DRAGON'S GAP: Set Includes Stories 1-3 Plus Love's Catalyst

by L M Lacee

  Rene’ looked at his son, his dragon was quiet which was good after Storm had admitted his dragon was taking control more often without Storm’s permission. They had talked, and his father had spoken extensively to Storm’s dragon. He had settled down since then. So Rene` knew this was something else. As direct as always Storm came straight to the point. “The Axton family have demanded Lars attend them.”

  Rene’ dropped his bag and gave his son his full attention. “What is he doing?”

  “He is on his way there now.”

  “I see. You are worried?”

  “Yes, you know it will be about Reighn’s decrees.”

  “Oh, I am sure it is!”

  “They will wound him!” Storm tried not to feel anger but it rose quickly within him. Rene` sighed, his son for all his blunt and sharp ways, loved deeply. His heart was large and the most tender of all his boys, even Sharm.

  He asked. “Are you suggesting we should go and keep an eye on them?”

  Storm did not answer, instead he said. “I told him he could not go, but he said they mean nothing to him.” He looked away, just in case his father could see the deep vulnerability he felt about letting Lars leave without him.

  Rene` hid his smile imagining Storm saying as much to Lars. “Ahh I see! What do you think we should do?”

  “I want to kill them all, so they do not hurt him and cannot make him feel guilty like they do. He does not say that, but he feels it.”

  Rene’ walked to his second born son and hugged him. “Son sometimes we have to trust in what we have given him, he will not leave us now. He is ours in every way but name.”

  Storm nodded into his father’s shoulder as he said. “He says he will not give that up. That it is his right to bear their family name!”

  “He is correct, his line goes back to the First Dragons. He should be proud of it.”

  Storm hugged his father quickly then stepped back, a smile on his face. “He said it annoyed them too!”

  Rene’ laughed. “I bet it does. Now son should we trust your brother to return to us?”

  Storm looked away and then back at his father, his dragon in his eyes. “If they hurt him or keep him from us. I will render their house gone.”

  Rene’ squeezed his shoulder. “Fair enough. Keep me informed.”

  Storm nodded. “I will. Papa take care!”

  “Always my son. I have your Dam and you and all your brothers to come back too as well as my new grand-babies.”

  Storm smiled a rare occurrence these days. “They are very cute.”

  Rene’ saluted him as he walked out of the castle, leaving Storm in the hallway alone or so he thought.

  “You could come with us to help him.” Said Reighn.

  He did not turn around but stayed where he was watching his father enter the glowing portal. “Why do you go?”

  Reighn grinned, Johner and Stanvis stood beside him as Keeper moved closer to Storm. Johner said. “Stanvis heard whispers they are going to ask him to betray Reighn and kill us!”

  Storm slowly turned his expressionless face towards his brothers. The hardness of his eyes was frightening in its intensity. “Will they go to trial?” Thinking that a trial would hurt Lars more.

  Reighn shook his head. “Warnings were given already, yesterday.”

  Storm grunted thinking hard as Keeper said. “Come with us Storm. There will undoubtedly be someone we can hit!”

  Storm eyed his brothers. “See now that is a good reason!”

  Reighn sighed as he mumbled. “Brothers… idiots all of you.”

  They all walked from the castle leaving a hidden Verity quietly weeping for the hurt she could not prevent Lars feeling. And silently cursing the arrogance of people who had lived long enough to know better.

  CHAPTER FOUR:

  W hile Storm had been talking to his father and brothers, Lars had launched himself into the sky. A majestic navy blue dragon who coasted over the town and pastures making his unhurried way to the estate of the Axton’s. He had landed on the cobbled drive way and transformed, looking up at the stone mansion. Sighing he walked up the ten steps towards the ornate doors that housed behind them, people he did not particularly like.

  His position as prime to the Dragon Lord afforded him a certain lifestyle as well as power and influence. Which is exactly what his birth family desperately sought. Lars was under no illusions, his family would never even think to give him the time of day if it wasn’t for who he worked for. Over the years they had tried almost every resource to bring him back to their home. From setting up eligible females in the hopes he would bond with one of them so they could then control him through her. Lars would not oblige them by meeting with any female who was usually quite a lot older than him. Nor would he remain in their home when they surprised him with such a female which unfortunately they had done on several occasions in the past. When that had not work, they would return to pressuring him with family loyalty or to just demanding he return to the family. So far he had thwarted every attempt at coercion, usually just by refusing to co-operate with their plans, but mostly he just ignored them. He suspected it was their fear of Reighn, who was quite different to his father and had very little tolerance for people such as his birth family.

  Sadly he knew they called this meeting not to thrust another female at him. Or to harangue him about his lack of duty to the Axton name by not returning to the family. No, it was because of what had happened in court the day before.

  He stood now at the doors to a home that was never his and never would be and fortified his mental shields and gained control of his temper. It was he realized, becoming harder to do. He knocked once, and the door was immediately opened by a male dragon a few years older than him.

  The dragon bowed and said. “Prime Lars. Your parents and Elders await you in the morning room.”

  “Thank you Braxton, are you healthy?”

  “I am my Lord, thank you for asking.”

  “That is good, you know where to find me if you need too. The castle is always open to you as is Lady Grace’s home.”

  The dragon looked at him and raised an eyebrow as he asked. “Will that be necessary my Lord Lars?”

  “If this meeting is what I assume it is. Then yes!”

  “Thank you for your concern.”

  Lars knew that he understood the warning he was giving him. And he that he would warn all the employees here and at the residence of his grandparents. They would make preparations to leave. He asked Braxton. “Have you been paid recently?”

  When Lars had found out the servants in his family’s employ did not receive an income. He had made his parents and grandparents aware of the law which said they had to pay their servants. When they strongly objected, he had threatened to make their treatment of the dragons’ public, if they did not comply. To make things easier for them he had Stanvis work out how much the servants were entitled too and how much back pay they were owed as well.

  Begrudgingly his parents and grandparents had paid and in full, more he knew from fear he would follow through on his threat. Plus there was the possibility if they paid, he would not tell the Dragon Lord. Which of course he did. Now he checked regularly to make sure the servants still received their income on time.

  After he and Stanvis had found out his family’s employees, they decided to make sure all employees throughout the dragon nation were paid. It had taken a year, but they had accomplished it. With that one decision Lars and Stanvis had earned the loyalty of all the servants and the disdain of the Axton’s and other nobles.

  Braxton gave Lars a small smile as he said. “We were my Lord and as it happens it was just this morning. I will show you through my Lord.”

  Lars returned the smile. He just bet his parents had paid them, knowing he was to come today. He placed his hand on the male’s arm, halting his progress as he turned to lead him to the people waiting. In a soft whisper he said. “Braxton, would you, and your brother Noah consider coming to work for me?”
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  A little startled the older male stopped, he had no idea Lord Lars knew of his brother Noah, who was the chef of the house. He nodded his head a satisfied smile on his face and whispered back. “We would my Lord. Indeed, we would!”

  Lars nodded and barely moving his lips said. “Good. You should consider doing so today.”

  With raised eyebrows Braxton said. “Indeed my Lord.”

  Lars dropped his hand as he said. “Come to the castle.” Braxton nodded but did not reply as he carried on walking ahead of him to the waiting people. When they came to a set of ornate gold leafed doors, he turned the handles. Opening the doors to what Lady Axton called the morning room.

  Basically, it was just another lounge, which was not as cluttered with antiques as the other rooms in the house were. Braxton opened the doors with a flourish and announced.

  “My Lord Prime, Lars Axton!”

  Lars stepped through into the room, just stopping the smile Braxton’s dramatics always caused. It was a source of pride for the former Shield to announce him with as much force as possible in his deep voice. It made no matter to him what room they entered. It annoyed his father and made his mother clutch her chest in distress which is why Braxton did it. Petty as it was Lars always got a laugh from the male’s introduction.

  Once Lars had entered the lounge, Braxton closed the door then rushed at a pace unseen of in the home and entered the kitchen, saying as he entered. “Noah leave all that and make your calls!”

  “So it is today then?”

  “Our Lord Lars hinted it was.”

  “What will become of us?” He asked, and he could not keep the excitement from his voice. In truth he was thankful to be leaving this house. He hated living here, but when he had been discharged from the Hunters due to wounds received in the line of duty.

  Braxton had taken early retirement from the Shields to be with Noah. He had helped to keep his dragon from succumbing to depression. Due to his inability to fly for many months because of his wounds. Dragons, unfortunately, became depressed when they were confined to the ground. The thought of never being able to fly was a constant fear for dragons. Especially wounded dragons who felt they had no future if they could not fly. Often times they would divorce themselves from their human side all together. This combined with wounds could cause the dragon to become depressed. And if they stayed that way for too long, they more often than not would spiral from depression into dragon despair. Then it was only a short slide right on into dragon madness. Which sadly there was no cure for and the dragon was usually put out of his misery, before he went totally insane and killed indiscriminately, which often in the past sadly happened. Noah had been well past depressed and into the first stages of despair when Braxton had returned and taken over his rehabilitation spending months retraining him to walk and then to fly.

  Braxton had also arranged financing for Noah’s training as a chef, which had always been his lifelong dream. It was only later Noah had found out it was Commander Storm who had actually financed his schooling and that he had sworn Braxton to secrecy.

  For a while Noah had felt guilty that Braxton had given up being Shield. Until he found out Commander Storm had financed Braxton’s butler training. Which amusingly enough was his dream.

  For Braxton and Noah, who were large hardened Warriors, their choices of occupations seemed ironic to most. To them it was a peaceful way to live. They had no idea it would be so hard to get work after they qualified and eventually had accepted positions from the Axton’s. As no one else wanted to take two washed up warriors as servants. So as far as the brothers were concerned at the time unpaid work was better than none at all. Plus they were the only servants to live within the home. While Noah cooked, Braxton became the manservant. On occasion they were both called upon to do guard duty.

  Noah grinned at his brother, he was junior to Braxton by fifty years. They were still handsome males with a few well-placed scars which did not seem to offend the female shifters they had met so far. As with every male dragon the brothers hoped to find their shadows amongst the shifters and humans pouring into Dragon’s Gap. They knew it would not happen hidden away as they were in this house with these people.

  Neither brother liked or respected the Axton’s nor the elder Axton’s, especially after they had found out what had happened to Lars all those years ago. In fact the brothers had wanted to leave within the first months after finding out what had happened but had remained. Because Lars had asked Braxton to stay and report on the coming and goings of visitors and the Axton’s. Unfortunately, what they reported on was very little. Braxton, returned Noah’s smile as he told him. “We are to go to our Lord Lars and work for him.”

  Noah turned all the way around from the counter he had been cutting vegetables on. “Did he say both of us?”

  “He did by name brother. We finally will be free from here.”

  “Good, this mission sucked.” A human term he had heard and liked. It was the only way the brothers thought of their duty within the household, as a mission. It had made it easier for them to remain. Lord Lars had done well on his promise of protection and a better life for all servants. Now that was done it was time to leave. Braxton laughed and clapped him on his back. “That is the truth, so when our Lord leaves, we will follow. I will secure our possessions now. You make the calls.”

  “I will.” Noah would call and let all the other servants of the house and let them know what was happening as well as call the elder Axton’s servants. Braxton in the meantime would collect all their possessions and stash them in the shed out back, ready to leave.

  CHAPTER FIVE:

  L ars heard the door close behind him and the hurried feet of the former Shield moving away. He hoped he was making ready to leave.

  He addressed the four people in the room. “Good morning you asked for my attendance.”

  “This is how you greet your family.” Asked his Grandfather Elder Axton his father’s Sire.

  It was obvious to anyone that met the Axton males who Lars received his physique from. He was as tall and as well muscled if not more so than his grandfather. His father was less muscled due to his reluctance to train, and that was all the resemblance there was between them. Lars’s grandfather and father shared brown and both senior Axton’s had inherited the Axton mane of golden hair. Unlike his grandfather Lars’s father had his hair styled in a square cut. That did nothing to reduce the impact of his most prominent feature, his long nose which he had also inherited from his father.

  Thankfully Lars had inherited his Dam’s grey eyes and softer facial features with a normal size nose, which on occasion he had been told enhanced his handsome features. He had a mixture of his Sire’s golden hair and his Dam’s white tresses giving his hair a blond sun kissed look.

  He was always pleased he did not take after his father’s Dam. Whose face always reminded Lars unkindly he knew, of a rat’s face. With her beady brown eyes and narrow sharp nose above pursed lips. She always wore her dark brown hair pulled back from her forehead in a tight eye watering bun that sat on top of her head.

  How she ever got a hat on it entertained Lars’s dragon endlessly. Thankfully his mother he saw only took after his grandmother in her dress style, her hair she was still styling in a coronet. They both sat in long pale colored dresses, better suited for the Victorian era. Morning dresses he remembered mama Verity had called them once. A lot of the older female dragons dressed as such, they thought it gave them presence and respect. It was to remind everyone they had been alive a very long time and Lars suspected they loved the rigidity of the Victorian times. Much as the males who wore the high collars of the past with dark suits did. He was sure his Sire did not even know what a pair of jeans were. Lars raised one eyebrow as he replied. “No, I greet my family with affection.”

  If it was possible, the four faces turned towards him became even stonier. Already he could feel his dragon’s impatience at being here in the home he felt he had failed Lars in. No matter how many tim
es he told him it was not true.

  So when he spoke, his dragon’s growl underwrote each word. All four of the occupants heard it but as it was not the first time it had happened, they did not comment. The one time they had done so. Lars had allowed his dragon to come forth, and he had rained havoc on his parent’s home, destroying many hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of antiques.

  It was then his parents had found out there was no one to complain to or who would discipline their son’s dragon. When they had mentioned the destruction to Rene`, he had asked them in his polite intense way. What had they done to upset his son? Of course that was many years ago, when he was younger with less control. But the lesson had been learnt by his family. “What is it you want and if it is another female? I will leave now!”

  “No!” His grandfather said as he rose to his feet. He smiled and said. “No son.”

  A term Lars always ignored as he did now. “Lars we have asked you here, so you can explain all that nonsense that took place yesterday!”

  Lars sighed, counted to ten and gave himself a mental pat on the back for being right. “I am unsure which part you did not understand it all seemed self-explanatory to me!”

  “Do not treat us as fools!” His father snarled.

  “I assure you I do not.”

  His grandfather sneered as he asked. “What has the house of Kingsley been feeding you boy? Why must you be so foolish as to think they act in your best interests?”

  Lars felt his dragon rise and his eyes elongate making his presence felt. They were in a quandary now, the males felt sure they could easily subdue Lars as it was two against one. Plus if their servants helped they would be able to bring him down, as long as he did not shift to his dragon. But to do so would to incur the wrath of the whole Kingsley family which would not work in their favour right now. And it could also turn all the servants or rabble, which is what they privately called the servants. That Lars had endeared himself too, against the family, and it was vital they did not cause that to happen.