by Marcy Jacks
No. He said it again and again in his mind, shaking his head to get it through his thick skull. No, this wasn’t like that. Cole was projecting his past experiences onto this one time with his mate. Maybe it was normal for an alpha like Evzen to not want to wake with his mate. Miles had often said that Seth was gone from their bed before he woke.
Cole sucked back a deep breath then did it again. His tail thumped against the sheets as he started to feel the gentle, pleasant burning in his backside. Proof of his mate’s love for him. Evzen had whispered pretty words into Cole’s ears when inside him, making Cole shiver.
At one point, when Cole started to drift off just as the sun came up, Cole thought for certain that he’d heard the alpha whisper that he loved him and an apology.
An apology to someone else. His first mate? Possibly, but it was also possible that sweet whisper had been only Cole’s dream.
He had a mate, a handsome, strong mate, and the man was, so far, very kind to him. Cole would feel very much loved and adored with just that alone. He wouldn’t ask the man to give Cole something he might never be able to if Cole was already being so spoiled.
He looked over at the clock, and then his heart damn well stopped.
It was nearing ten in the morning. He’d overslept the worst he had in his entire life.
Cole jumped out of bed. He ran for the door before realizing he was still naked. And smelling of sex.
Smelling of sex while doing any of his chores wasn’t unheard of when the vampires had been in charge, but this was Seth’s home now. Cole didn’t think the man would like that. He ran into the bathroom, feeling strange for using the expensive shower, but he did little more than a quick rinse and a towel dry before finding his old clothes on the floor from last night and quickly dressing.
Then he flew out of the room, running as fast as he could out of that wing of the house.
Shit. Dammit all to hell, shit!
He made it down to the servants’ wing. Of course no one was there. They would have been awake for hours now. Many would be nearly finished with their chores.
He ran to the closet and found his bucket and apron, filling the bucket to the halfway point with soapy water. He grabbed his rags and gloves and then set off to get what he needed done.
He’d missed breakfast. His stomach rumbled, but if he worked quickly, he would allow himself some lunch.
And then maybe he would see Evzen again throughout the day.
His heart stopped as he made it to the first room he was set to do.
That would be…very nice to see Evzen again today.
His cheeks warmed, and his groin tightened. Cole cleared his throat. He couldn’t allow himself to think about that right now. He had important work to do.
He tapped on the door. It was always best to knock in case someone was inside.
Someone opened, one of Evzen’s dragons. Cole smiled politely.
“Hello, would you like me to do your bathroom?”
The dragon—Cole didn’t have a name, but he knew the man wasn’t one of Evzen’s better warriors—tensed. “Uh, I don’t think that’s…appropriate?”
It sounded like a question. Cole didn’t understand. “I’m sorry. Would you like me to come back at another time?”
“No,” said the dragon slowly. He was a big man, not overweight but wider and rounder with lots of muscle. He didn’t have his scales out, but there were scale tattoos up and down his arms, giving the impression he was getting ready to shift.
His small beard was even nicely braided. He didn’t look overly mean, but he also didn’t appear to be the sort who would be uncomfortable in any situation.
Cole figured something must have been wrong. Perhaps he had a lover inside.
“I am sorry for bothering you. I’ll leave you alone then. Do you not want me to clean your toilet at all today or this week?”
The dragon shook his head, still staring down at Cole with the oddest expression. “I’m good.”
“Oh.” It was somewhat disappointing. Cole had come to this wing of the house because he knew Evzen’s dragons were here. Cole had wanted to serve them first as a nice gesture.
“Well, all right. Thank you for your time.”
Cole turned, moved down the hall to the next door, and gave the thick wood a tap.
Only to see the dragon warrior with the many scale tattoos had not returned to his rooms. He was still looking out at Cole, as if he did not entirely understand what was happening.
Cole looked back at him and then quickly away before he could be called rude.
Was there something on him? He pretended to wipe dust off his shoulders and down his pants so he could properly check, and there was nothing out of place as far as he could tell.
Strange. Very strange. He hoped everything was all right.
The next door didn’t answer. Cole knocked again.
“I don’t think he’s in there,” called the other dragon, still looking at Cole.
“Oh, well, do you think he would mind if I went in and tidied up?”
The man blinked at him then looked around, as though to make sure no one else was there. “Should you be doing this?”
Cole blinked. “Doing what?”
“Uh, nothing. That’s Ares’s room anyway.”
That was a name Cole did remember. Ares was one of Evzen’s stronger dragons. Not as powerful as Lasius or Theron, but he was one of Evzen’s go-to warriors.
Cole knew this because of all the talking they had done the night before.
Now, more than ever, he was eager to at least service this room.
“I’ll be very quick and won’t disturb his things,” Cole promised, setting his bucket down, opening the door, and using the bucket itself to keep it held open.
It was always better to dust the main room with his duster before he moved on to the bathroom.
Most people didn’t want their bedrooms cleaned by someone who had just had their hands in a toilet.
He pulled his duster from his apron and ran it over the dresser and nightstand. He had to grab his roll of paper towels and spray to get the window. Handprints all over it. It was a floor-to-ceiling kind of window, so he needed to get everywhere. Reaching the top might be a problem. Even on his toes, he had trouble.
When he finished spraying it down and making the glass gleam, he saw a reflection behind him.
He turned. In the doorway stood the tall, broad-shouldered dragon with the scale tattoos. Looking at him.
“Did you change your mind?”
The man shook his head, stepping into the bedroom with him. He walked right up to Cole, standing over him. He must have been as tall as Evzen, though he was definitely wider in the shoulders. Sometimes Cole didn’t understand why some dragons who looked large and imposing couldn’t be proper alphas when they certainly looked the part.
He swallowed hard. He would have backed up a step, but the glass window was behind him.
“Are you…do you need something?”
“No.”
Cole looked back, realized just then that, when the man had come inside, he’d knocked the bucket out of the way, closing the door behind him. The dragon reached for him, taking the cleaning supplies out of Cole’s hands.
* * * *
Evzen reached out for Theron, grabbing him by the shoulder, spinning him around. “Will you fucking stop?”
Theron responded by punching Evzen in the jaw. “Go fuck yourself. You motherfucking asshole. You’re going to spit all over my dead brother by fucking that piece-of-shit wolf?”
Evzen rubbed his jaw, a low growl rumbling through his chest, and he felt the spikes of his scales forming along his shoulders and arms.
He hadn’t been able to take his aggression out on Seth, so now might very well be the perfect time to do so to Theron.
“Don’t you ever call him that again.”
“What? Defending a goddamned omega now? You remember it was his kind that tore Theon to pieces, right? Do you even remember th
at at all?” Theron pushed hard against Evzen’s chest, the man’s eyes bright and becoming red.
Red as though he was struggling to hold something back. His voice broke. “You…you fucking traitor. I knew we shouldn’t have come here.”
“It’s better for us to be here. Sethraghck has resources I don’t. The clan is better served here.”
“Right. So you can shack up and mate with one of the little wolf bitches.”
Evzen’s cheek tightened. “That’s your second warning right there. Cole didn’t do anything to Theon, and it wasn’t even his pack. You’re not going to blame him for what happened.”
“Right, great, get all high and mighty on me. Weren’t you the motherfucker who shouted that you would drink the blood of every last wolf you could get your hands on for Theon? You and I got drunk, cut our wrists, and made a blood fucking oath, you piece of rat shit.”
Evzen closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then opened them once more, trying desperately not to look at Theron any differently for this.
“I meant those words when I said them, but this is different.”
Theron tsked, shaking his head and turning away from him. As though he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“I’m being serious. Don’t presume that just because I mated with a wolf means I’m willing to forgive the whole species, but these omegas are Seth’s responsibility. None of them have treated you or me with anything less than respect, and even if they did hate us, there is nothing they can do about it because they don’t have the power to do anything.”
Theron slow-clapped for him. Evzen struggled to keep from strangling him. “Great. Good for you. You had yourself a nice spiritual awakening because you stuck your dick into one of them. I don’t care. I don’t care if he’s your mate. I don’t give a flying fuck if he was involved or not. He’s a fucking wolf, and that’s all I need to know.”
“Guys!”
Lasius rushed toward them, stopping just before he would slam into them. He frowned, his blue eyes scanning both of them with something close to disdain before he looked to Evzen. “You need to cut this out. There are people watching you.”
“Who cares? Let them watch.” Theron sneered hard at Evzen. “At least everyone else will know what a fucking traitor our fearless leader is. I don’t know what Theon ever saw in you.”
Evzen couldn’t contain himself. He punched the man, flying at him, both of them rolling on the carpeted floor while Lasius stood over them, watching, probably shaking his head, but Evzen didn’t care because, in that moment, his only mission was to make Theron shut his damned mouth by slamming his head down as hard as possible onto the floor.
If only the carpet hadn’t been there, then he could crack his stupid head wide open and watch him bleed out.
“This isn’t the way for an alpha to communicate that he would be a good fit with another clan,” Lasius said. “Just saying, this shit might fly when it’s just us, but Seth needs to know we can handle our shit.”
“Not listening to you!” Evzen called out, catching Theron hard one more time across the jaw.
Theron roared, his green scales coming out, his eyes blazing, and then it was a complete free-for-all as they both rolled and ducked, punching and biting each other until a pair of hands yanked them apart.
Seth grabbed hard under Evzen’s arms, and two of Evzen’s dragons held Theron back, pulling them away from each other as quickly as they could.
“I fucking hate you!” Theron roared.
The feeling was more than mutual at that point until Seth slammed Evzen down hard onto the hall floor. “Knock it off!”
Red eyes blazing, fangs out, Seth was ready for a fight, and Evzen was, too. He pushed himself up. Seth grabbed him by the throat.
“If you want to convince Cole that you’re not an overly emotional psychopath ready to fly off the handle, then you will calm your shit down right now.”
It was only through the mention of Cole’s name that Evzen managed to calm himself. He was still angry, still filled with the primal rage and the need to fight that all alpha dragons came bursting to life with, but Evzen needed to calm down. Seth was right.
“Are you good?” Seth asked.
Evzen nodded. “I am.”
Seth helped him to his feet, still growling, and backed off. He looked between both men, his lips thinning.
“You know, normally I wouldn’t want to get in the way of how one alpha handles the dragon beneath him, but you need to sort this shit out and soon. Like, yesterday. Cole is still under my protection, and if your dragons can’t handle that, let me know right now so I can kick all your asses out of this house.”
Much as Evzen was still seething, he had to respect the alpha for that. He would have Cole’s back. It was admirable.
“I can handle that,” Evzen replied, looking to Theron. “So can he.”
Theron glared at him. A spot of blood formed at the corner of his mouth where Evzen had gotten him. Theron didn’t bother to wipe it away.
“Fine, but don’t you ever expect me to like it or him. I’m not going to be licking the bottom of this wolf’s boots just because you want me to.”
“He’s not the type who would want that from you or anyone else, don’t worry.”
Evzen glanced around. His dragons stood around him, and so were Seth’s dragons, with only a few exceptions. “This isn’t exactly how I wanted everyone to find out, but now that you all know, you’re all going to get over it and quick.”
Evzen looked each of his dragons in the eyes. He knew he wouldn’t have trouble with Lasius, or some of the others, but there were a few who would take this as an insult. He didn’t see some of the faces who had been in the hallway when it was discovered. Tiny wasn’t here, and when he was around, everyone knew it.
Fuck, where was Ares?
“I came to this house and found out I was mated to one of the omegas who used to serve the vampires here. I took him for my proper mate last night. If any single one of you has something cruel to say about that to Cole, keep it to yourselves. Any of you want to confront Cole about it, I’ll beat the piss out of you, and if any of you want to voice your displeasure with me, by all means, do it, but I’ll still beat the piss out of you. Understood?”
There were nods all around. A few hard grumbles. No one would get used to this overnight, and he didn’t care.
“To be clear,” Evzen said, “I will never expect you all to turn into a bunch of wolf lovers. That’s not what this is, but these omegas are under Seth’s protection, and that is to be respected. My mate is to be treated as you would anyone else.”
“And what if he disrespects us?”
Evzen looked to the dragon who asked the question, sized him up, and decided the question wasn’t a challenge.
“Then I will be the one to deal with him. Cole is still learning the ways of dragons, and humans for that matter. If he ever says or does anything out of turn, which I doubt will ever happen, I, and I alone, will handle it. No one else. Got it?”
Evzen turned to Seth, daring the man to challenge him on that one.
Seth shrugged. “He’s your mate now. You do whatever you want with him.” Those red eyes returned, and Seth brought out his claws, making sure Evzen could see them. “Within reason.”
Evzen nodded. “Understood.” He cursed. “Where are Ares and Tiny? Edward isn’t here either.”
Fuck. Had Edward been in the group out in the hall? Why the fuck did his dragons have to get curious and follow after him and Seth? They must not have been able to help themselves when Miles walked off.
“Tiny went to his room,” Lasius said. “Pretty much immediately after the outburst in the hall. Edward doesn’t know about any of this. He’s off learning the routines around the house with James.”
“And Ares?” Evzen asked.
The scream that sounded all the way through the ceiling above his head stole his attention away from any thoughts of Ares.
He looked up, blood draining
from his face at that horrific sound.
“Cole.”
Evzen took off running.
Chapter Nine
Cole ran into the bathroom when the two dragons began to fight.
Ares was here. Oh God, what was happening?
Cole locked the door, knowing full well that wouldn’t do anything to keep out the giant dragon shifter if he really wanted to get in. He was so powerful. He had to get out. He had to get away.
There was no window in this bathroom. He was trapped in here.
And the dragons were still roaring and slamming each other around until there was one hard slam against the floor that Cole felt all the way into his feet. He stopped breathing for a split second, his heart pounding. He tried to be quiet, tried to not give away that he was in here.
Maybe the dragon hadn’t noticed he’d run in here. He might be safe.
“I can hear your heartbeat in there, little wolf.”
Cole tensed. He backed away from the door, which was lucky because it was right at that moment when the door exploded inwardly, wood splintering and the lock shattering.
Cole yelped, lifting his hands to shield his face from the chips of wood, but he slipped on a small puddle of water on the tiled floor, and he went down hard on his ass.
He stared up at the dragon who marched into the bathroom with him.
Ares didn’t waste any time. He reached out and grabbed Cole by the neck, his fingers as powerful as a viper’s bite.
He lifted Cole completely off his feet, reminding Cole of just how small and powerless he could be.
Behind Ares, the dragon with the many scale tattoos up and down his arms, who had been helping him to spray and clean the spots on the window that were too high for him to reach, was lying face down and not moving. There was something dark and red and wet flowing and…
Cole cried out.
“Shut up!”
Ares slammed him hard down onto tile. It hurt. The bones of his wrist flared with pain.
Ares kicked him in the stomach. Cole almost threw up because of it.
“A wolf. A fucking wolf.”
Ares reached for him again. Cole swiped his small claws out, catching the man in the arm.