by A. C. Ryals
“Yep. As soon as you change, look at your feet. If they’re webbed, you’re a water dragon or a duck.”
“Or an otter.”
“That would be cool, actually.”
He was helping. Her tension eased as her curiosity grew. She wanted to know what kind of shifter she was.
She closed her eyes and took a breath, relaxing. Then it happened. For a fraction of a second she saw strange writing and then she was…different.
Wrath smiled broadly and said, “Firedrake,” before he changed into his dragon. The space was big, but it seemed smaller now that they’d both changed. She looked down at herself. She had black scales and claws on her feet. They weren’t webbed.
More important than what she saw was what she felt. All her emotions and instincts were in the foreground. She was shocked by how angry she was. Her mate had tried to hurt her. That wasn’t okay. He should have to face her displeasure.
Yes, she would show Wrath her own fury.
Chapter 23
Wrath had a feeling his mate might still be upset with him on a deeper level. Since she wasn’t used to controlling her dragon, the attack really shouldn’t have taken him by surprise. It didn’t, not really. It did sting a little bit. Not physically, though.
Damn her dragon was weak. It was just a baby. Full grown, but barely any magic.
He took the attack in stride. He let her knock him over and nip at him. She was trying to bite him, but her teeth slid harmlessly over his age hardened scales.
He forced his dragon to show submission. He lied down and sighed.
She even breathed fire at him. It was a relief that she could. Faith couldn’t breathe fire. Was she even a dragon if she couldn’t breathe fire? It was pathetic. Even big clumsy earth dragons could breathe fire. Alal could breathe fire and he was an ice dragon, a rare type of water dragon.
After about five minutes she was getting bored with beating up on him and maybe a little tired.
“I’m sorry, love,” he said in garbled English. “It won’t happen again. You’re my mate and I will protect you with my life.”
“Fight me,” she said.
“Ok, but no fire. I don’t want any of my treasures melted.”
“Fine.”
Quick as a flash, Wrath was on his feet and knocking Jess down. He pinned her and licked her face.
The fight was over just like that. It took her a second to realize it and quit struggling.
“When we change back into human form, I’m going to cover you with jewels and make you come until you forget your name,” he said as he released her.
With a low growl that was the equivalent to a purr, Jess got to her feet. Her dragon was lovely, smaller than his but just as dark. One day, centuries from now, she’d have all her dragon abilities. Even then, her magic wouldn’t be as strong as his. Knowing that made him feel intensely protective.
She changed back into human form, so he did as well. He mentally congratulated himself for thinking to remove the diamond choker necklace before she changed. He wanted her to have it. It was made by a jeweler friend he met in 1862. He said it was the finest piece he’d ever made. Wrath used telepathy on him to verify that he was telling the truth.
“Feel better, love?” Wrath asked.
“I didn’t even hurt you, did I?”
“Don’t look so disappointed. You already know the real way to bring me to my knees.”
“I do? What’s that?”
“Exactly what you’re doing now. I’m helpless.”
All thought was lost as his mate approached him, her hips swaying hypnotically. Maybe their relationship wasn’t perfect, but he couldn’t find an imperfection in her. Feeling whole again, he didn’t need to think or talk. He knew exactly what to do.
He retrieved the choker from the floor and fastened it around her neck, loving the feel of her soft skin. Then he leaned down and slanted his mouth over hers as she gripped him tightly.
Lifting her up, he carried her to the spot where he’d lie down and meditate in dragon form. The pile of gold there was flattened and smooth enough for him to lay her there without worry that something would dig into her back. He didn’t have to think about doing that. He just knew.
He was back.
They made love for hours. When they were finally sated, Wrath lied with her and held her in his arms surrounded by his treasure. His inner dragon had never been so content.
“I know it probably feels like it’s too soon, Jess, but I hope you know there’s more here than simple attraction.”
“It’s magic.”
“It is.”
“You’re mine.”
“I am,” Wrath said, brushing an errant strand of hair behind her ear.
“I guess I love you, then, huh?”
“Guess so.”
Jess swatted him and he laughed. “I love you, Jess,” Wrath said. “This means I have a problem, though. Etel did me two favors. He sent you to me and he brought Namtar to lift the curse. I owe him.”
She propped herself up on her elbow and looked down at him. “How’s that a problem?” she asked.
“I’ll have to do as he asked and go to Texas to guard the gate. I guess that means making peace with my family.”
“I’m coming with you,” she said, resting her chin on his chest.
“Yes, you are. We’ll stay here long enough for Etel to have talks with a basilisk representative and then we’ll go. You won’t guard the gate, but you’ll meet some of my dragon family.”
Jess kissed his chin and said: “I can’t wait. But, you know, I helped Etel. It was my idea to have Faith sing.”
“Hm. So you’re my hero?” he asked.
“Yes. You owe me and you need more punishment for the whole wanting to kill me thing.”
“Really? What kind of punishment?”
“You wear the handcuffs.”
Epilogue
A few days later
Meditation was boring. Jess could only stand a few minutes of it and she preferred to be in human form. Wrath took a good half hour, so Jess occupied herself by reading. He wanted her with him when he meditated because his dragon was happier with as much of his treasure around as possible.
She was beginning to notice that not everything in the underground safe/dragon meditation room was there for its monetary value. For example, there was a chest of toys near the door. They might have a lot of monetary value—they were ancient—but she knew that’s not why he kept them.
He kept them because they belonged to his sons.
Unhappy with the heroine in her current romance book—she hated love triangles—Jess spotted some old books in the far corner. No wonder Wrath hadn’t wanted her to use fire in the safe.
She tried to walk across the giant pile of treasure quietly, but that proved impossible. In fact, every slow step seemed to be louder than when she walked normally. Just like with her grandparents’ cats, the sneakier she tried to be the more Wrath seemed to notice.
She saw the glint of one menacing dragon eye watching her and gave up on quiet. She marched across the hoard to the books. On the top shelf were books that had titles in languages she didn’t recognize. On the bottom shelf there were scrolls. The middle shelf had something far more interesting—a photo album.
As she lifted it from the shelf, she heard footsteps behind her. Not room rattling dragon footsteps, the footsteps of a man. Wrath had changed back to human form.
“Let’s take that upstairs, shall we?” he asked. “I haven’t looked through it in…days.”
Once they were upstairs and Wrath was dressed, they sat together on the sofa. Wrath draped his arm around Jess’s shoulders, and she opened the album. On the first page was a drawing of a dark-haired woman with laughing eyes.
“Zahra,” Jess said. “Did you draw this?”
“No, Adom drew it.”
“She’s lovely.”
“She was.”
Jess saw the similarity between herself and Zahra, but it was super
ficial. Their faces were different shapes, Zahra had an oval face while Jess’s was heart shaped. Jess’s lips were fuller, but Zahra had intriguing eyes.
Jess turned the page and got her first look at Wrath’s sons. The pictures were old and faded. She could hardly tell them apart.
“The newer pictures are in the back,” Wrath said, giving her permission to skip pages.
She flipped to a page toward the back and saw a picture of Wrath with three men who bore a striking resemblance to him only they weren’t as broad in the shoulders.
“They’re so handsome,” Jess said. “But they’re…”
“They’re what?”
“Trouble. Look at them. They smile like angels. They could melt your heart in an instant. My God, they’d be the perfect conmen.”
Jess blushed when she realized what she said and began to stammer an apology when Wrath started to laugh.
“They are trouble,” he said with warmth in his voice. “Can you imagine how hard it was to discipline them when they’d turn up the charm? Hellions, all three of them.”
He told her which son was which before she turned the page to find pictures of Seth and his family. He had a lovely mate and four children plus loads of grandchildren.
Jess didn’t sense the change in the air, the heaviness of magic, until Wrath said, “Speak of the devil. Seth’s here.”
Jess dropped the album on Wrath’s lap and ran to the front door. Seth was just getting out of his car when she ran down the front steps. She stopped a foot in front of the tall basilisk wearing a smart business suit.
“Oh my God,” she said, “You look so much like Wrath, but your eyes are like your mother’s.”
Seth grinned. “Stepmother, it’s a pleasure to meet you. You know I have great-great…great-great-great-great grandchildren older than you so I hope you’re not offended when I call my old man a cradle robber.”
There was so much mischief in his eyes that Jess wasn’t the least bit offended.
“The first Star Wars movie I saw was The Phantom Menace, so you’re justified,” Jess said.
“Sweet fucking Anu, you’re a baby,” Seth said.
“That’s enough, boy,” Wrath said as he reached Jess’s side.
Seth’s face transformed into the picture of wide-eyed innocence. “So sorry, papa.”
Jess laughed. Seth really was trouble.
Seth gave Jess a wink and then hugged his father. It was easy to see that Seth was half imp and that Wrath didn’t mind a bit.
“I want to get the first meeting with Etel over with and then I’ll come back by and we can catch up. I’d stay longer but by now there are basilisks lining up to greet me in front of the bunker,” Seth said.
“Run along. I’ll see you later,” Wrath said.
Seth nodded and then turned his attention to Jess. “It’s really good to meet you. If the old man is happy, I’m happy. Welcome to the family.”
Seth kissed Jess on the forehead and then went back to his car.
“They’re trouble, but they’re good boys,” Wrath said.
“Is there going to be trouble between him and Etel?”
“Absolutely, but Etel and Seth understand each other. I think Seth may be Etel’s favorite nephew, but he’d never admit it.”
“Do you want to be there when Etel shows up?”
“God no. Anyway, something interesting is going to happen when Etel gets to the bunker. I’ll hang back and retain plausible deniability.”
“What’s going to happen?”
“You’ll see.”
***