Mia: Dragon Clan

by Skye Jones

  “I’m so sorry you went through such a terrible thing.” Mia found herself blinking back tears. She might not know Claire yet, but she already felt a bond with her. Damn biology again. What was the saying? Blood is thicker than water? Must be true as she already felt something akin to love for the striking young woman opposite her.

  The men were talking in low rumbles, and every now and again, Mia focused on what they were saying, only to zone out and concentrate on Claire. Then she heard Aiden’s name and pricked her ears up.

  “You gave him the bite?” Nathan’s eyes widened. “Well, shit, Steffan. Why didn’t you piss all over him and get it done with?”

  Steffan shook his head, but he laughed. “Don’t think I didn’t consider it. It was a spur-of-the-moment thing.”

  “You don’t even regret it, do you?” Dom smirked.

  “Can’t say I do.”

  “Bloody dominant males. Pains in the arse.” Dom rolled his eyes.

  “You love it,” Nathan quipped.

  They finished the meal, joking and chatting amongst the five of them, and the men began to clear things away. Mia offered to help, but they shook her off.

  “Let us ladies go for a walk while the males tidy up.” Claire took her arm and walked her toward the entrance of the cave.

  They said their good-byes to the men and stepped out into the sunshine, Marlow at their heels.

  For a moment, Mia didn’t know what to say. She had so many questions. So much she wanted to ask. She started with a blunt but important question.

  “Can I ask you? Are you happy, Claire? Do you miss your human life?”

  Claire cocked her head to one side for a moment. “No, I honestly don’t. I still see people from my old life. In fact, my close friend came to visit me at the clan. We simply told her we were an old-fashioned community. And on the journey back, one of the dragons used a bit of magic to wipe her mind so she wouldn’t be able to remember how to get to the clan’s land again. But I never fit in that world, so I don’t miss it.”

  Mia didn’t fit either, did she? But something told her she wouldn’t meld into dragon life as easily as Claire had. For one thing, Claire’s mate was the clan leader, and so he’d changed things up for her. Modernized. Mia couldn’t see Robert doing so, and she didn’t imagine Steffan would want to challenge the other man and end up with the burden of running the clan. And what about Aiden? She sighed and nibbled on a nail, squinting at the sun.

  “You don’t have to stay here, you know.” Claire nudged her with a shoulder. “I know things have gotten all hot and heavy between you and the guys, but if you’re not sure, you are more than welcome to come back with us. In fact, I wish you would for a little while. I want to visit with you, get to know you. You can always make your home in Scotland.”

  “That’s part of it. I love my life in many ways. I am happy in my house. It’s gorgeous. I’d love to show you one day. I have a stunning view out over the ocean, and my studio is there. Painting is like breathing to me—I can’t give it up. And even if I set up a studio here and paint here, I’d miss the sea. I don’t mean I have to be there every moment. But I’d want to spend a fair bit of time there in the summer. I’m not sure Steffan or Aiden would agree, and as for Aiden, he’s taken off anyway.”

  “Oh, he’ll be back, or at least, so Nathan says. And he knows pretty much all there is to know about dragony shit.”

  She laughed. “Dragony shit.”

  “Yeah. They have some strange ways.”

  Laughing together, they paused for a moment to look out over the view. Claire turned to her, eyes sparkling. “I can’t tell you what it means to me that I found you, Mia. I’ve wanted to have a real flesh and blood family for so long. I love my adoptive family, but I always felt a bit on the outside. Particularly after something happened with my fire when I was young. Mum made me so scared to tell anyone, as she said I’d be taken away. So instead of feeling safe in my family, I always waited for someone to turn up and wrench me from my life.”

  Mia nodded and swallowed hard, her throat thick with emotion. “I can’t believe I actually have a sister.”

  Claire cleared her throat. “Maybe more than one.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “We have more siblings out there. We are trying to find them. Think we might have found another—another sister, too.”

  More sisters. Oh, wow. The idea made her head swim. “So, there’s more like us? Out there?”

  “Yeah.” Claire’s brow scrunched. “Thing is, we need to get hold of them because apparently, the older we get, the more our magic will start to come out unless we know how to use it. There are people out there, like us, who might find themselves in danger. They might become seen as dangerous and even criminals by the human authorities. And God forbid any of them go to the doctors for tests.”

  Mia thought of her own plan to check about her erratic periods and winced. “Are you actively looking for them?”

  “Yes. We’ve got dragons out there searching for them. Human private eyes are also looking into things, but it’s tricky as we must wipe their memory after, and we don’t want to draw attention to the whereabouts of any of them. I presume you know something of our heritage.”

  She bit her lip. “Yes, I do. I don’t think Aiden likes what I am.”

  Claire’s eyes flashed and her jaw tensed. “It pisses me off. Honestly, from what I understand, both sides did some crazy shit. The Welsh clan were the original victims. Although Nathan says even this is in dispute because there are rumors some Welsh males took a Havsa female a long time ago, and that’s why the Havsa raided the Welsh clan. But whatever happened, both sides did some terrible things, and I think the only way forward is to completely move on. But the Welsh clan clings to their idea of being the ones in the right. And our recorded history is not great. Dragonea don’t have tons of history books like humans. Things are passed down in a few ancient tomes and by word of mouth. It means our lore is kind of hazy, and ultimately, no one can truly claim to know what happened. Nathan says even dragons who were there might not remember it accurately. He says it’s hellishly hard to remember things well when you’ve lived hundreds and hundreds of years. The past becomes a blur, maybe a dream almost.” She laughed. “Listen at me ranting on. It annoys me, though, the way the Havsa have taken all the blame, and it might not be the way it really went down.”

  They stopped by a large rock, which jutted out over a steep drop below and had astonishing views out across the valley. Without even speaking, they both sat on the rock and shuffled to the edge, dangling their legs over. Mia smiled at the way they already appeared able to read one another.

  “How are they treating you here?” Claire changed the subject.

  “Good, actually. I mean, the only one who has shown any issue is Aiden. Kate and Rhiannon have been lovely. Steffan…” She blushed, and Claire laughed softly. “Robert has been welcoming and polite, and the rest I haven’t met other than quick hellos here and there.”

  “If you returned to Scotland with me, you’d be so welcomed. We have males back at the clan who aren’t mated, too. Many. So, if you wanted to get mated eventually, I’m sure there would be plenty of choice. Whether or not you’d match is another matter.”

  “I don’t want to be mated.” She considered those words and amended them. “Or I should say, I don’t want to be mated for the sake of it. I’ve never dreamed of getting married or having kids or any of that. Give me a fur baby and my easel, and I’m in heaven. But, whenever I think of leaving Steffan, it kills me. And it pains me that I don’t know where Aiden is right now or how he’s doing. My God, it’s been days, and already I’m feeling emotionally attached to these men.”

  “Yup. It works fast. Knocked me for six.”

  “This…this weird thing happened.” She paused and pushed a lock of hair back from her face. “These sort of smoke dragons slithered out of us, out of all of us, and merged together, came apart again, and then went back inside us. I swear to God, it so
unds crazy as hell, but it happened. Ever since, it’s been as if Steffan and Aiden have physically placed a part of themselves inside my heart.”

  Claire stared at her, her eyes even more striking in the bright light of the sunny day. “This happened? Already?”

  Mia nodded.

  “Oh, shit. You’ve really been thrown in at the deep end, haven’t you? I’m going to ask the guys if we can stay here at the clan for a few days. I think you need some support. I can’t go back yet, and I don’t think it’s fair to ask you to leave Steffan after what you’ve told me.”

  Claire reached over and gave her a big hug, and Mia enjoyed the feeling once more of having her sister in her arms.

  The next few days passed in a blur. Claire, Nathan, and Dom all stayed in the village. Robert had happily let them stay at his home, and Steffan had started to plan extensions to the cave, so if they came to stay again, there would be room for them in his abode, as he called it.

  And Mia went along with it all, but inside, she felt mounting panic. She didn’t know how to tell Steffan, but she didn’t want to live here in the mountains all the time. She missed her home, she missed her studio, and she even missed her friends in the village. The feeling of claustrophobia mounted too. She struggled to explain it, but she had lived by the sea all her life and being away from it, hidden away in the high mountains, made her feel like she couldn’t breathe somehow.

  The clan had been great and had made both her and her sister welcome. The previous evening, they’d held a feast and she’d seen the dragon elders, the most important females, including Rhiannon and Kate, swoop down and light the massive fires all along the bottom of the valley floor. It had been magical, but all the while, her restlessness grew. Christ, she hated to say it, but she understood all too clearly how Aiden felt.

  Steffan didn’t seem to realize he was such a force of nature and how he’d basically expected they would want to stay with him. By not discussing it, he’d acted as if it didn’t need saying. And now her stomach churned as she faced telling him how she felt. She’d discussed it with Claire, who’d told her to go for it

  Great advice, but for some reason, she felt sick at the thought of doing so.

  Her sister and her two mates had taken off for the afternoon to visit one of the region’s famous castles. This afternoon presented the perfect opportunity for her and Steffan to talk.

  A commotion at the front of the cave had her head snapping up. The dogs were going mad over something, or someone. The glass doors were open to let the fresh summer air in, and a prickle of awareness cascaded over her skin. Somehow, she knew before she saw him. Aiden sauntered into the living area and dropped his dusty bags, and she gave a squeal and ran to him. She flung her arms around him, and he laughed, hugging her back. Then reality hit. She’d basically run to greet a man she barely knew. One who resented his connection to someone he viewed as an enemy of his kind.

  She stepped back and nibbled on her lip as her face burned. Great.

  “How have you been?” Aiden’s eyes searched her face.

  Was it her imagination, or was there something lighter about him? He’d lost the sullen, angst-ridden air he carried with him.

  “I’ve been okay.”

  “The wanderer returns.” Steffan walked into the room. He’d been doing some work in the bedroom, something to do with his investments, and must have heard the noise.

  The two men eyed one another warily, and Steffan made a soft noise in the back of his throat. “So…what changed?”

  What? She didn’t follow.

  Aiden sighed. “I talked to my father, realized I’d been a dick, and I needed to talk with you.”

  Steffan shrugged one massive shoulder. “Now’s as good a time as any. Nathan and his mates are staying here in the village and will eat with us later, but they’ve gone out for the afternoon. Shall we sit?” He indicated the massive couch.

  Aiden nodded.

  “Would you like a drink?” Steffan asked.

  Again, the other man nodded and licked his lips. “Yeah, I’m parched. Cup of tea, please.”

  She agreed to a cup, too, and Steffan went off to make the drinks. She glanced at Aiden. “Did I miss something? The whole conversation went right over my head.”

  “He sensed a change within me. Something different.”

  Oh, Lord, she had too. She hadn’t fully understood it, but she’d sensed it nonetheless. Maybe her lessons with Steffan in understanding her dragon senses were beginning to take effect. She’d also done some training with Claire and Nathan on using her fire. The first time she’d held the smoldering ball of flame in the palm of her hand she’d cried at the knowledge she held such power.

  “I thought the same thing, but I can’t tell what’s changed.”

  “I’ve given him acquiescence…to this. Us.” He rubbed his palm on the leg of his cargo pants and glanced out the door.

  “You surprise me.”

  “Why?” He turned his focus back to her.

  “Because when I first met the pair of you, I’d have sworn Steffan would be the one who couldn’t talk about feelings, but you’re much worse at it.”

  He chuckled. “I suppose I am.”

  Steffan stepped into the room and handed over their steaming mugs. “I’ve been thinking, I can extend this place quite a bit. Make more room for us.”

  Aiden’s jaw clenched, and Mia understood how he felt.

  “There you go again. It’s this sort of shit that makes my skin itch.” Aiden’s hands tightened around his mug.

  “Oh, I’m sorry I want to take care of my mates and provide them with a good home.” Steffan’s jaw ticked.

  “It’s great, the way you think of us, but did you ever stop to consider we might not want to live here.”

  Steffan looked as if Aiden had slapped him. “Don’t you?”

  “I’m not sure.” Aiden turned sad eyes to them. “I’ve been struggling with all of this so much. To cut a long story short because I hate talking about this shit, I believed something for many years that isn’t true. It clouded my judgment. But, I also know myself. I’m not sure I can live here in this tiny village, year in and year out, and not go insane.”

  “Me, too,” Mia blurted and then clamped her lips tight as both men looked at her.

  Steffan rubbed at his sternum as if in physical pain. “Okay, so neither of you wants this. Do you…” He cleared his throat. “Do you want me?”

  Mia nodded and wiped a tear away before it fell down her cheeks. “None of this makes any damn sense. I’ve known you such a short amount of time, but yes, I want you. Both of you. But I need some time. And also, I don’t want to live here all the time. I love this home you’ve built, Steffan, but I miss the sea.”

  “Okay.” He looked slightly less pained as he watched them both. “How about you, Aiden? Because, right now, I don’t feel like letting you in all over again, only for you to walk away the next time you panic. Mia and I, we’ve got a good thing going here.” His face had hardened as he spoke, and Aiden’s eyes narrowed.

  “You can’t be a pair. It’s not allowed.”

  “Don’t give a shit what some centuries-old rule says.” Steffan crossed his arms and tipped his head to one side, regarding Aiden, waiting.

  Aiden’s shoulders tensed, but he took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, okay? I know I acted…badly. I just… Fuck. Okay. As I said, I can’t stay here stuck in this village. I can’t, not don’t want to or won’t like it. I’ll fucking freak out if I have to stay here day in and out. The winters are so long and dark, and there’s fuck-all to do. And all the bullshit. I can’t stand it, it makes me twitch. I saw one of my fathers, Hedron, die a little each year he stayed here. He sacrificed everything he cared about and loved to stay here with his mates. And we’ve talked since, and I misunderstood some of what was going on for him. But he still changed. I saw it. A fire went out in him.”

  Aiden’s eyes glistened, and she watched in shock as he gave an annoyed grunt and dashed his
hand over his eyes.

  “I want you both. Never wanted anything more. But I know myself, and if I stay here, I’ll fucking die inside. I don’t mean I’m not happy to spend time here. But not all my time. And it’s what the clan will expect of us.”

  “Fuck what they expect.” The force of Steffan’s words shocked her. “I want you two. I don’t care if I have to move to outer fucking Mongolia to make it happen. As long as I know you’re on the same page, we can make this work.”

  “Okay.” Aiden nodded his head warily. “But would you both be happy either to come with me a few times a year when I go on digs, or let me go alone? I’d never, ever cheat on you.”

  Steffan snorted. “I know. Our match is far too strong for you to be tempted. I’m not worried about you straying. More, I worry about your safety. I lost my mates before because I wasn’t there. I can’t go through that again. I’d rather come with you… That is, if you don’t mind or think it’s because I don’t trust you. And perhaps Mia and I can explore the places you go while you’re working?”

  Aiden smiled then, a real, face-splitting grin. “I’d love for you to come with me and explore in the day. Then at night, we can go out for meals and do other stuff.”

  “Other stuff, eh?” Steffan laughed. “And we can put off the official mating ceremony for a while. Give you time to get used to all this.” He glanced at her. “Both of you. I don’t want to trap you here, or make you stay in something you don’t want. I just need to know you both want to make it work before we take it any further. We’ll take our time. Do…what is it you humans call it? Date?”

  She giggled. “Dragon dating, how…different.” She still needed to talk to them about her need to be by the ocean for some of the year.

  “What is it?” Steffan asked. “I can tell something’s bothering you. If you’re not ready for this, say so. We can give you…time.”