Aerdan: Sci-Fi and Fantasy Romance (Zhekan Mates Book 1)
Page 66
“So, you’re a dragon?” she asked, not believing the words as she spoke them. They were back in their usual spot, on the floor in front of a roaring fire in his sitting groom.
“Yes and no,” he started. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her against him. The warm sensation helped to relax her nerves, but the light-headed feeling that accompanied the shock she was experiencing remained very strong. “I’m a shifter.”
“A shifter?”
“I am both human and dragon, at the same time.”
“Can you control it?”
“To a certain extent, yes,” he answered.
“Are there others like you?”
“A lot, actually” he sighed softly, trying to decide if he should continue or not. “I have, or really, I had a clan. A group of dragon shifters just like me who live up in the mountains, hidden from sight. They come out, from time to time, to move among the humans, but generally speaking, my kind tends to keep to themselves.”
“What do you mean ‘had’ a clan?”
“My father, Aiden Connelly, was the Dtor,” he looked down at her and smiled, “which means nothing to you.” She smiled weakly up at him. “The Dtor is the leader of the clan,” he explained.
“Okay,” she waited for him to continue, even though an endless list of questions was flooding into her mind.
“Well, let’s just say that I wasn’t the ideal son or future leader that he had always hoped I would be. So, on my twenty-first birthday, when I was supposed to assume control, he sent me here instead. He wanted me to find my way, get my shit together, and when I was ready to be responsible, I could go back.”
“You’re still not ready?”
“It’s not that. I wish I could go back, honestly. I returned to the clan as soon as I got the news that my father had passed away. But by the time I arrived Delaine, the first born of House Moloney, our rivals, had already assumed control. His family has long expressed a desire to overthrow mine and take control for themselves. He refused to relinquish the position, convincing the clan that I’m an unfit Dtor. I have dreamed of regaining the trust of my kind, but now that I’ve found you, I’m afraid that will never happen.”
“Why?” she asked.
“The spark,” he said calmly.
“You keep mentioning that, but haven’t explained what it is,” she pointed out.
“It’s something that’s hard to explain, and even harder to find. Not everyone has the chance to experience it, and most don’t expect to,” he began. “It’s a bond, a connection, that’s made between two shifters. And once it’s there, it’s unbreakable.”
“Between two shifters,” she repeated. “Then why, I mean how…?” she stuttered over her words.
“That’s what I don’t understand either. It shouldn’t have happened. It never happens between a shifter and a human,” he said with a hint of confusion in his voice.
CHAPTER THREE
Later that night she had her first experience with Áine, the shifter who had her sights set on mating with Kain. When her voice called out to him from down the hall, Kain insisted that Josey hide.
“It smells like human in here,” Josey could hear the woman’s sultry voice say from her hiding spot in the kitchen. “You brought another one back here again, didn’t you?”
“What do you want Áine?” his voice sounded frustrated.
“You know, Kain, eventually you’re going to have to stop these adventures and accept me as your mate. It’s what’s best for everyone, you especially. If you want to prove to the clan that you’re ready to come back, then you have to give up this life of constantly running around with human women, indulging in their life, and getting into trouble, constantly calling attention to yourself,” she replied.
“You didn’t come all the way here to give me a lecture. So what is it?” He sounded flustered.
“Delaine, he wants to see you. Two days from now, he’ll expect you in the Throne Chamber at dawn.”
Hearing the woman’s words filled Jocelyn with a rush of anger and hurt. Knowing that Kain had been with a long list of women made her feel used and vulnerable. He tried to convince her that she was different; that what they shared was true and genuine. She wanted to believe him, but her natural reaction to protect herself made it hard.
Now, however, standing in her cell, there was no doubt in her mind or heart that he was telling the truth. What they had was real; and what it created was pure. The day she found out set into motion the chain of events that would land her in her current predicament.
When she woke up for work a few days after Kain’s exchange with Áine, her body ached and her head was pounding. Regardless, she pushed herself out of bed, and hurried to the office. It wasn’t until after lunch that she began to feel sick to her stomach. Unable to keep her meal down, she took the rest of the day off and drove herself home.
When she walked into her apartment the room began to spin. Feeling weak, she attempted to make her way towards the couch, but before she made it she collapsed, losing consciousness as she hit the ground.
Awoken suddenly by the sensation of heat rushing over her, she found Kain carrying her down the small hallway to her bedroom. He placed her carefully onto the bed, and sat next to her, running his hand through her hair, pushing the stray stands from her face. “I should have known this would happen,” he spoke compassionately.
“What?” she asked, her voice soft.
“You don’t know?” he looked down at her, his deep hazel eyes filled with compassion and a hint of fear.
“No,” she replied, trying to push herself up. Her arms were weak, and the effort left her feeling exhausted.
“Jocelyn, you’re pregnant.” The bluntness with which he spoke surprised her.
“That can’t be. I haven’t been with anyone except you in months. And it’s only been a week since we…”
“These things happen fast for us. The process is accelerated so to speak.”
“What do you mean accelerated?”
“A normal pregnancy is nine months, correct? Well, for our kind it’s closer to nine weeks.”
“No,” she tried to start. She found the energy to push herself up and away from him.
“Denying it won’t make it go away,” he responded.
“How do you know? How did you know?” she sputtered.
“I told you. We’re bonded. When something happens to you, I can sense it. I feel it. The same would happen to you if something happened to me.”
Back in her cell, she stopped her pacing and leaned back against the stone wall trying to cool her body. She reached down and ran her hand along her belly. Since being brought here, her stomach had grown, protruding out and forming a small bump. The baby inside her had only been there for two and a half weeks, but the rate at which it was growing made it appear that she had been carrying it for five months.
Kain had warned her that his kind wouldn’t accept her, or the baby; that they would try to hurt them. He was right. The same night she discovered was pregnant, they received another surprise. Lying in bed with Kain, his breathing heavy from sleep, she was awoken suddenly at the sound of someone entering the room.
“This is rich,” a familiar voice broke the silence.
“Áine,” Kain said, sitting straight up. The warmth that usually poured from his skin increased to a blazing heat. He pushed himself to his feet, moving in the direction of the voice. In the darkness, Jocelyn couldn’t make out her features, but she could see that she was tall with a tight body and long thick hair which fell to her waist.
“When Delaine told me you didn’t show up for the meeting I couldn’t believe it. With everything you’ve done to get back in his good graces, you wouldn’t throw it away just like that. And to think, he was going to offer you a place in the clan again.” She took a step towards him. “I’ve been following you for a few days now, Kain. I’ve watched you with her.”
“What I do doesn’t concern you,” he shot at her aggressively.
Kain’s eyes suddenly illuminated, an intense red glow pouring out of them. “Don’t touch her,” he ordered Áine, dashing across the room and throwing her back against the wall.
“You want to do this here?” she challenged him, stepping forward, seemingly unaffected by his attack. In a movement that was swift and almost fluid, she leapt forward, knocking him to the ground. He threw her off him, flipping her over and into the wall across from the bed, leaving an indent.
Áine lifted herself up from the floor as Kain did the same, taking a step forward to put himself between her and Josey. “They’re already coming,” Áine warned, a smile spread across her face. “You have no choice, Kain. You and your human are coming back to The Caves.”
“Stay as close to me as you can,” Kain whispered to Josey. “We’ll find a way out of this somehow”. Not long after a group of shifters landed to ferry Kain and Josey back to The Caves.
CHAPTER FOUR
The large stone fortress was the size of an entire city, with caverns and hidden passages everywhere. As she was ushered in, Josey was unable to focus on her surroundings due to the throbbing in her stomach and the gripping fear in her chest. Kain lead her down one passage, and then another. Áine walked to his right, and a small group followed behind.
When they reached a large room, with ceilings reaching over one hundred feet, they stopped. When Josey looked around she saw who she could only assume to be the Dtor. He was seated on a large stone throne at the front of the room. He matched Kain in size, but his hair was a deeper red, and his eyes a lighter green. When he stood to his feet to walk towards them, Kain lowered his gaze to the ground. “Delaine,” he said respectfully.
“So, this is who’s causing all the trouble,” Delaine said, walking in a circle around Jocelyn. “I can see why she caught your eye. She’s very attractive.” He stopped when he was directly in front of her, leaning down to examine her face. “What will we do with you?” he asked in a taunting tone.
“Don’t hurt her,” Kain said firmly.
“You’ll have your chance to speak,” Delaine shot at him quickly. “You see,” he said to Josey, “you didn’t have to get mixed up in all of this. But my dear friend here couldn’t control himself enough to spare you.”
“It wasn’t like that,” Kain tried to speak again.
“I said you’ll get your chance to speak!” Delaine yelled. “You just can’t follow orders can you, Kain? This is exactly why you’re unfit to lead our clan.” He turned away from the quickly. “Take him away!” he yelled out. In a rush of movement, two figures appeared at his side, grabbing him by the wrists. He fought back, throwing one to the ground, and lifting the other a foot in the air with just one arm.
“If I may interject,” a small, elderly man said walking towards them. Kain let the man he was holding fall to the ground, and Delaine turned to give him his attention. “What’s your name, child?” he asked Josey.
“Jocelyn Turner,” she answered weakly.
“Hmm,” he muttered. He stood at an equal height with her, his dark green eyes piercing into hers. “Is it?” he questioned her.
“Yes,” she replied confused.
“There’s something different about her,” the man said thoughtfully, turning to face Delaine. “I would like the chance to spend some time with her alone.”
“Of course, Docart,” Delaine replied, a hint of distain in his voice. “But you,” he turned to face Kain. “I’ll be spending time with you alone as well.”
CHAPTER FIVE
That was five days ago. The only interaction with clan members since had been with Raghnall, the Docart. He was the clan elder, and advisor to the Dtor. His father before him was a Docart, and his father before him. Their lives were spent studying and memorizing the intricate history and lore of their kind, absorbing as much knowledge as they could, to then pass it on to the next in line.
She resumed her pacing back and forth, waiting for him to appear. “Jocelyn,” the raspy voice said as the door pushed open.
“Raghnall,” she returned his greeting.
“Today is going to be different than our usual meetings,” he explained as he took her by the hands and lead her back to the bed. Once she was seated, he pulled over a large wooden chair and sat in front of her.
Until now their meetings had been short and left her with more questions than answers. While the reality of where she was had settled in her mind, she still felt confused and in need of explanations. “Different how?” she asked hesitantly.
“I’ve said since the day I met you that there was something different about you,” he noted as he leaned forward in the chair. “Delaine is losing patience, and I’m afraid that we’re running out of time.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means that I can’t sit back and let you discover this on your own. I’m going to have to guide you to it.” Before she had the chance to articulate her confusion he continued. “I asked you your name once. Jocelyn Turner isn’t your name, child.”
“I know my name,” she replied, a little defensive. The baby began to shift back and forth inside her, causing a rush of heat to spread through her limbs.
“No, it’s not,” he insisted. “Think, child. You have to think.”
“I don’t know what it is you want me to tell you!” she exclaimed with frustration.
“Turner may be your parents’ name, but it’s not yours. Why?”
A realization rushed over her. “I was adopted,” she said quietly.
“And what was your name before?”
“I don’t remember.” She became flustered. As her thoughts ran back and forth in her mind, she became dizzy. The baby began to move around wildly in her womb, causing the air around her to become heavy with heat, almost suffocating her.
She leaned back, trying to remember a life she lost long ago. But a blinding pain that spread throughout her entire body shattered her thoughts. “Ah!” she cried out, wrenching forward in agony. She heard the Docart speaking, but she couldn’t make out his words. The discomfort wasn’t coming from the baby. It was Kain. He was in trouble. What he told her about being connected, feeling each other’s pain, was true. Over the last five days, her body would surge sporadically whenever the Dtor took it upon himself to torture his rival, questioning him as to how he was able to mate with a human. He taunted him, reminding him that his irresponsible behavior was precisely why his father forced him away.
As she pinched her eyes shut she saw him. He was lying on the ground; the room was dark and damp. Delaine was hovering over him. Kain tried to push himself up, but a surging pain rushed through his body. He was bleeding. She could see a pool of blood forming on the ground around him.
“Jocelyn!” Raghnall’s voice broke her thoughts, pulling her back temporarily from the trance.
“It’s Kain!” she cried. “He’s in trouble!”
“That’s why you need to do this, child. The only way you can help him is if you focus! What is your name?”
Another bolt of pain surged through her body. “I can’t!” she yelled. “He’s hurt!”
“Think!” the Docart ordered her. “Think!”
“Duncan!” she heard herself cry out. Tears began to flow down her cheeks, her body shaking uncontrollably.
The Docart leaned back slowly, examining her. “I thought so,” he said knowingly. “Listen to me, Jocelyn. I know it’s hard, but you have to keep your mind here. I know you’re hurting with him, but unless you focus on what I’m about to say, you won’t be able to help him.”
She found the strength to push their connection from the front to the back of her mind. The pain still consumed her from time to time, but she kept her eyes focused on Raghnall’s and her hands pressed tightly to her womb, feeling the unb
orn child move back and forth inside her.
“Good,” he said when the tears stop pouring from her eyes, and her breathing returned to normal. “I ask you your name, because a human and a shifter conceiving is unheard of. Except for one instance, thought to be more legend that truth,” he spoke slowly, making sure she was following. “There was once a great Dtor, Dtor Nolan, said to be the greatest that ever lived. He was the strongest, most powerful shifter the world has even known. Even in human form he would instill fear in everyone he met. Until one day, when he was raiding a village with a section of his clan. That’s when he saw her.” Raghnall paused before he continued. “The Dtor, upon seeing her, immediately loved her. She didn’t cower in fear at his advance, and the instant he reached out to touch her, he felt it. They both did.”