Chapter 13
Hey! Can anyone come flame me? Keres requested through the horde’s communication connection.
I’m on my way, Drake replied, without asking questions.
What’s going on, Keres? Rogan demanded.
A hazmat suit fell into my possession, so I explored that building, Keres explained. If Drake can blast me from a distance, I’ll be able to take it off without harming myself or him. And, as a bonus, we can use it again.
A hazmat suit? Rogan repeated in amazement. His mind battled between amazement at Keres’ creativity in coming up with this solution to getting inside with a semblance of safety and his exasperation that Keres had done exactly what the horde had decided not to do.
Seemed like it might be handy someday.
Did you find anything, Keres? Drake asked.
Lots. Come join me and I’ll show you, Keres invited.
Rogan quickly filled in Brooks before adding, “I’m not taking you with me, Adventurer—just in case there’s a risk of contamination.”
“If anyone is low on life force, it’s you,” Brooks suggested.
“I’ll stay back. I’m not doing that again.”
“Keep me informed?” Brooks asked.
“You bet. Give me a kiss and I’ll be off.”
When he got there, Rogan discovered the other dragons had chosen not to bring their mates, either. No one trusted the black dragon. Drake had already torched Keres. The black dragon had draped the now-steaming protective suit over a bush to cool down. Keres’s plan seemed to have worked without exposing himself to the powder.
“Oldrik thought of flapping our wings to send any smoke back into the building,” Ardon explained as Keres walked forward.
“So, the place was booby trapped. I got covered by the dust five times. They weren’t taking chances. I managed to get a look at a map left on the table. Bringing it out without transporting the toxins with it posed a challenge, so I stood and studied it. Here.” Keres sent a mental image through their link.
“That seems suspicious to lead us to their newest hideout,” Argenis said.
“Definitely. But, it’s the only major clue I found. Other than a large collection number of one specific brand of tools,” Keres said. “I paid attention when I noticed the same logo. Does anyone have a clue where they sell Snap-Ons wrenches and screwdrivers?”
“Ask the mates. One of them will know,” Drake suggested.
The dragons all fell quiet. A few minutes later, Khadar reported, “Lalani says her mother’s neighbor had a Snap-On tool truck parked in the driveway.”
“Luckily, I dropped Aurora off at her parents’ house. Her dad reports Wyvern didn’t have a Snap-On store. Dealers distributed it to mechanics directly,” Drake reported.
“Why do I guess that truck was where the Petersons lived?” Ardon asked.
“It has to be close at least. Maybe on the other side of Lalani’s mother’s house?” Khadar suggested. “I don’t remember seeing one there when I was dealing with them.”
“It could have been moved to bring the tools closer to the work area after the change,” Drake suggested. “I moved a bunch of trailers for the workers when they consolidated things together into a tool library. I don’t remember that one, but maybe?”
“So, it could be something in the neighbors’ place or in the new location,” Rogan said. “Keres? You up to wearing that suit again?”
“Tomorrow would be better. It’s scorching hot still. I don’t want it to melt on my skin and drive away my future mate,” the black dragon joked.
“Good idea,” Argenis said. “I’ll fly over the gathered supplies to see if the truck is there tonight and report back. The supervisors will have a log of whether we went there. Someone should check out the place on the map—or at least go peek from a distance as if we were gathering intel.”
“I’ll take care of that,” Khadar volunteered. “I’ll botch blending in with the green trees, so they see me. They’ll think I’m hiding.”
“Everyone, come to my estate for dinner tonight. The mates will be happy together and we can talk about what Argenis and Khadar find. We can make a plan that we’ll all follow,” Oldrik suggested with a pointed glance at Keres.
“Hey, it was my risk to take,” Keres pointed out. The horde considered that and then agreed.
With their plans made, all the shifters divided up, eager to contact their mates. Rogan suspected their humans would be almost as anxious as Brooks was now. He glanced meaningfully at Keres. No vigilante action tonight by yourself, hmmm?
Keres answered by the same individual connection. Going insane, remember? I’ll try to coordinate with the horde next time.
Rogan knew the odds of that happening were slim. He shook his head and shifted. Time to get back to Brooks.
* * *
“And he went in without telling anyone? What if he’d gotten trapped like you did?” Brooks demanded.
“It’s possible we could have tracked him there,” Rogan said with a shrug.
“And then been in danger from all the traps he set off in his fancy suit!”
He needed to distract Brooks. Seizing on his mate’s words, Rogan created an image in his mind of Keres, dressed in a black velvet tuxedo with white fur around the lapels and cuffs. Rogan added a fuzzy hat as an extra embellishment and snorted. Brooks rolled his eyes at his mate, but a good portion of his anger at the black dragon dissipated.
“I think Keres is giving up. He was trying to help in his own way,” Rogan said gently.
“I know.”
A wave of sadness spread through Brooks. Rogan could have faced the same fate as Keres. Had Brooks not met Drake and then Skye, he might have abandoned his trek to Wyvern. Or someone could have killed him along the way. People outside of Wyvern had lost their minds when nothing worked, and the authorities had lost control.
Warm arms wrapped around Brooks and pulled him close. “Don’t think about what might have happened, Brooks. We found each other,” Rogan reminded him.
“That makes everything better,” Brooks agreed with a smile.
“It does. Now, I have something important to take care of,” Rogan reminded him.
“What?”
“Your spanking.”
“You’re not scaring me. You’ve threatened that before and nothing,” Brooks said with a laugh. The serious expression on Rogan’s face that followed that statement skyrocketed his concern.
“My apologies, Brooks. I’ve misled you to think I wouldn’t follow through. Obviously, I’ve allowed outside events to interfere with our relationship and your adjustment to your new life. I will spank you today and promise there will be more in the future.”
Rogan stalked forward with unmistakable determination written on his face. Brooks froze, considering whether to flee or fight. Rogan reached him before he could decide and threw him over his broad shoulder. The air gusted out of Brooks’s lungs, preventing him from speaking as Rogan headed for the nursery.
Stop it! Brooks frantically told his body as his cock twitched in excitement. This isn’t good. You don’t want this.
By the time he regained his breath, Rogan had set him back on his feet in front of the large rocking chair. His Daddy unfastened the button at the top of his jeans and pulled the zipper down as Brooks twisted helplessly. “Wait! Why are you spanking me?”
“I told you to get out of my mind after I found May.” Rogan pushed his jeans and knit boxers to his calves.
“But without me, you wouldn’t have escaped. You said that yourself,” Brooks pointed out, as cool air swirled over his exposed skin. Brooks pushed futilely against the dragon shifter’s powerful chest, hoping to get away before his response was too apparent.
“That doesn’t make what you did less dangerous. Nor does it erase the fact that you did not follow my directions. What if we hadn’t escaped together?”
“That was my choice to make!”
Rogan lifted him effortlessly and draped Brooks over his rock-hard thighs. “Your choice ended the moment I told you to flee. You need to follow my directions without question from now on. This punishment will reinforce that lesson.”
Before Brooks could argue, Rogan’s heavy hand landed on his butt. Hard. “Ouch! Stop that!” Brooks howled as the swats continued. He knew it was a miniscule amount of Rogan’s strength, but the heat and sting built on his skin. Brooks kicked his legs, trying to free himself. Rogan simply anchored them with his leg, holding him solidly in place.
Brooks tried hitting Rogan’s leg in front of his face, but that hurt his hand more than it probably did Rogan. He was as solid as stone. Out of escape options, Brooks started to tear up. Brooks never cried. He didn’t show weakness.
“Stop! Fuck you,” Brooks rallied, upset by his emotions. The next swat on his bottom set his skin on fire. Unable to stop them, tears poured down his cheeks. Sobs poured from his mouth, and he drooped unresisting over Rogan’s lap.
Immediately, Rogan switched from spanking to soothing. He rubbed his hand over Brooks’ heated flesh. “You have to let someone else take care of things now, Adventurer. I’m glad you’re strong and fearless, but I need you to allow me to keep you safe. Without you, I’m nothing.”
“You’re a fucking dragon. You’re everything!” Brooks sobbed. No one else would have gotten by with this.
“You don’t get it, Brooks.” Rogan gathered Brooks in his arms and turned him to cradle his mate on his lap. He kissed him softly as he wiped his tears away. “You are my life force. If you had been trapped in my mind with me, I would have spent an eternity tormented by your death. I don’t matter. Only you do.”
Brooks shook his head. “That’s not true. You’re more important than me. You’re a dragon.”
“A dragon who will not exist without a human match. You are my mate. If I die and you survive, only the horde will miss me. If you die, your entire lineage suffers. I made a pact with your forefather. Dragons must live up to their word.”
“Is that like the law?” Brooks blustered.
“Yes. I must protect my mate. It is my purpose. My reason for being. You must allow me to fulfill my destiny.”
“I’m never going to think I’m more important than you are,” Brooks said stubbornly.
“Then you remember this spanking. We’ll repeat it as many times as necessary to convince you,” Rogan told him.
“Dragons beat their mates?” Brooks challenged.
“Punish, yes. Beat, no. Does anything other than your bottom hurt? And your pride?” Rogan asked, making him focus.
“My butt hurts enough for my whole body,” Brooks snapped. He deliberately didn’t address the pride aspect. That was obvious.
Rogan stroked a finger along his erection. Crap! He had noticed.
“Mates enjoy their dragon’s touch. They also realize there are rewards for accepting discipline and learning how to adjust to their new role in life.” Rogan lifted his hand to his mouth and licked his palm and fingers. He deliberately wrapped his wet grip around Brooks’s cock. “This wasn’t a fight, mate. This was a Daddy teaching his mate.”
Brooks searched Rogan’s face, checking for something negative—a sneer, a laugh, a disdain. All he found was love and concern. That hand pulled the length of his shaft from root to tip, sending shock waves through him. The sting of his spanking lingered and blended with the thrill of sensation of his Daddy’s hands on him.
A spurt of excitement welled from his tip. Using his slightly rough thumb, Rogan spread that fluid over the velvety tip of Brooks’s erection. A groan tumbled from Brooks’s mouth. That combination of sensations overloaded his brain, pushing his arousal higher than he’d ever experienced before.
“Daddy’s make decisions for their mates. They show their love by fulfilling secret desires and needs. I can sense what you need, Brooks. I know you,” Rogan told him in that deep, rough voice that always sent shivers of arousal through him.
Brooks debated. He could argue, or he could admit that Rogan had him completely figured out. Choosing a third option, Brooks begged, “Stroke me more.”
Rogan’s slow wink told Brooks his response told his Daddy everything. “You’ve got it, Adventurer.” Brooks’s apprehension lessened. Rogan wouldn’t make him bare his soul completely now.
Turning, Rogan pulled a tube of lubricant from the drawer of the table next to the rocker. The snap of the cap opening sounded like a gunshot in the quiet nursery. Brooks reminded himself to breathe as Rogan squeezed some onto his palm. He hesitated for a few seconds, allowing the slick gel to warm slightly on his fingers before spreading it over Brooks’s shaft.
This time, his grip slid smoothly around Brooks’s erection. Brooks closed his eyes to concentrate on the sensation but needed to see Rogan caressing him. He forced himself to focus on that moving hand. Damn. He wouldn’t last long.
Rogan squeezed a bit harder before loosening his grip to glide along the length of Brooks’s erection. Heat built as he quickened his motion. Brooks pushed his pelvis into that fist as the stimulation decimated his control. Each brush of Rogan’s rough denim jeans against his punished bottom reminded him of the spanking his Daddy had delivered. Breathing heavily, Brooks bit his lip, trying to distract himself. He didn’t want this delicious torture to end.
“Come, Adventurer. I have other plans for your red bottom,” Rogan whispered softly against his ear.
With a shout, Rogan emptied himself into that tight fist.