Ethereal King

by Ariana Hawkes

  6

  Wrangling his dragon’s outrage into submission, Xephyr laid on his back on a slab of rock in the central cavern. This woman had guts. His scowl frightened powerful dragons on Ethereum. It terrified small dragonlets and cowed servants. Only a few in his world dared defy him as she was. But Josie’s snarky attitude along with the smirk on her luscious full lips diluted any bravery he’d ever seen before. Casting a covetous glance toward his lair where Josie slept, he huffed out residual smoke. Staring at the ceiling, he took a deep breath and tried to relax his thoughts. The last thing he saw before sleep claimed him was shining blond hair, intense blue eyes, and glorious possibility.

  He had a restless night, having to wake every hour to fire the stones around him to keep the area warm enough for his taste. He should have kicked one of the lesser dragons out of their lair, as was his right. But while he didn’t need to explain his actions to anyone, he did not want to be the source of any more speculation from his clan. In addition, his dreams had been invaded by visions of Josie’s mouth and her delicious curves.

  “Xephyr, wake up.” An insistent toe prodded his back-end a couple of times.

  Swiping at the offending foot, he rolled over on the rock slab that had served as his bed. His back twinged and his muscles felt cramped and achy. “You dare disturb my sleep?” He squinted at Boreas through a barely open eyelid.

  Notus and Eurus flanked him, wearing identical masks of concern. Together they looked like the three fates.

  “A human female was spied sneaking away from the cave a few minutes ago. Was she yours?”

  A roar escaped Xephyr’s mouth, along with a scorching plume of fire. “Why wasn’t I summoned earlier? How did she get out of here without someone noticing?” he shouted as he leaped up.

  Boreas snorted derisively. “Alaric was on watch.”

  It was explanation enough. Xephyr felt as though someone had tossed a bucket of cold water on his head. “That no-good dragon will smoke a turd in hell for allowing her to escape.”

  He raced toward the cavern’s exit, sharp stones digging into the soles of his bare feet. His three friends chased after him. The branches of the scrub trees hiding the cave’s entrance slashed at his face. Temporarily blinded by the angle of the sun, his dragon pushed him down the path, pursuing Josie on instinct alone.

  “Isn’t this the day the tourists come early?” Eurus panted behind him, barely keeping up.

  “Yes. If she gets to them before we do, she’ll be able to get off the island,” Xephyr shouted back to them. Spurred on by a blooming sense of loss, he picked up his pace.

  “I’m holding you back,” Notus hollered. His friend continued to deal with injuries incurred on the fall to Earth. He wasn’t at full vigor. “You go find her. I’ll go back to keep Alaric company.”

  Xephyr didn’t waste his breath answering, but lifted a hand in acknowledgment as he sped down the rocky incline. He careened around a tight curve, grasping a tree trunk to control his momentum. The bark abraded his hand and a splinter drove deep into his forefinger, but he barely noticed.

  Boreas snagged his elbow, halting him.

  Xephyr swung around with a ferocious growl. “Release me now.”

  Complying, Boreas lifted his hands. “It would be faster to climb cross country and over the ridge instead of sticking to the path.” He pointed to the steep hill to their left.

  With a nod, Xephyr abandoned the winding path and sprinted up the ridge, fear of losing Josie pushing his legs harder. Covering the distance in record time, he reached the ridge and paused, scanning the area for her bright pink shirt and golden hair. As he shaded his eyes with his hand, Boreas and Eurus caught up. Their breathing was harsh, mingled with puffs of steam.

  Eurus pointed. “There.”

  “Oh, shit!” Boreas shouted. A group of people were only five hundred yards ahead of Josie.

  “Fire me up. If she reaches them, we’re in trouble.” Xephyr leaped from the ridge. He landed thirty feet down the hill, skidding on the path, and took off.

  He slipped and slid, picking up injuries on the way and wishing he could shift to his dragon to go after her. But with the many tourists around, he didn’t dare. Eurus raced to the right and Boreas to the left, circling around to cut her off. On the path he was on, Xephyr would come up behind her.

  He closed the distance, letting his dragon’s energy pulse through him, lending him super speed. He closed the gap, but was still thirty seconds behind her as she jogged away from him.

  She glanced over her shoulder and gave a little screech. “Leave me alone.”

  Ten seconds. She tottered unevenly in the high-heeled shoes she’d complained had hurt her feet yesterday.

  Xephyr dug deeper, urgency spurring him to move faster. “Josie, stop! You’ll hurt yourself.”

  Three seconds.

  She tripped over a tree root and flew headlong toward a jagged rock left of the path.

  Panicked, Xephyr sprang forward, putting his body between her and potential injury. His shoulder absorbed the impact, but still he twisted and rolled to be sure when they hit the ground she’d land on him.

  Oxygen whooshed from his lungs as she sprawled on his body, straddling him. Her elbow jammed into his neck and her forehead smacked into his chin.

  He saw stars, but wrapped his arms around her, holding her in place as he caught his breath. He rested his head on the ground. From either side came the noise of his friends coming up on them hard. First Boreas, then Eurus, burst into the small clearing where they’d landed.

  “You caught her. Well done.” Boreas’s chuckle irked him.

  Xephyr growled. “No thanks to you. Did you see her trip? She could have been killed.” He smoothed his hands down her back as her heart thundered against his chest.

  She buried her face in his shoulder, muffling the frustrated scream she let out.

  “Josie, why did you run from me?”

  “I want to go home.” She peeked up, taking in his companions. Fright crossed her features.

  Xephyr tilted his head in the direction of his friends, who were nearly as large as he was. “Wait over there for us.” He swept a hand toward a downed tree about fifty feet away.

  Hopefully, their distance would ease her pounding heart.

  “It’s okay. I won’t let them hurt you. These are my friends and sworn to protect me. Because you are my mate, they will protect you as well.”

  “There you go with the ‘mate’ word again.” Digging her elbow into his bicep, she sat up, but continued to straddle him, as if having him in this submissive position made her feel better. He wasn’t complaining. In fact, his dragon started purring again.

  She braced her palms on his shoulders and leaned close enough for only him to hear. “I need to go home, Xephyr. My father will be worried. I’m worried. I can’t stay here. He’s drowning and really needs me. I’m all he’s got.”

  “How do you know he’s drowning? Was he coming to rescue you and the boat sank?”

  Josie’s head fell forward, her hair brushing his chest. “Drowning is another human figure of speech. It means he has too much work to do and is so far behind it’s like he’s underwater, but on dry land.”

  Xephyr brushed his fingers against the ends of her hair, letting the texture center him, calm his dragon after almost losing her. “If you stay with me, I will do what I can to help your father.”

  “See, that’s the thing. If I really was your mate, you should want to help my dad even if I leave. That’s what family does.”

  He cupped her cheek, stroking his thumb along the satiny skin. “You’re right. And I will. But consider this. This day and the next are free days, right? We’ve noticed most humans do not work on the weekend.”

  “True.” Her voice was soft, hesitant.

  “Will your father work on these days?”

  “Probably not. He needs his rest. He’s not a young boy, you know.” Worry swept over her face, a cloud on a beautiful sunny day.

  Xe
phyr’s heart ached for her distress. “Stay here at least for today then and have a small…what do you call it?”

  “Vacation?”

  “Exactly. A small vacation with me. Get to know me and my friends.” He angled his head to where Boreas and Eurus relaxed on the downed log.

  Eyeing them warily, Josie didn’t accept his invitation. “They’re huge.”

  “But harmless. Stay, Josie.”

  Wrapping his arms around her back, he sat up and held her close. His eyes rolled back at the press of her breasts to his torso, the intimate feel of her straddling his hips. There was no denying his dragon was mad for her. If the beast had his way, he’d never let her go.

  She scooted off him. “I guess I can stay a day. But you have to take me home tomorrow.”

  He’d agree to that, the same as he agreed yesterday, to take her home today. With luck and a lot of persuasive charm, perhaps he could convince her to stay another day and another day for the rest of their lives.

  He helped her up, took her hand in his, and led her across the clearing “Josie, these are my friends, which makes them your protectors. Boreas, Eurus, meet Josie.”

  She eyed the other two warily. “Pleased to meet you. I don’t suppose either of you have a cell phone I can use.”

  “What’s a cell phone?” Eurus asked.

  “Don’t you remember? It’s the device humans use to communicate.” Boreas shifted his weight to one hip. “Sometimes, they take pictures with them.”

  Eurus’s smile faded. “Ah. Then no, we do not. However, we can get you one if you have need of it.”

  “Where do you propose to buy a phone here on this island? I don’t remember seeing a gift shop.” Josie released a long breath.

  “We will use one of the tourists’ devices.” Xephyr was already planning how to obtain one. “We’ve taken things from humans since we arrived. Clothes, food, and things we need to survive. We are becoming skilled at keeping them from discovering us.”

  “What!? That’s stealing and against the law. You can’t take something that doesn’t belong to you.” Josie’s brows needled together, and she jammed her fists on her hips.

  With a puzzled look, Boreas crossed his arms over his chest. “Stealing? Really?”

  Josie dragged her hands through her hair. “Um…yes, taking something that belongs to another without permission or payment is considered theft. We don’t do that in this world.”

  “We have no money to make payment,” Eurus explained in a tone reserved for extremely young dragonlets.

  “Then you’ll need to get jobs. People earn money to pay for things.”

  Xephyr tucked a knuckle under her chin and turned her face to him. “Jobs? We are of royal blood. We’ve never been required to work for anyone other than family.”

  “Well, that might be a bit of a problem here.” She wrapped her fingers around his wrist and moved his hand away. “I’ll think on it and try to come up with something.”

  Satisfaction bubbled up in Xephyr’s chest. She’d agreed to help him and his friends. The way a good mate should. “We should go back to the cavern. Notus will be wondering where we’ve gone. And I need to discipline Alaric for his infraction.” He laced his fingers through Josie’s and led her back up the path.

  Josie stumbled. “Ouch! Stupid pebbles.”

  Steadying her, Xephyr looked at her bare feet. Her toes were painted a vibrant turquoise color. “Where are your shoes, my sweet?”

  “I must have lost them when we fell.”

  Xephyr snapped his fingers at Boreas and Eurus. “Find my mate’s shoes,” he commanded.

  Eurus immediately began searching the underbrush. Boreas aimed a dark look at Xephyr, as though the order was beneath him.

  “Boreas.” The warning in Xephyr’s tone was unmistakable. Boreas had told him to be a leader and now must accept him as thus.

  “Found one!” Eurus held up one of Josie’s black sky-high shoes. “How did she run in these?”

  Saluting with a touch to his forehead, Boreas joined Eurus in the search.

  “That wasn’t very nice.” Josie jerked her hand free. “You can’t just order people to do things for me. Or you.”

  “But I’m their prince.”

  She frowned. “That’s no excuse for bad manners.”

  “It is my due. They serve me.”

  “Maybe. But they’re your friends as well. I’d never order my friends to do something for me. It doesn’t work that way here.”

  He was getting tired of being told how things worked here. “How would you get anything done?”

  “I’d ask nicely. You attract more flies with honey than with vinegar.”

  “Why would I want flies?”

  Josie slapped a palm to her forehead and groaned. “Literally. Note to self, he takes everything literally.”

  “My lady.” Eurus bowed and offered one heel to her.

  She accepted the shoe, beaming a smile at him. “Thank you,” she purred.

  She offered a similar smile to Boreas when he handed her its match. Propping a hand on Xephyr’s forearm, she leaned down to put on the heels.

  Xephyr steadied her with a touch at her waist and Eurus braced a hand on her back at the same time.

  Xephyr lasered a look at the other dragon. “Do not touch my mate.”

  Eurus leaped backward, holding up his hands. “Sorry.”

  “Xephyr!” Josie grabbed his arm. “Don’t be rude.”

  “I don’t know this rude, but no other dragon is allowed to touch my mate.”

  “I am so not your mate. My mate would never be such a butthead to his friends.” Josie stalked away, climbing the path with surprising speed.

  Boreas let out a damned chuckle, which Eurus echoed. Xephyr glared over his shoulder at the pair.

  “I do believe our prince of the royal blood has met his match.” Boreas inclined his head toward the aggravating, desirable female racing away from them. “Oh, this is going to be fun to watch.”

  7

  “Of all the arrogant, overbearing, braying…” Frustration drove Josie’s race to the top of the ridge. Xephyr might be one drop-dead gorgeous man-dragon, but he became less attractive with his treatment of others. His my way or the highway attitude was annoying. “Stubborn as a mule, that’s what he is. They call those things dumb-asses for a reason,” she fumed.

  Scrabbling footsteps followed behind her. The familiar deep baritone voice called out, “Josie, wait for me. I command you.”

  Oh, hell no! She picked up her pace until she was breathlessly power-walking up the steep incline. “I’m not taking orders from the likes of you.” Her feet would hurt less if she slowed down, but she was too mad at him to be reasonable.

  She rounded the last bend in the path and emerged into the clearing in front of the dragons’ lair. “Eep!” Nine muscle-bound men loitered in the sunlight. “Holy hell!”

  Every single eye turned toward her when she crashed to a stop. Being the object of that much intense scrutiny made her belly clutch and her shoulders hunch. Terrified, she backed away as two surly men inspected her, lips curling and steam coming out their nostrils. Both had spiky red hair, ruddy cheeks, and muscles for days. Even her ex, who spent every extra minute at the gym building his physique to lunkhead proportions, didn’t have biceps that large.

  “Woman, what are you doing here?” demanded the taller of the two redheads stalking toward her. “Humans, especially females, are not welcome here.”

  Scales broke out on the skin of the men behind them, starting out in shades of blue and green, but morphed into more frightening shades of red, orange, and dark purple. A menacing scowl crinkled Taller Redhead’s forehead.

  “Uh-uh-uh—” Stammering, she took a large step backward. And ran into a broad, heated chest. Relief was instant when she recognized Xephyr’s woodsy scent.

  Possessively, he rested his hands on her shoulders. “Caiden, this is my mate. Have a care what you say next.”

  “Mate? What the
hell? You cannot take a human for a mate.”

  “I can, and I intend to.” Resting one hand on her hip, Xephyr traced a line down her throat to her collarbone with the other. His palm came to rest on her upper chest. The gesture was proprietary.

  “Careful,” she cautioned the man-dragon behind her in a low voice.

  His fingers dug in on her hip, his breath warm in her ear. “Be still, my sweet. Let me handle this.”

  “Well then, make sure that your pretty, sexy female doesn’t walk around alone. You never know what beasts might be lurking here,” Caiden barked.

  The guy thought she was pretty and sexy? Another gorgeous, if surly, beast who seemed to like curves on a woman. Sort of like equal-opportunity dragons.

  Xephyr took a giant stride towards Caiden and growled menacingly. “You dare touch Josie just with one finger, and I will stick your wings up your ass,” he roared.

  Josie threw out her arms for balance as the ground rumbled under her feet. Boreas and Eurus flanked her. A fourth man, blue scales glimmering iridescently under his skin and kind deep-blue eyes, lumbered around her and took up her back. She was surrounded, protected.

  Josie waved her hand under her nose and muttered, “So much testosterone, or whatever fuels dragons’ egos.”

  “Josie.” Xephyr didn’t look at her, but his voice held an unmistakable warning.

  “I’ll just shut up now. You deal with Pete and Re-Pete there.”

  The guy behind her snorted, and a puff of smoke floated over her shoulder.

  “Let’s see who’ll stick what and where,” Caiden hissed.

  Xephyr drew himself up to full height and lunged toward Caiden, his growl louder than before. Uh-oh. Dragon fight coming right up. Afraid to look, she turned her head to the side, surveying the nearby trees to determine whether she could reach them before any of the gigantic men could get her.

  Xephyr’s next words startled her. “You know what, Caiden, I’ve been told in this world it is better to be pleasant and agreeable. And I will try this approach. Meanwhile, you should stop acting like a spoilt child.” He crossed his arms over his chest, biceps bulging.