by Julia Mills
“Just who in the hell do you think you are?” Scarlett demanded at the very top of her lungs.
Her shrill retort echoed through the trees, bouncing off every available surface, repeating over and over until it finally snapped Asher out of the trance Fionnbharr had him under and had the Guardsman’s battle roar filling the air. Throwing himself to the side to avoid being incinerated by the fireballs flying from Asher’s fingertips, Nowell landed face first into a drift, getting a mouthful of snow for his troubles.
Rolling over and jumping to his feet, the emerald dragon hadn’t even caught his breath, when Asher ran by bellowing in Gaelic while racing towards Scarlett, who was frozen with fear, standing on the porch of the cabin with her foul-mouthed elf screaming, “Move, Lettie, move,” as he pushed with all his might against the side of her leg.
Racing after his brethren, trying to stop the man from killing his mate, the beautiful woman he’d just had the pleasure of meeting, Nowell frantically bellowed, “Run, Scarlett. Get out of the way. Asher’s sick, out of his mind. He doesn’t know what he’s doing.”
Snapping back to life, her eyes narrowing as she scoped out the situation, the reindeer did just the opposite of what Nowell had commanded.
“Dammit, Scarlett! You’re gonna get yourself killed.”
“Fat chance, Dragon Man,” she snorted. “Just get outta the way. I got this.”
True to the little he already knew of her, his feisty reindeer didn’t run and hide, but instead sped towards the rampaging Guardsman, screaming, “Stop right there, or I will blast your scaly ass.”
“Yeah. You get ‘em, Lettie. Fry his ass like he tried to fry ours,” Grinch cheered, his green eyes dancing with glee as his curly red hair and beard, the exact color of a red crayon, bounced up and down with his every hop and jump. Tearing the pointy green hat off his head and gripping it in his fist as he waved it in the air and added, “You can do it, Lettie. Kick his ass.”
Apparently taking her small friend’s advice, Scarlett raised her hands at the exact same time that Nowell did. Unable to stop the flow of magic both he and his dragon were powering, the emerald dragon bellowed, “Get outta the way, Scarlett.”
But, she didn’t.
Kaleidoscope bolts of magic flew from her fingertips straight into Asher’s chest as Nowell’s emerald beam of enchantment hit the ruby dragon right between the shoulder blades. Connecting somewhere within the ancient Guardsman’s body, Nowell and Scarlett’s magic twisted and wound about, mixing together, becoming stronger by the second, exchanging power before returning, enhanced and sparkling, back into the souls of the couple.
The jolt of power knocked Nowell in the chest, causing him to stumble forward. Searching for Scarlett, he saw her also struggle to stay on her feet, the halo of magic around her pulsing in the most spectacular phantasmagoria of greens, reds, gold and silver that turned the whole landscape into a picture of holiday splendor.
Flashes of bright white light exploded just out of Nowell’s reach. Everything began to move in slow motion. He could hear Scarlett shouting his name, saw her rushing towards him by leaps and bounds, moving so slowly she appeared to be floating over the sparkling mounds of snow between them. Trying to answer, he opened and closed his mouth several times. Snickering at his own slow and garbled speech before giving up, and immediately clearing his throat in an effort to get rid of the thick, bitter taste of magic coating his tongue.
Movement out of the corner of his eyes caught his attention as Asher fell face first into the snow with a resounding thud! Before letting out a snore that sounded identical to a buzz saw. Looking back to Scarlett, her mouth opened, still screaming his name, Nowell smiled and just before his face hit the frozen ground for the second time in as many minutes, he snickered, “Damn, you’re cute.”
Chapter Six
Sitting on the edge of her bed, watching Nowell sleep had quickly become Lettie’s favorite pastime. She loved the way his long, thick eyelashes laid under his eyes, the way his lips curled in the slightest of smiles, most of all, she liked to watch the dragon marking on his chest rise and fall as he took each and every long, slow breath.
Letting just the tip of her index finger run softly along the cleft in his chin, Lettie cringed when the sharp edge of Grinch’s grating whine popped the bubble of her bliss as he called out, “Hey, Lovergirl, come out, come out wherever you are.”
Quietly jumping to her feet and sliding out of the room, gently closing the door, the deer grabbed the elf by the arm and dragged him down the hall, picking him up and plopping his ass into her absolutely favorite red and green plaid chair that her Grandma Victoria had recovered no less than four times. Kneeling down, she growled through gritted teeth, “What the hell is wrong with you?”
“Yeah, I was wondering the same thing.” Nowell’s grumbly baritone made it hard for Lettie to stifle the shiver tickling her spine as she got to her feet and turned towards him.
“What are you doing out of bed?”
“I could ask you the same thing.” Her dragon’s sexy growl had Lettie moving forward before she knew she’d moved. Unfortunately, Grinch’s snide, “Great ghost of Christmas past, please save me from having to witness anymore kissy-face.”
“Zip it,” Lettie growled at the exact same time that Nowell commanded, “Shut up, Elf.”
“Why I never,” Grinch huffed.
“Oh, yes you have,” Lettie quipped, the deer’s eyes staying glued to her dragon’s as she pointed towards the front door and added, “Get out, Grinch. Call ya later.”
Bitching and moaning, mumbling under his breath about ungrateful reindeer and bossy dragons, the elf slammed the door on his way, leaving the couple blissfully alone. Walking towards her dragon, Lettie stopped mid-stride when Nowell’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion, and he asked, “Where’s Asher?”
Shifting her course and walking past her dragon with a wink, Lettie crooked her finger in a come-hither motion as she motioned with her head. “Follow me, Big Guy.”
Walking down the hall to the last room on the right, Lettie liked the feel of Nowell’s eyes looking her up and down and just for kicks, added a little extra swish to her hips. Turning the knob on her guest bedroom door, the deer pushed open the door and with a wave of her hands that would’ve made Vanna White proud, said, “Here is your friend, sugar plums dancing in his head. I figure with our combined magic, we’ve got about four or five more days before he wakes up.”
Watching as Nowell crept into the room and stood next to the bed, looking down at his friend, Scarlett turned to leave them alone as her dragon whispered, “I’m just praying our Healers can help him.”
Unable to resist the pull of her mate, Lettie switched direction and stepped up beside Nowell, listening as he continued. “He’s suffering from an affliction called drakonbound. It’s when a drake, a full-grown male dragon, is deprived of any and all contact with other dragons.” He took a long deep breath, letting it out slowly before starting again, “Dragons are not meant to be alone. We, both the man and the dragon, crave the comradery of others of our kin. For some, it’s nothing more than a quick touch of one’s mind to another’s. Then there are those, like my brother and those of our Clan, who like living within a Lair.”
Looking up at Scarlett, he gave her a sad smile before glancing back to the huge man taking up every inch and then some of the old twin bed she got at a yard sale last spring. “Everyone thought Asher was dead. He disappeared over three hundred years ago during one of the bloodiest battles in our history.”
Slowly turning towards her, Nowell slid his fingers through Lettie’s and with a gentle tug, led her out of the room and back down the hall. “I’ve heard the story about a hundred times of how every single Guardsman searched high and low, everywhere they could think of, to recover his body, but in the end decided the wizards had taken him as a souvenir of their conquest.”
Sitting down in her chair, pulling her into his lap, Nowell held her close. “I can’t imagine what he’s
been through. How he’s survived?”
Turning in his lap, Lettie placed her hands on either side of her dragon’s face and when he finally looked up at her she smiled and said, “I have an idea, but you’re gonna need to trust me.”
Slowly nodding his head, Nowell’s smile grew with each dip of his chin until he confidently avowed, “Oh, my beautiful, beautiful reindeer, I trust you with my life.”
Jumping to her feet, Lettie pulled her cell phone out of her pocket, hit number two and as her call was answered, beamed, “Hey, Grandpa? It’s Scarlett. Can you come over and bring Grandma?”
“Sure, sweet girl. What do you need?”
“I’ve got a drakonbound dragon who’s been missing for three centuries or so sleeping in my bed, and I’m thinkin’ we need to help him.”
“Be right over.”
Swiping her finger across the screen of her phone, Lettie shoved it back into her pocket and with a proud smile, announced, “My grandparents are on the way.” She waved her hand up and down as she added, “So, you better get something besides that old pair of grandpa’s long johns on before they get here.”
Standing up, Nowell wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close, purring, “Why don’t you come help me, mo réinfhianna álainn?”
A loud knock at the door, quickly followed by, “Yoohoo, Scarlett. It’s Grandma and Grandpa.”
“Did I forget to mention that reindeers move really quickly?” Scarlett begrudgingly spun out of Nowell’s arms, pointing towards the hall as she whispered, “Go. Get changed.”
Laughing as her dragon pretended to pout, complete with his bottom lip poking out like a little boy who’d just been caught with his hands in the cookie jar, Lettie waited until Nowell was out of sight before opening the door and smiling, “Hey, you guys. Thanks for coming.”
Stepping back as her grandparents walked into her home and took their coats off, hanging them on the hooks by the door, Lettie waited until they had both taken a seat before beginning to explain. “You know Grin…I mean, Elroy and I were planning to leave the Village yesterday morning?”
“Yes, Sweetheart, we did,” her grandma nodded, her smile bright and her eyes full of love. “But we knew you were just upset about Nick, Jr embarrassing you by posting the video of you wrecking another sleigh on your final practice run on JoyTube. I told your grandfather that you’d come home when you felt better, and here you are.”
“Yeah, but I still wanted to kick his arrogant little butt,” Vixen grumbled. “Just wait till Santa gets back and finds out what that sawed-off rotten cup of eggnog has done.”
“Don’t worry about it, Grandpa. Nick, Jr. isn’t worth your time. Besides, I found something so much better than pulling Santa’s sleigh.” Hearing Nowell coming up behind her, Scarlett leaned in when his arm wrapped around her waist and he kissed her on the cheek. Looking at the shocked looks on her grandparents’ face, the reindeer grinned, “I found my mate, and he’s a dragon.”
Chapter Seven
Nowell stood silent, watching three reindeer, one the famous Vixen himself, pour the most beautiful display of magic he’d ever seen into Asher Baines. Stepping out of the room, the emerald dragon spoke to Maddox, Kayne and Rian, updating and letting them know Asher was in good hands, before calling out to his brother.
“Hey, Chance. You there?”
“Yeah. I’m here. How the hell did you shut me out?”
Nowell could hear the irritation in his voice, but what shocked him was the disappointment underlying his twin’s frustration. Then it hit him, they had never been separated, had always had each other, no matter what was going on around them. For the first time in a hundred-and-a-eleven years Chance had been without his twin in his own head. Apparently, he wasn’t fond of the separation, even though his mate was there to keep him company.
“Sorry, bro. It wasn’t personal, I found my mate.”
“You what?” Chance yelled. “No freakin’ way. That’s great. When ya’ coming home?”
Overjoyed that his brother was truly happy for him, Nowell chuckled, “I’m guessing you’re reading my mind since you’re not asking me a million questions.”
“You know,” Chance laughed out loud. “Damn, Noe. She’s a real looker and sassy enough to deal with you. I’d say the old guys were right, the Universe doesn’t make mistakes. So, when ya’ comin’ home?””
“Damn, Chance, give me a break,” Nowell chuckled. “We gotta get Asher well enough to fly home first.”
“Alright, alright, alright, I hear ya’. Just hurry up. Things are boring around here without you to pick on.” Chance laughed. “Besides, you have to be here by Christmas, so, we can celebrate our birthdays. Can’t break our tradition.”
“We’ll, be there.”
“See ya’ then.”
Done contacting everyone he needed to talk to, Nowell stepped back into the room just as Scarlett, Vixen and Victoria stopped Asher’s mystical treatment and the elder reindeer sighed, “I think we got all of it. Now, all your friend needs is lots of sleep. I think you guys call it a Healing sleep.”
“Indeed, we do. You’ve done your homework,” Nowell nodded. “Thank you so much,” he added, shaking Vixen’s hand then accepting a hug from Victoria, before putting his arm around Scarlett’s shoulder and following her grandparents to the living room.
Surprised when the older couple reached for their coats, Nowell stood still as Scarlett went to her grandparents and hugged them both. Watching as she made her way back to his side, Nowell held his breath as Vixen cleared his throat and in a fatherly tone, said, “We couldn’t be happier that you and our Scarlett have found each other. As she told you, we reindeer don’t have any special kind of mating ceremony.” Running his fingers through his long salt and pepper beard, the famous deer snickered, “Heck, our girl here is the first of our kind to have a mate that’s not one of us.” He winked, love, shining brightly as he looked at his granddaughter. “All we ask is that you take care of her, ‘cause I can guarantee you that she’ll take care of you.”
“I promise, sir. Scarlett is the best Christmas present I ever got.” The group erupted in laughter as Scarlett looked up at him and grinned.
As the revelry died down, Nowell added, “We dragons do have a formal ceremony. So, when we go back to the lair, I would love to have you come with us. It just wouldn’t be right if you weren’t there with us.”
“Thank you so much, Nowell,” Victoria beamed. “Now, we’re gonna go and let you two have some alone time.”
Standing arm-in-arm with Scarlett as she waved goodbye, Nowell could barely contain himself until the door clicked shut. Pulling his reindeer into his arms, the Guardsman ran his fingers through her silken hair, she sighed with a smile curving on her tempting lips as he rubbed and kneaded down her neck and onto her shoulders.
Pushing the collar of her red linen blouse off her shoulder, he couldn’t help but lean down and kiss across her shoulder to her neck, paying special attention to the spot where their mating mark would be as soon as they were able to return to his Clan and have their formal mating ceremony. Reaching between their bodies, the Guardsman made quick work of the buttons keeping him from Scarlett’s body.
Pushing the soft fabric off her shoulders and down her arms, smiling into their kiss as it floated to the ground. Sliding his hands up her ribs, tracing the band of her bra, Nowell’s nimble fingers unclasped the hooks, swiftly removing the troublesome garment and throwing it behind him.
Breaking their kiss, loving that Scarlett moaned at the loss, before opening her lust-soaked eyes and giving him a lazy smile, Nowell’s breath caught in his throat as he got his first look at the bounty of her beautiful breasts. His cocked jumped within the confines of his jeans as thoughts of how much he wanted and needed his mate swamped his every emotion.
Lifting Scarlett into his arms, Nowell sped to her bedroom, at the other end of her cottage from where Asher slept, closing the door with a satisfying click, before letting his mate slide
to the floor. Unbuckling her jeans and sliding them down her shapely legs, Fionnbharr purred, rolling onto his back within the confines of Nowell’s mind, egging the Guardsman on, pushing the man to claim their mate.
Standing before him in nothing but her red lace panties, Scarlett’s eyes took on a naughty little gleam as she teased, “Now, it’s your turn, Mr. Nichols.”
The emerald gem dragon stood in awe as the miracle that was his Scarlett slipped her hands under the soft wool of his sweater and lifted it over his head before running her hands over his shoulders and across his chest. Running the tips of her fingers along each ridge of his six-pack, Scarlett’s hand landed on the waistband of his pants, unbuttoning the brass button while demurely glancing up at him. Shivering at the sensation of the backs of her fingers moving closer to his erection as she pushed his zipper down, Nowell held his breath in an effort to not pick up his mate and have his way with her.
He’d heard her thoughts, knew that she wanted to take the lead, so, the Guardsman hung onto the fraying thread of his arousal, praying to the Heavens that his sexy reindeer would hurry. Pushing his jeans off his hips, Scarlett’, hand bumped his throbbing erection, sending Nowell over the edge of reason and straight into the fiery passion of their combined desire.
Putting his hands under her arms, he used the speed given to him by the Universe, spun around and within seconds had Scarlett on her back in the middle of her carved cherry wood queen-sized bed. One more quick move and he had her legs over his shoulders, and her center right in front of his face. Smiling as he rubbed his nose against the wet silk of her panties, Nowell inhaled Scarlett’s intoxicating scent, sure he would lose his mind if he didn’t make love to her right then and right now.