Rafael groaned as he woke, thoroughly displeased he was no longer asleep. Sleep never seemed to last long enough. He kept his eyes closed and burrowed in closer to the warmth around him, breathing in the scents of snow and pumpkin.
Something about that seemed off... but what? Rafael tried to process the thought but simply couldn't be bothered, going easily when sleep pulled him under again.
The second time he woke was because his alarm bleated at him. Rafael grunted, groaned, and reached for it—only to collide with something hard and warm. He dragged his eyes open and stared at the broad, defined, and extremely fine chest between him and his annoying alarm clock. Reaching out, he gave the well-sculpted abs a judicious pinch. "Conway. Get out of my bed, you bratty dragon."
Growling to show how offended he was by the abuse, Conway rolled out of bed and stood by the nightstand, the very image of petulant. "Raf cold. Warmed."
"What would have happened to you—to us, to Cam—if Leo or one of his men had shown up without warning?"
"I'm the warning," Conway groused.
Rafael snorted, refusing to be amused. "The fact that was a complete sentence only further proves your guilt, brat." He slammed his hand down on the alarm clock, silencing it, then threw back his blankets and climbed out of bed. "Why is it so cold in here? Did the heat go out?" Shivering, he snatched up the sweater he'd thrown on the floor before going to bed, and then went through the house to the thermostat in the living room. "Why did you drop to forty-five, you stupid thing? I set you to sixty-five," Rafael muttered at the thermostat. He turned it back up to sixty-five degrees then trudged to the kitchen to make coffee.
His phone chimed at him from where he'd left it on the kitchen bar, and Rafael sighed that he already had a voicemail waiting for him. That never boded well. Ignoring it for the moment, he set to work making eggs and bacon for breakfast. Conway sat at the bar and folded his arms across it, then used them as a pillow to doze while he waited for food.
Cam wandered in with a yawn just as Rafael finished cooking, slumping on the counter and grumbling out a good morning.
"Lazy dragons," Rafael said lightly, setting a plate of eggs and bacon in front of Cam and raw steaks in front of Conway. He poured himself a cup of coffee and fixed a plate for himself, eating a few bites before leaning over the bar to finally retrieve his phone. Frowning at it, he brought up the voicemail.
He swore as he listened and set the phone on the counter when he was done. Abandoning his coffee, Rafael bolted across the house and down the hall to his bedroom and then the bathroom. Turning the shower on, he stripped off his clothes and hopped in before the water was hot, still swearing loudly.
"Raf?" Conway called from the doorway.
"Our guests got in last night," Rafael told him. "They're going to be here at ten and my brother is probably going to be in a really rotten fucking mood. Both of you get cleaned up now."
Conway growled and left to see the order carried out. Rafael quickly showered, then walked into his bedroom still dripping wet. In his walk-in closet, he used a towel to dry off as he perused his options. He settled on dark jeans and a blue sweater that Leo had given him as a birthday present. He doubted Leo had been the one to pick the sweater out, but he'd be pleased Rafael was wearing it.
Hopefully between the sweater and the guests, Leo would be slower to act on his violent urges. Not holding out much hope, Rafael finished dressing and returned to the kitchen to get it cleaned up and make a larger pot of coffee. When the kitchen was done, he tidied the rest of the house until he heard cars coming down the long driveway.
He tried to calm his nerves but failed miserably. A soft, concerned growl drew his attention, and Rafael held out a hand to Conway, tugged him close and allowed himself to lean against his dragon for just a moment. "It's fine, Conway. Don't worry. One way or another, everything will work out."
Conway growled and stole a quick kiss, then Rafael pushed him away and went to the door as he heard the cars stopping in front of the house. "Good morning," he called to Leo, lifting a hand in greeting. His stomach churned when his brother just looked at him coldly. There were three cars total: Leo's Phantom, a Challenger, and a Firebird. Rafael went down the steps to greet them.
"Good morning," he said again, holding out a hand to the man who approached him. He was about Leo's height, a little taller than himself, with messy, dark brown hair that was slightly too long and sharp hazel eyes. Just behind him was a dragon with white blond hair. He had an unusually slender, almost delicate build for a dragon, but a dragon's human appearance had no real bearing or reflection on his true form. They both had something of a carefully contained feral edge to them. "I'm Rafael St. George."
The man smiled congenially and shook his hand with enthusiasm. "Name is Ken, this is Nevada—Nev. We're friends of Blaze. Came to be some extra muscle since Blaze had a run-in with Triad goons on the way here."
Rafael looked at him in surprise, then turned to Leo. "What is he talking about?"
"There's a leak somewhere, apparently. The other syndicates know we have something special," Leo said, pulling on his cigar, a haze of blue smoke surrounding him. "Coffee?"
"Inside," Rafael replied and climbed back up the steps to hold the door for them. Once they were in, he half-turned to wait for the pair still by the cars—
And tried not to stare at the man who walked toward him. Jesus. He knew from descriptions and process of elimination the man must be Blaze, but his description didn't do him justice. His black-brown hair was mussed, but the messy look somehow softened his sharp features. He had pale brown skin and a mouth to die for, a nose that looked like it had been broken a few times, and the greenest eyes Rafael had ever seen. He was short and compact, all muscle and warrior grace.
Rafael had grown up around pit fighters, had seen them come in all shapes and sizes, but not a one looked as born and bred for it as Blaze. His name suited him all the way to the ground. Rafael shivered.
Blaze's dragon was nothing to sneer at either, and Rafael was excited to finally meet the notorious, nigh-unbeatable Eros. He was taller than Blaze—seemed like pretty much everyone was—but not quite as tall as Rafael. His hair was dirty blond, eyes the trademark dragon amber, and he definitely had the wild edge of an egg-raised dragon.
"Hello," Rafael greeted, extending a hand, startled by the jolt that shot through him as Blaze shook it. Those green eyes met his, studied him. What did Blaze see? The reclusive brother of Leo St. George? The pathetic bruises on his face? That he was very much a pretty boy in a world where pretty was sneered at?
He wasn't normally so insecure, but he also normally didn't see someone and immediately want to fuck him into the nearest wall. The last time he'd felt like that, his lover had died, and she hadn't died peacefully.
Whatever Rafael had been expecting of Blaze, it wasn't for him to be so distracting.
Blaze grunted, let go of his hand. "You must be Rafael. I'm Blaze. This is Erie."
"A pleasure to meet you both," Rafael said. "Thanks for coming. Uh. Come inside. Would you like some coffee?"
"Coffee sounds great," Blaze said and preceded him inside, following the sound of voices into the kitchen.
Rafael went to the coffee machine while the others milled about and talked. He fixed Leo's coffee first and took it to him—and silently swore when Leo pinned Rafael's hand to the counter with his own. "You didn't answer your phone when I called last night."
"I was busy cleaning the place up. Never heard it ring," Rafael said, keeping his eyes downcast. His cheeks flushed, bracing for whatever Leo was going to do to punish and humiliate him in front of everyone. Why had he thought guests might be enough to make Leo behave? With so many dragons and masters in one room, Leo wanted to remind them all he was still top dog. "I forgot to check it when I went to bed. When I woke up this morning and checked, I thought it would be better to focus on being ready than call you back. You know I'd never let you down or disappoint you on purpose, Leo."
He hid a wince as Leo's fingers bit painfully into his wrist. "Answer your fucking phone when I call," Leo said and slapped him.
"Yes, Leo," Rafael replied quietly. "Did you want anything to go with your coffee?"
"No."
Nodding, Rafael poured coffee for Ken and Blaze and forced himself to meet their eyes when he asked, "Did your dragons want any?" He laughed when both of the dragons made faces at him. "No, then. Breakfast, anyone?"
"Enough with the fucking homemaker bullshit," Leo snapped. "Where the fuck is my dragon?"
Rafael set his coffee down, wondering irritably if he was going to be able to finish a cup. "He and Conway are in Conway's bedroom. I didn't know how many people would be coming, and it's not a good idea to have Cam around a lot of people." He looked pointedly at Leo's perpetual collection of assistant and three bodyguards, hovering at the back of the kitchen after having hauled Ken and Blaze's belongings inside.
Leo dismissed them with a gesture and a grunt. "Get him."
Stifling the retort he wanted to make, Rafael went to fetch Cam. Conway was already in the hallway and reached for Rafael as he approached. "Don't," Rafael said tightly when Conway growled. "It's okay. Leo wants to see Cam."
"Not him again," Cam groused, pulling on a plain black t-shirt as he ambled out into the hallway. "That guy—"
"Will always overhear you at the worst possible moment," Rafael cut in. "So keep your opinions in your head where they can't hurt you or anyone else, please."
Cam immediately looked abashed and winced when he saw Rafael's red cheek. "Sorry."
"It's okay," Rafael said. "It's no one's fault but Leo's. Come on, you can meet the others." He turned and walked back to the kitchen, trailed by Cam and Conway.
Erie and Nev both growled as Cam entered the room, tensing, lowering their heads, and Rafael was reminded all over again of the way Conway had described Cam as a 'master dragon'.
"Jesus," Blaze said, staring at Cam, then looking at Rafael. "He's something else."
Rafael swallowed, wondering what Blaze would say if Rafael said the same thing about him. Christ, he needed to focus. "Yes, he is. You can see why we wanted to bring in outside assistance. He gets along with Conway, and he's ok in smaller groups, but until he shifts and we're confident he can be controlled, I don't want him out anywhere else."
Cam laughed. "Yeah, can't take 'him' anywhere."
Blaze's brows shot up. "You're remarkably human for a dragon."
"So I'm told," Cam said, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans. He smiled at the room, then bowed his head as his gaze landed on Leo. "Good morning, boss," he said politely. "I promise I'll train hard for you."
"I know," Leo grunted and stood up. "Rafael, I want frequent reports. The minute you've taught it how to shift, call me. I want it fighting sooner rather than later, so don't take forever. Three months to show me real results, understand?"
Rafael caught Blaze's arm when he started to speak and said, "Three months, Leo."
Leo nodded. "Then I'm leaving. Any problems, call. Answer your fucking phone when I call you, I mean it."
"Yes, Leo," Rafael said, and only when Leo was gone did he notice that he was still gripping Blaze's arm—tightly enough to leave nail marks behind as he let go. "I'm sorry."
Blaze shrugged. "Forget it. Your brother is a piece of work, if you don't mind me saying."
"No one steers clear of St. George because we're nice and ask politely," Rafael replied. "So would anyone like breakfast?"
"I would love breakfast," Blaze said. "Is there more coffee? Sit down, good fucking grief. I can get it." He picked up Rafael's mug and handed it to him, then went to refill his own. Returning, he sat down next to Rafael and asked, "So is that your dragon?"
Rafael looked at Conway, who growled and looked so much like a kicked puppy it hurt. "Conway belongs to Leo. All the best dragons do." His fingers tightened on his mug as he swallowed around the lump in his throat. "But Conway is assigned to me a lot, so he's sort of mine."
"He's yours," Ken said, startling Rafael. "He hasn't staked his claim, but he's yours. No dragon would ever obey a weasel like Leo unless his owner told him to."
"Owner?" Rafael said, staring at him, frowning. "Leo is his owner. What do you mean, staked his claim?" His heart began to thud in his chest with fear and beat even faster at the knowing look Ken gave him. But that meant Ken had probably done the same with his own dragon—fucked him, like they were always told not to.
Ken spread his hands. "I'm not here to cause trouble, I promise. Nev has sure as hell claimed me, and Erie has claimed Blaze. We know how to keep our mouths shut. But whether you've let Conway mark you or not, you're his owner."
"Why do you keep saying owner?"
"He means master," Blaze said, mouth quirking in an adorably boyish way before he glanced at Ken and mock-glared at him. "Ken is a little funny in the head."
Disappointment dropped into Rafael's stomach like lead, putting him off even his coffee. How had he missed Blaze and Ken were a couple? Hell, it was for the best, really. He wouldn't have been stupid enough to make a move because even just fucking somebody was enough for Leo to use that person against Rafael. But he'd liked that the possibility had been there. Having it so definitively taken away sucked.
But who was he kidding? Someone like Blaze wouldn't go for Rafael for a very long list of reasons, beginning and ending with Leo.
So, yeah, it was for the best Blaze was taken.
Picking up his coffee, Rafael forced himself to finish it before he made more breakfast for his guests. Thankfully, with two dragons in the house and knowing there would be more, he did not lack for food. He would definitely have to increase the size of his grocery orders, though. Writing himself a note on the whiteboard by the back door, he pulled out eggs, sausage, bacon, and the necessary ingredients for pancakes.
When the bacon and sausage were cooking, he started to mix together the pancake batter. He walked over to the bar where the others were still gathered. "You said Triad came after you?"
Blaze nodded. "Yeah, and I wouldn't be surprised if other syndicates start to make an appearance. I don't know if it was St. George or Rust who sprang a leak, but word is definitely out now. Nothing we can't handle though." He winked at Rafael, then shared a smirk with Ken.
Rafael mustered a smile in return, and then went back to the stove to finish cooking. Thirty minutes later, all was ready and he dished out the food, leaving the syrup, salt, pepper, butter, and nearly an entire loaf of toasted bread where everyone could reach it.
He ate his own food in silence, letting the chatter wash over him. Conway was getting along with the other dragons, at least, which made him happy. Normally he was trapped in Leo's high-rise rooms with dragons that had been broken to obedience and had no real life left in them. Rafael didn't really know how Conway had escaped that fate, but he was eternally grateful.
A hand covered his thigh under the edge of the bar, squeezed gently, and Rafael looked up with a smile. "I'm fine." Conway rumbled but subsided, picking unhappily at his breakfast. Rafael dropped his hand to cover Conway's, still on his thigh, and squeezed it lightly. "Seriously, lizard. I'm fine. Stop sulking and eat, because if you're too tired to show the rest of these dragons what-for later, you're not getting any pumpkin pie."
Conway growled at that, narrowing his eyes. Withdrawing his hand, he reached up to lightly touch Rafael's abused cheek. "Bad boss. Good Raf."
"Something like that," Rafael said with a smile. "Now stop being a brat and eat."
"Yes, Raf," Conway said and ate his breakfast with renewed enthusiasm.
Blaze finished a large bite of pancakes, then jabbed his fork in Conway's direction. "He's a frost, right? I think I've seen him pitted before, though only the high stakes fights, if I recall correctly." He ate another bite. "These are great."
"Uh, thanks," Rafael said, wondering if there was a way to ask Blaze to hide those green eyes. He wasn't used to being so distracted by anyone's presence, not since Marianne. He'd learned his lesson. The dragons and Leo were more than he could handle, and running the coffeehouse was the closest he got to relaxing. Conway was dangerous enough. "Yeah, he's a frost. He's a damned good pit fighter, but he's also remarkably self-sufficient for a dragon, so Leo prefers to use him for other things most of the time. But when he absolutely needs a fight won and the opponent is a wild card, he brings out Conway."
"I'm surprised Erie has never faced him. Fire and ice always makes for an interesting fight," Blaze said thoughtfully. "But it's just as well, because I'd hate to see either one of them hurt, and with that kind of match up people would expect a bloodbath."
Rafael nodded in agreement, true respect for Blaze blossoming, growing. He really was unique for a pit fighter—he actually seemed to care about Erie, which Rafael hadn't expected. "I've heard a lot of things about Erie. I was surprised Rust agreed to lend you out." He wouldn't doubt if Rust had ulterior motives. All bosses did.
The quick, rueful look Blaze shot him made Rafael freeze in surprise—then laugh softly as he finished his scrambled eggs. Looking up, he glanced at Ken. "Are you from the Rust Syndicate? I've never heard your name before. What kind of dragon is Nev?"
Ken shrugged. "I don't belong anywhere, and Nev is special." He reached out to cup Nev's cheek, and Rafael smiled at the way Nev promptly nuzzled into the touch, rumbling happily.
He'd been expecting a lot of machismo, a lot of trouble. The group before him seemed almost too good to be true. Looking to Cam, sitting at the far end of the bar quietly eating, Rafael asked, "How are you feeling?"
"Twitchy," Cam said. "Exactly like you said I would when more dragons came around. Is it stupid to think that I'd be lashing my tail if I had one?"
Rafael laughed, joined by the others. "No, not weird at all. You probably would be, and then I'd have to send you to your room because I'm really tired of replacing all the tiles and paneling in this kitchen." He looked pointedly at Conway, who rumbled innocently and paid very close attention to his last two sausage links. Rafael looked back at Cam. "With so many dragons around, I think you'll find it easier to learn how to change. I know for a fact Conway and Erie don't need changers, and I'd be surprised if Nev did..." Ken shook his head. "So, yes. With three such capable dragons, you'll be shifting in no ti..."
He trailed off as Ken and Blaze exchanged a look he couldn't read. "What?" he asked, starting to feel on edge. He should have known. When he'd thought something seemed too good to be true, that was the first clue it was too good to be true.
"We need to talk," Ken said quietly. "You're not at all what we were expecting."
"The feeling is mutual," Rafael said irritably. "Fine. We'll talk outside." He didn't wait for them to reply, just stood and headed out the back door into the enormous yard that eventually gave over to the forest surrounding his home. "So talk," he said, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans, glaring at them, wondering just what kind of trouble he was in and how badly Leo would beat him because of it.
Ken and Blaze shared a look, and god how he wished they'd stop doing that because he really didn't need the two of them making eyes at each other the whole time.
Finally, Blaze said, "The rumors around the syndicates were always that your brother was fiercely protective of you, that he keeps you locked away because you're valuable and important to him. He doesn't want anyone hurting you or coaxing you away."
Rafael let out a bark of laughter at that, amused despite himself. "Is that really what people say? That I'm some prince locked in a tower for my own good? Oh, god, that must amuse the ever-loving fuck out of him." He lightly touched his bruised cheek. "My brother keeps me isolated for the same reason he keeps all his belongings locked up—he doesn't like to share his toys."
There was also the added bonus that his brother hated him for being better with dragons. Raf was lucky that was reason enough to hate him, beat him, but not kill him. If Leo ever found out just how close he'd been to Marianne… but thinking about Marianne hurt. "What does my brother's possessive streak have to do with anything?" Rafael asked. Ken and Blaze shared a look again, and Rafael's patience snapped. He wasn't in the mood to be caught up in whatever game they were playing. "Look, I don't know what you're up to, but don't think that just because my brother smacks me around that I'll tolerate it from anyone else."
Conway growled and approached, scales cold to the touch as he rubbed up against Rafael before standing protectively in front of him. When had he stripped and changed? Cold poured off Conway like an icy breeze through an open door, making the air around them distinctly chilly.
Blaze's eyes widened slightly. Why? What was so surprising? Surely Blaze had to be long used to a dragon in fighting mode. "I'm not going to put up with any games," Rafael said. "Say what you've got to say, or make your move if it's a fight you want. I have dragons to take care of and a boss to keep appeased."
"We're not here to pick a fight," Blaze said, catching Erie's arm as he growled and prepared to shift as well. Behind Ken, Nev stood still and calm, patiently waiting for orders. "I promise it's not like that. We thought you'd be on your brother's side, is all. But you're not, which changes everything."
Rafael gave them a hard stare, not quite certain he dared to believe what he was hearing. "You're wandering into dangerous territory," he said at last. "I'm on the dragons' side. I do whatever is necessary to protect the dragons as best I'm able."
"So how are you going to protect him?" Ken asked quietly, pointing a thumb at Cam, who stood off to the side, watching the proceedings with his usual strange calm.
Cam scratched his nose, stepped closer to the circle, and said, "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure that once I learn how to be a dragon, I won't need anyone protecting me."
"You have no idea what you are," Ken said. "No idea at all, and not a single syndicate is prepared for you—no one is, really. Even the clans barely have a grip on your kind."
Rafael met Ken's eyes. "You know something I don't. What do you know, and how do you know it? There's not a single person in any of the syndicates who knows the dragons better than me. So how do you know more?"
"Because I come from somewhere else," Ken replied.
"The clans you just mentioned? What are these clans?" Rafael asked.
Ken nodded. "Yeah, the clans. I don't suppose you'd set your dragon back to above freezing, would you? No one is going to hurt you, but he is freezing my balls right off."
Rafael blinked, then laughed. He reached out a hand and lightly touched Conway's head. "It's okay, Conway. I'm safe, Cam is safe. Stand down. You're a good dragon."
Conway growled but obeyed, sitting back on his haunches and letting his temperature rise again.
"He's amazing," Blaze said, slowly dragging his eyes away from Conway to look at Rafael, socking him again with those green eyes. It sounded so cliché to say 'like emeralds', but fuck if that wasn't exactly their color. Christ, he so did not need to be in lust with anyone right now. "I've never seen a frost with such fine control." He yanked Erie close when he growled unhappily. "Erie has no equal, but Conway would be the kind of opponent he'd love. Maybe you'll let them spar sometime. I bet they'd have fun."
The offer startled Rafael, and he found his respect for Blaze growing all the more. He'd effortlessly acknowledged Conway's skills while still putting his own dragon first, and asked permission for a friendly fight. He didn't know many pit fighters who could fight without turning it into a bloodbath. "Sometime," he conceded. "Right now, I'd rather get back to the part where you sounded like you were trying to convince me to do something stupid."
Ken hesitated, beckoned Nev forward, and said, "Shift."
Nev silently stripped off his clothes and cast them carelessly aside. If the cold air bothered him, he made no show of it. With a soft growl, he shifted, changing from a winsome, lithe young man into...
Rafael stared, not quite believing what he was seeing. "That's a steel. They don't exist. What in the hell…?"
Ken laughed softly and stroked Nev's head as he rubbed against Ken's thigh. "They definitely exist. He's a steel dragon, though we call them knight dragons."
"Fuck," Rafael said, pressing the heel of his hand to his forehead, mind spinning with all the new problems that would arise if the syndicates found out steel dragons actually existed. He felt sick to his stomach just thinking about what would happen if Leo found out about Nev. "So are you trying to tell me, in your very roundabout and dramatic way, that Cam is a steel?"
"No, he's not a steel. Cam is something else entirely. He's much more powerful than a steel, and he's got a lot of fucking baggage trailing behind him."
Cam snorted. "It seriously cracks me up the way you people talk about dragons like they're not in the room. I'm standing right here and you're talking about me, but not to me. It's kind of aggravating, kind of amusing."
Rafael smiled faintly. "Old habit. Dragons tend to care about only three things: their master, food, and their fixation. Anything else, they mostly stop paying attention."
"Dragons are weapons, not people," Ken said, stroking Nev's scales, tilting his head up to stare into Nev's glowing amber eyes. "They can look and act like people, but that's just a way to bond with their owners and improve their edge, so to speak. Camouflage, of a sort."
"I see," Cam replied, still amused. "So I'm weird because I'm a living weapon but also still really human. And I'm not a steel? So what am I? 'Cause Raf said there were five dragon types; now you're telling me there's actually seven. So what is door number seven?"
Ken stared at him for a moment, then finally said, "You are a Holy Pendragon. At present, there are only three others in the entire world."
Cam lifted one brow. "That sounds crazy."
"It sounds unbelievable," Rafael said. "Getting him to shift would settle the matter, but nothing I've tried triggers it. Conway is good at helping new dragons learn to shift, but even he can't get Cam to do it. Maybe you two know something I don't and can get him to do it."
Ken shook his head. "He won't change until he meets his owner. A Holy Pendragon requires an owner more than any other dragon. Owners are safeguards against their power. The mere presence of a Pendragon in its full power is enough to bring men to their knees. But that power goes both ways. Anyone who masters a Pendragon is automatically given royal status within the clans, and mastering a Pendragon always grants powers, or strengthens powers already possessed."
Rafael rubbed his forehead. He could practically feel his temples throbbing. "This is too much for me to process. Whatever you say, all I know is that my brother and every other syndicate boss out there is going to start a war over a single dragon. I'm going for a walk."
He didn't wait for their reply, simply walked away, heading across the yard to the winding footpath that meandered through the woods. Conway rumbled soothingly at his side, rubbing against him, then subsiding into silence as they walked.
The path would take them to the lake, and maybe by the time they walked there and back, Rafael would have figured out what the fuck he was going to do.