Infernal Ruby (Primordial Protectors #3)

Chapter 1

Chapter One

Odem

“Where is he?” A familiar voice cried out, well, more like screeched at full volume. My brothers and I had decided to walk around town, pick a few brains, and keep an ear open for any rumblings and were currently perched atop the sheriff’s office.

Perched, he-he, dragons perched. I cracked myself up.

Since the Gorynych prisoners escaped, the five of us had split surveillance with the Drakemyre clan.

So far, no sightings, but the oddest part was that Marge, Larkin’s assistant, was MIA as well.

Possibly not that off in hindsight, though it did add another chink in the chain.

Well, so much for deep thoughts and all that.

The banshee level screaming, along with my name tied to several variations of fuck, fucker, fucking and not the good kind of fucking, drew me away from the glorious day to the unraveling shitstorm below.

Huh, who knew fuck worked so well as a conjunction?

“If you’ll just calm down, Ronan,” Sherriff Larkin did his best to get the angry twink to chill out.

“What’s he going on about?” Ionus asked.

“I don’t know but it looks like he’s not stopping. Can you get down here please, Odem.”

“On my way.” At the good sheriff’s request, I considered hopping off the roof, but given the crowd that had amassed, it wasn’t a wise choice.

Plus, knowing Ronan, he was down to fuck, and I was all for that.

That boy was randy as hell and a pissed off Ronan was a top-notch bang, so I took my time taking the long way to street level.

“Wait, is he wearing heels?” Quint shook his head. “How in the hell does he walk in those things?” I didn’t realize my brothers had followed me until I heard their voices.

“I think we’re getting off track,” Ionus did his best to steer them back to the issue at hand. Ronan was all kinds of riled up but I had no clue why.

“There he is!” Ronan yelled, shaking his tiny fist at me as I exited the building. He drew quite a crowd of local looky-loo’s. Guess exhibition was his kink of choice today. One of many the sassy man possessed. It had been fun exploring each one these last few months.

“What’s this?” I grabbed the black and white picture he swung around, twisting it this way and that, but I couldn’t make heads or tails of it. “You got ghosts?” Maybe Raven could help him out with that.

“It’s a sonogram, you big, overgrown doofus. I’m pregnant!” The crowd he’d gathered during his tirade gasped, my brothers included. It took me a second to figure out what he meant, but when his words sunk in…

Well, shit.

“This is great, where’s the popcorn?” My smart-ass brother Caro chuckled and I flipped him off.

I grabbed Ronan’s hand and practically dragged him across the street to where the old archive building once stood.

We’d built a new town library in its place for the growing population to enjoy.

The scanner at the employee entrance ran over me and as soon as the door opened I yanked him inside a bit more forcefully than I’d meant to and realized that when he yelped.

“Where are we?”

Guess he didn’t get around much. In hindsight, maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing.

“The new library. Now, explain to me how this happened?” Goddess, his scent had me hard as a fucking rock.

“Well,” hands on his hips, Sir Sassiness was full of attitude today. Fuck, that shit coming from him turned me on something fierce. “When two dicks get hard and need to come.”

“Real fucking funny. Now, how did this…” Oh no. “Shit.”

“What shit? I swear to the Goddess I’ll hunt you down if you dare try to get out of this.”

“Yeah, about that.”

“What?” He growled. It was so freaking cute, though now wasn’t the time to point that out to him. “Odem, focus.”

“Um, about you getting, err, pregnant.”

“Go on.” The squirrels in my head chased his toe tapping, making a song of it. “Focus, Odem.”

“There’s only one way that can happen, I mean.”

“Yeah, whatever cheap ass condom you wore failed that monster cock of yours!”

My dragon preened at his not meant to be a compliment-compliment. “Um, no.” I swear, steam flowed from his nostrils. Huh, that’s interesting. “There’s only one way I can get anyone pregnant—only one person ever—pregnant.”

“You’re not making any sense.”

Fine, fuck it. “I can only get my mate pregnant.”

“Your what?”

“Mate.”

Ronan stomped on my foot and stormed out the door. “Hey, what did you do that for?”

“You!” he poked a perfectly manicured finger into my chest. It took all the self-restraint I had not to pin him to the nearest tree and fuck him senseless. “I can’t believe this. You knock me up and now you’re playing the mate card? Fuck you, Odem.”

“Gentlemen,” Ionus and my brothers appeared beside us. “This is not the time nor the place to hold this conversation. Ronan, I understand you’re upset, but would you please allow us to explain this in a more private setting?”

Ronan huffed, but I saw the defeat in his eyes when he finally agreed. “Yes. Tell me where to go and I’ll meet you there.”

“You can ride back with us in the van.” As soon as the words left my mouth I fucking regretted it.

“Oh, so now we’ll add kidnapping to the child abandonment charges.

Sheriff Larkin, are you hearing this? I need a witness.

” My god, this snarky little shit was feisty as hell right now.

Brothers be damned, I was taking that fine ass the first chance I got.

I’d never been one to back down from giving a show.

“I’m not sure that’s how abandonment works,” Quint added.

“Dude, no,” I shook my head. “Not helping.”

“Ronan,” Larkin rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Believe me when I say that you can trust them and that this won’t be a bad thing, nor will you end up on the news, or on the back of a milk carton. Just go with them, keep an open mind, and listen when Ionus speaks. Please.”

Ronan hemmed and hawed, acting like he held all the power. Hell, for all I know, he probably did. “Fine.”

We loaded up in the van, and I patted my lap as Ronan neared my seat. “Not on your life.” He huffed and slid into the furthest one from me.

Would I make dragon history by being the first protector to be rejected by their mate?

Brother, he’ll come around, don’t worry.

What if he doesn’t, Ionus? He’s super pissed off.

Well, pregnancy can do that. I lost track of how many times Alex threatened to cut my balls off.

I thank the Goddess for Emerson every day. Caro, that shit, chimed in.

Jackass.

Caro smiled wide. Cocky fucker. Emerson was so chill compared to Ronan and even Alex, but damnit if Ronan’s attitude didn’t do it for me.

Odem, we’ll take him to your house. Mine may be a bit too boisterous for him.

Ionus had a point. While I loved all the dragonets, Ronan was already unhappy about being pregnant as it was and watching Alex chase the twins around with a fire extinguisher may lead to further dismay.

Violent dismay.

Damnit, my dick was hard again.

Down boy, Caro teased, we don’t need you detonating in the van.

I don’t know what it is about him.

That’s easy, Ionus chimed in, he’s your mate.

Do your mates make you this horny?

Ionus shook his head. I’m not answering that.

Thank the Goddess for that! Mattias practically cheered.

As we neared the compound, something felt off.

Did you feel that brothers?

I didn’t feel anything, Ionus.

Same, Caro.

The wards didn’t go off. Ronan is indeed Odem’s mate.

Internally I did a happy dance, but mentally I knew I was in for one hell of a fight to win Ronan over.

In no time, we pulled into the garage. Nervous, but still full of hope, I stood at the van door playing the part of the gentleman to help him out. Surprisingly, Ronan accepted my chivalry.

“Wow, are we under a massive high rise I somehow missed?” Ronan’s wide eyes roved, taking in the huge underground garage. My brothers and I had amassed quite the car collection over the years.

“Nope, beneath our homes,” I said.

“Homes?”

“Yes, each brother has their own.” We followed the others up the staircase that led to mine and I held the door open for Ronan. “Welcome to my home.”

“Not sure what you do for a living, but I have no doubt you can afford child support.” Ronan just wasn’t getting this.

Ionus held up a hand, halting my reply. “Ronan, please join us in the living room.”

This is intense.

Yes, and I fear it won’t go well. Has he ever mentioned anything about dragons to you?

No, Ionus, he hasn’t, but earlier, when we were talking on the street, I could’ve sworn a plume of smoke exited his nostrils.

Interesting.

Indeed, it is, brother.

“Tell us, Ronan,” Ionus began. “As an omega, what is it you know of our kind?”

“Your kind? As in tall, dark, elusive and extremely fertile?” he scoffed.

“Okay, let’s try this again. How did you come to arrive at Dragon City?” Ronan’s gaze shot between each of us, then back to Ionus. “You can say it, we already know the answer.”

“I got on the road and drove until I landed in a place that felt safe.” Safe, that was a conversation to have with Ronan another time. I knew next to nothing about him aside from his high sex drive. But the use of the word safe was very curious.

“You felt the pull?”

Ronan shrugged. “What are you getting at?”

“The name of the city alone should give you a hint if the reason you ended up here doesn’t resonate deeply within you.

” Ionus was so much better at speaking than I was.

“We’re dragons. The five chosen dragon protectors.

We’ve been on earth for centuries and are thousands of years old.

Until recently, none of us had found our mates and without that, we’d never have any offspring. ”

“Wait? What? Have you been drinking? Do you hear how insane you sound? Mates and dragons. Like you’re trying to live in some sort of awkward fantasy romance novel. I’m out.” Ronan stood and Ionus shifted his right arm. “What the fuck?”

Caro, I think we need Emerson and Cade here. That may help to not only convince Ronan but calm him. His heartrate has elevated.

On it.