A.O.E.M.: Chasing Dragons Read online

  Counting didn’t help. Not even thinking of the perilous journey ahead, not when Les was standing here in the deep woods with his one true love doing his very best to make Les come. Tady’s mischievous grin and twinkling blue eyes belied his own precarious position.

  Not only was he balanced on a fallen log, he was beginning to shift his weight from one foot to the other, moving his hips as well in an obvious ploy to increase the contact between Les’s searching fingers and Tady’s perfectly smooth ass.

  Les couldn’t stand it, and weren’t rules made to break? He pressed hard, driving his middle finger deep inside Tady and squeezing hard on his huge cock just as the Elf did the same thing to him.

  Hips thrust forward, drilled from behind in a gross infringement of the unwritten Ondáge-O’Shea rules of conduct, Les felt the shock race all the way from the depths of his bowels to the end of his cock. Tightly grasped in Tady’s surprisingly large fist, Les groaned as his ejaculate forced its way past the Elf’s iron grasp, shooting out of his cock at exactly the same time as Tady lost his.

  Laughing, legs wobbling, Les lifted Tady off the log and collapsed beside him in the warm grass. “You cheated,” he said, once he caught his breath. “No ass fucking. It’s in the rules.”

  Tady raised himself up on one elbow and grinned at Les. “Aye, and what was that I felt poking me behind? You’re gonna blame that one on the faeries?”

  Les flashed Tady his most innocent grin. “Well, it wasn’t me…”

  “Aye, just as this isn’t me!” In a heartbeat, Tady had Les flipped over to his knees, knelt behind him and thrust hard against Les’s tight butt. Both his ass and Tady’s cock were slick with their ejaculate. Entrance was instantaneous and, thankfully as far as Les was concerned, totally painless.

  How the hell that little guy could lift a monster as big as Les was a constant surprise, but Lester loved the feel of being manhandled by Tady, loved the submissive joy of having the other man take him, force him to submit. He groaned with the hot slide of Tady’s cock deep in his ass, spread his knees wider and tilted his hips up. Physically small in stature but hung like a moose, Tady stood behind Les and pumped hard and fast.

  Les rested his cheek on his folded arms and wondered how Tady had gotten so hard so fast. Then he felt Tady’s fingers encircling his own cock. Les realized he’d recovered every bit as quickly.

  It didn’t take them long. It never did, Les thought, as he once again tightened against the overwhelming pleasure of his orgasm, threw back his head and shouted as Tady rammed in and out of his backside. When the final tremors began to subside, Les got the giggles. Tady obviously didn’t have a clue why Les was laughing, but within moments he’d joined him, leaning helplessly over Les’s broad back, his cock still throbbing deep inside Les’s hot channel.

  “Okay. Just what do ya find so funny, m’boy?”

  “Just wondering when we’re going to start this great and perilous journey of ours, Mr. O’Shea… all we’ve done this morning is fuck like bunnies. Not that I haven’t enjoyed myself, mind you.”

  Tady freed himself from Les and tugged him along to a nearby creek where they could both wash up. “We can be ready to go in an hour. We’ll pack lightly, tell everyone good-bye and hit the road.”

  “Or the air,” Les added, actually looking forward to flying over such interesting territory.

  Except Tady was shaking his head. “No flying, m’boy. To reach the Seat of Magic one must travel on foot. To ask a boon of She Who Rules will require many days of hard travel. We have to prove we want this badly enough.”

  Lester nodded as he wrapped his multi-colored sarong around his hips. He should have known. He gazed at the beautiful forest, looked to the west where the spires of the royal palace rose over the treetops and wondered if what he hoped to gain was worth everything he might be giving up.

  Chapter 4

  It was easy to forget how much magic the prince commanded, especially when Les knew him more as Amanda’s loving husband and father to her children, but the stout hiking boots, comfortable clothing and the well-filled packs Les and Tady now carried would prove a good reminder.

  “Now remember. All you need to do is think of what you want each meal and the packs will provide.” Lorcan adjusted the straps on Tady’s shoulders.

  Amanda did the same for Lester. “You will be careful, Les, won’t you? I couldn’t bear it if anything ha…”

  “Nothing’s going to happen. At least nothing but me and Tady finding this magical gal who’s gonna give me my wings.”

  Lorcan’s laughter broke the tension. “Only you, Les, would refer to She Who Rules as a magical gal. You two be careful, okay? She who rules is nothing like any of us. She is the heart and soul of our kingdom, the reason our magic is as powerful as it is.”

  Lester nodded. “Thank you, sir. For everything. I thought you couldn’t help us, but all this…” He spread his hands wide, then dropped them to his sides. “We do appreciate your assistance.”

  Amanda smiled and squeezed Les’s arm. “Lorcan said we can’t help you actually travel. He didn’t say a word about outfitting you properly for the trip.” Amanda stretched up on her toes and gave Les a kiss on the chin. “You be careful. This baby needs his Uncle Lester and Uncle Tady back safe and sound.”

  “Did you say his? Are we going to have another boy?” Lorcan whirled around and stared at his wife. Amanda just laughed.

  “Figure of speech, my love. Figure of speech.”

  Lorcan sighed. He turned and shook Lester’s hand. “Good luck to you, Les. Soon I hope to welcome you to our clan as a full member, a Dragon in good standing.”

  Tady held out his hand to Lorcan, but the prince wrapped his arms around the little Elf for a tight hug. “Be safe, Tady. Come back to us. I’ll never forgive myself for sanctioning this trip should anything happen to either of you.”

  Tady looked more than a little bit rattled. He cleared his throat and tipped his head in a small show of respect. Prince Lorcan was not known for displays of emotion toward anyone other than his wife. “I’ll do my best, m’lord. Thank you.”

  * * *

  The mountains seemed to grow taller with each step they took. Les figured he’d taken at least a million steps today. They’d passed small farms and cottages, an occasional town and dozens of tiny hamlets along the way. Most of the inhabitants were Elven, though Lester had noticed the closer they drew to the mountains, the more the population appeared to be shifting.

  Instead of slim Elven bodies, there were bulkier men and stout women, their features coarse, their hands broad and work-roughened. The voices were different, too. Deeper, more robust, without the musical quality Les thought of when he thought of Elves.

  Trolls, he thought, or maybe Dwarves? Tady flashed him a big smile when he asked.

  “Aye. Some of both, though the folk here are still fairly civilized. Still, we rarely see them near the castle or in the city. We really haven’t traveled much at all since you’ve been here, have we? For that alone, this trip is a good thing.”

  Les had to agree, though his feet hurt and his legs were beginning to ache. They would camp in the mountains tonight, and cross the rugged peaks tomorrow. For now he followed Tady, wide-eyed and wondering at all the magical things he’d not yet seen in this land.

  Their dinner, eaten later that night beneath towering trees at the foot of the mountains, was even more magical.

  “This is absolutely amazing!” Les held up a crispy piece of perfectly fried chicken and took a bite. Tady ate his poached salmon with rice, but Les had chosen more robust food. Both meals had come, hot and steaming, directly from the packs Lorcan and Amanda had given them.

  Tady nodded. “The prince surprised me. I never dreamed he would send us so well-prepared.”

  Lester took a big bite of potato salad. “He’s used to having you do for him. Must feel weird for you, having the prince do something for you for a change.”

  Tady merely nodded, but he smiled and continued
his dinner. Les ate what he wanted, then, following Lorcan’s instructions, dumped the dirty plates and leftovers back in the pack. If all went well, he’d be pulling clean dishes and breakfast out in the morning.

  Once Tady had finished, Lester hauled him to his feet. “C’mon. We can clean up in the creek. I need a bath.”

  Tady followed, stripping his clothes off. He followed Les into the sun-warmed water of a large pool trapped behind a fallen log. Lester stared at his mate, sensing something amiss in his quiet demeanor. He pulled Tady up close against his body and hugged him. “What’s wrong? You’re not yourself tonight.”

  “It’s been a long day. I’m tired.”

  “There’s more to it than that. Are you sorry we’re taking this journey?”

  Tady shook his head. “No, my love. Never that. It’s just…” He looked at Lester and grinned, but it was a forlorn little smile. “In all my years, and I’ve a lot more years than you, I’ve never been away from Lorcan. We were children together, I’ve served him all my life. Since his marriage to Amanda and mine to you, I’ve been treated as one of the family. Today is the first time he’s ever hugged me… and he did it twice.”

  Tady bowed his head a moment, then looked directly at Les. This time he looked like his old self. “I loved him, you know. Loved him madly for years, serving him, always there to pick up the pieces, knowing he would one day love a woman and wondering how I would handle that when the time came.”

  “Do you still love him?” Les settled himself comfortably on a large, submerged rock and pulled Tady onto his lap.

  “I’ll always love him, but it’s not the same as it was. Now I love him as a brother, as the son I’ll never have. It’s you I love, Lester. All these years we’ve been together and it’s still as fresh as the day we met.” Tady snaked a hand down between their bodies and found Lester’s cock, which quickly rose to greet his touch.

  Les sighed and leaned back while Tady gently stroked him to full erection. “And my balls are still as smooth as the first time you shaved them.”

  Tady laughed. “Aye, I may not have a lot of magic, but at least mine’s practical. Shaving is a nuisance.”

  Lester ran his hand over his smooth chin and equally smooth scalp, and had to agree. He wrapped his arms around Tady, reached along the Elf’s flat stomach and found his cock standing at attention. Slowly Lester stroked Tady’s full length, matching each gentle pull with Tady’s touch on his own thick shaft.

  The night grew dark around them, the fire shimmered and flickered just a few feet away and the two men lay there in the warm, shallow pool, talking quietly, stroking one another just enough to prolong the pleasure. The night seemed full of magic and filled with love.

  Les sighed and shifted just a bit, giving Tady better access. They really needed to get some sleep. Soon. There’d be miles to walk tomorrow, tough miles over a towering range of mountains, but tonight was a time to share. A time to reinforce just how much they truly cared for one another.

  Tady stiffened and Les stroked faster, harder, until the Elf shuddered and climaxed in his arms. It took Tady a moment to get his breathing back in order, but he grinned at Lester, slid down, and took Les’s straining erection between his lips.

  No, Les thought. It didn’t get much better than this. With that concept uppermost in mind, he lay back and let Tady have his way with him.

  * * *

  The morning had dawned cool and clear, but the higher they climbed along the steep mountainous trails, the colder the weather and more threatening the sky. Occasionally rocks tumbled from the cliffs and once Tady had nearly been knocked off the trail by a cascade of smaller stones. Only Les’s strong grasp on his arm had saved him.

  For which Tady was extremely grateful.

  They crested the mountain in the late afternoon. Even Lester noticed a difference in the air, as if the pressure had changed, and commented on the odd feeling as they passed over the sharp peak. The sounds of birds took on an eerie, far-away sound, and an occasional shriek of either wind or creature raised the hairs on Tady’s arms. He noticed Lester’s head snapping back and forth as if he wished to see both sides of the trail at once.

  Laughing uneasily at his vivid imagination, Tady followed Lester down the steep northern slope. A band of thick forest and then a broad, grassy plain was visible from this elevation, but the trail leading toward the forest was treacherous and difficult to maneuver, with loose shale and slippery gravel threatening to trip them at every step.

  After they’d covered about a half mile along a narrow precipice, Tady noticed a deep roar in the distance.

  “Over there. Do you see it?” Lester tapped Tady’s shoulder and pointed off to his right. “In my dream I saw a deep canyon with a spectacular waterfall. I imagine that’s the sound we hear.”

  “Aye. I saw the same. Do ya think that’s it?”

  Lester nodded. “Of course, in my dream I was flying over it, not climbing through it.” He glanced toward the sky than back in the direction of the canyon. “Should we find a place to camp and face the canyon in the morning, or do you want to try it now?”

  Tady glanced to the west where clouds were beginning to gather. The sun would be setting in a few hours, the way off the mountain would most likely take them the better part of a day. As much as he wanted to continue travel, starting off fresh in the morning made more sense. “Let’s hike as far as the canyon and look for a place to camp. Then we’ll be ready to go in the morning at first light.”

  Lester nodded in agreement and started off down the trail. He’d taken the lead most of the way. A tall man had a better view of the way ahead. Tady was content to follow.

  Besides, he’d always fancied Lester’s perfect ass.

  Tady walked a few paces behind, concentrating as much on the smooth slide of sleek muscle beneath Lester’s colorful sarong as the slippery trail beneath his feet. Tady remembered the first time Les had ever worn a sarong, back on the beautiful island of Chimera.

  He’d done it at Tady’s insistence, following orders like a perfectly well-trained submissive. Les hadn’t worn a pair of pants since, thank goodness. He’d told Tady the smooth silk around his loins was much too comfortable to give up. It made an odd-looking outfit with the sturdy hiking boots Lorcan had given to Les for the trip, but Tady definitely approved the style.

  As did his cock. Even now, hiking along a desolate trail on a terrifying quest, the damned thing wasn’t the least bit concerned about whether or not Tady and Les would survive. No, it was much more interested in that gorgeous set of hips beneath the tight band of colorful silk.

  “What do you think, Tady?”

  Les had stopped in front of a narrow cleft in the rock and stuck his head inside. He popped right back out. “Hard to tell ’cause it’s so dark, but looks to be a good sized cave. Should we camp here?”

  Tady glanced toward the sky, aware of a thick band of clouds beginning to obscure the sun. “So long as it’s not already occupied.” He fumbled for the flashlight clipped to his pack and handed it to Lester. “Does it look empty?”

  Lester popped back inside, squeezing that delicious butt through the narrow opening. A moment later he returned. “It’s clean and dry.” He glanced up at the sky and grinned. “From the looks of that sky, dry is going to be real important in a very short time.”

  * * *

  Lester hadn’t been exaggerating. Barely an hour later, Tady sat by the small fire they’d built and watched rainwater cascade over the opening to the cave. He held a cup of dark ale, courtesy of Prince Lorcan’s amazing pack, and leaned against the pile of sweet-smelling bracken fern Les had cut for their bed.

  Lester had the flashlight. He slowly and methodically explored the cave, marveling at the ancient runes carved into the walls and the bits and pieces of litter left by eons of travelers.

  “Look at this!”

  Tady glanced back over his shoulder. Lester held a carved point of some kind, at least six inches long of gleaming ivory. It appeared to
be made of bone. Les handed it to him.

  Tady sensed the magic the moment he touched the point. “Did you feel it, man? Can you feel the magic?”

  Les shook his head. “No. It just feels like a bone knife or spear point to me.” He squatted down next to Tady and rubbed his finger along the carefully honed blade. “It’s definitely sharp. Why do you think it’s magic?”

  Tady studied the point. “An Elf can sense old magic, new magic… any kind of magic. It’s part of what we are. This point has very powerful, very old magic. Where was it?”

  Lester nodded toward the rear of the cave. “There. Lying on the ground.”

  Tady handed the point back to Les. “Keep it safe. For some reason you were fated to find this.”

  Laughing, Lester took the point. “I’m not all that sure if it’s fate, but it’s a fascinating artifact. I wonder how long it’s been lying there.” He studied it closely for a few more minutes, then placed the glistening ivory blade into the small bag he carried around his waist. At first, the point looked as if it were too large to fit, but Lester slipped it neatly inside and latched the top. He patted the bag where it lay against his hip and then stretched his arms and yawned.

  “I’m going to eat something, and then get to bed. I wonder how far we’ve walked.”

  Tady shook his head. “I don’t know. Distance in the Northern Realm is relative. We’ll walk as far as we must to reach our goal.” He reached for his pack, thankful once again for Prince Lorcan’s thoughtfulness.

  Suddenly Lester grabbed Tady’s arm and hauled him into the shadows. “Quiet.”

  Tady glanced toward the dark opening, then back at Lester. “What?” he whispered.

  “There’s someone out there. Or something. I’m not sure, but I do know I heard a noise and saw movement beyond the door.”