by Leela Ash
Finn Donnelly nodded in approval. “Because she’s your true Mate. Now in the Rat’s defense, only Dragons are supposed to be able to sense when their Mates are in trouble. Not Bears. That’s a new thing.”
And there it was again. That word.
Mate.
Today, it didn’t chill him or summon memories of Ashley’s broken body and crushed car. Today, it was a promise, not a threat.
Paige had noticed it too. He could tell by the way she dropped her gaze, by the faint blush that crept delightfully across her cheeks.
“Well, Donnelly, I guess the Hares are right: the world is changing now that magic’s back. And I’m glad. Not just because it let me save you, either. It helped me sort things out.”
“I don’t understand,” she whispered, suddenly growing shy.
“When you told me you loved me, I didn’t answer. Now I know why. I was running away, just like you said. From the pain of losing Ashley. From the danger of caring about a person so much more fragile than a Bear.”
She opened her mouth, probably to defend him against his own accusations. Rex hurried on before she could make him lose his nerve. “When my Bear hauled me out of that coma, raving about you, I realized how wrong I was. You are my Mate. You’re my heart, the other half of my soul. My Bear knew it from day one. It took a bullet and a kidnapping to drive that fact through my thick skull, but I can’t deny it any longer. Magic made that impossible.”
Normally, blurting out his feelings in front of four guys would have made him die of shame. Today, Rex didn’t give a shit who heard. Proud, he raised his head. “Paige Hall, I love you. I want to marry you, to merge our families into something new and precious. I know what you’re thinking.” Her eyes, wide and startled as a fawn’s, brought a smile to his face. “You’re thinking, ‘Isn’t there supposed to be a question in there someplace?’”
Laughter filled the room, from Donnelly’s bass chuckle to his love’s silvery giggle. Yet a soft melancholy lingered in Rex’s heart. He wasn’t out of the woods yet. “I’ll get to it, but this is complicated. Paige Hall, would you marry me—even though I can’t promise you a safe life? I will do my best. I would die for you, and for our kids. But with these Fangs of Apophis out there… the Shifter world just isn’t safe. I can’t make promises.”
“The only promises I need are wedding vows,” she assured him, her face flushed with love and a trust that made his heart sing with joy. Deep inside, his Bear reared onto its hind legs and roared its delight at the sky.
Yet he could not hurry her. This decision would last a lifetime and he wanted that lifetime to be perfect. “Are you sure? You’ve seen what the Fangs are like. In just the short time we’ve known each other, both you and your son have been kidnapped.”
“And we’ve been saved. By you.”
“But you came here to be safe….”
“I came here because I ran away,” she corrected him. “Like you. And I need to stop too. Lily was right. Every day, we can choose to be stronger. Today, I choose to stop running. Today, I choose you, and love.”
The last of his objections fell away, leaving nothing but happiness behind. “Then, Paige Hall, will you marry me?”
“I will,” she said, eyes bright with tears of joy.
The other guests waded in then, offering congratulations and claps on the back. Though, Aaron King kept chuckling. “Lily told you that, Miss Hall? It’s probably the first time she’s ever given someone good advice.”
For a time, he simply basked in joy. In the warmth of friendship, the heat of his Mate’s love, and passion’s whispered promise of a life of ecstasy.
Eventually, however, one nagging worry wiggled its way into his bliss. “Hang on. You never did tell me what happened! After I killed the Rat, I mean.”
“Oh, right!” Flushed with happiness, Paige laughed. “Well, you reared back on your hind legs, made this weird gurgling noise, and fainted.”
“Okay, okay, I don’t need every embarrassing detail,” he grumbled, to a chorus of chuckles.
“Sorry! Fortunately, we had phone coverage. I called the Donnellys and they came and got you. After that…” Paige waved at the others. “They should tell you. I was busy nursing you and didn’t have a lot to do.”
King eyed Donnelly, as if daring the Dragon to speak before him. The big man ducked his head instead, and the Wolf took up the story. “The attack on you brought this community together. You probably don’t know it because Shifters are an ornery bunch, but you’re pretty popular.
“With the information on the Rat’s phone, we located two more Fang safehouses. They’ve been taken out—which should shut down their operations in this area.”
“Any sign of that Worm?” The older man shook his head and Rex sighed. “Well that’s a good start, but the war isn’t won.”
“No,” the Wolf agreed, “but the Fangs no longer have bases near us. And now that we’re onto them, they won’t find it so easy to fly under the radar.”
“Plus, now we know what they’re looking for,” Donnelly chimed in.
Like the Dragon was some upstart pup sticking his nose into adult talk, King harried him right back out of the conversation. “I was getting to that. The Sand, Sage, and Big River Packs have agreed to patrol the badlands. Any sign of people driving where they shouldn’t, and we’ll hunt them down.”
Three Packs? That was a hell of a lot of Shifters. “Thank you,” he said, with heartfelt relief.
And, of course, the Wolf was in a nipping mood and wouldn’t even accept gratitude. “We’re not doing it for you. These are our range lands, our territory. We’re defending what’s ours.”
His Bear shuffled and rumbled, annoyed at all that barking.
I know, right? Two weeks ago, they weren’t doing shit-all. Now they’ve got their tails up in the air, proud as hell about defending ‘their’ land.
His Bear agreed and suggested giving the Wolf a nice swat, just to put him in his place. Tempting as it was, Rex vetoed the idea.
Let’s not chase them away before they help. Wolves can be obnoxious but—like Lily—sometimes, you need them.
“Unfortunately, the Rats are as useless as always,” King grumbled.
That surprised Rex—since up till now, they were the only Shifter Kind putting full effort into this project. “Oh?”
“They refuse to work with us.”
Well, you guys are a snappish bunch and Rats don’t care to get bitten.
No point telling King that, though. Rex tried a more tactful approach. “Let me talk to them. I know SueSue pretty well. I bet I can buy info off them.” Personally, he doubted the Rats wanted more than a cup of coffee for their spy work, but it let the Wolves save face. “What about that painting Paige and I found?”
King nodded to Donnelly. “Why don’t you fill him in?” Rex bit his lip to hide a smile.
The Wolf must not know; otherwise, poor Donnelly wouldn’t get a single word in today.
But if the big Dragon was irritated by King’s games of dominance, it didn’t show. “We still don’t know the meaning of the five Shifters. Some of the local Hares are Native and they’re going to talk to their tribal Elders and see if anyone knows more. Our best guess is that they’re the five people who will summon this monster into the world.”
“Nemagorix.” Beside him, Paige shivered, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
Standing by her husband, Bree Donnelly nodded. “We don’t have much information on that thing or this ‘Aegis’ he mentioned to you. Further research is necessary.”
Disappointing, but not a surprise. “And the painting itself?”
“Torn down,” the Hare confessed. “I hate the idea of destroying antiquities, but it was too dangerous. We couldn’t find a way to make Nemagorix shut up, so we took his ‘phone’ away, if you will.”
Good. No easy way for the thing to speak to the Fangs, then. It wasn’t a perfect solution, but it would do, for now.
“Sounds like you guys have
things under control. Not much for me to do except talk to Rats, finish healing…and start planning a wedding,” Rex added, smiling at his Mate.
Paige beamed back at him, proud and happy. “And we need to get SueSue a good present. She was a miracle. She spotted Freeman on his way in and got the kids away.”
“Did she bring them back,” he grumbled, “or do I have to start searching fallout shelters?”
“Yes, she’s watching them now. They’re out playing around the pool.”
His kids were actually in the damn pool—not whining to be taken to Totten Reservoir? Would wonders never cease!
“Huh. I didn’t know she liked kids.” A speculative gleam lit his eyes. “You think she’s interested in a babysitting job?”
“Let’s ask her,” Paige said, snuggling into the crook of his arms. “Besides, I think the position is opening up!”
***looking for more romance…?
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Dragon Protector
Dragon Dreams Book 1
Leela Ash & Tabitha St. George
Chapter 1
Golden and mysterious, the coin in Hannah Stiles’ hand hinted that there was hope. That, maybe, just maybe, there was a path out of this disaster.
From downstairs, she caught snatches of her parents’ hushed debate.
“…extremely generous offer… we won’t see another like it…”
“…but we’ll lose everything!”
“Everything except our son.”
Silence fell. There was no arguing against that last point. Four months ago, a hit and run driver struck her seventeen-year-old brother Danny as he walked home one evening. Bills mounted. Insurance, that had promised the world, delivered far less protection than they needed. Hannah didn’t know the details. Even though she was six years older than her brother, her parents still treated her like their little princess. They tried to shield her from life’s ugly truths.
But things had come to a head and there was no hiding now. Her parents owed the hospital $72,300. As much as their small farm made in an entire year! With their savings drained, a ‘savior’ had appeared, a real estate developer who made them a very generous offer for their farm. Enough money to cover their debts and set up somewhere else…
…if they were willing to abandon their home. A house that had been in the Stiles’ family for centuries. The place where she and her father had grown up. Her parents hated the idea – but there was no other option.
Except this coin.
Hannah took a deep, shaky breath and prayed it was as magical as Grandpa had said. “When things are darkest,” he’d told her, “when there’s no hope at all, show this to the Protectors. They are bound by blood and honor to aid us.”
Unfortunately, he hadn’t told her how to find those ‘Protectors’. His grandfather hadn’t bothered to pass that important detail along. Being a modern girl, Hannah didn’t believe in ancient debts and magic coins. But if this thing had truly been in her family for 300 years, it must be valuable. Maybe valuable enough to save their home. And she had a good idea where to find a ‘Protector’ of her own.
Online.
A quick image search didn’t turn up anything that looked similar. The coin itself didn’t offer many clues about its origin. No date, no sign of what country it came from. One side was blank. On the other, a dragon curled around the edge, circling two words: “Noraste Mel.” Google couldn’t translate that. When she posted on a rare coins forum, no one had ever heard of anything like it.
Until yesterday, when an email arrived:
Ms. Stiles,
I am keenly interested in the coin you describe. If I am right about its origins, it is priceless. Though, surely, its Protector has told you that?
I need to see the coin to be certain. I will arrange a video conference tomorrow night at 6:00. Do have the coin with you.
Sincerely,
Brandon Lorde
Two words sent butterflies winging through her stomach. ‘Priceless’ – because that could save them. And ‘Protector’ – a strange echo of her grandpa’s own words. Quickly, she’d agreed to speak to Mr. Lorde tonight.
Her computer’s clock read 5:58pm. Hannah set the coin down and ran a hand through her long blonde hair. Nervously, she swept a wrinkle out of her sleeve and worried that perhaps jeans and a faded state fair t-shirt weren’t the best choice to impress a stranger.
Nonsense, she scolded herself. This isn’t a date. He’s interested in your coin, not you.
The exact moment the clock ticked over to 6:00pm, a soft ping announced that Mr. Lorde wished to begin a video chat.
Hannah licked her lips and clicked ‘accept’.
She had expected some little old man surrounded by cats, coins, and dusty antiques. Instead, a Greek god appeared on her screen.
Black hair, thick and light as a raven’s wings, framed his strong, angular face. Everything about him radiated strength, from his muscular arms to the sharp cut of his jaw and his full, firm lips. And his eyes…!
They caught her and held her as tightly as a hare in a hawk’s grasp. She had never seen eyes like them before. Rich, sapphire blue. For a moment, she swore there were lights in them, tiny flecks of purest gold that swirled around the pupils’ dark center.
Hannah’s breath caught in her throat. She simply stared, like a deer in headlights, wishing, once again, that she’d changed clothes after coming in from the barn.
For a moment, those luscious, mesmerizing eyes scanned her, drinking in every detail of her face, her clothes, her hair. Perhaps it was crazy, but he seemed… eager? Anxious? No, nothing that weak. But clearly, whatever this coin was, it held great importance to him.
“Ms. Stiles?”
Even his voice thrilled her, a deep, rich bass that transformed her plain, boring name into something enchanting.
He cleared his throat. “Ms. Stiles?”
Oh heavens! He expected an answer? Blood rushed to Hannah’s cheeks as she realized she’d been sitting there staring at him. “Yes? Uh, yes! I’m, uh, Hannah. Hannah Stiles.”
“Good. Please hold the coin up to your computer’s camera.”
No small talk? No ‘Hi, how are you, nice to see you?’ For the first time, she felt a twinge of uneasiness, but she ignored it. Of course, he was all business. A wealthy, elegant man like him would never care about a plain farm girl like her. Still blushing, she raised the coin, so he could see it.
Immediately, he gasped. Some bright emotion lit his azure eyes. Hope? Joy? She couldn’t tell. For one moment, a dazzled smile brightened his face and he began to speak in a deep, musical language.
What it was, she had no idea. Certainly nothing like her high school Spanish. He fell silent, awaiting an answer. Hannah winced. “I’m sorry. I don’t know that language.”
At once, clouds of suspicion darkened his handsome face. He repeated the last sentence, his smile fading.
“Sorry, I really don’t have any idea what you’re saying.”
“Marakeen?” Those brilliant eyes bored into her now, seeking traps and deceit. “This word means nothing to you?”
Hannah shook her head. “Is that the name of the coin?”
His eyes closed, freeing her. Every muscle in his lithe body tensed, as if some fierce battle raged inside him. When he opened his eyes again, they were as cold as glacial ice. Chin raised, he stared through the computer at her with chilly disdain. “So, tell me, where did you steal the coin from?”
Steal?!? Now her eyes flashed. “Excuse me? How dare you accuse me of theft?”
“How dare I?” he sneered. “You have no idea what you hold in your hand. Clearly, you are a thief.”
“This coin has been in my family for hundreds of years!”
“And yet, you know nothing of the Marakeen?” She glared back a
t him, unwilling to answer, and he gave a short bark of laughter. “Then let me correct myself. You are not a thief – you are the descendent of thieves.”
“I think this conversation is over,” Hannah hissed. Gorgeous or not, he didn’t get to sit there and insult her family like that.
As she reached for the mouse, his lip curled in mockery. “Don’t you want your money, thief’s child?”
Hannah froze, and now it was her turn to fight back anger.
Money. That was why she was here. She couldn’t forget that. Couldn’t let her anger… her disappointment, cloud her mind. Yes, her ‘Greek god’ seemed to be more of a devil. Yes, he was arrogant, and dismissive, and…
She swallowed and scrubbed her eyes, quickly wiping away any trace of the shamed tears his taunts had summoned. None of that mattered. What mattered was that, judging from the luxurious furniture she saw behind him, he was rich. And he wanted her coin.
“Well?”
His scornful gaze burned through her, hitting her soul like a hammer’s blow. Yet she forced herself to meet it. To lift her chin and defy his unjust accusations. “Yes. $72,300. That’s what this coin will cost you.”
He didn’t even blink at that crazy price tag. “An oddly specific price.”
She held her tongue. He didn’t deserve an explanation.
“Very well.” Clearly, his interest in the subject had died. “$72,300 it is. I will mail you my address. Send the coin to me and I will give you what you want.”
“I want the money first!” Her lips pinched. “I don’t trust you.”
“Well, I don’t trust thieves,” he countered, “and I have the money. You will not be paid until the coin is in my possession.”
As she opened her mouth to argue, he waved dismissively. “We’re done here,” he said, as the video conference ended.
For a moment, Hannah sat there, shaking with shame and rage. How could someone so heavenly, so gorgeous, be so cruel? What had she done to deserve that kind of treatment?
