Dragon Guardian (Drakins of Wyrmarach) (16 page)

Ignoring her protests, Caleb
pulled her from
the truck and swung her over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry and rush through
the archway from their subterranean garage into the plush underground quarters.

Ethan hefted her backpack keeping the sword well away from
his body. They drove the forty minutes from her apartment in town, to the
cavern home built within a natural formation of sand stone caves. Their home
away from everywhere out in the middle of nowhere, established in a perfect
location for dragon shifters, who didn’t want nosy neighbors poking around.

No one would find her
here, that
would buy some time for further investigation. They’d been delayed too long in
their home dimension. The full yellow moon had risen before they arrived at the
remote caverns along the river.

Caleb felt an unexplained tightness in his chest. Seeing her
holding the small broken statue in her hand, and realizing he had let matters
of Wyrmarach distract him from a basic task in keeping her safe, tore at him.
At first the potential of bonding had stunned him. Then he thought of their
people and the joy she would bring in finally turning the age. Somehow none of
the other stuff mattered anymore.

Hope to the Goddess that Wren would claim them as mates, that
they could get the bonding process on track from its fractured beginning.
Either way they weren’t accepting the marriage contract the Queen had
engineered.

All that seemed important was taking care of her, keeping her
safe. When they passed through the doorway, Caleb managed to hook the car keys
on the rack, alongside keys for a Jeep, an Escalade, two black Harley Road
Kings and a red Ferrari.

“That my love is a Ferrari Enzo.” Caleb doubted she had any
idea the significance “Only thirty made.”

 
All of which were
parked in the spacious garage next to the rusted out dodge truck they had just
arrived in.

Her eyes sparked with excitement, not missing anything. She whistled.
“Evidently your kingdom does okay for itself. Let me guess, you guys don’t work
for a living?”

“Yes, like I told you, we both work for a specialized
forestry fire fighter team. We’ve arrange a bit of a furlough under the
circumstances.”

Wren laughed. “Nice cars.”

“Not just cars, lady, those are vehicles.”
 
Caleb liked to hear her laugh.

“We like options in transportation methods.”
 
Ethan shrugged as if that explained the
automotive abundance. He went ahead of them turning the low level lighting up
to give a soft glow to the great room living space. Insulated by the earth it
maintained a perfect climate control.

They’d made a comfortable home here that suited them well. A
small kitchen flanked one side with a butcher block dining island. Doors led off
to additional rooms. A sitting area with couch, end tables and recliners,
collected in the middle of the area.

The paintings on the walls were originals from artist in
Wyrmarach. Their scenes depicted cavernous landscapes from home. This part of
the house was their private quarters. One of the doors opened to stairs that
led up to the more modern structure at ground level. She walked around looking,
just short of snooping.

The woven fiber wall hanging of a massive tree drew her
attention. It was a modern piece commissioned from a fae artist from Dar’kind.
The tapestry was his favorite. She paused in front of it
hovering
her finger over the fine woven threads of color.

“Breathtaking” was all she said. Caleb’s
luthe
,
a stringed instrument similar to a guitar, leaned up against the side of the
chair. He watched her eyes scanned over books, car magazines.

Ethan grabbed one of the porn magazines and shoved it in with
some others under a lamp table by the couch. With a pause, she even noticed the
dolcidar
, a piped instrument
laying
on the shelf with music. “You both play?”

Ethan nodded.

A gurgle of water drew attention to an in ground spring
bubbling up. Soft steam lifted from the surface of the water.
“A natural hot tub?”
 
Wren struggled to be let down.

“Yes-- a spring actually-- all the comforts
of home, Jaita’me.”
Caleb let her stand in his embrace reluctant to let
her go. She stripped and slid into the water with a moan, blessed hot water.
Ethan and Caleb joined her. They were dressed in dark bronze leather speedo
like briefs. She’d have to ask about those later when she wasn’t so tired.

They floated in each other’s arms soothed by the hot mineral
water of the spring. Caleb cupped her mound in his hand and began stroking her
drawing her body toward pleasure again. She was deep in the hormonal throes of
the change, after absorbing their blood. Her response was a positive sign
indicating at least her body’s acceptance to the chemistry of the bonding.

Verucca
Toadswizzler
had called it the
Quaynar
Rou. No one could possible
know the effects of their backward way into the experience. What would they do
if her heart and mind said no to the claiming even as her body screamed yes?
After she came moaning her pleasure against Ethan’s kiss, she floated back in
the water. For the moment Caleb would be content with that.

Ethan jumped from the pool and laid a large bathing towel on
the stone floor. Taking her hand he led her to the makeshift pallet. “Here, lie
down.”

“You are safe here.”
 
Caleb joined them and started massaging and kneading the tight muscles
of her shoulders and neck. “Relax
Jaita’me,
let us
pamper you a little. So much has happened in the last 24 hours we understand if
you need a moment. We know you are strong enough for what’s ahead of us.”

What lie ahead? Caleb wasn’t sure. He and Ethan together
would manage to resolve whatever issues came their way. In the end, he hoped
they would come out of the experience together and lead their people.

≽
∞
≼

Wren groaned under
his firm ministrations. Ethan rubbed her with deep massage pressure that felt
wonderful. A second set of hands started rubbing her sides moving toward her
lower back aided by a thick herbal lotion that caused a tingling on her skin
and allowed their hands to reach deep into the sore muscles. She gave herself
up to the feelings of the massage becoming boneless under their ministrations.

You need to do a better
job of telling me what Jaita’me means.

Shh later, rest now,
and relax.

She drifted on clouds, floating while their hands sought out
every tight muscle to rub soothing relaxation into her. She was exhausted. She
released all worry of how to be who they needed her to be and slept.

Wren woke buried under a mound of blankets, alone in the
middle of a large bed. She heard low voices of her guys talking with
intermittent splashes of water. She eased from the mattress and found her
phone, plugged in to the charger. They were the best. She disconnected the cord
and called Izzy.

“Hey there gurl.”
Izzy answered on
the third ring.

“Izzy!
Can you watch the shop for a
few days?”

“I’m already there. Don’t worry. Caleb txted
me
late last night with what’s going on.”

“Oh good.
Well not good, it’s
horrible, but still good too.” What a mess.

Izzy laughed. “Yeah I get your point. So, you didn’t tell
them about me did you?”

“No I didn’t tell. And you shouldn’t make me think about it.
Lalala.
The mental connection between the guys and me is
getting stronger every day and they could hear me thinking about the-you-know-what
lalala. I’m thinking about watermelon pickles. Now hush.”

“Ok Wren. Think about the Samhain plans. We’re less than a
week away. So, you’d better get things settled and back here to work.”

Yes
work, that
would permeate her
thoughts. “Okay, make a list of what we can have for finger food and drinks.”

“I will, but under the circumstances, I think I’ll get with
Haydn to help. He would love to do the baking.”

“Sounds like a plan. Okay, gotta go. Call me if you need
anything.”

Wren slipped into the restroom alcove. She was naked. She
remembered the massage. She’d fallen asleep with Ethan rubbing the stress from
her muscles. She pulled her hair up into a pony tail with a hair scrunchy and
grabbed the green satin robe from the back of the door to wrap around herself.

Exiting the bathroom she found the guys relaxed back on the
benches of the hot spring. She didn’t mean to interrupt their peaceful moment.
But, a need started building inside her.

When Ethan saw her he pulled himself out of the water to meet
her half way across the room. That same bronze leather garment covered him like
a tight bathing suit.

“Our Wren looks rested.”
  
He oozed cheerful optimism.

She smiled feeling the blush slide across her cheeks. She
didn’t even know how to respond this morning. The previous day hung cloudy and
strange in her memory. Caleb rushed over to the kitchen area pulling food from
the fridge.

Wren felt like a limp rag as Ethan slid her robe off and
eased her into the water of the spring. Caleb brought a platter of meat, cheese
and fruit from the kitchen area. He offered her a rolled up juicy piece of
roast beef. “Here eat this.”

“For breakfast?”
She considered the
food on the tray. It all looked good but not her idea of morning food.

“I would see that you are fed all that you require.”

“You’re talking all formal speak again.”
 
Not awake enough to reach for the meat
herself, she took a bite from what he offered. “Ummm that is delicious. I don’t
usually eat meat, especially rare beef.”

Wren felt self-conscious eating from their hands. Yet,
accepting the food seemed to please them. Caleb deliberated over the choices as
if to be certain, he only chose the most worthy foods for her to eat. He gave
her a piece of ripe mango.

The blending with the salty meat juices was out of this
world. The hot water seeping into her muscles felt heavenly. They promised they
would provide all the comforts she needed here in the cavern. So far they had
exceeded her expectations of pampered delight.

Ethan rolled beef around slices of mango to feed her bites
with a blending of flavors. “That is wonderful.”
 
They fed her until she could not take another
bite and still they wanted her to eat more. “Really guys I can’t eat another
thing. I’m stuffed. You two haven’t been eating at all. You must be starved,
eat something.”

“It’s a ritual of our country; we wait to eat until you are
satisfied.”

Wren floated in the deeper side of the pool. Ethan slid in
the water behind her and began stroking her shoulders running his hands down
her back, massaging her muscles.

“You are beautiful. He eased her breasts into his hands.
“Perfect breasts.”
 
Ethan lifted the heavy pear stroking the nipple with his thumb.

Caleb sat on the edge of the pool. “She is perfect.”
 
He leaned over to place his lips around the
breast Ethan offered him, rolling her nipple around on his tongue. Wren though
her body would spontaneously combust. A fire built inside her and ravaged her
senses.

“Oh Caleb, I want more. I can’t stand to wait any longer.

“When the time is right we will join in bonding, a claiming
of essences. The experience will justify the blood we’ve absorbed from you and
you from us.

She quivered as Caleb kissed his way down her neck and across
her shoulder continuing to fondle her breasts lightly pinching her nipples.

“Is this claiming something I have to do? How will I know
what to do?”

“It will happen when it happens.” Ethan held her stroking her
back and over the line of her hip and buttock.

“That’s not much of an answer.”

He shrugged, “That’s all I can tell you right now. As you
know, we’ve not learned a whole lot yet. There’s got to be references
somewhere, we’ll keep searching.”

Caleb soothed. “Everything we remember or have heard as rumor
seems to indicate there is no real set pattern. Each bonding is unique and the participants
somehow know what to do when the time is right.”

She puffed a breath of air blowing her bangs back from her
face.
Frustrating mess.
“Then we can …” she’d almost
said fuck. It was a raw primal need that rode her. She censored. “--can make love
completely.”

Yes.
Both men’s
mental voices eased across her.

Caleb explained. “I’m thinking the experience of first sex
as
 
fully
linked is
worth the wait.”

Ethan rubbed his hands along her body, smoothing the skin “We
might even gain our mated marks at the same time if we are self-disciplined.”

“What? Mating Marks? Wait Izzy said something about that.”
She had so much to learn.

 
Ethan nuzzled her
shoulder. “Yes, Izzy had found references about the marks.”

“The marks are inspired by our soul essences. They appear
gradually somewhere on each of our bodies as a confirmation of our acceptance
by the Goddess.” Caleb clarified

“They will come, once we face our individual trials of
spirit, a Daevedar Challenge.”

Wren remembered the word. “I remember that word. It didn’t
sound good.”

Caleb smiled. “Yes, we found the answers to a few questions
during our time in Wyramarch. When it happens, we are challenged by our
weaknesses. If we conquer them and all proceeds as expected the Goddess will
choose the manifestation of how our marks combine and where they will appear on
our bodies.”