Chapter 12: Chapter 12

SILVER

“Put that dress on,” Drax growls back, but with a hint of authority. “I ~order~ you to.”

“Order me?” I manage to snarl, and it’s quickly cut short as I feel the blankets around me shift on their own. “Oh!” I gasp and find my body being controlled by Drax’s red-eyed glare. “Oh, stop it!”

I find myself forced to stand, butt naked, as the covers slip away from me under his control.

“I’m stronger, so you must listen to me,” Drax warns me again. “You listen to all of us, pipsqueak. That’s what Storm calls you. How suitable.”

“Yes, but stop controlling me.” I try to fight back with my own magic, but my body is stiff.

“~No~,” Drax scoffs…and tries to keep up the menacing act but can’t quite do it. He abruptly bursts out laughing and grins.

My bodily senses quickly come back to me, no longer controlled. “Don’t fret so much, little Silver; it was a joke…” Drax laughs, Kai scoffs a bit, and Julian blushes.

“But we are here to help,” Julian adds while I regain my movements enough to lunge forward and slap Drax.

“You’re so mean,” I hiss. “You made me think you were going to hurt me for a second there.”

“Never.” Drax holds his red cheek and feigns a pout. “Ow. That hurt so bad. Almost broke my fragile skin.”

“We’re here to help you,” Kai interrupts and pushes Drax aside to stand in his place, arms crossed over his chest as he uses his power to make the dress fly into his hand.

Kai hands it to me again, gently this time. “Put this dress on… We’re taking you out, and we’re going to be your guards so you don’t get into trouble or wander far…so you don’t run off again.”

“Storm needs you here,” Julian adds.

“He needs a mate. Rawk and Zoraul need a mother too… They’ve been starting to burn things down, eating our extra supplies, challenging us to fight ~daily~. It’s comical, because we always win.”

Even though Julian laughs at this, Drax rolls his eyes and cuts in.

“No offense, Silver, but I want to slap those things silly.

“If they weren’t your babies, I’d grab them by the neck and shove their snouts into the ground, bam, bam, bam…break their cocky jaws and teach them their place,” Drax laughs, while I just feel enraged and disgusted all at once.

“If you do such a thing,” I whisper while I shrug on the dress with violent jerks, “I will skin you alive myself.”

“That’s more like it.” Drax winks and stands back with Julian and Kai while I stalk out the open door.

I make my way around the cabins by the lake to find the Gypsies sticking a huge pole into the ground.

Julian, Drax, and Kai trail me as I try to find Jeekah and Fray. I find them by their wagon, drinking tea on their favorite logs.

As soon as they see me, though, they almost drop their cups to lunge to their feet. They cry out in happiness and reach over to hug me as tightly as possible until I have to gasp for some breath.

“You sweet girl,” Jeekah almost cries into my shoulder. “It has been too long.”

“Too long,” Fray agrees.

“You should never have left without saying goodbye. We’ve been worried sick about you, and Storm refused to speak of you even when we begged him to explain your disappearance.”

“But Freezkol saw in the Moon Glass that you’d come back,” Jeekah sighs with contentment. “She was right. You belong here, you know.

“We all missed you, those who knew you personally or just by sight.

“And Kix… He hasn’t spoken to us much since you left.

“He’s been spending too much time in the forest, alone now, being a Shadow Assassin… Silly boys getting silly ideas. From playing thief to playing a killer. I worry about my nephew.”

“I am here to stay, for better or worse,” I promise. “For better…or worse…” I know I’m repeating myself, but my ears catch on to a scraping sound of feet being dragged.

I turn around to see Storm, exiting the forest a few hundred yards away with Kix proudly striding ahead, head held high and arms crossed over his chest.

Storm is holding the thin silver chains, which are wrapped around a body that he is dragging. I see it is Elena, naked, unconscious, and bound.

“I’ve saved this camp from the death of another innocent child!” Kix calls out as the Gypsies and Dragons come around, slowly catching on to the scene.

“Get back to your mother,” Storm growls to Kix, but with approval. “Good job, kid.”

As Storm’s eyes turn toward Jeekah and Fray, his eyes scan over Drax, Julian, and Kai, who stand back a bit as my guard.

Drax is waving at Storm with a humorous glint in his eye, no doubt reassuring his Dragon Lord that the “pipsqueak” is under control.

Storm finds me last, and he pauses in his progress to glare at me.

~“You were told to stay in the cabin. Already disobeying, pipsqueak; why am I not surprised?”~ Storm growls.

~“You taught me to fight, and this time I accepted a bit of help. You can’t keep me locked up forever. I am a member of this Horde, just as much as you are.~

~“And I have Dragons and mortals who actually missed me. Openly. Because they’re not too cowardly to love…like you are.”~

~“You speak of love like you know it. Do you wish for Drax to take your virginity?~

~“Perhaps you love him?”~ Storm mocks me while I glance at Drax…and I think he overheard it, because he winks at me and fist pumps Kai and Julian.

~“I wish for you to leave me alone,”~ I growl back to Storm.

~“So you do wish it,”~ Storm teases me, and I glare at Drax as he winks at me next.

~“I wish for all male beings to leave me alone,”~ I growl until my vision is abruptly taken up by Kix. He stands before me, looking angry, his fists clenched…but his lip wobbles.

I see his conflicted aura…a little angry but being overpowered by his true feelings. Again, more true love.

“Damn it.” Kix can’t stay angry at me, and he suddenly pounces on me, pulling me in for a hug. “I missed you, okay?”

“Okay.” I pat him on the back and laugh while Drax rolls his eyes.

“Mortals and their weak emotions,” Drax scoffs before muttering to Julian and Kai, hoping I won’t hear, but I do anyway.

“I fuck a different girl every two days, while I know my mate is in this camp. Heartless beast, right here; am I right, boys?”

I cringe at Drax’s bold statement, and Kix is pulled away from me by a hand on his ear. Fray is pulling him aside.

“You aren’t catching any more monsters,” Fray hisses at Kix while he whines in complaint.

“Stop it, mother; you’re embarrassing me!” Kix complains, while Jeekah glares.

“Listen to your mother, boy, or you’re not getting dinner for a whole week!” As Jeekah and Fray handle Kix, I quickly slip away from a distracted Drax, Kai, and Julian.

I slip into the shadows and hide behind a wagon to fix my satin dress. I rushed it on so quickly I never noticed its beauty.

I look down to see it is indeed beautiful, with thin shoulder straps and a ruffled bottom. At least Drax chose something that looks good on me.

I then travel across a few wagon’s shadows, where I eventually settle behind some laundry set out to dry.

I try to watch the middle of the camp…where the post now has Elena slumped, chained, and naked. Her white hair billows out around her, and she looks like a sacrifice.

Storm stands back, his hand raised as I watch the chains tighten around her body.

As I watch his burned-silver hair sway in the wind, my heart aches in my chest.

I love him.

I hate him.

I love him so much that I hate him.

I hate him so much because I love him…naturally…and he threw me away…unnaturally.

And Drax…

Ah.

~Drax.~

My aura darkens considerably…as the idea of ultimate betrayal filters through my mind.

Storm hasn’t missed me, even when I thought he would. Storm broke my heart, and he is proud of it.

I hurt so intensely inside that I feel like screaming myself to sleep some nights.

I just want him to hurt as badly as I hurt.

Revenge.

I want him to taste it.

And Drax’s words—they give me the best idea. He knows what it is like to betray his mate, and I hate that he did that.

But he gives me the ultimate consequence for Storm’s brutality toward our bond.

“Caught ya!” I nearly jump a mile when I feel two hands tickling my waist. I spin to see Kai and Julian hanging back in the shadows, while Drax is right behind me. Always bold, as ever.

I hold his wrists to stop him tickling me when I face him, and he stays…a little too close…while gazing down into my own, enlightened eyes. “Why do I feel you, little Silver…thinking of me?”

“You pay me more attention than my mate,” I whisper up to him. “You seem to show me more affection.”

“I’m trained in the flirtatious arts. I believe if I were a mortal, you could call me a fuck boy. I fuck. I run. I taste. I don’t ruin—well, maybe a few Gypsy girls’ hearts.”

Drax winks, and he thinks I am joking… I can tell.

So I decide to make it more real.

I let my hand rest over his hip, close to his pelvic area.

“I am still a virgin,” I murmur, my eyes downcast, “but I know how to suck a cock… Well, I did once. Perhaps some practice would help me remember—”

I gasp as Drax’s hand rises to cover my lips, holding my mouth shut.

He pauses to gaze into my eyes, his red eyes flashing as he narrows them.

“You little devious…~virgin~?” Drax growls.

“And Storm’s mate, huh? I’ll get into a lot of trouble, you know…for taking you up on an offer like that. I might even get my head ripped off…or other parts of me…”

Drax pretends to sound unconvinced, but then he smirks widely.

“But I’ve been there. Done that. But have I fucked my Dragon Lord’s mate? No. Damn it, Silver, I’m here in this realm to experience everything; so are you…

“So you want to suck my cock, huh? Why are you tempting me with something so irresistible to my instincts?” he murmurs while I slowly nod my head after he releases my mouth.

“I just want to practice,” I reply innocently. “No feelings attached… I promise… And it’ll be our little secret, okay?”

“But don’t you love Storm?” Drax asks me dramatically.

And I pause.

“It’s a thin line between love and hate… And considering his words… I’d say your cock sounds delicious right about now. So teach me?” I know Drax will love this… His aura is already aroused.

“Of course, little Silver,” Drax grabs my chin. “Anytime.”

I glance to Kai and Julian.

Kai is mouthing the word “No” at me…and Julian is wide eyed.

“~Not a good idea~,” Kai whispers.

“~Bad, ~bad~, Silver~,” Julian adds.

“~Shut the fuck up; it’s sexy as hell~”, Drax cuts them off, and they roll their eyes. “Let’s see a little more of this devious side, ~pipsqueak~. I love it. Follow me.”