Kaid sat in the rocker on the front porch of the main house. Beer in hand, his fourth of the day. He’d had run in after run in with his clan lately. He was feeling the strain of being their leader. It wasn't that he didn't want to be their leader, he was just so fucking lonely. He was tired of waiting for his Mate, had started to believe that he never would find her. It was hard to be a good leader when you were hurting all the fucking time. And then with all that happened lately, it was just more obvious that he was never going to find his Mate. A lot had happened; their clan was growing. His friends were finding their Mates. Their Evers, as Bam called them. And now they had a baby on the way, too. He grinned to himself; that was the best part, he couldn’t wait to see the tiny little daughter that Bane and Janie were expecting. Daisy, that’s what they’d said they were going to name her. Hell, had already named her. Bam said that her Bear told him she liked to be called Daisy. So Daisy it was. He had the distinct feeling that she was going to run them ragged, and he couldn’t wait. He thought about the delighted squeals that Janie had let out the morning she’d found out that she was pregnant, and he grinned again. Her happiness was infectious, even to him. Then he thought about Avaleigh and the way that she and Daniel had been sequestered in their cabin for days since they’d congratulated Bane and Janie, and Goldie and Sadie, too. That thought sobered him, again. He knew why they’d spent so much time alone, quiet in their cabin in spite of the laughter and joy permeating the rest of the clan. Avaleigh was reminded of the fact that she and Daniel would never have a baby. Lurin had taken that opportunity from her, damaged her so badly physically that she could never conceive. Not that she could have one anyway. At least not Daniel’s. Daniel was a Dragon shifter. Human women should not ever carry a Dragon’s youngling. Dragons are so strong, even in the womb, that human women cannot carry them to term, and most will die trying. Daniel had made it perfectly clear that even if Avaleigh had been able to conceive, she would not be giving birth to his young. He wasn’t going to risk his Mate for a child he didn’t need. It had made Avaleigh feel better about the fact that she couldn’t have one, but still, when the subject of children came up, she was happy for Janie and Bane, but she felt a little sad that she would never have that experience. Kaid hated to see her sad. He loved her; they all did. But lately he understood her more than he had before. He was happy for his clan, happy they were finding Mates and happiness, but it was hard for him, too, because he wanted that same thing for himself and it just never seemed to fucking happen. So here he sat, alone on his porch, brooding while he had beer after beer, waiting for Amos. His thoughts were cut short by the sound of a truck turning onto their drive from the highway. It was a ways out, but his shifter hearing picked it up with no problem. He set the beer down and took a step or two down the stairs that led down to the yard. Hands in pockets he stood there, slight smile on his face, waiting for Amos to pull into sight. He’d been waiting for Amos to get there for the better part of a week. Each day Amos had called to say that it was taking a little longer than he thought, but he was on his way. Kaid was getting frustrated, he missed his old friend.
As the truck pulled into view, Kaid broke out into a full-on smile, ear-to-ear, eyes crinkling. There, anchored down in the back of Amos’s truck was his Harley. The one he thought that Lurin had destroyed. He jogged down the last few steps and came to a stop beside the bed of Amos’s truck just as the old man parked and climbed down from the cab. He slammed the door behind himself and hurried around the back of the truck to embrace Kaid in a big bear hug. When they pulled back to look at each other, still grinning, they both had wet eyes. “Missed you, Son. Glad to see you again.”
“You too, Amos! It’s been too long. I was afraid you’d never come down off that mountain.” Then he looked to his bike, securely strapped down. Smoothing one hand over the saddlebag nearest him, “You found it! I can’t believe you found it! I thought it was long gone. Where was it?”
“Well, I’ll tell ya… after ya’ll left, it got pretty lonely up there. I puttered around, tried to get things put in order. Then you told me about Lurin and how ya’ll took care of that little problem. One evening I got to thinking about it. What the hell was he doing up there all this time? Why did he want everybody’s land? Why the hell was he holding ya’ll? So after a few days I decided -- heck; he ain't around no more. There ain't no reason that I couldn’t go up there and take a peek around. So, I did. I went on up and poked around. I looked around the garage, and I found this little beauty in the back all covered with a tarp. Looked through the bags on it and found your ID. Thought you’d appreciate having it back. But it didn't answer any of my questions, so I did a little investigatin’ and managed to find an opened window. Let myself in and looked around.” Amos threw back a tarp and there under the tarp were several large boxes filled with papers, notebooks, and a desktop computer and monitor. “Looked through a little of it; man was off his flippin’ rocker. I decided that I’d bring you all this stuff when I delivered your bike. I got no use for it and thought maybe it would fill in some answers for you and the Dragon’s Mate. Speaking of, where is that woman?”
Kaid turned his head slightly and gave a high-pitched whistle over his shoulder. He figured it would be only a minute or two, and the rest of the clan would be showing up. “She’ll be here in a bit; that whistle will bring ‘em all.”
Bam was the first to wander out onto the porch, sandwich in hand, still chewing. He was grinning, eyes focused on Kaid expectantly. Bane, Janie, Goldy and Sadie were next, strolling out from inside the house to see what Kaid’s whistle was all about. Goldy, spying Kaid’s Harley in the back of Amos’s pickup, headed down the steps, “Amos! Good to see you man, Welcome! I see you found his baby. Good Job!” he said, grinning as he ran his hand over the cool, smooth metal of the bike. Amos, grinning at the red-headed giant, “Why, thank you, Goldy. Yep, I figured he’d like to have her back.” His eyes flicked to the others still standing on the porch, “And who are these lovely ladies?”
Bane answered, standing behind Janie, with his arms around her waist holding her back to his front, his chin resting on top of her head, “Hey, Amos, how are you, Buddy? This is my Mate and wife, Janie. Janie, this is Amos. He helped Kaid and Avaleigh out of a tough spot a while back. Been a good friend ever since.”
Janie, true to her shyness, smiled sweetly, her hands resting on Bane’s where they sat over her lower belly, lowered her lashes and said, “Hello, Mr. Amos. Welcome to our home.”
“That there is my Mate!” A very proud and boastful Goldy announced to Amos, puffing his chest out as he held his arm out, indicating that Sadie should join them, “Come on down here, Sadie-girl. Say hello to Amos.”
Sadie headed down the stairs to where Goldy stood waiting, hand beckoning her, “Hello, Amos, how was your drive?”
“It was just fine, Ms. Sadie. No problems at all. So tell me how this old coot managed to score a looker like you,” he teased her.
“Well, aren’t you a flatterer,” Sadie answered, smiling as she slipped under Goldy’s raised arm to rest the back of her head against his shoulder as they visited.
“Pure blind luck, my friend. Pure blind luck,” Goldy answered as he kissed his Mate on the temple.
A wolf’s howl sounded in the distance, “That’d be Mav. He’s headed this way,” Kaid said. He moved a step or two toward the front of the truck, threw back his head and allowed his Bear’s roar to answer Mav’s howl. A few short yips replied. Kaid turned to move back to where his friends stood near the truck bed, but movement from inside the cab caught his eye. He stopped to focus on what was inside the cab, and his heart stuttered. There, inside the cab, staring back at him from the other side of the rolled up window, was the most beautiful creature he’d ever laid eyes on. She had long, dark hair, with wispy, silver streaks running the length of it here and there; huge, violet eyes with long black lashes that he noticed skimmed her cheeks when she blinked; high, sharp cheekbones; full, pouty, dusty-rose colored lips; and
a delicate pointed nose. She was staring at him just as intensely as he was staring at her. He stepped closer to the truck, lifted one hand and placed it on the window, palm toward her. She looked at his hand for a moment, lifted her own and placed it palm to palm with his, with only the glass separating them.
Bam was standing on the porch watching, “Kaid?”
Kaid didn’t answer; he was entranced with the female in Amos’s truck.
Bam tried again, louder, “Kaid!”
Kaid heard him this time. “What, Bam?” he barely whispered.
“She’s here.”
Kaid broke his attention from the stunning woman in the truck and snapped his head around to pin Bam with a glare, question there but unspoken.
“Told you to hang on, she was comin’.” He grinned at Kaid and shoved the rest of his sandwich in his mouth.
Kaid’s mouth went slack, his brain ceased to function beyond the repetition of one thought, “Mine!”
He turned back to the female in the truck who was still holding her hand against his on the other side of the glass.
Just then, Avaleigh and Daniel’s door burst open across the clearing, Avaleigh shrieking as she ran toward them and away from Daniel, who was feigning pursuit, both of them laughing. All eyes turned their way to watch their game of chase. She realized that Amos was there, stopped laughing and shrieked louder as she ran toward the clan gathered in front of the main house. “Amos!!!!” she screamed, picking up speed, waving her hand in the air at him.
Daniel, running after her, yelled, “Oh, no you don’t, woman! Mine!!!!!” And allowed his Dragon to chuff and puff a little smoke at her with a rumble for good measure. They so loved when their Mate played with them, and chasing her was their favorite game.
Suddenly the door to Amos’s truck was shoved open with such force that it knocked Kaid back a few feet before he fell on his ass in the dirt, where he sat and gawked at the female emerging from the truck. She was tall, almost as tall as he was, slender, but muscular, a force of freaking nature and so fucking beautiful and graceful. He sat watching the beautiful creature that was his Mate, his Mate! She jumped from the cab, running toward Avaleigh, but instead of stopping when she reached Avaleigh, she ran past her while screaming, “Run, female!! I will save you from the Dragon!!!”
She finally stopped in her tracks as she placed herself between Avaleigh and Daniel, her hands raised in the air, a ferocious snarl emitting from her chest as she threatened Daniel, “Fight me, Dragon! I will not allow you to harm the human! Fight me!”
Daniel stopped running after Avaleigh and looked curiously at the woman standing before him, “Who are you?” his Dragon rumbled at her.
“I am your end, Dragon. You will face me, not a defenseless human!”
Daniel snorted, truly amused with this new woman. “Female, that human is my Mate. Now I asked you a question; who are you?”
“You cannot claim her as Mate! You have no right! She is human; release her now!”
Everyone watched this exchange curiously, waiting to see what would happen next. Everyone except Kaid, who was rushing to place himself between his Mate and Daniel, the most dangerous member of his clan. Just as he reached the altercation and stepped between them, Avaleigh approached the woman standing between herself and her Mate, “He’s telling you the truth; he’s my Mate.”
Daniel moved to go around the woman and reach Avaleigh, but Kaid’s Mate snarled, causing Daniel to snarl in return. Kaid chested him, moving Daniel back a few steps, muttering a low growly, “Mine,” so that he would understand.
The dark haired creature again addressed Avaleigh, this time in a haughty tone, “I told you to run, human. Run and hide, now!” She focused her attention back on Daniel, but continued to speak to Avaleigh. “I couldn't save you before, but I can now. I will not let another hurt you. Go, now, while I detain him.”
Amos approached cautiously, “Delilah? Girlie? These are my friends, Hon. Remember I told you about them; they killed the Dragon, remember? They killed Lurin, and it’s safe now. He really is her Mate. By choice. He didn’t force her,” Amos offered.
“We love each other; we are Mates,” Avaleigh tried again.
Delilah raised her head slightly, sniffing the air, “Truth” she said quietly, looking at her hands as she shook them out as though flinging water from them.
Daniel, tired of the show, and needing to make sure that Delilah, whoever the hell she was, understood his position of dominance, allowed his Dragon to take a little more lead, “You should watch yourself; next time we won’t be so tolerant,” his Dragon growled at her, disdain clear in his voice and tone. Smoke curled from his nostril and a short flame only inches long followed. The wind had picked up in the vicinity immediately surrounding Daniel, and the smell of burning leaves and ashes floated in the air.
“Stand down, Daniel,” Kaid said with authority in his voice, trying not to irritate Daniel any further, but at the same time maintain control. It wasn't that he wasn't worried about the subtle changes in Daniel; it was more that he had no choice. He had to defuse this situation. Push come to shove, he’d stand beside his Mate, but he really didn't want to piss off Daniel any more than necessary either.
Daniel flicked his eyes, his orange eyes, in Kaid's direction, one eyebrow raised.
“Mine,” Kaid said simply, but still with authority.
Daniel looked back to the female, still standing, alternately raising a hand, then both hands into the air. She was looking frustratedly at them and no longer paying much attention to himself or even Kaid for that matter.
Daniel met Kaid’s eyes once more and inclined his head, one single time. He stepped around Kaid and the new female on his way to where Avaleigh waited, and said low, but deadly, “Do not get between myself and my Mate again.”
Delilah regarded him for a second, then turned to Kaid, “You missed one.”
Kaid looked at her, confused, “What?”
Delilah pointed at Daniel, “The Dragon. You missed one,” she smirked at Daniel as she clearly told the Alpha that he had one Dragon yet to kill.
Daniel narrowed his eyes at Delilah and rumbled at her insinuation that Kaid should kill him.
Kaid snarled at him, and he snarled back.
Delilah, as Kaid now knew she was named, did not even notice.
Chapter 3
Maverik came trotting into the clearing just as Avaleigh was introducing her Daniel to Amos. The first thing he noticed was the smell of ashes on the air. Not a good sign, he thought, Daniel had been pissed off about something. The next thing he noticed was a drop-dead gorgeous woman standing near Kaid and Bam. Her eyes were shooting daggers at Daniel as he continued to wrap his arms around Avaleigh and make a big show of his claim on her. Mav shifted back mid-stride as he approached the house. “What the hell did I miss now? You know, it ain’t right. A wolf can’t take a damn run around here without something major happening and him being left out. Once, just once, you people could call me before all the good stuff happens!” he said as he strode buck-ass naked into their midst. He sauntered up to the beauty currently standing between Kaid and Bam, “Hi there, Darlin’. My name’s Maverik. What can I do you for this fine day?” he drawled at her.
Kaid spun on him so fast he was caught totally off guard and almost fell flat on his own ass. “Do. Not. Speak to my Mate in such a manner,” he quietly told him. Threat clear and present in the words Kaid spoke.
“Mate? She’s your Mate?! When the hell did that happen?” Mav asked, looking at Kaid dumbfounded.
“When Amos brought her with him,” Kaid answered.
“Well, how the hell did that happen?” Mav near shouted, clearly exasperated with the lack of information forthcoming.
“That’s what I was getting at, Boy; the bike ain't your surprise. She is. Oh, I knew you’d like the bike and be happy to see her and all, but Delilah, she’s the surprise,” Amos told him.
“But, how did you know?” Kaid started.
“That s
he’s your Mate? I didn’t. But I knew she wasn’t human. And I knew you had a clan, with just about one of everything in it. I figured you could help her find her bearings and figure out what’s next for her. She’s going to need some guidance, Son. A lot of it.”
Kaid reached out to place a hand on her arm just above her elbow, and she jerked away from him and shot him an angry glare, “You do not have my permission.”
He immediately raised both hands in the air, a sign of submission, a first for him, “It’s okay; I won’t touch you without your permission. I just wanted to walk closer to Amos, and I thought I’d escort you with me.”
“Why?”
“Because it is the gentlemanly thing to do. To escort a woman from one place to another.”
Maverik snorted his amusement, still standing there buck-ass naked, his junk flapping in the wind, his hands planted firm on his hips, “Yeah, we’re gentlemen and shit,” he snickered.
Bam chose that moment to walk past Maverik, non-chalantly elbowing him hard enough to shove him into the huge, wildly grown Azalea bushes at the side of the house.
“Don’t pay no attention to him, Delilah. He’s an ass,” Bam told her as she watched Maverik struggling to get out of the bushes.
“Goddamn it, Bam! You ain’t had to do that!” Mav complained to him, still struggling to get out of the bushes.
“Go put some clothes on, Mav. Show some respect,” Kaid told him.
“What?! And leave this lovely gathering? No! Who knows what I’ll miss next!”
Kaid turned to give him the ‘do not fuck with me now look,’ just as Bane tossed him a pair of pants from the porch.
Mav grinned at Kaid as he slipped them on, “See? Now I don’t have to miss nothin’.”
Kaid's Queen Page 2