The Dragon Warrior (Lochguard Highland Dragons Book 4)

by Jessie Donovan

Well, well, it seemed Grant had a cheeky side. “Seeing as you’re injured, you’ll just have to wait and see.” Grant growled and she smiled. “Actually, consider this your payback.” She slowly sat up and tugged off her top. She wasn’t wearing a bra and Grant’s eyes zeroed in on her breasts.

  Aware anyone could walk in soon, Faye didn’t hesitate to pinch her nipples and roll them. Grant’s eyes never wavered from her actions. And even though pleasure pulsed with each motion of her fingers, Grant’s gaze made the feeling almost unbearable. Her breasts ached to have Grant touch her.

  Of course, that wouldn’t accomplish her task of teasing him. “See? Payback can be a bitch,” she stated.

  His hand traveled up her back. His rough fingers against her bare skin nearly made her shiver.

  When he lightly pressed her down toward him, Faye decided to let it happen. As much as her payback was for Grant, her skin burned to have his hot mouth on her nipples.

  Her dragon huffed. He should wait for that gift.

  Ignoring her beast, she stopped when her nipples were a hairsbreadth from Grant’s mouth. The heat of his breath only made them tighter.

  Grant never severed his gaze as he drew one into his mouth. As he sucked and nibbled, Faye placed her hands on the bed to either side of his head to support herself. It was almost as if he could read her mind on how she liked being touched.

  When he finally released her, his hot breath danced against her wet flesh as he said, “Put your top back on, Faye.”

  “Pardon?”

  The corner of his mouth ticked up. “Well, unless you’re wanting to give whoever is coming a free show.”

  Without lust clouding her senses, Faye heard faint footsteps. The room was only mostly soundproofed. She quickly tugged her shirt over her head.

  Once she had it fully on, she just managed to slide from the bed into a chair when there was a knock. Grant whispered, “You might want to smooth your hair, lass, or everyone will know what we’ve been up to.”

  If she knew who was on the other side of the door, she would weigh following his order or not. But when a male voice said, “Grant? It’s Chase,” Faye smoothed her hair and thought of flight routines. She wasn’t about to meet with Grant’s brother in such a state.

  Grant scanned Faye’s appearance before replying, “Aye, come in.”

  A younger version of Grant, albeit with longer blond hair instead of short-cropped brown, walked into the room. When he spotted Faye, he frowned. “Didn’t Mum come over? We were supposed to meet here.”

  “Aye, she did but right now she’s having coffee with Lorna MacKenzie.” Grant gestured toward Faye. “You’ll have to settle for Faye as company.”

  Faye didn’t care that this was the first formal introduction to Chase since getting together with Grant and she replied, “He has to ‘settle,’ aye? I’ll remember that.”

  Chase spoke up. “Excuse my brother. He’s the less charming out of the pair of us.”

  Chase winked and Faye laughed at Grant’s growl. She said, “I haven’t seen you since we were children. It seems you’re still the lighthearted of the two.”

  Chase grinned. “Aye, well, I have to be. No one is going to invite me back round to fix their electrical problems if I scare or upset them. Although my good looks help with the females and the males who fancy blokes.”

  Grant interjected, “Although flirting with the mated lasses should be done at your own peril.”

  Chase waved a hand. “I’m not going to act on it.”

  As the two brothers continued to argue, Faye’s mobile beeped. She opened the text message. It was from Cooper: New information. Can you come to central command?

  Grant calling her name garnered her attention. He asked, “What is it?”

  “Cooper needs to see me.”

  Chase jumped in. “I can look after my brother for a bit, aye? From what I hear, you’ve been here for days. A little fresh air, even if it’s just for a short walk, will do you good.”

  “Chase is right,” Grant said. “Protecting the clan is our top priority. Besides, the sooner you find out what’s going on, the sooner you can come back and tell me.”

  Since this would be the first test of their possible partnership, Faye had to trust Grant as much as he would her if the situation were reversed. She stood and looked to Chase. “Just make sure he doesn’t try to get out of bed. If you have any doubts, talk to Dr. MacFie or a nurse.”

  “Faye,” Grant started.

  “I know you. You’d do the same if it were me injured, don’t deny it.” Grant’s sigh was all the answer she needed. “Aye, well, I’ll be back as soon as possible. If anything happens at all, you can text me. Make sure to give Chase the number.”

  Chase nodded. “I’ll make sure he does. He might be older than me, but I don’t have to listen to him. We’re nearly the same size as adults.”

  Faye didn’t want to point out that Grant had many more pounds of muscles on him than Chase. “Thank you. I’ll be back soon.”

  With one last look at Grant, Faye dashed out the door. Whatever Cooper needed to say, she hoped it would bring them closer to eradicating the threat, at least for a little while. She didn’t like leaving Grant’s side for long while he was still recovering.

  Her dragon said, Just stop it. He has a clan to look after him. We don’t have to do everything.

  Of course there are others who could do it, but it doesn’t mean I shouldn’t care about him.

  Humans and their caring. It wastes a lot of time.

  Rather than point out most dragons cared about their true mates from the get-go and hers was just being cranky, Faye picked up her pace to find out what Cooper had to say.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  A week later, Grant watched Faye’s face as she slept next to him in the tiny hospital bed.

  While he enjoyed her liveliness, he also treasured her still moments. Asleep, Faye’s face relaxed and it was hard to believe she was in charge of protecting the clan and not just a young dragonwoman looking for a good time.

  Of course, if he could just get out of the bloody surgery, he could take on some of her workload.

  His beast spoke up. We should be cleared to leave today.

  What, you don’t like Faye being in charge?

  I don’t mind her being in charge, but what with all of the planning recently, I don’t like how tired she always looks.

  Faye was capable, but he agreed with his beast. The plan for dragon-shifters from other clans to infiltrate the traitors is of utmost importance. Only once it’s officially in motion can we slow down and let the others do their work.

  I still say we should find the rogue dragons and fight. They are mostly old and untrained. They will lose.

  We don’t know how many there are. The Americans could’ve spread the word. Who knows if dragon-shifters have traveled from other countries to join them. There could be more dragons than we can handle. Even a strong warrior must recognize their limits.

  His dragon sniffed. I suppose.

  Faye’s sleepy voice filled the room. “You can stop staring at me.”

  “Your eyes are closed. You have no way of knowing what I’m doing.”

  She opened one eyelid. “There. I can see you staring at me. What do you want?”

  “What I want is to get out of this bed, get you a coffee, and help take over some of your duties.”

  Faye snuggled into Grant’s side. “But it’s warm right here.”

  “A cup of coffee would get you out of bed before I could blink.”

  She made a noise in her throat. “Not everyone is a morning person like you.”

  “I have ways of changing your mind.”

  “Grant,” Faye warned

  “What?”

  “According to the giant glowing clock on the wall, Dr. MacFie should be by any minute to examine you. No funny business.”

  He kissed her forehead. “I can restrain myself you know.”

  “Not if we base it on the last few mornings.�
��

  “Aye, well, I like waking you up with an orgasm. It works better than coffee.”

  “Not today. If you’re cleared, then not only can you help me, we can start testing out your flying abilities, too. Nothing strenuous, but a quick jump up into the air would be a good start. Then we can adjust your recovery from there.”

  “You’re forgetting something, Faye.”

  She took a second to reply, “Crap. Cat and Iris should be back today.”

  “Aye, and once they do, you have more questioning to do.”

  The exhibition had been a success, except for the final day which had been canceled due to suspicious activity. “We still need to determine if the Glasgow dragon hunters are working with some of the Dragon Knights. The appearance of a sack containing a bomb at the edge of Glasgow, near the event site, is more than a coincidence.”

  Faye rolled out of bed with a sigh. As she stretched her arms over her head, she said, “At this rate, we’re never going to have time for our frenzy.”

  While they had been creative over the last week, Grant’s dragon was impatient to seal the deal. Faye swore her dragon was indifferent, but Faye’s increased irritation at the smallest detail proved otherwise. “Stonefire has agreed to help Lochguard whenever we do have time for it. Once your plan regarding the traitors is in motion, we can take a week or so to handle it.”

  Faye raised her brows. “You don’t have to state it so matter-of-factly.”

  “I know it’s your morning mood talking, but be careful or my dragon might try to wrestle away control to kiss you if you give him any encouragement.”

  His dragon huffed. I hate waiting. Dragons don’t sit back and plan. You should let our instinct take over.

  Too much is at stake.

  Faye’s voice garnered his attention. “It’s more than my mood. I know you’re not the most romantic dragonman in the world, but you could at least act as if the frenzy was more than a piece of business. Remember, it’ll start a family.”

  “I know, Faye lass. Put it down to my mood. Being cooped up in this room is slowly driving me crazy.”

  She sat on the edge of his bed. “A grumpy, unromantic, healthy Grant is better than an injured, happy, charmer.”

  “It looks as if you’re romantic as well,” he drawled.

  “Oh, stop it. I just want you. That’s what I’m trying to say through my morning-fogged brain.”

  He traced her cheek. “For someone who likes to talk, you have trouble saying what you mean at certain points.”

  “You don’t think—”

  “It’s one of the things I love about you, Faye.” He took one of her hands and kissed the back of it. “Don’t ever change.”

  As she smiled slowly, his dragon said, Why isn’t the doctor here? I want to kiss her, and more. She is ours. Everyone should know it.

  Aye, I know. But we don’t have the luxury of being regular clan members with fewer responsibilities. You know that.

  It doesn’t mean I have to like it. It’s getting harder for me to control my lust.

  If I have any say in it, Faye will be naked and willing beneath us within a day or two.

  As his beast roared at the time frame, Grant’s conversation was cut short by a brief double knock and the door opening. Dr. Layla MacFie walked into the room.

  Faye smoothed her wild curls, although they popped right back up. “Good morning, Doctor.”

  Layla held out a small cup of coffee. “Here.”

  Faye’s eyes lit up. “You’re so thoughtful.”

  “More like I want to keep you occupied whilst I examine Grant,” Layla said.

  Grant tried not to smile, but failed. “Don’t put it all on Faye. We’re both anxious for today’s examination.”

  “Aye, I know. But whilst you’ve been recovering well, I don’t want to risk your health. Not even your brother trying to sweet talk me is going to change my mind.”

  “What did Chase do now?”

  Layla laughed. “He gave me that coffee. I don’t drink the stuff, so I figured a little re-gifting was in order. However, if he brings it a fifth time, I may have to say something.”

  “I’ll have a word with my brother,” Grant stated.

  Layla smiled. “It’s probably nothing. Once you go home, he’ll have no reason to keep showing up.”

  His dragon spoke up. She doesn’t know Chase’s persistence.

  I’ll have a word. Chase is young and out to impress the lasses.

  Twenty-two isn’t that young.

  Considering Layla is thirty-one, it’s young to her and I’d rather he stop wasting her time.

  Maybe there’s a reason he’s persistent.

  Bloody hell, I sure hope not.

  Layla went to work checking his vital signs, feeling his spine and neck, and asking Grant to move his limbs in certain ways. Once she finished, she placed her hands inside the pockets of her lab coat. That seemed to be a habit of hers. Layla stated, “You are well enough to go home. As for shifting, you need to take it slow. I don’t want you flying for more than a few seconds for another week or two.”

  “Two weeks? That seems overly long,” Grant replied.

  “We’ll revisit my orders at your appointment next week. If I hear of you doing more than merely jumping into the air and flapping your wings a few times, I’ll have you brought back here straight away and strapped to a bed. Remember that.”

  Faye gulped the last of her coffee. “I’ll keep an eye on him, Dr. MacFie.”

  She nodded. “Right, then are there any other questions?”

  “What about work?” Grant asked. “Or am I only allowed to sit in front of the telly and let my brain turn to mush.”

  Layla rolled her eyes. “Male dragons are the worst patients.” Before Grant could say anything, she added, “You can work a few hours a day, but no all-night sessions. Make sure to watch him, Faye.” As soon as Faye bobbed her assent, Layla added, “Logan will bring round the discharge paperwork and set your next appointment. See you then.”

  The doctor left and Faye was the first to speak. “Right, then I say we go home to shower, change, and afterward we should be able to attend the video conference with Stonefire. Then we can interrogate Cat and Iris before retiring for the day.”

  “I like how you said we had to shower.”

  She waggled a finger. “No sex in the shower. At least not yet.”

  “You just promised me some later. I’ll remember that.”

  Faye opened her mouth, but Logan chose that moment to stride in with a clipboard. For once, Grant was grateful for the distraction of paperwork. Because thinking of Faye’s naked body under a stream of hot water wasn’t helping his dragon. In fact, the beast was pacing back and forth repeatedly, trying not to think of his lust.

  Soon, Grant said to his dragon. Just wait a few more hours. I’m determined to get it all sorted so we can have her.

  ~~~

  Faye tapped her finger against the conference table as she stared at a blank screen and willed Bram’s face to appear.

  Her dragon spoke up. It’s early still.

  I don’t care. I want to know if this is finished so I can start planning the next phase of my life.

  That’s a bit serious considering it’s not even noon.

  Oh, just shut it. Your fake nonchalance is exhausting.

  Before her beast could protest, Faye constructed a complex mental maze and tossed her dragon inside.

  Without her dragon nattering on about how much she didn’t care if they slept with Grant or not—which was complete bollocks—she was calm enough to stop tapping.

  Grant noticed the cessation and whispered into her ear, “Thinking of me again, are you, lass?”

  Finn’s commanding tone prevented Faye’s reply. “Can you two focus for a bit, aye? I don’t need Bram teasing me about my randy Protectors for the next ten years.”

  Bram’s voice filled the room. “Now, that sounds like a good idea.”

  Finn rarely displayed how tired he wa
s, but the circles under his eyes told Faye his nights were anything but peaceful with three newborns. Faye spoke up. “If you annoy Finn right now, that will also annoy Ara. She already has her hands full keeping three children fed and changed. You don’t want to make it worse, aye?”

  Bram’s playful tone was replaced with a worried one. “Is she all right? Tristan and Melanie should be there in the next few days, once all this planning is finished and the area is deemed safe again by the DDA. And even so, shouldn’t Finn’s family be helping?”

  “They are bloody helping,” Finn growled. “How about we focus on the reason for this meeting so I can get back to my mate and bairns?”

  Faye had observed many video conferences between Finn and Bram. The Stonefire leader rarely gave up so easily, but understanding flashed in his eyes. After all, Bram had a daughter less than a year old. The Stonefire leader’s voice filled the room again. “Snowridge is still debating whether they’ll help or not. As for Glenlough in Ireland, they have agreed to participate provided we help them in return.”

  “We as in both of us or we as in Stonefire?”

  “Stonefire. I’m going to send Aaron Caruso there in a month or two, while Kai keeps an eye over things here and tries to convince Snowridge to help.” Kai was Stonefire’s head Protector, and Aaron was his second. “Have you any luck with Northcastle in Northern Ireland?”

  Finn sighed. “Not much. They’ve received word we’re inviting Glenlough, too, and that cooled relations right quick.”

  Faye spoke up. “However, I sensed that Adrian, their second-in-command, might send someone of his own undercover to gather more information. If we can somehow heal the rift between the clans on the isle of Ireland, then we can increase our list of allies.”

  Bram replied, “Aye, it’s on the list of things to do. But it won’t help in this instance.”

  “Let us know what we can do to assist,” Finn said. “Since the traitors are originally from here, they won’t take any new Lochguard members. It’ll also draw suspicion. As much as it pains me to say it, we’re counting on Stonefire.”

  “I like that you’ll be owing me a favor, Finn.”