Page 7 of Tempting Her Dragons (Embracing The Bond #10)

Chapter Seven

Kingston

H er fork dropping to her plate is the only sound after my statement. I have a problem. Being blunt comes easy to me. Sometimes, people don’t appreciate the trait. I’ve tried to go easy with her. I wanted to tell her what we do, but she brushed it off. Our lives have changed overnight, and it’s going to take time to reveal all our secrets. I have a burning in my chest, urging me to stay by her side, ease her in whatever way she wants, and gain her trust.

“King, maybe you should expand,” Mav says. He likes to say he is the more easygoing of the two of us, but he can be just as honest.

“Sorry,” I say, watching her shocked face ease. “I can sense your unease with our bond. You don’t know us. We are two rough, antisocial men who were lucky enough to find you. I’m going to tell you a bit about our lives. It may help you open up.” She pushes her plate away and folds her arms across the counter. “We are brothers by choice, not blood. Our parents were friends and spent almost every day together. So we have been friends for a long time.

“Dragons have been hunted since the beginning of our time in existence. Mostly by humans, but shifters also want our power to study us or just to have the bragging rights from taking down a dragon. We just want to be left the fuck alone. Our parents felt we were better off in a pack. They didn’t use their powers often, fearing someone would see or sense us. As you know, when you don’t use them, they become dormant, and you can’t call on them easily.” I take a few steps back, leaning on the counter, my hands gripping the edge. I haven’t spoken about that time of our lives in many years.

“Someone did,” she guesses.

“Yes.” I grind my jaw, trying to find the words. “We were eight when they came. Men with hatred, knives, and greed. It was the middle of the night, and we were asleep. I slept over many nights with Mav. Our parents would stay up, but on this night, our moms went to bed early. While drifting off, I heard them settling in one of the rooms together.” I close my eyes, picturing their faces. “I don’t know how they knew about us or how they overpowered our dads.” I open my eyes and look into hers, and she cringes from the rage she sees. “We woke up to screams I heard in my dreams for a long time. We were terrified and didn’t know what was happening, but we knew we had to get to our moms.” My stomach rolls.

“We saw them how a son should never see them,” I whisper. “They were violated in every way a woman could be.”

“No,” Saphira cries.

“One of the men was still on top of my mom. He looked into my eyes as he slashed her throat. I won’t tell you the things he did while he smiled at my helplessness. He enjoyed abusing her, killing her. He thrived on our fear. Mav crawled to his mom, but she was gone. Her body couldn’t heal from what they did.” Mav stares at his plate, and I know he is back there with me. “Everything was destroyed in the room that our dads were in. They tried to fight, but there were too many of them, and some were shifters. We thought we would be next; for many years, I thought it would have been a mercy if they would have killed us.”

“They took you?” Saph asks, tears glistening.

“They wanted to use us,” I snarl. “There are many who want to use us for their own gain. There are rumors that if you capture a dragon, you will get their treasure, and good luck will come to you. Our parents must have put up too much of a fight; it was easier to capture us.”

“Fucking assholes thought we would bring them riches,” Mav grits out but doesn’t lift his head.

“They kept us locked in a closet. Once a day, they would throw food inside. Twice a day, we would be let out to use the bathroom. Three times a day, they would take us out separately and demand we shift; when we wouldn’t, they would beat us bloody.” Saphira covers her mouth. “I should leave the rest for another time,” I say. I don’t want to disgust her or make her live with our nightmares.

“No,” she says. “Tell me all of it.” I stare into her eyes for a beat to test her seriousness. She doesn’t like hearing it, but is willing to. Her scent is covered in sympathy.

“That was how we lived for four years. I wondered why they didn’t give up. We didn’t give them what they wanted, and as the years went by, we must have served as entertainment if nothing else.” I stare at Mav’s bent head. “We saw things a young child should never witness. They lived as if no one was watching. They stole, cheated, lied, killed, and abused everyone who wasn’t in their little group. We fought every time we were let out, trying to run.”

“I gave up,” Mav whispers.

“You fucking didn’t,” I growl harshly. “After four years of hell, we decided to stop. We had to stop. They didn’t give us clothes or blankets. We slept on the hard floor of an empty closet when we could. Instead of resisting, we played nice in some ways. Despite their best efforts, we refused to shift. Our dragons hadn’t been free for four years, and we made a pact we wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of seeing our animals.” I cross my arms, my fingers digging into my skin. “If we didn’t give them pushback, maybe they would give us more freedom and more chances to escape. Our energy was next to nothing; our muscles had deteriorated, and we hadn’t been in the sun since they took us.

“The crew had new additions. A woman. She was clean,” I whisper, remembering the first time I saw her. “Her hair was a bright red, and her clothes smelled nice. She was sweet to us. I didn’t trust it. She would slip us extra food and a blanket.” I rub my eyes, hating the wetness on my fingers. “We slept that night, rubbing the fabric on our skin. We hadn’t felt anything so soft. In the days that followed, she continued to give us extra things. I don’t know how she convinced them to allow her to be the only one to take care of us. I think they were sick of our refusal to speak or shift. I really didn’t care about their reasons. We were shocked the day she took us outside.” I tip my head back. The warmth has never been the same as that day. “Fuck, the sun on our face. While we were stunned by the brightness, she started to speak. Before that day, she didn’t say much.

“She reminded us of the facts about dragons; at first, we looked at her as if she were crazy. Our minds were as slow as our bodies, but the next day, she took us out again, saying the same list. That night, while we huddled together, it clicked. Dragon skin was poisonous. She was reminding us that we had the power to kill everyone who abused us.”

“How many people were living there?” she asks.

“Twenty. Not counting the woman. For ten days, the woman fed us three meals daily and took us out a handful of times. People were always around and walking the property, but they didn’t pay much attention. We began to gain some weight. They finally noticed. The leader questioned the woman and dragged us out of the closet. When he hit her, I lost it. I shifted.” I smile. “Their faces were euphoric. Mav followed my lead, and his dragon burst out. You know what someone greedy does when they are shown a shiny new toy?”

“They pet it,” she says.

“Yes,” I hiss. “We may have been young, and not very big, but our scales had enough power to melt the skin of the fuckers who killed our family. There are many rumors about dragons, and many of them are false. The power we hold in our skin is secret. If all shifters knew about it, it would defeat the surprise of our defense. We watched in shocked glee as they screamed, begged, and bled.”

“They got what they deserved,” she rasps.

“We should have done it sooner,” Mav says softly.

“You were children,” she growls, her anger bleeding into the air. “You were trying to survive.”

“We can’t go back and change it. We remembered that’s what’s important. We stayed until they were a melted puddle,” I say.

“The woman? What happened to her?” she asks.

“That woman stood with us,” I answer, and Mav leaves his chair, pacing, reliving our moments in hell. “She shifted. She was a rabbit shifter. Her name is Roxanne Keller. We stared at her, stunned when she brushed against our legs. Her fur was so soft. She allowed us to pick her up, hold her, knowing the blanket was the softest thing we had felt until we met her.” I swallow harshly, blowing out a breath. “She explained why she was there: to rescue us. Mom worked with a man who rescued people held captive. The man learned about the group of shifters who kidnapped us. Mom infiltrated the group, found us, and started the plan to get us out. She became our mom. Our savior. She took us out of that sick, twisted place and gave us a home. She showed us love and patience and taught us how a man should act toward a woman. She is the reason we are alive. Since that day, we have embraced our dragons and practiced our gifts.

“We didn’t expect you, but we will fight for you just like our mom fought for us. She will love you and treat you as if you came from her. We live on the same land, built a business together, and have never felt any remorse for killing those people. We will do the same for you; kill anyone that fucks with you.” Saphira slides off the chair and slowly walks towards us. “Nothing you say could change the bond or how we feel about you.” She doesn’t stop her momentum, walking into my arms and tucking close. She smells so fucking good. It reminds me of all the nights we spent around the campfire.

“Thank you for sharing,” she whispers. “It must have been hard to talk about.”

“We have come to terms with what happened, but the anger is still there.” I squeeze her hips. “If we have to dig up the past, we will. You are all that matters.” She pulls away, kisses me lightly, and turns to my brother.

“Mav,” she says, grabbing his arm. He doesn’t look at her but allows her to pull him to a stop. “I’m sorry. It’s horrible.”

“Shit,” he mumbles. “I don’t like remembering.”

“I understand,” she says, scooting closer. People say that; they understand. Usually, they have no clue; it’s just something you say. Saphira does relate. We understand her need to kill; our job is similar.

Mav gives up and gathers her in his arms. I know this is right as he buries his face in her hair. She is meant to be ours. I give them a moment together as I prepare to reveal more of our lives.

“Fuck,” Saphira says, turning out of Mav’s arms.

“You know a lot of vampires, Firefly,” I drawl, looking toward the door.

“Shit. Fuck.” She stomps across the cabin. “I’m sorry,” she tosses over her shoulder before yanking open the door. “Micah, please.”

“Please, what?” The vampire steps inside. I’m not scared of anything. We have been around the worst of the worst. I have known numerous killers, but this vampire is the oldest I have ever seen. He’s dangerous, but only if you piss him off.

I look at Mav, and we leave the kitchen. We stand side by side behind our mate.

“How can I get to know my mates if everyone keeps coming over?” she asks, stomping her foot. He looks down and then back to her face.

She’s adorable.

“Did you turn off your phone?” he asks, and she runs her hands over her pockets.

“I left it in the bedroom,” she says.

“You didn’t see the group chat going wild. Sally has informed everyone how yummy your two mates are, and the fact that they love rabbits. It’s also been said Ryker stopped by and found it hilarious that your brothers were coming over. They passed the initial inspection from Bishop and Laken. I felt left out.” He pats her head and moves around her. “Kingston and Maverick, I’m told.”

“Kingston,” I inform him, holding out my hand. He clasps it and doesn’t try to show his strength in the grip—he doesn’t need to.

“Gold dragon,” he says, releasing me. “Maverick.” He clasps my brother’s hand. “Green?”

“I am,” Mav says. “You are the oldest vampire I have met.”

“You know my age?” Micah asks.

“I can tell the age of every shifter and vampire.” Mav rubs his hand on his jeans. “Your power is pushing to be released.”

“It’s always ready.” He smiles and clasps his hands behind his back.

“Okay, you’ve met. You can go now,” Saphira insists.

“Saph, I just go here,” he says, smiling slightly.

“You’re going to make them leave,” she says.

“Hardly,” he denies. “Am I?” He surveys us with a lifted brow.

“No,” we say at the same time.

“See,” Micah says, motioning toward us with a hand.

“We respect your need to see that she is alright,” I say.

“But she is right. She needs time with us,” Mav says.

“I understand,” Micah says. “I was pissed when everyone kept interrupting me when I met my mate. I understand it, but it doesn’t mean I’m sorry. Double standard. I know. Saphira is like a daughter. This is what dads do, right?”

“Daisy wouldn’t want me to call you Dad,” Saphira glares.

“Doesn’t mean I can’t act like a father,” he says softly.

“Yes, it does,” she snaps.

He looks at her almost sadly. “She has grown into a beautiful woman, inside and out.” He looks at us. “Value her,” he demands with steel in his voice.

“Of course,” I say.

“Micah,” Saphira sighs softly, probably regretting her tone.

“Sally is putting together a gathering,” he says, returning to the door. “It’s tradition.”

“No,” Saphira says.

“Yes.” He smirks. “It usually involves fights, blood, fire, threats, and dancing. Maybe some pick pocketing. Luckily, most of the time, it’s not the family getting hurt.”

“We are not going out,” Saphira says.

“I’m afraid so.” He doesn’t look sorry at all. “Sally sent out the group text with when and where.” He looks back at us. “Don’t worry. We just want to get to know our new family. Once you are in, the family will protect you and your bond.”

“We’ll be there,” I agree, cupping Saphira’s hand when she looks ready to battle. “We want to know our mate’s family.”

“Your family soon, too,” he says, nodding before closing the door behind him.

“I bet you didn’t expect a huge family,” she grumbles.

“No, but we’ve always wanted one,” Mav says.

“Oh, shit,” she whispers. “I—”

“Don’t worry, Firefly,” I assure her. “We want to get to know them.”

“Mom would love it.” Mav cups my shoulder.

“She would,” I chuckle. “She would love Sally.”

“You aren’t upset?” she asks, and I yank her hand. Her soft body lands against mine.

“No. I’m not scared of your family.”

“Good.” Her eyes fall to my mouth.

“Get your phone,” I say, dragging my hand down her hair. “We need to know when we have to leave.”

“Okay,” she says breathlessly but doesn’t move from my arms.

“Firefly,” I say, barely hiding my laughter.

“Right. Phone.” The view of her walking away almost brings me to my knees.

“Jesus,” Mav whispers.

“Yeah.” I shake my head.

“Fuck.” She appears in the doorway. “Two hours. I have two hours to get ready,” she cries.

“Where are we meeting them?” Mav asks.

“The club. The panthers’ club.” She scrunches her hair in both fists. “At least I took a shower,” she mutters.

“The panthers?” I ask.

“Ryker doesn’t want to clean up blood,” she says. “The panthers volunteered to host. Harmony is a panther shifter and is mated to three of her kind. They own a club. They were the ones who started the family.”

“Is there usually blood?” Mav asks.

“Sometimes,” she says. “I have to get ready.”

“Can we borrow your car?” I ask.

“Why? You’re leaving?” she asks, her hands gripping the doorframe. I don’t like the anxiety in her expression.

“We need to go to our hotel, shower, and get our car,” I explain.

“Oh, good.” She bites her lip and looks down the hall. “Why don’t you check out of your hotel? You could stay here.”

“You want us here?” I ask, wanting nothing more than to be near her.

“Yes.”

“Alright. We’ll shower before we check out.” I hold out my hand. “Lock the door behind us.” She rolls her eyes, takes my hand, and reaches for Mav’s.

“I take a while to get ready. Plus, this is our first official date. I want to make it special,” she says as I open the door.

“We do, too,” I say, pulling her hand. I position her between us, cupping her hips. “Give me a kiss,” I demand.

“Bossy,” she sasses but leans in. I keep it light. If I do what I want to her, the family will be on her doorstep when we don’t show up.

I flex my hands and turn her to face Mav. It feels natural to see her kiss him. There is no jealousy. No anger. We are meant to share her, and I am happy to see my brother bask in her light.

We have been in the dark for so long; being in her presence is blinding.