

  He nodded.

  “Then let’s just think about that now. We can’t always see the bigger picture, but we have to trust those above us. But even if you kill that man in there, I trust you Christian. I have no doubt that you will have a good reason for everything you do. Nothing that happens in there will change the way I feel about you. Okay?”

  He nodded, then took in a deep breath. His eyes met mine again and they were calmer. More assured. He smiled and I brushed my lips over his. “You good?”

  He nodded and I knew that he was feeling better. Edward gave us a questioning look as we got out of the car but when we didn’t explain he looked at me. “Ready?”

  I nodded.

  He turned towards the building. “Alright. Follow me.”

  We followed him up the walkway and walked inside. The two guards just inside the doors waved us by. We didn’t go through any kind of metal or magical detectors, like where Andre worked, and there wasn’t even a receptionist. We followed Edward down a dull grey hallway, passing doors of mostly empty offices on both sides. When we got to the end of the corridor, Edward passed his badge over it. It beeped, then he put his eye up to the door. After scanning his eye, the door clicked, and he opened it.

  Edward went through first, but Christian motioned for me to go next. We immediately descended down several steps and ended in a large, bright room. There was also a lot more activity down here. The office space was open, not cut up into cubicles, but rather with several rows of desks lining the room. Almost all of the desks were occupied, with sometimes two or three people crowded around one computer monitor. We barely got any glances as we passed by and I tried not to feel invisible in a sea of Authority special ops doing their jobs. One girl glanced up from her computer and her eyes widened as they locked on mine. I looked away, but felt her stare as we walked past her.

  Edward stopped at a guard standing at the end of the room. They spoke briefly, and then we followed closely behind Edward as he led us to another set of stairs. This time, the guard joined us and our footsteps echoed down the stairs to the new corridor.

  This new floor was the exact opposite of the last floor. There were several guards down here, watching over a long row of closed doors. The floor was polished and the walls were a bright white. Everything was excessively clean and the only noise was the low conversation of some of the guards and the hum of overhead lights.

  Edward received several nods as we passed by the guards, then he stopped at a door and unlocked it. The door swung open and Edward stepped back to let us pass by. “We’ll be in here.”

  Christian touched me for the first time since we’d entered the building, his fingers brushed my hip as I entered the room. The guard didn’t follow us into the room, but passed by, pulling out a key and a keycard.

  The room we entered was simple, with a desk and four chairs. There was a single computer that was turned off and a desk microphone. It also had a large, one way window into the next room. I assumed that’s where Christian would question the guy, and my nerves began to spike again.

  Edward didn’t sit, but picked up one of the chairs and set it down against the wall. Then he leaned against the desk and crossed his arms. “I forgot to ask you, Elizabeth. Do your powers extend through the walls?”

  “I don’t know. Every time, they’ve broken the wall. I guess I’ve never tried not to break anything.”

  “Alright. Let’s try it, shall we?” He nodded to Christian and, after squeezing me again, Christian left the room.

  We had to wait for Christian to grab a guard to open the room, and while we waited, Edward turned towards me. “Let’s see how fast you can get your powers to work.” He nodded his head towards the next room. “Once Christian is interrogating
him, I’d like you to hold off your powers only until they’re needed, if at all possible. I want the prisoner to think that Christian is vulnerable. See what he’ll try.”

  “What if I break the wall?”

  He waved my concerns away. “Don’t worry about that. If you do, we’ll use another room.”

  “Okay.” I nodded and as soon as Christian opened the door, I directed my powers at him.

  He grasped the door handle, sucking in a breath as my blue powers lightly attacked him. He scowled at the window, even though he couldn’t see us, grunting. “I think they work.”

  He could be heard clearly in our room and I noticed speakers in the ceiling. Edward grabbed the mike.

  “Ok, we’re going to hold off on her powers until they’re needed. Now let’s try a physical barrier.”

  He nodded at me, and I softened my powers, creating a soft protective glow around him. I felt my necklace warm at my chest. Edward smiled and looked at me. “Good job, kid.”

  I rolled my eyes. I was getting used to being around him without crushing on him so much, but I wasn’t so sure I liked his nickname for me.

  “Now,” he continued, speaking into the mike, “let’s try a mental one, that one’s the most important.”

  I nodded. This one I would have to try to be more careful. I’d practiced with Christian last night and found it possible, but it required more concentration from me. I focused on Christian and siphoned off my magic until it was a gentle wisp surrounding his head, then it disappeared from sight. Even though it wasn’t visible, it was still protecting him; it was inside his head.

  This part was the hardest, to keep it there and protect him. I had to maintain absolute control not to damage his mind.