by Stacy Lee
“Alright. We should be there in a few hours. I’ll come straight there if you will have some guys waiting to carry the boxes for Marnie. She can’t be lifting them and Wren has other places to be with the chopper.”
“Tell Wren to come talk to me before he leaves. He may be taking one of us to Texas if I can’t find another chopper not in use.” He sighs. We have been transporting the felines to their new home for over three weeks using the choppers. It was a slow process when only twenty could fit uncomfortably in each chopper at a time and there were thousands that needed the lift.
“Will do.” I sign off and pocket the phone before relaying the message to Wren. He nods his understanding and speeds up our flight.
“Are you sure you can’t tell her what she is choosing or at least that you are drugging her. It was that you drugged me against my knowledge that bothered me so bad. I mean, what if I had been allergic to it?” She worries her lip as she ponders the fate of the new mate found.
“It’s all herbal. I have never heard of anyone being allergic before. I’m sorry Marnie but this is the way it has to be done. The way it has been done for centuries. She will be fine once she accepts her fate is with us. You are.” She snorts.
“It didn’t take me near as long as it should have, Dare. You got off easy. With The Binding making me compliant I had little choice. Yes, now I am happy in the decision but I was furious the first few days.” Laying a gentle kiss on her forehead I acknowledge to myself she is right. She could have been hell on wheels causing all kinds of problems for me if she hadn’t acclimated herself to our lifestyle as quickly as she did. Not knowing who this mate is meant for makes the idea of her fighting the existence less humorous than if I knew who she would be fighting. It would serve them all to have a headstrong stubborn woman worse than mine after giving me so much shit about how I handle Marnie. I do know one thing; no matter which brother it is, I am going to enjoy watching him squirm.
*
Once the chopper sits down I leave Marnie in the care of four well trusted Patronus men, Jack included, to head for the conference room. Upon arrival the tension in the room spirals around me from my brothers. Emmitt is sitting at a computer watching satellite images while Bane and Fin pace behind him. Cash and Archer look the calmest however the tense set of their jaws give them away.
“About time. There are Vamps everywhere in her area. One of us needs to go, now.” Emmitt spits out as I close the door.
“Then why didn’t one of you go?” I look around the room in confusion.
“We want to send you. You already have a mate. You won’t be one of her choices.” My head jerks back like they slapped me.
“No. Marnie is eating every hour as is. None of your blood lasts half as long as mine. She will be trading off back to back feedings on all of you and Angie said each feeding lasted less and less. One of you have to go.” I plunk down in a chair staring at Archer. His look says he knew I would refuse. He had been expecting it. “Send Archer or Cash.” Neither would break the silence we would have to keep in order to insure The Choosing was done correctly.
“Can’t. I have three groups coming in who want to discuss a treaty similar to the one we gave the felines. The canine Shifters I’m taking. They tend to be the moodiest. The next group is made up of multiple Shifter races. It isn’t the hole of the race only the ones who have been affected most by Monty’s Vamps. Mostly bears, deer, a few winged Shifters including a gryphon and a dragon. The last we know of their two kinds. The third group is Fairies. Again, not all Fairies as their High Council, led by Nora Mave, has refused to look at the offer, but a big majority of them. Your Fairy has been elected the spokesperson for that group.” Archer fights the grin trying to form at Emmitt’s nervous shifting. You think a man as old as him would know not to piss off a Fairy, nonetheless he had and has been paying hell for it since.
“Let Cash have Tink. She has always liked him. The bears have a since of humor Fin should be up for. I can go get the mate.” Emmitt surmises quickly before another suggestion can be made. I have never understood his relationship with the fairy. Some years they are best friends, some years they avoid being together like the plague and some years they fight openly like cats and dogs. Every year we wish they’d just fuck and get it over with.
“Can you get her here without influencing her choice? You did bitch about me not talking to Marnie while I brought her to camp.” I ask meeting his gaze. Determination sets deep in his eyes.
“Not talking and not talking about The Choosing are two different things, Dare. We’ll be fine.” I glance to the rest of the brothers, upon receiving their acceptance I agree.
“Very well. Did Wren stop by?” Archer nods.
“He is waiting. Turns out he was on his way to Texas anyway.” Well that was a plus.
“Okay. Go get her Emmitt. Take Jack and Morgan with you to deal with any Vamps.” We stand, he leaves quickly to follow orders and I head home. I have a mate to cuddle with. Whistling a merry tune I walk through the corridors to our suite. Life was good.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Our suite holds Dare’s small gym and four bedrooms now. One being Dare’s studio, my darkroom, our bedroom and the last is going to be the nursery. Right now the baby’s room is full of boxes. In the corner my floor length mirror stands beckoning me. It was the only piece of furniture I had brought with me. Stepping carefully through the boxes I make my way to stand in front of it. Lifting my shirt I tuck it into my bra then lower the waist of the maternity pants Dare bought for me. Standing sideways to the mirror I run my hands over the life growing inside me. I had never thought I would experience this before Dare.
The idea of children never excited me. Having no family of my own except Uncle, I was terrified to have children I would leave alone in this world someday. I had always wished for a big brother to watch over me. To protect me from Uncle. I even had vivid dreams when I was a child of a blonde man with eyes ablaze that came to me when I was hurting the most, when I needed a friend, a brother. But it was only a dream fueled by a want so deep even my subconscious played tricks on me. Now I had Dare, five brothers and, if all went well, a sister soon.
With all the family around me now, I had little to worry about when it came to this child not being cared for and well-loved if something happened to me and Dare. I was finally beginning to become excited about this child. I wish they were able to do the ultrasound though. I really wanted to know what it was, boy or girl. Dare says only males were born into his family line but I wasn’t holding my breath on that. There were so many things they didn’t seem to know, information lost through the years, and he could be wrong. I didn’t care either way but I wanted to paint the room before Dare wouldn’t let me. Not that I thought he would now. He has become even more protective since I have began to show. It’s like he looks at me and sees the belly then goes into macho man mode.
‘I am man! I made baby! Hear me roar!’ I can hear him in my head. I laugh at myself in the mirror at the thought.
Warm, strong arms wrap around me holding me tight before lowering to cup his child. Man and woods assault my sensory glands relaxing my body into his. I giggle again thinking of the words I had just filled his mouth with. He arches his brow causing me to laugh harder. A thunk under his hand stops me cold.
“Did you feel that?” I gasp. I meet his wide eyes in the mirror as he nods. I knew the baby grew quicker than a humans but this was insane! Thump-thump! “Whoa!”
“Is that….?” I nod my head with a wide grin.
“Your child telling you hello? Yes, it is.” His face softens and he buries his head in my neck with a chuckle. Another thump and he begins to shake with silent laughter behind me. “Why’s that so funny?” I ask confused. I was happy to feel the baby move but why the humor?
“We did that. Me and you while surrounded in power and a blinding light, we made this miracle. Do you think we ought to name him Fate or White Lightning?” I slap his arm on a giggle of my own.
“No way in hell are you naming my child, our child, something that horrible!” His humor filled emeralds meet my love filled sapphires in the mirror. “I love you, Dare. For the first time in my life I am safe, cared for and loved. I have a family I like and a mate I can’t do without. Now I have your baby growing inside me. What more can a girl ask for in life?” His smile is breathtaking.
“For the first time in my life I don’t have to control everything. I don’t have to hide from you and I find I like the feeling of being myself. I have the most beautiful mate in the world and I am loved by her. But I do know one thing you could ask for.” I arch my brow to him. He turns me slowly to face him. His arms pull me tight to his body before his head dips to give me a slow sensual kiss. When he pulls back he meets my eyes then says the only thing that could make a girl who has everything cry.
“You own me. My body is your body. I will obey you and only you. I surrender to you, Marnie. I surrender to you completely. I am yours, heart, body and soul, forever. I love you, Parvulum.”
Now I have everything.
Dare To Be Loved
####
Thanks for reading Dare To Be Loved! Check out Serene Choices, the next instalment in the Patronus Series. Love, laugh and cry as another brother falls for the woman fate marked as his….
Serene Choices is available in E-format at your favorite digital retailer. All Patronus books will be released in paperback by mid-2016.
Please remember to leave a review at your favorite retailer!
About Stacy Lee
Stacy Lee has lived in a small town in South Texas her entire life. She is a professional photographer by trade, but her passion lies in books. She spends her days with her husband and three children, and her nights reading or writing. Her writing career began early in life but was shelved for other activities, like making it to her next birthday without maiming herself. After marrying and having her children she once again picked up the habit of letting her emotions out on paper by writing stories for her growing children in order to get them interested in books and reading. It grew to a hobby she enjoys and loves. As the kids get older and two out of three still refuse to read she has found that writing for herself heightens the experience and is pleased to publish this book, with the hope of many more to follow.
I would love to hear from you!
Questions, comments and corrections are always welcome!
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More by Stacy Lee
(All books are in e-format
print coming soon)
Adult Romances
Rowdy R Ranch Adventures
1-Brenna’s Boys*
2-Ryker’s Rules*
3-Fighting Phoenix*
4-Emmalina’s Enemies*
5-Protecting Piper*
6-Loving Lani*
7-Untitled-Coming 2016
Dolva
1-King of His Destiny*
2-Queen of Her Reality-Coming early 2016
Paranormal Romance
Patronus Series
1-Dare to be Loved*
2-Serene Choices*
3-Testing my Patience*
4-Let the Chase Begin-Coming late 2015
Young Adult
The Cloud Riders Series
1-Wings of a Phranoy
2-Bound Together
Book Three - coming soon
* = Now available in both, print and e-format
All adult titles will be available in print at selective retailers by mid-2016.
Happy Reading Y’all!
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two