Hooked on a Phoenix

by Ashlyn Chase

  She placed a hand on her luscious hip. “I don’t think so. Maybe your mom could handle seven kids, but I don’t even want to try.”

  He chuckled. “I don’t blame you.” He reached for her waist and drew her to him. Leaning down, he captured her lips and gave her a long, languorous kiss. The first in too long.

  “Did that hurt?” she asked.

  “Who cares?”

  “I care.”

  “Well, don’t worry. If something hurts, I’ll stop. Trust me.” He fiddled with the corset. “How do I get you out of this contraption?”

  She laughed and said, “It laces up in back.”

  “Who got you into it?”

  “Your mom.”

  It was a good thing she was living with his parents. If Dante had laced her up… He had to stop thinking that way. He knew he didn’t have anything to worry about. Misty was his.

  He loosened the laces. “Do I leave the laces in place like on sneakers? Or should I take them all the way out of the holes?”

  She giggled. “You can just leave them loose. I’ll wiggle out of it.”

  His mouth watered as he watched her shimmy out of the corset and whip off the final item…white lace panties.

  When she was finally gloriously naked, he paused to appreciate the gift he had just unwrapped. “You’re so beautiful,” he said lamely. He wished he had a more poetic way with words.

  “Thanks. I can help you out of your clothes too.”

  “Oh no. You’ll take too long.” He kicked off his shoes at the same time as he whipped his tie over his head. In about thirty seconds, he was undressed. His face, neck, and hands were where the worst of the scars were, and she had already seen them, so he wasn’t as self-conscious as he thought he might be.

  She touched the brand on his ribs. “What is this?”

  He worried what she’d think of him if he told her the truth. He had heated up Buddy’s dog tag and branded himself with it when he was fifteen. It was supposed to be a reminder to stay out of relationships.

  “It was there before the fire.”

  “I know. I saw it the night we…well, the night of my birthday.”

  He glanced down. It had served its purpose, and he was ready to get rid of that too. “It was supposed to be a brand. Just something stupid I did as a teenager.”

  Her eyes rounded, and she touched it gently. “You did this to yourself? Didn’t it hurt like the dickens?”

  He smirked. “That’s a cute way of saying it hurt like a mother… But yeah. It hurt a lot.”

  “It must have.” She touched it again. “Will it go away too?”

  “I’ll be good as new. I think. I never asked my brothers if they had any scars before their reincarnations. You know what?” He walked her backward toward the bed.

  She grinned. “What?”

  “I think it’s time to stop talking.”

  The backs of her legs hit the mattress, and she fell backward. While she giggled, he lay down beside her and stretched out. Tipping up her chin, he said, “I love you, honey. I may not be the most romantic guy, but don’t ever doubt that I feel it.”

  “I won’t,” she whispered.

  He bent to kiss her, and she responded instantly. He hoped he’d be able to give her a wonderful wedding night. Maybe not the all-night-long loving they gave each other on her birthday, but enough to hold her for a couple of months.

  “I…uh…I brought something that will help me.” He rose, and she sat up.

  Rummaging in his small duffel bag, he removed a long white box. He handed it to her and said, “It’s not a romantic wedding gift, but like I said, it’s more to help me out here.”

  She took the box. There was a cellophane window displaying some kind of long-handled tube with a ball on the end. It was too big to be what she thought it was.

  “I’m sorry if you already bought one of these from Julie at your toy party, but I’ve heard this is the best.”

  “Is this a Bob?”

  “A what?”

  “A battery-operated boyfriend.”

  He laughed. “No. It’s more of a Him. A Hitachi intimate massager.” He took it from her, unwrapped the cord, and plugged it in. “No need to worry about batteries dying. I even brought an extension cord if we need one.” He pressed the button on the handle, and the thing whirred to life. Handing it back to her, he said, “Now I can go all night long.”

  “Is this whole thing supposed to fit in me?”

  Gabe burst out laughing. When he was able to calm down to a chuckle, he said, “No. It just takes the place of my hands and mouth. It gives you the kind of pleasure you can’t get with just my cock in you.” He cracked up laughing again.

  She giggled. “Oh. Then I can’t wait to try it.”

  * * *

  After a surprisingly fulfilling and romantic wedding night, the morning Gabe hadn’t been looking forward to finally dawned. He and Misty dressed in jeans and sweaters and walked to the marina hand in hand. Most of his brothers and his father were already on Jayce’s boat.

  His mother and sister-in-law Kristine were chatting on the dock next to the dinghy. It was tied to the fishing boat with a thick towing line. They looked up when the couple approached. There were no cheery greetings. He was grateful for that, because his and Misty’s moods were decidedly somber.

  His mother strolled over to them. She stood on her toes, and Gabe leaned down enough to kiss her on the cheek and accept her warm hug. When he straightened his posture and watched Gabriella put her arm around his bride, he noticed tears in Misty’s eyes.

  “Hey, none of that now. I’m not dying. Well, not permanently.”

  Misty bit her lip and nodded. He could tell she was trying hard not to let the tears fall.

  Gabriella rubbed her back and whispered comforting words.

  Gabe imagined his mother was trying to bolster herself as well. He had to get going before he changed his mind.

  “I take it I’m rowing?” he called up to Jayce.

  His brother chuckled. “Nope. We’ll tow you. Just sit back and relax. Take care of my precious cargo, though.”

  Gabe looked into the empty rowboat. “What cargo?”

  Kristine raised her hand. “That would be me. You and I are in the disposable boat.”

  He smiled. Interesting way to put it. There had been times in his life when he felt, well, not disposable, but certainly replaceable. Being the middle of seven boisterous boys could result in feeling a little lost at times. Especially since he had always been the quiet one.

  He was getting his time in the spotlight now, and he didn’t really care for it.

  He grasped Misty’s arms and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. “Take care of yourself and our baby, hon. I love you.”

  “I will. I love you too.”

  After a nod to his mother, he sprinted to the dinghy, then hopped inside. He held out his hand to Kristine, helping her into the little rowboat.

  When she was seated, he called up to Jayce, “Let’s go, Captain.”

  Gabe watched the shore recede and then gradually disappear behind them. His mother and Misty stood together at the end of the dock the entire time.

  It seemed like they’d been sailing for hours, but in order to put enough distance between the fishing boat and the shore so a fire wouldn’t be spotted, they’d have to be well out to sea. At last, Jayce eased up on the throttle, and they slowed down.

  “You know what’s going to happen, right?” Kristine said.

  “Yeah. You’re going to go all dragon on my ass.”

  She giggled. “Pretty much. Listen, I did this for Jayce before I was really prepared for it. I just had to trust that what others were telling me to do was for his good. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.”

  “You’re not doubting it now, are you?”
<
br />   “Oh, hell no. I have no problem frying your ass.” She winked.

  He laughed.

  “No. I just wanted to know if you’ve ever witnessed it. Have you? A phoenix rising from its own ashes, I mean.”

  “No. When Ryan went through it, he was on the job in a high-rise fire. Jayce, well, from what I heard, he was locked in a cage?”

  “That’s right. He was already unconscious in a smoke-filled basement, so it wasn’t like I had to look into his eyes or anything. This time, you’re right here. To be honest, I’m a little nervous.”

  “Well, don’t be. I’m ready and willing.”

  “I know. But just the same, I think it would be a little easier if you face away from everyone.”

  “Oh. You’re thinking it might be hard on my brothers to watch me go from parboiled to crispy?”

  One side of her mouth quirked up in a half smile. “Yeah. I imagine they’d rather not witness the gory details.”

  “Hmmm…I never thought of them having a problem with it.”

  She placed a hand over his. “I thought you might not. Gabe, you don’t even realize what an integral part of this family you are.”

  He laughed. “You’re right. I don’t.”

  Her expression became serious. “Well, you are. Jayce tells me you’re the one everyone turns to if they need a favor and would rather skip the exhaustive details. When you guys came to New York to help me, the rest wanted to know who I was, why I needed help, the whole nine yards. You just said, ‘Where do I need to be and when?’”

  Gabe smiled and nodded, remembering the time all his brothers banded together to help a stranger, despite their father’s direct order to not get involved.

  “Well, it’s that kind of thing they all know about you. If they need to fly and know they’ll have to duck in somewhere private to change, they just ask you to leave your window open. You do it and even put out some extra clothes. No questions asked.”

  He nodded. He hadn’t even realized the boundlessness of his own trust, but it sounded as if everyone else knew he’d be there for them. All they had to do was ask. “Okay, so for their sakes, I’ll face away from Jayce’s boat.”

  “And from me,” Kristine added.

  “Okay. When?”

  “Now,” she said.

  The larger boat cut its engine, and the air suddenly seemed very still, as if something momentous was about to take place and even nature knew enough to be quiet.

  He turned away and heard rustling behind him. Then Luca whined from the main boat, “C’mon, Jayce. I’ve never seen a real live dragon transform before.”

  “Yeah, and you won’t if the only dragon you ever know is my wife. Now shut your damn eyes while she gets naked.”

  Gabe heard everyone chuckle. The bright noon sun didn’t cast many shadows, but Gabe couldn’t help catching the shadow of giant wings appearing on the water just in front of him.

  Then searing heat hit him. It was different from the heat of the sun over their heads. The air around him didn’t relieve the heat but fed it and added to it. He had promised himself not to cry out in pain. Oddly enough, he didn’t think he could. A sort of paralysis overcame him.

  Soon, he couldn’t keep his eyes open, and he allowed himself to drift off into a deep sleep.

  * * *

  “What the hell?” Antonio Fierro yelled.

  Gabe woke to gasps and shocked expressions. His little boat was on fire, and he figured he must be rising from the ashes. At least, he should have been. He turned to see Kristine through the smoke, still bathing him in fire despite the look of panic in her eyes.

  He tried to rise, but something was definitely wrong. Extending his wings seemed much more difficult. They were heavy, and when he turned his head enough to look at what everyone else was gaping at, he realized his wings were huge—and webbed! Where were his feathers?

  He couldn’t simply sit there with the charred boat crumbling beneath them. He tried the giant wings and rose into the air. Kristine flew up next to him. He couldn’t steer well. His tail wasn’t doing its job. She pushed him with her nose toward the fishing boat, and his brothers scattered.

  Then she hovered over him and clasped his shoulders in her talons, pushing him down onto the deck. He pulled in his wings, determined to land under his own power, but his tiny bird legs couldn’t hold his weight, and he pitched onto his side.

  Jayce and Antonio rushed over to him. The others just gave them room. Smoke was still rising off him, and the unmistakable smell of cinders filled the air. When Gabe tried to speak, he croaked.

  Kristine transformed behind the cabin and reappeared wearing a black sweat suit. She rushed to his side.

  “What happened?” Jayce asked.

  “I have no idea,” she said. “I’m—I’m stunned.”

  Antonio’s expression looked like fear mixed with concern. “Son? Do you feel all right? Are you in pain?”

  Again, he tried to speak and could only croak.

  Kristine snapped her fingers. “I think I know who to ask. I’ll be right back.” She disappeared before everyone’s eyes.

  Jayce didn’t seem concerned that his wife was there one moment and gone the next.

  Dante blinked at the empty space. “Where’s Kristine?”

  “Probably speaking with her boss,” Jayce answered.

  “Ah.” Antonio nodded.

  “The chief?” Dante asked. “I don’t understand.”

  A moment later, Kristine and a vaguely familiar female Gabe had met a few months earlier—the one they called Gaia or Mother Nature—peered over him. Her white hair was long and loose, and she was dressed in a white toga.

  The woman jammed her hands on her hips. “Well, this is a fine mess.”

  Kristine wrung her hands. “Gaia, what’s going on?”

  “Didn’t I tell you to wait until after Mercury went direct again? It hasn’t finished its retrograde rotation. You humans really don’t listen.” She crossed her arms and tapped her foot.

  “I apologize, Goddess,” Antonio said. “I remember your saying that. I’m afraid we got sidetracked with wedding plans and scheduled events when everyone could attend…”

  “What wedding?” she asked.

  “Gabe’s.” Antonio pointed to his son, helplessly lying on his side. His big dragon wings were spread akimbo on the deck with his tiny bird legs and tail somewhere beneath him.

  Thank heavens Misty isn’t here to see this.

  Mother Nature sighed. “One of you dragon-phoenix couples asked me if I could give you children. At the time, I said, ‘Absolutely not.’ I didn’t want to create a new mutation called a dragnix—or phoegon. Well, a few moments ago, I was remembering that conversation, and blam. It looks like I made one accidentally.” She covered her eyes and shook her head. “Damn. When will I learn to ignore what you humans say you want?”

  His brothers crept closer and took curious peeks at him. They also took a closer look at Mother Nature—and backed off pretty quickly when she gave them the hairy eyeball.

  Luca pointed to Gabe’s bottom half. “Yeah. I see his red and yellow phoenix tail feathers and his bird legs, but the upper half of him is all dragon.”

  Hearing that, Gabe began to panic. He’d go back to his human form if he could. He’d gladly live with scars and discolored skin, instead of this…this…abomination he had become. But he was afraid to shift, since he didn’t know what would happen with his top half. Would the bottom half of him be a human baby? Wouldn’t that be a hell of a thing to diaper?

  He waited, hoping one or the other form would take over. One of them had to be dominant. Right? Gaia just strolled around him on the deck, as if studying her new creation. He didn’t fully become one paranormal being or the other. He flopped on the deck, trying to right himself.

  Antonio pleaded with Mother Nature. “There
has to be something we can do. What if we were to set him on fire again?”

  “Nothing would happen, I’m afraid. Dragons are fireproof, and the phoenix half would just return from the ashes as the bottom half of a bird, like you see him now.”

  Antonio dropped to his knees on the deck and patted Gabe’s big dragon head. “My poor son. I’m so sorry. I wish there was something we could do.”

  “Well, for starters,” Mother Nature snapped, “you can stop asking me for the impossible. If dragons and phoenixes were supposed to procreate, they would be doing so.”

  “But phoenixes and humans can,” Noah pointed out quietly.

  “And dragons and humans can’t,” she replied harshly. “Can you imagine all the immature dragons walking the earth, setting my beautiful planet on fire every time they got frustrated or angry?”

  She tossed her hands in the air. “I’ve had it with you stupid humans, just destroying things every time something doesn’t go your way. Did you know humans are the only animals who destroy their homes? And only those dragons with a responsible dragon parent, who can teach them to control themselves, get to procreate. I knew what I was doing all those millennia ago.”

  “I’m sure you did, ma’am, but—”

  Mother Nature rose a few feet off the deck and glared at him. “Do not call me ma’am! This is why I don’t reveal myself to modern humans. I’m Goddess to you, son number…number…” She dropped her hands to her sides as she landed on the deck again. “Oh, hell. I can’t keep you all straight.”

  Antonio chuckled. “Neither can I.”

  “That probably didn’t help with the mix-up,” she grumbled. “Look, I’ll straighten it out. Give me a minute to think.”

  The mysterious goddess disappeared. A rumble of thunder was heard overhead, and a bolt of lightning hit the water.

  “Oh boy,” Kristine muttered. “She’s pissed.”

  A moment later, it began to rain. Gabe felt himself shrinking. The long, webbed wings gave way to shorter, feathered ones. His peripheral vision changed. He could see from his eyes on either side of his head, not from one direction facing forward.