Liam's Mate

by Roxanne Greening

  “FUCK!” Mathis was screaming it over and over as I was lifted into the sky and out of view.

  The wind whipped through my hair as we traveled at speeds I’m guessing were in the twenty-mph range or more. Leaning forward I try to sink my teeth into the foot holding me in the air.

  But it was like biting into a weird rock. Pulling back quickly I run a finger over my teeth checking to see if all of them were still in place. The body attached to the foot I was wrapped in started to jerk and if I didn’t know better I would think it was laughing at me. Utterly ridiculous.

  Why wasn’t I screaming? Slowly the ground got closer and my heart leapt into my throat effectively cutting off any chance of voicing my fear.

  “Joshua! Put her down right now!” The voice was firm but held a beautiful lyric to it.

  Turning my head, I look in the direction the musical sound came from. It was her. The one I was looking for. Focusing on the woman wearing the red cloak I sigh as relief flooded me.

  “Joshua!” She screamed again.

  This time he lowered me to the ground and placed me gently a few feet away from her. I couldn’t take my eyes from her.

  “I’m truly sorry about him.” She sounded sweet.

  “My friend was left behind.” I tell her.

  Her sigh was long, hard, and drawn out. “Seriously, Joshua?”

  The dragon grumbled before taking off in the direction I hoped Mathis was in.

  “I’m Sasha.” She separated the cloak with her right arm and held out a small delicate hand.

  “Willow.” Reaching for her hand I give it a good shake.

  “What brings you to this neck of the woods, Willow?” she asks.

  “You actually. I’ve seen you in my visions and I need you to come with me. My pack needs you, and so does your mate.” I tell her.

  She stood there staring at me from behind the hood of her cloak keeping her face in the shadows. I could only see her lips as they tried to form words.

  “Mate?” she asks.

  I figure the part where I said visions would be her concern, but I was so very wrong.

  “Look, Willow….” Sasha starts.

  “Please Sasha, just come with me, and you’ll see.” I tell her.

  She looked skeptical. Desperation had me saying. “I left my mate to come find you. Please, Sasha. I need your help.”

  I thought she was going to send me away, but she didn’t. “Destiny’s a fickle bitch. Follow me.”

  She turned, and I wondered about Mathis, and if Joshua, was really going to collect him.

  “Don’t worry he’ll find us.” She says.

  Sighing in relief, I step up beside her. Time was moving slower than I thought or maybe that was the sickness that was slowly taking me.

  Chapter 26

  Liam

  She’s been gone too long. My skin itches as the wolf fought for freedom. In a desperate attempt to keep it under control I attacked Cage again and again.

  Our daily fights kept me sane.

  “Alpha?” Turning I look at Lisa. I didn’t have time for this shit.

  “She left you. I would never...” she says.

  “Get the fuck out before I rip your throat out.” My wolf had leaked through causing her to crane her neck to the side in submission.

  “I meant what I said Lisa. Stay the fuck away from me.” I tell her coldly.

  As she rushed from the room I could hear others whispering. Fuck! What has them gossiping now? I sure as fuck didn’t need Willow coming home and her thinking that Lisa and I were fucking.

  Opening the door ready to yell at all the onlookers, but the words froze in my throat as shock took over me causing me to stumble from the building.

  Chapter 27

  Willow

  When she said family, I thought a small village full of humans. I was right about the village, but the human part... I was so very wrong. The field was full of huts and real-life dragons. She spoke quietly with a few of them, and each one looked at me. They were gauging me I could see it.

  Not once did someone address me and after a while, I started to take offense. The village was lively. Small huts littered the open field. The people were so big, but the houses so small.

  The roofs were made of hay and the huts looked to be made of stone and clay or mud. If I were to tell others, they would seem plain but truthfully, they were stunning.

  Flowers were in pots by the wooden doors. Some of the chimneys had smoke rising and the smell of fresh bread had my stomach growling in such an intensity my cheeks turned red.

  I knew they all heard it some just smiled, and others pretended they heard nothing.

  Sasha turned to me. “I will come with you and so will Joshua, but they will join me later if I decide to stay.”

  Scanning the faces, I smile and nod. I had no problem sharing territory with these majestic creatures.

  “I thought you would be human.” I said in awe.

  Sasha turned to me and smiled. “I am.”

  “But their all… not.” I state the obvious. My cheeks turn a slight bright shade of pink.

  She nodded before verbally replying. “They took me in as a baby. I was unwanted…”

  I could tell that still hurt her and I let the subject drop I understood not being wanted.

  “I understand.” I tell her.

  As we started to walk out of the village an older woman came running over holding a cloth.

  “Please take this.” She handed me the cloth covered bundle. The smell reached my nose and I almost moaned in bliss. If I wasn’t mistaking, this was bread.

  “Thank you so much!” I tell her.

  She just smiled and patted my shoulder.

  We continued in silence until a hard thud echoed around us. Turning, I looked at Mathis who was sprawled face first on the ground and a prancing dragon enjoying his landing.

  I watched as Mathis started to rise only to freeze in place and lock eyes on Sasha. I knew that look. Liam looked at me that way all the time. He was the man the one I was supposed to bring her too.

  “Mate.” Mathis sounded relieved, and I didn’t blame him.

  “What?” Sasha looked at him in confusion. I could see the very moment she realized what he said, and what that meant. Her cheeks turned a dark shade of red.

  “As much as I want you to ‘you know’ I need to get back to Liam.” My skin ached, and my chest hurt.

  “Joshua is she…” Sasha asked the dragon.

  The dragon nodded his head and I felt embarrassed about whatever it was they were talking about because I knew I was the subject.

  “Your breeding.” She tells me in shock.

  Breeding? Like having babies?

  Chapter 28

  Willow

  We couldn’t go back without Cages mate. My feet hurt, and my back was killing me. It’s been a week, maybe two, since we let the pack.

  Joshua decided to join us, and I was relieved when he would gently pick me up and give me a ride. Right this very moment, I was sitting on top of his back.

  The wind was keeping my hair out of my face as it pulled the strands backwards. I was thankful for the summer heat. The wind from our flight was a beautiful relief.

  “Does any of this look familiar?” Mathis screamed from below. His hand wrapped around Sasha’s, as if he was afraid she might vanish.

  “Yes.” It did this was the road from my last vision.

  Where she was driving, and they forced her off the road. I remember her screams as her car hit the tree. Her sobs and begging as they pulled her from the car.

  Joshua tilted to the side giving me a view of said car with smoke or steam rose from the engine.

  “Mathis!” I shout.

  He looked at me and I pointed in the direction the car was. I could see the moment he smelt it. He was running. Sasha, right behind him.

  “Joshua, we need to get closer.” I tell the dragon.

&nbs
p; The large head just bounced up and down telling me he understood. I watched as his left wing dipped and we slowly started to descend from the sky.

  “It’s still hot.” Mathis shouted.

  That meant she was still on this road or close by.

  “Josh, can we go higher and start scanning?” I ask.

  Again, he bobbed his head. I latched on to his neck as he shot up towards the sky. A scream was lodged in my throat. The wind rolled over my back as the clouds surrounded us.

  “I think this is a little too much!” I shout at him.

  Another wing dip and we lowered a little.

  “See that van?” I ask.

  He nodded and dipped his wing again this time at the proper angle to give us a slight turn.

  “That’s where she is.” I say.

  We moved closer the van as it speed down the road.

  “We should get Mathis.” I tell him.

  Joshua shook his head no and reached out with his feet. I watch in shock as the claws of his left foot sunk into the side of the van and slowly lifted it off the road. The tires kept spinning and I could hear the engine revving as they tried to get back to the black top below.

  The sound of metal crunching as he grabbed the van tightly in his foot. It sounded like a metal beer can being crushed slowly.

  Screams could be heard from the inside as we lifted further into the air.

  “You can hurt her Josh!” I scream at him.

  He huffed like he was insulted and maybe he was. I mean he was a friggin’ dragon who probably weighed a ton or five. I watched as a man stuck his head out the passenger window and screamed louder at the site that greeted his eyes.

  “Hey, asshole!” I screamed down at him as I waved slightly.

  Joshua’s body shook slightly as he laughed. It sounded like a choking dog, not that I would tell him that.

  The car wreck was just ahead of us and Sasha was tugging on Mathis’s shirt sleeve as she pointed with her other hand at us.

  “Fuck! Be careful with our alpha dammit!” I giggled as Mathis, turned a new shade of red.

  “I don’t think he likes you very much right now.” I shout at Joshua.

  He turned his large head and gave me the look. The look that said really? No, shit. I giggled again. His red and gold scales reflected brightly in the sun and I wished for sunglasses.

  The ground was getting closer as he lowered the van to the ground. It shook hard as the tires met the pavement at a none to gentle greeting.

  I look to Sasha, expecting her to join me here on Joshua’s back. Instead, she flipped the cloaks edges aside and pulled out a handgun in each hand.

  I smiled. Even though she was human she looked to be able to take care of herself. She was going to have to show me how to be a badass.

  “Sasha! I need badass lessons!” I meant to tell her that it couldn’t wait, and Mathis glared in my direction.

  “No, alpha.” Mathis tells me.

  Like I was going to listen to him. I remember cowering behind those bushes in my vision, and I refused to be that person.

  “Sure.” I reply trying to placate him.

  He looked relieved for a moment then he was rushing to the van. Men came pouring out of it.

  I felt Joshua’s dip head first and once again, I was holding on for dear life. Opening my mouth to yell at him the words failed my head as he opened his mouth and closed it over the driver.

  Like one bite and he was swallowing him whole. A shudder of disgust filled me as he went in for another treat.

  Mathis grabbed one of the men who exited the back where one of his claw mark left a hole. His arm wrapped around the man’s neck from behind and he was dropping to one knee.

  Even from here I could tell the man’s neck was broken. Another man came out of the hole and Sasha put a bullet between his eyes.

  I waited for more to come, but when everything was silent, I feared she wasn’t in there or worse she was dead. Mathis walked cautiously up to the van and pried the back door open.

  I waited with suspended breath as he reached inside. As he came back out his arms were full of a beautiful blond-haired woman.

  “She…” Swallowing the lump, I continued. “Alive?”

  “Yeah, she’s just sleeping. I think they drugged her.” He tells me.

  I breathed a sigh of relief.

  “Joshua, do you mind?” I ask the dragon.

  He lowered his feet to the ground and placed his wings against his body.

  “Give her here, Mathis.” I reached out for her and he gently placed her stomach down in front of me.

  I looked down and noticed Joshua had given Mathis a step up.

  I wouldn’t laugh at the fact he needed a step stool. I giggle anyway, and Mathis just looked at me.

  “Nothing, its nothing.” I tell him through the laughter. He just shrugged and climbed back down.

  “Can we go home now?” Mathis asked in a desperate voice.

  I know what he wanted and judging by the blush on Sasha’s face, she did too.

  “Yes, please.” I say just as desperately.

  I wanted nothing more than to be with Liam. My happiness dampened a little. What if he won’t forgive me?

  Chapter 29

  Liam

  There was a gigantic red beast sitting in my yard and my mate was sitting on top of it like a queen on a thrown. I growled as she slid gently down its wing.

  The Dragon glared hard at me and raised its wing covering her from view.

  “Stop it, Joshua.” She laughed as she pushed on his wing. I knew it only budged because he let it.

  “Cage, I need your help.” She tells him.

  She still hasn’t said anything to me, but her eyes were glued to mine as she spoke.

  “I found your mate. She’s still sleeping. We think they drugged her.” she says quietly.

  Swallowing I watch as she started in my direction.

  “Sasha, I need those badass lessons before I get big.” She shouts.

  Another growl rumbled from deep within me. Her feet faltered as her eyes clouded in pain. I took a deep breath inhaling her honeysuckle sent now tainted with a hint of roses. She was with child.

  “Can you forgive me?” Her voice was small and full of devastation.

  Cupping her face between my hands I run my thumbs gently against her cheeks.

  “I love you, darlin.” I tell her.

  Her eyes filled with tears as she launched herself at me.

  “I’m so sorry, but I needed to leave. They needed to be found. The war is coming.” She says quietly.

  “The visions?” I ask.

  “I can’t watch you die.” She tells me through her tears.

  Pulling her closer to me I whisper in her ear. “Next time, mate, take me with you.”

  Placing my hands under her ass I lift. Her legs wrap tightly around my waist. Pressing my lips to hers I kiss her like a starving man. Slowly I devour her mouth. My left hand held her ass as my right drove into her hair gripping it tightly.

  She slowly pulled back looking a little dazed.

  “I love you, Liam.” She tells me sweetly.

  “Don’t leave me again, baby. I can’t breathe without you.” I tell her my voice raw.

  Her face pressed into the crook of my neck. “I promise to never leave you again.”

  “Come on, baby. You look tired and I need to hold you for a while.” I tell her.

  She nodded against my throat as I carried her to our cabin. I wanted nothing more than to rip the clothes from her body, but right now she needed rest.

  “Darlin?” I ask.

  “Hmmm?” she hums.

  “Where did you get the dragon?” I ask.

  “Oh, he’s with Mathis’s mate.” She tells me.

  She brought home two mates?

  “Did I tell you how much I love you sweetheart?” I ask her.

  “No.” She giggled, and it was musi
c to my ears.

  “What’s this about getting big?” I ask her.

  I felt her stiffen and for a moment my heart stopped. I already knew what she was going to say but it didn’t make it easier to hear.

  “I’m pregnant.” She whispered.

  I could barely hear her as she mumbled the words against my chest.

  “Pregnant?” I ask.

  She nodded, and I squeezed her tighter pressing a kiss to the crown of her head.

  “Does that make you happy?” She asked as she pulled back.

  “Darlin, you have no idea.” I tell her.

  Slowly, lowering her to our bed I cup her cheeks in my hands and press my lips to her forehead.

  “I love you, Willow.” I tell her.

  “I love you, Liam.” She replies sweetly.