Dragons Crown (Elder Enterprises Book 2) (4 page)

Chapter 4

The ride back to the apartment was quiet. Katie wanted to ask again what had pissed Mark off so badly, but in the end just kept her mouth shut. She was still pretty shaken from the fall, and mad with herself for being so stupid when she was doing so well. The feeling of flying was not something she would soon forget. She had never experienced anything like it before in her life. A big part of her wanted to be out soaring in the clouds again, but there was that small part of her. The part that ruled everything she did. That said hell no whenever the thought would creep back up.

              The car came to a stop in it’s parking space. Katie climbed out and took in the sight of all the Mustangs that filled the space, each of them belonging to Paul. It was a bit excessive to Katie, but she was starting to understand that most dragons had some sort of collection.

              “So what do you collect?” Katie asked Mark as he made his way past her. He paused and gave her a look that said he wanted to be anywhere else but here. Paul gave a slight growl behind her that caused Katie to jump.

              “Fine,” Mark bit out. “I collect dragons,” he whispered.

              “Like cage them up?” Katie asked. She was a little shocked that Mark would do something like this, or that the Elders would allow him to do such a thing.

              “No, like the cute little figurines, furniture, key chains. Anything really that has a dragon on it,” Paul said before he burst out laughing.

              “Oh.” Katie didn’t know what else to say. She liked the idea a lot better than him locking up some helpless dragon, but what was the fascination? He was a dragon, so why the hell did he need to look at them day and night?

              “Go ahead and laugh,” Mark said as he shook his head. “Everyone does. Just trust me when I say this. One day you are going to come across something that you will feel like you will die if you do not have it. Nothing in the world will be able to stop you from owning it. From seeing it every day. Hell, I don’t know how Paul made it so long not seeing his Mustangs.”

              “I didn’t,” Paul whispered behind Katie, then he pointed up to the security camera sitting up in the far left corner. “That one doesn’t belong to the building.”

              As they rode the elevator up to Paul’s floor, Katie couldn’t help but think of all the things she wouldn’t mind collecting. Books. Rings. Art. But she couldn’t see herself ever hoarding anything like that. She was simple, she didn’t need much to make her happy, so she didn’t believe that she would ever go to the extremes that Paul and Mark had gone to. She could control herself when it came to these things. At least she hoped she could.

              The elevator binged. Katie looked up as the door opened and stepped out. Paul followed her but Mark stayed right where he was. “Aren’t you coming in?” she asked.

              He shook his head. “No, I need to go replace one of the guys on your security detail. Plus, you two need some time to yourselves. The Elders have requested a meeting with you tomorrow after we go speak with the Phoenix.”

              The doors slid shut before Katie got a chance to say anything more. She turned to see Paul already settling onto the couch and went to join him.

              Before long, Katie was stuffing her face with the biggest cheeseburger she had ever seen. Paul had ordered in food a few minutes after they had gotten home. Her mouth watered the moment she laid eyes on the monster.

              “So are you going to tell me what pissed Mark off back there at the clearing?” Katie asked around a mouthful of food.

              Paul muttered something before holding up a finger. He took a big gulp of his chocolate milkshake. “Do you remember the other night when you froze everyone in place at Elder?”

              Katie froze mid-chew. “Yeah,” she whispered.

              “You did it again while you were falling. Mark couldn’t move his wings, so he was barreling down to Earth right beside you.” Paul wiped his face with a napkin before leaning back against the couch.

              “Please tell me this is some sick joke,” Katie gasped out when Paul shook his head. “He could have died. I could have killed him.” Her heart started to race. No one had told her that she would be able to do such a thing. Hell, no one had ever told her anything about the powers she would gain. Now she was stuck learning about them as they come along. She wanted to scream. Before she could stop them, tears spilled down her cheeks.

              Paul pulled her into his arms and wiped the tears away. “Love, you didn’t mean to. Hell, you didn’t even know you were doing it. We all knew there would be an adjustment period. You will get a grasp on it and then this won’t happen again.” Katie turned her head just enough to give him a quick kiss.

              “I know, but damn it sucks. Everything in my life has changed. Hell, I have changed and there isn’t anything I can do about it. Not that I would…I just need some kind of control over what’s going on with me,” Katie squeaked out.

              “Well, if it’s control you seek, then I can help you there.” Paul stood and held his hand out for Katie.

              She stood and gently placed her hand in his. Paul turned and led the way to the bedroom. Once there, he had Katie sit on the bed while he disappeared into his closet. He emerged a few minutes later carrying a big black trunk.

              “What’s in there?” Katie asked.

              Paul set the trunk down on the floor before bending down to open it. “Why don’t you come see for yourself?” He winked as he moved out of the way so that Katie could peer inside.

              Katie bent down and ran her fingers over some of the pieces that lay in a neat order around the trunk. There were some items she knew, like the leather flogger, the nipple clamps, even the handcuffs, but for the most part she had never seen the other stuff. “What is all of this?” she whispered.

              “This is a way to give you control if you would like. I have found that after five hundred years, you have to mix things up a bit.”

              “Oh. I have never tried anything like this before.” She tried to pull her eyes away from the toys that lay before her, but she couldn’t. They were glued on them as if there was a connection with them that she didn’t understand.

              “That’s okay. I can teach you if you want. The first question you have to ask yourself is this, do you want to be the Dominant one or the submissive?” Katie darted a look up Paul. He looked so cool and calm, and she hated him for that. Her heart was pounding away in her chest. A pool of warm liquid lined her panties. Sweat had already started to bead across her skin at the mere thought of Paul laying on the bed, arms and legs spread and restrained as she teased him.

              Without saying anything, Katie quickly stood, grabbed Paul by the hand and led him over to the bed. She pushed him over so that he landed on his back on the fluffy bedding. She then raced back over and grabbed a few items from the trunk.

              Holding up the handcuffs and blindfold, she gave Paul a devilish smile. “I already know which one I want to be.”

              Katie watched as Paul’s pupils dilated and he swallowed. Her nipples hardened as he ran his eyes up and down her. “Then I suggest you hurry up, love. Cause here in a few moments, I won’t be held responsible for my actions.”

              Katie smiled as she closed the distance between them. “For that I think I might have to tease you a little more. Now be a good boy and assume the position.”

              Paul did as he was told and Katie got down to business, first securing his hands to the headboard before moving to his ankles. Once that was done, Katie stood and started to strip down. She watched Paul as her clothes hit the floor. His head was lifted off the bed and his breaths came in soft pants. He swallowed hard. “How do you plan to tease me if my cloths are still on?” he said in a husky voice that had Katie panting along with him.

              “Oh, don’t you worry about that. I have some ideas,” Katie purred out. She could see his cock throb under his jeans.

              Katie moved to the bed and climbed up to straddle Paul’s hips. The rough feel of his jeans beneath her sent a shiver of delight through her body. She reached down and grabbed the seam of his shirt and gave a pull. With a great rip the shirt fell to Paul’s sides, exposing his smooth chest.

              For a moment she just sat there, savoring the perfection. From the dragon tattoo on his chest to the rigid abs that moved every time inhaled. “So yummy,” she whispered before leaning down to leave a trail of butterfly kisses from his neck to his hips.

              She would pause here and there and nip at his skin. He would buck, trying to rub his cock against her hot pussy. They would moan and then Katie would start all over again.

              Katie was pushing him to the brink and then stepping away. She could feel it in the way he thrashed against her. The way he would growl when she would pull away.

              “Damn it, woman! Are you trying to drive me mad?” he finally growled out. Katie giggled but sat up before moving to sit between his legs. Then in one smooth movement, she reached up, grabbed the top of his pants and ripped them down. The fabric fell to pieces around him.

              Katie sucked in a breath when she realized he had gone commando. His cock pulsed under gaze. She quickly licked her suddenly dry lips, then without a second thought, she bent down and took him into her mouth. His hips bucked against her as she wrapped her lips around his hard shaft, her hand already pumping him slowly. She eased him deeper and deeper into her tight mouth as he sent curses into the air around them. Then she slowly eased him back out. Over and over, she teased and tasted him until he was screaming her name. Katie slowly released him before straddling his hips again.

              Paul thrashed violently under her. “Katie, I need to be inside of you,” he rasped out.

              Katie’s heartbeat sped up. Her breaths came in short puffs as she hovered over his pulsing shaft. She reached down and positioned him at her opening. Before she could ease herself onto him, Paul bucked up. There was a crack right before Katie realized that he was no longer restrained.

              Paul’s hands gripped Katie’s hips as he pushed himself into her hot flesh. Katie threw her head back and let out a moan of pleasure. “Sorry, love, but slow and easy went out the window the moment you restrained me.”

              Before Katie could reply, Paul pulled out and then slammed into her again. He was losing control. They both needed the release that was building. Katie could barley breathe, her head was spinning with pleasure.

              Then all at once Paul stilled beneath her. He lifted her off of him and turned her around so that she was now on all four. His fingers dug into her as he entered her from behind, plunging as deep as her body would allow. Katie knew he was doing his best to ease into her slowly, but she didn’t want him to.

              She pulled her body forward before slamming it back against him. He met her with his own thrust, faster and harder. An explosion was building inside Katie, and this time she knew nothing would stop it.

              She arched her back and threw her head back, belting out Paul’s name the same moment everything broke inside of her. She thought she heard Paul yelling her name but was so wrapped up in her own release that she wasn’t sure.

              Katie collapsed into a heap on the bed, her body shaking. Paul laid down beside her and pulled her into his arms. “Don’t worry, love. We will get everything figured out together. It won’t always be this difficult. I promise,” Paul whispered into her ear before pressing a kiss to her forehead.

              Katie closed her eyes and drifted off into a deep sleep. She knew that no matter what, Paul would be there for her. They would make it. She knew this was where she belonged. Where she felt safest.

Chapter 5

Paul woke to sunlight streaming into his face and the smell of bacon cooking. For a moment he was confused, until he looked around the bed and realized that Katie was no longer lying next to him. A smile touched his lips as he thought about her making his breakfast. He hoped that she wasn’t wearing anything but his shirt. The thought had his cock standing up, aching to be inside of his mate again.

He quickly jumped out of bed and went to brush his teeth. He thought about putting on some clothes but decided against it. He was in his own home, after all, and damn it, he wanted to have sex with his mate in the kitchen. What better way to start the day?

Paul opened the door and made a bee-line for Katie. She was standing at the stove cooking and much to Paul’s disappointment, she was completely dressed. He didn’t let that stop him. He walked up behind her, pressing his hard length against her. A slight moan slipped from her lips as she leaned back against him. Paul leaned down and started nipping at her ear.

“Morning, love,” he whispered.

“Paul,” Katie said in a gust of breath. But Paul hushed her as his hands started roaming over her sweet, soft mounds.

“Dude! Breakfast and a show!” came a voice from behind them. Paul growled and looked over his shoulder to see his brother sitting at the counter.

“What are you doing here?” Paul grumbled.

“We have a meet up this morning with the Phoenix. Or did you forget about that?” Mark asked with a smirk on his face.

“Fine,” Paul growled. “I will go get dressed. But I am warning you now, Mark, if you ever show up here again before I have had the chance to make love to my mate, I’m going to rip your balls off and shove them down your throat!” Mark threw his head back and let out a burst of laughter. Paul shook his head and went to put clothes on.

Paul made quick work of finding some clean clothes and threw them on. He groaned when his pants brushed up against his throbbing erection and anger rose up inside of him. Finding one’s mate was not supposed to be this complicated. Usually everyone respected the couple and gave them time together. He hated this. Hated that he and Katie were thrown into being Royals. Every time he turned around there was someone, mainly his brother, interrupting his alone time. Would it ever end? Or was he doomed to never having time with his mate?

He grabbed his shoes from the floor of his closet and headed back out to the kitchen. Katie and Mark were sitting at the bar, shoveling food into their mouths. Paul made his way over to the plate waiting for him and quickly ate.

“All right, so where are we meeting this dude?” Paul asked a little too harshly. He knew that Mark was just trying to help, but it didn’t seem to help calm the need to claim his mate over and over.

Mark pulled out his phone and scrolled through it. “He will meet us at a small café down the street from his job in about twenty minutes. So we should leave now. It will be easier to walk there.”

Both Katie and Paul nodded their heads before getting up and placing their dishes in the sink. Paul wrapped his arms around her from behind and pulled her in close. Her head gently fell back onto his shoulder.

“When all of this is done and over with, I will have you under me again, moaning my name as I give you unbelievable pleasure,” Paul whispered into her ear before giving it a little nip. Katie swiveled her hips so that her ass rubbed up against him. He was instantly hard. What he wouldn’t give to just bend her over right here and now. To take her from behind, her hair wrapped around his hand.

Mark cleared his throat. Paul moaned and removed his hands from Katie’s breasts, he hadn’t even realized he had been groping them. Which was a damn shame. He always wanted to remember everything he did to those beautiful mounds.

“Can we go now?” Mark asked in an irritated tone that made Paul want to punch him. Paul couldn’t remember the last time he had been this pissed off at his brother. Everything he did right now just added fuel to the fire.

“Yes,” Paul barked out before clenching his jaw shut. He stepped away from Katie and quickly slipped on his shoes. They were out the door within a few minutes.

              The elevator ride was silent. Tension filled the air as they made their descent. Paul rotated his neck until he heard a slight pop before rotating it in the other direction. When that didn’t seem to help, he tried taking a few deep breaths. He was on edge. Nothing seemed to be helping.

              Katie threaded her fingers through his as Paul looked down into her eyes. He loved the way the light glinted off of the gold. Even the small purple streak seemed to glitter. He could get lost in her gaze. Everything that had been weighing on his shoulders melted away.

              She smiled at him as the elevator dinged and the doors swept open. “Are you okay?” she asked with concern written all over her face.

              “I am now,” Paul said with a slight nod of his head. It was so strange to him still, how all it took was one look from his mate for everything to melt away. For him to be okay again. He never wanted to lose this beautiful woman next to him.

              Katie pulled his hand as she stepped out of the elevator and into the lobby following Mark. Paul reluctantly went. He hated the idea that his mate and Queen was about to head out to meet some stranger, let alone a Phoenix. Paul had never met one before. They were rare, yet he had heard stories of how ruthless they could be. How cold they were. They never made any lasting connections. The thought made him uneasy. No connections meant they were loyal to no one. This unknown Phoenix could turn his back on them at any moment.

              Paul sighed as they made their way out the glass lobby doors. He automatically reached for the knife that he usually carried on his hip with his free hand. He gave himself a mental kick when he realized it wasn’t here. He had been so wrapped up in his own aggression when they left the apartment that he hadn’t grabbed it. Paul had half a mind to turn back for it but the thought died when Mark finally spoke.

              “I must warn you. Chiles is bit of a hot head. A short temper and flames don’t mix well.” He glanced over at Katie and Mark with a half smile. “But don’t let that bother you too much. He is a great guy otherwise. Has a lot of respect for any female he meets.”

              “Don’t you think that is something that you should have told us sooner?” Paul bit out at him.

              “No, because I know you. You have been on edge the last few days as it is. I didn’t need you getting all worked up. You need to stay calm. We need his help.” Mark came to a stop in front of a small coffee shop.

              “I hate to agree with Mark right now, but you have been kinda tense lately,” Katie said as her eyes darted away from his. “I’m here for you when you are ready to tell me what is going on. But for now you need to go into this with a clear, stable head.

              “I do have a clear head,” Paul grumbled. “It’s my emotions that are playing havoc on me.” He rubbed a hand over his face. He wasn’t sure how to put his feelings into words.

              Katie gave him a look of pity. “I know how that feels. We can discuss it later though. Right now we need to talk to this Phoenix.” Paul gave a slight nod in agreement.

              They went over and sat down at a table on the sidewalk. With each passing moment the need to protect Katie grew. He could feel the sweat beading on his brow as he gazed upon the crowd of people passing them.

              Paul froze as his eyes landed on a small form in the crowd. The sunlight glinted off of her red hair. She turned and stared straight into his eyes. Julie.

              Paul stood, never taking his eyes off the traitorous bitch. The woman responsible for the dragon race dying. The one person who had kidnapped innocent babies all because they were females, then left them to the mercy of humans while the parents believed their child dead. Paul shook his head. One day he would have the chance to inflict the same pain on her. To make her wish she was dead. She smirked at him before turning and slipping away through the rush of humans. Paul tried his best to track her movements but lost her when Katie distracted him.

              She pulled on his hand, causing him to look down at her. “What’s wrong?” she asked, concern filling her voice.

              Paul shook his head. He wasn’t sure if he had actually seen Julie or if it was just his own fear wreaking havoc and making him see her. “It was nothing, love. I promise.” He eased back into his seat, avoiding her eyes. He hated himself for lying to his mate. He knew that if he had told them what he saw then they would either flip out or think he was lying. So for now he would just keep his mouth shut.

              “There he is,” Mark said as he stood and looked behind Paul and Katie.

              They turned to see a huge man barreling toward them. He was bigger than Paul in just about every aspect. His skin held a slight shimmer. It was as if his flames burned even now. Paul watched as people went out of their way to avoid Chiles. Tattoos covered the skin that wasn’t covered by black leather.

              Paul reached for Katie’s hand and held it. That little bit of contact helped to keep him grounded. He was tiptoeing the line already and seeing this behemoth of a man had just about sent him flying over.

              “Good to see you, Mark,” Chiles said as he reached out to shake Mark’s hand in greeting. “This must be your brother that I have heard so much about. But who would this pretty little lady be?”

              “That would be…” Paul was cut off from saying his wife when Katie spoke up.

              “The little lady would be the Queen of the Dragons. So how about you show a little more respect?” she snapped before giving him a nice big toothy grin. Paul couldn’t stop himself from smiling before he leaned in and gave her a quick kiss.

              Chiles smirked. “A queen with a no bullshit attitude. I like that.” He took a seat that Mark offered. “So what is so freakin’ important?” he asked in an annoyed tone.

              “What can you tell us about the magic your kind possesses?” Katie asked.

              “Ahhh, it’s going to be one of those conversations.” Chiles looked over to Mark. “You could have warned me, jackass.”

              “If I had, would you have shown up?” Mark smirked at him.

              “No,” was all Chiles said before leaning back in his seat.

***

              Katie watched Chiles with unwavering mistrust. The man just seemed off to her. He was overly cocky, had a bad attitude, and Katie got the feeling that he had no loyalties to anyone. Which made him a liability. She was starting to wonder if they should move forward with their plan, or if they should walk away now.

              Chiles leaned back in his chair, bringing the front two legs off the ground. He swiped a hand over his face. “Look, I can only tell you what I know, which honestly isn’t much.”

              “Why is that?” Katie asked. She figured that he would have to know something about his history.

              Chiles sighed. “Look, we aren’t like the dragons. I have only ever met one other Phoenix in my life. He told me just enough for me to go searching for answers. And well, what I have found isn’t much.”

              “Well all right then. Tell us what you do know and maybe we can go from there. Help each other out.” Katie gave him a slight smile. She could tell that Chiles wanted more answers, just like they did. So maybe, just maybe they could work together. Find everything they needed and bring Chiles over to their side. Katie got the feeling that he would be a good resource, even if he weirded her out.

              “Fine,” Chiles grumbled. “To understand everything, you have to know our origins. Without that everything will confuse you.”

              Katie sat there quietly, listening as Chiles explained that a Phoenix was first born from a solar flare that reached Earth. But not just any solar flare, it had to be huge to carry them that far. They were created in the sun’s fire, so therefor they always had the fire burning inside of them. The older they got, their flames started to change just like any star.

              This fascinated Katie. She looked at both Mark and Paul to see their faces were hard as stone. She couldn’t read them, yet she thought that maybe they were just as entranced by his story as she was. She wondered what it would be like to have that kind of heat boiling under her skin. To never know what it was like to feel the cold. Then to have that heat grow the older they got. She couldn’t imagine what it would be like.

              “So where does the magic come in?” Katie asked when Chiles had been silent for awhile.

              “I only started receiving my magic in the last three years. It’s not much but I can feel it building, I just don’t know how to control it.”

              “So why not try and find an older Phoenix to explain it to you?”

              “Even if I could, there wouldn’t be a point. They wouldn’t tell me shit. There is said to be a tomb where I can find all the answers I need. The issue is I don’t know where to find it.”

              Paul sat up straight, his body going stiff. “You mean a tomb forged into stone by fire hotter than the Earth could provide?”