The Dragon King's Shaman

Mile High Club

Erik

The next twenty-four hours were a blur of prep. Maurice’s funeral was three days away, which, allowing for the travel and the time difference between the UK and LA, didn’t leave us much time. I felt incredibly grateful I’d grown closer to my mate more than ever in a brief space of time; however, I now had an entirely different issue. Holding her delicate little body close to mine as she slept required a certain kind of restraint. I’d never been so hard for an extended period of time. I figured there were worse problems to have, though.

I entered the main packhouse, walking straight into an argument.

“It’s your f*****g fault she ran off in the first place!” Irina’s voice was elevated.

“Don’t f*****g start,” Aiden, Quinn’s younger brother, said.

“Guy’s, this isn’t helping,” Alec said, his voice weary.

“I’ve packed you the silver nets, the harpoon, and a selection of knives and guns. Stay out of the water, or those fish will cut you up like sushi,” Irina said to Alec.

“What is going on?” I drew level with the island that usually held all manner of food courtesy of Quinn’s excellent catering staff, but today it held a mini arsenal.

“Where the hell are you going?”

“To get Norah back,” Alec said. He was strapped up with weapons.

“Those f*****g twins are going to pay for taking my mate,” Aiden muttered, stuffing weapons in his pockets.

“Our mate left because of us, and they took advantage of that,” Alec snapped at him.

Aiden averted his eyes and grabbed some more weapons. It was rare to hear Irina shouting, but to hear Alec snap was almost unheard of.

Aiden, Alec, and Norah had a polyamorous triad, which was common for sirens. Alec was a hybrid witch-siren, and Norah was a full siren. Everyone knew their triad was struggling. Quinn’s younger brother Aiden was a surly son-of-a-b***h at the best of times, but I’d only ever seen Alec being accommodating despite his rudeness. I know Irina had a run-in with Aiden recently and remained itching to beat some sense into him. It seemed the twin sirens Norah originally was promised to had come back to collect her.

“I still think I should come with you,” Irina said to Alec as she eyed Aiden with distrust. “You need someone at your back.”

“I have his back.” Aiden rounded on her.

“Would you save him?” Irina squared up to him.

“I did it once before.” Aiden backed down, eyeing her bump.

Irina huffed. Quinn appeared and wound his arm around her, glaring at his brother. “They are taking some of our best warriors, baby. You can’t go off fighting sirens with the twins on board.”

“Erik’s off to hunt a demon, and Alec’s off to fight some sirens, and I’ve got paperwork to do!” Irina huffed.

I had to smile. She wasn’t usually much for theatrics. That was Alec’s strong suit, but she was pregnant and hormonal, so I’d let her off. I wondered what Avery would be like pregnant. I suppressed a groan. Not the thing to think about in a mixed company.

“I can see why they call it confinement now!” Irina threw her hands up.

Quinn began an entirely inappropriate-for-my-ears mind-link conversation promising many alternative activities. I really wished that wolf would learn to shield his mind. It was almost as bad as his beta’s mind, which was permanently tuned to horny and on loudspeaker.

“Let’s go,” Alec said to Aiden, who nodded his head.

Aiden’s mind was a snarling mess of anger.

I caught Alec’s upper arm. “Be careful, Alec.”

“Same to you. Take care of my new little sister and tell her bye for me.”

I dipped my chin at him. I didn’t like being divided by multiple threats. That’s just not how we worked, but Alec was one of the smartest guys I knew, so he’d have a solid plan. Probably better than our plan. Go to a funeral, then a will reading armed to the teeth, and hope at some point Ezekiel found out a location for us to storm. Not exactly foolproof! I wanted my mate out of harm’s way. My penthouse had a secure, safe room, but I’d learned my lesson and needed to handle things carefully. There were still times when I made her flinch.

Last night she woke up screaming and sweating. It took a few minutes for her to realise we were in her room. Her own bed was smaller than the hospital one, and the kinks in my back might never come out. It broke my heart when she told me she stayed at the hospital to avoid the wolves hearing her screaming at night. Later, I had to let my dragon out to release his rage. I needed to tell Quinn there was a patch of burnt forest.

“Are you heading off too?” Quinn asked me, still cuddling my scowling sister.

“Yes, just came to say goodbye.”

“You need to ring us if you need us,” Irina said.

“I think I’ve got it covered with the celestial crew.”

She disentangled herself from Quinn and gave me a hug. I smiled at her embrace, as Irina wasn’t much of a hugger. I loved her dearly. We’d lost both our parents, and we were the only ones left. Unless you counted our uncle, and I know Irina certainly didn’t. We’d done dark things in the council's name, but she found a new life here. It suited her, and I could only hope when we cleared up this demon mess, I could find that with Avery.

She pulled back and gave me a stern look. “Don’t get killed.”

I laughed. “Noted.”

“And finish that sick fucker. But give him a kicking first, from me.” A dangerous look passed across her face.

I nodded at her and shook Quinn’s hand.

I left, collecting my mate and Marco.

The familiar sight of my plane was calming. In recent years the jet either took me to deal with my various businesses or returned me to see what havoc Irina and Alec had caused in my absence. It represented a reprieve from hunting depraved supernatural creatures at the behest of what turned out to be a corrupt council. Once this was over, I wanted to take it to show Avery the world.

“Wow, this is, wow.” Avery’s eyes were round.

It wasn’t overly fancy. Hues of cream and white in a minimalist style. A bar, two bedrooms and a seating area. Nothing out of the ordinary, but she seemed amazed by it.

“It’s better than all the shiny chrome in Ezekiel’s jet. I still prefer my wings, though,” Marco said.

“Until it’s raining,” I said.

“I imagine it just slides right off your scaly hide.” Marco grinned at me.

Dick.

“Is this yours?” Avery asked, still slightly breathless, her eyes soaking in every detail of the plane.

“Yes, I’ve not got a fleet like Ezekiel.” My dragon tasted her apprehension in the air. “Surely you’ve flown before?”

“Yes, cattle class!” She laughed and ran her hands down the leather seats.

What I’d give for her to run her hands over me like that?

My phone interrupted my depraved thoughts. I discreetly adjusted myself and answered my assistant.

“Speak.”

“Hello, sir. Your flight is on time, and I’ll have a car waiting. I’ve booked you into a hotel close to the abbey where the funeral is taking place. I’ve emailed you the details.”

I gestured for Avery to take a seat as Gary gave me a run-down of issues he’d emailed to me. To my annoyance, Marco took a seat opposite Avery. Gary was getting into his stride with numbers. He loved the numbers. Avery smiled at Marco’s joke. He seemed to tell it with his whole body waving his arms about. I gritted my teeth.

“Sir, did you hear the question?” Gary asked.

“No, we’re about to take off. Can you ring me when we are in the air? Twenty minutes.”

I turned the phone off and dropped into the seat on the other side of Avery, looping my fingers with hers and tugging her chair around slightly. Her eyes snapped to mine, and I plastered a smile on my face. She looked far from relaxed, tensing under my palm.

Marco cleared his throat. “I hope you’ve got a well-stocked bar in here. I’m looking to hit the top shelf and then turn in.”

“Do angels need to sleep?” Avery asked.

“Oh yes, although there are plenty of things I prefer to do in the bedroom.” He grinned at her, and I growled.

Avery prised her fingers away from me and turned her chair towards the approaching air hostess. I wasn’t sure what I’d done wrong.

“Oh yes, your jet is very well stocked.” Marco gave Sharon, the air hostess, a long, lascivious look.

She’d flown with me for a long time. I supposed she was classically beautiful with blond hair and curves. Not a package that interested me. I didn’t mix business with pleasure.

She blushed intensely under his ogling. “Welcome aboard, sir and guests.” She addressed me, straightening her short tie, then dipped her head to Avery and Marco.

He snagged her hand and kissed it like the sleaze he was. Clearly, you didn’t have to observe a vow of chastity as an angel. He could do with sharing that knowledge with human priests. Poor bastards.

Sharon flushed bright red. “Please take your seats for take-off, then I will be back to tend to your needs.”

“Oh, I have some needs that you can tend.” Marco winked at her.

Avery smacked his chest. “Calm down, you cad.”

Jealousy reared again at their easy camaraderie. It was clear Avery didn’t joke around with many people.

Marco blew Sharon a kiss as she scrambled away to take her seat up front for departure.

“My staff are working. This isn’t a mid-air brothel just for you, Marco,” I said.

“Says the man who would be happy to join the mile-high club,” Marco shot back.

Avery shifted uncomfortably in her chair, and I suppressed the urge to smack him in the mouth.

Take-off was uneventful, and the second call with Gary seemed endless. Marco polished off half a bottle of brandy and coaxed Sharon into a bedroom while Gary continued talking.

I watched Avery while only half-listening to my call. She sat staring out of the window, picking at her jumper. She hadn’t looked at the in-flight movie options or taken out a book. Her battered backpack she’d taken when she ran was shoved under the seat. She’d packed a tiny suitcase in addition, but she didn’t seem to own very much. She wore a simple t-shirt and jeans. I couldn’t imagine Quinn short-changing her physician's salary, so it wasn’t lack of money. She didn't want to draw attention to herself, or maybe she just didn't value that kind of thing. I wanted to know everything about her.

“I can tell I’ve lost you again, sir.” Gary’s tone was sarcastic.

“It’s been a busy few days.” I ran a hand down my face.

“I bet it has. I discovered some information, by the way.”

I sat up suddenly, a million times more interested than I had been.

“Her real name is Tina Graves, born near Leicester. I’ve emailed you the full file.”

My mouth was dry. Avery’s full back story. Tina didn’t suit her at all.

“How did you find out?”

“Well, the guy that did it goes by the name of Ghost. Maurice Smith used him to forge her documents, and given his best-paying employer has just died, I naturally offered him a place onto your payroll.”

“Well done, Gary. You deserve a bonus.”

It was always useful to have a document forger on the staff. Two hundred-year-old paper trails were suspicious.

“I’ve already taken it, sir. It’s a shiny red convertible. Drives like a dream.”

I shook my head. “Just don’t crash this one.”

We said our goodbyes, and I flicked into my email. There it was a file marked T.G. I felt conflicted. I wanted to know every single thing about this woman, but I wanted to hear it from her. Preferably while I held her. I clicked the app closed and got to my feet.

Avery turned at my approach, her lips in a tight line. I dropped to my knees so I wasn’t looming over her.

“Tell me what I did?”

“Nothing.” She looked away.

“Sweetheart, you are too honest to make a decent liar.”

Her head snapped up. “Sweetheart?”

I shrugged. It sounded right. “Tell me.”

“I don’t like possessiveness. He used to get that look in his eye, and it meant pain. Over nothing. He kept me chained up. I interacted with nobody, but occasionally he’d bring someone in to see his pet. Then I’d pay for making eyes at them, whether I even looked past their shoes. I don’t want to be owned.” Tears streamed down her face. “I don’t want to be broken either. It’s like Pandora’s Box keeps flying open, and I have to wrestle it closed again.”

“I’m sorry sweetheart; I’m a possessive beast.” I reached for her and then ran my hand through my hair instead. “I’ll try harder.” I blew out a breath.

Something knotted in my stomach. I didn't know how I would control that side of myself. It reared up instinctively, like the giant scaly dragon I changed into, but I would try for her.

She sighed. “I can’t expect you to change because I’m not normal.”

I chanced scooting closer to her and laid my hands on her knees. “I don’t want normal. Normal is overrated. I like stunning redheads who are incredibly smart, resourceful, kind, and compassionate.”

Her face heated, and she ducked her chin, unable to hold my gaze.

I tipped her chin up. “Don’t shy away from me. I mean every word.”

“I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything.”

I smoothed her curls back behind her ears and cupped her face. Her eyes dropped to my lips, and a thrill stole through me. My eyes dropped to her lips. They were a cherry red that faded to dusky pink at the edges. Her tongue darted out and wet them. Now glistening, they were like twin magnets dragging me inwards. Slowly, telegraphing my intentions so she could stop me, I closed the gap. Her breathing hitched, and her pupils blew wide.

Our lips met, and an explosion of sensation spread outwards from the connection. I suppressed the desire to meld my lips to hers and dominate the kiss like I wanted to. I kept it feathe-light, a tease that set my body on fire. All my blood rushed south.

I slid my fingers into her lush curls. Her soft lips tentatively moved against mine like the sweetest torture and the most wonderful gift. She let out a soft moan, opening her mouth and licking into mine. She tasted heavenly. I deepened the kiss, and her hands slid up to my arms. I locked my hands in her hair, lest I give into the barbarian urges surging through me and drag her towards me.

Our mouths moved together in an intimate dance. Every part of my body felt wired with electricity. We kissed for a few minutes that felt like hours until she pulled back, gasping for breath, her chest heaving up and down as she laid her forehead against mine. I struggled for my breath as her eyes reopened, swimming with heat.

“Wow, that was...well, wow,” she said, exhaling a rush of air.

I removed my fingers from her hair. “Yeah, that was amazing.”

She ducked her head again. I refused to push her.

“Come on. You need some rest.” I offered her my hand and pulled her up into an embrace. Her jasmine scent filled my lungs. She was so tiny standing next to me. I steered her to the only remaining bedroom, wishing I could un-hear the noises coming from the other.

Avery wrinkled her nose. “They didn’t waste any time.”

“No,” I said dryly.

“I’m sorry you only got a kiss.” She dropped her gaze.

“I’m not sorry.” I grinned at her.

I’d go at whatever speed she needed. Even if my blue balls fell off while waiting. I knew Avery wasn’t anything like the thirsty air hostess. The sight of her took my breath as she stood framed in the bedroom doorway, the bedside light illuminating her red curls.

She twirled a lock of her hair. “Maybe... maybe we could kiss some more?” She ducked her head. “God, I sound like a thirty-four-year-old teenager. I’m not very good at this.”

I stepped towards her and cupped her face again. “I beg to differ.”

I wasn’t sure I could go into the bedroom and maintain my resolve. I glanced at the bed and swallowed thickly. I wasn’t ready for the image of Avery there. As if she had read my mind, she went and perched on the end of the bed.

“It’s bigger than the hospital bed.” She patted the space next to her, and my mouth went dry.