by Lia Davis
What had he missed?
Luke wracked his brain to remember what Courtney said about killing the beast. The Inuit who made the dagger had said the heart. Luke needed to stab the beast in the heart to kill it.
How was he going to do that while they were in the air? No way he could. After pulling the dagger out of the dragon’s neck, Luke slid down his scaly back to his leathery wing. He stabbed into the webbing of the wing closest to the body, then again a little farther out, creating tatters and holes in the wing. The DSD dragons flew near, ready to lend a hand as soon as they were needed.
But Luke had to kill the dragon. The aurora flitted across the sky, it’s greens and pinks blanketing the darkness with a vibrant color scheme. The ice dragon looked at it, too, then screeched as it lost altitude.
With the massive neck wound and the wing injury, he spiraled toward the flat ground in front of the cave. His wings no longer able to balance the wind, he fell from the sky. Luke jumped off the rogue’s back and shifted into his dragon so he could fly to safety with the tusk between his teeth. When the rogue hit the ground, Luke touched down beside him, then shifted back to his clothed human form.
Standing over the injured dragon, Luke plunged the dagger into the beast’s heart. Dark power and hot blood exploded outward, throwing Luke back several feet. He landed on his back, the air rushing from his lungs in a whoosh as he hit the ground.
DSD circled above him.
Suddenly, Luke was surrounded by black shadows looming over him—the demon spirit from the ice dragon. The essence of the evil that lived inside the beast now hovered over him. Voices entered Luke’s mind—at least, it sounded like more than one. He wasn’t sure. Your soul is now mine. I feel your rage. Your pain. Join me and we can make others suffer as you and I have.
Luke fought to breathe as he tried to shake the demon’s hold on his mind. The dark presence was powerful, and he couldn’t get it to loosen its grip.
Let me in. You can’t fight me. I’m stronger than you will ever be.
“I’ll never let you in,” Luke growled out. “You aren’t going to win.”
Your female is dead. Laughter shook his mind.
Luke held his head. It couldn’t be true. Not Mac.
No, she was alive. Reaching out with his senses, he listened closely as he searched. Fear threatened to take over when he didn’t hear or sense her. He reached out farther. Then he heard her. A tiny sound in the large darkness of his mind. A soft sob as she called out to him. She was alive.
She was his mate. And he loved her.
Admitting the feelings he had for her renewed his strength, and he gasped in a breath of clear air, then shoved the evil demon spirit off him and out of his mind. Though the aurora blazed overhead, it was no longer a slave to the evil that lay in the darkness of the rogue dragon’s mind. One thing left to do…
“Snow,” Owen called. He’d shifted to human form and retrieved the dagger.
When Luke lifted his gaze to his friend, Owen tossed the dagger to him. He caught it one handed, and spun to stab the spirit. Electricity jolted his hand at the contact, but he didn’t pull back. A high-pitched scream echoed off the mountains a moment before the entity disappeared.
The aurora blacked out, too, then returned with an even stronger surge of color. The beast was gone.
They had won.
Dropping the dagger, Luke stumbled to the mouth of the cave. He made eye contact with Mac as he advanced forward. When he reached her, he fell to his knees. Tears filled his eyes as he took a hold of the chains and jerked, breaking the links.
Mac jumped into his arms and clenched his shirt. Her body trembled and she sobbed. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her close. “I’m so sorry. I’m sorry for not making you stay at the cabin. Sorry for not telling you the truth.”
She lifted her head and pressed a finger to his lips. “I’m sorry for running off like an idiot. I wasn’t thinking. I should’ve trusted you.”
He crushed his mouth to hers. She sighed and returned his kiss.
Luke broke the kiss and pressed his forehead to hers. “I love you, Mac. I will spend the rest of my life protecting you.”
She teared up again. “I love you, too. Is the beast gone now?”
He nodded. “It’s gone forever. The Inuit people never have to worry about it again. You don’t have to worry.”
Her smile lit up her face, and Luke took his first breath without anxiety. Jo would be proud of him. She’d be happy.
“Luke, let’s get home. If I’m freezing my ass off, I know she has to be.” Courtney stopped next to them. When he glanced up at her, she grinned.
He reached for Mac’s hand. “Would you like to ride on the back of a dragon?”
Mac nodded. “Only if it’s your dragon.”
Chapter Sixteen
Mac looked up at Luke. She couldn’t help but fill with warmth at even the most casual glance. And she couldn’t imagine her life without him. How the dragon had gotten so close to her in such a short time was a mystery.
Even during the kidnapping and attack by the ice dragon, Luke had been her very own super hero. And since they’d gotten back to his cabin, he’d taken care of her injuries so gently—like he was afraid he’d hurt her if he wasn’t careful. He’d spent so much time bandaging the scratches and wiping down her bruises.
“Thank you,” she said. “For taking care of me.”
He smiled and tugged the blanket up over her shoulders, stepping around to the other side of the bed to repeat the process. “Please try to relax. You need to get some rest. Heal.”
“Not a chance. I’m too wound up to sleep. It’s been a crazy night, you have to admit.” She scooted up on the pillow.
Mostly, she was fine. Her ribs hurt a little on her right side, but Luke was probably right that they were bruised by the dragon when he gripped her. The few cuts and scratches should heal quickly as long as she kept them clean so they didn’t get infected.
Nothing serious. She’d been lucky the beast hadn’t decided to kill her. A shudder rolled through her, and she fought the tears that sprang to her eyes. Her mother hadn’t been so lucky.
“Do you need me to get you a drink or something to eat?” Luke put the last of the supplies in the first aid kit and closed it, then set it on the bedside table. “I need to tell the others good-bye before they head out. But I can bring you something back if you want.”
“I’m fine.” She sat up fully on the bed and leaned against the pillow on the headboard. “Can they come in here? I’d like to tell them good-bye, too. They helped save my life.”
“Are you sure you’re up to it? They know what you’ve been through, and they’ll understand if you can’t see them right now.” Luke sat on the edge of the bed and reached to feel her forehead.
“Stop fussing over me.” She patted Luke’s hand then pushed it aside. “I’m fine. Really. Please tell them to come in. I want to tell them thanks.”
Luke sighed and stood. “Okay honey. I’ll be right back.” He headed down the hallway, and she heard the low rumble of his voice as he talked to the others in the living room.
She stared at the ceiling while she waited on him to return with the DSD team. What a day it’d been. She yawned.
First, she’d found out the man she cared about was a dragon, like the beast that had killed her mother. Then she’d found out his friends were dragons, too, only they were all good dragons, and they hunted the bad dragons and saved people from them.
The beast had kidnapped her and taken her to its lair in the mountains where Luke and his friends had used some magical dagger to kill it. She’d been so overwhelmed with all the revelations, she’d barely had time to process any of the events, much less all of them.
She focused on the fact that the dragon was dead and her people were safe. Her father was safe. Elisipie and Angel were safe. She was safe.
She glanced down at the purple bruising on her arm. There was no denying it was real—the beast had held he
r tight enough to show her reality. She traced the largest bruise with her index finger. It almost felt good to have evidence that she wasn’t crazy. She wasn’t sure she’d believe it had happened otherwise.
It was difficult to believe, but it was true—all of it.
Dragons were real. Some were bad and some were heroes.
Luke peered around the doorframe. “You ready for visitors?”
He was her hero. With his pale hair and his serious smile, he was one of the protectors. He’d take care of her. She nodded, then patted her hair down.
Courtney, Owen, and Anders filed into the room. The men stared at the floor, but Courtney smiled huge, showing all her teeth. She sat on the edge of the bed and reached for Mac’s hand.
“You okay, honey?” Courtney asked. “I was worried.”
Mac loved how sweet Courtney was. She was charming without being obnoxious and genuine without being maudlin. No one would ever guess that underneath her pretty, petite exterior, a ferocious dragon lurked.
“I’m fine.” Mac met her gaze. “I’ll have to get used to this world full of dragons, but other than that, I’m completely okay. I’m ready to get back to work.”
“Not anytime soon,” Luke said. “You need to rest. Your dad can help out while you recover.”
“I’m sure he’d be happy to, but I won’t need long. Doctors heal quickly.” She winked at Luke.
“I insist you get some rest.”
Mac tugged at the blanket. “Yes, sir.”
Fuzzy and purple, the blanket wouldn’t have been what she would think Luke would use. No, he’d have an olive, drab wool blanket, not something so soft and fuzzy. Nothing comfortable. He was way too rugged for a purple blanket, and yet he had one. She might never figure him out.
“Could be worse,” Anders said. “The world could be full of aliens.”
Owen raised his eyebrows. “How do you know it isn’t already?”
Mac grabbed a pillow and threw it at the men. “You both are silly. You know how to set a woman at ease.”
“They have a talent, all right.” Courtney rolled her eyes. “Not sure it’s meant to set a woman at ease, though. You’d have to ask Nadia how she feels about that.”
“Nadia?” Mac’s voice rose in question. Who were they talking about? She looked to Luke for answers.
Luke moved to sit beside Mac on the bed. “Nadia is Owen’s mate.”
She whipped her head toward him. Had she heard him right? “Mate?”
Owen, Anders, and Courtney all looked at each other, eyes wide. So they knew, too. Mac chewed her lower lip. Luke was going to have to explain it sooner or later. So archaic.
“We’ll talk.” Luke patted her hand.
She scowled. “When?”
Courtney shot Luke a look, mirroring the scowl on Mac’s face. “When?” she asked.
“Soon. Right now, I think we all agree that Mac needs to rest.” Luke fidgeted.
Owen stepped forward. “We’re heading out—we need to hurry. The council is waiting on a full report on what happened up here, and I decided it’s going to be easier to explain this if I go speak to them in person.” Owen bent to hug Mac. “Courtney is going with me.”
“I’ve got some family matters to take care of.” Anders gave Mac a hug. “So I’m heading home for a while.”
“I’ve not been in front of the council in two years,” Courtney said. “I’m looking forward to being in the middle of things again. Mac, I’ll see you soon. Maybe Luke will bring you to the next team outing. Trust me, it’s a lot more fun than chasing down rogue dragons.”
A laugh escaped Mac. “I bet it is. It was good to meet you all. Thanks again for the help getting rid of the beast.”
“It’s what we do,” Owen said.
Luke stared at Mac, holding himself back from touching her, holding her, loving her. She needed to rest. He’d never seen anyone so remarkably beautiful. Jo had held the same kind of beauty but with a darker note. Mac’s was unspoiled by the harshness of loss and death.
Even though she’d lost her mother to the ice dragon, she’d seen the good in the world and gone on helping others. He admired her so much.
She’d been asleep a couple of hours since his team left, and try as he might, he couldn’t force himself to sleep, too. He just wanted to watch her. He was amazed how all the stress left her face when she slept—like soft rose petals curling around the bud. He ran his fingers along her cheek and she twitched.
He smiled. He’d never grow tired of watching her.
Mac turned over, letting out a low moan as she settled in on her side. He tugged the blanket up to her chin and rubbed her upper arm.
Suddenly, she bolted upright, eyes wide and mouth open. “Where am I?” Her voice shook.
“Shhh. It’s okay.” Luke held her hand. “You’re in my cabin. We killed the beast, remember?”
The pause was long, then she spoke, lower lip quivering. “The beast is dead. The one that killed my mother.”
“Yes. It’s gone forever. You never have to worry about it again. The village is safe. You are safe.”
He stroked her hair. The softness of it didn’t surprise him, and he dragged his fingers through it.
“Oh, Luke.” She lay her head on his chest. “I’m so happy now. I’m sorry I ran off when you told me—”
“When I told you I was a dragon. Oh Mac, I should’ve told you sooner. Maybe the dragon wouldn’t have kidnapped you. Maybe we could’ve caught him sooner.”
“Please stop.” She shook her head. “No more apologies. The truth is out now, and the beast is dead. That’s all I need. We dealt with things the best we could at the time and, thankfully, everything worked out.”
He kissed her gently on the lips and pushed the stray lock of hair from her face. With the lights low, he couldn’t see every detail, but he knew her by heart. Through the window, the moonlight bounced off the snowy ground, lighting up the wilderness outside.
“Look.” He pointed.
She looked, a smile growing. “The aurora. It’s beautiful.”
“It’s a symbol of what we’ve been through. A symbol of our love. No longer will your people fear when the aurora spreads across the night sky. From now on, it will be a reminder that we conquered the beast that fed on fear and loneliness.”
She nodded. “It’s so beautiful. We’re so lucky to be able to see it in Alaska.”
Luke couldn’t take it anymore. He wanted Mac by his side for the rest of their lives. He couldn’t imagine a day without her in it.
“Mac?” he whispered.
“What is it?”
“I love you.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck. “Oh, Luke, I love you, too. More than anything.”
He’d never felt more at home. He held her tight. “I don’t ever want to let you go.”
“Promise me that you won’t.” She nuzzled into his chest.
“I promise. I won’t let anything happen to my mate.”
She pulled back and looked at him. “You keep calling me your mate. Isn’t that a bit barbaric in this day and age? Sounds like something left over from the Stone Age.”
“No, not the Stone Age.” He grinned. “It’s a dragon thing.”
“How did I guess? Explain it.”
“Dragons mate for life.” He scooted closer to her.
“I like the sound of that.” She tugged her gown over her head, baring her breasts to him.
He cupped them, the nipples pebbling in his hands. His dragon roared to claim its mate. Soon. I promise. He rolled a nipple in his fingertips, and she arched toward him, her breath coming in deepening gasps.
“Take off your clothes,” she said.
He tugged his shirt off and tossed it across the room before yanking her close, skin to skin. She drew in a sharp breath.
“Is that better?” He spoke softly into her ear, then nibbled at her lobe.
She quivered. “And is mate also a verb?”
“Mate is definitely a verb.
Let me show you.” He pulled the blanket over both their heads and tugged her into a kiss. His dragon sucked in a breath, waiting on its chance to claim their mate.
Epilogue
Courtney sipped her tea and stared out the window into the rain-soaked gardens behind her bungalow. The birds sang songs, her cats slept in her bed, and all seemed right with the DSD world.
At the moment, anyway.
She sighed and checked her phone for email again then set it back on the counter. Things had been unusually quiet the last few weeks. With Luke and Mac spending time together and Owen and Nadia doing whatever they did best, the rest of the team had kind of spread out across the globe. Anders was home taking care of aging parents and Courtney… Well, she didn’t really have any responsibilities outside of DSD. Usually, that was a good thing, but with everything so quiet, she had to admit she was a bit bored.
She craved the heat of the mission, to hunt down the next crazy rogue.
Her phone buzzed and she smiled. Finally. She waited for the second ring to pick it up—in case it was a wrong number. The phone buzzed again, and she set her tea down and picked it up.
She glanced at the caller ID.
Dylan.
“Hello?” She answered. “Dylan? How’s it going?”
“We’ve got a sea creature sized problem…” Dylan’s thick Scottish brogue trailed off. “I need the team, as soon as possible. Like now.”
“What kind of problem?” Courtney’s heart sped and she tapped her nails on the counter.
“It’s Nessie. Or should I say Nessie’s brother. He’s out of the loch and about to…”
Click.
“Hello? Dylan?” The line was dead.
Courtney pressed redial.
No answer.
About Kerry Adrienne
Repped by Marisa Corvisiero, Kerry writes in many genres including science fiction, fantasy, paranormal, m/m, erotic romance, and more. In her spare time, she homeschools, is a part-time college instructor, editor, and dabbler in most things creative. You can usually find her posting cat pictures on Facebook and Twitter when she’s not working
