Alexa's Dragon (Dragon mates Book 1) (14 page)

“Magnificent.”

He came back to her hovering by the balcony so she could climb onto his back.

“Don’t drop me, Syn,” she whispered before stroking him. His scales looked so hard but felt so soft. She loved touching him. With a beat of his heavy wings, he rose until he was even with the tops of the mountains.

She looked down and gasped, everything looked so small from up here. The people she had yet to meet were moving around looking like little ants on the ground. Clouds hovered around the tops of the mountains almost looking like snow to her.

He took her to Maceo’s mountain and flew around it. She watched as he too jumped on his balcony and dived. He flew up until he was close to them in his dragon form.

The splendor of seeing two dragons flying together took her breath away. They flew in harmony she wondered if they were talking to each other.

Maceo’s dragon was a study in shimmery greens. The lowering sun highlighted him, making him appear brilliant and beautiful. Together they flew to a third mountain where a dragon was already, circling waiting for them. There was a joy as the three of them flew together with her on Syn’s back.

He must be the third brother. She didn’t know his name. As one they flew away from the mountain until they came to one farther away. Clouds ringed it clear down to the base.

The home of the oldest brother, the one who was frozen. Sadness filled her heart for the one she would never meet.

She could feel the melancholy that replaced the joy as they circled the mountain. Syn was introducing her to his brother the only way he could. She sat up straighter and allowed her mind to reach out to him. She followed the path of Syn’s mind. It was only possible because she had now been connected to him even if they weren’t mated yet.

“Syn says you’re still alive.” She murmured to him quietly. Yeah, it was stupid, but she didn’t want to give up hope.

“I’m Alexa, his mate, if I choose to be. I can’t stand the thought of him ending up frozen without anyone to love him. I hate that it happened to you. If there is the least bit of hope, I know you will be set free one day. You just have to believe.”

Syn swooped down as his heart beat slowed. He circled the mountain again rising to meet his brothers.

“We will be back. Syn, will never leave you alone.”

“I know. Take care of him, he’s worth it.” The voice that reached her ears was weak but it was so masculine in flavor and she felt a warmth behind it.

She slid for a moment on Syn’s back, the response knocking her concentration. Had his brother really responded to her or was it her own mind conjuring up an answer.

Looking back at the mountain as Syn flew away, she believed he really was still alive. Hope sprang anew in her for him.

“What are our plans for today?” They had just finished breakfast and she was rearing to go. The flight last night had exhausted her; at the same time, it had lit the fire under her curiosity.

“We’re going exploring.”

She smiled at him. That was the right thing to say. She wanted to see his tropical paradise from the ground.

“What are you doing?”

“Making sandwiches for later.” She jumped up to help him.

Together they packed a picnic basket and then left the mountain. A jeep waited for them out front.

“Where’s your flashy ride?” she asked as she got in.

“That’s for things like coming home from the airport with my mate. This is for tooling around in.” He gave her a wink before setting the basket in the back and getting in at the driver’s side.

Happiness slid through her body like warm water over her in the shower. Ever since last night, she simply floated on air. Taking care of the darkness was just the start. There was a feeling of helpfulness in the pit of her stomach. She had done something right. Helped out the land and the inhabitants.

It didn’t stop there. Soaring on Syn’s back gave her a sense of freedom she never experienced before. Then, when his brothers joined them, she felt a part of something bigger than her. There was a sense of home that she missed ever since her parents disappeared. Then there was that minute she felt like his brother responded to her, confirming with a few brief words everything Syn told her.

She turned to look at Syn. He was her mate but he could be her husband all she had to do was agree to be his. She could spend the rest of eternity however long that was in his arms. There was a fluttering feeling in the pit of her stomach that made her want to throw her arms around him and scream yes. Still something held her back.

Was it her parents? Mutufa had them she was sure of that. Would he kill them if she mated with Syn? If she didn’t mate with Syn, would he end up like his brothers and still Mutufa would kill them?

She nodded, the truth hitting her like a two by four. He was not going to let them leave alive no matter what she chose. A sad mourning swamped her. Her actions yay or nay, or her very being alive had gotten her parents killed.

“What’s wrong?” He took his eyes off the road to look at her.

“I’m fine.”

“Alexa, I’ve been in your mind and although I don’t know what you’re thinking, being able to feel your emotions is a gift from being so intimately connected. You were happy and excited and now you’re sad.”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” How could she tell him that suddenly she felt like a murderer because it didn’t matter what she did, her parents would die. How could she tell him she wanted him even knowing the outcome of the parents she loved? No matter what she did, she would let someone down.

He nodded, respecting her privacy.

“This is one of the issues I have with being mate bonded. There is no privacy. Now I can tell you I don’t want to talk about it and the matter is dropped. But if we bond that won’t happen. You will know what’s wrong and then I will be forced to talk about it.”

“You’re right, I’m such an ogre that I will force you to speak on things you’re not ready to deal with. I won’t just drop the question and wait, and of course, the only reason my ogre isn’t badgering you now is because I can’t see into your brain. But just wait because when I can…”

She looked at him eyes wide and then laughed. “I was overreacting, huh?”

He brought his thumb and pointer finger together leaving just a little space between them. “Just a little.”

She had to laugh again. She wasn’t going to solve all her problems in a few minutes, but she could enjoy the day and see what it brought her way.

“Where are you taking me?”

“I was going to take you up in the hills, but I got a text from George asking me to bring you to town.”

“How many towns do you have here?”

“We have six small towns or micro cities as we sometimes call them spread around.”

“How big is the island?”

We are about the size of Alaska. As far as people I have no idea; we have never done a census.”

“Alaska is huge.”

“And so are we.”

“Sounds to me you could have a lot more micro cities.”

“We could but we value the land and its wilderness.”

She drifted off into silence watching his hand as he drove. Those were the hands that had been on her, in her. She woke up this morning and wanted to get close and personal with him again. His eyes expanded and his nostrils flared when he looked at her as if she was seeing and smelling the most wonderful scent.

Then he rolled over and got up. His cock was hard, all she wanted to do was wrap her lips around him and suck him down. But she could hear his voice and saw the stiffness to his spine. If he touched her again, made love to her, he would mate with her and he wouldn’t force that on her. She would need to go in willing to become one with him.

Her head was spinning again. Was what she wanted the thing that was best for her?

He stopped to give her time to look at the town they were entering. It reminded her more of a posh resort town. The buildings were no more than three stories high. They blended in with the scenery, as if they were meant to be there. There were no metals, just natural materials used. The streets were plentiful and wide, and the town was clean. Definitely not a city here, even a micro one.

“It’s beautiful,” she said on a sigh. “This place could grace the face of a post card.”

“Glad you like it.” He drove them down the hill that would take them into the city.

“Where is everyone?”

“Good question. George said to meet him at the community center. That is where we have dances, parties, and other gatherings.”

They wound through the town until a large building came into view. He parked next to it and they got out. He took her hand and led her through the big wide doors of the two-story building.

“Surprise!” George and Tamia stood in the doorway with hundreds of people she never saw behind them.

There was a Welcome Alexa sign plastered against the wall. Music started up and voices rang with excitement as they all began to talk.

“What’s this for?”

“We’re excited that Syn has finally met his mate after all these centuries and wanted to welcome you to our town,” Tamia said, giving her a hug.

Alexa hugged her back, wiping at a few tears that clung to the corner of her eyes.

“Come on, let me introduce you to some of the people here.” Tamia took her arm and tugged her away from the males.

“Over here are three of my best friends. Don’t worry if you can’t tell one from the other.”

Triplets, she never met any before. The three women were tall with beautiful smiles and eyes like crystal. Their red hair fell from their heads straight back and they looked exactly the same.

“Jillian,” the first one said. “Samantha, Tabitha,” the next two introduced themselves.

“I’m Alexa and it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“We’ve waited a long time for one of the Drew brothers to find a mate. Were just glad Syn found you. Maybe there will be hope for his other two brothers now.”

“Maybe their mates are here.”

Tabitha, or was it Samantha, shook her head. “Their mates will come from the outside world or they won’t come at all.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because we spoke it.”

Alexa looked at them again. There was something connecting them. It wasn’t physical, but if she squinted she could almost see a power that flowed between the three of them.

“Are you Oracles?”

“You can call us that. We don’t channel information from a superior being though, we simply know.”

A tall red haired male came up and kissed one of them on the lips.

“This is my husband, Mark. Mark, this is Alexa.”

“Nice to meet you.” He held out a hand to shake hers before swirling his wife off to the dance floor.

She turned around and looked at her two new friends. “Tell me what do you know about me?”

They looked at each other and back to her.

“We have learned not to speak everything we know. Sometimes it is better for the person to find out on their own,” Samantha said, giving her a smile.

“We will tell you this. You will make the right decision even though it may hurt. Red will be your color of choice. The oldest Drew brother did speak to you, and he still has a chance. Which means we all have a chance.”

They waved and flitted away leaving her mouth wide open.

“Is everything ok?” Syn asked

“Yes, I just met triplets and it seems they are Oracles.”

“What did you think of them?” He took her hand and led her to the dance floor.

“I’m not sure. At first I thought really, there’s no such thing as an Oracle or any other thing like that. Then I remembered there was no such thing as dragons either. Still I had a good bit of skepticism, it was the last thing that they said, which they had no way to know or guess, that changed my mind.”

She flowed into his arms as he held her close and swayed through a slow song she didn’t recognize.

“Syn, I know you told me once but make me understand what happens if Mutufa gets free.”

“It’s the end of the world as you or I know it. Yeah, it sounds dramatic but true. The power he holds is not only black, it’s powerful. The fact that he found a way over these centuries to be able to manipulate this realm shows that. My world would be destroyed. He can’t let one of my people or any of my brothers live for fear we will rally and find another way to defeat him. Your world would be enslaved to him.”

She snuggled her head against him inhaling his clean fresh scent. Why couldn’t her life be easier? She wasn’t complaining but at times when she saw everyone else walking with smiles and hearts that seemed to be filled with both cheer and gladness, she often wondered how she missed that train.

“Why don’t you just lock him up again?”

“We can’t. My oldest brother is frozen. It will take all four of us. Even if he weren’t frozen, I don’t believe we are strong enough anymore to contain him. His power grows as humans on this side and maybe even a few of my people give him their power and their lives.”

She felt sorry for the people who were so misguided they would die for a being who didn’t care about them.

“What chance do we have?”

“None, or so I thought until you came along. Alexa, this can’t be the reason you mate bond with me. Is it a good reason to potentially save the world? Yes. But it’s not a reason I will accept. If we save the world, you will still be bonded to me, unable to leave. To separate would cause both of our deaths. If you chose me, it must be because you want me, for the last five minutes of our lives or eternity. You choose me.”

Her heart pounded. She wanted to choose him. Everything in her was yearning to become a part of him. Taking it slow to make sure she was doing the right thing was hurting him, but she needed to know—no matter what happened—that she would want him forever. She was so sure she knew the answer but she would make herself wait a little longer.

He spun her out in a twirl as the music picked up, dancing her around the room to introduce her to more of his friends.

The floor began to shake. People started ducking for cover or looking to hold onto something. Food fell from tables as people crashed into one another.