His Takeover: An Enemies to Lovers Romance

by Piper Sullivan

  Damien’s lips tightened in anger and he clenched his jaws. He had a Faction - a kingdom - to run and protect, but he also had a mate to find. It didn’t surprise him that her safety ranked higher than his own people, but it did. She was the fire raging in his blood and the water soothing his soul. She lived in the core of his being and there was no way in hell he’d let anything happen to her. He’d loved her for as long as he could remember and they’d spent enough time apart. It was time they began their life together and nothing - including a war between Dragon-kind - was going to stop them.

  “I still can’t believe Coffer managed to hide this from the rest of us for so long,” Sera ranted in disgust. “I can’t reach Elder Caroleena, so I don’t know of her involvement yet. So far, we only have that to go on.” She nodded her head at the now crumpled note.

  Damien eased his fist open and took the note, smoothing it so he could read it again although he knew the message by heart:

  “Elder Coffer wishes to convey his thanks to Elder Seraphina for her protection and tutelage of his intended mate, Jasmine Sandford. The time has come for the Chosen to take Dragon-kind’s reins and lead our people in our true direction. He also wishes to invite Elder Seraphina and her family to witness the mating ceremony between himself and his intended. However, the Council in its entirety is no longer required for this ritual.”

  He crushed the note in his fisted hand yet again as fresh rage tore through his veins. He felt his dragon - barely restrained by sheer will - slithering beneath the surface. He couldn’t allow himself to shift, not on the jet. He calmed himself by promising to bathe in Coffer’s blood once Jazz was safely back in his arms.

  His rear pants pocket started vibrating furiously and he shifted to his hip in order to free his phone. Seeing a familiar name on the caller I.D., he hit the accept button and raised it to his ear.

  “Prince Axel,” he greeted the man on the other end. “To what do I owe the honor of your call?”

  “I’ve just received Intel that Elder Coffer has kidnapped Jasmine Sandford, adopted daughter of Elder Seraphina,” his deep voice resonated over the tiny speaker. “I can’t seem to reach Elder Sera, so I called you. I’m available for any action you or Elder Sera wish to embark upon,” he stated matter-of-factly.

  Damien couldn’t help but wonder if mated life had changed the Air Elemental Prince. From his last few encounters with the man, he remembered more crude language and less formal behavior. And yet, he felt the sincerity of the other man’s offer and wondered what brought on such a willingness to help a foreign Faction. Up until now, there had been no public friction between the Factions. They simply co-existed in harmony; each one sticking to their own.

  Now, with the Elders divided, the four Factions couldn’t help but close their ranks for protection. Open trust no longer existed; everyone was a suspect.

  “May I ask why you are so willing to assist in an outer-Faction issue?” Damien responded as diplomatically as possible. Although, he felt Axel’s sincerity, he knew deceit was an act easily hidden. Before he put his mate’s life in anyone else’s hands, he wanted to make damn sure they were worthy of his trust.

  “Coffer had my mate kidnapped shortly before our ritual,” Axel responded simply and truthfully. “His goons tried to traumatize her and were she not the fiercely strong woman she is, they would have been successful.” He paused and Damien waited for the rest of the story. “She defended herself quite nicely before I managed to track them down and when I learned of Coffer’s involvement, I promised her I would make him pay. I keep my promises.”

  Damien nodded his head in complete understanding. He wanted to rip the Elder’s throat out with his bare, blunt, human teeth.

  “There’s more,” Axel admitted. “I believe there’s more at play here than a mere Elder going mad. I’ve had to squash several uprisings recently and even kill a few of my own Faction when they betrayed me. They’d joined Coffer and were working within the Faction to overthrow me. I think the Elder is planning a coup against the entirety of our leaders,” his voice trailed off.

  “I believe you’re right,” Damien admitted. “My own father severed an uprising about a century ago and struggled every day after to maintain control of our own ranks. It seems that many of Dragon-kind aren’t happy with the royal houses and wish to see a different governing body. I exiled a few dragons myself before flying out here to Jamaica,” Damien admitted and stopped short in hopes of Axel not hearing the last part.

  “What do you suggest we do?” Axel asked and Damien almost sighed in relief. He wasn’t ready for anyone to question him about Jazz just yet. He had to find her first. He had to first, make her understand and then, believe that he wanted no other. That he’d wanted no other since the first moment he’d laid eyes on her. He needed her to believe with every fiber of her being that she was “it” for him. There would never be another.

  After a few moments to contemplate the entire situation, Damien’s mind shifted from his personal feelings to politics. He couldn’t do anything for her right this very second, so the least he could do was try and make amends among the royalty.

  “I suggest you and I contact the other Princes and formulate a treaty between the Factions. If we can secure the thrones through solidarity, then that’s one step toward thwarting whatever Coffer has planned,” he proposed.

  “I like the way you think Damien,” Axel praised. “I’ll call Jaxen immediately. Do you have Wesley’s number?” he asked, referring to the Fire Prince.

  “Yes,” Damien confirmed and hit end on his phone screen. His thumb moved across the screen, hovering just over his contacts icon when a sudden, fierce pain ripped through his body. The phone tumbled from his hand and he clenched his stomach as he doubled over and vomited on the blue carpeted floor.

  A stewardess immediately rushed toward him, towel and bucket in hand.

  “My Prince, are you alright,” she asked breathlessly. “Should I tell the Captain to delay takeoff?”

  “No!” he roared. “The sooner we get in the air, the better.” He took the bucket from her and asked for another once she’d mopped up the worst of his waste. Cradling the bucket, his head swiveled to where Sera sat, watching him intently.

  “You formed a connection with her, didn’t you?” The Elder asked and his eyes widened in surprise. His mind went back to their brief interlude by the pool. He had indeed bitten her and drank from her. Since she didn’t reciprocate, the mating bond wasn’t mutual, but by the small, passionate action, he had claimed her for his own. No other Dragon could take her without perishing in a most unpleasant death.

  He also knew that if he could pull on their connection strongly enough, he would be able to hear her thoughts and maybe determine her location. It would certainly be easier than flying all over the world looking for her. It would save time they didn’t have.

  “Didn’t you?” Sera repeated a bit more forcefully and slapped him across his already flushed face. He hadn’t seen her move, but he felt the ferocity of her anger. “You couldn’t wait for a proper ceremony, you had to rut with her like a wild beast? She deserves better than that you fool,” she accused and raised her hand to deliver another blow.

  Damien dropped bucket on the floor and rose to face the enraged woman. He caught her hand before she hit him again. As gently as he could manage with his stomach feeling like it was being ripped apart from the inside, he guided her back to her seat and shoved her back into it.

  Leaning forward, he pulled her seat-belt around her and buckled it before turning back to his own seat and repeating the action.

  She opened her mouth, no doubt to curse him, but stopped short when he whirled back to glare at her.

  “Not now Sera,” he warned forcefully. “I need to concentrate.”

  Her eyes widened owlishly when she realized his intent and clamped her lips together.

  “No, not right now,” she conceded reluctantly. “But you and I have much to discuss.”

  Damien smiled and
nodded at his soon-to-be mother-in-law.

  “Yes, yes, we do,” he agreed and closed his eyes in order to focus better. “Oh, by the way,” he added as an afterthought. “Axel is calling Jaxen and I need to speak with Wesley, do you think you can get him on the phone and explain the situation to him? I need to find Jazz while I can.”

  “Of course,” Sera answered and motioned for the stewardess to hand over the Prince’s phone. “I’ll take care of it.”

  Chapter Six

  Jazz scowled at the two strange women who’d come to bathe her. She’d fought them, but they managed to lead her through a long tunnel and into another, smaller cavern housing nothing but a huge bathing pool at its center. She watched the steam rise from the water, mixing with the cool cavern air and knew it was a natural hot spring.

  She’d studied the Dragon-hewn cave and noticed that it had been retrofitted with a few modern necessities; like doors, plush carpets and many, many candles and lanterns.

  Once she relaxed, she heard the other numerous streams running throughout the mountain and her blood nearly sang with joy. Then she’d grown enraged. He’d kept her held in a spacious cavern, with water readily on hand, but refused her access to it.

  Essentially, he’d tortured her for pure pleasure. She refused to mate him, but hadn’t figured out her best course of action. She could escape, but she didn’t know her location or the terrain and she couldn’t shift until she gave birth, it would instantly kill the baby should she try.

  She was stuck in her helpless human form for the next four months.

  The women wasted no time in undressing her and shoving her into the pool. She dropped into the basin and sank to the bottom, pulling as much hydration into her as possible. She allowed her eyes to change to her Dragon vision and peered up through the murky, sulfur-scented liquid.

  Sure enough, the two women waving frantically at one another, panicking over the fact that she’d disappeared. Being Fire Elementals, they couldn’t exactly dive into the water after her, not without a fair amount of preparation. Not to mention the fact that should they do so, she could easily outmaneuver them in the cloudy depths.

  Waving her arms to and fro, keeping herself submerged, she wished she could stay underwater forever, or maybe just long enough to formulate a way out. But her human form needed oxygen or she’d force a shift. She reluctantly resurfaced and smiled at the glaring women.

  “What’s wrong?” she taunted. “You girls don’t like to swim?”

  “You bitch,” the blonde one accused. “If we don’t deliver you in pristine condition to his Majesty, he’ll do worse than kill us.” The other one, the red-head reached forward and grabbed a handful of Jazz’s short hair.

  “Don’t fuck with us, you Dragon slut,” she hissed and the implied insult made Jazz pause.

  “You two are human,” she stated as suddenly the reality of everything clicked. “You’re human and he’s offered you immortality.” She marveled at Coffer’s audacity. The lies didn’t surprise her. Dragon-kin were born not made; there was no way he could give them what they sought.

  Apparently he couldn’t raise the numbers he wanted from among the Dragons, he’d turned to manipulating humans.

  Dragon-kind kept their existence a secret until just recently when the Elder’s decreed the Prince’s take mates. Prince Jaxen had gone public when he’d taken a diluted Dragon/Human hybrid. Ever since, he’d acted as Dragon-kind’s Ambassador to the various human governments.

  The Dragon groupies were an unwelcome side effect.

  Smiling, in spite of her current predicament, she reached up and used her Dragon strength to pry the girl’s hand from her hair. She had to give the human credit, she didn’t squeal or cry out at the force of Jazz’s grip, but she did moan a bit.

  Things had certainly taken a positive turn, Jazz mused and rose from the depths of the blissful pool to face the two girls. Studying them a bit more closely, she decided they were around their mid-twenties and either drug addicts or alcoholics. They reeked of Coffer and she decided that he’d used them in more carnal ways as well as servants.

  She gave one last squeeze to the brunette’s hand and then dropped it like a hot potato. The girl cradled her hand and backed away from Jazz with eyes widened in fear. The other girl - the blonde - speared the brunette with a disgust-filled glare and whirled on Jazz like a viper.

  “I won’t let you ruin this for us,” she sneered and pulled a handgun from the back waistband of her jeans. “I know it won’t kill you if I shoot you,” she warned. “But I also know it will hurt like hell,” she threatened. “Now, pick up that robe and get your fat ass dressed,” she demanded and kept the gun firmly trained on Jazz.

  Fear for her unborn child was the only thing that kept her from ripping the blonde bitch to pieces. She didn’t know what a bullet wound would do to the baby and she wasn’t willing to take a chance. So, she bent and picked the pristine white robe from the colorful carpet, donning it without taking her eyes from the crazy human.

  “I will kill you,” Jazz warned. “Your Majesty won’t save you.”

  “We’ll see about that,” the blonde sneered and then waved the gun in the direction of the door. “Now, you’ve got a wedding to get to,” she announced. “Get going.”

  The brunette rushed forward to open the door and moved out into the cool, damp hallway. Jazz fell into step behind the girl, following like an obedient lamb to slaughter, the gun-wielding blonde a few steps behind her.

  Chapter Seven

  They led her through a maze of corridors until they entered a brightly lit cavern, much bigger than any of the others. Stalactites littered the high ceiling but the floor had been cleared of any stalagmites. It was covered instead by a plush, red carpet, strewn with small white flowers; elongated and leading to a make-do altar holding a large book.

  “You are simply beautiful,” a male voice whispered into her ear and she jumped at the unexpected contact. She whirled to peer up at Elder Coffer, wearing an identical white robe. He’d slicked his raven black hair back against his head but the robe managed to hide what remained of his body.

  It wasn’t like she wanted to see it anyway, she just wondered what kind of weaponry he had stashed in that robe. He had to know she wouldn’t make this easy for him.

  “Now,” he boasted. “I waited until now to tell you the good news, but this ritual is to be conducted by the Ancient Ones’ ways.”

  Jazz reeled in shock at Coffer’s admission. She couldn’t, she wouldn’t. It wasn’t possible. Her hands immediately went protectively to her womb. The Ancient Ones completed the mating ceremony in their Dragon forms.

  Her eyes went back to his and she frantically searched for any reason to change his mind. She reached up and tugged at the collar of her robe and inhaled sharply when Coffer grabbed her wrist in a dangerous grip.

  “What is that?” he demanded and nodded at her neck.

  “What are you talking about?” Jazz asked and struggled to pull free of his bone-crushing grip.

  He dragged her over to the altar and swiped his hand across the surface, successfully clearing the crude table with little effort. Upon seeing the article he sought, he grabbed it and shoved it into her face. Jazz tore her eyes from him and peered into the mirror. When she noticed the source of his rage, she almost smiled. Twin, blunt, teeth marks scored the skin at the crook of her neck.

  It didn’t matter if Damien hadn’t meant to claim her, he had, and now Coffer couldn’t mate her. He would die should he even try.

  Smiling triumphantly, she wretched her wrist free of his grasp and took a step back.

  “I’m his,” she declared. “You can’t touch me.”

  Damien stepped into the cavern just in time to see Coffer backhand Jazz hard enough to send her flying through the air. She crashed into the hard wall and fell to the floor with a slight moan and didn’t move again.

  Rage filled Damien and he pulled every ounce of water from the air. He subconsciously noticed two female fi
gures explode as he siphoned the fluid from their bodies, but he ignored them and embraced the shift. He grew until his head touched the cylindrical spikes on the ceiling. Throwing back his massive head, he roared with enough force to bring rocks down, effectively crushing Coffer who’d remained in human form. Three of the Elder’s men rushed Damien and he swept his taloned-hand, effectively severing them into a multitude of pieces. Once they lay motionless on the floor at his feet, he used his claws to rake them into nothing more than red, mushy piles of meat.

  Using his long, spiked tail, Damien shoved through the rubble until he located Coffer’s unconscious form.

  “Damien?” a soft female voice called and his gaze shifted to Jazz standing a few feet from him. Her eyes widened as she took in his true form for the first time. He closed his own eyes and allowed himself to see his massive form through hers. She marveled at the monumental size of his head, the jagged edges of his fangs, his vibrant blue scales and then ended with the sight of his spiked tail coiled tightly around the possibly-dead Elder.

  But suddenly he snapped back into his own mind when he detected something he’d never expected. His heartbeat synced with hers and the little thump-thump of a third shocked him speechless.

  He quickly shifted back to human form and subdued Coffer before rushing over to Jazz. He stopped short of wrapping his arms around her middle and merely stared at her stomach. Sure enough, a tiny bud of light had bloomed within her and he felt the connection instantly.

  She carried their son. His son. His heir.

  “How? When? Why didn’t you tell me?” he stammered hoarsely. “I don’t understand.”

  Jazz chuckled and took his hand in hers, bringing it to the pudge of their growing child.