He rolled his eyes at his crazy brother. “Whatever.”
“I envy you the time you got to spend with Mother and Father. I miss them,” Dre’Kariston said solemnly.
“It went so fast, but it was wonderful to see them. I will not ever be able to repay the gift they have given me. I may not have woken up in time to save my mate and now I get to spend the rest of my life with not just him, but my brother and all of my family,” as he spoke he took his mate’s big hand in his and met the eyes of all the people he had come to love.
“We love you, too, Frodo,” Aleksander told him with a wicked grin.
“Thanks, Lurch,” Dra’Kaedan replied and shared an amused glance with first his king and then his mate.
“So, elephant in the room. I just want to say I’m so sorry that I wasn’t able to do more to save you,” Blodwen spoke quietly and with unshed tears in her gray eyes. Dre’Kariston took a step closer to her and began rubbing her back.
Dra’Kaedan was not going to let her continue to blame herself, “Blodwen, if I had lost all my power with those spells still on my back I would have died and there would have been nothing my parents could have done. You saved my life. I am so grateful to have such an amazing best friend.”
“Thank you,” she managed between her tears and went straight to the bed to give Dra’Kaedan a crushing hug.
He returned her hug gratefully. “No, thank you.”
“We should probably tell him the bad news now,” Larissa said after Blodwen returned to Dre’Kariston’s side, and he had hugged her as well.
“Bad news?”
“Yeah, your brother told us who you were and how you disappeared before your birthday. Then he told us how he killed Latarian’s grandfather, but that isn’t the bad news because that guy was an evil prick. The arch lich said that Latarian had to pay for her crime of basically turning you into her little slave, and he said he would take her to the fallen knights, but the next morning she was gone. No one knows where that bitch went!” Larissa told him without so much as a pause for breath.
“You killed Carvallius?” Dra’Kaedan was shocked to hear that his brother had been the one to kill the dark warlock, but he was happy that Dre’Kariston had avenged not only him, but every warlock that had died because of Carvallius’ evil.
His brother looked like he wanted to go back in time and kill Carvallius all over again. “He followed me using your necklace when our parents made me hide in a crappy cottage,” Dre’Kariston explained, his eyes flat.
“What is with warlocks and cottages?” Aleksander asked, and they all shrugged.
“Speaking of necklaces, you probably want yours back.” Brogan pulled the gold necklace that contained his brother’s glowing essence from under his T-shirt before removing it and fastening it around Dra’Kaedan’s neck. He thanked his mate with a small kiss and rubbed the blue dragon medallion in his fingers as he shared another smile with his brother. He was glad to have it back.
“Oh, and we didn’t tell him about the sanctuary,” Derwin announced.
He had no clue what his brother’s familiar was talking about, “Sanctuary? What sanctuary?”
“Brogan said we should ask the council to make us into a sanctuary. He said we should do it because you wanted it, so we should do it for you. We made a bunch of changes and then we sent our proposal in.”
Dra’Kaedan looked from the shiny, happy face of Derwin to the love filled eyes of the most incredible mate on the planet. “You sent the proposal?” he asked Brogan in astonishment. Before his dragon could answer, Derwin added one more small nugget of information.
“We gave it a cool name too. Our sanctuary will be called Dra’Kaedan’s Coven.”
Upon hearing those words, heedless of the trays of now empty plates still across their laps Dra’Kaedan jumped his mate and gave him a big wet kiss. Brogan’s arms locked around him, and Dra’Kaedan wrapped his own around his dragon’s neck. One kiss quickly became another and then another. Dra’Kaedan was vaguely aware that the trays on their bed had disappeared. Sliding his body across the bed to get closer to his handsome mate, Dra’Kaedan heard the bedroom door close with a small click.
Brogan ended their most recent kiss and moved just slightly away. “I guess we cleared the room.”
“Yeah, we’ll say sorry later, but I really need you,” Dra’Kaedan explained.
“I need to bite you so damn bad. My dragon and I both need it.”
“Before we get naked, will you exchange blood with me again?” he asked as he placed one of his hands on Brogan’s chest.
“Why? Are you afraid your magic will attack me?” his mate asked.
“No, those fucking spells were the only reason we had to worry about that. My parents met an ancient druidic spirit after they died, the spirit told them that there is a blood ritual for mates. We can ask Fate to give us visible mating marks that look almost like tattoos. We pick where we want the mark and Fate decides the design. It’s a ritual, not a spell, so it should work for both magickind and shifters.”
“That’s awesome. We should do it.” They discussed where to place their marks, and Dra’Kaedan summoned up the same athame they had used for their mating ceremony.
“At least I can bleed this time,” Dra’Kaedan mused as he kneeled across from his bare-chested mate. They had removed their shirts and were kneeling on their bed. Slicing open a cut across his palm, he then repeated the action on his mate’s hand before pressing their palms together and speaking the words he had been taught.
“Draconis to warlock. Warlock to Draconis. Our blood has spilled, and our spirits have bonded. We ask Fate to grant us a mark from left shoulder to elbow so that the world may see we belong to only each other.”
After the words were out Dra’Kaedan felt a searing pain on his left arm. The grimace on his mate’s face told him that his mate was experiencing the same burn on his own arm. As the pain ebbed, an image became clearly visible on Brogan’s arm. Near the top of it was a moon and below it an image of himself complete with the gold crown and staff that showed his stature as grand warlock. He was outfitted in a dark blue suit with his D’Vaire sash across his chest and flowing behind him was a navy cloak heavily embellished with gold embroidery. Curled at his feet which were just above Brogan’s elbow was his tiny dragon form.
Taking his eyes away from his mate he looked down at his arm to see that from his shoulder to elbow he had a stunningly beautiful depiction of Brogan’s dragon with his wings unfurled as if he was about to take flight. Dra’Kaedan raised his eyes to Brogan’s in astonishment.
“Wow. It worked,” he exclaimed and cast a quick spell to heal the cuts he had made on their hands.
“You are fucking amazing.” Dra’Kaedan was not given the opportunity to respond, Brogan pulled his palm away and dragged his mate down to the mattress.
“I feel like I’m dreaming. I mean yesterday you were dead, and I was nearly there myself. I’m sorry that I did not do better to keep my promise,” Brogan said softly to his mate, as he laid over him while keeping his own weight balanced on his forearms.
Dra’Kaedan’s look was tender. “Do you think I would hold that against you?”
“No, but I still wanted to let you know that I did try but losing you…” There were really no words for the overwhelming grief he had felt at the loss and he struggled to contain his tears.
“Hey, I didn’t mean to make you sad. I’m just glad that you’re okay that I’m Dra’Kaedan and not Ayden. I know it had to be an adjustment for you.”
“You were adorable as Ayden, but I have to say you are fucking hot as hell as Dra’Kaedan,” Brogan confessed with a kiss. He was grateful that his mate had changed the subject; he didn’t want to shed any more tears.
“And I guess that means the adjustment has been pretty smooth,” his mate said ruefully before becoming serious. “I’m not leaving you ever again; my magic is scary powerful. So is my brother’s and you are a duke. I know you’ll always protect me, and there is
nothing I would not do to be with you,” Dra’Kaedan vowed.
After staring at each other with emotions too powerful to put into words, Brogan made a decision. “That sounds like something that should be added to the list.”
“Pro: Dra’Kaedan is absurdly powerful.”
“Pro: Brogan is a duke who would never allow anyone to lay a fucking finger on his mate.”
“Nice. We have no cons,” his little mate pointed out.
Brogan didn’t have to think long to come up with a con. “Con: Sometimes Brogan and Dra’Kaedan are actually going to have to leave their bedroom.”
“Yeah because I need food,” the bottomless pit added.
“I’m glad your appetite is back.”
Dra’Kaedan’s tone grew serious again. “Thank you for the sanctuary. I know you were against it.”
“You were right; if we have control over who we bring in, we can make it work. We did agree that if the council won’t go for our rules then we will nix the idea again.”
“I have another con.”
Brogan sincerely hoped it didn’t relate to the sanctuary; he was still not willing to budge on their safety. “What’s that?”
“Con: Sometimes Brogan talks too much when Dra’Kaedan needs to get laid.” Brogan chuckled at his mate and leaned down to take his sexy mouth. They kissed mouth to mouth until Brogan became hard and uncomfortable, since he was still wearing his jeans. He offered his mate another open-mouthed kiss before leaving his lips to kiss his cheeks and the tip of his upturned nose. Dra’Kaedan’s eyes fell shut, so Brogan softly kissed each eyelid before pressing his mouth to his smooth forehead. A part of him just wanted to continue kissing his mate, to kiss him everywhere. It might help his disbelief that Dra’Kaedan was really here and in their bed.
Love swamped him as his mate opened his dark blue eyes and gave him a look of both desire and affection.
“I love you so much,” he mouthed against Dra’Kaedan’s lips, before taking them in a deep kiss. The words were simple but inadequate for what Brogan truly felt for his mate.
“I love you too,” Dra’Kaedan whispered back when they finally ended their kiss to breathe. Brogan felt the small hands of his mate at the snap of his jeans. Popping open the button, Dra’Kaedan lowered the zipper and Brogan’s dick finally got a small bit of relief from being confined in the denim.
Brogan wiggled his way out of both his pants and underwear, then turned his attention to his mate. He began pulling at his mate’s pajama bottoms, and Dra’Kaedan helped by lifting his slim hips. Soon he was back over his mate, but this time they were skin to skin.
“Your dick looks the same,” Brogan announced as he looked down at his blue-eyed mate.
“Seriously? Why would my dick be any different?” Dra’Kaedan asked, his brows furrowed and his lip pulled back in a sneer. That quick temper that belonged to his mate was still as potent as ever.
“It could have shrunk upon re-entry.” It was quite an effort to keep a straight face but Brogan managed it.
Dra’Kaedan’s eyes narrowed before he spoke, “Are you implying that you would be dissatisfied with your mate returning to be by your side to live with you for all of eternity if his dick was smaller?”
“Being together for all of eternity sounds pretty good,” Brogan replied. There was no fighting the smile those words evoked. Beneath him, Dra’Kaedan closed his eyes and shook his head slightly.
“Just kiss me damn it,” Dra’Kaedan ordered.
Kissing his mate with all the lust and love he was feeling, Brogan reached over to grab the lube out of the nightstand next to the bed. Finding the bottle of slick in the drawer he slammed it shut and continued the assault of tongue on tongue with Dra’Kaedan. He felt his mate’s cock leaking against his stomach as the man he loved began whimpering and moaning out his pleasure. Each sound that he made increased the need Brogan felt to be buried deep inside Dra’Kaedan’s ass.
With that thought in mind, he shifted to his side so he could loosen up his mate for his invasion. Given the room, Dra’Kaedan’s legs quickly spread and his knees bent. Their mouths never left each other as Brogan lubed up a finger and slid it deep inside Dra’Kaedan. His mate let out a low moan and arched his back.
“More,” Dra’Kaedan demanded as Brogan began sliding that one digit in and out of his hole. Complying with the order, Brogan pulled his finger out and added another before returning to his lover’s ass. He made sure his mate was well stretched before he grabbed Dra’Kaedan’s bottom lip between his teeth and nibbled, while inserting three fingers and continuing the pumping motion of his hand. Dra’Kaedan’s moans got louder and were nearly continuous. Brogan was so hard that he became mildly concerned that his dick might actually burst. He needed to be inside Dra’Kaedan. Now.
Pulling his fingers out of Dra’Kaedan’s ass, he kissed him one last time and then got to his knees. He moved to kneel between his mate’s spread knees, grabbed the back of his thighs and lifted him halfway off the bed. Head thrown back, fingers tightly gripping the sheets, Brogan knew his mate was ready. He didn’t hesitate and pushed inside the unbelievably tight ass of his mate. Brogan paused to allow Dra’Kaedan to adjust to having his cock inside him and grit his own teeth; it was torture to be buried balls deep and not be able to move.
“Brogan. Fuck me. Fuck me. Please,” Dra’Kaedan begged, and Brogan began thrusting in and out of his lover’s ass.
“So tight, baby. You feel so fucking good,” he panted the words out as he began to drive into his mate harder and faster. Leaning forward he let go of Dra’Kaedan’s thighs to grasp his hips. His mate began thrashing his head from side to side as he curled his back and let out a scream. Brogan had no choice, but to stop moving as Dra’Kaedan’s untouched dick began squirting all over his muscled belly. He had never seen anyone come that way before; his little warlock was fucking amazing.
As soon as Dra’Kaedan’s ass loosened up the vise grip it had on his cock, Brogan bent over his mate and after licking up his neck he sank his fangs deep into Dra’Kaedan’s soft skin. The pleasure of the bite was indescribable, and Brogan’s orgasm was so intense he struggled to remain conscious. He heard Dra’Kaedan yell out his name and unbelievably his mate was coming again. Brogan filled his mate’s ass, and when he finally came back to his senses, he removed his canines from Dra’Kaedan’s neck and used his tongue to lick the wound closed.
Without separating any part of their still joined bodies, Brogan slid his arms under Dra’Kaedan and cupped his head in his hands as he made sure to keep his own weight balanced on his arms. Dra’Kaedan clung to him, and Brogan dropped his forehead to Dra’Kaedan’s and breathed him in. Dra’Kaedan’s scent had been the only thing to bring him comfort when he was gone. Brogan reveled in the fact that he was now, and would always be, surrounded by that delicious aroma. He would no longer need to rely on an unwashed pillowcase to feel closer to his mate. Miraculously, Dra’Kaedan was somehow home. Brogan decided he was never going to be anywhere but at Dra’Kaedan’s side.
Chapter 25
Sometime later they finally realized that they couldn’t stay wrapped up in each other forever and got out of their bed to shower and rejoin the world outside their room. After all, it had been a while since breakfast.
“Hey, you’ve got a mark on your back.”
Dra’Kaedan thought his mate sounded panicked, so he stopped in his pursuit of the shower and turned back to look at Brogan. “No need to worry, it’s the mark a warlock gets to show that they are powerful enough to summon a familiar,” Dra’Kaedan reassured his mate.
“You have a familiar?” Brogan’s dark eyes went wide with surprise.
Dra’Kaedan offered Brogan a smirk. “I will as soon as I summon him or her.”
“It’s weird to think of you having a familiar, I’m still getting used to the idea that you aren’t one.”
Dra’Kaedan was still trying to adjust to not being a familiar himself. “Yeah, it’s weird, but my familiar should have been sum
moned a long time ago. I think it’s kind of cool. I’m excited to meet him or her.”
“We should summon your familiar with everybody around,” Brogan suggested.
“I like that idea,” Dra’Kaedan agreed and they headed to the bathroom. Their shower led to each of them getting blown by the other as the room filled with steam, but eventually they shampooed and rinsed and managed to leave each other alone long enough to get dry and clothed.
Leaving the room they walked hand in hand to the kitchen and Dra’Kaedan barely managed to stifle his scream of fear when each of the D’Vaires popped up and yelled surprise. Dra’Kaedan felt his lover’s hand leave his to rub his back as he willed his heart to stop pounding in his chest. Clearly unmoved by his distress, his family just laughed and led them to the dining room where Noirin had set out a wide array of edibles.
Dra’Kaedan hugged his mate and then hunted down his brother to apologize for walking right past him the night before, but before he could say anything Dre’Kariston grabbed him and immediately pulled him into a long embrace. Flooded by his feelings, Dra’Kaedan felt his throat constrict. He was so grateful to be here, to be standing in this room with his mate nearby and his brother in his arms. Dra’Kaedan was looking forward to knowing him again and being a part of his life.
Pulling away he saw the same emotions in his brother’s eyes, which were so like his own. His brother clapped him on the back, offered him a smile and then walked past him to offer a hug to Dra’Kaedan’s mate, so he moved on to find Blodwen and reassure her that she had nothing but his gratitude and affection. He hugged each member of his family and remembered to say a special thank you to Dravyn and Aleksander for building the beautiful gazebo that his parents had chosen to return him to the day before.
It felt wonderful to be with the people he loved and although somewhat fatigued he was in no pain and knew within a few days he would be feeling more healthy than he had since his teens. The party was full of laughter, and happy tears and everyone barraged them with questions and compliments over their new mating marks. Larissa and Madeline made plans to try the ritual themselves later that night.
Grand Redemption (D'Vaire Book 1) Page 25
