Ice Dragon (13 page)

Nico took Lana’s hand from the rim of the pool and raised it to his lips, kissing her knuckles with a wicked grin. She shivered as Nico winked. The man was devastatingly handsome in a rakish sort of way, and his eyes, while green, were the deep hazel green of tourmaline rather than Roland’s emerald. Still, the resemblance between the two brothers was easy to see. Both were tall, muscular and had firm features that spoke of strength both of body and of character.

“The pleasure is all mine. Congratulations, brother.” Nico’s knowing gaze raked over her body, or at least what he could see of it in the sudsy water. “Your mate is lovely and, from all reports, a remarkable woman.”

“What are they saying about her, Nic?”

Roland’s lazy question invited his brother to stay and chat. Lana was surprised, but as Roland stroked her under the water, she felt her body heat at the idea of two men watching her reactions. She shocked herself with the realization, much as she had in the Northern Lair when all those knights had been watching them.

Nico sat negligently on the wide rim of the stone pool, trailing the fingers of one hand lazily through the water. His hand came near, but 122

never quite touched her skin. Still, the idea of it made her nipples stand up at attention.

“They say she’s a dragon tamer and some claim she’s a wild woman, but others talk of how she stole your heart with her Northland magic.

The general consensus is that she’ll keep you on your toes and make you the happiest of men—in the bedchamber and out. Rumors from the north say she’s adventurous sexually,” Lana gasped and Nico winked audaciously at her, “and very responsive to you. I see that part, at least, is truth.”

Roland stroked his hands possessively over her breasts, cupping them and squeezing, showcasing her excited nipples. The fire within her was rising higher, burning hotter as Prince Nico’s eyes followed every movement.

“You have no idea, Nic.”

Roland’s teasing laughter brought her wide eyes up to his. He took a moment to kiss her deeply, turning her in his arms to hug her tight. She rested her head on his shoulder while the men talked. Roland stroked her skin, his hands teasing everywhere as he and his brother discussed travel plans. She dimly heard Nico say he was leaving immediately for the new Border Lair and lands beyond, but Roland’s daring fingers distracted her, plunging deep in her channel as she tried desperately to hold in her gasp.

She heard Nico chuckle and her eyes opened, her head turning to see fire in the dragon prince’s eyes. The same fire burned in Roland’s eyes and in her own soul.

“Roland.”

Her whispered plea was torn from within as Roland stroked her higher. Nico stood just as Roland shifted her on his lap, bringing his cock www.samhainpublishing.com 123

right up inside her while his brother watched. The shock of it made her groan as she buried her face in her lover’s corded neck.

“Fuck her good, Rol,” she heard Nico say in a low voice. “I’ll leave you to it.”

“Good hunting, Nic.” Roland grunted as he began pistoning in and out of her tight channel. She felt Nico’s gaze linger on them for quite some time before he finally left, but by that time, she was too far gone in her pleasure to really notice.

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“Do I look all right?” Lana smoothed the fine fabric of her dress over her curves, communicating distress in her every nervous twitch.

“You’re beautiful.” Roland squeezed her close and kissed her forehead gently. “They will love you as much as I do.” He felt her nervousness as she trembled in his embrace. “Are you ready, or do you need a moment?”

Lana took a deep breath as he stepped back. She squared her shoulders and stared straight ahead at their objective—the ornate archway that led to the throne room. “I’m ready.”

Roland nodded decisively and ushered her through the large portal. It was large enough for at least two dragons to walk abreast. He was so proud of her as she walked, straight and fearless at his side. She would be a great asset to his country and his people. Her heart, her courage and her sense of honor were deeply ingrained in the lovely, caring woman she was. All of those qualities, and her quick humor and even quicker wit, made him love her. She would be just the kind of wife he needed and the right woman to mother their children. Not to mention the fact he desired her above every other female he had ever known. Making those children would be no hardship. No hardship at all.

A loud gasp sounded from off to their right and he turned to find a lovely, older woman and a younger female, made in her image. Both were in tears as they looked at Lana. He followed their gazes to the beauty at www.samhainpublishing.com 125

his side and saw she was white as a sheet, her gorgeous eyes wide, gasping in shock.

He rubbed her back. “It’s all right, sweetheart. Breathe, Lana.”

She hiccupped a bit, smiling up at him for a split second before her gaze went again to the two women who waited just a few yards away.

Lana’s spine firmed under his stroking hand and she stepped forward.

“Are you…?” She faltered, moving slowly toward the younger woman who was moving to meet her. “Are you called Lora?”

The girl smiled widely. “Not since I was little. My name is Belora but my older sisters used to call me Lora. Which one are you?”

“I’m Lana.”

“Alania!” The older woman gasped loudly as her tears flowed. “My baby.”

The younger girl held out her hand and Lana took it. She was drawn forward to the older woman. Both were trembling with emotion.

“Mama?”

“Yes, my darling child!” The older woman flung her arms around Lana, hugging her close for a long, long, joyous moment. Belora hugged them both, piling on for a weepy group hug.

Roland joined the four knights standing off to the side, watching. He knew most of them quite well and shook hands with Gareth and Lars, pausing a moment by the older men to renew his acquaintance with Lord Darian—formerly of Skithdron—and his new fighting partner, General Jared Armand.

“Lord Jared, I’ve missed you,” Roland said with a genuine smile.

“Congratulations on your wedding, and you, Lord Darian.” He turned to face the foreign man. “I want you to know Draconia thanks you for your actions in coming over to our side. My brother, Nico, gave me detailed reports of your actions and all that you risked to keep our people and our 126

dragons from slaughter. You have my personal thanks, sir, and a boon should you ever need it. Just ask.”

“Thank you, sire.”

Darian had a warm, generous smile and Roland remembered the former ambassador. Roland had known him when he was just a lad, watching the court from the sidelines. He’d always liked the rakish foreigner and had missed him when he left for home after several years at his father’s court.

“So I guess the four of you are prince-consorts now,” Roland said with a teasing smile. “Welcome to the royal family.”

Gareth gave him a sheepish grin. “I had no idea our Belora was a princess when Kelvan and I found her in the forest. This prince-consort thing is going to be hard to get used to, sire.”

All the men chuckled at that, and a moment later, the women rejoined them, still a little moist-eyed, but their faces lit with wide, happy grins. Belora moved to stand between her two knights, drawing them forward to meet her newfound sister.

“This is Gareth,” she motioned to the darker-haired knight on her right, “and this is Lars.” He was more somber and blond-headed. “They’re my mates.”

Lana’s eyes sparkled as her lips curved with a grin. “Married already?

Way to go, little sis.”

The men chuckled and Gareth winked over at Lars, both of them moving in concert to plant smacking kisses on both of Lana’s cheeks at once. Their coordinated moves made all of them laugh.

“Welcome home, Princess Alania,” Gareth said as he drew back, putting one strong arm around his wife, while Lars settled one hand around her hip on the other side.

“Princess?” Lana looked over at Roland. “I’m really not a princess.”

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Roland stepped up to her, putting one strong arm around her waist and pulling her close.

“Actually, you
are
a princess, by right of blood. The House of Kent—

your House, my love—is of royal blood and breeds true, which means all the members of the Kent line are considered princes or princesses of the realm. You, your mother and your sisters all gained the title princess at birth.” He squeezed her tight, knowing what he would say next would come as a shock. “But when you marry me, you will be queen.”

“What?” She was breathless in his arms and he tightened the embrace just a bit, to comfort and support her.

“I’m the king, sweetheart, and you will be my queen.”

“Sweet Mother of All!”

Before she could faint, Lana felt a soft touch on the back of her head and a small rush of healing energy flowed into her, settling her feet back firmly on the ground. She looked around and realized her mother had reached out to prevent her from swooning with a quick, healing touch.

She remembered that warm, tingly feeling from her youth.

“Thanks.” Her eyes swiveled back to Roland—make that
King
Roland—she felt faint again, but swallowed hard to keep from giving in to the feeling. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I’m telling you now.” He grinned in a totally satisfied male way that made her insides itch.

“I mean before now.” She pulled back from him a bit. “Don’t you think I’d be interested to know that Tor and I were consorting with a
king?”
Her voice rose with each word, as did her panic. “Stars! Roland, how could you even consider asking me to marry you? I’m a runaway slave. I know nothing about being a queen or even a princess for that matter.”

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He tried to soothe her, running one large hand gently over her hair.

His eyes were so loving, so caring, and she felt so safe in his arms, but still her panic rose.

“Nevertheless, you are a princess, and you’ll be my queen.” His voice was pitched low, for her ears alone, it seemed. “I love you, Lana. There is no other woman in this world for me. If you don’t marry me, I’ll live out my days alone. You wouldn’t sentence me to that misery when we can be so happy together, would you?” He hugged her close, whispering in her ear. “I need you, Lana. Only you. Please don’t be afraid.”

All her arguments crumpled in the face of his need. She felt his big body trembling just slightly against her. She loved him so much!

Softly, she reached up and kissed his jaw, then his cheek. “I don’t think I can handle being queen,” she said softly, “but I do want to be with you, Roland. I don’t think I could live without you now.”

He hugged her and she became aware of the people watching them.

Backing up, a slight flush pinkened her cheeks.

“Um…” She looked around, her expression sheepish, and Roland chuckled at her hesitancy.

He turned, keeping one arm around her shoulders as he faced the group once more.

“Don’t be embarrassed, child, we’re your family.” Her mother’s voice was so warm, so welcome, Lana felt the tears start behind her eyes again, but she wouldn’t let them fall.

“I just never thought I would ever have a family again.” Without her volition, her voice trembled and Roland squeezed her shoulders.

“Well, now you’ll have more family than you ever bargained for, my love.” Roland’s eyes sparkled as he looked at her. “Just here, we have two sets of knights and their dragon partners are outside even now, becoming acquainted with our boy, Tor.”

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“Tor?” one of the older knights, flanking her mother, asked. He had kind eyes and she liked the love and respect in his gaze and his manner as he stood so close at her mother’s side.

She would have explained who Tor was, but Roland stopped her with one finger over her lips and a teasing smile. “No, I think they need to see this for themselves.” He cocked his head as if listening to something only he could hear and she realized he was probably in communication with his brothers. “They’ll be here shortly. In the meantime,” he turned to the older set of knights, “you haven’t been introduced to your new stepfathers yet.”

She gasped as she realized the implications of his words. She remembered her own father only dimly. He’d died when she and her twin were still little, but these two men, one on either side of her mother, were smiling and kind. They were also fierce warriors, not old, but their eyes held a calm wisdom she could respect.

The one with the scar running down his face stepped forward. “I’m Jared.” He took her hand in his, giving it a warm, welcoming squeeze. A smile turned his face from fierce to friendly in the blink of an eye. “And this is Darian.” He relinquished her hand to the other man, who was spectacularly handsome in a rakish sort of way.

“You are as lovely as your mother, and your pretty sister.” Darian winked as he kissed her hand gallantly. She liked both men and liked even more the way they treated her mother.

“I married these two,” Adora said with a hint of a blush in her pretty face, “just a short while ago.” She moved between the two men and both put an arm around her lovingly. “Do you remember a dragon I used to tell you stories about when you were little? Her name was—”

“Kelzy!” Lana piped in with a smile. “I remember the stories you used to tell us. The adventure tales about Lady Kelzy and how you would ride 130

on her foot when you were just a toddler. I think that’s why I was never truly afraid of Tor.” She turned to Roland with a joyous light in her eyes, but her attention was captured by the entrance of what seemed like a long line of dragons.

She was entranced by their colors and shine, as well as their size.

They were larger than Tor, but not by much. These were adult dragons, she knew, and each one of them stopped before her, forming a semi-circle around her and Roland. Their heads bowed low in respect as Roland nodded to each in turn and their jeweled eyes fixed on her.

“My love, this is the rest of your family. Rohtina, partner to Lars.” He indicated a lovely golden female dragon with reddish highlights, then moved to a sparkly blue-green dragon at her side. “And her mate, Kelvan, partner to Gareth.” She acknowledged them with a nod of her head. She probably should have curtsied or bowed, but Roland still had her by the shoulders and didn’t seem to want to let her go. “This is Sandor, partner to Darian” he motioned to a sparkling copper dragon, and then to the blue-green female at his side, “and this is his mate, Kelzy, partner to Gareth.”

“Kelzy!” Lana looked to her mother for confirmation and was rewarded with her beaming smile and nodding head. “Lady Kelzy, my mother told us about you when we were just little girls. Mama said she used to bring you melons from her family’s garden!”

Kelzy licked her chops with a twinkle in her eye.
And tasty they were
too.

A commotion from the main archway had them all looking over to see two twin black dragons being chased inside by a sparkling bright crystal dragon. She heard her new family’s gasps with just a hint of pride.

Roland was right about the stir Tor would cause, and she was so proud www.samhainpublishing.com 131

of him, she could burst. If there was one thing she’d done right in her life, he was it.

Roland released her as she moved to intercept her friend. Tor was playing a game of chasing the black dragons’ tails and having a rollicking good time of it, from what she could see. Connor and Darius chuckled smokily as they led him to the center of the room, but when Tor saw her, he left off the game to toddle over to her on his growing back legs.

Lana! We had fun!

She reached up to stroke his head and neck, smiling at her closest friend in the whole world.

“I’m glad. They’re good dragons.”
She smiled at the two brothers whom she well knew were more than just dragons. Darius winked back at her, a dragonish chuckle clouding the vented air above her head.

They’re the best! They said I can play with their younger brother too,
when he gets home from training. He’s only a little bit older than me and
we flew all around, and I showed them some of the tricks I use to get
away from Salomar’s crossbows. They said I can show the other dragons
too!

“That’s great, Tor. I think that will help them a lot. I have some people I want you to meet. Do you remember me telling you about my family? Sweetheart,” she tried to break the news gently, unsure of how he might react,
“Roland knew where my mother and sister were and he asked them to come here. They want to meet you.”