Max opened his mouth, but thankfully Lachlan returned with a few other dragon-shifters. Grant didn’t recognize any of them.
Lachlan pointed to each in turn as he introduced them. He gestured toward a male in his forties, with slightly graying hair. “This is Dylan Turner from Stonefire, who is a silversmith.” Then Lachlan motioned toward a female in her fifties. “This is Nia Merrick, from Snowridge, who will be displaying her sewing and craft skills.” He indicated the last male, who was about Grant’s age. “And this is Caelen Corr, from Northcastle. He’s a woodcarver. And everyone, this is Cat MacAllister from Lochguard, and she’s an accomplished painter and photographer. The only human participant is Max Holbrook. He’s an archaeologist who specializes in dragon-shifters.”
As everyone murmured their greetings, Grant noted that each of the dragon-shifter clans in the UK had a representative, except for the one in southern England—Skyhunter.
Considering that clan’s leader had recently been convicted of giving the order to murder a number of his clan mates, all to help the former DDA director Jonathan Christie, Skyhunter had more important things to worry about than sending someone to an art show.
The absence reminded Grant that he needed to talk with Finn once they returned home. If Lochguard wanted to try an alliance with Skyhunter, then reaching out as soon as they finally selected their new leader would be the perfect time to do it.
Grant paid attention once more as soon as Lachlan spoke again. “Everyone will have a chance to introduce their security staff at a later date. I’m going to go over the schedule and rundown of events. We can also get your questions out of the way.” He looked to Grant and Faye. “You two can go to your rooms and settle in. This building is secure.”
Faye looked to Cat and her friend said, “I’ll be fine here. I promise not to wander off or dare anyone to kiss each other.”
Grant didn’t get the reference, but Faye grinned. “You’d better not. I want to be there when you do.” Lachlan cleared his throat and Faye moved to Grant’s side. “Fine, we’ll leave. Just make sure one of your staff shows us the security plans for the event.”
As soon as Lachlan nodded, Grant and Faye exited the room. A human female stood waiting and guided them to their rooms upstairs. Once she handed over the keys, Grant opened his door. “Come in for a moment. I have a few things to discuss with you.”
“I’m not sure why you’re so formal about it, but okay.” Faye shut the door behind her and crossed her arms over her chest. “So, what’s so urgent? You already know I’m going to scout out escape routes, unless you were just making eyes at me earlier for no reason.”
He ignored her prodding. “I need you to keep a close eye on that human, Max. If Cat does dine with him, you need to force him to be more inconspicuous.”
She shrugged. “I’ll try, but I kind of like him. He wasn’t intimidated by you, and that’s a rare thing.”
Taking a step toward Faye, he put every bit of dominance in his voice he could muster. “That’s not a thing to be admired. You need to watch him. If he gets Cat killed, it’ll be your fault.”
Fire flashed in her eyes. “Of course I’ll protect Cat. But if you think I have mind control abilities and can make him do my bidding, then maybe you need to take a holiday and have your brain checked.”
He took another step. “Maybe you should just follow orders and control your temper.”
Faye uncrossed her arms and closed the distance between them. “I would control my temper if you stopped treating me like a newly minted Protector. Unless you have something useful to say, I’m going to check out our surroundings from my room, as any seasoned warrior would do.”
His beast spoke up. Yes, provoke her some more. I like it when her cheeks turn pink.
Stop it, dragon.
Why? We want the same thing. You just waste time by putting it off until later.
Faye’s hot breath caressed his chin, and his eyes darted to her pink cheeks. He wondered if the color was solely because of her temper. Maybe his nearness affected her as much as hers did him. It was hard not to reach out and pull her close.
His dragon hummed. I wonder where else she’s turned pink.
“Grant? Are you going to answer me?”
He met her gaze again. Between her scent filling his nose and her standing close enough he could feel her heat, Grant wanted to kiss Faye and strip her naked. Surely if he kissed her, he could focus back on his assignment. After all, she’d be his and other males would stay away. If not, he could finally growl and chase them away.
His beast chimed in. Yes, yes, kiss her. That one kiss will give us what we really want.
At his dragon’s reference to the mate-claim frenzy that would result in a child, it was as if a tub of ice-cold water splashed over his body. He couldn’t sacrifice a week or more for his own desires, no matter how much he wanted to.
Grant took a step back and cleared his throat. “Update me before you take Cat to dinner.”
Faye remained silent a second before asking, “Are you sure you don’t want to come with us? If you growled and glared at Max all night, he might restrain himself a bit.”
Watching Faye as she laughed and enjoyed the evening with Cat would only tempt him. He shook his head. “I’m going to do my first scouting session of the surrounding countryside this evening.”
“Okay. But remember, you need to eat, too.”
His beast said, See? She cares about our wellbeing.
Only because she wants me to find the traitors and protect the clan.
You can tell yourself that if you wish.
He answered, “I’m not a lad in nappies. I can look after myself.”
Rolling her eyes, Faye moved to the door. “Always Mr. Invincible.” She paused a second before she whispered, “Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it, Grant. Regardless of what you may think, I can keep a secret if need be. You don’t have to go after your uncle or family alone.”
It was on the tip of his tongue to dismiss her offer, but as Faye scrutinized him, he replied, “Thank you.”
“Of course.”
With one last long look, Faye left and Grant was alone. Yet as he turned toward his bed, all he could think about was Faye standing close and her breath on his skin.
Running his hands across close-cut hair, he turned toward his luggage, which had arrived ahead of them. Taking out a map of the surrounding area, Grant planned his excursion for the night. While he’d check out the art show venue first, he planned to travel at least ten miles in every direction from Inverness to survey the countryside. Maybe if he flew long and hard he would avoid dreaming. Because if he did dream, he had a feeling Faye would tempt him yet again.
Staying in close quarters with the female who was his true mate was going to test his limits.
Chapter Six
Faye finished surveying the nearby buildings from her window and plopped down on her bed.
Even though she was on assignment, she was back to doing nothing.
Her dragon chimed in. There are other Protectors in the building. Maybe one of them is a single, attractive male.
She sighed. Not this again.
Why not? Unless you’re waiting and pining for Grant? He doesn’t believe in us or our skills. He lost his chance.
Faye wanted to agree with her beast, but a small part of her wondered if her temper had gotten the better of her earlier. Yes, Grant had been an arse, but searching for family traitors had a way of taking a toll on someone. No doubt, most of Grant’s actions were because of stress and bottled up hurt feelings.
Her beast huffed. We all have our own pain. That’s no excuse to ignore who we are and what we’re truly capable of doing. It’s not bluster—we have shown strength since the accident.
True. Faye sat up and checked her mobile, but there wasn’t a message from Cat. Let’s scout out the other Protectors.
Since her dragon didn’t argue, Faye took that as a yes to the idea.
She was mos
t anxious to meet the dragons from Northcastle, the Northern Irish clan. Finn and Bram had wanted to reach out to the only dragon-shifters in Northern Ireland, but the ongoing feud with the clans of the southern Irish Republic had kept everyone away. Faye wasn’t one to dig too deep into politics, but even she knew that Northcastle blamed Glenlough and the others in Ireland for stealing their land centuries ago and cutting their two clans down to one. The human dispute between Ireland and Northern Ireland had only exacerbated the situation over the years.
However, if Northcastle had sent a representative to the event, they might be open to talking with the other British dragon clans. According to her history lessons as a child, the Northern Irish clan had once been close with all the dragon-shifters on the isle of Great Britain.
Faye changed her clothes and filled her bag with items she might need before exiting her room. She had no idea who was staying where. She’d start on her floor by knocking and see where it led her.
She moved past Grant’s room to the one at the end of the hall. She rapped on the wood and did her best not to tap her fingers against her leg.
A tall male with dark hair and brown eyes opened the door and she blinked. It was Aaron Caruso from Clan Stonefire. “Aaron?”
He grunted. “I wondered who Lochguard would send.”
“Who else is here from Stonefire?”
“Quinn Summers.”
She vaguely remembered the male from an earlier meeting. “Maybe you can help me. I’m trying to figure out where the Protectors from the other clans are.”
“Did you try asking the lady downstairs, who runs the place?”
“No. I thought it’d be more fun to knock and find out for myself.”
Aaron shook his head. “Don’t expect me to join you. I need to save up my charm for the humans at the exhibition.”
She eyed the Stonefire dragonman. “What happened to the teasing Aaron Caruso I met before? He was always charming and didn’t have limits on it.”
“He has a lot on his mind.” Aaron moved the door closed a fraction. “If that’s all, then I’m going to go back to taking a nap.”
She studied him. “You are grumpier than I’ve ever seen before.”
He shrugged. “It’s justified.”
She wanted to probe further, but Aaron had the door halfway shut, signaling that he wanted her to leave. Since she already had a grumpy Grant to deal with, she didn’t need another grumpy male. If something was wrong with Aaron, she trusted his fellow Protector, Quinn, to sort it out.
Waving goodbye, she headed down the stairs.
Faye found the woman at the front desk and smiled at her. “I’m looking for the dragon-shifters from Northcastle. Can you tell me where they are staying?”
“I’m sorry, lass. I’m not allowed to give out that information.”
Before Faye could say anything else, a deep male voice in a Northern Irish accent boomed behind her. “If a pretty female like you is looking for me, then here I am.”
Faye resisted rolling her eyes. Focusing on the importance of the meeting, she pasted a smile on her face and turned around.
The male was quite possibly the tallest dragon-shifter she’d ever seen and had to be closer to seven feet than six. Broad shoulders, close-cropped blond hair, and blue eyes only made the package more attractive. He had to have some Viking heritage in his family tree.
Her dragon growled. Yes, he’ll do.
Ignoring her beast, Faye walked up to him and put out a hand. “I’m Faye MacKenzie, one of Lochguard’s Protectors.”
“A female Protector? That’s rare.”
She kept the smile on her face. “Perhaps in Northern Ireland, but that’s not important. Who are you?”
The male flashed a grin and Faye’s heart skipped a beat. “I’m Adrian Conroy, the second-in-command of Clan Northcastle. Care to tell me why you’re looking for us?” He lowered his voice. “I’m more than happy to show you where my room is located. After all, you seemed keen to find it a few minutes ago.”
It seemed Adrian Conroy was a flirt.
Torn between finding out as much as she could and being true to herself, Faye compromised. “How about we get a coffee? I saw a self-serve stand near the entrance. Then we can talk some more.”
Despite Adrian’s handsome exterior, his eyes were intelligent. Trained as she was, she could tell when someone was sizing her up and assessing a threat.
Adrian finally turned and motioned toward the entrance. “After you.”
Faye walked past him. “For a clan who’s isolated, you seem friendly.”
He shrugged. “You’re Scottish. It’s the English dragon-shifters we don’t care for.”
Interesting. As she fixed her coffee, she glanced at him. “Care to embellish on that statement?”
“They helped the Irish bastards. That’s enough.”
She wanted to point out it was a long time ago, but held her tongue. Grant might provoke her to say the wrong thing, but with any other male unrelated to her, Faye knew how to keep her temper in check.
Once they each had a coffee, they moved into the smaller living area. Thankfully, it was empty.
Faye sat down in a chair and Adrian took the sofa. After taking a sip, she broke the silence. “If you don’t mind the Scots, then why not reach out to Lochguard? I’m sure my clan leader would be honored to meet yours.”
He waved a hand in dismissal. “Let’s not talk about what our clan leaders are doing. This is my first time in Scotland. You should tell me what to see in the area. Your clan isn’t far from here, right?”
She took another gulp of coffee. “No, it’s not far, but I’m not sure we’ll have much time for sightseeing. The schedule is somewhat aggressive.”
Adrian laid an arm on the back of the sofa. “Maybe for you, but not us. This will be like a holiday to me and my compatriot.”
She leaned forward. “What do you mean?”
Just as Adrian opened his mouth to answer, Grant’s voice drifted from the entrance. “Who’s your friend, Faye?”
~~~
Grant had hoped to leave the building without incident, but as soon as he saw Faye chatting with the tall, handsome dragonman, both man and beast had stopped in their tracks.
Changing course, he reached the entrance to the smaller living area and asked, “Who’s your friend, Faye?”
Even though he directed his question to Faye, Grant never took his eyes off the male.
His dragon grunted. I don’t like how he was smiling at Faye. We need to watch him closely.
The stranger answered before Faye could. “I’m Adrian Conroy of Northcastle. You’re Scottish, too, so you must be from Lochguard.” Adrian looked to Faye. “I now see why you resisted my offer.”
“What offer?” Grant bit out.
Faye narrowed her eyes a second before returning them to normal, conveying that she wanted him to calm down.
Adrian spoke again. “Why, the one where I invited her to my room.”
Grant clenched his fist and counted to five. He couldn’t afford to punch the Northern Irish bastard and possibly start a feud between the clans.
Faye stood between them. “I don’t know what you think you know, Adrian, but Grant is merely my boss.” She met his eyes again. “Nothing more.”
Her words stung, but given how he’d treated her, Grant couldn’t blame her.
He finally tore his gaze away from Faye and moved until he could look into Adrian’s eyes again. “Our personal relations shouldn’t matter. As long as you stay out of our way and don’t endanger our clan member, we should get along fine.”
Adrian raised his brows. “I’m not sure I need your reassurance or permission.”
“Maybe not, but I heard about the growing number of dragon hunters gathering near Belfast. You may need our help sooner than you think.”
“We can handle them. Dragon hunters are nothing more than minor pests,” Adrian answered.
“Not accepting help will lead to your downfall, Conroy
,” Grant stated.
Adrian took a step toward Grant, but Faye moved a little closer to stand between them and said, “How about we tone it down, lads. You’re both strong, capable Protectors or you wouldn’t be here. If whipping out your penises and comparing them is what it takes to end the bickering, I’ll avert my eyes to allow you the pleasure.”
Adrian winked. “Looking away isn’t what I want, though.”
Grant growled, but before he could move closer to Adrian, Faye raised a hand to signal him to stop. Looking him dead in the eye, she murmured, “Enough. I need you to scout the area. Go.”
His dragon snarled. We shouldn’t leave her with him.
We have no claim on her yet.
So you’re just going to hand her over on a silver platter?
No, I’m going to do my job and trust Faye. It’s time for me to be the rational one again, or you’re going to fuck up any chance we have with her.
Before his dragon could reply, Grant constructed a mental maze and tossed his beast inside.
He nodded at Faye. “I’ll go and send you a text when I’m done.”
The irritation faded from her eyes. “I’ll be waiting.”
He wished she meant waiting for him, but it was a good start. Grant needed to show Faye he believed in her. Seeing her interact with another strong male made him realize that if he kept pushing her away, he might do so for good.
Forcing his gaze away from Faye, he looked to Adrian. “I hope to chat with you again later. There’s much we can learn from each other.”
Adrian raised a hand in parting. “I’ll keep her safe.”
“Faye can take care of herself,” Grant stated.
From the corner of his eye, he saw her eyes widen; however, Faye quickly recovered and stood tall. “Of course I can. Maybe I should invite Iris and even Nikki Gray from Stonefire to show Adrian what his clan is missing out on by not having female Protectors.”
The corner of Grant’s mouth ticked up. Putting those three females together would be a wake-up call for Adrian Conroy. “Aye, we can propose it to Finn once we finish this assignment.” He turned toward the door. “You’ll hear from me within the hour, Faye.”
The Dragon Warrior (Lochguard Highland Dragons Book 4) Page 5