Summer Shifter Nights

by Harmony Raines

  “And what would that be?” she asked as she bent to retrieve the phallus from the floor.

  “I could bathe you. As your mate, I’d be happy to do it. Honored, even.” He let his gaze travel the length of her body and up again. Ava stood there, not trying to hide from him in the least.

  “How long does the cocora cream last?” she asked him as she returned the favor, taking in his naked form with her hungry gaze.

  “Long enough. A few hours.”

  She gave him a smile and sauntered back to him. “I’d like that.”

  9

  By the time Damon ushered Ava out of the bathroom, wrapped in the softest robe in existence, he’d coaxed another two orgasms from her. Her body ached in places she’d never known existed. His tender care had melted not only her body, but a part of her heart, too. He’d make an excellent father for their young.

  She’d almost gathered enough courage to mention her sisters and her brother when they’d lain in bed, but at the last second, she’d frozen. She’d have to do it before their time at the Citadel was over, but not yet. Ava watched as Damon dressed. The dark gray suit he chose fit him to perfection, showcasing his physique to the best possible advantage. Any female would tear the expensive-looking garment from his body just to get at the prize beneath. And he was hers. He had mentioned he wouldn’t share her earlier, but he’d best realize that she wouldn’t share, either. Jealousy ripped through her at the mere thought.

  “What are you thinking about, little wolf? Your eyes have gone all stormy.” He stepped closer as he adjusted his tie. “Still sexy, but you look like you want to rip into me.”

  She shook her head. Her body was too well satiated to do anything so violent. “You said before that you wouldn’t share me.”

  His expression hardened. “I won’t. Ever.”

  “I don’t share, either.”

  Damon’s lips quirked up at the corners. “Good. It’s settled. You’re mine, and I’m yours.”

  He tilted his head to the side, listening. “Your body maid has arrived. I’ll leave you to get ready.” He cupped his hand around her jaw and leaned in for a kiss that made her toes curl, then with a quick smile, he headed down the stairs.

  Soft murmurs came up to greet her moments later, soon followed by footsteps.

  Mia came rushing up with a garment bag and another basket. If she pulled another phallus from it, Ava wouldn’t be responsible for what happened next. Though, the first one turned out to be quite useful. Maybe she shouldn’t dismiss the idea entirely.

  The woman appraised her, then smiled. “You don’t look any worse for the wear.”

  Mia could be a little pushy, but everything she’d done had been for her comfort and pleasure. “I’m fine. Thank you for everything you did. I’m sorry for giving you a hard time.”

  “It’s forgotten. Let’s get you ready. It seems like I’m always rushing with you. We may need to address your tardiness issues,” Mia kidded as she handed Ava the basket, then crossed the room to hang the garment bag on a wooden peg protruding from the wall.

  Mia got to work right away, pulling a hair brush and a spray bottle from the basket. By the time she was done, even Ava thought she looked pretty. She glanced at herself in the long mirror one more time, turning to admire her figure in the beautiful red dress Damon had provided. It seemed her mate had a thing for red. She’d have to remember that. Good thing the color looked amazing with her complexion. With an open back and a swooping neckline, the dress looked amazing, and Ava’s confidence soared. Black heels completed the ensemble.

  She twirled a curled tendril of her hair around a finger and watched it spring back into place with the others framing her face. The fashionable, yet messy look went perfectly with the dress.

  With her heart beating a little faster, she made her way to the sitting room.

  Damon stood with his back to her, looking out the arched window. He turned to face her when she reached the last step. He didn’t utter a word as he came to her. His gaze drifted the length of her body and up again, and just like that, he made her want him all over again. She’d already be sore come morning, but she didn’t care.

  “You look ravishing,” he told her before he kissed her.

  Wrapping her arms around his neck, she lost herself in him. His hands glided over her bare back and slipped under the material to cup her ass over the tiny red lace underwear Mia had assured her were in fact panties.

  With a groan, he pulled away from her. “If we don’t leave the tower now, we won’t make it to the gathering.” He stuck a hand in his pants pocket and pulled out something shiny.

  “Turn,” he demanded. The command should have raised Ava’s hackles, but the tenderness with which he spoke was anything but demeaning or authoritarian.

  As soon as her back was to him, his warmth heated her. She gasped when he brought his arms around her and kissed the back of her neck before lifting the prettiest jeweled necklace she’d ever seen to her neck. The red stone, rimmed with what she could only assume were diamonds, was cool against her skin. Once it was secured, he gave her shoulder a little nip before turning her to face him. She glanced down at the jewelry that probably cost more than her father had made in his lifetime. “It’s beautiful. Thank you,” she whispered as she brought her fingers to the stone.

  “You’re beautiful.”

  She opened her mouth to thank him again, but a knock sounded at the door.

  Rather than greet whoever had interrupted, Damon held his arm out for her. “Shall we?”

  Feeling like a kid pretending to be a princess—or rather a queen—about to meet her people, she nodded. With her knees knocking and her heart pounding hard against her ribs, they left the sanctuary of the tower.

  As soon as they exited the suite, Ava was greeted with the top of a blond head as a woman curtsied before her and Damon. When she finally stood upright and looked at them, Ava smiled. “Bonnie!”

  The petite blonde took one look at her and smiled. “You’re the new queen of Tarakona Island?” she asked with a squeak.

  Ava swallowed her discomfort and gave a little nod.

  Damon cleared his throat. “Ava, meet Axton. He’s my First Officer.”

  The large man standing with Bonnie bowed his head in a formal greeting, making Ava want to burst into a nervous giggle. “Please to meet you, Your Highness. It seems you already know my mate, Bonnie?”

  “We met this morning when we were registering. Wait, mate?” Ava glanced at Damon, then back to Bonnie and squealed. “That means we’re both going to Tarakona?”

  Bonnie grinned and Axton nodded.

  “It appears that way. Now we just have to figure out how to get us all there. I suppose I could fly,” Axton said in a voice almost as deep and rich as Damon’s.

  “Nonsense. You can’t be apart from your fated so soon after the mating without serious consequences. It’s not worth the risk. We’ll have them ship our belongings to the island by freighter if need be. Or maybe I’ll ask Keilon to retrieve our things. Either way, it’s done.”

  Ava’s heart thudded. There was no extra room to bring anything or anyone else with them—much less three extra someones. Tarakona Island wasn’t just far, it was on the other side of the planet. If she couldn’t bring her sisters and brother along, she might never see them again.

  10

  When they reached the ballroom where the celebratory gathering was to unfold, Damon stood to the side, keeping hold of Ava’s elbow as Axton and Bonnie made their way inside. Her posture had tensed after they’d left the tower, and she’d barely said a word or looked at anyone since. If she were suffering any ill effect from the creams or their time together, he’d carry her back to bed. To hell with the rules and mandatory celebration.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked without preamble. “Are you hurt?”

  Ava looked up at him. Her lips curved up, but there was no joy in her smile. If anything, there was a slight wobble to the bottom one, and if he had to guess, he’d think
she was near tears. Her eyes certainly were shiny enough.

  “I’m not hurt.”

  He narrowed his eyes at her.

  “I’m fine. Let’s enjoy the party.”

  She most definitely was not, and he’d be damned if he’d brush whatever it was she was going through aside so they could attend the party. He thought back to the conversation they’d been having before she’d shut down. She’d just learned that Bonnie would accompany them to Tarakona. He’d had the impression they liked each other. Maybe that wasn’t the case.

  “I can’t keep Bonnie from her mate, but if you don’t wish to associate with her once we get to the island, I’ll ensure you never cross paths.”

  Ava gasped and shook her head. “No, it’s not that. Bonnie is a lovely person. I’m glad I’ll have a friend with me.”

  Damon wanted to tug at his hair. It shouldn’t be this difficult. “How about if you tell me what’s wrong so I can fix it? Then we can enjoy the rest of the evening. You look lovely in that dress, and I can’t wait to hold you in my arms on the dance floor.”

  The truth of it was, he’d prefer it be in the tower. Alone. Or better yet, at their castle in Tarakona.

  Ava cast her gaze down for a moment, then brought it back to his. She squared her shoulders and opened her mouth to speak, determination shining in the depths of her eyes. “I—”

  “Your Highnesses, we’re so glad you could join us,” Edmond said as though they’d been given a choice in the matter. The man smartly inclined his head in a show of respect, first to Ava and then to him. Damon couldn’t care less if he’d received a slight, but he wouldn’t tolerate any show of disrespect toward Ava. “Please, join your party at the back of the room.”

  “I need to discuss something of grave importance with my mate,” he told the man who still stood way too close to either of them for Damon’s liking. “We’ll be in shortly.”

  Edmond glanced at a pocket watch he drew from his jacket. “I wish that were possible, Your Highness, but every mate and his or her Chosen must be in attendance and inside the room by seven o’clock. The magic will not admit anyone after that time. We’re already less than a minute away.”

  Damon opened his mouth to protest, but Ava’s small hand on his arm stopped him.

  “It’s okay. We can talk later,” she said.

  “We really do have to enter. It will solidify your union, King Damon,” Edmond said in a rush as he dashed into the room.

  Ava gave him a small smile, then tugged on his arm. “By all means, I’d love to see you solidify again, mate.”

  Ava entered the ballroom with Damon at her back only moments before a flash of pink filled the room and the tingle of magic raced across her skin. A slight pinch just above her left breast was there one moment, and then it was gone.

  High above, crystal chandeliers cast the room in a cozy glow. Elegantly dressed men and women sat at intimate tables scattered around the room.

  She became acutely aware of every person staring at them as they made their way to the most ornate table at the back where Axton and Bonnie were already seated with the beautiful woman who had helped her gather her courage outside the gate earlier in the day.

  “Is it always like this when you enter a room?” she asked in a whisper only he would hear.

  Damon sighed. “Unfortunately, most times, yes. It’s not as bad in the castle, but some of the newer staff still insists on bowing. They’ll do the same for you, or I’ll bite their heads off,” he uttered.

  “You wouldn’t!”

  The instant she spotted his grin, she shook her head. So, her new mate had a sense of humor. She’d have to remember that.

  “No, I don’t eat people. Not many dragons do in this day and age.”

  Just the fact that they did in their people’s history was bad enough, but then again, what species didn’t have something sordid somewhere in their background?

  “Your Highness,” one male said as he inclined his head. The woman he was with curtsied.

  Damon acknowledged them with a nod but didn’t stop to talk. Once they had strolled past, he rolled his eyes, making her smile. He might be a king, and he was sexy as hell, but he was like any other man—one who’d said he would fix whatever was bothering her. She clung to that thought and pushed the negativity aside. Tomorrow, she could worry about her siblings. For tonight, she’d celebrate with her new mate.

  The woman stood as they approached the table. “King Damon, Queen Ava,” the woman said. Bonnie and Axton also rose.

  Her heart stuttered at hearing her new title—or soon to be new title if the mating proceeded well—from this woman’s lips.

  “I’d heard that you’d made it. I’m so pleased.”

  Ava opened her mouth to speak, but the woman’s gaze fixed on something only she could see. An opaque color replaced her clear blue eyes as she tilted her head to the side. A moment later, she gasped.

  Damon rushed around the table, undoubtedly to assist, but Edmond was there first. “Sit, love,” he said in a soft tone.

  The woman still stared, but rather than do as Edmond had asked, she shook her head. In the next instant, her eyes cleared, but her frown remained. She looked at Ava for a moment longer, then turned to Damon. “Might I have a word with you in private, Your Highness?”

  11

  Damon followed Lady Anabelle to an alcove hidden from view. Whatever her foresight had shown her, she was worried. Anyone could see that. The question was, what had she seen? The women of Tragris had stronger psychic ability than any other species. She’d been fine until she’d set her eyes upon Ava. His heart stuttered. Was something wrong with his mate? If there was, they’d leave the Citadel at once and find the healers in the mountains above the castle.

  Thankfully, the High Priestess didn’t make him wait long.

  “Your Chosen’s loved ones are in grave danger, Your Highness. The oldest female has already sustained life-threatening injuries. It’s only a matter of time before the young ones suffer the same fate.”

  “Who are they? Will the girl survive?”

  Lady Anabelle’s frown deepened. “They are her sisters and brother. I cannot tell if she will pull through. She needs urgent care, and none is available to her.”

  Damon wanted to roar his outrage. “We’ll have a healer brought in if there isn’t one available.”

  “One is available, Your Highness, but the male who perpetrated the crime and injured the female is her caregiver. He will not seek help for her.”

  This time, he could not contain his roar. The soft murmurs of conversation in the room died in an instant. “Who? Who has harmed her sister?”

  “Her father, Your Highness.”

  Damon reeled at the thought. The one person responsible for the safety of the females until they were mated had purposely harmed his daughter? “We’ll leave at once and retrieve them. I’ll deal with the father myself.”

  Before he was done speaking, she was already shaking her head. “If you leave before the three days, you will lose your mate forever. The contracts are magically enforced. It would sever the soul link you’re forging with her. Even if you chose to remain together, she would be barren.”

  Heat churned in his chest and smoke curled from his nostrils. He needed to produce an heir for his people someday, and he sure as hell wasn’t having dragonlings with anyone but Ava. Under different circumstances, he’d ask Axton to take the mission, but damning a male to a life without his mate was more than cruel—it was a soul-crushing blow most didn’t survive.

  “I need a communicator,” he demanded, not caring that he’d issued the order to the High Priestess of the Citadel.

  “There are no communicators on the premises, Your Highness.”

  His growl rumbled in his chest, and in an instant, Edmond was there, standing between him and Lady Anabelle. “You dare threaten my mate?”

  The man grew before his eyes until he towered over them all. If it weren’t an illusion, Damon might have been intimidated.r />
  “I threaten no one,” he spat. “I need—”

  “Thank you for coming to my aid, love, but I am in no danger from King Damon. His frustration is founded all too well.” She turned her attention back to Damon. “It’s not that I won’t provide you with one, it’s that they are not allowed at the Citadel. There are none to be had. Either way, none of it will matter. The girl doesn’t have much time.”

  Damon wanted to tear into everything in sight. His mate would be devastated.

  “I do have a solution, Your Highness. As you know, my people do not use the same methods of travel as any of the earthbound species. My team can be there in minutes rather than days. We can transport her and the younger two to your castle on Tarakona.”

  “What’s the fee?” As much as he respected her, she was a business woman, first and foremost. There was a reason coming to the Citadel came at such a price. It wasn’t to help unite fated mates and see their happily-ever-afters. No, it was currency. Be it in gold, jewels, any number of natural resources, or favors, the cost was always high.

  “My fee is nothing more than a promise. You must give me your word that once the oldest of the three siblings comes of age, she comes to the Citadel. She will not mate on Tarakona Island.”

  That didn’t even make sense. “And if she doesn’t willingly come?”

  “It’s your job to make sure she does. The consequences, if she doesn’t, will be catastrophic for the entire planet. Do I have your word?”

  Damon needed to think. He had to speak with his mate. Until they completed their joining, all decisions in regard to Ava went through him, but he couldn’t exclude her from something so important. Wouldn’t want to if he could.

  “We must hurry. The girl’s spirit fades,” Lady Anabelle interrupted his thoughts.

  Heart pounding, Damon came to his decision. He couldn’t let Ava’s sister die if he could keep it from happening. “Do it. I’ll see to it that she comes to the Citadel upon her twentieth birthday.”

  In the blink of an eye, Lady Anabelle disappeared in a flash of blue glitter that evaporated moments later, leaving him and Edmond standing there alone.