Falk Clan Tales - Chapter 100: Chapter 100

Nick walked into Wet Heat with his brother Devine following closely. The place reeked of humans and something else in the darkness near the stage where females writhed on long metal poles in next to nothing.
He spied his prey front and center, waving around hundred-dollar bills that did not belong to him, and Nick’s inner beast snarled angrily. He wanted nothing more than to take the human outside and burn him to ashes with a single shot of his flames, but Nicholas knew better,
“Not here,” Devine whispered from beside him.
Movement to his right caught his attention, and soon two enormous men were blocking his path. Devine grinned, his brother itching for a brawl, but Nicholas needed to keep his head.
“Boss asked us to bring you over,” one male muttered.
“Make it quick. I have business here,” Nick growled, motioning for the men to lead the way.
He was brought to a corner table where a beefy barrel-chested male sat smoking a cigar and watching the dancers. He smelled of fur and musk, a dank combination in the darkly lit establishment.
“Youse two coming into my territory unannounced, looking for trouble, that ain’t good,” the male stated.
“We are not looking for trouble, Mr.?”
“Call me Tiny.”
“Well, Tiny, we are not here for trouble, but you see that human there?”
“Who, Roger? Yeah, I see him.”
“He stole from my mate, but before I go any further, introductions perhaps?”
“Tiny DeGrassi, this is my club. That’s Lou and that’s Vino. We’re part of the Gennaro family.”
“Mafia?” Devine whispered.
“Silverbacks,” Nicholas replied and grinned.
“That’s right,” Tiny said. “And you are?”
“Falk Clan.”
The large man’s eyebrows raised, and he nodded. Clearly, they had heard of the New World Dragon Clan, and Nicholas was glad. Silverbacks were a rare Shifter breed, and he would have hated to wage war on these men for interfering with his protecting Minerva.
“Glad to meet youse. So, what I know about that prick Roger is he came in today waving around money like he hit the lotto. I collected a debt he owed me and let him stay for the show. Is this money your mate’s?” Tiny asked, shaking his head.
“Yes, I imagine it is,” Nicholas replied. “You can keep your money, Tiny. I just need a word with Roger.”
“Certainly. How about the back room?”
“Perfect,” Nick replied and offered the Gorilla Shifter a small bow.
He followed Vino to the back with his brother, Devine, and ten minutes later, Roger was brought in. The human smelled like piss and fear, a combination that made Nicholas want to spit on the floor.
“Roger, is it?”
“Y-yeah, I’m Roger. Who the fuck are you, man?”
Nicholas did not tolerate rudeness from a lot of people, and Roger certainly was not one of them. He gritted his teeth and glared at the idiot male who was clutching a small metal box in one hand, like a child holding a lunch box, and trying to look tough doing it.
“Devine. Box.”
His brother came out of the shadows and ripped the box from the human’s weak grip. This was going to be easier than Nick thought.
How disappointing.
“Fuck, man! You came outta nowhere. Give that back. It’s mine!”
“We both know better than that, Roger. And for the next five minutes I am going to show you exactly why you are not going to go near Minerva Lykos again,” Nicholas growled, and his chest heated up dangerously with his Dragon’s fire.
“What? OMG! What are you? Ahhhhhhhh!”
It seemed the weak-minded human had a fear of fire and physical altercations. Who knew?
Good thing for Nick that Roger’s screams were covered up by the pulsating bass of the music coming from the club. By the time Nick was finished convincing the human not to utter a word about any of this and to leave Minnie alone, Tiny was waiting for them by the door.
“Thank you, Tiny, for the use of your backroom. I suggest not allowing Roger to build up any debt with you after this, since his well has officially run dry.”
“Got it. Take care, fellas.”
“Thank you. Good night.”
He walked to the truck with Devine, placing the metal box in a grocery bag in the back seat. His Dragon was anxious and unhappy, the beast had truly wanted to finish the scumbag off, but he could not do that. Minnie had specifically asked him not to. As if he knew what the male needed, Devine snorted a challenge and Nicholas turned to face his brother.
“Want to do this here? Now?” Nicholas asked, already grinning.
“We can come back for the car, brother. What say you?”
“I say, get ready to lose!” he snarled, taking to the skies, and cloaking himself with his innate Dragon magic.
A race. Hurtling through the skies with his brother was exactly what he needed to expend his excess energy. He could not go back to Minerva amped up this way. His Dragon would demand he mark her with no explanation or consideration for her feelings and desires.
So, what is this really about, brother?
Hearing Devine’s voice inside his head had been a typical occurrence back on the Isle of Pain when their job had been to circle their land and fight off demons from the Underworld who’d dared invade. But it had been a while and Nicholas almost allowed himself to be distracted for a moment.
You will not get the upper hand by employing tricks, Dev.
What tricks, you fool? I am asking my brother a serious question. Don’t I have the right to know what you’re feeling?
Um no, Mommy, you don’t, Nicholas scoffed.
He beat his wings against the bitter cold air currents fighting against him. Their race would be to the bridge and back to the car again, and he was already in the lead. Devine might have a longer reach when they were in their skin, but his Dragon was not as fast and lithe as Nicholas’, probably because of the hard spikes he carried with him, always on the ready for battle.
I just want to help, brother.
Fine. I am thinking of asking Minerva to be my mate.
Asking? What do you mean? Either she is or is not.
Not that simple. Mates might be fated to be together, but she is a person and has a choice in the matter.
But if your Dragon claims she is your mate, and she refuses, you could die, Nick.
I know. I am aware, Dev, but the thing is, I really love her. I care about her independence and her happiness. I will not bind her to me without her consent.
So, when will you ask her to be yours?
Fuck. I don’t know. I had not thought that far ahead. Maybe a few weeks.
Weeks? Nick, you will deteriorate by then. Look at your Dragon tonight, for fuck’s sake. You were two seconds away from lighting your car on fire and telling the whole fucking world that Dragon Shifters exist!
Fuck. You are right. I will need to move faster, but Dev—what if she says no?
The brothers slowed their pace and Nicholas looked at Devine for any hint of reassurance.
She would be a fool to turn you down, Nicholas, Even if you are doomed to second place in all of our races!
Nicholas snapped his jaws as Devine tapped the bridge with his tail and did an abrupt about face back towards the car. His brother had used Nick’s own distraction to win their race.
Sneaky bastard.
Nicholas would have laughed if he could have, but Dragons do not go around chuckling loudly. His brother was a right devil at times, but he would never want anyone else for that position. Truth was, he had never seen him this happy before. That was because of Sunny and the Falk brothers.
Coming to Maccon City had been the turning point in both their lives. For a while, Nicholas had thought he was there solely for his brother to find a purpose. He’d felt alone and adrift, but now that he’d met Minerva, things were making sense.
His Dragon pushed harder, ignoring the fat, fluffy white flakes that started coming down from the whited-out sky. Christmas was not something he’d ever celebrated before, but he felt his spirit kindle at the thought of the holidays this year.
Finally, the TopazDragon had someone to share it with—if she would have him, of course.
His Dragon refused to believe the sexy little minx would turn him down, but there was always the possibility. Frowning, Nick swapped scales for skin and dressed under the cloak of his magic before he and Devine left for home.
After dropping his brother off at the beachfront mansion they had built together, Nicholas pulled into the sparsely graveled driveway and parked in front of the house he’d been hellbent on buying all year long with the express purpose of knocking it down—only, now, it felt different. He felt different. Nicholas did not want to bulldoze the one place Minerva felt happy during her childhood.
It needed work, for sure, and much more than the small cosmetic changes they had made just so she could move in. Nicholas paused and looked at the small, beat up home, and inside his head he began to build castles. Two columns and a wrap-around porch, an in-ground pool, and a four-car garage.
They would need to add bedrooms for their young. Fuck, his heart thudded at the possibility that Minerva would want to carry his babes someday. Yes, it was no secret he wanted children, but for the first time, offspring were second in his desires to mate. He wanted Minerva, children or not, she was it for him. Having young would come later and it would be a choice they made together.
But if she said no kids, then that was fine. It was not a deal breaker. There was no such thing as far as he was concerned. He did not even understand the terminology humans tossed about so freely. No one should put a price tag on love, and wasn’t that what deal breakers were?
Oh fuck, love?
Yes, love.
Nicholas exhaled a huff of air. Feelings were not his comfort zone, but for Minerva, he would try. He mounted the steps, careful to avoid the sections his crew had cut out where the wood had rotted through.
Small piles of snow were forming as more and more flakes stuck to the ground and old porch, and he grinned, thinking how wonderful the future could be. They would live here, he had no doubts. And he would be sure to build her a rooftop studio first, so she had the best light for her work.
Nick was internally clicking off everything he would need to send in an email to the architect they’d hired as part of their firm. So caught up in his musings, Nicholas barely noticed the shift in energy when he unlocked the door and crossed the threshold.
His Dragon roared, the beast scratched at him from inside the metaphysical plane where he existed till called. Nick tried to keep up with what Minnie was saying, but the sexy little minx was a wreck, and his heart was breaking over it. She looked so damn cute in a pair of sweats and a tank top liberally splattered with paint and clay.
“What are you saying?” he finally found the nerve to ask, half afraid his voice would close permanently lest he get it out.
“I fell in love with you.”
Whatever else she said, Nick was listening, but nothing meant as much to him as those six little words. Still, he stood and waited until she was finished, kneeling on the floor, and covering her face to quiet her sobs. That was the last straw.
Nicholas could not just stand there any longer. He crouched beside her, lifting her up and cradling her in his arms like she was something precious. And she was. The female was his whole heart, she just did not know it yet. An error he was going to correct right now.
“What are you doing?” she asked, her face buried against his chest.
“I’m taking you to bed, mate.”
“Nicky, I can’t. If I sleep with you, I’ll just fall harder, and I know I said I wouldn’t—wait, did you say mate?”
“That’s right,” he replied, placing her gently on the bed.
“B-but I’m not your m-mate,” she stuttered between sobs.
“You are.”
He removed his clothing first, then went to work on hers. A tug here, a pull there, and soon, they were both gloriously naked.
“Well, when did you know?”
“Almost from the start,” he said, climbing over her body and nudging her thighs apart.
She opened for him, making room for him, and cradling him in the warmth of her thighs. Fuck, she was beautiful, and Nick had never felt so perfectly at home as right there with her. He leaned down, kissing her nose, her head, eyelids, and chin. All the while, he whispered the same thing over and over to her.
“I love you too, minx. My sweet mate. Pretty mate. Good Wolf.”
“You love me?” she asked breathlessly.
“Of course. Didn’t you know? Es meus.”
Minerva’s mouth opened. Her tongue was tangling with his and he deepened their kiss, swallowing her moans and sighs. She tasted like sunshine and winter winds, like all his hopes and dreams rolled into one perfect little package.
“My people have a tradition,” he murmured against her mouth, taking her hand, and placing it on the mark of his rose he carried over his heart.
“What is it?” she asked, curiosity shining in her golden eyes.
“When Dragons choose a mate, we gift them with part of our lifespan, our lifeblood, by marking them with our roses. I want you to have my topaz rose.”
“Topaz rose,” she repeated, tracing the pattern on his skin.
“Yes, love. Everything I am, everything I have, is for you. Will you take it?” he whispered urgently, their kisses growing more passionate with every thrust of their tongues and press of their lips.
Passion burned, and desire clawed at him like a living thing. She was right there, willing, waiting, writhing, but he needed her words first. He had to know she wanted this as much as him. His gums burned with the need to loose his fangs, and Nicholas’ thick cock sat nestled right between her slick folds, but he did not press for entry—not until she answered one very important question.
“Can I keep you?”