by T. Cobbin
“Don’t worry about the bags, Blue can take them,” he said, stepping back from her with a wink. She looked beautiful even with her hair up in a scruffy bun and her clothes wrinkled.
“I can’t wait for a hot shower.” She sighed.
“Soon, sugar. I’m sure Troy and Amy won’t mind you taking one at their place before we go home, if you want to that is.” Pete took one last look at his mate with his human eyes before giving over to his dragon. With a flash he shifted and his majestic other half stood in his place.
* * * *
With a shake of its body and a toot in the air Blue lowered down and held out his forefoot, giving Wendy a footstep to climb his body.
“Hey, Blue,” Wendy purred, placing a kiss on his snout. “Don’t tell Pete, but I think you’re even more good looking than he is,” she said with a chuckle.
Blue rolled his eyes, knowing as well as Pete she was winding the human half of them up.
Told you she would like me better, Blue added, joining in the fun.
In your dreams, Pete answered back.
“Climb up, little mate. I once thought of this island as home, like Pete did, but now I can’t wait to get you back to London and home there.”
“I didn’t get to see much here really. It’s a shame some dick wanted to spoil it. Some people just don’t have manners.” She sighed.
Blue felt her climb up and her hands grab hold of the small horns either side of his neck. He moved both of his feet, making sure he had a claw through their baggage straps, and with a leap and a bound they were airborne.
He nearly faltered and came crashing down when the sound of a gunshot rang through the air, followed by a gasp from Wendy. Spinning around behind him, he couldn’t see anything.
“It hurts,” came the whispered sob from Wendy.
“It hurts?”
She’s been shot, old friend. Fly, man, fly. I can feel her pain. Pete’s worried voice rang through his head.
Blue rose in the air and spun, trying to see where the shot had come from. He caught the scent of blood, which made his wings falter. Concentrating on flapping harder, Blue rose higher, still not sure what to do. He scanned the area below again and saw nothing.
Fly! Pete shouted at him.
But she’s hurt. You need to heal her, he urged Pete.
Not here. It’s too dangerous.
We can take her back to the den. She will be safe there.
Yes, but we could also be trapped. We can’t take the risk. Fly! Now! Pete yelled again through his mind.
With another flap and turn of his tail, Blue flew toward Troy’s. He dropped their baggage into the ocean to give them the speed he needed to save Wendy. Curling his feet close to his body, he flew as fast as he could. Through his mind he searched Wendy’s and could feel only emptiness. They needed to find land quickly.
It felt like hours before he spotted a small patch of sandy land no bigger than his den. Slowing down, he pulled himself up and landed softly. All the time he had been flying he had constantly talked to Wendy, hoping she would reply or say anything. Tipping his body slightly down to the right, Wendy’s body slid off and down his wing, leaving a wet blood trail behind. Pulling back in his mind, he shifted and let Pete lead the way, hoping their mate was alive enough for him to heal her.
* * * *
Pete felt Wendy’s pain through their bond. Looking down at his mate’s limp body curled up in the sand, Pete fell to his knees and pulled her over onto her back. His heart thundered. He didn’t have to search for the wound; it was clear as day. Blood pooled in the crease of her clothing near her lower hip. Lifting her body slightly to look underneath, he could see the larger exit wound. He lowered her down again, ripped the t-shirt she was wearing up the side, and placed his hands over the front and back of the wound, then Pete called upon the magic in his body and pushed it toward his mate.
Warmth flowed through his palms, and he felt the muscles beneath his hands knit together. Slowly, the stream of magic he was using ebbed away as it wasn’t needed anymore. Lifting his hands away from her skin, he exhaled a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. Apart from dried blood marring her skin, it was perfect. Pulling his mate into his arms, he held onto her, crooning gently. For the first time in his life he was glad his magic was healing.
Pete wasn’t sure how long he sat on that small patch of land holding onto Wendy. He couldn’t even make a phone call to his friends for help; as luck would have it, he had no bloody signal. Blue fought with him to be released and fly her to Troy’s, but Pete didn’t want to let her go until she woke up. Finally, Wendy stirred in his arms and groaned.
“Either that was one hell of a party or I’m in trouble,” she whimpered.
Pete peppered her face with kisses.
Mate is okay, mate is okay. His dragon danced around in his head.
“I’m so sorry, sugar. You shouldn’t have been hurt. I was so worried. How are you feeling?”
“A little wet at the moment, stop kissing me.” She weakly chuckled and opened her beautiful green eyes to look up at him.
“I can’t help myself,” he said as he continued laying small kisses over her face. Her body stiffened, and he guessed what was coming. He stopped kissing her and looked down into her questioning eyes.
“What happened?” she asked.
“As Blue took off… Do you know in all my years I never once thought to name my dragon, but now calling him by his name just seems…right.” He smiled at the thought. When she raised her eyebrows he continued. “When Blue took off he heard a shot ring out. You groaned and said it hurt then passed out. The only other time I felt so scared was when my sister rang me the night she died. I don’t ever want to feel this way again.” Pain lanced through him as he remembered the agony Wendy had felt when she’d been shot; he’d experienced every bit of it with her through the bond they shared. “I told Blue to fly as it wasn’t safe to land. Finally, he was able to land here, and I healed you.”
“You healed me?” she said, suddenly sitting up from his arms and patting herself down.
He watched as she pulled the bloody pieces of her t-shirt away from her skin and looked underneath it.
“Getting shot is far different than seeing it on television. I felt the pain before I heard the shot. At first I couldn’t make out what had happened, only that I could see flashes of light as the pain got worse, then nothing.”
Through their bond he felt the array of emotions go through her as she relived being shot.
“In short, it hurt like a bitch, but I don’t remember anything else.” She lifted her gaze back up to his, and he saw tears in her eyes. He expected to feel sorrow, pain, or even something else, but it was anger she was feeling...boiling lava anger.
Chapter 10
Wendy sat in her mate’s lap, steaming angry. Some fucker had shot her. “Why aren’t we going back to find the shit who did this? Why aren’t we roasting his arse? Where’s Blue? Come on.”
She climbed out of Pete’s lap and stood. She immediately regretted that decision when she swayed on her feet. Instantly, Pete was there with his arms around her waist, holding her upright.
“Slow down, sugar. I may be able to heal your wounds, but I can’t replace the blood you lost or ease the shock you must feel. Let’s get you to Amy’s, then I can go back and see if I can spot anyone.”
Wendy sighed, calming down. “Okay, but you aren’t going back on your own. What if Blue gets shot?”
A grin from ear to ear lit up his handsome face. “Bullets can’t harm Blue. His scales are pretty damn tough. Now, can you stand for a few seconds on your own?”
Taking a deep breath, Wendy locked her knees together and stood. With a kiss to her cheek Pete took a step away from her, and she lifted her head and smiled as Blue appeared in front of her.
“Come, little mate, let’s take you home.”
Still feeling quite shaky, Wendy stepped up on the forefoot he held out. Climbing up onto his back, she curled her
hands around the two horns and laid her head down at the base of his neck.
“I’m sorry you got hurt, little mate.” Blue’s voice in her head was so sorrowful. With a couple of flaps and a leap they were airborne.
“Hey, you don’t need to be sorry. You didn’t shoot me, did you?” She waited to see if he had heard her, as it was the first time she’d spoken to him with her mind. She could hear and understand him perfectly well, but could he do the same?
“No, but no one should have gotten close enough to do so.”
She smiled weakly, happy to know he could hear her, but the pain in his voice made me feel miserable. Wendy knew no matter what she said, Pete and Blue would always feel some kind of guilt that she’d been hurt. That they hadn’t scouted for danger or something before taking off. But she would find a way to get it through their thick heads that they weren’t at fault. Tapping the side of Blue’s neck and passing love through the growing bond with Pete, she dozed, enjoying the wind against her skin as they flew to Amy’s.
* * * *
They arrived on the beach to be greeted by Troy and Amy who were sitting outside the house in loungers. Changing swiftly from beast to human, Pete carried his mate toward them and placed her on a spare lounger, then he filled their friends in on what had happened. Troy and Amy immediately invited them to stay the night. Pete quickly accepted and glared at Wendy when she started to decline.
“You are still too pale for my liking,” he said, trying to convince her. “It’s just for the night. Please.” He would get down on his knees and beg if he had to, and if that didn’t work he was willing to tie her to a bed there.
The relief he felt was massive when she finally agreed. After he helped Wendy shower, he carried her to the guest room where he lay down beside her until she fell into a much needed sleep.
Once he was sure Wendy would be okay for a while, he and Troy took to the skies and went back to the island. It took them an hour to scan the whole island, but they didn’t find anything, not even a human footprint in the sand. However, they did discover that the fake scent of pine was stronger in the lighthouse’s secret basement. Troy concluded that someone had probably been sleeping rough there unseen. Pete’s only thought was that it was the previous caretaker.
The lighthouse itself was clean, wiped down and with no sign of anyone’s personal effects. Pete made a phone call to the trust that ran the lighthouse, and they informed him the caretaker—who had been hired after the previous one went missing—had quit a few months ago and they were looking for a new one. The bloke had quit his job because he’d got fed up with things going missing or breaking. His resignation letter said for three weeks he had hardly been able to sleep because of noises he couldn’t place or pipes banging at night. Sometimes doors that slammed shut on their own.
Pete told Troy about the leaflet he had left behind as a clue where to find them. Although Troy was a trifle pissed that it was his club, he was okay with it. Where better could they protect his friends than in the middle of a club where shifters came to party?
* * * *
The next day
Wendy looked up at the enormous building where Pete lived. This place was so drastically different from the cottage where he grew up. They had spent the night at Amy’s and had driven home after breakfast, Pete insisting he wanted to get her home asap.
“Sally,” Wendy squealed, seeing her little beetle.
Pete pulled the car they’d borrowed from Troy in the next bay. She looked over at him. He’d been so quiet during the drive back, and she could feel his guilt.
“I don’t know what to say to take your guilt away.”
Pulling the keys from the ignition, he stared back at her. “I’m fine.”
She smiled, placing a hand on his. “I’m here with you.”
“Yeah, but—”
“No,” she snapped, getting angry again. “You didn’t shoot me for fuck’s sake. You didn’t ask anyone to take a shot at us. You were standing in the cave entrance for a few seconds before changing. Whoever it was could have shot you, and if they had, would you be feeling guilty about that?” She slapped his arm and turned to get out of the car.
Pete’s large hand clamped gently over hers, and she turned back to him.
“I love you, Wendy Mumford.” Leaning forward, he placed a hand around the back of her neck and brushed his lips over hers.
She cupped his face and looked straight into his eyes. “I love you too, numbnuts. Although I believe in love at first sight, it’s a shock that it happened to me. You’re here now.” She thumped her chest. “So deep inside that if I lost you my heart wouldn’t be able to function. I need you, Pete Fitzsimmons. Now, are you going to take me upstairs and ravish me or do I go up on my own and—”
She didn’t get to finish her sentence, his passionate kiss not only made her words disappear but her breath too. In the confined space of the car the air grew heated.
Pete pulled back, his face flushed with arousal. “Sugar, if we continue down here we could be arrested for indecent exposure.” He nodded toward the cameras.
What felt like cold water flowed through her, dousing the burning flame of her lust. With a cheeky smile Pete opened his door and exited the car. Following suit, Wendy opened hers and stood. With no bags to take upstairs with them—Pete had promised to replace everything and more—she shut her door and placed her hand into his larger one he held out to her, and they walked together to the elevators.
The ride up was filled with the same sexual tension as she remembered the first time, if not a little more. But this time she knew what he was like in bed.
“Before I take you to our bed and ravish you as you requested,” he said, grinning, “Blue keeps asking me to show you the reason we bought this place.”
“Ooh, a sex dungeon or something kinky?”
“Now why would you jump to that conclusion, woman?”
“Well, I know what you like in bed,” she replied, adding a purr to her voice.
Pete shook his head as the elevator came to a stop. He placed his private number into the keypad. “24281294, remember that,” he said and turned toward her and swept her up into his arms.
Though startled he’d picked her up, she placed her arms around his neck and shook her head. “One day you will bust a ball doing this.”
“Shifter, sugar.” He winked. “And anyway, a husband has to carry his beloved over the threshold. Well, in our circumstance, my mate.”
His lips found hers again, but he only got in a short peck before it was interrupted when the doors fully opened. She ducked her head into his neck and inhaled his manly, spicy scent as he walked forward.
She knew if she wanted to go back to her little place and continue working at the nursery he wouldn’t bat an eyelid. But she also realized her place wasn’t fit for a dragon. If he followed her home, they would have to buy a new place or he would have to find somewhere safe to release Blue. Not only that, but she would be taking him away from a job he loved. He didn’t have to work, that was obvious just by the huge amount of gems in the cave, but she knew that if he was to sit around all day doing nothing it would drive him bonkers.
She knew without a doubt she was going to move in here with Pete. He’d already told her that what was his was now hers. Maybe she could find a teacher’s job around here, or even get Troy to give her a job at Dragon’s Heart. She didn’t want to be sitting around all day either.
She felt herself being carried upward, which brought her out of her thoughts. Lifting her head, she saw they were walking up an iron, circular staircase. Looking up, she saw several sloped panes of clouded glass. At the top of the stairs Pete placed her down on her feet, and the wondrous sight before her made her gasp.
* * * *
Pete couldn’t see Wendy’s face as he placed her down on her feet, but he could feel the awe that came through their growing bond, which pleased him immensely. This place was his pride and joy. Well, his and his dragon’s.
Once he
had settled into his apartment he had worked on the greenhouse until it became the treasure it was today. All around them were clear glass panes, the ceilings ones sloping up together in a point. He’d installed under-floor heating as well as a watering system.
Next, he had a large, circular hot tub built, big enough for his dragon to curl up in it and enjoy himself. Pete had rocks from his island imported, and he used them to encircle the tub. Although he didn’t think of the island as home anymore that didn’t stop him from wanting a piece of where he’d grown up with him now.
After that he’d built a huge sandpit that took up most of the east side. It was big enough for his dragon to roll around in, and Blue often preferred the sandpit. He’d spend hours in it polishing his scales.
On the west side of the greenhouse, he’d built another large water feature using more rocks from home, although this one wasn’t for his dragon to bathe in. The sound of the five foot waterfall spilling its cool, filtered water down into the pond below was peaceful. It was always the calming balm he needed after a stressful night. The small lights he added around the sides glinted off the gems on the bottom. His beast had encouraged Pete to add koi fish in it. His dragon loved sitting and watching the fish.
After that Pete had grown or bought the multitude of plants that filled the rest of the place, making it a tropical paradise. Now it was something to share with his mate.
“I can’t believe this place. It’s…wow. Why such a big sandpit?” Wendy asked.
“Blue loves it here, he uses the sand to polish his scales,” Pete explained.
“You can release your dragon? But aren’t you afraid someone will see him if they were to spy through the glass?”
“Too many plants surrounding the edges. Plus, why the hell would someone want to ‘spy’, as you say, at a greenhouse?”
Wendy chuckled. “Someone with a plant fetish?”
Pete rolled his eyes.
Wendy walked over to the fish pond and stuck a finger in there and started. “Shit, those are some huge fish.”
“Koi, and they’re expensive,” he said, coming up behind her.
