Chapter Six

Not two, but three arrived later that night. Daphne learned that along Raul and Raven came from the other world of Paladin, but another dragon, Gaerar, was in tow. They walked into the safe house casually and Raul sniffed the air. Daphne assessed them quietly while they greeted Iarl and Skard. She noted that the Raven she remembered as a shy woman who wore jeans and had an eagerness to learn was gone. She was still young but now she wore the kind of pants that she had first seen on the twins and a green laced up tunic. She had more knowledge and experience in her eyes than before, and Daphne was instantly intrigued. What had she seen through the years living with dragons? Now it was she who wanted to learn from Raven as opposed to the other way around.

Her husband had shoulder length dark hair and was taller but leaner than the twins. The other one, Gaerar, had tanned skin that matched his sandy blond curls that were shaggy around his ears. They both wore clothes that Daphne could tell was the norm on their world, and they both looked at her with interest when they arrived.

“Dinner—thank the gods, I am starving,” Raul said as he held Raven’s hand.

“You are always hungry,” Iarl commented as they stood to welcome their guests.

He clasped forearms with Raul and they pressed foreheads against each other for a moment. “Welcome.”

Daphne watched them curiously as they greeted the other dragon in the same manner. When the twins came to Raven, they lifted her off the ground in a bear hug, making her laugh. Daphne almost felt jealous.

“This is Dr. Daphne Jordan,” Skard said extending his hand out to her.

“Nice to see you again, Dr. Jordan,” Raven said warmly.

“Under the circumstances, you should call me Daphne,” she replied with a rueful smile. “The community doesn’t consider me part of them anymore, and you probably know more about archeology and anthropology than me right now.”

“I doubt that,” Raven laughed. “I spend my time charting these big oafs ancestry now. I haven’t worked on earth civilizations in years.”

“Like I said, more advanced than any of us now,” Daphne repeated.

“I am Gaerar,” the second man that came in with them interjected and took her hand. He kissed her knuckles. “Hello, dear one. My, you are absolutely ravishing. But then I thought so from the forest.”

“You were the big ass, dark blue dragon!” she said with a surprised laugh.

“Yes, I am... big,” he murmured with a slow smile.

Iarl pulled her hand away from Gaerar. “No.”

Gaerar grinned. “Has one brother staked a claim without the other?”

Skard moved Daphne away. “This is no concern of yours. Believe what you like.”

Daphne noted that Raven and Raul watched the exchange with interest. When Raven met her gaze, she only raised one eyebrow. Daphne had no doubt the young woman would have some questions of her own.

“So... the food?” Raul questioned slowly.

“It’s in the kitchen,” Iarl answered. “We should eat while it’s warm.”

“We can talk after,” Raven said to Daphne. “I’d love to see what you have and understand why the Shen wants you or this information.”

“I grabbed what I could. I don’t think I got it all,” Daphne admitted.

“I doubt they got anything else, they were too busy dying.” Skard’s chuckle was wicked.

They gathered in the kitchen, and without any preliminaries the men began to eat.

Raven chuckled. “It’s best we just squeeze in and get what we can.”

“Are they usually this exuberant about food?” Daphne asked, eyeing the men while they reached over and around each other.

“When they’re together, yes. If the wives and children are around for an evening meal, they do have manners,” Raven explained. “When wives are pregnant or they are mated, they are downright doting. They’ll feed their mate before themselves, and it’s really sweet to be a part of. But right now they’re animals.”

“I’m sure it’s interesting from an anthropological standpoint,” Daphne said.

“I’m guessing you may see it sooner rather than later.” Raven nudged her with a shoulder. “The twins seem taken with you.”

“We’ll see.” Daphne felt her face get warm.

“Let’s eat,” Raven said gently.

At least before they ate the men made sure they were seated comfortably. Raven sat next to Raul, and Daphne was in a chair between Iarl and Skard. She noticed the looks between the other three who had just arrived before dinner. They told her about Paladin, and it left her with a sense of wonderment. It sounded like a fairy tale but Raven was there to attest to its truth. Another thing that fascinated her was how they traveled from Paladin to earth through the portals.

Were these anomalies a rip in the fabric of time, or, as the dragons believed, placed there by the gods? She was a woman of science, and to think about Odin and Valhalla as truth instead of myth was difficult. But she was eating dinner in the midst of four dragons. So everything she’d been taught as truth was torn apart when she saw dragons were real. After dinner, the men went to discuss what she assumed was tactics for their protection while she and Raven went over the data she had compiled. Raven picked up a sketch of the bones and a detailed physical makeup of what Daphne assumed their muscles and body structure was like.

“Hell, you are almost spot on with these details.” Raven looked at another. “The wing span is dead to rights accurate.”

“Doesn’t tell me much about their scales, their synaptic system, and how those big predators turn into men,” Daphne said. “Do all the people on Paladin carry the trait?”

Raven shook her head. “No. As far as I can see, the twelve warriors, their family lines carry the traits for the larger dragons. There are smaller variations in the realm, and some do not carry it at all. We can already tell that at least three of the children born to the dragon warriors will have the dragon gene, as I like to call it. Their eyes are a startling green at birth and never change, except for Gaerar. His dragon eyes are amber for some reason. From what I have read, he and his ancestors are the only ones that carry that trait or coloring of midnight blue scales. But the eyes are one of the ways we know.”

“Do you have any children?” Daphne asked.

Raven laughed. “No, we do not. Raul is young compared to some of the dragon brethren. He’s only a little over two hundred, Gaerar is maybe seven, the twins six, and Hawke is almost a thousand years old. We will not be having kids any time soon. Plus, on Paladin our aging slows considerably. As a human I have tons of time.”

“So they’re immortal, and it changes you as well,” Daphne assessed.

“They’re not immortal. They can die.” Raven sighed. “The father of our king, Orin, was killed by the Shen, and he ascended to the throne. He was over three thousand years old. I think the Shen want you to find out their weaknesses, how to kill them. Their poison can debilitate them but not kill the dragon warriors. Unless it’s a king—or a hybrid, who are definitely stronger—but even so the dragon warriors are almost invincible.”

“You know so much. You could write a paper, show proof and...” Daphne began excitedly.

“And save your career?” Raven snapped curtly. “I learned quickly that what these guys and my husband go through to keep us protected is worth more than my career or yours. I won’t betray them so you can climb back up that ladder. There’s no way.”

“I wasn’t asking for that,” Daphne defended and sighed. “Well, yes I was. I’m sorry. This is all so new to me, and I’m having a hard time dealing with the fact that something I’ve worked so hard for is gone.”

“All of us wives left something behind when we fell in love with our husbands,” Raven told her. “There’s a greater good out there, and we were blessed to be a part of it. There was no hesitation on our part because protecting this world, the people we love who live here from those things is tantamount.”

“I understand,” Daphne said.

“No, you don’t.” Raven leaned forward and stared at her intently. “I’ve seen the after effects of what those things do to humans and women from Paladin alike. I’ve seen bodies torn apart from giving birth to the Shen young. It’s horrible, the pain... They see us for food and breeding their inhuman things. To reveal to the world that dragons exist and these things do as well... Humans have the propensity to want to destroy what we don’t understand. It won’t be any different with dragons, they’ll see them as a threat, plain and simple.”

Daphne knew Raven’s words were true. It floored her how quickly the scientific and archeology community turned on her when she couldn’t prove her findings. The history of mankind was marred with wars and destroying people and things they don’t understand. They couldn’t find out about dragons and this unseen war, but where did that leave her?

“Take it all with you and destroy it if you have to,” Daphne said firmly, by doing that it was clear that she was giving away her career.

“They think you have the key to kill the dragons, they won’t stop coming for you.” Raven sighed. “Until they get what they want, they never stop coming.”

“You’ve seen it first hand?” Daphne asked.

“They tried to get me. Raul saved me and I him, then we saved each other.” Raven’s smile was bright and loving. “You have the twins, they’ll fight to save your life.”

“They already did.” Daphne sat back. “They passed me from one to the next and kept fighting, keeping me away from the serpents... I mean the Shen. They speak to each other in their minds and they... they’re amazing.”

“They’re hot, too,” Raven teased.

“They asked me to be their mate,” Daphne blurted out and then pursed her lips.

“We always wondered how that would work. They are so connected, we doubted very much they would each separate to find someone to love.” Raven sat back and laced her fingers together. “How do you feel about that?”

Daphne laughed. “I barely had a forty-five minute conversation with you eight years ago and here I am telling you that two guys want me to be the third in their life.”

“From a cultural standpoint, polyandry has been practiced for centuries,” Raven reminded her. “In Tibet and Nepal it’s common for a woman to have multiple lovers and/or husbands.”

“Yes, but in America it’s called a threesome,” Daphne pointed out. “Are there many people who practice polyandry on Paladin?”

“Not that I am aware of. The twins are unique.” Raven grinned. “This is a brave new world you are approaching.”

“And you don’t think it’s weird?” she asked.

Raven shrugged. “I sleep with a dragon shifter every night. Weird went out the window years ago.”

“I’m still thinking on it,” Daphne admitted.

“They’re not,” Rave pointed out. “They basically snatched your hand away from Gaerar and sat you in between them. Hell, I want details about the sex when it happens.”

“God, I can’t tell you that!” Daphne gasped, embarrassed.

“Oh sweetie, I’m gonna want a good conversation on this, and I have to gossip with the other wives a little,” Raven teased. “If you’re going to be part of this life, you’re going to have to get used to us, we are tight knit. Caye’s father lived with us, Gertrude is Joy’s friend and she stays on Paladin. We take care of our own.”

“Am I going to part of this life?” Daphne wondered out loud.

“When they say mate, they don’t mean take a lover for a little while and break up,” Raven explained. “For them it’s for life, so make sure this is what you want before you say yes. We can already smell their musk in the air.”

“Their musk, like that spicy after shave they wear?” Daphne asked. “It smells like a forest, kinda like spices and wood smoke.”

“They don’t wear cologne. When they are attracted or ready to mate, they release that scent. Think pheromones,” Raven said. “And between the two of them, they were stinking up the place.”

The door opened and all four men walked back into the kitchen, essentially cutting off their conversation that had turned personal.

“Just remember, you really should consider all aspects before saying yes,” Raven said under her breath.

“Did we find some information on why they want her?” Raul asked before bending over to kiss his wife.

“We’re guessing, they assume because she found the bones and was studying them, she found a weakness they can exploit,” Raven answered. “They’re going to try to take her, and when they find out she has nothing, they’ll make her a breeder.”

“They won’t be taking her.” Iarl’s voice was almost a growl that made her shiver.

“We will rip them to shreds before that ever happens.” Skard flexed his muscles and clenched his hands into fists.

“Showing off much,” Gaerar murmured and then coughed as Iarl glared at him.

“It’s late, we had a long day getting here, we are going to bed,” Raul said helping Raven to her feet. “Big bedroom downstairs good for you, my love?”

“Sounds perfect to me,” Raven said. “Night, everyone.”

The two left her with Iarl, Skard and Gaerar. A long, uncomfortable silence stretched between them.

“Shall we watch the TV in the living room?” Gaerar asked. “I could use some dessert.”

“Go away, Gaerar,” Iarl said.

“We want to be alone,” Skard added.

“With our dear one, Daphne,” Iarl finished.

Gaerar sighed. “Very well, you guys are spoil-sports. I’ll eat dessert and watch the television by myself.”

Gaerar walked away and into the living room. He came back in a few seconds later and went to the fridge. “I forgot my dessert.” He grabbed a tub of ice cream and left again, leaving them silent in the kitchen.

“We want you to sleep with us,” Skard said bluntly, and she gasped.

“Not like that,” Iarl added quickly. “Sleep between us on the very large bed. There is a place for our mate in the center. We want to feel you close while we rest.”

Daphne took a deep breath before answering. “I think I would like that.”

They each held one of her hands as they stood and walked from the kitchen to the living room to the stairs. Gaerar had a large spoon in his mouth. He gave them a glance and a thumbs up as they went upstairs. Instead of going to the room she slept in, they escorted her to the other bedroom the twins shared.

“We’ll sleep in our clothes so you are comfortable,” Iarl said.

Daphne shook her head with a smile. “How about pajama bottoms? I know each of these bedrooms are stocked with clothes. We can find you some.”

It was an easy fix and soon they both wore plaid sleep shorts and looked rather uncomfortable standing there shirtless.

“Aren’t they comfortable?” Daphne asked trying not to laugh at their expression.

“They are... different,” Skard finally answered. “We usually sleep without clothes.”

“They’re confining, and we do not like to be confined,” Iarl said. “But for you tonight we can do this.”

They each moved to one side of the bed and moved the blankets aside. She climbed in between them, and they covered her with the warm comforter. She turned to her side, facing Skard as he laid his head on the pillow next to her. He shimmied closer, and she felt Iarl move behind her to pull her into the crook of his hips. You would think she would be uncomfortable, but between their warmth she sighed and closed her eyes. They both had their hand on her hip one above the other and it felt right, so very right.

“I like this,” Iarl murmured from behind her.

“I admit, this is nice,” Skard answered before he heaved out a big sigh.

She could tell they fell asleep, and Daphne smiled wide. She didn’t think they realized that they said the words out loud. It was a new kind of warmth, one that pleased her immensely. These two were just for her.

* * * *

Something pulled her from her sleep. Daphne opened her eyes slowly in the darkened room. Behind her she could hear the deep even breathing of Iarl who had barely changed position from being curved against her body. But in front of her, Skard was still, almost too still. She ran her hand up the length of his arm and found the corded muscles tense. Daphne understood that in sleep his body should be relaxed.

Behind her Iarl sat up. “He’s caught up in the dreams.”

He said the words like it were some sort of explanation, but Daphne was even more confused.

“What dreams?” she asked softly.

“Our past was not always the happiest,” Iarl answered and gripped his brother’s hand. “We can see each other’s dreams as clearly as if it was our own. I’m part of his thoughts and emotions as he knows mine. Right now he isn’t listening to me.”

Instinctively, Daphne moved closer to him until her head shared the same pillow as his. She stroked his face and then ran her fingers through his red hair that held the soft moonlight streaming through the window. Beside her, Iarl still held his brother’s hand tight.

Daphne touched him as she spoke softly, hoping to bring him out of his nightmares. “Skard, listen to my voice, open your eyes. You’re not there anymore, baby, you’re here with us. Come on, wake up.”

It took a few minutes of coaxing before he opened his eyes and stared at her. Her breath caught in her throat at the startling green of his eyes, and one lone tear leaked from the corner.

“Are you okay?” Daphne asked gently.

“I am well...” Skard’s words trailed off, and he looked at Iarl.

“Okay, you two,” she said firmly. “If you want me like you claim, no talking in each other’s head while I’m around. You’re sharing everything with me or not at all.”

Iarl sighed. “We are sorry, it is not our intent to shut you out.”

“It’s been our way to speak for so long, especially about difficult things,” Skard finished.

“I don’t want to pry, and if it’s too hard to talk about I understand,” she replied.

“Maybe it’s time we share.” Skard sighed and sat up like his brother. “Very few know our life story... the older of the dragons, like Hawke, Lleau, and Kalv. Our king—Orin, his father, was the one who brought us to the court.”

He lifted Daphne and fluffed the pillows against the headboard before placing her gently until she was sitting between them. Iarl laced his fingers with hers, and Skard did the same. Daphne could tell this would be a hard story, and the fact that they were willing to share it with her and this point humbled her. Daphne stayed silent, waiting for both of them to speak.

“Paladin is a lovely place, the most beautiful place in the universe in our opinion,” Iarl began. “But like all places, there can be those with dark hearts, and that was how our life began. To parents who saw us as objects. As we grew, they noticed our connection as twins was different. They thought it was a good way to make coin, to use us for entertainment.”

“We used to speak more,” Skard continued. “But being beaten, starved, and used like dogs with barely a bed to sleep in our clothes to keep us warm. We stopped speaking for years and only talked within our minds. If one could not eat the other did not, and that is how the first king found us.”

“King Valkir and Lleau heard of us from a villager who came to trade—the twins who were barely skin and bones, with green eyes and treated abhorrently.” Iarl took up the story. “Paladin is known for its riches, no one hungers, no one lacks for anything, there are no beggars in the street or a child without a home. Yet there we were, used as entertainment and treated no better than dogs. The kind would have none of it.”

“The group of men and women who were part of this group tortured us,” Skard said. “We were kept in confines, shackled sometimes, and without each other we surely would have died or killed ourselves to escape. We were beaten and burned, and because of our dragon nature we healed.”

“Oh no,” Daphne gasped and tears burned her eyes. “I’m so sorry, I don’t care where you’re from, children should not be treated like that.”

“King Valkir and Lleau came in disguise, and when they saw us and how we were treated, the king’s roar echoed through the night, and Lleau drew his sword.” Iarl rubbed her hand gently as he spoke. She understood it was a way to detach himself from the memories. On the other side Skard did the same thing in the same exact manner. “Our parents and their companions were stripped of everything and exiled off Paladin.”

“Here on earth?” Daphne questioned.

Skard chuckled gently. “Dr. Daphne Jordan, there is more to the universe than earth or Paladin, but we were not given specifics to where they were sent nor do we care. We were finally free. Our king said we were a treasure, rare as any jewel, especially with our dragon form. We went from living in squalor to living in a palace, but we trusted no one and didn’t speak but within our minds. Lleau was younger and took us under his wing. We were trained to be part of the warrior court, and soon they saw we even fought together.”

“We slowly learned that not everyone was there to hurt us, and when we spoke for the first time to the King he held a celebration,” Iarl added. “That was long ago, but sometimes the dreams still come. We don’t like being confined, and while people don’t understand our bond, it was the only thing that kept us alive.” He reached up to cup Daphne’s cheek. “From the womb, to childhood, we shared life and now we share our mating bond to be with you.”

Daphne kissed Iarl first and then Skard. “I feel blessed to be a part of something so rare and special between brothers.”

“Kiss us again,” Skard demanded, and she heard the hunger in his voice.

Daphne’s breath caught as she repeated the process until she was gasping. A kiss from one of these men was potent enough. Having both of them taste her and the sensation of their hands on her body caused a fire to spark within her unlike anything she could describe. With a guttural sound, Iarl pulled her down until she was flat on the bed and covered her body with his own. His hardness pressed between her legs as his tongue penetrated her mouth. Beside her, Skard moved closer, and his erection was hard against her thigh. His groan echoed through her as he kissed her neck. Iarl lifted his head suddenly, and both men’s stare was fierce with need.

“Will you have us now, Daphne?” Skard’s voice was ragged with desire.

She licked her lips with anticipation. Her body ached to belong to them in every way. “Yes, it could be nothing but yes. I want you both too much.”

Iarl groaned as Skard took over kissing her, and she lost her train of thought as heat curled in her belly. Daphne knew that after this night she would never be the same again.