“After all we’ve been through, you’d still fry my cock?”
“In a heartbeat.”
Fraser placed a fist over his heart. “You wound me, Holly. You really do wound me.”
Snorting, Holly sat up. “If you’re hurt now, then you aren’t going to stand a chance later.”
In the blink of an eye, Fraser’s gaze turned intense and he drew her into his lap. Even though she had spent most of the last week or more in contact with Fraser’s skin, being pressed up against his warm, hard body again felt as if she belonged there.
Then Fraser placed his hand over her lower abdomen and the reality of her future came rushing back.
In other words, her future wasn’t guaranteed.
Fraser growled. “I don’t like the fear in your eyes, Holly. Tell me what’s wrong.”
Pasting a smile on her face, she shook her head. “Don’t worry about it. I’m just being stupid.”
He leaned his head closer. “One day, you will tell me everything.”
She wanted to add, ‘If I survive the birth,’ but decided it would ruin Fraser’s current happiness.
Instead, she cuddled against his chest and listened to his heartbeat. “Can we deal with grown-up problems later? I’m starving.”
“Then let’s shower and go out.”
Even though Fraser had spoken their plans, he tightened his grip around her and pulled her closer.
For a second, Holly snuggled against his chest. She didn’t want the moment to end, either.
But then they both managed to untangle themselves from one another and head toward the bathroom. It was time to face the real world again.
~~~
As Fraser watched Holly eat her third bacon and toast sandwich, he realized just how worn out she must be. It amazed him that any human survived the mate-claim frenzy.
His beast huffed. She is strong enough. I never would’ve killed her because of too much sex or not enough food.
You say that now, but I’m not so sure about it.
Holly is strong. All will be well.
Fraser wanted to agree with his dragon, but he hadn’t even convinced Holly to stay with him yet.
His dragon snarled. She will stay.
Oh, aye? I’d like to see you make her.
After her cuddling earlier, it’s easy to tell she’s becoming attached.
Fraser sighed inside his mind. Cuddling doesn’t mean she’s agreed to be our mate. Sometimes I wish we could just be a full-time dragon. Life is so much simpler for you.
Maybe. It could be simple for you, too, but you insist on following rules.
Don’t even think about breaking any of the DDA’s rules. If we’re going to convince them to allow Holly’s father to live on Lochguard, we need to stay in their good graces.
His dragon flicked his tail. Fine. But we always have more fun when we break the rules. You’re starting to sound like Fergus.
At the mention of his twin’s name, overwhelming guilt flooded his body. He had yet to speak with his brother. The pair of them had only been apart for two weeks once before, when Fergus had gone to America for special job training with the dragon clan in Virginia.
Holly’s voice interrupted his thoughts. “You’re quiet, Fraser. What are you thinking about?”
He could lie, but as he looked into Holly’s amber gaze, the urge to tell her the truth was too strong to ignore. “Fergus.”
His human laid down her fork. “I’m sure he’s cooled off by now. He didn’t strike me as being particularly hotheaded.”
“Hotheaded? No. Stubborn as an ox? Yes.”
“Don’t you mean as stubborn as a dragon-shifter?”
He smiled. “I bet you think you’re funny, honey.”
Holly picked up her fork again. “I am, actually. I’m saving my best material for later.”
Fraser opened his mouth to reply when Finn walked into the small restaurant with a scowl. Fraser stood and moved in front of Holly. Finn stopped a few feet away. “Bloody hell. I’m not about to hurt the lass, Fraser.”
“What do you want?” Fraser asked.
Finn raised an eyebrow. “You were supposed to call me.”
He growled. “My female was hungry. That was more important.”
As Finn and Fraser stared at one another, Fraser held his breath. He wasn’t used to challenging his cousin so publicly. But when it came to Holly, Fraser would do whatever it took to care for her.
Finn finally relaxed his posture. “It’s important, but you still could’ve called me. A lot has happened in the twelve days you’ve been in throes of the frenzy.”
Holly pushed against his waist. “Sit down, Fraser.” Instead of sitting down, he moved to Holly’s side. His female merely shook her head as she added, “Then how about you sit down, Finn, and tell us what happened while we were in seclusion.”
Finn raised an eyebrow in warning. “Remember what we talked about before the frenzy, Holly.” Finn dropped his voice to a low whisper. “I haven’t done anything worth a scolding, so be careful of your tone.”
Fraser was about to say something, but Holly beat him to it. Her voice was sweet as she asked, “Won’t you sit down and tell us what happened, oh great clan leader?”
Finn muttered something about strong females before taking an empty chair.
Fraser maintained his post at Holly’s side as he raised his brows. “Well? What’s so important you needed to interrupt our breakfast, cousin?”
Finn pointed to the chair next to Holly. “Sit your arse down first. You really are an idiot if you think I’m going to touch Holly. Remember, I have my own pregnant female waiting for me at home.”
Fraser’s dragon chimed in. He’s right. Arabella would kick his arse if he hurt another person’s mate.
His dragon’s words helped to clear the cloud of possessiveness inside Fraser’s mind a fraction.
Still, sitting down, Fraser put a hand on Holly’s leg and growled for good measure.
His female sighed at the action, but didn’t scold him. Instead, she picked up her fork again. “While you two have your alpha stare down, I’m going to eat some more.”
As she took a bite, Finn finally smiled. “There’s no stare down, lass. Fraser knows he can’t win against me.”
Fraser narrowed his eyes. “Things have changed, cousin.”
Finn studied him a second. “Aye, they have. More than you know.” Crossing his arms over his chest, Finn looked between Fraser and Holly as he continued, “The DDA have finalized the contract transfer. In three months’ time, a human scientist will come to live with the clan.”
Holly pointed a fork at Finn. “We already knew that was going to happen. There must be something more important going on.”
Fraser’s dragon spoke up again. She is clever and quick. We must keep her.
Ignoring his beast, Finn answered, “Fergus left yesterday for an assignment on Skye.”
Fraser’s heart skipped a beat. “When will he be back?”
Finn shrugged. “A month, maybe more. He waited as long as he could, Fraser. He wants to talk with you.”
Fraser squeezed Holly’s leg under the table. “Probably more like he wants to punch me.”
Holly swallowed and cut in, “Stop being so overdramatic. I’m surprised you lot haven’t killed one another by now.”
Finn grinned. “It’s been a close call in the past. And only because the twins teamed up on me.”
Fraser grunted. “Believe it if you like.”
Finn opened his mouth just as his mobile phone beeped. He took it out and read his text message.
With a curse, Finn looked to Holly. “We need to talk, but not here.”
Fraser’s dragon growled. If they try to take her away, I will hunt them down and hurt them. Holly is ours.
Wait a second before you start planning revenge. Holly’s right next to us.
Holly dropped her fork with a clang. “I’m ready.”
Fraser didn’t like the circles under Holly’s
Yet he knew she wouldn’t just go to sleep if he ordered it. Fraser would go with a compromise. Standing up, he waited until Holly was also on her feet before he scooped her up into his arms.
Holly squeaked. “What are you doing, Fraser MacKenzie? I’m perfectly capable of walking.”
He frowned. “You’re tired.”
His human wiggled in his arms. “Stop being ridiculous.”
Finn touched Fraser’s shoulder. “It’ll have to do, Holly. Believe me, you don’t want to wait for this information and Fraser will argue for twenty minutes if you let him.”
Holly sighed. “Fine.” She poked Fraser in the chest. “But just don’t get used to doing what you want without asking. We are going to set some boundaries later.”
“Boundaries I can handle. It signals you want to stay,” Fraser answered.
She fell silent and Fraser’s stomach dropped. Maybe he’d misread her answers and body language before.
Thankfully, Finn’s voice prevented him from thinking of how to respond. “You two can sort things out later. Come on.”
Finn exited the restaurant.
Tightening his grip on Holly’s body, Fraser followed.
~~~
As Fraser carried her out of the restaurant and toward Finn’s cottage, Holly’s heart beat double-time.
Sometimes it was hard to read Finn, but her gut told her something was wrong. Not only that, she had a feeling it had something to do with her.
Tightening her grip on Fraser’s shirt, Holly leaned her head against his chest. If the DDA had changed their minds, she would have to think of something. There was no bloody way she was going to prison. She wanted to stay on Lochguard and also take care of her father. There had to be a way to make sure it happened, even if the DDA gave her grief.
As if sensing her distress, Fraser kissed her forehead. The brief contact helped to ease some of her tension. Whatever the problem, she knew deep down that Fraser would face it with her.
A small part of her wanted to keep him. Only time would tell if that could happen or not.
A few minutes later, they arrived at Finn’s cottage. Arabella opened the door before they even reached it and ushered them inside.
The instant the door closed, Holly spoke up. “Tell me what’s going on, Finn. The DDA haven’t changed their minds, have they?”
Arabella was the one to speak up. “It has nothing to do with the DDA.”
Fraser growled. “Stop stalling and just tell us what the fuck is going on.”
Arabella raised her brows. “I’ll let that slide this time, Fraser. But only for Holly’s sake.” She looked to Holly. “We received a message yesterday morning that your father had stayed overnight in the hospital. Since his first update signaled signs of improvement, we didn’t think it necessary to interrupt the frenzy.”
Holly clutched Fraser’s shirt with her fingers. “If he was better, you wouldn’t have rushed us over here.” She looked to Finn. “What did the text you received in the restaurant say?”
Finn’s brown eyes turned sympathetic and Holly’s stomach dropped. “He’s still alive, but he’s taken a sharp turn for the worse. They aren’t sure he’s going to make it.”
Fraser squeezed her closer. Holly looked from Arabella to Finn and back again. She couldn’t afford to cry or become emotional. Much like during her time as a midwife, Holly pushed away her fears and focused on finding out information. Only then could she try to solve the problem. “What happened exactly? When I left him, he was looking so healthy. The doctors were surprised at how well he’d been handling the treatment.”
Finn answered her. “We’re still waiting on the details. But Dr. Innes should have them soon.”
Fraser gently lowered her until her feet were on the floor and he said, “Then why are we still standing here? We should be at the surgery.”
Finn answered his cousin. “Because we need to talk about Holly visiting her father. The DDA has granted a week’s leave, with my permission.”
Holly blinked. “So I can leave and see him?”
“Aye,” Finn answered. “But with a few conditions.”
Fraser growled. “Her father might be dying. Now’s not the time to place conditions.”
Finn raised his brows. “Isn’t it? Someone snapped a photo of Holly at Lochguard’s gates and her face was flashed all over the media whilst you two were in the frenzy. Outed sacrifices aren’t treated well outside of a dragon clan’s lands, Fraser. You know that.”
Holly straightened her shoulders. She wasn’t about to let anything get in the way of seeing her father. “If I can handle you and your dragon, then I can handle a few harsh words.”
Fraser turned toward her. “If anyone so much as dares call you an idiot, let alone worse, I will flash my dragon eyes and extend a talon or two. That should scare them shitless.”
She raised an eyebrow. “The dragon hunters may be mostly in England, but they exist in all the major cities of the UK. Doing that in Aberdeen might be dangerous and the last thing I need is to visit you tied up in yet another hospital bed.”
“It doesn’t matter. I will do anything to protect you and our child, even if it costs me my life.”
Searching his eyes, she saw sincerity. Before she could stop herself, she blurted out, “You’ve changed a lot since I first met you.”
He leaned close and laid his forehead against hers. “Oh, that version of me still exists. But you are my future, Holly, and I will bloody well fight to keep it.”
The truth in his words warmed her heart, but she couldn’t think about the possibilities with Fraser. She needed to help her father first. “Fine. But if you start growling at people, I’m sending you home.”
Fraser cupped her cheek and she leaned into his touch. “There’s no way in hell I’m allowing you out of my sight in public.”
Finn cleared his throat. Holly and Fraser both looked toward him as he chimed in, “As lovely as it is to see you two getting along so well, there are a few things you’re forgetting. If you think I’m letting you two travel to Aberdeen alone, then you’re crazy. Faye and Iris will go with you.”
Holly frowned. “Who’s Iris?”
Arabella answered, “She’s Lochguard’s best tracker. If someone is luring you to Aberdeen, then she’ll spot it a mile away.”
Holly put her hands up. “Wait a second. Why would anyone want to lure me anywhere? I’m just a midwife from Aberdeen. There’s nothing special about me.”
Fraser interjected, “That’s not true and you know it, Holly.”
Finn answered before she could. “I know you’re trying to be romantic, Fraser, but I’m going to speed things up since time is of the essence.” Finn met her eyes. “Between the dragon hunters, knights, and other dragon-shifters, who have a grudge against me, there could be hundreds if not thousands who want to use you to tarnish the clan’s reputation.” Holly opened her mouth, but Finn cut her off. “You’ve just survived a twelve-day mating frenzy and you’re newly pregnant with a dragon-shifter’s child—congrats, by the way. That means you’re exhausted and need the help. As much as I love Fraser, he’s not a soldier. He’ll need the help, too. Faye and Iris will go with you, or no one goes at all.”
The dominance in Finn’s voice signaled the topic wasn’t up for negotiation.
Knowing when to pick her battles, Holly merely nodded. “Okay, but when can we go? I need to see my father, and soon.”
‘While he’s still alive,’ was left unsaid.
No. Holly refused to believe her father would die in the next few hours. Hell, the doctors had predicted his death six months ago. But Ross Anderson was a fighter.
She only hoped her dad would keep on fighting.
Someone knocked on the front door. Arabella went to answer it and Finn motioned them toward the living room. “That should be Faye, Iris, or both of them. As soon as everyone’s debriefed, you can leave. There’s already transportation waiting for you at the rear gates.”
Fraser rubbed slow circles on her back as they moved. Looking up at him, she murmured, “Thank you for being on my side. I can’t imagine it’s easy to go against your cousin.”
He smiled. “Don’t worry, honey. I can be loyal to Finn while still defending you. He has a mate, so he understands.”
“This whole mate thing is starting to sound a bit caveman-like.”
He kissed her nose. “We can debate that later, on the way to see your father.” His expression turned fierce. “We’ll be with your father soon. And knowing your stubbornness, I’m sure you’ll find a way to keep him alive.”
“I hope so, Fraser. I really do.”
Finn called their names and they picked up their pace. The sooner they were debriefed, the sooner they could leave.
Holly only hoped they weren’t too late.
Chapter Twelve
Three and a half hours later, Fraser drummed his fingers against the car door as the scenery rushed past at a speed much slower than if they had flown.
It also didn’t help that Faye was driving slightly under the speed limit. “Faye—”
“Don’t, Fraser. Or I swear I will tape your mouth shut at the next opportunity,” his sister answered.
“I’d like to see you try, little sister.”
Faye growled. “If not for Holly, I would turn off the motorway right now and teach you a lesson.”
“I’m sure Holly is the only reason,” Fraser replied.
Iris’s voice boomed out, “Enough.”
Iris may not be clan leader, but Fraser believed she could be if she put her mind to it. How Grant had taken over the Protectors instead of Iris, Fraser had no idea.
Not wanting to irritate the strong dragonwoman, Fraser went back to looking out of the window. His dragon spoke up. Admit it, flying is always better.
Only if you want to be spotted from miles away.
That’s why you fly at night.
Fraser glanced over at Holly, who was closing her eyes and opening them in a cycle, trying to fight off sleep. “It’s okay to rest, honey. There’s nothing we can do until we arrive at the hospital.”
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