by Julia Mills
“Why I oughta...” Royce yelled from the other room while everyone else headed toward the kitchen.
Needing a moment alone and figuring while everyone was eating was the best time, Rory headed out to the patio. Standing on the deck, staring at the sun setting between the mountains in the distance, he once again checked on Claire. She was still drugged but doing her best to throw off the effects of the herbs. It was taking everything in the youngest O’Reilly brother’s considerable power not to say the hell with waiting until the cover of darkness and heading off on his own to get back the woman he was miraculously in love with without ever even meeting.
It was sheer torture not to be able to help Claire. Sure, he was pouring all the dragon magic he could through their mating link to help her regain consciousness, but it was nothing compared to what he knew he could do if he was by her side. The need to let her know he was thinking of her and that he would move Heaven and earth to get to her became too strong to resist.
Closing his eyes, Rory pulled the picture of Claire he’d seen while they were linked before her kidnapping and held it front and center in his mind. His dragon added his strength to the Guardsman’s and together, they called out to their mate. “Claire? Mo a mhuirnín, can you hear me?”
He waited for several seconds, received no reply, then added, “I’ll be there soon. Don’t kick too much ass without me.”
Holding a breath and praying for a response, a sign...anything that would let him know she could hear him and knew he was coming, Rory instead heard the sound of the sliding glass door opening behind him and then felt Maddox step onto the wooden deck. Just as he opened his eyes to see what the mad dragon wanted, a soft chuckle floated across his mind.
She’d heard him! Claire had heard him! She knew he was coming and for reasons beyond anything he could understand, that one simple fact made him happier than Christmas morning, his birthday, and a good day kicking ass all combined.
Spinning around, he hollered, “Hell yeah,” and slapped Maddox on the shoulder.
“What the hell has gotten into you?” the mad dragon grumbled, taking a drink of his beer and moving out of the way as Calysta, Kyra, Royce, and Kellan appeared on the patio.
Maddox shot the Grand Priestess a nasty look before turning his back on the lot of them and mumbling to himself.
Wrapped up in how happy he was to have actually made contact with Claire, combined with the need to get to her as soon as possible, overrode Rory’s need to know what had crawled up the mad dragon’s ass this time.
Instead, he looked at Roy and all but pleaded, “We...I mean I really need to get to Claire. This shit is killing me. She’s drugged and pissed and...well...I...it’s just that...well...” he struggled with what to say as Royce gave him a knowing grin and Rian, who’d just joined the fun, was shaking his head and chuckling.
“Oh, to hell with this shit! Y’all were right! I was wrong. There I’ve said it. Are you happy? Having a mate is the coolest, scariest, most wonderful and extremely terrifying thing in the world. Now that I have one I want her by my side right now, all the time, and I’m sick of frikkin’ waiting. Is that what you wanted to hear?”
By the time he finished, he was shouting and speaking so quickly he was out of breath and wondering if they’d understood a word of what he’d just said. Even more than all that, he thought about slapping the goofy grins off both his brother’s faces and maybe even punching them in the gut. And...as if matters weren’t bad enough, Kell, Lenn, and Brann appeared out of nowhere, laughing, pointing, and singing, “Rory and Claire sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G.”
Unable to hold back his laughter, Rory howled as they danced around in circles, singing in falsetto like little girls. He wished for his cellphone to take a video for blackmail when each of them found their mate but it was out of his reach, so he did the best he could to get them to stop by yelling over the ruckus. “Just wait, your times are coming.”
All three Guardsmen stopped dead in their tracks. Their eyes were immediately as round as saucers. They opened and closed their mouths so many times they looked like fish out of water. They shook their heads so furiously Rory wondered if they were dizzy and all the while, each man adamantly denied he would ever find his mate.
“Trust me guys, if it can happen to me, it can happen to you,” Rory said before turning to Rian. “We need to leave now. I’m tired of waiting.”
Nodding and still grinning, Rian said, “I understand what an utter pain in the ass waiting can be better than most.” He hugged Audrey, who’d appeared at the Dragon Leader’s side while his brethren were singing, closer to his side before continuing. “But we need to run through the plan again.” The oldest O’Reilly brother held up his hand to stop Rory’s argument. “I know you heard everything we were saying but you need to see it and I need to know you won’t go off halfcocked and get yourself killed. Once is enough, little brother.”
Rian opened his mouth to say something else but Roy beat him to the punch. “And besides, if anyone is kicking your ass it’s gonna be me, got it?”
Everyone argued that they should be the one to beat him up but Rory knew they were only saying it because they loved him. He could feel it even they’d never admit it. They’d all been through too much for too many years not to love one another like the brethren they were.
Heading back into the house to go over the plans of their attack on the griffins and rescue of his mate, the youngest O’Reilly brother touched the mind of his mate one more time. She was sleeping soundly, not fighting the herbs any longer, and dreaming of him.
Thata girl, you just keep dreaming. I’ll be there to wake you with a kiss before you know it, my fiery princess...
Chapter Six
Time seemed to slow to a crawl. Every second seemed like an hour. The longer it took Rian and Max—who’d shown up with his werepanthers just in time to finish up the rest of the food and beer and add their two cents to the plan—to get done explaining their plan of attack, the more it made Rory feel like pulling out every single hair on his head. Even the jokes about Lenn blowing everything up had gotten old. All Rory wanted to do was get to Claire; nothing else mattered.
“Enough!” Rory roared. On his feet and heading for the door before even he knew what he was doing, he shouted over his shoulder, “You ladies can stand around here discussing who’s holding who’s hand but I can’t take it anymore. I’m going to get my mate with or without you lot.” He punctuated his statement by slamming the door.
Throwing his leg over his Fat Boy, he’d just grabbed the throttle when Kellan yelled, “You’re gonna get yourself killed.”
Looking over his shoulder, Rory saw his best friend standing on his porch, staring at him like he had three heads and couldn’t help but laugh. “Yeah, well I’m getting good at it.”
Taking a step off the porch, Kell asked, “You think this is the best way to play it?”
“Only one I’ve got. I’m sick of waiting. Claire...”
“She needs you. Yeah, I get that,” his scarred friend cut in. Turning his face to the side, Kell took a deep breath and shook his head. The glare from the streetlights highlighted the scars covering his cheeks and brought the details of the accident that caused those marks rushing back to the youngest O’Reilly brother.
Feeling like he’d just been kicked in the gut, Rory’s head fell forward as he sighed, “Sorry man. I’m a dick. I should’ve...”
“Not your problem. Not your fault. But I sure as hell thought you’d learned something from that night.”
Nothing like a reality check to make a guy feel like the ass end of a slug...
Blowing out a long breath and not sure what to say, Rory did the only thing he could; he apologized. “Dammit, Kell, I’m sorry. You’re right. I’ve got no excuses. Lost my head.”
“And you’re in love. I get it. She’s your mate and the world is different now. But getting yourself killed isn’t gonna do Claire any good.”
“You’re right.” Rory p
aused and looked up at the full moon hanging low in the sky then chuckled, “I’m getting good at being wrong here lately, huh?”
“You’ve always been good at being wrong. You’re just getting good at saying it,” Kell barked out a laugh as the rest of their raiding party exited Rory’s house.
Rian, who’d stayed up on the porch, called out, “Now that Ror’s got his head out of his butt, everybody ready to kick ass and take names?”
A unanimous ‘Hell yeah’ filled the night sky as the dragons and werepanthers climbed into their various vehicles. Both Rian and Royce stopped in front of Rory’s Harley as they headed to their black SUV. The youngest O’Reilly brother prepared for the speech he knew was coming as his older brothers stood staring. Thankfully, he didn’t have to wait long.
“Just don’t do anything stupid,” Royce chuckled before adding, “well, stupider than usual.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence, Roy,” Rory scoffed.
“No problem. That’s what I’m here for,” Royce snickered as he turned and walked toward his vehicle.
Rian stood still, brows furrowed, arms crossed over his chest, looking over Rory’s shoulder. He could tell his oldest brother was deep in thought, which never bode well for anyone. Needing to get the show on the road, he teased, “Keep my head outta my ass and my eyes open. Don’t get myself or anyone else killed. Don’t go off half-cocked and follow the plan. Did I miss anything?”
Never taking his eyes off whatever he was contemplating, Rian answered, “Yeah, that works.” Shaking his head, the Dragon Leader turned and headed to the black SUV Royce had already started without another word.
Rory sat dumbfounded, not sure what had just happened, when Rian’s voice sounded in his mind. “I’m proud of you, Ror.”
Rian’s words hit home. The brothers had always been close, always had each other’s backs, always knew their bond went deeper than most, but what they really felt for one another was just known...unspoken. It had always been there and always would be there until the end of the time. They weren’t a mushy bunch. Their idea of showing love was pranking and teasing. The more bruises they gave each other or the louder they laughed at the other’s misfortune, the more they knew they cared. So for Rian to actually man up and say the words was a huge deal. Rory was humbled to say the least.
“You, too, Ri.”
“Well, if you two are done with the love fest, whatcha say we go get your mate, Ror?” Roy was laughing but Rory knew he felt the same way.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Rory chuckled. “I can’t help it if Ri can’t block his thoughts any better.”
“Whatever,” Rian snorted.
And just like that everything was back to normal. Engines flared to life as one by one the dragons and werepanthers drove out of the lair, heading toward the griffin compound ... and Claire.
Three hours later and Rory was once again sitting and waiting. Kayne was by his side as they both watched Lennox set the charges on the large power station that would leave the griffin compound in darkness. He could feel Claire even more strongly than before. Had stayed constantly connected to her since leaving the lair. Was at the back gate because he knew she was being held in a large bedroom on the top floor at the back of the ostentatious fortress the Slade’s and their clan called home.
“Nice pile of bricks, huh?” Kayne asked through their unique link. Rory had to laugh at the way the demi-god/Guardsman, who they’d saved from over a century trapped in hell as a hellhound, was learning to use modern day slang. He’d heard that Lennox and Pearce were catching Kayne up on the hundred years of current events and customs he’d missed. A few of the things Kayne had said since Rory had awakened made the youngest O’Reilly brother wonder if Lennox was the best person for the job. After all, it was pretty clear that the mad bomber’s idea of serious news was what Marvel movie was coming out next and whether Stan Lee’s birthday had been made a national holiday. Rory figured Pearce’s laid back attitude was a good addition. If anyone could balance out Lenn’s ‘stuck in high school’ mentality it was the Zen master of their group.
“Yeah. Wonder how many people they had to kill to get it?” Rory chuckled.
The griffins were well known for their devious natures and less than honest business practices. They were menaces to society in whatever form they chose to take and the Slade’s were by far the worst leaders the dark minded clan had ever had. It was common knowledge that Malick Slade’s grandfather, Elias, had the rightful and former leader of the griffins assassinated, as well as all the male members of his family. The Connors had been driven out of the country and the last anyone heard they were hiding in the Alps just to stay alive.
“Yeah, they were bastards back when Drago, your dad, and I were raising hell, and I see nothing’s changed.”
“Yep.”
Rory knew the demi god was trying to ease the tension and keep Rory’s mind off of what Claire was going through. It was a nice thought but not really working. He wanted her safe and sound and in his arms and Malick Slade’s head on a pike for all to see. There would be no rest until that happened.
Kayne continued to rattle on while Rory focused on Claire and listening to his brethren as they got into position. For this mission he would’ve preferred to be alone, but Maddox and Kayne had insisted the demi god stay with Rory. It was weird, but just one of a hundred things he chose to ignore until Claire was safe.
Listening intently to Rian’s latest werepanther update that the Dragon Leader was receiving from Max via the earbuds Declan had gotten from a Navy Seal he’d served in the Gulf with, Rory’s dragon pushed against the confines of his mind, making his outrage at being kept penned up while the big cats roamed free unequivocally apparent.
Simmer down, big guy. I completely agree with you but you’re gonna blow a gasket and make me have a stroke if you keep this up.
Still pissed but laying down to brood, his beast growled and pouted. The extra power from Kayne’s healing was still coursing through both man and dragon and it, coupled with the hard push from the mating call to save their mate, was making it extremely difficult to be patient. The reassurance of touching Claire’s mind and knowing she was unharmed was the only thing keeping both man and beast from reigning dragon fire down on the entire griffin compound.
“Charges set,” Lenn’s voice went out to all the dragons as Rory watched his explosion-obsessed brethren retreat over the hedge to the right and prepare to blow the power.
“We’re ready,” Brann chimed in from the front gate.
“One more minute,” Dec responded from the power box by the lake.
While holding his breath and counting to sixty, shadows covered the shine from the full moon overhead. First one, then another, then another drew Rory’s attention to the sky. There, floating to the ground, were six of the largest birds he’d ever seen.
“What the...?” The words were barely out of his mouth as feathers became flesh and six beautiful women dressed in everything from T-shirts and jeans to black leather landed not ten feet from where he and Kayne were hidden.
“What’s happening?” Rian demanded.
“Give me a minute,” was all Rory could say as he knelt staring at the women who had zeroed in on him.
“No worries, Rian. It appears Claire’s family is here to help,” Kayne explained.
“Her family?” Rory asked out loud.
“Good to see you, Kayne, old boy. We thought you were dead,” said the tall woman with long brown hair and eyes such a light green they glowed in the darkness who’d, by the way, been an eagle only seconds before.
“Yeah, tales of my death were highly exaggerated, Ettie. How the hell have you been?” The demi god laughed as he stood and shook hands with each woman.
The shortest woman of the group bypassed Kayne and headed straight for Rory. Her shoulder-length white blonde curls bounced and her hazel eyes twinkled as she smiled. He could see the resemblance between the woman and her dove. Both appeared soft and cute but with a ste
el resolve.
He jumped to his feet as she held out her hand and introduced herself. “My name is Olive Featherstone.” Nodding over her shoulder, she continued, “Like Kayne said, we’re Claire’s family. All cousins from the same clan. We could feel she was in trouble and came as quickly as we could.”
“I’m Rory O’Reilly, Claire’s ma...” He cleared his throat. Olive’s smile grew as he watched her bite the insides of her cheeks to keep from laughing at him. “Sorry, this whole mate thing is new to me.”
Laughing out loud, the statuesque woman with flowing black hair who he recognized as the black swan said, “Oh my Heavens, you and Claire truly are made for each other.” Holding out her hand, she added, “I’m Gabriella, Gabby for short. And that one over there is Ettie, or Bridgette if you’re feeling lucky.”
He grinned at her meaning as the woman still talking to Kayne finger waved as the three other women came over and introduced themselves.
“I’m Tilly, or Matilda if my mother’s around,” said the bright-eyed, pale-skinned woman whose cheery demeanor surrounded her just like her wild main of long, curly hair that was so heavily highlighted it appeared almost brown and platinum striped. Rory had never thought of an osprey as a particularly happy bird but if Tilly was any indication, they were a fun bunch.
“And this is Delilah,” Tilly bumped shoulders with the quiet woman at her side, whose whiskey colored eyes exactly matched her long bob and barely peeked out from under her thick bangs.
Before he could comment, the youngest O’Reilly brother found himself being hugged by five-foot-eight-inches of spunk. “I’m Karleigh. The youngest cousin and by far the most fun.” She giggled as she stepped back and ruffled his hair before saying, “Love the red curls. You and Claire match.” Her short dark waves matched her onyx eyes, which just danced with the need to cause trouble. Rory could only imagine the mischief she’d caused in her lifetime.
He couldn’t help but chuckle. He hadn’t even formally met his mate yet and he was already hanging out with her cousins. No one could ever accuse him of being normal.