Her Dragon's Fire

by Julia Mills

  Just as her arms were coming around his neck, he gathered his strength and pulled back from her mouth. He leaned his forehead against hers and enjoyed listening to her battle to get her breathing under control. Pride filled his chest at the way he could make her lose control just from a kiss. “Mo ghra’, I want nothing more than to climb into that bed with you and spend the rest of my life making love to every inch of your spectacular body, but Siobhan is in the other room. I also have a limited amount of time to show you around the lair and get you to Kyndel’s so you can get ready for our mating ceremony.”

  She sighed, her breath against his cheek like a spring breeze. “All right, let me get up so we can get this show on the road.”

  With one last peck on her cheek, he stood and leaned against the wall while she proceeded to get ready. He loved watching her brush her long dark hair, and longed to be the wand of her lip gloss as it caressed her lips. He laughed out loud when she took her clothes into the bathroom to change, but knew if she hadn’t they never would have left the bedroom. Just a few short minutes later she was ready to go. They yelled their thank you’s and goodbye’s to Siobhan as they headed out.

  He knew he walked with his feet at least three feet off the ground, just from the pride he felt at having the most beautiful woman in the world on his arm; knowing she was his mate and destined to be his for all of their years. He showed her the town square, as Rayne’s mate had renamed the center of their lair, and was completely enthralled as his magnificent mate looked at all their community had to offer with awe and wonder. When they got to Emma’s shop, Grace’s eyes lit up like a kid in a candy store. Emma made jewelry from the dragon scales that were broken or could not be used for any other purpose. He watched as she picked up several pieces and listened as Emma explained each piece in detail and the significance of the design and color of scales.

  Grace kept picking up one specific necklace. The pendant had three bells in a drop design. There were two on the table, but she continued to touch the one in which the largest bell was made from a shining silver scale just like his dragon. He smiled when Emma explained the significance of a bell ringing to the dragon people, and his mate blushed as she said Kyndel had already shared with her last night. He loved that she still blushed and watched as she gave one last long glance at it and then promised Emma she would be back once she got settled.

  They continued their leisurely walk as he pointed out every building and introduced her to everyone they passed. She was obviously impressed when they reached the Cave of the Elders. Unlike any other cave, the entrance had been carved over time depicting the journey of the Golden Fire Clan and their quest to preserve their past, grow their community and enhance the land that was their home. The intricate design transformed the gateway to the sacred laws and the men that upheld those laws into a thing of majesty. He watched as she absorbed the past, present and future, a future she now shared with all of them. If possible, he was even more impressed with his mate when he introduced her to the clan Elders. These four men had lived longer than most, experienced things most of them could only imagine and were responsible for the social, political and economic structure of their civilization. Her eyes lit with an innate understanding from the moment the Head Elder, Carrick, began to speak. They spent over an hour discussing the inner workings of the clan, especially how laws were enacted and enforced. Of course, his Grace would be interested in how they kept order, how had he not thought of that before? They had so much to learn about one another and he looked forward to each discovery. He was incredibly honored when Carrick asked her to be part of the Tribunal when the traitor was captured. She readily agreed and as they left the sacred place, he could not help but smile in response to her overwhelming happiness, once again amazed at how perfect she truly was.

  When they reached Rayne and Kyndel’s home, he wanted to make their time together last as long as possible, so he walked her around to the backyard, showing her all of Kyndel’s plants and the swing Rayne had built. That was where Kyndel found them kissing when she came out to pick flowers for their mating ceremony. He smiled like a loon all the way back to his home. In just three short hours he would be officially mated to the woman that held his heart. His dragon chuffed in agreement as he entered his home with an extra spring in his step.

  *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  She had spent the last few hours gossiping and primping, getting ready for the biggest event in her life. She had fantasized many times over the years about her wedding and the man that she would marry, but she never imagined the total calm she felt and how ready she was to make the biggest commitment of her life. She was at total peace. Kyndel had asked what her spidey senses said when she mentioned how calm and peaceful she was with all the changes in her world and had to admit that they had been completely silent, letting her know they were on board with everything.

  Kyndel and Rayne’s mating ceremony had been in the Cave of the Ancients. Kyndel had given as much detail as possible. Both had laughed until they cried when Grace commented on the large number of ‘special’ caves the dragon shifters had, and Kyndel had immediately answered “Well, they are dragons. You wouldn’t expect them to have ‘special’ holes in the ground. Thank God!” Their laughing was so loud it brought Kyndel’s mate in the room. It took a few minutes to calm down enough to explain their frivolity and he left the room shaking his head. Dude better lighten up if he was going to live a thousand years with her best friend, she thought to herself.

  That was something else she and Kyndel had talked about. The sheer number of years they would live. The dreamy look on her best friend’s face confirmed all that Grace already knew; Kyndel and Rayne were meant to be, just like she and Aidan. She had told herself that once she was back with her best friend she would chew her out for the six months of little to no communication, especially the quick phone call to announce her pregnancy, although after she had seen how truly happy her friend was, all was forgotten. She had to admit if roles had been reversed, it all would have played out the same way.

  Kyndel asked if she had seen Aidan’s dragon. Grace gave her the details about her abduction. It seemed the two of them had talked about the traitor as much as they had anything else. She really could not wait for the day they had him locked up somewhere, preferably one of their ‘caves’ deep in a mountain, far away. She had originally wanted him dead, but now she thought he might be able to help them catch ‘The Auctioneer’, hunters, and wizards, so she had revised her thoughts on the subject. Lord knew he had networked with the elite of the scumbags. When Kyndel explained how she had seen all the men’s dragons, Grace was a little envious, but knew she had lots of years for things like that. She was about to mate or marry or whatever it was called, the man she loved with all her heart.

  The knock at the door brought two younger Dragon Guardsmen, dressed in their formal uniforms, who informed her they were there to escort her to the ceremony. Kyndel had explained that everyone would be dressed in olde world style, but nothing prepared her for the King Arthur throwbacks. The young men both wore surcoats of the most luxurious silvery gray, almost an exact replica of the color she had seen when Aidan’s dragon had come forth, each trimmed in black rope with silver thread glittering throughout. On the front was absolutely the most intricate stitchery depicting a dragon in flight. It was so realistic that she imagined it taking flight right from each man’s chest. Each wore a black long sleeved undershirt and pants, as well as knee high, black boots that were polished until she was sure she could see her face in them. The light from the afternoon sun twinkled and shone as they walked to an ornately decorated carriage.

  Grace felt like Cinderella going to the ball. Each young man placed her hand on their bent elbow leading her to a carriage that rivaled anything any fairy godmother had ever whipped up with her magic wand. It was deep mahogany with elegant carvings bordering the door and decorating the ledge of the entire vehicle. When they opened the door, a set of four steps rolled out effortlessly. The young men helpe
d her into her seat and made sure she was comfortable before shutting the door. She marveled at the cream, crushed velvet seats and beautiful mural covering all four walls, depicting an entire dragon lair in the midst of a celebration. As her eyes took in the splendor of something obviously from another time, she saw a bouquet of silver roses tied with a single black ribbon lying on the seat opposite her. Reaching across, inhaling their succulent aroma, she dreamt of what was to come. It was heavenly, making her think of Aidan. She was amazed that someone so fierce in battle and passionate in love could also be tender and romantic. There was a small card protruding from her bundle of flowers, with a simple message that caused her eyes to fill with tears, “Today and forever. All my love, Aidan.” She worked hard to not let the tears fall for fear of ruining the makeup she had spent so long perfecting.

  She felt the carriage slowing and knew they must be close. Aidan had kept the place of their ceremony a secret and had sworn anyone that knew to secrecy. He better be there waiting for her, she chuckled to herself. She knew Kyndel and Rayne and the other Dragon Guardsmen were coming in a larger carriage that she had seen pulling up just as she was entering hers.

  The carriage came to a complete halt and a few butterflies flittered and fluttered in her stomach, but nothing more than excitement; the excitement of knowing that in a few short moments, she would be mated to the man of her dreams; her very own fairy tale with her very own prince charming. The only thing missing was her parents, but after almost twenty-seven years of missed recitals and school plays, she was not going to let their absence take anything away from her special day.

  The carriage door opened. Her escorts helped her step down. She gasped at the sight before her. It was something straight out of an impressionist masterpiece. A meadow filled with every color and variety of flower and fauna imaginable, and four archways pointing to the four corners of the earth, surrounded a raised circle, also decorated with flowers and ribbons. There were four chairs that could have been thrones, placed at what she assumed was the head of the circle. It was only she and her escorts and she wondered if they were early. She prayed that another tragedy had not happened in the time it took for her to get to this beautiful place.

  The young guardsmen again presented their arms to her and placed her hands on their bent elbows. They led her to a clearing not more than two hundred yards from the beautiful meadow. They placed her arms at her sides, took two very large steps behind, and stood at attention, as if guarding her from unseen forces. She snickered to herself; she always wanted to be a princess, even if the name dredged up memories better left in the past. Today, all her dreams were coming true. As she looked around wondering what was going to happen next, the air around her seemed to come alive. It was as if an electric charge sparkled in the sunlight. The breeze picked up and the delicate ringlets Kyndel had put all over her head seemed to sway. She looked up and the sight she saw was torn from the fairy tales Miss Annabelle had read to her as a child. Flying high in the sky above her were five dragons of various colors, circling around a shining silver dragon with black stripes spanning both sides. As she watched, they made several different formations, but one thing remained constant; the silver dragon was always in the center. She knew that was her mate, her Aidan, and the others of his Force. They were showing her something very few in this world would ever see; dragons in flight. She felt a tear fall on each cheek as her heart swelled to bursting with so many emotions she didn’t attempt to identify them, just let them wash over her.

  It wasn’t long before the dragons disappeared over the tops of the trees and the space around her felt normal again. She could only guess that the Dragon Guard had placed some kind of magical shield around the area to be able to show her the amazing aerial show. Her escorts arrived at her side and once again led her back to the meadow. This time, the four Elders she recognized from her trip around the lair, were sitting in the chairs at the head of the circle. She knew from her conversations with Kyndel that the Elders had granted her friend special permission to attend her mating ceremony. She smiled when she saw her very pregnant friend sitting on a chair to her right in a gorgeous red gown with fresh flowers from her gardens.

  She looked to her left and there stood the five men that Aidan called brethren, all dressed in their finest garments, with surcoats depicting what she now knew where the colors of their dragons. Rayne, at the head of the line, stood tall and proud in flaming red, matching both his dragon and his mate’s dress, looking every bit the Commander he was. Next was Royce, whose beautiful royal blue surcoat with green accents truly fit the gentle giant that had come to her aid before she knew that dragons existed. Next was Aaron, her mate’s twin, dressed in a silvery gray that truly shimmered and shined in the waning light. He looked so much like her Aidan, but yet so different. He winked at her as she looked from man to man.

  When she got to the next in line she had to bite the inside of her cheeks to keep from bursting out laughing. Lance was attempting to look regal and noble in his dress uniform of gold and black, but Grace knew that the joker who resided underneath that cool exterior would not be caged for long, and just like that, he grinned the cheesiest grin she had ever seen, making her giggle despite herself. When he mouthed ‘Hellcat’, she almost started to laugh like she and Kyndel had done earlier in the day. Last in line was Devon, the quiet one of the group. She remembered his dragon almost as vividly as she remembered Aidan’s, for its completely unique coloring. He was the most unusual opalescent white that she’d ever seen. As he had flown overhead, an array of colors appeared and disappeared over his gigantic body. She looked around for her mate, wondering if he had gotten cold feet.

  A movement from just to the right of the Elders caught her eye and all rational thought fled her mind. There stood Aidan in all his finery. The most handsome man she had ever seen. His long, light brown curls pulled back in a queue, highlighted his high cheek bones and gorgeous whiskey colored eyes. His silver surcoat accented the muscular body she knew lay beneath, and his tight black pants that tucked into his knee-high black boots, showcased the muscular legs she longed to feel entwined with hers. In that moment, as always, her heart beat only for him.

  *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  Aidan was light-headed from just one look at Grace. She stood across the ceremonial circle under one of the archways the young vibrias of his clan had decorated. She was a vision of absolute loveliness. Her long ebony hair curled in ringlets touching her shoulders, and he was sure hanging down her back. There were tiny light blue forget-me-not blossoms throughout, that accentuated her beautiful blue eyes. Those same eyes that hypnotized him with a blue the color of the summer sky that he had flown across so many times. Her porcelain shoulders were bared by her strapless dress of the palest blue, only a slight scar where the bullet had ripped through her shoulder barely visible. Thanks to her body’s ability to draw on his healing power, she was almost at 100%. The bodice was cinched tight, emphasizing her ample bosom and causing his mouth water. He thought about how much he truly wanted to strip her bare and taste every square inch of her amazing body, when he noticed little silver flames embroidered all over her dress in honor of the beast who would also be her mate.

  He followed the curves of her body, made even more visible by the corset design of her dress, until he reached the flair of her hips which were wrapped round with a silver gray ribbon. His eyes continued their exploration down her flowing skirt until he reached her bare feet, peeking out from under the hem. The same pink polish graced those precious little toes as the first night he had spent with this amazing creature, and he chuckled as he saw she still had a flower design on both big toes. If there had ever been a more perfect woman created, he definitely had never heard tell of her.

  Aidan heard Carrick, the Chief Elder, clear his throat right before his voice rang out loud and clear across the Garden of Peace. “Long ago, when knights and dragons fought side by side for King and Country, it became apparent that dragon kin was no longer safe from those that w
ould expose and destroy them. They sought to join with the knights that had fought so valiantly by their sides. Thus, through magic and the will of both dragon and knight, the Golden Fire Clan of the Dragon Shifters became a reality. It was through the joining of many different clans that we have become the strong and powerful Force we are today.

  “We are here today, in the Garden of Peace, a place long blessed by our ancestors that went before us, to honor what the Universe put into place all those many years ago. To acknowledge and bless the mating of Aidan Patrick O’Brien to the one the Universe made for him, Grace Elizabeth Kensington. Will those seeking to witness this union please step forward?”

  From the side of the sacred circle stepped the five men Aidan held closer than blood, the men that had trained with him, fought with him, bled with him, and now shared the happiest moment of his life with him and his beloved. All dressed in their finest, they knelt around the ceremonial circle and bowed their heads. Rayne stood and addressed the Elders, “We, the five of the MacLendon Force, wish to witness and offer our blessing to the union of these two souls, two halves of the same whole. May they live long, fight hard, love harder, and produce many young to flourish when their souls have gone to the heavens.” He knelt and bowed his head again.

  Aidan watched as Grace struggled to control her emotions and finally gave in, letting a single tear roll down her cheek. He was completely awestruck at the complete majesty of this event. Carrick began again, “Your witness and blessing have been acknowledged and accepted MacLendon Force. Aidan O’Brien, you may go to your mate and escort her to the center of the Blessed Circle.” No sooner had the words been spoken than he was standing in front of Grace. He took her hands in his, and because he couldn’t stand not having her in his arms another second, gently picked her up and carried her. When they reached their destination, he carefully placed her on her feet, never taking his hands from her waist.