3013: MATED (3013: The Series)

by Roma, Laurie

  “Nor should you,” Xavier growled. “We can make it so your father will allow you to leave. We would be pleased to fight him for you.”

  The two teens gaped at them. “You would really do that?”

  “Aye,” Thorn said with a nod. “We would.”

  “I don’t want him dead…” Marissa said softly. “I just don’t want to live with him or allow him to choose my fate for me.”

  Alexis thought for a moment. “I can still get you into the elite program if you still want to join the Alliance. Your DNA is already on record so it will be just a matter of registering you.”

  “I can’t leave Marissa and I’m fourteen now. It will be harder for me to get into the program.”

  “That won’t be a problem. You could bring Marissa with you. There are places in the city where she would be taken care of. Scrolls are treated very well, I promise. I’ll speak with Commander Spartan and—”

  Simon’s eyes grew wide. “You know Commander Spartan at high-command?”

  Alexis smiled. “Yes, I do. Very well in fact. He’s a friend and well as my former commander. I can contact him now if this is something you would like to do.”

  “Are you for real?” Simon asked after a long moment of simply staring at her.

  “She does not say what she does not mean.” Brydan said as he stood. “Make your call, mate. Now come, younglings. I bet neither of you have ever ridden a dragon before.”

  Alexis laughed as Brydan and Xavier led the children off into the open area and shifted into their dragon forms. Xavier created harnesses for Simon and Marissa to sit on the dragon’s backs and they took off into the skies.

  Galan held Alexis on his lap while Thorn went into the tent to retrieve her wrist unit and they both sat with her while she made the call into Jax. When her commander answered the call his eyes nearly popped out of his head.

  “What the fuck is up with your eyes?”

  Damn, she’d forgotten to block the video.

  “Ah…well, it’s part of being mated to my Dragon Warriors.” She sighed. “Jax, I’m no longer human.”

  “Sorry, could you repeat that? I don’t think I heard you right.”

  “You did. They converted me when we mated.”

  “I have no idea what the hell to say to that.”

  Quickly changing the subject, she filled Jax in about the kids that they met and was instantly relieved when Jax told her to bring them into the Capital.

  “I’ll handle it,” Jax promised. “We will make sure both of them are taken care of.”

  “Thank you, Jax.”

  Gray eyes studied her through the screen. “Anything else you want to tell me, Lex?”

  She shifted on Galan’s lap and curiously found comfort in feeling his steel-hard erection beneath her. It was a reminder that she wasn’t giving up her life. She was simply moving on to bigger and better things.

  Much bigger…

  “Commander, I ah…I would like to formally give notice that I will be resigning my position as a liaison officer.”

  Jax’s lip quirked up at the corner. “I figured that, but I was waiting for you to say the word. I started the process already and you can sign off when you get back. I’m away from the Capital today. I’ll have Archer come meet you. He’ll get the kids settled and will help the boy enlist.”

  “Thanks, Jax.”

  Jax studied her for a long moment with his piecing gray eyes. “We’re gonna miss you, Lex.”

  She felt her eyes prickling with tears. “I’m going to miss you too, Jax. I’ll see you at the party tomorrow night.”

  “Count on it.”

  When the call ended, Alexis rested her head on Galan’s shoulder and Thorn ran his hand though her hair. “I can hear the affection in your voice when you speak to him,” Galan said. “Although I am not very happy about that, I am sorry you will miss your friends.”

  She wrapped her arms around him and held on, turning her head to place a kiss on Thorn’s hand. “I will miss them,” she admitted. “But as long as I have you, the rest doesn’t matter.”

  “We will make you happy, love,” Thorn swore.

  She smiled. “You already do.”

  ***

  Chapter Eleven

  “We do not have to go in,” Xavier said gruffly.

  Alexis took a deep breath to calm her nerves and squeezed his hand with hers. She knew that her own anxiety was driving her mates crazy, making them even more protective as they walked into the Hall of Regents where the celebration for the Dragon Warriors was being held.

  Down the long corridor she could see that the usually stark, dark gray interior of the building had been decorated with streams of red material and banners highlighting the red and black symbol of the United Federation Command Alliance. Chandeliers had been brought in, filling the hall with light, and the sounds of laughter and merriment could be heard from outside the building.

  Alexis hovered by the entrance as she saw that the hall was packed with people. Regents, along with high command elites and their families stood around talking and laughing while others perused the tables laden with food and drinks. It was a relaxed atmosphere, but in the Capital political posturing was always at play. Most of the regents were good men and women, but some of them were so focused on the rules that they didn’t see how their decisions actually affected people in practice.

  She didn’t socialize much, and she was nervous about being the center of attention tonight. Aware that her appearance with the guests of honor was going to cause a stir, she had a duty to her mates and to herself to make sure she didn’t do anything to shame them. She was dressed in a shimmering violet dress that Galan had created for her because it matched her glowing eyes her mates loved so much. The gown flowed over her curves like liquid amethyst, and the single strapped design reminded her of something an ancient goddess would have worn.

  She was pleased when she had looked at herself in the mirror, but when she had stepped out of her room and saw the look on her mates’ faces she had felt like the most beautiful woman in the universe. She knew everyone would see the mating marks covering her body and her mates were pleased that everyone would know she belonged to them.

  Her warriors all wore black leather pants and black shirts with gold and silver dragon designs on the back that wrapped around to the front. They had changed each of the dragons’ eyes to a startling violet color and it warmed her heart that they had done so in her honor. They would have stood out in a crowd no matter what they wore. They looked so handsome it took her breath away and heated her blood. They were less formally dressed than the elite soldiers and officers in attendance who wore their dress uniforms, but nothing could detract from their warriors presence or the fact that they commanded attention simply by breathing.

  And they were all hers.

  Alexis and her mates had cut their sojourn at the waterfall short, choosing to fly Simon and Marissa back to the Capital to make sure they were taken care of. She had been amazed how well her four mates had interacted with the children. It had brought tears to her eyes to see a glimpse into the future at how it would be when their own child was born and it was clear she had made the right decision to start a family with them, no matter how quickly everything had happened.

  Galan has kissed her softly, and she knew he had been reading her emotions from the gentle way he caressed her back. “We will be good fathers, mate.”

  “You will be the best fathers,” she had agreed, knowing it was true.

  To everyone’s amusement, Simon had seemed to gravitate towards Xavier, despite his gruff demeanor. After they had gotten back from their ride on the dragons Xavier and Brydan had created wooden swords and spent part of the afternoon teaching young Simon how to sword fight while Thorn and Galan had entertained Marissa and Alexis by creating the most beautiful flowers they had ever seen.

  It struck her how different her mates were regardless of how similar they were in appearance. Galan was her sensitive lover. She knew he would
teach their children kindness and compassion, while Brydan, her troublemaker, would teach them fun and how to laugh. Thorn was the serious one of the group, but there was an innate thoughtfulness to him that was enhanced by how observant he was. And Xavier…he was her gentle warrior. He had a quick temper, but his heart was full and generous.

  Separately, they were a force to be reckoned with, but together they were unstoppable.

  They had shared a meal together then they had flown back to the Capital, landing on the roof of the guest quarters. Xavier had sworn to her that he would make sure she was clothed properly when they landed since she was nervous about seeing the soldiers they had been going to meet. True to his word, when she had shifted back into her human form she was dressed in her pants and vest, just like the rest of her mates.

  As soon as they had landed, she saw Commander Sullivan Archer grinning at her as he stood watching them with his hands on his hips. The wind teased his dark blonde hair into a haphazard style and his light brown eyes sparkled with laughter as he had approached them.

  “That was bloody brilliant! And holy stars, Jax wasn’t kidding. Your eyes are…well, shit, Lex. You look amazing!”

  All four of her mates had growled at Archer, making Simon and Marissa giggle. Alexis had rolled her eyes at the male posturing, knowing full well that her mates knew she thought of Sullivan Archer like an older brother. Archer had introduced himself to the youths and arranged for two of his most trusted soldiers to take them to their new homes. Both Simon and Marissa were excited to go through the enhancement process, and they were grateful for the new lives they would have from now on.

  Archer had pretty much invited himself to dinner with them and he had apologized to the Dragon Warriors, telling them that he was so used to treating Alexis like his little sister that he’d forgotten that her mates wouldn’t appreciate how familiar he was with her. Once they relaxed a little, Archer got along great with her new mates. Especially with Brydan since they seemed to have a similar sense of humor.

  Now, she wished that she had agreed to let Jax and Archer escort them since nerves had her heart racing and her belly tied in knots. It was their first public appearance as a bonded unit, and her introduction as a Dragon Warrior to everyone in the Alliance. This was an important night, and she didn’t want to fuck anything up.

  Pull yourself together, Donovan.

  That gave her pause. Well, hell…

  What in all the worlds was her last name now?

  “Stop worrying,” Xavier ordered softly through their bond. “We would like for you to call yourself Alexis Volis Tesera.”

  She relaxed and smiled up at him. “I think that is the perfect name. Okay, I am done stalling. Let’s go in and find me something to eat. I have to keep my strength up if I’m going to satisfy my mates later…”

  Xavier leaned down for a kiss, but they were interrupted when a voice called out.

  “Alexis.”

  She froze at the sound of that voice, wishing she never had to hear it again. Painful memories swept through her mind. She felt her mates stiffen and their bodies braced as they went on alert, obviously feeling what she was. She turned her head and saw Draven and Cristof striding toward them from behind. Looking at them now, she couldn’t believe she had once thought them the handsomest of men. They were nothing compared to Xavier, Thorn, Galan and Brydan, and the pain of Draven and Cristof’s betrayal faded under the soothing balm of her mates’ love.

  Both men wore confident, cocky smiles on their faces that faded as they saw her glowing eyes. “What in the hell have you done to yourself?” Cristof exclaimed.

  “We need to talk to you. Now,” Draven ordered arrogantly, and she could feel his anger that she had eluded them for so long.

  They were angry?

  That was laughable consider what she knew was coming…

  Alexis felt the instant recognition hit her mates, and the sounds of their furious growls were enough to scare the hardest of trained warriors. Moving faster than she could see, Xavier grabbed Draven by the throat, jerking him up off his feet while her sweet, normally gentle mate, Galan, shoved Cristof face-first into one of the columns lining the entrance so hard pieces of pulverized stone rained down on the floor at the impact. Fortunately, they had moved so they were slightly in the shadows so no one saw the confrontation.

  She knew her mates were angry, but her jaw still dropped as she watched all four of her mates lose their minds in spectacular fashion.

  “Never speak to our mate again,” Thorn growled at Draven as Xavier simply snarled silently at the terrified man dangling from his grip. Draven wasn’t a small man, but Xavier’s casual display of strength made it seem like he was almost weightless. Draven gripped at Xavier’s arms, trying to break free. Xavier simply ignored the feeble attempts to fight him off and left him dangling in the air.

  “Forget you know her,” Galan snarled at Cristof. “She belongs to us now.”

  “Who the hell are you?” Cristof gasped.

  “We are her mates, and we protect what belongs to us. You have been warned,” Brydan said dangerously soft as his hand changed into claws and he gently tapped one sharp talon against Cristof’s cheek. “If you even look at her again, we will end you. Nod if you understand.”

  Both Draven and Cristof nodded frantically, and she could see both men were turning a very interesting shade of purple from lack of oxygen.

  “Let them go,” she said quietly. “They aren’t worth this.”

  The Dragon Warriors hesitated then Xavier and Galan released them, letting the two men crash to the floor as they gasped for breath. Draven and Cristof stumbled to their feet then ran away as fast as they could, never once looking back.

  “That was a little excessive, wasn’t it?” Alexis asked, hands on her hips, not really angry but more amused at how they had chosen to handle the men who had hurt her in the past.

  Thorn wrapped his arms around her, drawing her close. “Nay, that was fun. They cannot hurt you any longer, but I believe we let them off too easily. I have the desire to hunt them down and beat them until they weep for mercy.”

  “They don’t matter anymore,” she assured him, rubbing his arms affectionately. “What I felt for them isn’t even a fraction of what I feel for you. I love you, all of you so much.”

  “And we love you.” Brydan paused as he shot her an amused glance. “You were really attracted to them? They were weak and I am surprised they did not soil themselves with the fear I smelled emanating from them.”

  She choked on a laugh. “Well, you are an intimidating lot, and my taste in men has gotten a lot better.”

  “Aye, it has.”

  Unwilling to waste one more second thinking about her exes, Alexis let her mates take her into the party. They entered the hall as a unit with Xavier and Thorn at her sides, Galan behind and Brydan in the front so they were a united front. She could see that they had the attention of everyone in the room as soon as they walked out into the open area.

  Strange as it was, the brief scuffle with Draven and Cristof had calmed her nerves. Secure in her place at the center of her new family, she held her head up high and put a smile on her face. She nodded in greeting at several guests and saw their shock as they noticed her glowing violet eyes and that she was holding hands with two of the Dragon Warriors.

  “I think my new eyes might be a showstopper tonight,” she teased.

  “Your eyes are the most beautiful sight I have ever seen,” Galan whispered back.

  She was amused as both Thorn and Xavier growled as they caught a man eying her in appreciation. The man’s eyes widened and he fled, taking off through the crowd. She laughed at the satisfied look on Thorn’s face then had to roll her eyes when Xavier growled at another man.

  “Behave yourself,” she scolded.

  “But you love it when I misbehave,” Xavier growled back, playfully.

  “I do. Let’s just get through this evening without any more drama, shall we? Then we can go home and mi
sbehave together,” she purred.

  “I think that dress is too tight. I do not like how these other males are looking at you,” Thorn grumbled, looking down at her through narrowed eyes as they made their way through the crowd.

  That made her laugh. “They aren’t looking at me, silly. They are looking at my very handsome, very large mates.”

  “Nonsense,” Galan scoffed. “You are gorgeous, mate, and it gives me a thrill to know these males covet you but they cannot touch you…or we would kill them.”

  “Aye,” Xavier growled. “We would.”

  “And we would have fun doing it,” Brydan said as he turned around to wink at her.

  “You guys are so crazy,” she said with a laugh. “Just remember that I have magic now, so you need to be careful about who you flirt with tonight or I might have to get mean.”

  “We do not flirt,” Xavier protested, insult in every word.

  She shot him what she hoped was a haughty expression. “See that you don’t or I might have to put these new claws to good use.”

  Galan let out a purr as he stepped forward so he was pressed against her back. “I love when you get all possessive of us, mate.”

  She felt his cock thicken against her back and couldn’t help rubbing her ass against him. “I keep what belongs to me. Now, let’s go have some fun.”

  “There she is! Take her into custody!”

  The voice rang out, startling Alexis as several soldiers moved forward to surround them. The crowd of spectators gasped as they moved back, giving them a wide berth. Xavier, Thorn, Brydan and Galan let out vicious growls as they moved to protect her, leaving her no doubt that the man who had spoken was talking about her.

  What the hell was going on?

  “Touch her and I will rip your arms off and beat you with them while I watch you bleed to death,” Xavier snarled.

  “Really? That’s just disgusting…” Alexis said, too shocked for a proper response.

  “I think the description was quite accurate,” Brydan said then snarled viciously at the soldiers closest to him. That had the officers stopping instantly and looking at each other warily as they refused to come any closer.