Midlife Magic Dragon (Midlife Shifters Book 7)

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Midlife Magic Dragon (Midlife Shifters Book 7) Page 19

by J. L. Wilder


  She went on.

  “And more importantly, you’re going to have to give Red what he wants. After all, no sex, no baby. And if you disobey, the consequences will be dire indeed. Just a few minutes of him on top of you and we’ll have the baby we need right—”

  She placed her hand on Maddie’s belly.

  “What...what the hell is going on here? There’s...energy here. What’s happening, Maddie?”

  Before answering, Maddie spotted something through the window over Frannie’s shoulder.

  Many, many somethings.

  Dozens and dozens of dragons flew through the air, rushing toward New Haven. And at the front of the pack, Maddie recognized the jet-black scales and golden eyes of Scorn.

  He’d come for her.

  “Let’s just say I got a head start on the prophecy thing,” Maddie said. “And it’s not exactly going to work out in the way you’d hoped.”

  Frannie, seeming to understand what was happening, narrowed her eyes in pure rage.

  “You...you little—”

  Maddie raised her palm, pushing Frannie through the air and slamming her against the wall. Then she turned in time to see the dragons approach, great jets of fire shooting from their mouths as they ravaged their enemies below.

  She rushed over to the window and opened it, the cold air whooshing into the room as Scorn’s figure grew larger and larger.

  They met eyes.

  He’d come back for her.

  And she was ready to fight.

  CHAPTER 24

  SCORN

  He was focused. Scorn flew through the air above New Haven, focusing intently and picking off the enemy members of his pack one-by-one. The rest of his allies were at his sides, and the surprise attack seemed to be going off without a hitch.

  Burn them, spoke his rage. Burn the town and figure the rest out later. You’ve got them in the palm of your hand.

  It took all the restraint he had not to give in, knowing Maddie was there somewhere. Part of him wanted to tear the town apart trying to find her, to stop at nothing to make sure she was safe.

  But when he felt the rage growing too strong, he closed his eyes and focused on the love he felt for her, how he wanted nothing more than to tell her what he hadn’t.

  When his allies had cleared a spot in the town center, Scorn landed and shifted back to his human form. A witch ahead had her sights on him and raised her hand in preparation for a spell. But before she could get it off, a plume of fire came from above, engulfing her.

  He looked up to see the silver form of Cam shooting through the air, pulling upward in a sharp arc.

  The coast clear, Scorn locked his eyes on the city hall and broke out into a run as powerful as he was capable of. His muscles burned from the flight, but he didn’t care. He needed to save Maddie, and nothing was going to stand in his way.

  But right as he reached the grounds of the town hall, Red, in his dragon form, landed on the grass. He shifted back to his human form, pure anger on his face.

  “What the fuck do you think you’re doing, Scorn?”

  Standing tall and proud and calm, Scorn stepped toward the alpha.

  “I’m taking back my clan.”

  Red snorted derisively.

  “You’re not doing a damn thing of the sort. You proved once already that you don’t have what it takes to lead the Blackshrouds. And now you’re going to wage war on me thinking you can take it back?”

  Scorn gestured to the battle behind him, dozens and dozens of dragons doing battle, taking down Red’s men and their allied witches.

  “I’d say I’m doing a pretty damn good job of it,” said Scorn. “And if you think I’m going to stand back and let you use my people to start a war, you’re fucking out of your mind.”

  “We’ll see about that. I’ve got the witches, I’ve got the power, and I’ve got your girl.”

  “Five minutes from now,” said Scorn. “You won’t even have your life.”

  Red narrowed his eyes, rushing toward scorn and going in for the kill. Scorn, his rage in check, stepped back and let Red fly past, then raised his fist and slammed it hard into Red’s back. He let out a whoosh of air before dropping to his knees in pain.

  “Fucking hell,” snarled Red. “Gonna be harder than I thought.”

  He rose, sticking out his fists and going in for a strike. The first caught Scorn by surprise, connecting with his jaw and sending waves of hot pain through his face. Scorn staggered back, preparing for another attack.

  Red’s eyes flamed with power as he moved, Scorn grabbing his wrists before he could strike, and the two men grappled for dominance.

  “Scorn!”

  He looked up and saw Maddie through the top-floor window, an expression of terror on her face.

  She was in trouble.

  The rage boiled inside of him; all he could think about was shifting, torching the entire town and burning it into nothing.

  “You see that?” asked Red, blood trickling down his mouth. “That’s your girl about to get what’s coming to her. The most powerful fucking witch in the state is up there and is going to make damn sure that you don’t win this shit. Maddie’s mine, fuckhead. Might as well accept it and beg for mercy.”

  Kill. Kill them all. You know you want to. Why fight it?

  The rage boiled, brewing in Scorn like a storm he couldn’t hope to control.

  But he thought of Maddie, thought of the love he had for her.

  And it faded.

  The rage was there, but Scorn could shape it, do with it what he wanted.

  “So?” asked Red, his face twisted in anger. “You going to take my generous fucking offer to give up?”

  Scorn smirked. “Nah. Got something else in mind.”

  With a speed he’d never known before, Scorn shifted into his dragon form, gathered flames in his jaws, and let out a burst of pure white fire that flowed like water over the town hall grounds. It was flame hotter than anything he’d ever produced, fueled by a power he could now control.

  When he finished, the flames faded, and nothing of Red but his charred body remained.

  Scorn shifted back and turned to his allies, the fight nearly won.

  They’d seen what had happened, and it was clear that what little remained of Red’s forces was rapidly dwindling.

  The war was nearly over, but Maddie still needed to be saved.

  Scorn rushed into the town hall, a few of Red’s men still there—his loyalists. They sprang into action, but Scorn’s new powers took them down with total ease. He zipped from one to the other, snapping their necks and leaving them in lifeless heaps.

  Another scream cut through the town hall, but this one was a scream Scorn didn’t recognize. He ran up the stairs as fast as he could, hurrying to the back office where he was certain he’d seen Maddie.

  But what he encountered upon reaching it was something he hadn’t expected.

  The doors had been blown wide open, barely hanging on their hinges. And as Scorn stepped into the office, he realized that the second scream hadn’t come from Maddie—it’d come from the woman who was there with her.

  Maddie’s arm was extended toward the woman who floated helplessly in the air. And she wore a white wedding dress.

  “Hey, Scorn,” said Maddie with a smirk. “I was worried you might show up before all the fun was over.”

  “You see it out there?” he asked. “I’m the one who brought the fun.”

  She chuckled, the woman struggling to break free of her grasp.

  “Can I ask why the hell you’re wearing a wedding dress?” asked Scorn. “I mean, don’t get me wrong—you look hot as hell in it. Just...”

  “This is Frannie,” said Maddie. “She’s the coven mother of the Goodwins—my witch family. And she had the brilliant idea to marry me to Red, thinking it was going to start some dumb prophecy.”

  “A prophecy? What the hell?”

  Maddie glanced over at him, a knowing look in her eyes, like she had something she w
anted to say but didn’t quite know how to.

  “Here’s the thing,” she said. “There’s this prophecy that a powerful witch and a powerful dragon will get together and have a powerful baby. And the thing about that is...”

  She placed her free hand on her belly, and Scorn knew right away what she meant.

  “Holy shit. You mean we’re going to have a kid?”

  “Well, that’s what I thought. But I learned something from Frannie here. Want to fill him in?”

  Maddie let her hand down, Frannie falling to the ground.

  “Tell her,” said Maddie. “Share the good news.”

  Frannie struggled for breath, one hand on her neck. “It’s...it’s twins.”

  Scorn’s eyes flashed wide—he had no idea what the hell to say or do.

  “Twins?” he finally asked.

  “Twins.” Then she turned her attention back to Frannie. “Now, Fran. As mad as I am here, it looks like you’re beat. So, if you want to give up, turn over the coven to me, and retire in obscurity in Seattle, I’ll be nice and let you. How does that sound?”

  Frannie eagerly nodded.

  “Good,” said Maddie. “Now get the fuck out of here so I can have some alone time with my man. Go out and surrender to Katie. And if I find out you’re causing any trouble, you won’t like what happens. Got it?”

  Frannie nodded, hurrying to her feet. As soon as she had her breath back, she rushed out of the room.

  “You think we can trust her?” asked Scorn.

  “We’ll find out. Because as of right now, the Goodwin coven is mine, and the Blackshroud clan is yours. Two pretty powerful enemies, right?”

  Scorn shook his head, stepping over to Maddie and putting his hands on her hips. They stood in front of the towering, arched windows of the office, the battle all but over in the city below.

  “Twins,” he said, shaking his head in total disbelief. “We’re going to be parents. This is amazing. I never thought I would be a parent this late in life!”

  She smiled. “And I figure if I’ve got this wedding dress on, we might as well put it to use. Unless you’ve got some objections to us being together.”

  “Not at all. In fact, there was something I wished I would’ve said to you before you left.”

  “And what was that? Oh, sorry about leaving like that, by the way.”

  “Don’t worry about it. And it was that I love you, Maddie. I love you like fucking crazy.”

  She smiled, and it was a smile that silenced whatever rage remained in scorn.

  “I love you, too.”

  They kissed, and in the depths of Scorn’s heart, his rage, now under his total control, spoke one last time.

  Hey—this isn’t bad.

  EPILOGUE I

  MADDIE

  It seemed wild to go from a war to a wedding so quickly, but Scorn and Maddie were both game. The battle had been short, the only casualties being Red and his loyalists—nearly every other member of the clan had surrendered at the overwhelming show of force.

  They cleaned up the city and opened the bar, Scorn and Maddie wed before the clan, the Goodwin coven invited from Seattle.

  And when Scorn carried Maddie up to the top floor of the alpha mansion, ready to make her his, all he could think about was the love in his heart.

  “Twins,” he said, setting her down on the bed. “I can’t believe we’re having twins.”

  “Well, get ready,” said Maddie. “Because we’re about to be parents in a month or two.”

  “And that’s not all,” said Scorn, sitting on the edge of the bed. “We’ve got the rest of the state to get under control. You’ve got the witches in Seattle, and I’ve got the rest of the shifters out here in the woods.”

  From where she sat on the bed, he could see out the window. The town center of New Haven was alive with activity, hundreds of shifters and witches all partying, a great big bonfire lit on the city hall front lawn. After what they’d all been through, Maddie knew, a little celebrating was in order.

  But at that moment, she was more interested in the handsome silver-haired groom seated on the edge of her bed.

  “Now,” she said. “Are you going to sit there watching the party all night? Or are you going to get that sexy ass over here and consummate this marriage?”

  He let out a bark of a laugh that seemed almost surprised.

  “Wow,” he said. “You really are the woman in charge.”

  “That’s right. Now get over here and kiss me.”

  She didn’t need to tell him twice. Scorn leaned over and placed his lips on hers, a sensation more powerful than magic shooting through her body.

  It was love, and she knew it.

  Scorn kissed her deeply, Maddie falling right into it, losing herself in the pleasure of his hands on her body, his lips on hers. He opened his mouth, and his tongue touched hers. She moaned, letting her hair hang back as the flavor of the man she loved worked his way over her palate.

  The kiss went on and on, Scorn and Maddie getting one another out of their clothes. She took in the sight of him in his dressy outfit, knowing that with looks that good, he’d fit right in with Seattle high society.

  She had big plans in mind for the clan and the coven and couldn’t wait to get started.

  But at that moment, a more pressing need yearned to be filled.

  He quickly had her down to her bra and panties, Maddie’s body ripe and there for his taking. His hands fell onto her soft curves as she took off her bra, Scorn’s lips moving from one nipple to the other. He reached down under her panties and teased her, fingered her in exactly the way she wanted, making her come hard before she took his cock out of his underwear.

  Maddie wrapped her fingers around his impossibly perfect cock, stroking him as he growled with pleasure.

  “God, you’re so fucking beautiful,” he said, his golden eyes locked onto hers.

  “Less talk, more lovemaking.”

  He grinned. “You sass me like that, and I might have to take control.”

  “Do it. I dare you.” She gave him a mischievous grin.

  His golden eyes flashed as he grabbed her by the hips once more, pinning her down on the bed, his cock dragging along her soaking wet slit. She moaned and squirmed as she always did when he teased her, but this time she had something else in mind.

  Maddie held out her hands, freezing him in place from the waist down.

  “Now,” he said. “What’s the big idea?”

  She guided him toward her, his cock pushing past her lips and shoving deep inside.

  “Wanted to get right to it,” she said, letting the magic fade, a big, happy smile on her face as her walls gripped him tightly. “No teasing.”

  He narrowed his eyes, placing his hands on her shoulders and using his dragon strength to pin her down.

  “Two can play at this game,” he said as he raised his hips and plunged deep into her.

  With that, they fell into their lovemaking. Scorn thrust into her hard from above, splitting her in two over and over again, his thick, engorged cock making her come once, then twice.

  She closed her eyes, enraptured by the love and passion she felt for this man, knowing their happiest times were still yet to arrive.

  He brought her to the brink of yet another orgasm, and this time he was there to come right along with her. Their bodies stiffened together, then released. And when they were done, Scorn held Maddie close, the two of them watching the party from a distance.

  “You ready to move to Seattle?” she asked with a smile.

  “Like hell that’s going to happen.”

  She grinned. “We’ll see about that.”

  “Then again, life has a funny way of taking you places you’d never expect.”

  “Don’t I know it.”

  They gazed into one another’s eyes, then kissed once more.

  Maddie was in love. And it was perfect.

  EPILOGUE II

  SCORN

  One year later...

 
“Let’s hear it.”

  Scorn was in the downtown office of New Haven Energy, the summer day outside bright and gorgeous, not a cloud in the sky.

  And the way he wanted to spend it was in a business meeting.

  “Logging is up—way up since you put Cam in charge of the New Haven industry. Record profits.”

  “Perfect.”

  Scorn turned back toward the conference table, every one of the two dozen seats filled with either a dragon or a witch. In addition to his union with Maddie being a strategic alliance, it’d also become something of a business merger over the course of the last year.

  Chapman was seated at the far end, a serious expression on his face.

  “And what about nuclear?”

  “A little trickier,” spoke one of the witches. “But we should have the first plant up and running by the end of this year. Believe it or not, opening a nuclear plant is no small feat.”

  “Good thing I’ve got the best team in the business on my side.” He cleared his throat and spoke. “That should do it for today. If you’ve got reports, send them to me by the end of the business day.”

  With that, the board rose from their seats and made their way out. Only Chapman remained.

  “You know,” said Chapman as he stepped over to the coffee machine and refilled his mug. “You’re damn good at this CEO thing—a hell of a lot better than I might’ve guessed. But always look a little distracted when you’re at the head of a meeting like that.”

  Scorn undid his tie and ran his hand through his hair.

  “That’s because never in a million fucking years did I ever imagine I’d be the CEO of a damn international energy company.”

  “But the money’s worth it, right?”

  Scorn grinned. “After the first hundred million, you kind of forget about it, really. Got other things on my mind, too.”

  “And what’s that?”

  “Weekend in the woods with some friends and family. That’s what this is all for, right?”

  Chapman smiled. “This company’s all the family I need—that and that clan.”

  Scorn clapped his hand down on Chapman’s shoulder. “We’ll get you a good woman one of these days. Hell, maybe a witch. Some of them are pretty damn cute...”

 

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