“Brogan has a valid point; we did not consider the possibility of inviting people here who have the intention or propensity for harm,” Aleksander chimed in.
“So we only accept people that are not dangerous,” Ayden decided.
“How do we know if they are or not beforehand?” his mate asked.
“We can have an application.”
“We can’t just have a checkbox that asks them if they have violent tendencies,” Brogan argued and Ayden did not fail to miss the sarcasm in his tone.
“I know that. But we check their background, contact their current leader and find out why they feel the need for sanctuary to verify what they have told us.”
“We would need council permission to do that. There are no cross-race sanctuaries, and we don’t even know if the council will agree to do what we want. Every other sanctuary has people placed in them by the fallen knights. We might not even get the chance to offer our application to anyone, we might not even know the person’s name until they arrive. The other sanctuaries are large courts, circles, packs, et cetera. There are only nine of us to defend ourselves and maintain order. I am a duke; my main responsibility is to see to the safety of our court. I would not be doing my duty if I let this idea go forth.”
Ayden was really starting to get pissed off, a sanctuary was perfect for them, “Brogan, Latarian and I are the most powerful magickind on the planet. We have security covered. No one can even walk up to the damn door without us knowing it.”
“I must say that I have had reservations from the start. I gave my vote only reluctantly. I agree with Brogan, our own safety should be considered. We would not want to open ourselves to danger,” Latarian threw in, and Ayden felt like choking her. As usual, she was not seeing things from Ayden’s point of view and the reservations she now spoke of had not been mentioned in the past. Ayden could not help but think that her desire to put a wrench in their sanctuary plans was related to her unhappiness about Ayden’s choice to be with Brogan. However, Ayden had managed to avoid her for several weeks and so he had no real sense of how angry she continued to be about his matebond with Brogan. He could only hope that he was able to continue to maintain distance from his temperamental witch.
“No one is infallible, Ayden. It only takes a moment to end someone’s life. In a flash any one of us could be dead. The price of opening a sanctuary could be too high,” Brogan stated calmly.
“I still think you are exaggerating the potential danger. If we add the application and background checks to our proposal I really think it would minimize the danger,” Ayden argued.
“It is not enough. No one’s life in this room is more important to me than a stranger. It was Fate that brought you and Latarian here, and we got Blodwen in a happy accident, but we don’t need a bunch of refugees bringing danger to our doorstep.”
It was unbelievable how stubborn his mate was being, Brogan appeared to have already made his decision. He was not going to agree, and no matter what Ayden said Brogan was not listening. It made Ayden furious. His own mate objecting to the proposal that Ayden and Blodwen had been working their asses off to complete.
“You are not even listening to me. I cannot believe you are being so close-minded about this,” Ayden accused.
“I don’t think you are seeing the reality of the dangers you could put us all in,” Brogan returned.
“I understand the world is full of dangerous people Brogan, my entire race was wiped out. I know evil exists. I also know we can be smart and do our best to minimize the possibility of inviting homicidal maniacs into our home!” Ayden could not help the fact that his voice had risen to a yell, he wanted to smack Brogan into next week. It was crazy to think he had been complaining earlier about the fact that they were not bonded mates. He was certainly not thinking about happily ever after at the moment; his thoughts were more along how fucking fast he could pack up all of Brogan’s shit and toss it in into the damn hallway.
“Under no circumstances am I willing to risk the lives of our family!” Brogan roared back.
“You are being an unreasonable ass. You’re not even thinking about all the lives we could be saving!”
“Yes, I am. I am thinking of our own lives, Ayden,” the dragon countered.
“Gentlemen, we are getting nowhere. Unless we can all come to an agreement, I am afraid the idea will have to be shelved for now. We can open up the possibility of becoming a sanctuary in the future, if we can come to a reasonable compromise,” Aleksander announced with a sympathetic look in Ayden’s direction.
“Great. Just fucking great. I hope you are happy Brogan,” Ayden shot out at his big, dumb mate.
“I just want everyone to be safe,” he said in a reasonable tone.
“Fine. I want your shit out of our room by the end of the day,” Ayden snarled and stormed out of the living room.
Storming down the hall and entering the bedroom, Ayden slammed the door behind him in fury. He locked it for good measure and decided that Brogan could come in here and pack after Ayden had a few minutes to calm the fuck down. If Brogan was allowed into the bedroom now Ayden was positive that he would torch the stupid dragon and all his belongings. Walking towards the bed, Ayden jumped when someone banged on the door so hard it rattled in its frame.
“Ayden! Open this fucking door!” Brogan yelled, obviously he was the one brutalizing the door.
“Go to hell! You can come back later to get your crap!” Ayden shouted back at him.
“Open it, or I will break the fucking door.” His words were punctuated with a series of more door rattling knocks. Fine, Ayden thought, his mate wanted to fight. Ayden was not going to disappoint him. He walked over and whipped open the door to find a very furious dragon on the other side.
“You want to get your shit now? Go ahead! I cannot believe you would destroy our sanctuary idea like that. I’ve been working on that forever, and this idea is very important to me, but do you care? Obviously not! I guess my feelings don’t mean shit to you!”
Brogan barreled into the room and shut the door behind him, “I know that you mean well, Ayden, but I just cannot risk it.”
“Whatever, just get your shit and go! I don’t even want to be around you. Let me know when you’re done,” Ayden said and turned to leave the room. Before he could even grab the doorknob, Brogan wrapped his large hands around both of Ayden’s upper arms to still him.
“Look at me. Don’t do this.”
“Do what? You are the one doing this. You are the one that killed the sanctuary,” Ayden bit out as he met his mate’s eyes. He had expected Brogan’s blue eyes to be filled with fury, but what he saw there was panic and fear.
“Don’t do this. We disagree. Yes, it’s about something important to you. Your safety is just as important to me, but the sanctuary has nothing to do with what is between you and me.”
He wanted so badly for Brogan to understand where he was coming from. “It is important, I worked very hard, and I think we can help people.”
“Ayden, I love that you have a big heart and that you want to help people, but we cannot let this be about you and me. There will always be things we fight and disagree over, but we cannot let it damage what we have worked so hard to begin growing between us. What we have is more important than anything and everything else. Do not let this destroy you and me. Yell. Scream. Do whatever you want to do. You know I enjoy arguing with you, and I always will, but don’t let it tear us apart. We have to learn to set things aside and not let outside things ruin our relationship,” Brogan was pleading, still holding him in a firm grip and Ayden realized he had let his anger get the best of him.
He was still pissed off, but his mate was right, wrecking what they had and could have together was not something Ayden truly wanted. Ayden didn’t want to lose his mate any more than it seemed Brogan wanted to lose him. Looking up into those dark blue eyes Ayden was not going to throw away his mate, not even for his beloved sanctuary.
“Okay. Okay, you’re right.
What we have is too important to screw up, but I still think you are being an asshole.”
His dragon bowed his head slightly and let out a sigh which could only have been of relief. “Thank you, we can agree to disagree about the sanctuary and my status as an asshole, but no more tossing me out of our room.”
“Fine, but I think we need to update our pros and cons list.”
“We do?” Brogan asked with an amused expression.
“Yes. Con: Brogan is annoyingly stubborn.”
“Pro: Ayden is also annoyingly stubborn.”
“Con-”
“Nope, new rule, every time you add a con you have to add a pro.”
“I hate that rule,” Ayden argued.
“Too bad. Pro?” Brogan prompted.
“Pro: Brogan gives one helluva good blowjob.” His mate erupted in laughter and gathered him close in a bone crushing hug. Ayden squeezed his dragon back just as tightly; he had come close to making a big mistake. Luckily Brogan had pulled him out of his fury and reminded him of what was really important. Brogan dropped a kiss on the top of his head, and Ayden was grateful that once again his mate’s determination had saved them.
Chapter 16
Over the next couple of days, both Brogan and Ayden made it a point not to discuss the sanctuary. Meanwhile, Blodwen and Ayden were determined to find a way to ramp up what Brogan considered their glaring security issues, but Ayden was willing to do as his mate asked and not allow the sanctuary to come between them. The sanctuary problem aside, Ayden was still not completely settled. He wanted Brogan to be his mate in truth, but his dragon did not appear to be cooperating. The thought made him scowl as he left their bedroom to find Blodwen to bitch about Brogan. Entering the living room he found his witch instead. Before he could make a hasty retreat to continue his necromancer search, Latarian’s voice stopped him.
“Ayden, can we talk?” It seemed that Latarian had finally realized that she was not going to persuade anyone to pretend it was still six centuries in the past and was now attempting to dress in a more modern fashion. Ayden had noticed her at dinner wearing pants instead of her long dresses. Apparently she had done some shopping or, knowing Latarian had persuaded someone else to do it for her.
He didn’t really want to speak with Latarian. Ayden had been enjoying their time apart, but he supposed she was still his witch so he probably couldn’t avoid her forever, “Uh, sure.”
“You are well?” she asked.
“Yeah, you?”
“I am adapting to my role here. I am frustrated by these wizards; not one of them has offered anything to help clear my grandfather’s name.”
Oh right, Ayden thought, he had completely forgotten about her little history project. It was not surprising that nothing had ever come out of Blodwen e-mailing the entire wizard population on her behalf. As the prism wizard had informed them when they had visited his office, the evidence was against Carvallius was strong. “I’m sorry to hear that,” he offered.
“I have not yet found the perfect spot to make a memorial for Eoghan. Are you still visiting the one you made for your mate?”
“No, I don’t think Eoghan’s familiar was my mate. Brogan is my mate,” Ayden corrected her.
“I still have trouble finding that to be true, familiars have always been mated to other familiars. It makes no sense for you to be paired with a dragon.” Her tone was neutral, but Ayden found her expression to be sly.
“I do not believe I would have a dragon form if I were not meant to be with a dragon,” he asserted.
“You kept your dragon form a secret from me.” Her tone was accusatory and Latarian’s eyes narrowed as she peered at her familiar.
It was not like he could deny it. “Yes.”
“You have always been clever for a familiar. Did you perhaps learn it after seeing these shifters? I can see that you wish to please them. What better way to work your way into their affections than by mating with one of them.”
Ayden was flabbergasted that she could accuse him of such a nefarious plan. “I’ve had that form since I was summoned. You know it is impossible for a familiar to fake a mate pairing. We are asexual before we find our mates,” he reminded her.
“But you did find your mate. He existed before you were summoned so you may have always had the ability to be with another,” the witch accused him.
“Actually he never existed because Eoghan died before he was ever summoned. He never even lived. I never had a mate until we arrived here. My mate is Brogan.” This conversation was really starting to make Ayden angry. Eoghan’s familiar had been a fantasy, Brogan was very real and very much his.
“So you believe-” she countered and Ayden shook his head in disgust.
“That is exactly what I believe,” he affirmed.
“I still feel it is my duty to counsel you and I do not think mating with Brogan would be a good idea. In fact, I believe it to be a very bad idea for you. Aleksander continues to remind me daily that it is unlawful to come between a mated pair but I am your witch. I am burdened with the task of keeping you from making grave mistakes.”
For some reason that he could not fathom, he was curious about her reasoning. “Why is it a bad idea?”
“Certainly the reasons are obvious even to you. The fact that I am alive has been announced to the world. I am the last living witch. I have no doubt there are many that will wish to know me, especially after they realize that my grandfather was a hero to our kind. Once we begin receiving invitations, we will no longer have any reason to stay here. I have no wish to have some dragon shifter in tow as we travel the world.”
She was perfectly serious he realized in dismay, “Uh, we are members of this court. According to the Council of Sorcery and Shifters, we are dragons. This is our home, and we answer to Aleksander,” Ayden spoke slowly and hoped his words sunk in. The only witch left in the world was not going to create any kind of worldwide frenzy.
“What nonsense, I am a witch. I am sure the world will wish to see me recognized as the leader of my race.”
“The prism wizard said you did not bear the mark of a leader,” he reminded her.
“Soon you will see that I am right.”
“I guess we will both see what happens.”
“So you see, it would be foolish to carry on with this mating.”
It seemed they were back to this again. Ayden was well past the point where he was going to allow Latarian to sway his decision, “Yeah, I think that is really between Brogan and me.”
“You forget that I am still your witch.”
“You forget that no one can come between mates.”
“I forbid you to do this, Ayden,” she commanded coldly.
“I’d like to see you try and stop me,” he answered just as icily.
“If you do this you will forever regret it,” Latarian warned in an ominous tone.
“I will take my chances,” Ayden announced and strode right out of the living room. He needed to find his mate; it was time to stop letting anything get in the way of mating with Brogan, including his own fears. Deciding to begin his hunt with their bedroom, Ayden was going to demand that they have their mating ceremony and seal their bond forever.
“There you are,” Ayden yelled to his mate as he entered their room. Ayden had left their room not that long ago to brainstorm ideas for that sanctuary idea he and Blodwen wanted to become a reality. Although both Brogan and Latarian had offered opposition to the plan, the duo were convinced that with enough research they could come up with a workable plan that would suit everyone. Brogan had decided to tackle more mundane things like making sure their bedroom stayed somewhat orderly.
Brogan quirked an eyebrow at his mate as he finished making their bed, “Problem?”
“Yeah, you.”
“Me?”
“Yes. Why haven’t you asked me to complete our mate bond?”
This time both of Brogan’s eyebrows shot up in surprise at his mate’s question. “I was waiting for you.”
“Waiting for me to do what?”
“I was waiting for you to tell me you were ready. I don’t want to pressure you into anything, I figured when you were ready you would tell me.”
“I was waiting for you to ask,” Ayden exclaimed.
“We’re both idiots,” Brogan stated with a rueful smile.
“Not idiots, we just suck at communicating.”
“Something to work on in the future,” he said to his mate.
“Yeah like, ask your mate when you have a question.”
“Or tell your mate when you want something,” Brogan agreed.
“Yeah.”
“So you are really ready, baby?” Brogan sure as hell hoped so.
“To be your mate?”
“Yes.”
“It’s scary but I’m ready.”
“What’s scary about it?”
“I’m a total brat and a pain in the ass. We fight all the time. What if you get sick of dealing with me and my shit?” His mate bit his lip in worry after asking the question.
“Baby, I love you. I love fighting with you. You have a passionate nature that I adore. I love the fact that you sometimes act bratty and are a pain in the ass. I even love that you eat everything in sight. I love everything about you. I love the fact that Fate gave you to me. I love the fact that I get forever with you.”
“Wow.”
“Ayden,” Brogan said, his tone full of warning.
“What?”
Brogan was not buying his mate’s innocent act. “Say it back.”
“I’m not sure I can say it out loud,” his mate confessed in a small voice.
Obviously he was not comfortable with the idea of being vulnerable, but that was too bad. “So come over here and whisper it in my ear. I need to hear it.”
Grand Redemption (D'Vaire Book 1) Page 17
