Surge of Storms (Dragon Bonds #4)

Chapter 12

TWELVE

Samantha

The city is starting to get busy again, at least compared to the week before. Half the people are still only going out when absolutely necessary, seeing this new “age” as that of an apocalypse that they need to survive. The Time of Dragons, they are calling it. The other half of the people are carrying on, more or less, the way they always have. No one seems to be lingering outside, but most of the shops are open, and people are out and about.

Which is good for us.

It’s given me a chance to explore a bit, which has led me to realize just how much I love shiny things now. Evander had already sent our driver back with armfuls of items, including a Fabergé egg, decorated sea shells, and some holographic paintings.

Shiny things are pretty.

I lick my ice cream, clutching the cone in my hand, as I eye a car that honked at another car for not going quickly enough at the stop light. It’s hard not to roll my eyes. People are always so damn impatient.

On all sides of me, my guys walk. Aydan had chosen some kind of rainbow sherbert, Granger had gotten his classic mint chocolate chip, and Evander had chocolate. Just plain chocolate. Then there was Zane… He’d convinced the lady to put all four of our flavors on one cone, and now he’s licking his ice cream like a mad man as it slowly drips down, mixing the flavors together.

“What do you think?” I ask him.

He continues to rapidly lick. “I like yours the best.”

“Love Drunk,” I tell him the name of it. My ice cream has vanilla ice cream, raspberry, chocolate chunks, and caramel. It’s so good it should be illegal.

“Love Drunk,” he repeats, turning his cone to catch the drippage from the other side.

The other three guys are grinning, watching Zane’s hopeless attempt not to make a complete mess. A group of girls on the sidewalk ahead of us all freeze. Their gazes sweep over my men and blushes stain their cheeks. They adjust their low tops and short skirts and then strut toward us, their goal obvious.

“Like hell,” I mutter, getting ready to go full dragon mate on them.

Aydan chuckles. “What’s the problem? You know we only have eyes for you.”

The jealousy inside me eases. He’s right. Instead of being mad, I should just enjoy the show.

I watch in amusement as none of my men even look in their direction. My heart squeezes. There’s a sea of dirtbags out there who get a good girl then proceed to text other women, get phone numbers, and step out on their girls every chance they can get. How did I end up with four such perfect guys?

I’m a lucky girl.

One of the girls stops, and with wide eyes framed by long fake lashes, touches Evander’s arm. “Aren’t you Evander Pierce? The billionaire?”

My hand curls into a fist. This girl is about to lose her arm.

With a complete straight face, he says, “Nope,” then steps away from her touch.

I calm and my amusement returns. Damn natural jealous instincts.

She frowns. “Are you sure? You look just like him.”

“I’m sure,” he tells her coldly.

She pouts for a minute before her expression shifts into a smile once more. “Well, me and my girlfriends are going to Tipsy to get some drinks. Would you guys want to join us?”

Aydan doesn’t miss a beat. “Sorry, we have a girl.” He wraps an arm around my shoulder.

She gives an awkward laugh. “Well, not all of you.”

Granger puts a hand on my waist. “What can we say? A woman like her needs more than one man.”

My face feels hot as all their gazes lock onto me. I try to shrug, but Aydan's heavy arm makes it hard to do. Still, I try to silently communicate to my guys that all of this is unnecessary. Random girls on the street don’t need to know about our situation. All they need to know is that my men belong to me.

Zane steps in front of me, still licking his ice cream like the hot, crazy man he is. “You females are sniffing up the wrong tree. We are taken. Very taken. You cannot even begin to compare to our Samantha.”

They look embarrassed. She mumbles, “You could have just said no,” and they take off at a rapid pace, all signs of their sexy strutting gone.

When they’re out of sight, I laugh. “You guys are ridiculous.”

“Are we?” Granger asks. “Because you seemed to enjoy that just as much as we did.”

I smile. “Let’s finish our ice cream and get a drink.”

We do. Then Aydan has to take Zane into a restaurant to wash his sticky face and arm. Watching Aydan walk inside with a sigh and a smile makes my whole chest ache. These guys would be amazing dads.

I consider what I know about dragons. It’s strange to think that even with all the sex we’re having, we may not be able to have kids, because dragon females having babies is so incredibly rare. I’d never thought much about kids before, but now that the possibility of me having them seems unlikely, I feel like I really want to have them.

At least I have adult sons out there I can meet. It’s an unsettling notion, and not the same as being pregnant and having a baby. Hell, they could even be older than me, which is even stranger to think about.

When Zane and Aydan return, we keep heading down the sidewalk until we spot a jewelry store. It’s one of those fancy ones with security doors you have to be buzzed through and ridiculously beautiful jewelry in the window. I linger for just a moment, finishing my ice cream and looking at some big amethyst earrings. My gaze slides over all the shiny metal and gems, and I feel warm inside. So pretty.

“Want to go in?” Evander asks, suddenly at my side.

I laugh. “No. We don’t need to do that.” But even I can hear the longing in my voice.

Evander goes to the door and waves at the people inside. A second later, a security guard opens the door for us. Evander grins and motions for us to come in. I decide what the heck and follow him inside.

“What are you interested in?” the store clerk asks Evander, his gaze skimming over the rest of us and probably deciding we aren’t the ones with money.

Smart.

Evander doesn’t miss a beat. “Engagement rings. For all of us. And anything else that catches her eye.”

“Uh… five engagement rings?” he asks, rubbing his hand over his bald head.

“Correct,” Evander tells him, his tone leaving no room for arguments.

The man’s eyes widen, and he leads us over to one area, the one with the engagement rings, where another employee is waiting. “What price range are you looking at?”

“Price is of no concern,” Evander tells him, waving a hand as if the matter means absolutely nothing to him.

Zane comes to the glass case and squeals. “I want that one!”

He’s pointing out a woman’s ring with a giant blue diamond.

Aydan sighs, patting Zane on the back. “That’s a woman’s ring, man.”

Zane’s shoulders slump. “Okay then, what is a man’s ring then?”

They bring out the men’s rings for them and the women’s rings for me. The men try theirs on while I try mine on, feeling kind of silly but loving the way all the gorgeous jewelry makes me feel. Like I’m alive. Still, engagement rings? Our relationship is hardly traditional. Do we really need rings? It’s not like we’re going to have some big, fancy wedding…

Frowning, I look at the guys. “Are we going to have a wedding?”

“Do you want a wedding?” Evander asks.

I feel my face get hot.

“That’s a yes,” Granger says.

“Then, we’ll have a wedding,” Evander tells me, grinning and kissing me.

I turn back to the rings and one catches my eye. One with spots for four different stones, and a dragon carved into it. “Whoa. What’s that?”

The shopkeeper grins. “That is an antique. We figured in the spirit of all this dragon stuff, it might be fun to have a ring with a dragon on it in our collection.”

It looks like something from an elfin kingdom, leaves and vines twisting along the band with a serpent, and then the dragon peeking out from it all. He slips the ring onto my finger, and I just know this is the ring for me.

My guys crowd around me, and they’re absolutely silent, staring at the ring on my finger. “What do you think?” I ask nervously.

“I think it’s perfect,” Granger says.

The others agree.

I smile. “But you'll have to have rings to match mine.”

“I want a gem in mine,” Zane says, pouting a little as he adds on, “I don’t see why the women’s rings should be so much prettier.”

Evander laughs. “We can get gems in ours and have them make rings that complement hers.” Then he glances at the jeweler. “And I’m sure he can make a ring that’s pretty enough for you.”

The jeweler stands up taller. “Of course!”

Zane looks pleased. “I want pale blue gems in mine.”

“I’ll have yellow… since it’s close to gold,” Aydan says.

“Black for me,” Granger adds with a grin.

“I may end up with diamonds,” Evander says, “since silver gems are hard to find.”

“And I want mine to have four gems that match theirs,” I say.

Evander sits down with the shopkeeper to go over what we want while we continue to look around. Zane is brought over when it’s time to describe his ring, and based on the look on Evander’s face, Zane’s going to end up with one gaudy ring. Like, really gaudy.

Not that we care. Whatever makes him happy.

I end up falling in love with a necklace with a ruby stone, which Evander promptly pays for and has put around my neck. The earrings I chose are placed in a box and wrapped up. When he’s done, Evander tells us that the custom rings are being made and will take a few days, then everything will be delivered to the base.

We exit the jewelry store into the cool day, and I smile at Evander.

“What?” he asks.

“Nothing. It’s just weird to know I might be officially proposed to soon.”

He tucks my hair behind my ear and glances at my necklace. “Proposing to someone should never be a surprise, just the proposal itself. You’ve basically already agreed to marry us, so now we get to have the fun of setting up a real proposal, knowing that you’ll say yes.”

Zane steps between us, putting his arms around us. “When you propose to us, you must make certain you go down on one knee and that there is lots of food.”

“I’m proposing to you ?” Evander asks, lifting a brow.

Zane looks wounded. “Of course!”

Granger and Aydan come to walk at our sides, and Aydan tentatively says, “Buddy, usually the men do the proposing, so it’d be us proposing to her.”

Zane looks sad.

Granger glances at me, then at Zane, and adds, “But that doesn’t mean we can’t propose to you, just that that’s not the way it’s usually done.”

“Really!” Zane gushes.

I’m trying my hardest not to laugh. “Really.”

He jumps up and down, pulling us all into a hug. It’s wonderful. Perfect.

We keep walking until we see a bar with a big open patio looking out on a park. In the park, there’s a party taking place. A wedding, with music and lots of laughter. It looks like the perfect place to enjoy a few drinks. We choose a spot outside to enjoy the cool breeze.

“What are those people doing over there?” Zane asks, pointing at the wedding.

“They’re getting married,” I explain.

He looks confused. “Marriages look different here.”

“A lot of stuff does,” Evander says with a smile.

Before we can say more, a tired-looking waitress stops by our table. “What will you have?”

“Five beers,” Evander tells her.

Zane perks up. “I don’t want a beer. I want this.” He turns the menu around on the table with a picture of a pina colada on it and points to it eagerly. “It looks delicious.”

Aydan groans. “We can’t let you get that. If we do, we have to take your man card.”

I roll my eyes. “Aydan, you used to wear a dress and play Princess with me, so who’s to say what a man’s drink is?”

Aydan looks horrified as he glances at the waitress. “I was like five years old!”

Everyone laughs.

“So, I can get one?” Zane asks excitedly.

“You’re going to get a stomachache from all the sugar,” Granger warns.

“I won’t,” Zane whispers under his breath, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

Evander sighs. “Four beers and… and a pina colada, please,” he orders, looking resolved.

Zane looks at me. “Is a pina colada what I want?”

I nod.

He squeals and claps his hands together before hugging Evander. “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”

One of the funniest things about Zane is that he’s so wise, a guide for all of us, and yet innocent at the same time. The juxtaposition is strange at times, but it just makes me love him more.

Evander’s cheeks turn red. “It’s fine. Just remember, Aydan was right about the man card thing. Men don’t typically order drinks like that.”

I look at Granger. He shrugs. “Now, I kind of want one.”

Laughter bubbles from my throat, and I hurry to find the waitress inside before she can put in the wrong order. I give her the new one, three beers and two pina coladas, and she doesn’t look at all bothered.

When I turn to go, I nearly run right into a tall man.

“Hi,” he greets me.

“Hi,” I say back, narrowing my eyes as I wait to see what he wants.

He flashes a wide smile that does nothing for me. “Just wanted to see if I could buy you a drink.”

Before I can answer, I hear Granger behind me. “Sorry, she’s taken.”

The man lifts a brow. “You… and him?”

I whirl to see Granger flinch from his words.

Unable to help myself, I wrap my arms around Granger and grin. “Isn’t it funny he has no idea about the giant python in your pants?”

Granger turns beat red. “Sam–”

Instead of letting him talk, I kiss him hard, letting his scent wash over me as his hands find my waist. When I finally pull away, both our bodies are practically humming, and Granger is definitely “excited,” which is hard to ignore.

“Bathroom…?” I suggest softly.

He groans. “Don’t tempt me, Sam.”

The guy is gone, settled into a seat at the end of the bar, looking miserable as he stares at us. So, I make sure to lace my fingers into Granger’s as we head back outside to our table.

“You handle him?” Evander asks casually.

Granger clears his throat. “Yeah, I handled him.”

“Good.”

I settle back into my seat between Evander and Zane.

Our drinks are brought out, much to the delight of Zane, and we have to remind him about the alcohol as he goes to town, sipping his drink in seconds, then asking for another. Aydan and Evander are grinning like mad at the ice dragon, but Granger looks concerned.

“We won’t let him go too crazy,” I tell Granger. Then I look at Zane. “You’ll be careful, right?”

Zane gives us a wide smile. “This is not alcohol. This is a dessert in a cup. Do not worry about me.”

“Famous last words,” Evander mutters.

When the waitress brings him another drink, Granger snags his own straw and says, “Sip. Like me,” then he proceeds to slowly sip his pina colada.

Zane gives him a wicked smile and goes to town on his drink again, but at least it’s slower this time than the first. Aydan starts laughing, and then we’re all laughing, having a good time, enjoying the sunshine, the cool air, and being free and normal for a little while.

“I think I’m going to enjoy this lifetime,” Zane tells me, kissing the tip of my nose.

“Yes, you are,” I tell him, knowing deep in my heart that he will.

“Excuse me.” I turn to see a woman in a deep blue dress that reaches her ankle, perfect makeup, and hair in a complicated updo, and she’s looking right at me.

“Yes?” I ask cautiously.

“Are you married?”

“Are you hitting on me?”

She throws back her head and laughs. “No. We’re just about to do the bouquet toss and need a few more girls. We only have two, and neither one wants to get married any time soon.”

“Do it,” Aydan says. “It’ll be fun.”

I give him a look, but the woman is so sweet and eager that I can’t help myself. “Alright.”

Zane pipes up from behind me. “What is it that she is doing?”

Granger starts to explain as I walk away.

Suddenly, Zane pipes up with, “She will be the next to marry if she gets this bouquet?”

I can’t help but grin as I join the wedding group. Luckily, I’m in a summer dress, so I don’t stick out too much like a sore thumb, but I gather with the two other women, who look annoyed to be there. The bride gives a little speech, the wedding guests clap and laugh, and then she turns to throw the bouquet.

As it sails through the air, I catch movement out of the corner of my eye. Zane leaps in front of the three of us, grabs the bouquet, then tosses me over his shoulder, screaming, “She got it! She won! She will marry next!”

There’s dead silence from the wedding for a minute before everyone starts laughing. I hide my face against his back until the laughter dies away. I look up to see Zane has brought me back to the three men, who are having an absolute fit over what just occurred. I’ve seriously never seen Evander laugh like this before. And the other two? Their faces are bright red as they try to choke in air.

Zane sets me down and presses the flowers into my hands. “Now, we will be married soon. The gods have decided based upon your most sacred of traditions.”

I don’t know what to say, so I just lean up and kiss him. I don’t know if I’ve ever been this embarrassed in my life, but at the same time, it’s one of the sweetest things anyone has ever done for me. And I could have worse luck, being with one of those prick guys who runs when the girl catches the flowers.

We get back to the table and calm down before ordering basically one of every appetizer. We’d eaten just a short time ago, but I’d realized our little group could always eat. It’s one of the flaws with being dragons, I think.

Granger clears his throat, and a serious look passes over his face. “Should we talk about it now then?”

Aydan takes a sip of his drink. “I guess we have to.”

My heart sinks. Damn it.

We’d had another meeting with the scientists this morning in the lab. They’d shown us a current update of the dragon situation, and we’d decided we needed some air to best decide what to do next.

“More dragons have awakened. All male. Our teams are monitoring them, but not approaching,” Granger begins.

“And all betas,” Zane says, as if that’s the most important thing here. “And none of them are causing problems like with Malikay and his group. They are flying. They are exploring. They are likely going amongst your people in human form, trying to figure out this new world, but they are not violent.”

“How do we know they won’t become violent?” I ask.

Zane looks thoughtful. “I think that I need to explain things better. I always forget what you know and what you do not know.”

“Assume we don’t know anything,” Aydan says.

He nods before continuing. “Most male dragons are not terrible. If they find a lone female, they will do anything in their power to win her over. In desperation, their natural instincts to destroy her wings may take over. But most dragons are seeking a female who chooses them, and many of the dragons have mates from past lifetimes that they want to get back, when the females awaken. We don’t have to fear all male dragons, but we should always treat Samantha as something that has to be protected at all costs.”

“Is there a way to tell the good dragons from the bad?” I ask.

Zane gives me a funny look. “I know all of them. There are many good ones and some bad ones. But even the good ones may steal a piece of gold if it’s left in front of them.”

The gold meaning me. So he trusts most of the dragons, just not enough to risk my life.

Granger leans back in his chair. “It seems that the best thing we can do from this point forward is go to the other dragons and offer support. Both face-to-face and by other means. Dr. Duncan said that we can use jets to track them down and communicate with them.”

“And we should try communicating with them using your technology on land too,” Zane says, “because many of the dragons are likely walking amongst the humans, feeling lost.”

“But we should try to keep Sam away from them,” Aydan says, his eyes flickering to me.

Zane shakes his head. “These betas have scented Sam already, but have stayed away. They know that she is an alpha female who is with alpha males, and they have no desire to die fighting against a strong harem. Sam will be safe around them, as long as we are not stupid.”

“You’re sure?” Aydan asks.

“With the storm dragon with us?” Zane asks with a smirk. “Yes, they will rightfully fear us. Even the temptation of Sam will not be enough.”

Granger nods. “Okay then, we need to offer them support. We need to guide them and help them, so that they learn to interact peacefully with mankind, and we don’t give the governments more cause to see us as enemies.”

Evander leans back in his chair. “We should invite them to the base. We can keep them in one of the other buildings, and keep them away from Sam, but we can get them clothes, food, money, homes, possibly even prepare them for jobs. We need to make them our friends, so they don’t become our enemies.”

“That will also help with the females,” Zane says. “If we have the base setup as a safe zone, we can encourage the females to come to us, to find safety with us. We can keep the males away from the females until the females find their harems in this lifetime.”

“Another female?” I say, feeling a strange tinge of unease.

Zane smiles at me. “You are an alpha female. You will not feel threatened by beta females, nor would two female alphas preside over the same space. You are too possessive for that. That’s not to say you do not befriend female alphas, but you prefer them to stick to their own territory. We are the same way with alpha males outside of our harem.”

The idea still bothers me a bit, but I realize it’s logical. “So, we’ll make Specter Inc. a safe place for all the dragons? That seems like a good idea.”

“And if any of them so much as look at Sam wrong, they’re gone,” Aydan says.

“Agreed,” the others say with ease.

Evander picks up his beer. “Zane, since the dragons know you, we should use you to get a message out to the other dragons.”

Zane smiles. “Good idea.”

I hope this new plan works.