by Skye Jones
“This is Ice…a friend who is staying for a while. Ice, meet Addie, from the Welsh clan.”
“Staying with you? Must be a good friend to get to stay in the leader’s home.”
Dominic wanted Addie gone. She was trouble, and he didn’t like the way she regarded Ice. Why the damned hostility?
“Anyway, I must be going. Interesting to meet you, Ice.”
Ice gave a tight smile. “You too.”
They entered the house and Ice turned to Nathan. “Who is she? God, the looks she shot my way!”
“No one important. A member of the Welsh clan. She’s got designs on two of our males, but they don’t match brilliantly, and the males wish to wait for a more suitable mate. She keeps coming to visit though.” Nathan dropped the keys on the marble hallway table.
“Hope springs eternal for that one.” Dominic laughed.
Ice spun around, taking in the airy and spacious atrium, arms and eyes wide, Addie’s rudeness seemingly forgotten.
“Take the third room on the left. Put your bags in there,” Nathan instructed.
“Yes, sir,” she shot back with a grin and a mock salute.
The moment she’d gone inside, he grabbed Nate. “What the fuck was that with Addie?”
Nathan shrugged. “Who knows? She doesn’t tend to appreciate other female dragons, sees them as competition. More to the point, who cares? Let’s focus on Ice.”
“Yeah. You do realize this is going to be tricky. We need to tell her she’s our mate. She might not react well. What if she wants to leave when she finds out?”
“She’s not leaving.”
“We can’t keep her here against her will.” Despite his feelings about needing her to stay, they couldn’t make her their prisoner.
“We won’t be doing anything against her will,” Nate said. “Did you scent her?”
“Fuck yes.” Had he? She threw off pheromones like a raging furnace. Her body responded to them whether she understood why or not.
“Primed.” Nathan smiled darkly. “She’s so turned on that I bet she’s taking care of herself right now. Except, it won’t do her any good, because as we know, what she needs is us. Not a mere release. She’ll be begging for us soon enough. We’ve all had a taste of how good it will be when we actually mate.”
“Then what? We take care of her so good she decides to stay? Purely for the sex?” He relished the idea, but wasn’t sure it would work.
“Something like that.” Nathan shrugged.
The risk was huge. If they came together as a three and then Ice left, it might break them. Oh, who was he kidding? He’d risk everything to have a chance with her. To have a chance with Nate, too.
Dom smiled a secret smile. Maybe he’d get everything he wanted and more.
Ice paced in the room she’d been shown to by a…dragon. Allegedly. Perhaps she’d lost her mind? Nathan’s words about waiting for their female ran on an endless loop. Did they see her as theirs? If so, then what? They double-teamed her? At the crude image, a flash of desire zipped through her. Bloody hell, she needed to get a grip. The only reason she’d come along on this insane little trip was to learn how to control the whole burning thing. Not get all wound up about two seriously sexy, but unstable, men.
A knock came at the door. When she yanked it open, Dominic grinned at her.
“I brought you some food, thought you’d be hungry.”
He set the tray on the table. She glanced at it, and her mouth watered at the sight. The tray groaned with fresh fruit. Melon, strawberries, kiwi fruit, mango, and orange segments, a pitcher of iced water and a glass. Her stomach rumbled.
“Eat,” Dominic said.
He sat on the edge of the bed and patted the sheets. Hesitantly, she sat and caught his scent. Nice! These guys smelled so good they’d put Calvin Klein out of business. Whereas Nate smelled woodsy and musky, Dominic’s scent reminded her of the fresh ocean air.
“You smell nice.”
“So do you.” Dom leaned in and nuzzled her neck.
She jumped up as if he’d bitten her and crossed to the window. They’d said to come along and learn about her people, not come along and have more hot sex.
“I’m sorry.” Dom held his hands up. “It’s the way we greet our mates. I won’t touch you again if you don’t want.”
Mates? So they did see her as their mate! At the mere idea, her breasts grew heavy and her nipples hardened. Between her legs moisture gathered.
“Shit. Pretend I didn’t say anything.” Dom ran his hands through his thick hair.
Could she be their mate? She shook off the idea. What did it matter? She’d a life waiting for her back in Glasgow. A fight coming up. Not much of a life, granted. Other than Sian, she’d no real friends. She worked at home all day, and most days only left the house to train at the gym. Still, she’d fought hard to carve out her little place in the world. These men weren’t her type. Fun for a fling, but too domineering and too much male for her to handle long term. Except…she wanted them, both of them, in a way she’d never experienced.
God it was all so frustrating. Tears pricked at her eyes and to her horror flowed down her cheeks. Great, she’d not cried in years. Nathan appeared at the door with a cup in his hand. He glanced at her and his face fell. He put the cup down. “Oh, Ice. Come here, don’t cry.”
He pulled her into his arms, and after a moment of struggle, she let him hold her. His scent soothed her, as did his big, warm body.
“It all scares me. It’s terrifying enough coming here to meet my people, but then the idea I’m maybe your mate…”
Nathan glared at Dom, and then tipped her chin up until she looked at him. “You are under our protection here. We won’t do anything…you know…sexual if you don’t wish it. You have my word. Yes, you match us, and it means you, me, and Dom would be amazing together. But I brought you here to meet your people and to learn about your dragon. It’s important.”
Nathan dropped a kiss to her head before he let her go, as if she were already his lover. The action was overly familiar, and it gave her an odd sensation in her belly, one she liked.
“You have your own room here. If you’d feel safer, we can ask a female dragon to house you? Or bring a chaperone here.” Nathan’s jaw tightened. “After what happened to you…what you shared with us. Understand, neither of us will ever…would ever, touch you without you wanting us to.”
She didn’t think the issue resided with the wanting.
“Kalli might be a good female to have come and stay, and she’s not mated. Her home has many spare rooms if Ice prefers to stay there.” Dominic volunteered.
God, no. She didn’t feel ready to meet any more dragon people yet. Ice wanted to know whether they believed in dragon gods and practiced magic, and how the society worked before she met others. She’d focus her energies on learning their skills and finding a way to control her freakish power. It’d change her whole life. She wouldn’t have to be alone anymore.
Chapter Six
The shrill whine of the kettle filled the awkward silence. “What do you think, Teresa?” Nathan asked as he finished Ice’s story. He trusted her insights. And neither he nor Dom seemed capable of taking in all the considerations surrounding Ice. They’d left her napping in her room. He’d stolen a peek before heading over here. Their freshly showered, sweet mate had wrapped herself in a fluffy purple robe and passed out, limbs sprawled across the bed.
“What a sad tale. And there’s no clue where she came from?” She filled the teapot with boiling water and led the way to the lounge.
“Heaven,” said Dom, offering up one of his devilish grins.
“None.” Nathan picked up the laden tray and followed, Dom on his heels.
“So your cunning plan is to seduce her and make her want to stay using your impressive sex-god powers?” She arched an eyebrow.
“Erm…yeah?” Dominic’s smile faltered. “We’re pretty good in the sack.”
She narrowed her eyes at them. “If you
want my advice, hold off with the seduction plan. This path is dangerous for all of you, if she decides not to stay. Tonight, make her welcome. Show her your dragons, and fly with her. Can she change?”
He shook his head. “She’s a latent. Certainly, she never has changed, and surely when she went through puberty she’d have done so. She possesses strong magic though.” Pride swelled in his chest when he continued. “She burned a man when he tried to rape her.”
“Rape? My gods. What info do you have on her family?” Teresa shifted position on the large sofa and curled her legs under her. The room held lots of furniture, all of it draped in silk cloths in various, bright, jewel tones. It shone with warmth and matched the female’s sunny persona.
“As I said, she’s adopted. Her adoptive parents took her in aged four. Ice told us some of her story in her apartment, and the rest on the way here. Being adopted is one of the reasons she hid her gifts. She grew up terrified she’d be taken away from her parents if her secret got out. Something her mother encouraged.”
“Poor child,” Teresa muttered. “I’m glad you two came to talk with me. You go in too hot and heavy and you’ll scare her off. Still, do show her affection. It sounds as if she’s never truly belonged. If you show her she belongs here, with us, with you two…it will be what sways her to stay.”
“I don’t think much scares her,” Dominic said. “She’s a tough cookie, a fighter, as in a real fighter who faces off against other women in a cage.”
“Gods above.” Teresa smoothed her hand over her heart, asking for their forgiveness. “It is no life for a dragon female.”
“Try telling her, if you get the chance. We have, and she didn’t take it too good,” Nathan said.
“You probably said it in some sort of domineering, arrogant way. She probably thinks we treat females as lesser, rather than that we’re exulted by the clan, put on pedestals and our every damn whim catered to.” She winked at them.
Teresa turned abruptly serious and stood. “Take me to her. I wish to meet with her.”
“Gladly. Maybe you and she can share a feast, while Dom and I make preparations for a special flight tonight.”
They needed to plan a spectacular introduction to Arach Caim. Her first ride on a dragon should be extraordinary.
“I will get our houseman to prepare a feast. Come in an hour, if it pleases you, Drago-Anrhy-Teresa.” Nate used her full title, as deemed polite when asking a favor of another dragon.
“My pleasure, Drago-Anrha-Nathaniel.”
“Stop it with the formal shit.” Dominic jumped off the sofa and headed for the door. “Next thing you’ll be bringing out the ceremonial robes.”
Maybe they ought to? Their robes were exquisite. Made of precious silks and threads of real gold. The clan seniors only wore them during special occasions, mostly religious events such as a god or goddess day, or the solstice celebrations. Welcoming a new female to the group provided a special enough occasion.
Dom narrowed his eyes. “Don’t even think about it. We want to seduce her. Wandering around looking like something out of a bad movie version of the story of Moses isn’t going to do it. We’ve got one tough mate. We need to be warriors for her. Not prancing around in silk robes.”
Nathan clicked his tongue in exasperation. “The clothes do not make the male, Dominic. Our robes hold great value. Sometimes your denigration of our culture goes too far.”
Dominic lost the irritated look and his eyes went soft. He sighed. “Sorry. I get carried away sometimes.”
Gods, Nathan loved it when his bonded male gave his submission. Thing was, if a person saw them out in a bar, they’d probably take Dom for the leader. Louder, brasher, more opinionated, he came across to many as a strong character. Nathan preferred to sit back and observe. To watch the world go by and only make comment if it served a purpose.
Dominic pushed his boundaries. He argued back, gave his opinion freely, and genuinely both irritated and entertained. When it came to it though, if Nathan laid down the law, he capitulated. And sue him if it were wrong, but he relished those rare moments of surrender, no matter how small.
“Come on.” He gestured for Dominic to follow. “We’ve got work to do.”
Ice grew bored. Nathan and Dom had gone to visit some friend, the man who’d been cleaning the kitchen told her. She’d seen another man sorting clothes, and yet another attending the lush flower and vegetable gardens. Where were the women? It seemed odd all the staff being male.
The house contained the airy central space, she loved, with rooms off the atrium to the left, all of which seemed to be sleeping quarters and bathrooms. A long corridor led to the right from the spacious central area, and took her to a massive kitchen, a formal dining room, a study, and finally a lounge with a glass conservatory running the full length of it. It was a sprawling, one level home, with an intriguing layout.
Her room’s simple beauty made it a sanctuary, peaceful and comforting. It looked over the lovely garden. Sash windows on two sides of the room let her take in the view from the bed. Old fashioned chests of drawers stood either side of the bed, as if sentries standing guard, and a wardrobe ran the length of the back wall.
The bed itself wowed her. She blooming loved it! Large and sumptuous, it dominated the room. It towered high and sat wide. The top of the bed was covered in silk sheets, topped with blankets, which felt as if they too were made from thicker, raw silk. Pretty scatter cushions topped the heavy pillows, and a cashmere comforter covered the bottom half of the bed.
In some ways, she’d already fallen a little in love with the place. Dragons though! As if. The more she thought about it the less she believed it. These guys obviously held magic powers of some sort. She clearly possessed them, too. But actual dragons? No way. Maybe they were an ancient cult. Perhaps they wore dragon masks, and worshipped a dragon god. The theory made sense.
“My lady.” One of the men she’d seen around the house on her exploration, popped his head around her ajar door, interrupting her musings.
“Yes?” Crap, she didn’t know his name and hated seeming rude.
“A friend of Laird Nathan’s has come to visit with you. She thought you’d appreciate the company of another female, and we’ve prepared a feast.”
She didn’t feel in the mood for eating, but didn’t want to hurt this kind man. Ice still didn’t like the vibe she’d picked up so far about the place of women in this society. The odd mutterings about her fighting being wrong, and the lack of any women wandering around, made her wonder if they were expected to be seen and not heard. “I’ll be along in a moment.”
The man did a bow type thing. “Drago-Anrhy-Teresa is in the dining room.”
Ice nodded and gave him a smile, and then schlepped along the corridor to go meet Drago…whoever.
When she rounded the corner into the room, Ice stopped dead and stared at the table. It groaned with food. Platters of cheese and meats. Bowls of salads, of all different sorts. Fruit, so much fruit! These guys seemed big on the healthy eating. Delicate sandwiches were placed on silver trays, alongside others holding tiny cakes.
A silver ice bucket housed a bottle of champagne and alongside it sat a pitcher of fruit juice. Another pitcher contained water and ice with lemon. Heated coffee pots stood to one side, as did a large, porcelain teapot. If she'd been a different kind of girl, a feminine girl, she’d have swooned. The drago-woman, whatever, picked over the fruit salad, stacking only the watermelon on her plate.
“Hi. I’m Ice.” She raised her hand and gave a half–hearted wave.
The petite, brunette woman turned and assessed her frankly. “Look at you. I can see why he’s lost his head a little.”
“Who?”
“Nathan.”
Nathan felt that way about her? The idea gave her a terrible thrill. “Do you know Nathan well, Drago…erm…Annr…” Her cheeks burned. “I’m so sorry; I’ve forgotten your name.”
“Teresa, my sweet. My full name is Drago-Anrhy-Teresa, which
means Dragon-honored female-Teresa. But we don’t bother with it usually.”
She smiled at Ice, a small but lovely smile. “Come.” Teresa patted the seat next to her. “Come sit with me, lulabsa, let’s eat.”
“What does lulabsa mean?” She walked around the table to where Teresa sat.
“Beautiful one. It’s from the old language. Some of us still remember.”
Oh, okay. So the nickname seemed rather nice. Perhaps this meal wouldn’t be too bad after all.
She studied the food covering the table. Where to begin? A glass of champagne and some dainty sandwiches sounded tasty. She’d try the meat and cheese later if she’d the room.
After she poured a glass of bubbly for herself, Ice tipped the bottle towards Teresa’s flute and raised her eyebrows.
“Yes, please,” Teresa said. “I love a glass of champagne now and again.”
“Oh, my lady.” The man appeared again, the one whose name she still didn’t have. “I can pour for you.”
“No need, thank you.” She smiled to soften the blow. “In fact, leave us please and close the door.”
“Of course. As you wish.” He backed out of the room.
She turned to Teresa. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Of course.”
“Why do Dominic and Nathan only have male servants and why are there so few women around the place? I know females are rarer than males in your…culture, but I saw none on my walk around the settlement earlier.”
“Females are outnumbered more than four to one, so you can understand why you’ve not seen too many. And we don’t do work such as serving, we’re too precious and important to do such menial roles.”
“Really?” She’d assumed from Nathan and Dom’s attitudes that women were treated as second class citizens. “This place confuses me.” She furrowed her brow.
“It’s quite simple.” Teresa took a grape from a platter of fruit and popped it into her mouth. “Females are important to the dragon clans. We are much rarer than males. For this reason, males do the mundane work involved in keeping the community going. They cook, clean, carry out repairs. Females don’t work. Unless, that is, they wish not to be mated with a bonded pair of males. In this case, females with the talents to match carry out certain high-level roles. Advisors to the clan leaders, for instance. Or teaching the young. Some take places on the Council. The highest role females have is as Warders. The magic ones who protect the clans, bring them good fortune and health. These females are the most important people in any clan. More so than the male leader. In fact, if either the Warders or the female led Council think the male leader is not doing a good job, they can remove him.”
