Dracones Boxset Books 1-5

by Sheri-Lynn Marean

  Raven blew out a breath. “Well, I’m sure your sisters will be glad you made it back in once piece. That was either very brave, or very stupid.”

  Win glared at her.

  Raven raised an eyebrow. “Do you even know how to use a sword?”

  Win didn’t answer and instead stopped in front of his living area. “Give me a minute.”

  As he ducked behind the curtain, Raven noted that the bundles were still sitting where she’d put them.

  “You got it,” Raven heard his older sister whisper excitedly.

  “Yeah, you need to clean it off carefully,” Raven heard him whisper back before he emerged from the alcove.

  “No, Win, don’t go.” The older sister followed him out into the corridor.

  Win held something out to Raven. “Here, you must be hungry.”

  It was a flat strip of Jerkaide. A common jerky that she knew usually contained ash and lard, along with whatever vegetable grew in the region. It contained very little meat or protein. Around here, she wouldn’t be surprised if it contained the wild goliath weeds. Surprised, she shook her head. “No, thank you.”

  “Don’t go,” Win’s older sister pleaded.

  “Stop,” Win said to his sister who pursed her lips and shot Raven a glare.

  Raven couldn’t blame the girl, she herself didn’t trust easily. A moment later, Win’s little sister stepped out from behind the curtain. Golden eyes watched Raven warily.

  Scooping up the three packages she’d set on the ground earlier, Raven held onto one and handed the other two to Win.

  “What’s this?” he asked, as he unwrapped the dense bread rolls and then the meat jerky.

  “No—” his sister said, but Win just handed the rolls to her, daring her to object. Pursing her lips, she shut up. Win raised a piece of the wild game jerky to his nose and sniffed. He closed his eyes for a moment before looking back at Raven. “Where did you get this?” he asked, awe in his tone as if it were the rarest steak. He took a small bite and began to chew.

  “I hunt,” Raven said and unwrapped the third package. Peeling a sticky strip of red tacky from the rest, she held it out to the little girl. “Here,” she said and waited. Finally, a little hand reached out and snatched it from her.

  “What is it?” Win’s older sister asked suspiciously.

  Raven held another piece up to her. “It’s fruit tacky.”

  She completely understood the war going on in the girl’s mind. She didn’t want to trust, yet they were being offered food, good quality food that they never saw. It was hard to resist. “F-fruit?” the girl asked and Raven nodded.

  With a deep swallow, she accepted the gift, brought it to her nose and inhaled. Her eyes grew wide and she quickly took a bite. She squeezed her eyes shut and a moan slipped out as she chewed. “It’s sweet,” she said, opening her eyes in surprise.

  “You usually carry this much food with you?” Win asked, suspicious.

  Raven smirked. “Yeah. I tend to have a bad habit of getting stuck places.”

  Accepting her answer, he gaped at the package of fruit tacky and everything else she had handed him. “This is for us?”

  “Sure,” she answered, wishing she’d brought more with her. She wasn’t used to being around kids, or anyone other than her own cranky self and the enemy.

  Win stared at her and for a moment. She thought a look of guilt crossed his face, but then it was gone. “You’ll still pay me to take you to the gate, right?”

  “Of course,” she said and saw the relief in his eyes.

  “We should get going.”

  Raven slung her pack over her shoulder.

  “Win,” his sister objected.

  Raven knew it was a day to the other portal, which meant he’d be gone for two before he returned. Obviously, his sister didn’t like the idea of him being gone so long. “Why don’t you draw me a map?” she asked.

  Win just shook his head. “No.”

  “Here.” He turned to his sister and pulled all the money he’d collected and earned the day before from his pocket. “Don’t open up the stall at the market today, just go and get what we need and get right back. Oh, and keep your hair and face covered. Have someone here watch Emmy while you’re gone,” he instructed and Raven wondered about his instructions.

  “Fine, but you be quick, too,” his older sister sniped in frustration, while the younger one reached for her brother.

  “Win?” her voice was frightened.

  Win crouched down and pulled her into a hug. “Be good, Em. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Really, you don’t need to take me—” Raven began, but Win set his sister away from him and rose.

  “We need the money,” he said.

  “How much do you need? Maybe I could—” She couldn’t believe she was offering to give the kid money since she was well aware it could be a scam, though somehow, she didn’t believe it was.

  Win scowled at her. “We don’t take charity,” he said as he walked away.

  “It wouldn’t be charity,” she tried to tell him, but he had hurried ahead and wasn’t listening.

  Raven glanced at his sisters, feeling like she’d just kicked a basket of puppies. Sighing, she took off after Win.

  “What was all that about?” she asked.

  Win didn’t answer for a moment, then sighed. “My sister draws unwanted male attention. I don’t like either of them going out without me.”

  Raven could understand that. “What are these herbs for?”

  Win kept walking. “It is just stuff Em needs to stay healthy.”

  Worry for Win and his family, an emotion she refrained from letting herself feel for years, surfaced and niggled at her as they walked quickly down the tunnel. By the time they made it to the portal, she was feeling all kinds of guilty. She should have just taken the kids with her.

  “Look, when I get back—”

  Win cut her off with a glare. “You don’t need to check up on us. We’re fine and I can take care of my sisters without your help. I’ve been doing it for two years already,” Win said, daring her to dispute him.

  Raven sighed and pulled some more coin from her pack. “Fine. Thank you for letting me stay in the tunnel with you, and for leading me here.” Then she handed him the money.

  Chapter Eight

  Distracted

  Soroyan wiped the blood off his special set of tools. A week had passed since he’d started working on Sami’s father. Marcius was finally silent. Without another glance at the disgusting male, Soroyan turned and left the cave. Outside, he took a deep, refreshing breath of winter air, and sat down against the cold rock wall of the cave.

  He’d been surviving—barely living, but still, surviving—until now. Yet he yearned—ached––for more. Oh, he still didn’t want to take his place as king. His brother was the better choice by far, of that he had no doubts. Especially when he witnessed Kyrian handle delicate situations with kindness, something Soroyan wouldn’t have been able to do. Because all kindness, goodness, had left him the day his family was butchered.

  Up until now, he’d lived from day to day, letting his simmering anger fuel him, keeping him from taking the final step to joining his family as one of the brightly shining stars up in the heavens.

  He knew Kyrian believed he played a role in keeping Soroyan from that final step. In reality, Soroyan had given his sweet mate a promise to continue living. A promise that he regretted making every day of his life since.

  Lately, he’d been distracted by newly awakened emotions that only highlighted just how alone he was. He laid his head back and started to close his eyes, when the cloying chemical scent of women’s perfume made him tense up. It was vaguely familiar, a nasty scent he’d caught briefly clinging to Tierney after she’d been attacked at the Ilyium compound not so long ago.

  Infused with sudden rage at his intruder, Soroyan surged to his feet. Lifting his head, he drew in all the differing scents floating in the air, while the hairs at the back of his ne
ck prickled in warning. A moment later, a female who was half-Ilyium, half-Daywalker—and all enemy––appeared. He didn’t know her name, just that she was the same one who had attacked and almost killed Tierney at the Ilyium compound over two weeks ago.

  “Who are you and what are you doing here?” Soroyan growled, clawed fists clenching at his sides as he fought to keep from tearing her head from her shoulders.

  At the sight of him, the woman stopped. Her lips formed an O. Then a moment later, she sauntered closer, twirling a sun umbrella, even though it was winter. “I believe you have something that belongs to me.” She snickered, then fluttered her eyelashes at him.

  Something? Soroyan snorted and narrowed his eyes on her, knowing there was no way she had managed to climb all the way up here in four-inch high heels. Looking to be about twenty-five, dressed in expensive designer clothing, with red painted nails and glossy-red lipstick, she was stunning, and she knew it. Yet even with her dark sultry eyes, dark wavy hair, and a nice voluptuous figure, she was not his type and never would be.

  Soroyan rumbled low in his throat as he stared at her. There was a spark of insanity in her eyes as she stared right back at him that raised his hackles.

  “Who are you?” he repeated.

  “I am Serena. Who are you, Mister Dark and Luscious?” Serena asked, licking her lips as her gaze raked him from head to crotch. She paused at the button of his jeans and then with a sigh, raised her gaze back up to his.

  Soroyan didn’t answer.

  “Who is it you think that I have?” he asked instead.

  “Why, you have my pet, I believe.” She smirked, eyes turning wicked.

  Soroyan snorted. “Well, your pet now belongs to me.”

  Serena pouted and studied him. “I will buy him from you, then.”

  “I think not. I do not need your money, or anything you can offer.” And that was the truth. He didn’t want anything from this female except to see her gone.

  “Hmm … that’s too bad. I believe you are looking for someone, a young wolf, maybe?”

  At her words, he advanced on her, satisfied when she backed away in fear. Then she stopped and held up her hand. “You don’t need to threaten. You give me what I want, I might be able to give you what you are looking for.”

  “You know where Toren is?” he asked. He already knew that Val Jean held his nephew. Marcius had already given that up. The whereabouts of Val Jean’s stronghold was another matter.

  “That I do, and if you play nice, while I can’t guarantee my daddy will give the wolf to you, I will ask him.” She grinned.

  “Val Jean is your daddy?”

  Serena smiled. “He is.”

  “And you want the asshole I have in the cave?” he asked.

  “Yes, that asshole is my very special pet.” Serena grinned and Soroyan wanted to shudder.

  “Why should I believe you? I imagine that you would lie, cheat, steal, or stab one in the back, or maybe I should say throat, to get whatever you wanted.”

  Serena’s grin grew wider. “See, you do know me.”

  When Soroyan didn’t say anything, she sighed and rolled her eyes. Her grin faded. “Very well. All I want is my asshole pet, and while I don’t really give a flying hoo-hah about this wolf of yours, Toren, I will do what I can to make a trade.”

  “I never said I’d trade,” he replied.

  “You will.” With that, she turned and walked away.

  ***

  Serena’s proposal echoed in his mind as Soroyan went back into the cave where his prisoner was chained. He had been entrusted to extract information from the prick who liked to rape and torture his own children, leaving them broken in body and soul.

  He was well aware that both Jax and Sami wanted this man dead, and he had given his word that he’d do the deed. The idea of breaking his vow was not something he’d ever have contemplated. Besides, he imagined the only thing stopping them from coming up and doing it themselves, was Tierney. Along with the hope that Marcius could lead them all to Toren.

  He could also imagine how badly his own brother wanted to come up here and extract the information himself. Yet Kyrian trusted him to do the job, and Soroyan was thankful that his brother stayed away. Kyrian didn’t need to witness the depravity that it took to get the much-needed info. He couldn’t let Kyrian down. Unfortunately, he’d yet to get anything useful.

  When he exited the cave a couple hours later, he gave a frustrated sigh. Marcius had admitted that Val Jean did indeed have Toren. Something they already knew, but for some reason, the bastard couldn’t give him the location of Val Jean’s stronghold. The only thing Soroyan could think of, was that Val Jean had messed with Marcius’s head, preventing him from disclosing the location.

  Chapter Nine

  Temper Tantrum

  Val Jean ignored the horror on Amelis’s face as she shrank back. Licking the blood from his lips, he released the bloodless body of the Were-wolf he’d just drained. Dispassionately, he surveyed the five others on the cold marble floor. Rage and fear, along with fresh blood pumped through him at the thought that his brother would soon be on his way to this world.

  “Damn incompetents,” he muttered, knowing he couldn’t trust anyone to do what he wanted done these days. He wouldn’t give up what was his without a fight. If the Supes and humans of this world thought he was bad, just wait until they met Val Dagan.

  Still, it was a fight he didn’t want. Grabbing the marble side table beside his throne, he sent it flying as well, not caring how much it might have cost. At least the sound as it crashed into pieces soothed him. He searched around for something else to break when his daughter’s voice finally registered.

  “Daddy,” Serena yelled with a giant grin on her face that made him pause.

  Val Jean could taste Amelis’s fear as she slowly slunk away and for a brief moment, he thought of stopping her. All this was her fault.

  “I have people who can get you the young virgin Phoenix girl,” Amelis had promised and he’d trusted her. She had failed to secure the girl, and not only that, the young Phoenix had opened the sealed portal and released the Raizarch wolves from his brother’s realm. The wolves had been all that kept his brother in that realm.

  About to call Amelis back and make her pay, he caught a fiery glint of gold from the watchful eyes of the massive Were-tiger on the floor. With nerves of steel, Seville hadn’t flinched a single muscle as sharp objects had gone flying past and all around him. In fact, the whole time, his eyes had remained closed as he slumbered in tiger form. Now, Seville’s eyes were open.

  Held by the tiger’s fierce gaze, Val Jean hesitated. He knew the control he held over Seville was tenuous at best. The tiger was a powerful Supe, and one he didn’t want to lose control of. He would need Seville’s help, especially since his brother might be on his way.

  Deciding not to push it, he let Amelis slip away and turned to his pampered, spoiled daughter. “What is it?” he asked Serena, calming down at the sight of the beauty that was a part of him.

  “I found him,” Serena said, excitement making her dark eyes gleam.

  Val Jean had no clue who she was talking about. “Found who?”

  “Daddy! I found Marcius,” Serena said in exasperation and rolled her eyes.

  Val Jean ignored the disrespect that no one but his daughter would dare. “Marcius?”

  “Yes,” she said, a sly grin on her face.

  What was it about the guy, he wondered. Turning, he stepped over the debris and sank down into his cushioned throne chair. “Clean this up,” he commanded the servants, waving at the destruction before turning his attention back to his daughter.

  “And?” he asked, wondering what she wanted now, as he had no doubt that she wanted something. She was his daughter after all.

  With a grin, she hurried over and climbed into his lap.

  “He’s being held in a cave by a really sexy, badass guy,” she said excitedly as she wrapped her arms around him and lay her head against his c
hest.

  “Really?” Val Jean asked, smoothing a hand down Serena’s hair, knowing he’d do just about anything for his little girl. Other than himself, she was the only one he had ever loved in six hundred years.

  “Yes,” Serena said with a nod as she drew hearts on his smooth chest. “I believe he’s an Okami wolf. I’d like to offer him a trade for Marcius,” she said, a sadistic, yet dreamy expression on her face.

  Curious, Val Jean looked at his gorgeous daughter. “What do you have in mind?” he asked indulgently.

  “Well, that’s the thing. The Okami are looking for one of their own, which you just happen to have.” Serena smiled and fluttered her lashes at her father.

  Val Jean frowned at her. “Which one?” He only had two Okami wolves.

  “The little red one. Please, Daddy? You don’t know how much Marcius hurt me. He fucked someone else right after spending the day with me. He needs to be punished,” she said, whining and pouting.

  Val Jean eyed his twenty-four-year-old daughter sitting in his lap and gently wrapped a chunk of her hair around his fingers before letting it slide away. A master manipulator, Serena didn’t hesitate to use her wiles to get whatever she wanted and Marcius had rejected her, hurt her.

  Seeing the look of fury in her eyes, understanding dawned and his blood quickened at the thought of what she planned to do to Marcius. This might be fun, he thought and smiled. “You are a spoiled brat, but I’m so proud of you.”

  Still, what she asked of him was no little thing. He took in his zoo of pets. The hyenas he’d had the longest, and while the two males where sadistic bastards, the female he’d grown tired of. Too bad his daughter didn’t want her, he thought as he contemplated the various Supes that adorned his room. He absently ran a hand through his daughter’s soft, dark brown hair.

  Most of his pets were chained up along the walls, while the ones who had proven themselves trustworthy, were left unchained. He’d never before given any of them up before he was done with them. Although if it would make his daughter happy, and punish the Fallen who had hurt his baby, he’d do it. “Very well, he can have the young wolf.”