“My clan has been hiding a secret,” George said.
"Your parentage?" Elizabeth asked, sending her thought only to George.
"Another secret,” George sent back to her only, as well.
“Does Daemon know?” Elizabeth asked.
“I do. And because I know—now, not at the time—I also empathize with why George doesn’t want to tell you. Some knowledge is painful.”
Elizabeth swallowed hard.
“Tell me.”
“The reason you are afraid of flames . . . that demon lives. After your visit to the royal castle, he now knows that you and Jill have thrived despite what he did. My clan harbours him. My mother is especially close. I overheard him discussing how to obtain you before I first roughly pursued you.”
"That demon is not my father, but he replaced my father as my mother’s lover once the clan took him in,” George told Elizabeth only.
“You were protecting us from our uncle?” Elizabeth asked. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
"The relationship with my mother is why I can’t do anything directly to him—despite his crime. I have no evidence and he has my clan’s full protections. My personal harem was the only way that I could think to save you both without alerting my mother to my intentions and motivation,” George explained.
"Is this why you hurt Victoria? You burned her to get the twins to do your mother’s dirty work?" Elizabeth asked.
"Calm down, sweetheart. Vicky is okay now. George made a mistake—a terrible choice. He told me that he did it to get my attention and to force the twins to do something that they’d never normally consider,” Daemon said.
"I had never hurt Victoria before that burn. I knew she could be healed. The wound forced the twins to act against their better instincts. I would have claimed you to keep you safe, but it worked out even better. Now, Victoria is protected as your Lasier—a considerable bonus to get her away from my mother, and you were claimed by Daemon,” George said.
"And Jill?" Elizabeth asked him, again.
Her thoughts were whirling, a confusion of everything that had happened filtered through the new perspective he was providing.
"I was simply going to ask Jill into my harem, using her blue fire as an excuse for a new feeder. Victoria made the introductions difficult, and things went poorly. I didn’t realize that your sister was claimed, although that may not have stopped me. Phillip’s harem is weak. William simply gave Jill up without a fight.”
“Okay,” Elizabeth said, stopping to take a deep breath. She bent over, hands on her knees.
“Okay?” Daemon questioned.
George had messed up so badly.
It was better to make a clean break of it now. Daemon could claim her, keep her safe. George’s secrets could no longer hurt her.
“You can reject me as a mate—even though we have started the bond. I will accept it as punishment for harbouring your enemy and the harm that I caused to others you care for,” George said.
“No. You don’t get it that easy, George,” Elizabeth said, her blue eyes snapping up to his. “You are going to pay it back.”
She was still bent, hands on her knees, yet her gaze screamed challenge.
He ought to be more contrite.
It was wrong to want to push her over and dominate.
—She’s ours.—
Dair was whispering in George’s mind, having broken through his control at the thought of George leaving his mate. It had been so long since he’d heard that voice.
His familiar beast didn’t care about following protocol. He was as monstrous a demon as his oldest brother’s Dragomir.
Beastly instincts demanded George not give their mate any choices that involved leaving him.
No. George was in charge.
“What do you want?” George asked, feeling like his familiar would burst from his skin in a shower of lava rock.
It would be like a dragon transforming, part of his soul being worn on the outside, instead of a mystical beast made solely of magic.
His anger at the entire situation, torn out of his soul.
“Daemon, it’s Dair. He’s fighting me,” George warned his brother.
“Elizabeth, George isn’t . . . himself,” Daemon said, his voice deepening.
He moved to get between George and Elizabeth.
Dair growled another warning out to Daemon, not to interfere.
George’s familiar was too close to the surface.
Daemon better get Elizabeth away.
Elizabeth gave a harsh laugh, freezing her shocked mates.
“Does George really think he’s the only monster in this relationship?” she asked with a dangerous smirk, straightening up from her crouch.
Soul Beasts
Elizabeth
George had cracked.
It was dark in his mind.
Elizabeth knew it was probably an illusion. One without much complexity, except he’d frozen her in place.
That was powerful. His control over lightning had grown by leaps and bounds.
“I’m in your head, George—or does your monster want to talk? Does he have a name?" she asked. “Mine is vengeance.”
It had been a taunt, but not intended to be taken seriously.
They all were haunted by past demons. The princes knew hers, and she was beginning to learn theirs.
George shouldn’t be afraid to show her the ugly side of his past.
They could face it together.
“My name is Dair, little one."
The voice was rough, sounding almost grated over cords that had stiffened with disuse.
Who the hell was Dair?
"Hello Dair,” she nervously greeted.
“I’m George’s familiar. We will crush this demon uncle of yours. Consider it our true courting gift."
Oh, the familiar could talk to her?
The princes had told he only highly powered familiars were sentient.
“The offer is appreciated, Dair, but I thought George couldn’t hurt his mother’s lover because of the clan laws,” she said, strangely bargaining with George’s familiar to keep him safe.
She was still speaking to the dark. Couldn’t see Dair, only hear him, whispering in George’s mind.
"We’re going to overthrow the entire kingdom. Our clan will either stand with us or be buried with the rest of the traitors."
The whole kingdom? Did he mean to take the throne?
"What does George want?" she asked, worried over his intentions.
"He wants you with every beat of his stone heart. I will do what I must to keep our claimed from running again."
A new voice entered their conversation, full of dark challenge.
"Do not worry, Dair. Unlike you, I can fly to keep up with my mate."
"Dragomir?" Elizabeth guessed.
Suddenly, both Daemon and George rushed her. They slowed down their movements only moments from crushing her between them.
She was imprisoned in a warm cage of hard limbs and chests.
"Yes, Rai. Have you missed me?" Dragomir asked.
"Rai is sleeping,” she said.
"Not for long. How else will you survive Orion’s claim without your familiar’s demon to take the bite?" Dair asked.
"Who’s Orion?"
"Too soon!" Dragomir shouted.
Both familiars left her thoughts as quickly as they’d entered them.
George and Daemon still had her body between them. All of them were sweating. Elizabeth felt a bit shaky.
“What was that?” she asked.
“You challenged my soul beast,” George said, almost sounding apologetic.
“Are you frightened?” Daemon asked.
“No. I think it just took too much magic for me to hold Rai back. That is why I’m shaking.”
The conversation had shook her. Were their familiars sentient, with their separate drives and plans?
She hadn’t talked long enough with Dair to determine what he was plotting. What she h
ad heard was worrisome.
“Your familiars wanted to talk with me. Did you hear what they said?” she nervously asked.
“No,” Daemon answered.
“I felt you in my mind, but Dair blocked me. All I could see was darkness,” George said.
She believed him, relaxing a little.
“Maybe I should have let Rai talk to your familiars. They seemed to want to get together,” she said.
George licked her sweaty skin over one of his bites on her neck. He grumbled against her pulse.
“It may be time to teach you to commune with your familiar when its chi-bound and easier to control,” Daemon said, licking his own bite.
He did George one better and pierced her skin.
Her body twisted between them as an unexpected orgasm wrenched her muscles.
She gasped and closed her eyes, letting the sensation wash over her.
“I wasn’t even primed,” she said, wondering how that had happened.
“That was a familiar’s bite,” Daemon said, pulling his head up from her neck.
George growled again, louder.
“You better not put more than a simple mark on her skin.”
Elizabeth wiggled and looked awkwardly at her shoulder where it itched.
There was a tiny, pale-white dragon marked on her shoulder that was very hard to see. As she shifted the joint, the marking glittered.
“What is this?” she asked.
“Dragomir insisted on a marking that the dragons will understand, while we’re in Dragos,” Daemon answered.
“And is Dragomir going to come out from this mark?” she asked suspiciously.
“Not if he isn’t provoked,” Daemon answered.
Ha. That was putting the blame elsewhere.
She wanted to be stubborn about it, but the mark felt like reassurance.
Her fear of Dragomir was outweighed by her need to have all the weapons she could claim.
“I didn’t even think it was possible for an unbounded mate to take a familiar’s bite,” George said, sounding cross.
More like jealous. He definitely wanted to do the same thing to her as his brother.
“No way, George. One extra familiar is more than enough to worry about carrying on my skin. I don’t even know your familiar’s form yet. Dair was just a voice in my mind.”
“He’s a rock-familiar with some fire traits,” George answered.
She pictured a volcano.
“Yes, sort of like that,” Daemon said with a chuckle.
Suddenly, the volcano in her head morphed into more phallic curves with white smoke coming from the tip.
"Just waiting to explode. Are you sure you want such an unstable volcano on your shoulder?" Daemon teased.
“Does this replace a claim tattoo?” Elizabeth asked, ignoring how Daemon taunted George.
“No. Most of Maeren wouldn’t know that mark for what it is—only dragons would recognize the bite from soul beasts. They’re much closer to their familiars than others,” Daemon said.
“It’s so small that anyone could easily overlook it,” George said spitefully.
“Do you think Geer will overlook a dragon bite on my shoulder?” Elizabeth innocently asked. “I am sleeping in his bed. We are all borrowing his room. He’ll come home to us acting cozy under his sheets and a possessive bite—”
“Possibly, Geer will be less pleased,” Daemon admitted. “How did he act when he was alone with you?”
“Strangely,” Elizabeth honestly answered.
“How so?” George asked, finally distracted from placing his own familiar’s bite.
“He has some ability to read the future, I think . . . and it seems to affect his appearance. He says he’s older than he looks. He took me to see Phillip to warn him of danger that he foresaw,” Elizabeth answered, though she was guessing at the future reading.
“A prophet,” George said. “What else did he tell you?”
“Not much. He says that the magic makes others forget what he is and some of what he says—and he doesn’t want to harm me if our mate bond messes with that part of his magic.”
Daemon came closer and brushed his fingers over his familiar’s bite.
She felt the magic pull at her skin, a sting that made her squirm under his fingers.
“Let’s not poke at the real dragon until we know more of what risk he represents to you,” Daemon softly whispered.
He must have removed the mark of his familiar’s bite.
“I don’t think Geer means to harm me. That is why he held back,” Elizabeth said.
George sighed. “We just finished telling you that mate-bonds are not based on love. Mates can be the deadliest enemies. A witch with your powers would be a deep well to drain for Geer’s benefit. It would make him the most powerful dragon alive.”
“I don’t—he’s not like that,” Elizabeth insisted, paying attention to her instincts.
She barely knew Geer.
Where was this trust in him coming from?
“Let us take our time to get to know him before welcoming him into our harem,” Daemon said. “He isn’t family or someone I can vouch for easily. His connections and power are not something we can spurn, either. If you’re going to ‘date’ George, then why not Geer as well?”
“Our harem? And why don’t you want me to date you?” Elizabeth asked, turning on her heel to stare at Daemon in challenge.
Daemon flashed her fang and then a smirk.
“As much as bloodlust drives witches to folly they regret the next morning, you are not a fuck ‘em and leave ‘em type, sweetheart.”
She swallowed hard as Daemon crowded her, his hands coming around her hips to rest over her ass. They were warm with his magic.
“You like me, maybe even are beginning to love me. I know that I messed up, but you are going to find it hard to hold a grudge because I plan on making it up to you every day for the rest of our lives together. I’ve loved you for years, my heart already yours when you stabbed me in the ballroom. I told you that you were mine.”
“He’s too lazy to date you when you’re already his,” George drawled, interrupting their moment.
Daemon growled at his brother.
“I’d rather seduce my witch in bed while the rest of you fumble with trying to conform to the human idea of dating.”
“How can you share me if you love me?” Elizabeth asked.
“It’s Maeren. Harems are the norm—although male harems are rarer. I grew up knowing mates were usually bonded to more than one male, unless he was an only child. George has proven tolerable so far,” Daemon said.
George scoffed.
Daemon bent down to nibble on her ear and then whisper into it. “I can’t wait to watch him fuck you the first time. It’s something special I want to share with you both,” he confessed.
“I don’t want to share you,” Elizabeth whispered back. “Not with other witches—even feeders.”
George laughed, coming up from behind her to sandwich her.
“We have a mate. Of course, we will go to you first for our needs if you permit. It is only the magic mismatch that will require feeders, and those you can supervise, as would be expected of a bonded mate to oversee.”
“Like fuelling a car? No feelings, no sex?” Elizabeth asked, sighing with disappointment.
She couldn’t be a perfect match for all of her mates.
“Unprimed feeds for earth—I swear it,” George said.
“They’re unnecessary for me with you providing air and lightning,” Daemon said.
She was a match to Phillip and Geer, too, so only George needed feeders in the long term.
It didn’t bother her so much, in regards to George—not because she was less jealous over him, but since she knew he hated feeding on other witches.
She’d felt George’s feelings on the matter when he’d let her see his attempts at priming other witches at court and the resentment that he’d felt as he’d been rejected again and again. He
now dreaded every feed from other witches.
It was a dark thing to be pleased about, but jealousy must have claws in her despite her self denial.
Yes, she didn’t want to share her mates with anyone else—and if she must, she didn’t want her mates to enjoy it.
"So fierce, kerashemeria. Your thoughts are perfectly acceptable to me. I won’t offer my heart to anyone else,” George said.
His attitude came through as smug, like her jealousy pleased him.
Feeling touchy about it, she reached back and grabbed him over his pants by his cock—rock hard, of course.
“I don’t want you fucking other witches, George. Your heart and dick are both mine. Only your fangs are allowed to taste another witch, when necessary, and in a very platonic way,” she plainly told him.
“You want to lay claim to my dick?” George asked.
Great, she’d made things worse for herself.
“Not right here. Your first time should be in a bed,” she said, hinting at his virginity.
It was an attempt to push him back. She needed distance before their overwrought emotions got her on her back with a big cock between her legs for the second night in a row.
“Are you still sore?” Daemon asked, reminding her that he was right in front of her, witness to everything said as well as in her head.
“I’m not ready,” she admitted. It could be misunderstood that she meant physically.
George pulled her hand off his cock.
“Let us date, kerashemeria. The punishment—though well intended by us—might have pushed too far. I can wait as long as you don’t push me out of your bed entirely.”
That was more than fair, especially considering she’d provoked him for a sexual response this time.
Her mind was running hot and cold. More time before a final intimacy joining them would be easier to accept.
“Yes, George,” she answered him.
Daemon made a pleased sound. It turned into a growl as he bent over and nudged her neck to the side, baring George’s bite from the punishment.
He sucked at it and then lifted his head to look at her in the eyes.
“Sharing isn’t as easy as I said. Dragomir wants to bite you again. He’s worried that Geer will try to claim you too soon,” Daemon told her. “Reassure us that you will make Geer wait until after our familiars have had time to assess his better.”
Witch Darkness Follows (Maeren Series Book 3) Page 47