“It’s Monday morning. Why wasn’t I contacted? And, you mean to tell me that they let him waltz in and take out that money without my knowledge?”
“Again, Ms. Bradford, that is why I’m calling you now—as a courtesy. He followed the bank’s procedure and withdrew the amount in cash this morning.”
Quinn’s ears rang while her face became numb. This was it. She was ruined.
Determined not to lose her shit over the phone, Quinn took in breaths and asked, “Okay, what is the next move? Do I need to come in to fill paperwork or will you file a claim with your insurance on my behalf? I need that money replaced immediately.”
The line was quiet—too quiet—then the tell-tale sound of a deep inhale and exhale could be heard on Quinn’s end. This woman had better tell her some good news or she was going to make the news today.
“Ms. Bradford, there isn’t anything you can do. As I said before, this was a courtesy call to let you know about the withdrawal. The other part of this call was to find out when and how you’re going to cover your business loan payment that’s due. It was supposed to clear today. In lieu of what has happened this morning, I put the withdrawal on hold. But, I can only hold it for forty-eight hours. You need to make sure there is enough in your account by close of business Wednesday to keep from defaulting on your loan.”
“I wouldn’t be in this predicament if y’all hadn’t let Craig steal money out of my other account. I think I need to speak to an attorney about this. I didn’t receive notice until after. I shouldn’t suffer any fees of issues because the money was in there. Your bank is at fault.”
“That isn't the case. You listed Mr. Bastian on the account. Nothing happened that you didn't allow. I'm sorry to say this, but you have until Wednesday to make a deposit into the account. Else, you run the risk of an account suspension."
Quinn didn't like the little bit of base that had slipped into Ms. Cullens' voice. She was about to tell her as much when she remembered her inheritance. Numbers and strategies to liquidate some of the pieces commingled in her thoughts. She hated to do this, but that balloon payment had to be paid. If not, the little money she did have in the account would be frozen. Trading sugar for the vinegar she wanted to use, Quinn said, "Please work with me, I'll have to liquidate a few things. Give me until the end of the week to get the money in there… please?"
“Very well then, but I cannot guarantee I can keep the payment on hold that long. If you have any issues, please contact me directly at this number—before Friday."
Quinn got the woman’s contact information and ended the call. The car was so quiet she forgot it was still running until she opened the door. Everything was dull and harsh. The walk to the front door of her office might as well have been a walk of shame. She’d been played. If her mother had been alive to see it, she would have shaken her head in disgust. Quinn had committed the cardinal sin. She’d been caught with a wet pussy and a dry purse. Craig had screwed her in more ways than one.
2
Lucien Dragos or Drake as his Clan was called on Earth…
Sacred Temple Between the Realms dedicated to the Creator Goddess
Lucien’s Gryphon partner and second in command, Gregori or Greg as he was called, had been right as usual. The Gryphon lived up to his heritage as a mystic. Lucien hoped Greg would be able to help him figure out how to get the Clan back to normal. More weak, weary and emotionally drained than usual, the Clan entered the Temple in search of healing and restoration. Something had to change soon. There was no way of getting around the fact that with each visit Lucien and the others experienced less of an impact of the ritual cleansing. It took longer to rebound from battles, while the frequency and intensity of the battles increased.
With no other way to explain it, the answer was clear as day, but the way to fulfill that answer was clear as mud. Lucien and his Clan needed mates to restore them to the level needed to keep up with the demands of the activity of the portal. And once again Lucien and most of his Clan were back at the Goddess’ temple for the next best thing—ritual cleansing sex with a priestess of the Temple. Called back to the portal entrance so soon after the last mission, they desperately needed to replenish their strength, wisdom, and clarity to enter into interdimensional battle again.
Having mates would be the optimal answer to resolve this crisis. Lucien’s Clan was mateless, save his youngest brother Ajax, who had yet to complete the joining with his Dragon. His new mating had caused a quiet roar among the others. A disturbance Lucien had to quash fast. With the arrival of Ajax’s mate, Hildy, last month, talk of the prophecy had grown to a fever pitch. It didn’t make common or practical sense.
The prophecy said when the first Drake brother mated, then the other members of the Clan would soon follow in joining with their mates. Dragons and Gryphon rarely mated. When they did, more Dragonlings and Gryphon were born replenishing and adding to the numbers of Guardian protectors of the realms.
Ajax was the last brother of the house of Drake, not the first. Lucien was the eldest. Hell, Ajax was still a Dragonling, so he didn’t count. Lucien had no mate, so no need putting any stock in that old wives’ tale of a prophecy. The Clan would have to dig deep to reconnect with the power of the Goddess. They were Warrior Guardians. There was only success or death, and Lucien had no plans to die anytime soon. Mates be damned, the Dragofin Clan would prevail.
Not even a hint of a mate had materialized for any of the Clan going into another battle. Their next best option had been to come to the temple for ritual cleansing. The only women able to cleanse a Warrior Guardian were the priestesses of the Goddess or the Guardian’s mate. Like him, his men were growing disenchanted with the process. Lucien couldn’t ignore the fact that each of them felt the drain of not having the strongest bond that came from being joined to his mate.
“Greg, make sure everyone re-assembles here once they’ve finished the ritual. We’ll go over to the station together.” Lucien had to make certain each of his brothers—both blood and bond—were restored enough to go back into battle.
“Sure thing,” Greg said. “Go do what you have to and allow Joila to minister to every part of you. No holding anything back. You have to be able to lead us. I see you, Luc. I know you’re not at a hundred percent. Man, we can’t lose you out there. Not trying to tell you what to do—”
“Oh really?”
“Haha, yeah you got me. But Luc, seriously, we all need you to be on your game—strong. Do whatever you can to make sure you get what you need from the Goddess.”
Greg was right. Lucien wasn’t sure how he was always able to tell what was going on beneath the surface, but he was.
“Thanks, brother—will do.”
“Good, now get your ass in there and do something about those aching, tired bones of yours,” Greg said. Lucien liked how he always tried to soften the punch of his insightfulness.
“All right. I’ll meet everyone back here. And Greg, take your advice too. I need you at full capacity as well.”
Greg nodded. Lucien motioned to the group to go to their designated priestesses for cleansing. He watched them all go before he was ushered into his session, but not before sending up a prayer to the Goddess for strength for all of them.
“I perceive your heart is not at peace.” Soft, feminine, and delicate, Jolia’s hands cradled Lucien’s face to capture his gaze. “What troubles you mighty Dragos?”
He cherished the feel of her touch on his body. Ritual cleansing was the only time any of his Clan touched women since accepting the Guardianship of Earth. Joila wasn’t just any woman, though. She was High Priestess of the Temple Between the Realms, consecrated to the service of the Creator Goddess.
Like the others, she ministered to the needs of his Clan. When he was called up in the rotation to guard the portal, Joila personally saw to Lucien’s purification to prepare for each campaign to protect the entrance to the portal to Earth.
A delicate scent of frankincense tickled his nose as she continued
to minister to his needs. Her touch was life-giving—but not as much as in times past. What had changed about him to dilute the power of a ritual cleansing? Lucien would oblige the high priestess with an answer, but not before taking a moment to collect his thoughts to proceed with wisdom and respect.
“I am in the bed of the high priestess of the Goddess, and yet there is a gulf between where I am and where I should be with the ritual—like I’m not able to receive all you offer. It appears that each time I go through the cleansing ritual, there is less impartation of the Goddess’ strength for battle. I do not blame her or you. The fault is within me.”
Raw vulnerability sat heavy on his chest, yet he couldn’t bring himself to confide in her today completely. To do so would feel more like a betrayal than a confession. This was a betrayal of what? He wasn’t sure, but Lucien would never disrespect her or her calling. Never had she refused to see to his ritual cleansing personally. He owed it to her to at least share some of his concerns—just not all of them.
“Your assessment rings true. I too sense your dilemma and have my concerns. The amount of rogue activity through the portal is increasing. You’ll need strength and protection like never before. Has something happened that is out of the ordinary?”
Images of Jax and his new mate, Hildy, bombarded Lucien’s mental focus. “Yes, but not to me or the others who journeyed here with me. Ajax, you know my youngest brother—the Dragonling—has taken a mate back on the surface.”
“A human mate? How is that so?”
“It would appear she isn’t completely human but rather a Siren.”
“Oh, that makes sense. And, she resides at the Lair with Ajax with no issues? Does she know about it… all of this yet?”
“Whoa—someone has a lot of questions about the new woman at the Lair. I haven’t seen you this interested in anything outside of the temple in a long time.” She smiled and shifted off of him. That was signal enough to proceed. “If you must know, her name is Hildy, and Jax wants to bring her with him to the portal once he completes his transformation. And yes, before you ask, she’s a Warrior Siren.”
She asked, “Will Ajax will complete his joining with his Dragon soon? In a few months time, if I remember his birthday, right?”
“Yes, he’s only got about four months until his birthday. In that time, he and his mate must prove to me that they can work together in battle. They’ve started training together.”
“I remember when Ajax was a hatchling. You didn’t want him to become a Guardian, and that was all he ever focused on. You know he’s more like you than any of your other brothers.”
Pride in all his youngest brother had achieved grew within him.
“Yeah, and he’s excited to finish the process. Now that he has Hildy, I have to admit; I’m more accepting of his entry into the calling.”
“Why is that?” Joila’s fingertips traced the outline of his abdominal muscles as she spoke. “Why do you think him having a mate matters?” Her question baited him for an answer he wasn’t looking forward to giving her.
“It’s not like you or any of your family ever had a choice. You are the family of Drake—this is what you do—guard and protect the portals. You were created to be a Guardian… and so was he. As we’ve discussed it before, he was born to do this. But I digress. You didn’t answer my initial question. Does his mate know what the Lair is and about… everything? If she’s a shifter, she most likely can travel to the portal with some training and practice.”
Lucien turned onto his side to regard the priestess. She was beautiful and much larger than the human females he observed back on the surface but was still smaller than him. Over the years they had developed a cherished form of friendship where he could confide in her about things he couldn’t or wouldn’t tell his Clan. Now, things had changed. Not that she would do him or the others any harm. It was simply a feeling of impropriety as if his inner thoughts were no longer for her consumption. Obeying the gut reaction, he deflected from his feelings and focused on the facts of her question.
“In due time, if she shows herself capable of handling the knowledge and able to fight with her Dragon mate, then yes, she’ll learn more about the Lair. For now, she believes what anyone would. That I’m an overly protective homeowner, who doesn’t allow outsiders.”
Lucien didn’t miss the hurt that flashed in her eyes at his answer. Joila was not just the high priestess, she was a woman, and her affections for him had grown over time, as had his for her in return. Everything within him rebelled at anything past the ritual. Another thing to add to the list of events wreaking havoc on his life. First, Hildy coming to live in the Lair as Jax’s mate and now these weird feelings about Joila.
Instead of voicing her hurt, she remained with the flow of conversation. This was her way. She was the high priestess first. “And you’re fine with that? Her thinking you’re an irascible brute?”
“Yes, she’s not my mate, so I don’t have to do a marketing campaign to get her to like me. I have accepted her as my nigh sister because of her mating, but I will not put her or us in an unnecessarily unpleasant situation if she can’t handle it. I love both my brother and her enough to give her time.”
“As usual, your wisdom and timing are without reproach. Speaking of mates, doesn’t this give you hope that the prophecy is true?” She sat up.
“Not going there. It’s an old tale from before I was born. There’s no time to waste putting hopes in fanciful dreams and conjecture. Each of us knew we might not ever find mates when we accepted the calling and to reside on the surface of Earth.”
“Yes, but you’ve got to realize that with Ajax’s mate manifesting, the probability of the prophecy being true is stronger than ever.”
Lucien shrugged off the hope tinting Joila’s voice. Even without his recent shift from revealing so much to her, the certainty that she wasn’t his mate drove him to be upfront with her. He owed it to her as one of his closest friends. She deserved the best.
“Please tell me you don’t put any stock in that old wives tale? It’s an old story my family has retold over the years. I think it’s been told to give the Dragons and Gryphon in active service an altruistic flare for the calling. Let’s just say, they know how to appeal to our vanity and egos.”
“I don’t know about that. From where I sit, there are too many incidents happening to support the possibility. Lucien, you should at least consider that there could be a sliver of a chance it could be right.” Joila captured his focus, placed a kiss on his lips and said, “You never know. Your mate could be closer than you think.”
“Is that your way of saying you’d give all of this up to become a mate to one man?” Lucien waved a hand around to indicate the Temple as a spark of happiness lit her eyes. This would be hard to do, but he owed it to her. Hurting her now with a little rejection would be easier than hurting her in the future when they were too entangled for anything but messiness to occur. The breath he took in did little to reduce the mounting self-loathing for what he was about to say. “Joila, think about it. Would you be able to fulfill the call of the Goddess as the mate of one lowly Warrior Guardian servant of the Goddess?”
“There’s nothing wrong with being in the service of the Goddess. You have to know I serve in whatever way she demands of me. I do many things far less pleasant than becoming the mate of a Dragofin Guardian.”
Innuendo laced words aside, Lucien could sense that Joila had danced around her desires for too long. Her response was the confirmation he needed to proceed. It was time to get this out and into their discussion. Lucien would be frank while treading lightly. Priestess or not, she was still emotionally engaged and he would do nothing to hurt her knowingly.
“Yes, but I am not that Dragon, dear Joila. If you are open to the idea, I offer my support and prayers that you are led to your mate with haste.”
“But I’m not interested in any other Guardian. You’re the—”
“No, Joila, mating with me is not to be. I’m a son
of my father. Like him, I’m certain of my calling and what is and isn’t for me. I have to make this plain—you aren’t mine. I would love nothing more than if you were my mate, but it is not so. You, Joila, are a wonderful friend. I pray the Goddess rewards you with your mate. You’ve been a loyal servant to her and ministered to me as no other could have.” Clarity about how to proceed drove him on. “I want to say thank you for all of your ministry to me over the years. In light of how we’ve grown as friends, I will no longer seek you out for the ritual. Instead, I will make sure to only interact with you as my friend. Thank you for everything.” Lucien wouldn’t add more than this. He had to end the sexual part of their interaction. Anything past this would only mean pain for both of them.
Finished with their sexual union, it was time to seal the cleansing and gift of life-giving power with the blessing of the Goddess. He rose from the supine position he’d been in and prepared to leave the bed.
Joila was quick on her feet. Lucien felt more than saw the switch she made back into the role of High Priestess. He admired her for that resilience. What she didn’t know was that she’d not been the first priestess to have that hope in him being her mate. His hope was that the trend wouldn’t continue. It hurt, hurting her with the truth. One thing about a Dragon, when he found his mate, there was a strong electromagnetic bonding that occurred. He would never be able to handle the idea of her being with other men, even if it was part of a sacred ritual. Likewise, she would be repulsed by any other man to the point of anguish. There was no way he or Joila would have been able to continue her ministry of the sexual cleansing ritual of other men if she’d been his mate.
Incense and mystical energy swirled to infuse the air with life.
“Time to seal our time with a blessing and return you to your Clan.”
She held out a hand for him to join her at the private altar. The familiar hum of soothing feminine power caressed and comforted Lucien as the high priestess led him from the bed to the small altar to kneel. The priestess anointed Lucien’s head with the fragrant oil of blessing. Once she finished and retreated out of the sacred chamber of cleansing they had used, he rose and dressed.
Lucien: Dragofin Mated: Book 2 (Dragonfin Clan Mated) Page 2