Chapter 1 - Echo
It took everything in me to be near Sebastian. I knew it was what I had to do; Eclipse knew she had to calm Apollo, but it felt wrong. I felt dirty, and my body still ached from where he marked me, as well as the bite on my thigh. Griffin, Luca, and Jerry hovered, which made me feel even worse.
The days leading up to King Drake’s visit were filled with organizing the festival and putting out fires with vendors, volunteers, and security. Thankfully, Conner, Josh, and Jerry dealt with most security issues. I stayed busy to keep from completely falling apart. I figured if I was too busy to think about it, I wouldn’t have to deal with it.
I had just walked out of my music room and into the living room when I heard Seb speaking with Luca. “Drake brought Ace, Dante, and Dmitri. Things are about to get interesting.”
Luca looked pained, and Sasha looked sick. Wynter, on the other hand, looked positively giddy. These were her relatives; how bad could they really be? Griffin was still here; he had been staying in Jerry’s old room, but with King Drake now here, he said he would head home. I wasn’t ready for that, and Luca told him he could stay in our room.
I wondered what the Dragon King would say about that arrangement. Jerry seemed very stressed about King Drake’s visit. Luca had mentioned that the king had all but ordered Jerry to move to Alaska so a mate could be found for him. The king is apparently focused on growing his colony. He will be sorely disappointed that Jerry chose me, and that made me a little nervous.
Wondering what one wears when meeting dragon royalty, I asked Wyn, and she chuckled. “My uncle isn’t big on ceremony. Wear what is comfortable. I took note of her jeans and blouse and dressed in a similar style. I didn’t want to be over- or under-dressed. Slipping the sun and moon necklace on, I let my hair fall in waves down my back. I checked my reflection and frowned.
The blouse was too low and showed part of Liam’s mark as well as Seb’s. Sighing, I went back into my closet and finally found a blouse that covered up to my neck. Checking my reflection again, I noticed Skye standing behind me, clutching her doll.
“What’s wrong, angel?”
The tears that started cascading down her face broke me. Picking her up, I sat and cuddled her close. It took a few minutes before Skye could talk. “Mommy bought Ember and Summer new dresses for the festival, but not me.”
Are you kidding me right now? I wanted to scream. I didn’t have time for this, but I knew I wouldn’t make Skye feel unimportant. Hugging her tight, I kissed her cheek. “Elena and Gabe need something special for the festival, too. So, once we get the dragon royals settled, how about the three of us go shopping?”
She lit up just like a Christmas tree, and that made me smile. Elena, my nosy pup, had walked in. “I want a purple dress.” Purple was her new favorite color.
I heard Wynter’s squeal and knew our guests had arrived. Gathering Skye and Elena close, we headed downstairs. I almost fell down the stairs when my eyes landed on the four males who just walked through my door. Holy Mountain Men! They were huge.
Blinking several times, just to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating, I pasted a smile on my lips. When they noticed me, one of them breathed out, “Seraphina.”
My eyes widened, and I tried to take a step backward, but Skye had wrapped herself around my leg. The entire foyer had gone silent, and I could just stare at the hotter-than-sin male who called me by my mother’s name.
Wynter grabbed the guy’s arm. “No, Uncle Ace. That’s Echo, Seraphina’s daughter.”
Ace. He was the King’s brother. How did he know my mother? I would guess him a little younger than the age my mother would be if she had lived. The other older male caught my attention, and I felt my body react when his eyes roamed freely over me. Eclipse stepped forward and whispered, “Mate.”
I blinked and sucked in a deep breath when she whispered that. Forcing all emotions from my face, I focused on staying upright and not tumbling down the stairs. What in the hell did she mean? How could he be our mate? I didn’t realize I had been staring, but holy shit, the Dragon King was fabulous, and I might be drooling just a bit while dampness pooled in my panties.
His dark hair had deep auburn highlights and fell to his shoulders, and his light amber eyes could see straight into my soul. He was a living, breathing mountain standing at least two inches taller than Sebastian. His brother was very similar to him in looks, but maybe an inch shorter and with shorter hair that had more auburn in it.
“Thank you, Echo, for opening your home to us. I know we kind of sprang this on you.” The mountain spoke in a very deep voice, and I blinked; my body reacted in a rather embarrassing way, and I prayed nobody noticed. Eclipse nudged me, and I remembered how to speak.
“Our home is always open to guests, Your Majesty. Luca and I just hope your stay is comfortable. We have a houseful while the Alpha Mansion undergoes renovations.” I had to swing Skye up into my arms to be able to continue down the stairs.
Holding out my hand to the king, he grasped it between both of his, and I felt a shock of energy pulse between us. His eyes widened slightly, but I made sure my face remained neutral – Eclipse whined at the contact and rolled over, purring. He studied me for a moment before turning and pulling his brother to his side.
