The Dragon's Mate

by Emilia Hartley

  No one saw Malcom move. His snarl filled the clearing and then the young white dragon was on the ground. A hand was held up to his face, a weak attempt at staunching the blood that now poured from the claw wounds that ran across his face.

  “She is mine,” Malcom growled at his family. “Touch her and you shall see your due punishment. This is what will win us our home. This is what will make me a King.”

  All around her, voices rose in cheers. She reached inside of herself, but her magic felt too far away. Neither the green magic nor the writhing dark power inside of her wanted to play. She couldn’t help it when small whimper escaped her.

  “Sit, Gwynefar.” Malcom whispered into her ear so that no one could hear her true name.

  She fell to the ground with such force that she knew her rear would bruise. The young dragon that bled from the claw marks on his face scrambled away from her now sitting form. All the while, she replayed her sins over and over again in her head. What choice did she have left?

  ***

  The rage that passed over Cameron’s eyes when he realized Liana and Gwen were gone was all consuming. A red haze passed over Cameron’s eyes. The roar that boiled through him made the mountain shake around them.

  Drystan grabbed his arm, fingers digging into flesh. “Calm down,” he commanded. Drystan’s voice boomed through the hall. Other dragons seemed to shrink in response, but Cameron only turned gold eyes upon his leader.

  “Where did they go?” Cameron growled. The best pushed to the front. Cameron was in such a rage that he did not care. His mate was not here. She’d foreseen her own death.

  His mate was not there.

  She was going to die.

  Those were the only thoughts going through his head. He was not going to settle for the short time they had together. He was going to hurt someone. He was going to kill before anyone could lay a hand on her.

  Cameron ripped his arm from Drystan’s grip, not caring when he heard flesh tear. The beast paced. It needed out. It needed to go find her. He knew where she went. Of course the witch went straight into the belly of the beast. She might have been terrified, but the resolve that filled her was commendable. He would yell at her for it later.

  When he brought her home. When she was safe.

  “Calm down,” another voice roared at him. Owain closed the space between them. His meaty hands fell upon Cameron’s shoulders. “Let’s go find your mate.”

  “No one leaves until we formulate our plan of attack,” Drystan said as he stepped between them and the exit.

  “Look at him!” Owain yelled at his son. “Do you recognize that look? I think you do. I think you know that we could not stop him from finding his mate even if we threw Gareth at him.”

  Drystan took in the state of Cameron, the sheer, violent panic that had engulfed his young red dragon.

  “Where is your honor?” Drystan said between clenched teeth, trying to hit Cameron where it hurt. Yet, honor was the last thing on Cameron’s mind. She needed him. What was honor when the life of his beloved was at stake? What was honor at all? It was the standard by which all dragons lived. It was what created their ranks, what put Cameron so high in rank.

  “Honor means doing the right thing,” Owain said quietly. “When the Occurrence happened, I did not do the right thing. I will not make the same mistake twice, son. Cameron is engulfed by his beast and can only think of his mate. Do you know what Malcom Whittaker did to the Witch of Caernarfon? Because I do.

  “Malcom tried to win her over with the promise that she was his mate. When he had her trust, the witch gave him her true name. The stories you heard of her, the leveling of entire towns? That was Malcom’s work. When she fought back, he carved into her. He thought there was something he could pull out of her that would give him power.”

  Cameron hadn’t known. He’d assumed that Malcom had hit her. He hadn’t known that her ex-lover had tied her down and cut into her. He didn’t know that Malcom knew her true name.

  “I’m going to take our young dragon and I’m going to get the witch that you dragged into this mess.” Owain spun on his heels, seeming decades younger in that moment. His hand gripped Cameron and jerked him along. “Are you lucid enough to give me your brother’s number? Wesley and Drystan will do what they need to. I’m sure Maggie is enough to help them. We will need your brother if we are going to get the witch back.”

  The beast that now piloted Cameron had enough presence of mind to grumble Gareth’s phone number while the old man’s thumb hovered over the touch screen. Number entered, he held the phone to his ear. When Gareth picked up, Cameron could hear the sound of shouts outside Gareth’s home.

  “What do you want, you old fart,” Gareth snapped.

  “That’s no way to greet an elder, cretin. Your brother has found himself a mate in the Witch of Caernarfon.”

  The voice on the other end swore loudly. Gareth’s mate asked if he was okay and he shot back a quick explanation before turning his attention back to Owain.

  “This involves me how? I’m damn near surrounded by angry villagers and have a pregnant mate on my hands.”

  In the background, Rhiannon screamed that she was more than capable of taking care of herself. She might have also thrown something at him from the crashing sound that made Owain pull the phone from his ear.

  “The witch went to Malcom to either buy us time or betray us. Considering what I know, she thought her death would buy us time, but we now have an Elgar problem on our hands. Cameron has lost it. The beast is completely in control.”

  “Cam? Not my brother. He’s too damn calm for that.”

  This was taking too long, the beast thought. They should have left by now. They should be on their way to Gwen. She was going to die if they did not hurry. He couldn’t lose his mate. He couldn’t. The white dragons would pay if they hurt her. He would destroy them. One by one.

  Owain caught the look on Cameron’s face, the progression of impatience. “Meet us at Dinas Emrys, damn it. Send your mate to the mountain to help from there. She will be safe if we get Malcom’s attention.”

  Gareth didn’t have a chance to respond because Owain hung up on him. The old dragon tucked his phone away and Cameron noticed for the first time that they were standing before a mountain side opening. The world loomed before him. Somewhere out there, Malcom had his mate.

  The sound that he made while the dragon unfolded into existence shook the forest below. He jumped and his wings snapped out to catch the air. Behind him, a wine-colored dragon with white around his muzzle followed. Ten minutes later, the deep roar of their brother greeted them.

  ***

  Her body hurt. It was as though her body was reliving everything Malcom put it through, all the pain and the long years of healing. The sky rang out with the cries of dragons. She did not know if they were victory cries of Malcom’s white dragons or if they were the hunting cries of red dragons that had come to save her life. She hoped it was not the latter. She did not want to be used against the new family she’d found.

  When she told Cameron not to get his hopes up she only said it to prepare him for the death she surely faced. In the time they had, she learned to love him. She loved the safety he promised, for the vision of a future they could have had. But, she knew her fate was decided.

  Malcom turned to her and smiled. It was vicious, reaching his eyes to reveal the sadistic spark that burned inside of him. “What made you want to work for the traitors? Did one of them show you his cock? Did you worship it the way you worshiped mine, hoping that once and for all you would become the mate of a long-lived dragon? You’re alone, Gwynefar. You always were.”

  He was wrong. The truth made her strong, made her sit up straighter. He couldn’t lie to her anymore. Cameron was her mate. He was tied to her by the threads of fate itself. She only hoped that those threads did not pull him into death with her.

  The smile on his face faltered when she didn’t break. She’d been out of his grasp for a long time. He must
have expected her to fold the same way she did when they were together. Knowing one was about to die did strange things to you, she guessed. It made you a tad bit fearless. There was little he could do to her beside cause her pain. Even that would end.

  She only had to make sure that Cameron stayed far away from Dinas Emrys. If she was lucky, he would travel to Bangor where the white dragons had been causing such chaos. That was where the white dragons were last seen.

  But, something in the sky caught her attention. Three forms flew toward the castle ruins. Two from the west and one from the north. Her heart gave one hard thump inside her chest before it felt like it stopped altogether.

  Cameron.

  “It seems that the dragon that seduced you very much liked the feel of your body. Good thing for me he won’t last long.” Malcom turned away from the dragons in the sky. His eyes flashed with something devious. “Which one did you lay with? Point him out and I promise I will spare him until last.”

  Her hands fisted at her side. It was impossible to tell what Malcom was thinking. He could very well do as he promised and leave Cameron to watch as he killed her. Or, Malcom could use her weakness to cut him down first. She narrowed her eyes at her old lover and kept still.

  His lip twitched, the hint of a snarl at her defiance. “You cannot ignore me. Gwynefar, tell me which dragon brought you here.”

  She smiled. The compulsion to answer was overwhelming, but she did as he asked. “Liana brought me to Dinas Emrys.” She could dance around his question and buy Cameron time as long as Malcom kept asking the wrong questions.

  “That is not what I meant!” He roared. His fist collided with the crumbling stone pillar nearby. The stone exploded in every direction. Small chunks hit her arm. She didn’t flinch. The pain was nothing. “Last I knew you didn’t like females. Now, tell me which one touched you!”

  She let out a breath. “Could you be any dumber? Any number of dragons could have touched me. They put their hands on my shoulders. They carried me through the skies. Learn to word your questions correctly, you daft moron.”

  Malcom’s face was turning purple. She’d never defied him like this before. He was so used to people winding themselves around his fingers. He’d never had to do much work to get what he wanted. Even his dragons bowed before his vicious smile.

  Gwen was no longer the simpering fool that she’d been. She no longer feared what he could do. Her eyes flicked to the sky, trying to find Cameron. White dragons erupted from the forest canopy. The white and pale blue bodies darted for the red dragons that were coming to her rescue.

  One roar filled the air. It almost felt like all of Snowdonia trembled at his arrival. The dragon was smaller than the ones that flanked him, but there was a power wrapping around him that threatened to cut down anything in its path. Cameron lifted his head into the sky and let out a burst of fire, pushing back the white dragons that closed in on them.

  The two with him were bigger. They turned their bodies as the white dragons crashed into them. They sank their claws into their white scales and held them. Dragons began to plummet through the air until great, red wings beat back. The red dragon with the white muzzle twisted his body and threw a white dragon into the forest below.

  Gwen was about to smile when two white dragon males stepped from the forest to her left. Their human hands dragged a slumped form between them. Gwen’s heart stopped.

  This was her fault.

  The battle in the sky might be won, but they would fall if they saw what Malcom now held.

  Liana’s bruised and bloodied form was being dragged into the ruins of Dinas Emrys. They dropped the dragon female before Malcom, the girl’s red hair matted with blood as it fell over her face.

  Malcom’s eyes met her across the clearing. They both knew what this meant. It was possible that Malcom knew she was willing to and ready to die, but he also knew that Gwen would not sacrifice another in the process.

  “Gwynefar,” Malcom crooned. She felt the pull of her true name grab her limbs, ready to answer. It made her feel like a marionette doll. “Attack the dragon with the white on his nose.”

  Her magic, the green and growing magic, flowed up and out of her. It cracked through the air like a thorn whip. She tried to hide her smile when she was able to direct it at the white dragon about to claw Cameron’s wings. The whip of magic tore through the white dragon’s wing. All of the white dragons had white on their muzzle.

  But, a cry made her magic falter. Her eyes fell back to the ruins to see Malcom foot on Liana’s back. His hand was in her hair, bending her back in an impossible angle.

  “You and I both know that was not what I wanted. Do as I ask, Gwen, or this precious morsel will find her life short lived.”

  Bile rose in Gwen’s throat. She nodded, dreading what she was about to do. Deep inside of her, the dark power crashed back and forth like a stormy ocean. It wanted Malcom’s blood. It wanted to see him dead and to revel over it. But, she reached for the green power that surrounded her. The force slammed into the larger red dragon’s side. He tilted, trying to regain balance, but in that moment a white dragon was able to descend upon him. Another joined and then another. Four dragons fell out of the sky.

  Gwen didn’t know whose fate she had just sealed. All she could do was hope that Cameron would forgive her. Liana’s life was at stake. The girl was barely conscious enough to think, let alone use her beast. Even if she could. Malcom and the two other dragons were still standing around them. Liana wouldn’t have a chance.

  Only Gwen could fight for her.

  “I can’t do this anymore,” Gwen whispered and gathered the dark, vengeful power around her.

  Chapter Thirteen

  The beast commanded Cameron’s form. It threw fire into the sky, unable to keep the heat of rage contained. The flames licked out and reached for the white dragons that zoomed toward them. He wanted their blood. He wanted to feel the cracking of their scales beneath his sharp teeth.

  Beside him, a white dragon darted toward Gareth, claws out to tear at his wings. The massive beast that was his brother gracefully rolled to the side and caught the slightly smaller white dragon in an embrace. Gareth’s teeth clenched down on the white dragon’s neck. Cameron didn’t hear the snap of bone. Instead, the white dragon propelled himself out of Gareth’s grasp.

  Blood rained from the sky, dropping from wounds in both dragons. Cameron snarled. His lithe form was fast. It darted behind the white dragon, swinging around to flank him. The white dragon glanced to the side to snarl. Gareth took that moment to strike.

  His teeth tore at a thin wing. The white dragon screamed. Cameron’s jaws snapped around the white dragon’s thin wing. Flesh tore beneath his teeth and blood coated his tongue.

  He heard the wind of wings behind him, but before he could turn to protect himself, something tore through the air. It was invisible, but crackled with a force he’d seen once before. Gwen’s magic ripped through the white dragon’s wings behind him.

  He turned his gaze to the ground below. His world focused in on one spot. Gwen stood below, in the ruins of Dinas Emrys. His mate. She was still alive. There was time.

  Relief was a sharp knife that cut through him. It made his form drop through the air as the rage pulled back and exhaustion tried to sink in. Then he saw the second familiar form in the ruins. Liana was thrown before Malcom, her human form a mess of blood. The rage slowly returned, simmering little by little.

  Owain roared at him, a command to move before they lost this battle. He watched as his mate raised her eyes to the battle in the sky. Her hand lifted over her grim face and this time her magic lashed out at the dragon beside him. Owain fumbled through the air.

  Several white dragon forms descended upon the unbalanced dragon. Cameron beat at the air, trying to make it to the older dragon before the white shapes gripped him. But, he was too far away, too low to the ground. The claws of the white dragons sank into Owain’s scales. His form sank and crashed to the ground.

  H
e could hear the growl of Owain’s anger while he tried to fight off several white forms that pinned his claws and neck. Before he could drop to his rescue, another dragon slammed into his side. The world spun as he rolled through the air. Gareth cried out for his brother, but a white dragon found the massive dragon’s neck. Claws gripped it from behind, cutting off his air.

  Why were there so many white dragons? Where had they come from? Three red dragons were no match against them. Especially not when Malcom knew Gwen’s true name. He wished she’d trusted him enough to tell him.

  His eyes scanned the skies. Three white dragons rose from the forest. Owain did not rise. A white dragon gripped Gareth’s neck. Another gripped his wings, worrying at the flesh like a dog with a toy. He looked below. Malcom and two more dragons stood around Gwen and Liana.

  There were eight white dragons and a witch against three, now two red dragons. This battle was over, Cameron thought.

  No. He would not let Malcom win. He would not let him hurt Gwen. He made a promise.

  Until his last breath.

  A familiar cry split the air. Four more forms dotted the skies. Their dark shapes soared toward Cameron and Gareth. Beside him the massive dragon shook. Two white shapes went flying off. He twisted in the air, jaws snapping at a white dragon neck. Cameron, feeling hopeful for the first time, circled up and back to swipe his claws at the other dragon that bit his brother’s wings.

  To the north, several more shapes flew in their direction. Their bodies were unfamiliar, but they did not bear the silvery white scales of his enemy.

  Dark power surrounded her. Never before had she dug this deep into it. Never before had she welcomed it into her life. It was her power, a part of her that craved blood and destruction. Malcom’s gaze dropped from the fight above after she spoke. He couldn’t see the power that she held, that she wrapped herself in. He could only see the air wavering around her.