by Laurie Roma
Lunaria smiled at her. “It is passing. My weakened state is temporary and it was well worth it to bring you here.”
A jewel encrusted goblet filled with wine appeared in Silas’s hand. “Give me your hand, my love,” Silas said.
Lunaria looked at him curiously as she held her hand out to him. A single claw came out of Silas’s finger and he used it to prick Lunaria’s fingertip. A single drop of silver blood welled from the wound and it fell into the wine, turning the wine a bright, glowing, silver color. Lunaria’s eyes widened as Silas pricked his own finger and a single drop of golden blood fell into the cup, mixing into the wine, making it a swirl of gold and silver.
“Silas…?”
He turned to Raven, holding out the goblet. “Drink, and become a true Arcadian.”
Raven didn’t know much about what was going on, but she could tell that what Silas had just done was monumental. Ready to take her future in her hands, she tipped the cup to her lips and drank the contents down without hesitation. Her hand tightened on the goblet as a strange feeling took hold of her. She felt like her body had turned to pure light, searing her from the inside. She panted for breath as the feeling faded, leaving her feeling lightheaded.
Raven came back to find herself with her head resting on the goddess’s shoulder as Lunaria stroked a gentle hand over her hair. Raven sat up and her brows furrowed at the sight of the tears in Lunaria’s eyes.
“Thank you,” Raven whispered.
Lunaria smiled with a look of such joy that Raven had to smile back. “You are truly an Arcadian now.” The goddess leaned forward and pressed a kiss on Raven’s forehead, leaving a pleasant tingling sensation behind when she pulled back. “We shall see each other again soon.”
Lunaria stood and walked a few feet to where Silas met her. Their palms met, both hands touching. Silas pressed his lips lightly to his lady’s in a kiss so sweet, so filled with love, Raven felt the glow of it from several feet away.
Then, without a word, Lunaria disappeared.
Chapter Eleven
“I’m sorry…”
Raven felt the waves of anguish emanating from Silas as he stared blankly at the space where Lunaria had stood a moment ago and didn’t know what else to say.
The feelings rolling off him immediately ceased. His expression cleared and he looked at her with swirling gold eyes. “Come,” Silas commanded.
A moment later Raven stumbled against the wave of dizziness that hit her. They had been transported back to the clearing where this strange visit had begun.
Shit, she was never going to get used to that. It would be nice to warn a girl before popping her in and out of places before she threw up on him. And she was pretty sure he might snuff her out if she did that, even if he was fond of her. She shook her head clear and opened her mouth, but closed it as he began to speak.
“It pains me, not having her with me,” Silas said softly. “I cannot bear to stay in the Isle of Dreams without her. Arcadians love deeply. So deeply that it tears at the heart not having our mate near. Love is strength. It makes us vital. Better. It fills places inside us that we never even knew were empty. She is my light and without her, the darkness is almost too much to bear.”
As she listened to his words, she couldn’t help but think of Savitar, Kadan, and Tristan. Maybe it was the blood bond or simply her own feelings, but she loved her mates just like Silas described. They filled a place inside her that she didn’t even know was empty. She had been waiting her whole life to find someone to love that loved her in return. And they did. They gave her the love she had been craving, and she loved them back.
All of them.
“Have you always lived this way?” Raven asked, afraid to push the god to talk about something that was obviously hurting him. She couldn’t imagine being separated from her mates for hours on end and she had only just met them. It was almost unfathomable to think of the anguish Silas and Lunaria faced every day, counting down the seconds until they could be together again. She wished with all her heart there was something she could do to help him.
“There is,” Silas said, finally turning to look at her. He sighed. “Let us walk.”
It felt strange. She was only half his size and he was a god, and yet she was comfortable with him as they walked through a strange-ass forest of weird looking flowered trees.
“Arcadia had seen its share of changes throughout the centuries,” Silas explained. “But the warriors have strayed far from their destined path, so we bound their shifter abilities, but left the essence of what they were inside them.”
“So, that’s why they can only shift their claws?”
Silas nodded. “Aye. True Arcadians are those who can shift fully into their dragon form. As things became more unstable here in the mortal realm, Lunaria and I suffered unexpected consequences from our actions. Because of the loss of magic on Arcadia we were separated in our own worlds, only given the hours in between to be together. We never thought it would take the mortals so long to set things to right, and at this rate they never will.”
“How do I help you?”
Silas stopped walking and looked down at her with a seriousness that had her breath catching. “You have done so by staying. It took our combined powers to bring you here and gift you with the change. We want the Arcadians stronger with the new knowledge you bring from your home world so that past mistakes will not be repeated.”
Raven winced. “Ah…about that. When I came here I had my weapon on me.”
Silas smiled. “I would have never let you come forth with it if I did not want you to bring it.” He sobered. “The problem with the rogues in this territory is great and a change needs to happen. You were the perfect chosen mate for the Kings of the Iron Palace. You are a natural born leader and will aid in making the necessary adjustments we need.”
Raven nodded, determined to do whatever it took to help. But it was a daunting task. Where the hell did you begin changing an entire world?
“Your idea for the havens to start with,” Silas said.
Raven sighed. Of course he knew about that.
“As I said, Arcadians have one true mate. You were fated to come here, to be the chosen for the Kings of the Iron Palace. Others have lost their faith in waiting for their true mate and choose a female out of loneliness or convenience. What you have begun as an advocate for the females in the Citadel will strengthen the race more than you know.”
Wow…and all she wanted to do was give the females more of a choice.
Silas’s lips curved into a smile. “You have the heart of a warrior. I will tell you now, I never had any intention of sending you back.”
Raven slowly smiled back at him. “I kind of figured that out. Too much is riding on this for you to waste the power to do that. Plus, you already knew how I felt about my mates. You knew I wouldn’t leave them.”
“This is true. The conversion process has made you immortal now and will allow you to shift to your dragon form.”
“Wait! Time out. Immortal?” Horror filled her. “You said longer life span, nothing about becoming immortal!”
He smirked at her. “True Arcadians are immortal. Over time as you continue to share your blood with your mates, you will bring forth their dormant dragons as well so do not fear them leaving you. It is the dragon’s magic inside you, but you can still die if someone cuts off your head, so do your best not to let that happen.”
Her hand flew up to her neck. That wasn’t so easy when every fucking male ran around carrying big-ass swords at their sides. Jesus, all of this information was making her head spin. It was like she was now a fucking Highlander. It was going to become her mission in life to learn how to wield a sword, and hopefully learn how not to get her head chopped off.
“At first you will only be able to call upon your beast when you are in danger as your adrenaline will call forth the dragon spirit within you, but over time it will get easier to control the change.” He paused. “There has been one other brought here
from your world. We had originally planned to bring one of you each year, but the changes she has already created have given us the added power to bring you here only months after she first stepped foot in Arcadia.”
Intrigued, Raven’s eyes widened. “There is another woman here from Earth? Where can I—”
“You shall meet her when the time is right, but for now it is wise to seek your mates for any questions you may have.”
“But you said they don’t know much about the dragon shifters, right?”
“Focus on bonding with your mates before you seek outside counsel. I would tell you not to inform them of what happened here but—”
“No.” She shook her head. “That’s a deal breaker. You wanted me fully committed to them and I am. I can’t keep something like this secret. That would be like lying.”
He heaved out a sigh. “Which is exactly what I was going to say. You females take away all my fun. The day begins and the conversion is almost complete. Once it is finished I will be rid of you,” he muttered.
Enjoying him, she grinned. She thought he liked keeping her a little off balance. She still had a healthy dose of fear of Silas. He was a god, and that was something she wasn’t about to forget. Ever. Still, she liked having this time with him and Lunaria. He had a snarky sense of humor and Lunaria was absolutely lovely to be around. Plus, it wasn’t everyday she got to take a walk with a god or was made into a shape-shifting dragon. She wouldn’t think about that one yet, or her head might explode.
They came to the edge of the forest and came to a stop. Raven didn’t really feel any different, but if Silas said the conversion was almost complete then she’d believe him. But there was still one thing she had to know. “Can I ask you a question?”
“You wish to know why we fed you our blood.”
Raven nodded and watched as Silas’s face softened with an expression of tenderness. “Besides being separated from each other, Lunaria and I suffered an even greater punishment. I am a god, and yet I am not able to give my true love the one thing she desires most.”
“Children,” Raven whispered. The horror of their situation hit her like a ton of bricks. Silas and Lunaria had centuries together, but they couldn’t have the one thing they wanted most. A family. Finally it became crystal clear to her why they had shared a part of themselves to her.
He ran a hand over her glossy black, curly hair. “You are the mortal image of her. Of my love. Now you have both of our blood running through your veins. We have both been denied the families we have craved, but there is a little part of us in you now.”
Choked up from the honor they had bestowed upon her, Raven didn’t know what to say.
“Soon, you shall see the look on your mates’ faces when you tell them you nurture the next generation inside of you. You will share their joy, their unending love. I am denied that pleasure.”
Raven’s eyes grew wide. “Are you saying I’m pregnant now?”
His eyes glowed brighter than the sun as he seemed to look inside her. “Aye, you carry new life. When you were brought here our magic ensured you would be able to breed.”
Well, shit.
The surprises just kept coming.
Raven’s hands flew to her flat stomach, looking down at herself in disbelief. How…She sighed. She really had to stop asking that and just accept that her life was now a mixture of the strange and unexplainable.
“It happened the first time you were with your mate Savitar. You have given him his greatest dream.”
“Thank you for telling me.” Tears clouded her vision as she looked up at the golden god. Alarm filled her. “Wait! You said I was already…you know, before the conversion. Will this hurt the—”
Silas looked offended. “Do you think we would harm your youngling? Arcadian genetics are stronger than your human genes. Your babe was already an Arcadian before you changed.”
“Okay, good. Fine.” Overcome with emotion, she let out a weak laugh as she wiped her tears away. “So, what do I call you? Uncle Silas or Grandpa?”
The look of shock on his inhumanly beautiful face was priceless, then he slowly smiled. “Uncle will do. Go now, and return to your mates, little dragon warrior,” Silas said, his voice rough with emotion. “Make sure they take care of you or they will answer to me.”
He waved his hand and Raven’s vision dimmed until the world faded to black.
* * * *
Raven was met with a blast of heat as she pushed open the heavy wooden door to the forge. It was a large, open building with a stone wall surrounding it with no ceiling to allow the abundance of heat to escape easily.
She turned and waved at Savitar and Kadan who watched her with concerned expressions apparent on their faces. They had wanted to accompany her on her task, but she had made it clear that she wanted to go find Tristan on her own.
Well, her and the three guards that trailed after her.
Her three new elite guards, Arkady, Tirk and Jordyn had been given the task of being her bodyguards whenever she left the palace. At first she thought the elite guards would have grumbled at being given babysitting duty. Instead, the three brothers were honored at being given the task and took her safety very seriously.
When she had woken, she had opened her eyes to find she was back in bed, tucked safely between her mates. Afraid it had all just been a dream, she had jackknifed up on the bed, pressing her hands to her stomach as she sat up. She had still been wearing the Grecian-style liquid-silver dress that Silas had dressed her in when he had transported her out.
Kadan and Savitar had woken and immediately searched the room for a disturbance while automatically shielding her body from any potential attacker. She had grinned about that. Before she had even begun her explanation, she had asked them not to share with Tristan because she wanted to tell him everything herself. They had agreed and she quickly explained about how she had been converted. She had decided to leave out a few details, like the baby, to tell them later.
Knowing how much it meant to him, she wanted to tell Savitar about that when they were alone before they told the others.
Her mates had been overjoyed that she had turned down the offer to be sent home and the relief she’d felt coming from both of them made her ashamed that they had been so worried.
Their relief had been just as intense when she had told them that she had been converted into an Arcadian so they wouldn’t have to worry about her aging. It had never occurred to them that her lifespan was different than theirs and their fear of losing her was practically tangible.
Conversation had quickly been forgotten when the hunger for her mates had taken over. Kadan and Savitar had taken turns making love to her again. The desire to sink her teeth into them had shock tearing through her as the scent of their blood stirred a hunger inside her that was completely foreign. She had been pretty damn surprised when she felt her human teeth elongate into sharp fangs, like a vampire or something.
Silas had obviously forgotten to mention a few things…damn him.
When she came, the desire to sink her fangs into them was uncontrollable. They had welcomed it, even urged her to do it. Refusing to think about it so she wouldn’t freak out, she gave into the urge, wanting the bond with them. As soon as she bit their necks, they had climaxed with her, making their mutual release even more intense.
When they were done with their bed play she had bounded out of bed, eager to seek out Tristan. She had dressed in the leather pants and warrior’s vest and Savitar and Kadan had joined her in eating a quick meal in the main hall. After her visit with the Gods, Raven no longer cared how the others viewed her or if they thought her behavior was strange. As long as her mates were happy with her she felt free to be herself.
She had plowed through the meal with gusto then had been formally introduced to her new guards. The three warrior brothers were handsome males, with hair almost as dark as hers. They had thick, corded muscles, just like her mates, but no one compared to her men in her eyes.
S
he was aware of how carefully Kadan and Savitar had watched her reaction as she was introduced to the new trio. She felt a mixture of jealousy and rage surge through both of them as they fought against their desire to pick her up and take her far away from any other male she may find attractive and their need to ensure that she was safe.
She had given her mates a fierce frown, telling them to chill out through their bond. When they had both shot her a confused look, she had sighed and explained that they needed to relax. Even if she thought another male was good looking that didn’t mean she was going to jump him.
They should show her some damn trust, especially after this morning.
Kadan and Savitar had relaxed and sheepishly apologized, although they had both mentioned they would probably react that way whenever she was in the presence of unmated males. She had rolled her eyes at them and had set out on her task after she found out that Tristan was working in one of the large buildings where materials were made from the iron found in the surrounding mountains.
Her mates had insisted on escorting her to the location, but she told them today was her day with Tristan and that she would see them both later. Her desire to spend time with Tristan was a compulsion. It was a deep burning need to soothe the worry that she knew he felt. No longer angry at how they had met, Raven was eager to bond with him and wanted to do it as soon as possible.
Seeing their dejected faces, she had asked Savitar and Kadan to give her the day with Tristan, but to come meet them later so the four of them could spend some time together. They had immediately perked up, telling her to reach out through their bond to let them know when they would be allowed to join her and Tristan. She promised she would then gave them one last kiss before walking to the building.
Once she pushed the large wooden door open, the sounds of metal being pounded came from all directions. Mentally turning down her hearing, she walked around several stations where warriors worked making various items while her three guards trailed her discreetly. She was oblivious to the stares of the other males, completely focused on finding her mate.
