Allow Me to Serve You [Dragon Hearts 4] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove)

by Marcy Jacks

  “Well, there’s at least some good news. Kraigan, remember?”

  Dravick perked up. “That’s right. Let’s go,” he said.

  He and Novik walked off, not exactly with arms around the shoulders, but at least smiling.

  That was right. Dravick did have some small measure of happiness. Tonight a friend had returned alive, and he couldn’t wait to see him.

  * * * *

  “Ahhh-ahh, totally saved your life!” Jason singsonged, spinning around and dancing on the spot.

  Kraigan growled at him, his heavy brows low and his face looking like a kind of dog that Jason had seen a couple of times before in his life. The man certainly growled like a dog, and it just made Jason dance and sing all the more.

  Because it annoyed the hell out of Kraigan, who was kind of adorable when he was annoyed. Also, with the man confined to his bed with that broken leg, it meant Jason was safe from getting a punch in the head for his little performance, and he could do whatever the hell he wanted.

  And Kraigan had to sit there and take it.

  “You didn’t save my life,” Kraigan said, his voice like a growl. What was the name of that dog? He looked exactly like it, and Jason couldn’t think of the breed.

  “Yes I did!” Jason said, pointing his finger and smiling wide at the man. “I saved your life, and now you owe me. You owe me so much that I’m going to hang it over your head for the rest of your natural dragon life.”

  Kraigan continued to growl and glare. Adam put his hand on Jason’s shoulder. “Maybe you should stop teasing him.”

  It had taken several minutes of hugging before Adam was willing to let Jason go, and the same with Athy, who sat in a corner, grinning as she was entertained by her brother’s antics.

  Now that Jason was free, he just wanted to move. To dance around and rub his victory in Kraigan’s face.

  “Not a chance!” Jason said. “Nothing can destroy my good mood! I saved Kraigan’s life, and now he belongs to me!” He laughed at his own stupid words, right before he realized what he’d just said.

  He immediately stopped laughing. Adam stared at him with the crazy-man expression. It was the crazy-man expression because it was the look everyone got on their face whenever a crazy person jumped in front of them and did some random, crazy thing.

  Athy laughed at him. Kraigan crossed his arms and glared harder.

  Jason continued to point at the man. “Don’t you worry. I definitely didn’t mean it like that. No way.”

  Instead of being happy, Kraigan absolutely glowered at him.

  Jason couldn’t resist teasing him. It was too much fun.

  “Aw, does the poor big baby want to bewong to me?” Jason cooed then held his hands together, pretending he thought Kraigan was a cute baby or a toddler that needed patronizing. “You can bewong to me if you weawy want to.”

  Kraigan grinned at him, showing off sharp teeth in his mouth. Which meant he was starting to change into his dragon shape. “Come over here and allow me to belong to you, please,” he said.

  He even crooked his finger. There was a giant sharp and hooked claw at the end of it.

  A shiver lanced up Jason’s spine, and he could just imagine himself getting close enough to Kraigan’s claws for the man to do something with them.

  “Uh, no thanks, don’t think I’ll be doing that,” Jason said, not entirely interested in teasing the man anymore.

  Adam and Athy laughed, clearly taking his reaction to mean that Kraigan had just scared the ever-loving fires of hell out of him, which was somewhat true.

  But also not.

  Kraigan...fuck, when the hell had this happened? When did Kraigan become sexy when he looked at Jason with that I’m-going-to-rip-you-open expression on his face? A look like that was only supposed to be attractive when Jason watched it being given to someone else. There must be something wrong with him.

  Thankfully, his mind, as usual, came up with a quick distraction. “Bulldog! You look like a bulldog!”

  That scowl got deeper, the eyes glowing so that the gray looked like silver, with a darker shade of steel surrounding the edges. It was actually kind of pretty, and then Jason was caught up in that do-whatever-it-takes warrior look that Kraigan was giving him, and he had to look away again.

  He thought a man who hated his guts and wouldn’t even laugh at any of his jokes—not even now that they were safe—was good looking. This was bad, wasn’t it? Yeah, he would say it was bad.

  Thankfully, the door opened before anyone could realize what Jason’s problem was, and Novik and Dravick stepped through the door.

  Dravick was dressed in a damp bathrobe. Strange, but he was the king, so maybe he didn’t have to care about how he dressed.

  Jason was still wearing the filthy clothing he’d been in for the last several days now, ever since he’d been kidnapped from the nest and someone had attempted to sell him back to his former village.

  The same village that had tied him and Adam to a stake and left them to die because they’d done the despicable crime of having too much debt.

  Also, they’d both attacked Athy’s former husband, the stupid, idiot prick face who’d forced her to become his wife. There was also that.

  “Novik,” Adam said, moving over to his lover and putting his arms around the man’s waist, hugging him tight.

  It warmed Jason’s heart to see the way Novik held him back, his hold gentle yet possessive and his expression warm and affectionate.

  Jason...he wasn’t jealous. He wasn’t. But he wished he’d had something like that. A lover to welcome him back after being away for so long, someone other than his sister and a man who was like a brother to him to hold him and tell him how relieved they were that he was safe. As if he was important enough to have those things.

  He wanted to be important enough to have those things.

  Oh well. He watched as Dravick moved to Kraigan’s bedside and put his hand on the man’s shoulder. “Welcome back, friend.”

  Kraigan nodded. “Thank you, Your Majesty,” he said.

  Dravick looked genuinely pleased, as though he wasn’t just there because it was the right thing to do to build up morale with his warriors. His eyes actually shone. Jason hadn’t expected that, and he found himself respecting the man for that. It was a wonderful thing, seeing that the king actually did care for his subjects, and his friends.

  Novik spoke up, though he stayed by Adam’s side. “Tatsu will be here shortly. He went out on rotation to look for you, but I sent out a call.”

  Kraigan nodded, but before he could utter a thank-you, Tatsu himself fell against the open doorframe.

  Everyone’s attention immediately turned to the dark-haired warrior. Tatsu’s short, dark hair was slick and shiny with moisture. Sweat. His skin beaded with it, and he gripped the doorframe in white knuckles, as though attempting to stop himself from collapsing.

  Had he run all the way here?

  Then Tatsu straightened, noticing Kraigan in bed. Kraigan actually grinned at the man. It was such a rare sight that Jason almost couldn’t believe he was seeing it.

  “What took you so long?” Kraigan asked, that usual smirky tone to his voice.

  Tatsu choked on a sound that Jason could hardly describe before he rushed forward. Jason was nearly knocked on his ass when the man pushed past him, but he got a good, clear view of the way Tatsu grabbed Kraigan’s cheek and the back of his neck, leaning down and pressing his mouth to the injured warrior’s lips.

  “Mmph!” Kraigan said, his eyes wide, but then Jason couldn’t see them anymore as Tatsu stood in the way, blocking the view.

  Jason sucked in a breath as his gut clenched. Clenched and spasmed as his body went cold.

  Kraigan…and Tatsu? When had that happened? And why had he not known about it?

  Well, Kraigan did seem like kind of a private guy and everything, so…wait a minute? Why did it matter? And why the hell was he staring at them?

  He needed to get out of here.

  J
ason ducked out of the room. It felt as though there were a thousand hellhounds snapping at his heels, and he couldn’t be gone from that room fast enough. The second he was out of there, he had to lean his back against the wall and catch his breath.

  What was wrong with him?

  “Hey.”

  Jason jumped as he looked over.

  Adam was right there, at his side, and though the man was still a little green in the face, he stared at Jason with clear worry in his eyes. “Are you all right?”

  Jason blew out a breath and cleared his throat, and Athy came out just then, also checking on him it seemed. “I’m fine. I just…that looked private. I don’t think Kraigan wants me to see that.”

  Neither Adam nor Athy looked convinced. “Are you sure you’re all right?” Athy asked. “You left in such a hurry I thought you’d seen a ghost.”

  Had he really looked that way? And for what? For nothing, that’s what.

  Jason straightened his shoulders, banishing, or trying to, all of the negative emotions that rushed though him in that moment. He rolled his shoulders and craned his neck to get the tension out of his body. It helped. “I’m fine. Really, I just didn’t want to have to see Kraigan suck face with anyone.”

  Adam’s lips quirked at that. “Suck face?”

  “Kissing, whatever,” Jason said. “Besides, he owes me his life, and I intend on making him pay up, so he can have his little moment with Tatsu if he really wants because tomorrow I’ll be back.”

  Athy couldn’t stop smiling at him. “Since he saved you first, wouldn’t that make the two of you even?”

  “We’re pretending that does not apply,” Jason said, wagging his finger at his sister. “Also, he’s a warrior. It’s his job to save me. So, technically, he owes me.”

  Both his best friend and his sister shook their heads at him. Jason didn’t care. This was his story, and he was sticking with it even if it meant he could hold this over Kraigan.

  To celebrate coming back, the three of them went to the kitchens for some sweets, and then Jason turned in for a bath.

  The bath was the worst because then he was alone in the steaming spring water, wondering why the image of Tatsu and Kraigan kissing bothered him so much. Not just a bother either. A knowing, ache-in-his-chest type of bother that he couldn’t ignore.

  Chapter Five

  Dravick could hardly believe his eyes when Tatsu leaned in and kissed Kraigan.

  A full-on-the-mouth type of kiss. Kraigan’s hands had turned into fists as they gripped the back of Tatsu’s shirt, a thin and flimsy thing he’d probably thrown on just for the sake of decency before coming into a medical room, along with the pants.

  Dravick couldn’t tell if Kraigan was holding on for dear life or trying to keep Tatsu from moving away from him.

  He got his answer when Kraigan finally managed to push Tatsu back. Their mouths separated, wet now, but Kraigan stared at Tatsu as though he’d only just seen the man for the first time.

  “What are—” He cleared his throat. “What are you doing?”

  Was Kraigan’s face changing color?

  Tatsu wouldn’t move any farther away from Kraigan, determined to stay close. There was a tremor in his voice. “You scared me to death. I thought you would never come back! I thought...I thought I would find you dead.”

  Kraigan looked away, his mouth thinning into a fine line and his face brightening even more. “Well, I’m fine. There’s no need for that.”

  “No...” Tatsu seemed shocked. “Kraigan, I just kissed you.”

  “I am aware of that. Your mouth was on mine, and I’m not so easily forgetful,” he said, and then his gaze scanned the room, landing on neither Novik or Dravick. Who was he looking for? The brunet human that had come in with him?

  When he found him not there, Kraigan sighed. “Tatsu, I’m sorry, but I have no feelings for you like that. Not romantically.”

  Tatsu seemed to absorb those words for a moment, and then he pulled away from Kraigan and stood straight again. “I see,” he said. There was no ire in his voice, only hurt and disappointment. “I will wait for you, if that is preferable.”

  “No, Tatsu, don’t do that,” Kraigan said, shutting his eyes, as though trying to block out everything around him. “I just...please don’t make this difficult for the both of us.”

  “Difficult!” Tatsu said.

  Dravick winced. Even he knew it was not a proper thing to say to a warrior. It was practically an accusation of being weak, of being too emotionally needy.

  Kraigan seemed to realize his mistake, but it was too late. Tatsu turned and walked out of the room.

  His spine was straight and his shoulders back. He walked with all the confidence of any warrior, but Dravick thought he detected a good deal of heartache there.

  Kraigan sighed. “I would really like to get some food in me, preferably red meat and potatoes, and then sleep.”

  Novik smiled. “Red meat and potatoes it is then. Right after you’ve eaten a healthy salad and a glass of milk. I’m worried about your health, and you need the vitamins for your leg,” he said quickly when Kraigan scowled at him.

  “I’ve got the healers up my ass about that already. I don’t need to be hearing the same thing from you.”

  Novik shrugged, and then he turned and walked out of the room where Kraigan would recover for the following week or so.

  Dravick bid Kraigan farewell and congratulated him on his successful survival. As he left, he decided that he needed to do something for the warrior. He needed to honor in him with a proper feast when this was over.

  Tatsu, however, that was difficult. The poor man. He hoped Tatsu would be well for the night, but he was a strong warrior. He had to have known that his feelings might not be returned if he confessed them.

  Which probably hadn’t made the denial any easier.

  Dravick bid good night to Novik, who went off to find his mate, and then Dravick left the healers to continue their treatment of Kraigan for the night but not before sending a servant to the kitchens with instructions to bring a large steak with extra potatoes, butter, and gravy for Kraigan, along with a tall glass of milk and a small salad.

  Kraigan’s reward could start tonight. Dravick would not enforce too much healthy eating on a man who was craving good meat after being outside of the nest for so long.

  Then he returned to his rooms.

  He’d hoped to find Aaron still there, though he hadn’t really expected it. Still, it was a large disappointment to find that his rooms were empty, and that Aaron was not there. To make matters worse, the bathroom was indeed clean. The tub had been emptied of water and cleaned until it was dry, as were the floors. Any dirty towels had been folded and put in the basket for another servant to take away later.

  Dravick’s heart ached. He hadn’t actually meant that command for Aaron to clean up. That had simply been for Novik’s benefit. But there was nothing to be done for it now, and Dravick went to sit on his bed, his bed that was too large even when there happened to be someone inside of it, sharing the space with him.

  Now, it felt like a lonely void that swallowed him up and would not release him until he gave into his loneliness. He wanted Aaron there with him. Just for once, he wanted the man to spend the night with him.

  Had Aaron felt as Tatsu had looked when Dravick had been forced to pretend he’d been nothing more than a plaything? Very likely, he had. Aaron was the most sensitive male Dravick had ever met in his entire life. The man was good with reading emotions and incredibly open to them as well.

  It must have added insult to injury for him to have to get out of the bathtub by himself, dry off, and then clean up the mess Dravick had left, right after Dravick had insulted him and left as quickly as he had.

  He would need to make amends for that, and quickly.

  * * * *

  Aaron didn’t sleep so great that night. He never did after leaving Dravick’s rooms, and it wasn’t necessarily because of the sore backside that usually came
with pleasing his king.

  The other servants in the shared room greeted him and asked him why he’d been working late, and he gave his standard answer. No one seemed to look at him with suspicion. Not last night.

  Last night, all the attention and focus had been on Jason, the brunet who was still fairly new to the nest. He’d been here for only a couple of months, and at first, his connections with Novik had warranted him his own private room, until he’d been caught trying to escape.

  He was the first human to not receive a death sentence for that one. Because of his connections, but also as a punishment, he’d been forced to share a room with the other servants.

  For the first day, everyone had hated him and teased him for his foolishness, but by the second day, everyone had become his best friend. The man was like a puppy. He felt no shame for anything and was constantly yapping his mouth and making people smile.

  Puppies did not make jokes, but if they did, Jason would embody the spirit of one even more.

  Because of his popularity in the servants’ rooms, Jason was welcomed back with smiles, hugs, and slaps on the back. He looked as though he’d just come from the baths. He also didn’t appear to be feeling so well.

  His smiles were forced, and as he sat on his bed, legs crossed beneath him, he seemed tired.

  Unfortunately, everyone wanted to hear of his daring rescue, of how he and Kraigan had survived, even though there had been werewolves chasing after them and Kraigan had broken his leg.

  Aaron had been happy that everyone paid attention to Jason and not him. If anyone really looked at Aaron, they might notice that Aaron’s hair was still damp as well, and it would be strange since he hadn’t been in the spring with Jason. People might get suspicious then if Aaron did not have a proper explanation to give on where he’d bathed.

  Thankfully, no one asked him, but even when Aaron had shut the curtains around his bed to try and create as much darkness as he could, he still remained awake for most of the night.