Lilly: Dragon Clan

by Skye Jones

  Nathan shook his head. “No way. If you’re not part of a clan, then you’re rogue. And rogue males are not a good mate pair for any female. You said you wanted back in. I thought you meant you wanted back in dragon life. Properly. There’s a clan in Canada, not a million miles away from where you live now.”

  “Stop being so fucking medieval, Nate. More and more dragons are choosing to live free of the stuffy ways of the clans. There are many ways dragons can choose to live, and the clan life is but one. We aren’t rogue. Stop using the terminology of those stupid wolf shifters. They say rogue to describe those freaks they produce. We aren’t like them. This isn’t the dark ages anymore. We aren’t fighting in pointless human wars and living according to centuries-old rules, and we choose to be free of all this bullshit. Mia, Steffan, and Aiden hardly live a normal clan life, do they?” Callum shook his head at his cousin’s intransigence.

  “You still need a clan to have your back once your existence becomes known, if you ask my opinion,” Dom piped up. “If someone threatens you, then you want the backup a clan offers. Rhyndor is going to have a target on his back for many years. Even if Steffan lets him live, others are alive who will likely want their own revenge. And he may be more powerful than any of them, but it won’t do him much good if he won’t fight. You need a base to call home, a clan to come to your defense if needed. Otherwise, you’re taking the female into danger.”

  Callum braced himself as he laid out his final reason for coming here today. “Last I checked, I did have a clan. This clan. Unless Nathan throws me out, the Scottish clan is my home when all is said and done. And if Nathan were to decree Lilly and Rhyn members, then whether we lived here or not, all Dragonea would realize we have your support.”

  Nathan slammed his fist down on the counter. “You ask for too much and push too far. You want me to take a male into my clan who harmed my close friend? No. No fucking way.” He blew out a long breath, visibly trying to calm himself. “Shit. I need time to think about all of this.”

  He pinched the bridge of his nose. “You need to get out of here. There’s a house at the end of the small track, backing up to our abode. It’s empty. We use it for when Claire has visitors. You will stay there. You can’t see Lilly. Not yet. I need to think and to talk with my mates. You stay on the property, okay? I don’t want you upsetting people in the clan, and I don’t want word to reach Steffan. Not until I’ve decided what I’m going to do. You’ve brought a shitstorm down on my head, Callum. On all our heads. And it is only because of our history that you’re still standing here breathing.”

  Callum didn’t doubt it for a moment. He nodded once and took the keys Nate grabbed from a hook on the wall. “We’ll wait to hear from you. And…I do appreciate this. Truly.”

  Rhyndor gave a dip of his head toward the two males and followed him out of the kitchen. They walked quickly along the path, keeping their heads down, and let themselves into the small cottage. Callum’s heart still hammered like crazy in his chest. He wanted to be sick, but he kept his countenance calm. Rhyndor hadn’t wanted to come and didn’t need to witness him freaking out. Fuck, Callum had risked it all to come here and find their female. He hoped to the gods he’d been correct and she’d want to be with them once she’d spent time in their company.

  He turned to his mate and pulled him in for a kiss. Rhyn went willingly into his arms, and their lips touched. A soft brush and caress, not the usual heated exchange. They rested their foreheads together for a moment, and Callum breathed in Rhyndor’s familiar scent.

  Pulling back, he considered those eyes, the color of a deep sea, and smiled. “It will be okay. And if she doesn’t come with us, we’ll be okay. We’ve done well so far, and I love you.”

  “I love you, too.” Rhyndor pulled him in tight and squeezed.

  It always amazed Callum how strong Rhyn could be, physically, because most of the time, the male drifted through life, up in his own head. Probably stewing in his endless guilt. Or perhaps hurting from all his old war wounds. He didn’t ask for much at all, seemed happy for Callum to make all the decisions. In fact, he might almost say Rhyndor was submissive, except he really wasn’t. He seemed more…disconnected. Not fully there. The only time he appeared to truly come alive was when they fucked, and then the male wasn’t submissive at all. Not one bit.

  Callum shivered at the memory of what they’d done the previous evening. Yeah, he’d like to see the fire and dominance in Rhyndor more often. And maybe, just maybe, Lilly would be the one to unlock it for them.

  Chapter Two

  Back in her room and finally alone, Lilly squeezed her legs together and tried to calm her mind as well as the ache between her thighs. Her thoughts returned repeatedly to the astonishing events of the day. She’d been frustrated, almost wanting something to happen, but then when it did, it scared her half to death. Those men! The coincidence of it all. But even if she’d never seen them before, she’d have been blown away by their presence. So big, so brawny and rugged. So…male. Jesus. She’d never seen anything like them. Well, maybe Nathan, but he’d been her sister’s partner and not someone she thought of sexually at all.

  These guys, though… They looked like they broke rocks for a living or maybe held up the sky from Mount Olympus or something.

  She pressed her legs closed again and enjoyed the sensations at her core. She wanted them. Both of them. Like nothing she’d ever wanted before. It made her fantasies of them seem positively pedestrian. Worse, it obliterated all her feelings for Zach, and the idea terrified her because, for the longest time, he’d been it for her. And holy fuck, but how could five minutes in someone’s company and a whiff of their delicious aftershave affect her so deeply? It made no sense.

  She tried to focus on the life waiting for her back home. The one she’d wanted so desperately to get back to earlier in the day, and now for the life of her, she couldn’t grasp why any of it mattered so much. All she wanted was to go and spend some more time in the company of those two men. They terrified her as much as they excited her, but it was all exhilarating, and she had not experienced much exhilaration in her life.

  She had no doubt they wanted her. Not after the way the one with the long, dark hair looked at her.

  She lingered on thoughts of them undressing her; the bossy one with the amber eyes peeling her clothes from her body, while the long-haired, silent one watched with those eyes so full of the deep and meaningfuls. Oh Lord. Her skin burned, and she dabbed at her cheeks and forehead. Hot and uncomfortable, she moved about on the bed, but she couldn’t ignore her pounding heart or her prickling skin.

  She needed to do something. Before she exploded. Maybe she ought to go for a run? Try to burn off some excess energy? Yeah, she’d do that.

  Jumping off the bed, she shucked off her jeans and grabbed some leggings from her closet. Running shoes and a sports bra-style top covered with a light shirt finished her outfit.

  “I’m going for a run,” she called out to anyone who might be listening, then headed to the front door.

  Once outside in the fresh air, her mind cleared some, and her body cooled. Funny how overheated she’d become. Late autumn in Scotland, for God’s sake, and she’d worn a thin top yet didn’t shiver at all. Taking to the track, she pounded along, feeling better every step she took. After about half a mile, she turned back toward the village. She’d do a loop. Although she wanted to see those two men again, she didn’t want to come across them all alone on a trail.

  “Hey.”

  A deep voice to her right made her jump, but when she turned, it was only one of the young men who’d come to visit the other day to woo her. She frowned. He hadn’t been from this clan. Both he and his bonded male, who stepped out of the tree line to stand beside her, had been visiting from somewhere in Europe. Why were they still here?

  “Come and look at these baby birds,” the blond one said to her with a flick of his wrist.

  Damn, she couldn’t remember their names. “No, thanks. It’s fine. Y
ou shouldn’t disturb them. It can make the parents desert the nest.”

  “A quick look.” He took hold of her arm, and his brown-haired accomplice came around the other side.

  What the hell? They were pulling her into the woods. “Let me go.” She yanked her arm away, but the guy’s grip clamped down tighter.

  His friend hustled up behind her, and then a hand slammed over her mouth. Her mind went into overdrive. Shit, were they kidnapping her? Or…oh God, no. Maybe they meant to rape her.

  She didn’t think. Her free arm raised up high, and she let the heat of her fear and anger build until her palm burned hot and bright. Then she threw the heat at the man dragging her. Holy shit! A ball of white flame shot from her and hit him on the side of the head. He screamed and dropped her. His companion let go of her mouth a moment later.

  “Shit, you crazy bitch, you’ve burned me.” The blond scrubbed at his face, and his companion turned to her with narrowed eyes.

  She didn’t wait around. Lilly turned tail and ran as fast as her legs would go. She reached their home and burst through the front door as Nathan and Dom stepped into the hallway with Claire.

  “What the fuck!” Nathan exploded. He took one look at her arm, red marks already forming there, and headed for the door.

  She glanced down and saw the fingerprints and realized immediately what he thought.

  “No. Wait.” She grabbed his wrist, and he paused for a moment.

  “It wasn’t those men who were here this morning. Two dragons who came to visit me before, from mainland Europe somewhere, I can’t remember their names. They’re still here. They tried to pull me into the woods.”

  “Oh my God.” Claire came up to her and pulled her in for a hug. “Are you okay? Did they hurt you?”

  “No, I-I…erm… I used some fire. This fire…it came out of my hand.” Crap, why couldn’t she stop shaking?

  “I didn’t plan it or anything. It happened on…on instinct.” She looked at her sister and burst into tears. “Oh God. I’m not human, am I? It’s all true. I kept thinking I’d put this all behind me and go back to my life, but how can I? I mean, what if someone grabbed me in New York and I burned them? I’d end up in a circus or something. They’d reinvent Victorian freak shows and put me in a box.”

  Hysteria began to climb as she spoke and dwelled on all the horrible possibilities. She might have hurt her mum or dad accidentally or Zach, one of the many times he’d broken her heart. It didn’t bear thinking about.

  “Come with me, Lilly. It’ll be okay. Honestly.” Claire tried to soothe her.

  “How can you say so?” Lilly’s voice reached a wail now. “I am going to be an outcast for the rest of my life.”

  “No.” Nathan stood in front of her and tipped her chin to force her to look at him. “Your sister and I can train you to harness your magic. It means, if you wish, you can return to live with your human family. Now, as things stand, you’re not safe out there in the human world. But you can be. It will take time, but you can return to your old life if you so wish, once you’ve learned how to control your power.”

  Relief flooded through her and calmed her somewhat. She wiped at her eyes and gave her sister a weak smile.

  Okay, so she’d learn her magic and return home. For the first time, the idea of leaving this place, these people, gave her a pang of melancholy. And not only because of the two hot dudes who’d shown up out of the blue, but because she realized in that moment that Claire and Nathan truly cared for her. Her own parents were too busy to care. They gave her everything she wanted materially, but they weren’t affectionate. Oh, they weren’t abusive. They clothed her, housed her, fed her. Her mother used to help with homework and take her to dance lessons. But they never cuddled up on the sofa watching TV together. They didn’t sprinkle words of affection around often. And the free and easy way her sister enveloped her in a warm hug touched her deep inside.

  Emotions were frowned upon to a degree in her parents’ social milieu. It didn’t do to snuggle your kids or laugh aloud with joy or to cry at funerals. When her grandmother died, her adoptive mother stood dry-eyed and grim-faced. Her outfit was perfect for the occasion, her makeup expertly applied. She’d hired a hairdresser to come to the house that morning to give her a blow-dry. Kind of cold when you thought about it. Except, Lilly knew her mother hurt. She’d been quiet for months after, and her eyes held a haunted look. None of it came out for public consumption, though. She’d bet good money if her mom did cry, it would be at night, silently into her pillow.

  Wiping her eyes once more, Lilly gave a sniff and popped an impromptu kiss on Claire’s cheek. “Thanks…sis.”

  Claire flushed and beamed with pleasure.

  “I’m going to go and read for a while, try to calm down. It’s been an eventful day.”

  Once in her room, she closed the door and lay on the sumptuous bed. This house was lovely, and the setting, with its dramatic mountains and deep valleys held a majestic beauty. But she’d never be happy settled here like Claire. She missed the pups at the shelter and missed going thrift store shopping with her bestie and writing about her finds for her blog. Most of all, she missed being near to the sea. She loved the views here in the mountains, but she couldn’t imagine a whole winter stuck here as the trees shed their last leaves and the snow capped the mountains in a lacy shroud before settling more insistent and heavy. She shivered. And anyway, being so far away from it all meant she’d miss her regular outings for coffee. Lord, did she miss the coffee.

  After reading for an hour to stop her mind obsessing over everything, she stretched and yawned. Her stomach rumbled. Maybe she should go get some food? She yawned again and rested her head on the pillow. She closed her eyes. She’d go for food in five minutes. After a short rest.

  Callum, with his amber eyes and his rich brown hair, stared at her from across the silk covers they lay upon, looking like he’d been gilded or something. A featherlight touch trailed down the back of her arm, and she turned to see Rhyndor tracing the path of her limb, right down to her wrist, before he repeated his journey back to her shoulder again. His eyes were liquid pools in the low light, more black than blue right then. But his angular jaw, aquiline nose, and full mouth were all as she remembered. His hair lay in loose waves around his shoulders and shone almost blue-black in the firelight.

  “You’re so beautiful.” Callum lowered his head to her breast and sucked one nipple into his mouth, causing her to cry out.

  Rhyndor’s clever fingers parted her folds from behind, his arm thrown over her hip to give him access. One thick finger ran up and down her clit, the touch as light as air, but the calloused tip of his finger making it all ultrasensitive.

  She sucked in breath and shivered in delight at the way they caressed and stroked her. Rhyndor’s massive erection pressed into her butt cheeks, and she rocked back against him. She sensed everything, but as if through a filter. Her sense of touch and smell were toned down, foggy and incomplete. The way the colors in the room warmed and heated, the soft golden light enshrining it, it all seemed so surreal.

  The air blew warm and humid across her skin as the men moved, and she gasped to realize they were inside her. How the hell? She panicked momentarily. One moment they’d been languidly pressing up against each other, and now they took her with a passion bordering on ferocious. And oh God, Rhyndor was…there. She’d never let a guy there before, something Zach liked to bitch about. Why didn’t it hurt? It only felt good, so good. The surreal moment caught her up in a sensual haze as candlelight flickered around the room. And was that…a harp? What the fuck? A harp?

  She sat up in bed, panting, sweat beading across her collarbone. What a strange dream. Hot, but then so bizarre, with the candles and the harp. They didn’t seem like the kind of guys to go for all that shit, and she’d never been one for twee romantic gestures. She’d much rather go for a cool experience than be bought jewelry, and she hated stuff like those single red roses in miniature vases, found it all so…rehear
sed and easy. She’d been spoiled with the material things in life and she didn’t deny it, but show her a guy with some imagination.

  She started to giggle. Harps and candles, eh? Her imagination sure liked to play games. Still, the dream left her all hot and bothered. Another walk seemed like an excellent idea, but what if she ran into those two awful men again? She sighed and walked to the window. Propping her elbows on the ledge, she looked out, and her heart stuttered.

  The dark-haired guy, Rhyndor, stood in the garden of the small house backing on to theirs. He moved in slow, graceful arcs, lifting first one arm and then the other, sweeping them in front of him, and then moving his legs too. It looked like tai chi, but she couldn’t be sure because she wasn’t an expert on martial arts. He wore only trousers, no shirt, and her first thought was he must be freezing. Her second? Lord, but look at him!

  Every time he moved, his muscles flexed and stretched. Marks covered him though, marring his perfection. She couldn’t make them out easily due to the distance, but he appeared covered in scars of one sort or another.

  For the longest time, she watched him, and not once did she grow bored. Most of the time, she spent her life wanting the next thing to happen. The next thrift store binge with Missy, the next date with Zach, the next pool party. The only time she felt settled was working her shifts at the shelter, surrounded by animals. In this room, though, watching a man move slowly and precisely…she scared herself because, frankly, she’d like to watch him forever.

  Something about the solemn giant tugged at her heartstrings. He struck her as deeply wounded. She might fancy him and his friend—a whole lot—but she also wanted to somehow soothe this one. Make things better for him.

  Ugh. She shook her head at her melodramatic thoughts and forced herself to move. Snapping the curtains closed, she stomped out of the bedroom, disgusted at her sappy self. She headed into the kitchen, where she found Dom staring at a sandwich as if it offended him.