"And boring."
"Yes, boring. But now you found your way out, you don't have to go back. However, you do need to share everything with your human half now. Together, you work as a team."
Rian bared his teeth. "How do I know that? He'll lock me away. And I'll be stuck, bored and angry. I don't want to go back."
Rhydian chanced another step. "If it's okay, I'm going to let my dragon out and you can talk with him. He can answer some questions for you, too. Would that be better?"
Rian's slitted eyes studied him a second. "He can't have my food."
If the situation weren't so precarious, Rhydian might've smiled at the childish, possessive tone.
Instead, he said, "He won't touch it. He's full."
A few beats more and Rian nodded. "Okay. But don't come closer. I don't want you to steal my food."
Rhydian spoke to his beast. Ready to handle this?
Yes. Using a little dominance should help.
Not too much.
His dragon growled. I'm the dragon, so let me handle the other dragon.
Rhydian retreated to the back of his mind and allowed his beast to the front. Even to his own ears, his voice was a bit deeper as his dragon said, "You can't stay out and in control forever. That's selfish."
It's not what Rhydian would've said, but he trusted his dragon completely. So he hung back and continued to watch as Rian snarled, "I can, too. I don't want to go back. It's dark. Lonely. Boring. Cold. I hate it."
His dragon shrugged his shoulders. "I don't think anyone likes living inside those tunnels. But you do for a short while to protect you and your human half. Children can't control themselves, and you might shift and hurt someone. That would harm you both. But now you're old enough to work together."
Rian moved in his seat. "How can we do that?"
Rhydian wanted to clap at the progress, but didn't. With a little more coaxing and convincing, Rian might just be all right.
His dragon said, "You take turns. Ask to come out and talk. Over time, learn who should be in charge. And always you can talk to your human in your mind. Try it."
Rian bit his lip and closed his eyes. Since they couldn't see if his pupils remained slitted or not, Rhydian's dragon leaned them forward a bit and waited.
Rhydian was vaguely aware of Delaney standing still. Later he'd have to tell his female just how brave and brilliant she really was. For not being around dragon-shifters, she seemed to know what to do instinctively.
Rian's eyelids fluttered open, revealing rapidly changing pupils. Rhydian's beast waited another moment before asking, "Are you talking?"
It was Rian's dragon who finally said aloud, "I'm trying. But he's scared."
"That's normal. Play a game with him inside your mind. And maybe let him be in control a little. You need to trust each other."
"But I'm hungry."
Delaney finally spoke up, her tone calmer than she no doubt felt. "Dinner should be done. I'll just fetch it from the oven, if you want?"
"Yes. Food. More food. I'm starving."
As Delaney went about getting Rian even more food, Rhydian's dragon chanced another step forward and sat down in the chair next to Rian. Since the boy didn't snarl or run away, his beast spoke again. "You eat and then let your human half out for a while. We need to talk to him."
Rian's pupils flashed a few times before the dragon was in control again. Rian's beast said, "He's saying he'll let me out. Should I trust him?"
Rhydian's beast quickly said inside their mind, He seems to trust us. This is good.
Not wanting his pupils to change and scare the lad, Rhydian remained silent and merely nodded.
"Yes. Rian knows it's honorable to speak the truth." He leaned forward a bit. "And remember, you need to share with your human. You're a team. You always share."
Rian grunted. "Maybe."
Rhydian's dragon threaded the dominance every clan leader possessed into his voice. "No maybes. Dragons share with their human halves. Always. If they don't, bad things can happen. Understand?"
Rian took a second, but he eventually bobbed his head and mumbled, "Yes."
Delaney approached the table, waiting for the okay to serve Rian. His dragon never looked away from Rian. "You eat and then share. Okay? My human half will make sure you do it."
Another nod and he motioned for Delaney to serve the boy. As Rian's beast shoveled food into his mouth, Rhydian moved to the front of his mind and took control once more.
While he couldn't make sudden movements and haul Delaney close like he wanted, he did reach over and take her hand. She squeezed his fingers, and he returned the gesture.
His female was okay, telling him she could wait until Rian was taken care of before they talked.
Once Rian's plate was cleaned, Rhydian held his breath to see what the young dragon would do.
Rian closed his eyes for about a minute. When his eyelids fluttered open, Rhydian inwardly sighed with relief. His pupils were round once again.
He asked gently, "Rian, are you okay, lad?"
"I-I think so. It was weird to see everything but not move. Or talk. Or anything else."
Rhydian gripped Rian's shoulder and squeezed gently. "You'll get used to it. Over time, you can switch back and forth when needed. After all, a dragon-shifter can't shift without the help of his beast."
Rian's eyes widened. "I can shift soon?"
"Not yet, lad. Usually that happens around age ten, provided your dragon behaves from now until then."
Rian's pupils flashed again before he smiled. "He really, really wants to fly. Me, too."
"Good. Then it gives you a reason to work together, right?"
Looking down at his empty plate, Rian swirled his fork around in the remaining sauce from his chicken pie. "Will it always be this hard?"
"Not always. It just takes practice, like how you and Osian practice karate to get better. You weren't good a month ago, but now? You can do a few things. It's like that."
Rian met his gaze again, and both man and beast relaxed a fraction at the determination in the boy's eyes. "I can do that. Maybe Osian's dragon can help me."
Rhydian had temporarily forgotten about the boy's friend and his inner beast, who had come out about six months before. "That might help, although you need to ask your own dragon if it's okay. If you or he always try to be the one in control, then bad things can happen. And you don't want to do that, especially if you want to help protect your aunt and any other humans that come to Snowridge, right?"
"Aye."
"Good. Now if you're done with dinner, let's go into your room and you can ask me anything you wish. I also have a few words of wisdom to tell you."
Rian scrunched his nose. "What's wisdom?"
"Information to help you."
"Oh. Okay."
Delaney finally spoke up again. "Thank your dragon for me, Rian. I'm glad he's decided to share. Now I can get to know both halves of you."
Rian smiled. "He likes your food. Maybe feed him a lot if he comes out. Then he'll love you, too."
A human would've missed Delaney's quick inhale, but Rhydian heard it. He had a feeling this was the first time Rian had said he loved her.
And for a split second, Rhydian was jealous of the boy. He was fairly sure he loved Delaney as well.
His dragon spoke up. While that's all well and good, when can we kiss her? I want the frenzy.
Ignoring his beast, he focused back on Rian. "Give your auntie a hug first and then we'll talk."
Delaney met his gaze and Rhydian wished he could be alone with his female, hold her close, and murmur how much he wanted her.
However, Rian rushed Delaney and hugged her. Rhydian stood, watched the boy and his aunt holding each other tighter than he'd seen before, and his heart lifted further. This was his family. And with the uncertainty about Rian's dragon mostly gone now, he could simply enjoy them and start planning a happy future together.
There were a few things he needed to do before he could st
art making those memories, but he didn't care. He loved Delaney and Rian. From now on, he needed to make sure they knew it.
~~~
Delaney somehow managed to keep calm until Rhydian had finally put Rian to bed and called the doctor.
When Rhydian finally hung up his phone, he walked up to her and pulled her to his side. "Given the way Rian acted, Maelon said he could wait until the morning to examine the boy. Although he advised us to keep a close eye on him until then."
She melted against Rhydian's side, grateful for his support to keep her from collapsing into a puddle on the floor. "So he'll be okay?"
Rhydian kissed her temple. "He should be." He leaned back to meet her gaze again. "You did brilliantly, love."
"I didn't know what I was doing." Tears prickled her eyes. "All I kept thinking was that I couldn't lose Rian forever. And that somehow, someway, I had to keep his dragon happy until you could get here."
As Rhydian rubbed her back in slow circles, her tension melted away bit by bit. He replied, "And you did. Dealing with a young, inexperienced dragon isn't easy. You have a knack for it."
She smiled faintly. "Maybe. Although it was your dragon who ultimately convinced him to work with his human half."
Rhydian shrugged. "Some children have a tougher time adjusting than others. The first time the dragon comes out and speaks is the hardest."
"And from here on out?"
He pressed the small of her back in reassurance. "It should get easier. Even though you don't have an inner dragon to bring out, I can give you some tips."
The corner of her mouth kicked up. "Better ones than serving him massive amounts of ham?"
Rhydian snorted. "Yes, better than that. Although we should stock some cooked meat in the refrigerator. I'll have someone from the eatery bring it in the morning."
"Why do I get the feeling that dragons don't eat cooked meat in their dragon forms?"
"They don't. But the human physiology works like yours does, so we have to cook it then or suffer the same risks."
Silence fell for a second. It would be easy to brush everything aside and keep things light. But Delaney couldn't do that. "So any of our future children will go through the same thing?"
His pupils flashed. "Yes and no. Every dragon is different." He leaned his head closer and nuzzled her cheek. "Although I'm sure with your stubbornness, he or she will make it as difficult as possible."
Even though her time with Rhydian was short compared to any other man she'd been with, the thought of children with him didn't scare her. If anything, she looked forward to it. After all, children with the man she loved would be amazing.
She resisted blinking. Love? Aye, she loved him. No matter if he was taking care of the clan, coaxing Rhydian to work with his dragon, or teaching her how to dance, she loved every facet of his personality and being.
The only question was whether she should tell him or not.
Rhydian quirked an eyebrow at her in question. "What are you thinking about, love?"
In most cases, she'd say the truth without hesitation. But she didn't want to scare him off, so she gave a half-truth. "The future and how I look forward to it."
His pupils flashed rapidly as his grip on her waist tightened a little.
Her gaze dropped to his firm, full lips. She'd never burned to kiss someone so much in her life.
Rhydian groaned. "Don't look at me like you're about to lick me up, Delaney. It's hard enough for me to hold you close and keep my dragon in check."
She met his gaze again. "When will you finish your operation with Stonefire?"
"In a few more days." He moved to her ear and whispered, "After that, I'm going to kiss you and worship you in our bed for days on end."
The thought of Rhydian's mouth on hers as his cock moved between her thighs made wetness rush to her core. "Good. Because I'm more than ready for it."
His hand trailed from her back to her arse and lightly squeezed. "Just because I can't kiss you on the mouth doesn't mean I can't kiss you elsewhere right now."
Her heart thumped faster, but somehow she retained some of her rational mind. "What about Rian?"
"Dragons have very good hearing, love. If he so much as snores, I'll know."
Her cheeks flushed. "But that means he'll hear us, too."
Rhydian chuckled. "That lad sleeps like a log. Maybe it'll change when he's older, but he won't hear us tonight." He lightly nibbled her earlobe and Delaney cried out softly. Rhydian added, "Well, provided you can keep quiet."
His wicked fingers moved from her arse to between her thighs. As he stroked, she pressed her forehead against his shoulder. "I'll try my best."
Rhydian scooped her into his arms, and she reveled in the feel of his hard, warm body against hers.
Before she could think better of it, Delaney murmured, "I love you, Rhydian."
He froze, the muscles of his chest turning hard.
She found his gaze but couldn't read it. Bloody fantastic. She'd maybe just ruined the mood and evening between them.
Then a slow smile took over his face and she relaxed again. Rhydian's husky voice filled her ear. "I love you, too, Delaney Murphy. And since I can't kiss your mouth, I'm going to show how much you mean to me by worshiping your pussy with my tongue."
Her nipples tightened harder, and before she could reply, Rhydian had them in his—soon to be their—room. He laid her on the bed, stripped her slowly, and murmured "I love you, Delaney," before fulfilling his promise.
Delaney didn't know if many people had fallen in love without so much as a kiss, but as Rhydian devoured every inch of her body outside of her mouth, she didn't care. She loved her dragonman and couldn't wait to claim him as her own both with the clan and between the sheets.
Chapter Thirteen
Five days later, Rhydian tried his best to stand still as he waited in the main security room inside Snowridge for any sort of word from his Protectors.
Stonefire and Snowridge were currently carrying out their operation near Cardiff. However, as was custom, the clan leaders stayed on their respective clans and away from the line of fire.
It was one of the things Rhydian hated most about his position—he couldn't be with his people, helping them succeed, taking risks alongside the others who chanced their lives day after day.
His dragon spoke up. We would just get in the way.
We train nearly every day with the Protectors, and sometimes even win the drills. We wouldn't get in the way.
Even so, what if something happened to us? Every dragon clan in the UK needs Snowridge to be an ally and remain stable. If we fell, the clan would descend into chaos.
Especially since Rhydian was still trying to find one of the troublemakers on his list, a male who had voiced support for scaring Delaney away by any means necessary. However, the dragonman hadn't been seen ever since the vandalism and threat to Rhydian's female.
Had that been less than two weeks ago?
He replied to his beast, It doesn't mean I have to be happy about staying behind.
As promised, Lochguard had sent a few Protectors to help keep the peace while Snowridge's precious trusted and experienced few were executing the raid on the dragon hunter drug supplier. One of Lochguard's people, Grant McFarland, happened to be one half of the co-head Protector team in Scotland. Rhydian had never seen a male and female co-lead a dragon security force before, but it seemed to work for them. Wren had even vouched for the pair after working with them both during the art outreach event and the clan leader trials in the South of England.
Grant checked his mobile and then looked at Rhydian. "Still no word from any of the Stonefire Protectors down there yet."
Rhydian glanced at the time. "They've been silent for almost two hours. Once they reach the two-hour mark, the second wave will check to make sure nothing went wrong."
Grant nodded. "Aye, although let's hope it doesn't come to that."
Especially since if it did, they might have to reach out to the Departmen
t of Dragon Affairs. And if that happened, all of their clans could suffer the consequences.
His dragon huffed. We'll succeed. Then nothing will happen because of the unofficial and verbal agreement from the DDA Director.
It was true—the director had said she'd not question how the dragon hunters were captured, provided the operation was successful. We'll see if her word holds. Just because Stonefire places a lot of faith in the director doesn't mean I'll automatically do so.
The DDA had been nothing but trouble to the dragon clans for most of Rhydian's life by implementing tough, often unfair laws and even sometimes blaming the dragon clans for crimes committed by humans.
True, Rosalind Abbott hadn't been in charge during those times, but it was still hard to change his way of thinking simply because another clan leader said to.
His dragon replied, Another reason I want it to go well is so we can go ahead with our mating ceremony tomorrow.
Just picturing Delaney on stage with him, wearing the silver cuff engraved with his name in the old language on her arm, made him smile. Don't distract me with that. We need to focus.
Grant's voice prevented his dragon from replying. "The head of the second wave is calling in. I'll put it on speakerphone."
Rhydian moved closer to the phone inside the security room. Grant said, "Aye?"
A female voice—Eira's—filled the room. "It was a success. A few were exposed to some of the chemicals, but Stonefire's doctors are waiting for them to arrive and will do what they can to neutralize or cure the effects."
Rhydian demanded, "And the hunters? Did you get all of them?"
Eira answered, "As far as we can tell, yes. But it's too early to know if they had partners working in other locations in the UK or even in other countries."
"I'm sure we'll find out more from their documents and computers," Rhydian stated. "For now, help Stonefire with whatever they need and once everyone is safe and looked after, call back with Kai to give a more thorough report."
"Will do."
The line went dead and Rhydian met Grant's gaze. "I wish all of our skirmishes with the hunters and Knights went this smoothly."
Transforming Snowridge (Stonefire Dragons Universe Book 2) Page 13