Metal Mage 12 Read online

  “Not true,” I countered, and I nudged Shoshanne’s arm. “Come on, I want to hear it.”

  “Fine,” the healer muttered. “I thought it’d be nice and simple to wait until a morning when you were well rested, and just as you woke up, I wanted to snuggle against you and whisper it in your ear so you would do that sleepy smile you get when you’re happy. Then we’d all be there and already naked, and we could spend all morning making love to you.”

  I felt my heart skip as I watched the caramel beauty slowly blush beside me, and I couldn’t help the hazy smile that came to my face.

  “That’s … adorable,” I informed her. “I would have liked that. A lot.”

  “Really?” Shoshanne asked as her eyes glittered.

  I nodded vigorously. “Yes. You can still do that. I definitely don’t mind waking up to that. Please?”

  “Anything you want,” Shoshanne purred as she shimmied herself closer to my side.

  “Although, I think Mason should keep working on this,” Cayla decided. “Just in case we’re not pregnant yet, and also because I like it.”

  “I agree,” Deya said with a curt nod.

  “But we already know you’re pregnant,” Aurora chuckled.

  “So?” the beautiful elf pouted. “I like when Mason makes love to me with that look in his eye. You know when you feel like he owns every inch of you, and all you want to do is beg him to fill you with his seed so you can carry his baby for him?”

  “Mmm,” Cayla moaned as her lashes fluttered. “Yeah, I do. I almost bit through my tongue trying not to say how much I wanted it the other night.”

  “Well, I still get to have that, right, Mason?” Deya asked.

  I stammered my way through something incoherent while my blood drained to my lower extremities, but I guessed my women understood what I was trying to say, because they were all over me before I even finished.

  My eyes fell shut as I groaned from the silky sensation of their lips trailing across my shoulders and up my neck, and before I knew it, Deya slid my rigid cock inside her. I was so exhausted that I just let my women do what they wanted while the beautiful elf gently rolled her hips against me, and when they began whispering in my ears about how much they wanted me to cum in each of them tonight so they could each have my baby, I decided this was still the best day ever.

  Even pissed off elves couldn’t spoil this win for me.

  How the women got my tired ass up the stairs and into bed, I had no idea, but I managed to summon enough energy to give them what they asked for. Then they took turns kissing every inch of me while Shoshanne delivered on the kinky promises she’d made before the battle in Serin, and by the time the sun set, I was already passed out and drained in more ways than one.

  The next morning, I woke up nestled amongst my naked women with my hand cupped on Deya’s belly, and Nulena had arrived in the night like she said she would. Now, the Baroness was curled against the elf’s other side with her hand cupped beside mine, and she looked surprisingly peaceful with her ebony lips buried in Deya’s pink hair. I smirked as I realized Aurora had fallen asleep with her cheek smooshed against Cayla’s breasts, and somehow, Shoshanne ended up being my big spoon. The healer’s breath was warm against my spine while she laid snuggled as close as she could against me, and as a sense of contentment bloomed in my chest, it dawned on me that I was living in a paradise.

  Sure, the threat of the Master was constantly looming over me, but here I was in my mansion, watching my women’s breasts rise and fall with every breath. I would have been happy if even just one of these gorgeous women cared about me, but looking down at their five supple bodies wrapped around me and each other just blew my mind.

  Once again, I couldn’t believe my luck in this realm, but I wasn’t so sure I could call it luck anymore. I’d spent countless hours making sure all of my women knew how much I loved them, and I knew how hard I worked to keep them all satisfied as well. It was a constant effort to balance it all out, and yet it never seemed like a daunting task to me. How could it when they were all so ridiculously sexy, supportive, and frisky as hell?

  And the best part was four of them had shamelessly begged me to get them pregnant last night. The way their eyes burned into mine while they did was a sight I’d probably never forget in this lifetime or the next, and part of me hoped they weren’t pregnant yet just so I could listen to them carry on like that anytime I wanted. In all likelihood, they probably were, because gods knew I’d been a dog about it lately. Apparently, they had been just as determined as me, though, and the thought of them all giggling and enjoying the whole game made my heart nearly crack open from loving them so much.

  I took a deep, ragged breath as a lump wedged itself in my throat, and Deya’s soft sigh against my chest made it that much harder to come to terms with how fantastic my life was these days.

  The light tapping at the door brought me around, though, and when Alfred poked his head in, I quickly motioned for him to be quiet.

  “I’ll be down in a minute,” I whispered, and the butler bowed his head before shutting the door without a sound.

  Then I climbed out from between my women while I tried not to wake them, and I carefully shifted Shoshanne so she could snuggle with Deya instead. It took me twice as long as usual to get dressed because I couldn’t stop staring at my five women with a dopey grin on my face, but when I realized I’d been standing there for several minutes, I finally snapped out of it.

  I still ended up taking one more admiring look at my bed of naked beauties when I was halfway out the door, and as I tallied up how many heirs I’d have in no time, my grin spread from ear to ear.

  I was in the middle of a little two-step boogie of victory when I backed right into Dragir in the hallway, and I whipped around so fast I almost tripped on my own boots. He looked just as surprised as I was, but even though I tried to shut the door before he could see anything, it was already too late.

  I could tell by the way his eyes flared as he crossed his arms.

  “You have cages hanging from your bedroom ceiling?” Dragir asked flatly.

  “Um … ”

  The elf nodded. “I am sure, since I only saw three cages, that my sister is the one amongst your women who you are not ever putting in a cage.”

  “Obviously,” I quickly answered. “That would be entirely inappropriate, and I would never.”

  Technically I wasn’t lying, either. Deya put herself in her cage. I just sealed the bars for her.

  “Good,” Dragir replied, and he furrowed his brow as he began scanning the hallway. “I was looking for something, but I am beginning to think I have lost my mind.”

  “What’s up?” I chuckled.

  “I could have sworn I saw … ” he began, but he shook his head. “Never mind. Are we ready to begin on these weapons for your mages?”

  “Almost,” I replied. “I should touch base with my generals in town. Why don’t you come along? I’ll show you the place.”

  “That would probably be best,” Dragir muttered as he glanced around once more, and he looked like he’d seen a ghost or something.

  Then the silver-haired elf headed for the stairs, and I grinned as I busted out a few moves to finish off my victory dance. I went ahead and continued the celebration all the way down my diamond-studded stairwell, too, and by the time I got to the landing, I finally understood why people on Earth liked that shitty Walking on Sunshine song.

  “Alfred, up top!” I said as I raised both hands.

  “Certainly, sir,” the butler replied, and he promptly delivered a crisp, double high five.

  “Hell yeah,” I chuckled. “What have we got going on today?”

  “Word has reached the village of the impending war, and several Defenders have come to call on you this morning,” Alfred informed me. “Lady Shoshanne ordered me to allow no interruptions until you were fully rested, but Defender Urn has expressed an urgency to speak with you on the matter.”

  “Can do,” I replied wit
h a nod, and Dragir posted himself against my diamond railing while he flipped his dagger around his hand.

  “Your young squire, Jenik, left a letter for you with regards to the Oculus,” the butler continued, “and Defender Haragh has delivered several marble slabs from the train station. I had him arrange them neatly in the clearing, but we made sure to avoid disrupting your large metal dragon project. Another chest of gold arrived from Serin for you as well, and the healers in the local infirmary have nearly finished tending to the injured mages after your battle. They asked me to assure you they will continue their surgical work this afternoon, and a man named Raynor has distributed an extra dose of tranquilizer to those in waiting. The metal machine you refer to as Big Red was sent to his post at the entrance of the Oculus by Defender Kurna, and Big Guy has been standing guard beside your bridge ever since.”

  “Damn,” I sighed as Alfred handed me Jenik’s note. “So, everything’s moving along like clockwork. This is excellent, and I will address it all, but we should do something nice for the women. I want to make sure their day gets started on the right note.”

  “Very well, sir,” Alfred replied. “What did you have in mind?”

  “Hmm,” I mused, and Dragir rolled his eyes while I thought about this for a moment. “Probably something they wouldn’t expect. Unfortunately, I’m low on gems, and I don’t have any new weapons so … ”

  “Perhaps a fresh fruit platter?” Alfred suggested.

  “Not big enough,” I decided. “Wait! Okay, I might regret this, but Alfred, we’re bringing out the statue.”

  “Are you referring to the ruby statue you commissioned me to keep hidden from your women?” the butler clarified.

  “That’s the one.” I nodded. “Haul it out and put it right here at the bottom of the stairs, but do not let my women move it to the entryway. I’m still holding firm on that. Let them know we won’t be gone long. I’m just showing Dragir around and handling the mages.”

  “Very good, sir,” Alfred said with a low bow.

  I headed for the door with Dragir close behind while I scanned Jenik’s update, and it sounded like Shoshanne set things up so well, the infirmary in the Oculus was easily handling the fallout from the battle. The damage to Serin was fully repaired, too, and at the bottom of the note, there was a very brief mention of Pindor leading a group of Terra Mages to restore the fields outside the capital.

  I could practically hear how disgruntled Jenik was to deliver the news, and I snorted as I crumpled the note and stuffed it into my pocket. It would be so nice to see the look on my squire’s face one day when he found out he was being a shithead to the future Earl of Rainard, but I damn sure wouldn’t be the one to clue him in. That’d just ruin the fun.

  “Ready to see Falmount?” I asked Dragir as we left the mansion, but when I looked over, the elf was eyeing me suspiciously.

  “Why do you bounce when you walk?” he asked. “It is unnatural.”

  I grinned. “Because it’s a great day to be alive, man. Let me introduce you to my eels!”

  I hadn’t even realized I was bouncing on my toes, but I didn’t rein it in while I led Dragir over to my moat. I gave an extra bounce instead as I stood there looking down on my thrashing swarm of eels, and I let out a proud sigh at the sound of their snapping teeth.

  “These are my water spawn,” I told the elf. “Aren’t they beautiful?”

  Dragir furrowed his brow. “I like this. Are they trained?”

  “I don’t know,” I admitted. “I’m working on building a bond with them, but they mostly just try to eat anything that comes near the edge. I led a bunch of tar-spewing spiders to them once, though, and they ate them up in seconds for me. The tar didn’t even bother them.”

  “Nice,” Dragir said with a deadly grin.

  “Right?” I chuckled. “Come on, my other automatons are heading into town.”

  I bumped fists with Big Guy on my way to the lane, and I decided to leave him at his post since Bom Two was already out on patrol. I could hear my fleet of snatchers coming over the tracks, though, and when I met them in the street, I explained their uses to Dragir while he eyed the unconscious bodies in their nets. I could tell the elf was imagining his own fleet of metal sentries by the scheming look in his eye, and I could relate, so I made a mental note to get House Quyn set up with some automatons in the future. We were practically family at this point anyways, and I knew their House was a fan of tranquilizing trespassers.

  While we continued toward the market, every mage in the streets openly stared at Dragir, but I kind of understood their reaction. He was as ripped as Kurna and had four Halcyan blades sheathed on his belt, and his dusty pink serpentine eyes scanned his surroundings like he was expecting an attack around every corner. The elf also still had blood stains all over his tunic, and when I realized he was still wearing his necklace of ears, I nodded to myself.

  That actually might have been the main reason why everyone was staring.

  “The market’s this way,” I told the elf as I gestured to our left, and Dragir followed me under the barbican at the entrance. “I’ve set it up to give us every advantage during an attack, but it’s a little chaotic right now since new merchants are moving in.”

  Scores of mages were all heading for their homes or the training fields while merchants unloaded their carts in the main square, and goods were being dispersed amongst the shops and stands that had been set up. I grinned when Dragir glared at a flock of sheep crossing our path, but the livelihood of the marketplace only boosted my mood even more. The morning bustle was in full swing in Falmount, and after the attack yesterday, it looked like things were already looking up for the mages, too.

  Most of my Defenders were giving feedback to the younger troops, and they gathered in groups to listen carefully to the Defenders’ input. The merchants stayed out of their way while they worked on getting settled in, and dust billowed up all over the place from the horses trotting past. I could smell something good drifting over from the pubs while we wove through the marketplace, and I was glad to see the library was already packed with mages today.

  “You should order your people to bow to you,” Dragir said as he raised his voice above the noise of the market, and he scowled at the residents bumping into his arms. “That would be more impressive.”

  “I probably won’t do that,” I chuckled. “I’d rather everyone do as they please around here, and I’d honestly feel like a jackass. As far as I’m concerned, I’m just another Defender.”

  “You are a head of this Order, yes? So, you are their superior,” Dragir countered. “They must be made to understand this. Instilling a sense of fear and inferiority is a good way to assert yourself above others. There is not enough fear in this village. If you work on this, then the lower ranks will clear a path for you wherever you go, and you do not have to endure them touching you in such an irritating fashion.”

  “Yeah, this is why elves don’t get to own towns,” I hollered as a cart clattered by. “Let’s head to the pub. I’ve gotta find Urn.”

  We slowly made our way through the bustling market while the elf kept his guard up like he was in Rhoemir instead of Falmount, and when he flinched at the sight of the mages practicing their powers near the fountain, I remembered he’d never been around so many mages before.

  Aurora, Shoshanne, Haragh, and I were the only mages he’d ever met, and as funny as it was to watch him check over his shoulder repeatedly, I resisted the urge to fuck with him about it. I just calmly led him through the fray and to the pub while he white-knuckled the hilt of his sword, and the mages who passed us either scurried away in fear or stared at the elven warrior.

  Eventually, we made it into the cool air of the pub, and the second the door shut, Dragir grabbed my arm and raised his hand.

  “Do I smell Rosh?”

  “You probably do,” I said with a grin. “I struck a deal with the ogres, so my pubs have a steady supply now. Would you like--”

  Dragir was alrea
dy on his way to the bar, though, and he shoved two mages over a table to get there before he slammed his fist down on the counter and ordered himself some Rosh.

  I quickly helped the mages back up and apologized about ten times, and then I added a “please” to Raynor while the old guy smiled and nodded.

  “Okay, the first rule in Falmount is you show Raynor some respect,” I informed Dragir. “He’s a town favorite, and I can always order him not to serve you. Secondly, you can’t throw my mages over tables.”

  “Why not?” Dragir snorted.

  “Because I said so, man, these are my mages,” I clarified. “Do I need to remind you about Cayla’s threat yesterday?”

  Dragir’s smirk fell as he looked over. “No, you do not. I will not throw your mages.”

  “Thank you,” I muttered, and I nodded my thanks to Raynor as he slid two mugs of Rosh across the bar.

  It took Dragir less than two minutes to drain his mug and two more in quick succession, but I focused on looking around for any sign of Urn. I found him and Kurna in the far corner with a few others, and when they caught sight of me, I motioned for them to join us.

  Urn wore a disapproving frown beneath his moustache as he came over, and he lowered his voice while he stooped toward me and eyed Dragir.

  “Did this one cause any more trouble?” the Terra Mage growled.

  “No,” I chuckled, “we worked it all out. This is Deya’s brother, Dragir, and he’s here to help us address the recent issues with the Master. His army is one of two in Nalnora that has agreed to ally with ours. Dragir, these are Defenders Urn and Kurna. Urn’s a Terra Mage like me, and Kurna’s an Ignis Mage. They’re both generals of the Order.”

  Dragir nodded behind his mug, but when Kurna offered his hand, the elf winced so bad, he spilled Rosh all over his tunic.

  “He’s not too comfortable around Ignis Mages,” I explained.

  “Ahh, so you have seen Defender Solana at work, then,” Kurna chuckled. “Well, I don’t mean to brag, but I know even more than the lovely lady does. I taught her a few things myself. I could show you sometime if it would help you adjust to being around--”