Dragon Lords Blood Contract

by Rylee Winters

  The more I found out about these guys; the more aware I was of the possible danger I could be in…and the more I regretted taking this job. They had so many damn secrets…big, monstrous secrets…and some of them were likely to get me killed.

  “Who is your father?” I asked, a sinking suspicion settling into the pit of my stomach.

  All five men suddenly started acting awkwardly; all out avoiding eye contact with me as they either nervously rubbed the back of their necks, or gazed down at the floor as they shuffled their feet.

  “Ethan…” I said in a warning tone. Ethan turned to look in my direction, but still would not meet my gaze. He rocked back, then forwards on his heels, gazing intently at something over my head.

  Narrowing my eyes, I was getting sick and tired of this farce, so I stood up, placed my feet apart and crossed my arms over my chest. “This isn’t something you can keep from me anymore… If you want my help, you need to tell me the truth…you need to tell me everything.”

  My eyes bored down on Ethan, and then the rest of them – and in an unusual move of mine, I found myself dredging up my magic from my inner depths, and with its invisible force, I used it to exert as much palpable pressure on them as possible. Increasing its power, it started creating a buzz in the air.

  Liam and Knox flinched, while the others remained still, seemingly unaffected. All five pairs of eyes looked over and across at me.

  “What are you…” Knox breathed out, surprise and shock registering across his features.

  “You’re not the only ones who have a trick or two up their sleeves when it comes to grabbing someone’s attention,” I interrupted, rolling my eyes.

  All five brothers stared at me, different emotions flitting across each of their faces – awe, shock, disbelief, disapproval, admiration…mistrust.

  Finally, Ethan seemed to manage to get himself together, and composing himself, he stepped forward. “Our father’s a dragon…” he explained, hesitating to go on.

  He took in a breath, and looked over at Knox, who gave Ethan a slight incline of his head, a silent signal for him to continue. Encouraged, Ethan went on…

  “He’s well regarded amongst the dragon clan…and he holds a respected position – ” he paused, thinking something over as he worked his jaw “ – I believe that’s sufficient for you to know…for now at least.”

  Finishing off, he locked eyes with me, his expression turning deadly serious. “Now, please stop using your blasted magic on us – it’s starting to grate on my nerves…” he frowned, looking at me pointedly for a good long second.

  I harrumphed, not completely satisfied with his answer. There was obviously more – a damn lot more – than what he was letting on. “Fine,” I said, cutting off the internal force and connection. The magical pressure disappeared instantly.

  Ethan visibly relaxed. “Thanks Jasmine…” Then turning back to the rest of the group, he asked, “Okay, so back to the scroll. What’s the game plan?”

  “Well Lupin’s holding a ball six nights from now. He didn’t invite any of us, except for Drake. He could use it as an opportunity to approach Lupin there,” Damien suggested.

  “How did you know I got an invite?” Drake asked, frowning, sounding slightly irritated his brother knew this piece of information.

  “I have my sources,” Damien replied vaguely, which only seemed to annoy Drake further. He made to move towards Damien, to demand an answer, and Ethan quickly stepped in between the two of them.

  He stretched out his arms on both sides, blocking both of them from starting a fight. “We don’t have time for squabbling. Drake, you need to go get ready for this ball…” He glanced around at the remaining group, “…and the rest of us need to keep trying to find out as much about this scroll as possible.”

  Drake grunted, but didn’t protest. Damien just looked coolly back at both his brothers.

  “So, where does that leave me?” I interjected, arching an eyebrow, arms still folded in front of me, looking defensive.

  “Oh…did I forget to mention that? You’re going to have to get ready aswell…” Ethan replied.

  “Why?” I said, my mind slow to catch on.

  “Because Drake needs a date…and given the lack of choices,” he said dryly, gesturing to the rest of the boys with a slight wave of his hand, “it’s going to have to be you.”

  “Ummm. No.” I replied immediately, without thinking.

  Ethan gave me a questioning look. “And why not?” Deepening his voice, he took on a commanding tone.

  “Because…” I stopped, glanced over at Drake only to find his face was an unreadable mask, before looking away. I was surprised he wasn’t objecting.

  Given our earlier exchange – and the fact that you hugged him and cried like a newborn bub in his arms – I blushed at the thought – I was still feeling incredibly awkward being alone with him. Not to mention the guilt…

  But Ethan was clearly expecting an answer. Except I didn’t know what answer to give.

  What the hell was I suppose to say…? That I felt uncomfortable being around Drake? That we had a fight? And I was in the wrong. Or maybe I should tell them he drove me bat-shit crazy… And not altogether in a bad way…

  I shuddered. No. There was no way I was going to admit the truth. But I couldn’t think of a decent explanation to give.

  I looked up to see Ethan staring at me expectantly and I gritted my teeth, knowing there was only one way out of this where I didn’t lose every shred of my dignity.

  “Okay. Yes, I’ll go,” I finally agreed, and saw Ethan’s lips widen into a triumphant smile. “Don’t think that you’ve won…” I muttered softly, narrowing my eyes, then tossing my head, looked away.

  Without warning, Knox came over and gave me a friendly slap on the back, and I stumbled forward, almost tripping over.

  “Oh shit – sorry,” he apologized, not realizing his own strength, as he reached out to grab hold of me to stop me from falling on my face.

  Turning my head around, I gave him the stink-eye, to which he had the decency to blush.

  Ethan clapped his hands. “That settles it then. Jasmine, you go out with Drake to get something suitable to wear.”

  “Actually,” Knox interrupted. “Drake’s not really good at dress shopping. How about I take Jasmine to the shops, since I need to go out and buy something anyway.”

  Drake looked like he was about to say something, then thought better of it, and closed his mouth.

  “Fine.” Ethan sighed, waving us off. “Just go…but make sure you’re back in time. We’re going to aim to meet back here and regroup at six, okay?”

  Knox mocked a salute at Ethan. “Yes, sir!”

  Then grabbing my hand, he dragged me out of the room while I mildly protested, and took me to the car.

  ❖❖❖

  My footsteps thudded against the cement pavement, as I trailed behind Knox along the street on our shopping expedition.

  “Are we almost done yet?” I asked, my voice grumpy as Knox stopped in front of yet another store.

  We’d been at this for almost two hours, and we still hadn’t found a dress Knox thought was suitable. He seemed to be exceptionally picky…especially for a guy. Thinking about it, Knox really seemed to have a knack for transforming an activity I normally enjoyed, into a tedious chore.

  “Soon,” he replied, his face was all signs of amusement. “There’s just one more store we need to try.”

  I groaned. This man was merciless. My feet must’ve been swollen by all the walking around we’d done today.

  Pushing the door in front of us open, we entered into a small, very exclusive looking boutique. The bell tinkled as we made our way in.

  A young, chirpy redhead walked forward to greet us. “Welcome! Welcome!” she gushed, all smiles and fluttering lashes. She eyed Knox appreciatively, almost seeming entranced by his good looks.

  I heard myself making a disgruntled sound without meaning to, and she snapped back to reality and gave
me a wink. “How lucky. Is your boyfriend here to help you pick out some clothes?”

  My eyes bulged out like a goldfish and I almost choked on my own saliva. “Errr… No, he’s not – ”

  “Yes, I am actually,” Knox cut me off smoothly, flashing his million dollar smile. He ignored my penetrating stare, and stepped forward, taking charge.

  “Clarisse, is it?” he asked, peering down at the name tag pinned onto her silky, white blouse, and putting on the charms.

  “We’re looking for a unique outfit for my girlfriend, Jasmine here, to wear for an event a few nights from now,” he explained, taking the sales girl by the shoulders and turning her around to move deeper inside the store.

  I stood there for a moment, refusing to budge. But of course, neither of them noticed.

  Throwing my hands up in exasperation, I knew I was fighting a losing battle, so I quickly followed after them, trying to catch up. As I did this, I gazed around the store to take in its beautiful, modern white interior, neat chrome racks on the floor and against the walls, and the collection of trimly cut clothes in eye-catching fabrics.

  “Clarisse,” I heard Knox say, stopping in the middle of the floor, in an empty space between two circular clothes racks. “My girlfriend will be attending a ball with many prominent people, so she really needs something special to stand out.”

  The saleswoman nodded, turning around to scan her eyes over me.

  “Sure. Size zero I presume?” she said, calculating my measurements with an expert glance.

  “Yes,” Knox answered for me with a curt nod. “C cup.”

  My jaw dropped open, and I stared at Knox in dismay. He winked at me, a devilish grin on his face, and went back to talking to Clarisse.

  H-How the fuck…

  “Something elegant though, not trashy…” Knox’s voice trailed off, as he and Clarisse kept walking, while I stayed rooted to the spot.

  I could feel the heat of a blush streaking red across my face.

  Surprise. Confusion. Anger. Embarrassment... All these emotions twirled inside me as I stared at Knox’s back. A litany of swear words threatened to spill off my tongue, but it was like the words had become all twisted up from the shock, and no coherent sounds would come out from my mouth. All I managed to do was fumble out a gurgling sound, that didn’t resemble any human word.

  Ahead of me, the two chummy co-conspirators stopped and turned around to look at me. As one, their lips both began to curl up slowly into a creepy smile.

  “Come,” Knox called, crooking his index finger and beckoning me towards them.

  I swallowed, feeling like Gretel being coaxed by the sinister witch into the gingerbread house. Maybe I should run away before it was too late…

  Clarisse and Knox probably sensed my intentions, because in a few short seconds, they were on me.

  I made a strangled gurgling sound as two pairs of warm hands grasped me securely by either arm and dragged me, kicking and screaming towards the change rooms with an iron grip.

  They released me as soon as we were inside. Clarisse started padding around me in a circle, inspecting me from all different angles. After one full cirle, she stopped right in front of me. There was a merciless glint in her eyes as she raked them over my body, assessing my ‘assets’.

  Her eyes suddenly lit up, shining bright with an idea. “I’ll be right back,” she said to me and Knox, and dashed off somewhere inside the store.

  Knox took a step, and planted himself firmly in front of me, feet apart, so he was blocking the exit. He folded his arms as he faced me, his eyes challenging me if I dared.

  “Great…” I muttered, completely unimpressed at being held hostage. I was trapped inside the change rooms with a closet pervert and a wayyyy too chatty saleswoman who was about to return soon.

  This was not how I imagined I’d be spending my Saturday afternoon.

  Sighing, I flopped down on the large square ottoman behind me, feeling resigned. I was ready to give myself up as a tribute for their experiments. After all, this day couldn’t get any worse, right?

  Wrong.

  To my dismay, Clarisse would soon prove to me, this shopping expedition was way more than what I initially bargained for.

  ❖❖❖

  Knox’s mobile buzzed just as we left the store. It was Ethan.

  “Hello,” Knox said, bringing the phone to his ear to take the call, as we both walked side by side out onto the street.

  I heard Ethan say something on the other end, but couldn’t quite make out his words.

  “Hold on, I’m going to put you on speaker,” Knox said, lowering his phone and tapping his finger on the speaker icon on the screen of his mobile.

  “Can you hear me?” Knox asked, checking the audio reception on Ethan’s end.

  “Yes I can. Where are you both now?”

  “Just walking to the car now. Is everything okay?” Knox asked, glancing my way to make sure I was keeping up with his longer strides.

  I was. Barely. He slowed down.

  “Everything’s fine. Just wanted to check if Jasmine’s all set for the ball tomorrow night.”

  Knox eyed me, indicating for me to answer.

  “Yeah, we bought a dress and a few accessories. I’m all good to go…” I said. “Thanks to Knox here,” I added, throwing him a dirty, while he just grinned back at me. Closet pervert…

  “Wonderful! That’s great news. Seems we are making progress… Jasmine – ” Ethan said, his deep, pleased voice coming through on the speaker. “Since that’s the case – Knox, take Jasmine home. Jasmine, you’re going to move in here with us until we find the artifact, so you’ll need to pack your things.”

  “What?” I jerked to an abrupt stop, while Knox, oblivious, walked on. He seemed to notice a moment later as he turned back, his eyes searching for me, mid-sentence as he continued to speak to Ethan.

  I looked at him with a face full of alarm. Ethan has to be joking… Right…?! Knox waved me over, and I hurried towards him.

  “What do you mean I’m moving in with all of you?” I choked out, still in disbelief. I was sure I had heard wrong…and this was all just a terrible mistake. How on earth could Ethan actually expect me to live with five grown men who I hardly even knew?!

  “Yes. Is there a problem with that?” Ethan asked, his voice picking up slightly, as I imagined him quirking his neatly shaped brow.

  “Awesome!” Knox shouted enthusiastically before I could speak up, pumping an excited fist in the air as he beamed a smile at me. “I’ll drive you home and help you pack.”

  “Wait…! What?!” I cried out, panicked. “Slow down everyone – let’s discuss this. Please!” I said, starting to feel distressed.

  Knox settled down as soon as he saw my frazzled expression, and looked apologetically back at me.

  I shook my head and tried to tamp down on my nerves as I pushed out a deep, slow breath. Then, I gave myself a moment to collect myself.

  “I never agreed to move in with you; it was never part of the deal,” I said to Ethan, after gathering my composure and getting my heart rate back under control.

  As I waited for Ethan’s response, I swallowed the anxious lump lodged in my throat, and chewed nervously at my bottom lip.

  “I know it’s unexpected…but Jasmine, trust me – it’s for the best. It’ll be easier for you to help us this way.”

  I frowned, eyes staring down at the phone sitting in Knox’s upturned hand as he held it in the air between us, still feeling unconvinced…

  As the seconds stretched by and I remained silent, replaying Ethan’s words inside my head, trying to work out his angle, it became obvious to Ethan I wasn’t going to agree so easily to this new arrangement. So, Ethan tried again to persuade me by sweetening the deal.

  “With you being close by everything will go so much more faster, and you’ll be able to complete this job earlier than expected. That’s what you want isn’t it…?” he allowed his words to trail, enticing me to accept this obvious hon
ey trap.

  I narrowed my eyes and looked away to the side, not wanting Knox to be able to see the expression on my face, while I internally debated whether or not there were any benefits to moving in with them, and if so, were they worthwhile…

  “Hrmmm…” I murmured, still uncertain about the decision. The idea of finishing up this job early was tempting…but it was only a possibility – not a guarantee. Was the chance worth having to live with five members of the male species, who were already proving to be pretty egotistical and in some respects, damn right insufferable?

  “We’ll put you up in a really nice room up on the second floor…” Ethan offered, sounding hopeful.

  I snorted, and said, “I prefer sleeping in my own bed,” imagining how bothersome it’d be having to accommodate the annoying habits of five total strangers, living under the same roof.

  “I’ll give you unfettered access to the library. It’s got a whole collection of old books on spells and the history of magic.”

  Okay, that got me. I perked up, paying attention.

  “So…I can read them whenever I want?” I asked slowly, starting to come around.

  “Yes, whenever you have spare time. You’ll be able to read and learn all new kinds of magic,” Ethan assured me. “We also have a housekeeper, cook and a butler, so all your cooking and cleaning would be taken care of for you,” Ethan added, sensing my resolve was crumbling, and pushing home the advantage.

  “Okay, fine. I’ll move in, but under two conditions.”

  “Great, I knew we could come to a compromise. What are they?”

  “One: I won’t move in until tomorrow morning – there’s things I need to take care of at home first. And two: you need to help me with learning magic.” I held my breath, half expecting Ethan to reject the second condition.

  There was a humming sound on the other end, which sounded like Ethan was thinking, and actually considering my terms.

  Meanwhile, on my end, I was telepathically trying to will him to say yes.