by Cree Storm
Jett and Finn swooped down toward Pascal and Picard as Illan and Day flew toward Lucinda. She shifted and took flight. Jett and Finn opened their large mouths and a stream of water came from one, as a stream of fire came from the other. Pascal was hit hard by the water pouring over his head, but he felt a heat at his back, as well.Picard’s hold on him loosened as the man screamed a blood-chilling cry. Ollie slid from Jett’s back, landing right in front of him and grabbed Pascal around the waist as he pulled back at the same time. The two of them fell to the ground, rolling out of the way. Once they were far enough away, they both shifted. Pascal turned to see Picard running as he thrashed his arms around erratically trying to put out the fire that consumed him.
Pascal and Ollie ran forward, staying close to each other, and focused all of their power toward the flames. Suddenly the flames grew higher and turned almost blue and Picard fell to the ground in a heap. A loud elephant trumpet sounded from behind them and Pascal turned to find Zen in elephant form, lying on his side, throwing his trunk around attempting to bat away the light green dragon that had its claws imbedded in his back.
Zev’s dark green dragon dropped down on top of Lucinda, slamming his spiked head into her side, impaling her. Lucinda screamed and released Zen, rolling off him onto the ground. Pascal quickly raced to his mate and touched him with one paw. Suddenly Zen rolled to his stomach and stood. His large head turned to look back at Pascal and he saw the love his mate had for him in Zen’s pretty green eyes. Zen’s long trunk snaked around and scooped him up into the air and he deposited Pascal on his back. Pascal wrapped his long tail around one of Zen’s ears and held on tight as his mate headed in Lucinda’s direction.
He closed his eyes and focused all his power toward Zen. Pascal felt himself being lifted higher and opened his eyes, then gasped. He was now twice the height from the ground as he had been before. Zen’s elephant had grown to twice its size and his mate was now the size of the dragons. Zen lifted his trunk in the air and let out another loud trumpet, then lowered his head as he rushed in Lucinda’s direction.
She was just getting back on her feet and looked up at the sound of Zen’s call, her eyes going wide with fear. Zen lowered his head more and rammed right into Lucinda’s dragon, impaling her with one of his tusks. She screamed out, thrashing against him, trying to get free. Lucinda opened her mouth and a glow of orange started, but a large, three-headed sun glow phoenix swooped in, landing on her snout and grabbing it tight, holding it closed as he flapped his wings to keep himself balanced.
Illan’s massive seven-headed dragon landed beside them and he wrapped his wings around Lucinda, caging her in. Zen pulled back, releasing Lucinda, as did Justice, but Illan kept a tight hold of her. Finally, Lucinda slumped down, as if exhausted and all the fight had left her. Blood ran from the wound in her side and she shifted back to her human form. As she did, so did Illan, who now wrapped his arms around her.
Zen swung his trunk back and Pascal wrapped his tail around it, then Zen moved his trunk forward and Pascal slid down it, then got to his feet once he hit the ground. He ran over to where Ollie stood and the two of them quickly shifted back to their human forms.
Everyone else landed and shifted as well and they all moved closer to Illan and Lucinda. Pascal watched as Zen shifted, then threw himself into Zen’s arms. Zen immediately wrapped his arms around Pascal and lifted him off the ground. Pascal wrapped his legs around Zen’s waist as he threw his arms about his neck and claimed Zen’s lips in a hungry kiss. He had been so scared and now he needed to feel the safety of being in his man’s arms.
After a few minutes of he and Zen devouring one another and him getting all hot and bothered and rubbing his hard cock against Zen’s hard muscles, someone loudly cleared their throat.
“Jeez, you guys are all firemen, can you get a fucking hose so we can separate them already? Jett, turn back into your dragon and hose them off, would ya?” Ollie bitched.
Jett laughed as he said, “Why? It’s free porn.”
“I’ll give you free porn as soon as I get you home, lover. You’ll be the star.” Pascal heard Zev say, then heard a few grunts.
He and Zen broke the kiss and looked to the others to find Zev and Jett now going at it and making out like teenagers. “See what you started? Now we’ll never get them apart,” Finn complained and crossed his arms over his chest as he glared at his brother.
“Why don’t you two unwind so we can get moving here? Damn, Pas, not only do you have your own jungle gym when you two shift into your animals, but do you have to swing from Zen’s big vine in human form, too? And everyone thinks you’re the quiet one,” Ollie huffed.
“I do not like walking around with my bits and pieces hanging out, flapping in the breeze. The dragons are lucky enough to shift with their clothes, but we are not,” Pascal argued.
“And I don't like everyone seeing my sweet pea’s beautiful body,” Zen replied adamantly.
“Oh, yeah?” Ollie rolled his eyes. “We may not be able to see his dangly bits, but we can all sure see his white ass.”
“Alright you two. We’ll never get anywhere with all of this going on,” Day said as he moved forward, pulling his shirt off, and handing it to him. Pas took the offered shirt, giving Day a shy smile, then put the shirt on.
“That’s much better, thank you, Day.”
“Thank you, Day. Now that no one can see my baby, what are we going to do with that bitch?” Zen said and motioned with his chin toward Lucinda who was still in Illan’s grasp.
“I have already discussed this with the other council members, that if we were able to get our hands on Lucinda I would like to take her into custody and return her to my people for judgement, so that she may pay for all the crimes against my people. For many years she has tortured and tormented my vampires with her brothels. Not only has she forced some of my people to be her blood bags, but she makes addicts of others,” Ezra said.
“The council has agreed to hand Lucinda over to Ezra for punishment,” Justice replied.
“But she’s a conniving little bitch, will she be able to escape?” Zen asked.
Ezra gave him an evil smirk. “Oh, no. Not with what I have planned for her.”
“What are you going to do?” Pascal asked.
“Do you really want to know, sweet pea? Because I really don’t. So long as she pays for the things she has done to everyone and she can never come after me, you, or Zev again, then I’m happy not knowing.”
“Hey, Ezra! Look what we found hidden in her office,” a strange voice came from the building.
Everyone turned to see two gorgeous vampires walking toward them, each carrying a small cage.
“Theron, Draven, what is it?” Ezra asked.
“No!” Lucinda screamed and fought against Illan’s hold trying to break free. “Give them to me!”
The two vamps got closer and it appeared there were pretty, little butterflies in the cages, one in each. “Would you believe we found butterfly dragons?” the one named Theron said.
“What?” Ezra exclaimed in a panic as his eyes widened and filled with rage.
“Butterfly dragons? What are those?” Avery asked.
“They are just as rare and special as a Santorini Fox. A butterfly dragon’s blood can cloak a shifter. Shield them, making them invisible. But their blood will drug a vampire and make him act like he is on LSD and they will have hallucinations. We vampires never feed from them, but the Rogue vamps love the blood of the butterfly dragon. They crave it because it gives them a high, like an adrenaline rush, but when they come down from it, they go into a blood lust and have to feed…a lot,” Ezra explained, then swung back around to face Lucinda.
“How did you get your hands on them and for how long have you imprisoned these poor creatures?” Ezra demanded, but Lucinda said nothing, just glared at him.
Ezra turned and went to the cages being held up by his men. “It’s okay, little ones. I promise no one will hurt you anymore. I know you must be f
rightened, but would you like to come out of those cages now?”
“Oh yes, please,” the little blue winged one replied in a soft, tiny voice.
“Shit, they can talk?” Jett asked in surprise.
“They are shifters just like you, Jett,” Ezra replied.
“Okay, but I can’t talk in my animal form, how can they talk in their insect form? And since when were there insect shifters?”
“They are not bugs, Jett. They are dragons just like you, but on a smaller scale. Fate gave them wings of a butterfly to help keep them hidden. Anyone, human or shifter alike, seeing them would just think they were butterflies and not really pay them any attention. As the dragons and phoenix pledged to keep the pixie safe, vampires have pledged to always protect the butterfly dragon. But as with the pixies, where everyone thought they were dead, the butterfly dragon numbers have also decreased and we haven’t seen one in many years. We were afraid they had all been killed as well.”
Ezra reached out and unlocked the cages, then opened the doors. The little black dragon with the large cobalt blue wings outlined with black, hesitantly moved to the opening, then flew out and flitted around Ezra’s head a few times before flying a few feet from him. A bright golden light engulfed it, and there was a sound of chimes. Suddenly, the light grew, then faded, and in the place of the little dragon there was an adorable little man maybe five feet two inches and a hundred and ten pounds. His naked body was slim and sleek, like what people would call a twink, but he had a pretty impressive cock between his thin legs. He was completely hairless except for the waist long lavender hair on his head. Zen was struck by the richness of his deep cobalt blue eyes and the happiness he saw within them.
“Thank you, King Ezra. It has been a long time since I have been able to shift and stretch my legs,” the little man’s angelic voice made Zen feel happy for some reason.
“You’re very welcome, little one. I am just sorry we did not find you sooner. And how about you, friend? Would you like to shift, little one?” Ezra asked and looked to the other butterfly dragon.
The little black dragon with the deep pink wings outlined in black hesitantly moved closer to the door and looked at the other little man.
“It’s okay, Helio. We are with the King now and he will keep us safe.”
The little butterfly dragon flew out from the cage and circled above them, then landed behind the first one. The small golden light appeared and the sound of chimes rang out before the light grew. When it disappeared another small man about two inches shorter than the first and a few pounds lighter stood there, hiding behind the first one. Where the other little guy had olive skin, this one had creamy white, flawless skin and long Magenta hair to his knees along with the most stunning deep, dark, pink eyes Zen had ever seen. Well, he had never seen anyone with pink eyes before, but this shade of pink was amazing.
The first little man reached back and grasped the hand of the second one then gave him a smile and looked back to them. “I am Briar and this is Helio,” Briar announced.
“It is wonderful to meet you both and I am honored by your presence. I give you both my solemn vow that me and my vampires will keep you safe and protected,” Ezra stated as he fisted his right hand, placed it over his heart, and bowed his head to the two.
“Thank you, King Ezra,” Briar replied.
“Th-thank y-you,” Helio whispered so softly he could hardly be heard.
“I need to take care of some business with this vile creature who imprisoned you, but once I do, I will escort you back to my home where you will come live with me, if that is alright with you?”
“We would be honored and most appreciative, King Ezra. We were searching for you for some time before that…woman grabbed us and locked us away. She is a very, very bad dragon,” Briar sadly said.
“And she will pay dearly for what she has done to you. I give you my word. Theron, Draven, please find something for our honored guests to dress in and take them back to my car, I will be there shortly,” Ezra instructed.
“Yes, Ezra. If you would both please follow us, we’ll make sure you stay safe,” Draven said and held out a hand to the little men.
“Thank you,” they both answered and followed Draven and Theron toward the building.
Everyone stared until they were out of sight, then turned to look at Ezra. He looked around at each of them and smirked. “What?”
“Is it just me, or are they the most adorable things you have ever seen?” Ollie said.
“It was like looking at sunshine and heaven all at the same time,” Jett replied.
“I have to agree with my mate, they were like the definition of sexy and sensual. They were so pretty I thought they were females at first until I looked at their faces and saw the Adam’s apple in their throats and the strong jaws,” Zev added.
“That, and the size of their…you know what I mean? Wow. For little guys…just wow,” Avery said.
“Dad, did you know about these butterfly dragons?” Day asked.
“Yes, but like Ezra, I had no idea there were any of them left. It has been over a thousand years since I have seen one,” Illan answered.
“They were mine! You had no right to take them. I bought them fair and square,” Lucinda seethed.
“You can’t buy other creatures, you evil cunt,” Zev growled at her.
“I promise you, Zev, Zen, that I will punish her for everything she has done. And now that I can add crimes against butterfly dragons to her long list, her punishment will be more severe,” Ezra said in a cold, deadly voice as he glared at Lucinda.
“What I want to know is why she’s even here? Why did she come after Zen anyway? I thought you said you hadn’t seen her since you were five and your Dad brought you here to hide you from her?” Ollie asked.
Zen turned his head and narrowed his eyes at Lucinda. “That’s a good question. Why did you come here looking for me?”
Lucinda wouldn’t answer. She tightened her lips and glared at him. Justice moved closer and grabbed her face between both hands until she looked at him. Justice stared into her eyes, neither of them saying a word. Finally, Justice asked, “Who is Fagan Mann?”
Zen gasped as his eyes went wide and his face went pale. “How do you know that name?”
“It’s in her head,” Justice replied.
“Who is that, love?” Pascal asked.
“Mann was our real name. I mean my dad and me. It is our real surname. Dad changed it when we came here. Fagan Mann is my uncle. My dad’s brother.”
CHAPTER 20
“Why are you thinking about my uncle and what does it have to do with you finding me?” Zen asked as he placed Pascal on his feet and took a step closer to Lucinda, but she wouldn’t answer him, she only glared at Justice.
Zen walked to her side and grabbed her around the throat, but not too tight. “What do you want from me?” He insisted.
“She’s trying to get to your family’s money,” Justice answered.
“What?” Pascal gasped.
“How do you know all of this, Justice? I thought you could go in and wipe people’s memories, but I didn’t know you could read their minds,” Morgan asked.
Justice turned to look at him and smiled. “It’s something that Illan, Avery, and I decided to keep to ourselves until I have more control over it. Since I mated my two wonderful mates, my powers have changed and I have gained a few others.”
“His age also helped him gain a few more,” Illan added proudly.
“So, you can see that she was after Zen’s money?” Day asked.
“Yes,” Justice answered and looked back at Lucinda.
“What money? Dad lost everything a few years ago when people started leaving Maddox and Charley pulled his shit. We had to close the business because of it. He took a trip back home to talk to Uncle Fagan about it, but that’s when he had the accident and was killed,” Zen explained, his heart hurting thinking about his dad.
Pascal was immediately at his side, wrapping hi
s hands around his arm and holding him tight. A sense of calm washed over him, and Zen sighed.
“Douglas Mann. No, Donald Rivers,” Justice announced.
“That’s my father. What about him?” Zen asked.
Justice turned sad eyes his way. He didn’t know what the phoenix leader was about to tell him, but Zen knew it wasn’t going to be good. “What happened to your father wasn’t an accident, Zen. Lucinda had people watching your Uncle’s ranch, and when they spotted your father, she had him killed and made it look like an accident.”
Zen felt all the air rush out of him as his body went cold. Pascal moved to stand in front of him and wrapped his arms around his waist, holding him tight. A thousand questions and a mountain of pain rushed through him, before one thought finally took hold. Why?
Zen looked to Lucinda and asked just that, “Why? You didn’t want me. You tried to kill me so your mate Salem wouldn’t find out about me or the affair you had with my father, so why not just leave us alone? And to kill him all those years later, and now come after me…Why? It makes no sense.”
Lucinda met his gaze, her eyes cold and hard, and filled with something evil. “For the same reason I started the affair with your father in the first place. Do you really think a woman like me would fall in love with a common man like your father? Sure, he was handsome, but he was an African elephant. No one should mate outside their breeds, or with the same sex,” she spat out in disgust.
“Then why the hell even start a relationship with him?” Zen yelled.
“For his money, you dolt! Douglas came from the richest family in the state. The Mann’s owned more land than god. Hell, they owned more horse and cows than all of Texas combined. Your family was worth millions even then, but now they are worth so much more and the only two left standing are you and Fagan. I knew Douglas would have to go crawling back to his brother someday to claim the rest of his inheritance and I waited patiently for that day to come, and when he showed up I killed that useless bastard. Which leaves you. I tried to get rid of you so that I could get my hands on Douglas’s portion of the inheritance, but he saved you and hid you away! So, when he was spotted going to visit Fagan I knew it was my chance. I had him killed, which left you. That’s when I started looking for you,” Lucinda sneered as she struggled against Illan’s hold.