by Ophelia Bell
She was mesmerized, thrilled beyond belief. Every single experience in the New World Erika and Geva had shown her so far had been sublime. “Don’t let anyone hear you call it that,” Erika had said the first time she referred to it as the “New World.” Erika reminded Belah that even though the city they were in was called “New York,” it hadn’t been truly new in over three centuries. She knew that, objectively. She was versed in the basics of human history, but only in the most abstract sense. Being a member of the Dragon Council meant spending her life cloistered in the Glade with her siblings, doing nothing more than governing—passing down laws in the hopes that their race were sufficiently protected from their enemy.
Finally stepping out of that sanctuary had permitted her to experience things she’d long thought forgotten, including the beautiful strains of music coming from an instrument she’d never seen or heard before. She’d expected tonight might be much the same as the first week of her visit—beautiful, but altogether simply another novel experience. Nothing more than a new pleasure to remember as she reacquainted herself with the human world in the hope of finding a mate. Humanity really was an astoundingly diverse race and had changed so much since the disastrous last days she’d spent on Earth, in the bonds of new love with a man she should never have trusted, much less considered making her mate.
She didn’t expect the sudden need to be with this musician she now watched on stage, and the urge alarmed her. She could have chosen any man in the club Erika and Geva brought her to, but the man on stage was the one who captured her attention.
He was beautiful, too—the bard who played for her—dark-haired with deep-set eyes. And he was playing for her now, she could tell by the way his gaze rested on her the entire time. The sultry sounds he produced tickled her ears, then went straight to her core, reminding her a little too much of how she’d felt for Nik before his betrayal.
Nik had played her as deftly as an instrument himself, and she’d relinquished her free will to him, letting him create music with her body in a way that let her feel things she never believed possible. It was a weakness of hers, this need to be possessed—to be looked at as though she were the treasure to be coveted by a lover, rather than the other way around, which was how her race tended to behave. Particularly one like her, who had no superiors.
The humans in this club were all just as charmed by the music as she was. But as empowering as being here was—seeing her effect on the men around her—the effect of the music on her did just the opposite. The bard’s focus gave her that same weightless sensation of surrender she’d felt so long ago with her old lover. It wasn’t a sense of being revered—worshiped—like other lovers. The music sank soul-deep into her, possessing her the way the wind did when she flew. But unlike the sensation of her surrender to Nik, there was no underlying sense of corrupt intent from the man on stage. The message was simple: I can carry you away, if you let me.
She barely noticed the rest of the club, or even the fresh drink the waitress set before her. She closed her eyes just to experience the music fully, to surrender to it for a moment and imagine letting him carry her away. She opened her eyes again after the sounds took on an almost conversational, questioning tune—like he was trying to speak to her through the notes he played. She smiled up at him and was rewarded with a pleased look in his eyes that she’d acknowledged his message.
She let out a satisfied sigh when the song ended.
“He’s hot shit, isn’t he?” Erika asked, pulling herself away from Geva long enough to draw Belah into conversation. “His band tours worldwide, but I always love hearing them on their own turf. Especially Lukas. The man sure knows his way around a saxophone. I hear his brother’s just as talented, but I’ve never heard him play.”
Belah nodded and finally took a sip of the red wine in front of her. She closed her eyes, savoring the flavor and thinking how well the lingering mood from the music was complemented by the richness of it.
“He is nothing like I’ve experienced. Everything is so new and wonderful now, I wish I hadn’t waited so long to leave the Glade.” There had been a good reason for herself and the rest of the Council to stay cloistered in their sanctuary for the last three thousand years. The rest of their race were protected as well as they could be by clever use of their magic, including hiding the next generation away until they were at their most potent power and fertility. But the Council was too big a risk to let interact with the world after her mistake—if one of them were captured by the Ultiori, their entire race might be destroyed. She was taking a risk by being here now, but with her hosts nearby and several Shadows lurking around the periphery, she felt safe enough to let go and enjoy herself.
She caught Erika and Geva both eyeing her with amused expressions and realized she’d been staring at the man on stage—Lukas—pondering whether he’d mind being watched by her Shadow guardians while they made love, if he knew. He had a lovely, blue-tinged aura that was unlike the other musicians on the stage. It had the look of a smoky, glowing cloud around him, fluctuating with each breath he pushed into the mouthpiece of his instrument. When he began playing a new song, it was as if his aura pulsed in time to the beat of the music, and bits of it flowed out of the end of the horn to drift through the air directly toward her. It wasn’t like any of the other human auras in the room, and she felt like she should recognize why, but somehow it didn’t matter to her in the midst of such beautiful music.
In truth, she had probably chosen the perfect time to leave the Glade, particularly if it meant she found this lovely man in his prime. Any other century and she may have never discovered him.
The music seemed to have a profound effect on her companions, as well. Halfway through the next song, they disappeared from the private booth and didn’t return for some time. The band was well into another set when they finally slid back into their seats, Erika looking flushed and both of their auras glowed tellingly.
The cravings of wishful parents was something she looked forward to, if this man were truly the right one. If he responded to her the way she believed he would, she might be having those same urges soon, beyond just the abstract wish for another way to tip the balance in the imminent conflict.
“I’ll introduce you after their last set,” Erika said. “I think he already likes you, so maybe he’s the one.” She gave her a knowing smile. “You should know he’s a bit of a wild child, though. He’s never seemed the type to settle down, but he has other talents besides his music. At the very least you could have some fun.”
The couple were the only members of the Dragon Court aside from Kol who knew her intentions. If the Ultiori were building an army, so should the dragons, which meant increasing their own numbers as quickly as possible. At least she was happy she had hosts who understood her needs.
Geva let out a low chuckle from the other side of Erika, making Belah raise her eyebrows and study the pair. Intrigued, she asked, “You two have both been with him?”
Geva quirked the corner of his mouth without looking at her, his eyes still on Lukas. “Erika’s always had excellent taste in partners. It makes traveling interesting,” Geva said. “But no, I haven’t had the pleasure of him yet.”
“Well, you’ll have to ask Belah if she’d be willing to share,” Erika said with a sly look. But Geva only shook his head.
“Until my seed has taken, it is only you, love.”
And with that, the couple were back to their tender kisses and surreptitious caresses. Belah sighed and set her attention back on Lukas, but her thoughts lingered on her hosts a moment longer. They were an inspiration for the kind of bond she hoped for, and when Geva’s seed did take root in Erika’s womb, she intended to grant the child a blessing for the hospitality they’d shown her.
Until then, she appreciated the subtle, enticing energy the Red exuded. Being near the two of them made her feel alive and eager to find a mate. If Lukas with the seductive music and smoldering eyes was the one, all the better because she didn’t want t
o waste time.
Their intensity was as seductive as the music, and she shifted her attention from Lukas, watching the couple over the rim of her wine glass. When Erika noticed and raised an eyebrow, Belah took a sip and set her glass down, smiling. “You two are refreshing companions after spending so long away.”
Erika reached for her own drink and took a sip while studying her. She licked her lips, her gaze flicking back to Geva, and then to Lukas up on stage. “You know, I heard a bit about what happened during the Ritual with Rowan. I admit I’m a little envious that Geva got to spend time with you before. And that I missed it.”
Belah’s skin tingled under the growing heat in Erika’s gaze. Geva’s hand rested casually on his mate’s thigh, but he stayed silent, watching. Erika leaned in, her aura flickering with excited curiosity. The thoughts that accompanied the impression were playful and a little mischievous, but beneath them Belah sensed Erika’s need to experience some of what her mate had. The music changed as the pair of them shifted closer together, the tune becoming even more sultry and expectant—the drummer nearly missed a beat, but the bassist managed to pick up the slack. They must be quite accustomed to their sax player’s improvisations.
When Erika’s lips were close to Belah’s ear, she whispered, “One thing I know drives Lukas mad is being forced to watch when he can’t touch.” Her fingers slid through Belah’s hair at the base of her neck. The other woman’s breath was warm and sweet from her cocktail, her lips soft and supple when they pressed against Belah’s. The intensity of the kiss surprised Belah, and she relented, giving herself up to it slowly. Erika deepened the kiss, her body shifting close enough that their hips and thighs touched. Bela clutched at her friend’s arm for balance. So decisive a woman she’d never known outside of her own race, and it felt good to let go for the first time in so very long.
Through the haze of arousal that one kiss incited, the music changed again, somehow seeming to match the shift in Erika’s demeanor and the thoughts that clamored through her mind as plain to Belah as though she’d spoken. “God, I can’t believe she’s letting me do this. Will she let me in more? I have to try. Geva said none of them would lay back and accept me so easily. Too overbearing my ass. I’ll show him.”
Beyond Erika, Geva’s emotions only signaled pleasant amusement, but not surprise. No, the surprise was reserved for herself when Erika’s fingertips traced a line along the slit in Belah’s long gown and teased beneath across the sensitive skin of her inner thigh.
Erika pulled away from the kiss and pressed lips to the side of her throat tracing a line with her tongue up to tease at her earlobe. “Can I?” she whispered, her voice husky, her aura crackling against Belah’s skin like static. Erika’s fingertips lightly brushed against the edge of the lacy thong panties Belah had conjured based on a description of what a potential lover might like. Her gaze drifted to the stage and locked onto Lukas, still a stranger yet somehow she felt she was asking for his approval. He gave it with the slightest nod, the corners of his occupied mouth pulling back ever so slightly as though he were smiling around his mouthpiece. He couldn’t have seen beyond their covered table to know precisely what was going on beneath, but Erika’s position no doubt gave it away.
Without removing her eyes from his, Belah spread her thighs and sighed when Erika’s deft fingers found her aching core and began to tease.
Chapter Four
Lukas knew the moment Erika went for broke with her fingers between his pretty blue lady’s legs. The woman’s blue-black hair slid over her shoulders as her head tilted back, the sapphires in her ears sparkling at him almost as brightly as her eyes beneath her half-lowered lids. Her lips parted and a sound only he could hear reached his ears—the softest moan of pleasure, so sweet and hungry it made his dick swell inside the leathers he wore. With a clever shift of his fingers on his sax, he changed the key and tempo of the tune to match her breathing.
Every woman had their own rhythm, but they were almost never in sync with his. Hers, however, meshed perfectly. His band fell into the beat like always, and the entire audience ceased to exist except for her.
He knew Erika was doing it to goad him. Being forced to watch and not touch made him edgy and irritable. Or it would have on any other day. Today the simple conviction that she was here just for him let him go along with Erika’s game. And it appeared Erika’s Red mate was happy to go along with it, too—he’d slid up close to Erika’s other side and his arm was positioned so that there was no doubt that Erika was receiving a similar treatment to what she was giving.
Sweet Jesus he loved dragons. Wait until his brother, Iszak, found out he’d found her and she was one of the creatures they’d always admired and secretly desired.
Having her put on a show just for him while he sat up here and played for her was the perfect introduction, too. It let them simply see each other, it let her understand what he could do with his music. The music was a gift many of his kind had. He and his brother were what the humans might have called prodigies, but they were only exceptionally gifted by his own race’s standards.
Suddenly he wished he could draw this moment out longer, but it wasn’t his touch inciting her to breathe heavier and bite her lip in an effort to suppress her sounds of ecstasy.
Moan for me, baby, he thought, even as he coaxed the sound he was sure she’d make out of his instrument. He’d only heard the first sound she made before she’d stifled the rest, but she seemed to appreciate the tune. Her chest heaved quicker, her hand tangled in the waves at the back of Erika’s neck while Erika spoke into her ear. Erika urged her on with breathy words, hitching and rough from her own pleasure. “Come so he can see—it’ll drive him so wild he won’t be able to resist.”
No, he wouldn’t, but he’d been lost the second she walked through the door. Erika only needed to take credit for bringing her here.
As though it were his own fingertips playing her, the music’s climax hit at the exact same moment her head fell back against the seat and a ripple of pure pleasure coursed down her body. Erika grinned for a second, waiting and teasing until his blue lady’s pleasure finally ebbed. Then Erika turned, pulling her dragon mate into a deep kiss while the male carried her to her own obviously satisfying end, his actions still artfully obscured by the tablecloth.
The woman’s breathing began to slow at the same pace as his song, and she never once let her gaze wander from him. Then the set was done and he pulled his lips away from the mouthpiece. Reluctant to turn away from her for any reason, but needing to, he winked at her then stood up from his stool and bowed to the cheering crowd.
“You look a little shaky, man. Everything cool? You good for another set?” Dan, his bassist murmured from behind him.
“Something came up. You guys’ll have to finish without me tonight,” Lukas said, cursing to himself. Fuck another set.
He unclipped his sax and closed it in its blue velvet-lined case. The same color and sheen as her dress, he observed with a smile. He turned and made his way down from the stage, past the expectant-looking blonde from earlier, only dimly aware of her excitement and quick disappointment when he kept walking by her table. He beelined straight to the booth in the back where his blue lady still sat, slowly sipping a glass of red wine and watching him come toward her as though she were expecting him. And shouldn’t she be after that?
For the first time in his life, words escaped him. He just stopped and looked at her, unable to articulate any kind of introduction. His fingers itched suddenly for his sax so he could play her another song, connect with her in the same way they had while he was playing.
Erika’s sultry chuckle hit his ears, followed by, “Lukas, I’d like you to meet my friend Belah. Belah, this is Lukas North. Fantastic show, as always.”
“Thank you,” Lukas said, tearing his eyes away from her just long enough to politely nod at Erika. He had the craziest urge to bow, but instead only held out his hand to Belah. Belah, Belah, Belah, he said over and over in his mind. What
a fucking beautiful name. Belah Blue, he thought.
He did bow when she placed her smooth, pale hand in his. He bent low over it and pressed his lips to the silken skin, enjoying the little intake of breath he heard when he darted his tongue out the barest bit to taste her. He resisted the urge to pull her up and into his arms, instead raising his head and nodding again at Erika and her mate.
“I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure?”
Erika grinned, her cheeks growing even rosier as she introduced the Red. “Gavin Hayden,” she said, but stumbled a bit over the name. It hit him that she hadn’t been clued in by her mate that he was a Turul, otherwise she’d have used his real name. He glanced at the Red and raised an eyebrow.
“My friends call me Geva,” he said, reaching out and grasping Lukas’s hand with his, dwarfing it in the process. Lukas was abstractly grateful that the females of the race weren’t quite so large, but then the dragons did get to choose their human forms, unlike his race. He wholeheartedly approved of Belah’s shapely curves.
Erika’s eyes widened and she turned to whisper a question in her lover’s ear. Lukas would let them deal with the miscommunication on their own. Shifting his attention back to Belah, he smiled.
“May I?” he asked, gesturing to the seat beside her.
Surprisingly, she shook her head. “No.”
He blinked down at her, sure he’d heard wrong. She glanced at the other couple who were whispering softly, then kissing again. Erika had a telltale glow that he never thought he’d see on her, but made him realize the truth. They were actively trying to breed. He chuckled at the idea that they’d likely already done it in the club at least once tonight. Erika looked very ready tonight, and if his instincts were clear, they’d succeed very soon. A daughter, he thought. A very blessed daughter, too, if the slight whisper of the Wind in his ear was to be believed, and she never lied about new life to come.
