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

by Ava Mason

I shook my head, growling low. “Let me go.”

  He shook his head. “No. Not until you agree with me.”

  “Fine. I agree with you.”

  He frowned. “That’s not going to cut it. You need to really agree with me.”

  I struggled against him and Hunter looked up towards the gate. Easton’s face came into view. “Lizzy, if you don’t calm the fuck down right now, the guards are going to hear us.” He put his hands on my arms, leaning down, his face serious and demanding. “Calm down. Now.”

  His voice was a command and I nodded, suddenly calming down. Closing my eyes, I laid my head against the ground, panting. Easton leaned back, loosening his hold on me. I opened my eyes to stare at him but his eyes weren’t on me, they were on the gate ahead. I took a moment to get control over my feelings. Sucking in a breath, I repeated some of the things that Christian had taught me in a low whisper. I wished he were here right now. I calmed down enough that my magic disappeared in wispy waves.

  Easton looked back down at me, his shoulders relaxing. “You okay?”

  I nodded but he checked me over anyway. “I’m sorry if I hurt you.”

  “I’m okay.”

  He fell back on his ass. “That was close.”

  “I wasn’t that loud.”

  He leveled his gaze on me. “Your magic shot through the sky, babe. They were all staring at it hurling across the sky, including Garrett and all the guys that just came in the trucks.”

  “Oh, crap.” I clamped my hand over my necklace. “Shoot, I’m sorry.”

  Hunter leaned over, smiling at me. “It’s okay. I think they wrote it off. It’s my fault. I should’ve expected you to have a reaction.”

  He held his hand out and I clasped it. Instead of helping me to my feet, he pulled me into his lap, wrapping his arms around me. I leaned into him, his calm reassurance helping me feel better.

  Easton crouched in front of us, holding our backpack. “You sure you’re okay?”

  I nodded. “Yeah, thanks for taking me down.”

  He smiled. “No problem at all.” Then he reached in his bag and pulled out one of the MREs. “I brought you chocolate brownies. Want it?”

  I growled and grabbed it, tearing the lid off. “Yes.”

  Both Hunter and Easton laughed, but I pouted instead. “Okay, you guys bleed from your dicks for four days straight and then you can laugh at me all you want.”

  Their laughter cut off and I smiled, enjoying the chocolate, happy that today was the last day of my period. I noticed they were watching the house carefully, so I put it away to grab my own pair of binoculars. Nothing had changed, the truck was still there but they’d all gone inside. I was feeling mostly better except the queasy feeling in my stomach still hadn’t left. I began to feel antsy.

  Garrett came out with two of the guys from the truck. The wolf stirred inside, she was ready to bust out and kill him, but I had more control over myself now. I settled for a low growl and made sure that my necklace wasn’t going to go all bonkers again. It warmed at my throat, but nothing else.

  Garrett and the guys went to the back of the truck and pulled out a long crate. They laid it on the ground and Garrett left to go to his garage. He returned with a crow bar and they opened the crate. Hands on his hips, Garrett stared down at the crate, talking to the guys for a while. Then, finally, they shook hands, and the two guys helped Garrett carry the crate over to the garage.

  “What are they doing?”

  Easton shrugged. “Looks like Garrett is getting involved in the illegal weapons trade.”

  “What’s he got in there?”

  “It could be several different things. We’ll have to find out what.”

  We watched as they left the garage and went into the main house. About thirty minutes later, I saw Shayne. I gasped, now able to fully recognize him. I watched him get into his car, then he drove down the long driveway to the gate. This time he held his hand out to the guys at the gate, handing off a six-pack of beer.

  Awesome. Party time for illegal weapons.

  I loved where Garrett was taking the pack.

  We settled in for a long wait to see if anything else happened, thinking that tonight might be our chance to do something. After a while, Easton lay down to take a nap since he’d be taking the evening shift.

  A while passed and nothing else happened, except we could hear loud music blaring. But the longer we watched them, the more uneasy I got. I kept shifting my position on the ground and Hunter kept glancing at me, noticing my uneasiness. But I couldn’t shake it and the queasy feeling grew into dread. “Hunter.”

  He turned to me.

  “Something’s not right.”

  I shifted my body again, this time sitting cross-legged on the ground and tried to focus on my feelings. Suddenly a sharp pain hit my body and I doubled over, grunting.

  Hunter clasped my shoulder. “Lizzy, what’s wrong?”

  Easton jumped up. “Babe. What’s happening?”

  I clasped my stomach and pushed through the pain, looking up at them. “Something’s wrong with the rest of the guys.”

  8

  When they didn’t respond to our call on the two-way radio, we left Easton to keep a check on the activity at Garrett’s house. Then Hunter and I went back to base. When we got to the house, no one was home so we headed out the back door, slathered in mosquito spray to search for them.

  It took us two hours to trek through the woods. We followed the fence towards the southside of Garrett’s house, then tracked back in the opposite direction. My senses were on edge and I wasn’t sure if the knots in my stomach were from my own emotions or theirs. The moon was bright, which helped us walk in the darkness and calmed me a little.

  Hunter and I moved quickly and silently through the northside of the house, when I saw a lump on the ground. “Hunter.” I pointed towards it.

  We ran through the trees towards it; it was their backpack. I looked up, trying to see if they were in any of the trees, calling out to them. Hunter looked through the backpack and pulled out their two-way radio. I grabbed it, looking at it closely as if it would give me a clue to what had happened to them. The woods were eerily silent and I was officially freaking out.

  I threw off my clothes and shifted, smelling the ground. Suddenly my heart began pounding.

  Aaron. Aaron was here. Along with his brother, David. I followed their trail off into the woods. They were with Avery and Christian. I spread out wider, finally finding James, who’d gone off on his own. I moved through the woods, deciding to follow Aaron’s trail, and it took me to the street. The scent disappeared after that. They must’ve gotten in a car.

  I ran back to Hunter, my wolf being much faster than my human form, and shifted again.

  “What did you find?” Hunter had their two-way radio in his hands.

  I began to dress. “Aaron and David, his brother. They were with Avery and Christian.” I pointed in the direction that they went, then sat on the ground to put my shoes and socks on. “James left by himself, but his smell isn’t as strong. He might’ve left them a while ago.”

  Hunter put the two-way to his mouth. “Easton. What’s going on over there?”

  Easton was quiet for a moment and my stomach clenched, just waiting to hear from him. It felt like forever before he finally responded. “I’ve managed to get close enough to see that they’re all drinking. The truck that brought the weapons is still here, so they must be staying the night. There’s a huge bonfire out back. I don’t see any sign of anyone else. The only thing that’s changed is that Shayne came back, but only stayed for about fifteen minutes, then he left again.”

  Something told me that was important. I took the two-way. “Let’s track him. He knows where they are. I know it.” Hunter had followed him into town one day and managed to put a tracker on his truck at the grocery store, in case it was necessary.

  “I agree.”

  Hunter took the two-way. “We’ll pick you up on Cross Creek Road, as soon as you ca
n get there.”

  Hunter was driving and the anxiety in my stomach began to grow softer. Whatever was happening, Christian and Avery weren’t feeling anxious anymore. The drive took us up into the mountains and I began to see things that I recognized. We reached the corner with a farm and a long row of stalls on the left. I opened my window and the SUV filled with the smell of pig manure. I knew this place.

  When I was a small child, my dad had taken Shayne, my mother and I, to a piece of property he’d bought. He’d had plans to build a cabin on the property and use it as a place for the pack to go when we needed to get out of town. I remembered walking down by the lake and breaking cattails off their stems. I was sure this was where we were going.

  We arrived at a large cabin that looked fairly new. Shayne’s truck was parked out front. When we pulled up, my heart pounded in my chest. I knew my guys were close. And this… this property was mine. The lake looked the same as it had when I was a child, except that there was another house built on the other side of the lake; I could see a wooden dock jut out into the water.

  What the hell was going on? Had Shayne taken over the property and built something out here?

  We sat quietly in the car, waiting to make sure Shayne didn’t come back out. It was one in the morning and the moon was high in the sky. I was completely exhausted but I couldn’t sleep, even if I wanted to; my mind was buzzing with nervousness.

  When we finally decided that Shayne wasn’t going anywhere, we drove the car deep onto the embankment and quietly got out. Next to Shayne’s truck was an old Jeep and a van parked at the edge as if they were ready to leave at a moment’s notice. As soon as we were all out, the front door opened. We scrambled into the darkness of the trees and fell to the ground. That’s when I saw Aaron’s face.

  My heart caught in my throat. I froze.

  Holy shit.

  He looked… different. And.. glorious.

  His dark brown skin was muted in the light and his hair was pulled back into a ponytail. His hair had grown long and it trailed past his shoulders.

  His face was dark, his expression grim. Determined.

  He was so fucking beautiful, I had to hold back tears.

  This wasn’t the guy I’d grown up with. This was a guy who’d grown into a man.

  He walked up the driveway and a shiver went down my spine when I saw the expression on his face.

  He looked like a man ready to kill.

  I gripped the tree in front of me, trying to keep myself from running into his arms. Or, from running far, far away.

  I realized that Hunter’s hand was on my shoulder and I turned, pressing my back into the tree. I squeezed my eyes tight and I swear I felt it as Aaron passed by. Then his Jeep started and my eyes flew open. I stared into Hunter’s eyes.

  Should we reveal ourselves?

  Hunter gave me a silent shake of his head. No.

  My breath caught and I clasped his arm and squeezed it tight, torn by my indecision.

  Should I step out and show myself? Trust in Aaron, trust that he was still on my side? Or stay here and find my guys. Save them, if that’s what was necessary.

  And then, I took a deep breath, and stepped out from behind the tree.

  9

  I moved to stand in the headlights of the truck, and there was a moment I doubted myself. In those seconds, my legs were fixed in place. I couldn’t think, I couldn’t take a breath. I couldn’t see anything except for the lights, shining on my face.

  It was a moment I hated.

  And then the door opened and Aaron ran towards me. My breath caught in my throat and I couldn’t stop the tears that sprung to my eyes. I met him in the middle and he crushed me in an embrace. He smelled light and woodsy, with an added hint of something I couldn’t recognize and in that moment, everything felt right with the world.

  He was mine again. Even if he was married to someone else and even though I had my own guys that I loved, in that singular moment, that singular breath, he was mine again.

  “Lizzy. Holy cow. It’s you.” His fingers pressed tight into my back and his face nuzzled into my neck. He took a deep breath in, smelling me. Then he gripped my shoulders and pulled me back. His eyes caressed my face, taking in every detail, looking over me lovingly and with an intensity that couldn’t be explained. “I can’t believe it. I can’t tell you how long I’ve waited for this day.” He pulled me back into a hug and the knot in my chest loosened.

  “What are you doing here?” My voice was muffled by his shoulder.

  He pulled back and his eyes had darkened. “I live here, with my mom and my brothers and sisters.” He looked hesitant. “I thought you’d be okay with it.”

  I frowned. “Of course I’m okay with it. Why wouldn’t I?”

  “Because this is yours.” He gestured towards the cabin. “Your dad built this.”

  I didn’t turn around. Something else my dad hadn’t told me. “I didn’t know. I mean, I knew about the property, but I didn’t know he’d actually built anything here.”

  Aaron nodded and his hands were still on my waist, pulling me close. “It was fairly new. I think he did it in case of my dad. He must have suspected.”

  Silence fell between us and I could feel the stares of Easton and Hunter at my back. Crap. I was going to have to explain all this to everyone. I looked into his eyes. “You look different.”

  He looked away, shrugging. “So do you.”

  I nodded. “I am.”

  “Have you shifted?”

  I nodded again. “Yes.”

  “And…?”

  “Yes. I’m white, like my dad.”

  “I knew it.” He looked proud.

  I smiled, feeling his respect. “And there’s so much more, Aaron. About the necklace—”

  He suddenly looked behind me and his arm tightened on my waist to pull me behind him. I sighed. I was pretty sure that Hunter or Easton had gotten tired of waiting for me to introduce them. I turned around to see Hunter walking towards us, a grim look on his face. And his eyes were looking right at Aaron’s hand on my waist.

  I took a step away from Aaron. “It’s okay, Aaron. He’s with me.”

  “Who is he?” Aaron’s voice was a low growl. A protective growl.

  I wanted to touch him, to comfort him. But how could I do it without it seeming too personal? I decided on his shoulder. Yeah, that was a safe space. “Aaron, it’s okay. I, uh.” Shit, this was going to be crazy. I just wished Hunter had given me another minute. “Aaron, this is Hunter.” I sighed. “Come on, Easton.”

  Easton stepped out from behind a different tree than before, surprising me; he was much closer than before. His face held no emotion. “Easton and Hunter, this is Aaron.”

  Shit, shit, how the hell do I even start? “Easton and Hunter are part of the team that helped save me from the pack.”

  Aaron’s eyes widened and he took a step back, now clinging to a bit of my shirt and pulling me with him. “So they’re dragons.”

  I nodded and he looked at me.

  “Are you okay? I mean, have they treated you…?”

  “They’ve been perfect.” I smiled, now looking at them and Aaron turned to study Hunter, who was a foot away.

  Hunter put his hand out. “I’m Hunter.” His face was serious, and had a tight edge to his body. Aaron took his hand and I saw Hunter squeeze it tight. Then Easton was there, introducing himself. It was obvious that no one trusted the other.

  “Thank you.” Aaron loosened up a little bit. “For saving Lizzy, when I couldn’t.” There was a bit of humility to his voice and I saw Hunter and Easton visibly relax.

  Hunter shrugged. “Anything for Elizabeth.”

  Aaron’s eyes widened but he didn’t respond and I decided now was a good time to ask about the others.

  “We came for three other members of our clan.”

  “Your clan?”

  I shrugged my shoulders. “Actually, they’re, uh… I’m their Alpha.”

  “Seriously?” Aaron p
ulled his hands through his hair. “You’re shitting me.”

  I shook my head, feeling a little bit angry. “Why not?”

  “No, I uh, I mean, you know that I’ve always believed in you. That’s not what I meant. I just didn’t know that a wolf could lead dragons.”

  “Anyway.” I decided to give Aaron a break, this was all new for him. “We’re here for Avery and Christian. And possibly James?”

  Aaron gave me a confused look. “We’ve got two men, not three.”

  I nodded, frustrated. Figures.

  “Come on. I’ll show you.” Aaron took my hand, pulling me forward and I glanced at Easton and Hunter. Hunter looked like he was going to punch Aaron in the face, and Easton’s face was still a mask. I realized that they could agree that I could figure things out with Aaron, but actually being agreeable in the moment might be a totally different issue.

  Sorry, I mouthed.

  Hunter frowned, but he gave me a hesitant nod. Easton just nodded, and I was pulled towards the house by Aaron. Except instead of taking us inside, he led us past the cabin out back. Ahead, I could see the form of one man holding a handgun and I recognized him immediately. It was David. I grinned, then let go of Aaron’s hand to run towards him.

  He stared at me in shock, but then he tucked his gun in his back and ran towards me. “Elizabeth!”

  I was enveloped in his arms, just like Aaron had done. When he let go of me, I looked him over. Aaron was the oldest, with David only being two years younger. His hair was almost as long as Aaron’s, tied in a ponytail at the back. He also looked different than before. Harder.

  “Is your whole family here?”

  He nodded, glancing at Aaron who was making stifling conversation with Easton and Hunter. “Yeah. After everything that happened with you and your parents, Aaron decided to get us out. Shayne helped us.” His dark brown eyes grew serious. “I’m sorry about your parents, Elizabeth. I wish… I wish I could’ve done something.”

  I pat his arm. “Me, too.”

  We fell silent for a second and I turned to see just a bit off, Christian and Avery staring up at me from a dark pit. “What the hell is this, guys? You’re keeping prisoners now? And in a pit?”