Dragon's Melody

by Bell, Ophelia

  “Don’t touch that,” Skye said, his voice tight with emotion.

  She ignored him and reached for the box, clutching it in her palm before he could reach her.

  “Is this yours?” she asked, holding the beautiful shining box up to him. The object seemed to warm in her palm and the glow of light she thought was a reflection from the window brightened, clearly coming from within the box.

  “No!” Skye said, stepping toward her with a panicked look on his face.

  There was a tiny click and the box seemed to split cross-wise in the center, the corners springing outward to reveal a smaller cube-like frame within, inside which was a glowing orb of beautiful golden light.

  “Oh!” Melody exclaimed, blinking at the dazzling shape. She extended the index finger of her other hand to the glowing haze around the orb, but an invisible barrier seemed to be holding it in a tiny force field.

  Skye stopped cold right in front of her, his hands dangling by his sides. “Mother, you have got to be fucking kidding me,” he said under his breath. Or at least that’s what Melody thought she’d heard.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to open it,” she said. She hurriedly pressed the box closed again and stretched out her hand toward him.

  Skye gingerly took the box from her, eyeing it with suspicion. He turned it over in his hands, squeezing with his fingers as though trying to find the latch. Finally he simply cursed in frustration and stuck it into his pants pocket.

  Instead of heading to her room as she intended, she paused to watch him, curious about his reaction to her touching the mesmerizing little object.

  As he dressed, his eyes kept darting to her, his expression bemused. At least he was no longer giving her that disappointed scowl from before. Now he simply seemed indecisive, his brows scrunched together and his eyes staring off at nothing every so often while he buttoned his shirt.

  “What are you going to do?” Melody asked, suddenly apprehensive about precisely what it was he was working out in his head.

  “Review the contract. Rewrite it. Burn it. I don’t know. Before I do anything I need the absolute truth from the both of you.”

  “I told you the truth. Garen was doing his job and I just couldn’t hold back. That’s it. I actually did it to myself, if you must know. He happened to be in contact with me at the time.”

  She stared at him defiantly, silently daring him to contradict her. She was tempted to spit out the dirty details just to see how he would react, however.

  I masturbated while he finger fucked me and I loved every second of it. But she had less at stake than Garen had. It might be a setback for her dreams, but Garen’s life was more closely tied to Skye’s than hers was. She’d be able to move on without looking back, or she’d have a better chance of it, at any rate. Either way, she was pretty sure she’d regret it if she continued down this path with these two amazing men and one ridiculous yet enticing contract.

  Skye gave her a dubious look, seemed thoughtful for a moment, then his shoulders sagged with defeat. “If you say so. I hope his account doesn’t contradict yours.”

  “Is it really so bad for it to happen? You’ve never once explained why it could only be you and me. Yet you force him to be in such close contact with me—”

  “He was never forced. I trust him to do the job without taking advantage of you. I do trust him more than you at this stage. Until you can prove your loyalty to me, consider yourself on probation.” His jaw set and his gaze turned cool again—businesslike. “You’ll remain here at my whim at least until I believe I can trust you fully. You’ve had a day to understand what your job entails, so I trust there won’t be any confusion as to what is expected of you.”

  Melody clenched her teeth, angry in spite of the brisk tingle of arousal that shot down her spine at the suggestion of truly being confined here, at his whim. The contract had provided for some freedom of movement—she had free run of the city, for example—but there had been a clause regarding discipline should she fail to perform her duties as outlined. Confined for his pleasure meant that he would at least still need Garen to do his job, and the thought made her relax.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Skye came close to hitting the elevator button to take him to the roof when he remembered the time of day. The sun was rising. Garen may have flown last night. In fact, he was reasonably sure he had, but he would have left that morning in Dove. And considering the mood he’d been in, it was unlikely he’d returned to his own apartment. He would be driving today and tracking him down would be a challenge.

  But it needed to happen, so Skye headed to the garage and climbed into his own car, a blue Bentley with seats that hugged his ass almost as enticingly as Melody’s legs had. His cock hardened at the thought, the taut flesh pressing against the sharp object that rested inside his pocket. Ignoring his erection, he fished the box out and set it on the dashboard. It remained obdurately shut, even when he forced a small surge of his power into it.

  He hoped that laced with Melody’s energy now, his own might be enough, but it still didn’t open for him. He glowered at it and swung the car out of the parking spot, tires squealing on the pavement as he tore down the street.

  Needling impressions of humanity crowded in again, now that he was away from Melody. The fresh din made it difficult for him to focus at first, but with the top down and wind blowing past, he managed to pick out the thread of Garen’s bond to him and follow it. He’d gone north, so Skye followed, sinking his foot down on the gas pedal and speeding across the Golden Gate Bridge.

  It took an hour of driving before he drew close enough to reach out mentally. “We need to talk,” he sent the moment he could sense Garen’s emotions, still a dark tangle of shame that lingered, mixed with the trail of Garen’s aura left behind as he’d driven.

  A few miles later, Skye spotted Garen’s car at a turnout and pulled in beside it. A path led into the woods, Garen’s trail of energy glowed, easily apparent to Skye’s dragon sight. He found his friend at the edge of an inlet of the bay, staring out over the water.

  “What did she tell you?” Garen asked when Skye was within earshot.

  “That she did it to herself. It wasn’t your fault. I sense a lie, but I think she’s trying to protect you.”

  “Half-truth,” Garen said. “It was my idea, but she brought herself off.”

  “Why did you let it happen?”

  Garen stared down at the reflection of the sunrise on the water. “It was only envy. I was the highest-ranking Guardian of our generation for five centuries. When I lost that status, I worried that I’d lose the respect I had along with it. Being unable to find a mate—or even a woman I found desirable enough to consider mating—I feared I’d lose ground. What kind of dragon would I be if I couldn’t find a treasure as bright as Melody? I simply wanted to understand why she was so special that you and Kol would have come to the agreement you did. To know what I should really strive for.”

  “I trust you’ve satisfied your curiosity and can get back to work then,” Skye said.

  Garen turned and stared at him. “You’ll let me continue?”

  “I wouldn’t trust any other dragon to do the job, my friend. And she seems to like you. I also need you to make sure she continues to test the rules as set out for the duration of the contract.”

  “Test them? You want me to actively encourage her to break her contract?”

  “There’s something about her Kol and I didn’t share before the interview. I wanted to wait until I’d had a full day of her before I told you. Garen, she’s a Blessed.”

  Garen expelled a surprised breath, his eyes widening. “That … explains so much. How she knows some of what we are. How she’s so responsive and willing. But why do we want her to break the contract?”

  “It was for her benefit. Kol’s bond took over before she had a chance to choose. The man’s a powerful force wh
ere women are concerned. She signed the contract while under his influence, which means encouraging her to break the contract will help break her bond to him. With our help, it will allow her to choose her fate. And in spite of what I saw this morning—whatever happened between the two of you—I saw only a faint hint of Kol’s bond remaining in her. Help her break the rules. She’ll test you, but let her. And when it’s done, she’ll have the option to proceed with the contract and … and become my mate at the end.”

  Garen’s expression clouded and he stared out over the water. “So you will mate her when this is over. That’s … I’m happy for you. You’ll finally earn your inheritance.”

  Skye’s chest tightened in response to the wash of emotion coming off his friend. Mostly he sensed loneliness and despair, but deep beneath was the same cold fear of loss, only it was twofold now. The fact that Garen didn’t even try to conceal his feelings from Skye was very telling. It was a more convincing gesture of honesty than even words could be. To know that his friend not only feared losing Skye’s friendship, but now also feared losing the Melody’s growing affection made his heart ache.

  “It’s only been a couple days,” Skye said softly. “Surely you’re not so taken with her …”

  Garen shook his head. “Isn’t it an effect of her Blessing? I’ve never been so drawn to a female before. That I can’t even try to see if she’d be able to ….” He clenched his fists by his sides and stared at Skye, his face filled with anguish. “I will do what you ask of me, but please don’t draw this out any longer than necessary. I won’t be able to bear it afterward. Losing you will break me.”

  The sense of loss gripped Skye suddenly, his gut tightening enough for him to lose the ability to breathe. It was true—if he mated Melody, it would mean a kind of exile for Garen from the life he’d known. And it was all for the power held in that tiny little box of his mother’s.

  Garen turned to leave before Skye could answer him, but Skye remained frozen in place. It wasn’t until the sound of the Stingray’s engine revved and he heard it rolling back across the gravel that he fished the box out of his pocket and glared down at it. He knew what he needed to do.

  She won’t be my mate, if I have the last word, he thought. She’ll be yours.

  With that, he stretched his hand back over his head and flung with all his might, sending the tiny box through the air to splash into the water of the bay far from shore.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Garen had a brief moment of panic when he entered the penthouse the next morning and couldn’t immediately sense Melody’s presence. The only impression he had was of the residue of Skye’s energy that permeated the place. He found her in her room on the second floor, sound asleep, her aura glowing blue more than gold. No wonder he hadn’t sensed her—she was so inundated with Skye’s energy he barely recognized her own faint aura buried beneath it.

  He paused in the doorway, simply watching the subtle rise and fall of her aura in tandem with her breaths. She was a Blessed, a human touched by dragon magic in the womb, which meant she had been born already attuned to his kind. Not to the degree that a mated human was, but close. The act of granting such a blessing to an unborn human was never an accident. It meant a dragon who had given Melody this gift had loved her and her mother deeply and wanted her to grow up to find a dragon mate. This was why she responded as she had to Kol, and then to him and Skye, and why she agreed to sign the contract to begin with.

  He resolved then to ensure she found a dragon mate—Skye. To honor the wish of the dragon who had loved her so much. Losing them both would destroy him, but he would see to it that she succeeded in fully breaking her bond to Kol and sealing the growing bond she had with Skye. And then he would leave.

  He closed the door softly and headed back downstairs to the kitchen. She would be hungry when she woke, and likely full of questions. Determined to be prepared for her every need and desire, he mentally worked through every possibility while he cooked.

  She came down, sleepy eyed and mussed, only a few minutes after the aromas of food began to fill the air.

  “You must love me,” she said, giving him a bright smile that made his heart skip a beat.

  Gathering his composure he smiled back with what he hoped was a cheery smile in return. “It wouldn’t be that tough a feat. You do make it very easy.”

  “Flatterer,” she said, hopping up on the bar stool she’d eaten on the day before. Time flowed so much quicker in the new world than it had when he was hibernating, yet only the past three days had seemed to encompass eons where his own life, his emotions, were concerned.

  He served her food, which she ate voraciously, barely speaking two words in between mouthfuls.

  “You’re not eating,” she observed once she’d slowed down and started chewing her food rather than inhaling it.

  “I ate when I left,” he lied. In truth, he hadn’t had an appetite for anything but her since that morning when he’d seen the glorious tendrils of her energy reaching out to him. His own aura had itched to entwine itself with her reaching energy, to entwine himself in her before he understood what that display had implied to Skye. His failure. The fact that Skye had then given him instructions to encourage Melody to test the contract didn’t alleviate his shame over betraying his friend.

  She nodded, her expression only briefly skeptical before she frowned and said, “What happened with Skye? I take it since you’re back here, he’s at least not pissed off at both of us.”

  “He is. He’s giving me another chance, and like you I’m also on a probation of sorts.” He thought about what Skye had told him regarding Kol’s wishes. He hated lying to her, but her rebellion was by design, and he was a key component in her rebellion. But how to encourage it and still keep his feelings in check?

  “What exactly does your probation entail?” she asked, one pretty gold eyebrow arched.

  Garen wanted nothing more than to taste Melody’s essence again in lieu of breakfast, but he answered. “Keeping you under control, apparently,” he said. “You didn’t need to protect me, Melody. I’ll tell you a secret about Skye … He can read your emotions even more deeply than a simple aura can display. He knew you were covering for me. Why did you do it?”

  She propped her elbows on the counter and rested her chin on her hands, smirking at him. “You shoved your finger in me and made me come the other night. You promised he’d never know, yet he did. Somehow. How did he know?”

  Garen tried not to think about how luxurious her pussy had felt with his fingers buried in it at the moment she came.

  Help her break the rules. She’ll test you, but let her.

  She’d already tested him. He licked his lips and looked at her.

  “More secrets?” he whispered.

  “Yes, please,” she said. “Unless we have a schedule to keep.”

  “We should work out,” he said, unconvincingly.

  Melody raised an eyebrow and quirked her mouth. She hopped off her stool anyway.

  As she headed toward the stairs she called over her shoulder. “You’re in deep already. You owe me so much dirt I could build a fort when you finally deliver.” She maintained a bouncy step and the same teasing tone, but the playful glow of her aura seemed to fade with some deeper shadow as she climbed to her room.

  Garen snorted at her response, but she was too far to hear. She’d bury him if she knew what he was up to.

  To ensure he had dug himself deep enough, he made a call to Kol.

  “Tell me everything you left out of Melody’s files. Everything.”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Melody had to quell the sick feeling in her stomach as she rifled through the closet to find fresh workout gear. Tears sprang to her eyes. She was failing. At the contract, which should have been the simplest thing in the world to follow, but really it was the hardest.

  She’d read it all twice. She kn
ew what she was in for, but she hadn’t counted on her “keeper” to be so … her entire torso tingled with the thought of what Garen was. Was there even a word to describe a man as attentive and attuned as he was? So easy to be with one moment and then making her want him like crazy the next?

  And then there was Skye. The wildcard at first. At least that’s what she’d considered him until the day before. All she’d experienced until then was his tongue and nothing else.

  The man himself was beyond imagining. Her skin still tingled from his touch. Oh God she probably still glowed, too ….

  She shut the closet door and turned off the light, just to check. In the full-length mirror, stark naked, her pores glimmered with faint light. It looked like constellations flickering on her skin. Like she was the representation of some smaller imagining of a goddess.

  “Oh, fuck,” she said. How the hell did you spend the day with a guy you liked when you were filled up with the energy of the guy you just fucked?

  “He knows,” she told her reflection. The understanding that Garen was fully aware of her connection to Skye didn’t help, though.

  A knock sounded at the door. A moment later it opened.

  “Melody?”

  “Go away!”

  She heard a dismissive snort and then Garen’s face was in the mirror’s reflection.

  “Why are you hiding?”

  “Because I’m afraid of you.”

  He frowned. “Why?”

  Why? Fuck was that the question of the century. Why, indeed. Why because I want you and I don’t want to want you. Why because I want you AND I want him. Because I thought I knew what I wanted before this all started and now I’m not so sure.

  Oh, God did she want Skye and hated like hell that he was disappointed in her. And there was Garen on the other side of the door, a man she knew could take her to just as spectacular heights of pleasure, yet he was tasked with only taking her to the last camp before the summit while Skye got to see her the rest of the way to the peak. She’d thought she wanted what Kol had awakened in her, to give in to him completely, but the more Garen tested her, the more she wanted nothing to do with the damn contract. She wanted to do everything except what the contract required—but she wanted the rewards of it, too.