Surge of Storms (Dragon Bonds #4)

Chapter 19

NINETEEN

Samantha

The five of us are packed tightly into a little military tent that’s been concealed in the long grass and flowers just a short distance from the solar panels. It’s dark, cold, and boring, but Zane believes that the dragon who dropped these off will be back to either add more to the pile, or to just check on the pile to see if I’d taken it. So, here we are. Staking out the drop site.

Fun, fun…

I snuggle a little deeper under the big blanket that covers all of us. Aydan and Granger are at my sides, warming me up, but it’s still colder than I like. It doesn’t help that I’m bored, so I only have the cold to focus on.

“Let’s play a game.”

“Or we can focus on the mission,” Evander says dryly.

I’m tempted to stick my tongue out at him, but I have other things to focus on. Turning to Granger, I say, “You’re looking mighty good, storm dragon.”

Granger gives me an amused look. “Oh?”

Leaning over, I kiss his neck, then start sucking down his throat.

He groans. “The… mission.”

“So?” I flick my tongue against his neck.

“Seriously, Sam, you have to stop. I can’t handle it.”

Damn.

I move away from him, then turn and kiss Aydan hard, sweeping my tongue into his mouth. I love the second I feel him melt against me, the moment his lips slant over mine, and his pulse speeds up.

“Sam…” Evander begins, a warning tone in his voice.

Breaking our kiss, I push on Aydan, until he’s on his back, then I lean over him and reach over, grabbing ahold of Evander’s cock. Which, as much as he’d been complaining about what I’m doing, is rock hard.

“Let’s play a little,” I murmur.

“I am ready to play!” Zane announces, starting to undo the buttons on his jeans.

Evander groans. “No, we’re not doing this. Focus. We’re on a mission. A mission to talk to this dragon, to reason with him. That’s going to be pretty hard to do with us all mounting and fucking Sam like wild animals.”

I pout. “It doesn’t have to be full fucking. You guys are all really skilled with your hands.”

“Want me to touch you?” Zane volunteers.

Evander shoots him an angry look that I can just barely make out in the moonlight. “No one is touching anyone. If we get Sam all hot and bothered, how the hell do we expect that dragon to stay in control?”

Shoot. I hadn’t thought about that. “Fine.”

“So, pants on?” Zane asks, sounding sad.

“Pants on,” I grumble.

To my surprise, after a moment, Evander reaches over and smacks my ass. “Now, when this mission is over… the four of us are more than willing to service you in any way you like.”

“Promises, promises,” I say, but I’m smiling.

We go back to staring at the shiny pile of solar panels. My fingers drum on the bottom of the tent, and I wiggle around, feeling restless. And, okay, a little horny.

“You know, you boys could stand to get me shiny things. That’s apparently what I need.”

“More jewelry has already been ordered,” Evander says, amused.

I squeal. “For real?”

“We all picked it out together,” he admits.

I grin at all of them. I was kind of teasing, but it’s nice that they know what I need, even if I sometimes don’t. “My hoard of treasure is just beginning.”

Granger laughs. “You’ll need plenty of gold and suits of armor.”

“It’ll be like a real-life quest in one of our games. Anyone who tries to take my hoard will be burned to a crisp by the ferocious dragons that guard the treasure.”

Granger sighs. “I miss video games.”

I sigh too. “Video games are so nice.”

Evander looks at us. “Okay, so now I need to add gaming computers to your list of wants?”

I grin. “Only if you love me.”

Evander chuckles and leans over to kiss me. It starts out as a light kiss and then deepens and deepens. When he finally breaks away, he says, “Fuck it… maybe we should–”

“He’s here!” Zane exclaims.

We all turn to the solar panels. I’m about to say I don’t see him when I catch movement in the sky. The little dot comes closer and closer until the salmon dragon appears. He’s carrying another solar panel, which he gently drops onto the pile. Then he lands on the ground and shifts into a naked man with long, brown hair.

I take a deep breath and slide out of the tent as the man inspects the pile on the ground, sniffing around, probably hoping to catch my scent. To see if I’d taken an interest in his offering. I’m not exactly nervous. My men are right behind me, they won’t let anything bad happen to me, so this isn’t a risk. Still, I feel uneasy. But I guess I’d be crazy not to.

“Hello, Kek,” I greet him.

He spins around, squatting in a warrior’s stance before he spots me and rises to his full height. “Female.” His head cocks, and I get the sense he’s scenting the others. “Alphas.”

I nod. “I waited out here because I wanted to talk to you.”

He cocks his head. “Why? To mate?”

I shake my head quickly, taking a step back. “No. Just to talk.”

He draws himself up taller. “My pack would make a fine harem. We are four dragons strong and we will get you with child.”

“Here’s the thing: I’m not interested. I have my own harem. I have men I love dearly. There’s nothing you, or your pack, can say to get me to make you my harem. You need to accept that and figure out a different purpose in life.” I draw in a deep breath, then keep going. “I wanted to talk to you because I want to make it clear that the violence and destruction needs to stop. It’s pointless and terrible. You can do better things with your life.”

He studies me. “Eventually, you will see we are strong and mighty. Or, we will find a weakness in your harem and take you for our own.”

It’s like talking to a damn door. “Is that what you want? To steal a female who doesn’t want you?”

For a second, he looks worried. “You will learn to want us. When you see how well we care and provide for you and our young.”

“No,” I say. “I will never learn to want you. Stealing me would make me hate you. All this violence and destruction is making me hate you. This has to stop. If you want the chance to find a female, a different female, your behavior has to change. Females don’t want males who act like you.”

Kek shakes his head. “Malikay said that what we are doing will show you. That as long as you are with your alphas, you will not see our potential, but if we get you away from them, you will be happy with us.”

I sigh. “That’s wrong. Malikay is wrong. Do you know in all his lifetimes he’s never gotten a female dragon?”

He knows that. He’s an Awakened Dragon. He’s done this dance every lifetime with Malikay, and every lifetime they’ve failed, according to Zane. They have to realize how stupid continuing to do the same thing is. Hell, they should be reminding Malikay, since he doesn’t remember his past lives, and informing him that this needs to stop.

He stiffens. “Yes, but…”

“So, his method doesn’t work. None of the females like it. They don’t want dragons who steal mates and scare them, they want mates who are kind and gentle.”

“You would have me if I were… kind and gentle?”

Wow. This isn’t easy. “Not me. I have my harem.”

“Then, this is the only way.”

“No.” My mind is scrambling. “We are training dragons at our base to have an easier time in this new world. When the females awaken, we will bring them here to keep them safe. Over time, the females will get to know the males and perhaps choose some for their own harems. You could be one of those males, if you walked away from Malikay and the things he’s teaching you.”

“You will have more females here?”

“Yes.”

He looks thoughtful for a moment before his expression changes, and he says, “I shall have you, and you will see what a good mate I will make for you.”

As he reaches for me, I step back, suddenly nervous. But I don’t have to be. He jerks back a second later, and his gaze locks over my shoulder. I feel my men come to stand beside me before I even see them.

“Listen to her,” Zane says gently. “You have never had a female before because you follow Malikay and his like. You are in a bundle with rotten apples. They will only make you rotten too. This is a chance to separate from them and experience a good lifetime, maybe even one with a mate. Not my mate, but a mate.”

In response, Kek steps back and shifts back into a salmon dragon. Within seconds, Granger has separated from us and changed into the storm dragon. They face each other: a dragon less than half Granger’s size, and Granger, a massive beast humming with power.

The salmon dragon doesn’t even hesitate; he flies away. But I don’t take a deep breath until he disappears from view.

“Malikay has really brainwashed them, hasn’t he?”

Evander stares out after the dragon. “One thing they rarely tell you about evil people is how charming and charismatic they are. If they weren’t, they wouldn’t be so dangerous.”

His words linger over all of us as Granger shifts back, and we head into the base. I wrap my arms around myself, the dragon’s words ringing through my head. They’re really never going to give up.