Dragon Bites

by Badger, Nancy Lee

  Nervous patrons had confirmed the news that many men and dozens of large cannons had sprung up at Fort Johnson and on Cummings point. Dozens of men claimed to side with the southern militia, and warned of coming bloodshed.

  Dru took to the air to see for herself. She surveyed the other forts under the cover of darkness, and witnessed the hordes of men in strange faded gray uniforms preparing large cannons. Her dragon senses went on full alert during these flyovers. What she witnessed made her stomach clench with fear.

  Not for herself. No one could hurt her, physically.

  Well, not unless they shot her with a cannonball.

  However, there was a definite chance these men, who pointed their weapons at Fort Sumter, would attack. In an attack waged with the deadly armaments she’d seen, how could Shaw survive?

  I have to reach him. Protect him.

  Dru had yet to formulate a plan by the time she settled her hulk on the top of the sea-facing balustrade. In the shadow of a small, six-sided tower, the moon’s dull light glistened on the cold steel of the guns. Slipping into shadows, Dru sniffed the air.

  “Potatoes, yuck.” Then she recalled how delicious Shaw smelled the day he returned to her. The same day she’d shoved him out her window, and onto the roof when Mistress Cumberland appeared at her door.

  After months in this fort, surrounded by men and ammunition, what would Shaw smell like? She sniffed again, then opened her snout and let the breeze linger on her tongue.

  “There.” His scent drifted on the wind; sea, salt, and Shaw. He was close. Memories of his kisses and how his mouth tasted drove her forward. He strode near. She would talk to him, explain the need to depart this place, and fly him to safety.

  A whisper on the wind was all the noise she made when she changed from her dragon form to the human, hidden in the shadows. Dru prayed Shaw’s face would fill with the light of happiness when he discovered her standing on the battlements.

  Several soldiers passed her hiding spot, mumbling about a supply ship. The southern militia would not stand for that. If a ship arrived and supplied the fort, Dru expected the event would cause a long, drawn out conflict. She’d seen plenty of instances where warring clans attacked Scottish castles. When turned back at the gates, they simply laid siege until those inside starved to death.

  ‘Twas an old ploy but a simple one that usually worked.

  The scent of apples, musk, and male grew in intensity as Shaw drew near. Her stomach growled. She’d grown to love apples. Lucky for her, she sensed he walked alone. When his profile neared and his tall, uniformed body stopped and looked out toward the ocean in the distance, Dru reached out and touched his shoulder.

  Shaw turned, unafraid. He probably assumed one of his men had taken a respite and needed a word. He stepped closer. Swallowed by the darkness, and without a sound, Dru reached up, put her arms around his neck, and gathered him into her embrace.

  He froze.

  ***

  Shaw’s mind went blank. The familiar arms and warm curves suddenly nudging his chest could not be.

  I’ve fallen asleep.

  Danger lurked in sleeping on the third story balustrade, high above a skirt of granite boulders. In his lovely dream, he widened his eyes, seeking more light. He straightened his back and stepped backward, until a feminine groan circled him in a dizzying rush of passion.

  “If this is a dream, I don’t want to wake up,” he said, his voice in a whisper lest any passing soldier overheard his dream state’s thoughts.

  “I am not a dream, Shaw. I want you.”

  “Your voice is familiar.” Pain gripped his heart. How dare he fall asleep and relive each day’s torment? He could smell her subtle fragrance beneath the yeast and ale spills on her work gown. Her lips pounced, devouring his mouth.

  Shaw’s arms clamped her to him. Instantly hard, he squirmed when she pressed against his hidden length.

  “Take me.”

  Shaw froze, again. He unlocked his grip and backed away once more. His peripheral vision proved no one else walked the balustrade. This side, facing the ocean, held no threat, nor interest to the men. He had come here to forget about Dru. Keeping the lights of Charleston in view helped.

  Or, so he thought.

  “Now I AM seeing things. Dru? Here?”

  Dru stepped out of the shadow of the stair tower. Her loose, brown hair caught an updraft and curled around her head like fairy wings.

  “Aye, ‘tis me in the flesh.” She giggled.

  “Do not jest. This is serious, Dru. You should not be here. You cannot be here.” Aware that his voice had risen, he inhaled a deep breath and waited until his mind grasped the facts. He stood on the topmost story of a fort, under siege by the southern militia. Cannon fire could erupt at any moment, and she was the only woman amongst eighty-five lonely men.

  The last part of his thoughts had him shoving her back into the darkened corner where he’d first encountered the visitor. Visitor?

  This is Dru.

  “Why are you here?” the words hissed from lips pulled tight with fury, tinged with fear. Thoughts of betrayal, of spies and subterfuge made his stomach clench. “What game are you playing?”

  “I worried about ye. I have not heard from ye since Christmas. The townsfolk tell stories of sieges, battles to come, and death. Thank ye for yer lovely gift.”

  Her sudden change of topic threw him off kilter, until the need to know if she was friend or spy made him pull her close. He wanted to whisper words of love, and share his need for physical passion, but could not.

  “I am a soldier, Miss Little. You will answer me. Why are you here and, more importantly, how did you get inside a barricaded fort?”

  Though in shadow, her eyes glowed like flames. He stepped back, or attempted to, but she cupped his chin and pulled his face close.

  “Miss Little is it? I hoped I meant more to ye than that.”

  “God knows, Dru, you do. Yet you stand here and expect me to think—”

  “What do ye think, Lieutenant?”

  Her statement in kind, stung like a slap in the face. It hurt that she acted coy and aloof. She could easily restore his confidence in her neutrality if she would stop touching him and answer his questions.

  “Don’t you see? Your unauthorized presence will not be tolerated. My duty lies with my men and my commander. Are you a spy? Answer me!”

  Dru sighed. The sound wafted over him like a mournful tune, a song the men sang while they worked on the nearly completed, three-tiered walls of Fort Sumter.

  “I am no spy.”

  “I pray you speak the truth.”

  “The truth?” She smiled up at him. “I missed ye.”

  Shaw hardened. A steel pike pressed against his breeches, begging for freedom. Freedom to love a woman, marry her, settle down, and what? Make babies? Grow old together? Pipe dreams, now. A war could erupt at any moment. The realization brought him back to the problem at hand.

  “I have missed you as well, but this is not a safe place. I have wanted to visit you, but not even a note can leave the fort. Fishermen come by at times, which is why I am on this wall tonight,” he lied. “A boat might pass close enough to share some news with us, but we are forbidden to share with them.”

  “I see. Then, ye are happy to see me?”

  “Dru! Listen to me! This is dangerous. Your being here might appear as an act of war. You have sneaked onto a military base in the dark of night. How do you think this looks?”

  “I wanted to make sure ye are well. I hunger for ye. How I got here? I am no threat. I have secrets, yes. But I promise they will never put you, yer soldiers, or this fort in peril. I respect ye too much.”

  The urge to press her to the wall, draw up her skirts, and plunge inside rose until his fingers ached and his lower body throbbed. Pain tinged with fear surfaced. Excitement overwhelmed that fear when she placed her hands to his cheeks and pulled him down.

  A tiny thing with a surname to match, the strength in her hands and the
courage in her flaming eyes sucked the breath from his lungs.

  “Your eyes.”

  “I only have eyes for ye, my love. Kiss me and worry not, this night. Love me with all yer heart and show me our long separation has not been in vain.” She drew his face even closer, then kissed him.

  CHAPTER 10

  Shaw surged forward while his arms wrapped Dru into a tight cocoon, her head pillowed on his chest. She tasted of the sea, and smelled fresh as rain. When she closed her eyes, the loss of those bright flames plunged them into darkness. No one stirred this late at night, except for a few guards who meandered over the balustrade, as he did. He'd agreed to watch the harbor side for another hour. How much of that hour remained?

  Pulling away from her tempting kisses, he nibbled the side of her neck then whispered in her ear. “Talk. I am due an explanation.”

  “That ye are, but—”

  “I want you. Now. Swear you will leave as you came?”

  “Aye.”

  One word. One single word freed him from restraint, turning him into a twisting, molten mountain of desire. Gentleness flew away on the wind. Romance fell into the sea. Dru gathered up her skirt and apron while he rained kisses down her throat and across her bodice.

  Tiny moans filled his ears, as he feasted on her delicious flavor. He clasped her around the waist, then swept below her threadbare gown to nestle his fingers in her damp curls. The intoxicating scent of aroused woman drifted up.

  Dru made a cat-like mewing sound, and her body opened to his touch.

  “You are wet.”

  “I am sorry?” Even in shadow, he sensed her embarrassment. Her shoulders tensed, and she pulled away.

  He laughed, then grabbed her tightly. “Not complaining, dear one. A man wants a woman hot and ready when he makes love to her.”

  “We are going to make love? Here?”

  “Aye. Hold on.” He stroked his thumb gently against her inner thigh until she moaned, then lifted her slight body. Shaw pressed her against the outer wall of the stair tower with more vigor than necessary. The woman drove him to distraction, but voiced no complaints.

  He leaned into her, chest to chest, then loosened his breeches. Pure lust, tempered by the uncontrollable need to ensure her pleasure, made his fingers return to twirl in circles near her welcoming channel. When he pushed two fingers inside, she gasped against his ear.

  “Aye, yes,” she cried.

  Her warm breath tickled him, yet urged him forward. Shaw clamped his mouth over hers, to silence her cry of passion. Sound carried over the water. He dare not alert anyone to her visit.

  When her legs rose in tandem, and circled his waist, he licked her closed lips until they parted. He slid his tongue inside and their tips danced in a frenzy of desire. The sensation fueled his need to penetrate her womanly softness.

  Too soon, Dru’s body shuddered as she found her release. Without stopping his kiss, Shaw’s fingers fell away, replaced by hard, unyielding flesh. Too excited to show finesse, Shaw plunged forward.

  “Blazes,” she cried beneath his mouth.

  Shaw cupped her buttocks and lifted her. Sliding deeper, and through her virginal barrier until seated to the hilt, he willed his body to retreat.

  “No,” Dru protested, then wrapped her arms around his back and squirmed, forcing him closer. So close he could not feel where she ended and he began.

  Here, now, was a new beginning, and a start to a lasting relationship. Nothing and no one would come between them.

  Ever.

  Shaw thrust forward, retreated, and thrust home again. Home.

  Yes. This is where I want to stay. Here, inside Dru Little, for forever and a day.

  A fierce wave of protectiveness urged him to completion, so he could spirit her off this rock and safely home. How? He had no idea, but he would find a way, the minute he regained his senses.

  At the moment, his body had taken over. He slammed inside Dru, repeatedly, until a bright light filled his head and a violent torrent washed the hot, thick seed from his balls. It flowed like a storm-tossed tide into her womb. When Dru’s inner muscles milked him with her second release, his legs turned to jelly.

  Shaw’s breathing eased. In slow motion, Dru’s legs untangled and fell to the granite balustrade. She peppered his neck and chin with gentle, tear-stained kisses.

  Tears?

  “Why are you crying, love?”

  “I have never felt as whole as I feel with you. ‘Tis a special man who has stolen my creature’s heart, and I will follow you to the ends of earth. Fly with me?”

  “I have just come down from Heaven, my love. Give me a moment to catch my breath?” Shaw released his hold to button his pants. Lost in the shadows, she dropped her skirts and smoothed her apron. Her eyes, when she raised her face to him, still flamed as if reflecting the sun. Since night had fallen hours earlier, hairs on the back of his neck bristled.

  “I am serious. Leave this rock with me. Safety shall only be found far away from this place. Though I have come to love Charleston, I want to make my home with you.” She paused. “Somewhere else. Somewhere safe.”

  Shaw’s mind spun. Her words were an odd combination of wistful thinking and something he wanted. “I cannot leave. This is my post. When the supply ship arrives—”

  “No! You cannot stay here. ‘Tis dangerous and no boats will make it into the harbor. Many ships were already forced to turn back.”

  “I know. They were close, but another is due in two days. We will hunker down and wait out this sorry state of affairs. President Lincoln feels this is but a bump in the highway of our young nation.”

  Dru stared at him, then swung her arm. The slap sent shockwaves across his cheek and teeth.

  “Blast it, woman. What is that about?”

  “I know war when I see it and ‘tis a war a’brewing within cannon shot of this island. You must leave. Leave now. With me.”

  “Even if I could, I will not leave. Show me how you arrived so I may return you home. I promise to send word to you when possible. For now, know this. I love you, Dru Little.”

  She gasped. Lightning sparked from her fingertips, and gathered in a halo of heavenly light over her head. The loss of shadow and night’s blanket caused his head to fill with alarming thoughts.

  How is this happening, and who will see it?

  “I love ye as well, Shaw Stenhouse, but the truth must come forth. If you are to stay here without me, and possibly die, I want no secrets between us.”

  “I agree. I have something for you, first.”

  Dru waited, impatience coloring her face. The light diminished, but its strange beauty did not deter him. Whatever secret she wished to share was going to be painful, but he would not leave her destitute should he die in battle. She might carry his child, and he was too much of a gentleman to ignore the fact.

  “At the tavern, I begged the cook to hold something for me with instructions to present it to you, if word of my demise reached her ears.”

  Dru scratched her left ear, tapped her right foot, and stared. “The cook? Maggie MacDonald? She has something of yers?”

  “Aye. She has a trusting face. I left you several personal keepsakes. My mother’s ring. My father’s watch fob. Coins. Believe me. I would never leave you with nothing. And, when the conflict fizzles, I will return to collect my things. And you.”

  “What if I refuse to wait?”

  Her question startled him. He turned and focused on the inky blackness where horizon met the sea. Thick clouds hovered low, hiding the moon and giving no quarter.

  Neither did Dru.

  “I cannot make you wait for me, Dru. Know this,” Shaw said, falling to one knee. Dru’s shock flashed across her face while he grasped her hands firmly in his own. “I love you. I’ll be happy for however long I have on this earth if you agree to be my wife. I cannot say when this will happen, but I will think of your beauty, strength, and love until that day arrives.”

  “Soon, I hope. My answer is aye, th
ough you might change yer mind by the time we lay eyes upon each other again.”

  “Nothing you can say or do will sway me, sweetheart.”

  “I shall wager you will spend the next few nights pondering that decision, my love.” Dru moved away and paced the balustrade. She walked too close to the edge. Shaw’s heart leapt when she stepped into the air and immediately fell from view.

  Shaw ran to the edge.

  His throat swelled shut in fear. His arms flailed, stopping him from following her over. The nightmare about flying came rushing back the same moment a blast of hot air made him stumble. A shadow crossed in front of him, then settled on the edge. The shape differed from Dru’s, yet the fragrance flowing over him smelled similar, exuding the sweet scent of the sun, the sea, and the spring rain.

  A creature sat upright, its talons curved to hold it balanced. Flames glowed in its eyes, dancing in mock salute. No retreat. Not possible. Not where Dru had gone, yet the creature barred his way.

  “Away, creature. I must save Dru!” Barreling toward it, a sudden blast of acrid smoke smacked him across the face. He coughed, then flung his fist at the creature’s snout. A pair of leathery wings flapped as sharp talons clasped his fist that quickly shocked him into stopping.

  Shaw coughed again, then stared at his captured hand. The huge talons could crush him like an acorn, yet the creature’s touch was gentle. Shaw pulled slowly, and the talons released him until he stood before the dark shape, untethered.

  “What ARE you? If you believe in God’s mercy, please let me pass.” Shaw thought only of Dru. His love might lie dying on the sharp rocks below. He’d waste no more time here. The creature did not answer, but began to glow.

  Shimmering bright light blinded him. He protected his eyes with the back of his hand, and pressed forward against the invisible breath of hot wind. When the swirling breeze and bright lights faded away, as quickly as they began, he looked upon a vision.

  “Dru?” His heart leapt, and he grabbed her, pulling her in to his chest before she could answer.