by Mina Carter
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
He’d given Siobhan all the time he could stand. Rayne wanted… no needed his mate, and he needed her now. It had been entirely too long since he’d held her in his arms. The kiss they’d shared before being interrupted had only reminded him of how close he’d come to losing her and how long it had been since he’d tasted her amazing body.
Lance and Aidan were updating him on the search for the traitor. It was as if Andrew had vanished into thin air. They could find no sign of him. The black magic he’d absorbed from the wizards was making it possible for him to elude their search. Rayne told Lance to check with the Elders to see what they knew of the mixture of dragon magic with the taint of black magic. He told Aidan to check in with Royce to see where he was with the weapon preparation and training of the new Guardsmen. Aaron and Devon were still out searching, expected to return any time.
Rayne cuffed Lance on the back of his head and told him to expect as many horrible things as he could think of as punishment for disobeying him during their battle. The surprise that crossed Lance’s face said he’d thought his Commander had forgotten and was now worried.
No matter how hard he tried to focus, Rayne could not escape the pull of his mate. Just as he would have dismissed his men, Lance slid past him with Aidan in tow, headed directly for Kyndel’s room. He raced after them and collided with Aidan’s back just as Lance opened the door.
“Rayne, what’s going on out there?” He did nothing to stop the smile that crossed his face as Kyndel called to him.
He pushed past his men and went to her bedside, passing in front of Siobhan. From the looks of things, they were having a bit of girl talk while he was away. Rayne was glad Kyndel had chosen Siobhan to speak to. She was incredibly wise and well versed on the ways of the dragon kin. She was also kind and motherly to all.
“I was coming to see my beautiful mate when these ruffians rushed their way into your room.” He directed a scowl at Lance and Aidan while they looked completely unrepentant for their behavior.
Kyndel cocked her eyebrow at the offending Guardsmen, but almost immediately laughed. “You two are incorrigible! You’re just in here to mess with Rayne.” She pointed her finger. “Don’t try to deny it. I can see the guilt in your eyes.”
He loved that she felt comfortable enough to tease his brethren. It was even better when she schooled her expression and looked straight at Lance, pointing her finger. “What did I hear you call me when you left before?” Rayne had been on the receiving end of her intimidation and was happy to see it was another’s turn.
He almost laughed aloud when Lance lowered his eyes and replied, “Spitfire.” Then it was as if the Guardsman had regained his composure when he punched Aidan in the shoulder and gave him up like a bad penny. “Come on, ‘A’, fess up. Tell her who came up with her new name.”
The playful attitude of his brethren had returned. Rayne saw it and knew Kyndel did too by the huge smile on her face. Aidan squared his shoulders, and with a cheeky grin, nodded his head and said, “I did. I came up with that name after I saw how you handled all of us. And you are my hero for keeping your cool when the traitor had a knife to your neck.”
Anger and pain flashed in his eyes and as quick as that, it was gone again. Cheeky grin back in place, he chuckled. “Spitfire suits you just like you suit the Commander.”
Kyndel reached up and grabbed Rayne’s hand, looking at him with a twinkle in her eye before turning back to his brethren. “I guess you’re off the hook then, but you better never call me that in public or I’ll show you what happens when a spitfire turns into a wild fire.”
The whole room erupted into laughter as Kyndel asked, “Now, what the heck do I have to do to get to see these dragons y’all keep telling me you can turn into?”
Even though Siobhan had given her a glowing bill of health, Rayne insisted on carrying Kyndel to the clearing a half mile behind the lair. He wasn’t letting her go, wasn’t taking a chance that she might even stub her toe on his watch. She complained the whole way, which with his enhanced speed, took all of thirty seconds. It made him smile. There would never be a dull moment.
He placed her on the blanket Aidan had spread under a large shade tree on the edge of the clearing. His hand rubbed her perfectly rounded behind that he pinched lightly before jumping out of reach to avoid the swat he knew was coming. She shook her head and he strode away chuckling. He’d made sure she was far enough from them as not to be bumped by one of their dragons, but close enough that she could still see.
Looking over his shoulder, Rayne smiled. He was still trying to wrap his head around how he of all people had been blessed with Kyndel for a mate.
And now she will meet my dragon.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Kyndel watched as Rayne stood twenty yards from her. He was absolutely breathtaking. Looking every bit the Commander she knew he was. He looked her right in the eyes and from one breath to the next, her magnificent warrior became a majestic creature of legend.
She had to tilt her head back as far as it would go just to see to his face, and there staring back at her were the same violet eyes she’d looked into while making love to her fierce warrior. She saw the same love and devotion.
Rayne’s dragon was at least two and a half stories tall. A brilliant combination of reds and golds that created a kaleidoscope of colors that sparkled and shined in the late afternoon sun. The dragon unfurled his wings. Kyndel was awestruck at the incredible length. She could only imagine the strength contained in those amazing appendages. The beast had an elegant beauty, making her unable to take her eyes off him.
He laid his long body on the ground, his snout pointing towards her, and chuffed a small puff of smoke. She had no idea how, but she knew he was telling her she was free to touch and explore.
For a moment she could only sit and stare, amazed she felt as safe standing mere feet from a thousand pound dragon as she did a two hundred and twenty pound man. The front of the beast’s snout and nostrils were such a dark red hue, they resembled a fine port wine. The peaks and valleys running from his nostrils to his eyes were so numerous she lost count. The variations of colors and textures were spectacular.
The scales around his eyes were lighter and smaller than any other she could see, and there were more of them. They were layered together in an intricate pattern she assumed was to protect his large, crystalline eyes.
Looking up as far as she could see, Kyndel was awestruck at the row of huge spikes starting in the middle of his head and disappearing down his back. She took a few steps backward to take in as much of the incredible creature lying before her as possible. Moving farther down his body, she could see those threatening spikes were not only on his head, but ran all the way down the middle of his neck and stopped at his shoulder blades. They resembled enormous thorns and were accompanied by two lethal-looking curved horns that grew out of his brow ridge, about a yard back from his eye sockets, and extended six feet in front of him.
Kyndel walked closer, placed her hand on the side of his muzzle, and moved towards the wings that were folded into his sides. She touched and rubbed the entire length of his snout until her hand was resting under his violet eyes. He tilted his head to give her a closer look. His scales felt like hand blown glass, but the harder she pressed the more she could feel their incredible strength.
Placing her other hand beside the one already laying on his jawbone, Kyndel let both hands freely roam under his jaw. The scales there were softer and thinner. They felt like the pair of alligator boots Granny wore when she was snake hunting. These softer scales seemed to extend all the way under his massive body.
She finally reached his wings, letting her fingers slide in between the layers of skin folded like an accordion against his massive ribs. It was thick like leather but as soft as silk. The veins she felt running throughout pulsed as she touched them. Her hands found his torso underneath. She felt the raw power coursing through his body. It seemed to flow out of him and
into her, a rush unlike anything she’d ever felt.
Still moving down his body, her senses struggling to take it all in, Kyndel came face to face with this colossal back paw. All she could do was gape. She chuckled, realizing she could easily fit between his toes. However, the sharp claws were as long as she was tall. She had no doubt they could tear a man to shreds with one strike.
As she rounded his rear end and came to his tail, she was given glaring clarity that this creature was made to defend. With a ten-foot long tail sporting four-foot tail spikes running its entire length and a triangular shaped spade at the very end, Kyndel knew one swipe and anything in its path would be completely destroyed.
Time stood still as she tried to absorb everything she felt and saw. A wave of what felt like butterfly kisses washed over her. It was then she saw five other dragons standing behind her and Rayne. One was very large with royal blue scales highlighted by a stunning green running throughout. She knew it was Royce from his earlier description. Just as Rayne had said, he was the largest of them all, but even in dragon form, he had a gentler demeanor than the others.
To his right were two silver dragons. One with glittering black scales running down both sides of his body and wings, while the other’s underbelly sparkled with the same onyx covering. She knew these were Aidan and Aaron. Twins in human and dragon form.
As she continued looking around the circle of dragons, next in line was a spectacular golden dragon. He appeared more compact, as if his muscles were coiled and ready to spring into action. Looking up into this dragon’s large face, she immediately knew it was Lance’s dragon from the smirk on his face.
She came to the last in the circle and knew without a doubt she was looking at Devon. Although she hadn’t spent much time with this Guardsman, she recognized him from Siobhan’s description of her mate, his father. He was the most unusual iridescent white, almost like the finest opal. As he shifted from paw to paw, an array of colors appeared and disappeared over his gigantic body. She noticed that in human form, Devon stood an inch or two taller than Rayne, but in dragon form, Rayne was much taller.
Something I’ll have to ask about.
She again felt a rush of butterfly kisses, she now knew was dragon magic, at her back. Turning, she found Rayne in human form, walking toward her. “What do you think, mo ghra’?”
“It’s just amazing, Rayne. That word seems inadequate. Spectacular, maybe? I mean, I believed every word you told me, but nothing compares to seeing y’all with my own eyes.” She turned, facing the other members of Rayne’s Force still in dragon form. “Y’all have given me a gift I’ll never forget. Thank you very much.”
Rayne’s arms came around her waist as he pressed his front to her back, cuddling her into his warmth. She leaned back, releasing the breath she’d been holding. A tear slipped down her cheek as Rayne gently placed his chin atop of her head. Magic filled the air as the Guardsmen changed back to their human forms. She laughed to herself and mumbled, swiping the tear from her cheek and hoping no one had noticed, “At least they have jeans on when they change back. I’d spontaneously combust if all that muscled man-flesh was naked.”
The Universe has a way of taking care of everything.
Rayne spun her around, looking at her like she had something on her face before pulling her in for a hug and asking, “Why are you crying, my love?”
How did he know? Gotta be the bond thingy.
“I’m just so happy. I’m home… finally home.”
Rayne lifted her off her feet and spun her in circles. “Yes, mo ghra’, you most definitely are, and now it’s time to make our mating official.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
So much had happened. It had only been twenty-four hours since seeing the Guardsmen in dragon form. In that time, Rayne had taken her to meet the Elders, who were nothing like she’d expected. Definitely NOT a bunch of stuffy old men sitting around judging everyone’s actions. They were actually cool. All had retired from the Dragon Guard except the oldest of the bunch, Zachary. He was the Elder Healer and the only dragon shifter she‘d met that actually looked old… really old, in his case. Wisdom surrounded him. Kyndel could only imagine what he’d seen over his many years of life.
The older Elder held her hands, and after several long minutes of just looking into her eyes, told her he was glad she’d finally made it to them. She had no idea what he meant and wondered if dragon shifters got dementia or Alzheimer’s, but thought better about asking, chalked his odd behavior up to his age, and smiled. Everyone she met was incredibly happy that she and Rayne had found one another.
After the Elders, Rayne had shown her what she dubbed the Town Square. He kept calling it “the lair”, but it reminded her of a little community. There were shops with everything from a bakery to herbs and armor, and even jewelry made from discarded dragon scales. Emma, a very sweet young woman, explained she only used the scales that were broken to make her jewelry. Each trinket she designed had significance. Kyndel was amazed at the beauty and meaning of each piece.
A bracelet with large red bells and smaller multi-color ones caught her eye. The bells tinkled in the breeze and twinkled in the sunlight. It was the most beautiful piece of jewelry she’d ever seen. Granny had always said that every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings. The thought made Kyndel smile. Then Emma told her for the dragons the saying was, ‘Every time a dragon kisses his mate, a bell rings’. She laughed aloud, wondering if Rayne had paid Emma to say that. No matter, the young artisan was incredibly talented and Kyndel promised to visit again soon.
Last stop was Siobhan’s house. Kyndel would stay there until the next day, the day of their official mating ceremony. On the way there, Rayne explained the Healer would ‘prepare’ her for the ceremony. It all sounded very secretive.
“What kind of preparations, Rayne?” she asked, not sure she wanted to know.
“Nothing bad. She’ll just explain the ceremony and answer your questions.” He chuckled.
“But you said ‘prepare’ like I had to change or…”
Her words were cut short as Rayne captured her lips with his. She immediately opened. His tongue slid alongside hers and all thoughts of ceremonies and ‘preparations’ were forgotten. Lost to the moment, they pulled apart at the sound of someone clearing their throat. Kyndel looked over her shoulder to find Siobhan grinning from ear to ear.
“It seems I keep finding you two like this.” The Healer shook her head in mock outrage. “Commander, if you do not let go of your mate, I will not have time to prepare her for the mating ceremony.”
Before Kyndel could move, Rayne plundered her mouth once again, leaving her breathless and blurry-eyed. She watched his swagger as he crossed the path leading back to the center of the lair and laughed aloud.
He is really something else.
A sudden case of nerves caused her hands to shake as she followed Siobhan into the house. The Healer took her down a hallway Kyndel hadn’t noticed when she was there before. In her defense, she had been unconscious pretty much the whole time, except for when Rayne carried her out, but it did make her wonder how big the house really was.
They entered a beautifully decorated sitting room, with antique furniture and pieces of art displayed on every surface. One thing for certain… Siobhan liked the finer things in life and appreciated her history. The fresh pot of lavender tea sitting on the coffee table gave the room a light, fresh scent. Siobhan motioned for Kyndel to have a seat on the brocade loveseat under a magnificent painting of lilies in a field.
It didn’t take long for Kyndel to forget her nerves and for her curiosity to get the best of her. She’d never been one to pussy-foot around an issue. If she was to be mated to Rayne in less than twenty-four hours, she wanted to know every detail.
“So about this mating ceremony. Rayne said you’ll answer all my questions. I guess I really have only one, and it’s a big one… What’s gonna happen?”
The Healer gave her a very motherly smile before ex
plaining everything Kyndel needed to know about the very old and very sacred mating ceremony of the Golden Fire Clan of the Dragon Shifters. They talked into the wee hours of the morning. Siobhan assured Kyndel as they walked to bed that she would always be available for questions… or a cup of tea.
The few hours’ sleep she’d gotten did nothing to dispel the unfamiliar nerves that threatened to overtake her as she stood ready to enter the Cave of the Ancients. Kyndel had to admit to herself she was more excited than nervous and ready to get the show on the road.
Standing at the precipice of a future she’d never imagined, Kyndel thought back to the things she and Siobhan had talked about just a few hours ago. The only thing she wondered about was ‘the marking’. It all sounded so mystical. When Kyndel asked what the mark would look like, Siobhan got a dreamy look in her eyes and simply said whatever the Universe decided signified their union. Kyndel had decided not to push any more when the Healer looked like she was caught up in a memory too personal to disturb.
Pulled from her thoughts by the two younger Guardsmen that appeared on either side of her, Kyndel placed one arm through each Guardsman’s crooked elbow and took a deep breath. One step at a time they led her down the stone passageway to her mate… to her future.
She looked at her escorts as they walked. Their uniforms looked like something out of a Knights of the Round Table movie. It seemed apropos since they’d originated in that era. Both young men wore surcoats of the deepest red, trimmed with black and gold rope. An intricate design embroidered on each man’s chest depicted a dragon in the throes of battle. The shirt they wore under their surcoats matched the ebony of their pants. Their knee-high, black boots were polished until Kyndel was sure she could see her face in them. As it was, the light from each candle in the sconces lining the corridor to the ceremonial chamber twinkled and shone in the tops as they passed.
They reached the threshold of the Ceremonial Chamber of the Cave of the Ancients. Her escorts bowed and took several steps behind her, standing at attention against the wall. Thankfully, Siobhan had explained only Kyndel, Rayne, and the Elders would be in the chamber during the ceremony. Taking a deep breath to calm the butterflies throwing a party in her stomach, Kyndel crossed the threshold. There was Rayne. Their eyes locked. Her nerves fled. Love filled every fiber of her being. This was the most perfect moment of her life.