Snowflake Unbound, page 15
Luna smiled. “Either way, I am going to be watching. Hell, Wren will be watching.”
Wren was eating a cupcake, and she looked up. “You said my name?”
Luna looked at her friend, worried. Wren looked haggard and worn. It wasn’t a good look for her. “How are you doing, Wren?”
“I am nearly done, and then, I will be back to visiting and hopefully walking in daylight and at night. It’s nearly complete.”
“Can I ask what?”
“I nearly finished the book. It should be done by the party. That will be nice. I just want to not be afraid.” Wren looked at her, and the strong woman she had been was lost in the haunted expression.
“Oh, honey. You lied to Doe.”
“You are fucking right I did. She doesn’t need to know that the date she set up ended with my abduction and everything else.” Wren smiled. She always smiled when she was tense.
“Did you find anyone to help you?”
“Yeah, there was one, but he is also currently the most persistent stalker. It was his grimoire that I stole.”
“Oh. So you are... doing spells?”
Wren grinned. “You are sleeping with a dragon, and you think that spell work is a step too far? Fine, Miss Judgy-pants.”
“Can you do some now?” Luna wanted to see.
“Not yet. I spent most of tonight just sealing up your house so that it’s safe for me. I can do that. I can lock the shadows out now.”
Luna walked up to hug her, but the Wren she touched wasn’t there. “What the hell?”
“Okay, I am not quite there yet, but my projection fooled you as long as you weren’t going for scent.” Projection-Wren was standing near her with a smirk. “Magic enough?”
“Oh. Yeah. This is so neat.”
They stood for an hour chatting, and finally, Luna asked, “Where did the cupcake go?”
“I teleported some snacks from the buffet.”
Luna laughed. “Please, tell me that you don’t look as bad as the projection?”
“Ah. Worse actually. But, only a week to go.”
The finality was in her tone. “Do you only have a week to live?”
“If I don’t get this book completed. The spell that lets me have it wears off one year from the day I cast it.”
“In a week.”
“And there are those brain cells rubbing together.” Wren’s projection cackled. “Well, your building is now warded, and I am working on the drive then the property. Anyone trying to get in hostile to the family is going to smack right into a large rock.”
Luna paused. “You can do that?”
“Sure. I study instead of bathing. Be happy I am not there.”
“Oh, honey.”
“One more week, and then, I get to use what I have. The shadows will stop coming for the book because they have it back. I will get my life back again, or what’s left of it.” Wren’s projection chuckled. “Well, that’s what the club is all about. Starting over.”
“Uh, not to mess you up, but do you want to find a male?”
Wren chuckled. “Oh, no. Not particularly interested. I mean, I might be when my body resets, but that isn’t going to happen for a while. I don’t know if I am going to have cycles or be receptive or have an actual heat or nothing.”
“Those are the only reasons you would want a male?”
“Yeah. I mean, when this is over, I can do the heavy lifting myself.”
Luna chuckled. “Well, I look forward to seeing you after your bath. Do you need any other tending?”
“Um, I might need my nails done. They are a little... twisty.”
“Right. So, give me the day, and I will have a special team standing by at one of the hotels.”
“You would be better off hiring a team from a nursing home. I am nasty.”
Luna smiled. “They will be warned that they are grooming a shut-in. Can you take a bath first?”
“Mostly. Probably. I will at least stand out in the rain for a while.”
Luna chuckled.
Wren lifted her head. “Ah, I am done. The place is safe. Safe for you, safe for them. No one will track them to or from. That is one of my favourite spells.” Wren nodded. “I will say good night. When you next see me, I will either be free or shackled to a shadow.”
“Do you know what they are now?”
“Oh, yes. I know. I can’t tell you, but I know what they are, and if I had known that when I started, I never would have stolen the damned book.” She chuckled. “I have to go now.”
“Goodbye. Take care.”
Wren disappeared in a puff of silvery smoke.
Luna blinked. That did not seem like a particularly good sign.
She looked around at the gathering and thought back to the first days when she had been sitting in a room with two other betas who had been beaten by their partners, and they were afraid of reprisals. Rickart had helped her to get them the resources to get free of the men, and they had helped her when the social workers and police had sent the next wobbly women through the door. It had only been this most recent five years that had brought Nora and the women who had changed when they ran into their alphas. Something was doing to them what the dragon fire had done to her. They had been rewired during the contact, and some of the contact had been benign, but the effects were cataclysmic. Now, she had an angel who couldn’t fly and a mermaid who couldn’t swim added to her collection of odd betas, not to mention whatever the hell Wren was turning into.
Nora worried about the growing numbers. She thought it would stop when they had the thirty that matched the number of omegas lost in the bombing, but that wasn’t what happened. Something in nature seemed to have latched onto things, and Dell had developed her markings during puberty, so it was not something caused in response to the bombing. Wildlings were rare. Even more rare than their alpha counterparts.
Dell’s announcement that the Omega Centre had come to her for help with an omega who needed an assistant and a recovery companion suited Dell to the hilt. She was excellent at both aspects. The omega had suffered a lot at the hands of an alpha, so it was understandable that she needed help. Even her growth had suffered, and Luna and Dell had discussed what might be necessary. Dell had been amused but resigned as to what she might have to do for her charge, but she started when she left the meeting early. Her new life had begun an hour ago. Dell was tending to the omega Andrea by now. That young woman didn’t know how lucky she was. Dell felt like a rose petal and smelled like primroses and lemon zest. She was also possibly the best cuddler in the world.
The book club gradually came to a halt, and everyone headed home. A little stronger, a little more stable, and all of those who needed direct intervention had been assigned mentors. Eden was going to get flying lessons from Minnie and give lessons on how to get used to the different topography under the sea to June. Eden had her diving certification, and she was willing to go out and play to help a new friend.
Luna waved everyone off, and then, she walked over to the guesthouse and knocked. “It’s safe to come out now. The scary girls are gone.”
Jack popped his head out and asked, “Are you sure? One of them had pixie wings, and I am terrified of glitter.”
Luna laughed. “Yes, they are gone. Well done for hiding out.”
He grinned, and they walked back to the main house.
“So, Luna, how is the ballroom?”
“Weirdly cozy. All of us were comfortable, but there was room for a hundred more, though I am hoping that that doesn’t happen.”
“I thought you enjoyed the club.”
They walked into the building, and the pools of golden light were everywhere. “I do, but do you know what each of those ladies represents? It isn’t just a polite interaction. Over twenty of those ladies were forced and now bear the imprint of their attacker. Some men were trapped by instinct, others motivated by malice, others lust. Sorting them and figuring out which ones need prosecution and which ones need therapy and which just need to be hit in the head by their destined mate.”
“Prosecuted?”
Luna smiled. “Of course. We would never have them killed for what they did. That wouldn’t be ladylike.”
“How many?”
“Plausible deniability. You don’t need to know.” She patted his shoulder.
“Wait. How did they die?”
“Two of the ladies are mildly venomous. You combine the mix, and they are toxic to even the strongest alpha. Not that we ever used it.” She smiled brightly.
“Noted.” He snorted. “Do you think Erik will like it here? Visiting, I mean.”
“I think we can have him, Niko, Alita, Alexi, and the baby all over together. We can even offer the grounds to Ford for his nature shoots.”
“And the wedding?”
She blushed. “Yeah, I had forgotten I could do that.”
She looked at the ring on her finger. It had gotten a lot of comments that evening. She yawned and chuckled. “Since reconnecting with you, I seem to either be exhausted or exhilarated. No middle ground.”
“I am pleased you are off-balance. You are frighteningly even nature.”
“I take my insane side out on the drums. They understand. They sit, and they wait until someone comes to them, and then, the id can talk, and the soul can burn where everyone can see it; then, you stand up and walk away, cleansed of all that went before you sat down and alive with what happened when you and the music met and had a conversation.”
“Wow. Can I be your agent?”
She chuckled. “I thought you had all those young ladies vying for your attention. I am old and battle-scarred in comparison.”
“Scars?” He hummed. “I will have to check in detail.”
“No touring. Ever. I plan on having more little dragons and keeping up my work with the club so I am not travelling outside of driving range. I have to be able to get home in eight hours or less.”
“Okay. He definitely approves of the little dragons comment. How many do you want?”
“Oh, at least two.”
He grinned. “Only two?”
“I am in my thirties. Two is all he gets.”
He sighed. “He will gladly accept two and push for a third. He thinks that if he is really good with the first two, you will let him have a third baby.”
She chuckled. “If the first two are twins, I will, but being pregnant is hard. It was rough the first time. I can’t imagine it will be better the second and definitely not the third. So, he has one son and might get two more.”
“He is eager to prove he’s a good mate.”
She laughed. “He couldn’t even do more than complete one night with no sex.”
“With you, we were lucky to make it that far. He burns for you, Luna.”
She trailed a finger along his arm. “I know.”
He looked at her finger. “What are you doing?”
“Doodling.” Luna smiled. “You know the main floor is great and all, but there are some fun rooms on the second and third floors.”
He grinned. “Fun?”
“Well, I am rather sleepy after the emotional evening, but I am still up for a cuddle.”
“Will you consider letting me represent you?” Jack murmured it as they walked up the steps.
“I might need some persuading. I mean, I don’t want to get out much, and I don’t want my name out there, so it will be rough for you. I am going to say no a lot.”
“I was thinking of getting your sound out there. The video game industry pays handsomely for music that it can claim exclusive rights to. I think that is right up your alley.”
“I have had a few things up my alley, and a music contract wasn’t one of them.”
“There is a company looking for a new in-house band. If we convert a portion of the guesthouse into a music studio or the carriage house or build a new structure, you, Minnie, Zara, Karo, and Wren can save up and pour that money back into the book club.”
“Oh, wow, you know how to get me where it hurts.”
“I prefer to entice you into my way of thinking.”
She chuckled as they passed the gallery where Rickart had filled the walls with portraits of dragons, Rickart, Luna, and Erik.
Jack chuckled. “Wow. Did you pose for those?”
“A few of them as photographs. The paintings are news to me. Especially the ones ten feet high.”
“We will have to get our own family portrait done. I am rather excited to be able to call you my wife.”
“First, we have to have the wedding. Some of the club are very excited. We are going to use the kids’ party to finish planning. We already have the venue.” She waved her hand. “We have a DJ, live music when we want it. Zara is going to make the wedding cake.”
“She’s blind.”
“Right, so it’s going to taste amazing.”
He chuckled. “What’s down here?”
“Ah, this would be the bedroom I picked out for myself because when I was pregnant with Erik, I nested something fierce. I need the space on the bed if you are going to be joining me.”
He swung the door open and made a happy noise in his throat. Soft blues in the textiles and cream for everything else. The bed was huge, the floor-to-ceiling windows looked over the wilderness of the estate, and there was a door with a landing ledge that Rickart had installed.
Jack looked around. “This is definitely a dragon’s house. It looks like he was planning to be here himself.”
“No, this is just his preference. He likes things arranged a certain way.” She chuckled. “Alita says that Nikolai’s dragon is like that. He puts everything in a place where he prefers it. Even her.”
“My guy is like that as well. Very neat, but he collects artists. He likes music.”
“Then, why me?”
“You, dearest, you are the heartbeat of the music.” He turned her to face him and wrapped his arms around her waist.
“I am dearest now?”
“You always were. I just didn’t know it.” He stroked her cheeks and neck. “So, may I mark you properly?”
“Oh, there is a proper way to do it?”
He chuckled. “There is.”
“I thought you were going to let the elite have a chance at courting me?”
He laughed. “I lied, but if you want them and they want you, I wouldn’t have any objection to forming a school with them as members if you want them.”
“A school?”
“A group of dragons.”
“But, what about them being elite. They report to the stronghold.”
“Bachelor elite have requested posting to different cities before. If they want you, they can ask you, and if you say yes, they are welcome here. Well, as long as they surrender breeding rights to my dragon. If they try to sneak in there, they are going to turn up missing.”
She chuckled and pulled his head down for a kiss. “I liked them. They weren’t you, but if you are out of town, they can give me enough to survive on.”
“So, babysitters.”
She slapped his ass, and they grinned and started kissing, then hands slid over fabric, skin was exposed, and finally, she was pressed to him and twisted against his body, running her hands along the snowflake that gleamed under his skin. “When did this show up?”
“The night I bred you. It was on me when I woke up, and the dragon was excited but wouldn’t say why. Then, there was the accident, and he went mad, but the mark stayed. I think it was there to remind me that once upon a time, I had a princess, and I let her slip through my fingers, and he thought you were dead.”
She smiled and trailed her fingers up his neck and pulled his head down to hers. “The princess is back. Now share some fire, and we will discuss the possibility of him coming out to play.”
A wave of scales rippled over him. “Oh, he likes that idea. He likes that idea so much I can barely keep him in now.”
Luna smiled. “I can keep him in and out and in and out.”
He groaned, and his body shook. “That did it.”
She hadn’t watched his transformation before, but it was impressive.
The dragon was pressed to her, and he rubbed his head against her before lifting her in his arms and tossing her lightly to the bed. He licked her from head to toe, flipped her, and continued the treatment. She sighed, twisted, and opened her thighs to him. The wet heat of his tongue slithering against her sex had her groaning, and then, it was inside her, and she felt fire alongside his tongue. She grabbed the bedding and rocked against his muzzle as he went deeper with appendage and fire.
Luna remembered the feeling in her belly, but it was so much better now that she knew what was actually going on. When he pulled his muzzle away and murmured, “Beautiful princess. Sexy princess. We will work on another baby, yes? Practice much until he arrives, yes?”
She felt fire rippling through her, and it wasn’t going anywhere unless he helped. It felt like her blood was nearly boiling. Her hands grasped and pulled at the fabric under them as she raised her hips to rock against his scaled belly.
His erection rubbed against her, the tip sliding through her folds. “Say it, Luna. Invite me, princess.”
She groaned and pushed back at him. “You are invited, Jack. Both of you, either of you. Yes.”
He paused and gentled, licking and swirling his tongue over the back of her neck, nuzzling her hair to the side, and he snuffled against her neck until she shivered and moaned. His hips moved him into her, inch by hard inch. His clawed hands clenched over hers on the bed, and he kept licking at her neck with tiny thrusts working into her. Something had given him patience, and he kept working into her, stretching her slowly.
Luna moaned and rolled her hips back against him. He could have been to the hilt by now, but his slow thrusts were driving her nuts. She rocked her hips back to take him deep, but he kept himself from her.
She groaned and hissed, “You wanted a mate. You have one. Oh!” He bit down and thrust into her. She stretched, she ached, and she wanted more. Fire boiled from his bite and rippled through her bloodstream as he thrust into her with rapid motions. She jarred forward with each impact and held on tight. In this position, she didn’t have a lot of options.
