by Julia Mills
She waited as he struggled with what to say next and then finally said, “I’ll do my best, but I can’t change who I am.”
Giving him a single nod, Dani stepped to the side and motioned for him to follow. Sitting down under the same tree where they had consummated their union, the dragoness was thankful for Wolfe’s size and the length of his shirt. This was not a conversation she wanted to have with her hiney hanging out.
Patting the ground in front of her, Dani added, “You have to sit down, I’m getting a crick in my neck looking all the way up at you.”
Barking out a laugh that eased some of her tension, Wolfe sat down beside her and faster than she could track, pulled Dani into his lap before leaving back against the trunk of the tree. “Now, that’s better,” he sighed.
“Wolfe,” She grumbled. “This is not the way to have a serious conversation.”
“Who says?”
“Well…I do.” She thought for a second and then added, “And I said no more of your macho, he-man crap.”
“This is not macho or he-man,” he grinned. “This is my compromise.”
“Compromise?”
“Yes, compromise, mo réalta maidin.” Dani felt her eyes get wide at the use of the name only her parents called her in the language of the Ancient Dragon Kings, as Wolfe continued as if he hadn’t noticed. “You are absolutely gorgeous every moment of every day, but wearing my mark, my scent and my shirt is driving both myself and my dragon wild. So, I either have to have you in my lap or I will be forced to ravish you again and again and… you get the idea.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “And then I might never get the answers I need.”
Feeling the heat of her blush and trying hard not to swoon at his lovely words, Dani cleared her throat and nodded, quickly beginning to tell her tale. “Okay, here it is in a nutshell because while I appreciate that you haven’t gone poking around in my brain like we both know you could have, please feel free as there are parts too painful to recount.”
She took a deep breath and after slowly letting it out told Wolfe what had happened to her parents and how she had come to be with the MacTavish’s. “So, you see, I was told to hide my dragoness and use only my powers of Healing and Prophecy until my mate,” Dani looked up at her Guardsman, “You, came into my life.”
Wolfe nodded his head while she felt him pulling out of the memories she’d been keeping hidden for nearly a century. It took a moment, but he finally asked, “Only Joshua and Jennifer knew? You didn’t think to tell Daire and Darragh after the death of their parents?”
“Joshua told me not to.” She looked down at her hands. “He believed I was going to find my mate when I was still very young.”
Looking back up at Wolfe as he winked and snickered, “Well, you are still pretty young, all things considered.”
Swatting his shoulder, Dani rolled her eyes, “You know what I mean. Anyway, between the promise I made to my parents and then to Joshua, I just kept my mouth shut. Besides, I’d been hiding who I was for so long, it had become second nature.”
“Why am I the only one who can sense who you are?”
Shrugging, she answered, “I’m guessing it’s all part and parcel of the whole ‘Great Prophecy’ gig.” She added air quotes for effect.
“What did your mother mean by ‘Not until you have met the man created by the Universe to stand by your side will you reveal your true nature and that of the blessed beast with whom you share your soul.’?”
“Now, that you are here and we have marked each other,” she blew out a long-suffering breath, “I guess I get to tell my brothers my whole sordid past.”
Pulling her close, Wolfe wrapped his arm around her and kissed the top of her head. “We’ll do it together. They can’t…”
The words were stolen from his mouth as he shouted in agony a mere heartbeat before Dani was doing the same. Pain, like white hot pokers, assaulted her every nerve ending. Her vision blurred then turned to black as she fell from Wolfe’s lap, writhing and convulsing while listening to her mate’s howls of torture, unable to help him… or herself.
Long moments later, the pain ended just as suddenly as it had begun. Dani shakily rolled onto her knees, blinking her eyes trying to restore her vision. Patting the ground, she searched for Wolfe, her fingers finally touching his outstretched arms.
“Wolfe?” She croaked, the burn in her throat excruciating from all her screaming. “Wolfe, are you okay?”
A faint groan followed by a bit louder one reassured he was still alive. Opening her eyes once again, Dani’s vision was assaulted by a bright orb of light that floated just out of her reach and grew in size the longer she looked at it. Colors, like that of a prism when held up to the sun, swirled like a kaleidoscope as the sphere took the form of a brilliant crystal dragoness.
Pushing herself upright, Dani sat back on her legs in awe, whispering, “But how? Are you…?”
A voice, resonating from the Heavens, filled her mind. “Yes, mo stór, it is I, Queen Eistir, mate of King Astraeus, the first Leader of the Crystal Dragons. This is only a vision, Morning Star, of things to come. You have found your mate and have been marked. Now, the time of your Awakening, and his is at hand.”
“But…” She tried to ask, stopping short as the dragoness shook her large head.
“The answers to all your questions will be revealed. The great Darkness prophesied before your birth is near. There is no time to waste. Sleep my child, and when you wake, both you and your Guardsman will have the knowledge, magic and power to defeat the evil threatening all you hold dear.” She spread her glistening wings then slowly laid them to her sides. “You must work together. It is your bond that makes you strong. You were made for one another by the Universe. Let the spark of love he has ignited within you flourish and burn bright. It is that affection and commitment that will strengthen the ties that bind you and give you the forte you will both need to conquer a centuries-old enemy with a taste for blood and a thirst for vengeance.”
“But…”
“Sleep, Morning Star. Sleep and become the Warrior Queen you were always meant to be.”
Chapter Nine
Waking up in dragon form was a new one for Wolfe, but couple that with his mate also wearing scales and softly slumbering beside him and the ante was upped to all-together mind-blowing. Then came the screaming of his best friend, an old red dragon who could swear in at least three languages, two angry Alpha wolves, three raging she-wolves and the Guardsman was thinking he might ought to fly off into the sunset.
Then came Dannika’s soft voice, flittering through his mind and Wolfe could only smile. “Not without me and I haven’t worn these wings in a whole lotta years. Might take me a minute or two to get the swing of flying again.”
“Ha! Not a problem, mo chroí. I think they know we’re awake anyway. Wanna throw off these scales and face the music?” He chuckled, not feeling as light-hearted as he tried to pretend.
“First, I have to ask. Did you see Queen Eistir or am I losing my mind?”
“You’re not ready for the looney bin yet,” Wolfe snickered. “I saw her, too and heard what she said. Although, I admit to not understanding a damn word of it.”
“Do you feel any different?” Dani asked, holding her breath, waiting for his answer.
“I do, but I can’t quite put my finger on it. I…”
“Damn you, Wolfe, I know you’re awake,” Grey shouted. “Change back. We’ve all been worried sick.”
“Duty calls,” Dani sighed.
“Duty sucks,” Wolfe grumbled, calling forth his magic and from one heartbeat to the next changing from dragon to man.
Looking to the side, he watched Dannika do the same and held out his hand, loving the electricity that skittered up his arm at her touch. Ignoring the questions being hurled at them, Wolfe winked and nodded, “You ready?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Dannika grinned.
In unison, the couple looked towards their friends and family as they w
alked forward. Wolfe held up his hand, surprised when all chatter stopped. Clearing his throat, he looked at Grey, “Why have you been worried? It’s only been a day.”
“Try five days, dumbass.” His friend rolled his eyes and sighed.
“Five days? Not possible,” Wolfe countered.
“It is possible,” the Guardsman threw his arms out wide. “And look where you are. This is the very edge of Blue Ridge Pack lands. We’ve been searching for you the whole damn time. Only this morning was I finally able to feel your presence.”
Looking to Angus, Wolfe asked, still trying to get his head around the fact that he and his dragoness had been asleep and missing for five days, “And you?”
“Aye. It was like you were gone…disappeared without a trace. I thought those fucking wizards had gotten to you like they did me and the lads,” the red dragon grumbled, pulling his mate closer as she nodded in agreement.
Wolfe saw the toll memories of the past were taking on the Enforcer and felt horrible for the part he’d played in it. “I’m sorry, Angus. I…it’s just.” The Guardsman sighed, “Oh hell, just look at my memories. I really don’t know how to explain what happened.”
Obviously rattled and unable to stand still any longer, Daire, who looked like he hadn’t slept in days, closed the distance between Wolfe and Dannika with Darragh right behind him, both men firing questions one right after another. Focusing on the Alphas’ questions while Grey and Angus probed his memories of the last few days, Wolfe grew angrier by the second.
“What happened Dani?” Daire asked.
“Are you really a dragon?” Darragh questioned.
“How can that be?” Daire nearly shouted.
“What the hell is going on?” Darragh accused. “What are you hiding?”
Pulling Dani to his side, Wolfe warned, “Back off. She’s been through a lot. I won’t hesitate to knock you around a bit if it means you’ll lower your voices and soften your tone.”
Shocked but quick to recover, Daire flew at Wolfe with his wolf shining in his eyes, “I’ll soften your…”
“STOP!” Dani screamed, holding out her hands, filling the air with potent magic and the scent of bayberries.
As if struck by lightning, Wolfe felt the same mysticism flow through his body and join with his mate’s. Looking on, the Guardsman could barely believe his eyes. There, hanging in midair like a puppet who’d lost his strings, was Daire, rage etched in every feature with the claws of his beast pushing through the ends of his fingers. Behind him stood Darragh like a statute caught midstride, as well as the rest of the group, staring at the Alpha in shock, frozen in time.
Spinning towards him with her eyes wide and her mouth open in surprise, Dannika whispered, “Did I do that?”
“There’s no doubt in my mind,” Wolfe nodded, wiping the sweat from his brow. “You screamed, and it felt like fifty-thousand volts went flying through my body.”
“But how?” She looked at her hands then back at him. “Is this what Queen Eistir was talking about?”
Shrugging, Wolfe reached out his hand, receiving a jolt of magic when Dannika’s fingers touched his that made both him and his dragon tingle all over. “Sure feels like it.” He pulled her closer. “And darlin’, I think you better figure out how to release everyone. I have a feeling they are none too happy with their present state.”
Looking up at him through her long, dark lashes, Dannika worried her bottom lip with her teeth as she whispered, “I don’t know how.”
Feeling his blood pressure rise, but trying not to yell, Wolfe asked as calmly as possible, “You don’t know how? But...I mean…Can’t you just…”
“Just what, Wolfe?” Dannika growled, no longer looking demure but now raising a single eyebrow and trying to pull away from him.
Holding her tight, the Guardsman frantically shook his head. “Stop, Dannika,” he ordered, causing fire to dance in his sassy mates’ eyes. “Just calm down and think.” He held tight as she continued to try to get away. “I’m just as freaked out as you are, but we can’t turn on each other. We have to work together.”
Finally holding still, Dani rolled her eyes, then sighed, “I know you’re right. I’m just not used to you being the reasonable one.”
“Yeah, me neither,” Wolfe chuckled to lighten the mood. “There’s a lot we have to learn about one another.” He gave her a quick peck on the cheek. “But that will have to wait. Right now, we need to get our friends moving again.” He glanced over her shoulder. “Because I don’t know about your brothers, but Angus is gonna kick my ass.”
“Why your butt? I’m the one whose magic went haywire.”
“He’s old school…think prehistoric. So, because we are mates and I’m the male, it’s my goose that gets cooked…so to speak.” Wolfe prayed the Enforcer couldn’t hear what he was saying, but somehow knew the old guy could. It was just the way things seemed to be going on his ‘nice, easy trip to the mountains’.
Yeah thanks for that, Rian… Paybacks are a bitch…
Happy to see Dannika smiling again, Wolfe suggested, “How about we try a kind of a ‘mind-meld’?”
He made one-handed air quotes as Dani furrowed her brow and scoffed, “Too much TV there, Spock? I think the Queen scrambled your brains.”
Laughing despite the situation, Wolfe said, “No, goofball. If you’d let me explain before jumping to conclusions.”
Shaking his head and giving his mate an exaggerated eye roll, the Guardsman was glad to see his beautiful little mate crack a smile as he added, “I meant combine our magic and together push it at,” he pointed over her shoulder, “them.”
He could see the wheels turning in Dani’s agile mind. Listening to her thoughts, he was in awe of her strategic prowess and ability to work through the most complex situations in record time. It was invigorating to feel her probing not only her own thoughts and memories but also his. Never before had the saying, ‘the Universe does not make mistakes’ seemed so right. Although he’d never thought it possible to have a mate, Dannika was perfect for him, in every way and he felt blessed to the bottom of his soul for her presence in his life.
Less than a minute later, she nodded her head, “I think you’re right. It’s just like the Prophecy stated, and my mom said, we have to work together. The Queen or Fate or the Universe or all of the above have graced us with incredible gifts.” She paused, patted his chest then smiled a smile that filled him with so much hope and love the Guardsman could not find the words to express his gratitude to the Universe before Dannika went on, “But it only works… when we work.” His dragoness pushed up on her toes and laid a chaste kiss on his lips before adding, “And I think we work, really, really well.”
Pulling back even though both man and beast wanted to once again grab her up and run away, Wolfe laid his forehead to hers and sighed, “Oh, mo baniphrionsa beag, you had me at together.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “Now, can we please get these jokers mobile again so we can be alone.”
Nodding, Dani stepped back as Wolfe begrudgingly let his arm slide from her waist. Taking her hands into his as she held them out, he listened intently as she instructed, “Okay since our minds are completely open to one another, I am ninety-nine-point-nine percent sure that all we need to do is picture our people over there moving again.”
Once again, she was biting her bottom lip as thoughts whirled through her mind. Finally, she nodded with enthusiasm, “Yes, that’s exactly what I did when I caused all this.” She looked away, blew out a quick breath then looked back. “I thought, ‘I just want Daire to stop right now’ and he did.” She gave him an embarrassed grin with a shrug of her shoulders, “I just kinda poured a little too much power into my suggestion.”
Deciding it was better to just nod and say, “Hey, it was the first time out with your new magic,” Wolfe barked out a laugh as Dani chuckled. Reassuring her with a squeeze of her fingers, he added, “We’ll get there, mo chroí…together.”
“Yes, we will.”
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nbsp; Wolfe felt the confidence streaming through her as she looked him in the eyes and instructed, “Okay, picture them moving, unfrozen, acting…normal.”
Of course, just when he needed his brain to work, it went blank. Luckily, he had a beautiful mate to show him the way. Following Dannika’s example, Wolfe imagined Daire laughing, Angus grumbling, Grey goofing around along with the rest doing whatever he saw as natural for them.
Feeling the magic grow within him, reaching for its mate swirling inside Dani, Wolfe held his breath. Sparks flew from their joined hands, bright flashes of color danced in the air like fireflies on a summer’s night and all the while he stared in his dragoness’ beautiful brown eyes, knowing with every fiber of his being she’d turned his life upside-down, given it a shake and made it the best it could be.
From one heartbeat to the next, there was a huge flash of light with the scent of bayberries filling the air. Blinking the spots from his eyes, Wolfe turned his head just in time to see Daire land on the grass with a thud, still growling and spitting. Then there was Darragh, who took two momentum-forced steps forward before screeching to a halt and looking around like he’d just awakened from a dream. The rest of the group simply stood around looking dazed and confused… except for Angus.
Never one to disappoint the Enforcer roared, “What the hell did you do, Wolfe?”
Chapter Ten
Rushing to defend her mate, Dani quickly jumped in front of Wolfe as Angus came barreling towards him like a raging bull. Slapping the lock tight on her magic, the dragoness held out her hands while shaking her head and hurrying to explain. “It wasn’t Wolfe. It was me.”
The older Guardsman stopped short, doubt joining the fury already etched in his regal face, unfortunately Daire picked up the fight, screaming, “How many other fucking secrets do you have, Dani? I feel like I don’t even know you.”
He might as well have stabbed her in the heart, it sure as hell would’ve hurt less than his angry words and furious expression. Taking a hesitant step towards him, tears filled Dani’s eyes as the man she’d known as a brother for nearly a hundred years flinched away from her touch and took a quick step back.
