“Today, we’re going to try something different.” Chase gestured to a shadowy part of the grounds, shaded by tall trees. Cass trailed behind us, a thick leather tome tucked under his arm. “You’re coming along nicely in hand-to-hand, but that’s not what you need to be using. Not against the Chosen of Apep. It’s only a fraction of your power, and you need to be accessing more of it.”
“You’re a shadow dragon. There’s a lot more to your gifts than just hiding in the shadows.” Cass stepped forward as we paused beneath the trees. “You can control them. Move them at your will. Make them do your bidding.”
My brow furrowed. “And that’s useful how? They’re just shadows. They don’t do anything.” I cracked a crooked grin. “I can make wicked shadow puppets?”
Cass shook his head. “When a shadow dragon controls shadows, they coalesce into solid form.”
“Bwah?” I shot him a look of doubt. He didn’t flinch. Dragons are real, shapeshifting is real. Why the hell not? I cracked my neck and stretched my shoulders. “Okay, I can turn shadows solid. What can THAT do?”
Cass opened the book to an inked picture. A black half-dragon stood with hands raised. Black tentacles wrapped around a frantic-looking man, nearly obscuring him.
“Seriously?”
Cass nodded.
I shrugged. “Okay. Let’s do this.”
Chase looked me over. “They’ll be less powerful without you in dragon form, so let’s try shifting again.”
I groaned.
“It’s gotta happen sometime.” Chase gazed deep into my eyes. My knees wobbled a little. “She’s in there. Reach down and feel for her.”
I closed my eyes and felt around inside myself. There was a knot in my chest, but it was embarrassment, not fear. Maybe it was close enough. I grabbed onto that feeling and tried to pry it open. Whatever that meant. Anxiety blended with the embarrassment. I felt more nauseous than powerful. C’mon. A claw. A scale. Something. Anything so these guys don’t totally give up on me. Aha. There was the fear. The knot was bigger, easier to feel. I kneaded at it with my mind. I felt something moving inside me, like a tiny dragon trying to wake up. Is this it? Am I doing it?
I opened my eyes and looked at Cass and Chase. The feeling stopped as quickly as it started. They looked tense. I looked down at myself and growled in frustration. No change.
Cass smiled at me. “You almost had it there for a second. I saw you shimmer.”
“You’re getting there. Right now, hang onto that dragon. You’ll need the power for what we’re doing next.” Chase stepped behind me and placed his hands on my arms. “Grab that dragon and send it down your arms, into your hands, and pull.”
The dragon was still there. The frustration I’d added to it made it hard to breathe, and Chase’s hands on me made it even harder. His fingers were calloused, rough, yet gentle in their guidance. A shiver ran down my spine. I blinked hard and tried to focus on what he was telling me to do. Grab the dragon. Send it down my arms. Right. I grabbed the dragon and pulled at it. It was coiled tight, heavy and solid in my chest. Sweat beaded on my brow. Come the fuck ON! Anger. That did it. Suddenly, the heavy weight melted. I felt it ooze down my arms. My fingers tingled. Elated, I reached for the shadow of an overhanging branch and gestured. It waved back.
“Holy fuck.” I closed my fist and pulled up. The shadow peeled itself off the ground, like a thin strand of tar. Slowly, it wavered in the air. I froze, and it disappeared in a black mist. “Whoa!”
Chase laughed and thumped me on the bicep. Cass cheered. I swooned a little. Whatever the hell I just did, it took a lot out of me. Chase’s arms wrapped around me tightly, catching me before I fell over. My heart raced harder. I didn’t know if Chase was saving me from fainting or sending me closer to it.
“You did it. Well done,” he whispered in my ear. There were those shivers again, harder this time. He had to have felt them. I could feel his firm pecs pressed against my back. He stepped a little closer, letting me lean against him. My hips brushed against his groin, and I could feel that I wasn’t the only one affected. Instinctively, I pressed my hips back into him. His breath caught. His lips brushed my ear. I thought I was going to shake apart.
Cass cleared his throat. “It looks like you two have it well in hand. I’m going to head back inside.”
Oh shit. Cass. Guilt flooded through me, washing away any traces of desire or dragon. I stepped forward, out of Chase’s arms. “Um, I…”
“You two have fun.” Cass was already walking back to the house. Dammit. Cass was a sweet guy, so eager to share his knowledge and his love of books. I didn’t want to hurt him. Something told me I had, and I felt like utter and complete shit.
Chase ran his hands down my arms. The roughness against my skin sent tendrils of fire through me again. Guilt warred with arousal.
“There’s a lot of power in you, Sia,” he murmured. His voice was throaty, full of desire. “Once you claim it, you’ll be unstoppable.”
A flicker of doubt ran through me. “Is that all you see in me? A weapon?”
“What?” His hands dropped. “No. Of course not. That’s not what I meant at all.” He gripped my shoulder firmly and turned me to face him. “You’re not my weapon to wield. You’re not anyone’s. You’re powerful, and you’re definitely a fighter in more ways than one, but you’re no one’s weapon but your own.” His eyes gazed deep into mine. “What I meant was, you’re powerful in what you do. What you try to do. Others might have just given up hope that they could ever harness the power inside them, or even believe it existed. You keep trying. You keep searching inside yourself for the strength to become who you truly are. And that is powerful.”
My lips were on his before I knew what happened. He growled fiercely, his fingers tangling into my hair and crushing me tighter to him. I panted hard against his lips. My body plastered itself to his. I could feel him growing harder, pressing into my waist. The bulge was long and firm and sent trails of fire directly into my core. I could feel myself growing wetter by the moment as his tongue traced along mine.
His arm wrapped around my waist, lifting me off my feet as he pulled me closer. His lips curled into a smile against mine as he swiftly pressed my back up against a nearby tree. I gave a soft grunt from the impact, but didn’t break the kiss. His arm slid down and cupped my ass, drawing my hips into contact with his. He pressed into me with a soft growl of desire. I wrapped my legs around his hips, for support and to pull him even closer. My breath was ragged, my pulse frantic.
His lips pulled away from mine, and I ached for more. He nibbled his way along my jaw, down to my neck. I gasped out loud at the contact. Moisture was seeping through my panties. The world spun, and I closed my eyes tight and held on tighter. My head rested against the tree as he devoured my throat hungrily. Slowly, achingly, he slid the length of his firmness between my legs, sending shiver after shiver through my body.
“What about the others?” I gasped. Stupid brain! Not now!
Chase grunted softly against my throat. “They’re all busy. No one will bother us.” He dug his chin into the neckline of my t-shirt and exposed my collarbone. His tongue traced along the ridge. I melted into his arms.
“I mean…” It was getting harder and harder to think. Then… “Galen. I kissed Galen.”
Chase made a soft, amused noise as he teased at my collarbone with his teeth. “Lucky, lucky man.”
I growled softly in frustration. He straightened up a little and looked me in the eye.
“You’re not bothered?”
He cocked his head. “Why would I be?” He flashed me a crooked grin. “We don’t own you, Sia. Hell, we don’t have any kind of claim to you. If you want to be so generous as to share yourself with us, it’s an honor.”
I blinked hard. “Is this a dragon thing?”
He laughed. “Dragons do tend to be a bit more relaxed about sex, yes. But you’re the Shadow Queen. You’re expected to take more than one mate.” He paused, glancing away for a second. “Not that I’m making any presumptions about…this.” His voice took on that deep throatiness. “Not that I would object in the least if you did choose me.” He nuzzled my throat with the tip of his nose. “I could definitely get used to this.”
I felt a trickle of panic seeping in. Mates. Multiple. And I was about to… was I about to?
“I… I’m not ready. I…” My hands shoved at his shoulders feebly. I want to be ready. Maybe I could be ready.
Chase kissed me once on the tip of my nose, then gently lowered me back to my feet. I could see a flicker of disappointment in his eyes, but his smile was kind. “It’s okay. I want you to be ready.” He winked. “When it happens.”
Not if. Cocky bastard. I liked it. I gave him a shaky smile. “Thank you.”
“Anytime.” A wicked grin. “And I do mean that.” He lowered his face to mine. I tilted my head back and accepted a gentle kiss.
“You two done fucking yet?” I whirled to face Aric, who leaned against a tree twenty feet closer to the house. “I mean, don’t stop on my account. I like a good show as much as the next guy. Maybe not Cassidy, but hell, I’ll have Sanders make popcorn.”
Chase snarled at him. “The fuck do you want, Beauvais?”
“Galen called to give you a status update on the McKinnett’s situation. Nothing useful. Just checking in.”
“That couldn’t have waited?” I could hear death in Chase’s voice.
Aric didn’t care. “Probably.”
Chase stormed past him, shoulder-checking him on the way to the house. Aric rubbed his shoulder and laughed.