Dragon Down (Dragon Guard Book 22)

by Mills, Julia

  The Elders and the Guardsmen left the cave, leaving Kamdyn blissfully alone with her mate. Looking at the man she simply couldn’t imagine her life without, Kam was mesmerized by the love she saw in the depths of his deep, dark eyes. She couldn’t help but smile back when he gave her that cheeky grin that made her weak in the knees, forcing her to ask, “Do you have any idea how much I love you?”

  “It can’t be anywhere near as much as I love you.” He kissed the tip of her nose then added, “’Cause I have a surprise for you. The girls were wrong. We’re not sharing the mark in this cave.”

  “Okay, I give. Where?”

  Winking, kissed the backs of her hands and simply said, “Follow me.”

  Walking back through the cave hand-in-hand, Callum stopped as they reached the opening, turning to face Kam as he said, “You’ve gotten to see my dragon, but I’ve yet to see that sexy little raven of yours.” He paused and walked them out of the cave onto the ledge. “I want us to both transform and fly to the peak of this mountain. There we will receive our blessing from the Universe and maybe even a few special guests, Holder of the Key.” Kissing her hard and fast, he then asked, “Will you do that with me, mo chroi’ ?”

  With her heart filling with so much love for the glorious man she loved more than life itself, all Kamdyn could do was nod frantically and throw her arms around her dragon.

  “Absolutely!” She gushed, placing kisses all over his face, while speaking directly into his mind to tell him how much his gesture meant to her. “Thank you so much. I didn’t think it was possible to love you anymore, but you just keep amazing me. Dammit, you even made me happy to be a damsel in distress, Callum O’Shea. I love you to pieces, all of you, in every way possible, for all time.” Laying her lips on his, Kam kissed him until she wasn’t sure where she ended and he began, just the way she liked it.

  Pulling back before she was ready, Kamdyn pretended to pout as Callum sighed. “If we keep this up, neither one of us will be making it up this mountain.”

  “Okay, okay,” she chuckled. “I know you’re right.”

  Stepping back to allow for Callum’s magnificent dragon to come forth, Kamdyn looked into her dragon’s eyes and as one: they called their magical counterparts from the depths of their souls to the beauty of their mating day. Mysticism filled the air. Kam was breathless as she once again watched the man she adored turn into a gorgeous royal blue dragon, whose scales glittered in the rays of the sun with swirls of his lightning.

  Envisioning her raven, then letting the enchantment flow through her, Kamdyn’s eyes slid shut as she embraced the change in her form. Opening her eyes, she spread her wings, fluffed her feathers, and preened for just a second longer, giving her mate a good look and showing off her five-foot-five raven while she was at it.

  Cal’s deep chuckle vibrated within her, as he whispered, “You are nothing short of spectacular, mo fiach dubh fiery.”

  Fire rushed through her veins. Her soul sang with the love filling every fiber of her being as her raven cawed to the Heavens. Looking to Cal, she had to think of where she wanted to be and her dragon answered, “I know, mo ghra’. I feel it, too. Just a few more hours and we’ll be alone.”

  Clearing his throat, Kam could feel that he was just as affected by their animal attraction as she was. Quickly changing the subject, making Kam chuckle at her silly mate, Callum asked, “Ready to fly, mo chroí?” Extending his massive wings when she quickly answered, “Yes, I am.”

  Lowering her wings, the raven lifted off, hovering in place until her mate was by her side. Together, they glided on the breeze, rolling one way and then the other, his electric blue scales glistening in the sun, highlighting the deep blue and purple that shaded her coal black feathers. Flying over his back, Kam lowered herself until only the smallest whisper of the wind separated her raven from Cal’s dragon. Flying along, the couple enjoyed what only they together could achieve, until Callum signaled it was time to ascend the mountain.

  Moving apart, they both pushed their wings against the draft, climbing higher and higher until they reached the apex of the mountain. Once there, they transformed back to man and woman while still in midair, landing side by side, dressed as they had been during their mating ceremony.

  Pulling Kam to his chest, Cal kissed her with a passion that threatened every ounce of resolve she had. Begrudgingly leaning away from her mate’s kiss, Kam raised a single eyebrow and teased, “The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we get to be alone.”

  “Right you are,” Cal winked before pulling her to the center of the plateau. Holding her hands in his as they stood face to face, Kam’s dragon whispered, “Close your eyes and repeat after me.”

  Closing her eyes and nodding for Cal to begin, Kamdyn reiterated every word her mate said, “As Holder of the Key, I ask your blessing upon both the mate of my Heart and myself. I ask that our union be one of happiness, joy and light. And that all who have come before us and those who will come after, may also know the love that can only be achieved by letting the One the Universe made for me into my heart.”

  Waiting patiently, wondering what her mate was up to, Kamdyn’s eyes flew open and her mouth fell open as she heard the deep baritone of her father’s voice and the soft, gentle tone of her mother. “Kamdyn, our precious little girl, we have missed you so very much.”

  Looking at the shadowy figures of her parents, standing arm-in-arm not five feet from her, Kam’s eyes shot back to Cal’s, hardly able to breathe as he said, “Talk to them. They are here for you.”

  Holding tight to her dragon’s hand, Kamdyn turned towards her mom and dad and with tears streaming down her face, told them the most important thing she’d regretted not telling them when they were alive. “I love you guys so very much. I thank you for everything and I hope that from today forward, I can make you as proud of me as I am of both of you.”

  No longer holding onto any anger or resentment, she added, “We’re gonna get that bastard demon, too.”

  Laughing out loud, her dad nodded his head and with pride readily agreed, “I have no doubt you and your mate will be victorious.” Taking a deep breath, he went on, “But we aren’t here for any other reason than to tell you that there will never be a moment in time that we don’t love you with all our hearts. We love the woman you’ve become and are so very proud of you.”

  Wiping a tear from his cheek, Evan McGregor added, “Be happy, Kamdyn. You have a wonderful mate, who I have no doubt will stand beside you, lift you up and help you soar. I love you, kiddo, with all my heart.”

  “Oh, daddy and mom, I love you, too.”

  Leaning into Callum’s arms, she added, “You two be happy, too,” as she watched the light of their spirits disappear into the clouds, on their way back to the Heavens.

  Looking up at her mate, Kamdyn let her words flow from her mind to his. “Callum O’Shea, I love you more than all the tomorrows that follow all of the todays until the end of time. Thank you for making my mating day absolutely perfect.”

  Without a word, Cal lowered his mouth to hers, stopping just as their lips touched, and whispered, “Tá tú mo ghrá eternal. Ta’ mo chroi istigh ionat,” before capturing her lips with his.

  Their connection solidified. Their souls became one. Passion unlike any other consumed them both…body, heart, and soul. A sting on the left side of her neck let her know the marking was complete.

  Callum pulled her closer, moving his lips from hers, trailing kisses across her jaw and down her neck, reaching the spot that was still tender to the touch. Paying special attention to the offending area until all thoughts of anything but their bodies loving one another evaporated from her mind.

  Placing her hands on either side of his face, Kam caught sight of the perfectly shaped dragon scale with a raven’s feather in the center on the side of Cal’s neck and knew she had its exact match where her mate’s lips had just been. The final blessing from the Universe Herself, for all the world to see she and Cal belonged together forev
er and always. Pulling his mouth to hers, kissing him until all thoughts of parties and friends were mere memories left in the dust by images of all the ways she wanted to love her dragon, the witch realized she was truly happy, truly complete and finally at home in the arms of her dragon.

  Pulling back, Cal winked making Kam ask, “What’s on your mind, Mr. O’Shea?”

  “Well, Mrs. O’Shea, I’d rather show you then tell you.”

  Loving the sound of ‘Mrs. O’Shea’ especially when Callum said it, Kam leaned in for another kiss, whispering directly into her mate’s mind, “How quickly can you get us home?”

  “In a New York minute,” he chuckled, lifting her into his arms before adding, “And in case I haven’t told you, I love the way your mind works. Mrs. O’Shea.”

  “Ditto, Mr. O’Shea. Ditto and then some.”

  THE END

  (For Now…)

  GET THE ONE THAT STARTED IT ALL

  Book #1 in the Dragon Guard Series

  HER DRAGON TO SLAY

  ALWAYS FREE on AMAZON!

  Sassy and stubborn have gotten Kyndel through everything life had to throw at her. Will her moxie help when destiny falls at her feet?

  Hundreds of years of loyalty to Dragon Guard have made Rayne a fearless leader. When the long-foretold pull of his mate rocks the Commander’s world to its core will he be able to save her from his enemies in time?

  The chemistry between this strong-willed curvy girl and fierce warrior makes all the difference in the world where nothing is as it seems. The existence of an ancient race of honor-clad, tradition-bound protectors might be hard to accept but now the dead are coming back to life and holding a knife to her neck.

  Can these fated mates defeat their greatest enemies and get their happily ever after?

  Fate Will Not Be Denied!!

  DRAGON IN THE MIST

  Dragon Guard #26

  Coming November 27, 2017

  Out of the Darkness...

  Into a World Long Forgotten...

  This Guardsman Emerges with a Hunger for Vengeance and a Thirst for Justice...

  One small voice in the dark…

  One tortured plea for help…

  Two hearts beating as one…

  Two lives hanging in the balance…

  Three seconds to decide between life and death…

  Three simple words that changed everything…

  “Please help me,” she cried.

  Now, it’s out of the mist and into the fire.

  Get yours at Amazon.com

  TANGLED IN TINSEL

  Dragon Guard #27

  Coming December 19, 2017

  It’s over the river and through the woods, and straight to Christmas hell for Chance Nichols. His twin has taken off on a mission to the Frozen North and most of the other Guardsman are cuddled up with their mates, so it’s up to Chance to get the Lair decorated before the snow begins to fall.

  One trip to town for decorations and Happy Holidays has turned into Scary Grinchmas. According to the latest report, the North Pole is completely shut down. The elves have revolted, the reindeer have flown the coop, and Mrs. Claus is on strike – talk about up the proverbial tree without an extension cord.

  Visions of sugarplums can’t fix this one. It’ll take a whole lot of dragon magic, sprinkled with fairy dust and tied together with yards of tinsel and garland.

  Grab your eggnog and a bowl of figgy pudding, cause the Gingerbread Man has made a call and Fate is on the way. Never fear, if all else fails, we’ll be tangled in tinsel and singing Jingle Bells. There’s no better way to spend your holidays.

  HER DRAGON’S TREASURE

  Dragon Guard #29

  Coming Soon

  Decades trapped at the bottom of the sea. Doomed to spend eternity in a watery grave, the Guardsman known as Atticus had given up hope and then the impossible happened, he hears the voice of his mate.

  Tired of being the youngest and smallest, Talullah longs for adventure, a chance to prove she has dreams bigger than the sea and possesses the strength and determination to carry them out.

  Forced to the bottom of the sea by her dreams of a man in need, caught in the middle of an undersea earthquake that causes a tsunami, this strong-willed mermaid must not only fight to save herself and her sister, but also the man whose violet eyes haunt her dreams and speak to her heart.

  The waves are crashing against the shore, time is running out and as if things couldn’t get any worse…the Afanc have been disturbed by the storm and are seeking revenge against one of King Arthur’s own – a true descendant of an original Dragon King, an Enforcer.

  It may cost this little mermaid more than her tail to have her happily ever after, but she’s willing to give up every scale she has for the treasure of her dragon…if only Lulu knew it would be enough.

  The Sea may be a harsh mistress, but She never met Talullah.

  Fate will not be denied…

  BAIN: Resurrection of Her King Kings of the Blood ~ Book 4

  Coming 2018

  The King pulled up to the same private hospital he had been visiting every month for nearly fifty years. It sat near the sea in the coastal city of Nafplio on the Peloponnese peninsula, tucked away amid a vast array of chalets and villas available for use by the millions of tourists that visited his homeland every year.

  Getting out of his car and taking a deep calming breath, Bain wondered how much longer his game of subterfuge with his brothers could go on. As it was, three of them had already found their fýlakas tis kardiás mou and the couples were spending more and more time in Greece. He feared it wouldn’t be long until they found out what he had been doing and who he had been hiding.

  His secrets were about to cause all hell to break loose but at the moment, the former philosopher and scholar couldn’t care. He had more important issues to attend to. Pushing his worries to the side, determined to enjoy what little time he had with her, the King crossed the threshold, took his sunglasses off, and greeted the attendant he paid very handsomely for his service.

  “Geia pós eísai, Miguel?”

  “Fine and you, Mr. Christakis?”

  “I’m doing well, thank you.” Bain smiled at the attendant’s attempt at broken English, appreciating that he was working so hard to learn a new language, then turning, the King made his way down the corridor.

  With his hand on the doorknob he thought about the years since he had purchased the house, had it retrofitted to be a care facility and had begun the arduous process of finding staff loyal only to him. It had taken some doing but in the end, he had found the right people, had them thoroughly vetted, and sign an ironclad confidentiality agreement. The workers, nurses, and doctors here were just like the feeders of the Kings of the Blood, tied to him forever, from generation to generation, each keeping the other’s secrets.

  Turning the knob, he walked into the room. He was happy to see they were keeping the room full of lilies and gardenias. He noticed the walls had been painted the bright yellow he requested to keep the atmosphere light and happy.

  Walking to her bedside, pulling the chair against the wall along with him, he could only smile. She looked so peaceful lying there as if she were simply sleeping, with her blonde hair spread across her pillow and her long eye lashes curling against her cheeks.

  “Hello, beautiful. How are you today?” As always, he waited for a reply and as always, none came.

  Removing his suit jacket, Bain threw it over the back of the chair before sitting down and lifting her hand into his. Wishing for the hundredth, maybe thousandth time that she would open her eyes and smile or at least hold his hand as he held hers, the King sighed and shook his head.

  He knew what he had to. The same thing he had done all the other times he was with her. It was the only thing keeping her from withering and dying, the only thing giving him hope. “But is it really hope, or merely pipe dreams?” he asked himself aloud.

  Thinking again about his brothers, the Kings of the Blood, and
his true brother, also part of the fraternity, Nikos, Bain felt the love he had for his family. He was happy for each and every one of them. Loved that some had bonded with their mates; knew the others were soon to come. It was just that seeing Viktor, Roman, and Achilles with the keepers of their hearts, happy and starting a whole new journey in their lives, brought the sad reality of his own situation crashing down around him.

  Once again shoving his worries away, he reached behind him and into his jacket pocket, pulling out a syringe. Tapping the inside of his arm, he waited until the vein was visible, stuck the needle in, and withdrew a hundred cc’s of his life’s essence. Turning her arm over, he then injected it into her vein, rubbing away the sting even though he had no idea if she felt it or not.

  Disposing of the needle, he scooted his chair closer to her bedside, laid his head on the bed, and whispered, “Come back to me, vasílissa mou, or surrender so that I might follow you into the Elysian Fields.”

  HARMONY: A ‘Not-Quite’ Haunted Love Story

  Not-Quite Love Story # 8

  Available Now on Amazon.com !

  Get away from the city, they said.

  You’ll love it in the country, they promised.

  You inherited a frikkin’ mansion, whatcha got to lose?

  Yeah, well, that’s the last time I listen to those boobs!

  It wasn’t bad enough that my Pepto-Bismal-pink VW van went missing. But now, Ernesto the Parrot keeps making obscene comments about my butt, Wendy, the one-eyed cat is having a mid-life crisis and Festus, the dancing donkey has gone on an all vegan diet. Oh, and let me not forget that my dearly-departed Auntie Dot is not-so dearly-departed and she’s trying to fix me up with a dead guy.