Her Dragon Destiny

by Roxie Ray

  Walter was in jail. They’d let Mary out after Jury and Maddox told the judge she hadn’t been a willing participant, but she never went and bailed him out. Even knowing he was behind bars, I was terrified all the time. Someone else could’ve decided they wanted to hurt us, and how could I stop them? I was powerless, as was proven quickly by Walter.

  Saturday, nearly two weeks after the kidnapping, my mother opened the guest room door. “Morning, sweetie.”

  I stretched and smiled at her. “Morning. Did you make breakfast?” She’d been spoiling us by making breakfast every morning. When I eventually went back home, I sure would miss it.

  “Yes, but I wanted to talk to you first.”

  I sat up in the bed as she climbed up beside me and crossed her legs. “What is it, Mom?” She seemed concerned, but not overly worried.

  “I want you to call up your girlfriends or that Maddox and go out tonight,” she said.

  Recoiling against the headboard, I gave her a confused look. “Why?”

  “As much as your father and I love having you and Tiff here all the time, it’s gone on too long. It’s not good for you to stay here this long. You’re hiding.”

  I huffed. “Mom, come on. I’m not hiding. I’ve been having anxiety.”

  “Well, you’ve got to face it. So, your father and I decided we’re keeping Tiffany tonight and you’re going out.”

  Her words sent a wave of worry down my spine. “I’m not comfortable being away from Tiffany.”

  The thump of her hand on the mattress as she slapped it made me jump. “Do you think it’s my fault that Tiffany was kidnapped?”

  I shook my head. “No, I don’t. It could’ve just as easily happened to me.”

  “Then leave her here. We won’t go out, not even to the back yard. And if anyone knocks on the door, we’ll call the police.”

  I chuckled at her overreaction. “Thanks, Mom.”

  “You can’t live in fear. But I also don’t want you to go back to the person you were before you met Maddox. You came out of your shell with him. It was like you bloomed.”

  I tugged at a stray thread on the bedspread. Thinking about Maddox made me feel like a total tool. I should have shown more gratitude towards him, but I was embarrassed by the way I’d treated him, only for him to be the one to save my daughter with his “abilities”. I wanted to apologize to him, but somehow the words never would come. I’d never screwed up so bad I couldn’t find a way to say I was sorry. Not until I messed up with Maddox.

  “Okay,” I said. “I’ll go out. You’re right. I have to live my life.”

  Mom patted my hand. “And you’re not doing it here.” She walked out of the room. “Come eat.”

  I sent a text to Abby first. I need a drink. Go out with me tonight?

  After a shower, I checked my phone to find a reply from my friend. Hell, yes! I’ve got all the girls ready. See you at about eight.

  I smiled at her. Of course she did. It would probably be every girl I’d ever met in my life.

  A couple of hours before I was due to meet her, I kissed Tiffany and hugged her extra tight, then put her in my Dad’s lap. “Not one toe outside, okay?”

  Dad saluted. “We’re going to hang out in here and watch a movie, don’t you worry.”

  I had to kiss her three or four more times, but I finally made it out and headed to my house to get ready. Since it was girls’ night and not a date, I didn’t spend too much time. After running a brush through my hair and a quick mascara and lip gloss application, I was good to go.

  Abby picked me up. She’d texted a little bit ago and promised to be the designated driver.

  I squealed when I saw the car full of people. She’d driven her SUV, and Harley was in the back seat with Kara. They’d left the front passenger seat open for me. I hopped in and grinned at my friends. “Hey!”

  “Let’s do this!” Harley said. “I’m ready.”

  Abby reached over before putting the car into gear and hugged me. “I was so glad to hear from you.”

  She’d tried texting me a few times after the kidnapping. “I’m sorry I’ve been standoffish. It wasn’t intentional. I’ve just been kinda wrapped up in staying alone and protecting myself.”

  “That’s understandable,” Kara said. “Who wouldn’t react that way?”

  “But you’re not alone, you know?” Abby put her hand over mine on my leg. “We’re all here for you. And when Ava found out we were going out, she wanted to come and bring Charlotte. I told them to let us have tonight and see how you were, but you’ve got a support system, whether you realize it or not.”

  I squeezed her hand. “Thank you. I realize that now.” Glancing into the backseat, I repeated my thanks. “I love you guys.”

  We made it into the bar and had our first drinks before anyone asked. “So,” Harley said. “Have you spoken to Maddox?”

  It had occurred to me during the time after I rejected Maddox that Abby and Harley were in deep, committed relationships with Kingston men. Well, Stefan wasn’t a Kingston, but he might as well have been. They must’ve known.

  But Kara wasn’t, so I had to watch what I said. “No, not really. He found Tiffany, and I hugged him really hard, but then he looked into my eyes and backed away. He stood off to the side until we left. He didn’t want anything to do with me. I’d hoped for a little while the kidnapping might’ve served as a reconnection, but it didn’t.”

  Abby and Harley exchanged a look. “I’m going to hit the bathroom,” Kara said a few minutes later. I’d only told her that Maddox had been accepted to a law school in another state and it had broken us up since there was no way I’d leave Black Claw.

  Once she was out of earshot, I leaned across the table toward Harley and Abby. “How did you deal with it?”

  They both laughed and exchanged a look. “I knew because our father is one,” Abby said. “So, it was no shock for me.”

  “It was a total shock for me,” Harley said after a snort. “It nearly undid us. But I loved Stefan too much to let it split us up.” She looked horrified after she said it. “Not that you don’t love Maddox,” she exclaimed. “I didn’t mean it that way.”

  “No, I understand. I do love Maddox.” I looked around to make sure Kara wasn’t on her way back. “But he sprang it on me, and it scared me. Then, after I rejected him... I don’t think he wants to give me another chance.”

  Abby tapped her drink to mine. “Beth, the dragon is like part of their soul. Imagine having a part of your soul that can communicate with you. Yes, they have names and memories. They’re separate beings. But at the same time, they’re not. They truly are their dragons and their dragons are them. They’re kind and loyal.”

  Harley nodded. “So protective. And fierce. There’s nothing better. Having the opportunity to be with a dragon, to love one?” She shook her head and exchanged a glance with her sister. “It’s a blessing.”

  Kara walked out of the bathroom but stopped to speak to someone she knew.

  “I’m really sad you couldn’t accept Maddox for who he is,” Abby said. “Did you know he got accepted into law school in California?”

  My jaw dropped. “You’re joking. That’s the cover story I told my parents and Kara. I had no idea that was actually true.” The coincidence was uncanny. Of all the cover stories I could’ve pulled out of my ass, that was the one I’d gone with? The truth, somewhat.

  My heart fluttered. I knew he would’ve been thrilled with the acceptance. But also, my stomach twisted into knots. California. Why did it have to be so far away? Someone turned an upbeat song on the jukebox, and it mocked me. I wasn’t in the mood for a dance song, and every beat of the bass made my heart lurch. I was about to finalize the disaster I’d started nearly a month ago.

  If I didn’t fix what I broke, I could’ve lost him for good. Long distance was a possibility. I could’ve handled that. What I couldn’t have handled him was going to California thinking I didn’t love him. I had to fix this. I had to prove to Maddox t
hat I loved him and his dragon.

  24

  Maddox

  I looked around the back yard and smiled at my family. They’d surprised me with a big party to celebrate being accepted into two different law schools. As I watched my mom and dad, aunts and uncles, cousins, sister, and grandparents, I couldn’t help but still feel an ache. There was a hole inside me that held a spot for Bethany.

  And Tiffany.

  Definitely and Tiffany. I missed hearing her chatter on about things that were important in the eyes of a toddler. Not to mention the feel of her skinny little arms around my neck and how she’d asked for her dinosaur.

  Artemis would’ve given anything to stomp around the yard with her and roared like a dinosaur so she could laugh and play. Anything.

  But that was over. Maybe one day we’d meet someone who could make us half as happy as we’d felt with Bethany and Tiffany. Possibly have a child of our own to roar for.

  Nothing could fill that hole, though.

  “We are so proud of you,” Dad said. He and Mom sat across from me with Jury and Abby beside me at the picnic table. If our family grew any more, we’d have to buy even more tables for the manor’s back yard.

  Since the weather was fully into summer, the kids had set up a slip and slide. Of course, when it came to playing in the water, I considered myself just as much of a kid. I’d been in and out of the water all afternoon.

  Finally, Jury and I had tired enough to go inside and change into dry clothes and eat lunch. When I was distracted, I did okay, but now that I was sitting quietly, all I could think about was Bethany.

  The sound of a car coming up the gravel driveway made my ears prick. The wind was going in the wrong direction to get a whiff of our visitor beforehand, so Grandma walked through the house to greet whoever it was.

  My face must’ve been animated when Bethany walked onto the back deck because Mom’s and Dad’s eyes both widened, and they whirled in their seats to see who I was staring at. My heart thumped, and Artemis whimpered inside me. We’d craved the sight of her, but it had been over a week since we’d caught a glimpse. She’d come in to sign some papers relating to the kidnapping, but that had been the only time.

  She’d made no other attempts to reach out to us. If I’d thought it would do any good, I would’ve texted or called her, but I didn’t want to keep beating a dead horse. She’d given me a small, grateful smile that day at the station. I’d figured that was going to be all I got.

  Bethany spotted me immediately. She smiled, and I expected to feel more rejection coming off of her.

  I stood and weaved through the tables toward her. When I got close, I was shocked. Her emotions were heavily clouded by shame and embarrassment.

  I waited with bated breath as her hands fluttered at her side. She was nervous.

  “I’m sorry,” she blurted out. My heart soared with the possibility of a reconciliation. “I was wrong. I reacted so badly, and I treated you worse. You didn’t deserve my reaction and neither did Artemis.”

  I thought he was going to force a shift right then; he was so happy she’d included him in her apology. “You...?” My words wouldn’t come out right. I was still too shocked she was saying them.

  “I love you,” she said loudly. “I love you and I love Artemis. And I don’t want to be apart from either of you anymore. I want you in my life and in Tiffany’s life. You dropped everything to rescue her, and still, I didn’t know what to say or how to say it, but you did it anyway, even after I hurt you. I’m absolutely terrified of the unknown and of taking risks. The last time I took a risk, I got Tiffany and lost my best friend. But nothing can change how I feel for you. How much I appreciate you being by my side, always being there for me.” She sucked in a huge breath and kept talking. “I don’t want to stand in the way of any of your dreams. Not here and not in California. We’ll find a way to make it work if you still want to. If you’re still game, I want to be a part of your end goal.” She seemed to deflate a little and looked around at my family. “I couldn’t let you leave without telling you,” she whispered. “I had to make sure you knew.”

  My mind whirred with questions and scenarios where we could be torn apart again, but if I didn’t take her into my arms, I was going to lose my mind. Surging forward, I gathered my mate—my love—close and pressed my lips to hers with a desperation I hadn’t known was there. I’d known I was sad. I knew I had a hole in my heart. But I had been yearning for Bethany harder than I would’ve imagined possible.

  She whimpered and clung to me. “I love you,” I said into her mouth, my teeth hitting against hers. It was enough to wake me up a bit, and I remembered we had an audience of my entire family.

  Claim her. Now.

  “Is love enough?” I asked when I pulled back. “Can you fully accept this part of my life? The part that nobody else can ever know about?”

  She nodded eagerly with her arms still around my waist. “You accepted Tiffany with no judgment. It really isn’t all that different, is it? She’s a part of me like Artemis is for you. I want the whole package, if you can forgive me for my behavior.”

  Artemis growled his approval, and he must’ve been projecting because all the men in the yard chuckled.

  “I’ve missed you so much,” I said and pulled her closer for another kiss.

  “I missed you, too.” She smiled up at me, and when I looked deeply into her eyes, I didn’t know how long I could wait to claim her. I had to have her.

  “Go.” My father stepped up onto the deck. “I understand. We all do. Go.”

  He knew Artemis was urging me to claim my mate. He’d been there before. I grinned at him and avoided the eyes of all the other people, all my family. They knew exactly where we were going and why. That was a little gross, so I pretended they had no idea as I grabbed Bethany’s arm and pulled her into the house.

  “Where are we going?” she asked with a laugh as we crossed the kitchen.

  “Your place,” I said. “If you’re going to be mine, I need to claim you.”

  We hurried across the living room and out the front door. “Want me to drive?” I asked.

  She nodded. “Yes, please.”

  I hurried around to open her door, then ran back to jump into the driver’s seat. Bethany was already buckled and leaning toward me when I slid in. “Hurry,” she urged.

  My mood and Artemis’s need to claim her must’ve been contagious between us because I could read the lust in her eyes like it was an open book.

  As I turned her car around, she reached over and put her hand on my crotch. “There’s something I’ve always wanted to do, if you’re up for it.”

  I looked at her in surprise as she reached for my belt buckle. I stretched and kept going slowly down the driveway as Bethany pulled my achingly hard dick out of my pants.

  When her hot mouth closed over my head, I hissed and braked, worried I’d be too overwhelmed and run us into a tree. She moaned and that was nearly enough to do it. I spotted the driveway that led to Axel’s property and turned right. Halfway up the driveway was a small alcove in the trees.

  Bethany’s SUV drove through the grass with no problem. As she licked up and down my shaft, I positioned the car behind a couple of trees. I couldn’t guarantee total privacy, but it was extremely unlikely Axel and Charlotte would leave the party this early. We had some time.

  I put the SUV in park, reaching around Bethany’s body, then leaned my head back against the headrest and sucked in deep, calming breaths. I didn’t want her to realize how close I was to squirting my hot cum down her throat.

  When the tingling in my balls grew too persistent, I pulled at her shoulders. She sat up and looked around in surprise. “Oh, thank goodness.”

  I watched in amazement as she reached under her dress and tugged her slip of a G-string off. She waved it in front of my face for a second, then threw it in the floorboard before climbing over the gear shift. She clasped my dick, still glistening with her saliva, and positioned herself over me. Sh
e had to duck her head down low to keep from hitting the roof of the SUV, but she was short enough that I hoped this would work pretty well.

  As Bethany sank down on my cock, I moaned. Her tight sheath felt like coming home after a long day. But a thousand times better. I reached up and massaged her breasts through her dress, then made quick work of unbuttoning it enough to expose her black lace bra. Running my fingers along the cups, I pushed them underneath her breasts. As soon as her dusty brown nipples were exposed, I claimed one with my mouth and the other with my fingers as she began to slide up and down on my dick.

  Every time she went down, she clenched her hot pussy together, making me moan against her tit.

  “You’re amazing,” she said. I leaned back and watched her face, eyes closed. She was focused on the feel of my cock stretching her and enjoying riding it.

  “You’re the one who is amazing,” I whispered and stilled her hips on me. “I’m going to claim you when we both orgasm. I’ll bite your neck, but instead of pain, your orgasm will be enhanced, and you’ll be more connected with both Artemis and me.”

  “Do it,” she whispered. “I’m going to come soon.”

  I buried my face in her chest again, but with my free hand, I slipped it between us and pressed my thumb to her clit, adding pressure to the feel of my cock inside her. As she moved, I moved with her, thrusting upward to connect with her deeper, faster, and harder.

  Soon, her moans filled the car as her orgasm crested. When I was pretty sure it was imminent, I leaned forward and bit her neck, letting my sharp teeth break her skin and Artemis’s magic claim our mate.

  Our orgasms overwhelmed us, and I thrust upward as hard as I could while she writhed in my lap. I didn’t let go of her neck until both of us floated down and out of the euphoria. Residual tremors rocked my dick as her inner walls quivered.