He watched helplessly as Devon began to shut down. He could see it in her eyes. “I’m hungry.” Jace ignored Devon’s angry rant and pulled several foil-wrapped MREs from the duffel bag. “Is anyone else ready to eat?” He riffled the packages in his hand as he read the labels aloud. “We have ‘Mountain Chili’—sounds appropriate for this place. And ‘Home-style scalloped potatoes with country ham.’ That sounds promising too. Here we go, real comfort food: ‘Mac and Cheese.’ This one’s for Devon.” He tossed the packet into her lap. “It tastes better heated.”
Devon’s stomach growled. “Do you really think you can distract me from this bizarre situation with macaroni and cheese?”
“I’m going to try.” Jace dared to smile. If he acted sane and kept talking to her in a calm voice, maybe she’d start to relax? He poured bottled water into an aluminum cooking pot and set it near the fire to heat. After the taxing flight, he had to restore his body’s energy. “We’re all hungry and tired. I think we should eat, get warm by the fire, and talk. Don’t you think doing something normal like sharing a meal would help?”
Devon didn’t answer, but she looked a little less angry.
Beau gently touched Devon’s hand. “Jace and I would never hurt you. You’re very important to us. We’ll do our best to answer any questions you might ask, and I’m sure you’ll have a lot.”
“Hell yes, I have questions!” Devon’s gaze darted between Jace and Beau. “I don’t suppose there’s any chance I could be returned to camp?”
“We’d have to fly you there in our talons or on our backs,” Jace said in a matter-of-fact manner. “Are you up for another flight so soon?”
Devon looked horrified. “No more flying. No way.”
“Fine.” Jace set his foil packet into the pot. “To be honest, I have no business flying anywhere until I’ve had something to eat and rested. You have to understand that when we step out of this cave, the only direction is straight down. We can’t hike out of here. We’re hours from camp by Jeep, even if we had one, and at least a couple of days from camp on foot. That’s if we don’t get eaten in transit.”
“So, I don’t have a choice.” Devon tossed the sealed foil packet into the cooking pot. “I’m a captive?”
“You’re an honored guest,” Jace corrected her. “This is a sacred place and you’re the only woman I’ve ever considered bringing here.”
“I don’t feel honored. I feel trapped.” Her gaze hardened. “You lured me to Africa.”
Denying it would serve no one. “We did.”
“Why?” She sounded combative. “To scare the shit out of me?”
He fought down a rising sense of panic and used his best corporate voice. What if Devon rejected them? “You will get to see and photograph Amboseli National Park, and hopefully you’ll get to know Beau and me a little better, and some of the initial weirdness of meeting dragon men will fade.”
“Or not.” She shifted restlessly. “Meeting dragon men might always be a little weird. Seriously, how is this even possible? How do you even exist?”
“We’ll tell you everything, but a full stomach and an open mind will make everything a whole lot easier.”
“A whole lot easier for who?” Devon’s crossed her limbs. Her body language screamed off-limits. “I feel tricked and used, but for what purpose?”
He bit his lip. The next part could send her running, but in which direction? “I spent months getting to know you at work and really watching you from afar. I hope this doesn’t make me sound like a stalker, but I know how you like your coffee. You add almond milk and a spoonful of cocoa. Your favorite color is purple, and you have a purple yoga mat in the trunk of your car. You go to yoga classes Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturday mornings—”
Her mouth drew taut. “Have you been spying on me?”
He shook his head. “Not in an invasive way. I just notice things. We did go on a few dates and you told me some of this too.”
“Yeah. That. Why pretend we’re dating when you don’t call back, hold me at arm’s length, and then spring something like this on me? This is not how normal people date!”
“I’m not a normal person and neither is Beau.” What else could he say? It was true. “I wish I were. I dream of being just like every other fucking guy on the planet who can ask a woman on a date and be casual about it, but I can’t. I’m a Marduko dragon and different rules apply. There is nothing casual or normal about my life.”
Her posture straightened, and she appeared defensive. “Okay, I’m listening. Explain yourself.”
This was it. Out with it. His stomach clenched. “Devon, over the last few months I’ve fallen in love with you.”
“What? No!” Her mouth gaped. “We went on a couple dates, and then you just ignored me!”
Jace shook his head. “Trust me, I wasn’t ignoring you. I had to go slow and I had to be sure.”
“Sure of what?” Her gaze darted between them.
“Sure of an attraction to me.” He glanced at Beau, whose face was so red, he looked like he was ready to jump off the ledge and fly away. “And Beau. I had to be sure there was real interest in us both before we could risk exposing ourselves to you. Devon, you’re the only woman who’s seen me in dragon form.”
The expression on her face was a puzzling mix of emotions he found impossible to decipher. “Is your mother a dragon? Of course, she must be.... How the hell did I get pulled into this?”
Just thinking of his mother made his heart ache. If she were here, she could help quell Devon’s anxiety. “My mother is not a dragon. She’s 100 percent human, like you.”
With his head bowed, Beau spoke quietly. “My mother is human too. Scottish, actually, and very proud of it.”
“That’s nice.” Devon burst into nervous laughter. “I may not be 100 percent human. Some nutty witch in Salem told me my ancestor was Merlin the magician! But then again, maybe she’s not such a wacko, because she also predicted some of this crazy crap.”
Finally, he could just outright ask what happened in Salem without raising suspicion. “What crazy stuff did she tell you?”
“That I’d be loved by two men from an ancient race and that I would meet my destiny in Africa.”
Jace was greatly heartened. “She said all that?”
“She also claimed she was Cassandra, the prophetess from Greek mythology, and she gave me the odd stone you two were so interested in.”
Jace could hardly hold back a smile. He glanced at Beau, wondering how much of his thoughts he was clearly picking up on. “So, witches of the ancient world have intervened in our favor. Who knew? Maybe we still have a fighting chance.”
Looking defiant, Devon cocked her head. “Do you know Cassandra? By the way, she goes by Witch Casey now.”
He shook his head. “I’ve never met the lady, but the Marduko and the witch community have long-standing ties. Throughout the generations we sort of had an ‘I’ll scratch your back if I can fly on yours’ policy.” Now things were getting interesting. No wonder he felt drawn to her; Devon had the blood of an enchanted being flowing through her veins, and it called to him on the deepest level. “Did you say you were related to Merlin of the Pendragon clan?”
She rolled her eyes. “Witch Casey said that. Who knows if it’s true?”
Jace knelt to Devon’s level and looked into her eyes. “My kind has been in the loving service of your kind for a very long time. Maybe this was meant to be.”
“And what is this?” she said breathlessly.
“Fate.” He whispered the word as if it were too sacred to say loudly. “Two ancient and noble bloodlines meet within us. No wonder every time I look at you I feel like I’m going to burst into flames. I could not have chosen a better partner.”
Beau nodded. “It makes so much sense.”
“Partner for what?” Devon looked wary.
“A partner for life.” He looked toward Beau, who gazed back with the sweetest smile. “Me and Beau are already a bonded pair, and we wa
nt to add to that.”
Her hand fluttered in space. “You want me to be the third wheel?”
He was walking a tightrope here and could fall to his social death at any moment. “We want you to be the cherished wife.”
She broke eye contact. “This is crazy! Shouldn’t you know someone really, really well before you say something like that?”
“Yes.” Jace laughed, but it wasn’t a happy laugh. “But in our case, we can’t do things the same way everyone else does. I had to rely on my instincts and follow my gut. We couldn’t reveal our true nature too soon, and I can’t conceal my true nature either. That wouldn’t be fair to you. You deserve to know exactly what we are and what you’re getting into.”
Devon glanced at Beau and paused. “You’re awfully quiet. You’re part of this too. Are you going to let Jace do all the talking?”
“Aye.” Beau’s eyes sparkled like the cool blue ice of a glacier. “Jace is doing a fine job.” He placed his hand on his heart. “He’s our alpha and he’s carrying a load on his shoulders. Believe me.”
“Speak for yourself.” Devon rocked back and forth and appeared agitated. “Jace is not my alpha, whatever that means.”
He had to take control of the situation and put her at ease before she built an insurmountable wall in her mind that might never be breached. “An alpha protects what is his. I’m not the most important member of this trio—I’m the least. I’m bigger and stronger than Beau because I expect to fight the hardest and possibly die, all in the name of protecting my family.”
Devon’s lip curled. “We aren’t a family. You’re jumping the gun. I don’t understand what’s happening.”
Jace lifted his hands. Was she angry or scared? He couldn’t tell. “I can only imagine how confusing all of this must be, but I will do my best to take the fear and mystery out of this.” If she kept looking at him with her bottom lip trembling like a child newly woken from a nightmare, his heart was sure to break. “Devon, I’m so scared I’m going to ruin my only chance to win you over.” The confession poured out of his mouth before he could stop himself. Damn, he didn’t sound very alpha; he sounded like a lovesick man who was watching the one walk away forever.
Devon chose that moment to give in and cry. “I’m in overload. I can’t think.”
“Don’t think.” He wanted to hold her and rock her against his chest so badly, his arms ached. “Just feel. Ask yourself, do you feel threatened?”
“No.” She licked her lips. “I need something to drink.”
Beau was quick to fetch a bottle of water, which he delivered with a hopeful expression.
Twisting the cap off the bottle, Devon held it to her lips and drank half in a single gulp.
He dared to reach for her hand and was gratified when she didn’t snatch it away. “Ask me anything. I want you to get to know me and Beau and the Marduko.”
A moment of silence passed and she said nothing.
Tension built. He had to face the fact that this pair bonding might not gel, and what a tragedy that would be. Maybe the modern world didn’t need dragons. Like Bengal tigers and black rhinos, he and Beau were members of a vanishing breed.
Devon finished drinking and set the bottle down. It was evident from the quaking tone of her voice that she was fighting to keep it together. “Aside from a spectacular view of the highest point on the African continent, what makes this place sacred?”
It was a small gesture, but a promising one. She was asking questions and not shutting him out, and it revived hope. Where to start? “For one, I was born here.” Jace moved a little closer to Devon and felt encouraged when she didn’t flinch or back away. “My mother, Alair, took a huge risk and insisted my fathers bring her here when she was nine months pregnant so I could be born on our ancestors’ origin place. She wanted me to be bonded to our kind, and hoped I’d grow up to be a leader or make a difference. I think she was even prouder of the Marduko bloodline than my fathers, and she’s human—French, actually.”
Devon swallowed a lump in her throat. “I’m trying hard not to freak. So you’re half human—what’s the other half?”
The ancestral memories within stirred. He spoke slowly as if dreaming. “Beau and I come from an ancient bloodline of dragon men exiled to Earth long ago.”
“Exiled from where? How is that possible? Neither of you looks like a dragon man. You look completely human. Beau looks Nordic, for God’s sake.”
“As I said, my mother is Scottish.” Beau knit his fingers together.
“I’m sure there’s an interesting story there.” Devon huffed. “How did a nice Scottish lass get involved with an African dragon man?”
Beau’s fair brows rose. “Actually, my mother was trapped on a crippled fishing vessel sinking in the North Sea. A Siberian dragon man came to her rescue.”
Devon’s expression was cynical, but no longer angry or frightened. “So there’s a secret international community of dragon men?”
Jace and Beau locked gazes. They both shook their heads and spoke at once. “No, not really.”
“To be truthful, we’re not sure,” Beau quickly added. “We’ve been discreetly searching for more of our kind, but so far we’ve only found each other. The Marduko are very secretive by nature. If they don’t want to be found, you’ll never find them.”
“You’ve managed to keep yourselves secret.” Devon shook her head. “I’ll give you credit for that.”
“We haven’t always lived in secret.” Beau leaned closer. “We’ve intermingled with humans for ages. Dragon art exists all over the world. Our numbers were once far greater, but we might be on the way out. Certain groups have been aggressive about wanting to eradicate us from Earth. Now those groups have us badly outnumbered, and we aren’t even allowed to—”
Jace clamped a firm hand on Beau’s shoulder. “I think that’s enough on that subject.” He stirred the pot of hot water with a fork. “These are ready.” Jabbing the fork into the steaming water, he plucked the MRE packets free, gave the macaroni and cheese to Devon, and split the other two between himself and Beau. “We should use that hot water to make tea.”
“Tea would be good.” Devon opened her packet of mac and cheese and reached for a fork. “You wouldn’t happen to have some Earl Grey in that duffel bag, would you?”
“I meant dragon tree leaf tea,” Jace muttered.
“Are you sure?” Beau stepped toward the bundle of Devon’s clothing and gear he’d carried from the falls. “Devon just calmed down. We’ve not eaten supper.”
“It will be all right,” Jace insisted. “It takes a while to become active in the bloodstream and cross the blood-brain barrier.”
“I don’t like the sound of that.” Devon looked at Jace suspiciously. “No more surprises. Tell me what you’re up to.”
Jace tore open his packet of mountain chili and vented a burst of steam. “There’s little sense explaining what a Marduko dragon is and where we’re from when I can actually show you instead.”
Devon tore open the packet and stabbed her mac and cheese with a fork as if she was angry at it. “Why would I consent to anything a winged lizard asked of me?”
“Because you’d get a firsthand view of an alien world and species.” Jace stirred his food. “You’ll see and understand our kind. My fathers made tea for my mother. Sharing tea is a special ritual that can lead to so much more. We all fear the unfamiliar. My hope is the experience will answer a few of your questions, and neutralize the fear.”
A flicker of interest shone in Devon’s eyes. “Those leaves from the waterfall that ooze purple sap can do that?”
“They can help me and Beau do it. Dragon tree is a plant that promotes a form of telepathy. It allows those who partake of it to share a common mind space. In other words, in a trance state you can enter my mind or Beau’s and have a full sensory experience of our genetic memories.”
Devon’s face lit. “I’d really be able to do that? Take a mind walk inside your head?”
�
��Yes.” Jace paused. “But it’s not like snooping through a private file cabinet of petty things. The visions triggered by the tea can be very specific and abrupt. I don’t know exactly what to expect, or what you might see.” He drew a tense breath. “This is my first time drinking dragon leaf tea with my—” He stopped just short of including Devon as a mate and silently cursed himself. Now more than ever, he needed to be careful with his words or risk driving her away. “Most likely you’ll see only the ancestral material, the memories every Marduko dragon carries in his blood. You’ll see our homeland, Tor, in the constellation Draca.” He hesitated. “And you’ll see what’s closest to our hearts, but those visions often come later.”
A look of wonder crossed Devon’s face. “I’d like to see that. I’m already in so deep, I need to understand this or else I’ll just feel like I’m going nuts. If you’re sure it’s safe, I’ll drink the tea.” Like a true Pandora, Devon agreed. “Are there side effects to beware of?”
“They’re mild. You might feel flushed, maybe a little dizzy in the beginning. Often there are intense colors and geometric shapes that feel like they carry great meaning,” Jace stalled. Now for the difficult part. “It’s also an aphrodisiac.”
“Oh.” Devon’s eyes widened. “Really?”
“No one would take advantage of you.” Beau’s hands flailed in the air. “We wouldn’t do that.”
“Hasn’t that already happened?” Devon stared accusingly at Jace. “We’ve already crossed some boundaries.”
“Jace was handling matters as best he could,” Beau said. “He didn’t mean to deceive or harm you.”
“What is with you two?” Devon’s focus narrowed on Beau. “Do you always speak for Jace? Is that part of your species dynamic? It seems like anytime Jace mentions something questionable, you jump in, smooth it out, speak calmly, and make it sound almost reasonable. Is that the Marduko way?”
“No.” Beau shrugged. “That’s the no-nonsense Scot in me.”
She laughed and dipped her fork into the mac and cheese with a look of approval. “This stuff is a lot better than I hoped. It’s delicious.”
The Lady Prefers Dragons Page 12