by Julia Mills
“Yeah, well, half Bear-half Dragon twins have a lot of energy, or so I am finding out.”
“Just wait until they arrive,” Niall, the Clan Healer and the one close to Murdock’s age, laughed as he walked through the back door of the Grand Hall. “And you know there is all the help you could need and more waiting in the wings.”
“I couldn’t be happier,” Annie nodded. “And I have the camera ready to take a picture of Brann changing his first dirty diaper.”
As the room once again erupted in laughter, Murdock went through the motions as visions of the dreams he’d been having for nearly three months flooded his mind. Images so clear that his senses literally filled with the scents of decadent chocolate, sweet cherries and warm vanilla, he welcomed the pleasant distraction.
Playful green eyes that always held just a touch of mischief, combined with long dark curls, a dusting of delectable freckles upon the porcelain of her cheeks and perfectly pink lips with a Cupid’s bow that begged to be kissed made for an absolutely unforgettable woman whose laughter made his heart sing. If truth be told, Murdock would’ve left the sea to find her, even if he hadn’t promised his friend and brethren, Kayne to come and help them maneuver the perils of the Devil’s Kiss.
It was a blessing to all that Uther, another of the Enforcers had been released from his magical prison by the call of his mate just a few weeks earlier. His arrival had renewed Murdock’s conviction that his brother was still alive and somewhere at the bottom of the ocean.
Atticus was the only one of the famed Force of Guardsmen called the Enforcers who remained lost. Murdock knew he would find his sibling, just as sure as he knew that Uther had somehow located another legendary group of Dragons – those known as the Berserkers - in the bowels of the South American volcano.
Kayne had called to the Sea Dragon because of his extensive knowledge of the area surrounding that particular mountain range. Being a dual-natured Dragon meant there were times Murdock longed for the land after long periods underwater, and the Dragon King with whom he shared his soul, Raibert needed to soar the skies. They’d always found it the easiest to do so in the isolated Rainforest of the Amazon. Not only was it beautiful, but the lack of humans made it perfect for transforming between Dragon and man at will.
In fact, it had been over that very mountain that Murdock had first envisioned the beautiful woman who haunted his nearly his every thought. He’d seen her surrounded in smoke, white powder on her cheeks and her hair piled atop her head. In that moment, the older Guardsman had nearly fallen from the sky. There was just something about his dream woman, something he couldn’t…
“Hey! You still with us?” Brannoc’s question interrupted Murdock’s revelry.
“Aye, Ah’m here,” the older Dragon nodded. “Just thinkin’. Tis all.”
Leaning closer, Brannoc raised his eyebrows and spoke directly into Murdock’s mind, “Well, if ya’ think any harder, Uncle, Pearce will pick up on that little cutie in your thoughts and he’s a real pain in the ass when it comes to trying to play Cupid.”
“Son of a…” Murdock groaned as he looked up at his nephew. “And ye wonder why Ah stay underwater.”
Chapter Three
“No way! No way! No way!” Kalliope screamed, running into the kitchen as smoke poured out of the oven and the smoke detector on the wall squealed like an injured duck Waving at the blasted device, thankful when the horrendous noise stopped, she asked. “How did you burn them already? I was only gone for five minutes.”
“It was her fault,” Meredith wailed, pointing at Daphne who was standing in the corner looking at the oven as if it was a fire-breathing Dragon come to take them all away.
Snapping out of her haze at Meredith’s accusation, Daphne challenged, “No way, Broom Hilda, it was your fault. You’re the one who zapped the temperature with that stupid spell you’ve been working on.”
“I did not!” Meredith screamed, her cheeks immediately turning red and warts popping out on her nose.
“Yes, you did! Yes, you did!” Daphne jeered. “Look at your nose. The ‘Fibber, Fibber Nose Like a Chigger’ spell I put on you says you are a big fat liar.”
“I am not fat!” Meredith shrieked, throwing an entire bag of flour at Daphne.
“But you are a filthy rotten liar,” Daphne countered, grabbing the second bag of flour on the counter, pitching it across the room and instead of Meredith, hitting Kalliope right in the face.
“STOP IT RIGHT NOW!” Kallie shouted. “Cut the crap. Get those burnt offerings out of the oven and clean up this mess. I’ll just do this myself since you two obviously cannot be trusted.” Swiping at the flour covering her face, she glared. “You know I have to make this recipe work like six times tonight.” Shaking her head and watching as the flour fell from her hair like snow falling from the sky, she added, “How would it look for me, the Witch who puts love in every recipe, to have fricking burnt cupcakes as a Valentine’s Day treat for all the couples out there? Huh? Tell me?”
Looking repentant and apologizing at least fifty times each, the much older, infinitely crazier, Witches went to work at putting the kitchen back in order as Kallie read through her recipe one more time.
“I’m gonna use the large cupcake pans so I can get lots of that yummy ganache in there,” she mumbled to herself, making notes in the margins of the recipe she’d copied from Gram’s cookbook. “And I need to find those cute red foil cupcake papers I got from the Bakery Warehouse.”
“Don’t forget the rock candy,” Meredith added as she swept up the floor. “Yours is the best.”
“And what about those tiny heart-shaped sprinkles you whipped up for the twin’s birthday? Those would be adorable on the top,” Daphne added, from where she was washing Kalliope’s huge stainless mixing bowls. “OH! And a maraschino cherry on top.”
Propping her chin on her hand with her elbow on the granite top of the island that stood in the middle of her kitchen, Kallie grinned at her friends, admitting, “I just can’t stay mad at y’all.” Holding up her free hand with her palm facing both the Witches, she quickly added, “But you still can’t help me.” She shook her head as they both shoved out their bottom lips and pretended to pout. “Don’t even try it. These have to be perfect.” Getting off her stool, she crossed the room and opened the freezer. Pulling out two containers, she handed one to each of her best friends. “But, you can each try my new ice cream. Share it between you. One is triple-chocolate-mint-cookie-cloud and the other is strawberry-shortcake-chunky-chip-crash. I’m doing Ice Cream March Madness and need to make sure my flavors are outrageously good and super original.”
Grabbing the tubs along with spoons, Meredith and Daphne each kissed her on the cheek as they left the kitchen racing to the den to watch reruns of I Love Lucy and chow down on ice cream. After all, everyone knew Lucy really was a Witch. How else would she get into so much trouble and still keep laughing? It was the only thing that made sense.
Getting out all her ingredients, mixing bowls, measuring cups and spoons, rubber spatulas and wooden spoons, as well as, Gram’s old, teal KitchenAid Mixer, Kallie set to work adding her own special twist to the already perfect red velvet cupcakes her grandmother had made for over three hundred years. Getting lost in her thoughts as she spooned and measured and poured and baked, she remembered what it was like to be in the kitchen with Grams.
She could hear the three-hundred-and-fifty-three-year old Witch singing a twangy love song as she whipped up the most delicious desserts without even glancing at a recipe. One memory rose to the forefront, the day Kallie had learned to use the big mixer.
“Alright, Kalliebug, make sure you’re following your recipe and measuring exactly.”
“But you don’t, Grams,” a younger, pigtail-wearing Kalliope replied.
“That’s cause grannys don’t have to use recipes, it’s all up here.” Grams tapped her temple with the tip of her index finger. “And as for measuring, my hand works better than any old cup.” She’d wrapped
her wrinkled hand around Kallie’s lifting the child’s hand to her lips and kissing the back. “And one day, when you’re all grown up, your hand will be big enough to measure with, as well. Then you’ll make all kinds of goodies for your mate and kids.”
“I’m not sure I want a mate, Grams, or kids either. Meredith’s mom was talking with one of the other moms at the park and said having Baby Joey nearly killed her.” Kallie looked up at her grandmother and shook her head. “I think I’ll just stick with cats and dogs, maybe a bird or two.”
Laughing out loud, her crystal blue eyes sparkling with love, Grams chuckled, “That woman just didn’t have the right midwife. Must’ve been one of those new age Witches who thinks everything has to be natural, that the pain is good.” Wrapping her arm around Kallie’s shoulders, she pulled the young girl close and kissed the top of her head. “Never you fear, I’ve made sure every little spell I know is all in the chest. You just have to look.”
Biting her bottom lip, wondering if she should ask Grams about what had been bothering her since she saw Suzie Swanson kissing Tommy Baker, Kallie took a deep breath and talking so fast she could only pray Grams understood what she was saying, asked, “Is there really one man out there for me? Will he really appear when I’m ready? Will I have to kiss him? Will we open our mouths when we kiss? Will he put his hands on my butt? Do I have to let him put his hands on my butt? Will…”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Grams snickered. “Rewind all that and let me see if I can answer at least some of those questions for you.” Taking a seat on one of the stools, she pulled Kallie close and as she ran her fingers through her granddaughter’s long dark curls tackled Kallie’s questions one at a time.
“First of all, yes, ma’am, the Goddess has made one special person, just for you. When you are both ready, then and only then you will find one another. For me, it was a few months after my hundred-and-twenty-seventh birthday and my Coven was out preparing for the All Hallow’s Eve Celebration. Your grandpa had gotten separated from his Coven and wondered into Planter’s Field. It was love at first sight, and that’s the way it will be for you, too.”
“Okay, if you say so, but what about…” Kallie stopped, not wanting to repeat her questions about kissing. Letting out the breath she’d been holding when Gram’s picked up where she’d left off.
“As for kissing, young lady, you don’t let that man do anything you’re not comfortable with. If you don’t want his hands on your heinie then zap ‘em off. Let him know right upfront who’s boss.”
Giggling at the way Grams furrowed her brow and with a snap of her fingers made sparkles fall from the sky, Kallie nodded, “You got it. Ya’ know I like zapping boys.”
“Yes, you do and you’re darned good at it,” Grams winked. “Does that answer all your questions?”
“For now,” Kallie grinned. “I’ll let ya’ know if there’s more.”
“I’m sure you will,” Grams snickered. “Now, let’s get to these cupcakes. Who knows, maybe it’ll be your baking that brings your mate a runnin’.”
“I’m sure you’re right, Grams,” Kallie sighed as she poured her third batch of batter into the cupcake tins. “Cause if I get much older, I’m gonna have to start baking cat treats and doggie bones and honing my knittin’ skills.”
Chapter Four
Restless, unable to sleep, to eat…to do anything but pace the floor, Murdock silently stalked out of the cottage behind his nephew’s house and headed towards the cliffs. Unsure of what he and his Dragon needed, but wanting the calm of the sea and the feel of the salt air on his face, the Guardsman took off running, his peace of mind returning with every step closer to the water he got.
Stopping just short of diving off the rocks, he instead sat down on the edge of the cliff, stared into the murky depths and prayed for a sign that his brother still lived. Opening his preternatural senses wide, he watched as the slow lapping of the waves began to take shape. Shifting and swaying, moving to and fro, the water had a mind of its own, molding itself like clay until Murdock was once again looking into the sparkling green eyes of the woman whose image seemed to be the only thing that could soothe his impatient conscience.
Grumbling from within his mind, Raibert sighed, “She is the One, Murdock. Ye knoow tis true.”
“Ah knoow nothing,” he snapped. “And Ah have no time fur such things. What would we do wit’ a mate? Carry her on yur back into the deepest, darkest waters of the sea? Pray she can handle living as we do? Hope for a Mermaid, or even a Siren?”
“Aye, ye fool. You knoow this twill only git worse the more ye resist,” came the Dragon King’s reply. “Ye cannae mess with Fate. How many times must you bang yer head agin that wall?”
“Until Ah bend it to my will.”
“Aye, this is goonna be fun to watch,” Raibert chuckled.
“Shut up,” Murdock growled, throwing up the mental blocks that separated his thoughts from the Dragon’s. “I refuse to be mucked about.”
The Universe and Fate, hell, even Destiny had always found it fun to screw with the Deóireach boys. As far back as Murdock could remember if something was going to go wrong, it happened to one of them.
He knew Raibert was right. The woman had to be the One made for them, their one and only mate, but what if she wasn’t? What if he suffered as Atticus had? Losing someone was never easy, but when she was the light of one’s soul and the love of one’s life, it was absolutely devastating. Because of their connection, Murdock had shared in his older brother’s pain, as well as his rage and fury when his mate had been slaughtered by enemies of the Dragons.
“I won’t do it. Fate can kiss my lily-white ass,” he declared to the stunning image smiling at him. “But…Heavens be damned if she isn’t a beauty.” His nails dug into the rocky ledge as if he hadn’t just proclaimed he didn’t want a mate. There was no denying how very much he longed to touch her long, dark curls, imaging how soft and lush they would feel running through his fingers.
Unable to hold back the smile that curved his lips, a mirror of hers, he had no doubts the woman who refused to leave his thoughts was as sassy as the day was long and feisty beyond compare. He could just feel that she had a mind of her own, would rather ask for forgiveness than permission and would test him in every way possible for every day of their very long, happy lives together.
“Why now?” He complained to the sky.
Climbing to his feet, diving off the nearly fourteen-hundred-foot cliff and letting Raibert in the form of his Sea Dragon come forth in one fluid motion, Murdock’s tension melted away the deeper into the salt water he swam. Showing his teeth in what he knew was a frightening grin, both man and Dragon King chuckled as every life form which called the ocean their home scurried out of the way, making a wide path for the top of the underwater food chain.
Swimming for miles, using the pretense of looking for Atticus but knowing he was truly trying to escape the frustratingly intense emotions seeing the gorgeous woman stirred within him, Murdock wiped his mind. Hours later, waking as if from a dream, he drifted to the surface, using the first rays of the sun dancing upon the water as his guide. With his massive snout bursting through the water, he surfed the waves towards the shore, transforming back to his human form when his underbelly scratched the sand.
Walking through the shallows, water soaking the bottom of the legs of his jeans, it wasn’t until he’d walked across the sand and turned in the opposite direction from the Lair of the Blue Dragons that Murdock realized he was following the succulent scent of chocolate, cherries and warm vanilla. Digging his bare feet into the soft grass on the other side of the crag, his muscles tensed and his body shook as the ancient and powerful Guardsman fought against every instinct within him not to seek out his mate.
“Bloody hell, Raibert, can ye not help?”
“Ah refuse ta have any part in yer insanity, Boy,” the Dragon King scoffed. “Ah’m just makin’ ready for when I get ta say ‘Ah told ye so’.”
“Why am Ah
not surprised?” Murdock growled, summoning every ounce of his strength, doing an about-face and slowly trudging towards the home of the Dragons. “Anything else Ah kin do for ye, Yur Grace?”
“Nay, Ah’ve got the best seat in the house,” Raibert continued to chuckle, the rumbling baritone grating on Murdock’s nerves like nails on a chalkboard. “And the title of this show shall be ‘How the Mighty Have Fallen’.” The Dragon King’s chuckles turned into guffaws. “The lass already has ye by the short hairs.”
Slamming the mental blocks in his mind shut again, Murdock grumbled to the trees, “Why does that blasted Dragon always have to be right?”
Chapter Five
“Kalliope, wake up.” Meredith’s hand rubbed her shoulder as her voice echoed in the deep recesses of Kallie’s exhausted mind.
“Kallie, come on, get your ass up.” Daphne was louder and infinitely more insistent than Merrie.
What the hell is wrong with these goofballs? Can’t a girl catch a break? I was up…
“Dammit, Kalliope! If you don’t get up right this minute, I’m gonna zap your ass with my Water Power Spell,” Daphne growled, the static electricity of magic filling the air.
Springing up and promptly falling off…well, she had no clue what she fell off of, only knew that her pleasantly round ass landed with a resounding thud on a cold, hard floor. Shaking her head and blinking her eyes, the fog in Kalliope’s brain cleared just about the same time as her vision, causing her to shriek, “Where the hell? What the…?”
Sliding her hand under Kallie’s right arm as Meredith did the same on the left side, Daphne chuckled, “You fell asleep icing your fifty-millionth cupcake, you doofus!”
“Son of a…” Kalliope gasped as the girls jerked her to her feet and Meredith conjured a full-length mirror in front of her. “OH. MY. GODDESS. I look like a hooker who just jumped out of the cake at Satan’s bachelor party.”