by Julia Mills
“Well, of course, I am. You’ll get used to it. Happens all the time.”
Not sure if her mate appreciated her attempt to cut the tension with humor or not, Dax stopped behind him, speaking only when he turned his head and winked his big Dragon eye at her. “I was thinkin’…”
“You were thinkin’ that you’d actually let me get a word in edgewise?” J.D.’s tone was sharp but she could feel it was worry for his grandfather and fury at the bastard holding the old Chief hostage and nothing she’d done. Going on without pause, he added, “I’ll go to the other side, directly across from you. We’ll wait until Huacaltzintli begins the actual ritual.” Stepping forward, he bent his huge body nearly double and stared through the branches at his grandfather whose head was hanging forward from where the Medicine Man had tied him to a thick piece of oak.
Looking over his shoulder, he asked, “You sure?”
“As sure as I’ve been of anything.”
The words were barely out of her mouth before J.D. vanished. Reading his thoughts, making sure she understood exactly what she was supposed to be doing, wobbles and waves in the air around the huge ring of fire Huacaltzintli had trapped Chief Thorntree within alerted to how quickly her Dragon could actually travel.
Waiting for the signal, Dax heard J.D.’s threatening growl when the Medicine Man grabbed a handful of Cheveyo’s hair and slammed the back of his skull against the hard plank of wood. Moving forward, still at the edge of the charred forest, she thought about wringing her Dragon’s neck when he stepped out into the clearing and shouted, “Touch my Grandfather again and I’ll rip you limb from limb.
Grinning like the Cheshire cat, Huacaltzintli’s cackle rang through the seared landscape as faster than her eyes could track the ruthless bastard open-hand slapped the old Chief right across the face. Running through the flames. J.D. catapulted into the air and stretched out his long, thick legs to pummel the Medicine Man.
A whoosh of boiling magic, the stench of death, and a howl that curdled the very blood in her veins filled the clearing. With her eyes trained on her mate, she watched in horror as he hung helplessly above the blazing bonfire.
“J.D.!” She roared.
“Don’t…move,” his struggling stammer skipped through her mind. “It’s…a…a…trap.”
“No shit.” The words whipped from her mind to his before she could stop them. “But then why should I stop them?” She asked, knowing he couldn’t answer. “You had to be the hero. Couldn’t wait for us to do it together. You’re really gonna have to work on that or eternity is gonna suck for you. Let me…”
“Let you what? Tell him all the reasons why you’re always right and he’s always gonna be wrong?”
Whipping her head to the side, Dax nearly jumped for joy as she took in her dad, in Battle Stallion form, ready and willing to help not only rescue her mate, but also his grandfather. Ready to tell him how happy she was to see him, she was nearly knocked on her butt as not one, but all five of J.D.’s brothers and his dad appeared in her father’s magical wake.
“How did you get here? I thought J.D. and I were secluded on the Island of Misfit Medicine Men.”
“It’s a feat of magic I never imagined, but I’ll let your mother tell you about that. She, Barbara, and Bryndle have teamed up.” Her father’s voice trailed off as J.D.’s Dad took over.
With differing hues of bronze scales, the MacAllen Dragons all stood tall, but it was Owen whose voice she heard in her mind. “I see my son’s leapt before he looked again.” Not waiting for her answer, he went on, “And seems like that Medicine Man thinks he’s outfoxed us.”
“What do you mean?” Dax immediately felt bad for asking questions while her mate was hanging in the air like a marionette from last year’s fair, but then again, she had told him to wait.
“Close your eyes and find the taint of the Medicine Man’s magic.”
Doing as Owen instructed, Dax spat, “What a dick. He’s tailored his spell to only screw with Dragons and Fire Horses.”
“Indeed he has.” Owen nodded. “And he should’ve done his homework.”
Quicker than she could ask what he meant, pure, white Dragon magic filled the air and the six Warrior Dragons faded from Scaled Heroes to the biggest Timberwolves she’d ever seen. Standing almost as tall as her Fire Horse, their thick fur was the color of whiskey, almost that of their Dragon scales, and their eyes an icy blue.
Running off in all directions, J.D.’s five brothers surrounded the perimeter while Owen stayed at her side, along with her father. She didn’t have to wonder long what the plan was before the older Dragon began, “The boys will be able to distract the Medicine Man but it’s all up to you and J.D. to destroy him and that blasted Seventh Scale.”
“And exactly how do we go about stopping Dr. Buttface and blowing up a couple of millenniums old scale that’s now a stone with wicked evil powers?”
“You’ll know when the time comes.” Her father and Owen answered in unison.
Swinging her head from side-to-side, sure to give them both the nastiest look she was able to muster with her Battle Horse’s muzzle, she sarcastically huffed, “Thanks, guys.” After looking at J.D. and wishing with all her heart it was her and not him caught in the black magic, she added, “Well, just in case I implode and kill us all, just remember, you were no help at all.”
Their laughter in her head helped to diffuse a bit of her nervousness as she waited for the signal then thought, “What is the signal? Owen, what…”
Her answer came when the chaos of five howling, barking, growling and snapping Timber Wolves burst from the tree line and jumped through the flames of Huacaltzintli’s Sacred Circle. Watching as they herded him back to the farthest corner, Dax waited until the Wolf she recognized as the youngest of J.D.’s brothers, Colton, snapped his teeth down on the Medicine Man’s petrified forearm, snarling, shaking his head, and baring down so hard she heard the crunch and crack of brittle bone.
Dashing into the clearing, jumping the flames as if they were a hurdle, she flapped her wings, opened her mouth as wide as she could and exhaled a whirling column of brilliantly, deadly, flashing shards of powerful magical lightning. Holding her breath as J.D. was thrown backward, his feet flew over her head, and for two of the longest seconds of her life he was out of sight, Dax breathed a sigh of relief when his roar shook the ground. It was even better when he flew onto the scene, breathing fire, lightning and his wicked nasty gas in every direction.
Retracting his talons as he held out his paw, her mate’s voice sounded in her mind. “Lay your hoof in my hand and pour all the fire you can into our bond.”
Not questioning the directions she’d been given for the first time in her life, she slid one of her front feet over his paw and concentrated on the wonderfully warming light in the base of her heart and soul. Then with every ounce of her power and magic, she shoved the flames of her Battle Horse into their magical connection. Awestruck as J.D. grew even larger and bright white light burst from every scale covering his body, she was still shocked when he became engulfed in flames.
Pushing her hoof all the way through his paw, stopping when he was holding her knee, Dax felt a surge in energy and a force that was so uniquely wonderful there was no denying it was the combination of both hers and J.D.’s abilities. Embracing the rush, reveling in the raw strength, every fiber of her being detonated in a cascade of flames, electricity, and ancient mysticism.
Letting herself be pulled to J.D.’s side, she followed the instructions he was sharing with her telepathically. Placing her free hoof over his shoulder, she faced her mate as she wrapped her wings over and around his.
Closing her eyes, she let go of everything she was. Woman, Fire Horse, and Battle Horse, the magic of her ancestors – both Shifter and Witch, and all the love and adoration she already had for her Dragon flowed from her soul to his. Completely open, holding absolutely nothing back, she felt the whole of J.D.’s being merge with hers as she watched an overwhelming cyclone of flames shot f
rom the bottom of their souls.
“Back!” He bellowed into the souls of his brothers just before their burning tempest hit Huacaltzintli square in the chest and detonated like a confetti cannon filled with ash.
Squeals of anguish and howls of pain filled the atmosphere as similar explosions sounded behind them in the direction of the ridge as together the couple landed next to Chief Cheveyo who Owen had freed. Letting go and putting all four hooves on the ground, Dax looked into J.D.’s eyes and winked. “Hey, can you turn all furry, too?”
“Oh, Darlin’, just wait ‘til you see all the things I can do.”
Chapter Twelve
“Hey, enough of that lovey-dovey crap,” Gage grumbled. “I’m ready to get home and out of this fur. I forgot how hot this crap was.”
“Do not worry,” Cheveyo responded. “Now that Huacaltzintli has been returned to the depths of Hell, home is only a thought away.”
Spreading his arms wide and letting his head fall back, the elder Chief’s voice rang out over the cacophony, a beacon of hope and peace. The longer they waited, the louder he sang, until his whole body began to lift from the ground.
Hovering above them, he sang, “Oh, Great Spirit, may this land be cleansed, that it can be returned to its beautiful splendor. May our hearts be cleansed, that we may hear Your voice clearly. May the smoke that was made to harm be used for good, that it may carry this prayer spiraling to the Heavens.”
Wrapped tight in J.D.’s arms, Dax swayed to the tune dancing through her mind. Lost in the melody, she nearly jumped out of her skin when a flash of light and a loud boom came out of nowhere.
Dots danced before her eyes. She scrambled to stay on her feet, her legs as wobbly as a newborn colt’s. Screaming for J.D., her thoughts were flung back at her as she was sucked into a swirling vortex of lights and sounds that not only blinded her, but nearly burst her eardrums.
Over and over she yelled. Searching for her mate, her father, Owen, and all of the others. Where were they? What fresh hell had decided they hadn’t suffered enough?
Trying to focus. Wishing for calm so that she could somehow find out what was happening, Dax found herself unceremoniously dumped onto a slab of hard, gritty concrete. Jumping to her feet, ready to fight any and all comers, she shook her head and rapidly blinked her eyes.
Turning a complete circle, her vision clearing, she could only just make out the wavy images of two people standing no more than twenty feet before her. “Who in all that’s holy are you and what the hell do you want? I’ve had a shitty couple of days and I’m ready to maim and mutilate anybody who even looks my way.”
Laughing out loud, the sound so familiar her arms dropped of their own accord, Dax took a step forward as the still out of focus person with bright red hair scolded, “Ah knoo ye didnae jist curse at yer mather, an' after aw Barbara, Bryndle, an' Ah’ve jist doone fur ye.”
“Mom?”
“An' whoo else woods it be, Darlin’?”
Rushing forward, she wrapped her arms around both her mom and Barbara, trying to hold back the tears as she asked, “Where are the others? Are they okay? Where’s J.D.?” Stepping back and looking her mom in the eyes, she demanded, “Where is he, Mom? Is he okay? Is he…”
“Turn around, Woman. I’m right here.”
Spinning on her toes and running into his waiting arms, Dax slammed her lips to his, pouring every emotion she was feeling into that single joining. Never wanting to be anywhere he wasn’t, knowing she’d been a fool to resist the pull of the mating call in the first place, she reluctantly lifted her lips from his and blurted out, “Marry me, Cowboy, or lose me forever.”
Laughter erupted from all around her, but she only had eyes for her Dragon. In less than a week, he’d become the center of her world, the love of her life, and the man who’d stolen her heart.
“Aren’t I supposed to ask you?” His eyes were alight with mischief.
“Now, I know your momma has told you more than once over all the years you’ve been on this Earth that the Cherokee Nation is matrilineal, so, in my book, Mister, that means the early Filly gets her Dragon.”
Leaning his head back and raising a single eyebrow, she knew J.D. was trying to hold back his laughter. All too soon, he couldn’t hold it anymore. Laughing so hard there were tears in his eyes, he readily agreed, “Baby, you can lead this man around by the scales. I’m yours. Do with me what you will.”
Waggling her eyebrows and giving him her best Mae West imitations, Dax teased, “Baby, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.”
*****
The decision had been easy, both she and J.D. agreed. The wedding/Mating Ceremony would be a combination of everything they were – some Fire Horse, some Dragon, some Witch, and absolutely, some Cherokee.
She’d asked if they should also have something to honor the Wolf, but J.D. had explained that his family’s ability to transform into Timber Wolves was an extension of their Dragon – a gift their ancestors had received for helping a Pack many centuries ago. Thankful, she didn’t have to figure out a way to add one more thing to the ceremony, Dax was more than ready when the morning of her Mating Ceremony finally arrived.
Dressed in her mother’s simply elegant, floor-length gown made of cream-colored silk and decorated with tiny bronze and flaming red crystals both Kristen and Barbara had meticulously added, she walked out of the MacAllen’s home and stood at the edge of Barbara’s garden. Spectacularly transformed into the fantasy straight from her dreams, she couldn’t wait to see J.D. and thank him for all he and his brothers had done to make their special day so very perfect.
Standing under a white picket archway decorated with blossoms of every color and size and ribbons to match, she prayed the wind didn’t blow her long red curls into her face as she waited for her mate and his brothers to arrive. Eyes trained on the fountain in the middle of the garden, she smiled as Cheveyo entered from the side wearing the traditional dress of their Tribe.
Gripping her bouquet of red roses that had been delivered to her room that morning with a note that read, “Together we shall ride forever and grow young in our love. Always and forever, J.D.” so tightly she thought she might snap the stems, she breathed a sigh of relieve when Gage, Zach, Tree, Colton and Heath filed into the room led by Owen.
Wearing the same shit-eating grins as the day she met them each of the MacAllen boys winked in her direction and tipped their heads as if they were tipping an imaginary hat. Unable not to chuckle at the amazing blessings she’d been given by the Great Creator, the Universe and the Goddess of All, Dax’s breath was stolen from her lungs at J.D.
There he was, dressed just like his dad and brothers in what they called a surcoat that looked like they’d all just stepped out of a movie about Camelot. The fabric just three or four shades lighter than the scales of his Dragon, the hem, neck, and shoulders decorated with black corded trim, J.D. looked good enough to eat.
Shifting from one foot to the other and back again, ready to get to her mate and say the words that would bind them together for all eternity, her eyes landed on the fantastic needlework on the front of his surcoat. Unable to look away, she couldn’t believe the absolutely perfect rendition of J.D.’s Warrior Dragon in the midst of battle. It was nothing short of amazing.
Looking back to Cheveyo as he cleared his throat, Dax took one step and then the other. The bronze runner leading to the fountain tickled the bottom of her bare feet as she drew closer and closer to the man the Universe had created for her.
Stopping next to her father, she reached for his outstretched hand, squeezing tightly just to stay on her feet, Dax looked into his eyes as Cheveyo asked, “Do you, John Sparks, Leader of the Sparks Harras, willingly and with the love in your heart, give your Blessing to the union of your daughter to this man?”
“Her mother and I do. May their hands be forever clasped in friendship.” He paused and leaned down to give Dax a kiss on the cheek, before placing her hand in J.D.’s and adding, “And may their hearts be j
oined forever in love.”
“The Great Creator, the Universe, and the Goddess of All hear your Blessing and wish nothing but the best for you and yours.” Nodding, his wise eyes filled with love, Cheveyo waited until her dad had joined her mom in the seats behind them before continuing.
“J.D. and Dakota are here with family and friends, under the beautiful sky, the wind kissing their cheeks and the sun shining brightly upon them to profess not only their love for one another, but their commitment to an eternity walking and hand in hand for it is the greatest wish of the Great Creator and the Universe for these two blessed souls.”
“They’ve chosen to combine all that they are for a truly special Mating Ceremony that honors every step of their journey thus far and into the future. I stand before you, Chief of the Thorntree Wolf Clan of the Cherokee Nation and grandfather to J.D. to give you the Blessing of our Nation, our Tribe and our Clan.”
“Dakota Jane and Jacob Daniel, may you feel no rain, for each of you are the shelter for the other. May you feel no cold, for you have one another for warmth.”
“Now you are two people, but there is only one life before you. May your days be good and long upon this great Earth. Give the highest priority to the tenderness, gentleness, and kindness that your love deserves. Focus on what is right between you, not what is wrong.”
“Ride out the storms when the clouds hide the face of the sun, remembering that even if you lose sight of what is good for even a moment, the sun is still there to light your path. As each of you take responsibility for the quality and blessings in your life together, it is the promise of the Great Creator and the Universe that you will have nothing but abundance and delight.”
“With the love only a grandfather can have for his grandchildren, I wish you nothing but love and happiness. Cherish one another. Remember that faith, hope, and love are all that remains, and the greatest of these is love.”
Stepping forward, Cheveyo laid his hands upon theirs, and looking at J.D. whispered, “You have been given the greatest gift a man can receive. Cherish her with all that you are, Son.”
