Did she need to hide them? It was a lot to ask, but perhaps Zain had shifted his views much like she had.
She was so lost in thought that Ivy barely noticed how Zain turned her one way and then the other until he gently stopped her in front of a small, stone cottage with a few rosebushes and other flowers she couldn't name planted in front of it. He motioned toward it. "Welcome home, Ivy."
Before she could do more than smile, something crashed inside the house, and she jumped.
Zain rubbed her lower back and murmured, "Don't worry. It's part of the surprise waiting inside."
Curiosity piqued, her momentary fear faded. "Then let's hurry up so I can find out what it is."
He helped her make her way up the stairs. When she reached the top one, a sense of pride surged through her body. "See? I walked the entire way here."
True, she was a little shakier now than when she'd left the surgery, but Ivy didn't care.
Zain said, "You proved me wrong. But it's not the first time, so surely it won't be the last."
He opened the door and motioned for her to enter. Ivy gave him a curious look before heading inside the cottage.
Not two steps inside, Freddie and Daisy rushed toward her and tossed some flower petals. "Welcome home, Ivy!"
Smiling down at the pair, now she understood the source of the crash. "Thank you. I hear there's a surprise for me? Are you two in charge of it?"
Daisy bobbed her head. "Yes, Auntie Ivy. Come on. We need to hurry before Alfie eats it all."
Alfie was Freddie's older brother—Zain's other nephew—and a teenager who could eat the equivalent amount of five people's meals. If Freddie and Daisy's surprise was food-based, she really did need to hurry.
So Ivy followed the children into the kitchen. Daisy motioned toward a lopsided two-tier cake, decorated in white, blue, and green icing. "Ta-da! We made it for you. But we better eat it soon; otherwise it'll fall over. And Alfie says if it falls over, he's going to eat everything that isn't still on the cake stand."
The fifteen-year-old with nearly black hair grinned at Ivy. "We can't let it go to waste. Besides, it'll let me ensure it's not poisoned before everyone else eats it."
Alfie's mum grimaced, as did Daisy's mother. It was Dawn Chadwick-Whitby—Daisy's mum—who spoke up. "Let's not joke about poison, okay? Now, come on, Daisy-love. Let's divvy up the cake before it falls over and destroys all your hard work."
Ivy felt Zain's presence behind her, but she was focused on his sister, Sasha.
They'd never met. However, she'd allowed Freddie to visit her at the surgery, so she couldn't outright hate her.
Sasha walked over to her and smiled. "It's nice to meet the female who finally turned my brother from a growly grouch into someone who can joke around a little."
Ivy blinked at the compliment. "I didn't do anything."
Zain growled, "Sasha."
His sister ignored Zain and put an arm around Ivy's shoulders. "Come on. You must be tired, and I'll make sure you get the best bits of the cake." She lowered her voice. "Let's just say that the top tier is a bit burnt, so we'll avoid it if we can."
As Sasha chatted about how Freddie and Daisy had spent nearly an entire day on making and decorating the cake, Ivy blinked back tears.
Last year, she'd been hell-bent on destroying dragon-shifters, which included those currently inside her new cottage.
And now, they were welcoming her home with a cake.
Ivy had been wrong, so very wrong, about her early life choices. Which meant she had a lot to make up for.
Because through a pretend marriage, she'd gained a new family of her own. And she wasn't about to allow anything to happen to them, like with what had happened to Richard and David.
So Ivy forced away the tears and did her best to enjoy the moment. Soon enough, she would dig back into the data and her own ideas of how to tackle the drugs of the Dragon Knights.
For the present, she was going to enjoy being welcome and a part of something. And this time, it had nothing to do with hatred. No, it was love and family. And Ivy would die trying to protect it.
Chapter Fourteen
Zain finally shut the front door, meaning he was alone with Ivy in their cottage for the first time.
And rather than go to her, all he did was stand in place and stare at the door.
His dragon grunted. After all your talk of being strong and being able to resist her, you don't want to risk being alone with her, do you?
Only because Zain and his dragon had been talking with one another since he was six years old did he dare speak the truth. A little.
Don't worry, not even I would try anything with her until she's completely cured. Although letting her know we're interested may not be the worst idea.
He nearly asked who else would be interested? But then he remembered a recent session with Nate, Lucien, and Ivy, and Zain was fairly certain Lucien had flirted with her.
Not that Ivy had said anything or returned the action. However, that was only the once, when Zain had happened to drop in early one day. Who knew what Lucien said or did when Zain wasn't there.
Maybe he needed to have a chat with the male.
His dragon chuckled. You want her, so tell her. Otherwise, it's unfair to discourage others. Ivy has been alone for a while, and doubly so with her brother and his partner gone. She deserves some closeness, if she wants it. If you aren't going to give it to her, let someone else do it then.
When did you get to be so wise and patient?
Ever since you decided to be a bastard in denial.
Zain was about to tell his beast to fuck off when Ivy's voice drifted from the kitchen. "Zain? Are they gone?"
His dragon spoke again. Go to her. This is a new, unfamiliar place. Make it feel more like a home for her. Our mate shouldn't be anxious if we're around.
Even a month ago, Zain would've huffed and said that wasn't his job. Being a fake mate meant protecting her but nothing else.
However, his feet had a mind of their own and he went to the kitchen. And the instant he saw Ivy pouring hot water into a teapot, longing crashed over him.
While the simple act of having tea with a female may not seem that momentous to other people, to Zain, it signaled something greater. He could have someone to come home to every day, someone to talk and laugh with, and someone to tease or verbally spar with for fun.
In other words, his life could become so much more than merely his duties as a Protector.
All it would take was him truly accepting Ivy as she was now, forgiving her past, and making his feelings known.
Could he do it? He could easily face off against a group of dragon hunters with laser weapons, but he hesitated to face a short human female. He'd laugh if it wasn't his own life.
Ivy turned with a smile, although Zain didn't miss the shadows under her eyes. She said, "I don't envy your sister one bit. Those two boys are a handful."
He smiled back at her. Zain went to Ivy's side and helped with the tea. "They were a little easier when they were younger. But being fifteen isn't easy for any dragon-shifter—hormones are surging, your dragon starts thinking about sex, and you have to eat a small mountain of food every day to keep up with both your growth and all of the flight training. As for Freddie, well, it's mostly Daisy's fault. Freddie wasn't as adventurous before meeting her. And now that Daisy lives on Stonefire, I'm waiting to see if the human girl will test even his limits of patience or not."
Ivy tilted her head, a few stray strands of hair falling over her shoulders. Zain itched to wrap the probably silky hair around his fingers but somehow managed to focus on her words instead. She replied, "I think it's good they're so close because it means Daisy will always have an ally. It also helps Daisy adjust to all the changes given Dawn's surprise mate-claim frenzy with Blake and her decision to move to Stonefire permanently."
He shrugged. "Everyone already loves Daisy, so she'll be fine." He searched Ivy's eyes and finally touched a few fingers to her cheek.
"I'm more concerned about you."
Zain stroked her cheek a few times, and thanks to his supersensitive hearing, he heard Ivy's breathing speed up to match her thumping heart. When she finally spoke, her voice was slightly husky. "Why are you more concerned about me?"
He leaned closer, reveling in her sweet scent. "Even knowing that you'll have a long road ahead if you stay here, you still want to, right?" She bobbed her head, and he continued, "Then I'll always worry about you, Ivy. Because anyone could turn into an enemy if we're not careful. Even the most rational can turn wild with hatred in extreme circumstances. One attack on Stonefire could trigger that sort of situation. That would put you at risk."
She searched his gaze. "But you're going to protect me, right, Zain?"
"Of course I am. But it may not be enough."
As if in slow-motion, Ivy raised her hand and placed it on his cheek. Both man and beast sucked in a breath at her soft, warm touch. Her voice was like a caress as she said, "I can't think of anyone else I'd want to protect me. I know you won't let me down."
"How are you so certain?" he breathed.
She tilted her head upward, and Zain couldn't resist looking at her full bottom lip. A mouth he couldn't taste or tease because of her condition, although he desperately wanted to. She murmured, "You're my mate. And yes, it started as a duty. But I think it's become more. Or, at least it has to me. What about you, Zain? Am I right about it being more than a duty now?"
As his hearted thundered inside his chest, Zain lost himself in the blue of Ivy's eyes and debated how to answer her.
Ivy didn't know where her boldness had come from, but she was glad she'd touched Zain's cheek and asked her question.
She'd been watching him all day, and while she knew he was softer inside than he let on, the way he played and teased the children had made her belly flip in a good way.
Her attraction had lasted outside her hospital room. And if she was going to live with the dragonman, she needed to be honest with him.
And so she waited for his response, fascinated by his flashing pupils. Not to mention the second his gaze moved to her lips, she couldn't help but lick them.
Rationally, she knew she couldn't kiss him, even if he asked for it because of her unknown condition. And yet, her lips throbbed, wanting to feel his firm ones against hers.
Zain growled. "You know I can't kiss you right now, Ivy, and you're making it bloody hard not to."
She tamped down her joy at his mention of kissing her and replied, "That still didn't answer my question. Am I merely a duty to you, or more, Zain? This is our first night in our new home, and I think we should start off honestly from the get-go."
His pupils finally remained round right before he spoke again. "The truth will make things difficult, Ivy, and you know it."
Since she'd put everything out there already, Ivy wasn't going to back down. "I don't care. Tell me the truth, Zain. Either do it right here, right now, or I'm going to ask to stay with Nikki or your sister."
He growled, and while she may have flinched in the beginning of their acquaintance, she merely raised an eyebrow in the present. Zain sighed. "The truth?" He moved until he caged her against the counter with his body and arms. The feel of his hard muscles pressed against her body made her knees weak, and not because of her recent awakening from a coma, either.
His hot breath danced against her cheek as he said, "When you first woke up from your coma, I hated you. You represented so much pain for my clan, my friends, and my family. I had planned to interrogate you, find out your secrets, and then allow the DDA to take you away for good."
She searched his eyes as she asked, "So what changed?"
He moved a fraction closer, forcing her to tilt her head further upward to meet his gaze. "I don't know myself what bloody happened, but soon you were more than an enemy. You were interesting, clever, and so very sad. But instead of wallowing, and begging, and another multitude of things you could've done, you were determined to share the encoded data with us. Not to mention you showed patience with my nephew and his friend. And then you looked too bloody beautiful in the blue dress from our mating day."
She blinked. "You noticed my dress?"
One of his arms moved to her upper back. Without thinking, Ivy leaned into the touch, loving the heat of his hand through the material of her top. "Yes, and your hair, and lips, and the deep blue of your eyes. You were supposed to be my enemy, and I resisted for as long as I could. But you're more than the years you spent inside the Dragon Knights, and I want to believe you'll do everything possible to help my clan going forward. Not just for forgiveness, either, but because you think it's the right thing to do."
She swallowed and bobbed her head. "I do. It was easy to hate a nameless mass. But to have something happen to Freddie, or Nikki, or even Bram? It's unbearable. They all risked so much to help me, get to know me, and treat me as a person instead of an enemy." Moving a hand to his chest, she rubbed it back and forth, wishing it was his skin instead of his shirt. "And I didn't say you in that example because whilst I try to be strong, if something happened to you, it'd break me a little inside."
With a growl, Zain hauled her flush against his body and moved his mouth to her ear. "You'd better not be toying with me, Ivy Passmore."
"I'm not," she whispered. "I promise."
Zain nuzzled her cheek with his own, and Ivy melted against him. His husky voice filled her ear again. "My final answer is this. If I could, I would kiss you right now, Ivy, before licking every inch of your body. You started as my duty to protect. But now, you're mine, human. Don't ever think of trying to leave me."
Maybe someone else would be offended at his claim, but the carefully constructed walls around Ivy's heart tumbled down, allowing the yearning and desire she'd had for her dragonman to rush forth.
Yes, she—someone who had hated dragons to the point she'd given up her life to try to eradicate them—had fallen for a dragon-shifter.
Looping her arms around his neck, she said, "I'm not going anywhere."
"Good." He kissed her cheek for a few beats before flicking her skin with his tongue. She moaned and leaned more against him. Zain growled, "And you'd better believe I'm going to harass Sid and Gregor every chance I get about finding a cure for you."
Emboldened by Zain's words and actions, Ivy kissed his jaw, loving the slight prickle of his late-day stubble. "You won't see me complain."
He laughed, something she'd heard only a handful of times, and it made her heart skip a beat in a good way. He finally replied, "Until then, come sit on my lap, Ivy, and let me make you come with my hand."
She sucked in a breath as the image of Zain's fingers between her thighs flashed into her mind. Wetness surged between her legs. However, the response only reminded her of why she couldn't do it. "No, I don't want to poison you by mistake."
"I have gloves, Ivy. I'm the sort who's always prepared."
She raised her brows. "Prepared to give someone who could possibly poison you an orgasm with your hand?"
"Maybe not for that reason specifically, but now it's all I can think about."
She hesitated. While Ivy wanted Zain more than anything, even the smallest risk of hurting him was too great. "The glove could rip if your talons come out."
"I'll be careful."
"I don't want to risk it, Zain. If you become sick, or worse, because of me, I couldn't live with it. So just share my bed and hold me close. How about that as a start?"
One of his hands moved to the back of her neck and squeezed lightly. "For you, I'll even wear clothes to bed. But just so you know—once you're cured, I always sleep naked. And you will, too."
She laughed. "I think that could be arranged." She traced his jaw, down his neck, and over his shoulder. She continued until she reached the tattoo peeking out from his shirt and traced the design with her fingers. "But the bigger question is how the clan will handle it."
Zain grunted, and Ivy met his gaze again. "You keep helping us to take dow
n the Knights, and they'll have to accept it. If not, they'll have to deal with me and my entire family. Because I think after today, you can see that they are your family too."
She bobbed her head. "I know."
"Good. Now, I'm going to carry you upstairs no matter what you say. I think tonight should be an early night."
Zain moved until he could swoop her into his arms, and Ivy leaned against his upper body, a protest the farthest thing from her mind.
While she should be on cloud nine about Zain feeling the same way about her as she did him, worry niggled at the back of her brain. Because if she couldn't help take down the Knights, it would be more than a little troublesome. Too many people might think she was deliberately holding back information to protect the Knights.
So first thing the next day, she was determined to find the ad hoc office space inside the cottage that Zain had mentioned was hers and get to work.
Because she had a hell of a lot to lose now if she didn't succeed.
But she couldn't do anything until morning. So she merely enjoyed laying with Zain for an hour or two, teasing him, and eventually falling asleep in his arms.
Chapter Fifteen
It was another few days before Zain could coax Ivy away from her work long enough to show his dragon form. He'd even had to make a bloody appointment to do it.
His dragon snorted. I'm as anxious as you are, but she's doing important work.
Something about her on the verge of a breakthrough that would protect all dragon-shifters, not that Zain understood all the scientific jargon. All he knew was that she'd roped in Blake to help her with the math and formulas. If not for Zain's irritation at being separated from Ivy, he might've laughed at how the once hermit-like male had turned extremely growly anytime he was away from his mate.
But at least Blake was mated, which meant Zain didn't have to fight the urge to kill him for giving Ivy the wrong kind of look.
His beast spoke up. Ivy is ours, and she said as much. And whilst we might not have claimed her yet in bed, we have legally mated her. The clan knows this, so calm down.
Persuading the Dragon (Stonefire British Dragons Book 12) Page 13
