by Skye Jones
It became a catchphrase they’d use. Peas and pods instead of I love you.
“This is different, darling.” Lara sat at the worn wooden kitchen table and ran her finger over the edge of her glass. “This is very different. You match them, and very well from what you’re saying. I never had to deal with that. Pair after pair of males came to try to tempt me to be theirs. Yes, some of them were an okay match for me, but never enough to make me want to give up my freedom. If I’d found two males I matched perfectly…I can’t say what I would have done. I didn’t have to fight such a strong biological temptation.”
Lara took a sip of her second glass, going at this one slower. “The only thing I can promise is I never would have left you behind. We were a package. Peas and pods, right?”
Gwen clinked her glass with her mum’s. “What should I do? They want to see me again. They seemed pretty casual about it. In fact, they almost seemed unsure.”
Her mother laughed. “Playing hard to get, I expect. If you match them well, they want to.”
Gwen stood abruptly, so sudden in her movements, her chair fell back. “Let’s leave. Now. I gave them my number, so I’ll ditch my phone and we can bug out of here. Go to Greece or somewhere. They won’t be able to find us then.”
Her mum shook her head. “Tempting as that idea is, darling, I think you should see them again.”
“What? Why? You don’t want that life for me. We’ve always said it’s us, the two of us.”
Her mum studied her for a moment, love shining in her eyes. “Yes, I didn’t want you to go through the process of having to meet pairs of males, one after the other, all trying to impress you and woo you purely because you’re female. It makes me feel as if we’re commodities.”
Lara took another sip of her wine. “And then, because of your upbringing, those same males might have tried to bring you down, make you somehow feel less than. Not all dragon males are good or honorable, and I worried for you. But this is different. These guys are a dead-on match for you, I can tell by how flustered you are. You met by accident. They didn’t pursue you simply because they wanted a mate for the sake of it. Some might call it fate. Now that they’ve landed on our doorstep, you owe it to yourself to at least see them a couple more times, if only to be sure you don’t want them.”
They sipped at their wine in silence for a moment, until her mum spoke again. “Just how well did you match them?”
“I don’t know. I mean, I don’t have any frame of reference for it. But it’s strong, Mum. Really strong. My legs went to jelly, simply from hearing them speak, and their scents… And every time they touched me, I burned up.”
“Oh Lord.” Her mum knocked back a gulp of wine. “The one I saw is big,” she giggled.
“Yeah, he’s massive. I called him Mountain Man in my head until I learned his real name.”
“Who are they? Do you know anything about them?”
“Only that they surf. What are the odds of that? And they’re a bit like us. They live on the edge of the Cornish clan, not really too involved in it all, and they travel a lot.”
Her mum nodded. “That’s good because if you did decide you wanted to be with them, you wouldn’t be stuck in some awful, claustrophobic life. Although, many Dragonea love nothing more than being amongst their own kind, nestled away, hidden from human eyes. To me, it’s a sort of slow death.”
Gwen shuddered. “Me too. But they don’t appear to live that way, so perhaps a life with them won’t be the same. Whatever happens, though, they have to understand we come as a joint deal or the whole thing is a no-go, no matter how strong the match. And anyway…” She fiddled with a lock of hair. “I doubt they’ll want me once they know everything about my past. I’m damaged goods as far as our people are concerned. They aren’t like those males who came calling for me in the past. I get the feeling these guys are important. They won’t want to be dragged down to my level.”
Her mum’s fingers danced over the rim of her wineglass. “Oh, honey. You’re not damaged goods. None of what happened was your fault. None of it. As for you and me being a done deal, always. But I don’t know if my living with you and your males would work out. I doubt they’d want it. But of course, I’d always be in your life and come see you regularly.”
“But…peas and pods, you and me. Me and you. We’re a team. If you’re saying there’s no way you’d come with me, then I’m done and won’t see them again.” She wouldn’t live without her mum. Leaving Lara alone didn’t bear thinking about. It made Gwen’s chest hurt. Some people might see it as pathetic, but she didn’t care. They weren’t only mother and daughter; they were best friends too.
Silence stretched between them, and Gwen sipped at her wine.
“Maybe I can somehow contact the Cornish clan and ask for Jago or Cadan. Leave them a message telling them to leave me alone,” Gwen mused.
Her mother gave an odd squeak. “Did you say Cadan?”
“Yes, why?”
“Crap, I thought he looked familiar. Oh, shit.” Lara stood and paced the length of the kitchen. “We might have to leave, after all. This is bad. This is very bad.”
Panic hit Gwen. “Why, is he a bad person?”
Her mum shook her head. “Not bad, no. But… You say you don’t know what you want, yet you might not have any say in the matter if it’s the Cadan I’ve heard of.”
Gwen trembled where she sat. “Why?”
“He’s incredibly powerful. I mean…super-powerful, honey. He’s ancient.” She turned to Gwen with wide eyes. “You know the latent you met when we visited the Welsh clan?”
“Lilly?” She frowned.
Lara nodded. “Yes, Lilly, and her sister Mia. Their males, Rhyndor and Steffan, you understand how powerful they are?”
Of course she did. Everyone knew they were scary-strong dragons. So was Lilly in her own way. Her magic could do things normally only reserved for older, more experienced Dragonea. “Yes, I’m aware of their power, their age. What’s it got to do with Cadan and Jago?”
“I know nothing about this Jago, but if Cadan is the Cadan of the Cornish clan, then he’s as powerful, or as near as, damn it, as Rhyndor and Steffan. And as ancient. And, darling, if he wants you, then nothing’s going to get in his way.”
Gwen’s stomach dropped, and she put her hand to her chest to try to calm her racing heart. Time to run? Or should she stay and see where this crazy roller coaster took her? She loved a thrill ride, but something told her Jay and Cade might be a stretch too far.
***
Jago had been joking when he’d told Cade to go and jerk off to some porn, but the male had stormed off to his room, shut the door, and to the sounds of bad music and fake sighs, told Jago he’d done as he’d been told. Jay wanted to follow suit in his own room, but he quite liked torturing himself by keeping himself on the edge, all primed and riled and ready.
He hoped like hell Gwen would meet them next week. Cade hadn’t come across a female perfectly matched to him in centuries. Not since he’d lost his previous mate and bonded male in a war, hundreds of years ago. And he doubted his male would be remotely patient when it came to Gwen. Yet Jago understood only too well why they needed to be. He’d been skittish about settling down himself and had his own reasons. Not very nice reasons.
Jago forced himself to stop thinking of the past and focus on his present and Cade. He knew the male well and didn’t look forward to the next week.
He and Cade had bonded decades back. Jago hadn’t met Cadan before, as the older dragon had spent a long time away from the clan, traveling. The moment he’d stood next to Cade at one of the fire-lighting ceremonies, he’d breathed in his scent and known they were perfect for a bonded pair. He’d been terrified, though, and scuttled off to his parents’ home. He’d avoided the male for a full year before finally having a conversation with him. And Cadan had let him avoid the issue, to be fair. Not pressured him at all.
But Cade hadn’t wanted him physically, which went a long way toward giv
ing him patience in their situation. He might have wanted him in a platonic sense, as a friend and a bonded male to live and search for a female with, but there’d been no attraction for either of them. Jago had never been with a male and never really wanted to. The one time he’d asked Cadan, he’d shrugged and said he had in the past, but he preferred the females. So, they were a good match, a great match. But one of them was superold and scary powerful, and now Jay worried how he’d deal with all the pent-up aggression sure to be rolling off Cadan if the female turned them down.
He’d never even thought of the possibility because he’d always imagined they’d find their female in and among one of the clans, and she’d want them. The idea they’d stumble across a dragon female half drowning herself in the sea never crossed his mind. Why would it? Most dragons didn’t do things like surf, for the love of the gods. They rarely left clan land. But Gwen? She lived an almost human life.
He’d been so pissed at her when he’d rescued her. He hadn’t known she was Dragonea when he’d seen her wipe out; he’d simply seen a gorgeous young woman in trouble. The moment he realized she might be in genuine danger, he’d done what anyone would and helped her.
Cade hadn’t even seen what was going on until Jay was halfway out of the ocean with her, and then he’d waded in and helped him drag her out. The moment Jay took the first breath of her scent into his lungs, his world changed. He’d wanted to kill her for doing such a risky, stupid thing, but he also wanted to wrap her in his arms and never let go.
He’d heard about this—the perfect moment when males met their ultimate match in a female—but it wasn’t a common occurrence. A lot of males and females ended up with matches that were merely okay. Some even mated with dragons they didn’t match at all, and all because they were fed up with being alone. It could work out very well, and at other times, it could be disastrous and fall apart like human relationships often did. But when a pair of males found a perfectly matched female, they’d struck gold. It was the stuff of legends and, to be honest, he’d thought it more legend than truth these days.
Except…there’d been those sisters. The females with the dark hair and astonishing eyes, who’d met their matches among some of his kind’s most powerful males. The way his friends in the clan talked about these matings was ridiculous. They’d say how the matches were so strong none of the parties would have been able to walk away even if they’d wanted to, and he’d roll his eyes. Well, now the joke was on him. Because he couldn’t walk away from Gwen, and he’d spent less than an hour in her company.
She was an itch, burrowed under his skin and driving him mad. Right now, Cade was locked in his room, scratching his itch, but it wouldn’t do Jago any good, because only being with her would help. He really ought to call Sarah, and then they could both work it off. One of them fucking her mouth, the other taking her sweet pussy. But when he thought about it, pictured it, he didn’t want to. And not only Sarah, but none of the human females they sometimes entertained themselves with appealed. It was as if he were at a banquet and plate after plate was offered up to him, groaning with delicacies, but the only food he wanted wasn’t there.
He ran a hand through his wavy hair and looked out of the window. Here, concealed in a network of mountainous caves on a tiny promontory, their clan hid out. The humans couldn’t see their land; powerful magic made sure they’d get lost if they tried to find it. But each year, civilization moved closer. And out of all the clans, they were in the most precarious position. The Scottish clan had land aplenty around them, the Welsh less so, but they were still damn well protected up there in the wilds of Snowdonia. But here, on the coast, things weren’t so comfortable. One day soon, they’d have to leave and settle elsewhere. He sighed and watched the waves crashing onto the cliffs a few meters below. He’d miss the ocean when the time came.
“Penny for them?” Cade came out of his room, and he looked a little less on edge.
“Give yourself a good workout?”
“Fuck you.”
“Only asking. I see it’s not improved your mood any.”
Cade grunted and went to a cupboard where he rummaged around before pulling out a chocolate bar. He pulled the wrapper down and bit off half the bar with shiny white teeth.
Objectively, Jay could see that Cade was an attractive—no, scratch that—he was a very good-looking man. And his height and bulk made him a striking figure. Jay was no slouch himself either, and it meant the ladies were only too eager to come spend time with them. Of course, none of the human women they entertained knew what they were. They’d never be able to find them either, as they’d get lost repeatedly if they tried to come on to dragon land without a guide. Only Sarah had their number. The rest of them, the guys picked up in a few regular nightspots they frequented.
“You sure you don’t want to go and get some pussy?” he asked Cade, who simply shot him a disgusted look.
“Do you have to be so coarse? You’ll need to knock that on the head when Gwen’s around.”
The words startled him. “Firstly, I’d bet good money she’s got as filthy a mouth as me. Secondly, you mean if Gwen’s around because it is a big if.”
Cade snorted. “Not that much of an if. She’s going to find it hard to say no.”
“Maybe, but she’s strong and opinionated, and I mean that in the best way. She’s not simply going to fall at our feet because we match.”
“I’ll make her fall. I’m going to sweep her off her fucking feet, make her feel things she’s never even imagined.”
And so it began. Jay sighed and tried to tamp down the worry churning in his gut.
Chapter Four
Gwen had spent the whole weekend on tenterhooks, and by Monday, she’d nearly made herself sick with nerves. But when she didn’t hear from Jago or Cadan, she began to relax a little and think they might not call. But her relaxation soon turned into something a little like depression as she meandered about the house, not wanting to do anything.
By Wednesday, she’d convinced herself they definitely weren’t going to call, and while she told herself she’d had a lucky escape, she still felt strangely bereft.
The book she read didn’t hold her interest, and the day beckoned bright and sunny. She ought to call up one of her friends and go hit the waves, but memories of her near-death experience stayed her hand. And call her stupid, but she’d have felt safer with Cade and Jay, rightly or wrongly.
Her phone trilled out its tinny tune, telling her someone was calling, and she nearly jumped out of her skin. Glancing at it and expecting to see her mum’s number pop up, she felt her heart leap into her throat when she saw the unidentified number. Trying to calm herself, she picked up. It was probably a call center rep about to offer her compensation for the car accident she’d never had.
“Hello?”
“Hey there.” Not Jay, but Cadan. His deep voice wrapped itself around her.
“Oh, hi. Is this Cadan?” She knew damn well it was, but it didn’t hurt to let him think otherwise.
“Yes. How are you now? Totally recovered from your accident?”
“Physically, yes.”
Beat of silence and then, “You feel up to giving it another go? Beautiful day out there. We can go somewhere easy, but if you don’t get back on your board after an incident like that, you might find it more and more difficult.”
“You offering to come take me out?”
“Yeah. If you’re up to it. No worries if not, but Jay and I are heading out anyway.”
She glanced out at the ocean, and her heart soared. She wanted to be back on the waves, and only her fear held her back. But she’d feel much safer with the guys. In some ways, she’d treated them unfairly. She didn’t think she wanted a long-term relationship, not even with two men whose voices and scents made her toes curl in delight. But the mating bond would mean they’d do everything to protect her. She could get back on her board knowing she had the best protection against any further accidents.
“I’ll come,
but I’ll drive myself. Meet you out there.” She so didn’t need time in the car with them, their scents doing a number on her. She’d go meet them, surf some with them, and then explain how she’d given things a lot of thought and she didn’t want a relationship.
Easy peasy.
An hour later, and she pulled into Gwithian and parked. They’d picked a good spot, tamer than Godrevy and quieter. She’d be okay here on a day like today. She looked out at the ocean and the gentle swell, and her body relaxed some. She let go of the tension she’d been holding in her shoulders. Until she saw them…and then it returned full force.
Holy crap, they were more gorgeous than she remembered. Cade leaned against the door of his car, all muscles and height, and Jay sat on the hood, legs crossed, his golden hair hanging over his forehead as he messed around on his phone.
It was as if the gods themselves had asked her what her fantasy man was. And when she’d said she couldn’t make up her mind between a young, beautiful man with the face of an angel or an older, tougher man with the body of a Greek god on steroids, the universe had kindly given her both.
She took in a deep breath, asked herself what the fuck she was doing for the hundredth time, and then climbed out of the car. Slipping her keys into her waterproof carryall along with her phone, she zipped it all into the pocket of her shorts.
She always wore her shorts when surfing in the summer months, and not a bikini. Firstly, so she could carry her essentials, but secondly to hide the horrible scar she had from hip to thigh on her right side.
She had no memory of getting the scar. But as a youngling, she’d been attacked by her birth father in a very rare instance of dragon-on-dragon abuse. He’d been livid at having to provide for his female mate and her young on his own, after the death of his bonded male. So he’d turned on the young, letting some of his inner dragon out. He’d burned her brother and scratched his claw right down her leg, leaving her with a livid scar that had never fully healed. She’d been very lucky because often when a dragon did that to another, they could poison you. Her father hadn’t been powerful enough, however. Not to kill her, at least, or make her sick. Instead, his poison merely burned the flesh where he’d torn it.