STORY EXCERPT

“Do you see what I see?” Raven crowed, skimming over the mountaintop. He rolled in a lazy spiral, dipping his tail in a deep bank of snow, causing an avalanche, then dove steeply down an ice-laden cliff, his ebony wings flat against his body, pulling up a second before impacting with the frozen river below. He hovered in place, creating a blizzard from the updraft, enjoying the cool crystals against his ebony-scaled skin.

“I see an old friend,” Sol agreed, following at a more leisurely pace, golden scales catching the sunlight, smiling toothily at the convoy of giant felines trekking along the wide, frozen riverbed. He frowned suddenly. “A friend in need.”

Raven slowed, exchanging a worried glance with his mate and alpha. “They aren’t on holiday.”

“They carry wounded on stretchers. And I don’t see Neea or her little ones. Didn’t Max say she’d just had a litter a few months ago?”

They flew toward the convoy, screeching a welcome to the lead feline, a black panther of epic proportions, his saucer-size sapphire eyes gleaming with delight, relief…and then grief. Raven mantled his huge wings, landing with a light bounce, mid-shift.

Myre sank down onto his haunches, his long tail flicking lazily. Behind him were other familiar felines. His offspring Mizzon and Zekon were rambunctious children who’d often gotten into mischief with Raven’s own children. Myre was gifted with eight children, but Raven spied only five.

“Is Neea okay?” Sol asked.

Myre’s gaze dropped, head drooping wearily. “She is gone.”

Sol growled softly. Raven processed Myre’s answer. “She is deceased?”

Myre shook his head, a glint of tears in his eyes. “By now she may well be. Our enemies overthrew Cu-Lea. It was too dangerous to remain on Agion. These are the remnants of our people.” He looked up, blue eyes stark. “Neea and her sister, Cheea, disappeared. We were separated as I fought the invaders. I couldn’t linger to search for them. I had to get our people to safety. I fear the worst.” His gorgeous blue eyes were stark with misery. “I seek refuge…and assistance to reclaim my home.”

A great crimson dragon appeared over the mountaintop, swooping low, landing with surprising grace before shifting into a humanoid form and hugging Myre.

“Myre. I got your message. I’m so sorry I couldn’t greet you myself. Indigo was in labor. He’s now the proud father of three dragon eggs. He’s resting, after cursing us all through seven hours of contractions.” The newcomer rolled his golden eyes. “I’ve been through it twice now, six eggs a piece. You’d think he’d been at it for weeks.”

Myre smiled, hugging the newcomer. “Max, you are well?”

Max eyed him worriedly. “Better than you. Your presence here is welcome…but heralds bad news, I fear.”

“Frizta’s clan attacked us.” Myre grimaced. “They had help. Neea and Cheea were taken by the Alk-á-Monoda clan.”

“The clan who ruled before you did. The ones whose leader, Seenia, murdered thirty pregnant females of your clan and ousted your family before you returned to claim your rightful place.”

Myre nodded at Sol. “Yes. Frizta’s clan.”

“Ah.”

Myre smiled at Max’s meaningful reply. “I see you understand, as always.”

“An eye-for-an-eye kind of doctrine,” Raven said, scowling. “Given our dealings with Frizta, a traitor who tried to kill your son, I’d say your females are in grave danger.”

“They murdered three of our children,” Myre said, eliciting shocked gasps. “Our youngest. They got trapped in a firestorm when the city was torched. We couldn’t get to them. Karli, my best friend, tried to reach them. I didn’t see him again. I fear the worst.”

“I’m glad the shadow creature was able to help. After he brought us here, I hadn’t expected him to stick around,” Max said. “You were too far for us to assist. Even with my magick, I would have been too late.”

“Why was it there?” Raven mused. “Coincidence?”

“Who cares?” Sol said. “It saved Myre’s people from the slaughter.”

“I was unaware of the creature, too, and was already evacuating Cu-Lea when it showed up, offering to bring us here. I would have told you sooner but didn’t want you to worry. Besides, I’m alpha,” Myre replied, speaking over Raven’s and Sol’s murmured exchange. “I was stupid and arrogant, underestimating my enemies. I’m sorry to bring our troubles to you.”

“Myre. You are most welcome on Earth, my friend. We are honored to have Alk-á-Meenda among us.” Max stepped forward, his shorter frame dwarfed by the behemoth, who towered above the dragon knaves. He hugged Myre again, smiling as two youngsters darted through the throng. “Mizzon. Zekon. Hi. The dragonlings will be excited to see you.”

Myre held on to Max, and Raven saw his shoulders shake as grief took hold. A sobering sight, watching the proud alpha. “Is there anything we can do to help?” he asked.

ADULT EXCERPT

“It’s getting stronger,” Ochre said, staring at Max, who slept restlessly.

Raven sighed, hugging his mate. “Yeah. There’s a new tattoo. In the shape of the shadow creature.”

“I saw it,” Jayde whispered. “What does it mean?”

“Ziro’s powerful, but I don’t sense a desire to control Max,” Sol interjected tiredly.

“Ziro talks about balance,” Indigo cut in, stroking Max’s gorgeous navy-blue locks. “Dark magick is increasing. Keisaar, Korok. Creatures of darkness have invaded strongholds they’ve never targeted before. Why?”

“We should claim him again,” Shimmer said. He rolled his eyes as his mates sniggered. “I mean it. We need to strengthen our bond. We need to be a stronger unit. Our fire against theirs. Let’s reclaim what’s ours.”

Sol grinned at him. “I have no trouble with that theory. Anything’s better than watching his struggle.”

He spread Max’s legs, dumping the covers on the floor, and slid between Max’s slender thighs. Max moaned softly as Sol lapped at his ball sac, arching his back. Raven knelt beside his head, tapping his mate’s lips with his cock. Max opened for him, his golden, cat-shaped eyes open now, lust glittering rampantly. His cock was at full mast, dripping invitingly. Ochre took his place at the banquet, sucking Max’s dick while Jayde prepared their lover’s chute, stretching him carefully.

Shimmer met Max’s eyes, stroking his thumb down Max’s cheek, his eyes soft with love. “Darling. We love you so much. It hurts us to feel your pain. Let’s dispel the emptiness inside.”

Sol reared up when Jayde gave the all clear for entry. Max’s moans reverberated as the alpha slid home, filling Max to the hilt in one easy thrust.

“I love you too,” Max whispered, popping off Raven’s dick, panting hard. “I ache for you. Every day. You’re my anchors through this storm.” Sol thrust slowly, gripping Max’s thighs, spreading him wider still. “I’m frightened I won’t have the strength to fight it for long. I see flashes of what could be…and I’d kill myself before letting that leech into you.”

Sol locked eyes with Max, building up steam. “Never forget we love you, darling. Never forget we need you too. Without you we’re lost, too.” His grin was stunning. “You can show your appreciation later.”

Max’s wails were muffled, as Raven began to face fuck Max in time with Sol’s steady tempo. “Before we cover you with cum, I think we’ll take turns in this succulent beauty,” Sol murmured. “What do you think, knaves?”

“Hold on to your cocks, boys,” Jayde crowed. “Although I don’t mind seeing him wearing our spunk as I plow him back to happiness.”

Max half giggled, triggering a tortured groan from Raven, who roared and let loose. Before he finished coming, he eased from Max’s mouth and sprayed his face. “I win.”

Sol laughed loudly, dragging Raven over for a hot smooch, and snapped his hips in a series of powerful strokes before climaxing, too. Max gasped his pleasure, clutching at Shimmer, who kissed him hungrily, lapping at the coating of cum. Sol was shoved aside by Ochre, who grinned at his mates triumphantly, then sank deep, setting up a strong, pounding rhythm within Max’s hungry hole.

Shimmer left Max’s mouth, kneeling beside him, and aimed his rigid dick at his mate’s face. Max opened wide, taking the lash of spunk greedily, licking his lips as Shimmer shot his load across Max’s face and throat.

“Gods, that’s so fucking sexy,” Ochre growled, thrusting harder, then dumped his load, shuddering as he fell to the side.

Jayde took his place, flipping Max to his stomach and hitching his ass up a little, then pierced Max’s dripping chute, entering his mate with enough gusto to bounce Max up the bed. He gripped Max’s hips, fucking steadily

“So fucking sexy,” Jayde hissed, ramping up speed, then came with a lusty roar. Raven laughed, pushing his mate aside, and flipped Max onto his back again then plugged Max’s chute. He slowed his pace, making love to his mate, fixing his emerald gaze on Max’s dazed golden orbs. Indigo moved to straddle Max, sinking onto Max’s rigid cock facing his mate, rising then plunging in a slow, sultry dance, in contrast to Jayde’s faster strokes. Indigo leaned over his lover, kissing Max greedily, fucking himself on Max’s prong, their moans of pleasure blending with their lovers’.

“The tattoo’s fading,” Shimmer murmured, tracing the new tat that had appeared a few weeks after Max took the dark mage’s magick inside himself.

“Grab your dicks, boys. Let’s douse the fucker.”

Laughing, Shimmer, Jayde, Ochre, and Sol knelt beside Max, pumping their dicks, Indigo kept his seat on Max’s cock while Raven kept thrusting. Soon after, Max gave a rasping yell, bucking, and came inside Indigo’s clenching hole, triggering a tsunami of cum, drenching Max and Indigo. Max yelped, convulsing, setting Indigo off as well, then collapsed back onto the bed, Indigo falling onto him, kissing and cuddling him, their mates surrounding them in a sated pile, arms and legs intimately entwined, kissing one another languidly.