Guardian's Flame [Guardian City 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (2 page)

“Dody!” The young toddler cried. Nathan eyed the girl curiously, before searching the men around him for a clue what she was talking about. Cole and Leif appeared as confused as he felt, but Bentley smirked as if he could speak baby-fox talk.

“Anyone want to tell me what the fox pup said?” Nathan asked his friends. Demend smirked at him in amusement, and Nathan knew one of his smart remarks was coming. In fact, they were coming out more and more the longer they knew each other. They had only been mated for two weeks, but the bond they shared was strong. The Elvin magic was the only thing between the two of them that stood on a crumbling foundation. “Fox pup? How come every Shifter child is a pup? Foxes call their children kits, not pups. Pups are baby wolves. Kits are baby foxes.” Nathan glared at Demend’s smart remarks.

“She said ‘doggy,’” Bentley said after a moment of interest in Demend’s smart remarks. Demend and Bentley had become close friends in the last two weeks, and Nathan was worried they were rubbing off on each other too much. Bentley had become mouthier, and Rain had been at his wits’ end with the omega. Nathan was just grateful the third wheel in their trio was not present, because Angel was the mouthiest of them all.

“Where is the doggy?” Nathan asked the small girl as he made a mental note about her being called a kit. It really wasn’t his fault, as he was raised by wolves, which Demend pointed out on a regular basis. In the last two weeks, refuges had started showing up, asking to stay in the Guardian City. Demend tended to allow the groups to stay as long as he sensed no deception. He sniffed the air in an attempt to smell out the creature, but all he could smell was the overpowering scent of Rain. In fact, anytime the Dragon was near it was all Nathan’s nose could pick up. The small girl mumbled about something and pointed toward the forest. The wind changed directions and Rain’s smell faded slightly.

“It’s the stray, and there’s blood.” Demend had a serious expression on his face, and Nathan reached through their bond to get a sense of what was going on beneath the surface. Concern and desire flowed through the bond, and Nathan adjusted his jeans as he followed his sexy mate in the direction of the smell. Demend moved the foliage away, making sure Nathan was able to cross before letting the overgrowth fall back. Nathan smiled at his mate’s back, thankful he was able to know the complex man. He couldn’t imagine his life without him, and now they were struggling with finding a second mate. Nathan didn’t even know how to go about finding Fate’s chosen mate for them, and Demend didn’t seem too concerned about it. Whenever Nathan brought it up, Demend would always say Fate would bring him or her to them. Nathan wasn’t so sure it was Fate or destiny, but maybe more based off luck.

Oh, Mother Earth,
Demend said through their mental link. Nathan eased to the side of Demend to look at the mutt from the Wolf Compound’s kitchen. Needles were lodged in the poor dog’s snout, and he looked way worse than he had in the kitchen. Nathan felt Demend’s unease as he slowly approached the pooch. Nathan remembered the distrust that had been in the dog’s eyes weeks before. Demend talked softly to the dog, and Nathan readied himself to save his mate if the sleeping dog woke and attacked. The dog didn’t move as Demend ran his fingers through its fur, and Nathan approached the starving mass. Nathan ran his fingers through the rough coat, at least what was left. Chunks of hair came out easily, telling Nathan the dog had been beyond stressed. Nathan stroked the dog slightly, leaving his fingers twisted in the coarse fur.

There is magic tied to the dog from the collar. I’m going to remove the collar and sever the magic flow. I don’t know what it will do, honestly it might kill him. But no animal should live with Demon magic tying them to something.

Why would a Demon bond the dog to the collar?
Nathan asked curiously. He could think of a number of reasons why the animal would be forced into something magical, and none of them were good. Nathan felt sick at the thought of what this animal was made to endure.

I don’t know. I can say the magic is only dark strands, which isn’t a good sign. Most magic uses a collection of elements, mixed with light and dark magic. Nothing is completely pure light, but the few things that are purely dark magic are always evil
, Demend answered as he undid the chain collar that was biting into the skin. Nathan turned his head away as he felt his mate using magic to get the collar away from the skin painlessly. Nathan cringed even though he wasn’t watching it. The dog collar came loose, and Nathan breathed easier, but still didn’t look at the wound.

Nathan felt a surge to the amount of magic Demend was using, and Nathan grew more concerned. Lately, his mate’s magic had become more unstable with the missing link of their fated trio. Nathan kept his hand locked loosely in the dog’s fur, but moved to hold Demend as the power flared beyond control. A torrent of sparked fog surrounded them, and Nathan felt himself drowning in the power that wasn’t meant for his kind. He tried to breathe, but the air was too heavy to travel into his lungs. Nathan reached through his bond, trying to assure himself Demend was alive, but the air crackled with lightening before exploding into nothingness.

A loud pounding woke D up, and D realized it was coming from his own head. He groaned at the jackhammer digging at the base of his skull. He opened his eyes, and immediately slammed them shut as tears leaked down his face. Daggers shot through his eyes, and D struggled to sit up, but gave up against the pain. Hands helped him move to a sitting position, and D was surprised to feel a small man behind him rather than Nathan. His heart thumped against the beat of the jackhammer, but D reached out to feel the bond still firmly in place. “Nathan?” D croaked against the razor blades that lined his throat.

“He’s on his way,” Angel said calmly from the other side of the room, but the tone was laced with worry. D grasped the bond and pushed his mind into Nathan’s.

Baby, I’m glad you’re awake. You scared the hell out of me. I’m almost to our house,
Nathan’s voice soothed. The terror didn’t disappear, and D knew nothing short of feeling his mate would take the fear away. His stomach revolted against the overuse of magic, and D had to lay his head down on his lap for a moment. The small fluttery hand soothed D in motions, and D found his body calming to the sensation. He leaned back into the body, fighting the nausea that seemed to find a home in D’s throat. It lodged there, struggling to choke him, and D felt the need to lie down. He pushed the feeling aside, focusing on his bond with Nathan, before wondering how he had gotten this way.

“What happened?” D asked Angel as he opened his eyes, dealing with the light shooting daggers for a moment to find his brother. The brown hues of his master bedroom comforted him. The window was open, pushing a light breeze through the room that smelled of a recent rain. He squinted against the invasion of light, allowing the pain to spread from his eyes to join the hammering in his head. He swiveled slightly to see the small man behind him, and the breath he had expelled from his lungs at the sight. The man was small, with skin the color of apricots. His hair spiked in different lengths, the color of coal, with maroon tips. His features were masculine, even with a nose piercing that sparkled with a small red stone. A small tattoo rested by his eye in a tear drop fashion of a crystalized flame. His eyes were beautifully unique, and D found himself lost in trying to discover the secret they held. The outer edges were maroon, which contrasted with the pale ice color that was shaped in a starburst from the center of the iris. The pain behind his eyes disappeared, but D was unable to look away from the eyes. As D stared, the ice seemed to widen and then shrink much like a twinkling star that hung in the heavens.

“Hi, baby,” Nathan said as he ran through the door, skidding to a stop next to D. D broke eye contact from the ice-blooded eyes to look at Nathan. His thick, raven-colored hair was messy, and dark circles surrounded his indigo eyes. Worry lined his face, and D felt the need to comfort his mate. D looked back to the small man with the captivating eyes before turning back to Nathan. He wondered if Nathan would be upset at the feelings the small man inspired inside, but shook off the worry since Nathan had to know from their bond. “Anyone want to tell me what happened?” D asked quietly.

“You overused your magic. You know how dangerous it is to try and sever magic from another realm. You are not a child, and you purposely put yourself in serious risk. You didn’t have any control, and got sucked into a magical torrent. Then, worse than anything else, you summoned when you barely had enough magic to physically hold you to this realm. If you ever do anything like this again, I swear, I’ll…” Angel ranted. “I don’t know, but it’ll be really bad!”

“I’m sorry, Angel. I can’t explain it, just that I had to do it. It felt like an obsession to free the dog from the Demon, and if I failed I would have tried again. I know how selfish it sounds, but…” D tried to explain, but Nathan was the only one who seemed to understand. Angel was mad and stomped his foot in annoyance before breezing out the door without even a good-bye. D knew he would be spending some serious time making it up to Angel. He couldn’t blame his brother. They had spent so long apart after his childhood attack. Angel had thought D had been dead, and after finding each other again, it had become a concern for them both. D didn’t know what he would do if he lost Angel.

“There’s a reason for your reaction. I felt the calling, too. The magic tried to swallow us. I couldn’t breathe. The bond between us felt like it was breaking. I blacked out for a few minutes after the explosion. When I came around, Angel was calming down a magical unicorn, and your dog was gone. This is Jason, and he was the dog you were trying to save. He-man, meet our mate,” Nathan said arrogantly, and D laughed at the nickname he had given Nathan when they first met. It actually made sense in an odd sort of way.

“Hi, I’m D, and apparently for the day, also He-man.” D turned to the smaller man. He looked him over for a second before deciding Jason didn’t really fit. D sniffed toward Jason, trying to determine what exactly he was, but all he could smell was alcohol. There was a hint of something magical, but D had never tried to smell magic before. He had to wonder at the situation, and how the small man had ended up playing Cujo in the woods. “So want to explain this whole situation to us? I am dying to hear how you ended up as Spot.” D thought about it for a moment. “No, not Spot, Fido.”

Has he told you his story?
D asked Nathan as Jason moved away under the interrogation, and the light daggers returned behind D’s eyes. Nathan’s concern radiated through their bond, but D held a hand up to pacify his worrisome mate. He had overused his magic, and that was something he would have to watch in the future. He didn’t want to scare Nathan any more than he already had. He was well aware of his limits, but sometimes he risked too much. It was a stupid way to die, and not the best aftereffects, either. He hated feeling like he had been hit by a semi, even though the symptoms would fade quickly.

No, he wouldn’t talk. He’s very quiet, and was really worried about you. We both were. You’ve been out for three days.
Nathan shook his head.

“Um, I have”—Jason paused for a moment, and a cute pink blush crept up his neck—“had bad taste in men. Safe to say he was controlling, and abusive. I left, and he didn’t like it. I moved on with my life, and he eventually caught up to me. Next thing I know, I was Fido.” Jason twisted his hands in the hem of his shirt, staring at the bed.

“Ok, I’ll buy that. What are you?” Nathan nodded as if the story fit into what he had seen from Jason. D smiled at Nathan’s serious expression and realized he was just grateful to be alive. The hammering in his head still pounded, but as long as they were all ok, it didn’t matter.

“I’m a Phoenix. Normally, at least. Recently, I was also a dog,” Jason said as he looked up, his maroon-ice eyes sparkling with mirth. D cocked his head to the side, trying to figure out the runt. Phoenixes were solo creatures, and D wasn’t sure he had ever heard of a mated Phoenix.

“I didn’t think Phoenixes had mates. In fact, I’m pretty sure that a Phoenix mating hasn’t ever been recorded, but then again with the fall of the Elves, matings didn’t get recorded. Do you know what we are?” D asked curiously, pausing to look at Nathan for a moment, before shrugging. D wasn’t sure why they never were recorded, but maybe it was because they liked living solo. It was possible they had mates, but ignored the bond for a life of solitude. D had enough of that life and wouldn’t go back to it for anything.

“I know he’s a wolf, but I’m not sure what you are. Your smell changes from species to species,” Jason said after a moment of thought. He spoke quietly and took his time before finishing. It was almost as if he was thinking about what exactly to say that wouldn’t offend D. D shook his head with a smile. His mate had a long way to go to heal from whatever his life experiences were. They all had a long way to go, and D nodded his head at the realization that they were meant to heal each other. Fate had been right in deciding to mate them.

“I’m a changeling. At least, that’s what my kind was called back when I was a child. I was born Elf, Dragon, and Incubus. As a young child I was infected with other Shaper-Shifter blood, and Vampire blood. So I’m a little of everything. My strongest forms are only the ones I was born with, but I can shift into other creatures,” D explained, not going into the details of the attack itself. He knew Jason would find out, but the attack wasn’t important anymore. Nathan had accepted him, even with all of his issues. Jason would accept them, or he wouldn’t have been fated to them.

A low rumble of noise echoed and D almost slammed his head against the bedframe. Nathan looked at the window, and D realized the noise was coming from outside. He pushed himself off the bed, and struggled to stand up. Jason was there immediately, holding his arm, leaning his smaller body against D. D felt his cock harden at the feel of the lithe body against his. Desire flooded the air and coiled through the bond from Nathan. D glared at Nathan for a moment, until Jason pressed his cock against D’s side. His irritation at being turned on against his will faded. D eyed the small man, fascinated by the desire that sparkled in his eyes. Angel’s voice broke the eye contact, and D struggled to not snap at his brother.