Glenn, Stormy - Scales and a Tail [Midnight Matings 2] (Siren Publishing Classic ManLove) Read online

  Someone slammed into Sebastian from behind. He stumbled forward, tripping over the small man that he had been holding. Sebastian twirled around to make sure he was safe just in time to see the shifter dive towards the little man.

  Going purely on instinct, Sebastian gathered fire in his throat and let it loose. Black smoke filled the air, obscuring his vision of the small man for a brief moment. Sebastian reached through the smoke and grabbed onto the first bit of skin he felt.

  He pulled hard, breathing a sigh of relief when the little man came sliding across the floor toward him. He was slightly singed but otherwise seemed okay. Sebastian grabbed the man up in his arms and sprinted for the door.

  He broke through it just as something slammed into him again. The little man in his arms went flying. Sebastian fell to the floor, landing hard on his hands and knees. His teeth snapped together over his bottom lip, drawing blood. He growled and curled his hands into fists.

  Sebastian pushed himself to his feet and turned to look at the shifter crouching by the doors. He spit the blood in his mouth out on the floor then wiped the remaining blood from his lips and glanced at it for a moment then up at the shifter.

  “I’m getting really tired of this shit,” Sebastian growled. “You’re not getting the little guy so bugger off.”

  “Mine!” the shifter shouted.

  Sebastian rolled his eyes. He just wanted to go home, no fuss, no muss. He didn’t want to fight his way out of the damn castle. It didn’t look like he was going to get what he wanted without a fight.

  Of course, if he took the reason for the fight out of the picture…Sebastian turned to see the little man he’d held a few minutes earlier huddled against the wall, hugging his knees to his chest. Sebastian gestured with his hand for the man to come to him.

  The man frantically shook his head, his wavy white hair bouncing around his face. Sebastian growled deeper, gesturing with his hand again.

  “Come here!”

  Violet eyes widened fearfully. The small man climbed to his feet and walked the distance between them until he stood directly in front of Sebastian. His thin little body trembled. Sebastian almost groaned with the way the man’s eyes dropped submissively down to the floor.

  “Do you want to be mated to this man?” he asked softly, hoping his gentle voice would calm the man.

  “No,” he whispered. “Please.”

  The moment the words were spoken, Sebastian opened his mouth and let out a billow of smoke, enveloping the man. This smoke wasn’t pure black like normal, but gray and tinged with blasts of red flames.

  It was the mating fire of his kind. As long as he didn’t exchange blood with the little man, the effects would wear off in a few hours. For now, it would mark the frightened man as his, warning all others to steer clear of him or suffer Sebastian’s wrath.

  The man trembled and cried out, grabbing the back of his neck. Sebastian knew he was feeling the brand that all mates felt when they were claimed. Sebastian’s life symbol would be burned into the man’s skin, only fading when he died—or if Sebastian didn’t complete the mating in the next twenty-four hours.

  Satisfied that the man had been saved from the shifter, Sebastian grabbed him by his arm and jerked him close to his side. He turned back to give the shifter a bored stare. “Now it’s no longer an issue. He has been claimed and is no longer available.”

  “You’ll be sorry,” the shifter sneered. “He was mine. He’ll be mine again.”

  “Yeah, yeah.” Sebastian made a shooing motion with his free hand. “Get along little doggie. We’ve had enough of you.”

  Sebastian knew he had guessed the shifter’s race when the man growled and suddenly sprouted fur and fangs and two pointed ears. There were some things that were instantly recognizable in certain breeds…like ears and a tail. Fur was a big one, too. Sebastian had scales.

  “I’m going to kill you!” the shifter snarled.

  Sebastian rolled his eyes. Like he had never heard that before. He didn’t usually start fights, just because he hated the drama involved. But he would certainly finish one, given the chance. He wouldn’t back down from a challenge.

  “When and where, furball?”

  “How about here and now?”

  “Very well.” Sebastian twisted his head left and right, popping a few vertebrae, then pushed the small man at his side behind him. He flexed his claws and let his teeth extend, a small billow of smoke coming out of his nostrils. He gestured with his hand for the shifter to come toward him. “Let’s get to it then.”

  The shifter tensed and crouched as if getting ready to pounce. Sebastian braced himself for the fight to come then dropped his jaw in shock when someone barreled into the shifter, sending him crashing to the floor.

  Before the shifter could gain his feet, he was yanked up and a vampire sank his teeth deep into the shifter’s throat. A long frustrated wail filled the air as the shifter was claimed by another. Sebastian almost felt bad for the guy—almost.

  The shifter was yanked to his feet and dragged off before he could protest. Sebastian snickered and turned to head to his rooms again, only remembering the small sprite when he nearly tripped over him again.

  “Well, what am I going to do with you?”

  Sebastian’s mouth dropped open when the man before him suddenly shifted, dropping through his clothes to the hard floor beneath him. He reached down and started sifting through the clothes, just barely catching the sight of white fur before it started scurrying across the floor.

  “Oh no, you don’t!” Sebastian snapped as he grabbed the bunny by the scruff of the neck and lifted him up into the air. He looked the rabbit over, a slow smirk starting to cross his lips as an idea came to him. “Yes, I think you’ll do just fine.”

  The bunny started to struggle. Sebastian hissed when the little furry’s hind legs came up and scratched his arm, leaving deep bleeding welts. “Knock it off,” he growled, shaking the bunny. “I’m not hurting you.”

  The bunny glared, flattening his long ears against the side of his head.

  “Now, you just be a good little bunny and we’ll get along fine,” he said as he tucked the bunny under his arm and walked back into the main gathering room, heading for the dais of elders. The fighting seemed to stop the further he walked into the room, people parting to give them a wide berth.

  “You’re not being a good bunny,” Sebastian said as the bunny continued to struggle. Sebastian lightly thumped him on the back end. He almost chuckled when the bunny stopped struggling, but flattened his ears down to his head even further. At least he listened well.

  “Elder Burke,” Sebastian called out when they reached the dais, “I wish to have my mating recorded.”

  Sebastian could feel the bunny’s heart start to thunder as he was held him up for the Elder’s inspection. His hind legs were pulled up close to his chest, and he tucked his tail, as if he was trying to look as small as possible. It wasn’t hard. Sebastian’s hand was almost as big as the bunny’s entire body.

  “Yes, well,” the elder said, “I can see your mark on him. Has he marked you?”

  “Elder.” The man chuckled as if greatly amused. “Dragons do not get marked.”

  Sebastian was a little surprised when the rabbit in his hand suddenly went slack. He felt his grip starting to slip and grabbed the bunny with both hands, cradling it against his chest. The damn thing was out cold.

  “Elder, if you don’t mind?” Sebastian said as he got a better grip on the pure white rabbit.

  He was really beginning to rethink this whole bunny thing. Claiming the little furball had seemed like the thing to do considering the circumstances. Now, he wasn’t so sure. The damn thing was as limp as a dishrag. Sebastian was hoping he hadn’t killed the bunny or given him a heart attack.

  “Very well, Sebastian, please kneel and…” The elder grimaced then waved his hand at the floor. “Just put the bunny down there.”

  Sebastian knelt down on the floor and laid the bunny down be
tween him and the elder. The moment his hands lifted away, the bunny was up and running. Sebastian let out a loud growl and dove after him, catching the bunny’s hind legs in his hand before the damned thing could get away.

  He scrambled to get a better hold on the little guy. Once his had a firm grip, he held the bunny tightly to his chest. Sebastian could feel the bunny’s heart thundering against his fingers. The little thing was terrified.

  “You’re fine,” Sebastian whispered. He placed the bunny’s body between his arm and body and held his hand under him, his fingers wrapping around the bunny’s neck. The bunny jerked when Sebastian started stroking his fur, his heart pounding even faster. “Calm yourself, little one. No one is going to hurt you.”

  Little by little, Sebastian could feel the bunny’s heart rate start to slow. It took a few minutes before the bunny’s body relaxed. Satisfied that the bunny wasn’t going to run again, Sebastian looked up at the elder.

  “Please continue, Elder Burke.”

  “Yes, well…”

  Elder Burke looked a little uncomfortable. Sebastian didn’t care. He wanted this over so he could go home. He had things to do. He didn’t have time for this little game the council of elders wanted to play.

  Hence, the bunny.

  Sebastian had been astonished when he heard the elders’ words, not that anyone would know it to look at him. It would never do for the biggest and baddest of shifter kind to be seen flabbergasted, but that was exactly how Sebastian had felt.

  “As Elder of the Draconic Clan,” Elder Burke said, “I accept your mating, Sebastian Drakus.”

  Sebastian didn’t know exactly what occurred when a mating was accepted and recorded by the elders, but he didn’t expect the agony that shot up through his head from the base of his neck. Sebastian cried out and dropped forward, using his free hand to brace himself.

  The bunny held against his chest screamed. It was a horrible sound and one Sebastian hoped he never heard again—like fingernails down a chalkboard. When the pain started to subside, Sebastian quickly checked that the bunny was still alive. He was breathing heavily, but he didn’t look too injured.

  Sebastian breathed a sigh of relief. He didn’t want the little guy to die. A mating was very serious stuff. A dead mate was even worse. He looked up at the very grim looking elder. “Is that everything? Is it done?”

  “Your mating has been recorded, Sebastian, but you need to know there is a clause,” the elder said as he reached for an envelope off a nearby table then held it out to Sebastian.

  Sebastian barely refrained from rolling his eyes as he took the envelope then tucked it onto his shirt pocket. “Of course there is.”

  “This envelope is only to be opened once your mating as been consummated and not a moment before.” The elder pointed a finger at Sebastian. “And remember, Sebastian, you must protect your mate at all costs. Your life threads are now combined. If he dies, you die, and vice versa.”

  “What?” Sebastian snapped.

  This wasn’t exactly what Sebastian had planned when he chose the little bunny. He stared down at the bunny in his hands as sense of horror filled him. It seemed like the perfect option, considering the situation. He’d claim the bunny until this fiasco was over then send him on his way. As long as he didn’t complete the mating, it was perfectly acceptable in his world.

  Now, he was going to be the laughingstock of his clan.

  “Fuck! I’m mated to a bunny?”

  Chapter 2

  Beauregard bounced as he landed on the bed Sebastian tossed him onto. The moment he stopped bouncing, he shifted back into his human form and started looking around for something to cover himself. He needed to go retrieve his clothes.

  When he couldn’t immediately spot anything, he got up and walked over to the nearest dresser and started rifling through it. He tossed shirt after shirt over his head. Paired socks by the half-dozen landed on the floor. Then came the silk boxers. Beauregard held up one pair of silk boxers—black with little red hearts.

  Who wears this shit? Beauregard tossed them onto the pile building up on the floor. He needed a good pair of jeans, a simple cotton shirt, and some high-tops. Who wore all this fancy crap? And how could they stand it? It had to be incredibly uncomfortable.

  “What the hell are you doing?”

  Beauregard rolled his eyes and turned to face the dragon. He waved his hand down his naked body. “I’d think that was fairly obvious, even to you.”

  “Apparently not,” Sebastian said as he crossed his arms over his chest and arched a dark black eyebrow at Beauregard. “If it was obvious, I wouldn’t have asked.”

  “Hello, I’m naked.”

  Sebastian tilted his head slightly. “Yes, I can see that.”

  “I need something to wear. My clothes are back in the great room and damned if I’m going to parading my naked ass around for everyone to see.”

  Beauregard’s eyebrows shot up in surprise when Sebastian growled and his features suddenly darkened. Uh oh, he was in trouble. Sebastian looked pissed. The puff of dark smoke that suddenly spiraled out of Sebastian’s nostrils didn’t help.

  “You will not parade your naked ass around for anyone to see,” Sebastian snapped. “Is that perfectly clear? I am the only one who gets to see you naked.”

  Beauregard’s eyes rounded. “Whoa, where’d that come from?”

  Sebastian blinked as if his words had surprised even him. “Damned if I know.”

  Beauregard laughed. He was suddenly incredibly amused with the situation. He was a freaking rabbit, and now he was mated to a dragon, and a possessive dragon at that. The situation was just too funny.

  “It’s not that amusing,” Sebastian said after a few moments.

  “Yes, it is.”

  “No, it is not.”

  “Is, too.” To back up his statement, Beauregard stuck is tongue out at Sebastian.

  “Is not,” Sebastian barked.

  “Is, too.”

  “Is—fuck, I’m arguing with a bunny.”

  Sebastian rubbed his hand down his face and turned away. Beauregard felt sorry for the man. Sebastian hadn’t asked for this mating any more than he had. It probably wasn’t fair of him to make fun, even if the situation was amusing.

  “Actually, we’re called rabbits, not bunnies,” Beauregard said. “We’re small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order of Lamorpha. I, specifically, am a European rabbit, or Oryctolagus cuniculus.”

  “You’re a fucking bunny,” Sebastian snapped as he swung around.

  Beauregard cocked an eyebrow and grinned. “Not yet, but I could be given the right incentive.”

  Sebastian’s mouth dropped open at the same moment his silver eyes widened to an almost impossible size. Beauregard smirked. He was used to freaking people out. He’d been doing it all of his life, even in his own colony. He just hoped it didn’t bring Sebastian to hate him as others of his kind did.

  “Are you for real?” Sebastian asked. “Do you not understand the situation we’re in?”

  Beauregard sighed deeply and crossed his arms over his chest. “I think I understand the situation perfectly. You tried to use me to get past the elder’s little mating curse, and it came back to bite you in the ass. Now you’re stuck with me.”

  Sebastian blinked for a moment, then chuckled as he sat down on the end of the bed. He rested his face in his hands for a moment then glanced up, clasping his hands together and letting them dangle between his knees.

  “Yes, I guess that does sum it up pretty well.”

  Beauregard wasn’t sure how he felt about the sadness he could hear in Sebastian’s voice. Surely it couldn’t be that bad being mated to a rabbit—right?

  “Is that fate so bad?” he asked softly.

  “Do you know who I am?”

  “Uh, not really,” Beauregard answered. “I mean, I know you’re a dragon because you said so and you went to Elder Burke to have our mating recorded. I know he’s the elder of the Draconic Clan, your clan.
I also know your name is Sebastian.” Beauregard shrugged. “But, I guess that’s about it.”

  Sebastian dropped his head to stare down at the floor. His shoulders slumped. He looked so dejected. “My name is Sebastian Drakus. I am the royal prince of the Drakus Clan, the highest order of dragons.”

  “Okay.” Beauregard frowned. That sounded pretty fancy, but what did he know of fancy? He lived in a studio apartment because it was all he could afford on his meager salary. “And that means what?”

  Sebastian’s head popped up. “You don’t know?”

  Beauregard shrugged. He felt confused, and he didn’t like feeling confused. It always made him feel stupid. “No.”

  Sebastian leapt to his feet. “It means I’m the fucking prince of my kind, damn it.”

  Beauregard took a step back, wondering if he needed to be wary of this large man. They were supposed to be mated. As far as Beauregard knew, that meant that they couldn’t hurt each other. But maybe that was just in a rabbit mating.

  “Congratulations?”

  Sebastian stared for a moment then dropped back on the mattress, covering his eyes with his arm. His shoulders shook as he laughed, but Beauregard didn’t think the man was laughing from amusement.

  Beauregard watched Sebastian, wondering what he could do to make the man feel better. If he had his little purse, he could give Sebastian one of his knickknacks, but his purse and everything else was back in the grand ballroom. He didn’t even have any bubble gum to share.

  Beauregard’s lips twisted together as he tried to think of something. When a sudden cold breeze blew through the room, making him shiver and reminding him that he was standing there naked, a sudden idea filled his mind.

  Before he could dissuade himself differently, Beauregard used his rabbit abilities to jump up on the bed and straddled Sebastian’s body. Rabbits could jump really high in either human or shifted form.

  Sebastian’s arm dropped away from his face, and he stared up at Beauregard like he couldn’t quite believe what he was seeing. Beauregard grinned and wiggled his hips.