“Or so you hope. I don’t know Quinn. My gut says to take a pass on this. I think you should step away and come back more prepared.”
“And have to meet with him alone, and on his home turf? Uh-uh, I need you with me to do this. No time like the present, now, when he isn’t expecting it.”
Quinn scooted out of the booth, stood and adjusted her clothing. She would face her fears and confront Craig Bastian.
“Quinn, Quinn, no. Please don’t do this. I’ve got a bad feeling about it. Let’s go and regroup,” Wren said, pulling on her arm.
Quinn shook off her best friend’s grasp with relative ease. She took a few wobbly steps in the direction of the little love birds. After that, it was a breeze.
4
Lucien Drake… 3rd Division Station of the Northwestern Quadrant—Internal Earth
“You look… almost the same,” Greg said, eyeing Lucien. “What did you do to Joila?”
“Why do you think I did something to her? We performed the ritual and that was that.”
Greg wouldn’t stop staring at him. “Uh-huh. Let me guess, she wants to mate with you and you, being good old blunt Lucien, shot her down. You know, you could do way worse than Joila. She’s a great woman.”
“If she’s so great, why don’t you mate her.”
“Because, she’s not my mate.”
“Mine neither.” Lucien spotted a few of the others coming toward them. “You and I both know how this goes. If we meet our mates, it will be obvious. You see how Jax behaved. He fought with Hildy in a damn supermarket.”
“Yeah, that was pretty funny. Poor guy didn’t know what hit him until it was too late. No matter what he says, Hildy put a good ass-whipping on him. Let Matt tell it, she’s got tremendous ability and gives Jax a run for his money.”
“Matt has reported great things about her and the effect she has on Jax. Remind me to get an updated report from him on how those two are doing. I want him to push them. If this activity keeps increasing, we’ll need to have them ready to join us as soon as Jax completes joining with his Dragon.”
“Sounds like a good plan.” Greg had his large duffel swung over his shoulder and threw Lucien’s to him. After he’d located his fighting breastplate and leathers, Greg began to dress for battle. He asked, “When do we tell Hildy about all this? She needs to understand Jax’s calling and how it impacts her.”
Lucien didn’t want to get into details about how much more they should tell Hildy. A part of him wanted to make sure she truly was Jax’s mate. Another part wanted to tell her sooner than later. They could use her talents as a Warrior Siren, whether she was Jax’s true mate or not.
The warring thoughts didn’t make Lucien feel good about the situation. Instead, conflict and a little bit of personal disgust rode him. Who would have thought it would be hard dealing with the fact that his baby brother was mated to a Warrior Siren? For all their sakes, Lucien had to hope and pray this worked out between them.
Like their mother, Hildy was a Siren. That meant she could have her ways about her. Meanness wasn’t all that made up a Siren. These women were complex. They did weird things to the minds and emotions of men. Sirens spent a lot of time learning to control their own power and temperament. No, Lucien wasn’t sure Jax knew to the full extent what that meant. There hadn’t been time for him to sit his brother down and explain some of the things to be aware of, taking a Siren for a mate. Lucien and the other brothers were old enough to see first-hand what his father had to endure. By the time Jax came along, their parents had mellowed tremendously.
If Hildy weren’t the one for Jax, it would cause irreparable damage if she turned out to be a fling instead of the real thing. It was one thing to be with a great guy like Jax and a totally different one, being mated to a young, temperamental Dragon. In a few months, Jax would complete his joining with his Dragon. It could take years after that for the joining to solidify. In that time Jax was going to be a beast to deal with at times. Lucien wanted to make certain Hildy was a stick-and-stay sort of mate.
It was already touchy being mated to a mature Dragon. His mother had taught him things to know to help his mate if he ever became mated. Mating a young Dragon would be almost impossible on the mate. Hildy was strong but Lucien needed to know her emotional strength could meet the challenge being mated to Jax would bring.
His answer to his second on this would have to be short. The others were assembling. “If she proves she can handle what it takes to be mated to a Dragonling coming into his Dragon, then I’ll give the go-ahead to tell her. You know how hard it still is on the twins, and they’re way older than Jax.”
“Yeah, but the twins have always been a handful. I’m not sure there’s a woman out there built to handle either of them. As for Hildy, I think she’s growing in emotional strength each day as well. Something tells me she’s exactly what Jax needs to make it through the joining and afterward.”
“Your advice is noted. For now, we’ll continue to let them work together in physical training. They can help us with issues on the surface, as they arise.” Lucien trusted Greg’s instinct and decided to broach his thoughts with him. “Greg… do you think she’s really and truly Jax’s mate? I know you’ve heard the grumblings of the guys about the prophecy and all. But, none of that matters if this is just an intense fling between two young people.”
Greg didn’t immediately respond. After a moment he said, “I’m not a fortune teller, but yes I do believe this is the real thing between them. The fact that she’s a Warrior Siren like your mother hasn’t slipped anyone’s attention either. As for the prophecy? I hope like hell it’s true. It would be good to feel the touch of a woman who was dedicated to me and me alone. Think about it, Luc. To be able to touch a woman without it causing her pain, that would be a blessing I couldn’t pass up. You know? I’m not going to lie; it’s getting harder and harder going to the temple. I know the priestesses are just fulfilling the duty of the Goddess to help us out until we find mates. So yeah, I want to believe the prophecy is true, probably more than the others.”
Lucien found a fresh set of Warrior plates to cover his chest and vulnerable areas, when in shifted form, in the duffel and dressed. “What if the prophecy is just an old tale? What if we never find mates? Are you prepared to be all right with that? I don’t want to get mine, or any of the others hopes up if that’s what’s in store for us. The prophecy says the first Drake son, and I’ve not met anyone.”
“Luc, don’t be so full of yourself. Have you stopped to consider that the first Drake son could be any of you? As long as a Drake of your generation has become mated, the prophecy could be set in motion to be fulfilled. Look at all the increased activity of the portal. It’s like a cosmic invaders invite went out to have whosoever will come and attempt to breach the portal. That’s got to mean something.”
“Or it could mean nothing. I just wanted to know your take on Jax and Hildy. With all the craziness, I haven’t had time to even sit down with him. I still need to pass on knowledge of what he needs to know about mating that Mother gave to me.”
“Oh, thought you’d done that. It sucks that the fella can’t just go talk with her himself, with your folks being so far away.”
“Yeah, but he knew what he was getting into when he had that temper tantrum to come here as a child. I promised I’d raise him. Now I owe it to him and my family to make sure he’s got a fighting chance at having a successful, long-term mating.”
“Just like you—good old Papa Luc.”
“Don’t call me that. I’m Jax’s brother, not his father. My father would never stand for being replaced like that.”
“You know I’m joking.” Greg walked over to the smaller area, reserved for Lucien to prepare mentally before his shift. “Follow me, brother,” he said, motioning to Lucien. Once both of them were there, Greg spoke. “Lucien, the sensors show that Julia has attempted to breach the wards again. I got a notice while we were at the Temple. I thought you increased the wards to the hig
hest they’ve ever been. How is she still finding the Lair?”
Familiar but distant, the danger that hovered off somewhere just out of comprehension tugged at Lucien’s gut.
“I did. The wards are so powerful that I told Jax to make sure no one came into the Lair while I’m gone.”
“But did you specifically tell him why? You know how Jax is. He could think you’re being paranoid. I love him, but he’s still a little too trusting. That’s why we have the Julia problem now.”
“I know, but let’s be real, I haven’t seen or heard about a friend of Hildy’s since she came to us. And, we’re Jax’s friends. He knows better than to allow anyone in while we’re gone.”
Greg didn’t look convinced. “I don’t know about that. Something different is going on both here at the portal and back on the surface. I think you should let him know Julia’s still trying to get to him as soon as we get back.”
“I will. With how high I have the wards set, it might not be a bad idea if she did manage to get in. The pulse from the energy is enough to kill a regular human.”
“Luc, we both know that girl is no regular human. She’s so powerful in the dark arts of witchcraft that the pulse might feel like a boost instead.”
“You’re right. The only thing I can pray for is that Jax and Hildy are safe and use the good sense they have to protect the Lair. He knows no one is supposed to come into the Lair.”
“It might not be him, though. What if Hildy has company? We never asked if she had friends, only assuming her time with us was the extent of her social life. Now that Jax and Hildy are coming up for air from their bonding, she might have friends she wants to invite over.”
“Greg, you worry too much. Hildy doesn’t have friends, not with as mean as she can get.”
“I hope you’re right, because if anyone comes into the Lair, with the wards set so high, we may have some dead humans on our hands.”
“Nah, trust me, those two are only interested running about naked and doing whatever they do when we’re not around. As for Julia, she’s not going to find a way in again. Let’s deal with one issue at a time. For now, we have to get through this latest portal assault and get everyone back home safely.”
Lucien didn’t like the uptick in activity. If it continued with this much frequency, they’d end up staying here full time. The thought yanked a shudder out of him from deep within. In his Dragon form and in mid-air, he eyed the portal entrance. Lucien waited for the fresh onslaught of alien parasitic invading Warrior wraiths, soul capturers and other undesirables to emerge. The firewall his brothers and he had erected wasn’t holding. And, a breach in the southeastern portion had to be repaired—again.
Borrowing energy he didn’t have from somewhere deep within, Lucien propelled his massive Dragon form up, in a vertical assent. Like the atmosphere on the surface, the higher he rose, the thinner the air became. It would become impossible to continue climbing at his current acceleration without more power. There was no way to deny it, the power from the ritual cleansing wasn’t lasting even a fraction as long as it used to. A sharp pivot to get into position and he locked eyes on the target.
The current barrage of assailants came in new types of vessels that had proven to be fire retardant thus far. Lucien inhaled, allowing the bitter taste of the gel-like fluid to collect under his Dragon tongue. At the precise moment, he’d spew the contents on the first vessels to emerge. As mature Dragons, he and his brother Ivan were able to produce a substance that behaved like Napalm. With the ability to stick and adhere to objects, like Napalm, he could use it on the vessels and then ignite it with a regular fire breath. The intense slow burn of that substance might be the trick to infiltrating whatever shield defenses they used to coat or make the vessels.
Vibrations within his Dragon’s chest rumbled with the emergence of the attackers. They grow to roars with the promise of retaliation. The invaders were getting bolder. Lucien and Greg had sent reports back to their fathers and the elders back on their home planet with their recommendations. Close Earth’s portal to all travelers until he and the Clan could recuperate and get Jax up to speed. Having him would help them rotate out more of the guys. Seven smaller flying vessels broke through the firewall. In reflex, he sprayed them head on with the denser substance that might be more like human mucus than gel. Yeah, it was gross, but was concentrated and a great weapon of last resort.
Satisfied he had the machines sufficiently covered, Lucien looped around to the back of the vessels. He proceeded to light them up with a blast of fire so forceful, it left him wheezing. One of his advantages was that he and all his brothers blended in with the fire they created. The hides of their Dragons behaved like a living camouflage, providing cover. The vessels hadn’t spotted him yet.
“Take it easy with that stuff,” Greg said. It taxes Ivan and you too much when you use it. Plus it’s hard to contain, without doing harm to the surrounding infrastructure of the portal. I for one am not getting my ass chewed out by the elders again for “creating vulnerabilities in the portal.”
Instead of answering, Lucien continued to watch the vessels advance without much deterrent. Son of a biscuit eater. He was about to call Ivan over to help him douse the next set of vessels to come through when a wall of new flying craft broke through the fall. There were too many of them. Greg saw the onslaught of enemy invaders the same time as he did. Without Lucien having to think a command, Greg was already on it.
Greg, as Lucien’s best friend, Gryphon cousin, and lieutenant; rounded up everyone to go back to the station. The Clan had to regroup and get a different war plan. That was the way it was. Dragons had Gryphons as their second’s—partners—always watching their backs. Since they were more rare than the Dragons, one Gryphon partnered with two Dragons. Where the Dragons led the front lines of battle, using fire and their sheer strength, Gryphon held their flanks and protection of the rear. Gryphon were the best at close combat, able to fight in their shifted forms. Dragons needed to shift back to humanoid form to engage in close or even hand to hand combat.
Both shifter classes were born of fire; all fire-proof, and able to thrive in it. This was the best defense for the portal entries. The Dragons would produce the firewalls and reinforce them with a binding ward. The Gryphon would fight whatever attempted to come through the wards. Now it appeared the new batches of intruders had developed a way to withstand the fire and pierce the wards. And they came in droves.
Lucien heard Greg’s voice in his mind. The Clan could communicate telepathically in either humanoid or beast form. In their shifted form, the Clan communicated with each other. Although able to speak to any of the group, the links between partner Gryphon to their Dragon charges were the strongest.
“Lucien, we have to get out there and do it now, before they come through. Without another boost from the rituals, I’m not sure any of us will be able to sustain the attack.”
“Agreed.” Lucien had noticed Nolan flew slower and lower than usual. He must be sporting an injury and attempting to stay quiet about it. Lucien would make sure his Gryphon partner, Matt, was there to help him. He sent out a stronger link to all the Clan as he thought out the next set of commands. “Matt, go with Nolan, and take the twins too. Greg, Ivan, and I will take this part of the sector. Ivan’s due back any minute.” Nolan wasn’t at full strength. Coupling him with both their twin brothers, Rylan and Kylan, and Matt Griffin would help him stay as safe as possible.
Matt, the Gryphon and charged to partner with Nolan and Ajax, looked over at Nolan. He didn’t say anything. Instead, he placed a hand on Nolan’s shoulder. Lucien saw the infusion of power Matt gifted his brother. The Dragofin Clan was blessed and envied throughout the realms. It’s twelve members were the tightest knit of Clans as well as the most successful.
They’d been here, defending the portal against attacks that threatened never to end. With so much activity, they’d been here this time for the better part of two weeks by Earth-time calculations. Strength imparted to
them from the priestesses during the cleansing ritual at the start of this stint at the portal had waned. Weary wasn’t the word to describe how tired he and his Clan were.
Greg took in the deceptively beautiful vista of the sky of the Portal’s realm. With its picturesque lush expanse, Inner Earth rivaled the best landscapes on the surface of Earth. There was no wonder why it was barraged with so many visitor requests. Surface Earth was ripe with humans who were known for their creative power, encompassed in easily malleable minds and bodies. Until the natives of this planet grew in the ability to travel dimensions on their own, the surface was off limits. There were rare exceptions from the Council of Elders.
What the humans didn’t know was that aliens were indeed real. While they looked for them to come from the skies or even their ocean’s, aliens were coming and going directly into an interdimensional space within Earth. Known as Inner Earth, to the human eye it looked like lava and hard core. This was done by design. Only those who were able to transcend both the physical hindrance and limitation of the five senses would be able to see past that “physical” representation. Then they would see what was in the middle of their planet. Few had seen Inner Earth. And no human had been able to visit Inner Earth or travel within the Interdimensional realms. Human bodies hadn’t evolved enough to sustain the vibrations, temperatures and other characteristics of the portals needed for safe travel. Lucien thought about it. Only those who had alien blood lineages were able to survive the trips up to this point. This mainly included shifters, the mystics, and aliens granted permission to live among the general population on the surface.
“There! You see them?” Greg asked Lucien and the approaching Ivan.
“Yeah, those bastards think they’re slick. I’ve got this one,” Ivan said, turning back around to engage the cloaked squadron of invaders coming through the top of the portal. He opted to use his rare gift of white fire. Invisible to the naked, non-Dragon or Gryphon eye, it was more like the caustic substance known as acid on the surface, than regular fire. Lucien and Greg watched as Ivan’s spray of white fire licked at the vessels, dissolving them in an instant.
Lucien: Dragofin Mated: Book 2 (Dragonfin Clan Mated) Page 4
