by Ophelia Bell
Sophia slowly released his hands and moved backward a step at a time. Ozzie followed suit, the space between them filling with a swirling funnel of power that grew and grew, wind whipping around between them and tossing their hair across their faces. At first the whirlwind was simply white with electricity, but as they widened the space between them, it spun into the green earth and changed, as though the moss beneath their feet was being sucked into the vortex. Even the sparking bolts of electricity turned green.
A figure began to take shape between them, a nude female clad only in tendrils of her own hair and cascades of summer flowers. She resembled a female ursa with her voluptuous, almost pregnant looking figure and maternal features. Her raw, fertile beauty was fully on display, and Ozzie’s cock stiffened at the earthy, very female scent that filled the air. He’d been immersed within that scent countless times between a woman’s thighs, and had always loved the way it betrayed her arousal moments before he buried his tongue within the wet velvet of her core. It was yet another drug to him, though, no more than an escape from the reality of life without the true mate who waited for him somewhere.
“Immortal Winds, you have summoned me. I won’t pretend to think you wish to simply honor me. What do you want?”
Ozzie remained in the shadows of his mind, allowing Zephyrus to have the spotlight to say his piece.
“Your divine grace, I wish to honor the aspect of you that lives within the green dragon Numa. By Fate’s decree, she is unfettered by a pre-determined mate, and by that token, I wish to woo her to choose me as her partner. But to do that, I need a body of my own that is not already fated for someone else.”
She fixed her brilliant green gaze on Ozzie, his body reacting with a shiver so close to an orgasm he was surprised his cock didn’t erupt inside his pants. She tilted her head from side to side, as though shifting her perspective of him, then smiled and nodded. He’d barely started rejoicing when she answered, shattering his excitement.
“No.”
“What?” both he and Zephyrus blurted, their voices reverberating in the wind.
“I am aware of the dragon’s status as an unattached daughter of Fate. She is far more desirable than you realize for that fact alone. You will not be her only suitor. In fact, I have staked my own claim on her and intend to see that my proxies are given their fair shot. If I were to grant your request, you would have an unfair advantage, and we simply can’t have that. Good luck!”
She sang the last two words, and the notes lingered on the air for several moments after she’d disappeared back into the earth, leaving Ozzie gaping at her in astonishment.
“Fuck!”
Sophia merely shook her head at him. “It’s as I feared. I could not get a sense of who her match should be when we arrived. I believe Fate is leaving the choice to her.”
“What the hell does this mean?” he asked. Within his mind, Zephyrus seemed too stunned to react.
“It means you and I have our work cut out for us, grandson. We need to help Zephyrus secure a body so he can pursue her properly, and hope there aren’t any other suitors available besides the ones we are aware of.”
“Her proxies,” Ozzie said with a slow nod. “Gaia must have meant the ursa pair Numa is already attached to. Numa would only choose them if they were powerful enough to complete the ritual to open the portal. If they have Gaia’s help, this will be tricky.”
“Find me a body and I will give them a run for their money.”
“Easier said than done. Nanyo, are there any eligible hosts within this temporal bubble?”
“All the residents I am acquainted with are either female or children, but there must be others. Let’s see who we might have missed.”
She walked to the edge of the pond and squatted down, waving her hand over the surface of the water. Ozzie dropped to his knees beside her as she recited the brief spell to turn the water’s surface into a reflection of the world around them. The vision swiftly traveled through the Rainsong Lodge, fixing briefly upon face after face. He saw exactly what his grandmother had said—there were few residents left in the Sanctuary, much less in the lodge itself. Vrishti and her mates were here, as well as Numa, the pair of ursa males she’d been spending most of her time with, the lodge’s staff, and their children. Almost every ursa who could fight was already in the Haven doing just that. Their options were slim, and the longer they looked, the more Zephyrus twisted uneasily inside Ozzie’s consciousness.
“Wait, what was that?” Ozzie asked when his grandmother’s waving hand passed the image over the outer edge of the lodge’s perimeter where the forest began. She pushed the image back and then paused. An unfamiliar ursa male trudged along the outer edge, right inside the temporal barrier, stopping every so often to tap at the shimmering membrane that blocked them from the outside world.
“Who is he?” Ozzie asked.
“My new host,” Zephyrus said.
The man was one of the biggest ursa Ozzie had ever seen, with cascade of blond hair secured in a half-bun at the back of his head and a beard in a darker gold covering his face. He was stark naked, which suggested he’d recently shifted. On both big biceps were dark spiral tattoos with tails stretching down his forearms.
“Windchaser,” Sophia said, pointing at the tattoos. “He’s at the west side of the lodge’s boundaries. Why don’t we go and say hello?”
Chapter 3
Cade
Cade Windchaser squinted at the shimmering wall that blocked his passage to the outside world. Not that he wanted to go that way—he’d only just arrived at the Rainsong Lodge at dawn—but the moment he’d stepped foot beyond the gate, the light had changed and he felt like he’d plunged into cool water. He’d stopped and shifted just to try to figure out what the hell was going on. Some strange magical barrier blocked his way back out, not unlike the portal barrier leading into the Sanctuary itself.
He poked at it again and tiny ripples formed, expanding outward like he’d tossed a pebble into a pond.
“Gaia’s tears, what the hell is going on here?” he muttered.
“She isn’t crying, I guarantee you that.”
Cade spun around. A well-built man with shoulder-length blond hair stood on the path, an older woman beside him. A cool breeze had arrived along with them that set Cade’s skin tingling and reminded him of home. It was the spark of electricity in their eyes that gave them away.
“Turul … How did you two get in here?” He frowned and glanced in the direction of the portal on the mountain in the distance.
“We came with Vrishti’s mates. They needed our help to enter the Sanctuary without damaging the barrier,” the man said. “I’m sorry we didn’t have time to make a tour and announce our presence. There wasn’t time, what with the Haven under attack.”
“Vrishti’s mates? Did she and the old satyr find their dragon? Are they all right?” He took a step closer, eager for news. The only reason he’d come here instead of heading straight to the Haven to fight was to make sure the girl had made it home safe.
“They are well,” the woman said. She gave him a warm smile and her eyes twinkled in a way that reminded him of his old Windchaser grandmother who had died centuries ago. “But there isn’t time to get acquainted. We need your help.”
“Anything.”
The pair looked relieved, but the man shook his head. “You don’t have to agree until you hear what it is we’re asking. My name’s Ozzie West, and this is my grandmother, Sophia North.”
“Pleasure,” Cade said, nodding and smiling at them both, but internally bracing himself. He had little enough to live for, and if a pair of turul that had the look of immortals asked for his help, he’d give it. “It’s to help win this war, I hope.”
“It is. Come, let’s get back to the lodge and we’ll talk on the way,” Ozzie said.
By the time they’d escorted him up into the Rainsong Shaman’s chambers, his head was spinning, but he’d take time to process their request after he’d done what he
came here to do.
The door swung open and an all too familiar face appeared. “Dion’s balls, man, do you ever wear clothes?” Neph asked.
Cade broke into a wide grin. “I seem to recall the tables being turned once, and I didn’t give you shit about showing up skyclad at my door.”
Neph opened his arms and they embraced, laughing. Cade held on for a moment longer and murmured into the other man’s ear, “I need to know what you saw that day, friend. The day we met, when you showed up naked at the cabin. You told me you’d seen my life. Does it end with me mated to a dragon?”
Neph stilled and pulled back, studying Cade’s face with a frown. His aqua eyes swirled with that strange pull that Cade had to work to resist being bowled over by.
“Huh,” Neph said, blinking at him. “That day, no. There were no dragons in your future. I saw a clear path for you that ended with your death. But that isn’t what I see now.”
“What do you see?” he asked, desperate to know whether this offer he’d been given was what he was meant to do.
Neph’s brows went up and he let out a soft laugh. “I see a blank slate. Consider this a blessing, man. It means Fate’s got plans for you that I’m not privy to, but whatever it is, I promise you it’s better than the future you had.”
Cade wasn’t sure whether he liked that answer or not, but his friend wasn’t any more forthcoming. He nodded and shifted his attention to the room beyond.
Over Neph’s shoulder, he caught sight of a big, white-haired man standing protectively at the side of an overstuffed armchair. In the armchair sat Vrishti, beaming at him in excitement.
He stepped into the room and his eyes widened at the sight of her big, round belly. “My lord, you two sure didn’t waste any time.”
“It’s a long story. Here, put something on before you put an eye out with that tree trunk.”
Neph tossed a pile of clothing at him and he obliged.
When he finished dressing, he turned just in time to have a curvy, feminine body pressed against him as Vrishti gave him a tight hug.
“Not sure this is appropriate, you being the Summer Shaman now and all,” he murmured into her hair, enjoying the fresh, fertile smell of her. Gaia’s tears, he missed this kind of female attention. Hell, he missed any kind of affection, really.
“I don’t really care, Cade. It’s so good to see you.” She lingered and sighed, and Cade warily glanced up at her two mates. Neph and the dragon merely gazed back with a level of adoration Cade had hoped this lovely ursa would receive from her mates. He gave her one more squeeze and stepped back.
“These turul tell me there’s a ritual I can help with. I want to hear it from you.”
“It isn’t really for me to tell,” Vrishti said. “I’m not actually part of it. Aodh’s sister is in charge.” She glanced past Cade’s shoulder. “Numa, will you share the details with Cade? He’s here to help.”
Cade’s skin prickled with acute awareness. He hadn’t heard anyone else arrive, but could sense the immense fertile power in the room, strong enough to rival the power Vrishti held inside her.
Before he could turn, she slipped up beside him, and he understood instantly why the West Wind was willing to share a body with another man in order to have her.
“Welcome,” the dragon said, smiling and giving him a once-over that made him straighten his spine.
“Numa, this is Cade Windchaser,” Vrishti said, her brows lifting as though she expected something to happen. Cade frowned at the girl, then looked at Numa again.
“Is there something you want to share?” he asked.
Numa let out a long breath and shook her head. “I think Vrishti is just hoping I’ll look at you and it’ll click. I’m sorry to say it hasn’t, and I don’t think it ever will. You seem like a lovely man, but Vrishti knows I need more power in a mate than a single ursa male can provide.”
“Ah … these two said something about that.” He jabbed his thumb over his shoulder to where Ozzie and Sophia waited near the fireplace. “I may not be blessed with all of Gaia’s power, but one thing I have is the determination to do what’s right. It won’t be the first time a Windchaser has partnered with the Winds. But I pray you’ll give me a chance once I have more power.”
Numa’s brows furrowed and she darted a look at Ozzie. For a second, Cade thought she looked hurt, but her expression softened to curiosity when she looked back at him. Tilting her head, she said, “So Zephyrus has enlisted you as his new chauffeur? He is more persistent than I thought. And you would have no reservations about being mated to a dragon if I choose you once he’s … on board? This would be a permanent arrangement.”
Cade chuckled. “I’d like to think it’d be more than just an arrangement, sweet pea.”
“You aren’t bonded to another ursa male? No mate at all?” Her gaze traveled down his body in a more leisurely fashion this time. Cade’s blood heated when she darted her tongue out and licked her lips. It wasn’t just any tongue, either, but her true dragon tongue, pink with iridescent green at its forked tips.
“I’m all yours, if you’ll have me,” Cade said. Gaia save him, had his luck finally turned? Was this dragon seriously contemplating taking him as her mate? Even conditionally, he couldn’t complain about that.
She could just as easily be sizing him up for a snack with that hungry look of hers, but his cock was more optimistic, bless the little bugger.
“Can I watch?” she asked in a husky voice. Her gaze darted back to Ozzie again. Cade tore his eyes away from Numa to look at the turul who’d offered the proposition of his life.
Ozzie looked like he was about to implode from the offer—aroused, but for some reason not the least bit happy about it. Having a horny immortal for a ride-along must not have suited the man all that well. But far be it from him to disappoint the lovely lady. He shrugged. “I’m game, if you are.”
Ozzie clenched his jaw. “There won’t be anything to watch. All Zephyrus needs is your consent. Do you consent?” He closed the distance to stand in front of Cade, blocking his view of Numa. His trippy turul eyes sparked with his impatience.
Cade gave him a lazy smile. “As long as she’s all right with it, I am.”
“Good,” Ozzie said, and reached up to clasp the back of Cade’s neck. An instant later, the other man claimed his mouth, and Cade opened more out of startlement than willingness. He shifted closer, resting his hands on Ozzie’s hips, but making no more overt moves to carry the kiss further. He had no clue what was expected of him, only that this turul was a damn good kisser and he’d happily let this be the start of an orgy, if that was how things worked. Hell, there were two dragons and a satyr in the room, and while orgies weren’t really a turul or an ursa thing, so much had changed in the last year.
Ozzie didn’t react to the press of Cade’s groin against his, despite the fact that Cade could feel the other man’s erection hot and hard through his pants. But when cool air tickled his tongue and pushed farther down his throat, he had no choice but to inhale.
With that first breath, his mind went white with the rush of pure power flooding in from the other man’s lungs. The presence made itself known by increments, the way the scent of ozone in the air portends a storm. The hair on Cade’s arms stood on end, and his entire body prickled with the energy.
“This is … different. But good,” a voice said. “Like you’re a perfect fit. Why do you think that is?”
Cade barely noticed that Ozzie had pulled away. He remained standing with his eyes closed, simply soaking in the experience of this new presence inside him. A presence he’d had no idea would feel so damned familiar.
“You feel like …” Lennox. Even thinking the name pained him after all this time.
“They can hear you if you speak aloud. You need not speak for me to hear you, Arcadius Windchaser. I hear you clearly. He was your partner, your bachelor mate. Lennox Sundance. You loved him.”
“Until his last breath at the hands of a Hunter. Why does your voice
… your magic … feel so much like his?”
“You are not the first ursa I’ve had a partnership with. Ages ago, I helped another … a Sundance … win the favor of the ursa maiden he loved. She would not have accepted a solitary male without my help. Some of my power infused the child they made before I moved on. I believe Lennox was the name of that child.”
Cade let out a sigh—of relief or disappointment, he couldn’t be sure. When he opened his eyes, the rest of the room was staring at him expectantly. Ozzie stood a few feet in front of him with his arms crossed, as though he were standing his ground in case Cade changed his mind.
Sophia North stepped in front of her grandson and peered up into Cade’s eyes. Finally, she gave him a nod and patted his cheek with a cool, smooth hand. “They make a good pair.”
The statement left Cade feeling as if he’d walked into some kind of trap.
“You and me both, friend. She’s the one turul I’ve yet to figure out.”
His gaze shifted to Numa again, and his heart did a somersault that was wholly at odds with the simple attraction he’d experienced when he’d first met her. “Gaia’s tears, man,” he said to the new resident that shared his mind. “You are just a little more than smitten. How did your boy there not fall for her too?”
“It seems Fate’s curse can’t even be broken by my desire. He knew she wasn’t meant for him and refused to give in to my urges. The best part about partnering with you is that ursa males don’t get to choose … you get chosen. So now it’s my job to make sure she chooses us, because that pretty piece of dragon tail has been all I could think about for centuries.”
The pretty dragon in question was giving Cade that hungry look again. “Shall we see what kind of power you have now?” she asked. “We are quite literally on borrowed time.”