The Dragon Family

by Jessie Donovan

  However, the present was no laughing matter.

  Freya had jumped from his arms to the window, glanced at him, and launched into the air.

  At that moment, his heart had leapt from his chest.

  But then he'd seen her flap her small wings a few times before crashing into a hedge. The second he'd seen her emerge and acting as if everything were normal, there'd been no other alternative but for Finn to do the same and jump out the window.

  As he struggled to free himself from the blasted thing, Freya was already on the ground going in circles, chasing her tail.

  Finally dislodging himself from the hedge, he walked slowly to Freya, debating what to do. Because if her dragon were in charge, she might think it was a game and he could be chasing her forever.

  His beast spoke up. I still say we should shift. Even a wee dragon without any sense will listen to a much bigger one. And I am one of the biggest ones on Lochguard.

  He ignored his dragon's ego to focus on what was more important. It could also scare her. Ara and I haven't had time to shift into our dragon forms and introduce you to the bairns yet.

  And who's fault is that?

  Finn mentally sighed. I promise to listen to you more once this is sorted. For now, work with me, aye?

  His dragon grunted. Then shift.

  Arabella's voice drifted from the window above. "Finn? What's going on?"

  Freya looked up at her mother before dashing toward the back of the garden.

  Finn answered, "Trust me," before shucking his clothes and imagining his nose elongating into a snout, his fingers turning into talons, and wings growing from his back. Within seconds, he stood in his golden dragon form.

  His dragon spoke up. Let me take charge and try first.

  Moving to the back of their mind, Finn did as asked.

  His beast walked slowly toward Freya, who was now trying to catch a bug in her jaw. If there weren't any danger to his only daughter, Finn would think the scene adorable.

  His dragon grunted and Freya paused with her mouth open. After another grunt, the little dragon met his eyes.

  He roared gently and motioned toward the house.

  Freya dashed into the waist-high grass at the very back of the garden.

  His dragon spoke inside their mind. I think she wants to play. Let's try it.

  Trusting his beast, Finn said nothing.

  Freya popped her head up and then ducked down with a squeal. She may not be able to do the same in her human form for quite a while, but baby dragons could walk from birth. It was yet another reason why it was best that they usually didn't shift until they were older. Otherwise, parents would go mad a lot sooner.

  His dragon silently stood still. Finn wanted to shout for his dragon to get on with it, but resisted. His other half had never let him down before.

  After what seemed like hours, his dragon darted down their head and gently took hold of the back of Freya's neck. As he lifted the wee one, she remained frozen. Finn asked, How did you know to do that?

  Instinct. Dragons aren't the only ones to use this method to fetch their young.

  Cats did it, too, for one. But Finn wasn't about to compare his dragon to a wee, scruffy beastie.

  His dragon carefully swung them around and plodded toward the cottage. Because of their height, they easily deposited Freya into Arabella's outstretched arms, who still stood at the nursery window.

  His mate instantly cuddled Freya close and murmured, "Don't do that again, love. Jumping out of windows isn't okay."

  Freya grunted, and Finn would've laughed if he'd been in human form. He had a feeling Arabella would want bars on the windows within the week.

  Not that he had time to dwell on that for long. Layla raced into the garden and poked Finn's side. "Take me up there."

  His beast spoke up. I'm not a ladder or crane.

  Just do it, dragon. For Freya's sake.

  Fine, although I think Freya just wanted to play.

  His dragon scooped up Layla with one forelimb and carefully deposited her on the window sill.

  As soon as the doctor was inside, Finn imagined his wings shrinking, his snout returning to his nose and face, and his tail disappearing into his body. The second he was human again, he snatched his clothes, headed for the door, and raced up the stairs.

  ~~~

  Arabella held Freya's little dragon form against her body and willed her heart to slow down.

  She had her baby girl again, but the situation was far from stable.

  Although as Layla crawled into the room, Arabella had to sit in the chair. Her little girl wasn't so little in her dragon form and probably weighed at least fifty pounds.

  Layla crouched down to be eye level with Freya and said with a smile, "You may be the only female, but you've taken after your dad, haven't you? I can imagine him doing the same as a lad. We're almost the same age, after all. So I have lots of stories to tell you when you're older."

  Arabella knew Layla was trying to charm Freya, but she could help but blurt, "Have you found out anything new?"

  Layla switched her gaze to Arabella and continued to smile. "Maybe. Sid and Gregor think that the sedatives affected certain hormones in your body, which then created imbalances in your bairns. If they're right, then dispensing medication once a month or so until they're mature should keep the young dragons in their hiding spots inside the mind. At least, until they're mature enough to come out around the same time as everyone else, when they're five or six years old. We'll have to see how it goes after that, as maybe the imbalances will sort themselves out as they mature."

  Arabella moved her gaze to her daughter and scratched behind one of her ears. Freya leaned into the touch and Arabella hesitated. Freya was so happy in her dragon form. What would happen if she took it away? She might resent her forever.

  And yet, if she allowed Freya's dragon to come out as she pleased, it could end up turning her daughter rogue.

  Her beast spoke up. Freya is clever. Maybe we can teach her dragon to shift back. If it fails, then use the medication to tame the dragon half.

  It could be disastrous, and yet…

  You want to talk with Finn and maybe try it, her dragon finished.

  She looked back at Layla. "Once Sid has more information, let us know. I need to talk to Finn first."

  Bobbing her head, Layla stood. "Of course, but I'm still going to check on the triplets daily for now. If it becomes dangerous, we might have to subdue their dragons, Ara. I know she seems happy, but if she turns rogue, then you could lose her forever."

  Or, worse, the Department of Dragon Affairs could take her away and throw her in jail.

  Some might cry or lash out at Layla's honesty, but Arabella took comfort in it. "You're becoming a fantastic doctor, Layla. I can't wait to see what you accomplish in the future."

  Layla's pale cheeks flushed pink. "I'm just doing my job."

  "You are, but remember to take time for you as well. Working yourself to death won't help anyone."

  Layla somehow worked more than Finn ever had before the triplets had been born, and Arabella worried about her. Especially since she knew that Chase McFarland—the younger brother of Grant—found every opportunity to drop in on Layla at the surgery and invite her out. Arabella thought a bit of fun would do the doctor good. Too bad Layla seemed not to notice the male's attention.

  However, before she could suggest anything, Layla moved to the doorway. "Make sure she shifts back before too much longer. Watching her dad do it might help. I just don't want to risk her liking her form too much and then never changing back."

  Freya yawned and curled into a ball on Arabella's lap.

  Well, she attempted to curl into a ball. Arabella's lap wasn't quite big enough, and it was more like she leaned against her chest and spilled onto her lap.

  Finn appeared right behind Layla. "Aye, I'll give it a try once she wakes up. She deserves a wee nap after her recent adventure."

  With a nod, Layla left them alone.
<
br />   Her mate came to stand at her side and gently scratched Freya's ears. "She hasn't been acting rogue yet, Ara. Everything might work out."

  Glancing up at her mate, she asked, "How much did you hear?"

  "All of it." Putting an arm around Arabella's shoulder, she leaned against him. He continued, "And I agree that we should give Freya a chance. She's intelligent for her age and just wants to play. Considering she can't even roll over yet in her human form, I can't blame her."

  They both watched their little girl sleep, her chest rising and falling with each breath. She was safe for the moment, and that was all that mattered.

  Deciding to lighten the mood and lower her blood pressure, Arabella murmured, "Figures she'd be a gold dragon and not purple."

  "Aye, well, gold dragons have a sparkle about them after all. The lads might take after their old dad as well."

  "I'd like to think that they'll be purple like me," Arabella replied. "I know it's rare for male dragons to be purple, but that would make them that much more special."

  Finn chuckled. "Our sons, the next generation of dragon models."

  She snorted. "Let's hope not. Male egos are big enough. If everyone fawns over them from a young age? They'll become unbearable."

  Finn hugged her against him. "Between you, Faye, and Aunt Lorna, I don't think we'll have to worry about that. Besides, Holly and Fraser's twin females could do with a set of rivals. I'm starting to warm up to the idea of Dec and Gray being purple."

  "The clan will most likely think you and your cousins are trying to take over the world, especially with two sets of rarities in one generation. I'm sure tales will be sung about it one day."

  "Aye, I rather like the sound of that." She rolled her eyes and Finn laughed. "It's all hypothetical, love. Our sons could be polka dot for all I care, as long as we're together."

  Maybe when her children were older, she could play a prank on Finn. Putting washable paint on their dragon hides and watching Finn wonder if they had some new disease might be fun.

  Her dragon chuckled. You're becoming a bit devious.

  I like to think of it as keeping Finn on his toes.

  Her beast laughed as she curled up at the back of her mind.

  Arabella enjoyed a moment of peace, leaning against her mate and cuddling her daughter. They might have some tough decisions to make soon enough, but they could wait a little while longer.

  Chapter Eleven

  George MacLeod sat on his bed and resisted rubbing the stubs of his legs.

  With all the running and shouting, he knew something wasn't right. Part of him wanted to go check on Arabella to make sure everything was okay.

  But then he remembered how he'd abandoned her and Tristan, so he stayed put. His daughter now had a mate to protect her. George's window for redemption was gone.

  After years of suppressing his inner dragon, the beast rarely spoke up. However, he sat at the back of George's mind and grunted.

  Not dignifying his dragon with a response, George ran a hand down his face and glanced at his prosthetics and debated putting them on. With all the commotion, it would be easy enough to slip away. That would give Arabella one less thing to worry about.

  A knock on the door made him jump. Tristan's voice came through the door. "I hear you in there. I'm coming in."

  His son entered and shut the door behind him. Crossing his arms, Tristan studied him.

  George looked away.

  He'd failed his son just as much as his daughter.

  Tristan growled. "If you're going to leave again, then just do it. The longer you stay, the more Arabella will get her hopes up. And while Finn is her mate and can protect her with most things, I will protect her from you, if need be."

  Silence fell. George had no defense.

  Maybe it would be better if he left.

  His dragon did speak up. Our grandchildren.

  Before he could decide whether to reply to his beast or not, another knock sounded. From the corner of his eye, George saw a human male in his sixties enter. George had seen him once before, but didn't recall his name.

  The male spoke with a Scottish accent. "Tristan, leave us be."

  "You're human, Ross. It's not a smart idea to be left alone with George. In a physical fight, he'd still win."

  "I know what I'm doing, lad. Leave us."

  Tristan didn't move. After a few beats, he sighed. "It seems like our clans are full of stubborn humans these days. But I'll be right outside the door. That's not up for negotiation."

  Tristan left and the human male spoke again. "I'm not scary, George. At least look at me, aye? I'm a wee bit more interesting than the floor."

  Out of curiosity, he glanced at the smiling male. The human was entirely too cheerful for George's liking.

  Not that he had a chance to say anything, even if he wanted. Ross sat next to him on the bed and continued. "You don't know me, but we have something in common, you and me. My wife was murdered as well."

  That piqued George's curiosity. "But I saw you with her a few days ago."

  "No, that's my second wife, Lorna. I lost my first wife, Anne, many years ago. She was murdered by a stalker."

  "That's not the same at all," he bit out.

  Ross raised his brows. "How so? She reported the stalker, but the police did nothing. I could've moved away, and I didn't. For the longest time, I blamed myself." Ross fell quiet for a few beats before adding, "It took loving Lorna to realize there was little I could've done. From everything I've heard about your wife, there's little you could've done yourself. She was flying with Arabella to a hunting site, aye? And the hunters attacked them en route."

  At Ross's words, George closed his eyes. He'd imagined the situation a thousand times, and each time he wanted to rip his heart out of his chest if it meant he could switch places with Jocelyn.

  He finally replied, "Even if both of us couldn't have prevented what happened to our females, what I did afterward was worse."

  Ross looked away and clasped his hands together. "Staying after my wife's death wasn't easy. But even so, there's something you're overlooking."

  The human's confidence sparked irritation inside of him. "And that is?"

  Meeting his eyes, Ross stated, "You stayed until Arabella pulled through. I'm not a doctor, but I bet that saved her life. So, aye, running away was shameful. But at least you helped your daughter when she needed it most. She is here today partly because of you, and not just because you shagged her mother, either."

  The human was strange, and George ignored his reference to Arabella's conception. "It's not that simple. My son told me how Ara suffered for nearly a decade afterward. My running away played a big part of that."

  "Perhaps. But you're here now, staying in your daughter's house. Ara used to be a lonely lass, but she has more love and family than ever before. However, I'm of the opinion that she could always use a wee bit more, especially from a father she assumed was dead." Ross stood. "If you ever need to talk and sort out yourself regarding what happened to your mate, come find me. However, only you can find the will to live and start over with your children. The question is whether you want to forever punish yourself and deny your grandchildren a relationship, or are you going to face your fears and guilt to maybe have love in your life again. The choice is up to you."

  With that, Ross left the room.

  As George sat alone on his bed, a flicker of hope flashed in his chest. Ross could be talking out of his arse, but George's gut said he wasn't.

  Although why a human Scot would care about his happiness, George had no idea.

  His dragon whispered, You've forgotten, but I haven't. It was like this many years ago on Stonefire.

  George knew full well he didn't have the strength to face everyone on Stonefire.

  At least, not yet.

  He blinked. Where had that thought come from?

  His dragon said, I say fight. I will help.

  Considering his beast hadn't offered to help in over a decade, Ge
orge did pause at that.

  He rubbed his face. He had no idea why so many people were trying to help him, an English stranger. But for some reason, their optimism and determination were starting to wear off on him.

  For the first time, George considered fighting to be the male his children and grandchildren deserved. The only problem was, he didn't know if he was strong enough to do it or not.

  Chapter Twelve

  Arabella awoke the next morning, the sun streaming in through the window of the nursery.

  Finn must've allowed her to sleep and had used her frozen breast milk to feed the twins.

  Speaking of which, if she didn't find a baby soon, her breasts would burst.

  The heavy weight of Freya's dragon wasn't on her chest, but when Arabella glanced down, she froze.

  Freya slept in Arabella's arms, but she was in her human form.

  Relief crashed over her and she blinked back tears. At least for now, her daughter was safe.

  Swallowing back her emotions so as to not wake her daughter, she finally noticed that someone had tossed a blanket over Freya. Ever so slowly, Arabella lifted it and saw that her daughter was naked but for a nappy.

  Her beast spoke up. Maybe Finn got her to shift and brought her back.

  And I slept through it all. I'm not a very good mother.

  Stop it. Of course we are. If Finn is near, we know things are all right.

  She took a moment to gently trace her daughter's cheek. If Freya had indeed shifted back easily, then maybe they'd never have to use the medication on her and banish her dragon.

  After watching her sleeping daughter for who knew how long, Arabella finally decided it was time to get up and find the rest of her family.

  She managed to stand and exit the nursery without waking Freya. As she made her way toward the stairs, the smell of pancakes and bacon filled her nose.

  Her stomach rumbled, and Arabella moved as quickly as she could without jostling her baby. She hadn't eaten much since Freya had woken up with slitted dragon eyes. She might just have to kiss whoever was making breakfast.