Chapter 7

SEVEN

Aydan

The dick is back in the box. Okay, not a box, but a pair of boxers. The fucker is still erect and staring at Sam like she's a cheeseburger he's spotted after being trapped on a desert island for years.

I don't like it.

I don't like him .

And I don't like the way Sam is watching him.

“I don't even know where to start,” Sam says, her feminine voice seeming even more delicate in a room overflowing with testosterone.

Zane smiles, his smile easy and unthreatening. “We could start the way we always start, if that would help.”

Always ? We stare.

“What names are you going by this lifetime?” he asks, like it’s a normal question.

I’m about to tell him to stop being a weirdo when Sam answers, “I’m Sam, that’s Evander, and that’s Aydan.”

He tilts his head. “Is Sam no longer a boy’s name?”

She laughs, and I hate that all three of us lean forward at the beautiful sound. “Officially, I’m Samantha, but I go by Sam.”

“Samantha,” he says, as if tasting her name.

My eyes narrow and I fight the urge to punch him. “What’s all this talk of other lifetimes?”

Zane shifts further from the fire in his chair. “I have known the three of you every one of your lifetimes. Each time you are reborn, and it’s the time of dragons, we find each other. I explain how things work, and we do this dance.”

Oh, of course, because that makes so much sense. “You expect us to believe that?” I ask.

Yes, the scientist had a theory about this, but his words feel like a scam. A clever way to get to Sam, since that’s all any of these dragons want. Unfortunately for him, I’m not falling for his little plan.

His gaze flicks to Sam. “You’ll believe me, eventually. Although you, Aydan, always take the longest to convince.” He meets my eyes again. “Did you grow up with her again? Loving her for your entire lifetime so much that your souls are entwined?”

My entire body stiffens. How could he know that?

His gaze moves to Evander. “And you two are still fighting over her. You must have just started sharing her.”

Sam’s cheeks turn red. “How do you know that?”

He grins. “It’s the same every lifetime. Your fire dragons simply take forever to learn to share. But they eventually do.”

“With you?” I accuse. “Isn't that what you want us to believe?”

He shrugs. “You are not ready to hear it, so I will not waste my breath.”

“That's the first smart thing you've said,” I mutter.

Sam gives me an irritated look, then her gaze is back on him, which I don't like. “The truth is that since becoming dragons, things haven't been easy. Male dragons have been coming after me, and even though we've found ways of keeping me safe temporarily, we know that won't last forever.”

“Of course not,” Zane says, inching away from the fire again. “Sam, you cannot possibly stay safe without a complete harem of alpha dragons. That is simply the way it works.”

“A harem of dragons?” Evander asks, brow raised.

Zane nods, like this is something we should be familiar with. “Most of the dragons who are coming after Samantha are beta dragons trying to steal a mate. They're not worthy of a dragon female like Samantha, but every lifetime they try.”

Evander rubs his head. “I don't understand. You're saying…?”

Zane's voice is cool and calm. “Female dragons always have several mates who are powerful enough to scare off any interlopers. This, of course, is only necessary until the female dragon becomes pregnant and her scent changes, becoming more similar to that of her mates. Then, the beta dragons are no longer interested.”

I glance at Sam, and I can practically hear the wheels turning in her head. Her lips purse, and she says, “Is that why I feel drawn to both Evander and Aydan? Because in my past lifetimes I've been with both of them?”

He nods. “Yes. A female dragon is meant to have multiple mates for her protection. Her needs can only be met this way, and she is only safe this way. Interestingly enough, she falls in love with the souls of the men, not the men themselves, so she tends to love the same souls each lifetime.”

I hate that it feels like some things are clicking in my mind. All along we've been wondering how she could stay safe. We knew she needed more help than we could give her. And yet, I don't like any of it. Not the implication I might have to share her with more men, nor the fact that this man is suggesting he's one of those men.

It could all be lies for all we know.

“You are wondering if you can trust me?” He smirks, but it's not unkind. “Do you know what woke me from my slumber beneath the sea? I heard my mate screaming in pain and fear.”

Sam's eyes widen. “You heard me?”

I think back to her attack by the green dragon. I can still hear her screaming in my mind. It was like I was listening to her dying.

There's never been a worse sound.

“It took me longer than I like to admit to fully awaken. And when I did, you were gone. I found your scent, the scent of your fire dragons, one that might have been human, and Balor and Than.”

“Balor and Than?” Evander asks.

He tilts his head. “One is a green dragon, the other, brown.”

Sam shivers, wrapping her arms around herself.

Zane leaps to his feet and heads toward her.

I'm on my feet in an instant, blocking his path.

For the first time, he seems to size me up, a look of irritation on his face. “Hold our mate. She is frightened.”

I don't want him to tell me what to do, but I sit back on the couch and pull Sam against me. She's tense for a moment before slowly relaxing. It's strange how much I hate that he recognized what she needed and I didn’t.

“Than and Balor have been coming after me,” Sam admits quietly.

Zane goes back to his chair, but drags it further from the fire… and closer to Sam. I'm about ready to go into a defensive position, but Evander slides to the edge of the couch and perches there, watching the other man carefully. I’ve never been grateful for him.

Zane seems to ignore us. “Than and Balor have tried this before. They've never been successful against our much more powerful harem. But right now, with just the two of you, they stand to defeat you and take Sam.” His words end with a whisper of anger.

“So, how do we stop them?” I ask, running my hand over Sam's arm.

He cocks his head. “Easy. For one, you three let me teach you to be dragons once more. Two, we complete the harem and give Samantha the protection she needs.”

“Complete the harem?” Evander says, a threat in his voice.

Zane shrugs. “Yes, I will join you and stand against them.”

“Just like that?” I ask, waiting for it.

He levels me with a calm look. “I would do anything for my mate.”

We're on our feet in an instant, Evander and I towering over the blue dragon. This man is far too comfortable for his own good, if he thinks he can speak like that about Sam. He’s currently no one to us, to any of us, and we should make that clear to him.

“Guys.” Sam stands, looking frustrated. “Just sit down. We don’t need to talk about this mate thing right now. There are more important things going on.”

I glare down at Zane. “She’s not your mate. Just keep that in mind. We’re not selling Sam for your protection.”

He shrugs. “I never asked you to.”

Evander and I slowly sit back down. I don’t trust this Zane. I don’t want him anywhere near Sam. And given the way Sam is staring at the blue dragon, I might need some help keeping them apart.

“You’re different from the three of us,” Sam says, tilting her head.

Zane smiles. “You’re fire dragons. I’m an ice dragon.”

I stare, not understanding.

He continues. “Fire dragons tend to be… very passionate and quick to anger. Ice dragons are calm and slow to anger. It takes a lot for us to react. It is one of the reasons fire dragons and ice dragons are often in harems together: we balance each other out.”

“Well, that explains a lot,” Sam says, giving us a look, which I don’t appreciate.

Zane looks amused. “It is not all bad. Passion can be a wonderful thing.”

Her eyes are on him again, and he’s not subtle about adjusting his erection. The asshole. She’s not some ice cream sundae he’s going to get a lick of.

Sam leans forward, licking her lips. “You’ll excuse them if they’re a little protective and I’m a little cautious when it comes to male dragons. We’ve been through a lot lately.”

His expression gentles, and he runs a hand through his impossibly beautiful pale blue hair. “I did not say you have to mate me any time soon. I would not want you to be with me simply because you felt you had to. We can wait until you feel ready.”

“And what if that’s never?” Evander asks, his words clipped.

Zane’s gaze moves to Sam. “If I join your harem, it will happen. I know that to be true.” But for a man who sounds so calm, he’s also one hundred percent confident.

“Or we could just leave you here and forget all about it,” I say.

Zane looks troubled. “And will you just wait for Balor and Than to gather enough males to defeat the two of you? Because that is what they are going to do. They are going to gather other males and come back, I know that without question, because it’s what they’ve done every time. And if your harem is not strong enough, they will shred her wings and take her prisoner, mating her until she gives them offspring.”

Sam rubs her arms, and I wrap her in another side hug. “You’re going to be okay. We won’t let that happen.”

Her eyes are wide and frightened. “Are you sure about that?”

Evander and I exchange a look. The truth is, we’re not sure about that. We’re still learning to be dragons. We don’t know that we can keep Sam safe right now, and another dragon on our side would definitely help, especially one who knows what it is to be a dragon and can teach us.

Even though I hate the idea.

Sam stands up a little taller, and it’s like she’s speaking my thoughts aloud. “Zane, I think you should come back to our base with us. I think we could use your help.”

His pale blue eyes seem to twinkle. “Of course. I would be glad to join you.”

Then, her gaze moves over us. “And we’re going to be welcoming and work as a team.”

“Right,” I say.

“ Uh huh ,” Evander responds.

She sighs, but then turns back to the ice dragon. “Come on, Zane, we’ll show you our home. At least our home for now.”