For the Love of Her Dragon (7 page)

Rayne’s
voice sounded from behind. “I finally got a hold of
Rian
.
He said Royce is on the outer edge of the lair, holed up in a cave.”

She
felt a whoosh of air as he sped past her, “I’ll lead the way and
Rian
will meet us on the other side. Let’s go.”

Their
hike continued and the buzzing from their mind speak rose higher and higher
until she was sure she could reach out and grab the words. She concentrated on
the flow of energy and found one strand more intense than the others. Following
it, she found Aidan, his blue eyes turbulent with worry and anger. Not wanting
to disturb him, but desperate to know who he was trying to connect with, she
followed the trail as far as it went. There at the end was not a face, but a
huge inky stain filled with pure malevolence and contempt. The emotions coming
from the horrible mass of evil made Kyra feel dirty from the inside out. Just
as she was about to retreat, she sensed a familiar signature, one she despised
more with every passing second. It was Andrew. Aidan was trying to track his
treacherous brother through the special link between brothers, searching for
the one that had caused so much pain to so many he loved. It was then that she
knew why he had been so quiet and withdrawn; Aidan was seeking out the little
bastard, and if the powerfully hostile feelings were any indication, Aidan
intended to end his brother’s life if given the chance.

Feeling
like a Peeping Tom and sure that she had time to keep Aidan from making a
mistake he couldn’t take back, Kyra pulled back, but kept a small foothold in
the brothers’ connection. If Aidan found Andrew before they did and tried to
act without his brethren, she would know and would do whatever it took to
ensure the traitor’s capture without harm to the living. Andrew had to pay for what
he had done, but not at the cost of any of the souls of the people she had come
to think of as family.

It
only took about fifteen minutes longer before Rayne gave the sign to stop. Kyra
looked around in the dark for signs of someone other than the Force she
traveled alongside. As she looked towards the skies, she realized the sun would
rise in less than an hour and sent a prayer to the Goddess for everyone's
safety. She’d never been an incredibly spiritual person, other than her magical
connection to the Goddess and the Universe, but standing alongside the fiercest
warriors she’d ever known, ready to battle one of their own turned traitor,
made her realize how much she had truly come to care for each and every one of
them and all they held dear. More than that was the understanding that even
though all of them, including her, were incredibly hard to kill, they were not
immortal. She knew there was no way she would allow one of her new friends to
fall to the traitor that spread death and disaster like it was pixie dust.
Andrew thought he could best them with magic. The arrogant prick thought he
could best
her
. He was overconfident and cocky and she
would
bring him down.

No
matter what she thought about her mother, she had to give
Calysta
credit for one thing; she had taught Kyra to fight and fight was what she would
do. Fight for her friends. Fight for the magic that Andrew abused. And even
fight for the hard-headed giant that refused to accept their fate. Andrew was
in for a surprise in the form of a five-foot two pissed as shit white witch.
Watch
out shithead. I’m coming for you,
she thought as hard as she could toward
the thread that lead to the traitor. She wanted him to know she was coming and
she wanted him scared.

“Well,
you lot look like you’re about to do something stupid. Mind if I tag along?”
The sound of an unfamiliar voice with a slight accent pulled her from her
mental assault on the traitor.

Her
anxiety lessened when she saw Rayne embrace the stranger and when he called him
‘
Rian
’, she knew she was looking at the back of
Royce’s older brother. The man was the tallest person she had ever seen. He
stood more than a head taller than the leader of the Dragon Guard Force and
Rayne was over a foot taller than she was; just another reminder that she was
the shortest person
in the world
.
Rian
turned
towards the group and Kyra gasped at the incredible family resemblance. It was
absolutely uncanny, but the longer she looked, the more obvious the differences
became. His hair was an auburn, not bright red, and his eyes were a glowing
blue instead of the warm brown she liked to sneak glances at when Royce wasn’t
paying attention. She knew from her vision that
Rian
was a good inch taller than his younger brother, and now that she had a closer
look, she verified that he was long and lean, where Royce was bulk and muscle
and possessed a raw power that made her tingle all over, even when she tried
with all her might to ignore it.

When
he spoke, she felt none of electricity that even a grunt from Royce caused. “Thank
you so much for coming. I have no clue what threatens us this evening, but I am
grateful that you have come to help protect those I hold dear.”

“We
are going to stay hidden in the caves and give Kyra a chance to work her magic
for any clues about our enemies while we prepare our defense,” Rayne explained.

In
the blink of eye,
Rian
was standing next to Kyra and
had her hand in his. He greeted her like the gentleman of old with a chaste
kiss to the back of her hand, but the wink was all cocky dragon shifter. She
could tell he was messing with her, but she was unsure how not to offend the
Head Elder and brother of the man who occupied too many of her thoughts. When
he spoke, she was sure he was just trying to get a rise out of her, “You are
even lovelier in person.” He stepped back and looked from her toes to her head
and back down again, “And just the tiniest little thing I have ever seen.”

Rian
stepped towards her again, gripping her hands a tad tighter. “And you are a
strong little witch, aren’t you?”

Before
she could respond, Devon stepped towards them and clapped
Rian
on the back. “Stop teasing her,
Ri
.
She’s had a rough couple of hours and she’s here to help. We wouldn’t have even
known about the threat without her.”

Devon
turned towards Kyra as he skillfully removed her hand from
Rian
and moved her back a step. “Ignore
Rian
, he’s trying
to get a rise out of his little brother. Isn’t that right, Royce?”

She
spun around like a child’s top and found the man that had done everything
possible to avoid her standing not twenty feet away with the same look of
disdain she remembered from their last encounter. Before she could think of a
smart ass comment to save face,
Rian
chuckled, “I
knew the little platinum-haired beauty would bring you down from your perch,
little
brother
.”

Fuck!
Now why did he have to go and do that?
was
all she could think as the woods rang with men’s laughter.

CHAPTER TWO

Royce zeroed in on the
face that had haunted his every thought for the last two weeks. Kyra was
absolutely the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her lightly tanned skin
begged to be touched and at the moment, the full pink lips that he had dreamed
of tasting more times than he cared to admit, were drawn in a tight line, but
still so very tempting. He tried to look away, but her curvy figure that made
his fingers itch with the need to explore and experience every erotic inch drew
his eyes. Her strength, independence, and power literally filled the air around
her and were the complete opposite of her petite height. He thought about
throwing her over his shoulder and taking her far away from all problems that
loomed in front of them, but that wasn’t reasonable or logical and damn sure
wouldn’t change the past.

He
watched as she looked everywhere but at him and his heart hurt at the
discomfort he caused her. If only she wasn’t a witch. He would welcome her with
open arms and enjoy every minute of eternity with her, but the fact remained
that she was a witch, and there was no way in hell he was going to be bound to
anyone with the capacity to turn on the people they love at a moment’s notice
and the power to take their life without thought. He shoved the thoughts of his
mate to the back of his mind and focused on the men he called brethren and the
brother he wanted to punch. Rayne swatted his arm, “How have you been, my
friend? I have missed you.”

“I’ve
been fine, just trying to keep this loser in line.” He looked towards his
brother and noticed Kyra had moved farther to the back of the group.

“Oh
yeah, he’s been a lot of help. Hiding out in the caves, staying in dragon form
for days at a time and brooding over his beloved.”
Rian
cackled as the words Royce had prayed his brother would keep to himself, spewed
from his mouth.

Of
course, his brethren joined in the fun and Royce was left to play along when
all he wanted to do was punch
Rian
in the mouth and
get back to his nice, isolated cave. With the hopes of changing the subject
from his recent brooding, he asked, “So what brings all of you here. Need a
field trip?”

“No,
Kyra was finally able to track Andrew. She had a vision that literally knocked
her on her ass and it led us here…to you.” The same shit-eating grin that Royce
had seen on Lance’s face for the better part of ninety years threatened his
hard fought patience on this occasion more than it ever had. Just as he was
about to tell his brethren to go to hell, what Lance
actually said
reached his muddled brain and his natural instincts along with his dragon took
over.

In
the span of two seconds, his need to protect his mate overrode his doubts
and
his common sense. Using his enhanced speed, Royce moved to Kyra, snatched her
up and landed on the ridge over the cave he was calling home in less than a
minute. He held her close, drew her unique scent into his being and reveled in
the peace he felt for the first time since he had laid eyes on the witch.
How
could something so wrong, feel so absolutely perfect?
he
wondered to himself.

Slowly,
the longer they stood together, the more he felt her relax. His hand caressed
her back, enjoying the feel of her body under his fingertips, memorizing every
dip and curve. His mate was tiny, but she was powerful, and not just because of
her magic. Her inner strength shone like a beacon to a ship trying to find the
shore. She stirred under his touch and sighed as his fingertips skimmed the
side of her breast. Kyra was intoxicating. No matter his disgust for her kind,
being this close caused his dragon to push him to claim her as their own. He
tried to recall the memory of the day he found his mother, bloody and dying by
a witch’s hand, in a last ditch effort to stop the incredible desire he felt
for the woman meant to be his, but his want and need would not be denied.

The
feel of her breath on his chest through the fabric of his shirt, assured him
that she was just as affected by their embrace as he. The rays of the dawn
began to peek over the horizon, painting an unforgettable backdrop for their
encounter. Warm yellows and deep reds blended together creating a masterpiece
against the dark blue and purple of the retreating night. It was the second
most beautiful thing he had laid his eyes on in the last few minutes. He
carefully turned Kyra in his arms, wanting to share one perfect moment in time
with the one he could never truly have. She moved without question or
hesitation. He felt even their heart beats coming into sync as the mating call
and their combustible chemistry did as Fate had intended. Unable to resist,
Royce let himself enjoy what he could never keep.

Kyra
relaxed into him and her much smaller, soft hands lay atop his that had closed
around her curvy waist. He smiled as her fingers lazily caressed the back of his
hands. From the motion he knew she was unaware of her actions, and it meant all
the more. To know that she was not swept away in the mating call alone was a
comfort. She was soft where he was hard. His mate was short where he was tall.
He imagined the picture of them together looked strange to others, but somehow
they fit together perfectly, like two pieces of a puzzle, cut to perfection,
one to complete the other.

Royce
tensed as his mate shifted from one foot to the other, the motion causing her
body to brush against his erection. The temptation to take what was rightfully
his grew within him and he found himself wanting the woman in his arms more
with each passing second. He remembered that she was a witch and knew full well
that he couldn’t live his life with the very species that robbed his family of
so much, but none of that seemed to matter to his body or his dragon.

The
sun had reached the midway point in its rise to christen a new day when Royce
gave in to his desires. He spun Kyra around in his arms and lifted her until
she had no option but to wrap her shapely legs around his waist. She gasped at
the contact and he took the opportunity to latch his lips to hers, sliding his
tongue along hers. An electric current radiated throughout his body, driving
his desire higher.

His
hands roamed her body as she writhed and moaned against him. Needing to taste
more of his mate, he tore his mouth from hers, nipping and kissing his way
along her delicate jaw line. A taste like no other burst upon his tongue. His
cock strained against the zipper of his jeans until he was sure he would find
its impression there. Kyra pulled his hair and her well-manicured nails bit at
his scalp as she mewled and rode his erection through their clothing. He ate at
her neck like a starving man using the last drop of his hard-fought
determination to keep from throwing her down on the rocks and taking her as his
body and dragon demanded.

She
cried out and the increasing scent of her arousal told him she was close. The
heated aroma of patchouli and rose petals wrapped around them like a blanket,
fueling his passion, creating their own private oasis from reality. Knowing
this was the first and last time he would ever have the opportunity to witness
the one made for him in the throes of passion, he sucked her earlobe into his
mouth, running the tip of his tongue along the edge and meeting her hips thrust
for thrust. He drove her higher and higher until her movements became frenzied.
At just the right moment, he bit down on her earlobe. Quickly drawing his head
back, he watched as Kyra screamed her pleasure to the Heavens. It was the most
exquisite sight he had ever seen. With her head thrown back, her long tresses
blowing in the sea breeze, her cheeks flushed, and her lips rounded in pleasure,
she took his breath away. The image burned itself into his brain, there for all
time, to pull up when he needed to remember what perfection it was to hold his
mate in his arms.

As
her orgasm subsided, she raised her head and her eyes slowly opened. He was
mesmerized by the brilliant violet of her eyes and wealth of emotion he saw in
their half-lidded satisfaction. The side of her kiss-swollen mouth tipped in a
tentative smile and his world shifted on its axis. He was midway down a
slippery slope and the beautiful creature in his arms had just pushed his
descent into overdrive. Royce knew one thing for certain, if he stayed in her
presence one second longer, he would be lost forever and there was no way he
could allow that to happen.

He
spun to his right, placed her on a flattened boulder and sped away, thanking
the Universe for his enhanced abilities. It was a dick move, he knew it was,
but there was no way he would ever trust her…she was a
witch
and capable
of untold evil, not to be trusted. As he entered the cave he was inhabiting, he
heard the words that simultaneously made him laugh and cringe… Kyra’s voice
filled with anger and regret that tore at his soul. Her words were completely
accurate and cut to the quick leaving his soul
hemorrhaging
.
That fucking dick!
And then came
a sob that broke his heart.

He
moved as far back in the cave as he could go to keep from hearing anymore, but
it was useless. Kyra was magical and they had been around one another far too
long, even if they hadn’t just shared the most passionate moment of his very
long life, he would still be connected to her, still be able to feel her above
all others. He had been delusional to think thousands of miles and an ocean
could change fate. Only he could change his fate. Only he could walk away from
what the Universe had planned for him.

He
spoke to Devon through their unique link, asking him to come and fetch Kyra.
Devon was the only one of his brethren besides Rayne with enough discretion to
simply get the little witch off the mountain and back to the safety of his
Force without commenting or sharing with the others. As his brethren made his
way to his mate, he filled Royce in on Kyra’s visions and what was being
planned to stop Andrew from hurting anyone. Guilt came at him from every direction,
guilt that he had not been there to protect her, guilt that he could not help
her through her visions, and guilt that he had been so lost in his own worries
that he had completely cut communication with everyone. It was the most
self-centered thing he had ever done and all because he couldn’t accept the
fact that he was fated to share his life with a witch.

His
dragon continued to roar in his head, angry with the man for his inability to
put the past behind him. Royce could tell that Devon had reached Kyra and was
unable to stop himself from walking towards the mouth of the cave to see if he
could hear any of their conversation. What he heard made him respect Kyra more
than he already did.

“What
are
you
doing here, Devon?” she asked and he could hear the hurt and
resentment in her voice that she tried to hide.

Before
his brethren could answer, Kyra spoke again, “Oh, let me guess…the coward sent
you to bring me down? What a piece of…
Whatever
, I can get down by
myself. I made it seventy-five years before him and I’ll make it a hell of a
lot more after him.”

“Kyra,
don’t…” Devon pleaded.

“Don’t
what Devon? Get the hell out of the way.”

From
the sound and direction of her footsteps, she had already figured out there was
a rock formation at the rear of the ridge that worked like steps. The heels of
her boots hit the rock with such force he could only imagine the fury that was
rolling off of her. To confirm his thoughts, Devon sounded across their unique
link,
“What the hell did you do to her? She is pissed, my friend, pissed on
an extreme level. I’m waiting for the steam to come rolling out of her ears. If
I get turned into a toad for something you did, I’m not going to be happy.”

Royce
paused, not sure how to answer, and his silence must have been enough for Devon
to figure out what happened, at least in theory.
“OH! What the fuck man? I
can only imagine what happened. You can’t do that shit to her. You need to get
your head out of your ass.”

Royce
could feel his longtime friend’s anger and knew that he was right. In all the
years they had been brethren, he’d never heard Devon as upset and disappointed
as he was in that moment. He was right. Royce had to get his shit
together and he told him so.
“You’re right. I’d like to blame the mating
call, and that is part of it, and the fact that she is really a great lady and
when I heard she’d had a hard time of it and…. I just…It was…She is…”

“Yeah,
I know she’s great, asshole. Who do you think has been watching after her day
after day while she puts her ass on the line to help find the fucking traitor?
Not you. Not the one that is supposed to be protecting her...me! And she’s also
loving and giving and caring, but more than all of that, she is hurting because
she has no clue why you are rejecting her. Now, I can only assume that
something happened between the two of you and once again you’ve rejected her,
and that is wrong on a level I never thought I would see from you. Dude, you
are an idiot, and so very, very stupid. I hope she makes you pay dearly,
because she does not deserve anything you are putting her through.”

Royce
was disgusted with himself. Disgusted at what he had done to a woman that from
all accounts did not deserve his messed up shit. But more than that, disgusted
at the jealousy he felt…jealousy that he had absolutely no right feeling. He
should be thanking the Universe that one of the best men he’d ever known was
looking after Kyra, but instead, he and his dragon wanted to run out of the
cave they were hiding in, claim what was theirs, and do everything in their
considerable power to keep her away from any other men. Instead he thought
about all he had lost at the hands of one of her kind and how there was no way
he would ever be able to fully trust that she would not turn on him or those he
loved. With thoughts of death and betrayal swirling around his mind, he turned
around and walked deeper into the dark dankness of his dwelling.