Mia sighed. “No, I didn’t think about you, and I’m sorry about that, Brady. I didn’t mean to be selfish. Nor did I mean to be gone so long.”
He nodded, apparently pleased by her concession and apology.
“The truth is, Remy is my mate.”
Sebastian and Brady gaped at her, then, turned to gape at Remy.
“You’re mated?” Brady squeaked, and then staggering forward, slumped in one of the seats in front of her desk.
“Yes. I am, Brady.” Her tone was soft now. Gentle.
Remy knew she didn’t want to hurt her right-hand man, so he took no umbrage at her kindly-spoken words even though his Dragon bristled at the tone she ought only to use with him and their ‘ling.
“But why didn’t you tell me before you left?”
“Because I didn’t know.” She held out her hands when he made to interrupt again. “He’s a Dragon, guys.”
For the first time, astonishment rather than confusion lined both males’ features as they turned to study him.
“He’s a Dragon?” Brady repeated on a long exhalation, while Sebastian just gawked.
“Yes. He is.”
Sebastian whispered, “So it’s true. They do mate with Sanguenna.”
Mia’s eyes widened. “You knew about that?”
At her words, Sebastian turned from gaping at Remy to shrug at her. “I’d just heard about it over the years. It was more of a legend, though.”
“That’s because it’s been a long time since a Sanguenna was claimed,” Remy stated, his voice gravelly.
Sebastian gulped, but kept his attention focused on Mia. “So, you’re mated now?”
“Yes. The only way to know if you’re mated to a Dragon is to meet the beast.” She pulled a face. “Obviously, that can’t be done here anymore. It’s not like St George is running around trying to kill Dragons, but how would we explain a huge reptile in the bar?”
At her joking, Brady and Sebastian’s lips twitched. Their relaxation was worth the jokes at his expense, he conceded. But, he decided, he’d make Mia pay for them later.
In kisses.
“That’s why you didn’t know until you went with him?” Brady whispered, “You crossed into the other realm?”
“Yeah. If I’d have known for sure, I’d have told you.”
Sebastian blinked. “Why was he carrying you?”
“This information is to go no further than this room, do you understand me?” When both males nodded, she murmured, “It’s to do with the mate bond. I can’t walk, and won’t be able to walk until it’s settled.”
Brady stared at her, then his lips started to twitch. Spotting it, Mia grumbled, “I thought you might find that amusing.”
His nostrils flared then he pressed a hand to his mouth. “I’m not laughing. I’m not. Really.”
Remy grumbled, “I can see what you mean about a lack of deference.” He wasn’t offended at the other male’s lack of respect, because he sensed Mia wasn’t. But it was hard to sit there and let this conversation go on around him.
Once again, he realized how wise the Mother was to make a Dragon have to care for his mate in those early days while the mate bond settled.
As head of his House, Remy was accustomed to being deferred to. It was all he knew.
He would have ripped Eirik’s head off if the other male had ever dared speak to him this way. Although, he did allow Georgios to get away with worse, and by the looks of it, Mia and Brady were just as close.
Still, the Mother was wise because he knew to keep out of this. To stand back.
To let his leman be the woman she was: a Sanguenna. Through and through.
Daywalkers were notorious for being sensitive when it came to the nightwalkers they allowed to feed from them.
They required a bond.
And nightwalkers cultivated that bond, because it inspired loyalty that was fed by both people in the relationship.
That was the only reason she let Brady talk to her the way she did, and she knew Sebastian also understood that because he didn’t talk to her that way. From him, such insolence would have been impossible to countenance. She’d have had to punish him, and the coven knew that though she was fair, when pushed, she was not to be underestimated.
Remy was confused, and she knew that, but she’d explain later. Brady was only allowed so much rope to hang himself, after all, and once she’d explained, he’d understood, and they’d reverted to talk of business.
A business which was going to be fined out of its ass thanks to all the drugs found on site.
“There’s nothing we can do,” Brady murmured. “It’s not like we can appeal. The drugs were there.”
She jerked a shoulder. “I know. I’m not mad about that. We can afford the fine but now that drugs have been found here, Hernandez is going to need to keep a closer eye on us. That, we can’t afford. I’ll need to speak with him. Maintain our arrangement but with him giving us a clue as to when the raids are going down.”
Brady nodded. “I’ll arrange that.”
“You’ll need to arrange it for sooner rather than later.” She grimaced. “When my legs start working again, that means the bond is in place. Once that happens, I need to go back to the other realm.”
Something in Brady’s eyes shifted. “You’ll be spending more time there than here.”
She sighed. “It seems likely.” When Remy didn’t say anything, she shot him a look, but he was on the window seat still, feet crossed at the ankle, hands bridged on his belly, and his eyes closed. He looked utterly relaxed.
Either that, or asleep.
She wasn’t sure which.
“We need to make arrangements for when I’m not here,” she told her highest-ranking males in the coven. “Brady, you’re my right-hand man. There’s no denying that. But you know the Vampire court won’t deal with daywalkers. So, I propose that in my absence, Brady handles all business affairs of the coven that don’t lead to dealings with the Vampire court.” She saw his satisfaction at that, and knew he was pleased with the level of responsibility she was handing him.
Sebastian looked less pleased, but she told him, “The Vampire court goes through phases, Sebastian. Sometimes, they require a lot of pandering to, other times less. At the moment, they’re leaving us alone, but when their attention is pricked, we are usually flooded with them.” She winced. “They’re a pain, and I’m sorry to pass on such a responsibility to you, but I know you have the skill and finesse to handle them.
“If we work together on this, then we should be able to keep things under wraps while I’m in the other realm.”
“What if the court finds out you’re mated?”
She snorted at Sebastian’s question. “What if they do? They’ll have no issue with my being mated. Why should they? It’s a time of celebration, after all. My absence might cause some raised eyebrows, but it won’t if you handle dealings with them with your usual aplomb.” She cocked a brow at him. “I can trust in your ability to keep the peace, can’t I, Sebastian?”
His jaw clenched. “Of course, Sanguenna.”
“Good.” She smiled at him. The problem with a nightwalker was she had to stroke his ego but simultaneously bring him down a peg or two lest grandiose ideas took over. Silly little ideas like mutiny.
“There will come a night when I may wish to relinquish my position here as Sanguenna.” Both men stilled at her words. “In that instance, you know I will have no say in who takes my place. So, it’s in all our best interests that we maintain my position here if you wish to retain your own standing as seconds in command.
“If you handle the coven business, on both fronts, with the ease in which I know you’re both capable, and make it easy for me to transition between both realms, I may find that I have no need to relinquish this position to someone who will, undoubtedly, bring with them their favorites.” She let that sink in, then asked, “Do we understand each other?”
They shared a glance then nodded at one another and bowe
d their head in deference to her.
She clapped her hands together. “Good. Now that’s sorted, Brady, I need you to get that meeting with the Captain arranged.”
“I doubt he’ll be at the precinct now, but I can leave a message asking him to get in touch.”
“No. In his files, there’s his cell phone number. I deal with him on that line.” She eyed him. “I’ll bring you with me on this visit, get him used to seeing you and dealing with you in my stead.”
“That’s probably wise, Mia.”
“I know, I’m full of wisdom,” she told him sarcastically. He rolled his eyes at her, which made her grin.
His irreverence was mostly amusing. Until he pushed his luck, that is.
“Sebastian, I’ll need you to run point with the nightclub on these raids. Being closed won’t cause an issue, but if we’re shut down several times, news will spread to the court. That is something none of us want.” She pulled a face. “However, you’ll have to liaise with the New York branch sooner rather than later anyway. If memory serves, we’re due a visit from an emissary.”
Sebastian’s ears pricked up at that. “We are?”
“Yeah. It’s to do with the centennial. The Emperor’s asking all coven businesses to cough up more than usual to fund next year’s party.” She clenched her jaw. “It’s not like we can say no, but the Emperor has indicated that he’d like our ‘humble little club,’ the emissary’s PA’s words, not mine, to be the venue for the party.”
Sebastian’s brows rose. “Seriously? That will be a huge coup.”
“I know. It will more than help us pay our tithe. Still, being shut down won’t make us glitter and sparkle, will it? So, let’s get this wrapped up, boys, yeah?”
When they agreed, she flicked her hand in dismissal. Knowing they’d go and head off to their own tasks, she watched them leave then turned to her apparently sleeping mate.
Before she could say anything, he murmured, “You handled them like two dangling fish on a line.”
Blinking at that rather bizarre simile, she asked, “I did?”
He snorted. “You know you did. Your diplomacy will steer you well in the Queen’s court. She likes strong lemans. I’m certain you will make our House proud, dearling.”
Considering he’d said all that with his eyes closed, she had to let her lips twitch. The words told her he was impressed. His body language said anything but.
His eyes popped open as though he could sense her amusement. “What are you laughing at?” he asked, tone suspicious.
“You.” She grinned. “Not in a bad way.”
He huffed. “I’m relieved to know there is a good way to be laughed at.”
A chuckle escaped her. “I’d get used to it. Laughter is the solid foundation any relationship needs,” she told him piously.
“If you say so.”
“I do.” She stretched her arms out in front of her, then started leafing through her papers.
“What does the centennial celebrate?” he asked, tone curious as he got to his feet and moved to sit in front of her desk in the chair Brady had just vacated.
“It’s the night the Emperor took to the throne.”
“Is it still Jean-Claude?”
“No, he died a long time ago. Back in the fourteen hundreds.”
His brows rose. “Died? Was he pushed, or did he jump?”
She laughed at the disrespectful question. “He walked into the sun.” Then, she wrinkled her nose. “It’s a little before my time, but if my history serves, he walked before he was pushed.”
Remy clicked his tongue. “That makes more sense. I never did like him. He was a self-serving bastard.”
“What Emperor isn’t?” she asked, but her tone was low. Such a question was treasonous, after all.
“True,” he conceded. “How many Emperors since then?”
“Two. Jean Claude’s son ascended, but he was overthrown. Same dickish policies as his father’s. Nikolai Dvorak is the current Emperor. He’s less self-serving, but his taxes are atrocious.” She grimaced. “We’re a wealthy coven, so we can afford it, but his tithes are ridiculous sometimes. Cripplingly so.”
Remy nodded. “If the Vampire court is as luxurious as it was back in my day, then such luxury comes at a price.”
“I know.” She grunted. “I grew up in it, remember? My father’s an emissary.”
He ducked his head at her words. “Ah, yes. My illustrious mate.”
She snorted. “Hardly. Still, I started this little coven from nothing, and I got the official Sanguenna sanction from the Emperor himself, rather than one of his lackeys, due to my father’s relationship with the court.” She shrugged. “A bit of nepotism always comes in handy.” At his laughter, she smirked, and then, a thought came to her. “I’m surprised you let me handle that the way you did.”
He lifted a brow. “Oh?”
“Yeah,” she confessed. “I thought you’d nose your way into everything.”
“I have to learn it all first.”
“You know what I mean.”
“It’s in my nature to take charge,” he admitted. “And if I’m honest, I surprised myself by not ‘nosing in’ as you put it. I suppose this learning curve looks set to be more and more interesting.”
If that wasn’t the understatement of the year, she didn’t know what was.
Still, his honesty was appreciated.
He was unusual, her mate, but she liked that.
Give her fire and flame over milk and water any day.
And she knew he felt the same.
It would seem this Mother of his knew what she was doing when it came time to finding her children lemans.
Eleven
Two more weeks of being incapacitated was wearing on Mia’s nerves.
Sure, being hefted around by her mate was kind of hot, but all this time in his presence was doing one thing and one thing only.
Making her horny.
Horny as fucking hell.
And the man was like a goddamn monk.
He seemed content with the gentle pecks on the mouth he gave her at night. Pecks that might as well have been ravenous make out sessions with the powerful flood of need they triggered in her body.
Just the press of his lips to hers was enough to drive her insane with need, and all that without her lower half even working properly.
Her mood, as a result, had been more irascible than usual.
It was so bad, Brady was behaving himself!
That was enough to make her realize how bad of a bitch she was being. Still, it didn’t help curb her temper.
Nothing would... aside from a long, hard fuck from her mate.
Jesus, the dreams she’d had prior to meeting him, dreams she’d yet to share with him in great detail, worked against her now. Some nights, she could feel his cock sliding into her. She’d seen it enough to know how it would feel in her hands, taste on her lips. And on those long nights before he’d come for her, he’d tasted her and gifted her release. Had fucked her, claimed her, until her very soul had learned she was his.
Not that he’d let her do any of those things now. In reality, where it actually freakin’ counted.
It was bad luck, he preached, to do anything before the mate bond was settled.
She knew what bad luck was...her mate being kicked in the balls if he told her that one more fucking time.
The only concession he granted was letting her feed from him now they were back in this realm. None of that blood in a wine glass crap. Her feeding was the one moment of sensuality he deigned to give them both.
Though it wasn’t sensual with Brady, it was with Remy. Something they’d noticed that first night back in this realm.
Her hunger had sprung up on her out of nowhere. After nights of barely being of note, her need had been ravenous. Not since her youth had she ever felt so hungry, so desperate for sustenance.
The ravenous feelings had scared her, but when she’d supped from him, she realized on the other side
of the same coin, she’d never felt so satiated either.
Her fangs cut through flesh like butter. It was how the bites were relatively pain free for the daywalkers who fed the nightwalkers. But with Remy, it had been harder. His skin had been tougher.
She’d had to fight to get through the toughened flesh of his throat, and he’d stiffened with pain as a result. When she’d finally bitten deep enough to find blood, the minute it had touched her tongue, it had been close to dizzying in its strength.
Ordinarily, she could feel the blood sluggishly nourishing those parts of her that were parched of the liquid sustenance. With Remy’s blood, it pinged around her body like ricocheting bullets gone wild.
At that moment, she knew what a high was.
She’d felt it then.
Shuddering in memory, she turned her head to the side and saw Remy was already asleep.
That made sense. Every time she fed, he very quickly trotted off into dreamlessness.
Dawn was due to break, within the next thirty minutes. She could feel its rays beckoning. Her body clock entwined intimately with the natural circadian rhythms of Earth.
Though she’d fed and was sated, she was restless. And bored. Her gaze cast about for something to look at, but there was nothing she hadn’t seen a thousand times before.
Her bedroom was sleek. The direct opposite of her opulent office.
She had a sleigh bed made from mahogany. It had a rounded headboard and was twice the size of a king-bed—she liked her space, it wasn’t a crime, was it? Either side of the bed, she had two tall tables crafted from glass, and they held two lights that were little more than round orbs. They amused her as they were made to look like the moon, and thanks to some engineering she had no desire to understand, they floated atop their stand.
The wall opposite the bed was mirrored. It opened into doors that shielded her clothes from the room.
Aside from the bed, the only other piece of furniture was a dressing table. Made out of glass and mirror, the chic table was where she applied her makeup on a morning.
Coven: (A Steamy Dragon Shifter/Vampire Romance) (Dragon Bound Book 1) Page 13