As the night stretched on, they drew closer to the vampire compound. Shifting into their half-dragon form, they landed at the perimeter. Each of them had been blessed by Aria’s song, increasing their attack speed and power so they would be able to vanquish vampires. So far, it was the only way they knew to kill them, other than the blood of mated Dragon Souls. Cato had devised a way to infuse their laser weapons with this blood. It could even kill an elder, and Yuki had recently updated all their wrist devices to carry this new antibody. But infused weapons would make no difference without contact, making Aria’s song still necessary.
"We have to make it through their wards," Yuki said through the mental link. “I'm analyzing them now. Cato has worked extensively on breaking them, but I don't have his experience."
"Just do your best." Akash joined them.
Ragnar gritted his teeth and growled. He was so angry with the professor he didn't want to hear him say a single word.
“I've got it," Yuki finally said. “But we’re not going to have much time. Once the wards are broken, they will know we are here.”
“We need to get inside, find her, and get her out. Scanning the building now, looking for her signature."
Ragnar was done listening and done waiting. He charged through, drawing his laser sword in his half-shifted form. Keeping his stealth shields active, he charged through the shrubbery on the outside of the stone mansion. The place looked like a fortress. Ragnar hadn't spent much time studying humans or their history, but he could tell it was an old building from the wear and tear on the exterior. Just that much easier to burn to the ground if these monsters harmed a hair on Krista's head.
"Wait, Ragnar," Akash said through the mental link.
Ragnar didn't respond. He would not listen to Akash. He had no authority, and as far as Ragnar was concerned, Akash should forfeit his life. He slipped through an open door into the vampires’ mansion and heard music and talking. Stepping through the shadows down the hallway, he saw men and women in formal dress, drinking red liquid from wine goblets. They had naked humans draped over red-velvet settees and couches, slumped over their laps as multiple vampires drank from their flesh. Ragnar didn't see Krista in this room, but his heart sank at the sight.
He had always despised what the vampires did. They kidnapped and manipulated creatures who were far easier to mind control than dragons. They had these huge blood orgies where they feasted on weak-minded creatures until their blood was gone. Clearing his mind of the throes of his mating impulse, he remembered his solemn duty to protect the weak. Ragnar gripped his sword in both hands, ready to attack.
"I'm getting a signature from the basement," Yuki said.
Ragnar contained himself and followed Yuki's direction as the map appeared in his mind. They made their way down the hall to a door. Ragnar tried the knob, but it was locked.
"I'm attempting to pick the lock," Yuki said. “Cover me."
Ragnar stood with his back to Yuki as he surveyed the hall. Yuki knelt beside the door, attempting to pick the lock with the laser from his wrist device.
"It's warded." He cursed.
"Hurry," Ragnar demanded.
"I'm in." Yuki slowly turned the knob and slipped through. Akash and Ragnar rushed in behind him, and they shut the door.
"She's down here," Yuki said. “I can make out her signature in one of these rooms.”
They climbed down the musty-smelling staircase into a stone basement. A single bulb hung above them, casting flickering light over the dark, narrow passage.
"It's at the end of the hall." Yuki was first to arrive at the door, testing the handle and the lock. "This one is also warded—the strongest one yet."
"Take your time," Akash said.
"Would you shut up Akash?" Ragnar said. “We need to hurry, not take our time."
"I don't want to rush him."
"You know nothing. You're completely useless."
"Ragnar…" Yuki warned.
"I am tired of him lording his education over us like he is somehow superior when he's not. Look at what he allowed to happen."
"Just stop," Yuki said. “I'm through."
He turned the knob and swung open the door. Krista sat in a heap on the floor, wearing nothing but a bathrobe. All three of them became visible, and she stood, running into their arms. They enveloped her as she cried against Ragnar’s chest.
"Take me away from here," she wept. Ragnar scooped her up into his arms. "I'll never doubt you again.”
He went stealth, taking them both into invisibility, and stormed up the stairs. Yuki told him to be quiet and opened the door, checking for vampires on the other side. They were halfway down the hall to the exit when the alarm went off. All the vampires in the ballroom stopped what they were doing and dropped their blood slaves to the ground.
"We had a break-in," said the man holding a cane. "The dragons are here."
"Come out, come out, wherever you are," said another.
The one with the cane snapped his fingers, and Krista's invisibility shield dropped away. Knowing they’d seen Krista, there was no point in remaining under stealth. Ragnar had no idea how they broke the shield, and he wasn't going to stand around to ask.
"I'm getting her out of here," Ragnar barked.
He left Yuki and Akash in the hall with dozens of vampires charging at them. He didn't stop. He had to get her to safety.
"What about Yuki and Akash?" Krista wailed. "You have to help them,"
He growled at the edge of the wood. He could see Yuki and Akash. He sent a message to Akash over the mental link.
"Get over here at once. I will take care of the vampires.”
A second later, Akash was there in his half-shift form, taking Krista in his arms. He and Ragnar looked at each other, and a spark of understanding moved between them. Their differences didn't matter. What mattered was Krista. And the crew. The House of Storms.
Akash flew away with Krista, and Ragnar burst into his full dragon form. Yuki was smaller and quick but not nearly the fighter he was. Yuki had covered Akash while he'd run for Krista, but he couldn't fend them off for long. Ragnar bellowed, blowing lightning across the grounds. The electricity sparked through the vampires, making anyone who came in contact shudder and collapse, their bodies singed and burned. But most of them got up again a moment later. Yuki was soon beside him, shooting at the vampires with dual laser guns. Each laser bullet sliced through a vampire, who fell immediately and turned to ash.
"The antibodies in mated Dragon Soul blood are a valuable weapon," Yuki said.
Ragnar blew an immense and violent bolt of lightning at the vampires and their stronghold.
"We need to leave. They're recasting their wards. If we get stuck in here, it could kill us." Yuki took flight, and Ragnar followed him. They flew straight up into the air. He saw the magical wards moving up from a circle on the ground, faster and faster as the magic created a dome at the very last second. It singed a claw on his toe, sending a sharp jolt of pain through his body.
"Those wards really sting," Ragnar said. “That’s going to leave a mark.”
They met up with Akash and Krista, headed south back to the House of Storms.
"How is she?" Ragnar asked.
"I've comforted her. She's scared but relieved that we came. She's asking to come back to the house with us and choose a mate.”
"Good," Ragnar said.
He no longer cared who she chose. As much as he wanted her, he would protect her until the end of time. And if it meant letting her go, even to Akash, that was what he would do.
Chapter 17
The flight from the vampire's compound was harrowing, but by the time Akash set Krista down at the mansion’s door, she had done a lot of thinking. She couldn't pretend this wasn't happening. She couldn't go back to her old life. All she could do was accept reality and move forward from here. Krista decided to do what she always did: look at the variables before her and find the best-case scenario.
"I'll take you rig
ht inside, so you can rest," Akash told her. Moments later, she was on the second floor of the mansion in a well-appointed bedroom with Akash wrapping a blanket around her shoulders.
"Thank you, Akash. Thank you for saving me.”
"It was my fault this happened. I should have been watching you every minute."
"You can't blame yourself.
"Ragnar blames me," he said, his voice tense and distant.
"It wasn't your fault." Krista reached out to him. He took her hand and looked at the ground.
"I was so distracted by my feelings that I let my guard down for the second time.”
"I'm here now, and I'm safe. This is where I will remain until I've made my decision."
"I'll go to the kitchen and get you something to eat and something warm to drink. But first, I'm going to draw you a bath, so you can clean up and relax. There are some clothes in this closet. I think you will find they are your size."
Akash disappeared into the bathroom, and a moment later, Krista heard water running. She stood and found him testing the temperature of water pouring into a deep tub.
"There's nothing I love more than a nice soak in the bath."
"I will be right back with food and drink for you." He pulled her close, kissing her gently on the forehead.
Closing the bathroom door behind him, Akash left her with her thoughts and her bath. She held the blanket around her shoulders, confused and saddened by what he’d said. She hated to think that there was a rift between her men. But she was too tired to think about this right now. She slipped into the bathtub, letting her body be enveloped by the warm, sudsy water. The scent of the bubbles filled her senses, and the heat relaxed her muscles. She let out a deep sigh of relief and closed her eyes.
After a nice long soak, washing her hair and face, she emerged from the bathtub wrapped in a fresh bathrobe. She found a light lunch of fruits, nuts, crackers, and cheese set out on the table with a pot of warm tea. Sitting on the padded chair, she poured herself a cup. It was about noon, but she felt like it was the middle of the night. She hadn't slept at all in the cell where the vampires had kept her and had been on high alert from the moment they'd broken into her condo.
Sampling the delicacies Akash had brought, she watched the birds flit outside her window. The Storms had picked one of the nicest places on the market, and it made her think how far she had come and how much she had changed since she’d first met them. It was like she had stepped into a completely new life, far from the one she knew before. But somehow, it all made sense. She wouldn't want to go back to the way it was even if she could.
Ragnar, Yuki, and Akash were part of her now. And she loathed the idea of having to choose one of them. But what Akash had told her about the claiming sounded intense. And aside from that, could she really love three men? Was it even possible?
Krista knew one thing: she would choose one or all of them because they were in her heart, indelibly, and she would never let them go. She wished she could make a decision right then. But she knew she wasn't thinking clearly. After she ate and drank some soothing tea, Krista pulled on some pajamas and climbed into the huge, inviting bed. She fell into a deep and dreamless sleep and didn't wake until the next morning.
She sat up in bed, feeling much better than the day before. After dressing in comfortable clothes from the closet, she made her way downstairs. In the kitchen, she found the entire crew of the House of Storms sitting around the kitchen table, sharing breakfast. They all stood upon seeing her. Each one was as handsome as the rest. But they could not compare to her men. Akash, Yuki, and Ragnar walked to her and offered her their hands. She accepted and walked with them to the table. They dished up her meal until she had a sample of everything. A cup of coffee, exactly the way she liked it, was placed at her right hand, and she took a long sip, gaining her bearings.
"Krista," Akash said. “This is Hanish, our captain. This is Zephyr, our science officer, and this is Raiden, a warrior like Ragnar."
"I'm not a warrior like Ragnar," Raiden said. “I'm a warrior like Raiden."
"They do have different fighting styles. But that is their primary occupation.
"It's very nice to meet all of you. And this must be Tor." Krista smiled at the giggling child, who looked to be about six months old from what she knew about human babies, which admittedly wasn't a lot. He bit his fists and drooled as he squealed and laughed at her. She was immediately charmed by the child, feeling overcome with maternal emotions. "I am so glad to meet you. Your son is gorgeous, Hanish." Krista felt tears well up in the sides of her eyes. She picked up her napkin and dabbed them away, hoping that no one would notice.
Akash slid his fingers over her hand and with a concerned expression on his face asked, "Is everything all right?"
"Everything is wonderful. It's perfect." Now that she saw the baby and all the men together, her fears and suspicions evaporated completely. She felt almost foolish for having them in the first place. But she knew she needed to be wary. It would have been idiotic to run straight into their arms without testing the waters first. And she still felt unsure. She didn't know quite what to do. This was all so new and strange. She wished the answers were obvious, but they weren't.
After breakfast, she walked out onto the patio overlooking the back lawn, wistfully staring off at the view.
"It's really nice here." Yuki joined her.
"It really is. You all made an excellent choice."
"We wouldn't have found it without you."
"I'm sure any realtor could have done the same."
"No, you helped us more than you know. You found us exactly the right place."
"Why did you need a house up on a hill?" She turned to him.
"Oh, that. Burying our spaceship underground requires some clearance."
"You're kidding me."
"Nope. You want to see it?"
"I absolutely want to see your spaceship."
"Come on. I'll show you."
She followed him through the house and down the stairs into the basement. He opened a door to reveal what could only be described as the bridge of a highly advanced spaceship. Her eyes went wide as saucers, and her mouth dropped open. They had not been lying about any of it.
"Azure," Yuki said, "this is Krista."
"Hello, Krista. I am Azure, the artificial intelligence of the ship of the House of Storms. It is nice to meet you."
"Did your ship just talk to me?" Krista asked.
"Yes," Yuki said. "Azure is a great asset to us."
Krista walked around the bridge, observing the various advanced technology. It was too much to take in, so she stepped out and walked back down the hall.
"I have something a little bit more low tech you might enjoy." He walked with her up the stairs to the main floor.
"Oh? What's that?" Yuki's infectious smile lightened her heart.
"We bought some ATVs—or rather, I bought some ATVs. You want to go ride around the property?"
"I would love to do that." Her smile grew so wide it almost hurt her cheeks.
"Come on." He took her hand. "Let's go."
Chapter 18
Krista clung to Yuki's back, and he felt a wave of exhilaration wash over him. Having her so close was the best feeling ever. When she'd been taken, it was all he could do to keep his cool. With Ragnar angry at Akash, Yuki had felt like he had to play peacekeeper, a role he was not accustomed to. Krista needed a break from all the stress in the house, and he was glad he could give that to her.
They rushed up the hillside, and she screamed with delight as they zoomed down the other side. The wind flew over his face, arms, and shoulders. He looked behind him at Krista through the helmet. She was smiling. He smiled back, seeing that she was happy. He had been worried about her emotional state and was concerned that she might run away from them. But she had decided to come and stay with them instead. He admired her strength and her ability to adapt to what must be a challenging new paradigm.
They came to a stop in a g
rove of trees that opened out to the view of a ravine and the mountainside beyond. He turned off the ATV and helped Krista off. He'd packed a picnic in the storage container and pulled it out from under the seat. He carried the basket and a blanket as they walked into the forest. The birds chirped overhead as the blue sky stretched above them.
He spread out a picnic blanket, and they sat together in a clearing. The view peeked between the trunks of the pine trees, and songbirds thrilled all around. Krista leaned back on her palms, closing her eyes as she inhaled the fresh air.
"It is lovely up here," she said. "It's good to get away from the house and everything.”
"You've been through a lot lately."
"I feel safe with you."
"I'm here to protect you. The vampires won't come here. This is all within our shields.”
"All this advanced technology... I don't understand.”
“You don’t have to.”
"I went out with Akash the other day to a museum exhibition. It was about our ancient human ancestors. He explained to me how the dragons seeded Earth with the souls of their ancestors. It's all coming together to form a clear picture. But I still don't really understand where I fit into all of it."
"You fit in as yourself.”
"And what about the three of you? Why are we matched? Why is it us?"
"Who is to know the workings of fate?"
"It is so strange to me that such advanced beings would still believe in something like fate."
"It's not that strange."
"I know it's your custom, but how do you feel about it?"
"It isn't a judgment or belief. It is something ingrained inside me. The moment I saw you, I knew you were the one."
"How did you know?"
"I knew because my dragon told me. In fact, my dragon won't stop telling me every moment of every day." He laughed, watching her face grow uncomfortable.
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