3013: MATED (3013: The Series) (17 page)

Alexis thought for a moment. “I
can still get you into the elite program if you still want to join the
Alliance. Your DNA is already on record so it will be just a matter of
registering you.”

“I can’t leave Marissa and I’m
fourteen now. It will be harder for me to get into the program.”

“That won’t be a problem. You
could bring Marissa with you. There are places in the city where she would be
taken care of. Scrolls are treated very well, I promise. I’ll speak with
Commander Spartan and—”

Simon’s eyes grew wide. “You know
Commander Spartan at high-command?”

Alexis smiled. “Yes, I do. Very
well in fact. He’s a friend and well as my former commander. I can contact him
now if this is something you would like to do.”

“Are you for real?” Simon asked
after a long moment of simply staring at her.

“She does not say what she does
not mean.” Brydan said as he stood. “Make your call, mate. Now come,
younglings. I bet neither of you have ever ridden a dragon before.”

Alexis laughed as Brydan and
Xavier led the children off into the open area and shifted into their dragon
forms. Xavier created harnesses for Simon and Marissa to sit on the dragon’s
backs and they took off into the skies. 

Galan held Alexis on his lap
while Thorn went into the tent to retrieve her wrist unit and they both sat
with her while she made the call into Jax. When her commander answered the call
his eyes nearly popped out of his head.

“What the fuck is up with your
eyes?”

Damn, she’d forgotten to block
the video.

“Ah…well, it’s part of being
mated to my Dragon Warriors.” She sighed. “Jax, I’m no longer human.”

“Sorry, could you repeat that? I
don’t think I heard you right.”

“You did. They converted me when
we mated.”

“I have no idea what the hell to
say to that.”

Quickly changing the subject, she
filled Jax in about the kids that they met and was instantly relieved when Jax
told her to bring them into the Capital.

“I’ll handle it,” Jax promised.
“We will make sure both of them are taken care of.”

“Thank you, Jax.”

Gray eyes studied her through the
screen. “Anything else you want to tell me, Lex?”

She shifted on Galan’s lap and
curiously found comfort in feeling his steel-hard erection beneath her. It was
a reminder that she wasn’t giving up her life. She was simply moving on to
bigger and better things.

Much bigger…

“Commander, I ah…I would like to
formally give notice that I will be resigning my position as a liaison
officer.”

Jax’s lip quirked up at the
corner. “I figured that, but I was waiting for you to say the word. I started
the process already and you can sign off when you get back. I’m away from the
Capital today. I’ll have Archer come meet you. He’ll get the kids settled and
will help the boy enlist.”

“Thanks, Jax.”

Jax studied her for a long moment
with his piecing gray eyes. “We’re gonna miss you, Lex.”

She felt her eyes prickling with
tears. “I’m going to miss you too, Jax. I’ll see you at the party tomorrow
night.”

“Count on it.”

When the call ended, Alexis
rested her head on Galan’s shoulder and Thorn ran his hand though her hair. “I
can hear the affection in your voice when you speak to him,” Galan said.
“Although I am not very happy about that, I am sorry you will miss your
friends.”

She wrapped her arms around him
and held on, turning her head to place a kiss on Thorn’s hand. “I will miss
them,” she admitted. “But as long as I have you, the rest doesn’t matter.”

“We will make you happy, love,”
Thorn swore.

 She smiled. “You already do.”

***

Chapter Eleven

“We do not have to go in,” Xavier
said gruffly.

Alexis took a deep breath to calm
her nerves and squeezed his hand with hers. She knew that her own anxiety was
driving her mates crazy, making them even more protective as they walked into
the Hall of Regents where the celebration for the Dragon Warriors was being
held.

Down the long corridor she could
see that the usually stark, dark gray interior of the building had been
decorated with streams of red material and banners highlighting the red and
black symbol of the United Federation Command Alliance. Chandeliers had been
brought in, filling the hall with light, and the sounds of laughter and
merriment could be heard from outside the building.

Alexis hovered by the entrance as
she saw that the hall was packed with people. Regents, along with high command
elites and their families stood around talking and laughing while others
perused the tables laden with food and drinks. It was a relaxed atmosphere, but
in the Capital political posturing was always at play. Most of the regents were
good men and women, but some of them were so focused on the rules that they
didn’t see how their decisions actually affected people in practice.

She didn’t socialize much, and
she was nervous about being the center of attention tonight. Aware that her
appearance with the guests of honor was going to cause a stir, she had a duty
to her mates and to herself to make sure she didn’t do anything to shame them.
She was dressed in a shimmering violet dress that Galan had created for her
because it matched her glowing eyes her mates loved so much. The gown flowed
over her curves like liquid amethyst, and the single strapped design reminded
her of something an ancient goddess would have worn.

She was pleased when she had
looked at herself in the mirror, but when she had stepped out of her room and
saw the look on her mates’ faces she had felt like the most beautiful woman in
the universe. She knew everyone would see the mating marks covering her body
and her mates were pleased that everyone would know she belonged to them.

Her warriors all wore black
leather pants and black shirts with gold and silver dragon designs on the back
that wrapped around to the front. They had changed each of the dragons’ eyes to
a startling violet color and it warmed her heart that they had done so in her
honor. They would have stood out in a crowd no matter what they wore. They
looked so handsome it took her breath away and heated her blood. They were less
formally dressed than the elite soldiers and officers in attendance who wore
their dress uniforms, but nothing could detract from their warriors presence or
the fact that they commanded attention simply by breathing.

And they were all hers.

Alexis and her mates had cut
their sojourn at the waterfall short, choosing to fly Simon and Marissa back to
the Capital to make sure they were taken care of. She had been amazed how well
her four mates had interacted with the children. It had brought tears to her
eyes to see a glimpse into the future at how it would be when their own child
was born and it was clear she had made the right decision to start a family
with them, no matter how quickly everything had happened.

Galan has kissed her softly, and
she knew he had been reading her emotions from the gentle way he caressed her
back. “We will be good fathers, mate.”

“You will be the best fathers,”
she had agreed, knowing it was true.

To everyone’s amusement, Simon
had seemed to gravitate towards Xavier, despite his gruff demeanor. After they
had gotten back from their ride on the dragons Xavier and Brydan had created
wooden swords and spent part of the afternoon teaching young Simon how to sword
fight while Thorn and Galan had entertained Marissa and Alexis by creating the
most beautiful flowers they had ever seen.

It struck her how different her
mates were regardless of how similar they were in appearance. Galan was her
sensitive lover. She knew he would teach their children kindness and
compassion, while Brydan, her troublemaker, would teach them fun and how to
laugh. Thorn was the serious one of the group, but there was an innate
thoughtfulness to him that was enhanced by how observant he was. And Xavier…he
was her gentle warrior. He had a quick temper, but his heart was full and
generous.

Separately, they were a force to
be reckoned with, but together they were unstoppable.

They had shared a meal together
then they had flown back to the Capital, landing on the roof of the guest
quarters. Xavier had sworn to her that he would make sure she was clothed
properly when they landed since she was nervous about seeing the soldiers they
had been going to meet. True to his word, when she had shifted back into her
human form she was dressed in her pants and vest, just like the rest of her
mates.

As soon as they had landed, she
saw Commander Sullivan Archer grinning at her as he stood watching them with
his hands on his hips. The wind teased his dark blonde hair into a haphazard
style and his light brown eyes sparkled with laughter as he had approached
them.

“That was bloody brilliant! And
holy stars, Jax wasn’t kidding. Your eyes are…well, shit, Lex. You look
amazing!”

All four of her mates had growled
at Archer, making Simon and Marissa giggle. Alexis had rolled her eyes at the
male posturing, knowing full well that her mates knew she thought of Sullivan
Archer like an older brother. Archer had introduced himself to the youths and
arranged for two of his most trusted soldiers to take them to their new homes.
Both Simon and Marissa were excited to go through the enhancement process, and
they were grateful for the new lives they would have from now on.

Archer had pretty much invited
himself to dinner with them and he had apologized to the Dragon Warriors,
telling them that he was so used to treating Alexis like his little sister that
he’d forgotten that her mates wouldn’t appreciate how familiar he was with her.
Once they relaxed a little, Archer got along great with her new mates.
Especially with Brydan since they seemed to have a similar sense of humor.

Now, she wished that she had
agreed to let Jax and Archer escort them since nerves had her heart racing and
her belly tied in knots. It was their first public appearance as a bonded unit,
and her introduction as a Dragon Warrior to everyone in the Alliance. This was
an important night, and she didn’t want to fuck anything up.

Pull yourself together,
Donovan.

That gave her pause. Well, hell…

What in all the worlds was her
last name now?

“Stop worrying,”
Xavier
ordered softly through their bond.
“We would like for you to call yourself
Alexis Volis Tesera.”

She relaxed and smiled up at him.
“I think that is the perfect name. Okay, I am done stalling. Let’s go in and
find me something to eat. I have to keep my strength up if I’m going to satisfy
my mates later…”

Xavier leaned down for a kiss,
but they were interrupted when a voice called out.

“Alexis.”

She froze at the sound of that
voice, wishing she never had to hear it again. Painful memories swept through
her mind. She felt her mates stiffen and their bodies braced as they went on
alert, obviously feeling what she was. She turned her head and saw Draven and
Cristof striding toward them from behind. Looking at them now, she couldn’t
believe she had once thought them the handsomest of men. They were nothing
compared to Xavier, Thorn, Galan and Brydan, and the pain of Draven and
Cristof’s betrayal faded under the soothing balm of her mates’ love.

Both men wore confident, cocky
smiles on their faces that faded as they saw her glowing eyes. “What in the
hell have you done to yourself?” Cristof exclaimed.

“We need to talk to you. Now,”
Draven ordered arrogantly, and she could feel his anger that she had eluded
them for so long.

They were angry?

That was laughable consider what
she knew was coming…

Alexis felt the instant
recognition hit her mates, and the sounds of their furious growls were enough
to scare the hardest of trained warriors. Moving faster than she could see,
Xavier grabbed Draven by the throat, jerking him up off his feet while her
sweet, normally gentle mate, Galan, shoved Cristof face-first into one of the
columns lining the entrance so hard pieces of pulverized stone rained down on
the floor at the impact. Fortunately, they had moved so they were slightly in
the shadows so no one saw the confrontation.

She knew her mates were angry,
but her jaw still dropped as she watched all four of her mates lose their minds
in spectacular fashion.

“Never speak to our mate again,”
Thorn growled at Draven as Xavier simply snarled silently at the terrified man
dangling from his grip. Draven wasn’t a small man, but Xavier’s casual display
of strength made it seem like he was almost weightless. Draven gripped at
Xavier’s arms, trying to break free. Xavier simply ignored the feeble attempts
to fight him off and left him dangling in the air.

“Forget you know her,” Galan
snarled at Cristof.  “She belongs to us now.”

“Who the hell are you?” Cristof
gasped.

“We are her mates, and we protect
what belongs to us. You have been warned,” Brydan said dangerously soft as his
hand changed into claws and he gently tapped one sharp talon against Cristof’s
cheek. “If you even look at her again, we will end you. Nod if you understand.”

Both Draven and Cristof nodded
frantically, and she could see both men were turning a very interesting shade
of purple from lack of oxygen.

“Let them go,” she said quietly.
“They aren’t worth this.”

The Dragon Warriors hesitated
then Xavier and Galan released them, letting the two men crash to the floor as
they gasped for breath. Draven and Cristof stumbled to their feet then ran away
as fast as they could, never once looking back.

“That was a little excessive,
wasn’t it?” Alexis asked, hands on her hips, not really angry but more amused
at how they had chosen to handle the men who had hurt her in the past.

Thorn wrapped his arms around
her, drawing her close. “Nay, that was fun. They cannot hurt you any longer,
but I believe we let them off too easily. I have the desire to hunt them down
and beat them until they weep for mercy.”

“They don’t matter anymore,” she
assured him, rubbing his arms affectionately. “What I felt for them isn’t even
a fraction of what I feel for you. I love you, all of you so much.”

“And we love you.” Brydan paused
as he shot her an amused glance. “You were really attracted to them? They were
weak and I am surprised they did not soil themselves with the fear I smelled
emanating from them.”

She choked on a laugh. “Well, you
are an intimidating lot, and my taste in men has gotten a lot better.”

“Aye, it has.”

Unwilling to waste one more
second thinking about her exes, Alexis let her mates take her into the party.
They entered the hall as a unit with Xavier and Thorn at her sides, Galan
behind and Brydan in the front so they were a united front. She could see that
they had the attention of everyone in the room as soon as they walked out into
the open area.

Strange as it was, the brief
scuffle with Draven and Cristof had calmed her nerves. Secure in her place at
the center of her new family, she held her head up high and put a smile on her
face. She nodded in greeting at several guests and saw their shock as they
noticed her glowing violet eyes and that she was holding hands with two of the
Dragon Warriors.

“I think my new eyes might be
a showstopper tonight,”
she teased.

“Your eyes are the most
beautiful sight I have ever seen,”
Galan whispered back.

She was amused as both Thorn and
Xavier growled as they caught a man eying her in appreciation. The man’s eyes
widened and he fled, taking off through the crowd. She laughed at the satisfied
look on Thorn’s face then had to roll her eyes when Xavier growled at another
man.

“Behave yourself,”
she
scolded.

“But you love it when I
misbehave,”
Xavier growled back, playfully.

“I do. Let’s just get through
this evening without any more drama, shall we? Then we can go home and
misbehave together,”
she purred.

“I think that dress is too
tight. I do not like how these other males are looking at you,”
Thorn
grumbled, looking down at her through narrowed eyes as they made their way
through the crowd.

That made her laugh.
“They
aren’t looking at me, silly. They are looking at my very handsome, very large
mates.”

“Nonsense,”
Galan scoffed.
“You are gorgeous, mate, and it gives me a thrill to know these males covet
you but they cannot touch you…or we would kill them.”

“Aye,”
Xavier growled.
“We
would.”

“And we would have fun doing
it,”
Brydan said as he turned around to wink at her.

“You guys are so crazy,”
she said with a laugh.
“Just remember that I have magic now, so you need to
be careful about who you flirt with tonight or I might have to get mean.”

“We do not flirt,”
Xavier protested,
insult in every word.

She shot him what she hoped was a
haughty expression.
“See that you don’t or I might have to put these new
claws to good use.”

Galan let out a purr as he
stepped forward so he was pressed against her back.
“I love when you get all
possessive of us, mate.”

She felt his cock thicken against
her back and couldn’t help rubbing her ass against him.
“I keep what belongs
to me. Now, let’s go have some fun.”

“There she is! Take her into
custody!”