Chapter Eighteen

They drove to Shasta that night, stopping in Redding, the town closest to the base of the ancient, dormant volcano. After finding a room and checking in, they'd called the chief to tell her what had happened at the saltwater pool. She'd not heard of this family of merpeople but she had known about the goldfish shifter who owned the gym. She told them to document their encounter with Gael and his family in the morning, then hung up.

They went in search of food and selected a booth at the back of a busy café with a bakery that baked its own bread and all those things that were bad for them. They promised each other they'd be good and select one small dessert, justifying the decision by the ordeal they'd endured in the gym. It was a thin excuse, but they swallowed it with dual smirks and no guilt at all. They timed their dinner outing so that only college age folks were around. That way they figured they could talk without being overheard by anyone nosy enough to care about what two "old" guys had to say to each other.

"I can't believe you came as close to drowning as you did," Eoghan said as they sat with their coffee and Danish pastries after a nice meal of a delicious, homemade pot roast.

Ari reached across the table and took Eoghan's hand, looking deeply into his haunted blue eyes. "Don't go on so, Eoghan," he soothed. "I'm fine." He reached up and felt around his neck. "See, no bruises."

"But you could have drowned," Eoghan said. He sounded devastated.

"It wasn't the drowning I feared. It was how tight Gael was squeezing my throat." Ari wondered whether elaborating on the incident would be more harmful to Eoghan's heart or bringing it out into the open and talking about it would be better. If he told Eoghan how his fear of dying had been all consuming in the seconds before Gael let go, would Eoghan completely lose it? This was why agencies didn't want people to become involved with their partners—because they put their lives before the lives of the public. Ari decided it was stupid not to be honest. Not only that, by now he really was sure he was falling in love with Eoghan, and he felt like not telling him would have been a lie.

If it had happened to Eoghan, Ari knew he'd be feeling equally out of control and down about it. He'd not let Eoghan rest until he had answers. So, he figured, he might as well just get it all over with so his lover—because he was his lover more than his partner at the moment—could get past it easier. "Honestly, I thought he'd snap my neck or break something permanently inside."

"Jesus, Ari, you came too close." Eoghan's eyes welled up and he looked away, blinking rapidly as Ari watched him closely. He felt his heart do a flip-flop. When he turned back, he looked better, more in control of his emotions.

Ari squeezed his hand and finally pulled it free. They were sitting in a public restaurant and although he really didn't care what anyone thought, he didn't want people focusing on them for the wrong reasons. They'd had just about as much as they could take in the last few hours. He took another bite of cheese Danish, washing it down with black coffee before going on, deciding it'd be best to take a different tack.

"You acted surprised when you met Gael and his family, Eoghan," he said. He glanced side to side and leaned forward, quieting his voice. "Haven't you ever met a merman before?"

Eoghan immediately shook his head. "No. I've seen a lot on this job, and I've met fish shifters before. You met Kaycee, Laycee, and Bob, the ringed octopi shifters, so you already know there are sea creatures who can shift. Gael said the owner of the gym is a goldfish shifter, but trust me, I've never seen a fully formed dude with gills before."

Ari chuckled. "Yeah, that freaked me out!" He grinned as he sat back in the booth.

Eoghan nodded, losing his smile a moment later.

"What is it?"

Eoghan looked away before glancing back. "What Gael told me about him and his family bothers me more than I care to think about. I can't even imagine how it feels to have to leave your home—in their case, the ocean—and know that because of something completely preventable, they can never go back again."

"I guess that means their race will eventually become extinct?" Ari asked. He knew he sounded naive about this sort of thing but what did he know about shifters?

Eoghan frowned, nodding slowly. "I hope they'll find a place in the ocean where human waste isn't a pollutant but who knows where that is. Certainly, not near any coastline and certainly not around here. There are islands of human garbage floating everywhere. All you have to do is go to YouTube to see horrific sights and it's utterly preventable." He lifted his cup and drained the last of his coffee before looking at Ari. The sadness in his eyes had been replaced with an entirely different emotion which was now evident in his smoldering gaze. He dragged his eyes away from Ari's as he grabbed the check folder, flipping it open before slipping cash inside for the tip and then nodding at him. "I don't want to talk or think about this anymore."

Ari sent him a tiny smirk. "Do you have a different idea in mind?"

"You could say that, yeah." He abruptly stood. "Get your ass out of that booth and follow me."

Ari did as he was told, watching Eoghan's ass as he walked away. He was pretty sure whatever Eoghan had in mind had nothing to do with weird ass shifters or swimming pools and he was one hundred percent on board with that. Besides, they had time to kill since they still hadn't heard a peep from the dragons.

Assholes.

Ari was anxious to get Eoghan naked and by the time they got back to the room, he was ready to blow off steam. He trapped his lover against the door, grinding against him as Eoghan attempted to work the key card, laughing at his enthusiasm. When he finally got the door open, they crashed into the room, barely getting the door shut before Ari yanked Eoghan into his arms and trapped him against his long body, kissing him silly. He loved the way Eoghan responded to him when he was the aggressor, kissing him back with unequaled fervor.

Ari backed him up until he had him at the side of the bed and then pushed him back until he fell on it. He stared at him as he climbed out of his clothes, focused on the sight of Eoghan's sexy, pale skin as he shed his own clothes, piece by piece. When they were both naked, Eoghan pulled back the bedding and sat down, smiling up at him as he took his rigid cock in hand. Ari stared, enthralled at the sight of him slowly stroking it. He took hold of his own shaft and groaned as Eoghan smiled up at him and crooked a finger.

"Come closer, Ari. I want to suck you."

Ari walked over and stood close to Eoghan who looked up at him. His eyes sparkled in the low lighting from the lamp. As he looked down into his pale orbs, he grabbed his rigid cock and gave it a few pumps. Eoghan glanced down at it before pushing Ari's hand aside and taking its place.

Ari groaned, sliding his fingers into his lover's soft, black hair with one hand and cupped his jaw with the other as Eoghan went down on him. He loved feeling his lover's mouth work when he did this. Eoghan sucked the head of his cock into his mouth, working it with his tongue and the roof of his mouth. The move always made Ari crazy with lust, needing him to go just a little deeper, take just a little more. They'd danced this dance many times and Eoghan did just as he needed, sucking him deeper and harder as Ari rocked his hips. The feeling of Eoghan's hot, wet mouth around him, made him lose his mind. But it was the way he hummed around his dick, like a master cocksucker, pumping the part of his shaft he couldn't get into his mouth with his hand, that made Ari feel the first tingles of an approaching climax. He tugged at the hair in his hand, making Eoghan look up at him.

"You're gonna make me come too soon, Eoghan." He took a step back and Eoghan let go, rolling to his back.

"Come and fuck me then," he said, gazing up at him with a sensually, dark look.

Ari was almost certain he saw fire blazing in his eyes. He shot him a quick grin before snatching the lube and condoms from his bag. When he returned, Eoghan was reclining back on pillows with his cock in hand again, stroking it slowly. "God, you look beautiful when you do that," he said. "One of these days, I'm going to sit in a corner while you jack off. I think that would be so hot."

Eoghan sped his strokes. "Like this?"

"Fuck, Eoghan." Ari dropped the lube and condoms on the bed and then crawled onto it, not stopping until he was straddling Eoghan and leaning over to kiss him. Eoghan embraced him, pulling him down. Ari let him, loving the way it felt when he stretched out over him, covering Eoghan's slighter frame.

His man was everything he wanted in a lover and a companion; beautiful, smart, loving, and oh so perfect for him in bed. It felt like they were made for each other, perfectly matched. Ari had all kinds of images of their lives together. Moving in together some day, raising Bear, maybe getting a dog, growing old with each other, and living out their entire lives with the person meant only for them. He really was in love with this man.

Ari kissed him soundly, growing harder and harder as they ground their cocks together. He rolled off Eoghan and then went down on him, sucking his leaking cock into his mouth. He loved the way he tasted. Even this part of him was perfect. His scent, the length and girth of his dick, the loose skin nearest his balls, the way the spongy orbs tasted when he took each into his mouth. Ari figured staying here and giving this man head all day would be perfect if he hadn't wanted to be inside his body even more. When Eoghan moaned and released a spurt of precome, he swallowed it and then pulled off. If he kept it up, he knew Eoghan was going to come way too soon.

"How do you want me?" Eoghan asked. The lust in his gaze was unmistakable.

"Get onto your knees. I want your ass in the air," Ari said. He watched Eoghan smile and then do as he asked, rolling to his hands and knees, before dropping his head to rest it on his crossed arms. Ari quickly tore open the condom and rolled it on, adding lube to his shaft before squirting more onto his fingers and then moving in between Eoghan's legs, nudging them wider, doing his best to ignore the horrific furrowed werewolf scar on his back. As he pressed his fingers into Eoghan's body, he felt him visibly relax. Ari held one hip in his hand while he worked him open, making sure that he was relaxed as he took first one, then two, and then three fingers easily.

"Get inside, Ari!" Eoghan gasped.

Ari wasn't one to argue. He pulled his fingers out and then guided his cock until it was pressing up against his entrance. He pushed until the head popped inside and then waited for Eoghan to adjust before pressing in deeper. The second Eoghan pushed back on him, he advanced, rocking in and out until he was fully seated.

"God, Ari," Eoghan whispered.

Ari leaned over his back. "You're so fucking hot inside, baby."

"Just fuck me," Eoghan gasped. "I don't want it easy. I need to be fucked."

Ari had a feeling this was his man's way of satisfying the part of him that needed reassurance that Ari was alive and well. He'd felt that several times and on this job, he had a feeling that was going to be a reoccurring theme. The danger made him want to know that Eoghan was safe and he decided he was sure as hell going to honor that same need in Eoghan.

He tightened his fingers on Eoghan's hips and began thrusting in and out of his body, sinking deep only to pull back and then sink deep again and again, over and over. Eoghan gasped in rhythm with Ari's pounding. Those sexy little gasping noises made him crazy. He knew he wasn't going to last long. He eased out of his body and then flipped Eoghan until they were face to face. Eoghan stared up at him, holding his knees wide as Ari soundlessly moved in close and slid back inside. He wanted to be eye to eye with him when he finally came and cursed the fact that he was wearing a condom. He was determined to have one last test and then show it to Eoghan so they could dispose of the latex barrier once and for all. He'd never barebacked with a lover but that didn't mean it hadn't been a dream of his.

"That's right, Ari!" Eoghan gasped. "Ahh, ahh, right there—"

Ari pumped in and out hard as he watched Eoghan's face and the lust he found in his eyes. He took hold of his own cock and begin to stroke it. Ari homed in on it, unable to pull his attention away from the sexy show Eoghan was putting on for him. The slit was already leaking precome, the scent of it rising between them, filling his senses, driving him ever closer to his own release. "That's it, baby," he panted between thrusts. "Give me that show I want and come all over yourself."

"Oh, God," Eoghan gasped, jacking himself faster as he stared into Ari's eyes. His face was flushed with two bright red flags of color on his cheeks. He looked so unbelievably sexy and the way his entire body was slick with sweat made him look even more enticing. He wanted to lick every single drop. He moaned loudly. "Gonna come, Ari."

"That's it. Come for me, Eoghan," Ari gasped as he felt his own climax fast approaching. When Eoghan shut his eyes and arched his back, Ari let loose, watching Eoghan's orgasm even as his own climax washed over him, making his entire body shake as he emptied his release deep into Eoghan's body. Eoghan's come splashed over his own abs as he cried out his name. Ari watched in fascination as come shot out of his slit and landed on his abs forming creamy puddles there.

As he finally came down from his intense climax, he sagged over Eoghan, waiting for him to finish before pulling out of him slowly. He dipped his head so he could take his lover's dick into his mouth and suck the remaining droplets from it before licking up several drops from his belly as Eoghan looked on and tried to slow his breathing.

When he'd calmed his own heart, he rolled off Eoghan, flopping to his back for a few seconds before reaching for a box of Kleenex on the nightstand and handing some to Eoghan before dealing with the full condom. He threw it away before resuming his place at his lover's side. Ari stared at the ceiling for a few seconds before Eoghan rolled into his side and rested his head on his shoulder as Ari pulled him close. He looked down at him and smiled.

"I love making love to you, baby," he whispered against his forehead. He ran a hand slowly down Eoghan's side, tracing the muscles beneath the silky, smooth surface of his skin. "You're so responsive to my touch."

Eoghan let out a mewling sound, and Ari smiled against his skin as Eoghan attempted to burrow closer to him, throwing one leg across his and insinuating it between his own. Ari held him closer, bending to take his lips in a slow, sensuous kiss, lazily playing with his tongue until sleep called to him. He let go, pulled Eoghan tighter into his side, and shutting out the lamp before falling into a deep sleep.

Ari came awake in the same position hours later when his phone chimed. He pulled away from his sleeping partner, watching Eoghan roll to his side before picking up his cell and spotting the new email message. He wasn't surprised in the least when it read: "Meet at Slim Daddy's BBQ in Redding at 5:00 a.m." He noted the time. Four forty.

Shit.

He sat up, then leaned over to wake Eoghan. "Get up, Eoghan. I just got an email from the dragons. They want to meet in twenty minutes. We need to go."

Eoghan sat up in bed and looked over at him, blinking several times, probably not even realizing what the hell he was talking about. Sure enough, when he looked down at the phone he was holding and then over at the clock, Ari knew he was confused.

"Get up. The dragons emailed and they're meeting us in twenty minutes."

Eoghan shot out of bed so fast, he nearly tripped over himself as Ari did his best to suppress a laugh. After he'd unwound himself from the sheet he'd dragged onto the floor, he headed for the bathroom, emerging a minute later with his shaving kit in hand, still naked. "Where are my clothes?"

Ari grinned and pointed to the floor where he'd dropped them the night before as he pulled his own clothes on. He watched Eoghan walk over to them, huffing his displeasure at not picking them up the night before and folding them. Normally, Eoghan was a stickler for such things, so this just proved to Ari how tired he'd been. With the incident earlier in the day, they'd both been exhausted. And the road was a lot of things, not all of it unpleasant but sitting in the car for hours on end, looking at the passing road signs could definitely be counted among Ari's least favorite things to do. At least he hadn't been the one driving. He made a promise to himself that he'd drive back to L.A. Of course, those plans were predicated upon them finishing their business with the dragons and John Townsend. Hopefully, they were going to make progress when they met with them.

They drove into the parking lot of Slim Daddy's BBQ a few minutes after five. Eoghan parked the Charger and they got out, looking around the dark tarmac. Ari didn't see a damned thing.

There wasn't another car in the place. He pulled out his phone to double check they weren't more than a couple of minutes late and reassured, he slipped the phone back in his pocket, making sure the Faraday cage was in place first.

The moon hung low in the sky and the sun hadn't yet come up. Ari had a fleeting vision of two terrifying dragons flying into Redding under the cover of darkness and landing their big, scaly butts in the parking lot of a barbeque joint right under the nose of the restauranteur. He grinned to himself as he realized why the fire breathers had chosen the Slim Daddy's parking lot to begin with. Well, at least they had a sense of humor or irony or both. Maybe they wouldn't be so scary after all.

Ari heard the crunch of gravel behind him and he and Eoghan whirled around just in time to see a tall man coming their way. He was accompanied by another man, equally as tall. They were striding toward them from fifty feet away but oddly, when Ari glanced around, he saw nothing to indicate how they'd arrived. At this time of the morning, there were virtually no cars on the road. They'd both been listening for their approach. It was still too dark to see very well, other than to make out shapes. He looked up at the restaurant sign which was stuck at the top of a pole and noted it was also dark. When he glanced at the restaurant itself, a sign on the front door indicated it was vacant with a realtor's number listed for showings.

Quickly realizing that they'd been led to a dark parking lot of a shuttered barbeque restaurant, he felt stupid for not doing further checking into the place online. What if this was a trap which they'd now pay for with blood? He looked back at the men, noting that they were both dark haired, wearing black coats and cargo pants of the same hue. They had long legs, sauntering along as if they hadn't a care in the world and so much in sync, they appeared almost choreographed. Now, twenty feet away, he could make out features of their faces and once again, noticed the similarity between them. Both had high cheekbones, square jaws, prominent, straight noses, and stubbled chins. At a distance, they wore almost harsh expressions with full lips pressed thinly.

They came to a full stop at the same instant, ten feet away, crossing long arms over their chests. Ari judged them to each be several inches over six feet, maybe more, if he were judging by his own height of six three since they were taller than him.

"Good morning," Eoghan said. "I'm Eoghan Sapphire and this is my partner, Ari Brown." He held out his wallet, flipping it open to show his ID with the star. The two dragons didn't even glance at it, instead staring at them. As he went to reach for his own credentials, the circles around their irises flashed a brilliant orange where Ari would have expected violet ones to be. Every shifter he'd met so far had the brilliant violet glow surrounding their eyes, becoming more pronounced either right before they attacked or were aroused in some other highly emotional state. He stopped several inches from his pocket, holding his empty hand out.

"I was only reaching for my star so I could show it to you."

"Show me," the one on the left said.

Ari did as he was asked, moving slowly and deliberately as he pulled out his wallet, flipping it open, and holding it out to show his marshal's badge with his I.S.R. ID right beside it. They didn't look at it either, instead just staring at him. Ari found that odd and he briefly wondered how good their eyesight had to be to see it in the dark using peripheral vision. When the one on the right nodded, Ari replaced his badge and waited.

"I am Invictus," the one on the right said. "This is Severin."

"Thank you for meeting us," Eoghan replied. "I understand you spoke to my chief."

"Yes," Invictus said.

"We do not know why," Severin said.

"I'll explain," Eoghan said. "We were recently in Tahoe with Chief of Police Joe Two Trees and his deputy, Alo Uwaite."

Ari watched both dragons turn their lips up in a snarl. If he hadn't known they were from different clans, he would have guessed them to be twins since they looked so much like each other, even possessing the same mannerisms.

"We know that you've done business with their clan in the past."

"They do not wish to do business with us anymore," Invictus said.

"Actually, they said that has changed now that Colt Wilkins is in jail," Ari said. "He's headed to prison for a very long time. The tribe would like to give you access to the jade you need and if you help us with a problem we're dealing with, we'd tell them of your cooperation to aid in that process."

For the first time since they'd been standing there, the two dragons exchanged a look with each other and then turned back to them. Invictus gave a slight nod. "What do you wish from us?"

"We'd like to ask for your help. I know that it would go a long way to prove that you want to be good outstanding members of the larger shifter world," Eoghan said.

The two men exchanged a glance again and for the first time, Ari detected a smirk on Severin's face. When he turned back, he was stone-faced and frowning again.

"We have no desire to live up to anyone's definition of an outstanding member of the larger shifter world," Severin said. "We have been shunned by all shifters for millennia and that will not change just because of the I.S.R. and meddlesome grizzlies."

"Don't you want to be a part of the shifter community?" Eoghan asked.

"Community is a myth when it comes to dragons," Invictus said. "Our ancestors believed that we were part of a larger community, but we were deceived by those we trusted before being hunted nearly to extinction. We live in our isolated caves on top of a mountain for reasons you cannot begin to fathom, nor will we now try to describe it for you. We want to purchase jade from the grizzlies and that is the only reason we've had contact with anyone in their tribe. But do not mistake us being here for the desire to be part of a community or to be friendly. Your chief deputy Priest said that you needed our help and in exchange she'd intervene with the Tahoe grizzlies to get us access to the jade. Tell us why we're here. What do you need us to do?"

Before either of them could answer, a shadow darkened the sky overhead, obliterating the moon. They all looked up. Ari's heart jumped into his throat when he caught sight of the massive figure of a black winged beast, turning in lazy circles overhead. He was about to open his mouth to say something to Eoghan when another black shape appeared in the corner of his eye. In a heartbeat, he was distracted when yet a third shape appeared.

Invictus made a sound deep in his throat not unlike a bellow and suddenly shifted into a massive, winged beast. Fear lanced through Ari as he watched a dragon appear where a man had been standing only moments ago. Before he could blink, a second dragon stood where Severin had been.