Saved By Her Dragon

by Julia Mills

  With a reluctant groan, Devon pulled back from his mate, sure to keep her body against his. He watched as her eyes flew open, full of fire, passion and questions, “What…”

  “I know, a mhuirnín, there’s nothing more I want to do than disappear with you for a year or two, all alone…somewhere secluded….” He kissed her forehead and sighed, “But we have a party full of people waiting just below.”

  She pretended to pout, the sight more than he could stand. His lips once again found hers and he poured all they were together into that small joining, making promises of what was to come. Their bond was complete; they were connected soul to soul, heart to heart, destiny to destiny for all their days on the Earth and all those after.

  Pulling back once again, Devon set Anya an arm’s length away to help him resist the temptation she would always be and grinned as she struggled to open her eyes. Even heavy-lidded, he was humbled by all he saw shining back at him, knowing there was absolutely nothing he would not do for this one woman…his woman.

  The mark on her wrist rippled under his fingertips. His dragon tattoo and the beast within responded in kind and his mating mark pulsed with the power of their bond. Anya gasped and her pupils dilated, “What was that?”

  “That was us, mo ghra’. Just us,” he chuckled and turned, pulling his mate to his side.

  Walking out of the cave, a voice Devon thought lost to him forever, floated through his mind, “She’s a keeper son. Blessings o’ thuas.”

  “Thanks, Dad.” was all that came out as emotion gripped his heart.

  *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  The trip down the mountain in Devon’s lap atop his handsome filly felt like a dream. She kept touching the mating mark as it pulsed on her neck and looking at the one on her mate. It was a truly surreal experience. She had been able to hear his thoughts and he hers from the very beginning, even when she was in a coma. There had even been times when they could feel each other’s emotions, but after the kiss that damn near fried every brain cell in her mind it was as if they shared everything…they were one. Then she remembered Siobhan’s words… “It is written in our holy book that ‘when the two halves of the same whole meet, there will be instant recognition. Their souls will merge and only then will the dragon shifter know complete peace, they will have found their true home. It will be as if the time before they met does not exist. All that matters is that they become one in body, mind, and soul.’

  She most definitely felt the ‘one in body, mind, and soul’ thing, but it was her that had found her true home, been saved from a life of loneliness by her very own dragon. Devon pulled her close, causing goose bumps to rise when he whispered, “we saved each other, mo chroi’”.

  She was sure her heart would burst from the emotion she felt pouring from the amazing man holding her in his arms. The horse slowed and she followed Devon’s gaze to find all of their friends, and some she was beginning to think of as family, gathered around the lake ready for a serious party; tents, chairs, decorations, and a band she recognized as werepanthers that began to play as soon as Devon dismounted, still holding her close.

  The party-goers formed two lines facing one another in a boy-girl fashion and when Devon set her at the entrance to their receiving line, the Guardsmen, all of them even the Blue Thunder Clan, lifted their swords making an archway for them to walk under. It was exactly backwards from every wedding she had ever attended and made all the more special for it. At the end of the line stood Siobhan and Carrick, and as the couple neared, the two Elders bowed their heads. Anya could hear the older couple blessing their union. Tears filled her eyes at the outpouring of affection she felt from everyone in attendance. She was no longer an orphan–she had truly found her family.

  Her happy tears turned to giggles when Max stepped right in front of them, bowed and asked for a dance. Devon growled low in his throat, quickly informing the King that he had the first dance, “And every one after that,” she heard him add in his mind. Max smiled his ‘cat that ate the canary’ grin, winked, and told her he would catch up with her later.

  Kyndel and Grace quickly redirected them to the huge four tier cake at the center of the festivities. Anya was not surprised to find Sydney standing close by eyeing the gorgeous confection, and laughed when the child asked, “Are you gonna cut it now? My tummy is dying to taste it.”

  “You got it Syd. We’ll cut it right now,” Devon quickly answered.

  Sam appeared with a pearl handled knife and cake server engraved with DW and AW enclosed in an elegant heart. Leaning close the young doctor whispered, “We made it as much like a regular wedding reception as we could. Now that there are more of us, it was easy to convince the guys.”

  “Yeah, right like we had a choice,” Lance scoffed from behind his mate, love evident in his every word.

  Anya looked up to see Kyndel, Grace, and Kyra walking towards them. She was immediately drawn into a group hug as all the girls descended, squealing, “Welcome to the family,” in unison.

  Kyra whispered close to her ear, “The spell lifted while you were in the cave. Let me know when you feel any changes.”

  The next few hours were a blur of well wishes and partying until she thought she might collapse. She was glad to see Dr. Gallagher, Charlie as she was instructed to call her, and to finally be able to thank her for her excellent care during her time in the hospital.

  Max did finally commandeer her for a spin around the dance floor, much to her mate’s chagrin and to the laughs of the werepanthers in attendance. Before she could make it back to Devon’s side, Aaron swooped in, asking to dance with the ‘bride’. She smiled at his use of a very human word and agreed.

  The dance had barely begun when he asked, “Are you happy, Anya?”

  “Happier than I’ve ever been. Why do you ask?”

  “It’s important to Devon and that makes it important to me.” She felt the honesty and conviction in every word he spoke.

  “You know him really well, huh?”

  “Yeah,” he chuckled. “You could say that. Why?”

  She looked away, wondering if she should ask what she really wanted to know and then deciding What the hell? and went for it. “Do you think I make him happy?”

  Aaron threw back his head and laughed so loud some of the guest turned and stared before answering, “Honey, if he were any happier, he’d have to be two people. He absolutely adores you. I have never seen him happier…ever…and I’ve known his ugly mug for a helluva lotta years.”

  She couldn’t help the giggle that bubbled over and hugged his neck. “Thank you so much,” she whispered before pulling back.

  “Hey, hey, hey, what the hell’s going on over here,” Devon asked, pretending to be angry.

  “I’m trying to steal your mate and there’s not a damn thing you can do about it,” Aaron joked as he danced Anya a few steps from Devon, winking for her to play along.

  Following Aaron’s footwork, Anya stepped a tiny bit closer, right before an arm slid around her back and slipped between she and her dance partner. The grin on Aaron’s face said he had achieved exactly what he intended…to drive Devon crazy.

  Anya gasped as she was lifted into the air and twirled down Devon’s arm until she fell flush against his body. Breathless, she looked into his glowing grey eyes and recognized both the man and beast whose souls completed her own. He spun her with the finesse of Fred Astaire, weaving a spell as the tune the band played provided the perfect score. Devon’s hands moved expertly over her body, leaving a trail of heat and desire until Anya was sure she would be but a pile of ash in his hands.

  Their erotic dance of love and seduction continued, her desire building higher as the music’s sensual beat kept time. Devon kissed along the bare skin of her shoulder, paying special attention to his mark, the one that told the world she was his. With lips and tongue he tasted his way to her ear, nipping at her lobe before kissing away the sting.

  His chest rumbled under her hands as the rolling timbre of his deep baritone
voice sang one of her favorite songs in the language of his ancestors, the words stoking the fire burning in her lust-addled mind in English… “I want you forever, forever and always. Through the good and the bad and the ugly…” It was one of the songs she had always hoped would be played at her wedding.

  She felt his arousal stiffen against her stomach, taking comfort in the fact that he was as lost to their hunger as she. Anya rolled her hips in time with his, teasing him with her body, promising all her love. One song ended and another began just as they reached the very edge of the party.

  There, hidden in the shadows, he lifted his head and stared deep into her eyes. The corner of his mouth lifted in a grin and when he spoke, his voice was deep with desire. “You need to be careful, mo chroi, a newly mated dragon can be a dangerous creature.”

  She batted her eyes and crooned, “Oh, yeah?”

  “Oh yeah,” he growled, lifting her into his arms and speeding away from their guests. The trees were a blur in her peripheral vision as they sped down the path she had earlier ridden to their mating ceremony. The freedom of traveling at the enhanced speed of a dragon shifter was exhilarating. What should have taken almost a half hour was over in mere minutes. She felt Devon slow and then stop completely. Anya turned her head and saw the beautiful home she knew to be his. “Ours…m’fhiorghra’, always ours,” he breathed, closing the distance between them. When he kissed her, deeply and completely, the bond they already shared strengthened and the pieces of her heart she once thought lost forever came together.

  She shifted in his arms trying to deepen the kiss, but instead of responding Devon pulled back, grinning as she moaned at the loss. “I hear there is a human custom where the man carries his mate over the threshold.”

  “Yes…there is.”

  Slowly and deliberately, Devon once again lowered his lips towards hers. Excitement coursed through her veins but he stopped right before they touched and growled low in his throat, “Then we are going to do this right.”

  He kissed her like a man possessed, flooding her with an undying love that both excited and humbled Anya. In the background, she heard the door slam, followed by the pounding of his footsteps as he tore through the house. All thought flew from her mind. The antique lace that lined the bodice of her gown teased her hardened, sensitive nipples and she felt her panties dampen as her arousal soared.

  She felt the softness of down at her back and the hardness of her mate at her front as Devon settled on top of her. She felt him holding back most of his weight, always thinking of her comfort first. Thankfully, her gown was strategically slit to the thigh on both sides accommodating her legs as they wound around his waist. They pulled apart, panting as if they’d run for miles.

  Devon rolled his hips, effectively holding her body captive while his heated gaze enthralled and mesmerized. His hands worked their way from her hips, across her ribs, resting lightly at the sides of her breasts, his thumbs landing so closely to her nipples that she arched her back to force his touch. Smirking at her response, he continued torturing her, branding her until he reached the straps of her gown. Slowly inching them down, his smile grew and the look of mischief joined the fire in his eyes.

  Anya lifted her head, trying to once again capture his lips, but Devon moved quicker than she could track. Looming over her, he growled, “I have never wanted anything as much as I want you now.”

  “Then have me, Mr. Walsh. Have me and never let me go.”

  *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  He had been digging continuously since burying John. If his inner clock was correct, it had been almost three days. The only time he stopped was to grab a bottle of water and a protein bar, of which he had none left. There would be no sleep until he reached daylight.

  Andrew had forgotten the sheer power that came from the dragon within and although his beast had only partially returned, he was using every ounce of its incomparable force to claw his way to freedom. The stones jagged edges tore at his skin and dug into his knees through the denim of his jeans. His lungs filled with dust and soot the deeper he dug into the wall of rubble, the need for vengeance fueling his every movement. When he thought he couldn’t pick up one more rock, the image of John’s lifeless body, bloody and broken by the actions of those fucking Guardsmen, spurred him to continue.

  When that wasn’t enough, he only had to think of the years of torture at the hands of evil wizards he had endured all because his brother, the one he trusted more than any other, had left him for dead. He even thought of the years with the hunters and vowed to include them in his scheme. Visions of what he had planned for the dragons had evolved until he was finally prepared to exact his revenge. Andrew had cursed the Universe and Fate for what they had put him through, but understood it had all been part of his Destiny. Had he not suffered all that he had, he might never have been strong enough to do what had to be done.

  There were times he would get a flicker of recognition, one where his dragon felt the call of another. But as quickly as those came they disappeared, only serving to let him know the bastards were close and obviously still searching for him. Several hours earlier he had felt one such tremor and had halted his excavation to avoid detection. When his senses calmed and he felt nothing else but the isolation of his captivity, he began again.

  Mindlessly throwing one rock after another over his shoulder, he had no idea how long the sounds of crickets had been filtering into the tunnel before he recognized them for what they were…the sounds of freedom. Opening his senses, he felt the movement of the trees and even heard the faint sound of a deer’s heartbeat in the distance. His mind and body filled with a renewed vigor at the prospect of escape and his hands dug deeper while his body struggled to work harder than he ever imagined possible.

  Summoning every ounce of his remaining strength, Andrew pushed his fingers between an unusually large boulder and the fallen beams and rock wall of the tunnel where it had become wedged. He felt the skin peel away from the flesh of his fingers, his knuckles leaving a lasting imprint in the stone, but still he pressed on, sure that freedom was just a few feet away.

  Andrew’s feet, shoulder width apart, dug into the concrete floor as the slab remained stuck tight where it had fallen during the blast. Bending his knees, he took a huge breath, counted to three, and pulled with all he was. The boulder trembled under his grasp, the edges began to crack, and in one swift move the rock dislodged. The cool night air rushed in as he was forced to throw it over his shoulder or be crushed under its weight.

  Stumbling to freedom, he all but crawled to the edge of a field, the stalks of wheat long past harvest serving as cover. Leaning against one of the few remaining fence posts, he clutched the ancient volume John had protected with his life, filled his lungs with fresh air, and began plotting his next move.

  He looked back to all that remained of what he had called home, taking in the total devastation. “Those fucking dragons aren’t gonna know what hit them,” he growled to anyone or anything within the sound of his voice.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Anya’s words were music to his ears and the only invitation he or his dragon needed– their mate wanted to be loved and they were both of a mind to give her anything her heart…and body, desired. Wanting their first time as an officially mated couple to last as long as he could stand, Devon kissed the column of her neck, nipped across the apex of her shoulder, and dragged the tiny satin strap of her gown down her arm with his teeth. Kissing his way back to her mouth, marking every inch of her as his and his alone, he kissed her breathless and then repeated his efforts on her other shoulder.

  The more he tasted the more Anya panted, making her breasts a temptation he could no longer resist. Kissing across the neckline of her dress, letting his tongue dip under the satin ribbing to taste the decadent flesh made his mate moan with pleasure and push into his touch. He pulled the zipper at her side down, kissing every inch of naked flesh as it became visible. Anya writhed under his ministrations, grabbing his head and trying to for
ce it where she most wanted his touch. “Patience, a chumann. I have a lot of time to make up for.”

  She groaned her disapproval as he continued his slow perusal. His mouth watered as he peeled away the cloth of her bodice revealing the voluptuous breasts and berry-colored nipples begging for his mouth. Licking across first one and then the other, he was rewarded with an “Oh Heavens, Devon…please…”

  Loving her responsiveness, he took the nipple between his lips, sucking and nipping until Anya bowed her back, holding him to her chest and mewling his name. His hand kneaded the other breast, working her nipple to an even harder point between his thumb and forefinger.

  The scent of her arousal filled the room with the tantalizing aroma of the beach on a summer day. His dragon pushed and roared in his head, demanding he continue undressing their beautiful mate, both man and beast driven to taste her nectar. Releasing her breast with a loud pop, Devon latched onto the other, working her dress farther down her body and over her beautifully rounded hips. His fingers stilled as he felt the lace of her underwear.

  His mouth moved from her nipple, kissing the valley between her breasts, leaving a trail of heat and seduction down her body, tasting and marking every inch he could reach. He reached the silk of her panties and inhaled long and deep, immersing himself in Anya’s wonderfully unique scent. Unable to resist any longer, he knelt between her thighs, all but tearing the gown from her body and throwing the offending material over his shoulder as soon as her feet slipped free. Her panties were the next to go, leaving her gloriously naked and open to do with as he pleased.

  Anya was a feast for the eyes when clothed, but naked she was absolutely stunning. As slowly as his growing need would allow, his eyes worked their way from the deep red of the polish that covered her toes, up her shapely legs that very soon would be wrapped around as many parts of his body as he could get them, to her soft thighs he could not wait to have pillowing his head. Her rounded stomach told him she was a real woman, not some little girl without curves; curves that fueled his wild imagination and begged to be kissed over and over again.