Aiding the Dragon (Stonefire British Dragons Book 9)

by Jessie Donovan

  Her dragon huffed. Just tell him already. No need to rationalize or think about it.

  Cupping his cheek, she said, “I love you, Aaron Caruso, grumpy mornings and all.”

  With a growl, he took her lips in a quick, rough kiss. Each movement of his tongue or lips showed her how much he treasured her, too.

  He pulled away far too soon, and his breath was hot against her lips as he whispered, “I love you, too, Teagan. And if I have to return to Stonefire and wait for you until we find a way where you can both be clan leader and take a mate, I’ll do it. I’ve said it before, but you are worth the wait.” He nuzzled her cheek. “Just tell me what you want, love. And I’ll fight to make it a reality.”

  Tears prickled Teagan’s eyes. “Oh, Aaron.”

  He leaned back to meet her gaze. As he strummed her cheek, he murmured, “Next time, I want to hear you say my name with more pleasure than pain.”

  She lightly hit his chest. “It’s not pain, you fool. I’m happy. And maybe a little bit tired. But I should also make clear that it’s not going to be easy becoming my mate. So I’m giving you one last chance to back out.”

  “Even if you gave me a thousand chances to back out, I won’t. I only want you, Teagan O’Shea. Although I have a condition—you can’t step down as leader for my sake. You can step down only if you want to do so for yourself. It has to be for your own reason and no one else’s.”

  Teagan hooked her arms around his neck. “We’ll find a way to make it work. I, for one, can’t abandon the clan right now. But the mating will have to be soon. The DDA will be back within weeks to check and make sure the visitors all returned home.”

  He brushed her long hair over her shoulder. “I’m ready anytime you are. My final condition is that you get some sleep first.”

  “You and your conditions,” she muttered. “You’re just going to keep adding them, aren’t you?”

  He winked. “Well, I have learned from the best. If you can make the DDA agree to conditions, I have much to learn.”

  If she were a normal female in love and about to be mated, she would smile, kiss her male, and merely hold him close to enjoy the moment.

  However, Teagan didn’t have that luxury. “As much as I love you putting me at ease, we need to focus.” He frowned and she added, “But know that in my mind, I’m snuggling against your chest as I fall asleep.”

  He raised his brows. “And in reality?”

  She sighed. “I need to tell Brenna she can’t stay. As much as I think of her as part of Glenlough now, she’s technically from Stonefire. The DDA will force her to go. And considering how she stepped up and did so much for the clan, I need to tell her myself in person. Rumors will fly soon enough about the non-Irish leaving, and I don’t want her to find out secondhand.”

  Aaron tightened his arms around her and pulled her against his chest. “We have a little time to think of a solution. Let’s take a quick nap and then reach out to Bram. He might have an idea.”

  Teagan raised her head. “And if he doesn’t?”

  “Then Brenna either has to get mated or go home.”

  ~~~

  Brenna could count on her hand the number of times she’d cried in her adult life and she was on the verge of adding another finger to the tally.

  Teagan had to send her back to Stonefire.

  Her dragon spoke up. It’s not by choice, and you know it. She would probably make us temporary head Protector if she could.

  But she can’t. And all because a few idiots attracted the attention of the Department of Dragon Affairs.

  Her beast sent comforting thoughts. We still have a week or two to come up with a plan. I’m not giving up hope and neither should you.

  I want to be optimistic, but I don’t think it’s going to help in this case. She approached the room Killian was in and added to her dragon, We’ll discuss this later. I need to escort Killian to the cells for the night.

  He’s not going to be happy about it.

  I can’t help it. The cottage won’t be secure until morning.

  Brenna pushed her way inside the room to find Killian watching a TV program. He turned to look at her. “I hope you’re here to take me to my new temporary home.”

  “I will tomorrow. I have escorts coming to take you to one of the holding cells.”

  Killian’s eyes turned dark. “For all that people seem to bang on about how close we were, they seem eager to take away my freedoms.”

  Between the bad news of leaving and Killian’s surly tone, something snapped inside Brenna and she walked up to Killian. “Look, we all have bad days. I’m about to lose the only place I ever felt I belonged to. You, at least, will have the option to leave if your memories never return and you understand the dangers. I may never come back.”

  He frowned. “You’re leaving? Why?”

  “You must’ve noticed my accent by now. I’m not from around here.”

  “I may not have my memories, but I can tell an annoying English one when I hear it.”

  She curled her fingers into a fist and her dragon warned, Hitting him is a bad idea.

  Not heeding her beast, Brenna moved to punch Killian’s jaw. However, he caught her fist, rose up, turned her around, and wrapped his free arm around her waist.

  A small part of her was aware of the dangerous situation, but the heat of Killian’s chest against her back made it hard to concentrate.

  Her beast growled. Don’t let down your guard.

  Snapping out of her trance, Brenna kicked her heel into Killian’s knee. He released her and yelled, “Fucking hell,” as he fell back on his backside.

  Brenna dashed to the far side of the room, out of Killian’s reach. “I may be younger and female, but maybe next time you’ll remember I can hold my own.”

  Killian rubbed his knee as he studied her from the floor. Each second his green eyes bore into hers, her heart rate kicked up.

  He finally spoke again. “Why are you leaving?”

  She blinked. “That’s what you have to say to me?”

  He growled. “Excuse me for showing some fucking concern, although I assure you it’s not entirely selfless. You’re the only one I can stand around here.” He lowered his voice. “I don’t want you to go.”

  She opened her mouth and promptly closed it. For months, she’d daydreamed of Killian wanting her to stay, pulling her close, and kissing the living daylights out of her.

  Now when he lacked his memories and she was about to leave, he noticed her.

  How bloody perfect.

  Her beast spoke up. It gives me an idea. Ask if he truly wants us to stay and just how far he’d go to do it.

  Why? she asked cautiously.

  Just ask him.

  Killian’s voice interrupted her inner conversation. “I should be alarmed that your pupils just turned to slits, but I’m not. I have no idea why.”

  Brenna had been avoiding conversations about inner dragons. Killian clearly had lost his, and the last thing she wanted to do was bring him pain if he remembered who he was. At least until the doctors had some more time to run their tests and reach out to Dr. Sid on Stonefire to hopefully devise a treatment.

  He deserves to know, her dragon said. Besides, the more vital we become, the more likely he’ll agree to my plan.

  Which is?

  Not yet. Answer him.

  Too tired to argue, she cleared her throat and said to Killian, “I am a dragon-shifter, which means a human and a dragon half share a brain, each with a distinct personality. When I talk with her, my pupils change.”

  “Isn’t it annoying to have someone constantly in your head?”

  “Usually not. It’s like having a twin, but more intimate. We are one whole.”

  He scoffed. “That sounds ridiculous.”

  She shrugged. “It’s how it works. But as much as I’d like to tell you more, we need to leave soon, and I have a few more questions for you before the other escorts arrive.”

  He crossed his arms over his che
st. “Then ask them.”

  She hesitated and her beast roared. Ask him already.

  Before she could change her mind, Brenna blurted out, “How far would you go to keep me here?”

  “I’m not going to spout fancy words. That much I know about myself. But if there’s something I can do to keep you around and as my main guard, I will most likely do it.”

  “Why?” she blurted.

  He raised his brows. “Does it matter?”

  No, it doesn’t. Her dragon hummed. Ask him to mate us.

  Brenna sputtered out loud. Ignoring Killian’s look, she said to her beast, I can’t do that for many reasons, one of which being he has amnesia and that’s taking advantage of him.

  I disagree. It’s the only option. Once the Irish DDA calms down and allows foreigners to stay on Glenlough again, we can dissolve the mating. Easy peasy.

  There’s nothing easy about it.

  It’s your choice. Either do this or we go back to Stonefire, perhaps forever.

  Killian’s voice interrupted her conversation. “For someone who says we need to hurry, you’re taking your bloody time telling me your plan.”

  Staring at Killian, she saw how the future could be happy or disastrous. If his memories returned, he might dismiss her. Apart from cooperation during missions, he always had before.

  And yet if they never did, the amnesiac version of Killian might actually give her a chance.

  To be honest, she had no idea which path she was rooting for. Not wanting him to remember everyone and get his dragon back would be selfish of her. And yet, she was growing to like the new version of Killian.

  She wished there was another way for her to stay and avoid a conundrum, but this was her last card to play. “If you take me as your mate, I can stay in Ireland.”

  He didn’t even blink an eye. “Mate? As in wife? I don’t love you. Bloody hell, I don’t even know you.”

  “I’m not asking for a true mating, which is similar to a human marriage, just a pretend one. I can remain your guard because we’ll be expected to share a home. As soon as enough time has passed, we can dissolve it and lead our separate lives.”

  Killian remained silent. As the seconds ticked by, she wondered if he would give her an answer before the other escorts barged into the room.

  She opened her mouth to prod him, but Killian spoke first. “I’ll agree. But know upfront that I have no intention of making it a true mating, as you put it. We’ll share a cottage, but don’t expect romance. I’m not in a place to focus on anyone but myself.”

  A mixture of relief and sadness coursed through her body. Brenna hadn’t thought much about matings since she was only twenty-one; however, a fake one to a man she’d long fancied but who had no memory of her wasn’t exactly what she’d imagined.

  Just do it, her beast growled. Then we can stay.

  Taking a deep breath, Brenna answered before she lost her nerve. “Then it’s a deal. I’ll work out the details with Teagan as soon as possible. Unfortunately, you still have to spend the night in the cells.”

  The corner of his mouth ticked up and took her by surprise. “The threat of tying me up takes on a whole new meeting if we’re to be mates.”

  “If you expect sex whenever you want, that’s not part of the deal.”

  He slowly perused her body and heat followed his gaze. When he finally met her eyes again, she saw smugness. His voice was low as he murmured, “We’ll see. A little sex might make the situation more authentic to everyone else. Can’t have them thinking it’s a sham and sending you away, now can we?”

  She should be offended at his words, but her heart pounded faster and desire pooled between her legs.

  Her beast hummed. Yes, a little sex could be nice. But make him work for it.

  Her dragon’s words snapped her out of her trance. “If you want anything, you have to earn it, Killian. Keep that in mind.”

  Amusement danced in his eyes and Brenna studied Killian’s face. Who was this male and what had happened to him?

  A knock on the door garnered her attention. She whispered quickly, “Keep this a secret for now, okay?” He nodded, and she let in the other Protectors.

  As they put on a different set of restraints and then removed the first ones, she never took her gaze from Killian’s.

  Yes, she wanted to stay on Glenlough, but what the hell had she agreed to? She only hoped she wasn’t in over her head.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Two days later, Aaron stood with Teagan in one of the conference rooms inside central command. Orla, Brenna, Teagan’s mother Caitlin, and Colm MacDermot were inside the room as well.

  To prevent sabotage or backlash, he and Teagan were mating in private. Teagan had asked Colm to be a witness in case the DDA questioned the mating; a nonrelative’s word would hold more weight. As Aaron caught Colm’s eye from across the room, they nodded at each other.

  His dragon spoke up. See? I told you he’s not a threat.

  Maybe not, but he had yet to prove himself before. His help with coordinating search and recovery teams after the attacks has more than earned him my respect.

  Good, because we need to forge our own allies within the clan.

  His dragon fell silent and Aaron looked back to Teagan. She smiled at him. Keeping the fact that she was his mate from the others would be bloody difficult. However, the most important thing was that the DDA would know about the mating as soon as possible, both in Ireland and the UK, and it would allow him to stay.

  Once the clan was stable and the DDA wasn’t breathing down their backs, he and Teagan would make a formal announcement.

  He studied Teagan’s face for any traces of regret, but only saw love. Still, as leader, Teagan was supposed to speak first. Yet she hadn’t said a word in the last sixty seconds.

  Aaron asked softly, “Are you having second thoughts?”

  “Of course not,” Teagan answered. “I was trying to think of any last-minute ideas so that Killian could attend, too. It feels wrong for my brother not to witness one of the most important days of my life.”

  Taking her hands in his, he squeezed. “I know, love. But you laid out all the risks with having him here. Not only could he use it as a chance to escape, but he might also share our secret before it’s safe. If he regains his memories eventually, he’ll forgive you.”

  “I hope so,” she whispered. “And I’m sorry we couldn’t have your mother here either. The DDA is watching us too closely to risk sneaking her onto the clan’s lands.”

  Aaron gave a sad smile. “I’m sorry, too. But once things calm down a bit, we’ll find a loophole for her to visit. An in-law should count for something.”

  Orla tapped her cane. “Yes, yes, it’s a shame. Now, let’s begin. We all have appointments to keep today.”

  His dragon huffed. I feel bad for her late mate. He must’ve been a saint.

  Rather than answer his beast, he squeezed Teagan’s hands again. She nodded and took a deep breath before saying, “Aaron Caruso, you are the best kind of male. You support me when needed, but also know when it’s necessary to take charge. In addition to your strength and intelligence, you have a way of erasing my doubts and frustrations in a way no other male has done before. Your humor and cooking skills are just icing on the cake. In other words, I love you, Aaron Caruso, and I want you to stand by my side to not only be my mate, but to also help me lead the clan. Do you accept my mate claim?”

  “I should ask you to keep listing my positive traits and convince me your love is genuine.” She growled, and he laughed. “All right, all right. Of course I accept your bloody claim, woman.”

  He released one of her hands. Teagan picked up the plain silver arm cuff that would later be engraved with her name and slid it onto Aaron’s tattoo-free bicep. “Then this band symbolizes my claim. I will engrave it later, so don’t think of doing your own design in the meanwhile.”

  He winked. “We’ll see how long it takes you to have it done. If it takes too long, I may n
eed to put ‘Teagan’s brilliant lover’ in the old language.” She glared and he lightly brushed her cheek. “I look forward to what you come up with.”

  At his touch, she visibly relaxed. She opened her mouth, but Aaron spoke again before she could. He’d delayed long enough. “Teagan O’Shea, you’re a bloody brilliant leader. You care about your people and literally put your life on the line to stand up for them. While I love your ability to lead, I also love your feisty humor and inner strength. Not to mention your cleverness and quick thinking. Oh, and of course, your sexy body.” She rolled her eyes and he added, “I love the whole package, and I’m honored to lead the clan at your side. Whatever you need of me, I will do as long as it doesn’t involve tying me naked to a pole in the middle of the night, out in the open for the clan to see in the morning.”

  She smiled wider. “That option will always be on the table.”

  “We’ll see about that.” He brought her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. “I love you, Teagan O’Shea. Will you accept my mate claim?”

  “I suppose.”

  His dragon roared. That’s not a good enough answer.

  Then Teagan grinned and added, “Of course I do. Now, hurry up.”

  Picking up the smaller, plain silver cuff, he slid it into place on her arm. His beast grunted. I want our name there.

  In time.

  Aaron pulled her up against his body and took her lips in a rough kiss. Not caring that her family was there, he took the kiss deeper. Teagan wrapped her arms around him and met him stroke for stroke. Only when she needed to come up for air did he pull away.

  The sight of her kiss-bruised lips and shortness of breath instantly flashed a picture of her naked in their bed, awaiting his latest torture.

  His beast spoke up again. We should hurry. I’m sure we can make her scream our name at least once before the next clan matter arises. She is recovered and strong enough. She could use the exercise.