Failure’s not an option…
“We need to get this roof done before that storm hits,” Luca announced.
Jaeger lifted his head, smiling. It was his first snow after his imprisonment, and he was looking forward to as much of the white stuff as they could get. “Come on, snow and ice!”
“You’re sick and twisted,” Drake called out from his side of the angled roof. “I don’t know how I could think of you as my brother.” Jaeger only wore a cut-off t-shirt in the frigid air. The men working around him had already told him he was nuts. They were almost done with the roof—three men on one side, two on the other. As they neared the top, they could finally see each other.
“You know you love me!” Jaeger yelled before hammering another shingle in. He grinned at Drake, the smoke dragon he’d escaped Project Zed’s prison with only a couple of months before. The pair had worked together on one side and were closer to being done than the trio.
“I’ll love you even more if you hurry the hell up. I can’t feel my fingers anymore,” Bull spat from the other side of the roof.
“Amen,” Jericho said. “I’m almost sure one finger just fell off me.”
“We’re almost done. We need to make sure the house is good and warm for Pablo and the baby,” Luca said.
“Isn’t that my line?” Bull asked his father. Pablo was Bull and Jericho’s pregnant mate. The triad had bought the fixer-upper some time ago, but Pablo’s widening stomach had put renovations into high gear.
“I can be a worried grandfather just as easily as you can be a worried father.”
Luca had also been imprisoned under the watch of General Lore—and was Bull’s father.
And Drake’s mate.
Jaeger had been corralled into helping, but then, Drake had been one of the main reasons he hadn’t gone insane in prison. He owed the man a lot.
“Pablo’s already yelling at us as it is. Someone else worrying over him is going to drive him insane,” Jericho said with a grin.
Jaeger glanced around at the men on the roof. Never in his long life had he ever felt such an easy camaraderie with other males. He was used to a very solitary life, be it in his ice castle or in the tiny cell he’d spent most of his last years in. While these men weren’t all dragons like he and Drake, they were all shifters—and the freedom that allowed him was immense.
He didn’t have to hide the fact he wasn’t human. There was no worry of a slip of the tongue or someone seeing something they shouldn’t. Had he been able, he could shift here without fear of being found out and hunted.
He gave Drake one last glance, a bit of jealousy hitting him in the gut. The smoke dragon had been like him—trapped in human form, with a back coated in melted metal. Drake had found a way to heal from his wounds. Unfortunately, that particular method wasn’t possible for Jaeger.
Jaeger’s only option seemed to involve pain.
Lots of pain.
Jaeger hammered the last of the shingles on his side of the roof just as the first few snowflakes began to fall. He lifted his stare and his hand, watching as a single flake slowly drifted down before landing on his fingertip.
He made himself colder, his scales skittering along his flesh. The flake didn’t melt, but grew along his fingertip, creating a crystalline pattern as it moved over his now blue hand.
“All done?” a voice called over.
Jaeger tilted his head and smiled. Drake walked closer. The dragon eyed his hand with a lift to one brow. “You weren’t able to do that in the prison.”
Jaeger looked up at Drake. “This place… there’s something about it. I feel stronger.”
“I noticed the same thing… this place almost feels… sacred.”
Jaeger nodded.
“Well, cool trick. But you’re making me even colder.”
He waved the flake off his hand and rose, allowing his skin to pinken again. “You don’t know how much torment my dragon’s in right now.”
Drake’s smile faded. “I do.”
Jaeger lifted his gaze to meet Drake’s.
“I trust these guys to help find a way to heal you,” Drake said. “They’ve made good on their promises so far.”
“I know,” Jaeger said. He glanced around as the snow began to come down a bit harder. “We’d better get down before you slip off the roof and fall on your ass.”
Drake disappeared into a cloud of smoke before drifting easily down. He rematerialized, both feet on the ground. “Won’t happen,” he cried up.
Jaeger growled before heading for the ladder. His wings itched to expand and spread out twice the width of the old farmhouse. He’d soar high up into the storm clouds and soak up the frigid air there before plummeting to the ground and landing beside the dragon. Instead, he descended rung by rung, gritting his teeth the entire way.
“Sorry,” Drake said once he hit the ground. “I wasn’t trying to rub your nose in it.”
Jaeger turned and eyed his friend. “I’m happy for you. I really am. You don’t need to hide what you can do.” He undid the tool belt from his waist and lowered it down to the porch. He was happy for Drake, even if it did hurt a little. “And to be honest, it gives me hope.”
“You guys willing to help offload some firewood?” Luca called over to them as he stood beside a pickup laden with cut logs.
He took a deep inhale. The scent of the fresh wood mixing with the scent of the storm filled Jaeger’s lungs.
Along with the hint of something… else.
“Sure thing,” Drake said, taking a few steps closer to Luca. “Where we taking it?”
Jaeger drew in another inhale. The smell was stronger, and it hit him straight in the gut. He took a few steps closer to the truck, scanning the interior. Was his soldier in there? A smile crossed his face at the thought of seeing Gator again.
Desire slammed into him. He’d been fighting the need for the human for several weeks now, but his body was on edge. The need to claim his mate grew stronger by the day. He could feel his cock throbbing as it came to life.
His stare moved over the two men in the front seat—a shifter and a human. Cal, he believed the shifter was called. He took one more step and eyed the man seated in the back. A human.
Who wasn’t Gator.
There was no one else in the vehicle. He frowned, confused. He’d known Gator was his the second he’d first laid eyes on the man after his arrival in Bear Mountain. If Gator wasn’t in the truck, then what the hell was going on?
The truck moved forward, rounding around toward the back of the house.
“Who was that? In the backseat?” Jaeger asked Bull and Luca.
Bull frowned. “You mean Dario?”
“Dario,” Jaeger whispered, more to himself than anyone. “Interesting.”
Had he been wrong about Gator?
Jaeger spun on his heel and headed in the direction of the truck. It stopped behind the house. The three males climbed out and moved to the bed of the truck. Dario began loading a stack of wood in his arms—but as small as he was, he could only carry four logs and barely see over them.
Jaeger’s dragon growled down deep, but he hesitated a moment.
A month before, he’d met a soldier on duty at the clinic when they’d first arrived. Gator was his nickname… Guillaume Arnaud. He’d known at first sight that the man was his. The sexy Cajun had spent a lot of time in his fantasies. Jaeger had been keeping his distance, hopeful the cure for his back would be coming sooner versus later.
Now, seeing Dario, he wondered if there had been another reason he’d taken his time.
Not possible. Dragons don’t have two mates.
Or, like Deacon, did he have two? Before coming to Bear Mountain, he would’ve thought it impossible. But seeing Deacon with Glenn and Emmanuel was all the proof he needed to learn it was completely possible.
Jaeger paused, considering that option. A smile grew over his lips. Dragons were a greedy lot, and he suffered from the vice more so than others.
The longer he stood there, the more he liked the idea.
“You just going to stand there?” Drake asked as he passed Jaeger.
In that moment, Dario turned and the human’s stare locked on his.
There was no more doubt. The second Dario held his gaze, his dragon roared to life, urging him to claim what was his.
Jaeger growled low in his chest. The human’s eyes widened, the pupils darkening his eyes. Dario stood frozen to where he was, his mouth opening slightly.
That scent hit Jaeger again, and his dragon roared inside his mind.
Mine.
All the men turned and looked at him, making Jaeger wonder if he’d uttered the word aloud. Then everyone turned to gaze at Dario before returning to what they’d been doing.
Dario seemed to pull himself out of his stupor and walked on, ignoring Jaeger.
Jaeger’s smile widened, and he took the last few steps.
The other human in the truck, Samuel, caught his arm as he stalked past to follow Dario into the covered back deck.
“Slow and steady wins the race with this one,” Samuel murmured lowly.
Jaeger growled lowly. “He’s my m—”
“I know what he is to you. I think everyone here knows what he is to you.”
Maybe he had said the word out loud. He glared at the human… who wasn’t completely human, either. Jaeger frowned, but then recalled what he’d heard about the elementals living in the area. “I won’t allow you to get in my way.”
“I’m not getting in your way. I’m saving your ass right now,” Samuel spat. “Take my advice, or you’ll scare him off.”
Scare him off? Jaeger eyed Samuel a moment before Dario returned to the truck, grabbing his attention. He drew in the man’s scent again and sensed something else. Dragging Samuel away a few steps, he eyed Dario. “He’s like you. A human with powers, is he not?”
“Fire,” Samuel answered.
Jaeger laughed out loud. “Seriously?” How ironic fate could be. He turned to Samuel. “He has powers—and can likely hold his own without you watching over him. He has nothing to be afraid of with me.” Jaeger wouldn’t conceive of hurting his own mate.
“He’s been hurt. And he’s still healing from it.”
Jaeger spun to look at Dario’s retreating back. “Hurt?” Jaeger growled again. “Who hurt him?”
“They’re already taken care of,” Samuel said, pulling his hand away from Jaeger’s arm. “This whole aggressive dragon thing needs to stop. Reel it in. Or you’ll make him run the opposite direction.”
Jaeger looked at Samuel a moment before returning his gaze to Dario. “I didn’t ask for your help.”
“No, you didn’t. But he’s my friend, and I won’t let you push him farther than he’s able to go right now.” Samuel glared a moment, a wind whipping up and circling them both before the human turned abruptly and stalked back to the truck.
He grinned, watching Samuel’s defiant lift to his chin. For Dario to bring out a protective streak that intense in a friend, it must mean the man was worthy of it. Jaeger took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, but it only added to his desire. Once he felt in control, he walked over to the truck and loaded his arms with firewood, keeping a watchful eye on Dario.
Dario’s face grew redder under Jaeger’s avid attention. He smiled, liking the reaction… as it potentially meant Dario sensed their bond. Each time they passed one another, the human did everything in his power to ignore Jaeger’s stare. But that just allowed him to stare even more.
The man was small, even by human standards—perhaps a few inches over five feet. Compared to Jaeger’s nearly seven feet, it would make for an interesting coupling, for sure. The man’s body was leanly muscled, although it was hard to see much under the warm clothing he wore. Sprigs of dark hair came out from under the hoodie covering his head. His skin was naturally tanned—Jaeger was fairly sure the man had some Latino heritage from the look of him.
When he finally lifted his stare in close proximity, Jaeger could see the most beautiful set of hazel eyes. They almost looked like shining gold.
But in that gaze he saw a hint of fear.
It struck Jaeger like a heavy fist to the gut. It cooled his ardor and allowed a little common sense to kick in. Samuel’s words replayed in his mind.
Go slow.
His dragon didn’t much care for that plan. He’d already been holding back from Gator, and now he had to quench his need for another?
One had been bad enough, but two?
He was going to fail.
And hard.
* * * *
Hot and Cold…
Dario dragged his gaze away and continued to ignore the heated looks coming from the dragon. The snow was coming down a little harder now, but the truck was nearly empty.
Just a couple more loads and we can leave.
But did he want to?
Dario loaded up his stack—which was tiny compared to the enormous shifters carrying twice as much in their huge arms—and when he spun to make his trek across the few feet, he ran straight into a hard chest. Hands shot out to right him and his stack, and the touch was electric.
He lifted his stare and met Jaeger’s. Dario had to crane his neck way back to see the man’s face.
“Careful now,” the dragon murmured, his voice deep and dangerous sounding.
A tremor raced up Dario’s spine.
Heat flooded him, but he wasn’t sure if it was lust or his powers being wonky.
Jaeger was huge. Well over a foot taller than Dario, the guy was all muscle—as shown in his t-shirt with cut off sleeves and shorts. What in the hell was the guy doing out there in no sleeves and shorts when it was snowing? Was he mad?
His stare wandered up and down those muscles, more heat spreading through him. A maze of muscles, his finger could easily trace a path along the hills and valleys of sinew and flesh.
Where did that thought come from?
He closed his eyes for a split second and shook his head. “Excuse me.”
Jaeger moved with a grace no man his size should exhibit. Dario walked past, his arm grazing the side of the dragon’s. He forced his legs to put distance between them when all he wanted to do was move closer.
And that thought made it hard to breathe.
After dropping the load of firewood, he escaped the porch and circled to the front of the house. He leaned against the newly wrapped exterior, the crinkle of the covering sounding.
He drew in a few breaths, trying to still his rapidly beating heart. Dario lifted a shaking hand and stared at the wavering fingers before pushing back the hoodie and running them through his hair.
Mine.
The growled word had been repeating in his head for the last few minutes. It had both frightened him…
And utterly seduced him.
The look he’d seen on Jaeger’s face in that moment had almost made him drop to his knees right then and there. The only reason he hadn’t…
An image of Gator’s face had come to mind.
For months he’d had a series of near misses with the soldier. He’d utterly fallen for Gator, but still couldn’t bring himself to accept an offer of a date.
Fear held him back.
Dario frowned, pissed at himself.
He was tired of being gripped by that fear.
Samuel’s face came into view, as the man rounded the corner of the house. “You okay?”
Dario took another deep breath before nodding. “Yeah. We ready to go?”
“The guys offered us a beer inside if we wanted to stay a moment.”
“You go ahead. I’ll start walking home.”
Samuel tilted his head. “I told him to back off a little. I told him you were getting over some stuff and you needed space.”
Dario cringed. Is that what the pair of them had been whispering about earlier? “What? Why did you do that?”
Samuel lifted a brow, a look of confusion crossing his face. “You don’t want him to go slow?”
Dario sighed. “I don’t want him to go at all.”
Samuel was silent.
“And you didn’t need to tell him my business.”
It was Samuel’s turn to look disgusted. “I didn’t give him details. I just told him you needed space.”
“Might as well tell him it isn’t happening.”
“A mate’s not going to hear that, as you well know.”
Dario caught Samuel’s stare. “I can’t be his mate.”
Samuel opened his mouth, but then suddenly closed it.
“What?” Dario asked.
Samuel shook his head. “Nothing. Come on, we’ll decline the beer and head home, okay?”
“I don’t want to ruin Cal and your social hour. Go have a beer with them. Your third wheel can walk on ahead.”
Samuel walked over and laced an arm through Dario’s. “Cal will understand. He was already watching that ol’ dragon close.”
“No, he wasn’t,” Dario said.
“He was, too.”
“Liar.” Dario grinned and let himself be dragged back to the truck.
He climbed into the back and waited with bated breath until Cal and Samuel climbed inside the cab.
Cal eyed him in the rearview. “You okay?”
“I’m fine,” Dario said. But it wasn’t the truth. He was definitely not fine.
Cal turned over the engine and began to pull away.
Just as they passed the porch, the dragon came out and watched the truck pulling away. Dario held his breath, hoping the man didn’t stop them.
And couldn’t understand the sensation of disappointment that washed over him when the dragon didn’t.
* * * *
The Coming Storm…
Corporal Guillaume “Gator” Arnaud stepped outside his cabin and watched the peaceful fall of the snow from the narrow deck. Being a Louisiana boy, he hadn’t seen a whole lot of the white stuff. Supposedly there had been a few inches of snow one winter when he’d been a baby, but he didn’t recall it. There had been one storm that had crossed through when he was a teenager that had left them almost two inches. He and his brothers had gone out on their ATVs and made little asses of themselves, being noisy as hell and having a good ol’ time.
A wild storm had hit right after he’d gone to boot camp, so he’d missed the whole thing. While in the army, he’d seen a few snowy places, but he’d not really had a chance to revel in it. Now that he was in the Pacific Northwest, he had been excited for a chance to really see snow.
He wasn’t exactly sure what to expect up here in the mountains. He’d just finally gotten his ears to stop popping. Gator had lived a good chunk of his life at sea level, so this area had been a bit of a culture shock.
Shivering, he walked back inside and fiddled with the thermostat. After the heater kicked on, he walked over to the large picture window at the front and continued watching the snow come down.
In that moment, his mind drifted to Dario.
He’d asked Dario out at least a dozen times now. The man had said no to him each and every time, yet he kept on asking. Normally, a couple of nos would’ve had him hightailing it, but there was something about Dario that called to him.
The shy smiles. The looks of interest. The reddening of the face. The longing looks.
Everything told him that Dario wanted to say yes, but there was something holding the man back. What it was, Gator didn’t know.
And he wasn’t sure he’d ever have the chance to find out.
But the hell if he was going to stop trying.
The thought of cuddling with Dario on a cold winter morning as it snowed outside made him ache with longing. He eyed the stone covered fireplace, imagining nights spent before it in one another’s arms.
He sighed and crossed over to the small sofa before the fireplace. Gator kicked his feet to the top of the coffee table and turned on the TV. How the bears had figured out how to have cable, internet, and Wi-Fi and still manage to stay off the human grid, he wasn’t sure. He’d been nosy a time or two when close to their cell towers, but in moments like this he was glad for it.
Flipping through, he landed on a movie—The Hobbit. A dragon roared across the screen, skittering across a mountain of gold. Gator flipped a few channels and landed on a kid’s flick, How to Train Your Dragon. He glared at the screen and flipped it on past, only to land on a channel playing Dragonheart.
Frustrated, Gator turned off the TV and tossed the remote onto the coffee table.
He couldn’t seem to get away from dragons these days. Everywhere he turned, Jaeger seemed to be close by. It had been a few weeks since they’d met in the hospital—and it had been apparent the man had wanted him.
Gator had fought the need he’d felt. It had been overpowering and thrown him for a loop. Since, the dragon seemed to always around. The man never approached, but the constant reminder of the attraction he felt was starting to get to him. One minute he was drooling after Dario and then Jaeger would be around the next corner, making his mind and body short-circuit.
It was all confusing as hell.
Gator felt a swirl of lust move through, his cock growing thick. His body responded simply to the thought of Jaeger—which only made him feel even guiltier. Along the way, he’d fallen hard for Dario.
Dario brought out a protective instinct in him. There was a connection he’d felt for months now, and he wasn’t willing to give up on the man, even after all the nos.
His head fell back and hit the back of the couch. Staring up at the ceiling, he sighed, exasperated. One, he wanted yet couldn’t have. The other, he shouldn’t want and could easily have.
Gator had seen the multiples around the village. Bears mated in triads, it was their way. But he wasn’t a bear. He didn’t think he had it in him to love two men at the same time.
It needed to be one or the other.
Plus the dragon won’t be able to forgive me.
Gator belonged with Dario, not Jaeger.
It was that simple.
He closed his eyes, and an image of Dario naked on his bed came to mind. A smile came to his lips as he took in every inch of the man. Gator moved a hand to his growing cock and rubbed it through the denim he wore. Dream Dario did the same, gripping the base of his shaft and pumping a hand up and down the length, his face twisting slightly with pleasure.
Unzipping his pants, Gator was able to free his cock. He followed Dario’s motions in his mind, stroking the length from base to tip. After a quick lick of his palm, he re-gripped himself and continued to stroke. He grew harder, a sigh easing from between his lips.
Jaeger entered the frame, unbidden.
Gator paused, frowning. The dragon was naked, his hard, muscular body too incredible not to take in. He’d seen neither of them naked before—his mind was working overtime to fill in the gaps and give him the fantasy he wanted.
Jaeger climbed onto the bed beside Dario. Gator squeezed his eyes tight, his cock aching to be touched. Hesitant, he gave himself a tentative stroke and groaned with pleasure. He kept up the movement, his mind tormenting his body.
Closer and closer he came to the point of no return. The very moment he watched Jaeger turn Dario over and prop the man up on hands and knees, Gator sucked in a gasp, his body going rigid. When the head of Jaeger’s cock pressed against Dario’s tight hole, a cry tore from his lips.
He came, hard. His back arched, lifting his ass off the couch slightly.
Opening his eyes, he gazed at the head of his cock and watched the second spurt of seed spread over the back of his hand. After a few more strokes, he sat back, breathing hard.
One, not two, remember?
And why the hell had he gotten off watching the dragon fuck his man?
Is he really yours?
He only had a couple of seconds to consider that before a knock came to the door.
Fuck. “Hold on!” Gator jumped up and shoved his cock back into his jeans. After wiping his hand off on a dirty t-shirt, he raced for the door.
He opened it wide to see one of the men in question standing before him. “What can I do for you, Jaeger?”
Jaeger drew in a deep breath, his eyelids falling closed. When he reopened his glowing eyes, there was absolutely no doubt in his mind that the dragon could smell the scent of his satisfaction. Jaeger drew in another breath, his nostrils flaring.
Damned shifters and their heightened senses. Heat filled his face.
And his body.
Yet on the other side of that heat, he felt an icy coldness wrapping around him and knew it was coming off the man before him. Yet that cold didn’t dampen his need. Even though he’d just come, he could feel his cock prepping for a second round.
The look the ice dragon gave him could’ve started a few fires.
Fire… Dario. He grimaced, again feeling torn between the two men. Lifting his gaze, he could see the struggle for control in Jaeger’s expression.
“What d’you want?”
Jaeger clenched his jaw, his eyes bright. He was silent a few seconds, his stare roaming over Gator a moment. Finally, he spoke. “I wanted to make sure you had all the supplies you needed before the storm got any worse.”
“I eat in the mess,” Gator responded. He fought off the rising need he felt… the same need that assaulted him each time the dragon was near. “I’ll be fine.”
“This road might get too dangerous to traverse down to the restaurant by tomorrow,” Jaeger said. “You should have some food stockpiled. Do you have any firewood?”
Gator shrugged. “There are a few things in the kitchenette. And there’s a pile of wood beside the fireplace.”
Briefly, Jaeger glanced over Gator’s shoulder. “That’s all the wood you have?”
“It’s only supposed to be a couple of inches.”
“Supposed to be,” Jaeger said, catching Gator’s eye again. “But you never know. I would think a soldier would do a better job of being prepared.”
“Look. I don’t need a babysitter. Imma grown man.”
“A grown man who likely isn’t used to a heavy snowfall. Taking that accent of yours into account, I’d say there’s a chance this could be your first storm.”
Gator sighed. “I’ve seen snow.”
Jaeger stood there, silently staring—one eyebrow slowly rising.
“A few inches here and there,” Gator added.
The dragon still said nothing. Yet there was no mistaking the heat coming off the man. Shouldn’t an ice dragon be colder?
“I’ll be fine,” Gator blurted out.
“I’m going into town to get you some food. On my way, I’ll stop into the office and ask them if they’ve got more firewood they can send up.”
“I don’t need your help,” Gator said to Jaeger’s back. The man was already departing.
“Well, you’re getting it anyway.”
Gator followed the man outside and raced to get in front of him. He pressed a hand into the middle of Jaeger’s chest, forcing the man to stop. “I. Don’t. Want. Your. Help.”
Jaeger frowned. A look of hurt crossed his expression, and in that instant, Gator almost regretted his words.
It’s better he walks away mad than for him to know what you did.
“I’m sorry I was concerned about you,” Jaeger said. His face turned cold and hard, the emotions wiped away. The dragon walked around him and left.
Gator turned to look at Jaeger’s retreating form. He opened his mouth to apologize for being shitty, but he couldn’t get his voice to work.
Let him go.
He turned back and headed inside.
After gazing through the cabinets and realizing that Jaeger might’ve had a point, he donned a coat and gloves before trekking down the mountain for supplies.