by Julia Mills
Her fingertips smoothed over the glistening scales of the bridge of its nose and Anya felt them move. Instead of being scared like before, she was intrigued and continued her slow exploration until her fingers were just under its eyes. It was miraculous how close to reality her imagination was. As a child she had been obsessed with dragons and knights and read every book she could find, always sure the writer had the story wrong and that dragons were actually the good guys.
“We are,” floated through her mind and she chuckled.
“Yeah, Mom and Pops explained that to me after I read an especially horrible story where the dragon was slaying women and children. It had me swearing to never read again.” She laughed. “I think I was eight at the time.”
Devon cleared his throat and stood. Her hand that had been on his neck slowly drifted downward, stopping right over his heart. The steady beat reverberated through her and it was then that she realized their hearts were in sync.
“As they always will be.” Devon’s words, low and seductive in her mind, conjured images better left for a less crowded venue.
Having caught her thought he snickered, but coughed into his hand when she pretended to scowl at him. With his hand on her lower back he directed her to the loveseat directly across from Siobhan and Kyra, but Anya needed to be sure of one more little detail, “I will be seeing the rest of that dragon sometime soon, right?”
“Of that you can be sure, mo chroi. Of that you can be sure.” The look in Devon’s eyes matched the tone of his voice and Anya shivered in anticipation.
Thank goodness his mother spoke and broke the spell, even though the look on her face said she knew exactly what she had interrupted. “The Detection Ritual is very simple. Kyra will light a red candle, sprinkle some thyme, and say the incantation. Then you will sleep with a Revealing Amulet under your pillow. Sometime in the near future, the amulet will tell us if you have been magically protected. We can go from there and decide how or if to remove it.”
“Sounds easy enough. Can you do it right now?” Anya inquired as Devon tensed beside her.
“Absolutely,” Kyra responded while placing the large red candle and the herb bowl in the center of the table. She completed the spell in a matter of minutes and only after she had blown out the candle did Devon relax. He watched with squinted eyes, when Kyra handed her the silver engraved amulet she was to put under her pillow.
Anya squeezed his hand and joked, “Did you think I was gonna vanish into thin air or something?”
His laugh was forced and his smile fake when he answered, “No, not at all. I trust these ladies completely.”
“Yeah, that was convincing,” she switched to their silent form of communication as everyone else left the room.
“Dammit, Anya, I’m worried and that’s not something I’m good at. I’m a warrior. I look at the obstacles, formulate a plan, and use that plan to eliminate anything keeping me from the goal. I do not lament over a decision…I act. The only goal in my life is keeping you safe.” He finally looked at her and there she saw a whirlwind of emotion.
Since they were alone, Anya spoke out loud; her tone was sharper than she originally intended, but the longer she spoke the more her passion on the subject became evident. “Talk to me, Devon. You’re not in this alone. If I truly am your mate and we’re going to spend the next forever together then you have to learn to include me. I’m not some damsel in distress, and I will not have you making decisions for me. I want a partnership, not a dictatorship.”
Devon sighed long and deep, and Anya felt his emotions deep in her heart. She wanted to push him, to make him talk, because waiting was killing her; but she knew he needed the time so she bit her tongue and waited. The tick of the clock on the mantel echoed throughout the huge narrow room, seeming louder every second that passed. Time seemed to be going in reverse. Finally, he spoke and what he said rocked Anya’s world. “You, Anya, mo chroi’, are the realization of every dream I’ve ever dreamt, every wish I’ve ever made, and every hope I’ve ever had. You are my today, my future…my forever. The moment I scented sand and sea, I felt complete for the first time in my very long life. I cannot, and most definitely will not, let anything happen to you. It’s my nature to act first and ask questions later, and that instinct is the strongest it’s ever been since finding you.” He paused and she held her breath, waiting for him to continue.
“For you, I will try as hard as I can to include you in my decisions. Just give me a little leeway. It’s gonna take some time, but I’d do anything to make you happy…anything. Tá tú grá mo chroí go síoraí…you are my heart forever.”
Anya sat staring into his incredibly expressive grey eyes, dumbfounded. Like every woman, she had dreamt of finding the perfect man, falling in love and living happily ever after, but even her wildest dreams paled in comparison to the man sitting next to her. When she finally found her voice all she could say was, “Good answer.”
Devon barked out a laugh and stood. Anya thought he was going to help her stand as well, but instead, he dropped to one knee, took her hands in his, and looked into her eyes. While she struggled to breathe he said, “Anya Sloane, although we met just a few days ago, I cannot imagine my life without you. You are the solas mo anam and the bualadh mo chroí; without you, my life will be dark and lonely. It is with the blessing of the Universe, the Heavens, and the Goddess of All that I humbly ask you to be my mate, now and forever…joined as one.”
Anya had no clue what to say. She definitely had feelings for the man, feelings she’d never felt for anyone. Love was there, mixed with a big dose of lust and passion, but her heart was definitely controlling everything where Devon was concerned. It was obvious that their futures were woven together by Fate or Destiny or whatever mystical being controlled these kinds of things. There were just too many things that fit together for their relationship to be mere coincidence.
Looking into his eyes, Anya could see love and fire, devotion and strength, and…her happily ever after. The one she had dreamt of almost every day of her life. She said a real quick prayer to the Goddess that she was doing the right thing and was immediately filled with the ‘warm fuzzies’ confirming that her parents were sending her love and hugs.
She slowly nodded her head and said the words that would change her life for all of eternity, “Yes, Devon Walsh, I would be honored to be your mate.”
Quicker than her eyes could track, Devon was standing with her in his arms, kissing her, branding her as his. The kiss was so raw and intense that Anya was sure they would burst into flames. With his mind open to hers, she felt the depth of his commitment, his undying loyalty, and more love than she ever imagined. She could feel all that he was and all he ever hoped to be. His thoughts of her made her feel more cherished, more adored, and so completely consumed that she was humbled to have someone so perfect in her life.
Anya was so swept away in the magic of the moment that it took a second for her to realize he had lifted his lips from hers. As her eyes slowly opened and she looked at the man she knew she was supposed to spend the rest of her life, with something deep inside her soul slid into place.
When he spoke, his low, rumbly voice made her shiver. “Well, Darlin’, as much as I want to throw you over my shoulder, sneak over to my house and hide out for a month or two, my brethren are just about to drive me mad. They’ve been calling the entire time we’ve been in here. Rayne wants to go over our plans for tonight one more time; seems like something has changed.”
He held her head between his hands, laid his forehead on hers, and grinned. “I love you, mo ghra’.”
“I love you, too.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
It had been over a month since the young girl he had heard the others call Anya had been injured. He knew John had dropped her off at the hospital and hoped she was okay. Andrew toyed with the idea of going to check on her many times, but with his returning dragon powers and only a small supply of amulets to hide his identity, it wasn’t a risk he was willing
to take. The thought of sending someone else also occurred to him, but then he would have to admit she mattered and that shit was just not happening. Partly because it showed weakness and partly because he still had no idea what the hell it was about her that seemed special, familiar…important.
He thought of her every time he was researching the Prophecy and wondered if there was a connection he had yet to uncover. The Heavens knew he was wandering around in the dark with all the mystical bullshit and had already made mistakes that had cost them valuable time; a commodity they really didn’t have. It was as if he would take one step forward and two steps back. John had even tried to accept the blame, but Andrew knew he had fucked up by assuming that the section referring to the white witch and the dragon with royal blood was the representation of the Earth element. Nothing written by the Ancients was ever straight forward. He had no clue where that piece of the puzzle went but was happy he finally had it, because the second text was proving to be a real thorn in his side.
When they had finally located the dusty old book in the bottom of a crate of useless shit at an estate sale, he had been sure they were making real headway, but the damn thing wasn’t even written in the same language as the first. This one had roots in the ancient dragon language and there were indicators that it had been written in more than one place by more than one person. It had been too many years to even think about since Andrew had read the ancient words, but as he poured over them the translation slowly returned. Just that afternoon, he had deciphered the first few lines of another element’s representation in what he prayed would be the piece of the Prophecy that would bring those fucking dragons to their knees. Born to an extinct race, thought to be one but actually two. Both with destinies blessed by Fate, neither knowing the other exists…
He had no fucking clue what it all meant, but he would figure it out if it was the last thing he did. Just about to begin translating again, he heard a knock at the door. The scent was John’s but he was not alone. Not wanting anyone but his trusted second to know of the book’s existence, Andrew quickly shoved it into his bottom desk drawer along with his notes before commanding, “Enter.”
“Please excuse the interruption, Master, but Samuel,” he motioned to the man at his side, “has information I believe you will find valuable.”
Andrew narrowed his eyes and opened his senses, inspecting the small, round man before him to determine if he was worth the bother. He remembered Samuel to be a new ‘recruit’ that had been picked up only a few nights ago. He smelled of sweat and fear and a sweetness that made Andrew wonder if the man was sick or hiding candy in his pockets. When he was sure the man was too scared to tell him anything but the truth, he steepled his hands under his chin and growled, “Tell me.”
All the color drained from Samuel’s face as sweat broke out on his upper lip. His hand visibly trembled when he raised it to wipe away the moisture, and his voice shook as he answered, “Master, thank you. The others were talking about a girl that was injured some time ago that they believed dead.” He paused, audibly swallowed, and took a deep breath that did nothing to calm his nerves.
Andrew sat perfectly still, waiting for the man to get to the point and enjoying the fact that he scared him shitless. “Before I was…well that is to say…before I came here, I was a CNA at a hospital about hundred miles from here and there was a girl fitting her description in an unexplained coma.”
Leaning forward, he waited for the man to continue, but short on patience and needing an answer, Andrew stood, rounded the desk, and advanced until his six foot three inch frame towered over the quivering mass of humanity. He waited three seconds and then asked, “Has her family come?”
“No…no…” Samuel stopped, closed his eyes, took a deep breath, let it out, opened his eyes and began again. This time, although his voice shook, his words were at least coherent. “The only person I ever saw with her, besides the doctors and nurses, was a huge dark-haired man that looked like he might have been a professional wrestler.”
Andrew’s scowl deepened and he growled low in his throat, something that had been happening with more frequency as of late. When he spoke it was low and ominous sounding, making Samuel take a step back. “Was there anything else you noticed about this man?”
The smaller man looked constipated, but Andrew could practically hear the wheels turning as Samuel sought to give him the information he requested. Almost a full minute later, the man’s eyes widened and he spoke so fast Andrew thought he might hyperventilate. “He had a huge tattoo that came out from under the sleeve of his T-shirt and ran down his arm past the bend of his elbow.”
Andrew nodded, keeping a tight rein on his temper. “Thank you, Samuel.”
Turning to John, he ordered, “Please take our new friend here back to training and see that he is given extra rations and placed with Jason, our most promising instructor. Thank you, John.”
John eyed Andrew, obviously seeing the rage building at the information he had just received. “As you wish, Master,” was all he said. Grabbing Samuel’s arm, John all but dragged the man towards the door, quietly exiting.
As soon as he was alone, Andrew exploded in a fit of rage. He swept everything from his desk, reveling in the sound of breaking glass and cracking plaster as anything not nailed down smashed against the wall. The splintering of wood as he threw one chair after another across the room helped to cool his temper and when there was nothing left to demolish, he stood in the middle of the room, threw back his head, and roared. It was the first time he had heard his dragon in over seven years and the sound only fueled his hatred. “I knew she was special! I fucking knew it! And now those Heavens be damned, good for nothing, piece of shit dragons have her!”
Looking for something else to break and coming up empty handed, Andrew sunk onto the couch–the only thing he hadn’t destroyed–threw back his head, and stared at the ceiling fan as it turned around and around. He thought of all those fucking idiots had taken from him, all the pain and misery they had caused him, and decided that he had no choice but to go to the hospital and take the girl back. She was important. He didn’t know how, but that didn’t matter. What mattered was that he could not let the dragons have her, especially that shithead, Devon Walsh.
A plan started to form in Andrew’s mind and the first step meant making a call. All he had to do was locate the phone under all the debris that littered his office.
CHAPTER FOUR
Devon was about to pull his hair out. They had been over and over their plans and still Rayne droned on. He watched as all his brethren sighed and rolled their eyes, but none were willing to stop their Commander. He, like all of them, had suffered at the hands of the traitor and felt the need to put the bastard’s reign of terror to an end; but for Rayne, he not only felt what had happened to him, he also felt what each of his men had endured as well. It was one of the things that made him the most respected Force Leader in all of Dragon kin. However, sometimes he went overboard and no one, not even the King of the Big Cats, could find it in their hearts to stop him.
Thankfully, Kyndel’s call from the other room telling him that she and Jay needed to go home caused him to stop for a minute. Max used the interruption to announce that he and his people also needed to head back to their Pride. The rest followed suit, and soon the house was empty except for Siobhan, Anya, and himself.
Devon shut off all the lights except the one his mother always left burning and headed to where he knew his mate lay sleeping. He was glad to see that Jace and Liam had finished hanging the door and took pleasure in shutting out the world with a barely audible click of the latch. Turning on his heels he stopped short. There, lying on her side with her hands clasped under her chin, blissfully asleep, was his very own angel.
The crickets’ song blew through the window on the cool night breeze as Devon stood staring, thanking the Heavens for bringing her safely to him. His dragon pushed to be near their mate and the man was happy to oblige. Quickly, he made his way to her and
carefully lay on top of the blanket she was under, careful not to disturb her. Unable to be so close and not touch, he wrapped his much larger body around his mate. Anya cuddled back into him. It was the best thing he’d ever felt and when his name crossed her lips on a sigh, he knew he would do whatever it took to hear that every day for the rest of his very long life.
For almost an hour he just lay with Anya in his arms and enjoyed how perfectly they fit together. Then his mind wandered to what they would find later in the evening. It wasn’t until Rory, Royce’s younger brother, spoke through their shared link that he realized he had fallen asleep. “Hey sleepyhead. Time to rise and shine. We’ll be landing behind the Great Hall in five. Where do you want us?”
Looking at the clock on the bedside table, he noted the time and then answered, “You can head over here. I’m at Mom’s. There’s enough food, beds, and showers that you guys can relax a bit before the fun begins.”
It was Rian, the older of the O’Reilly brothers and Head Elder of their clan that answered, “Thanks, Devon. We’ll be there in ten minutes.”
“Back door is open. Make yourself at home. See ya when you get here.”
Quicker than he wanted, he heard the Guardsmen from the Blue Thunder Clan approach the back of the house and knew it was time to leave the warmth of his mate. Holding her close for just a moment longer, memorizing the feel of her body against his, drawing as much of her tantalizing scent in as he could, Devon felt as if they were in a world all their own, one that was completely his mate…his Anya.
Of course, reality kicked in the door as Aaron’s voice sounded in his head, “Yo, lover boy, get your ass out here. Everyone’s here raiding the fridge and talking shit.”
With a sigh, he answered, “I’m on my way…asshole.”
“Hurry it up or I’m letting Rory come in and get you.”
“You bet your ass, Bro,” Rory chimed in.