"You're good at dangling the carrot, aren't you?"
He chuckled, surprising himself.
Alistair hadn't laughed much over the last few years.
However, before he could sort through that thought, Kiyana spoke again. "Okay, then meetings here once a week it is. But we should both try to arrive as inconspicuously as possible. That way fewer will notice the coincidence of us both being here at the same time. Maybe your mother won't ever find out."
He grimaced. "Unfortunately, the female who runs the archives is friends with my mum. Even if she weren't, Meg Boyd has a way of finding out anything and everything that happens on Lochguard."
Well, except for Alistair's secret project and his late girlfriend. Both of which he managed to keep from her, but only because he knew his mother so well.
Kiyana tugged a section of her hair straight, released it, and repeated the gesture. He was sure it meant something—probably discomfort or an internal struggle—but all he could focus on was how long her hair was when stretched out. It would be past her waist if it were straight.
Although he preferred it curly.
Not wanting to dwell on how he had a preference, he focused instead on her words as she stated, "Well, at any rate, I suppose asking most of my questions to one dragon-shifter will help me from forming social relationships with many more dragonmen and women. So doing all of this should be worth it, I think. I get the knowledge I want and can mostly keep a distance from the rest of the clan."
His dragon jumped in. I don't want her to keep her distance. But still, she needs to say yes. If I find a loophole where she can keep her job, then maybe she'll change her mind.
Even if there is one, I have no interest. A mate will detract from our work.
His beast huffed. You always say that. But there is more to life than books.
"Alistair, are you listening?"
He blinked. "Sorry. My dragon is quite chatty at times."
She slid into the chair opposite him. Even with her scent invading his nose, he managed to keep his body from responding.
Their arrangement might just work after all.
His beast shook his head but remained silent. When Kiyana leaned forward, he did his best to ignore her breasts pressing together. "Talking with your inner dragon is one of the things that fascinates me the most. Is there anything in the archives about inner dragons? Such as studies done in the past? That way I could have a foundation of knowledge before asking you for more details."
Alistair admired her zeal of learning. "I can't say I've looked for that sort of information before. Layla—Dr. MacFie—might know more about that since it's related to her field."
She craned her head around, surveying the rows of bookcases. "I may look here first. Nothing against your doctor, but I like to start with historical knowledge and work my way forward. It's not the most popular approach in my field, but I like getting the bigger picture, complete with a historical perspective, instead of focusing on just the present."
He scanned his memory for what little he knew about the social sciences, and social anthropology in particular. "Aren't you supposed to interview people? Watch how they interact, and interview some more?"
"That's the simplistic approach used decades ago. It's a lot more complicated than that now."
Alistair resisted a grimace. He really didn't want to go into ethics and philosophies surrounding anthropology.
Kiyana laughed. "Judging from your face, you would rather be shut in a room with a million gnats than have me tell you more."
"A million is a touch much, aye? A thousand, on the other hand, and then you'd be right."
She grinned, revealing a beautiful smile and a dimple on one side of her face.
For a split second, Alistair's heart stopped beating. Kiyana was one of the most beautiful women he'd ever seen.
Not only bonnie but also intelligent with a sense of humor.
If not for their agreement and his honor, he might be in trouble.
When his dragon remained firmly quiet, further unease settled in his stomach.
Kiyana stood. "Well, I'm going to look around and see what I can find. We'll start next week then, around the same time?"
He bobbed his head and watched as Kiyana walked away from him. His gaze zeroed in on her hips and arse.
She'd be nice to take from behind.
Not that he ever would. Alistair opened his book and tried to keep reading. However, he couldn't manage to comprehend a single paragraph until Kiyana left the building.
That alone should make him wary, but add in his dragon's restrained glee, and Alistair hoped he hadn't underestimated the depths of his honor. Because if he had, he might do something stupid, like eventually try to kiss Dr. Kiyana Barnes.
Which, of course, could never happen.
Chapter Four
As Kiyana walked home from the archives, she couldn't help but smile. Not only had she discovered a book on old Lochguard mating dances—who knew such a thing existed—she also now had a source to ask all her questions.
Being honest had seemed to work with Alistair. However, she never expected him to take her refusal so easily, not to mention suggest they meet once a week to share information.
Although why he needed information on humans, she didn't know. For his students, yes, but maybe it had something to do with his secret project. The one related to the barely legible book on 18th- and 19th-century treaties.
So wrapped up in her thoughts, Kiyana didn't see Meg Boyd until she bumped into the older woman. Thankfully Meg didn't fall over, and once they were both solidly on two feet again, Meg took her hand. "Come with me, lass."
"I don't think—"
"Now."
The cheerful, nosey woman from the night of the party had vanished, revealing steel beneath Meg's surface.
Not wanting to fight the old woman in public, she allowed Meg to drag her inside a cottage. Since Meg walked in without knocking, Kiyana assumed it was hers. The pictures of her three sons on the wall proved her theory correct.
However, the hall wasn't enough, and Meg pulled her into a small side room, one filled with a sofa, a small desk, and a chair. Only once she tugged Kiyana inside and locked the door did she drop her hand and speak again. "My Alistair wants you."
She blinked. "Pardon?"
"Don't deny it, lass. I know my son, and he hasn't ever shown as much interest in a female as he has with you. So tell me, how can I help?"
Meg's suggestion was more than merely winking and nudging her side. Surely Alistair would understand Kiyana's need to be honest. "You can't. My role here is to watch over the females and observe enough so I can write papers and maybe even a book to help humans better understand dragon-shifters."
"It's because of your contract, aye?"
The old woman was full of surprises. "Er, yes. How did you know that?"
Meg waved a hand. "There's a way out of that."
She frowned. "How in the world do you know that?"
Raising her brows, Meg's gaze turned dead serious. "Everyone thinks I'm merely a busybody, meddling in everyone's business. And maybe that's true to an extent, but I have a secret, too, lass. Ever since Rosalind Abbott became the DDA Director, I've been secretly working for the DDA, too, on the sly."
Kiyana's jaw dropped. Since when did the DDA start hiring dragon-shifters? Not only that, but without letting anyone else know?
Meg tilted her head. "I can see you're confused, and I don't blame you. Only Finn knows the truth, although I suspect his mate does, too. That may be a wee violation, but Arabella is a clever lass who wouldn't do anything to hurt the clan, so I forgave Finn for it."
Kiyana's brain spun, and she tried to make it stop long enough to let her ask a question. However, Meg just pushed on, revealing what it must've been like for Alistair growing up. The older dragonwoman said, "Circling back, I work for the DDA, and I reviewed your contract. On the surface, aye, you aren't allowed to date or sleep with any dragon-shifter, male or f
emale. However, they left something out, something important. A point any lawyer would say works in your favor."
She should walk away from the whole crazy mess, but her curiosity burned. So, she asked, "What is it?"
Meg leaned in and whispered, "You're allowed to keep working if, using the human term, you're engaged. So, if you promise in front of the clan that you will be mated—say, as soon as your work contract is over—then you can do what you like with my son and keep your position within the DDA."
Kiyana merely stared at the dragonwoman. It took a second, but she finally made her mouth form words, "You want me to pretend to be Alistair's fiancée?"
Meg nodded. "Aye, that I do. You're my last hope, lassie. After all, he's turning thirty soon and while some dragonmen age well—like my own beaus—Alistair draws deeper into himself by the day. Soon, he'll be unreachable. You may be his—and my—last chance."
Kiyana didn't like how Meg dismissed her son so easily. Alistair was a bit mysterious, sure, and also liked to spend time reading dusty books in the clan archives. But he was sociable enough with the human women she'd accompanied, and he didn't seem like a complete recluse to her.
Meg prodded, "So, will you do it, lass? Pretend to be my Alistair's female?"
She'd have to handle the situation carefully. "I barely know him."
"Aye, I know. But don't deny you feel a pull toward him. I'm not sure if you're his true mate or not—not even I can judge that—but it's possible. Besides, even if it doesn't work between the two of you, then you can spend the time asking him all sorts of questions. I did my research on you, and I know you've been crawling your way out of the mistake you made five years ago. This will avoid that, and give you what you really want—the chance to maybe mate a dragon-shifter."
Meg Boyd was most definitely not who Kiyana had thought she was.
The entire scheme was crazy. She'd known Alistair less than a week and had spent maybe a few hours with him.
And yet, remembering how his heated gaze found hers, full of desire she'd never seen on another man, made her wonder if he was her happy ending. Ever since she'd been a child, Kiyana had wanted to live with the dragon-shifters. Her work had been the closest she'd come to achieving that, so she'd thrown her whole weight behind it.
However, times had changed from over twenty years ago. Human females didn't have to jump hoops or join the sacrifice program to be with a dragon-shifter in the UK, or so the last few years had shown even if it wasn't established law yet.
This could be her chance to belong where she had always wanted to be and keep her career.
Kiyana was on the verge of agreeing to the ridiculous plan, but then she remembered something important. "Shouldn't Alistair have a say in this?"
Meg smiled smugly. "If you agree, then he'll say yes."
"Because you'll force him to."
"Och, no, I'd never do that to my son. He'll say yes because on some level, his dragon recognizes how you are what he needs. My son changed drastically a few years ago for reasons not even I have discovered yet. But you, lass, you have helped bring a little of the old Alistair back. So if you say yes, he won't be able to resist."
Kiyana was skeptical of him not being able to resist. Sure, they were attracted to one another, but he'd made it plain that he wasn't looking for a mate.
And yet, having both a constant information source and maybe even a fuck buddy would be a plus, too. Not quite her happy ending, but it would definitely make her six months on Lochguard that much better.
Not to mention after her assignment ended, she could always leave, her and Alistair never having to see each other again if their relationship soured.
You really are crazy, Kiyana. And yet… She cleared her throat and stood up tall. "If Alistair agrees of his own free will, I'll talk with him and go from there. That's the best I can do."
Meg patted her cheek. "Clever lass. You'll do." The dragonwoman moved to the door and paused in opening it. "Come over for dinner tonight, around seven. All three of my lads will be home, and I'll find time to talk with Alistair. That way, we can start sooner rather than later."
It was on the tip of her tongue to say it would be okay to wait a day or two, but Meg opened the door and moved down the hallways. "Come, lass. I'll point out the exact passages in your contract that pertain to this scheme. That way you'll be prepared."
As she followed Meg to another room upstairs, Kiyana's heart rate kicked up. Not only was her time on Lochguard vastly different from what she'd expected, but it may also change her life in ways she never imagined.
Ever since her screw up five years ago, she'd been careful about every decision. Rash ones tended to get her into trouble.
However, as Meg showed her the verbiage that could change her life, Kiyana remembered her father's words about needing to enjoy life more.
So, armed with legalese and a determined dragonwoman's enthusiasm, she embraced her late father's advice. Maybe, just maybe, the leap would land her to the destiny where she belonged.
~~~
Alistair took a deep breath and entered his mum's cottage. He and his brothers may be grown males, but once a week they all attended dinner at their mother's house.
Aye, not going would cause a month-long headache which none of them wanted. But it was also a way to keep grounded to his family. Even Alistair recognized he'd pulled away from them after Rachel's death.
His dragon said, That's because you never talk about it.
And I won't, until I find out how to stop it from happening to others. If other clan members find out about her condition, they could panic at the return of the inner dragon disease, and I don't want that.
His mum's voice drifted from the kitchen. "In here. I need to have a wee chat with you, Alistair."
His mother's chats were either about his lack of a mate, lack of children, or a lecture on how locking himself up with books all the time wasn't good for him.
He wasn't sure which of the three would be the day's topic.
Usually his dragon would make a witty or sly remark. However, his beast remained silent.
That meant Alistair was on his own against his mother for the lecture, and possibly the evening.
Entering the kitchen, he found his mother checking on something in the oven. Once she finished, she turned, placed a hand on one of her hips, and didn't bother with small talk. "I know who you fancy, and I've found a way for you to be with her."
He blinked. "What the bloody hell are you talking about?"
She clicked her tongue. "I'll ignore your language because what I have to say is more important." She took a step toward him, unafraid of how he towered nearly a foot above her tiny—for a dragon-shifter—form. "You like the Kiyana lass, don't deny it."
He opened his mouth, but she didn't let him say a word. "And aye, of course you'll deny it. Partly because you're dead set on never finding a mate. And partly because you know the rules surrounding her position."
Alistair usually allowed his mother to natter for a bit as he let it roll off him. But not this time. "How do you know any of this? And how do you know what I want?"
"I'm your mother, so of course I know what you want. I suppose there are mothers out there who don't pay attention to their children or some such thing, but I am most assuredly not one of them."
His dragon broke his silence to snort.
Alistair's mum didn't even draw a breath before adding, "You won't tell me why your personality and entire demeanor changed a few years back. I always ask, and you avoid it. Maybe it's because you need time to overcome what happened—I suspect something extreme and unpleasant took place—but I've come to terms with that. Well, mostly. But denying your dragon for years is selfish, Alistair, and you know it. Maybe humans can take a vow of celibacy, or what have you, but not dragon-shifters. He'll go mad before much longer."
Damn, his mother had brought up one of the we-never-talk-about-it topics. "I'm not talking about my sex life with you, Mum."
She shru
gged. "You don't have to. I know everyone in the clan, even the newer humans, and have a fairly good idea of who is shagging who, when, and how many times."
Holy fuck, was his mother really telling him she had a clan-wide sex timetable?
No, no, no. He didn't want to know that.
His mum came even closer, poking his chest with her forefinger. "It's been more than three years. Any longer, and you could turn rogue, if the right set of circumstances cropped up. I've decided a mate may not be in your future if you continue on your own path. So I've fixed a new course for you."
Since his mother crossed her arms and arched an eyebrow, it was the cue that he could talk for a minute or so.
Sometimes he envied other dragon-shifters with mothers who didn't pry into every detail of their lives. Truth be told, only the MacKenzies had a mother similar to his, so most of the clan was fortunate.
Pouncing on his chance, he replied, "Arranged matings haven't happened in over a century, Mum. And Finn won't force it. Besides, Hamish and Graham are mated with children. Isn't that enough? What I do with my life should be my problem."
His dragon finally chimed in. And what about me? Are you going to brush me off, too?
Of course not. But you know I made a vow, and I won't break it. No sex until I find answers and/or a solution.
His mother huffed. "Stop being so stubborn. Your father was like that, too."
He sighed. "Using father to guilt-trip me won't work, Mum. He always encouraged us to find our own path, and having a mate and children isn't mine."
"Why? That's the one question I can never get an answer for. Why, Alistair? You used to talk about how much you wanted a family someday, and then suddenly, you never do. It's related to what happened three years ago, isn't it?"
"Aye, maybe. But I'm not ready to talk about that."
"And how long will it take? If it were only you, then aye, you could take all the time in the world. But don't neglect your dragon."
Alistair usually could hold his temper in check with his mother, but this evening she kept pushing. His patience snapped. "There are more important things than finding some female to woo into bed and shag. I have something important I have to do, Mum. Something that I need to solve, to keep the promise I made to someone on their deathbed. Can't you just leave it alone?"
The Dragon's Discovery (Lochguard Highland Dragons Book 6) Page 4