His dragon harrumphed and curled up in the corner of his mind. Apparently, he didn’t like the idea of Faye’s dragon scolding him.
Faye’s smile faded and he focused on her instead of his beast as she said, “But in all seriousness, we need to decide what to do and soon. The DDA’s solicitor needs an answer.”
“First, tell me, have you talked with Finn?”
She shook her head. “Not yet. I wanted to talk with you, first. While you gave me this task, you’re still in charge.”
He wanted to say they should always be cohead Protectors and lead the clan’s security forces together. However, that was many steps ahead of the current situation. Until Grant knew more about his future and had a chance to better woo Faye, he didn’t want to risk losing it all by mentioning his plans too soon. “Tell the solicitor that I’ll meet with my father. Once I’m done with him, we’ll think of the next steps and tell Finn what’s going on. While I’m away, you need to watch over Cat.”
“I know—”
“Not because I don’t trust you, but with my father in custody, there’s always a chance my uncle and the other traitors could hunt us down. They’d have no problem attacking and hurting whoever stood in their way. If they know we’re working together, you’ll be a target.”
Faye searched his eyes. “Do you really think they would target the innocents? Cat and the other dragon-shifters here haven’t done anything to merit their ire.”
Grant clenched his jaw. “After the attack in January and their temporary alliance with the American clan, I think there’s little they wouldn’t do. Their attack signaled that they consider all of us enemies.”
The temporary alliance between the traitors and the rogue members of Clan BroadBay had resulted in them bombing large chunks of Lochguard. While the casualties had been few, the deaths still sat heavy on many hearts in the clan.
Faye took his face in her hands and stroked his cheek with her thumbs. “I will die before I allow them to hurt anyone else from Lochguard.”
Faye’s soft skin against his helped to ease his nerves. The lass who had once ignited his temper like no other was fast becoming his best source of calmness.
Well, at least at certain moments. When the threats were taken care of and they had time, he would work his hardest to stoke her fire again.
Taking a chance, he placed his hands on Faye’s hips and gently pulled her against his body. For a few seconds they stood in silence, with only the sound of their breathing filling the room.
He should pat her hip and take his leave. But Grant leaned a fraction closer to her lips. She closed her eyes. His heart skipped a beat. He wanted her to be sure, so he murmured, “Do you want this?”
“Aye,” she answered breathily. “I think I can contain my beast long enough for one kiss.”
His dragon roared. Hurry up and kiss her.
Grant closed the distance and was a hairsbreadth from pressing his lips against Faye’s when Aaron Caruso’s voice boomed through the door. “I know you’re in there, McFarland. We need to talk.”
His beast growled. Ignore him. Kiss her.
Faye’s eyes opened. She whispered, “Anticipation makes things better, so I hear.”
“Un-bloody-likely in this case. All I do is wait.” With a curse, Grant reluctantly released his hold on Faye. “Sometimes, I want to murder that male.”
“I heard that,” Aaron answered. “Murder is illegal, but I’m game for a sparring match or flying competition at any time.”
Faye bit her lip and Grant shot her a glare. “Don’t you dare laugh.”
She put her hands up in innocence. Aaron said, “What, did you fall asleep? I know you’re getting on in age, but surely you can avoid taking another nap.”
With a growl, Grant yanked open the door. “What do you want?”
Aaron looked to either side. “Do you really want me to ask out here, for all to hear?”
Grant clutched Aaron’s shirt and dragged him into the room. Once the door was closed, he demanded, “Well? What’s so important that you had to bellow through the door?”
Aaron looked between Grant and Faye and then smiled. “Like that, I see.”
“Caruso,” Grant growled.
“Aye, that’s my name. And I wanted to know where Faye went today. Between you disappearing last night and Faye today, something is going on. If there’s a threat, I thought the alliance between Stonefire and Lochguard was strong enough for you to share what you know.”
Faye spoke before Grant could. “The alliance is important and Stonefire is the one clan we trust above all others. However, if there was a threat to your clan, you’d talk with your clan leader before us, aye?”
Aaron met Grant’s gaze. “You went to Lochguard last night and I assume you talked with Finn then. Something else has cropped up between then and now?”
“Aye,” Grant answered. “And once Finn gives his approval, you and Quinn will be the first to know. Until then, just be on alert and keep your eyes peeled.”
“That’s not much to go on, but I won’t press for more right now,” Aaron said. “Just know that all teasing aside, I trust you, Grant. All you need to do is ask for Stonefire’s help and you have it.”
Faye jumped in. “Even if we’re planning a huge celebration for Finn and Arabella’s triplets that involves dancing nude in the moonlight?”
“I can’t say Bram will join in, but I have nothing to lose,” Aaron answered.
Grant rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I assure you, it’s not that. It’s time for you to leave, Caruso. I have matters that I need to attend to.”
Aaron raised his brows. “So, in other words, I need to get my arse out of your room? Whatever is going on is making you tense and polite. I hope you solve your issue soon or I’ll have to think of ways to wind you up and get you to relax.” He winked at Faye. “Or maybe Faye can do that for you.”
Grant opened his mouth, but Aaron was gone before he could say a word. Faye moved to stand next to him. “Maybe we should plan a celebration like that for Arabella and forget to mention to Aaron that he’s the only one who will be dancing naked.”
Despite everything he had to tackle, Grant snorted. “I might go blind from seeing his arse, but it might be worth it.”
As Grant and Faye grinned at each other, he took a second to enjoy the moment. He doubted he’d have much time alone with Faye until after the threat was taken care of. And not just because her family would try to meddle. That was an entirely different problem he needed to tackle.
His dragon spoke up. If we find something from the twins’ past, we could hold them for a while in a cell and then sneak off with Faye.
As Grant debated the merits of locking up Faye’s brothers, her phone chirped with a text message. She finally broke the gaze to check on it. “The solicitor needs an answer.”
Pushing aside everything but his work, Grant answered, “Then tell him I’m on my way.”
Faye nodded and typed out the reply. When she finished, she looked up at him again. “I’m here if you need me, Grant.”
“I know, lass. I know.”
“And I really hope we can finish what we nearly started a minute ago.” She waggled her eyebrows and he shook his head. She asked, “What? Unless you regret what you were about to do.”
“No fucking way,” he growled. “When I finally kiss you, I’ll be doing it properly. You might even need to lean against me to keep from falling to your knees.”
“You chide my brothers for being over the top, but I’m starting to think it’s a male trait. You’re no better.”
He took her chin between his fingers. “I’m not one of your brothers.”
Amusement danced in her eyes. “Good, because that would be weird. Not to mention if we do what I think we’ll do, it’d also be illegal.”
“Cheeky lass.” Taking a risk, Grant kissed Faye’s cheek. When she leaned into his touch, a sense of satisfaction coursed through his body. She was already halfway to being wooed.
<
br /> It’s not enough, his dragon said.
It’s a start.
Why not kiss her on the mouth now? She is willing.
Not now. I need your help with our current task. Can you stop thinking about sex for a moment?
His beast huffed and Grant took that to mean yes.
Pulling away, he smiled at Faye. “Consider that a preview, Miss MacKenzie.”
She snorted. “I’m not sure what to expect when you use my surname.”
“Oh, you’ll like what I have planned. I have no doubt."
Before Faye could answer, he left and snuck out of the B&B. It was time to face the male who had abandoned him and his family without a word.
~~~
Half an hour later, Faye tried reading the latest paragraph of the book on her mobile phone for the tenth time and failed.
Cat was sketching in her room. A few others were also taking a breather, but the majority of the humans and dragon-shifters were downstairs laughing and having a good time. At any other time, Faye wouldn’t hesitate to join them. However, she was worried about Grant and wanted to be available if he needed her.
Her dragon spoke up. He will be fine. He knows how to keep his face expressionless and, usually, his temper in check.
With others, yes. But this is his father we’re talking about.
And worrying is going to accomplish what? We could be downstairs better knowing the others. We might need their help, after all.
Unlike Faye, her dragon seemed unaffected by what had nearly happened with Grant. If Aaron hadn’t knocked when he did, she might well be in the midst of a frenzy.
Her beast huffed. I’m strong enough to resist it, especially with him.
Can you stop it? He is our true mate. Why don’t you stop fighting it?
I have my reasons.
The finality of her dragon’s voice told her that her beast wasn’t going to reveal what they were.
Sighing, she put down her phone and rubbed her eyes. For once, it’d be nice to have an easy, normal life. Finding a mate, kissing them, having a frenzy or at least wild sex if they weren’t true mates—that was what most dragon-shifters did.
But not Faye.
However, she closed her eyes and easily remembered being pressed against Grant’s warm chest. The feel of his lips on her skin had caused her body to burn in a good way.
Damn, she couldn’t wait to have him naked in her bed.
Opening her eyes, she sighed. Of course, she wanted more than just sex. After talking with his father, Faye would comfort Grant. He might try to brush it off and say he didn’t need it, but he would. The bloody male wouldn’t take care of himself, but that just meant she would have to.
In the meantime, there was nothing she could do but wait. However, how she waited was up to her.
With Cat in her room, her charge would be safe enough if Faye snuck downstairs to join the laughter. Talking with the others might help the time pass faster, too. Aye, socializing with the others would be the best option. Who knew, she might even find out some information about the other clans. She was determined to gain the trust of Snowridge and Northcastle someday.
Before she could more than place her feet on the floor, her mobile rang. She checked the caller ID; it was Finn. Clicking Receive, Faye answered, “Finn?”
“No, this your mum, Lorna MacKenzie.”
“I know your name, Mum. Why are you using Finn’s phone?”
“Watch your tone, Faye. I would tsk more, but this is important. Arabella’s in labor.”
Faye sat up straighter. “Pardon?”
“The babies are coming. Finn’s anxious to have you or Grant here to watch over the clan in case one of our enemies tries something.”
“Not that I don’t want to see the triplets, but why can’t Cooper handle it?”
Cooper Maxwell was Grant’s second-in-command of the Protectors and in charge of clan security in Grant’s absence.
Lorna lowered her voice. “There have been some threats from the Dragon Knights. They have a grudge against Arabella, you know. Killing her babies would be their greatest revenge. Cooper is strong, but not as experienced as you two. I believe Cooper already sent you some of the threats to look over.”
Faye cursed. When her mother didn’t scold her choice of words, Faye knew her mum was worried. “I’ll look at the threats and then reach out to Bram on Stonefire first and see what can be done. I want to keep Finn and Arabella safe. However, if this event is canceled because of another attack on our kind, it won’t bode well for our future.”
Her mother paused a second before replying, “It’s nice to have you fully back, Faye.”
Ignoring her mother’s casual reference to Faye’s long recovery from her injury, she pushed on. “Grant left me in charge, so I don’t have a choice. As soon as I talk to Bram, I’ll call you back at this number, aye?”
“Just don’t take too long. Finn’s trying his best to keep Arabella calm, but too much worry could complicate matters. She’s already giving birth to three bairns. She doesn’t need anything else on her mind.”
“Aye, I understand. Talk to you soon, Mum.”
Faye hung up the phone and checked her email. Sure enough, there was a coded message to check the secure server Arabella had set up for the Protectors.
After accessing the correct file, she read the first message:
You were meant to die at the hands of the hunters years ago. Your children are abominations. We will take care of the mistakes and realign fate.
Faye’s inner dragon hissed at the same time she narrowed her eyes. Arabella had been set on fire as a teenager by a group of dragon hunters, but she had survived, thanks to her mother’s sacrifice.
And yet, in some kind of twisted logic, the Dragon Knights thought Arabella surviving the horrific ordeal to start over was a mistake that needed to be corrected. Faye would never understand how strangers could harbor such hatred for someone they’d never met.
She forced herself to read the rest of the threats and Cooper’s notes before dialing Bram’s number. He picked up on the third ring. “I’m not sure why you’re calling me, Faye, but hurry up. I’m late for a meeting.”
“You might have to cancel your meeting. Arabella’s in labor.”
“I’m not sure I follow, lass. She’s hale and hearty. She should do fine.”
“No, it’s not having the bairns that’s the problem. The Dragon Knights are making threats and many of them mention targeting her children.”
Bram’s voice turned steely. “Tell me what you know, Faye, and I’ll see what I can do. I’m not about to allow those bastards to ruin what should be a happy time for Ara. She may be Lochguard now, but she’ll always be like a little sister to me.”
As Faye explained the situation to Bram and worked on a plan, she kept her eyes on the door. She would make the necessary decisions if she had to, but she hoped Grant returned before anyone had to leave.
Chapter Fourteen
Per the DDA guard’s request, Grant had handed over his phone before entering the part of the castle that held his father. He didn’t like being cut off from Faye and the others, but the meeting was too important to risk making demands. Besides, he’d be done soon enough. He didn’t expect the conversation to take long.
He didn’t have much to say to his father.
At one time, Grant had wanted to punch the bastard and yell his question of why he’d left. Not for the sake of Grant or his brother, Chase, as they had both been grown when their dad left, but for his mother.
Gillian McFarland had only recently started to get out of bed and leave the cottage. For all his dad’s faults, his mum had loved the bastard to the end.
And probably still did.
Clenching the fingers of one hand, Grant pushed down his anger. He couldn’t allow emotion to derail him from his goal.
His dragon spoke up. I wish we knew more about his deal with the solicitor. After what he did to our clan, Michael McFarland shouldn’t be treated lig
htly.
Not wanting to fall into yet another argument with his dragon over the matter since his beast always wanted to drop their father from a great height, Grant constructed a complex maze and tossed his beast inside.
Without someone questioning him inside his head or devising ways to eviscerate his dad, Grant focused on clearing his mind of anything but extracting information that could help secure Lochguard’s safety.
The DDA guard finally stopped in front of a door and swiped a keycard. As soon as they entered, Grant spotted Michael McFarland sitting inside a cell.
He approved of the chains around the male’s wrists and ankles. His dad shouldn’t be able to shift for a few days because of the concoction Grant had used on him, but even if Michael managed to do so early, the specially made cuffs and chains would break his bones if he tried to change into a dragon. In other words, his dad wouldn’t be able to fly away.
The guard stopped in front of the cell entrance and said, “You have five minutes. We’ll be back after that to let you out.”
“What about the DDA’s solicitor?” Grant asked.
The guard shook his head. “She’s not coming until the meeting is complete. That was part of the deal.”
Grant wanted to lecture the DDA staff about being too cocky in their abilities, but he bit his tongue lest he lose his five minutes of interrogation time.
He stepped into the cell, but his father continued to look at the ground until the guards left and they were alone.
Michael raised his head slowly. Grant didn’t know what to expect, but his father’s expression was blank. The once familiar face now belonged to a stranger.
Grant’s dragon banged against the walls of the mental maze, but it held.
Since his father said nothing, Grant asked, “Well? You made a fuss about seeing me. Are you going to remain silent the whole time?”
Michael finally answered, “I just wanted to take a moment to look at my son.”
“Bullshit. If you’re looking for a way to tackle me or for anything that might help you break out, you won’t find it.”
His father stared for a few seconds before saying quietly, “You have such potential, Grant. Why would you follow Finn and bow down to the humans?”
The Dragon Warrior (Lochguard Highland Dragons Book 4) Page 12