Sadie's Shadow

by Julia Mills

  Seeing his old friend and Commander’s face, the Shadow chuckled. “No truer words were ever spoken.” Watching the man Orion had followed into more battles than he could ever remember with his arm around an attractive redhead whose blue eyes nearly brimmed with mischief, Orion had to admit Dragon MacLendon looked truly happy for the first time in their very, very long relationship.

  “Orion McKendrick, I am pleased to introduce Alicia MacLendon.” If possible, the Commander’s smile widened when he added, “My mate.”

  Holding out his hand, the Shadow smiled, “I am very pleased to meet you, Alicia.” Orion stepped back and put his arm around Sadie. “Drago and Alicia MacLendon, this is Sadie Ashford, the absolute love of my life.”

  The Assassin’s brows furrowed as he asked, “As in Scathach Sorcha Ashford of the Ashford Dragons?”

  “Yes, that’s me,” Sadie mumbled, her cheeks turning a beautiful shade of red.

  “Excuse me for saying so, but we, as in all of dragon kin, thought you were dead.” Drago smiled.

  “Yeah, she gets that a lot.” A voice Orion didn’t recognize sounded behind him.

  “The tales of her death were greatly exaggerated.” Phryne laughed out loud, appearing beside he and Sadie alongside a tall, thin woman with whiskey eyes, an olive complexion, and light brown hair whom he immediately identified as a hippogriff.

  These ladies have done a good job of staying hidden…

  Smiling despite her discomfort, Sadie quickly explained, “Commander, these are two of my sisters, Phryne and Tinsley.”

  “Girls, this is Drago, Orion’s Commander, and his mate, Alicia.”

  “Nice to meet you,” Sadie’s sister answered in unison.

  “You have been back less than a week and have found the lost princess of dragon kin, a Pegasus, and a Hippogriff? I swear, Shadow, only you,” Drago’s laughter rang in his head.

  “And that is not all. Sadie’s clan is made up of not only these three ladies, but also a thunderbird, a strix, a gargoyle, and a hoopoe. They have…”

  “Is my mate telling all my secrets already?” Sadie chuckled, bursting in on Orion’s conversation with his Commander.

  “I was just…”

  “He was just answering my question,” Drago cut off Orion to explain. “And I apologize, Your Highness. I am just so amazed that not only you are still alive, but also lady shifters from extinct, or nearly extinct races. It is truly a blessing that you all have survived.”

  “And they were raised by one of the revered Guardians,” Orion added, full of pride.

  Shaking her head with her cheeks once again pink from embarrassment, Sadie chuckled. “First of all, I haven’t been Your Highness for over a century, so please, call me Sadie. And as for the rest, my sisters are very special women who suffered the loss of all they had ever known at a very young, just as I did. We have done the best with what we were given. The Guardian kept us safe, raised us well, and provided us with all we would ever need to make our own decision whether to reenter the world or stay on the outskirts when the time was right.” She shrugged. “We decided to stay together. We are family.” The dragoness looked at her clanmates. “And I cannot imagine my life without them.”

  “I completely understand,” Drago nodded. “That is how I feel about Orion and the other lads.” He hugged Alicia closer. “And Alicia’s family, too.” He smiled, “I want to assure you that your secret is safe with me.”

  Orion pulled Sadie close as she said, “I know things are about to change and,” she looked up at him with love in her eyes, “I think it’s going to be good for all of us.”

  Kissing her on the forehead and hugging her tight, Orion added, “But we will stay with her clan, if that is what she wants.”

  “Aye, lad,” Drago quickly agreed. “We have all made the decision to stay with our mates.” The Commander looked down at Alicia and for the first time, Orion understood the starry-eyed expression he saw on his Commander’s face, had seen on all mated males’ faces. For it matched the one he knew was on his own face every time he looked at Sadie. “I am just glad your mind speak is working again. I began to think we were going to have to have Brannoc or Lenn, one of the young ones you have yet to meet, put a tracker on your sorry hide.”

  The Assassin narrowed his eyes and lowered his voice, “Because if you run off again without a word, you might not have a sorry hide for anyone to find.”

  Laughing out loud, Orion gave a sloppy salute with his left hand and teased, “Aye sir, understood.”

  “Don’t let him talk to you like that, Orion,” Alicia swatted her mate’s chest. “I keep telling him he needs to relax.”

  “The Commander relax? Now that, I have got to see,” Orion joked, making the whole group laugh.

  As the revelry died down, Sadie said, “Drago, Alicia, you are welcome to come back to the lair with us, but I need to get Orion to Pearl so she can look at the silver poisoning in his leg and foot.”

  “If you are sure you do not mind, we would love to.” Drago nodded. “And Alicia is quite good with healing. She might be able to help, as well.”

  “It’s really nothing.”

  The words were barely out of Orion’s mouth before his mate was growling. “I can feel how much it hurts and can see the silver traveling through your system.” She poked him in the chest and he knew she was trying to sound tough while trying not to smile. “So, you will let Pearl and Alicia look at your leg and you will not argue with me about it. Is that clear?”

  Taking her by surprise, Orion kissed his lovely dragoness hard and fast and then smiled as he pulled away, leaving her breathless. “As you wish, my love. Always, as you wish.”

  Looking at Drago, she asked with a snicker, “Was he always this incorrigible?”

  “Most times worse.” The Assassin laughed.

  “Heavens help you, Commander. How did you ever survive?”

  “Hey! Now!” Orion cried in mock outrage, making the whole group erupt in laughter again.

  “All right, you heard the princess,” Drago took control in his ‘always a commander, never a foot soldier’ way. “Let’s get the Shadow to the lair.”

  “The Shadow?” Sadie asked with the most adorably perplexed look on her face the Guardsman just had to give her another quick kiss.

  “Yes, mo ghrá. I have a special ability.” He lowered his voice and waggled his eyebrows. “One I will share with you…later.”

  “All right, Casanova,” she chuckled, “I’ll look forward to your big reveal.”

  Walking to the home of the Ladies of the Sky was more enjoyable than it should have been and Orion chalked it all up to being snuggled up close to Sadie every step of the way. He could feel his dragon working hard to push all the silver from his system and heal his wounds, as well as his lovely mate’s dragon doing the same. Nonetheless, he held tight to his princess.

  Arriving at her lair was like walking through The Looking Glass. The Guardian had placed all manner of wards and mysticism that hid, disguised, and made finding it impossible for all but the seven ladies to whom it belonged. He had known the Guardian possessed the strength of the ages but was still shocked that it remained so long after her death.

  Walking through the veil of trees and magic, Orion was awestruck by the small village the women had created. He smiled as the feeling of welcome and home filled not only his heart, but also that of his dragon.

  “What is that smile for?” Sadie asked, steering him toward the two-story white cottage with black shutters and a red door.

  The Guardsman took in the neatly manicured front yard, butterflies and bees flitting from one beautiful blossom to another in her garden, and the way it simply personified the woman he had fallen in love with as he answered, “I was just thinking this looks like a good place to live for a century or two. What do you think?”

  Sadie’s eyes grew as big as saucers. She stopped walking and turned completely toward him, placing both hands on his chest. “Are you serious?”

 
“Didn’t you hear what the Commander said? We all can choose where we live and, my love,” he cupped her cheek, “I choose you. Every time without fail, Sadie Ashford, I choose you.” Without another thought, Orion laid his lips to hers, reaffirming with his kiss the words he had just spoken.

  “All right, all right, enough of this kissy face stuff.” Pearl walked up behind them with a tall blonde he identified as a gargoyle and a woman who looked exactly like Snow White from the fairy tales he’d heard the little vibrias reading what seemed like a lifetime ago, who he immediately knew was one, probably the last, of the legendary Hoopoe.

  “Girls,” Sadie smiled, “this is my,” she took a deep breath, nodded, and said, “my mate, Orion.” Then she turned to the Commander and his mate. “And this is Drago and Alicia, some of Orion’s family.”

  The dragoness then introduced her family. “Pearl, you know.” She patted Orion’s chest. “The other two are Lauren,” she pointed to the tall blonde. “And the one who is all smiles and looks like she is about to burst with excitement is Daphne. There is nothing in the world she likes more than a good love story.” Sadie looked back and Orion and winked. “So, get ready. She will be asking for the details of our meeting.”

  Bursting out laughing, Phryne cackled, “Yeah, I wanna be there when Orion explains to Daphne about how you two met. Oh, puh-lease, let me be there.”

  Failing miserably at containing his laughter, Orion still tried to be stern when he said, “And that’s about enough out of you, Miss Phryne.” But the group still laughed all the way into Sadie’s home with the Pegasus telling him to ‘watch his back’ because she had always wanted a brother to pick on.

  It took Alicia and Pearl, with the consummate help of his dragon, a few hours to flush the remaining silver from his system and get all his wounds closed to the point that they were only raised red lines all over his arms, legs, and torso. His head wounds had thankfully healed very quickly, making the Strix comment, “Wow, your dragon has great healing powers. You are a very lucky man.”

  “Indeed I am.”

  The Guardsman had just uttered the words when Sadie walked into the room fresh from a shower, her hair hanging in long waves around her gorgeous face. Unable to hold back, Orion held up one hand while patting the bed beside him and smiled coyly, “Come and sit with me, mo stór.”

  “And that is my cue to find Drago,” Alicia snickered, standing and heading for the door.

  “I am right with you,” Pearl chuckled, adding, “You two behave yourselves. He’s not completely healed yet,” over her shoulder as she shut the door.

  Holding her hand, Orion searched for the perfect words for what he was about to propose but when they failed, he simply spoke from his heart. Looking into her expressive brown eyes, the Guardsman smiled. “Fate has brought us together and I could not be happier. I truly never thought I would have a mate. Not after the years of imprisonment and time away from our kin. But, I now see that it is true...the Universe does not make mistakes.”

  He kissed the back of her hand, taking a moment to breathe before continuing, “We never know what is going to happen. I am a Guardsman. You are a princess. We are both warriors. Look at all we have overcome to be in this place, at this time…together.”

  Taking a deep breath, Orion rushed on, “And because of that, I do not want to wait one more week, one more day, one more hour, to be your mate.”

  “But you are my mate,” Sadie interjected, looking a bit confused.

  “Yes, mo chroí, I most assuredly am, and I do not care if we are covered in the blood of our enemies, sitting on the front porch in rocking chairs, or standing before the Dragon Kings themselves, you, Scathach Sorcha Ashford, Rightful Leader of the Ashford Dragons, will be my mate, both officially and properly in the way of our ancestors, before we lay down beside one another on this night.”

  Orion watched a myriad of emotions cross her lovely face before his mate smiled so sweetly and brightly it almost broke his heart and uttered the words he’d been longing to hear since he’d first laid eyes on her. “Yes, by all the Heavens and my birthright, yes, Orion McKendrick, it would be my honor to officially and properly be your mate.”

  Pulling Sadie to his chest, Orion crushed his lips to hers and let the words, “No happier man or dragon was there ever in the world,” float from his thoughts to hers.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Because I am not an Elder or a Guardian, or even a dragon,” Pearl laughed, “I asked Sadie and Orion to each say something from their hearts, to vow to one another before all of us, the Universe, the Goddess of all, Fate, Destiny, and all the Deities of our very diverse kin, that they are committed to one another as true mates and will love one another, forsaking all others, here on Earth and in the Heavens beyond that.”

  “Because she is our leader and the first of our clan to find her mate, we are setting precedence today. I believe, as we all do, that because of our differences we are made stronger. Not ever have such unique and special individuals formed a family, a true bond of kinship, that will last until the end of time.” She looked to Orion and then to Sadie before continuing, “And today we welcome the beginning of a new era, the expansion of our family. May we all embrace this change as our clan grows in numbers, strength, and love.”

  “Now, it is my honor to hush up and let the couple speak from their hearts, as I believe our great Universe always intended.”

  As Pearl stepped back, Sadie looked up at Orion and couldn’t help but smile. All cleaned up with his goatee trimmed and his hair almost tamed in a que at the back of his head, he looked so dashing that the princess almost forgot what she wanted to say. Taking a deep breath before she truly did forget, Sadie started, “Orion, dragon of my heart, I pledge my love to you and everything that I am or will ever be. My first thought of every day will be of you. I will wait to see your face as every minute passes and rejoice when you are in my arms again. I cannot wait to spend eternity beside you, in love. You, and only you, will I honor above all others. My love, the greatest love a woman can have for her mate, is never ending and will remain so forevermore, just as I will remain by your side. This is my vow to you, my mate, my love, grá mo chroí.”

  Watching as the blue of Orion’s eyes intensified, Sadie’s heart felt as if it might burst when he finally began to speak. “Sadie, mo ghrá, you honor me with your words, your love, and all that you are. I am the luckiest, happiest, most content dragon in all the land to have one such as you as the light to my darkness, the other and better half of my soul, and the one woman in all the world created to stand with me no matter what Fate, Destiny, or any other have in store for us.”

  “I vow by all the love in my heart, the desire in my soul, and the strength of both myself and my dragon, to always attempt to be a mate you are proud of. To honor you and your dragoness with my every thought, deed, and action. I will love you completely, wholly, and without restraint for all the days of my life and beyond. Do not ever change, for I respect you just as you are. You are my heart, my soul, my love, and my reason for being. Never shall we part. Le grá go deo, gráim thú.”

  Sadie could barely breathe. Never had she felt so loved, so adored…so complete as she did in that moment, under the stars pledging her love to the man she knew beyond all doubt she was meant to love. Pearl’s words pulled the princess from her thoughts as the Strix said, “So, I will ask, are there any among you who object to this union? If so, you must speak now.”

  When Pearl’s question was met with silence, she smiled at Sadie while putting her hand on the dragoness’ shoulder and lovingly murmured, “I love you, my sister. May you find all the happiness and more that you deserve.” Then to their family, she spoke up, “I am happier than I can tell you to present the mated couple of Scathach Sorcha Ashford and Orion McKendrick. May the Universe shine its everlasting light on their love and may it bloom and grow and bless their children, their children’s children, and so on until the end of time.” She winked at Orion, “Now, kiss my siste
r like you love her and make it real. This one is for all the marbles.”

  Sadie met Orion in a clash of fiery passion and unending love that seemed to fill not only her heart and soul, but every fiber of her being with utter bliss. Kissing her mate like he was the very air she breathed, all the dragoness could think of was consummating their union. However, the chuckles of her sisters and the clearing of Drago’s throat had her reluctantly ending their embrace.

  Turning in her mate’s arms, the dragoness looked out on her family, both the ones she had always known and those she looked forward to becoming closer to, and beamed. “Thank you so much for sharing in the happiest, most perfect event in my life. I cannot wait for what is to come.”

  She chuckled as Orion kissed her neck, trying to distract her with not only his teasing, but also the wonderfully wicked thoughts he was letting flow from his mind to hers. Clearing her throat, the dragoness tried to focus as she said, “Tomorrow, we shall celebrate with a feast. Sleep well. May you have lovely dreams and know that I love each and every one of you to the bottom of my very soul.”

  Sadie had barely spoken the last words when Orion scooped her up in his arms and raced across the meadow to her home with the laughter of their loved ones ringing in her ears. Kicking open the door, he barely had it closed before he raced up the stairs into her room and she was sliding down his body.

  Unable to form a single coherent thought, Sadie threw herself into Orion’s arms, kissing him with every ounce of strength in her body. Pulling open his shirt, she slid her hands under the soft cotton, shoving it off his shoulders and down his back until it dropped to the floor. Her fingers danced over his amazing body. Electrical currents arched between them. Sparks raced throughout her body, landing deep in her womb and igniting a blaze only Orion could quench.

  Sliding down his body, Sadie kissed, tasted, and teased. She memorized every inch of the man the Universe had made for her, knowing she would spend eternity thinking of new, inventive ways to show him how very much he meant to her. Paying special attention to the multitude of scars and glyphs left from his decades of torture, the dragoness kissed the damaged skin, pouring unconditional love and immense adoration into their bond.