by Alice Brown
‘I’ll kill those blood-thirsty suckers just for looking at her, let alone chasing after her!’ Ivormantis roared.
‘She needs comfort and caring before she needs us going all ‘he-man’, my friend.’
‘Fine, you go comfort her and I’ll go roast the vampires for lunch.’
‘You’re forgetting we go together, and that we can’t shift right now, you dimwit.’
‘Says the man who can’t sleep and is arguing with his dragon simply because he needs to be near his mate. Go to her.’
‘She’s asleep by now.’
‘No harm in watching her sleep and sitting with her awhile. I’m sure Natasha could use a break and would like to be back with her mate as well.’
Dominic smiled. ‘You’re the devil, but I don’t know what I would do without you.’
He quickly headed for the door. Quietly tapping on the door, so as not to awaken Meldamiriel or startle Natasha, he waited just a second before poking his head in. Natasha sat in a big plush chair near the bed dozing. Meldamiriel lay curled up on her side facing her, sound asleep. Dominic silently walked over to Natasha and gave her shoulder a slight shake. She awoke with a start, her gaze first flashing to Meldamiriel before darting up to meet his gaze. He held a finger up to his lips to keep her quiet.
“I thought I might relieve you. I thought you might want some time with your own mate,” he stated casually.
“You’re supposed to be resting yourself. What are you doing up at this hour?” she questioned.
“I couldn’t sleep.” Not even with the amount of pain pills he took. “I think I could rest easier if I were near her.”
Natasha looked over to the peacefully sleeping elf and then back up at Dominic. “You’ll scare her if she wakes and finds you in here.”
“I promise to switch back off with you before she wakes in the morning. Just let me be with her tonight. Please.” He realized he was nearly begging, and couldn’t care less. This was his mate. He would beg until the sun shone high in the sky if he needed to. He would truly do anything just to be able to sit and watch his beloved Meldie sleep the remainder of the night away. He knew without a doubt watching her sleep would bring a peace to his soul. He could already feel it starting to work; just being close to her was doing it.
Natasha finally nodded after a long moment’s thought. “Alright, but come get me if anything happens.”
Dominic nodded his promised agreement before she stood and walked out. He forced himself to stand still until she shut the door behind herself. After hearing the click of the lock sliding into place, he turned and made his way over to the side of the bed, his hazel gaze locked on Meldamiriel’s sleeping form. He gently eased himself down onto the edge of the bed, careful not to wake her. Her breath was even. Though her brow was furrowed and looked stressed, she didn’t seem to be having any bad dreams tonight.
Natasha had managed to get her all cleaned up from when she had arrived earlier that day. Her long, straight, white hair was no longer all tangled and a matted mess, her skin had been washed of all its dirt and grime, and she smelled absolutely fantastic! He could just sit there for hours doing nothing but breathing in her delicate scent and tenderly stroking her beautiful hair. Such beauty, and yet she knew nothing but fear. Well, he was going to fix that, and soon. He would work to show her there was more to her life than what she had been forced to live through. She needed to know there was love, kindness, beauty, and above all, peace out in the world.
“You don’t know it yet, little one, but I love you. More than words alone can say,” he whispered to her sleeping form before carefully leaning over, trying not to cause himself too much pain. But whether it caused him pain or not, he was determined to place his lips on her skin. He placed a light kiss at the top of her head, and then took a moment just to study her features.
Meldamiriel sighed peacefully, curling into her pillow a bit more as both of her arms were wrapped around it so tightly it looked as if she were choking the damn thing. He watched as her brow eased and lost some of its tension. He briefly wondered what she might be dreaming of as he sat back and watched her. Was it a happy memory? Was it about that dreaded Dexter character? And who was he any way and what did he mean to his Meldie?
“Love me,” he whispered against her ear before kissing her cheek.
She stood and watched a small child in her favorite pink sundress on a warm spring day. She couldn’t help but smile. She was watching a much younger version of herself. As she watched the child twirl around in the field of wild flowers, she remembered this was back in a time when she had not a care in the world. The sun shone down brightly, filling her with the warmth of happiness as she continued remembering the days when nothing at all mattered but smiles and laughs. She sighed, where had those days gone? She wanted to squeal with joy when Dexter came dashing past her, chasing a butterfly. Hot tears burned her eyes as she watched the once-again-alive chocolate black Newfoundland play happily in the field alongside the child. She knew it was a dream, her taking a trip back in time when she knew life to be fun and happy, when her biggest worry was what magical adventures would be encountered that day.
With tear-filled eyes, she looked about herself. She remembered this meadow residing just on the other side of the woods behind her childhood home. The home she had lived in with her parents before they had been brutally murdered trying to protect her from a warlock wanting to take her so he could drink her blood and transfer all her powers over to himself.
She caught sight of two figures moving slowly toward her. Being blinded by the bright sunlight, she shielded her eyes in order to try to spot them better. Her heart stopped beating in her chest as she recognized the two people, a man and a woman holding hands and smiling at her.
“Momma? Daddy?” she choked out the lightly whispered words.
“That’s right, child,” her father said as he and her mother came to stand before her.
“My, have you grown to be a beautiful young woman!” her mother sighed with a smile, her bright green eyes becoming misty.
Meldamiriel was afraid her dream would end, and she simply didn’t want that. She needed what little bit of time she could steal to be with her wonderful parents, even if it was just for a little while. She looked back up to her parents, finding all the questions she had once wanted to ask suddenly gone from her brain. A furry, wet nose had her looking back down at her hand to find Dexter coming to get some love from her. She stroked his soft black fur and tried to muffle her sobs slightly with no such luck.
“Do not cry, sweet little Meldamiriel,” her mother spoke sweetly as she wrapped her arms about her daughter’s shaking shoulders.
“Why…why are you here?” Meldamiriel questioned, looking into her mother’s eyes and searching for what she didn’t know.
“We never really left you,” her father stated.
“I don’t want to lose you….didn’t want to lose you…and not again once this dream is over,” Meldamiriel cried. “Everyone is gone now; I only have Natasha left.”
“And Dominic,” her mother added in for her.
“Dominic?” she questioned in shock. How did her parents know about him?
“Yes, child, Dominic. He is a good man for you,” her father stated boldly.
Meldamiriel turned her wide eyes back to her mother for help. Hoping she might get a bit of help from the dead woman.
“He is your mate, dear.” Then again, maybe not.
No, no, no! She couldn’t have a mate. It was a subject completely off limits. She just couldn’t. How could she be expected to love someone so truly, lose them, and be expected to survive that? She fully believed if she lost Natasha, she would fall apart. And if she had a mate and allowed herself to fall in love with that person, totally fall in love with that person like mates do, she would truly die if something happened to them because of her. Yet again.
“No, Momma, I can’t. I just can’t. What if…” She couldn’t even bring herself to finish. She just simply
couldn’t handle watching someone else die.
“He is a great warrior, and stronger than you give him credit for. Yes, he may seem weak right now, but he will heal. And he is a man worthy to both love and protect you,” her mother stated.
Meldamiriel shook her head, not believing the words she was hearing. She practically gasped and jumped out of her skin when a much larger hand intertwined with hers, as she nearly swallowed her tongue whole. She looked up to see Dominic standing there beside her, a kind smile gracing his lips, brightening his beautiful hazel eyes. She wondered why he was here, why fate had drifted him her way. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze as if he knew what she was thinking and was trying to tell her that everything was going to be alright.
“Trust him.” Her mother’s words were whispered in the wind as the light breeze began to pick up.
Meldamiriel looked to her parents to see them and all the light and happiness start to drift away, leaving her feeling cold and alone as the skies darkened. This was the end of her dream. Everything was now coming to a sudden stop, though she wished that these few moments would last forever.
“Lean into him,” her mother’s words came again.
“Love me.” Dominic’s heated breath caressed her ear, sending a shiver down her spine.
Meldamiriel awoke with a start, her eyes flashing open as she sucked in her breath.
“Good morning,” Natasha sang, a bright smile dancing in her green eyes.
“I slept through the whole night?” she asked in disbelief. She hadn’t slept that restfully in quite some time.
“Sure did, just like a baby.”
Meldamiriel raised a brow at her best friend. “What’s got you so giddy this early in the morning?”
She shrugged. “Let’s just say that it’s good to be back home and have Blain healing and getting back to being healthy, again.”
Meldamiriel smiled and threw her hands up. “Whoa, stop right there! I do not want the graphic details,” she teased.
“Like I would give them to you anyways. You’re like my sister, but I know how good he is and I’m not taking a chance in you taking a fancy to him,” Natasha teased right back. “Besides, there’s someone else that has eyes for you.”
She nodded. “Dominic,” she whispered, casting her eyes down.
“You’re pushing him away before you even give him a chance to let you get to know him. Why? He’s your mate.”
“So, it is true.” It wasn’t a question.
“How did you know? He didn’t say anything.”
“Something just told me.”
Natasha sat on the side of the bed looking down at her friend. “Give him a chance, that’s all he and I ask of you. All you have to do is just talk to him. You don’t have to touch him, move into a relationship with him, or get intimate. You don’t even have to hold his hand. He just wants to know more about you.”
Meldamiriel nodded. “Yeah. I’m just scared, you know?”
“I know, but trust me. Even when you’re scared, you sometimes have to take the steps you don’t want to take or aren’t completely sure about. But in the end, you’ll be glad you took them.”
“Were you that way with Blain?”
“Yes, most definitely. And now, I wouldn’t go back and change one single decision I made,” she said with a smile.
Meldamiriel smiled back and nodded.
“Now, get dressed. I was able to hunt you down a few things that should fit you ‘til I can get you some more clothes. Come on downstairs for breakfast when you are finished.”
Dominic vigorously paced back and forth in front of the windows in the dining room. His back was killing him, but he couldn’t bring himself to sit down. He had spent the night in Meldamiriel’s room, watching her sleep for several hours before finally finding enough peace to drift off in the chair across from her, only to have Natasha wake him up three short hours later. No sleep, a dragon wanting to be released, a need to have his mate near him that was driving him mad, and in severe pain. Oh, he was in great shape.
“Dominic, please take a seat and relax. You’re wearing yourself down quickly. You’re not doing your body or dragon any good in trying to heal yourself,” Blain stated, pinching the bridge of his nose at watching his friend make a road map of his floors.
“Easy for you to say. Your mate’s not scared of you,” Dominic snapped.
“True, but you won’t be helping yours to trust you if you’re snapping at her like that either. Sit and relax, it’ll help both of you. Trust me on this one.”
With a grumble, Dominic painfully eased himself into one of the chairs. He was worried as to why it was taking so long for Meldamiriel and Natasha to come down and join them for breakfast. Had something happened? Was Meldamiriel upset again? Had she hurt herself? The possibilities of what all could have happened in the short time since he had left her in Natasha’s care was endless. She could be crying, had a bad dream, fallen and gotten hurt, had another meltdown…the list went on and on.
“Natasha is with her; she’s perfectly fine,” Blain stated, as he easily picked up on what was running through Dominic’s mind. “Though I’m sure Ivormantis is bellowing about how no one can comfort and love her like the two of you.”
‘Damn straight!’ Ivormantis boomed.
Dominic snorted and shook his head. How much more of this could he handle right now? Normally, with a situation like this, he would say to bring it on, that he would handle any and all the burden, but his back was killing him more with every ounce of stress he felt. Worrying about Meldamiriel, what she had gone through, was running from, and the state she was in was doing nothing but intensifying his amount of pain, causing his pain medicine to hardly even touch his agony.
He turned too quickly, his body seeming to have a mind of its own as it jerked upright when he heard the doors open. Natasha and then little Meldamiriel appeared through them. The sudden spike in his pain levels was too much for him to handle at the moment and he couldn’t hold in the roar of excruciating torment.
Meldamiriel ran across the room, quickly bypassing Blain and leaving Natasha to stand in her dust. She caught Dominic just as his knees buckled and he started to sink down toward the floor. She staggered a few times trying to find her balance under his massive weight. His breath was quick and ragged as he braced himself with one hand on the table before his other wrapped around her shoulders.
“I…I…can’t…breathe…” he choked out, sounding as if someone was strangling him, when really it was all centered around the immense pain he was in that was causing his chest to tighten, making it feel like his lungs were shutting down.
“Calm, just close your eyes and breathe,” Meldamiriel spoke softly from beneath him.
Carefully placing her hand atop his broad chest, she splayed her fingers out wide and closed her eyes. She inhaled deeply and then exhaled before lightly whispering an elfish chant. She had a sweet singsong voice, and though he could not understand the language, it sounded like a lullaby love song to his ears.
Though he would have much preferred to keep his eyes open and watch his little mate, his eyes seemed to be drifting closed on their own accord. He did as he was told and worked to try to even out his breathing, savoring in Meldamiriel’s sweet and delicate scent. To his surprise, it was suddenly starting to become easier to take a deep breath and his mind-numbing pain was receding to the point where it was tolerable. He looked down at Meldamiriel to thank her, but quickly froze upon noticing her brows knitting together and her forehead wrinkling with affliction as she finished her chant. What was she doing to herself in order to relieve his pain?
She took in a shaky breath before opening her eyes and turning her bright, crystal blue gaze up to him. She suddenly looked a lot less refreshed, like she had been drained of half her energy. What was wrong? What had just transpired between them? Did she put herself through suffering in order to help him?
‘Help her, she is weakened!’ Ivormantis ordered.
Dominic caught M
eldamiriel just as she started to sway. Natasha and Blain quickly rushed over to their side as they saw the small elf’s knees buckle.
“Melda!” Natasha exclaimed.
“I...I’m fine,” Meldamiriel said breathlessly as she held onto Dominic’s arms while he held her up.
“No you’re not, what’s wrong?” Natasha questioned, and then turned her dark and narrowed gaze up to Dominic. “What did you do?”
“I didn’t do anything!” he snapped at her. How dare she even think he might do something to harm his beautiful mate? And she knew Meldie was his mate, she understood a dragon would never lay a hand on their mate.
“Natasha, really, I’m fine. I’m just tired from everything that’s been going on, and I put a bit more force behind the healing chant than what was necessary. Everything’s alright. I just need to sit down, that’s all,” Meldamiriel tried to explain, in hopes of diverting some of the attention that was being bestowed on her.
After a long moment of silence, Natasha finally nodded in agreement and took a step back, allowing Dominic space to tend and care for his mate. Making quick work, Dominic ushered Meldamiriel into the nearest chair and then settled himself right next to her.
“I do believe some breakfast is in order,” Blain stated, notifying one of his workers to bring in the dining trays.
Nothing else was said while the food was being served, Meldamiriel kept her hands folded in her lap and her eyes cast down; she could feel Dominic’s gaze burn into her as he continued to stare at her. What was there to see? She didn’t know why he found the need to stay glued to her side. And yet he did. He wouldn’t even allow his attention to slip from her once they were all served. No, not until she finally took the first bite from her plate did he halfway turn his eyes away from her and to his own meal. She shot a look over to Natasha to see if she might be of some help, but her friend only shrugged her shoulders and allowed a sly smile to curve the corners of her mouth. Great, no help there. Couldn’t the big guy just ignore her for five minutes? It wasn’t like she had only performed some kind of miracle.
