The Dragon Twins

by B. A. Stretke

  “Come closer, I want to hold you.” Flynn pulled Hunter closer and wrapped him in his arms. Hunter looked behind him and realized then that Forbes was not there, and he suddenly felt distraught. The bed was cold and empty on his right side. Why was he not there? Where did he go?

  Flynn felt Hunter’s mood change. “What’s wrong?”

  “Where’s Forbes, why did he leave?” The insecurity ran in his tone.

  “He had to take care of something, he won’t be long. As a matter of fact, he thought you’d still be asleep when he returned.” Flynn rushed to assure him.

  "I wish he was here with us," Hunter stated and Flynn heard the desire and the need. The connection was taking shape. They'd claimed their mate and now their bond would grow with every word, every touch, every look, it would grow.

  “I’m sorry I blacked out on you, again, but the experience was just so . . .” Hunter trailed off at the memory of their lovemaking.

  “Fantastic.” Flynn filled in with a smirk.

  “Even better than that.” Hunter flattered him.

  “I love compliments, my love, keep them coming because my ego needs the fuel.” Flynn barked another laugh. “I’ll be sure and let Forbes know that you were thoroughly pleased with our efforts.”

  "I'm still exhausted," Hunter remarked and then yawned.

  "Well then close your eyes and snuggle up close. We can sleep for a while, there's no rush." Flynn held him tight, and Hunter rested his head on Flynn's shoulder and fell back to sleep.

  …

  Forbes loathed leaving his mate especially since he just claimed him and their bond was so new, but Hunter’s well-being was contingent on Forbes finding the jackal that had assaulted Hunter and finishing him. There was an abandoned building on the far edge of town that the jackals had been using as a hangout. He would start there. He knew who he was looking for.

  He drove up and parked near the front of the building he didn’t care who saw him, he was there to eliminate the threat to his mate. Anyone who got in his way would likewise be eliminated. His dragon began to get agitated and wanted to just level the building and be done with it, but Forbes wanted to see this fucker. He wanted to look him in the eye when he killed him.

  Three jackals tried to jump him as he entered, they were no match for a pissed off dragon, he finished the lot of them without breaking stride. He heard voices coming from the back, and he went straight for them. There were five sitting around talking, but they jumped to their feet when Forbes entered. Four of them did the smart thing and immediately ran out the back door but one stood there and glared at him, and it was just the jackal he was looking for.

  "You assaulted my mate and left him bleeding in an alley," Forbes stated with fury and puffs of smoke escaping his mouth and nose. A shift seemed imminent. The Jackal smiled wide but took a step back towards the door. He really did not understand that death stood a few feet from him.

  “That little whore, Hunter Davis, is not your . . .” The jackal’s words were cut off when the dragon burst forth and incinerated him with a single breath. He panicked and tried to run at the last second, but you can’t outrun dragon fire.

  The building could not withstand the sheer size of Forbes' dragon. As it broke through the walls and ceiling, the structure began to fall in on itself. He turned, and as he left, he shifted back and walked to his car. Forbes looked back at the destruction behind him and set fire to what remained of the building. That nest of jackals had been removed, but the threat to his mate still remained.

  As he drove home, he thought about it and realized that there was more to what was going on than just random attacks. Someone was directing these individuals. Laramie was a rough place but not so dangerous that one would expect to be attacked twice in less than a day. It felt like a set up to Forbes. He planned to discuss his suspicions with Flynn as soon as he got home.

  The thought of home brought thoughts of Hunter and his sweet face and sexy body. He was the perfect mate for them. He was strong, rational and loving and he seemed to trust his instincts. Forbes needed to get back, being separated from Hunter was difficult, and he could feel his dragon whining.

  …

  Flynn and Hunter rested for another half hour before getting up. Hunter cleaned up in the attached bath and Flynn used the bath in the guestroom. He thought about asking to shower with Hunter, but he was probably a little sore and Flynn doubted he could shower with the man without getting physical. Hunter’s body was a thing of beauty for sure and just the sight of all that tempting flesh and taught muscle made his blood burn.

  Flynn was in the kitchen cooking dinner when Forbes returned. He came to the kitchen poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down at the island. “Where is Hunter?” He asked.

  "Taking a shower, we just got up a few minutes ago. I thought I'd cook dinner, steak, and baked potatoes, that should get his strength back." He smiled at Forbes over his shoulder and Forbes returned the gesture. "Did you take care of the problem?"

  “Yes, that threat has been removed, but the problem isn’t over.” Forbes drank about half his cup of coffee before setting it down and sharing his misgivings. Flynn walked over to the island and leaned his hip against it as he listened.

  “The two attacks feel off to me.” He began. “Why would a vampire attack a man in a locked truck in a residential area rather than just troll the alleys downtown for a likely victim. Besides, there hasn't been a vampire attack in this town in a very long time." Forbes saw that his brother was catching on as awareness seem to light up his eyes along with a touch of dread.

  “And the jackal, why would he go after Hunter? Jackals don’t hold grudges or crave vengeance, they don’t care about anything and just live their lives from one urge to the next. They don’t have the depth necessary for a grudge or vengeance, but they will do anything for money.”

  "You think someone else is responsible," Flynn interjected. "The wolf?"

  "That would be my guess," Forbes stated. "It would be easy for him to hire the vampire and that jackal to carry out his dirty work and I could see him wanting revenge. He was made to look small in front of the others, and I believe he's going after Hunter to get to us." Forbes found that his dragon was itching to go after the wolf in question.

  “Could he really be that stupid?” Flynn asked.

  "Some paranormals still do not comprehend the power of a dragon," Forbes told him. "We’ve been here nearly eight years now, but we're still considered new to the area. Not everyone knows who we are and what we are capable of, but this wolf is soon to find out." Forbes finished his coffee.

  “In the meantime, I agree with you, we need to be vigilant in Hunter’s care and protection. One of us should to be with him at all times until we figure this out.” Flynn said and then turned back to the meal he was preparing just as Hunter entered the kitchen all cleaned up and smelling like heaven.

  "Forbes, you're home." Hunter went towards him. He really missed this guy, and it confounded him why, but he knew what he felt. Forbes stood and abruptly gathered Hunter up into his arms, lifting him off his feet and began a barrage of kisses that took Hunter’s breath away. Forbes felt it too, Hunter realized to his delight as he ate up the attention.

  “I’m sorry I wasn’t there when you woke. I hated leaving you, but I had something that I had to take care of, and it couldn’t wait.” Forbes explained between kisses. He set him back onto his feet but kept him close rubbing his hand up and down Hunter’s back like he too needed the contact. It was a strange thing, but Hunter was obsessed with touching these guys, he couldn’t get enough. It was as if he were feeding off their energy.

  "Have a seat, dinner will be ready shortly," Flynn instructed as he began to prepare their plates. Hunter gently pulled away from Forbes and moved to stand at the end of the island facing them both. He'd overheard part of their discussion upon entering the kitchen, and he was ready to ask the questions he'd shied away from earlier. He was comfortable now and was ready to know more.

&n
bsp; They turned towards him sensing that he had something to say and were giving him their full attention. Hunter placed the palms of his hands against the top of the island to steady himself for the answers he knew he was about to receive.

  “Did you kill the vampire?” His first question.

  “Yes.” Forbes and Flynn both responded evenly.

  “Did you kill the jackal? Is that the business you were taking care of?” He glanced at Forbes as he asked.

  "Yes," Forbes said and then added. "I would kill anyone who dares threaten your life."

  “As would I.” Flynn joined.

  He should be upset by what they were admitting, but he wasn't. They saved him in the bar, in his truck, in the alley and now they eliminated the jackal who would have surely killed him if Flynn had not arrived.

  Anxiety and fear had been his constant companions for so long that the feeling that he could now let go and just live was a very heady experience. Even with the level of threats that had been coming his way he felt safe in the hands of his lovers Forbes and Flynn.

  He wasn't weak or timid, but life had kicked him around so badly over the past few days that any shred of confidence had abandoned him. Now he was getting back his center and feeling a foundation under him once again. Whatever they did, whatever Forbes had to do, he would stand with him always, and he knew this to be true to the depths of his being.

  His opinion of the brothers strengthened even further with Forbes’ next declaration.

  “I will not apologize for protecting you. You are the center of my world now and I love you more than my own life. That may sound crazy to you, but it is the truth. I will always love and protect you, you are my mate I can do nothing else.” This was followed by Flynn echoing the same sentiments. They were deadly serious.

  “I understand, and I can tell you that I feel the same.” He wasn’t going to pretend to demure or play games. “I feel right here with you, I know there’s something between us, it’s like I’ve been waiting my whole life just to meet you two. Normally I would be freaking out and running away about now, but I’m not worried. This . . .” He gestured back and forth between them. “This is right, and I think I belong here.”

  "You were born for us as we were born for you," Flynn assured him.

  “This is exactly where you belong.” Forbes cut in, and his eyes were bright like they were on fire. The image made Hunter tremble, just a glance and he was burning. He looked to Flynn, and his eyes held the same fire. It was intoxicating, but he had to ask the rest of his questions, he had to finish this.

  “What kind of shifters are you?” Hunter needed to know.

  "We are not native to this land," Forbes stated and then looked at Flynn his expression asking him to continue. Hunter knew Forbes considered Flynn the better speaker and often deferred to him when explanations were required. Forbes tended to be harsher and to the point, whereas Flynn was mellow and patient. Hunter had to admit he loved them both. Barely twenty-four hours and he had already fallen hard for these two. Two men, he was in love with two men.

  “Our people reside, primarily in Northern Europe and parts of Russia. Our home Circle is from the Shetland Islands.” Flynn decided to start at the beginning. If he was going to explain who and what they were Hunter would need the complete backstory. He told him of the quest that Clan Keith embarked upon in the name of their King. He spoke of the years of searching and traveling as a motorcycle club. It was easy to move about and not garner too much attention, everyone avoided biker clubs.

  Hunter leaned his forearms on the island and listened intently to the story of their lives. Flynn spoke with excitement in his voice as he related many treasured memories. The life he described sounded full and vibrant.

  Flynn laughed softly. “Sorry, got a little off subject. You don’t need to know every detail, I suppose.”

  "I love listening to you, I could listen to you all day, Flynn," Hunter told him.

  “Thank you, my love.” Flynn then got back to answering his question.

  “We settled here in this dusty little town because this is where we found the first mate. Our Chieftain, Calum found his mate Chance Bashford at the Café near the theater. We stopped there for coffee as we were passing through and he scented Chance. That was the beginning of this life for all of us. According to our seer, all our mates would be found where the first is found.

  Over the past nearly eight years all the members of this quest have found their mates, except for us. Yesterday the Quest of Clan Keith was completed when Forbes and I found our mate." Flynn paused, and both he and Forbes trained their eyes on Hunter.

  Hunter straightened up and dropped his hands to his sides as he waited.

  "You are our mate, Hunter. You are the one we have been searching the continent to find. We have been waiting in this town for years, waiting for you to come to us. You belong to us, Forbes and me. We claimed you and set the bonding process in motion when we bit you. You felt the connection fall into place. It was foretold, and it is our destiny to be together, the three of us. You were born to be ours, and we were born to be yours." Flynn went on to explain the sacredness of mates and the importance to the growth of their people.

  Hunter tried to take it all in, but the amount of fantastic information he was being given was overloading his ability to process. Any other time in any other place with different circumstances he would have scoffed and refused to even consider what he was being told.

  This was unlike anything he’d come up against, but he knew it to be true, it was all true and he knew it to his core. After several minutes of silence, Hunter asked his question again.

  “What kind of shifter are you?”

  "We are dragon, as are all the members of Clan Keith apart from the mates. We are members of the Shetland Dragon Circle and we serve the Dragon King Duncan Adair." Forbes stated in his usual straight forward manner, but Hunter appreciated the clarity.

  Forbes turned the floor back over to Flynn who explained in detail what it was to be the mate of a dragon or in Hunter’s case, two dragons. He told him of the changes in his life and physiology along with the increased life span and the off chance that Hunter could get pregnant.

  Hunter raised his hand, and everyone fell silent. “Okay, that’s a lot to take in but I believe you, I don’t know why but I believe you. It will take me a while to process everything, but I will, all except for that last nugget. There is currently no room in my head for that possibility, so we can talk about that later, much later.”

  “Whatever you need, we will help you every step of the way.” Flynn jumped in.

  “Okay, let’s eat, I’m hungry and the smell of that steak is making my mouth water.” Hunter ended the discussion, for now.

  Flynn plated the meal and they sat together at the island, Hunter in the middle and Forbes and Flynn on either side. They ate and discussed every part of their lives. The mundane little personal things that make up a person’s life. The steady process of getting to know one another. Hunter did not venture into the paranormal, just questions of friends and family and likes and dislikes.

  Forbes was impressed with his mate's ability to take a boatload of information and process it in such a way that it did not crush him. He could see the wheels turning, but Hunter wasn't shutting down or trying to run away, which was important.

  Their relationship was speeding ahead faster than he'd anticipated. With the jackal shifting in front of him and the death of the vampire, Hunter had to be brought into the secret sooner that they would have preferred. But he was handling it, and it seemed to strengthen their bond. Claiming Hunter was a big assist in gaining his trust and understanding. The claiming connected their souls and he was able to feel, if not see the truth in their words.

  Flynn did a fine job explaining the facts of their lives in the gentlest way possible as far as Forbes was concerned. Now all that remained was to make Hunter aware of the danger regarding the wolf and get his agreement to not venture out alone until the matter was se
ttled.

  They finished and together cleaned up the kitchen before retiring to the living room. Hunter sat in the middle of the largest sofa in the room and the twins sat on either side of him. Forbes was pleased with Hunter’s apparent desire to have them close and have them surround him. It was something that would possibly ease in time but for now, the three of them needed to stay close. It was all about the connecting of their souls.

  Forbes reached over and took Hunter's hand in his and Flynn placed his hand possessively on Hunter's knee. "We need to discuss a situation that is brewing," Flynn stated. He'd dumped a lot on Hunter in the past few hours, and now he was going to share their suspicions regarding the wolf from the Federal. Hunter has been open and accepting so far, he just hoped he continued to be.

  “Does it have something to do with what you and Forbes were talking about before I walked into the kitchen, is it about the wolf that grabbed me at the bar?” Hunter asked and looked at each of them before turning back to give Flynn his attention.

  “Yes, we believe he’s the person behind the incidents with the vampire and the jackal. It’s looking like he may have hired them to attack you. If that’s true, then your safety is still an issue.” Flynn squeezed Hunter’s knee assuring him that he had nothing to fear.

  "Do you think he will send someone else?" Hunter sounded worried, and Flynn hated that sound.

  "He may, or he may try to get to you himself. What we need for you to do is agree to not leave this property unless Forbes or I are with you. You're safe here, no one sane would ever trespass on Dragon's Blood property.

  "We need time to locate this bastard, and if his intent is to hurt you, then we will hurt him first. We will know if he's the one behind all this." Forbes added and slipped his arm around Hunter causing him to lean into Forbes' shoulder. Flynn draped his arm across Hunter's thighs and drew him close. Yep, he was their mate, it was apparent in every move, every touch, and every word.