She liked how the other woman was straightforward. "I will, then. And I hope you'll answer the rest of my questions just as directly."
Holly smiled. "I'm not sure I could answer them any other way, Delaney. Too many years as a nurse, aye? And I still work as one part-time on Lochguard."
Holly bringing up she was a nurse was actually perfect. Because one question hung above her more than any other. "That means you know about the risks for humans who birth half dragon-shifter children. There's talk of a treatment to give me a better chance of survival. Is that something I can do here?"
Reaching out a hand to touch Delaney’s bicep, Holly bobbed her head. "Aye, of course you can. All you need are regular shots of dragon-shifter's blood. Preferably from the father of your child, or one of his family. I suspect Rhydian won't hesitate."
"Do you know him then?"
"Och, not really. But he told Lochguard's leader that you're his true mate—as a precaution and a warning, you ken—and while there are some bad true mates out there, I don't think Rhydian is one of them."
"No, he's not," she murmured with a smile as she remembered him attempting to make breakfast for her earlier in the morning. And in the end had served her burnt toast with a rubbery fried egg.
"Your smile tells me heaps, Delaney. You should be fine."
Delaney lowered her voice, hoping none of the dragon-shifters could hear. "I want to be, but there's still a lot of danger lurking around simply because I'm here."
Holly grimaced. "Aye, I know. And I'm not a stranger to it, either. Someone kidnapped me, after all, and caused me to lose my first bairn."
"I'm so sorry."
Holly waved a hand. "It can't be undone. And at least I have my daughters now, which helps."
The woman in front of her was strong indeed.
And while Delaney didn't want to be insensitive, she had another question burning in her belly. Hoping Holly wouldn't be offended by her directness, Delaney leaned forward a few centimeters and asked, "Was it all worth it?"
Holly glanced over at her mate, holding up one of their babies. "Aye, it was. Fraser is what I didn't know I needed. Meeting him made my dad happy, too, in the long run." Holly met her gaze again and sighed. "The only drawback is the bloody legend surrounding my bairns. I don't want them growing up with ideas of grandeur."
Finally, Delaney could offer to assist someone else. "Well, if you ever need help grounding them, let me know. I think the humans in the dragon clans are the ones who can treat them more normal than the dragon-shifters. On top of that, I can even teach them a few boxing tricks when they're older. That way, they can drive off any threats or strangely obsessed believers of the legends."
"I'll have to take you up on your offer, for both treating them like any other children and for the boxing. And maybe, once I'm a wee bit fitter from birthing the twins, you can teach me, too. We humans can always use a few tricks to keep our mates in line."
Delaney laughed. "Anytime. If your mate will allow it."
Holly shrugged. "He won't object. And if he does, then I'll appeal to his dragon half. He'll want me to be as safe as possible."
Delaney didn't miss the opportunity to ask, "So do you have any tips for me on how to handle a dragonman?"
Holly leaned even closer and whispered, "Once this event is over, we can escape for a cup of tea and I'll tell you most of what you need to know."
As she and Holly laughed over their respective dragonman's grunting habits, Delaney felt a little more weight lift off her shoulders. While she'd enjoyed talking with Gwen, Lily, and the other dragon-shifters who had tried to welcome her, she realized now how she'd needed to talk with another human in the same situation as her. Not only to help sate her curiosity, but it gave Delaney reassurance that her fate wouldn't end up like her sister's.
~~~
Rhydian half listened to the visiting guest speakers as they took questions from the students and answered them.
While the children had been hesitant at first, the more Melanie and the others talked with them, the more open they'd become.
Maybe this was what his clan had needed.
His dragon spoke up. We should have a stronger alliance after this. And not only that, Delaney has made a friend.
The two human females sat to the side, listening attentively to the speakers. However, they'd both been chatting earlier and Delaney had laughed quite a few times, too. He replied, I only wish she had another human inside Snowridge to befriend.
Soon. If things keep progressing this well, we can ask the DDA to send some humans here to possibly find a mate.
Rhydian hoped so. Although as he stared at Delaney's profile, he wanted to claim his own mate first. And not just with a ceremony, either. He wanted to go through with the frenzy.
The presenters finished their talk, and when the teacher asked the students to give them a round of applause, almost every child did so.
He noted the few who didn't. Rhydian didn't want to keep a list of possibly problematic children, but for Rian's sake, he had to.
Once the students had all filed out—Rian included since he'd asked earlier to go back to class and Rhydian had agreed—he made his way over to the group from Stonefire and Lochguard. He didn't waste time finding Kai, motioning with his head for the Protector to follow. Once they reached the far side of the room, Rhydian asked in hushed tones, "Do you have a few minutes to talk about our project before leaving?"
Kai grunted. "I promised my mother I'd take everyone to her place. But once I do that, we can talk."
"Good. If Delaney can go with you to Lily's, then I'll be in my office finishing a few minor things for the plan."
"Of course. I'll escort her to my mother's."
With that, Kai headed back toward the group and Rhydian went to Delaney.
As soon as he reached her, Holly smiled and left them alone. He murmured, "Can I pull you closer and hold you for a few seconds before you go with them?"
Delaney placed her hands on his waist and closed the distance between them. "Does your dragon need to do a little claiming in front of everyone?"
"While he always wants that, it's for me. I couldn't stop staring and noticing how beautiful you are."
Running her hand up his back, she lightly stroked as she replied, "I would kiss you right now if I could." She glanced over her shoulder at the other group and back again. "I hope with Kai here you'll figure out exactly when I can do that."
His dragon growled. Tomorrow, if I have any say in the matter.
I wish, dragon, but it'll be a few more days than that.
He focused back on his mate-to-be. "Me, too, love." He leaned over to nuzzle her cheek, inhaling her lovely scent of summer and sunshine. "But since we can't, if Rian can stay at his friend's house for dinner, we can at least have a few hours alone. Although I won't be eating much food when something much tastier is right in front of me."
She lightly slapped his back. "Rhydian, stop. They can probably hear you."
He leaned back to meet her gaze. Relief flooded him when he saw she wasn't angry. He was slowly learning what he could do, while she was also slowly learning to trust him and realize he wasn't her former bastard manager. "All of them are either mated or wishing they were. What I just said is tame compared to what many other dragon-shifters would say about their females. I'll save the dirtiest for when we're alone."
The corner of her mouth ticked up. "I can't wait to hear the non-tame version of Rhydian Griffiths."
He brushed a section of her hair back from her face. "You'll definitely meet him when my dragon half comes out during the frenzy. I'll never be able to outdo him in that department." He paused and quickly whispered, "You're not afraid of him, are you?"
She hugged him tighter against her. "He's a part of you, so of course not."
"What I wouldn't give to kiss you right now, love."
As they stared into one another's eyes, his heart raced as his body heated. Rhydian hadn't wanted someone so much it hurt for n
early two decades. While it hadn't been all that long, he no longer could imagine a life without Delaney at his side.
His dragon grunted. We do whatever it takes to keep her. She's our mate. She belongs with us.
Only when a whistle came sailing through the air, combined with a "Don't worry, we've shielded the bairns' eyes from the free show" from Fraser did it break the spell.
He sighed at the same time Delaney giggled. Turning his head over his shoulder, he growled, "Mind your own business, MacKenzie."
"Why? You wanted to get to know us better, and this is who I am. Most learn to love it. And if you're not one of them, I'll just pretend you are."
Tristan sighed. "Can we visit Kai's mother now? The more annoying MacKenzie brother should behave better in front of her."
Rhydian reluctantly released Delaney. "Go ahead. But if you drive Lily mental, then I'll have a chat with your leader, MacKenzie."
He swore he heard "Good luck with that," from Fraser. But Delaney's voice quickly banished the thought from his mind. "Come find me when you're done. I learned some things from Holly, and I have some questions."
"Of course, love." He dared to kiss her cheek, lingering to taste the saltiness of her skin before adding, "I'm glad you've made a friend."
"Me, too."
Kai barked they were leaving. The male was definitely too familiar to do so to Rhydian, but they were heading out before he could do more than blink.
His dragon spoke up. I like them being here. I hope we can have more visitors soon.
In a strange way, Rhydian did, too. Let's focus on the operation with Stonefire and claiming Delaney first. Then we'll think about a gathering of some sort with other clan members attending.
And to help reach that point quicker, he left and walked to his office. He had a lot of administrative duties to tackle before he could talk with Kai, let alone with Delaney, too.
Chapter Twelve
A few days later, Delaney was checking her chicken pie in the oven when Rian yelped from the living room.
After closing the oven door, she raced into the room to find him sitting on the floor with his head to his knees, his hands over his ears. Dropping to his side, she asked, "What's wrong, Rian?"
"I—"
He stopped and leaned against her, curling more into himself.
Oh, no. Something was definitely wrong.
And while she needed to call Rhydian, she couldn't do so until she made sure Rian was okay.
Gently stroking his arm, she asked, "Does it hurt?'
"No." He grunted a few times before falling silent.
The silence cut through her heart. She'd tried her best to learn what a dragon-shifter child needed, but it clearly hadn't been enough. He needed a dragon-shifter's help.
Before she could think of how to get it, Rian sat up and growled. After a few more minutes of him shaking his head while keeping his eyes tightly shut, he finally dropped his hands and opened his eyes.
His dazed look only made her heart beat faster and her stomach churn. However, Delaney did her best to keep her voice calm as she asked, "What happened, Rian? Are you all right now?"
Before he could answer, his pupils turned to slits and stayed that way.
She drew in a breath. Had his dragon finally come out and spoken with him?
It should make her happy since many people had thought he would never have an inner dragon presence. However, no one knew if Rian's dragon would be normal or not after his time with the dragon hunters.
If Rian’s dragon didn't act right because of the medical experiments everyone thought the hunters had performed on him, she would work even harder to find a way to help the other dragons take down the bastards.
No. She wouldn’t think of how things could go south. Delaney needed to be positive right now, for Rian's sake. His dragon had to be okay. He just had to. She’d only just found her nephew and couldn’t bear the thought of losing him forever.
And not just because of her sister’s pleading, either. Rian was her son now. She loved him with everything she had, and Delaney would do whatever she could to help him.
Focusing on Rian, she kept her voice even as she asked, "Did your dragon start talking with you, Rian? Did he finally come out to play?"
It took a few beats, but his pupils became round once more. The boy visibly slumped, as if his dragon had sapped all his energy. "Yes and no. He's hungry. And loud. And keeps roaring."
Her belly churned even more. Maybe the doctors and Rhydian had been right—something was wrong with Rian's beast. "Does he threaten you? Or say bad things, such as wanting to hurt people?"
Rian's eyes changed again. What she wouldn't give to be able to hear what was going on inside his brain.
She eyed her mobile phone in the kitchen. Could she leave long enough to get it and not upset Rian or his dragon? Because Delaney was running out of options and recognized that Rhydian would have a better idea of how to handle the situation.
Then the boy spoke again, his voice halting. "Food. I want food. Lots of food."
The strange changing of his tone tipped her off. It was like when Rhydian let his dragon take control to talk with her. She just needed to placate Rian's dragon a little, distract him with something to eat, and then she could contact Rhydian.
Gesturing toward the kitchen, she replied, "I have dinner just about ready. There's plenty, too, and you can eat as much as you want."
"No waiting. Food. Now."
"I can fetch you a snack." She put out a hand. "Come on. Let's go to the kitchen."
Rian's pupils remained slitted as she stood and guided him to the kitchen. His movements jerked a little, and she only hoped it was because his dragon wasn't used to being in control.
Rhydian had laid out some worst-case scenarios, but she refused to believe they'd come true. Especially the most awful, which meant his dragon was insane and would never relinquish control.
No. Delaney refused to imagine her sweet, energetic nephew would disappear forever. Maybe Snowridge’s doctor would think of something. Or, he could even contact some of the other dragon doctors. Somebody had to have an idea somewhere.
As soon as she had Rian at the table, she quickly took out some crisps and sweets. While not what she'd usually serve right before dinner, she hoped one of them would distract the dragon.
However, in his altered voice, Rian grunted and said, "No. Meat. I want meat."
Since dinner was still cooking, she took out some sliced ham from the refrigerator. As soon as she put it on a plate and served it, Rian started devouring it piece by piece.
Knowing her time was limited, she scooped up her phone and sent Rhydian a quick text message. As much as she wanted to hear Rhydian's voice and have him reassure her everything would be okay, she couldn't risk Rian's dragon listening in.
A quick reply arrived: I'm coming now.
Forcing herself to keep a smile on her face, she continued feeding Rian ham and then some cheese—which he seemed to find okay, too—as she waited for Rhydian.
She only hoped he could convince Rian's dragon to let the human half take control again. Otherwise, she'd lose Rian forever, just like she'd lost her sister and her parents.
~~~
Rhydian ran down the corridors toward his home, avoiding people and shouting apologies as he went. All that mattered was reaching Delaney and Rian as soon as possible.
Because Rian's dragon had finally come out and taken control.
While the dragon could be normal and only be wanting some time out after years of being stuck inside Rian's brain, the boy's beast might also be insane or rogue. While Rian's blood tests had been inconclusive right after his rescue, it didn't mean he'd been free of experimentation like the other children kidnapped by the dragon hunters.
And if it were true, and Rian's human half was lost and his dragon out of control, then Rhydian would be faced with one of the hardest decisions of his life.
His dragon growled. Don't think like that. Rian would never hur
t her. We'll bring him back.
Normally, no, he wouldn't hurt Delaney. But you saw how some of the children acted once we rescued them from the hunters. Some are still having episodes of insanity and blackouts, where their dragons do whatever they wish, despite the various treatments they've received.
I hold on to my belief that Rian is still himself. He's not the only boy to ever have a late-blooming dragon.
Rhydian rounded the last corner. We're about to find out the truth. Stay quiet for now. The last thing we need is for Rian's dragon to want to challenge you.
His beast not saying a word and arguing with him told Rhydian that his dragon was a little worried, too.
Stopping in front of the door, he pushed aside as many negative thoughts as possible. A few seconds later, he calmly opened the door and walked inside.
Rian sat at the table, shoving food into his mouth in a haphazard fashion. He didn't even look up, which meant his dragon wanted food more than anything else for the moment.
He briefly met Delaney's gaze and pride surged through his body at how composed she looked. Not many humans would've been able to keep it together in the face of a young, uncontrollable dragon. He should've known his human would be able to handle whatever came her way.
After giving his female a brief nod, he focused back on Rian. Step by slow step, he approached his son in all but blood. Only when he was about two feet from the table did the lad stop eating and swing his head around to look at him.
Rian instantly brought the plate of meat and cheese closer. "Mine."
"Eat as much as you want, lad. I won't take it from you."
Rian's pupils never changed from slits as he snarled, "Not lad. Dragon. And I'm not going back."
So far, Rian didn't act any different from other children when they first spoke with their inner beasts. "I know you were inside that maze-like cavern for years. Always listening and watching, but never interacting."
"I hated it."
"Who wouldn't? It's a bit lonely, isn't it?"
Transforming Snowridge (Stonefire Dragons Universe Book 2) Page 12