Jay jerked awake, something nudging at him at the edge of his consciousness. What the hell? His dragon stirred from within, its power chafing at the bonds holding him, but he couldn’t change. If he did and the bonds somehow held due to magic, he could seriously wound his dragon.
Something in his stomach tried to push against the barrier of his flesh and bones. Crap, why was his dragon playing up now? Despite that he was young and without the age or power of Cade, nevertheless, Jay had always believed himself to be in full control of his alter ego. Maybe he’d been fooling himself.
Another push from within and something broke free of him. He blinked at the shape drifting up from him. Covered with gauzy purple and blue scales like a magnificent fish, his dragon floated out of him. Not fully formed, but instead, ethereal and shadowy.
His heart kicked up in speed, and he swallowed down a cold lump of terror. Was he dying? What other explanation could there be for his dragon soul leaving his body this way? He could only watch as the beast flapped its wings and ascended to the ceiling. Then there were two other dragons. They appeared for a moment, flashed and blinked in front of him like some flickering image on a broken TV set before they disappeared.
His own dragon stayed where it was in midair, lazily flapping its wings as if it didn’t have a care in the world. Without it inside of him, he felt empty. Bereft. The same way he’d be if Gwen left them. Dragons didn’t need to fall in love slowly. In many ways, they did things the opposite way around to humans. They met their perfect match and made a bond, and then built their life around it. Of course, it didn’t always work. Many Dragonea males never met their female match, and a lot of dragons these days settled for a less than perfect biological pairing in the hopes they could work things out. Those relationships could be amazing; he’d seen it himself first hand in his own clan and family. However, those rare true matches were forces of nature. To ignore them was criminal in his view. They only came along once in a lifetime, if you were lucky. As far as he was concerned, it didn’t matter if one of you wanted to chill out reading all day long while the other wanted to hike mountains, or if one of you loved tea and the other coffee—you simply made it work because the payoff was worth everything.
Once more, two more dragons appeared, and this time, they stayed long enough, mere seconds, for him to recognize Cade’s terrifying beast. Huge and a dull, dark gray, when it flapped its wings, the beast showed its deep red inner color. Glowing red eyes and massive, curved single claws on the tip of each wing gave the dragon a satanic appearance.
The other dragon he didn’t know at all. Medium-sized, with muted colors, the poor thing seemed clumsy in its movements. Was this a rescue? But why would Cade try to help him via his dragon in ethereal form? He’d always believed in Cade being the smash the doors down and create havoc type, not the rescue by magic kind of a dragon.
They flickered and disappeared again, but now he didn’t panic because he understood Cade had come for him. Somehow, the male was trying to reach him. When the dragons flickered back into being at the far corner of the room, he smiled at them. This time, they stayed. Whatever magic they wove worked, and they stayed. For a while, they flew around the room, the smaller one growing surer of its wings.
It swooped by him, right next to him, and then soared up to meet his dragon flying in circles in the high ceiling. The moment the smaller dragon brushed by his, he recognized her. Gwen.
Gwen and Cade? As a latent, Gwen couldn’t change, and her inner dragon usually would only come out in response to certain situations. Death, perhaps. Gods, he hoped not that. He didn’t sense such a thing, though, in the joyful way she flew. Sometimes a latent’s inner dragon came out during magic ceremonies, and then when mating.
Mating.
Cade’s evil-looking beast flew up to meet them in the eaves and began to circle them, flying around them in a swirling pattern. Jay’s own dragon took up the dance, knowing instinctively what to do. As did Gwen’s. After a few moments of flying around one another, their wings began to merge, and the dragons became one. A swirling, dizzying design of mixed colors and shapes. They stayed that way briefly then separated, and the two visitors flickered and disappeared as his own beast flew straight down into him.
The moment he took his dragon back inside, he felt them. Cade and Gwen. They were in his heart. In his soul!
Their essence lived within him now, and something else burned there too. A strength he’d never experienced before.
Cade. The male suffused Jay somehow with his strength.
He realized this must be something beyond the normal mating. Some sort of magic his mates practiced back at the clan. And they were his mates now. Gwen had clearly decided to say yes to them both.
Perhaps he ought to be angry that they’d taken this step without consulting him because now they were bonded, no turning back. He wasn’t. Only grateful they’d come for him, to feel them with him at this terrifying time in his life.
As his inner dragon settled back down, the strength of Cade’s beast roared to life. It exhilarated him but also scared him because, damn, he’d been arguing with this guy on and off for years, and Cade could have snuffed him out with a flick of his fingers at any time. Jay held no doubt in his mind he only felt a sliver of Cade’s full strength within.
The door to the room opened, and he shut his thoughts off as quickly as possible. He also tried to bank the fire of Cade burning brightly within him, lest the witch slinking into the room pick up on it.
Celine came to him, right up to him, and sniffed the air. “Interesting. You’re different. Can’t quite put my finger on it, but I will.”
Let her try. He hoped whoever had done this magic back home also warded against her finding out.
She frowned and narrowed her eyes at him. “I hate you fucking Dragonea males. Of all the shifters, you are the worst. Vile, stupid creatures.”
He shook his head. “I’ve never done anything to you.”
“No, but one of your kind has, and now you’re all going to pay.”
“It can’t have been so bad, what he did. You’re here, alive, powerful, and old.” Why was he trying to reason with her? The witch had probably lost her mind, but still, he attempted it.
“Oh, can’t have been so bad, the dragon says.” The air around her shimmered like the ground on a hot summer’s day. And slowly the female in front of him transformed, and he sucked in a shocked breath.
Burned, blackened skin covered one whole side of her face, right up into her hairline, taking the hair there too. The scars turned livid and red on her neck.
She leaned right into his face. “This is why I hate you Dragonea males. One of your kind did this to me, but I know any of you would, had you been able.”
“I wasn’t born then,” he shouted in her face, no longer able to rein in his temper.
“No, you weren’t. Don’t fool yourself, Jago, you’re nothing more than a useful tool. A fool and a tool. It rhymes.” She laughed maniacally and spun around, taking quick, tiny steps back to the door.
“Your male is already coming for you. I can sense him getting ready to leave. You’ve served your purpose.” She threw the words over her shoulder.
The men who had taken him, including his piece of crap father, filed back into the room.
“Kill him.” Celine gave the order with a wave of her hand.
“What?” His father paled visibly, showing emotion for the first time since Jay had been taken. “You said we were going to get the money and let him go.”
“This isn’t about money, you fool.” She held out her hand and pressed her palm against his father’s forehead. “I lied. Deal with it, and kill him.”
“No.” His father began to screw up his face, as if in pain.
The witch pressed her hand against his head harder. “Kill. Him.” Her voice came out silky and low. So different and so seductive, it almost made Jay want to do the job himself.
“Of course.” His father nodded, his eyes glazed over, and the pained expression disappeared, wiped out, to be replaced by a blank slate.
Fucking great! About to be killed by the man who’d brought him into this world. How bloody ironic.
Celine swept out of the room, leaving him to face the four men staring him down.
“How should we do it?” one of them asked.
Jay started to smirk. He couldn’t help it. They were such idiots.
“We don’t have a weapon,” another said.
“Change form.”
“I can’t.”
“What?”
“I’m latent. Can’t change form.”
The back-and-forth went on so long he almost started to tell them how to do it himself. Goddamn these utter fools.
“Maybe we shouldn’t kill him,” one of them whispered, sotto voice. “We won’t get any money, and we’ll get all the dragon males after us. His mate is a warrior.”
“Kill him.” This monotone bit of helpful advice came from his now robot-like father.
The others ignored him. “If we let him go, he can tell Cade we released him.”
“Then what? The witch will kill us.”
“We can change form. Fly out of here. You can hitch a ride with one of us, seeing as you’re latent.”
“What about Eric?” The other one pointed to his idiot father.
Useless bastard even had a shitty name.
“Leave him. He got us into this, and now we’re not getting any money and we’re in the shit with some pretty badass people either way.”
“Okay. Fuck it, let’s do it.”
“Kill him.” His father lurched forward and pushed one of the men. “Kill him.”
The goon hit his dad so hard he went down. Then he approached Jay. “I’m gonna unchain you. If you hurt me, we will do as the witch says. Behave yourself, and we’ll let you go. You change form, and you can fly out of here before she knows we haven’t gone ahead with her orders.”
“I won’t do anything to cause trouble. I want out of here,” Jay assured them. “And I will make sure my mate and the other warrior dragons know what you did to help me.”
The male nodded and began to undo the chains binding Jay. As they fell away, his strength roared to life within. Bloody hell, he’d thought Cade’s power had already helped him as much as it could, but those chains must have been bewitched and sapping his strength because, without them, he felt he could fight whole armies.
“Come on.” The minute the last chain dropped, the three men all ran out of the room, barging through the door into the open air. They stopped, began to fumble with their clothing, the air around them swirling as they started the process of changing. One of them finally managed to change form and lumbered about on the grass for a while before starting to flap his ragged wings.
These Dragonea were weak. Not only stupid but weak. Their wings were battered and torn, their stumbling gait a sign of them not being in control of their bodies. They were easy pickings for a witch like Celine, but why didn’t she enchant them? Ensure they would go ahead with her order and kill him.
Unless… He stayed still, locking his muscles down tight to avoid the temptation to turn and fly away. This might be a trick. A way of assessing his power and strength in dragon form. Or even a way of trapping him in his dragon form.
Fighting with every fiber of his being the need to change and flee, Jay instead sat in the chair. He watched his father out of the corner of one eye and waited. If Jay changed, and she trapped him as a dragon and perhaps enchanted his beast, she might use him to fight against Cade when he came.
He wouldn’t play her games. He’d rather die here in this horrible room than help her in any way.
Five minutes later and he startled at the sound of her footsteps, those pointy red boots of hers clack-clacking across the stone flagging outside. Bracing himself, Jay locked down his thoughts and tried to bank the power of Cade burning brightly within.
He would not fight against his bonded male or the warriors coming with him. Let her do her worst.
***
Cade gasped and jerked as his dragon flew back into him. Holy hell! Jay and Gwen were right there inside him, a part of him now. He sensed them, felt them. And tears filled his eyes as he realized that meant Jay must be very much alive for it to have worked. Whatever Celine had planned for his bonded male, she hadn’t done it yet.
“It worked.” He looked at Rhiannon, Kate, and Ruth, who sat opposite, watching him and Gwen like hawks.
Rhiannon clapped her hands together. “Marvelous. Now, let us put this out.” She leaned over to the small fire burning beside him and waved her hands over it. The flame went out, and the pot on top full of herbs, sticks, and gods knew what else gave a weak sizzle as a curl of smoke wafted into the air.
“How are you?” He turned to Gwen, who sat by him, looking pale and shaky.
“Oh my gods.” She raised a trembling hand and placed it palm down over the middle of her chest. “You’re here. Both of you.”
“I know, my love.” He used the words on purpose because she was his love.
“Child, you’re shaking. Here, drink.” Ruth passed Gwen a glass of water, and she grasped it with still unsteady hands, spilling some down her chin as she took small sips.
“You are now within him. He will take your strength, Cadan.” Ruth’s words gave him immediate comfort.
“I wish I had strength to give, but I don’t have power or magic.” Gwen put the glass back down.
“Your presence will give him immense strength because he’ll feel you and want to live for you.”
Gwen smiled brightly at Rhiannon’s words.
“Now we must go for him.” Cade stood and held his hand out for Gwen. “Your first ride on a dragon should be beautiful, joyful. Instead, it is going to be fast and scary, and you’ll have to trust me and our bond. Okay?”
She nodded, but he saw the fear in her eyes.
“We will bind you to him with more than simply rope,” Ruth said. “We’ll use magic too.”
“Come on. We’re wasting time.” Gwen jutted her chin at them, looking for all the world like the fierce adrenaline junkie he knew she was. She might be scared, but she wouldn’t let it get in the way.
“Come.” Rhiannon led them out of the room.
When they stepped outside, Cade had to swallow down the lump in his throat. All the warrior males stood in a line, and they applauded and cheered as he and Gwen came forward. Their mates were to one side, along with Aiden and Dominic.
Callum stood with Rhyndor and the others, and he might not have been as old as Rhyn or Nathan, but he possessed great power these days, and he deserved his place with those males.
“Come along. Let us get going.” Steffan stepped forward and slapped Cade on the back, then they were all undressing.
“What the hell?” Gwen turned away, averting her eyes, and despite the seriousness of the situation, he couldn’t help but laugh.
“They can’t change form with their clothes on, my love.”
She turned to him then and smiled, her eyes shining. “I like you calling me your love.”
“It fits. And when we get back from this, I will tell you exactly why.” He didn’t want to say the words without Jay. Calling her my love let her know in no uncertain terms how he felt, but it saved those three little words for when they were reunited as a triad.
“I need to change.” He stepped away from Gwen and joined the others. Aiden had already changed, as had Nathan.
Rhyndor seemed to be taking forever to get his lace-up boots off, and Callum waited for his bonded male.
Cade toed his boots off, got undressed with brisk efficiency, and in the blink of an eye, called forth his dragon. No spinning around and lumbering about on the grass half-changed for him.
Moments later, he stood over twenty feet above the ground, looking down at those below him with eyes that saw things in muted colors, not the vibrant shades of his human form.
“Fuck me, Cade, but you’re a gnarly fucker.” Steffan said the words with admiration.
Cade hummed a little with pride. His dragon scared the shit out of anyone of their kind who didn’t know him.
He flapped his great wings and stomped his foot, impatient to get going. A group of male servants came running toward them carrying ropes, and he bent down onto his forelegs for Gwen to be helped onto his back.
She scrambled on with some difficulty and clung on to his neck tightly.
The men began to weave ropes around her and around him, binding them together. And as they did that, the female Warders walked around them, chanting and throwing some sort of flower petals at them. He let them do their magic, not understanding it but respecting the shit out of it. His own magic was instinctual. He didn’t use spells. It just was…a part of him. He could create fire with a snap of his fingers, throw a fireball, smash down a tree with his bare hands. But he didn’t know the ancient spells these females practiced.
“Don’t drop me,” Gwen whispered.
He turned to her and gave a snort through his nose. As if.
When they were all ready, all the males changed and their females strapped on tight, he began to flap his wings to prepare to fly. Rhiannon began to undress, and she also changed. As did Kate. Finally, Ruth did the same.
The Warders were along for the ride, and he was glad of it.
He didn’t fool himself that they could easily defeat Celine, no matter how many of them there were. They needed all the help they could get.