by Roma, Laurie
She pulled away and leaned her head on his broad chest. “I know, but I shouldn’t have done it like that…in anger. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I keep acting like a bitch and I can’t seem to control it.”
Thorn gently pulled her from Xavier’s arms and wrapped her in his strong embrace. “Your emotions are heightened by your empathic powers. I should have never mentioned other females when we were sharing time together like this. We would have reacted the same way if you had mentioned being with other males.”
As a growl tore from Xavier, Thorn raised a brow. “See what I mean?”
Alexis laughed as she wrapped her arms around Thorn’s waist, needing his warmth. Xavier turned off the water and Thorn lifted her, carrying her from the shower. They dried her slowly, enjoying the simple task as they explained how her empathic abilities would be difficult to handle until she relearned how to control them again.
“I just don’t understand why I got so mad,” she said with a huff of breath.
“Your dragon spirit is part of you now. Your animal side will not allow any to come between you and your mates,” Xavier said easily.
Oh, for the love of…
“Is this something else you forgot to mention? Dragon spirit?”
“Aye, my love. As we are Dragon Warriors, you now also possess the ability to shift into your dragon form,” Thorn explained.
“This is also information I could have used earlier!” Alexis tried slapped her palm against her forehead, only Xavier caught her arm before she could make contact.
“Do not strike yourself!” he growled down at her.
“I wasn’t going to hurt myself,” she growled back, jerking her arm from him then she threw both of her hands in the air. “And I just realized I’m growling now, too! You guys really suck at sharing information!”
Xavier suddenly laughed. “You are a delight to me, mate. As we have never mated before, there is much to learn…for all of us.”
She smiled. “I guess you’re right.”
They got dressed and walked into the living room of the suite where Galan and Brydan were sitting waiting for her. She loved how she immediately had all her mates attention as if they couldn’t wait to see her.
“It is because we cannot,” Galan said as he rose from his seat to kiss her.
Shit, she would have to remember that mind reading thing now.
Galan chuckled against her lips then she was pulled away and swept up into Brydan’s embrace. He growled as his mouth crushed down on hers and she opened for him immediately, allowing his tongue to delve deep.
“I have not come in my pants since I was a youngling,” Brydan growled as he set her back on her feet.
“You…what?” Her eyes widened as her gaze dropped down to look at the bulge in his pants. All four of the males had dressed in their standard black leather pants and she could see that Brydan’s impressive erection was still swollen within the confines of his pants.
“Aye, I am still hard and aching for you, Lexie. And you will soon see to it for real and not just with your mind next time,” Brydan said.
Galan took possession of her again and sat down at the table with her in his lap. “Your bond with us is strong, sweetling. When you were pleasuring our brothers our minds were connected and you fed us your passion so it felt as if you were stroking us as well.”
“Oh wow,” Alexis breathed out. Obviously, Thorn and Xavier were right about her powers being out of control. She would have to relearn how to control her gifts, but how cool was it that she could make her mates come in another room simply from sharing her own pleasure with them? It was amazing. But making Brydan and Galan come in their pants…she should feel bad about that, shouldn’t she?
Galan leaned down and nipped at her ear with his teeth making her shudder. “You seem to enjoy the power you have over us, mate. Perhaps we need to show you how we control your pleasure as well.”
Alexis’ desire to have Galan show her exactly what he was talking about was halted as Thorn, Brydan and Xavier sat down at the table with them. “Nay, not yet. Our mate needs to eat and then we need to start our journey,” Thorn warned.
Brydan growled with impatience then settle himself as he leaned forward to pick up a strawberry and held it to her lips. She took his offering and moaned as the fresh flavor burst over her taste buds. Suddenly realizing how hungry she was, she looked at the platters of food covering the table with greedy eyes.
“You did not eat last night and we worked you hard last eve,” Galan said as he lifted a piece of roasted chicken to her lips.
“You need to eat more,” Brydan agreed.
Alexis felt herself blush at his reference as she chewed. “I didn’t realize how hungry I was until I saw all this food. This isn’t exactly breakfast fare though.”
“I believe we ordered enough,” Galan said with a gleam of amusement in his eyes. “We need to keep up our strength now that we have a mate to please.”
Brydan and Galan had laid out a feast while she had been busy with Thorn and Xavier in the shower. The Alliance had made sure to house several restaurants in the lower levels of the building that provided delivery service to any visitors staying in the suites. The food provided by the establishments were top-quality, and there was a wide selection that would cater to an assortment of tastes of the visiting aliens.
From the mass amount of food laid out on the table, Galan and Brydan had apparently ordered something from each of the restaurants. There were large platters of several different types of meats, freshly baked bread, cheese and other delicacies on the table. Off to the side there was even a tray of flaky pastries that looked so good they made Alexis’ mouth water.
She watched with sheer amazement as Xavier, Thorn, Galan and Brydan began to devour the food, with Brydan and Galan taking turns feeding her. It felt decadent to have her mates feed her, but she simply let herself enjoy the meal being provided for her and consumed enough to sate her hunger. When she told them she was full all four males frowned at her then proceeded to finish off the rest of the food.
While they ate, her mates had told her about all the exotic planets they had visited over their long years of travel. They spoke of far off worlds where only animals roamed. They told her of a planet where female warriors ruled and they’d had to escape from being captured as breeders by using their magic. There were planets where hostile enemies laid in wait, wanting nothing to do with visitors. There were also various worlds of shifters, of other magical beings that didn’t travel the stars yet. It still amazed her that she would be able to see those locations with her own eyes soon. Thinking about that reminded her of something Thorn said earlier.
“Thorn?”
Immediately she had his full attention. “Aye, my love?”
“You mentioned a journey earlier. Were you, or I should say, are we going to be leaving Earth soon?”
Thorn smiled at her. “Nay, mate. We will stay here long enough for you to settle what you need before we leave. I was speaking of our need to journey to open land soon.”
“We need to let our dragons free,” Xavier added. “We always take the opportunity when we are on a planet’s surface to roam the land in our dragon forms since we cannot do so on board our ship.”
Alexis’ eyes brightened with interest. She couldn’t wait to see them in their dragon forms. “There is a place I would love to take you guys. It’s called Crystal Cove. There is a large clearing and a waterfall. I’ve only been there a few times when I patrolled the area when I was in still in the Academy. It’s absolutely beautiful, but it’s near the border of the badlands so it could be dangerous.”
Brydan snorted at that then his eyes narrowed. “Do you honestly think we would ever let any harm come to you?”
Through their bond she could feel that she had offended all of them with her warning. That wasn’t her intention at all. Warning them of the dangers had simply been her first reaction at the thought of venturing so close to the badlands. The Alliance didn�
��t have a stronghold in certain areas outside of the major cities and it was more difficult to regulate what went on there. Due to that, the badlands were a haven for rebels and others who didn’t believe in living by Alliance rules and regulations. Alexis relaxed in Galan’s arms, known full well that her four mates would never let anything happen to her. She smiled. “Of course not. I apologize for even suggesting such a thing.”
“You find this amusing, mate?” Xavier growled, even as his eyes glowed bright with amusement.
“I don’t know what you are talking about,” she teased. “Let me call into my commander and have him clear a flight path for us. I wouldn’t want any soldiers taking shots at us when they see us flying overhead.”
After Galan reluctantly released her, she got up and went to grab her wrist unit from the bedroom where she’d left it. “I can’t wait to ride a dragon through the skies,” she called out over her shoulder with a laugh.
“We would be happy to have you ride one of us, mate,” Thorn said. “But why would you want to do that when you could fly yourself?”
She stumbled over her own feet as she spun around to gape at them. Well, hell, she had completely forgotten about that part of the change. Alexis couldn’t imagine being able to shape-shift into another form, and the mere thought was both exhilarating and terrifying. “Umm, yeah. Forget I said that.”
Inside the bedroom she found that one of her mates had picked up her dress and wrist unit where they had been left on the floor. The dress now lay draped over a chair and the write unit had been carefully placed on her dresser. It made her smile to see how they had taken care of her things when she had been beyond thinking about it last night when they had taken her to bed.
Attaching the wrist unit she logged in and brought up the screen to place a call then hesitated. Remembering that she now had glowing eyes, she ordered, “Video off. Contact Commander Spartan, audio only.”
“Spartan.”
“Commander—” she said as soon as he answered and wasn’t surprised when he cut her off.
“What the hell happened last night, Lex? And why the fuck is your video off? Are you in trouble? Is something wrong?”
She couldn’t help but smile as he barked out his questions and knew the harsh rasp of his voice was only because he was worried about her. Once you were under Jax Spartan’s protection he took it very seriously. “I’m fine, Jax.”
“I do not like the way he is speaking to you,” Xavier growled from the doorway.
Alexis held back the urge to roll her eyes and raise a finger up to her lips asking for him to remain quiet then beckoned him into the room with her. Xavier sat down on the bed and pulled her onto his lap, holding her close. She curled into him, allowing her head to fall onto his shoulder as he stroked a hand over her back.“Jax doesn’t mean anything by it,” she assured Xavier through their bond. “He is like a brother to me and is only worried. He doesn’t know you and wants to make sure I’m okay.”
“Then tell him you now belong to us and we shall care for you instead. He has no need to worry about you any longer,” Xavier arrogantly replied.
This time Alexis did roll her eyes then switched her focus back to the call as Jax let out his own frustrated growl.
“They’re there with you now? Lex, if you don’t answer me I swear I am going to—”
“Do not raise your voice to my mate,” Xavier warned, his voice a deadly growl.
There was silence over the line then Jax finally spoke. “Lex? Could you explain what he means by that? You’re his mate?”
“Umm, yeah. Sorry, Jax. Obviously, I have a lot to tell you,” Alexis said, deliberately using his first name to make the call more informal. “Xavier is with me right now. The others are in another room. Things have been…there is so much to explain, I don’t really know where to begin…”
Because he was her friend as well as her commander, Alexis explained everything to Jax, only leaving out the more intimate details of what had happened between her and the Dragon Warriors. When she was done she waited patiently for Jax’s response as Xavier brushed his lips over her forehead, enjoying the feeling of him running his fingers through her long hair.
“Holy fucking shit,” Jax finally said when she was done.
“Yeah, tell me about it,” Alexis replied with a laugh.
“This is…hell, I’m speechless,” Jax admitted. “Is this what you really want?”
Xavier let out a growl, but Alexis pressed her lips to his to silence him. When she pulled back she made sure to stare into his eyes as she answered Jax, letting Xavier see the truth in what she said.
“Trust me, this wasn’t expected, but this is right for me. I know it’s crazy since I just met them, but they are a part of me now, just as I’m a part of them. They are my future, Jax. I’ve finally found where I belong.”
“I’m happy for you, Lex,” Jax said then he sighed. “This is going to be…complicated to explain, but I’m behind you all the way. Just remember, magic or no magic, those Dragon Warriors better treat you right. Archer and I will kick their asses if they hurt you. I don’t know how, but we’ll find a way.”
“Commander Spartan,” Xavier said, breaking into the conversation. “Since my mate claims you as a brother, I will tell you that Alexis owns our hearts and souls. Hurting her would be like hurting ourselves. It is our duty to care for her and place her happiness above our own.”
Alexis’ heart melted as she felt the love flowing from Xavier. How could she not love a man who said stuff like that?
“Well,” Jax breathed out. “I guess I can’t ask for anything more.”
“But know this, we will not allow anyone to come between our mating…even you,” Xavier said forcefully. “We would challenge your entire world to keep her with us.”
“I’m sure it won’t ever come to that.” Jax chuckled. “Lex, you seem to be in good hands.”
“I really am,” she agreed, blushing as she remembered just how good her mates were with their hands. “I know it’s a lot to take in, but I really am happy, Jax. You’ll see how great we are together, but we have to go now. Speaking of, I actually need you to do me a favor. Well, it’s an official request really.”
“Name it.”
“They want to see some of the land so I’m going to take them out to the border, over near the Crystal Cove.”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea? That’s pretty damn close to the badlands.”
Alexis laughed. “As I was reminded by my mates when I mentioned that, they do have magic and they are warriors in their own right. I can’t imagine any of the rebels will want to mess with them.”
“True,” Jax said with a laugh. “You can take them there, but you have to be back by this weekend in time for the celebration. The regents won’t be happy if you miss it and besides, if I have to dress the hell up, you better be there.”
“I’ll make sure we attend. Don’t worry.”
“Good. I can clear a transpo for you there at the visitors center and—”
“That won’t be necessary,” Alexis broke in. “Just clear a flight path from here to the Crystal Cove for us and we’ll see you in a few days. Oh, and can you make sure to tell the patrols not to shoot at the dragons in the sky? That would just piss us off. Thanks, Jax!”
“Dragons?” Jax asked incredulously.
Alexis cut off the call and had to laugh. That should give her commander something to think about.
“You are trouble, mate,” Xavier said playfully as he cupped her face, tilting it up for his kiss. “I think we will have our hands full with you.”
“You can count on it,” Alexis promised then she grinned. “Come on and teach me how to fly!”
****
“Well, here we are...”
Standing on the roof of the visiting center high above the city, Alexis was damn glad that heights didn’t bother her.
She tilted her face up to the sun, breathing in the clean air. The colors she was seeing were incredible and
it felt like she was viewing everything for the first time. Bright and beautiful, it was amazing being able to stand out in the sunlight without it hurting her eyes. Thankfully, Jax had cleared the landing pad of other soldiers so they didn’t have an audience as she stood out there with her four mates. Looking out over the Capital gave her a deep sense of pride at what they had accomplished over the years.
The view truly was spectacular.
“You are the one who is spectacular, mate,” Brydan growled as he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her back against him.
She sighed in contentment as she snuggled back against him. “I’m glad you think so.”
“We know it is so,” Thorn said with conviction, making her smile.
Xavier stood with his hands braced on his hips as he looked out over the city. “What your people have accomplished since we were last here is impressive. Humans are a resilient race.”
“We are,” she agreed.
Xavier turned, his piercing silver eyes serious. “You are no longer human, mate.”
Shit, she’d forgotten about that already.
She sent him a sheepish smile. “Right. So how do I go about becoming a dragon?”
“I will show you. Keep your mind open to mine as I bring forth the change and follow how I do it,” Thorn told her as he stepped away from the group.
She felt the rush of power surge through Thorn as she focused on him through their bond. She could feel him calling his dragon spirit to him and felt the change happen as he allowed the magic flowing through him to alter his form.
One second, Thorn was a man…the next a large dragon stood in his place.
Alexis’ mouth dropped open in awe as she looked up at the magnificent beast standing before her. The dragon’s body was covered with iridescent scales that shimmered in the sunlight. It seemed to glow a pearly light-gold to a sparkling deep-bronze, the color changing as its massive chest billowed out as it breathed. Lethal-sharp talons tapped against the ground as he took a step toward her. Those claws looked terrifying, and yet she knew they would never harm her. A large, spiked tail swished back and forth over the ground as enormous wings expanded, stirring the wind so it blew softly against her skin.