Her dragon cackled, but Teagan ignored her. Since Teagan would win, she didn’t worry about her dragon teaming up with Aaron to make her blush.
Her beast chimed in. You’ve just issued a challenge to me as well. Maybe I should try to sabotage you and make you lose.
They approached the table where her mother and grandmother sat. Behave, or Gran will interrogate us to find out what’s going on. Wine can only explain already flushed cheeks and not a sudden burst of pink.
Fine, I’ll save it for later. But just know that I’m not done thinking about him naked. And I really am going to have a think if it’ll be more fun to help Aaron win or help you win.
Teagan wanted to shake her head, but she merely whispered to Aaron, “With our deal sealed and out of the way, you need to act like a representative again. My grandmother was once clan leader, and if you’re not careful, she’ll start thinking that there is something between us. Or worse, she’ll play matchmaker, and she’s one tenacious dragonwoman.”
Aaron’s muscles tensed under her fingers. “Can’t have that, now, can we?”
His words were practical, but they stung. She only hoped Aaron didn’t morph back into a formal, cold Protector. She’d lose her rare chances to be herself again for who knew how long, especially if she never took a mate.
Thankfully Teagan was good at keeping a smile pasted on her face and doing what was necessary in the moment.
Her dragon spoke up. You could always go to another table first, to better prepare for a meeting with Gran.
That will only make Gran suspicious. You know that.
Aaron’s words prevented her from replying. “That must be her. Let’s get this party started. I have a way with charming older females, especially when it comes to strangers.”
Teagan barely resisted rolling her eyes. Only because her grandmother had spotted her heading in her direction did Teagan keep her face neutral. While her gran would never berate or question her publicly, she wasn’t shy about doing so in private. And she certainly didn’t want an interrogation to add to her plate.
Teagan smiled wider and stopped in front of her mother. “Grandmother, Mam, I’d like to introduce Aaron Caruso, from Clan Stonefire. Aaron, this is my grandmother, Orla Kelly, and my mother, Caitlin O’Shea.”
Her mum smiled, her blue eyes crinkling at the corners. “It’s good to see more Stonefire members on our land. First Bennett Moore-Llewellyn coming with his mate to look after his mother-in-law, then Brenna Rossi, and now you. Before long, it may be like my childhood when we went back and forth without blinking an eye.”
Her grandmother frowned. “It wasn’t exactly like that, Caitlin. I’m the old biddy who’s supposed to romanticize the past.” Orla turned her gaze to Aaron and studied him a second. “You’re a bit young, son.”
Teagan bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. Her grandmother wouldn’t be easy to charm, and she looked forward to seeing Aaron try to do so.
~~~
Aaron knew the older, silver-haired dragonwoman was trying to bait him, but she wasn’t the first gray-haired dragon to do so. He smiled. “We’re all young at heart, which is all that matters.”
Orla waved a hand. “I do know a few males in their sixties who act like children. Or even worse, those in their forties who rely on their females to function because they’re simply lazy. Irresponsibility is one of the worst faults. There’s such a thing as being too young at heart.”
“There’s also the right amount,” Aaron replied. “I’m sure over time I can convince you that I have that balance.”
“You’re a bit cocky,” Orla stated.
“There’s cocky and then there’s knowing yourself. False modesty tends to delay everything in my opinion. I like optimizing my time. I think you like efficiency, aye?”
The older female studied him before she replied, “That was the right answer. Always be direct with me, Aaron Caruso. I’m too old to beat around the bush.”
Teagan’s mother, Caitlin, frowned. “Mam, be nice. He’s our guest after all.”
“If he was a male who required fancy words, I wouldn’t still be talking to him. He can handle it, can’t you, lad?” Orla asked.
Aaron felt Teagan’s eyes on him, but he kept his focus on Orla. “I wouldn’t be a Protector if I couldn’t.”
Orla chuckled. “Honesty as well.” She raised her cane to point it at him. “Still, I’ll be watching you. I didn’t keep this clan together during my time to see things fall apart now. Undermine my granddaughter and I won’t hold back.”
Teagan spoke up. “Gran, I can take care of myself.”
“Of course you can. But you’re still my granddaughter. If I don’t look out for you, then who will?”
“Mother, I’m sitting right here,” Caitlin answered.
“You’re too kindhearted,” Orla said with a sigh. “Gracious knows you take after your father’s side of the family in that regard.”
Sensing a reoccurring argument, Aaron spoke up. “If either one of you cares to dance later, I’d love to claim one. We can get to know each other better.”
“Why? Are you planning to court me? I’m not sure you can handle me,” Orla stated.
Aaron grinned. “Dancing is all about handling your partner, but I’ll be a gentleman and resist your flirtation to do so.”
Teagan choked next to him, but Aaron kept his focus on Orla. He sensed he was passing a test and damned if he’d fail.
Amusement danced in Orla’s eyes. “I rarely dance these days, but if I can lean on you, then I just might. I’ll signal you when I’m ready.”
Teagan cleared her throat and Aaron looked over at her. Only because he was standing next to her did he notice the tightness in her jaw.
His dragon laughed. It seems even clan leaders have to deal with eccentric family members.
Aaron turned to Teagan’s mother. “My offer extends to you as well.”
Caitlin smiled warmly. “No, thank you. My son usually wears me out after a few dances.”
Orla shook her head. “That boy is too protective of you.”
When all three females remained quiet, he sensed there was more to the story.
However, he wasn’t going to prod and ruin the mood. Family secrets sometimes needed to be kept that way. “We should be going since Teagan mentioned that I have a lot of people to meet. Until later, Mrs. Kelly. I’ll be waiting for our dance.”
Orla looked to Teagan. “Just don’t wear him ragged before I claim that dance. It’s been a long time since a handsome fellow unrelated to me has asked to twirl these old bones around the great hall.”
“He’ll be more than ready for you, Gran,” Teagan answered flatly.
“Good.” Orla moved her gaze back to Aaron. “Then I’ll see you soon, Mr. Caruso.”
After Aaron murmured his goodbyes, they walked toward another table. Once out of earshot of her relatives, Teagan let out a long sigh. Aaron squeezed her arm in his. “I think I managed that well.”
“We can discuss you flirting with my grandmother later. For now, I need to ferry you around the room before my gran wants to dance. Keep her waiting and you’ll never hear the end of it.”
“So, she’s a normal grandparent, then?”
Teagan smiled. “Yes, but don’t tell anyone else that. She’s a former leader first and foremost. She doesn’t want to appear soft.”
“Well, I like her. She has fire.”
Teagan glanced at him for a few seconds before steering him toward a specific table. “Just don’t try to poach her for your own clan. Orla Kelly lives and breathes Glenlough.”
“I didn’t say anything about stealing her. Bram would kill me for bringing a strong-willed, older female for one. But it’s nice to have allies whilst living on foreign soil.”
“Why do you need her as an ally? So that you can gang up on me?”
“Well, if by some small chance I lose tomorrow morning, then I’ll make sure to invite her to dinner most nights. That way it’ll be
two against one.”
He winked and Teagan’s pupils flashed. Not for the first time Aaron wondered if her dragon was on his side or against him.
His beast spoke up. I think she’s on our side. Teagan usually blushes when her eyes flash. I may use that later to coax a kiss or more.
Are you still harping on about sleeping with her?
Why not? She obviously wants us, too.
Before he could think of yet another excuse of why that was a bad idea, Teagan stopped at one of the tables and introduced him to more clan members. His exchange with Orla had lightened his mood, so it was easy to wink and charm.
It also helped distract him from thinking about his challenge with Teagan the next morning.
Chapter Seven
The following morning, as the early rays of sun broke through the clouds, Teagan stood at the edge of a clearing nestled between the hills, with the lake to her right. She hated sharing the location of one of her secret spots with Aaron, but the fewer clan members who knew about her practice with the Stonefire male, the better.
Who knew what her grandmother would do if she found out? Aaron had managed to charm Orla, which was no easy feat. Just remembering her gran trying to dance with him the night before made her want to simultaneously smile and groan. If he kept it up, Orla would try to find ways for the Stonefire male to stay. Orla liked to be entertained, and Aaron was her latest diversion.
Her dragon spoke up. So? He will be our diversion soon enough.
Speaking of the devil, Aaron’s large green dragon form came into view. As his powerful wing muscles moved and flapped, she had to admit he was a fine specimen.
Her beast huffed. We are better.
So now you’re on my side?
I’m on my own side.
Aaron maneuvered his dragon down and gently landed about ten feet away. As his body began to shrink, her heart rate kicked up. She was finally going to see his nude body.
Not that she should care. All males, especially when it came to Protectors, had the same parts—muscled chests, broad shoulders, toned abs, and powerful thighs. Yet as Aaron’s human form took shape, she studied his nice but not a rug amount of chest hair, chiseled abs, and the defined V of his hip bones that made all females drool. When she finally reached his groin, her dragon hummed. He’ll do nicely.
Teagan tried her best not to flush, but knowing her traitorous pale skin, it would still show.
Aaron strode toward her with a smile. “Glad that you like what you see, darling.”
She raised an eyebrow. “My name isn’t ‘darling.’ And I was merely assessing my opponent. Isn’t that what you said you were doing last night?”
He grinned wide. “Tell yourself that’s all it is, if it helps.” He reached where she stood and the faint breezed ruffled his hair. Teagan nearly reached out to put a stray lock back into place, but Aaron’s voice prevented her from doing so. He continued, “But I know your time is valuable, so state the rules and let’s begin.”
She paused a second at his words, somewhat surprised he realized her time was short, and finally replied, “The rules are simple. There will be two rounds in dragon form. You’ll be the first to hide. I’ll then have to find you and, in order to win, I have to get you to admit defeat. You can also win the round by making me cede. For the second round, I’ll hide, and again the winner has to get the other to admit to losing. If we each win one round, then we’ll have a final tussle in human form. The only restriction to any of the rounds is not killing or permanently maiming each other. Questions?”
“Tussle, aye? Since I didn’t bring any clothes, I’ll have to be careful. Although it almost seems an advantage to be wearing your loose dress to protect all your lady bits.”
Teagan resisted the urge to smooth the purple and blue patterned material. “If it comes to a tie-breaker, then I’ll take off my dress. After all, it would only hinder my movement, and I want to pin you as soon as possible.”
“If you can at all.”
“Well, cocky lad, it’s your turn to hide first. I’m counting to a hundred and going after you.”
She began her countdown and Aaron dashed far enough away to shift. She watched his body grow into a large dragon.
Her beast spoke up. I want to feel his hide. I see at least one scar running down his side. There’s a story there. Maybe even a brave one.
Or a stupid one. The point of this morning isn’t to feel his skin in either form. Focus, dragon, so we can win. Then he’ll be over every evening. That should please you.
Her beast snorted. I knew you wanted more than cooked meals. With him over, then we can kiss him whenever we like without the clan knowing. If anyone asks, all we’ll have to do is mention he lost a bet, so that’s why he’s at our cottage.
I’m more interested in having a chef. You can ogle him and get the Stonefire male out of your system.
You’ll see it my way soon enough. Him being around will give me time to convince you. I already know you like spending time with him.
Her earlier confidence about Aaron not being her true mate slipped a fraction. Are you hiding something from me?
No. But sometimes a true mate isn’t the best option for all involved.
Her beast fell silent. Rather than think about her dragon’s cryptic message, Teagan continued to count as Aaron flew into the distance.
Most of the hills in Glenveagh National Park, which was where Clan Glenlough was located, weren’t high enough to hide a dragon unless they crouched down. And a dragon hunched with their wings folded against their back had little room to jump into the air on short notice. All she had to do was eliminate the hills shorter than Aaron’s dragon form, and it would narrow her list of possible hiding spots.
When she finally counted to one hundred, Teagan tugged the dress over her head and imagined her arms and legs growing, her nose elongating into a snout, and wings sprouting from her back. The second she stood in her gold dragon form, she leaped into the air and quickly surveyed the land.
Aaron wasn’t behind any of the hills in her immediate area. Neither could she scent him, which meant he was either positioned downwind or far enough away that she couldn’t pinpoint his location. Combining her knowledge of the area and the wind’s current direction, Teagan took off toward the south.
As she scanned the land below, she wanted to laugh at fate making Aaron a green dragon. Ireland in summer was bright green, especially this year with the amount of rain they’d had, which made him harder to spot.
Teagan approached one of her favorite hiding spots as a child, nestled between two hills. One of the bushes moved in the opposite direction of the wind, signaling that something alive was there. She folded her wings against her back and dove down.
The next instant Aaron jumped into the air and used the combination of the wind and his powerful muscles to fly away. Male dragons had slightly larger wingspans than most females, but females were lighter. Teagan embraced her beast and beat her wings as hard as she could.
Aaron dove toward the lake, but rather than pull up, he went into the water. Teagan hovered in the air above and waited for him to surface. As long as she was in the air, she had the advantage.
When Aaron didn’t come up for air, she wondered if he’d hit his head on one of the large rocky outcroppings beneath the water’s surface. Many parts of the lake were deep, but the shallower areas had caused more than a few injuries to young dragon-shifters in the past who had acted before assessing anything.
Her beast spoke up. Give him another minute. Otherwise, he might be playing on our concern for others.
She wanted to argue that concern shouldn’t be seen as a negative trait, but her dragon was right. When it came to a challenge, a good Protector would use whatever tools they had at their disposal.
A green dragon head popped out of the lake close to the shore, followed by the rest of his upper body as he stood upright in the shallow water. Snapping his wings, water droplets danced in the air before Aaron jumped into the sky o
nce more.
Teagan swooped toward him and managed to collide with his large green body. Opening her wings to slow their descent, they hit the ground softly enough to not do any damage. As they rolled on the ground, Teagan noticed Aaron had a harder time gaining control from the left side. So she changed her movements to keep forcing him to move to the left. She nearly had him pinned, but Aaron finally managed to use his heavier weight to flip them over. Before he could pin her shoulders, she smacked her tail against his testicles. Aaron roared, and Teagan rolled out from under him and jumped onto his back. Wrapping her forelimb around his throat, she applied enough pressure to make his breathing ragged, but not enough to suffocate him.
Aaron tried to knock her off with his tail, but Teagan ignored the sharp stings with each slap. She growled in question—Would he cede?
For good measure, she placed the talons of her free hand at the major artery running down Aaron’s neck and pressed gently.
Aaron’s entire body went limp, and he gave a low roar.
Teagan had won.
Jumping back, she waited for Aaron to shift. His wings melded into his back, his stature shrunk, and his green hide faded into the olive complexion of his human form. Once the shift was complete, he glared at her. “What the fuck was that? You slapping me in the balls is against every rule I’ve ever seen in a dragon competition.”
Teagan shrugged a golden shoulder. In her experience, major challenges like those for a clan leadership never followed all the rules. She also had stated earlier the only restrictions were to not kill or permanently maim. Stinging balls was certainly within that purview.
Not that she was going to shift and explain it to Aaron. Teagan crouched down and jumped into the air. It was her turn to hide.
As she flew away from Aaron, she just made out his “Bloody hell.” Smiling as much as a dragon could smile, she flapped her wings harder. One round down, another to go.
Aiding the Dragon (Stonefire British Dragons Book 9) Page 7