by Julia Mills
Text copyright ©2017 by the Author.
This work was made possible by a special license through the Kindle Worlds publishing program and has not necessarily been reviewed by Latin Goddess Press, Inc.. All characters, scenes, events, plots and related elements appearing in the original Paranormal Dating Agency remain the exclusive copyrighted and/or trademarked property of Latin Goddess Press, Inc., or their affiliates or licensors.
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Dragon Got Your Tongue
Dragon Guard Series #24
by
Julia Mills
There Are No Coincidences.
The Universe Does Not Make Mistakes.
Fate Will Not Be Denied.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Cover by Linda Boulanger with Tell Tale Book Covers
Edited and Proofread by Tammy Payne with Book Nook Nuts
Formatted by Charlene Bauer with Wickedly Bold Creations
Milly – THANK YOU SO MUCH! You are a Goddess!
My Readers – YOU MAKE MY DAY! THANK YOU from the bottom of my big old southern heart! I simply could NOT do it without YOU!
DEDICATION
Dare to Dream! Find the Strength to Act! Never Look Back!
Thank you, God.
To my girls, Liz and Em, I Love You. Every day, every way, always.
Index of the Original Language of the Dragon Kin
Dragon Got Your Tongue
Mo chroi’………. My heart
Mo ghra’………. My love
Mo stór………. My darling
An stór mo chroí go deo agus i gcónaí………. The treasure of my heart forever and always
Mo maité………. My mate
Mo Dragon………. My dragon
Anois agus go deo, is breá liom tú mo Dragon………. Now and forever, I love you, my dragon
Dom leómhan beag………..My little lion
Mo milis……….My sweet
Mo Bhanríon……….My Queen
Tá tú ag an stór mo chroí……….You are the treasure of my soul
The Dragon Guard
We soar the skies
Free to a certain extent,
As long as we stay hidden
From prying human eyes.
Our scales differ in color
Our defensive weapons,
Tails, horns, talons and all,
Are never the same.
We are one with nature
We blend in with nature
The wind helps us soar high in the heavens
While the earth grant us healing strength in our hour of need.
We are one with the world
We are the guardians of our kin
When evil conspire to maim and hurt
We are protectors of this human race.
As majestic animals of fairytales
We share our beings with great men
They walk in honor and the grace of Fate,
Fate that we cannot deny.
Copyright © 2016 Melanie Williams
- This Poem is based on the Series, The Dragon Guard by Author Julia Mills.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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
About Julia
Also by Julia Mills
Chapter One
“Seriously, Tessa? You have got to be kidding me. A matchmaker? What did your parents say?”
“Nothing.” Her friend shrugged. “It really wasn’t any of their business. Besides,” the Vaepanther, part vampire – part black panther, waggled her eyebrows. “You’ve seen Lenn.” She flopped back on the bed, adding with a dreamy sigh, “Gerri definitely knows what she’s doing. I’d give her a ten out of ten for prompt and thorough service.”
Savannah could only roll her eyes as one of her closest friends giggled like a giddy schoolgirl and tease, “Yeah, but he’s a scaly, old dragon. I’ve heard their domineering and bossy.”
Rolling to her side and propping her head on her hand, the Vaepanther grinned, “Oh yeah, in absolutely all the best ways.”
Throwing a pillow at her friend, Savannah shook her head and sighed. She was thrilled for her friend…. really. Tess had every right to be happy…. even though it was nauseating. She was mated to one the sexiest men Savannah had ever seen. Lennox had a wicked sense of humor and the tenacity to keep up with a crazy Vaepanther every step of the way.
But I’m a Queen. I have responsibilities. I’m supposed to mate someone of royal descent…
“But they all suck,” Tessa answered out loud. “And you deserve better.”
“Stop listening to my thoughts.”
“If you don’t want me to listen and give my opinion, then don’t broadcast them for the whole world to hear.” The Vaepanther playfully stuck out her tongue before going on. “Besides, who knows better than me? I’ve met most of the feline royalty and let’s face it, all the males are either momma’s boys or more pretentious than a beauty queen.” She sat up on the bed, holding the pillow Savannah had thrown at her. “You need a man who can make you laugh. Who sweeps you off your feet.” She threw the pillow at the same time she quickly added, “Gets the ‘I’m-a-Queen’ stick outta your ass and makes you purr a little.”
Opening her mouth to snipe back as she caught the pillow her friend had thrown, Savannah’s jaw snapped shut, she flopped into the overstuffed chair behind her, and sighed, “You know, you’re right.” She bit the inside of her cheek and thought for a minute before going on. “I’ve been the Queen of this Pride since I was eighteen.” She leveled her gaze. “And you are one of the few people who know how damn long that’s been.” Winking to lighten the suddenly serious mood, the lioness hurried on, getting more excited with every word. “It’s time I had some fun. Thought of myself…lived a little, ya’ know?” Not waiting for an answer, she went on. “Who cares if he’s of royal descent or not? Has fur or feathers or Goddess forbid, scales? It’s time I grab a little happiness for myself.”
Jumping to her feet as her friend sprung off the bed, the two women gave a loud, ‘Woohoo’ and a unanimous fist pump. Grabbing the phone from Tessa’s outstretched hand, Savannah touched the screen and listened intently as the matchmaker’s phone began to ring.
“Hello?” Answered the voice on the other end.
“Hello. Is this Gerri Wilder?”
“Yes, it is. How can I help you, Savannah?”
Pulling the phone from her ear, the Queen looked at it like it had sprouted ears then looked at her friend who was nodding knowingly, as Tessa hit the speakerphone button and Savannah asked, “How did you know who it was?”
A laugh, so full of life that it made Savannah smile despite her trepidation, filled the room as Gerri replied, “A magician never reveals her secrets.”
“A magician, huh?” Savannah asked with raised eyebrows. “Is that how you changed Tessa from a cranky, old Vaepanther to this blissfully happy slug before me?”
“You know it,” the matchmaker snickered. “But Tessa and Lennox were an easy match. Just as I’m sure you and your mate will be.”
Holding bac
k her laughter as her friend stuck out her tongue, harrumphed and folded her arms over her chest, pretending to be offended, Savannah questioned, “So since you know what I’m calling about, what’s the next step?”
“I like you.” The Queen could hear the smile in Gerri’s voice as she went on, “Direct and to the point – my kinda girl.” There was a pause during which Savannah could hear papers shuffling before the matchmaker asked, “What are you doing this afternoon?”
“Nothing. Why?”
“Because I’m coming over and we’ll get started. No time like the present, right?”
“Oh…well, yeah. I guess you’re right.”
“See you at two.”
“Wait, are you close to the Pride Lands? I thought you lived…”
“Darlin’, I’m close to everywhere,” the matchmaker chuckled. “See you at two.”
“Well, damn. She works quick.” Savannah blew out the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.
“I told you she was something else,” Tessa grinned then quickly added, “This is gonna be fun.”
“Wait…fun?” She knew that look in Tessa’s eyes. Had seen it more than once and every time they’d ended up in some kind of trouble…usually the type that required one or both of their sets of parents getting involved to avoid inter-species war.
Just like the time they were vacationing on Australia’s Gold Coast and got into an argument with two mermen about whether cats liked water or not. It had only taken four tall glasses of some fruity, alcoholic concoction and a whole crap-ton of healthy competition to make the girls change into their cats and jump into the warm, clear waters of South Straddie.
Unfortunately, they’d been so caught up in proving the mermen wrong, that the girls hadn’t even noticed the fifty or so surfers paddling around, waiting for a wave. Needless to say, after smoothing everything over with local officials, the MerKing had immediately called their parents.
For the next twenty-four hours, while sequestered in the MerKing’s underwater castle, the girls had enjoyed enough seafood to sink a small battleship while waiting for their imminent doom. Savannah would never forget how many zeroes were on the check her father wrote to the Sea Shepherd Marine Debris Campaign, the merpeople’s charity of choice, or how long she was grounded.
And I’d do it all again to have my parents back…
“I miss them, too,” Tessa nodded with tear filled eyes. “They were the best.”
“Yeah, they were,” Savannah agreed. “And that was the last vacation we took before they were… were…” She choked back the words, unable to continue.
Coming up beside her, Tessa wrapped her arms around Savannah’s shoulder and nodded, “I know, hun, I know. Sometimes, life’s just not fair.” Patting her arm before stepping back, the Vaepanther painted on a smile to hide the pain Savannah felt within her friend and teased, “Now, get outta that damned, old, ratty T-shirt and those smiley-face boxers. That’s really no way for a Queen to dress.”
Snickering despite the tears still clogging her throat, Savannah rolled her eyes for at least the tenth time since Tessa had arrived with coffee and croissants at the crack of dawn and teased, “Yeah, yeah, yeah, like your matchmaker friend cares what I look like.”
Tilting her head to the side and giving the lioness an oh-yeah-you-think-so look, Tessa scoffed, “Oh girl, are you in for a surprise.”
“What do you mean?” Savannah asked, getting more nervous with every passing second.
With a cat-that-ate-the-canary grin, Tessa raised up on her toes, spun towards the door and as she headed into the hall called over her shoulder with a chuckle, “You’ll see.” Then added, “Want some more coffee?”
“No, I don’t want coffee,” Savannah grumbled under her breath as she got ready to take a shower. “I want to have my head examined for listening to you.”
“I heard that,” came Tessa’s sing-songed reply.
“Good, I meant for you, too,” the Queen yelled back before sighing, “Good Goddess, what was I thinking?”
Chapter Two
“Sorry, I just had to take that call,” the short woman with platinum hair, dark rimmed glasses and enough power to light up Broadway on New Year’s Eve smiled as she sat back down across the table from Hayes with a smile.
“Not to worry,” the blue and gold dragon nodded. “I’m not even really sure why I’m here.” He started to get up. “I shouldn’t have wasted your time.”
“Sit right back down,” Gerri ordered, looking over her glasses like his grandmother used to when she caught him with his hand in the cookie jar. “You know exactly what you’re doing here. So, stop all the nonsense.” Shaking her head and slapping her hand against the pad of paper on the table in front of her, she continued, “You blasted dragons think you know everything. Hate asking anybody for help.” She pointed at him. “Just like Kayne. I keep telling him I can point him in the right direction, but the boy just acts like he can’t hear me and runs the other way.”
“I’m sorry. I meant no disrespect. It’s just that…”
Holding up her hand, Gerri charged on, her irritation palpable. “It’s just that you’re too damn pigheaded. It’s bred into every man on earth, but dragons get a double dose. It proves the Universe has a sense of humor.” Her mood completely switched gears as she sat back in her chair and smiled, “But just as sure as the Goddess made little green apples, I love every scale on your prickly hides. Look at Lennox and Tessa. Those two kids are happy as pigs in shit, Now, stop all this backpedaling and let’s get on with it. Deal?”
Unsure what to say, Hayes just nodded, knowing full well he was going to have to work hard to keep up with the firecracker of a woman. Picking up his glass, he had just taken a drink of iced tea when Gerri said, “Have you ever thought that you might have two mates?”
Spitting his tea across the table, Hayes coughed and sputtered, “What did you say?” Taking the napkin that Gerri offered, he quickly added while wiping his chin, “Hell no, I never thought I might have two mates.” His hands stilled and his eyes flew to the matchmaker’s as he nearly yelled, “Wait! Do you think, or know, that I have two mates?” Jumping to his feet, flinging the cloth around like a white flag, he pleaded, “Please, tell me I don’t have two mates.”
Laughing out loud, Gerri snorted, “No boy, I just wondered if you’d ever entertained the thought.” She took a breath, still grinning from ear-to-ear. “And before you spit any more tea at me, let me ask, have you ever been with two women?”
“No ma’am,” he answered, unable to look Gerri in the eye then nearly falling out of his chair when she went on, “A guy and a girl? Two men?”
Trying to keep his cheeks from turning red while having questions about his sex life asked by a woman resembling his Auntie Mae, Hayes stuttered, “N-n-no and no.”
“You’re a one man – one woman kinda guy then, huh?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“And you can drop that ‘ma’am’ crap. I may be older than Methuselah, but the whole ‘ma’am’ thing grates on my nerves.” She winked. “It’s Gerri, okay?”
“Yes, ma…” he stopped then quickly corrected, “Got it.”
With a single nod, she started making notes in a language he’d never before seen as she asked, “Tell me what you want in a mate.”
Opening his mouth to speak, Hayes stopped for a second before replying, “Ya’ know? I never really thought about it. I just always assumed since the Universe would make a woman for me that when the time was right, my perfect mate would just appear.” He looked at the smiling matchmaker as she patiently waited for more of an answer. “But that hasn’t happened. I’m ready, willing and able, but still no mate.”
“And that’s where I come in. Look,” she sat back, took off her glasses and swung them in circles with the arm between her thumb and forefinger. “I’m good, but I’m still just me, not the Universe, no miracle worker, just good, old Gerri Wilder. My job is to find the girl meant for you and get you in the same
place at the same time. The more you tell me, the easier it will be for me to find her and get her to you. Make sense?”
“Sure does,” Hayes nodded. “So, here goes.” He blew out a breath and then just began saying whatever came to his mind, “I want a real partner. Someone with her own mind, who says what she thinks and isn’t afraid to tell me when she doesn’t agree or thinks I’m full of sh-crap.” Coughing to hide his blunder, he immediately acquiesced, “Sorry about that.”
“No problem, Hayes. As I’m sure you’ve noticed, I don’t hold back.” Gerri slid her glasses back on, leaned forward, and patted his hand across the table. “And you should do the same. The only way this works is if you trust me.” She winked. “So, no holding back. Just go for it. Nothing is out of bounds. Got it?”
“Got it,” he smiled. “Let’s see. Where was I? Oh yeah, I remember. She needs to be strong and intelligent. Spontaneous is good, too.” He chuckled, “I’ve never been much of a planner.”
“Does she need to be a dragon? Cause you know those girls are hard to find,” Gerri laughed. “Sorry, I just couldn’t resist.” Taking a sip from her glass, she went on, “More to the point, do you have a preference whether she’s a shifter or not?”
“No,” he shook his head. “And I’m not picky about short or tall, curvy or not, the color of her eyes or the length of her hair. Heck, I don’t even care if she’s a vegetarian as long as she doesn’t lose her mind when the guys and I grill up a side of beef.”
“Good to know,” Gerri chuckled while nodding and writing. After asking about a hundred more questions, some of which Hayes had no answers for, the matchmaker simply blurted out, “What about sex?”
It took a moment for the Guardsman to answer as he tried really hard not to act shocked while thinking of an appropriate reply. In the end, he just said, “Yes.”