by DJ Michaels
Crouching down next to him, Dev put a hand on his shoulder. “Are you all right, my brother?”
Finn looked up, his gray eyes stormy. “I’ve had a bad week. A bad month, really.”
Dev swung down, taking a seat beside his friend on the cold marble. Finn was a good Enforcer, an excellent leader, and most of all he was a valued friend. “Give me the short version.”
“Professionally, I’ve got two dragons in one of my flights who have declared a blood feud. They dragged their mates into it, so now I have four dragons who refuse to fly, train or speak to one another.”
“That must make battle drills interesting.” More like impossible.
“I’ve tried mediation, conciliation, threats, discipline and punishment. I’ve gone through all the usual strategies, but the blacks are still taking a bite out of one another every time they get close enough. And now they’re so angry teeth and claws aren’t doing the job, so they’re breathing fire to make their point.”
Dev sucked in a shocked breath. Dragons were aggressive—it was what made them so good in battle. But it was rare for hostilities to get to such an extreme level in the Sapphire den. The captains worked well and closely together, and Jax didn’t tolerate breaches of discipline. There really was only one answer, and he understood why his fellow captain was avoiding it. “You’re going to have to tell Jax and Tengale.”
Finn winced. “I came to the same conclusion, but I was hoping if I sat here long enough a different solution would present itself.”
Dev didn’t blame him. Tengale, the commander’s dragon, considered himself lord of all he surveyed. He also considered any disharmony in his den a direct and personal insult. “If Tengale gets involved, he’ll inflict more damage than those dragons could do to one another.”
“Yep.”
“It’s got to be done.” Dev nudged Finn with his shoulder. “It’s their own fault. We can’t have that level of idiocy in the den.”
“I know, but I can’t help remembering what happened the last time Tengale involved himself in a blood feud.”
They both shuddered, the memory unpleasant enough to run chills down Dev’s spine. Time to change the subject. “In lighter news, how’s Mackenzie faring?”
The color washed out of Finn’s face and the look in his eyes made something cold and fearful uncurl in Dev’s gut. “Mac left us. She moved back to Addestet House three weeks ago.”
Dev’s heart dropped. He knew how much Finn and Behr cared about Mac, how they’d hoped she might consent to a mating contract at some point. Something dramatic must have happened for her to leave the den, especially when the security of the women was still at risk.
“Do you need to talk?”
Finn shrugged. “She doesn’t want us. There’s nothing to talk about.”
Dev knew there was more to it than that, but he didn’t have the time or the heart to push right now. “I’m so sorry, my brother.”
“Me too.” Finn rose to his feet. “Come on. If we hang around here much longer we’ll be late.”
The captains’ room was so called not because it belonged to the den captains but because it was where they met to have briefings with their commander. Although it was only used for business, it had been furnished with the touches that made it uniquely den. A thick red rug covered most of the floor and paintings of dragons in battle hung on two walls. An ornate, beautifully carved table and its eight matching chairs dominated the room. The chairs were sturdy, highly polished and padded in dark-gold fabric.
Nash and Ari were already sitting down when Dev and Finn arrived, and Dev had barely settled into his chair when Jax came in and closed the door behind him.
The commander was the only Enforcer in the den taller than Dev and, though he wasn’t as broad, the sheer power Jax wielded always made him the most dominant presence in any room. All four captains straightened in their seats as Jax took his place at the head of the table.
“We’ve had reports of increased activity among the blue soldiers,” Jax said, referring to the army of the Brightstar Corporation. “Deliveries to the barracks have increased and a number of shipments have arrived in closed containers in the middle of the night.”
That didn’t bode well. Brightstar was a mining company but they held their grip on the continent of Ostalan with a military fist. The blue soldiers were good at their jobs but they were ultimately responsible to Brightstar’s board of directors. That board preferred everything uniform, neat, routine and in triplicate. The Enforcers had learned that deviation from blue soldier routine usually meant trouble for them.
“We’ll keep to our usual training schedule,” Jax said, “but I want the perimeter sweeps increased. Double up on sentries and build in redundancies wherever you can.”
Ari leaned forward. “You’re so sure they’re coming?”
Jax’s eyes deepened to a lethal green. “We stole almost thirty women from the deck of a Brightstar transport under the noses of a full company of their soldiers. Women who had been obtained illegally and at great expense, and who were destined for a very lucrative market. For that alone they would come at us. Add to that the fact that we flew into their city, breached a secure building and stole five women who’d already been sold, and you have an insult they cannot leave unchallenged.”
Nash scrubbed a hand through his silvery hair. “I’m not sure if that makes us sound heroic or reckless.”
“Neither,” Dev said. “What it makes us is the kind of males who do what they can to make things right.” Enforcers, in other words, and there wasn’t a dragon rider in the den who wasn’t proud of that fact. “But if they’re coming for revenge, they’ll come hard.”
“And our women will be at risk from more than the council,” Ari said. “If Brightstar’s spies are doing their job, those in charge will know Sapphire den took the women from the transport. They’ll also be aware which Enforcers have Earth women living in their homes.”
Jax nodded. “And they’ll know who’s mated and who’s not.” He looked at Dev, Nash and Finn. “Are you all still hoping with for a contract with your women?”
Dev’s chest swelled with hot, fierce pride when he gave his answer. “Tansy has already agreed. We only need the paperwork.”
“Get it done. Today.”
Dev had no problem with that. Tansy was his and Rye’s now, and her agreement was enough for him. However, he had more rights and she had more protection if the contracts were legally signed and lodged.
“Finn?”
Finn winced at Jax’s casual command. “No chance. She left us. Behr and I have been alone in our den for weeks.”
“Fuck. I’m so sorry.” Jax rubbed his forehead. “Try to talk her around, promise her whatever she needs, but get her back in the den.” Finn’s nod was miserable. “What about Sarah?”
She was staying with Shay and Tori, and as they were part of Dev’s flight, he’d made a point of checking in with them regularly. “She’s still in the den, and as far as I know things are progressing.” He grinned. “Slowly.”
Jax looked at Nash. “Kate?”
“Still with us.” Not by word or gesture did Nash give an inkling of whether that was good or not. Dev made a mental note to have a chat with his fellow captain at a later date.
Finn cleared his throat. “Behr and I have a request.”
“Oh?” Jax arched a brow.
“If Brightstar does raid us, Edrick will be commanding the troops from the back of the line.”
Sergent Edrick was well-known to all the Enforcers. The blue soldier was a professional, but he had a flair for ruthlessness that set him apart. When the women had been caged in Allsgate, Edrick had claimed Mackenzie as his mistress. Tansy hadn’t shared much about the difficulties the other women had encountered, but it was pretty clear to Dev that Edrick used corporal punishment as a form of personal entertainment.
Dev didn’t blame Finn for seeking a more personal kind of justice. Dev would have done it himself if Mac hadn’t had Finn
and Behr to stand for her.
Jax leaned back in his chair and eyed Finn. “You want to go after him yourselves?”
“Yes. Wouldn’t you if he was the one who’d hurt Sorcha?”
Jax had killed the man who’d kidnapped Sorcha, Dev had seen it with his own eyes. And the fact that he and Rye intended to do the same thing to Willersby Lockmehdyhn put him squarely on Finn’s side.
Jax didn’t bother pointing out that Finn wanted to avenge a woman who had left him and his denmate. He didn’t have to. Dev wasn’t the only one feeling Finn’s pain.
“I’m sorry, Finn, I can’t afford to lose a captain.” Jax raised a hand to halt the angry retort that was on Finn’s lips. “However, I’ll let Behr take a run at it. Kaelum, Tarkan, Rye and Rowan can fly as backup.”
Finn nodded, understanding the necessity but not liking the fact that his denmate would be flying without him. Dev felt the same. But as captains they had sworn an oath always to put the den first. The only exemption was if and when an Enforcer was mated. Unless Finn could convince Mackenzie to sign a mating contract in the next day or so—which seemed unlikely—his hands were tied. The fact that Jax was willing to allow five of his Enforcers on this mission, including his own denmate, was a true testament to his abilities as a leader and his commitment to keeping their women safe.
“Have them meet with me first thing in the morning.” Jax stood, signaling the end of the meeting. “Keep on top of your flights, make sure the women stay close, and have your dragons keep in regular contact.” He turned to glare at Finn. “And tell Malyk and Reyer that if they can’t control their dragons, I’ll have Tengale do it for them. I don’t have the time or the patience for in-fighting, especially now. They have until tomorrow to get it done, or I’m letting Tengale off his leash.”
Ari was out the door before Jax had finished speaking, and Nash and Dev almost stumbled over each other in their hurry to leave. No Enforcer in his right mind wanted to be in the room when “Tengale” and “discipline” were mentioned in the same sentence.
Dev arrived home to find Tansy reclining on the couch and a very lazy Rye sprawled facedown on top of her. Oskaal sat on the back of the couch, his gold-and-bronze tail draped around Tansy’s head to trail over her shoulder. And Dev’s generous-hearted mate was stroking both indolent males at the same time.
For a moment Dev felt shut out and, while he knew that was ridiculous, the short, sharp pain couldn’t be denied. So he joked around it, propping his hands on his hips. “You two males are shameless affection whores.”
Rye rolled his head just enough to squint at Dev with one eye. “I can’t speak for Oskaal, but I have no issue with that description.” He held out his hand. “Come over here and tell us about your meeting.”
Dev shrugged. “No need. You look too comfortable to disturb.”
Rye wiggled his fingers. “You’re not disturbing us, you’re adding to us.”
Then Tansy reached out as well and a different kind of pain shot through Dev—the happy, impossible kind that went straight to his heart.
“The three of us are a family now,” she said. “That means we’ll always have room for one another.”
Dev was moving before he knew it. Gripping their hands, he dropped to his knees and slid one arm under Tansy and laid the other across Rye’s bare shoulders. Nuzzling his face into Tansy’s neck, Dev let out a deep sigh of contentment.
Tansy pulled out the tie that held his hair back and threaded her fingers through it. Rye placed a hot hand on his back, and just like that all was right with Dev’s world. In that moment it seemed the most natural thing in the world to turn his head and seek Rye’s lips with his own. But when Dev brushed his mouth against Rye’s, his denmate froze in shock and Dev knew he’d made a terrible mistake.
Chapter Fourteen
Tansy was in heaven. Which, considering the roller coaster from hell her day had been, was nothing short of a miracle. While Dev had attended his meeting, Rye had snuggled with her on the couch, kissing, touching, teasing and demanding nothing from her but her company. She’d been relaxed almost to the point of nodding off when Dev had come back, and as he joined them on the couch the part of her that missed him sighed in happiness.
When Dev made a move to kiss Rye, Tansy’s body went on instant alert. Watching them together that morning had been one of the most erotic experiences of her life, and she’d discovered the only thing she liked more than them touching her was them touching each other.
Their heads drew closer, the barest rub of lips to lips, and she felt Rye melt against her in preparation for Dev’s kiss. And then it stopped.
Dev yanked himself back, his eyes wild. “Fuck.”
Rye lifted himself up enough to take his weight on his forearms, and he didn’t move his lower body where he had her pinned to the couch. His attention was all on Dev.
“That’s the second time you’ve nearly kissed me.” Rye’s voice was soft, conversational.
“I know. I’m sorry.” Dev’s voice, in contrast, was full of anguish.
“Should you be sorry?”
“Yes, of course. You know it’s not right for two males to have sexual feelings for each other.”
“It isn’t? Why not?” Tansy asked, because it seemed perfectly reasonable to her. And in the case of her men, it was something to crave.
Rye leaned down and kissed her sternum. “I’ll answer all your questions in a moment, honey, but right now I need to deal with Dev.”
Tansy nodded, sealed her lips and made like a part of the furniture. Dev was in the middle of an internal panic attack and, despite Rye’s relaxed exterior, she sensed that a great deal was riding on this conversation. She wasn’t sure what was going on, but the issue was clearly between her men. The fact that they hadn’t tried to exclude her meant a great deal.
Rye returned his focus to Dev. “You didn’t seem to have any trouble kissing me when the three of us were together this morning.”
“I know.” Dev flushed. “Let’s just put that down to the heat of the moment.”
“Are you sorry you kissed me?”
“Yes. Well, no.” Dev pinched the bridge of his nose. “I should be.”
“But you’re not.”
Dev spread his hands in a gesture of such confused helplessness that Tansy felt sorry for him. “How can I be when being close to you was so perfect? And how can I not be when I know those feelings are wrong?”
Rye lifted himself off Tansy and she moved into a sitting position on the couch. Rye kneeled on the floor at her feet, at right angles to Dev, and wrapped an arm across her thigh. The males touched knee to knee and Tansy noticed that neither of them moved to create distance.
“The three of us together was perfect, and touching you was part of that,” Rye said to Dev. “Kissing you, feeling your hands on me, being free to pleasure you any way I wanted was something good and wonderful. I feel the same when I’m with Tansy. When I can love both of you together, my pleasure is doubled.”
Dev shook his head. “Being pleasurable doesn’t make it right.”
“I think it does, but not in the way you mean.” Rye reached out and rested his hand on Dev’s thigh. “I had an interesting conversation with Tarkan a couple of days ago. Since he and Ari found their mate, their relationship has evolved to the point where they’re physically and emotionally intimate. The same goes for Kae and Jax.”
“I knew Jax and Kae were lovers before they mated with Sorcha, so that’s not a stretch.” Dev’s brow wrinkled. “But I can’t imagine Ari and Tarkan fucking each other.”
“They do. According to Tarkan, they became lovers almost as soon as they took Chelsea to their bed.” Rye gave Tansy’s thigh a reassuring squeeze, but he kept his attention on Dev. “Tarkan and I think the mate acts as a catalyst, forming a link that joins all three together. Once that link is formed, sex becomes a natural extension of the love we already have for each other.”
Dev nodded, deep in thought. “It makes sense. We’re al
ready bound to each other through our relationships with our dragons. The additional mate bond would only strengthen those ties.”
“I think there’s another reason,” Rye said. “Two territorial and protective males sharing one woman is a recipe for jealousy, insecurity and misunderstanding. But two lovers sharing a mate puts everyone on an even footing. This way we all love each other and want what’s best for our family. We protect and care for each other because we have equal ownership. I think in this situation you and I becoming lovers is more natural and normal than trying to keep our distance. It’s also safer for us and for Tansy if we’re moving forward in a complete, triangular relationship.”
Dev looked at her with those arctic-blue eyes. “Tansy?”
“Yes, I’m all for it.” Apart from the hotness factor, which was significant, everything Rye had said made perfect sense to her. And her men had already touched and loved each other in front of her. If she was going to freak out over it, she would already have done so.
Dev was still thinking when Rye reached out, hooked a hand around the back of Dev’s head and pulled him in for a kiss. It was soft, giving, and—Tansy was delighted to see—very mutual. After a moment, Dev pushed forward, forcing Rye back until he was wedged against the couch, kissing the daylights out of him. Before Tansy knew it, she was dragged to the floor and pulled into a messy, not-all-that-successful three-way kiss. There were teeth, tongues, lips and air, and when Rye started laughing they ended up collapsed on the floor together, gasping for breath and playing grab-ass.
Both moons were low and full in the sky when Tansy and her men finally climbed to their feet. Dev walked around the room, dropping light crystals into the moss-filled bowls that reacted to fill the den with warm, clear light. Rye flopped down onto the couch and dragged Tansy into his arms. She snuggled in tight and asked her long-delayed question.
“Why is it frowned upon for two men to be together? I would have thought that with such a shortage of women, same-sex relationships would make perfect sense.”