Dragon Rage

by Kelly Armenta

  Kit slid from the bed. “I think I’ll just tag along and see if I learn anything interesting,” he replied, then blew a kiss to me as he headed out the door.

  Chapter 14

  “What time is it?”

  “Close to two,” Jace replied.

  “Are you coming to bed?”

  “We need to go back upstairs. Your music made quite a mess,” Gareth replied.

  “How can that be? It didn’t have anything to do with desire.”

  Jace heaved a sigh and sat on the edge of the bed. Gareth soothed a hand down my hair and told me, “Apparently your song caused feelings of loss. Mix it with alcohol and sweaty bodies and…. well I’m just glad we’ve already paid for our sex license.”

  “Sorry about that.”

  “Oh don’t be… its becoming good for business. Apparently our customers just never know what they’re going to get and that seems to excite them. But then the majority of them are Weres so it’s to be expected.” Of course it was. Everyone knew Weres had fewer inhibitions and no issues with public nudity or sex. Heck, I wasn’t all that opposed to it either, or so it seemed lately.

  “I never thought I’d find myself the proprietor of a sex club,” Jace grumbled then shook his head sadly.

  “Why don’t you try and sleep. You’ve had a full day,” Gareth told me, led me to the bed and pulled back the covers, waited for me to climb in, and then he kissed me briefly.

  “Owen and Amras should be back soon,” Jace murmured and he too kissed me. Then they were gone, turning down the lights as they went.

  I woke still wearing my nightgown under the covers in the middle of my own bed. Apparently Jace and Gareth hadn’t come to bed, or hadn’t bothered to retrieve me. I blinked and rubbed at my eyes, then shoved back my hair, sitting up in bed and glancing around. I felt like crap, my insides felt achy, or maybe itchy was a better word. I was alone… it was a first since my four had arrived. My bathrobe was lying across the foot of the bed and I reached for it. On top of my body feeling odd, my head was fuzzy and I needed coffee badly. It looked like I was going to have to go find it myself. I tied on my robe and slid to the floor. My slippers had gone missing but I couldn’t be bothered with that. Not when the thought of coffee was all that was keeping me upright at the moment.

  Out in the hall Lira and Nolls stood to either side of my door, like twin gargoyles guarding the castle gates. I ignored them as I headed down the hall toward the kitchen. I didn’t want to think about the fact that they were behind me, or the way they had looked at me when I’d opened the door. It made my skin seem to burn and I walked just a little faster. Had I had a heavy robe I would have put it on. No sense in advertising something not on the menu.

  In the Kitchen my four were seated at the table just finishing what looked like lunch. Roral was with them and they all pushed up from their chairs as one. I groaned, feeling my temperature shoot up another degree or two and headed for the coffee maker waving them back to their seats.

  “Princess, are you well?” Amras asked. I mumbled something as I poured coffee into a huge mug and then went to the fridge for the creamer.

  “Lexi?” Owen tried next. “You seem… unsettled,” he informed me and I grumbled some more and pushed my hair behind my shoulder, trying to ignore the way they were looking at me and the effect it was having on my body. I turned my back to them and gritted my teeth while I finished pouring in my ingredients and found a spoon.

  I stirred my coffee and took that first heavenly sip and nearly spat it back out again, knowing full well I couldn’t drink it with them there and not cause a scene. “Damn,” I muttered and grabbed my mug and fled out of the kitchen. “Don’t follow me,” I growled as they all shoved back their chairs and moved to come along, worried something was wrong and ready to assist.

  Nolls and Lira stared at me as I went past. “You either!” I yelled and nearly bolted down the hall. I made it all the way back to my room before I slammed the door and leaned back against it, then raised my mug to my lips. Oh… that was heavenly, I thought, as I ran the sweet taste over my tongue and let it seep down my throat. The sensation nearly set me to purring it was so good. I took another drink and crossed to the bed, seating myself on the edge while I proceeded to thoroughly enjoy my coffee in peace. I couldn’t seem to stop myself from emoting while I drank… the best I could do was sequester myself while doing so. Usually Gareth and Jace were here. Apparently today I was on my own. No worries, I thought as I tipped my cup up and drained the last dregs. I’d made it through without bringing anyone to their knees, or being attacked.

  “Areth, can I have my workout clothes?” I asked and headed for the bathroom, feeling just a wee bit better but still itchy, and as Owen had said… unsettled. Of course with everything that had happened in the last day maybe it shouldn’t be a surprise.

  I dressed and headed out the door. The men were all in the front room milling around and looking distressed, or maybe hungry was a better word. Lira looked dazed and was seated on a coffee table with his face in his hands. Roral just looked rather uncomfortable and when my gaze swept his body, there was little question why. My eyes widened then narrowed; I had to shake myself as I licked my lips and jerked my gaze away. Nolls was turned away from me and his back and shoulders were very tense. “Any of you men married, engaged, or currently in love with someone?” I finally asked. When all three of them shook their heads I nodded thoughtfully. “Well that’s something,” I muttered.

  “What was that?” Lira nearly moaned. “I have never felt anything like it. It was… like last night only different.”

  I looked at Cursed who pursed his lips and shook his head slightly.

  “That was my Mistress enjoying her coffee.” Kit informed him in a cheerful voice that carried a note of pride in it. He wandered over to me and leaned down to give me a kiss on the cheek. “Mmmm, yummy,” he whispered. I tensed and clenched my hands into fists just to keep from grabbing him. What the hell was wrong with me?

  “Where are Gareth and Jace?” I asked while I watched Lira pull himself together and stand. Nolls turned toward me and each of the three went to a knee, albeit it was belated. My eyes flitted between the three of them and I licked my lips again. Beside me Kit made a low noise in his throat that sent gooseflesh skittering over my skin and I took a step away from him toward those kneeling on the carpet. My eyes trained on their bent heads.

  “They went out earlier. They did not say where they were going,” Owen informed me in his worried voice.

  “Where are they?”

  “The bank,” Kit replied. “Earlier they met with their Accountant. Nothing too dangerous. Unless you consider the gorgeous Secretary who’s been petting them since they got there a threat.”

  My body went still and I gave him a look that raised both his eyebrows. “Really, and what are they doing about it?”

  “Ah…” he said grinning slightly. “If I say enjoying themselves will you injure me?”

  I stood there feeling my blood pressure rise and snapped my fingers. “Send them this,” I told Kit, opening my fingers and handing him my little gold, still attached to the tie tack with Kit’s blood on it. “Perhaps that will remind them what is what.”

  Kit laughed and snapped his fingers, then tilted his head to the side. “Oh, yes I think that seems to have got their attention,” he replied while I moved my gaze back to those on the floor.

  “Princess, are you alright?” Amras asked again, his eyes searching my face. I’d been avoiding looking at him since I came into the room. No, I was not alright. I was completely out of sorts and not exactly sure why. Jace and Gareth had not come for me and were already gone without even… ah… I slammed closed my lower and upper shields before I could complete the thought. Everyone in the room jumped and stared at me in varying degrees of surprise while I gritted my teeth and tried to appear normal. With my shields in place I felt free to finish my thought. Was I out of sorts because Jace and Gareth hadn’t made love to me last night? I
moved to a chair and slumped into it, then dropped my face into my hands. Much as Lira had done earlier.

  Surely there must be an explanation for them not coming for me. We had not gone a single night… or day for that matter since we’d met without making love… multiple times. And time of night had never mattered. This was… I did not like this at all. It had been more than twenty four hours and this just wouldn’t do. “Let me know when they return,” I told Kit through my fingers and pulled myself up from the chair. “I’m going upstairs to work out.”

  Not surprising, the elevator was packed. I stood in the corner by myself and stared at the floor.

  “Lexi, you are still shielded,” Owen reminded me, then tried again when I merely nodded. “The others cannot sense you with your upper shield in place.”

  “Dragonsward,” I muttered.

  “Pardon?”

  “Dragonsward, my upper shield is called a Dragonsward. And it stays right where it is for the time being.”

  We came out of the elevator and I inhaled deeply, pulling the smell of sweaty male into my lungs. It was like ambrosia and I walked quickly down the hall and out onto the training floor with the rest of them trailing behind me like the end of a Chinese Dragon float. My eyes scanned the floor, catching site of several individuals that caused me to pause as my eyes roved over their sleek bodies.

  “I don’t think this is a good idea,” Kit mumbled behind me. I ignored him and headed for the track.

  Eight laps later I was feeling slightly dizzy from the lack of oxygen and an excess of male pheromones, and wondering if I was going to make it through my workout. Rather than run with me, the men had stationed themselves around the room and were facing toward the track, arms crossed over their chests, eyes intent on me. It was as if they were protecting those on the floor rather than me. Kit was the only one that stayed with me after having shifted to wolf form. Twice he had used his body to push me back to the track when I had veered toward someone standing too close. On both occasions it was a man that had drawn me to him, though I was not familiar with either of them.

  I moved to the mats and spent several minutes stretching and sneaking glances at the trainees as they gravitated toward me. As the space started filling up, my guards were pushed back to the edge. I went to the front and started with the lower level katas and began working the class up to the more advanced forms. With my shields firmly in place, it wasn’t long before a good portion of the class moved off to the side, leaving just the advanced students. When we reached the seventh level I stopped, turned and bowed. Thanking them for the honor of allowing me to lead.

  Dean and Nate were amongst the survivors and I eyed them thoughtfully. “Owen, swords please?” I asked, my eyebrow lifted inquiringly at the two who were standing there eyeing me with interested looks of their own. Kit hovered at my shoulder and I brushed him away, then took a sword from Owen. The two guards from last night did so, too. “Go find something to do,” I ordered the others, then motioned for Nate and Dean to join me. “Are you interested in assisting me in practice?” I asked and smiled when they both nodded and took the swords Owen offered them. I walked us toward one side of the cavern, away from the rest of the trainees. Owen and the others trailed along behind, giving us some room, but not a lot. I finally turned and gave them all a look. “Why don’t you boys go practice beating up on each other?” I suggested more firmly, then stood there until all of them drifted away. Except Owen, of course, who simply refused to leave.

  “Take a seat,” I urged Dean and Nate, motioning to the floor. They waited until I was sitting cross legged with my blunted sword lying across my knees and then copied my position. There was about three feet separating them and I hoped it would be enough.

  “Are we going to use our swords?” Nate asked, his eyes curious. “It may come to that,” I told them, then added, “You were both here last week when I had a bad moment, and leaked all over everyone?” They sat up a little straighter and leaned forward slightly. At their nod, I continued, “Well I could use more practice and thought you might assist me, if you wouldn’t mind?” The two of them looked at each other then back at me with smiles. “Good, then shall we begin?” I dropped both my shields, which caused Owen to make a slight noise behind me. Of course I ignored him. I was doing that a lot lately.

  I focused my mind and reached out across the four feet of space between us, brushing a soft caress against Dean’s arm. Or I thought I was aiming for Dean but managed to touch them both. Their eyes widened and Nate jumped.

  “What was that?” he asked.

  “Me. Did it hurt?”

  “No, it just surprised me,” he replied and glanced at Dean, who also nodded.

  “It was different than when you spoke my name in my head last night,” Dean told me. “I felt it against my arm.”

  “Well I was actually aiming for Dean so let me see if I can improve my focus.” And I rolled my head on my shoulders and this time I sent a caress, much like a finger over a cheek toward Nate. He raised his hand to his face and nodded.

  “Yes I felt that,” he replied and looked at Dean, who shook his head.

  “Hmmm,” I murmured, increased my pressure slightly and sent more of a hand sized thought toward Dean. I smiled when his hand covered his heart and he grinned at me.

  “It is like I can feel your palm pressing against my skin, just here,” he told me. Behind me Owen muttered something under his breath. Next I sent the force of my fingers gliding up Nate’s thigh and his eyes flicked to mine and widened in surprise. I lifted an eyebrow and he grinned. Owen grumbled. I scooted back another foot and tried again. The feel of a soft sigh of a lover’s breath against your neck was my next sending and Dean shivered and twisted his neck as if I’d tickled him.

  “I’ve got gooseflesh,” he muttered, holding up an arm and staring at it in surprise. “That was… mmm, nice.”

  Neither of them was wearing a shirt and over the next forty minutes or so I went at the two of them with the feel of whispered caresses and soft fingers, sliding them all over their chests and sides until they were nearly twitching and their eyes were quite intense. Both of them were rock hard and it wasn’t hard to miss with only their shorts on. Kit came to stand next to Owen and I could sense that the two of them were not happy with me, though neither said anything until I started sending the soft press of kisses along Dean and Nate’s necks.

  “Lexi, that’s enough,” Owen growled. Dean and Nate didn’t appear to agree and they frowned at Owen where he stood behind me.

  “Is that enough?” I asked my two willing subjects, then smiled when they both shook their heads vigorously.

  “No, don’t stop,” Nate urged me. “I am fine.”

  “What about you Dean? Are you fine too?”

  Dean’s eyes were very dark and the skin over his cheeks was dusky. He looked tense but not yet ready to break. “I am good,” he rumbled. “Keep going.”

  “See, Owen? They are fine,” I told him while I sent the feel of both palms sliding over Nate’s nipples and watched as his head went back and he pulled air into his lungs. Dean ignored him, his gaze focused on me. To Dean I sent the feel of my naked upper body pressed against his and watched as his fingers clench and unclench. It was as if he wanted to reach for something that wasn’t quite there. The tension went up a notch when I started sending them the feel of my tongue, across a nipple, along the sensitive skin just under a jaw, around the outside of an ear.

  It was Nate that broke first when I gave him the feel of me pulling his finger into my mouth. He lunged for me and I was up and holding my sword between us quicker than Owen or Kit could respond. Nate remembered his own sword and in his need to have me, he raised it and the fight was on. Dean watched through narrowed eyes and I was careful not to turn my back to him, concerned that his raging lust might overcome his good sense. Nate was very strong and I struggled to keep him back from me while I tried not to hurt him. If he got his hands on me now I’d be in big trouble.

  Na
te seemed intent on disarming me and I struggled to slip his powerful swings instead of taking them straight on so my arms wouldn’t be wrenched from their sockets. He was panting and his eyes were wild when I slid under his swing and leapt upon him. The force of my body striking his took us both down to the floor with me astride him. He grabbed for me and I pressed my blade across his windpipe, giving him just enough pressure so he knew I meant business.

  “Uh ah ah,” I told him, then grinned when he wiggled beneath me and tried to press his hips into me.

  “My God,” he moaned and let go of his sword throwing an arm over his face. I could tell he was fighting to control his body and I leaned over his face and brushed his cheek with my lips, taking a moment to inhale the sharp scent of musk and wolf coming off him into my lungs. It tasted good.

  “Thank you,” I whispered, then imagined the feel of contentment I had after really good sex and pressed it into him while my lips moved over his skin and I tasted the musk of him. He stilled and his body seemed to sigh, then completely relax beneath me.

  “What did you just do to him?” Gareth’s asked from behind me. I ignored him and raised my eyes to Dean, who was struggling with his own emotions.

  “Come here, Dean,” I urged and he glanced behind me, then back at me. “Let me help you.” His eyes flicked to Nate beneath me and then they focused on mine; he laid aside his sword and crawled to us. I wrapped my arm around his shoulder and hesitated just a moment when he nearly yanked me off Nate and into his arms. “Shush,” I whispered and pressed my cheek to his, breathing into him the same sense of overwhelming sexual release and satisfaction that I’d given to Nate. “How’s that?” I asked and smiled when he slid to the floor and onto his back.