Tiger Tail: Shifter Romance

by Sky Winters

  “Well hello there," Iona said happily. It was a relief to see the boy was safe and able to speak again.

  “Can you me find my mom?" he asked.

  “I can certainly try," she said with a warm smile. When she looked away from the boy and up to Adair, her eyes were shimmering as if to tell him I told you so. He offered her a sheepish smile and then patted the boy on the back.

  “Let's get you some grub, lad," he said with a grin. The boy nodded enthusiastically and ran out of the tent, leaving Adair and Iona alone. Adair inhaled, preparing to speak, but Iona stopped him.

  “It's all right," she said soothingly. “You were just protecting the boy and your clan. I respect that."

  He gave her a faltering smile and knelt down quickly to release her from her findings. Their faces nearly touched, and they were both surprised by the deep magnetism between them. Iona pulled away and inhaled sharply before Adair gave her a grin and a hearty laugh.

  “How does this sound to eat with your hands for a change?" He asked her, his eyes glimmering. "It's about dinner time, you can eat with me and the rest of the clan tonight if you would like. I'm really sorry. Thank you for being so understanding. Do you mind setting out to find the boy's mother as soon as possible? I fear we've lost a lot of time."

  “We can head out after we eat if that's okay,” she agreed, standing up and stretching. She hadn't been allowed to walk for a while, so she stumbled as she tried to move forward. Adair caught her in his strong arms.

  “Easy lass," he said quietly, helping her back to her feet. “It may take some time to get the blood moving again.”

  Iona nodded, her cheeks a bright red. Her heart thudded, both from the fear of falling and from the adrenaline that was released when she was cradled into Adair's strong body. She felt that she should say something, but when she looked into his eyes, she lost all ability to speak. She straightened up, and they walked out of the tent together, the air between them gentle and peaceful.

  She felt suddenly insecure when she was led to the campfire where Adair's clan was sitting with the child. They were all talking to him, but at the site of her, the conversation ceased. They looked toward Adair for instructions, before saying anything. She wished that she was anywhere else, and although she had always wanted more attention from her family, this is not the kind of attention that she had in mind. She wished in fact, that she could disappear, away from all of their curious and skeptical glances.

  “This young lady here is going to help us find the boy's mother," Adair said firmly. "We're all going to accept her into the clan as if she were one of our own. Anything that anybody has done to offend her, should be apologized for now. She was under suspicion, but those suspicions have been long cleared with the boy's ability to recall the events of the day we met.”

  “Well what's her name then?” One of the men called out.

  “Yes, what do we call the lass?" another said loudly.

  “Her name is -”

  “If it's all the same to you, I would rather speak for myself," Iona said firmly, touching Adair's shoulder gently.

  “Of course lass," he said with a grin.

  “My name is Iona, and I'm from a tribe of wolf shifters down south. I crossed over the territory looking for a new life, and maybe I found one and maybe not. Either way, we're going to help the child find his mother. Thank you all for your patience with me and for treating me kindly despite not knowing whether or not I was a murderer."

  Adair looked at her fondly, and gave the men a nod.

  “The lass need some food, before we go out to fetch the boy's mother.”

  “All right then," one of the men said, standing up and bringing her a bowl of food. She took it gratefully and sat down on a tree stump, and began to eat heartily.

  Soon, everybody was speaking amongst themselves again as if nothing had changed. She found herself feeling more at home and more included than she ever had at her family's dinner table, and breathed a sigh of relief for the fact that she was finally out of chains for good.

  Chapter 6

  Soon after dinner, Adair took her by the arm and let her out of the encampment. She shifted into her wolf form immediately, after slipping out of the dress that Adair had given to her. She left the dress by a tree outside of the encampment walls, and followed Adair to the hut where the boy’s father laid dead. She needed a good general idea of what the boy's mother might smell like. Although the boy smelled a lot like her, it wasn't enough for her to get the scent.

  Adair had changed into his Dragon form, and was flying around in the sky, looking out over the area for the woman. Now that he trusted her, they kept each other in much better company. Suddenly, Iona found a shawl a little ways away from the hut. She gave a howl and soon Adair was landing powerfully beside her. He glanced at the shawl and saw the direction that she must have been heading in after she left the house. Iona sniffed it and took off immediately in the direction where Adair was looking.

  She ran as fast as the carrier, until she reached a lake. The woman had probably gone to get some water, and maybe she had fallen into the lake. The rapids were strong, and could easily have carried away the boy’s mother. Adair and Iona exchanged worried looks, and quickly she crouched, signaling her to climb onto his back. She changed into human form and mounted him, and he took off flying over the landscape.

  “Do you smell anything?" He asked her. “I'll take you in any direction. Just tell me if you find anything.”

  Iona furled her brow and continued smelling the air, until finally she caught wind of the same scent of the boy's mother's shawl.

  “Go more to the east!" Iona cried. "I smell her in this area.”

  Adair flew down, swooping into the trees, and lo and behold, there was the figure of a woman and tattered clothing, shivering in front of a small fire. Adair landed beside her, and her eyes widened until she recognized the familiar shape of Adair as he transformed back into human shape. He studied with Iona in front of the woman, and held his strong arms out to comfort her. She ran toward him sobbing.

  “My boy, my husband. I miss my family! I need them so much," she cried.

  “I've bad news about your husband, but your boy is fine there's some twist of fate, he was able to survive. There was a terrible house fire and your husband was not able to make it out. However, we were able to save your boy. I will take you to him now.”

  Adair transformed back into his Dragon form, and Iona offered her hand gently to the woman, who climbed onto his back beside her. They held on tightly as Adair rushed her to the encampment, and he landed outside the gates. The woman rushed in calling for her son, and he ran to her, his face lit up and shining brightly. Adair and Iona watched the reunion from afar, before retreating into his tent to give the family some time alone.

  It was late in the evening, and the sky was dark. Adair lit a torch in his tent and looked at Iona.

  “Seems I don't quite know what to do with you now lass, you've outgrown your chains here.”

  “I'm going to take that as a good thing," she said with a grin.

  “Yes, I would certainly say so," Adair said, his handsome, broad face breaking out into a large smile.

  “Should I head back to the South now?" Iona asked. "I already caused too much trouble here, I don't want to be anymore."

  “You were never any trouble lass, I was just concerned about the boy and my clan. I have to be careful you know. Our type are rare now."

  “I'm very sorry to hear that," Iona said softly, approaching him slowly. “The dragons are very beautiful, it would be a shame for them to die out.”

  Adair sat heavily onto the cot and sighed. “I'd be lying if I said I wasn't concerned,” he admitted. “But that's enough draft talk for now. Sit down and tell me more about yourself now that you're no longer my enemy."

  She studied him, shamelessly naked and sitting on the cot, offering a seat beside him to her. If she did, they would both be on his bed in the nude, and she wasn't sure what would happen afte
r that. All she knew was that she was curious about it and willing to find out. She approached the bed cautiously before sitting, and noticed his eyes rest upon her round breasts. She swallowed hard, and thought quickly about how she could make more conversation.

  “Thank you for your help today," Adair said, before she had to try to speak. She looked down at her hands and laughed nervously.

  “It was no problem, I'm just glad that she's okay now. I was worried that something might happen to her by the time you actually let me go out and look for her."

  Adair laughed sheepishly. "Yeah, I'm sorry about that. I just couldn't be too careful. If my clan is in danger, there may be no dragons left after myself."

  “You mean you're the last Dragon here?" She asked, her face contorting in surprise and concern. "That's terrible. You must feel so lonely!"

  "Well it's a big job to fill, but I have to do it. I don't mind protecting everybody, I'm just concerned about the future. And it's not like I like anybody here enough to sire an heir, so who knows. There may be no dragons from here on out."

  “You don't like anybody enough?” She asked, her bold, flirtatious smile tracing her face again. Adair stared at her, his desire for her welling up stronger than it had ever been before. Now that he knew that she was not a murderer, her eyes widened in surprise as she saw his member swell along the length of his leg. She had never been with a man before, nor has she heard much about what to expect, but seeing this change in his body brought a change in hers as well. She bit her lip and looked him in the eye, and before she knew what was happening, he lifted her with his strong arms by the hips until she was nestled on top of him.

  “Well I may like somebody, but she's not from my clan," he said with a sly grin.

  “Well that sounds inconvenient," she said, slowly touching him and sending sharp thrills down his body. She felt the effect it had on him between her thighs, and she groaned as her desire for him swelled and pulsated. She thrust into him gently, and he gasped quietly as his strong hands around her body sent pleasure all throughout her. She closed her eyes and experienced the pleasure that he gave her, her hips buckling against him as he began to push himself slowly into the folds of her body. She had never experienced such ecstasy before, and soon she was throwing her head back and pleasure coursed through her powerfully.

  He grinned at her and ran his hands through her long hair, before holding her hips with his hands and pushing her body the rest of the way down his shaft. She cried out as he began rocking against her, answering her with slow and steady thrusts that drove her mad. Finally, she couldn't help herself any longer, and gave a wolfish growl of excitement into his ear. This seemed to arouse something deep and primal within him, and he let go of all of his human inhibitions. She began to smell the crackling impressions of embers burning in the fireplace, and she knew that dragons could create fire without a doubt as he turned her on her backside and began thrusting powerfully into her, losing all sense of gentleness and purely satiating a deep need in both of them.

  She cried out softly in pleasure, gripping his hard muscles in her hands and sighing with pleasure as his mouth found her sensitive nipples and sucked them gingerly as he made love to her. Suddenly, she felt herself being overwhelmed by a sense of sheer ecstasy that she didn't know her body was capable of reaching. Her entire body cleaved in his grip, and she could feel herself contracting around him as he pushed and pulled inside of her. She could tell that it felt good for her to squeeze him that way, and he gritted his teeth and groaned deeply with the masculine timber as he unleashed a flood of liquid desire deep inside of her.

  They both collapsed onto the cot, panting and satisfied. He held her tightly in his arms, and she fell asleep against him, feeling more at peace than she had ever felt in her life.

  Epilogue

  Ten months later, the young child and his mother had both recovered completely from the unfortunate incident in their home. Adair and Iona took special care of them, treating them with great kindness and love. They made up for the family that the boy lost when his father died, and his mother was eternally grateful for their rescue.

  This is why Iona had begged for her to be her midwife as she delivered Adair's first child. The boy kept their company outside as she gave birth, and the woman was ecstatic to be able to return any kind of favor to the woman who had helped to save her and her son. With one final cry, Iona was able to push out the child completely, and she heard a strangled cry as the woman held the baby up for her examination. Tears sprang up in Iona's eyes, and she called immediately for Adair to share this special moment with her.

  He rushed in, and immediately fell to his strong knees. It was more than he could have ever hoped for. The child was a dragon shifter just like he was. They watched it off as the child shimmered and the midwife's arms, going from baby to wolf pup to Dragon pup, resembling his father's Dragon form with his mother is wolf color, and his father's Dragon color with his mother's wolf form. The midwife gave the child to Adair, who walked quickly over to cradle the baby with his new wife. They cried over the child and everything that he represented for the McKordia clan's future. Their leader had an heir, and everything was going to be all right from then on out.

  The end.

  LORD OF THE WOLF

  Chapter 1

  I squinted my eyes and looked about me. The place I was in was a hazy, purple world, full of flames and fury. Violence was everywhere. Suddenly, I saw what I must have been looking for. I ran toward my brother Kain's silhouette. He seemed to be further away from me with every step that I took toward him, and I knew that I would never reach him in time. It was the same, endless battle, the same gruelling images playing in my mind since the day he died. I heard his murderous cry, and I knew what was going to happen before it ever did.

  He was fighting for his life – a battle he had lost once, three years ago, and again, over and over in my dreams many nights since. Suddenly,the image of Kain disappeared, and standing in front of me, as if keeping me from reaching him, was a great, white wolf. It was the most majestic and beautiful creature I had ever seen, and seemed to have no place among such violence. We stared at each other for a moment, and I had the silly impulse to reach out and touch it. I had no idea what it might want, or whether or not to be afraid. The war was loud in my ears, and the sounds of death surrounded me. The wolf howled, and I was startled into wakefulness.

  I sat up in my bed panting, my heart racing in fear. Kain's name was on the tip of my tongue and I cried out, reaching my hands into the darkness and touching nothing. My nightmare had stirred the servants down the hall, and the woman who had cared for me since childhood burst through the heavy doors of my room. I looked down at myself, the vision of my chest, heaving against the thin fabric of my nightclothes, surreal. All I could see was my brother Kain, my twin. The person I'd loved the most in the world and the only friend I'd ever had. That is, until he was taken from me by the highlanders, slaughtered in cold blood.

  “Lady Bethia, are you all right?” Rose asked, fanning me from the bedside. “You must have been having one of those dreams again. Kain?”

  My heart lurched at the sound of my brother's name and I nodded, holding back tears.

  “Everything's all right now, my Lady. He's made it to the west, and will be taken care of in Tir nan Og. Many men would envy him for his residence in the land of eternal youth, my Lady, and he is waiting there for you still. Do not shed tears for him. Time will heal your wounds, and reunite you to him inevitably.”

  Rose, normally a quiet and simple woman, was the only one who could console me when my brother's death racked my frail body with sobs. She knew just what to say, and took comfort in the tales of the west of Scotland, where the souls of the dead were said to dwell. Her quiet faith brought me peace when nothing else ever could.

  “Now lay back down with you, miss, you don't want to catch your death of cold. Your dreams were a fright, but everything is all right now.”

  She gently pushed my shoulde
rs against the soft down of my bed and tucked the covers over me. I nestled into them and returned her kind smile.

  “I'll be down the hall if you need me,” she whispered, and picked her candle up off the bedside table and headed from my room, casting lengthy shadows in her wake until my door closed on the candle light and left me alone in the darkness.

  ***

  The next morning, the halls were in a flurry of activity. I dressed and was suddenly whisked away to speak with my parents, who were sitting autocratically at the large banquet table where we usually dined with guests. I opened my mouth to ask what the occasion was when they told me to take my place at the table.

  “This is the last meal you will be sharing with us for quite some time. Tensions between the highlanders and the lowlanders has been high for far too long. Finally, we have a chance to change the course of our history together. We can bring peace between these clans. We have made a deal, one that can finally unify the land again.”

  I stared at my father in disbelief as he spoke. What was he talking about? Our last meal together?

  “What kind of deal?” I asked, suddenly nauseated. The servants were bringing out dishes of food and the smell wafting in my nostrils brought bile to my throat. I was afraid I knew what was coming.

  “You are to be wed to Lord Lachlan. Your betrothed is to send his emissaries here to retrieve you and take you to your new home. He requested the wedding be held in the highlands, where he feels most comfortable.”

  “The highlands?!” I exclaimed, rising from my seat. For the first time in my life, I was yelling at my father. “I am betrothed to a highlander? It was the highlanders who killed Kain! My brother, your only son! Or did you forget that?”

  “Know your place, child! Sit down at once.”

  My father's steely gaze pierced through me. I seethed, tempted by years of training to sit down and shut up, but I held my ground.

  “I understand your distaste for the highlanders,” he said. “But it is this union that could prevent another war like that which your brother died in. Your hand to Lord Lachlan could mean that no other men have to die for the sake of our disagreements. Do you not understand that there are bigger things at work in this world than yourself? You silly, selfish girl. Now sit down and eat your breakfast.”