by Kimber White
Kian looked different. His skin had a deeper glow. His eyes shone even brighter. I wondered if mine did. He took me to the deepest part of one of the caves nestled at the base of the volcano.
“I was born here,” he said.
I kissed his palm. “Your mother was so brave. She really waited over five hundred years before she released the magic that brought you all to life? She was alone all that time?”
I couldn’t fathom it. I’d only been alive for twenty-four years. I couldn’t imagine the kind of pain she suffered knowing her sons were there all along. But she waited centuries until she thought it was safer to breathe her dragonfire and release them.
“She knew how dangerous it was bringing us into the world before the time was right. Your mother knew that too.”
I snuggled into him. Meeting Avelina brought me closer to my mother in a way. “But, she didn’t know whether her spell would work,” I said. “It had never been tried. Your mother told me it didn’t even occur to her to try such a thing. She said trusting the mages took more courage than she had at the time. Also, my mother didn’t know if Astor’s ancestors would truly keep their promise to use it when the time was right.”
“Astor,” he said. “Is that even his real name?”
I shrugged. “He’s never told me. He just said that the mage of each successive generation in his family was called that. The guardians of my mother’s magic were always called Astor. Plus, it suits him.”
“I thought he was trying to destroy you,” Kian said. “I owe him an apology for that. It was hard for me to see things clearly.”
I smiled. “You saw clearly enough. And even your mother said, there’s been no dragon alive who could fight the way you could when your dragon started to take over.”
“That’s because of you, my love. It helps when you have something worth fighting for.”
I settled against him. Our mating had taken me to new heights. We made new magic that night and into the next morning. It would take me a while to fully understand it. But, for now, we’d made one new secret I wasn’t yet ready to share with the world.
I let my gaze fall on the natural ledge in the wall above us. It had been Kian’s idea to put our secret there until it was time to go. After that, I knew we wouldn’t let it out of our sight.
I reached up, carefully cradling the football-sized egg against me. It shimmered like an opal with every color of the rainbow. It was still warm. The shell was the hardest surface on earth. It needed to be to protect the tiny life lying dormant within it.
“We have time, Calla,” Kian said. “We’ll know when she’s ready to come into the world.”
“She,” I smiled. I already knew he was right.
Kian ran his hand over the smooth surface of the egg. Our magic. Our daughter. The next generation and another new beginning for us all.
Chapter Twenty-Four
One Year Later...
Kian
The wolf’s eyes flashed. It wasn’t a threat. Not yet. But, we knew each other’s nature. It was enough to keep us both civil. It didn’t mean I had to like being this close to him.
His name was Jagger Wilkes, and this was his territory. Kentucky. Things were calm here. Settled. Now, I finally understood why. Three years ago, Calla had struck a deal with this wolf. She’d given him a vial of her blood to cure his mate. She trusted him with our secret to form an alliance she thought she might need someday. She was right. In exchange, he owed her a debt. Today, he paid it.
“His name was Duncan Ferrar,” Wilkes said. “As far as my people have been able to tell, he’s got no clan affiliation anymore. He was banished. I don’t know why.”
“Your people are wolves,” I said. “How can you be sure they won’t seek retribution from my wife for his death?”
Jagger’s eyes narrowed. “And you need to trust that my intel is solid. Protecting your wife matters to me too. I owe her more than my life. Duncan Ferrar will never come after anyone close to Calla again. It’s handled. My debt is paid.”
“I say when it’s paid, Alpha-Slayer” I growled. It was a nickname he’d earned in the last shifter war. I wasn’t sure he was comfortable with it. A light hand touched my shoulder. Grace, my brother Gideon’s wife, scowled at me. She insisted on coming with me. She was a wolf shifter’s daughter. She figured if things got dicey, she’d be better at diplomacy with the Kentucky packs than I was. I would have told her no, but Calla and Gideon insisted.
“I’ve heard the same thing from my brother Milo,” Grace said.
“Milo’s a good man,” Jagger said. “He’s done good work with my friend Payne’s security team.”
Grace smiled. Milo and Grace’s uncles and cousins were part of the Kalenkov pack my family had allied with when Gideon married into her family. They’d been working for a private security firm called Wolfguard for the last couple of years. I’d never know the details, but I suspected the bear, Duncan Ferrar, had been Milo’s kill. Still, the sooner I got the hell away from all these wolves, the better I’d feel.
“Thank you,” Grace said.
“Calla’s special,” Jagger said. “If it weren’t for her...well...she helped me when I had no other hope. She had no obligation. Whether my debt is paid or not, if she ever needs my help, she knows where to find me.”
“Again,” Grace said. “Thank you. Tell Milo to call home every once in a while when you see him.”
Jagger smiled. He threw a fifty-dollar bill on the table and said goodbye. As soon as he rose, his men moved into position behind him. Other wolves. The place was crawling with them.
“Come on,” Grace said. “Time to get you the hell out of Kentucky before you break something.”
I scowled at her but shared her sentiment. I didn’t like it here. Grace reached up and tugged on my ear. “Can I trust you to stay out of trouble? I’ve got a few more things to take care of down here before I head back to Chicago.”
“You sure Gideon can handle babysitting by himself that long?” I smiled. Grace had left their daughter Amelia in my brother’s care. She was two years old and still testing her powers. I’d pay money to see my Gideon deal with a toddler wolf shifter with dragon blood in her all by himself.
“It’s not babysitting if it’s your own kid, Kian. I suppose you’ll get to figure that out for yourself soon enough.” She shot me a knowing wink. I let out a low growl. The wolves were gone, but I still didn’t want to risk anyone overhearing her.
“Just be careful,” I said. “That bear won’t be the last one to try coming after our kind. I trust your family. Calla trusts this Jagger Wilkes. But, sooner or later, people are going to figure out there are such things as dragons.”
“Maybe,” Grace said. Her tone was light, but a shadow crossed her face. She worried too. She had two families to protect.
I leaned down and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Grace promised she’d watch her back and get home as soon as she could. I watched her get into her car and head toward the freeway. Then, I found a secluded alley, cloaked myself, and shifted. It felt good to leave this sleepy little town full of wolves behind.
I didn’t head for Chicago. Though the urge to go home to Knoydart was strong, we’d chosen a different place. Calla’s place. I felt her beckon me from the tugging of my heart as I headed northwest.
Shadow Point was rebuilding. I still felt that pang of guilt as I flew overhead. The Tiger Mountain Forest sprawled out beneath me. There was a secret here. I still marveled at the power of the magic that unfurled inside of me the moment I took Calla as my own.
This whole time, a volcano loomed, hidden by an ancient power that Calla had only recently come into. It took my mother’s guidance to help her unlock it. She held the last piece of the puzzle. She knew where Calla’s parents were born.
So, like Knoydart, the House of Lazarus concealed their own majestic volcano just south of Shadow Point. Their lands went all the way through Mount Rainier National Forest as well. I knew now it’s what drew me here and why Call
a couldn’t bring herself to leave. Yes, she’d been waiting for me. But, she’d been waiting to find herself as well.
I saw them in the clearing. She’d picked the perfect spot. Mist shrouded the base of the mountain. Lava churned deep underground. It was different than Knoydart. There, the molten channels of magma flowed in the open. If you had dragon eyes to see them, that is. Here in Tiger Mountain, they churned beneath the rock. It was a quieter strength, mystical, but somehow just as powerful.
My mother’s white hair lifted in the breeze. She stood staring out at the placid lake at the foot of the volcano. She was smiling. More so when she turned and saw me. She held her hand out, beckoning me to stand beside her.
“Where are the others?” I asked.
“Well, you know Gideon and Grace have stayed behind. Xander and Shae went into town to get a few things. Magic is one thing, but that doesn’t mean you won’t need diapers.”
I laughed. Leave it to my sister-in-law Shae, the only fully human one among us, to be the practical one.
“Gemma’s in with Calla. We figured it wouldn’t hurt to have a little fire magic on standby. Finn’s standing guard at the mouth of the cave. And Loch? Well, he and Ash are just over the hill over there. I think Loch’s more nervous than you are. They’ve taken all the little girls fishing. Love them though I do, they were getting on my nerves.”
I strained to see, but sure enough, my brother Loch and his wife Ash were on the other side of the lake watching as my nieces splashed through the water. There was Cassia, Xander’s daughter. Phaedra, Finn’s daughter, was right beside her, picking up fish with her hands.
“Not fair using magic,” I said. Phaedra was half mage, half dragon. Currently, she seemed to favor the mage side. Ash held her baby daughter Daniella in her arms. In some ways, Daniella, who we’d taken to calling Nell, was the strangest miracle of all. She was a shifter capable of taking on either a tiger form, or a wolf. Now, an even bigger miracle beckoned in the cave deeper in the woods. I felt Calla’s magic, calling me. My heart lifted.
My mother put a hand on my back. “Come on,” she said. “This is the easy part.”
My heart swelled as I held up my hand to wave to my brother, Loch, on the distant shore. Even from here, I could see his eyes sparkle.
Finn waited at the cave’s entrance. He cracked a smile when he saw me, his chest puffed out with pride. He slapped my back. “Congratulations,” he whispered.
“It hasn’t started yet,” Avelina quipped. “Plenty of time for that later.”
She stood with Finn as I started to enter the cave. “Aren’t you coming?” I asked.
Avelina grew solemn. “You don’t need me for this. Calla will know what to do.”
Gemma appeared. She went to Finn’s side. Behind me, Shae and Xander came up the path. Soon, I knew Loch and Ash would join them.
“She’s ready,” Gemma said. There were tears in her eyes.
My heart stuck in my throat. Calla might have been ready; I just wasn’t sure if I was. I took a breath to steel my nerves, then went to meet her in the heart of the cave.
Calla sat in the center. She was glowing. Her green fire lit up the cave. She sat cross-legged. She’d placed the bundle in the natural depression in the ground. It fit perfectly. I realized the reason for that. Dragons of the House of Lazarus had used this place for eons before we came.
“You were right,” I said. “It’s the perfect spot.”
Calla smiled up at me. I reached for her. She slowly rose beside me. Even now, desire for her burned through me. There was a little piece of me that wanted to keep her all to myself for just a little while longer. Then, I looked down. The stone egg glowed. There was life inside of it and magic to take my breath away.
“What took you so long?” Calla whispered. She looked up at me with love and light in her eyes.
“I’d say I got here just in time.”
I folded Calla into my arms. I loved this woman with everything that I was. She saved me. She made me whole. Now, together, we both knew where we belonged.
“I want you to do it with me,” she said.
“Are you sure that’s safe?” I asked. “It won’t be too much power?”
Calla shook her head. “No. Avelina told me that’s how it used to be done before...before the shifter and witch wars. She said that your brothers and I are probably the only dragons alive that were born with only their mother’s fire and magic. Astor thinks she’s right.”
“Where is he?” I asked. “I figured he would want to be here for this.”
“No,” Calla said. “This is dragon magic. He understands. He’s staying in town.”
Astor and my mother had become fast friends over the last year. They’d been comparing notes and working on new spells to keep us safe, just in case. He’d taught her how Calla’s mother created the spell he used to bring Calla to life. Avelina wanted to learn it. Again, just in case. But, I vowed no child Dragonborn would ever live alone again.
Calla linked her fingers with mine. “You ready?”
“I think so,” I said.
I kissed her slow and deep. It was a goodbye and a new beginning all at once. Then, we turned to the stone and instinct took over. Calla started it. Her fire swelled, filling the cave. It flowed through me, joining with my own.
Then, we concentrated all our power into that one tiny being inside the egg. A prism of color exploded around it. Its magic was strong enough to knock me backward. Calla went with me. When the fire dissipated, panic set in.
We dove for the egg together. Calla’s cry reached me first. Then, my heart lifted as I saw our tiny daughter nestled in her mother’s arms. Her arms and legs flailed in the air. Calla held her close. The baby gave a little belch and a spark of green fire came out of her nostrils.
I laughed, counting ten fingers and ten toes. My daughter opened her eyes for the briefest moment. They were green, just like her mother’s and mine.
I kissed Calla. I kissed our daughter. Our little dragon. I would protect them both with my life. We would have a thousand years and more to love each other. Strong. Powerful. Complete.
“Come on,” Calla said. “She needs to meet her family.”
Family. It was the strongest bond of all. I put a protective arm around my wife and daughter as we emerged from the cave. Night had fallen and the stars were out.
My mother came to us first. Tears fell from her eyes as she gazed at her fifth granddaughter.
“She’s beautiful,” Avelina said. “Does she have a name?”
Calla looked up at me. “I wanted to name her for my mother. We’ll call her Giselle.”
“Giselle Lazarus Brandhart,” I declared.
“Well,” Gideon said. “That’s a mouthful.” He’d gotten here after all. He had an arm around Grace as they stepped forward.
One by one, my brothers and their wives came to meet my daughter. Xander held Cassia on his shoulders. Shae hugged Calla. Finn and Gemma held Phaedra’s hands between them. Phaedra squealed with delight as she saw her new little cousin. They would protect each other over the years. I knew it in my heart.
Loch and Ash came up with Nell in their arms. I had a feeling that somehow, Nell and Giselle would be closer than the others.
They would protect each other, the daughters of dragons. They would carry on if we could not.
Later, when the others left, it was just Calla, Giselle, and me. I took them down to the water’s edge. I held Giselle in the crook of my arm as she slept. My mother warned me not to get used to that. Calla beamed up at me.
“I love you,” she said.
“I love you too.” I kissed Giselle on the forehead and handed her carefully to her mother. Calla knew what I was about. Smiling, she gave me a nod. I peeled off my shirt and pants and stepped away from them. My dragon power surged. My love for them was absolute.
Calla laughed as I shifted. I felt her own dragon simmering just below the surface. As I looked down, I saw Giselle’s dragon for the first time. She
would be the most beautiful of all. Green with a golden tail. I took to the air and let my fire come forth. Tonight, I would write my dragon daughter’s name in the stars.
Afterword
Dear Reader,
I cannot believe this series has come to an end. Kian’s story was the toughest for me to write by far. He’s been a hard man to pin down since the very beginning and I’m so glad he got his HEA. I’m sure a few of my most loyal readers probably figured out who Calla was early on. If you’ve read my Mammoth Forest series, that is. If you haven’t, flip to my Also By page for info on that series.
Though I’m feeling pretty melancholy about leaving the Brandhart brothers, their stories have spawned a whole bunch of new ideas in my creative heart. Those daughters of dragons have their own stories to tell. My newsletter peeps helped me storyboard a new series for them. I’d love to have you join us if you haven’t already. You can sign up here. http://www.kimberwhite.com/newsletter-signup/
If you caught the reference to the Wolfguard security firm in the last pages of Kian’s story, you’ve probably guessed where I’m going next. The Wolfguard Protectors series will deliver all the sexy, tortured, alpha wolf shifter heroes and fated mates we both love. You can get updates on the series here: http://www.kimberwhite.com/wolfguard1
Thank you so much for taking this journey with me. The Dragonkeepers were a real leap of faith for me and your reviews and emails and words of encouragement along the way kept me going. You guys are truly the reason I get to do what I do and I’m so thankful.
See you on the Wild Side!
Love,
Kimber
Books by Kimber White