Dragon's Gap: Set Includes Stories 6-7 Plus A Christmas Surprise

by L M Lacee

  Mike shook his head and whispered. “She paid two hundred to use a pair of gloves and stand in front of the bag. Cute!”

  Conor looked at them and knew they did not see what he did. How they could not see the anger and hurt coming off her or at least scent it in the air around her amazed him. It was as plain as day to him and his beast.

  She was getting ready to unleash her fury. He had seen many predators do the same over his lifetime. He himself had done so on many occasions. Usually on another predator or someone who thought they had the right to victimize others.

  Mike went to move towards her. Conor growled softly in warning and the young wolf froze. “Leave her, watch and learn both of you.”

  He looked around as three more males and two females join them. Like Mike, not everyone in his pride, was lion. Some were strays, wolves, bears, cheetahs, tigers. Unwanted rogues or just lonely.

  His pride had many different shifters that he had collected, most of them as he and Saul had traveled to Dragon’s Gap. They had followed him when he had promised them a safe home, not only within his pride but at Dragon’s Gap. More had joined once they arrived here hoping to belong. Some needed the structure of a pride. Others had been brutalized by past alphas and they required care and comfort that a large family like his pride gave them.

  That was not to say there were no problems within the pride or that everyone got on all the time. Which is why he had lieutenants or in the Gaps vernacular deputies to his sheriff status. So far there was nothing he or his deputies could not handle and there was always the dragons as back up, on the whole life was sweet here.

  They all stood around him and Saul and watched the female in silence because they wanted to see what she would do. Also because their leader, their Leo watched and they were his.

  Then several of them yipped or growled as Ocean screamed a primal scream of rage that seemed to reverberate through their bones and made the floor boards tremble.

  Then as Conor predicted she unleashed the fury, he had scented around her. Ocean hit the bag with everything she had for six long hard punching minutes. They all could smell the blood as her knuckles split, then they heard the bones in her hands break as she continued to punch in the one…two combinations that did not vary or falter. She was relentless in her pursuit of whatever demon rode her.

  Mike and Saul winched at each punch she landed on the bag and they were not alone, several of the others whined in sympathy for her. For her hands.

  Conor moved slightly and saw the small cougar standing in the shadows, just inside the doors of the gym. She looked over at him and very slightly nodded. As if he needed her to tell him and his beast they were watching his mate.

  He turned back in time to see the female punch the bag so hard it split down the far side, allowing the stuffing and sand to spill out and fall over the floor.

  He heard gasps and shocked breaths being indrawn, and Saul’s whispered. “Goddess!”

  The female stood completely still for three minutes with her head bowed. Her chest heaving from her exertions, arms hanging limply at her sides.

  Sweat covered her clothes and blood seeped from her wounds making small puddles on the floor. Conor told his lion. Bringing herself back from the killing edge. We have done the same and seen many others do so.

  His lion growled his agreement. Many times!

  Without looking around the female walked from the gym. Conor said to his people who surrounded him. “And now you know why she paid two hundred. Mike when she comes again and she may. Make sure she has better gloves, and everyone knows not to charge her. Do you understand?”

  Mike nodded. “Yes Leo.”

  Conor could hear all the others whispering as he moved from the dark corner they had stood in. He sniffed the air and found the trace of his mate never would she be hidden from him again. He smiled when he scented dragon, amazing he would never have believed his mate to be dragon and then he shrugged why not? Nothing in his life was normal, why should his mate be any different.

  Mate is Mate! His lion stated, there was no arguing with his logic. Conor walked towards where the cougar stood waiting. Saul asked as he kept pace with him. “Is she the one?” He, like all the pride knew they were here at Dragon’s Gap for safety and to meet their mates. If they are lucky to hopefully out live the sentence.

  Conor nodded. “She is!” He stood on the step leading to the street and smiled. “Good evening Lady Claire. You are out late.”

  “Good evening Leo. I am following Lady Ocean. She is daughter to Andre` Kingsley.”

  “Interesting, another daughter, the dragon must be very happy. To have no young and then to find out he has two.”

  Claire was unsurprised he knew about Ciana and Andre`, the male had a fabulous network, nothing happened anywhere at Dragon’s Gap or the Castle without him finding out.

  “Yes, he is. Sadly she is not as happy.”

  “So we saw.”

  “She was hurt.”

  “Yes, I am sure you will have a healer with you when next you see her.”

  Claire laughed softly nothing got past the lion, he was an amazing male. Ocean and her girls could not do any better than to have him and his large pride to watch over them. She was tempted to tell him about the instant family he was to receive but thought better of it. Somethings are just too funny and for Claire this was one of those things.

  “I will, she is to have Reighn’s old estate. I will show it to her in the morning.”

  He waited as his Lion came to terms with the thought of his mate in the home of another male. Claire said casually. ‘It has been empty for over seven hundred years or so he told me today.” Conor smiled, the female really did know males. “Really! Does she know?”

  “Yes, I mention it tonight.”

  “That it was Reighn’s”

  “Umm no, not that. I will tell her tomorrow, tonight as you saw was not the right time.”

  “I see.” Was his only comment. Claire tried not to be irritated at the enigmatic lion. It was not his fault he held his thoughts tight to his chest. It was what happened with leaders. “Her name is Ocean Walker. She arrived today.”

  “Been a busy day for her so far then.” Saul voiced.

  Clair agreed. “It has.”

  Conor looked to where Ocean was slowly walking. “I will make sure she gets home. Allow Saul to escort you home. Good night Seer.”

  “Good night sheriff Conor. I will take Saul’s offer up of an escort. Although I think that is my shadow coming.”

  With a nod Conor moved from the step and with his hands in the pockets of his jeans walked slowly after his mate. While Saul waited with Claire for Lars to arrive. “Not going to be easy for him.” He stated more than asked.

  Claire smiled. “You may be surprised. She has three lion cubs she has claimed.”

  Saul grinned. “Well, I am an uncle. How about that! Thank you Seer.” He told her as Lars arrived she walked into his arms as she replied. “You are welcome, they are delightful, more so I think, when they shift.” Lars saluted the lion in thanks and shifted to dragon. Claire hopped on his back and he lifted off. Saul watched them fly into the dark sky, smiling at the news of his impending uncle status.

  Ocean arrived minutes later at the hotel and slipped into the room. Both girls were asleep. It was not late, and she expected them to be awake but obviously the extreme emotional roller coaster they had been on for the last few days with their grandfather. Then the long bus ride with no sleep had taken its toll on them.

  They were snug under blankets snoring softly. Ocean checked Parker to make sure she had time to shower before she woke. She closed the bathroom door quietly and stripped off the bloody gloves over her split and swelling knuckles. Then yanked her clothes off and stepped under the hot water, she stuffed the wash cloth in her mouth as she cried out her anguish.

  When no more tears would come she washed the blood from her hands and quickly finished her shower. She dried and wrapped her hands in bandages she had
ready in the med kit she always carried. This was not the first time she had beaten her hands bloody and broken.

  Dressed in her long night shirt she crept into bed and lay awake going over the information she had received until Parker woke for her bottle. Then she slept until morning.

  After following his mate to her room, Conor shifted and lay in front of the door a large lion at least as big as a Kodiak bear. No one ever mistook him for any other lion as far as he knew he was the largest lion ever birthed. He was a ‘First’ of the new changeling species that would evolve over time at Dragon’s Gap. When shifters were ready, he would know and they would once more take their place in the world among the other magical entities.

  Conor had told no one other than Reighn of who he was. He knew Sage, Edith and Claire knew, it was hard to put anything past those ladies.

  His pride just thought of him as the Leo, large, terrifying if he needed to be. Protector of them all. What he was, was magical, and that was something he kept to himself. He wondered what his mate would make of him and his lion and their abilities.

  “Night Conor.” Ken the bear who owned the hotel said as he walked past the lion on his nightly patrol around twelve o’clock. “Your mate inside?”

  Conor nodded. Ken grunted. “You sleep well now, you hear.”

  Conor grunted at him. Ken smiled as he moved off. He, like every other shifter or person in Dragon’s Gap liked and admired Conor. He could not wait to tell his mate Lucy about Conor’s mate. She would be pleased a Leo was more stable with a mate and young.

  CHAPTER SEVEN:

  N ext morning Ocean was in agony, her hands were more swollen than she could remember them ever being before. She lay with her eyes closed and tried to close her hands into fists. The pain made her suck in a breath and almost cry out. She must have broken more than one or two knuckles, it felt like she had broken every one of them.

  There was no way she could feed Parker or change her like this, she felt disappointed and mostly ashamed of herself. She had thought the days of self-indulgent punishment were over.

  How responsible was she, there was more at stake now than just her. In her anger and hurt feelings, she had forgotten. She sat up slowly keeping her eyes closed and swung her legs to sit on the side of the bed. Sighing again as she remembered that crying was not her friend, it left her swollen and red eyed. She pried her sore eyes opened and was instantly confronted by two sets of blue eyes.

  “What happened?” Paige demanded of Ocean who bowed her head. “I am so sorry girls.”

  “For what?” Kadee asked.

  “Who hurt you?” Paige demanded again. Ocean shook her head. “No one honey... no one. I box. You know what that is.”

  “Sure you hit people.” Kadee answered.

  “Well yeah, I don’t actually hit people. I hit a punching bag.”

  “And you did that last night?” Paige asked wide eyed.

  “Yes.”

  “Your hands look bad.” Kadee told her with lots of sympathy in her voice. She was positive she could feel the pain coming from Ocean’s hands.

  “I wish I could say they do not hurt, but I cannot.”

  “I made you coffee, can you hold it?” Kadee asked as she held a cup in her hands. Ocean realized they must have been awake for a while. She had not heard a thing, either they were very quiet or she had fallen into a deeper sleep than she had planned. Another reason for her not to do this again.

  She nodded. “Yes, I can, thank you Kadee.” She took the cup and not for a minute would she show them the pain that small action caused her. She sat and sipped as Paige asked. “Why do you do that to yourself?”

  Ocean closed her eyes and said softy. “Anger, unresolved anger and hurt.”

  “Was it your family or the Dragon Lord because I don’t think it is wise to get that angry at dragons?” Kadee said with a frown of worry on her face.

  “Yes and no. It was just stupid.”

  Paige motioned for Kadee to hush as she said. “We will see to Parker if you tell us what to do.”

  Ocean nodded as she sipped her coffee. Kadee and Paige bustled about looking after Parker, heating her bottle. Paige changed her and tried not to make a face as she did. Then she sat and started to feed Parker as Kadee went and changed into clothes in the bathroom. When she came out and was putting her shoes on, she said. “Ocean?”

  “Yes Kadee.”

  “There was a huge, and I mean huge lion lying in front of the door this morning, when we woke up.”

  “Uhuh!” Ocean sipped her coffee as she looked at both girls. No, they were not lying or scared. “Did he try to get in here?”

  “No, it was a male. He had a huge mane and was beautiful for a male lion. He looked nice, right Paige?” Kadee looked at her sister. Paige nodded in agreement. “I thought so, he seemed real gentle.”

  “How do you come to that?” Asked a mystified Ocean. Paige told her. “I think if he wanted to hurt us he could have broken the door down and just walked in. He really was as big as a grizzly bear or elephant.”

  “Wow! That is huge, are you sure?”

  “Yep real big.” Kadee nodded. “He just got up and walked away when he heard us. Right Paige?”

  “Yep!” She concentrated on feeding the small baby. “Am I doing it right?” She asked.

  “Yes perfectly.” Ocean told her with a small smile.

  Paige smiled at her praise, then asked. “Was it because of us?”

  Ocean had no difficulty following her train of thought. “Oh no honey… No, it was just…” She shook her head. “Adult stuff!”

  “Oh!” Paige said in a small voice. Ocean sighed then remembered the estate. “So I have a home for us to look at.”

  “Really?” Kadee asked, and she could not hide her excitement at the thought. “What is it?”

  “An estate. Apparently it has over a hundred acres of land. It is a massive house. It is meant to have ten or fifteen bedrooms. Needs fixing up and is furnished, we are going to see it around nine this morning. Claire is taking us. We will have to eat first.” She looked at her hands, when a knock sounded on the door. Ocean looked at the girls. “We are not expecting anyone, are we?”

  Paige said. “Kadee open the door.”

  Claire and another female stood on the doorstep. Claire looked at Ocean. “The girls called, you need help.”

  Ocean sighed as she looked at both girls. “Of course they did, come in please.”

  Then she told the girls. “Thank you for caring. I cannot remember a time when someone did.”

  The girls had been worried Ocean would have been angry. When they had woken and seen her swollen bloody hands, they had panicked and Paige had called Claire. She had reassured them she was coming with a healer and not to worry. Claire looked at Ocean as she said. “I am sure we established last night. I am your friend.”

  Ocean sighed and sat again. “You did, and I thank you for coming. I assume the quiet lady with you is a healer.”

  Claire smiled. “She is, this is my friend Ella.”

  Claire took the baby from Paige and gently said. “Go and get dressed young one and then we will go get breakfast.”

  Kadee asked Claire. “Are you taking us to see our new home?”

  “Maybe new home.” Ocean cautioned as Ella walked to her and sat beside her on the bed. “Hello, I am Ella and may I?”

  “Good morning Ella. I am sorry to drag you out so early.”

  “Oh do not be. I am going on duty in half an hour, so it is no trouble.” She started to unwrap Ocean’s hands. Kadee watched Ella intently as Ella said. “I have a friend her name is Harper…”

  Ocean interrupted her. ‘Is that Harper Easton?”

  Ella smiled. “Yes. Of course her last name is Battle now, though. Do you know her?”

  “We have met. So she is mated?”

  “Bonded to a dragon. Ace Battle.”

  “That means she is a shadow, remember Ocean.” Kadee reminded her.

  “Yes sweetie. I rem
ember.”

  Claire raised her eyebrows. It sounded like there was bad blood between Harper and Ocean. Now she wondered what could have caused that she kept her thoughts to herself and said nothing as she finished feeding the baby her bottle.

  Ella said. “Anyway, she does this a lot or use too. Thankfully not so much now days.” She finished unwrapping Ocean’s hands and said softly. “Never this bad, you need to wear better gloves.”

  Ocean sighed. “Usually, I do. I was not in the right frame of mind last night. It will not happen again.”

  Ella smiled. “Harper says that as well!”

  She cupped her hands over Oceans and closed her eyes as Kadee said. “Oh wow, I can see that. It is amazing!” Kadee watched Ocean’s skin knit back together, and the swelling go down as her bones mended. After several minutes. Ella opened her eyes. “Treat them with care for the next two days, no hitting anything!” She admonished.

  “Yes healer Ella.” Ocean smiled. “Thank you, Ella. I really appreciate it.”

  Ella gave her hand a pat as she took hers away. “I know you do, also you should know your daughter has the gift. She will need training.”

  They both looked at a wide eyed and flushed faced Kadee. “That was the best thing. I have ever seen. It was amazing.”

  Ella laughed as she told Ocean. “You see, like calls to like!”

  “Yes, I have heard that. So who do we see about training?”

  Ella said. “If you like. I will organize someone to test her.”

  “Okay but next week. This is our settling in week. The girls start school on Monday after we register and get clothes. Again, thank you Ella.”

  “You are welcome. Now I must go. I will see you all soon, bye girls, and Claire see you later.” She left closing the door behind her.

  “She was nice I liked her. Do you think I really can be a healer?” Kadee asked.

  Ocean shrugged. “I do not know. We will get you tested and then you can decide, until then we are looking at a home and school.”

  Paige said as she came from the bathroom where she had changed. “I will pack a bag for Parker.”