Soultrade Read online

  After swimming off as much of the pent up energy and tension as possible, I allowed myself to float to the surface, moving my wings to gently skim across the water. Once I got to the shallows, I leaned back, resting everything and letting the water soothe me.

  That was how Devon found me. He nudged his larger blue head against my belly, and I let out a weird sound. It was kind of a moan, maybe? I wasn’t really sure. All I knew was that I liked it when he acknowledged our egg. He was definitely going to be an amazing father.

  He laid down next to me, causing a ripple of water to crash over me. It tickled. And if I was in human form, I’d have giggled.

  It was amazing how much more carefree I felt even in the limited time I’d been in the right body.

  Devon nuzzled his head against mine, and I mewled. Apparently, it was one of the noises dragons made to indicate affection. Not being able to communicate in this form was an absolute nightmare, but realistically, I shouldn’t be in human form at all for a few more weeks. Not until the egg was out.

  Screw it. I didn’t know how long I had left with Devon during this switch, and no idea when I was going to be back. If anyone thought I wasn’t going to kiss him, then they had another thing coming.

  I focused back on my human form. Or Tate’s human form. The only difference between the two of us was that she was slightly paler than I was. And the eyes. Her eyes were blue. Bright, bright blue. While my vampire eyes were more green. It had been difficult to get used to at first, but then again, I was a water dragon now. Blue eyes pretty much made sense.

  Devon must have been able to tell what I was going to do, as he transformed too, ending up lying in the water next to me. His hand instantly went to my rounded stomach, and he gently caressed me.

  I wasn’t sure what kind of magic it was, but when I was in human form, the egg didn’t actually hurt, but I could feel echoes of the pain Tate had been feeling. We really needed to figure out a way to make this permanent. The weird feeding habits our vampire body was going through, probably weren’t helping either.

  “Hi,” I said softly.

  “Hi,” Devon responded, leaning over me with an adoring expression on his face.

  He pressed his lips against mine. The kiss was soft. Delicate. Loving. It was nothing like the passionate ones we’d shared after our ceremony. Nor in the first few days of my pregnancy.

  We’d stopped doing that after a swap happened mid-sex.

  Tate had not been happy.

  Neither had Sian when she’d found out.

  To say I’d been in big trouble had been an understatement.

  “How are you feeling?” he asked, clearly concerned.

  “I feel fine. But Tate...”

  “I know, she’s trying to hide it, but doesn’t do a very good job.”

  I loved how much he cared for her still. Which might have been odd, except that our situation was so peculiar. And I knew that he was happier with me, much like Tate was happier with Sian.

  “We need to sort this out.” I sighed. Switching back was my foremost thought at the moment. Between that, and knowing I was going to have to work out how to be a parent soon, had me in a constant state of little sleep.

  “Any ideas on how to do that yet?”

  I shook my head. “None at all. Apparently, searching ‘how do I switch bodies with someone’ leads to some really weird things on the internet.”

  “I’m not surprised.” He chuckled.

  “Really weird,” I repeated. I wasn’t squeamish, other than about drinking blood anyway, but that had been too much for me. Some of the suggestions...well, let’s just say Tate and I wouldn’t be trying them. Not even in her wildest dreams.

  “We could always go on a pilgrimage?” he suggested.

  Oh great. This again.

  “The four of us?” I asked with a raised eyebrow. While I was getting on fine with Sian, and he with Tate, somehow, I couldn’t imagine a journey to a sacred dragon place, with two vampires in tow, would end well at all.

  “I don’t see why not.”

  “Sian and Tate won’t be able to enter sacred ground,” I pointed out.

  “They might not.”

  “And I might not be able to if Tate and I switch bodies.”

  He sighed. “I know. But it’s the best idea we’ve got.”

  I pulled a face. It still sounded like a bad idea to me. But then again, we really didn’t have many options.

  “Fine. I’ll talk to Sian when we switch back, and you talk to Tate. You never know, maybe just being near each other will sort this mess out.”

  The look he gave me was all I needed to realise he felt the same as I did on that one. It probably wouldn’t do anything at all.

  “How long have you got now?”

  “I don’t know.” I looked away from him. Mostly because I could feel the tears pooling in the corners of my eyes. Damn pregnancy hormones.

  “Hey, Ayra.” He stroked a finger under my cheek and pulled me back to face him. “We’ll work it out.”

  Devon leaned down and kissed me again. I gave in, deepening the kiss, and trying to lose myself in him.

  I really hoped we’d work it out soon.

  I couldn’t keep living like this.

  Chapter 3

  Ayra? Ayra? What’s going on?”

  I smiled at the hurried voice and was happy to find my body without pain. Thank fuck for the swap.

  “Not Ayra,” I murmured, batting my eyes open to find a worried Sian standing over me. She wafted some fresh air to me, but all I could smell was her coral scent. Happily, I breathed her in like a sniffing weirdo. I’d feel embarrassed, but I hadn’t seen her in days. Even if it were just a couple of them, it felt far too long.

  “Tate?”

  “Bingo.” I gently cracked my neck and touched my stomach. It was good to be without that annoying pregnant body. The egg hurt, I couldn’t move the way I wanted, my hormones were all out of whack. I’d pass on pregnancy, thank you very much.

  “Did Ayra finally manage to swap you two?”

  I shook my head, running my tongue over my teeth. I felt my elongated canines and nodded. Yes, I was definitely back in my body. Well, my new body.

  “I swapped,” I hummed, hoping that the excruciating pain would disappear for Ayra. I didn’t want her to be in the same kind of pain, but then again, if she shifted, she’d be fine.

  “Are you okay?” Sian wrapped her arm around me, pulling me on to a bar stool. “You look a little pale.”

  “I always look a little pale. But I do feel a bit clammy,” I replied, checking my pulse. “How long has it been since Ayra fed?”

  Sian shifted on her chair and scratched her neck. “She hasn’t fed yet. I tried, but she refused.”

  A shiver ran down my spine and I run my tongue across my fangs again. “Well, I’m back. Are we fully stocked?” I asked, pulling open the fridge. I still felt a little bit weirded out that I just moved in with Sian all willy nilly. Technically, this body already lived here. And with the swaps, it wouldn’t really make sense for me to have my own place. Still, it was strange to have two homes and share them in a weird rotation system.

  The longer Ayra and I kept swapping lives, the more inconvenient it was becoming. When she still controlled the swaps, it was fine. Not great, but doable. But with the swaps happening more irregularly, there really was no planning anything. We just had to do everything right now because that was the only thing we knew. Later, tomorrow, in a couple of years, … There really was no way of figuring out my life. Or Sian’s life. Or Ayra and Devon’s. We were all stuck in limbo, waiting for the moment that we could just… Stop. And then start our real lives. But how? I wasn’t too sure.

  “We’re low on blood,” I muttered, pulling a bag from the fridge. The cold fluid hit the back of my throat and I hummed contentedly. I missed drinking, but I couldn’t do it in my dragon body. I wouldn’t even know where to find a blood supplier. And I doubted any vampire would want to consort with me while I reeke
d of dragon.

  “I can get us some more later, but right now I’m just glad you’re here,” Sian smiled, softly kissing my temple. With a sigh, I leant into her. It really was good to be back here.

  “I’m happy to see you too. I missed you.” Happily, I turned my face so I could kiss her. The taste of raspberries mingled on my tongue and I pulled her closer into me. The bar stool was uncomfortable under me, so I moved away. Moved closer to Sian. I wrapped my arms around her and traced my fingers over her skin. She grinned and tilted her head, inviting me in.

  “I missed you too, Tate,” she murmured, her warm breath clashing on my skin. I trailed her arm slowly, loving the smooth feel under my finger tips. She tipped up my chin and pressed a hot kiss on my lips. Sparks burst through my stomach and the butterflies came alive. That was a whole lot better than egg pain. The tingles ran through my body like fire and I fell into her embrace. She really was everything I ever wanted.

  “Are you okay?”

  With a hum, I nodded. Whenever she moved, her scent wafted over me. I couldn’t say I didn’t like it.

  “Now that I’m here, I am. My other body was in so much pain.”

  “Oh no, why didn’t you text me?”

  I avoided her stern gaze. She liked using her teacher-eyes on me, but they didn’t intimidate me. No, they just turned me on.

  “Tate?”

  “I didn’t want to worry you.”

  She frowned. “Did Devon stay with you?”

  “Devon went to work. I insisted. But I’m sure Ayra will text him and he’ll come running.”

  “Of course, he will. I can imagine she’s a rather demanding pregnant lady,” Sian laughed, her breath tickling my cheek.

  “I wouldn’t know, I still haven’t met her,” I snorted, amused by the irony. I shared everything with Ayra. Our houses, our lovers, our lives, even our bodies. And yet, I hadn’t actually met Ayra herself. The only things I knew about her came from Sian or Devon. Apart from little things.

  “I really don’t like her choice of clothing,” I muttered, pulling at the soft fabric. She really liked bright colours. I didn’t. They made you stand out and I just didn’t.

  “I think you look good though,” my blondie mused, her eyes trailing my body from head to toe.

  “I feel good. It’s nice to not be pregnant.”

  “I can imagine. Although…

  “Don’t you start,” I laughed, holding up my hand to stop Sian. “It’s bad enough having Devon prattle around me like a little puppy.”

  Sian laughed and crystal bells filled the kitchen. “Alright, alright. No baby talk for us.”

  “Good.” Relieved, I took another sip from my blood and pouted. The bag was already empty. Did I really drink a whole batch this fast? My body must’ve been starving without Ayra feeding it properly. I coiled the tube around the plastic and discarded it in the special container. “I’ll have another.”

  Soft fingers trailed over my back as I stepped away from the kitchen island. There were only two bags in the fridge and for a moment, that didn’t seem nearly enough. Even though I only needed one a day and had no way of knowing when I’d be feeding next. It was plenty. And yet…

  “Hmmm, I missed drinking,” I hummed, sipping from the bag. The blood danced on my pallet and I briefly wondered what would happen if I also drank the third pouch today. If I switched bodies with Ayra later, at least she wouldn’t have to feed tomorrow.

  “You seem thirsty,” Sian smiled, wrapping herself around me. Gingerly, she kissed my neck and teased my earlobe. “I’m glad to have you back with me.”

  “I’m glad to be back.” I gulped the blood down and wiped my mouth. “Come here.”

  My blondie tilted her head and happily complied. A tingle birthed from her soft kisses and I felt myself settle into my body. If only I could anchor myself down so I’d never had to leave. I didn’t enjoy feeling like a guest in my own body. Or like a visitor in my other body. But then again, making this swap permanent was probably not possible.

  Actually… Why wouldn’t it be?

  This whole situation was ridiculous and impossible as it was, what would make this such a far stretch?

  “You seem distracted,” Sian mumurmed against my skin, leaving a trail of pecks down my shoulder.

  “I was just thinking…”

  “Hmm?”

  “Ayra and I can’t keep going on like this.”

  She halted her kisses and turned to me. Her eyes twinkled in the light and illuminated her whole face. She was breathtakingly beautiful and I didn’t want to leave. Not now, not later, not ever.

  Ooh, that was a scary thought. Almost as scary as taking Ayra’s body for my own. But how would I go about that? I wasn’t even sure why these swaps were happening in the first place, let alone how I could make them stick. Who would I ask? My parents? Hah. As if. Lola?

  Shit, Lola! I was in the middle of a raid when I traded places with Ayra. And I didn’t think she’d lingered around to finish the game. Damn, Lola would be pissed at me for just going awol. And it wasn’t like I could log into the server from here, the game had some strict monitoring that only the Dragon Net could tap into.

  “Tate?”

  “Yes?”

  “You were lost in thought again?”

  “Oh sorry, I was just thinking about Lola.”

  A hint of jealousy flashed over Sian’s face and I quickly backtracked, realising I had never mentioned her before. “No, no, Lola is just a friend. We game together and I was in the middle of a quest when I swapped. She’ll probably be mad at me next time I go online.”

  “Can’t you message her right now?”

  “Nope, don’t have her number or anything. We met through the game. Besides, she lives on the other side of the country.”

  Sian tilted her head in confusion. “Don’t you know her in real life?”

  “Nope, why would I?”

  “I don’t know? Aren’t you scared she isn’t who she says she is?”

  I chuckled out loud as I thought about my hot-headed best friend. “Haha, no, never. She’s far too honest for that.”

  “But how do you know that?”

  “We’ve video called, she’s just as red-headed as she claimed to be.”

  “Good. I think? Why can’t you play your game here?”

  “Exclusive dragon server, no vampires allowed.”

  “Are there a lot of dragons?”

  I slurped the last bit of blood from the bag. “Oh yeah, there are loads of dragon tribes across the world.”

  “All water dragons?”

  Funnily enough, Sian knew as much about dragons as I did about vampires. Which was practically nothing, except for some rumours and myths. And most of them weren’t even true.

  “No, Lola is a fire dragon. And my other friend JJ belongs to the earth nation.”

  A gentle kiss was placed against my temple. “Lots of dragons then?”

  “Yup, pretty much. And all nice and anti-social, so they don’t want to come and meet me.”

  A whiff of coral enwrapped me as Sian did. “You don’t seem to mind my presence,” she whispered, her tongue flicking against the shell of my ear.

  I mewled under her touch and melted into her. Sian really knew how to unravel me and it pained me that I couldn’t spend every waking moment with her. And every unwaking moment either. Sleeping next to her was much nicer than being in Devon’s bed had ever been. He was far too stubbly and squared. Sian was nice and soft, and her body fitted mine perfectly. Like we were meant to be.

  We probably were. I always had my doubts about Devon, even though he insisted I was his mate. But with Sian, it was so much clearer. If she wasn’t my one, then nobody was. Simple.

  “I’m glad I got you with me again. Ayra is great, but she’s very... Active.”

  I chuckled as I pulled my vampire into me. “Yes, I’ve heard Devon’s stories. He loves having someone to go with him on adventures in the early mornings. He kept going on and on about the b
efore-dawn picnic they had a couple of days back.”

  Sian traced circled on my lower back and nipped at my neck, a soft spot she seemed to really enjoy kissing. “Yes, Ayra told me all about it. Apparently being up before sunrise is the best thing ever.”

  “Yuck. I’ll pass.”

  Throatily, she hummed. The vibrations of her laugh sent chills down my spine and my legs wobbled a little. The effect she had on me was insane. And I loved every bit of it.

  “You okay there, Tate?”

  I bit my lip and held a whimper back. “Yes, I’m... Mmmmm...”

  Her fingers crept under my chin and she guided my head back so she could properly kiss me. Lost in her, I answered with a soft murmur. She chuckled against my lips and I could just tell she was smug. And loving.

  There was a delicateness to how Sian handled me. The way she brushed her fingers over my skin, how she placed her lips against mine. The way she held me at night and how she looked at me during the day. A tenderness I hadn’t ever been watched with. Not by my parents, not by my community, not even by Devon.

  And yet, here she was. Looking at me like I was the only thing that mattered in the world. Holding me like she never wanted to let go of me. Kissing me like I was the only one she’d ever kissed.

  It scared me, but in the best way possible.

  “You okay?”

  I turned in her arms, resting my head against her collarbone. The scent of coral found my nose and I happily breathed it in. In a way, it was almost reminiscent of Devon. Almost, but not really.

  “Are you sniffing me?” Sian laughed, her breath tickling my cheek.

  I hid my face in embarrassment. “No,” I lied, breathing her in deeper.

  “I think you are,” she argued, her crystal laugh filling the kitchen. “It’s adorable.”

  “I just missed you,” I huffed, curling into my blondie. The past two days stuck in my pregnant body with an overbearing Devon weren’t exactly fun. And that was without the excruciating pain of being torn apart by a stupid egg.

  “I know, I missed you. But it’s far too risky to visit each other, you know, with you and Ayra looking exactly alike.”