His Elder Dragon

by Jill Haven

  I hadn’t been in a good frame of mind last time I saw Carlisle and Jade, and pissed off as I was that she’d lied to me for so long and about so much, she was still my best friend. I missed her face and her sarcasm and her steady presence. I’d always suspected she was so much more than the life she was living here with me in Muscogee, more than a waitress, and I was right. What did that say about me, then?

  My fingers were clumsy as I texted Jade to come by and asked her if she would bring Carlisle too. If I was going to work tomorrow, there was no sense in keeping myself locked away in here wondering about everything. It was time to be brave. My phone lit up with her response almost right away.

  We’ll be there soon.

  Flushing, I hopped up and raced for my shower. I didn’t want Carlisle to see me this way, with almost a week’s worth of grease in my hair. I didn’t grow a beard, never had, so that wasn’t something I needed to deal with. I was pulling a clean shirt over my head when a knock sounded on the door at the bottom of the staircase. Jade had a key, so I finished tugging the shirt down and put on my deodorant. By the time they were at the top door, I was nervous, but feeling mostly human—or whatever the hell I actually was.

  Carlisle was the first in the room, and today he wore a blue and black plaid coat that he must have bought somewhere around here. It made his eyes shocking and icy, almost difficult to look at because it brought them out so much, and then I could barely breathe as memories—my dreams of being taken in the cave—invaded the moment. My stomach clenched pleasantly, and Carlisle let out a little growl from across the room. His beard had grown out a little, and I could imagine what it would feel like if he rubbed his cheek across my skin.

  “Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Jade said as she pushed around Carlisle into the room. She didn’t seem too upset, though, because she made a beeline for me with her arms open. I let her hug me, and as soon as her homey smoky perfume billowed around me, I hugged her back. “Missed you, brat,” she said.

  “I missed you, too.” I stood back. She hadn’t called me that in a long while.

  Carlisle eased into the room, but he didn’t come closer to me, which left me disappointed. I sat down on the futon.

  “How have you been?” he asked from his spot near the door.

  “Okay,” I murmured.

  He smiled and the spot in my chest that I felt connected us together seemed to tingle and buzz. Jade sighed.

  “So, are you ready to listen to us now?”

  Shrugging, I sat straighter. “I have questions.”

  “Ask them.” Carlisle stared at me and then abruptly moved forward. I held my breath until he came to a halt about a foot away from me and sank to the floor at my feet. He was close enough to touch me, but didn’t. I wavered and wanted to sit with him.

  “How many dragons are there?”

  Carlisle blinked and then flashed me a thousand-watt smile that had my breath catching. “In my clan there are about fifty dragons. In the Northeast I believe around three hundred. Our numbers shift regularly, but lately they’ve been on a downward trajectory.” He frowned at that.

  “Cloud Clan has only ten left, including me and you,” Jade said softly. I jolted at that.

  “Me?”

  She nodded and I felt weird about being included, but I suppose that made sense.

  “How long have dragons been hiding?”

  Jade turned toward me and settled back against the futon. She furrowed her brow and stared at the ceiling. “Carlisle, you’re older. I’m not sure, exactly. How long?”

  He shrugged. “I think the Exposure Law went into effect about what… the 1200s? But dragons were severely restricting their presence among humans well before that. Maybe 500.”

  “Like… are you talking like over a thousand years ago?” My voice climbed, but I couldn’t stop it.

  He nodded. “Yeah. That seems about right. We weren’t keeping tidy records across the clans at that point, so I’m not certain of an exact date.”

  “How old are you?” I asked Carlisle, and his eyes grew comically wide. He swallowed hard.

  “Why does it matter? You know I’m older than you. We’ve discussed this.”

  “That’s not going to work.” Jade huffed out a mean little laugh and I didn’t like the way it made Carlisle’s shoulders round.

  “Stop it,” I said to her. She sat up and it was her turn to give me wide eyes. “I do want to know, though. I’ve been thinking about all the things you two said the last time you were here. So how old are you?”

  “Carlisle is one of the oldest dragons in the Northeast. I mean, there are others who are ancient, but they don’t enjoy politics and running things much anymore.” She shrugged.

  “And how old is that?” I asked, annoyed that she was talking instead of him just telling me.

  “Three hundred and fifty. I think. After two hundred, it seems less important to keep it to the exact year, but—” He sat there and frowned at his hands. “Yes, three hundred and fifty.” Jade made an impressed sound. “Dragons frequently fight and die younger, but those of us who make it past one hundred usually have very lengthy lives.” He smiled at me and I bent forward to stare at him. He frowned. “What?”

  “You’re older than my entire country and… you want to be my boyfriend.”

  He snorted and then he was laughing, a serious, happy, loud outburst that snuck up on me and made me smile too. After a few minutes he shrugged and wiped at his eyes with his fingers. “Yeah, well, when you’re this old, countries don’t seem like as much of a sure thing, either. The map changes frequently.”

  This conversation was very, very weird, so I found the courage to ask the last thing that had been bugging me. “What actually happened to my family? My mother. I can’t help but think that if she’d lived, I might have had a different life,” I whispered.

  Carlisle and Jade shared a look, and I wasn’t surprised when she turned toward me. She began to talk in a low voice, told me about how she and my mother were good friends, which made my heart twist. “You’re my friend too, Jade.” She smiled and stroked her hand over mine on the futon where it lay between us, but then she kept talking. She told me about how my mother had died in childbirth, which synced up to what my father had screamed at me on more than one occasion. “I’m sorry. It’s not a great story. It’s sad.”

  “No shit,” I muttered, sucking in a deep breath. I’d wanted to know about this, it was part of why I’d called, but to hear in all the horrible detail what had happened to my mother was maybe something I shouldn’t have asked for. I shivered and felt cold all of the sudden, which sent my heart racing faster since the cold usually came before a panic attack. Before my mind could start spinning disaster scenarios for me, though, a warm hand clamped over mine and tugged. I found myself crawling off the futon onto Carlisle’s lap. His chest was warm and solid under my cheek, and he held me tight. I shivered, but the cold didn’t seem to sink into my bones the way it sometimes did. Instead, he rocked me and murmured something in a soft musical language that felt sort of familiar.

  “Are you all right?” Carlisle asked into my ear. The warmth of his breath shivered through my entire body.

  “Yes, I think so, but this has been a lot to think about.”

  He pressed his cheek to the top of my head, and I felt him nod. “That’s to be expected.”

  “Wasn’t there anything that could have saved my mother?”

  “Perhaps if she’d been with a full-blooded dragon,” Jade said quietly, and Carlisle tensed and held me tighter like he never wanted to let me go.

  “Carlisle, what does me being a Divine Omega mean to you?” That was one of the other things that had been battering at my mind all week. The baby thing—specifically me having one. “That’s why you’re here, isn’t it? That’s why you found me? Or am I wrong?”

  He pressed a kiss to the top of my head, and I clung to him, terrified of what he might have to say.

  17

  Carlisle

  With
Haiden a solid warmth in my arms, I took my time gathering my thoughts, running a hand down his back. He buried his face against my neck, and I fought down the desire to moan. He stirred up all of my protective instincts, and I hadn’t realized how good it would feel to be the one he relied on.

  “The Blood dragons are dying. It’s true,” I began carefully. “The clan is desperate for answers, and I did find you because I was looking for a solution to our birthrate issues, but we were really looking for dragons who had been shifting more frequently than we were in the cities. The theory goes that our females and omegas are weak from not shifting, but no one is certain that is the case. There are a lot of unknowns and speculation.” I shrugged. “And it is true that I’d heard of Divine Omegas before we discovered you. I thought they were a myth. There haven’t been any new omegas born in a long while.”

  “Is that the only reason you want me? To have babies for you?” he whispered with his face pressed against my chest, and a strange twist of pain tore at my heart.

  “No. I was excited when we figured out what you were, but no.” Haiden looked up at me and I cupped his cheeks in my hands, studying his pretty green eyes. His warm, soft skin coaxed me into tracing my thumbs along his cheekbones. I leaned down to press my lips to the scar on his jaw and he sighed, closing his eyes for a second. “My heart is telling me that I need to know you. I’m attracted to you. It’s far more than your ability to grow a little dragon in your belly that’s drawing me to you. Please believe me.” Haiden took a deep breath and tilted his chin up, presenting his lips. He stared at me, his gaze so sure, his chest heaving, and I was struck dumb with the weight of his trust.

  Carefully, I pressed a soft kiss to his lips, not wanting to frighten him with more demands right now, but unable to stay away.

  “I gotta get to work, guys,” Jade said. Haiden startled and ducked his head to hide against my chest. I circled my arms around him and held him close. I’d forgotten about her, and she seemed to realize it because she gave me a sharp smirk. “You two will obviously work this out.”

  She climbed down from the futon and went to her knees beside us, wrapping her arms around us both as much as she was able. She was very small, and warm, and I realized with her close to us that she and Haiden did have a similar scent about them, though his was so sweet it made my mouth water.

  She patted his head and he pressed his face closer to my chest. She was off after that, easily propelling herself to her feet and toward the door in one seamless motion. The door closed behind her and all at once we both stiffened. We were alone. He was warm, beautiful, and in my arms, and he seemed to realize that at about the same time I did.

  Shyly, he glanced up into my face.

  “Do you need more time to mull matters over?”

  “No.” He curled his fingers around the back of my neck and my stomach ran hot with excitement. “I should have realized you’re older than me by more than I thought, though.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Sometimes you talk funny.” He grinned, a small teasing thing that had me moaning and chasing after his lips again. He softened against me as I teased at his mouth with mine.

  “I have a perfect command of English.” I pulled back and grumbled, and he laughed.

  Haiden stilled and swallowed hard as we shared an intense look. My stomach fluttered, and I fought down a groan when he shifted around on my lap. My cock plumped against the sweet curve of his ass with a pleasant pang that scorched directly to the core of my stomach. His cheeks flushed and he sat up straighter. He gave me a shy smile and squirmed on my lap. I sucked in a breath and stilled him with my hands on his hips, but the temptation was too much. I rocked up against him at the same time. He closed his eyes and bit his lip, and I couldn’t stop staring at the eager bulge between his thighs. He was so beautiful.

  I leaned in and brushed my lips against his. He whimpered and adrenaline spiked through me. I pressed my lips closer to his sweet heat. He opened his mouth and teased his tongue against the tip of mine and my cock became a spike of need. I attacked his mouth and thrust inside while I ground my groin against him. He anchored his hands behind my neck and the encouraging sounds he made drove away my restraint and I let my hand settle between his legs, wanting him to be where I was, have some friction. I rubbed along the stiff flesh trapped there. His head fell back and he sucked in a breath as his eyelashes fluttered against his cheeks.

  Abruptly, he moved my hand away and clambered to his feet, face flushed and pants tented at his groin in a very delectable way. He spun around, giving me his back, and rubbed at the nape of his neck with one hand.

  “It’s okay. Don’t be embarrassed. I’m ready for you, too.” I said. My voice sounded sex rough, and there was no hiding it.

  “I’m going to cook dinner,” he gasped out, before he streaked to the small kitchen. Gritting my teeth, I cupped a hand over my cock and rearranged it a little. I could wait as long as he needed, and the burn of anticipation wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. “Was your clan from America?” he asked, peeking back out of the doorway to the kitchenette. “I mean, that doesn’t seem likely.” He stared at me for a second before he turned away again. I had to chuckle. Okay, I won’t die of blue balls. I tried to make myself use my big head instead of the small one.

  “No, would you like to hear about my clan?” I got to my feet and tried to will my erection away. It didn’t want to go without a fight, or a helping hand, however. I ran my fingers through my hair and sighed, laughing at myself and the ridiculousness of the situation. Who would have thought my future mate would be shy? I wasn’t even sure how much experience he had. That line of thinking—would I be the first one to pleasure him? —wasn’t helping matters, so I went to the kitchen doorway and leaned a shoulder on the doorjamb.

  He had a large pot under running water at the sink, filling it, and a box of pasta out on the counter. Nothing elaborate seemed to be in the works, but hot simple food suited me just fine. “My mother had my egg in Wales,” I began, and he shot a glance over his shoulder, mouth open a little. It was almost funny that he knew what I was and yet seemed shocked every time I mentioned something new about my dragon heritage. “Welsh dragons are the best dragons. Don’t let anyone tell you different.” I frowned. “Though I suppose Cloud dragons are fine, too, even though I think they hail from the north.”

  He ducked his head and smiled while I talked about my early years. I skipped the part where I’d had a serious lover, not wanting to delve into why I’d never settled then, especially with such wonderful evidence of why waiting had been a good thing standing right in front of me.

  By the time we’d eaten, cleaned the dishes, and sat back down on the futon again, I was caught up to present day.

  “And you have that many cousins? And Larkin, you said his name was, right? He’s an omega too?” His glasses had slipped down his nose at some point, so I reached over to push them back up again. He gave me a small smile.

  “Mm-hmm. I’m sure you could talk with him sometime, if you wanted to accompany me back to Charleston. Or maybe he could come here.” I rested my arm along the back of the futon, and he chuckled softly, sliding closer to me so that the line of his body pressed tightly to mine.

  “Carlisle?” His voice went breathless, and a sweet pulse of need poured through my body at the tone.

  “Yes?”

  “Can I see your fangs again?” He ran his tongue over his bottom lip and then brought his forefinger to his mouth and bit lightly at the knuckle, gaze stuck on my mouth. The sight of him waiting on edge nearly undid me.

  My mouth itched and my teeth tingled. Without much thought I shifted my fangs for him and considered shifting my tongue as well, but left well enough alone; that might be too much for the first time. I grinned at him and leaned close to rest my forehead against his. His sweet scent, vanilla and rose and—fine, it was a bit like baby powder—swelled in the air around me, muskier than usual. He would be hard if I glanced down, I knew without a doubt. He s
quirmed beside me and I could imagine him, legs spread wide and ready for me, his cock straining. The image was painfully real in my mind.

  “Is this what you wanted to see?”

  He nodded. “Does it hurt to do that?”

  “Not at all.”

  “Can I touch them?”

  All the blood in my body seemed to pool in my groin. “If you wish.” I opened my mouth for him. He carefully brushed his thumb over the points of my teeth, and it was like the casual touches were on a string directly to my cock. I angled myself closer to him, wanting to have him in every way possible. I captured the tip of his thumb between my lips and sucked softly. His eyelids dropped closed and he shifted around restlessly.

  “Can you kiss like this?” he murmured.

  Instead of answering him with words, I gave his finger a small lick. He whimpered and I leisurely leaned in and pressed my lips to his. His lips parted easily against my tongue, and then I was in the warm slick heat of his mouth. He surprised me by teasing back with his tongue, swiping his own over my elongated teeth. He sucked in a breath and moaned.

  Sitting back a little, I studied him, appreciating the flush in his cheeks and the sweet blissed-out gleam in his eyes. Did he have a fascination for my teeth? His arousal was a wonderful musky cloud around us already. I kissed along his cheek and then down his jaw and then licked along his scar, and he moaned, tilting his head to give me better access. I nipped my teeth at the point of his jaw and his hips moved restlessly, and more of his wonderful smell clouded my mind. I skimmed my teeth along his neck and found his pulse point, sucking hard there with my lips. He cupped the back of my head, pressing my mouth harder into the column of his neck.