“I said very little.”
A niggling feeling in Chloe’s belly told her that was the precise problem. However, Marcy wouldn’t have lost her cool so easily over a handsome man ignoring her.
“What. Did. You. Say?”
“I gave her honesty.”
“Seriously? You couldn’t even be civil with her?”
“Do you suggest that I acknowledge the ants on the pavement as well?” Teo asked.
Chloe slapped him. “Marcy was wrong. You’re worse than a pretentious ass. You’re an insufferable, egotistical brute.”
The red imprint of her hand glowed upon Teo’s cheek like a beacon.
“I—”
She cut him off before his defense began. “You are nothing like Saul. You’re not a quarter of the man or dragon that he is, and you should feel ashamed to bring your foul opinions to his home. To our home,” she corrected herself. “On your island, you may be the boss who makes all the rules, but you’re a guest in our house right now. That is my friend you chased off with your rude bullshit, and you will respect her while she’s here.”
“Understood,” Teo gritted out. He strode the other direction, a man-child in a fantastic ivory suit, too spoiled to take responsibility for his abysmal manners and issue an apology.
Without donning her shoes, Chloe stepped barefoot onto the porch to find Saul with his hand on Marcy’s shoulder. He offered her a handkerchief with the other. Their whispers didn’t extend to Chloe’s ears, despite her strained attempt to pick up more than a word resembling her name.
“Is everything okay out here?”
Marcy nodded wordlessly. Saul lowered his hand and exhaled a deep, rumbling sound, the noise more inhuman growl than anything.
“I will have a talk with Teo,” Saul began.
“I already did. It’s taken care of,” Chloe assured him.
“I’m sorry for making a scene.”
“Marcy. You didn’t make a scene. We’re not out in public and this is our house. Nothing harmed.”
“It’s just... when he said I had no right to be here, I lost my shit. I was so awed that he was a dragon...”
“You have every right to be here. Teo was beginning to grow on me, but he’s shown his true colors again.”
Her proud friend sniffed and dabbed her eyes with Saul’s handkerchief. “Now I feel like a fool. Crying over a verbal altercation like I’m in high school again.”
“What’d he get all high and mighty over?”
“The silence felt awkward, so I tried to ask about his resort. I just thought... after this was all said and done maybe all of us could go away for a weekend. I wanted to surprise you. A honeymoon.”
“Oh sweetie,” Chloe sighed. She threw her arms around Marcy and hugged her.
“I asked how I could go about setting up a weekend getaway, and the jackass told me I could never afford it. I j-just wanted to surprise you.”
Chloe squeezed her even more tightly. “Don’t listen to that jerk.”
“I guess he just hit a raw nerve. Your stupid duel is tomorrow and I’m terrified it’s the last time I’ll ever...” Another ragged sob shook Marcy’s body. “When he told me I was useless, I was already feeling it. Then he demanded to know my purpose for being here, Chloe.”
“You’re my best friend in the entire world, and I love you. That’s your purpose for being here.”
The embrace ended after Marcy got ahold of her emotions and dried her face.
“Come on. Leiv made a strawberry honey cheesecake just for us, and food makes everything better. Let’s demolish it together.”
***
With each passing day, the supernatural melody had become more distinct to Chloe’s ears. The draconic obsession with gems and treasure never made sense until she spent a night sprawled atop her new bed, allowing it to lull her into peaceful dreams. For the first time since her pregnancy began, she began to sleep without fitful tossing and turning.
But Saul wasn’t beside her and she longed to feel his arms around her. He had a house full of dragons, with one more to arrive during the long night. Mahasti and Leiv had agreed to greet each one personally, but her dragon remained on the main level to welcome his guests. Meanwhile, Chloe lay alone while Marcy snored in a guest room with the help of sleeping aids and Felix’s rumbling purr.
Chloe pulled on her clothes and journeyed upstairs to find him. When she had retired for bed, Watatsumi, Teo, and Saul were alone. She now found the den occupied by three more unfamiliar faces: a fair blond man with a golden-red beard, a woman with skin the color of obsidian, and a wizened old man with a bald head who reminded Chloe of a Buddhist monk.
“Hello... Am I interrupting?” She hesitated in the doorway, aware of their inquisitive expressions. The woman appraised Chloe from afar with coal-colored eyes. She wore a revealing, wrap-style dress with one bared shoulder, its caramel hue attractive against skin as dark as night. The close crop of her black hair suited her angular facial structure.
“You have interrupted nothing, friend. Have we kept your mate from you for too long?” the unfamiliar woman said.
“He’s taken so long to come down,” she admitted from the doorway, reluctant to enter and disrupt their pow wow.
“I will be down shortly, my love.”
“Will you not introduce us to your mate? After all, it is for her that we come to show our support,” the bald man rumbled.
“Ah... so this is the young woman? I concur with Vasuki. Introduce us,” the blond man said as he rose from his seat. Of the three dragons, he was the only one to resemble Saul. They both had the same muscled frame, golden eyes, and proud stature.
“As you wish.” Saul sighed. “Chloe, please enter. No one here will cause you any harm.”
While she couldn’t process why, a strange sense of animal instinct had allowed Chloe to come to that conclusion on her own. When she moved to Saul’s side, he placed one arm around her shoulders and kissed her brow. His tender display brought an approving smile to the black woman’s face.
“Friends of my mother and father have come to bear witness to tomorrow’s duel.”
“More than mere friends,” the blond grunted.
Saul rolled his eyes. “You would call this one my uncle. Thor, allow me to introduce you to my mate, Chloe.”
Fucking Thor? “Really?” Chloe blurted, staring after her inelegant query. “Really?”
The two dragons exchanged a glance. No doubt Thor thought his nephew had mated to a dimwitted human. “I do not own a hammer, contrary to the myths and legends. I used my tail to bring the thunder.”
Holy shit, it’s Thor. Chloe wanted to laugh hysterically in a corner, but instead, she stared at him until the next realization struck her. He was laughing, too.
“Your feline has formed an attachment to me,” Thor said, with a nod of his head to Felix.
“Felix, what are you doing here? You’re supposed to be with Marcy.”
Felix arched his back and purred, rubbing his face against Thor’s jean-clad leg the whole while.
“If you’re Thor, do I even want to know who the others are? Are there anymore dragon gods in the room right now?”
“Chloe, meet Vasuki and Nefertiti. They are members of the Conclave who voted in our favor.”
Chloe’s eyes widened. Teotihuacan and Watatsumi were prime examples of dragons inspiring certain myths and legend, but she never expected to meet Nefertiti, Queen of the Nile.
“I am the only female dragon to oppose Brigid’s claim.” Nefertiti made a disgusted sound, its noise reminiscent of a hissing cat. “I see it for what it is — an inhumane act of greed. She has had many decades to accept Saul’s offer and I, for one, am pleased he has found you.”
“I... thank you,” Chloe murmured in appreciation, awe and gratitude bringing heat to her cheeks.
“May you fight with a true warrior’s spirit, Chloe,” Thor said.
“Excuse me, maybe I’m being silly but... I thought... I expected everyone to b
e upset. You’re not upset about our child?” Saul’s worries had led her to believe she would be ostracized and loathed for carrying a half-breed.
“No one can halt the winds of change indefinitely, young one. It was bound to happen eventually,” Vasuki said. “Many of us intermingle in human society, some more than others.” He shot Saul and Thor pointed glances.
Saul’s uncle clapped Vasuki on the shoulder. “Sitting in mountain temples may be fun for you, my friend, but not for all of us.”
“Go with her, Saul. We are not children to be entertained,” Nefertiti encouraged. “You have fulfilled your duty as host for the evening.”
“It was nice meeting you all. Thank you for coming out in support.” Maybe this will all go well after all...
They bid their guests goodnight and left them to the comforts of the library. As diverse as dragons were, they all appeared to share a common love for books and learning. Saul’s vast collection would keep them entertained.
Chloe laced their fingers together as they descended the wide stairway into the lower level. Felix didn’t follow, too intrigued by his new friend to follow Mommy to bed.
“Are they what you expected?” Saul lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles.
“No. Yes. I dunno.” Chloe blew out a breath and laughed at herself. “They seem so nice for dragons. After listening to you and Teo, I thought all female dragons were bitches like Brigid.”
“Most are quite cruel,” he agreed, confirming her original thoughts. “Nefertiti and my mother are special exceptions to what is typical of dragons. Females among the earth and storm dragons are a rarity, but they are known for their compassion toward humankind. Teo has pursued Nefertiti for quite some time, but...”
“She won’t have him?” Chloe snorted. “Can’t blame her with that attitude of his.” Subservient woman my ass.
“He is many centuries her junior and a cub by comparison.”
“And also a pig,” Chloe pointed out.
“That as well.”
Once they reached the lair, Saul shut the doors behind them and led Chloe to the rumpled bed. He straightened up the sheets from her tossing and turning, then turned to face her with a smile.
“My apologies, Chloe. I did not realize the hour or that you would remain awake for me.”
“It’s fine. I’m glad I came to find you, or I wouldn’t have met those three.”
Chloe unbuttoned Saul’s shirt and smoothed it back from his shoulders. Whether it was the influence of his friend Teo, or the arrival of so many other dragons, he had dressed business casual and foregone the usual laidback ‘jeans and nothing else’ look. She unfastened his slacks and pushed them below his hips, delighted to find he wore nothing beneath them.
“Now it is your turn,” Saul announced. He took joy in tugging her robe sash until the multilayered silk garment fell open.
“I traded Watatsumi the sword for this bed,” Saul confessed as he stroked his fingers through her hair. “Jade has the sweetest notes and is prized among my kind as being the finest stone for breeding females. I thought it would encourage Brigid to accept me. To move into my home and begin our life together.”
From another man, in another relationship, Chloe would have taken offense at receiving a gift intended for another woman but she had claimed it without asking his permission and made it hers. “Do you regret doing it? You know... for her?”
“I’m glad you are the one using it, Chloe. I never offered the bed to Brigid. It had been my intention to do so, but she flaunted her dalliance in my face and I shut myself away.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
“No, I do not. How can I when the jade’s song is what led us to the truth? Seeing you here, I feel as if this bed was always meant for you. For us.”
Saul guided Chloe to the bed to lay her amidst the soft cushions, and with only tender kisses and his fingertips, he traced over every inch of her body.
“Saul?” she whispered up to him. His mouth closed around her tightly budded nipple.
“Shh... I wish to make love to you.”
Gone was the dragon who took her with one powerful stroke after the next, mounting her in a dark cave on the night of their first meeting. Saul revealed a new side to himself that she never experienced. A gentle side of a sweet man who took his time, unrushed and unhurried through their lovemaking.
“No matter what happens tomorrow, you will always be my Chloe.”
“And you will always be my dragon. My Saul.”
With the jade’s song gently whispering in her ears, Chloe later drifted to sleep with her head against Saul’s chest, pale blonde hair fanned over his chiseled muscles. It was the perfect end to what may be their final night together.
Chapter 14
“They’re all dragons?” Marcy stared out from the balcony, standing with her arms wrapped around her middle. “Wow.”
“Yeah, I know.” Chloe gazed down at the assembled guests, over a dozen dragons and their retainers waiting for the main event. They came from all over the world and represented only a fraction of the dragon population. “At least they’re all in human form.”
“For now. Pretty soon you’re going to have a pasture full of fire-breathing dragons.”
“Nah, some of them blow acid or ice and stuff.”
Marcy gaped. “How are you so calm about this?”
“Because if I think about how scared I am, I’m afraid I’ll run away pissing my pants.”
“Oh, Chloe...” Marcy pulled her in close and hugged her tight. “I’m here with you, no matter what.”
“Stay with Mahasti, all right? If anything happens...” Chloe swallowed back a sob. “She’ll make sure you get home safe, okay? Promise me.”
“I promise.”
“Your friend will not come to harm.” Watatsumi and Teo entered the room behind the girls. “As Saul’s supporters, she will have our protection as well,” the tidal dragon assured her.
Teo didn’t add a verbal agreement, allowing his presence to speak for him. At least, Chloe hoped he remained supportive and wouldn’t let her friend suffer a squishy fate under an angry dragon.
“Go ahead,” Marcy said. She put on her brave face and smiled for Chloe’s benefit. “I’ll be fine with my own personal bodyguards. You go and kick that bitch’s ass.”
“You bet.”
I’m going to see her again. We’re going to share virgin daiquiris at the pool tomorrow and laugh about this.
Chloe dried her tear-streaked face as she left Marcy behind on the balcony in safety. Saul escorted her the rest of the way with their hands clasped and fingers entwined.
“It is not too late to back out,” he whispered to her.
“And let her claim the victory? No way. We’re ending this now.”
Saul and Nefertiti helped her dress for the face-off. She clutched Ascalon in her hands while she focused on every tiny bit of knowledge the two dragons imparted to her about fighting their kind.
“Do you remember when I fought Brigid on the lawn? Her stance lowers whenever she plans to exhale her fire. Remember that, Chloe.”
“Lowers her stance before breathing fire. Got it.” Chloe nodded. “So, how do I look?”
“You wear the armor well,” Nefertiti complimented, pleased with the finished result.
“I feel like Xena... or a sexy cosplayer,” Chloe muttered. She twisted to have a better look in the mirror. Light chainmail seemed inadequate against dragon claws, but the leather molded against her curves and clung in all the right places. She bent her arms and knees to test the resistance against her joints, only to discover the pliable material didn’t restrict her movement. “What is this?”
“Scalewing skin. Thor brought this for you as a gift,” Saul replied.
According to the history lesson she received from Saul once, scalewings were also known as wyverns, and were mutually hated by all dragonkind. Chloe shuddered. It didn’t surprise her that she would be sent into battle wearing the flesh
of their enemies.
Mahasti appeared in a hazy mist to interrupt her worried ruminations. “Brigid awaits you,” she reported. “Saul, I’m sorry, but I am to bring you immediately to the elders in the circle.”
“I will... we will see one another again soon, Chloe.”
“I know.”
Before he left, Chloe yielded to impulse and tangled her fingers in his golden hair. She kissed him hard with all of the passion she had in her soul, and when he walked away, she forced back the stinging tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks.
She had to be strong.
The rest of the preparation passed like a dream. She was led from the house to the rear pastures where Leiv had cleared the livestock to another field. Their battleground, as large as a football field, had a line of spectators on each side. Ancient wyrms, alive at the start of the millennia, glowered from where they waited to watch Chloe become a charcoal briquette.
“Breathe, Chloe,” Mahasti told her.
“I am breathing,” she whispered. “Don’t forget your promise.”
Mahasti’s serene smile reassured Chloe. They hugged, then the djinn moved off the battlefield to stand between Saul and Leiv.
A dragon in ornate white robes strode onto the field with Brigid not far behind. The dragoness moved to the opposing side of their designated battleground to stare her enemy down. Chloe shivered, chilled by the hateful vehemence in Brigid’s stare.
“In accordance with tradition, Brigid of Éire has issued challenge to the human Chloe Ellis. The fight shall commence and continue until one female lies dead. The victor shall be afforded all mating privileges as dictated by law without reprisal. All here will bear witness.”
Frowning faces glowered from the edge of the field, but one stood out among the others. The stark resemblance between Brigid and her father was undeniable. Her masculine, red-haired duplicate watched from the sidelines as a dispassionate, silent observer to the event.
If Saul was anything, he was predictable. Without warning, he lurched forward, elongating and expanding exponentially with each second. Ripping cloth revealed his muscular upper back as bronze dragon skin spread where human flesh belonged. His teeth gleamed beneath the sun and opened to release a ferocious snarl.
Mated by the Dragon (Loved by the Dragon, #2) Page 16