by Eden Glenn
Yet, reality intruded with a slap to her logic. She’d never heard of their country and certainly never a place where psychics ruled the government and couples merged together mentally. Their country benefitted from human trafficking. A practice she could never accept. At least they agreed on that.
“Wren, I am your friend and I do care about you.”
She couldn’t control the curt nod she gave Izzy.
“There’s so much we don’t know. Information has been lost or hidden. Wren hasn’t had the benefit of being raised in Wyrmarach. I’m not totally sure how they will accept her.”
Wren wanted to shout, yeah what she said. Wren didn’t want to be in charge of anything, much less a whole society that expected her to be a strong, no nonsense person.
She often didn’t balance her personal check book. Was it really so bad to start over with the balance the bank gave you every few months? She couldn’t even get her laundry put away. Her own store was months from bankruptcy. This destiny thing was a trip she didn’t deserve, didn’t want and wasn’t ready for.
Ethan’s nod held measured compassion and understanding. “If she is human. She would not be anyone’s first choice.” Ethan looked from Wren to his sister.
Not be anyone’s first choice? Whoa. The words burst from her in an explosion. “I’m not too enthusiastic about this whole weird sci fi drama at the moment either Mr. no-first-choice. And, and, well, we had sex once. Don’t I get a say in any of this? I’m not interested in being Queen, or this whole bonding business you keep yacking on about.”
“I don’t even know you people? How could your skin absorb my blood? And as for your human crack? Of course I’m human. What’s the option, Vampires? aliens from another dimension? Imperial Storm Troopers? Did you come here from outer space looking for woman?”
This got a whole lot weirder when they said they weren’t human. “So, if you’re not human what are you then?” she peppered the questions like arrows because if she stopped talking she’d probably scream. She couldn’t breathe.
“No Wren we are not entirely human.” Izzy shook her head. “If you promise not to freak out, we’ll need to explore that alien from another dimension theory.”
This just kept getting better and better… not.
Freaking hell.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Caleb reached out to take his sister’s hand. “We’ve lost too much being apart. We were a team once, family.”
Ethan took her other hand “Join us.” Ethan spoke as if wishing to heal an old wound between them.
Izzy whispered. “The beginning of a new age is upon us. I’ve seen it in the cards. I’m with you, all three of you.”
The tone of Ethan’s voice defined the regal authority of a monarch, matching his stature and bearing. “Isobeau, we will need you Watching for us, now. We need someone on the inside. We’ve considered a need to unite the Watchers organization with factions of our own cause.”
Caleb’s presence with Ethan and Wren hung heavy in the air. Ethan’s stern expression and hard eyes asked for, more than demanded Izzy’s submission.
Izzy half turned away from Ethan. She paused as if grappling with her decision. When she turned back to him her eyes shown glassy with tears and she nodded with a sense of formality to accompany the relief her smile broadcast.
“Yes, Highness.
Wren intuitively knew they were dancing around telling her some key points in the discussion, “Well, are you guys ready to clue me in on all the stuff you’ve left out?”
Caleb reached for her but she stepped back, trapped by the sink, throwing up her hand. “Answers. Now. Talk.” After having sex on the table and feeling like her best friend trampled her privacy, she deserved some answers. If she didn’t know better they were trying to keep her distracted from what was really happening. Izzy sat down at the table giving Ethan and Caleb the lead on dealing with her demands.
Wren clearly heard Caleb’s mental call. Ethan, we have to take a chance and tell her. She shouldn’t be able to hear someone’s thoughts. The idea freaked her out a little more which with the kind of day she’d had so far seemed impossible.
She stared Ethan down. “Yes you do. I can hear you talking to each other, inside your heads. Izzy says it’s a sign of our bonding?”
Izzy interrupted “Potential bonding.”
“Okay, potential then.” She needed answers. Wren wanted a better explanation than what Izzy provided. Too much had happened since her scare of falling through the stairs, she had time to examine what was going on and realized how far from a normal retail Wednesday her day had eroded.
They just stood there together more delicious than any men had the right to be.
Caleb had the decency to look chagrined. He got up from the table and started to pace while his twin rose to plant in the middle of the room like a wall.
Ethan stood with his hands fisted on his hips. No, she couldn’t think about how good his hard pectoral landscape would feel beneath her hands.
“I can feel what we’ve told you tearing at you. It’s a lot to absorb. You’re going to be fine Wren, just a bit of information overload at the moment. Trust us. Give us the time we need to explain this whole thing in manageable bits.”
Ethan gave her his trademark look from beneath a cocked eyebrow then pulled her into his arms with tenderness and an intimacy that transcended the brief hours they’d known each other. She’d not expected any of this when she’d left her apartment that morning.
Wren placed one hand on his hard chest and the other on Caleb’s arm. An odd surreal quality gripped her. A sense of connectedness enveloped her. Sometimes you had to accept family where you found it. These men and Isobeau could be her family. The one she’d longed for since losing Gram.
She decided to be honest about her state of mind no matter how farfetched it felt. “I’m being pushed and pulled by my emotions and I can hardly tell what is real anymore.” He leaned against her, hard against her thigh. She strained to stay focused on the conversation when his presence begged her to consider just how big he was, and how wonderful he would feel, ah, they would feel inside her. She needed to hear a logical explanation.
“I got the idea you guys were rulers of your own country, or going to be. Izzy claims we’ve started a bonding together, like I don’t even have a choice. I don’t even know how you eat your pizza? Do you bush your teeth with the water on or off?
“Good Goddess, I don’t even feel comfortable enough around you to pass gas yet and she’s saying I’m destined to be your Queen.”
She pushed up from the table. “I don’t think so. I’m not destined to be anything. I just want to sell soap and herbs.”
≽∞≼
Ethan guided her to sit back at the table. He talked slow carefully divulging a piece at a time. “So you aren’t going to be patient and let us reveal this in stages you can process are you?”
“I’m more of a rip the band aide off kind of girl.”
“We most definitely did not come here bride shopping. The Goddess led us to you on a premonition this morning, one of danger. We can only speculate at her reasons” He pushed out his exhale and frowned.
“Our people, are the Drakin people of Wyrmarach. A place you’ve probably never heard of and yes we are the royal princes until our time of ascension to the throne comes. We can’t predict when that will happen, only the Goddess knows.”
Yes, only the Goddess knew, if Wren didn’t accept them as mates or the bonding they’d started, he wasn’t sure if he and Caleb would ever be able to break the link to her. They may never be free to bond with anyone but her. This was some messed up shit. They couldn’t tell her that. It was a massive FUBAR
She snorted, a completely indelicate sound that he found endearing. “Home? Wyrmarach? Is that how the alien thing fits in, as in illegal aliens from somewhere in like, Europe or something?”
“Not Europe,” He sighed with a gusty exhale. “Wyrmarach is the other side of a dimensional veil.”
He waited watching her piece it together, shamelessly listening to her public thoughts. Other side of the dimensional veil? I’m missing something in all this information. Ah, not human and…transform, rise. Her face drained of color. “Princes from another dimension-- real Doctor Who shit. Wait, Transform and rise to what?” He gave her another taste with his thoughts as he had a couple times before with a light wisp through her mind freedom, power, soaring.
Ethan and Caleb spoke together. “We shift into dragon form as we hope you will.”
“Dragon?” the word fell from her lips in an awed whisper.
“You are of the blood. Possibly Fae and dragon kind have to be in your ancestors. This couldn’t have occurred otherwise. There is a possibility that some recessives can find their own change.” Caleb and Ethan started and finished each other’s sentences speaking in their twin speak synchrony. It was critical she embrace her new life with a healthy attitude.
“Flying.” Wren sighed, unable to hide the longing in her voice.
They allowed memories of flying to flood into her. Goddess, to be able to feel that kind of freedom any time I want.
She bit her lip. “When I say Goddess, I could be talking about any one of 30 deity of antiquity. When you call on Goddess you are talking about a specific patroness and a personage. She’s not a random epitaph; she’s real to you, isn’t she?”
He and Caleb nodded fighting to contain the sense of success. The feral golden light shone through Caleb’s eyes causing a predatory intensity.
Easy brother. Ethan grasped Caleb by the side of his neck with a shake.
She spoke surer, as if seeing how what they’d told her would sound out loud. It came across with less belief. This is insane-- “Dra-gons, from another dimension?”
Ethan knew she couldn’t absorb all they were telling her. She got up from the chair to move farther away from them as if distance could give her room to think clearer. She stood alone struggling against the emotions assaulting her. Ethan reached toward her.
“Don’t.” She threw her hands up to ward off more words from the two while fear and confusion intruded her shared thoughts. She couldn’t shake the bewildered feeling. Transforming into a dragon? That had to be impossible. Even though they had barely known each other a few hours, the feelings she had for the twins ran deep and poignant. They expected her to be a dragon, freaking Queen.
Dragon shape shifters, alternate dimensions, they were crazy, no insane. Something closed in her mind with a firm rigid snap pushing him out of her whirl of emotion and thoughts.
“No freaking way this can be real. There’s really no need to worry about my protection. In light of this really, safety is the least of my concerns. Believe me I appreciate your help this morning. I’m very grateful. This has nothing to do with you guys. Trust me it’s me. I just can’t…”
She turned pointing toward the back door. “Get Out.”
≽∞≼
Caleb squeezed the bridge of his nose trying to block out the pounding that had taken up residence in his head. The overstuffed cushion of the couch in the Royal Apartments in Wyrmarach enveloped him in a cloud of goose down.
Wren’s shouted, “Get Out” echoed in the empty vacuum of thought.
They’d driven out to their house in the forest and promptly traveled through the established portal to their home on the other side of the dimension. Re-grouping in their executive quarters in Wyrmarach seemed the logical thing to do under the circumstances.
“I can’t think anymore. We should have eaten some of that pizza.”
“I didn’t see her exactly offering after we dumped a portion of Hail-to-the-Queen drama in her lap with a size order of we shape shift into a dragon.”
“Dragons” Caleb corrected.
Ethan quirked his eyebrow at his twin.
Caleb clarified. “We weren’t clear on the singular part.”
“Fuck.”
A tap sounded on the door.
Caleb scooted to a defensive position on the wall to be hidden, and hissed. “No one knows we’re here.”
“Obviously someone does.”
Ethan opened the door and after a mumbled murmur of voices three young warriors spilled into the apartment. The first two were dressed in their battle armor; stretched leather covered their skin, dragon leather as grown from their personal sidhartha.
After the first shift in puberty a portion of skin was cut from an individual in dragon form. In a sacred ceremony that skin was applied to the human’s body where it absorbed. In that way an individual could always manifest dragon skin for protection while in human form. A dragon shifter would never be caught naked in the woods after their change.
The third man must have been their property as he wore a leather breaching and harness on his chest.
“I see you’re well informed to know we’re back.” Caleb sized up the three, returning to the center of the apartment. A sandy haired man preceded the other two into the room. The red head behind him had a pinched nervous expression on his face.
“I’m Cameron.” He clasped his fist over his heart, their customary sign of allegiance. “This is Duncan” He pointed to the red haired warrior who flexed hitting his chest so hard it thumped. Cameron nodded to the left. “Imal” indicating the man in leather harness. His hair was shoulder length and stuck out like a lion, scruffy facial hairs around his mouth and chin added to the feline appearance. He too thumped his chest with his greeting of respect. “I am from another place but you have my loyalty this life and beyond.”
“Tracker.” Caleb confirmed.
“Yes, I was involved in a Ve’negta battle for property and ended up on the losing side. Now I am Limaneha to our opponent.”
Ethan nodded to the men with Caleb accepting their displays of fealty. Limaneha was the title given to male sexual servants. Not like Trackers to be satisfied with being house pets, it was not surprising he’d joined the other two men’s surveillance teams, in spite of the risks.
Cameron continued. “We have eyes everywhere. We see everything.”
“A great skill to have-- now how about telling us what brings you here so late at night.”
Duncan spoke up his blue eyes flashing with emotion. “Kiernan didn’t go rogue. You’ve imprisoned the wrong man. We want his freedom.”
“Really now, that’s not the report we got.”
Cameron gave Duncan a glance then spoke. “We’ve taken great risks coming here. I hope you will consider the information we bring you. The Queen sent him over to investigate Dirk, a shifter that’s stirring up trouble on the other side of the veil.”
Dirk the name echoed in Caleb’s memory, a real trouble-making son of a bitch.
“Investigating is our job. Just for your information, we’re still hunting him.”
The young blond shifter shrugged. “I’m not in the habit of telling the Queen who or what she can investigate.”
Duncan shook his head, his hands moving to animate his speech as dramatically as his face spoke of worry. “You don’t understand. He was leading the resistance before he was sent Earthside. One of the Watchers turned him in as Rogue.
“We figure that maneuver fit into their agenda. We guessed you’d captured him. If not, he’s gone so deep underground even we can’t find him. There’s been no word for over six months. If you don’t have him then we’ve really got reason to worry.”
Caleb wasn’t sure what resistance they were talking about. The time Earthside of the dimension had put them out of touch with matters of the kingdom. They’d have to accept that their mission and that of the Watchers began to dovetail long ago. Now, to make the Watchers recognize their shared goals and then negotiate an agreement with them to cooperate.
“We really don’t have him.” Ethan assured the men. “Tell me why we should care.”
The three stood together like a wall of compact muscle “Haven’t you been listening? He’s guided the resistance behind the scenes on your behalf all this time.”
That explained the Tracker’s involvement even clearer, a resistance movement against the established kingdom, such things were treason made of. Caleb didn’t like the blind spot of knowledge for what issues the people faced in their absence. He felt something more in the energy patterns tied between the three of them. “There’s more.”
The three shifted with a discomfort that only comes from having to admit something awkward or farfetched. “Verucca Toadswizzler, the old crone, said to tell you ‘He is chosen for the service of your Jaita’me beloved Queen’.”
Ethan looked gut punched. “Fuck.”
Verucca Toadswizzler, wizardess, prophetess and supreme meddler in all things Ethan and Caleb. She was the woman responsible for the twins both being alive, following obedience to a vision.
By Goddess direction she’d appeared in the perfect timing to perform as the royal midwife for the birth. She’d refused to kill the second born royal twin or reveal their correct birth order. She was the most infuriating female in their lives and her influence always brought trouble and orchestrated massive change.
Caleb sunk into the couch. “I can’t think anymore. I’ve got to get something to eat before I have to dismantle another bomb on my doorstep.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Ethan fought to contain his desire to cut her fucking head off. Yet he concentrated on the gold tassels hanging from the lamps adorning the Queen’s chamber rather than the burn his muscles would feel swinging his blade fast and hard.
The glorious sight as steel parted her shrewish head from her shoulders. How gratifying the sight would be of her blood spurting like a volcanic flume across the white carpet. And how wonderful the relief would sound as silence descended from her yapping yammering, never ending criticism.
Queen Obretta jabbed her finger emphasizing her point stamping her cane on the hard marble floor. “You’re freaks and no one will have you. You’ll not have reign of this world while there is breath left in my body.
