“It’s okay. You’ll be fine. I promise you.” Brycen sat next to her, stroking a hand down her back again. “Let her come out, Stella. She just wants to explore her new world. We’re mated now. You’ll be able to come back.”
“How can you be sure? What if she doesn’t let me?” When he took her trembling hand into his, she gripped it tight. “Does it hurt? To shift, I mean?”
“My dragon connected with yours during the mating. She’ll let you come back.” He stroked a finger down her cheek and smiled. “It will feel odd, but it won’t hurt. Just let it happen. The dragon knows what to do, and once you’ve done it, you’ll want to do it all the time.” He looked at her with a strange expression on his face. “How long have you been alone, Stella? You said you were the last of your line, when did the raid on your clan happen?”
Energy flooded her body, bringing a wave of heat with it. She stood, shaking her arms out as the tingling in them intensified. “T-twelve yea—” She gasped as a rushing sensation flooded her. “Brycen?”
“It’s okay, sweetling. Just breathe through it,” he assured her.
She took a deep breath, then another, welcoming the heat pouring into her rather than resisting it, and in an instant, raw power filled her. Although she saw well enough in the dark cave, her vision suddenly became crisp and clear. She saw every nook and cranny around her as though standing in the bright sunlight. Her skin tingled, an odd feeling, but not unpleasant.
With each breath she took, her body expanded and grew until she was looking down at Brycen, who now stood before her, smiling wide. A movement off to her right startled her, making her jump, and Brycen laugh. It took her a second to realize it was her flicking tail. When she looked at Brycen again, she opened her mouth to speak, but instead of words, a gurgling sound rumbled from her throat.
***
Beautiful purple scales shimmered over her body. Something about her shifted form was so familiar, but how could it be? Her dragon had never seen the light of day. When she opened her eyes, and a garbled croak came out, he couldn’t stop the laughter from bubbling up. “You can’t speak in this form, sweetling.”
She brought her head down, and he couldn’t resist stroking her smooth scales. “Stunning. You’re just as gorgeous shifted as you are in human form,” he said. “I wish we had a big mirror so you could see how beautiful you are.”
She tilted her head to the side, trying to look at herself, then grunted when she couldn’t quite do it.
The first time Brycen had shifted as a teen had been one of the best days of his life. The ultimate freedom, the liberation from being stuck in his human form, he hadn’t ever wanted to shift back. Of course, as the day had worn on, and his energy had waned, he’d resumed his human form. But the rush, the exhilaration of shifting had never gone away. The fact that Stella had resisted her shift for so many years after adolescence showed just how powerful a bloodline she had.
“Let’s get out of here,” he said. Already his dragon was pushing to the surface. It had been patient so far, but it needed to shift—needed to be with its mate. “I’m a little bigger than you are, so you’ll have to step to the side a little so we can both fit in here.”
Once he had enough room, he let the change take him. The joy filled him as it always did, only this time it was deeper, richer. He wasn’t alone.
He came close, stroking the side of her neck with his head, then almost purred when she returned the caress. With a gentle nudge, he directed her toward the cave entrance.
Brycen leaped from the rock-face first, roaring long, and loud, letting his clan mates know that he’d found her. If they didn’t see the two dragons in the air, they wold hear him and go home. There was no point in wasting their time climbing the mountain when he already had her safe and sound.
He flapped his wings, showing Stella that it was safe to jump. Her dragon didn’t need instructions to fly, it was an ingrained ability just as natural as breathing, but having never done it, he figured she might be apprehensive. He needn’t have worried. The moment he was in the air and turned to watch, she leaped after him. The dark purple of her scales sparkled in the sun. Stella flapped her wings in long, measured strokes as though she’d done it all her life. Flying high into the sky, she half turned to look at him. That was when the shock of recognition finally hit him. He knew where he’d seen those scales before—those eyes. Where she had beautiful hair that looked like spun gold, Jace’s was black as coal, but the eyes were the same, and so were the scales.
He had met Jace a few months after the hunters decimated his clan. They had both been alone, and so they had banded together, watching each other’s backs while seeking revenge on those who had destroyed their families—their lives. Those bastards were dead, he and Jace had seen to that. The other eight Dragon Blood men had come along later, but they were as much of a clan now as any blood-related clan was, maybe more so for all the horrors they had survived together.
His heart pounded, and even though the dragon couldn’t smile, inside, he was grinning like a fool. If his suspicion was right, he wasn’t the only one whose life was about to change.
Chapter 12
Everything Stella had gone through over the past few weeks, the fear, the frustration, the agony of her body’s transformation, it all melted away. None of it mattered. In her wildest fantasies, never had she come anywhere close to imagining how wonderful soaring across the sky with her mate by her side would be. She glanced over at Brycen, who flew next to her. The same joy rushing through her shone in his eyes.
Through the eyes of her dragon, everything was sharper, clearer. The colors were brighter than ever before. She took a deep breath, and the smells of the forest down below came up to greet her. How could she have been part of the same world and not seen it the way she now did?
Far below a farmhouse with a big red barn looked small enough to be a child’s toy, yet she saw it clearly. A small dog ran across the yard, yapping at them as their shadows crossed the landscape. When she dipped in for a closer look, Brycen put on a burst of speed and flew beneath her, urging her higher once more.
She flapped her wings harder, cresting higher than she had before. Enjoying the rush as her body hurtled through the air. Muscles she’d never used before burned under the strain of flight. She never wanted to stop, but she was slowing. As much as she wanted to keep going forever, when Brycen turned them around and took her back toward the cave, she didn’t resist.
The moment they got there, Brycen transformed. His shimmering blue scales shrunk and compressed until his skin emerged again. From start to finish, the whole thing took only a few seconds, but it had her heart racing. The smooth transition was as gorgeous as the man, and dragon were.
When she was done ogling him, she brought her human form to the forefront of her mind, willing the change, but nothing happened.
Brycen had said that the dragons had connected in their mating, and they had, but what if it hadn’t been enough, or it had been too late? Her lungs burned, but she couldn’t take a breath around the constriction in her throat. She pictured her blond hair, her eyes, her body, but still, nothing. A strangled sound rose from her throat. She was stuck.
“Stella, look at me,” Brycen said as he stood in front of her. He waited until she locked her gaze with his. “You’re fine, I promise. Take a couple of deep breaths, and try again. The dragon senses your fear. That’s what’s keeping you from shifting. She’s trying to protect you. That’s all.”
Stella did as he asked, taking three steadying breaths in and out before bringing her human form into focus in her mind’s eye again. This time, rather than think of the possibility of not being able to shift, she thought of Brycen standing there, waiting for her. Warmth flooded her body, not the searing heat like when she’d tried to suppress her first shift, but a soothing, calming presence. Her scales shivered and shook as they shrunk until they disappeared beneath her skin. Out of nowhere, her eyes watered and for some strange reason, she wanted to cry.
Brycen
pulled her into his arms, stroking her back. “It was pretty intense, wasn’t it?”
“It was amazing,” she managed to croak out before the tears welled in her eyes again. “I never imagined it would be so beautiful.”
“Let’s get you home. As stunning as you were in your dragon form, and as delectable as you are now, I want to make love to you on a soft bed, not this cave floor.”
Just the thought of hiking back down the mountain had her wincing and a shudder rushing through her. Her arms and belly muscles ached from exertion, not to mention her shoulders and back. Exhaustion beat at her. “I don’t know if I have the energy to get back to Glen Farley.” While she’d been in dragon form, the beast’s energy had kept her going, but now, her human body didn’t want to move anymore.
Brycen smiled, his eyes sparkling. “If you can hang on, I can get us down there in a couple of minutes.”
“You’ll fly us down?” Already, her heart beat faster at the thought of soaring through the sky again.
He kissed the tip of her nose. “I will. But you have to get dressed. Just the idea of you riding me without a stitch on would be enough to make me crash.”
She didn’t waste any time arguing. The sooner she got her clothes on, the sooner they’d be flying again.
***
Stella bent over and picked up the clothing she’d folded and left on the ground, giving him a great view of her naked ass. It would be so easy to go to her, to kiss her, touch her, and make her his again, but Brycen held back. The dark circles under her eyes showed him just how tired she was. She needed food and rest, not a mate who couldn’t keep his hands to himself. When she turned and faced him, he smiled. She was wearing his clothes again. Her tight little nipples poked at the fabric covering them. “I could get used to seeing you dressed in my stuff.”
“I hope it’s okay. When I left your house, I couldn’t stand the thought of putting that dress on again, so I borrowed them.”
If only she knew how much he loved seeing her small body inside his larger clothing, knowing what exquisiteness was hiding underneath. “It’s fine. Borrow anything you like. As long as I get to take them off again, I’ll be happy.”
Stella licked her lips and took a step forward. “You want to take these off?” she suggested, running a finger along the V-neck of the T-shirt, pulling it lower, revealing mounds of soft, pale skin.
“I do, very much. But I won’t, not now. Let’s get you home, draw you a nice hot bath, fix you a meal, and then tuck you into bed. There will be plenty of time for me to ravish you once you’ve eaten and rested.” He grabbed the jeans he’d tied up from the floor. “If you don’t mind, we can tie this around your waist so you can hang on with both hands, and we can get out of here.”
The flight to the base of the mountain was a short one. But when Stella squealed in delight as they took flight, he took his time, giving her a good view of Glen Farley and the surrounding farms. Cattle stampeded in the opposite direction when he got too close, but that only served to make Stella laugh, so he did it again. As a rule, he tried to stay away from the farms and the village in general while in dragon form. Not that it wasn’t allowed, but it just made for friendlier neighbors when they weren’t afraid of their livelihood being eaten by a hungry dragon.
He set down in a park not far from his house and waited for her to climb down before shifting again. She watched as he pulled his wrinkled jeans, and T-shirt on with a small smile on her lips, and her cheeks flushing pink. “Those beautiful eyes of yours are making promises the rest of your body can’t keep.” He came to her then and pulled her close. She didn’t wait for him to kiss her. Instead, she pushed up on tiptoes and pressed herself closer as her lips met his. The kiss was soft and sweet—perfect.
“I wish I could argue, but I’ve never been this tired in my life,” she admitted with a yawn.
Without another word, he scooped her up. She snuggled against him and rested her head on his shoulder, her warm breath teasing at his neck. “Close your eyes. We’ll be home soon.”
Chapter 13
As tired as she had been when they had gotten home, Stella barely managed to eat half the meal Brycen prepared for her and fell asleep in the tub. She had planned to seduce him once they got to the bedroom, but her eyelids drooped, and her muscles wouldn’t cooperate. When he didn’t join her on the bed, she opened her mouth to protest, but another huge yawn came instead.
“Get some rest, sweetling.” He eased her back down onto the pillow and brushed his lips against hers. “I have to make a phone call, but I’ll be back soon.”
When she woke next, the room was dark, and she nestled into Brycen’s warmth, her back against his chest, and his large hand cupping one of her breasts. His soft snores ruffled the hair by her ear, and she smiled. She snuggled impossibly closer and drifted off to sleep again.
Stretching, Stella opened her eyes to a bright room. Sunlight filtered in through the open curtains. The spot where Brycen had been was empty but still warm. Following the sound of running water, she found him in the shower. He had already turned to block the spray and opened the door for her before she got there.
“Morning, beautiful,” he said as he pulled her close.
She shouldn’t be shy around this man. He was her mate, but still, heat rose up her neck and into her cheeks. “I’m sorry I slept so long.”
“Don’t be. You needed it. Your body has been through a lot in the past few days.” He leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. “We’re about to have company, one of the men in my clan, in fact, he might even be waiting downstairs as we speak, so we had better get a move on.”
“I’m meeting your family today? You should have warned me. I have no clothes to wear.” Her heart stuttered. What kind of impression would she leave with his clan if she paraded around the house naked?
“For starters, it’s not family, not in the traditional sense. I lost mine in the raids, too. Second, you can wear something of mine. He won’t care what you’re wearing, and we’ll go to your place and get your clothes later. Or I’ll buy you a whole new wardrobe if you want.”
“But—”
“But nothing. He will love you,” he assured her. “His name is Jace.”
A funny look flitted across his face, and then it was gone. She was about to ask him what was wrong when a male voice sounded from somewhere in the house.
“I’m here,” the man announced, with a note of impatience in his tone.
“Oh, shit,” she said. She looked up at Brycen, who just burst out laughing.
“You’ll be fine. I promise. Finish your shower, and join us downstairs. I’ll get started on breakfast.” He gave her a hard, lingering kiss, then swapped places with her so that she was under the shower’s spray. “Don’t be too long.”
Once he was gone, Stella steadied her nerves as she washed and rinsed her hair. When she got out, she found her bra sitting on top of a clean, white T-shirt, and another pair of sweatpants. These were a little smaller than the ones she’d worn before, but they were still too big. She tightened the drawstring as much as she could. At least they wouldn’t fall.
She heard the male voices coming from the kitchen and stopped just outside to take a breath.
“I don’t know, man. I’m not sure if it is now or not,” Brycen said.
“What do you mean, you don’t now? Last night, you sounded pretty damned convinced that she was my sister.”
Stella didn’t recognize the other voice, but a tingle went down her spine, and deep inside, her dragon perked up. “Mine,” it whispered into her mind, almost confused. Her heart pounded. They couldn’t be talking about her. All except for her, the entire McLaughlin clan had perished over twelve years ago.
She took a shaky step forward, then another, until she was standing in the doorway. Neither of them had heard her silent, barefooted approach, neither looked in her direction. Brycen leaned against the counter with his arms crossed over his chest.
The other man, Jace, stood in front of
him, his brows furrowed, and his hands stuck in his pockets. His hair, dark as the night sky, was standing on end as though he’d run his fingers through it. In profile, he looked so much like her father, only younger.
“I thought so, but—”
She must have made a sound, because right then, Brycen stopped talking, and both men turned to look at her. Jace stared at her, his mouth gaping open. His bright blue eyes a replica of her own. There was no way.
“Stella?” The man asked with a strangled voice.
She swallowed hard and nodded, unable to speak. In an instant, she was rushing past Brycen to the other man. Her vision blurred as moisture filled her eyes, then spilled down her cheeks. She didn’t have to ask his name to know this was Jaceon. She had idolized her brother since the day she had been born. How could it be? Everyone had perished. He took her into his arms, hugging her so tight she could hardly breathe.
“I don’t understand,” she finally managed. “I thought you were dead. I stayed there for days, hoping that someone would come, but no one ever did. None of our hunters ever came back.”
When he finally released her, he shook his head. “We were just entering the village when they came. They killed the others. I would have died too, had it not been for the old widow Morison. She found me and hid me in the forest. I was in bad shape. She managed to keep me alive. Once I was able to go back, there was nothing left. The whole village had been decimated.”
“I know. I hid in the rubble when they came back to make sure no one had survived. I heard them laugh about how they killed us all.” Before the pain she had managed to lock away for over a decade could swallow her whole, Brycen pulled her close, sharing her grief.
“There isn’t anything we can do to change the past, but we have a lot to look forward to. Let’s concentrate on that for now.” Brycen said, pressing his lips to her temple.
Stella smiled up at him. Not only had she found her mate, but her brother, too. Nothing could take away the joy filling her, not the past, not the memories, and certainly not the bastards who had created them. Nothing. They would move forward and rebuild their lives, as a clan—as a family.
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