I'm Not A Dragon's Mate!

by Sandra R Neeley

  Mav didn't say anything. He sat there, munching his cereal, glaring alternately at Kaid and Daniel. Fuckers, he thought, they were gonna force her hand. And it pissed him the fuck off. He fucking hated it when females were forced to Mate someone they didn't love just because whatever fucking Mate gene it was that started firing told them they’d found their Mate. It didn't matter if they loved one another — that fucking gene ruled everything, and he hated it. He felt his hackles rising and changed the course of his thoughts before he went too deep and couldn't dig his way out again. He looked again at the assholes sitting across from him. If they ran her off, he’d go with her and protect her. She couldn't be out there on her own. He’d go with her. The snarl started low and even and ended up loud and outright growling by the time he looked up to find the source.

  It was Kaid, and he was looking right at Mav, “Nobody is fucking leaving. Not you, not Avaleigh, nobody. You have the right to be pissed off if you choose to be, but if you play into this, enable her to leave us, I’ll hurt you, Mav. She needs to see that Daniel can heal her. That he can love her, that he does love her and that he can take her pain away. Do not stand in the way of what we are trying to do here.”

  Mav just glared at him under the weight of the oppressing waves that Kaid was giving off. “She feels betrayed,” he managed to get out.

  “I know she does, but she’s wrong. I’d never betray her. She’ll see that eventually,” Kaid answered. “Do you truly believe that I’d do anything I thought would hurt her?”

  Mav thought for a few moments before he answered. “No,” he replied begrudgingly. Kaid continued to stare him down, so he lifted his chin and exposed his throat to Kaid. Kaid gave him one last warning look, then returned to his cereal. They all finished eating and moved through their day, quietly, missing Avaleigh so much it weighed them all down. She didn't come out once, didn't even peak out of a damn window. There was not even a sound coming from her cabin. From time-to-time each of them would find an excuse to venture near to her place. They could hear her breathing when they got close enough. Hear the soft slide of her finger across the screen of her Kindle as she turned the e pages. Hear the rustle of her sheets and her comforter as she shifted in her bed, but they left her alone. If she’d truly wanted their company, she’d have come outside — but she didn't. So they respected her privacy and left her alone.

  Sunday was much the same. Except Kaid had tried to go check on her and she didn't answer her door. They couldn't see in her cabin anymore because at some point during the night she had hung a sheet over the beveled glass in her front door. It chapped his ass that she was pulling away from them, but it was her house, and she did deserve her privacy. So he didn't make a big deal of it, but a little while later he sent Mav to her door. He figured she’d open the door for Mav, because Mav had been the one to follow her back home the day they had granted Daniel sanctuary. So he thought that maybe she saw Mav as a friend rather than foe. He hoped so anyway. Mav knocked and waited. No response. He knocked again, and called softly, “Darlin’, it’s me. Are you okay?”

  The door opened a crack, and she stood there just inside, speaking softly with Mav. Daniel stood a few feet from her cabin, out of her line of sight, savoring the sound of her voice. “Yeah, Mav. I’m okay.”

  “You need anything, darlin’? You hungry? You want anything?” he asked.

  “No, I’m okay. I just need a little time for me, okay?”

  “Yeah, okay,” he answered.

  She started to close the door and then said, “Mav, thanks for sitting with me the other day. I really appreciated it.”

  “Don’t have to thank me, Avaleigh. I’m here for you. Always. Okay?”

  Avaleigh smiled at him and quietly closed the door.

  Sunday night Daniel made his way over to Avaleigh's cabin. He knocked on the door and waited. The guys all stood on the main house porch and watched. Kaid had called to him when he had started toward her place and told him it wasn't a good idea, but Daniel just kept going. He knocked again and called out to her. “Avaleigh, it’s Daniel, love. Please open the door.” No reply. He stood there, alternately placing his hands in his pockets and then pulling them out and wringing them again before putting them back. After a few minutes, he called out to her again. “I’m gonna sleep on your porch tonight, love. I’m not keeping you in. I’m not doing anything but trying to be near you. I need to be near you. It hurts when I’m not.” He waited, but still no reply. “I just wanted you to know why I’ll be out here,” he said softly. He started to make himself comfortable on the porch in front of the door and then added, “If you dont want me to sleep out here, just let me know, but I’ll appreciate it if you allow it.” She didn't reply, so he considered it a small victory. If she’d really wanted him to go, she could have opened the door and yelled at him to go away, but she didn't. He lay there listening to the quiet. Knowing his life, his whole fucking world was just a few feet away inside this little cabin gave him a little solace as he drifted off to sleep. At some point during the night, her front door opened a little bit, and a sleeping bag and a pillow were thrust through it in his general direction. No words, nothing. Just shoved the sleeping bag and pillow onto the porch and closed the door. He grinned to himself as he wrapped himself in the sleeping bag and tucked the pillow under his head. His female wanted him to be warm and comfortable. He would keep this pillow and sleeping bag forever.

  The next morning the sounds of the clan getting up and moving around woke him. He took his sleeping bag and pillow and made his way across the clearing into the main house. They were getting ready for the work day, and he wasn't sure if they expected him to go or not. They were taking showers, brushing teeth. There were two boxes of cereal on the table, and some bowls were set out, too. Kaid smiled at him when he saw the sleeping bag and pillow under his arm. He winked at him and lightly punched him in the shoulder as he went by on his way to see if Mav was in his room. Bane and Bam has spent the night in the main house and were getting dressed, and he could hear Goldy stomping around upstairs. He made his way to the bathroom to grab a quick shower. While he was in there, he could have sworn he could smell bacon. Damn, he loved bacon. I mean, who didn't love bacon! He finished showering and was toweling the water out of his hair when he caught a good whiff of it again. Had to be bacon, wasn't just his imagination. He threw on his jeans, opened the door and headed down the hallway to the kitchen. He was pulling his shirt over his head as he entered the kitchen, so he didn't see her right away. As the shirt came down his torso, he got a good view of her standing there, looking at him. He didn't know what to say. Neither, apparently, did anyone else. They were all sitting around the table, sans cereal boxes and bowls, now. And she was putting plates in front of each of them. There was a platter of scrambled eggs on the table and a plate piled high with toast. He wasn't sure if she would feed him or not, but Kaid reached over and pulled out the empty chair next to him, so Daniel sat down. Avaleigh turned back to the stove and took the last batch of bacon out of the skillet and placed it on a platter lined with paper towels to drain. She poured something into a serving bowl and ladled some onto a plate she had in front of her next to the stove. Then she placed the platter of bacon and the bowl of what must be gravy on the table. The guys all started serving themselves. It was then that he noticed that Bam didn't have a plate in front of him either. Avaleigh must be pissed at him, too, he thought. Avaleigh turned back to the counter behind her and lifted a plate piled high with bacon and eggs and toast, country cream gravy smothering the toast and the eggs, and she placed it in front of Bam. She kissed him on the temple and patted his shoulder. He had tears in his eyes and lifted a large hand to wipe them away with the back of it. Daniel wasn't quite sure what was going on here, but he’d have sworn he saw tears in Bane’s eyes, too, as he reached out and patted Bam's hand with a soft smile on his face. There was clearly something significant going on here, and he made a mental note to ask about it later. Then Avaleigh turned back to the counter and
lifted another plate piled just as high as the first one. She turned to the table and leaned over to place the plate in front of… Daniel. His mouth parted slightly in shock, and he almost cried himself. His female was feeding him. And she made a special show of making sure she singled him out. She not only cooked for him, she served his plate herself. And she offered him a small smile, before she straightened and went to clean the skillet. The sudden quiet around the table told him that the guys had stopped what they were doing and were watching him. He looked up to meet their gazes, with a dumbfounded look on his own face.

  Bam, with a mouthful of food, broke the silence, “She made you a plate, too. It means you’re special to her, and she wants to be sure you know that.”

  “Hush, Bam!” she said to him from the sink without turning around.

  Bam just smiled at him and nodded his head.

  Daniel looked down at the food on his plate and just grinned.

  “If you ain’t gonna eat it, pass it this way, dude,” Mav said around a mouthful of food. Daniel just shook his head and dug into his breakfast. He just might keep this plate when he was finished eating, too — at least, Dragon wanted him to. She was giving him all kinds of things to attach sentimental value to. Dragons do that you know, keep treasures.

  They all took an opportunity to thank Avaleigh for breakfast and to tell her how much they missed her. Bam hugged her so tightly that he thought he might break her, and he told her his heart hurt when she wasn't around him. Avaleigh told him that she just needed some time to herself. When he asked her if she was all better now, they all stopped to hear her answer.

  “No, Bam. I’m not, but I will be. Okay? I’m getting there.”

  Bam nodded his head and told her he would do whatever she needed done to be okay again.

  Avaleigh just smiled at him sadly and said, “I know, Bam.” Then she handed him a bag, and he got all excited, just like a little kid. “It’s not much, Bam. There are no leftovers, so it’s just a BLT and some chips and cookies. You’ll probably have to buy lunch, too, but I wanted you to have something just for you.” Bam hugged her again and rubbed his face against her hair. He was going to have to get used to his female smelling like all these damn males, apparently, he thought to himself.

  As they got ready to leave for the day, Kaid stopped him on the porch. “Each day, somebody stays behind to keep Avaleigh safe.” He looked pointedly at Daniel, and Daniel got it. The other Dragon could find them at anytime, so they didn't leave her completely alone, ever. “Since we aren't to the point that we need a finish carpenter yet, you get to stay home with her today. Ave, did you hear me, Ba-, uh, Ave. Daniel is going to stay with you today,” he’d caught himself. He’d almost called her baby, and she’d expressly told him not to. “We should be home a little early today. Call if you need anything.”

  “Fine,” she called back.

  She busied herself cleaning the kitchen and didn't say too much to Daniel. He wasn't quite sure what to do with himself. She moved to the little office area that Kaid had set up in the corner of the living room and started checking emails for the business. Sending quotes and doing whatever it was she did for them.

  He eventually ventured into her work space. “Avaleigh, love?” She looked up at him with a raised eyebrow. “I’m not really sure what to do. I mean is there something that needs to be done around here?”

  “Not really,” she answered, “the guys all pretty much have their hobbies to keep them busy when they have to babysit me. You don’t have to stay here — you can go do whatever you want.” She looked back down at her computer screen.

  Daniel wandered outside and saw the trunk of a huge tree sitting off near the edge of the clearing. He came back in, “Do you think I could use some of the tools around here?”

  “Sure, you’re one of the clan now. You can have whatever you want. Help yourself.” He went off to find whatever tool he wanted and left her running the office. Avaleigh was trying her best to be okay with this. Her fear of Daniel’s beast was almost overwhelming, but during the night he spent on her porch she had done some soul searching. She realized that fear cost a lot of people much in life. There were all kinds of things some people would never experience due to fear. Fear of ridicule, fear of rejection, fear of failure, fear of pain, fear of the unknown. Fear of all kinds of things, both real and perceived. People denied themselves so much as a result of fear. And she’d decided that she was not going to be one of them. Lurin had tried to take her freedom from her, her life, and she’d fought him in spite of the fear. And in spite of the fear that Daniel’s beast caused in her, she wanted him. She wanted what her guys held so dear. She wanted that happily ever after. She wanted the beautiful, sexy man currently sawing and chipping away at that old tree trunk outside. She didn't know if she could overcome her fear. But she did know that if she could, it wasn't going to happen while she pouted alone in her cabin. So she’d decided to get up this morning and make her men breakfast. Smile at Bam and make sure he knew he was still her special brother, and see if her Dragon would accept a meal from her. Fuck that was scary, “Her Dragon.” She smiled to herself, yes, it was scary, scary as fuck, but she didn't crumble when she thought it. She felt a little tingly actually. Maybe this could work after all, she thought to herself. She went back to work feeling a little lighter.

  Around lunch time Avaleigh took lunch out to Daniel. They sat in the shade of the old tree he was working under while they ate. It was quiet, but it was a comfortable kind of quiet. It was nice. He didn't push, and she didn't run. They were learning to be near each other, she thought. Fine, okay, she was learning to be around him, she begrudgingly admitted.

  “Avaleigh?” he started.

  “Yeah?”

  “What’s the deal with Bam and you serving his plates, and why did he get so excited when you handed him lunch? I even saw Bane get a little teary over it.”

  She paused for a minute to gather her thoughts. “When Bam and Bane were young kids, their parents were awful to them. They didn't want them and only kept them for the welfare checks. They knew Bam wasn't like other kids; he was so much more sensitive, yet they berated him at every turn. They made fun of him when he asked questions, and he has such an amazing curiosity. He loved to take things apart and see what made them work, and they’d yell at him for breaking things. They made him feel so worthless that he always felt guilty for existing, for even the very air he breathed. He felt guilty for even the food he ate and always tried to wait ‘til everyone else was done before he would eat. I can’t go back and kick their asses or change what was done, but I can certainly make sure that every single day, he is served first, he gets special treats in his lunch, and that he is reminded that he is loved and valued. Bane spent his childhood drawing their parents’ attention away from Bam, taking the brunt of whatever they were dishing out on any given day. Now he watches over him as an adult, too. When he sees me do those things for Bam, it means a lot to him, too.”

  Daniel didn't know what to say. He wasn't sure what he expected, but this was not it. “If you can get me their address, I’ll kick their asses,” was what came out of his mouth.

  She jerked her attention to him and smiled. “I’m not sure they’re even still alive, but the fact that you would offer… you just scored a few points there,” she said as she mock punched him in the shoulder. When they were done eating, Daniel thanked her again and helped her put the dishes in the basket she’d brought them out in so that she could easily carry them back in. Later that evening her boys came home, and everyone sat and had dinner together. Everything seemed to be back to normal, except for Kaid. She could still feel a distance between herself and Kaid. There was much that still needed to be said, but neither quite knew where to start. That night shortly after she went to bed, she heard the telltale signs of Daniel bedding down on her porch again. It made her feel safe to know he was there. She smiled to herself as she drifted off to sleep, amazed to realize that a Dragon made her feel safe. Her Dragon.

>   The next morning and day was much the same. Daniel was left to watch over her, and the rest of the boys went off to work. Dinner was the standard event — everybody was back to normal except for Kaid. When evening came, and she was all comfy in bed, just drifting off, she heard the sound of thunder in the distance. Naw, she thought, it isn't supposed to rain tonight, must just be heat lightning and a little accompanying noise. That was the last thought she had before she was jolted awake a couple hours later with thunder so loud it shook her little cabin. She hated storms, hate, hate, hated storms. Not the rain, the rain was no big deal, but the loud, ear splitting thunder and the lightning that usually accompanied it, scared the crap out of her. Then she thought of Daniel; surely he wasn't still on her porch. The rain was coming down in sheets so hard that she could barely make out the main house across the clearing when she pulled the door open to make sure Daniel had retreated to the house with the guys. She was shocked and felt a little guilty, truth be told, to find Daniel still hunkered down on her front porch, sleeping bag and pillow shoved as tightly against the exterior wall of her cabin as he could get it to try to stay dry.

  She yanked the door open, “The hell, Daniel? Why are you still out here? You should have gone home before it got this bad!”

  Daniel looked up at her, hugging his pillow, her pillow, to his chest. “This is my home, love. Wherever you are.”

  “Damn,” she muttered under her breath. Stepping back, she opened the door wider, “Come on, come inside. You can’t stay out there with the weather like that.”

  He took all of about a split second to jump to his feet and follow her into her home. Once inside he looked around like he wasn't sure of what he should do next. She dropped the comforter she had wrapped around herself, and he almost choked. She was wearing a tiny little pair of panties and a stretchy tank top. Her standard sleepwear since he’d ripped her favorite “Kaid” sleep shirt. His cock grew instantly hard, and he had serious trouble pulling his stare away from her body. He tried reminding himself that he needed to be proving his intentions were trustworthy, but at the moment he just didn't seem to be having much luck. Luckily, she either didn't notice or didn't acknowledge his reaction to her attire as she moved to take the now damp sleeping bag and pillow from him. He resisted giving up his pillow, not relinquishing his hold when she tugged on it. She looked up into his eyes and seemed to realize that it was important to him.