by V. Vaughn
Apparently, Grandpa doesn’t trust me as much as he professes to.
Candlelight shone from the wide opening at the end of the passage. As they drew closer, Melanie recognized the scent of steaming herbs and the sound of chanting. The words were familiar and just as she’d guessed, was a spell binding her to the coven as soon as she and Damon had consummated their union. A chuckle that sounded more like the maniacal laughter of a comic book villain bubbled past her lips as they reached the edge of the threshold leading to the Dorcha’s sacred circle.
Well, here goes nothing.
The toe of her satin slipper had just touched down on the inside of the salt and ash circle when a roar shook the trees all around them. A collective gasp rose from the coven as they all searched for the origin of the disruption. It seemed to go on and on, echoing off the hills and mountains surrounding the valley and the hallowed ground.
A knowing look crossed Cleland’s face, then quickly was followed by fear and loathing as he whispered something to Damon. The younger man nodded, turned, and strode in her direction, a look of determination darkening his face. Again the trees trembled and quaked as another roar tore through the air. This time much closer and infinitely louder, causing blood red blossoms to cover the Sacred Circle and her ears to ring.
Damon appeared in front of her as she surveyed the inky blackness surrounding their gathering. Without preamble, he hoisted her into the air and unceremoniously threw her over his shoulder. Stunned for a just a second, Melanie began to kick and scream, demanding to be released.
Obviously unmoved by the abuse she was bestowing upon his chest and back, Damon quickly moved towards the back side of the circle and the darkness of the forest. Lifting her head, Melanie looked for anything she could use as a weapon. Throwing out her hand, she grabbed the base of one of the candelabras standing throughout the clearing. It was heavier than she realized and instead of ending up in her hand, it hit the ground, sparking a fire. Fear for all the people in attendance made her scream even louder to be released. She panicked as she watched it spread towards the witches and wizards that were frantically trying to reenter the coven.
Another roar split the air at the same time that nine huge figures burst into the clearing. There, standing almost a hundred feet away, looking like a Roman General leading his troops stood the man of her dreams. He gripped a long broadsword, poised and ready to take on all oncomers.
His blue eyes glowed with rage as he searched the crowd. Their eyes met and she felt more emotions than she’d ever imagined, then heard the voice she’d feared she might never hear again. “Hold on, mo chroi’. Hold on.”
Her heart skipped a beat and the breath fled her lungs as Jace threw back his head and roared to the Heavens. Her shock was palpable. She tried to reason away what she’d just witnessed as a hallucination from the stress of the previous days and was almost successful until Jace moved so quickly, dodging the spells being thrown that her eyes couldn’t track the movement. It was then she realized all the men that came with him were also moving as if by magic.
What the hell?
Damon broke through the salt and ash circle, running as fast as he could with her slung over his shoulder. Jace continued his pursuit, but the dark wizard threw spell after spell over his shoulder, causing her man to lose ground every time he had to swerve out of the way.
Unable to slow Damon down, Melanie tried to think of something to help Jace when the wizard made a sharp left then a right and dropped through a hole in the ground. She screamed as they fell through the air and grunted when his shoulder dug into her midsection as they hit the ground. In no time at all, the wizard was once again running, this time through a dark, dirty tunnel lit only by the occasional torch hanging from the wall.
Footsteps pounded behind them but sounded softer than she imagined her six-foot-three-inch savior would make. As the thought crossed her mind, a set of glowing green eyes came into view. Two seconds later the huge Black Panther those eyes belonged to came into view. Melanie gasped, the cat snarled and for the first time since the craziness began, Damon stumbled.
Afraid she was going to end up face first in the dirt, Melanie squeezed her eyes closed and threw out her hands to break the fall she was sure was to come. When nothing happened, she opened her eyes just in time to see that the panther had caught up to them. She could’ve sworn the big cat smiled as he swiped and hissed at her captor. It seemed the panther was pushing Damon in the direction he wanted the wizard to go instead of trying to hurt him.
Okay, I’ve had enough for today.
Unable to maintain the awkward posture she’d been forced into and sure she was losing her mind, Melanie fell forward and hung on for the ride, listening to the snarling of the beautiful panther dogging Damon’s every step. A cool breeze hit her bare legs where her gown had ridden up while she’d been riding on Damon’s shoulder. Needing to see where they had ended up, she once again lifted her head, this time propping her hands just above the evil wizard’s bum.
The panther was still in pursuit but falling back. Damon maneuvered the trees until he reached another, smaller clearing Melanie remembered from her childhood. Light from the Blood Moon showed little had changed in all those years. The wizard stopped, placed Melanie on the large stump in the middle of the glade, and began pacing a groove in the forest floor.
Leaves rustled overhead right before a group of the Draoi’s guard stepped into the moonlight. She recognized Putz One and Two from her original kidnapping but none of the others were familiar. Damon immediately went to them, speaking the language of their ancestors. Melanie wished she remembered more of the old dialect, as it was, she could only pick out certain words.
Unbeknownst to the wizards, a branch over their heads creaked. Melanie’s eyes flew towards the noise and found the panther precariously perched above them with a look that reminded her of the Cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland. Smiling at the cat and chuckling at the thought of him pouncing on the heads of the men that had held her hostage, Melanie almost fell off the stump when Jace led the same nine men towards the Dorcha.
The wizards turned as one unit and began firing spells at Jace and his friends. The men who looked like the NFL on steroids easily avoided the magical bolts and continued their march to end the wizards. Melanie looked up in time to see the panther land on two of the evil magicians. Sliding off the stump, she took cover to avoid being hit by ricochet magic but watched the action while trying to keep tabs on Jace.
It looked as though Jace and his friends were going to defeat the wizards and Melanie wanted to stand up and cheer. But true to her recent luck, as members of the Dorcha fell, a whole new set of the Draoi’s guard appeared. One wizard, Samuel that Melanie remembered from her youth, a Dorcha more evil than most, snuck behind Jace’s back and took aim.
“Jace! Behind you!” Melanie screamed as loud as she could.
The world seemed to move in slow motion, Jace spun around, Samuel pulled back his arm and began to chant. The wizard’s arm flew forward as Jace thrust his broadsword. Magic bounced off Jace’s blade, lighting the clearing with sparks of black magic. The few that touched Melanie’s bare arms and face stung like acid, and she wondered how the men continued to fight with the spent magic raining down on them…but fight they did.
Out of thin air, Samuel pulled a sword of his own, meeting Jace’s strikes one for one. The battle waged on with Jace and his friends obviously the better of the two groups. She searched for a way to stop the endless supply of Dorcha, all ready to fall in battle.
Melanie tried to think of some way to help. Her magic burned in her veins, begging to help the man she now knew she loved, but it had been years since she’d cast spell. Hundreds of pieces of incantations sped through her mind, none of them complete. She feared it was only a matter of time before Jace and his friends could no longer fend off the hoards that continued to come at them.
A thump to the ground at her back had Melanie spinning around as the Black Panther who’d chase
d them through the tunnel hit the ground. The cat sprung over her head and entered the fight, taking out one wizard after another, but even with the giant feline’s help, the Dorcha still outnumbered the good guys.
Magic cracked and lit the night sky as the wizards tried to end the battle once and for all. Melanie scanned the scene before her, looking for Jace and all of his friends. She had just breathed a sigh of relief that they were all still standing when a powerful magic tore through the clearing, sending streaks of electricity in every direction. The warriors and wizards stood completely still in the position they’d been in when the spell was cast.
She looked to Jace and saw rage burning in his eyes and could feel him fighting against the spell with all that he was. Looking for the source of the magic, Melanie caught a glimpse of a shadow speeding through the trees. Torn between following the wizard and staying with the man that had brought the cavalry to save her, she opted to stay and see what she could do to remove the spell that was holding them captive.
Before she could act, the air filled with a fresh clean magic that resembled her own but was also very different. It felt as if hundreds of butterflies were landing on her skin. Sure it was safe but not willing to let Jace or his friends face the new magic alone. Melanie used one of the few spells she remembered in its entirety.
Closing her eyes, she focused all her magic and whispered, “A bheith inithe.”
The familiar feeling of her own magic surrounded her. She opened her eyes but immediately wanted to close them again. The removal spell she’d used had worked but unfortunately had removed the wizards and not Jace and his friends. Frantically trying to remember another incantation, the feel of butterflies once again touched her skin but this time was coupled with an energy that vibrated the ground beneath her feet.
She locked eyes with a still frozen Jace whose expression still harbored anger but had softened. His voice sounded in her head. “This is not the way I wanted to tell you.”
“What are you talking…”
Melanie never finished her sentence. She found it hard to draw her next breath. As she looked on, the man that she’d already given her heart to transformed into a full grown bronze dragon.
Well, I’ll be damned was her last thought as Melanie Whelan fainted for the first time in her life.
7
“What the holy hell is taking so long?” Jace growled.
“I swear we’ve spent this entire trip telling you to chill out and I’m saying it again…chill out. Pearce and Devon are taking care of her. It looks like she just fainted, which makes sense since she came face to face with a full grown dragon.” Royce chuckled and Jace imagined punching his mentor in the face.
“You really should learn to shield better. I’ll let your insolence go…this time, since your mate is still unconscious, but I promise retribution when we’re all back home.”
Jace knew he should feel bad for being disrespectful to Royce but was too worried about Melanie to care about what punishment the older Guardsman would concoct.
“And anyway because I transformed when I did, the spell was broken and y’all were able to gather up a few of the remaining Dorcha. That should count for something, right?”
“It does, Jace. You know the old man is just jerking your chain.” Lance chuckled.
“Yeah, I know…”
“But you still feel responsible for Melanie’s condition. That’s the part you have to get over. Trust me, I know how hard it is. I want to wrap Sam and Syd in bubble wrap and lock them in the house so nothing ever happens to them, but let’s be real…is that really gonna happen? Hell no! Sam would kick my ass and Syd would hold me down. Your mating bond is strong, right?”
“Yeah. So? What if she’s pissed at me when she wakes?”
Lance barked out a laugh. “Brother, you’re gonna screw up on a daily basis. Sometimes she’ll laugh it off and sometimes she’ll be madder than a wet hen, so I’m gonna pass along a piece of advice that was given to me by the always wise Zen Master Walsh. Love her with everything you are. Love her like there will be no tomorrow. Love her like your life depends on it….because let me assure you…it does.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
Lance sighed and Jace could hear the beginnings of exasperation in his tone. “You know there’s nothing physically wrong with her and that Pearce’s diagnosis of extreme exhaustion is spot on, right?”
“Yeah, but…”
“There are no ‘yeah but’s’ young’un. It is what it is. This is who we are and the Universe knows what She’s doing when She makes our mates. They are beautiful, strong, and able to put up with our bullshit.” The jokester of the bunch was laughing so hard at his own joke that he had to pause, which made Jace smile whether he wanted to or not.
“Amen!” Kyra added out loud. “At least ten times a day I think about smacking Roy upside the head with an iron skillet.”
Every Guardsman within earshot started laughing, finally forcing Jace to join in.
“It looks like Melanie is waking up, loverboy.” Pearce’s comment had the younger Guardsman jumping out of his chair and running towards the bedroom.
Not even bothering to knock, Jace threw open the door and rushed to Melanie’s side. Her color looked great and she seemed to be resting comfortably. No matter how many times he told himself not to touch her, to let her rest and just sit by her side, he couldn’t stop his hand from holding hers, nor his thumb from rubbing circles on the back of her hand. It was just like every time they touched, electricity popped and crackled between them. He felt the current run through his body and fill his soul with the recognition of its other half.
When they were finally alone, Jace placed a kiss on her forehead, pushing his healing powers through their mating link, willing her to wake up. He was ready to bargain his soul and that of his dragon for just one more glimpse into her beautiful hazel eyes when she mumbled in her sleep.
Leaning forward, Jace placed his ear right above her pouty pink lips and waited intently for her to speak again. His patience paid off when after several seconds she murmured, “I love you, Jace. I’m just sorry I never got to tell you.”
Remembering that Pearce had said there was no physical damage, Jace could no longer resist. He slid his arms under her body and carefully lifted her onto his lap. Cradling her like the precious gift she was, Jace took her scent deep into his lungs, smiling as his dragon rolled onto its back and purred with contentment. He rubbed the tip of his nose along the side of her neck, placing a gentle kiss behind her ear to mark her with his scent, just as she’d marked his heart the first time she’d smiled in his direction. Melanie stirred in her sleep, curling closer into his chest, her hands curling into fists that gripped his T-shirt, holding him as close as he held her.
Her unconscious recognizes me as her mate.
Jace was happier than dragon in flight and listened as she once again uttered her love for him. Placing his lips against the soft curvature of her ear he whispered, “I love you more than the stars in the sky, Melanie Rose Whelan. If you would just open your eyes, I’d make you mine for all time.”
Jace sat for hours just holding his mate, loving the feel of her in his arms, and planning every detail of their very long lives together. In the wee hours of the morning, he carefully placed her back on the bed and laid down beside her, curling his body around hers to keep her close and safe. Sometime before the sun came up, the young Guardsman fell into a deep sleep. He dreamt of sweet little girls with dark brown curls and hazel eyes chasing rowdy little boys with blond hair and blue eyes, their squeal of delight filling the meadow.
A tickle at the corner of his lips caused his dreams to fade into the background. The tender touch grew more intense as it moved to his jawline then to his ear, leaving a path of desire in its wake. His eyes popped open when Melanie’s breath bathed his ear and she whispered, “If you don’t wake up soon, I’m gonna be forced to find someone else to take advantage of.”
Grinning from ear to e
ar, Jace gripped her tight to his chest and answered, “You just try to get out of this bed.”
Melanie lifted her head and looked him right in the eye. He could see the laughter shining back at him and how hard she was working to keep a straight face. He decided to play along and waited to see what she was up to. The wait was more than worth it.
“A dragon, huh?” Her shoulders bounced and he felt her tummy moving against his as she fought to control her laughter.
Never one to be outdone, Jace cocked an eyebrow and responded, “A witch, huh?”
Melanie’s laugh was music to his ears, a sound a few days ago he believed he might never hear again. It was contagious and beautiful and so completely her.
“Yeah, about that,” she said as soon as she’d recovered enough to speak.
He saw the change in her demeanor immediately. Melanie was afraid he would be upset with her for keeping secrets. Not wanting her to be anything but happy, Jace placed his index finger against her lips and shook his head.
“There’s nothing to explain. We all have secrets, as you saw. I was going to tell you about a hundred times and every time I either chickened out or one of us was called away. Are you sure you’re okay with what you saw?”
“Okay? Of course, I’m okay with it. It’s who you are and explains so much.”
He breathed a huge sigh of relief just as she added, “I figured you’d be pissed with me? But honestly…”
Once again he silenced her with a finger to her lips and laughed when she pretended to bite him. “There’s nothing to explain. It’s obvious you’re nothing like your seanathair. And the witch thing is no big deal. Kyra, Royce’s mate, is the daughter of a Grand Priestess and one hell of a powerful witch. She said you are a little package of magical dynamite, too.” He paused, leaned forward, and kissed the tip of her nose then asked, “The whole dragon thing wasn’t a surprise?”
“Well, it was a surprise that you’re one and super cool to see you transform, but I’ve known since I was a little there are shifters of all kinds. I’m guessing that big Black Panther was a shifter, too? And with you?”
