Origin (Scales 'N' Spells Book 1)

by AJ Sherwood

  “There’s no reason for those evil bastards to go after your parents,” Halmeoni agreed. “Not in that sense.”

  Cameron agreed but didn’t. “But they might be evil enough to use our parents as hostages. I’ll ask Alric to send them guards, just in case.” He pulled out his phone and texted the request. To his surprise, he received an answer immediately.

  We’re sending two out in the next hour as a precaution. Please notify your parents of this.

  “Alric’s already planning on sending someone.” Smart king. Then again, he was likely more aware of how devious the enemy could be. “We’ll need to alert the parents they’re coming.

  Halmeoni shrugged. “We’ll need to speak with your parents soon anyway. They want you to Skype them so they can check on you. For some reason, they’ve still got it stuck in their heads that you’re going to go back in a month and start one of those new jobs you’ve been offered.”

  Snatching up one of the throw pillows, Cameron pressed it to his face and groaned. This was his own fault. He had not made it clear that he had no intention of leaving Germany. Hell, there was no way he was leaving Burkhard castle without Alric. But in his own defense, he’d been afraid to believe any of this was permanent until he’d been made a part of the clan.

  He knew it down in his soul that this was where he was meant to be. His life was supposed to be about magic, protecting this clan, and if he was very lucky, protecting Alric.

  “I’ll call them,” Cameron said, his voice muffled by the pillow.

  He needed to bite that bullet soon. There was little doubt in his mind that his parents weren’t going to understand this. At least, not right away.

  They’d been so careful to set his life on this path to success. He’d just finished getting his master’s degree. Once he started his new job, the next steps were a house of his own and a husband, followed quickly with one child and then two years later, a second child. For his parents, that was the road to happiness. They would not understand any deviation on Cameron’s part.

  Cameron had always known his happiness didn’t lead down this road, but he’d never known how to tell them because he hadn’t been sure how to find his happiness. At least, not until he’d met Alric and the dragons of Burkhard Castle.

  “They’ll understand…eventually,” Halmeoni said softly.

  Cameron grunted and moved the pillow behind his head. They would. His parents loved him and only wanted his happiness. It just wasn’t going to be an easy conversation.

  “But on to more important things,” Cassie announced. Cameron twisted on the sofa to see her sitting up in the middle of his bed. “When do we start learning magic?”

  Halmeoni sat up straighter as well and clapped her hands. “Yes! When do we learn magic? I plan to become the most powerful mage this castle has ever seen.”

  Cameron chuckled. Yep, he was back to being chopped liver, but he couldn’t blame them. He’d been the same way. “Tomorrow. Lisette has been training me to use magic, and I’m sure she’s going to be training you both as well. She’s a wonderful teacher.”

  “Are you sure we can’t start right now?” Halmeoni prodded. “I’m not feeling the least bit tired.”

  “Me neither,” Cassie piped up.

  “Tomorrow,” Cameron said firmly. “We need to call the parents tonight and that’s not a short conversation. And with magic, there’s a lot to learn, and you need to rest while you can. Enjoy the fact that you’re in a castle surrounded by real, live dragons.”

  “Okay, but I want my dragon,” Cassie pouted.

  Me too, whispered Cameron’s heart.

  Alric called out an absent, “Enter!” at the knock at the door before scent told him who it was. Cameron. His dragon instantly stirred, head raising and clawing at him to rise and cross to the man. To touch him. Hold him. Good grief, it was as if he needed to put a leash on his dragon.

  He put the report in his hands down immediately, turning in his chair toward the door. This was the first time Cameron had come to his private chambers on his own. It probably accounted for some of his dragon’s restlessness. The mage was finally in his domain of his own accord.

  With a light tread, Cameron waltzed in, shutting the door behind him. There was a smug set to his mouth. “Why hello there, handsome. Are you busy?”

  “Hello yourself. I’m free for you. Are you done settling everyone in?” Alric set the report on the side table, extending his right hand in invitation.

  Cameron took it, swinging himself into Alric’s lap as if he had a standing invitation. (He did.) Alric’s good arm came around his waist to hold him in place as Cameron leaned in for a hello kiss. His left hand rested on Cameron’s thigh, stroking a bit because he couldn’t seem to still that impulse. He loved this new development between them. It had been only a day since Cameron declared they should try dating, and Alric was enjoying these stolen private moments. They possessed an unexpected touch of familiarity, where the moment was as much about re-connecting with the man as anything else. A sweet, happy hello.

  With a sigh, Cameron pulled back a few inches. “They are as settled as I can make them. Halmeoni is beside herself, she’s so excited to work magic. There will be absolutely no living with her for the next decade. Cassie’s admittedly not much better.”

  “I can’t say that I’m surprised. Not after meeting them. And there’s a joy to finding what you were meant to do, what truly calls to you.”

  “Yeah, I know. First time I did magic, that hit home with me. It’s why I didn’t argue when they wanted a magic lesson with Lisette. I think she went along with it for the same reason.”

  Alric carefully lifted his left hand and brushed a lock of Cameron’s hair from his eyes, smiling. “She’s just as excited, in her own way. To have so many students at once is something we’ve all dreamed about.”

  “Even if one of them is a grandmother?” Cameron asked with a light laugh.

  “I don’t think she expected that, no. But still, another mage is a blessing no matter the age.” And Alric personally laid odds that when Noh Ha Na was fully trained, she’d be a considerable force to be reckoned with. For the simple fact that she was so enthusiastic about magic, she would learn every nook and cranny of it. Knowledge applied was often more powerful than raw talent.

  “Will you invite them into the clan too?”

  “Of course. But I want to give them more time to learn about us first. Asking at this juncture would be irresponsible.”

  “I figured you’d say that.” Cameron lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “Well, for the moment they’re fine. A little too excited, to be honest. I’m not sure if they’re going to sleep at all tonight. They’re literally bouncing about magic, drooling over the many, many attractive dragons in the clan—seriously, is that some kind of a rule? Dragons must be attractive?”

  “We try,” Alric responded with false modesty.

  “Ha! You’re one to talk, you sexy beast.” Cameron leaned in to kiss him.

  Alric turned his face up, kissing back. This time, Cameron kissed him deeply. His passion was a drug racing through Alric’s veins, and he was becoming addicted. He could feel his body rising to the occasion and mentally swore at it. This wasn’t the right moment for anything more.

  At least, he thought so until a slim hand slipped under the hem of his shirt and trailed upwards, fingers soothing along his skin in a sensual caress. Those fingers found a nipple and tweaked it, first gently, then with strength. Alric arched a little into it, gasping into Cameron’s mouth. Damn, he’d forgotten how good that felt.

  There might have been a smirk on Cameron’s mouth as he swallowed that sound, his fingers doing it again. This was heading in one direction, and he shifted uncomfortably. His young lover clearly wanted sex, but was he actually ready for this?

  Okay, so maybe his body and dragon were both shouting for more. For all of it. To explore every delectable inch of Cameron until the man trembled and panted beneath him.

  But his mind was not
exactly on board with this plan.

  On one level, he understood that Cameron had already seen him. Touched those scars, knew the damage. There wasn’t anything to fear. But the rest of his mind rebelled at the mental image of him laying exposed next to all of Cameron’s perfection. He recoiled from it and his hand snapped up, catching Cameron’s wrist and removing it from under his shirt.

  Cameron pulled back, his eyes searching Alric’s face. “If you’re not in the mood for sex, I’ll stop.”

  Alric’s mouth opened and closed, no words emerging.

  Expression hardening, Cameron sat further up. “But if you’re afraid to have sex with me because of your scars, then that’s a different matter. Which is it, Alric?”

  Shit. Alric looked away from him, trying to regain his composure. Cameron read him far too well.

  “Okay, no. This stops now.”

  What did that mean? Alarmed, Alric’s head jerked back around. Cameron left his lap abruptly and he scrambled for him, trying to catch Cameron and draw him back in. “Wait—”

  “Nope. I thought after I put the potion on your scars, you’d be okay with me. But you’re clearly not, so let’s put this into perspective.” Cameron faced him, arms akimbo, a dark frown on his face. “I’m not perfect either, Alric. I have scars too.”

  Alric stared back at him, thrown for a mental loop. “You do?”

  “Hell yeah, man. It’s not like I was wrapped in silk my entire life. I’ve got quite a few. Let me show you. Most are small, I grant you, but this one” —Cameron pulled at the sleeve of his shirt to expose an elbow—“I had three warts there that I had removed, and they got infected so they didn’t heal clean.” He toed off his shoes and then yanked off socks, leaving them carelessly aside. “And then there’s this scar here, right next to my big toe. Mom accidentally dropped her sewing scissors when I was about three, nearly took my toe off. She still feels guilty about it.”

  Alric looked at the scar on Cameron’s bare foot, barely able to see the thin white line, it was so old. Where was he going with this?

  Cameron stripped his shirt off and Alric’s question died unspoken at seeing all of that lovely skin exposed. His libido was desperately trying to turn off his brain. Why were they talking about scars again? He just wanted to get his hands on the man. Cameron didn’t have the perfect of a gym rat, but he was perfect to Alric’s eyes. Not too slim, the muscles smooth without being ultra-defined. His hands twitched with the need to caress every inch of that olive-toned skin.

  “—three dots here where they took out my appendix,” Cameron was saying, pointing to them before turning and exposing his back to Alric. “And see that round, puckered looking scar? My neighbor as a kid was practicing with his bow and arrow, and he shot over the fence by mistake and hit me. It went in like a quarter of an inch, not bad, but it left the scar behind. I screamed bloody murder when it happened. I understand he’s still banned for life from picking up a bow. Oh, and here—”

  The words flowed over Alric, none of them sinking in past the surface. He watched like a man spellbound as Cameron casually took off his pants and kicked them to the side, revealing a pair of bright red boxer briefs beautifully molded to his body. It actually took Alric a moment to drag his eyes to where Cameron pointed to an oddly shaped scar just above his knee. He couldn’t focus on it, his gaze wandering up over every inch of him. All he could see was this man, this beautiful, enchanting man who had stripped in front of Alric, leaving him in boxers. He saw golden skin right there, within reach to touch and caress.

  Alric felt like whimpering.

  “Are you listening? Alric, hello?”

  Alric’s eyes came back up to Cameron’s through sheer willpower. His mouth was dry, his breath coming a bit quick in his lungs. “What?”

  Cameron watched him as if he knew very well what sort of perverted thoughts were going through Alric’s mind and seemed amused by it. “What do you think?”

  “I’m afraid I lost the thread,” Alric admitted hoarsely. If Cameron didn’t put clothes back on, immediately, he was going to be flat on his back with a dragon on top of him.

  “See!” Cameron exclaimed as if he’d just validated some point Cameron had been trying to make. “You don’t care about my scars at all! You still want me. I feel the same about you, okay?”

  Those words penetrated the fog of lust. Alric blinked, clearing his vision, and looked Cameron over from head to foot once more. This time, he did focus on the imperfections but…well, what did they matter? Cameron was right, they had no bearing whatsoever on how Alric felt for him. All of that was skin deep and had nothing to do with the amazing man standing in front of him. The man he wanted rather desperately.

  If Cameron felt the same way about it that he did, then indeed, what was there to be afraid of? Alric had always compared himself to what he had been, what he had lost. But Cameron didn’t know the Alric of five hundred years ago. He knew only the man he saw today. He saw him precisely as he was.

  And wanted him, just like this.

  The realization gave him courage. Alric didn’t question it, didn’t let doubts rob him of this moment. He stood and stripped off his shirt in one go, throwing it to the side. “Come here.”

  “That’s the spirit!” Cameron cheered, a victorious fist punching the air. He bounced right into Alric’s arms, throwing both of his around Alric’s shoulders. Alric latched onto his waist and kissed him urgently, needing to taste him after that strip show. Cameron smiled a little as he kissed him, hands sweeping down Alric’s back in a warm caress. His touch didn’t falter, didn’t show any difference between damaged skin and good. Alric felt tears prick at his eyes as he realized all over again that Cameron truly did not care. All he wanted was Alric.

  And Alric was perfectly alright with Cameron having all of him.

  Those very capable hands dipped down, tracing and shaping Alric’s ass. Cameron’s mouth trailed down his jaw and neck, nipping at the skin lightly. “Yes or no?”

  Many lovers had held the opinion that because Alric was so dominant in personality he wouldn’t care to be taken. It was an erroneous assumption. “I like it either way. Giving and taking is pleasurable to me. You’re welcome to take me tonight.”

  Cameron’s smile turned a little more wicked, definitely hungrier. “Please and thank you.” Cameron took him by the hand, leading him toward the bed.

  Alric followed, and for the first time in memory, he wasn’t nervous about following a lover to bed. He wasn’t shy under Cameron’s eyes or felt the need to arrange them so that Cameron couldn’t readily see his chest. If anything, Cameron’s greedy gaze left him feeling powerful and desired.

  His lover crawled to the center of the bed and sat on his knees, hand extended toward Alric. With his own grin, Alric shoved down his pants and socks, stepping away from the pile and leaving himself open to Cameron’s perusal.

  “Yes. All of that,” Cameron said huskily, waving his hand toward Alric’s entire body. “I want all of that now.”

  They came together in a tangle of limbs and laughter, their hands exploring each other and finding sensitive spots. Skin rubbed against skin, lighting a hundred little fires across Alric’s body. Nothing had ever felt so perfect to him. Every touch, every gasp and laugh added a new bubble of joy to his blood.

  Unable to comfortably lean on his left side, Alric sat up instead, straddling Cameron’s thighs. He wrapped the fingers of his right hand around Cameron’s straining cock and slowly stroked him. Cameron lay back, hands over his head while fingers dug deep into the pillow. Cameron watched him through slitted eyes, his damp lips parted on a broken gasp of pleasure. Tension seemed to hum through his lithe body, pulling muscles taut to the point of trembling.

  “That’s good,” he said thickly. “So good. Come here so I can reach you better.”

  Good? Oh, Alric wanted so much more than simply good. He wanted to drive his sexy little mage insane. He wanted him writhing, shouting, and maybe even a little begging. He scooted back a
nd bent down, pressing a series of open-mouthed kisses along the inside of his pelvic bone. Cameron’s cock nudged his cheek, and a soft moan left his lover when Alric turned his head and nuzzled his thick length with the tip of his nose. The scent of Cameron’s citrus bodywash and personal musk danced around him. Nothing had ever been so intoxicating.

  He continued down, kissing and licking the little divot where his thigh met his torso. Cameron whimpered and one hand reached down from the pillow to thread through his hair. His lover didn’t pull him in the direction he wanted, but there was a slight tightening, some impatience in that tug. There was no question what his Cameron wanted.

  His dragon urged the same thing. It growled in Alric’s brain, demanding to lick and taste every inch of the morsel spread before him in his bed. Yes, all of Cameron needed to be savored.

  Turning his head, Alric licked a slow stripe up Cameron’s cock with the flat of his tongue. He paused, swirling his tongue around the tip, before swallowing him down. Dear god, how long had it been since he’d done this? Even in his foggiest of memories, it had never been like this. The sound of Cameron’s panting, the weight of his perfect dick on his tongue. Hollowing his cheeks, he sucked him slowly, relishing the taste and feel of his satiny skin on his tongue.

  Cameron was panting and humming, his skin beautifully flushed, but it wasn’t enough. Drawing ever so slightly on dragon fire, he heated his breath up so that it was just a few degrees warmer than the average human’s. He let Cameron’s cock slide from his mouth, and he blew a steady stream from root to tip. The warm air across wet flesh became the most decadent caress, but also a wicked tease since it came without all the usual friction and pressure.

  Cameron spasmed and arched under the onslaught, a gasp of pleasure wringing out of his throat. His head shot up, and he stared at Alric with wide eyes, panting for breath. “Oh. My. God.”

  Wicked need flashed through Alric. That was more of the reaction he looked for. “Still good?” he teased.