The woven circle had a dragon wing intersecting the middle.
A memory from his childhood danced at the edge of his memory, but he couldn't quite place it.
His dragon spoke up. Dad wore it for our first flight performance.
The first time a young dragon-shifter showed off their new flying skills was celebrated on Lochguard. And while not everyone dressed to the nines for the event, his parents had done so.
Even if it had embarrassed ten-year-old Alistair at the time, he remembered it fondly now.
His mother pinned it on the material over his pectoral. "You always eyed it as a lad, and your dad remembered." She gently patted the brooch. "And it suits you, Alistair. Make sure to wear it to your own child's first flight performance, to carry on the tradition."
While he dismissed many of his mother's requests, this one he agreed with. "Aye, of course. Thank you, Mum."
He hugged his mother, and she replied, "I was worried about you for so many years, Alistair. But now you have a fine lass, and I know you'll be happy." She pulled back. "Just try to give me a granddaughter, aye?"
The corner of his mouth ticked up. "I'm not sure I can guarantee that."
"Then keep trying until you do."
All of Alistair's tests pointed to him not being completely infertile, but merely having a low sperm count. It was possible—although extremely difficult—for him to have more children.
Not that it mattered. He and Kiyana would always love the child currently growing inside his mate's womb. If that was their only bairn, he would still be grateful. "We'll see, Mum. Now, unless you want to keep Kiyana waiting, I need to go."
She patted his cheek one last time before stepping back. "Aye, go and claim your mate, Alistair. She's not one you want to let slip away."
"No, never."
As he exited the room, his dragon chimed in again. Walk faster. We're late.
I'm doing the best I can, dragon.
He'd decided to go sans cane for at least the initial ceremony.
However, he did his best to reach the door leading to the dais of the great hall in record time.
He was lucky to have found a female like Kiyana—especially given how he'd thought he'd never find another female to love a few short years ago—and he wanted the world to know she was his mate.
~~~
Kiyana stood next to Finn, who was waiting for Alistair to arrive before he went on stage to introduce them.
It was strange for Lochguard's leader to be so quiet, and yet she understood the reason why behind it. Finn had some sort of announcement to make after their mating ceremony, one that Arabella had hinted about being huge but one she had refused to share.
Kiyana should care more about what it could be considering Lochguard was her home now. However, she merely kept tapping her hand against her side, impatient to get started with her mating ceremony.
Not that she was worried about Alistair having cold feet or some such thing. No, she wanted to make their connection official. Because once she did, she could share her new DDA assignment with him without violating any of the rules.
She had a feeling he wouldn't like Max being around Lochguard more often. However, Alistair would be eager to help her, considering it aligned with his previous dream of improving communications between the dragon clans.
Finn's voice interrupted her thoughts. "Aye, well, it's time to start."
After smiling at her, he left, and Kiyana tried to pay attention to what he said. However, his words didn't reach her brain, and she barely paid attention to the crowd. She could barely hear anything over her thumping heart.
Calm down, Kiyana. He'll do fine.
Alistair had wanted to come out without his cane, even though he should still be using it. While a more spiteful person would want him to fall on his face to learn his lesson, she didn't want that this time. If walking by himself made him feel more of a dragonman for their special day, then so be it.
Finn called her and Alistair's names, garnering her attention once more. Kiyana walked out onto the dais. She'd barely glimpsed the crowded hall before her eyes fell on Alistair's tall form, dressed in dark blue, his defined chest muscles making her mouth dry.
Even though she'd seen him naked more times than she could count, it still made her brain stop working for a few beats.
As if reading her thoughts, he winked. The action broke the spell, and she shook her head before walking out to join him in the center of the dais. From the corner of her eye, she watched to make sure he didn't stumble or trip, but while a tad slow, he made it just fine.
Finn descended the steps to sit in the front row, next to Arabella and the rest of the Boyds. A mating ceremony was always between two people and no one else.
Kiyana had always thought that lovely, but had never imagined she'd be experiencing it herself.
Alistair took one of her hands, and her eyes instantly found his once more. Since she'd never been to a dragon mating ceremony before, they'd agreed he should go first.
However, for a few seconds, they merely stared into one another's eyes, the rest of the world melting away.
Even in a crowded hall, he would always catch her eye.
His pupils flickered, reminding her there were three personalities involved in this relationship. And she was glad his dragon was here, too, even if he wouldn't be speaking.
Alistair's deep voice finally filled the room. "Dr. Kiyana Barnes, you are everything I admire in a female. Intelligent, devoted, determined, and always ready with a smile or a retort. Of course, you being the most beautiful female in the world is the greatest bonus." He took her hand and brought it to his lips before continuing, "You brought me back to not only life but to my family and the clan as well. After losing a female I loved three years ago, I never thought I'd be happy again. But you have made me not only happy but a better male than I ever would've been without you. I love you, Kiyana. Will you allow me to claim you as my mate?"
She nodded, trying her best not to cry. The tears would be of joy, but still. She wanted to be strong enough to fight them off.
Alistair reached behind them to retrieve a silver arm cuff, one engraved with his name in the old language. He kissed her bicep before sliding the cool material around her skin.
Even though it was all in her head, the metal seemed to be charged with something, making her heart even fuller of love for Alistair than a few seconds ago.
Once he finished, she took a deep breath. The last thing she needed was to let her voice crack or waver. She wanted her claim to be perfect.
Kiyana took Alistair's hand and mimicked him, kissing the back of it before raising her voice for all to hear. "Alistair Boyd, you are smart, loving, intelligent, and occasionally funny." A few people laughed before she added, "But you are also kind, and will risk everything to try to keep me safe. I've never met a man like you before, and I doubt I ever will. However, if you can try not to die in the next few months—or maybe even years—that would be even better." He smiled, and the rest of her words flowed forth. "I love you and can't wait to see what life holds for us and our child in the future. Will you allow me to claim you as my mate?"
"Aye, I do."
Reaching behind her to the small box, Kiyana took the bigger arm cuff out, the one engraved with her name in the old language. After placing it on his bicep—which wasn't as easy as one might think, given how much taller he was than her—she placed her hands on his chest. She tilted her head up, and he took her lips in a slow, gentle kiss, one of his hands covering her belly, too.
He ensured that even their unborn child was part of the ceremony, which made her love him all the more.
When he finally pulled away, she searched his gaze and watched his pupils flicker. Maybe they could find a way to sneak out of the hall sooner than expected so that Alistair's dragon could claim her as well.
However, Finn's whistle quieted the hall and garnered her attention. Alistair held her close, but they both kept their gazes on Finn.
/> Once Lochguard's leader was back up on the dais, he spoke up. "We'll be having our celebration for Alistair and Kiyana soon enough, but first there's something I wanted to share with you. Something that can't wait."
Finn gestured toward someone, and the door at the rear of the hall opened. A second later, a small group of tall, tattooed dragon-shifters Kiyana had never seen before entered.
Murmurs rose immediately, but Finn whistled again, and everyone listened. "Aye, those are lads and lassies from Clan Seahaven. While they haven't agreed to move back to Lochguard—which I can't blame them, given how they were shunned a few decades ago—their leader and I have decided to start reconnecting again. And so as a first step, they've come to celebrate with us. My greatest hope is that this is the first of many things to help our clan and theirs become better allies. After all, all dragon-shifters in the Highlands should be able to rely on one another."
More chatter rose up, and Kiyana did her best to remember what she knew about Seahaven.
At one point, a former Lochguard leader had banished anyone mated to a human. As a result, they'd formed their own, much smaller clan near the northern Scottish coast.
However, she didn't think the two clans had even been talking with one another. She whispered to Alistair, "Is this a good or bad thing?"
"I don't know, love. We could use their help when fighting our enemies—not to mention they have as many doctors as we do, and Layla would love a few extra sets of hands—but they're also unknown in many ways, too."
Finn spoke again, silencing the hall once more. "Aye, well, let's get this celebration started. And the more who can introduce themselves to the Seahaven folks, the better. We're known for being a welcoming clan and let's not change that now."
The Lochguard leader turned and faced Kiyana and Alistair. "Come, it's time to start your greetings."
Alistair took her hand, and they carefully descended the stairs to the main floor. She took one last glance at the Seahaven group before both her mother and Alistair's rushed them. In the whirlwind of hugs, congratulations, and chitchat, she temporarily forgot about the other dragon-shifters.
~~~
As soon as Kiyana and Alistair reached the main floor of the hall, Layla MacFie became torn. She should seek out Chase to ask her favor, and yet she wanted to talk with Dr. Daniel Keith from Seahaven. While there were many reasons the two clans should work together, Layla was most interested in Seahaven's medical staff. After all, she'd worked with Dr. Keith before and would love to discuss future collaborations.
However, before she could take more than a few steps toward the Seahaven group, a familiar male voice filled her ear. "I've come to claim your first dance, Layla."
She resisted a shiver, instantly aware of Chase's heat at her side. Her dragon rose her head from sleep and said, It's him. We should do more than talk inside a room tonight.
Ignoring her beast, she turned to face Chase, and her heart skipped a beat. He was wearing one of the traditional outfits, with material wrapped around his waist like plaids of old, complete with a length of dark-blue material thrown over his shoulder. Her eyes drifted to his toned, lean body, lingering on his chest and arms, before Chase chuckled. At the sound, she forced her gaze upward. "What?"
"Nothing. You kept glancing toward me earlier, so I thought I'd come see what it was about."
She'd tried her best to be inconspicuous, but she must've failed. Lying or covering up things wasn't her strong suit. "It's just a minor matter, but I need to talk with Seahaven first so you and the dance will have to wait."
He shrugged. "Why? According to my brother, they'll be here all evening. So there's no rush. Besides, it'll probably be best to wait until the eager ones finish talking their ears off before you try to get a word in edgewise."
Chase's older brother was Grant, one of the co-head Protectors of the clan. Which meant his information was credible.
And yet, she didn't want to miss her chance of talking with Seahaven's doctor.
Her dragon sighed. Chase is here, so ask your favor. Besides, it'll be easier to slip away now, when everyone is distracted with both Seahaven and Kiyana and Alistair.
She hated when her dragon's logic made sense. Fine. But you behave, aye?
Her dragon said nothing, and the silence worried her.
Still, she focused back on Chase. "I have a favor to ask you."
"Oh, aye? And what might that be?"
She leaned forward and instantly regretted it. Every time she inhaled Chase's spicy male sent, it sent a rush of heat through her body.
However, she wasn't going to back away and show signs of nervousness. A dragon doctor couldn't be nervous, after all. Inner dragons were reactive in stressful situations, such as when injured, and a good dragon-shifter doctor had to learn to control emotions in order to do their jobs.
She whispered, "Not here. I need to talk with you privately."
Curiosity flared in his brown eyes before he bowed his head. "Then lead the way, my lady, and I'll follow."
Rolling her eyes, she whispered back, "Try to tone it down, aye? My favor is delicate, and I don't want people noticing us."
"Sorry to break it to you, but I'm sure both Meg Boyd and Lorna MacKenzie will notice."
She waved a hand in dismissal. "I can deal with them if need be. But let's try to keep others from talking, aye? I don't want them to get the wrong idea."
He tilted his head. "You care far too much about your image. This is Lochguard, which is your home. It's okay to be yourself from time to time, lass."
Layla was more than a decade older than Chase, meaning she wasn't really a "lass." But she wasn't going to waste time arguing about it. "Do you want to help me or not?"
"Color me intrigued. I'll follow your lead."
Her dragon chuckled. I wonder if that includes you kissing him, and then him kissing us back.
Shut it, dragon. That's not going to happen.
Hmph. Everyone needs a little break sometimes. He could be our break, and given his age, he won't tire out easily, either. Aye, that would be loads of fun.
Not wanting to deal with her beast hinting and pressing for the next wee bit, Layla quickly constructed a mental prison. The instant silence made it easier for her to pack away her emotions and desires during the walk to one of the side rooms.
However, as she tried one door and then another, they were locked. The only one she could find open was a storage closet that would barely fit two people.
She took a deep breath. It's fine, Layla. Your dragon's contained and you can control yourself. She gestured inside the closet. "This will have to do."
Chase's lips twitched as he entered. Layla followed suit. While she did her best to avoid skin-to-skin contact, she didn't succeed completely. Her arm pressed against Chase's, and a small jolt of electricity raced throughout her body, straight between her thighs.
A beat later, Chase's pupils flashed to slits and back. Damn. He'd smelled her arousal.
Chase's voice was husky as he asked, "What's the favor you want, Layla?"
His face was a few inches from hers, and it would be easy to close the distance and kiss him.
No. She didn't have time for males, not even for a short fling. Clearing her throat, she focused on the list of missing items. Every one was precious, and each missing one meant someone from her clan might not get the treatment they needed.
Thinking of Lochguard's welfare cooled her hormones, and she said, "Someone is stealing from the surgery."
Chase's eyes widened. "Does my brother or Faye know? While I'd like to think I can help you with anything, they're much better at security than me."
She shook her head. "No. I want to keep it quiet and try to catch the thief myself. That's where you come in. I need you to install some hidden security cameras after hours, and make sure no one sees you do it."
Layla expected him to smile and make some innuendo about how he'd be rewarded. However, Chase merely nodded and asked, "When do you want it done?"
She blinked. It seemed Chase had a more serious side, one she'd never really seen before. "Barring any unforeseen circumstances, how about next week?"
"Aye, I'll do it. We can coordinate the best time tomorrow."
She searched his gaze. "Just like that?"
"You dedicated your entire life to helping Lochguard. It's time for someone else to start helping you more."
She sensed there was a hidden meaning to his words, but before she could ask, Chase continued, "Let's return to the hall, aye? The longer we stay here, the more the old biddies will notice."
Layla could do nothing but open the door, retreat, and watch as Chase waved and walked away.
It was almost as if something had instantly changed with him. Maybe, just maybe, she'd finally been able to stop his wee infatuation with her.
Although why that made her heart squeeze, she had no idea.
Brushing it aside, Layla went back to the great hall and busied herself with talking to the Seahaven doctor. Work was her refuge and always provided the distraction she needed. Tonight would be no exception.
~~~
After several hours of talking, dancing, and stealing kisses, Alistair was finally able to sneak Kiyana outside to a side garden, one not used often anymore since it was overgrown. The cool night air felt good. The great hall had been overly hot, to the point he'd worried about Kiyana fainting.
However, as he guided his mate to a stone bench almost completely hidden from the view of the hall, he couldn't help but stare at her bright eyes and glowing skin. "You're so bloody beautiful."
She grinned as she sat down, which only made his cock turn instantly hard. "Well, I hope you think I'm somewhat attractive, given that you're now mine for life."
"Good you recognize it's for life, love. Because I'm never giving you up."
He sat next to her and lifted her onto his lap. Alistair barely noticed the slight twinge in his leg from the extra weight. His entire body was on fire in a good way, and he wanted more than just the weight of his mate on his body. No, he wanted every inch of her skin pressed against his.
The Dragon's Discovery (Lochguard Highland Dragons Book 6) Page 20