On the first floor, he found his crew battling vampires all around him. Naked human blood slaves screamed and ran about frantically, momentarily freed from mind control.
Hanish rushed into the fray. “Where’s JoJo?” he demanded, reestablishing his mental link with his crew. Now that they were all close together, the vampires couldn’t block their connection with whatever magic they had been using before.
“She was just here,” Zephyr said.
“He’s taken her,” Hanish growled.
“Did somebody say they needed a singer?” Dax asked in his half-shift form as he twirled through the room with his two-handed sword.
Aria was right behind him, inside a protective bubble. Aiden flanked her. She immediately began to sing, her voice rising high and vibrating through the room. The sound waves were like a crash of energy inside Hanish’s body and bloodstream. His attack speed seemed accelerated by a hundred percent. The vampires were unable to escape as he sliced into their bodies. They fell before him in droves.
“Where is JoJo?” he demanded.
“Check upstairs,” Zephyr said, shooting the vampires with his laser gun.
Hanish raced up the stairs, disposing of vampires left and right on his way. They fell before him with a shriek, terrified of the dragon’s new speed. Aria’s song made them fast, but their laser weapons were imbued with the blood antibodies of mated Dragon Souls. It all created a perfect storm of death for the vampires.
On the second floor, Hanish kicked open every door, clearing each room of the vampires within. He found a few mid-coitus and cringed. He found others sucking the blood of their slaves in what looked like a massive blood orgy. The slaves who were freed from the bloodsuckers screamed and ran in terror, slipping out the door and down the stairs. With every room he cleared, a few more humans were freed. But they seemed equally horrified at the sight of the laser-sword-wielding monster who’d freed them.
Hanish finally came to a door at the end of the hall. He kicked at it but found that it burned at the touch and wouldn’t budge. “I’ve reached a door with wards,” he said through the mental link. “I need someone to get up here and help break them.”
“I’m on my way,” Cato said. A moment later, Cato was beside him, scanning the door with his wrist device. He bit his lip as he concentrated, sliding his finger over the holographic screen above his wrist. “I’ve almost got it.”
“I know she’s on the other side of that door.”
“I’m picking up the readings of two beings—one human and one vampire.”
“Hurry.”
“I got it,” Cato said. There was a wash of magic as the wards dissipated.
Hanish kicked the door, and it flew open. On the other side, he found Edgar poised to bite JoJo. Hanish rushed inside, swinging his sword. The vampire disappeared in a puff of smoke and laughter. “I will not be as easy to dispose of as these pitiful children,” Edgar said.
“I’m up for a challenge,” Hanish responded, rotating in a circle as he tucked JoJo behind him.
“My power is weak. I need to recharge,” she whispered.
“Don’t worry. I’m here to save you.”
“That’s funny because we came to save you,” JoJo said, lifting her laser gun and pointing it at Edgar as he reappeared.
“Let’s discuss this later.” Hanish lunged in a flash of lightning, his sword ready to strike. He thrust the sword at Edgar, slicing his belly before he could disappear into smoke.
The vampire shrieked, disappearing and reappearing again. He grabbed JoJo, poising his teeth over her throat. He pulled her backward toward the door. “She’s mine.” Green blood oozed from Edgar’s multiple wounds, and his face was turning the same sickly shade.
JoJo squealed, trying to break free. Cato raised his gun and aimed it at the vampire.
“You don’t want to hit the Dragon Soul,” Edgar said.
Hanish brandished his sword, gritting his teeth. He would not let Edgar harm his mate. This had to end.
JoJo stamped her foot into the vampire’s toe and twirled around, lifting her palm. “No means no,” she growled as she let loose a massive burst of power that smashed Edgar against the wall.
Without hesitation, Hanish was on top of him, slicing his sword across the vampire’s neck. Edgar let out a gurgling scream as his head was removed from his body and smacked against the hardwood floor, smearing blood and pus.
JoJo ran to Hanish and threw herself into his arms. He held her close. Her tiny, curvaceous frame felt even tinier against his half-shifted form. “Are you okay?” he asked, stroking her back with his massive clawed hand.
“Yes. Yes, I am.” She sighed and stepped back, taking in the site of Edgar’s dead body. “We defeated him!” Tears fell from her eyes.
“Let’s go home,” he whispered into the top of her head.
Hanish, Cato, and JoJo hurried down the stairs and met the other dragons, who were still battling it out with the coven in the main room.
“It’s time to leave,” Dax said. “We’ve had enough fun for now.”
“I’m not leaving this place standing this time,” Yuki said.
“Let’s burn it to the ground,” Dax said, immediately shifting into his massive red fire dragon form. He began to blow flames across the walls, scorching the drapes and the red-velvet settees.
“We’d better get out of here before we get burnt up ourselves,” Hanish said.
They ran outside. The dragons and the two ladies watched as the whole building was engulfed in a raging inferno.
“Come with me,” Hanish said, lifting JoJo into his arms in his half-shifted form. He jumped into the air, cradling her against his chest. Dax carried Aria as they all flew off together.
He glanced over his shoulder and found the vampire compound burning to the ground. They had killed most of the vampires living there, and he hoped that for now the dragons and humans of the region would be free from the vampires’ reign of terror.
Chapter 23
The trip back to the Storm house was long and tiring, but JoJo was happy to spend the journey resting her head against Hanish’s neck. He held her softly in his arms, cradling her body against him the whole way. After many hours of flight, they settled down onto the back lawn of the compound.
“It’s done,” Hanish said. “We’ve destroyed their elder and burned down their compound.”
“If I know anything about these vampires, they will regroup in no time,” Cato said. “They are nothing if not persistent.”
“They have nowhere else to go,” Aria said. “They may be parasites, but this world is their home. And this is a fact we must accept.”
“They could stop feeding on humans at any time,” Hanish said.
“True, but they refuse,” Cato said.
Hanish looked at each of them. “We’ve bought ourselves some time, time for the House of Storms to get settled into our new lives.”
“We will be returning to the House of Flames now that the threat has been extinguished,” Cato said.
“We should gather together again soon for something more pleasant.” Hanish said.
Hanish took JoJo’s hand and smiled down at her as the Flames flew away. She smiled back, knowing that their lives could now truly begin. They walked together, hand in hand, into the house. After thanking Krista for coming down so quickly, they said goodbye to her and her mates then put Tor down for a nap. Then Hanish and JoJo sat together in the kitchen, sharing a cup of hot chocolate.
“I can’t believe it’s over,” JoJo said.
“It has been a true trial,” Hanish said. “But we won.”
Later that evening, they chose to dine together in private after Tor had gone to bed. The two of them sat on opposite sides of the little table in Hanish’s room. He’d had delicacies brought in from the closest five-star restaurant, and they rested together in the peace and quiet of their home.
JoJo adored the taste of lobster and the crusty French bread dripping with garlic and butter. Wh
en they finished their meal, they retired to Hanish’s big bathroom and sank into a lavender-scented bubble bath in his deep tub. They sipped champagne and nibbled on chocolate-covered strawberries as they relaxed together in the warm, luxurious water. He slipped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close against his strong chest. There was nothing more beautiful and comforting than being enveloped in the warmth of Hanish’s embrace.
“We never finished our discussion,” JoJo teased.
“Our discussion about what?” Hanish asked.
“About who saved whom at the vampire compound.” She gave a little giggle and took a sip of champagne.
Hanish smiled. “I think it was probably a team effort.”
“I can agree on that.” She lifted her champagne flute and clinked it against Hanish’s.
He winked at her and smiled, setting his glass on the side of the tub. She sat hers down too as he pulled her into his arms and pressed his lips against her mouth. A flood of warm desire spread through her. She groaned with desire and love as he pulled her astride his lap.
He looked into her eyes, cupping her cheek with his wet, sudsy hands. “You are the strongest, most beautiful woman in the entire universe,” he murmured. The adoration and respect in his eyes sent a quiver of excitement through her whole being.
She placed her hands on either side of his face and rested her forehead against his. “I love you more than words can express. I am the luckiest woman alive to have found a man as good and as strong and as brave as you are. I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.”
He claimed her mouth in a deep, passionate kiss. His tongue slid through her lips as he enveloped her in his big, strong arms. His erection rose underneath her, pressing hard against the soft, wet folds of her core.
She moaned as the liquid heat of their passion rushed down her spine. She slid over his erection, slipping back and forth in the warm, bubbly water. He palmed her breasts, flicking the pads of his thumbs over her erect nipples. As she grinded on his cock, he pressed her swollen clit, and her desire grew with each tilt of her hips.
“I think it’s time to get out of the bath,” Hanish said breathlessly, picking her up. He stood and stepped out of the tub in one swift motion. He wrapped them both in a huge towel and carried her to the bed, where he laid her across the clean, crisp sheets. He slipped under the blankets beside her, cupping her face. He kissed her gently, his hand sliding down her body, caressing her curves. Then his fingers slipped between her thighs, stroking the swollen slit between her legs.
She quivered with arousal as his strong fingers tapped her need. When she opened her legs to him, he grazed her wet core in languid, relaxed strokes. Their kisses were soft and gentle as they tasted and touched each other, taking each other in. JoJo ran her hands over his shoulders and down his back and felt the coiled muscles of his behind.
Hanish’s kiss grew harder, and the stroking of his fingers became more insistent. He slipped a finger inside her as his thumb continued to swirl around her clit. He twirled and twisted his thrumming thumb faster. The rhythm of their kiss accelerated, and his tongue darted in and out of her mouth. JoJo groaned as she came, erupting with a burst of pleasure and lightning behind her eyes.
She drew a sharp breath as Hanish rolled on top of her and slid his cock up and down her slit. She wanted him inside her so desperately. She wrapped her legs around him and pulled him close, devouring his mouth. Hanish tilted his hips, pressing his cock against her entrance. In an agonizingly slow movement, he slipped inside her, resting at the very entrance of her channel. She growled and gripped the globes of his ass, pulling him toward her. He chuckled and groaned, slipping deeper. They both gasped as his hot, throbbing rod thrust inside her. He found her depths and held her as her body clenched with magnificent release. He kissed her forehead as she panted and groaned with her orgasm.
“Hanish.” She kissed his mouth and his chin. “I love you so much. I love you so much I don’t know what to do.”
“There’s nothing else to do besides love each other.”
“Yes,” she groaned. “Yes.” He drew back his hips and thrust again. “Oh, Hanish. I need this. I need you. Take me, claim me, make me yours.”
Hanish growled and drove hard and deep. A surge of pleasure thundered through her. JoJo arched back, groaning as another orgasm split her body and mind in two. She held on to her gorgeous captain, who guided her into an unfathomable dimension of pleasure, desire, and passion.
Hanish looked deep into her eyes and whispered, “I am going to claim you now, my love. I’m going to make you mine forever.”
JoJo whimpered. “Please.”
Light flashed in his eyes as his hard, thick cock plunged inside her. He leaned down and brushed his razor-sharp fangs over her skin. Her orgasm erupted as he bit down hard on her neck and his semen exploded deep into her core. The mating bite overtook her, and it cut off the breath to her lungs. In that moment of intense climax, the mating venom entered her blood, and they held each other in a passionate, throbbing embrace.
The room disappeared, and they were flying through the night, the world passing by below them. They held hands, smiling and ecstatic to be together. She could feel his strength, his desire, his love. She could feel him to the very depths of her soul. There was so much of him she had not seen or experienced before. The totality of Hanish came into her, and she understood him to his very depths. And she knew that he too was experiencing the full bloom of her whole self.
They settled down on a mountaintop as the sun and moon rose over them in accelerated cycles of time. The wind blew through their hair as summer turned to autumn, then winter, and then spring. The whole world rushed around, and they were at the center, suspended in that moment of complete unison.
“We will always be together like this,” Hanish said.
“Forever,” JoJo said.
Then all at once, they slipped out of that timeless moment and were transported back to their bed, where they lay side by side, sweaty, panting, and holding each other close.
Hanish pulled the covers up over her body and held her against his chest, stroking her hair. He kissed her forehead, took a deep breath, and let it out. “That was the most beautiful thing I have ever experienced.”
“I could never have imagined feeling so connected, so perfectly loved.”
“I have traveled across the universe and waited a million years to experience this moment with you.” Hanish’s words rumbled through his chest as she rested against him. “It was definitely worth it.”
Chapter 24
It took several weeks to get the whole gang back together, but when they finally had it organized and arranged, the crew of the House of Flames and the House of Storms all gathered together in the backyard of the Storm compound. Krista and Penelope arrived, rubbing their rounding bellies and being doted on by their mates. Hanish and Kian stood at the grill, flipping hamburgers, steaks, and hot dogs over the flames. JoJo smelled the scent of grilling meat-and-vegetable shish kebabs, and her mouth watered. She was absolutely starving. As she waited for dinner, she sat down beside Aria and Winnifred.
“Look at the cover art Winnifred painted for the next album,” Aria said, holding up a poster for JoJo to examine. It portrayed a dragon riding in a spaceship.
JoJo giggled, covering her mouth with her hand. “Don’t you think it’s a bit literal?”
Winnifred laughed. “It’s hip and ironic.”
JoJo smiled at the women who’d become her friends. “I love it.”
“Our tour will be coming to an end soon, and we will be back in the studio to record and write the next album.” Aria seemed relieved to be coming home.
“It will be nice to be home,” Winnifred said. “Aiden and I do prefer a quiet life, after all.”
“I can’t wait to spend time with Dax,” Aria said. “Just the two of us. Being on tour does make it hard to have our private time together.”
“How do you think it went?” Penelope asked, l
eaning over the table as she sipped her iced tea. “With buffering the human race with your magic.”
“I think the effects are even greater in person,” Aria said. “But what we really need is that vampire vaccine.”
“We’re still working on it,” Flora, Penelope’s sister, said. “Now that I’ve finished my doctorate, I can dedicate my full attention to the project. I’m going to be coming to live at the Flame house, but we are also working here in Zephyr’s lab. He has some instruments we don’t have on our own ship.”
“With the baby coming soon, it will be helpful to have you around,” Penelope said, rubbing her stomach.
“Does that mean you’re going to be around here more often?” Raiden asked, giving Flora a big smile.
She returned his grin. “Yes, it does.”
It was obvious to everyone that the two had an attraction for each other, but every time anyone asked Raiden about it, he said they were just friends. Zephyr came outside and spoke in low tones to Flora, Cato, and Yuki. Then the four of them stood and left.
“You’re going to miss the barbecue,” Penelope called after them.
“We’ll be right back,” Flora called over her shoulder before disappearing through the patio door and into the house.
“They’ve really ramped up the work lately,” Penelope said. “I do hope they find the vaccine before the baby comes. I need Cato’s attention.”
“I know how you feel,” Krista said. She was starting to really round out under her long, flowing dress.
Penelope laughed and snorted, making her laugh harder. “You have three mates.”
“With work and everything, I sometimes think three isn’t enough. At the moment, they can’t decide on how to design the nursery. I’ve told them a million times that it doesn’t matter as long as it’s safe and comfortable. But Akash is determined to raise the child as an academic, and Ragnar is determined that he will be a warrior.”
Hanish: House of Storms (Dragon Guardians Book 6) Page 11