77. Aurora

CHAPTER 77

Aurora

March-

Dominik suddenly stands and rinses his hair out then looks at me, his wolf surfacing. I stare at the golden glow of his wolf's eyes. I'm not using any of my Alpha powers on him. I like seeing the guys' animals in private; it's a trust thing, really. They know I won't use my strength of will against them.

"He deserved to die! He cut off your father's arm and held him hostage for over two hundred years. He raped my mother, as well as two of his other mates. He forced himself on any female he wanted because he could." I watch Dominik's muscles jump and shift under his skin from his wolf's agitation.

"That's not an Alpha; that's a serial rapist. Who knows how many half-siblings Jayce and I have in the pack." Oh boy, this has definitely struck a nerve with Dominik. I lower my eyes, feeling bad that I wrecked his mood. "Aurora, love, I'm sorry. My dad is a very touchy subject. It's mostly because of how he treated my mom, Jayce, and Alex." Dominik starts to apply shampoo to my hair and work it into a lather.

"Then I don't feel bad for my part in his demise. You're not your dad, Dominik. You're a very kind and gentle mate. That is unless I want it a bit rougher at night." I smile, looking at him.

I want him to see how much love I have for him. "After we take back my mother's castle when my next heat comes, Alaric is going to head to the Ice Dragon castle and will stay there until my heat is over. All four of you will have an equal shot at being a dad. As long as I nurse the babies, I won't go into heat for a while. For now, Klaus's grandmother has herbs to help me sleep through the next heat until we are safe to have more babies." I honestly do look forward to having kids with each of the guys. I raise an eyebrow out of reflex, thinking about delivering Dimitri's baby. Wow, that's going to hurt. I truly hope and pray my hoo-ha survives.

"What thought just crossed your mind, love?" Dominik asks as he begins to rinse my hair.

"Dimitri's cub..." I really don't need to say more; the look on Dominik's face says it all.

"Fuck! I didn't think about that. Oof… Don't worry, I volunteer as tribute to lick your hoo-ha till it's all better." Dominik starts to laugh as he finishes working the conditioner into my hair.

I can't help but laugh along with Dominik as he massages my scalp. "I'm sure there will be another rock, paper, scissors tournament over this honor too."

I look up to Dominik as innocently as I can manage. "Yes, I know all about how you guys fairly decide the nightly sleep order."

I lightly tap my chin. "Maybe I should make it easy and take on a sixth mate, so you guys can rotate out in pairs?" I say it jokingly, but by the look on Dominik's face I know he's already talking to the others.

"Sold! We agree a flight shifter, or a tiger would be cool. Alaric says he knows some nice Siberian Tigers." Dominik says it with such a straight face, I stop breathing from shock.

All I can do is just double blink, looking at him, then I turn my attention to the other assholes in my family. I focus hard on them and force their asses to enter the bathroom. I stand up and rinse my hair out, then turn off the water and grab a nearby robe.

I stare at the five of them, and each one looks more guilty than the next. "What the actual fuck are you assholes thinking? It's not like I can go to the corner store and pull a sixth mate off the fucking shelf!" I wouldn't say I'm angry per se; shocked and taken back is more like it, and it's causing me to lash out.

Alaric gets all suave and gives me his best smile. "Well, a sixth mate solves many problems. Sleeping arrangements are one. All the chores can be equally and fairly divided. No one is left holding his own cock when we all do our thing." I raise an eyebrow and start to laugh.

"You fuckers have been planning this conversation for a long time. I can tell. It's why Alaric is delivering the proposal." I'm practically yelling at them, holy fuck! How long have these assholes been planning this coup?

"How did you know?" Dimitri pipes up, looking like the kid that just got busted with his hand in the cookie jar.

I shake my head and laugh more. "Y'all fucked up! Usually, you send Jayce with the ideas that may piss me off. Alaric, Klaus, or Dominik doing it is a dead giveaway you planned this."

I wrap my robe tightly around myself as I look between the five of them. " If there's another suitable mate, I will decide if I accept him." I exit the room and promptly hear high fives being exchanged behind me. Jerks...

I shake my head and head into the master bedroom, then into the walk-in closet. Damn, Klaus went all out; my wall is organized and stocked by color. The boys have racks that pull out of the opposite wall. We have a party tonight with dancing and feasting, so I don't want to wear anything over the top.

I find a blood-red sweater and pair it with some insulated black leggings. Slowly I move over to the shoe rack and search for cute boots to go with what I'm wearing. Hmm... fuck it. I pull out a pair of black Docs and red fuzzy socks. I return to the master bedroom and find my box with my crowns in it. I pull out my great-grandmother's ruby crown and place it upon my head. Perfect!

The guys are all gathered, having what they think is a quiet discussion. Dimitri keeps shooting down everyone else's ideas. I sneak up behind Dimitri and lean on his back, wrapping my arms around his neck. I kiss his cheek then look to the others. "Are we ready to go to the party? Elsa has agreed to watch the twins tonight so we can enjoy ourselves." I smile and arch an eyebrow looking at them.

"Da, let's get going, boys. Our mate wants to have some fun," Dimitri says. He grabs my arms, which are still around his neck, as he stands up, taking me with him. Quickly, he releases my arms and grabs my thighs, hiking me up his back for a piggyback ride. I start laughing hysterically because I can't wrap my legs completely around Dimitri's waist.

"Tally ho, D! There's food to be eaten, drinks to be drunk, and music to be danced to." I reach down and smack his ass, making my hand sting.

"Don't start nothing you can't finish, baby girl." I kiss Dimitri's cheek and nuzzle his beard.

"Have I ever not followed through, D?" I lean forward and try to look him in the eye. My eyes shift to that of my beast. Dimitri smiles then kisses my cheek.

"You do, love," Dimitri tells me. The soft rumbles of his bear can be heard and felt. I can't help but smile, happy that he's finally all mine.

We make our way through the house and out to where the packs have gathered. There are three food stations, two large bars, and a giant dance floor with a DJ. I slide off Dimitri's back and run to the dance floor. I move my body in time with the bass hits, lost in my own world. I close my eyes, feeling all the beings around me. My link with the packs, as well as the dragons, has grown considerably.

I can tell the moment that any of my mates approach me; their bodies' vibrations are different from the others. Their aura vibrates, not only with their life essence but also an echo of mine. I feel Dominik's strong hands grip my hips as he pulls my ass flush with his crotch. I don't bother opening my eyes, reveling in the feeling of the connection that we have at this moment. I feel a second set of hands, also resonating with my essence—it's Klaus. He's in front of me, his hands caressing my face. We move in time with the music, bumping and grinding in a sensual dance just for us.

The guys eventually break off; I'm left all hot and bothered. I watch them head up to what looks like a makeshift stage. Alaric takes Dominik's position behind me, and I open my eyes to see where my other two mates have gone.

The music switches to something more American, "SAIL" from Awolnation comes on. Now, I have to say, I've been to a few male reviews in my time, but holy shit, is this hot. Two of my mates are gyrating in time, exactly to the beat of the song they have chosen. I pull Alaric towards the stage, that way I have a front-row seat to the entertainment. They are lost in the music, moving exactly like the guys did in the movie that used this song. I watch them both intently, occasionally they lock eyes with me, and I know the dance is just for me. I did not know either one of them could move like this—you know who's testing that out later.

The song switches and they slowly remove themselves from the stage. Thunderous applause from the females in the packs greets them. Thankfully, no one now is stupid enough to even attempt to get close to them. My skin hums with anticipation, knowing full well that I will have a private show later. They both approach me and take me from Alaric. Dominik kisses me passionately, pulling me up off my feet and flush to his chest.

When Dominik finally releases me, Klaus picks me up, allowing my legs to wrap around his waist and starts dancing with me, kissing me tenderly. I feel Dimitri press up behind me, only to steal me from Klaus' grip. I can't help but laugh at the guy's antics. Poor Jayce is standing off to the side, kicking at rocks. My heart breaks seeing him so upset. I kiss Dimitri and motion towards Jayce. Dimitri nods and slowly lowers me to the ground.

I blend myself into the crowd and grab two red wine glasses before heading over to Jayce. "What's a sexy wolf like you doing here all alone? I could just eat you up." I playfully snap my teeth at him, and he finally smiles. He really enjoys it when we role-play sometimes.

"Well, I was waiting for my beautiful and lethal mate to want to dance with me. But the others, well, they always get there first." Jayce lowers his eyes, and I want to cry. I rush over and hug him tightly.

"I am so sorry, my love. I love you so very much. I hold none above the other. I'm sorry you're feeling this way." I kiss his lips ever so softly. I hate feeling as if I've wounded my gentle mate. I hate to have favorites, but for my emotional needs, when I feel I need a gentle touch, it's Jayce. It's always Jayce that guards my heart. He reminds me that I am more than just my animal; he reminds me that my life doesn't just have to be about killing.

"Shhh, my love, I'm a lot tougher than most give me credit for. I know Dom talked to you; we were both hurt when we realized the baby wasn't ours. We're twins, so it really didn't matter to either of us who fathered the child. Genetically there's only one or two genomes difference between us. More than likely, when one of us does father a child with you, it will end up in twins again." Jayce smiles, looking at me, happy with the possibility of multiple sets of twins.

Wow, that just knocked my world off-axis; another two sets of twins are possible. Fuck me sideways! Well, I did always want a large family, so I guess this is one way to do it. I smile softly at Jayce, rest my head on his chest, and then press my nose under his chin. In one sense, it can be viewed as a sign of submission. To my family, it's more a sign of trust. I am blessed that my beast is trusted this close to his tender throat.

Lightly, I run my tongue up the artery in Jayce's throat, my beast rumbles in my chest. I nip his jaw then kiss him. "You will be in my bed alone tonight. You need me just as much as I need you." Jayce's eyes light up, and his smile shines brighter than the brightest star.

"Sounds like a wonderful plan, sweetheart. Shall we soak in the bath together before bed? I'll give you a massage?" Jayce truly knows how to spoil a girl. Fuck, how did I get so fucking lucky? I'm lost in the adonis known as Jayce until I hear Klaus trying to whisper yell at a female to leave him alone.

Jayce knows the minute my beast awakens. It's already cold out, but I am making it damn near arctic conditions. I slowly strip off the beautiful red sweater I'm wearing and hand it to Jayce as we approach where Klaus is. The other guys are there, along with an older man trying to reason with Klaus about accepting his daughter. My mates sense my bloodthirsty mood; others feel the temperature drop before they notice me. My eyes have shifted to my beast's, mercury dragonic orbs lock on the female that's attempting to touch my mate.

Klaus is doing his best to keep her at arm's length, but that bitch is slipperier than an eel. Swiftly, I close in; my movements are nothing but a blur to onlookers. I grab the female by her shoulders and throw her a good twenty feet away from Klaus. Quickly, I shift my stance and then my arms to my dragon-scaled gauntlets. I click my talons in agitation, staring the stupid female down.

She shifts and charges, her movements seem off as if she's not moving of her own volition. No matter, I don't budge one inch. Instead, I remain relaxed; the minute she's close enough, I raise my hand and hit the dead center of her chest. She's sent flying backward with her chest partially frozen solid. I just sent icicles through her heart with a single hit. Another female's life wasted; another unnecessary kill on my hands.

I run and jump up on stage and use my Alpha powers to draw everyone's attention to me. Through the pack bond, I decide to speak to everyone at once. My people. One thing I am not lenient with is someone attempting to poach a bonded mate. I have a feeling she was under the witch Elena's power. I will be hunting that bitch very soon. For now, do not eat or drink anything unless someone you completely trust gives it to you. She has blood magic and the power to create false bonds and loyalties. I will protect us all the best I can, but you need to help me by protecting yourself the best you can. I'm only one being; I can only do so much. If anything concerns you, please speak to me, or one of my mates, or my father. I watch the pack's response, and one by one they lower their heads slightly to me then go back to the party.

I hop down off the stage and look at my guys. "It's begun. I will hunt Elena soon. Up the training on our fighters, pair each Dire with a Lycan. Give each team a dragon to lead them. If we can find the bears, we'll see if they have the numbers to help." My eyes move to Dimitri and I smile. "I've located your clan; we leave in the morning to go see them. Alaric, Dimitri and I will be riding Dante to get to the bears. I need you and my other mates to keep the camp running as usual and keep the babies safe. Dante will be flanked by Edgar and Marco; I'll have two War Dragons and a Black Dragon with us."

Alaric contemplates the information I've just given him and strokes his beard. Having heard their names, the dragons in question arrive and bow to us before awaiting Alaric's judgment. "I'd prefer you riding Marco and let Dante and Edgar flank him. Size-wise the War Dragons are more maneuverable than Marco's giant Black Dragon."

Alaric crosses his thick arms over his chest then turns to look at the dragon men. "You will be traveling with my heart; protect it with your lives. You will also have my bond mate, protect him like you would your own brother." The three dragon guards nod, bring their fists to their chests, and bow. Oddly, the three dragons and Alaric slice their palms and shake hands. They just gave their oath in blood. Okay then, I feel a fuck ton safer now.

The party rages on well into the night, everyone getting to know each other and bonding wonderfully. Dimitri, Jayce, and I slip off by ourselves sometime around one in the morning. Dimitri and I need sleep, and Jayce needs quality time with me. Jayce was kind enough to share his time with me with Dimitri too. We snuggle and fuck until we are tired, morning is going to get here quickly, and we have a mission to complete.