by Julia Mills
With his hand covering her heart and his enhanced senses, he had been monitoring the changes in her heart beat and breathing. Now, more than ever, he needed her to stay with him. He needed to know that she was truly grasping what he was saying. The next bit of information he would share would take all the trust she could muster and her special intuition to help her believe him. He knew the Universe did not make mistakes and that Grace was his mate, the one above all others destined to be at his side, in this life and the next. She had been made especially for him, the other half of his soul, the completion of the man and his beast. But he really wished this part came with an instruction manual.
“Grace, a chumann, I need you to keep an open mind. There is more to the story, more that will require you to believe that I would never lie to you. I want you to open those spidey senses of yours wide and let them show you the truth,” he smiled a cheeky little half grin at her. “The men I told you about, my ancestors and those of the men I am proud to call brother, were also chosen by the dragons that fought alongside those brave knights.
“The dragons were being driven into extinction by the hunters, a group of zealots trained by dark wizards to exterminate all dragon kind. The dragons’ oldest enemies, coupled with the growing human population, made keeping their existence hidden from humans almost impossible. They enlisted the help of a very powerful white magic mage to combine the very essence of the fierce dragon warriors with the knight of their choosing. Once the spell had been cast, the heart of the dragon resided within the man. The man and the dragon learned to coexist and when needed, the dragon would come forth to defend those in need.”
He felt her heart pound, heard her breathing escalate, and watched a flood of thoughts and emotions whisk through her expressive blue eyes. “Are you still with me, mo chroi?”
Grace nodded her head, “Yea, I am.” She held her eyes to his, “No matter how hard I try
not to believe what you’re saying, everything in me, including my special intuition, is assuring me you are speaking the absolute truth.” She shook her head as if that would make it all change somehow, “How can that be? This is the stuff fantasy novels are written about. How can it be happening right in front of me?”
He pulled her against his chest, her arms automatically wrapping around his waist. At the touch of her hands, the tattoo on his lower back began to move. He knew she would be feeling little shocks through her fingertips and up her arms. Grace pulled back and slowly walked around his body.
Aidan stood still as his mate moved behind him. He knew she had to investigate what she had felt, it was her nature, and she had to see to believe. It was something that had to happen during the course of their mating for it was one of the many ways the dragon felt their mate, his beast needed this as much as his mate did. She was not only the light to Aidan’s soul; she was the same for the dragon within. This was a very important introduction.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Grace stood a step away from Aidan, staring at his back, watching the beautiful tattoo she had admired the other morning, literally come alive on his back. A shining silver color became more vivid and seemed to shimmer in the growing morning light. This incredible creature seemed to puff up at her inspection, proud she was taking notice of him. She moved forward, placing her fingers on the wing that touched the nape of Aidan’s neck. The markings rippled under her fingers, while the electricity flowing between them grew. She traced the intricate patterns to its massive body, and imagined how beautiful this majestic warrior must look flying through the sky. She caressed its neck, moving towards its aristocratic head, taking in the long spikes and curved horns that were impressively frightening.
She continued her exploration until she reached its eyes, those all seeing orbs were the same intoxicating whisky color as those of the man who was quickly becoming someone she wanted by her side always. As she looked into those amazing eyes, she finally understood the statement, ‘eyes are the windows to the soul’, for she could see the centuries of pride and honor this fantastic beast held within. She saw understanding and a recognition that was frightening, but at the same time, made her feel a part of something important; something that would change her forever, a sense of belonging that warmed her as nothing before ever had, not even the relationship she shared with Kyndel. She saw love and an unconditional acceptance that filled her with relief. A weight she didn’t realize was there, lifted from her shoulders. The connection she shared with this dragon was just as deep and true as the one she felt with the man standing before her. This connection to these two larger than life figures should have at least made her pause to question her sanity, but there was nothing humming along her spidey senses other than a feeling of absolute rightness. She leaned forward and pressed her lips right below the dragon’s eye. The emotions that flowed from the majestic warrior threatened to overwhelm her. She knew this brief introduction to Aidan’s amazing beast had irrevocably changed the course of her life. All she had been taught about logic and reason did not apply here, she knew with absolute certainty that what was happening, what she was seeing with her own eyes, was real, and she was a part of something so much bigger than she could have ever imagined before meeting Aidan.
She walked back around to stand in front of Aidan and found him, eyes closed, breathing heavily through opened lips, fists clenched at his sides, like he was in pain. She stood on her tip toes, braced her palms on his chest, and laid her lips to his cheek, just as she had done with the dragon. His eyes slowly opened and she was floored by the sheer force of the emotions that slammed into her. Aidan’s arms came around her, “How are you doing, mo ghra’? I know this is a lot to take in and I’m dumping it on you so much faster than I would have liked?”
“Well…I have to admit I am surprised that I‘m not freaking out; makes me wonder if I hit my head harder than I thought last night. I guess it will take time to completely come to terms with the fact that dragons are real and that men can change into them. You know million dollar movies are made about this shit, right? My special intuition tells me you are being honest and I cannot deny what I just witnessed with my own two eyes. But more than that, I still need to understand why I feel so drawn to you? What is it about you that makes me feel like we are meant to be together? That you are somehow what I have been searching for my whole life? These are not normal feelings to have after only knowing someone such a short time.”
“That is easily explained, but once again requires a leap of faith on your part.” She nodded her head for him to continue. “One of the most important milestones in a dragon shifter’s life is finding his mate. She is the one female, created by the Universe, just for him. She is the other half of his soul, the completion of the man and his beast. She gives them peace, love and light. She is the one person that has the ability to ground them and make them whole. She is the single most important person to both beings. Although they have survived and been successful for many years, they only truly begin to live when she is part of their life.
“You, Grace, a thiasce, are my mate, the light of my soul. You complete me and the dragon that dwells within, in ways I had only ever heard stories about. You have been a part of me from the first moment I knew of your existence. The moment I caught your scent over six years ago, I knew you were the one for me, but circumstances prevented me from coming to you then. When I saw you again all these years later, it was solidified in my heart that you are the other half of my soul.
“So mo ghra’, you ask why you are drawn to me and have feelings for me that are stronger and deeper than you have ever experienced before with any other. It is because we are destined to be together. Your soul recognizes mine just as mine recognizes yours. Like has called to like, and the incredible feelings we are discovering for each other will not be denied. They will only grow stronger, my beautiful Grace. Our bond will solidify and after our official mating, you will possess many of the same talents I have. We will be able to speak directly into each other’s minds and I will teach yo
u to draw on my dragon magic.”
Grace stood still, absorbing all she had learned in a very short period of time. None of the warning bells or weird feelings that accompanied a deception came to her, and if she concentrated really hard, she could feel nothing but a need to love and protect coming from Aidan. Love? Yep, that was definitely what it was, and if she was completely honest with herself, she felt it growing in her too. Told you that you had it bad, Gracey girl, her inner voice chuckled, and for once, she didn’t tell her to shut up.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Aidan waited for what seemed like forever for Grace to say something, anything. His patience was wearing thin. He felt no fear or anxiety coming from her, only some confusion and a need to understand. Under it all, he also felt acceptance and a spark of the emotion he hoped for and could not wait to explore further. He wanted to grab her up and kiss her until neither of them could think of anything but satisfying their mutual need but he tamped down his instinct, now was the time to protect and comfort and mate. He needed to let her make the first move; she had to make the first move. It was the only way for her to feel confident in her decision to believe in him, in their connection. She was the strongest, most independent woman he had ever met and definitely used to being in charge of her decisions and emotions. Making the move towards acceptance had to be on her terms. So he stood there and watched as she worked it all out in her mind.
“Everything you’ve said defies logic and I’ve learned to deal with things from an analytical perspective. I collect the facts and make my decisions based on what I’ve collected. All of that being said, I have learned there are things in this world that have no explanation and take a leap of faith to believe in. For instance, my spidey senses,” she winked at him and he could have kissed that cheeky grin right off her face. “Are telling me that you are being completely honest with me no matter how fantastic this all seems?”
He nodded as she paused and then covered her heart with her hand, “Good because it’s what I feel in here that makes me say to hell with logic.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Aidan pulled her into his arms, holding her, never wanting to let her go. Hell, he had felt that from the moment she’d walked through the front door three days ago. “’A’ we are about twenty minutes out, so make sure you are decent,” Lance teased through mind speak.
“We’ll be ready when you get here,” Aidan let his frustration at the situation and the lack of time to spend with his mate flow through their connection.
“You better be because Max, Sophia, and some of their cats are on their way too. He has information he said he needs to tell you in person.”
“Well hell, the more the merrier, I guess,” Aidan’s tone was getting sharper by the moment. “See ya when you get here,” and he cut their connection.
“Mo ghra’, Lance and the other men of my Force are only about twenty minutes from here, as well as, some other associates of ours. They’re coming to discuss the men that attacked you and their connection to our worst enemy. As much as I hate to admit it, you and I need to get dressed before they get here.”
“OK but this discussion is far from over. I have lots of questions and I also want to know what the other names you’ve been calling me mean. Finding out what those guys wanted last night is more important than my questions right now but I have a very good memory.” She agreed with the cheeky little grin he loved on her face.
.
She turned on her heels and started towards the hall. “You better hurry, dragon man, at least I have a blanket on,” she chuckled over her shoulder.
Aidan headed after her smiling from ear to ear. Damn she was feisty, and he loved every feisty inch of her.
CHAPTER SIX
Grace stood beside Aidan in the garden behind Kyndel’s apartment, watching for any sign of the men he called brethren. He had laughed when she asked if they would be flying in. She hadn’t thought it was funny until he started laughing, then realized what she had said. It didn’t take long before they were both out of breath and had tears in their eyes. She had never felt as free to be herself as she did with him; he put her at ease. She knew she did not have to fear whether he accepted her for who she was. It was just there, freely given, expecting nothing in return. It was the best feeling ever.
They had not been more than a few feet apart since getting dressed and grabbing a bagel as they headed out the door. Usually she needed her space, time alone, and was not comfortable being close to someone for long periods of time, but with Aidan, it just felt right. The need to be close to each other, touching whenever possible, was growing inside her; something she was accepting even though it surprised her. They were like two puzzle pieces that fit together perfectly, no gaps, no spaces, meant to be together and was already learning his unique body language and knew he was learning hers. The tension running through his body as he stood with his arm wrapped around her waist was growing. He continually rubbed his thumb over an especially sensitive patch of skin above the waistband of her jeans. She wondered if he did it to distract her or himself, and decided it was a little bit of both. The sparks that flew through her body from his touch kept her grounded and focused on what was going on around them. She felt like he was infusing her with his strength and determination; not that she didn’t have enough of her own, but his felt different, more powerful, and she appreciated it.
He had explained that they were coming to find the people responsible for the breakin at her office and her attack in the parking garage. He mentioned that not only were his brethren coming, but also some other people they worked with on occasion. She kept replaying their discussion over and over, making sure there was nothing she had missed, and trying to find some way to not believe everything he told her. No matter how she tried to spin it, she knew he was telling the truth, felt it all the way to her soul. But how was it true, and why hadn’t Kyndel told her about any of this?
She was hurt. Her best friend had kept the biggest secret of their lives from her. Aidan had explained that secrecy was the only way their kind survived and that Kyndel had been trying to protect her in the only way she knew. He told her that no one knew she was his mate until recently; seems he had been keeping secrets too and she wondered why. When she questioned him, she saw pain and anger flash through his eyes along with the ever present need to protect her. She knew there were so many things they still had to discuss, but there wasn’t time with all that was going on. So many secrets and fantastic discoveries were running through her head that she found herself cataloging them, like she did with witness testimonies and evidence when she was working a case. It was her mind’s way of looking at all she had learned and keeping her sane, at least for the moment. After reviewing all she knew so far, she figured she understood why Kyndel had kept secrets, but it didn’t make it hurt any less. At least now they could share everything, or at least she hoped so.
She felt Aidan tense and followed his stare to the right of the bunch of fruit trees Kyndel had planted several years ago. There, cutting through the foliage, were five of the biggest men she had ever seen. They looked like the front line of the Dallas Cowboys. The closer they got, the more Grace realized they were just as good looking as they were huge. None of them held a candle to the man at her side, but she was sure they had starred in more than one woman’s erotic fantasies over the years.
Kyndel’s husband Rayne, or mate as she now knew, was in the middle. He most definitely was the one in charge, though not the biggest. His air of authority and command came off him in waves. When she had met him a few months ago, something about him set off her intuition; not in a bad way, in a “this is not someone to mess with” way, and now it was obvious why. The guy walking next to him was absolutely the biggest man she had ever seen. He was at least a head taller than Aidan’s 6’3”, his chest and shoulders so wide that she now understood the statement ‘as broad as a barn’. But what made him stand out even more than his size, was the curly carrot red hair that stood out in every direction
on the top of his very large head. She remembered catching a glimpse of him last night in the parking garage, but he had been wearing a skull cap and not until this minute did she realize how big he really was.
As she looked over the line of men quickly approaching, she was taken off guard by an almost identical replica of the man at her side. His light brown hair was just a little too long and wavy. He walked with purpose; head held high, shoulders straight, and he even had a little swagger just like her Aidan. He had to be the twin he had told her about, but Aidan said they weren’t identical and from what she could see there were no differences. She watched intently as he got closer and then she saw it, his eyes. They were a deep dark blue that reminded her of the Mediterranean Sea she had seen while on a cruise with her parents when she was ten years old. It was the only vacation she had taken with her parents, and although she had spent many hours of it with Miss Annabelle, she would never forget the amazing color of the water as it lapped against the side of the ship. Now that color was staring back at her, and instead if being warmed by it, as she had been on that cruise so long ago, she felt a chill from the emotions raging within their blue depths. She leaned closer into Aidan, seeking comfort. His brother must have realized he was scaring her, for in the next instant, his eyes had cleared and the corner of his mouth lifted in a sorry attempt at a smile. There was something more going on with that man and Grace intended to find out what it was.