Storms cleared in those eyes of his to reveal the purest clarity. Expressive and intense in their hold, Mac held her gaze as he answered, “Always.” Then she was up in the air again. “I’m going to get you to bed, shower, and rest. We have a lot to talk about, process and figure out. For now, you need your rest, dear one.”
She made no protest, happy to be in the arms of her Dragon.
13
Mac
Out of the shower and dressed in a set of pajama bottoms instead of in the buff as he usually slept, Mac made it over to the bed where his mate had finally fallen asleep. He sat on the edge closest to her and watched her in what he hoped was tranquil rest. She’d called him her Dragon and said he’d come to her in her dreams throughout the years.
As he’d showered, memories of tales of Dragons coming to their mates in dreams came to him. He thought he’d know if he was doing this but decided it might have been best if he hadn’t known. From what he could tell, he was at least ten years older than Bronwyn. She was young, maybe in her mid-twenties. This was the perfect time for them to meet. Had he known sooner, he was certain he’d have been that creepy stalker always watching from afar. That would have ruined his chances with her.
As for her learning, he was a Dragon? In a million years, he wouldn’t have imagined how the revelation that he was one would turn out so well. Not only did she accept him, but she also loved him in his Dragon form. He sent a prayer of thanks up to the Goddess for that blessing. Tomorrow, he’d have to thank Danny as well for being right too.
Moving away to make a place to sleep on his wide recliner next to the bed, Bronwyn stirred and grabbed his hand. Grogginess filled her words, but not enough for him to misunderstand what she said.
“Not on the floor. Sleep with me here in the bed. I need you to hold me, my Dragon.”
The smile that erupted barreled up from deep within to explode onto his face. No words had ever sounded so sweet to his ears.
“Are you sure? I want you to get rest and be able to move about freely with your foot.”
Again, she spoke, this time more lucid. “Shut up, Dragon, and come to me.” Bronwyn raised her arms, grabbing for him to join her in the bed.
After asking her to clarify what she meant and laughing at her mounting frustration with his slowness to grant her request, he decided to join her in their bed. When he was certain she was aware of what she requested and not the powerful pain meds talking, he snuggled in on her other side, as to give her plenty of room to move her leg on that side. In response, she burrowed into him, her breathing returning to the deep, even pattern of sleep she’d kept before. He lay there in the dark stunned into compliance that she was certain about what she wanted—him next to her as she slept.
This was life for him. Mac Kelnar had been well met with his greatest treasure—his mate. Allowing rest to overtake him, Mac drifted off to sleep cradling his mate in their bed. His life was grand.
Morning came fast and bright. Cracking open one eye, he woke to see an arm, brown like the finest Mahogany, thrown over his chest. The grin spread wide and fast across his face. His mate was in bed next to him. Her head was wedged into his side beneath his arm, and her right foot, encased in a soft cast was entwined with his left leg. It would appear his mate was an active sleeper. The laugh rumbled low in his chest.
“Are you laughing at me?” she asked, voice tinged with sleep.
“Yeah, sleep travel much?” he asked, laughing looking over to see how close to the edge of his side of the bed they were.
Her head popped up, to look over at the edge of the bed. It took everything within him not to grab the precarious bun of hair that wobbled on the top of her head. He’d been fascinated with the ritual she’d engaged in last night of corralling and coaxing the sheer volume of her massive mane of curls into that bun and then wrapping a long scarf around it in and intricate assembly, only to see it hadn’t made the journey to stay on her head through the night.
He was still considering where the scarf had ended up when soft, plump lips kissed his torso. That tiny gesture was the encouragement his cock needed to spring to life. Without the protection and barrier of space, he found himself pushing her back and away from him.
“What are you doing?” she asked, still sleepy. “I’m feeling neglected and rejected again.”
“Haha, well, if you don’t want to be bonded in mated with me now, you’ll stop with the kissing me, anywhere until I can put some distance between us.”
Bronwyn propped an elbow up as she rested her head on it. The bun plopped over to hang like a sock puppet. The effect was enough for Mac to laugh and flick the bun with a finger.
“Your hair is a personality onto its own,” he said, amazed at how the bun didn’t budge that much with his finger flick.
“She is not amused,” Bronwyn said, swatting his fingers away. “Let’s get something straight. Do not touch her,” she pointed to her hair bun, “without permission. My hair is an entity unto herself. Think of her as the Venus Flytrap. She can’t be held responsible for what she might do if you continue to mess with her.”
“Oh, like how she ate that long scarf you used to ‘tie her down’ as you called it last night?”
“Shoot—not again.” Bronwyn sat up completely, patting her head and looking around. As if commencing on a snorkeling adventure, she dove under the bed covers to emerge victoriously. In her hand was the missing scarf. Some sort of way it had ended up at the foot of the bed embedded in the sheets. Tossing the scarf onto the night table on her side of the bed, when she turned back to him there was no mistaking raw hunger in her eyes. An apex predator two times over, he recognized primal lust. His mate had it in spades. He could see now that mornings waking with Bronwyn were going to be adventurous fun times.
Cursing himself for doing the right thing, he jumped off the bed and turned a bit to hide his growing erection. It had been in the nick of time too, as the sneaky member was about to poke out of the slit in the front of those pajamas.
“It’s too late, I already saw, and I want you too,” he heard her say behind his back.
Looking over his shoulder at her, disbelief colored his voice, “Bronwyn, my sweet, sweet Bronwyn, you’re not supposed to encourage me like that. We need to have a talk, get you better and take our time down that path.”
“Says who? My foot is broken, not my puss—”
“Bronwyn!”
“Mac! See I can do it too.” To his amazement, she came to stand on her own behind him. “Come back to bed. I figure if I have to be in there for a day or so, you should help me start the day off on a good footing. Get it, foot and footing?”
He couldn’t deny her a laugh for that corny joke. “Haha, back to bed with you!” He gave her a smack on her bubble butt and wished he could take back his agreeableness to join her back in bed. That smack connected with her plump, perfectly round ass and had gone straight to, yes, his cock, which now stood at attention, refusing to be denied. And, it had captured it’s marks attention. Mac looked over to see Bronwyn’s eyes fixated on the front of his pajama pants.
“Why are you making it so hard for me to be with you? If there was any doubt about us, last night, and everything we went through should let you know that I’m ready. Mac, I want you. You want me. Let’s do this.”
“That’s just it. If I rejoin you in that bed, I’m going to do more than having sex with you.”
“Ooh, really? Like what?”
“Look, for a Dragon, when we find our true bond mates when we have sex for the first time, we join with our mates—forever.”
He could see the words soaking in as the wheels behind her eyes spun and worked.
“Okay, that works. Come here and join with me. Is there some ritual or words I need to say?” Serious commitment to press on, she pondered. He remained quiet, allowing her time and quiet to get her thoughts in order. Joining with him shouldn’t be taken lightly or rushed. He’d give her all the time she wanted. She spoke up, “What’s going on
with me? Mac, it’s like I can’t think of anything else but being with you. I’m not this horny usually, promise.”
“It’s the mating pull. I’m feeling it too,” he said, admitting it aloud.
“Then let’s do it.”
“Bronwyn.”
“What, Mac?”
“Don’t be so quick with what you ask for.”
“Why not? You’re the only person I’ve ever had. You always found a way to find me in my dreams when I needed you most. You’ve been my guardian, my beautiful Dragon for as long as I can remember. Now that I have you in the flesh, you’re putting up barriers, nonsensical reasons, and excuses for being with me.” Her gorgeous eyes the color of rich coffee beans narrowed. “Don’t give me a complex over loving you, Dragon.”
She said she loved him. That utterance hit him harder than he’d expected. He needed to protect her more than ever.
Choosing to keep it light-hearted he said, “Haha—I have no plans to do that. My Dragon wouldn’t allow it.” She laughed. Seizing the moment to keep it going in that direction for his sake of not dealing with how much he wanted her to stay safe and happy, he added, “How can I know you want me for this part of me too? How can I compete with my Dragon side for your attention? To me, I’m working at a loss here.” He made a face hoping to show insecurity. She giggled so it must have failed spectacularly, “It seems almost impossible to measure up to the legend that you and my Dragon side have forged. Honestly, I’m feeling neglected and shut out of this love affair you two have going on.”
“Really? You’re going to go there? Get your fine ass over here and let me show you how much I see you as one and the same Dragon.”
“Now who’s objectifying whom?” He laughed. Since she’d moved back enough for him to join her without possibly bumping her leg, he leaped back into the bed. Facing her, he settled down to gain her attention for the serious conversation he couldn’t ignore any longer. “Bronwyn, as much as I’d love to join with you, the fact still remains that you’re already injured by my carelessness.”
“How so? I’m not following. It still sounds to me that you’re stalling. What gives?”
Seeing she was bound and determined to explore what it meant to be joined to him, he relented.
“I see. Hear is the truth about joining. Since you’re fully human, I’m not sure if the process would be painful or not.” Her eyes widened ever so, but enough for him to notice. “Yes, dear one, there might be pain involved. The process of joining includes matters that are best described as magic in human terms. As my mate, you’ll take on some of my abilities as a Dragon.”
“Like what?” Her eyes sparkled with excitement, urging him on.
“Like the ability to work magic. My abilities include healing magic. That’s why Colson wants me to work with your foot to speed up the healing process. He’s of the opinion that with my healing magic, what should take six to eight weeks could only be three to four weeks until your foot is completely back to normal.”
“Cool! Here, rub my foot while you talk.”
Laughter boomed from deep inside where he held on tight to his emotions. Bronwyn was what his and who he’d always needed and yearned for. Cradling her foot across his lap, he gingerly navigated the soft cast to place hands as close to her injury site as possible.
“You wouldn’t have this break if I hadn’t insisted on showing you the garden.”
“It’s okay. We wouldn’t be here without it. I see it as a necessary injury to win the battle. You and I both know we wouldn’t have gotten to this point without my busted foot.”
“Maybe you’re right. In the meantime, I want you to do what Colson says so we can get you better, faster.”
“And, that’s the doctor’s first name, Colson?”
“Yeah, he’s my cousin.”
“What? He’s a Dragon too?”
“Yep, but allow him to tell you himself. It’s not a widely known thing that we exist.”
“Um, duh, I know that. I was wondering why you two were so close. I’ve never seen a doctor willing to come to someone’s house after midnight before. Figured you had a great insurance plan.”
“We’re family. I’d do the same for him and his daughter.”
“Wait, he has a daughter?”
“Oh that. He found out her mother was pregnant with her when the mother was in a car accident. He and the mom had only been friends, not mates, had a one-night stand, and she left without telling him about his daughter. When she knew she wasn’t going to make it on the way to the hospital, she made the ambulance attendant take his information and promise to contact him for the baby’s sake. He got the call, went to get his daughter and has been raising her on his own since.”
Moisture rimmed Bronwyn’s lashes. “That’s so sad. How old is his daughter now?”
“Let me see. She’s coming up on five in a few more months. Funny, her hair reminds me of yours. That kid’s hair is always running wild and free.”
“Watch it, Dragon. She’s sensitive about her bountifulness,” Bronwyn said still referring to her hair in the third-person. “Doesn’t Dr. Colson comb that baby’s hair?”
“How? She won’t stay still, says it hurts when he tries. She’s got him wrapped around her pinky finger so hard that the man lets her do whatever she wants. I fear one day I’ll drop by and she’ll have moved a toy store into the living room.”
“Aw, she sounds so cute.”
“She is, but it’s obvious she’s a full-on Dragon.”
“Her mother was a Dragon?”
“No, but that’s the thing. Dragons only produce Dragons, even if one of the parents is human.” He paused to let that sink in. “Carrying a Dragonling to term is hard for a Dragon, for a human, it can be difficult. Your body has to be able to keep up with how much the baby needs in nutrients during gestation.”
Not missing a beat, Bronwyn said, “Good thing I have all these extrens of thickness then!”
“Extrens?”
“You know, extra. That’s what I call my fat.”
“You’re not fat.”
“I’m definitely thick.”
“That’s what I love about your body. Your curves are life-giving.” He decided to let her in on something. “You know, one of my first thoughts, when I saw you at the home improvement center the other day, was how perfect your body was for Dragonling bearing.”
“What? I knew that was you looking at me from the SUV Danny was driving!”
“You could sense that?”
“Yeah, felt like someone was staring me down.”
“That was me, then.”
“Back to how you thought I had the perfect body for caring a Dragon baby.” She giggled. “Surprisingly, this doesn’t freak me out in the least.”
“Good to know, because that’s a strong possibility with the joining. Doesn’t matter if you’re on contraceptives, if I wear a condom or not, the joining is part magic. Magic overrules all that. A lot of mates can become pregnant during that time. My mom says it's the Apex Predator’s stamp on creation. Dragons have and will always be among the species who thrive and live on this planet and others.”
“Other planets?”
“Yeah, that’s a discussion for another day. I need us to stay focused on what it means to join. Bronwyn, you need to know there are perils in doing this. It can be painful, dangerous, and you could end up pregnant. Oh, and it becomes forever. We become joined together forever—no human divorce—we make it work no matter what. That means that as we grow and spend time together we’ll be able to communicate telepathically, share feelings, and you’ll most likely have heightened senses. Take a minute for that to soak in and let me know if joining with me sounds so great then.”
Bronwyn started bouncing in the bed and shimmying her shoulders in a funny dance as she singsonged, “Woohoo! I’m going to become Chocolate Wonder Woman!” Looking at his confusion, she added, “I’m going to have super powers, bitches!”
Despite his reservations that s
he still didn’t fully understand the strain being with him or carrying his children might have on her, he laughed.
“Dear one, please, listen and take this to heart. It’s not easy being with a Dragon. There will be a tremendous strain on every part of your being. You’ll be stressed beyond normal human limitations to adjust to what my Dragon wants and needs of you as a mate. Does it still sound so great now?”
He waited, wanting her to sit with the dark side of being mated to a Dragon.
Her comeback was vigorous and unwavering.
“In my dreams, we’ve soared above the heavens, connected on a level that defies communication, and have loyalty to one another that transcends reason. If I can have a tenth of that in real life with you, it’ll be worth it.”
14
Bronwyn
Why was he so cautious?
After spending time with him, she no longer questioned his sincerity of wanting to be with her. His cleaning the stove, refrigerator, and bathroom of the condo last night alone had put that to rest. MacMillan Kelnar was her Dragon. It all made sense once the veil of who he was had been removed from her eyes. Like he’d been in her dreams, he was the same in person. Mac was here with her every step of the way. He was stick and stay. The man was as great as the Dragon. That fact hummed and vibrated all the way down into the deep crevices of her soul.
“I’m willing to get tested for STDs and other stuff if that will make you feel better.” She was prepared to offer this to make him see she was just as invested in this as he was. She got it now. He was as much a part of her as she was to him. They already had a history.
“Doesn’t matter. Dragons have immunity to human illness. That’s another reason why we live so long.”
“You mean to tell me you don’t get STDs?”
“No, that I know of. Besides injuries mostly through combat or being stupid, we don’t suffer from human illness including cancer or other terminal illnesses. The only time we get sick is when we’re out of alignment with the universe or our mates.”
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